‼️Warning for emotional/mental/physical child abuse‼️
Mostly goes into the mental abuse but Billy does get hurt in this one so buckle up.
Been thinking about this for a while because protective Justice League to Billy content is needed in my veins rn.
Just to preface, the League’s known Billy’s identity for four years now, he’s 16, and joined the JL st 10.
Okay so on a League mission, they face this villain that can only be defeated by the use of an ancient Egyptian staff, that can only be unlocked with a number of Egyptian keys(do yall see where I’m going with this?). One such key is a scarab that was unearthed decades ago and lost somewhere in the world.
This is, of course, going off of the Power of Shazam continuity where CC Batson unearths the scarab on a dig site.
(Actually it’s sitting behind a fake wall in Billy’s old house, the one Uncle E owns right now).
Billy volunteers to go get the scarab and that he’ll have it by end of day(because Ebenezer likes to be difficult). Obviously his teammates question how he knows where the scarab is. He’s not about to air any family grievances when he’s been keeping up the little white lie that his uncle’s been dead for years now and not having been healed for a long while because for some reason this man will not die. Also that he stole his house. And his photos. And his money.
Yeah, his team has a habit of being too protective before they catch themselves and remember that he can throttle every single one of them. Better to give them as minimal details as possible so he can get in and out.
But ofc, his longtime friends notice something is off. Just in case, Batman places a tracker on him, still careful to give him his much deserved independence.
Before he knows it, Billy is standing in front of the house he used to live in before Ebenezer took it away. Truth be told, he doesn’t know if he wants it back. After all, E’s done so many renovations it might as well be a whole new house. But it’s still his, at his core, and a part of him wants to scream at the top of his lungs like a spoiled brat that this is HIS house and he wants it back.
Ebenezer opens the door, frail and yet, powerful at the same time. Billy knows that people who know and don’t know about his family situation would have questions. The great Captain Marvel, afraid of an old man who only barely avoids death’s door? A man who hasn’t had power over him in a long time, scaring him like time’s turned back and he’s an 8 year old being kicked out of his own home?
No way. They can’t even picture that.
Ebenezer’s not happy to see Billy, and Billy’s not happy to see him. Unfortunately for them, Billy needs that scarab. He tells his uncle as much as he shoves past him and goes for the fake wall near his dad’s old study, turned into a pool game room.
Ebenezer’s shouting behind him. Incoherent curses and mutters about how he’s an ungrateful brat, and good kids don’t storm into places they don’t belong and take things that aren’t theirs.
Which is funny, because the Batsons made it a point to send everything they found on their digs to the rightful owners. It was something his parents had drilled into him and Mary. Something Ebenezer clearly hadn’t learned.
(Grandpa always liked Dad more. Maybe that’s one in the long list of reasons of why things ended the way they did)
Billy quickly brings down the wall sconce and searched through the hidden room. Ebenezer’s still yelling behind him, but he could care less. His mouth feels bitter as he sorts through various artifacts his uncle collected. Collections that were going to be sold back to their home countries, but were cancelled by you-know-who. If Billy had his way, he would’ve taken everything in his arms and flown all over the world, dropping each artifact off.
But he couldn’t. If he did, it would just be another complaint made by E that his scrappy nephew was trying to hurt him. Broken into his house and taken what was legally his.
(“That kid. It’s no wonder no one ever took him in. Who’d want that much trouble?”)
It’s ten minutes before he finds the small scarab, left half hazardously in a dusty drawer. He tells Ebenezer that he only needs this for a couple days and he’ll give it back after.
Just before he reaches the door, Ebenezer gets in his face.
Ebenezer: and just where do you think you’re going?
Billy: Out of here. I promise I’ll bring it back——
E: Your promises don’t mean shit around here, boy. Give me back that scarab and get out!
Billy: I need it.
E: Give it back to me, you useless boy!
…
He doesn’t really feel the first hit. It’s not that it doesn’t hurt. Ebenezer’s cane always hurt. It’s more like…he didn’t expect to feel that same pain after so many years.
Billy finds himself further away from the door. The ground cones up to meet him, and suddenly he’s eight years old, crying and begging his uncle to give him just one slice of bread. He doesn’t even care about butter or jam or honey, he just wants food in his mouth.
Before he knows it, Billy is attempting to nurse a cut lip and a small bruise on his cheek.
It would be so easy right now, using his magic to defend himself. Or maybe he could use the body strength he’d accumulated from healing from his homeless years. Having friends who couldn’t help but be guardians did that to you.
But his family had a deal. He hurts E physically or divulges any of what happened between them, and he would have Nick and Nora Bromfield’s adoption papers for Mary scrutinized by a judge. And even if Billy was able to prove that his cousin, Sinclair, was a half demon via Lady Blaze, E would have the cops on him too, corralling the wayward orphan boy Billy Batson to juvie.
Billy is trapped.
All he can do is hold his arms over his head to protect himself, feeling the scarab in his pocket and praying to Zeus that it stayed there. The cane drops down with a force an old man shouldn’t have. Then again, Ebenezer’s always been stronger than him. Able to turn his world on its head and leave him with nothing. This hurl of insults and jabs is just another part of that.
