Chapter Text
December twenty-first, 2012, 10:02 PM ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
The champion of magic sobbed into his gloved hands, trembling with rage and sorrow. He felt the tears flowing down his face, and he felt far too warm, blood boiling and cold at the same time.
Billy had trusted them. He had trusted them with his everything. He had trusted them with them, and now they were gone. Not even their bodies survived, in the eternium blast had taken everything. And they LET them.
Billy. Solomon called, voice booming and thunderous yet gentle. Billy, you need to focus. Your attention is needed now . Now, אַלוּף. A new voice seemed to ring in his ears, Champion. You have to focus, Zeus reprimanded. Billy thought he could hear Mercury and Achilles urging him on, begging him to do anything, move, keep crying, or grieve. But Billy was frozen, replaying the last day in his head.
December 20th, 2012, 2:30 PM ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
It was a pretty good day at the watchtower. Billy, Freddy, and Darla were in their Shazamily forms, and Billy was sitting at the main meeting table as he worked on some league paperwork detailing the last manticore attack in Fawcett. Darla came in, electricity on her heels, and she practically flew into Billy’s chest. “B!” She whined. “Voltage’s being a meanie!” She pouted and curled into a ball.
Billy rested his head on top of her head, between the puffs. Freddy came screeching in not two minutes afterwards. “SHE STOLE MY FUCKING-” “Language!” Billy laughed, and Freddy looked exasperated. “I am older than you!” He cried, and Darla stuck out her tongue and held up a magazine. “Freddy was looking at women in bathing suits-” They bickered for a few minutes, both floating over Billy’s head. They were annoying as anything, of course, but they were his only family.
He still remembered meeting them, and he remembered hw he and Freddy had clicked, causing a duo. No, The Duo. Billy and Freddy, Batson and Freeman, snarky on sarcastic, blonde on ravenette, stupid on stupid, but overall they were best friends. Then Darla joined them, and the family unit was completed. Billy was the middle sibling… technically. Billy was eight months younger than Freddy, but Billy did most of the adulting in the group of kids. Freddy was 17, Billy was 16, and Darla was 11. The holy trinity, Billy, Freddy, and Darla.
Then, they became more. They were Voltage, Captain Marvel, and Lightning. They were strong, and even better, they were safe.
Billy let the noise of them bickering pass him by. The two teenage-looking demigods sat beside him, huffing. Darla re-curled into a ball against his chest. He knew she was just pretending to pout, a smile already on her face.
Freddy tried to look upset, eyes rolling. He leaned against Billy’s arm, and all three of them enjoyed the momentary quiet moment. They had so few like them. Billy shoved the manticore report away and grabbed Freddy. Freddy made a snarky remark but quickly melted into the bear hug. “B, you’re crushing us,” Darla whined, but Freddy just grinned. “Yeah, but we’re indestructible !”
December 20th, 2012, 8:30 PM ─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───
The Flash came speeding in at 8:30, mumbling something, probably literally a million miles an hour. Darla looked up, and Freddy yawned. “Dude, speak slowly, for the god’s sake.” Billy’s brows furrowed. “Everything okay, Wally?” Billy asked seriously. Wally groaned. “Dude, I’m super late for my date- and this one is important. But I mixed up the dates and-” His face fell. “I have a mission tonight. It’s stupid, too! It’s just an investigation of this weapon-dealing ring, and I-” Billy felt bad for Wally, he truly did.
Wally had been one of his first friends in the league; he, Hal, and Barry had always gotten up to tons of fun. Wally, being younger, probably helped. But they were all friends and that's all anyone could ask for, especially since they loved Darla and Freddy- or, sorry, Lightning and Voltage. Wally and Voltage could talk for hours, talk and talk. Billy could join in or listen, and Darla and Wally loved to race, and Billy and Wally could hang out for hours .
“I’m so sorry, Wally, but I can't today, I have to finish this paperwork, it is a nightmare.” Billy grimaced. “Batman will kill me,” Billy added, and Wally deflated, but not before Freddy cut in. “Me and Voltage can do it. We don't have any paperwork, and it's just a weapons bust, right?” She grinned. Voltage gave a thumbs up. “Of course!”
