The Secret Life of Billy Captain Marvel Batson

Love vs Secrets

"Too many people already know. Sivana. Black Adam. Nothing good comes out of this."

"The JSA are friends. Team mates you can trust."

"One mole. One betrayal is enough to destroy you."

"Courtney is more important than anything in the world... More than anything, period."

"Think with your head, not with your heart. You have responsibilities."

"I love Courtney."

"You are going to outlive her, outlive everyone you love, but your secret must stay intact."

"Once they know you are a kid, they will treat you like one. They will look down on you. This will render you ineffective."

A myriad of thoughts ran through Marvel, no Billy's head.

-------

"Flash, appearances are deceiving."

Marvel's brilliant blue eyes pierced through Jay's. It felt as if he were looking into his very soul.
Who was Marvel? What was he?

"You, Wildcat and Green Lantern are in your seventies? Eighties? Yet you don't look a day over thirty."
The towering figure, heavily corded with muscle looked thoughtfully into the distance.

"And?"  Jay looked up at the impossibly powerful man, curiosity eating him up.

The Captain seemed strangely nervous.
"Come, I'll show you."

He flew to an deserted lot. There he landed, motioning Jay to stand back.

"Shazam," he whispered.

Lightning cracked through the cloudless sky and hit the enormous, ridiculously muscled red-suited man.

Smoke cleared.

In the place of the Captain Marvel stood a malnourished boy no older than fourteen.

The boy stepped forward and offered his hand. "Hi, I'm Billy Batson. I'll be sixteen next month."

It had to be a joke. Marvel couldn't possibly be this scrawny kid. Picking up his jaw, he tried to speak but no words came out.

"I appreciate if you keep this to yourself," the boy gestured at his painfully small frame.

"Yes, Courtney and I are dating," he continued.

Jay finally found his voice, "Courtney can date Billy, but not The Captain."

"I am the Captain," Billy spread his legs out and crossed his arms to look threatening, but came across as adorable instead.

Jay massaged his temples trying to clear his head. Their heavy hitter's a skinny fifteen year old kid.

They had been sending this scrawny child to take down Superman whenever the mind bogglingly strong, invincible Kryptonian was not in control of his own actions.

Jay ran both his hands up and down his face as he tried to wrap his mind around the implications.

This boy had traded punches with Darkseid, fended off alien invasions, shielded his team mates from fatal blasts with his own body on the JSA's orders.

He looked so vulnerable. Yet as Captain Marvel he was as strong as Superman (possibly stronger even than the Man of Steel.)

He was as fast as the fastest member of the Flash family.

On top of that, he was completely invulnerable. Literally nothing could hurt him. Unlike Superman who could be poisoned with Kryptonite, depowered with red solar energy, Captain Marvel had no weakness, other than his child form, his real form if Jay understood correctly.

The dirty truth was that the JSA needed Captain Marvel. Desperately.

At the same time, knowing the truth about him, the JSA, dedicated to raising the next generation of superheroes, was ethically bound to protect, nurture and guide this young hero.

"Green Lantern, Wildcat and Mr Terrific have to know about this, at least. We'll work something out," he added.

"Fine," Billy grinned.

Jay could see The Captain in those brilliant blue eyes, jet black hair, square jaw and dimpled smile.

"Shazam!" Shouted the boy. Thunder roared as lightning split the sky hitting the small form.

The red suited figure corded with muscle towered over Jay once more. With a mischievous salute, he flew off.

-------

"What are you saying? Marvel's a kid?" Green Lantern's brow furrowed. "Are you sure you were not hallucinating?"

"I had Doctor Mid-Nite run tests on me just in case. I'm fine," Jay ran his hands through his hair.

"I know what I saw. Marvel revealed his real form. He's a fifteen year old boy way too small for his age."

"Stargirl's a kid too. Yet she's proven herself on the field," Wildcat examined his nails, unperturbed.

"S.T.R.I.P.E. keeps an eye on her," said Terrific.

"If he gets there in time. Half the time, she takes care of the threats before he arrives," Ted replied.

"What say you, Jay?" Alan Scott turned to The Flash.

"The boy, Billy will probably operate as Captain Marvel with or without JSA," Jay shrugged.

"Marvel's proven himself time and again. Nothing should change in terms of his JSA status. The only real issue is the potential scandal."

"As long as they aren't seen cozying up in public, there shouldn't be any problem," stated Mr Terrific.

"Shall we tell the rest?" Asked Ted.

"No. I gave him my word," Jay shrugged.

-------

Rap rap rap..

Courtney raised her head. The big red cheese hovered outside her window.

"Billy, what's up?" She unlocked the window to let him in.

The Captain called down lightning as he dropped through the window. Billy Batson landed in Courtney's study.

"Flash knows about us. He told Cap to stop seeing you," blurted Billy.

"What? No. You didn't?" Courtney stuttered.

"Relax Court," he pecked her cheek. "You are more important to me than my secret," he grinned as she visibly let out the breath she had been holding.

"I showed him," he continued.

"And?" Courtney's eyes widened.

"I thought he was going to get a heart attack or something," he grinned.

"Who else knows?" Her eyes filled with concern.

"He'll have to tell Green Lantern, Wildcat and Terrific.

I can date you as Billy, but kinda have to stay away from you as Cap," he frowned.

"He's worried about the scandal that would break out if Captain Marvel is seen dating a minor."

"Are they gonna treat you like a kid too?" She pondered.

"No idea. But he is kinda freaked out that Cap's a 'helpless' fifteen year old half the time. They're planning intensive training for me as Billy," he frowned.

"Oh, and if Cap and Stars work together at any time, we get a chaperone," he rolled his eyes.