Chapter 4: Priority Alpha
More chapters on my (P)atreon at Saintbarbido.
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(Billy's P.O.V)
"Shazam huh? Cool name. Sounds related to magic though."
He tilted his head, giving me an once-over.
"So are you like...a wizard or something."
Despite the small burst of glee that he liked the name, I wasn't going to tell him about my abilities.
"Or Something."
I could almost sense the frown underneath his mask.
"You're intentionally being vague to sound mysterious."
"What gave that away?"
I questioned just as the gentle roar of engines sounded out, headed straight for us.
Shield worked fast.
The minute the Quinjet landed on the edges of the destroyed area, agents rushed out with some high tech restraining devices.
They quickly and efficiently apprehended the unconscious Villains.
Seeing this, Spiderman turned to me.
"Sorry, gotta run. Now that Shield's here, my team needs me."
"Team?"
I blurted out before I could help myself. Last I checked Spiderman didn't have a team.
"Yeah, crazy, I know. Me in a team. Not to mention it's leader. Fury certainly lost his marbles."
He replied with a sigh of frustration.
That wasn't all. I caught the undercurrent of reluctant pride.
I smiled.
"Don't worry I'm sure you'll get the hang of things. There's always a first time for everything."
My words made him reevaluate me again.
"Thanks. Always good to see 's mission to trash my name failing."
Before we could continue with the conversation, Spiderman stiffened slightly.
A particularly well guarded mind appeared in my telepathic range, walking briskly towards us.
Spiderman winced.
"Sorry. I really gotta escape...I mean run... I mean swing...away. Now. The cityneedsmebyeShazam!"
He turned flustered, shot a web onto a nearby street light and quickly swung away.
"Don't let her bite your head off!"
He added before disappearing into the concrete jungle.
Of course I knew who he was talking about. I turned around and came face to face with Maria Hill.
"You're coming with me."
She immediately ordered. The nerve.
I frowned underneath my mask.
"Sorry. But I don't take kindly to rude people."
Then without another word, I pulsed my TK aura and blasted off into the sky, heading towards my beautiful apartment.
It's not like I had anywhere else to go or anything. Not to mention, I was dead on my feet. I felt like sleeping for a whole week.
My flight speed slowed as I got closer to my lair...I mean my apartment.
I hovered in the air while looking down at the complex. Luckily the way the building was constructed ensured I could move in without being easily spotted.
As for the aforementioned apartment, it was back!
That red faced stupid alien had torn everything apart but just like the mission rewards had stated, my little abode looked as if nothing had happened to it.
Once inside, it became obvious that something had indeed changed.
Every single thing seemed to have undergone renovation.
Or rather, the Apartment looked new. As if time had reversed by a few years instead of the few hours since it had been destroyed.
It looked how I imagine it used to be when the building was first built. No leaking bathroom anymore.
Yay to the powers that be for even dealing with the wear and tear. Everything had been restored to it's prime.
A little more touring and I was even more impressed. This place looked nothing like my old apartment. Everything was clean and fresh.
The musty smell and stench of disinfectant that had always been there was missing.
I accepted and received my other reward, setting up my new and comfy bed before taking a shower.
The water was hot!
It might seem as if I was making a big deal out of the whole thing, but after showering with cold water for the last week, I almost moaned as the heat washed away my exhaustion.
I'm not ashamed to say I stayed there longer than I was supposed to.
After that, I heated up some leftovers I had in my new, albeit small fridge.
I had wanted to do something about my injuries but I was still mentally drained, so I swallowed a painkiller and promptly fell asleep.
My dreams were filled with images and scenes of a battlefield. A man wearing a lion's top half of the skull and mane as a headdress wielding a massive club.
He stood on a mountain of corpses. Alone, in opposition to the thousands of warriors before him.
Everytime he swung the club, the entire battlefield would undergo a massive upheaval.
The terrain would change.
Mighty and thunderous shockwaves would carry his enemies away, destroying army formations easily.
The earth would crack apart swallowing everything.
Then another scene would replace that, and I would see the same man battling a large lion with his bare hands. Their fight was even more shocking than the scene before.
It was brutal. The Lion left claw marks along his body that bled with golden blood.
"Ichor"
Solomon's legacy supplied.
Ichor, a god's blood.
Instantly I knew who he was. Even before the scene changed to show him battling a creature that looked like a cross between a dragon and a snake with 8 heads.
"Hydra."
Solomon's Wisdom once again supplied.
Hercules.
The most physically strongest god.
The legacy of Strength.
For the rest of my sleep, I feel into a dreamless state. Only waking up when the sun's rays started streaming through the window.
I had slept for more than 13 hours.
I lay there thinking about the dream I had.
A few minutes later, I decided to get up, groaning as my ribs protested any movement at the action.
I sank back in bed, pulling up my t-shirt to see the extent of my injuries.
There was a red welt on the left side of my chest, but it wasn't as bad as I had initially feared.
Running my palm over my forehead revealed I had been wrong about a concussion. There wasn't any pain there.
I was sure I had hit my head pretty badly though...
Still, can't look a gift horse in the mouth. This type of injury wouldn't be enough to keep me down for long.
It was a good thing too. I speculated it would only take about a week to get back to full health.
Less, if I try an idea I had.
I settled into a cross legged position, falling into a meditative trance.
Next I reached out through my telepathic range.
