Chapter Text
The police had been showing up at several of his usual spots, he was absolutely not going back to foster care and he knew he couldn't brave the cold in this winter weather. Billy was resting at the Rock of eternity, exhausted, staying at the Rock sucks, you never know what the magic distortions will do, but he had no other choice.
A door appeared in front of him.
When a door opens at the Rock it usually means something, sometimes it means something in that realm needs his attention, sometimes it means he will need something from that realm in the future or that he needs to learn a lesson, lets hope it's not a lesson, he couldn't ignore it.
Shazam!
no lightning...let's try this again
Shazam!!!
nothing...
Billy Batson was still Billy Batson, he didn't turn into Captain Marvel, that's... not good, that must means this is a lesson, ignoring a lesson never goes well, he had to see this through.
"ok Billy... you can go through the door, deep breath... deep breath, you can do it... the rock would never try to kill me, right? how bad can this be?"
he stepped through the door - into someone's living room - "oh my god, no, I didn't just walk into some random person's apartment, did I... oh no, oh no" he turned around but the door was gone. "ok, ok, breath billy", he could still return to the Rock of eternity... but what if he couldn't, whatever was going on was preventing him from turning into Captain Marvel, but he should try. Maybe he could still... nothing.
He could still get out of here before anyone finds him and find a spot, but his backpack was still at the Rock, the Rock just dumped him in someone's apartment without his backpack, stupid Rock, ok, ok, ok, lets get out of here first, he could manage without his backpack. It would suck, but he could make it work... his league communicator was in there and he wouldn't be able to go up to the Watch tower without being able to transform, he'd miss the next meeting and he wouldn't be able to tell anyone... Shit, Batman would be mad, Superman would be disappointed. Let's find the exit first. He looked around there was a window, but he didn't even know what floor he was on and he couldn't fly. He didn't even know what city he was in.
"don't panic, lets just find the door" he thought as he turned around.
_____
Danny watched the young boy who appeared in his living room, he'd felt it, he'd seen the door appear and he'd seen the boy hesitantly walk through. He looked too skinny, he looked tired, his black hair was dishevelled and his clothes looked worn out. "MUST PROTECT" the thought, no instinct slammed into his core. He knew whatever power deposited the boy in his living room wanted him to protect the boy. He felt it in his core, this boy needed him.
There he stood motionless in the kitchen doorway, cereal bowl in hand watching the boy as he took in his surroundings, he seemed to be contemplating his next steps, he seemed anxious. Should he announce himself? He didn't want to spook the kid... he could just go invisible, he could make himself intangible and disappear through the floorboards... but he couldn't just disappear, not when every fibre of his being told him to protect this boy.
The boy froze the moment he spotted Danny across the room "Hey, buddy", Danny said careful to keep his voice even as though he was talking to a scared stray cat, which wasn't that different from the current situation. If the boy willingly walked through the portal maybe I can convince him to stay... that sounded creepy even in his head..."so do you just walk through random portals or was mine special" that came out wrong...
_____
Billy was stunned to see the man in the apartment, how should he explain this, this isn't good... wait portal? he knows about the portal, did he see me walk in... he probably did,... did he just say his portal? "your portal? did you open that portal?" he asked the man, he looked kind of young, he was definitely younger than most of the adults he knew in the League.
"No but whatever power did clearly wanted us to meet" the man said.
"How do you know?"
"I felt that power signature all day, it tried to summon... well summon is the wrong word since it didn't compel me or pull me or anything, but it did show up in front of me a couple of times today clearly willing me to go in"
"So he's some kind of magic user" Billy thought
"My name is Danny, nice to meet you" the man, Danny, stretched out his right hand towards Billy, ok, weird...
"How are you so calm about this? A random street kid shows up at your place through a portal that's been trying to call on you all day and you're just gonna shake my hand?"
A street kid... the boy was a street kid, well that explains the worn out sneakers. The need to protect pulsed stronger inside Danny's core. "Because I could tell there was nothing sinister about the portal and I can tell that you hold no malice towards me, I can feel it in here" he pointed to his chest. Danny wasn't happy about having his protectiveness be used like this, but the kid didn't make that choice, the kid was an innocent, the kid really needed his protection.
"Billy" the boy said taking Danny's hand.
~growl~
"Hungry?" Danny asked
____
Billy was very hungry. The snacks he got from the Watchtower were in his backpack at the Rock of eternity, but he still couldn't let down his guard around Danny. "Let's fix ourselves some dinner" Danny said. "I should really eat something other than cereal for dinner, let me whip something up, does pasta sound ok?", it unsettled him how unfazed the young man was about this entire situation. Billy seriously questioned his judgement, why had he gone through that door... why had he left his stuff behind. ~growl~ "um... pasta sounds good, I guess"
____
Danny handed Billy a bowl of pasta and gestured for him to sit on the couch. The boy clearly still didn't trust him, he'd been standing in the middle of the room staring at Danny the whole time Danny was cooking, but he took the bowl and plopped himself down on the couch. Danny wanted to give him some space so he sat down at the other end of the room ith his own bowl. They ate in silence.
____
He's floating... Billy knew people who could fly, he himself could fly as Captain Marvel, but for most of them it took effort to actually fly, J'onn would often float through the Watchtower, but for him it always just looked like a more efficient way to move around, like walking but better, not something so relaxed, Danny actually made it look effortless, he was sitting in the air like it was nothing and he was just showing it to Billy like it was no big deal. Was he staring? he was totally staring. he knew staring was rude... come on Billy pull yourself together
"So... where is this place anyway" Billy asked, if he was in Fawcett he could probably find an abandoned building, it should be late enough that the police had already cleared out most of them, so he probably wouldn't be bothered.
"we're in Little Fort Junction in Fawcett city. Is there someone waiting for you, someone you need to call to tell them you'll be late" Danny asked, concern clearly evident in his voice. "No" Billy said before he could think. damnit, he shouldn't have said that. wasn't it bad to tell a potential kidnapper that no one would miss you? was Danny a kidnapper? He didn't seem to be the one who opened that door, it really felt like something the Rock of eternity did on it's own, but why? he was out of his depth, which was bad, considering how he was supposed to be an adult superhero... he really messed up, but there was something about Danny that felt safe, like a soft blanket that had wrapped around his soul the moment he met Danny's eyes, this was bad, right, didn't Batman tell him to never let his guard down? could this be a trick to give him a false sense of security?
____
Billy had no one waiting for him, his core ached with the need to protect, Danny was sure his eyes were glowing, should he tell him? Billy hadn't said anything about his floating, he hadn't even thought about it, all the other people for whom his protection instincts were this strong knew about his ghost side, about his title, about his burdens and about his need to protect, Billy didn't seem like he would mind the ghost thing, but the need for protection would that be too much? Danny didn't want to scare the boy more than he already was.
"Need me to give you a ride home?" Danny would rather keep Billy close, but he'd settle for making sure he'd get home safe, he couldn't force his instincts on others.
___
"I can get home by myself", Billy didn't know if he'd be able to get back to the Rock of Eternity, but he could find a spot if he didn't.
A door appeared next to the window. "looks like your ride is here"
____
Back in the cave Billy had to try out if his magic was back
Shazam!
It worked, his powers weren't completely gone, now he just had to find out why it didn't work before. But first he needed to get some sleep.
Shazam