Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Damian would rather kill himself than live in a city like Fawcett.

Mornings in Fawcett looked like a fairytale metropolis, at least on this side of town. Damian was perched on top of the tallest building he could find, bored out of his mind, birdwatching people in their penthouses and checking footage of the neighboring skyscrapers. At least Gotham was always interesting. Even in the best neighborhoods, you could find multiple drug deals, petty thieves, and muggings. Damian supposed, as bleak as it is, it’s a good thing. The less crime in the world, the better.

The establishments of greatest suspicion were WHIZ Radio and Sivana Industries. Reasons being, Joker had a hobby of hijacking radio and news stations to show off his latest attempts at humor/terrorism, though it was usually Gotham or national stations. Then there was Sivana Industries, a rival company to Wayne Enterprises, focused on scientific development. That jester loved stealing others’ work to “enhance” his latest abominations.

Damian checked the Sivana Industries cameras from last night, again. Once more, nothing. Damian double-checked to ensure his tracker was off and stepped off the rooftop ledge. Grabbing his grappling hook, he soared to the next building with perfect precision.

Because it was broad daylight and Damian was on a stealth mission, he took the back way into a neighboring alleyway. Before Damian could examine the perimeter, he got an alert on his wristwatch—a message from Drake.

Red Robin: Where are you?! If you’re in Fawcett—I’m serious, Damian, I will jump you.

Damian rolled his eyes as he hacked his wristwatch to show his tracker’s location at Jon’s house.

Robin: I’m still not talking to you. You’re lucky I’m at the Kents’, or else I’d have your head.

Would Damian actually murder his brother? No. Would he still threaten to do it on a daily basis? Yes. “Mr. Second-Best Detective” should know better than to talk down to him.

This morning, Damian didn’t even pay attention to the alert on the Batcomputer reporting a sighting of the Joker in Fawcett City. He only started caring when Drake and Grayson told him he was forbidden to investigate it.

Drake had stated, “With Batman off-world, there’s strict protocol about Robin not being anywhere near the Joker.” Damian had rightfully told his least favorite brother that he had no authority, as Damian had far more experience in fighting and detective work than Drake, having begun training before he could even talk.

The pretender was aggravated by his truth, so he made up a pitiful defense: “I’m your elder. You do what I say!”

That was a fatal mistake, Drake would cry in agony tonight as “young” Damian solved the case far swifter than he ever could.

Damian hid behind a dumpster to stay concealed and turned on his navigator to locate the closest, most hidden entrance to Sivana Industries. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the alleyway from above.

Damian silently turned off his navigator and peeked around to see Captain Marvel.

The Robin had memorized Father’s notes on every Justice league member by heart: Captain Marvel—a magical champion with powers equal to Superman. Naïve and childish, but loyal and good-hearted. Secret identity: unknown.

Father, the world’s greatest detective, had yet to uncover the Living Lightning’s true identity in his four years with the League. Damian knew he hadn’t yet surpassed his father’s detective skills, but he couldn’t resist taking a crack at finding out the Captain’s secret.

Blending into the shadows, Damian observed Captain Marvel looking around the alleyway. Satisfied that no one was there, the Captain sighed and yelled, “SHAZAM!”

The ground shook as a bolt of lightning came from nowhere, striking the invincible man.

Damian blinked rapidly, trying to regain his sight after the blinding flash. As his vision returned, he saw—a scrawny boy, his age or younger.

…You have got to be kidding. Did Damian mention how much he hated magic?

The boy adjusted to his exceedingly short stature and spotted Robin staring right at him.

“…Robin?” the boy—Captain Marvel—called out.

Damian slowly stepped out of the shadows, arms crossed, hoping to display dominance.

“Yes, Captain Marvel,” Damian said. He watched the boy’s eyes widen and shoulders sink as the look of inescapable terror overtook his face.

“What are you even doing here?! Where’s—Batman’s not here, is he? Please don’t tell me Batman saw that. Holy moly—”

“I am alone. You only need to fear me,” Robin interrupted, and Marvel’s face grew sour.

“What do you want with me?!” the boy snapped.

Damian had never met the Captain before, but he knew this was out of character. Did he switch bodies with the boy? Was the boy a host? Was Captain Marvel all an act? Damian found himself faced with an unlikely opportunity he couldn’t help but accept.

“I didn’t come for you, but I need assistance, and this seems like the perfect situation to get some.” Damian purposely kept calm, noticing it annoyed the Marvel boy even more.

“…You’re going to blackmail me?” Billy sighed in disbelief.

“Of course. But don’t worry, it’s for the greater good. Joker was spotted in this area last night. I was sent to retrieve him and lock him back in Arkham. It will be much easier with you here—just use your super hearing to locate maniacal laughter in the area, and I’m sure it won’t take long.”

Damian wasn’t completely horrible. He’d heard much praise for Captain Marvel’s character and couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous of his success at such a young age. But since Marvel was a magical, no-good, scum-bag cheater, Damian felt much better knowing he’d earned his own skills.

Anyways, he wouldn’t hold this over Marvel’s head for long—just long enough to prove a point to Drake.

Captain shuffled his hands through his (very badly cut) hair and huffed as he looked down at Damian. Though Marvel was much scrawnier, he still had about four inches on Damian. Damian noted his eyes—the same cornflower blue as Captain Marvel’s—and his symmetrical, chapped lips as they started moving, snapping him back into reality.

“So if I help you catch the Joker, you won’t tell Batman—or anyone else—that I’m a kid?”

“That, and you have to answer any questions I have. Then I won’t alert Batman to your secret,” Damian grinned. He loved blackmail.

“That’s not fair!” The boy raised his voice, and Damian calmly lifted his wrist to bluff making a call.

Billy grabbed his wrist in a panic. “Okay! Okay, fine. I’ll help you with your stupid Joker thing. -But I get to ask questions too!”

“Sure. Now become Captain Marvel, and we’ll have a mutual discussion while you listen for cackling.” Damian’s calm tone only seemed to fuel Marvel’s irritation further.

“Shazam,” the boy groaned before quickly transforming into the Living Lightning.

“First question: how does—that work?” Damian asked, genuinely curious if it was the boy or the man truly under there. Though, he already suspected the answer.

“…You didn’t even plan this, did you? You just happened to walk into the wrong alleyway?!” Marvel gestured dramatically, hands covering his face, as if Damian were the biggest nuisance he’d ever encountered.

“Answer the question,” Damian replied coolly, glancing down at his watch to check the area cameras again.

“When I was nine, a wizard gave me the role of Champion. When I say his name, I become Cap. I’m not, like, possessed or anything—it’s still me under all this.” Captain gestured to himself.

“Well then, who are you?” Damian asked, still finding no sign of Joker or anything suspicious in this utopian town. He put his watch down to examine the Captain.

Captain leaned down, pointing to his chest. “Who are you first!”

“I’m the blackmailer. You’re the blackmailee. Know your place. Ask me any other question than that,” Damian scoffed, leaning against the brick alley wall with his arms crossed.

“Fine. Do you think Batman would kick me out of the League if he found out?” Marvel’s sad expression reflected his youthful face, and somewhere deep inside, Damian felt a flicker of something. Was it… pity?!

“He’d be a hypocrite, given his army of child soldiers. I’d be more worried about Superman and Wonder Woman—they’re big on the no-unsupervised-child-heroes rule. Now, your name. And don’t forget to keep listening for the clown.”

“Don’t worry, I’m listening. I’m Billy Batson. I’m 14. That feels so weird to say as Cap, like I’m breaking a rule. Anyway, I’m also a junior newscaster for WHIZ. And don’t even ask about the whole ‘where are my parents’ thing—I’m an orphan. I take care of myself, and I do it well. If you can’t introduce yourself by your real name, at least do it as Robin so it’s not as awkward.”

Captain Marvel is a homeless, barely-teenager orphan. Of course.

