Neverland

by TwinEnigma

Standard Disclaimer - I do not own Young Justice or any of the characters therein. I do not do this for profit, but rather for fun and skills building.

NB: AU, Done as a fill for the YJ-anon-meme. De-anoning because I already admitted it was me.

Billy Batson is waiting in an alley near his old stomping grounds when he spots the all-too-familiar dark shape of Batman's cowl in the shallow shadows ahead of him. He looks up and breaks out into a grin when he sees the pointy-eared cowl retreating from the ledge. Quickly ducking around the next corner, he finds himself facing a dead end. The shadows here are deeper than anywhere else in Fawcett City, but as deep as they are, they do nothing to conceal Batman. In fact, it's almost like the very shadows themselves shy away from him because he is not a part of Fawcett City and does not belong here.

"Oh, you have a new costume!" Billy says, doing a double take. "It looks awesome! I wish I could make mine look cool."

Batman sort of smiles a little bit, just the tiniest fraction of a smile, and Billy winces a little, recalling that if Batman is here, it's got to be important.

"Sorry," he mumbles, looking up at the Bat. "What's up? You said something about League Business?"

"It's a special assignment," Batman states simply, "One that could use someone with your unique qualifications."

Billy raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

"We're forming a new team," Batman continues, "This one will be a little different. It's aimed at younger heroes, like Robin, and will be focused on training them to work as a team."

"I don't get it. What does th-" Billy starts.

"I'm assigning you to the group as a mentor," Batman cuts him off. "You're the only League member who understands what it is like to be both a kid and a hero."

Billy stares at him, completely floored.

"You don't have to do it, if you don't want to," Batman says, much more kindly. "I can pick someone else."

"No, no, I want to!" Billy says, practically leaping forward in his excitement.

Batman wanted him to be a mentor! Batman! That was like seeing a leprechaun riding a unicorn through Grand Central Station.

"Really, I do," Billy adds, trying to calm down and be cool and mentor-like, "Want to, that is. Do you know who's going to be on the team?"

Batman gives him one of those smirks, like he'd known all along Billy was going to accept, and nods. "A few have already joined - Kid Flash, Robin, Aqua-"

"And what's the team going to be called?" Billy interrupts, eagerly. Oh man, he's always dreamed of working with those guys! They were so cool on the news and, if the rumors were true, Robin isn't much older than him to boot!

Batman gives him a strange, undecipherable look. "We're thinking about calling it Young Justice."

"Yes! This is going to be so cool!" Billy says, pumping his fist in the air and bouncing on his feet. "I can't wait to get started!"

Batman watches, but doesn't say anything, only the faintest edge of a smile on his lips.

For a moment, Billy thinks that maybe Batman understands just a little bit what it means to be a kid and have one of your greatest heroes give you this kind of awesome opportunity. And then his earpiece rings, whispering that it's his Uncle Dudley on the line, and Billy forgets his train of thought in favor of the cell phone. He can't wait to tell him about this though, because wow.

"I've gotta get home," Billy says apologetically, ending the call. "It's almost bedtime. I'll see you later, okay?"

Batman has already vanished.

"I have got to learn how to do that," Billy vows as he turns to leave.

Above, Batman gives the unwitting boy a sad smile, watching silently as he disappears back into the depths of Fawcett City, the city that forgets: a modern Neverland, long-ago magically locked away from age, death and despair, and complete with its own Peter Pan.

All boys grow up, save one, and that one is Billy Batson.

Dick Grayson, age twenty-four, knows this better than anyone.

AN: Incidentally, the prompt was that Billy has been active as Captain Marvel since 1940 and hasn't aged a day.

I decided to take it up to 11 and make it that no on in Fawcett City has aged either and, like Billy, they forget that any time has passed at all because things Have Always Been there (even if they weren't yesterday), and that the city itself may have some magical qualities in common with Neverland via Shazam's enchantment.