From the Shadows

by Wolfsbanesparks

Summary:

All Billy Batson wanted was to survive a particularly rough week living on the streets of Fawcett City. The last thing he was looking for was a new family.

All Bruce Wayne wanted was to learn a bit more about his upbeat teammate under the guise of official Wayne Enterprises business. But he could never turn his back on a child in need. Especially one as surrounded by mystery as Billy.

OR

Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy.

Notes:

Happy Pride month y'all!

As you can see in the tags, this is a story in which Billy is transgender. While his gender isn't the main focus of this story, it is an important part of his character. I just thought we could use more badass trans characters who get to be heroes

This is my first long form fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy!

This first chapter is mostly a prologue, but the majority of this story has already been written so expect regular updates!

Chapter 1

Billy was running.

He felt as if he had been running his whole life--running from bullies, from foster homes, from social services and even the police. It seemed to him, in all his newly twelve year old wisdom, that the only thing he ever ran towards was more trouble. Sometimes that was on purpose since despite all appearances he was a world renowned superhero with the Justice League. But most of the time, when he was just plain old Billy Batson and not the World’s Mightiest Mortal, it was just bad luck. Like right now.

Right now he was running from the enraged owner of a local corner store.

“Get back here you little punk!” He bellowed. “That kid’s a thief!”.

Billy spared a glance behind him and saw that the man was gaining on him and fast. His face was red and blotchy with anger. His long legs allowed him to catch up while his shouts made people clear a path for him. His accusations had caused everyone on the street to stop and take notice. Billy’s dirty red hoodie and sun bleached backpack may as well have been neon signs saying “THAT’S HIM! THAT’S THE THIEF".

Billy swore under his breath using language he knew for a fact would make Superman blush if he heard him. If he didn’t figure something out soon he would probably spend the rest of the day in handcuffs and he would be sent to a new foster home by morning. Or juvie. Because the man chasing him was definitely going to be pressing charges.

With one last quick glance behind him, Billy made a sharp turn into an alleyway. He quickly raced to the next street over, no real destination in mind except away. He silently prayed as he ran to any of his gods who would listen. Mercury was the god that gave him his speed as a hero so Billy put extra emphasis on praying to him. After all if Billy remembered correctly the guy was also the god of thieves which was unfortunately pretty relevant right about now.

It was hard to say if it was the gods answering his prayers or if it was just his experience running from people through the back alleys of Fawcett City coming in handy. Either way Billy eventually managed to lose his pursuer. It took several detours and a one-way trip downtown on the subway just to be sure no one was following him. Still he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him, following him. But it was probably just the unfortunate side effect of being chased all afternoon. Billy couldn’t help but feel as if Batman’s paranoia was rubbing off on him. He could practically hear the Dark Knight growling at him ‘you need to always be vigilant, Marvel. Many villains would be eager to take advantage of your negligence.'

Bad feeling or not, Billy knew he had to find his way back to his current home before it got too late. For the past couple of weeks he had been staying in an abandoned apartment building just a couple blocks from his favorite park. The condemned sign on the fence outside kept more intruders out than the fence itself which was rusty and broken in several places, including the hole Billy himself had made to sneak in easier. Billy wasn’t sure why the building was condemned, but between the rats, the graffiti, and the accumulated trash he felt pretty sure it had been that way for a long time.

Billy all but threw himself at the dirty, bare mattress that served as the only real furniture in the apartment he claimed as his own. His legs ached and he was still breathing hard from his run through the city. He clutched his backpack to his chest to remind himself that it had been worth it. Unzipping it, he looked over the contents of the bag: a handful of granola bars, two bottles of water, one bag of chips, and some minty gum. All together it cost maybe ten bucks. But it was ten bucks Billy didn’t have. Being a superhero didn’t exactly pay well. Or at all. And there were only so many people who would pay a clearly homeless twelve year old to do chores for them without calling CPS.

Billy felt the swell of victory in his chest slowly fade and with it his usually cheerful smile also dimmed. With a sigh he unwrapped one of the granola bars. He would have to make this work for at least a few days until he can make enough cash for something else. He definitely couldn’t pull another stunt like today no matter how broke he was. He didn’t need the complications of being a superhero and a teenage delinquent at the same time. Well preteen. Either way it was a bad idea. Billy swore he would never risk it again.

He knew even as he thought it that it was probably not true.

Now that the adrenaline had worn off, the shame began to set in. As it always did.

Logically he knew that he needed food to survive. That stealing the food was necessary because at the end of the day him starving to death and being unable to help people as Captain Marvel was a lot worse than him stealing some gum so his breath would smell decent even though he was running low on toothpaste. He knew this for a fact and even Solomon seemed to agree with him.

But at the same time he couldn’t help but imagine the upset faces of the Justice League if they knew he broke the law. Or the disappointed look on the wizard’s face if he were alive to see his so-called “pure-hearted champion” acting like a common crook. Could he call himself a good guy if he commits a crime? After all Catwoman is considered a villain and the only crime she regularly commits is stealing things. Billy didn’t feel like a bad guy. Though he’s pretty sure that the store owner would disagree. But he didn’t feel much like a hero right now either.

With a sigh Billy shoved his backpack into the corner and got back to his feet. Despite how tired and sore he was, Captain Marvel had patrol tonight as well as a late night monitor duty shift on the Watchtower. Which was honestly great since it would get his mind off of things and he could do some good in the world. Do good and good will follow. That was his motto even if he didn’t really remember where he learned it from. Billy smiled to himself as he headed back out to the slowly darkening streets of his city.

Today he would just have to do a little extra good to make up for the bad. Maybe then everything would balance out.

Maybe then he could stop feeling so guilty for wanting to do more than just survive.

Above him the street lights flickered on.

Several stories up, hiding in the growing shadows of early evening, a figure watched from the rooftop as the boy made his way down the street. Moments later, when a flash of lightning split the sky and Fawcett City’s own Captain Marvel took flight, the figure retreated back into the darkness.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Bruce Wayne gets more than he bargained for on a trip to Fawcett City.

Bruce Wayne couldn’t stand Fawcett City. Maybe it was just the Gotham in him, but the place was so bright and everyone was so happy that it was almost eerie. It felt like he had just stepped into some strange alternate universe where people’s fantasy version of the 1950s had come true. The air seemed fresher, the sky bluer, the streets cleaner, the people kinder. There were local shops on every corner, everyone greeted each other with friendly smiles or waves, there was no graffiti or litter in sight.

It was all so...cheery. Bruce hated it.

It was no wonder that this is the city that Captain Marvel called home. The man was as incessantly chipper as all the others, which was the biggest reason why Batman did not work well with him. Well it was the second biggest reason.

The actual biggest reason was that despite the captain’s tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, he was impossibly good at keeping his identity a secret. Even from Bruce. Even from Batman. It was infuriating, but Bruce couldn’t say anything to his fellow Justice League members without being called unreasonable. Or paranoid.

He heard enough of that from Alfred, thank you very much.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the man, after all they had worked together for nearly two years now and he had never done anything to indicate he wasn’t as genuinely kind and good hearted as he seemed. But he had made it his job as Batman to keep such powerful people in check, just in case. It was much harder to do that without all the facts.

While this trip to Fawcett could certainly be educational in his search for the true identity of the World’s Mightiest Mortal, it was not the official reason he was here. Officially he was here to inspect a location for the new Wayne Enterprise facility he was planning to open in the city.

Typically this was not something that demanded his presence but considering the building once belonged to Sivana Industries, special care was needed to make sure the mad scientist hadn’t left any dangerous tech or doomsday device hidden somewhere on the property. The man had recently escaped from prison and might cause a fuss. While Bruce was sure Captain Marvel could handle anything Dr. Sivana might come up with, he still wanted to be there to protect his own investments.

Seeing how the captain worked in his own city was just a bonus.

He had been in Fawcett for two days and had caught sight of Captain Marvel several times. No problem seemed to be too small for him. Bruce had witnessed him carry a man’s car to the auto shop after it broke down on the side of the road. Then he helped a little old woman carry her groceries home. Then he literally rescued a cat from a tree and took a selfie with the cat’s owner. Bruce was honestly starting to wonder if there was any actual crime in this city that was not from magical creatures, mad scientists, or alien worms with mind control powers. He wouldn’t even know about any of those if he hadn’t read all of the Captain’s reports while investigating him.

“Mr. Wayne? Your car is ready whenever you are.” The perky blonde that had been assigned as his assistant during his stay flashed him that patented Fawcett City smile that was somehow genuine instead of just polite. He’s pretty sure her name was Jenny.

“Excellent. I’m dying to finally get a decent look at the place.” He smiled back though with nowhere near as much pep. Not even Brucie Wayne could match that.

A short car ride later and Bruce was getting his first up close look at a sleek modern building in the heart of the city’s business center. How a supervillain like Sivana had managed to acquire such prime real estate was a mystery, but it was perfect for Wayne Enterprises. If the inside was as nice as the outside he wouldn’t even have to do much remodeling to get it set up.

Bruce and Jenny met up with a small team of men in suits in the lobby. Bruce only recognized one of them on sight as he was on the Board of Directors back in Gotham, but he assumed the rest were part of the local team.

After exchanging some pleasantries they began their tour. For the most part the building was clean, up-to-code, and move-in ready. It had been out of operation since Dr. Sivana was arrested almost six months ago, but didn’t seem to have suffered much in his absence. The biggest drawback Bruce had seen so far was the tacky decorations and unfortunately colored carpet that lined most of the office space. There was, however, a conspicuous lack of scientific equipment and laboratory space that Bruce would have to look into when he made it back to his hotel room.

The group made it up to the top floor, which appeared to mostly consist of just one large conference room with floor to ceiling windows. This part of the building was surprisingly empty of all furniture.

“So this will likely serve as a meeting room for your most important clients or even--”

“Where does that door over there lead to?” Bruce didn’t even care what his guide was saying because on the far wall was a set of double doors. It would have been unremarkable if it weren’t for the strange markings that ringed the edges.

“Oh that” came the surprisingly deadpanned reply. “That’s Dr. Sivana’s old office. I don’t know if you’re aware of his...eccentric tendencies” the guide gave an awkward laugh “Although I’m sure it’s nothing compared to what I’ve heard about Gotham villains. I’m sure you can replace the doors with something a bit more...traditional”

“Don’t worry Mr. Wayne” Jenny piped up from behind him “the inspectors assured us that all of Dr. Sivana’s things have been removed and turned over to the proper authorities.” Her smile was a little tighter than usual and she clearly shot the doors a suspicious look as if she didn’t quite trust them.

Bruce smiled back “Oh well that’s good” Batman was going to have to check behind that door later tonight. “Is there anything else I should know about? This Sivana guy doesn’t secretly have a lab full of bombs in the basement right?” Bruce laughed lightly, but the joke clearly didn’t land. He got a pity chuckle, but there was clear awkward tension that made Bruce desperate to get out of there.

Yeah he was definitely going to have to scour the whole building tonight.

---

Billy’s week had been going downhill since the shoplifting incident. Batman had lectured him for misfiling his last report; He twisted his ankle when he ran from a couple of police officers who confronted him for being out of school midday on a Wednesday. Then yesterday the Breyers twins beat him up for the three dollars he had in his pocket less than an hour after he saved their sister’s cat from a tree!

A part of him thought it might be some sort of cosmic punishment which did nothing but make him feel guiltier than he already did.

On top of all of that he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. Day in and day out Billy was looking over his shoulder for something. But nothing was there. And he couldn’t just slack off on his Captain Marvel duties just because he felt paranoid. So he still went out on patrol. every day

Now after several hours of intimidating would-be purse snatchers and helping random citizens with their everyday problems, he got mystery dumpster sludge on his favorite shirt.

Billy had forgotten that his mortal body was injured, so when he transformed, the pain in his ankle made his legs buckle almost immediately. On top of that he was slightly lightheaded from only eating a single one of his stolen granola bars that morning and his body was exhausted and aching from helping Ms. Jenkins rearrange her shed that morning for some spare cash.

Billy really needed to learn more healing spells.

He peeled himself off the ground of the dirty alleyway he had chosen for tonight’s transformation and slowly limped three blocks to his apartment.

After struggling up the two flights of stairs and cursing his past self for not choosing a room on the ground floor, Billy collapsed onto his mattress.

He didn’t even have time to scream before a large black form grabbed him and covered his mouth. A cloud of inky black smoke swirled around his head and invaded his senses. He tried to hold his breath and struggle out of his captor’s strong grip but the figure held firm. Without meaning to, he breathed in the smoke.

As Billy’s vision went dark and his limbs got heavy, he instinctively tried to call out his magic word, but all that came out was a choked gasp. All he could think was: I should have known.

---

Moving around Fawcett City at night as a vigilante was not quite as easy as it was in Gotham. For instance the wide well lit streets were good for drivers but not great for a hero that worked best in the shadows. Also most of the buildings beyond the business district were short and squat and didn’t lend themselves to grappling hooks. It was lucky that Captain Marvel could fly and had virtually no need for stealth.

But Batman was nothing if not adaptable. The buildings were close enough together that he could travel across the rooftops with minimal difficulty if the need arose. He had also brought the batcycle to quickly, easily, and unobtrusively navigate the city, extensive research allowing him to avoid populated areas while he went to work.

The newly acquired Wayne Enterprise building was a dark blot on the otherwise shining skyline. Batman was easily able to slip into the building through a rooftop entrance he remembered from the blueprints. Soon he will be installing a state of the art security system that would cover the weak points he was currently exploiting, but for now the lack of security was a good thing. It was for the best that no one knew that the Batman had ever stepped foot in Fawcett City.

While Batman had a plan to survey the whole building, he knew that Dr. Sivana’s old office was a top priority. He had very little faith in the police or the so called inspectors that cleared this building. Walking up to the set of double doors, Batman began to document the strange markings on the door.

He pressed the comms in the ear of his suit. “Batman to the Batcave”

There was a moment of silence and then the voice of his youngest son came through the other end. “Yes father? What do you need?”

Damian sounded eager, no doubt because he was grounded from patrol after he snuck out to Metropolis to spend time with Superboy last week.

“I’m sending you pictures of some unusual markings. Run them through the batcomputer and send me the results”

“What are we looking for? Alien? Occult?” Batman could hear the clacking of keys through the comms as Damian looked through the pictures.

Fawcett regularly dealt with both alien and magical threats so both were viable options, though he was unaware of Sivana having a connection to either. Batman frowned. He hated not having all the information and he had no interest in asking Captain Marvel about it if he didn’t need to. Though he might have to ask for more in depth profiles of his rogues gallery. “Check for both”

Within minutes the Batcomputer had its results. “Hmm...It seems to be an archaic form of Greek? It’s not one I’m familiar with. Likely magical in nature, although the exact combination of symbols is not in our files. You’re in Fawcett aren’t you? It could just be nonsense.”

“Never underestimate your opponent Robin. Dr. Sivana regularly goes up against a member of the Justice League”

“Tch. He fights Captain Marvel. He may be decently powerful, but he isn’t particularly impressive. And he mostly fights imbeciles”

“Robin” Batman growled out. Despite any personal frustrations he had with the man, he was a powerful ally and had saved the world several times over. He had certainly earned some respect. “I trust Captain Marvel with my life” It was true, he would trust him with his life, especially in battle. He wouldn’t trust him with much else, but that was besides the point. “I think it’s time you called it a night”

“But Father--”

“No buts. If you can’t take this threat seriously and respect Captain Marvel and his abilities then you can go.”

“If you respect him so much why don’t you call him to help you?” Damian snapped.

Bruce knew that Damian was just lashing out but it still rubbed him the wrong way. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself. He didn’t want to start a fight with Damian especially over a hero they both knew he didn’t fully trust.

“Goodnight Robin”

The line went dead without a response. Batman sighed and turned back to the doors in front of him. Might as well do what he came here to do.

The door opened without so much as a creak. The hairs on the back of his neck rose and Batman was instantly more alert, looking for danger he didn’t see. The room beyond was sparsely furnished with only a large oak desk and leather desk chair. Against the far wall was an empty bookcase. Whatever this room had once contained seemed to have been removed just as he had been told, but he knew that men like Dr. Sivana always had something up their sleeves.

Nothing in this room would explain his sudden uneasiness, but he felt as if he was being watched. If the markings on the door really did have magical properties, the threat could easily have remained unseen. There was a reason he never trusted magic or those who chose to wield it.

Suddenly a figure darted out from the shadows knocking Batman to the ground. It was humanoid and stronger than its size would suggest. Most distressing was the fact that he knew that whatever it was had not been there when he walked in.

He managed to roll away and dodge the figure’s next attack as it attempted to drop down onto him.

Rolling into a kneeling position Batman pulled out a batarang and threw it towards the figure’s midsection. It sailed straight through the mass of shadows and embedded itself into the opposite wall. Great. This thing was definitely magical then.

The figure lunged again, this time swiping at Batman with claw-like extensions from its hands. It caught him on the shoulder, shredding a part of his cape but luckily not getting past his armor. He swung around to level the thing with a right hook, hoping it would remain solid long enough to make contact.

The good news: he did in fact make contact. The bad news: his fist was now stuck within what looked like the thing’s head leaving him wide open for further attacks.

The thing grabbed him by the throat and squeezed.

Batman reached into his utility belt with his free hand and pulled out a small handheld device. The device was a prototype developed to disrupt magical energy forces. He had been working on it for months with minimal success in case he was ever in a situation where he couldn’t reach out to one of his magical coworkers.

The device let out a pulse of energy. The figure loosened its hold with an unnatural screech and reeled back. Batman was able to straighten up briefly before it came rushing back at him with even more force. This time the force lifted him into the air, throwing him into the far wall where he crashed into the empty bookshelf. He broke through the shelves and slammed into the wall which was surprisingly sturdy.

A second pulse from his device caused the figure to shriek again but it did not release him this time. Instead it slammed him back into the wall behind him even harder creating a large dent in the wall.

Through the haze of pain blooming all over his body, Batman realized that the wall behind him was metal instead of plaster. A door he thought. He jammed his free hand into his utility belt one more time and pulled out a small explosive device. He braced himself and blew the wall behind him wide open.

The controlled blast jolted him and the figure apart. With all the speed he could muster he escaped through the secret door which led to a large elevator shaft. Without hesitation Batman jumped. He used the cables to slow his descent but continued down towards what was almost certainly a secret laboratory.

He glanced up and realized the thing that had attacked him wasn’t following him. Maybe it was injured. Or perhaps it was some sort of guardian not meant to come any farther. Those markings may even tie it to that room. He would have to come back with more information, possibly some back up.

As he made his way down he realized there were no other doors meaning there were only the two stops: the office and the lab. It also meant that there were likely no other exits except back through the office with that thing.

With a quiet thud he landed on top of the elevator. By his best estimates he was likely at a sub-basement level, but not too far underground. He pulled open the hatch and silently slipped into the elevator proper. The inside was sleek, modern, and thankfully empty. It was large enough to hold whatever inventions the mad scientist had thought up to take over the city.

The door slid open and allowed Batman entry into the secret lab. It was dimly lit with natural stone walls. Four large metal doors led off to other rooms. There were tables covered in half finished machines and shelves filled with large books, both modern scientific textbooks and ancient tomes of magic. It seemed Sivana had been trying to find a way to merge the two. Judging by his encounter in the office, he might have even had some success.

Clearly this place had not been found by the inspectors, which really just goes to show how necessary it was for him to check this place out properly. He’ll have to make sure there was nothing unstable here before he left.

As he began inspecting some of the devices in the room, Batman couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.

He soon became aware of muffled sounds coming from one of the adjoining rooms. Batman froze in place and quickly surveyed the room he was in. No strange shadow creatures came out from the corners, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there.

He activated the suit’s enhanced hearing and listened. There were more muffled sounds. Indistinct voices filtered through the thick metal as Batman crept closer to the door on the far right.

That was when he realized what was off about this place. There was no dust. If it had truly not been touched since Sivana’s arrest there would be dust covering everything. And the elevator was at the basement level.

Because Sivana was here. Right now.

He quickly racked his brain for information about the mad scientist. From what he remembered the man largely worked alone, save when he occasionally employed his own children as lackeys. Physically he would be easy to subdue so long as he hadn’t had time to create a functioning weapon.

If he did have time to make a weapon...then there is no telling what he would be walking into.

He hoped he wouldn’t have to call in Captain Marvel. He didn’t feel like explaining himself or risking his secret identity without reason.

Then his suit picked up a small whimper.

He was close enough to the door to finally make out words.

“I’m glad you’re finally awake. It’s so much more satisfying now that you can see the products of my genius” Here the man cackled with delight “I finally figured out the final piece to unlocking true power. A battery”

There were muffled sounds as if someone were trying to respond to him.

There was a whirring sound. Then the lights flickered and there was the unmistakable sound of a muffled scream.

He had a hostage.

Without hesitation Batman yanked open the door and rushed forward.

This room contained a large machine that was active, electricity sparking off of it. The same strange markings that had been on the office door also covered the machine. Standing bewildered in the middle of the room was a short bald man hunched over a control panel.

He threw several smoke bombs in Sivana’s direction before the man had time to turn around.

“What’s happened? Who’s there?” He screeched, clearly panicking over this sudden turn of events. “What did you do, you miserable brat?”

Instead of answering Batman attacked, knocking the smaller man out with a single punch. The machine continued to whir, a large black mass swirled in the air in front of it, centering around a table where a small figure was tied down. He quickly scanned the control panel and with a few keystrokes he began powering down the machine.

As the lights and electricity sputtered out, the black mass began writhing in the air and dissipated into a mist. Within moments the room was clear and Batman could finally get a good look at whoever had fallen victim to the mad scientist’s schemes.

He felt his heart stop as he saw a small child with dark hair strapped to the table and gagged with a metal bit in his mouth. Batman quickly began undoing the straps to free the boy and take him to safety. He scooped him up and gazed into a pair of big blue eyes that were glazed over with pain. He was thin, light, and definitely malnourished. There were bruises all over the visible parts of his body and his clothes were dirty and stained. There was fresh blood on his shirt and it looked like there was one of those strange markings on his stomach. He needed medical attention immediately.

He had to get this kid out of here. He carefully cradled him to his chest and turned around to drag Dr. Sivana behind him. Rage was building in him at the thought of this man snatching a child off the streets for his horrific experiments. Inspecting the rest of this place would have to wait until he knew this kid was safe and this man was back behind bars.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

As I'm sure you can tell this story is told from multiple POVs, but not just Billy and Bruce!

This is literally my first time writing all of these characters so let me know how I'm doing!

Chapter 3

Summary:

Billy wakes up to find that he has a new foster parent

Notes:

Just a heads up: Billy gets misgendered/deadnamed in this chapter. It's not malicious, it's just that he is not legally recognized as a boy yet.

The first thing Billy was aware of was a throbbing pain in his head. He tried to move his hand to rub the pain away but his body was so...heavy. He couldn’t move.

Something had happened. There was a...machine? And a shadow. Definitely a shadow thing. What was it? What did it want? And Sivana! Sivana was there!

He slowly became aware of a constant beeping sound. He turned his head slightly. He was...on a bed? It was soft and comfy but...he wasn’t comfortable. He hurt all over. And now that he was awake the smell hit him. He knew that smell...but from where?

He forced his eyes open. It was bright. Painfully bright. He let out a soft groan as his eyes struggled to adjust. He was in a room...a hospital room?

Oh no. This was bad. Wait...why was it bad? He had to get out of here because…

Because the hospital was full of adults. They would ask him questions he couldn’t answer. They would take him away. He would be sent to a foster home and that never ended well. He had to get out. If only his body would cooperate with him.

“You’re awake” The deep voice startled Billy out of his half-baked escape plans. With great effort he focused his eyes on a man in a nice suit sitting in a plastic chair beside his bed. The suit was way too nice for him to be a social worker. His face was serious but not unkind. “How are you feeling?”

Billy furrowed his brow. “I--I’m--ugh” His voice cracked and his throat hurt from the effort it took to speak.

The man seemed to realize the problem almost immediately. He grabbed a plastic cup of water off the side table. “Here you’re probably thirsty” He watched patiently as Billy gulped down the water, because, yeah, he was thirsty. “You’ve been through quite an ordeal”

“What happened?” Billy’s voice was still rough and his throat still hurt, but he needed to know. Dr. Sivana was involved, he’s pretty sure. He hadn’t been Cap had he? No that didn’t make sense. He wouldn’t be in the hospital as Billy if that was the case. He tried to sit up but pain flared in stomach made him slump back against the pillows.

That wasn’t good.

The man settled back into the chair next to the bed with a sigh. “You were kidnapped” The man hesitated for a moment, probably trying to decide how much Billy should know. But if it had happened to Billy then Billy deserved to know everything. Not that adults ever seemed to think the same. “What do you remember?”

Billy frowned. His head still felt a little fuzzy and he couldn’t remember much. He had to be careful though because what he did remember...well there was no way he was going to give away all the details. Not when his secret identity could be compromised.

“I was walking home and it was getting pretty late. The streetlights were already on” Billy bit his lip. He wanted to be as truthful as possible because everyone always told him that he was a bad liar. But he also didn’t want to raise any unnecessary questions. “I made it to my apartment building and then...something grabbed me from behind.”

“Something?”

Billy flushed slightly. Because adults hated when a kid claimed that monsters or shadow people or whatever were to blame even when it was true. Even here in Fawcett where crocodile people in suits and alien worms were frequent problems. They wanted simple answers like 'it was a creepy guy in a van' or 'it was my mom’s weirdo boyfriend.'

“I didn’t see what happened. Everything went black after that. I’m sorry sir, but I don’t know who took me.”

The man stared at him. “Do you remember anything after that?”

Billy had a flash of memory. Being strapped to a table, choking on the gag in his mouth, completely unable to say the wizard’s name to save himself. Pain and shadows and Sivana’s laughter. Something about a battery? He remembered the way magic danced in the air unnaturally because of that machine. Smoke and fear. It was all jumbled together.

He looked the man in the eye. “No, nothing,” Billy held his gaze, daring him to call him out on the lie.

At that moment a nurse came into the room. “Oh sweetie, you’re awake” she smiled brightly oblivious to any tension in the room or simply ignoring it. She wasted no time checking Billy’s vitals and making notes on a clipboard. “You gave us all quite a scare. You’ve been here for about three days and you’re going to need quite a bit more rest before you’re 100% again”

She turned to the man in the chair, addressing him for the first time since entering the room. “Mr. Wayne, Mary is going to need lots of rest and no strenuous activity for at least a few weeks. The doctor wanted to run a couple of tests now that she’s awake just to make sure that everything is A-OK.”

Billy’s face flushed again. Right, the other reason being caught by adults was a bad idea. Billy knew there was no point correcting her; no one ever believed him when he told them he was a boy. Just like no one ever believed him when he talked about magic or the gods. He just needed to get out of this hospital ASAP before he was handed over to the social worker.

“Of course that should be no problem,” Mr. Wayne smiled and turned to look at Billy as the nurse scurried out to find a doctor.

There was a flicker of movement in the shadows as she walked out. When Billy tried to focus on it, he couldn’t find the source. He felt a shiver run through him. There was a wrongness he couldn’t explain.

Billy jumped when the man next to him spoke.

“I know everything is a bit confusing right now Mary. I also realize that I never introduced myself,” He straightened up and held out his hand for Billy to shake “My name is Bruce Wayne and I’m going to be your new foster father”

Damn it.

---

Bruce was exhausted. He had been sitting in this stiff plastic chair on and off for three days. When he wasn’t here in the hospital, he was clearing out Sivana’s lab. Luckily whatever that shadow creature had been, it was long gone by now. Most of the experimental tech had been moved to the Batcave, including the machine he had hooked this poor child up to.

Her name was apparently Mary Batson. At first glance Bruce had assumed she was a young boy, but her files told him otherwise. He had concluded that the girl was probably homeless when he rescued her, but it still weighed on him when it was confirmed.

The doctor on duty sighed as she looked down at the child on the bed. “Thank you for your concern Mr. Wayne. Lord knows not many people would care” Bruce stood in a private hospital room with her and a social worker. A small voice in his head said he knew exactly where this was going.

Bruce had cooked up some lie about an alarm at his new building going off in order to explain how he found her when he brought her to Fawcett City General Hospital. All attempts to contact Captain Marvel for help on the case had proved fruitless which had been frustrating. Batman knew that the Captain regularly went to some magical realm known only as The Rock where his communicator often didn’t work, but it had never been such an inconvenience before. In the end he had no choice but to make Batman’s presence in Fawcett City known as he passed the unconscious villain off to the authorities.

“Will she be alright?”

“It’s hard to tell. She has a number of injuries, though most seem to be at least several days old. She’s almost dangerously underweight and definitely dehydrated. If I had to guess, the poor girl has probably been homeless for at least a year, probably longer”

“It’s actually been closer to two years since she was in a proper home. At least as far as I know” The social worker sighed, clearly troubled by what she knew of the girl.

“What will happen to her now?”

The doctor sighed again and Bruce immediately knew he wouldn’t like the answer. It was clear the social worker didn’t like it much either. She glanced at the file in her hands before answering in a soft yet firm voice. “Her name is Mary Batson. She just turned 12. She’s been in foster care most of her life and from what I know it hasn’t been easy on her”

“It rarely is”

“She has had more than two dozen placements, but none of them have worked out” she paused and adjusted her glasses, refusing to meet Bruce’s eyes as she continued. “There have been reports that might suggest abuse”

“Might suggest? What does that mean?”

“Mary has made some accusations, but she has a habit of running away before we can process them. It’s been enough to lead to some investigations, but by then Mary is long gone”

“But what does that mean for her moving forward?” Bruce felt uneasy. Enough of his kids have seen the worst of the foster system back in Gotham for him to know how bad it could get.

“I’ve made some calls but…” She looked sadly over at the girl on the bed “We don’t have any homes to send her to Mr. Wayne. As soon as she is healthy enough to be discharged she’ll be moved to a juvenile detention center.”

“You want to send her to prison?! She is a child! One who has just been through a terrible trauma at that!”

“Mr. Wayne--”

“No. This is unacceptable!”

“Unless you can find someone willing to take her in we will have no choice”

“I’ll take her”

The words were out of Bruce’s mouth before he had a chance to think it over. But he couldn’t take them back and he didn’t particularly want to. He knew nothing about Mary except what he had just been told. He had no idea how the rest of the family would take the news, let alone what he would do about their vigilante duties. But he remembered the pain in Dick’s eyes when he had been sent to juvie immediately following his parent’s deaths. He remembered the fear and distrust on Jason’s face when he lived on the streets. He remembered Duke’s attempts to hide his pain and anger as he was shuffled from one foster home to the next.

“I’m a registered foster parent in Gotham. Any additional paperwork can be filled out before she’s released from the hospital.”

It was impulsive and maybe a little stupid, but he didn’t need to know anything else about her. All he had to know was that she needed a home and he could provide that.

Now three days later he finally got to meet the newest addition to the family. Mary was brave, that was easy to tell. She was also surprisingly polite and kind to the hospital staff. And she was smart. Smart enough to know that Sivana had sent a monster after her. Bruce was sure she remembered more than she was telling about her kidnapping, but he wasn’t going to press her for details until he had earned some trust.

But most of all he noticed that she had such a bright smile that it lit up whatever room she was in. It was like all the sunshine and optimism he experienced in Fawcett had been distilled into a single person. Only in Fawcett could a homeless orphan end up so sweet. He desperately hoped that Gotham wouldn’t dim her natural light.

She didn’t seem particularly excited about moving to Gotham, even if it was to live in a mansion. Hopefully she would warm up to the idea when she actually saw the manor. There would certainly be an adjustment period for all of them. Which reminded him, he had to give the rest of the family the news. A new little sister would definitely be an adjustment for all of them. Especially one that wasn’t a vigilante. Damian in particular will need time. He had never been an older brother before after all.

Mary was currently resting, the pain medication in her system easing her back to sleep. Bruce took a few steps towards the door before dialing Alfred’s number so he wouldn’t disturb her much needed rest.

He had explained the situation to Alfred but had held off on telling the kids. Instead he had them combing through Sivana’s research and dismantling the various devices he’d sent back to them.

“Master Bruce” Alfred answered on the first ring, clearly expecting the call. “Might I assume there is an update on your newest charge?”

“She finally woke up and seems to be in pretty good spirits. The doctors say I should be able to take her home by the end of the week. I will want to set up an appointment with Leslie though to make sure everything is alright” Bruce glanced over as Mary shifted in her sleep. “Have you told the kids about her yet?”

“I do believe that would be your responsibility Master Bruce. Although I’m more than willing to gather them all for you. I have already taken it upon myself to prepare a room for her, but I suggest that you make the announcement before you bring the young lady home, if only to ensure she gets a properly warm welcome”

Bruce sighed. Looks like he would have to rip off that band-aid himself. “When do you think you can round them up?”

“Give me an hour and call the Batcave. I believe a face-to-face conversation would be for the best.”

“One hour it is”

---

It wasn’t unusual for the whole family to be gathered in the Batcave. They did all regularly go on patrol together and it was the most convenient place to park a motorcycle, since the manor didn’t have many Alfred approved parking spots. What was unusual was the fact that Alfred had called them together for a Family Meeting. Dick could practically feel the capitalization in his voice when he called.

Most of the family had already been assembled to slog through the research of the weird scientist Bruce had tangled with on his trip. Because of course B couldn’t go sign some papers without uncovering a diabolical plot and picking a fight.

“Hey Babs whatcha got there?”

“I honestly have no idea” Barbara’s hair was swooped up in a messy bun and she was surrounded by little bits and pieces of machinery and circuit boards. He handed her a cup of coffee as he picked his way over to where she had parked her wheelchair. She flashed him a grateful smile. “I hear Alfred called a Family Meeting”

“Yep. Wouldn’t tell what it was about though”

“How mysterious”

“I bet it has something to do with whatever Bruce is doing in Fawcett City”

Dick and Barbara turned to where Tim was precariously perched on top of the largest of Sivana’s machines with Stephanie who was clearly playing Candy Crush on her phone. He wasn’t looking at them, but instead seemed to completely focused on the tablet in his hands which probably had the files Bruce sent over a few days ago.

“An obvious deduction Drake” Damian snarked from his seat at the batcomputer.

“Shut up demon brat. B’s been cagey and he has been out there two days longer than he was supposed to be. I doubt someone else’s rogue is keeping him there” Tim snapped. No one knew how to get under Tim’s skin quite like Damian. Dick really hoped he wouldn’t have to intervene before the meeting started.

Before Dick could say anything Duke came racing down the stairs, his backpack that likely held his Signal uniform still slung over his shoulder. “Am I late?” He huffed out, not quite out of breath.

“No worries, we’re still waiting on Jay and Cass” Dick clapped Duke on the shoulder hoping to alleviate any worry. He hadn’t had as much time to spend with his newest brother as he would have liked, but he knew the guy was still finding his feet in the family.

Duke frowned “Cass is over there” He pointed to his right, where sure enough Cass was curled up next to the giant penny with a bag of Batburger. She waved over at Dick with a little smirk clearly suppressing giggles.

“So just Jay then”

“Is this some sort of emergency or what?” Duke asked as he waved back at Cass. “I mean Al’s never called a Family Meeting since I’ve lived here so...is it bad?”

Dick hummed as he thought it over. “Not necessarily. I mean he wasn’t using his urgent “this is an emergency” voice. And it wasn’t his “someone is dead” voice either.”

“And there’s nothing on the news to suggest the world is ending” Barbara added “So we should be okay on that front”

Just then Jason came racing into the cave in full Red Hood gear, the tires of his motorcycle screeching as he whipped into what he had claimed was his “spot” as soon as he had started working with the family again.

He pulled off his helmet and strode over to where everyone had gathered.

“Ok drama queen, who are you trying to impress?” snorted Steph as she jumped down from her spot next to Tim.

“Shut it blondie. Alfred promised me one of those fancy little desserts if I showed up on time”

“You had to be bribed to come to the family meeting?” Dick laughed. That was just like Jason.

“I was bribed to come on time. I would’ve showed up eventually”

“Glad to hear it Master Jason” They all turned to see Alfred stepping out of the elevator and waltzing over to the group. “I do believe everyone is accounted for?”

“Yes. Now will you tell us what is so important Pennyworth?” Damian piped up.

“Well, in just a moment Master Bruce will be calling with an announcement. He wanted to make sure you all got the news”

“Is there a reason it couldn’t be a text?” Tim asked “Some of us are kind of busy on the case HE told us to work on” He shot a pointed look at Jason who had actively avoided the Batcave for days since he learned Bruce had dropped off a bunch of experimental tech and raced back to Fawcett without an explanation.

“Come on guys it's probably important.” Dick turned to Alfred with a quirked eyebrow. “It is important right?”

“Very” Alfred confirmed with a serious expression. Dick was pretty sure it wasn’t a “you should be preparing for life changing news” expression. But it wasn’t a “Master Bruce is blowing something out of proportion” expression either, which was worrisome.

Alfred leaned over and hit a button on the Batcomputer to answer the call from Bruce's personal cell. Not a Batman thing then. Interesting.

Bruce’s face filled the central screen. Dick could instantly tell that he was bone tired and hadn’t slept since he had left. Bruce was in civies, but his clothes were rumpled in a way that was probably making Alfred cringe on the inside. He had bags under his eyes and a shadow of stubble on his face.

“Hey everyone” Bruce gave them a tight smile. “How’s it going over there? No trouble I hope?”

“Nothing we couldn’t handle B” Dick assured him.

He locked eyes with Cass who discreetly signed at him. 'Nervous. Worried. Embarrassed.' Dick frowned, because that didn’t sound right. Did he get that sign wrong?

“Alright cut the crap old man, why’d you make me come all the way over here? What’s this big announcement?” Jason was clearly impatient, as always. And to be honest they were all dying to know by this point.

Bruce shifted on the other side of the call. He was clearly in his hotel room, probably for privacy. He took a deep breath before straightening up. “As you all know I recently had a run in with a man named Dr. Sivana who regularly terrorizes Fawcett City”

“Really? We hadn’t noticed” Barbara snorted as she pointedly looked at the weird tech that still surrounded them all, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes. Well I haven’t had the chance to tell you all the details of what happened” He paused for a moment, looking away again. “Dr. Sivana had been working on a machine that merged magic and technology. He had been in the process of activating that machine when I discovered him. He had hooked the machine up to a human subject”

“Fuck” No one even bothered to scold Jason for his language.

“Her name is Mary and she’s 12 years old. He had grabbed her off the street and obviously didn’t care if she died.” Bruce was clearly pained by the memory. Most people probably couldn’t tell, but this was his family. They could tell.

“Is she alright?” Dick knew deep in his gut where this is going. He had seen this look on B’s face a few times and he always got a new sibling from it.

“She’s recovering, though it will still be a few days before she’s discharged from the hospital.”

“And when she’s discharged…?” Dick prompted. He knew Bruce would beat around the bush without it.

“She doesn’t have a family and the social worker told me they have no one willing to take her in...So I volunteered”

There was an instant uproar from the assembled vigilantes, even though Dick knew several of them had figured it out before that moment. Damian seemed the most blindsided which was understandable. Barbara looked like she was trying not to laugh and Jason was rolling his eyes with his whole body. Everyone was talking over each other.

“Father you can’t be serious! Don’t you have enough of us as it is?!” Damian was yelling, pointing an accusing finger at the screen.

Cass was gleefully clapping her hands with a big smile on her face, while Duke looked shocked, clearly glancing around for some cue as to how to respond. Though Dick did see the way his lips twitched up into a smile

“Honestly B, now we’re gathering strays from other cities?” Tim looked more tired than angry, but there was definitely a little of both.

“You’ve got a problem Bruce” Steph called out teasingly as she caught Dick’s eye.

Bruce clearly looked stressed as he tried to process all their responses and Dick felt a little bad for him. So Dick decided to cut him some slack. He brought his fingers to his lips and let out a loud sharp whistle that had everyone wincing away from him.

Dick smirked and asked what he considered to be the most important question. “When do we get to meet her?”

Notes:

To head off any confusion:

Barbara and Steph are not members of the Wayne family, but they are members of the Batfamily.

The official Wayne family kids are: Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Duke, and Cass

Chapter 4

Summary:

Billy had no intention of moving to Gotham. Not when his life and his work are in Fawcett.

Notes:

Once again I just want to note that Billy will be misgendered/deadnamed in this chapter.

To say Billy was surprised that a billionaire from Gotham had somehow been assigned as his newest foster father would be an understatement. There was no way he was going to move halfway across the country when he had work to do right here in Fawcett City.

He had already been out of commission for way too long. Who knows what had happened while he was in the hospital? How many people might’ve gotten hurt? Had anyone in the Justice League tried to contact him?

Mr. Wayne had told him Batman had rescued him from Sivana’s lab. Which would be kind of embarrassing if Batman knew who he was. He had almost definitely tried to call Cap, if for no other reason than to inform him that Sivana was back in prison. Billy had to find out what the Dark Knight had been doing in Fawcett City in the first place.

And that magic...Sivana had no idea what he was messing with.

Billy may not remember much about his abduction, but he knew that whatever happened in Sivana’s lab was bad news. Maybe not the-world-is-ending sort of bad, but still bad.

He had to figure out a way to fix that too. He didn’t have time for a new family, a new city.

Billy felt a little bad as he climbed out the window and made his way down to the ground. Mr. Wayne had left while Billy was resting and could be back any minute, so he had to be quick. With any luck he could make it to an alley so he could transform and check on the city, check his communicator and get back to his life as a superhero.

It's not that Mr. Wayne seemed like a bad guy. In fact he seemed pretty nice as far as foster parents went. He didn’t treat Billy like he was made of glass even though he was in the hospital so that was a plus. And if the rumors were true he even helped fund the Justice League! So he was pretty cool in Billy’s book.

But Billy didn’t need a new dad or a new home. He could take care of himself. If Mr. Wayne wanted another kid, he’s sure there are plenty of kids in Gotham that needed a good home.

Billy had been able to put on some spare clothes that he kept in a pocket dimension along with his backpack and all his other possessions. He had learned how to make one after he found out John Constantine basically lived in one. At least according to Zatanna. It had been a lifesaver while living on the streets. People couldn’t steal from you if all your stuff existed in another dimension. The amount of energy and concentration it took to open and close was a pain though. Billy already felt a bit winded from the effort.

Billy was pretty bummed out about losing his sweater, especially with winter just around the corner. But he’d figure something out. Somehow.

Billy’s feet landed with a thud on the concrete. His ankle twinged a bit and the jolt caused a sharp pain in his stomach. He had seen the rune carved into his body while changing. He’d have to look into that too.

Gods he hoped he didn’t rip his stitches.

“MARY!”

Billy jumped and looked up. Mr. Wayne was leaning out the window staring down at him.

So he ran.

---

Bruce’s heart had stopped when he walked into Mary’s room only to find it empty. Her hospital pajamas were thrown on the bed and the IV she had been attached to was dripping on the floor.

And the window was open.

Bruce rushed over to the window and saw Mary jumping the last couple of feet to the ground wearing ripped jeans and a white t-shirt, though where she could have possibly gotten them was a mystery.

“MARY!” He called down. In hindsight that was a mistake considering she was clearly running away. Mary looked up in surprise and in moments she was running with surprising speed down the street.

Bruce swore and rushed down after her. As risky as it was, he climbed out the window and easily made his way to the ground to give chase. He should have taken the social worker’s warning more seriously, because clearly Mary had perfected the art of running away. He would have to warn Alfred and the kids about that, in case she decided to run off into Gotham.

First he had to catch her.

He was definitely not telling anyone about this.

She turned down an alley near the end of the street. Bruce raced to catch up. When he turned the corner he found himself face to face with a dead end. And no Mary in sight.

He searched high and low and found nothing. How could a small, injured little girl just disappear?

She couldn’t have gotten far. Maybe if he knew where she was going could find her before it got too dark. Hopefully before she got hurt even more.

Lightning flashed nearby and thunder shook the ground even though there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The handful of people on the street didn’t so much as look up.

“Mary!” He called out again “I know you’re scared, but you need to come back. I can help you if you let me!” He felt like an idiot, talking to air while passersby gave him a wide berth, finding him much more disconcerting than the nearby lightning strike.

After over an hour of scouring that alley and the surrounding area with no luck Bruce had to reevaluate his plan of action.

Bruce grabbed his rental car and began heading downtown. He had been researching the homeless population in Fawcett City ever since he had confirmation of her situation, so he knew a handful of places where she might go. He was at a disadvantage by not knowing the city the way Mary did. That’s the only explanation he could think of for how she could lose him so easily. At the very least he should be able to find someone who knows her.

---

Billy spent the rest of the afternoon playing catch-up with his Captain Marvel duties. Luckily he hadn’t missed any meetings or monitor duty, but he did have several missed calls from Batman which meant he would get a serious lecture on responsibility next time he was at the Watchtower.

He couldn’t even tell them he was injured because Cap couldn’t get hurt. At least not enough to be out of commission and radio silent.

At least as Cap he could more easily push away the guilt of running away. Solomon constantly reassured him that he had made the right decision, but Mr. Wayne's worried voice still rang in his head as he stopped a car jacking. And when he helped put out a house fire. And when he took a trip to the Rock of Eternity just to settle his lingering fears.

It was late when Billy returned to Fawcett City, well past midnight by his best guess. It was always hard to tell when he first returned from the Rock.

He was just about to drop down into an alley close to his apartment to transform and get a couple hours of rest when he noticed a familiar figure perched on a rooftop. Batman was standing on a nearby rooftop, surveying the city.

Or he was. Now the white slits of his infamous cowl were looking directly at him.

So much for avoiding the guy...

Might as well bite the bullet.

“Batman” Captain Marvel called as he drifted down to float next to the Dark Knight. “I’m glad I found you” It was a lie, but one of the polite ones he could usually get away with. “I wanted to thank you for stepping in with Dr. Sivana while I--”

“I need your assistance” Batman cut him off rather rudely considering he was trying to thank the guy.

“Oh yeah! Your call! It was probably super important or you wouldn’t have bothered. So um, yeah I’m here to help!”

“I need to find a missing girl” Batman pressed a few buttons on the computer-like device on his arm. With a few taps an image appeared. Billy recognized it even before Batman turned it to fully show him. It was a school picture from the last school Billy had attended. He had been forced to drop out after he ran away from a particularly nasty foster home. In the picture his hair was longer than he liked it and he had been forced into a dress by his foster parents who were hoping to turn him into a “proper lady”. He was smiling in the picture but he remembered not being happy.

Billy felt his stomach drop. His heart was racing. Not even the courage of Achilles could fully squash the instinctual fear rising up inside of him. Batman was looking for him. For Billy. He had already zeroed in on his neighborhood. How soon before he found him wherever he tried to hide? How long before he caught sight of a transformation and found out that Captain Marvel and Billy were the same person? Gods he almost found out tonight!

Billy’s expression must have betrayed some of his frantic, nervous thoughts because Batman’s eyes instantly narrowed.

“You recognize her” It wasn’t a question. Billy doubted he would be able to convincingly deny it even if he tried so he just nodded.

“Why are you looking--” before he could even finish the question the answer popped into his head. It was hard to tell if it was thanks to Solomon and his wisdom or just Billy’s own brain catching up to the situation. “Oh right, Bruce Wayne”

Billy saw Batman tense up and his glare intensify. “You have thirty seconds to explain yourself Marvel or the consequences will be dire”

Despite knowing he could easily take the mortal man in front of him in a fight, Billy couldn’t help but feel terrified. After all there were rumors around the Watchtower that Batman had plans on how to take down each member of the Justice League.

“I just meant that you know Bruce Wayne and he was going to be the kid’s foster dad right?”

“That isn’t public knowledge” Batman snapped. Great Billy was really screwing this up. Batman was definitely going to hate him forever now.

“I just--uh--well you see”

Thankfully Batman cut off his sputtering with an authoritative growl “Marvel, tell me where to find the girl”

Billy looked at Batman’s face, then glanced at the photo. Suddenly he understood with perfect clarity that Batman was going to find Billy and bring him back to Mr. Wayne whether he liked it or not.

But whether or not Batman found out about Captain Marvel’s secret identity hinged on what he did right now.

Looks like he’s going to have to commute from Gotham.

Might as well clear up a few misunderstandings. Billy was not going to spend an indeterminate amount of time as Mary if he could help it. It would be way easier to do this while he was an invulnerable demigod with supernatural courage than as a decidedly very vulnerable mortal preteen.

If Mr. Wayne couldn't deal with that then maybe he'd stop looking for a kid that didn't want to be found.

If Batman couldn't deal with that...well then working with the Justice League will become very awkward.

Summoning up the courage of Achilles, Billy took a deep breath, nervously bobbing in the air next to a very angry Batman. “That’s Billy”

Batman frowned. “Her name is Mary”

“Maybe legally. But he prefers Billy”

Batman paused, cocking his head to side slightly. “He…?”