Billy fit his name. Damian suspected the boy was trying to offer an olive branch and make this forced partnership less horrible. It was… admirable.

“I am Robin, Son of Batman. I am your age. There’s not much more to say about me.”

“So, do you do anything besides being Robin? Like, ever? I’m a workaholic too, but I still have hobbies. Sorry if I’m going off-topic—I’ve never met anyone my age in the cape business.”

Lord, someone get this kid some ADHD medication.

“…I like art,” Damian said quietly. He had a few more interests, but none that were relevant to share with Billy.

“What kind?” Billy pried.

“Mostly pencil sketches and oil paints—”

Billy suddenly raised a finger to his lips to shush Damian.

Damian’s cheeks flushed red—with anger. He was graciously answering this idiot’s questions, and this was the thanks he got? Who did he think he was?

“I hear something. What kind of laugh does Joker have? Is it, like, deranged or a muhahaha evil, or—”

Damian shoved Billy away entirely. “Deranged. Where do you hear it?”

“I think it’s coming from the museum district.”

Finally, the boy was useful.

“Fly me there immediately,” Damian commanded.

Marvel smirked. “Okay.”

In a flash, Damian was up in the air in a bridal carry. It was so degrading, but it would save him five minutes. For the sake of practicality, he could endure.

As they dropped onto the roof of one of the museums, Billy let Damian down and immediately went into deep concentration.

“I swear I heard the laugh. I think it was west of here—near the McKeon History Museum.” Before Damian could respond, Billy scooped him up again and flew to the building in seconds.

Marvel landed gracefully in front of a uniformed officer stationed outside the museum. Damian shifted to stand behind him, silently observing the interaction.

“Officer Lee! Good to see you! I was just stopping by to check if anything suspicious has happened around here,” Billy said, giving the officer his trademark dazzling smile.

“Captain Marvel! Hey, good to see you too! We’re here because of a break-in last night. Small theft—nothing anyone noticed until this morning. Should I let the department know you’re on the case?”

“We’re on it, Officer. Thanks for letting us know!” Billy nodded politely before stepping aside.

Damian stepped out from behind him and grinned as the officer jumped back in shock.

“Wha—what is that—” the officer stammered, staring wide-eyed at Robin.

Without a word, Damian followed Billy into the museum. As soon as the staff saw Captain Marvel, they eagerly escorted them to the back archives where the theft occurred. It was unsettling how friendly everyone was here—no suspicious glares, no panicked whispers. Just… polite smiles.

A blonde woman with a name tag reading Summerly led them to an empty display case.

“Right here was an ancient Gaelic text. We keep it back here because it doesn’t draw much attention. It’s written in a forgotten language, so no one knows what it means. Honestly, I have no idea why anyone would steal it—it’s one of the least valuable things we have.”

“What’s the name of the artifact?” Damian asked.

“I believe it’s called the léiriú draíochta,” Summerly replied, smiling brightly.

Damian’s lips tightened. Why was everyone here so… nice?

“Thank you. That will be all,” Damian said curtly, turning on his heel. He gestured for Billy to follow.

Billy waved cheerfully. “Thanks, Cissy! Tell Pete and Sterling I said hi!”

“You know all these people by name?” Damian asked in a hushed tone as they turned a corner.

“Not everyone, but I try to. She’s my boss at WHIZ’s niece,” Billy explained as they approached the museum’s computer room.

“Woah, what are we doing here? What about the security staff? They’ll catch us!” Billy whispered harshly.

“They’ll catch us if you don’t stop yelling,” Damian muttered. “I looped the cameras, and no one’s in this part of the building. Their security is laughable. Just stay quiet and let me work.”

Damian slipped inside the computer room with practiced ease. In moments, he located the high-resolution photos of the stolen artifact and uploaded them to his wristwatch. Turning back to Marvel, he asked, “Do you know anyone who speaks Old Gaelic?”

Billy blinked at him. “Let’s see if Solomon does.” He stepped closer to the screen, squinting at the foreign text until his expression shifted.

“I think it’s some kind of spell for making a… magical manifestation? Solomon’s comparing it to, like, a video game avatar or something.”

Of course. He hears advice from the literal Biblical Solomon. Show-off.

“Joker can’t do magic, right?” Marvel turned back to Damian, seeking reassurance.

“No, but he always finds ways around that. You’re completely certain that’s what the text says?”

Billy hesitated. “Not completely, but it’s the best guess I’ve got. Take it or leave it.” Damian couldn’t help but -slightly- admire Billy’s attempt at friendliness, even as he was currently being extorted.

Damian’s watch vibrated, interrupting him.

Nightwing: Robin, I have your location. Come home right now, or I will make you.

Damian clenched his jaw and turned to Billy. “I have other matters to attend to. Thank you for your assistance. I’ll contact you tomorrow with a plan.”

“Wait!” Billy called out as Damian started to leave.

“What now?” Damian sighed, exasperated.

Billy extended his pinky. “Pinky promise you won’t tell anyone.”

Damian stared at the offered pinky in disbelief of the childish gesture. “You have my word. We don’t need to do… that.”

Billy didn’t lower his hand. “I don’t trust you.”

With a groan of annoyance, Damian begrudgingly locked pinkies with Marvel.

“How will you call me?” Billy asked as Damian opened the door.

“I have my ways,” Damian replied coolly, shutting the door behind him as his watch buzzed again.

Nightwing: Damian, you’re grounded tonight. You can’t keep running off around the country—blah blah blah blah blah.

As interesting as this case had become, Damian was starting to realize it would be far more complicated—and far more annoying—than he’d anticipated.

Chapter Text

Never meet your childhood crushes. That’s gotta be some kind of saying somewhere.

Billy had always felt pretty lonely as a child superhero. By the time he was 11, he was already in the Justice League. He thought most of the League liked him. He had some friends there too, but never any real friends. The kind who’d still stick around after finding out he was just a kid.

He could never befriend the teen sidekicks, because people thought Cap was a grown man, and that would be… weird. Also, even then, they were probably too old for him. Billy gave up on making real hero friends.

Back then, sometimes Billy took trips to the Binder Square Library. He’d look at superhero fan forums. It was funny to read all the fan theories about how Cap was secretly Zeus and—I don’t know—dating Superman or something?! The absurdity of it all gave Billy a laugh when he really needed one.

One of those library visits, he saw a post on the Gotham superhero subreddit. It announced a new Robin who was Billy’s age! There was only one photo of him on the web at the time and—oh Zeus—Billy might have been in love.

His tan skin. His slight scowl. His uniform! Billy stared at that photo for what felt like ages before shutting the computer down and walking into the lounge area, where he stuffed his face into a bean bag.

It was stupid. Batman was his boss, and he couldn’t just meet Robin as street-rat Billy. It was stupid to even entertain the little crush.

Still, every time he went to the library, he hopped onto the Robin subreddit and appreciated the Boy Wonder’s beauty.

By now, Billy had mostly gotten over the little crush. He’d never even met the boy before, and thank god he hadn’t.

Robin was the most handsome and infuriating person Billy had ever met.

Even hours after he’d been literally extorted by the boy, he was still swooning over The Boy Wonder—all while fuming about his horrible attitude.

Billy was snapped out of his thoughts by a glance at his clock. 6 a.m.—only thirty minutes till his monitor duty shift.

Billy got up from his bed, yawning. He made his bed—well, it was really a slightly broken mattress, but hey—it was better than sleeping on the floor.

Billy changed out of his pajamas into some jeans and a gray long sleeve. He’d really improved his life in the past year, and Billy was proud. For the first few years of being Cap, he was still sleeping in abandoned subway stations and on the streets. But when he turned 13, he was able to get a kind-of illegal job at WHIZ Radio.

His boss, Mr. Morris, felt for him and believed he had talent, so he started paying him under the table. Billy knew child labor was frowned upon for good reason, but in this case, it was an exception.

Now, instead of doing odd jobs, Billy had an actual income and could afford to rent a small apartment and buy a few decent articles of clothing.

