Part X
Billy's alarm blared to life and he lurched up from his pillow, nearly slamming his head against the ceiling. Clambering down from the top bunk, he pulled his phone from its charger, his fingers fumbling to shut off the noise before it woke up the whole house. Squinting blearily, he checked the time...
"4:45 AM? Ugh… How is that even a thing…?"
Annoyed, Billy left the phone where it was and climbed back up to his bed – only to hear a different alarm start up below him, accompanied by a muffled alarm chorus coming from the neighboring rooms.
Freddy made a sound like an angry bear, lunging from the lower bunk to slam his phone into silence on the bedside table. Before he could roll back under his covers, the bedroom door opened and Darla rushed in, followed far more grumpily by Pedro, Eugene, and Mary.
"What the actual hell," Pedro grumbled, leaning sleepily against the doorframe while Eugene slumped into Freddy's desk chair. "Who messed with our alarms, man?"
"I got a text!" Darla exclaimed in her best 'quiet' voice, holding up her phone's glowing screen for all to see. "Did you guys get one too? Billy? Are you up there?"
Billy groaned and poked his head over the upper bunk's railing.
"I don't know. My phone's on the desk," he mumbled. "What's it say?"
"It says our session at the gym starts at 6AM," Mary said irritably.
"Dude. That isn't right," Eugene said, shaking his sleep-ruffled head. "That's not right at all."
"It's gotta be a mistake," Billy said, climbing back down to check his own phone. Blinking at the screen, he said, "It's not a mistake. It says right here, 6AM. And here's the address where we're supposed to go."
"You go," Freddy said and snuggled up tight beneath his covers. "I'm staying right here."
"Freddy," Billy started to protest, but Pedro shook his head.
"Dude…maybe he's right," he said. "We don't even really know if this scholarship thing is legit. How are we supposed to get to this place, anyway? Steal the van?"
Billy shook his head. "No, no stealing. But, maybe we could fly. If Freddy decides to get out of bed."
Freddy sat up, but Mary crossed her arms.
"Guys, we can't just sneak out. Not like this," she said. "I know Rosa and Victor like to sleep late on Sundays, but can you imagine what would happen if they woke up and saw we weren't here? This early, it's not like we can pretend we all went out to the park or something."
Eugene snorted a humorless laugh. "This is the problem with having parents who actually care about you," he said. "You have to ditch them before you can have any real adventures!"
"Kids?"
As if to prove Eugene's point, the sound of Rosa's concerned voice in the hall made them all wince. Their foster mom leaned into the room, her brow furrowing when she saw them all there.
"What's going on?" she asked. "Is everyone OK?"
"We're fine," Mary hurried to reassure her. "It's just…we didn't want to wake you, and…"
"Well, I'm awake now," Rosa said. "What's this all about?"
"It's that athletic scholarship, from last night," Billy said. "Seems the first session starts at…well…"
"It starts at 6AM," Freddy said, swinging his legs over the edge of his bunk. "Which is stupid. And, I'm sure, a total health hazard, since recent studies indicate developing brains need, like, at least eight to ten hours of uninterrupted sleep in order to function at their full potential. So, how about we just forget the whole thing, OK?"
"I want to go," Darla whined.
"Yeah," Eugene backed her up. "Me too. Who knows," he said, meeting his older siblings' incredulous glances. "This whole early rising thing might be, like, a test. You know, to see if we're really serious about the whole…JL thing…" He indicated Freddy's framed Superman article with his eyebrows, and the kids all shared a significant look.
"6AM," Rosa repeated. "But, that's so early. Are you kids really sure you want to go through with this?"
"I can drive," Mary offered. "We can pick up some breakfast on the way. And the session's only two hours, so we'll be back by eight – before you and Victor even get up! Really, you don't have to worry about anything."
Rosa frowned.
"I'm not sure if I like this…"
"Just let us try it this one time," Billy said. "We're all awake now anyway."
