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It was the first monday of Billy’s last week of school—at this school, that is. Being adopted by the Bromfield’s had come along with a lot of changes, including switching schools in the middle of the school year.
He didn’t really mind, though. He was too busy to have any real friends at school, especially since he wouldn’t be able to tell them about being Captain Marvel. The only friend he saw here was Uncle Dudley, the custodian.
It was just the transition that was weird, that’s all. The Wizard Shazam had moved out of Billy’s apartment and back into the Rock of Eternity, so Billy was living alone again to be closer to his school while the adoption went through. Next weekend, he would be moving in with the Bromfields, but just for this week it was back to the way things were when he had freshly become Captain Marvel.
One thing remained constant—school sucked.
By the end of the school day, Billy was itching to rush out of class and patrol Fawcett City. But as he exited the classroom, he was stopped by Principal Wormwood.
“We need to have a quick talk, Billy,” she said. Billy gulped. Whenever Mrs. Wormwood wanted to talk, it meant he was in trouble!
Billy scanned the hall, but Uncle Dudley must have been cleaning somewhere else. No timely rescue for him, then.
“What did you want to talk about, Mrs. Wormwood?”
“The paperwork for you to switch schools. I need your guardian’s signature on a few forms. If they could come by my office after school one day this week, then we could get it all squared away,” Mrs. Wormwood explained. Well, that was definitely better than what Billy was afraid of!
Though, the Bromfield’s lived kind of far away… all the way in Fairfield. Would they be willing to make the drive out here just to do paperwork for Billy? They were happy enough to adopt him, but that was because they were adopting Mary’s brother. Could he really ask Mr. and Mrs. B to come all this way for some kid they barely knew?
No, Billy decided. He’d ask Muscles McGinnis before he dragged the Bromfield’s all the way to Fawcett over an issue as small as paperwork. He’d handled plenty of school paperwork all by himself before.
He thought about ways to get around the problem as he exited the building and called the magic word to start patrol. Instantly, the Wisdom of Solomon started trying to help him along.
You could simply ask the Bromfields if they would come and sign the papers, like your principal wants, Solomon pointed out. But even with the courage of Achilles, Billy couldn’t make himself accept that as an option. If he made trouble with the Bromfield’s, then he might never see Mary again—and he couldn’t think of anything scarier than that!
You could ask someone else for help, Solomon said.
Like who?
Uncle Dudley worked for the school, so that was him out. Ibis had disappeared to look for his not-wife, and also didn’t look related to Billy at all. The Wizard had already pretended to be his grandpa for a while. Billy didn’t want to ask him to do it again right after he went back to the Rock of Eternity. The Wizard had bigger priorities.
None so important as the welfare of his chosen Champion, Solomon disagreed.
You think?
I know.
Okay, cool.
Billy stopped a few muggers and an attempted robbery, then finished up patrol and landed next to the subway. Ducking behind the outside wall of the entrance, he scanned the area for witnesses and said the magic word. Now as Billy, he made his way down the stairs and through the illusion-wall that separates the mortal world from the entrance to the Rock of Eternity.
The Wizard Shazam was sitting on his throne, historama painting the air in front of him with… a late night game show? The Wizard startled when he noticed Billy and quickly dismissed the historama.
“William,” the Wizard asked, “What have you come here for?”
“So, I know that you decided to stay at the Rock from now on,” Billy started. The Wizard nodded. “But I was wondering if you could make one last appearance as my grandfather. Just to sign some paperwork for school!”
“I suppose I could make one more appearance,” Shazam mused.
“Thank you!” Billy cheered. The Wizard always came through for him. And this way, he wouldn’t have to cause any problems for the Bromfields!
He remembered how Uncle Ebenezer had thrown him out on the street for being too much—too much work, too much trouble, too much of everything. He stole Billy’s inheritance and then left him to fend for himself.
Billy couldn’t do that again. He couldn’t give the Bromfields an excuse to take Mary and leave Billy to fend for himself. They had already tried to keep Mary away from him because they thought he was a bad influence, in those days before Mary told them that Billy was her brother.
