Captain Marvel: The Power of Shazam! #10

'Judas'

By George Jones

Washington DC

The Lincoln Monument

Captain Marvel walked down alongside the reflecting pool shoulder to shoulder with the Green Lantern; Kent Rogers. His glowing green skin reflected onto the Earth's mightiest mortal, the lantern symbol on his chest reacted to his heartbeat and pulsed out a luminous green current across his veins and skin with every beat.

"You won't hold him for long. He will escape or be freed by his Master. A man with Krieger's power cannot be controlled. You should have let me finish him when I had the chance" The Lantern spoke

"No. Killing is the last option and he was beaten. If we kill at will we are no better than they are"

Rogers puffed his cheeks "Sure."

Just as the Captain was about to answer his new friend Diana of Themyscira flew out from the sky and landed next to the duo. "No luck sadly. I couldn't find him. Mary is still out there looking, I told her to call it a day but she wouldn't listen" she said with a certain level of concern in her voice.

"Do not worry. He can handle himself and so can Atlas. We'll give him time to cool off"

"I say we strike them now" The Green Lantern butted in

"Well it would help if we knew where they were for one thing. Plus we're two men down and last time I checked they killed you pretty easily. No, we need a plan" the Captain answered back

"I wasn't ready but now I am! You think I'm weak but the ring…it's changed me. I'm not just a guardian now, I am the ring!"

"Do not let its power consume you"

"I fear it already has" Diana spoke up

Elsewhere

Black Adam's hand was wrapped around Captain Marvel Jr's throat with a viper like grip. The veins in CMJ's neck were bulging and ready to burst. The blood vessels in his eyes were exploding like tiny rivers as he swung his arms around trying to escape. Then Black Adam let go and the teen dropped to the floor into a ball of pain clutching his now red throat. CMJ's eyes scanned around and saw the image of Atlas being held by five of Black Adams men; the Alcatraz inmates he had empowered. Atlas was struggling but to no avail.

"I heard stories of your name. Did he send you? The one these Earthlings seems to love so very much?" Black Adam spat

"No! I came here on my own accord to kiss your ass!" CMJ coughed back still on the floor in a heap

"Damn good job you did boy. I see we are left with one question"

"Go to hell!"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you all! I swear it by Zeus" Atlas screamed out but a hand was quickly wrapped around his mouth

"SILENCE" Black Adam said coldly. He then spun on his heels and pointed his hand at Atlas. A surge of lighting and purge energy began to consume his closed fist and then within the blink of an eye the lighting streaked out and struck Atlas in the body. A huge explosion shook the ground as Atlas' torso was blown apart into pieces and Black Adams own men were flung 12ft away all dead.

"You killed your own men!" CMJ screamed

"I have more" Black Adam clicked his fingers and ten more of his men emerged from all around

"You're a monster!"

"Maybe. But you fail to see the bigger picture. Now tell me all your friends' secrets or I'll turn your bones into dust. The Wizard made another his champion, tell me his Earth name and I will spare your life. I hope me killing that dumb Greek brute has proved to you that I am quite serious"

Captain Marvel Jr bite his lip.

"Oh do talk up. Otherwise if you don't I'll get that pretty little friend of yours and I'll beat her until her tears run dry and then I will order my men to rape her over and over again"

"YOU BASTARD!"

"My threats are not empty, now speak up and tell me his secret"

Captain Marvel Jr ran his hand down his bruised face and swallowed hard.

Later

Fawcett City

Billy Batson was approaching the apartment building and his room that his Uncle Dudley was renting out for him. The sun was setting over the City and Billy was ready for a good night's rest after the last very eventual past few days. Billy entered the building, said hi to the old janitor like always and made his way up the stairs towards his apartment. He pressed his key into the lock and entered to find that his telephone was ringing. Billy closed the door behind him and picked it up.

"Hello. Who's speaking please?"

"It's just your darling sister. Wow it's weird to hear your normal voice. Seems like you're Captain Marvel more than you are Billy these days"

"I could say the same thing to you. So who you want anything in particular?"

"Just calling to see if you read the papers or seen the TV?"

"Why? What's happened now?"

"They say there's a new hero about. He's been spotted in Fawcett, Gotham, New York-"

"Jeez how does he get about so fast?"

"That's the point, they say he can running faster than a speeding bullet. Faster than us. The papers have called him Turbine or summit dumb-"

Billy was about to answer when an entire section of wall of his apartment was ripped away from the outside as if it were wet paper caught in a storm. Billy dropped the phone and stumbled backwards as the huge frame of Black Adam floated in the air before him.

"So the Wizard chose just a boy! This shouldn't take long!" The beast of a man bellowed

"SHAZ-" Billy screamed but Black Adam rushed forward and clamped a huge hand around his mouth before he could finish

"Not so fast" He heckled

To Be Continued