Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He hadn’t been thinking.

That’s part of the problem. That is the problem.

One of the problems.

Among others. 

He doesn’t even remember how he got here in the first place. He remembers leaving his job at WHIZ radio station as their junior announcer- something Mary had suggested and which seems to make his foster parents happy so he stays even though Freddy thinks it’s stupid. 

Victor was supposed to be picking him up tonight- no, he’d texted and said he was going to be late, so Billy had started walking because it was late and he was tired and he really didn’t want to wait any longer… So he’d started walking. He’d sent Freddy a text. His eyes had been on his phone. He hadn’t been paying attention.

Someone had approached him. They’d said something, though Billy’s hard-pressed to remember what that actually was now. Maybe he should be more worried about that.

After that… nothing. 

Billy lies sprawled across the backseat of a car. He’s… not actually sure what he’s doing here, but he knows it isn’t good. 

The car hits another bump and his stomach does an uncomfortable lurch.

If this keeps going on like this, he’s going to vomit. Although that might be the least of his problems, considering he’s… himself instead of the other guy. Not only that, but his head feels like it’s been stuffed with cotton. 

He’s not sure he could concentrate enough to say the word, let alone summon the magic required for his transformation.

In short, he’s well and truly screwed. 

“...kid…”

“...even want?”

“Not for me to say.”

Billy moans as disjointed fragments of a conversation become audible. He peels his eyes open as best he can and fights back the wave of nausea that threatens to overwhelm him when he does so. 

The world around him is fuzzy, made up of blurred colors and barely defined edges. 

“Please,” he says, hoarsely, though he has no idea what he’s pleading for. “Please,” he says again, more desperately this time. “Please, please, please.” He’s starting to hyperventilate. His fear has become something tangible, a monster rising from the pit of his stomach, threatening to strangle him. 

A peach-colored blur turns to him. He thinks it might be speaking to him, but he’s not terribly sure. He can’t make anything out. Nothing is making any sense. 

Something touches his wrist. A voice says, “Hey.”

Billy tries to snatch his wrist back, but the fingers around it only tighten their grip, giving him a shake. “...listen to me….”

He whines, reaching up to cover his ears with his one free hand. 

There’s a harsh curse and then the peach-colored blob is turning away from him, releasing his wrist. 

The car is jerked to the side, brakes squealing. Billy lurches to the side with a choked noise, throwing his hands up defensively to cover his head.

There’s a shriek of metal as the roof is torn from the car, then twin cries of panic from both occupants up front as they’re dragged forth and tossed aside like they’re nothing.

A weight settles in the backseat with him and a gentle, but strong hand touches his shoulder. 

Billy flinches, curling even tighter around himself.

“Billy?” the man asks and his voice is so familiar that he almost cries. Superman. Superman actually came. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

He still feels out of it, but he shakes his head. 

No. 

Superman breathes out an audible sigh of relief. “Alright. I’m going to get you out of here, okay?” 

Billy scrunches up his face. He’s not a child. He doesn’t need to be spoken to like he’s five.

He’s also too tired to say any of that.

Strong arms slip underneath his back and knees, scooping him up in a bridal carry like he weighs nothing- and to Superman he probably didn’t. 

He’s cradled protectively against a broad chest. “I’ve got you, son,” Superman murmurs. “You’re going to be okay.” He presses a finger to his ear. “I’ve got him.” He pauses, listening to whatever is being said on the other side. “He’s alright. A bit out of it, but he’s clearly been drugged.” There’s another pause. “Alright.”

Billy stares at the symbol emblazoned across the man’s chest. His vision is still fuzzy around the edges, but it’s beginning to clear. 

It still feels surreal, to be saved by Superman. Especially when he himself is a bona fide superhero.

Buried beneath that amazement, however, is the bite of shame. 

He’s a superhero. He shouldn’t need rescuing. Not like he’s just some… some kid . To have Superman talking to him like he’s just another civilian and not one of his peers on the Justice League. 

“How do you feel?” Superman asks. 

“Like I got…” Billy grunts, bringing a hand to his forehead, “smacked in the head with a baseball. Or something.” He squints, trying to see past the haze. “It’s all weird.”

“That would be because they drugged you.” There’s something tight in Superman’s voice. Billy doesn’t like it.

“Oh.” Is that what they did? He’s never been drugged before. It makes a lot of sense now why he couldn’t transform. “I’m sorry.”

“What?” Superman seems surprised, a furrow forming in the space between his eyes. “Why would you be sorry? It’s not your fault.”

