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Billy frowned as he went through all the stuff in the attic. Boring, boring, boring. He thought. He had to work quick, as his uncle would be home soon, and would NOT appreciate him “snooping around the attic” even though all of it was his stuff, so how could he be snooping if he owned it?
Billy pushed the thought out of his mind, and continued onwards. He stopped at a photo album of his parents. He smiled and flipped through them. Only…it wasn’t his dad in the pictures with his mom. He looked at the stranger. They were both laughing in front of a beautiful picturesque body of water.
He flipped the photograph which had faded handwriting on the back, one he knew to be his mom’s handwriting. He touched the photo, feeling his eyes water. He missed her so much; and it was unfair that both his parents were gone. He wiped his eyes and read the handwriting.
Marilyn & Bruce, St Martin’s Island (2007)
Billy frowned, and flipped the picture again. Why is mom with a guy who isn’t dad?
He rummaged through the box, most of which contained his mom and some guy, and picture of him and his mom.
Billy & Marilyn, (2008)
Billy frowned. Underneath was a letter addressed to Bruce Wayne. He shook his head and grabbed the box, as he heard a car pull up. He didn’t need his uncle yelling at him because he was in the attic.
He decided he would mail all this tomorrow.
After all, it’s not like he needed it.
One week later…
It was cold again. He numbly grasped the box he managed to grab before his uncle threw him out, since the savings finally came in. He shivered, walking to the post office. He needed to send this. His mother thought it was important enough to save. With the last few dollars he stole from his uncle, he walked up to the counter and had it ready to ship within minutes. He gave the worker a smile and scouted out somewhere to sleep for the night.
The wind howled violently, making the weather feel even colder. He snuck into the abandoned apartment that was shut down recently, and hid away from the cold. This place was due to be knocked down tomorrow evening, so he’d need a new place to live.
He hugged his plush tiger closer, the one thing he still had left of his parents. Tears flowed down his face as the events of the day crashed over him. He had lost everything . He let himself cry for a few minutes and pulled it together. He needed to be strong if he was going to survive.
He had too. If not for himself, then his parents.
Weeks went by. He wondered if the package ever got to that Bruce guy that knew his mom.
He wondered a lot of things. When he’d find his next source of food, when he would find a place to sleep or get money for things. Living day by day, hour by hour. It was the only way to survive. Take it one day at a time.
He wondered about lot of things.
He had finally found a spot in an empty subway station. He looked down the dark tunnel that hadn’t been used in years. He felt the urge to walk down the tunnel, pulling at him, telling him to go.
The feelings haven’t failed him yet, so stupidly he decided to listen. He walked until he felt a dead end, wall that was made of rocks. It seemed solid so he decided to turn around. If nothing it was a waste of time, anyway. As he turned around he tripped on a rock and tensed, knowing the impact was going to hurt.
But instead he tumbled through the rock, and landed on his knees on a dirty floor. He looked around and saw he was in a throne room. It was empty, and the thrones sat abandoned and the room looked desolate. He turned around and looked at the rock he apparently came through to get to this place.
“Hello?” He called, his voice echoing, bouncing throughout the corridor.
“Billy Batson.” a booming voice said, echoing throughout the room. “I have chosen you as my champion of magic.”
“What are you talking about?” he looked around. “Who are you? Where are you?”
A man appeared before him. He was an older looking man, wearing white robes, and a graying beard. He held a staff that glowed brightly, setting off what looked like lightning inside the ball up top of the staff.
“I am Shazam. Guardian of the rock of Eternity. I have magic that I must pass on to a worthy champion. One of pure heart and mid, to save the world from the coming evil. I have seen your soul, Billy and I have determined you are worthy of my powers.”
Billy raises an eyebrow. “How? I’m just regular old Billy Batson, I‘m not special.” he said.
“Oh, but you are.” the wizard said. “More than you know.”
“Okay, sure.” Billy says, pretending to believe him. “I believe you.”
The wizard ignores Billy’s lie. “Place your hand on this staff, and say my name so my power can flow through you.”
Billy places both both of his hands on the staff, and tentatively says, “Shazam?”
A bolt of lightning strikes down on him. He opens his eyes and looks at himself. He looks...different. He’s taller, much more broad, packed with muscles. He even changed clothes! Gone are the worn out clothes he was wearing, and now he is wearing a whole superhero-esque outfit.
“Holy Moley!” he said. “I’m an adult?”
“When you speak my name the powers I bestowed upon you will appear. Now, I go back. The Rock of Eternity is quite busy.”
Billy looked around at the empty room. “Sure, yeah.”
“Good bye my champion, I trust you will do great things.”
Billy frowned and then found himself in front of the wall again, still an adult.
“Well this is new.” He said, shocked by his own voice, which was much deeper than he was used to.
He headed out and decided to test out his new powers.
After all what was the worst that could happen?
A few months later…
“A package arrived for you today sir. Only six months late this time.” Alfred remarked.
“It’s because Harley and the Joker decide blowing up the post offices would be a good idea.” Bruce muttered. “That and the fact that the postal workers don’t even care enough to deliver packages.”
“How curious that there isn’t a return address.” Alfred said, inspecting the box.
“What’s in the box then?” Bruce said, turning away.
There had been reports of a new superhero in town, Captain Marvel, as he was called.
He had appeared out of nowhere. He pushed that thought aside and focused on the box he had received. Bruce was curious to see what it was. He cut it open and saw there was pictures on top.
He flipped through the pictures and had a bad feeling. The feeling worsened when he saw the picture of Marilyn and her son. He picked up the letter (well one of them at least) that came with the box.
Dear Mr Bruce, who ever you are.
It seems you are good friends with my mom, or were at least, anyway. I don’t think she ever mentioned you. Maybe she did and I didn’t remember. Anyway, the point of me sending this is that I wanted you to have some pictures of my mom that you were in. I figured you might want them since I don’t really need them.
My mom died a while ago, and so did my dad, but that’s not the point of this letter. My mom wrote something to you so I figured I should probably send it to you, even if it is years later…
Anyways, hope this finds you,
Billy.
Bruce’s frown deepens. He opens the next letter carefully. Enclosed in a small piece of paper and...a birth certificate. The feeling he had since opening the box and flipping through the picture of him and Marilyn grow tenfold.
Dear Bruce,
I know this is cliché, writing you a letter, but I have to do it anyway. I have a confession to make.
I, we, have a son. His name is William Joseph Batson. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but we both know we weren’t looking for romance with each other.
You just got out of a bad break up, and I had just had a terrible fight with my fiancé. We weren’t meant to end up together. I love my husband very much, and we are going to raise this kid together.
I’m sorry Bruce, but I don’t want you knowing this kid. Maybe that makes me selfish, or a bad person, but he already has parents. Ones who love him so much.
Maybe someday you can meet him. To be honest, I will probably never send this letter, but my husband insisted you should know.
I’m sorry Bruce. I really am. But not sorry enough to tell you.
Marilyn Batson
He was in shook over the letter. He looked at the birth certificate. It listed him as the father. He wondered briefly why no news network ever caught onto this. Maybe because it was never digitized, he didn’t know.
All he knew was that he had a kid out there. Waiting for him. He needed to find this boy, William.
If it was the last thing he did.