My eyes blinked open in surprise. My range had increased. A lot.
I could now cover the entire block which was almost half a mile all around. Close to 800 meters.
And I could peruse the minds of anyone inside this range with ease.
It was... intoxicating just how much power and control I now wielded. It seems the fight with the Cabal had done me some good.
Maybe with this increased control my idea would work.
I tentatively pulled on my psionic energy.
My body immediately glowing as a shroud of rainbow color appeared around me. It shone bright enough I was sure anyone watching from the outside would have seen it.
I decreased the amount I was pulling on and the glow around me died down. Now for the next step.
I sent a little of that energy to my ribs gently. To my utter disappointment, the energy simply dissipated into the air.
I tried again. The same thing happened.
I kept at it for a few hours not even noticing the time go by as I was focused on cracking this. Having a healing skill would be invaluable.
Without my TK aura acting as the last layer of defense I had against powerful blows, I was a glass Cannon.
Regeneration in that case would be a good skill to have.
Unfortunately, Psionic energy seemed to work under different principles. Which made sense in a way.
All the skills I'd learned under Solomon's Legacy were mental skills.
Regeneration wasn't.
That wasn't to say my efforts went to waste.
Something unexpected did eventually happen as I kept pushing Psionic Energy into my injury to heal it.
That something would be the basis of one of the most valuable skills I would ever come up with.
(General P.O.V)
(Elsewhere)
The Hulk and Black Widow had managed to get the gamma energy siphoning device and cure the Avengers.
Stark complained about the damage caused to his building but with the kind of resources he had at hand, rebuilding was only a matter of using a few suits controlled remotely.
In just a few hours, everything was back to tip top shape.
The Avengers also understood how it was living like the Hulk. Being forced to keep all that anger in check.
Suffice it to say, they sympathized and respected Banner even more.
The only thing left to do was to find the boy, Billy and cure him as well.
The boy had surprised them all. He'd dealt with the Cabal. Alone. That wasn't a simple feat.
The Cabal went up against the Avengers regularly and the latter would all unanimously agree they weren't a joke.
Tony had a program running a database search for Billy. Sooner or later they would find the boy.
In the meantime...things were underfoot.
In the Avengers tower, director Fury had called a meeting with the Avengers.
Priority Alpha.
Which meant what he wanted to talk to them about was important enough to warrant Shield's director to arrive himself.
Fury turned to Tony.
"Stark, a little privacy please."
The billionaire merely nodded without saying anything, something that was uncharacteristic of him.
"Jarvis, you heard the Pirate."
But of course he wouldn't miss the chance to throw a jab Fury's way.
Gray metal panels fell from the walls around the room, covering the windows and sealing the room shut from the outside world.
The hardened spy took a deep breath.
"We lost Loki's scepter two years ago."
Fury admitted, looking as if he'd bitten on a particularly sour lemon.
The room turned cold.
"What's Loki's scepter?"
Falcon asked, looking around the room.
No one answered. They remained in stunned silence.
"2 years...that long and you only mention it now."
Stark shook his head.
"And you say I can't be trusted. How did you lose it?"
Tony asked, his tone calm but those who knew him could see the slight clench of his jaw.
Tony was angry. Anger that was universally shared by the rest of the Avengers.
"You know how."
Fury answered calmly. As if he wasn't facing some of the most dangerous individuals in the planet.
"Hydra."
Cap bit out.
"Affirmative. We never managed to find out who stole it from Shield's vault of 'things that should not be outside the vault'."
The spy informed them.
"Until now."
Hawkeye guessed.
"Right again."
The leader of Shield nodded.
"And you kept this from us why?"
Tony prodded, pouring himself a glass of bourbon that he handed to Thor.
The Asgardian gulped it down before levelling a glare at Fury.
"You gave me assurance Fury. You lied."
The air got charged. The Avengers were staring at Fury distrustfully.
"Can we all just calm down? Let him explain."
Black Widow told the team.
"Of course you would support him Natasha."
Hawkeye threw at her.
"I..."
Black Widow started only to trail off with a frown. That comment seemed to have thrown her off her game.
"Despite where Natasha's loyalties seem to lie, she's a valuable member of this time. And she's right. I'm not happy with any of this but we should listen before judging."
Cap the voice of reason, advised.
The others weren't happy but at least they looked ready to hear Fury out.
"What's there to explain?" The One-eyed spy responded.
"Though the Avengers lack oversight, Shield is under the World Council. My bosses determined the information was too sensitive for people to know."
"Even the Avengers?"
Falcon asked, one eyebrow raised.
"You know the game Sam. Orders are orders."
Natasha replied to the former soldier.
Thor slammed the glass in his hands on the table.
"Hey, use the coaster..."
Iron Man added offhandedly as the Asgardian got to his feet, calling to his hammer.
"Midgardian Politics."
The god spat out in distaste before making his way towards the entrance.
"Hold on, prince Thor. I promise you that you will want to stay back for this."
Fury told him, more serious than any of them had heard before.
(General P.O.V)
Fury's grave tone convinced Thor to stay back and at least listen to what the other man had to say.
Though he hated politics, Midgard was still under his protection.
Thor could put his pride to the side when it came to safeguarding the lives of innocents.
Fury wasted no time.
"As you are all aware, The Cabal were defeated and taken down by this kid."
An image of Billy appeared on the screen.
"How is he by the way? He never came in when the rest were getting cured of the gamma virus."
