Fear

Is it weird that I think this is normal?

Captain Marvel found his thoughts drifting aimlessly as he flew through the flooded streets of Coast City, transporting civilians away from the raging waters and searching for dry areas to put them down. Earlier, he had arrived at the Watchtower in search of provisions. Before he could obtain them, Batman dragged him into an emergency meeting with several other members of the league. A sudden storm had stricken Coast City, flooding roads and causing tremendous amounts of damage. Before the crimson crime-fighter could blink, he was being deployed to the city to aid in relief efforts.

For the past several hours, he and the majority of the Justice League had worked tirelessly to save civilians and mitigate damage from the floodwater. Though the super-powered coalition had managed to avert much of the destruction, the bridge to the area off the mainland had been damaged during the torrent, rendering it impassable. With trapped citizens in desperate need of rescue, it fell to those with the power of flight to bring the panicked people to safety.

"You're safe now, sir," Captain Marvel said calmly as he gently set down a middle-aged man. The suit-clad citizen stuttered a shaky "thank you" before he was taken aside by a stern-faced paramedic. Giving a nod of acknowledgement, the magical champion rose into the air and shot towards the flooded area once more.

As the friendly superhero soared above the bracken rivers running through the streets, he caught sight of Superman in the distance. The Man of Steel was flying between streets, using his icy breath to block off the water. Captain Marvel quickly approached his Kryptonian companion, eager to help out.

"Superman!" he yelled. "I've evacuated City Hall. How're Green Lantern and Martian Manhunter doing?

"Hal managed to evacuate Ferris Air," the alien hero answered. "J'onn is still trying to save a group trapped on the outskirts of the city."

"Captain," came Batman's voice from Captain Marvel's communicator, "I need you to rescue another group trapped in the city center. The water is rising, and several buildings are starting to give out."

"I'm on it," Marvel said, determination rising in his voice. Giving a quick nod to Superman, the magical champion turned and soared towards the towering skyscrapers in the distance.

As he flew towards his objective, Captain Marvel once again found himself recounting the events of the last few hours. In the rush of attending to his responsibilities, his brutal encounter with the bullies seemed like a distant memory. Although Fawcett City was hundreds of miles away, Billy would likely be back home in a matter of hours, at which point he would still have to find food and medical supplies. Batman had interrupted him before he could grab some bandages or a snack. The supplies would still be available after the crisis was averted. He could probably just stop by the Watchtower and grab what he needed before zeta-ing back to Fawcett.

Billy grimaced internally as he remembered giving the cruel teenagers his meager pay. One of the stores near his residence had put some winter supplies, including blankets and gloves, on sale. Seeing an opportunity, the resourceful boy had spent the better part of the month walking dogs and doing odd jobs to save up the small amount. He doubted that it was possible to earn back the money before winter ended…

"Help!" a panicked voice from below cried, tearing Captain Marvel from his lamentations. He peered down to find a group of civilians standing on top of a skyscraper, waving their hands in a frantic gambit to get the airborne hero's attention. Swiftly altering his trajectory, he dived towards the terrified assemblage and touched down gracefully on the roof.

"Don't worry, we'll have you out of here in no time," he said, putting on a confident expression to calm the citizens. A single young man stepped forward, straightened both his tie and demeanor, and looked Captain Marvel in the eye.

"Thank you," he said, an artificial calm in his tone. "Most of the members of our firm are still trapped in the building. The elevators aren't working, and many of our employees can't make it up the stairs."

"Try to get as many people up to the roof as possible," Captain Marvel instructed, the Wisdom of Solomon coursing through his mind as he tried to determine how long the building would stand. "I'll begin flying people to the refugee center nearby."

"Take Mrs. Rubenstein first," the young man replied, gesturing to an elderly lady holding a Teacup Poodle.

"I will help evacuate the building," added a voice behind Captain Marvel. The crimson superhero turned to find Wonder Woman hovering above him, a disgruntled cat in her arms. "The situation is under control across the bridge, and Superman managed to seal off most of the flooded areas. All that's left to do is evacuate the rest of the civilians.

"Okay," he replied. Carefully picking up the elderly woman, the powerful superhero took to the skies once more. As he carried his frightened passenger to safety, he broke into a small smile.

For the first time today, things seemed to be looking up.

Captain Marvel sifted through cabinets and drawers of medical supplies, searching for bandages and an antiseptic. The magical hero took another bite of his sandwich as he opened another cabinet and looked through the contents. With a satisfied grin, he pulled out a bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Perfect.

"Captain?"

The red hero turned to find Black Canary standing in the doorway, her discerning gaze surveying the pile of snacks and medical supplies on the counter beside him.

"Mmph, um…" he mumbled before quickly swallowing his bite and giving the heroine a nervous smile. "Hi!"

"You probably shouldn't be eating in here," she said, her voice friendly yet stern.

