Characters: Billy Batson/Captain Marvel, Nightwing, M'gann, Conner/Superboy, Garfield/Beast Boy, Cassie/Wonder Girl, and mentions of Season 2 characters.

For: An Anon on the YJ Anon Meme.

Genre: General, Mild Angst, & Hurt/Comfort.

Length: 2,620 words.

Pairing(s): None really, but slight hint of Nightwing/Billy, and Cassie crushing on Billy.

Prompt: Billy is 15 years old now you guys. 15. He's a moody teenager! Except, he isn't. Usually.
He's sweet little Billy Batson, just with a few rough spots here and there.
5 times teenager moodiness didn't strike, and the 1 time it did.

Rating: PG.

5 Times Billy Didn't Act Like A Normal Teenager + 1 Time He Did

1. First Time Billy Should've Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

There was time when Garfield accidentally dropped a whole glass of orange juice on Billy, and the older boy didn't get angry at all. Despite Garfield's many apologies, and how he tried to dry the juice stain with tissues, Billy only smiled at Garfield telling him "It's okay Garfield, accidents happen". And headed off to change his shirt, and take a quick shower.

Which left Garfield in the kitchen feeling guilty, holding a half-full glass, and wondering why Billy didn't get angry or annoyed.

2. Second Time Billy Should've Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

It was a sunny day, and the Young Justice team had been taking a walk around an empty park around 7 p.m. and had invited Billy along. Wolf was running around excitedly, and accidentally cause Billy who had been walking beside him to trip, and fall flat on his face, onto the dirt. Conner instantly helped Billy up, and apologized for Wolf's behavior, while Batgirl asked him if he was alright.

Billy only smiled again, and said "It's alright, no harm done." and Cassie flushed at the bright smile, while Garfield tugged on Billy's shirt and told him "Hey Billy, let's play hide-and-seek!" Nightwing noticed the Billy didn't even look an ounce bothered, and slightly frowned while Billy smiled again and followed Garfield with an amused laugh.

3. Third Time Billy Should've Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

It was Monday, and the team was near Alaska on a covert mission along with Captain Marvel. The League of Shadows had sent them their minions, and a bomb as a welcoming gift.

Captain Marvel had been the one to take the effect of the bomb's blast, to protect Wonder Girl, who wasn't paying attention at the bomb. And even as Nightwing heard Captain Marvel's anguished cry of pain, the superhero only asked if Wonder Girl was okay, and Nightwing smiled, as he thought 'Billy's such a good kid' before sighing, and noticing that if KF or any other older superhero had been there, they would've yelled at Wonder Girl for being careless, and making Captain Marvel shield her.

But as Nightwing gazed at Captain Marvel, he only told Wonder Girl "Be careful next time, okay?" with a slight smile, as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, and at the relieved smile on her face, Nightwing is glad that Billy wasn't any other superhero, but he'd make sure to talk to him about using his body as a shield for others, though it had been effective now, he didn't want Billy to make it a habit, even if Captain Marvel was stronger than Batman in physical strength.

And Nightwing ignores how his heart is filled with the ache & pain, as he remembers that Kaldur used to do the same thing, and heads off to help Captain Marvel beat up the rest of the League of Shadow's minions.

4. Fourth Time Billy Should've Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

Nightwing had been told by Batman to pick up Billy from his high school for another League mission, Nightwing also ignored the urge to ask Batman why he couldn't do it himself, because it was Batman, and Batman always had his reasons.

Nightwing decided to dress up in civilian clothes, put on dark sunglasses, and come using his motorcycle. He was awaiting Billy from outside the gates, when he noticed something near the school door. A few kids had been ganging up on Billy, and beating him up, and yet Billy never raised a hand to strike them back, even when there was blood dripping from his lips.

Nightwing set his motorcycle on brake, and auto-lock, before heading off to Billy, and helped pick up the boy when the bullies shoved him to the floor and left stating "Stupid orphan" making Nightwing scowl and wish he wasn't a good guy for once so he could beat those bullies up. The school bell had then rang, and Nightwing slowly pulled Billy out of the way and pulled up a tissue from his picket, and helped wipe away the boy's blood, and asked Billy "Billy, why didn't you fight back?"

And Billy only smiled that sweet innocent smile of his and told him "Superheroes don't hurt other people, especially civilians." And Nightwing felt his heart clench in pain for the sweet teenager.

He told him kindly, -because if he had wanted anything in the world as much as he wanted Billy to smile in that moment, just to keep the pain away from the innocent boy's face, he'd do it even if he wasn't Wally- "Well Billy, I came to tell you that the league is asking for your help, and I'm here to pick you up, okay?" he begins.

