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Today was the day.
He was finally, finally an adult. Not for a just a moment. Not just for pretend. But an actual real life, legal adult.
For the first time in his life he no longer had to worry about looking over his shoulder for CPS or going back into foster care. He didn't have to deal with other people making his decisions for him because they supposedly knew what was best for him. He didn’t need a parent’s permission or a legal guardian’s signature—everyone just had to sit down and accept that, for better or worse, he got to make his own decisions.
Billy climbed to his feet rushing to the bathroom to get ready for the day. He knew logically that he wasn’t going to look any different today than he had before he’d gone to sleep the night before, but he couldn’t help but marvel at his own reflection. He wasn't tall or particularly broad shouldered the way he was as Captain Marvel, but he lost a lot of his baby fat and his jaw had a certain squareness to it that he thought made him look more like his alter ego than he had as a kid. He didn’t look different, didn’t even really feel different, but there was an undeniable pep in his step, a newfound confidence that came from knowing he’d finally grown up.
To be honest, he hadn’t really thought he’d actually make it to 18. There had been so many times throughout his life where he was sure he was going to die long before then—either from the effects of a life of poverty or as a casualty of a potentially universe ending battle against evil.
But against all odds, here he was. He was not just alive, but thriving. He had a job he loved, more friends and loved ones than he had thought possible, a long and successful superhero career, and even his own apartment. He was even on track to graduate from high school in the spring!
Things were really looking up for him.
He flashed his reflection a grin, feeling his chin for nonexistent stubble before getting ready for the day.
Grabbing his phone off of his nightstand, he smiled down at the slew of birthday messages he’d already received. Swiping through them, he sent out a series of thank yous and then he sent his own message to Mary.
He’d see her at the party tonight—Freddy too—but first there were preparations to be made. Because this year he was going to celebrate a little bit differently.
His first call was to station WHIZ.
“Happy birthday!” Joane sang out on the other end as soon as she answered.
Billy laughed. “Thanks Joane. Can you put me through to Mr. Morris?”
“Of course Billy.”
There was a brief silence and then Mr. Morris’s booming voice sounded out. “Billy my boy! What are you doing calling the station—you have the day off! You should be out partying and enjoying your youth.”
Billy rolled his eyes, but could barely stop smiling. “I think it’s a bit early for that,” he said. “The party’s not until the afternoon. You’re still coming right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Good because I want to ring in my 18th birthday with all of my closest friends.”
Mr. Morris let out a soft sigh. “God, it’s so hard to believe you’re already 18! I mean I remember when you were just a tiny little ten year old kid with big innocent eyes and a lot of spunk.”
"You still took a chance on me."
"And it was the best damn gamble I ever took."
“Thanks Mr. Morris,” Billy laughed. “I just wanted to double check that yesterday’s recording is all ready to air this afternoon.”
“It sounds great as always,” his mentor chuckled. “Now stop worrying so much and go enjoy your birthday young man! Work can wait until tomorrow.”
“Thanks again. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Billy hung up, mentally crossing his work obligations off his to do list. Mary and the Bromfields were handling the last minute party preparations and Freddy was set to patrol for any villain activity throughout the day, which meant that Billy was, for once, free to do as he pleased.
He got himself some birthday pancakes down at Pop’s Place, basking in how boisterously the diner sang Happy Birthday to him. Then he took a leisurely stroll through the park, enjoying the good weather and sunshine. He stopped to chat with people along the way—friends and acquaintances congratulating him on his birthday and fans of his show asking for autographs and selfies.
There was only one thing that could put a damper on his spirits today—and he had that scheduled for noon.
Billy waved goodbye to a couple of kids who’d been eager for a picture with him, checking the time on his watch. As the clock struck twelve he made his way to the out of order photo booth that served as the zeta tube entrance for Fawcett City. He glanced around, instinctively checking that he was alone.
“Shazam!”
A few moments later, Captain Marvel stood at the entrance to the Hall of Justice. He was still having some doubts about this, but he’d promised himself that when he hit 18 he’d come clean to his friends on the Justice League.
Of course he’d made that promise back when he was eleven and convinced that being a kid was enough to get him kicked from the Justice League once and for all. He still had some reservations about that to be honest. He may have been 18 with roughly a decade of experience being a superhero, but he was old enough now to recognize the nuance of the situation.
Like the fact that he had essentially been lying to them all the entire time they’d known him. Or how he had accidentally put them in uncomfortable positions when they retroactively applied his age to their memories of him. Or how he’d led them to believe some frankly ridiculous things about his overall existence that he would have to very quickly backtrack and set right.
There was still technically time to back out, to settle back into the comfortable lies and convenient assumptions that had carried him through the last few years. If he was careful he could probably coast the rest of his life on the foundation he’d built.
