Billy slumped in his seat, catching his breath after managing to escape the punks chasing him. As he slowly turned his head, he noticed that the subway was now empty. He looked around, trying to find any sign of people, but found none. He then looked up at the doors of the subway, seeing several strange symbols flashing before him. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to what they meant.

"What in the…"

Before he could continue, the subway suddenly ground to a halt, throwing Billy forward and causing him to grab onto a nearby pole for stability.

"What?!" he cried out. "What's going on?!"

Finally, the subway slowly came to a stop, and the doors opened. Billy looked up, curious to see not a regular subway stop, but what looked like some kind of cave. Curious, he decided to venture out into the cave, hoping to find some kind of answer as to what had just happened. As he stepped off the train, he looked around at the vast caverns, not seeing anything of note, except for a glass case containing what looked like a green caterpillar sitting on a nearby rock. He cocked an eyebrow at that before pressing on.

"Uh… hello?!" he called out. "Is anybody there!"

As he rounded the corner, he was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw. Before him were seven stone thrones in a semicircle, with one of them occupied by a man with long gray hair and a beard, dressed in red robes and holding a staff.

"Billy Batson…" the man greeted.

Billy was taken by surprise with that. "How… how do you know my name?"

"I know many things, child. For you are standing in the source of all magic in this universe… the Rock of Eternity."

…

Back at the Metropolis STAR Labs, Flash was on another version of his suped-up treadmill, trying to match the speed he obtained to travel through time. From the observation room, Superman, Kari, and Dr. Wells watched as he ran as fast as he could. However, he was unable to meet that specific speed.

"Alright, Flash, that's enough," Kari decided.

The treadmill died down, allowing Flash to slow to a stop.

"I don't get it…" Flash let out. "I was going as fast as I did when I traveled in time, but nothing's happening."

"It might not be speed alone," Wells deduced. "It could be a number of factors. Could be emotions, circumstances, cortisol levels, maybe a combination of all three."

"From what you told me, the circumstances of that day were pretty cataclysmic."

"That's putting it mildly. I mean, when-"

"No!" Wells cut off. "It's bad enough you told Superman, no one else needs to know what happened."

"With all due respect, Dr. Wells, I don't see any harm," Superman replied. "Mardon's behind bars, and nothing else has happened today."

"Not yet. And Luthor is still at large."

"He'll turn up," Flash insisted. "And we'll stop him. We always do."

"I'm warning you now, whatever tragedy you think you've averted, time will find a way to replace it. And the next one… could be much worse."

"You don't know that, Dr. Wells," Kari insisted.

"Don't I?" Dr. Wells replied before wheeling off.

Superman watched him go, narrowing his eyes as he did. Flash took note of this as the two of them made their exit.

"You ok?" Flash asked. "You were kinda giving Dr. Wells the stink eye."

"Something about him… just rubs me the wrong way. It almost feels like he's hiding something."

"How do you figure that? Super bad guy sense?"

"Reporters' intuition," Superman replied, much to Flash's surprise.

"You're a reporter?"

"You have your day job," Superman remarked before flying off.

"Huh…" Flash responded before speeding away.

…

"I am the last of the council of Wizards," the man explained as he got up off his throne. "My brothers and sisters were tasked to safeguard this world from those that would destroy mankind."

"What… what happened to them?" Billy asked, still taking all this in.

The Wizard paused before responding. "Siain… by the seven deadly enemies of mankind. I alone have kept vigil over the Rock of Eternity. But day by day… my power wains," the Wizard then slammed his staff onto the ground, allowing yellow energy to surge out and form the shape of a man in a strange costume with a lightning bolt on his chest. "Centuries ago, I chose a champion to serve as a successor to my power… but I chose recklessly," the man then shot out electricity from his hands, shooting past Billy and hitting the projection of a building, destroying it. "He allowed the power I gave him to corrupt his spirit, becoming consumed by hatred and revenge. He sought to destroy his enemies and in doing so, an entire civilization," the images then disappeared. "Was reduced to ash. That day I vowed never to pass on my power until I found a soul worthy of it. I have spent countless years trying to find such a person… and now, I believe I have."