Billy glanced at the clock: 6:20. Okay, buddy, no more inner monologues—get to the Watchtower.

Somehow, Billy still managed to show up right on time! He skipped into the monitor room to see—what was Nightwing doing here?

“Hey, Cap! I just got scheduled for duty last minute. I brought coffee if you want some!” Nightwing smiled.

“Hey, Nightwing! Thanks for the coffee. I’m glad I at least got scheduled with a friend,” Billy replied, hiding the beginning of a horrible feeling in his stomach. If Robin told Nightwing, there’s no way the rest of the League wouldn’t find out the truth.

Billy grabbed the small coffee from Nightwing’s hands and sat down in front of the cameras. He didn’t even like coffee, but adults always liked it, so he couldn’t admit that.

Nightwing took a long sip of his coffee before apologizing. “Sorry about Robin intruding on Fawcett yesterday. I promise that won’t happen again.”

“It was no problem. He’s a good kid!” Billy lied through his teeth. He couldn’t exactly go, Oh yeah, he blackmailed me and is coming back today to yell at me, lol.

“A good kid? Really? No one’s ever said that about Robin before.” Nightwing laughed.

“He was, umm… a bit demanding but well-meaning.” Billy rubbed the back of his neck, praying this conversation would end. He reached for the coffee and attempted to sip some to be polite.

“Just warning you—I think Rob’s got a little crush on you—”

In shock, Billy spit the coffee all over the floor.

“Oh gods, I’m sorry! I’ll get something to clean that up. I just wasn’t expecting that,” Billy stammered, running to the cabinets in the back of the monitor room to grab a towel.

Nightwing, the Good Samaritan he was, grabbed a towel too and helped him clean up while giggling.

“Why would you think he has a—a crush on me?” Billy asked once they finished cleaning.

“It’s just a hunch, really. After his little Fawcett field trip, he kept looking at pictures and articles about you. He got all defensive when we asked him about it. I’ve never seen him like that… Promise if it’s true, you’ll let him down easy, okay?”

Billy knew Robin was probably just searching for more blackmail, but the thought still made his heart beat a little faster.

“Of course,” Billy replied.

The rest of monitor duty was uneventful. He and Nightwing just chatted about League drama before parting ways at 10:30.

As soon as Billy got back to Fawcett, he did a small patrol and stopped a mugger! Then he clocked in for his shift at WHIZ Radio.

He did his usual noon broadcast and helped the janitors clean up the offices.

At 4 p.m., Billy’s shift ended, and he stepped into the empty alleyway beside the building, ready to transform for his evening patrol. But before he could, his League communicator buzzed—with a call from Robin. He nervously picked it up.

“Captain, I have a lead I need you to investigate as Billy,” Robin commanded.

“Um, sure. I don’t have much of a choice,” Billy muttered, kicking a piece of trash on the alleyway floor. He aimed for the dumpster and made the shot. Score!

Robin started demanding once again. “Good, we’re on the same page. Now, I need you to head to the Sivana Industries building. You’re going to crawl through the vents and see if they have the léiriú draíochta .”

“You think Dr. Sivana and Joker are working together?” Not that it would surprise Billy much. It’s just… the two were very different personality-wise.

“Sivana’s cameras were put on a loop at 4 a.m. right after the robbery. We have good reason to believe there’s some sort of partnership between them. Now get a move on.” Robin hung up.

It was about a 15-minute walk to Sivana Industries, giving Billy time to think.

Robin probably didn’t have a crush on him. And even if he did, it would be stupid to pursue something. Batman was his boss!

But Billy couldn’t let the thought go. He decided to test Nightwing’s theory.

As soon as he reached the front of Sivana Industries, his communicator buzzed again.

“Go to the second story and head to the restroom in the west wing. In the third stall, there’s a vent big enough for you to climb in.”

“Um, okay… hot stuff.”

Billy regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He felt like he’d made enough of a difference in his life to preferably die right now.

“What?” Robin hissed.

“Nothing! I got cut off. I said—hot stuffed crust pizza—because there’s a pizza stand, like, across the street and, uh… yeah…” There was no way Robin would believe that.

“…Okay then. Just—just tell me when you get there,” Robin muttered quickly. He so didn’t believe him.

Thanks to years on the streets, Billy had good stealth skills and managed to reach the restroom without getting caught. Once inside the vent, he clicked on his communicator.

“I’m in the vent. Tell me which way to turn.”

Robin guided him through what felt like a million directions. Left, right, left—no, Robin’s left. Finally, Billy reached the room he was supposed to be in.

Peeking through the vent cover, Billy saw Dr. Sivana in a lab. Great, Billy thought. Like that’s ever a good thing.

He pressed the communicator closer to his ear, keeping the volume low.

“Do you see it?” Robin’s whisper felt like it was right in Billy’s ear, making him shudder a bit.

Billy scanned the room and—there it was! On the desk, right next to Sivana, lay the text.

“I see it. I’ll wait until Sivana leaves and take it back to the museum,” Billy whispered.

Robin responded quickly. “No! Do not do that! There are sensors and cameras I haven’t hacked into yet. Besides, it won’t make a difference—he’s definitely taken photos, so he already knows what the spell is.”

“But the museum should get it back. It’s an important part of history,” Billy argued, keeping his voice as low as possible.

“And you will get it back. Just wait until later, Batson.”

The vent creaked under Billy’s weight, making a denting noise.

Slight enough to make Dr. Sivana look up.

“WHO’S THERE?!” Sivana yelled, his voice echoing in the lab.

Robin’s voice yelled through the communicator: “Run!”

Billy couldn’t exactly run in the vents, but he sure could try. He flew backward, focusing entirely on Robin’s directions.

Left, right, upwards, right, right again. Less than a minute later, he emerged onto the rooftop.

He climbed out of the vent, taking a second to breathe, only to hear Sivana’s grunts as he ascended the staircase to the roof.

Billy saw only one way out. He stepped onto the ledge and jumped.

“Billy, transform right now! ” Robin yelled into the communicator.

“Don’t even worry! SHAZAM!”

Lightning struck, and Billy felt all the stress leave his body as he transformed mid-air. He zipped away, flying as far as possible from the building.

“I know I’m supposed to say that was dangerous,” Robin said over the communicator. “But… I admit that was cool.”

“Thanks! Now that we know Sivana and Joker are working together, where do you think they’re gonna get the magic from? Neither of them can do magic. Sivana wishes, though,” Billy said with a smirk.

“I have an idea, but I need to do more research. I’ll be there tomorrow with a plan. Thank you for your cooperation… slightly conventionally attractive stuff. ”

Robin quickly hung up, leaving Billy speechless.

Maybe Billy did have a shot after all!

Chapter Text

The seemingly never-ending freezing air ruined Damian’s hair and his already decent mood.

Damian wondered if Grayson driving him to school in a convertible was some sort of punishment.

Grayson was blasting a 1980s punk song, and this excuse of a car had bass speakers. Damian was wrong—this wasn’t just a bad morning; this was a humiliation ritual.

Once they finally reached the block where Gotham Academy stood, Damian turned off the abomination masquerading as music.

“Dami—that was my song!” Grayson whined.

“Your song is trash,” Damian quipped back.

“Hey, be nice to my old people music, youngster!” Dick replied as he pulled into the drop-off line. Damian mentally repeated the mantra he chanted every time Grayson drove him to school: Only two more years till I can legally drive. Not that legality would stop him if this continued.

“Bye, Dami!” The elder waved as Damian threw his messenger bag over his shoulder and jumped out of the car, shutting the door behind him.

“Goodbye, Grayson.”

Damian walked for about ten seconds toward the school before he saw his older brother speeding away. Then he immediately changed direction toward the streets. This would be too easy.

He found the nearest empty, camera-free alleyway and stripped off his academy uniform to reveal his Robin suit. He hid the uniform behind a dumpster—today was right after trash pick-up day, so it was unlikely anyone would rummage around there.