But then if it did come out at some point down the line, wouldn’t it be worse? Because hiding the fact that he was a kid because he was scared of their reactions was at least understandable, but continuing to string them along as he got older, when concerns about his age no longer mattered, would just be simple dishonesty. Maybe they wouldn’t notice right away, but the dawning realization that he had had them all fooled would poison the friendships he’d made, he was sure of it.
So he had to do this, he had to set things right and face the consequences. He was an adult, he could handle it.
As he slipped inside, a small part of him—the part that was still that scared, awestruck ten year old who had first joined the Justice League—wanted to run.
The Hall of Justice was just as regal looking as it was the first time he stepped foot inside for his initiation ceremony. Statues of the League’s founders overlooked the main lobby, looming larger than life. Turning down the hall, he walked past photographs of the various iterations of the League over the years. It was a veritable trip down memory lane, marking the changes and growth of the team of superheroes. He pinpointed his first photo, when the League was a fraction the size it was now, his shining lightning bolt standing out from the rest. He was beside Superman—as the one who nominated him for membership, he’d been his guide those first few months.
He had stuck to the Man of Steel like glue, desperate to make a good impression, to get everything just right. It was honestly a miracle that he hadn’t annoyed the other hero to death with his endless questions. But somehow they’d come out the other side as good friends.
“Captain!” a voice called out, snapping his attention away from the photograph on the wall. Clark strode towards him, just as he had all those years ago when this photo was first taken. For a moment Cap was struck by the little changes, tiny bits of gray in his hair, a scar that peeked out from beneath his suit. “Right on time, as always.”
Cap smiled at him. “Is everyone here?”
“Yeah, they’re getting settled in the conference room,” Clark said. “Though I must admit we’re all curious as to what this is about. And why you wanted to meet in the Hall and not the Watchtower.”
Because I don’t want to knock the satellite out of the sky with a lightning strike, he thought ruefully.
“I’ll explain soon, I promise.”
The two walked in comfortable silence to the designated meeting room. Cap could feel his nerves ratcheting up, his fight or flight instincts at war with his decision. He was pretty sure that Clark had noticed the way his heart beat faster than normal because he glanced at him with that concerned frown he sometimes wore.
As they stepped inside they were met with the familiar chatter of heroes.
“Hey guys!” he said, waving at the group assembled before him, calling their attention to him. He knew so many heroes, cared for them all even if he didn’t know them well, but he wanted this first moment of truth to begin with his closest friends and those he’d known the longest. He could work up to telling others, could let the truth filter down to those he didn’t know as well as time went on.
“Hey Cap!” Hal called out. “About time! We’ve all been dying of anticipation!”
“I know, I know,” Cap laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. He’d set up this meeting weeks ago, ensuring that, barring any end of the world scenarios, he’d go through with his plan to tell the truth. The advance notice somewhat backfired as everyone had spent all that time needling him for information about his announcement. “Can everyone just…settle down? This is already going to be hard enough as it is.”
He didn’t miss the somewhat alarmed looks that his teammates exchanged as they took their seats, automatically arranging themselves the way they would in the Watchtower.
Cap took a deep breath, pausing to look at each of the others in turn. He’d prepared this speech, rehearsed it a million times, but it was still going to be hard.
“I have been a member of this team for a long time now, about eight years,” he began. “And they have been the most amazing years of my life. Most of you were there when I was inducted, which is why I wanted you all to be the first to know—“
“Oh my god you’re leaving the League,” Barry blurted out, looking like he was tearing up. “Dinah said she thought you were retiring, but I didn’t believe her.”
“You’re retiring?” Wally asked, jumping to his feet. He looked devastated at the thought that someone he’d known since his Teen Titan days was leaving. “But you can’t! You love being a hero!”
“If the Captain feels it’s for the best, then we need to honor his wishes,” Diana soothed. She stepped forward, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. “Though I’d be remiss if I didn’t say how much we’d all miss you.”
“Whatever you need to make this transition easier, just let us know,” Bruce said, nodding solemnly from his chair.
“What are you guys talking about?” Cap asked absolutely bewildered. “I’m not retiring!”
“You’re not?” Clark asked, caught somewhere between surprised and relieved.
“Oh thank god,” Hal sighed, slumping in his seat. “You had me freaking out for a second there.”
Dinah leaned forward in her chair. “If that’s not it, then what is your announcement Captain?” she asked delicately.
Speech thoroughly derailed, Cap struggled for a moment to find his voice. His speech had been so good too—he just hadn’t realized they’d all jump to weird conclusions like he was retiring from hero life. When had he ever given them the impression that he would want that?
“I was trying to say,” he started again, “that because we’ve all known each other for so long and because I’ve grown to consider you all some of my closest friends—I thought it was high time I told you my secret identity.”
A hush fell over the room.
“To be honest, sometimes I forget you even have a secret identity,” Wally said sheepishly.
Barry smacked him lightly on the arm for the comment.
