Sins, Sirens and Strife

By Michael Weyer

Shazam has inspired a bit more for this so hope you enjoy the update.

Earth-51

Belle Reeve Prison

The alarms wailed around as guards continued to pour into the hallway. Almost as soon as they did, they were driven back by blasts of magic. Two guards suddenly found themselves writhing and wailing in agony as their bones were broken and their bodies convulsing. In minutes, they were pigs racing around the ground with remnants of their uniforms around them. Balder was cutting down a guard with a sword as Amora waved a hand to set another on fire.

They finally came to a large doorway. Circe nodded as she pulled back her fist and it came loose from its hinges. The lone occupant of the cell started before rising to his feet. He was a bald man in a dark prison suit, one eye appearing unfocused and glazed behind his glasses. However, he appeared surprisingly calm as he saw the two women enter.

"Dr. Thaddeus Sivana," Circe announced. "My colleague and I would have some words with you."

"Indeed," Sivana said in a strong voice. "Would the subject involve a certain temple neither of you can find?"

He had to smirk at the surprised glance between the two witches. "We had foreseen someone coming sooner or later."

Circe glanced about. "We? I do hope you haven't started talking to yourself. That's never a good sign."

"He was referring to me." The two women turned to see the small jar sitting on the table inside the cell. Inside it was what appeared to be a green caterpillar with some sort of electronic box around its waist. "I had sensed your arrival upon this world. And I believe I know what it is you seek."

Most people, when met by what appeared to be a caterpillar talking through an electronic box, would just gape in disbelief. Circe and Amora merely shrugged it off. "And you would know where it is?" Amora asked.

"Yes," the caterpillar stated. "And only we can lead you to it."

"Perhaps…" Amora smiled before leaning in to give Sivana a long kiss. She pulled back with a smile…which faded when Sivana merely smirked at her. "Thank you for that," he said in a mocking tone. "It has been quite a long time."

"What…" Amora frowned. "How can you…"

Circe had to lean in to whisper. "Performance issues, dear?"

Sivana kept smiling. "Thanks to my…experience…and my partnership with Mister Mind…I am immune to most forms of magical control." He brought himself up. "Which means the only way you find what you want is to bring us with you."

Circe glared at him. "I can rip the information from your mind very easily."

"But not mine," Mister Mind, the caterpillar, stated. "Do not be fooled by my size, woman. I am far stronger and more of a threat than you can imagine." He leaned forward. "However, our goals do appear to be intertwined so I'm willing to add a few more chattering monkeys to this little band of ours."

"Hey!" a voice called out from another cell. "Hey, Sivana! If you're gonna have some fun, let me out too!" Circe frowned as she looked out the hallway and into the window of the next cell. Inside was a small man with a twisted expression on his face. While he may have been small in size, it was clear from the twisted look in his eyes that he was a dangerous figure.

Circe looked over to Sivana. "Friend of yours?"

"Stanley Printwhistle," Sivana explained. "Currently serving eight life sentences after blowing up a city bridge as part of a twisted protest. Frankly rather annoying company but then I'm hardly one to talk…"

Circe pursed her lips as she looked into the cell. She waved her hand to open it and face Printwhistle. "Hmmm….such darkness in you. Greater than your size would indicate." She looked over her shoulder at Amora. "We had discussed a…test subject...for that gem?" She nodded to Printwhistle, who was now looking less sure of himself.

Amora smiled as she stepped forward, removing the gem to let it float in the air. Sivana was watching from his own cell with scientific fascination as the two women chanted under their breaths. They threw out their hands to unleash bolts of energy upon the gem. It spun about before bathing Printwhistle in its energies. At first, the man gasped in pain but then shook under its effects, his body shifting about.

Circe smiled. "Oh yes…it is working. Accept it, Stanley! The Terror of Ivan! The Cunning of Cesare Borgia! The Fierceness of Atilla the Hun! The Cruelty of Caligula!" Her smile brightened. "Say the word!"

