Chapter 1: The New Billy Batson.
More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.
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(Billy's P.O.V)
What is that smell?
I groaned, reaching out to my glasses only for my hands to land on nothing but empty air.
Drops of water hit the sink periodically, the sound almost too loud despite the roar of traffic outside the building. Wait, that's odd. I didn't live anywhere near traffic.
Immediately, I sat up in alarm. My heart sped up. I didn't recognize this place. The walls were filled with peeling wall paper and the overhead light was dim and kept on flickering.
A window with old blinds was drawn up and past it I could see skyscrapers piercing through the skyline.
I wasn't new to life in the city. Before moving back to the Suburbs to take care of my aging grandma, I had worked valet at the Burlington Cape, a hotel in Vermont, so I wasn't a stranger to the city.
But this skyline was different. I recognized nothing. My head was also Killing me. I got up, swinging my legs over the bed and wore the crocs at the foot of the small bed.
Getting up, a wave of Vertigo slammed into me. My balance felt off.
The same feeling you get once you step out of a roller coaster. I leaned on the wall before stumbling to the bathroom and hurling everything into the toilet bowl.
A few minutes later, I was staring wide eyed at the teenage face in the mirror.
A face that did not belong to me. At all. Where I had retained the rich brown skin from my Dad's Indian descent, the teen who looked to be about 17 was Caucasian with blue eyes and black hair.
His build was medium. Something you would expect from a typical teenage boy who did little exercise but was still healthy. It. Was. Not. Me.
My breath started coming out in panicked and uncontrolled exhales. The walls of the room seemed to be shrinking into me.
"Focus on feeling."
I whispered a mantra my Grandma had taught me.
"I am one with myself. I am one with the world. The world is within me just as I am within it..."
My breath evened out.
"Thanks Grandma."
I whispered, habitually going for my necklace. My hand lowered, there was nothing there. This wasn't my body. Whoever this kid was, I had probably killed him.
I felt nauseous again and elected to leave the bathroom. Panicking over my situation wasn't going to help. What I needed to do was take stock.
Survive.
As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help but note that the bathroom floor was a bit flooded with water. The sink seemed to be blocked as well.
I will jump the gun and assume this is probably my new home.
If I was to stay here however, I needed to see what I could do to fix a few things.
Walking out into the 1-bedroom apartment, the air inside seemed to be more oppressive than earlier. The light outside the window had dimmed as well. I must have been there for more than an hour.
I cast my eyes around the small apartment to see if I could spot anything that would answer a few of my questions. For starters what was this Kid's name? There was a dishwasher, a stained couch, a small lazy fan on the ceiling, the bed and... wait.
I approached the bed, staring at the white thick envelope lying on it.
That hadn't been there when I had gone to the bathroom. I reached out and opened it, flipping the contents onto the bed.
My face twisted into a confused frown.
The only things inside were a roll of cash that turned out be about 200 bucks when I counted it, a small swiss knife and a black smartphone that had a very recognizable logo at the back.
"Stark tech?" I ran a finger above the logo.
"Are you kidding me?"
I muttered, this being the first time I had heard this body's voice.
I stopped.
I need to start thinking of it as my body now.
While I wasn't exactly thrilled with taking over someone's life, I needed to be realistic and act as the person I saw in the mirror.
It would be dangerous if someone thought the kid was possessed or crazy if I started panicking over my situation or slipped up and said something suspicious.
I flipped through the final item on the bed, a worn black wallet. Looking into it, I found a single piece of paper.
"Your new name is Billy Batson. You are in Marvel. Say the word."
I reread the note. Billy Batson as in Shazam? DC's Captain Marvel? And I was in Marvel?! She-Hulk twerks Marvel? God I hope not.
What is happening? The note said to say the word. The only word I could think of was...
I dropped the items on the bed and walked back a couple of paces, not wanting to risk burning my mattress when I only had 200 dollars to my name.
"I should do it on the Rooftop. Less chance of anyone getting hurt."
I mused.
However, the prospect of going out there when I had no idea what to expect was daunting.
I released a short breath while closing and opening my palms gingerly.
No, it was smarter to stay in the apartment.
Here goes nothing.
"Shazam!"
There was a sudden rumble from the sky. Lightning flashed and crackled in the clouds outside my window... then nothing too eye-catching happened.
I wasn't suddenly a 6-foot massive muscle man wearing a red costume with a lightning symbol on my chest.
I was still me. Kinda.
That didn't mean nothing happened at all. Before my eyes was a blue text box with electric flashes around the edges.
(You have been chosen to become a Champion. The Divine Essence of the god's flows within you. Are you worthy?)
That's it?
I pressed a finger on the text box and a slight tingle went through me. Then I dragged the box to the sides. The text box collapsed, minimized to a lightning bolt icon at the edge of my vision.
Huh.
That...
Another text box immediately took its place.
This one was very clear-cut.
(Mission)
(Take a walk. Learn about where you are.)
(Reward: - Unlock more missions)
Oookay.
I dismissed that particular text box as well, clicking on the accept button as I sat down to go over everything.
First things first. I'm in the Marvel universe. Which one I had no clue. It could be the M.C.U with all of its wokeness. God, living in the modern world is exhausting.
It could be the Ultimate's universe in which case, give me the M.C.U any day of the week or it could be any of Marvel's comic runs, alternate timelines, parallel universes...
I stopped myself from falling into that rabbit hole.
Secondly, I was in Marvel as Billy Batson. And that meant, although I hadn't gotten the powers of Shazam yet, there was a possibility that I soon would, though it was frustrating to have to wait however long that would take.
Maybe I should try it again.
"Shazam!"
