Culture Shock

"…and that, folks, was the whole story! Due to the destruction caused at the military base, Mr. Atom has been placed in stasis and locked in a classified bunker base until the time comes that he can be dismantled. The location of the base is top secret, known only to a few, including Captain Marvel. The bunker will be checked for maintenance every 25 years, but otherwise, will be kept under lock and key to make sure that the malicious mechanical menace won't be getting out anytime soon. This is Billy Batson, cub reporter for WHIZ Radio, signing out."

Billy waited for the light to signal that the microphone was off before taking a deep breath. He had almost missed this report since Captain Marvel had been needed at the sealing of the bunker. If it hadn't been for the Speed of Mercury, he wouldn't have made it at all.

He'd made it in time, however, and gotten his report out. He didn't want to think what would have happened if the report had been late. Sure, he had held this position for four years, but he was well aware he'd gotten the placement more as a novelty than anything else. Despite the fact that he had more experience than some men twice his age, not everyone took twelve-year-old reporters seriously, and there were those who would be eager to find any excuse to push him out the door.

Thankfully, his boss, Mr. Morris, was apparently not one of them. Novelty or not, Billy Batson was WHIZ Radio's most popular announcer, which was probably why he tended to greet the boy after especially big reports. "Great job in there, Billy. I can guarantee you all of Fawcett was listening in."

Billy gave an awkward smile. "It was Captain Marvel who did most of the real work." Of course, he had no intention of mentioning that he was Captain Marvel. "I just described what happened."

Morris chuckled and affectionately ruffled the boy's hair. "Don't sell yourself short, son. You're a fine reporter. Keep up the good work, and you'll make your way in the world."

"I'm just hoping to make my way home right now, sir," Billy replied, giving a smile. "I'm working on setting for that World Summit on Sunday."

"I'm sure you're ready for the Summit," Morris replied with a smile. "You enjoy your Saturday." Before Billy could go, however, he gave a start. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here's your pay, Billy. Good job out there." He took a check from his pocket.

Billy had completely forgotten it was pay day. Stifling the elation rising in him, he took the slip of paper. "Thanks, sir. Have a good weekend!" He gave a wave before rushing out.

Once he was outside of WHIZ Radio, he took a walk about four blocks away from the station and took a right into an alley. Once was a certain that no one was watching, he ducked behind some garbage cans. "Shazam," he said in a barely audible whisper.

That second, he felt the lightning flash and the power surge within him. Wisdom of Solomon. Strength of Hercules. Stamina of Atlas. Power of Zeus. Courage of Achilles. Speed of Mercury. They all flowed through simple Billy Batson, transforming him into the magnificent Captain Marvel! Of course, it was still Billy, just transformed to allow him to do so much more than he could otherwise do.

Marvel shot up, flying so fast that no one would notice him, before taking a good look over the city. He'd do a quick sweep over to make sure no one needed his help. Once that was done, he'd transform back somewhere outside the bank so that he could cash his paycheck as Billy and get some groceries.

It was June 1952 in Fawcett City, Wisconsin, and the city was going through one of the hottest parts of the year. Still, Marvel loved his city more than anywhere else. No matter if it wasn't as famous as New York, or as big as Gotham, or as revolutionary as Metropolis. It was home, and that was all that mattered. The Art Deco styled buildings held a charm as magical as the power that flowed through him, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Luckily, the heat wave also meant that there wasn't any crime going on, at least of the variety that might require Captain Marvel. He did address a few issues, helping a mother find her missing child and assisting an older woman in finding her cat. Nothing that was major, but he was still happy to help. Confident that his job was done for now, the captain sought out a hiding place where he could change without notice.

Looking both ways to make sure no one was watching, Billy moved up the condemned sign on the fence that hid a small hole. It was surrounding an old warehouse, which was where the vagrant child had set up summer living quarters for himself. Despite the sign, the building had been condemned for nearly a decade, and nothing yet had been done to actually demolish it, so he felt safe in living there.

He entered into the room, grocery bag hanging over one arm, and slipped under one of the boards blocking off the door, slipping into the large building.

