The New Justice League: Rise Of Cadmus

Chapter 7: Introducing…Billy Batson!

"Well this is a fine mess," Police Commissioner Jim Gordon grumbled as he lit a cigarette, the small flame revealing the stubble on his face.

"What is?" Batman asked as he landed silently on the rooftop. He caught sight of the dead body lying at their feet and his eyes widened.

"We were hoping you could tell us." At two hundred and fifty pounds and a very unimpressive five foot nine Jim Gordon didn't look very intimidating-a fact that had led more than one person to underestimate him. That was usually their last mistake and he had quickly risen through the ranks, becoming the youngest Commissioner in Gotham history.

Batman knelt beside the body, noticing that his eyes were closed despite the terrified look on his face. "He was killed somewhere else and dumped here although dumped might not be the correct word judging by the way his limbs are arranged."

Gordon nodded in agreement. "It does look like someone cared about him. There are no injuries to the back of the skull to indicate he was thrown down and his arms are folded across his chest and his eyes are closed. I doubt the murderer would have gone to all this trouble so someone who cared for him brought him here. The question is: why bring him here at all? They could've just tipped us off."

"Because they wanted him to be found," Batman stood up. "I've seen this man before. I don't know his name but I do know that he works at a top-secret government research facility. I suspect that they're behind his death and if so they wouldn't have wanted him to be found."

"But someone else did," Gordon surmised as he took another puff of his cigarette. "Any idea who?"

"I think I might," Batman frowned. "Did anyone see who left him here?"

Gordon shook his head. "One of the guys said they saw someone in a white cape flying away after turning on the Bat Signal."

Batman raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You didn't turn it on?"

"Nope," he stomped on the butt of his cigarette, putting it out. "I came up here when I realized it was on. This wouldn't have anything to do with that Shazam guy you were fighting the other day would it?"

"It might," Batman admitted after taking a DNA sample.

"Oh and I found this," he tossed Batman an evidence bag containing a cell phone. "It was lying right next to him. I figured you'd probably have better luck with it than we would."

"Thanks," Batman said curtly before disappearing into the night.

"Gonna be a long night," Gordon grumbled as he lit another cigarette.


"That was an awfully short patrol," Alfred observed as Batman got out of the Bat mobile.

"A janitor from Cadmus was murdered and it looks like Shazam wanted me to find him. If I had to make an educated guess I'd say that he was the one that broke Shazam out and Waller found out. I imagine he broke Shazam out again and was killed in the process."

"I'm more concerned as to why he feels the need to keep breaking Master William out," Alfred frowned.

Bruce threw Alfred a dirty look before plugging the cell phone into his computer. "Getting a bit ahead of ourselves aren't we, Alfred?"

"He has Wayne blood running through his veins, sir, and that means I shall treat him with the same respect that I do you," Alfred refused to budge on the subject. He had served the Wayne's since before Bruce was born and had been the unofficial head of house since then like his father before him. His word was law and no one, not even Thomas Wayne, could stand up to him.

Bruce sighed as he pulled up a video file, choosing not to comment. The video quality wasn't very good but that was to be expected of someone with a janitor's salary. The audio was low and the picture blurry but he could still identify Shazam and Waller as she taunted the magic user who was strapped into what was clearly a torture chair. The fact that they had had to adjust the straps to fit an adult did not go unnoticed nor did the remarks about him having a new form. They had no qualms about beating him and Batman's lips tightened. No one deserved to be treated that way-hero or villain. After Shazam called down his magic lightning there was a brilliant flash then the video went dead.

"What now, sir?" Alfred's voice was quiet with just a hint of fury.

"I don't know, Alfred. I just don't know."


"Explain to me just one more time how those ridiculous glasses seem to magically protect your identity?"

Clark pushed his glasses up as he smiled sheepishly at Diana. "Bruce made these for me. They're some sort of hypno glasses that allows people to see whatever I want them to see. You see Superman because that's what I want you to see but my boss sees Clark Kent because I want him to see Clark and not Superman."

"Secret identities are so complicated," Diana shook her head. At Clark's insistence she had traded in her costume for a black miniskirt and a purple t-shirt that read 'Equality Rocks' with a rainbow colored rock underneath the colorful saying. Mid-thigh black boots and a purple headband completed her look and if one looked closely enough they would see that the delicate golden belt on her waist was actually her lasso of truth.

"They are," Clark agreed. In contrast he wore a blue plaid shirt and jeans with sensible loafers that had Diana cringing whenever she looked at them. "But I have one so that I don't forget that I'm not a god, I'm just a person and as long as I remember where I came from I won't abuse my powers and hurt the people I'm trying to protect."

Diana rolled her eyes. "We are gods, Clark, or at least I am. We were made to rule over them: why else would we have these powers?"

"To serve and protect mankind," Clark reminded her, wincing when he realized just how corny it sounded.

Diana opened her mouth, no doubt fixing to voice her opinion on man once again when they both noticed a small commotion further down the street. The two exchanged glances before breaking into a run.

When they arrived at the scene it was to find two teenage boys pushing around a much younger boy. He wasn't fighting back, instead concentrating on curling into a ball in a desperate attempt to protect his head and face.

"Hey," Diana put her hands on her hips. "Leave the child alone or I shall slay thee."

"Diana," Clark groaned, putting a hand to his face. "You can't go around threatening to kill people even if they are bullies."

Diana ignored him in favor of glaring at the bullies as she began untying her lasso. "You shall pay for your misdeeds," she threatened.

"Beat it while you still can," Clark advised the teens.

The teens looked nervously at each other then took off, practically tripping over each other in an attempt to get away.

"Are you alright?" Clark knelt down in front of the still sobbing boy. "They're gone-I promise they won't bother you ever again."

The boy looked up and they were startled to see that it was the same boy they had seen while battling Shazam. "You're lying," his eyes began to glow white and then he was gone.

"What just happened?" Diana asked in confusion. "I could have sworn that we came down here for a reason."

"I thought we did too," Clark frowned.

Billy peeked around the corner then let out a sigh of relief. It had been a freak accident, running into Superman and Wonder Woman like that. If those bullies hadn't stopped him he could've already been at LexCorp and in the sympathetic arms of Ms. Mercy. She had always been nice to him but it had been too dangerous at Cadmus for her to show too much affection. Although, he decided, surely it couldn't hurt to at least observe his genetic donors for a little bit first.


"I've got some news, sir," Mercy reported once she had placed her cell phone back in her coat pocket.

"And what's that?" Lex didn't bother looking up from the paperwork he was pouring over.

"Dudley H. Dudley was found dead in Gotham last night. Apparently a figure in a white cape was seen flying away after turning on the Bat Signal."

That caught Lex's attention and he turned to face her. "Well, isn't that interesting."


A/N: Before anyone says that Diana's talking out of character I would like to remind everyone that not only is she a demigod but she comes from a place that despises men. She grew up listening to stories of how Zeus and the other gods ruled over mankind and played around with their lives as they saw fit. So she's not actually out of character, she just hasn't realized that the gods are people too and not really omnipotent.