Robin pulled up his watch to make sure he was coded as being on a “field trip,” ensuring the school wouldn’t alert his guardians and he wouldn’t get any truancy notes. He was getting dangerously close.

He overrode Grayson and Drake’s trackers to show him at the academy the entire day.

Of course, Damian only planned to be in Fawcett for a couple of hours, so pick-up from the academy would be a non-issue.

Damian called Captain—Batson—and thankfully, the boy answered promptly.

“Hi, Robin!” Billy greeted joyfully. What was joyful about being blackmailed? Strange.

“Hello, Batson. I require your assistance. I’m sending you my location right now so you can pick me up from Gotham and drop me off in Fawcett. How long will it take?” Damian tapped his boots repeatedly over the dusty, dirty floor.

“Give me five, and I’ll be right there.” Damian could practically hear the sickeningly overbearing optimism.

“I’ll see you then, Batson.” Damian clicked the call off.

He couldn’t make up his mind about the Captain. It was… a puzzlement.

Was Batson attractive? Yes, very.

Was Batson showing interest in Damian? Slightly.

Did Damian have an interest in Billy? Perchance.

Damian had known he was gay from a young age, so that wasn’t an issue. Finding a boy to be interested in, however, certainly was.

Most boys Damian’s age were immature, unattractive, and unkind. Not that Damian was a kind person himself, but it was a trait he greatly valued.

Billy checked all of Damian’s boxes. The only concern was Father and Grayson. Dating his father’s co-worker could turn out very badly for both of them. On the other hand, disobeying Father had a sort of edge to it.

Damian just wished he were more certain he was sure.

Before he could reflect further, Captain Marvel descended from the sky.

“Need a ride?” Billy laughed, holding his arms in a bridal carry position.

“We are not doing that again. I will be riding on your back,” Damian asserted.

“Okay, piggyback it is,” Billy grinned as Damian hopped onto the living lightning bolt’s back.

“Up, up, and away!”

Damian tightened his arms around the man-child and mentally reviewed the plan.

Before Damian knew it, they were on a rooftop in Fawcett. Damian leaped off Batson’s back with a backflip. It was unnecessary, but Damian felt the need to show off.

“I’ve reviewed all of yesterday’s footage of Sivana Industries. Right after you left, random trucks arrived to start moving unscheduled shipments. They all went to a warehouse owned by Solar Center Inc.—perhaps a front company. My guess is that’s where they’ve resumed their operations. With the both of us here, we should be able to shut it down.”

Damian knew Billy could probably shut down the operation on his own, but he needed some credit for the takedown.

“Really? Sivana, running? I’m not doubting you, but like, Sivana’s the most egotistical guy ever,” the Captain said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’ll take that into account, but that warehouse still must be investigated. We’ll proceed with caution,” Damian said firmly, showing Batson the location on his watch.

“Oh, I know that one. It’s off 9th Avenue. Okay, well, you’re the extorter, so I’ll be your taxi.”

Captain scooped him up into the bridal carry again. Damian scowled as Billy flew them to the warehouse. Damian squinted at the bright sun of a clear day. He couldn’t remember the last truly clear day in Gotham… it was nice.

They landed on the left side of the worn-down warehouse. The only detectable camera on that side was broken.

Before Marvel could jump through the window, Damian put a hand in front of him.

“Just in case something goes wrong—which it most likely won’t—I need you to promise something.” Damian lifted his pinky finger.

“What is it?” Billy hesitated, likely reluctant to make a promise he couldn’t keep.

“Do not tell Batman, Nightwing, any Gotham vigilantes, or Justice League member—just don’t tell a soul if I get abducted. I’ll probably escape in less than an hour. Or you can grab me, possibly quicker. Just don’t overreact,” Damian said firmly.

Billy contemplated before finally responding, “Fine. But if you’re on your deathbed or gone for over a day, I’m telling the Bats.”

“…Fine.” They interlocked pinkies. It felt much more intimate than Damian had anticipated.

They awkwardly separated. Damian turned to inspect the cracked window, spotting only strange green goo on the floor. Of course.

“SHAZAM! HAHAHAHA!” An unforgettable, unbearable clown’s voice screeched as a lightning bolt struck Billy, detransforming him into his teenage form. Billy collapsed onto the dirty floor, unconscious.

Damian spun around to face the freak and quickly grabbed a Batarang, aiming it at the Joker’s hand. The clown dropped the golden wand he was holding, which cracked as it hit the ground.

“Agh! Bat Brat—fine, no more chances!” Joker cackled as a green gas started to flood the room.

Damian immediately reached for his gas mask, but Joker grabbed his wrist with bone-crushing force.

Damian tried to hold his breath, jerking his wrist free and shoving Joker away before sprinting toward the exit. His eyes stung, his chest burned, but he kept moving. He was so close to escaping—then he remembered.

Billy.

Damian skidded to a halt, spinning back toward the fallen Captain. Before he could reach him, Joker pounced, knocking Damian off his feet.

Damian flipped the clown over, but in the process, he inhaled a deep puff of the toxic gas. His vision blurred as his arms went numb and his mind fogged. He heard that manic, chilling laugh one more time before his body was hoisted into the air.

“Goodnight, little Bat! I’ve only got room for one—say goodbye to your friend!” Joker cackled, his voice fading as darkness claimed Damian’s consciousness.

Billy awoke to ringing in his ears and pounding in his head. Everything felt fuzzy and wrong.

What just happened? What was he doing before this?

And then, like a lightning bolt, it all came back to him.

“Robin! Robin?!” Billy screamed as he jumped to his feet, scanning the warehouse frantically. The sun was setting. The sun was setting.

It had been morning when they arrived. Damian had been in Joker’s hands for half a day.

Billy’s stomach churned with dread. He couldn’t believe Joker had managed to use magic to detransform him. How was that even possible? And why had Joker left him behind?

Grabbing his communicator, Billy checked for any messages. Maybe Robin had already busted himself out. Maybe—

15 missed calls.

All from Nightwing.

Billy swallowed hard, his throat tight with guilt. He couldn’t break his promise to Robin, but he also couldn’t lie to Nightwing.

He had to find Robin. Now.

“SHAZAM!”

The skies rumbled as Billy transformed back into Captain Marvel. He launched himself into the air, scanning and searching with every enhanced sense he had. His super-hearing strained as he focused again and again, but there was nothing.

He searched every warehouse, street, and alley in and around Fawcett—everywhere but Sivana Industries.

Dr. Sivana. That sick, twisted man was obsessed with taking down the “Big Red Cheese” and wouldn’t hesitate to hurt anyone to do it.

Billy’s heart burned with fury as he crashed through the massive glass windows of Sivana’s office, sending shards flying. The old man barely had time to register the noise before Billy grabbed him by the throat, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

“WHERE IS JOKER? WHERE IS ROBIN?” Billy growled, his voice low and deadly.

Sivana’s face turned red as he gasped for air. “Y-you won’t… you can’t…”

Billy’s grip tightened. For the first time in his life, he felt disgusted with himself. But he needed answers. “Please, just tell me,” he pleaded, his voice cracking.

“I-I don’t know!” Sivana choked out.

With a growl of frustration, Billy dropped him. The man collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently.

Billy didn’t wait. He flew out of the office, tears stinging his eyes. Even though Sivana was evil, the brief moment he felt the old man’s pulse weaken would haunt him for a long time.

He wiped at his face angrily. There was no time for regret. Somewhere out there, Robin was in the Joker’s hands. Billy knew what the clown did to Robins— he clipped their wings.

It didn’t matter how long it took or where Joker had gone. From Fawcett to Gotham to the ends of the Earth, Billy would find Robin.

Back in the Batcave, Dick, Steph, and Cass were tense and stressed—though only Dick seemed to be outwardly panicking.

