Ch 6

After the battle, Beck and Petra went to a bar to celebrate but Petra wasn't quite in the mood.

"Hey, you did something good." Beck said. "You gotta celebrate."

"Fury was right." Petra said. "Stark did a lot to me so I owe it to everybody."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. Fury wants me to live up to the legacy and Toni gave me the chance to do better than her."

"What do you want?" Beck asked suddenly.

"What?" Petra was confused. What did Beck mean by that.

"What do you want?

"I want to go back with my friends and go to the top of the Eiffel Tower with the boy I really like and...tell him how I feel."

Beck laughed softly, then gave a curious look.

"You're not gonna do that, right?"

"No, I can't." Petra said and her face fell as she admitted the harsh truth.

"Why not?"

"Because I have too much of a responsibility."

Then the waitress gave them the EDITH glasses and honestly, neither of them knew they had left them there.

"I actually really like them." Petra said, looking at the way the light shined off the glasses.

"Can I be completely honest with you?"

"Please."

"They look really stupid."

Oh.

"But maybe they have a contact-lens version."

Then Petra gave EDITH to Beck and at first he didn't want it but he reluctantly tried them on.

"What do you think, kid?" Beck asked.

Petra just sat there in stunned silence.

With EDITH, Beck really did look like the next Stark.

"Beck, I can't be like Iron Woman. But maybe you can." Petra said as the idea washed over her.

"What do you mean?" Beck asked.

"She knew every mistake I made and I am not ready for this." Petra said. After that whole bus experience, she never wanted to do something like that again.

"But she must've known that someone else would pick it up and you saved my life and you saved the world so it's gotta be you! I mean, who else could it possibly be?"

"No, come on. Nah." Beck said but Petra wouldn't give up.

"Hey, EDITH, I'd like to transfer control over to Quentin Beck?"

"Any transfer will require confirmation."

"Stark gave you the glasses." Beck tried again.

"Stark gave me a choice and I'm gonna make it." Petra replied. Beck was the only perfect choice for this. "You literally did everything back there. She'd want you to have them."

Then Beck sighed and took the glasses. His expression slowly changed and he had a more determined look.

"Thanks, Parker. It's an honor." Beck replied.

"Welcome to the Avengers." Petra said proudly as she got up.

"Where you headed?" Beck asked.

"I'm gonna find Harry." Petra replied.

"I'll give you a fifty fifty chance." Beck said with a smile. "You're pretty awkward."

"Thanks." Petra said with a chuckle, then she headed out.

As soon as she was gone, the blue glowing holograms of the bar disappeared, then Beck's crew jumped out and gave their loudest cheers as Beck had an evil grin.

His plan had worked!

Now he could be the new hero that everyone would listen to.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Beck said and his crew laughed.

"Somebody get this stupid costume off me!"