Chapter Text
If you had asked William Joseph "Billy" Batson how his life ended up like this, he would have honestly told you that he had no clue for a while now.
Because he could never have imagined his life would turn out like this.
Looking his tired eyes over at his "new" gaming computer—which was really an outdated model but had been discounted by 70%—that he bought just ten days ago at an electronics shop, he felt his heart warm up at the thought that his luck seemed to have turned around drastically these past months.
Just a couple of months ago, Billy was just another street kid—barely scraping by, helping small business owners and strangers with odd jobs for a few bucks.
At first, people were uncomfortable and tried to hand him money without asking for anything in return, but Billy was nothing if not persistent. He wouldn’t let himself take anyone’s money without doing something to earn it.
'Do good and good will follow.'
That's how Billy barely managed to scrape by for food and other supplies.
He found shelter by camping out in run-down buildings on the outskirts of Fawcett City, far from the bustling, dangerous streets that came alive at night.
He’d learned that lesson quickly after becoming homeless—staying away from the city’s gangsters, organized crime, and the small-time crooks who lurked in the shadows, always looking for an easy target.
He couldn’t stay in one place for too long, though. The fear that someone might report him to CPS always hung over him like a dark cloud.
The thought of being carted off to another foster home, where he would be just another number in a broken system, made him sick. The last thing he wanted was to go back to that. After all, you never knew when someone might decide to snitch.
And while most people thought they were doing the right thing by reporting runaway kids like him, Billy had his own issues with the system.
His countless, less-than-pleasant experiences in various foster homes had left deep emotional scars that his physical ones could hardly account for.
He couldn’t forget the cold indifference of the caseworkers, the empty promises of "better homes," or the possibly abusive situations that had followed him from one place to the next.
Each foster home was a new version of the same nightmare—a temporary fix that always seemed to fall apart, leaving him feeling even more abandoned than before.
The scars he wore weren't just skin deep; they ran much deeper, hidden beneath the surface.
By the time Billy was seven, he was on the run from CPS, living on the streets.
That’s how it had been until he turned ten—and that’s when he met him.
Shazam.
An old wizard who struck him down with lightning after delivering a speech about a golden heart, the chosen one, and the only person perfect for the powers.
It all happened so fast that Billy couldn’t fully grasp everything, but he understood the gist of it.
He became a hero with powers straight out of a comic book!
After calming down from the initial shock, he quickly flew up to the rock ceiling of the Rock of Eternity, as the wizard Shazam had called it.
When he finally made his way back to the streets of Fawcett City, Billy wanted to help everyone he saw.
But in reality, there wasn’t much he could do.
There were no other heroes around, and Billy guessed that made him the only protector of Earth.
But what exactly was there to protect?
So far, all he’d done was stop a robbery and find some clothes for his Captain Marvel form.
That was a couple of months ago now, and thanks to his new adult, manly form, he had landed a job at a small thrift store down by the river, free from worries about CPS or child labor laws.
Yay!
Now, resting in his "Captain Marvel" form, wearing comfy tiger PJs and chilling on a couch he had found at a scrapyard, Billy felt like his life was looking brighter.
He had a stable income, a small studio loft over said thrift store that he bought after two weeks of savings from his new job, and things were finally falling into place.
A buzz made him snap out of his thoughts as he looked down at the flip phone lying on his stomach, next to Tawky Tawny, his soft, plush tiger friend.
Reaching over, he quietly opened his phone.
His eyes widened—it was his alarm letting him know it was time for his stream to start.
Closing his phone, he sprang up to stand, catching Tawky before he could fall—who squeaked a little as Billy saved him—and setting up his "Starting Soon" screen for his livestream.
And that was also a new development that came with having an older form—streaming.
Before he got his powers, Billy wasn’t unhappy or sad—just maybe a bit lonely.
Watching streamers had always made Billy feel connected and brighter, especially when he’d curl up in an empty, abandoned apartment building.
The screen of his barely-functioning dumpster iPad, the only light in the room, would keep him company as he listened to the happy banter of the Justice League, the biggest entertainment streaming group around.
And now, he knew them personally!
It was so amazing, even if he’d only streamed with them a couple of times—he was quickly becoming a friend of theirs.
