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Chapter Text

- - -

If you had asked Captain Marvel that morning what he thought he'd be doing today, the last thing he would have told you was fending off blasts of magical energy from robotic machines hell-bent on chasing him down. Seriously, it felt like these things were targeting him! One minute he'd be taking them out with Flash by his side, and the next he's rocketing upward to avoid bright green 'Cap seeking' blasts.

It seemed like the rest of the League members that were there were beginning to take notice as well, with some of the others sending confused and worried glances his way. Captain Marvel dove out of the way of another green burst of energy before electrocuting one of the robots-- which usually would take something like this down, but these things seemed near impervious to his lightning. It was beginning to look more and more like Cap was gonna have to play decoy, since Superman, Batman, and Flash were having no trouble taking these things out their way.

The most he could do was really stun these things for a few moments before they started chasing him again, sometimes even faster than before!

That might have been because whenever Cap got even remotely close to one of these things they locked onto him, so he currently had a whole horde of the metallic things chasing after him. Captain Marvel glanced back, thrusting his hand out and putting up a magical barrier. The robots crashed right through it with ease, making the demigod roll his eyes.

He glanced down at the sound of crunching metal, finding Wonder Woman slashing through the bots with ease. Zatanna stood at the Amazonian's back, consistently firing off spells and magical blasts at the annoyances. 

"Am I seriously the only one having trouble here?!" he yelled, rolling out of the way of another magical blast. "Cause it feels like I am, and I'm pretty sure that's cheating!" he called out, eyes widening when a robot got the drop on him and appeared in front. The Captain yelped and rocketed upward, a wall of robots on his tail.

"A little help here?!" he yelled against the wind beating on his face, glancing down to find Green Lantern, Superman, and Wonder Woman giving chase to the robots and slowly cutting them down.

Marvel turned, divebombing down and swerving between blasts. It seriously felt like these things were made specifically with him in mind, and it was getting on his nerves. He hated feeling like he couldn't do anything to help out. The man gritted his teeth and narrowly dodged a particularly large blast, the magical heat enough to make him wince.

"Why are they coming after me?!" he said, putting a hand to the comm in his ear. Maybe someone had some sort of an idea as to what was happening here.

"Maybe it's because you're the only one giving off a strong magical signature. If these things are combining magic with science, there's no telling what they're powered by. Maybe they're just chasing down the biggest battery in the area?" Flash responded, tackling a robot and rapidly punching its shell in.

Marvel rolled out of the way of another blast. "Then why are they shooting at me?! And why haven't they gone after Zatanna!?" he asked, glancing back and sending a wave of lightning through the horde. It made the robots pause for only a moment before they were right on his tail again, which was seriously getting annoying by this point. 

"Who knows, man- but I'm hooked up to one of the destroyed ones right now, gonna check to see if they're being remotely powered- if they are, I can solve our little problem real quick," Cyborg said through the comm. Marvel sighed, glancing back again to check on the wall of metal still chasing him.

"Marvel look out!"

The voice rang in the demigod's ears but reached him too late. Cap glanced forward last second, only to fly straight into a massive ball of green energy. He cried out in pain as he was enveloped, the light brightening and expanding. He struggled to move, struggled to breathe-- frozen in the air before his eyes snapped open and the energy suddenly dissipated. Marvel gasped for air before falling out of the sky like a rock.

He hurdled downward towards the streets below, his vision hazy and body weak. It was a wonder he hadn't transformed back, but he was thankful for the small miracle since there was no way he could explain his 12-year-old body to the League when the entire world felt like it was tipped off its axis. 

The demigod was quickly approaching the ground and was about to hit, his white cape fluttering against the wind that roared in his ears when he was suddenly enveloped in a pair of arms. Cap barely registered the change, his head spinning as he glanced up at the blurry figure that saved him from crashing into the asphalt below.

His cape had somehow gotten wrapped around him, keeping the Big Red Cheese's arms pinned at his side, but he barely noticed. He barely noticed anything- there was a faint cacophony of voices trying to get his attention, but they were too head to focus on, too far away-- 

He ended up blacking out.

- - -

Superman glanced down at the red-clad hero in his arms as he passed out, something the Kryptonian had yet to see, and if he was honest with himself, didn't think he would see. He touched down on the asphalt and glanced up at Diana and Hal who were busy taking out the rest of the robots overhead while Flash and Zatanna attempted to clean things up a bit.

Batman and Cyborg came running over, the latter looking monumentally worried over the man in his arms. "We gotta get him back to the Watchtower," he said after a moment, making eye contact with both Batman and Superman. 

Clark nodded in agreement, casting one more look down at the paling demigod in his arms. It was unnerving to see the Captain so weak, so still-- he swallowed thickly and set off in the direction of the closest Zeta tube, Cyborg right on his heels.

Superman, Batman, and Cyborg reached the Watchtower after a few moments, rushing the demigod to the infirmary. Cap was laid down on a cot, his white cape being untangled from his form. Superman took a step back, standing beside Batman as Cyborg looked over the raven and scanned him.

Cyborg's brow furrowed as he scanned Marvel, shaking his head slightly. "Well- his vitals are normal, but his brain waves are doing something really funky. The hell...?" he said, softly, reaching out and placing a hand against the demigod's forehead. He suddenly freezes as the feeling of a thousand volts courses through him, making his joints lock up and his machinery flicker. His eye- the one that is more cyborg than Victor, flickers with light before projecting something onto the wall. 

"Hello?!" Cap's voice echoed, an image of the hero in a pitch-black space appearing like a hologram on the wall. "Where am I?!" he called out defensively, looking around the dark space. "Is- Is anybody there-" he said, slight fear slipping into his voice. It felt wrong, hearing that from the ever-cheerful Captain, and made Bruce's skin crawl. It was a tone that didn't belong.

"Captain Marvel, can you hear us?" He said, taking a step closer to Victor. The Captain made no move to show that he did, continuing to look around with a foreign sense of dread and mistrust in his eyes. "Marvel, come in!" Bruce said, placing a hand on his comm in an attempt to contact him that way. 

Still, the man didn't seem to hear him, lost in this void that Bruce could only assume was inside his head.

"Who- What the Hell are you?" Cap said suddenly, stepping back as he stared up at a ghostly green flickering image. It was difficult to make out just who it was supposed to be, and Batman gritted his teeth at the sight of it alone."What's going on-" Captain Marvel said, taking another step back. It was something completely out of character for the man- Bruce had never seen him run from a fight, and yet this thing scared the demigod enough into backing up. 

"W-what do you mean? NO! No, they can't be--" Marvel choked out after a moment. The red aura, whatever it was, must be speaking to him. "No- no no no this can't be happening No--"

Victor yanked his hand back as if Cap was on fire, gasping suddenly and staring in shock at the man. The image flickered and died, taking Captain Marvel with it. Superman went to move, only for Victor to hold out a hand against it. "Something's wrong- something is very, very wrong," he said, running a hand over his face. Cyborg stared up at the men, still breathing heavily. "Did you see that?" he asked, glancing back at Marvel before meeting their eyes once more.

The pair nodded slowly.

"Call everyone up here, now. We have to find a way to get Cap out of wherever the hell he is trapped." Victor said, standing up suddenly. He stumbled, his head spinning as he reached out to stabilize himself on the wall.

"Cyborg you need to lie down-" Superman started to say, reaching out for the younger man again. 

Victor just glared at him before glancing back at Cap. "I'm fine. Cap's the one that's gonna be eaten alive by his own nightmares if we don't figure out a damn way to get him out!" he said angrily, the red light that served as one of his eyes glowing brightly.

"I will not lose my friend, guys. Not like this ." 

- - -

The trio had the rest of the League up in the Watchtower in minutes.

Everyone was gathered in the meeting room, Victor keeping an eye on Captain Marvel through security cameras while they attempted to figure out a way to pull him from his own head.

"What's going on?" Flash said as everyone settled down, glancing between Batman, Superman, and Victor. "Seriously, you guys sounded panicked- you never sound panicked." There was a round of agreements from the table, to which Batman sighed.

"Where's Captain Marvel?" Hal asked, glancing around the room. "He went down pretty hard- is he alright?"

Victor set his jaw in response. "That's why we called this. Cyborg managed to figure out that Captain Marvel is-" Batman glanced at Victor. "-stuck in some kind of nightmare. He's trapped in his own head." 

Zatanna furrowed her brow, her gaze turning calculating. "That doesn't make sense- why would he be stuck in his own head?" she asked, staring at Cyborg. 

"Regardless of why we have to figure out a way to wake him up, otherwise the man's gonna be trapped in an endless cycle of nightmares," Victor said. He was finding it hard to keep a cool head when the guy he'd come to think of as family, the guy who was actually just a 12-year-old kid, could be stuck in an endless loop of horrors. He felt helpless, and the longer they waited, the more suffering Billy would have to go through--

"I might be able to help..."

The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once. There was a sudden chill in the room, and the hairs on the heroes' arms stood on end. Victor could see his breath as he glanced around for the source, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The room full of heroes immediately went on the defensive, tensing up and ready for a fight.

A small figure appeared over the top of one of the large monitors, sitting in a full lotus dressed in a sharp black suit as he stroked the large fluffy cat in his lap. The boy smirked, his sharp teeth glinting in the light as his dark red eyes looked over the adults of the room.

"Klarion..." Zatanna said with a glare, pulling out her wand. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't send you flying," she said.

"Maybe because I have information that could help your big red cheese, Zatanna." Klarion spat back, giving her just as hard a glare as he continued to pet Teekl. The witch boy rolled his eyes at Zatanna's suspicious look, the sorceress never lowering her wand. 

"What do you know about what's wrong with Cap?" Victor asked, his eyes narrowed at the demonic figure. Klarion wasn't someone to be trifled with-- as a lord of Chaos he tended to do as he pleased, and hardly anyone could keep up with his convoluted plans. If Klarion was offering his help, there must be something he got out of it.

"So you're the living motherboard, huh? I expected more," Klarion said offhandedly, giving Cyborg a dismissive look.

"Why would you want to help Captain Marvel?" Superman asked, his own eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Klarion glanced at the Kryptonian before going back to petting his familiar. "I owe your little lightning boy a favor. Leave it at that. Plus if Sivanna got his way I'd be out a sparring partner." he said, glaring at the Man of Steel.

"How could you possibly owe Marvel a favor?" Green Lantern asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Better yet, why has nobody shot this little bastard yet?!"

Klarion glared the man down, sneering at him before turning his attention back towards Victor. "Sivanna thinks he's so cool, tapping into something that he has no idea how to control," he said with a roll of his dark red eyes. "He's not. He's a pompous fool who thinks he can get the upper hand on me."

"Just tell us how you're gonna fix Cap," Victor said tersely. 

"Oh, I can't fix Captain Goody Two Shoes." the black-haired boy said, smirking at the tension he saw flicker across the group of heroes. "No no no no no. I said I had a way of helping  you  people fix him." 

"And that is?" Batman said gruffly.

"You're just gonna have to go in after him," he said with a smirk, snapping and making everyone in the room disappear.

"Ooh, the big seat," Klarion said, taking a seat at the end of the table and clicking on the large monitor attached to the wall. "I'm curious to see how this plays out, aren't you Teekl~?" he asked the familiar in his lap, getting a low meow in return.

- - -

Chapter Text

"You're just gonna have to go in after him," he said with a smirk, snapping and making everyone in the room disappear. 

"Ooh, the big seat," Klarion said, taking a seat at the end of the table and clicking on the large monitor attached to the wall. "I'm curious to see how this plays out, aren't you Teekl?" he asked the familiar in his lap, getting a low meow in return.

- - -

 Victor opened his eyes to find himself in what looked like a void- darkness surrounded him from all angles. It was almost suffocating, you couldn't tell how far anything was, and the only reason he knew that the space was bigger than it felt was because he saw other members of the League scattered about amongst the darkness. 

Everyone seemed to be waking up at once, but there was still no telling where they were or how they were supposed to-

"Papa!" a voice rang out, putting the heroes on edge once more. Cyborg glanced around to find that they were suddenly inside a house, with a small boy, no older than 5, running down some wooden stairs. He had a mop of thick black hair and bright cornflower blue eyes, and Victor knew that it was Billy just by looking at him. 

The boy ended up tripping on the second to last step, tumbling forward. Victor instinctively reached out to catch him, only to have his hands go right through the boy. Thankfully, someone else caught him, as large hands lifted the kid up before he could smash against the wooden floor.

"Billy, what have your mother and I told you about running down the stairs?" a voice much deeper said as Victor craned his neck up to look at the man that spoke. He was an exact copy of Captain Marvel, same strong jaw, same thick black hair, the only difference seemed to be his green eyes rather than blue ones, but if you were to put a picture of Marvel and this guy side by side, you'd have one hell of a time telling them apart. 

"Is that...Marvel?" Victor heard Hal say, glancing towards the Lantern as he stared at the man. Victor knew this couldn't be him if Billy was the kid he was holding, so that must have been Billy's dad-- he swallowed thickly at the sight of Billy pressing his small forehead against his father's.

"Don'- don' do it unless I magically learn how to not trip half-way down," the boy recited before smiling toothily up at his dad. The man smiled, nodding his head and setting his son down.

"Where's your sister?" he asked as he shed his trenchcoat and hung it up on the coatrack. "And your mother for that matter?"

"Wait, hold on, is Cap married?!" Hal asked, his eyes wide as he stared at the man.

"More importantly does he have kids?" Flash added, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head as the boy in front of 'Marvel' rocked on his heels. Billy said something about the girls being in the study while he was busy playing superhero, and the man simply chuckled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Do you wanna- wanna see my costume?" the boy asked, a familiar excitement sparkling in his eyes. The man smiled warmly and nodded, taking the much smaller raven's hand and allowing him to lead him up the stairs.

Suddenly the group was in another room, with the boy from before showing off his bright red shirt and yellow pants. He had a white towel with ducks printed on it tied around his neck and held a wooden sword in one hand, absolutely beaming as he looked up at his dad. 

"Do you like it?" he asked, tilting his head slightly as he looked up at the man. The man nodded in return, crouching down so he was at eye level with his son.

"Have you got a name yet?" he asked, to which his son's expression fell. "It's okay if you don't, we can come up with one together."

The boy brightened once more before putting on a thoughtful face. "Call me-" he struck a pose. "Billyman!" he said before erupting into a fit of giggles.

"Billyman huh? Original for sure, but I don't think you'll be having a secret identity with a name like that." the man replied. Billy tilted his head, putting the tip of his wooden sword to his lips in thought. "What about..." The man trailed off, scratching at his chin. "What about Ultraman?" he asked, to which Billy made a sour face. "Okay, okay, Ultraman's out the window-- sounds more like a supervillain's name anyway," he said with a smirk.

Superman grimaced off to the side.

"What would your name be if you were a superhero papa?" Billy asked, clambering into his father's lap. His dad seemed to think on this a moment, pursing his lips.

"Hmm... what would my name be..." he said before glancing down. "What do you think of the name Captain Marvel? Cause I'm Captain of this here ship and I think that's pretty marvelous," he said with a grin before lifting his son into the air. The boy squealed, giggling as his father held him aloft. "Or you can be Captain Marvel-- soaring through the skies and helping everyone in need."

Billy giggled some more, grinning from ear to ear as he was brought back down into his father's arms. "I like that name."

"I'm glad sport- it's all yours," he said, setting the child back down. "But you know, if you're gonna be a superhero, you gotta live by a code," he said, setting about untying the towel around Billy's neck. 

"A code?"

"Yep- it's like a set of rules that you live by. Something you stick to, even when things get tough."

"What- what can be my code?" 

The man grinned. "Well, one that I've always tried to live by is one that my papa told me," he said, folding up the towel. "Do good, and good will follow."

Billy blinked, his face turning thoughtful. He mumbled the words to himself, testing them out on his tongue. "Do good, and good will follow. I like that- That's my superhero code!" the 5-year-old said happily, holding his wooden sword aloft.

The mantra was familiar to the adults in the room- it was one they'd heard Marvel tell various civilians, other heroes, and even villains on more than one occasion. If you asked the man he'd tell you believed full-heartedly that everyone had the ability to do good and that they were words anyone could live by.

His father only chuckled, shaking his head at the boy. "I'm glad, kiddo. Now come on, let's go find the girls."

Their surroundings suddenly faded back into the black void, leaving the heroes with more than enough confusion to go around. "What the hell was that?" Hal asked after a moment, his bright green glow the only thing illuminating the empty space they were in.

"Looks like it was a memory of some kind," Batman said, his eyes narrowed at the space around them. "If we're in Captain Marvel's head, it would make sense- or at least, as much sense as magic would allow." 

"So what, we keep going through the dude's memories until we find him?" Flash asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Looks like it..." Clark said, glancing around as another memory came to life.

- - -

The next thing to show up was a pair of kids, both coloring on the carpet in a living room as their parents sat on the couch with various papers between them. The boy, Billy, hummed softly to himself before smiling down at his drawing and craning his next to look at what the group could only assume was his sister's.

"Mary you wanna see my dinosaur picture?" he asked, turning his paper around to show the girl his crude drawing of a T-rex with stick figure arms. The brunette glanced up and smiled at the drawing, nodding before looking back down at her own.

"That's really good Billy," she said, coloring in a dinosaur of her own. "Look at mine-" she said, turning her page around to show the boy her own crudely drawn picture of a stegosaurus. Billy lit up at the sight, nodding vigorously at it.

"Mama, papa, what dinosaur do you think you're gonna dig up?" Billy asked, kicking his legs as he laid on his stomach on the floor. He rested his head against his arm and watched them, glancing at Mary, who was also curious about their answer.

"Wait, is Cap a freakin' archeologist?" Hal asked, his brow furrowed. "Cause if so, that is easily one of the coolest jobs any of us have." Bruce raised an eyebrow. "You know what- yea, it's even cooler than being a billionaire." The Dark Knight shook his head slowly.

The man on the couch simply chuckled, glancing up at his kids before looking back down at the yellowing map in his hands. "I don't think we'll be pulling up any dinosaurs this time, kids," he said, glancing at his wife as the kids on the floor deflated slightly. "Unless we're counting pharaohs as dinosaurs now, right hon?" he asked, to which the woman gave him a grin and a roll of her eyes.

"C.C., if anyone's the dinosaur here it's you," she replied, glancing back down at her translations. "Besides, it's not just a mama and papa trip this time, remember? You guys are coming along," she said with a smile, glancing at the children before training her eyes back on her papers.

"The Captain's name is C.C.? That's...interesting." Diana said, keeping her eyes trained on the children with a small smile.

"Do you think we'll get so see a real mummy?" Billy asked, rolling over onto his back and staring at the ceiling. Mary plopped down beside him, also staring up at the ceiling. "I just hope that if we do see one, it doesn't come to life and try to curse us," she said with a small shudder.

"If it comes back to life, It'll try to eat our brains!" Billy added, talking with his hands. "Tasty braaaaiiiiinnnsss...." he said, mimicking a zombie. Mary giggled, shoving him lightly and making him laugh as well. 

Cyborg shook his head at the boy- he'd never seem him so defenseless. Billy had no walls, no gruff exterior that he put up to protect himself. Sure, he was about as genuine as they come, but he wouldn't tell you anything about himself if his life depended on it.

It was weird to see thee kid so relaxed and open.

Billy sat up, glancing towards his dad. "What's the pharaoh you're looking for's name?" he asked, Mary sitting up alongside him. C.C. glanced up from his map with a smirk.

"His name was Teth Aman. He started out as a simple slave boy to the pharaoh, but legend says that he came into magical powers and became the new pharaoh," he said, captivating his children and furrowing the brows of the heroes in the room. "When he became pharaoh, he changed his name to Teth Adam- though many say his subjects called him Black Adam because of how cruel he was." 

Yea, that wasn't good information. "Just how long has Captain Marvel been studying Black Adam you think?" Superman asked, glancing at Bruce. The Dark Knight simply shook his head, keeping his eyes on the man as he spoke.

"We think we found his tomb here, in a country named Kandaq. Thankfully, the current ruler of Kandaq has allowed us to exhume his tomb, so long as we're careful," C.C. said, glancing at his wife. "This could be the scientific find of the century if his tomb is intact." 

"Why wouldn't it be?" Mary asked, tilting her head slightly.

The kids' father folded his map. "Well, Teth Adam's tomb was lost to time- Legends say that he was sealed away by a mighty Champion when he proved to be wicked and cruel."

Billy lit up, his eyes full of curiosity and concern. "What happened to the Champion?" he asked, leaning closer. 

"Nobody knows. He faded away with time, I suppose."

Billy's shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh. "Figures." He glanced at his mother, who was still deciphering things before looking back up at his dad. "What if this Teth guy is still alive?" he asked. "If he got magical powers, he could be, right?" 

C.C. glanced at his wife with a slightly concerned face before turning his attention back on the raven-haired boy. "Don't you worry about that. It's been hundreds and hundreds of years, kiddo. No one can survive that long." 

The image of the living room faded with the man's words, leaving the group in darkness once more. 

 "Well, obviously Marvel was in over his head back then." Lantern said after a few moments.

Batman made a sound. "I don't think that was Marvel," he said, still staring at where the man had been. Superman furrowed his brow, glancing at the rest of the group before placing a hand on the Dark Knight's shoulder.

"Batman, he was the spitting image of Captain Marvel. How could it not be him?"

"He didn't act like Marvel."

Cyborg smiled, stayed quiet. Maybe Batman was more perceptive when it came to the Captain than he'd thought. Bruce sighed, rubbing a hand over his chin. "That man was too composed to be Marvel. He acted like a father, whereas Marvel acts like an unruly son." he continued to the quiet group.

"Plus his eyes were green."

"Yea I noticed that, but I chucked it up to magic or something," Hal said, crossing his arms over his chest. Zatanna gave him a sour look which he ignored.

Flash's expression became pinched. "Wait, Bats if that wasn't Captain Marvel, then who do you think is?"

Batman smirked- well, the corner of his mouth turned up smugly before the expression was gone and you were left wondering if you had even really seen it. "The boy. I think the boy is Captain Marvel."

"Makes sense- he does kinda look like Cap- but if this kid grows up to be Marvel, he sure does look like the spitting image of his father," Superman said with a nod.

Cyborg let the group talk, glancing around at his surroundings. They had no idea just how right they were- not that he'd tell them. This whole thing was Billy's cross to bear, not his, but if he could get these guys to Cap before anything major came up that Billy didn't want to be revealed the better.

He just hoped they could find the kid soon.

- - -

Chapter Text

Victor just hoped they could find the kid soon.

- - -

 The group was thrust into another scene, one with Billy laying in bed looking worse for wear. He was laying in a small bed in a bedroom, toys and trinkets scattered about the floor. The kid was sweating bullets, wheezing with every breath as he tried to sleep. A cold rag was set on his head, dampening his black locks as the boy hugged a plush tiger tightly. His mother sat beside him in a chair, rubbing his arm in a comforting way.

"He's got a fever," Batman said, crouching down next to the boy to look him over.

"The bedroom door opened, every head in the small room glancing towards it. "How is he?" C.C. asked, poking his head in and looking at the boy with worried eyes. Billy's mother shook her head, turning her attention back to the boy.

"Not good. He's burning up and hasn't moved all day other than turn over in bed," she said, biting a nail as she leaned back in her chair. "C.C., he can't travel like this," she said, looking up at the man. 

The man sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe we can postpone the trip," he said, glancing down at his son. "I'd hate to leave him with a nanny like this."

"You and I both know how fickle Kandaq is. If we try to postpone this dig they may not ever let us back in the country."

"Marilyn, the boy is bedridden."

"I know... that's why I'm going to stay with him. You and Mary can go to Kandaq and still-" 

C.C. tensed. "Marilyn, no. You're not going to stay here. This is just as much your life's work as it is mine." he said, putting his hands on his hips. The large man glanced down at Billy before kneeling beside the kid and putting his hand against his heated skin.

"That's pretty bad..." he muttered, glancing at his wife. She was thinking if the calculating look was anything to go by, as she stared at her son. "What are you thinking, dear?" 

"My brother- Ebenezer. Maybe he could watch him while we're gone. We can cut the trip down to a week rather than two, and make it up to him when we get back." 

C.C. grimaced at the mention of Marilyn's brother. "That man is a snake," he grumbled, shaking his head at the thought. The brunette gave him a look and he sighed. "I don't trust him with Billy, Marilyn." 

"I do, C.C. He's my still brother, even with his rough parts." 

"Rough parts? Dear, the man is rougher than a sponge made of sandpaper," he said, crossing his arms over his chest before looking down at his kid. "You really trust him?" he asked after a moment.

Marilyn nodded, glancing at Billy and running a hand over his hair. "I do. I have faith that he'll take care of Billy." 

"He'd better," C.C. grumbled, glancing off grumpily.

The image faded with Billy being thrown into a coughing fit, making the heroes wince. "You know," Flash said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I feel bad for the guy. Getting left behind while the whole family goes to Egypt cause you're sick? That sucks." 

Seems like they were going with Batman's theory.

The group stayed quiet. Someone must have noticed Victor's tense frame, his set jaw and the murder in his eyes cause suddenly a hand was being placed on his shoulder. "Cyborg, you okay?" Superman asked, worry in his eyes. The man stayed quiet. He had a hunch about what was coming next, even if he didn't want to accept it. 

"Look-" Diana said, pointing at a point of light. Everyone shielded their eyes as the light brightened into another image, this time of Billy lying in another bed, a book in his lap as he leaned against the bed frame. He looked marginally better, though he still looked a bit red.

The boy was enveloped in the book, coloring in a picture of pyramids as he chewed on his lip. He didn't notice the bedroom door open, nor did he notice the lanky, sneering man in the doorway. "William," he said, his voice nasally and angry for some reason. He looked at the boy with distaste in his eyes, peering down his nose at Billy.

The raven-haired boy glanced up at the sound of his name, blinking at the man and closing the book in his hands. "Yea Uncle E?" he asked, swallowing thickly. The man looked angry, though the kid evidently didn't know why.

"Why are you still lying in bed? Your temperature has to have gone down by now. If I'm doing this favor for my little sister, I'm going to get something out of it, boy." Ebenezer said, continuing to sneer at the child.

"Well- well my temperature did go down, but whenever I stand up I get dizz-" The boy was cut off by a glare from the old man.

"I didn't ask for excuses, boy."

"Sorry Uncle E..."

"That's Ebenezer. Honestly, did Marilyn teach you no manners?" the old man asked, rolling his eyes. Billy deflated, glancing down at the covers on his legs. "Well are you getting up or not?" Ebenezer asked impatiently, spooking the boy.

Victor was this close to punching something that his hand would go right through. He grit his teeth, glaring bullet holes into the back of the man's head. Flash must have noticed since he put his hand on Cyborg's shoulder and gave him an understanding look. "Wish I could smack the guy too..." he muttered softly.

Billy nodded and slid off the bed, keeping an arm on the mattress as his head visibly swam. The boy swayed on his feet, looking up at his uncle guiltily. "If you're done being dramatic, there's laundry that needs to be done," he said, turning on his heel and leaving the boy alone in the small room. 

The raven glanced back at his book, letting out a small sigh. "I miss papa..."  he muttered, wincing at a sharp pain in his head before letting go of the bed and heading towards the door. He stumbled, grabbing hold of the doorframe before continuing out into the hall.

- - -

Victor wanted to punch something-- specifically that old man's face. He'd heard horror stories from Billy about Ebenezer, but seeing something like this for himself made him seethe in anger. Billy didn't deserve that kind of treatment- not when he was 6 and especially not when he was sick!

The entire situation made his blood boil, but he stayed quiet as the rest of the League conversed amongst themselves.

"Poor kid didn't deserve that..." Superman said, shaking his head as the light faded. "Wait- hold on it looks like there's another one."

"Not with that phenomenal douchebag I hope..." Hal grumbled.

An image of Billy, sitting in the corner of a darkened room appeared, sending the heroes into shock. The light coming in from the crack under the door cast shadows on the boy's face, illuminating the tears spilling down his cheeks. He sat against the wall, hugging his knees tightly and sniffling. Victor felt his heart sink at the sight.

He wiped his eye on . the back of his sleeve, the fabric bunching up on his arm and revealing a large bruise. He tugged the sleeve back down, using it to scrub at his bright pink cheeks as voices from the hall echoed in his ears.

"They are not going to saddle we with this brat, Dianne!" Ebenezer said angrily as Billy buried his face in his knees. "I will not-- That child is nothing but a nuisance! It's not my fault his parents went and got themselves killed, is it?!" Billy glanced towards the door, fresh tears springing from his eyes. 

The group of heroes went still at the sight.

"No, it's not. They were stupid enough to be adventurers, and look where it got them. Put the brat in the foster care or something, I don't care." 

Batman clenched his fist.

"Sir, what about the boy's inheritance? Surely you'll keep him around if you don't have to provide for him financially," a female voice said, trying to get the old scrooge to make some kind of compromise. Billy simply hugged his knees tighter, staring at the old wood floor in front of him.

Victor couldn't take it- he walked closer to the boy and sat down beside him.  He couldn't touch the kid, couldn't do anything really, but just being close to him, just feeling like if something came through that door he could protect the kid, made him less trigger-sensitive.

"It's okay, Cap... It'll be okay..." he said softly. 

The boy made no move to show that he heard him. The small raven sighed, rubbing at his eyes again. "I don't give a damn! Wire the funds to my account and put that brat in the foster system!" Ebenezer yelled out in the hall, making the child flinch.

"Cap... Cap's a foster kid...?" Hal said, sadness in his eyes

The bedroom door was suddenly thrown open, sending the child into a panic. He pressed himself up against the wall, visually trembling as tears streamed down his bright red cheeks. He looked up at his uncle, the man that should have comforted him after news of his parents' death only hours earlier, and instead belittled and hurt him.

"You're pathetic, boy," he said, unaware of the increasingly angry heroes surrounding him.

"I-I'm sorry," Billy sniffled, trying to look up at the man through his tears.

"Get your things and get out of my sight. Dianne is taking you to a place where you'll be out of my hair." Ebenezer replied, turning on his heel and leaving the child alone with the woman. She was petite, with thick round glasses and long blonde hair that was kinked together in a thick braid. The woman had a clipboard held to her chest as she watched the man . leave before turning her attention to Billy.

"I'm so sorry Billy..." she said, walking over briskly and kneeling down in front of him. "Your parents, they were..." she trailed off, her eyes getting misty.  "They were good people, remember that okay?" she wiped an eye, trying not to let her mascara run. "They'd want you to be good too." 

Billy nodded, clambering up from his spot on the floor and hugging the woman's neck. She hugged him gently, shutting her eyes and letting out a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry..." she said, picking the child up in her arms and carrying him out of the room quietly. 

The scene suddenly blurred, shifting to an image of Billy sitting alone in an office, his legs dangling from the chair was had been sat in. His bright red sweater hung off one of his shoulders and his eyes were still pink as he rubbed at one with a small yawn.

"Billy Batson?" a voice said as the door to the office opened and revealed a tall woman with silvery hair and pointed glasses. She walked in, glancing at the child before going behind her desk. "I just finished talking to your uncle's assistant. Do you know what's happening dear?" she asked, going over the clipboard she must have gotten from Dianne. 

The boy said nothing, just shaking his head as he kept his eyes on her. The woman glanced up from her papers before glancing back down. She let out a small sigh. "Well, this is what's known as foster care. When a child's parents aren't able to take care of them anymore--" 

"But my parents can take care of me," Billy interjected, his eyes full of fear and sorrow. Victor wanted to punch something again. "My- my mama and my papa will be back soon. U-Uncle Ebenezer just said they were dead because he's mad."

The woman raised a brow, glancing back down at his sheet before taking off her glasses and looking back up at the raven in the chair in front of her. "Billy, your parents..." she trailed off. "They..." she swallowed. "There was an accident." 

Billy frowned.

"The details are unclear, but what we do know is that they went into a pyramid, there was a flash of light, and then the entire structure crumbled." Billy started shaking his head as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Billy." 

"No- No no you're lying-" Tears bead in the boy's eyes again. "Papa said they'd come back."

 "I really am sorry, Billy. But there's nothing to be done. Your Uncle can't take care of you so... so you 're going to go live with some people that can, okay?"

"N-No- no I wanna live with my parents- I wanna live with Mary-" 

"Billy-"

"P-please, I don't- I want my mom and dad!"

Victor could hear the wobble in the 6-year-old's voice. He glanced at Batman- the man was tense as a wire, his fist practically shaking in anger and desperation. He knew what it was like to lose your parents at a young age. He knew better than any of them how much it must hurt.

He saw pity in Superman's eyes as he looked at billy- the Kryptonian was holding himself back from trying to scoop the intangible boy up into his arms and comfort him. If he was honest, Victor was attempting to do the same.