And continues jokingly "If you don't mind getting picked up by a member of the Young Justice" and when Billy nods, smile still in place looking bright, Nightwing cannot help but to smile back.

5. Fifth Time Billy Should've Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

It was a mission in Hawaii, at 9 p.m. they had received a mission alert from Batman stating that Captain Marvel had been sent on a mission, and had not yet returned, and that most of the League members had been busy on other missions, and Batman asked them to check if Billy was okay.

Nightwing agreed, took M'gann, Conner, Blue Beetle, and Batgirl, and told Wonder Girl, La'gann, Beast Boy, and Robin to stay and watch the Cave in case Captain Marvel would head there, he ignored their protests that Billy was their friend too. It took the team 2 hours to reach Hawaii.

They found Captain Marvel an hour later, after defeating the bad guys up, with gashes all over the muscular body, and bruises marring the hero's face. Nightwing winced, before cutting up the ropes that held Captain Marvel to the chair. And when Captain Marvel falls against him, the larger man's body trembles, and he groans in pain, before whispering "You guys came, thank you!" and uttering even more softly "Shazam." A bright light appears, and envelops Billy, as he leans back from Nightwing, and turns him back into 15-year-old Billy Batson, which made Nightwing inwardly smile at how thoughtful Billy was, but the boy looked to be in worse condition than Captain Marvel had been, and the sight made Nightwing's stomach lurch.

Billy's skin was paler than usual, his veins were sticking out, and he looked so thin in that moment, that Nightwing only wanted to cradle the boy against his chest, and never let go. As Nightwing lifted Billy up, he saw Superboy move in to take him, and decided to let Conner take him, reluctant to let the boy go. The sympathy on M'gann's face makes Nightwing wince even more, because he would be the one to report to Batman, and he doesn't know how to tell Batman they succeeded without being angry at him for sending Billy all alone out there.

It takes 2 days for Billy to wake up, and when Billy smiles and greets him brightly "Hey Nightwing!" The elder wants to die a little bit inside, and wishes that Billy would get angry at him, or Batman, but Billy knows Batman, and trusted Batman for keeping his secret identity until he had revealed it, adored Nightwing because they were friends, had been 6 years ago -and they still are-, and nothing would ever change that fact.

+1. The Time Billy Actually Acted Like A Normal Teenager.

It was Sunday, and there had been so much rain, it was hard to tell the difference between who was enemy and who wasn't. Conner had frowned, he hated his sharp hearing in that moment, the raindrops were too loud, and they bothered him immensely, he could barely hear it when Captain Marvel was yelling "Duck!" and Nightwing was giving orders for the females, and the younger members to retreat, because their current enemy's powers focused on women, and children.

He hears the man with crazed pale eyes, laugh cruelly before addressing Captain Marvel "So, Billy how does it feel to be an Orphan boy? Did you enjoy your homeless years as much as I thought you would when I let your parents get killed, and your twin sister taken away?" and this is the first time he sees Captain Marvel get angry, the features foreign on the usually neutral or friendly face.

The blue eyes are fierce, and there's anger in Captain Marvel's tone when he yells "Shut up! You know NOTHING of my parents or my sister!" as he aimed a powerful punch at the man, enough to blow the man away to the nearest wall, and take his breath away. But the many only laughs louder, and spits out blood before telling Captain Marvel "Billy, Billy, Billy, you poor boy~" tone mocking and sadistic as he continued with a smirk "I was the one who let them die 10 years ago, don't you remember me?" and Captain Marvel screams, but the screams are so sad, so sorrowful, so anguished, that even Captain Marvel just grits his teeth, and grabs the man's clothes, and punches him again, and again, and again, until Captain Marvel is crying.

The sight hurts Conner's eyes, because no sweet boy should ever look that sad. And he looks away until he hears Billy speak again.

He asks tone pained, "WHY? Why did you betray them? They trusted you!" and the man only laughs, before spitting up more blood, "They were getting in my way, so I got rid of them." he utters coldly as if he couldn't care less. And when Captain Marvel is about to strike, again Conner moves forward to stop the boy from doing something he'd regret, as Beast Boy watches from afar hesitantly, and Nightwing begins "Billy don-" and stops when Captain Marvel turns away, tells them "He's yours, and if Batman asks, I'm busy." beautiful blue eyes dark, and devoid of emotion, as he walks away from the laughing man.

Conner's heart cracks a bit. He bites his lower lip, before punching the criminal to knock him out, he sees Nightwing raise an eyebrow, and smile understandingly at Conner, and Conner lets his lips move slightly, but not enough to change the smile-scowl into a complete smile, because this was Billy, Captain Marvel, the kindest and most patient hero ever, and to see the boy so broken, built up a rage within Conner that he couldn't control, and so punched the wall, enough for a large impact to be left.

