American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

278. The Next Target.

Standing silently, Alex calmly watched as Billy roared in anger. The collapsing city around them eventually turned into a pile of rubble. Red flames and smoke dominated the dream, and in the center, Billy's frail and broken figure stood out starkly.

It was hard to imagine what a fifteen-year-old boy would become after experiencing such things. At an age when he should have been full of vitality, he had nearly died on an alien battlefield, and his home was on the brink of destruction. It was something no child should have to endure.

"...Aren't you going to say something?"

Panting heavily, Billy slowly calmed down, staring at Alex, whose face remained calm and silent. His body swayed a little.

After a moment, Alex finally spoke.

"I'm not going to tell you to stay calm, Billy. This isn't your responsibility, nor is it a burden you should carry. What you need is an outlet for your pain, and that's what the Justice League owes you."

Billy stared blankly at Alex, unable to hold back his pain any longer, and tears began to stream down his face.

As Alex slowly approached Billy, he wasn't sure how to comfort him. There's no such thing as perfect empathy in the world, just as there's no such thing as a perfect circle. Placing an arm around Billy's shoulder, Alex didn't say anything—he just stood there quietly.

Comforting others had never been Alex's strong suit, so all he could do was offer silent companionship. In the end, Billy would have to process and release these emotions on his own. No one else could truly help.

Unless... he erased Billy's memories, making him forget these unbearable past events. But after hesitating for a moment, Alex abandoned that idea.

The powers of the Greek gods still flowed through Billy. Those mighty forces had become an integral part of him. If the Old Gods hadn't given up on Billy, Alex should give him more time as well.

For a long time, Billy had worn a smile in front of others, but hidden behind that smile was an unimaginable pain. He had always seen himself as a member of the Justice League, someone who should be protecting the people.

But deep down, he knew that he was just a kid. He had imposed far too much pressure on himself. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, those emotions and negative feelings would always find him when he was at his most vulnerable.

"...My... my family, my friends..."

Billy sobbed, clenching his fists tightly.

"...They're all... gone."

In the Justice League, Shazam stood as an equal to the other heroes, including Superman. The heroes treated him as one of their own. To the younger generation in the Teen Titans, Shazam was seen as a senior figure, someone they respected greatly.

Yet only a few knew that Shazam's true identity was that of a boy younger than any of them. Even the youngest members of the Teen Titans were older than Billy.

Billy had always enjoyed putting on the airs of a senior in front of his older peers—it was something that brought him great joy, and it was his favorite thing to do. But now, his brothers and sisters were all gone...

Billy's heart felt as though his soul was being tortured. The pain was indescribable.

Looking at Billy, his pale face and tightly clenched fists, Alex could clearly sense the mental exhaustion the boy had endured. For countless days and nights over the past two years, Billy had been tormented like this.

"...."

Before long, Billy silently pulled up the hood of his red hoodie, hiding his face in the shadows.

"...Sorry, I don't usually act like this."

"I know, you're strong." Alex smiled slightly, showing his respect for Billy.

"Hmph."

Billy turned around, letting out a soft hum through his nose. He calmed himself down, his voice hoarse as he spoke. "You're right. Sometimes letting it out feels much better."

"So, are you willing to come back?" Alex asked.

Hearing this, Billy turned his head slightly and, putting on a tough front, replied, "What kind of question is that? I'm a superhero. Once I chose this path, I knew I wouldn't give up. I still need to avenge my family."

After a pause, Billy added, "And... I don't want anyone else to know about what just happened."

Alex glanced at a spying crow in the distance, cleared his throat, and politely avoided responding to that. Instead, he shifted to a more serious question.

"We need to gather the others. I'm in Gotham right now, with Batgirl and Batwoman. Billy, where are you?"

"My target is to destroy those Parademon nests. I've been moving around a lot lately. Lois contacted me before, but I didn't want to meet with them. If you need me, I can come find you all," Billy replied after thinking it over.

"That would be great. How long will it take you to get here?"

"I'm not too far. Two days, maybe. If we're meeting up, I'll have to avoid those Parademons, which will slow me down," Billy said seriously.

"Time isn't an issue. Your safety is the most important thing." Alex suddenly remembered the main reason for his visit and asked, "By the way, Billy, do you know where there's still magic left in this world?"

"Magic?" Billy was taken aback, not quite understanding what Alex meant.

"Simply put, energy sources with strange powers, or carriers of that energy. Exotic beasts from other dimensions could also count," Alex explained.

"I think I get it. You're talking about something similar to divine power, right? If the Rock of Eternity were still around, I could help you. But right now, all the demonic power and portals to other realms have vanished. I don't know how I could help with that," Billy said, shaking his head quietly. But then, a thought crossed his mind.

"Maybe you could ask Constantine. He knows a lot about magic tricks."

Constantine, huh?

Alex grimaced. Too bad this world didn't have the Justice Society of America. If Doctor Fate were here, his helmet would definitely hold a wealth of forbidden magical knowledge.

In a normal universe, Alex wouldn't dare touch Fate's helmet, as that would be like killing a superhero. But in a universe on the brink of doom? That was different.

A real shame.

However, as Alex looked at Billy, a thought suddenly struck him.

"Billy, if I remember correctly, you said the Rock of Eternity was destroyed, right?"

"Yeah, the Parademons wrecked a lot of places on Earth," Billy replied.

"Then..."

Alex's eyes lit up as he looked at Billy and asked in a soft voice, "The Seven Deadly Sins that were sealed by the wizard Shazam—where are they now?"

Hearing this, Billy froze on the spot.

.....

30 advanced chapters on p@treaon
For advance chapters: /Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
279. The Seven Deadly Sins.
280. Preparations for Summoning Demons.
281. The Demon You Are Trying to Summon is Out of Service…
282. Constantine.
283. A Bad Encounter.