Billy grimaces, tucking his head down and curling in on himself. He just wants the headache to stop.

He just wants to go home. 

“You can’t go home right now,” Superman says, tone gentle. “Not that way you are now. You’ll need to come back to the Watchtower for observation.”

Billy moans. “Do I have to?”

“Afraid so.” Superman chuckles. “Just until we make sure the drugs don’t have any adverse effects.”

Billy moans again. He really doesn’t want to. But, then again, the thought of facing Rosa and Victor like this… 

He shudders.

Superman frowns. “Is something wrong?”

Billy screws his eyes shut. “No.” He’s so totally going to be grounded when he gets home. Probably for the entirety of next year. And beyond.

Maybe Superman will put in a good word for him, but he doubts it. He doubts it would matter even if he did.

His foster parents still aren’t thrilled with the whole superhero thing. This is all they’ll need to put their foot down and put an end to it. 

Not that they actually can stop him if he doesn’t want to be stopped, but he really wants to avoid fighting them on this if it can be helped. 

Maybe this will be the last straw, he thinks. They’ll finally be sick of him and all the problems he’s brought with him and kick him to the curb.

Just like his mom. 

The thought is a terrifying one.

He likes to think he knows Victor and Rosa better than that, but the fear is always there, in the back of his mind. There’s another part of himself that likes to remind him that thinking like this isn’t fair to the two of them, who’ve done nothing but shower him with love and try to make him feel welcome in their family, but he can’t help it.

If his own mom didn’t want him enough to keep him, why would somebody else?

“You alright?” Superman asks and Billy jolts. He’d gotten so lost in his thoughts, he’d almost forgotten where he was. They’ve been flying for several minutes already and must probably be almost at the zeta tube. Superman must be taking things slow for his sake, which feels… pretty weird, if he’s being honest. He doesn’t like this feeling of being treated with kid gloves. Even if it makes the teeth-clenching sort of sense if he looks at it from Superman’s perspective.

As Billy Batson, he’s breakable in a way his other self isn’t.

“Son?”

“I’m fine,” Billy says. And adds, “Don’t call me son.”

“Alright. How does the captain sound then?” If anything, Superman seems amused by his insistence. 

Billy groans. He’s got the keen sense that Superman is teasing him and his face flushes.

They’re at the zeta-tube now. 

Billy throws an arm up and over his face, screwing his eyes shut against the burst of light. And then they’re gone, like they were never there in the first place.

The mechanical voice announces their arrival over the loudspeaker and Superman steps out of the tube.

Someone approaches them. He can hear their footsteps. 

“Is he…?” There’s a hand on his forehead now, brushing his hair away from his face.
“He’s going to be fine, Diana. He just needs to be kept under observation.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve seen these drugs before. They’ll run their course before long. Thankfully, without any adverse effects.”

If the ground could just open up and swallow him whole, that would be great because this is embarrassing enough with Superman.  

He doesn’t know if he’ll be able to look Wonder Woman in the eyes again after this. 

“I’m glad you’re alright, Billy,” she says and there’s a sincerity there and also something almost maternal that makes Billy’s insides twist. “We were all very worried about you.” 

“I’m taking him to medical,” Superman says after that. 

There’s a buzz of voices that eventually settles into the background as ambient noise and Billy realizes that even more of the League is present. He’s certain that they must have gathered round and that they’re currently gawking at the kid Superman’s holding in his arms.

He feels completely humiliated, face burning so badly even his ears must be red. He wishes Superman would just put him down and let him walk for himself, even though he knows there isn’t a chance of that. Whatever they shot him up with still has him feeling not quite like himself. He still doesn’t know if he’d be able to summon the magic he needs to transform- even if that were something he was allowed to do in the Watchtower. The lightning isn’t good for it or something- at least that’s whatever mumbo jumbo Batman had shared with him. He didn’t really understand the more technical stuff. 

It just boils down to lightning equals bad. Which… makes sense. He thinks about what it did to the house and decides he doesn’t really want to see what it does to a satellite. 

Even one as advanced as this one.

So he can’t transform here, which really, really sucks, because he’s starting to feel way too exposed even though the League already knows about his identity. Which isn’t something he’s thrilled about- not everything has to be their business- but there’s nothing he can do about that. 

Certainly not now.

Billy stirs, eyes fluttering open. His head is pounding and he brings a hand to his temple.

He’s lying in a bed, probably the softest he’s ever been in- say what you will about the League, but they didn’t skimp when it came to state of the art comfort. 