One month after starting to stream as Captain Marvel, Billy had initially been nervous that nobody would watch him.
But as his fanbase grew, that nervousness quickly turned into excitement.
By the first week, he decided to use a V-Tuber model designed after his Marvel form, dressed in a tiger costume.
It made him feel safe, knowing that no one would recognize him if he accidentally transformed.
"Hey, everyone!"
Captain Marvel, the V-Tuber, beamed, his animated model bouncing a little as he waved.
"Guess who's back and ready to game? That’s right—me!"
Having found nothing out of the ordinary, he smiled at his chat with a warm greeting, humming as he petted Tawky, feeling the soft fabric under his hands that engulfed the plush.
"So! How’s everyone doin’? Did anything cool happen today?"
_ _ _
Teddybearll: Doing Good, Cap! ヾ(＾ ∇ ＾).
LolGG1999: Great!
O-Zeroo: Not bad, what about you, Cap?
SpiderTea: Fine, you?
CakeBun: Hello!! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)
(First-time chatter) TigerLover: Nice model love the ears! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
Xaoo: Hi, guys!
Bubbletealover: Hi!
BamboHouse: It's going alright •ᴗ•
Polercat: Hanging in there, Cap! ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ
_ _ _
Looking over at the chat, Billy could see many people greeting him back, making him smile and let out a small giggle at the warmth it brought. Especially when he recognized quite a few from his previous streams, like his mod Teddybearll, who was one of his first subscribers.
Being able to interact with people now felt so different compared to when he lived on the streets, where people fought for themselves and weren’t so friendly. At the sound of his giggle, the chat quickly exploded with hearts and questions about what made him so happy.
_ _ _
O-Zeroo: Guys, he giggled!!? awdaxjk (,,>﹏<,,)
SpiderTea: Omg, he is sooo cute!
LilySmiledl: ♥︎ cute ♥︎
TigerBot00: ♥︎♥︎
JLSuperfan20: What got you so happy, Cap?
StarnighC: ?
Bubbels: ( ╹ .╹)?
CrankyGame: Wtf!? What grown ass man fucking giggles!? (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ )
CrankyGame was banned by Teddybearll
LighJames1: ♥︎♥︎♥︎
_ _ _
Billy smiled as he laid back in his comfy, big couch chair, which he had thrifted not too long ago. It was certainly an upgrade from sitting on those painful dining chairs that came with the loft when he had moved in.
Billy peeked at the chat, his eyes going big. "Huh? Why am I so happy?" He grinned, rocking back in his chair. "Uh, ‘cause it’s STREAM TIME?! Duh!" He threw his hands up for dramatic effect. "Or maybe ‘cause I had waffles this morning. Waffles make everything, like, a billion times better. It’s science."
Cap’s V-Tuber model made a big thinking face, his lion tail swishing. "Oh! Also, hearing you guys are doin’ good makes me happy too!" His model’s face lit up with a big, wiggly smile, tail wagging shyly as it copied him.
_ _ _
Seeing all the nice messages, Cap's smile got even bigger—like, almost-too-big-for-his-face big. "Aww, you guys are the best!" He giggled, wiggling in his chair. "Seriously, stop it, or I’m gonna get all mushy!"
The chat exploded even faster, spamming hearts and kind words. Cap gasped dramatically. "NOOO, they're too powerful! The kindness—it’s TOO MUCH!" He pretended to fall back in his chair, flailing. "I’m being defeated by friendship!"
His V-Tuber model copied him perfectly, his tiny lion tail flicking wildly.
As the chat calmed down a bit, Billy looked at the clock on the monitor, realizing it was about time to begin. He moved the start screen to the Minecraft starting screen that he had loaded up in the background.
Trying (and failing) to contain his excitement, he laid out the details for today’s stream. His little avatar swayed along with him, a reflection of his jittery energy, as he carefully placed Tawky down by his side.
Tawky, ever the loyal companion and silent guardian, kept a vigilant eye on the chat with his button eyes, ready to ensure everything stayed in line.
"So, guess what?!" Cap practically bounced in his chair, his excitement spilling over. "I’m playin’ Minecraft today!" He threw his hands up like it was the best news ever. "And—and—get this! One of my super cool Justice League buddies invited me to their server! THEIR SERVER!!"
_ _ _