To Fly Again

by Cynthia Finnegan

Earth-S fic. To save a loved one, Mary Marvel must face her fears.

To Fly Again
By Cynthia Finnegan, a.k.a. ShazamGrrl

PROLOGUE

The demoness looked into the flames and saw her foe. As she looked, her own features began to shift. Her straight, black hair became wavy and honey-brown. Her slitted, yellow eyes changed to light blue. Her brown skin became pale and her clawed hands and feet smoothed into more a human-looking form. She saw her alterations in a fetid pool and laughed. She had become a doppelganger of her foe.

'Soon, Mary,' The demoness Blaze thought, still laughing. 'Very soon now, I'll have you, body and soul...'

CHAPTER ONE: Broken Wings

'What on Earth's the matter with me?' Mary Batson thought to herself. 'I've seen people die horribly before, but to tell Billy and Freddy that I'm chucking it all and moving? That's not like me at all. And the looks Mom and Dad gave me at the airport; they were heartbroken. I guess they thought that I'd change my mind and go to NYU. I'm beginning to think that I should've.'

Mary had been regretting every decision she'd made since she landed at LAX. Especially the decision to retire her alter-ego, Mary Marvel, the World's Mightiest Girl. Ever since she arrived at UCLA, there had been nothing but trouble.

Although she didn't know it yet, 'Trouble' came in the form of the demoness Blaze, who had been after Mary, her twin brother Billy and Freddy Freeman for the longest time, since they entered Blaze's realm to rescue Mr. Bromfield, Mary's adoptive father. Blaze had been trying to get her hooks into her ever since. Unbeknownst to Mary, Blaze had finally succeeded, thanks to her minion, one Nick Damiano, by name.

Mary looked at herself critically one more time. That lousy perm she had gotten was finally laying right, and her new outfit would surely impress Freddy, who would be visiting today.

'Maybe I should talk to Freddy about my run-in with Blaze,' Mary couldn't help thinking. 'I can't talk to Billy about it; he'd want to march straight down to her realm and confront her, and I don't want him to get hurt.'

'I WILL tell Freddy about what happened. And if Blaze wants a fight, she'll have a big one on her clawed hands. I'm just the girl to give her one,' Mary thought with grim determination.

CHAPTER TWO- Girls Talk

"Hey, Mary!" Mary's roommate, Linda, called out from the bathroom. "Wow, you look awesome! Got a hot date?"

Mary grinned and said, "Something like that. A friend of mine's visiting and I wanted to look nice."

Linda made a decidedly unladylike snort. "He have a brother?"

"Yeah, but I don't think that Chris is your type."

A tall, statuesque girl with dark auburn hair entered and asked, "Who's 'Chris', and why wouldn't he be Lee's type? He's breathing, isn't he?"

Mary remembered her; she was a pre-med. student named Samantha.

"Chris wouldn't be Lin's type because he's too young for her."

Sam, who could almost match Captain Marvel for height, applied her lipstick in the mirror.

"How young?" she asked after blotting her lips with a tissue.

"Fourteen," Mary responded nonchalantly.

"That's young," Linda said.

"You know, I really like living in an all-girls dorm," Sam quipped, changing the subject. "No guys hogging all the hot water!"

"At least its not like the restroom at my sister's law firm back in Boston," a pretty Asian named Tamryn chimed in. Tamryn, like Sam, was pre-med.

"How's that?" Mary asked innocently enough.

"Unisex; ladies AND gents."

Linda, Samantha and Mary all cried out "Eeewww!" in unison, with Linda adding "That is so gross!"

Mary lingered long enough to apply some blush and a pale pink lipcolor. She had looked a little wan of late, and the blush gave her a bit of color. She checked her pale blue sweater and jeans once again when a clap of thunder struck, seemingly from across the quad.

"Well, I'd better get going," she said. "My friend's here, and I don't want to keep him waiting!"

Mary ran down the stairs, out the door, and walked briskly to the quad. When she arrived, she searched for a familiar face among the unfamiliar ones. She found who she was searching for and called his name.

"Freddy!"

CHAPTER THREE-Little Earthquakes

"Hello, gorgeous," the handsome young man called out, his face split in a broad grin.

"Hi yourself, handsome," Mary replied as she gave him an affectionate hug. "Oooh, Freddy, I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too, Mary. Now ease up, or you'll burst my spleen!"

"Oh! Sorry," she said contritely, releasing her hold on him.

"Don't be. If it weren't for this," he held up his crutch for a moment, "I'd've squished you, too." As Freddy put his arm around her, he felt Mary tense for an instant, then relax.

'Amazing,' he thought, 'from what Billy told me, I was half-expecting the Wildwoman of Borneo, but she looks absolutely beautiful.' "So," he added. "What's been going on since you left?"

With that, she blurted out all the trouble she'd had since she arrived in L.A., not even leaving out the smallest detail. And, as she promised herself earlier, she even told Freddy about her confrontation with Blaze. As he listened to her intently, an earthquake chose that moment to strike. The tremor was strong enough to knock the pair off their feet.

"WHOA!" Freddy exclaimed. "Was that what I THINK it was?!"

"Yup, 'fraid so. I don't know how anyone EVER gets used to them."

"What do you want to do about Blaze?" he asked, retrieving his crutch.

"You believe me?!" Mary exclaimed as she helped him to his feet.

"Of course I believe you. Your story's too fantastic NOT to be true. So, what do you want to do?"

"I---I don't know; go to her realm, confront her, get her to leave us alone, something. Anything!" She took a deep breath. "Will you help me, Freddy? I'd ask Billy, but I don't want to put him in any danger. Besides, you know how over-protective he gets sometimes."

Freddy's response to Mary's question surprised them both.

He kissed her.

Granted, it was only a lingering brush of his lips to hers, but a kiss is still a kiss, right?

After they parted, he said, "All you had to do was ask."

Shortly, they began to look for a secluded area to say their magick words. Mary had been worried about that; it had been months since she used her powers. When they found a good location, they faced each other and cried:

"SHAZAM!"

"CAPTAIN MARVEL!"

The two were answered by a twin blast of magick lightning, transforming them into Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. 'This feels so...right,' Mary thought. 'I should've never given this up.'

"You ready?" Junior asked.

"I'm ready. Let's go. I'd like to stop at the Rock of Eternity first and talk to the wizard. Then next stop, Blaze's realm."

On an Abyssal plain, a pair of bright blue eyes peer into a ball of flames, watching the pair rocket into the sky, and laughed. The demoness's laughter began to change from a harsh raven's caw to a much softer, almost familiar tone.

"Oh, this is too perfect!" Blaze said, laughter still bubbling in her throat. "Instead of just Mary's soul, and yours, my sweet, I'll have Freddy Freeman's as well! I couldn't have PLANNED this better!"

As the demoness's changed laughter rang out, the lesser demons cowered, trying to hide from their mistress, and her captive, bound and gagged in the shadows, struggled to break free.

INTERLUDE ONE

"Hello, Billy Batson's office, may I help you?" Joan Jameson asked into the receiver.

On the other end of the line was Dudley, Billy's 'uncle'. The elder gentleman sounded concerned.

"Ah, Ms. Jameson," Dudley exclaimed, "thank heavens I got you! Is my nephew there, by any chance?"

"No. He hasn't been here since the night before last. He said he wasn't feeling well and left early. I thought he was over that bout of pneumonia."

"He was, and I don't believe he was relapsing."