Everything’s getting blurry, and he thinks he feels something liquidy and warm coming down his forearm. Huh. It’s really starting to sting. He could yell, try to defend himself. But no one ever heard him before, so why would they now?
It’s only a minute later that he realizes how wrong he was.
See, the League had gotten antsy about Billy’s tracker staying in one place for so long. With help from some of Doctor Fate’s ancient texts, they’d been able to get the other artifacts. Billy, the resident kid of the League, was the only one left. And he hadn’t reported back in an hour like he said he would.
Flash and Superman decided to go after him. They’d all noticed how mute Billy had been before he left. Not willing to look any of them in eye. He seemed resigned, almost. It was weird. If Billy had told them where the scarab was, either of them would gladly go get it themselves.
Truth be told, it made Barry nervous. Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he dead?
Holy crap, what if his friend was dead?!
The other heroes practically pushed Barry and Clark out the door. Dinah made them promise to stay with Billy even if it turned out that nothing was wrong.
(Okay so maybe the Justice League was protective of their youngest member. Sue them. If he didn’t want them to be like this, he shouldn’t be so damn adorable)
It takes no time for two of the fastest heroes on Earth to track down their teammate. Though, they don’t know what Billy’s doing in this super posh neighborhood. Is the scarab really here?
And that’s when Clark hears it. Noise coming from the house in front of them, door cracked open. He hadn’t heard it before, too busy thinking about where Billy might be, trying to parse through the many voices he heard on the daily. Before even Barry can catch up with him, Clark slams the door open and—
Billy and E both jump at the sound behind them. Still hurt, still scared, Billy looks toward the now open door to see his friends standing there. Breathing so deep he could hear it even from here.
Everything comes crashing down.
Suddenly he can feel every scar on his body. Feel Barry’s and Clark’s gazes. Feel the fear that’s now been struck in his uncle.
Shit. Shit, they saw. They saw. How did they know he’d be here? Why are they here anyway?
He can’t help but think of these questions as they make a break for him with their speed. He’s in shock. He can’t think. Why are they here? He had it handled.
Before long, Barry is cupping his face gently, like he’d porcelain. His face is still as stone.
“B-Flash, what are…how did you…?”
He doesn’t say anything. Just continues to stare intently at Billy’s scars and bruises. There isn’t any other way to describe how focused the speedster was on just holding his face, as if there was nothing and no one else in the world.
And Billy doesn’t think he’s ever seen Barry that angry before. Not now, when his face slowly, rigidly turns to Ebenezer.
It’s only a second later when the Flash tackles his uncle to the ground. Knuckles against skin in the background but Billy can’t move.
Clark is in his face now, looking so grief stricken it would’ve been funny. And Billy can see the questions about to come out of his mouth, and the worry that’s been bleeding through since they must’ve left to find him, and the warmth in which Superman wanted to hug him with when he was ready—
But then Billy’s mind is moving a mile a minute and he can’t let them hurt Ebenezer he doesn’t want to go to juvie again why does no one listen to him—
He’s in hysterics when he pushes Superman, pushes Clark, away. He sees the hurt on his friend’s face and pushes his guilt down, down, until it’s gone.
It’s all sort of a blur from there.
Barry’s punching the snot out of his uncle, eyes red and mouth curled in a snarl. He doesn’t think there’s a thought under those eyes that isn’t anger. Maybe vengeance? Protectiveness? Billy doesn’t know.
What he does know is that his friends saw something they shouldn’t have seen and now they’re going to ruin everything.
“No, no, no, stop!”
Billy can’t get between them, so he focused all his attention on pulling Barry off of Ebenezer. He pushes Clark away the moment the man is pulled from his angry trance and tries to pull him away from the one-sided fight.
It’s hard, pulling Barry off and away from his uncle. Mostly because the man is the angriest he ever has been and doesn’t seem like he wants to let up. But also because he’s doing it for him. Barry is punting this man into the ground because he hurt him, and Billy kind of wants him to continue, but…
“Flash, get off him right now!”
Maybe it’s the shock of it all. Of the anger finally being released. But Barry can only stare as Billy successfully pushes him off of his uncle. The speedster and the Kryptonian look…betrayed? Why do they look like that? What did HE do?
First things first.
Billy helps Ebenezer up. He can still feel the scarab in his pocket, so that’s good. He doesn’t have to be here any longer.
He looks at his uncle more intently now. They don’t need to speak as they do.
Ebenezer won’t call the police. He can’t.
Billy can’t bring attention to this. He can’t.
They have a deal.
Billy: *looks at Clark and Barry* I got the scarab. Let’s go.
Barry: Are you being serious right now?
Billy: We’re done here, we can leave now.
Clark: B, you’re hurt right now.
Barry: Because of HIM. *points to Ebenezer* You’re really not going to, what, call the cops?
Billy: No, now let’s——
Barry: He HURT you! God, Billy, you were on the ground getting hit over and over with a cane! And you expect us to let that go?
Billy: Yeah, because I’m asking you to——
Clark: Who even is this man? How do you know him?