The warehouse itself was large and empty. It had once been used to store automobiles but had been left abandoned when the stock market crashed. All that mattered to Billy, however, was that its shady nature meant it was cool in the summer, so it was a convenient place to set up shop during the hot months.

Billy lived specifically in the foreman's office. The foreman had the name Walworth, which gave Billy the idea that he had been a fat man with a particular love of cigars. Whether or not he loved cigars, he had loved leather furniture, as a sofa and two chairs had been left there, despite the years. There was no sign as to why they had been left behind, but they were now worn out, and one of the chairs housed a rat's nest. The couch made a good enough bed, though, and that was all that mattered to Billy.

As soon as he got in, he was quick to change out of his work clothes. The bright red sweater, white undershirt, tie, slacks, and work shoes were quickly switched out with a yellow button down that had holes under the arms, a faded red cardigan that had seen better days, jeans that were almost more patches than denim, and a pair of dirty sneakers that were a size too large. These were more along the lines of the clothes Billy usually wore, though he had purchased the nice clothes so no one at work would know the poverty he was living in.

In truth, while he did receive a salary, most of it went towards food. It was important to keep up his strength, especially since his activities as Captain Marvel left him hungrier than he had been beforehand. Thus, for the most part, clothes and personal items came second. This didn't really bother him all too much, though. He'd long ago learned to live with the bare minimum, and the fact that he could regularly purchase food was a happy enough occasion in and of itself.

He placed the food he had purchased in a lock box, which was the best area for keeping it away from the rats. He selected an apple, a container of beef jerky, and a bottle of water for his dinner before shutting up the rest.

"You really need to eat more than that, you know."

Billy gave a smile when he heard the voice. "Hey, Tawny. Thought I'd see you tonight."

Behind him, the tomcat strode it. He was one of the largest cats you might have ever hoped to see. Standing nearly two feet tall, he was covered in long, shaggy red fur that was cut by sandy brown stripes. The cat strode up to him, fixing him with an intense stair. "Of course, you did. This is around the time I always check in on you. As I was saying, it's not proper for a cub of your age to only be eating unprepared meals. Perhaps it is time you found a home?"

"How's the Wizard?" Billy asked, changing the subject without a moment's hesitation. He went over and leaned back in the worn-out couch. "He have anything to tell me?" He always asked this when Tawny showed up, just in case, but there rarely ever was a message. Still, it was a useful way to avoid speaking of living arrangements.

Usually, Tawny reacted with some annoyance before permitting the change of topic. Today, however, was different. Tawny grew grave, and he nodded. "I had hoped to ease into this, but I suppose we can start. Shazam has sensed something new. Something bad."

Billy froze with the apple halfway to his mouth. "Bad? How bad?"

"He's not exactly sure," the cat responded, "but it's a strong, dark magic. He says that whoever it was that made it may have even tapped in to the Well of Pride. If that is the case, it may be highly dangerous to you. Perhaps even fatal."

A knot of anxiety of grew in Billy's stomach when he heard the name of one of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Men, wellsprings of the most insidious forms of dark magic. However, he didn't want to show his fear, even to one of his closest friends. "I'm sure it's nothing I won't be able to handle." He gave a forced laugh. "After all, it's not like I'll be going in as plain old Billy Batson."

Tawny jumped up on the couch and placed his paw on Billy's arm. "True, but you still might need help."

"You want me to call in the Lieutenants?" The boy gave a smile at the thought of his three friends who all coincidentally had the same name as him.

The cat shook his head. "Not them. Shazam has asked that I assist in any situations you might end up in."

"You?" Billy couldn't help but give a small chuckle.

"Hmm," Tawny huffed, giving a look of injured pride. "If you do not remember, this is not exactly my true form."

Billy instantly felt guilty for laughing, and he stroked Tawny's head. "You're right. Sorry about that."

"I suppose you still are a kitten. Such is to be expected." Tawny got up, stretched out, and returned to the window sill. "I'll be back later tonight. I'll stay in the rafters in the main warehouse if you need me."

Billy took a bit of his apple as he watched his friend leave. "You're heading out to Mrs. Davis' because she leaves cream out for you."