Printwhistle cried out as he arched back to scream "Ibac!" A blast of lightning seemed to cover him. It faded to show Printwhistle had transformed. He was now over six feet tall, bald and his muscular form bulging with power. His prison uniform was now stretched over the body yet somehow managed to stay on and show off his new physique. He clenched his fists and grinned wildly. "Yes…oh, yes, this is amazing!"

Amora smiled. "I assume you'll be joining us?'

"Baby, for the power you just gave me? I'm yours!"

"Good. And never call me baby."

Sivana was picking up the jar as he faced the duo. "Right now, we will have more reinforcements coming soon. Perhaps we should just get going before we continue this conversation?"

Circe nodded as she waved her hands. A cloud of purple smoke covered them and they vanished just as a pack of officers in SWAT uniforms burst into the now empty cell.

Gotham City

"This is your headquarters?" Thor mused as he looked around the Justice League's manor. "It feels…homely."

"It is a home," Jane pointed out. She and Thor were in their regular outfits alongside Sif and Valkyrie. Sif was in her usual armor while Valkyrie had hers in a bag. Instead, she was clad in her "everyday clothes" of a tight leather suit that showed off her form nicely. Diana was leading them into the main meeting room where the rest of the League had gathered.

Superman nodded to the group. "Good to see you all again." He motioned to Green Lantern. "This is John Stewart, one of the Green Lanterns. Sort of an interstellar police force."

Thor and Jane both exchanged quick handshakes. Diana's eyes fell on the younger man with the group. He was handsome with a boyish face, his muscled form clad in a nearly solid red suit. A short white cape with a hood was draped around his shoulders. At the center of his chest was a bright yellow lightning bolt that seemed to glow. "Holey Moley," he said, staring at Diana. "It's…wow…so cool to meet you!"

Superman nodded. "Diana, this is Shazam, that new hero from Philadelphia." Diana shook hands with the man who just stared at her in wonder. "Wow, you are so much hotter in person. God, I can't believe I said that!"

Diana had the smile of someone used to this treatment. "A pleasure to meet you." She glanced to Superman. "Are we already expanding?"

"No," he answered as he waved them to the main meeting table. "But a new development that required us to call on Shazam."

"Actually, I kinda call myself Captain Thunder," the man stated. "I know, cheesy but somehow, papers got hold of the other name and it started to get around. So, um, I use that other name, just kinda personal preference but you can call me either, really, it's cool!" He saw Batman glaring at him and swallowed.

Thor was still glancing around. "Hmmm….it's not bad, to be sure."

"That's what you say," Darcy remarked. She was holding a large bag over her shoulders which she dropped down. She was still amazed at the trip to an alternate Earth yet contained her attitude. "Come on, a super-hero team working out of a mansion? How lame is that?"

She was cut off from more as she saw Batman glaring at her. "Wow, you are the scariest man I have ever been attracted to."

Batman just hit some buttons to activate the holographic display. "There was an attack at Belle Reeve," he announced. The display showed security feeds of Amora marching with Balder. Thor grit his teeth watching his friend slash a guard down with his sword. Jane had to put a hand to his shoulder to calm him.

Diana's eyes widened at the other woman with Amora. "By Hera…Circe."

"Whoa," Green Lantern said as he held up a hand. "As in the Greek myths?"

"Which we call history," Diana stated. "A wicked sorceress who clashed with the Amazons centuries ago. She was defeated and then imprisoned in a magical temple. It appears Amora has forged an alliance with her."

"The reason Shazam is here is because of who they broke out." Batman hit another button to show the image of a bald man. "Dr. Thaddeus Sivana . Once a respected scholar until he went on a rampage in Philadelphia."

Shazam licked his lips. "Yeah, that was…sorta me." He saw everyone looking at him and took a deep breath. "Okay, this may sound crazy…" He took in the group before him. "Or not. I got my powers from this wizard who had spent years looking for a champion. Sivana was one of the many who got offered but failed his test and got sent back. Guess the guy became obsessed with it over the years. He found a way to access the Wizard's temple and unleashed these spirits who embodied the Seven Sins."

Wonder Woman nodded. "The Rock of Eternity…my mother had talked of it once. They did not have much contact with that Wizard but respected his place."

