The meeting at the Watchtower finally ended. Captain Marvel landed in a deserted alley near the ice cream parlor.
"Shazam!"
Lightning struck out of the clear blue sky hitting the Captain, draining all the power from him, leaving him winded, small and his real self again.
Billy was five minutes late. He hated keeping Courtney waiting.
She was already there, at their table.
"I ordered your favourite for you," she grinned gesturing to a tall glass of Rocky Road, chocolate, vanilla sundae.
"Thanks Court," Billy plopped himself into his seat. "You wouldn't believe what happened."
"Try me."
"Batman's contingency plans were stolen," Billy lowered his voice.
"What?!? How does anyone steal anything from Batman?" Courtney's jaw dropped showcasing her cute braces.
"Happened before. Last kid that stole the wheels off his Batmobile while he was patrolling became his next Robin." Billy deadpanned.
"Poor kid," Courtney snorted, and choked on a mouthful of ice cream.
Rubbing her back to soothe her coughing Billy continued. "It's pretty serious actually. Whoever stole it has the means to kill off every member of the league. I can pretty much guess how they'd take out the big red cheese."
"How?"
"By killing off the real me." Billy pointed to himself.
"They'd have to get past me first," Courtney pressed her lips into a tight line.
"I'm tough," she flexed her bicep as they collapsed into each other in a fit of giggles.
Courtney leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Chin up Billy. I'm your body guard.
"They've got Barry," Billy muttered.
"How?"
"Dunno. I'm digging up whatever I can to find him and bring him back." Billy frowned.
Courtney shot him a incredulous look.
"Hey, I'm an investigative reporter ok?"
"You're going undercover as yourself?" Courtney frowned. She hated the way he kept putting himself in danger needlessly.
"Big Red is hopeless at stealth work. What with the red suit, glowing lightning bolt and all that bulk."
"Be careful ok?" She rested her head on his shoulder.
Billy wrapped his arms around her, turned her to face him and pressed his forehead against hers. "Always."
--------
Iris West-Allen last saw her husband during breakfast in their home. He left for work at 8am but never showed up in the lab.
There was an emergency between Barry's home and work at 8:02am. A condemned building occupied by homeless folks collapsed. Flash was on the scene evacuating the victims.
So here was Billy Batson at the remains of the collapsed building, talking to the folks who once lived there.
"Flash pulled that little girl out before the building collapsed. That's the last any of us saw of him," said a boy who looked around eleven years old.
"Which direction did he run after that?"
"He moved too fast for me to see clearly but I think I saw a red blur disappear behind that building." The boy pointed to a fancy skyscraper.
"Thanks," grinned Billy, handing the boy a bag of food as payment for the information.
The skyscraper looked perfectly normal. Walking behind it, he couldn't find anything unusual at first.
Then he saw it hidden in the shadows.
A door painted over so that it looked like part of the wall. There was no visible way to open it.
He hid behind a nearby bush watching. Waiting. Texting Courtney to pass time.
Two men chatted while carrying a sack stopped in front of the wall. A third guy placed his hand on the door.
A blue light slid over his hand and the door opened.
".. breaking his connection with the speed force.."
Billy's ears pricked up when he heard one of the men say that as the trio went in.
Silently, Billy slipped through the door just as it closed and found himself in a giant lab.
J'onn had established a mind link to connect the Justice Leaguers involved in this case. Billy tried to establish contact but the mind link was gone. Did something happen to J'onn?
It was quiet. Too silent considering all the activity going around him. Peeking through a door, he saw Flash, frozen in some transparent bubble suspended over a metal platform.
A fist headed towards his head but hit the door as he ducked. Busted.
Billy's foot met the assailant's face, knocking down the man twice his size.
Ducking behind a wall, he whispered,"Shazam."
No sound came from his lips. No lightning. No transformation.
Five others saw him.
"Get him!" Mouthed one of them soundlessly.
"Shazam!" Billy yelled soundlessly.
No lightning, no change.
The men charged at him.