“Yeah. He’s, y’know, trans” Billy gestured vaguely with his hands, getting more flustered than before. “I mean transgender” Billy had never used the technical term to describe himself before. He usually just told people he was a boy and waited for them to accept it or argue. But he remembered learning the term from Miss Candy who always walked him home if she caught him out late. She and some of the other girls who worked in the red light district close to where he usually lived were trans.

“He is a boy and his name is Billy Batson" Batman was staring at him. Was it weird to know a random homeless kid when you're a superhero? "I know a bunch of the street kids in this neighborhood. He usually stays below 14th street. Abandoned buildings and subway stations mostly. You won’t find him where large groups of homeless people gather. He, uh, prefers to go at it alone.”

It felt so strange to be talking about himself in the third person. Out loud. To another person. To freaking Batman. Billy bit his lip as he figured out the best way to set up his next meeting with the man in front of him without giving himself or his plans away.

“There’s a diner on Madison right under the freeway overpass called Pop’s Place. They give free food to homeless kids. I know Billy likes to go there sometimes”

Batman stared at him for a moment of heavy silence broken only by the blaring of a siren in the distance. Just when Billy was contemplating if he should say something else or just come clean now, Batman spoke, his voice softer than before. Maybe not soft, but much less sharp. Like he no longer wanted to bite Marvel’s head off so long as his information was accurate. It was kind of nice. Almost familiar.

“You’re sure that...Billy will be there?”

“I think there’s a good chance”

Batman nodded once before leaping off the side of the building and vanishing into the night.

Billy sighed. He hoped Gotham was friendlier than its vigilantes.

In the meantime he had some preparations to make to ensure the move didn’t mess up his responsibilities as a hero too much.

It wasn’t until he had transformed on the other side of town for safety and began the long trek back downtown that Billy realized he never found out what brought Batman to Fawcett in the first place.

---

Bruce sat in a corner booth of Pop’s Place, sipping a black coffee and carefully observing the breakfast crowd. The place was simple, homey, a bit retro, but overall a decent spot for reasonably priced meals. It was clearly favored by locals, especially considering its somewhat out of the way location. The walls were covered with old rock and roll memorabilia and pictures of patrons including a relatively recent photo of Mary.

Or Billy as the case may be.

It had been 10 hours and 44 minutes since he spoke to Captain Marvel and Bruce was still tense from the conversation. For one horrifying moment he thought the demigod had not only known his identity but somehow had eyes on him. The Captain had never seemed like the type to spy on others or even have the wherewithal to have any type of surveillance in his city, but there was no other way he could have known Bruce’s intentions to foster another child. The paranoia was eating at him the longer he stayed in the other hero’s city.

But he couldn’t leave yet. Not without his newest ward.

Captain Marvel had assured him that this was a place she--he--frequented, but Bruce wasn’t sure how much longer he could wait here without going crazy. Naturally he had his computer searching the city cameras with facial recognition. He was still anxious about the lack of results so far. Not that anyone could tell from his calm demeanor.

Just as Bruce was planning on paying the bill and heading out to observe the small diner from outside, the bell on the door chimed. The object of his worries walked in and flashed a smile at the waitress.

“Hi Miss Sophie!”

“Oh Billy Sweetheart!” So Marvel was right about the name; He’d have to make sure he corrected the rest of the family before they made it to Gotham.

The middle aged woman carefully set down plates of food and moved to hug Billy. “I haven’t seen you in weeks! I swear you kids are just trying to make an old woman worry!” She squeezed him tight and ruffled his hair. “Now are you hungry? I’ve got a plate of eggs with your name on it”

“Actually I would like to buy Billy here a full breakfast if he doesn’t mind”

The two turned to look at him. The waitress placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder as her surprise turned to suspicion in moments. She was still smiling but not nearly as wide as before. Billy on the other hand quickly ducked his head but his surprise wasn't quite genuine. He looked more sheepish than anything.

Bruce couldn’t help but wonder if a certain colleague of his had found Billy first.

"Actually I was going to have Billy help me organize--"

"It's okay Miss Sophie, I know Mr. Wayne" Billy interjected before the woman could finish whatever excuse she was going to make.

"I'm going to be Billy’s new foster father"

She glanced between the two. Billy nodded at her in confirmation. "Well then why don't you take a seat" She gave Billy one last look clearly letting him know she was going to keep an eye on them.

Billy shuffled over to Bruce’s booth and sat across from him.

There was a beat of awkward silence.

"I'm glad I found you...I've been worried"

Bruce took a better look at Billy searching for any sign of additional injury. The kid looked tired and his white t-shirt was a bit dingy with old faded stains on the front, but still mostly clean. He had a faded green backpack he hadn't had when he left the hospital. The mark from the IV was still purplish but the bruises from being restrained during his kidnapping were faded. His blue eyes were bright and clearer than they had been in the hospital though the bags beneath them suggested he hasn't slept much since he left.

"I'm sorry I ran away. I-I was scared of moving to Gotham" Billy kept his eyes fixed on the table "I've never lived anywhere besides Fawcett and well...I've heard stories about Gotham" He trailed off clearly not wanting to offend Bruce.

"I know it must be scary to leave the only home you've ever known. And I wish there was something I could do about it"

"You could let me go" Billy’s smile was cheeky. He must already know that wasn’t an option.

"I couldn't let you leave without knowing you'll be taken care of." Bruce paused and lowered his voice before continuing "The social worker told me they would be forced to send you to a juvenile detention center"

Billy winced but didn't look surprised. It must not be news to him.

"Yeah they told me that when they sent me to my last foster home. But I can take care of myself"

"I'm sure you can. But I would rather you didn't have to" Bruce smiled and spoke as gently as he could "Billy, I want to give you a home. A family. If you ever feel homesick I can bring you back to Fawcett. Every weekend if you wanted. Gotham might take some getting used to, but it's not as bad as the stories. Besides, Batman will be there to keep you safe."

Billy flushed slightly and fiddled with the strap of his backpack, still not really looking at Bruce directly. “Okay” He said quietly.

“Okay?” Bruce furrowed his brows. He hadn’t expected Billy to give in quite so easily especially considering his daring escape from the hospital.

“Yeah. I mean it’s like you said. I don’t have anywhere else to go”

“Okay then” All the arguments he had imagined and answers he had prepared ran through his mind in a jumble. He had planned for anything but an easy acceptance. Bruce was thrown off kilter. It seemed Billy was pretty good at doing that.

The waitress came and set a large plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes down in front of Billy even though they hadn’t actually ordered anything. “Everything okay here sweetheart?” She pointedly asked Billy this question. It seemed Bruce wasn’t the only one who felt naturally protective of the kid.

“Yeah Miss Sophie, everything looks great” He smiled up at her. She waited for him to take a bite before she was satisfied that he wasn’t lying and left to attend other customers.

Bruce cleared his throat as Billy dug into his food. “You know there is something I wanted to talk to you about since you’ve agreed to come stay with me.” Billy looked up, instantly more wary than he was a moment ago. “I have been told that you prefer being called Billy instead of Mary is that right?”

“Uh, yeah” Billy nodded.

“That’s good to know. Now Billy I have also been told that you consider yourself a boy and not a girl. Is that true too?”

Billy swallowed thickly and nodded again. “Is that a problem Mr. Wayne?” Billy’s eyes were focused on Bruce’s face for the first time during the whole conversation. And they were boring into him in a way that reminded Bruce of when Clark used his x-ray vision to look through walls. The confidence and intensity almost took Bruce’s breath away. It was a challenge. A test.

“Of course not Billy. I just wanted to know so I can take care of you better” Bruce wasn’t entirely sure how to explain what he meant by that or what exactly it would entail to be a better father to a transgender child. He would need to do some research when he got home.

Billy studied his face for a moment before his entire body relaxed. The poor kid had probably been terrified of Bruce’s reaction. Which meant it was likely someone had reacted poorly in the past. Bruce added it to his ever growing list of things to look into.

“What’s your favorite subject in school?”

“Huh?” Billy was clearly surprised by the change of topic.

“I think we could both use a break from the serious stuff for a bit, don’t you? So what is your favorite thing to learn about in school?”

“Oh, uh I haven’t really--I mean I sort of...dropped out?” Billy’s face was red as he stuttered.

“That’s okay Billy. I happen to know one of the best tutors in Gotham who will gladly help you get caught up.” Bruce smiled conspiratorially “His name is Alfred and he was my foster dad when I was your age”

“For real?”

“Yep. And he is very excited to meet you”

Billy flushed again but this time he was smiling. “I like history”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, but like ancient history. The Greeks and Romans and Egyptians. Stuff like that”

“That’s really cool” He would have to talk to Diana about taking Billy to see some museum exhibits.

“My parents were archeologists before they died” Billy’s eyes were sad but his voice was strong and there were no signs of tears. “They always told me cool stories about ancient civilizations when I was little”

“It makes you feel closer to them doesn’t it?”

“Yeah I guess it does”

The two of them chatted for another half hour, both gently feeling out their new situation. Neither was ready to push too hard, but it was obvious they were both feeling better about their arrangement than they had when they walked in the door. Once Billy was stuffed and Bruce had paid the bill (with a hefty tip for the waitress for clearly taking care of kids like Billy) the two climbed into Bruce’s rental car and headed to the hospital.

Notes:

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, especially about how I'm portraying trans!Billy. I want to be as respectful as possible.

Chapter 5

Summary:

Billy meets the Wayne family.

Billy had never been on a plane before. Well not that he could remember anyway. He was pretty sure he had been on one back when his parents were still alive, but it didn’t really count since he was a baby back then. Regardless he knows he has never been on a fancy plane like Mr. Wayne’s private jet.

There were comfy leather seats, a big screen TV, and a mini fridge full of sodas. Honestly Billy felt a little out of place in his old t-shirt and jeans. His backpack looked a lot dirtier next to the sleek, modern interior than it had back in his rundown apartment.

Flying in the jet was cool, but it didn’t hold a candle to flying through the sky as Captain Marvel.

Billy was officially leaving for Gotham. Mr. Wayne had to take him back to the hospital to make sure he hadn’t managed to rip any of his stitches and get the all clear from the doctors. When they finally released him in the morning he had a prescription for painkillers he didn’t plan to use and a follow-up appointment with a doctor in Gotham.

Throughout the flight Bruce showed him pictures of the other kids he'd fostered so Billy could start learning their names. He had six. Or five. One of the boys was his biological son. He claimed that only two still lived in the house with him even though not all of them looked old enough to have moved out.

A lot of kids could be a good thing for Billy, since it means he could slip away while they were distracted. It could also be a bad thing if any of them turned out to be nosy and tried keep tabs on him.

Billy had honestly been surprised to find out Mr. Wayne was so nice. He acted as if he was genuinely excited to take in another orphan. He had been kind and asked a bunch of get-to-know-you questions. He even took the whole "I'm actually a boy" thing in stride. Billy knew from experience that he couldn’t jump to any  conclusions before he had even made it to his new home, but he had a good feeling about Mr. Wayne. He was friends with Batman for Zeus’ sake! That had to count for something.

"We'll be landing soon" Bruce informed him. "Alfred is going to be picking us up at the airport"

Billy nodded and moved to look out the window. His first glimpse of Gotham was surprisingly normal. It looked like any other city with tall buildings and busy streets. Nothing nearly as sinister as he imagined. There was a lot of smog in the air though.

Well technically it wasn't his first look at the city. He had been there a couple times as Cap, usually because some supervillain team up required some help from the Justice League. It had always been nighttime then and Batman was always quick to get the other heroes out of there as soon as possible. No magic, no metahumans and all that.

Before long Mr. Wayne led Billy out of the jet to where an actual, real life limo was waiting for them. An elderly man in a suit that Billy recognized from some pictures as Alfred Pennyworth waited to open the car doors for them.

"Hello young Master Billy. It is such a pleasure to welcome you to Gotham"

Billy shyly shook the proffered hand with a simple "Hello" that he was sure got lost in the noise from the plane. He was definitely not comfortable with the whole 'master' thing. It reminded him a bit too much of Black Adam's whole "all of humanity should bow down to us" speeches.

Within minutes the three of them were on their way.

Gotham in the day was odd. On the street level Billy could see a bit more of the infamous Gotham reputation. Unlike Fawcett City, the whole place seemed off in the daylight, as if it was meant to viewed in the dark instead of the day. People were bustling around, but everyone seemed to be in a hurry. The buildings were tall and menacing, the alleyways engulfed in shadow even in midday. There was a darkness to the city but it didn't try to hide it the way Fawcett did. In fact everyone seemed to embrace it, even their vigilantes.

"We should arrive at the manor shortly. Dinner will be at 7:00 sharp. Do you have any requests Master Billy?"

"Oh I'm not picky Mr. Pennyworth. Anything is fine with me" He didn’t want to be a bother or pick something no one else really liked. Besides, it had been such a long time since had a real choice in what to eat that he couldn't think of a single thing to eat anyway.

"Please, just Alfred is fine Master Billy"

"And just Billy is fine Mr. P--Alfred"

"It's best not to argue. Alfred is notoriously stubborn about these things" Mr. Wayne was smiling warmly, clearly amused by the exchange. He'd probably had this same conversation with some of his other foster kids.

Well Billy could be stubborn too. And while he might not be able to explain to Alfred why he didn’t want to be called “Master”, he could make his displeasure known. It’s not like he planned on staying in Gotham for long after all. Just long enough for the Waynes to get tired of him and ship him back to Fawcett. From Billy’s experience that shouldn’t take longer than three to six months. Maybe less if he acted out.

The car snaked its way through the streets and away from the heart of the city. The buildings became more spread out and expensive looking as they drove. But nothing beat the extravagance of Wayne Manor. The place was huge. At least three stories high with large windows and its very own iron gate. The road to the front door--because of course it wasn’t on a street with other houses--was lined with trees and flowers. The door looked like it belonged to a castle instead of a house.

“Do you really live here?” He asked breathlessly. Billy honestly couldn’t imagine anyone living here. Especially not Mr. Wayne, who had always struck Billy as a very modern type of guy. Part of him had expected an all glass house with that weird, uncomfortable furniture where everything looked like a cube for some reason.

Mr. Wayne smiled at him. “Yes I do. I grew up here in fact. It's an old family home that’s been in my family for generations” He gently placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder “And as of today it is your home too. Now come on, I’m sure the kids are dying to meet you”

Billy took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The plane, the car, the house, and even Gotham itself had been distractingly cool. But now was one of Billy’s least favorite parts of staying at a new foster home: meeting the family. A home with a lot of kids usually meant that there was a pecking order and the new kid was always at the bottom. Especially if the others thought he was getting more attention for being new. Not to mention that Mr. Wayne’s biological kid lived in the house. Bio kids always looked down on foster kids.

He saw pictures of Damian Wayne on the flight and that kid can definitely beat him up if he wanted to.

Mr. Wayne ushered him through the massive front doors while Alfred called the others down via an intercom system set into the wall. Billy barely had time to register the grand entryway and the crystal chandelier above their heads before people came rushing into the area from every direction. Within moments the whole Wayne family had assembled in front of him with varying levels of interest. Billy thought it was funny that Mr. Wayne referred to them as “the kids” when most of them were either adults or in their late teens.

“Everyone, I want you to meet Billy.” Mr. Wayne’s hand was warm and steadying on his shoulder. “I hope all of you will help make him feel welcome” He gave the group in front of him a look that was clearly meant to convey to them some secret message about what that did and did not entail.

“No worries B” said a young man in a blue shirt. He moved forward and thrust out his hand. “I’m Dick and I’m going to be your new big brother” He smiled brightly and seemed surprisingly genuine. The smile only grew as Billy shook his hand.

“You got a nice strong grip there kid” he laughed and ruffled Billy’s hair, making him a bit flustered. “Right. introductions: The tall one over there in the leather jacket is Jason. Next to him in the yellow shirt is Duke” Jason grunted at his name, while Duke gave him a little wave. “That’s Tim in the superman hoodie” Tim rolled his eyes a bit, but nodded his head in greeting. “And of course that's Cass, she is our only sister” Cass waved much more enthusiastically than the others. “And finally we have Damian. I think the two of you are about the same age so that should be fun. Right Dami?”

The boy in question scoffed and settled his glare on Billy. “Oh of course. Fun” Yeah someone was definitely not excited to have a new kid in the house.

Jason elbowed Damian in the ribs for the sarcasm while Tim came to stand next to Billy. “Here” he said, holding out a couple pieces of paper. Billy took them with a raised eyebrow as he saw the one on top had all their pictures on it. “It’s a chart so you can learn our names and stuff. I also included Stephanie and Barbara since they come around a lot. The other page is a map of the house so you don’t get lost”

“Thank you? It’s um nice to meet you all” It was a strange but thoughtful gesture so he didn’t want to offend his new foster brother. He held onto them, but figured it would be rude to look at them right now. Billy wasn’t sure what else to say so he just smiled, waved, and prayed he didn’t look like an idiot.

“Well I think it's about time we show Billy to his room and let him get settled before dinner,” Mr. Wayne gave them all another loaded look before gently steering Billy towards the stairs. He paused at the steps. “Do any of you know which room Alfred set up for Billy?”

“The one next to Duke’s and across from Damian’s” Tim supplied without looking in their direction.

With a nod he led Billy to his new room. Even with the map Billy did his best to memorize the layout of the house just like Batman taught him to during one of the few recon missions he had been allowed to go on. It was tricky and he would definitely have to put it to the test later, but he felt he could remember the route from the stairs to his door well enough.

“Either me or Alfred will come get you in about an hour for dinner, okay?”

“Okay”

When Mr. Wayne shut the door, Billy took a look around his new room. It was larger than the apartment he used to have. Much larger. There was a bed big enough to get lost in and a dresser already full of clothes. There was even an attached bathroom! He wouldn’t have to share!

Everything looked so expensive like it belonged to a hotel or a palace or something equally fancy. It really didn't look like it was made for a kid, but he could work with this. Even if it did feel like he was going to break something that cost more than all the money he had ever earned from odd jobs combined.

Billy hadn’t expected to get his own room when he came here, especially with how many kids Mr. Wayne already had. None of his other foster homes had given him his own room. But the Waynes were billionaires so maybe he should have suspected that this would be different.

It was definitely going to make sneaking out for patrol way easier.

Billy didn’t have much he needed to unpack, just his one backpack. He set that down next to the bed and began examining every inch of the room.

There was a loose floorboard next to the nightstand, practically under the bed, that Billy could use to store some emergency supplies. He could even keep his Justice League communicator in there so he would hear it in case someone called for backup in the middle of the night.

The walk-in closet was spacious and easy to move around in. He’s pretty sure even Captain Marvel could fit in there comfortably. The window opened up and showed a view of the yard in the back. It would be easy to climb out of if he had to. But there were security cameras all over the property. Billy had only caught a glimpse of one or two, but rich guys like Mr. Wayne always have the best security systems.

Billy felt eyes on him again, like he was being watched by some unseen force. It was probably just paranoia from being in a new city. Billy closed the curtains of his window just in case.

No Billy wouldn’t be sneaking out that way if he could help it. He was going for something a bit more subtle, but also way more difficult.

Billy had been training himself in magic for years now, writing down spells as Cap and practicing them in his mortal body. He never had anyone to teach him properly so his knowledge was a bit random based on what he thought it would be cool to learn. About a year ago he had started learning how to make magic portals. As Cap he could intuitively make them without wasting any time. He barely had to even think about where he wanted to go, though he almost always preferred to fly to his destinations if he could.

Making portals as Billy had turned out to be much more difficult. It required a lot of focus and a lot of magical energy. The first successful portal he had ever made left him so winded he collapsed the second he went through it. It certainly wasn’t an ideal method of transportation, especially if he was in a hurry or in danger, but it was doable.

A much more useful technique was setting up a semi-permanent portal using runes. It would be less draining and quicker. Billy had never had the opportunity to make one before considering he didn’t have anywhere he needed to portal to besides the Rock of Eternity. Besides, he had never lived anywhere even remotely private enough to ensure random people weren’t stumbling through it.

With a little help from Solomon, Billy had what he was pretty sure were the right combination of runes. All he needed now was a place to put them. He would have to wait until after dinner to activate them just in case something went wrong and he wiped out his stores of magic and needed to sleep it off.

Gotham had a magical signature that was distinctly...lacking. He might have to put more juice into his spell work while he was here to make up for the natural shortage.

Once this was set up he would be able to go about his daily patrols under the guise of taking a nap or doing his homework in his room. He won’t be caught sneaking out by Mr. Wayne's cameras and he won’t get in trouble with Batman for flying around Gotham.

All he had to do was make sure nobody found it. Easy right?

---

As soon as Bruce had left Billy in his room, he headed to the study where he had instructed everyone to meet him. Introductions had gone about as well as could be expected, but he needed to lay down some ground rules regarding Billy. He knows his kids, therefore he knows that it is likely they have already tracked down Billy’s file and read it cover to cover. But he didn’t want them overwhelming the poor boy with questions.

This dinner was important for Billy to get to know everyone. He didn't know who was going to be spending time at the manor at any given time, so it was impossible to say when Billy would get another chance to spend time with them. There was no telling when he could get everyone gathered for dinner like this again.

Each of his previous adoptions had either been sudden due to tragedy or long overdue because they were already family. This was the first time his kids were meeting each other through something as formal as a dinner. He didn’t want to mess this up and give Billy an excuse to run away.

In the study he found all the kids littered around the room having thankfully listened to him for once. They were all instantly buzzing.

“Billy is such a cutie” Dick gushed.

“He’s skin and bones” Jason huffed “I’m gonna have to get Al to fatten him up”

“Kind and smart” was Cassandra’s verdict. She was smiling in that knowing way of hers that always made Bruce wonder just what it was she saw that the rest of them couldn’t.

“I still don’t see why you needed to scoop another orphan off the streets father” Damian said from where he was sulking in Bruce’s desk chair.

“Oh don’t be like that Dami” Dick moved around to ruffle his brother’s hair only to be swatted away. He sighed “Hey, it’s okay. I’m sure you and Billy will get along just fine if you give him a chance”

“Tch. I highly doubt that” Damian slumped further into the seat.

Bruce sighed. He knew this would be tough on Damian since he was not used to being around other children his age, especially not ones that didn’t grapple with supervillains on a weekly basis. He could only hope that Billy’s sweet, sunshiny personality will win him over before there was conflict.

“Jeez were you guys this hectic when I first came to live here?” Duke wasn’t even trying to hide his amusement.

“That was different Thomas” Damian snapped “you had already proven yourself and your dedication to Gotham’s protection”

Duke snorted “You better not be trying to act like you were 100% onboard”

“Demon spawn is just upset he isn’t the baby anymore” Jason barely had time to dodge the throwing star Damian had thrown at him.

Bruce could feel a migraine coming on and they hadn’t even had dinner yet. “Alright everyone listen up!” He used his most commanding voice that sounded a little bit too much like Batman for him being out of costume.

Everyone paused and looked at him curiously. Even Tim who had been suspiciously quiet while looking at something on his phone.

“Look I know you are all processing Billy’s arrival but I wanted to lay down some ground rules while I have you all together” Bruce gathered himself up “Rule 1: No weapons around Billy. That includes guns” he gave Jason a pointed look “as well as swords” He turned the look towards Damian.

Both boys scoffed at the call out but didn’t argue.

“Rule 2: Do not let Billy leave the manor by himself. Billy is very independent, but he grew up in Fawcett City and doesn’t know Gotham. I don’t want to risk him getting hurt.”

He got no grumbling from that one. Everyone here knew how dangerous it would be for a kid to go out by himself in Gotham, even during the day. Especially a small, naïve kid like Billy. 

“Rule 3: Do not mention Billy’s old name. I told you he is transgender because I wanted to correct a mistake and to make sure everyone here treats him as a boy. No questions about his gender unless he agrees to it. I don’t care how curious you are”

Bruce wasn't sure how willing Billy was to talk about about things like that. It was safer to assume he wasn't comfortable until he had confirmation otherwise. A quick scan around the room told him that everyone was more or less willing to go along with his rules for now.

“Rule 4: Billy is going to be strictly upstairs. No vigilante talk in front of him”

“You can’t be serious Bruce” Tim blurted out “You really think he won’t figure it out?”

“I’m with Timmy on this one” Jason said “You can’t honestly expect the kid to just not notice”

“Billy is barely twelve years old. He has no powers, no training, and no connection to Gotham or its villains. He is also currently injured and recovering from a kidnapping. I don’t see any reason to involve him in our work”

Dick sighed “I get where you’re coming from Bruce, but I think we should tell him. Not right away of course. We gotta give him some time to settle in, but if he really is going to stay and become a part of this family he’s going to have to know eventually. It’s better if he hears it from us”

“We will revisit this after Billy has had a chance to get used to Gotham”

As the kids all filed back out of the office and headed down for dinner Bruce couldn’t help but wonder if these rules were going to bite him in the ass.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

Chapter 6

Summary:

Alfred Pennyworth has welcomed many children into the Wayne family over the years. He can't help but wonder how their newest addition is going to fit in.

Alfred Pennyworth had had the pleasure of welcoming each member of the family to this home, even Master Bruce himself once upon a time. And each time he did his best to make absolutely sure they found a home within these walls. There had been varying degrees of success over the years owing in no small part to the often unpleasant circumstances of the children’s arrivals. Nevertheless, he strived for their happiness and comfort. He fancied himself a bit of an expert at helping sad and broken children become just a little less sad and a little less broken.

He did not, however, have the slightest clue how to stop them from running headfirst into danger every night wearing capes and masks.

While part of him naturally hoped that things would be different for their newest member, he was a realistic man. He wasn’t going to hold his breath that Master’s Bruce’s resolve would be enough to keep young Master Billy from the vigilante life. He’d heard all about the boy’s escape from the hospital as well as his ability to slip away and vanish when he didn’t want to be found. If he hadn't known better, he would have assumed the boy had already involved himself in the ever growing world of vigilante heroism.

Now, having finally met the boy, he saw the curious glint in his eye and the confidence with which he held himself. With his dark hair and blue eyes he looked as if he could’ve been a Wayne by birth. Alfred could already picture Master Billy donning a mask and uniform to prowl the streets for criminals. 

It must be some cosmic joke that Master Bruce didn’t see it as well. Unless he was simply ignoring it. Or perhaps Alfred was just seeing an inevitability where there was merely a possibility. Perhaps this was one child whom he wouldn't have to fret over, who would go to school and strive for a life without the violence and vengeance that consumed children and spat them out as crimefighters.

But alas, Alfred would not dare hope for such a thing.

Of course there was much to be done before they could spare more than a passing thought to Master Billy’s possible future. They had to keep an eye on his injuries while he healed, show him around the manor, set up various doctor’s visits, take him shopping for new clothes, enroll him in school.

But first and foremost, Alfred needed to prepare a meal and ensure their first family dinner in a long time went according to plan.

Alfred honestly couldn’t remember the last time he cooked for such a large group as the family so rarely all came together for a meal. Most days he ended up bringing trays of food down to the Batcave knowing full well that they likely wouldn’t be touched by any of the single minded young heroes down there.

But tonight was special. Tonight everyone was together and they were celebrating. For a couple of hours they would act like a proper family for once.

Alfred placed a few finishing touches on the dishes he had prepared and brought them out to the dining room table. He had spent half the morning cleaning the room so its lack of use was not obvious to Master Billy. It wouldn’t do for him to think they were a family that didn’t dine together, even if it was true more often than not.

There was the tell-tale chatter of the family migrating from one room to the next before they swarmed the table for tonight's meal.

A quick survey of the room told him that only Master Billy was unaccounted for. He placed the trays along the table that was already preset with all the necessary plates and utensils. He lightly swatted away Miss Cassandra’s hand as she reached to fill her plate. She pouted up at him the question of why in her eyes though not on her lips.

“We must wait for Master Billy” He smiled gently at her. “I’ll go fetch him now before the food gets cold. No one eats until we are all together understood?” He got several unhappy looks but no arguments. Content with the knowledge that none were going to disobey him, he headed to the second floor to Master Billy’s room.

He knocked on the door. “Master Billy, dinner is served” There were some muffled sounds from inside. When the door swung open Master Billy looked slightly flustered. He was still a bit unkempt, but that was excusable for now considering his circumstances. Alfred chose not to comment on the clear signs of nervousness. Nor did he comment on the marker that was being slipped into the boy’s back pocket. As long as the vandalism was kept to a minimum and wasn’t inappropriate he could ignore it for now.

“If you’re ready, I will show you to the dining room Master Billy”

“Oh, um thanks” Master Billy carefully closed the door behind him. “And I told you, just Billy is fine. I’m nobody’s master”

“I have served the Wayne family for many years, since before even Master Bruce was born. Master is a term of respect for the family that has employed me for so long. I have no intention of giving up this particular tradition just yet”

The boy’s brow furrowed and his eyes scrunched together in clear confusion. It had been a long time since any of the children in the manor were so easy to read. A refreshing change of pace.

“But Mr. Wayne told me you were his foster dad. Doesn’t that make you part of the family too?”

Alfred felt a flutter in his chest as a gentle smile worked its way across his face. Master Billy must be a smart young man. “Indeed. This is my family and has been for a long time even if most aren’t quite observant enough to catch on” His smile turned to a bit of a smirk as he whispered conspiratorially “Even so I have no desire to brush aside this particular formality”

Master Billy shook his head with a smile. “I guess it’ll take more than a day to change your mind”

“You may certainly try” Alfred could already see the Wayne family's stubbornness in him. Funny how every child Master Bruce brought into the family had it as surely as if it were in their blood. He took it as a sign that this boy was going to fit in with his new family just fine.

He led Master Billy to the dining room where he could hear a ruckus had already brewed in the few minutes it took to collect the guest of honor for tonight’s dinner. Pushing open the door he cleared his throat, expertly gaining the attention of Gotham’s renowned vigilantes. Instantly the room hushed a bit.

Masters Tim and Dick both looked sheepish for their behavior while Masters Jason and Damian seemed unrepentant. Miss Cassandra and Master Duke were predictably better behaved than their brothers, though Alfred suspected one of them had instigated this little quarrel. Master Bruce was clearly annoyed by his children’s antics but quickly smoothed his expression to be more pleasant for Master Billy’s sake.

Naturally no one had touched the food yet.

Alfred gestured for Master Billy to take the seat next to Master Bruce which had been left open for him. Once he was seated Alfred removed the lids of the trays with a flourish and felt satisfaction bloom in his chest as his youngest master’s eyes lit up in awe and delight.

“Holy Moley! You cooked all this yourself Mr. Alfred?”

“Indeed Master Billy. I do hope you enjoy” Alfred shot a warning look at Master Jason to ensure the young man’s snickers about Master Billy’s choice of expression didn’t lead to a rude comment. Honestly they could all do with a tad less swearing in this household.

Alfred retired to the corner of the room where he could watch and observe all that happened while also ensuring everyone enjoyed their meal.

“Aren’t you going to eat with us?” Master Billy’s eyes were on him, a hint of concern in those sparkling baby blues. Affection settled into his chest warm and soft. He had known he would love and adore any child Master Bruce brought home as he had all those before, but it was startling how quickly and easily this one had found his way to the old man’s heart.

“Not tonight Master Billy”

He didn’t seem thrilled by Alfred’s reply, but turned back to his food.

“So Billy why don’t you tell us a little about yourself” As was often the case, Master Dick took the reins to make everyone feel more at ease. “You’re from Fawcett City right?”

Master Billy paused in his graceless attempts to feed himself. It was clear he had no knowledge of etiquette and his table manners left much to be desired, but Alfred had definitely seen worse, even among those gathered in this room.

“Oh yeah. I’ve lived there my whole life. It’s a lot different from Gotham obviously but it’s a great place to grow up”

“That’s awesome. I’ve never been, but I’m sure I’ll find an excuse to go now”

“Oh! If you go you should see Fawcett City’s Museum of Natural History. It’s super cool and they always have tons of traveling exhibits from all over the world so you’ll almost never see the same stuff twice” Master Billy’s face tinged pink. “I mean if you like history you’d like it. But if not there’s lots of other cool things to see”

“Doesn’t that place get robbed, like, all the time because of those exhibits?” Heated glares were exchanged across the table as several people tried to silently warn Master Jason that he was treading dangerously close to vigilante talk.

Master Billy was thankfully either oblivious or very good at ignoring unusual behavior. “Yeah sometimes. But I don’t think it gets robbed any more than Gotham City museums get robbed. And Captain Marvel is always there to step in”

“Tch” Master Damian scoffed and rolled his eyes. His dislike of the World’s Mightiest Mortal stemmed directly from Master Bruce’s personal paranoia regarding one of the few men whose identity constantly eluded him. “I don’t see what’s so great about Captain Marvel. Gotham City’s heroes are much more impressive and reliable”

Master Duke dropped his fork on the table and glared at the current Robin. He winced slightly as he spoke, though the cause for the action was unknown. Possibly an injury from his earlier patrol that had been left untreated. “Come on man, don’t be a jerk. Billy’s allowed to like his local superhero without you putting him down for it”

“It’s fine really!” Master Billy was clearly uncomfortable and just a touch embarrassed. Perhaps even a bit defensive despite his words. “I know Cap’s not exactly everyone’s favorite. And you guys are from Gotham so I’m sure you guys like Batman and Robin and all of them way better. Which is totally cool”

“I don’t know man. I hear Batman is kind of an asshole”

“Jason, language!” Master Bruce was clearly not a fan of where this conversation was going. It was just like Master Jason to push boundaries and see if he would start a fight while keeping a damnable smirk on his lips. The two glared at each other neither wanting to back down. It likely would have gone on much longer if the others didn’t step in.

“You know Billy, if you like history I bet you could find some really cool books in the library” Master Tim ignored the growing battle of wills between father and son. “And the manor has all sorts of cool artifacts that I’m sure Alfred could tell you all about”

Miss Cassandra’s hands quickly moved to sign her agreement and suggestions. She wasn’t much one for history but she did enjoy learning the stories behind things.

“Cass that’s brilliant. I’m sure Billy will love it” Master Tim and Miss Cassandra shared a smile.

“Umm...what did she say?” Billy was looking between the two slightly bewildered and clearly confused once more. “I don’t know a whole lot of sign language…”

“Don’t worry we’ll help you” Master Dick was quick to reassure. “Cass prefers using sign language, but she can communicate other ways while you’re learning”

As if to prove his point Miss Cassandra spoke up. “Homer” She said very carefully, enunciating the two syllables as clearly as possible.

“Homer wrote stories in ancient Greece. Have you ever heard of the Odyssey? We got this cool illustrated copy of it that is supposed to be fun. Cass and I can show you” Master Tim easily elaborated.

Master Billy’s face lit up in a brilliant smile, breathtaking in its sincerity. “That would be really cool! Thanks you guys!” There was a glimmer of humor in his tone as if he were in on some joke the rest of them weren’t and had no intention of sharing.

It was a slow start as these things often are, but Alfred knew that Master Billy was sure to slot into place in the manor and in the family quicker than anyone realized. There were rough times ahead and maybe it would be just a tad premature to say everything was going to go swimmingly. Still, watching as this young boy chatted with the family about his favorite books, the places he wished to visit, and his life back in Fawcett City, Alfred couldn’t help feeling optimistic. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but not unwelcome.

Only time will tell if this night was the start of something wonderful or something tragic.

Notes:

Thanks again for reading and commenting!

With Billy now in Gotham things are going to heat up, but with plenty of fluff in there for good measure.

Chapter 7

Summary:

Dick takes his new little brother shopping.

"Rise and shine Master Billy"

Billy groaned. He was exhausted. And the bed he was in was the most comfortable thing he had ever laid on. The gods themselves could come down and demand he get up and he would still refuse to move.

Well maybe that wasn’t quite true, but he still didn't want to get up.

After a somewhat awkward dinner where the Waynes asked him a bunch of questions while having some sort of silent argument or competition with each other, Billy had to prepare for his Captain Marvel duties. Usually he would wait a day or two after moving into a new foster home before sneaking out, mostly so he would know the family’s routine and avoid being caught. But after all that time in the hospital, he had to play catch up. Not to mention there was a Justice League meeting tomorrow. He definitely couldn’t miss that.

So he set up and tested a portal to Fawcett City in the back of his closet. It seemed the most secure place in the room where the fewest people might see. He shoved a chair under the doorknob of the door to lock it while he was away just in case anyone tried to snoop.

Even with the runes it took a lot of magic to get it working. The portal dumped him into an abandoned subway station where he had slept on and off for years. It was also the same subway station where the wizard had first transported him to the Rock of Eternity. Billy had then spent the better part of two hours setting up the return portal and making it as hidden and secret as possible. He was still a bit nervous about some random homeless person or curious teenager stumbling through it and ending up in Wayne Manor, but he wasn’t sure what else he could do. He really couldn't afford the time and energy to make a portal every time he had to go back and forth.

Then he had gone on patrol. Then he had received a call from Superman to help deal with a giant robot in Japan. By the time he had that all cleaned up he almost forgot he had to go back to Gotham. The constant time zone changes did nothing but mess up his internal clock. He stumbled through his portal and collapsed into bed at what was apparently 3 a.m. He deserved to sleep until at least noon.

Alfred Pennyworth seemed to have other ideas.

The aged butler opened the curtains to let in some daylight that was way too bright for Billy, even if a part of him did notice it was somehow dimmer than he was used to. As his sleep-addled brain finally registered that there was someone in his room, Billy felt his entire body stiffen and adrenaline rush his system. The last time he had failed to notice someone or something in his room he ended up kidnapped, strapped down and hooked up to a horrible machine.

“Come now young master, breakfast is waiting for you downstairs”

At the mention of food Billy realized he was not just tired but starving too. With a grunt he pushed himself up, stretching to get his stiff limbs to cooperate while trying to calm his racing heart.

“Good heavens!” Alfred seemed startled. When Billy turned to look at him, the man’s eyes were zeroed in on his side. Right. The rune that had been carved into his side probably looked really bad. Billy self-consciously tugged his shirt down to cover it properly. The man recovered quickly to his credit.

“Does it hurt Master Billy?” Alfred looked sad, his voice gentle and kind as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Billy hesitated just a moment before answering. “I told you to just call me Billy. And I’m a little sore I guess, but it’s not too bad”

Alfred nodded briefly. “Just let me know if it bothers you alright? I have a bit of medical training you know. I’ve patched up every member of this family at least once”

“Okay, will do” Billy smiled and climbed out of bed, partly to prove that he was not in need of any medical attention despite what Alfred may think.

“Master Billy! Did you sleep in your clothes last night? I made sure to put pajamas in your dresser in case you needed them” Alfred’s lips were pursed and the edges were dipped down into the beginnings of a frown.

Billy glanced down at himself and sure enough he was still wearing his jeans and t-shirt from the day before. He had been so tired coming home last night that he had completely forgotten to change, especially since it had been a while since he had had pajamas to change into.

And now he had offended Alfred. Great.

“I’m sorry. It’s just--I mean uh”

Alfred held up a hand to stop Billy’s rambling apology. “No need to apologize” He sighed “Perhaps you would feel more comfortable wearing clothes you picked out yourself hmm? Master Dick stayed the night last night so I’m sure he would love to take you shopping. After breakfast of course”

Billy nodded mutely, glad to have dodged that proverbial bullet. He quickly brushed his teeth and his hair. He threw on one of the clean shirts from the dresser that looked like it might have once belonged to one of the other boys and followed Alfred back downstairs to the dining room. Mr. Wayne was sitting at the head of the table drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. Dick and Damian were with him already eating their food. None of the others seemed to be around right now.

“Look who’s finally up!” Dick laughed and ruffled Billy’s hair as he sat down.

“Good morning Billy” Mr. Wayne greeted him. Billy noticed that he looked kind of tired. He must not have slept much last night either. “How did you sleep?”

“Good morning. I slept alright” Mr. Wayne quirked an eyebrow. “I always have trouble sleeping somewhere new. I just have to adjust is all”

“I believe Master Billy is in need of some new clothes. Might any of you be interested in an excursion to the mall this afternoon?”

Mr. Wayne grimaced a bit. “Unfortunately I have some work I need to catch up on here, but Dick why don’t you take Billy and Damian.”

“Tch. I never said I wanted to go”

“I would love to!” Dick’s enthusiastic reply cut right through Damian’s grumpy attitude. “Come on Dami, we can get you that new video game you and Jon have been raving about. You might even have some fun”

Damian rolled his eyes, but relented. “Fine, but we’re getting Batburger on the way home”

“Batburger?” Billy couldn’t help but giggle. He had heard Batman complaining about the place when Flash brought some to the Watchtower for everybody after a team up in Gotham. Apparently he didn’t like eating there, but his sidekick Robin was a fan.

"Oh that's right you probably don't have that in Fawcett. It's good you'll like it. They have action figures of Gotham's vigilantes"

"That's so cool" Billy remembered having a Batman toy when he was little, but now that he knew him it would probably be weird. He would love an action figure of Nightwing though. He met him a couple times and he was really cool and nice.

This could be fun. The last time Billy had been to a mall he had been swiping leftovers from the food court while waiting out a rainstorm.

He may still be tired but he could still enjoy himself. Though he would have to figure out how to slip away for his Justice League meeting. He'll have to fake a stomach ache or something to make sure they bring him back in time. He can make this work.

---

Dick was excited for his chance to get to know the newest (and youngest!) member of their ever growing family. Billy seemed like a sweet kid. Not to mention he was a cutie with a great smile. Kid was definitely going to be a heartbreaker in a few years. He was polite with Alfred and didn’t get angry with Damian despite how difficult he was being. He was a bit shy and quiet, but that might just be because he wasn’t used to them all yet.

Dick could just tell that Billy was going to have them all wrapped around his finger in no time.

He’d already snagged Bruce by the heartstrings and activated his full on protective papa bear mode. During patrol he had briefed them on Billy’s injuries and a list of things he was not allowed to do while he healed. After patrol at nearly 4 in the morning Dick had caught Bruce peeking into Billy’s room to check on him. The kid had been curled into a tiny ball, fast asleep and snoring lightly. Bruce had looked both relieved and worried at the same time.

Not for the first time Dick wondered what exactly had happened on his trip to Fawcett City. He had come back with weird tech that might also be magical, a small child who had been living on the streets, and a newfound dislike of Captain Marvel--one of the single most likable people on the Justice League if not the planet.

Speaking of which, Billy probably loved Captain Marvel!

Regardless of Bruce’s weird hang-ups with the guy and his secret identity they were probably going to end up with some of his merch in the manor. Seriously, for how much Bruce complains that the Captain can’t keep a secret or work covertly he sure is pissed when he manages to keep his identity a secret even from the best detective in the world. Sometimes there’s no pleasing people like Bruce.

Alfred dropped Dick, Damian and Billy off at the most upscale mall in Gotham with instructions to get Billy as many clothes and things as he needed to feel at home. Then he promptly left to make sure Bruce didn’t work himself to death on the Sivana case. Not that they told Billy that. But Dick got the message.

“So we should probably be responsible and grab the clothes first. Damian needs some new stuff too, My little man is hitting a growth spurt after all!” Dick wrapped his arms around Damian’s shoulders and gave him a squeeze. Dick knew his brother liked physical affection, but put on a show about hating it, so he wasn't surprised when Damian swatted at him for it.

Billy meanwhile was in awe of the place. It was refreshing how open the kid was about what he was feeling. Everything was written clear as day on his face. It must be a Fawcett City thing because Dick was sure he had seen that same look on Captain Marvel’s face before.

“What do you say Billy? Ready to go on a shopping spree?”

“What?” Billy glanced over with surprise “I don’t need much Dick. Just a new sweater really.” Dick and Damian both gave him an unimpressed look. “And maybe some pajamas?” Billy fidgeted with a loose thread on his pants and avoided their eyes.

“Look little B, we have Bruce’s credit card and access to an ungodly amount of money. We also have clear instructions from Alfred. If we don’t go home loaded down with as much stuff as we can carry, we have failed at our primary objective.” Dick smiled and grabbed Billy by the arm, dragging him inside the first of what was sure to be many stores with Damian trailing a few steps behind them.

Dick learned several things about Billy as the day went on.

1. Billy’s favorite color was red. More than half the clothes he picked out were some shade of the color, usually brighter than even Dick thought necessary. When asked why he liked the color Billy had shyly explained that it reminded him of Captain Marvel. At least the color, bright as it was, suited him.

2. Just as Dick had suspected, Billy was a fan of the good Captain. His eyes had nearly bugged out of his head when he found a Captain Marvel themed t-shirt nestled in with all the other Justice League merch. When Dick placed it in the pile of clothes they intended to buy, he swore he saw Billy tear up just a little bit. Yeah Bruce will have to keep his weird paranoia about the demigod to himself and let Billy enjoy this.

3. Billy was almost certainly better at budgeting money than Dick was. The kid made faces every time he checked a price tag that made Dick want to burst out laughing. But then Dick would remember that according to his file, Billy had lived on the streets for a long time, so budgeting money was a necessity. It was a sad and sobering thought.

4. Billy was not the type to accept handouts or charity. He had protested almost every time they added something to the pile. The idea of Bruce's unlimited credit card seemed both foreign and insulting to him. Damian clearly respected that about him, even if he did mock him for having "common tastes". His shocked and horrified expression when they went to pay had Dick struggling to hide his laughter.

5. Billy was transgender. Now clearly Dick had already learned this from Bruce, back before he had even seen so much as a picture of Billy. It was an simple correction to make that he took in stride. Since he knew so little about Billy beforehand it was easy. But here in a fancy Gotham city mall, he saw the way Billy hesitated before heading to the men’s changing room. And how Billy gravitated to clothes that were little baggy on him. And how he had avoided all eye contact with the sales clerk who had called him ‘miss’. And how he turned a deep beet red when it was suggested they get him fitted for a bra when they had his measurements taken for when he inevitably needed a suit for a gala. It was a reminder to the observant onlooker that his newest, youngest brother was going to need protection from things besides the standard homicidal clowns Gotham was known for.

A few hours and a ridiculous number of clothes later, the trio headed for the food court. Or at least the uptown equivalent. And as promised they got a booth at Batburger.

"So what's it gonna be boys?" Dick smiled as he perused the menu, wondering if he should get his usual or switch it up.

"I dunno. What's good here?"

"The jokerized fries are a fan favorite. Since it's your first time, maybe get a classic Batburger?"

Billy nodded along, but seemed a bit lost in thought. He kept glancing around them subtly. Maybe he was nervous. Or tired of running around the mall all day. Probably tired.

"I better not get a Red Hood action figure again" Damian's grumbling pulled Billy back down to earth.

"Wait. They have Red Hood toys here?" Billy's eyes were wide as he turned fully to Damian. "Can they do that? I mean I know he's not--I mean I've heard he's not a bad guy. But like, doesn't he commit crimes and stuff?"

Well Jason should be happy his reputation spread all the way to Fawcett. But having a discussion about the morality of his brother’s actions vs the legality of them with a 12 year old was not what he wanted to do today.

"Tch. The only crime is his stupid helmet. And the sheer number of these toys that are made"

Dick gave Damian a look that he hoped conveyed: don't act so familiar with vigilantes.

"He does commit crimes, but he also helps people. It's a bit of a gray area but he's definitely not a villain and he generally tries to do the right thing"

Now it was Damian’s turn to give Dick a look. And yeah that's fair. But he didn’t want the kid to have a negative view of Jason or his alter ego, especially this early on. Jay would feel terrible if Billy was afraid of him. Kids were the only ones he didn’t want to scare.

But yeah, Bruce must have a screw loose if he thinks this whole secret thing is going to last.

"That makes sense" Billy nodded looking much more pensive than a kid his age had any right to be. "I've heard good things about him but I wasn't sure what you guys thought. He makes difficult choices to do bad things for the greater good. I get that. Everyone, especially heroes, have to make those decisions and we just have to hope they make the right ones," Billy's gaze was distant and a little unfocused.

He seemed to realize that Dick and Damian were just staring at him in surprise. He ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck, a blush creeping up his cheeks. "Oh gosh I'm sorry about that. I just get in my own head sometimes and don't even know what I'm saying. Ignore me"

"Don't apologize Batson, your philosophical input was merely unexpected considering your background" From Damian that was the closest thing to a compliment he'd give to someone who hadn't bested him in battle. Dick was a little proud of his Robin.

"Uh thanks? I think?"

The rest of lunch passed by pleasantly. Damian was pleased to get a Nightwing toy instead of a Red Hood one and Billy got Robin which he seemed excited about. Damian pretended not to be smug about the fact that Billy was happy to get a Robin as his first collectable.

Dick decided that they should ride this high and go to a store that sold games and comics. He did promise Damian a video game and Billy deserved something fun that was just his.

Once inside they wandered off in separate directions. Dick kept an eye on Billy as he browsed, Bruce’s warning about Billy’s independent nature possibly getting him into trouble fresh in his mind. He had been told that Billy has a history of running away so he was not to let him out of his sight. Bruce had looked very stressed when he explained that bit. Dick just knows there’s a story behind that look.

Billy was looking over the selection of Justice League comics with impossibly wide eyes and a bright smile. Did they not have comics in Fawcett? Or was Billy just excited at the prospect of owning one of those bad boys himself? Dick hadn’t read a comic in forever, but he remembered how much he enjoyed collecting them back in his Robin days. He’d have to dig those up and show Billy when he got the chance. Though that was before Captain Marvel had been on the scene so he wouldn’t have any with the demigod in it.