"Have you tried him at home?" Joan tried to sound optimistic.

"I have, m'dear; he's not there, either. Ms. Jameson, I am truly worried about the lad."

"Well, what about Freddy? Has HE seen Billy?"

"Freddy hied himself to the City of Angels this morning to visit with Mary. I don't expect him back until late tonight."

Dudley paused for a moment, as a look of horror flitted across his features. "I'm beginning to suspect that Billy's been abducted."

"Are you SURE?"

"Not entirely, but it would explain a few things."

"Look, Dudley, I'll keep a watch out for him, but if Billy doesn't show up in one of his usual haunts, call the police, because if he's in trouble, it might not be something that Captain Marvel can get him out of."

CHAPTER FOUR- Master And Servant

Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. rocketed away from the campus. They flew faster and faster, until they exceeded the speed of light, which flung them out of the space-time Continuum. As they approached the fabled Rock of Eternity, the young heroes saw that the old wizard, Shazam, was not alone.

"Greetings, my children. I know that you have come about Blaze, but there is something urgent that..."

"Uncle Dudley? What are you doing here?" Mary interrupted as she landed beside the elder gentleman.

"Mary! Freddy, m'lad! Have either of you seen Billy at all lately?" Dudley queried, almost frantic.

"No, Unc," Cap Jr. replied. "I haven't seen him since he got back from visiting Mary a couple of weeks ago. Why? What's wrong?"

Dudley faced the pair. A certain amount of dread crept into his voice as he spoke.

"Billy's disappeared. His secretary said that no one at WHIZ has seen him for two days. I also checked with the Potters; they hadn't seen hide nor hair of him, either."

"Oh, no; please god, don't let her have him," Mary whispered fervently.

Shazam finally got a word in, and it wasn't good. "I'm afraid so, child. Blaze has your twin captive in her realm. She means to use him as bait for you."

"Why?" She demanded.

"So she can finish what she started weeks ago; stealing your souls."

On the Abyssal plain, Blaze, looking more and more like Mary, 'interrogated' her captive again. She felt a perverse pleasure in this one's torment, slowing the young man's time-sense so that his torture would raise more power. His entire body was a mass of cuts and bruises in various stages of healing, and all he felt was searing, intense pain.

"Shuh...shazaah..." he moaned, trying to get the word out, his voice a hoarse whisper from screaming.

"Ssshh, my sweet, your sister will come for you soon, I promise," the demoness answered, wiping a drop of blood from the fresh gash on his cheek.

"Wh...why ah...are you...doing this to...to her?"

"Oh, let me think...because I FEEL LIKE IT? Because the three of you sneak into my realm... MY REALM!... and steal her foster father's SOUL from me?! And then you return him to the living? THAT isn't done, not without a forfeit. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because you're my father's favorites.

"THAT'S why you're here. I don't forgive and I don't forget. One of you owes me my due, a soul, and I just want to take my pick."

"No..."

"Yes. They'll be here soon, sweetling, your sister and your friend. I'd better put you where they'll find you easily, then, the trap will be set."

Blaze looks at the smudge of blood she wiped from Billy Batson's face. 'The blood of an Innocent is always the sweetest,' she thought with a smile.

INTERLUDE TWO

Four months ago...

'How long have I been at this?' Captain Marvel thought as the hours of fighting Black Adam began blurring together. Thanks to Atlas's Stamina, he was far from tired, but the seemingly endless battle was getting monotonous, and they had somehow managed to lose Mary and Junior a while ago. And to top things off, Adam seemed to be leading the Captain towards Hudson Bay.

"I have definitely had enough of this," he said as he swung a haymaker at Adam's pointed chin. The villain dodged the oncoming blow with unnerving ease, and before Cap could regain his bearings, Adam snaked his hand out and grabbed the hero's face like a vise. Adam's fingers dug into his foe's cheekbones and lower jaw, while the palm of his hand was pressed tightly over Cap's mouth to keep him quiet.

Captain Marvel had even tried biting him, but Adam had positioned his hand in such a way as to prevent the hero from moving his jaws at all. As the World's Mightiest Villain held his struggling enemy, he shot the World's Mightiest Mortal a look of venomous triumph. Adam knew he had the younger man at a disadvantage as he uttered a single word:

"SHAZAM!"

Adam watched the magic lightning arc towards them. At the last possible instant, he twisted them both around so that the thunderbolt struck Captain Marvel, changing him back into his mortal form of Billy Batson. The shock on Billy's face was quickly replaced by terror as the black-clad villain plunged the young man into the icy waters of the bay...

In the Present...

Billy awoke with a start, shivering. He was gagged again, but still bound to the stone framework where Blaze had given him his most recent beating. He didn't know how long he had been trapped in this little corner of the Netherworld, but as day after torturous day wore on, his hopes of rescue had begun to fade.
Until today. Mary and Freddy now had full knowledge of what had happened to him. But the demoness had mentioned his being bait.

'If Mary and Freddy wind up TRAPPED here...' he shuddered at the thought. In the distance, he heard his captor having a screaming match with her male counterpart, a demon named Satanus, who, oddly enough, had been on Earth disguised as Billy.

"Very bloody funny, sister! It was bad enough being banished to the Earthly Plain, but to be given this face, form and the memories that go with them..."

"Was sheer genius, brother" Blaze replied smoothly. "Think about it; if I hadn't bespelled you into a perfect doppelganger of Billy Batson, one that would even fool Father into bestowing his powers to you, the brat would have been missed, now wouldn't he?"

"You're right. It was brilliant. But why haven't you broken the spell yet? And why have you Magicked yourself to look like Mary Batson?"

"That, Brother-dear, is MY secret."

CHAPTER FIVE-Coming Up Close

Mary Marvel and Captain Marvel Jr. both looked like they'd been poleaxed when they found out about Billy.

"How long has he been there?" Mary asked, her face a mask of conflicting emotions.

Shazam replied, "My child, the length of time isn't as important..."

"HOW LONG?!" she screamed, trembling with barely-concealed rage.

"Four months, as you reckon time."

"Four MONTHS?!" Junior exclaimed, barely able to keep his own feelings in check. "Then, that means Billy was taken when Black Adam tried to drown him!"

"At the very moment he was submerged."

"Who took Billy's place? And how was this...this thing able to fool you?" Mary asked, still shaking, but her voice a little more controlled.

"A demon called Satanus. Blaze suppressed his memories of himself and used your brother's mind as a template. I did not know of this switch until two days ago."

Dudley had been listening to the three, but unlike his "niece" and "nephew", he was thinking beyond raw pain, trying to come up with a few good ideas about retrieving Billy from the demoness's grasp.

"Kids, listen; this whole thing has to be a trap. A very elaborate one, but a trap nonetheless. This Blaze creature seems to be counting on the two of you marching into Hell, so..."

"So, why not give her what she wants," Mary said sourly. "That rotting cow has been after me long enough. If it's a fight she wants, it's a fight she's going to lose. Let's go." That last was addressed to Junior. The thought of her twin spending a third of a year in the clutches of the demoness was making her angrier by the moment.

"Hang on a sec," he replied, then flew to the top of the Rock. A moment later, the World's Mightiest Boy returned with three yellow, daisy-like flowers tucked into his belt. They were Moly flowers, the one thing that would give them safe passage into, and out of, Blaze's realm.

"Now we're ready," Junior said as he landed. He handed one of the yellow blossoms to his lovely partner, which she tucked into her own belt. "Let's find Billy and see if we can't bring him back."