I yelled.
Nothing happened. So it wasn't a fluke, I really couldn't access his abilities.
(Nothing is free in the world. Especially THIS world. Carry out the missions and you will grow more powerful.)
Another text box said. Could whoever was controlling this read my thoughts?
"Hey, if you can hear me... I'm not sure you know what you're doing. You took me out of my life..."
I said, scratching my arm in that nervous tic I could never seem to get rid of.
"It was a good life. I can be persistent. Very very persistent. And that can make anyone dangerous. So take me back."
No one answered.
My Grandma's face flashed in front of my eyes. At least my cousins were there to take care of her. She was the closest family I had, ever since my parents died in a skydiving accident. Yeah, what are the odds?
"Fine."
I sighed, rubbing my chin like I always did when I was deep in thought.
So to recap, I was in a world of Gods, Super powered individuals, monsters and cosmic entities with the power to rewrite the very fabric of reality.
If that wasn't enough, I had to work to gain the power to protect myself in this crazy world where a warmongering Tyrant could simply decide to come for the few infinity stones on Earth, which would inadvertently fuck half the universe.
Not to mention all the world ending attacks that struck the world every few months.
God...get it together Vi...no Billy. Get it together Billy.
I had a Stark phone, with that at least I could research a few things to better understand where I was in the timeline.
I could probably stretch the 200 bucks over the week and a few days before I thought of something else.
Let's hope this apartment's rent is already paid for. I also had to consider the fact that maybe I hadn't taken over Billy's body.
Shazam was a character from DC; one of the few ones who could go toe to toe with Superman but that's besides the point.
Basically, he didn't exist in Marvel. This body might have been made especially for me.
Now then. Time to face the music. If I wanted to survive here, then I had to learn about my environment quickly.
I searched through the closet and found a few cheap clothes, they looked new, never having been worn, further adding to my theory that this body might have been created recently.
For someone to have that kind of power...I shuddered in both trepidation and hunger. I wanted that for myself too, just to make sure I didn't die...and to go after the one responsible for bringing me into this death world.
I went through the closet to take stock and managed to find a few interesting things. Some high quality but average looking boots and a cool leather jacket that screamed Bad Boy from the 80's that I thought was cool.
The jacket fit me well and the boots also turned out be my size and we're pretty comfy. Now dressed, I left to complete my first mission.
The door to the apartment was jammed when I tried to open it. It took a few tries but I managed to push through, revealing a similarly dreary hallway.
20 minutes later and I was seated inside a coffee shop a few blocks from my apartment.
The hot coffee was something familiar. A burst of energy sweeping through my body and easing the headache that had plagued me ever since I waking up.
Most of the 20 minutes was spent scrolling through the smartphone, using the Wi-Fi in the Coffee shop to learn about my new world.
It was the year 2015. So the Avengers were already a thing. Oh and not only that so was Spiderman too. He had started a couple of months ago and the backlash from one J. Jonah Jameson was swift.
You had to wonder why the man only harassed Spiderman when the Avengers destroyed more public property than the Friendly Neighbourhood Arachnid.
The roster of the Avengers was also familiar. There was Tony Stark as Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow. Pretty standard.
Falcon had also recently joined them. A bit earlier than in the M.C.U.
They also looked similar to their actor counterparts but only slightly. Thor was huge and Black Widow...holy crap was she hot.
A few news articles spoke of a black monster that swung through buildings but that was in San Francisco.
And then by accident, I stumbled on a research paper, titled 'Men of power and consequences' written by one Charles Xavier. If the name was not indication enough...
I placed the Stark phone down with a sigh, rubbing my eyes.
Mutants were a thing.
Fuck.
(Billy's P.O.V)
"Refill?"
A voice broke through my heavy thoughts.
I looked up at the redhead standing before me. She was beautiful. Comic Book pretty.
I blinked, realizing I was staring.
"Oh."
I placed my phone face down, the screen going dark on the Charles Xavier tab I had opened.
"Umm yeah. I wouldn't mind."
She smiled and poured me more of the black nectar worshipped by workaholics around the globe.
"Haven't seen you here before."
She said in a conversational tone.
"First time in the city." 'world', I replied, adding the last bit in my mind. I hoped I wasn't being awkward on account of this being the very first person I had talked to in this universe.
"I never introduced myself, I'm...Billy. Billy Batson."
I quickly caught myself before I gave my real name, Vijay.
She reached out and shook my hand with a giggle.
"Nice to meet you Billy Batson. My name is..."
"MJ?!"
Someone called out from the counter, a bearded man of Latin descent.
"We have a few customers coming in."
He added, glaring at me. Probably for taking up too much of the beautiful Barista's time.
"Coming Pedro." She responded before turning to me.
"Sorry, duty calls."
MJ said, hurrying off and leaving me with my thoughts.
Red hair, beautiful face and her name...could she be 'that' MJ? Spiderman's Mary Jan Watson?
I finished my drink quickly, spending a few more minutes on the phone looking over the specs. The Stark Smartphone was much more advanced than anything I had used before. This bad boy had no lags whatsoever.
I couldn't say the same about its encryption though. Something told me not to search for sensitive information that a civilian was not supposed to know about.
"Thanks."
I paid the bill.
The manager at the counter, Pedro, grunted my way as I left while Mj waved at me with a smile.
I felt my face light up with a blush, cursing my hormonal teenage body as I walked out into the cold New York air.
Looking at the time, it was already 8.
The streets were crowded with people going out or going home. My apartment was a few blocks from here, so I settled into a casual walk, simply allowing my mind to wander as I tried to come to terms with my situation.
Everything was different yet not.
