Chapter 1: Taken in by a Legend
Hey everyone I'm back with a new story. Now I'm sure many of you know the great Stan Lee passed away recently at the age of 95. I speak for all of us when I say Marvel won't ever be the same without him and that his work brought joy to all of us whether it was the Avengers, Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy, or even our favorite neighborhood Spider-Man. This story goes out to you Stan Lee. Excelsior! Please Review and Enjoy.
It was nighttime on streets of Jump City; the street lamps were shining down on the streets as people went about their daily lives when a small figure was rummaging through the garbage cans near the movie theater. Moving into the light it was a little boy around the age of 8 with short brown hair and dirt all over his face and clothes. This was Ace Harrison.
Ace had been an orphan since he was 7 when his parents died in a car accident, but he had somehow survived that accident. Since then he had been forced to live on the street trying to find whatever he can just to make it through another day, but he never lowered himself to stealing.
Reaching through one he finds half a hot dog and eats it like he hadn't eaten in days.
As he pulled out a container with a small amount of popcorn, he heard a scream coming from the parking lot. Walking towards it he saw a little Latina girl around his age with long brown hair. Coming up on her was a large man in a ski mask.
"Please, leave me alone." She said in fear.
"You're a smart little girl imagine how much I could get paid for after a little kidnapping?" He said.
Ace looks at the situation with fear in his eyes, he could either run away and pretend this never happened, he could try and find help, or do something really stupid.
As the thug grabbed the girl a bucket of popcorn was thrown on his head making him stagger back and dropping the girl.
He suddenly felt something smash into him knocking him to the ground. Tossing off the bucket he saw Ace holding a trash can lid like a shield as Ace whacked him on the head with it.
"Why you little!" Ace swings the lid again but the thug catches it this time. Yanking the lid out of his hand he punches Ace in the face knocking him to the ground.
The girl looks in shock as the boy had come out of nowhere and was helping her.
"Go Run!" Ace yells as the thugs swings his hand knocking Ace onto his stomach before stomping on him making him scream in pain.
The girl was about to run off to find help when a figure walks past her.
"Hey there sonny, you know you really shouldn't be picking on little kids." An elderly man with white hair and glasses said.
"Get lost geezer!" The thug said about to punch him when the old man dodges and knees him in the guy causing the thug to drop to his knees before elbowing him in the back.
"Respect your elders sonny." He smirks.
"Whoa." Ace said amazed as the old man walks over to him and the girl.
"Come on let's get out of here." He said.
Ten Minutes later the girl's parents were hugging their daughter as the police came and arrested the thug.
"Anya I'm so happy you're okay." The girl's mother said.
Ace looks at Anya and her family and sighs as he was about to turn away and leave when the old man who saved him stood in front of him.
"Now where are you off to young hero?" He asks.
"I'm no hero if it wasn't for you, I would've been beaten into the ground." Ace sighs.
The old man looks at Ace and gets down on his knees. "Tell me kid what's your name?"
"A-Ace."
"Well Ace my name's Stan Lee and I've seen many heroes in my day, but they all have one quality that makes them heroes…it's the guts to do the right thing and kid you've got it." Stan said making Ace smile when suddenly Ace felt a tap on his shoulder.
Turning around he saw Anya smiling behind him.
"Hey uh I wanted to thank you for saving me back there. My name's Anya, Anya Corazon." She said holding out her hand.
"Ace Harrison." He said shaking it.
"I hope we can be friends." Anya smiles.
"Uh sure." Ace said as Anya hugged him before going back to her mom and dad.
"Hope I can see you around." Anya waves goodbye.
"So, Ace where are your parents are they nearby?" Stan asks looking around causing Ace to frown.
"They uh they died last year in a car accident." Ace said sadly.
"I'm so sorry." Stan examines Ace and sees the condition of the young boy's skin stomach to his wrinkled and dirty clothes and could tell he had been through a lot. "You know kid…why don't you come with me."
Ace looks at him surprised. "What?"
"Come on, a little guy like you doesn't deserve a life of going through the garbage, let's get you a proper meal and get you cleaned up." Stan said offering Ace a hand. "Come with me and I promise I can teach you about being the person I know you can be."
Ace looks at Stan with a surprise look on his face before he slowly reached out and took it.
"Excelsior! Follow me!" Stan smiles as he and Ace walk away.
"You really think I can have a normal life again?" Ace asks.
"Kid, I've got a feeling with my help you could make such a difference you could the change the world." Stan said as they walked away with a new life for Ace was about to begin.