Captain Marvel: The Power of SHAZAM! #2

By George Jones

North Africa 1942

El Alamein, Egypt

The German officer squinted through his binoculars, he glared down the ridge in which he stood and across the open desert plains. The sight of approaching British manned Sherman Tanks in the distance caused beads of sweat to drop from his top lip. The German officer turned on his heels to face the crews of the ten PAK 40 anti-tank guns that fell under his command.

*Translated from German*

"Incoming! Battle stations and wait for my command!" The Officer screamed to his men.

The crews leapt to their feet, they pulled the camouflage netting off the guns and manned their own posts. Scurrying like rats in the desert sand.

"Within range in 2 minutes! They haven't spotted us!" The Officer continued to yell.

The crews loaded the heavy shells into the large guns and waited the command. No one spoke, adrenaline surged through their bodies. That feeling they felt before the fight, it was like a drug. Better then cocaine, heroin, sex. These were battle hardened men, not fighting for a flag or Hitler but for survival.

"Get ready boys!"

Suddenly the edge of the ridge was rocked with a huge thud, a sea of dust flew into the air. The German officer was thrown to the floor. The officer ran his hand across his face wiping the sand from his eyes. He felt dazed and confused, the tanks hadn't spotted them. The sea of dust slowly fell back down to the floor, a shadowy figure appeared standing at the edge of the ridge. The German officer pulled out his Luger pistol and fire, he struck the figure several times but the bullets ricocheted off. The mysterious figure flew forward at lighting speed and hoisted the officer into the air by his collar. The German peered down at his enemy, his strange red, white and gold costume glistened off the hot African sun.

"No…Not you…" the German whimpered through mouthfuls of hot sand

"Not the Captain no but you can settle for me" Captain Marvel Jr. said as he punched the German in the chest, driving his fist through his torso and out the other side. A spray of thick red blood painted the floor behind them. CMJ dropped the lifeless body of the German to the ground. One of the gun crews let off a shell, the heavy anti-tank round exploded off the chest of Captain Marvel Jr. The Captain flew forward and picked up the large gun by the barrel and proceeded to use it like a baseball bat. The sounds of screams were drowned out by the mighty thuds of crashing metal. The Captain crushed all the other guns and finished off any remaining survivors. He then flew away into the sky.

1948

Fawcett City

Freddy Freeman AKA Captain Marvel Jr. sat with his knees curled into his chest behind the dumpsters around the back from his rented apartment block. His sobbed heavy tears that ran down his face. He shook and trembled in terror, his eyes glazed over. In the skies above Captain Marvel hovered in the clouds, his superhuman hearing picked up the sobbing and he recognised whose they belonged to. The Captain swooped down and landed in the back alley to where Freddy sat alone.

"Shazam" The Captain muttered under his breath as the lightning bolt struck his chest, his body was transformed back into his true form. The form of Billy Batson.

Billy rushed over to his friend and sat down next to him, he placed his arm around Freddy and let him use his chest as a pillow to rest on.

"I'm here freddy, I'm here. Calm down" Billy spoke softly into his friend's ear.

"I killed them…I killed them all" Freddy spluttered through his heavy tears

Billy cradled his friend in his arms, he did not speak.

Meanwhile

The island of Themyscira

Mary Marvel stood on the steps of the acropolis with her hands on her hips awaiting her friend's arrival. The temple doors opened and out walked Princess Diana, the gorgeous Amazonian walked over to Mary and the two embraced in a warm hug.

"It's nice to see you my friend" Diana said happily

"It's been too long, things have been tough recently"

"What is the problem sister?" Diana inquired

"It's Billy but Freddy mostly, they've been finding it tough since the fighting…"

"How about you?"

"I try not to think about it, it's the easiest way"

"I feel your pain, you are more than welcome to stay for a while on Themyscira to get away from it all"

"I couldn't, the boys need me. I don't suppose Billy is welcome back on Themyscira after what happened the first time…"

"I guess probably not, mother is still furious with what happened"

"I'm just happy you two didn't hurt each other"

Diana ran her hand through her hair and smiled "The contest was enjoyable from my Amazonian stand point, meeting someone with my power levels who could give me a glorious death if I were defeated"

1941

The skies above the Mediterranean

Captain Marvel flew through the skies and high velocity. The Captain tuned his ear into the radio wave length of the British head command post in Greece.

*Transmission from British command post*

"Germans have pushed through the Bulgarian border and into Greece! Jerry has overpowered the first line of resistance! Requesting back up or the Huns will be in Athens by next week at this rate!"

Captain Marvel's face turned stern and determined. A small panic rushed over the Captain as the feeling of being followed became true. In mid-air he turned and swivelled his body around to see if the pursuer in his mind was real. He glared through the clouds and spotted the silhouette of a female flying towards him. The Captain clenched his fists and waited her arrival, the female stopped about 15feet away from him. She held a fine, gold sword and shield and wore full battle dress. Her head was protected by an ornate gold helmet designed in the shape of an eagle. She raised her sword and pointed it at the Captain.

"You are not welcome here man! Leave now or face death!"

Captain Marvel looked confused "Excuse me?"

"I swore to protect Themyscira on land and in the skies above! This is your last warning man!"

"Themy-What?" Before the Captain could finish his sentence, the woman rushed forward at lighting speed and crashed her shield into his chest. Captain Marvel was shook up and knocked back slightly.

"The bitch has claws" Billy muttered under his breath as his opponent rushed forward again swinging her sword this time. The Captain dodged the strike and plunged his hard fist into her shield, the female shot backwards from the force of the punch. Her shield now fashioned a huge fist imprint at its centre.

"This is silly" Billy protested just before his enemy rushed forward again. This time she slashed at his chest, narrowly missing. The Captain grabbed her around the torso with a vice like grip and began to fly her towards the island bellow. The pair struck the sandy beach with an almighty thud that rocked everything around for miles. Captain Marvel rose to his feet and towered above the female who still lay prone on the floor in pain.

"This is over" The Captain said with a grimace

The Amazonian spat out a mouthful of blood and rose to her feet.

"Not quite" She said as she raised her arm in the arm. Suddenly from out of the thick trees and forest behind them, what appeared to be hundreds of similarly battle dressed females appeared, all wielding their own swords and shields.

"I, Princess Diana of Themyscira place you under arrest. You're crimes will be put forward to the high council as dawn. Do not resist arrest or we will be forced to kill you" Billy's opponent declared triumphantly.

"Ah crap" Captain Marvel muttered as he lowered his fists.

To be continued...