Billy: I—That’s none of your business.
Clark: My friend was hurt because of him. That’s always going to be my business.
Barry: Start talking.
Billy: …And if I don’t?
Barry: Jesus- LOOK AT YOURSELF! You’re bleeding all over and you just expect us to let it go? I want to know, kid. I wanna know why this asshat thought he could hurt you and get away with it.
Clark: We’re your friends, B. Why can’t you trust us?
And Billy does trust his friends.
Just not with this.
Billy: Let’s go.
He doesn’t think he’s ever seen Barry Allen and Clark kent look as sorrowful and betrayed as they do now. He kind of wants to curl up into a ball and die, but he also wants to get the hell out of here.
That’s when Flash grabs him by the hand and pulls him to the open door. Superman follows close behind, not a word from either of them.
He can’t see what expression Barry has on his face, but with the way his hand is shaking slightly, he wouldn’t be surprised if the speedster is barely holding back his anger. And Clark looks like he just wants to comfort him, which, sweet, but no thanks.
(Gods, he’s awful. He’s such an awful person. E’s right, he’s always been right—)
The rest is a blur. They get to the watchtower via zeta tube and the rest of his friends and coworkers are staring daggers at him, at his ruffled clothes, how wrong he looks, and all he can do is stare at the ground as he’s practically dragged to the medbay.
The minute he’s there he gives Clark the scarab. Clark looks like he wants to throw it into the deepest expanses of space, but he nods in thanks.
The nurse heals him. Billy should probably learn some self-healing magic too for his mortal body. He honestly just wants to collapse in his bed and sleep the pain away.
Oh, and there’s also a huge purple gash along his forearm. Maybe that’s why a lot of them were staring. It honestly doesn’t hurt as much.
But then Oliver and Hal have joined Barry at the door, staring, staring, just staring, and it’s clear he’s not getting rest any time soon. He’s brought into the main rotunda where everyone is and he feels like an auction item everyone is gawking at. He just wants to sleep and forget any of this happened.
Diana comes up to him before anyone else can get a word out.
She only barely gets her hand to his cheek without shaking.
Diana: What is this?
Billy: …
Diana: *looks to Barry and Clark* What happened?
Clark: There was…
Barry: Good question. Care to answer it, kid?
Billy: Nothing happened, it’s fine. I got the scarab——
Diana: Then why do you look like this?
Billy: I’m——
Barry: If you say fine, one more time——
Hal: Barry…
Barry: No, you didn’t see what I saw, man. He was huddling in on himself on the ground and would’ve been beaten to death if we hadn’t been there, didn’t even seem like he was gonna fight back.
Diana: Is this true, Billy?
Billy: …It’s over now.
Oliver: Oh my——You can’t expect us to put this away, B. LOOK at you!
Bruce: *looks up from tablet* This address. It’s your uncle’s.
Billy: …
Bruce: You said he was dead.
Billy: …
Hal: Jesus…
Diana: Captain, why?
Clark: So that was…HE’S your uncle?!
Barry: Oh. Oh, he’s THAT piece of shit, is he? And you just defended him against us!
Hal: He WHAT?!
Barry: Yeah, pushed me off him and wouldn’t let us take him down a notch.
Billy: He-He’s frail, you really would’ve hurt——
Oliver: YOU’RE HURT!
Bruce:I’m lookng into this.
Clark: Good idea.
Billy: What? No! No, you’re not getting into MY PERSONAL family business.
Dinah: Billy? I want you to look at yourself in the mirror. Really look at yourself and understand what we’re seeing right now.
Billy: Trust me, I am VERY aware of what you’re seeing. Because guess what, this isn’t my first rodeo with my uncle. Does it suck that this happened again? Yeah, yeah it did. But I don’t want to do anything about it, and that’s my choice.
Dinah: He harmed a minor——
Billy: A juvenile minor who, thanks to him, has a bad rep with the police. I’m telling you, as many times as it takes for you to understand. You cannot do anything about this. You need to let it go.
Bruce: What aren’t you telling us? There has to be something more to this.
Billy: And you’re welcome to investigate all you want. You won’t find anything. Now if this is all over, I’m going to bed.
Before he can leave, Diana’s in front of him again. This time, she just has a smile on her face. “Are you okay?”
And gods above, he’s glad to have heard those words after the day he’s had.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Just wanna sleep it off.”
And then she smiles, and all the stress of the day just leaves him.
He’s finally left alone after that. Of course, everyone has questions, but they thankfully don’t ask. Billy’s keeping all that tight-lipped, thank you very much.
They’re not wrong. Billy knows they just want to help him. That they care. And it’s actually really nice seeing how defensive they are of him.
But he’s not risking his sister’s new family. He’s not risking going back to juvie. He’s not risking the fragile peace in the Batson family right now. Not even on himself.
Not even for the heroes who just want to help their youngest teammate.
(Okay but Bruce is still going to look into this and Barry wants first hit if they get him arrested. Clark reminds his friend nicely, even though he wants to do the same, that the man is still a civilian. Barry just repeats that he wants first hit).