With a smirk Dick began picking through the selection to find one his new brother would like. While many of the issues were based on real events, many were just plain fictional. The line between the two seemed particularly blurry in the Captain’s case. Dick was trying to puzzle through how the Greek gods connected to the talking tiger and what any of that had to do with an alien worm using mind control on a crocodile in a suit. And he thought Gotham villains were weird.

“Hey, leave her alone you jerk!”

Dick’s head snapped up because that was Billy’s voice. Looking around he spotted Billy glaring up at a guy twice his size who was leaning on the counter leering at the girl behind the register. The guy seemed annoyed at Billy, but not necessarily interested in him.

“Beat it kid. I’m kind of busy here”

“I don’t think she wants to talk to you” Sure enough the girl looked nervous and uncomfortable, but was clearly also trying to keep her polite customer service smile on. Dick quickly glanced over to see Damian watching from between the shelves, not making any move to back Billy up. Looks like Dick would have to diffuse the situation himself.

“What would you know brat?”

“Clearly more than you. Though since I’m sure no woman has ever talked to you willingly, I’ll let you off with a warning as long as you leave now”

The man let out a disbelieving bark of laughter. “Oh you’ll let me off with a warning huh? How’s this for a warning?” The man shoved Billy into a nearby display case, knocking it over.

Dick saw red. He covered the remaining distance between them and decked the guy without any preamble. Not as hard as he would some goon while on patrol, but it was a near thing. The guy went down clutching his jaw.

“You son of a--! I’m gonna have you arrested for that!”

“Oh please” Dick couldn’t help rolling his eyes. “You were the one harassing girls and shoving little kids. Grow up and get out of here”

The man scrambled up and left the store, grumbling the whole way. Dick highly doubted he would do anything.

“Oh sweetie are you alright?” Dick turned to find the cashier had come around to help Billy up while Dick was scaring the creep off.

“I’m alright, miss, really. Are you okay? That jerk was really crossing a line” Billy was quickly clambering back to his feet, completely unperturbed by the new bruise blooming on his forehead.

She laughed, but her eyes were a little misty when she responded. “I’m perfectly fine. That's just Jimmy. He comes in here from time to time. I’ve never seen anyone stand up to him like that” She ruffled Billy’s hair lightly “You’re a brave kid. Thank you. Both of you” She finally turned to smile gratefully at Dick. “Why don’t you guys each pick out something? Free of charge”

Billy spluttered and blushed but eventually relented when Dick brought over a couple of Captain Marvel comics he had been looking at before the fight. As she bagged their things as well as Damian’s new video game, Dick fussed over Billy checking for any other cuts and bruises from the scuffle. Billy winced a little and grabbed his side when Dick brushed broken plastic bits from his new hoodie.

“Are you hurt? Here let me see” Billy flinched hard, shoving Dick’s hands away and taking a few steps back. Billy was pulling the hem of his jacket down as far as it would go and avoiding Dick’s eyes again.

“I’m fine. That’s just...from before”

“From before? What do you mean--oh” Right. Before he came to live with them. When he was kidnapped and tortured by a mad scientist. Which he was still recovering from. Because it happened like a week ago. Way to go Grayson.

“Why don’t we call Alfred and head home?”

“No need. I’ve already informed Pennyworth we’ve finished early. He should be here soon” Damian finally made his reappearance next to his brothers, eyes locked on his phone while he pretended to be uninterested in either of them. “I’ve also informed him of this...incident. He’ll look Batson over when we get back to the manor”

Dick sighed. “Thanks Dami”

Damian looked up from his phone and stared at Billy. “You know, you shouldn’t pick fights you know you can’t win. You’re just going to get your ass kicked. It’s embarrassing”

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose. He knows he should scold Damian for being rude and swearing, but it was hard to do that when he also wanted to lecture Billy on not starting fights with grown men. It did make him feel a little bit like a hypocrite though.

“It’s not always about winning the fight” Billy matched Damian’s intense stare without hesitation. “Sometimes it's about letting people know that they aren’t alone. That there are good people out there who are on their side. Sometimes it’s also about letting jerks like Jimmy know that what he was doing was unacceptable. That he’s not always going to get away with things like that. Even if I couldn’t beat him, that doesn’t mean nothing good would have come out of me challenging him”

Billy grabbed their bag from the cashier who looked just as stunned as Dick felt. He then proceeded to walk out of the store without another word.

“Where does a kid like that get off being so wise?” Dick muttered. He shared a look with Damian whose brow was furrowed in thought. “Come on let’s follow him before he gets lost”

Dick had learned three additional things about Billy since lunch:

1. Billy was much more witty and snarky than he had let on. The kid clearly knew how to push people’s buttons when he wanted to. The polite, shy, quiet kid he had known up till now was obviously his attempt at making a good impression for his new family. Dick couldn’t wait to see more of that in the future.

2. Billy was wise beyond his years. He was somehow both optimistic and down to earth. He saw good in the world and actively worked to maximize it. It wasn’t even necessarily street smarts, which Dick was sure he had in spades. It was philosophical. If Dick picked his brain, Billy would probably have lots to say about morality, mortality, the meaning of life and all that jazz. He was even surprisingly eloquent about it, especially considering the kid dropped out of middle school.

3. Billy was going to be a hero. Bruce was kidding himself if he thought otherwise. Sooner rather than later, Billy will be joining them all on patrol. Whether he became the new Robin or created his own mantle was just details. If they didn’t train Billy, it was just a matter of time before Billy went out and tried it on his own. But God did Dick want to protect him from this life. He’s seen the way the life of a hero could break a person’s spirit as well as their body. Would Billy still believe in the inherent goodness of people if--no when--he sees the things they’ve seen on the job? Dick hoped so.

Dick made a choice as the three of them piled their purchases into the car while Alfred tutted over Billy’s new bruises. He would do everything in his power to help Bruce keep Billy away from the hero life for as long as possible. But when that time did come and Billy fought them for the right to fight crime and save the world, he would take on the kid’s training himself.

Billy smiled up at him as he recounted the day's events to Alfred on the way home and the gloomy Gotham sky seemed to brighten in response.

God did Dick wish he could protect Billy forever. Instead he would just have to settle for delaying the inevitable.

Notes:

As always thanks for reading! The plot is going to start picking up in the next chapter, but this felt like a great opportunity for some character exploration. Let me know what you think!

Chapter 8

Summary:

Captain Marvel and Batman need to work together if they are going to crack the case. Neither are too thrilled about this.

As embarrassed as he was about the whole starting-a-fight-with-some-random-dude-on-his-first-day thing, Billy was actually glad for the excuse to head back to Wayne Manor. And hey, at least he didn’t get into a fight with one of his new foster siblings. It was a near thing with the way Damian was acting, though Billy was pretty sure that was just some natural snobbiness from being born rich and not really Damian trying to be mean to him in particular.

A few times throughout the day he had felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up and his heart race even though there was nothing around to cause it. But he sensed something. It was honestly leaving him a bit on edge. And totally messing up an otherwise pretty fun outing.

By the time Alfred had checked him over and ushered Billy to his room for some rest, Billy had only an hour left before his Justice League meeting. Billy had been told to rest until dinner so he doesn’t aggravate any of his injuries. Unfortunately he didn’t have a whole lot of time to actually do that. He would just have to hope that no one came to check on him before he came back or they’d all probably think he was running away again.

Mr. Wayne had probably told them all about his stunt in Fawcett when he ran away from the hospital. He’d even told Batman! Billy would have to be extra good to make sure they didn’t find out about his hero duties. He was honestly a bit worried since Dick had definitely picked up on his reaction to Captain Marvel stuff. It’s not his fault he was so surprised! He hadn’t realized they made Captain Marvel merchandise, let alone that they sold it all the way in Gotham!

But Billy was just being paranoid right? There’s no way that Dick, or anyone in the Wayne family, could know he was Captain Marvel. He’d just have to tone it down, play it cool when superheroes come up. He’d been careful so far. As long as he kept that up he should be fine.

Besides this whole situation was just temporary. This time next year, living in a fancy mansion in Gotham will just be a distant memory. He might not even make it until Christmas, which might suck but was probably for the best.

Yep, he was going to be so careful and so good that not even Batman will know he was here.

Billy was quickly putting away some of the way too many new clothes Dick had bought for him when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned around he couldn’t see anything, but he suddenly felt that he wasn’t alone. The door to his closet was slightly ajar and Billy briefly wondered if someone or something had come through his portal.

Before he could investigate further, there was a knock on his door. Billy nearly jumped out of his skin. He sat there frozen for a moment before realizing whoever was there was waiting for a response.

“Umm...Come in?” Billy called. He was going to have to look into getting a lock on his door, but at least everyone was polite about privacy here. At least so far.

Mr. Wayne entered the room. He looked just as tired as he had at breakfast, but now he looked concerned too. He crossed over to where Billy was kneeling in front of his dresser and squatted down next to him.

“I heard about what happened at the mall. Are you alright?” He was scrutinizing Billy closely, his eyes lingering on the bruise on his face.

“Oh I’m fine. Alfred even said I was good to go” Billy really hadn’t meant to make anyone worry about him. Especially Mr. Wayne who always seemed so stressed. He couldn’t count the number of fights just like that one he had been in over the years. And most of them ended up way worse. He hadn’t even given a second thought to what anyone would think. Sure afterwards he worried they’d be mad, but he could deal with that.

“Dick said you were very brave." He hesitated, some unknown conflict obvious in his eyes. "I want you to know that I am glad you are willing to stand up for others, but you need to be more careful. The people of Gotham are not as nice as the people in Fawcett. I don’t want to see you get hurt because you were playing hero”

Billy frowned at those words. Mr. Wayne must be pretty confused if he thought Fawcett was full of only nice people. Billy had plenty of scars on his body to prove that wasn’t true. He should just keep his mouth shut and nod along since Mr. Wayne was just trying to be a good foster parent and discourage Billy from starting fights. But something about the way Mr. Wayne was speaking rubbed Billy the wrong way. Because Billy didn’t “play hero”, he actually was one. Even if Mr. Wayne didn’t know that, he still shouldn’t expect Billy to just ignore someone in need.

“I was just trying to do the right thing Mr. Wayne” Billy twisted the shirt in his hands and tried to make himself small. It wasn’t the first time doing the right thing had landed him in trouble with a foster family. Or a teacher. Or the police.

Mr. Wayne sighed. “I know that Billy. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just...you should pick your battles more carefully. It’s not your responsibility to fix every problem you see”

Billy would have to disagree with that seeing as how he is a superhero and a member of the Justice League. Not that he could say any of that. Instead he just nodded.

Billy glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Crap. The Justice League meeting started in 15 minutes. He really had to get rid of Mr. Wayne fast.

Billy faked a yawn and stood up. “I should probably rest like Alfred told me to. I’ll see you at dinner Mr. Wayne”

Mr. Wayne looked surprised by the sudden shift and clear dismissal. Billy definitely needed to work on his excuses. Mr. Wayne looked down at his watch and moved towards the door. “Of course. I have some work I need to do anyway. Get some sleep” He paused in the doorway. “Oh and Billy? You can call me Bruce you know. All of the kids do”

“If you’re sure...bye Bruce”

Bruce smiled and gently closed the door on his way out. It was a bit weird calling him by his first name, though it was hardly the first time a foster parent had insisted on it. Billy would just need some time to get used to it.

But now is not the time. Right now he had to head to Fawcett City, transform, and go to the Watchtower before Batman got mad at him for being late.

---

Bruce had never been this rushed getting ready for a meeting without an actual crisis involved. He had a million things to do today and he had only finished a handful of them. This was why he hated leaving Gotham for any stretch of time. Things always piled up. But he supposed that this time it was worth it to have Billy under his roof.

Of course Dick taking Damian and Billy out for the day was supposed to be a relief not a source of stress itself. Apparently the poor kid attracted trouble even midday in the most upscale mall in Gotham boasting the best security money could buy.

He should probably keep Billy at home for the foreseeable future.

Or at least implement a better security system. And a buddy system.

Bruce couldn’t shake the image of Billy’s newly bruised face looking so sad and...not afraid exactly. But resigned. Like he was waiting for Bruce to hurt him for defending a woman from a potential attacker. Like the weight of the world rested on his shoulders and he had to protect anyone and everyone he met and suffer the consequences. It broke Bruce’s heart.

That look reminded him exactly why he did not want Billy to get pulled into vigilantism. Someone who cared so deeply and threw themselves so carelessly into danger was sure to get swallowed by the lifestyle in the worst possible ways.

Bruce shook his head. He didn’t have time to think about this right now. He was going to be late. He glanced at the Batcomputer. Scratch that he was already late.

Bruce, fully suited up as Batman, stalked towards the personal Zeta-tube he kept in the Batcave while adjusting his gloves.

Moments later Batman was moving quickly through the halls of the Watchtower. When he entered he found all of the Earth’s greatest heroes sitting around gossiping like teenagers.

“Whoa spooky! Ten whole minutes late? I never thought I’d see the day!” Predictably Green Lantern was the first to make a quip about his tardiness.

“Hey who gets to scold you for being late?” Green Arrow snickered from his seat next to Black Canary. “I mean it’s only fair considering how many lectures you’ve given me”

Black Canary just smacked his arm lightly while looking far too amused.

Batman moved silently to his place at the head of the table between Superman and Wonder Woman. “We have much to discuss so I suggest you save your childishness for after the meeting”

With that everyone quieted down while Batman began going over some reports and setting up schedules for monitor duty. All the usual housekeeping things they had to review during these biweekly meetings. He didn’t need Martian Manhunter’s mind reading capabilities to know none of his fellow heroes were paying much attention.

Flash and Green Lantern were whispering to each other and snickering like children, Wonder Woman was lazily twirling a knife, Cyborg had that unfocused look on his face that meant he was on the internet or possibly texting someone, Superman kept shooting him worried looks that he thought were subtle but weren’t. And Captain Marvel was...fidgeting. Like he thought he was in trouble. Which meant he probably should be in trouble.

Batman certainly wanted to have words with the Captain about everything that happened on his trip to Fawcett. Now that Billy was safely tucked away in the manor, sleeping off a long first day in Gotham there was nothing to keep that from happening.

He was tempted to drag the meeting out in order to punish the group for their earlier teasing, but he had things to do. Not to mention he didn’t want to be late for dinner.

“Meeting adjourned” Batman began collecting his files but leveled his gaze at the World’s Mightiest Mortal. “Captain Marvel, can you stay behind for a moment?” It was phrased as a question but everyone knew there was no room for argument. Batman didn’t fail to notice the way the Captain stiffened or the way other members sent the man sympathetic looks as they headed out. Superman hovered a bit near the door but ultimately decided to leave the two to their business. Before he left Superman called over his shoulder for Batman to meet him in the Monitor Room before he left.

Great. Clark wanted to check in with him. Probably tell him to go easy on Captain Marvel since he had a soft spot for the guy. Bruce hadn’t even had time to tell the kryptonian about his trip to Fawcett or the newest addition to the family.

One problem at a time.

“Uh...you wanted to see me Batman?”

Captain Marvel looked nervous, though to be fair he often did in the presence of the Dark Knight. It was always a strange sight to see a full grown man with the powers of a god fidget like a child afraid to be scolded.

“I wanted to discuss Dr. Sivana and his work” Marvel’s surprise was evident. The man always wore his emotions on his sleeve for anyone to see. It was probably the biggest reason Batman was so frustrated at himself for not being able to figure out his secret identity. “I also would like an explanation for why my calls went unanswered for so long. If it had truly been an emergency that I couldn’t handle on my own…” He let the implications linger in the air. Marvel needed to learn that his actions had consequences not just for himself but for others as well.

“I was...there was umm...it was a magical problem. I didn’t even get your messages until just before I ran into you while you were looking for...Billy” The Captain’s speech pattern was off, his eyes averted and he was rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. He wasn’t lying necessarily, but he was definitely hiding something.

“Captain, I need to know that I can count on you. If something has made you not just unavailable but completely unreachable we need to know. As a member of the Justice League you must make your duties as a hero a top priority. While you were out chasing ghosts or fairies or whatever your ‘magical problem’ was, a child almost died at the hands of one of your villains” His glare was colder than ice. Marvel’s whole body was tense as a wire and he looked like he wanted to say something but was biting his tongue. Good.

“Now tell me something about Thaddeus Sivana that I don’t already know”

Captain Marvel took a moment to compose himself. Anger and guilt warred in his eyes. Interesting. Batman had never seen the demigod truly angry, even in the midst of battle.

“Dr. Sivana is a genius. His tech is beyond me so if you want to know how it works I don’t know how much help I’ll be. Most of his work is centered on ways to destroy his scientific competitors so I--”

“I know all this already”

Captain Marvel looked a bit put out by the interruption, but puffed himself back up. “Well is there anything specific you wanted to know?”

“Can he do magic?”

That got a surprised laugh out of his colleague. “No of course not” His expression quickly sobered up as he thought the question over. His eyes seemed to focus on something far away. “At least not in a traditional sense. He’s studied magic, tried to integrate it into his work. But the results...they were never natural”

A shiver ran down Batman’s spine at the words. Captain Marvel was rarely serious. Batman’s mind wandered to the strange shadow creature that he had fought. Unnatural was a good word for it. He pulled out a tablet that had all the pictures of the mad scientist’s devices as well as the strange markings that covered them all.

“What can you tell me about these?”

Marvel’s eyes widened and he snatched the tablet from Batman’s hands. He muttered something incomprehensible under his breath, while flicking through the photographs.

“Captain?” He prompted.

“These look like ancient Khandaqi symbols. I have no idea where he got access to something like this. The Khandaqi people are very private and prefer minimal contact with most western countries, the States included. He could have stolen some artifact or tome that gave him a basic idea of the language, but not even most people in modern day Khandaq could reliably read it. He clearly didn’t have anyone translating for him. Maybe that’s why…” Captain Marvel trailed off, lost in thought as he processed the information. His eyes unfocused again, but this time different emotions flitted across his face. Disgust. Anger. Concern. Perhaps even a bit of fear.

“Can you read it?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah of course I can. I’m omnilingual” He dismissively waved his hand as if this were common information. It was not. “I’ll need some time to sort through how much of it has magical implications and how much is just gibberish though. And it doesn’t explain where he got his magical input. Unless you found some magical artifacts among his things?”

“Nothing obviously magical. Just the markings and a strange shadow creature that vanished when I entered the laboratory”

Marvel frowned again. “How could I forget” he muttered. “But Sivana can’t do magic, how could he summon--”

“Is it possible he learned magic recently? I’m sure there are plenty of sorcerers willing to teach the trade for the right price”

“What? No, he didn’t just learn magic. That’s ridiculous. If Sivana had the ability to learn magic it would have happened years ago”

“What makes you so sure?”

“He doesn’t have the, y’know, spark for it” Noticing the look Batman gave him, Marvel soldiered on. “Some people are born with the ability to do magic. Others not so much. But only a small portion of those with the ability ever seek out and learn magic. I know how to tell the difference between someone who’s capable of magic and someone who’s not. It’s in their essence. Their auras. Their souls. Even with all the right spells or runes and symbols he wouldn’t be able to create actual magical results. Which means he was getting the magic from somewhere else”

Batman nodded along with the explanation. Sometimes it was easy to forget that behind that bright smile and goofy attitude was an expert in all things magic. Which meant they were probably underutilizing his knowledge in the League. Batman may loathe magic in almost every form, but he understood the need to know your enemy. Especially when that enemy is as powerful, dangerous, and unpredictable as magic.

“Then we’ve got some work to do. Find the source of magic. Find and neutralize the shadow being I fought. Make sure this research doesn’t fall into the wrong hands and wreak havoc on the populace. Any questions?”

“Uh...We?”

“Yes we. I was the one who originally dealt with Sivana and his machine. You know both Sivana and magic. If we work together we can deal with this quickly and efficiently”

“Right. Yeah. Totally! Like a team up!”

Batman leveled him with a glare before striding out of the meeting room already typing away at the tablet in his hands.

He paused in the doorway and turned back at Captain Marvel. “I’ve sent the photos. You should be able to access them on any Watchtower computer. Report back to me when you have something”

“Yes sir, Batman!”

With that said and done he headed to the Monitor Room where Clark was waiting for him. The Last Son of Krypton was spinning in a desk chair scribbling distractedly on a pad of paper. No doubt using his shift to work on his next article.

“You do know you’re supposed to be watching the monitors during your shift right?”

Clark jerked his head up and flashed Bruce a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry. I know how to multitask” Clark set the pen and paper down on the desk, turning his full attention to the man in front of him. “Now spill. Something happened. I know you and you’re acting strange” He held up a hand to stop Bruce from replying, effectively cutting off his denial. “Don't even try brushing me off or lying to me. We both know that won’t work”

Bruce turned and locked the door to avoid anyone entering unannounced. Then he sat down heavily in the chair next to Clark and pulled his cowl back so he could run a hand through his hair.

“Jeez. That bad?” Clark looked concerned. And why wouldn’t he be? It was rare for Bruce to risk his secret identity, even here at the Watchtower where a decent number of heroes already knew about it.

“I have a new son” There. Simple, direct.

Clark’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Another--Wait since when? Biological or adopted? What’s his name? And why is this the first I’m hearing about this?”

Bruce sighed, rolling his eyes as Clark’s reporter instincts kicked in and he asked a million questions without leaving space for Bruce to answer any of them.

“Technically I’m fostering him. And I just brought him home yesterday so it’s not like I was deliberately keeping this from you. It’s just been a very rough few days while I got everything settled” He glanced around one more time, just to make sure they were really alone before he pulled up a photo of Billy on his personal phone. Tim had subtly taken the picture after dinner the night before and sent it to Bruce in order to “update his file” since the official record still misgendered him.

“His name is Billy” He turned the phone towards Clark. “Billy Batson”

Clark didn’t even try to hide his snort at the irony. But his gaze softened as he looked at the picture. In it Billy was standing by the dining room table, a bright smile on his face. He had been insisting that he could help Alfred with the dishes as a thank you for cooking. Alfred had abhorred the idea but was touched by the sentiment.

“He’s a cute kid Bruce. He’s what, Jon’s age?”

“He just turned twelve actually. He’s small for his age” It was the years of malnutrition, abuse, and neglect that had stunted his growth. He had to talk to Leslie about that.

“So what’s the story?”

“Story?” Bruce quirked an eyebrow even though he knew exactly what Clark was getting at. There was always a story when it came to his kids. Still, he couldn’t help but tease him. “Hoping to get the scoop on Bruce Wayne’s newest ward before anyone else?”

“You know exactly what I mean. And you know I would be a better choice to introduce the world to your new kid than any other reporter you know. I mean who else would you call? Vikki Vale?”

They both laughed at the idea. There was no way that woman and her gossip rag were ever going to get an interview, especially when Billy was so young and vulnerable. They were a long way from any type of formal introduction anyways.

“Actually Billy is from Fawcett City”

“You mean Cap’s city? Does that have anything to do with why you held him back after the meeting today?”

“It does actually. Billy was kidnapped by a mad scientist hoping to merge science and magic for some ungodly purpose. Marvel is helping me look into it.” He smiled down at the picture, pointedly ignoring Clark’s disbelieving expression. “I was able to save him, but Billy had no family and nowhere to go. I couldn’t bring myself to leave him there”

Clark’s expression softened until it was more understanding than it had any right to be. “Tell me a bit about him”

“He’s sweet, kind, polite even. He’s charmed his way into Alfred’s good graces without even trying. He’s brave and smart and fiercely independent. I actually caught him climbing out of his hospital window on the fourth floor because he wanted to think over whether to move to Gotham with me or not. Damn near gave me a heart attack”

“You’re joking!” Clark laughed at the thought of a small kid like Billy scaring Batman half to death with his stunts. “How is it you found the one kid in Fawcett that can scale buildings like you?”

Bruce shook his head. “I haven’t actually told him about all of...this” Bruce gestured vaguely at the room they were in that happened to be in a satellite in space housing superheroes. “I don’t want to overwhelm him even more than he already is. I want to keep him away from all of this for a while. He’s not like the others. He’s...softer I suppose. I don’t want him to fight my fight when he could just be a normal kid instead”

“I’m not saying I don’t agree with you, because I do. I think it’s great you're not jumping the gun on this one. But don’t you think keeping it a secret is going to blow up in your face? I mean starting off your relationship with lies is just going to hurt you both”

“I’ll tell him when I think he’s ready to hear it. Until then we can enjoy just being a normal family for once” Bruce stood up, slipping the phone back into a pocket of his utility belt. “Now if you don’t mind Billy is expecting me to be home for dinner. I’ll call you when I decide to give Billy an official debut. Give my best to Lois”

Bruce pulled his cowl back on in one fluid motion and left Clark in the Monitor Room. He’s sure that all of the founding members of the Justice League will know about Billy by the time he started patrol tonight, but that was a problem for another night.

Tonight was about bonding with his new son and researching the threat left behind by Dr. Sivana.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

As promised we about to get into the meat of the plot with a nice strong helping of identity shenanigans!

Chapter 9

Summary:

Damian knows there is something suspicious about Billy Batson and he intends to find out what it is.

Damian was convinced that his newest “brother” was hiding something. Everyone else was apparently blind to the other boy’s eccentricities, enchanted by his stupid smile or some other such nonsense. He had honestly expected better of them, especially his father.

On second thought his father’s predilection for collecting stray orphaned children probably made him the most susceptible to being charmed by an innocent face and a sob story.

Did they not see how Billy Batson seemed hand selected to be exactly what they would want in a new child? From his dark hair and blue eyes all the way down to his ridiculously on-the-nose surname. It wouldn’t be a stretch to believe that the boy was planted in his father’s path for the sole purpose of bringing down the whole family and by extension the other heroes they regularly worked with.

Damian could easily imagine a whole host of villainous rogues who knew of or could easily surmise his father’s weakness. His mother and grandfather were at the top of that list, if for no other reason than the lack of subtlety. Honestly, Batson? Clearly a fake identity. Perhaps they switched out the real child Batman had saved with one that would better suit their purposes. Batson did have a different name and gender when his father first introduced the possibility of bringing home yet another child to adopt.

However bringing up such concerns to his family members had thus far proved not just fruitless but ultimately detrimental to the investigation as a whole. Grayson had been pushing for Damian to spend more time with the boy, meanwhile both Todd and Drake seemed to have convinced themselves that Damian was jealous of all things. Why would he be jealous? He was Damian Wayne, Son of the Bat, Grandson of the Demon’s Head, the newest (and best) Robin Gotham had ever known! He was not jealous. He was merely concerned for the well-being of his family who have all decided to go soft in the head because some kid in a dirty t-shirt smiled at them.

If Damian wanted to save his family from their own stupidity, then he would have to do it alone.

He had to treat this the way he would treat any other case.

Step 1: Reconnaissance.

He first needed to observe the suspect. Understand his routines, his mannerisms, his tells. Once he had a baseline of behavior he could then begin to push him, break him if need be. He would need hard evidence to break the hold the other boy had on his family. He needed to be able to catch him in a lie, or perhaps intercept his communication with whoever his handler was.

Based on their initial interactions Damian knew that while Batson had clearly never heard of etiquette in his life, he was skilled with simple platitudes that left a good impression on the others. He ate like some sort of feral animal and scampered off to hide in his room at the first opportunity. Despite this he acted like it was a chore to get out of bed before noon. This was either a sign of laziness on his part or possibly a sign that he had done his scheming at night while everyone went out on patrol. If that were the case he would have to find a way to keep an eye on him during that time without making his father suspicious or slacking off on his Robin duties.

At the end of Day One Batson appeared to be mostly unremarkable save for a few details. During their first outing in which Grayson took both of them to the mall, Damian was able to conclude that it was unlikely the boy was there merely for the Wayne family fortune. It had never been at the top of the list of possibilities, but it was nice to rule it out.

He was also forced to conclude that either the boy had no martial arts training whatsoever or he was very good at hiding the fact that he did. Damian for one would never have allowed some common idiot to shove him around like that; Batson meanwhile either didn’t know how to defend himself or was purposefully putting on a show for Grayson.

If it was the latter, the plan certainly worked. He'd been doted on and fussed over ever since that incident. His brother was now convinced that Batson was good-hearted and kind and surprisingly wise. Like he was some sort of saint for getting into a fight he couldn't win. Damian would relent on the last point however. While Batson was clearly an idiot of some kind, he was prone to bouts of philosophical contemplation that was incongruent with his innocent street urchin act.

Further observation would be necessary to sort out the truth from the fiction.

Step 2: Gather Incriminating Evidence.

While it seemed Damian would need a little more time before recon alone could give him adequate information, he could easily run step 2 in tandem with step 1. He was in luck when, on Batson’s third day at the manor, his father and Pennyworth took Batson to his appointment with Dr. Leslie Thompkins. As this was not something that could be turned into a forced bonding activity, Damian had at least an hour before they would return. Meaning he could look through Batson’s things for anything suspicious.

Damian waited until he had watched the trio pull out of the front gate. Then he waited an extra ten minutes to make sure they weren’t coming back for something they had forgotten. Then he had to carefully dodge the rest of the family that happened to be at the manor that day so he wouldn’t be caught in the act before he had an opportunity to even find the evidence he was looking for.

He was waylaid by Grayson who, for whatever reason, decided Damian needed a pep talk about how much they all still loved him and that having a new little brother didn’t change anything and other such nonsense. Damian didn’t need a pep talk. He needed to get rid of a threat. All that talk had done was waste precious time.

Slipping silently into Batson’s room, Damian was surprised to find it so clean. Though he supposed not even the messiest of children could get the place too dirty in less than 72 hours. The clothes they had bought together were all neatly put away, the bags they had come in neatly folded and placed on a chair in the corner. The dirty old sneakers Batson had been wearing yesterday were near the door, no doubt exchanged for one of the new pairs he had picked out. The ridiculous Captain Marvel comics were placed on the nightstand next to the Robin figurine from Batburger.

Damian searched thoroughly, but found nothing of interest in the dresser drawers or the nightstand itself. He zeroed in on the backpack that was next to the bed, almost underneath it. It was clearly well-worn and he recognized it as the only piece of luggage Batson had brought with him. Excitement bubbled within him as he hastily pulled it open and dumped the contents onto the bed.

That excitement was quickly replaced with disappointment as he found a single set of old clothes, a half empty water bottle, a couple of granola bars, a notebook, a chewed up pen, and some gum. The food and clothes were instantly disregarded as being useless to him. Flipping through the notebook he found that while it wasn’t written in any code per se, the information was mostly incomprehensible. Still he painstakingly took pictures of each page, just in case. He could not overlook even the smallest detail.

Some pages had names and addresses. Others had dates and times. Some had out of context phone numbers. All written in a childish scrawl. If it was some sort of ledger it was poorly kept and impossible to use. Maybe that was the genius of it?

The final couple of pages at the back were more interesting. There were several strange runic symbols sketched out. Having spent the last week or so combing over similar symbols Damian was instantly able to recognize the work.

Of course! Batson was probably working with that crazy scientist! They must have staged the kidnapping! Though what Dr. Sivana would gain from Batman’s downfall was still a mystery. As was how he would have even known about this particular weakness of the Dark Knight’s. Perhaps he was in league with a third accomplice?

Damian scanned the room one more time for any new clues he could find. The only place left to check was the closet. He shoved Batson’s things back into the bag and placed it back where he found it before crossing the room and yanking open the closet door.

It was large as all closets in Wayne manor were and it was already filled with many new clothes. With winter around the corner they had bought several large coats which took up much of the room. The laundry hamper had been moved from the bathroom and pushed against one of the walls.

That was odd, there seemed to be something behind it. Some sort of writing. All he had to do was--

“What are you doing in my room?!”

Damian spun around to find Batson marching across the room towards him. He was either very quiet coming back or Damian had been too absorbed in his search to hear him. It was probably the latter, a rookie mistake on his part. Batson’s face was an angry red. There was fear in his eyes.

Looking towards the open door and praying the other boy’s shouts hadn’t called the attention of all the vigilantes in the house, Damian rushed forward, twisted Batson’s arm behind his back and clasped a hand over Batson’s mouth.

It seems he would have to implement step 3 a bit early.

Step 3: Confront the Suspect with Appropriate Accusations

“Stop shouting” he hissed, sparing another glance at the now open door. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. If anything I am the one who is owed an--OW!”

Damian jerked his hand away from Batson’s mouth. “What the hell! Did you just bite me?” Sure enough the little urchin had bit him hard enough to draw blood. In retaliation Damian twisted the boy’s arm more, causing Batson to drop to his knees.

“No duh! You don’t get to just attack me for no reason! Now let go of me!” Batson squirmed, but couldn’t break Damian’s hold.

“Not until I get some answers!”

“Can’t you just ask like a normal person instead of attacking me?!”

“I told you to stop shouting, someone might hear you”

“You’re hurting me! I swear to the gods I will bite you again if you try to put your hand comes anywhere near my mouth again” Batson was clearly angry. Good.

“You try that again and I’m knocking those teeth right out of your skull”

“What on earth is going on in here!”

Both boys turned to see Bruce standing in the doorway clearly seething. Great, now Damian will be in trouble. Or perhaps commended if he was able to make his father see sense.

“Father I--”

“Damian let go of Billy” Bruce’s voice was low, his tone hard and unforgiving. He had unconsciously slid into what Grayson had coined the Batglare.

“But father--”

“Now”

Damian reluctantly let the boy go as they glared at each other.

“Good. Now Billy are you hurt?”

“No sir” That surprised Damian. He had expected the other boy to whimper and whine about the possible bruises he had received in an effort to win sympathy. Although perhaps he just knew he already had it.

“Well I’m bleeding, not that you seem to care”

Bruce sighed, crossing the room to take a look at Damian’s hand, conveniently placing himself between his two youngest charges. “What happened?”

“Batson bit me!”

“You attacked me first! I was just defending myself!”

“You were shouting at me!”

“You were in my room, going through my stuff!”

“You were acting suspicious!”

“When? I haven't even spoken to you today”

“Boys!” Bruce had to raise his voice to cut off their growing argument. “First of all: Damian, your hand is fine. We just need to clean it. Second: what were you doing in Billy’s room?”

Right, this was his chance to get his father to understand the possible dangers here. Damian would have preferred to have time to flesh out his theories, but he was not going to back down and let this interloper off the hook.

“Batson has been acting odd ever since you brought him here. I wanted to find out why” His father did not seem too happy about that answer. Glancing at the suspect himself, he saw Batson’s face go a shade paler as he tried to discreetly look around the room to gauge what Damian might know.

Without waiting for his father’s response, mostly to cut off the oncoming lecture, Damian rushed over to where he left Batson’s bag, yanking out the incriminating notebook. “Here look at this: names, dates, addresses. You can’t deny this is strange” He shoved the notebook into Bruce’s hands so he could get a better look.

Batson’s face was flushing bright red. He seemed...uncomfortable? It wasn’t fear, but Damian could work with that.

“Damian, this doesn’t mean anything. You can’t just go through--”

“I just write stuff down to help me remember. Like here look” Billy cut off Bruce’s reprimand and pulled the notebook down so all three of them could see the page it was on. “See this one? ‘FCWS Sat’. It stands for Fawcett City Women’s Center, they give out donations on Saturday’s to homeless women and children. And this one is ‘Dudley 12 st’. It’s because Mr. Dudley on 12th street is always willing to let me do chores and stuff for spare cash”

Batson looked sheepish throughout his explanation. And now Damian looked like a paranoid fool in his father’s eyes. But he wasn’t done.

“Then what about these symbols in the back?” He flipped to one of the offending pages. It was filled with magical runes that Damian knew his father recognized at once. For a beat there was a tense silence where Damian thought for sure he had come out triumphant. Surely his father understood how suspicious it was for a supposedly average twelve year old to even be aware of these symbols let alone actively transcribing them.

Both Damian and Bruce turned to look at the boy, one smug the other concerned.

Batson bit his lip staring in surprise at the page in front of them. He folded his arms in front of himself and turned his gaze to the floor. A clear admission of guilt.

“Billy?”

“I’m sorry Mr. Wayne. I-I know I shouldn’t have lied to you”

Ha! This was too easy! Damian had honestly expected the boy to at least try to deny it.

“See! I told you he wasn’t to be trusted!”

Damian was silenced by a single look from his father.

“What did you lie about Billy?”

“I told you that I didn’t remember anything from when I was taken by Dr. Sivana. But I do” He hesitated a moment before pulling up his shirt to show one such rune carved into his skin, the scabbing already hard and cracked, certain to leave a scar. “I wanted to see what this symbol meant, why he put it on me, so I copied it down. The rest I drew based on memory. When I woke up in his evil lair or whatever he called it, I was tied up but I could still see. There were strange symbols like this one on everything. I didn’t say anything before because I wasn’t sure if it would help anything. I mean Sivana is in jail again right? But I still wanted to know”

Damian frowned. Batson had an answer for everything it seemed. He only had a cursory knowledge of Batson’s abduction. He knew that he had been taken and that one of the machines they had been studying down in the Batcave had been used on him. The idea that he had indeed been Sivana’s victim had been a factoid in his mind, but he had never really thought about what that would do to an ordinary boy who didn’t have a background like his. Not that Batson had ever acted in a way to suggest he was bothered by what had happened to him.

"It's alright Billy. I'm not mad at you. You didn't do anything wrong" Bruce placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Damian had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. "You have the right to get some answers for what happened to you. You also have a right to privacy" At this he turned to give Damian a disapproving look. "Damian, you're grounded"

"But father--"

"No buts Damian. Go to your room and we will discuss your behavior when I get there" Damian thought it was pretty hypocritical for a man who implanted trackers in his children and stalked his coworkers so as to know all their weaknesses to lecture him about privacy. He fully intended to say as much when they no longer had an audience.

This wasn't over. He would get to the bottom of this mystery. A few minor setbacks weren't going to stop him.

As he turned on his heel and headed to his own room Damian heard Batson’s voice pipe up.

"Do you think I could get a lock on my door?"

Well played Batson, well played.

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed reading Damian's POV! I had so much fun writing it so let me know what you think.

Chapter 10

Summary:

Billy and Damian are asked to make amends on a family outing.

Billy watched as Bruce personally installed a lock on his bedroom door. It was a surprisingly simple process. And now Billy would have a new degree of privacy for all his non-family sanctioned activities. Like sneaking out or practicing magic or saving the world.

The lock itself looked easy enough to pick. Billy had had his fair share of practice over the years so he knew he could get through it if he ever needed to. But it should at the very least deter anyone from coming into his room again.

He wouldn’t put it past Damian to learn how to pick locks just to be a jerk to him though.

Billy wasn’t exactly surprised to find out that one of his new foster siblings had gone through his stuff. He almost expected it. In a family this large there was bound to be at least one kid who was nosy. Thankfully Damian hadn’t found the secret loose floorboard where Billy had stashed his Justice League communicator. He would have had no way of explaining that one.

But Damian had been way too close to finding his portal.

And then he had the nerve to accuse Billy of being a liar! Of being dangerous!

Billy had half expected Bruce to kick him out right then and there. To have all his worrying and planning be for nothing when they realized he was more trouble than he was worth. It wouldn’t have been the first time that a foster parent had taken their bio kid’s side over Billy’s regardless of who did what. It wouldn’t have even been the first time he got kicked out over something like that.

Billy had even started contemplating which of his new clothes he should pack if he needed to run away.

But Bruce had been surprisingly understanding. It was actually really nice to be believed for once. And Billy technically hadn’t even lied to them which was a plus.

“There. All done” Bruce stood up, twisting the new doorknob experimentally. “If Damian or any of the others give you any trouble, you just come find me or Alfred okay? We want you to feel safe and at home here.”

Billy just nodded. He wasn’t a tattletale so he wasn’t really going to find either of them just to complain. He wouldn’t have even told on Damian if Bruce hadn’t caught him red handed. But it was a nice gesture.

“You know Billy” Bruce cleared his throat as he packed up the tools he had been using. “I know Damian crossed a line, but I hope you can give him a second chance. He...worries. And he doesn’t always realize when he’s gone too far. I was hoping Dick and I could take you boys out to do something fun together.”

“I thought Damian was grounded?”

Bruce winced slightly. “He is. He won’t get to do his extracurriculars this week. I just…”

Bruce sighed. Billy had to actively resist copying him. It was obvious that Billy and Damian not getting along was difficult for him. Poor guy just wanted them to get along. And now Billy needed to be the bigger person and play nice even though part of him was still super annoyed at the other boy.

“What did you have in mind?”

 

 

Half an hour and a tense car ride later, Billy was standing at the gates to the Gotham City Zoo alongside Bruce, Dick and Damian. The place was impressive with tall wrought iron gates and sprawling paths through the different exhibits. There weren’t too many people there, just a handful of families and one or two couples out on dates.

Billy had only been to the zoo in Fawcett City twice and that had only been to visit Tawky Tawny. He’d had to sneak in both times to get the tiger’s help with some magical problems. It would be nice to get to look at all the exhibits and actually enjoy them for a change instead of just rushing in and out to avoid security and the possible end of the world.

“Hey B, I invited Babs to come with us. She should be here soon” Dick turned his smile to Billy. He was standing between him and Damian as a buffer. “She’s one of my closest friends. I’ve known her since I was younger than you are! Trust me little B, you’ll love her”

Billy felt his cheeks go warm at the casual nickname. No one had ever called him little B before. He’s not sure if he liked it or not, but having a nickname was sort of cool even if it was a little embarrassing.

A few minutes later a young woman in a wheelchair with bright red hair called out to them. She hugged Dick and ruffled Damian’s hair. He only grumbled a little which meant he probably liked her at least a little bit. She turned to Billy with a twinkle in her eye.

“You must be Billy” She held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Barbara Gordon” Her grip was surprisingly firm. Her arms were probably super strong from maneuvering her wheelchair all the time. “These knuckleheads talk about you nonstop”

Billy honestly wasn’t sure what to say to that. They talk about him? What do they say? He hadn’t even seen Dick since he dragged the guy into a fight at the comic book store. Surely they couldn't have that much to say about him.

“Nothing too bad I hope?”

She snorted from trying to hold in her laughter. “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about” She leaned forward and lowered her voice even though she clearly didn’t care if the others heard her. “I have so many embarrassing stories about all your new siblings you wouldn’t even believe it. Like for instance when Dick was about your age he--”

“Okay I think that’s enough of that” Dick waved his hands between them. Billy couldn’t tell if he knew what she was going to say or not, but either way it was funny to see Dick get flustered. “I’m sure that Billy and Damian would much rather see some cool exotic animals than hear us old people relive our youth”

Bruce quirked an eyebrow at Dick. “You’re 27. If you’re old I must be a fossil”

Billy felt a giggle bubble up in his throat. It was obvious this was some kind of running joke between them. They were all so comfortable with each other that they fell into an easy banter as they headed through the gates. Even as he let his eyes wander the nearest exhibit where several small monkeys jumped through the trees, Billy kept one ear tuned into their conversation. It was nice. It reminded him a bit of when he would listen to the heroes at the Watchtower chat in the cafeteria or while on Monitor duty. 

They meandered through the different exhibits for a while. Billy and Damian weren’t speaking to each other but they weren’t fighting either. Billy loved animals and from what he remembered from Bruce’s stories, so did Damian. Both were content to just look around and--

Billy gasped. There was a whole giant section dedicated to tigers! Those were his favorite animals. He rushed over to the enclosure leaning halfway over the railing to get a good look. Now he had seen and even hugged a magical talking tiger, but he had never seen a normal one before. There was a difference. Normal didn’t necessarily mean less exciting.

And there were little tiger cubs down there too!

“Billy be careful!” Billy felt a hand tug his arm, pulling him back down so both of his feet were planted firmly on the ground.

Right. He was here with other people. Bruce loosened his grip on Billy’s arm, but his eyes continued to scan him.

“Sorry, I just got excited” Billy gestured lamely at the tiger enclosure. “I really like tigers” And didn’t that sound dumb? Tigers were cool and all but he didn’t want them to think he was dumb enough to just jump in there or something.

“Tigers are pretty awesome. Right Dami?” Dick not so subtly nudged Damian forward. “Why don’t the two of you check this one out while the three of us grab some food?”

Billy and Damian both got the hint that they were supposed to be bonding or at least making amends, so they dutifully trudged a few yards away to one of the information plaques. No one else was over there so it was pretty quiet. The silence between them was awkward at best and Damian seemed content with staring stoically at the enclosure in front of them and ignoring Billy entirely.

Billy was not great with prolonged awkward silence.

“Wow it says here there are less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild. That’s crazy! I mean I knew they were an endangered species, but I didn’t realize--”

“What are you playing at Batson?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“What. Do. You. Want?” Damian growled. He was glaring off into the distance, his arms folded in front of him “You come here, you start charming my family. And now you’re treating this as some sort of casual outing as if our confrontation meant nothing!”

“I’m just trying to enjoy a trip to the zoo. I’m not trying to play mind games with you or casting spells on you or whatever it is you’ve been accusing me of. I just want to have a nice time”

“You’re not fooling me, Batson. I know you’re not as perfect as you pretend to be. Just because I haven’t figured you out yet, doesn’t mean I won’t do so soon”

“Wait--What are you talking about? I’m not perfect and I’ve never pretended I was”

“Tch” Damian scoffed. “You’ve been batting your eyelashes and getting whatever you wanted ever since my father found you”

“Batted my--I’m not--Look, I didn’t even want to move to Gotham! It was either this or juvie so I didn’t exactly have a whole lot of options!’

“So you admit you're a delinquent?”

“No. I’m just a regular kid”

“You’re a bad liar”

Billy had to count to ten in his head. One of the counselors he’d been forced to see had told him it would help him calm down when he got mad. They’d been under the impression he had anger management issues because he got into a lot of fights with jerks at school. So far it wasn’t doing much to help.

Damian definitely knew how to push people’s buttons. If nothing else it was a good reminder that Billy wasn’t going to last here.

“Look Damian, It doesn’t even matter. I’ll be out of your hair soon enough”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Damian narrowed his eyes, suspicion clear as day on his face.

“It means that this is all just temporary. Your dad’s being a good guy and giving me a place to stay for a while, but I’m sure he’ll send me back eventually. Foster parents usually do”

Damian’s eyes bored into Billy's skull. He didn’t seem relieved the way Billy had assumed he would be once he found out that Billy was by no means a permanent part of his life. Instead he seemed even angrier than before.

“You really are an idiot aren’t you?”

“Excuse me?”

Damian sighed. “Usually I wouldn’t bother to give an enemy such information, but you clearly don’t get it. My father isn’t going to just give you back. He’s adopted every child he’s ever fostered. He never would have brought you home with him if he didn’t intend to keep you”

Billy's eyes widened and he spluttered out a series of unintelligible sounds that definitely did nothing to convince Damian he wasn’t an idiot. But it had never even crossed his mind that he would be anything other than a brief guest of the Wayne family.

He couldn’t even comprehend a world in which this was his home. He didn’t need a new home, a new family. He had Fawcett City and the Justice League. He couldn’t stay here. He has a job to do, a destiny to fulfill! A family would just complicate things…

And none of that mattered because because Damian was wrong. Even if they didn’t get rid of him, he was going to run away as soon as they stopped paying such close attention to him. That had always been the plan. If Batman hadn't gotten involved he wouldn't even be here now.

“You might think that now Damian, but I guarantee that a few months from now even Bruce will be looking for an excuse to send me away”

Damian sighed. “And what on earth would give you an idea like that?”

“Experience” Billy rolled his eyes and turned to look at the tigers again. Maybe if he was honest Damian would get it. He didn’t seem like the type to blab for no reason even if he was nosy. “Look, I’ve never had a foster family that wanted to keep me for more than three or four months. I’m not going to get my hopes up just because your dad is nice. Besides, if you keep making such a fuss I’m sure he’ll be itching to hand me off to someone else just for some peace and quiet. Dads are always going to take their real kid’s side over their foster kid’s in a fight”

Maybe if he was lucky, Damian would take the hint and keep pushing Bruce to get rid of Billy before he got too comfortable. That way he could move on and go back to his real life.

Damian was quiet for a full minute, his eyes trained on Billy. Billy felt a little bit like a bug under a microscope while some kid decided if he should just squish him and be done with it.

“I’m sure you’ll find my father is not what you’d assume. I will not stand for an insult to his good name. For all his faults, favoritism has never been among them. Even my status as his blood son does not, in his eyes, make me infallible. Something I had assumed you learned from our last encounter”

Billy huffed. “I thought you wanted me gone! Why are you so intent on insisting it’s not going to happen?”

“I am merely stating facts and correcting misinformation. I know my father well enough to understand how unfounded your apparent misgivings are. Until your ulterior motives are uncovered we will continue to live under the same roof ”

“Did it ever occur to you that I don’t have any ulterior motives? That, just maybe, I don’t want to live here?”

“What?” Damian did a double take, looking at Billy bewildered. It would have been comical if Billy hadn’t been getting worked up.