"I couldn't go back to sleep if I tried!" Darla said.
"We'll have our phones with us," Mary said.
"Pedro?" Rosa asked. "Freddy? Tell me honestly, now. Do you really want to do this?"
"Yeah," Pedro said.
"No," Freddy overlapped him, then scowled. "But, I'll go," he said. "Just to see what it's like."
Billy smiled broadly at him, but Freddy turned away, reaching for his crutch.
Rosa still seemed conflicted, but staring into their faces, she began to nod.
"All right then," she said. "But I'll be driving you. I want to see what this place is like before I give my final OK."
Eugene smirked again, as if to say, "I told you so!" The rest of the kids nodded, and Rosa slapped her hands together.
"So OK, everyone get dressed," she said. "There should be time for breakfast before we go. Who's for pancakes?"
The kids cheered; albeit quietly so they wouldn't wake Victor too. Rosa stretched her lips in a tight smile as Darla, Eugene, Pedro and Mary filed past on their way back to their rooms, then turned her gaze to Billy.
"I want you to promise me you'll look out for Freddy, OK?" she said, ignoring Freddy's eye-roll. "Don't let him feel left out."
"You kidding? Freddy's part of the team," Billy said, trying to catch his brother's eyes.
"Well," Rosa said as she left the room. "See that he's included."
Once she was gone, Billy said, "Dude, I honestly don't get why you're still being like this. If Batman did hack my identity, he's gotta know about you too. I'm sure they'll have plenty of stuff you can do."
Freddy snorted bitterly.
"Two things, Mr. 'I Know The Justice League'," he said, using his crutch to pry himself to his feet. "First thing: it's totally bogus to think Batman would stoop to hacking your phone. A detective of his caliber wouldn't move on anything unless he had the facts first. That implies he had to have known you were a kid before you even got that summons yesterday. Because seriously: he's Batman! Second thing: I've done special gym, OK. Special gym sucks. It's all stupid beanbags and floor scooters, while everyone else gets to go out and play real sports. So thanks but no thanks, Champ."
He clapped Billy on the shoulder. Billy frowned and shook him off.
"You don't know it'll be like that," he said. "There's tons of disabled athletes out there. Incredible athletes. Do you see them letting their crutches and wheelchairs stop them from training?"
Freddy's expression darkened.
"I don't get why we have to go through with this training crap at all," he said. "I mean, if we're in the League as superheroes, shouldn't we be training as superheroes? Honing our strength, speed, stamina, flight! Wouldn't that make more sense?"
"We'll get to do that too," Billy said, piling up some clean clothes to change into. Blue jeans, red and gold shirt, red hoodie… "But dude, it does make sense to train as ourselves. I mean, as kids we're basically hostage fodder right now. That's how Sivana managed to threaten us. But, think about Robin and Nightwing. Think about Batman! You told me none of those guys have superpowers, right? But they're up there with the League just the same, defending the world with Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman. Don't you want to know how to fight like that?"
"No. No way. I only ever want to be the team's weak link," Freddy snarked angrily, his nostrils flaring against the stinging threat of tears. "And for the record, big man, Sivana threatened me. He stole our address from me, because he knew I couldn't fight back. I couldn't stop him. So don't talk like I don't think about this stuff, or like you understand how I feel. Because you don't. You can't!" Reaching the hallway, he snapped, "I call the bathroom."
"Not if I get there first!" Darla exclaimed from the next room, her footsteps pattering down the hall.
Billy stared after his foster brother, then turned his gaze to the newspaper he'd brought back from the Watchtower. There was the photo of himself and Ibac, taking up half the front page. And it was only him in the picture, he realized. The rest of the Shazam Family weren't even noted in the caption.
Billy spun away, tightening his jaw, then his fists.
