A Natural Progression | Shazam

Chapter 10

Captain Marvel spread his feet and threw his head back, watching the night sky above him before breathing his word of magic.

- - -

Damien hated waiting. He let out a sigh and leaned back in the large chair in front of the Bat-Computer, glancing at the giant penny and groaning. 

For some reason, the Bat-Computer was having a hard time reading the sample, coming up with various things before ultimately starting the scanning process over again. This was the third time the supercomputer had re-done the scan, and Damien was over it.

"I should have just done this myself," he muttered, glancing towards the screen as the scan finished.

He sat up eagerly, looking over the data that flitted across the screen in front of him. The 11-year-old's eyebrows drew together though at the appearance of a single word before his mood soured completely and a scowl appeared on his face.

"Great. Magic."

"What's magic?"

The voice came from the top of the stairs, from someone that was hardly ever in the cave. "Todd. Why are you down here?" he asked, spinning around in the large seat.

Jason raised an unimpressed eyebrow towards the kid before glancing up at the large screen. "Magic dirt? What the hell are you researching?" he asked, glancing back down at the angry raven.

"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me why you're in the Batcave," Damien countered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Wow, relax, munchkin. Dick texted me and asked me to check on 'the results' from you. Says you're not answering your phone," Jason said with a roll of his eyes. "So explain to me what's going on."

"Tt- Billy ran off and now we can't find him. I have to run samples of this burnt dirt we found in the garden while he continues looking for Batson in the city," Damien said, turning around. 

"Turns out the dirt is magic or something."

"Or it's been infused with it," Jason offered flatly, combing over the data on the screen. His hands had curled into fists, Damien noticed, and he was much tenser than he had been a few seconds ago. 

"Right- I'm going to look for him then."

"I'm sure Grayson has it cov-"

"I said I'm going to look for Billy." Jason growled.

Damien rolled his eyes, shutting his mouth and turning his attention back on the screen. "Whatever."

What was so special about Batson? He was a civilian, sure, but- Damien wasn't sure what it was about the 10-year-old that drew everyone to him. 

Billy was like a positivity magnet-- in the two days he'd been there he'd already managed to get Grayson and Todd wrapped around his finger, even if he didn't know it.

"Doesn't make sense..." he muttered to himself, his voice echoing through the large chamber. "He's nothing special, so why are they going crazy over him?"

"Perhaps it's because he's polite and kind?" Alfred said from the doorway, walking down the stairs into the Batcave. 

"Billy's...sunny, in a way. That's not something that you see very often in the people of Gotham. He's a polite boy, and doesn't threaten his brothers, Damien," he continued, stopping to stand just over the boy's shoulder.