“I told you I didn’t want to move here. But your dad sent Batman after me to drag me kicking and screaming to Gotham. If it were up to me, I would be back in Fawcett City, in my apartment listening to WHIZ radio or something.”

“What do you mean he sent Batman after you?” Damian’s eyes had narrowed again. “Father mentioned you were saved by Batman. I don’t remember anything about father sending him after you.”

It was Billy’s turn to look confused. “You mean he didn’t tell you I ran away?”

“Ran away? From what?”

“From the hospital? Your dad said he was going to take me to Gotham so I climbed out the window. Batman tracked me all over the city until I gave in and went back to Bruce”

“What exactly is it that you find so repulsive about living with us? We have wealth that a peasant like you could hardly imagine, and yet you would actively seek to live in the gutter?” Of course Damian managed to act insulted.

“First of all I wasn’t living in the gutter. I had my own apartment. Second of all, it had nothing to do with your family, I just didn’t want to move to Gotham of all places. It’s dark and dreary and I just know I’m going to get mugged the second I go anywhere alone”

“...I suppose Gotham takes some getting used to. Especially coming from a place like Fawcett City which I understand is ridiculously bright and obnoxious”

“You’re only saying that because you’re from Gotham”

“Not originally. I’ve merely adopted this city as my own. Something you are apparently unequipped to do”

It was Billy's turn to be surprised. “Wait seriously? I thought since you're Bruce’s bio kid…”

“Tch. Until relatively recently I was raised by my mother in...Tibet” Damian shifted and looked away. Billy wondered if he was upset at himself for telling Billy something personal or if maybe something bad had happened to force him to move all the way here. Either way Billy knew better than to ask. That would just start a fight. He may be mad at Damian but he didn’t want to upset him.

They fell into an uneasy silence again with only the sounds of birds chirping nearby to fill it.

“Any tips for getting used to Gotham? You might be the only one I can ask about that”

“Don’t you dare liken our circumstances. We are nothing alike” There was a beat of silence where both of them leaned on the fence separating them from the tigers in the enclosure. “If you don’t want to get mugged, stay close to whoever you’re with. Or learn how to defend yourself. You are embarrassingly weak”

Billy couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. Damian wasn’t trying to be funny, in fact rude as it was, that was probably the nicest thing he’d ever said to Billy. But Billy had beaten Superman in a fight. He may not be particularly strong in his human body but he wasn't weak. Despite what Damian and the others probably thought, Billy never considered himself a damsel in distress. Quite the opposite really.

“Maybe you could teach me some moves sometime. ‘Cause you have a crazy strong grip. And you look like someone who knows how to fight”

“I’m one of the best martial artists you’ll ever meet”

“Oh is that so? Cause I’ve met Batman so…”

“Tch. Batman wishes he were as skilled a fighter as I am”

Beneath all the haughty arrogance and the hubris that would have caused the gods to strike down heroes of old, Billy could see the beginnings of a smile on Damian’s lips. They may not have fixed things between them, but maybe this was a sign that they could tolerate each other. Maybe they could even be friends.

Too bad Billy wouldn’t be around long enough to find out.

But he had no intention of allowing the negative thoughts swirling around in his brain to dampen the first decent interaction they’ve ever had. Maybe Billy could even get a couple self-defense lessons out of this. After all it would be pretty cool if he could fight as Billy if the need arose.

Billy opened his mouth to continue to banter with his foster brother, but he was cut off by the sounds of screaming nearby.

Both boys were instantly on high alert. Bruce appeared next to them in an instant, looking more serious than Billy had ever seen him.

“Damian! Get Billy to the car now”

“But father! What’s going--”

“Damian! Get your brother to safety”

Damian looked like he was about to argue but he grabbed Billy’s arm and started dragging him in the direction of the exit. Bruce vanished in the time it took Billy to look back at where he had been.

“Wait! What about the others? Dick and Barbara? And the--”

“Lesson number one about surviving in Gotham. When someone tells you to run, you run. Especially if you don’t know how to fight. Grayson and Gordon are fine”

It didn’t sit well with Billy that he was running away from the danger. He should be helping people, even if Batman got mad at him. But he couldn’t just transform right here in the open. In front of Damian no less.

Still he should be doing something! Anything. So, while still in Damian’s grip, he began shepherding other scared zoo-goers towards the exit. Damian didn’t protest. He even helped once he realized what Billy was doing. Billy got the sense that Damian was just as unwilling to run away as Billy was.

An explosion rocked the ground and smoke filled the air. Billy immediately lost track of Damian in the resulting chaos. There was more screaming, but it was impossible to tell who it was or even where it was coming from. The sound of gunfire made his ears ring. There was also laughter. Crazed, almost hysterical laughter that sent a chill down Billy’s spine. Every instinct he had told him to get as far away from it as possible.

So naturally he ran towards it.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading and for all of your comments!

I really do enjoy Billy and Damian's relationship so I'm glad y'all do too.

FYI I have officially finished writing this fic and we are at about the 1/3 mark with this chapter. Now all I have to do is edit and post for y'all!

Chapter 11

Summary:

With Billy in trouble, Red Hood jumps into action to save him.

Notes:

Just a heads up for those that need it: This chapter had a lot more swearing and violence than previous chapters. Jason isn't really a PG character.

Jason raced through the streets of Gotham, the tires of his motorcycle screeching with every sharp turn he made. He didn’t spare a second thought to the people screaming and cursing his name as he disregarded all traffic laws in an attempt to shave some time off of his journey.

It was rare for the family to call him in specifically, especially while it was still daylight. If it had just been Bruce calling Jason would have happily ignored it. But both Dick and Babs had also called. And when Barbara Gordon calls you in full on Oracle mode, you listen or you suffer the consequences.

“Jason, we need your help investigating the perimeter around Gotham City Zoo, specifically the south side heading towards the docks”

Barbara’s voice was spitting rapid fire directions at him from the comms before he even had time to say hello. She sounded serious, a bit out of breath. There were sounds of sirens behind her meaning she wasn’t in the Batcave, but actually on the scene.

“Hello to you too” The sarcasm was second nature at this point. “Now why the hell should I go half-way across the city when it is barely noon?”

“Cut the crap Jay. This is an emergency”

“Then tell me what the fuck is going on”

“Billy’s been taken by the Joker”

Ice had flooded Jason’s veins at the words and he was out the door in seconds.

Jason had honestly had mixed feelings about every kid Bruce had brought home, Billy included. That’s not to say he didn’t care about them all in his own way. He’d probably die for them all. He would definitely kill for them. Most impressively he would choose not to kill for them.

But he wasn’t an idiot. He knew his family was fucked up and not even in a fun way.

Jason knew next to nothing about Billy. Yeah Tim and Barbara got ahold of his records, but Jason knew that files like that were often deceptive. It was a backdrop of shitty things that happened to a kid. It didn’t tell you anything about the kid himself. It didn’t tell you his favorite hobbies or his dream job or how he supported himself on the streets. It didn’t tell you the compromises he had to make for survival or the neglect and abuse that he never bothered to report. It didn’t say anything about a kid’s values or ideals or how he’d react when some creeps in clown masks abduct him at gunpoint just because he wanted to go to the goddamn zoo.

He did know that Billy was...innocent in a way Jason didn’t think he ever had been, even back in his Robin days. And Bruce bringing a kid like that to Gotham was just asking for trouble. It was only a matter of time before the city chewed him up and spat him out until he was just as fucked up as the rest of them.

Jason had just assumed they’d have a bit more time to toughen him up before that happened. Hell it hadn’t even been a week yet! And already the kid was being sucked into their bullshit in the worst possible way. At least when the rest of them were put into situations like this they’d had some training.

Not that it had done any good in Jason’s case.

Jason revved his engine and sped up, weaving through cars in the early afternoon traffic. He refused to think about what would happen if they didn’t find him in time. Not even Bruce would be able to stop him from killing that clown bastard.

“Hood there’s been a development” Oracle’s voice filtered through the comms. It was easy to hear even over the rushing wind. “Joker just dropped a ransom video. I’m sending it to you now”

Jason swore out loud as he found a place to pull over. A video was proof of life. It was also a clue as to where they were hiding out. But it also meant the clock was ticking. He whipped out his phone and clicked the link Babs had sent him.

The video opened with Billy sitting in the center of a nondescript room, tied to a chair with duct tape across his mouth. There were no obvious signs of injury. He looked more defiant than scared. The kid must be tougher than he looked. The Joker walked into frame and draped his arm across Billy’s shoulders. A knife was visible in one hand, though Jason knew from experience that there were probably dozens of other weapons available to him.

“Hello Brucie! Looks like you lost something at the zoo today!” He grabbed Billy’s face and squeezed. “Don’t worry I’m more than happy to return this little bundle of joy. But first you have to play a little game with me. I’m thinking of a number and that number is how much I want you to pay me for the kid’s safe return. If you guess correctly he’ll be home by dinnertime. If you guess wrong...” The Joker’s laugh sent shivers down Jason’s spine. It also made him see red. The clown pressed his cheek against Billy’s. “Well then I guess the brat and I are going to have a lot of fun together” The knife was pressed to Billy’s neck. It was a not so subtle reminder that he had no qualms about killing kids for a laugh.

The video cut to black.

That son of a--

“Oracle, tell me you have a location” Jason growled into his comms. He resisted the urge to throw his phone and instead shoved it roughly into his pocket.

“Video didn’t have many clues. And not even Joker’s guys are dumb enough to make it easy to track. I’m looking into--”

“You could’ve just said no,” Jason snapped. There was silence on the other end as he revved up his bike.

How was it that the one time the Joker isn’t messing with Batman directly he went after Bruce fucking Wayne. He shouldn’t even know about Billy yet. No one knew about Billy yet.

Jason had never been particularly protective of any of his siblings. Mostly because they all knew how to kick ass and take care of themselves. He wasn’t going to baby someone who knew at least a dozen ways to disarm a trained assassin. But this one wasn’t a trained vigilante purposefully going out to pick fights with crazy serial killers every night. Billy was a recently homeless, orphaned, preteen middle schooler who came from the city of sunshine and rainbows.

And screw it, he was protective of street kids both in and out of Gotham. Anyone who had a problem with that could kiss his ass and prepare to take a bullet where the sun don’t shine.

Unfortunately it seemed Billy had just enough that street kid fighting spirit to be a thorn in a villain’s side. It was painfully obvious that the kid wasn’t nearly scared enough of the Joker and his goons. If he decided to cause them trouble instead of playing a good little hostage, they were going to hurt him. Joker took great pride in breaking people with the guts to stand up to him. He would probably be delighted to find out a twelve year old was willing to challenge him just so he could entertain himself as he beat the kid bloody.

Jason zoomed past the zoo, which was a hectic mess of squad cars and ambulances. Smoke and dust clouded the air down the whole block. Luckily it seemed the stupid clown had left the Joker toxin at home today. He didn’t bother sticking around. If there was evidence there then the others could get it and point him in the right direction.

“Hood” He grunted in acknowledgement of Oracle’s voice “traffic cams show three suspicious vans leaving the area heading in different directions right after the fight broke out at the zoo. Can't tell which one had Billy in it. You’re all going to split up and track them down. I'm sending you the route of one. Red Robin will meet you there as back up. He should be leaving the Batcave now, heading for the same location. Let us know what you find"

Just like that Jason's GPS kicked in and pointed him a few blocks over. He better be the one who got to beat the shit out of those clowns.

Ten minutes of weaving through the maze-like streets of the warehouse district later, Jason spotted a white van with a crude flower design that basically screamed “I kidnap little kids with this thing”.

It was parked outside of a warehouse that looked identical to all the other warehouses in the area. Usually the Joker jazzed up the places he hid out in, but it was likely this whole thing was a spur of the moment decision. He pinged his location so Oracle would know he found the van, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to sit out here waiting for backup. Tim could join the fray when he got here. If Jason hadn’t dealt with it all by then.

The logical part of his brain that sounded way too much like Batman told him that he should approach cautiously, survey the area, get an idea of how many men he was fighting and the best way to take them out.

But stealth was more Batman’s thing. And Red Hood was definitely not Batman.

Instead he flicked the safety of his guns off and kicked the front door in with a crunch. The door swung open, crashing into the wall on the other side and hung splintered in its frame. There were six men on the other side, all wearing clown masks. No Billy in sight.

He shot one in the knee and another in the hand that was reaching for the semi-automatic on the table. Both were on the floor and screaming before the rest had even reacted. A large burly goon rushed at him from the side. Red Hood ducked down and flipped him over his back leaving the guy winded on the ground.

A wiry guy on the other side of the room let off a burst of gunfire, forcing Red Hood to duck down behind a pile of crates nearby. The gunfire continued and was joined by two more shooters. Apparently these guys were either dumb enough or scared enough to waste their ammo. He waited for the tell-tale silence that meant they were reloading. He jumped up and let off several shots. He clipped one guy in the shoulder and another in the thigh. The big guy was still laid out on the ground wheezing.

He wasn’t afraid to kill these guys, but he made a deal with Batman: any case they worked together there had to be no unnecessary casualties. As much as he wanted to kill them for choosing to work for the Joker of all people, the Red Hood’s word had to mean something, so that meant these bastards got to live another day. Unless something had already happened to the kid. Then those casualties would suddenly become completely unavoidable.

The one guy who had escaped injury so far decided that he wanted to change that by attacking Red Hood with his fists. The guy got a lucky shot in, punching him in the gut. Dropping one of his guns, Red Hood caught the guy’s next punch and twisted his arm until he heard a snap of bone breaking. The guy screamed and fell to his knees. He struck him in the temple with the butt of the gun in his other hand and the guy dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks.

A loud, grating laugh sounded from somewhere above him.

Looks like he got his wish.

The Joker was standing on the metal catwalks about twelve feet above his head. He was flanked by two more goons, one on either side of him. The goons both had guns pointed in Red Hood’s direction, while the Joker appeared to be unarmed.

“My, my, my. I didn’t think they’d send you here. I thought Wayne would send Batsy, but I suppose you and I could still have some fun” He cackled again as he signaled his men to fire their weapons. Instead of bullets the guns spit out smoke bombs. It quickly made it impossible to see anything around him. Luckily his helmet was equipped to filter out most smoke and toxins. The unhinged laughter around him suggested this was a new batch of Joker toxin.

Red Hood blindly swung at the people around him, his fist making heavy contact with several of his unseen targets. He nearly tripped over the unconscious or simply injured bodies around him as he moved back toward the exit in search of fresh air and increased visibility. There was the sound of breaking glass and grunts of pain.

Looks like the cavalry was finally here.

He caught a flash of garish purple through the haze and shot in the general direction. A shout broke through all the laughter and he knew he hit his target.

He chased after the Joker, following him outside. He was stumbling towards the van and bleeding from a bullet to the shoulder. The harsh sunlight burned his eyes even more than the smoke. The Joker’s manic grin had faded into a pained and annoyed grimace at the rapid turn of events. He pulled out a pistol from his jacket and shot blindly back in Red Hood’s direction.

The shots went wide, never coming anywhere close to the anti-hero. Red Hood retaliated with shots of his own. He blew out the back tire of the van and shattered the passenger side window as the Joker tried to start up his get-away car.

Batman dropped down from above and landed roughly on the top of the van, leaving a large dent.

Fucking show off.

Batman ripped the driver’s side door open and slammed the Joker’s head into the steering wheel, effectively knocking him out.

“I had that” Red Hood huffed in annoyance, holstering his guns as he walked closer.

“I know” Batman didn’t even bother to look at him as he began tying up the Joker so he could be taken into custody once again. “Red Robin informed me that your location was the one we were looking for”

“Did I ask?” He rolled his eyes despite knowing Batman couldn’t see it. Sure he had wondered how he got here so fast and where exactly he’d been hiding in broad daylight for that particularly dramatic entrance, But he didn’t really care about the answer.

Red Hood stormed back inside before he could start a fight, which he thought was pretty fucking mature of himself.

A few minutes later they were able to clear enough of the smoke for them to look around for Billy. He left Red Robin to deal with tying up all the goons. It was unlikely that Billy was at one of the other locations since Joker was here, but it was still a possibility.

Jason busted open the door to a backroom. He had just enough time to wonder if the kid was going to be afraid of him before the scene in front of him registered. This was definitely the room where the ransom video was filmed. The tripod was still sitting in place as was the chair Billy had been tied to.

But the chair was empty.

A pile of thick rope sat in a heap at the base of the chair and right in front of it was the unconscious body of a Joker goon, complete with a clown mask and a gun.

There was no blood or anything to indicate a struggle. It was like Billy had just vanished into thin air, because there sure as hell was no way that the Joker just let him leave. He lightly kicked the goon. The guy didn’t seem to have any injuries either. But he also didn’t react at all.

“Guys” he called over his shoulder, still trying to make sense of what he found. “we’ve got a problem”

It was never fucking easy was it?

Notes:

I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Fight scenes have always been difficult for me so I hope it turned out ok.

Anyways, let me know what you think of my interpretation of Jason!

Chapter 12

Summary:

Billy escapes the Joker

Billy’s head was pounding and his throat burned. His mouth was filled with the coppery taste of blood. He bit back a groan of pain as he tried and failed to maneuver himself into a more comfortable position. Ropes were wound tightly around his wrists and ankles tying him to a cheap wooden chair. Duct tape was pressed firmly over his mouth preventing any divine intervention in the form of a magical transformation. Not that his captors knew that.

Billy honestly couldn’t believe he had been stupid enough to get kidnapped in Gotham. It was one thing when it was his own villains who happened to know his secret identity, but Gotham villains were a whole other level of unhinged.

It had taken all of maybe ten minutes to go from helping people take shelter in the gift shop to being held as a hostage at gunpoint by a crazy clown. Batman and Nightwing were both there fighting their way through henchmen that had swarmed the zoo. The dark black of their suits made them look like dark splotches in the midday sun. He heard someone say that the new hero Signal was there too, but Billy never saw him.

He’d been hit over the head and dragged to a van before Batman even managed to look his way. Billy wasn’t entirely sure what the point of kidnapping him was, especially when there were plenty of other people around, but he was glad it was him and not someone who couldn’t take care of themselves. He could only imagine what would have happened if they grabbed someone like Damian instead. Not that he thought Damian couldn’t take care of himself, but they might just have shot him on principle if he opened up his mouth.

Billy really did not want to find out what the Joker wanted with him. He also really really didn’t want to have to be saved by Batman for the second time in as many weeks.

He just needed to figure out how to escape. Simple. Easy.

Billy had been kidnapped tons of times so a little bit of rope and duct tape should be nothing! Once he knew what was going on with the mess of knots around his wrists, he could untie himself, take off the duct tape and fly out of here.

Wherever here was.

There was only one guard in the room and he seemed more interested in fiddling with his clown mask than in paying Billy any attention. He’d managed to loosen one of the knots in the rope when something made him freeze. There was a flicker of movement out of the corner of Billy’s eye, like something was crawling along the shadows just out of sight. Dread pooled in his stomach.

Something was watching him and it was definitely not any of his kidnappers.

Just then he heard that crazed laughter again as the Joker and the rest of his goons came waltzing back into the room. One of them moved to set up a tripod in front of Billy while the rest spread out to guard the perimeter.

The Joker himself moved forward, flashing a maniacal grin in Billy’s direction that stretched his face until it looked painful, almost unnatural, and showed off all of his yellow teeth. His purple suit was still dirty and torn from the fight at the zoo though he hardly seemed to care. He started circling around Billy’s chair like a predator circling his prey. His eyes never left Billy’s face and the grin remained firmly in place.

“Such a teeny, tiny, little thing aren’t you?” The joker giggled a bit to himself and pulled out a pocket knife. There was nothing special about it that Billy could tell, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. “You know when I heard Brucie Wayne was taking in another bouncing baby brat, I thought to myself ‘well isn’t that something? How could I give this kid a proper Gotham City welcome?’ And what better way than seeing just how much your new daddy loves you? Will he pay a million dollar ransom? What about 10 million? Or will he sit around and wait for the Batman to swoop in and take you home?” The Joker’s giggles turned to outright laughter, the knife slicing through the air dangerously close to Billy’s face as he spun around to order his henchmen around.

Billy didn’t know how the Joker could possibly know that he was Bruce Wayne’s new foster kid. He had only been in town for a couple of days. He’s pretty sure Bruce hadn’t been telling people about Billy. Well besides his family that is. But just because Billy hadn’t heard anything doesn’t mean it wasn’t out there. It's not like he had his own computer or anything to look it up. And did they really think Bruce Wayne would pay 10 million dollars for some kid he barely knew? If they wanted that much money they should have gone for one of the guy’s actual kids.

A little red light blinked to life on the camera in front of him. The Joker came up next to him and draped the arm holding the knife across Billy’s shoulders. The glint of metal drew Billy’s eye as he carefully watched its movements.

“Hello Brucie!” Joker’s false cheeriness grated in Billy’s ears. “Looks like you lost something at the zoo today!” He grabbed Billy’s face roughly with one of his hands, squeezing hard enough that Billy wouldn’t be surprised if it bruised. “Don’t worry I’m more than happy to return this little bundle of joy. But first you have to play a little game with me. I’m thinking of a number and that number is how much I want you to pay me for the kid’s safe return. If you guess correctly he’ll be home by dinnertime. If you guess wrong...” The Joker giggled again and pressed his cheek against Billy’s. His warm, disgusting breath made Billy want to gag. “Well then I guess the brat and I are going to have a lot of fun together” The knife was pressed to Billy’s neck, not hard enough to break the skin but just enough to be a threat.

The red light went off and the Joker straightened up. He patted Billy’s head as if he were a dog that had just performed a trick and headed out of the room, most likely waiting to see how much money the Waynes were going to give him. Or to think up some messed up ways to hurt his hostage after he got the money.

Best not to think about that.

Billy began working on untying the ropes again. He couldn’t let them know about his plans to escape. He needed to be quiet. Stealthy. Like Batman. Who probably didn’t think Billy could be either of those things. Or well he probably didn’t think Captain Marvel could be either of those things. His thoughts on Billy--and wasn’t it crazy that he knew enough about Billy to have thoughts about him?--those were still a mystery.

He couldn’t draw the attention of his guard who seemed to be reenergized by the ransom video. At least he still didn’t seem all that interested in Billy. Instead he kept glancing out to where the Joker had gone clearly not wanting to be on hostage babysitting duty. He hiked up his gun, just itching for a reason to shoot it.

It took forever. The thing in the shadows continued to watch him, but it never came closer. The guard didn’t seem to know it was there which just made Billy even more worried. Eventually Billy was finally able to slip one of his hands free from its bindings. The ropes scraped his wrists leaving them red and raw, but his hand was free. He had to wait for his guard to look away before ripping off the duct tape on his mouth.

The sudden movement and the sound of the duct tape ripping drew the guard’s attention immediately.

“Koimaó” Billy muttered, cutting off the man’s shout of surprise. He fell to the ground with a thud, his gun clattering to the floor. Billy looked anxiously towards the door as he began untying his ankles as fast as he could. He prayed no one heard the commotion. Billy doubted he could take them all without getting shot. Transforming ran the risk of the Joker finding out his secret identity. Not to mention having Captain Marvel in Gotham with a missing ransomed kid nowhere to be found would be just flat out suspicious even if they didn’t find out who he was.

But if he got outside, transformed and flew back to Wayne Manor, he could think up some lie about being saved by a vigilante or something. He probably couldn’t say Batman since Bruce knew him, but he could say one of the others. Gotham was full of vigilantes and he doubted they all told Batman everything even if he was a bit of a control freak.

Billy knew he couldn’t just go out of the door in front of him. That would just end with him on the wrong side of a gun. He headed over to the wall opposite the door, glancing back to make sure no one was coming.

He felt a jolt of fear at what he saw.

The shadows had melted into the form of something almost human. Billy had a flash of a memory of this thing in Sivana’s lab. His side began to throb as it moved closer, but he didn’t know why.

He still didn’t know what it was, what it wanted, or how to fight it. Usually when he was in a situation like this he would just wing it and figure out how to win against it by trial and error. But whatever that thing was, it had followed him to Gotham. And it seemed totally uninterested in the other people here. The pain in his side made his vision swim unexpectedly. He needed to get out of here for a completely different reason now.

Gunshots sounded from the other room. Something must have happened to anger the Joker. Or maybe a vigilante really was coming to save him. He didn’t think they would have the time to take care of both the human and supernatural threats, before this shadow monster made its move. The heroes of Gotham were only human after all.

Pressing his hand against the wall Billy wracked his mind for the appropriate spell. “Áÿlos” he muttered, his voice trembling. The good news was that the spell worked, it allowed him to pass through the wall like a ghost so he could escape to the other side. The bad news was that his use of magic seemed to aggravate the monster and propel it forward to chase after him with a snarl.

It was a small miracle that the room he was in was on the ground floor or else he probably wouldn’t have had time to save himself from the fall. Large boxy warehouses were all around him; the daylight was nearly blinding after he spent who knows how long in that dimly lit room. The gunfire continued behind him as he sprinted as fast as he could.

He realized too late that he not only didn’t know where he was, but also didn’t know a thing about Gotham’s general layout. Was he running out of the warehouse district or deeper into it? He could smell salt in the air. Did that mean he was near the docks? If he tried to duck into an alley, which ones were dead ends?

He didn’t hear anything behind him, but he still wasn’t convinced that the thing had given up on the chase. Billy was sure it could catch him if it wanted to. He glanced behind him and saw that the path behind him was empty of pursuers, supernatural or otherwise.

He slowed to a walk as he tried to get a better idea of his surroundings. He was still hopelessly lost, but there didn’t seem to be any immediate danger. That didn’t mean he was safe by any means. He’d have to be really dumb to let his guard down now. He almost said the wizard’s name but something told him not too. A little voice in his head reminding him of Solomon’s advice from his first days as a superhero. He wasn’t in danger anymore, so he didn’t need to be Captain Marvel right now.

But also...that thing had reacted to his magic. Using more than necessary might just lead to a fight he wasn’t all that interested in starting right now.

Billy decided to head towards the tallest building he could see in hopes that it would lead him to the city proper. Sooner than he expected he found himself on a not so busy street. But there were cars. And even some people walking around, though they all looked pretty shady. Definitely not the type of people you ask for directions.

But that was fine! Billy could find his own way through any city, even Gotham! If he just kept walking eventually he could find a map or a not so sketchy store clerk that would let him use the phone. Because he actually had someone to call now. Someone who would be pretty worried after they got that ransom video.

Billy felt warmth flutter in his chest along with a new uneasy fear. He didn’t know if Bruce, Dick, Damian or Barbara were okay. They had all been at the zoo. Joker and his thugs could have hurt any of them. And then they had to worry about Billy on top of all that.

“Heya short stack! Whatcha doing out here all by yourself?”

Billy spun around and found himself face to face with someone surprisingly familiar. Harley Quinn was standing in front of him holding what looked like several bags of groceries. Did villain’s buy groceries like everyone else or did they just steal the stuff? Hell he was a hero and he still sometimes stole food, so maybe he shouldn’t judge. But it did conjure up a pretty funny image of Black Adam trying to buy a frozen pizza.

“I’m just on my way home” Billy didn’t know if he was supposed to pretend that he didn’t know who she was or not. She had her hair in her signature dip-dyed pigtails and was wearing all red and black, though the outfit itself was pretty casual. She didn’t look like she was out looking for a fight or committing any crimes. But she still looked like Harley Quinn.

“Well dontcha know this is a pretty rough neighborhood? I know you ain’t one of the local kids ‘cause I know those guys” She cocked her head to the side in an exaggerated way, feigning being deep in thought. Or maybe she actually was deep in thought. It was hard to say. Suddenly she perked up and flashed him a megawatt smile. “Oh I get it! You must be lost! Dontcha worry your pretty little head sweetie! I’m gonna help you find your way home. I’m turnin’ over a new leaf y’know? Tryin’ to be more helpful to the little people!”

Billy had heard that Harley Quinn was now a semi-reformed villain. She wasn’t a hero and still committed crimes sometimes, but she was doing better. Billy had even had a chance to meet her the last time he was in Gotham as Captain Marvel. She had called him the ‘hunkiest guy in the Justice League’ which had made him so embarrassed he accidentally flew into a billboard for toothpaste.

But he honestly really liked her because she was so fun. Crazy, sure, but fun.

“Oh, okay” He fell into step next to her. “I actually just moved to Gotham, so I’m still learning my way around. I do know that I don’t live anywhere nearby though. You got a phone I could use?”

She laughed. It was a much nicer sound than the Joker’s laugh. She actually sounded happy when she did it. “Sure honey, but let's pop in some place so I can set these bags down. Ooh! I know! There’s this great little pizza parlor down the street. It’s mostly used as a money laundering front for some mob guys, but the stuff still tastes really good. C’mon!”

Less than a block away the pair entered a small hole in the wall pizza shop with only about four tables total. Harley dropped all of her bags on top of one before bouncing up to the register.

“Whatcha want sweetie?”

“I don’t have any money on me…” Billy hesitated. He may be living with a real life billionaire but he still didn’t have any pocket money. He could always ask Bruce to pay her back. It was better than having him pay a ransom.

“Don’t sweat it kid. I think I can spot ya enough for a slice”

“Just cheese is fine” Billy flashed her a smile. “I promise I’ll pay you back when my foster dad gets here”

A few minutes later the unlikely pair were eating some of the best pizza Billy had ever had. He had to hand it to Harley, she gave great food recommendations. And now that she wasn’t actively being a criminal, Billy didn’t have to feel conflicted about enjoying her company.

“So ya say you’re new around here yeah? Where ya from?”

“Oh, I’m from Fawcett City”

“Ooh I love that place!” She squealed in delight. “Not that I’ve ever been or anythin’, but they got that hunky Captain Marvel over there.” She leaned in to whisper conspiratorially, completely ignoring Billy’s bright red face. “Don’t tell no one since I’m sure Batsy will get jealous, but he’s one of my favorites in the League”

She had a wide grin and a somewhat dreamy expression. It’s not like it was the first time that someone--usually ladies old enough to be his mom--had told him they had a crush on the Captain. But it didn’t make it any less awkward whenever it happened. Like right now. Right now he really wished the floor would open up and swallow him whole before he had to respond.

Her laughter brought him out of his embarrassment. “All right, all right. I’ll cut it out. Boys always get so flustered when a gal’s got a crush on their favorite celebrity. Don’t worry though. I've got an amazing girlfriend now so I’m officially off the market and poor Cap’s missed his shot”

She rifled around in her bag as she spoke. Eventually she pulled out her phone and tossed it at Billy. She didn’t even react when he scrambled to catch it and ended up dropping it onto his pizza.

“Call your folks and tell them you’re at Mario’s down on the East End”

Billy had to wipe the grease off the phone before he could call. It was a good excuse to stall. He still hadn’t really had time to come up with a believable lie about how he escaped the Joker. And just saying magic, while true, probably wasn’t going to fly either.

“Somethin’ wrong kiddo?”

“I’m not sure what to say...it’s been a pretty hectic day”

“Ya run away?”

“No. But there was this whole...situation at the zoo earlier”

“The zoo? Didn’t I hear somethin’ about Mistah J shootin the place up?”

“Yeah it sucked. The guy’s a creep” Billy froze and glanced at Harley. “No offense”

“None taken. I woulda used a much stronger word than creep. But he is that too”

Eventually Billy summoned up the courage to call Bruce. His and Alfred’s were the only numbers he knew and that’s only because Bruce had insisted he memorize them after he ran away. Hopefully they wouldn’t demand an explanation right away.

It rang three times and went to voicemail. He dialed again. The same thing. He dialed a third time and was just about to resort to calling Alfred instead when someone finally picked up.

“Who is this?” A deep, gruff voice answered. It sounded just like Batman. Billy had an intense feeling of deja vu. How many times had he heard that same voice on the other end of a Justice League communicator? It was unmistakable. But this was supposed to be Bruce’s cell phone. Did that mean that Bruce and Batman were together? They were probably trying to figure out how to save Billy from the Joker.

“Hi, this is Billy” There was a sharp intake of breath on the other side of the phone. “I was wondering if someone could come pick me up? I’m at a pizza place called Mario’s down on the East End” Harley smiled at him from across the table so he probably got the directions right despite the surprise of talking to Batman as Billy making him nervous.

“Billy? How--never mind. We’ll be there soon. Don’t move”

“Okay” It’s not like he was planning on leaving anyway. “Oh, wait! I’m here with Harley Quinn because she’s helping me out. Don’t, like, attack her. She’s not doing anything wrong”

“Aww Sweetie!” Harley jumped up and squeezed Billy in a bone crushing hug that reminded Billy of just how strong she really was despite her size. He twisted around to hug her back and also to make sure she didn’t accidentally cut off his air supply.

There was no answer from Batman on the phone. Billy didn’t know if that meant he was surprised or just unhappy. It was hard to tell over the phone. It was hard to tell in person too, but that’s besides the point.

Less than five minutes later a loud motorcycle came screeching to a halt in front of the restaurant. The man driving all but threw his helmet to the ground and came racing inside. He was breathing heavily as if he had run here instead of driving. It wasn’t until he made eye contact with Billy that he recognized the man as one of his new foster brothers.

“Thank fuck” He dropped to one knee and grabbed Billy’s shoulders, quickly looking him over for any major injuries.

“Jason? What are you doing here? How did you even--”

“My bike’s faster than the old man’s car” He waved off Billy’s concerns. “Did that bastard hurt you? And what’s she got to do with this?” He glared in Harley’s direction. He was clearly unhappy that Billy was with a villain, reformed or not.

“Hey! I’m just tryin’ to make sure this kid gets home safe and sound. But if ya want to start somethin’ I’m more than ready”

“There’s no need to fight!” Billy jumped up and did his best to place himself between the two. He turned to Harley first. “Jason’s my foster brother. And Harley” He turned to look at Jason, forcing him to look away from the former psychiatrist. “found me and brought me here so I could call you guys. I’m fine. I promise”

The door to the pizza parlor opened again and there stood Bruce Wayne in all his disheveled glory. Even with his hair a mess and his shirt buttoned wrong, he looked too fancy and out of place to be in a place like this. Jason at least could pass as a normal guy. Well, if it weren’t for the dramatic entrance.

Billy immediately found himself sandwiched between the two men who were both surprisingly muscular. Bruce and Jason had matching frowns on their faces as they tried to confirm that Billy really wasn’t injured and didn’t need to go to the hospital.

“You didn’t tell me your new dad was Bruce Wayne! I woulda put on somethin’ a little more classy” Harley giggled as she messed with her hair.

Billy dipped his head in embarrassment. Being fostered by someone famous was totally weird.

“I can’t thank you enough for making sure Billy’s safe. After the ransom video went live, I was worried no one would get to him in time”

Billy stiffened at Bruce’s words and silently pleaded for Harley Quinn not to clarify that she found him walking down the street less than a block away and not tied to a chair in a creepy warehouse guarded by the Joker and his goons.

Despite Jason’s protests, Bruce gave Harley some cash, thanking her profusely for saving Billy. If she was confused she hid it well.

She must have gotten Billy’s silent message to not question what Bruce and Jason thought had happened. She just accepted the cash, ruffled Billy’s hair and scooped up her groceries, presumably heading to wherever she lived.

This couldn’t have worked out better for Billy if he tried. Because having the Waynes think someone like Harley Quinn saved him was the best possible way to make sure Batman knew as little about this whole incident as possible. He may not be in the clear yet, but he was feeling optimistic about secretly living as a magic user in Gotham. Even if he couldn’t be Captain Marvel here that didn’t have to mean he was totally defenseless.

Of course there was still the shadows to worry about.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

I couldn't help myself so Harley and Billy get to hang out a bit. I loved their relationship in the comics!

Chapter 13

Summary:

Bruce can't help but fell there is something he was missing.

There was nothing quite as stressful as having your child be kidnapped and held for ransom. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne was all too familiar with this particular source of stress, but it never got easier. In fact, if anything, it got harder because he was now well aware of what could happen if things went wrong. Villains like the Joker were infinitely imaginative in coming up with ways to cause pain to others. One of the greatest burdens of being Batman was being intimately aware of all the ways things could go wrong and preparing for them.

Billy Batson, however, was apparently more than happy to subvert his expectations at every turn. Often causing confusion and anxiety for his new foster parent whenever he stepped foot out of the manor. As happy as he was to find Billy had not succumbed to the many worst case scenarios he'd been playing out in his mind, the whole ordeal left Bruce feeling a bit wrongfooted.

The relief he had felt when he heard Billy’s voice on the other end of the phone had been indescribable. As was the confusion upon finding him casually having lunch with Harley Quinn, completely unscathed and unbothered by his brush with the Clown Prince of Crime.

He hadn't been scared. He hadn't been hurt. He hadn't been upset. Billy acted as if the whole thing were some sort of minor inconvenience. It was odd to say the least. But perhaps it was a testament to how unpleasant his life had been up to this point that not even the Joker could shake him. Bruce didn't want to think about what it meant if that was the case. 

He’d gone back over the scene in his mind a dozen times and nothing made sense. There was no evidence of a fight at Joker’s warehouse, besides the one Red Hood started. Someone like Harley Quinn would have left at least some trace of the rescue. She was naturally destructive in combat even when she was working with heroes instead of against them. Smashed walls and broken femurs at the very least. And she definitely wouldn’t have passed up an opportunity to fight her ex, self imposed rescue mission or not.

The man who had presumably been standing guard over Billy had no visible injuries and, when he came to, had no recollection of how he was knocked out. Whoever had rescued Billy had been stealthy about it. Professional. Yet they let him wander the streets of Gotham afterwards instead of returning him to his family. That was incredibly sloppy. And no contact with either Bruce Wayne or Batman after the fact? It just didn’t make any sense. Who could find Billy faster than Oracle and spirit him away without a trace?

The detective in him desperately wanted to press Billy for more answers, but the father in him wanted to give him the space to deal with what had happened. And he had promised himself that whenever possible he would be a father first. He didn't always keep that promise, but he had to at least try. Whatever had happened had worked in Billy’s favor, meaning whoever they were, they more of an ally than they were a threat. He would have to live with that until Billy was ready to talk about it.

Jason hadn’t let Billy out of his sight for the rest of the day. He watched the boy like a hawk for any signs of injury or unhappiness. Billy didn’t seem to mind. In fact he seemed delighted at the chance to get to know his new brother better. It wasn't obvious but Bruce suspected the feeling was mutual.

Bruce caught bits and pieces of their conversation throughout the day as they swapped stories about foster homes they’d been in and tricks they’d learned about living on the streets. It certainly wasn’t what he had wanted them to bond over, but it was doing the trick. The two of them couldn’t be more different, but hearing them talk in some secret jargon filled language about their less than ideal childhoods proved just how much their pasts lined up. It was probably good for Billy to have someone to talk to about that aspect of his life, someone he knew would understand without judgement.

Not to mention that Jason had never warmed up to any of the other kids as fast as this. It was nice to see him smiling for once.

When Bruce found the two of them just after nightfall curled up on the couch in the library, he let the peace of the moment wash over him. Jason was reading aloud a passage from The Odyssey, likely due to Tim’s recommendation. His arm was wrapped around Billy holding him close. Billy was clearly fighting off sleep from where he was leaning into Jason’s side.

Bruce couldn't help but think that Jason would make an amazing father one day.

It was the only reason Bruce had felt safe enough to deal with the flurry of police and reporters demanding answers from him about Billy. Who was he? Where did he come from? Will Bruce be adopting him? Will he be at the next Wayne Foundation gala? How did the other children feel about the newest arrival?

It was all pretty standard as far as these things went, But Bruce had no patience for it. Not today. So instead of answering them all he released a simple statement: Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent has already been contacted for an exclusive interview. The Wayne family will not be addressing any other news outlets until Kent’s initial article is published.

Clark was probably going to kill him for that since he had most certainly not called him, but he trusted no one else to do this job. Clark had handled stories about the Waynes with grace and respect in the past. He also allowed for tweaks to the true story in order to keep their identities a secret from the public should any vigilante business overlap with personal business. He was willing to toe the line of journalistic integrity for the sake of hero business.

Bruce really shouldn’t have been surprised when he went to suit up for the night to find Superman hovering anxiously in the center of the Batcave.

“I was going to call you” Bruce brushed past the Man of Steel to begin collecting an array of gadgets and weapons that he would need for patrol that night.

“Would that be before or after my exclusive interview had to be published? Did you know I have to have it finished within the next 48 hours?” Clark touched down silently, his arms folded in front of his chest.

“You agreed to the interview the other day”

“You said you wanted to wait”

“Today’s incident forced me to move up my time table a bit”

“A bit? I was under the impression you wanted to wait at least a few weeks. Do you even know how Billy will feel about doing an interview?”

“If he doesn’t want to do it I will simply give you some basic information to satisfy the curiosity of the masses. I’m not going to subject him to a media frenzy if I don’t have to. Billy is...well he is in a very vulnerable position all things considered.”

“Because of his age? Or because of his reaction to multiple kidnappings?”

“Both. Among other things.” Bruce had wanted time to make Billy’s life here more stable before he brought the press into it. He wanted to make sure he was comfortable living with them. And he had hoped to talk to Billy about legally changing his name and gender so he wouldn’t be misgendered when he did make his debut. From what he had read it was an unnecessarily complicated process, but perhaps enough money could cut through the red tape. It often did.

“How’s tomorrow sound? I’d love an excuse to have a fancy lunch at the manor”

Bruce quirked his brow. Clark was being uncharacteristically cooperative about doing an article for him. Usually there was a lot more whining and a bit of arguing about the necessity of a Wayne Family puff piece before he gave in.

“Don’t give me that look Bruce. I’ve been dying to meet this kid ever since you first told me about him. And I’d be lying if I said the reports from today weren’t worrisome. How is he holding up?”

Bruce sighed, a freshly sharpened batarang in his hand. It felt heavier than usual, though it was probably just the weight on his mind making it seem so. “Billy is fine. Physically at least. He actually doesn't seem too upset about the whole thing, at least not as much as you would expect. Jason’s honestly more rattled by the whole ordeal than he is. Damian too. He locked himself in his room the second Billy was safe. Dick thinks he’s grounding himself for losing Billy in the crowd after I put him in charge. Personally I think it's more likely he's trying to find an explanation for what happened. We still have no idea how the Joker even knew about Billy"

“I’m assuming Billy isn’t hurt or else you wouldn’t be suiting up right now, so that’s good. I’m sure in a few days everyone will be back to normal. Or at least as close to normal as you bats ever get.”

Bruce hummed his agreement. He continued to turn the batarang over in his hands as he mentally began reviewing the facts of the case once more. It was almost involuntary.

“I can hear your brooding from Metropolis. So why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind”

Deciding to be an adult, he ignored Clark’s playful jab. “It just doesn’t make sense”

“What doesn’t?”

“I have no idea how Billy got away from the Joker”

“Didn’t you...save him? Or one of the kids did?”

“He was long gone before we got to the warehouse, though I doubt the Joker was aware of his missing hostage. I don’t even think it was Harley Quinn despite the fact that Billy called us from her cell phone more than a mile away from where he was being held”

Clark had to blink away his surprise. The story did sound absurd even to Bruce. “Maybe he escaped. He is one of your kids after all”

“You think a bound and gagged twelve year old with no training subdued an armed gunman without alerting any of the more than half dozen other armed men surveilling him and escaped on foot through an unfamiliar city and just happened to run into his kidnapper’s ex-girlfriend on the way?”

“Crazier things have happened. I mean didn’t you fist fight a magical shadow monster in a mad scientist’s lab like a week ago?”

Bruce just glared at him in response. Because yes that did happen, as evidenced by the useless piles of tech still cluttering every surface in the Batcave.

Clark smirked like he won some sort of battle between them before kicking himself back into the air. “I’ll come by around noon. Text me any specific questions you want me to ask” With that and a rush of displaced air he was gone, leaving Bruce to contemplate when his life had become so strange.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

This is a bit of a shorter transitional chapter but I still hope you enjoyed it.

Also Jason being good with kids is one of my favorite things!

Chapter 14

Summary:

Billy gets interviewed by the one and only Clark Kent

Billy stretched and yawned. He hadn’t felt this well rested in forever. He looked around his room lazily. He felt strangely content. Safe. He didn’t even remember going to bed last night. He just remembered Jason’s deep soothing voice, the comforting weight of his arm around him, and strange memory-like visions of men in traditional Greek armor. It was almost as if he already knew the story, but didn’t quite know the words.

It was something that happened sometimes. His connection with his gods and the wizard and even the former champions left imprints on him of lives he never lived and people he never knew. These visions were always slippery or hazy, like a dream you can only sort of remember. Sometimes Billy couldn’t help but wonder if they really were just dreams and he was making something out of nothing.

Billy laid there, allowing himself to revel in having a large warm bed all to himself. One that was clean and comfortable. He hadn’t allowed himself the chance to indulge in this feeling his first few days at Wayne Manor. There had been so much to do and he was too exhausted to enjoy any of the luxuries he had access to.

An annoying little voice in his head told him there still was a lot to do and he shouldn’t be lazy. It was one of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man after all. But hadn’t he earned a restful morning? He could stay up late to catch up on stuff if he had to.

Billy didn’t know how long he stayed there, dozing slightly and trying to remember his half forgotten dreams. He didn’t move until he heard a knock on his door. He shuffled to the door and was surprised to find Damian on the other side. He was dressed and ready for the day, making Billy feel just a little like a slob. He just knew that his hair was sticking up funny in the back. His Justice League pajamas probably didn’t help things.

“Hey Damian”

“Batson”

There was a beat of awkward silence. Apparently things were back to being weird between them. Great.

“Did you need something or…?”

Damian straightened his already perfect posture and made some very strong and intense eye contact. “I feel as if I owe you an apology. I was tasked with taking you to safety yesterday and my failure to do so led to your abduction”

Billy had a feeling that Damian had practiced that in the mirror. He was clearly not the type of person who apologized very often. Billy felt a little tug on his heart at the idea that he was worth apologizing to.

But that was the stupidest reason for an apology he’d ever heard.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You wanted to help people just as much as I did and that is so cool of you. No one expected you to fight those guys off all on your own. I mean that would be stupid. And I would never want you to get hurt on my account”

"Yes well, that's good. I don't want to be hurt on your account either" Damian cocked his head to the side. "It is curious though, that you managed to survive a kidnapping by the Joker unscathed. Not many can say that"

"I guess I'm just lucky."

"Somehow I doubt that luck had anything to do with it."

"Well either way, you don't have to worry about me. It'll take more than a simple kidnapping to keep me down."

"So I see. And I wasn't worried about you, I was just...concerned that your death at the hands of the Joker would upset the others. They are unfortunately quite fond of you" 

"It's still sweet of you, even if you deny having good intentions" Billy was still a little sleepy and riding the high of a nice quiet morning in bed, so he decided to throw caution to the wind and give his new foster brother a hug.

Damian immediately stiffened at the contact, but slowly, awkwardly, returned the gesture. When Billy pulled back he couldn’t help but laugh at Damian’s bewildered expression.

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you Batson”

“You’d get bored of me if you did”

A small smile twitched at the corners of Damian’s mouth. Billy counted that as a victory.

“You can come out now, father. Batson and I are finished”

To Billy’s surprise Bruce all but materialized next to them. He was silent as a ghost and if Billy didn’t know any better he’d think magic was behind it. But he knew for a fact that no one in Wayne Manor had even a hint of magic in them other than Billy himself.

“I didn’t want to interrupt. But I’m glad you two had the chance to make up” He smiled down at Billy. He gave off the distinct impression that he was fighting down some sort of emotion, though Billy couldn’t even guess what would make him so emotional so early. “How are you feeling Billy?”

“I’m feeling great! I don’t think I’ve slept that good in forever”

“I’m glad. I was worried that...well it doesn’t matter. If you’re feeling up to it, my friend Clark is coming over today. He’d like to talk to you”

“Okay. Is he, like, a therapist or something?”

Bruce chuckled softly, but he sobered up pretty quickly. “No, no. Nothing like that. However, if you did want to talk to someone in a more professional capacity, I could make that happen. Do you want to do that?”

“Uh, no thanks. I’m good” Billy had been forced into therapy sessions before and it was always a lot of talking about his feelings while a doctor told him how to be a completely different person. Most of them hadn’t even bothered to remember his real name.

“Right. If you ever change your mind just let me know”

Billy nodded along. “So if your friend isn’t a doctor, why does he want to talk to me?”

“Well Clark is a reporter. And after yesterday a lot of people wanted to know who you are. It’s one of the bigger downsides to being part of a wealthy, well known family. I had hoped to give you some more time to settle in and feel comfortable with us before making you talk to anyone in the media. But I promise he won’t ask anything invasive and you don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to. I will be right there the whole time if you need me. And Clark is a good friend, he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable either. Is this okay?”

It wouldn’t be the first time Billy had spoken to a reporter. It wouldn’t even be the first one-on-one interview he had done. But he had always been Captain Marvel for those. Which meant he had the Courage of Achilles to tackle any nerves he felt. Billy knew he wouldn’t be able to hide the fact that he was nervous when he was just plain old Billy, but if this Clark guy was as nice as Bruce said…

“Yeah, okay. I guess I should probably get dressed then?”

