From high atop the Pru, a lone figure leers down at the street below, unflinching. The wind howls around him, nothing but open air and a long drop ahead of him. He takes a deep breath, steadying himself as he balances precariously at the top of the tallest antenna he could spot.
 
“No fear… no fear… you’ve got the courage of Achilles, remember?” He takes care to remind himself, his words barely above a whisper compared to the cacophonous vortex around him, “No fear.” He recites the phrase like a prayer, closing his eyes and putting all of his faith in his words. He feels his fingers slacken against the metal rod he’s presently holding on to, his toes teetering over the edge. He lets go… and says the magic word:
 
[b][i]“CAPTAIN MARVEL!”[/i][/b]

Lightning descends from the heavens as quickly as he falls out of the sky, the bolt of noise and magic seeming to be racing him to the ground. He’s done this at least a half-dozen time, each time waiting longer and longer before pulling the trigger on summoning his powers. He’s wanted to do this ever since he was a kid, leap off of the Prudential Building, but now that he has the power to do it and survive… he feels he’s just testing himself, pushing his limits as to how far he can go. He’s young, brash as Billy would say, but then… Billy’s not here, is he?
 
The lightning connects. There’s a blinding, brilliant flash of light, a sound of thunder… and suddenly the young man isn’t plain-clothed, 17-year-old Robbie Currie anymore.
 
No, now he’s [b][i]Thunder[/i][/b]. …He absolutely refused to be called Captain Marvel Jr., Billy’s insistence on [i]“tradition”[/i] or no.
 
He veers up, soaring over the brownstones of the Back Bay and out across the Charles River. He skims his fingers along the water, the wake created by him rippling out and towards either side of the shore. He rolls over in midair and turns upward, trying to make out the stars above but with little success because of the city lights. He turns again and shoots upward, up into the clouds.
 
Once he gets to a high enough altitude, he pauses to take it all in. The city of Boston, that skyline he’s seen all his life… he never gets sick of it, ever. But those new security postings blemishing the skyline, the so-called [i]“police”[/i] roaming the streets who were no better than jackbooted thugs… that’s different, and he’s gotten sick of them awfully quick. But he's forced to deal, if he wants to protect his home. [i]One needs to be on good terms with the local authorities[/i], Robbie can practically hear Billy chastise him.
 
He's broken out of his reverie by the chirping of his earpiece.
 
[b]“Robbie?”[/b]
 
Well, speak of the devil. Robbie taps the earpiece he’d been instructed to wear at all times while out and about, just so his mentor can get a hold of him, “Yeah, Billy? What’s up?”
 
[b]“Where are you now?”[/b]
 
“I’m home, Billy.” He tells his mentor, not completely a lie, “Why?”
 
[b]“I’m over at the Young Justice compound in Star City. …I think it’s about time you met the team.”[/b]
 
Robbie almost drops out of the sky from pure shock, “You think so?” He asks, trying not to let his elation show too much.
 
[b]“Yeah, I think I do.”[/b] Billy says over the open line, [b]“Can you make it tomorrow?”[/b]
 
“I can make it [i]tonight[/i].” Robbie argues, in no hurry to delay his induction.
 
[b]“Not necessary; most of the team is taking the night off. They’re out and about. Take the night off, finish whatever homework you have left[i]—[/i]”[/b]
 
“Yeah, okay, [i]mom[/i]…” He groans. Sometimes, Billy really did feel like his mother.
 
Still, it gets a chuckle out of him, [b]“…and then you can come and meet the team tomorrow.”[/b]
 
“Fine, Billy. …See you tomorrow.”
 
[b]“See you then, Robbie.”[/b] The call is ended there. Robbie hovers in midair for a while, contemplating all the things to come…