Author Note:
I have never posted one of my fanfictions before.
Everything should be pretty self-explanatory, but let me know if you have any questions.
Non-slash. Non-Violence. I believe in personal boundaries between characters. Let me know if any of the characters are OoC.
Anyway, hope you enjoy!
I don't own anything.
A news station video of Captain Marvel in combat with a terrifying bad guy with black horns played over the Watch Tower holo-screens. The battle was colossal. Buildings were leveled by the two giants. People ran screaming. A car flew through the air towards the camera man who screamed and dropped it as he ran for cover. They cut to a different camera.
Wonder woman swore. The newer members of the league startled in shock. They didn't know the truth. The truth that Captain Marvel was actually an 11 year old wizard named Billy Batson.
The Watch Tower's beta tubes and ships were simultaneously down, and all the senior members of the Justice League were forced to watch as their youngest member had the biggest fight of his life.
Of course, there were Leaguers who were doing their best to help, but against such an opponent, there wasn't much they could do.
Then, the Watch Tower systems went down for half an hour. Batman was able to dissuade Superman from trying to fly there through the vacuum of space.
Finally, they were able to beat the living, magical virus that hacked the Watch Tower's systems. The news feeds came back on. It seemed Billy had won, but it was close. Most of the city had been leveled, but the Justice Leaguers who had been there were able to evacuate almost everyone during the nearly five hour long fight. The news station showed a video of Captain Marvel flying away from the scene.
The senior members of the League breathed a sigh of relief.
"I almost cannot stand to watch a child in battle for his life." Wonder Woman confessed.
J'ohn J'ones spoke up, "He is having these battles whether we are aware of them or not. Is this not why we allowed him to stay in the League? Because he is safer by our side than he is alone."
Captain Marvel was acting a little strangely when he came in for Watch Tower duty the next day. It wasn't anything too concerning, but he seemed sad. He told a lot of people how much they meant to him. When he was asked why he was being sentimental all of a sudden, he shrugged his shoulders. They chalked it down to his realizing how fragile life is after he almost died in the battle.
He didn't show up for Watch Tower duty the next week. They cut him some slack. He was probably dealing with his own things, and besides, they had their hands full with a new villain alliance that was trying to assassinate the world's leaders.
When he didn't show up the next week, many members became very concerned, but phone service was still down in the poorer areas of Fawcett City, so there was no way to reach him.
Once things were repaired two whole weeks afterwards, Batman left a message with Billy's uncle, but didn't receive a message back. He did some investigating and found that Billy's uncle had passed in the battle. Billy had been moved by authorities into a foster home.
The League left a message for Billy offering their condolences and letting him know that their door would be open to him when he was ready to return.
[July 21st: 9:20pm]
Captain Marvel returned to his home neighborhood after his Watchtower duty was finished on the day after his battle. The city around his home was completely destroyed. He tried not to think of his uncle. He dug through rubble into the old subway station.
It was the only way he could think of to get back to his "lair" now that his magic was fading.
For the last time, the train carried him there. He stepped out. It waited for him to return.
The news stations said that he won. It wasn't true. He lost.
He lost his uncle, he lost his home, the bad guy was only repelled - not beaten, and soon, he would lose his powers too.
Dark magic lingered in the air. It was taking over. The ground shook. The walls were crumbling and the ceiling collapsing. A great many magical artifacts would be destroyed, and many dark things would soon be released upon the world.
Captain Marvel wasn't sure why he had come back. There was nothing he could do. Maybe he figured Mr. Tawny would somehow be okay. Maybe he just wanted to say goodbye.
Something like a cabinet door appeared in the air before him. He pulled the handle. Within was the book on magic that his master Shazam was always having him practice. Although his master's body was gone, his spirit had remained to guide Captain Marvel. Billy took the book and ran.
He rode the subway. It stopped on the street outside of what was once his home.
He climbed out and it faded away behind him. He could see through his hands. He had to revert or his life would be forfeit.
"Shazam!" He shouted.
There wasn't even lightning. He was just standing there as Billy Batson.
He choked on tears.
No! This wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself. He had the last book of Wizard spells, and a bajillion bad guys who all wanted revenge. He had to get it to safety.
Unfortunately, it was like 50 pounds. This was very heavy for his 11 year old body.
He set it on the ground and opened to a random page in the hope that something would happen.
A strong gust of wind turned the pages to a spell to reopen the magical floating cupboard door from earlier. Billy didn't question it. He was a wizard after all. Stuff like this happened all the time.
The spell's motion was simple. He snapped his fingers while they were apart, then with his arms crossed, then while they were apart again. He put the book in then repeated the spell again to make it disappear. He seriously thought the spell was WAY too simple. Anyone could do it. In fact, he wondered why they hadn't yet.
He felt the prickle on the back of his neck that meant dark magic was nearby. He pulled up his hood and went into hiding.