"It's a wonder we don't have two Batmen if this is the kind of shit Cap went through as a kid," Hal said, shaking his head. "Look what it did to Spooky over here, it blows my mind that Cap could ever be as perky as he always is." 

"Cyborg, do you have access to any databases in here?" Batman asked, glancing at the second youngest member on the team. Victor gave him a confused look, pulling up a hologram. "I need you to look up William's foster home history."

The man's brows scrunched together. He didn't need a database to tell him that. It wasn't really his place to say, but better to tell him vague things than have the Dark Knight going to look things up on his own later. "He uh- He went in at age 6," he said, glancing at the hologram and pulling up random data. "Bounced from home to home before falling through the cracks at age 9." 

That was what Billy had told him at least-- though it wasn't how he'd worded it. 'gotten away from those greedy foster bastards' was more along the lines of what the kid had said, but he left that bit out.

"Wait, Cap only lasted three years?"  Flash asked, worry in his features as he looked around.

"Where did the Captain go?" Diana asked, taking a step forward with her hand on the hilt of her sword.

Victor shook his head. "I- I don't know," he said, which wasn't a complete lie. He had no idea what Billy did between the time he dropped out of the system and when he got his powers, but he knew it was a hard time for the guy since he refused to talk about it. Billy got his powers when he was on the verge of turning 11 so that near two-year span of time was lost to Victor. 

"Ugh, This is getting repetitive," Hal said, green light enveloping him as he floated up into the air. Another scene materialized around them, but this one was a stark difference from the last- and it sent a chill down Victor's spine. 

- - -

Chapter Text

"Ugh, This is getting repetitive," Hal said, green light enveloping him as he floated up into the air. Another scene materialized around them, but this one was a stark difference from the last- and it sent a chill down Victor's spine. 

- - -

This one was different. For one, they were outside- it was dark and rain pelted the asphalt around the heroes in a harsh haze. Thunderous clouds rolled overhead, the sky looking as if it was about to split open and devour Fawcett City in a fit of rage. It was a stark contrast to the sunny town that the heroes were familiar with and immediately put them on edge. 

"No no no no-" they heard a voice say, the group looking around for the source before hearing thudding footsteps and splashing water. A boy, about age 9, ran around the corner of the alley, slipping in a puddle and nearly falling before gaining his balance again and continuing to run. His sneakers looked worn, the red hoodie he was wearing looking faded with a few holes in the fabric. 

The kid had his hood up, though it did nothing to hide him from the rain since it was drenched. Thick black hair stuck out the front of it, plastered to the boy's face as he ran. It was easy to tell this was Billy- though he was quite a few years older now if the ill-fitting clothes were anything to go by.

The raven glanced back over his shoulder, breathing heavily as he continued to run from whatever was chasing him. This proved to be a mistake, as he ended up tripping over some thick black cords lying in the middle of the alleyway.  The 9-year-old was sent flying, crashing into the wet asphalt with a small cry. He hit it hard, throwing out his arm in an attempt to catch himself and only ending up falling on it.

Billy lay in a large puddle, cradling his wrist to his chest as the rain soaked him to the bone. The boy winced, attempting to sit up before he was suddenly yanked up by his hood, dangling from gnarly, thin hands. He glanced up at his captor, fear in his eyes as a dirt-covered, redheaded teen glared back at him.

The teenager looked him over before looking into his eyes again, two other dirty-looking teens flanking his sides. The trio looked more than pissed off at him, and the boy could only tremble in the teen's grip. "A-Asher p-please-" Billy said softly, his voice hoarse as the teen continued to glare at him.

"I swear I wasn't trying to- to-" he said as Asher's lackeys encircled Billy. "You- you were gonna kill the guy I- I couldn't-" The raven glanced around him, still holding his wrist close to his chest. "I'm s-sorry-" 

The redhead smirked at him, revealing nasty, yellowing teeth. "Yea, you're gonna be you little brat," he said before bringing his hand back and curling it into a fist. Billy's eyes widened as he struggled in Asher's grip, tears beading in his eyes before the teenager smirked at him.

"A-Asher please- please no Asher pl-please-" 

He threw a punch right at Billy's face, making the child cry out in pain and the heroes around him sick to their stomachs. The boy curled into himself, holding both his hands to his eye as he cried. He was suddenly dropped onto the asphalt, making him cry out again. The 9-year-old curled up into himself, trembling and crying.

"I'm gonna kill him,"  Flash said suddenly, glaring daggers at the teenager.

Victor, along with the rest of the group, glanced at him. He shared that sentiment-- if he looked hard enough, he could find where this guy lives but... Billy wouldn't want that. The kid was too kind-hearted for his own good sometimes, though that was probably why he had the powers that he did.

Victor was drawn back to the scene by a sickening dull crack, and laughter. No. They didn't...

Billy wheezed, crying out in pain and clutching his stomach tightly. "P- please-" he gasped softly, shutting his eyes tightly. Tears were streaming down the kid's cheeks, and Victor wanted nothing more than the vaporize the bullies around him.

There was a sudden whir of sirens, and the trio glanced towards the end of the alley. One of the redhead's lackey's shoved him before taking off in the opposite direction, the other two following suit. Billy was left wheezing softly in the dark as rain pelted his skin. A black eye was already beginning to form on Billy's pale skin, and his arms shook as he attempted to lift himself up and out of the puddle.

"Get up kid...come on..." Victor heard Hal say, his jaw set as he watched Billy struggle.

"Yes- you can do it, Captain. You must get up." Diana added.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Clark muttered.

Billy managed to sit up, holding his side and breathing raggedly. He wheezed with each breath, tears still sitting in the corners of his eyes. Billy lifted his hoodie and his shirt with a short squeak from the pain, staring down at the pinkened skin that was quickly turning a light purple. "That's... that's not good..." he mumbled, shutting his eyes tightly as pain bloomed in his body.

The kid sat there in the rain, breathing heavily before finding the strength to pick himself up, though not without a bunch of heavy breathing, whines of pain, and hissed sounds from the League.

"Go to a hospital. Go to a hospital. Go to a damn hospital." Flash breathed, his fists clenched tightly.

Billy looked around, now alone in the dark alley as another siren sounded from far away. He held his side with his good hand, his other held tightly to his chest. The raven pulled his hood back up before putting his hand back on his side, attempting to take a step before he paused, clenching his eyes shut tightly.

"Damnit, kid..." Victor said, shutting his eyes against the scene.

Billy opened his eyes again, a familiar determination filling them as he took a shaky step forward. It was easy to tell he was pushing through the pain if his winces were anything to go by, and he got to the corner of the alley before leaning against the brick wall and breathing heavily.

"Billy!"

The voice got the attention of everyone, including the 9-year-old in serious pain, his head flicking up at the sound. Hope shined in the kid's eyes, a small smile appearing on his bruised face. "Freddy?" he said, trying to look through the mixture of thick rain and bright lights. Only have one good eye to use wasn't really helping.

Another kid, looking to be the same age as Billy, appeared at the end of the alley, worry etched into his features as he came closer. The boy had a mop of blonde hair on his head and was hobbling his way quickly towards the raven. He had a pair of old crutches under his arms, covered in duct tape and cloth, with what looked like an old umbrella fastened crudely to the metal.

Billy smiled, pushing past a wince at the sight of the blonde. "Freddy, Wha- what are you doing out?" he asked, still holding his side. The blonde glanced at his eye before rolling his own and shaking his head. He got closer, looking the slightly shorter boy over.

"You never came back to the hideout...I got worried."

Billy breathed a laugh, a small wheeze coming from his throat. "You're such a mother hen," he said, a smile on his face. "I'm okay- I just... got caught up in something."

"Was it Asher again?" Freddy asked,  tilting his head slightly and positioning himself so that the old umbrella, which had holes duct-taped over, was held above both of them. Billy didn't say anything, and Freddy shook his head. "Billy, you're not Superman. You can't go trying to save everyone you see." 

Billy looked slightly guilty, rubbing at his arm. "I- I know but..." he glanced up into Freddy's eyes. "If I didn't stop him, Asher was gonna- gonna end up killing the old man..." He sighed, looking down at the soaked ground below and shifting in his wet shoes. "I was just trying to do good..." 

Freddy sighed, glancing down the alley before looking back at Billy. "Come on... let's get out of the rain. Is your eye okay?" he asked,  chewing on his bottom lip. "We- we can always go to a hospital-" 

Billy turned and glared at him.

"You wanna get put back in the system?" he asked, aa mixture of worry and anger in his voice.

Freddy swallowed thickly and shook his head. Billy looked guilty again, this time for scaring his friend. "Neither do I.. but you know how grown-ups are. If we show up hurt, they'll wanna know where our parents are."

Freddy was staring at his shoes. "Let's go back to the hideout..." he muttered softly.

Billy nodded in agreement, letting out a soft breath before walking beside the blonde down the alley.

The alley gave way to the void and had the heroes in the room (or there lack of) reeling. Batman looked to be in the middle of trying to figure out time travel so he could go back and adopt Billy before he could even come to that situation, while Clark was busy staring at the spot Billy had been beaten with a sick and worried look on his face. Flash was pacing, and Hal was watching him- to the best of his ability.

Diana was sitting on the floor, turning her sword over in her hands with a murderous gleam in her eyes. Victor wasn't sure where that would lead, but he didn't think it would be anywhere good. Zatanna looked to be meditating--  settled into a full lotus in the air with a light purple aura around her.

"Zatanna, what are you-"

The woman glanced at him, putting a finger to her lips before closing her eye. He furrowed his brow in response- what was she doing? Zatanna's eyes suddenly opened, filled with a bright purple light. Victor glanced at the others, who had turned their attention towards the magician, before looking back up at her.

"Whos em niatpac levram!"

The lilac aura surrounding her brightened, causing the group to shield themselves from it. When it dimmed, Marvel was in front of them, on his knees and looking worse for wear-- his eyes wide and fearful as he looked up at some invisible force.

His image flickered as he strained against the thick metal chains around his wrists. "No- no no no- please, I didn't mean for this to happen-" he said, more fear in his voice than any of them had ever heard before. The man flickered again.

"Captain!" Superman said, reaching out for the demigod. Cap looked around for the source of the voice fearfully, his breathing quick and panicked.

"No- please, not again- please, don't use them against me again, PLEASE-" he yelled, tears beading in his eyes as he trembled. The chains holding him rattled as he continued to search for the source of the voice.

"Can he not see us?" Batman asked Zatanna, who was stock-still and attempting to keep whatever was happening to keep happening.

"I don't think so Bats- but I think he can hear us," Flash said.

"Captain Marvel- hold on, we're coming to get you," Batman continued, his fist clenched tightly. This only served to make the demigod shut his eyes and shake his head in refusal.

"No, no no no no- please, haven't you tortured me enough... please, just not them-" Cap pleaded, hanging his head in defeat. "Don't use my heroes against me anymore..."

Victor's jaw clenched.  He took a step towards the raven as his image flickered again. "We're coming, Billy. Don't worry. I'm on my way- just hang on."

Captain Marvel paused, his body tensing at the sound of Victor's voice. He looked up slowly, red-tinted eyes staring into the darkness. "V-Vic...?"  he said softly,  fresh tears springing in his eyes. "Is that... really y-"

Marvel vanished suddenly, Zatanna losing the light in her eyes and collapsing out of the air. Barry was beneath her in a second, catching her in his arms before she could hit the ground. Victor was left staring where the demigod had been just moments before, his resolved suddenly steeled.

"We're coming for you, Billy. I swear to it."

- - - 

Chapter Text

"We're coming for you, Billy. I swear to it."

- - -

Barry and Diana helped to get Zatanna back in her feet while Victor attempted to calm his nerves. Billy had looked so scared, so defeated-- it wasn't something he'd ever thought he'd live to see. He knew that Cap was supposed to have the Courage of Achilles, Billy had told him so, but he'd seen pure, unadulterated terror on the man's face. No amount of courage could make up for whatever the kid was having to live through.

Batman walked over to him, looking at him before crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll find him, Cyborg," he said, keeping his eyes on Victor. He simply nodded, finally pulling his eyes away from where Cap had been to find another image materializing around them.

Billy was sitting against the wall, tossing an old baseball in the air and catching it repeatedly in what looked like an old office if the rusting file cabinets haphazardly shoved into one corner and arranged to resemble a throne were anything to go by. There were vines covering the thick and cracked glass of the solitary window, still allowing light to come in the room. There were holes that looked like they had been punched through in the drywall, along with cracks in the wooden floor and dust covering some of the shelves that were still standing.

A worn, yellowing mattress was sat in one corner, covered in faded blankets and lumpy, coverless pillows. Amongst them sat a familiar, if faded and stained stuffed tiger. Beside it sat cardboard boxes with various food items in them-- half a bag of chips, a couple of bottles of water, various half-eaten snacks or bruised and close to rotting fruit. Freddy, the blonde-headed child, was currently rummaging through one of the cardboard boxes, pulling out a hubcap and giving it a weird look, glancing at Billy questioningly before putting it back.

He lit up at the sight of something, pulling out a small pad of paper that looked like it was missing most of its pages, and a pair of pens that had definitely seen better days. "We need duct tape," he said absently, beginning to scribble on the small page in his hands. 

"Crutches falling apart again?" Billy asked, throwing the ball up again before glancing at the blonde. The last remnants of a black eye, namely the yellow skin combined with red in the kid's eye were all that remained as evidence of his beating in the rain. "You really shouldn't have taken those things into the rain, Freddy," he said, glancing at the blonde with a small, mischevious smile. 

"So you've kept telling me for the past week, Billy."

The raven smiled. "My ribs don't hurt so much anymore," he said, tossing the ball into the air again.

"That's good... still think you should go to some kind of doctor though," Freddy replied, still intently scribbling. "I mean, your ribs could heal all weird or something. Then neither of us would be able to outrun dickheads like Asher." 

Billy winced at Freddy's language, shaking his head at him and setting the ball down. He got up off the floor, ignoring the sharp pain in his chest and walking over to where Freddy was sat on the mattress. "Whatcha drawin'?"

"Batman."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "Why Batman? Superman's way cooler."

Freddy gave him an offended look, his head rearing back at the raven. "You did not just say that." Billy only smirked in reply. "You don't actually think Superman's cooler, do you?" 

Billy rubbed the back of his neck, rolling his shoulder. "I mean... yeah. Superman's like the ultimate good guy. He reminds me of my dad-- from what I can remember at least. I know he had black hair like me, and that his voice was warm and comforting, like how Superman sounds on the news." 

Clark's shoulders dropped. Did Cap still think this way about him? This had to have been when Clark was just starting out-- Cap wasn't that young. 

Batman's eyes narrowed.

"Well... I guess that's an okay reason to think he's cool," Freddy said after a moment, nudging Billy with a smirk.

The image shifted to another scene of the pair, both about 10 and walking down the sidewalk. Freddy hobbled beside Billy as he laughed, the raven's shoulder's bouncing as the blonde said something.

The sun was sitting on the edge of the horizon, casting everything in a golden glow as the pair made their way down the sidewalk before turning around a corner and going into an alley. Billy glanced at a dumpster, pointing to one across the alley and nudging his head towards it. "I got this one- you check that one. We're looking for warm stuff, Freddy. These guys like to put out their old winter stuff when nights start getting colder," he said, struggling to throw the dumpster lid open. 

Freddy nodded, using a crutch to get his own lid back. "Hey Billy?" he asked, peering over the edge of the dark green receptacle and scrunching up his nose at the smell. The raven managed to his get lid up with a small smile and glanced at the blonde. "Yea?"

"Do you... ever miss being in a foster home?"

Billy's shoulders hunched, a dark look coming over him as he touched his arm through his thin red sweater. "No," he said after a moment, trying not to let tears come to his eyes. "Foster homes just have a bunch of shady people waiting to take advantage to you."

Freddy nodded slowly, letting out a soft sigh. "Yea..." he muttered, giving an old sock a disgruntled look as he held it up. "Still... it was nice to have a warm place every night..."

Billy glanced down at his shoes before pulling out a black garbage bag. "I bet it was..."  he muttered before tearing open the bag. He grimaced at the sight of rotting food, shoving the bag away and going for another one. 

"Jackpot Freddy!" the boy said excitedly as he ripped open a black bag and revealed an assortment of mix-matched clothing and jackets. "We're set!" Billy said, absolutely beaming as the blonde hobbled over. "I call dibs on anything red!" he said quickly, getting a laugh from Freddy.

"Come on, let's take this back to the hideout, and then we can make a food run," Billy said, heaving the bag over his shoulder. Freddy followed him down the alley Billy set off into a speech about how good their luck was today and how things were turning around for the boys. 

The scene shifted again, this time showing the pair of nine-year-olds running (or in Freddy's case, hobbling) around a corner and out of an alley. Billy had what looked like a kindergartener in his arms, a dark-skinned girl that looked no older than 6 wrapped in his small arms as he ran. Her poofy pigtails bounced as he dashed across the street, Freddy right on his heels. They slowed to a walk once across the street and inside the public park, ducking behind some bushes.

Billy was breathing heavily as he collapsed against the wrought iron fencing, clutching his chest as the small girl still clung to his body. "Are- are you okay, Darla?" he asked after a moment, still trying to catch his breath. The girl glanced up at him, tears in her eyes as she nodded. Her brow was a dark purple and she had a barely healed gash on her cheek that made Billy wince.

She hugged him tightly, burying her face into his shirt and staying there. Freddy had sat down beside him, trying to catch his breath as well. He peered over the edge of the bushes, spotting a very angry looking man across the street, yelling and raving at passersby. Someone must have called the police on him, since a cop car pulled up a few moments later.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about him anytime soon," Freddy said, sitting back down beside Billy and the girl half their size. "At least- let's hope we don't." 

"W-what now, Billy?" Darla asked, looking up at him through glossy dark eyes. The raven glanced at Freddy, running a hand gently over her poofy hair.

"You...you wanna see where me and Freddy live?" he asked slowly.

The small girl brightened, a small smile appearing on her face as she nodded. Freddy tugged on Billy's arm, a worried look on his face. "Shouldn't we...take her to an adult? She's too little." he whispered, to which Billy frowned at him. The raven stood, struggling to hold the 6-year-old for a moment before getting a better grip on her.

"No one should have to go somewhere they're not wanted, Freddy."

The blonde sighed, picking up his crutches and clambering to his feet. He followed Billy out of the park and down the sidewalk as he shifted the girl onto his back. "I know, Billy it's just- we already don't have a lot of food. I don't want Darla to get hurt or go hungry when she could be living the easy life in some foster home," he said as they made their way back to the hideout. 

"When was the last time you went into a foster home 'the easy life'?" Billy asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at him.

"It's different for us- Darla's a little kid, adults like little kids." 

"Sure didn't like me when I was Darla's age..." Billy muttered. "Besides- no one's gonna go hungry. I got a plan."

"Please tell me this plan doesn't include using me as bait or a distraction..."

"Then I won't tell you."

Freddy rolled his eyes, hobbling alongside the raven. "You're gonna get us arrested one day." 

- - -

Chapter Text

Freddy rolled his eyes, hobbling alongside the raven. "You're gonna get us arrested one day."

- - -

"Somebody please tell me that at the ripe old age of nine, Cap was not taking care of two children, along with himself, all while being homeless. Someone tell me that right now." Hal said, running hands through his hair in desperation. "What the hell was this kid thinking!?"

"He was thinking based off past experiences," Batman said firmly. "Captain Marvel obviously went through a rough time while in foster care- aa hard enough time that he ran away by the looks of it. In his mind, at least at the time, the best way to keep both of these kids safe was to keep them out of the hands of any adults at all-- even if that meant they had to look out for each other, by the looks of it."

"This doesn't make any sense. How has no one noticed that these guys aren't in school? No one asks them where their parents are or anything." Superman said, shaking his head.

"That's Fawcett for ya..." Zatanna said offhandedly as another scene materialized around them.

Billy and Freddy sat on the old mattress in the office with their backs against the wall. They had more blankets added to their pile, along with another, much smaller stained mattress pushed up against the slightly bigger one. The boys were watching Darla with confusion as she paraded back and forth in mismatched heels, one of which had a broken heel, a long purple feather boa that was missing quite a few feathers, and a dress much too big for the 6-year-old with a slash in the side.

The little girl posed, and the boys shared a look before clapping nervously. "I don't get it," Freddy said, tilting his head slightly. "So you just walk around and pose, and people throw money at you or something?" 

Darla shrugged, hopping out of the heels and letting the large dress pool at her feet. She had some old overalls on underneath, with a sweater covering her arms and kept the feather boa on as she clambered onto the mattress with the boys. "I dunno. I just remember my mama sayin' she was gonna be a model, and that that's what models did." 

Billy pulled her into his lap, smirking at Freddy. "Well, I think you'd make an awesome model, Darls. Even if it doesn't make any sense."

"Freddy wants to be a superhero when he grows up, so he can't judge." 

"Hey!"

"What! It's true!"

"Yea and it was a secret you fish sucker!"

Billy just laughed, his shoulders bouncing as Darla wrapped his arms around her. "What do you wanna be when you grow up, Billy?" she asked, looking up at him before blowing a stray hair out of her face.

The raven stopped laughing, glancing down at the girl. "Uh- well... I dunno actually. I guess being an adventurer like my dad would be pretty cool." he said, slumping against the wall slightly. "But I think you gotta go to school for that. I can barely read."

"I can teach you how! I'm a good reader!" Darla said excitedly, her face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "I even know a bunch of big words like triceratops, dentist, and kangaroo!" Billy smiled softly at her before hugging her tight.

"That'd be really cool of you, Darls- only we don't have any books," he said, glancing at the blonde boy beside him. "Can you read Freddy?"

Freddy nodded, smiling proudly. "Mhm! Even though I haven't been to school in a year, I still think I can read pretty good. My teachers used to say I could read at a 7th-grade level."

"Whoa... there's a seventh grade?" Billy asked, his eyes wide.

Freddy nodded furiously. "Yea! Hey, maybe we can get books from the city library," he said, grabbing at his crutches. "I don't think you need parents' signatures to get a library card, and me and Darla can teach you how to read like a pro!"

Billy smiled. "Sounds like fun- where is the library though?"

"I'll show you!" Freddy said excitedly, getting up with his crutches. Billy followed suit, pulling on his shoes as Darla jumped around happily. "We can get books about bunnies and unicorns and rainbows and giraffes and-" the girl continued her list as she followed Freddy out the door. Billy smiled, glancing around the room before following them and shutting the old wooden door behind him.

"Wait for me guys!"

 - - -

Victor felt his chest ache as the image faded back into the void. Billy had been sensitive about his reading skills for as long as he'd known the kid. He was 13 years old and read like a 3rd grader-- it was one of the things Billy was most embarrassed about.

Victor had offered to help teach him to read, and the boy had leapt at the chance. They were slowly but surely getting him up to a fourth-grade level and were going to try fifth and sixth grade-- all this in addition to the math that Victor had begun to sprinkle into their study sessions.

"Cap's never had a hard time reading or anything before," Flash said, glancing around. "I'm not going crazy, right? Did he just learn as he grew up I guess?"

"Maybe-- but its more likely got to do with the powers Cap has," Zatanna said. "He has the Wisdom of Solomon, after all."

Victor stayed quiet. He knew this was a sensitive subject for the kid-- he always felt guilty when he asked Victor to read something for him when they hung out. Billy would always blush and tuck into himself emotionally, putting up walls of sorts. He felt bad for the guy.

"Okay, but can Cap read when not in costume...?" Hal asked. "Never thought I'd be asking that but..." 

"You can ask him when we get out of here," Diana said with a pointed look at the Lantern.

"Yeah, and when will that be?" Hal asked snippily before he was suddenly shushed by Superman. 

 - - -

Billy was sitting alone on a rooftop, his legs dangling over the edge of the building. Wind tousled the boy's hair as he stared out at the city lights quietly, letting out a small puff of air that curled in the night. "Hey Papa..." he said softly, his grip tightening slightly on the edge of the building. "How are you and mama doing?"

"I- I know I haven't come to talk to you in a while..." he said, staring up at the full moon in the sky.

"But- but I have new friends- Well, Freddy's not new, but I haven't told you about him," the raven had a small smile on his face as he kicked his legs absently. "Freddy's my best friend- he's got a leg that doesn't too good after one of his foster dads..." he trailed off, his face scrunching up in anger. He shook it off, letting his muscles relax.

"Um- but he's nice. My favorite person actually- he knows so much about superheroes, I think you guys would like each other."

Billy smiled widely, beaming as he glanced up at the stars. "Oh and Darla! Darla's so sweet-- she reminds me of Mary sometimes..."  he said, his smile fading. He was suddenly hugging himself, glancing away from the sky. "Nothing can replace my twin though..." he mumbled with a shaky breath. "I- I know she's still alive, papa. I can feel it. I just- I just have to find her." 

He kicked his legs, staring up at the moon with a determined gleam in his eyes. "I dunno how I'm gonna do it, but I promise papa, I will find Mary." 

"I managed to get away from Mr Crawshank the other day without a single scratch- so I think I'm getting faster. Or...or he's just getting older. Either way Darl and Freddy were super happy to have fresh-ish fruit to eat for breakfast, so it was worth it." Billy smiled.

"I gotta go. Freddy and Darla get worried if I stay gone for too long at night... but I'll come back. It feels nice to talk to you again," he said, smiling up at the silent moon above him before turning and hopping off the edge of the rooftop and onto the fire escape. The 9-year-old pulled out a strip of thick cloth, pulling it taught before wrapping it around a pole attached to the fire escape and sliding down. 

He got a couple of feet off the ground before he let go, twisting in the air so that he rolled when he landed. The boy ended up right next to a dumpster, shaking the disorientation from his head. He glanced up at the building, smiling at it before glancing proudly at his cloth. "It worked!" he said happily, giggling and standing up. "Just like Batman," Billy said with a little shake of his head.

The heroes and glanced an unimpressed eye at Batman-- who had the smallest hint of a smirk . on his face as he kept his eyes on Billy.

"And Freddy said you'd snap on me," he said to the cloth before tying the fabric around his waist and walking down the alley proudly.

"That kid's gonna get himself killed," Lantern said with a facepalm, dragging his hand down his face.

"Well obviously not, considering where we are," Flash said with a pointed look towards the cosmic enforcer.

"Yea, yea, yea, shuddup Barry."

- - - 

Chapter Text

"Yea, yea, yea, shuddup Barry," Hal snarked.

- - -

"You know, now that I think of it, I've seen Cap do this a lot. Like- when we're in the Watchtower, he'll just be staring out the window and muttering to himself. I mean, if he's talking to the moon or whoever, it'd actually make more sense than if he was losing his marbles." Hal said, leaning against Zatanna. 

"Yea I've seen him do that too. You think he's..." Zatanna trailed off, shoving Hal off her. "You know, talking to his parents?"

"Wouldn't be too out of the realm of possibility.  Everyone has their own ways of coping with loss." Batman said, to which Zatanna smirked.

"Yea, some of us dress up like a bat and prowl around at night beating criminals senseless," she said with a look at Bruce, getting an eye roll from the Dark Knight.

"Guys, look," Superman said, brow furrowed as a scene developed around them but this one felt-- different.

Victor noticed it instantly, his heart dropping into his stomach. No- this was the last thing Billy would want the League to see. Had he to do something.

The others must have noticed the thickness in the air as well, as they looked around in confusion. Zatanna noticed the dread on Victor's face, furrowing her brow at him. "Cyborg? What's wrong?" she asked slowly, getting the attention of the rest of the group as their surroundings quickly became that of Fawcett City.

"Leave him alone." Billy's voice said, pulling the group back towards the scene. He had easily grown more between the last memory and this one, looking nearly eleven years old-- and proving Victor's hunch right about what was to happen.

The 10-year-old stood with his fists clenched at the mouth of an alley, rock in one hand as he glared at his opposers. They were a pair of familiar-looking teens-- Asher and one of his goons. Billy stared the young man down as he sneered at the kid, dropping the brunet-haired kid they had been bullying into the dust.

"Well look who it is, Ryder. The hero..." Asher sneered. "What are you gonna do about it ki--" The redhead was interrupted by the rock that had previously been in Billy's hand clipping his temple.

"That was a warning shot Asher," Billy said lowly, his lip curled up in a snarl as he picked up another rock. "Leave the kid alone." 

"You little brat-- I'll kill you!"  Asher growled, taking off in a dead sprint towards the 10-year-old. Billy narrowed his eyes, glancing at the bully's sidekick to make sure he was following suit before turning on his heel and bolting out of the alley.

"Get back here! You're dead meat, Batson!" Asher yelled, and Billy glanced over his shoulder before continuing to run. He managed to run into a crowd, weaving between people in suits and those on their lunch break, adults too much in a hurry to get somewhere to pay attention to a kid getting chased down.

He managed to break through the crowd just as Asher swiped at the collar of his sweater, making him stumble forward. The raven-haired kid managed to right himself clumsily and keep running, turning a corner and booking it across the street. A car nearly swerved right into him, but Billy narrowly missed it and kept running.

"Go kid go!" Hal said, cheering for the boy.

Asher slid over the hood of a car and kept after the kid, quickly closing in on him. Billy, thankfully, noticed a subway and made a beeline for it, swinging around a pole and sliding down the railing of the stairs. He glanced back to find Asher booking it down the stairs after him. The 10-year-old's eyes widened as he hopped off the railing, running down the boarding platform and between people.

He came to the edge of the platform, glancing back to find Asher barrelling towards him. He leaped off and onto the tracks, backing up and turning around to attempt to climb up onto the thin platform on the other side of the tunnel.  

People suddenly started yelling and screaming at him, and Billy glanced back at them-- only to find the bright lights of a subway train heading straight for him. Asher smiled wickedly from the platform as the adults around him yelled for Billy to try and make it back or try and climb up so he wouldn't be crushed. 

The raven's eyes widened as the train got closer, a small noise coming from his mouth as he shut his eyes tightly, the subway obscuring him from view.

"NO!" Clark said, his eyes wide in a panic as he watched Billy vanish. Batman gripped his arm tightly, narrowing his eyes at the scene in front of them. Everything suddenly shifted, and they were on the train, and Billy was clutching a metal pole tightly, his eyes still screwed shut.

"What the..." Flash said, looking around.

Billy was breathing heavily and opened an eye experimentally to probably see if he was dead or not. He found himself on the train, and opened his eyes to look around. He glanced down at himself, patting his body before looking around some more.

"Whats... whats going on? Hello?" he said as the lights flickered and made the boy jump. "A-Anyone there...?"

 The lights continued to flicker around Billy- he backed up against the wall and glanced up, looking confusedly up at the strange symbols that flicked and changed rapidly on the sign where the destination should read. He glanced behind him, trying to see if he could tell by some of the signed they put up on the walls, only to find that instead of brick, it looked like he was in some kind of cave. 

"What...?" he said softly, tilting his head slightly before suddenly being thrown forward and off his feet as the train put on the brakes. Billy yelped, grabbing hold of a metal bar and clinging to it as sparked flew outside the car he was in. When the train slowed to a stop, Billy let go, closing his eyes and breathing heavily on the floor. 

The car doors opened with a hiss, making him tense up. The raven sat up, staring at the doors. They didn't lead into a station, but rather what looked like a massive cavern. A cold wind blew through the car as Billy got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Hello?" he called out, taking a step out and onto the dark, almost blue rock beneath his feet. He glanced around, his head whipping to the car as it suddenly sped away. "Wait!" he said, only to find the train race off into the darkness. Billy turned around, looking at the massive cavern around him.

 "Okay- okay Batson. This- you can do this. It's just a cave... a weird... spooky, probably haunted cave..." he mumbled, glancing back at where the train had been. "...one that you got to by some weird train..."

He swallowed thickly, keeping his arms close to his chest as he walked through the large cavern and around a corner. Something started to tug at his chest- with every step the pull got stronger, made him want to get closer and figure out just what this place was.

"Holy Moley..." he said softly, glancing to his sight to find massive, towering statues carved out in what looked like marble. Twisted, snarling creatures made of the stone, each with its own stature and wicked expression.

The statues all had plaques beneath them, reading out familiar words. "Sloth...Envy...Pride... are these...?" he trailed off, staring up at the statue that he assumed represented Wrath if its plaque was anything to go by.

"The Seven Deadly Sins."

The voice came from the end of the cave, spooking the child and making him jump. Billy's head swiveled towards it, his eyes widening at the sight of an elderly man sitting in a large stone throne atop a set of wide stairs. "Whoa..." Billy said softly, taking a few steps towards the man. 

He glanced back at the statue before turning his full attention towards the man as he stood. "Who are you?" he asked, coming closer. "What is this place?"