"No way am I feeling guilty," he grumbled. "It's not like I took the stupid picture. And it's not my fault Freddy's acting like a selfish jerk. I didn't ask to have these powers, I was chosen. I was picked to be the Captain - to be on the Justice League - to get this scholarship! All these months, I've been doing my best for everyone. Now I'm finally getting something back, and if he can't handle it, that's his loss, man. His loss!"
"Let's see…North Front Street…" Rosa muttered as she let the van roll slowly past a dingy-looking street lined mostly with nail salons, pawn brokers, a dollar store, and a pet shop. This early in the morning, the 24-hour fried chicken and donut shop at the end of the block was the only place that looked open in the cool, dawning light.
"Hold on," Mary said from the passenger seat. "What about that big red building?"
Pedro, stuck in the back middle seat, leaned closer to the window ignoring Eugene and Darla's cries of: "Stop it! You're squishing me! Dude, stay on your side!"
"Oh, my god," Pedro gasped in awe. "Oh, my god, don't tell me that's it! Guys, is that it?"
"What?" Freddy said, wrinkling his nose. "Is there something behind that graffitied-up dump?"
"Kids, I'm not sure about this neighborhood," Rosa said warily. "What if I just—"
"No, no!" Pedro exclaimed. "Don't any of you get it? That red building – it's Mighty Mick's Gym! Just like in that Rocky movie!"
"Wait," Eugene said, starting to catch Pedro's excitement. "Are you saying we get to train in the same place as Rocky?"
Billy saw Freddy's eyebrows lift and he raised his fist for a quick bump. Freddy hesitated, then—
"None of you are training anywhere until I check this place out," Rosa said, nosing the van into an empty spot along the side of the road. "Billy, you have that certificate thing?"
Freddy sighed and went back to looking out the window. Billy frowned at him, but held up the folded paper.
"Right here," he said.
Following Rosa, the kids piled out of the van, across the cracked sidewalk, and through a battered-looking metal door that opened onto a battered-looking metal stairwell that led both up and down.
"Which way do we go?" Darla asked.
"Let's split up and try both!" Eugene suggested.
"Wait," said Mary, tilting her head as she moved closer to the steps. "I hear something downstairs. And there's a light!"
"Race you!" Darla cried and dashed down the steps, the rest of her family calling for her to wait up, to be careful…
The stairs led to a much cleaner-looking corridor with a broad set of double doors that stood wide open. Stepping through, the family gasped to see a vast, brightly lit, fully stocked, state-of-the-art training center. The central space was laid out with red and blue padding, a rack with wooden swords and other practice weapons lined the wall nearby. A mirrored corner, padded in green, hosted a variety of weights and weight machines. Climbing ropes, acrobatic rings and bars dangled from the high ceiling, and the equipment—
"Oh, my god!" Eugene cried, running to a row of purple streaked treadmills and exercise bikes. "These have VR-simulators!"
"They have…what?" Rosa squinted.
"Virtual Reality!" the boy squeaked, practically jumping in place. "Virtual Reality!"
Pedro wandered toward the weights as if in a daze, then turned back and engulfed a very startled Billy in a powerful bear hug.
"I love you, man," he said, his eyes filling with tears.
"Yeah. Yeah, OK, me too," Billy said, clapping his larger brother's back and smiling a fond laugh. "So…what are we supposed to do?" he asked once Pedro released him. "I don't see any—"
"All right, you guys are here!"
Grayson's friendly voice made the family turn to see the young man stride through the double-doors, flanked by a teenage boy about Pedro's age, a red-haired young woman in a wheelchair, a blonde woman dressed in black, and—
"Mrs. Vasquez, I presume," said a tall, broad-shouldered man in a very expensive suit. "Bruce Wayne. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Freddy paled and stumbled back, steadying himself against the gray wall. Rosa looked nearly as staggered as she held out her hand.
