The Secret Life of Billy Captain Marvel Batson

Hope

Boom!
A portal opened, spitting Barda and Scott Free out before vanishing promptly. They landed directly outside JSA's medical bay

"Are you ok, honey?" Scott examined Barda's back that had been roasted by Darkseid's omega beams.

"It's a mere graze. Nothing mother box can't heal," replied his warrior wife as she held her beeping mother box against her wound. "Go see to the Captain's girl," she nudged her husband.

Mr Miracle stepped into the medical bay. Dr Mid-Nite was holding the defibrillator against Courtney's chest, trying unsuccessfully to shock her heart into beating.

"Let me through. I have the cure," said Scott as he squeezed past the concerned heroes.

"Allow me," he tapped the good doctor's shoulder.

He held the girl's mouth open and squeezed glowing blue juice from the alien plant into her mouth. Then he pressed his beeping mother box against her stomach.

The blue glow from the juice encompassed the girl. The heart monitor started beeping steadily once more and she began to cough.

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open. "Billy?" She asked.

-------

Wham! Captain Marvel's foot struck Darkseid's chin, the impact caused the ground to crumple beneath them.

Darkseid staggered briefly, before he swung his massive hand at the annoying red insect, when Superman dived in slamming his fists against Darkseid's face. The impact levelled the terrain.

The armoured giant roared in anger. Swatting the blue pest away, Darkseid's eyes glowed red.

"Now," whispered The Captain.

Blue and red blurs streaked in opposite directions, flying just below the speed of light, circling Apokolips, gaining momentum.

CRASH!
The heroes slammed their fists on Darkseid's unprotected face, then dodged the Omega beams so that the beams struck Darkseid instead.

Darkseid swayed.

"3..2..1.." Splat! Marvel grinned as Darkseid came tumbling down, and stayed down for the count.

Fist bumping, "Now how do we get home?" He asked his companion.

"Well Bill, earth is thousands of light years away, so flying home would be a problem. But..." Superman's eyes wandered to Darkseid's prone form amid the destruction.

Cap's face broke into a huge grin.

The two boy scouts rummaged through the unconscious giant's armour and weaponry like kids searching for candy.

"Found it!" The Man of Steel whipped out Darkseid's mother box.

Stepping away from the unconscious giant, the pair activated the device.

Boom!

They were back in Brownstone outside the medical bay.

"How did you guys get here?" Scott's eyes widened as the grinning blue clad hero waved Darkseid's mother box.

"Please tell me you didn't....." Barda ran her hand over her face.

"We KO-ed Darkseid, then used his mother box to come home," grinned the big red cheese. "How's Courtney?"

"Recovering. You can see her now," replied Pieter.

"Shazam!" Lightning struck the man. The boy dashed into the medical bay. His brilliant blue eyes met the soft blue of his sweetheart. "Court!" He ran to her side and hugged her.

The tubes and wires were gone. Her cheeks rosy once more.

"Billy!" She tenderly stroked his cheek.

Their lips met as the good doctor shooed away prying eyes.

-------

In the Watch Tower, Superman called for a joint briefing to the Justice League and Justice Society with representatives from both teams in attendance.

"Do you know what this is?" Superman held up Darkseid's mother box so that all present could see it.

"A mother box," stated Cyborg.

"Not just any mother box," replied a grim-faced Superman. "It's Darkseid's. Mr Miracle was able to coax information out of her. The anti life equation is on earth and Darkseid's plans to conquer earth to retrieve it are already in motion."

Shocked whispers filled the room.

"Captain Marvel encountered the first wave," the Man of Steel turned to his comrade. "Captain, please share what you saw."

"An army of around a thousand five hundred parademons attacked Stargirl and myself. I drove them back, but before the boom tube closed, I saw glowing machinery the size of a city," the Captain frowned.

"It spewed screaming black particles that spun together like multiple tornadoes. Around it were parademons, numbering, possibly millions, armed with new weaponery, ready for war," he continued.

"Stargirl was poisoned," pain glimmered deep in his eyes.

Superman's warm gaze fell on Stargirl. "Stars, care to share what you went through?" He asked gently.

"A parademon sank it's claws into my shoulder and arm when it tried to abduct me. I kicked and hit it until it let me go. It hurt for sure, but I thought it was because the wounds were big and bloody. Then the nightmares began," she shuddered.

"I felt like I was on fire, then drifted off into my worst nightmare..." Her eyes watered as they fell briefly on the Captain.

Shrugging, she continued, "I was burning in pain, felt overwhelming despair, out of control fear. I felt like there was no hope, nothing left to live for."

"Stars..." the Captain's eyes held a haunted look. 

Mr Miracle clapped his hand on the big man's shoulder. "It is an ancient poison from Apokolips that causes fever, overwhelming, relentless despair and death if the antidote is not applied within 48 hours. It appears parademons now coat their claws and fangs with it to ensure the death of anyone so much as scratched by it."

"Her heart stopped. I thought she was gone until Mr Miracle dripped juice from these herbs into her mouth, which brought her back" stated Dr Mid-Nite

The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"The antidote is a weed on Apokolips, known as hope. We have cultivated more of the antidote from a sample we collected and will pass some to each team in case of future attacks," Mr Miracle gestured at a large box full of alien plants in front of him.

"Darkseid's attacks are largely invisible. His agents subtly manipulate emotions to destroy his targets," said Captain Marvel.
A few years back, he had been a victim of an elaborate hoax that made Billy too frightened to transform into the Captain.

Mr Miracle's eyes fell on the glowing mother box.

"They are already here."