Battle

"Sir! Sir! You're in no shape to be running around! Sir!"

Dudley ignored the nagging voice behind him. He sidestepped a piece of ashen rubble and pressed forward, ignoring back the throbbing ache in his knees. He couldn't stop. Not until Billy was safe.

"Billy? Billy! Are you there?"

Dudley's mad rush faltered when his foot caught on a piece of rubble. He stumbled, managed a few unsteady steps, and fell flat on his face. Before he could get up, a pair of small hands gripped his shoulder. Mentally shaking off the pain, the fallen gentleman turned to find a young paramedic glaring at him with a mix of concern and frustration. Her light blue eyes seemed to resonate with the singed snow around them, reflecting the dim orange light of the fire.

"You can't just run off like that!" she stated firmly. "You're hurt."

"Please!" Dudley replied, struggling to maintain his usual calm tone. "I need to find…"

"I know you're worried about your son," the paramedic interjected, strengthening her grip on his shoulder. "You're not the only one. There's a woman back at triage whose daughter is missing." The woman let go of Dudley and took a step back. "But you're in no shape to dig through this mess. You're no good to Billy if you're dead. I promise we'll send a group to search for him. Please, just come back."

Dudley hesitated for a moment. His gaze wandered to the smoldering rubble of his former home. Light played off the fragments of shattered glass, causing the nearby street to glimmer like the night sky. A piece of scorched brick dislodged and fell into a half-melted pile of snow with a thud.

Suddenly, something caught his attention. A streak of faded scarlet half-buried in the snow.

Moving with trepidation, Dudley padded over to the haphazard snow drift and knelt down. His worried companion followed him, muttering protestations that fell on deaf ears. With a quick swipe he brushed away the water-logged snow and picked the item up.

The soaked sleeve of the jacket clung to his wrist as he turned it over. He immediately recognized it as Billy's.

Noticing her charge's worried expression, the paramedic knelt down beside him.

"We need to get back," she urged gently. "There's nothing you can do for him now."

Forcing back the empty feeling in the pit of his stomach, Dudley slung the torn item over his shoulder, carefully got to his feet, and followed the young woman away from the ruins.

Captain Marvel floated backwards just in time to avoid a crackling bolt of lightning. A loud bang hit his ears as a building below crumbled from the blast.

I need to stop this while there's still a city left to save!

Easily evading another blast of electricity, the intrepid hero burst through a cluster of clouds, only to find himself lost in a swirling squall. Thunder crashed around him, echoing through the menacing sky.

"Captain!" Batman's voice resonated in his ear, breaking his shocked silence. "Have you located the device?"

"Uhh…no. No I haven't," the crimson champion answered, surveying his unfriendly surroundings. "I can't see anything in this storm. Have you found anything?"

"No," Batman replied tersely. "Scanners still detect an energy signature near you."

"I feel like I'm getting close," Captain Marvel said, confidence seeping into his tone. "I'm going to..."

A forked bolt struck the airborne hero from behind, sending him flying through a low-hanging cloud. He quickly recovered, only to narrowly avoid another bolt, then another. Dancing a brutal pattern within the threatening storm, he weaved between the deadly blasts.

"Holy Moly!" he exclaimed. "The storm has a mind of its own. It's trying to kill me!"

He turned around in time for a brutal punch to make contact with his chin, launching him towards the ground below. Making a swift midair recovery, the mighty hero found himself confronted by a familiar ebon-clad villain.

"The storm has no interest in a weakling like you, Champion," Black Adam taunted. "It is I who will kill you."

"Adam!" Captain Marvel exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden appearance of his nemesis. "So you're behind this. I should have known." Not waiting for the tyrant's response, the magical hero surged forward, landing a crushing strike to his foe's midsection. Black Adam fell back but easily recovered, countering with a midair kick. Captain Marvel ducked to evade the attack before releasing a blast of mystical lightning. The bolt struck Black Adam's chest, tearing his clothes and knocking him back.

"Why are you doing this?" Captain Marvel questioned as he continued his attack. "Are you in league with Ivo? What do you stand to gain from his plan?"

"I have little interest in Ivo's goals," Black Adam admitted as he landed, then winded his foe with a crushing blow. "He freed me from my prison and offered me a chance to kill you. I want nothing more."

"Are you still mad at me for being picked over you by the wizard and being trapped?" Captain Marvel queried.

Black Adam responded with a blast of lightning.

"I'll take that as a yes," Captain Marvel quipped coyly.

"I was supposed to be the wizard's champion!" Black Adam roared. "His power is supposed to be mine!"

"If you want it, you'll have to go through me," Captain Marvel retorted calmly as he weaved between attacks.

Anger flared in Black Adam's eyes, and the vile villain shot skyward. Turning abruptly, he dived and crashed into Captain Marvel, sending the hero tumbling towards the icy wreckage below. The scarlet hero managed to recover a few feet from the ground, only to be tackled by Black Adam once more. Grappling with his heroic foe, Black Adam swung around and slammed him into the side of a damaged building. The wall collapsed, and Captain Marvel tumbled across the dusty floor. He looked up to find Black Adam staring down at him with contempt.

