The Secret Life of Billy Captain Marvel Batson

Mary Marvel

"Hey, Court, let's grab lunch," a lanky boy with brilliant blue eyes and a curly mop of raven black hair approached Mary Bromfield's new project partner, Courtney.

Both Courtney and that boy had just joined Philadelphia High.

Courtney's cheeks flushed pink as the boy took her hand. He returned her a shy, crooked, dimpled smile.

The pair looked so adorable together Mary couldn't help smiling to herself.

That boy seemed strangely familiar. She liked him on sight.

Not in the heart pattering way she felt towards Freddy, but more in a... brother sister way.

"Billy, meet my buddy Mary." Courtney grinned up at the lanky boy.

Billy gave her a lopsided grin. Then his eyes shot wide open momentarily, fixated on the locket Mary wore, before he caught Courtney's knowing look.

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask Mary something.

"What's up?" Freddy intruded, nudging Billy.

"Ladies, meet my project buddy Freddy, the school basketball Captain, International Chess Master, Math Olympiad champion," announced Billy, "and the biggest superhero fanboy in the history of mankind," Billy rolled his eyes, dropping his voice to a whisper directed at Courtney.

He probably knew about Courtney's superhero identity.

Courtney giggled in response.

"Let's all grab lunch at the new Bat Cave,"  Freddy checked his phone. "Their first cafe outside Gotham is just around the corner."

"He's Batman obsessed," Billy told the girls as they made their way to the cafe.

"Batman's," the best.  Freddy picked the pickles out of his burger.

"I prefer Superman. He's nicer," Billy bit into his burger.

"You talk like you know them ,personally," Freddy observed.

"I'm a reporter," Billy deadpanned. "It's my job to know them."

As Freddy rattled on about superhero conspiracy theories, the Math Olympiad and a myriad of random topics, Courtney noticed that Billy had gone silent, staring again at Mary's locket.

Courtney nudged Billy and gave him an encouraging nod.

Billy breathed deeply, then took off the locket he was wearing beneath his t-shirt.

"You know," Billy faltered. "This was the last gift my parents gave me before they died."

He opened the locket, showing a picture of himself and his late father.

"My twin sister, Mary, has one too," he continued as his eyes made contact with Mary's.

Mary's hand flew to her own locket.

"I don't remember anything at all from the first eight years of my life," Mary's voice trembled.

"My parents said I was wearing this when they found me," she took off her locket. "They said I screamed and cried when anyone tried to take it from me."

Opening the locket, she revealed a photo of a little girl and a beautiful woman, both with shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes.
"My parents think she might be my biological mom."

"That's my mother and sister as I remember them," Billy's eyes watered.

"I had a fraternal twin," Billy elaborated.

"She went with my parents on a trip while I stayed behind with my uncle because I had school. My parents died there," he choked back tears.

"I've been looking for my sister ever since," he studied Mary's face.