He sighs, letting his head fall back into the pillow. It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone around, which he takes to mean that he’s perfectly fine. 

No adverse effects at all.

Aside from the headache, but he imagines that will fade given enough time.

“You’re awake.”

Billy startles.

Batman stands off to the side, arms crossed. He frowns, but he doesn’t apologize. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m awake.” And his heart is feeling like it wants to explode out of his chest. Does he do this to everyone? That would drive him crazy. 

It’s also driving him a little crazy that Batman- Batman- is standing right there, talking to him. 

Oh man, Freddy would kill to be in his shoes right now. And vice versa since Billy would rather be literally anywhere else than right here in this room with the Batman looking at him like… like that. 

Because there’s no mistaking that look. 

It’s the “I’m disappointed in you” look he sometimes earns from Victor. Except a million and one times more unsettling since it’s coming from you-know-who.

He fiddles with the blanket and swallows thickly. 

If this were Superman, he’d make a comment. But this is… this is Batman. You don’t backtalk Batman. You just don’t. 

“How are you feeling?” It’s such a casual question, even though Billy knows there’s absolutely nothing casual about it, not when Batman is the one who’s asking, that his brain short-circuits momentarily.

“Uh…” Real intelligent, Batson. He can’t stop staring. “Fine. I’m… I’m feeling fine.” He blinks and tears his eyes away. He probably looks so stupid right about now. 

“We’ve informed your parents that you appear to be alright, but that we’re keeping you for further observation just to be sure,” Batman says. 

Billy swallows thickly. He’s so totally grounded when he gets home. “Are they… are they angry?”

Batman fixes him with a look that Billy’s not quite sure how to interpret. “They’re not happy,” he says, “but they’re glad to know that you’re safe.”

Billy nods, swallowing past the lump in his throat. 

He’s so grounded. He’s so, so grounded.

It sucks. It sucks that he’s the only League member who has to worry about this. 

It’s humiliating.
“Was…?” he starts, but Batman is already gone. With a frustrated huff, he lets himself fall back against the pillow.

“Don’t take it too personally.” Wonder Woman appears in the doorway, arms folded. Her perfectly sculpted brows are furrowed. “He’s not as unfeeling as he seems.”

Billy nods, his mouth suddenly having gone very dry. He’s spoken to them all before, but as his… other self. Not as Billy Batson. 

It hasn’t gone over his head that they’re acting differently around him too and it’s starting to grate on his nerves. He isn’t different just because he’s… himself. 

“You can stop doing that,” he says. Diana frowns, confused, and he continues, “I’m not different. You guys already knew about my identity before all of this.”

“Billy…” Diana says. Her frown deepens. “It’s different now. You could have been badly hurt.”

“I could be hurt anytime I go out on a mission with you guys.” It’s the wrong thing to say and he knows it the moment the words leave his mouth. 

Diana’s expression hardens- she had been one of the most vocal opponents to his remaining in the League when his identity had been discovered. He understands where she was coming from- he doesn’t want to, but he does- but it’s still a sore spot for him. “We don’t send children into battle where I’m from,” she says. Her eyes are flinty.

It makes something prickle beneath his skin. 

But he’s too tired to fight what he knows is a losing battle- he doesn’t mention that, when he’s the other guy, he’s technically not a child. He already knows how well that argument will fly. “Right,” he says. “Whatever.” It comes out more flippant than he’d intended, but Diana isn’t looking for a fight either. 

Instead, she shakes her head with an unhappy sigh. “I am grateful that you are unhurt, Billy,” she says.

Billy shrugs- the truth is that he’s incredibly grateful to be alive and unhurt as well. He doesn’t want to admit it, but this has left him shaken up. He especially doesn’t want to admit that to Wonder Woman. 

He’s faced death before. Sivana and his sins had nearly killed him and his siblings.

He’s never been kidnapped or nearly kidnapped before, even with all the running away he did before… before everything. He never even came close.

Everyone knows that superheroes have close calls. It pretty much comes with the business. But near death experiences are one thing. Kidnapping is another. He doesn’t think anyone in the League has ever been kidnapped before. He’s never heard of anyone even trying.

It feels stupid, how rattled this has left him, but he’s just a kid. He’s just a kid with too much on his shoulders and it sucks and it isn’t fair and he likes being a superhero, which makes all these other things he’s feeling pretty ridiculous. 

Diana takes a seat by his bedside and places a hand on his shoulder. “Billy,” she says gently, “there’s an enormous weight on your shoulders.”

