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Superman walked into the room, letting his natural alpha presence command the room. He gestured to the person beside him. “Everyone, welcome our new member, Captain Marvel.”
The red and lightning bolt clad man (who was not a flash) waved. “Hi, guys! It’s nice to meet you.” The man had a wide smile on his face as he looked at Superman. Batman understood being starstruck, but really. The captain was a hero too. He shouldn’t be so awestruck by the man dressed like a toddler’s paint palette.
Diana stood to greet him, shaking his hand. “Welcome, Captain. It’s good to have you.” Her deep alpha rumble filled the room.
Similar words of welcome came from the other betas and alphas in the room. Batman stayed silent, except for a grumble.
The new member sat two seats down from Batman as the team began discussing what it meant to be a member of the Justice League. Bruce sniffed. Did Captain Marvel have a kid? He had the distinctive lingering scent that pups usually carried. Batman shrugged it off. Who cares if the man had kids. It was none of Bruce’s business.
As the meeting went on however, Bruce’s RBF turned into a genuine frown. Captain Marvel was… immature. Bruce subtly leaned closer and breathed deeply, much to the offence of Hal who sat between him and the newest member.
“Something wrong, Spooky?”
Batman glared at him but said nothing.
It was odd. The milky scent of pup hadn’t dissipated at all. Even if Marvel had just scented his pup before coming to the meeting, he shouldn’t have smelled so strongly.
It wasn’t surprising that the other members of the League hadn’t noticed. Alphas and betas weren’t as instinctively drawn to sniff out pups. They cared for their own, not the pups of others. Omegas however, were genetically programmed to be nurturing, and they would help any pup in need. As evidenced by Bruce’s menagerie of children.
The scent set Bruce on edge. The pup didn’t smell distressed. In fact, it smelled happy and excited. But there shouldn’t have been the scent of a pup here at all.
Bruce glanced over to Captain Marvel, who was now gesturing enthusiastically while telling a nearly nonsensical story.
Hmm…
Throughout the rest of the meeting, Bruce kept a careful eye on the newest recruit. The pup smell never went away. At the end of the meeting, instead of sticking around and working on more things, like Batman usually did, Bruce followed Captain Marvel out to the Zeta tubes.
The supposed man looked at him. “Er. Hello, Batman.” He shuffled his feet like a nervous child.
Batman spoke lowly. “How old are you,” he growled.
Marvel’s head snapped up. “Uh… I’m not supposed to tell you that. I mean, secret identity and all.”
Batman narrowed his eyes. “Uh huh. Why do you smell like a pup?”
The pup’s eyes widened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m an adult. You must be smelling something else…”
Bruce stepped closer. “Cut it out, kid. I know you’re only a pup. How did you get like this?” He gestured to Captain Marvel’s impressive, distinctly adult, physique.
The captain looked around before sighing. “I didn’t mean to lie. I just want to help.”
Bruce relaxed a little. “I believe you kid, but that doesn’t answer my question.”
“Uh.” Marvel looked around, checking for eavesdroppers. He leaned in close to Batman’s cowl, cupping a hand at the side of his mouth in a cartoonishly exaggerated whisper. “I can show you. Just not here.”
Batman nodded and gestured to the Zeta tubes. “Lead the way then.”
***
Bruce blinked. Captain Marvel was tiny. He wasn’t even a teenager. “How old are you?” he demanded. “Where are your parents?”
The young boy wrung his hands nervously. “Um… I’m an orphan. But my fosters live a couple blocks away. And I’m ten.”
Bruce’s heart stuttered. No more pups, he had told himself. “What’s your name? Would you be comfortable telling me that?”
The boy shrugged. “I guess… I mean, you're Batman. It’s not like you’re gonna blackmail me, right?” Bruce nodded in response, and Captain Marvel steeled himself, standing up straight and looking Batman in the eye. “My name is Billy Batson.”
Bruce’s eye twitched. “Did you say Batson?”
Billy nodded. “Mhmm.”
“I’m adopting you; let’s go.”
Bruce grabbed Billy’s hand and typed the password for the batcave into the Zeta tube.
“Wha—?”
Billy couldn’t get another word in before his pack omega brought him home to his new nest.