The elderly man simply smiled softly. "Billy Batson. Child of Clarence Charles and Marilyn Batson." he said, leaning slightly on the large staff in his hand. Billy blinked, looking up at the man with suspicion and curiosity.

"How- How do you know my name?" he asked after a moment.

The elderly man smiled. "I am the Wizard Shazam, and this is this Rock Of Eternity. The source of all the world's magic." The cave rumbled around them.

"You're a wizard?"

"Indeed-- the last of my kind. I am sworn to protect the Rock of Eternity until I can find my Champion, or until my last breath."

"Wait, this place is magic? Why am I here?" Billy asked slowly. "I can't do magic." 

"Not yet-- but you are intimately connected to it. Since the moment you were born, you were marked. Fated for this." he said, coming closer to the boy and kneeling down. "Though I wish this could wait until you were older, I'm afraid that both Earth and the Rock Of Eternity needs its Champion-- its protector."

"No..." Batman said slowly, the whites of his cowl wide as he took a tense step forward.

"It's Champion? I don't understand." Billy said as Shazam stood.

"Evil is afoot, Billy Batson. My greatest mistake has come back to haunt me...and I need your help." Billy got a determined look in his eyes.

"But I'm just- I'm just a kid, not some champion or protector."

"You doubt yourself, Billy. I have watched over you for a long time now-- I've seen the things you've done, the person you are. You have not only protected those who are closest to you at the risk of yourself but have persevered through numerous hardships with a pure heart." Shazam straightened. "You are the only one I can trust with this. This power- it is something you were born to wield."

"But- but I can't, I'm just some homeless kid from Fawcett."

"Since when has that stopped you before? It is done. Speak my name, and my powers will flow through you. Billy, this is your destiny-- you cannot run away from it. It is a part of you." he paused as the cave rumbled again, large chunks of the rock walls falling to the ground. "It always has been."

Larger sections of the cave began to rain down above them as what looked like lightning crackled above. "This place is falling apart- we- we have to get out of here!" he said, his eyes wide in panic. Shazam stayed where he was, the staff in his hand glowing brightly. "Please, come on!"

"Go, Billy Batson. There is work to be done." Shazam said as a massive boulder fell from the ceiling, driving a literal wedge between the two as it crashed into the ground. Billy scrambled to get away, glancing over his shoulder at the crumbling room before booking it back towards where the train had been.

Dust rained down from the ceiling, rocks falling around him as his sneakers pad against the ground. "Come on, come on!" he said to himself, running slightly faster. He dove out of the way of a massive falling boulder, rolling into the darkness with a grunt.

When Billy opened his eyes, he found himself in the abandoned trainyard that he called home. "What the... how did I get here?" he asked aloud, looking around.

His eyes widened. "Wait, Shazam where are you?!" he called out, looking around in a panic before a rumble of thunder overhead drew his attention upward. The boy let out a startled cry as lightning came down directly on top of him, enveloping the boy in light. He cried out in pain before the light suddenly faded and thick black smoke was all that remained. 

It started to dissipate, leaving a very grown-up and very familiar looking red-suited man sitting on the ground. Captain Marvel blinked, breathing heavily. He glanced down, his eyes wide as he lifted a hand to stare at it. "I- I'm- I'm big-" he said, shock evident in his voice. 

"What..." Clark said slowly.

Marvel stood up on shaky legs, looking down at his body and spinning around. There was a sudden, unsure laugh that bubbled up from his throat as he tugged on and pulled his white cape around to look at it. "I'm a superhero!!" he said excitedly, laughing and looking around. "This- this is- Holy Moley!" 

"This- this is some kind of joke, right?" Hal said dreadfully.

Cap ran his hands through his hair, giddy smile on his face as he looked around the trainyard. "I wonder what I can do..." he trailed off, taking off in the direction of an abandoned train car with a determined smile on his face.

"He's a mere child..." Diana said slowly.

Batman looked like he was about to burst a vein.

Cyborg sighed, watching at Cap lifted a train car with ease. He glanced back at the group of heroes in various states of distress, letting out a soft sigh. He hoped the League wouldn't be too hard on him.

- - -

Chapter Text

Cyborg sighed, watching at Cap lifted a train car with ease. He glanced back at the group of heroes in vario us states of distress, letting out a soft sigh. He hoped the League wouldn't be too hard on him.

- - -

The group was quiet, the air tense. Batman had taken to pacing in the dark space, adding to the tension tenfold, while Hal and Barry talked quietly. Diana sat sitting on the floor with her eyes closed, pinching the bridge of her nose loosely in thought.

"How did we not know this?" Clark asked, looking around. "It- it all adds up. The childish behavior, the overwhelming optimism-- Batman, we let a kid onto the League."

"You think I don't know that, Superman? I'm trying to figure out just what we're supposed to do with him right now." Batman growled back, pausing in his pacing to stare at the Kryptonian before continuing his walk.

"He's been in danger this entire time and we- we just let it happen," Clark said, running a hand through his hair.

Diana stood. "You couldn't have known, Kal. None of us knew. The Captain kept this secret from all of us." she said slowly.

Victor stayed quiet.

Another memory began to materialize around them-- great. Just what they needed. Victor tensed as the scene formed, glancing at the big three before focusing on what was in front of the group.

This one showed Captain Marvel, surprisingly, pulling himself up and out of a crater in the middle of the street. He put a hand to his head, shaking the dust and disorientation from him before glancing up with a confused and slightly worried look.

"Okay, you hit-- really hard. Who are you?!" he yelled, string up at the sky as a very familiar figure to the League descended. "Why- why do you look like me? Er uh- well not me, but why is your costume the same as mine?" he asked, confusion carved into his features.

Cap lacked the usual boisterous attitude, he didn't walk with a skip in his step combined with someone who knew that his feet fall heavier than others-- he moved like a rookie, which considering the last thing they just saw, made sense. The group watched him closely.

Cap stood as the figure, Black Adam, sneered at him. "I am the Wizard's true Champion, boy," he said, lightning crackling around his form.

"Wait, you know the Wizard?" Cap paused, his expression becoming thoughtful before he glanced back up at Adam. "Champion...mistake. You're the mistake he was talking about. You're Teth Adam!" Captain Marvel suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree, beaming up at him. "My dad told me about you when I was little!" he said excitedly, confusing the Egyptian above him.

"He's completely in over his head..." Hal said with a morbid fascination, shaking his head slowly.

Victor nodded slowly in agreement.

Adam growled, launching himself at Marvel and pinning him to the ground. He held his hands against the hero's throat, cracking the asphalt around his head. "You will not speak that name ever again," he said, his eyes wide with rage. 

Cap grappled at the man's hands, his eyes blown wide with confusion and terror. He pulled his legs up and kicked Adam's gut, sending him tumbling backward. "Dude! I didn't even do anything to you!" he said, getting up and rubbing at his neck. The dark purple bruises in the shape of hands quickly faded, leaving no marks on the demigod's skin. 

Black Adam roared and launched himself at Marvel again, but the man leapt into the air to get out of the way, rocketing into the stratosphere and shattering windows in his wake. He came to a stop in the air, eyes wide as he looked around him in shock. "...I can fly..." he said slowly, laughter bubbling up from his throat.

It was something rare for the man- genuine laughter, that is. Sure, the guy laughed a lot, especially at things that were immature or crass, but never like this- never with so much pure joy and innocent happiness in his voice. He practically exuded light as he looked around the clouds.

"I CAN FLY!" he yelled before being body-slammed from below by Adam.

"Okay, not cool dude," Marvel said once he stopped spiraling through the air. He put on his game face, curling his hands into fists as Adam came flying at him. He tried punching the villain straight on, only for Adam to duck out of the way and sock him in the gut. Marvel wheezed, anger flashing across his features before he slammed his fists into Adam's back.

He grabbed the man's torso, flipping him over and launching him down before taking off after him. Captain Marvel came in on top of Adam like a corkscrew, spinning with his fist in front of him. Adam grabbed his arm at the last possible moment, using his own momentum against him and flinging him up into the air. 

Black Adam launched himself at Marvel, landing a heavy hit against the man's face that sent him spiraling. Adam paused in the air as Marvel fell, struggling to get his balance back.

Marvel scrambled in the air, trying and failing to grab onto something to stabilize himself. "Come on come on come on- Dangit!" he said in frustration, eyes widening as the ground quickly approached. "Aren't I supposed to be able to do magic or something?!" he said in a slight panic. Thankfully, he managed to right himself just feet over the city street, breathing heavily and staring at the hood of a car. A small smile appeared on his face before he was immediately slammed into and through the metal of the car by Adam's heels.

"Come on, Cap- don't take that lying down!" Hal yelled, surprising the group. Lantern had concentration etched on his face as he watched the demigod, his fists clenched tightly.

Victor smiled. "Yea, Let's go, Cap, you got this," he said in agreement. Maybe things wouldn't change for BIlly too much afterall.

Adam floated up, crossing his arms over his chest and pointing his toes towards the street. "You're weak. The Wizard made a mistake in choosing you, boy," he growled, sneering down at Marvel, who was attempting to pull himself from the twisted metal of the car. He glanced at some of the citizens that had gathered to see what was going on between the two superpowered beings.

"Like lambs to the slaughter," Adam grinned, vanishing in a blur of black and reappearing with a small boy in his grip. Captain Marvel's eyes widened as he pulled himself from the hood, his body tense as Adam held the brunet by the neck. The kid couldn't have been older than 8, desperately holding onto Adam's large hands as he trembled. 

"Micheal!" a woman screamed, tears in her eyes as she stared from the sidewalk. Cap looked lost- he had no idea what to do.

"Let him go- he's just a kid, Adam- He's done nothing to you-" 

"And yet, I feel the need to make an example of him."

"What- why?!"

"I am above them. We are above them. We are Gods amongst these mortals, able to squash them beneath our feet like the bugs they are. They scatter like scarabs, yet flock towards their own imminent demise." Adam said, his grip on the kid never wavering. "An example needs to be made of them. Of you." 

Marvel shook his head. "No- no don't do this. My dad told me about you, you were a pharaoh, a king. He said- he said that you started out as a commoner, a slave, and became a mighty ruler by using your gifts to help others." 

Adam bared his teeth at Marvel, his grip tightening on the boy and making his gasp.

Marvel was beginning to panic. "What- what happened to you? What made you so twisted...? My dad was so excited to find your tomb... he- he wanted to prove that you weren't as bad as the legends say." 

Adam's eyes narrowed, his grip loosening on the boy as a twisted, sickening grin appeared on his face. Marvel furrowed his brow, confused by this development. He swallowed thickly, glancing at the kid before meeting Adam's eyes once more.

"I thought the face you wore was familiar," Adam said lowly, sickening smile turning into a sneer. "The امن. The scholar who freed me from my wretched prison." Cap furrowed his brow in response. "He and his sister, they got in my way... bothersome and annoying."

Cap shook his head slowly, taking a step back.

"So I killed them."

Cap's eyes became an astonishing, encapsulating, terrifying cornflower blue. His pupils became pinpricks and he froze, every muscle in his body locking up.

"Oh no..." Vic said softly, shaking his head slowly. Billy had told him about this- he'd said it was one of the things he was most ashamed of as Cap, something that he'd spend the rest of his life making up for. Something that made him question whether or not he was really worthy of the powers of Shazam.

The heroes glanced at him worriedly before looking back up at Cap.

Gold suddenly overtook the demigod's irises, the molten color invading the pure blue as his face curled into a snarl. The heroes took a collective step back, eyes wide as chills went down every spine in the room. Captain Marvel floated upwards, Adam's face having become carefully neutral. 

"You..." Cap said slowly,  his voice echoing with reverb throughout the street. "You killed my mom and dad," he said slowly. Adam swallowed, his eyes narrowing.

"Careful of the child, you idiot," he said, an edge to his words as his grip tightened on the boy once more.

A golden glow appeared around Cap's hand, the kid suddenly vanishing from Adam's grip and appearing in the arms of his mother. "You're gonna wish you never stepped foot out of that tomb, Adam," Marvel said, the weight of the Gods behind his words. He was holding Adam by the throat in an instant, his nails digging into the darker man's skin as he choked the life from him.

The man choked. "It f-feels good, r-r-right-" Adam gasped, gripping Cap's hands with slight desperation. "To have this p-power. Y-you can cr-crush anyone you w-want beneath t-the heel of y-your boot." 

Marvel's grip tightened on the Egyptian's throat.

"Give i-into it," Adam choked out with a wicked grin, staring down at Cap. The people around them started to back up, staring at both of them with fear in their eyes now. Marvel caught sight of them, glancing towards the people with a snarl before his eyes widened.

The snarl vanished.

"What am I doing--" the gold vanished from his eyes, and he glanced up at Adam before dropping him unceremoniously onto the ground. Black Adam coughed, holding his throat and glaring up at Marvel. He smirked at him, standing up shakily. Marvel ran his hands through his hair before staring at them.

"The power is exhilarating," he said slowly, to which Captain Marvel shook his head. "We are more alike than I thought." 

Cap took a shaky step back, putting distance between him and the villain. "No," he said, clenching his fists. "I'm not like you. I won't be like you. I swear to it." he said slowly. Adam chuckled, shaking his head as he lifted into the air. 

"With time, you'll see things my way, boy." 

Cap shut his eyes before opening to glare at his mirror in black. "Never. Do good, and good will follow. Those are the words I live by, Adam."

"A mantra that will fail you, William."

"Not if I can help it, they won't."

Adam smirked, glancing at the crowd that surrounded them. "We'll see..." he said before vanishing in a black blur.

Cap let out a small, shaky breath as soon as he was gone, clutching his chest. A small smile appeared on his face, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Heh- that...that was my first supervillain," he said softly to himself, absolutely beaming. He turned his attention towards the crowd that surrounded him and swallowed thickly. "It's okay! I'm-" he paused, furrowing his brow. 

"Haven't actually thought of a name for myself..." he muttered, rubbing at his chin absently.

An interaction flashed in his mind. He smiled softly.

"The name's Captain Marvel- and I...I'm here to protect you," he said with a small smile before he was suddenly swarmed by thankful citizens. The man's eyes bugged out of his head as he looked around, obviously a guy not used to the attention.

- - -

"...Remind me never to piss Cap off," Flash said, rubbing the back of his neck as he broke the tense silence of the room. Green Lantern nodded slowly, his eyes still wide as he stared at where Cap had been before the entire scene vanished. 

"Yea, I don't need my insides becoming my outsides," Hal said with a shake of his head.

"Cap would never do that," Zatanna said, raising a brow at the brunet. "But that magic-- that was something else. I mean I get that he's the Guardian of the Rock of Eternity and all, but I had no idea he was intimately connected to it," she said with a small shake of her head.

"Uh....mind putting all that into English for the rest of us Z?" Hal asked.

"What Zatanna means to say is that the Captain possesses a magic that no others can. He may be a child but he guards the center of all magic, and is blessed by Gods to wield their powers in their stead. One of which happens to be my father Zeus..." Diana said. "The Rock Of Eternity is the source for all magic, in all realms-- no magic-user could wield their sorcery without it, and the Captian's main purpose for existing is to guard said place."

Batman nodded slowly. "So he's essentially a magical bodyguard for the infinite well of magic that this 'Rock of Eternity' is," he asked, raising an unimpressed brow. Diana and Zatanna both nodded. "Right. And this wizard thought a ten-year-old was the perfect candidate for that," Batman said in return.

Lantern plopped down on the floor, rubbing at his temples. "We gotta find a way out of here..." he muttered, shaking his head. The group nodded in agreement. 

- - -

Chapter Text

Lantern plopped down on the floor, rubbing at his temples. "We gotta find a way out of here..." he muttered, shaking his head. The group nodded in agreement. 

- - -

 Billy appeared in the middle of them, sitting alone in the station manager's office the kids had converted into their own makeshift home, staring at a yellow paper in his hands. It had thick black letters at the top that read "FORECLOSURE" making the small kid shake.

The mattress he sat on was bare, save for an old plush tiger slumped in Billy's arms and Billy's faded green backpack. The raven sighed, crumbling the paper in his hand into a ball and throwing it angrily at a wall. "I'm an idiot, Tawny," he said, tears beading in the corners of his eyes. He hugged the stuffed animal tightly, staring at the crumpled paper angrily. "They'll never forgive me for this..."

"I should have warned them- I should have gone against this, this Solomon guy in my- Cap's- our head and warned Freddy and Darla that the CPS was coming to check the place out..." he muttered, looking away from the paper. "I should've gone with my gut..."

The ten-year-old's eyes widened. "What if they're separated?!" he said in a panic, squeezing his tiger plush tighter. He slumped over onto his side, clutching the animal tightly aas teaars escaped his eyes and trailed down his cheeks.

"What if they hate me for this..." 

He glanced down at the tiger, bringing a palm up to his eye to rub at it. "I- I know it could be better for them but..." He glanced towards an abandoned crutch lying in the corner of the room. "I'm gonna miss them." 

Billy gave the plush an incredulous look, despite the silence in the room. "What? No- no I can't just...that's crazy, Tawny. What kind of Foster home would take in three kids at once..."

"Besides," he said, sitting up and slumping against the wall. The kid set the tiger down across from him and brought his knees up to his chest, holding them loosely. "I can't go into a foster home. If I'm gonna be Captain Marvel, I gotta be able to help people at any time, I can't have a mom and dad worrying about me or trying to stop me." 

Billy shook his head. "No- no I can't go into a place where people are gonna worry about me just cause I'm a kid. The Wizard said this was my destiny, that I was born for this. I can't let him down." 

"Besides, that's why heroes have secret identities, right? To protect their families and stuff. I'd have to keep it from wherever we ended up, and I couldn't do that for forever."

He let his legs go, glancing at the tiger's marble eyes again. "What? No, I can't tell Freddy and Darla. Darla can't keep a secret to save her life and Freddy- he's finally got a chance at a kind of normal life. I don't wanna muck that up with superpowers and magic." 

"No its... it's probably safer this way. Just you and me, Tawny." he said, shoving his hands into his faded red jacket. He furrowed his brow, pulling out a small slip of paper from one of the pockets. "What the..." he said slowly, unfolding the paper and staring at it. "It's...an address?"

The image swirled and shifted, changing from BIlly in the station to one of the boy walking down the sidewalk. He had his hands in the pockets of his faded red jacket, keeping his head down as he walked. 

He pulled a hand out of his pocket and glanced down at the crumpled paper in it, narrowing his eyes at the smudged address written in dark blue ink. He turned a corner and managed to pull himself under a hole in a chainlink fence. 

"Right...here?" he said, coming to a stop at a brick wall. The area was a small, caged in lot with buildings surrounding it and two thin alleys on either side.

The boy looked around in confusion, bringing a hand up to scratch at his head. "This makes...zero sense," he mumbled, glancing back down at the address.

Maybe he had gotten it wrong...?

"Well if it made sense, it wouldn't be called the bloody House Of Mystery, would it." a familiar British voice said, making some in the group groan and Batman narrow his eyes in suspicion. 

Billy tensed, whipping around to face the blonde brit in a trenchcoat. "Who- who are you? Are you the one that put this thing in my pocket?" he asked, taking a nervous step back. John stayed where he was, bringing the cigarette in his fingers up to his mouth for a long drag. He blew it out before speaking again.

"Name's Constantine. John Constantine." continued as if Billy hadn't spoken. "So you're the bloody Wizard's Champion, huh?" he asked, rolling his eyes and taking another drag of his cigarette. "Sure does like 'em young."

"Even though you reek of magical energy, I doubt that if you're this young you got any idea what you're doin'," John said after a moment, blowing smoke out and into the air.  

"Wait what does John mean by that? He reeks of magical energy?" Superman asked, glancing towards Zatanna and Diana.

"Well, the Wizard presumably marks the one he deems worthy of the mantle of Champion. John's been a student of the dark arts since he was a teenager, he's probably done research into the Rock of Eternity, the Wizard, everything- Anyone closely tied to the Rock of Eternity could sense when a new Champion was chosen. John must have sensed it." Zatanna supplied, glancing at the blonde in the memory warily.

Billy's eyes narrowed. "How do you-" he was cut off by John pulling out a keyring and sticking it inside the crack in some bricks. The boy stared at the man as if he was crazy, glancing around nervously as John jiggled the key. 

"Blasted thing. Lock always sticks," John muttered before body slamming the brick wall and making Billy's eyes widen. The wall seemed to suddenly shift, receding backward and producing a dark wooden door. "There we are. Bugger of an old house," John said, glancing back at the kid. "Well come on then, shortstack. We have work to do and I don't want to be under that damn wizard's thumb any longer than I have to be." 

"I- I don't understand," Billy said, still watching the man as he vanished into the brick wall. "Wait!" he said, following in after him.

Billy found himself, along with the incorporeal heroes surrounding him, in the middle of a large, ornate entranceway with dark red carpet and various fancy-looking artifacts on shelves. "What...is this place..." Billy said slowly, spinning around and looking at the place in awe. He spotted a suit of armor and ran up to with a large smile. "Holy Moley..."

"Were you not listening? I said it's the House of Mystery." John said, digging inside a chest in the den. Billy walked through an archway between the two rooms, tilting his head at the man. The blonde stood up straight with an old, thick, leather-bound book in his arms, bringing it to a desk and setting it down. A cloud of smoke poofed up, making the pair cough and sputter as John attempted to wave it away.

"Blasted thing..." he muttered, opening the old book. Billy tilted his head slightly. "Right then- you wanna learn magic or not?" 

"Wait, you're gonna teach me magic?" Billy asked, his eyes wide. 

“You really don’t listen very well, do you shortstack.”

”I- I just- why? What’s in it for you?” Billy asked, tilting his head slightly. “You don’t seem like the kinda guy to do something like this out of the goodness of his heart.”

”Guess you got some brains after all. Shazam asked me to...mentor you. I owe him a favor, let's leave it at that. The faster we get this done, the faster you can get out of my sight." John said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Billy tilted his head, a small smile on his face. "You don't deal with kids a lot, do you." John gave him a withering glare, to which Billy only smiled wider. "That's okay- I know how to handle adults that don't know how to handle kids." John narrowed his eyes at the boy-- he seemed genuine.

"Relax, I'm not gonna make your life harder...not on purpose at least," Billy said with a small smile, tugging his faded green backpack off his shoulders and setting it down. "So you know magic-- what do you have the guts to teach me?" he asked with a small, mischevious smile, getting to work.

John stared at him for a moment before the corner of his mouth quirked upward. "Alright, kid, we'll start off simple," he said, pocketing a pack of cigarettes he'd pulled out.

The image faded with John crouching down in front of the kid before Billy shoved him over with a smirk and told him to stand up. Superman ran a hand through his already tousled, hair, glancing around at the group. "John Constantine," he said after a moment. "John Constantine taught Captain Marvel how to do magic."

"He's not that bad of a guy, Superman," Zatanna said, shifting her weight to her other foot. "John's a good guy at heart, he's just rough around the edges."

"He's a chain-smoker who consistently makes deals with demons and dabbles with dark magic," Batman said in a monotone, raising a brow at the sorceress. Zatanna rolled her eyes in response before turning her attention towards the Dark Knight.

"Well according to him, there's no such thing as dark magic."

"The guy still chose to teach a ten-year-old magic," Hal said, crossing his arms. "Yea I'm- I'm not getting over that anytime soon. It's insane- Cap can't possibly be ten years old, right?  What if he just got his powers when he was a kid, and now he's an adult?" he asked, looking around for some kind of confirmation.

"What about the references to Superman and myself?"  Batman asked in a stony tone.

"Well, Supes has been at this hero thing for what, 8, 9 years now? And you've been in the public light for at least 7, not sure how long you were the Bat before that-- so maybe Cap's actually like 17, 18 years old now. He could be an actual adult now, and we're just blowing this whole thing out of proportion." Flash added.

Victor stayed quiet, trying to stay out of the conversation. Let them come to their own conclusions-- he'd told Billy, promised that he wouldn't tell them about him.

"What do you think, Vic?" Hal asked, looking towards him for some kind of back up.

"What? I uh- I don't know," he said, trying to stay out of it. Bruce narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "Look, another memory," he said with a slight shake in his voice, pointing out another scene forming around them.

- - -

Chapter Text

"What? I uh- I don't know," he said, trying to stay out of it. Bruce narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "Look, another memory," Victor continued with a slight shake in his voice, pointing out another scene forming around them.

- - -

The scene that materialized around them was one of chaos. People ran wild in the streets, fleeing from what looked like a massive robot that threatened to crush them beneath its metal feet. Roads were ripped apart, lampposts bent at odd angles, trees torn to splinters. In the middle of all the chaos was Marvel himself, floating in the air and trying to distract the massive robot and keep it in one location.

"Hey, iron giant! why don't you come after me huh? I'm the little fly buzzin' around your head!"  he yelled out, smirking as he got the bot's attention. He blew a raspberry at the droid and dodged a swiped of its massive hand, laughing at its clunky movements.

Captain Marvel glanced down towards the road, checking to see if anyone was around before smirking at the robot and letting loose a volley of electrical sparks. Lightning bounced around his godly form as he continued to throw what looked like balls of lightning at the robot, making the massive thing stumbled backward. "Uh-oh-" he said,  his eyes widening as the thing stumbled back right for a building.

"Hey! You break it you buy it buddy!" he yelled before vanishing in a red blur and appearing on the other side of the mech and shoving it away from the skyscraper. "Okay- okay think Billy- how do you get this thing to stay down?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the robot.

The demigod's eyes flicked around in thought before suddenly lighting up with an idea. "Of course!"

Cap flew above the monster, surveying his surroundings with calculating eyes before diving near its feet and tearing up a telephone pole. "Sorry Fawcett, lines are gonna be down for a bit," he commented, turning to stare up at the robot above him.

He tossed the pole up experimentally before focusing on one part of the robot and hurling the wooden post towards its shoulder joint as it took a swipe at him. The pole rammed right through the thick metal, lodging inside and causing the robot's arm to pause at a weird angle.

Captain Marvel smirked and tore up another pole, careful to keep the powerlines connected as he hurled this one at its neck. It lodged inside the metal as well, making the demigod smile wider as he dodged a swipe from its other arm.

He continued this pattern of hurling telephone poles at the robot until it was a tangle of wooden posts and wires, on its knees with its limbs at strange angles. The robot was attempting to move, the wooden posts quickly cracking and splintering. "Oh no you don't, Terminator," Cap said, lightning flickering around his fists.

He threw his arms out, electricity dancing around his arms as he sent bolts towards the robot and along the powerlines crisscrossing its body. The entire structure buzzed as Cap grit his teeth, lightning pulsing from his hands and around his body. "Come on, come on, come on--" he said, lip curled up in a snarl as he pushed the last of his lightning towards the robot.

The demigod was left slightly winded, staring at the robot with narrowed eyes before a sudden smile broke up his features as the giant metallic structure came crashing down onto itself. 

Cap touched down on top of the robot, smiling and looking it over. There was a small rumble, gaining the hero's attention and making him tense. "What the...?" he mumbled, walking over to a panel on the robot's head and pulling open the 5-inch thick metal panel with ease. His bright blue eyes widened, tilting his head in confusion.

"Whoa- who are you?" he asked, looking down at a cockpit of the robot where a familiar, disoriented bald man was laying, twitching and grumbling to himself. "You okay there?" Captain Marvel asked slowly, crouching down and holding out a hand for the man to take. 

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was inside this thing." 

"I'm fine, you buffoon." the man said, shaking off his disorientation quickly and staring up angrily at the demigod. Cap blinked, standing back up and putting his hands on his hips.

"Wait, are you behind this thing?"

"What do you think I'm doing in the control center of this thing, having tea? Of course, I am!" the man squealed angrily. "And you, you- you- Big Red Cheese, ruined my plans!" 

Cap looked utterly confused, glancing around for some kind of clarification before looking back down at the bald man in a lab coat. "Uh...what exactly were those plans? And who are you?" he asked slowly. "Cause you sound bonkers."

The man, who had yet to move from his entangled position amongst a bunch of twisted metal and colorful wires, put an indignant hand on his chest. "I am Doctor Thaddeus Sivanna- the greatest mind this city has ever seen!" he said, a twisted and not completely there look in his eyes.

Cap nodded slowly, the look on his face saying 'I have no idea what is wrong with you but I know now I wouldn't want to be in a room alone with you' as he let out a small breath. "Well uh- I'm Captain Marvel. Were you planning on crushing buildings and hurting people with this robot or was that...an accident...?" he asked,  watching the man attempt to untangle himself.

"You want some help with that?"

Hal snorted. "Only Cap would ask a villain who just got done destroying part of a city if he needed up getting up..." he said, shaking his head at the scene.

Sivanna glared at him, making the Captain put his hands up in surrender. "My calculations were...off. I intended to destroy the building of that of my rivals, not an entire city block, you monumental moron." 

"Right..." Cap said after a moment, reaching down to bend a piece of metal out of the doctor's way. "Well uh... either way, that's illegal. So uh... I'm gonna have to take you to the police." he said,  picking the man up by the collar of his lab coat. "Let's go, Dr. Sivanna." 

The man in his grip glared at the hero. "Mark my words, Marvel. This isn't over-- you've made yourself an enemy today," he said, venom dripping in his voice as he hung harmlessly from the man's grip as Cap leapt off the top of the robot and landed on the ground. 

Police had begun to gather around the massive robot, setting up caution tape around it. "Here's the uh...mastermind...behind this thing," Cap said as his golden boots touched the asphalt. The cops around him looked shocked for a moment before one stepped forward and took Sivanna off his hands. 

"Uh- thanks, Captain."

"No problem! You guys need help cleaning up?"

"You know," Flash said as the scene faded to black around them, "Cap's not bad at this hero stuff. Especially for a kid- I mean, we still don't know if he actually is one now, but if he's a kid right now, he's doing pretty damn well for himself."'

Superman shook his head slowly after a moment. "Captain Marvel could have skilled someone with a stunt like that..." he said, shaking his head. "It was reckless, and he should be doing it at such a young age in the first place."

"I agree-- children should be kept out of the clutches of battle, it's a danger to them and to others," Diana said firmly. Zatanna gave her a confused look before glancing at the Kryptonian.

"Didn't both of you start training and doing things similar to this when you were younger?" she asked slowly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Superman, you always say how your childhood was full of mishaps because of your powers and how you learned to control them as you grew."

"Well- I- yea, but that's different," Superman said, staring at the sorceress with slight shock. "Different circumstances and such."

"Zatanna glanced at Diana with an equally unimpressed look. "And you? I know for a fact that you told me you started training with swords when you were a young girl." 

Diana sheathed her sword. "Yes- but I'm Amazonian. It's a different world," she said, puffing her chest out slightly.

"Wait, different how?" Flash asked, looking between the two. "Just cause Cap's got an entirely different form that gives him powers and makes him practically invincible? I mean that feels like a stretch. Sure, he's a kid, but we all were at one time. We all started out as rookies, we all made mistakes. No one started out knowing how to do this hero thing." Flash said, standing beside Zatanna.

"This really just kind of sounds like you guys are looking for a reason to be mad at Cap-- don't get me wrong, I wish he would have told us he was a kid too, but...damn. If this is what he thought would happen...." Flash shook his head. 

"No wonder he didn't tell us," Hal said, staring down at his ring.

Victor glanced between the two sides that were quickly forming, glancing around the group. This wasn't good-- Big personalities clashing like this never was. He let out a small sigh, glancing at the tense heroes surrounding him.

"He told me," he said after a moment, every eye snapping towards him. "I've known since Darkseid."

"Victor that was two years ago..." Batman said, his eyes narrowed.

"I know."

"And you kept this from us?" Superman said, his brows furrowed as he stared into Victor's eyes.

He just nodded in response.

- - - 

Chapter Text

"And you kept this from us?" Superman said, his brows furrowed as he stared into Victor's eyes.

He just nodded in response.

- - -

 "How could you keep something so vital from us?" Diana said, anger flaring in her eyes as she went to draw her sword.

"Diana, no. Cyborg is not your enemy." Batman said, glaring at the Amazonian until she took her hand off the hilt of her blade. He sighed, turning his attention back towards Victor. "You've known that Captain Marvel was a child for two years...and you've said nothing," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

Victor nodded. It wasn't his secret to tell. "And I'd do it again." 

"You watched him put himself, as well as potentially us and hundreds of civilians in danger, and said nothing?"

"You've seen for yourself that Cap isn't incompetent," Victor replied, careful to keep his frustration out of his voice.

"Guys," Flash said, pointing out another scene that began to materialize.

"This discussion isn't over," Bruce said to Cyborg before turning his attention to the memory. Victor just sighed.