Shazam nodded. "So, Sivana stole the power and the Wizard just had enough left to give to me so I could be his champion. Me and Sivana fought and with some help, I got the Sins out of him. The authorities locked him up but looks like he's out now."

"Huh," Green Lantern noted as he looked at the image of Sivana. "Weird. He kind of reminds me of Sinestro."

The image showcased the transformation of Printwhistle which threw everyone. "Whoa," the Flash intoned. "Serious upgrade."

Diana sighed. "Circe always had a flair for transformations. If she and Amora can bring about such in any random person, the power of that gem is even greater than we suspected."

Batman glanced to Thor. "What can you tell us about her? Her character?"

Sif snorted. "What character?"

Thor held up a hand. "She is…petty. Vain to the extreme. Frankly, it's not that she's evil so much as just a schemer."

Diana shook her head. "With Circe, she's evil all right. That witch is a twisted monster who lives to gain more power. Whatever she and Amora are plotting cannot be good."

"I've got scanners working to detect them," Batman intoned. "Between that power and the different vibrational frequencies from another reality, they should stand out."

"Except Amora is no fool," Thor pointed out. "She will be careful to mask herself."

Superman was cocking his head. "Damn, I have to go. Earthquake in Turkey. I'll be back soon." In a blur he was gone.

Darcy blinked. "He's…flying to Turkey. Damn, that dude is awesome." She saw Jane looking at her. "Sorry but he is!"

"More tea?" As always, Alfred Pennyworth was a calming presence in the manor, offering some refreshments to the guests inside the main library of Wayne Manor. Darcy accepted as she munched on a cookie. "Okay, first thing we do when we get back? Tell Tony we need a butler."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Come on, I mean it!" Darcy pressed. "Put out an ad, butler for the Avengers, it'll be great!"

Thor was looking over one of the large volumes as Aquaman came up to him. "So…hear you're a ruler too," Arthur began.

"My kingdom isn't much at the moment," Thor was forced to admit. "But yes…I suppose I am still a king." He sniffed. "It's strange. I spent so long wanting it to the point of ignoring what truly makes a king. I was foolish and arrogant and my father rightly punished me. Yet now that I finally have the throne…I realize how empty it is."

"Huh." Arthur leaned on a shelf. "Funny. I never wanted to be king at all. I was happy just hanging around, occasionally helping folks and drinking. Now that I am…I realize just how much responsibility it is. Even with my mom and Mera helping, it's a huge deal."

"My father spent years trying to remind me of the responsibility," Thor noted. "Sadly, I didn't listen to him until too late." He shook his head. "So much time and potential wasted…and now Asgard is ruined."

"But at least you got your own people now," Arthur pointed out. "Believe me, I spent too long pushing folks back. Opening up is really a lot better."

Thor smiled as he put a hand to his shoulder. "A promise here, King Arthur. When this is done, you shall show me your favorite spot on this world to indulge in drink!"

"Now that's an offer I can take," Arthur grinned.

Darcy was flipping through a book with some interest. "Huh. No HYDRA on this world, just your regular run of the mill Nazis. And really not much in truly freaky stuff until Supes came along."

"Sounds a bit calmer," Jane noted.

"And boring," Valkyrie said as she paced around. The woman had always struck Jane as a restless sort and clearly just sitting around waiting for something to happen wasn't working out well for her. "Are we going to get involved in some action here or what?"

"We'll get to some, don't worry," Thor replied.

"Hmmm...course could be a different type of action." Valkyrie smiled at Alfred. "Tell me, are the Bat and the Amazon an item? Wouldn't mind joining in."

"Ugh, threesomes are a hassle," Darcy remarked. "All those limbs mingling around and figuring out whose butt is touching whose, just way too much work."

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you're speaking from experience."

"...No."

Thor rolled his eyes. "I'm in the position of offering calm counsel. My mother must be laughing from Valhalla."

Jane had to smile from the couch as she accepted more tea from Alfred. She saw Shazam enter to nod at Alfred. "Isn't that outfit a little uncomfortable?"