“I can handle it,” he says.
“That doesn’t mean it should have been asked of you to carry it.”

“Not like that can change anything now.” Billy refuses to look at her- anything to hide the way his lip trembles. 

Not that it does much good.

“Billy,” Diana says and she sounds so gentle and Billy doesn’t want her pity or her compassion or any of those things that make her so good at what she does. 

He’s not actually sure what he wants.

Chapter Text

Wally’s never been good at waiting games. Those are more Bruce’s schtick and Wally is happy to leave it like that. 

Right now, however, there’s a house with five more children inside. 

Five more children with superpowers , but whoever had tried to kidnap Billy took him despite his having those powers. They knew how to incapacitate a superhero. More than that, they knew who he was. 

That’s a terrifying thought. 

Billy is fifteen. 

A child.

 He shouldn’t be at risk like this. He shouldn’t even be a superhero. It seems so obvious to him and yet, here he is. 

Billy’s on the League.

And sure, Wally might be barely an adult himself and he totally gets being thrust into a world that’s so much bigger than you are with powers, but this is… this is different. 

It’s not the first time they’ve monitored a member’s loved ones in a time of emergency- in their line of work, they’ve all made plenty of enemies who wouldn’t think twice about murdering someone’s son, mother, or brother. 

They’ve had their fair share of scares- and more than one tragedy. 

Wally won’t be forgetting what happened to Sue Dibny. 

Not for a long time. 

Maybe not ever. 

He doesn’t think any of them will be. 

And to think, all along, that it was one of our own… That it had been over something so trivial only makes it worse. 

Wally screws his eyes shut as grief momentarily overcomes him, rising up in his throat to choke him. He swallows thickly- because when he thinks about something similar happening to any of those kids, it fills his mouth with the sour taste of fear. Children shouldn’t be a part of what they do. It’s part of why they do what they do- to keep the children safe. 

He can’t deny that Captain Marvel is one of their best powerhouses and booting him from the League would cost them, probably a lot, but Billy is fifteen and that’s the part that makes him feel icky inside. 

“Looks quiet so far.” Ollie leans forward. Wally’s not really sure how he feels about him right now, but he’s not sure about a lot of things. “Supes already nabbed the guys who grabbed him, right?”

“Yeah, but we still don’t know what they wanted with him or who they were working for,” Wally says. “Apparently, everything was on a ‘need to know’ basis. And they didn’t.” 

It’s not a bad plan, keeping people out of the loop. 

It certainly makes their job more difficult.

Diana’s Lasso of Truth is a wonderful thing to have, but it’s only useful if the bad guys actually know the answer to the questions they’re asked. Otherwise, it’s just a fancy piece of rope. 

Not that he felt like sharing that with Diana. She was plenty intimidating when she wanted to be and he likes when that particular aspect of her personality is focused away from him, thank you very much.

He’s drumming his fingers against his thigh and really wishing he brought something to snack on. His stomach is starting to growl, thanks to his hyperfast metabolism.

“Do you mind…?” He can be at the Burger Shack and back in less than half a second. That’s not an exaggeration.

“Only if you remember to bring me back something.”

Wally flashes him a mock salute. “You got it.” He’s gone in… well, in a flash, returning just as quickly with his arms laden with bags of junk food. “Here.” He passes a milkshake to Ollie, then immediately begins digging in. 

“Wow,” Ollie comments, raising an eyebrow. “How much do you actually eat?”

“Well,” Wally starts, fully committed to answering, but Ollie raises a hand.

“It was a rhetorical question, kid.”

“You asked. Don’t ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to.” Wally shrugs, but he’s not too concerned about it. Savoring his food has never really been a concern of Wally’s. He practically inhales the first burger. And the second. And the third.

The backdoor opens and a heavyset man steps out. He’s got a large trash bag in his hand, which he tosses in the bin, but he doesn’t immediately go back inside. Instead, he stays where is for a moment longer, squinting into the darkness. 

Wally might not have Clark’s telescopic vision, but he can still see the deep set furrow between his brows. He doesn’t realize he’s holding his breath until the man- Billy’s foster father, Victor Vasquez- has turned around and walked back inside.

“Seem like good people,” Ollie says. “I can see why the kid wants to stay with them.”

“Yeah,” Wally agrees. He finishes off the last burger and crumbles the paper bag in his hand. They lapse into a comfortable silence between the two of them, but Wally’s mind is still racing. 

There’s an endless list of people who want the members of the League dead, who wouldn’t hesitate to go after any of their families if they knew the face behind the mask. 

