Final chapter: Earth's Mightiest Team Up is going Hero
In the empty football stadium, Heatblast is greeted by a familiar foe. Kevin Levin transforms back into his human state. "Hello Ben. I see you met the Big Red. He's no you, but picking on him is just as fun." Kevin said. He transformed into Diamondhead and formed his arm to a sharp spear. "Thanks for giving me that information about diamonds and heat." He walked to towards Ben as he was still Heatblast and shooting a wave of fire at him in hopes he would reach the right temperature to melt him.
Just as Kevin stood over his nemesis, it seemed as if this could be the end for Tennyson, until a bolt of lightning hit him hard from behind. "I actually felt that a little." It was Black Adam. He was floating in the air with his arms crossed and looked to be in his usual unhappy mood. "What do you think you're doing, bro?! I thought we were working together!" Kevin said in rage. They had met almost the same way as Ben and Billy had. But with more of an intent to kill each other. It was quickly though that they realized that each could be of use. Black Adam with the promise of power and Kevin with the promise of being a useful weapon.
"We are. But we didn't come here for this. We need to stay focus on the task at hand. Remember what I promised you?" said Adam said sternly. "The powers of Captain Marvel are far more important than killing this child?"
"Hmm. Fine. But next time, don't get in my way like that." Just then Captain Marvel swooped Black Adam from behind and through him into the stadiums nose-bleed seats. He flew into the section and began trading blows with Adam. The Captain got the first few hits in before he felt a blow to the back of the head. Kevin, now Four Arms, holds back Marvel as Black Adam starts thrusting him with lightning bolts. When Ben sees this he figures the real man he's after is Black Adam. Kevin, in his mind, is just a bonus. He also figures that he doesn't have much time left and quickly flies up to the action.
Black Adam sees this and tells Kevin "Do what you must. I will hold off the little boy." He flies right into a blast from Ben they begin trying to hit each other with their blast of fire and lightning while flying around the sky. Just then Kevin begins doing what they set out for and starts absorbing Captain Marvel's magical energy. Black and white lightning begins spilling out as Kevin begins reverting back to himself, partially.
A loud boom blows everybody away, even Gwen and Grandpa, who were outside helping civilians. From the smoke clearing in the air, with Ben and Teth-Adam looking on from the sky, the new Kevin is revealed. A taller more masculine shaped Kevin appeared. He wore torn dark blood red pants and golden bands around his wrist hand with a lightning bolt like Adam's and Marvel's but etched in his chest and outlined by blood. A new darker look was in his eyes as he stood over the unconscious Captain Marvel. "This… this power… it's… it feels so…good." Said Kevin with a grin.
As he was going for more of the Captain's power Black Adam yelled out "We have what we need. Let us go so we may begin your training." The old Kevin would have wanted to argue back, seeing as he was not yet finished with his work, but perhaps the Wisdom of Solomon told him otherwise. "Something is not right. I can feel it. Batson should have been drained of his energy, but he is still in that form. We are interconnected, me and Batson and instead of feeling a replacement in that connection, I feel…an interference." Thought Black Adam as they were flying away.
Before Ben could chase them, his watch ran out and he began falling in the air until a net like surface caught him just a few feet from the ground. It was Gwen and Grandpa who had arrived and saw the destruction of the stadium and caught a glimpse the new Kevin flying off. "What the heck happened here?!" yelled Gwen in anger.
When he came to his sense, Captain Marvel awoke tied to a chair in the RV of the Max. He was a bit dreamy at first but when he was fully awake, he saw Ben standing over him starring. "What are you lookin' at?" said the Captain as he shook himself awake.
"I'm looking at the guy who got his butt handed to him in a fight with two of my enemies."
"First of all, Black Adam is my enemy. Second, there were two heroes in that fight and neither of us got the job done."
"Huh, you can tell I am a hero?"
"Well, it's one of the attributes of my powers telling me. Your watch is just like the one that one of the aliens had on when fighting with Black Adam. By my guess, or one of the SHAZAM's telling me to guess, you're a hero." Said Marvel smiling. He snapped the rope they were using and stood up.
"Who are you?" asked Gwen from the side. She held up her hands in a defensive position.
"I am Captain Marvel. Earth's Mightiest Mortal." He said while flexing as Ben looked in amazement and Gwen slapped her forehead and began to shake her head. "I'm also guessing that you need my help here too."
