Spiderman Oneshots

The funeral

(A/N: Wow, I'm really on a writing spree at the moment! This is what happens when people request... *hint hint* Enjoy!)

Peter still couldn't believe that he was alive, that it had been five years since he felt himself fall apart on a planet - in space! - what felt like only days ago; that they'd actually won. He stood, lost, in the middle of the bustling school corridor and saw faces he recognised next to faces he didn't and faces he used to know that had gotten older. He looked up and saw Ned, looking just like he had five years ago when Peter last saw him. At least something had stayed the same. Ned was his best friend, his rock, he was always there for times when Peter needed him. Times like now. There were no words required, Ned just wrapped his arms around his friend and Peter hugged him back, trying not to sob as he relived all the pain he'd been through in the past few days. Mr Stark... he was gone. No last-minute saves, no going back. Gone. Forever.

Peter blinked hard and gave Ned a watery smile. Understanding, Ned kept his questions to himself and offered silent support to his broken friend. 

"I know this is a tough time for everyone," an unfamiliar teacher told the class. "For those of you who have missed the past five years, and those who had to live through them. But it will get easier. We have heroes that will do whatever it takes to keep us safe. Even when it means laying down their own lives to do so. As I'm sure you all know, Tony Stark, Iron Man, sacrificed himself to save the rest of the universe, and for that we will be eternally grateful. To remind you to keep this thankfulness in your hearts, we are going to watch the recently released footage of his funeral, to let you remember that heroes are people too, with family and friends and a life that matters just as much as everybody else's." The teacher swallowed and projected a video onto the board.

There was silence in the room as the video began to play, showing Pepper and her daughter, dressed all in black, walking slowly down the steps of their house. A few people started sobbing as she knelt by the water and laid a wreath on the lake.  Peter had to look away as the camera zoomed in on it, having already lived through the funeral once in person.

Ned put and arm around Peter and squeezed, knowing how hard it must have been for his friend.

As the wreath drifted away, the cameras panned back to where Pepper crouched by Morgan, then moved slowly past to show Happy and Rhodey stood behind her, looking solemn. Steve Rodgers was behind them, fiddling with his shirt cuffs.

Peter was too sad to do anything as the cameras moved on to show him, gazing miserably towards the water, May by his side. There were some whispers as people in the classroom recognised him, and they became voices when the camera lingered on him for a moment before slowly panning to the rest of the Avengers.

"What was Parker doing at Tony Stark's funeral?" Flash asked the question everyone else was wondering. Yes, Flash had been dusted too. Peter was too miserable to reply, so Ned jumped in for him.

"We already told you, Peter interned for him."

"Peter got to meet the Avengers? That's so cool!" Somebody whispered.

"That doesn't answer the question," somebody else said, pointing at the screen as it continued moving past the line of mourning heroes. "It was a private funeral, practically the only people there are Avengers. Why would Stark's family invite an intern they hadn't seen for five years?"

"Peter was Tony's private intern, they were very close," Ned tried, but it was futile.

"If he's just an intern, why is he right near the front? Look, even some of the Avengers are behind him!"

"This is a funeral, have some respect!" The teacher snapped, but was ignored.

"Guys, isn't it obvious?"