The scene that developed around them was one of Billy and John Constantine in the House of Mystery, John instructing on how to do some kind of spell. "You're connected to this element, kid. Lightning flows through your veins. If you can't learn to control it when you're like this, you can get overloaded in your other form. 'S probably why you felt tired after shockin' that metallic bloke durin' your bout the other day." John said, shoving a hand in his pocket. 

"Focus on the sack of rice, and will the electricity in the air to fry that thing," he instructed, pulling out a cigarette and taking a step back. Billy nodded, putting his arms out and concentrating on the burlap sack in the middle of what looked like a storage room. 

"fulgur percutiens!" Billy said, gritting his teeth as electricity danced about his fingertips. The boy's hair stood on end from the static and John's cigarette suddenly lit but the meager lightning flickered before suddenly dying out, leaving the burlap sack unscathed. "It didn't do anyth--" Billy said, glancing at John, only to find him smirking and holding up the lit cigarette.

"If nothin' else,  you make a right fine lighter," the blonde said with a smirk. Billy chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Golly mister, that's always been a real dream of mine," he said sarcastically. Victor smiled-- BIlly must be comfortable around John. He was hardly ever sarcastic around those he didn't trust, but it was common if the kid was comfortable around you. Victor saw Billy's sarcastic side a LOT.

Constantine chuckled, shaking his head before taking a drag of his cigarette. "Alright sparkplug," he said, blowing out smoke. "No need to get an attitude." 

"Well, what did I do wrong?" Billy asked as John walked over. "I coulda swore I said the words right." The blonde nodded, gently moving the kid's arms back into the position they had been. Billy let him, just watching quietly.

"You said 'em right, don't worry about that," John said, standing back up. "But it's a mixture of a couple things. One, you're like 7, so you're body doesn't have a resistance to the amount of strain magic puts on your body yet," he said, ignoring Billy's sour look at the jab at his age.

"I'm 11."

"And two," John continued, pretending he hadn't even heard the raven, "It's like riding a bike. You can't expect to ride a marathon first time you sit in the saddle." he said, taking another long drag. 

"Takes practice."

"What age did you start doing magic?" Billy asked, turning his attention back on the burlap sack as John went back to his spot and leaned against a counter. "Cause you sound like you've done it for a long time.

"Believe you me kid, I have. Started when I was 15- a bloody long time ago. When I was 16...I did something that I can't forgive myself for, but that wasn't the magic's fault."

Billy glanced at him. "What do you mean wasn't the magic's fault?" he asked before turning his attention back towards the sack. Electricity flickered in the air once more as Billy recited the spell, the small sparks traveling slightly further up his arm, but not really going beyond his hands again besides making John;' cigarette burn up faster for a moment.

John let out a small sigh, tapping off the ash at the butt of the cigarette. "Well some magicians, take my friend Zee for example- they think that there are a light and a dark to magic. A good and a bad."

Billy furrowed his brow in response.

"Magic is like-- it's like fire." he continued, snapping his fingers and making a small ball of flame appear in his hand. "Fire isn't inherently good or evil, it just is. Its a tool for someone, in this case, a sorcerer, to use," he said, tossing the small ball of flames up into the air and catching it.

"Sure, it can be used for bad, or do bad things-" John said as the fire morphed into an image of a burning tree or burning house. "But it can also be a force for good," the fire shifting to the image of a campfire with people sitting around it, then to an image of the sun. 

"Something like magic," John said as the flame was snuffed out suddenly. "Can't be good or evil. It's up to the wielder to decide how they use it."

Billy smiled, glancing back towards the infernal sack again. "I think I get it now," he said, focusing on the burlap before closing his eyes. He let out a slow breath, relaxing his muscles and holding out his arms. 

"fulgur percutiens!"

Lightning crackled around him, jumping around his small form before suddenly leaping forwards from his hands and striking the sack dead center. Rice exploded out of the bag, making Billy open his eyes and laugh. "I did it!" he said, glancing at John excitedly. "Did you see that?! I did actual magic!!" he said before running towards the partially destroyed bag.

"You sure did shortstack," John said with a small smile on his face.

"John being good with kids is honestly not something I ever expected to see," Zee said, rubbing her temple as the image shifted.

Billy was sitting in a chair in an office, his arms crossed over his chest as he slunk down in the chair. He had a fresh purple bruise on his cheek and looked like he was attempting to hide inside his faded red hoodie. Billy's trusty backpack was sitting on the floor beside him, though one of the straps was ripped, and looked worse for wear. 

"Never shoulda got caught..." he muttered to himself.

The raven swiped at his nose with his sleeve, glancing out the window bitterly. Behind him, the door opened, and the heroes could see him tense slightly and duck his head. "Billy?" a woman's voice said as the door opened. Billy ignored her, keeping his eyes trained down.

"Billy, I have some people here that would like to see you."

The raven stayed quiet. 

The woman behind him sighed, letting a group of four into the room. Billy was suddenly slammed into, knocking him out of his chair. He looked up angrily at whatever haad tackled him, only to have chills run through his body and for his heart to skip a beat at the sight. 

"Darla?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The little girl was hugging his torso, her face rubbing against his hoodie. He could tell just by looking at her that the girl was already crying and glanced up to find Freddy hobbling towards him, tears in the blonde's eyes and a wide smile on his face. 

Freddy threw his crutches to the side and joined the pair in their pile on the floor, the kids erupting into watery laughter as Billy hugged them tightly. "I can't believe it's you guys- what are you doing here?" Billy asked, tears beading in the corners of his eyes as Darla lifted her head to look up at him.

Darla started to cry again, hugging his neck tightly. Billy patted the girl's back, smiling at Freddy with a small, shaky laugh. "Victor and Rosa wanted us to come along when they came to get the newest kid to join the house," Freddy said, wide smile on his face as he sat on the floor and rolled a shoulder.

"Wait, another kid?" Billy said, pulling Darla back and looking down at her. He glanced up at who he could only assume were Freddy and Darla's foster parents, who were watching the entire exchange with soft smiles.

"And- you...you want me?" he asked slowly, swallowing thickly as Darla rest her head against his chest like she always used to.

The man, Victor, he realized, nodded. "Freddy and Darla told us about you when they first came to us a couple years ago. We've been on the lookout for you ever since, but you only just now re-entered the system." 

Billy beamed, laughter bubbling up from his throat. He grabbed Freddy's shirt collar and tugged him into a group hug, holding the pair tightly. "I thought I'd never see you guys again..." he muttered softly, shutting his eyes as the trio put their heads together.

"Come on, Billy- you can't get rid of us that easily," Darla said, sniffling as she smiled up at him.

Rosa bent down to pick up Freddy's crutches, handing them back to the boy and helping him stand up. "What do you say, Billy? There's always room for one more in this family."

Freddy stood up, glancing down at the raven with a smile. He held out his hand as Darla stood up and tugged on BIlly's arm. The raven let out a small breath of air that served for a laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Please, Billy?" Darla asked, looking up at him with her patented puppy dog eyes.

Billy stood, glancing at the blonde before turning his attention to Darla. "Come on, Darls, you know I can't say no to you."

The little girl in light purple overalls lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yay!! Billy's gonna join the house! The top bunk is finally gonna be used!!" she squealed, hopping around excitedly before running into Victor's arms. He picked her up easily and the girl hugged his neck tightly. "Thank you so much, Papa Victor..." she said, her cheek squished against his.

Billy stood up, dusting himself off and smiling easily. "Come on, mijo, let's go do some paperwork and make this official," Rosa said, holding out her hand for him to take. Billy scooped his backpack up off the floor, shouldering the one working strap and hesitating at the sight of her hand. He glanced at Freddy, who was giving him an encouraging look. 

"O-okay," he said, taking her smooth hand in his and following them out of the office.

The image shifted to Freddy and Billy standing in the middle of a small bedroom, with a bunk bed in one corner, and a pair of desks on each wall. Various superhero posters littered the walls and old toys sat on a trunk and various shelves. Freddy made his way towards a dresser, opening the top two drawers of the four.

"Rosa said the top two were yours-- she's probably gonna insist on buying you new clothes, by the way," he said as Billy looked around the room. His eyes caught a model plane hanging from the roof, very obviously hand-made by the blonde. "You get the top bunk, by the way," Freddy continued, getting the raven's attention once more. "And uh....ooh there's a loose floorboard over here if you wanna hide something in it. I know that makes you feel better." 

A small smile made its way onto Billy's face. "I missed you," he said, shaking his head at the blonde as he showed Billy just where the loose floorboard was. Billy kneeled down and pulled out a few things- a small, leather-bound journal and a circular, golden-rimmed mirror and put them inside the hole.

He moved the board back into place before taking out his plush tiger, hoisting himself up to see over the railing of the top bunk, and setting it down on the plush pillow at the head. "You still got Tawky Tawny?" Freddy asked, tilting his head slightly. Billy tensed for a moment, shutting his eyes tightly as he hopped down.

"Good. I'm glad you haven't given up looking for her," Freddy continued, sitting down on the bottom bunk. Billy relaxed. The blonde ran a thumb over the metal of his crutches, glancing up at Billy. "You've looked better."

Billy nodded, chewing on his bottom lip. "Yea," he breathed, plopping down beside his official foster brother. He chuckled suddenly, getting a strange look from Freddy. "It's funny. We became the things we swore we'd never be again," he said, nudging the blonde.

Freddy laughed. "Yea, I guess we did. Trust me, Victor and Rosa-- they're great. They used to be foster kids themselves. They were the only ones that would foster both me and Darla since we insisted on staying together," he continued, glancing up at the glow in the dark stickers that had long been slapped on the ceiling by Darla leaning out as far as she could from the top bunk.

"Plus, they gave us a room on the second floor. No bars on the windows, no locks- You can climb up onto the roof whenever you want."

Billy grinned, shaking his head. "You know me very well, Freeman."

"Well of course, my good sir."

"Hey Freddy, there's actually something I need to tell you," Billy said, gripping the edge of the bed tightly. "I don't...I don't really know how to explain it since its crazy, but-"

"Boys! Time for dinner!" Victor's voice echoed from out in the hall. "It's lasagna night!"

Freddy lit up. "Aw, yeah! Victor's lasagna is the best. Tell me later, let's get downstairs," the blonde said, gathering his crutches and hobbling out of the room excitedly. Billy let out a small sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. He glanced up at the ceiling with a wry expression on his face.

"Heracles, give me strength..." the raven muttered, chuckling at his own inside joke.

- - -

Chapter Text

"Heracles, give me strength..." the raven muttered, chuckling at his own inside joke.

- - -

"Well...at least he has a family now," Superman said after a moment.

"Looks like he already did, Supes. Kid's just got parents now," Flash said, brow furrowed at the Kryptonian.

Billy, or rather Cap, interrupted whatever the man was going to say next, as he careened straight through him and slammed into the brick wall of a building. The group tensed as Captain Marvel shook off his disorientation, glancing up with a determined look on his face.

"Why do you guys always insist on throwing me around when I try to talk to you?" Marvel muttered, shaking debris off and rocketing back into the air. He stopped in front of the being that put them into this mess in the first place-- Klarion. "Who are you?" Cap asked, his stance in the air defensive as dark red energy swirled around the witch boy's hands. 

"A lord of Chaos. I'm Klarion, hero, and you're gonna be toast," he said with a snarl, throwing a bolt of energy towards the demigod. Cap narrowly dodged it, the heat singeing the ends of his cape. The raven put is hands up placatingly, floating a few feet from the sorcerer.

"Wait wait wait! Constantine told me about you. Klarion the Witch Boy?" he said experimentally. Klarion's beady red eyes narrowed. Cap swallowed thickly.

"I'm sure John Constantine has sung my praises."

"Hold on, hold on- he actually said we were a lot alike, you and me." 

"We're nothing alike, you idiot."

"Aren't we?" Cap tried, keeping his hands up. "Dude, I don't want to fight you if I don't have to. John said you were just a curious kid who was sick of having adults tell him what he could and couldn't do." 

Klarion's eyes stayed narrowed, but the energy swirling around his hands faded slightly. "I get it. Dude, adults suck," he said, putting his hands on his hips. Klarion raised an eyebrow, giving him an unimpressed look. Cap glanced down at himself, looking back up at the kid and giving him a nervous laugh. "I can explain- why don't we touch down over there and talk? Kid to kid?"

The witch boy stayed quiet but followed Marvel as he flew towards the top of a skyscraper and touched down. He turned around, smirking up at him. "Might wanna take a step back," he said, glancing upwards and shouting shazam. Lightning flashed in the sky before coming down to strike the demigod, changing him back into 11-year-old Billy Batson.

"Like I said- I know. Adults suck," Billy said, shoving his hands in his hoodie. He kicked a can, glancing down at it after the fact in confusion as if to silently ask it how it got on top of a roof before turning his attention to the Lord of Chaos in front of him.

"My name is Billy Batson," he said as Klarion touched down along with him. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing Billy closely. "I'm the kid that the Wizard that guards the Rock of Eternity chose to guard all of magic." He said,  holding his arms out wide. "Trust me, I know what it feels like to have a butt-ton of responsibility on your shoulders and just want to cut loose sometimes."

"You're the Champion...?" Klarion said, tilting his head slightly. Billy nodded. "I came here to force the Champion to teach me magic that no one else would," Klarion said, rage sparking in his eyes for a moment before it was smothered out. "Destroying a city block usually gets that kind of attention..." the boy said with a roll of his eyes, crossing his arms once more.

"I mean, yea, it got my attention. But...I can't teach you magic. I'm just barely learning myself."

"Wonderful. All this way for nothing then."

"Well, not particularly..." Billy said, giving the sorcerer a smirk. "You're a Lord of Chaos, right?" Klarion nodded slowly. "Then why don't you and me pull some pranks then? Me and my brother have started keeping count of whoever manages to pull the best prank on the other or someone else in the house, and whoever wins at the end of this...well I have no idea what they get but they're gonna be King of the Pranks."

Klarion stayed quiet, a slightly confused look on his face. The confusion morphed into anger, though it seemed more over the fact that he was confused in the first place rather than directed at Billy. "Wait, you do know what a prank is, right?" Billy asked, tilting his head.

"I'm a sorcerer, not a dictionary, you loser."

Billy laughed in response. "Then lemme show you. I feel like pranks are gonna be right up your alley," he said, transforming back into Captain Marvel with a flash of light and crackle of thunder. "Just one thing," Cap said, floating up to the now smaller raven. "No one gets hurt. I know chaos may be your thing, but pranks are supposed to be fun and ultimately harmless."

Klarion seemed to consider this before sighing and nodding his head. "Fine. No one gets hurt," he said, holding out his brightly glowing hand for Marvel to shake. The demigod didn't even hesitate, causing the corners of Klarion's mouth to turn up before he schooled his expression again. "So what does a prank entail, exactly?" he asked, following the Captain as he flew up into the air.

The image shifted to the pair trying not to laugh as Cap placed a bucket of water above the entrance to the House of Mystery, Klarion knocking on the door and the pair dumping the water on a disgruntled Constantine before vanishing before he could see who did it.

It then changed to the pair smirking at one another as Klarion summoned his familiar Teekl and Billy managed to cast an illusion on his stuffed tiger to make it look like a real, snarling one. The pair set the two at the end of an alley and floated above the scene out of sight just as a familiar redheaded bully came sprinting around the corner with a laugh and a light pink purse in his hands. 

He came to a sudden stop at the sight of a snarling tiger and growling dark red Sabertooth, tears pricking in the corners of his eyes before he dropped the purse and took off in the opposite direction. Cap burst into laughter, landing and leaning against the wall as he clutched his sides. 

"Oh, my Gods he so deserved that!" he said, catching Tawny as Klarion dismissed the illusion spell and tossed it to him. "Oh, man that's good. Here, lemme return this and I'll be right back," he said, picking up the light pink purse and flying off down the alley. 

Klarion stayed where he was, petting his familiar that was now the size of a common housecat with a small smirk on his face. Cap was back after a minute, still smiling as he came over and ran a hand gently along Teekl's spine.

The sorcerer looked surprised, glancing down at his familiar before looking at the demigod. "What?" Cap asked, withdrawing his hand. "Oh- sorry, I should have asked. I've just always liked cats."

The smaller raven rolled his eyes. "It's not that, you buffoon. Teekl's never let anyone else pet her before. I'm surprised she didn't rip you to shreds."

"Oh- are we friends Teekl? Are you and me friends like me and Klarion are?" Cap cooed, smiling at the cat in Klarion's arms. The witch boy tensed, frowning at Marvel.

"We're...friends?" he asked quietly, almost hesitantly.

Cap nodded. "Well sure- unless you don't wanna be. But I consider you a friend, Klarion," Cap said with a genuine smile. "Hey, you wanna try icecream? Something tells me you've never had it, and you have not lived until you've tried ice cream." Klarion nodded slowly, a slightly stunned expression on his face.

"You okay there Klar?" Cap asked after a moment.

The boy shook himself out of his stupor. "What- yes. Of course. I just- I'm not used to this...this lingo you use is all." he said before snapping and making Teekl vanish. Cap nodded after a moment, taking the lead.

Klarion followed suit, a small, soft smile appearing on his face when he glanced at the demigod ahead of him. "To think I started this day trying to destroy this place."

Cap chuckled, glancing back. "Yeah- weird, right? It's alright though- everyone needs to let off steam every once in a while. You're not a bad guy, Klarion...not from what I've seen. You just need someone who sees things your way," he said, turning towards the sorcerer to float on his back. "Lucky for you, I'm the perfect man for the job."

Klarion rolled his eyes. "You're hardly a man," he said with a smirk.

Marvel laughed. "I mean you're not wrong-- who wants to be a grown-up anyway? You get old and suddenly you start worrying about everything that doesn't matter, you sweat the small stuff and blow it out of proportion," Cap said, staring up at the clouds as he floated easily through the air, completely unaware of how well his words fit the group's current situation.

"Plus so many adults only see the bad in life- if you become jaded and can't see the good in people when you get old, then call me Peter Pan, cause I ain't ever growing up."

"Peter Pan?" Klarion asked, raising a brow at the demigod.

Cap glanced back at him with an incredulous look. "You've never heard of Peter Pan?! Dude- ice cream and storytime for you. Ultimate childhood time right here, right now," he said, heading towards the best ice-cream parlor in Fawcett City. 

"Whatever you say, Captain."  

"Call me Billy, Klar. We're friends, remember? I trust you to keep a secret."

The pair landed in front of a 50's style malt shop, and Cap smiled up at it. "Trust me, this place is the best. One of my favorite...well, one of my only memories of this place is when my dad and I came here after a baseball game and we shared a banana split. Haven't been here in years, but I bet it's just as awesome." he said, walking inside and gaining the attention of the whole shop.

Cap smiled at the various people that came up to him, asking for selfies and autographs and hugs, and he took the time to greet them all. It may have taken about 15 minutes and left Klarion both very confused and slightly annoyed, but eventually, everyone left Cap, for the most part, pretty much alone and let him do his thing.

He walked up to the counter, motioning with his head for Klarion to follow, and took a seat on one of the bright red bar stools. "Two milkshakes, please- chocolate," he said, the teenage girl behind the counter flustering and nodding before vanishing into the back. "You like chocolate, right?" he asked, swiveling towards Klarion.

The boy only raised an eyebrow.

"Well you're gonna love it," Cap said in response with a wry grin.

Two chocolate milkshakes and one guilty admission of a new love for chocolate from Klarion later, Cap and the sorcerer were on their way out of the diner. The larger of the two paused in the doorway, glancing around with a smile. "Bye guys, hope you all have a good day," he said before Klaroin tugged him out the door.

"You're such a goody goody," he said as the pair took off into the air. Cap just shrugged with a small smile.

"Maybe- but I mean most heroes are."

"Not like you they're not."

"Whatcha mean?" Cap asked, raising a brow in confusion at the smaller male. He slowed down to fly side-by-side with the sorcerer.

"Have you never met another 'superhero' before?" Klarion asked slowly. Cap shook his head. Klarion sighed.

"Well trust me, they're not like you. You're...a different breed." a laugh bubbled up from the Captain. "What?" Klarion asked incredulously. "It's true. Take Constantine for example--"

"Okay, you and I both know John doesn't count. He's not a self-proclaimed superhero. Tells me that all the time. He's just a guy that helps out when he's needed."

Klarion rolled his eyes again. "Fine. Take the idiot in blue, then."

"Blue...wait, do you mean Superman?" Cap asked, his eyes widening. Stars almost seemed to appear in the demigod's irises. "Dude, you've met Superman? He's like, my hero! I try to be just like him- or well, like how Freddy tells me he's like at least. Truth, Justice, the whole shebang- I'd kill to meet the guy one day."

"Right...maybe not. He's not like how you're thinking, Ca-- Billy. Superman is..." he sighed. "He's all action. Jumps to conclusions," he said, rubbing his arm. "You torch a single tree in a park and the next thing you know you're being eye blasted through three more."

Cap winced.

"You though...well. You're the first 'super' I've met that's used his words first rather than his fists," Klarion said, averting his eyes. 

"Well, an eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind, right?" Cap said, nudging Klarion in the air. "We're friends, Klar. As long as you don't go causing a big amount of trouble and hurting innocent people, I'll have your back."

"Then I'll have yours as well, Billy. Consider it a favor I owe you. Today was..." he trailed off. "It was the most fun I've had in a long, long time." he met the larger raven's eyes. "Thank you."

Captain Marvel chuckled in response. "You don't have to thank me, Klarion. It's what friends do."

"So, about this 'Peter Pan' character..."

- - - 

Chapter Text

"So, about this 'Peter Pan' character..."

- - -

 "Well, it explains Klarion's whole 'favor' business, at least," Zatanna said, shaking her head at the fading image. "Never thought I'd see the kid enjoy himself in something that wasn't chaos and destruction, but hey, learn something new every day."

The room was tense and quiet, Zatanna's comment doing nothing to cut it. She sighed, shaking her head slightly.

The group carefully ignored Klarion's thoughts on Superman, even if big blue himself was looking guiltily at the floor. Zee glanced at Cyborg. "Victor, why don't you tell us just how you found out?" she asked, glancing around. "It'll save a lot of batglares and awkward silence."

Victor shook his head. "You'll probably see it. No point," he replied. 

"What do you mean--"

"--there's no point!" Billy's voice interrupted Batman's gruff voice, seemingly finishing the man's sentence. The kid was hanging from the top of a swing set, hoisting himself up to sit on top of the metal bar while Darla swung on one swing, and Freddy sat on the other. "I mean, its a hypothetical situation, right? There's no point in worrying yourself sick over it," he said, kicking his legs and looking down at the blonde.

"Okay, but I still wanna know what you think," Freddy replied with sass.

Billy sighed, glancing up before looking back down at the pair. "Superman's fast, but Flash's entire thing is speed. Like, his branding is 'the fastest guy alive' or something. Supes is fast, but I don't think he could catch a literal speedster."

"And here I thought you'd be singing Superman's praises," Freddy chuckled, leaning back in the swing. Billy shrugged, his smile faltering. Freddy frowned at this but kept the conversation going. "Okay, well what about that new guy? Captain Marvel? He looks just as fast as Supes."

Billy smiled, breathing a laugh through his nose. "I mean... I think he could beat Superman in a race, no problem. Flash, he might be able to keep up, but I'm not sure if he could actually beat him..." he trailed off, his gaze becoming thinking. 

"I think him and Superman should arm wrestle," Darla said, still swinging. "If Cap can lift a car like no one's business, he can probably beat Superman in arm wrestling!"

Billy rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears tinging pink. "Well I dunno about that..." he trailed off, slipping backward and hanging upside down from the pole by his legs. "What else you got, Freeman?"

Freddy glanced up at him with a smirk. "Okay- Batman. What do you think his powers are?" he asked. "I mean, if he's even human," he continued, getting an eye roll from the raven. Billy shrugged, pulling himself back up to the top of the swingset. 

"Not sure-- maybe he can like, talk to bats or something. Oh- he can probably disappear into shadows, like meld into 'em, ya know?"

"See I was thinking he's just a crazy guy dressing up as a bat for kicks," Freddy replied, getting a laugh from Billy.

The group glanced at the billionaire in question, who just kept his eyes on the boys with the smallest hint of a smile.

"What! Wouldn't be the weirdest thing to happen. You know Superman's an alien? Like, a real-life, actual alien."

Billy nodded. "I believe it."

"Okay, okay- change of subject-- if you could have any superpower, what would it be?" Freddy asked as Billy swung down and dropped, landing in the grass. 

"How is that a change of subject?"

"Just go with it, Batson."

Billy made a sound of thought, getting up and dusting himself off before picking up a stick and lunging forward with it in his hand. "Magic," he said with a smirk, tossing the stick up before catching it. "Cause there's practically nothing you can't do with magic."

"Booooo, cop-out!" Freddy called from the swings, getting a giggle from Darla. "I'd have the power of flight. Cause then you could go anywhere, and plus, who doesn't wanna fly?"

Billy shook his head at his foster brother. "What about you Darls?" he asked, sitting down at the old wooden picnic table in the backyard and doodling in the dirt at his feet. The 8-year-old thought for a moment, her swing slowly coming to a stop before she lit up in excitement.

"I'd wanna talk to animals!" she said, bounding in her seat. 

"Well I think I win since you can do both of those with magic," Billy said with a grin as Darla ran over and tackled him off the bench and into the grass. Freddy joined them on the ground not long after. 

"Yea, which is why its a cop-out," the blonde said with a smirk.

Billy flopped over, staring up at the increasingly orange-pink sky as the sun sunk over the horizon. Darla followed suit, snuggling up against his side, and Freddy right after, using Billy's stomach as a pillow with a smirk. 

They laid there for a few minutes as stars appeared in the sky above them before Billy popped a question.  "What...do you guys think about destiny?" he asked slowly, getting confused looks from the other two. 

"Not sure what you mean by that," Freddy replied, glancing up at him.

"Well," Billy shifted. "Like, if someone told you you had a destiny, this kind of big responsibility you were fated to do since the moment you were born, would you just go with it? Like, would you try and make that destiny come true, even if you didn't know what was gonna happen to you?"

Freddy and Darla glanced at one another before Freddy rolled his shoulders in response. "I dunno. If destiny really is a thing, I'd think its something that we make for ourselves, right? No one can know the future, it's not set in stone." the blonde said, staring up at the cotton candy sky. "I mean, if we're fated to do something, won't it happen without us really being able to do anything to stop it?"

"I think us finding each other was destiny," Darla said with a small smile, looking up at the stars. The boys shared a look before glancing at her. "We found each other again, even after getting torn apart. I like to think that was fate."

Billy smiled, hugging her tightly with one of his arms before grabbing Freddy by the collar and yanking him up to be level with him and Darla on the ground. "I like the way you think, Darls,"  he said softly. 

The 8-year-old just snuggled closer, burying her face in his side with a soft smile as she started humming. Billy furrowed his brow at her, glancing at Freddy. The blonde was staring up at the stars, a soft smile on his face as he started humming with the girl. 

"...I won't ever say forever.....won't ever say it's through..." the girl sang quietly to herself, clutching Billy's hoodie in her hands. He blinked at her, his arm still wrapped around her as she continued her quiet song. "...try to leave it all behind..."

"I'll find a journey back to you..." Freddy finished for her, keeping his eyes trained on the sky as he let out a shaky breath. He sat up, glancing at Billy warmly. "Darla's been singing that song ever since she discovered it. Always said it reminded her of you."

Billy rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry that I don't know it."

"Don't worry, I can teach you," Darla said proudly, her eyes once again on the stars above the trio. "That's what good families do."

"Foster families," Billy said with a smirk, only to be punched in the arm by Freddy and have the 8-year-old stick her tongue out at him.

The image shifted to one of Billy walking with his hands in his pockets along the sidewalk. Lamposts lit the way as he walked in the starry night, illuminating his new shoes and bright red hoodie that was currently pulled up and over his head.

"Where are you..." he mumbled to himself, searching the buildings before catching sight of a colosseum down the road. He lit up, taking off in a sprint down the sidewalk excitedly. "Freddy, prepare to receive the best birthday present," he said, glancing up at the massive sign made of lights that read 'STATE FINALS' in bright yellow letters, with opposing teams of 'METROPOLIS TITANS' and 'GOTHAM KNIGHTS' below. 

He got in line behind some adults, keeping his head down as the line moved forward. The guard at the gate was taking tickets, ushering people in quickly. "Tickets- have your tickets out and ready," he said in a monotone voice. Billy quickly ended up at the front of the now meager line, and the man put a hand out to stop him. "Ticket, kid."

Billy glanced up, pulling out a hand. "Oh uh- my dad has my ticket," he said, pointing a thumb behind him and hoping that there was someone there. The guard glanced behind him, raising a brow before glancing back down at the thin raven.

"You mean your grandad?"

Billy tensed, glancing back. "Uh- yea, what'd I say?" he asked nervously as the guard turned his attention fully to the elderly couple coming up to the gate. Bill took this chance to slip by him as the old man dug in his coat and pulled out his tickets, the boy booking it around the corner and down a long hallway. 

He made his way up into the crowd, looking for an empty seat. Fans roared around him and Billy glanced around. "You better be grateful, Freeman..." he mumbled before spotting an empty seat. Billy shuffled his way to it and took a seat, glancing back at the reserved sign before turning his attention to the football field.

The opposing teams, one blue and gold, and the other red and gold lined up to face one another on the field. Billy watched them, a smile appearing on his face. The energy was electric- tension so thick you could cut it with a knife. The quarterback yelled something and the two teams suddenly clashed, pushing Billy to the edge of his seat.

Everything passed in a blur and the football was sent flying through the air-- Billy found himself easily swept up in the excitement and holding his breath. The ball was plucked out of the air by a player in the end field, sending the crowd (and Billy) into a frenzy as the clock ran out. "Heck yea! Vic Stone is the man!" he cheered as the players on the field rallied.

The heroes in the room turned to Victor, who was watching the scene with a small smile on his face and a wispy look in his eyes.

"Cyborg, that's you?" Zatanna asked as the Victor in the memory was lifted onto the shoulders of a couple of other players.

He nodded in response. "Yea...that was the state finals for MSU. We were gonna go to nationals after that." he said as he watched himself look crestfallenly towards his father's seat where Billy was cheering.

The image shifted to Billy booking it down the hall, his eyes slightly panicked as he weaved through the crowd of people all trying to leave the stadium at once. The raven glanced around, trying to find somewhere to hide from the security guard chasing him and yelling for someone to grab him before he managed to duck into the locker room.

Billy swerved around the door and hid there, breathing heavily and glancing at the younger version of Victor in the room with wide eyes. "Hey, you were in my dad's seat," Vic said, putting his hands on his hips as he glared at the boy. 

The boy shrugged, glancing back at the door before meeting Vic's eyes. Now that he knew Billy better, he could tell that the kid was scared out of his mind and trying to play it off, which didn't that make Vic feel like kind of an ass. "Didn't look like he was using it," Billy said, a barely noticeable sliver of guilt creeping into his voice that only the older Victor seemed to register.

The door to the locker room suddenly swung open, and Bily plastered himself to the wall. He made eye contact with Victor, begging him with his eyes not to give him up to the security guard that opened the door. "You see a kid run through here?" the uniformed man asked. Victor glanced at Billy before shaking his head. "Alright- nice game by the way," he said before closing the door behind him.

"Thank you for that," Billy said, pulling down his hood and walking closer to Vic as he pulled off his shoulder guards. 

"Yea don't sweat it, kid."

Billy glanced down at Victor's jersey, picking it up to look at the name on the back. "Hell of a game today," he said, and Cyborg could tell he was trying to act tough again, trying to play it off as if he wasn't shaken and excited. It made him grin.

"Superstar Victory Stone brings in the win single-handedly," Billy said, glancing up from the jersey to look at Victor.

Vic chuckled, shaking his head as he put the guards up. "Well, no, not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Billy asked, setting the bright blue jersey down on the bench. "You threw that last touchdown like forty-something yards. That's pretty freakin' amazing."

 Vic sat down and started taking his cleats off. "Doesn't really matter if there's nobody on the other end to make the catch, now does it?" Billy shoved his hadns into his hoodie pockets in response, his shoulders dropping slightly.

"Must be nice to trust someone else that much..." he said, glancing down at the jersey again. "But I guess that's why it's called a team, huh? Gotta have their backs and trust that they got yours..." he said, a small smile appearing on his face.

By this point, Vic was staring into his locker, thinking. "Hey, I should go- get out of your hair and all that. Tell your dad that his seats are awesome-- and I'm sorry for taking them," he said before taking another look at the jersey and grabbing it before leaving the room.

