Bleach_DC_Elseworlds: Shazam!
Disclaimer: Don't anything that you see here, cool? Cool.
So here we go, another ficlet to share with the world.
Mostly to keep the creative juices going, show people I am still alive (which given the current situation is a very good thing and I hope you are all well and safe) and also to report I have finished the first chapter of my Bleach fic (FYI, I will publish when I get 5 chaps done) and will work on updating another of my works, I just need to get an idea on which story needs an update the most and where to take the story (FYI shouting at me with demands does not help, just pointing that out).
Anywho, here we go!
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Urahara Shoten…
Kisuke Urahara was considered many things by many people who had the pleasure/displeasure of meeting him however one thing many could agree with was that shock and awe were two words that rarely came when in relation to the quite eccentric and still deadly blonde.
Which for the man's current visitor was of no help whatsoever as to the scientist and his partner in crime, one Yoruichi Shihoin, gaped in shock at the sight of their visitor in no small part thanks to his current predicament.
"You mind shutting your mouths and stop the flies from coming in so we can talk?" Their impromptu guest for the evening asks the two in equal parts rhetoric and annoyance, with the aforementioned duo in question taking notice of his voice's familiar tone yet held a deeper and more matured.
"Kurosaki… w-what in the Soul King's name happened to you? You look…" Kisuke started off before his old friend cut in…
"Fucking ripped as hell and back!" Yoruichi bluntly states as he stares longer than necessary at the skin-tight attire that did nothing to hide the bulging muscles it showed teeming with power much to the young man's embarrassment.
"Listen, some weird shit beyond what I am used to happening and I really need some help ok?" Ichigo replies while crossing his arms in a way that only emphasizes his newly acquired bulk and given that only his eyes and jaw could be seen from the confines of the white hood, he had on it painted a rather intimidating picture more so as his eyes literally glowed power.
The two shared a look before turning around and into the store with the former substitute in tow. Tessai at that moment appeared ready for any requests for refreshments as the good host he was when he caught sight of their guest.
"Ichigo-dono?" He couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah, it's me Tessai-san." He replies with honesty while pushing back the hood once the door closed and his eyes regain the same chocolate brown hue they knew.
"I see your knack for getting into odd situations remains true despite your apparent loss of power…would you care for some tea?" The large man asks politely.
"You know what? Yes, I would please, something tells me I'll need it."
Tessai nods and heads towards the kitchen while the others moved to the living room where they each took a seat around the table, Kisuke and Ichigo facing one another while Yoruichi was in the middle.
They waited until Tessai arrived with the tea and once they were all seated the senior Shinigami looked towards the young member of the group.
"I honestly don't know if anything will say makes sense but here goes…" Ichigo starts.
Flashback…
Ichigo was currently on a train en route to Tokyo, the purpose initially to scout for potential universities but as he gazed at the passing cityscape it became more of a chance to think back on past decisions and the repercussions therein.
The fact of the matter was that he felt lost after sacrificing his powers to stop Aizen in his mad bid for the throne. The first months weren't that bad so to speak, sure it was jarring to return a semi-normal life, which was the best he could call as before he was only a participant by proxy and not the in the lead role so to speak.
Although he would most assuredly make the choice again to do what was needed to stop the madman from destroying his home and all the lives within he couldn't help but wonder what if?
What if he had been better trained?
What if he had been faster?
What if he had been stronger?
So many what if and yet no matter of wishful and/or regretful thinking would alter the past.
And yet he couldn't deny the pang of hurt every time he saw his friends rush out to take care of any nearby Hollow or how Karin would seemingly speak to a nearby ghost when she thought her brother wasn't nearby.
The expectation to hear a vertically challenged woman snark back it or a tattooed redhead shoot the breeze with him as if they were old friends.
*Hell, I am actually starting to miss Kenpachi's demands for a fight or Matsumoto's teasing. * He thinks in melancholy as the train entered a tunnel. Though his introspection was such he failed to notice a nearby electronic sign flicker momentarily with an odd set of symbols.
His train of thought was broken when the car started to rattle, the lights flicker and arcs of lightning began to appear all over.
"What in the fuck is going on!?" He says in growing worry and wondering if he was about to get into a fight, one he would not win this time. Suddenly the shaking stopped and the lights went out, the utter darkness doing nothing to calm his nerves yet just as he was about to move the lights turned on and the door opens and lets in a fine mist much to his confusion as he slowly steps forward.