Tawny paused for a moment. "First of all, don't talk with your mouth full. You'll choke. Second of all, she leaves cream out for feral cats, and that's not good for them. As I am a fae tiger, not a cat, then it's fine for me, and it is important to make sure wildlife is alight. The taste of the cream is only a coincidental benefit." He then leapt out the window as Billy smothered his laughter.

Sunday came faster than Billy might have expected. He was currently sitting in the press booth for the summit, dressed up in his work clothes and microphone in front. To either side of him were reporters speaking in a variety of languages. He could understand what they were saying (thank you, Wisdom of Solomon), though he pretended he couldn't to avoid any suspicion.

As time went on, however, he could only think of one thing. This summit was really, really boring. The leaders and delegates were discussing many things that were vitally important, of course, but that didn't change the fact that they were still discussing economics, politics, and other matters that were completely uninteresting to a 12-year-old boy. Billy couldn't help but wonder if Morris had specifically assigned him to this event to get more people to listen to it.

Thankfully, there was an eventual break in the conversation. Billy by then was more than eager to get up and move around. As soon as he was given the opportunity, he shot out of his seat and hurried to find where the refreshments table was.

Before he could find it, however, he found something else, something more serious happening. As he was passing by what he had initially assumed was a janitor's closet, he heard voices speaking.

"Is everything ready for tonight?" Billy froze when he heard Sivana's voice. Food no longer on his mind, he crept down to listen in on what was being said.

"We're all ready, boss," a thug with a heavy voice stated. "As soon as that break is done, we'll seal off the doors and windows before setting off the sprinklers."

"Perfect!" The malicious glee was clear in Sivana's voice. "The amount of Suspendium vapor produced will keep everyone present in my control! No one will escape!"

Billy had heard enough. Initially, he thought about becoming Captain Marvel right then and there, but he waved that idea away. He'd need to get everyone out first. Then the Captain would make an appearance.

Getting up, he attempted to hurry to the main announcement box, but before he could go far, he ran into someone on his way to the closet. Being the smaller of the two, Billy was sent back into the closet door with an audible thump.

"What? What was that?" Sivana's irritation could be heard through the door.

"It's some kid, boss," the man Billy had run into responded, grabbing the young reporter by his collar before he could run.

Billy had been in enough situations like this to know where this was going, and thus acted fast before he could be officially caught. He kicked out, hitting his captor below the belt, and wasted no time in taking off. As he ran, he could hear Sivana shrieking. "It's that Batson brat! Catch him and start everything up! Do it now, before he ruins everything!"

Even though he didn't have the Speed of Mercury in this form, that was not to say that they speed of Billy Batson was anything to sneeze at. Rushing as fast as he could away from his enemies, he soon came up to the announcing room, where three men were lazily lounging about, apparently as bored with their job as he had been with his.

"Hey there, little guy-" one of them started, but Billy wasn't going to wait to listen.

"Block the door!" he called behind himself, never even bothering to look back. Dashing by, he snatched up the microphone. "Everyone listen!" he called out. "This is Billy Batson of WHIZ Radio. I have just found out that Dr. Sivana is in this building! He's planning to trap us all in here! Get out while you can! I assure you, Captain Marvel knows and is on his way! Just get out now!"

A few people looked up, confused, but enough people knew of Billy Batson's reputation enough to heed his warning. People hurried out of the auditorium as fast as they could.

Just in time as well, as by the time half of the people has gotten out, blockades started to come down, trapping the people inside. Some fast thinking inhabitants, however, moved in, using statues and furniture to keep the doorways open so more could slip out.

Once his message was stated, there came a knocking at the door. The three announcers were doing their job well, stockpiling furniture by the door to keep the thugs out, but if anything was to improve, Billy knew he'd need to change.

Thankfully, he had a way. Since this was where all the equipment was housed, there was a few ways to get under the room to attend to the devices too big to be stored in a closet. Thus, a trap door was on hand, and much of the broadcasting equipment was kept down in the hidden room.

Sliding down into that hidden room, Billy found another doorway, which no doubt opened into the basement. Grinning, he took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Shazam."