Billy made a break for the end of the hall,  glancing over his shoulder and booking it around the corner before slowing down. He glanced down at the jersey in his hand before slipping it on and smiling softly. "Cool..." he whispered before heading towards the field. "Freddy's gonna love this thing," he said to himself as he walked towards the center of the field to transform.

- - -

Chapter Text

Billy made a break for the end of the hall,  glancing over his shoulder and booking it around the corner before slowing down. He glanced down at the jersey in his hand before slipping it on and smiling softly. "Cool..." he whispered before heading towards the field. "Freddy's gonna love this thing," he said to himself as he walked towards the center of the field to transform.

- - -

"Wait, he stole your jersey?" Hal asked before laughing. Victor chuckled along with him, shaking his head at the kid as he vanished.

"Yep- always wondered what he did with it actually."

"Looks like you're going to find out," Barry commented as Cap appeared, landing in an empty park before transforming back into Billy Batson. He booked it down the sidewalk, still clad in Victor's jersey, a wide smile on his face.

He rounded a corner and came up to a large house, shifting his weight before going to the side and heaving himself over the chainlink fence that made up the backyard. The 12-year-old climbed up the drainpipe and onto the roof, creeping along and peering into his and Freddy's darkened bedroom. 

He climbed in through the window and stepped foot on a wooden toy chest next to the window, turning around to find the lights suddenly flick on and Darla and Freddy standing (or in Darla's case sitting) right in front of him. "Aw, come on..." Billy mumbled, hopping off the toy chest he was standing on onto the carpet.

"Can't a guy get any privacy? You two just ruined the surprise," Billy said with a pout. Darla and Freddy shared a look before glancing at Billy.

"What surprise?" Darla asked.

"Wait, is that-" Freddy's eyes widened as Billy took off the jersey and flung it at the blonde.

"Oh! Football!" Darla said happily as Freddy marveled at the jersey. The blonde glanced at Billy as he shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on his feet. "Your jersey's cool! Where'd you get it?"

"Yea? I stole it. It was supposed to be a birthday gift for sharp sticks over there."

"You did not," Darla said, shaking her head.

"My birthday's not til next week." Freddy piped up.

"And?"

Freddy shrugged and Billy walked past them and out of the room. His foster siblings followed him, coming down the stairs after him as he flicked on a light and made his way into the kitchen. Billy pulled open the fridge and peered inside. "I was so worried about you Billy," Darla said as Billy pulled out a jug of orange juice. 

"Darls, you don't have to, really. I can take care of anything that comes my way."

"Well I do- we worry about you every time you disappear," she replied, tapping the toe of her shoe on the ground as Billy poured himself a glass of juice. "You know, like a family would?"

The raven smirked at her before taking a sip. "Foster family," he said, getting a shove from the girl in response as Freddy chuckled. 

Freddy shook his head after a moment. "She's right though, Billy. It's not safe out there right now. There are reports on the radio that people are being snatched up by monsters. It's- it's like this invasion. They're taking people right off the streets."

"What, and you believe that?" Billy asked, setting down his glass. "Listen, there are no monsters out there trying to--" he was cut off by a sudden scream from the backyard as someone- no, something, hulking and massive ran by with a man in its grasp. Billy tensed, and Darla was clutching his arm in a matter of seconds. 

The boy narrowed his eyes, glancing at Freddy and pulling Darla off of him. "Darla, stay with Freddy..." he said slowly, going to the glass door and sliding it open slowly. He looked around, his body tense as he looked for whatever just ran through their backyard.

"Billy, come inside, its too dangerous-" Freddy said, clutching onto Darla as the pair watched him worriedly. Billy kept his eyes trained on the darkness, picking up a discarded wooden bat from the ground. "Billy, please!"

"It's okay. This is actually something I've been meaning to show you guys..." Billy said slowly, still looking around as he clutched the bat tightly in his hands.

"Billy you're gonna get yourself killed!!" Darla said, tears beading in the corners of her eyes as she struggled against Freddy's grip on her.

The 12-year-old's lip curled into a snarl at a sudden movement, gripping his bat tighter. "Come and get some, ugly," he spat with a smirk.

"SHAZAM!"

Billy swung the bat as hard as he could as magical lightning enveloped him, a thundering crack sending the creature flying off into the air and leaving an electrified Captain Marvel in the child's place. Cap glanced back at Freddy and Darla and grinned at their shocked expressions before dropping the bottom half of the now split bat.

"B-Billy?" Freddy asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Cap.

Another monster appeared out of the darkness, hurdling itself right for the trio. "Get inside, Freddy!" Captain Marvel yelled, lightning flickering around him as he yanked the creature out of the air by the neck and took off into the sky. 

He got up into the air and hurled it, watching the creature screech before righting itself in the air. Cap glanced around, finding more of the strange creatures all heading for the same direction. "Looks like we really do got an invasion..." he said slowly before taking off towards the center of town. 

"Wait, so this is..." Hal trailed off, looking around. "This is Darkseid."

Barry nodded. "Yea looks like it."

Captain Marvel flew over the cityscape, glancing around for just what could possibly be the source of these monster things. They acted like bees, almost like a hive mind type-thing, but he couldn't be sure if there wasn't a source to stop. He paused at the sight of a group of monsters taking off together, furrowing his brow at it.

"Looks like something's driving them--" he was cut off by something suddenly rocketing just inches past his face with confused yells. 

"Look out!" Vic's voice said, making the Captain's eyes widen as he saw what looked like Victor Stone plummet downward in....a mech suit...? 

"Since when does he have that?" Cap questioned, following the football player. Marvel glanced down at where he was heading before freezing in the air at the sight. "Holy Moley..." he breathed, staring down at Superman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman all standing in a group. "Crossover of the century..." he swallowed thickly. 

Cap winced as Victor slammed into a wall before crashing into the ground, breathing heavily. Diana went on the attack, making Cap nearly move before a bright blue beam shot out of Victor's arm. "What the..." he blinked. "Yea I gotta get down there and check this out."

The demigod descended, keeping his eye on Wonder Woman in case she tried to attack the college student again. His lightning chose this moment to act up again, flickering around him as he touched down between the two sets of people. He glanced back at Victor before looking at his group of heroes all in one place. "Hey," he said, pulling off his hood. "I'm uh, I'm Captain Marvel." he continued, getting strange looks from the people around him.

"I'm with him," he tried, jabbing a thumb back at Victor and trying to convey with his eyes that if they touched him again, that he would fry their insides.

The group, the one that knew Cap and his mannerisms, tensed. "Whoa...I had no idea he was actually threatening us with that line," Flash said, rubbing the back of his neck. Vic smiled softly. He hadn't known at the time either, but knowing the kid like he did now, he could see Billy's protective nature on full display. 

He must have seen that Victor did not have control of whatever was attached to him and wanted to make his life easier- even if it meant making his own harder with the League.

"He's not with me." past-Victor said, glancing at the group. Cap took it in stride as Hal asked Vic who he was. They talked over the monsters that were attacking the city and just what Vic knew about them before Batman pointed out what the demon-things were doing over the bay.

"Yea, it definitely should not be doing that," Cap commented, staring at the water that was currently on fire before massive, pointed structures began to rise around them.

"What are they doing with them?" Superman asked, watching the creatures carry off people towards the towering structures that had begun to emit beams of light once they stopped rising. Batman shook his head, looking around. "Can't be sure."

"But I know this- they're not killing anyone. They're harvesting them."

"Like aliens?" Cap asked, getting a weird look from Flash.

"This isn't isolated, either Bats. It's happening all over the world."

One of the structures, the largest of them over the water, suddenly opened, releasing more of the demon creatures. Vic stepped forward, staring out at it. "Were too late- he's here," he said, clenching a fist. A large figure ascended from the structure, wearing dark armor with rocky grey skin and blood-red eyes.

"What the..." Cap breathed.

"I'm guessing that's the bad guy?" Hal asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Superman made a comment about how Darksied didn't look so tough before fighter jets soared towards the creature. "Shouldn't we stop them or something?" Cap asked worriedly, glancing back at the group. This guy radiated power, how could none of them sense it beside Victor?

Darkseid shot lasers at the jets, firing right through them and tearing the vehicles apart. Cap's eyes widened in shock. "No..." Flash said softly, glancing at Cap before looking back up at the air.

"I am Entropy.," Darkseid said as he got closer to the group. "I am Death."

"Never thought I'd have to say it, but his voice is still just as grating to the ears..." Hal grumbled, watching the scene unfold.

"I am...Darkseid."

"Stand back and peep the light show, fellas," Lantern said, stepping forward with a smirk on his face as his lantern glowed brighter. "Green Lantern's got this," he said, making Hal wince as his past self flew right for Darkseid's chest.

He got a single punch in before being thrown against a building, cracking the stone and falling to the ground. Darkseid's minions surged forward, making the group tense. "Boss fight round one I guess," Cap commented as he and Superman started pounding at the creatures.

He threw one down in Wonder Woman's direction and she sliced it in half, making the demigod smirk as he turned his attention towards another. Marvel kept pounding away at the creatures, his fists crackling with every blow as he forced lightning into them and made them screech and fall to the street. He paused at the sound of an agonizing scream, glancing towards Lantern with a wince as he got his arm broken.

"Not good, not good, not good," he mumbled to himself, shocking a small group of demons before glancing behind him to find Superman catch Diana and set her on the ground. He landed beside her as Superman took off again, checking her over. "You okay?" he asked.

The Amazonian said nothing. "Uh- is Superman like your boyfriend or something?" he asked, trying to make light of the conversation despite the many, many monsters surrounding them.

"...No..." she said slowly, glancing up at him. Cap smiled- at least he got a word out of her.

"Cool- watch this," he said, sensing Darkseid get closer to them. He flew up and above the tyrannical ruler, looking him over as he spat nonsense. "Hey, Blackheart the Deatheater or whatever your World Of Warcraft name is, suck on this!" he said, coalescing lightning and magic into his hand before surging it forward and into Darkseid's chest. 

It didn't seem to do anything, and Cap's eyes widened as he shot lasers in his direction. He forced the magical lightning to fight back against it, grappling with the energy beams with a grunt before they overwhelmed him, sending him flying through the air and crashing into the asphalt. 

The man was given barely enough time to catch his breath, sitting up with a wince before a wave of energy was shot right towards the group. "Uh oh," he mumbled, putting up his forearms to guard against the wave the managed to level the city block. He sat up amongst the rubble, watching Flash and Superman race past.

There was a sudden tugging on his arm as Victor helped him up, giving him a small smile. "Up you go, big guy," Vic said, helping the demigod to his feet. 

"Thanks- so what do you know about this guy? His aura it's-- it's demonic almost." Cap said, dusting himself off as the pair made their way back towards what others were still grouped up.

"Wait, you can see auras? That's a thing?" Vic asked.

Cap nodded. "Yea- and this guy's is no joke."

 "Well, his name's Darkseid. From what this alien tech has told me, he's the ruler of a planet called Apokolips. A dictator, someone that has...gotten rid of hope altogether. I don't know, but he has a completely willing Populus to do with whatever he pleases."

The pair helped to lift a large piece of debris off Batman, glancing up to find Darkseid setting siege to the rest of the city. "Not good..." Cap muttered.

Flash suddenly came back, standing in the middle of the group in a panic. "They flew off with him, I saw it, they took Superman."

"What? But he's Superman." Marvel said.

"I'll get him..." Hal grunted, green energy forming around him as he held his arm. 

Batman grit his teeth. "Lantern!" 

"He's not in any condition to be going after anyone," Marvel said, glancing at Victor. Batman took off after the man in green, leaving the rest of the group in the rubble. Flash zipped up to the top of the heap to get a look at the destruction, wincing in response.

"Not good. Plan- anyone, we need a plan," he said, zipping back to the group as Green Lantern descended.

The brunet touched down, looking around. "You guys okay?" he asked, not waiting for a response before he continued talking. "Good. Listen up," he said, all eyes in the group turning towards him. It was silent for a moment before Hal spoke again. "Uhh..." he cleared his throat. "We need to play offense...instead of all coming up to bat."

Marvel shared a look with Cyborg.

"Um...what?" Flash asked.

"I apologize, but I don't know your games." Wonder Woman added.

Barry snorted, patting Hal's back. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Hal is not the leader of the Justice League. Vague and confusing sports metaphors," he said with a chuckle, only to get an eye-roll from the brunet.

"I think what Lantern is saying, is that it's time for some teamwork," Vic said, stepping up. "So let's pull it together."

The entire group could tell that Cap was visibly excited if the electricity still clinging to his body and bouncing around was anything to go by. "Heck yea, baby! Let's go, clap it up!" he said, throwing a hand out into the middle of the circle.

When no one moved, he dropped his hand, his shoulders dropping slightly. "No? Alright sorry. Another time then."

"Right, what's the plan then?" Flash asked.

- - -

Chapter Text

"Right, what's the plan then?" Flash asked.

- - -

 Lantern didn't look like he'd make it this far, scratching his chin absently. "Well, he- he shoots those lasers out of his eyes, right?" he said, looking around.

"So it's settled then," Wonder Woman replied, unsheathing her sword and holding it aloft. "We blind him."

"That's...as...good a plan as any," Green lantern replied, looking down the edge of Diana's blade.

"Wait, guys I can-" Cap was cut off by the brunet.

"We follow, and we stay outta sight. I'll turn on the fireworks to get his attention, princess, you get within striking distance and stab that son of a bitch in the eye."

"Like poor damned Oedipus," Diana said with a smirk. The Captain sighed, putting on a smile.

"Sure, like what the Greek chick said." 

Flash crossed his arms, looking at Lantern. "And the invasion of monsters, raining from the sky? What about them, hotshot?"

"I might be able to send them back where they came from," Vic replied. 

"Well, I'm glad you weren't completely incompetent while we weren't there..." Bruce said, watching the group from the memory. Clark nodded in agreement. "You guys did well."

"Good enough for me," Lantern said before floating up a bit. "Here we go team," he said, already getting a snicker from Barry and Victor, and a meager smile from Diana.

"We got this!" the trio said with a snort as Lantern proudly said it in the memory. Hal rolled his eyes, shaking his head at them. "Very funny. You couldn't have come up with anything better and you know it."

The group took off after Lantern, with Cap struggling to keep his laughter in as he flew beside Cyborg. "Aw man, this is awesome, you know? Oh, like that Parker game in Owenson when you ran the ball in overtime? My brother said that you-"

"Alright, who are you and how do you know me?" Vic cut him off. 

Cap just grinned in response. "What? I'm a fan! Me and my brother know all about 'Victory' Stone! You're a legend!" he said with a laugh, zapping a demon creature as they passed and making it spiral as it fell through the air.

Victor smiled at the conversation- he remembered it well. It was one of the things that made him value Cap so much as a friend; he was always so genuine and tried making people feel better, even at the expense of himself.

"I'm not that guy anymore," Vic replied, keeping his eyes ahead.

"Sure ya are," Cap said in response, glancing at him with a grin.

"I'm not," Vic snapped back, looking away from the demigod. "I'm a- a terminator, an android, some kind of cyborg. Now I'm gonna have to worry about operating systems and computer viruses."

"That's no so bad," Marvel replied. "Besides, you won't have to worry about any of that stuff if Doomcrusher Mcgee over here eats the world."

"Don't you get it?!" Vic said, staring angrily at the demigod. "I don't have a place anywhere anymore."

 A sudden scream pulled the Captain's attention away from the angry football player and down into a parking lot. His eyes widened as a pair of creatures advanced on a family. "Oh no you don't!" he said, landing on the asphalt and grabbing a creature by the neck, only to hurl it upwards and for Victor to blast it to pieces.

Vic landed shortly after him, standing in between the monster and the family with his arm raised. "Hey Victory! Catch!" Marvel said, hurling a car towards him. Vic blasted it and the demon out of the way as Cap landed with a smirk.

"Looks to me like you belong right here with us," he said, putting his hands on his hips before taking off again in the direction of a group of monsters in the air.

Vic watched him for a moment before smiling softly and taking off after him.

Captain Marvel caught Darkseid going down a city street, blasting a building and sending people running and screaming. He glanced around to find the group reconvening and glanced back at the tyrant. "I gotta try at least once," he said, hoping that Green Lantern wouldn't mind the small tweak to his plan. "Constantine you better be right," he mumbled before soaring towards the dictator. 

"Hey Darkseid!" he yelled, making the lightning flare around his body brightly. He heard a yell from the group, the others trying to get him to stop as he flew around the villain's face and attempted to pulse his magic through his lightning. "Come on, come on, Come--" he was yanked out of the air by the tyrant, clutched tightly and swung around.

"No no no no-" he winced as Darkseid held him tighter, wheezing as lightning pulsed off of him in waves towards the others. He heard Lantern yell for someone to get him out of there and everyone convened, or at least attempted to, as Cap's own lightning was used against him.

"His showboating is gonna ruin the entire plan!" Marvel heard Lantern yell as Diana made her way towards them. 

"No, wait wait wait!" Cap yelled as Wonder Woman slashed at Darkseid and Flash zipped back and forth around him. The demigod was suddenly hurtled towards her, the force at which he was thrown making him unable to stop himself before he collided with her and they were both sent crashing into the ground.

Captain Marvel winced as he lifted his head, putting a hand to it and looking up at Darkseid. He glanced at Diana, who was standing up too. "Come on, man- I nearly had him...whoa, hey are you okay?" he asked, reaching a hand out towards Wonder Woman before she suddenly turned and punched him smack dab in the middle of the face.

The entire group gasped and Diana tensed, her grip tightening on the hilt of her sword as she cast her eyes down.

Cap was thrown back, smacking into the wall and denting the bricks before sliding down to the ground. He winced, bringing a hand up to his face to touch his brow, only to find blood seeping from just above his eyebrow. He glanced down at it before looking up at the Amazonian with slight fear in his eyes.

His body was tense, his breathing picking up slightly as the woman took a step closer. "You are a warrior. Not a child," she said angrily, holding the tip of her blade towards his neck. "Act like it."

"Y-yes ma'am..." Cap said, glancing down in response. It was evident, or at least evident to Victor, that he was waiting for the next punch, the next hit, something, to come flying at his face. Blood seeped down his forehead as Diana turned her attention back to the battle.

"Now follow me to victory," she said triumphantly before taking off and leaving the demigod on the ground. Cap swallowed thickly, standing up with a shaky breath.

he ran a hand over the wound, healing it before casting his gaze back up towards the heroes. "Yea, she hates me," he commented before taking off after her.

"You...sucker-punched him?" Hal asked, turning his attention towards Diana. "You actually just punched him, right out of the blue?"

"Diana, you hit a child," Bruce said quietly after a moment.

"Had we known he was a child, this never would have happened-- I... I never wanted him to think I hate him," Diana replied, keeping her eyes downcast.

Victor shook his head. "You guys don't understand," he said, getting the attention of the others. "Cap- Billy's talked to me about this," he said as their past counterparts raced along the water towards Darkseid. "He- he used to think that, yea. I won't lie, for the first couple of months, he thought you despised him, Diana." Victor sighed. "But as time has gone on, he's told me that he's thankful that no one treats him using kid gloves."

"The last time he'd gotten sucker-punched had been by someone he despised, and this time it came from someone he respected-- so it had to come from somewhere. He knows that." Victor continued as Captain Marvel punched out demons left and right, hurling one into another to send it flying away from where Diana was. 

"He liked being treated like a member of a team rather than some kid to take pity on."

Captain Marvel laughed as he soared under the lasers chasing Flash, disrupting them and aiming a lightning-enveloped punch right at Darkseid's face. He managed to get a few good punches in, aiming for kinks in the armor, fleshy bits he could reach, when he took two full blasts to the chest and was sent flying backward into a building. 

The group watching winced.

He got up with a determined look in his eyes, gritting his teeth with his lip curled up in a snarl. "Alright, I'm gettin' annoyed now," Cap said, launching himself out of the building and into a horde of monsters. He ripped through them with ease, shocking the demons around him as his lightning stretched out to envelop them and send them crashing into the water below.

He sent a monster flying as Jordan was sent careening into the water, launching himself towards Darkseid still enveloped in the pulsing energy. He threw jab after jab before ducking out of the way of whatever he sensed just behind him, allowing for Diana to crash into him with a war cry. She started clashing with him, getting her golden lasso around his neck and forcing him downward.

Wonder Woman straddled the tyrant before heaving her sword up and stabbing it into his eye, making him cry out in pain. Captain Marvel did his best to keep the demons trying to swarm towards their master away from the pair, blasting anything that came too close out of the air. 

The fight ended up near some loading docks, with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Captain Marvel, and the Flash standing opposed to Darkseid and his, what Cap was now calling, parademons.

The villain glared at them with one eye, the other gushing blood and making Cap wince. Diana smirked, Darkseid mirroring the action before all hell broke loose. Darkseid launched himself towards the Amazonian and the pair went crashing past the group as demons swarmed them. Flash vanished in a red blur down the road after them, Hal taking off after him with a comment of how stupid he was.

Cap and Cyborg blasted the creatures back before following the rest of the group, coming to find Lantern guarding Flash against some rubble and managing to send one of the tyrant's beams back at him. Marvel saw his chance and rocketed towards the giant, wailing against him with magical lightning.

Victor took up the rear, blasting him in the back as Cap covered his front. Darkseid grunted, glaring the pair down before hurdling himself towards Victor. The man managed to dive out of the way as the warlord careened into a support beam, Marvel still throwing lightning his way as he grabbed Victor and through him upwards through the layers of concrete above them.

"Oh no you don't, that was my friend you just threw!" Cap growled, a golden color seeping into the rims of his light blue irises. His lightning flared, taking on a golden color as he soared towards Darkseid's back and electrocuted him. Cap yelled as the golden electricity traveled through the much larger man, slowing his movements and making his muscles lock. 

Marvel let up just enough to catch his breath before Darkseid plucked him out of the air again and sent him hurtling through another support beam and through a wall.

The building was beginning to come down around them, rocks and chunks of cement raining from above and crumbling at their feet. The entire skyscraper started to come down as Green Lantern enveloped Flash in energy and shot upward. Captain Marvel was quick to follow, his eyes still a godly mixture of gold and blue as he caught sight of Cyborg in the air and they followed Lantern.

"Cap, we can't take him down if these pests keep distracting us!" Lantern said as he sent a bright green baseball bat careening into Darkseid's face. "Think you can be a human bug-zapper?" 

Marvel smirked, nodding and launching up towards the clouds. Gold fully enveloped his irises as what looked like a ball of lightning formed in his hands. He held it aloft and the demons around him were struck, falling like flies as thunder rolled above him. "Haha! Take that, you mutated goombas!" he grinned.

He glanced down to find the others having a hard time getting another hit on Darkseid but noticed the warlord wasn't paying any attention to him. "HEADS UP!" he growled, launching his ball of lightning down and towards the maniac. 

Darkseid cried out in pain, straining against the lasso Wonder Woman had managed to wrap around him. Marvel rolled his eyes as the ever-persistent demons tried to converge on them again, looking around and sending out a massive shockwave with a growl. The demons were thrown back, giving them at least a good few minutes alone with the devil in their trap.

They had him just where they wanted him, stuck and unable to move. "How do we-" Cap paused at the sight of Flash next to Wonder Woman with a crowbar in his hand. he grinned as the man ran up the lasso and shoved the piece of iron into the monster's eyes. He smirked, forming another ball of lightning and launching it towards the crowbar jammed into Darkseid's eye. 

"Did that work?" Flash asked from the bed Lanter conjured up to catch him midair.

The tyrant hurdled towards the ground, crashing into the asphalt below. "Yeah...I think that worked," Cap said with a smirk. Flash grinned at him as the heroes descended, only to half Darkseid rage beneath them and leap towards the group.

They scattered, glancing around at one another. "Might've spoken too soon!" Marvel said, narrowly dodging a hit from the blind warlord as he attempted to hit him before going after Diana. "Anyone got any ideas?!"

- - -

Chapter Text

They scattered, glancing around at one another. "Might've spoken too soon!" Marvel said, narrowly dodging a hit from the blind warlord as he attempted to hit him before going after Diana. "Anyone got any ideas?!"

- - -

 "Both eyeballs blown out and he's still standing?! Come on, man!" Lantern yelled as he punched a parademon out of the air. He ended up back to back with Victor as the pair worked to take out the creatures surrounding them. "What else can we do!? We're running out of options here!"

Cap sent a ball of lightning towards a group of the creatures, knocking them out of the air before turning and landing a punch on one that attempted to attack him from behind. "We can try to send him home?" he said, glancing down at the pair.

Cyborg and Hal shared a look. "Worth a shot," Vic said as he blasted a monster away.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Diana said, lifting a creature and hurling it towards another, making them crash into each other before she glanced at the boys.

"Darkseid is transferring data to those metal box things- they call them 'mother boxes'," Victor said, holding off a group of demons. "They're creating portals- boom tubes."

Captain Marvel snorted. "Pfft- boom tubes," he said, getting a look from Hal, Diana, and Cyborg before clearing his throat and focusing on the demon that decided his bright white cape looked like a tasty snack.

"I just have to speak their language," Cyborg continued, firing a blast towards another creature. Hal gave him a look as he lifted a parademon up and allowed Diana to slice it in two.

"Yea, I didn't get any of that."

Cyborg ignored him, a mother box sliding out from the cannon that served at his arm. He connected to it, Cap choosing to provide some kind of cover for the man as he punched away some of the demons that seemed to be suddenly drawn towards the box. "Gotta get some altitude-" Victor said, rocketing upwards and blasting monsters away. 

Portals suddenly started to appear around them, sucking in the monstrous creatures. Captain Marvel grinned, managing a kick to the chest on one of them that sent it careening into a few more, all which got suck neatly up and into a portal. "Like a giant, interdimensional vacuum," he commented, getting a roll of the eyes from Hal.

The demigod's attention was suddenly taken up by the sight of Darkseid chasing after Flash, his eyes widening at the warlord using his arms to pull himself along. "Yea, okay, that's creepy, no no no no no," he said, sending a large wave of electrical energy towards the grey-skinned monster with a yell.

"Thanks, Cap--" Flash said as Marvel shot past him and towards Darkseid, attempting to land another magic-infused hit on him. The monster managed to sense him, punching him backward and right out of the air. 

A massive portal opened up behind Darkseid, sucking in demons and debris alike. The tyrant struggled against it, keeping his feet on the ground as his minions were sucked in around him.

Cap sat up, shaking off the rubble and gritting his teeth. Lightning danced around his hands as he launched himself again towards the villain, this time trying to push him towards giant orange portal he was resisting. He landed a blow on the back of the neck, sending his electrical energy into his fists and pounding away on the guy. This only lasted for a moment, however, before Darkseid grabbed him and threw him down at his feet.

Captain Marvel grunted as he was slammed into the ground, opening his eyes to find Darkseid bringing his foot down on top of him. Marvel cried out in pain as the concrete beneath him cracked, agony blooming in his chest as Darkseid growled above him.

"I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE A BUG," he growled, pushing down harder on the Champion. There were audible cracking noises, though whether that was bone or concrete the group couldn't tell. Darkseid reared up to slam his fists down onto Marvel, only for Wonder Woman to throw her golden lasso around his wrist and her and Flash to yank it backward. "HOW DARE YOU. I AM DARKSEID." he roared, only to be slammed into by something flying out of the portal.

Cap winced on the ground, wheezing softly as Superman came flying out of the orange-tinted portal and glared at the tyrant. "I don't care," he growled in return. He managed to sit up, putting a hand to his head and glancing at Batman, who also managed to get through the portal. 

Superman managed to get the villain on his knees, giving him a taste of his own medicine by blasting him with his heat vision before hurling him towards the portal. Cap stood, breathing heavily and glaring at Darkseid. "Bastard!" he yelled, sending lightning towards the monster in an attempt to push him back even further.

Green Lantern was right there beside them, sending pulses of energy towards the grey behemoth. They managed to get him back a good couple of yards before he dug his boots into the concrete and Superman and Wonder Woman came in with a simultaneous uppercut.

Darkseid was nearly into the portal, gripping onto the edge tightly as the Amazonian and the Kryptonian hammered away at him. 

"Now, kid! slam the door in his face!" Lantern yelled, glancing at Cyborg before taking off towards the villain. He, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cap were suddenly sent flying backward as he broke against their attacks, and Marvel glanced up to find the box in Cyborg's hand short-circuiting before exploding. Batman took over for them, managing to get the monster back into the cusp of the portal.

Above them, Cyborg winced before looking down in a slight panic. "Computer's not responding-" he said as the group tried to go at the grey giant again. "I don't have enough juice- I need a huge blast of power to get this thing going!" he yelled after a moment.

Captain Marvel grinned, glancing upwards. "Shouldn't be a problem, Victory," he said, grabbing hold of the box and rocketing upwards alongside Cyborg. They got high above the city, nearly to the clouds and the demigod grinned. 

Thunder rolled above them and lightning flickered in the clouds. Electricity was in the air and he could feel it flowing through his blood, through his very being. "Aw yeah, Zeus is on our side tonight," He smirked, meeting Victor's eyes before glancing upward again. 

"Make sure you get him through that thing, alright?" Cap said, swallowing thickly. Cyborg furrowed his brow...why did it sound like he was saying goodbye--

"SHAZAM!"  

The demigod's voice echoed throughout the electrified air, just as loud as the thunder rumbling around them. Lightning flashed in the clouds before a massive bolt came down and enveloped the pair, lighting up the sky. Cap cried out, the electricity flowing through the mother box and allowing Cyborg access to what he needed to do. His grip tightened on it as a robotic voice rang out that their plan had worked.

Another flash of light as the pair were sent flying away from one another with a cry of pain. Billy could barely glance at Victor before he felt himself fall out of the air and sink like a stone. His energy was gone, and Billy's eyes were starting to flutter shut as he careened towards the sidewalk below. 

Wind rushed past his ears as the clouds above him got further away, but the 12-year-old found that he didn't have the energy to move, didn't have the energy to speak the only word that would save his life, keep him from becoming a bright red stain on the cement below.

He felt a sudden shift, his eyes opening slightly to find Victor holding him in his arms. Billy wheezed as Victor flew through the air and towards a skyscraper, unable to muster the energy to thank him for saving his life.

Victor landed on the deck of a highrise, kneeling down and setting Billy down on a couch gently. "Hey..." he said slowly, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at BIlly's face. "You're that kid. The one from the game..."

Billy managed a weak smile. "Hell...of a catch, man..." he mumbled softly, barely able to keep his eyes open. 

Victor smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't...don't tell 'em...okay..." Billy said, attempting to sit up and wincing him pain, sending himself into a coughing fit that ended up with blood splattering his pants. He wheezed before swallowing thickly and meeting Victor's eyes. "'S none of their freakin' business..." he winced again. "'Sides...they'd probably..." a sharp pain interrupted him.

"They'd probably question everything I did today...I couldn't look 'em in the eyes if they knew..."

Victor only smiled wider. "It'll be our secret."

"My brother always said you..." he winced. "You had an arm like a cannon..." he chuckled tiredly. "Now you...totally...do..." he mumbled, reaching a hand up to knock weakly on the metal before it dropped and his head fell limp against the sofa cushion as he blacked out.

Cyborg stood, running a scan of the boy before glancing towards the destruction that told him just where the rest of the group would be. "I'll be back," he said to the unconscious kid before taking off.

 The image shifted to one of the heroes on stage in front of the Capital-- standing in a line in front of the building as the President spoke. Cap was busy looking up at the building, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "There are at least 11 American flags on this building- does that not feel the slightest bit like overkill? Feels like they wanna use it as wallpaper," he whispered to Vic, who attempted and failed to hide his smile.

Batman cleared his throat and the pair shut up. 

The President in front of them started going over their accomplishments, making Billy sigh softly.

"I'll admit, it was good to walk amongst a pantheon again," Wonder Woman noted loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. "Hades, Apollo, Hermes, Hephestus, Zeus, each a god in their own right."

"Hate to break it to ya, but we got more like a pantheon and a half," Cap commented, getting a strange look from the woman but elaborating no further.

The President in front of them continued to talk, and the group was quiet for a moment before Cyborg sighed. "I shouldn't be up here..." he said softly, getting a look from Marvel.

"What? Are you kidding me? Of course, you should, we won. Be proud, man- your dad sure does look like he is." 

Victor glanced to the side to find his father in the crowd, glancing back at Marvel with a shake of his head. "By the way man, thanks for not...you know, not talking about... the other thing," Cap said, raising his arm to rub at the back of his neck. "Means a lot."

"Don't sweat it. Thanks for seeing...well...me in this thing."

"What?" the demigod asked, giving him a confused grin. "You're the bomb, Victory."

"I know, I know, you keep reminding me." 

Marvel grinned widely, shutting his eyes and chanting softly to himself and Cyborg. "Victory....Victory...Victory!" Victor shook his head at the man, attempting to hold back a snort at his antics. 