These are good people, raising good kids if Billy is any indication of the rest. 

He wants them to be safe. They deserve to be safe.

Wally shifts when the door opens again and a woman steps outside. She glances around, lips pursed and it occurs to Wally that she must be looking for them. “You can come out,” she says, confirming his suspicions. Her arms are crossed, but she doesn’t look angry. Instead, he thinks she almost looks… pensive. “I know you’re here. You can do your job just as well down here as you can… wherever you are now.”

Wally exchanges a glance with Ollie. The other man strokes his goatee and shrugs. “She’s not wrong,” he says. 

“I’m pretty sure this is exactly what we’re not supposed to do,” Wally says. “Are you ready to get yelled at?” His stomach curdles at the thought- he never relishes this part of job, when he has to face the families, but he’s also not a coward. 

She’s a mom. She’s scared for her son as she has every right to be.

Wally has a mom.

He stands up, curls and uncurls his fingers as he works to steady his nerves. 

“You’re actually…?”

“Yeah.” 

Rosa Vasquez hasn’t gone back inside. 

Ollie sighs heavily and climbs to his feet, nocking an arrow. “Fine. But I’m holding you responsible for whatever comes next.” He fires it- it hits a telephone and he swings down. 

Wally is already on the ground.

Rosa, to her credit, barely flinches when she finds herself face to face with two members of the Justice League. She crosses her arms. “I wondered if you would show yourselves.”

“Hi, uh… Ma’am.” Wally rubs the back of his neck. He’s always considered himself to be a people person, but now’s really not a good time for ice breakers. 

“Flash.” Her arms remain folded, but her fingernails are digging into the skin at her elbows. Her eyes flicker to Ollie. “Green Arrow,” she greets. 

“It’s a pleasure.” Ollie tips his hat to her. 

“Yes, well…” She takes a deep breath. “Maybe you could come in?” 

Wally glances at Ollie and shrugs. It’s better than standing out in the street where anyone can see them. 

Rosa turns and leads the way inside, holding the door open for them both. 

It’s awkward, shuffling his way inside. He’s a superhero- awkwardness isn’t something generally associated with people like him, but he’s only human like everybody else. 

He’s struck by the thought that he’d rather be facing Gorilla Grodd than this woman. 

Or… maybe not. But another one of the Rogues.

Captain Cold most definitely.

He shouldn’t think like that. It isn’t kind of him. Especially when Rosa herself seems to be such a lovely person and a wonderful mother.

It’s that last part that scares him.

He catches sight of a handful of faces peeking out at them both from another room in the house.

The other kids, he figures. Billy’s siblings. 

They’re joined by Victor in the kitchen who shakes both their hands with surprising solemnity. “Flash,” he says with a nod. “Arrow.” He seems like a kindly soul. 

Wally wishes they could be here under better circumstances. 

“I know you’re here to watch over us,” Rosa says, “and I know that means you’re probably going to be here for a while so I feel justified in offering you a little something.” She has a plate of cookies in hand- butterscotch it looks like- and Wally’s mouth waters at the tantalizing aroma. He holds himself back. 

“Please. Take some.” Rosa offers them a strained smile so Wally does and Ollie follows suit. 

“For what it’s worth,” Ollie says, “I really am sorry about… all of this.”
“It’s a lot,” Rosa agrees. 

The kids have started peeking around the corner, Wally’s noticed, which is understandable. He knows they all have powers of their own, but even so, seeing members of the Justice League in their own kitchen must be something new. 

“Have you seen Billy?” A little girl rushes into the kitchen, her dark hair bunched on either side of her head. She stops just short of crashing into him. “Is he okay?”

“Darla…” Rosa begins, but another child has followed her into the kitchen. He leans on a crutch and has a head of dark, curly hair. He is also, Wally notes with bemusement, wearing an Aquaman t-shirt. This must be Freddy Freeman then.

There are two more boys. 

Wally has never met any of Billy’s siblings before, but Billy has always spoken warmly of them. It’s good to see Billy has such wonderful people waiting at home for him.  

“You’re the Flash,” he says, something urgent, but also something kind of awed in his expression and, sure, Wally is used to being regarded with this kind of wonder, but not up close. “That means you’ve seen Billy. How- how is he? Is he…?” His eyes are wide and frantic and Wally can empathize with that because he knows how scary it is to be uncertain of a loved one’s fate. If anything ever happened to Linda… It doesn’t bear thinking about, but he knows he wouldn’t survive. 

