I'll be your shield

Chapter Seventeen: Bullies

Two years later

     Sapphire took her goggles off and looked at her dad. He was working on some of his suits, which wasn't anything unusual. "Dad?" "Yes Princess?" "Since I'm starting school tomorrow.... Can you tell me what it's like?" "Why not ask Peter?" "Well... I don't want to bug him. He has homework. Plus, I want to hear from you." Tony leaned back in his chair and scratched his beard. "Ah geez... Well.. School is a place were they teach you things that'll help you later in life. It'll be easy since you have my brains, but you might learn something new. Anyways, you can make friends and try new things. I'm not good at this Princess, maybe you should experience it for yourself." He said and rubbed the back of his neck.
     Sapphire nodded and hopped out of her seat. "I'm going to go see Peter." She said and ran off. She walked through the tower and knocked on Peter's door. "Who is it?" "Sapphire!" "Come in!" Sapphire opened the door and saw papers scattered across the floor. "What's all this?" "Art. I'm entering the art contest. So I'm looking at papa's pictures to get an idea." Peter said and picked up a picture to show her.
    "Papa drew all of this?" "Papa drew most of it. I think I picked up his art skills." Peter said and went back to doodling. "Can I try drawing?" "Sure. Here's a pencil." Peter said and handed her some paper and a pencil.
     "Peter?" "Hm?" "I'm not aloud to tell people you're my brother am I?" Peter looked at his sister, who had a serious face like papa. "Like dad and papa said, there, you're Sapphire Jane. Here, you're Sapphire Stark." Sapphire smiled and hugged him. "Kids! Dinner!" Steve called down the hall. "Come on." Peter said and grabbed her hand.

     Sapphire looked at the building that she would be stuck at until 2. She looked back at Steve, who was dressed so no one would know who he was. "I don't wanna go here papa." "You'll be fine princess. Just, try today ok?" Steve said and kissed the top of her head.
     Sapphire nodded and gave him one last hug. She turned around and headed inside to begin her first day. She saw Peter and waved to him, who smiled and waved back. She walked into her classroom and looked around. People practicing counting, saying their ABC's (or at least what they knew of it), and reading. Sapphire walked over to an empty desk and pulled out her design notebook and started to work on her measurements for her new suit. 'Dad would be proud of this design.' Sapphire said and looked at it. "Wow... Is that a drawing of Iron Man?" A voice asked behind her. She turned her head to see one of her classmates. "Yes. My dad drew it for me." "He's an amazing artist." "Yeah, but my papa is better." "Wait... You have two dads?" "Yeah...? Why? Is it a problem?" "Well everyone has a mom and a dad. Having two dads is... Weird.." "No it's not!" "Yeah it is." The boy said and crossed his arms. Sapphire huffed and stood up. "If you have a problem with it then don't talk to me! I have better things to do than talk to someone who will make fun of my family!" Sapphire said and glared at him.
    Class was soon started and Sapphire sat alone at the table in the back. The teacher walked over and looked at her work. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "No little kid I've worked with has been able to multiple and divide at age 5." "I get my brains from working to be smarter. And thank you." "I'll contact your parents." The teacher said and walked away.
     The kids were then aloud time outside, which Sapphire spent reading her book Papa had lent her. "Hey weirdo." A voice said as Sapphire looked up. It was the boy who made fun of her dads. She stood up and put her things on the ground. "What do you want?" "We've come to set things straight." They said and pulled her hair. "OW!" Kick. "STOP THAT!!!" Punch. Sapphire was in tears as they pushed her into the mud and kicked her stuff. "If you tell anyone, you'll be a tattle tail." And with that, they ran off.
    This day had been the worst of her life. School seemed amazing from Peter's eyes, but it sucked for her. She walked out of school with bruises, cuts, and mud all over her dress. "Sapphire?" "Aunt Pepper?" Sapphire said with a tear falling down her face. Pepper took Sapphire's hand and helped her into the car. "Your dads aren't going to like this.."
      "WHAT HAPPENED?!" Steve yelled in horror at the look of his daughter. He rushed over to her and kneeled down. "I don't know. She won't say a word." Pepper said. Tony entered the room and saw Sapphire. "Princess! What happened?! She's covered in mud and bruises." Sapphire dropped her bag onto the ground and jumped into Steve's arms in tears.
    "Oh sweetie... Tell papa what happened, ok?" "I- I can't.. Cause I'll be a tattle tail.." "Sapphire..." Tony walked over and kneeled down next to Steve. "Princess, you need to tell us. We're your parents." "T- They hurt me.. Because I have two dads... And no mom... But you're my mom papa... T- They called me... Weirdo... I- I hate school... I never want to go back." She sobbed into Steve's shirt. Tony growled and marched over to the phone. "Tony-" "Don't Tony me, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind." He said and dialed the school number. "Let's get you cleaned up." Steve said and carried Sapphire to the bathroom.
      "Papa?" "Hm?" "I- I'm sorry..." Steve frowned and kissed the top of Sapphire blonde head. "Don't be sorry sweetie. This isn't your fault and it won't ever be your fault." Steve said and set her into the bath tub. Sapphire listened to her papa sing to her, and smiled. 'No matter what you tell me you bully... I have Iron Man and Captain America on my side...'