Wally grinned. “Bro… I owe you one!” He rushed forward and hugged Voltage tightly. Voltage looked towards Billy, eyes pleading. “C’mon, Captain, I’ll keep Darla safe. And Hal and Barry will be there too!” Freddy weedled, and Wally also turned with his puppy eyes. “Please, bro? My boyfriend’s dad will end me, and Barry is tagging along because of Hal,” Billy swallowed what tasted like bile in his throat. As a rule, the Shazamily never splintered. They took every mission together or not at all.
The entire league knew the facts. Especially Lightning and Voltage were never apart, even when the Captain needed to be. Even Billy could see it on Wally’s face. This was a big ask. But… Freddy wasn't as strong as Captain, but he was resourceful and brave, and Darla was almost fast enough to beat Barry in a race, so- “Sure, guys.”
Wally might have actually melted with relief at that moment. Billy smiled as Darla actually vibrated with excitement, and Darla and Freddy high-fived. The siblings turned to Billy, and Billy put his gloved hand out. Freddy and Darla reciprocated, all of their fingertips touching. Freddy and Darla’s were painted, blue and purple, respectively. In his mortal form, his fingers were red, which mimicked his suit. They had stolen the nail polish from a drug store on Darla’s birthday.
(Billy had been chased three blocks for that stunt and fucked up his knee for a week after, but the look on Darla’s face when she had seen the bottles was legendary.)
Billy smiled at Wally, and Wally grinned back. “Wally, you’re late.” Billy grinned. Wally froze. “OH SHI-” he was gone before the word cut out, apparently breaking the time-space continuum. Again. Darla grinned, and Freddy looked at Billy. “I’ll keep us safe, Batson. You worry too much.” Freddy said with an easy grin, even though his eyebrows were slightly furrowed. Billy smiled. “You’re a sap, Freeman.” Billy grinned wider. Freddy’s face flushed. “Hey!”
Darla started laughing at him, and all three siblings were back at it, bickering, laughing, and getting absolutely no work done whatsoever.
December 20th, 2012, 10:00 PM ────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────
Freddy groaned, kicking another meta-goon to the ground. Lightning and Voltage left at eleven. They were supposed to be back by 9:30. Yet here they were, running around like headless chickens. There was a frankly suspicious amount of security, but Freddy tried not to worry. Especially not about Billy, who was probably staring at a magically summoned watch and and worrying his head off with that stupid glare he did when he was really pissed-
He had already made Hal and Barry promise they would ‘look out for them’ and ‘keep my idiot siblings safe’, which they already did, because Darla and Freddy actually looked about 17-19, so everyone treated them like teens. (Which they were, technically.)
Billy, being younger than him, had caused a curious dynamic. Freddy was the older, snarky brother who teased Billy relentlessly, even if it was something stupid like “Imagine being eight months younger? Imagine. L.” Or teasing him based on how he reacted to random people thanking him, or on how he worried. Billy was the younger, sarcastic, mocking brother who was always stressing or nagging about something, but was usually carefree.
The two met when they were hardly 8 and 9 years old, Billy, who had been in the system for a few months as a malnourished girl named Clair, after their father, they would tell anyone who asked. “My sister is- was, named after my mom, her name was Mary,” he remembered them saying, one night as they stayed up late because they were too scared to sleep.
Billy stood up for Freddy whenever he was bullied for his crutches, and Freddy had vehemently refused to go to another home without him ever again. Then Billy became, well, Billy. Freddy could still remember the night when Billy had told him, scarcely a nervous whisper. They explained that his parents had accepted him, but the other foster ‘parents’ hadn't been so kind.
After that night, they were best friends. Because they were both different, but not less than. They just understood each other. Freddy would call Billy just ‘Batson’ after that, before Billy had really decided on it. Billy called him ‘Freeman’ after that as a joke. Freddy proceeded to kick another goons ass as he thought back on the last 8 years.