Banner asked from his seat, in between Falcon and Hawkeye.
Fury frowned.
"Troublesome. Hill tried to approach him but he blew her off and flew away."
"Wow. I'm surprised someone said no to SHIELD."
Falcon cut in.
"My people are out looking for him."
Fury assured, seeking to move past that particular subject.
"No need. I know where he is."
Tony said with a slightly mocking smile.
Fury brushed away the obvious dig at SHIELD's inability to stay ahead of Stark.
"Back to the matter at hand, we found something after accessing Iron Skull's suit of armor. Communications with Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker."
Hawkeye sat up straighter.
"A well known activist. Head of many charity programs all across Europe and Asia."
"Guess we know what he gets up to in his spare time. Anyone in 'communications' with Skull is bad news."
Tony remarked.
"Strucker has been hiding his affiliations with Hydra well. The information we came across, however, paints him as more than just a high ranking figure under Iron Skull. We've linked him to at least dozens of felonies and terrorism. He led one of Hydra's cells. Occupying the same position as...
"Alexander Pierce."
Cap guessed.
"Exactly." Fury nodded.
"Widow?"
Black Widow stepped up.
"Strucker managed to steal the scepter from under Shield's nose 2 years ago."
She waved a hand across the holographic screen.
2 photographs appeared before them.
One showed an older man dressed in a navy blue suit and another showed a middle aged man with a rifle in his hands.
"Strucker and his second in command, List. They have been using the Scepter's powers to experiment on many human volunteers in an off the books HYDRA Research Base hidden in Sokovia."
"Let me guess, they hope to create super soldiers. An army that will serve Hydra."
Cap sighed, gripping the edges of the table tightly enough to leave impressions.
"Bad guys have a hard on for world domination. Their goals never seem to vary that much."
Barton shook his head.
"We need the Scepter back. And any research material you can find."
Fury informed them.
"Research material? Why? So that Shield can create it's own version of enhanced soldiers?"
Tony questioned, narrowing his eyes.
Fury held his gaze unflinchingly.
"Remember what I said, Stark. Shield doesn't work like the Avengers. My hands are tied on some things."
"No, I agree with Tony. If you're sending us in, then it's a rescue and destroy mission. Shield can't be trusted with whatever Hydra has been working on."
Cap informed Fury, making it abundantly clear there wouldn't be a compromise.
Fury's jaw tightened.
"And the Avengers can?"
Then Tony said something that he would come to regret.
"Of course. Unlike you, we don't seek to control the world, we Avenge it."
(Billy's P.O.V)
4 days.
That's how long it took till I was healed enough to start moving.
Let alone practice my more physically intensive abilities.
These 4 days would have been boring and long if I hadn't had something to occupy my time with.
I spent the mornings working on my mind scape.
A few things had become apparent though. The method I used was flawed. It didn't allow any flexibility or creativity.
It would have been sufficient for any normal person and it brought with it a few benefits.
clarity and reinforced memory being chief among them.
But to me, it felt limiting. I didn't simply want a skill that would help me remember things.
No, I wanted security measures, increased control, free and malleable thinking.
The last was mostly because of two skills I stumbled upon once I tore down the initial mind palace I had begun working on.
The two skills were, Cold focus and Overclock.
The first allowed me to enter a state of complete concentration. I couldn't get distracted. Either by pain or emotions. Everything was muted.
It would come in handy when I needed complete focus on something.
The second skill, Overclock allowed me to speed up my thinking.
And I was well on the way to creating mind partitions where I could focus on many strings of thought at the same time.
Infact...
I dove into my mind, appearing in a verdant green land that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
The land gave way to an ocean on the left and a mountain range on the right.
A small village-town was constructed along the shore with high walls meant to stop any invading force.
The town was separated into different sectors all leading up to a large medieval castle, complete with huge crossbows, energy canons and other forms of armament on top of the castle walls.
Mental apparitions moved through the town like normal people, dressed in a variety of clothing.
Most of it matched the same medieval setting as the town.
Mental apparitions were the basis of mind partitions. They were just creations devoid of will that programed to act how you would expect villagers to act.
I flew over the town, admiring the apparitions I had set to expand my mind-scape.
Most would assume that my memories were stored in castle.
A particularly smart telepath might guess they were stored in one of the many unimpressive houses in the lowest sectors of the town.
They would all be wrong.
I flew past the town and stopped in mid-air above the ocean.
My memories were actually contained in the infinite drops of water in the ocean.
This was my library of memories. A sea without limits.
I blinked my eyes open in the real world, floating off my bed and towards the fridge.
Opening it, I couldn't help but curse.
I had ran out of food. To be specific, my stash of instant noodles.
To be honest, it was supposed to have ran out 2 days ago, if it weren't for a few unexpected guests.
My classmates had decided to check on me after I had missed school for 3 consecutive days.
Peter and Ned had arrived at my apartment with Peter carrying a dish of his Aunt's signature casserole.
Upon enquiring why I hadn't come in the past three days, I cited an injury, telling them I'd slipped on the stairs while coming down.
The overall deplorable state of the apartment complex assured they believed me.
But still, they had been concerned.
Something that had both annoyed and made me grateful.
Annoyed because I was sure the school had policies about giving out people's addresses( I was sure Peter has snuck in and just stolen it) and grateful because now I had something I could eat for two days!