The president called them a team, sending Hal into a tizzy. "We're not friends- we can hardly be classified as a team."

"Let them think that. It'll keep things simpler." Batman replied.

Cap leaned forward. "I dunno...a team? I got a lot of...responsiblities... to attend to."

"As do I," Wonder Woman interjected.

"Yea, well, call me when you have to protect a whole universe, people," Hal muttered. "Look, we are not a team- this was a one-off. A- a special event or something. We're not making this a usual thing."

"I dunno, Hal,  I kinda liked being apart of something,"  Flash said, smirking at the brunet. Hal rolled his eyes.

"Yea, you would."

"And what if something like this happens again?"

"Please, Batsy. Nothing like this'll happen again."

Marvel gave him a look, before glancing off into space and right in the direction of the group. 

"Hold on can he see us?" Hal asked, his eyes widening.

Victor chuckled, shaking his head. "No- it's just a thing he does. He glanced off into space as if there was a camera there and he was a character from The Office," he said with a chuckle, watching as Cap shook his head and turned his attention towards the President.

"-that said, I am very pleased to introduce to you-" the man cut himself off, glancing back at the group.  "Uh- yikes, sorry guys, I didn't even ask your name." 

Cap smiled, glancing at Cyborg who was shaking his head already. "You can call us..."

Everyone in the group, aside from Zatanna, rolled their eyes and recited the terrible name along with the beaming Cap on stage. 

"The Super Seven." 

There were a round of groans- normal ones from the past versions of the heroes, and exaggerated ones from the likes of Hal, Barry, and Cyborg.

"What? You don't like it? Well, what about the League of Justice?"

"That...needs tweaking," Barry said, shaking his head at the human lightning bolt.

- - -

Chapter Text

"That...needs tweaking," Barry said, shaking his head at the human lightning bolt.

- - -

 The group was quiet as the scene faded. "Does that do anything to show you that Cap's more than just some kid?" Victor asked, glancing between the Big Three. Batman had been carefully neutral up until this point, and he let out a sigh.

"I have no room to talk when it comes to child heroes," he said, glancing around. "But this...this feels different. I don't know how all this magic stuff works. I won't pretend I do. But Billy should at least be given a choice in what he wants to do,  he shouldn't have this kind of power forced upon him."

Victor shifted his weight to his other foot. "Trust me, he's more than happy to pick up the mantle of the wizard's Champion. He'd proud-- proud of what he can do and that he can work alongside us."

"Hasn't he proven himself over the, what, two and a half years we've been working together?" Barry asked, crossing his arms.

"He's a kid. He should be going to school and playing in the backyard, not- not fighting criminals and putting his own life at risk," Superman said, his fist clenching tightly.

"Supes, he still does those things. Have you not been watching?" Hal asked, raising an eyebrow. "He's got a family behind him, a stable home life now by the looks of it, and for the most part, acts like a normal kid. He's just got the added bonus of having superpowers."

Before anything else could be said, Captain Marvel appeared in the middle of them, making the group take a collective step back. The man was looking around with a sad look in his eyes before he walked right through Hal. A familiar, blue-tinted cave appeared around them, surrounding the Champion as he walked towards a crumbling stone throne. 

The demigod was tense as he brought an arm up to rub at the back of his neck. "Hey...Shazam?" he said, looking at the throne. There was a rumble around him which he ignored, keeping his eyes on the old stone throne.

A sudden pale blue light appeared, swirling with the mist on the floor until the image of an old man, the one that had given Billy his powers, appeared. Cap smiled lightly, kneeling before the, for all intents and purposes, ghost.

"Billy Batson..." Shazam said, his voice echoing around them and carrying the weight of centuries behind it. "Why have you summoned me?"

Captain Marvel stood, letting out a shaky breath and wringing his hands. "I... I had some questions," he said, meeting the spirit's eyes-- or lack thereof, since all that could be seen was glowing white light. "Recently I've been getting...visions of sorts. Or when I got to sleep, I'll have weird dreams." 

Shazam motioned for him to continue.

"Well, I'm always Cap in these, but it's like I'm not in control of myself. And I'll always be in weird places, places I know I've never been to," he said, staring at his hands before looking back up at the wizard. "I just don't understand. I- I can feel things in these dreams, and I'll wait up with this phantom pain--" he swallowed thickly.

"Calm yourself, boy. There's nothing to be alarmed with," Shazam told him, and Cap's shoulders eased up slightly. "These are simply the memories of the Champion."

"But I thought-"

"You are not the only Champion to ever exist, Marvel. Black Adam is only one example-- there have been many more."

Cap seemed to consider this, his eyebrows knitting together in thought. "I...  I... I was killed in one of them. Sacrificed myself for- for something..." he said, looking down in thought. "How... how many Champions have there been?" 

"You have existed for as long as magic has."

Marvel let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. "Why don't- why don't I remember everything then? You- you said when you first gave me these powers that I'm- that Cap is an avatar for the Gods' powers. Should my- his- our memories already be there then?"

The wizard sighed. "There are things you...are not ready to see."

Captain Marvel tensed. "What?" he asked his hand curling into a fist. "Don't- I'm not just some kid, you know. You of all people-" Cap turned away angrily, bringing his hands up to drag his fingers against the sides of his head before turning back. "I can handle whatever you throw at me. I've seen people die. I've seen what it's like to wither away, day by day. I am not some innocent child in need of protecting, so don't treat me like one!"

Gold had started to leak into the rims of his irises, making Shazam pause and narrow his eyes. "How long have you..." he trailed off, straightening.

"How long have I what?" Cap asked, his body still tense and anger still etched into his features. The anger started to fade into confusion when Shazam stayed quiet. "Shazam? What's wrong...?"

"You want to know about your past, Captain," Shazam said after a moment, looking the man in the eyes. "Very well. But you must remember this," light flared in his staff. "These memories do not make you the man you are now. Never before has the role of Champion been filled where a champion could tap into the Rock of Eternity's very core. Do not base yourself off the actions of your past."

Captain Marvel gave him a confused look. "What? Eternity's core? What do you mean-" 

There was a flash of light, and the group standing behind Cap brought their arms up to shield their eyes. When it faded, Cap stood still, swaying on his feet before collapsing to the ground. Cyborg ran forward, kneeling down beside the man.

"What the hell..." he said, staring at the demigod's face and finding his eyes open and glowing with light.

"What's going on-" Superman asked, looking around with a pinched brow before the image around them shifted.

"No, wait Cap!" Cyborg said, watching as the raven faded from view. He was replaced with stones beneath his feet, cracked and well worn. The heroes glanced around, finding themselves in a place none of them recognized-- well, except for one that is.

"Is this..." Diana glanced around, a small smile appearing on her face as she looked.

Wild plants sprouted from the ground around them as various people in robes and togas walked, talked and argued in wooden stalls or in the streets. There were people praying to an altar, a marble statue erected above a golden bowl with raw meat in it, and guards clad in golden armor and thick red cloth rode their horses through the crowds.

Behind them, a large building surrounded by massive columns stood tall and proud, bright blue tapestries hanging from them with golden owls embedded into the cloth.

"Attika..." Diana said, her voice sounding far-off and full of longing. "My dearest city..." she said softly.

There was a commotion in the crowd, people pointing above them and talking before many made their way towards the large temple. The group glanced up to find a figure in the air, quickly descending amongst the people.

As they got closer, they saw he looked familiar. Thick black hair, strong jaw, and bright blue eyes. He was glad in a golden breastplate with a lightning symbol engraved into it, a bright red cloth tied around his waist and hanging down at his side amongst his leather pteryges. A bright white cape embroidered in gold hung from his shoulders, with golden boots and bracers around his forearms. 

The man, one that they could all easily see was Captain Marvel- or at least some version of him, pulled off the white hood of his cape, revealing red paint smeared across his eyes. He smiled at the people crowding around him, but it was easy to tell that his guy was someone completely different from Billy.

He held himself with an air of confidence that their Cap couldn't replicate even on his best day, for one. It was also easy to tell that this guy was way more experienced than their Captain. He moved with the fluidity of water, his movements smooth and every one calculated. He haad a smile on his face as he looked around at his fellow Greeks before a scream in the distance sent him into the air and rocketing towards it.

The group was brought along with him, watching as the man floated above the city, scanning for some kind of trouble. He found it in the form of a woman desperately trying to escape a pride of lions on the outskirts of the town. Marvel flew down and touched down between her and the beasts, glaring them down as he clenched his fists. 

"Σταματήστε, θηρία του Δία." he growled out, a small smile appearing on Diana's face. 

"What- what is he saying?" Flash asked, furrowing his brow.

"He says 'Halt, beasts of Zeus," Diana said softly, still watching the demigod.

The lions roared at him, but Marvel stood his ground, standing between the animals and the woman. One of them lunged at him and he used its weight and momentum against it, grabbing the creature by the scruff of its neck and hurling it back towards the rest of the lions, sending it crashing into one. "Σε προειδοποίησα."

"He says he warned them," Diana said, her eyes trained on the demigod as he continued to fight off the lions.

The leader, a pale, massive male with a thick mane lunged for Marvel, and he caught it by the chest, lifting it up before slamming it down into the ground. He pulled a golden dagger from his pteryges and slammed it into the lion's hide, making the group's (aside from Diana) eyes widen.

Marvel stood, glancing at the retreating pride and wiping the blood off on his forearm before turning to the woman. "Είσαι καλά?" he asked, sheathing his dagger and kneeling in front of her. Other than her bleeding leg, she looked relatively unscathed-- even if she was trembling in fear. Marvel glanced at her leg, waving a hand over it slowly as his eyes glowed. 

The wound was healed and the woman grinned at him, tears in the corners of her eyes as she embraced him. Marvel smiled, pulling her back gently before standing and glancing at the dead lion at his feet. He picked it up with ease, heaving it over his shoulder before taking off into the air.

"That..." Diana said, still looking at where the demigod had been. "That is the Champion I was told of in my youth. A being of great strength, blessed with the powers of the Gods. I had no idea that he and the Captain were one in the same."

"I- I don't think they are, Diana," Victor said, glancing at her. "Well, not completely at least. That guy- he didn't act like Captain Marvel in the slightest. When he smiled, there wasn't any of the youthful exuberance that Cap is known for. Plus- if this really is ancient Greece, there's no way Billy's even thought of yet."

"Regardless, Captain Marvel is the Champion of Gods. I swore in my youth that had I the chance to fight by his side, I would. I will support him fully-- as my father does." Diana said, her chest swelling with pride as she spoke.

"Wait, just like that?" Hal asked, raising an eyebrow before glancing at Barry. Diana nodded once in reply. Barry shrugged.

"Well alright then," Hal said with a shake of his head.

"Guys this-- this is different..." he said as a wave of frustration and anger that he could feel was not his own washed over him. "Do you guys feel that?"

The others nodded slowly, turning to look at the scene that developed around them.

- - -

Chapter Text

The others nodded slowly, turning to look at the scene that developed around them.

- - -

 Much to their surprise, Billy appeared just behind Batman, sitting up with a hand to his head. A scene didn't appear around them though- the dark void they were trapped in stayed dark. Billy winced and stood, looking around. "Where am I...?" he mumbled, turning around and looking right through the group.

"Looks like he still can't see us..."

"I don't think he's actually here...where here is. I think this is another memory," Cyborg said, watching the kid as he looked right through them.

"Okay, note to self, don't ask Shazam to give you answers..." he said, using one of his fingers to pick at his teeth. He whirled his wrist around smoothly, a soft light appearing in his hand. "Whelp. I'm in a void," he said as if this was something that happened to him regularly.

Maybe it was.

Anger suddenly surged through Cyborg's mind again, the group's surroundings flashing in red, lightning-like streaks. Billy winced, the light in his hand suddenly going out as his hands went to his head. He crumpled to his knees, grunting in pain and shutting his eyes tightly.

After a moment the rage faded, leaving the kid breathing heavily.

"You guys felt that too, right?" Hal asked, looking around with wide eyes.

"Rage," Superman said slowly. "Unbridled rage."

"W-wha-" Billy was trembling on what stood for a floor in this place, his arms shaking as he glanced up. an image appeared in front of all of them-- a first-person view of the Greek town they'd been in before.

"No..." Billy said, getting up onto his feet and furrowing his brow. The cobblestone streets were broken and cracked, stall roofs were ripped or shredded, shards of metal and splinters of wood littered the ground. Small fires crackled around whoever's eyes they were looking for...and a body lay in the road.

"What- what is this-" Another flare of anger surged through both Billy and the group. 

The 12-year-old gripped his head with one hand, shutting his eyes tightly with a small whimper of pain before forcing himself to open his eyes again. Victor could understand why- the anger, the resentment- it was like fire. It swept through his head and left him gasping for air, struggling to stand against it. It was like facing an inferno.

"You're a murderer, Achaeus..." A woman said, trembling and looking directly at whoever was the Champion at this time. Billy gasped as a col chill went down his spine and through his chest, his throat closing up at the woman's words. 

"No... No I- I had to do this to-" A voice, likely the Champion's echoed out in the void.

"To protect people?" the woman looked him over before drawing in a shaky breath. "You've killed innocent people. You're no Champion."  

"Mater..."

The woman turned away, walking between the burning stalls silently. "Mater!" the champion yelled, another surge of anger coursing through the void. "Listen to me!" 

Billy gasped. The Champion growled. The rage that passed through the heroes had them crumple to their knees, eyes shut tight against the intense heat surrounding them. Cyborg winced,  trying to open his eyes.

"NO!!" Billy cried out, his voice cracking.  The child gasped as the rage faded, his eyes wide and tearful as he stared down at his hands-- mirroring the Champion's view. He was trembling now- Victor stood on shaky legs and walked towards him, only to pause. 

He glanced up to where Achaeus's hands could be seen. They were covered in blood, the body of the woman from before, the man's mother, laying in the road in a pool of the liquid. He glanced down at Billy, finding the boy staring at his own hands-- which were also covered in blood.

"Billy..." he said, swallowing thickly. "Billy, it isn't real- you didn't do this," he said, knowing the kid couldn't hear him.

The raven was shaking, his eyes wide and full of tears. "I- I- I didn't- I mean to- it wasn't-" he mumbled softly to himself A poisonous, thick cloud of fear settled over the group as they glanced at the child. He was frozen on his knees, staring at the crimson liquid covering his small hands. "Sh-she- I- I didn't-" 

Superman glanced at Batman, his jaw set as he shook his head.

Billy dropped his hands, smearing blood onto the floor and staring at the ground as the image faded before revealing another. 

"You need not worry, Shazam. I will hunt Black Adam and take him down myself," a voice said, this one deeper than the one previous. "The Gods as my witness," he said, kneeling down before the Wizard in his throne.

Shazam sighed. "Croesus- you're foolhardy. You have too much confidence in your abilities. Black Adam is nothing to take lightly-" 

"I understand this, old man, but he is ultimately doomed to fail. The darkness always gives up to Apollo's light."

The elderly man sighed again. "Be cautious. Do not let Achilles' courage become Croesus's hubris," he said, leaning back in his stone throne. Pride swelled in the void, making Hal roll his eyes in response. Billy could only stare, breathing heavily as he sat on his knees. The blood had faded from his hands, though he had yet to notice--  he was too busy staring at the Wizard.

The image shifted, showing what they could only assume to be Croesus's view of the situation. 

"Blast it Adam!" the man growled, lightning leaping around his fists. The same force sparked around Billy, making him look down at himself. He glanced back up at the image, only to find Black Adam's fist connecting with his jaw, making Billy cry out in pain. His hand went to his jaw as red flared in the void around them, breathing heavily as Batman held Superman back. A dark purple bruise was beginning to form on the kid's jaw as he looked up.

The champion growled, launching himself at Adam, only for the Egyptian to grab hold of his cape and slam him downwards. Billy grunted as Croesus crashed into the ground, gasping as he clutched his stomach. 

"This isn't good- we have to do something!"  Superman said, his hands curled tightly into fists. 

"There's nothing we can do, Superman. This is an echo of the past. You can't change the outcome...no matter what it is," Bruce said, dropping his hand from the Kryptonian's shoulder.

Billy wheezed on the ground, crying out in pain as Adam used his heels like a jackhammer and slammed into the Champion's stomach. Blood splattered out from his mouth, leaving both the kid and Croesus staring at the sky and wheezing.

"You're not worthy of the powers you possess. You're weak. The Wizard chose wrong....again." Adam said, floating above the Greek man with a smirk on his face.

Billy drew in a shaky breath, sitting up weakly. Cyborg was kneeling beside him, aching to reach out and check the kid over. The raven stared at Adam, heavy breaths in sync with Croesus's. 

"And now, champion...it's for you to die."

Billy's eyes widened.

A sharp spark of fear coursed through the void, sending chills through everyone's spines. Adam lifted his fists, electricity flaring from them as he muttered something under his breath. The lightning turned black, making Billy shake his head. "N-no- no no-" 

Adam slammed his fists down.

Billy shrieked in pain, tears pinpricking in his eyes before sliding down his cheeks. The void filled with light as Black Adam's cackle echoed out, mixing with Billy's pained screams. When the light finally did fade, Billy was left lying on the ground, smoking and breathing harshly. The kid was trembling like a leaf, ash and dust covering his shoulders.

"Kid..." Barry said slowly, his heart breaking for the boy. 

When he opened his eyes, Billy wheezed, looking into Adam's eyes as the image faded.

"He...he's not..." Billy wheezed, wincing in pain. "He's not like that anymore..." he whimpered to himself.

The group's collective brow furrowed. What was that supposed to mean?

Billy pushed himself up, sitting on the ground and holding his side. He glanced up, swallowing thickly. He hissed in pain. "W-what else you g-g-got for me, r-rock?" he asked shakily, his eyes turning steely. 

"I- I can take it- I c-can take whatever you throw at m-me."

Cyborg glanced at the group-- everyone's eyes were on the 12-year-old boy with an impossible weight on his shoulders. He looked back at Billy, who was still trembling but was staring into the void with a determined look in his eyes.

He smiled softly. Maybe Billy really could take whatever this place had to throw at him. 

- - -

Chapter Text

Victor smiled softly. Maybe Billy really could take whatever this place had to throw at him. 

- - -

 Billy drew in a shaky breath before letting it out as another image appeared before him. The group watched closely as the Champion appeared on the screen, looking slightly different than the first time they had seen him. He still looked Greek, with the dark red leather pteryges and flowing white cape, but his eyes were a sharp and piercing green, rather than a blue or brown. His skin was also tanner, his facial features more defined.

He was floating a few inches above the ground, looking around with a slightly furrowed brow. Foliage surrounded him, lining the cobblestone just beneath his feet. In his hand, he held a familiar golden circle of rope, looking very much like the warrior of legend he was supposed to be.

Except for the fact that he looked lost.

"Seize him!" a voice rang out, making the Champion's eyes widen as he looked around. Diana took a step forward at the sound. The demigod put his hands up in surrender as warrior women dressed in armor and wielding glinting spears and shields. 

"Antiope?" Diana said softly, watching as her aunt came out of the brush with her spear pointed in the raven's face.

The Champion swallowed thickly. "Antiope. Wonderful to see you again," he said, with a small smile. The blonde-haired woman's lip curled up in disgust.

"Champion."

"Where's your lovely sister? Her majesty's expecting me," he said, glancing around the group. "And look, I'm not even touching the ground. I do follow some laws, Antiope," he continued with a smirk. It was strange to see someone bearing Captain Marvel's costume act so confident and...well, like Hal.

The Amazonian general straightened her spear with a sigh. "This way..." she muttered. The blonde made a motion with her hand and the spears surrounding the Champion straightened. He smiled, floating after her.

"You know you don't have to call me Champion. I do have a name," he said, glancing back at the warriors that retreated back into the brush before turning his gaze back on the general as she led him through the foliage.

"I care not to know it."

"Oh come now, don't be difficult." 

"The only difficult thing here is you, Champion."

The man chuckled, a smile appearing on his face. "Is that right? Well, they don't call me the World's Mightiest Mortal for nothing." The group was quiet, Diana smiling softly as the interaction. It was rare that someone could get her aunt to converse so freely.  

The pair brushed past a particularly large fawn before walking out into the open. The man smiled at the sight of imposing, marble columns around him, foliage that had been carefully tended to, towering structures that would make temple-builders wet themselves. 

They made their way up the stairs of what only could be called a palace, past various stares ranging from curious, to mistrusting, to flirtatious. The demigod kept his eyes ahead, smiling when they reached the top of the stone stairs.

"Demetrius?" A voice said, causing both the man and Diana's head's to flick towards it. A larger smile appeared on the Champion's face as the sight of the Amazonian Queen standing in the middle of the room, bouncing something in her arms. 

He smiled, floating over to her. "Your majesty," he said, bowing his head to her. She put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him down from the air, his golden boots touching the stone floor and causing the general to gasp.

"Oh please, Antiope. Anyone that walks amongst the pantheon is welcome in Themyscera," she said, glancing at her sister before cupping the young man's face. "What I don't understand is the reason for your visit, Champion. Is there a threat?" 

The demigod shook his head. "No, no, nothing I can't handle, your highness. I came here because Hephestus and Aphrodite wished me to send you their regards," he said, pulling the golden rope from his side. 

He held it out to her and the blonde looked at him with a soft smile before taking it. "I take it this is for her," she said, her smile turning wry. He nodded once in response before the bundle of deep lavender cloth in her arms began to fuss. 

Hippolyta bounced the bundle before uncovering it and allowing both the Champion and the rest of the group a look. The man smiled, his eyes lighting up at the sight of a dark-haired baby girl. "She...she's beautiful," he said softly, tilting his head to get a better look at the baby in the Queen's arms. 

"My princess Diana. My pride and joy," Hippolyta said, gazing at the little girl with affection before glancing up at the raven. "Would you like to hold her?" 

The man's eyes widened. "It would be an honor, your highness," he said, glancing down at the baby as she was handed to him. His smile turned soft, the demigod's piercing green eyes staring into Diana's blue ones. "Hello, Diana..." he said, bouncing her gently. "I'm- I'm the Champion. You can call me Demetrius, though. I prefer it."  he said, taking a shaky breath in before glancing at the baby's mother.

The queen was watching them with soft eyes, hugging her arms gently. "She likes you," she said with a knowing grin.

"Here's hoping it stays that way, hm?" Demetrius said, grinning back at the blonde. "You radiate light, princess. You're going to do something amazing one day, I can already tell," he told the baby. 

Diana stayed quiet, watching the exchange with wide eyes. Billy stared open-mouthed from the floor, swallowing thickly and running a hand through his hair.

"You're good with her," the queen said, tilting her head slightly.

The Champion's shoulders dropped slightly. "She reminds me of my daughter... a little girl with a fire in her heart and a light she is destined to follow..." his smile faded. "She... she died, when she was two years. A disease that not even I could heal."

The raven's eyes looked watery before he shook his head. "My apologies, your highness."

"Do not apologize for your feelings, Demetrius," Hippolyta replied as he handed the baby back. "Diana could use someone to show her how a champion should act. The destiny that she should follow..."

Demetrius sighed. "I would love to, your majesty...but..." he trailed off, glancing away. "My work is never done." The queen nodded. "But mark me this-- I will protect her. Until my last breath, I swear, Diana of Themyscira will be protected."

Wonder Woman glanced at the boy staring at the image. He was staring in awe, a hint of a smile on his face. He pushed himself to his feet, clenching his fists. "I can still hold true to that promise. The League's my second family, Shazam. You can bet I'm gonna protect them in any way I can-- even if you don't like them."

 Light flared from the image as it shifted and Billy brought his arm up to shield his eyes. "Wait, this looks..." he trailed off, eyes narrowed at the sight of Demetrius floating in the air amongst a sea of stormy clouds. Billy's eyes widened. "No..."

"Shazam- I don't- I don't wanna see this," he said nervously, glancing around the empty space as lightning flashed around the ancient Champion. "Please don't make me watch this!" Billy said angrily as the scene continued to unfold.

"Please..." he said softly, staring back at the Champion.

The raven-haired man was breathing heavily, holding his side as thunder rolled around him. Lightning flashed behind him, causing the man's head to whip around and glare at the open air. "Come out and face me Adam!" he yelled, searching for the Egyptian.

The man's form was tense, his fist clenched and jaw set. His white cape was torn, and blood was seeping through his costume on his calf. He was suddenly knocked out of the air by Adam launching himself from above, sending the Champion spiraling through the air towards the land below. 

Towards the island of Themyscira.

He sailed through the air in a tumble, wind whipping past his ears as he fell. He crashed in the middle of a marketplace, creating a crater in the middle of the path and shaking the ground around him. Demetrius breathed heavily, looking up at the clouds above before standing. 

He was still clutching his side as he glanced around, pain surging in his bright green eyes at the sight of stone-carved Amazonians around him. He swallowed thickly, picking himself up fully and launching back towards the palace. He weaved through the stone statues, staying close to the ground.

When he made it to the steps of the palace he turned around, watching the lightning flash in the air above the island. "I'm sorry, your highness," he said, coming into the throne room and lowering his head in pain at the sight of a stone queen with a dark grey bundle in her arms. "But I'm going to need this for a moment," he said, grabbing the golden lasso from a table and glancing back towards the entrance of the palace.

"I'm going to break this curse, Your majesty. I swear to it-- I'll make Black Adam pay for what he's done to Themyscera...for what he's done to you and Diana." he trailed off, looking away from the what should have been breathing Queen.

His resolved hardened, the Champion turning back towards the entrance and vanishing in a blur and red and white.

He appeared in the sky with lightning in his eyes, his grip on the golden lasso tight. "It's time for your reckoning, Black Adam," he growled, watching the demigod in black closely. "I get rid of you, and the curse is broken, right?" he asked, eyes narrowed. Adam smirked.

Demetrius growled, launching himself towards Adam. He threw the lasso out and the man swiftly dodged, causing the Greek to pull back and turn, narrowly dodging an electrified punch from the villain. "Not this time, Adam," he said, throwing the lasso again and managing to catch the man's wrist. He pulled it tight, yanking Adam closer to him and right into his fist. He landed a punch right to his gut, making Adam double over.

"Insolent boy," Adam growled, still doubled over. "You aren't worthy," he said, grabbing hold of the lasso and surging his lightning through it. Demetrius cried out in pain, letting go of the lasso. It fell limp, allowing Adam's wrist to slip out. "You have no idea what you're doing..." he said with a smirk.

"Doesn't mean I won't try, Adam!" the champion yelled, sending the pair into a flurry of punches, kicks, and electrical energy.

"You champions are all alike," Adam sneered, narrowly dodging the Greek's magic-infused punch. "Running in head-first, thinking you can defeat me because you are on the side of light," he continued, landing a punch on Demetrius's jaw and sending him flying backward.

"The wizard fills your heads with ideas of grandeur, of the thought that you're pure of heart. Purity of the heart is nothing compared to experience. Nothing compared to real power," Adam said, his eyes filling with light. "In fact, it makes you weak."

The demigod came flying at Adam, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as lightning leapt from his form. "LIAR!" he yelled as Adam side-stepped the punch in the air. "Caring for people doesn't make me, or any of the other Champions weak. Having kindness in your heart is the mark of a Champion-- which shows why you were deemed unworthy of that title," Demetrius said with a smirk.

Adam growled, thrusting his arms out and sending an electrical current towards him. Demetrius swooped down, flying out of the way of the blast. His forearm lit up with lightning and he rocketed upward, uppercutting the Egyptian and grabbing him by the neck in the process.

"The curse. How is it broken, you malaka?" he said through gritted teeth, lightning flashing behind his emerald eyes.

Adam laughed against the Champion's grip. "Fool. A ritual such as this- to undo it takes magic you don't have." he chuckled, even as Demetrius strengthened his grip. "Well, you do, but..." he grinned down at the champion maliciously.

Demetrius's gaze steeled. "You know there's a glaring difference between you and me, Adam," he growled. Adam smirked.

"Oh yeah? Allow me to guess- you're...pure of heart. you're...the 'good guy'." he sneered, rolling his eyes as Demetrius's grip on his neck loosened slightly. "Or...you're just weak." Demetrius smiled.

"Not quite. The difference between you and me, Adam, is that when this is said and done, I'll have people to mourn me. You?" he said, looking right into Black Adam's dark eyes. "Well, no one mourns the villain's fall."

The Egyptian's eyes lost their edge, becoming confused and narrowed. "You wouldn't..." he growled. 

The raven-haired champion smiled. "You're wrong," he glanced down towards the palace. "For them...for Earth, I'd do anything." he tightened his grip on Adam and launched himself upward into the clouds. Lightning flared around them, reflecting in Demetrius's jade eyes.

Adam scrambled to try and get the man's hands off his neck, struggling in his grip. The Greek shut his eyes, taking in a deep breath as lightning crackled around the pair. When he opened his eyes, his eyes were filled with light. Electricity jumped around him, becoming a deep, golden color as it arced around his body. 

The man in his grip bared his teeth, digging his nails into Demetrius's skin as swirling, black magic emitted from his hands. He managed to pry the demigod's hand from his neck and floated backward, staring at the Champion as the golden lightning dancing around him flared out. "Not this time, old man..." he said softly before vanishing in a black blur.

A golden light surrounded the demigod, who was trembling in the sky. Lightning from the clouds arced around him, surging as it connected to his body. The man grit his teeth as magic flared around him, casting his gaze back down towards the palace one more time. "I apologize, y-your highness..." he struggled to get out. 

The demigod glanced up, his fists clenched tightly as electricity continued to flare around him.

"SHAZAM!"

He word held weight, echoing throughout the clouds. His voice was like a sonic boom, rupturing the air around him and sending out a shockwave of golden light. A large, singular lightning bolt came out of nowhere, splitting the sky and striking the man on the chest. The light enveloped him completely, causing those who were watching to shield their eyes.

"No..." Billy said softly, his voice small and broken.

The light faded, sending out a wave of energy that cleared the skies of the foreboding clouds. Sunlight streamed down on the island of Themyscira, where various Amazonians were now in a daze, but made of flesh and bone once more.

- - -

Chapter Text

The light faded, sending out a wave of energy that cleared the skies of the foreboding clouds. Sunlight streamed down on the island of Themyscira, where various Amazonians were now in a daze, but made of flesh and bone once more.

- - -

 Billy stared at the fading image, his head sagging as he stared at the floor. "Is it weird that...that I expected this? Even if I hadn't have had this dream before, I don't think i'd be surprised by the champion sacrificing himself..." he said aloud, glancing up and around the void.

"Probably cause I'd do the same..." Billy continued, tapping the toe of his shoe on the floor. "I guess that's the last one before me, Shazam?" he asked, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Right..." he muttered, shooting a finger gun up at the air. "Spirit." 

Billy's image suddenly flickered, causing the group to tense. Cap took his place-- on his knees with the ghostly chains still around his wrists. He was staring at the void with his back mostly to the group, shaking his head in confusion. "You- I don't understand, Klar-  w-what did you do t-to the League?" he asked, his voice still shaky. "K-Klarion, you ca-can't mess with this kind of st-stuff-"

"Well I am, you cheese. I had to get them out of the way somehow," Klarion's voice echoed through the chamber, making Cap sigh and shake his head again. "They'd never let me into their database willingly, and if Constantine and myself are going get you out of this hell hole, We need the information that the Justice Dorks have on their computers."

"Okay, sure, but you still haven't told me where y-you sent them!" Cap replied, his frustration stabilizing his words somewhat. 

"Well if I told you, you'd be angry with me, so..." There was a shrug that could almost be felt in the room. "I didn't tell you."

"Are they in danger?" Cap asked, shutting his eyes and swallowing thickly. "Please tell me you didn't put them in danger." he opened his eyes to stare into the void.

"Oh relax, you goody-goody. I put them in your sub-conscience, Okay? Happy now? They're perfectly safe. I gave them some fake story about them having to save you or something and sent them into your head."

Dread filled the demigod's bright blue eyes. "No. Klarion no!!" He said, hands curling into fists. "Solomon resides in my sub-conscience, Klarion!!" He said, causing confusion to radiate throughout the dark void. 

"And?"

Marvel hung his head. "Solomon's the one that's been gung ho about me telling the League who I am for the past 2 years."

"Oh."

"I'm getting kicked out..." he said slowly as if just coming to the realization. His shoulders slumped slightly, and his head drooped. "I'm absolutely done for. They're gonna find out i'm 13, plus whatever else Solomon deems fit to show them, and I'll never be able to look any of them in the eyes again..."

The demigod's voice held a weight of finality, of someone that had already accepted their fate and knew that there was nothing they could do to change it. He cast his eyes down. "I'm never gonna be trusted again," he said, his mouth becoming a thin line.