“I’ve called Captain Marvel like a hundred times, and he still hasn’t answered! What could he possibly be doing?!” Dick kicked a nearby desk in frustration, only to grab his foot in pain.

“Isn’t he, like, half-wizard? Maybe he’s doing magic stuff and can’t hear the calls,” Steph offered, her fingers flying over the keyboard. “I’m checking Fawcett’s CCTV now… Oh, this looks bad.”

She pulled up an image of a suspicious car speeding down an empty street. “Fake plates, windows tinted, and there’s clearly a body bag in the back.”

“You don’t think that’s Damian, do you?!” Dick leaned closer, squinting at the pixelated image.

Cass placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Damian would come back from death if he died so quickly and silently.”

Steph zoomed in on the footage, frowning. “But why was he even in Fawcett in the first place?”

“Joker was spotted there the other day, remember? Tim said Damian wasn’t ready to handle it, and you know how he gets when he’s told no,” Dick explained, pacing the cave. “He skipped school today, and I don’t even know how he got to Fawcett in less than five minutes.”

“Captain Marvel,” Steph said simply. “There’s no other explanation. But why would he help?”

Cass’s expression darkened. “Something is strange, I don’t like how this looks”

Dick tried calling Cap again, but it went straight to voicemail. He slammed his fist against the desk. “That’s it. I’m going to Fawcett. Who’s coming with me?”

Steph grabbed the Batwing’s keys without hesitation, Cass and Dick followed her without a word.

As they boarded the jet, Dick couldn’t shake the gnawing dread in his stomach.

He wasn’t going to let the Joker take another Baby brother. Not again. Not ever.

Chapter Text

Billy watched as the sun rose and the moon fell. He was no closer to finding Robin. He’d stopped searching Fawcett entirely. He’d scoured the entire country and beyond. He was in Wisconsin now, all because he heard a robin chirp and wondered if it was a clue.

It wasn’t.

Billy felt terrible for missing his nightly patrol. He knew the people of Fawcett would be worried—he’d been so inconsistent this week.

Billy flinched as his communicator buzzed again. The Bats wouldn’t stop calling. It had been 20 hours since the abduction. If he didn’t find Robin in four hours, he’d have to tell them.

“Captain Marvel, I know you can hear this. I can hear you breathing—very loudly, might I add,” Red Robin hissed through the comm. Did Billy accidentally respond?

“Umm… hi, Red Robin. I, uh—didn’t notice you were calling,” Billy coughed out.

“You didn’t notice we were calling but had time to jump Thaddeus Sivana,” Red Robin deadpanned.

“Do you know where Robin is?” Red Robin finally asked.

“…Yup! He’s—he’s with me right now!” Billy slapped his forehead. That was so stupid. He had no idea how he’d get out of this.

“WHAT?! Why is he with you?—put him on, right now!” Red Robin demanded.

“He, uh, can’t talk right now. You know, I—ugh, I’m getting some static. I think you’re cutting out,” Billy said, rubbing the comm’s microphone with his fist to mimic static.

“I know that’s fake! Captain Marvel, why is he with you?!”

Panicked, Billy struck the communicator with lightning, effectively ending the conversation—and destroying his comm.

Great. Batman handled comm replacements. How was he going to explain this?

Billy refocused on his superhearing. For minutes, he searched the globe’s sounds until a single screeching voice took over his ears.

“CAPTAIN MARVEL!” The Joker cried into the night.

Billy felt an odd wave of relief hearing that abominable voice. Robin might still be alive.

He flew as fast as he could to the source.

In a flash, Billy was back at… an abandoned subway. Not just any subway—the one where it all started. Where he became the Champion.

He looked at the subway car. There he was—Robin. Beaten. Badly.

Robin was conscious, though; his fury was unmistakable. He was tied to a chair, limbs restrained and mouth gagged.

Billy didn’t want to imagine what Robin had endured while he failed to find him.

He rushed to Robin and frantically untied him. Pulling the gag away, Billy hugged him tightly. He didn’t know what he’d do if—if Robin had…

Lost in his thoughts, Billy didn’t notice the Joker behind him, pointing a repaired golden wand at his back.

“BATSON!” Robin screamed, struggling to push himself out of Billy’s hold.

“SHAZAM!” The Joker laughed maniacally as lightning struck Billy, forcing him to the ground, detranformed. Billy struggled to keep his eyes open.

Robin stormed toward the villain but couldn’t stop him from striking again.

“One more SHAZAM!” The Joker cried. Lightning struck once more, and Billy’s eyes shut entirely.

Even in his injured state, Damian beat the Joker to a pulp.

The clown ran off within minutes, sporting a broken nose, a busted lip, a fractured arm—so on and so forth.

Damian turned to follow him but froze at the sound of a shallow cough from the subway car.

He knelt beside the unconscious Billy, inspecting his back. Lichtenberg figures covered his body, both old and new. Damian cradled Billy’s head in his lap, examining his face.

Nothing but a few past scars. Damian rarely reflected on Billy’s unfortunate past, but now he did. He appreciated his own parents’ survival more than ever.

Monday night, Damian had done a deep dive into Billy Batson and Captain Marvel. Billy Batson—a runaway foster kid, missing for six years, orphaned at six, with countless reports of abuse in his foster homes.

Damian had thought Fawcett was some fairytale town. But beneath the surface, it had the same problems as the rest of the world.

Over the past few days, Damian had grown to respect Billy deeply. Perhaps more. How the man maintained such infectious happiness and optimism was a mystery that stumped even the young detective.

Without thinking, Damian found himself caressing Billy’s face with his thumb. “Robin?” Billy’s eyes fluttered open, and Damian quickly pulled his hand away.

“Batson—are you alright?” Damian asked. Billy moved his head and realized he was lying in Damian’s lap. He flushed and quickly sat up.

“Be careful. You’re injured,” Damian said firmly, but Billy just looked dumbfounded.

“I’m injured?! You look like you were tortured for hours! Oh my gods, please don’t tell me that’s what happened, Rob,” Billy said, looking on the verge of tears.

“I promise, that’s not what happened. I was knocked out through most of it, and Joker roughed me up a little with a crowbar as some sick reference. Besides that, I’m fine. Not even a slight concussion—I checked,” Damian assured him.

Billy didn’t look convinced. “Oh, Joker only slightly beat you with a crowbar, so you’re fine,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Yes—”

“Wrong!” Billy snapped.

Damian quipped back “Joker electrocuted you! You’ve got Lichtenberg figures all over your body.”

“I’ve always had those—”

“New ones! Look at your arms!” Billy pulled up his sleeves, revealing dark red scars.

“Oh… you know Instead of fighting over this, maybe we should clean up?”

Damian grabbed his first-aid kit and held Billy’s arm still as he applied burn gel to the scars. He wasn’t entirely sure how to treat them, so he improvised.

“I can do it myself,” Billy protested, trying to pull his arm away.

“Nonsense. Let me,” Damian insisted.

Once he finished with Billy’s arms, he said, “Take off your shirt.”

“…What? Why?” Billy reddened.

“The scars are bad on your back. You can’t reach them, so I have to.”

“…Fine, but I get to patch you up after. Fair is fair,” Billy muttered, quickly taking off his shirt and turning away.

Damian applied the gel as gently as possible, but Billy still shuddered. Maybe he was more hurt than he let on.

Damian couldn’t help but notice the contrast between Billy’s pale skin and his own darker hands. It wasn’t like when he teased Tim about looking like a ghost during their frequent bickering—Billy’s complexion reminded Damian of something softer, like a subject in a Renaissance painting.

“Um, Robin? Are you done?” Billy asked, glancing over his shoulder.

“Yes!—Yes, I’m done. You’re all set,” Damian coughed, quickly stepping back.

“Okay, your turn now. You know, you really should’ve gone first,” Billy muttered, grabbing the disinfectant spray. He wasted no time spraying it over the rips in Damian’s uniform and covering the wounds with gauze and bandages—bat-shaped bandages, no less.