“Do you remember how to get to the Library where you and Jason were last night? That’s where we’ll be when you’re ready”

At Billy’s nod, Bruce headed off.

Fifteen minutes later Billy was dressed in one of the nice button ups Dick had bought for him and a pair of jeans. This felt official so he wanted to look nice and make a good impression for Bruce’s sake. He kept fiddling with the unfamiliar clothing the whole way down to the library. He had only worn button ups a couple times when his foster parents wanted him to look professional, so he knew it would be weird and uncomfortable even if the clothes did fit. But he had spent forever trying to figure out why the buttons on his shirt were on the wrong side. He’d felt clumsy and awkward wondering the whole time if he’d managed to put his shirt on wrong and was now going to embarrass himself in front of Bruce’s reporter friend.

As he approached what he was 80% sure was the library door, he paused to adjust himself one last time. He also needed to gather his normal, human courage. He heard voices through the door. They both felt so familiar that he had to pause and shake off the deja vu.

“Bruce, I know what I’m doing. You don’t have to coach me on how to do my job”

“Just tread lightly. I don’t want you scaring him”

“From what you’ve told me so far, I don’t think the kid scares easily” There was a brief pause. “But fine, I won’t push”

“That’s all I ask”

Billy knocked lightly on the door and peeked his head in. He saw Bruce standing next to the fireplace. Beside him stood a tall, broad-shouldered man in glasses who looked more like a bodybuilder than a reporter. Both of them turned to look at Billy, bringing all his nerves right back to the forefront of his mind. It reminded him a bit of when he first joined the Justice League and Batman and Superman would stop their conversations to stare at him whenever he entered the room.

The feeling didn’t last. Bruce smiled and beckoned Billy over. Clark also smiled and put out a hand to shake.

“Hi there Billy. My name is Clark Kent. You can call me Clark though”

Billy's eyes widened in surprise. “Whoa! From the Daily Planet? I’ve read tons of your articles! My favorite was when you wrote about Superman and Captain Marvel teaming up right after he joined the Justice League. Y’know when they fought that giant robot with kryptonite inside it? But I guess I’m kinda biased”

“I do enjoy writing about a good team up” Clark’s smile had grown a bit sheepish making Billy realize he was probably being weird. Kids his age didn’t read the newspaper a whole lot. But Billy had briefly considered becoming a reporter and working for WHIZ radio doing cool news stories. But you needed an education for that and Billy had dropped out of school a long time ago. It was the same reason he had given up on becoming an archeologist too.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to ramble” Billy rubbed the back of his neck. “I just like reading about superheroes”

Bruce and Clark shared an amused look. “No need to be sorry. I’m actually flattered to know someone enjoys my articles, even all the way in Fawcett City. That’s where you’re from right?”

“Yes sir. Born and raised”

“Why don’t the two of you get comfortable and I’ll tell Alfred to bring us up some lunch? Clark you should walk Billy through the process since he’s never done this before”

“Sounds good to me” Clark led Billy to a pair of comfortable chairs with a chessboard between them. Billy really hoped they weren’t expecting him to play. He only knew how the pieces moved when Solomon was telling him what to do.

Clark pulled out a small device from his bag and set it between them. Then he pulled out a pen and a pad of paper.

“This” he tapped the device twice “is going to record our conversation. I’m just using it so I can remember what you said when I’m writing. No one else is going to hear it. Promise. Now I’ve prepared some questions that I want to ask, but we’re just gonna talk. This isn’t going to be super formal. If you don’t want to answer something, just say ‘pass’ and we’ll move on ok?”

Billy nodded again. Bruce was right about Clark being nice. Billy had a sneaking suspicion he must have kids. Most reporters Billy knew jumped in and barely let you get a word in edgewise while they tried to trick you into saying something wrong. There was a reason Batman made sure no one in the League talked to the press more than they had to.

“Okay. Let’s get started. Your name is Billy Batson correct?”

Billy hesitated. He glanced over at Bruce and then back at Clark. Was he allowed to say yes? Would he get in trouble for not mentioning that he was technically still named Mary? Would Bruce get in trouble if they didn't say something? He wondered if Clark could hear his heart pounding or if his panic was just written across his face, because he leaned forward with a concerned glance towards Bruce.

“Are you okay Billy?”

Bruce walked over and placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. He leaned down just slightly and kept his voice low despite the fact that Clark would definitely still be able to hear him. Luckily he seemed to understand what had happened. “It’s okay Billy. Just be honest. I told you, you don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. I’ll talk to Clark later if you want me to, but we don’t have to make a big deal about it”

Bruce’s voice was better at calming Billy’s fears than his words, but those helped too. Clark looked confused, like he really wanted to ask a question. But he kept his mouth shut and plastered on a smile that only looked partly forced.

“That would be great Bruce” Billy smiled up at him. “I just wasn’t sure if I was supposed to talk about, y’know, that. I didn’t think I’d get so nervous so soon” Billy fidgeted with his sleeve and bit his lip. He didn’t want to sound like a baby but... “Would you mind sitting with me--I mean us--in case it happens again?”

“Of course Billy. Whatever makes you most comfortable”

Bruce pulled up another chair and settled in right next to Billy and gave his shoulder a big squeeze of support. Billy took a few minutes to sip some water and nibble on the sandwiches Alfred had brought up at some point before they could continue.

“Alright Billy, a lot of people are wondering: how long have you been living with Bruce?”

“Only a few days actually. It’s been really hectic with the move and stuff. I don’t even know if all the paperwork is official yet”

“That must be really difficult, moving to a new city with a new family”

“Oh, I’ve moved around a lot over the years. I’m used to adjusting pretty quickly. I never lived in Gotham before, so that’s gonna take some getting used to. Gotham is just…” Billy struggled to find the word. He didn’t want to say darker even though it was true. He was tempted to say less magical since he had never been anywhere that felt so devoid of magic before. But that was too complicated to explain. “Gotham is...more modern I guess. Or maybe Fawcett is just old fashioned. It might just be that I’m living in a super ritzy part of town so it’s hard to say”

“Fair enough” Clark smirked over at Bruce. “I’ve always preferred Metropolis, obviously, but I’d choose Fawcett City over Gotham any day. I actually have a good friend that lives there”

“Clark” Bruce sent him a half hearted glare. He was using what Billy assumed was a warning tone. It wasn’t quite as stern as when he was scolding Damian the other day, but it was similar.

“Well I do have a question for you Bruce” The billionaire quirked an eyebrow. “What made you decide to take in another child, especially since Billy lived halfway across the country?”

Billy squirmed in his seat. He wasn’t really sure he wanted to know the answer to that. Or even if Bruce would be totally honest when he answered. They’d probably want to put a positive spin on the whole thing so he shouldn’t trust what he said.

“A couple weeks ago I went to Fawcett City on business. I met Billy when he had been seriously injured and a...friend of mine brought him to the hospital. When I learned that Billy didn’t have a family to go home to, I didn’t even hesitate to offer my home to him. Some might say it was an impulsive decision, but it’s one I’m glad I made”

Billy thought it was kind of odd that Bruce didn’t mention Batman or Dr. Sivana or the fact that Billy was a homeless runaway who'd been kidnapped by a supervillain. He wasn't lying exactly. It certainly made things less complicated if they left all that stuff out, but Billy wondered if other people might find out later and make a huge deal about it.

“It must have been a pretty big shock for you Billy. What did you think of the whole thing?”

“It was surprising I guess. I figured I’d get a new foster parent when I woke up in the hospital, but I didn’t think it’d be someone famous. I was pretty nervous when I first found out I’d be moving to Gotham. Bruce has been really great even though I’ve probably been difficult”

“Oh Billy. You haven’t been difficult at all. You’re such a good kid, you’ve made this easy on me”

Billy felt his cheeks flush. Bruce sounded so sincere even though Billy knew for a fact he's been stressing him out since day one.

“And have you had the chance to get to know any of Bruce’s other kids?”

Billy brightened instantly. “Oh yeah! I’ve met all of them at least once and it’s been awesome! Dick took me shopping and Jason showed me a ton of cool books. I went to the zoo with Damian which was cool. Things went kind of sideways after that, but we had a fun time before the whole Joker thing”

“It sounds like everyone’s been giving you a nice welcome into the family” Bruce and Clark shared a look, silently arguing over something. “Billy, do you want to talk about what happened with the Joker? You don’t have to of course”

Billy paused again. He didn’t want them to think he was upset when he wasn’t, but if he talked about it he might get called out on his lies. He could pretend to be a little upset. All he had to do was think of that shadow creature and it was basically true. “Pass”

The adults shared another look. True to his word Clark moved on, gracefully steering the conversation in a less loaded direction. He asked about Billy’s hobbies, what he missed about Fawcett City, what he was excited to see in Gotham, where he would go to school and a dozen other things. Billy struggled with some of the questions, mostly because he had to catch himself before he said anything incriminating about his secret double life, but partly because he hadn’t really thought about most of that stuff.

He told Clark that his birth parents had been archeologists but passed on talking about any of his previous foster homes. He talked about how his favorite park just put in a statue of Captain Marvel but didn’t mention that he had slept there sometimes. He passed on all questions related to school only saying he liked history and disliked math.

Eventually Clark hit stop on his recorder and collected all his notes. “I think we’re all set, Billy. I’ll send a copy of the article to Bruce when I’m done. You can let me know if you like it or not”

“You really think people will want to read about me? I mean we didn’t talk about anything all that exciting” In fact they had deliberately avoided all the complicated and exciting stuff. He really hoped Clark wasn’t disappointed.

“I think people will be very excited to know a bit more about you. I know I certainly was” Clark took off his glasses to clean them off as he spoke. “Hopefully everyone will leave you alone for a while, at least until you get settled in more”

“Has anyone ever told you that you kinda look like Superman when you take off your glasses?”

Clark looked startled at the question. It turned into a glare in Bruce’s direction when the man failed to hide a snort of laughter. “You know, I have heard that once or twice. I don’t really see it though” Billy had a feeling that he was missing something, some inside joke between the two men, but decided he shouldn’t really question it.

After that Clark left to go write his article and Billy was free to enjoy his day at the manor.

That night, after a quick patrol around Fawcett City, Billy climbed into bed hoping sleep would come as easy to him as it had the night before. But instead of hazy visions of the exciting adventures of ancient heroes, he was met with darkness. It was a deep, deliberate sort of darkness that did nothing to allow him to rest. Uneasiness settled into his bones. He knew instantly that even though his eyes were closed and he was laying on his big comfortable bed, this was not a dream.

He could see nothing, not even his own hand in front of his face. It was just an endless void of pitch black nothingness. There were sounds. Distant chittering and even more distant screeching that drew closer with each passing moment.

There was a rumble, like rolling thunder in a storm. Then suddenly everything was a blinding white, startling but comforting in it’s familiarity. It was like being caught in that split second between when he was struck by the divine lightning and when he transformed into Captain Marvel.

“Hello Billy”

Billy spun around and saw Shazam standing before him in the light. He looked tired, but more solid than Billy had seen him in years. The relief of seeing a friendly face after that vision was soon gone. The wizard was worried about something, Billy could tell.

“What was that? Where are we?”

“We are nowhere of importance. Merely a safe transitional realm where the darkness cannot follow.”

“You’re talking about those monsters aren’t you?”

“Yes. I am afraid you have not seen the last of them. They will follow wherever you go and destroy all that comes between them and their prey”

“Prey?”

“You my poor boy. They want to destroy you for what Thaddeus Sivana did to them. And to you”

“But what are they?”

“They are known as skiá. Living shadows that feed off the energy within living things. They are intelligent beings, though they cannot speak any human languages. And they are extraordinarily dangerous”

“But why are they after me? If they’re mad at Sivana, then shouldn’t they be chasing him?”

“He does not have magic. His essence would be less...potent for them” The wizard sighed and leaned heavily on his staff. “In the course of his vile experiments, he unknowingly made a connection between you and the skiá he summoned”

Billy's hand involuntarily went to his side where he knew, beneath the fabric of his t-shirt was an ancient rune.

“Well can’t I just turn into Captain Marvel and--”

“No! You must not invoke your powers as my Champion to fight them!” Shazam’s voice boomed through the emptiness. “Magic may be able to hurt them, but they feed on it as well. If they had access to the divine magic you possess, the consequences would be catastrophic. They could follow your magic all the way back to the Rock of Eternity” He looked at Billy with dark steely eyes, like he was looking straight into Billy’s soul, leaving him cold and exposed. “You swore to protect the Rock from any such invasion. Which means you need to find an alternative method of dealing with them”

“But what do I do? If I can’t use my powers how can I stop them?”

“I trust you will find the answer”

The white light around them grew steadily brighter, engulfing Shazam’s figure until Billy could see nothing else.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

I just gotta say, I love all your comments and theories! y'all are so awesome!

Chapter 15

Summary:

Duke knows there is something special about Billy, he's just not quite sure what it is.

Duke flopped onto the couch of one of the many family rooms in Wayne manor. He had spent a lot of time since Bruce took him in exploring the old house. This was by far his favorite of all of them because there was a fireplace, a bookshelf full of both classic and modern literature, a big screen TV, and a minifridge. It was like a little slice of paradise. But the biggest perk was that somehow the other batkids never hung out here. Despite it technically being a common area, it still felt like it belonged to Duke and no one else. Whenever he needed some R&R or he wanted to bring over friends without it being a big deal, this is where he came.

Wayne Manor was huge and usually buzzing with activity. It still boggled Duke’s mind that people lived here. That he lived here. But he also couldn’t really picture the place empty. That probably had something to do with the fact that as the newest member of the family he had never been there when there weren't a bunch of people around. There were always at least two or three vigilantes popping in and out all hours of the day and night for medical aid, gadget tune ups, or just some homemade snacks courtesy of Alfred.

Well he wasn’t the new kid anymore. Now there was Billy.

And there was something special about Billy that he really couldn’t explain.

Duke hadn’t had much time to get to know Billy in the kid’s first week at the manor. As the only person working the day shift, he spent most of the day either out in the field or down in the Batcave. Between that and school, his days we're booked. The only reason he was home early today was because he agreed to join Cass on a stakeout later.

On top of all that Billy didn’t seem to be much of a night owl. He always went to his room right after dinner and slept until Alfred dragged him down for breakfast. But hey growing kids needed their sleep.

And Billy really needed to start growing before he got stuck at 5 foot nothing.

There was a slight creak of the door so Duke lifted his head to see who it was. Speak of the devil. Billy was hovering in the doorway, looking just as surprised to see Duke as Duke was to see him.

So much for his sibling-free sanctuary.

“Oh, umm...Sorry. I didn’t meant to--”

“Don’t worry about it kid. Why don’t you come have a seat?”

Billy hesitated for a fraction of a second, glancing behind him before quickly shutting the door and sitting on one of the chairs nearest Duke. He was clutching his brand new cellphone like a lifeline and had the old beat up backpack he showed up to the manor with slung over one shoulder. All things considered he was acting kind of suspicious.

“So what brings you to my neck of the woods?” Duke joked to ease the awkwardness between them.

“I’m just, y’know, exploring” Billy shrugged, trying for nonchalant and landing somewhere between guilty and defiant. A tough combo to pull off.

“Makes sense. This place is like a maze. A really fancy maze with way too many expensive looking vases just asking to be knocked over”

Billy laughed and Duke felt a warmth bloom in his chest. Billy laughed easily and smiled often, but it still made him feel good about himself to make the kid happy. He knew way too many foster kids who hadn’t done either in a long time. Hell, pretty much every other member of the batfam was too depressed or traumatized to even try to smile on a regular basis. Though Billy’s must be contagious because even Bruce was smiling more these days.

“Thank the gods! I thought I was the only one who thought so! I’m pretty sure not even the map I got can help me figure this place out”

That was one of the odd things about Billy. His expressions were always just a little bit off. He always said gods plural and occasionally used mythological beings as substitutes for curse words. But hey if Duke had grown up with a demigod for a local superhero instead of Batman he would probably talk a little differently too.

“I feel you little man. I’ve lived here for a year and I still keep finding new rooms that I swear weren’t there before. I legitimately didn’t even know we had a pool for like six months”

Bruce had been teaching Duke the art of reading body language as part of his training. Billy was visibly relaxing into their conversation. But maybe still a little nervous? He was fidgeting with his phone so that might have been nerves. Or maybe he was just one of those kids who couldn’t sit still. Ugh how did the others get so good at this?

“There’s a pool here?” Duke nodded and was rewarded with Billy’s eyes getting wider. “I’ve only ever had, like, maybe two foster homes that had pools. Mr. Way--I mean Bruce really does have everything here doesn't he?”

“The pool is nothing. You should see the bowling alley. Now that’s some next level rich people nonsense”

“No way! You’re lying, there’s no way there’s a whole bowling alley here!”

“Dude, I swear! Cross my heart and everything”

“Whoa” Billy’s eyes were wide as saucers. He looked around the room as if checking to see if it had somehow morphed into a bowling alley during their conversation. Duke just smirked. He wasn’t even lying. Bruce had gone all out over the years to entertain his ever-growing brood of children. There was a room dedicated to just about any hobby Billy wanted to pick up from music to sports to video games. Billy was going to get the chance to reap the benefits of being the youngest and be spoiled rotten.

“Hey Duke?” Billy had a hard to read expression on his face. The awe from just a moment ago faded away and now he looked...sad? Thoughtful? Either way it was a strangely serious expression for such a normally happy kid.

“Yeah Billy?”

“...Do you think I’ll be a good fit here? I mean...do you think I should stay?”

The question caught Duke off guard, mostly because he thought it was obvious how good of a fit he was for the family. Sure he wasn’t as dark and broody as the others, but that was a good thing! Everyone liked him, even Jason. And he didn’t like anybody half the time! Even Damian was warming up to the idea of being a big brother when he wasn't being totally paranoid.

“Of course you’ll fit in!” Duke all but shouted, causing Billy to jump. “Sorry, it’s just I kinda thought it was obvious? Everyone loves having you here” Duke shifted in his seat so he could look Billy in the eye. Billy’s question was worded strangely...almost as if he was planning on leaving. He glanced at the bag on Billy’s shoulder and the worry settled into his gut like a stone.

“Billy...do you want to stay with us?”

God Bruce would be heartbroken if the answer was no.

Billy didn’t answer right away. Instead he looked at his phone and rubbed his fingers over the strap of his backpack. He looked upset about something, but Duke couldn’t even begin to guess as to what.

“I like it here. I really do. Everyone has been so nice to me...But I'm not sure if I belong here” Billy’s voice wobbled a bit as if he were holding back tears. He sighed, his entire body sagging into the armchair. He looked like he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. “I mean what’s a kid like me doing living with a billionaire in Gotham?”

Ah, there it was. Duke stood up and placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Between you and me, I felt the same way when I moved in. Why should I get to move into a mansion with Bruce Wayne of all people, when there are tons of kids just like me who will never get that chance? It’s so crazy that sometimes it still feels like it’s all been some crazy dream that I’ll wake up from any minute. And I get it. It’s hard coming into a family late, especially one like this. But trust me, it gets easier. And everyone is a lot less intimidating after you find out what dorks they are” Duke ruffled Billy’s hair the way he’d seen Dick do whenever he was around. Billy leaned into the touch instinctively. “This may not feel like home just yet, but you gotta give it a chance. Because I know I speak for everyone when I say we want this to be your home”

“Thank you” It was quiet, almost a whisper. Billy smiled up at him and Duke had to look away. Billy was practically glowing with happiness, gratitude, and whatever other emotions he was feeling. Strike that. He was glowing. Now that Duke was focusing on it, the light got brighter until it nearly engulfed the small boy in front of him. Not that Billy seemed to notice. He doubted Billy could even see it.

But the light wasn’t really coming from anywhere. Or rather not from anywhere light was supposed to be coming from.

He felt the slight pressure behind his eyes that indicated his metahuman powers were active. It was so slight that sometimes he didn't even notice it, but right now he was hyper aware of the feeling and the unmistakable effects.

He was currently seeing the world in a way no one else on Earth could. He saw the way light danced across every surface of the room. He saw how the natural light from the window was fundamentally different from the fluorescent light from lamp in the corner. Shadows became more prominent and menacing as if something was lurking in their depths. He saw how it all blurred together as time became a little less meaningful. Past, present and future all mixed together until it was hard to tell them apart.

But mostly he saw the way light poured off of Billy, swirled around him, and wrapped him up in a golden blanket. Little white bursts sparked out like lightning trapped inside a cloud. It came from his eyes and his skin, permeating the air around him and making him look like some ethereal being from a fairytale that you weren't supposed to look at if your valued your eyesight. 

Duke may be able to count the number of times he’s spoken to Billy on one hand, but he knew this was going to be a common occurrence. It had happened each time so far and had freaked him out every single time. It had taken everything in his power not to react much once he realized no one else could see what he was seeing.

It was really annoying.

But it was strangely beautiful and unique to Billy. Duke had never seen anything like it before. A part of him was always aware of this insanely bright...Aura around Billy. But sometimes when his powers decided to kick into high gear it became blinding.

Was aura the right word? Duke knew plenty of people who claimed they could see auras but somehow he doubted they could see this.

“Duke? Are you ok?” Billy’s voice brought him back to reality. Billy couldn’t see the light, so he probably thought Duke was acting really weird. And he had just given such an awesome big brother speech too.

“Sorry. I’ve got umm...migraines. Stupid things can take me out at a moments notice”

“Oh! Do you need me to get you anything? I’ve got some water in my bag. Probably some aspirin too if you need it”

Billy began rifling through his bag, trying to be sweet and helpful but completely unaware of Duke’s actual dilemma.

“Actually I think I’m just gonna lay down for a bit. I’ll see you at dinner though, ok?”

Billy bit his lip, but nodded and headed for the door. “Ok, but let me know if you need anything. Bruce said he gave everyone my number so…” He awkwardly waved his phone in Duke’s direction. “Text me or whatever.”

With that Billy left the room, taking the blinding light with him.

Duke sighed. He probably should lie down, at least for a bit.

He flopped back down on the couch and contemplated his options. He still hadn’t told anyone about Billy’s light...thing. He was honestly kind of afraid to bring it up since metahumans weren’t exactly Bruce’s cup of tea. He had been reassured over and over again that they were cool with his powers as long as he used them for good or whatever. But it was still weird to talk about with the rest of the family.

His powers always felt like something he had to keep to himself to keep everyone else comfortable. It was no longer a secret, but it was something they all avoided talking about unless it was absolutely necessary. And that was only ever in uniform. He doubted it was intentional on their parts, but it still made him feel as if he should hold his tongue. Like he was supposed to figure out his problems with his powers on his own.

Duke had only found out that he was a metahuman a few months ago and it was still frightening how little he understood about his own abilities. Billy’s light didn’t seem to be a bad thing. It might not even be anything unusual. He didn’t want to worry everyone over something he didn’t understand and could barely describe. It would be like describing a firework show to a blind man who doesn't speak the same language as you and hoping he could tell you how they were made. More trouble than it was worth and utterly pointless.

Maybe some people just had big distracting auras and Duke had just never met someone like that before.

Maybe it was that creepy symbol that the crazy doctor carved into Billy’s side.

Maybe there was something wrong with Billy, something they needed to help him with before it was too late.

Maybe it meant Billy was a metahuman like him.

Maybe it meant Billy was something else entirely.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

So this was one of the first scenes I knew I wanted to include in this fic and one I was pretty excited to include! This may qualify as me taking artistic liberties with Duke's powers, but I wanted to explore it anyways.

Duke often gets left out of these types of stories so I wanted to make sure he had a special place in this one!

Chapter 16

Summary:

Stephanie had decided she wants to be Billy's new favorite sibling despite the fact that she is not actually a member of the Wayne family.

It had been a week. A whole, entire week and Bruce was still insisting that Stephanie should wait before meeting the new future Robin. She didn’t even get to help on the kidnapping case! They called Tim, who was preparing to leave for a mission with his team, but Steph had to find out about it from Twitter! (Like, yeah she was sleeping at the time, but it would have been nice if they called)

Babs got to meet the kid, so really there was no excuse for Stephanie not to meet him too.

Also if Tim didn’t stop torturing her with cute candid shots that he probably took in a super stalkery way, she was going to scream. She may not be an official Wayne (gross) but she still wanted to be Billy’s new favorite sibling. She could do it too, if the others weren’t so scared to let her try and bond with him.

Which is why she was awake at the ungodly hour of 9 A.M. after a full night of patrol. Anyone not sleeping would probably be too sleep deprived to stop her (Not that she was breaking in exactly, since Alfred let her in the front door and offered her a freshly baked pastry like the angel he was).

But that's besides the point.

Tim wandered in sometime around Steph’s third pastry. He stared at her for a full ten seconds before silently heading towards the coffee pot. He gulped half his cup in one swig and turned to look at her again.

“Are you seriously here to hang out with a kid you don’t even know?”

“And whose fault is that? Hmm?”

He ignored her jab by sipping his coffee like a normal person, instead of chugging it. “What do you even want to do with him? Bruce is lowkey trying to keep him in the manor for the foreseeable future. Considering the last two times he’s left the house he was assaulted and kidnapped I’m not even gonna fight him on it”

Steph huffed. So maybe she hadn’t thought it all the way through yet. “You live in a mansion, I’m sure we can find something to do here”

“If I may,” Alfred called from the stove, where he was making no less than three different styles of eggs for breakfast. “Master Billy will be coming down to eat soon. I imagine he would enjoy a bit of fresh air in the gardens. Master Damian was quite insistent he had a proper introduction to some of the household pets so perhaps you could kill two birds with one stone”

Steph grinned. She could rile up Damian and meet Billy? Sounds like a win-win in her book.

When Billy finally did come down to the dining table where she and Tim had relocated, Steph was very unattractively shoveling waffles into her mouth. So much for first impressions. But hey she had made worse ones and still came out fine in the end.

Billy paused on his way to the table, clearly hesitant now that he was in the room with a strange teenage girl he didn’t know. Well they had to fix that right away.

“You must be Billy! I’m Stephanie Brown aka the coolest person in this stupidly big house” She stuck her hand across the table. He smiled an adorable little smile that scrunched up his nose as he reached out to shake it.

“Hi Stephanie. Nice to meet you. Umm not to be rude but…”

“No she doesn’t live here” Tim smirked into his coffee. “But she’s practically family”

“Yeah, You can think of me as an extra big sister or a cool, suspiciously young aunt”

“Oh. That’s pretty cool”

“You hear that Timmy? I’m cool”

Tim rolled his eyes at her and pushed some food in Billy’s direction to encourage him to eat more, which was rich coming from the guy who skipped half his meals and replaced them with caffeine.

Billy laughed as he piled his plate high. “So how do you know the Waynes? Through school or something?”

Tim and Steph shared a look. Because yikes! They did not have time to open that can of worms. She’s not even sure they could explain without breaking Bruce’s ridiculous rules. Because really who was he kidding? If Billy wasn't in a cape come Christmas she'd willingly eat Bruce’s cooking (She'd almost certainly get food poisoning, but that would just drive home her point).

"Something like that" She tried to wave off the kid's confused look by pushing the plate of waffles in his direction. "But I've actually been meaning to visit for a while. I don't want these rich guys to bore you to death with all their posh nonsense. They can be so lame sometimes. Luckily that’s where I come in”

Billy was clearly trying and failing to fight down a smile. He probably didn’t want to offend Tim who she was clearly lumping in with the boring rich guys. But that was mainly because all the cool things about him were currently off limits discussion topics. (Okay maybe not all the cool things, but enough that he won’t fight her on it.)

“What do you say we go out to the yard after this and play some games?”

“You mean the garden?” Tim rolled his eyes. “I know you know we call it the garden”

“Don’t be pretentious. Only stuffy rich people call it that. Right Billy?”

Billy looked surprised, like a deer in the headlights. She could practically see him trying to figure out how polite he had to be versus how snarky he wanted to be. “I’ve never lived with anyone who called it “the garden” before. Unless it was like, two tomato plants and some herbs. I think I have to side with Stephanie on this one. Sorry Tim” Billy flashed him an apologetic smile and damn it, he looked sincere too.

By the time the three of them made it to the garden (because Tim just had to keep correcting them), Damian was coming back from an early morning walk with Titus. If Alfred was to be believed (and let’s face it, nine times out of ten she’d trust him over her own eyes), then this wasn’t just by random chance.

Steph knew that to a kid like Damian, meeting his pets was more important to him than meeting his parents. If they didn’t like you, you were just shit out of luck. If they did like you, he might write you into his handwritten will that he keeps in his desk that he thinks no one knows about (Steph was getting several drawings and a knife which was kind of a big deal).

Steph had been kept up to date on the Damian and Billy drama via the batfam group chat. Tim and Jason were getting immense joy from it while Dick on the other hand was getting nothing but grey hairs. Cass spammed every Billy photo with heart emojis but was clearly not happy with them fighting. Everyone else was trying to stay out of it for the most part. But if Damian wanted to introduce his beloved Titus to the kid he must be softening up.

Or he was hoping for some vindication via his dog not liking Billy.

Still progress was progress.

“Hey short stuff” Steph reached out to ruffle Damian’s hair to which he growled and swatted her away. She just redoubled her efforts until his hair was properly messed up and he was glaring at her. He honestly made it way too easy.

“Brown! I demand you leave me alone at once or I will be forced to retaliate”

“Don’t be such a baby. I was only messing with you”

“What are you even doing here? I thought father said--”

“Bruce isn’t the boss of me. I can come visit whenever I want to”

“It’s true. I’m pretty sure she has it in writing” Tim managed to keep a mostly straight face as he spoke, but he couldn’t stop himself from sounding amused.

Damian huffed. He clearly wanted to say more, but held himself back. “Well, I think that’s absurd” He spun around to face Billy who had been quietly watching them with an almost wistful grin. “Batson. I was hoping to run into you. I would like you to meet my faithful companion Titus” The Great Dane had been sitting obediently by Damian’s feet. At the sound of his name, his ears perked up and he stood as if to make himself look more regal.

Steph wouldn’t put it past Damian to have practiced this introduction. He did inherit the dramatic perfectionist gene from Bruce after all.

Billy meanwhile, lit up like it was Christmas morning. He didn’t even have to bend to reach out his hand for Titus to sniff. “Hey there Titus. I’m Billy” Billy seemed to be passing whatever test it was that dogs used to decide if you’re trustworthy or not as he lightly pushed his head into Billy’s outstretched hand. “Aww you’re a good boy aren’t you?”

“Yes, Titus is exceptionally well trained and a natural guardian. His intelligence is rivaled only by his loyalty to me” Damian always sounded so proud when he talked about his animals. If only he learned how to compliment people half as well, he’d have more friends than he knew what to do with (he barely knew what to do with one friend, but he was learning. Baby steps).

“That’s so cool! I’ve always wanted a pet, but I never really got the chance to have one” Billy had knelt on the grass, scratching the giant dog behind the ears. Damian was watching him like a hawk for any sign that Titus didn't approve of the action. Titus seemed to enjoy the attention but was also very intent on sniffing every part of Billy. “Titus is a Latin name, yeah?”

Damian looked surprised for a brief moment before suspicion entered his expression. “Yes it is. What on earth would you know of Latin? I highly doubt you’ve ever studied the language”

Billy rolled his eyes, but Steph could see a hint of mischief in his expression. “It’s called the internet Damian. I don’t need to be able to read Latin to know that”

“Okay!” Steph clapped her hands together to get the two younger boys’ attention. “Who wants to play a game?”

“What sort of childish nonsense are you--”

“What game?” Billy cut off Damian’s protests. It seems the kid knew how to push the limits with at least one member of the family. Good. He needed a little bit of that bad blood to make sure they didn’t walk all over him. Or treat him like fine china.

“Well it’s a beautiful day, we are outside, and we have an entire yard at our disposal. So--” she slapped Damian on the shoulder “Tag your it Dami!” She laughed wildly as she took off racing across the yard. She heard Damian spluttering indignantly as Billy and Tim took off in opposite directions.

It had been forever since she had a chance to play such a silly game, but the best part of having new kids in the family was getting to act a bit more like a kid yourself. No one judged you for playing tag if you were playing with kids (unless you were a jerk who took it too seriously). She had tried to do similar stuff when Damian first came to live with Bruce, but Damian was always trying to act older than he was by pretending not to like stuff normal kids did. Now that he was the big brother, even if it was only by a few months, he was a bit more willing to play along.

Billy was clearly having a blast too. The kid was surprisingly fast, even if he didn’t have the stamina the rest of them did. Steph got the feeling that no matter how much he smiled, Billy didn’t get a whole lot of chances to just be a kid and have fun. She knew how quickly you had to grow up when you were poor, and Billy had been even worse off than she was. He deserved to relax and be spoiled, just a little bit.

They only paused the game once Billy had flopped on the grass, out of breath and calling for a time out. His cheeks were tinged pink which might have been from exertion or might have been a sunburn.

“You need some water kiddo? I can go get Alfred to whip us up some snacks too. I’m pretty sure I’ve worked off all my breakfast by this point”

“That'd be great Stephanie. I’d kill for something sweet right now”

“No worries, I got you” She ruffled his slightly sweaty locks and headed to the kitchen where hopefully Alfred could fulfill their requests for snacks.

She was gone for maybe ten minutes. Maybe. She and Alfred were carrying the snacks and drinks! They were having a good time! Everyone was totally happy when she left! She was thinking up other fun games to play!

Naturally the boys had to ruin her plans.

Stephanie took in the scene. The boys were standing in the middle of a hallway instead of out on the grass where she left them. Tim and Damian were screaming at each other. Nothing new there. Billy was currently MIA. Not a good sign.

“What the hell is your problem Damian?”

“I didn’t do anything Drake! And the fact that you would accuse me--”

“You have been a paranoid jerk to him since day one!"

"It's not paranoia if he is actually hiding something!"

"He’s bleeding! You were right there, so if you didn’t hurt him then I would love to hear your explanation”

“Maybe he injured himself during that stupid game you all forced us to play? Or perhaps one of his old injuries flared up”

“Or maybe--”

Stephanie put her fingers to her lips and whistled as loud as she could. The resulting high pitched screeching sound caused both Damian and Tim to cover their ears and glare in her direction. Thankfully they were quiet long enough for her to ask some questions.

“What’s going on? Where’s Billy?”

“Billy is in the bathroom. He was bleeding, because Damian attacked him” Tim shifted his glare back to Damian.

“I did no such thing! He was bleeding before I spoke to him!”

“And how did that happen huh? He was fine a few minutes ago!”

Steph rubbed the bridge of her nose like she had seen Bruce do whenever he was frustrated. It never actually helped with the headaches the others gave her, but it still felt right anyways.

“Just point to where he went. I’ll talk to him. Don’t kill each other while I’m gone”

In unison the two pointed to the door right next to them. So Billy had definitely been subjected to their loud arguing. She shooed the others away from the door as she approached in hopes they’d stop ruining her chance to bond with Billy.

“Hey Billy, It’s Steph. You alright in there?”

“I’m fine” Billy’s voice was tight and very faint.

“You sure? Tim and Damian said you were hurt. Do you need some bandages or something? Alfred is here and he knows a thing or two about first aid. Open the door and we can help you out okay?”

“NO!” Steph jumped a little in surprise at the change in volume. “I-I just mean” Billy stuttered in what she was starting to realize was embarrassment. “I don’t think I’m hurt”

“But the boys said you were bleed--” Steph cut herself off as a tiny little lightbulb went off in her brain.

Oh.

She could fix this. Thank god she was here or poor Billy’s suffering would have been dragged out forever. “Tim, Damian, go get Billy a change of clothes”

“What? Why would--”

“Just do it! Both of you go!” It was obvious neither of them had figured it out yet. She really didn’t need them making this more awkward for Billy than it already was. Looks like Stephanie was going to have to explain a few simple facts about biology to the two of them later.

Eventually her glare sent them scurrying to find Billy some clothes that didn’t have awkwardly placed blood stains. They were arguing and shoving each other the whole way down the hall so she assumed it would take them longer than usual to complete her request. Good.

“Okay the boys are gone so it’s just you and me” She leaned against the doorframe. “Is the blood coming from, y’know, down there?” God she felt awkward. Was Billy old enough to have had Sex Ed? Did he know what a period was? Has he had one before? At twelve it could really go either way.

“Umm...yeah?”

“Cool, okay. If you look under the sink, there’s usually some stuff to help. There should be a bluish box. Do you see it?”

There was some shuffling on the other side of the door and the distinct sound of the cabinet beneath the sink swinging open with a slight creak.

“...The blue box?” Billy’s voice was still a bit hesitant.

“Yep that’s the one! Most of the bathrooms here have some if you ever need it” Which had honestly been a lifesaver on more than one occasion. There had been a time where she didn’t buy pads or tampons for almost a year because Bruce had been flustered and overstocked the manor when he realized Cass menstruated. He was probably going to do the same for Billy when he realized what was going on. “There should be directions on the box, but just ask me if you’re confused. I’ll be right out here. I’ll even keep Tim and Damian busy if they come back”

A few minutes later Billy poked his head out. His eyes were trained on the ground and his face was a deep red. He had snatched the change of clothes that the boys had brought and was now wearing a bright red Captain Marvel shirt and some pajama pants. Alfred had march Tim and Damian off under the guise of needing help with something. (because at least he was picking up the context clues and knew Billy needed privacy)

“Thanks Stephanie” He mumbled, clearly still in the early stages of mortification that come with an unexpected (first?) period.

Steph wrapped her arm around Billy and began steering him to the movie theater. Which was just a family room with a giant screen and some recliners. It seemed her movie marathon idea wasn’t a lost cause at least.

“No problem kiddo. Trust me, I’ve been there and it sucks. What do you say we take these snacks and watch a movie just you and me?”

He nodded shyly at her. But when they got set up with a handful of classic Disney movies Billy had apparently never seen, he curled up right next to her. (She was definitely winning some major big sister points right now)

Eventually his flushed cheeks returned to normal and his cute little smile was back in place. He became so engrossed in the movies (yes plural) that they were watching, that Steph found herself watching him as often as the screen.

He was just so reactive. He laughed at the corny jokes and hummed along to the songs even though he didn't know the words. He gasped in surprise at predictable plot twists and sighed in relief when they all lived happily ever after. It was adorable.

She then made the mistake of putting on Hercules and ended up getting a lecture on proper Greek mythology and how inaccurate to the true history it all was. It took everything in her power not to laugh as he ranted to her about blatant misrepresentation of mythological figures as if he knew them personally and needed to defend their honor.

All of a sudden she felt him tense up next to her. His voice trailed off mid sentence as he stared intensely towards the corner of the room. When she looked, she didn’t see anything there. But Billy’s sudden stillness when he had been so animated all afternoon was quickly starting to freak her out.

Before she could ask him what was wrong, there was a sharp knock on the door that made them both jump. She winced as the lights turned on unexpectedly to reveal Bruce standing in the doorway. He had a disgustingly soppy smile on his face that told her that despite his insistence she not come over just yet, he found it endearing that she was bonding with Billy.

“Hey you two. What are you up to in here?”

“You know, watching movies. This is the designated movie theater room” Steph shrugged at him hoping to shake off the weird atmosphere from a few moments ago. She tried to give Bruce a look that she hoped said ‘I know you’re a actually big softy’ but probably came off as more ‘I think you’re a big moron’. She should probably work on that.

“Anything good?”

“Just introducing Billy to some classics”

“That’s good” he nodded as he moved to stand behind the couch the two of them were sitting on. “How are you feeling Billy? I heard there was some trouble earlier”

Steph rolled her eyes. Tim and Damian only ever acted like tattletales when it could get the other one in trouble. Literally anyone else and they would be an unbreakable steel trap. But hey, they’re brothers, what do you expect?

“I’m fine Bruce” Billy’s face was getting red again. He looked away towards the corner and sagged in what looked like relief. Weird. “I’m not hurt or anything. I just y’know…” He waved his hands awkwardly and turned to Steph for help.

“Billy’s just going through puberty”

The looks on both Bruce and Billy’s faces were priceless. Now they were both blushing and floundering like fish out of water. She hadn’t seen Bruce this blindsided since he found out that Cass was the one who spray painted the Batmobile (Steph dared her but even she didn't expect her to go all out with it).

“Stephanie!” Billy buried his face in his hands and she almost felt bad.

“What? It’s true. And Bruce is a smart guy, usually. I’m sure he’ll figure it out”

“I’m gonna go to my room now. Bye!” Billy jumped up and raced towards the door. He came back less than a second later, still clearly mortified. “It was really nice meeting you Stephanie. Thanks for...you know...everything” And with that he rushed off again.

“Looks like my work here is done” Steph slapped Bruce hard on the shoulder, leaving him absolutely dumbfounded (which honestly was a high she was going to be riding for days). “See you on patrol”

Now if only she could figure out why Billy was acting so weird earlier, she could ensure their next bonding session could go even smoother.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

I love Steph! Her relationship with the rest of the bats may be complicated but she loves being a big sister to Damian and now Billy!

Chapter 17

Summary:

Batman is demanding updates from Captain Marvel on the case they are supposed to be working together. But all it does is lead to more questions.

Billy was frustrated. His body had decided that now was a great time to betray him by ripping up one of his internal organs. He hadn't even realized that was a thing until Steph explained it. Sure he knew what a period was and he even knew he would get them eventually, but he hadn't realized they sucked so much. He felt more sluggish and irritable than usual, making his paranoia that much worse. But he could’ve handled going through the objectively worse version of puberty if it weren’t for literally everything else going on. Namely the fact that he was being stalked by shadowy demons that wanted to kill him.

He had spent almost every night this week combing through the files Batman had given him, trying to figure out how to get rid of the skiá before they attacked again. They lurked in every dark corner, watching him, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Billy could hardly tell how much of it was real and how much was his own imagination.

How was he supposed to fight something when he couldn’t even use his powers? What could he possibly do if magic was completely off the table?

And what would he tell Batman?

He’d been almost scared to transform since Shazam’s warning. But he had a duty to Fawcett City and to the Justice League. He couldn’t just hide away in his room all the time, so he went out and did his job. His nightly patrols were shorter but way more stressful. He couldn’t risk giving those things access to his powers, so he couldn’t spend much time as Captain Marvel. Worse still, he had to be careful as Billy too. The abandoned subway station where he hid the other side of his portal was filled with plenty shadows for monsters to hide in, but he couldn’t risk the time or energy it would take to find a better location. So he had to be quick, transforming underground despite the risks.

During the day, the Waynes found all sorts of ways to distract him from the work he couldn’t even tell them he was doing. It made him feel guilty, like he was dropping the ball on his first case with just him and Batman.

Dick would drop by his room with snacks and funny stories about his friends or he would show off cool moves he learned back when he was part of the circus.

He would catch Tim skateboarding down the hall and watched him do tricks until he offered to show him how to skate on his own.

He tried to hide out in the garage but Jason found him and drove him around the grounds on his motorcycle because he thought Billy needed cheering up.

When he sat in the grass in the backyard because the shadows inside were too threatening, Cass came and silently laid down next to him watching the clouds with him until he relaxed.

Damian introduced him to his cat named Alfred and the cow that apparently lived somewhere in the manor. He hadn't even accused Billy of anything nefarious in days.

Duke gave him great advice, even when he didn't ask for it. He would knock on his door and ask him if he wanted to eat some extra sugary store-bought cookies he grabbed on his way home, catching Billy right before he left for patrol and chatting with him until there was nothing left but crumbs.

Stephanie came by almost every day with a new game to play or movie to watch, dragging various members of the Wayne family into her plans, but always including Billy.

Whenever he wandered past the kitchen, he would find Alfred hard at work and quickly found himself helping the elderly man out despite his clear protests about how Billy shouldn’t worry himself with such things.

Barbara even swung by to help him figure out how to use his new phone while she bugged Bruce to get him a laptop so she could show him how to use that too.

And Bruce, who was always so busy, would magically find him wherever he happened to be just to check up on him. It was like he was constantly worried about whether Billy was happy and safe. It made Billy wonder if Bruce knew he was sneaking out every night to fight dangerous criminals.

So yeah, he had been a little distracted lately and usually forgot to work on the case when he wasn’t actively fearing for life as soon as it got dark.

And each interaction made him feel so guilty for wanting to run away. He’d even packed his bag a few days ago and took it with him when he left for patrol one night, intent on just vanishing back onto the streets of Fawcett City so he wouldn’t have to worry about the collateral damage of his demon situation. But then his phone had buzzed and he saw that Bruce had sent him the article Clark Kent had written. The headline read: Bruce Wayne Welcomes 12-Year Old Son to the Family. Guilt drove Billy right back to Wayne Manor before anyone even knew he was gone.

He had barely spoken to anyone in the Justice League since the last meeting, though Batman kept messaging him for updates on the Sivana case. Which yeah, he had updates, but he didn’t particularly want to share those updates with Batman. He really wanted to have a plan on how to fight these things before he had to sit down with the guy.

It would be even cooler if he could just deal with this on his own without involving the Dark Knight at all. Sure he would get in trouble, but the guy wouldn’t be too mad at him if he got rid of the problem right?

But Batman was getting impatient. He wanted answers yesterday and had finally demanded an in person meeting right after the standard Justice League one.

Which he was late for.

It wasn't his fault though! He really hadn't been sure how to shake off Bruce’s concerns when he said he wanted to lay down in the middle of the afternoon. As nice as his hovering might have been if Billy were actually sick or hurt, it just made Billy anxious about the time.

Thank the gods that Bruce remembered he had his own meeting to go to or Billy would have had to grovel for Batman’s forgiveness while being yelled at in front of the whole League!

He was able to slip into the meeting room less than ten minutes late, which wasn't so bad. He still got glared at but he wasn't chewed out.

Throughout the meeting they were told all about emergency procedures and potential threats from space which would be cool if it weren't so boring. Instead of properly paying attention, Billy was desperately rehearsing what he would say to Batman.

He wasn't the only one not paying attention.

He almost didn't notice the way Superman kept glancing over at him. The near constant feeling of being watched because of the skiá had made him almost oblivious to the feeling. But when he accidentally made eye contact with the kryptonian, it became clear that he was watching him.

Insecurity flared up and Billy became hyper aware of every little movement he made. He couldn't think of anything he had done to attract attention besides being a little late. But Flash was late all the time! It shouldn't be a big deal. Was it because he'd been kinda MIA recently? He used to spend a lot of free time in the Watchtower, enjoying the company of his fellow heroes, but he'd been busy since he moved to Gotham. Not to mention the Waynes would wonder where he was and start to worry. Sneaking away for this meeting had been hard enough, he couldn't possibly sneak away just to hang out.

Luckily, or maybe not so luckily, as soon as the meeting was over Batman swooped in and all but dragged him off to a side office-like room. At least he didn't have to try and deal with Superman just yet. Trying to tell half truths to a guy who could hear your heartbeat never ended well.

"What do you have for me Marvel?" Batman growled out in his usual no nonsense tone. His fingers flew across a keyboard, bringing up the necessary files for review.

"Well I have some good news and some bad news" Batman glared at him. Right. He should probably get straight to the point. Come on Billy, you practiced this! "The good news is I've identified the shadow creature that Sivana somehow managed to summon! It's called a skiá. It's a demonic entity, intelligent and extremely dangerous but still something we can handle"

"And the bad news?"

Billy hesitated, only Batman’s super intense stare pushing him forward. "The bad news is that it consumes magic, so none of my powers will work on it. If anything, it might just make it stronger." Billy rubbed the back of his neck trying to ignore how fidgety Batman's glare was making him.

"How do we fight them then? And do you have a way to track them down?”

No need to track them when they follow me everywhere I go, Billy couldn't help the thought even if it did seem overly paranoid. Best not to mention that part. Then Batman really would go ballistic. Think! What is both true and reassuring? Gods, this is why he wanted to have a plan ready before they met up. Batman wasn’t someone you talked to unprepared especially when he trusts you with a mission.

Solomon’s voice tickled at the back of his mind, moving Billy’s mouth before his brain fully processed the advice. That occasionally happened when he was overwhelmed or confused. The information would settle in the back of his mind as if he had known it all along, which wasn’t wrong. In a way, Solomon lived in head, and he had known the answer the whole time, even if he didn't always share the information right away.

“Electrical energy can disrupt them, even kill them, but the amount of energy needed would be more than we could safely muster up, especially if we have to fight them in a populated area. Skiá also can’t survive in sunlight, so drawing them out during the day would give us an advantage. Don’t worry about tracking them, I can do that no problem. But the most effective way to get rid of them would be to cut their connection to earth. They don’t naturally exist on this plane so something must be anchoring them here or at least giving them enough power to live. Sivana’s machines might have something to do with that.”

The comfort of having ancient wisdom to rely on in times like this was awesome. Solomon just took all the things he learned and researched and packed them into plans of action, sometimes even filling in gaps Billy didn’t know existed.