"Yes we do. Hi, I am Max Tennyson and these are my grandkids. Ben and Gwen." Said Grandpa while driving. "Now if we are done acquainting ourselves to each other we have some serious work to do if we're going to stop Kevin and Teth-Adam."
"You know about him?" Said Marvel in shock. "How could you? Even his country forgot his name."
"Not forgotten, just mixed him up with myth and legend. By the looks of his attire, he reminded me of when I worked for the plumbers on this case. It was one of the handful of magic ones we've done." He said while pulling over. They stopped in front of a gas station that had seen better days for sure. "Some being was traveling the universe headed towards Earth with a vengeance. He ripped through some places leaving behind a name for himself. I'm guessing you're something like him."
"Well not entirely but yes. We both derive our powers from the same source. The Wizard Shazam. Adam receive the powers thousands of years before me. When he had become corrupted by them the wizard banished him to a distant planet far off. Now that he's back, everything he does is either for his country or for him to get me." Said Marvel "We were the only two with the Wizard's powers but now I can feel the other guy, forced in there. It feels so…unnatural."
"That must be Kevin. He's my enemy. He can absorb energy. He absorbed the aliens in my watch and can now turn into them. He must have done that with your powers." Grandpa opened the door for everyone to leave out from and lead the kids to the unisex bathroom of the gas station.
"So your powers are magic based too?" Said Gwen very interested,
"Yeah. Uh, is this the part where we take a bathroom break before fighting the bad guys?" Said Marvel jokingly.
"Not exactly. If we're going to be working together, we'll need some of the things in here. And if your powers work the same way as Adam's we need to know your real form." Grandpa said smiling as he hit a few buttons on the door. Billy was shocked. This guy seemed as good as Batman when it came to knowledge about him. He yelled the words Shazam and became Billy Batson once again.
"Wait, you're a kid just like me. Guess the wizard doesn't discriminate when looking for heroes, huh?" said Ben a little jealous.
"You've got to take me to him" said Gwen eagerly.
"Now come on kids. We don't have much time." They all entered the now altered bathroom. Inside were tables filled with weapons and screens on the wall waiting to respond to whatever was put in the supercomputers they were being used for. "Old plumbers rest stop. You like?"
"I've been to a lot of layers but you seems to have the most guns. Sweet." Said Billy as he rushed over to look at them. "So how are we going to stop the two with these?"
"Well the plumbers don't really have much if any magic based weapons. We mainly fought aliens." Admitted Grandpa scratching his head smiling.
"Can't this wizard just take back the powers of those two? If he gave it to you guys why can't he take it away." Asked Ben
Billy replied "It doesn't work like that. Some magic isn't that reversible. If he could I'm sure he would already."
"Duh, Ben. Somethings, like you, just can't be undone." Teased Gwen.
"Harsh." Said Billy. "Maybe it's not too late to undo your face." Ben and Billy laughed as Gwen grew upset.
"That's enough you three. Now if you would quit playing around we can disc—". All of the sudden Billy and Ben were zapped gone and Gwen and Grandpa looked in astonishment.
The two heroes appeared on the Rock of Eternity before the Wizard Shazam who, as usual was sitting in his great chair. Ben looked in awe but this was not new to Billy. He stood up straight with his chest out in front of the wizard before hitting Ben to get his attention. "Where are we?" he asked. "It's like we're in space but, I don't need a helmet."
"No child you do not. The Rock of Eternity supports all life." Laughed the Wizard. "Hello Billy, Ben. I have been watching you two. Quite the team you seem to be forming. I am impressed."
"Thank you Wizard. But if you know what is going on, help us. I have a horrible feeling about this." Said Billy clenching his stomach. "I feel like a part of me is missing."
"Do not fret Billy Batson. The one called Kevin has taken a big of the power I instilled into you, yes. But you can take it back. You and he must be hit with the lightning that gives you your powers at the same time to restore balance. But be warned, Black Adam can already feel this uneasiness as well and is preparing for it."
"How? Will he help us?" asked Ben.
"NO!" said the Wizard in a great thunderous voice "It is too late for him to change his ways like that. He will be looking to have Kevin finish up absorbing your power to get his own full effect for it."
"But I thought your powers couldn't be taken away?" asked Ben
"No they can not. Your rival will spend eternity like a parasite never being satisfied with my powers. He will continuously absorb each and every time he feels the need to. He is inserting magic into him that he's not worthy of."