He just—he couldn’t risk it. Even if it was technically lying, the Wizard stepping in as his “grandfather” would be better than bothering the Bromfields.
“I’ll tell the principal that you’ll come by after school tomorrow, okay?” Billy decided.
“Okay, William. I’ll see you tomorrow,” the Wizard replied. Billy beamed at him, then headed back to the subway entrance, out and home.
The next day, he got scolded four times for bouncing his leg, tapping his pencil against his desk, and generally making a racket during class. But he couldn’t help it! What if the Wizard never showed up? What if the Wizard showed up but he looked like himself?
Billy probably still had some of the Wizard Shazam’s thrifted outfits in the closet back at his apartment, but for all he knew the Wizard might have brought them back to the Rock with him. Last night he had been wearing white robes, but maybe that got cold? Maybe the Wizard wanted that jacket they bought?
Principal Wormwood had always been hard on Billy, and he just knew that if the Wizard did anything weird, she would see through their whole charade, and then maybe she would call the cops about impersonators, or maybe she would call CPS, and then she would find out that he was supposed to be with the Bromfields, and then CPS would find out that he was living alone while the adoption paperwork went through and then the Bromfields would get in trouble and Mary’s situation would be looked at and they might find out that her adoption paperwork wasn’t exactly legal and then Mary and Billy would both go into the system and be separated and never see each other again!
Or maybe they could both transform and move their stuff to the Rock of Eternity? But he didn’t want to be Captain Marvel all the time. He still had puberty to get through, dang it!
Finally, the last bell of the day rang. He gathered up his things and swung his backpack onto his shoulders. Taking a bracing breath, he made his way through the school hallways towards Principal Wormwood’s office.
There was no reason to be nervous. Principal Wormwood had met his “grandfather” before, and even though she didn’t like him, she clearly believed that the Wizard was Billy’s grandpa.
Billy sat down on the bench outside Mrs. Wormwood’s office. The Wizard wasn’t here yet, but the bell had only rung five minutes ago. He would get here soon.
Five more minutes passed, and Principal Wormwood stuck her head out the office door.
“Is he here yet?” she asked. Billy shook his head glumly. Principal Wormwood frowned. “Well, maybe he ran into traffic. Just knock when he gets here, and I’ll let you in.”
Billy gnawed on his fingernails as she went back into her office to do whatever it is principals do when they’re not scolding kids. A repetitive squeaking noise down the hall alerted him to Uncle Dudley’s presence. His custodial cart had a squeaky wheel on one side that got louder and louder the closer Dudley got.
“Yikes, kid,” Dudley said. “What’s Wormwood got you out here for this time?”
“My guardian has to sign some forms about how I’m transferring schools,” Billy answered.
“Not in any trouble then, kiddo?” Dudley teased, ruffling Billy’s hair affably with one large hand.
“I’m not always in trouble, Uncle Dudley!”
“Just most of the time, like me. Ah, a kid after my own heart,” Dudley sighed dramatically.
“You know I can hear you from in here!” Principal Wormwood called through the office door. Billy and Dudley both froze.
Dudley pulled his hand back and fiddled with the brim of his hat in a familiar nervous gesture. “Sorry, boss!” he called back. He turned back to Billy and grasped the handle of his cart again. “That’s my cue, kid. Don’t forget to call me every once in a while once you move away.”
“Aw, I could never forget you, Uncle Dudley,” Billy replied. He was already scheming about how to alter his patrol route to visit Dudley at his apartment or at the bar he liked to frequent. He knew Dudley was lonely with Billy leaving and Tawny taking that movie deal and moving out of Dudley’s apartment. Maybe he would bring the man a gift from Fairfield.
A few more minutes passed, and finally the Wizard appeared at the end of the hall.
“There you are!” Billy exclaimed. “What took so long?”
“Ah, well, I got halfway here and then remembered that I might be a little… underdressed. I had to take a detour,” the Wizard said.
Translation: he almost showed up in robes and then had to swing by Billy’s apartment for clothes.
“Aw, don’t worry. Here, let’s go in,” Billy said. He got up from the bench and knocked on Mrs. Wormwood’s office door.