“Hey, Voltage!” Hal called, and Freddy turned. They were looking at two large crates, almost thirteen feet by thirteen feet. Freddy whistled, and hummed under his breath. He heard Darla run in from the other room where she and Barry were fighting some super-powered goons. “What should we do with them?” Darla asked. “Barry and I can take them outside, since they’re all beat. Can you take care of this last guy? We’ll be right back.” Hal grinned, and Voltage gave a nod.
Hal and Barry had hardly been gone a second when the idiot he and Darla were trying to take out pulled out a remote. He grinned up at Freddy and Darla before clicking a button on it. Freddy ducked towards Darla as he heard one of the crates make a whirring noise that made Freddy gasp out in pain. He covered his ears, and Darla followed. Light burst from the crate, as well as that awful noise. Freddy reached towards Darla, fingers curling towards hers as they met. Then everything went electric blue, but it was a hot blue, not the cool kind Freddy adored. It was hot like the blue of a flame. And then it went black.
December twenty-first, 2012, 10:20 AM ─── ⋆⋅⚡︎⋅⋆ ───
Wally got the call at dinner. He and Dick were having dinner with the Waynes, and it was the familiar chaos Dick loved. They were laughing because Jason had quoted Jane Austen at Tim, again, and Tim looked ready to flip the table. Then Bruce and Wally’s phones started blowing up. Maybe five seconds later, Dick’s phone also blew up.
Silence overcame the table as Wally picked up the phone, and Barry’s voice came through. “Wally, can you call the Captain? He- he’s gone.” Barry’s voice came through the speaker, sounding tensed and on the verge of tears. Wally’s heartbeat sped up as he squeezed Dick’s hand. “Gone?” He asked, a million different scenarios rushing through his mind as he thought back. “Barry, what do you mean he’s ‘gone’?” Wally said, voice rising. He stood up, ready to- actually he wasn't sure why.
“Thank God you weren't here, Walls. It was bigger than we thought and now-” Barry’s voice cracked in a way that was so uncharacteristic for his uncle it screamed ‘ something is wrong’. “What. Happened?” Wally asked through his teeth, silently begging God it was an overreaction, that maybe it would all be fine- and then in a few words, a corner of Wally West’s world shattered, sending shattering cracks across the rest. “They’re dead. Lightning and Voltage are dead.” Wally could taste bile in his throat, he could feel the tears about to spill over, and he actually felt nauseous. No, no- not them, there's a mistake. Wally let out a strangled noise, choking on his words.
Everyone at dinner, except Bruce, was staring at him, trying to gauge what had happened by his reaction. Wally could only assume how he looked, but he only managed to gasp out a ragged few words. “Where's Cap?” When I used to say that, it usually meant I would find all three of them together. He blinked back tears, and Barry only responded with his own broken words. “He left.”
“Where? I can search- we need to find him now, he -they- thats-” Wally choked, and Barry just made a choked noise over the phone. Wally slammed the phone down, shaking with a sinking horror. Dick wrapped his arms around him as Bruce put his phone down.
Bruce’s eyes were slightly widened, but he took a deep breath and composed himself. “Voltage and Lightning are dead. Captain Marvel has… disappeared. He isn't showing up on any maps, his tracker and communicator are dead.”
Dick’s eyes widened, and he rubbed Wally’s arm. Wally was shamelessly sniffling and crying, and Dick wasnt looking great either. Tim pushed his chair back, hands over his mouth. Cass’s eyes were widened slightly, and Steph’s mouth was agape. Babs looked shocked. Jason let out a deep breath. “Bullshit. There's no way. They’re immortal.” Jason scoffed. “Maybe those two weren't,” Tim said, seemingly dazed. Bruce narrowed his eyes, staring down at his phone. “I’m mostly worried about Marvel. If he goes rogue-” Wally shot up. “ WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?” Wally screamed, wheezing. “He’s a person! His siblings are fucking dead, Bruce! They were his life! And your first concern is YOURSELF?” Wally shoved his chair to the side and sped off, tears streaming down his face.