A Natural Progression | Shazam

Chapter 2

Yes, he would definitely be trying his damndest to get this boy to smile more often.

Billy relaxed back in the hospital bed, the tension in his body relaxing slightly as a small, content smile appeared on his youthful face. They stayed quiet, neither wanting to speak and break up the easygoing air of the room.

The raven glanced up when the nurse came back, Alfred standing to get his license back. "Everything seems to check out, Mr. Pennyworth," she said with a smile. 

"Please, give your boss my thanks," she said, glancing at the boy in the bed. "It's not often someone looks out for us foster kids," she said with a wink before leaving the room.

Billy furrowed his brow, looking up at the elder man. "Who's your boss?" he asked, sitting up more despite the pain. Alfred glanced back at him with an easy smile.

"You'll see soon enough. Why don't you get some rest? I have some things I need to take care of," Alfred said, pulling out his phone in example. Billy gave him an inquisitive look before nodding and laying back down.

"Mr. Alfred?" he said suddenly, his head pillowed as he looked at the butler. "Thanks..."

The silver-haired man smiled, nodding before leaving the room quietly.

Billy wasn't going to be able to leave until morning, which hopefully gave Alfred enough time to break the news to Bruce and the rest of the Wayne clan. 

He pressed Bruce's contact number and put the device to his ear, waiting for the second ring. Bruce hardly ever picked up on the first, even if it was a call from him.

"Alfred?" came his employer's gruff voice, automatically telling the man that he was still currently clad in cape and cowl. Bruce had the habit of keeping the gruff voice on even in the presence of his family if under the cowl-- it was something he hadn't ever been able to keep from doing.

"Hello, sir. If you wouldn't mind taking off your headgear, I'd like to speak with the man I helped to raise," he said, glancing at a framed poster on the wall. There was shuffling over the line, likely Bruce tugging off the cowl before he spoke again.

"Better?" he asked, his voice sounding much less gruff and warmer. Alfred smiled.

"Much, sir."

"Why aren't you back yet? Did things go over well at the hospital?"

"Well...that's what I mean to talk to you about," Alfred said, beginning to pace outside Billy's room. "There were some...complications."

"What kind of complications?"

Alfred felt a small smile grace his lips. "Complications of the black-haired, blue-eyed kind." Bruce was quiet for a moment before a sigh could be heard from the line.

"...What's their name?"

"William...Batson."

Bruce groaned, making the butler smile wider. He paused in front of the boy's door, glancing at it. "He's a good child, Master Bruce. A tad rough around the edges, but he has a good heart," he was trying not to mention that the boy was homeless, as that would make Bruce's mind up in an instant and not give Billy any sort of way out. 

"He's about Master Damien's age. Ten years."

Alfred could practically feel Bruce leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his face in thought. "Is he a meta?" he asked after a moment. 

Alfred glanced at the door. He wouldn't have assumed the boy was, what with how he acted. He definitely didn't have enhanced healing, so he was most likely just a headstrong boy with a protective spirit.