The New Justice League: The Rise Of Cadmus

Chapter 8: Interactions

"How much food are you planning on buying?" Hal Jordan asked dubiously.

"Not much more," Barry Allen assured him, throwing in another box of cereal. "Just enough to get me through till Friday."

Hal stopped in the middle of the aisle. "You mean this," his voice rose an octave as he pointed at the overflowing buggy, "is just for a few days?!"

"Yep," Barry said cheerfully. "At least I hope it'll last that long. As long as we don't fight anybody between now and then it should."

"And if we do fight someone? What then?"

"Then I'll look pitiful and beg until one of you loan me money that you don't mind never seeing again," he explained.

Hal sighed. "Of course you will," he muttered.

"It's not my fault that having super speed also gives me an even faster metabolism," Barry sulked.

"No one said it was."

The two contained shopping in a companionable silence. They were fixing to get into the checkout lane when they heard shouting. Both men whipped around, their muscles tensing as they got ready to spring into action. Barry relaxed when he realized it was just a kid stealing a candy bar and continued on his way. Hal hesitated then reached out and grabbed the kid's arm.

"Stop right there-you know better than that," he scolded.

The manager caught up with them a few seconds later, his face red and covered in sweat as he tried to catch his breath. "Thanks," he gasped. "I'll take it from here."

He stretched out a hand but Hal sidestepped him. "I apologize for my son's behavior: he's in the rebellious stage right now. You know how boys are."

The managed gaped at him. "Your son?" he repeated in disbelief.

"I'm very sorry, dad," the boy looked up at Hal, his non-swollen blue eye filling with unshed tears.

The kid was good, Hal had to admit. Between the baggy clothes and the cuts and bruises that littered his face he looked like he could use more than a candy bar. Hal pulled out his wallet and gave the manager several dollar bills. "That should cover the candy bar and I really am sorry about this."

The manager eyed him suspiciously but took the money. "No harm done," he said then went to talk to one of his employees.

Hal looked at the kid for a moment then, "You look familiar. Have we met?"

"Nope," the boy held the candy bar to his chest protectively. His eyes widened when he saw the twenty Hal was holding out. "For me?" he sounded incredulous.

"You look like you need it more than I do at the moment," he winked.

"Gee, thanks, mister." The kid waved then took off just as Barry came up.

"What's with the kid?" Barry asked. "He looked awfully familiar."

"I don't know," Hal frowned.


"Have you come to a decision regarding Shazam?" J'onn asked as he browsed the menu. He was in his John Jones disguise and looked like every other private detective complete with a brown trench coat and hat. The style was a little outdated but he didn't care.

Bruce sighed. "As much as I want nothing more than to storm Cadmus I can't. Until I have more proof there's no guarantee that Waller and her associates will go to jail and besides, the government would just transfer Shazam to another facility and then we might not be able to find him again."

"Your human government is very complicated," J'onn closed his menu. "I have been on Earth for over fifty years and I still can't understand all of your ways."

"No offense, J'onn, but I doubt you ever will," Bruce smiled. I'm part of the human race and even I don't understand us sometimes."

J'onn was about to reply when something brushed against his mind. It was…familiar and yet it wasn't. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the kid lingering near their table. He looked out of place for such a trendy little outside café.

"What're you looking at?" Bruce asked before turning to look for himself.

The instant Bruce's eyes locked with the child's J'onn felt it again and he knew. "The child is a telepath," he focused his powers and stopped the boy from entering Bruce's mind, allowing them to realize that this was the same child they had seen when struck by Shazam's lightning. The boy turned and took off running, J'onn and Bruce hot on his heels.


"Any luck?" Waller asked.

"Not yet," Dr. Sivana replied irritably. "The only reason we found him last time is because he attacked the Justice League. This time, though, he's playing it safe and laying low."

"What about the mind control serum? Can't we just use that to force him to return?"

Dr. Sivana hesitated then said, "We've only tested the serum a few times and it only worked two out of three times but…" his voice trailed off as his eyes widened. "That's it! I'm a genius!"

"What?" Waller demanded. "What did you figure out?"

Dr. Sivana typed in a few more commands before saying, "Every time we used the serum he had seizures. Even if he's lying low someone's bound to notice and take him to a hospital. I can set it up so that we'll be alerted the second a child matching his description is checked in."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Sivana, that is a good idea," she straightened and headed towards the door.

"Don't you mean 'a brilliant idea'" he called after her.

"Nope."

Dr. Sivana waited until she had left the room before muttering, "I can't stand that bitch."


"Stay away!"

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you," Bruce promised as he and J'onn approached the child who was now cornered in an alleyway.

"I don't believe you." Suddenly the boy stiffened then he fell to the ground, his entire body seizing.

"I'll get the car; J'onn, you stay with him," Bruce ordered.

"On it," J'onn nodded.