Winds

Captain Marvel found himself enjoying the winter weather as he floated gracefully above Fawcett City. A light snowfall mingled with the wind that blew swiftly above the cityscape. The friendly superhero silently thanked the wizard for granting him the power of flight.

Suddenly, a loud explosion followed by screaming dragged his attention back to the task at hand. He swiveled around to face the massive robot rampaging recklessly through the streets, letting loose a splay of rockets and gunfire. Captain Marvel let out an exasperated sigh before diving towards the mechanical menace. With a surge of speed, the crimson crime-fighter smashed into his automated adversary, ripping off one of its arms. The colossus turned towards him, seemingly unfazed by the injury, and let loose a volley of missiles. The attack hit Captain Marvel directly and shot him out of the sky. Dazed by the blast, he barely noticed as a strong pair of hands broke his fall. Blinking comically, the disoriented hero found Superman looking down at him, a stoic look plastered on his face.

"Are you alright, Captain?" the Man of Steel asked calmly as he glared at the looming robot. Suddenly gripped by embarrassment, Captain Marvel gathered his wits and floated above Superman.

"F-fine," he said to the alien hero. "Boy, am I glad to see you."

"Sorry I'm late," Superman said tersely. "Got caught up stopping a robbery in Metropolis." The Kryptonian surveyed the chaos below and frowned.

"If you had told me what the problem was here, I would have come sooner."

"Sorry," Captain Marvel replied sheepishly. No matter what he did, the crimson hero always felt like he was letting the other members of the League down. Wonder Woman often seemed off-put by his cheery demeanor. Batman was always a step ahead of him, even though he had the wisdom of Solomon. And Superman…

"Captain!" Superman yelled, cutting the magical hero's train of thought short. "We need to stop this thing before any more civilians are hurt. I'll distract it. You help get the people below to safety."

Captain Marvel barely had time to nod before his super-powered companion soared upward, flipped over in midair, and dived towards the mechanical menace. Captain Marvel watched as Superman landed a powerful blow to the titan's midsection, sending it stumbling backwards. The sound of screaming civilians drew the magical hero's attention to the streets below, where he could see groups of panicked citizens running from the danger. Suddenly, one of the buildings began to collapse. Without a second thought, the crimson hero dived towards the danger. The speed of Mercury coursing through him, Captain Marvel managed to scoop up three civilians and fly off just as rubble crashed down where the trio had been standing moments before. Touching down near an ambulance, he set down his load, who thanked him profusely for saving them. Resisting the urge to blush, Captain Marvel uttered a brief "it was nothing" before turning his focus back to the countless innocents still in danger.

As Superman continued to combat the mechanical monstrosity, Captain Marvel worked to transport civilians away from the danger. The Man of Steel managed to halt the colossus' advance and prevent it from causing more destruction. Much to Captain Marvel's relief, they seemed to be gaining control of the situation.

"Is that everyone?" the magical hero asked a paramedic as he gently handed her a young boy.

"M-my…sniff…my mommy is missing," the frightened child piped up meekly. "I g-got lost when the monster showed up. And I couldn't…sniff…find her" A pang of sympathy hit Captain Marvel, and he knelt down to the boy's eye level.

"What's your name?" Captain Marvel asked gently.

"Josh Beck," the boy responded. "My mom's name is Sarah…sniff…"

"What does she look like?" the superhero questioned.

"She has brown hair…sniff…" the terrified boy answered, "and a green jacket."

"Don't worry," Captain Marvel said reassuringly. "I'll get her back." He gave the paramedic a curt nod before taking to the sky once more.

The crimson hero flew through the wreckage, searching warily for any sign of citizens trapped in the rubble. Much to his dismay, he found no signs of life. Unwilling to give up, he scoured the debris again, searching for any sign of the boy's mother. Once again, his search yielded nothing. Setting down beside the remnants of a tower, the magical champion looked around in frustration.

"No, no, no, no…" he said frantically. "She's got to be around here somewhere. She can't be…it just…no…"

A small cry echoed through the abandoned street.

Captain Marvel perked up and listened. Once again the sound came, more desperate and terse than the last. Whirling to face the direction the sound came from, the crimson hero dashed down the street, jumping over a small pile of concrete. He listened again. The plea came once more, and this time he could make out the words.

"Please…anyone…is anyone there? I'm trapped under here…please." Captain Marvel turned around and knelt down. A pair of hazel eyes met his.

"Oh thank goodness…" the trapped woman said, a mixture of pain and relief playing in her voice. "Please get help! I'm trapped under here! I lost my son when that…thing…attacked! I need to find him! Please!"