“He’s okay,” Ollie is the one who answers. “We’re just making sure he stays that way while Supes tracks down the bad guys who started it all.”

Freddy nods to himself. He still looks slightly awestruck by all of this. Or maybe he’s just stunned. 

Wally can empathize with that. 

It is pretty hard to be unimpressed by Superman. There are still days when the big guy blows him away. 

“Isn’t he supposed to be Superman?” The boy with glasses, on the other hand, is not impressed. He crosses his arms skeptically. “Why is he taking so long?” 

“Eugene…” Rosa says, but she doesn’t scold him exactly. 

It’s okay. Wally gets it. When you don’t work with the guy, sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that Superman isn’t infallible. 

“He’s going to find them,” Wally says, confidently. “You don’t evade Superman for very long.” The truth is a little more complicated than that. Even Superman has his limits, though they far exceed everyone else’s.

Wally doesn’t think now is the time to discuss that though. Especially not with all of them staring at him like… that. 

Rosa has set the plate of cookies on the table. “It’s alright for you to take a seat,” she says as she draws the curtains. “I don’t expect anyone to be looking in,” she explains herself, “but why take the chance?” 

It makes sense. There don’t seem to be many people out and about in these parts at this time of night, but why take that chance? 

Still, Wally hates that their mere presence in this house might be putting these people in danger. It’s enough that he feels suddenly uncomfortable with being here. Maybe they shouldn’t have accepted Rosa’s invitation to come inside. 

“So your secret base is a satellite up in space,” Freddy says before Wally can think to act on this. He pulls out a chair and takes a seat. 

“It’s…” Wally squints at him. “It’s… it’s not much of a secret if you know about it.” 

Technically, the Watchtower isn’t a secret secret. It’s more like an open secret, but that doesn’t mean Wally thinks it’s a good idea to be openly discussing it.

“Semantics,” Freddy says, even though it’s really not. His hands are folded on the table. 

“He’s worried about Billy,” Darla says. “This is just how he copes.” 

Freddy flushes a deep shade of red and buries his face in his hands. “ Darla !”

“I’m worried too,” she adds solemnly with a little sniff. Up until this point, she had been still been making eye contact with him, but now she breaks it, staring at her shoes. 

“Hey.” Ollie touches her shoulder, acting before he can. “I know some really bad guys tried to hurt your brother and I know that’s scary, but we’re going to catch them.”

Chapter Text

Diana goes home with him. 

A zeta tube drops them within a ten minute walking distance of where he lives and, as wild as it is to think that Wonder Woman is going to visit his house, he doesn’t care nearly as much as he should. 

“Just a safety precaution,” she assures him. Not that it does much to lift Billy’s mood. He doesn’t need a fucking babysitter. “We don’t think they’re going to strike again so soon, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” 

Yeah. It still doesn’t make him feel great. 

Billy just grunts, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He could tell her that this is unnecessary, that he’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and he doesn’t need them treating him like he’s a child. 

But he doesn’t. 

The truth is that this has left him feeling rattled. He doesn’t like being vulnerable. He likes being able to look after himself. 

And sure, things have gotten better since Rosa and Victor took him in. He’s gotten better. He no longer feels like he constantly has to be looking over his shoulder. There are people in his life who he feels safe around. 

The Captain was a big part of that too. Being one magic word away from invulnerability tends to have that effect. 

That’s part of the problem.

All of that has been stripped away from him in a single night. Which is why he doesn’t protest when Wonder Woman offers to take him home. 

The ugly truth is… he’s scared. He’s scared of what this might mean for him. He’s scared of what this might mean for his family. He doesn’t want to put them in danger, but he fears that he already may have.

Again. 

“I won’t pressure you to talk about it,” Diana says slightly. Her hands are tucked into her pockets, “but I’ve found that talking about it helps.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he mumbles. 

“Okay,” she says easily, which throws him off because he had been ready for a fight. But she keeps her eyes forward and seems content to let it lie.

He glares down at his shoes and does his best to keep pace with Diana.

The humiliating thing is, he knows she’s slowing down for him because there’s no way he can keep up with her brisk pace as plain old Billy Batson. She’s dressed down for the occasion too, leaving her hair loose instead of tying it up in a tight bun and trading the crisp pantsuits she generally favors when she’s out of the costume and at her day job to simple slacks and a blouse. A pair of spectacles, which she certainly doesn’t need, are perched on her nose. 

She looks like she could be his mom. 

Then of course, that was the idea. A lot less people who are going to ask questions if they look like they belong together. 