"Oh! Sorry!" Captain Marvel replied sheepishly. He quickly threw away his sandwich and straightened his posture, trying to look as mature as possible.

"Are you hurt?" the blonde asked her imposing companion. The magic crime-fighter gave her a curious look and followed her gaze to the pile of supplies by his elbow. His eyes widened in understanding.

"No!" he answered, his discomfort growing with each passing moment. "No, I'm fine. It's just…well…it never hurts to be prepared, you know?" He gave an optimistic smile in an attempt to mask his nervousness. He could feel Black Canary's eyes staring through him, analyzing his unusual behavior with quiet precision.

"Sooo…I didn't see you in Coast City today," Captain Marvel diverted. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Dinah responded. "I had some matters to take care of in Star City."

"Sounds…um…fun," Captain Marvel replied nervously.

"Not really," the composed heroine said. "I heard that you were instrumental in saving civilians today. Diana was really impressed with your efforts."

"Well, gee, thanks," he responded. "I was just happy to help…"

Captain Marvel cleared his throat and shifted nervously. He couldn't take much more of this.

"Well, I should be getting back to Fawcett," he stated. Giving his blonde companion a smile, he walked brusquely out of the room and to the zeta tubes. In an instant, he was in a snow-covered alley in Fawcett City. The hero smiled, happy to be out of the uncomfortable situation.

Then he realized that he had forgotten the supplies.

Billy padded slowly through the ankle-deep snow, his movement impeded by the icy obstruction and his injured knee. He surveyed the quiet street as he walked, searching for any signs of the rowdy teens. Thankfully, they didn't appear to be nearby. After his harrowing day, the little hero had no desire for any more excitement. While Captain Marvel had the stamina of Atlas, Billy Batson struggled to stay up past 10:00. Recently, he had found himself tiring even more easily than normal. He wondered if it had to do with the recent surges in crime and emergencies that required Captain Marvel…

A rock in the snow caused him to stumble, sending a shock of pain through his knee. The weary boy looked down at the unsightly gash on his knee, visible through the tear in his pant leg. The wound looked worse than it had earlier. The skin around it had begun to swell, and it still stung.

Oh gee, this doesn't look good. I really need to find something to patch this up.

His energy waning, the worried boy continued down the street with grim determination. As he continued towards his abode, the snowfall grew in intensity and the number of pedestrians steadily declined. Finally, his stamina ran out, and the homeless hero leaned over in an attempt to catch his breath. Lifting his head wearily, he noticed a small drug store nearby.

Should I go in? The last time I tried to get out of a storm, I got chased out. But I really need to find somewhere to stop for a minute. And I can't just wait out here...

After careful consideration, the contemplative child opted to go inside. Keeping his head down, the chilled boy snuck in the door and took a seat in a chair near the entrance. Letting out a sigh of relief, Billy adjusted his ragged jacket rubbed his hands together. An involuntarily shiver ran down the boy's spine, and he noticed that he felt unusually fatigued. He looked around, fearful of being discovered. Thankfully, no one seemed to take notice of his quiet presence. As Captain Marvel, he often enjoyed the attention of the media and the many kind citizens who went out of their way to thank him or give him tokens of their gratitude. As Billy, he was more often the subject of less positive attention.

As he sat and regained his strength, he continued to think about how very different he was from his alter ego. Where the magical superhero was tall, muscular, and nimble, Billy was short, scrawny, and easily winded. Captain Marvel had an easy time making friends and allies, but Billy had no one whom he could trust…

"Hey, kid!" a voice rang out, sending a shiver down Billy's spine. He turned to see a man standing a short distance, staring at him intently. His heart froze.

Before the man could say anything else, Billy jumped up and ran out of the store. His exhaustion forgotten, the fleeing child limped through the snow. He heard the telltale sign of footfalls behind him, and turned his head to find the man in pursuit, holding something in his hands. The homeless hero let out a frightened gasp and tried to pick up his pace, but only succeeded in sending another rush of pain through his leg.

I won't be able to outrun him like this. I need to find a way to escape.

Billy stumbled through the snow, searching frantically for any method of escape.

"…stop…you…" he could hear the man yelling behind him. Terror swelled in his chest, and he found new strength.

Passing an alley, the hurt boy noticed a chain link fence blocking the way.

Maybe I can climb it and get away.

Cutting to his right, he ran to the fence and jumped onto it. Running on sheer force of will, he started climbing up the metal barrier. Rung by rung he climbed closer to his freedom. The sounds of his pursuer's footfalls quickly grew near as he continued his daring escape. Turning around, he watched as his assailant ran into the alley and stopped in front of the fence. Turning back to his heart-pounding task, Billy reached up for the top of the fence…

…and his footing slipped.

The horrified boy fell back, plummeting ungracefully into the snow. Quickly rolling over, Billy found his aggressor glaring down at him.