"Well, yeah, a bit." Shazam admitted. "But it's kind of hard to get out of it. I mean…it's complicated…" He waved a hand. "Just kind of want to keep it quiet for now."

"Huh, you guys still go for secret identities here?" Darcy sipped her drink. "Seems a waste."

"They prefer it" Alfred stated as he cleaned up some of the dishes on a nearby table. "Master Bruce is hoping you accept his privacy and don't go broadcasting his real name."

"Your boss is a wee bit intense," Darcy noted.

"He has his reasons," Alfred allowed.

Valkyrie threw back her drink. Alfred frowned. "Is that from the wine cellar?"

"Yeah, you need a new lock." Alfred just let out a tired sigh.

An alarm echoed through the mansion as the group came to attention. They filed into the meeting room as Batman was activating the holograph table to show a map. "We have a hit," he intoned. "Metropolis Natural History Museum."

"I'm on it," Superman noted as he headed to the door.

"As are we," Thor said as he and Jane were soon moving with. "We can get there faster." The group gathered around them as Thor and Jane both studied the map. They looked to each other and nodded as they slammed Mjlonir and Stormbreaker together. A flash of lightning ripped out as the room was now empty. Alfred looked to Darcy who brushed down her fired-up hair. "So….You have Real Housewives on this world?"

Usually, the Metropolis Natural History Museum was a quiet place on a weekday. Right now, the mood was one of sheer and utter panic much as in New York a day before. Tourists were racing to get out of the way of a massive chest tossed through the air like a child's toy. A few guards and guides were helping them escape while others made the fatal mistake of trying to stop the intruders and paying for it.

Circe was letting out a playful whistle as she marched through the hallways in the Egyptian wing of the museum. It was well decorated with huge statues of various animal figures such as jackals and others and replicas of mummies alongside the various jewels and other artifacts. "Ah, this is so wonderful. You know how long it's been since I had this much fun?" She waved a hand to incinerate a guard.

Amora had to smile with her. Behind them, Sivana was keeping calm as he marched, holding the jar with Mind in his hands. Balder followed him as Ibac threw a guard across the room before hurrying to join them. "See, I told you we'd have a blast."

Circe's eyes narrowed as she saw a nearby case containing what looked to be an ancient tablet. "Is that is?"

Sivana moved forward, nodding as he took in the tablet. "Yes. I had heard of this before the events with the Sins. It shouldn't be too difficult to translate…"

A blast of light echoed as the group spun about. They saw the League there alongside Thor, Thunderstrike, Sif and Valkyrie. Amora's eyes narrowed as she saw them. "Well, well. The fair-haired prince has returned. It's been too long, Thor."

Thor glared at her. "Once chance, Amora. Release Balder and give yourself up or suffer."

"Oh, Thor, you always said the nicest things."

Circe smiled as she took in Diana. "Ah, yes. Clearly Hippolyta's offspring. I can see you have her eyes. I can't wait to have them."

Wonder Woman was moving in as Circe threw out her hands. Magical energy ripped out to cover the nearby statues. They shivered and glowed before coming to life and moving in. Aquaman ducked a blow from a jackal as the Flash was racing to evacuate what civilians were left from the area. Cyborg was raising up his arm into a cannon only for Ibac to grab his arm. Cyborg gasped in surprise as the man crushed his arm easily. Ibac laughed as he punched Cyborg back. "Oh, this is terrific!"

Thor moved in toward Amora as Jane joined him. The sorceress noted the weapons and raised an eyebrow. "Wait…the Son of Odin not worthy of Mjlonir but some…mortal is? Your father must love that."

Thor paused and shook his head. "You don't know."

Amora frowned. "Know what?"

"My father is dead," Thor told her. "Asgard is gone. There is nothing left for you to rule."

Amora's smile faltered as she realized he was serious. "What?"

"There's no throne for you," Sif snapped. "Nothing but fire and ash."

"Give it up now," Thor pressed.

Amora took a moment then shrugged. "Fine. I'll make do in this world." She nodded as Balder lunged at Thor, who barely blocked his sword with his axe. "Balder, fight it!" he yelled. "You're stronger than that witch!"

