Diana opened the door in front of her and stepped out onto the roof of her apartment building. She squinted slightly as sunlight hit her eyes. She searched momentarily before she saw him. He was standing on the edge of the rooftop with his back to her.
Diana began to approach him. She knew he heard her coming long before she had ever even reached the top step so she made no pretenses about not making any noise. She cleared her throat a little as she came within a few feet of him. It was at this he turned slightly and hit her with a smile.
"Hey," Diana spoke first. "I thought I might find you up here."
"Yeah..." Clark replied turning back toward the sun. "It's a better view up here than from our apartment."
"So I see," Diana responded as she had now made her way to stand next to him. He turned his head to her. He didn't speak as he locked onto her gaze. Diana smiled. "Something on your mind?"
"It's quiet," Clark replied. Diana noted the many sounds of the city beneath and beyond them and furrowed her brow.
"Quiet?" Diana questioned.
"Not the sound... the sound is always there," Clark responded before a pause. Diana moved a little closer to him. "I mean... since Darkseid, things have been quiet."
"Is that a bad thing?" Diana asked. Clark shook his head.
"I suppose not," Clark replied with a small smile. "It's just..."
"You think it's the calm before the storm?" Diana questioned. Clark turned to look out over the city.
"Maybe," Clark answered with a shrug. "Maybe I just worry too much."
"No," Diana reacted. She reached over and took his hand in hers. "We have to always keep watch."
"Yeah," Clark agreed. "Luthor and his gang will pop up again soon I'm sure... or something else."
"Probably," Diana replied. "We'll be ready."
Clark offered her a smile and the gestured toward the airport.
"Aren't you due to board a flight to Paris?" Clark asked. Diana glanced down at her watch and then nodded.
"Yeah I guess I am a bit behind schedule," Diana replied.
"Sure you don't want me to go with you?" Clark inquired. "I can probably get a couple of days off from the Planet."
"I'd love that... but this is business trip and I should probably concentrate one work," Diana said with a grin. Clark matched it and shrugged.
"If you get lonely some evening and have some time for a night out, I can be there just like that," Clark said with a snap of his fingers.
"Oh, I know," Diana replied before moving in to give him a kiss. She broke apart with a wide smile before turning to head back towards the stairs. She stopped and turned to Clark. "Don't worry yourself to death while I am gone, try to have some fun okay?"
"You got it," Clark replied. He watched as Diana turned and disappeared inside. He resumed his surveying of the city in front of him. He glanced around a few times before taking to the skies, leaving his civilian clothes to fall in the place he once stood.
Superman flew over the city, ducking in and out and around the many skyscrapers. He surveyed the city beneath him, looking for anyone who might need his assistance. He stopped and hovered over a busy intersection and began to listen in with his superhearing.
"Now how do I find him?" a voice came through the noise. It had a different vibe to it than the rest. Superman furrowed his brow as he looked around in search of who had made it. He scanned the ground and listened again. He heard the sound of a boom behind him as the sound of the air being broken resounded loud in his ears.
He turned to see a figure on the outskirts of the city hovering in the air, much the way he was. Superman focused his vision to bring into view who the mysterious person could be. Immediately he recognized him. He wasted no time in flying in the direction he was still hovering, making his way to be a few feet from him.
"I've been wanting to talk to you," Superman spoke, startling the other person who was not facing him. They turned to face Superman and he saw their face light up.
"Oh... wow... it's you... you... how did you know I was here?" The yet to be introduced stranger responded.
"I heard you," Superman replied as he took in how similar in appearance the two were. He noted the big smile on his face and found it endearing.
"Wow... that's... check that one off the list huh?" the stranger replied with a slight chuckle.
"Come again?" Superman inquired.
"Oh... well... you... an inside joke I guess," the stranger responded. Superman nodded. "Wait... you said you wanted to talk to me... you know me?"
"I know of you... I heard what happened in Philly," Superman replied. The grin on the stranger's face grew, clearly flattered. "I don't think I ever caught your name though."
"Oh... well... we finally settled on one but we are just now floating it out there," the red-clad figure said, crossing his arms in a posture closely matching Superman's.
"So... care to tell me what that name is?" Superman questioned.
"Oh yeah... sorry... it's Shazam!," Was the definitive and proud response. Suddenly Shazam's eyes got wide as a bolt of lightning came from nowhere and struck him. Superman was caught off guard by this and shielded his eyes momentarily. When he lowered his arms he saw Shazam was nowhere to be seen. He did, however, hear a scream coming from below him and looked down to see a kid falling down to the streets below.
Superman quickly swooped down and caught the kid before he hit the ground. He flew him back to a nearby rooftop and sat him down. He glanced back up at the sky and down at the kid, trying to piece together what he had just seen.
"Um... did you?" Superman paused as he pointed to the sky. The kid nodded. "I don't understand... who are you?"
"My name is Billy," the kid responded. Superman took in his appearance and estimated him to be no older than fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Hi, Billy..." Superman greeted him. "Where did you come from?"
"Well... it's kind of complicated but that was me up there all along," Billy Batson replied with a sheepish grin. "I kind of forgot where I was when I told you my name."
Billy noted the confused look on Superman's face as he crossed his arms and waited for a better explanation.
"Look... maybe this will help me to explain," Billy said. He glanced up for a moment before facing Superman. "Shazam!"
With that, another lightning bolt came down from the sky. Superman watched it as struck the top of Billy's head and coursed down his whole body. Superman felt overcome with horror at the sight of it. He started to move towards him but stopped when he saw Billy's dimensions begin to grow and suddenly he found himself eye to eye once again with Shazam.
"It's magic... I think... there was a wizard," Shazam began to explain as he saw the bewilderment on Superman's face. "It's kind of a long story."
"Okay..." Superman replied.
"And I'd love to tell it, but I actually came here to ask you for a favor sir," Shazam stated. Superman nodded. "See... I have a friend... well my best friend... more like a brother really..."
Shazam paused to take a breath. He found himself slightly overwhelmed standing so close to Superman.
"Okay, I'm listening," Superman's tone put him at ease and he regained himself.
"He is like your biggest fan... he looks up to you... and you see there are these kids at his... our school," Shazam continued. "Bullies I guess... and they pick on him and I was going to go have lunch with him today and I'd really mean a lot of if you'd join me."
There was a pause as Shazam shifted his weight from foot to feet and watched Superman for his reaction.
"I mean... I know you are probably busy and I just... I know it would mean a lot to him an I had to come to ask," Shazam stated.
"Lead the way," Superman gestured with his hand in the direction Shazam had come. Shazam's once nervous grin turned into a genuine smile and he could hardly contain his excitement as he knew how thrilled Freddy would be.
"Oh... okay... th.. thank you," Shazam said before extending his hand. Superman reached out to shake it.
"No problem... Shazam or is it Billy?" Superman responded.
"Well... I guess when I'm like this you should probably call me the first one," Was the reply. Superman nodded as the two took to the skies. He turned to his new friend flying beside him.
"So, wanna tell me your story on the way?" Superman questioned.
"Sure," Shazam replied with a smile. "So as I said there was a wizard..."