Principal Wormwood opened it after a second, holding it open as they filed inside and took a seat in the chairs that sat in front of her desk. She sat back down behind her desk, then opened a drawer and pulled out a small stack of papers.
“This is the transfer paperwork. The bulk of it has been filled out, but I need a signature for the transcript request and the medical history that the school nurse had on him. I also have the paperwork that concerns the agreement I had with WHIZ Radio about the conditions set for Billy to work there, which you’ll want to keep for future reference if he wants to get a job anywhere else,” Mrs. Wormwood explained, spreading the papers out over the desk and pointing to each spot where she needed a signature.
Then, unexpectedly, she fixed the Wizard with a stern glare.
“Now,” she asked. “Are you legally qualified to sign these? I was under the impression that his legal guardian was that nice young man I met, his Uncle Eben.”
Ah, right. He had met her for school-related reasons when he was using his transformed self as “Uncle Eben”. Hopefully that wasn’t about to cause any problems.
“Ah, yes, I am his guardian,” the Wizard Shazam said. With the way he treated Billy sometimes, it was probably even true on some level, though the Wizard definitely didn’t mean it the way Principal Wormwood meant it.
Principal Wormwood got up and opened a filing cabinet, shuffling through papers for a minute. Then she pulled out one sheet of paper and shut the drawer, turning back towards Billy and Shazam with a confused frown.
“This is the only guardianship paperwork I have for him, and it says that an “Ebenezer Batson” is his legal guardian,” Mrs. Wormwood said.
“Ah, maybe we forgot to give you the paperwork when that changed. I admit I wasn’t exactly prepared for all the little things that had to be done when William came into my care,” the Wizard replied. It was half a lie, but it was a good one.
“Well, what happened to that nice young man Eben that left Billy in your care?” Mrs. Wormwood asked. “You make it sound like it was rather sudden!”
Oh, right. Principal Wormwood had liked “Eben”. That had been a really weird conversation.
The Wizard didn’t answer and it occurred to Billy that the man was thousands of years old and his only children were both demons. He probably had no idea what kind of things (besides death) would be a reason for a custody change.
“Uncle Eben, uh…” Billy blurted out to cover Shazam’s hesitance. “He, uh, he died.”
Stupid!
“Oh!” Mrs. Wormwood said, obviously rather alarmed by that. “I’m so sorry for—”
She was cut off by a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it, Mrs. Wormwood,” Billy said, glad to have an excuse to skip getting condolences for an uncle that had in fact been himself masquerading as an adult.
He jumped out of his chair and swiftly crossed the room, grabbing the doorknob firmly and pulling it open.
On the other side stood Nick Bromfield, hand still raised to knock, plus his wife, and Mary standing behind both of them.
“Excuse me, who are you?” Principal Wormwood asked.
“We’re the Bromfields,” Mr. B answered. “We’re the couple that’s adopting Billy? We filled out most of his transfer paperwork with a secretary last week, but a message was left on our answering machine yesterday about coming by today for some final signatures.”
“The Bromfields? I don’t have any change of guardianship paperwork that places Billy in your care,” Principal Wormwood said icily.
“I’ve got that right here,” Mrs. B said, reaching into a briefcase that was slung over her shoulder with a long strap. She withdrew a small stack of papers and entered the office to hand them directly to Mrs. Wormwood. The older woman flicked through them deftly.
Mary caught Billy’s eye and gestured expansively at the Wizard, clearly wanting to ask why he was there but not wanting to risk being overheard by her parents. Billy made the same gesture at the Bromfields and Mary looked at him like he was an idiot.
“And who’s this?” Mr. B asked, turning towards the Wizard.
“That’s Billy’s grandfather. They were just trying to convince me that he is Billy’s legal guardian, though these papers clearly disprove that,” Principal Wormwood stated tensely. “Care to explain yourself, Mr. Batson?”
“I thought C.C.’s father was dead!” Mrs. B said.
Billy suddenly remembered that Mrs. B was his mom’s cousin (and therefore probably knew a little about his dad’s family) and saw his life flash before his eyes.
