Work Text:
A parasite-shapeshifter hybrid means multiple things to Phil Coulson. For one thing it’s his entire existence.
For another the murderous, psychopathic need to feed on other peoples’ talents, memories and life energy is muted. Mostly.
Leading experts – and by that Phil means his cousin Spencer, his doctor and the first generation COLAs upper echelons of SHIELD’s command hierarchy – think that this is because the parasite has constant access to a power source from which to feed. As evidenced by the fact that he doesn’t have an aquatic shift.
At least as far as they knew…
For Phil it just means he ate his twin.
This is actually a long-standing theory that he has striven to keep quiet from everyone except Spencer, who was there for the quasi-confirmation. Parasites infect the wombs of others in order to reproduce. Like a cuckoo. When the mother got pregnant out would pop one more baby than would naturally occur. And Phil was an only child.
Another clue was his first name.
The only gift he’d ever received from his mother as a parasite.
It had led him to a familiar well-loved book of fables and an undeniable truth that had led to him disappearing for five years.
It had also led to Rita De Fontaine.
So Phil couldn’t be too unhappy.