“You know,” he says finally because the silence is starting to get to him, “I could have gone home by myself. I’m not a baby.” 

“Is that what you’re worried about?” She doesn’t sound shocked. 

“You’re all acting like I can’t be left alone for two seconds.” 

Her lips pinch together. “It’s not about your age, Billy. Someone tried to harm you. That’s not something we can overlook. We take care of our own.” 

Hearing that last part should make him happy. For the longest time, that had been his biggest insecurity: that they wouldn’t see him as truly one of them.

If he’s being honest, it still is. 

“You wouldn’t walk Batman home,” he says bitterly.

“That’s because he is Batman.” Diana sighs, which is the answer he expected and that’s infuriating . “Billy, I won’t lie to you about this. It’s true that some of us still have qualms about your age.” 

It’s not what he wants to hear. He lowers his voice.  “I’m just like any of you when I’m the other guy.”

“But you are not always him,” Diana says gently. “Even Superman died once.” 

Billy’s heart is hammering away in his chest. He knows she’s speaking the truth; there’s not a person alive who doesn’t remember the day Superman died. 

He wants to be seen as their equal. He is their equal. When he says the word, he’s more than a match for more than half of them. 

But even Superman died. 

He’d thought he had been careful with his secret identity but apparently not careful enough. Someone had still known enough about him to try and kidnap him for reasons that they still hadn’t uncovered and that… that scared him. 

And he hates it. He hates it because he doesn’t want their protection, but he doesn’t know what to do without it because he hadn’t been enough to protect himself and what if they come after his family next?

What if it’s Freddy who gets grabbed off the street next? Or Darla? What if they go after Victor and Rosa? 

“We’re here,” Diana announces and it says something about his state of mind that she had been paying more attention to where they had been going than he had. That’s not saying… She’s incredibly observant and probably one of the smartest people Billy knows, but… this is his home. This is his town.

Billy stares up at the house and feels his stomach do an unpleasant somersault. 

This is the first time he’s seen any of them since he was… since all of that and he has no idea how this is going to go.

Well… that’s not entirely true. He has something of an idea, but it doesn’t make him look forward to this anymore. He knows he scared Victor and Rosa half to death, especially if two members of the Justice League are keeping watch over them. 

Diana doesn’t pressure him. She waits patiently behind him while he wrestles with his thoughts, trying to build the courage to walk up the steps and knock on the door. 

When he does, it’s with dragging feet. 

“Billy!” The door is flung open before he even has a chance to knock and Rosa spills out onto the porch. He has a second maybe to adjust to her presence before she’s enveloping him in a crushing hug with enough force to nearly knock him off his feet. Victor is right behind her and he wraps his arms around the both of them, holding them close. “You’re okay,” Rosa murmurs into his hair. “You’re okay. Oh, I was so, so worried about you.”

Worn out, Billy lets himself be held. Being so close to the people he loves is a reminder of what almost happened. 

It’s not a comfortable thought or one he wants to dwell on for long. 

Diana remains at a respectful distance at the top of the stairs, watching the proceedings sympathetically, but that doesn’t make him feel any better. 

He doesn’t ask for sympathy. 

Rosa extends a hand, smiling gratefully. Tears are glistening at the corners of her eyes. “Thank you for bringing him home…” 

“It is the least I could do,” Diana says carefully, accepting Rosa’s proffered hand. Her eyes are solemn. “I can’t imagine how frightened you must have been.” 

Rosa nods, but she doesn’t speak. She’s more guarded than Billy can remember ever seeing her when she faces the Amazonian warrior. 

“Billy?” There’s a flash of Darla’s purple unicorn shirt at the door. It’s all the warning Billy gets before she’s flying into him. “Billy! I was so scared!”

It just about knocks the wind out of him, but he wraps his arms around her. He’s never been more grateful to see her before in his life. 

“Hey, Darla.” He smiles wanly at her. She’s getting taller. The top of her head nearly brushes his chin now. He pats her hair. 

The rest of his siblings have clamored together at the door. They’re whispering, but not doing a very good job of keeping it down. Billy does his best to tune them out. 

The only one absent is Mary. He wishes he could see Mary too, but she’s away at college. He’s not going to see her for another three months. 

Victor quietly shoos them back inside. “I know you’re all relieved to see your brother, but go back inside for now. We’ll join you in a few minutes.” 

Reluctantly, they file back inside the house.

Darla in particular clings to Billy until she’s finally coaxed back inside. 