"In that case I have no time to waste. Please send us back as quickly as you can Wizard." Said Billy. "I've got to stop those two before…"
"Billy please. This is not a task that you can do on your own." Said the Wizard in his thunderous voice as it echoed throughout the rock "Why do you think I brought Ben along with you? You two must work together on this and utilize both the powers given to you."
"I—I understand. And we will. Right, Ben?"
"Of course. World's greatest team up is ready for action."
With this being said the Wizard sent the two boys back and thought to himself, "This is the closest me and Azmuth have worked together in a long time. I wonder what he's up to these days."
Back on Earth, as Ben and Billy inform Grandpa and Gwen what happened, Black Adam speaks to his new protégé in crime as they stand in the desert of Khandaq where military training is done. "We need the Captain Marvel back. I have sensed that you have only tapped into a small portion of his power."
"If this only a small portion, then anymore power and I'll be able to take over this world." Kevin said, looking at his new body "I may be even stronger than you. This plus my other powers make me almost god-like."
"Don't fool yourself with all these delusions of grandeur. Have you used your powers after absorbing some of Marvel's?" said Adam a little upset at how arrogant Kevin was talking. He understood arrogance, it had help others defeat him before, but he didn't take kindly to it being pointed at him. "I dare you to try."
And try Kevin did. He slowly began morphing into some of the aliens from the watch only for them to be incomplete. Failed attempt after failed attempt, it started angering Kevin. "Why isn't it working?!"
"Your powers are being blocked by the powers of the Wizard. They can't coexist when you're in that form." Said Adam with a little relief. Now his protégé was not as powerful as he thought.
"That's too bad." Kevin quickly reverted his anger back to pride "There's no way I am giving up this power. Looks like I won't be going Kevin 11 for a while. I've got new powers to master."
"You don't have to give those powers up." a call from the distance, Captain Marvel was flying in hot to the two villains "You just have to give them back to me." He lands in front of the two and holds out his hand as if he was offering something. "I know you can feel it Adam. This guy is not supposed to have the powers of Shazam."
"A lot of things aren't supposed to happen. I was supposed to change my country for the better. Bring about peace, justice, and prosperity to it." Black Adam yelled.
"If you're not going to let go to the past, then your future is practically nonexistent." Just as the Captain said that Black Adam was hit from the side by a blast of Gwen's power. She began speaking a few of her magic words and formed sand golems from the desert ground to attack the Eternal Dictator. Before he could even strike one another blast from the back hit Adam, this time from Grandpa Max in his old plumber's gear. Marvel was still speaking, "You there. Kevin. You don't know what you're dealing with. If you just let me…" A kick right to the chest of the Captain shut him up and sent him flying back into the closest city within reach of the soon to be battlefield.
As Black Adam got up he flew through one of the golems and it came apart. But as Gwen directed traffic of the rest of the golems they all fired sand from their arms at Adam almost drowning him in it. However, he summoned the mystic lightening from his hand and turned that sand into glass. He took a shard of the newly formed material and through it at Gwen. Thankfully Grandpa Max was able to disintegrate it before it hit her, as she was busy still controlling the golems. "I know experience when I see it. I will kill the old man first." Black Adam strategized.
He flew into Grandpa Max who went down with ease. He then took out the rest of the golems quickly before going back to work on Max. He balled up his fist and electricity began to flow through it. He had no intentions of making this quick and painless. "Ya know, she might be young and I may be old, but that's no reason to take your eyes off either of us." From under his nose, a huge wave of sand knocked Black Adam up into the sky.
"You're just afraid of what I could do with theses powers. With what I could do to you." The new Kevin flew into the city and arrived at the demolished building that Captain Marvel landed in. He lifted up Marvel and tossed him up in the air. When he came back down he delivered another kick to the chest and as Marvel went flying back into some more building, he caught him from behind and hit him into the ground. "Funny isn't it. I have something you want and you have something I want. And what we want is power."
He lifted up the Captain by the throat, "No. That's not what I want. I want to help people. Including you." Marvel choked out "They told me about you. You're practically an orphan. Like me." Kevin's eyes widened as he started processing what was just said. Before he could finish though a few hits from behind made him drop Marvel who jumped back quickly. It was Ben as XLR8. "Ben wait. Let's just talk to him first. He was a friend right?"
"You made a big mistake Billy. There's no turning him around." And with that said by Ben, he continued rushing hit after hit from all directions around Kevin. "You should of taken back the power while you were that close." Just as Ben was going for another hit towards Kevin, XLR8 was caught by Captain Marvel.