The gesture was touching though and we ended up playing a couple of DnD rounds before they left.
I didn't have the heart to tell them I wouldn't be coming back. The plan was to graduate early and begin working on ensuring I survived Thanos arrival.
It was currently 2015...I didn't have a lot of time.
That aside, I couldn't rely on Pete's goodwill for food, so tonight I had decided to go out.
It was time to introduce Shazam! to the outside world.
The plan was to kick a few bad guy butt, then help myself to their ahem...ill gotten goods.
Drug dealers always carried cash right? I mean all of fiction supported the thought so...
I cleaned up and left the apartment, moving straight towards the abandoned factory that I had made my training yard.
My mind was occupied by a couple of things besides the fact that tonight would be my official debut.
There was the matter of having a superhero costume. I couldn't go out to fight crime in a hoodie and jeans...
Or could I?
I stopped in mid-air to think over the idea that had just sprouted in my mind.
I didn't have the necessary funds to get something effective like Kevlar and any other tough material that would protect me.
Good thing that I had my Psionic shield to protect me from bullets and piercing damage.
Better yet, I could repurpose Atuma's cape and use a leather jacket I had, to make something passable in the eyes of the public.
There was a pair of common hiking boots back in my apartment, that could take the place of durable foot-ware before the superspeed kicked in.
For now my costume didn't have to be anything fancy. Spiderman went out in a red hoodie back when he was starting out after all.
I continued on my journey, happy with the feeling of progress. My debut would mark a milestone for me. I had been in Marvel for two weeks now.
And in those two weeks, I'd come across vampires, one of my favorite superheroes and even fought Supervillains.
Not a bad start.
I arrived at the abandoned factory and slipped in unnoticed.
Once inside, I turned on Cold Focus. My entire mind and body was focused on training.
The training regiment usually begun with me working on my multitasking skill.
I had to juggle different things with Telekinesis in a randomized pattern without letting them clash into each other.
Moving around marbles had stopped being a major challenge so I leveled up to basically juggling around heavy objects like a tank filled with water, long and huge chains and the rusted machinery.
This was much harder and I could already feel a strain as I controlled the huge chain to swim in the air around my body.
"ETA 5 minutes, to drop point."
Black Widow informed the others.
"Thats our cue goldilocks, Wings."
Iron Man told Thor and Falcon.
"Don't call me wings."
Falcon grumbled as the Quinjet's hanger doors opened.
A cold gust of wind blew in.
"Tony, remember rescue...and destroy. Besides the Scepter, everything else goes up in flames."
Captain America reminded Iron Man.
The tech hero said nothing, merely turning on his boot engines and flying away.
"Meet you on the ground friends!"
Thor swung his hammer and flew out as well.
"Suddenly, I feel underdressed for this."
Falcon complained before jumping out of the Quinjet and into the frigid air of Sokovia.
(Billy's P.O.V)
Practice ended early. I still had the costume to create so after a few hours of stretching my psionic muscle (mind), I left.
Approximately 20 minutes later, I was standing before my bed with the bare bones of my costume on the covers.
My eyes however, were not on the mattress.
Instead, I was staring at a mission tab that had appeared before my eyes.
(New mission: Superhero Costume)
(Description: put together something that can pass off as a decent attempt at making a superhero costume. First impressions matter a lot.)
(Reward: Costume Upgrade Token.)
Just like I thought, the system while not sentient could anticipate my needs.
I clicked accept on the mission and got to work.
5 minutes later, I looked myself over in the mirror.
"Not bad for my rusty sewing skills."
I commented, admiring the get up.
A black leather jacket, red pants and a pair of generic boots that felt more comfortable than they should have.
I hadn't had much to do with the Atlantean fabric besides creating a shoulder cloak like Shazam's and then draping it over my shoulder.
I tilted my head. The jacket was too baggy though.
To fix that, I flexed of my will, using my powers to tighten the seams and stitching at the arms and sides.
It clung to my body more snugly over the grey t-shirt I had on.
The pants had to be loosened a little as well, to allow for easier movement. With the alterations finally done, I was good to go.
The system seemed to agree with me, as something flashed at the corner of my vision.
A blue lightning symbol.
Clicking on it, I pulled up the mission reward panel and accepted the reward.
With a flash of color, a circular golden token appeared on my palm. It had the lightning symbol highlighted on it's top.
I turned over the Costume Upgrade Token, studying it. It was cold to the touch and a bit heavy.
I couldn't tell if the material used was metal or a really hard and dense wood.
It's true nature didn't really matter as long as it did as advertised.
I placed the Token on my chest, following instinct. Then I pressed down on the symbol.
On the mirror before me, my reflection underwent changes.
Golden tendrils of energy poured out from the token, touching upon my costume and changing it.
The transformation took seconds to happen and when I blinked my eyes open, I gaped in surprise.
Whoa. Talk about an upgrade.
For starters, the costume seemed to consist of a black one piece body suit that was made with padding at vulnerable places.
Above it was hard but light armor. The torso was colored red and black with a glowing lightning insignia in the middle.
3 bulky shoulder pauldrons were stacked above each other on each of my shoulders and my arms were covered by wrist bracers.
To complete the look was a half mask that covered my upper face, flaming it perfectly. The eye holes glowed a soft even yellow.
My feet left the ground as I slowly levitated. Then I begun pivoting, looking over myself.