Billy lingers on the porch a moment longer. “Why don’t you go with them, Billy?” Victor asks kindly. “I know your siblings missed you a lot.” 

“No.” Billy shakes his head. “If you’re going to talk about me, I want to be here.” 

“Billy…” Rosa says. She glances at Victor. 

Billy lifts his chin and meets their eyes head on. 

It’s not like them to butt heads and it’s not like him to act belligerent like this. Not anymore. But recent events have left him feeling off his axis and not at all like himself. He feels vulnerable and he’s desperate to prove to them all that this isn’t the case. 

“I understand your concerns,” Diana says, “but perhaps it is best to let him stay.”

They look at her, this warrior woman standing on their porch, and they relent. 

“Okay,” Rosa says unhappily. 

“I’m not going to stop,” Billy says abruptly. It’s important that he gets this out of the way now. “Even if you kick me out of the League.”

“No one is kicking you out,” Diana says and in the same breath, Victor says, “We’ll talk about that later.”

Something raw and desperate is clawing its way up his throat. “You can’t force me to do something I don’t want to. I mean, what’s the point of having these powers if I can’t use them? I can help people.”

“What about you, Billy?” Rosa says. “You’re so young. You should be worried about school. Not supervillains.” 

“Life didn’t really give me that option.” It’s easier to focus on just one person so he focuses on Rosa. 

Her lips are pressed together thinly. She knows he’s right. They all know he’s right. 

Because, at the end of the day, they can kick him out of the League if they want, if that’s what will make them feel better. 

But they can’t stop him from doing what he does. 

Billy stays awake long after he’s already gone up to bed, long after Freddy has stopped trying to talk to him and rolled over to face the wall on his side of the room. 

He doesn’t know if he’s actually asleep or just pretending to be, but it’s not like it matters. 

His phone pings and he snatches it from the bureau to see a message from Mary.

Are you okay? Freddy told me what happened.

He frowns and unlocks his phone so he can type a quick response. Freddy’s a rat. 

Mary’s response is just as quick. He’s worried about you. So am I.

Don’t you have exams to study for? I’m fine. He flips the phone over on his chest and stares at the ceiling. There’s another text from Mary, which he ignores. He puts the phone on silent and throws it back on the dresser. 

They can finish their conversation tomorrow.  

Someone knocks on the door. 

Billy doesn’t answer. Maybe if he pretends to be asleep, his parents will go away. 

He should have known better. 

“Billy?” Rosa pushes the door open a crack. “Are you awake?” 

Billy squeezes his eyes shut and barely stifles a sigh. Is everyone going to be checking up on him tonight? But he can’t pretend for long when it’s Rosa. 

“Yeah.” 

She steps inside, fingers still wrapped around the door knob. “Do you want to come downstairs? Victor and I were making hot chocolate.” 

He considers for a moment, then decides that he really wouldn’t mind hot chocolate. He doesn’t think he’ll be getting to sleep anytime soon with all the thoughts that are zipping around inside of his head. “Okay.”

He follows Rosa downstairs. She’s still on edge, but that’s okay because Billy is too. Their house is being monitored by the Justice League. They may have to relocate. 

And it’s all his fault. 

Victor is sitting on the couch. He has two steaming, ceramic mugs in his hands and a third one sitting on the coffee table. “Hey, kiddo.” He smiles when he sees Billy and holds up one of the mugs. “Did you want whipped cream on this?”

“No, thanks.” Billy loves whipped cream. Usually. It might be too much for him now. He accepts the mug and settles himself on the couch. “So,” he says.

“So,” Victor agrees.

Rosa grabs the last mug and sits in the armchair facing them. “Billy, I understand where you’re coming from. But I want you to understand where we’re coming from.” 

Billy squirms uncomfortable. 

“You’re our son, Billy. And you have this amazing gift and you do so much good with it. But there are also people who want to hurt you for it and that’s… so hard for Victor and I.” She dabs at her eyes. “We love you so much, Billy. And if something happened to you…”

“Mom…” Tears are welling in his own eyes. 

Victor places a heavy hand on his shoulder. “We’re used to people wanting to kill you by now, Billy,” he says quietly. “And by you, I mean the other you. But this time, they went after you you. The one without superpowers.” 

Billy swallows down the lump in his throat. He doesn’t know what there is to say to that.

Quietly, he sets the mug back down on the coffee table and gets up, crossing the room so he can join Rosa on the chair. He wraps his arms around her neck. 

Rosa doesn’t say anything. She simply holds him.