"Billy... I didn't know."

"I know. It's...it's okay," he said softly, bringing his head up. "It was bound to happen eventually, I guess," he said with a roll of his muscled shoulder. "Just thought I'd last longer than a couple of years."

A sudden wave of searing hot pain surged through the hero, making him tense and cry out in pain.

"Billy!"

"I-i'm okay- just h-hurry-" he said, breathing heavily as a trail of smoke wisped up from his spine.

Captain Marvel faded from view with a crackle of energy and another cry of pain, leaving the League yet again alone in the darkness.

 - - -

 "He's already accepted his fate as a warrior would," Diana said, glancing to where the Captain had been. She was quiet for a moment before looking around. "The captain is a man of conviction and heart. He has a warrior's spirit and a light that surrounds him even in the darkest of times."

She pulled her lasso off of her pterugres and stared at it, her grip tightening as she pulled it taught. "I cannot in good conscience dismiss him from this team-- regardless of his age." she said, hooking her lasso back. She looked at Batman and Superman. 

"Both of you are good men, and I know that you only want what is best for him-- but it would do us well to take his entirety of being into consideration."

Victor smiled. "She's right- Billy's not some defenseless kid. Even before he got his powers, that kid had a fight in him that no one was gonna put out," he said, looking right at Superman. "He's not your average kid, Superman. Billy's not gonna just sit there and play on the swings when there's somebody that needs his help. He's got a bleeding heart, and being kicked from the League is not going to stop him from being a hero-- not as Cap, and definitely not as Billy."

The discussion was interrupted by the sound of thunder rolling through clouds, causing the group's collective attention to be caught at the sight of the rare nasty thunderstorm that came to Fawcett City.

The sky was dark, electricity flashing in the air and giving a moment of respite to the suffocating darkness that covered the city. If it weren't for some of the more signature landmarks of Fawcett, one could almost mistake the place for Gotham.

Captain Marvel was standing on the edge of a roof, his eyes searching for something. "I know I can't be going crazy," he muttered to himself, scanning the rooftops as rain began to fall around him. There was a sudden blur of black moving along the rooftops, causing the group watching to glance at Batman.

Marvel tensed, swallowing thickly. "There you are."

He moved in a red blur, attempting to corner whatever had been moving around, only to come up with nothing. He was left staring at a brick wall, rain plastering his black hair to his head as he looked at the wall in confusion.

"You're fast." a voice behind him said.

The demigod turned around to find a boy clad in black, red and yellow, with thick, black hair that had been gelled backward, green combat boots covering his feet and green gloves covering his hands and forearms. His glossy black cape hung from his shoulders, the bright yellow inside managing to stay hidden within the shadows. The boy had a bright green domino mask covering his eyes and seemed to be studying him.

Batman's gaze hardened, the whites of his cowl narrowing on the sight of the boy standing before Captain Marvel. 

"Wait, is that Robin? Like, your little boy wonder in spandex? I thought you didn't know the kid's identity, Bats," Hal said, his eyes narrowed.

"I didn't. I don't know why Robin is there," Batman replied gruffly. "When is this...?"

"Uh- yeah, I mean, I guess I am. Who're you?" Cap asked in return, touching down on top of the roof. "Wait," he looked the boy over again. This couldn't possibly be him, could it? "Robin?"

he boy tsked. "Tt- duh. So much for Wisdom of Solomon," he said with a sneer, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cap furrowed his brow before looking around. "Wait, your dad's not here too is he?" he asked, still glancing around warily.

Robin raised an unimpressed eyebrow before tsking again. "No. I don't need Batman with me at all times, Captain," he said with frustration. Cap's shoulders slumped slightly in relief.

"Than why are you here?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.

The 11-year-old grinned, his smile predatory and devilish. It unnerved the demigod. "My father has done research into the entirety of the League's identities. He was long ago stumped by yours, and put it to the side as something to figure out at a later date," he said, clasping his hands behind his back as the rain continued to pour around them.

"I managed to take up his work and finish it for him."

Captain Marvel's heart sunk. "What...?"

"I think you know what, William Joseph Batson," Robin said, an antagonistic grin spreading across his face once more. This kid really looked terrifying when he smiled. "I'm right, I can tell. There's no point in lying," he said proudly, his smile quickly vanishing.

Cap blinked, looking around. "I guess you're gonna tell Batman?" he asked, staying where he was as the 11-year-old came closer.

"Tt- no. This is my discovery. If my father wants to learn your identity, he's going to have to re-go through all of the data I went through, and come to his own conclusions," Damien said with a sneer.

Marvel smiled softly. "Guess I should thank you then."

"You could."

"But I have a hunch though that that's not the only reason you're in Fawcett."

Damien tensed, crossing his arms over he chest and narrowing his eyes. Marvel smiled, taking a few steps back and calling down the magic lightning that flowed through his veins, the light splitting the darkened sky and striking him. He stepped forward out of the smoke, waving it away from his face and smiling at his fellow hero.

"Something wrong I take it?" he asked, side smile on his face as he gestured for Robin to follow him to the edge of the roof.

Damien's eyes were still narrowed, one of his hands resting on the hilt of his katana was he followed his fellow raven. "If there were something wrong, why would I risk my father's ire and come to Fawcett, especially to speak to someone that is only a year my senior?" he asked snarkily as Billy sat down, dangling his legs over the edge.

Billy shrugged in response, looking out in the city and allowing Damien to join him in his own time. "Maybe cause you wanted a friend's opinion, rather than a mentor's."

Damien's eyes seemed to narrow further. "We aren't friends."

"We could be," Billy replied as he glanced over his shoulder at the boy. "I mean, you could also have come here cause you found out that I'm somewhere I'm not supposed to be technically, and you're impressed by that. You seem like the type to be impressed by that," he said, turning his attention back towards the city as rain fell around them.

Robin sat down beside the boy on the edge of the roof quietly. He gripped the edge tightly, staring intently at his combat boots. "I ran away," he muttered, his shoulders tense as the patter of rain punctuated his words.

The 12-year-old blinked. "You what?" 

"I ran away, what are you, deaf?" Robin growled, glaring at Billy. "Forget it," he snapped, picking himself up, only to have his wrist grabbed by the thinner of the two. He glanced down at Billy with a murderous look in his eye, but Billy's grip was firm.

"Sit. I- I don't even know your name," he said, giving him a ghost of a smile. "Let's talk. Kid to kid-- one friend to another." 

Damien sighed, glancing away and pulling his wrist from Billy's hand. He took a seat back down beside the boy, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye before looking up at the thunderous sky. "Damien," he said suddenly, keeping his eyes trained on the sky. "That's all you're getting."

Billy's smile grew. "Damien. I can work with that," he said, tilting his head slightly as rain dripped off his chin. "Start from the beginning. What made you wanna run away?"

Damien sighed, glancing at his fellow raven and launching into an explanation as the image faded to black.

Batman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should have known Damien wouldn't just come back on his own without some kind of outer influence..." he muttered, dropping his hand and shaking his head.

"Guess you'll have to thank him if we ever get out of here," Hal snarked. 

- - -

Chapter Text

"Guess you'll have to thank him if we ever get out of here," Hal snarked. 

- - -

Another scene formed around them rather quickly, showing Captain Marvel pacing on a rooftop, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. His golden boots walked back and forth across the gravel of the roof, the moon above him shining brightly in the cloudless night sky. Cap glanced up, chewing on his bottom of his lip as he stared at the sky.

"Hey, mom..." he said, pausing in his tracks and dropping his hand to grip his arm as an anxious child would. "I need a little help here..." he said, letting out a shaky sigh. "I- I- don't know if I'm just talking to myself, or what, and no one I ask will give me a straight answer." The demigod's eyes were full of pain as he stared at the moon.

"I don't know if you're really up there, or- or what- sometimes it feels like you're standing right beside me and I- I- I just don't understand it..." he dropped his arm. "Mom, I- I don't know what to do anymore. It feels like people just want me to forget about you and pops, to- to get over you somehow and I-" he shut his eyes, dropping his head to look at the two-story brick house across the street; the one with a white picket fence around the grassy yard and white panels surrounding the windows.

The one he lived in before his parents died.

"I can't do that..."

Marvel sniffed, raising his head and opening his glossy eyes. "Mom, send me some kind of sign, anything, please, I'm begging you," he said, his voice shaking as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

A small huff of sad laughter came from his mouth as his gaze dropped to the house. "I'm gonna be thirteen tomorrow, and I can barely remember what you look like."

The man chewed on the corner of his lip again. "Sorry...I just... I know I shouldn't be acting like this... I got a job to do, and I can't do it right if I'm worried about myself," he glanced back up at the sky. "I just- is it selfish to want to know that you're okay?"

He let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Probably..." he shook his head, floating up above the roof. "Well, I'll...see you next year then. Tell pops that I love him..." he said, turning around and flying away from the old building with one last glance as the two-story house across the street. 

The memory blurred and shifted, and Billy was sitting on the roof of the old train station, the place he, Freddy, and Darla had called home for so long before being adopted. He leaned back on his arms and laughing as Darla tugged a paper party hat onto his head and let the string snap. 

"You two are ridiculous," he said, shaking his head as the girl took her place on their makeshift picnic blanket. Freddy stuck his tongue out at him.

"I'm honestly surprised they could get you to go along with this, Vic," he said, glancing at Cyborg, who was sitting cross-legged on the blanket with an easy smile on his face.

"Hey, you don't turn 13 every day, dude."

"How dare you speak to football royalty like that!" Freddy guffawed, shoving him with the side of his crutch. This only served to make Billy laugh harder.

"Vic's not royalty- he's a total nerd," he said, grinning at the college student.

"CAAAAAKKKEEE!!!" Darla yelled, wriggling her way into Billy's lap. "I've had to keep this cake a secret all day, Billy- can you pleeeeaaaase blow out your candles?" The raven only chuckled and shook his head, straightening the girl in his lap as Vic lit the large, white and yellow number candles. 

They sang to him, Billy keeping his eye on a wax drop that steadily made its way down the side of the '3' candle and dripped onto the red and white icing on the cake. He blew the fire out and the trio surrounding him clapped.

"What'd you wish for?" Freddy asked, only to be shoved by their younger sister.

"You can't ask that!! Then the wish won't come true!"

"Welcome, William J. Batson," Victor said, pulling the kid's attention towards him with a grin and holding out his arms in a grand gesture. "Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on becoming technically a teen." Billy rolled his eyes with a smile at the man.

"Well thanks, that makes me feel super special," he said, rubbing at his nose as Vic started to cut the cake.

Darla was happily eating her cake, red frosting smeared at the corner of her mouth before she perked her head up in question. "When do you think Cap's birthday is?"

"Well, I'm not sure he has one. I mean, I'm Cap, so technically his birthday is the same as mine, but as for the Champion..." Billy shrugged. 

"Wanna know what I think? I think that Cap is-" Freddy was cut off by the sound of a distant explosion followed by the distinct wail of sirens. Billy tensed, his head snapping towards the sound on instinct. His eyes narrowed and he glanced at Vic.

Freddy shared a look with Darla. "Well? What are you two waiting for?"

The pair glanced back at the blonde in confusion.

"You're superheroes, aren't you?!" Freddy asked with a large smile, waving them off dramatically. "We'll be here when you get back- go save the day!" Billy grinned, glancing at Victor, how was already standing up, his systems whirring in preparation.

Billy smirked, standing up and running towards the edge of the building. Cyborg followed suit, blasting off the roof as the raven leapt off the edge with a grin. "SHAZAM!!" he yelled, lightning splitting open the white puffy clouds in the sky and absorbing the boy into its light. 

The pair rocketed towards whatever danger laid waiting for them, Cyborg getting a smirk from the newly 13-year-old.

"What do you think we got?" Cap asked, keeping his eyes ahead and trained on the plume of smoke rising from the center of the city. 

"No telling, but whatever it is, it's making a mess," Cyborg replied, shaking his head as the pair sped up. "We should be able to handle it though." 

"Here's hoping..." Cap said, getting a look from the former football player.

"You okay?" he asked as they came across the sight of what looked like a super-sized wind-up robot. "You've been kinda off today," he said as he sent a blast towards the robot. Captain Marvel shrugged, dodging the robot's stiff arm as it swung towards him. "Don't give me that, dude, what's up? You know you can talk to me," Victor continued, leaping back into the air as Cap zapped the robot.

The giant sparked and froze, smoke coming out of its joints. "It's nothing," the demigod said, shaking his head as the robot sparked before its movements quickened and it swung at the pair like flies, still spitting smoke into the air.

"Don't give me that, B- Something's bugging you. What is it?" Cyborg asked, aiming a beam for the robot's red glowing eyes and shattering them.

Cap shook his head, chewing on his lip as he dodged a swing of the metallic arm before grabbing it, his grip dentin the metal as he ripped it from the robot's shiny body. "It's no big deal, Vic-" he said, throwing the arm away.

"That's a lie. You're a terrible liar, Cap, we both know that," Cyborg said, managing to cut the other arm off at the shoulder with a bright red laser. "Tell me what's up with you."

The demigod sighed, flying behind the robot and shoving it over. The massive machine teetered for a moment before falling over, cracking the cement beneath it. The robot kicked its stiff legs in an attempt to get up, but without joints, it wasn't getting very far. "I tried talking to my mom again yesterday," he said finally as Cyborg flew over to him.

"Oh..."

"Yea."

Cyborg swallowed thickly, glancing down at the robot that was now powering down. "I- I can barely remember what they look like..." Cap said, staring at the machine. "It just bugs me. I know it happened a long time ago, but it still hurts to think that I'll never see them again, never hear their voices again."

Victor let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, dude."

The demigod rolled his shoulder. "It's alright. I'll get over it eventually. It's just around my birthday is when its hard." He glanced at Victor. "Come on, I'll help clean up if you'll go get Freddy and Darla down from the roof. I'm sure Darls' has already eaten half of that cake," he said with a small grin.

"Alright-- you gonna be okay?" Vic asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Always am," Cap replied, his eyes looking much older than two seconds ago.

- - -

Chapter Text

"Alright-- you gonna be okay?" Vic asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Always am," Cap replied, his eyes looking much older than two seconds ago.

- - -

Solomon was giving the heroes no time to rest as the image swirled, shifting to something else immediately. This one showed Captain Marvel breathing heavily as he floated in the air, his stomach scorched and blackened and the edges of his cape torn and burned. 

"Wait a second, is this-" Barry narrowed his eyes at the scene, glancing towards Superman. He was looking at the man with confusion in his eyes as well, his eyebrows knitted together. Hal glanced towards the speedster.

"I think so...wait this was like, two months ago," he said, hand curling into a fist.

"You don't remember any of this, do you Supes..." Flash asked, eyes still on the Kryptonian. Superman shook his head slowly, glancing at the speedster.

"I don't- no, what is this?" he asked, glancing back up at the Captain. 

His eyes widened when the demigod was hit by a pair of bright red beams, making him cry out in pain and curl in on himself. "This isn't you!" the Captain yelled against the pain, flying out of the way of the blasts. 

The man was breathing heavily, staring into the bloodshot eyes of Superman himself. The man's veins were popping out of his templed in anger, his mouth curled into a snarl as he stared at the demigod like he'd killed his whole family. 

The Man of Steel looked relatively unharmed, though he did have a dark purple bruise forming on the edge of his jaw, and his eyes were rimmed in red. His stance was almost primal in manner, hunched over with his hands clenched tightly as he breathed heavily. 

"I really don't wanna hurt you, Superman!" Cap said, narrowly dodging the Kryptonian as he launched himself towards him with a roar, "Please, Kal, I can't keep taking these hits like this- try and think clearly!" The raven yelled, only getting a snarl in response. 

He was suddenly barrelled into, the Man of Steel tackling him out of the air. Captain Marvel grappled in his grip, slamming his fists against Superman's back as the pair plummeted towards the ground, he surged his magical lightning through his fists and slammed on the man's back one more time, making him cry out in pain and release Marvel. 

He rocketed upward, Superman quickly shaking off the effects of the magical electricity and chasing after him. The Captain glanced down, finding Superman right on his heels and gaining distance. He turned to fly backward, throwing an arm out and casting a spell. Golden energy swirled around his forearm before launching towards the raging hero, encasing him a semi-transparent, golden bubble.

A small smile appeared on Marvel's face, floating closer to the object. Superman raged against the confines, beating against the walls. "Hopefully that'll-" The makeshift cage cracked as Superman beat his fists against it. "Oh come on," he said exasperatedly, taking off in the opposite direction as Kal broke through the magical barrier.

Before he could get very far, Superman grabbed hold of his stark white cape and yanked him back, bringing the demigod right into the path of his fist, that was still sparking with Cap's magical energy. Cap was sent spiraling through the air, a hand up and holding his eye as Superman gave chase.

He managed to right himself and put Mercury's speed to use, flying faster away from his assailant as blood trailed down from his brow.

"Come on, come on, think like Barry- you're moving fast, think fast," Cap growled out, taking a sharp turn and flying through a mass of clouds. He glanced behind him to find Kal falling behind slightly, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Okay, okay, think-" he said, looking around. "Weaknesses, weaknesses- okay, kryptonite, lack of sun, mag-" he glanced upward at the clouds, only to have a sudden burst of air surge past him followed by a clap. The clouds surrounding him were blown backward, leaving Captain Marvel vulnerable in the now cloudless sky. 

"Not good..." he said, looking at the raging Kryptonian before Superman launched towards him again. 

"Really not good!" he yelped, surging faster and just out of the man's reach. He glanced back to find Superman's anger growing again as his eyes turned red with light. "Oh no," he said turning around and stopping suddenly in the air, shutting his eyes tightly and aiming a punch right for the man of steel's face. 

He felt his hand connect with flesh before Superman was sent flying back in a spiral, unable to stop his momentum before colliding with the Demigod's fist. "Sorry, Supes..." he said, wincing and flying after the alien.

"You know that I can take you, Kal! You have to fight this, I'm not your enemy!" Cap yelled as Superman righted himself in the air. Crimson blood dripped from the raven's nose as he lifted his head to stare at the Captain. His eyes were blank, empty, almost lifeless. 

"You murdered them..." he breathed, Marvel's breath hitching at the first words the man had said since coming into contact with the red kryptonite that made him like this. "You are my enemy."

Captain Marvel shook his head slightly before he was suddenly slammed into by the Kryptonian, the man's fist clenching around his throat tightly. Cap gasped, his hands gripping Kal's hand. "No, no- Kal this isn't you, you're not a murderer-" he wheezed, fumbling in the air as Superman's grip tightened.

"You are," Kal growled back, lips curling into a snarl once more. 

Cap shook his head, or at least as much as he could in Kal's grip, and wheezed. "I'm not-" he said, his voice barely audible as Superman crushed his windpipe. "I'm y-your tea-" he gagged. "Your f-friend-"

Red was beginning to seep into Marvel's eyes, his face already bright pink and slowly becoming purple. Tears managed to well in the corners of his eyes as he looked into Superman's eyes. "Please don't d-do this..." he breathed, his voice practically inaudible. 

The Kryptonian paused, his grip loosening slightly as he stared into Cap's eyes. His own were still untrusting, even as the light began to fade from the demigod's eyes. Marvel's eyelids drooped, his head lolling forward slightly.

"shzm..."

Superman's eyes narrowed at the sound before the skies split open around him. The man looked around in angered confusion as thunder rumbled, the sky darkening before the mother of all lightning bolts parted the clouds and struck the pair.

Kal-el cried out in pain, his muscles locking up as light enveloped the pair. Cap gasped as Superman released him, the lightning transforming him and causing him to fall from the sky like a stone. Billy wheezed as air rushed by his ears, his vision blurry and head spinning. 

"N-not y-yet-" he wheezed, shutting his eyes tightly. "Shazam..."

The lightning extended downward, striking the boy and changing him back into his godly form. He was still breathing heavily as he paused in the air, glancing upwards to find Zeus still unleashing his wrath upon Kal. When he craned his neck upward, the deep purple and bloody red handprint that wrapped around his neck could be seen. His brow was still trickling blood down his face, the skin darkened and bruising.

He swallowed, wincing in pain before flying upward towards his hero. Determination filled his eyes as he got back into the fight.

"Wait why didn't we ever see those injuries?" Hal asked, anger and worry lacing his voice as his eyebrows knit together. "Cap is seriously not okay here."

Cap flew up towards Superman and threw out his hand, recalling the magical lightning. The power surged through him and made lightning leap from his form as thunder crackled around him. The injury on his brow vanished, along with the large hand mark encircling his neck, the skin returning to its normal color.

"That's gonna hurt," he breathed as the light faded, rubbing his throat gingerly. He managed to grab the now unconscious Superman out of the air and hold him bridal style, the demigod's frame trembling slightly as he descended.

He touched down in a field, still heaving with a still Superman in his arms. "Kal!" Diana said, running up to him to look the Kryptonian in his arms over. Flash, Green Lantern, and Black Canary joined her, the Amazonian taking him from the Captain's arms with a glance at his eyes. "Is he okay?" she asked, and Marvel nodded slowly. 

They walked off, worrying over the Kryptonian and leaving Captain Marvel to sway slightly on his feet and attempt to catch his breath.

"You managed to take him down," Batman said, appearing out of nowhere to the hero's left. Cap glanced at him, nodding quietly. The Dark Knight's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You managed to take him down and only lose your breath by the looks of it," he said, looking the man in the eyes. 

You could almost see the cogs inside Batman's head spinning, telling himself to update Marvel's profile or something. "Good work," he said, turning on his heel and walking off after the rest of the group.

"Yea..." Cap breathed, still swaying slightly. He shut his eyes tightly before opening them, shaking his head and taking off into the air.

The image shifted to show Captain Marvel wincing and falling out of the air, grinding to a halt as he tore up a large chunk of grass in his landing in his backyard. The demigod laid on the ground amongst the dirt, staring tiredly at the two-story house in front of him and breathing heavily.

He blinked, and a pair of kids were running (or in one case hobbling) towards him. Darla skid to a stop and sat on her knees beside him, worry etched into her features. "Cap? Cap what's wrong- " she asked, picking up his head and putting it in her lap. She glanced at Freddy as the blonde sat down beside the hero as well.

"I- I dunno- B, what's wrong, what happened?" he asked worriedly.

Captain Marel turned over, laying on his back and breathing heavily. "Fought Superman..." he breathed. "I'll be okay-  my magic's just d-drained..."

"What about Billy?" Darla asked, brushing the Captain's hair out of his face.

"I am Billy, Darls..."

"I know, I know, I mean- if your Billy body okay?" she asked, fear in her eyes.

Cap winced. "I don't know. I don't think so."

"Oh, God..." Freddy said in a panic. "Are you gonna die?!"

"I- I don't think so...but it won't be fun..."

There was a sudden flash of light as thunder crackled overhead, the demigod's head lulling forward as the light enveloped him and changed him back without the assistance of a lightning bolt. 

Billy gasped, the sound tight pained as deep purple, almost black bruising in the shape of a man's hand appeared on his skin. A sharp cut opened just above his forehead, blood tricking down his face and he struggled to breathe.

Clearly defined finger marks snaked their way around the boy's throat, the skin looking tarnished and abused as he coughed and wheezed. Freddy and Darla shared a frightened look before glancing back at Billy.

"S-Superman did this to you?"

Billy shook his head slowly. "not...f-fault..." he breathed as blood dripped onto Darla's overall-covered leg. "Krip..." 

"Wait, are you telling me that Kryptonite got Superman to attack you?!" Freddy blanched, his eyes wide with fear. 

"Let's get him inside."

"And how do we explain this to Victor and Rosa!?" Freddy asked, getting up and helping grab billy's arm and slinging it over his shoulder while Darla grabbed the other and mirrored his action. "This- this- we can't explain this..."

Billy wheezed, his eyelids drooping as the pair helped him in through the back door and into the kitchen. The house was dark, thankfully, which meant the trio's foster parents were asleep. They made their way slowly up the stairs and towards Freddy and Billy's room, opening the door and closing it behind them.

They heaved the 13-year-old onto the bottom bunk, letting him lay down on top of the comforter. Freddy sat down beside him as the raven crashed, falling asleep quickly.

"He's not gonna be able to move for a while..." Freddy said. "And there's no way either of us can get up onto that top bunk right now."

Darla nodded. "I'll take the top bunk- you sleep by Billy. I dunno if this whole thing is gonna give him nightmares, but you know how he gets when he has them. Better if you stay by his side."

"I just hope he's alright..." Freddy muttered, moving the raven over closer to the wall and climbing under the covers as Darla clambered up the ladder to the top bunk and plopped down.

"Me too..." Darla replied after a moment.

"Wait, wait wait wait wait, is- is that why Cap was MIA for a week?!" Hal asked, his eyes wide as the image of the kids faded. "We- I gave him so much shit for that..."

"I did that to him..." Superman said, gaining Hal's and the rest of the group's attention. "I don't even remember it, I- I nearly killed him." He glanced around. "He stopped me."

Respect seemed to bloom in his blue eyes as he let out a short breath.

"And none of us cared to check on him after. We were so busy worrying over Kal's condition that we never even considered Captain Marvel's." Diana said, ducking her head in shame.

"He stopped your warpath in its tracks, and none of us even thanked the guy..." Flash said, pulling his mask off and running his hands through his bright blonde hair. 

 "It sounds like we all have a lot to make up for when we see the Captain," Zatanna said, her expression solemn.

"Wait, what did you do to him?" Hal asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

The magician sighed, taking off her top hat and thumbing the rim of it. "He's tried multiple times to discuss magic with me. Offered to trade what he knew for things that I did if that's what it took-- and I just blew him off. Thought he was looking down on me since he was the Champion of magic, taking pity in offering to learn things from me..." she said, her eyes cast down. 

"He was just trying to be my friend," she said, her shoulders slumped.

"It's almost funny to see how long its taken you guys to see Cap for the genuine guy he is," Cyborg said, looking around at the League. "He's always been there for us. Yea, he's immature, but he's also the nicest guy I've probably ever met. He's loyal, trustworthy, powerful, and he keeps on standing back up, even after people keep knocking him down."

"I'm just glad you guys finally see that," he said, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Hold on, do you guys hear that?" Superman said suddenly, looking around the void. The group looked around in confusion, finding only darkness surrounding them. "Look," he said, pointing towards a light.

 - - -

Chapter Text

"Hold on, do you guys hear that?" Superman said suddenly, looking around the void. The group looked around in confusion, finding only darkness surrounding them. "Look," he said, pointing towards a light.

- - -

Marvel winced at the tight metal digging into his wrists, letting out a shaky breath as he opened his eyes to stare at the void beneath him. He'd been on his knees for so long that hew was sure if he was Billy he wouldn't be able to feel them. Then again, he wasn't really sure how long he'd been on his knees...

The demigod sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Just- just stay calm. The last thing you need is to freak out and have the Gods go zappy on your brain," he told himself, shuddering at the thought of when he'd first woken up here and Zeus had electrocuted him in an attempt to get him out of the bonds. 

The God's lightning had never hurt him before, but in that moment of panic, it hurt. 

He couldn't blame the king though, the action had been one of instinct since only a sliver of the Gods existed within him.

Cap leaned his head up and rolled his neck with a soft sigh, glancing around the void. He wasn't sure how long it had been since Klarion had last spoken to him, but he knew that the witch boy had to be doing something to help. The nightmarish visions had stopped shortly before he appeared, and boy was he thankful for that.

The demigod wasn't sure he'd be able to handle seeing his heroes for at least a couple of days without the thought of seeing murder in their eyes.

He shuddered at the thought of Clark's glowing red eyes boring into his soul and blasting into his heart. Of Batman's cold stare locking onto him as he slit his throat, or Flash's cruel, snarky laughter as he sucked the oxygen from his lungs with his speed. 

The thought of Wonder Woman using her lasso against him or of Hal crushing him with his ring made him tremble. Of Zatanna turning his magic against him. He swallowed thickly, his breath shaky.

Nope, he wasn't gonna be able to see them for a hot minute. He hoped they understood that as soon as he woke up, he was gonna vanish for a couple of days.  

Maybe they wouldn't look for him?

He hoped they wouldn't. He needed time to gather himself if the League learned his secret. He was almost positive they would, but a part of him, a part that was distinctively 13 and full of hope, pleaded with the higher powers that they wouldn't. 

"This is such a mess..." he muttered softly, his shoulders dropping again as he shut his eyes.

"You can say that again," a voice said, echoing throughout the void and making the Captain freeze.

His eyes snapped open as he stared down into the void. Klarion-- he turned those off. He hadn't had a vision since-- was the effect only delayed? No. No, he couldn't do this again-- he tensed, his arms straining against the thick metal that confined him.

Wait-- think logically Batson, don't panic. Not yet. That voice. Focus on that voice.

"Cap?"

That wasn't a part of the visions. That voice wasn't one that had hurt him. It was a voice he knew in his heart would never hurt him. It was one that belonged to his friend, his confidant-- his brother in arms. 

"Vic- Victor?"

Cap's eyes widened. He sounded so close. He'd seen the man once before in this void, he'd been able to snap him out of the nightmarish hell he'd been trapped in, but it looked like he was almost made out of fog. Was he--

A big metallic boot appeared in his field of view.

Warmth bloomed in his chest. His head snapped up, tears beading in the corners of his eyes as a sharp, wheezy breath came from his mouth. A splitting smile appeared on his face as tears threatened to run down his cheeks. Victor kneeled down, a relieved smile on his face. The man's eyes glistened with unshed tears as he looked the demigod over.

"How do you manage to get yourself into this kind of a mess, man?" he asked with a watery chuckle.

Cap shrugged with a roll of his shoulder. He chuckled slightly, grin replacing his splitting smile. "Oh you know, trouble tends to follow me wherever I go," he said, falling into a snarky back and forth that they could have together so easily.

Victor only sighed, a smile on his face as he looked over the chain keeping Cap trapped.

 "Not sure how much help I can be here. Bats, you wanna take a look?" Victor said, looking over the chains. Captain Marvel froze, his muscles locking up as his eyes trailed to follow where Victor had looked.

The sight of the League, watching him with various degrees of worry, made him pause, only for something to click in his brain and the group . to suddenly be shrouded in darkness and an evil glow. Their faces of concern twisted and morphed into ones of malice and crooked glee, making Cap tremble.

"No- no no no-" he said, his eyes wide as he attempted to scramble backward. "Not again- NO!" he said in a panic, tugging harshly on the chains and making them dig into his skin. Where there had been scabbing skin now there was fresh blood, oozing around the metal and dripping onto the floor as the demigod panicked.

"Whoa, whoa, Cap, calm down!" Victor said, holding out his arms in an attempt to placate the man. 

"NO- NO MORE- PLEASE- I DIDN'T-  I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING- PLEASE!" Marvel yelled, pure terror in his now glowing, slime-green eyes as he continued to try and get as far away from the League as he could. 

Darkness surrounded the heroes, and though they didn't move, Cap couldn't seem to get away. He could have sworn he heard Barry cackle, dragging his thumb across his neck, as Batman pulled out a blood-stained Batarang and grinned maliciously at him.

Superman took a step forward, his eyes glowing red and fists clenched at his side. "Captain, what's wrong?" it almost sounded like there was concern in his voice, but no, that couldn't be it, Superman was trying to kill him, he wouldn't be sympathetic towards him.

The Captain was trembling on the ground, his chains keeping him locked in place as he just stared at the group in fear. 

A sudden warmth washed over him, causing him to glance around in confusion. He suddenly saw Victor, who almost seemed more blue than usual, kneeling beside him with his hand on his shoulder.

Concern was etched into his features as he stared into Captain Marvel's eyes. "Cap. It's okay. Whatever it is that you're seeing, it's not real. None of it is real. I'm here, and I'm not leaving your side, okay?" he said, stepping in front of Cap's view of the other heroes. 

"I don't know what you're seeing, what this place is doing to you, but you gotta believe me. They won't hurt you. You trust me, don't you?"

Marvel was still shaking like a leaf, but he nodded slowly. 

Victor smiled. "Alright. I swear, they won't hurt you. Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real. I swear, I won't let anything happen to ya."

He nodded again, letting out a shaky breath before turning his eyes back towards the villainous-looking league. Barry was in front of him in an instant, grinning at him with wide eyes and blood-stained teeth. "We'd never hurt ya, Cap," he said, his voice betraying the maniacal gleam in his eyes. It sounded like Barry- normal Barry, the Barry that pulled pranks with him, the Barry that once challenged him to an eating contest, not the Barry that had laughed as he sucked the life from him. 

Cap flinched as the speedster reached out a hand towards him, shutting his eyes tightly before a warm hand was placed against his forearm. There was a spark inside his chest before warmth bloomed there. He opened an eye experimentally, finding the mania of his frame gone, the blue of his eyes no longer muted and crazed. He looked like normal- like the Flash he'd always known.