“That’s great news Captain,” Clark said softly. “I’m so happy we’ve managed to earn your trust.”
“Can I ask a question before you proceed?” Bruce asked. At the Captain’s nod he continued, “Why now?”
Cap couldn’t stop the shy smile that overtook his face. “Well today is a very important day for me. It just felt fitting to do it now, you know?” He licked his lips nervously, feeling the energy building up inside of him. “But it might make more sense once I’ve told you. Or showed you, I guess.”
He could feel the anticipation building in the air. He hoped all this drama was worth it.
He squeezed his eyes shut tight, took a deep breath and called out the word that had changed his life so many years ago, the one that would change it again right now.
“Shazam!”
The startled yelps of the other heroes gave way to gasps of surprise and murmurs of confusion. Billy stood stock still for a moment, almost scared to open his eyes and see their reactions. He kept telling himself that even if they rejected him, he’d be able to hold his head high and soldier on. But that didn’t stop the small seed of fear that had lodged itself into his heart when he was eight years old, the seed that had bloomed into full blown paranoia over the years.
Eventually he peeked his eyes open, consciously relaxing his shoulders so they wouldn’t see how terrified he was.
“Hey guys,” he said. His voice cracked slightly, much to his embarrassment. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Hey guys, my name is Billy Batson and it is really nice to finally meet all of you properly.” Billy glanced down at himself, tugging his sweater straight. “This is probably not what you were expecting, but uh…I figured it was about time you knew. So…yeah.”
The room was quiet—the sort of oppressive quiet that could only come from a room full of people holding their breath for fear of making a sound.
“How—“ Clark began. He stopped, took a moment to visibly collect himself. “How old are you?”
“It’s actually my 18th birthday today.”
That proclamation sent the whole room into a flurry. Most commonly were shouts of “18?” and “oh my god this has to be a joke!” which Billy had more or less expected. Bruce’s blank, frozen expression was a surprise though. And so was Wally squatting down to the floor, one hand pressed to his mouth, his face almost as red as his hair.
Billy rocked back on his heels while his fellow heroes fought to collect themselves. It took a bit longer than he was expecting for them to come back and start throwing out coherent questions.
“So this is the real you?” Bruce asked carefully. “How do you make yourself into…Captain Marvel?”
“Divine magical transformation via lightning strike.”
Oliver spluttered. “So you’re a fucking—I mean a freaking magical girl?”
Billy made a face at the comparison. “I mean I’m not a girl, but…I guess it’s a similar concept?”
“And you’ve been a kid this entire time?” he pressed.
“Yeah, that’s why I didn’t tell you sooner,” Billy admitted. “I was kind of worried you would rethink my membership is you knew I was underage—especially at the beginning.”
“Right, because when you joined us you were…” Hal trailed off, looking at Billy closely.
“Ten,” Billy supplied. “But I was eight when I became a hero.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“It’s not that bad you guys,” Billy tried to reassure them. “I mean I think I’ve done pretty good for myself all things considered.”
“You’ve done wonderfully,” Diana said, moving forward to cup his face in her hands. She seemed almost as surprised as he was to find that she was well over a foot taller than him in this form. “Though we will have to talk more about how much honesty we expect from you moving forward.”
“Yes ma’am," he said, sheepishly ducking his head.
“I think that can wait until tomorrow,” Clark cut in, though his voice sounded oddly strangled. “It is his birthday after all.”
Diana placed a kiss on his forehead and stepped back, letting Billy breathe again. He took a moment to compose himself, ultimately deciding there really wasn’t much else he wanted to say, at least not right at this very moment.
He cleared his throat again, pushing away any lingering awkwardness. “So anyway, if you guys want, you can come to me and Mary’s birthday party,” he shrugged, kind of embarrassed. “It starts at like 6? In Binder Square Memorial Park.”
“You and Mary’s—you mean Mary Marvel?” Bruce checked.
“Yeah, we’re twins.”
“Twins!?” the Flashes called out in unison.
“You’re seriously only giving up six—no, five and half hours to get used to the idea of you being a teenager before your party starts?” Barry looked frantic at the thought.
Billy looked away, his embarrassment rising. He thought he’d timed everything pretty well. “You don’t have to come, it’s really not a big deal.”
“Of course we’re coming!” Wally said. “It’s your birthday party!”
“Really?” Billy grinned widely, just barely resisting the urge to bounce on the balls of his feet in excitement. “It’s going to be so much fun, I promise! We’re gonna have food and games and two types of cake—even a live band!”
Clark smiled at him in a way that Billy was tempted to call paternal. “Sounds like a party.”
“Then I’ll see you guys there?”
“Sure thing Cap,” Hal promised. “We just have to work through our joint existential crisis first.”
Billy left the Hall of Justice with a pep in his step, already dialing Mary’s number to let her know about their additional guests and how they took the news of his secret identity.
This was the best birthday ever!