Copycat: Origins (Marvel Fem!OC)

A Second Chance.

Cat was embarrassed for the way she'd stormed out of the room, so she was going to apologize during breakfast. However, Steve spoke before she could get a word out.

"We're visiting Tony this afternoon. Wanna join us?"

Cat blinked. "You're getting Tony involved?"

"He's the only one that can do it."

"The retired Avenger?" She asked in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"It'd be great if you could come with us," He continued calmly. "Maybe if you talk to him—"

"Yeah, that'd work," She stated. "If I trusted any of this, but I don't."

"Have faith, Cat."

"No. But I'll go anyway," Cat grabbed the coffee he was holding and took a large sip. "I wanna watch as he tells you there's no way that'll work."

"Why are you being like this?" Steve questioned. "Don't you want your old friends back? Don't you want Peter—"

"Don't talk to me about Peter," Cat raised her voice. "I have to be the one with common sense since all of you decided to throw it out the window! The fact that talking raccoons and teleporting mutants exist doesn't mean a time machine will work! It's delusional, Steve!"

"Call Pietro and Harley, see what they have to say about our delusion."

"That's cruel," Her voice quivered. "I'm not dragging anyone into a fantasy again."

"There's a difference between dreaming and planning, Cat. You keep mistaking them for each other."

"I could say the same to you. I know Tony will."

"Why do you hold his opinion in such high esteem?" Steve pressed before she could exit the room.

"The only man's opinion I care for is Hogan's," She responded with apathy. "If I want to hear what Tony has to say, is solely cause his IQ is higher than ours put together."

_________________

"Matthew."

"Hmm?"

"If someone told you," Cat began quietly, "that they might have a way to bring everyone back..."

"Everyone?"

"The vanished," She clarified. "If you were offered an almost impossible way to bring your friends back... would you take it?"

"I'm gonna need context for that one."

She told him everything about the prior night, as expected, Matthew was just as dubious as she was the first time she heard it.

"You're sure this guy didn't lose his mind in this... quantum place?"

"He looked pretty sane. A little shocked, of course, he spent five hours in that place only to come back to this madness, but he really believes this could work. He's starting to convince the others as well."

"It sounds like whether you agree or not, it doesn't matter. They'll talk to Stark either way."

"Yeah, but the outcome depends on me," She made a face. "Chances are Tony will help them if I ask him to."

"But you don't wanna do that," Matt replied knowingly. "Cause you don't wanna give yourself false hopes."

"Tony has a daughter, he's got a family. Asking him to risk his life is selfish."

The man frowned. "You think his life is worth more than everybody else's?"

Cat's hands were tearing a napkin into little pieces. "They want this to be true so badly... but the only person that can figure it out is Tony. Besides... no one guarantees that a world with the vanished will be better than without them."