"Oh…yes. A pleasure, Mr. Wayne," she said. "This is quite a facility you have here. I must say, from the outside I didn't expect—"
"All part of the Wayne Foundation's mission to revitalize our urban areas for the good of the people who already live there," he said, and gestured the teenager over. "This is my ward, Tim. Over there are Barbara and Dinah," he indicated the girl in the wheelchair and the woman in black. "And I believe you already know Dick."
"Hey," Grayson waved, and smiled. Rosa nodded, her face beginning to blush.
"Now, let me see if I can guess this right," Wayne said, walking past the kids as he pointed each one out. "Mary. Pedro. Eugene. Darla."
"That's right!" Darla exclaimed, and slammed into the billionaire, wrapping her skinny arms around his thick, muscular waist. "Thank you so much for letting us come train here!"
The look that washed over Wayne's face was nothing compared to the bemused stares and smirks his friends exchanged with each other. Horrified, Freddy started to move forward, but Billy beat him to it, reaching out to pull Darla away.
"She's a hugger," he explained awkwardly.
"I…yes. I see." Wayne straightened his tailored jacket. "Good to meet you, Darla."
Darla beamed up at him.
"These are my other brothers, Billy and Freddy," she introduced. "Freddy didn't want to come here. He's afraid of looking stupid and being left out because he has a crutch."
"Darla…!" Freddy exclaimed, his pale face flushed with humiliation.
"Hey, you don't have to tell me," Barbara said, moving her wheelchair in closer. "When I first lost the use of my legs, I thought my life was over. I thought I'd never be able to train again. To do anything I used to love. But, Dick forced me to try. To work past my fears. And here I am."
Freddy looked away, his mouth drawn and his expression pinched.
"Well," Rosa said, giving his shoulder a supportive squeeze. "I think you'll be all right here."
"Rosa—!" Freddy protested.
"No, sweetie, she's right," Rosa said. "I think this might be a good experience for you. For all of you. Thank you again, Mr. Wayne. Is there anything I need to sign or…?"
"Barbara can help you with any forms," Wayne said. "There's no fee, of course. The Wayne Foundation will cover all costs."
"This is too generous," Rosa said, and Wayne shook his head.
"If anything, it's not enough."
Rosa smiled warmly and followed Barbara out of the room. Wayne turned his keen blue stare to Billy.
"Mr. Batson," he said. "A word, if you don't mind?"
"Uh…sure. OK," he said, glancing back at his siblings. "But, what about—"
"Dinah, Dick, Tim," Wayne ordered. "Billy's with me. You get started with the rest of them."
"Righty-oh, Bruce," Grayson said with a playful salute, and turned his smile on the kids. Tim stood beside him with his arms behind his back, a much grimmer presence, while Dinah headed over to prepare the practice mats.
"So," Grayson said, looking up and down the remaining line, "Who can show me how you make a fist?"
"Uh, Mr. Wayne?" Billy said, looking back at the lesson over his shoulder as they left the room. "Shouldn't I—"
"You're not missing anything," Wayne said and Billy's head twitched. Had Wayne's voice changed? That deep, grim rumble seemed eerily familiar, and in the shadowed corridor…
Billy blinked and swallowed, his eyes growing wide.
"You… Are you…?"
Wayne looked down at him and smirked just slightly.
"This way, Captain. We have some things to discuss."
To Be Continued…
References Include - Shazam! (movie); Shazam! Volume 1, by Geoff Johns; Shazam! The Deluxe Junior Novel, by Calliope Glass; Justice League: War; Justice League/Justice League Unlimited; Rocky (1976); Batman: War on Crime, by Paul Dini. I had to take special gym classes in elementary school. Sometimes it was fun, like when we got to ride little square floor scooters under a parachute. Mostly it made me feel like there was something wrong with me, and everyone else could see it. Didn't help much with my balance or coordination either. What did? Karate and Fencing! True story. :D
Next Time: The Shazamily and Bat Family Spar, while Meanwhile... Stay Tuned, and thanks so much for reading and for reviewing my story! It really helps to know what you think! :D