Even in that confined space, the lightning bolt struct down, transforming Billy Batson into Captain Marvel. Of course, now he had the unfortunate situation that the room was far too small for him. He tried his best not to cause too much damage as he rushed from the trap door room to the basement and back up to the main floor.

By the time he made it, much of the audience had made it out. The sprinklers were going off, and a fine mist that had traces of dark magic in it had started to fill the main hall. Thankfully, it was empty, with most of the people having left the building. Of the few who were still trapped, a few men were struggling to force up one of the doors at the entrance to help the others escape after it had smashed through the bench that had propped it up.

"Here." Captain Marvel moved in, reaching down and lifting up the door. It was a struggle, even with the Strength of Hercules, and as the last few people slipped out to escape the sudden tomb, the Captain realized he was not going to make it out. Not this way, anyhow.

When the last man had escaped, he let the door smash back down, trapping him inside. He thought about smashing an escape for himself through the wall, but by that point, the mist that had been filling up the main hall started spilling out to the entrances. If he made an opening here, he end up exposing the whole city to the toxin, whatever it was. First, he'd need to figure out a way of getting rid of the poison.

Before he could move, he heard a call. "Marvel, over here!" He looked around before spotting Tawny. The cat was now in full tiger form. "Wait there! I'll get you out!"

"No! Stop!" The Captain raised his hands, signaling his friend to stand back. "There's poison in here! I need to get rid of that first."

"Poison?" Tawny suddenly looked frightened. "Do you think it might be the magic that Shazam sensed?"

Captain Marvel gave a grave nod. "Maybe. There's certainly magic in it. I'll try to get rid of it. Once I give the signal, you can open it up!" With that, he rushed away, well aware that Tawny was still calling out to him.

When he made it out to the main hall, he wrapped his cape around his face to try to avoid inhaling the mist while he looked for its source. In the far back of the room were three statues of Atlas that were fizzling, and half dissolved. They seemed more than likely to be the culprits.

Without a second thought, he grabbed wiring from the various microphones around and bound the three statues together. Once he had them, he tried to think of some place he could dispose of them where they couldn't harm anyone.

That's when it dawned on him. Sivana was there, in some sort of tunnel system. If he was there, then those tunnels would be air tight. If he could get the statues down there, that might contain the mists until he could figure out a way to destroy it.

Dragging the statues behind him, he came up to the same closet where he'd discovered this mess in the first place. Of course, they were too large to fit into a place that was disguised as a broom closet, but that wasn't anything a little Strength of Hercules couldn't fix. Having widened the gap, he dragged his burden down with him as fast as he could.

He flew about ten feet back and then straight down, where he found the beginning of the seal. Digging his fingers into the door, he struggled to lift it, hoping to let the statues fall in once there was a wide enough gap.

As soon as he started to lift, that was when the gunshots started. Marvel had hoped that when Sivana and his minions knew he had arrived that they would have left, but it appeared that hope was in vain.

Of course, the bullets were in vain as well, as they were merely annoyances to one with the Stamina of Atlas. "Get out of here!" he called out, hoping that his warning would at least trigger enough self-preservation instinct to get them to leave.

Unfortunately, Sivana wasn't going to let any of the warnings to be heeded. "Stop him now! He's compromising the safety zone!"

Giving one last heave, he shoved the statues into the airlocked area, a large lab setting. Once they were in, Sivana's men turned pale. "What do we do now, boss?" one cried with a look of dumb shock.

"Get to the holding chambers, you fools!" Sivian snarled from one of the catwalks. "I'll go to the reporting chamber."

Before he could go, however, Captain Marvel flew down. "You're going nowhere, Sivana!" He called out, grabbing the scientist by his arm.

Sivana turned and gave the captain a sneer. "You're right in more ways than you know." The scientist's scowl was then frozen on his face as he slumped over, as lifeless as stone.

Captain Marvel dropped him in shock, as he looked around, he could see the men Sivana has hired falling over as well, the gas taking effect on its victims.

Too his horror, he too started to feel the effects it was having on him. His thoughts were cloudy, and he could feel his muscles stiffening. Remembering the reporting chamber, he pulled himself into it, sealing the door.

