Driven Mad (Book 1 in the MAD Series)(An Avengers Fan Fiction)

Jan Van Dyne

Jan took her seat in the conference room, sliding into the chair between Hank and Peter. Hank was studying over some charts that Fury had given him, holding it only inches from his face. Jan scooted closer to him, peering over his shoulder, hoping to get a peek, though she really couldn't care less. But as soon as she leaned in to see what he was looking at, he pulled the papers away, out of her sight. "Confidential." Hank muttered, returning to his papers.

Annoyed, Jan leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed across her chest, pouting. She hoped maybe he'd notice her for once and just put down the science for a day. But, of course, that never happened. She wondered if he even thought of her as more than an assistant anymore. She just rolled her eyes and uncrossed her arms, hoping he'd show her a little bit of attention.

Nick Fury was late, which really annoyed her. She just wanted this thing to start already. Betty had found Ross and he had killed himself, but other than that, things had been slowing down. Tony, thanks to his Sherlock role playing, had discovered that Ross's cameras didn't only project the footage back to the security room, but all the way back to New York City. So he'd determined that the mastermind was down in New York somewhere. Things were settling down a bit so soon they'd have their target and they'd be on their way to another fight. But first Fury wanted something.

Jan turned to Hank, just watching him. His blonde hair was a bit messy, but not too bad. He wore his rimless glasses that made him look smart. His white lab coat covered his Ant-Man suit, as it always did. His eyes were tired, like he hadn't slept much for the past couple of days. He hadn't slept more than two or three hours since they'd left their lab. He always claimed that he was just too busy for sleep, but she knew that he was just too wired and the place was too unfamiliar. He could never sleep the first few nights in a brand new place.

Jan thought about how much different Hank looked than when she first met him. That had been just over 8 years earlier. Hank had been just a bit more wiry and he just looked a little more geeky. He'd grown out of that awkward phase of his life, thank God. Within the first two years he'd transformed into the man he was. But the first two years were some of the best. His personality became more and more obsessive with his work as he aged, and that was the one thing she hated. He never took a break. Never.

Jan looked around the table to find Pepper and Tony talking over some sort of science project of some sort, and then Bruce holding a very shaken Betty in his arms. She longed for that sort of relationship, not the one she was in. She wasn't going to leave Hank, she loved him too much, but he didn't ever pay her a lot of attention. "Why can't we be like them?" Jan muttered to herself.

"Like who?" Hank asked, hearing her, not looking away from his charts.

"Huh?"

"You said you wanted us to be like someone."

"Oh. Right. I was talking to myself."

"Well, what were you talking to yourself about?"

"Well, like Pepper and Tony or Bruce and Betty..."

"What about them?"

"Well, they just seem so close."

"Your point?"

"We're just not very close. You just keep... I don't know, pushing me away, I guess."

Hank jerked his head up from the papers, but before Jan could even see his expression, Fury finally trotted into the room, followed by Maria Hill. She turned back to Hank, hoping to be able to read a little bit of what he thought of her last words to him, but his attention was turned to Fury and Hill, his expression entirely blank. She sighed and turned to them, awaiting orders.