As the youthful pair headed towards the black whirlpool that marked the passageway to the Abyssal Plain, Dudley and Shazam watch the retreating forms, hoping against hope that they succeed in their mission.

"Why didn't you tell Mary about the...what did you call them...hooks that demoness put on her?" Dudley asked.

"Because she already knows about them," Shazam replied gravely, turning towards the temple. "Come, Dudley. We can monitor their progress on the Historama."

As Mary and Junior disappeared into the whirlpool, the World's Mightiest Girl had a disturbing thought. 'If there's no other way out, I'll trade myself for the boys' safety. Demons can't resist a good deal when they hear one.'

And, in her corner of Hell, the demoness laughs...

CHAPTER SIX-Whole Lotta Trouble

"How can this place be so hot and so cold at the same time?" Captain Marvel Jr. asked as they landed on the other side of the river Styx.

"Different theologies view Hell differently, Junior," Mary Marvel replied distractedly. "Some faiths think it's hotter than the worst inferno, and still others think it's colder than Antarctica. So, we're getting hit with both."

"Sorry I said anything."

"Well, you had to ask." A look of intense pain flitted across the World's Mightiest Girl's face. Something was wrong.

"Mary?" Junior shook her gently. "What's up?"

"It's Billy!" she exclaimed. "He's here, and he's hurt!"

"How d'you know that?" The World's Mightiest Boy sounded genuinely curious.

"I can feel it. Twins, even fraternal ones, share something of a psychic bond. Billy and I have a very strong one. I guess Blaze fooled that, too."

"Think you can use that bond of yours to locate him?"

"Of course. I've been doing that since we landed."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's GO!" With that, the pair take off, guided by Mary's 'bond' with her twin brother.

Like the Rock of Eternity, time makes no difference in the Abyssal Plains; what can seem to be hours can turn out to be a few minutes, and a few minutes, forever. So, after what seemed to be an hours-long flight, the younger Marvels spotted a stone framework which held a battered wreck of a human being bound to it by his wrists, his feet barely able to touch the ground.

They could both see that he was the victim of torture; Mary had seen ones like him in one of Linda's Amnesty International pamphlets. He was covered, face and body, with a livid network of cuts and bruises from many beatings.
It wasn't until Mary and Junior alighted by the framework that she recognized him.

"Oh, God! BILLY!" she nearly screamed.

"Good Lord," Junior breathed, realizing that the bloody wreck before them was his best friend.

Billy awoke from the torpor he had been put under, saw his twin sister and his best friend standing in front of him, and began shaking his head vehemently, trying to speak through his gag.

"Wait a minute, Billy, we'll get you free in a second," Mary said, trying to calm him. "Junior, get the ropes off of him, please. I'll remove the gag."

"Right," Junior replied, snapping the boy broadcaster's bonds. Mary knelt down and removed the odd contrivance from her twin's mouth as gently as she could, but in doing so, she caused Billy to retch sour bile. After a few moments, he was able to speak hoarsely.

"Mary... Freddy...you've GOT TO get out of here! It's a..." Billy gasped out, nearly hysterical.

"Whoa, slow down, cowboy," Junior said sternly. "Take a deep breath and calm down."

"But you don't understand! It's a trap! She's shape-shifted..!" He looked at something standing behind his family, his eyes becoming saucer-wide.

"Billy, what're you..." Mary's voice trailed off as she turned her head.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Trespassers? Again?" A girl who looked uncannily like Mary stood over the three, triumph written in her very stance. "Poor baby. You DID try to warn them, and they didn't listen, did they?"

All the real Mary could do was gape at Blaze in stunned amazement.

CHAPTER SEVEN- Breaking The Girl

"You---you look just like me!" Mary finally gasped out, shock hitting her like a blow to the head.

Mary stood up and looked at the demoness intensely. She had morphed herself into a near-perfect copy of the World's Mightiest Girl. It was as if Mary had looked into a mirror and saw the worst side of herself. If they had worn the same garments, no one would have been able to tell them apart.

"That's stating the obvious, sweetie," Blaze replied venomously. "It took months for the right set of circumstances to occur so that Black Adam could carry out his part in my scheme."

"And that was..?" Capt. Marvel Jr. growled, his temper beginning to show.

"Sorry, cutie. Not talking."

"I'LL tell you both," Billy interrupted, his voice a little stronger. "Adam's 'part', which even HE didn't know about, was to get me in a vulnerable position so she could switch me for HER brother. Through him, she's been influencing every decision you've made in the past few months."

"But why?" Mary demanded, although she already knew the answer.

"Because one of you owes me your soul, blast you!" the demoness shrieked furiously. "And I mean to collect it if I have to rip it out of you to get it!"

Blaze raised her hands and shot two bolts of Hellsfire; not at Mary, but at the boys. Junior's invulnerability kept him pretty much unharmed, but Billy, blocked from accessing Shazam's power for four months, took the full brunt of the blast.

He cried out in agony as he fell to the ground, his body already overtaxed by the torture the demoness had put him through. Mary 'felt' her twin's pain as though it were a part of her, and acted.

"ENOUGH!" she screamed as she jumped Blaze, knocking her down on her rump. She then turned her head in Junior's direction and called out, "Take Billy and get out of here! She may have started this, but I mean to finish it!"

Junior complied, lifting his best friend's inert form. The World's Mightiest Boy now knew what Mary meant to do, but he didn't dare gainsay her.

"Okay, we'll go. But if you don't come out of here in half an hour, I'm coming back to get you!"

"Half an hour. Got it," Mary replied as the boys flew away. "One way or another, Blaze, this thing between us is going to end today."

"Then bring it on, little girl. I'm getting bored with your talking about it."

And with that, the demoness and the young heroine charge each other...

INTERLUDE THREE

Shazam was watching what was unfolding before him on the Historama with a growing sense of dismay. The youngest member of his Marvel Family, Mary Marvel, faced her toughest adversary yet; not Blaze, but her own self-doubts. Self-doubt had caused her to renounce her role as a hero that, until the Crisis, she so enjoyed being.

With a little nudge from Blaze, of course.

Dudley, the kids' "adopted" uncle, watched too, praying for the girl's success. He and the ancient wizard had been glued to the Historama since she and Captain Marvel Junior had entered the black whirlpool that separates Eternity from the Abyssal Plains.

Shazam thought, 'my 'children' had been to that dread place many a-time, but this time...'

Just then, a loud shout from outside broke their reverie. It was Junior, looking somewhat singed and carrying a badly injured Billy Batson in his arms.

"By the Gods!" was all that Shazam could say as he saw his first heir's condition. The young man was rapidly slipping into shock from Blaze's last attack.

"He's alive," Junior said, "but I can't tell how much damage Blaze did to him."

Using his own superspeed, the wizard flew back into the temple, gathering as many large, fat cushions as he could find and something that looked very much like a eiderdown comforter. After arranging everything into a nest, he took Freddy's unconscious burden from him, set Billy down and loosely wrapped the comforter around him.

"How is he?" Dudley finally asked, concern written on his face.

"I cannot tell," Shazam responded sadly. "Billy's injuries are many and grievous. His wounds go much deeper than his flesh; his spirit also suffers. I fear that they are beyond my ability to heal them."

"Then he's had it," Junior retorted flatly.

"No, Freddy. I said they go beyond MY ability to heal. There is one whose power is to heal the mind, body and soul."

"Where is he?"