Different from my expectations, there wasn't any similarities between my costume and Shazam's except for the lightning symbol.
The blue cape I had earlier fixed on my shoulder was also gone. The upgrade token must have gotten rid of it and to be honest, I could see why.
The red and black would have contrasted with the Atlantean blue.
I guess no capes then.
Still, paying homage to Shazam aside, the costume was badass.
"Okay..."
I smiled.
"I can get used to this."
The New York air was cold as usual. And noisy too.
I was flying at a gentle speed.
Cruising with my telepathic range extended to it's limit while I scanned for minds in distress.
So far, 2 hours in, nothing big had happened. There had been a car accident at a certain junction but no one was hurt.
The drivers had gotten into an argument but a few patrolling officers had luckily been around to deal with it, so I left.
And as I did, I thought.
I wasn't dumb. I knew that S.H.I.E.L.D was aware of me.
Especially after I ditched Maria Hill, Fury's second in command before she could interrogate me.
I had to expect a meeting with the premier spy soon.
By the time midnight rolled around, I had only stopped a drunken fight and saved a stray cat from getting flattened on the street when it had jumped in front of a car.
The driver's mouth had been left gaping open, upon witnessing a cat fly above his car, it's body highlighted by a rainbow glow.
"What were you thinking?"
I asked the dumb but cute feline as I held her up.
"Mroow."
She replied, making me roll my eyes.
"Yes yes, you were being chased by a dog but you guys are great at climbing the railing and jumping around. Dogs can't do that shit. Running out into the street will most likely get you killed."
I told her.
"Mrooooow."
She responded, dismissing my advice by claiming she's too fast to get hit.
I sighed, rubbing her behind the ear.
"Just stay out of trouble."
I released her and she hopped away, not even thanking me.
After she was gone, I realized I had understood her. Not her unintelligible animal sounds obviously, but her mind. Her intent.
Before I could think about that for too long, there were several screams and shouts that sounded pretty close to me.
I stood up from the roof's edge and peered down at the street.
A blue car with a dented side cut down the street in reckless abandon. Behind it were a few cop cars in pursuit, sirens flashing.
I didn't waste time. This was the first true crime that if I resolved would put me in the police's good graces.
I took a step forward and fell.
My descent slowed as I managed to call onto my TK aura.
The shroud of rainbow flashed across my body before I was off, flying after the blue car.
I had my telepathic range extended out, ensuring I didn't miss anything.
There was awe from the people on the sidewalk the instant they spotted my red and black figure.
Some took pictures while others pointed at me.
Even the cop cars slowed down somewhat. I took that as permission to move on ahead and stop the driver before he caused an accident.
The car was going fast. 80 mph at the minimum.
I easily pulled up next to the vehicle, flying beside it and knocked on the driver's window.
A middle aged man with a scraggly beard, red shot eyes and a dirty wife-beater cursed upon seeing me.
He suddenly turned the wheel left, the tires protesting as the car swerved away from me.
The bumper clipped the side of a fire hydrant and broke it.
Water started spraying out into the street as the driver gunned the car down the road.
Only for the vehicle's engine to rumble but fail to move a single inch, suspended in mid air through my telekinesis.
My powers had grown enough that lifting 2 tons while a bit on the heavy side was manageable. The car was only slightly too heavy.
The wheels rolled as he stepped on the gas again and again, cursing as nothing seemed to work.
I floated down, hands crossed over my chest as I stared at the panicking guy. He stopped, noticing a shadow over the window.
We stared at each other for a few seconds before he scrambled for something on the dash board.
A glimpse into his mind showed that he had a gun stashed inside.
I held up a hand and froze him with telekinesis. Then with a slight suggestion to his mind, he slumped over in the seat, asleep.
Then I pulled out the gun and dismantled it into pieces.
The car slowly lowered to the ground.
That same time, the cops also finally arrived. I waved a hand and then made my escape, not keen to stick around and see whether they would arrest me or not.
Vigilantism was illegal after all.
The rest of the night passed by slowly. It was 3 when I decided to cut my patrol short and leave for my apartment.
All along the way, I was ready for something to happen, knowing that the second I dropped my guard, Murphy would be ready to hit me with something unexpected.
Of course the world conspired to make sure that didn't happen and I arrived at my apartment fairly quick and safe.
I didn't even bother with the lights, merely looking for something to eat inside the fridge.
I came up empty. There was nothing in the fridge.
Only then did I remember I was broke.
I bumped my head on the fridge. The plan to steal from the bad guys had been a monumental failure.
Then again, this was only the first day out. I couldn't expect things to go exactly as planned. Guess I was sleeping hungry then.
I closed the fridge and immediately my nose picked up on something good. Food. My stomach grumbled in response while I stiffened.
There was someone inside my apartment. Someone who could shield themselves from my telepathy owing to the fact I hadn't felt them at all.
"It's take out. Do you like Chinese? Thought you'd be hungry after all that flying around, helping the common citizen."
A familiar male voice entered my ears.
I turned around to face the man standing at the corner of my apartment.
"You should get a chair . Something to breathe more life into your apartment."
Fury said, walking forward into the light.
"What are you doing here?"
I asked immediately freezing his body.
"Don't you know, breaking and entering is a crime?"
(Billy's P.O.V)
"I'll do you one better, do you know vigilantism is outlawed? I have concrete proof that can make your life very difficult ."
