Heroic Cognizance | Shazam

Chapter 7

"Yea, yea, yea, shuddup Barry," Hal snarked.

- - -

"You know, now that I think of it, I've seen Cap do this a lot. Like- when we're in the Watchtower, he'll just be staring out the window and muttering to himself. I mean, if he's talking to the moon or whoever, it'd actually make more sense than if he was losing his marbles." Hal said, leaning against Zatanna.

"Yea I've seen him do that too. You think he's..." Zatanna trailed off, shoving Hal off her. "You know, talking to his parents?"

"Wouldn't be too out of the realm of possibility. Everyone has their own ways of coping with loss." Batman said, to which Zatanna smirked.

"Yea, some of us dress up like a bat and prowl around at night beating criminals senseless," she said with a look at Bruce, getting an eye roll from the Dark Knight.

"Guys, look," Superman said, brow furrowed as a scene developed around them but this one felt-- different.

Victor noticed it instantly, his heart dropping into his stomach. No- this was the last thing Billy would want the League to see. Had he to do something.

The others must have noticed the thickness in the air as well, as they looked around in confusion. Zatanna noticed the dread on Victor's face, furrowing her brow at him. 

"Cyborg? What's wrong?" she asked slowly, getting the attention of the rest of the group as their surroundings quickly became that of Fawcett City.

"Leave him alone." Billy's voice said, pulling the group back towards the scene. He had easily grown more between the last memory and this one, looking nearly eleven years old-- and proving Victor's hunch right about what was to happen.

The 10-year-old stood with his fists clenched at the mouth of an alley, rock in one hand as he glared at his opposers. They were a pair of familiar-looking teens-- Asher and one of his goons. 

Billy stared the young man down as he sneered at the kid, dropping the brunet-haired kid they had been bullying into the dust.

"Well look who it is, Ryder. The hero..." Asher sneered. "What are you gonna do about it ki--" The redhead was interrupted by the rock that had previously been in Billy's hand clipping his temple.

"That was a warning shot Asher," Billy said lowly, his lip curled up in a snarl as he picked up another rock. "Leave the kid alone."

"You little brat-- I'll kill you!" Asher growled, taking off in a dead sprint towards the 10-year-old. Billy narrowed his eyes, glancing at the bully's sidekick to make sure he was following suit before turning on his heel and bolting out of the alley.

"Get back here! You're dead meat, Batson!" Asher yelled, and Billy glanced over his shoulder before continuing to run. He managed to run into a crowd, weaving between people in suits and those on their lunch break, adults too much in a hurry to get somewhere to pay attention to a kid getting chased down.