"SHE is in Manhattan, working at the Museum of Natural History. Her name is Robyn O'Malley, and she is a White Witch. Have her and Mr. Tawny come here by the subway train. She will do what I cannot."

Shazam placed a mental image of the girl into the mind of the World's Mightiest Boy. A pretty girl; not beautiful, but something about her caught the eye.

'Okay,' Junior thought as he flew off, 'I can get to New York, find this girl and bring her back here. Then, if needs be, go get Mary out of Blaze's clutches. Face facts, Freeman; you've certainly got your work cut out for you.'

CHAPTER EIGHT-Put The Damage On

The heroine and the demoness charged at each other...

...only to slingshot away to opposite sides of the battlefield, sprawled in an untidy heap on the rocky ground.

"How...is...this...POSSIBLE?!" Blaze shrieked, her now-pretty features turning ugly with rage.

"Why are you asking me? I don't know!" Mary replied sharply, dusting herself off. "But I'm getting really tired of being your whipping girl!"

A third, male figure stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a familiar red sweater, white shirt and black trousers, shoes and tie. It was Satanus, still wearing Billy Batson's face; now split in an evil grin.

"It's because you're too evenly matched, sister," he interrupted.

"Of course," Blaze said, "I should've realized that myself."

"What are you two blathering on about?" Mary demanded.

"Oh, she doesn't know, does she? Since that annoying 'crisis', we've been given strength enough to match you Marvels."

"But why? Why the charade?"

"I should think that would be obvious, even to you," Blaze retorted contemptuously.

And suddenly, it was, as Minerva's wisdom began to override Mary's anger.

"My soul," the World's Mightiest Girl said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I think she's finally got it!" Satanus crowed.

"Only part of it, brother," Blaze added. "Tell me something, Mary. Why do you think I've had your brother here all these months?"

"For kicks?"

"No. Granted, listening to Billy's screams WAS fun for a while, but it got old so quickly. Your benefactor was right. I was using him as bait to trap you, fool. And you fell right into it."

Mary's only reply to the demons' revelations was a scream of purest rage.

Back on Earth, Captain Marvel Junior arrived at New York's Museum of Natural History. His mission was clear: find Mr. Tawny and a woman named Robyn O'Malley, then use the subway train at the abandoned tunnel to bring them to the Rock of Eternity.

'Sounds simple enough, he thought. I only hope she's not out to lunch!'

As he landed in a nearby alley, he called out "Captain Marvel", instantly returning to his mortal form of Freddy Freeman. Freddy then hobbled the few feet left to the museum's entrance, seeking out Mr. Tawny.

"Freddy!" the talking tiger called out in friendly fashion. "You're not supposed to be back 'til tonight! What's wrong?"

"It's a long story, Mr. Tawny..." With that, Freddy told Tawky everything that had gone on, in condensed format. He finished with, "by the way, is Robyn O'Malley working today?"

"I think so. Let me go and check for you." A short time later, Mr. Tawny returned with another.

"Robyn O'Malley, meet Freddy Freeman. Freddy, meet Robyn."

As Freddy turned around, he saw one of the most stunningly beautiful women he had ever met. Ringlets of long, auburn-cast black hair cascaded down her back, and her piercing green eyes nailed him to the spot. She was tall, trim and athletic, garbed in a velvet dress the color of claret.

Not the girl he was looking for.

"Are you sure she's Robyn?" Freddy asked dubiously.

"I'm Robyn. What's this all about? Mr. Tawny said you needed a Healer."

Freddy told her an edited version of the events of the day and gave her a description of the girl he was sent to get: slender, medium auburn hair, hazel eyes, and a dancers' build. She listened intently, and when he finished, shook her dark head.

"Sorry, I'm not that girl," she said with genuine regret. "But..."

"Great, now what?" Freddy asked no one in particular.

"I was going to say that she sounds a lot like my cousin, Caitlin. She's a bit younger than I am, but she's a much better Healer. She lives only a few blocks from here; I could call her."

"Do it, please. Tell her to bring whatever she thinks she'll need and to meet us at..." Freddy then gave Robyn directions to the abandoned subway tunnel.

As she picked up the nearest phone, Freddy's thoughts were with Mary, wondering if he should have left her...

CHAPTER NINE-Strange Phenomena

An hour later, Freddy met Robyn and Mr. Tawny in the abandoned subway station. With them was the girl Caitlin, who looked exactly like the image Shazam had put into his mind: petite and slender, with wavy, burnished copper hair and large, almond-shaped hazel eyes. He thought, 'how could Shazam get the wrong name with the right girl? Blaze's doing?'

Unlike her cousin, Cait wore a deep forest green leotard and a pair of baggy pants of the same hue. A silver pentacle hung from a blue cord around her neck and a pair of silver crescent moons dangled from her ears. In her bag were healing herbs, incense and a few candles. She also carried, oddly enough, an old-style broomstick, "to sweep away the bad vibes," she explained.

"You owe me, cousin," Cait said with a hint of an accent. "I was leaving for dance class when you called."

'Holy Moley, Freddy thought as he stared at Cait, 'she's not much younger than we are. But if she can heal Billy, I won't argue with how she does it. MY only problem is, how am I gonna change without the girls seeing...'

"What a dump," Robyn finally spoke, hands on her hips. "So, where are we going and how do we get there?"

"Oh, didn't you know?" Cait said in a faraway tone. "We're going to the Rock of Eternity; a train's coming. And...Freddy, right? Hadn't you better change to Captain Marvel Jr. before it arrives?"

All Freddy could do was gape. How had this slip of a girl deduced his secret identity?!

"Caitlin, how do you know about Freddy?" Mr. Tawny asked.

"Because I can 'see' magick," came the reply.

"THAT could be a very useful trick," Freddy remarked. "But Cait's right, and since you two already know about me, all I have to say is...Captain Marvel!"

At those words, a bolt of mystic lightning struck the crippled young man, changing him into his heroic form.

"I think I liked you better in street clothes," Robyn commented, tossing her dark hair back.

"Thanks, I think," Junior replied as the train started pulling in.

"Why can't we fly there?" Cait inquired.

"Because, the speed it takes to get there would kill a normal human being."
When the train came to a full stop, the doors opened and to everyone's surprise, Dudley poked his head out.

"Junior! Thank heavens! You're needed back at the Rock!" Dudley exclaimed.

"Is Billy all right?"

"He started thrashing about a few moments ago, and Mary's situation is beginning to look dire, as well! Is this young lady Robyn?" the elder man said, looking at Cait.

"No, Unc. This is Robyn," Junior gestured to the dark-haired beauty. "THIS is Caitlin. Blaze has been messing around with our heads again."

"Well, now that we have that all straightened out, all that needs said is all aboard."

The small party boarded the subway car. A few moments later, the doors hissed shut and the train pulled out of the station, going faster and faster, until it finally vanished from sight.

On the Rock of Eternity, Billy's condition was worsening. He had begun to thrash around just before Dudley left to retrieve Freddy, but now the young man was deep in fevered delirium, alternately mumbling bits of plots and conversations he had overheard and moaning in mortal agony. Whatever he went through in Blaze's realm was starting to kill him, and Shazam prayed to his long-forgotten gods for his "children's" success in their missions.