He replied, narrowing his lone eye my way.
I snorted, releasing him from my hold.
He fixed his clothes, before looking at me up and down.
"Nice costume."
He complimented, surprising me a little.
"Thanks. For the food too."
I nodded in gratitude. Just because I didn't like the guy, didn't mean I had to be rude.
His cursory stare turned into a stern gaze.
"Now that the pleasantries are over, could you tell me how you managed to get rid of the gamma energy virus you were infected with?"
I smiled.
"Well we all have our secrets you know..."
My response was cheeky as I grabbed the food he'd brought with my mind.
Immediately my mouth watered as I broke off the chopsticks and got to work.
"I see."
Fury finally stated.
"Some secrets, especially ones that can put the entire world at risk, should not be secret at all."
He stated.
The chopsticks stopped on my way to my mouth. Is he trying to guilt trip me?
"I don't like you."
I told him with a narrowing of my eyes.
Fury smiled in amusement.
"You're not supposed to."
Then he looked around at my bare apartment.
"Mind joining me for a late night coffee somewhere we can at least sit down?"
He suggested.
Ouch.
Once more I was made aware of the glaring fact that I had no furniture to speak of. Man, I should really do something about-
(New Mission!)
(Mission Description: Hear out Fury)
(Reward: 2000 dollars worth of furniture. Comes with a soft complimentary rug.)
There we go.
Wait, 2000 dollars! Why cant you just give it to me in cash?! I'm starving out here System!
"Fine."
I said.
If Fury noticed my bad mood, he said nothing. Whatever he had to say had to be good. I was leaving my food goddamnit!
I threw on a hoodie and shorts, changing out of my costume merely by willing it away into my hammer space.
We left the building and stepped out into the cold New York air. A black car was already waiting for us on the driveway.
A brief scan with my mind and I could feel 3 minds scattered around us, all trying to remain as inconspicuous as they could.
"What? SHIELD running low on agents? I can only spot 3 of your people and frankly, they suck at hiding."
I commented.
Fury smiled as he entered the car.
"What?"
I asked.
"Those are the recruits. I came with half a dozen. And yes, we are running low on agents, why, you want to apply?"
He shot back.
Now, normally I would snort and dismiss that idea entirely, but today had shown me that without a true direction, I was basically stuck at street level, either handling the petty crime or helping the common senior citizen cross the road.
It didn't feel like a waste of my time, but I also felt I could do more. I needed a challenge.
So I didn't dismiss the idea entirely.
"How's the pay?"
I asked, looking out through the window.
I could feel Fury's eyes boring into me.
"You have a problem with Authority . SHIELD would not fit you. It's also under a review board to determine whether it should keep functioning as an autonomous agency under only the World Council. While we could surely use your...expertise, I'm afraid you would be a terrible fit. "
He explained.
Wow.
He just shot me down completely.
"Never failed an interview that fast before."
I said with a disbelieving laugh.
"Interesting. And how many interviews have you taken part in?"
He enquired with a side look.
"Always gotta psycho-analyse everything huh?"
I scoffed, trying to appear relaxed as he caught on to my slip.
That was stupid of me. He's a spy! Of course he'd pick up on everything I would say.
'That's how they build profiles.' The last thought was fed to me by Solomon's legacy.
"It's part of the job."
Fury replied.
The car finally stopped a few blocks away and we got out.
"Pedro's huh?"
The huge outdated sign at the entrance clued me in on where we were.
"Didn't know he kept this place open so late."
"Early."
Fury corrected.
"It's 4 in the morning and no he doesn't. Pedro is a friend."
The spy concluded walking in only to stop and look back at me.
I hadn't moved an inch.
"The staff knows me there. My secret identity..."
"Is safe."
Fury cut in impatiently.
I swallowed my very impolite words and followed him in.
We grabbed a booth and sat down.
"What can I get ya?"
A barista I'd never seen before asked, chewing on gum. She was middle aged and blonde.
"The usual, Sandra."
Fury told her.
Then she turned to me. I still hadn't had anything to eat and Fury was paying so...
"Coffee and one of your spicy pastries. I heard those were good."
MJ had recommended them a few times before.
She grinned in amusement.
"You heard right."
She left and returned a few seconds later with our order.
The pastry was delicious as advertised but maybe that was my hunger speaking.
The coffee brought with it the familiar kick of energy that I had been deprived of for soooo long. It was hot and really good.
Fury's order turned out to be a glass of water. I admit, I didn't even try to hide the strange expression on my face.
"You're gonna finish that?"
I joked, looking at the half empty glass.
In response he held it up, a serious look on his face.
"I'm not one for metaphors but I think this one is fitting. See...this is you, , a glass of water."
My chewing slowed down.
Huh?
He leaned forward.
"Some folks will look at the glass and say it's half empty. Others, they will say it's half full. But I say, it's neither."
I raised my eyebrows, wondering where he was going with this.
"What do you mean?"
I asked.
Fury leaned back in his chair.
"When it comes to achieving greatness, it's not about what's in the glass. It's about what you can do with it."
He placed the glass back on the table, his gaze piercing.
"You, son, are one hell of a powerhouse. You've got power surging through your veins that most people can only dream of. But that power alone won't get you far. It's what you choose to do with it that matters."
My eyes narrowed. I was starting to grasp his point. The deal he was trying to sell.
"In other words, you're saying I need more than just my abilities?"
