Chapter Text
“Wait, we’re wiping out whole cities? Invading other dimensions?” Billy asked the group standing at the Regime’s table with incredulous eyes.
No. This isn’t right. I’ve had enough.
Billy Batson had been on the fence about this whole Regime thing. It was like he was wading through stinky toxic tar, it all just felt wrong, but his heart wanted to believe in the people who lead the Regime. But wiping out entire cities? Just as a show of power? That wasn’t right. How many families would be killed? He thought about his family back home. Rosa and Victor, and his siblings, the people at school, everyone. His siblings, they were all helping the effort in the chaos that is this world now.
“You have a problem, Billy?” Superman turned to him, a cold dead stare in his eyes. His name rang like a taunt.
Immediately, Billy backed away and realized that maybe he should’ve transformed into his Shazam form before attending his meeting...but, why was he so afraid? Superman is a good guy at heart, Billy knew he was. Superman would listen to reason right?
He sucked up what little courage he had left. He didn’t have the courage of Achilles, but Billy Batson had the courage of Billy Batson.
Even as a fifteen year old boy standing up to one of Earth’s mightiest people, Billy stood his ground.
“Man’s world is incapable of self-rule. We must preserve order," Wonder Woman said, falling into step beside Superman.
Billy couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He glanced around the room, at the reasonably mature adults. He grew so frustrated. How could they, the once Justice League members not realize how utterly insane and psychotic this whole was? They’ve gone too far and they were too afraid not to say a thing. Billy’s frustrations and desire to change their mind overwhelmed his fear.
“No!” he shouted in retaliation, growing nervous as the other adults eyes turned on him. “There has to be limits, especially on us!”
The other members looked lamely at Billy. The only other person who seemed to sympathize was his efforts was Flash, but the man didn’t say a word. Billy was starting to think he was in a really bad spot. For the first time since he’s been here, Billy felt like he was no longer among friends, among reasonable people.
“That’s enough.” Superman tried to silence him, but even if he wasn’t in his Shazam form, Billy knew that if didn’t speak up, no one would.
“No," he boy said firmly. “It was long enough time ago. Have you all gone nuts?” He glared at the adults, the pressure in the room was almost suffocating. Billy looked directly at Superman, Clark Kent, his mentor and friend. “Lois would never want-”
That was a mistake. His last one.
Faster than he could even register what even happened, Superman had him by the throat, squeezing hard. That would bruise pretty bad later, Mary would be pissed...if there was ever was going to be later. As every second ticked, Billy felt himself choke, the wind was instantly knocked out of his sails as Superman only squeezed tighter, trying his best to loosen Superman’s grip to no avail. At one last ditch effort...
“Sha-”
And that would be the last thing the young Billy Batson would ever say.
Before he could get the whole word out, Superman breathed in his face, right into his open mouth. The frosty spikes enveloped his warm mouth, the walls his tongue, down to the back of his throat. It hurt, it hurt, he couldn’t move his mouth. It was like the frost was reaching inside him, tearing him from the inside. He tried to scream the name, to transform, but he couldn't. His mouth was frozen shut. At this moment, Billy knew that he was done for, for the first time, feeling what true terror felt like as he stared into Superman's terrifyingly stern eyes. This was someone he looked up to...someone he admired, someone who was the greatest hero of all time (in his opinion at least) and...was he going to...kill him?
In his final moments, Billy glanced around, looking at the other adults for help, but they all just stared coldly. Flash seemed to look away, too ashamed to act. They were just going to watch Superman murder him? A fifteen year old boy?
Please. Help! He begged silently, struggling to breathe now. I don't want to...!
As the young helpless teen watched Superman’s eyes glow red, Billy thought back to his entire life. Back when he was homeless, finally found a home with Rosa and Victor, had siblings who showed him love he never had ever felt from his biological mother. He thought of their adventures, their soft fun moments. Who would stop Freddy’s bullies? What about Darla’s promised tea time when he came back? Would Rosa and Victor think he had run away again since he would never be able to come home? What about…
Thoughts raced through his head as he felt a searing pain in his eyes and he could only scream as loud as he could through his frozen mouth. He wanted to beg for his life, for the pain and hurt to stop. Not only was the pain just unimaginable, but his heart ached, with both regret, guilt, and betrayal. This all, he was wrong. He should’ve never joined the Regime. He should have taken Harley Quinn’s offer to join Batman, this was all stupid. Billy was mad at the Regime, but he was mad at himself for being so foolish.
The pain intensified as Billy felt his entire body spasm in a futile last ditch effort to escape. By the time the pain started to die down, Billy couldn’t really feel anything much anymore, he couldn’t even see. The last thing he saw was a flash of red, the expression of utter hate and cold by someone he used to look up to. Maybe he felt himself drop to the floor, but it was so cold now. It was sort of comforting, even if the darkness enveloping him was a bit scary. Billy knew it wouldn't hurt anymore, and that was his only comfort.
As Billy felt the last of the pain dull into a soft watery black feeling, floating in an endless cool void, Billy thought how much he was going to miss Victor’s lasagna.