Everyone Was a Hawk (First Update, Please Subscribe!!!)

Lake never got to witness Loki and the Chitauri descend upon Earth. Instead, he attended a friend's funeral.

A farewell ceremony was taking place inside a solemn and holy church.

The priest stood onstage, recounting the story of the person peacefully sleeping in the coffin. He told everyone attending that if God had called him up, the most likely reason was that God needed him to do the angels' makeup.

Seated in a black suit, Lake lowered his head and desperately suppressed the urge to laugh. After all, this was hardly the appropriate occasion.

Tony Stark, sitting beside him, lowered his head in perfect understanding.

Rachel and Pepper, seated beside the two men, exchanged glances. Looking at their respective men, they each gave them a pinch, as if saying, Hey, this is a funeral. Be serious.

Lake and Tony sat up straight.

After a while.

During the final viewing, Lake and Tony remained in their seats, watching woman after woman walk to the coffin. They took one look at the once-straight-as-an-arrow man who had suffered a sudden stroke three days earlier after playing too many games, spat into the coffin, wiped away their tears, and left the church.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Do you think your funeral will look like this someday?"

"...Could you at least say something nice about me?"

Tony gave Lake, who was speaking without even looking at him, a dark glance. "If one of us is going to follow in our old friend's footsteps, it should be you, not me."

"Is that so?"

"What do you think?"

"Definitely not."

Lake rubbed his chin. Looking at the various women lining up onstage to spit, he raised his brows. Then, as he stood up with Tony to take one last look at their old friend, he said, "I can't die.