One thing I noted was the branding. Most of the billboards had something to do with superheroes. One of them showed an image of Tony Stark, chilling outside of KFC with a bucket of chicken and in his armour.
I snorted. I wonder what they did to actually have Iron Man in that ad.
Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if in this world, Stark owned the food chain company. Guy was loaded as fuck. Stark Tower was huge from the pictures online and I couldn't wait to see it up close and personal for myself.
My stomach growled and I realized that apart from the coffee, I hadn't had anything else to eat. The pastries inside Pedro's coffee shop had looked delicious but also too expensive for me.
I seriously needed to find a way to make money. That line of thought brought me to the interface minimized at the corner of my eyes. Maybe the missions would reward me with money if I completed them?
It wouldn't make sense for anyone who brought me here to go to so much trouble, only for them to sit back and watch as I died of starvation.
What I needed to do was find an all you can eat restaurant. I brought out my phone, scrolling through to search when I heard it.
A scream.
Specifically, a girl's scream, coming from the alley to my side.
What are the fucking odds? Someone up there must be laughing at my expense.
The people on the sidewalk seemed to all speed up, not wanting to get involved in whatever was happening. I stood there for what felt like hours but was only a few seconds, battling with indecision.
Maybe I should leave. I'm not a hero...
"Help me!"
The scream came again, this time more desperate and I realized the decision was stolen from me. I couldn't stay away from this.
Despite my better judgement, I pocketed my phone and run into the darkened alley, grabbing a trash can lid on the way.
The buildings on either side were tall, shooting up to the sky, blocking most of the lights from the city.
A dog barked as I stepped on a puddle of dark water, splashing the bottom of my pants.
I frowned. There was a shuffle from up ahead. The trash can lid was held in front of me as I advanced slowly.
"Hey! I called the police!..."
I yelled into the darkness.
Fuck. I actually didn't, which I now realize was a mistake. I was out of my depth here.
The statement from the text box earlier replayed in my mind.
'Are you worthy?'
Something stirred within me. I jumped back as a sound rang out on the railing of the fire escape on the left side building.
A cat hissed at another, both felines jumping into the alleyway before disappearing off into the darkness.
I exhaled the breath I was holding in. It was just cats. But...what about the scream?
A shiver went up my spine.
"I told you we could trick one." A soft and melodic voice said from my back.
"Just takes screaming like a damsel in distress and wannabe Knights will come running in to save you."
The female voice ended in a sing-songy tone.
I was scared to turn around. My heart pumped within my chest. Goddamnit! goddamnit! It was a trap and I fell for it.
'Get it together Billy.'
I forced a calm look onto my face, slowly turning around.
3 of them. Women. Too close. I blinked and the one on the left was leaning on my shoulder, almost instantly. She held onto my bicep in a tight grip. She had bleached white hair, red cherry lips and a subtle scent of blood.
"Hey there handsome."
She crooned.
"You smell...different."
They all had pale skins in the little light I could see. The girl in the middle was dressed in a short leather skirt and high heels. Her black hair was cut short. Her eye colour was black. A black that seemed to pull at my mind.
I felt light headed and weak.
"Who?..."
My words were cut off by a nail sliding down my jugular.
"Shh. It's alright, we don't bite."
Bleached hair cooed.
The one on the right snorted.
Her long wavy chestnut hair fell to the middle of her back. She had on a sleeveless top and perhaps the most noticeable thing about her was her nails. They glinted even in the almost darkened alley. Sharp and deadly.
What the fuck had I gotten myself into?
"Oh would you look at that; he's already wetting himself."
Short hair stated with a giggle. I looked down.
"That's not piss..."
I muttered in an unnervingly calm tone, watching my own blood flow from my belly.
The first girl that had been hanging off my shoulder had her nails sticking into me. The pain only registered a second afterwards.
Breathing became hard as my knees weakened.
Their faces morphed before me, teeth lengthening into sharp fangs. The beauty, the subtle scent of blood, it all makes sense now. They were Vampires. I was a regular teenage boy cornered in an alley by Marvel vampires.
Oh shit.
With a panicked jerk, my hand weakly came up to protect myself just as the right one jumped at me. An impact rang out and I felt something snap.
Then agony rippled through my elbow, even more apparent than the wound in my stomach. I rolled on the rough ground, thrown away by the force, scraping my back and spraining my ankle.
They all started laughing. I couldn't see well due to a cut on my forehead but I knew I had to do something to survive.
"Shazam!"
I cried out. Nothing happened. There was no sudden blast of lightning or power coursing through me. Dammit!
My left arm dangled uselessly. I scrambled to my feet by leaning on the wall. 'Oh god... I'm... I'm gonna die here. I'm gonna die here and nobody will even care. Nobody knows me in this world...'
"Get Up."
A voice said at the back of my head.
I shook my head to get rid of the sudden hallucination. And now I was hearing voices. Oh goodie, I think I might have lost too much blood.
"You hit him too hard Anisa. His hand is broken."
Short hair said.
"That's the point, Alice."
The long nailed one argued back.
"But I wanted to play with him a little longer."
"Both of you, shut up."
The one who had stabbed me, the one with the bleached hair ordered, striding towards me with a hungry look on her face.
Without the trash can, I blindly lashed out with a fist. My hand was easily stopped by a vice grip.
"Looks like he still has some fight in him."
I was grabbed roughly by the hair, head wrenched back to expose my neck.
"No no no! Stop! Please..."
My futile struggles earned me a slap to my cheek. A tooth dislodged, my tongue tasting blood.
"Height!"
My mouth was sealed with a palm.
"Shush,"
Bleached hair leaned into my ears.