Billy’s technique was rough, clearly untrained, but Damian found himself strangely comforted by the sentiment.

Damian loved the study of medical treatment and was skilled at it. So, Damian thought he could judge. Note: As soon as he got to the cave, Damian would learn the proper treatment of Lichtenberg scars.

As Billy moved closer to his face, Damian couldn’t help but study his expressions—the way his brows furrowed in concentration, the soft way his lips pressed together.

Billy grabbed Damian’s chin gently, wiping away blood with his thumb. When he finally paused, realization seemed to hit him like a truck. Their faces were inches apart.

Damian knew where this was leading, and for once, he didn’t mind at all.

Billy hesitated, his gaze flickering between Damian’s eyes and lips, unsure of what to do. Damian took the initiative and closed the gap.

The kiss was brief, just a chaste brush of lips, but it felt like it lasted an eternity. When Damian pulled back, his lips still tingled from the warmth of Billy’s.

Billy blinked at him, his expression dazed, before a shy smile spread across his face. Damian couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Sooo,” Billy started, dragging out the word, “it’s already been a day, and the Bats have called me, like, a hundred times. Red Robin hacked my comm, and I panicked, so I told him you were with me! I have no idea what to do!” He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

“…Once they find us, I’m sure they’ll lock me up in a tower like Rapunzel,” Damian deadpanned. “But we’ve invested too much into this case to quit now. We can’t alert them to my location yet.”

Billy sighed but nodded, his exhaustion apparent. He yawned, unable to stifle it.

“Billy, how long have you been awake?” Damian asked, frowning as he placed a hand on Billy’s forehead. He was burning up.

“Umm… all night?” Billy confessed sheepishly.

“I demand you rest,” Damian said sternly. “We can’t solve this case if you’re not at the top of your game.”

Billy frowned, clearly annoyed, before quipping, “Well, then you sleep with me! …That was worded wrong. What I meant was you just got beat up, you’re still bleeding, and you could use some rest too.” He grabbed Damian’s hand, and Damian felt a flutter in his chest.

“…Fine. But only for a short nap,” Damian relented, crossing his arms in mock annoyance.

“Deal,” Billy said, settling down on the dusty subway floor and resting his head on Damian’s shoulder.

The discomfort of the cold, hard floor didn’t matter. With Billy’s warmth next to him, Damian found sleep surprisingly easy.

As his eyes drifted shut, Damian thought to himself: He could get used to this.

Chapter Text

“SHAZAM!” Billy’s voice cracked from repeatedly screaming the word.

“SHAZAM!?” Billy shouted once again before Robin put his hand over Billy’s mouth.

“Saying that word over and over again won’t get you to transform. That wand joker had done something. No more wasting time; we must go to Sivana Industries.” Damian commanded.

“…So Sivana is still working with Joker? He told me he didn’t know where you were.” Billy muttered in confusion.

“…And you just believed him!? I was literally in his basement the entire time!” Damian couldn’t believe Billy was a member of the Justice League and not him with those interrogation skills.

“I didn’t know Sivana had a basement!" I don’t know why I couldn’t hear you. It was high stress, okay! And like conflicting emotions, it’s complicated—but now we know for sure they are working together… and we have no way to beat them because I’m stuck as Billy. Billy slid his back down the walls of the dirty subway to sit on the floor.

“You have too little faith in me—and yourself. But mostly me. You are somewhat proficient in stealth, and I am extremely proficient in crime fighting. We stand a chance as long as we do this right.” Damian offered his hand to the boy and lifted him up off the dusty ground.

As they sneaked out of the station. Damian and Billy came up with a lackluster plan. That had less than a 50% chance of working. But it was the only plan they had, so it would have to work. The plan is in order as it follows.

1. Locate the wand unseen.
2. Break the wand. 
3. Transform into Captain Marvel
4. Decapitate Joker & Dr. Sivana
5. Call the Bats to clean it up and hope they don’t ask any questions. 

It was currently nighttime. They had no access to clocks. Based on the moon's position, Batson guessed it was around 2 a.m. Lord, was Damian’s sleep schedule gone, and he dreaded the inevitable make-up hours for school and the weeks grounded off patrol he would be for this endeavor.

As they walked the backroads and alleyways, Damian made Billy repeat the motions of the plan over and over again. They reached the janitor's entrance of Sivana Industries.

1. Locate the wand unseen.

The vents were out of the question as they were already used. Damian had no access to the camera system as Joker broke his watch. So they would have to improvise. Damian knew the golden wand was of importance. The first time joker ran as soon as it was broken. The second time, after two strikes, it seemed to take away Billy’s powers.

Damian knew Billy was putting up a strong front but was quite scared inside. He would be if he once had the powers comparable to Superman and had them stripped away in a flash. 

As they entered the janitor's entrance, they saw a small lost and found. They searched through it, and Batson had found what he considered “The Perfect Disguise.”".

An oversized white lab trench coat, a large pair of slacks, a large pair of glasses, and a fedora.

“…Batson, you cannot be serious.” Turns out he very much was, and as Damian could not think of a better plan, so here was Damian Wayne, son of Batman and Talia Al-Ghul. Tying large beige slacks onto his waist. Hoisting His Beau—or whatever they were—onto his shoulders. Through a bathroom mirror. He watched Batson put on the lab coat, adjust the atrociously ugly fedora, and slip the glasses onto his nose bridge. And winked at the mirror.

“One ticket to a rated R movie, please.” Billy laughed so hard he almost fell off of the Robin. Making them stumble back, thank god for his trained reflexes.

“That is the least funny thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” Damian snorted out from under the coat. 

Billy was right in his initial assumption that Sivana would be too prideful to move offices. As they hurried to the elevator as fast as they could, they snagged a late worker's ID and went as fast as they could to the first open elevator. Which had people in it... a lot of them.

Their height at the time had to be at a minimum 7 feet. They somehow ducked under the elevator door and shoved themselves into the crowd.

Damian knew this plan was stupid; they would immediately report them and get turned in. He peeked through the lab coat to see a middle-aged woman inspecting their stolen ID.

“You must be Jerry Johnson’s son, right? Here to give Dad a laugh during a late-night shift," she snickered as the other scientists in the lab followed.

“Uh, yeah—don’t tell him we want it to be a surprise, please.” Damian imagined Billy gave them a classic boyish smile. 

“We won’t just hurry up, okay? Y’all should be going to school tomorrow, and your dad’s work is confidential.” The woman gave them a pat on the back and told her co-workers, “Sweet kids, Jerry sure is blessed.”.

After a few minutes they finally reached the 50th floor where the laboratory was located. Damian knew they had little time before someone was alerted, so he ran as fast as he could with Billy on his shoulders towards the lab's entrance. Thank god he memorized the basic layout of the place earlier.

As they reached the lab. Billy used his magic as Billy Batson to jam the electric entrance to let them in.

They barged into the lab to see Sivana and the Joker in front of a large, almost cloning tube-like thing with golden & green goo floating around inside of it.

and the Golden Wand straight to their left, lying perfectly still, just waiting to be shattered once more.

     2. Break The Wand

Joker and Sivana looked back at them. The room immediately was filled with twisted hysterical laughter.

“Robin! In that—HAHA—in that getup! Isn’t that funny! HAHAHAHA!” 

Billy took his cue and jumped off Damian to run for the wand.

Dr. Sivana ran towards the boy, and Robin thwarted off the old man. Leaving Billy time to throw the wand straight onto the floor. Leaving little golden shards everywhere.

      3. Transform into Captain Marvel

Billy laughed with relief and childlike joy, swung the shards, and yelled, “SHAZAM!” and lightning struck.

He immediately used his powers to subdue the little problem Sivana was, and Robin passed his handcuffs to him as he looked back to get the clown… The clown was gone, of course; Damian looked away for a second, and the Joker got away—as he always does.

“Where’d the joker go?!” Billy frustratedly put the cuffs on Sivana. 