Nightwing says nothing, and Garfield just looks so lost, but before he can try to comfort the boy, M'gann is already hugging the younger boy soothingly, but her eyes are much too sad, as they gaze at Captain Marvel's back looking smaller, as he kept walking away.

Batgirl tries to talk to Billy, but Captain Marvel only utters coldly "Don't." and brushes off Wonder Girl's hand when she tries to comfort him, ignores La'gann's attempt to make him react, and nods to Blue Beetle and Bumble Bee who remain silent, and flies away. The rain only falls down harder, and thunder is echoed, but no one moves, lightning flashes, and time has never felt so still for Conner, even when he had been in Cadmus.

+2 (Extra Scene)

It was 6 hours before Nightwing had seen Billy, 5 before he'd learned from Batman that Billy apologized for losing it and not appearing with Nightwing to report. Nightwing had never felt so sorry for Billy right then, because he didn't mind that Billy was an orphan, he was too, and he didn't mind Billy being homeless either, because that's what he would've been, he only hates it that the man had to break Billy in front of a team of heroes who adored him, and looked up to him, and didn't know his past.

Nightwing wishes he never saw Billy get angry in that moment, because beside the anger, it was years of repressed pain that had been unleashed along with it, and Nightwing wasn't sure if Billy knew how to deal with it. He decided that he was too worried to stay cooped up in the cave any longer, and decided to look for Billy when he found the 16-year-old boy dripping wet from one of the Northern Zeta Gates, and Nightwing rushed to Billy to see if the boy was fine, and all he could notice that Billy's eyes were red, and his body was shivering uncontrollably.

He sighed softly before uttering gently "Oh Billy~" and pulled the boy into a hug, as the boy sniffed and he told the younger boy "It's okay to cry Billy, I won't judge you for it. And it's okay to get angry." and smiles at the boy reassuringly, the boy clutches to his maroon shirt tightly, fingers trembling uncontrollably as silent tears strolled down the boy's wet face, and Nightwing only holds Billy close, while his other hand rubs Bill's head comfortingly.

Nightwing led the boy to his room in the Cave, after his tears stopped, and told him "You're wet, c'mon, let me get you a change of clothes, while you take a shower" and opened his bathroom door, as he told Billy to use whatever he wanted, and there was a towel beside his shower. He went off to one to one of the older rooms to fetch clothes that used to belong to him when he had been 15, and shakes the memories of a smiling Kaldur, Wally, Artemis away, and heads back to his room, feeling remorseful, and nostalgic.

When Billy comes out with only a towel around his waist, Nightwing notices the faded bruises, and scars on the boy's body, before he frowns and instantly smiles at Billy. He gives him the clothes so he can change, and heads to the bathroom to give Billy privacy. While Nightwing was in the bathroom, he washes his face, and forces the past behind.

He leans back on one of the bathroom walls, thinking 'How could one boy be so strong? I wish I had been like him when I was his age' because Billy was so virtuous, so strong to have carried himself throughout the years with a smile still in place, Dick almost feels envious.

He leaves the bathroom to find the clothes fitting Billy almost perfectly if it weren't for the fact that Nightwing had broader shoulders then, and more muscles, and wasn't that skinny since puberty had hit him hard; the jeans looking slightly large on the lean boy's frame. He smiles again at Billy, and tells him "If you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen".

And when Billy smiles this time, Nightwing's heart swells with pride and joy, because out of all the people he's known, Billy reminds him of Kaldur, and the fact that he's so young makes Nightwing want to protect him forever. But they're superheroes, and that kind of life is impossible, so he instead wraps his right arm around Billy's shoulder and precedes on to telling him a story about before Kaldur, Wally, or Artemis had left, about one of their missions, to at least distract the boy.

Billy falls asleep, by the time that Nightwing has already finished telling him about -almost- 3 missions.

Nightwing lets the boy sleep on his bed, before asking Batman to call Billy's guardian and tell him that Billy was sleeping at the Cave, and that Nightwing would stay close until Billy had woken up. When Batman agrees, Nightwing can heard the fondness in Bruce's voice as he agrees easily, and tells the older man "Thank you for everything Bats." and he hears Batman retort "Don't get sentimental on me kiddo. And take care, alright? Both of you..." and ends the call, as a smile graces his lips.

End.

Author's Note: I've become a really strong fan of Billy these days, because he's so adorable and dedicated to his cause of being a hero, never hurting anyone, always helping out, never abusing his powers, and the fact that he's so thoughtful. I'm hoping people really enjoyed this story. I've also interpreted Billy in a slightly different way, which I hope was acceptable.