Batman had stayed quiet throughout his explanation, his intense gaze never wavering. The cowl made it impossible to tell, but Billy felt pretty confident that the man hadn’t so much as blinked yet. When he finally did speak, he sounded a lot less angry than he had been earlier.

“I’m going to put you in contact with an associate of mine. Oracle has worked as a vigilante for quite some time, but works primarily behind the scenes instead of on the streets. Repeat what you just told me. Add in specific ranges for the necessary electrical interference as well as your translations of the Khandaqi symbols Sivana was using. I want us to be able to take these things down as soon as possible. Understood?”

“Yes sir”

Billy felt oddly proud, as if he had passed some sort of test. Because, while Batman didn’t say he was impressed, he did seem to trust the information he was given. He was even introducing him to a secret vigilante! Billy hadn’t even known that was a thing!

Maybe he wasn’t so behind on this case after all.

---

Bruce had a lot to think about. Like the fact that Captain Marvel’s expertise always managed to catch him off guard. Or the fact that the man sounded like a completely different person when he spoke with such authority on the topic of demons. Mostly he was thinking about how much he despised magic. These...skiá were a threat. They were also apparently difficult to fight, even for his overpowered magical allies.

And Marvel was holding back. He could feel it. It was unusual for him to act so cagey, nervous even. If anything it solidified in Bruce’s mind that their foe was not to be underestimated.

He had sent Marvel to a conference room to walk Oracle through his translation of the runes used in Sivana’s experiments. Naturally she was taking the utmost precautions to shield her true identity. Luckily Marvel wasn’t in the mood to be distrusting of one of Batman’s allies.

Which left Bruce to brood. They had taken a great step forward considering the translation and the identification of their foe. But it still felt like they were crawling forward at a snail’s pace. And it was driving him crazy. What was the point of having an expert on magic with the ability to punch a mountain in half, if they couldn’t take down the magical being they needed to fight?

He also had no way of tracking these monsters down before they started attacking innocent people. For all he knew, there were already victims out there.

“You know I can hear you brooding all the way from Kansas” Clark was standing in the doorway of Batman’s office. His words and tone were teasing but there was an underlying concern on his face.

“It’s just this case. There’s magic involved”

Clark winced in sympathy. The Man of Steel was no more a fan of magic than Bruce was. He casually leaned against Bruce’s desk. “I’m sure you and Marvel can work through it. Who knows, maybe the two of you could even find some common ground now that you’re working together”

Bruce shook his head. “I envy your optimism, but if anything this case is proving that we should never work one-on-one again”

Clark deflated at the news. “You know...Billy might think it was cool if you two worked together more. Dick tells me he is quite the Captain Marvel fan”

“Don’t remind me,” Bruce sighed. “I got a chance to read the article you wrote. I appreciate the discretion. It means a lot to me that Billy isn’t getting dragged down by the paparazzi writing trashy, insensitive pieces on him”

“I’m a professional Bruce. And a father. You know I would never exploit kids for fame like some other reporters I could name. Besides, Billy is an amazing kid. It was my pleasure to spend some time with him. Especially since I got to see how he has you totally wrapped around his little finger" Clark smirked down at him but his expression softened when Bruce didn’t rise to the bait. “You know, there is something I wanted to talk to you about"

Bruce looked up expectantly. Clark had been acting odd all throughout the meeting, not paying attention, staring, hanging around more than an hour later when Bruce knew he had dinner plans with Lois. It was suspicious, but clearly not an emergency.

Clark squirmed under his gaze. "Billy mentioned his birth parents were archeologists, right?"

"Right. CC and Marilyn Batson. You know that. You wrote that into your article"

"Right. Well I wanted to see if I could find a picture of them, if not for the article then for Billy to just have"

It was a kind gesture, one Bruce had thought about a few times but didn't have the time to execute. But something about the way Clark kept looking anywhere but at him made Bruce wary of what he found.

Clark correctly took his silence as a cue to continue. "I found an article written about their deaths and well...here let me show you"

There was a rush of displaced air and suddenly Clark was standing in front of him with a tablet, already loading up his find. If there was one good thing about super speed it was that Bruce was rarely left in suspense for long.

Bruce wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't this.

Staring at him from the screen was none other than Captain Marvel, or at the very least a man who looked eerily like him. The man was wearing a casual button up and slacks. One arm was wrapped around a beautiful dark haired woman with a kind smile. In the other was a little girl with her hair in pigtails, beaming in that way only young children could.

"What is this?"

"CC and Marilyn Batson, three weeks before their deaths with their only child"

Bruce stared. It was impossible, but that child...he could see Billy's dimpled smile, the slight curl of his dark locks, and his big blue eyes.

His eyes immediately began scanning the headline below announcing the deaths of the Batsons and their entire expedition team during a dig in--

"They died in Khandaq?" He muttered. Of course Clark still heard him.

"Yeah, they were the first American team granted permission to dig in the country in decades. It was speculated that the benefactor of the dig greased a few influential palms. His name was Thaddeus Sivana"

Bruce’s eyes snapped up to Clark. He knew the other man knew the importance of his words. Clark wasn't directly involved in this case but Bruce had told him enough. What could this all mean? There were too many connections, too many coincidences, for it all to mean nothing.

"Bruce you must see the resemblance--"

"Of course I see it! I'm not blind...I'm just trying to figure out what it means that our colleague is wearing the face of my new son's supposedly dead father"

"Bruce we don't have any proof that he's the same--"

"He knows Billy '' Clark's sputtering halted at his words. "He’s the one that told me his name and where to find him when he ran away. He is fluent in Khandaqi, he regularly fights Sivana, and he has the same face. While Marvel doesn't exactly strike me as the scholarly type or a father, I can't ignore the facts''

Clark was quiet for a moment. "Maybe he doesn't know or doesn’t remember.. Or maybe he was dead. We both know that death isn't as permanent as it used to be. This was taken eight years ago. And Cap has only been around for about three"

"This will require further investigation" Bruce took one final look at the last family photo the Batsons ever took before sending copies of the file to the Batcomputer. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Clark. I just--" Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose through the cowl. "I just need to get to the bottom of this. For Billy"

Clark clapped him on the shoulder and gave a firm squeeze. There was concern in his eyes, sadness. Perhaps even fear over the possibility of conflict between him and Captain Marvel.

Bruce left without another word.

Notes:

Thanks y'all again for reading!

I wasn't planning on including the "Marvel looks like CC" card in this one, but suddenly my Clark muse wanted to start some drama. And the paranoia it causes Bruce was too good to pass up

Chapter 18

Summary:

Cass didn't have words to describe her new little brother, but that didn't mean she didn't know him.

One, two, three, and plié.

Five, six, relevé, and turn.

The steps were simple. Easy. Perfectly in time with the music she didn't even need to hear. The dance was something her body remembered more than her mind did. She relaxed into the familiarity of it. It was nice. Fluid. Natural. Almost as natural as sparring. Nowhere near as intensive, but easier to get lost in.

Cass first noticed her audience about halfway through the piece. It was the flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. The quiet creaks of the wood floors beneath his feet coupling with the sounds of his footsteps. The soft sound of his breathing beneath the gentle strings of the music on the speakers. She didn’t react, but a portion of her attention stayed on him as she continued to move in time with the music.

He was easy to read. Surprise. Awe. Delight.

Cass sometimes struggled to find the words for the things she knew. The others had told her assigning words in her mind to what she saw in other’s body language would help her practice communicating with them. But they knew only a fraction of the natural body language she knew. And words never seemed sufficient to explain it no matter how many languages she studied. It was always on her to explain what she saw because she could learn the words more easily than they can learn the body.

Despite his emotions being so plainly on display, she couldn’t help but marvel at the way he held himself. Right now, as was often the case, he was making himself small, easy to miss. Not hiding, just merely used to being overlooked. His shoulders slouched and he let his clothes hide his silhouette. Not out of shame, rather to keep other from looking too closely. He observed with wide eyes, seeing more than others thought he did.

But sometimes he held himself as if he were larger and broader, expecting to take up more space than he did. Those were the times his back was straighter, his jaw set, and a frown would tug his lips down as his eyes became alight with determination. For a brief moment he would seem like someone else. It always melted away when someone spoke to him as if it were nothing more than a trick of the light. But Cass knew that wasn’t true.

Most unusual was the fact that neither version of him was a lie. Both were a natural part of him. She wondered sometimes what sort of life would produce a boy like Billy, but no theory she came up with seemed to fit.

Right now Billy was tired. Slow and groggy, but batting away the exhaustion in hopes of taking on the day. Tim often did that. Bruce too. And Dick on particularly busy days.

The music ended and she held the final pose for an extra beat before pulling herself up to a standing position. She turned and smiled at her new little brother, still lingering in the doorway.

“Wow! That was amazing! I didn’t know you were a dancer” Genuine praise. Cass appreciated that Billy never tried to hide his emotions. They were there for even the unobservant to see. So many people tried to cover up their true selves behind flimsy masks that did nothing to hide the truth.

“I’m practicing," she said. Her voice was a little hoarse from lack of use. Had she spoken today? Barbara was always telling her to speak more so her voice wouldn’t crack, but it was still an unnatural habit. “For the gala” she continued, mostly just to warm up her voice. Billy didn’t know sign language yet, so if she wanted to speak with him it would have to be through words.

“Oh yeah? I’ve never been to a gala before. That sounds really fancy” He cocked his head ever so slightly, briefly lost in a thought he chose not to share. He did that sometimes. She didn’t have enough information to guess what those thoughts were, but she knew that they were usually good and made him happy. “I guess I’m going to find out what it’s like pretty soon huh? I’m a bit nervous to be honest. I don’t really get why people want to see me just because I live with Bruce now. It’s weird right?”

Cass nodded. She remembered her own discomfort at being shoved into the limelight of Gotham City’s socialites. Everyone there was so made up. They were fragile porcelain dolls with over-inflated egos and fake smiles. They always spoke slowly and loudly because they thought she was dumb and mute. Or worse yet they would talk about her as if she wasn't standing right in front of them.

It took all her self control to refrain from biting people like that.

At least the food was good.

“But I'm excited to see you perform. And you look great! I’m sure everyone will be impressed. I know I am!”

She smiled as his praise warmed her from the inside. It took her a beat too long to remember to respond verbally. “Thank you” Her hand naturally moved to her chin to make the corresponding gesture in ASL. The gesture was more natural to her than the movements of her mouth around the words but would be meaningless to most.

Billy instantly shifted to be more curious, but not confused. He must recognize she was using sign language, but was ultimately unsure how it worked. She had received similar looks from many people over the years, though most lumped poorly concealed pity into their expressions. Those people thought that she was broken instead of just a work in progress.

Billy thought she was interesting.

“I don’t want to bother you, especially if you’re busy…” He glanced around her dance studio with some apprehension.

She nodded her head in encouragement, unsure of which words in what order would rid him of his discomfort.

“Well I know you like talking in sign language. Bruce told me so. Could you maybe...teach me some? Just one or two things if you have time” He shuffled shyly, preparing for a rejection. Tensed to run if she responded badly. Signs that interactions like this had gone badly for him in the past. He likely wouldn't ask again if she said no now.

“Okay” Cass gracefully settled onto the floor and leaned against the nearest wall. She patted the spot next to her to indicate Billy should join her.

He hesitated, looking for some sign of a trick. Finding none, he plopped down with much less grace. He leaned forward towards her, eager to learn now that his fears were unfounded.

She contemplated what to teach him. Basic things. Hello. Please and thank you. How to spell his name. The signs she used for other members of the family. Choosing those was always fun. She hadn’t yet decided what Billy’s should be. It would take some time and inspiration to find something fitting. Something that captured his spirit. His personality. 

“Billy,” she said. She signed B-I-L-L-Y. “Billy,” she repeated.

His eyes sparked in understanding and his hands came up to clumsily copy her movements. She repeated each movement several times until he made passable recreations. He was a quick learner. Happy to learn.

When she showed him her chosen signs for each member of the family, his brows scrunched together in confusion, but he copied the gestures nonetheless. She wondered how to explain to him the significance of these special, modified signs without confusing him more. She chose them to represent her brothers and friends, her family, in simple movements. Each sign was a very personal thing, as if she had named them all over again using their past and their present as a starting point. Most relied on things she knew they weren't supposed to mention to Billy just yet.

She doubted she’d ever have enough words to explain it.

They worked in mostly silence until she had decided he learned enough for today. He wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with ASL alone, but it was a nice start. It would take practice to make each sign muscle memory and overwhelming him with new words would make it harder to remember any of them. She remembered how that could kill the confidence built after a successful session.

He didn’t want to leave even though their impromptu lesson was over, that much was clear. He stayed seated where he was, right beside her.

“You know, it’s awesome all the Waynes learned sign language. Did you teach them too or did you guys learn it together?”

“Both” she shrugged.

“You’re so cool. I’m sure people tell you that all the time, but it’s true. Even though this gala thing is supposed to be about showing me off to some rich people, I bet you’ll be the star of the show, especially once you show them your dance”

“Little brother” Cass laughed at his compliments and patted him on the head. He was startled either by her voice or her actions. It was hard to tell. Then he looked...sad. Uncertain. He wanted to correct her, but didn’t know how. His body had tensed up and he shifted his body away from her trying to close himself off. She scooted closer and pulled him into a hug and held him against her. His tense muscles slowly relaxed in her hold as he shifted to lean against her more comfortably.

“Tell me a story little brother” It was the longest sentence she had spoken today and she was honestly proud of how good it sounded without her having practiced it. Her voice didn't even crack that time.

Billy hesitated, but soon began telling her of the place he came from. The place he still considered home. There was fondness in his voice as he spoke. Longing. He told her about the hero Captain Marvel who saved people using his ancient magical powers. And of magical talking tigers that only sometimes lived at the zoo. At first he stumbled over his words, unsure of how much detail he should use, how much she would want to hear, but he quickly found his stride. He was a good storyteller. He spoke enough for both of them. Easily filling the silence with his sweet voice. He didn’t push her to speak up, but constantly checked to make sure she was still interested in what he was saying.

Her new little brother was easy to read. He liked making people happy by telling them of their admirable qualities. He cared for everyone, even strangers. He had learned to hide the pain, both in his body and in his heart, until people couldn’t see it unless they knew how to look. He was scared of solidifying his connections to others, scared of rejection. He was used to being alone and struggled to be part of a family simply due to a lack of experience.

Cass had been much the same way not too long ago.

But her family had loved her through it. And now she could love Billy through that same struggle.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Cass was a POV I really wanted to get right, so let me know what you think!

Fun fact: I knew several deaf/HOH kids growing up so even though I don't remember a whole lot of sign language, I remember them explaining how they chose signs for individual people and I always adored it. Usually it is a combo of the sign for the first letter of their name mashed with something that defined them (ex: combining the letter T with the sign for hammer for Thor from Marvel)

Chapter 19

Summary:

Billy attends his first ever Wayne Foundation Gala.

Notes:

I realize I haven't said it anywhere, but I want to avoid confusion. For the purposes of this story Jason is no longer considered legally dead.

Billy frowned into the mirror. He looked ridiculous. He felt ridiculous. Was this fancy gala thing really worth skipping out on a night of patrol? Maybe he should pretend to be sick so no one realized what a huge mistake it was to parade him around in fancy clothes and pretend he was a part of the coolest family in Gotham.

But he really wanted to see Cass perform.

Not to mention Bruce and everyone were already ready and waiting for him. Alfred had cut and styled his hair so that it was shorter and neater than it had ever been. For once it wasn't choppy and messy from him chopping it blindly with scissors in some out of order bathroom. They had even had this suit made just for him. Billy couldn’t remember the last time he had worn something that actually fit him so well. Even all the new clothes Dick had got for him didn't fit this good. It was even a nice red color with a white shirt. Red and white were his colors! It was like they knew.

If he could just figure out how this stupid tie worked, he’d be all set. But every way he tried just made a messy, awkward knot that looked nothing like the ties he saw grown ups wear. There was no way it was supposed to be this hard to tie it.

There was a soft knock on the door.

“Come in” Billy called distractedly as he continued to fight with the tie. He was probably messing up the back of his hair too from puling it up over his head so many times.

He glanced up when the door opened. Bruce was standing there, leaning against the doorframe with his hands in the pockets of his extra fancy suit. It had a vest and everything.

“Need some help there son?”

Billy’s heart fluttered at the words. Or rather word. Son. Bruce threw that word around a lot. Is that what he was to him? Damian seemed to think so. So did Cass, if her ‘little brother’ comments were anything to go by. In fact they all treated him like family, even Bruce. Especially Bruce.

Billy looked down at the mangled piece of fabric around his neck. “Maybe just a little,” He admitted. “I’ve never actually worn one of these things before”

Bruce walked over and knelt in front of Billy. His surprisingly calloused hands deftly undid whatever mistakes Billy had made. “It’s alright. Ties are notoriously tricky. Most of the kids have had trouble with them before. I still have to help Dick fix his sometimes” He shared a smile with Billy, who could feel his shoulders starting to relax. “It’s not too hard though, once you know the trick.” He stood up and moved behind Billy, taking one end of the tie in each hand. “First you cross it like this. You loop it around. Up then down.” And just like magic, Billy had a neat little knot that he could loosen or tighten with just a tug.

Billy looked at himself in the mirror, Bruce’s hands on his shoulders and thought maybe he didn’t look so ridiculous after all. In fact he looked kind of nice. He doubted anyone would mistake him for a girl in this outfit.

“You ready?”

Billy met Bruce's eyes in the mirror and nodded.

 

Pulling up to the building, Billy had never felt more like a movie star. Not even the first time he was on TV as Captain Marvel. The second he stepped out of the car, cameras were flashing and people, probably reporters, were shouting over each other. He wasn’t sure if they were talking to him or not so he chose to ignore them like Batman had taught him. Bruce’s hand on his back kept him grounded and guided him through the swarm of people that were held back by only a simple rope along the walkway.

Billy took a deep breath and smiled in a way he hoped bore a passing resemblance to his Captain Marvel press smile. The rest of the Wayne family was there so that helped calm some of his nerves. It felt like they were flanking him, preparing to protect him as he marched through a battlefield by distracting and bulldozing through anyone too nosy to stay back.

Even Barbara and Stephanie were there as his foster brother’s dates, though Billy wasn’t sure if they were actually dating or if it was more of a friend date to get them into fancy parties. He thought it might be rude to ask, especially in front of other people.

If the walk to the building had been chaotic, the inside of the event was uncomfortably orderly. There were tons of people dressed in ridiculously fancy clothes, ladies wearing enough jewelry to buy a house back in Fawcett, men in suits sipping champagne, and waiters circling the room with trays of food and drinks.

Looking around Billy was pretty sure he was one of the youngest people in the room. There were some older teenagers dotted around the room, but they all clustered together looking bored. And most of them were rude to the waiters so Billy instantly disliked them.

“I know that can be a bit overwhelming, but you did great Billy” Bruce smiled down at him looking oddly proud that Billy had managed to walk inside without trouble. He didn't even do anything.

“Yeah, you’re a natural little B!” Dick went to ruffle his hair, but remembered at the last second that Billy needed to look presentable for this gala. Instead he draped his arm across Billy’s shoulder, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “What did I tell you guys? He’s probably going to be Gotham’s darling by morning!”

Billy’s confusion must have been obvious because several of his foster siblings laughed. Tim took pity on him enough to explain. “You don’t panic in front of reporters and you’re really photogenic. A good smile goes a long way with the Gotham tabloids. It’s one of the reasons Bruce is so popular”

Billy giggled. Bruce rolled his eyes in fake annoyance, but didn’t dispute Tim’s words.

“Well don’t you clean up nice?” Jason smirked as he walked up behind the group, his tie already loosened and a drink in his hand.

“Right back at you Jay” Billy flashed a mischievous grin. Because Jason almost looked like a completely different person when he was wearing a suit instead of a leather jacket. Not in a bad way. Just different.

“Well looking good is half the battle at events like these” Jason laughed as he scanned the crowd not so subtly listening to their conversation.

“Tch. Maybe for you, Todd. Some of us are naturally flawless and don’t have to worry about such things”

“Why you little--”

“Hey! No fighting at the gala. You guys promised!” Dick sent pointed looks to his brothers. It was funny how he sometimes acted like a second dad to the others, especially with Damian. But maybe that was just what good big brothers were like.

“If you kids can behave yourselves, I’m going to go onstage and get this thing started” Bruce sent them all a warning look, but his gaze softened as it landed on Billy. Billy pretended not to see Damian roll his eyes. “Now Billy, I’m going to say a few words, thank everyone for coming and then I’m going to introduce you. You don’t have to say anything, just smile and wave. It should only take a couple of minutes tops. Then we can eat, dance, and enjoy ourselves okay?”

Billy nodded. “I can do that” And he could too. How many times had he done basically the same thing as Cap when someone wanted to honor him or the Justice League as a whole? Too many.

“Break a leg kiddo” Steph called as he and Bruce headed towards the front podium. The rest of the family had to gather up there too, but Billy was front and center where everyone could see him. He was going to have to focus on not fidgeting too much. 

A hush came over the crowd when Bruce stepped up to the microphone. He flashed a very big, very fake smile that looked nothing like his real one. It was almost startling how different it made him look.

“Welcome everyone. I would like to take a moment to thank you all for coming out tonight. Your continued support means a lot to me and everyone here at the Wayne Foundation." His expression shifted slightly to something a bit more genuine. "As most of you are probably aware, there has recently been a new addition to my family. His name is Billy Batson”

Bruce turned to smile at Billy who took that as his cue to smile and wave at the audience.

“I have had the great privilege of getting to know him these past few weeks and he has inspired me over and over again to help those in need. Helping children, especially those who have lost their families, has always been at the core of the Martha Wayne Foundation. Meeting Billy in his hometown of Fawcett City reminded me that the problems we face here in Gotham are problems that run rampant across the country if not the world. I ask you now to find it in your hearts to help us help children in need all across America by donating to the Martha Wayne Foundation. If you would like to know more about the programs your money will be going towards, just come speak with me or any of the Wayne Foundation representatives present tonight. Thank you and enjoy tonight’s entertainment which I am excited to say includes a performance by my daughter Cassandra. Have a good night everyone”

Applause filled the room as Bruce left the podium and soon chatter filled the hall as the party got underway. Bruce was barely able to give Billy a quick clap on the shoulder before he was whisked away by men in suits who either worked with him or wanted to donate money.

Clark Kent showed up with his wife--the Lois Lane!--as well as their son Jon, who was immediately attached at the hip with Damian. Jon was only a little bit younger than him and he seemed pretty cool, but Billy got the feeling that Damian didn’t want to share his friends any more than he had wanted to share his family. If Damian's comments were anything to go by Jon didn't go to fancy events like this very often either. Billy decided it was best to leave them to their conspiratorial whispers. It had been nice to talk to someone close to his own age for once though.

Tim and Steph kept up a running commentary on various rich people in the crowd they didn’t particularly like, by feeding Billy embarrassing stories about them. He could barely look at some of them without giggling. At one point Tim wanted to show Billy how to do the fancy rich people dance called the waltz, but him and Steph kept stepping on each other’s toes whenever they tried to demonstrate. Billy suspected that Steph at least was doing it on purpose.

Jason, Dick and Duke loaded up plates with all the food they could grab from the waiters. They spent half their time debating which was their favorite and the other half daring each other to catch the food in their mouths when Bruce wasn’t looking their way. It grew into quite the competition. Duke wasn't able to catch most of his food, especially once Billy had been roped into their games. Billy had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to power through one of those migraines he sometimes got.

Cass had also grabbed a bunch of food, Possibly more than all the boys combined, but had tasked Barbara with keeping it safe while she got ready for her performance. When she took the stage, Billy maneuvered himself to the front so he could have the best view. The music was all instrumental, but it wasn’t sad the way he assumed classical music would be. She spun and twirled and jumped, her body moving with a grace Billy had never seen. At one point she locked eyes with Billy and smiled brightly at him, never missing a beat in her routine. He definitely cheered the loudest when the music eventually came to an end.

All in all the gala had turned out to be way more fun than the others had made it out to be. Jason in particular acted as if it would be torture.

In the bright lights of one of the fanciest places in Gotham, the skiá couldn’t touch him.

Barbara wheeled past him, carefully avoiding running over any toes as she moved through the crowd. She spared Billy a strained smile as she passed and he wondered if something was wrong. He saw her whisper something to Dick whose easy smile slipped into something more serious.

“Bedtime little brother” Billy nearly jumped at the sound of Cass’ voice.

Duke was standing next to her. He looked confused for a second before adding on. “You heard her little man. It’s time we wrapped this up and headed home”

Billy frowned. He looked at his phone--because yes, he had one now!--which said it was barely 11pm. Billy had thought that something like this would go on until at least midnight, but maybe that wasn’t the case.

Within minutes the entire Wayne family had left the gala, like they were in a rush to escape the place. On the drive home, Billy’s phone buzzed with a news alert.

Apparently there had been a mass breakout from Arkham Asylum, meaning some of Gotham’s most notorious villains were on the loose. Billy didn’t feel too nervous. He knew Batman, Robin, and all the other Gotham City vigilantes were probably already on the case.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

You know I couldn't resist an obligatory Wayne Gala scene.

Enjoy the fluff because the plot is going to start hitting hard and fast starting in the next chapter.

Chapter 20

Summary:

Billy had been expecting a quiet night off from his hero duties, but things never seemed to go according to plan these days.

Notes:

Warning for violence and blood mentions. A character gets injured in the course of a fight, but it's not terribly descriptive.

Sleep did not come easily to Billy that night.

After being ushered to bed right after they got home from the gala, he soon found himself alone in his room feeling a bit off kilter. It was like everyone was in a rush, but he didn’t know what for. None of them had seemed particularly tired. Not to mention that everyone kept sharing secretive glances on the ride home. Maybe they were just worried about the Arkham Asylum breakout. Yeah, that was probably it. They probably didn't want Billy to worry about it and that's why they didn't say anything.

The excitement and joy from the party chased away any and all thoughts of sleep. He briefly considered going out on patrol since he’d come home so early. The time difference between Gotham and Fawcett meant it was prime crime fighting hours over there. But he had been planning on taking tonight off from hero stuff. He didn't often take days off if he could help it because it made him feel gross--like he was slacking off and being irresponsible.

Ultimately he decided that he would do a bit of work on his shadow problem before calling it an early night. Finding information on the skiá was difficult, partly because Billy didn't know a whole lot of magic users even as Captain Marvel. He certainly didn't know any as Billy Batson. He knew what the wizard had told him, and what he had been able to observe so far on his own. It wasn't much, but with a little bit of help from his godly patrons, Billy had the beginnings of what he thought was a pretty good banishing spell. There was no telling if it would actually work or not until he tried it. A spell like this would definitely take a lot of magic to pull off. He'd have to be well rested before he even attempted it.

Soon enough his eyes began to feel heavy and the words of his spell started swimming on the page. Nothing like crafting spells in ancient Greek to put you right to sleep.

And yet sleep was still pretty elusive. He tossed and turned, praying to Hypnos to let him sleep more than four hours for once. It was unofficially his night off! He was supposed to be catching up on his sleep, not struggling to be comfortable on the world’s softest bed. His prayers must’ve fallen on deaf ears as tonight he could practically measure the time based on the change in the moonlight coming through his window.

He was frustrated and tired, exhausted really, but his mind could not stop cycling through all the work he needed to do. It was like once he had started working he couldn't stop no matter how much he wanted to. He caught himself conjugating verbs for his spell and rehearsing speeches for Batman and wondering if maybe he should have gone on patrol after all. He technically still could if he wanted to.

Last he checked it was a little past 3:30 in the morning. Billy had his face buried in a pillow, his eyes squeezed shut, willing his body to shut down. Just as he began entertaining the idea of trying out a sleeping spell on himself, he felt a terrible presence. Billy’s eyes snapped open and he jerked to a sitting position in bed. Adrenaline filled his veins like ice before he even registered what he should be afraid of.

At first glance there didn’t seem to be anything out of place. His room looked just the same as it had when he’d gone to bed. But the hair on the back of his neck stood up and his heart began to beat louder in his ears. Something felt wrong. There was something in his room he was sure of it. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he did. Last time he felt like this…

A flicker of movement by the window caught his attention. He strained his eyes to see in the darkness. He felt a cold chill of horror run down his spine as he saw a shadow peel itself from the wall and slowly move closer to him. It inched forward, clearly not in any sort of hurry. Billy could feel its nonexistent eyes on him, boring into him with such intensity he could barely breathe. His mouth went dry and for one terrifying moment he couldn’t bring himself to move.

He was so focused on the thing slowly stalking towards him that he never noticed the one behind him until it was too late. It launched itself at him digging its razor sharp claws into his shoulder with an inhuman screech.

The sudden pain caused Billy to shout out involuntarily. But it also was just the kick he needed to get up and get moving again. The wizard’s name was on the tip of his tongue when he remembered Shazam’s warning. The skiá were connected to his mortal body but could take advantage of his transformation to gain more power. He swallowed down the word and the instinct to become Captain Marvel, but he couldn't quite swallow the fear rising in his chest. He had to deal with this as Billy, no matter how dangerous it was.

“K-keraunós!” He shouted. despite his stuttering the spell worked. A flash of lightning, much smaller and less powerful than he could manage in his champion form, hit the one that had grabbed him, knocking it over onto the floor with a shriek. If he wasn’t careful, the magic he was using would backfire and these things would be even more deadly. As much as he wanted to fight, escaping would be the smart move.

Billy’s shoulder now had a large gash from the creature's claws. Blood flowed freely onto the bedsheet as he scrambled to the foot of the bed. He didn’t need to look to know he would probably need stitches for that. Assuming he survived long enough to get medical attention at all.

The skiá near the window lunged at him. Billy rolled out of the way and it crashed through one of the bedposts, bringing the canopy down on top of them. Billy struggled with the excess fabric, but eventually managed to get to his feet and run towards the closet. He had to lead them away from the manor. As long as they followed him through the portal he should be able to keep the Waynes safe. No one would get hurt except for him.

Right as he managed to open the door one of them grabbed his leg and yanked him backwards. Billy used the lightning spell again. This time the resulting shriek of pain as the creature stumbled backwards was even louder and more high pitched. The glass of his window shattered from the sound, raining painful shards down onto Billy, but passing harmlessly through the skiá. He scrambled to his feet. His ears were ringing. Sharp stabs of pain bloomed all over his body as the glass shards embedded themselves into his skin.

One of the skiá now stood between him and the closet door. He could already feel the drain on his magic affecting him. Not being able to rest and recharge meant that he started this fight with a severe disadvantage. Between that and the fact that he was not used to fighting in his mortal body he seriously doubted he’d be able to get past them. Especially if the spells he did use were less effective the more he used them.

Which meant he had to hope he could outrun them.

“Pyr!” Billy threw a shot of flame at his opponents and headed for the hallway. It hit one dead on causing it to stumble back into the now open closet door. Billy swore loudly, not caring if anyone heard him. He didn’t want to burn down the house. But he had to get away. He didn’t have time to worry about the fire.

He also had to get everyone out of here before it was too late. But he couldn’t put them in the path of demonic shadow beings. The skiá wouldn’t attack them when Billy was right there. They would be safe if they all just stayed in their rooms away from all the fighting...

But how could they not hear all of this? Weren’t they worried about him? How could they just ignore the screaming? Billy's screaming?

He spun around to run, stumbling into Damian’s door as he turned down the hall. He limped as fast as he could past the doors of his various foster sibling’s rooms. Were any of them even in there? There was a loud crash and the sound of something shattering. Billy turned to look behind him as he reached the top of the stairs. It was an image straight out of his worst nightmares. One of the skiá was climbing along the walls leaving deep claw marks in the wood and knocking everything over as it moved at high speeds towards him. The other scraped the floor beneath it as it moved impossibly fast towards him.

No one was coming to help him.

Billy only made it down half a flight of stairs before one of them crashed into him from behind, sending them both tumbling over the railing and crashing in the entryway. The fall knocked all the breath out of Billy’s lungs, leaving him gasping for air. Its claws dug into him and it snapped its jaws at him. Pointy teeth-like projections forming along the pure darkness that was it's face.

Billy felt a white hot pain in his side that eclipsed all the other injuries he had suffered. It burrowed into him, into his body, into his mind, into his very soul. A scream ripped itself from his throat as his mind went blank with fear.

Darkness grew around him, swallowing everything up until Billy could see nothing but the void-like shadows. It was infinite. It was all-consuming. It was terrible. A rumbling voice came from everywhere around him, but also nowhere at all. It spoke just one word. The same word that Billy shouted almost involuntarily in his blind panic.

“SHAZAM!”

A bright flash of lighting split through the darkness, crashing into everything in its path.

But it never made it to Billy Batson.

Notes:

Thanks y'all for all of your amazing comments!

I know this isn't what any of y'all were expecting, but I hope you still enjoyed it!

Chapter 21

Summary:

The Bats come home to find something terrible has happened to Billy.

Notes:

Warning for mentions/descriptions of blood and injuries.

Bruce was exhausted. And by the looks of it so were most of his kids. A wide scale breakout from Arkham Asylum had forced them all to drop everything and try to track down the new batch of fugitives. Even Alfred had been forced to help to run comms and prep the medical supplies while Barbara identified and tracked down the escapees via satellite imaging.

It was nearly dawn before they all decided to regroup at the Batcave saving the remaining villains for after they all had some rest. Alfred was currently stitching up a cut on Stephanie’s leg while Tim iced down Dick’s shoulder. Duke was already half asleep on the medical bed next to them, but that was more from being tired and sore than actually being injured. Cass was relatively unharmed and was currently trying to usher Barbara away from her computer and off to bed. Damian had settled onto the floor nearby to calm down a clearly agitated Titus. Jason had apparently wandered off already, most likely taking a shower after spending half the night in the sewers chasing down Killer Croc.

All in all a pretty successful night.

Bruce carefully wrapped a bandage around his hand, flexing it experimentally. He was pretty sure there were no breaks this time. His body ached and he was debating on whether or not he could be bothered to shower before getting a few hours of sleep. He should at least wait to see how many of the kids were staying the night.

As Bruce headed for the elevator, his mind and body sluggish now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he wondered how much of the day he could sleep away without any issues.

All thoughts of sleep vanished when he entered the manor.

The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. The air reeked of ozone and smoke. There was an eerie stillness that Bruce never associated with his home even when it was empty. Bruce carefully stepped out into the hallway, tense and ready for a fight. There was nothing wrong in the immediate area, but when he looked down the hall where this wing of the house met the next his heart stopped.

Vases and picture frames were smashed on the ground, glass and ceramic shards littering the floor. Large angry claw marks shredded the walls, leaving wallpaper peeling to the floor.

And amongst all the destruction were small bloody footprints.

Bruce felt his breath leave his body more surely than if he had been kicked in the chest. Because he realized that not all of his children had been with him that night.

He raced down the hall towards Billy’s room, throwing away caution and stealth in exchange for speed. The door had been ripped off its hinges. Soot and smoke from a smoldering fire in the closet choked the air. The windows were shattered, the four poster bed collapsed in on itself in a pile of splintering wood and shredded sheets. There was blood everywhere. The bed, the floor, what was left of the door. There was even a smear of it on Damian’s door across the hall.

But there was no sign of Billy.

Bruce activated the comm that was still in his ear.

“I need everyone up in the manor now” He growled out, trying his best to smother the panic rising in his chest. “Be on alert. There’s been a break in”

He cut the line so he wouldn’t have to deal with any questions. Following the bloody footprints led him to the staircase. Of course Billy would have tried to flee his attackers.

Looking over the railing Bruce saw something he knew would plague his mind for the rest of his life. Bile rose in his throat and it took all of his willpower not to throw up.

There was Billy, laying in a pool of his own blood. The crystal chandelier that hung in the entryway had fallen, shattering on impact and trapping the young boy’s body beneath it. The smell of ozone was strongest here mixed with the iron of blood. Strange burns stretched out from him, like lightning branching across the wooden floors and up the walls.

He looked so small and frail in the center of all that destruction. It was hard to believe he could survive. But he had to be alive. He had to be. Bruce couldn’t bear to lose another son. Not now. Not like this.

Not when he had just brought him home. Not when he was supposed to be saving him, protecting him.

As he raced down the stairs, he heard the footsteps of his other children as they came to investigate.

“Someone get down here and help me get him out of there!”

The next several minutes passed in a blur. Together they lifted the husk of the chandelier off of Billy. He had a heartbeat but it was weak. Alfred began performing whatever emergency first aid he could while Barbara desperately called Leslie Thompkins. The fifteen minutes it took for her to arrive were some of the longest in Bruce’s life.

He felt useless. Powerless in a way he never felt, not even when he fought alongside the Justice League against things he could barely comprehend. His hands were slick from Billy’s blood. He knows that it is there--on his face, on his clothes. How could one small boy bleed so much and still survive? He couldn’t get the image of Billy out of his head. He had looked so broken and lifeless. More so than when Sivana had taken him.

He had to let Leslie work, but he couldn’t sit there and do nothing while whatever monster that did this to his son was still out there.

Without a word he headed back down into the Batcave. He needed to know why none of his alarms had gone off. He needed to watch the security footage to see where they got in, what they looked like, who they worked for.

It seemed he wasn’t the only one to feel the same way. One by one all of his children found their way back to the Batcave. At some point during all of this Tim had taken photos of all the damage.

No one tried to convince him to step away or take a break. They all knew from experience that it would be no use.

There were no cameras in Billy’s room, but there was one outside his window, one in the hallway, and two in the entryway.

The one outside showed nothing. At exactly 3:43 A.M. the image became static filled and fuzzy. There were multiple screams though all sounded distorted and then there was the sound of glass shattering. The feed then went black. It appeared the camera itself was likely destroyed at that point. While the video files were corrupted it suggested that the attackers did not enter through the window.

The camera in the hallway also became corrupted at exactly 3:43 A.M. It was similarly destroyed after a series of screams and shouts. Something about those sounds, distorted as they were, sent off a ping of recognition in Bruce’s mind, but he couldn't put a finger on why. 

The cameras in the entryway clearly caught the sounds of crashing from the attack. For a brief moment Billy could be seen at the top of the stairs, eyes wide, covered in cuts and gashes. The video was corrupted as Billy turned to look over his shoulder at his attackers. There was a crash and a scream as the video feed turned black. Multiple voices then spoke out in unison clear as day. “SHAZAM” Then there was a bright blinding flash of lights and the feed went dead.

Bruce slammed his fist against the desk and swore. He had no visuals. What little audio he had was severely corrupted, distorted and unreliable. He’d have to comb through all other cameras searching for his enemy’s point of entry, but he knew it was unlikely he would find anything of use. The destruction implied they went straight for Billy’s room, bypassing everything else.

Like he was their sole target.

“Bruce, It’s going to be okay” Dick had stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure this out”

“Where do we even start?”

“Who’s still loose from the Arkham breakout?” Dick asked the room at large.

Brainstorming. Good. Bruce had some of the sharpest minds of the next generation here with him. And they are all just as invested as he was.

“Riddler is still missing” Stephanie piped up.

“Carving up kids isn’t exactly his style” Jason waved off the suggestion. “Besides he doesn't even know about Billy”

“What about the League of Assassins? Grandfather’s people are more than willing to hurt children and they know our secret identities. It wouldn’t surprise me if they already knew about Batson even before his official introduction.”

Tim nodded. “They are definitely a possibility. But I don’t know, something about this situation seems off” He folded his arms and stroked his chin in thought, eyes locked on the black video feed. “They wouldn’t go to such lengths to hide themselves from us. They tend to announce their intentions to harm us. Or at least some sort of message. Between that and the fact that Billy is still alive, I have my doubts”

“This video distortion is unlike anything I’ve ever seen” Barbara was already analyzing the video on her own laptop, fingers flying across the keys at top speeds. She was almost as tense as Bruce was. “It hasn’t been hacked at all. There was no EMP that knocked it out, no virus in our systems.”

“What are you saying Babs? How else could they get past the alarms?”

“I’m saying I don’t know Dick! But whatever they did it wasn’t systemwide and it wasn’t standard tech. If it was anything we had encountered before, something would have gone off. I would--we would have known”

“So you’re saying it could be a completely new player?” Stephanie huffed as she stood to begin pacing. “One that either knows about all of us or just so happens to have a really intense grudge against Bruce Wayne without all the Batman stuff.”

“Steph!”

“Oh c’mon Tim, you know she’s right!” Jason snapped “Either we’ve all been compromised or the old man has been making enemies without the cowl!”

Bruce rubbed the bridge of his nose trying to stave off a migraine. They weren’t wrong. But it had to have something to do with his vigilantism. No one else would be so ruthless towards a child. “I never should have brought him here”

He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, a testament to how tired he truly was. The growing argument halted as they all looked at him. Silence settled over the group. He wondered how many of them were thinking the same thing.

“Speak brother”

Cass’s voice startled all of them, even Bruce. Her voice was firm. Her eyes were fixed on the one other member of the family who had been silent thus far.

Duke shuffled his feet as everyone turned to look at him. Bruce could see him physically hardening his resolve as he straightened up. When he spoke he was looking at Bruce.

“I don’t know if it will work” He prefaced. “But I could...I could try to use my powers to see what happened.”

Bruce was ashamed to admit he sometimes forgot about Duke’s abilities. Not the fact that he had them, just the extent of things he was capable of. Retrocognition was something Duke often used on his own cases as Signal but rarely had the chance to use when he worked with the rest of the family. Bruce hated relying on information he couldn’t verify himself with his own eyes.

But he trusted Duke.

“Are you serious? Can you really do that?” At Duke’s nod Jason jumped up and headed towards the elevator. “Then what the hell are we waiting for? Get you meta ass up there and tell us what happened!”

A few minutes later they stood in Billy’s room. Duke stood at the center staring at Billy’s bed with a concentrated frown on his face.

“Is it working?” Stephanie stage whispered to the group.

“It would if you all would shut up for a second” Duke shot her a glare, before returning his gaze to the task at hand. “It’s a bit harder than pressing play on a video”

Bruce couldn’t see what Duke was seeing, but he knew the moment Duke tapped into his powers. It was the subtle widening of his eyes, the shift in his stance, the tilt of his head.

“Billy was in bed” He started. Bruce shot a look at the others to make sure they didn’t interrupt. “Something woke him up” Duke began looking around the room, seeing things none of the others could. Duke frowned harder, confusion taking over his features. “Something attacked him but...but there’s nothing there”

“What do you mean there’s nothing there?” Bruce moved forward to stand beside Duke “Can you not see it or--”

“I mean there’s no light there. It’s just a vaguely human shaped void lashing out at him!”

“Like a shadow?” Bruce felt a chill down his spine at Cass’s question.

“Yeah except there’s nothing attached to the shadow. It’s just...solid darkness. Two of them” Duke winced slightly as he looked back at the bed. “Billy hit it with...something. I don’t know what. It’s too bright”

“Do you need us to close the curtains or something?” Bruce wasn’t entirely sure what Duke needed for his powers to be most optimal. He had assumed the early morning light wouldn’t be a hindrance, but if darkness would help he was willing to try.

“No it was too bright then”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tim sighed exasperatedly. “It wasn’t even four in the morning, It should’ve been pitch black”

Duke ran a hand over his face and let out a breath. “It’s complicated. Let me just figure it out ok?” He turned away from them. It was a few moments before he spoke again. “Billy put up a hell of a fight. He ran towards the closet before one of them grabbed him. I think...I think that thing’s screams broke the glass. Billy is definitely the one that started the fire though”

Bruce didn’t want to admit he felt a swell of pride at the thought. Of course Billy was a fighter, a survivor. He knew that already. But if he had faced the monster Bruce thought might be behind this...that was something else entirely.

Duke moved out of the room and down the hall, following the scene of Billy being stalked by monsters in the place he was supposed to call home. “They chased him down here to the stairs. One of them tackled him over the railing and…” Duke trailed off mesmerized by something only he could see. Suddenly he jerked back with a shout covering his eyes with a hiss of pain.

Bruce rushed to his side, grabbing him by the shoulders to steady him. “Duke! Tell me what’s wrong. What did you see?”

“The d-darkness, it swallowed up the light--his light! Then--God, it was suddenly so fucking bright. I couldn’t see anything!”

Bruce did his best to comfort him. Duke looked shaken by what he saw, but he wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. They needed more information. Hopefully once Duke was calm he would be better able to articulate what he saw.

“What do you mean by his light?” Apparently Tim decided Duke was calm enough.

“I mean Billy’s light” he sighed. At the confused looks he was getting, Duke continued. “Billy’s got this...light y’know? He glows. Sometimes I can’t even look directly at him because it’s so bright”

“What on earth are you talking about Thomas? I have been forced to spend every day in his presence and he has never glowed before”

“Jeez what’s not clicking? He’s like a walking solar flare! It’s like his aura or something. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it's not there, Damian”

Bruce’s mind was reeling as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing and what it could possibly mean for Billy. They needed to focus. Bruce had an idea of what these things were but not what they wanted or how they found them. Was it their plan to leave Billy half dead or were they driven away by this mysterious flash of light? And those voices from the video...they weren’t human that much he was sure of. The word they spoke--shazam--was meaningless without context.

“You’ve done good work Duke. I think I know who the culprit is. Or what as the case may be”

Dick quirked an eyebrow at him. “Care to share with the class?”

“In Fawcett City I fought a creature I now know is called a skiá. A magical being made of shadows”

“That would explain the video” Barbara said “Everyone knows magic messes with electronics”

“Dr. Sivana had enslaved one of these creatures. It must have followed us here.”

“The runes!” Damian grabbed his arm to emphasize his epiphany. “On the machinery! They are magical after all. It must have followed whatever magic was in them straight here”

Barbara frowned. “But they didn’t come into the Batcave and attack me and Alfred”

“Unless they were only following one specific rune” Bruce turned to look at the entryway still covered with blood and shards of glass. “Like the one carved into Billy side”

Jason sighed. “Well shit”

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

I loved all your comments! I knew I couldn't leave y'all in suspense for too long.

Chapter 22

Summary:

As the family waits for Billy to wake up, Barbara gets to work.

No one was quite willing to rest after Bruce dropped his "It was actually demons that broke into the house and attacked Billy" bomb on them. So despite everyone being bone tired they began cleaning up the mess that had been made of the manor, if only to keep the hands and minds busy. Barbara knew that helping clean from her wheelchair, while possible, wouldn’t have been very efficient, especially since cleaning wasn’t exactly her forte even when she was fully able-bodied.

Instead she parked herself next to Sivana’s creepy demon summoning machine and tried once again to figure out how it worked.

Barbara Gordon was not a fan of magic, never had been. She doubted she ever will be. What could she say? She was a computer geek at heart and magic was generally incompatible with all things tech. It rarely made sense and was completely unpredictable. It was one of the many reasons she was baffled by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana and his experiments.

Since her disability meant she had to do most of her crime fighting from behind a computer screen rather than in the field with the rest of the bats, she had probably spent the most time out of all of them fiddling with the tech Bruce had brought back from Fawcett. Not that it seemed to matter with how little progress she had been able to make.

She even had a chance to talk with Captain Marvel about it, which had been pretty cool. She had been in the Batcave and he couldn’t see her face and only heard her voice with a modulator on, but she had been able to see and hear him perfectly. He looked like a Greek god and acted like a golden retriever. He was kind, answered all of her questions without hesitation and was all in all a pretty good guy.

He also knew nothing about computers.

But he did translate the symbols for them and confirmed that, yes, some of it was nonsensical gibberish.

So far she knew that Sivana’s tech was A) very ambitious and possibly genius B) incredibly complex and C) not properly documented. Seriously, did he burn half his notes or something? What kind of scientist doesn’t document his process in the name of science? Or at least keep some reference materials on hand?

She huffed out an agitated sigh. It was hard to focus when her mind kept drifting back to Billy. Dr. Thompkins had stabilized him and assured everyone that his injuries didn't seem to be life-threatening, but he was still unconscious. Probably will be for a couple of hours, if not days.

She had only met Billy in person a handful of times. She had held back at the zoo, not wanting to get in the middle of the most recent bout of awkward high-tension brotherly bonding Bruce’s boys were known for. And all the other times had been brief, usually with a handful of other bats vying for the kid's attention.

But she had been privy to every gushing story from Dick and the onslaught of photos Tim had sent of him.  Almost every non-work related text message had been about him since Bruce’s first announcement. She’d read his file front to back multiple times and even scrounged up photos of him via CCTV footage from before his surprise adoption.

The point was that she knew him. Knew he was a good kid with a heart of gold. Knew he liked comic books and history books equally. Knew he was quick to start a fight if he thought someone was in trouble, but was also quick to forgive others. Knew he was the last person on earth who deserved to be hunted by demons.

So she was going to figure out what the hell this good-for-nothing, unstable, bald-headed, sorry-excuse-for-a-scientist did to him even if it was the last thing she did.

She just needed a little help. Someone who knew about magic and could actually do something about it. Someone who could undo whatever spell had been done and leave this thing a useless pile of junk, sending whatever demons there were straight back to Hell. Or wherever demons actually came from.