"You don't want someone else coming to save you and meeting the same fate now, do you?"
Fuck...she was right.
"I demand you fight back."
The same voice from earlier intoned. Like an echo ringing out across the caverns of my mind.
'Who?'
"Now stop struggling."
Bleached hair added as the other two closed in.
Their eyes glowed.
"You want this. You're going to enjoy this."
The one holding me whispered.
A snort rang out.
"Weak and ineffectual compulsions like these have no effect on a God of Wisdom!"
The vampire blinked in surprise, whilst staring into my eyes. Then something rippled out, slamming everything away.
My mind expanded to feel it all. I could feel the thousands of minds surrounding me.
I could feel them. These things...
The glamour around them fell away as I saw the truth of their minds.
They were nothing but creatures of the dark who had given themselves over to the addiction of life force. Dark oily presences that used these beautiful forms to lure in prey and hunt.
The three of them sprang up to their feet, cautious.
"Sisters what was that?!"
"I'm tired of waiting! Give me your blood human!"
Long nails snarled, using the walls of the building, she lunged at me with a speed I couldn't react to. I flinched, only to feel a dull thunk ring out as the Vampire landed on a blue dome around my kneeling form.
"Mutant!"
One of them hissed. The Short haired one
All of them sprang towards me, impatient, all the playing around gone.
Claws gleamed, slashing out at the blue energy dome but failing to penetrate. I blinked in surprise.
"Fight back child!"
The same voice from earlier commanded. Before I could do or say anything, a trash compartment flew into the air to land on the shield. A headache assaulted my brain at the impact.
"Fight? Fight how?!"
I groaned back. my right hand cradled the left in pain, my mouth was swollen and I was steadily bleeding out. It was a miracle I hadn't passed out.
"The Wisdom of Solomon is not just about having my quality of experience, decision making or knowledge. I was a king blessed with massive amounts of psionic potential. Use your mind to attack just as you have defended."
Wisdom of Solomon?
Solomon...as in the first of the letters in Shazam. The god of Wisdom. Only he was a king right?
"King or god, what does it matter? My sovereign station is still above mewling pups like these blood parasites."
The trash compartment was lifted up by Long nails but before she could slam it back down onto the shield around me, I thought of the spell Bombarda from Harry Potter.
I pictured it as a shockwave spreading out through the entire alley.
There was a loud bang with my mind feeling like it was being squeezed from all sides.
The concrete quads on the ground rose up in a wave of stones and dust speeding outwards with me at the centre.
The impact shredded the trash compartment into metal shrapnel that burst out just as I was thrown back, slamming my head onto the wall behind me.
Darkness swiftly claimed me. My last sight was of something blue and red landing in between the femme fatales and I.
So far it hadn't even been 24 hours and trouble had found me.
(General P.O.V)
As Spiderman was swinging through the streets of New York, he noticed an elderly man struggling to cross the street.
Without a second thought, he landed on the pavement next to him.
"Hello there sir. Let me help you with those." Spiderman said, extending his hands at the old man's bag of groceries.
"Oh, thank you, Spiderboy," the old man replied, his voice frail and shaky.
Spiderman couldn't help but chuckle at the mistake. "It's Spiderman, sir. Not Spiderboy."
The old man looked confused. "What's the difference? You're still a spider, aren't you?"
A passer-by on the street, a middle aged black man, overheard the exchange and burst out laughing.
"Spiderboy? That's hilarious!" he shouted.
Spiderman turned to face the man, a playful smirk on his face underneath the mask.
"Hey, watch it! I'm still a superhero, you know."
The man laughed even harder along with a few more passers-by watching. "Yeah, sure thing, Spiderboy. Whatever you say."
Spiderman couldn't help but chuckle along with him. He knew it was all in good humour.
"Okay, okay, you win. Just take it easy on your friendly neighbourhood Spiderman. I'm getting my butt kicked for this city."
The man nodded, still chuckling. "Fair enough. Thanks for the laugh, Spiderboy."
The man waved as he walked away.
Spiderman shook his head, still smiling. New York.
"It's Spiderman, sir. Spiderman."
He added with a sigh.
The old man just smiled and patted him on the arm. "Bah, don't let them get to ya. Especially that stick up J.J Jameson. Keep doing what you do, saving people. You're a good kid, Spiderboy."
Spiderman rolled his eyes, but couldn't help feeling a warm sense of satisfaction.
Helping people was what he did best, even if they didn't always get his name right.
He couldn't really blame them; people were only just starting to hear of him. And the daily bugle didn't help matters by tarnishing his reputation.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Spiderman muttered to himself while swinging away.
"I hope I make you proud, Uncle Ben."
He looked at the sky. How long had it been since Ben Parker, his uncle had passed?
It must have been...
Thwwoop!
Bam!
A loud sound made its way to Spiderman's ears. The young hero stretched out his wrist, shooting his web and immediately swinging towards the source.
Maybe he could pull of one last save before making it home. He hoped his Aunt wouldn't be mad at his lateness.
He was supposed to get Pizza but a situation with a few goons trying to rob a jewellery shop had occupied him for a bit.
The red and blue themed hero made it to the location quickly, landing from a height of 60 feet onto the ground easily. His superhuman durability could handle even more.
The second Spiderman arrived, he knew something very very bad had happened here. The alley was destroyed.
There was dust everywhere along with cracks on the wall of the buildings. The fire escape had collapsed and on a crater in the middle of the cracked ground, lay someone.
A boy, his age, bleeding heavily from multiple wounds on his body.
Peter jumped in with concern, using knowledge of the first aid classes Uncle Ben had insisted he take, to keep him alive.