And on the Abyssal Plains, Mary was not only battling against Blaze and Satanus, but the lesser demons and the spirits of the damned as well. The World's Mightiest Girl punched, kicked and performed flying maneuvers that would make Jackie Chan green with envy. But they just kept coming, and Mary was beginning to lose hope.
'Billy's dying,' she thought as she gave another demon a flying crescent kick, 'and heaven help me, I can't do anything for him until I can fight my way out of here.'

And in the background, Blaze laughed. It was all going so perfectly...

CHAPTER TEN-A Kind Of Magic

The oddly decorated subway train appeared in front of Shazam's palace on the Rock of Eternity. When it settled to a stop, its doors opened with the hiss of a disgruntled dragon and its passengers Robyn and Caitlin O'Malley, Captain Marvel Jr., Uncle Dudley and Mr. Tawny disembarked.

"Goddess, will you look at this place!" Robyn exclaimed as Junior helped her out. She sounded duly impressed. "What do you keep here, the Third Fleet?"

"If you think the outside's impressive," he replied as he gave his hand to Cait, "wait 'til you see the inside. There you go, kiddo."

"I am not a child!" Cait retorted, her pretty elfin face blushing hotly.

"Of course you're not," Junior teased. "You're a senior citizen."

Then it was the World's Mightiest Boy's turn to blush, as Cait called him something rather rude, and instantly regretted saying it.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's all right, I shouldn't have teased you like that," he returned as he took a torch and led them inside. "You're here to help Billy, and my being a---what did you call me?"

"A dozy pillock."

"Okay, a 'dozy pillock' isn't helping any. Truce?"

"Truce. You're a good person, Freddy Freeman."

"Thanks."

As the party approached the main chamber, they heard a piercing wail; the cry of a soul begging for release. When they entered, they saw Shazam holding Billy down by his shoulders. The young man flailed with manic strength. Cait, sensing urgent need, pushed past everyone and ran to the side of her 'patient'.

"Hullo," she said softly, looking directly into Billy's fear-widened blue eyes, "my name's Cait. I'm here to help you, but I can't if you're hysterical. Focus; look in my eyes and focus."

"I...I'll try," Billy replied as she placed her hand on his forehead with a feather-light touch. She went into a mild trance, and reached the other out to her cousin Robyn, who took it, giving the girl strength and an anchor.

A few moments later, she 'felt' Billy calm down, and then began the arduous task of Healing him, wishing that she had the help of someone close to his soul. His sister.

As she watched her foe's continued battle, the demoness Blaze sensed a kink beginning to form in her plans. A kink that could rob her of her prize.

'I thought I took care of that little problem when I altered what Captain Marvel Jr. heard,' she thought.

CHAPTER ELEVEN-Building A Mystery

There were two battles being fought on this day.

On the Rock of Eternity, a young woman fights to save a young man's soul. And the Abyssal Plains, another young woman fights not only for her own soul, but her very life as well.

'There's no end to these guys!' Mary thought as she waded into the demonic rank-and-file. She had been fighting the fiends for what seemed like hours, or was it only a few minutes? Time passes differently in this infernal place, and the World's Mightiest Girl was beginning to lose hope.

"That's it, girlfriend," Blaze said, watching the battle from a distance. "The longer you fight, the more hopeless you will feel, until you're mine!"

"Isn't there one, or rather three things you've forgotten, sister?" Satanus asked, now wearing his true, demonic form, shedding the form that he had been wearing for the past four months: Billy Batson.

"I've forgotten nothing, brother. Even as we watch the fun here, I've got a horde on its way to deal with Batson, Freeman and the two Witches. They'll cause us no more trouble."

"Yeah, right, famous last words. White Witches are linked to the Presence, itself," he mumbled.

Unbeknownst to the demonic siblings, Mary had overheard every word they said. The information was priceless, but useless. She would have to escape this dread realm for it to be any good to anyone. She thought, 'this is one of her plans I'm gonna enjoy screwing up royally.'

"Blaze!" Mary called out over the war cries of the demon hordes she fought. "I want to talk to you! NOW!"

On the Rock of Eternity, Captain Marvel Junior was standing watch over his best friend, Billy Batson, and the young Witch, Caitlin O'Malley.

She had lain her hands on Billy only minutes ago, but already there was a difference. His bruises were fading and the cuts that latticed his arms, legs and torso were healing without a trace of scarring.

Robyn had left the 'meld', stretched, and padded across the room, raking her auburn-cast black curls out of her eyes.

"Gods, am I beat!" she said, stretching again, feeling her lower back 'pop' back in.

"I thought you said you weren't a Healer," Freddy remarked, somewhat acidly.

"I'm not, really. I just lent Cait a little strength and gave her an anchor. What you've seen was all her doing, and she's the one who'll have the reaction headache when she's done."

"Reaction?"

"Yup. Happens when you're overtaxed."

"I should be getting back to Mary. Who knows what might be happening to her right this minute."

'He loves her,' Robyn thought, 'and it's NOT like a sister.' "I can hold the fort here; I mean, I'm not exactly alone, am I."

"Nope. You've got another witch, an ancient wizard, a talking tiger and Uncle Dudley. What more do you need?"

"Let me think...my head examined?"

As Junior flew back into the black vortex that separates the Abyssal Plains from Eternity and the Ethereal Plains, he thought about what would happen if he failed in his self-appointed mission.

And shuddered.

INTERLUDE FOUR

Robyn watched Captain Marvel Junior fly off with a feeling of trepidation. The Sight was not her strongest Gift, since she could only sense when things were about to happen. Caitlin, on the other hand, could "see" future events unfold hours or even days before they occurred.

"Well," she sighed, holding the broom, "the best cure for nervous tension is housework, and this old place could sure use some. Now, where's that bag, and which way is East?"

Gaining her bearings, the dark-haired beauty swept in an East-West motion on all sides of Cait and Billy, forming a circle around them. When she finished, she set the besom in a corner and fished a pouch of sea salt and herbs out of the bag. She scooped out a large handful of the mixture and poured it in a thin line around the pair, making certain that there were no gaps or blank spots in the circle she drew. Satisfied with her work, she turned to replace the pouch, and faced a very grim Shazam.

"Young lady, what in the names of the Presence do you think you are doing?" the wizard demanded.

"You know, right then you sounded exactly like my mother," she replied matter-of-factly. "It was genuinely unnerving."

"What were you doing?"

"Drawing a metaphorical line in the sand. It's defensive magick; what's in that'll keep any nasties off the kids' backs."

"What 'nasties'?"

Suddenly, a loud clang made them look to the entrance of the temple.

"Them," Robyn said nonchalantly.

Blaze's demon cadre had arrived on the Rock at that moment, screaming challenge. Shazam started calling down bolts of magick lightning to blast them with, while Robyn made a sweeping gesture with her arm, sending a quarter of the demon back where they came from. THIS was Robyn's real Gift; the ability to "push" or "fetch" things and people.

Those demons that got past the wizard and White Witch found themselves getting burned on the shield surrounding Cait and Billy. The sounds the demons made hitting the shield were indescribable.

"I hope that Junior gets back soon, because this is getting really redundant!" Robyn exclaimed.

"So do I, child, so do I," Shazam replied.

CHAPTER TWELVE-The Hardest Part

Back on the Abyssal Plain, Capt. Marvel Jr. found Mary where he had left her earlier. He saw her battling Blaze and her minions, and heard her yell something as Satanus was about to waylay the girl.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that hitting girls from behind is a definite no-no?" the World's Mightiest Boy quipped as he tackled the demon prince to the ground.

"YOU?!" Satanus bellowed in rage. "You'll die for this!"