Which is why she was currently also trying to use Bruce’s Justice League communicator to call Captain Marvel. As the only other member of the League who was currently up to date on the Sivana case and a magic user, she thought he was her best bet.

She was generally of the opinion to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

But he wasn’t picking up and it was doing nothing but sour her already bad mood. He may have a pretty face but he was apparently surprisingly unreliable for a superhero who regularly saves the world. Sivana is his villain! Does he not care about this case at all? Or does he really dislike Batman so much he'd ignore his calls? It was so frustrating! They needed help now, before those things came back!

Either way she was apparently going to need to call someone else. Batman had several magical allies both in the Justice League and out. She had files on all of them. And Batman’s allies were her allies even if they didn’t know it yet.

“Barbara what are you doing? I thought you were going home”

She turned to see Bruce standing just a few feet behind her with his arms crossed in front of him. He looked dead on his feet with bags under his eyes. His hair was a mess and there was still blood on his clothes, though he had thankfully washed off the rest from his hands and face. She had to fight down the bile threatening to rise in her throat as the memory of him clutching Billy’s small broken body came to the forefront of her mind.

“I doubt I could sleep. So work it is. Which is why you’re down here I take it?”

“Alfred seemed to think I was getting in the way more than I was helping” He sighed as he dropped into the chair beside her. He slumped in a way she had rarely seen. It wasn’t defeated per se, but something close to it. Bruce rarely allowed himself to be weak in front of any of them, so she knew this was hitting him especially hard.

He had wanted so badly to protect Billy from everything. They all had. But they couldn’t save him from being attacked here in his own home. Barbara saw the guilt in his face clear as day. But if anyone should feel guilty it was her. How long had Billy been trapped and bleeding out while she was right downstairs completely oblivious? Had he called for help only to realize no one was going to come? Maybe if she had been paying more attention she could have...

Barbara shook the thought away. They were not going to have a pity party right now.

“I’ve been looking at these runes some more if you want to help” She didn’t even wait for Bruce’s answer before plowing forward. “The one on Billy doesn’t appear anywhere else. I've triple checked. The rest have duplicates and redundancies galore, but if you’re right and they are drawn to that specific marking, that might be why they have only targeted Billy so far.” She pulled up the rough translation guide Captain Marvel made for them. “According to Marvel it means ‘wellspring’ or ‘fountain’. Doesn’t exactly scream shadow demon bait to me.”

“There’s got to be something we’re missing then. An alternate translation or perhaps a dialect difference that wasn't factored in?”

“Neither of us know Khandaqi B. I wouldn’t know where to look that up”

“Sivana didn’t know Khandaqi either. And he still managed to cause all of this”

“Marvel said he couldn’t have done it alone. He needed translation material”

“And a source of magic I know” He sighed, turning his frustrated glare at the computer. “But we haven’t found anything”

“Magic doesn’t just grow on trees Bruce” At least Barbara was pretty sure that wasn’t the case. “He got it from somewhere. Magic is apparently in all sorts of stuff. Jewelry, staffs, books, rocks”

“People” Bruce breathed out. “Magic is also found in people. Captain Marvel said that a certain percentage of the population has magic inside them, whether they know how to do spells or not.” Barbara could see his mind racing to a conclusion, an answer that had eluded him until he finally put the pieces together. “He said it’s in their souls, their...auras”

Oh. Oh.

“Bruce you don’t think--?”

“Duke said Billy has an unusual aura. That he...glows.” Bruce stood, his gaze boring into the computer screen with all the intensity he was known for.

“The rune…” and then it clicked “Bruce, what if it means a wellspring of magic instead of water? That would mean that Billy wasn’t just a random kid Sivana used to test his experiments. It would mean he was specifically targeted to be a cog in his machine. A--”

“A battery” Bruce growled out. “That’s what he said. He needed a battery to unlock the power he needed. I assumed it was the magical source we were looking for--which I suppose is true. I just didn’t realize he meant a person. A child”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to prove that Billy is--that he can do magic”

Which, with Billy being unconscious and possibly even unaware of his abilities, was easier said than done.

They were going to need to call in the magical cavalry.

“Dr. Fate, Zatanna, or Constantine?”

“Excuse me?”

“We need someone to teach us how to fight off demons, undo magical rituals, and confirm if your newest son has a future as a witch. Captain Marvel isn’t answering his communicator so who do you want me to call? Fate, Zatanna, or Constantine?”

He hesitated. She could practically see his pride and paranoia going to war with his paternal instincts. In the end paternal instincts won out just as she hoped they would.

“Fate’s a bit too much of a wild card, not to mention cryptic in his explanations. I trust Zatanna but Constantine has more experience with demonic entities” He paused in thought, mulling over his options “Call Zatanna, but tell her to reach out to Constantine if she thinks it’s more in his wheelhouse”

Barbara turned to her computer, ignoring the buzz of her cellphone, happy to turn things over to the experts, just this once. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if they couldn’t solve this right away, or if those monsters came back to finish what they started with Billy.

At that moment she had no idea the worst was yet to come.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

I hope you enjoyed Babs POV as the Bats finally start putting the pieces together about Billy's secrets.

Chapter 23

Summary:

Tim knows that somewhere in the wreckage of Billy's room there is a clue as to what is going on. Somehow this just leads to more questions.

Tim was convinced there was something they were all missing.

As much as he teased Damian for his paranoia regarding Billy, recent events had made it astoundingly clear that maybe there was something to it after all. The kid apparently glowed on a wavelength not on the visible light spectrum. He made miraculous escapes no one could explain. And Duke said he fought demons off? With what? His bare hands? Even Batman had trouble dealing with one of these things and that was when he was armed with tech meant to disrupt magical energy!

So how does a scrawny twelve year old fight off monsters with no training, no back up, and no weapon?

The only obvious conclusion was that he had powers of some kind. The question now was whether he was a metahuman or a sorcerer.

With the way this case had been going Tim was definitely leaning towards the latter.

When they all silently agreed to find things to keep busy, Tim headed up to Billy’s room with a trash bag and a broom. As much as he wanted to investigate the strange burns on the entryway floor, he knew that the real evidence would be found upstairs where the attack started.

Steph and Cass fell into step behind him. Cass could probably tell by the way he was walking that he was in full investigation mode. Steph on the other hand probably wanted to make sure he didn’t hurt himself picking up glass or something.

The room was still every bit the disaster it was when they left it a few minutes ago. All the things they had filled it with to make it feel like more of a home to the kid were now scattered among the wreckage and were probably going to have to go in the trash. Tim was armed with a broom but he still wasn’t 100% sure where to start.

He should probably have grabbed a vacuum.

Without a word Steph marched over and began gathering the bedsheets, blankets, and the canopy into a large ball which she subsequently threw into the hall.

“What? Are you gonna just stand there all day or are you going to help me?” She huffed at the two of them. A few strands of her long blonde hair had escaped her ponytail and fell in her face. Blowing it out of the way she snatched the broom from Tim and began ordering them around.

Tim was more than thankful for some direction. But he couldn’t turn off his mind. There had to be something here in this room that could help in the investigation. Perhaps some demonic residue or something that would give them a clue on how to defeat them? Duke did say that Billy had hit them. Tim surreptitiously inspected various objects that they were collecting from the debris to see if anything could possibly cause damage to a supernatural entity.

If only he knew what an object like that would look like.

So far all he found were typical things that a kid would have in his room. Some comic books littered the floor, pages likely missing. Clothes tossed over a chair. Some toys knocked off whatever shelf Billy had placed them on. Take away the broken glass and all the blood and there was nothing out of the ordinary.

Tim picked through some of the debris, carefully stepping over some of the larger pieces of glass, trying to figure out what was salvageable and what was garbage. He wanted to make sure that whenever Billy came back to his room, he still had some of his things to make him feel at home. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was all for nothing. What if Billy never felt at home in this room again?

He scooped up the kid’s backpack that had contained all Billy’s worldly possessions when he first came to the manor. He gently brushed the glass off of it and set it down on the now bare mattress. As he did so he heard a creak of wood and felt the board underneath his foot give a little. Looking down he saw that one of the floorboards was out of place dipping into the space beneath.

A familiar beeping sound filled the air. But it was one that had no place coming from Billy’s stuff. There was a glint from inside that he quickly realized was not glass. Squatting down, Tim fished the small device from under the floorboards. It was small, high tech, and very familiar. A standard issue Justice League communicator.

“Uh guys?” He straightened up, turning the device over in his hands to confirm his suspicions. “How sure are we that Billy doesn’t know that Bruce is Batman?”

Steph frowned down at the pile of dirt and glass she was sweeping up. “I was very sure until you asked that question” She turned to look at him. When she registered what he was holding, she dropped her broom and was by his side before it hit the ground with a dull thud. “What the hell? When did Billy snatch this?”

“Not Batman’s” Cass spoke from where she had materialized behind Tim’s other shoulder. She pointed to the blinking message on the screen saying that Batman had just called this device.

“What other Justice League members could Billy possibly know? I mean I know he met Clark but--”

“This must be Captain Marvel’s” Tim’s mouth had supplied the answer before his mind had fully processed the thought. “B said that Billy and Cap know each other”

“But why would Billy have his communicator? He hasn’t gone back to Fawcett since he moved here. I’m sure Bruce would know if the guy had lost it before now”

What did it mean? Bruce had been weird about Cap for a while now. More so since Billy came to live with them. He never said why, actively changing the subject the one time Dick had brought it up. Yeah Billy had been hurt in the guy’s city, but he normally wouldn’t hold that against a hero. He knows better than anyone that you can’t save everyone, especially on your own.

“Cap has been working on Billy’s case. Y’know since it was his villain and all” But that wasn’t it. There was more to it than that. He must have done something. Or didn’t do something. But Tim was drawing a big fat blank. As far as he knew, not even Bruce had ever seen Billy and Cap together, so whatever was going on there was anyone’s guess.

“Well I guess the question is: did Billy steal this or was it given to him?” Steph snatched it out of Tim’s hands. “Look I love Billy, and I don’t want to call him a thief without proof, but it would be really weird if he had charmed his way into the inner circle of multiple big name heroes”

The three of them stood there in silence. Both possibilities sounded sketchy, especially the way Steph presented them. Tim felt a bitter pang in his chest at the thought that Billy wasn’t what he seemed. The girls were feeling something similar too. He could tell. He knew them both too well to think they weren’t hurting.

It was clear Billy had been keeping secrets from them all, but Tim couldn’t fathom what those secrets actually were.

Tim felt a frown pull at his lips as his eyes landed on the open closet door. There was still a smoldering pile of ash inside that indicated a fire, though it luckily hadn’t spread through the whole house. Which was odd considering it was full of clothes and things. Come to think of it, didn’t Duke say that Billy ran to the closet before he ran for the hallway? Why would he do that when he had a better escape route?

Maybe that was the point of entry they were looking for.

Tim found himself stepping closer without thinking about it.

“You found something” His sister's voice made him pause.

Tim turned to see the girls staring at him. He shrugged a bit. “Not yet, but I have a hunch”

He carefully stepped across the room and maneuvered the remnants of the closet door out of the way. Inside most of the clothes had been damaged in some way from the fire and smoke. Some had even been shredded by the demon's claws. He carefully began removing the various items inside, passing them to the girls as he methodically searched.

A few minutes later, as he was passing Cass a large puffy coat from the back of the closet, he saw something. It was hard to see since the soot had covered the walls, but he saw the tip of what looked like something written in sharpie on the wall behind the laundry basket. He hastily moved it out of the way to see a ring of strange symbols that may or may not have been Greek, along the back wall.

And the wall was shimmering.

Not glowing. There was no light for that to be the case. It looked more like the air in a sweltering desert where you could see the heat distorting your vision. Except it was on the wall inside a closet.

Yeah this was definitely magic.

Cass reached out and slapped his hand before he ever realized he was reaching out to touch it.

She glared at him and signed “Bad idea”

“Yeah you’re probably right” Tim stared at the wall. “I think Billy made this”

“What? Why would you think that? He’s not secretly Harry Potter, Tim.”

“You mean besides the fact that it’s in his room?” Tim couldn’t help but tease. It was fun to rile Steph up, but now wasn’t the time. “It’s in his handwriting. See? This was definitely written by a little kid”

“So what? Our sweet little brother is a Satanist now?”

“Probably not a Satanist. Honestly Steph, this is Greek. He’s most likely a witch or something”

“Sure, why not?” She threw her hands up. Clearly fed up with surprises. “Well if Billy made it, I doubt he was trying to make a portal to Hell. Maybe it goes to Narnia or something cool like that'' Without further ado she thrust one of her hands through the portal.

“Stephanie what the hell? Are you crazy? We just agreed that was a bad idea!”

Cass and Tim both yanked her back with enough force to topple all three of them over.

“I’m fine. Look” She held up her hand and waved it at them. “Fully intact with no side effects” Cass grabbed her hand and examined it for any injuries or changes. Tim settled for glaring at his best friend.

“Oh come on you guys! We are all curious about it! I don’t think it’s dangerous”

“Based on what? Your gut feelings?”

“Exactly!” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “We can’t just not investigate”

“You’re right. I’ll go” Tim was more than willing to figure out what was going on but he wasn’t going to risk anyone else to do it. He could be in and out in no time.

“Not alone you’re not” Steph matched his glare.

Cass put a hand on both of their shoulders to gain the attention of both of the former Robins. “Stronger together” Cass signed. Of course Cass would take Steph’s side in this argument. Which meant Tim had little to no chance of winning on that count. He knew a lost cause when he saw one.

“We should probably tell someone what we’re doing”

“I’ll let them know in the group chat” Steph whipped out her phone and typed out a message. Tim felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Curious, he pulled it out to see what she sent.

“Found a secret portal in the closet brb?”

“They don’t need a whole novel of explanation Tim”

The phone in his hands buzzed again and he saw a string of emojis that probably contained a message he was too tired to decipher. He sent an unimpressed look at Cass, wondering when exactly she had even pulled out her phone.

“Let’s just go before they start asking questions” Tim was nervous, but curiosity was stronger.

With that the three of them entered the portal.

 

Tim had been expecting to find some secret magical faerie realm with things that glowed for no reason or maybe a forest filled with magic creatures. Hell he would even have been less surprised to find a castle or a dragon’s den on the other side. Not...this.

Tim, Steph and Cass were standing in a tunnel. A very common looking, concrete tunnel with graffiti on the walls and trash littering the ground. There were tracks, implying some sort of railway system had at some point run through this place. It was very...ordinary. And dirty. The only thing out of place was a lingering smell of ozone in the air.

“Well this is depressing” Steph spun in a circle to take in the not so impressive view. “I mean if you’re going to have a magical portal in your closet, it should at least lead somewhere cool”

“Let’s just look around. There’s got to be something important about this place”

Several minutes of searching turned up nothing but trash and several burn marks on the ground. Nothing as impressive as the ones from the attack in the manor, but still unusual. Cass eventually began heading down the tunnel, following some clues the other two couldn’t see. Tim picked up a loose rock and carefully began marking their way back to the portal so they could hopefully get back to Gotham in one piece.

They didn’t have to walk far before they found the remnants of an abandoned subway station. It had clearly been out of use for a long time even though the framework was still more or less intact. Tim had been in plenty of creepy places since he started his vigilante career so he wasn’t scared. On edge maybe due to the eerie stillness. There was also the possibility of demonic creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to rip them all to pieces. So yeah, on edge.

As they moved further from the tracks, he could see small shoeprints in the dust that he could only assume were Billy’s. It was hard to imagine his youngest brother coming to this place for any reason, let alone actively using magic to come here without anyone else’s knowledge. Why would he come here? What could possibly be so important about this place? How many times had he slipped away to this place when they weren’t looking? Once? Twice? A dozen times? Had he come here last night when they were all busy with the breakout? And why was Billy so desperate to hide what he was doing?

“Anyone else getting the heebie jeebies from this place?” Steph shivered as they followed signs towards the exit. Cass raised her hand and then looked pointedly at Tim until he raised his hand too. She really didn’t need to call him out like that. Obviously this place was heebie jeebie inducing.

Their way out was boarded up, but there were clear signs of the boards being moved recently. The three of them slipped out with ease only to find themselves in the middle of an unfamiliar street that was definitely not in Gotham. Early morning commuters brushed past them with smiles and nods, apparently unconcerned about the three teenage vigilantes just standing awkwardly on the sidewalk. Tim was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was still in his Red Robin uniform. Thank God he put his mask back on when they were in the tunnel.

“Where do you think we are?” He asked. Looking around didn’t give him too many clues. He felt like he should recognize this place for some reason. It was like the answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he was too sleep-deprived to think of it.

“Well only one way to find out” Steph waltzed up to a news stand in full Spoiler gear, walking with all the confidence of the social media influencers she always made fun of. She swiped a newspaper from the stand on the corner. Tim was already digging around for his wallet so the guy wouldn't get mad at them.

“Well considering the front page has a picture of Captain Marvel, I’m gonna take a wild guess and say we’re in his hometown”

“Billy’s home” Cass muttered as she looked around them with renewed interest.

“I guess Billy might’ve been homesick,” Tim relented. “A magic portal is a bit extreme though. I mean Bruce would have taken him to Fawcett whenever he wanted. He didn’t need to be secretive about it”

Cass glanced between them and slowly brought her hands up to form the words carefully and deliberately, like she didn’t particularly like them, but thought they needed to be shared. “Unless he was planning to run away”

Tim frowned at Cass. Mostly because he hated that she was right. Billy’s file was filled with reports of him running from almost every home he was placed in. Most within the first month. According to his history it wouldn’t have been out of character for the kid to run away. But he had thought Billy was happy with them. They had all worked so hard to give him the best possible welcome to the family. He never gave any indication that he didn’t want to stay. At least nothing Tim noticed.

He didn’t give any indication he was a practicing magic user either.

Maybe Billy was just better at hiding things than any of them gave him credit for.

Tim tried to shake off the negative thoughts. “Should we head back?”

Just then Steph’s phone buzzed. “Looks like someone finally checked the group chat”

The three of them ducked into the nearby park before crowding around Steph’s phone. She answered and put it on speaker phone.

“What the fuck Steph?” Dick’s voice sounded tired. He could get in line.

“Codenames Nightwing. We’re in public”

“Ti-uh I mean Red Robin? What’s going on?”

“Didn’t you get my text?” Steph asked somewhat annoyed.

“Your text didn’t make any sense! What portal? What closet? No one is in the mood for games right now Spoiler!”

“I’m not playing!”

“Where are you three?”

“Fawcett City?” Cass spoke up for the first time.

“Listen Nightwing, there is a magical portal in Billy’s closet that we found while we were cleaning. It leads to an abandoned subway station in Fawcett City. Go check for yourself if you don’t believe us”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Tim could just imagine Dick gaping like a fish and wondering what he was willing to put up with today. Which was fair. The past few hours had just been one hit after another.

"I knew it!" Damian's voice was smug. "It was behind the hamper wasn't it? That was the only place I didn’t have time to check! I knew there was something strange going on with him!"

He must have been on speaker too.

Jason piped up. “Hey, is it the abandoned station on Fifth and Washington? By the park?”

“Uh I think so? How would you even know that?”

“Billy told me he used to sleep there when he was on the streets”

Tim felt his stomach flip at the news. He’d known Billy was homeless before he lived with them, but to hear that he lived in that creepy, run down, rat infested place? It made his skin crawl.

“Stay where you are,” Dick’s voice cut through whatever dumb reply Tim almost gave. “I’m going to talk to Bruce”

The line went dead and the trio took the opportunity to look around. Most of the trees had lost their leaves, but the walkways were clear and mostly litter free. A little ways into the park there was a large bronze statue of Captain Marvel that glinted in the early morning sunlight. The few park goers barely spared them more than a glance as they continued on their way. The sun was bright and warmed them against the chill of the air.

Tim felt kind of exposed wearing his vigilante gear in broad daylight in an unfamiliar city. The girls seemed much more comfortable than him, but maybe it was just the novelty of being somewhere so bright and pleasant.

Tim could see why Bruce hated the place.

Eventually all three of their comms buzzed to life. Bruce must have been in the Batcave when Dick found him.

“You’re in Fawcett City?” Bruce growled out without preamble in his exasperated Batman voice, which was ever so slightly deeper than his regular exasperated voice. “Please tell me you found something worth while”

“Besides a magic portal?” Steph quipped. Bruce’s displeased grunt was the only answer.

“Look B, the monsters might have come through the portal” Tim supplied. He got a thoughtful hum in response, “And Billy may have been the one to...make the portal”

“...You think he’s been practicing magic?”

“Unless you have a better explanation”

Bruce sighed. He was definitely not happy with that answer.

“Communicator” Cass’ voice startled Tim. She was holding the League communicator that Tim was pretty sure Steph had been carrying before.

“Right. So B, have you been trying to contact Captain Marvel recently? Like within the past hour?”

“How do you know that? And what does that have to do with anything?” Bruce growled out.

“Well we sort of found his JL comm...in Billy’s room? He definitely isn’t getting your messages right now”

Tim didn’t have to be in the same room to know Bruce was on the verge of losing it.

“I want the three of you to stay in Fawcett. See if you can find Marvel. I need to speak with him immediately”

Bruce shut off his comm leaving the three teens to scour the city for it’s resident hero.

Tim sighed. At least this will be more fun than cleaning up broken glass

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

And we have officially had the whole batfam's POV! I struggled for a long time to figure out what would be the best for Tim, so I figured what better than a bit of detective work!

Chapter 24

Summary:

Bruce has grudgingly called in for some magical back up.

Notes:

Heads up there's a decent amount of swearing in this chapter, but like it's Constantine.

A little more than an hour after his breakthrough with Barbara, and one very frustrating phone call with a certain trio of teenage vigilantes later, Bruce found himself fully suited up once again awaiting the arrival of two sorcerers via the Zeta tube. Zatanna had heard the word demon and dragged John Constantine along with her without a second thought. Bruce had a sneaking suspicion the two had been together when he called. He never knew exactly what their relationship was at any given moment, but their personal business wasn't exactly important at the moment. Between the two of them Bruce knew they could shed some light on the subject at hand. He didn’t feel like questioning the first bit of good luck he’d had lately.

Moments later the two sorcerers were standing in the Batcave. Constantine looked annoyed to be there and was probably planning a swift exit. Zatanna at least had the decency to look concerned. She knew how important a case had to be to warrant magic users being invited to Batman's city, let alone to the Batcave itself. 

“Bloody hell mate, what did you do? I can smell the sulfur and ozone from here” Constantine wrinkled his nose in disgust while fishing out a pack of smokes from his pocket.

“It’s not often we get an invite to Gotham” Zatanna stepped forward and flashed him a small smile, noticeably shooting Sivana’s tech a wary look. “But I suppose that's because you rarely have any magical messes that need cleaning up. You know...you were pretty vague when you called.”

"Not to mention you look like Hell" Constantine smirked as he took a drag from his now lit cigarette. "And that's coming from a guy who's been there once or twice"

Bruce bit back a remark about the sorcerer’s chain smoking habits, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand. He put his full attention on the young woman in front of him. “This is a matter of utmost importance Zatanna. But it is also...of a personal nature”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise at the admission but she didn't interrupt him.

 “My son...he was attacked by beings I believe are called skiá”

Constantine swore loudly. He pointed an accusing finger at Bruce “What the fuck were you thinking letting one of your kids mess with something like that?" he shouted "Getting on a skiá’s radar is like signing your own death warrant!”

“I didn’t let him do anything,” Bruce snapped. “He was kidnapped and used in some sort of...summoning ritual. I'm not sure of the details. They’ve been stalking him ever since”

“How sure are you that it is a skiá? I mean those are pretty rare and very powerful. You'd need a lot of magic to pull off summoning one” Zatanna moved between the two, already looking annoyed at having to play peacekeeper. 

“Captain Marvel confirmed it”

“Then why isn’t he here then? The bloody Champion should be able to fix your little problem easier than we can!”

“Captain Marvel is currently unavailable” Bruce hated agreeing with Constantine on anything, but Marvel’s disappearance was aggravating. Disconcerting even. It’s like whenever Billy was in trouble, Marvel conveniently vanished until the situation was taken care of. And if his suspicions were correct...He had never considered the man a coward before but this was pushing him to his limits.

Though Bruce had never heard anyone call Marvel The Champion before. It must be an expression only magic users utilize.

“Maybe we should let them see the damage?” Barbara suggested from her place at the Batcomputer. She gave Bruce a look from behind the spare domino mask she was wearing that told him to keep his cool. As if he needed telling. Nevertheless he led them up the stairs and out to the main part of the manor.

Zatanna must have realized how out of character it was for him to reveal anything that might expose his identity because she kept shooting him worried looks. She had also managed to keep Constantine silent by just grabbing his arm and shaking her head. At least someone understood the seriousness of the situation.

Bruce noticed the way they both tensed up the second they entered the hall.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Constantine huffed. He turned to look Bruce in the eye. “Your buddy Cap is right. It was definitely a skiá, more than one if the smell is anything to go by”

“My god, John, look at this!”

Zatanna had moved to the banister of the staircase overlooking the entryway. The kids had been able to get the chandelier out of the way and had paused in their cleaning efforts to observe the newcomers. They'd been warned of course, that Bruce was bringing in outside help, so masks were in place. It was a formality really since there were plenty of things nearby that would give them away, but it was better this way.

John headed over to where Zatanna was standing and his expression hardened. “Just fucking fantastic” he stormed down the stairs and began running his fingers over the strange burn marks. “It sure as hell wasn’t a skiá that did this” He ignored the others as he began working, though for the life of him Bruce couldn’t understand what he was doing. He waved his hands and muttered to himself as he took stock of the damage.

“If it wasn't the skiá that did that, then what did?”

“A god”

“You can’t be serious” Jason had apparently been just as unenthusiastic as Bruce about that answer. “B, please tell me this guy is off his rocker and that we are not entertaining the thought of gods smashing up the house.”

“John, are you certain?” Zatanna looked pale at the thought. She clearly believed him which didn’t bode well for Bruce and his family.

“Look for yourself Zee. This is some divine fucking intervention if I ever saw it.”

“What would a god want with a twelve year old? And which one are we talking about? Like there is definitely a hierarchy of which ones I'd want in my house and which ones I wouldn't." Dick echoed Bruce’s thoughts exactly. Because even if his hunch was right and Billy did possess some spark of magic, it shouldn’t have been enough to warrant this sort of interference. Even if he was a practicing sorcerer like Tim seemed to believe, this was ridiculous! Bruce wasn’t even sure he believed in gods despite having several coworkers who claimed that’s how they got their powers. The idea that one was in his home, with his child, was absurd!

“You should be thankful. This kid’s got some friends in high places. It’s probably the only reason he’s still alive” Constantine took a long drag of his cigarette before continuing. “Hard to say which god it was, it's all a bit muddled together. Demon, human, and divine all in one spot. But only divine magic could do something like this.”

Bruce’s mind was working overtime, desperately scrabbling for solid ground in this conversation. This was why he hated magic. Nothing was ever simple or straightforward. Nothing ever made sense. There had to be a clue. Some connection that would make this all fall into place. Something like--

“Shazam” Bruce spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear, cutting through whatever disbelief his children were spouting. The reaction was immediate. Zatanna gasped, her eyes wide, a flicker of fear in them. Constantine stiffened, his head snapping to look at Bruce, the cigarette in his mouth threatening to fall to the floor.

“Say that again mate” Constantine’s voice was hard. The words themselves sounded casual, but there was an underlying tension that Bruce didn’t miss.

“Shazam. One of the cameras in this room caught the skiá shouting that word”

Zatanna frowned. “Skiá can’t speak human languages Batman” Bruce shivered. Just how many supernatural entities were in his damn house?

“We’ll deal with that later." He sighed. "Who or what is Shazam?” 

“He’s the bloody Wizard”

“That really doesn’t narrow things down” Dick frowned in confusion. “I mean if the guy’s a wizard and can do magic--”

“He’s not a wizard, he's The Wizard. As in one of the most powerful magical beings to ever walk the planet. Guardian of the Rock of Eternity” Zatanna’s explanation did nothing to alleviate Bruce's worries.

Bruce had alarm bells going off in his head.

“If he’s so powerful and dangerous, why have I never heard of him?” Damian was apparently done being quiet. Bruce had barely even noticed he was in the room. He had his arms folded across his chest and was glaring at Constantine, suspicion written clear as day across his face.

“Because half-pint, Shazam sealed himself away millennia ago. He doesn’t come to earth anymore. He doesn’t get involved in all of this good and evil crap anymore. Or at least he didn’t”

“You know that hasn't exactly been true in years John” Zatanna sighed and turned so she was facing Bruce more fully. She seemed to have mostly recovered from her shock, though her body language still belied her nervousness. “Shazam isn’t a god per se, but he is connected to several. He is dangerous and powerful, but he isn’t evil.” She bit her lip as her eyes flicked back to where John was standing almost involuntarily. She was worried. And anything that could make a seasoned magician such as her worried had to be bad. “You should really try calling Captain Marvel again. He knows more about this than we do”

“He does?”

“He’s Shazam’s champion. He’s the only person on earth who has even seen him in the past 5,000 years”

"I thought he was connected to the Greek pantheon, not a...wizard"

"Look Batman, it's complicated. Captain Marvel is as much a servant to Shazam as he is to his patron gods." She held up a hand to stop his next series of questions. "I really don't understand it either. Talk to Marvel if you want to know more"

“Now show me the kid." Constantine snapped. "If we want answers, he’ll have them”

“But Billy’s still unconscious” Constantine waved off Duke’s worries. He walked in the direction of the room Billy had been taken to without being told where to go.

“Don’t worry. Between me and Zee we know enough healing spells to wake him up. At least long enough to answer some questions”

Bruce’s frown deepened. Why did everything they learn seem to lead them right to one person. A powerful magical being only Marvel knew. A magical portal to Marvel’s city hidden in his home. Creatures summoned by one of Marvel’s villains using a language few besides himself could read. All centered around a boy Marvel knew. One he must have known was capable of magic. A boy who had his Justice League communicator. A boy whose father bore an uncanny resemblance to Marvel.

It wasn’t Billy that Bruce wanted answers from.

There was a loud thunderous crash. The sharp smell of ozone assaulted their senses as the group rushed towards the sound. Bruce's heart stopped at the realization that it had come from the room they had designated for Billy's recovery.

When they entered the room Dr. Leslie Thompkins was unconscious on the ground, a section of the carpet was black and charred, and Billy was nowhere to be seen.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

Fun fact I had absolutely no plans to bring Constantine or Zatanna into this fic, but suddenly Babs was calling them to come fix a plot hole for me.

Chapter 25

Summary:

Billy wakes up and must face the consequences of his actions

Billy knew instantly that something had gone wrong. Usually when he called out the wizard’s name he felt invigorated, invincible. His aches and pains would vanish immediately and the feeling of being bigger and stronger would make all his previous problems seem small.

The monsters were gone but he wasn’t safe. They’d be back. That voice wanted to destroy him, take away every last ounce of magic he had left, burrow into his soul until it found a path to the Rock of Eternity. They hadn’t been prepared for the lightning this time, but next time they would be. That thing had a taste for it now. Even as those shadow monsters burned away to nothingness, something worse had taken notice. It would send them in droves and they will destroy everything in their way.

Billy wasn’t sure how he knew all of that, especially without Solomon’s input, but it was the truth. He was sure of it. He was connected to those shadows now, to their master. He could feel it on a deep instinctual level. He had to take care of this himself. Not even the Justice League could help him now.

Which is why when he woke up, aching and drained on an unfamiliar bed with an only slightly familiar face, Billy knew he had to leave.

The woman in the chair next to him must have noticed him waking up because she was instantly up and checking him over. Was she a doctor? She wasn’t dressed like one. And this wasn’t a hospital. But if she was a doctor that would be bad. He would be in trouble. Social Services would take him away and…

No that’s not right. Mr. Wayne--Bruce--would find out. He probably wouldn’t want a kid that kept getting hurt like this. He’d send Billy away. Billy didn’t want to be sent away. He wanted to stay with his new family and go to school and watch movies and eat good food that he didn’t have to steal and sleep in a real bed. He wanted to be good. He could be good in Gotham. He could be good with the Waynes.

But...but he couldn’t stay, could he? Even if the Waynes didn’t send him away, he would still have to leave.

The monsters had found him in Gotham, in the manor.

They would hurt them all. And Billy didn’t know how to stop them yet.

The lady who was probably a doctor was talking to him, but Billy wasn’t listening. He had to go now, before they came back. He’d go to the Rock. He could regroup there, maybe get some answers. Make a plan.

Billy mustered up what little magic he had.

“Koimaó” The word was barely a whisper but it did the trick. The doctor fell to the ground instantly. Billy felt a pang of guilt as he climbed out of the bed he was in and stepped around her. He hoped she didn’t hurt herself when she fell. As soon as he stood up his head swam. Even that little bit of magic had wiped him out.

Billy took a quick glance around to be completely sure he was alone.

“Shazam” he rasped out.

The second the lightning enveloped him, Billy felt the injuries of his mortal body fade away. His mind sharpened and he was able to slot together a few clues he hadn’t before. For instance, based on the architecture, he was still in Wayne Manor. Therefore his foster family would be coming to check on him at any moment. There was an uncomfortable tang in his mouth from the darkness that had reached out to touch his magic during their last encounter. It was an uncomfortable reminder of how close he had come to losing everything.

Without any further hesitation he created a portal to the Rock of Eternity.

Billy knew he had to summon the wizard. Because that thing, that voice, knew him. It probably knew he was the wizard’s champion now that it had felt his magic, the divine magic that he wasn’t supposed to use. Maybe none of this was as random as it seemed. The wizard had warned Billy in a dream not to let the skia come in contact with his demigod form. So he must know more than that. He knew everything.

“You’ve been touched by darkness, my champion” The wizard’s stern voice came from behind him. His body was ghostly and transparent in the low light of the throne room. It was rare for Shazam to appear without Billy summoning him directly, but it seemed this case was an exception. It usually only happened when things got really bad or when Billy really screwed up.

“I-I know. I tried to stop it, but I...I couldn’t. They were too strong and too fast and...I was just...Billy” He dropped his head, one hand making a fist, the other clutching his hair. Billy hated how weak his voice sounded, even with the deep rich tones of Captain Marvel’s voice speaking the words. He was not going to cry in front of the wizard. He was going to face his mistakes head on. He was going to accept whatever lecture Shazam had in store for him because he couldn’t follow one simple rule. Don’t use your powers. It shouldn’t have been hard. “What do I do?”

A heavy silence filled the air as the old man stared at him, unblinking, unwavering, unnerving. “Is Billy not the one I chose to be my champion?” Shazam’s gentle tone was like a slap to the face. Billy had been expecting him to yell, to scold him, to demand better of him. “And not just my champion but the Champion of all magic. I chose you because there is a light within your soul that shines brighter than any other. A light so bright that even an old man set in his ways could be moved to place his faith in someone once more. A light that no darkness could truly put out”

He reached a ghostly hand out, moving as if to touch Billy’s face, but his fingers passed right through him like smoke. Billy reached his hand up and was surprised to find tears running down his cheeks. He hadn’t even noticed that he had started crying.

“You face a deadly foe. One I fear is not easily defeated” The wizard’s demeanor hardened and became more businesslike. “The skiá have used their connection to you to build a bridge for something even more sinister. A being they see as a deity to their kind called Erebus.”

“Erebus...that was the voice. The one that said your name.”

Shazam leaned heavily against his throne despite the fact that he was simply a spirit. “Erebus is an ancient being, older than even the gods. It has been many millennia since any were foolish enough to awaken him. He cannot be killed or destroyed, but he can be sealed away.”

“Just tell me how and I’ll do it! No matter the cost”

“As the Champion of Magic and vessel of the gods you cannot”

“What? Why not? I can’t just sit here and do nothing! I--”

“The gods cannot interfere with Erebus regardless of the danger he may pose to humanity or to the magical community. Long before man learned to wield magic, the gods swore to never use their powers against him. They knew that should he consume their divine magic, he would become truly unstoppable and the world would be plunged into eternal darkness. Their magic, even in the hands of a mortal champion, cannot be used to fight this battle”

“So when I called the lightning--”

“He got a taste of the power he has been craving since time began. He will stop at nothing to take it for himself especially now that he is aware of his connection to your mortal body”

Billy sagged. He knew he had messed up, but this was way worse than he could have possibly imagined. “If the gods couldn’t do it, then how was he sealed before?”

“I sealed him away. It was one of my first acts once I claimed the mantle of Shazam”

“Can...can you do it again?”

Billy was startled by a dry wheezing sound. It took him longer than he wanted to admit to realize that the wizard was laughing. It was a bitter sound and impossibly sad. Billy instantly knew there was nothing the old man could do.

“No Billy. My days on that throne are long past. My connection to the mortal plane grows weaker every day, even here at the Rock of Eternity. Only a living wizard could hope to accomplish such a feat as sealing away the primordial darkness”

“So there’s nothing we can do?”

“I didn’t say that” He looked into Billy’s eyes, searching for something, though Billy couldn’t imagine what. “I am afraid I must once again ask you to make an impossible choice my dear boy. Erebus has been tied to your mortal form. He cannot fully ascend to the earthly plane without consuming your essence but he cannot enter this place so long as you remain in your champion form. You can remain here at the Rock of Eternity, protecting it from outside forces as I have these many years. Erebus will have some influence on the earth, but the lives saved from his true reign will be incalculable”

Billy felt numb. It took a few seconds for the idea to really sink in. Stay at the Rock of Eternity and never leave. Could he do it? Could he really live the rest of his life and never see Fawcett City again? Never fight side by side with his fellow heroes in the Justice League again? Never make new friends or finish school? Never see his family again? Never even tell them what happened to him?

But it wouldn’t just be a lifetime would it? Black Adam had lived for 5,000 years and was still the same as the day he became the Champion.

Could Billy give up everything and spend an eternity alone?

But what choice did he have? None of that was worth the horror of releasing primordial darkness onto the earth, just because he made a mistake. And at least he wouldn’t be consumed by Erebus and the skia. That had to be a plus.

And his family would be safe.

“The other option” Billy’s head snapped up “is much riskier. But with great risk comes the possibility of great rewards. It will require you to seal Erebus away”

“But you just said--”

“I said a god’s magic cannot be used. But a mortal’s magic, especially one who has ascended to the status of wizard, will work just fine. To seal Erebus away, you must do the ritual as Billy Batson”

“But I can’t. I don’t have the power to do that! And he’s tied to my body as Billy! How could I do the whole ritual before...before he killed me?”

“As I said, there is much risk involved in this path. It is either total victory over the darkness, preventing much suffering that Erebus would cause even with a limited connection to the mortal plane. Or it is abject failure resulting in not only your death but the destruction of your very soul and an eternal darkness will fall over the Earth. Choose wisely my young hero. This is not a decision to be made rashly”

Shazam’s image vanished like smoke in the breeze.

And Billy was left alone to decide his fate.

Notes:

Thanks for reading y'all!

We are finally back with Billy as we race towards the finish line!

Chapter 26

Summary:

Billy needs to make his decision, but Batman is demanding answers.

Billy didn’t know how long he paced around the main chamber of the Rock of Eternity. It must have been hours but it didn’t really matter. Time never moved quite right when he was there. Standing in that large, empty room with nothing but the statues of his enemies for company and the looming possibility of never leaving again, Billy had never felt so claustrophobic.

He needed fresh air, an open sky, the hum of a busy city. He needed to feel the sun on his face and see the twinkle of stars. He needed to breathe. He didn’t even have to think about it before a portal opened high above Fawcett City. In moments he was racing through the clouds as the sun began to set, turning everything around him a brilliant golden color.

He also desperately needed someone--anyone--to talk to about his decision. Because as much as he wanted to take the risk, to fix everything and then go home to his new family and just live--and gods above did he want to live--how could he be so selfish? How could he risk everything just for himself? How could he call himself a hero if he let himself ruin everything just because plain old, unimportant, weak Billy Batson couldn’t save the day?

But if he didn’t go through with it…

Billy had always wondered if he could handle being Captain Marvel full time. There had been times when life on the streets would be so hard he wondered why he ever bothered to be Billy at all. Some days he had stayed in his champion form simply because he couldn't bear the thought of huddling in a dingy alley for warmth or going to bed hungry because he didn't have a cent to his name. On days like that he would think to himself that he should be Cap forever. He remembered lying awake at night on his lumpy mattress and wondering if he could still feel human as the immortal Champion of Magic or if he would lose himself the way Black Adam did. He had never really been interested in knowing the answer. He was always held back by the desire to take a break and just be a kid for a while, to experience those fleeting bits of childhood he still could. But now he was facing the prospect of never being human, never being Billy, again.

He wouldn’t even be able to help people. He’d have to stay in the Rock of Eternity forever. He probably shouldn’t have even left, but if he had to accept his fate he wanted to have one last look at the world he was giving up.

He flew aimlessly over the city, staying high above the rooftops so no one would see how upset he was. It would scare people to see their hero on the verge of tears.

It would probably scare them more if he disappeared. He should probably tell someone. But who? Who would accept his decision instead of trying to talk him out of it? Who would even understand the decision he needed to make? Who would take care of his city, his people, while he was gone?

There was the logical answer of course. He should talk to someone in the Justice League. But they wouldn't understand. They didn't even know him, not really. They wouldn't realize just how much he was giving up.

He knew he didn’t have long. Once night fell, the skiá would find him even as Marvel. And they will do everything in their power to feed him to their master. A chill ran through his body that had nothing to do with the autumn air. 

His mind was abuzz with thoughts and feelings that felt too big, overwhelming everything else. Billy soon found himself hovering over his old neighborhood. It wasn’t a particularly beautiful sight, but it was familiar and comforting. But it wasn’t exactly home. Not anymore.

“MARVEL!” The shout shattered the silence, rocketing Billy back into the present. He spun around to find Batman, Red Robin, Spoiler, and Black Bat standing on the roof of a dilapidated building. He couldn’t imagine what on earth four Gotham vigilantes would be doing in Fawcett. They all looked exhausted, but Batman looked as if Wrath itself had escaped its prison to possess him.

Billy cautiously landed next to them. “Batman? What’s--”

“Where is he? What have you done with him?” Batman roared, stalking up to Billy and jabbing his finger in his face.

“Who are you--”

“Don’t play dumb with me! Where is my son?”

“Your son? I didn’t--”

Red Robin stepped forward, grabbing Batman’s arm. “B, Calm down! I don’t think he knows what you’re talking about”

Batman roughly yanked his arm away from the younger hero. “Billy! Where is Billy?”

Several thoughts crashed down on Billy all at once.

The first was that he had never seen Batman so distraught, so angry, so desperate. The man had always been calm and stoic.

The second was that he had caused this and Batman had every right to be angry with him.

The third was that there was only one man on earth that would call him their son.

And finally, he realized that Batman must be Bruce Wayne.

He must have been silent for too long because Batman--Bruce--stepped forward and roughly grabbed a fistful of Billy’s cape. There were shouts of protest from the vigilantes behind him and--oh gods was that Steph’s voice?

“Answer me Marvel”

“Billy’s safe!” He blurted out in panic. But it wasn’t true and the man in front of him could see that. So could the others because their protests died immediately as they closed ranks behind Batman with a wary suspicion.

“Don’t. Lie” Bruce seethed out, with a loathing Billy hadn't thought him capable of.

Billy closed his eyes and turned his head towards the sky and the quickly setting sun. He didn’t know what he could possibly say to make things right. Not when he knew what his options were. “The skiá, they’re tied to Billy. He won’t be safe anywhere on earth. He...He’ll stay with me at the Rock of Eternity”

“You don’t get to just take him from us!” Red Robin snapped. As he gripped his bo staff harder, a piece of hair fell into his face. He looked so much like Tim in that moment that Billy wondered how he ever missed it.

“Take me to him. Now”

“I can’t. The Rock of Eternity is...I can’t just take people there”

“You took Billy there” Steph’s purple clad arms were folded over her chest and her eyes were narrowed at him with distrust.

“Billy is a special case”

There was a beat of tense silence as the group watched Billy try not to squirm under the intensity of the collected gazes.

“Is it because of this?” Bruce used the computer built into the wrist of his suit to bring up a picture. An achingly familiar one. One Billy never thought he would see again after his uncle threw him into foster care. His parents and younger self smiled up at him as if it was impossible for anything bad to happen to them. As if the whole world was bright and good and waiting for them to explore it.

Bruce wouldn’t be showing him this picture if he didn’t know who Billy was.

“If you knew then why…?”

“Because Billy is a child who wouldn’t be in danger if it weren’t for you. Because you have refused to take responsibility for the consequences of your actions and you don’t seem to even care about the danger he’s been in. Because any man who would allow his own child to live on the streets and not even bother to save that child from the enemies he’s made is not a man I can trust”

Billy’s mouth gaped in surprise, his eyes flicking between his foster father and the picture of his dead parents. Only then did he truly see the picture. It had never occurred to him that he looked so much like his father in this form. Did his subconscious do that or did the gods? He’d almost forgotten what the man looked like as the few fragile memories he had of his parents were hazy at best and faded more and more with each passing year.

His stunned silence was taken as an admission of guilt, a condemnation of his good character. Not just that but of his father’s good character. He couldn’t fix this without telling them who he was, but they would never believe him without proof and the only way that would work was if he transformed. If he did that he was a goner for sure. He couldn't face Erebus here, now. He wasn't even sure if he was going to face him at all!

He glanced up and saw the first stars glinting in the night. He was almost out of time. Guilt overwhelmed him. He really couldn’t do anything right, could he?

“It’s not just the skiá anymore Bruce” He saw Batman flinch, but he didn’t deny the truth. Somehow that made it so much worse. “Their master Erebus is trying to come to earth, but he can only do that by...consuming Billy, body and soul”

The silence on that rooftop was deafening.

“Is he safe?” When Black Bat spoke, her quiet voice filled the night. She had moved silently to his side with all the grace she had used in her performance less than 24 hours ago. Her eyeless mask stared right through him.

“As long as he is at the Rock of Eternity, no harm will come to him”

She stared for a beat longer before turning and nodding to the others. She believed him.

Bruce didn’t look happy. None of them did.

“You said you can track these things right? You’re going to take us to them and help us destroy these things once and for all. Then you will return my son to me”

“I told you. I can’t use my magic against them. My gods forbid it. And if I fight without my powers…my magic is tied to the Rock. They can get there through me. Then it won’t just be Billy who dies”

“So what? You’re going to run and hide? I didn’t realize you were such a coward.” Bruce’s words stung and Billy almost broke down right then and there. “We’ll take care of this ourselves then as we always should have”

With one last glare in his direction, Batman signaled for the other three to follow him into the night, leaving Billy alone once more.

But this time for better or worse Billy had made his decision.

He opened a portal to the Rock of Eternity, already preparing a list in his mind of what he would need.

He was no coward. And even if they hated him, hated Captain Marvel, he was not going to let his family face the darkness alone.

That was his job.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

This may not be the confrontation y'all were expecting, but here you go!

Chapter 27

Summary:

Billy prepares for fight of his life.

When Billy had first become the Champion of Magic, he had barely even believed in magic. It was something he had seen on TV and read about in books, but it had never felt real. The notion of learning it was beyond crazy. Magic was something from a story, a fairytale, one that kids like him didn’t get to be a part of.

Until one day a wizard said otherwise.

Being chosen to be a superhero, to be given the power to protect people, was the greatest dream come true he could imagine. Because it was the universe saying he was important. Even when none of his foster parents wanted him and his teachers hated him and the other kids at school bullied him and everyone expected him to be nothing more than a bad kid who grew up to be a bad person, he was still important. He was special. He was chosen.

It made him feel powerful to be Captain Marvel.

Being Billy was another story. He never felt more powerless as Billy than when he first received his powers from Shazam. He had felt what it was like to be strong and fast and larger than life. To be seen as a man at a time when he couldn’t get anyone to even see him as a boy. The gods themselves had spoken to him and told him this was who he was meant to be. Their Champion. A hero. Giving it all up just to be plain old Billy had felt like losing a bit of himself that he had only just found.

But as amazing as it was, becoming Captain Marvel was never a choice. Not really. Sure he decided when to transform and how often, but it was about more than just him. It was a title he was given, a destiny he had to fulfill. It was his duty to right the wrongs of past champions and create balance where there was none. He was given great power and in exchange he was expected to do good so good could follow.

He never chose to be Captain Marvel, to have those powers thrust upon him. But he right now he was allowed choose to be something else. 

This was different. He couldn’t take power from others and punch his way through any obstacle in his way. He couldn’t rely on Solomon’s advice or Achilles’ courage when things got hard.

He had to be smart. He had to be quick. He had to be confident in his power. And most importantly, he had to be Billy.

The wizard had given him a choice and he chose to risk everything to fight.

The ritual would be tricky, especially once Erebus realized what he was doing and sent his attack dogs after him. Once he started chanting, he wouldn’t be able to use any spells to defend himself, which meant he would be a sitting duck.

