Marvel: Silver Hand

It had been a quiet month since Alexander met Vanessa, and life had settled into a comfortable routine. One afternoon, he was walking home with Sophia, chatting about their favorite comic books, when Vanessa appeared, jogging to catch up with them.

"Hey!" Vanessa greeted with a bright smile, her golden eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Hey, Vanessa," Alexander replied, while Sophia gave her a welcoming wave.

The three fell into an easy conversation, laughing and teasing each other, when the mood shifted abruptly. A sneering voice interrupted them.

"Well, if it isn't Alexander and his little entourage," Josh, one of the school bullies, said as he approached with his group of friends in tow.

Josh's gaze landed on Vanessa, and his smirk widened. He'd been infatuated with her since the day she transferred to the school, though she clearly didn't reciprocate.

"You two losers can leave now," Josh said, motioning to Alexander and Sophia.

Sophia bristled. "We're not going anywhere, Josh."

Josh narrowed his eyes and sneered, "The piggy shouldn't be talking." His friends burst out laughing, and Sophia's face turned red with a mix of anger and hurt.

Alexander stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. "Hey, just leave us alone. We're not bothering you."

Josh turned his attention to Alexander. "Why don't you shut up and go cry to your freak of a mother? Oh wait, she's probably too scared to even show her face."

The mention of his mom hit Alexander like a slap. His fists clenched, and heat surged through his body. Celebrimbor, silently observing as always, felt the boy's fury spike.

"You wanna say that again?" Alexander growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Josh smirked. "What? That your mom's a freak?"

That was it. Alexander snapped. He lunged at Josh, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him to the ground. The air filled with gasps and screams as Alexander straddled him and started punching.

"Don't ever talk about my mom like that!" he shouted, his fist connecting with Josh's face again and again.

Josh's friends rushed in, yanking Alexander off and throwing punches of their own. Alexander fought back fiercely, managing to land a few hits, but the numbers were against him. They pinned him to the ground, raining blows down on him.

"Enough!"

A teacher's voice boomed through the chaos. The fight broke up as quickly as it started, and soon Alexander, Josh, and their respective groups were being marched to the principal's office.

The principal, Mr. Langley, glared at Alexander from behind his desk. "I'm very disappointed, young man," he said, his tone dripping with authority.

Josh and his friends smirked, knowing they had the advantage—Mr. Langley was Josh's uncle.

"He started it," Josh said smugly. "We were just minding our own business, and he attacked me."

"That's a lie!" Sophia shouted, her face red with frustration.

"Quiet!" Mr. Langley snapped. "I'll handle this."

It was clear the principal was about to side with Josh when the door opened, and Emma Frost walked in, her presence commanding.

"Apologies for interrupting," Emma said, her voice smooth and calm. "But I think you'll want to reconsider your decision, Mr. Langley."

She handed him a letter, stamped with the Frost family crest. Mr. Langley's face paled as he read it.

"Alexander," the principal said reluctantly, "you're suspended for a month. Josh, you and your friends will be suspended for a week."

Alexander's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

Emma led him out of the office and into her waiting car.

Alexander sat in the back seat, seething. "It's not fair," he muttered.

Emma placed a hand on his head, her touch surprisingly soothing. "Let it go," she said softly.

He felt a strange calm wash over him, like her voice was cutting through his anger.

"What… what are you doing?" he asked, confused.

Instead of answering, Emma leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Alexander froze, his heart pounding. The kiss deepened for a moment, and then Emma pulled back, smirking at his stunned expression.

"Better now?" she teased.

Alexander was a stammering mess, his cheeks bright red. "I… uh… yeah… I—"

"Good," Emma interrupted. "And you better not tell anyone about this."

He nodded quickly. "Okay."

When they arrived at his house, Emma waved him off. "Go inside and tell your mom and Clara. I have to head home."

Alexander watched her car drive away, still reeling from what had just happened.

Alexander opened the door and found Clara and his mom on the couch, their expressions stormy.

"Sit down," Clara said firmly.

He did, recounting the entire incident. By the end, both women were shaking their heads.

"As punishment," Clara said, "you're grounded for the whole month. No TV, no phone, no comics."

"And," his mom added, "you'll clean everything in the basement. Every day."

Alexander wanted to argue but knew it wouldn't help. "Fine," he muttered.

After a long evening of scrubbing armor, polishing swords, and cleaning up, Alexander returned to his room. He picked up his flute and began to play, the music calming his nerves. His skills had improved significantly, with Ms. Brown and Vanessa calling him a prodigy.

The melody filled the room, and slowly, the day's anger and frustration faded away.

Later, as he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of his father. He imagined his dad smiling at him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be okay, Alex," his father said in the dream. "Just keep going."

When Alexander woke the next morning, he felt a little stronger, ready to face whatever came next.