Instead of concrete and train tracks, he sees only earthen walls and floors that have no place in a manmade tunnel.
"What in the world?" He whispers as he moves forward and touches the wall's rough surface just to see if he isn't dreaming.
"Ichigo Kurosaki." He suddenly hears around him in a deep booming voice.
"Who's there!?"
"Your destiny awaits." He hears again and suddenly he is no longer in a cave but a large chamber of carved and polished stone.
Looking around he sees a glowing orb of some kind, armors, and weapons of old and to his left he sees 7 statues for seven creatures locked in a pose he can only describe as defiance and anger and each named after the seven deadly sins.
Yet the main focus of his attention is drawn towards the front where he sees 7 thrones carved from stone, at the top of each was a bolt of lightning and at the base a strange symbol he did not recognize.
At the center one sat an elderly man holding a staff with the same motif at the top of the thrones. At first glance, he could be mistaken for an Aboriginal Australian but the feeling he got from him was far from anything remotely ordinary, there was a power to this man and he needed no more proof than the glowing lighting bolt on his chest.
"A-are you the one who brought me here?" The teen can't help but ask him.
The man's stern countenance remained as he nods to the boy.
"Why?"
"…you have been deemed worthy."
*Worthy? Worthy of what? * He thinks as the man rises from the throne.
"Power beyond anything you could imagine or use to in your time as a protector of the departed." The man replies as he stands before the surprised teenager.
"Y-you know about me?" Bewilderment showed clearly on his features as his mind raced at the implications as well as wondering what he means by power.
"I know much about you boy, all that I have seen tells me you are the one I have sought."
"Who are you? Where am I anyway?"
"At the dawn of time, when this world was far more chaotic and magic flowed freely I alongside my brothers and sisters made up a council of sorcerers. Our duty was to protect this world from the forces of evil that sought to subjugate or even destroy it ins its unguarded infancy." The wizard spoke solemnly as he faced the thrones and looked upon them with pride and sadness.
Ichigo can tell from experience that this man had suffered many losses as he did with his mother.
"Here in the Rock of Eternity, we defended humanity and other magical realms, we studied our craft and honed our magical powers and in times chose champions to help us defend the realms…but it all came to an end when we're betrayed." The wizard spat in anger as he conjured the image of a tall and muscular man with elven like ears, garbed in black and bearing the lightning bolt symbol on his suit.
"The betrayer was once known as Teth-Adam or Mighty Adam in your language, a man chosen as our champion and granted great powers from the gods of old, but his thirst for revenge on those who wronged him and lust for power had him wage war upon us and for this, he became known as Khem-Adam or Black Adam."
"He attacked our home and slew my brothers and sisters until only I remained. Through their sacrifice, I sealed him away and placed our fortress outside the boundaries of time and space, but for all my power and knowledge I cannot deny the passage of time and soon I will leave this world behind."
"And you need me because…"
"Because I have seen you Ichigo Kurosaki and what lies in your heart." The wizard spoke as his staff glowed and showed images of him defending Chad from bullies and later Shrieker, protecting Orihime from her corrupted brother and fighting to rescue her from Hueco Mundo, saving Rukia from execution and fighting to defend his home from Aizen.
"You went so far as to sacrifice godhood to stop the machinations of a would-be god and tyrant. You Ichigo are more than worthy to become my champion and defender of the realms." The man spoke with no boost and was pleased to have found the young man before him.
"…no, I'm not, I'm no better than him." Ichigo refutes with shame.
"Why would believe this?"
"I gave up my power sure, and if the choice was presented to me again I would do it because I don't want my home, family, and friends to be destroyed. But…but these past days all I have thought of is if I could have found a way to keep them or how to get them back or look as my friends go out and fight the Hollows and wish it was me out there. How does that make me no different than Aizen or this Adam guy who wanted power?"
"Because you are a protector, a guardian and from what I have seen you would continue to do so." Ichigo stared at the man in surprise at his answer.
"You never sought to become a defender of the spirit world but chose to do so regardless of the dangers and machinations of others. You have a fighting spirit but do not seek out needless battle, and at your core, you are a man who will defend those who cannot defend themselves because it is the right thing to do, so tell me Ichigo are you ready to become a guardian once more." The Wizard asks once more while holding out his staff towards the teen.