"Barry..." Marvel breathed, aa small smile appearing on his face. "I'm- I'm sorry..."

Flash shook his head, dropping his gloved hand. "Don't be, man. Your eyes are a poison-ivy type of green right now. There's no telling what's going on inside your head."

"I mean technically we are, aren't we?" Hal said, landing next to Barry,  only to get an eye roll from the speedster. His voice sounded normal, but he still looked like he'd snap at any moment and crush the Captain like a bug. Victor grabbed the man's hand and placed it against Cap's shoulder, another spark shooting through him before the villainous exterior melted to a normal-looking Hal.

"Contact. Maybe that's what's going on here," Victor said, glancing back towards the group as Hal drew his hand back. Zatanna walked over, her boots clicking on the void that somehow chose to act as a tile floor now. 

"Cap?" she said, getting down to sit on her knees. She put her hand on his knee, a spark coursing through Cap's chest again before her dark exterior melted away as well.

"Zatanna..."

She smiled softly, her head tilting slightly. She glanced down at the chains around his wrists, along with the blood that stained them, and tsked. "A bit reckless of you, Cap. Why aren't you healing?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing together. 

He simply rolled his shoulders in a shrug and shook his head. "I haven't been able to figure it out. I think it might be..."  He trailed off and shook his head. "Uh, nevermind. What do you think it is?" 

Zatanna's shoulders dropped slightly. "You sounded like you had an idea. What is it?" 

A light seemed to flicker in the demigod's eyes. "Oh, uh, w-well, I think its cause of the chains...actually..." he said, trailing off. 

The magician nodded. "Yea, that's what I was thinking. Doesn't look like there's a way to magically get them off though."

Captain Marvel shook his head in response. "No, I've tried just about everything I know. Con- Uh, a friend of mine taught me a ton of different spells to use for getting out of things like this, but none of them are working." He turned his wrists over. "Wait, that wasn't there before..." he muttered, staring down at a keyhole.

"Maybe I can do something about that," Batman said, taking a step closer. This only caused Captain Marvel to tense though, and attempt to back up. The closer he got, the more the blood on his suit was pronounced. it glinted in the light, dripping from his claws and smeared across the man's chin.

"No- n-no, please, ple-please don't come any closer-" Cap said, averting his eyes and trying to scoot back. Batman stopped in his tracks. "Please..." Cap whispered.

"Captain, I won't hurt you."

"P-please, Batman." 

"You're not thinking clearly."

"You don't know what you look like!" he yelled, eyes wide and bright, glowing green as he stared at the Dark Knight in terror. "Please- please don't come any closer..." 

Batman sighed. "Fine. How do you expect to get out of those then?"

Cap shook his head.

"What if you transformed? Maybe you could slip your hands through," Cyborg said suddenly, gaining the demigod's attention. His eyes darted to the rest of the heroes before landing back on Victor.

"I- I can't."

"What?"

"I can't change back. I've already tried. Something- something's blocking me, or something, I dunno. I just- I can't." 

Victor ran a hand over his face before dropping it and looking into Captain Marvel's eyes. "Okay, I uh- well, Batman's probably the only one out of all of us that can get you out of that. B, you gotta give him a chance."

He only shook his head in response. "No- no I can't."

"You're scared. I get it. Talk through it." Batman said suddenly, crouching down so that he was at eye-level with the sitting demigod. Blood dripped off the edges of his gloves, making the man swallow thickly. "Tell me what you see. Explaining it out loud can help you rationalize and get through the fear."

Cap nodded slowly, not daring to meet the Dark Knight's crimson eyes. "I'll try."

- - - 

Chapter Text

Cap nodded slowly, not daring to meet the Dark Knight's crimson eyes. "I'll try."

- - -

 Captain Marvel swallowed thickly, glancing towards Victor. "Just- just say what I see?" he asked, glancing back towards Batman and watching as a drop of blood fell from its claws. It splattered onto the ground and he swallowed thickly.

Batman nodded once in reply. 

"Ok-okay-"  he met the Dark Knight's eyes. "Your...your eyes are red. Like- like blood," he said, his large frame shaking as Batman remained where he was-- a few feet away from the demigod. "And your- your gloves...they don't look like them. They're claws, big- big, sharp claws." he continued, swallowing thickly.

"That doesn't sound any worse than the demons I know you've faced before, Captain," Batman said, his eyes narrowed in thought. "There's something you're not telling me."

Marvel dropped his gaze once more. "I...I can't get it out of my head."

Bruce glanced at Victor.

"Countless times I've seen- seen you, all of you, c-coming for me- coming after me. I- I- I couldn't get away, the chains- c-couldn't- I couldn't-" he shut his eyes tightly. "I can still feel the razor-like edges of your gloves tearing into my throat- I couldn't- couldn't breathe- couldn't think-" his eyes clenched shut even tighter.

"...I'm sorry..." he breathed.

Batman's shoulders fell. He let out a small puff of air, glancing back at Diana and Clark before looking back at Marvel. "Sounds like a nightmare on loop. I know the feeling."

Captain Marvel opened his eyes and risked a glance up.

"Listen, I can fix this. Fix whatever it is that's inside your head or your body that's causing this hallucination. But you have to trust me."

Marvel began to shake his head.  "I- I- I can't- I can't, not- not when you- you-" he swallowed, tugging against the chains.

Batman swallowed, taking a seat on the floor. "We'll go slow then. Inch by inch. Whatever amount of time it takes, we can wait." he said, trying to get the man to look at him. "I'm your teammate, Captain. I won't hurt you."

The blood that had been at an almost endless drip, clinging to the Dark Knight's claws, seemed to suddenly stop. Cap glanced down at what should have been a red puddle, only to find nothing. When he looked back up at Batman, the shadows didn't seem to try and swallow him whole.

"I..." he said slowly, looking the man over. "I believe you."

He could trust Batman. He had trusted him with his life plenty of times, and he had yet to let him down. This wasn't someone he should fear, wasn't someone that would try and hurt him. Marvel blinked hard, taking a steadying breath before holding out his own slightly bloodied hand.

"I believe you, Batman."

He felt a hand grab his and when he looked at the man's face, the blood that had stained it in a messy streak was gone. His suit was no longer a void-colored black, but something warmer and silkier. Grey bits stuck out in the light, and the man's eyes were no longer crimson. It was a Dark Knight he recognized, one that made his chest bloom with relief.

"Oh thank the Gods..." he muttered, throwing his head back and plopping down onto the floor like a teenager who just found out he wasn't going to be grounded for something major he did. He sat up abruptly, glancing at Batman with a small, familiar smile. "Okay, what do you got that can get me out of this?" he asked, holding out his still bloody wrists.

He glanced down aat them and winced. "Sorry- ignore that if you can," he said, glancing at the Dark Knight's eyes before averting them. 

Batman made a noise of acknowledgment, letting Cap's wrists rest in one of his hands while the other pulled something out of his cape. He started tinkering with the lock on the chains, his face the picture of concentration. Cap let him work, staying quiet and glancing towards Superman and Wonder Woman.

They must have deemed it safe to approach and were walking towards him. He tried not to panic, really he did, but he couldn't help his body tensing up at the sight of them. He dropped his gaze and shut his eyes tightly, ducking his head in fear. He didn't see Clark stopping in his tracks and putting an arm out to stop Diana.

Batman grunted in what Captain Marvel could only assume to be frustration, before setting Marvel's hands in his lap. "Nothing I do works. It's probably magic. You said you tried everything?"

Cap nodded, still shaking. "Y-yes, but that keyhole wasn't there before, and my magic, it- its weak."

Batman furrowed his brow in thought. He glanced at Superman and Wonder Woman, then to the others around him, and finally to the Captain himself. "Captain, I want you to try something," he said, standing up.

Cap opened his eyes, being careful not to look at the Man of Steel and the Amazonian. "Yea?" he asked nervously. 

"I need you to let Wonder Woman get close to you. I need you to trust her."

He glanced at Diana, trying to push back the thought of her choking him with the lasso, of her sword piercing his heart, of her cruel laugh of victory as she defeated him. He swallowed thickly. "Just- just do it," he said, holding out his wrists and shutting his eyes tightly. Panic was making his frame shake, but he felt a warm hand grasp his forearm and the knot in his chest loosened. That familiar warmth washed through him and he risked a glance up.

Diana was watching him, concern in her eyes. She had kneeled in front of him, and when he looked into her eyes, she ducked her head. "I apologize, Captain," she said. He wasn't sure why she was apologizing, but he felt in his core if wasn't because of the nightmarish things he'd been seeing.

"It-it's okay."

"Just what I thought," Batman said, bringing the pair out of whatever it was that was flowing between them. Marvel furrowed his brow in confusion.  "Look at your wrists," Bruce continued, causing the demigod to glance down. His wrists weren't bleeding any more. In fact, they seemed perfectly fine, no scabbing, no stains, just untarnished skin.

"I have a theory," Bruce said, crossing his arms over his chest. If he could get the Captain to do this, it might just solve all their problems.

"Mind sharing with the rest of us?" Hal asked, tilting his head slightly.

Batman shot him a glare before turning his attention towards Superman. "You need to let Superman close to you if you want out of those chains, Captain Marvel."

The raven only shook his head, dropping his gaze. "I can't."

"I can't trust him again...not again, no- no I can't..." he breathed, his eyes staring at nothing, not even looking at Clark as his mind seemed to almost take hold of him. He started muttering to himself, his eyes gaining an almost glassy shine to them. 

Bruce narrowed his eyes at the sight. This was different- Cap didn't just fear Superman- there was something else there. He tensed as the Captain's expression twisted, his breathing becoming tight and choked. There had to be something they could do- something that could snap him out of this, right?

"Captain, I need you to try and keep your feet in reality. Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real."

"No please-- let 'm go-" Cap breathed, staring into the void with fear in his eyes.

Bruce glanced towards Clark, who was watching the man with guilt and fear in his eyes. Whatever it was that the Captain was seeing, it couldn't be good. He most likely either couldn't hear them or whatever it was that was influencing him was so strong it made him ignore them.

"Superman," he said, snapping the Kryptonian out of his stupor.  "Touch him. It might bring him out of whatever trance he's in."

"Are you sure? What if it hurts him-"

Marvel cried out in pain, a large, wound appearing in the middle of his stomach. Blood turned his uniform a dark crimson as he wheezed softly. The group was silent as they watched Marvel struggle to stay conscious, his chained hands coming up to grab the open wound.

"BILLY!"

Superman lost whatever was keeping him from moving at Victor's shout, beside the demigod in an instant and grabbing hold of his shoulder. He kept the raven from swaying, his hand tight as Marvel gasped and his eyes cleared. The wound was suddenly gone, leaving a blinking and dazed Marvel.

"Wha?" he said slowly, glancing up at Superman. He tensed, glancing at his shoulder. "I don't understand."

The cuffs around his wrists suddenly fell to the floor, releasing the demigod from his prison. He glanced down at his wrists, clenching and unclenching his fists. The familiar magical lightning began to bounce around his form once more, and it looked like some of the color re-appeared in his face. He smiled, glancing at the heroes. "Thank the Gods..." he breathed, standing up.

"Right- where- oh okay," he said, looking around. There was a shift in his stance, a change in his voice. It felt familiar, but at the same time, it didn't. Bruce realized after a moment that Marvel must have gotten his powers back, or, gotten back whatever haad been missing. They must have been dealing completely with Billy then.

Or, Billy without the guidance of the Gods, that is. He watched as Marvel set his hands on his hips like he usually did, glancing around the void they were in.

"Okay, honestly, I'm not sure how to get out of here. Kl- uh, a friend of mine was working on it, but I'm not sure how long that could take," he said, glancing towards his teammates. He caught sight of Batman studying him but ignored it. He was always studying him. "I- I think we're in my head?  That's what-- my friend said at least, but I'm not exactly sure why."

"It could be your magic's way of protecting you from whatever was in those robots," Zatanna offered, making the demigod smile. She never wanted to talk magic with him-- it was a nice change of pace.

"Well, I guess better my head than anyone else. No telling what would happen to you guys if my magic didn't pretty much radiate off you guys," he said with a chuckle, continuing to look around the void and not notice the stunned or surprized looks of his teammates.

"Oh come on, I think we need to go this way. My gut tells me that this is gonna lead somewhere," he said, taking the lead in what looked like a random direction in the void.

The others shared a look- Cap was being really calm about this. Almost too calm.

- - -

Chapter Text

The others shared a look- Cap was being really calm about this. Almost too calm.

- - -

 Captain Marvel was freaking out. Well, to be more specific, the part of him that was 13 was freaking out, while the part of him that was millennia-old demigod struggled to keep that childish panic from surfacing. So far he was doing well, but he couldn't shake the anxiety that overcame him whenever he looked at the others.

Sure, their images no longer turned monstrous and evil, but the ghosts of the images still remained, flicking into his view when he looked out of the corner of his eye. He just wanted to get out of this void and go home-- there was no telling how long he'd been out, and the Vasquezes were going to start worrying about him, not to mention Freddy and Darla--

"Yo, Cap? You got something on your mind?"

Barry's chipper voice pulled the raven out of his thoughts. "Huh?" he asked before his brain caught up with him. "Oh, uh, sorry, just thinking about a way to get out of here."

The blonde nodded, walking alongside him. "You sure that's it?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "I mean, you kinda went through a lot back there."

"I'm- I'm fine," Marvel replied, letting out a shaky breath. Of course, he was fine- he had to be fine. He couldn't lose his cool now, not in front of the others. He still didn't know if they knew his secret, and if they did, he was sure as Tartarus not gonna give them a reason to doubt him.

Besides, he could always meltdown in front of Darla and Freddy later if it came to that.

"Alright..." Barry said after a moment, his tone betraying his words. "If you're sure."

The speedster fell back to walk with the rest of the group, only for Victor to take his place. He really hoped they weren't taking turns trying to figure him out. He glanced at the former quarterback and gave him a half-hearted smile. "I know, I'm doing a terrible job."

"Of what?" Victor asked with a slight smirk as they walked.

"Of making it look like that whole thing was no big deal."

"Well...was it?"

"..."

Victor nodded, nudging the slightly larger man as they continued to head into the void. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked casually.

"Later."

Vic nodded, keeping his stride in time with the demigod's. "Where are we going, by the way?"

"No clue- this is just the direction my gut is telling me to go," Cap replied. Victor rolled his eyes at that, shaking his head with a small smile.

"Come on, man, you know I hate gut feelings. Hell, I'd take something like 'your magic is telling you where to go' at this point. Your gut, in particular, has a habit of getting you into trouble," he said, poking Marvel's arm.

Now it was Captain Marvel's turn to shake his head. "Can't help it if I show up where I'm needed most," he said with a smirk, only to get another eye-roll from the cyborg. "What! It's true."

Marvel's smile suddenly stopped, his foot pausing as he froze. He narrowed his eyes at the sound of a faint buzzing, looking around in confusion. "What is that..." he muttered, glancing towards Superman and pushing down the turning of his stomach at the sight of the Kryptonian.

"Superman, do you hear that?"

The man nodded, looking around with determined confusion.

"What is it?" Victor asked, looking around.

Cap simply shook his head, tensing as the void rumbled. He clenched his fists in preparation for a fight, sinking into a fighting stance. The void rumbled, rippled, before it suddenly tore like paper, revealing a red light. Marvel blinked, aggression in his stance being replaced with confusion.

Before anyone could move, a small, ginger cat with bright red spines on its back leapt out of the red light, landing on the void gracefully and looking around. It locked eyes with Marvel and meowed, making the man smile and squat down. "Teekl!" he said happily as the cat ran over to him.

"Wait, where's-" he paused, looking towards the portal. "Oh, I get it-" he said, picking up the familiar. "Look, I know this doesn't make any sense, but we need to go through this to get out," he said, petting teekl gently.  

Victor nodded. "Alright, lead the way."

"Wait, really?" Cap said, glancing around. No one was objecting. "I kinda expected more of a fuss, to be honest..." he mumbled, taking a hand off teekl and rubbing the back of his neck. "But uh- right. Okay, let's get out of here." 

The demigod turned, trying to keep the thought of just why the group could be so willing to follow him blindly like this, and walked through the portal. Light enveloped his vision, making him shut his eyes in response. When he opened them, he found himself laying on a medical bed-- in the meeting room?

He tried to move but found his arms to be too heavy, his mind still playing catch up with the rest of him probably. "W-Wha..." he breathed, squinting at the bright lights of the conference room. A figure appeared overhead, blocking out some of the light.

"Well, it's about time, you dunderhead. I can only do so much from this side, and I thought you'd never get out of those stupid chains."

Ah, right. Klarion. Wait, Klarion?

"Give him a break, kid. Poor bloke's been out cold for four days."

Wait, John was here too?

Cap remembered something vague about the blonde magician helping Klarion with something that had to do with his head, but everything was too fuzzy to remember clearly. Why was he on a cot in one of the League's meeting rooms? 

"...Wha happen..." he slurred, trying to open his eyes more.

"You gave us a bloody good scare is what you did, mate. Klarion comes burstin' into the House of Mystery, rantin' about you and how some evil bastard managed to trap you in your own head, and the next thing I know I'm spendin' every wakin' minute with this one gabbin' my ears off." John said, jabbing a thumb towards Klarion as Teekl leaped up into his arms.

"My head...?" he asked, furrowing his brow. Wait--

The void. The League. Solomon.

"I'm a dead man..." he muttered, shutting his eyes again. "There's-" he winced. "There's no way that Solomon didn't take this chance to show the League every little thing he's tried to convince me to tell them. I'm sure of it- they- they know, they gotta know- I'm dead."

"Slow down there, kid, you don' know what they know. No sense in sendin' yourself into a tizzy frettin' over things that ain't for certain," John said, shoving his hands into his trenchcoat pockets.

"Oh they know," Klarion said casually, stroking his familiar gently.

The pair looked at him with withering glares.

"What! I'm trying to be more truthful."

"It's a bad look on you..." Cap muttered, sitting up slowly (with the help of John, thank you very much) and grabbing his head. "My head is pounding. Feels like I got run over by a bus driven by like, the Joker or someone."

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat there a moment, gathering himself. "Wait, where are the others?" he asked, looking around. "Shouldn't they be here? I thought you sent them into my head from here," he said, glancing towards the witch boy.

"I did- but I sent them across the satellite when you all decided to join the real world again. Thought you might want a minute to compose yourself before they inevitably started yelling at you," Klarion said with a smirk. Cap rolled his eyes with a small smile-- it was Klarion's own special way of showing he cared. He wasn't very good verbally yet, but his actions often showed what he truly meant.

"Right- thanks," Marvel replied sarcastically. 

"We can always just vanish and take you with us before they get here, mate. Leave this for another day," Constantine offered, taking a hand out and putting an unlit cigarette between his lips.

The demigod shook his head. "Honestly, I want to. I want to more than anything right now. But if they know the truth about me, it'll only make me look immature. Like I can't face my problems head-on." He ran a hand through his hair. "You two go- I can handle this."

"Are you sure, stink-brain?" Klarion asked, tilting his head slightly in question.

Cap nodded in response. "Positive. Now go on, I'm sure you got chaos to reap and John's got a martini to down." The brit looked offended.

"Martini? Honestly, kid, you don't know me at all," he said with a smirk, pulling out a metal flask and taking a swig before stepping through a glowing golden portal. Klarion followed suit, meeting Captain Marvel's eyes one more time before vanishing right behind the magician.

The portal closed behind them, leaving Marvel to sit on the cot and stare at open-air as the meeting room doors opened.

 - - -

Chapter Text

The portal closed behind them, leaving Marvel to sit on the cot and stare at open-air as the meeting room doors opened.

- - -

 Captain Marvel glanced towards the door, sliding off the medicinal bed and landing on his feet. He swayed for a moment before steadying himself on the table's edge. The room felt like it was spinning-- why was this still affecting him? Maybe- maybe it was some lasting effect?

He hoped it would fade- he didn't like the faces he was getting from the rest of the League. 

Victor was at his side moments after stepping through the door, a steadying hand bracing his arm. He helped the demigod lean against the cot. "Take it easy- take it easy. There's no way you could recover from something like that so quickly."

"I'm- im- i'm- i'm fine-" he stammered, shutting his eyes for a moment and relying completely on Victor to keep him standing before opening them once more. "I'll be fine. Always am," he said, glancing around.

"So-" Captain Marvel continued, ignoring the dizziness in his head. "You know."

The room was quiet. Too quiet for Marvel's liking-- quiet meant tension and tension was something that had never worked out well for him. He glanced around-- everyone had a different expression on their face. If he hadn't been sure before, he was now.

"Right," he continued, pushing off the cot clumsily. "I'll uh- I'll pack my stuff," he said, glancing at Victor. "Some help?"

"Whoa, whoa, Cap, slow down, let's- let's take things slow, alright?" Victor tried to say, glancing at the others before looking back at the raven. "No one's even said anyth-"

"They don't have to, Vic."

Marvel pulled his arm from the cyborg's grip. "No one has to say anything. I- I- I know. I did something shitty. I did something that can't be forgiven. I don't know what you guys saw in there, but I know its more than enough for everyone to know who I really am," he said, his voice wavering at the end.

He swallowed thickly, blinking back a glisten in his eyes. "I'll go. I'll go so that no one has to make the decision for me."

"Cap-"

Marvel growled at the man. "Victor, just- just stop! Let me- let me make some kind of choice in this, okay?! I didn't get the choice to tell everyone who I am, let me make some kind of decision for myself for once."

The demigod couldn't force back the tears that had started to well in the corners of his eyes. "Please."

Victor stayed quiet-- as did the rest of the group. 

The Captain drew in a shaky breath before releasing it. "Right..." he muttered, turning and walking out the door without another word. He paused in the doorway, only to grab its frame and sway slightly, taking another deep breath in before continuing out.

There was a beat of silence before someone spoke. "This- this isn't happening, right? We are going after him, right?" Flash asked, looking around. "Come on- this- this doesn't change anything. Even if it had when we first found out, I- I think we've seen more than enough to say that Cap is more than qualified to be here, to be one of us." 

The blonde glanced at the big three.

"Well, I'll be damned if Cap leaves this damn satellite thinking my opinion's changed of him. Come on, Hal."

He grabbed hold of the emerald-clad man and sped out of the room without another word.

Victor followed suit.

"Were you going to kick him out?" Zatanna asked, looking at the trio of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

"He is a warrior- he has a fighting spirit. I've seen more than enough to trust him with my life. I can't, in good conscience, 'toss him to the wolves' as it were," Diana said, meeting the magician's eyes. "Even if he is just a child, he has the potential to grow and learn from us, learn from the world."

"I'm with Diana- Robin started when he was only a few years older, after all. Bil- Captain Marvel has proven himself to be more than capable of handling the kind of things the League faces," Batman chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest.

They turned towards Superman. The Kryptonian was staring at where the Captain had been. "He's right..." he muttered, before coming out of his staring contest with the wall and glancing toward Bruce and Diana.  "He- he didn't get the choice to tell us. I may be against kids being superheroes, but- regardless, he should have gotten the chance to tell us himself. Everyone else-" he swallowed.

"Everyone else got the chance to. It's his secret identity and he didn't."

"Then what's the plan?" Zatanna asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Follow Flash's lead," Superman replied, glancing towards her. "And get Marvel to stay."

- - -

 Captain Marvel managed to get to his private quarters after multiple missteps and nearly stepping into Green Arrow's room. He pushed open the door and winced at the dizziness in his head. Maybe he could do some kind of healing spell to get whatever this was out of his system faster. 

He glanced around his room- thankful for Dinah's demand that they be customizable in order to 'maximize recovery' while the heroes were in theirs. Cap was pretty sure she just really really hated the beige walls that they had been beforehand, but he wasn't complaining.

He and Cyborg had worked to make sure that his room was shockproof- the ceiling was a rubberized plastic material, the walls similar. They were painted a bright red, with one being yellow (Victor's idea) and had, if he had to guess, the most soft-textured things of all the rooms scattered about.

Since the computer could be programmed to put just about anything in the room, Cap had long since gotten rid of the bed and replaced it with what looked like a giant nest of pillows and blankets that took up an entire corner. It was more organized than if it were made by hand, with a fluffy, smooth texture that gave it the look of a fleece-covered beanbag.

There were actual beanbags, of course, thrown haphazardly about the room. They ranged from red to blue to one that had a batman print on it-- a joke from Nightwing after discovering what he had deemed 'Cap's Comfort Cave'. 

He turned his attention on what he was really here for, though, glancing at shelves that extended from the walls. While he mainly used this place to recuperate after way-too-long missions, he also used this place as a secure location to put some of his more personal items or souvenirs that would get him questioned by Rosa and Victor. 

Captain Marvel made a gesture with his hands, curling his fingers before a golden-trimmed portal opened mid-air. He could store his things in a pocket dimension until he found a more permanent place- maybe John would let him store something in one of the House of Mystery's unused rooms?

Gods know there were plenty of them.

He pulled a souvenir off the shelf, a trinket really, and turned it over in his hands. It was something from his first mission as an official Justice League member-- a stuffed bunny toy he'd gotten from a little girl he'd pulled from some rubble. The once plush and vibrant fabric was faded, a seam on the side was torn. The old toy had been loved, it was easy to see, and although it was an essentially useless item, Cap treasured it.

He turned the object over in his hands, a small smile gracing his lips. He could still remember the girl's tight grip wrapping around his neck- she had only been two or three years younger than him at the time, but it was something that had reassured him that he was doing the right thing.

"You don't seem like the bunny type."

The voice came from behind him and made him flinch, his grip tightening on the plush before his head whipped around to stare at Barry and Hal. He glanced down at the stuffed animal before looking back at the pair. "I'm- I'm not," he said, tossing it into the portal.

"More of a tiger guy, really," he said with a roll of his shoulder. 

"So...what are you guys doing here?" Marvel asked, tilting his head slightly. Victor appeared behind the blond and brunet after a moment, watching him from the doorway. He turned his attention away from them- he kinda wanted to be out of there as fast as possible. Whatever they wanted to tell him they could tell him while he packed.

He reached for a small Flash figurine on an upper shelf, only to watch it vanish in a red blur. Cap sighed, rolling his eyes and keeping a small smile from appearing on his face as he turned around. Flashwasholding the figurine of himself and was watching him closely.

"You kept this?" he asked, glancing down at the toy and turning it over in his hand. The speedster had given it to him as a welcoming gift, a joke that made Cap feel like he was just one of the guys when he first started.

Cap met the blonde's eyes. " 'Course. It was a gift."

Flash smirked at him, nodding slowly. "Look," he started, tossing the figurine back to the demigod. "I get that you want to make this decision on your own, but I for one don't want you to go anywhere," he said, crossing his arms. "I mean- so what, you're 13. Wally's 15 and he's a fine hero."

Cap's shoulders dropped. "You don't have to act like this doesn't change things," he said, dropping the toy into the portal. "I know, I get that its- its weird for you guys...to...to treat me like an adult after finding out what I really am."

"Have you met Barry? This bastard's a horrible actor," Hal said, setting his hands on his hips. "The guy talks so fast his brain can hardly keep up."

Flash socked him in the arm with a glare. "He's not wrong, though. I'm not- not acting. For me at least, this doesn't change anything. You're still the same guy- we just now have an explanation for how you act sometimes-"

"Yea, still no explanation for why you act like a kid though," Hal said with a roll of his eyes.

Victor elbowed him in the side. "Ow- Barry's right though," he glared at Victor. "This doesn't change anything. Who cares what Big Blue or Spooky think. You're as much of a hero in your own right as any of them."

"Dude, you're practically a demigod. With or without the League, you're badass," Victor said, stepping between the two. He slung an arm around Cap's shoulder. "Nothing changed between you and me when I found out, right?" 

Cap shook his head.

"Nothing has to change with anyone else, either," he continued. "We're still your teammates, still your friends. "You can't be kicked out without a majority vote, but honestly, I'm sure it won't even come to that, man."

"You can't be sure of that, Vic-"

"I can, and I am, B."

The raven tossed another trinket into the portal. "And what if you're wrong? What if, if Superman and Wonder Woman and Batman think I'm not ready for this, or, or, they think I suddenly need training wheels or something? I can't stay here if all they see is some street kid who can't handle what it takes to be in the big leagues."

"Well, it's a good thing that's not all we see, then."

Marvel, along with the rest of the people in the room, turned their attention towards the doorway-- where the Big Three are standing. Cap's heart skipped a beat- how much did they hear of that?

"Captain, I'd like to--  we all would like to apologize," Diana said, casting her gaze down before meeting his eyes.

He gave the Amazonian a confused look in return. "You didn't do anyth-"

She held up a hand, effectively silencing him. "We did, though. We made you believe, through our actions, that you would not be welcome here should we know the truth about you."

"Not only that, I feel like we made you think you couldn't trust us. I know, I get that your secret identity is a big deal, it's something that could turn your whole life upside down were you to tell the wrong person."  Clark said, rubbing the back of his neck. "And while I- I may be on the fence when it comes to kids being superheroes, you are kind of an exception to that."

Bruce made a small noise before shaking his head. "Don't get it into your head that we're pitying you. We're not. I'm not. Captain, you have proven yourself time and time again that you are worthy of being one of us. Your age has nothing to do with your ability to know what is right and to act out against what you know is wrong."  He glanced at Superman. "We're sorry. We never meant to make you think you couldn't talk to us as your friends."

"Yes- We are your teammates, your brothers and sisters in arms," Diana added.

"You don't have to go anywhere, Billy. The League is open for you, should you choose to stay,"  Clark said with a small, hopeful smile. 

Cap honestly didn't know what to say. He blinked, swallowing thickly as he looked for his words. It felt like his brain was swimming through molasses as he tried to figure everything out. They weren't going to kick him out- they- they thought of him as a friend-  He was this close to blue-screening when Victor nudged his shoulder.

"Say something, man."

"I- I- uh-" he shook his head, his words growing watery. "Th-thank you."

"Come on- let's pull your stuff out of whatever the hell that scary thing is and put 'em back," Flash said with a grin. "Well, that is, if you plan on staying...?" he muttered after a jab to the side from Hal.

Cap grinned.

"Hell yeah, I'm staying."

- - -

After the whole mind debacle, things went generally back to normal. He and Flash still pranked Hal, and rna for their lives when Hal sought out revenge. He still hung out with Victor, the pair going so far as to make a new game they called 'Superhuman Death Ball',  which they frequently got others on the League in on.

Billy spent time with his brother and sister, telling them about the League and the missions they went on, and even arranged for Freddy to meet Superman- and boy, did that boy faint in a hurry. 

All in all- things were good. He wasn't sure why he'd been nervous about telling the League who he was in the first place- some things were the same, but others were different. A good different. He could bring his math homework to Bruce, and the man would help him without a second thought. If he was caught up in family or school, he didn't have to lie or make up an excuse.

Currently, he was sitting on the edge of a roof overlooking Fawcett, something he did way too often. He shook his head at the fear he'd had at telling them, silently thanking Solomon for being as bull-headed as he was. What felt like a thump on the inside of his head made him chuckle. "Yea yea yea, I know, wisdom and all that..." he mumbled, shaking his head.

"You realize you sound bonkers when you talk to yourself out of nowhere like that, right?" Klarion asked, leaning back against a pole on the roof's edge. The raven had almost forgotten that the witch boy was there- too lost in his own thoughts.

"Maybe I am bonkers. You don't know," Billy smirked back at him.

The blue-skinned boy rolled his eyes, leaning back on his arms. "I could still wipe their minds, you know," he said off-handedly, glancing towards the 13-year-old. "It'd be easy peasy."

Billy raised an unimpressed eyebrow, shaking his head at him. "No need, Klar. I like where things are- I like how this whole mess turned out."

"We still don't know just who trapped you in your own mind, though."

Billy's shoulders sagged slightly.  "I mean you're right about that, but Batman and me have been looking into it. Whoever did it had a clear target, me, in mind. They made the robots that I fought target me specifically. I just don't know why."

"We'll figure it out, I have no doubts about that."

"Yea..." Billy glanced down at the Green Lantern themed watch Hal had given him. "Oh shoot- I gotta go, Constantine's expecting me to help him move some stuff around the House of Mystery."

"Maybe I scould tag along sometime," Klarion said with a mischevious grin.

"Klar- I trust you with my life, but I do not trust you with the countless magical items in the House of Mystery."

"Fair enough."

"Gotta go, see ya!" Billy said, running to the edge of the roof and taking a leap off. Wind rushed past his ears as he fell, a laugh bubbling up from his throat as electricity sparked in his eyes and coursed through his body like a bullet train.

- - -