The Last Avenger [What If...? x DCAMU Crossover]

25. The U in Funeral

Indiana Stark, A.K.A. Tony Stark's little sister, became the deadliest woman known to man.

And there came a day unlike any other when, Earth's Mightiest Heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, she joined the Avengers.

This is what she does now that they're gone.

Last time: They. Killed. Yelena. (As if we could forget.)
Meanwhile: Indiana has no idea what has happened because she is drunk. Why didthe sad broken white boy have to kiss her??

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Chk. "-Who still has an answering machine? Are you kidding me, Wallace?"

It was dark and all I could do was listen to Roy's voice as I fumbled for the kitchen light switch and scattered blank sheets of paper across the counter.

This was a dumb idea. How do I express my feeling? How do I do that? Feelings? Men? I don't know. The letter had to say something moving, something... from the heart, something - I'd think of something, eventually.

Halfway down the page of several attempts at coherency and half a pot of coffee later I had to call Simone. "Hey, it's me. I got a spelling... how do you spell 'incorrigible'. Call me back? I, uh. I don't have a dictionary. Or internet. Or much of anything."

I fell into a haze, sleeping fitfully on and off for the rest of the night. At around 5:30 AM I jolted upright and almost fell off the couch into a pile of beer bottles when two sharp knock broke through the haze.

It was Simone. She looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy from crying and an air of melancholy hung about her. She didn't have to speak. Her face said it all.

Something bad had happened.

A couple minutes later I stood on the roof with my hallmates, hating the fact I'd been right.

Yellow police tape cut us off from the crime scene where a white sheet stained with blood covered Yelena's body. I wanted to yell, scream, something, but all I could do was feel the slight shake of my left hand.

I stared out at the Gotham skyline. A crow circled above. Yelena was supposed to go to acting classes in the new year. She had a husband, lots of friends, her whole life ahead of her.

I knew in my gut she was gone. Not even the Lazarus Pit could bring her back. She was gone because of me. They did this because of me.

"-My boy is in the hospital," one of the babushka's said, "he got hurt and-"

I couldn't listen anymore and trudged back down to my apartment, flopping onto the couch, closing my eyes.

RNNGGG. Then the phone rang. I held my head. Too loud-

RNNGGG RNNGGG RNNGGG

"I hate you," I told it. I picked up with a sigh. "What?"

"Is it too early for you, Ma?"

I just groaned. "Ha hahh... heyyy, Jaybird. When did - when did you get back into town?"

Jason and Roy had gone cowboying around, doing whatever it was the Outlaws did. Something about the All-Caste, Jason had said.

"Last night," he said. "Uh, look Roy and me need a place to crash for a couple days. Think you can spare a couch for a couple Outlaws' down on their luck?"

"Ahh... yeah, lad, sure, yeah. I mean - of course. Whatever you need. I got - see, I got a... girl in my building just died, there's cops, I gotta talk to her damn mum-" my words slur, I wasn't even sure I was making sense. "Let me get all my stuff taken care of and stuff. Okay?"