As soon as he was in, he tried to figure out a way to halt the effect the poison was having on him. His only hope was that since Billy Batson hadn't been exposed to the mist, he'd be safer in that form. Stretching out his arms, he called out the word. "Shazam!"

He soon transformed back into Billy, but to his distress, he was still falling under. Due to the contact only occurring in his other form, it was slower than it had been for Sivana and his men, but Billy could still feel the effect it was having. He would soon be as lifeless as they were.

He could only do one thing now. Billy found the communicator that Sivana had built, probably with the intention of stating his demands once everyone was caught, and he turned it on. Grabbing the microphone, he prepared for his final broadcast.

"Everyone, if you can hear me, this is Billy Batson of WHIZ Radio," he said, falling into the rote introduction while he attempted to keep his head clear. "I'm now trapped in the mad Dr. Sivana's lair as some sort of poison fills this place. I'm not sure what it is, but it's lethal. It's already taken Sivana's life, and the lives of all of his men. All that I can say is that if you are around the Fawcett Auditorium, I give this warning: do not try to enter! This gas is strong enough that even Captain Marvel has been affected. He did what he could, and the poison is restricted to the auditorium and the lair, so the rest of the city should be safe." Billy gave a cough in an attempt to clear his lungs, which were feeling stiffer and stiffer by the moment.

"He recommends that the old auditorium be quarantined until a way to destroy the poison is found," he went on, "and then he whole area destroyed to make sure everything is safe. The Captain apologizes that he couldn't do more, and he wanted to let you know that it's been an honor to serve this city. I can say the same as well. So, for the last time, this is Billy Batson of WHIZ Radio, signing off."

Placing the radio back, he sat down and leaned against the back wall. He closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep when the inevitable took him.

When Billy woke up, he was surrounded in complete darkness. For a moment, he wondered if he was dead and if this was the afterlife. However, he soon waved that idea off. He might not be able to see, but he could feel, and he still felt the wall that he had previously fallen asleep against.

He waited for a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when that didn't help, he decided perhaps he'd better try in his other form.

"Shazam!"

The change did help, though the darkness was still penetrating. Holding up his hand, Captain Marvel summoned a ball of electricity to provide some small amount of light.

From what he could see, the room was in ruins. The control panel was cracked and rusted, and there was dust everywhere.

"Holy Moley," Cap muttered to himself. "How long was I out?"

He went up to the door, which he found to be rusted shut. That was not truly a problem for him, as it was child's play to knock the door aside since it had also been made brittle with age.

The rest of the chambers told the same story. Rusted metal, bits of platform that were falling to pieces, even bats were now roosting on the cavern ceiling. "It has to have been years." Marvel frowned. "But how could I have lasted years with no effect?"

That's when it hit him. The statues and the mist. It hadn't been a poison they were producing, it was some knock-out agent. It had traces of magic in it, which might have explained why he hadn't died of starvation or dehydration and why it had worn off after some amount of time. "It has to have been years," he stated as he looked over the rusted stated of everything. "Five, maybe ten years!"

He also noticed another sign that supported his theory. Despite having been in this room when they passed out, there was no sign of Sivana or any of his goons. "They must have woken up before me. I'd better find out how they got out of here."

Taking flight, he moved around, searching for any sign of a way out. He soon found it in the form of a cool breeze that was coming from the back of the cavern. Following it, he soon came to a tunnel which, after following it for about two miles, led him to an entryway that opened out onto Lake Fawcett. It was a more nature focused area, with undisturbed beach lines around the lake. It must have been winter time, because there was snow on the beach and a layer of ice on the lake. In the distance the city could be seen.

"Holy Moley!" he exclaimed once more when he saw the city. "I must have been asleep for twenty years!" Indeed, the city even from this distance was vastly changed. While it still gave a glow, it had changed from the warm yellow light he remembered to a more striking blue. There were also more and larger buildings, and bridges holding moving vehicles reaching higher than he had even imagined possible.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, he took a deep breath. "Get ahold of yourself, Billy," he scolded himself. "It's still Fawcett. Times have changed, but you've adapted before." He thought back on his life with his uncle, and when he was tossed on the street. "You've adapted to worse. You'll find your way around."