“Boy! You are asking the wrong questions! Stupid—STUPID! “Where’d the joker go? WHERE DID THE LIVING VENOM GO?!?!” The elder struggled in his handcuffs.

Damian looked to the tank to see the golden green thing gone. 

“Living Venom?” Billy asked.

“That two-timing bastard! We were working on a project to help defeat you and Batman all in one. The living venom, a joker venom-infused magical servant who had life through magic and the unparalleled rage of insanity. I should have known he’d run off. UGH! Cheese, if you don’t get that clown act soon, I’ll get him, the doctor said.

“No, you won’t, Sivana. I’m putting you in jail again. I’m not really sure what charges could even stick… But Officer Lee will find something. Dr. Sivana, how much time do you think we have before the Joker uses that thing?” Billy, there was no way the villain would answer that. 

“The plan was to use it Saturday starting in Gotham. Give him an extra punch in for me before I get out—which won’t take long with my lawyers,” Dr. Sivana deadpanned as the Marvel took him in his arms and, in less than 10 seconds, delivered him to a police station.

They both looked at each other in uncomfortable silence. 

“The bats are in the city; I think they saw me come over here,” the captain rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Then we must hide until Saturday. My family will not let us continue the case, and it’s much too late to quit now.” Damian crossed his arms.

“Okay… I think I know a place.

The ride over was a minute long. Much longer than the other ones. Damian felt it progressively get colder the closer they got. Billy dropped him out of the classic bridal carry onto the snowy mountaintop.

Damian tried to hide his shivers. “Why here?”

“It’s a place I like to go to relax. It’s quieter, with super hearing, and living in with thin walls, I feel a little overwhelmed sometimes with it all,” Billy sighed as he fell backwards into the snow, making a snow angel before muttering quietly. “Shazam”

Billy shivered as soon as he detransformed. “Oh gods, it’s cold here. Sorry, Rob, I forgot! Follow me; there’s this old cabin Airbnb that’s well taken care of, and no one really stays in it.” Damian followed as Billy ran towards the faraway cabin to gain warmth.

As they both huffed and sighed once they reached the slightly less cold cabin. Billy ran towards the fireplace and cast a fire spell. Lighting and warming up the whole room.

“I think I’ve missed out on so much sleep this week; it’s catching up to me. I’ve never been this tired before in my life,” Billy yawned.

“Speak for yourself; I could stay up a long while after our nap turned into a 12-hour slumber.” Damian grinned as Billy went straight to the full-sized bed and hid under the covers.

Damian shivered and thought: it would not hurt to join him. 

Damian climbed to the other side of the bed on the very edge, about to fall off, but put his body under the covers.

“Batson?” Damian called out.

“Yeah, Robin?” Billy yawned back.

“Before you go to sleep, you must know you are free of my blackmail. I promise I won’t tell a soul. I still hope you’ll help me finish the case.”

“Of course, thank you, Rob, that’s… nice of you. Goodnight—or good planning! Billy smiled as he turned around and tried to drift to sleep again.

Damian had to formulate a plan. He’s had much worse odds in the past; the only thing currently stopping him was his family’s search for him. 

He didn’t purposefully enjoy worrying them, but he needed to prove himself. He’s always felt second to stupid Drake, and he’d finally been given a chance. Who knew I’d get so out of control? 

Still looking at Billy, he couldn’t come to regret the circumstances that led to their partnership. 

Enough getting off track thoughts; it's time to plan and pray that the greatest detective gene was passed down.

Hours passed as Damian built a world of thoughts. He never realized how much he relied on technology to make his plans. Without Google, this was all ten times harder. But still, Damian came up with a concept of a plan decent enough—what was that?

Damian sat up to look out the window. There was the Bat-Wing. 

Quickly, Damian shook Billy awake. “Batson! They are here!” 

Billy sat up panicked as he saw the bright lights from the jet shine into the room.

“Shazam!” Billy said, panicked and frozen, as the biggest of all the Bat’s walked through the door.

Batman took a moment to examine the scene in front of him. Visibly getting angrier the more he looked.

“Captain Marvel. Why are you sharing a bed with my 14-year-old son?” Batman hissed out as he rushed to Damian’s side.

Oh, Damian did not realize how bad this looked. 

“Robin, you have cuts and bandages all over—what did he do to you!” Batman hoisted Damian into his arms, and the Robin tried his best to squirm away.

“He did nothing! It is not what you think, Batman!” Damian yelled.

“Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Captain?” Batman yelled.

Billy looked panicked, like a deer in the headlights. He flew out at the speed of light, leaving.

Damian was left alone again. 

Chapter Text

“Damian, what were you thinking!“ Father’s voice echoed across the Batcave. “Never mind; you obviously weren’t thinking.”

Damian rolled his eyes as the vigilantes rushed into the room.

“Damian! God, are you okay? Grayson reached out to hug the boy as Cassandra followed suit.

Drake, Fatgirl Brown, Thomas, Todd, and Alfred surrounded them, and the usually calm Damian grew a little sweaty.

“We’ve been searching all over Fawcett for Damian’s day; what’s your explanation this time?!” Drake groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Not to mention he was found in the same bed as Captain Marvel,” Batman growled as the entire room turned eerily silent.

“It is not what you think!” Damian yelled out. He would not stand for Billy’s bashing of character, even though he was still mad at the boy for abandoning him.

Cassandra went on one knee to hold Damian’s face. “Do not be ashamed. Did he hurt you?”

“No! He’s been nothing but good to me!” Damian wiggled his face from her grip and backed away.

Drake grabbed his arm from behind. “Damian, he didn’t…”

Damian frustratedly took his arm back. “No, Captain Marvel did not violate me!”

Cassandra blinked before coming to her definitive truth: “Believe him.”. His elder sister took a step back to give him space among the horde of vigilantes.

“So, what happened? Man, we haven’t slept in like a day searching. Where were you?” Thomas sighed out with the matching confused faces of the rest of his family.

Damian couldn’t tell them he got captured by the Joker. Then this whole escapade will have all been for nothing. Damian wasn’t ready and even more shamefully inferior to Drake.

“... The Jokers are planning on unleashing a magical chaos monster called the “Living Venom.”. He’s unleashing it very soon, and we have little time. I’d like to lead the mission to defeat—

“That explains literally nothing. How does that relate to you being missing for 2 days?!” Stephanie whined while pulling pieces of her unkempt hair.

“We do not have time for that! Any minute the Joker could unleash that menace into Gotham!” Damian selfishly prayed that the Joker would speed up his plans so that Damian would have time to think of a proper excuse for every action he’s committed this week.

Alfred walked forward, tablet in hand. “I’m afraid young master Damian is correct, sirs. Joker has seemed to start live-streaming, the title being, Get Batman to break and kill me in less than 24 hours challenge (IMPOSSIBLE!?) (ENDING WILL SHOCK YOU!?!), Mindblown emoji, Explosion emoji, and Magic wand emoji.” Alfred finished squinting at the screen as if this was the worst joke he'd done.

Damian thanked his lucky stars for the time buyer.

“…What’s on the livestream, Alfred?” Father raised his left eyebrow at the butler.

“He’s—dear God—he appears to be unleashing some sort of golden clown into the streets of Gotham? Why have we not gotten an alert on this?!” Alfred set the tablet down to head straight to the Batcomputer. His family ran to the computer to find out the living venom's location. But Grayson pulled him aside.

“This conversation is not over, Damian. I’m serious; please stop running off like that. I know you’re doing all this because of a stupid comment Tim made, but you don’t need to prove yourself to us. You are already the best Robin I could have had; please don’t worry me like that again.” His brother’s eyes grew red as he pulled Damian into a hug.

When Damian first came to the manor, he found hugs to be strange and childish. But it was a common action of affection for Grayson, so it had to be dealt with. But, as Damian slowly tore his walls down, he started to… slightly enjoy them. He came to learn that it might be okay to enjoy some childish things. He thought of Billy, who was childish and yet one of the best league members in father’s eyes!