"Go through you? Gladly."

Seizing the lull in the fight, Captain Marvel stood and dusted himself off. His nearly endless stamina was beginning to fade, and his ancient enemy showed no signs of fatigue. He needed to find another way to stop the fight…

Then an idea came to him.

"I never thought you'd be Ivo's slave," he commented, staring at the magical villain with a false composure.

"I am no one's slave!" Black Adam spat back. The villain grabbed his opponent by his collar and hurled him out of the building. Captain Marvel halted himself in midair and took a deep breath.

"Really? Then why are you doing this? You're just watching over his machine to make sure he gets what he wants. And for what? I know you don't care about money or the rest of the Justice League."

"He gave me the opportunity to fight you." Black Adam answered, his voice echoing through the deserted street.

"And you couldn't get that yourself?" Captain Marvel continued. "If you're as powerful as you say, you shouldn't need him to help you. He's using you to get what he wants. And you're following him like a dog."

"Insolent whelp!" the villain roared, blind fury burning furiously in his eyes. The villain shot forward and delivered a brutal jab to his opponent's stomach. Captain Marvel managed to catch his breath and returned to dodging his opponent's attack. Winding up, he landed an uppercut, launching Black Adam skyward. The hero smirked and soared towards his opponent, landing another punch. The ebon-clad villain reeled upward, leaving holes in the shadowy storm clouds swirling above. Captain Marvel followed him high above, pressing the advantage with unerring aim and determination. The two emerged from the tempest, and Black Adam tried to regain his balance. Surveying his surroundings, Captain Marvel noticed a rotating metal object hovering a short distance away. Electricity played along the metal rods that protruded from the device, channeling into the clouds nearby.

That's got to be the device!

Without hesitation, the crimson hero surged forward and crashed into the machine. The object shattered, sending metallic debris plummeting through the rapidly dispersing storm clouds. In mere moments the violent squall cleared, replaced by a light snowfall.

Recovering, Black Adam looked at his triumphant adversary and scowled.

"Your master won't be happy," the hero mocked. Letting loose an angry snarl, Black Adam soared forward and tacked his mocking foe. The enraged antihero grappled with Captain Marvel and dived towards the ground, carrying his bewildered enemy with him. He delivered a massive blow to his rival, sending him crashing into a ravaged storefront below. The hero recovered, but was met by another brutal blow. Attempting to gather his wits, the magical guardian found himself trapped in Black Adam's grasp. He struggled to escape the resilient villain, but to no avail.

"He is not my master!" the supervillain yelled. The anger in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by a devious understanding. "You have done well to destroy the device. But I will still triumph this day."

The ebon tyrant raised his head and called to the sky.

Shazam!

The villain drifted backwards, smiling sadistically as the mystical bolt collided with his dazed adversary. Captain Marvel let out a pained cry as the lightning enveloped him.

Moments later, an injured Billy Batson tumbled from the sky and landed in a deep snow drift.

The weary boy sat up shakily and coughed. A torn strip of his turtleneck caught on a piece of refuse, forcing him to tear himself free. The young hero gingerly touched a burn on his cheek while he struggled to gain footing in the pile of slush. Leaning on a piece of rubble, he stood, causing searing pain to shoot through his ankle. Black Adam watched him with predatory curiosity as his victim fell back into the snow with a pained cry.

Without warning, the villain soared down and lifted the brave child by the hem of his turtleneck. Billy struggled in his captor's grasp, thrashing with all the strength he could muster.

"Let me go!" he cried, hiding his fear behind a defiant mask. "You won't get away with this!"

"I already have," the supervillain responded, watching his miniature foe with grim amusement. "I never cared about the scientist's plan. My goal was to draw you out. You may have ended the storm, but now I will end you."

Billy gritted his teeth.

Shaz…

The boy's call was interrupted by Black Adam, who clasped his hand roughly over the boy's mouth. Billy redoubled his struggling, kicking at his opponent's chest as he tried to break free. Quickly growing impatient, Black Adam slammed the boy's head into a nearby wall. Reeling from the force of the blow, Billy clutched his head in both hands. Black Adam grinned sadistically before smashing him against the wall again. Billy let out a groan and hung loosely in his opponent's grip. He didn't react when Black Adam whirled around and hurled him into another wall.

Struggling to sit up, Billy found himself staring fearfully at his triumphant enemy. Black Adam loomed over him, crackling with magical lightning.

"Pathetic. The wizard chose a child to wield his power. Now he will see the error of his ways."

The tyrant held out one hand, alive with electricity. Billy curled into himself and sobbed softly.

"Any last words, boy?"

Struggling with tears, Billy sucked in a breath of frigid air.

Shazam!