After making sure the wound on the belly wasn't bleeding anymore by webbing it up, Peter created a plaster like foam by spraying a thicker variant of his webbing around the boy's hand, then finally run a diagnosis check for any more wounds.
He was off the next second, not having sensed the three passed out women who had been blasted across the alley.
A second after he was gone, a portal appeared behind the groaning vampires, now just waking up after getting mind stunned.
"What w..."
Red hot chains shot out immediately and grabbed them. Before they could do anything else, they disappeared into the rift.
The hospital was a bit far but Spiderman could get there in 2 minutes' tops if he hurried up.
"Don't worry, we're almost there."
He told the boy, cradling him with one arm while careful not to jostle him.
Sometimes he landed on the rooftop when he couldn't swing a distance without jerking him around.
That's when he saw it. Or rather them. Yellow glowing portals sparking at the edges and floating in the air above the rooftop he was on.
His spider sense wasn't warning him so he didn't slow down until he realized he was almost surrounded by them.
"What's happening?"
His next swing saw him land on a water tank.
On the same roof as the water tank, another portal manifested. Out stepped a yellow robbed figure. Peter could almost clearly see them under the city lights.
"Hand over the boy."
The figure said, stretching out an arm. Peter crouched.
"Please, he's going to die if I don't get him to the hospital."
The figure backed a little.
"Oh."
Peter prepared to leave when he found himself restrained by golden chains coming out of the portals around him.
He...he hadn't felt it! His spider sense had never failed.
The injured boy fell through a portal under him and Spiderman could do nothing but watch.
"Hey! Hey! Stop!"
He cried out as the woman entered the portal she had come out of earlier, waving a single hand.
"Don't worry, Peter. He will be better off with me."
And then she was gone. Leaving Spiderman alone.
"She...she knows my name."
He muttered with growing horror.
(Billy's P.O.V)
There was no indication of how I got here. One minute I was just chilling (getting my ass kicked, but the details don't matter) then the next I'm standing beside a tall handsome man.
He was draped in silk blue and yellow robes, with countless gold adornments and precious gems covering his body. His sharp red eyes and long white beard were only superceded in intensity by the golden crown on his head.
It was both outstanding yet not. It was so...like him. The Hebrew King, Solomon, son of David.
"Welcome to my bountiful gardens, boy."
The same voice I'd heard at the back of my mind was the same that left his mouth.
"Gaze into the beauty of my wives."
I followed the motion of his palm with my eyes and a gasp escaped me.
The gardens he spoke of was a long stretch of greenery covered by trees and different shades of flowers in full bloom.
Butterflies fluttered in the skies above the orchards and the pools. Pools in which beautiful women of all colour, shape and size, swam or simply basked.
They all possessed one undeniable factor, they were unbelievably gorgeous.
"My father built much in his time, but his glory was on the battlefield. I built on the legacy not the expectations."
Solomon stated, a goblet of wine in his hands.
I looked down at my body. My wounds, they were gone.
"This is a mental projection."
I realized.
"Quite astute. But it's more than a mental projection. To the psyche, what's realer than what you can feel? It's you. Your identity, boy."
Solomon responded.
It's me, huh?
"No. Not boy."
I closed my eyes and imagined me, my real self. It was a set back to what I had promised myself. That I would become Billy Batson. But just for now...
I almost shed a few tears at the rough callouses that appeared on my palms.
These were my hands, my real hands. I opened and closed the fingers repeatedly, taking a deep breath and exhaling.
"Wow, now that I'm like this, I notice I used to ache a lot in various places."
"Flesh is weak. You eventually get old."
He replied, looking out into the garden with a long gaze.
I couldn't help but read more into it but the next second he spoke up again.
"Listen boy, I brought you here for one reason. A question."
I blinked my eyes. Oh, guess we were switching over to the serious stuff. I adjusted my glasses and turned to face him fully.
His red eyes were intense.
"What question?"
I asked, wondering what the wisest king in history was curious to know. Maybe it was a question that would give him a profound understanding of me based on my answer?
Solomon stroked his beard as the goblet in his hands sprouted metal wings off its body and flew away to a tray on the frame of the balcony we stood on.
"Can you do this?"
He finally asked, his voice gentler than I was expecting. I immediately knew what he meant.
"Or rather the question I want to ask you is, do you want to do this? Become our Champion?"
He was concerned. I realized.
The switch in attitude almost threw me off.
I thought about it, sinking into my memories, replaying my life and what I had going for me. I was happy, just being in the background.
Not too involved with anyone except my grandma and a few work friends. A true introvert.
But again, I had been happy right? No true expectations heaped on my shoulders. No bothersome responsibilities. Just me in my little bubble of existence, coasting along and content with my situation.
"I have to choose to want this."
I surmised, looking up at him.
My mouth opened and closed as I turned around to face the garden. Indecision warred within me.
"I thought I didn't have a choice."
"Not always. But in this case, you do."
Solomon told me softly, sighing in a nostalgic way.
"I was born into kingly duties. I had no choice in the matter. You have that luxury. I wonder...if I were not to lead, would there have been one less great king or one more bad sculptor in the world? Sometimes having no choice...ain't too bad."
I looked back at him.
"That almost failed to make sense."
He laughed.
"The wisest king in the history of humanity, failing to make sense."
He patted my shoulder.
"So what do you say? I for one, think you would make a suitable champion. You were able to tap into my gifts quite easily. And if you do decide to move on with this path, more gifts and splendour await you."
He followed up, grabbing my attention.
"Oh really? Like what?"
I asked, curious about what other powers he had.
"Clairvoyance, Mastery of all spoken languages and of course, magic."
He added with a flourish, his hands spreading wide and from the air around him, beautifully coloured flames took to the skies.