"Yeah, right, and if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that, I could buy Mary a nice steak dinner. Now what do you say we let them settle this without interference?"

As they flew off, Mary defeated the last demon and advanced on Blaze, fists at the ready. The demoness backed away slowly, lifted her arm and blasted the girl in the face with Hellsfire. All that tactic did was make the young heroine angry, and she slammed her fist into her foe's jaw, knocking her down. She then grabbed a handful of Blaze's tunic and pulled her up.

"All right, you want a deal?" Mary snarled. "here's the deal: leave my brother, my parents and my friends alone!"

The demoness, still wearing her enemy's face, simply laughed. "Now, why should I want to do that? It's so much fun seeing you Marvels squirm!"

Just then, Junior and Satanus returned, hitting the ground with the force of a meteor. The demon prince had been trying to lose the World's Mightiest Boy in another part of Dis since he was prevented from ambushing Mary.

"What do you mean, sister? Was this some sort of game?" he roared as he emerged from the newly-made crater.

"Of course it was, brother! Think on it; it took them, what, four months to figure out that Billy Batson was here as my hostage?"

"Some of us were suspicious LONG before then," Captain Marvel Jr. retorted, following Satanus closely.

"Oh, indeed? I highly doubt it, since my brother's guise fooled even that doddering graybeard, Shazam!" Blaze crowed.

"I doubt Shazam was "fooled" for very long. As for the rest of us, I guess some people just have suspicious minds. Any Elvis jokes and I'll flatten you!" That last was aimed at Satanus.

"I'm sure you will...Junior," he replied sardonically.

A long, silent wait followed. They were at an impasse, and both sides knew it.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN-Reaching Out

She had reached an impasse, she knew it, and she didn't much like it.

Caitlin, still within the opalescent shield that Robyn had created, was perplexed. The young man everyone called Billy had lost consciousness again, but hadn't woken up yet, and she was starting to worry about him.

She watched her cousin and the wizard for a moment, and saw them fighting a cadre of monsters with a sense of awe. She never realized Robyn was quite that powerful before.

'Bugger,' she thought in disgust, returning her attention to the boy in front of her. 'Three cracked ribs, which will HAVE to heal on their own, and with all the other injuries I've already Healed, it's a Goddess-blessed wonder that there were no internal ones, as well!'

"Now," she said, "to the problem at hand; why won't you wake up for me, handsome?"

Cait slipped into another light trance, ready to finish Healing Billy. When she opened her eyes, she saw not only his aura, but the seven "wheels of light" called the chakras.

To say that Billy's aura was in sorry shape would have been a gross understatement. What were once clear reds, blues and golds were now muddied, and the "wheels", which should have been glowing brightly, had become dim.

He was bespelled, she was certain of that. But, what kind of spell? And could she break it?

"Compulsions," she said to him. "They must've been activated when that she-devil blasted you. I still need to know what kind and how she sealed them on you, and once I do, I can remove them and you'll wake up."

As the girl prepared to do battle with Black Magick inside the shield, the forces of Good were winning the skirmish outside.

"I think we're finally winning here!" Robyn exclaimed as she "pushed" another demon away.

"Indeed," Shazam replied. "It would seem that between us and your shield, we are gaining the upper hand in this!"

"Good, 'cause I'm wiping out!" she laughed heartily.

On the Abyssal Plain, the stand-off continued. For a few tense moments, no one said or did anything. Then finally, Blaze broke the silence.

"Well, this is quite a little impasse we have here."

"Really," Mary replied sarcastically, glaring at the demoness, "Especially since YOU claim we owe you a soul..."

"YOU owe me! Nicholas Bromfield's soul was MINE, brat! You had NO right..!"

"NO! YOU had no right taking my foster-father away from me! He was still a living being! And then, you turned him into a monster to attack us!"

After another long silence, the demoness proclaimed, "I have a claim on YOUR soul too, Mary. I propose this: we, the two of us, fight this out. If, and I do mean IF, you win, any and all claims will become void, and the two of you may freely take your leave."

Mary swallowed hard and asked, "And if I lose?"

"You lose, little girl, and you're MINE!"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN-Take To The Sky

"NO!"

Captain Marvel Junior's cry of negation carried across the Plains, causing both humans and demons to clap hands over ears in pain.

"Lower the volume, Junior!" Mary scolded, fists on her hips. She was standing closest to him. "I think they managed to hear THAT back on the Rock of Eternity!"

"But---what she's suggesting..!"

"As if I had any choice in the matter?!" she shouted back, then took a deep, cleansing breath, and continued sotto voce. "Junior...Freddy...you knew that one of us might not make it out of this place."

The World's Mightiest Boy wrapped his arms around the World's Mightiest Girl and simply held her for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I knew it," he finally replied, his voice tinged with regret, "but why does it have to be you?"

To Junior's amazement, Mary laughed heartily, and hugged him even tighter. She contemplated kissing him, but decided against it. She did not want to think about what Blaze would make of it, or do about it.

"I dunno," she retorted, still embracing him. "Born under a bad sign?" Just then, she realized that not only could she face this threat alone, but she could win the day, and their freedom, if the demoness kept her promise.

"Very funny," Junior shot back with a half-grin.

"I do my humble best." She paused for a minute to study his face, like she was committing his features to memory. "Do you trust me to do this?"

"Are you kidding? I trust you with more than my life; I trust you with my soul."

"An awesome responsibility," she sighed, then thought an instant later, 'one that I pray I'm up to.'

"Hello?" Blaze interrupted, clearly annoyed. "Can we get this over with? I AM on a schedule, here!"

Mary's response to the jibe was to fly, fists extended, straight into the demoness's midsection, lifting her off the ground.

"If you're so anxious for a fight, Blaze, then why don't we take this somewhere a little more private?"

Blaze raised her own fists and slammed them, hard, into the back of the World's Mightiest Girl's skull. Mary's head whipped forward from the force of the blow, and she reeled from it. It did no damage, but she actually FELT it.

"And let your boyfriend miss all the action?" Blaze said with venom. "Not a chance, 'girlfriend'! Besides, I have prime spots reserved for you two, as far apart as possible!"

THAT made the girl angry, and she retaliated by flying up, then dropped back down tucked into a ball, striking Blaze in the back. This maneuver had worked on Black Adam when he attacked four months ago, and Mary hoped it would work now...

CHAPTER FIFTEEN-And Dream Of Sheep

Back at Shazam's palace, things had taken a turn for the better. The invading demon horde was finally defeated, bound and stacked like cordwood in the entryway. Uncle Dudley and Mr. Tawny lent a hand in subduing them; Dudley by grabbing whatever he could use as a cudgel, and Tawky just by being a tiger, a natural-born predator. Between the four, they managed to beat back Blaze's troops.

Robyn looked tiredly at her cousin and the boy, still inside the shield. Cait had a look of fierce concentration on her pretty face while Billy began to stir, his head propped against the young Witch's shoulder. There was one last spell on him that needed to be broken; the one that kept him from calling on Captain Marvel for so long.

This spell was a conundrum: in order to break it, he must say "SHAZAM!", but to say the old wizard's name, the spell needed to be broken. Cait had made a metaphorical "dent" in it, which was what caused Billy to revive somewhat.

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in dropping the shield now," Robyn said to herself. She dug a very long, very sharp dagger out of the bag, unsheathed it, and touched it to the shield. She then said something, and then the shield came down. As the shield vanished, Robyn "listened in" on a psychic "conversation".