Taking a deep breath, he got up and flew over to the city, setting his intention to find out what had happened since he had fallen asleep. He knew he was in for a shock, but he couldn't just hide out in that cave forever. He was going to have to figure out what was going on.

He was not ready for what he saw. As he flew in, everything struck him at once. The world was faster, brighter, and louder now than it was before. Picture advertisements had been replaced by moving images that glowed bright against the night sky, which would have been fascinating if they weren't moving so fast. Music and noise seemed to blare from all directions, and he had difficulty focusing on where he was going from all the sound around him. The city also appeared to have grown and was now more crowded, with people treading the streets and driving in strange vehicles even at this hour.

These people, of course, took notice of him. "Hey, dude, look!" he heard one boy call out. "It's Superman!"

"Naw, that ain't Superman," another replied. "He's wearing red."

"Maybe he changed his outfit?" a girl suggested.

Deciding this was his opportunity to find out more of this new world, he touched down. "Hello," he greeted. "I'm Captain Marvel. Would you mind-"

"No way!" The first kid, who was wearing a white hoodie, exclaimed. "Like the old hero guy?"

"Uh, sure." Captain Marvel couldn't help but look confused.

It wasn't helped by the girl throwing her arm around his waist and sticking a thin box with a flashing light in his face. "This is so going on my profile. Super pics get hundreds of likes," she stated. "You don't mind, do ya, Cap?"

"Sure," he replied again, still confused as to what was going on. "Can you tell me what year this is?"

"Sure dude!" the second boy replied. "It's '57."

That response shocked him. 1957? But that would mean he'd only been gone for five years. How could everything change this fast in five years?

"Alright, then. Thanks." Still in a state of shock, he barely noticed as the teens called out their goodbyes and other people gathered to watch him in amazement.

Five years! He couldn't believe it. Nothing could change that fast. In desperation, he flew around, trying to find anything that would be familiar. His work was in vain. His warehouse home had been torn down and replaced by office buildings. The school he used to attend was still there, but there were so many changes that it might as well have been somewhere else. Every old landmark and building was either replaced or had some new add on that it was totally foreign.

Even the WHIZ Radio building had changed. There was now a sign that read WHIZ Media, and it was a larger building with apparently glass walls. The most shocking part, however, was what was standing outside.

Wanting to get a closer look at that, he ducked behind the huge building to where no one would see him and transformed back into Billy. He almost regretted it as soon as he did so, as the thin red sweater was not enough to hold back the Wisconsin weather. However, he wanted to see the monument in peace, and he doubted that would be the case if he went as Captain Marvel.

He wandered out to the gold statue, which was set in the courtyard in front of the WHIZ Radio, sorry, Media building. It portrayed Captain Marvel, arms extended in flight, and below him, a boy holding a microphone. On the pedestal was a plaque that read: Dedicated to the memory of Captain Marvel (?-1952 ) and William J. Batson (1940-1952). This monument dedicated in 1958 A.D.

That date caused him to freeze. If this statue had been dedicated in 1958, then how could it currently be 1957?

The horrible realization hit him like a ton of bricks. It wasn't 1957. It was 2057. One hundred and five years later. He had slept for a hundred and five years, and time had moved on without him.

In that moment, he stopped caring about the cold and snow. All he could think was that his whole world, his whole life, was now gone. Everyone he knew was dead, and he was now alone. Perhaps the Wizard or Tawny was still around, but they doubtlessly thought he was dead, and he had no idea how to contact them.

He moved through the crowds, not particularly knowing where he was going and not particularly caring. Lost. He was now lost in time. There was no where he could go, no one he could turn to. He hadn't felt like this since his uncle had turned him on the streets. The numbness from the shock of it all wore off as he laid down on the ground in an alley. He curled up, not sure what to do next. Grief for what was lost and fear about what he was going to do next overcame him, and he quietly started to sob while he hid his face so no one would see. He eventually fell asleep in this position, unaware of anything around him.

His world was gone. His life was gone. All he knew he had left was his abilities. Inwardly, he knew he would continue on as the champion, protecting people from what they couldn't protect themselves from. Other than that, however, he had no idea what he was going to do next.