The flames changed into birds that flapped their wings, above and around Solomon's wives. Their joyful laughter was a single wave of continuous melodic harmony.
"Magic..."
I echoed his words.
A single laugh escaped my mouth.
"Maybe, just maybe, I'm due for a change in my life."
My eyesight dipped lower, the glasses disappearing as my height shortened.
Vijay was gone.
In his place was Billy Batson.
I felt a hand land on my shoulder.
"Wise choice."
Said the wisest king.
(Billy's P.O.V)
My head didn't hurt. That was the first thing I noticed.
My mind was surprisingly clear. Actually...too clear. At least from what you would expect out of someone who had sustained mortal injuries after an encounter with bloodsucking monsters.
My arm was a bit tender at the spot I remember hearing a snap but it was nothing compared to the previously bent elbow.
I took a deep breath, feeling it smoothly escaping my nostrils.
My body was draped in something fluffy yet rough. Like clothes made out of a thin but warm blanket. Along with that sensation, I could feel a new alien perception stretch out.
I saw without eyes, heard without ears. I just knew what was there.
I could sense it all. And I could understand what I was sensing.
The mattress on the small bed that was more comfortable than it had any right to be, the hard but smoothened ground and the rough walls with veins of energy running within them; part of some huge web that connected to the ground and disappeared deeper into the earth than I could sense.
And then the bright points. Minds glowing like stars just outside the room, entering my range of 20 meters or so before disappearing.
20 meters? Back in the alley I could have sworn, I covered almost 3 blocks.
Thinking of the alley reminded me of what had happened. Immediately bile started rising up my throat, the nausea made me sit up with a groan, pinching my brow.
"Don't fight it. It's what the bucket is for."
The bald woman sitting on a wooden chair next to my bed said, flipping a page of the book she held onto.
And just like she said, a bucket sat at the bottom of the bed. I grabbed it and begun puking, only stopping a second to sit up.
A glass of water was placed in my hands. I received it with a word of thanks before drowning it in one gulp.
"Wow. That actually happened."
I said to myself. I found myself in the Marvel universe, met Mary Jane (I think), got my ass kicked by Vampires, survived, met Solomon, made the choice to become a Champion and... only then did I turn to the woman.
It was easy enough not know who she was. Bald, wearing yellow robes and a calm disposition.
The Ancient One. Her mind was...silent.
"Staring is rude."
She said, not looking up from her book.
"Sorry." I apologized, fully turning to face her while running a hand down my face.
"I'm guessing you're the one I have to thank for saving my life and also healing me?"
I asked her.
"I did heal you but the one who saved you was Spiderman."
She replied.
Spiderman saved me? Too bad I was passed out to actually see it.
"Oh, thank..."
The Ancient One closed the book in her hands suddenly, narrowing her eyes at me.
"Good luck Mr. Batson, you're going to need it."
"Huh?"
Before I could say anything else, I was falling through a glowing yellow portal. My last vision of the room from before was the bottom of her soles.
And then I landed on my bed, hard. The whole thing collapsed under my weight and I groaned, staring up at the ceiling. Not only did I not have the money to get another bed, I was going to have to sleep on the floor now.
Fuck you Ancient One. First impression? She sucks.
A very cold shower later (there wasn't any hot water available) and I started feeling like a normal human being.
I was a bit embarrassed at breaking down inside the shower but everything had just happened too quickly. I silently leaned on the wall and let the shudders rock my body, tears refusing to fall.
Once I was calmer, I towelled of, drying my hair as I walked towards the window and drew open the blinds.
Immediately, the New York noise assaulted me. Traffic, new Yorkers being exceptionally loud...I took in the sites and sighed. This is going to take some getting used to.
After that I sat down and dove right into something that needed my attention, the mission rewards from the task that had showed up in the weird text box.
I was familiar with light novels, anime and Manwha. In fact, any web related subject I was versed in or at least retained passing knowledge of.
The screen spread itself out in front of my eyes.
(Mission)
(Take a walk. Learn about where you are.)
(Reward: - Unlock more missions)
[New Mission]
(Create an Original Skill using the Wisdom of Solomon)
(Reward: - The Ring of Solomon)
What in the actual fuck?
This had to be a joke right?
I pressed my finger pad on the reward section and a description appeared.
(Ring of Solomon: A supernatural artefact that the king of Israel, Solomon received from Heaven. With it, Solomon can command the 72 demon pillars contained in the Ars Goetia. With it the armies of hell were under the service of King Solomon. Completely loyal. Takes immense will to use! )
I sucked in a breath.
Damn.
I'm just...not going to think about that for now.
[New Mission]
(Attend Midtown High)
(Reward: - New Bed)
Despite the thought of being in the same building as obnoxious loud hormonal teenagers making my stomach curl, I was happy with this mission.
It helped me get rid of one immediate problem. Plus, there was nowhere in the mission that said I had to keep going back. I only needed to attend for a short time.
Clicking on the mission description, it said a week.
I explored the Interface once more before deciding to finally begin practicing my abilities.
I sat cross legged on the bed and begun meditating. Fortunately, it came easy to me.
My grandma was a very spiritual woman. She had lived half of her life in India before dad managed to convince her to come to the west after I'd been born.
She had a ton of stories about the country. Especially considering that I'd never been there. My mom was from a small town in the outskirts of Toronto and they had met when my dad and her had been in college.
Back to my grandma, I had always been fascinated by the stories of legendary heroes like Karna and gods like Lord Shiva. And epics like Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
Grandma had emphasized spiritualism, connecting yourself to the universe. To the Shakti and the Shiva. The former being the energy of the cosmos, divine and feminine in nature for its life giving properties while the latter Shiva, is masculine in nature and formless.