:Billy, you have to say it. Say the wizard's name.: Cait thought to him.

:I can't!: Billy replied. :She's done something to me! She won't let me say the word!:

:You can. I'll say it with you, I promise. Linked minds can't lie to each other, and I can't break this bloody spell if you don't do it!:

:All right...: he thought resignedly. Moments later, TWO voices, male and female, uttered the same word:

"SHAZAM!"

A single bolt of magick lightning struck both teens at the same time. After the smoke cleared, Billy had become Captain Marvel, but something strange had happened to Caitlin, as well.

"Oh, Gods, what did I just do?"

Where Cait sat was a young woman garbed in a long, forest green tunic, tights and cape with silver trim, sash, lightning bolt and Pointe shoes laced around her slender ankles. Her new garments were similar to the Marvel Family's, save for color. Think about it later, she thought.

"I may not be dead, but I swear I'm looking at an angel. Or maybe a Faery." Cap said, chuckling, then wincing, and putting one arm across his chest.

"This is NOT funny," she shot back.

The commotion brought Shazam over to them. He was as shocked as Robyn was to see what occurred.

"What has happened here?" he inquired.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Robyn retorted.

"Great Sir?" Cap asked, still a bit dazed. "Was it Asian or African?"

"What?"

"The elephant who sat on my chest. Holy Moley, what did Blaze do to me?! I feel lousy!"

"Apparently, Billy's remaining injuries have carried over to you, my son, but how, I cannot understand."

Memory flooded the mind of the World's Mightiest Mortal. Black Adam. The Abyssal Plains. Blaze. Four months of torture...

"Mary! I have to get to her!"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN-Suspended In Gaffa

Captain Marvel struggled to rise, but Caitlin held him back by his shoulders.

"Cait, let me up!" he said sharply. "I have to help Mary and Junior!"

"You're in no fit shape to go anywhere, let alone into that demon's realm!" Cait snapped, easily pushing the crimson-clad hero down on the makeshift 'couch', but not quite sure how she did so.

Of course, given his current condition, he wasn't about to put up much of a fight.

"What's going on out here?" Dudley inquired, returning from checking the demon horde. He then saw Cait in her green and silver Marvel uniform and exclaimed, "Great Godfrey!"

"Well, I'll be..!" Mr. Tawny chimed in from behind Dudley. "How did this happen?"

Shazam explained, "It was a spell I created shortly before Mary first called on her powers, in case she did not want them."

"You thought Mary might reject her powers?" Cap interrupted, trying to sit up again, which elicited an angry look from Cait.

"The possibility WAS there, my son. I thought I had reversed it years ago, but it seems that I did not."

"Now I get it," Robyn said excitedly. "When Cait and Billy said your name, Cait invoked the old spell and changed into...whatever she's become?"

"Yes; she now has the wisdom of Sulis, the power of Hera, the strength of Anu, the courage of Zenobia, the skill of Airmead and the swiftness of Macha."

"What if I don't want them?" Cait asked, still near her 'patient'. "Can you undo the spell?"

"It will be a simple matter to withdraw them, if that is what you wish."

She considered it for a moment, then replied, half-jokingly, "Maybe later. Someone's got to help you keep this obstinate half-wit in line."

"'Half-wit'?!" Cap reacted angrily. "My twin sister and best friend are in danger, and if you expect my to just lie back and do nothing, you're nuts!"

"Then use Solomon's wisdom, ye great dunce!" she shot back. "This is MARY'S fight! If you go after them, you'll shatter Mary's sense of worth, and even if you got out again, she'll hate you for the rest of your lives! Is THAT what you want?"

Caitlin's words were harsh, but true, and Captain Marvel heard himself say "no". The young Witch then murmured, "I got the glimpse of a God, all shining and bright."

An hour ago, on the Abyssal Plain, the battle between Mary and Blaze continued. Both Satanus and Captain Marvel Jr. were prevented from aiding them by a Magickal barrier.

At first, neither the demoness nor the warrior maid was winning, but it appeared that Blaze was gaining the upper hand in this contest. She had given the World's Mightiest Girl a series of vicious blows that sent Mary sprawling to the ground, her head reeling.

"Do you give up?" Blaze taunted, sneering at her.

"To a monster like you? NEVER!" Mary spat with contempt. She then gave Blaze a wicked kick to the solar plexus, but to no effect.

"Is that the best you can do?" the demoness asked in a sugar-sweet voice. She then struck Mary across the face with the back of her hand, grabbed a fistful of Mary's minidress and prepared to deliver a final blow.

"Pathetic. I guess you're going to stay here, after all."

Then, at that moment, a loud noise rumbled its way through the plains, shaking the nether realm to its very foundations.

It was a peal of thunder.

"NOOOOOOO!!!"

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN-The Lightning That Strikes You

It was the exact moment Billy and Caitlin said "SHAZAM!"

"NOOOOOOO!!!" Blaze shrieked in denial as her new powers, stripped from Billy and from the theft of Shazam's 'forgotten' spell, quickly withdrew from hers and Satanus's bodies in a corona of blue-white energy which leapt upward to find their rightful recipients, while Mary watched in complete amazement as the barrier shattered.

The World's Mightiest Girl didn't waste an instant. She got to her feet and dealt Blaze numerous blows to her face and body at superspeed, culminating in a tremendous uppercut that sent the demoness flying a good fifty yards. Due to her parentage, Blaze hadn't been harmed by her foe's attack, but she WAS stunned. Mary took off after Blaze's airborne body, with Captain Marvel Junior and Satanus scrambling to catch up with them.

Mary landed near the demoness as she crashed to the ground, ready to deliver another series of superfast blows. And, for the first time in her long existence, Blaze was actually afraid. With her stolen powers augmenting the ones she was born with, she had almost beaten Mary. But now, without those abilities...

"STOP!" Blaze cried, her hands raised in front of her in surrender. "I...I quit my claim on your souls!"

"On all of us?" Mary demanded as Junior landed behind her.

"YES! Just leave my realm, now!"

"No! Sister, what have you done?! She was beaten!"

"Exactly as planned," Junior remarked, poised to attack. "You didn't honestly think that we'd come after Billy without one?"

"Y'see, Blaze, what comes around REALLY does go around," Mary quipped tiredly.

"You said it," Junior said. "C'mon, let get out of here. I wanna see if Billy's all right."

"He is, I can feel it," Mary mused as they took flight. "He's going to be just fine."

Minutes later, the World's Mightiest Teens alighted on the Rock. They saw the battered horde of demons as they entered, and heard voices as they approached the throne room. The pair listened in as the Wizard mentioned another set of powers and how someone named Caitlin had changed into a Marvel.

"No," Captain Marvel's familiar voice said, then a girl murmured a phrase that sounded like a song lyric. A moment later, Cap and Cait said the Wizard's name, transforming back to their mortal forms.

"Billy!" Mary exclaimed as she ran up to her twin brother and hugged him tightly.

"Mary?" Billy asked. "What happ---Oww! My chest!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry 'bout it, sis. Only hurts when I laugh."

"He needs to be in hospital," the strange, auburn-haired girl retorted irritably.

"Who..?"

"Mary, meet Caitlin and Robyn O'Malley. Caitlin saved my life, by the way."

"Hi," Cait and Robyn said simultaneously, Cait offering her hand first.

"Thank you," was Mary's only reply.

