Shazam! - Earth's Mightiest Mortal

Chapter Seven - Tales of the Wizard

"Okay. If we're going to do this thing, we gotta see how strong you are, how fast you are, what powers you have, and how your mind works."

Superman floated a foot off the ground about Billy, who was still morphed (weird, right) into Shazam, the name he had chosen for himself. More like stole for himself, actually.

"How my mind works?" Billy gulped. His mind wasn't his strongest feature, especially now.

"Yes. From what I have seen so far, you have obtained incredible powers. I don't, however, know the source of these powers. This was either destiny, or..."

"Random?" Billy guessed.

Superman shrugged. "So let's see it."

Billy leaped into the air and was relieved when he didn't fall straight down on his face.

"So," continued Superman, "you seem to have some of the same powers that I do. You can fly. From the footage from yesterday, it seems you're fast like me as well. What else can you do?"

Billy sent a quick prayer to God, Solomon, and those other guys he gained powers from, then aimed his fingers to the sky. As he had hoped, electricity pulsed through and lightning shot through the night. To his delight, Superman looked pleased.

"That's a start. Do you have heat vision?"

Billy thought for a second, then squinted very hard and concentrated. Nothing. He could swear he heard Freddy laughing below and thought about frying him with lightning fingers. But that might look bad to Superman, so Billy resisted and instead shook his head. He did not have heat vision.

"Okay... what about freeze breath?"

Billy exhaled harshly and Superman drew back.

"Did it work?" asked Billy.

Superman shook his head. "Nope. But you should really brush your teeth."

"What now?"

"Try leaping tall buildings," Superman said.

"Where do we find those?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

Shazam and Superman fly towards the biggest building in Fawcett City—some newspaper headquarters. Freddy waved at them from below as they left, probably wondering if he could he get a ride. He couldn't.

Billy stood looking at the building while Superman hovered above.

"Okay," Superman said. "Now just jump."

Billy took and deep breath and jumped. He could feel the air rush through him as he ascended. He was doing it! And he wasn't even flying to assist him. He could jump tall buildings in a single bound! Wait, no... he might not make—splat. Billy hit the side of the building. The women in the building started screaming and the men fell out of their chairs.

"Ow," said Billy intelligently. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to... uh, you can have my autograph later!"

Billy let himself slide down the rest of the building. Superman joined him at the bottom.

"Alright, that was a start. You're getting there. Just... don't kill anyone, okay?"

"I'll try my best," Billy muttered back.

He had embarrassed himself in front of Superman. That sucked. But he was learning, and Superman seemed pretty impressed, all things considered.

--

"Are you sure you're human?" Superman asked later. "Because, you did pretty well for a new superhero. The whole city doesn't hate you like they did me."

"Yeah, well it seemed that worked out for you," Billy replied. He was still in his adult form. Who knew what Superman would think if he figured out that Billy was 15

"No, seriously though," Superman stared at him intently, as though seeing right through Shazam and into Billy. "Are you sure that you aren't Kryptonian?"

Billy wasn't sure about much anymore, but he was sure that he was human. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

He thought he saw a hint of disappointment in Superman's face, but then it was gone. "Well, I've got to get back to Metropolis, but I'll be here tomorrow, alright?"

A few hours later, Billy sat by himself on a bench outside, still in costume. He had been trying to communicate with the wizard. He wanted to ask him why when he had said "Shazam" to Superman, he hadn't turned back into a boy. But it didn't really matter, it just happened. Like how he now had powers, was a grown man, and hung out with Superman.

"Hey, wizard-dude-that-lives-in-my-head?" Billy tried, not expecting a response. He got one.

"I do not live inside your head, son. That's just the only way I can talk to a human without their head exploding."

"Oh, okay," said Billy. "Continue doing it that way then."

"I have been watching you practice. You are catching on quickly."

"Thanks. You really think I could be a superhero like Superman?"

"I did not give you your powers for you to be like Superman. I do not want you to be a superhero."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Keep Earth safe from threats that do not belong here?"

"Wait, I'm supposed to fight aliens?"

"That is one way of putting it."

"Okay, well I haven't seen any aliens out and about lately, so—"

"I have felt the presence of someone who should not be here. A very powerful someone."

"Who?" asked Billy.

"I cannot be sure, but I have not felt anything like it since—Black Adam."

"Man, do you really have to specify ra—"

"That is what they called him. Last time he came."

"He's been here before?"

"Yes."

"But you defeated him right? So, no biggie! Just do it again."

"He is very smart. He will have come back stronger."

"So I need to take him down," Billy guessed. "So, where do I find him?"

"I think," mused the wizard in Billy's head. "That he will find you."

"Find me?" Billy repeated.

"Yes. He will want to take out anyone who even remotely poses a threat against him before he gets started. Besides, once he realizes he cannot enter the Rock of Eternity, he will know that I have found a new champion. You. And just in time too. If I had not found you, he would be able to enter and this time, he would overpower me."

"Why has he waited this long?" Billy was becoming curious.

"I sealed his tomb after the first time. I have no idea how he has escaped the inescapable, but we cannot worry about that now. We must stop Black Adam."

"Stop him from what?"

"Taking control of the Rock of Eternity. And killing us all."