Maybe Grayson was right; Damian knew the true most childish feeling was insecurity. Which he seemingly reeked of these days. Perhaps Grayson’s words could be enough for now.

-

Billy lay on his cot, unmoving. It had been a long time since Billy had felt this torn before.

He’s been Captain Marvel for five years now. It’s become a part of who he was, and throughout those five years, not a single soul learned of his secret identity… Besides Sivana, and Black Adam, and that one old lady who saw him transform that time (may she rest in peace), and Robin, oh, and Joker—now great!—okay, maybe the list was getting a little too long for Billy’s comfort.

But to Billy’s credit, he’s even kept his identity secret from Batman! All for good reason too. Billy knew of an adult that wasn’t trying to kill him or was his own age. They’d snitch, and Billy would be kicked out of the league for sure and let down Fawcett City. All the kids and even adults looked up to him. How badly would he let them down if they learned the truth? That he was just some nobody kid.

For hours, Billy thought of ways he could try to clear his name. He couldn’t think of anything that still wouldn’t get Batman to hate him. If he’d had to think of excuses, Billy saw Robin's heartbroken look as Billy left last night. Billy wouldn’t even blame him for snitching.

Billy took a shower to help him think. Now that he had a shower, he loved abusing the privilege as much as possible. He changed into his red sweater and jeans and went down to the local diner.

Billy walked through the diner doors and sat in an empty booth; he wished a friend was here with him—like Robin.

Billy had a day to think about how he was going to fix this. One day until the joker attacked—or so he thought. He looked up to the Diners TV to see that damn clown.

“Hi Chat Welcome to the steam! I’m going to unleash a new invention into Gotham! It’s called the Living Venom—HaHAhaha.”

Billy was so dead—so extremely dead. There goes all that leftover time.

“My little friend Klarion gave me this fun little golden wand earlier that helped me suck out the Champion of Magics—magic! How fun, right!. With that level of raw power, it will be unstoppable! - Thanks, RiddlerLeftToe, for the heart!”

Before the waitress could even come to the table, Billy rushed out and went to the closest alleyway, looked around, and screamed, “SHAZAM!”

Billy soared up to the sky above the clouds, and wow—that view never got old. Billy was so used to flying at the speed of light it was good to just stop and look a while.

Billy was a part of this situation now; the Joker was using a portion of his powers to hurt innocents. But he couldn’t look Robin in the eye, or Batman.

Billy couldn’t just float here above the clouds; this was his mess. Isn't it his job to protect the innocents and protect magic? Billy knew the consequences of what he was about to do. But he couldn’t just sit by callously.

-

What will Timothy Drake's last words be? Tim worried that he would have to figure those words out very soon.

The “Living Venom” thing—also, what a horrible name; at least try being creative. Was currently beating their asses.

It was golden bright and had the build of Clayface. But he was way worse than that foe; all Tim could hear was hysterical, ear-shattering laughter and lightning strikes shocking his siblings.

Jason was currently shooting all the bullets in his arsenal, Cass was stalking the creature trying to find the manifestation's weak points, Dick was getting deep-fried, and Steph and Damian were trying to jump the figure from behind—they didn’t even get the venom to turn around.

Batman was throwing batarangs at Venom's face while holding his broken arm. As always, it did nothing.

Tim was this close to calling Zatana before he saw a flash of lightning brighten the street… Great, the possible creeper Captain Marvel was there.

“Get that freak out of here; we don’t need your help!” Steph screamed from the streets while holding her twisted ankle.

“Shut up, Fatgirl!” Damian yelled as the monstrosity turned to face the captain.

The laughter finally stopped, and the living venom looked scared.

Captain Marvel looked just as scared by the creature. “Look, I’m sorry you were made this way! But you can’t just hurt people like this, so you are going to have to go. Captain Marvel got thrown by the monster into the far building at the end of the street.

Damian got up from the street and yelled, “Captain! If you de-transform touching it, you might get the magic back!”. Okay, Tim was thoroughly confused now. De-transform?

Captain Marvel quickly flew back and grabbed the monster in a headlock and yelled out, “SHAZAM!”

Lightning fell from the sky and struck both the captain and Monster. Just a second later, as the smoke fell, there was only one thing left.

A teenage boy.

Well, a lot of things just started making a lot more sense.

-

Billy sat in a chair in the Batcave, swinging his legs in boredom.

Batman, finally done with the mission report, comes towards him.

“Hello Captain, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding we had earlier,” Batman said to the chair beside him.

“It’s okay; you assumed what any normal person would… Am I kicked out of the league?” Billy couldn’t help but let his voice crack slightly at the last question.

“No, Captain, you are not. Obviously we might need to have some conversations about this after this whole situation has died down. But you are a good teammate and hero; I won’t betray your trust.” Batman looked down at Billy, who held his pinky out.

“Pinky promise me.” Billy commanded the Dark Knight.

The Batman, honest to the gods, chuckled and wrapped his comedically large pinky around Billy’s. “Promise”

“I only have two questions for you before you leave,” Batman pulled his hand away.

“Where are your parents?”

“Umm, you’ll figure that out soon enough.” Billy coughed out

“Are you romantically involved with my son?”

“Wow! Look at the time! It’s getting late; I better get to nightly patrol in Fawcett! Thanks a lot, Batman. See you at the next meeting!” Billy stuttered out while speed walking as fast as he could from his boss.

As Billy ran out, he saw Robin's beautiful face from afar.

Please, oh please, gods, let Robin still like him.

Chapter Text

Billy jumped out of bed when he woke up and rubbed his eyes to see an intruder.

Once his eyes focused, he saw the back of a boy his own age? He looked strangely familiar even from behind, kind of like Robin—wait.

Possibly Robin was… feeding his rats? Yes, Billy had rat roommates. Instead of buying rat traps, he just lived with them—yes, it’s possible they had diseases, but they were nice to Billy, so he kept them around.

“Robin?” Billy called out. The boy turned around, and oh gods, Billy was down bad.

“Correct. But right now, it’s Damian.” Robin—Damian—walked closer to him and sat down on his bed.

“Me and Father—Batman—thought, since you were forced to reveal your secret identity to us, it’s only fair if you know ours as well.”

Billy sat down next to Damian and smiled. He had always sort of thought that once the Joker situation was settled, Robin would leave, and he’d be lonely again. Billy smiled as he realized that wouldn’t be the case.

“Sooo, Batman asked me if we were romantically involved. He’s probably not gonna like it if I don’t come up with an answer,” Billy said, scooting slightly closer to Damian.

“Even though there is no practical reason for us to keep seeing each other, I’d like to keep on seeing you. Perhaps I could take you on an outing, and we figure out how to answer that?” Damian copied him, scooting closer and timidly taking Billy’s hand.

“I’d love to go on a date with you! But I sort of thought you would be mad at me?” Billy was shocked as Damian held his hand tighter.

“I was, I admit. But I think you made up for it by showing up to fight alongside us. Also, I blackmailed you this entire time, so I would be hypocritical to hold anything small like that against you.” Damian looked at his face for a long time. Was there a bug on him or something? Maybe sleeping on dirty floor mattresses would finally make him start breaking out—

Billy felt a quick press of heat on his lips. Before his brain could even process anything, Damian’s red face moved backward.

The silence afterward was a little awkward, but Billy didn’t mind at all. He had an unmoving smile that couldn’t be brought down. Except maybe by one thing.

“Is Batman gonna jump me?” Billy leaned his head playfully onto Damian’s shoulder.

“No, I think he’s honestly happy with this. That—thank god—I have the opposite of his villainous women taste. Be worried about Grayson—Nightwing. Watch your back; he’s silent but deadly,” Damian said with a laugh—or as much as a Robin could laugh.

“Since I’m already here, I was thinking we could have our outing now?” Damian rose from the mattress, pulling Billy up with him.

“Sure!”