"Well," Junior said, lifting his best friend, "if Billy needs a doctor, we'd better board the train and get going."

Soon, Billy, Mary, Cap Jr., Dudley, Mr. Tawny and the O'Malley girls boarded the subway car, the doors closed with a hiss, and it vanished into the mists.

And on the Abyssal Plains, Blaze plotted against the Marvel Family anew...

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN-Only Time Will Tell

Manhattan, later that day.

Billy Batson was carried into St. Joseph's ER by Captain Marvel Jr., where he was diagnosed with three cracked ribs. Two young women had followed Cap Junior. One who had demanded that her father, Dr. Sean O'Malley, be put in charge of the injured young man's case. The other girl they recognized from four months ago, when Satanus had been brought in disguised as Billy.

It was decided to keep Billy a week for observation, in case of internal injuries. Dr. O'Malley, hearing the whole story from his only daughter, excluding her own transformation, decided to say nothing about her adventure, not even to her mother.

Since Mary wouldn't leave her brother, Freddy had the task of telling Billy's other friends and co-workers that the one whom they called 'Billy' for the past trimester was an imposter. Those "in the know", such as Joan Jameson, got the full story. Those who weren't got an edited version, with no mention of Blaze OR the Abyssal Plains, and were left to draw their own conclusions. He still told them the truth, he just left out most of the salient details.

Sterling Morris believed that his star newscaster had been abducted by a group of terrorists. Not exactly an uncommon event these days, but how did they find an imposter who looked and sounded so much like Billy, much less teach him the young man's habits so quickly? By the end of the recitation, Mr. Morris decided that it really didn't matter how. Just that Billy was home and safe.

When Freddy told Cissie Summerly, the pretty redhead told him flat-out that she'd known about 'Billy' for quite a while. "I'm not dense," she said after a moment, grinning at Freddy's look of surprise. "I thought something was hinky a month ago."

"How..?" Freddy asked her.

"Oh, little things, things that Billy wouldn't do on a bet..." She rattled off a list of things that made her question whether or not she was really going out with her boyfriend. Many of them were the very things that had made him suspicious, as well.

The Potters, though, took Freddy's story at face value; but then, Freddy had sort-of told them that Billy had been snatched because of his friendship with Cap. They bought it; how could they not? If he hadn't been so pure of heart, Freddy would've made a world-class con man, due to his natural charm. Still, the version he told the older couple was marginally true.

But, only time would tell if Billy had come through his experiences in Hell with a whole soul.

EPILOGUE

St. Joseph's Hospital, Room 216, Four Days Later.

For the second time in four months, Mary sat by her brother's bedside, waiting for him to wake up. Only this time, the young man lying in bed really was William Michael Batson, and not a demon prince in disguise. Mary looked up from her book, a novel by Mercedes Lackey, and watched her brother sleep. She smiled as she felt a rush of emotion towards him, and wondered if that was how he felt about her.

"Y'know, sometimes you amaze me, brother-mine," she said softly, brushing a lock of Billy's raven's-wing hair out of his face. "First, Black Adam nearly drowns you. Then Blaze kidnaps you, keeps you for four months and almost kills you, and yet, somehow, you never lost hope that we'd rescue you..."

"Hi, Mary. I come bearing gifts. Is Billy awake?" Freddy asked sotto voce as he came in, holding two cups from a new coffee shop.

"Hi, Freddy. He doesn't seem to be awake yet, but he could be faking," she replied, setting her book down. "Is this coffee?"

"Sort of. They called it 'Mocha Latte' at the cafe. Thought it'd be worth a try."

Mary took one of the cups and sipped at the liquid. It was still hot; not scalding, but just right.

"Mmmm, this IS good. When I was fighting Blaze, you said that you knew 'Billy' was an imposter. How?"

"Believe it or not, the answer's right there in your hand," he replied with a grin.

Mary looked askance. "How did coffee make you suspicious?"

Freddy shrugged. "Billy's never drank his fresh from the pot. He lets it sit a few minutes, then sips it 'til it's almost cold. If there's any left by then, he knocks it back like a frat boy does tequila shots."

Mary couldn't help but laugh at that image. "And Satanus drank it boiling hot?" she gasped between giggles.

"He sure did. And straight, too. No cream, sugar, zip."

Still laughing, she made a face and said, "Ugh. Now THAT is truly disgusting."

As they laughed, they didn't notice that Billy had woken up. He had been listening to every word, and watching through partially opened eyes. He tried very hard not to laugh with them, or his chest would start hurting again. He was enjoying himself, and neither Mary nor Freddy were any the wiser.

"You know, Freddy," Mary said, suddenly serious, "I owe you something."

Freddy replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Okay, I'll bite. What do you owe me?"

Mary stood up and walked over to him. She looked into his deep blue eyes, whispered "This," and then she kissed him on the lips. They parted a few breathless moments later, when someone said, "Well, it's...about...time!"

"Billy?!" Freddy asked, looking like someone smacked him on the rump with a newspaper. "You're awake?"

"For a few minutes, now," Billy replied, grinning.

Mary responded with, "You...Big...FAKER!" and threw one of the extra pillows at his head. Billy successfully blocked it with his arm. "What d'you mean 'it's about time'?"

"Aw, c'mon, Mary. You two've been moony-eyed over each other since we were twelve. It was getting gross."

"Twelve? You mean when I had the measles?" Mary looked up at Freddy's face; his expression was all the confirmation she needed.

"I DID give you a peck on the cheek, remember?"

"Remember? How could I forget? I looked horrible and smelled worse!"

After a brief bit of silence, Billy inquired, "So, you still retired as a hero, sis?"

"Nope. As of today, Mary Marvel is officially not retired. Speaking of getting back into action, Billy, when are you?"

"I... I don't know; Blaze...did some pretty awful things to me down there. I guess I'm saying, what if she's corrupted me without my knowing it? Can we risk letting another evil Marvel run loose?"

After a moment, he added, "Just...give me time. As for work, Mr. Morris is taking the 'take as much time as you need' approach, so I still have a job."

"That's good," Freddy commented with a chuckle. "The last thing I need is my best friend hawking papers, too!"

"By the way, thanks for the rescue, guys," Billy stated as the PA announced the end of visiting hours. "Seeya later."

"You're welcome," Mary said, "now get some more rest, or I'll have to get tough on you. Bye."

As the pair left, warm, pleasant feelings rose in Mary; the feeling of having faced her worst fears and biggest doubts and beat them.

FINIS

Author's Notes: You've probably wondered why I used Manhattan as the setting for this story. Well, to keep it short, 35 issues of "SHAZAM!" and many issues of "World's Finest" established the Marvel Family in the Earth-S version of New York City. "Fawcett City" was created by "Crisis On Infinite Earths" scribe Marv Wolfman.

Jerry Ordway, for the most recent versions of The World's Mightiest Mortals, picked up on the name "Fawcett City" for their hometown because, quite frankly, NYC is a bit crowded with heroes.

The other "SHAZAM" sextet I used for this story was originally going to be ALL Celtic Goddesses, but I couldn't find ones with an "H" or "Z" name. Then, when I did some more research, I found out that the Greek had established trade with many of the Celtic tribes, so the Celts were familiar with Hera, and that Queen Zenobia emigrated to Britain after Palmyra fell to the Romans.
The names of the Celtic Goddesses go as follows:

Sulis - Shoe-LEESH

Anu - ah-NEW

Airmead - EAR-maid and finally,

Macha - Mahx-AH