“Ah, well…” the Wizard waffled. “I’m his great-grandfather, technically, and I was a bit estranged until recently.”
Thank god the Wizard could lie better than Billy!
“Why were you in here trying to sign legal documents if you’re not Billy’s legal guardian?” Mr. B asked, in a tone of voice that adults used when no amount of explaining would get you out of trouble. Crap. If Billy got the Wizard in trouble, he might take away the power to become Captain Marvel!
“It was my fault!” Billy shouted out.
“What do you mean?” Mrs. B asked.
“Principal Wormwood told me she needed a signature for a few things, but I didn’t want to cause any extra trouble for you guys. But lots of places want kids to have adults with them, and grandpa has always helped me when I needed an adult's help before, so I told him it would be fine if he showed up. I didn’t know the school was going to call you guys,” Billy explained.
“Yeah, Billy’s grandpa is so old he gets confused on what he can and can’t do. Things have just changed so much since he was in his prime,” Mary added, clearly enjoying the chance to tease the Wizard a little and get away with it.
“You’ve met this man, Mary?” Mr. B asked.
“Well, sure. He and Billy live together.”
“Sounds like it was just a misunderstanding, then,” Mr. B said. He offered a handshake to the Wizard. “Billy is moving in with us soon, but thank you for looking after him. Feel free to visit us in Fairfield any time.”
“Oh, I’m afraid I don’t leave Fawcett much these days,” the Wizard declined politely.
“No sweat, we’ll just visit you instead!” Mary declared. Her mom laughed fondly and ruffled Mary’s hair.
They got the paperwork squared away in quick order after that, and then finally they all got to leave the school building.
“Sorry about causing extra trouble,” Billy said to the Bromfield couple.
“No trouble at all, Billy. This is just part of the process,” Mr. B dismissed.
“And after what happened with your horrible uncle, I’m not surprised you found a workaround with your grandfather,” Mrs. B said. “But in the future, if you need an adult for anything, you come get one of us, okay? You’re our son now.”
She lifted one hand to gently rest on his cheek. He couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Okay,” he agreed. Mrs. B smiled at him, and he felt like he was going to melt into a puddle like ice cream on a summer day.
Our son. Those were words he wasn’t used to hearing anymore. But suddenly, abruptly, he wanted to hear them again, more than anything.
It was a feeling he was counting on fading. These were Mary’s parents, and he didn’t want to replace his own parents, anyway. It was different for Mary, who didn’t even remember them all these years.
But still, it might be nice to be somebody’s son again.
The Wizard placed one thin hand on Billy’s shoulder.
“I should be getting back now, my boy,” he said. “Be good for the Bromfields.”
“I will,” Billy promised. The Wizard patted his shoulder, then turned and walked down the road, headed back towards the subway station.
Mary’s parents took them out to eat, since they were in Fawcett anyway and it was around dinnertime. They went to a little diner with a great music selection. While both her parents were distracted with the jukebox, Mary leaned over to whisper to Billy.
“Why did you bring in the Wizard?” she asked, incredulously.
“Like I said, he’s been pretending to be my legal guardian. It made sense! I didn’t want to bother your parents,” Billy said.
“I thought you were going to transform and fly away for a minute there when we arrived,” Mary snickered. Billy shoved her lightly.
“Whatever. For a second I thought the Wizard was gonna get us caught, and then they’d look into our paperwork and I’d have to run off to live at the Rock of Eternity forever!”
“You can’t do that! If you run off to live at the Rock of Eternity, I will too!”
“What? Why? You’ve already got a great place to stay!” Billy exclaimed, gesturing at where her parents had finally picked a record. They smiled and started walking back to the table, hand-in-hand.
“Because you’re my brother, Billy,” Mary said, like he had missed something simple and obvious. “I finally found you, and I’m never letting you go.”
Billy shoved her again, but even lighter this time. He couldn’t hide his smile. Mary didn’t even try to hide hers, grinning for the world to see as she pulled him into a hug.
For all his worry, the day had ended perfectly.