"…what do I do?"
"Hold my staff and say my name so that my power flow through."
"What is your name sir?" Ichigo asks as he takes hold of the glowing staff.
"Shazam."
Despite the oddness of it Ichigo felt something when it was spoken, he once heard that there is power in a name, perhaps this was evidence of it. Still, he held the staff and felt an eerie calm despite these strange circumstances before he takes a breath and says…
"Shazam!"
*KRAKOOM*
End flashback…
"When the light show ended I looked as you see me now, the wizard said that it is me at my full potential and then he literally crumbled to dust before my eyes and left only the staff and before I knew what was happening I was back on the station looking like this and getting gawked at." Ichigo finishes telling the trio who throughout the entire story.
"You know, I've been alive for a while now and I have never once heard anything about there being wizards or super-powered maniacs in all that time." Yoruichi confesses in wonder before looking at the lightning bolt insignia on his chest.
"Can I…?" The feline shapeshifter motions towards it and slowly raises her had.
"Go ahead."
Slowly reaching out for it and sees lighting shoot out and touch her fingers.
"Wow." She whispers at the sensation.
"Do you know what it is you are capable of Ichigo-dono?" Tessai asks the teen as he adjusts his glasses.
"No clue, before he died Shazam told me that I was gifted with and I quote, the Wisdom of Solomon, the Strength of Hercules, the Stamina of Atlas, the Power of Zeus, the Courage of Achilles and the Speed of Mercury."
"Interesting…" Urahara finally spoke while holding his fan up all the while his mind raced with all he had heard and the possibilities of it.
*The Rock of Eternity eh? I must check my records for any mention of this place or of this Black Adam. But first…*
"Clearly we shall need to conduct tests to determine what you are capable of now." The eccentric scientist quips joyfully while the hero looked ready to book it.
"Yeah, that's great an all but first how do I change back!? I mean I still have to go to school and what about my family? I can't go looking like this." Ichigo exclaims.
"Well, if saying the guy's name changed the first time, why not say it again while thinking about changing back?" The part-time feline says with a shrug.
Seeing no harm in trying he stands up before the trio.
"Shazam!"
*KRAKOOM!*
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"
"AGH!"
"MY SHOP!"
All three are clearly caught off guard by the sudden lighting strike and thrown back because of it while Ichigo looks and sees himself back to normal.
"It worked!" He happily shouts as he looks upon himself.
"Oh, we can tell." Yoruichi grumbles making the teen go to help her up.
"Oh shit, sorry."
"No need, we didn't know that would happen so we shall jock that down to doing testing in a more controlled manner." Urahara comments as he places his hat back on and Tessai adjusts his lenses once more as he nods in agreement.
"Right, ok then so when do we begin?" Ichigo asks as they stand up.
"Right now." Kisuke comments as he leads the group to the underground facility while thinking about how this will change things.
The end…?
A/N: So that's basically a rough idea of what I feel a Bleach/Shazam crossover would be like. Naturally, he would fight Black Adam, Sivanna, the Sins and I guess face off against the Fullbringers, Hollows, and Quincies.
I took elements from the N52 comics and animated and live-action movies so we got a hectic mish mash of them. Don't where it would set exactly as far as universes go, so take your pick and run with it.
As far as the Shazam family, well thinking about I guess the best choices are:
Tatsuki – Lady Shazam
Keigo – Shazam Jr.
Mizuhiro or Uryu – Eugene Choi's power set
As for Pedro and Darla's spot, I want to say Sado (Pedro) and Orihime (Darla) make the most sense given they are still alive because I can't think of anyone else aside from the girls who hang out with them or do something even crazier like Rukia and Renji or Nel and Grimmjow (yes I went there, why I don't know why but I did.)
But this is all a moot point because this is just a rough idea that may or may not come o fruition. Will I make it? I don't know. Can anyone give this idea life? I have no objections but would like to speak to any person who wants to tackle this.
I think I will take a crack at one more Bleach/DC idea before I move back to my mainline stories.
Once more though, stay safe out there, and despite the massive changes that have taken place things will get better in time. It won't be the same but we can and will make it through this.