Fury smiled.
"Exactly. Just like that glass, you've got potential. Potential to change the world. But it's gonna take more than one person to do it."
Fury paused for a moment, his gaze unwavering.
"You're not cut out for SHIELD."
"Okay."
Not exactly a bummer or anything.
"Nor are you cut out for the Avengers..."
"Oh come on. That's bullshit."
I slammed a hand on the table.
"Did you forget who took down the fuckin Cabal?!"
Fury said nothing at my outburst, merely raising his one visible eyebrow.
"You're 17. A kid. A kid that should be going to school but isn't."
He leaned forward, interlocking his fingers together.
"We have overlooked a lot of things in regards to you, Mr. Batson. Like how your records do not seem to match. They're there. But they're too clean. And your face was recorded on a camera the first time ever only 2 weeks ago."
My breath hitched.
"Now my first thought was that you were a plant. A mutant from one of the many many enemies SHIELD has created, tasked with getting close to SHIELD. It even makes sense, the organization has never been weaker. Hydra did it before and it worked. Who says someone else can't do the same?"
I shook my head.
"I love my life Fury. If I was really a spy, why would I put myself in a dangerous situation such as dealing with the Cabal alone?"
"Exactly what a spy would do."
He answered.
We stared at each other for a few seconds. I reached out with my telepathy, scanning the area around the restaurant for any enemies.
Nothing. Only the agents in the car and the staff in the restaurant. So I stopped scanning for minds and instead stretched out my awareness, encompassing everything around the block.
There.
5 agents in a non-descript SUV at the corner.
"So I have to earn your trust? That's your point?"
I wondered out loud, still scanning the area.
3 more agents in the kitchen.
Sandra, the Barista was carrying a gun. Suffice it to say she was part of SHIELD.
"That's one way to put it. Spiderman. He has a team of junior heroes..."
I tuned him out a little.
And then...
There. Found him.
On top of a rooftop with his eyes trained on us...was an archer.
Hawkeye. And he had a direct shot at me through the window. Fury had led me to a booth with a clear view of the outside.
Clearly he came here expecting this talk to go wrong.
...eam. They fill each other's gaps, using their unique abilities to accomplish the impossible. Alone, they're all just individuals with half a glass of water. But together, they're a force to be reckoned with."
Not bad for a pitch.
So he wanted me to join Spidey's group? I'd learned a little more about them.
There was the Iron Fist, Nova, Luke Cage and the White Tiger.
"And what if I'm not cut out for teamwork? You said I have a problem with Authority so?"
I enquired.
Fury leaned forward again, his voice filled with conviction.
"Then you'll remain a half-empty glass, always wondering what you could have achieved. But if you open yourself up to the possibility, embrace the power of collaboration, you'll find a purpose greater than you ever imagined. That rang true for the Avengers. It can for you too."
(Billy's P.O.V)
"Can I think about it?"
I finally responded.
I had nothing against the offer. And the analogy of the half full or half empty glass of water (depending on how you look at it) was kinda cool.
And while the prospect of having people to watch my back was enticing, I was in no position to join any team.
I had shit I needed to deal with first.
Not to mention, I found that I valued my freedom too much.
Fury didn't seem to like that response and he left abruptly. He didn't forget to leave a card with a number and a shield logo in case I needed to contact him though.
Maybe he thought I would change my mind.
Maybe I would have...if it wasn't for Solomon's Wisdom showing me that I would lose more than I would gain.
The walk back to my apartment was spent mulling over things and planning for the future.
Once I arrived at my place, I fell asleep almost instantly.
I didn't even bother to check the reward section from the latest mission. I decided I would deal with it when I woke up.
It was about 7 in the evening when I did. By then, I had slept most of the day away.
The next two hours were spent on the customary round of psionic-training, of which I was getting better and then continuing to build my Mind-scape.
The next thing I did was accept the reward from last night's mission.
Now 2000 dollars worth of furniture sounded like a lot, so I moved a few things around to create more space before clicking receive.
One instant, the room was bare, filled with enough space to move freely despite it's small size, then the next, I had a Piano taking up a huge section of the middle.
In addition to that, there was a simple yellow couch, a small ebony table infront of said couch, a soft rug and at the corner of the room, was a work desk with a night light and a chair.
Wait... something was familiar about the Piano.
I walked forward and ran a hand on the dark coat of the instrument. Then I checked the left corner. A few words were carved into the wood.
"Partik..."
I traced my family name, a stunned smile on my face.
I could hardly believe it. My Dad's piano. I'd grown up being taught how to play this thing. Of course I was horrendous at it but...
I sat down on the small chair that had accompanied the Piano and started playing.
My fingers traced over the keys with familiarity as I gently pressed on them, sending a shaky melody ringing out through the apartment.
30 full minutes passed as I was lost in nostalgia. When I stopped playing, I could feel the wetness in my eyes.
A shuddering breath escaped my lips as I pressed the heels of my palm onto my face.
Slowly, I let the pain of what I'd lost wash over me. And I accepted it.
"Thanks."
Whether it was the System's doing or Solomon or any of the other legacies, I couldn't deny I was gratified.
Tonight was no different from last night.
There was no crime to stop or villains to fight. It was just a slightly chilly night in the city that never sleeps.
I did spot Spiderman swinging on his web a few blocks out of Queens. I thought about joining him but then remembered the events of last night.
