MOMENTS | Shazam One-Shots

Hope In Darkness

It was his fault. It was all his fault. He was careless and reckless and he didn't think and now....now someone else was paying for it.

"Hey," Billy whispered. "Hey, please you gotta listen to me." the child before him looked at the hero with wide fear ridden eyes and Billy felt his heart grow heavy and turn into lead.

The boy couldn't have been any older than Darla, and yet here he was cowering in a crumbling building, covered in dust, with a bloody cut on his forehead, trembling in fear. Because really, what else are you supposed to do when a building is about to collapse on you? The boy didn't deserve to be here. He should be in a home right now, tucked into bed by a loving mother and holding a soft stuffed pet to keep his nightmares at bay.

He shouldn't be in a nightmare.

Billy took in a deep shuddering breath and tried to keep himself from panicking. He couldn't lose himself now, not when someone else needed him.

"Please, listen...I-I need you to move." the kid stared for a second longer and then shook his head, dusty blonde hair fluttering around his dirty and bloody face.

"No, I-I know you're scared. I know this is scary and-and utterly terrifying. But you-you have to be brave...please."

Billy reached for the little boy, his big form stuck in the crevice that he had tried to fit himself through, and he stretched his arm out until it felt like it would fall off. A bead of sweat slid down his temple.

This is your fault, his brain whispered to him.

His white cape snagged on a piece of jagged rock, which led to the big hero moving a fallen boulder a few inches over. The movement caused the wood and rubble above them to shudder and Billy gasped.

He held his breath, not daring to move, and watched with terrified eyes as the debris settled again.

The child in front of him whimpered and burrowed deeper into the little protective hole he had made for himself. The action causing Billy's lead heart to sink.

He couldn't get to the kid while he was like this, his body was too big and he couldn't fit into the crevice while he was an adult. Which meant the only option he had was turning back. But if he did that, he would risk endangering the kid and causing the building to fully collapse with the lightning bolt.

So Billy stood there, his arm reaching futilely towards someone he feared he wouldn't be able to save.

The wood above them groaned and the teen looked up at the dark ceiling. Dust began to rain down and the wood groaned even louder. Fear settled in the Champion's stomach as he realized that this building was coming down soon and he needed to think fast to fix his mistake.

The hero turned to the little boy in front of him and tried to smile comfortingly to him, although Billy was sure it came out as anything other than that. So he wiped it off of his face.

"Please...you have to listen to me. I cant reach you...you're too far away and i can't-I can't get to you." Billy took in a shuddery breath, breathing in the dust and the warm night air. "And if i move anything, it could make all of this crumble down. So please, you have to be brave and-and come out. It doesn't have to be far, I just need to be able to reach you....do you think you can do that?"

The boy looked at Billy, his eyes still flashing with fear, and he swallowed. He closed his eyes and nodded his head slowly. The Champion felt a small wave of relief wash over him.