Through all that she taught me how to meditate.
Breath escaped my slightly parted lips easily. My chest inflated as I inhaled. The noise from the outside faded, a calm settling in my mind as I easily fell into a numb state. Just like I had done a hundred times in the past with my grandma.
My mind expanded.
It was easy. Like flipping a switch and watching the light spread to the room. Instantly I could feel everything inside my zone. Its range was still small though. No surprise there.
I played around with it, trying to pull in the zone, expanding it on one side or compressing it. My brow was scrunched up as it took a lot to manipulate the field.
This field was only the foundation. It was the basis in which I could jump onto the true abilities.
Telekinesis and Telepathy.
Pretty basic abilities but oh soooo very useful.
The difference between Shazam and I was that I didn't get the full package from the word go.
No, I'd gathered from my conversation with Solomon that each legacy came with a prerequisite.
I needed approval from the figures themselves. Shazam only had to utter a word and he would get the Wisdom of Solomon, the Strength of Hercules, the Stamina of Atlas, the Power of Zeus, the Courage of Achilles and the Speed of Mercury.
But for me, I had to tackle each legacy on its own first.
That meant the origin of the legacies needed to find me worthy. It was why the first mission, apart from having what could prove to become a really good reward, was important.
I needed to prove to the gods, not only Solomon that I was worthy by completing the second mission.
Coming up with an original skill by using Solomon's legacy.
I couldn't expect the powers I had already manifested to count towards the mission. I had tapped into both telepathy and telekinesis before, back in the alley. Now I needed something different.
Something that was both useful for the fights I would definitely be part of but also easy enough to create as a skill.
First I needed to lay the ground work.
A normal person would have had their eyes wide open if they saw the floating trash can at the corner of my small kitchen. It was just barely at the edge of my active zone.
The trash can had the remains of the paper used on the envelope that had contained the cash.
It was wrinkled and made a small sound as it floated out of the trash can.
I frowned, feeling a headache bloom in the middle of my head. The folded up paper begun to straighten as I ironed it out with TK. (telekinesis)
The cataracts and wrinkles on its form faded away though not completely.
The end result was a slightly ruffled piece of paper in front of me. By now my head was pounding like something crazy, so I stopped to rest.
Then a glass of water and 20 minutes later, I was back at it. This time I started trying to make shapes with it. The effort it took was much more than before.
My TK field had to act on two dimensions at the same time, the paper folding into two. Then I tried to fold it again and almost passed out as the sensation of a hot nail being driven through my skull, made me stop.
The paper fell into my hands and I shivered. My body was sweaty and I was feeling nauseous. I decided to call it quits for the day.
(Billy's P.O.V)
"She doesn't even know how ugly she is..."
The thought came from a table with a group of three girls. All of them were wearing fashionable clothes.
It was clear they had hit their peak in high school and were desperately trying to hold on to it, though they looked to be in their twenties.
The smiles on their faces as they 'celebrated' each other hid a lot of ridicule and jealousy. The thoughts going through their minds were filthy as well.
The first thing I'd learned from learning Telepathy was that people were naturally dirty minded. And gross. A stray thought about kittens could be turned into something horrifying.
Oh and sex. Lots and lots of thoughts about getting laid.
I made it a rule to never stay in one mind for too long and to never look into their memories. That would only be reserved for bad guys when I eventually met them. I suspected that was going to be very soon. Trouble seemed to follow me.
On the moral side of things, was it still denying them their privacy? Yes. Did I care? Nope. Why? If this was it took to make sure I didn't die, then so be it. Besides, I took great care not to hurt anyone while passing through the walls of their minds.
I turned my attention to the second table just a few meters at my back. In my TK field, this one had a young teenage girl of about 14 years old, a middle aged woman and a young man busy on his phone.
I imagined the tether, a small string extending towards the guy.
"I can't believe I only have a few months with my dad. Why does he have to suffer? Why can't anyone else get Cancer?! Why?..." He looked up at his sister and mother.
"Why couldn't it be one of them?"
I immediately pulled back with a frown. Telepathy, I had realized was both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes it could help you get out of a bad situation by knowing who was intending to harm you, other times, you stumbled upon an unfiltered thought.
A thought that was raw and untamed. And you realized...can you really trust anyone? After sitting inside the coffee shop for two straight hours, I had quickly learned something. We were all twisted in some way.
"You been staring at that screen for almost an hour. Refill?"
MJ called out, surprising me a little. I had been so concentrated on the young man that I hadn't noticed her coming.
"Oh. Yeah, please."
She smiled as I placed my phone down in a repeat of the interaction from yesterday.
"So you never really told me much about you."
She gazed down at me with her beautiful green eyes.
She wanted to get to know me? Was this some kind of plot maneuvering by the powers that be? Keeping quiet would be seen as rude though, even it felt like I was wasting time holding a conversation.
"Uh, I'm Billy, 17 years old I think..."
I said before I could catch myself.
MJ looked at me funnily.
"You think? You're not sure of your own age?"
"It... was a joke?"
I replied unconvincingly. To my benefit, she found it funny and giggled.
I matched her smile, sighing inwardly in relief. I was still not completely used to this new life. Which is fair because it had only been two days.
"Watson!"
Pedro called from the counter and MJ winced.
"Sorry, gotta go Billy. He's especially mad today. One of the special orders we were expecting came in late."
She turned around to walk away and that's when temptation got the better of me. Her brain was like a bright bulb in a dark room. I couldn't resist taking a small peek.
'... doesn't look like a Billy. He's cute though.'