"Don't worry ma'am," Captain Marvel answered, His calm tome belying his true emotions. "I can help. Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

Utilizing his tremendous strength, the champion began to clear the debris. Piece by piece, he unearthed the buried survivor. Finally, he succeeded in freeing the panicked woman. Aside from several scrapes and bruises, she seemed relatively unharmed.

Being as gentle as he could, Captain Marvel picked up the shaken civilian and surged skyward. Reigning in his superhuman speed, the magical hero carried the injured woman back to the paramedics and watched as she was reunited with her son. As the horrified boy cried in his mother's arms, Captain Marvel felt a warm feeling well inside his chest. With newfound determination, he shot skyward once more to help Superman finish the fight.

Captain Marvel shielded his eyes from the blanket of snow dancing around him endlessly. A white veil blanketed the outskirts of Fawcett, reducing his visibility tremendously. He once again wondered why he didn't feel cold. Though he had the power of six gods, he didn't recall the wizard saying anything about being magically insulated. He guessed that it had something to do with his lightning powers, but just couldn't be sure. Touching down in an alley, the champion stepped behind a dumpster and looked around to make sure no one was nearby. With the snowstorm reducing visibility to zero, no one would be able to see him change. He took a deep breath.

"Shazam!"

A bolt of lightning crashed down, lighting up the alley. After a moment the flash faded, leaving behind several puddles of melted snow and a tired nine-year-old.

Billy Batson stretched, looked around, and broke into a grin. No longer immune to the cold, he shivered. The cheerful boy pulled down his beanie to cover his ears and snuggled into his worn jacket. His residence was a few blocks away, but he figured it wouldn't take more than ten minutes to walk there. With a skip in his step, he emerged from the alley and started down the sidewalk.

Billy kept smiling enthusiastically as he trudged through the snow, still elated by the events that had transpired earlier. As he walked, he began to recollect the day's events.

After helping Superman to take down the robot and catch the bad guys, the Man of Steel thanked him for his help.

"You saved a lot of people today, Captain," the Kryptonian said. "I'm glad you're part of the League." Captain Marvel found himself blushing bashfully even as Superman flew off to aid in another mission. It was at that embarrassing moment that the media chose to ambush him. His cheeks still warm, the hero answered the plethora of questions directed at him.

Who was responsible for this attack? Do you feel that the people of Fawcett City are in danger? Is it true that you and Wonder Woman are dating?

After navigating the gauntlet of voracious reporters, Captain Marvel flew off, eager to get some rest…

A gust of wind tore Billy's find from his mirthful daydreams. The small boy stumbled as a strong gust of wind blew by. He regained his balance, only for another gust to blow him into a pile of snow. Emerging from the snow drift, Billy shivered in his now-soaked clothes.

"Gee, it's…really cold," he thought, his teeth chattering. "Maybe I can find somewhere to get out of the storm for a little bit…"

The chilled child surveyed the street around him. His eyes settled on a glowing sign advertising a diner, and he smiled. Without another thought, he crossed the street and went inside.

As Billy entered the small establishment, a delicious scent wafted from the kitchen, causing his mouth to water. The diner was warm and well-lit. The boy's smile widened, and he thanked his good fortune...which promptly ran out.

"Hey, you!" a voice yelled from across the diner. Billy turned to find a stout man staring at him, a mop in one hand and a dirty dish in the other.

"Yeah, you!" the man continued. "What do you think you're doing here?"

"I…I…" Billy tried to answer.

"This place is for paying customers only!" the man stated angrily. "Not for street trash like you!"

"P-please mister," the cold boy pleaded. "It's freezing outside, and I fell into a pile of snow. I just want to stay inside to warm up for a few minutes."

"No way!" the cold-hearted owner yelled. "Either buy something or get out!"

"Just a few minutes?" Billy begged. "I'm so cold."

"I don't care if you're a superhero!" the man retorted unkindly. "Get out!"

A few swats from a mop later, Billy once again found himself exposed to the elements. Resisting the urge to transform into Captain Marvel and go back inside, he continued home.

After an arduous trek through the snow, Billy finally arrived in front of the derelict building he called home. He jogged up the stairs and opened the door to his living space. He entered just in time to see a rat scurry into a hole in the wall. Rubbing his hands together for warmth, the weary boy walked over to his closet and removed his beanie and jacket. His enthusiasm chilled, Billy walked over to the mattress lying on the floor and sat down. He let out a deep sigh and watched his foggy breath dissipate.

"Tomorrow will be a good day," he said to no one in particular. Curling up in a pile of ratty blankets, he quickly drifted off to sleep.