As Paul checked the time on his watch he saw that it was time to leave. With as minimal noise as possible, Paul got out of bed. He did not wish to wake his roommates, not because they would question why he was going out at this time of night, but because they had a busy day at the factory coming up and they should have a good sleep. Like most other people in this neighbourhood, his roommates knew that he was a fixer, one who kept irregular hours.
Paul threw on a baggy brown jacket as it got quite cold at night in the Basement. Exiting his room with soft steps, Paul checked his watch again. He was supposed to be there for two, which meant he’d probably need to hustle. Paul stepped out into the darkness, the streetlights in his neighbourhood not working again. While it was slightly annoying, it could prove beneficial as it made it harder for a Machine Men patrol finding him.
Fear of being found out was always part of Paul’s work, whether it was masking tags or blowing up labs. While Paul mostly trusted Daniel, he had never met this Karen. He hoped he could trust her, after all she was apparently a high up in the resistance.
As a child Paul had never thought of joining the resistance, as things didn’t seem that bad. But as he got older he realized how good he had it. While his family was poor, at least they were never attacked or spirited away by Machine Man. It was only as an adult that he became fully aware of how screwed up this society was.
Paul was snapped back to reality as he heard the familiar whine of a Machine Man’s jet engine. Paul immediately dropped to the ground, making himself as small as possible. Up head underneath a flickering light was two homeless humans. Then a Machine Man dropped out of the sky. It seemed like it was trying to break up their gathering. It always seemed like the Beastial rulers were afraid of humans getting together, even if it was just two homeless looking for a spot to sleep.
While the Machine Man broke up the gathering, Paul sprinted into a nearby alley. He took cover behind a large garbage dumpster, trying to blend in with the shadows. Paul waited until he heard the Machine Man fly away, then waited a few minutes more. While the danger had passed, Paul didn’t want to risk encountering another Machine Man.
Looking around, Paul spotted a sewer grate. While most people would avoid the sewers, like most rebels or criminals, Paul had navigated the tunnels and had a good idea of how to get around under the city. As Paul approached the grate, he decided this was as good as any time to get in costume.
Pressing a button on the side of his watch, the clock face opened revealing a very small suit. The suit then launched out of the watch, before transforming into a human size suit, landing on the ground. Paul quickly put on the suit and helmet, becoming the Ant-Man.
Paul then walked over to the grate, before pushing a button on his belt. Paul then shrunk to the size of a small toy, falling between the grates. He then returned to normal size as he hit the sewer floor. After taking a second to get used to the unique smell of the sewer, Paul began jogging toward the meet up point.
After about twenty minutes of moving through the muck, Paul realized that he was near the meeting place. Finding another grate, Paul jumped toward it, shrinking as he moved. With precise movement, Paul went through the bars, returning to regular size in another dark alley. From there it was about a block to the meeting.
Trying to stay in the shadows, Paul found himself behind a building. Standing there was a woman wearing a hood. Figuring that this was Karen, as who else would risk being out at 2 AM, Paul introduced himself.
“Hey, there,” Paul approached her, “The name’s Ant-Man. Apparently we’re supposed to meet here.”