"That witch is my beloved!" Balder snapped as he slammed Thor against a nearby case. "She saved me from death!"

"She corrupted you!" Thor retorted. "Remember who you are!"

Balder's reply was to smash him once more with his blade. Nearby, Green Lantern was throwing out a beam from his ring to cover Circe and Amora. The two witches seemed more amused than anything as they each struck out with their magics. Green Lantern was taken aback at the sudden assault, doing his best to maintain the shield. However, the combined power of the duo just increased. In a blast of energy, the shield shattered as Green Lantern was sent flying hard against a wall and collapsed in a heap.

Nearby, Superman was trading punches with Ibac, surprised at how strong the man was. Shazam sped in to grab Ibac from behind and lift him up. He threw him back, the man smashing into a nearby case. "Oooooh, I hope they're not expecting me to pay for that," Shazam said with a wince.

Batman was moving fast to avoid the attacks and head toward Sivana. He was nearly there when something spewed out from the case at the man's side. Batman was thrown as some strange white substance covered his body. His confusion grew to alarm as he realized whatever this was had become hard and binding. Within moments, the Dark Knight was on the floor, helpless in the strange binding.

The Flash was racing back in when the same strange material hit the ground in front of him. Flash jarred in place, amazed to find he was stuck to the ground.

Sivana threw a surprised look at Mister Mind. "I told you I had other talents, Doctor," the being replied. "Now back to work."

Flash looked to Batman. "Did…the caterpillar just talk?"

Wonder Woman was fighting through the attacking statues just in time to see several of the replica mummies also attack. Sif and Valkyrie were fighting them as it became clear the magic was making them into stronger beings. She moved to Circe, raising her shield in time to block a blast of fire. "I'll make sure to have you in Tartarus this time," Diana snapped.

Circe laughed. "Oh, you are so much like your mother. I do so owe her for my own anguish and pain."

"Which you fully deserved." Diana blocked a blow. "What is your game, this time, Circe?"

"Oh, rather simply." Circe smiled. "As I understand it, the Greek Gods are dead by now. Which means someone has to take their place."

Diana shook her head. "Never."

"Never say never, princess," Circe intoned as she threw out her hands to fire another blast of fire which Diana dodged

Amora was leaping to avoid Jane's attack just as Superman was knocked back by a blow from Ibac. He was shaking his head to recover when Amora grabbed him. Before Superman could react, she pressed her lips onto his. Superman shook hard before his eyes flashed. Amora stepped back with a smile. "Be a dear and deal with them, won't you?'

"Of course," Superman said in a flat voice. In a blur, he was tackling Thor, sending the man flying through a wall. "Ooooh that's not very good," Shazam groaned as he chased after them. Amora turned in time to throw a blast of magic at Jane, knocking her back. "Sivana?" she called out. "Not to add pressure but we're in a bit of a rush here…"

Shazam was chasing Superman and Thor, watching as the two smashed through another wall and then into the large courtyard outside the museum. The two were exchanging harsh blows, each determined to bring down the other. Shazam winced as he saw blood fly form Thor's nose and realized Superman wasn't holding back. He moved quickly to grab the man and try and hold him. "Okay, I'm really sorry about this but clearly, you're not yourself so…"

Superman snarled as he shoved Shazam back. The younger man winced but managed to catch one of the punches in his hand. He actually stared at it in surprise before instinct took over and he was able to belt Superman in the face. Thor raised up Stormbreaker and concentrated as a blast of lightning smashed down into Superman. He winced but kept on the attack. Shazam took advantage to punch Superman again, gasping at the pain in his knuckles but kept on.

Inside, Jane was the one trying to defend against Balder as he attacked her. Sif was with her, blocking his blade with her own. "Dammit, Balder, get your head together!" she snapped. His own reply was another slash of the blade.

Outside, Thor and Shazam were doing their best to still contain Superman. Green Lantern had recovered to try and help them both. Shazam grabbed Superman around the arms, pinning him back. He bit his lip as he looked to Lantern. "Put a shield over us!" Lantern frowned as Shazam continued. "Do it!"

