Shazam X Robin

changes

In the middle of a populous city lies a large and strangely well lit cave. A black car in the shape of a bat speeds up a winding road which curls around a mountain. Atop this mountain lay a massive mansion which belongs to the cities local billionaire, Bruce Wayne. The batmobile makes a sharp turn from the standard road and instead drives down a narrow and dark wooden trail marked only by some scrap gravel. It begins to speed up and race towards a large stone face in the mountain. In the blink of an eye the car seemingly vanishes into thin air and the face of the mountain looks untouched.

A young looking boy with a skin tight green suit and gold apparel sits at a desk with an overview of almost a hundred security cameras. He watches them each intensely, legs propped up on the desk in front of him, while sharpening a batarang in his left hand. Suddenly, he hears the roar of an engine and feels the floor shake as a stone wall behind him separates into two parts like a massive door. Swiftly, the boy turns around in the spinning chair he's sitting in and sees the batmobile screech down a highlighted runway on a stone path below him.

The boy let's out a sigh and watches as his father steps out of the vehicle and approaches him. He had a few words for his father after he had recently told him that he would be attending a school to "build character" which the boy saw as futile in an ever changing nonmoral society. He hopped down to the platform where his father was walking and stopped him in his tracks. "My mind hasn't changed Damian" Batman said before Damian could even speak.

"I still don't understand why I have to go to school father" A young Damian protested to the brooding bat above him. Any other boy would be terrified of the infamous vigilante in his presence and not even grown men would have the audacity to challenge his dominion, but Damian was no such man.

"I've said this a million times Damian. You know you need to have some experiences with kids your age. Even if you were trained by the league of assassins, you're still a kid."

"But I'm not JUST a kid. You should know that from all the times I've had to save your ass."

"did you save my ass or did you just get yours handed to you? Being brave doesn't mean being reckless and saving lives at the cost of others is never the way?" Batman's temper began to rise and he clenched his fists staring at Damian in frustration. Before Batman could make another point, Damian interjected yet again.

"Look I've had some missteps but-" Batman, tired of his son's foolish tone, stopped Damian from retorting again.

"You call accidentally killing nightwing a misstep? Or beheading killer croc? Not to mention the time you got yourself actually killed and we had to bring you back. I could have lost you."

"Is that why you've been so different recently? You're just afraid of losing me again." Those last words hit batman hard and he felt a massive pain strike down his spine. He took a deep breath and tried to relax his muscles before collecting himself and responding once more.

"Your attitude becomes less amusing every day. Middle School will be a humbling experience for you to say the least. And you're going." With a swoosh of his cape batman began to walk away leaving Damian to soak up his words, but Damian wouldn't give up on an argument so easily.

"There's no reason for me to go to school with the other kids when I'm already the son of a billionaire and genius assassin. I could be saving lives. I could be ruling this city. I-" With his final words Batman stopped in his tracks and spun around. Damian could sense he crossed a line and slowly stepped back. After taking a deep breath, Batman looked Damian straight in the flame within his eyes and responded calmly once more.

"You lack the restraint and inner discipline to even protect the city much less rule it. Taking a step back from the crime fighting will show you humility and help you learn what it's like to be one of the regular citizens in the city. Alfred has your things and he's relocating them to a small home in Fawcett city where you will be staying for the next six months.

Right on que, Alfred appeared out of seemingly nowhere and loaded a few bags into a disguised batmobile. He pressed a button on the dash and the wall in front of them began to separate into two parts. Like a massive stone door it swung open and revealed a driveway curving down a slope into Gotham city. Alfred nodded to Damian and opened the back door as if awaiting his entry. Damian, feeling like at this very moment he didn't particularly want to engage his father in combat to prove him wrong, reluctantly put one foot inside the batmobile.

"And Damian," Batman interjected before he could take another step. "leave the batarangs here" There was a loud sound of metal slamming metal as Damian dropped six batarangs from his sleeves onto the ground. "And the sword Damian..." Damian slid a curved katana in a slim fitting hilt out of his pants and moved his hands up and downs it's pattern, feeling it's intricate design. He glanced up at his father then back down at the gleaming golden sword then looked up at his father once more. The sword was his whole identity. He could end worlds with a simple blade. Wait... any blade. He didn't need his sword because he could use anything to defeat his enemies. He smirked at the realization and tossed the sword over to Batman who swiftly caught it and hid it beneath the darkness of his cape.

"Would you like me to xray him too sir?" Alfred mocked

"That's quite alright Alfred. Just take him away." And with those words the batmobile rolled through the stone masonry and out of the batcave. Damian was able to spare one more hateful glare at his father before sliding past the walls and out of his sight.

"Billy! Dinner Time!" Billy Batson heard the words but didn't feel like responding. He'd been adjusting to the foster family pretty well (at least for him), but tonight they had dropped a bomb shell. Right when he began to get used to his situation it changes again, go figure.

With a hop and a step he bounced down the creaky staircase and slid into the crowded kitchen. The round table they eat at somehow retains a wooden hue even thought there's a thin layer of mysterious goo permanently stuck on the surface by six children. Billy sits in his normal seat at the corner of the room next to his adoptive brother and best friend Freddy.

Billy couldn't stop thinking about the big news. His family will be housing yet ANOTHER foster kid. Billy's parents told him the kid they'd be housing was 14 just like him and that they should get along pretty well. Billy disagreed with his parents on account of the fact he intended to interact as little as possible with the kid. If he was only staying for six months, why would he? His thoughts were interrupted when Freddy spoke up.

"Hey Billy mom was just talking about how this new kid's name is Damian al Ghoul. He's gonna be our age too! Won't it be nice to have another kid like us? I can't wait to show him-" Billy completely zoned out to the second half of what Freddy was saying. 'Great', Billy thought as he visibly rolled his eyes, 'more info about the new kid.'

After Freddy had been going off for at least five minutes too long, Billy interrupted. "Fred I'm not really interested ok". Billy said trying to come off as indifferent to the situation but quite clearly failing.

"Look Bill, I know that you're a little jealous of this new guy. I mean, I get it. You were just the cool new guy and you're afraid he'll steal your...your" Freddy paused to giggle "thunder. Anyway, you should give him a chance at least. Besides, I heard he's super into superhero stuff." Billy looked up at Freddy and gave him a look signaling for him to shut up before he makes him.

Freddy, on the other hand, gave Billy an eager sort of PLEASE BE AS HAPPY AS I Am look which deterred Billy from being a complete asshole. "Alright fine i'll give him a chance." Billy said rolling his eyes yet again.

"I know you will." Freddy said with an arrogant smile. "You may be able to repel bullets but no one can repel my puppy eyes."

"Shut up Fred" Billy said laughing punching his brother on the shoulder playfully. Freddy's words seemed to cheer up Billy and restore his sense of security in the family. Even if a new kid did gain the respect of others, he knew he always had Billy as a friend.

After all, he thought, it's not like this kid was a superhero like Billy...