Copycat: Agent Zero (Marvel Fem!OC)

There Is No "I" In Team.

When they handed him the Stark glasses, Peter got very quiet.

"'Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown'," Fury looked at him. "Stark said you wouldn't get that because it's not a Star Wars reference," he then looked at Cat, "on the other hand, you'd be able to quote the whole thing and even tell us who wrote it."

"King Henry fourth, Shakespeare," Cat smiled a little. "I wouldn't be able to quote it, it's too long."

She looked at Peter, but he was too lost in his own thoughts, looking down at Tony's gift.

***

"We could've used someone like you on my world."

"Thanks," Peter smiled. "I'm sorry, your world?"

"Mr. Beck is from Earth, just not yours," Fury clarified.

"Ours," Cat corrected. Hill nudged her side. "What? If he's not careful Peter could see right through him!" She retorted under her breath.

"Peter didn't know Fury," Soren whispered. "He can't tell the difference, but he might if you keep trying to correct us!"

In front of them Peter let out a shocked response to Quentin's speech:

"You're saying there's a multiverse? Because I thought that was just theoretical— I mean that completely changes how we understand the initial singularity, we're talking about an internal inflation system— and how does that even work with all the quantum— It's insane!"

The teenager looked at Fury, Hill, and Cat. The first two were staring at him weirdly, but Cat understood then why he'd be useful, somehow the fact that she'd grown without him had made her forget that he was a real genius.

"Sorry," Peter said bashfully, "it's really cool."

"It's also a problem," Cat pointed out.

"Right," the boy nodded, "you're right— Sorry."

"Don't ever apologize for being the smartest one in the room," Quentin said politely.

"Ouch," Cat pouted mockingly.

"Anyway..."

Hill projected a thing in the middle of the room and Quentin began to explain the origin of the creatures they were fighting, he called them Elementals. Cat's phone began to buzz and she answered, she'd already heard that story.

"Hello?" She spoke quietly.

"I just heard the news," Matt said. "You okay?"

"I don't remember giving you my number," she replied.

"I got it when you applied for a job at my office."

"Is this legal?"

"Cat."

"How did you know I was the one from the news? People are calling us Mysterio and shadow girl, which is worse than Black Cat..."

"They said you were out there fighting the monster with a red mist— I thought Fury didn't want you to go public?"

"They don't want to associate me with the Avengers, it's different. I got a dirty record, and I can't blame it on a german lab brainwashing me to be evil..."

"Are you okay?"

"That's none of your business. Don't call me."

She was about to hang when Matthew added in a rush:

"You said your brother always called. I just... I didn't want you to feel alone."

Cat was taken by surprise, she wasn't expecting him to remember that. "Why?"

"You wanted us to be friends. This is me being one."

"Right," she said dryly. "I did say that."

"So?"

"I'm alright. Don't lose sleep over my situation, okay?"

"Is that an order?"

She let out a short laugh. "Like you would take one from me."

"Smart kitty."

Cat suppressed a groan. "Have a good night."

The young woman hung up the phone, she returned when Quentin finished his sob story. It didn't sit right with her. How come they'd been able to destroy one when it'd taken a whole army to fight them on his Earth? 

Beck claimed that he wasn't expecting to survive his first encounter at all, but alas, there he was. Were his powers different now that he'd gone through the multiversal rift? Perhaps the Elementals had gotten weaker... 

Peter spoke up suddenly, he didn't want to risk his identity and it seemed that his classmates were rather close to figuring things out. Cat didn't want him around if she was honest. She thought he'd be a distraction.

"Okay, I understand," Fury said at last.

"I'm sorry, what?" Peter glanced at her, and he noticed Cat was as confused as him.

"Get back before your teachers miss you and become suspicious. Dimitri! Take him back to the hotel, please."

"Thank you, Mr. Fury," Peter looked around, "and uh... good luck."

He stopped a moment in front of Quentin, the man shook his hand. "See ya, kid."

"Yeah, see ya."

Cat took a step forward to walk him out but Fury stopped her.

"You stay."

The girl returned to her spot and looked at him with annoyance. What were they playing at? They wanted Peter, and even if she didn't want to, she could still try and convince him like she'd convinced Tony. She was getting tired of the cat-and-mouse interactions, if they wanted to get things done why not do them at once?

"As you wish, sir," Cat replied, sounding a little frustrated.

***

"This is ridiculous," The agent huffed as she changed Peter's schedule. "Ten years, that's how long I've been training to be an agent... and you decide to waste me!"

"We need his help," Quentin told her, "kid's a genius, we need his brains."

"You know I can copy him from top to bottom, right?"

"It wouldn't be the same," the man insisted, "even if you did, you'd still be you pretending to be him. I don't think it's just the brains, I don't think it's something you can copy."

"When I met him he was thin and short," she grumbled, "now he's just short but he's the same old Peter, I don't think is that much of a loss if he doesn't help..."

"You're too young to understand," Quentin patted her shoulder with a patronizing way, "I'm an experienced soldier, I know what I'm talking about when I say Peter's what we need."

Cat pushed her chair back and looked up at him. "I could snap your neck in half without even blinking. I could turn you from the inside out and wouldn't even gawk at the mess. Don't tell me you know better. You don't know me."

Quentin raised his eyebrows in surprise, but he wasn't upset. "Trust me, the last thing I wanna do is fight with a valuable teammate. I'm sorry, but..."

"But what?" She finished the reservations and stood up without looking at him.

"Fury told me you and that boy have history—"

"What's your point?"

"It's been a year since you last spoke, right? That can change a lot of things— your whole world got altered in just one day! Maybe Peter's more ready than you think."

A year ago Cat still had a family, but the anniversary of their death was around the corner and now she was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent with no aspirations in life.

C.C.'s worst nightmare had turned into Cat's wish. It was weird, what time and circumstance could do to someone, but it made her realize Quentin was right. She'd talked to Tony because people like Peter deserved a second chance to prove their worth. Cat no longer knew her place in the world but still knew Peter's.