Something in his tone convinced Lantern to do so, covering the area over them with a green bubble. Taking a deep breath, the younger red-suited man cried out "SHAZAM!"

From out of nowhere, a bolt of lightning ripped downward to smash into the pair. Both Thor and Green Lantern were taken aback by the sudden blast as Thor could tell this was no ordinary bolt of electricity. In the midst of the smoke, they both swore they saw some smaller shape inside with Superman. Before either could react, they heard the word again, this time in a softer voice. "SHAZAM!" Once more, the bolt of lightning struck. "SHAZAM !

"SHAZAM!

"SHAZAM!

SHAZAM!" Which each word, another bolt hit.

Finally, the smoke faded to show Superman slumping unconscious in the hands of Shazam. The younger man breathed a sigh of relief as Green Lantern lowered the shield. "Wow….so glad that worked." He moaned before collapsing himself into Thor's arms.

Sivana stood up. "I have it!"

"About bloody time," Circe muttered as she threw out her hands. A wave of magical energy ripped outward to knock the entire League off their feet along with the others. Circe brought her hands together to create a smoke that covered her allies. In seconds, they were gone. As one, the various statues and mummies collapsed into the inanimate objects they had been.

Flash winced as he tried to pull his foot out of the strange webbing. "This really isn't going to look good in our archives, is it?"

"All right," Green Lantern intoned as the League gathered in their main chamber. "Clearly, we went into this a bit cocky."

Diana sighed as she sat at the side. The group was clearly feeling the aches of the fight. Superman in particular seemed more shaken than usual as he gladly accepted some coffee from Alfred. "Circe's power was greater than I anticipated."

"Amora's as well," Sif stated. "She was never that strong before. She must have been teaching herself some tricks since her exile."

"Speaking of tricks," Batman intoned as he rose to his feet. He fixed Shazam with a glare that had the younger man slinking back. "How?'

Shazam blinked. "Um, what?"

"How did you beat him?" Batman motioned to Superman. "Your strength levels are great, greater than we thought. But to handle Kal cutting loose? With that lightning? How?"

Shazam licked his lips. "Um, luck? Or, skill. Skill! That was it, lots and lots of skill and…" He saw Batman coming closer. "Oh, wow, you really are scary up close."

"Batman," Diana began as she rose to her feet.

"Talk or Diana uses the lasso."

"That's not your call to make," Diana snapped.

Batman looked at her. "We learned the hard way about not trusting each other. If he's holding something back that can affect this team, we have to know it now."

Shazam looked at them and sighed. "Okay, um…try not to freak out too much…" Stepping back, he took a deep breath. "SHAZAM!"

Once more, the lightning struck to blind everyone. When it faded, in the hero's place was a young dark-haired teenager in simple jeans and a red shirt. "Um…hi." He made a short wave. "Billy Batson."

Dead silence filled the room as everyone stared at him. Not surprisingly, the Flash was the one who broke it. "All right, from here on out, no one is allowed to mock me on my age again."

"You gotta be kidding me," Darcy muttered. "A kid? You're what, 12?"

"Fifteen!" Billy fired back. He paused and shrugged. "Basically."

Superman was amazed as he stood up. "How did…"

"Yeah, long story but that wizard I told you about? When he found me, I was like this and told me I had to get his name so took his staff, it's not what you think, said his name, Shazam…"

Once more, the lightning flashed and the hero was before them, wincing at the way everyone was thrown back and holding their ears. "Ah, sorry. I've been working on how I can say it without causing the transformation but it's been tricky."

Thor shook his head. "A child? The wizard gave this to…a child?"

"To be fair, he was almost out of power so I wasn't exactly top choice," Billy admitted. "But I'd like to think I've been using it okay. I admit, was a bit of a jerk about it but thankfully got my head on straight."

"Magic…" Diana looked to Superman. "That's how it was able to affect you so much." Superman had to nod at that.

Batman shook his head. "We're not trusting a child with this."