Which is why he was going to walk in there prepared. Splitting his focus was a bad idea, but if he was attacked he had to be ready. He brewed a strong healing potion to keep his old injuries from slowing him down too much. He had also made several potions that could create light, like a flash bomb he had seen Batman use before, only more magical and more powerful. He had also gathered several artifacts that should provide him with some protection.

The last thing he grabbed was Shazam’s staff that had been left by his throne since the day he died. Billy prayed he’d have the strength necessary to wield it.

With a final glance around the Rock of Eternity, Billy opened a portal back home.

Moments later he stood in the thrashed remnants of his room at Wayne Manor. Moonlight filtered through the curtains that had been drawn across the broken window. Splintered wood and broken glass littered the floor, crunching beneath the soles of his boots, though it looked as if there had been at least a token effort to clean up the worst of it. He saw that someone had placed his backpack on the bed, where it sat waiting for him just like old times.

He walked over and dumped the contents on the bed, making room for his magical supplies. He wouldn’t need things like water and food tonight.

He scanned the room one more time. There were no monsters here yet.

When he was satisfied that he was truly alone, Billy said the magic word for what he feared might be the last time.

“SHAZAM!”

Lighting crashed down onto him, shaking the walls of the manor and scorching the floor beneath him. Instantly pain and fatigue overwhelmed him. It took everything he had not to fall to his knees.

He didn’t have time for this. He needed to get moving now.

With all the speed he could muster, Billy threw on a pair of jeans, a hoodie and his shoes. He looped a protection amulet around his neck and shoved a couple potion vials in his pocket. With a grimace he chugged the foul tasting healing potion and let it’s effects take hold. It didn’t put him back at 100%, but it would have to do. He slung his backpack across his shoulders, grabbed hold of the staff and headed down the hall.

He could do the ritual outside, in the garden, so long as the skiá didn’t find him before he made it there. He’d have to make sure it was clear. Maybe a more controlled environment where the skiá would have less to feed on would be better. Maybe the Library?

He creeped down the hall. Each step he made was deafening in the eerie silence of the empty manor. But why was it empty? Where was everyone?

Billy wasn’t stupid. Once he realized that Bruce and Batman were the same person, everyone else just slotted right into place. He’d been surrounded by fellow heroes this whole time and had had no idea. Most of them had been fighting crime since they were his age or younger! All the time and effort he put into hiding who he was and what he was capable of seemed ridiculous now.

He wondered if they would feel the same way once they knew.

Bruce had made it clear that he was going after the skiá himself, but he didn’t have a way to find them. Billy himself had been in charge of that. Billy had worked as fast as he could so that he could do what he needed to do before Bruce found his own way to track down supernatural creatures. And of course he would find something. He was Batman!

Gods that was still wild to think about.

He passed by the entranceway and was entranced by what he saw. The broken husk of the chandelier had been set to the side, the remaining crystals still glittering in the darkness. On the ground branching burns raced across the hardwood floors and spread up the wall and along the staircase. Billy had seen the effects of his lightning many times, but never had it looked quite like this.

“Master Billy!”

Billy spun around to find Alfred hurrying down the hall from Bruce’s office. He wrapped his arms around Billy, engulfing him in an instant. Billy couldn’t help but sag into the touch ever so slightly. Alfred was warm. He was sure and safe and Billy felt so much guilt for making him worry.

“Where’s Bruce?” Billy was surprised by how rough and scratchy his voice was, his raw throat protesting the words. Maybe he should have grabbed the water after all.

“He’s out looking for you. We’ve all been so worried”

Billy furrowed his brow. That wasn’t right. Bruce knew where he was. Or he thought he did at least. He’d been sure Bruce was going to look for a way to fight Erebus, not break into the Rock of Eternity. Did he really hate Captain Marvel so much? Would he even want Billy when he learned the truth?

Billy shook his head to clear his head. He couldn’t think about that right now. He could worry about the future when he was sure he still had a future left to worry about.

“Is he in the Batcave? Are the others with him?” Batman’s infamous base of operations was often the subject of discussion with other heroes. There were many people who thought it was likely even more high-tech than the Watchtower. Of course that’s where he’d be!

“What? How--” Billy pulled away from Alfred who had never looked so surprised.

“Is it down this way? I really need to talk to him before he does something stupid” He started heading down the hall where Alfred had come from.

“Master Billy!” Alfred’s long strides made it easy for him to catch up to Billy. “You’re hurt. If you’ll allow me to take you to Dr. Thompkins, I can call Master Bruce so we can talk about everything when--”

“There’s no time Alfred! As soon as Erebus realizes I’m on the mortal plane again, he’s going to come after me. I can’t be near other people when that happens!” Billy knew Alfred probably had no idea what he was saying, but he seemed to at least understand the gravity of the situation.

He frowned at Billy and spoke slowly. “I was under the impression you had been moved elsewhere for your own protection. I assure you Master Bruce and the others can handle whatever is coming after you”

“No they can’t! And they’ll only get themselves killed by trying!”

Alfred stared at him, his expression stony and serious. Coming to a decision he straightened his posture and walked the rest of the way over to Bruce’s office, Billy right on his heels. He walked over to the large grandfather clock in the corner and twisted the hands on the clock face until there was a click revealing a secret door to an elevator.

Billy wished he had time to think about how cool that was or how mind blowing it was to be physically entering the Batcave.

“Not long before you arrived, Master Bruce and the children all left. They were searching for a secluded place in which to draw out those shadow beings that have been chasing you. They plan to fight the beasts, which I’m assuming you’re trying to stop them from doing”

Billy groaned. He was too late. He had to hope that he could find them in time before they managed to pick a fight they couldn’t win.

“I can track them through the comm--”

“Magic will short circuit the comms. If they’ve manage to attract the attention of the skiá, tracking them will be almost impossible”

Alfred gave him an appraising look. Sadness and fear mingled together with pride.

The elevator doors opened to a dark cavernous room. A large series of computer monitors filled the space. Weapons and Batman equipment were scattered across several steel tables. Several of Batman’s patented vehicles were parked in a line on one side. Live bats chittered from high above. It was both everything Billy thought it would be and nothing at all like he imagined.

Alfred strode towards the computer and deftly pulled up the tracking system. Billy realized with a start that Alfred might be more involved in Batman’s work than he had originally thought.

“It seems you are right, Master Billy. The comms are compromised, but I do have a last known location, accurate within a couple city blocks” Alfred sighed and turned to look at Billy, that sad expression making him look haunted. “Am I right to assume that the staff in your hands means you have some plan involving feats of heroism?”

Billy chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. “If the comms are already down, then we don’t have much time. They’ve probably already got the attention the skiá somehow”

“Then I suppose you’ll have to fill me in on the drive” Alfred gestured for Billy to follow him and get into the actual Batmobile and in moments they were speeding away towards Gotham City proper, moving further and further away from the upscale neighborhood he had been living in and straight past the heart of Crime Alley.

“I know a spell,” Billy blurted out as they hurtled at top speeds through the city. Not even Gotham had many people out this late. “A ritual really. It will take a lot of magic, but if I can do it then it will send all the monsters away. Erebus, the skiá, all of them. Permanently gone from our world” He clutched the strap of his backpack in a white knuckled grip. “Everything I need is in here”

“Well you sound much more prepared than Master Bruce did when he left. He’s never more rash than when he’s dealing with magic and the like”

The Batmobile slowed as they entered a run down neighborhood filled with abandoned buildings that reminded Billy a bit too much of his life in Fawcett City.

“They must be close by. These are the last set of coordinates I have”

“If they’re less than a mile away, I can do a tracking spell” Billy offered, already climbing out of the car. “I just need something of theirs, do you have anything like that in here?”

Alfred paused, a contemplative look on his face. Then he reached into a compartment inside the Batmobile. He handed Billy a domino mask. “This is Master Damian’s. He’s always been quite particular so he only has the two. The other he was wearing when he left with the others”

Billy grabbed it and nodded. This could work. Now there was just one more thing he needed to do before he faced his greatest challenge yet.

“Alfred, I need you to do something for me”

“Anything Master Billy”

Billy pulled out four crystals he had packed in his bag and handed them to the closest thing to a grandfather he had ever known. “I need you to place these crystals at the cardinal positions: North, South, East, and West. They need to be equidistant from a central position. They’re infused with magic from the Rock of Eternity so once they are in place they’ll activate on their own. It will keep the monsters from escaping”

“Keeping them locked in with you”

Billy grimaced. He couldn’t deny it no matter how much he wanted to spare Alfred the pain. “That’s the plan”

“Then you can count on me” He reached his hand out and gently stroked Billy’s cheek. “I have faith in you Billy. Please be careful”

“That’s the first time you’ve ever called me just Billy”

“Well you have been so insistent” Alfred gave him a strained smile. “Now go and save our family from their own recklessness”

An explosion sounded from somewhere behind him, signaling that he was out of time.

And just like that Billy was running.

Billy felt tears stinging his eyes as he tried to navigate the unfamiliar Gotham streets. He only had a vague knowledge of the city’s layout, but the soft green light of his tracking spell led him through the twisting streets with ease. He only knew the area by reputation, but that reputation was more than enough to keep him on edge. Luckily he hadn’t run into any of the countless criminals looking for an easy target. Billy wouldn’t be responsible for what he would do if one of them tried to get between him and the people he was trying to save.

Somehow he felt right at home dashing through the dark and dirty alleys. It was like a spell was broken and all those days in a fancy mansion with a large loving family were just a dream. He was never meant to stay there. He was never meant to be a permanent part of their family. Or any family. The only proof that it was real were his new shoes that easily gripped the asphalt and the warm sweater keeping out the chill of early winter.

Billy’s thoughts were a jumbled mess of curse words and half formed prayers. Please let me save them. I’ll do anything if it means I can get there in time.

He had to find them and fast. He couldn’t let them pay for his mistakes. How could he have been so stupid? He should have run away from Wayne manor when he had the chance. Like he always did. Because he knew it was the right thing to do. Even Solomon thought so. Instead he had to be selfish and play house with a rich family leading evil incarnate right to their doorstep. How could he ever forgive himself if something happened to them? What if they died?

But he could save them.

He had to save them.

No matter the cost.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Prepare for the final showdown!

Chapter 28

Summary:

The Batfam implements their plan to fight the monsters they barely understand.

Notes:

This chapter includes descriptions of violence, blood, and injuries.

The only things keeping Bruce going were rage and spite. And if he were honest with himself, a bit of fear.

After finding out that Captain Marvel had kidnapped his son by whisking him away to some distant magical place, Bruce had immediately began working on finding and destroying the monsters that made even superpowered demigods cower like children.

It felt as if Billy were being held ransom all over again, except this time instead of facing an enemy he could track down, he was facing a colleague who could vanish off the face of the earth.

There were still so many questions he wanted answers to. Why did Marvel fake his death? Why would he abandon his child on the streets? Did Marvel teach Billy magic? Did Sivana know who Billy was to Marvel? Does Billy even know that they’re related? Or does he just think a superhero is looking out for him? What else has the Captain been keeping from him? What else has Billy been keeping from him?

As much as it pained him to admit, he wasn’t going to get any of those answers without first getting rid of the current threat. And if Captain Marvel was unable or unwilling to help him, then he’ll find another way.

Since Billy’s disappearance that morning, Bruce had wrung every last drop of information out of Zatanna and Constantine that he could. Thankfully Constantine had been willing to set aside his usually contrary behavior for the sake of a missing and injured child. They had been the ones to posit the theory that Marvel or his godly patrons had been involved due to the strange scorch marks they’d found.

“I need a way to find him”

Bruce had been pacing the room Billy had disappeared from. Leslie had woken up, confused and frightened with no memory of how she lost consciousness. She was currently resting in one of the guest rooms. The pair of sorcerers had been combing the scene for clues. Apparently there was magical residue of both human and divine origin in this room as well.

“What about his communicator?” Zatanna questioned. “Isn’t he supposed to keep that on him for emergencies?”

“He’s supposed to” Bruce growled out “But his communicator was found in my son’s bedroom before his disappearance”

“What the bloody hell was it doing there?”

“That’s something I would like to know. It implies he has either been breaking into my home or attempting to involve my son in dangerous activities without my knowledge or consent”

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions Batman” Zatanna sighed, though she did look more nervous than usual. “You know Marvel. He’s one of the good guys here. If your son is with him then he’s probably safe”

“Probably isn’t good enough for me”

“Alright, don’t get your knickers in a twist mate. I’ll do a tracking spell alright? We got plenty of the kid’s blood here to work with”

Bruce’s gut twisted at the thought of using Billy’s blood for some sort of spell or ritual. But if it helped him find Billy and keep him safe then he would push away his disgust. Just this once.

“Do it”

Constantine grabbed some of the bloody bandages that had been tossed in the trash next to the bed. Then he pulled out a crumpled map from the insides of his coat. Unfolding it, he set the map on the table and held the bandage in one hand. Then he began chanting.

“Quaerite me ego ostendam unum”

Nothing happened.

Constantine frowned and repeated the words. When still nothing happened he sighed.

“Well I can tell you this much: the kid’s not on earth”

Fear flooded Bruce’s system, making him feel cold. “You don’t mean he’s…”

“I can’t say one way or another if he’s alive or not” Constantine had the decency to look uncomfortable. “But there are plenty of other realms besides this one that he could have ended up in. And Captain Marvel has access to them all”

“What about those things? The skiá? Can they get to Billy in those places?”

Zatanna and Constantine shared a look. After a silent argument they apparently decided the explanation of the complexities of secret magical realms should be set aside for another day.

“I doubt the Captain would take him somewhere they could be followed” Zatanna spoke slowly, not breaking eye contact with Constantine. “He might have even taken him to the Rock of Eternity, which would be a great honor. Especially if Billy is a young sorcerer”

“Look if the bloody Champion is looking out for the kid, you should stop worrying so much about where he is. You should be more worried about how to keep your demonic houseguests from coming back”

“I’m working on it”

“Well if they are connected to Billy like you seem to think they are, they’ll probably only show if he’s around. So really Marvel bought you some time to prepare” Bruce couldn’t understand why Zatanna was so quick to come to the man’s defense. He had only known them to work together on a handful of occasions, but he supposed it was possible they had formed some sort of alliance as two of the only magic-users in the Justice League. 

“Marvel said he could track them for me. But seeing as he is unavailable, I’ll need an alternative” He looked at them expectantly.

“You want to find the bloody things? What part of us telling you that fighting them is a death wish did you not understand?”

“The part where you think I have a choice” Bruce growled. “This is my family on the line. I need to find and eliminate this threat as soon as physically possible”

“I want no part in you getting yourself killed because you’re too paranoid to think this through properly” Zatanna stormed across the room. She paused in the doorway. “I get why you’re acting like this. I really do. But there are just some things you can’t do. Even as Batman. And fighting beings like the skiá is one of them”

She walked out the door without turning back.

“She’s not wrong you know” Constantine came up beside him, casually lighting another cigarette. “I don’t know many people who could win the fight you’re trying to pick." He sighed, breathing out a cloud of smoke. "You give me a few hours and I’ll have a way for you to drag those bastards right out from whatever shadows they’ve been hiding in. I’ll leave it up to you to figure out how to deal with them after that since my magic won’t do shite except piss them off”

Night had fallen by the time Constantine had finally contacted him again. He’d found a secluded space to summon the skiá and claimed he had a plan to do it. It had apparently required him to collect quite a bit of Billy’s blood. If Bruce hadn’t been so desperate he would have forbidden it, but as things stood now…

They only thing he could do now was prepare for a fight.

For the past week or so he had been working on upgrading the device he had used in his original fight with the skiá with hopes that an increase in power output would be the key to fighting them. Taking some inspiration from Sivana’s machines, which had been able to handle the creatures in some capacity, a new model was created. Barbara had worked with Captain Marvel to figure out a rough estimate of how much energy they would need. The information she had been given forced him to give up on a handheld version. The prototype for the larger, more powerful device was currently being loaded into one of the larger models of the Batmobile.

“How could you not tell us that Captain Marvel is Billy’s father?” Damian had his arms folded over his chest as he watched Bruce struggle with the device. “I feel like this is information the rest of us should have known”

“I’ve only just confirmed my suspicions” Bruce grunted. “But he clearly hasn’t been Billy’s father in an meaningful capacity for a very long time”

“Damn. You think you can trust a guy and it turns out he’s a fucking deadbeat. Typical” Jason loaded his gun with more force than necessary. “If the guy weren’t bulletproof I’d shoot him”

“I can’t believe he’s not even going to try and help us” Stephanie snapped from where she was stuffing her utility belt full of weapons that would probably do little in a fight against creatures made of shadows. “I mean seriously! He’s in the Justice League! It’s basically his job to help us, whether he’s Billy’s dad or not”

“Trust me. I plan on dealing with Marvel soon. But first we have to make sure it is safe for Billy to come home. And that means getting rid of the skiá and any other threat connected to them. Now are you all going to help me or do I need to do it all myself?”

“I still feel like we’re missing something,” Tim sighed. “Cap seemed so...upset when we talked to him. And why wouldn’t he just tell us he was taking Billy somewhere safe? Why try to lie to us? Something just isn't adding up”

“Who cares?” Duke rolled his eyes. “I say we kick some demon ass and then we kick some demigod ass after that”

Despite some grumbling and the overall exhaustion he knows they all felt, everyone was suited up and armed to the teeth in no time. Even Barbara had suited up in an old Batgirl uniform after insisting that she knew how to tweak the device for maximum output. Bruce had a sneaking suspicion she was trying to make up for what had happened to Billy on her watch.

Bruce would never blame her for what happened but he knew she was blaming herself.

Bruce wished he didn’t have to push them all like this. He wished he could let them rest and forget their troubles. He wished his kids could be safe. All of them.

But wishing never got him anywhere. And telling his kids to take a backseat in this case was probably more dangerous than fighting any demon.

Bruce knew he couldn’t do this on his own. What little he knew of his enemy told him this would be a hard won fight at best. And while he could call for reinforcements from the Justice League, there was no team he would rather have by his side than the one currently gearing up.

This was a family matter after all. No one threatens one of their own.

When they arrived at the specified location, Constantine was waiting for them holding what looked to be a jar of blood.

“I see you brought the whole bloody crew”

Bruce ignored the jab. “Tell me your plan so we can make quick work of this” He gestured for the others to begin unloading the device. While obedience wasn’t a trait he would apply to any of his children, they knew it was best not to waste time with questions or shows of bravado when there was real work to be done.

Constantine shot the machine a distrusting look. “I don’t know what you’ve got planned, but it better be good. You’ll only have one shot at this. The skiá won’t be fooled twice” He held out the jar. “I lifted this blood from the scene of the attack. Your kid’s magical signature is laced all through it. I’m pretty sure I’ve got enough to lure out the monsters he’s tied to”

Bruce’s stomach turned at the confirmation that it was Billy’s blood in the jar. Had he really lost that much blood? What was Marvel doing to help him recover?

He had to stop that train of thought. His concern would just be a distraction right now. The sooner this was taken care of the sooner he can force Marvel to return his son to him. Assuming the man didn’t have any other ulterior motives for taking the boy.

“How long will it take?”

“Couple minutes tops once I say the word. So I suggest you and your brat brigade get ready. I’ve got no intention of waiting here all night to get killed”

“Nope, instead we’re just going to summon the demons and have them kill us now” Bruce shot a half-hearted glare at Jason’s back as his second oldest headed inside.

“I hope you know what you’re doing, Bats. I won’t be able to help much in the fight and Zee is going to blame me if you die”

“Just be ready on my signal”

When the device was powered up and ready, Barbara at the controls and everyone else circled around her as a protective measure for the one weapon they truly had, Constantine knelt down and prepared the summoning.

Bruce wasn’t sure what to expect. He never really did when magic was involved. But soon Constantine’s quiet chanting filled the silence. Suddenly a blindingly bright golden glow engulfed the jar in his hands. Duke was the only one who didn’t flinch.

“Fuck, with a magical signature like this, it’s a wonder the kid hasn’t attracted every demon in the goddamn state”

“Wait so you guys can all see that now?” Duke frowned looking around at his squinting siblings for confirmation. “Because that’s what I see whenever I’m with Billy”

“And you haven’t gone blind?”

“Signal, Spoiler! Focus. We need to--”

A black mass rushed forward, throwing itself right at Bruce and knocking him to the ground. Dick rushed to his side and used his escrima sticks to bat it off. The screeching was deafening, but the skiá was thrown off of him.

All around them the shadows came alive, dozens of these creatures crashing into them from all sides and engulfing them in chaos.

Gunshots filled the air, but Jason’s bullets sailed through their targets forcing him to switch to using his fists.

A figure dropped from above right on top of Stephanie and pinned her to the ground. Damian swung his sword down at it only for the creature to grab hold of it and throw him aside.

Tim threw a flash bomb in their direction as he attempted to swipe at one of the skiá with his staff. The resulting flash caused a cacophony of shrieking. One fallen skiá bit into Tim’s leg while another crashed blindly into Damian as he tried to get back to his feet.

Dick’s escrima sticks served him well at first, but soon his opponents became enraged, slashing at his arms with their claws. He screamed out but continued fighting.

Cass was blocking and dodging her attackers, but even she seemed to grow wary of their lack of weak points and seemingly endless stamina. She had positioned herself so she could closely guard Barbara as she frantically worked the controls of their device.

There was a flash of light beside him and Bruce saw Duke weaponizing what little light was in the room. Each movement caused the creatures to screech and hiss, darting away from him at tops speeds only for more to surge from behind to take out what they clearly deemed to be the largest threat.

Bruce himself was getting lost in the flurry of attacks he sent towards his opponents. One swiped at his side, tearing through the Kevlar like paper. Another stretched and grew, the place where its jaw would be if it were human became sharp and jagged, allowing it to bite into his shoulder and draw blood.

Despite the attacks it seemed most of the skiá were making a beeline for Constantine who still held the glowing jar in his hands. He threw balls of flame towards as many as he could. It knocked them back, but the creatures seemed to adapt to the spells charging straight through them when he cast them a second time. They crashed into him, causing him to fumble and drop the jar.

Bruce could tell when they realized the trick. The second the jar had shattered to the ground causing the light to sputter out, they let out howls of frustration and began furiously swiping at Constantine from all sides. Bruce saw him get thrown to the ground, his head smacking the concrete floor. He didn’t get back up.

There was another crash. Bruce could see Jason struggling to climb back to his feet from where he had been thrown. His helmet had been knocked off and there was blood escaping the corner of his mouth.

Stephanie’s arm was twisted at an unnatural angle as she attempted to tackle a skiá that had landed a hit on Cass, ripping through her mask and leaving a gash across her cheek.

Damian had somehow managed to escape from underneath his assailant but the blood on his side suggested he was hurt worse than he let on. He and Tim took up positions back to back both heavily favoring one side.

Throughout all of this Barbara had barely had time to activate the machine. When one of the skiá landed in front of her she blasted it with an energy pulse. The thing dissipated into a mist, but it was impossible to tell if it was dead. She geared it up for a second shot, struggling to make sure she only hit her targets and not her friends.

The machine was working, but it was too slow. They had been expecting only one or two of these things, not an army of them. Not to mention they had no idea how many pulses it could give off without overheating.

A horrible realization settled into Bruce’s mind as rolled away from his opponent, careful to avoid his injured shoulder. There was no way they were going to take them all down.

The fight had only lasted a few minutes and already they were all hurt, their stamina depleted. If they didn’t do something soon, this would be a bloodbath.

Barbara screamed as she was knocked from her wheelchair, her head knocking against the device she was clinging to, leaving a nasty cut across her brow. She hit the control panel, sending out another pulse that disintegrated the monster on top of her.

The device started sparking and shaking. A high pitched whirring sound filled the room. Cass only just managed to drag Barbara a few feet away from the machine before it exploded.

Shrapnel flew through the air hitting both monsters and vigilantes alike. All the lights shattered, leaving them in total darkness, unable to tell what was alive and what wasn’t.

For a moment all was still.

A deep rumbling filled the room. The ground shook beneath their feet. A voice filled the air, coming from everywhere at once and from nowhere at all.

“WHERE IS SHAZAM?”

“Keraunós!” The new voice was human. It was higher, younger. And distressingly familiar.

A flash of lighting crashed through the darkness, splitting it apart until there was enough light to see. And what he saw was his youngest son standing in front of him, his face set with determination. In one hand he clutched a small glass vial and in the other was a gnarled wooden staff.

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed the first half of the fight scene and are ready to see Billy be a BAMF in the next chapter.

Chapter 29

Summary:

Billy puts his plan into action

Notes:

Waring for more blood and violence as well as slight self harm for ritualistic purposes.

Billy had been able to feel the darkness growing stronger before he even entered the building. The rumble of Erebus’ voice shook the ground as he searched for his target. For Billy. He had no idea how badly the others were injured or what had caused the explosion he had heard, but he knew he needed to do something before the primordial being took out its frustration on them.

Inky blackness obscured his vision as soon as he yanked open the door to the otherwise nondescript building that was at the center of all the negative energy in the area. It was risky, using a spell now. It would ruin the element of surprise he currently had, but it also was the only thing he could think of to keep those monsters from killing everyone inside.

“Keraunós!” he shouted. The resulting blast of lightning sliced through the darkness causing those creatures closest to him to shriek and hide away. This blast was more powerful than the ones he had used earlier at the manor. The Rock of Eternity had replenished his magical stores, and the staff in his hands was amplifying his natural abilities. But he still couldn't waste anymore magic if he could help it.

He took a moment to register the scene in front of him. Blood and bits of metal littered the floor. The melted and mangled remains of...something seemed to be at the center of a scorched section of the ground. Various vigilantes were scattered around the room. Enough to account for everyone he cared about in Gotham. And they all looked hurt. A blond man he recognized as John Constantine was unconscious on the ground roughly in the middle of the group, a distressing amount of blood pooled around him. What he was doing here was a total mystery. Billy just hoped the man was okay. 

Billy ran towards the group, his staff at the ready. They were all staggering to their feet, clutching their wounds and generally looking like they had all been collectively hit by a truck. They also looked very confused. Probably because they’d never seen Billy do magic before. Also probably because they thought his alter ego was his father who had kidnapped him to another dimension for his own safety.

Which Billy still thought was ridiculous.

He really hoped they were in the mood for listening and taking orders. The time it would take to explain things would almost certainly get them all killed.

“Alright, we don’t have much time so listen up!” Billy was putting on his best commander voice, the one he used when he was in charge of a mission. “Everyone needs to take some of these” he shoved the vials in his hands towards Damian while slinging his trusty backpack into the center of the group. “Throw them at anything that comes after you”

“Billy? What are you--” Bruce looked helplessly around the room. He sounded much more like his foster dad than the vigilante he was dressed as now. If Billy had had any doubts left about the man’s identity, that voice would have chased them away. “It’s not safe for you here. You need--”

“I know what I’m doing Bruce” Billy snapped. He stuck his arm into his bag and began collecting the candles, chalk and knife he would need for his ritual. He also grabbed the paper he had written the incantation on and stuffed it in the pocket of his hoodie.

“Wait, you knew?” Dick spluttered. “Since when?”

“Not important” Billy took one of the vials and threw it towards a shadow that was creeping towards them while they were distracted. The flash of light was bright and golden, like sunlight had been locked inside. The creature dissolved with a hiss of pain. “What is important is you guys staying safe while I deal with this”

“You can’t take on the skiá by yourself” Tim was leaning heavily on his staff, but he had taken a couple of vials. “They nearly killed you last time”

“Well I was sleeping last time. And besides, I’m not fighting the skiá. I’m fighting Erebus” Billy realized even as he said it that he was not being very helpful. “That’s the voice that was talking. It’s too complicated to explain right now. Just trust me when I say I can handle it”

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue, but didn’t know what to say. Billy chose to ignore him in favor of setting up his ritual and praying to his gods to keep everyone safe while he worked. His prayers would probably go unanswered, but it couldn’t hurt to ask.

Cass spun around and slammed her fist into a skiá that thought it could sneak up on her. Duke, from his position on the ground where he was clearly nursing an injured leg, summoned a bright ball of light and threw it at the creature, causing it to sizzle and dissipate.

Billy had to pause at the sight. He hadn’t known that Duke was a metahuman, let alone one with power over light. Thank the gods he had been blessed with powers that could help them all stay alive. He felt a smile tug at his lips involuntarily. It was like it was fate.

A tightness in his chest eased just a little at the realization. Bruce made an exception for family. Maybe he would make another for Billy when this was all over.

Everyone was forced into a defensive stance as more skiá recovered from the blast and prepared to attack. The group of vigilantes naturally began forming a protective circle around Billy as he began sketching magical symbols onto the ground.

The fighting began in earnest as more and more skiá attacked the group. If Billy had had the time he would have stared in awe at the sight of Gotham’s heroes fighting in perfect tandem even despite their injuries and confusion. They fought side-by-side and back-to-back, covering each other’s weak points with a practiced ease.

Damian’s smug I-told-you-so smirk was directed at just about everybody as he flung one of the vials Billy had given him towards a mass of shadows that had not yet attacked. Dick took the opportunity to go on the offensive with his escrima sticks, striking down at the ones fleeing the light from Damian’s attack.

Tim used his staff to strike a skiá in what appeared to be its head. Cass threw her opponent into his, shoving them both into the path of a beam of light Duke had summoned.

Barbara, unable to stand and whose wheelchair was nowhere to be found, had put herself in charge of keeping the others supplied with the limited vials of potion from Billy’s bag. Her own aim was impeccable.

Stephanie threw a vial of potion up at rafters where more skiá had fled, threatening to drop on them from above. Without hesitation Jason fired one of his pistols, releasing the light and frying the monsters perched there.

Bruce did his best to stay close to Billy. He still fought fiercely, utilizing his own gadgets as much as possible, saving the magical solutions for his children. Billy could tell his attention was split between the fight and Billy’s own unspoken plan. More than once it cost him a clawed swipe that tore through even his Kevlar suit.

But Billy couldn’t focus on that right now. He had to make sure each line of his runes was perfect. If even one of them was off when he did the spell then the whole thing could backfire and he’d be as good as dead. They all would.

He felt a twinge of pain in his side as Erebus and its servants recognized the connection between them. He felt a rush of what he could only describe as bloodlust surge through him. Erebus wanted to destroy him just as much as he wanted to destroy Erebus. Probably more.

All the skiá froze in place, turning their unseen eyes towards Billy. Whatever trick the others had used to get their attention couldn’t hide Billy from them now. They knew where their true target was and nothing would stop them from getting to him.

As one they all rushed towards Billy, completely ignoring the vigilantes surrounding him, even as those vigilantes attacked from all sides, destroying all the monsters they could.

In desperation, Duke summoned a wall of light between Billy and the charging skiá. He was kneeling at Billy’s side, breathing hard. It would block them. For now. Even from Billy’s position on the floor, he could tell that his foster brother was in no shape to keep it up for long.

Billy quickly finished the last of the runes. He lit the candles and stood in the center of what he had created, trying to blink away the spots in his vision. He could feel Erebus’ reaching out to him through the rune on his side, trying to use the connection to stop him. Trying to eat away at him while his servants killed themselves bashing into the barrier between them.

He took the knife in his hand and began the incantation.

“Diakópike i schési metaxý mas” Billy lifted his shirt and drew the knife across the rune on his side, creating a new line straight through the center of it and weakening the connection. The pain made him weak in the knees but one glance towards the others steeled his resolve.

“den aníkete se aftó to vasíleio” Blood from the cut dripped onto the runes beneath his feet. It charged the symbols with his magic, the magic of the Rock of Eternity.

“petáo to skotádi” He shouted, pushing through the pain. He put all his focus, all his energy into the spell. He could do this. He had to do this. There was no other way.

The skiá broke through the barrier, crashing through the others in their desperate blind rage to reach him. The skiá quickly overcame the weakened vigilantes, throwing themselves at Billy. He felt the sharp pain of claws and teeth digging into his flesh.

“skiá áfise aftó to méros Erebus fýge!” His magic was surging out of him, draining through the runes, the words of his incantation, and the wounds he sustained. His body trembled as he exhausted his magical reserves. He heard the shrieks as the weaker skiá tried to flee the effects of his spell, only for them to be zapped by an invisible force somewhere above. He distantly thought that Alfred must have gotten the shield working.

“WHO ARE YOU TO DARE CHALLENGE ME?”

“I am Billy Batson” Sweat poured down his face as he struggled to keep hold of the magic inside of him.

“The Guardian of the Rock of Eternity” The pain from the rune in his side made spots appear in his vision that he couldn’t blink away.

“Champion of Magic” He could taste blood in his mouth. A deafening screech filled the air as more and more skiá attempted to flee only to be struck down by the barrier.

“Protector of this and all realms” Everything burned as if the blood in his veins had been replaced with fire.

“Avatar of the Gods” He grabbed hold of the wizard’s staff.

“I am Marvel” Clutching it in both hands he raised it above his head.

“I am SHAZAM!” He slammed the end of the staff into the ground, releasing it's power.

Lighting came from both the sky and from the staff in Billy’s hands, meeting in a blinding flash of light that engulfed the entire room.

Magic flowed into Billy. It washed away the pain and fear until it was just a distant memory. The rune that bound him to Erebus was eaten away by the pure, raw magic within him until the connection was broken completely. The rush was intoxicating. He felt free. Untethered. Whole. This power wasn’t borrowed, it was his to claim, merely waiting for him to acknowledge it as an innate part of him. He felt complete as if he had found a part of himself he hadn’t even known was missing. He was both Champion and Wizard as was always his destiny.

When he spoke again his voice echoed with power. “YOU HAVE NO POWER HERE EREBUS. BE GONE!”

A cacophony of shrieks and wails threatened to deafen him as Erebus and the skiá were ripped from the shadows of this world to be sent to whatever primordial prison they came from, banished once more by the Wizard Shazam. He couldn’t see where they went, but he felt their absence.

For the first time in a long time Billy felt the relief of a constant indescribable wrong being righted. The magic settled inside him, into his very soul.

The light faded. The building was now empty, save for the only family he wanted to be a part of. He turned to look at them, just to reassure himself that they were all right. Everything had gone according to plan.

Looking at their stunned faces, Billy smiled.

Then he collapsed.

Notes:

Thanks for reading!

I hope y'all enjoyed Billy's solution to the problem, I for one love Wizard!Billy stuff.

We officially only have one more chapter to wrap things up!

Chapter 30

Summary:

When Billy wakes up, the family has a long overdue talk.

It was four days before Billy woke up.

The whole family had been all but bed-ridden immediately after the fight. Injuries compounding the exhaustion until they all collapsed in their respective beds. Both Leslie and Alfred had their work cut out for them as they meticulously patched up each and every one of them. If Bruce had been in the right state of mind he might have thought about the fact that it was the first time the whole family had slept under the same roof in a very long time.

But his mind was fully occupied by his youngest son once again lying motionless on a hospital bed. Alfred had told Bruce about how he found Billy in the manor already geared up for a fight. And how Billy had jumped right into action knowing exactly who they all were. When had he figured it out? Why didn’t he say anything? Did Marvel tell him or did Bruce slip up somewhere along the line and make it obvious?

He replayed the scene over and over again in his mind, trying to make sense of what had happened. The idea that Billy was capable of magic would barely settle into his mind, but what he saw...there was no other explanation.

He could only guess at what Billy had done to get rid of the monsters that had come for him. He didn’t need to be a sorcerer to know that the magic he’d performed wasn’t some trick that any two-bit magician could pull off. It was powerful. His eyes had glowed a pure white as lighting twisted around his body, responding to his every whim. And the idea that so much power could live inside such a small, helpless looking child made him shudder at the implications.

But he had also looked so much like Captain Marvel in that moment that it had taken his breath away. He looked every bit the divine champion the man was said to be. And that wasn’t even getting into the things he had said. If even one of those titles held true...well any plans of Billy being just a regular kid were going to have to be thrown out the window.

“Well I’ll be damned. That’s the kid huh?” Bruce looked up to see Constantine in the doorway. He looked like hell, but was still walking without so much as a limp. He had a cigarette in his mouth and was wearing his blood-stained clothes from the fight. The nasty gash on his head had healed considerably which Bruce suspected was due to some magical intervention.

“This is Billy, yes” Bruce saw no need to deny it, he did owe the man a debt after all. Billy was the whole reason Constantine nearly died in the first place. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t smoke in here”

Constantine didn’t listen to him, just continued staring at Billy with unnerving intensity. The silence dragged on for an uncomfortably long time.

“Congrats mate. Your kid is the closest thing to a god people like you and me will ever get to meet”

Bruce stiffened in his seat. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means Shazam is dead” His voice was hard, angry. “But not before the old bastard had time to pick a successor to take up his name”

Bruce felt an uneasy weight settle in his stomach. He didn’t need to be a genius to see where this was going. Hadn’t Billy declared as much when he banished Erebus? The two men sat in silence for a moment to let the information really sink in. Bruce still didn’t understand what it meant for his son to be a wizard, but he could feel the weight of the title’s importance in the air. He’d kick himself later for not demanding more answers from Constantine before the man vanished to whatever place he called home, but for now Bruce just wanted to be with his family.

Bruce tried to contact Captain Marvel, but realized that the man’s communicator was still in his own utility belt down in the Batcave. A part of him had expected Marvel to get his act together and help them when the chips were down and they were surrounded by creatures they could barely fight. But instead Billy had shown up in a blaze of glory that suggested he was far more familiar with the ins and outs of battle than any of them had ever expected him to be.

Bruce wasn’t the only one to take up a near constant presence at Billy’s bedside. Jason had claimed a section of the bed for himself on the second day, reading to the boy’s unconscious body whenever he had the chance. Cass had curled up like a cat at the end of the bed each night, silently watching for any changes. Dick and Duke had dragged countless chairs and pillows and blankets into the room so they could camp out there once their own injuries were more or less taken care of.

Tim had been all but confined to bed while they monitored a particularly nasty gash on his side. He soon convinced Bruce to drag an extra medical bed into Billy's recovery room for ‘convenience’. Stephanie had taken the opportunity to take a portion of Tim’s bed for herself so she could be there when Billy woke up.

Barbara had collected a spare wheelchair from the Batcave and came in at least twice a day to make sure everyone was eating and taking their pain meds. Damian pretended to be uninterested in Billy’s recovery, but every night when he thought everyone else was sleeping, he would sneak in and curl up in the chair in the corner.

Naturally Alfred always seemed prepared with whatever they needed: food, a change of bandages, extra blankets, medication, and even some things to entertain and distract.

When Billy finally did wake up it was to a room crowded with people who loved him.

---

The first thing Billy was aware of was how warm he was. He felt comfortable. Safe. Rested. He didn’t want to leave the soft, gentle embrace of that warmth. But slowly he became more aware of other things. Like the soft rhythmic breaths of someone lying next to him and the soothing rumble of a voice he recognized.

He opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Cass smiling widely at the end of the bed.

“Little brother!” There was relief in her voice, though it was scratchy which meant she probably hadn’t spoken in a couple days. She scrambled forward and held him tight.

Immediately the rest of the family popped up from their various positions around the room, piling onto the bed. They were all careful not to jostle him too much, but it was almost overwhelming how happy they all were to see him awake. He sunk into their hugs and let their words wash over him.

It took Billy a moment to find his bearings, to remember all that had happened. He felt different. Not entirely, like when he transformed, but still different. He wasn’t sure if there was some fundamental change in him now that he had claimed the title of Shazam or if he was simply recognizing a part of himself he didn’t realize existed. Either way it was a good different.

“All right everyone, give Billy some space to breathe.” Barbara’s wheelchair was parked next to the bed and she was waving her arms and lightly shoving those closest to her to make sure no one was squishing him too much.

Bruce was standing beside the bed smiling at them all. There was visible relief on his face as he found a space on the edge of the bed to perch on as he looked Billy over for any signs of distress. “How are you feeling Billy?”

Billy paused to take stock of how he felt. He wasn’t as sore as he thought he’d be and he felt surprisingly clearheaded. He could feel the thrum of magic in his veins that told him his magical reserves were fully restored. “I feel pretty good” His voice was a bit scratchy and raw, but Dick had a glass of water in his hands before Billy even realized he’d moved.

“Are you sure little B? You took some pretty serious hits back there” Dick kept his worried eyes on Billy as he gulped down the water and settled deeper into Jason’s side.

“Yeah I’m sure. I actually can’t remember the last time I felt this good.” Billy hesitated before continuing. He didn’t want to break this nice bubble of love and comfort, but he needed to know what they thought about...everything. “Are all of you okay? You all looked pretty beat up when we were fighting the skiá but I didn’t really have time to check on you”

They all shared loaded looks that made Billy’s stomach flip with nerves. It was clear they were hoping to avoid this particular conversation for a bit longer. But Billy needed to know what was going to happen now. He needed to know if...if he still had a home here.

“We...have had some time to heal up,” Bruce spoke slowly. “You were out for a few days. We weren’t really sure why you weren’t waking up”

“Oh” Billy frowned. He looked around and sure enough he could see the signs of cuts and bruises already healing. “I think I used too much magic at once. My magical reserves must have been totally empty”

Billy watched Bruce’s face carefully as he spoke. He looked surprised at first. Maybe a bit uncomfortable.

“Well it was impressive as shit I’ll tell you that much” Jason wrapped an arm around Billy and squeezed. “I don’t even know what you did exactly but you did good kid”

Billy couldn’t stop the smile from creeping onto his face. Pride may be a sin but he was pretty sure feeling proud of himself for this particular accomplishment wouldn’t be a bad thing. “I banished them to another realm that acts as a prison for primordial beings of darkness. As long as no one summons them again and feeds them human souls, we shouldn’t see them ever again.”

He received several blank stares at his explanation which made his smile falter. It’d be stupid to feel embarrassed about doing something so legitimately awesome, but he still felt self-conscious at their lack of reaction. They’d had time to come to terms with his magic right? This wasn’t going to have to be a whole thing was it?

“That must have been some very difficult magic” Bruce cleared his throat before continuing. “A magical...associate of mine said that you are a...wizard now? I must admit I’m unsure of the...classifications of magic users”

“That’s right! Holy moley! I am The Wizard now!” Billy's voice was almost breathless at the thought. He ran his hand through his hair trying to decide if this was scary or exciting. It meant a lot more responsibility, but it also meant he could help so many more people, both as Billy and as Captain Marvel. “Sorry there just hasn’t been a new wizard in forever. Like 10,000 years. Maybe longer! This is, like, such a big deal.”

“Ugh Billy,” Stephanie groaned. “You were supposed to be the semi-normal one out of us. Now you’re a god-like wizard or something. That’s just crazy” Her teasing tone and barely repressed smile undercut any negativity of her words as she dramatically flopped across the end of the bed.

“Well I for one knew Batson was hiding something from day one. Not that any of you believed me" Damian scoffed. “I’m sure with time I would have uncovered the truth”

“Stop being so smug. You've been rubbing it in our faces for days” Tim rolled his eyes. “You didn’t even know he could do magic. Besides, he found us out first.”

“He had an unfair advantage!”

“So you guys aren’t mad? I know you guys aren’t really big fans of magic.” His eyes flickered back to Bruce as he spoke. “And this was kind of a lot to keep secret from you. I’d totally understand if you weren’t cool with it or whatever. I just--”

“No one is mad at you Billy” Duke shifted closer so he could grab one of Billy’s hands. “Everyone was pretty surprised, but no one was mad. It’s kind of like when everyone found out I was a meta. They’re all gonna be super supportive but awkward and bad at talking about it” He shot Billy a mischievous smirk at the annoyed shouts he got in response. “I get why you kept it a secret. But you don’t have to do that anymore. I promise”

Billy felt tears prick his eyes as he gripped Duke’s hand a little tighter.

“Billy,” Bruce’s voice drew his attention back to the man he hoped was still his foster father. “We all love you and want to help you with your abilities in any way we can.”

Billy laughed. “I don’t really need help with my powers, I’ve had them for years now. But a proper teacher might be nice”

“Consider it done. I’ll find you the best teacher available, I'll just have to talk to some of my magical contacts” Bruce smiled at him. Cass nudged him, signing something at him that Billy didn’t understand. “Right, we should probably address that since we are on the topic of my magical associates.” he turned to Billy again, his expression more serious and maybe a bit angry. “I understand that Captain Marvel is important to you, but I can’t in good conscious--”

“Oh Gods you still think Cap is my dad, don't you?” Billy groaned. “I almost forgot about that”

“I know it might be a lot to process but--”

“He’s not--my dad is dead, Bruce”

“Well half of the people in this room have been dead before kiddo” Jason shrugged “Death isn’t always as permanent as you think it is”

“What? No that's not--Captain Marvel isn’t my dad! He’s me! Or I’m him. We’re the same person!”

Silence filled the room. Gods above did he really just blurt it out like that? He had never really told anyone before but he had never meant to be so blunt about it. Maybe they don’t believe him? Should he prove it by transforming? Not right here obviously, that’d be way too dangerous, someone would definitely get hurt. But he could go outside and show them.

“I hate how much that makes sense” Tim sighed.

Barbara stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. “How the hell does that make sense?”

“Billy had Marvel’s communicator. We’ve never seen them in the same place despite the fact that they apparently knew each other. Marvel knew Billy’s name and pronouns before anyone else. We can never contact him when Billy is hurt but he responds immediately every other time. And you have to admit, it just makes more sense than the guy leaving his own kid on the streets.”

Bruce was staring. Billy couldn’t make out the expression on his face. Batman hadn’t really been Cap’s biggest fan lately, but Bruce had always been in Billy’s corner ever since they met. Whatever happened next, the two of them were going to have a much more complicated relationship. Because he knew.

“I’ve worked with Captain Marvel for almost two years now. And you're telling me...that was you? This whole time?”

Billy nodded in response. “I got my powers from the old wizard when I was 9. We met on the subway. It was a whole...thing.” Billy felt he really wasn’t doing his origin story any justice, but he still couldn’t tell if Bruce was upset or not. And the details were complicated. “I can show you if you want. We’d have to go somewhere where the transformation won’t ruin the carpet though. I don’t want to make Alfred mad.”

“Much appreciated Master Billy” Alfred had apparently slipped into the room at some point during the conversation. He had a large tray of food on the table next to him that made Billy’s mouth water at the sight. "Though I must insist you eat something first. Magic or no, your a growing boy"

Bruce swallowed hard, an impossible to describe emotion on his face. “...Maybe after you’ve recovered a bit more. I don’t want you to strain yourself”

Billy knew he could argue that his other body was perfectly fine and he wouldn’t really be straining anything, but that felt like a conversation for another day.

“So you believe me?”

“You may have been keeping secrets but I know you’re not a liar Billy.” Bruce sighed and looked towards Alfred. They shared a meaningful look before Bruce continued. “I said some terrible things to Cap--to you. I just...I thought I was protecting you. I just--”

“Jumped to some conclusions and made us both feel bad?” Billy supplied. Bruce hung his head. “It’s not your fault, you just thought I was in a bad situation with my bio dad. You weren’t supposed to know who I was when I was off-duty. It just means my secret identity is safe, even from you guys”

“You know when I first took you in I was so worried about what you would think about all of this. But I was mostly worried about whether or not you would want to join us out there as a vigilante yourself. It never even occurred to me that you were already an established hero in your own right.”

“Yeah, the point of a secret identity is for people not to know. But you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I can be virtually indestructible when I want to be.”

“But not always”

“No, not always,” Billy looked down at the sheets he was fiddling with. “But I know what I’m doing when it comes to hero stuff. I’ve been taking care of Fawcett City all by myself for years. And I've worked with you in the Justice League--wait you’re gonna let me stay in the League right?” Billy felt a rush of panic at the thought. He was a good hero wasn’t he? Surely Batman of all people would be willing to let him prove himself.

“Wait, you're going to let Batson stay in the Justice League? You said I wasn’t allowed to join until I was eighteen!” Damian glared at Bruce, clearly annoyed at the idea.

“Look Dami, it’s a totally different situation” Dick attempted to reason with him. “Billy was already in the League before Bruce even brought him home”

“Yeah I’ve been in the League since I was ten! I’ve got plenty of experience. And Bruce, I know things have been kind of weird between us at work but--”

Bruce held up his hand to stop Billy from blurting out anything else. “We’ll figure something out when it comes to your hero duties. I’d be one hell of a hypocrite if I tried to stop you. It’s going to take some time for me to wrap my head around everything. I mean I just found out my son has secretly been my coworker this whole time.” Several people chuckled at the absurdity of the statement. “But we will work through this together. As a family”

Billy felt his heart swell. He was definitely crying this time and it wasn’t even pretty. He had a family. One that not only knew who and what he was, but loved him for it. Billy felt lighter than he could ever remember feeling. Because he was safe and warm and loved.

Bright sunlight filtered in through the curtains, bathing them all in a soft golden light. And for a brief moment, no shadows could touch them.

Notes:

And that's a wrap y'all!

Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me through the end! This was my first ever published fanfic so the overwhelmingly positive response was so amazing!

I have a bunch of ideas for more fics, but if there is a prompt or idea you think it would be fun for me to explore just let me know!

Notes:

Thank you for reading!

Billy Batson has been one of my quarantine obsessions so I'm excited to try my hand at writing him.