"We don't won't to do too much damage in this town. Let's just try this diplomatically." He moved XLR8 behind him and walked towards Kevin. But before he could get any closer Kevin released a huge wave of energy that knocked Ben and Bill back. The whole town felt the wave and building began crumbling and people toppled over like dominos. The ground shook violently and uprooted what little plants could grow in the ground. "This is what I was afraid of." Said the Captain.
"You know what I'm thinkin' now?" said Kevin viciously with a smile upon his face "I'm thinkin' you're afraid of me. Afraid that I'll surpass you with these powers. That I'll handle them better then you ever did." He then shot out electricity from the palm of his hand at Marvel knocking him down.
"Uh oh." Said Ben. XLR8's masked dropped down and he zoomed to stop Kevin but was caught by the face in Kevin's hand. Kevin began squeezing with hand and XLR8's mask began breaking. "Can't get loose. This is bad."
"I'll admit that trick is impressive. You'll have to teach me sometime." Soon the Captain began to stand "But the only way you could ever even think of surpassing me with these powers is if you earned them in the first place." And with that said Captain Marvel flew into Kevin with a heavy fist knocking him right in his face. He delivered another haymaker of a punch and then kneed Kevin in the gut. As Kevin bent over, feeling the pain, he was hit in the back of the head by Marvel being put all the way to the ground. He picked Kevin up and put a full nelson on him and yelled "SHAZAM!" Thunder stomped and lightning struck. Kevin was back to normal and the unnatural feeling both Marvel and Adam felt was gone.
Just as the fighting seemed to be done, Black Adam came racing in. "What have you done. You've destroyed one of my country's most prosperous towns. You kids will regret that."
"Look around, dude. Do you really think more fighting to solve any of this?" asked Ben as his watch ran out and he turned back into his human self. "We'll help in any way we can but we don't want to fight anymore."
Black Adam, though he would hate to admit it, knew Ben was right. "I do not need your help. Just leave my country and you will be spared. But leave me the failure. The one I thought could lace up my boots."
Captain Marvel stepped in "No. We're all leaving together. And you can go about doing whatever you want here. Thar's the agreement." Black Adam didn't fight this. He allowed for them to return to Gwen and Grandpa and get ready to leave."
Once back home, it was decided that Captain Marvel would take Kevin to Belle Reve. A prison that could hold someone like Kevin, though the stories of what he heard them do to prisoners did worry him a bit. But they were just stories. Though Grandpa Max seemed to feel something about this. "Mrs. Waller said she had the 'best intentions for him'." Told the Captain. But Max cringed at the name.
When he got there with Kevin at hand, before he let the guards take him he said turned him around and said "I know your pain, ya' know. The pain of feeling like the only one. Being lonely is its own hell. Maybe even the worst. But if it's anything I learned from doing this hero thing it's that pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. I'll let you figure out what that means, Kevin." He left smiling at Kevin. His little way of extending the olive branch, he hoped, would go through right to him.
A few miles outside Belle Reve, the Tennysons were waiting to say their goodbyes, not to the Captain, but to Billy. They thanked him for his help and he did likewise. "Where will you be going now?" asked Gwen.
"Well I heard the Sumo Slammers convention will be rescheduled this week, so there I guess and home." Bill pulled out his deck to show off at and impressed Ben and an unimpressed Gwen.
"He's cute but he's got Ben's taste." Gwen thought sadly.
Grandpa laughed and put his hand on Billy's head "Well if you ever just want to get together when not saving the world let us know. We've been traveling all summer."
"Thanks a lot. And if you're ever in Fawcett City give me a call." Billy put away his cards and shook Grandpa's hand. He gave Gwen a hug, which she really seemed to like and turned towards Ben "Ben. You're a real lucky guy. You have a family that loves you. I wish I had that when I was younger. I do now but there are others, like Kevin, who never get that in life. Please, understand him."
They all looked at Billy with such surprise. So very mature coming from a boy about Ben's age. "I—I'll try." Ben felt a little bad for not thinking that before. He looked a little down. But Billy extended his arm with a smile letting Ben know it was alright. Just as Billy said the words and was about to fly off, Ben stopped him, "Wait!" he had a sly grin and said "When I can go longer than ten minutes on this thing we should have a rematch. We'll see who Earth's true Mightiest Mortal is."
"That's a promise." Said Billy. And he took off flying into the sky. They were all happy with themselves and the new friends they had made.