The Life Of Billy Batson | Shazam

Splitting Hairs

After a villain's machine meant to absorb mystical energy goes wrong, Captain Marvel and Billy Batson find themselves separated.

Will they be able to become whole once more or is the balance of their universe to remain forever fractured?

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5:08 pm

It was dark.

Smoke and ash invaded his lungs, making him cough and sputter as he lay pinned under a large metal beam. His eyes burned as debris fell from the charred and decaying ceiling, the metal that trapped him groaning as wooden planks fell onto it.

Fire crackled around him, the heat painful to his skin. He shut his eyes against it, coughing as more smoke invaded his nose.

the child's vision was getting blurry, images turning to shapes and color as the smoke around him suffocated him.

The beam groaned again, pushing further into his body and cutting his breath short. He could barely move his chest and his throat felt like it was closing up. For the first time in a long time, a certain thought came to his mind.

This is where I die.

It scared him, he thought, but as the metal pushed further into him, the closer to reality the thought came. He couldn't breathe anymore- the smoke was surrounding him and the beam pushing into his ribs- he couldn't take it anymore.

He accepted his fate- and stopped struggling against the weight. He opened his eyes to stare down the beam- to face it head-on.

With a final groan, the metal seemed like it was about to crash down when it suddenly lurched to the side, revealing rays of sunlight with a figure in the middle.

The child furrowed his brow, still unable to move as the figure bent down and picked him up. His vision was still blurry but he squinted at the figure, his small frame shaking as he went into a coughing fit. 

The figure reacted instantly, launching them into the air and out of the burning building.

The pair soared into the clouds and floated there.

Silent.

His vision, while blurry, was still good. He squinted up at the person whose arms he still lay in and recognized them instantly.

"C-Captain Marvel?" Billy asked, coughing as he spoke. "H-how.." he attempted to say more, but his throat burned when he tried to speak, and the hero shushed him with the tilt of his head.

"We..." The Captain started, as if unsure. "We've got a problem, Billy."