"Okay, first of all, dude, it's not your call," Shazam snapped at him. "He gave me the power, not you. Second, I've been at this for a few months and no real complaints. Third, if it wasn't for me, Supes would still be under Amora's spell! I tapped into the wisdom of Solomon which told me, it was possible the lightning could subdue him."

"He's right," Superman stated. "That magic was powerful. I wasn't thinking of Lois at all, just her. I'd have killed all of you to win her favor." He looked to Shazam. "Thank you for stopping me."

"Any time. Actually, no, not any time because that was really hard and hated it so let's never do it again."

Jane coughed to get everyone's attention. "I'm sure this is a topic worth delving into later but right now, we have to figure out what they wanted at that museum."

"I got images of the tablet," Cyborg said, hitting the hologram to bring them up. "According to the museum, it came from a dig of a temple in Kahndaq. It was supposed to be from some area the locals said was long cursed." He shrugged. "Funny how I can actually think they have something about that today."

"Any idea what it says?" Thor asked.

Cyborg shook his head. "Almost no one around knows that language."

"No one except Sivana," Shazam said. "Now he's with Amora and Circe."

"And can we once more point out that somehow they have a talking caterpillar?" Flash pointed out.

Batman looked to Cyborg. "Get everything you can about Khanduq and that temple. Whatever their goal is…it's tied into there."

Khanduq

"Ugh, I'm really getting a bit tired of these temples," Amora noted as the group made their way through the dusty hallways of the pyramid. Circe was using her magic to light the way before them as the others followed, Amora despising the dust hanging to her dress. "Are you certain this is it, Sivana?"

"I have spent my entire life studying everything about the Rock of Eternity and its legends," the scientist responded. "Much has been lost to time and dismissed as myth. I know the truth, that these "myths" are the true history today's world ignores."

He led the way into the main chamber, letting them see a large human-shaped rock inside a huge pit. "Here," Sivana breathed. "As I always knew it….He was locked and sealed away millennia ago by the Wizard and his council. Condemned for what they saw as misuse of his power."

"I remember," Circe stated, looking down upon the pit. "The path of chaos he caused…The destruction left in its wake…"She let out a sigh. "It was intoxicating. I never met him but I had to admire it."

Sivana looked at the coffin within the pit and nodded. "No normal force could possibly break the bond upon this rock."

"Good thing we're not normal," Amora noted. She looked to Circe who smiled back at her. The two grasped hands together as they changed in unison. The temple seemed to shake under their mutual magics as Savina, Ibac and Balder all stepped back. The two women kept their chanting up before breaking their hands and firing beams at the rock below them. It cracked and then began shaking as a sound echoed that resembled a massive gasp for breath.

The rock exploded outward as the group ducked down. Smoke filled the chamber as the figure slowly came up to his feet. He was a tall and powerfully built man with pointed ears and a short haircut. He rose up to show his solid black suit with yellow boots notable by the huge lightning bolt upon his chest. Savina had to note that his costume, except for colors, was a nearly exact match for Shazam's.

He brought himself up to glare at the group. "One reason I do not slaughter you all where you stand," he said in a powerful voice.

"The fact that we're the ones who freed you," Amora noted. "That may merit some gratitude."

The figure glared at her. "Who are you? More importantly…where is the Wizard?" He flexed his fingers.

"The Wizard is dead," Sivana stated. Instantly, the black-garbed man wrapped his hand around his neck and lifted Savina off the ground. "You lie!"

Sivana shook his head as much as he could. "No…No, it is true. I briefly held the power of the Seven Sins. Until his new champion defeated me…"

"New…Champion?" The man's eyes flared as he let Savina go, the man landing in a heap gasping for breath. "Another with his power? Who?"

"Aid us," Circe stated. "And he's all yours. As will be your kingdom."

He nodded as he crossed his arms. "Very well. As long as his power is mine for the taking."

Sivana smiled. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you…Black Adam."

This ended up a bit longer than planned but wanted to get in a classic Superman/Shazam fight in there. And of course, hard to have Shazam without his arch-enemy around. As you can see, things are getting more complex so all reviews welcomed.