I immediately pulled back. Who knew where that thought would go? Maybe that was enough mind reading for the day. She called me cute though.
I rubbed the sides of my head, I could feel a headache coming on. Clearly reading minds for what must have been two hours had taken a toll.
I still had a few more things to do. Or rather visit. I paid for my coffee and walked out of the restaurant. Next stop, the library.
I took the subway, exposing myself to more of New York's busy life and the throngs of people that flowed in out of places in a ceaseless stream. Of course I soon found out a drawback of my telepathy.
A dull headache was quickly building up, not only from the chatter but the dozens of minds entering and exiting my zone. The New York public library was located on Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 40th streets.
I sat on a bench a block away, my mind thrumming painfully. I couldn't stop it either. Not like before. Everyone who entered my range had their minds turned up to full volume. It was steadily growing unbearable.
"Imagine a wall. A really really tall wall."
A voice said from beside me, startling me slightly.
"Pardon?"
"A tall wall made of bricks. Tough bricks that cannot be broken."
I looked to the side and saw a bald man, on a wheelchair, dressed in a gray sweater with a book on his lap. For some reason he looked very familiar.
"Sorry, I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be in some discomfort. Are you feeling alright?"
At his voice, his identity clicked for me and I tried my best to clear my mind while subtly looking around us. He wouldn't come here alone. Where was...
There. Next to a hot dog stand, was a tall beautiful black woman with white hair that was cut very short. Despite the lack of long hair that I was used to, there was no denying who she was. She had the beauty. Ororo Munroe, Storm...and she was walking towards us.
I turned to the professor feeling my heart speed up. How did he find me? Did he know? Was he here to recruit me? Was Magneto behind?
"Good."
He said and I realized...I couldn't hear them anymore. I couldn't hear the thoughts of the people going in and out of my zone.
I could still feel their minds. I could even feel his own mind. It wasn't different from anyone else's. He must have been shielding his powers away from prying eyes.
"Hello, I am Professor Charles Xavier."
My eyes widened.
His lips hadn't moved.
"I know. I'm speaking directly into your mind."
I stood up quickly, suddenly wary.
"Are you reading my thoughts?"
I asked, fully aware of my hypocrisy.
Charles waved a hand in dismissal.
"Far from it, I can just read your face. It's quite clear I scared you. Forgive me, that was not my intention. It's not every day I meet another telepath. Not to mention one so young."
He replied with a harmless smile.
I looked at Ororo and saw she had taken a different bench a few feet away, content to flip through a magazine I didn't know she had.
Xavier patted the bench.
"Could you please take a seat my boy. I believe I can help you get rid of the headache."
I was aware he hadn't answered my question from before. I had no way of knowing if another telepath could read my mind after all.
But I also didn't have much of a choice. Following his instructions helped me control the automatic activation of my mind reading on anyone inside my range.
It hadn't been a problem when I'd been in a less crowded place but it was hard to ignore in such a populated part of the city.
Hearing him out couldn't be bad. 'If I feel something is off, I'm out of here.' I told myself, taking the seat.
"You have a gift, my boy, but it can be difficult to control."
I nodded. Hard to control was almost an understatement.
"First of all, it's important to understand that your abilities are not a curse," Xavier said.
"They are a part of you, and they can be a powerful tool if you learn to use them properly. But it takes time and practice to develop that control."
I looked at him, listening intently.
"Try to focus on your breathing," Xavier continued. "Take slow, deep breaths, and imagine that with each inhale, you are drawing in calm and peace. And with each exhale, you are releasing any tension or discomfort you may be feeling."
I followed Xavier's instructions, taking measured deep breaths and focusing on my breathing. The city noise disappeared.
"Now, visualize a peaceful place," Xavier said. "Somewhere that makes you feel happy and safe. It can be a real place or an imaginary one. Just imagine yourself there, surrounded by peace and tranquillity."
His voice had a lulling effect. I Imagined my Grandma's apothecary. She was an eccentric woman. The fun eccentric. The blue walls painted with stellar maps and small statues of the Daeva covering the walls.
A deep scent of incense and herbs permeated the chamber. And there on her soft mat, I sat cross-legged, deep in meditation.
"Good," Xavier spoke out. "Now, try to focus on that feeling of peace and calm. Let it spread through your body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. And as you do, try to push away any distracting or intrusive thoughts that may be causing you pain."
I exhaled slowly, feeling the tension in my head start to ease. The pounding slowed, fading away.
"Very good," Xavier says, nodding approvingly. "You have a natural talent for this, my boy. With practice, you can learn to control your abilities and use them to make a positive impact on the world."
I opened my eyes. The headache was gone. The city life still retained its frantic energy but I was centred now. And I stayed centred.
I looked at Xavier.
"Thanks."
Xavier smiled.
"I run a school for mutants like you, and I" he explained. "We teach our students to belong. I can provide you with a safe and supportive community of people similar to us. Where you won't be judged because of your powers."
I won't lie. It was tempting. Very tempting.
I looked out into the streets.
"I can't."
I truthfully answered.
Xavier never lost the smile on his face.
"Very well."
He nodded simply.
I raised an eyebrow.
"You're not going to tell me to explain?"
He shook his head.
"No. I believe, that everyone has a path they must walk."
He leaned in.
"But if you ever need help, do not hesitate to come to me."
He smiled just as Storm walked over to us.
"I am sure you know where the school is."
He added cheekily, pushing his wheelchair towards Storm.
Ororo looked at me briefly before saying something to Charles. Then she looked at me strangely, before pushing the wheelchair away, leaving me seated on the bench alone.
"I can't believe it. I just talked to the leader of the X-Men."