Maybe limiting contact with him was the right idea. I didn't want to put myself in SHIELD's radar more than I already was.
So I flew on the opposite direction.
The other reason for avoiding him was of course Peter himself. I felt guilty about lying I would see them at school.
I was done with Midtown High and wouldn't be going back.
The scarcity of bad guys to go after led to me flying over Hell's Kitchen and extending my telepathic range a bit further.
Eventually...I did come across something. A dark figure seemed to be watching the back of a club from a roof.
The figure was dressed in a familiar dark red outfit with small horns at the top of his mask. He also had with him two Eskrima sticks.
I couldn't believe it. Daredevil. The MCU did him bad on the She-hulk show but the blind hero had been a favorite of mine.
I wouldn't have even have noticed him if it wasn't for telepathy. That's his good at stealth he was.
Unlike Fury who seemed to have a device that directly countered mind reading, Matt Murdock aka Daredevil's mind was like an open book.
I didn't delve deep into his memories but I did look into what he was doing spying on the club.
Turns out this was one of the Kingpin's establishments.
Matt had come after a kidnapped girl, who had escaped her human traffickers but had been captured before she could get very far.
Luckily for her, Daredevil had been patrolling the area when he'd seen her get thrown in the back of a van.
Her poor condition indicated mistreatment and her oriental features and the fact she had screamed in Cantonese told him of what was happening.
Matt hadn't understood the meaning but Solomon's Legacy translated it for me.
She had been cursing her captors in a rather colorful way.
Daredevil had decided to follow the van as it navigated the streets. Eventually the vehicle had stopped at the back of a popular night club called Sunside Down.
I had arrived just as he was planning to break in.
"I want to help."
I announced, floating down next his position.
Daredevil didn't even flinch. Then again to a man like him, he had probably heard me the second I got within his hearing range.
"Who are you?"
He asked, turning to regard me with suspicion.
"Call me Shazam. I'm someone with a grudge against the human traffickers and criminals inside that building."
I told him motioning to the establishment.
"What a coincidence. Me too."
Daredevil said plainly. I caught the slight amusement in his tone.
I smiled.
"So what do you say? Want some help?"
The blind hero got to his feet.
"Don't kill anyone."
He warned before jumping off the roof.
His hand snaked out, grabbing a hold of the perron's railing.
Then he released it and fell a couple of feet down, only for him to grab a another railing.
He did that two more times before landing softly on the ground.
A car passed by the road, the lights from it's headlight washing over Daredevil's position, only for him to slink deeper into the shadows and remain undetected.
I whistled in appreciation.
"Ok, that was cool."
Meanwhile I simply floated down right in view of the 2 goons guarding the back entrance.
Immediately I could feel Daredevil's intense glare at my back.
(Just watch.)
I spoke through his mind.
Instantly he clamped down on his thoughts, making his mind go blank.
Ignoring his conflicted feelings about the loss of privacy mind reading caused, I kept my attention firmly on the armed guards before me.
And the guns they were pointing directly my way.
"Stop right there Freak!"
The one on the left yelled.
"Move an inch and we pump you full of lead!"
The other goon, a tall guy with tiny scars all over his face warned.
"Gentlemen gentlemen..." I raised my hand, flicking the palm. Immediately their eyes went wide as they found their bodies went stiff, immobilized through Telekinesis.
I entered their minds unobstructed, trying out my newest skill.
"There is no need for violence. How about you be good boys and surrender, then call the police and wait for them with your hands behind your heads?"
I spoke softly to them.
The suggestion took hold and they complied, standing down.
Their eyes glazed over. They dropped their weapons and stepped back with blank expressions. The one on the left removed his phone from his pocket to dial the cops.
"What did you do?"
Daredevil demanded, glowering at me.
"Nothing much. I just showed them the error of their ways. This way we won't have to fight and risk them sending out warning shots to alert the rest."
I answered, meeting his stare head on.
"Mmh." He hummed.
"Good Job. Follow my lead."
He acquiesced, leaving me a bit surprised.
"That's it?"
I questioned as I floated after him.
"I thought the fact I can cause someone an aneurysm simply by thinking about it would make you wary of me."
He stopped before the entrance. Instead of answering my question, he asked his own.
"How many do you sense inside?"
I stretched out my telepathy, parsing over the mass of bodies moving around on the dancefloor, marking Kingpin's men.
"17. The door opens to a staircase that leads to the basement. There's 10 guards playing poker near the entrance to the underground chamber. The rest...are stationed around the club."
I told him.
"I came here to rescue a girl."
He said.
"Do you sense anyone in need of help?"
I closed my eyes and delved deeper into the club. This many people gathered around one place was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Nothing I couldn't manage with a little bit of effort though.
Further into the basement, at the edge of my Psionic range was a door. I could sense a huge amount of mental activity from within the room behind that door.
"Maybe. I'll need to be inside to get a clearer picture."
I answered after a few seconds.
He nodded, twirling one of his Eskrima stick before slamming it on a spot along the edge of the door. The rusted hinges came off and we slipped in.
Below us was a short staircase leading down to an hallway with light peeking through.
Loud music reached our ears at the top of the stairs, along with the drone of conversation coming from the goons playing poker.
"I'll handle them. Watch my back and deal with anyone who comes down here."
My companion ordered.
I didn't see a problem with that plan and Solomon's legacy told me it was the right call.