Billy suddenly pieced it together. "Me? But why? I'm just a kid. I… I'm no hero."

"No hero?" he slammed his staff down on the ground again, conjuring the image of him saving the kid earlier that day. "Despite all that you have suffered and endured, you still choose to put the needs of others above your own."

"I just… had to do something."

"You have a good and pure heart, Billy Batson. And it is for that reason I pass my power onto you." He held out his staff. "Lay your hand upon my staff, and say my name, so that my power may flow through you."

"I… I don't know…"

"My brothers and sisters gave their lives to save this world from evil. Their sacrifices cannot be in vain. Please…"

Billy saw the desperation in the Wizard's eyes. Sensing his sincerity, he reached out and took hold of the staff.

"Thank you," the Wizard replied. "Now… say my name."

"Right," Billy replied before noting something. "Uh… what is your name?"

"My name is… Shazam."

Billy couldn't help but snicker upon hearing the name. "Seriously?

"Say it!"

"Okay, okay," Billy took a breath before speaking. "Shazam."

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot down, charging his body.

"Yes!" the Wizard proclaimed. "Now, my powers are yours. 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!"

Billy finally let go of the staff, feeling the power wear off.

"Holy moley…" he let out, looking down at himself. "But… I don't feel any different."

"You need only call upon my name to access my power," the Wizard replied, handing Billy his staff. "Now… return to the mortal world, for I feel it has need of your gifts all too soon."

…

As Billy opened his eyes, he found himself back on the subway, almost as if he never left. He started to wonder if what he had gone through was real, only to look down and see the Wizard's staff in his lap.

"Oh boy," he let out. "That… that was real?"

…

At the DEO, Superman flew down toward the entrance, where Kari was waiting for him.

"Dr. Miller," Superman greeted as he landed. "Thanks for meeting me."

"No problem," Kari replied as she wheeled up to him. "What's up?"

"It's Dr. Wells. There's something about our last conversation that has me… uneasy."

Kari's face went carefully neutral. "How so?"

"The way he insisted on the dangers of messing with the past, it's almost as if… as if he was speaking from experience. Like he was keeping something close to the chest."

"Is that so…" Kari chewed on her lip, her brow furrowed. "I'll admit, while he seems to have an alibi for the night Barry's mother was killed, the fact that Joe and I were attacked so soon after we confronted him never sat well with me."

"You think he has some connection to the Reverse Flash?"

"Maybe… though why he went so far as to nearly kill him the night we trapped him is still beyond me."

"Could be staged," Superman suggested. "A means to throw off suspicion."

Kari mulled on that, then reached for her phone. She flipped it open, scrolling through the numbers.

"Bats? It's me. I need your help with something."

Just then, an explosion rang out in the city, causing Superman to turn and see smoke billowing from one of the buildings.

"Keep me updated?" Superman asked.

"Go."

Superman then fled off, going to stop the recent crisis. As he did, Kari's phone began to ring, signaling that she had another call waiting.

"Uh, hold on, Batman, I've got another call." She switched lines. "Miller."

"Sorry to bother you," Director Faraday addressed. "But one of our outsourced projects has hit a stumbling block and could use a second set of eyes."

"Which one?"

"The mass hysteria examination."

Kari let out a long groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh please, don't tell me it's with that guy. He creeps me the hell out."

"I'll admit he's an… acquired taste. But he might be onto something and I want my best to make sure it's valid."

"I'm a xenobiologist, not a paranormal psychologist."

"The claims make reference to a wizard and a possible parallel dimension."

Kari was silent for a moment, then took a long, deep breath.

"I hate you."

…

Out in the city, a massive toy robot marched through the streets, crushing cars as people ran for cover. Flanking the robot were several large toy soldiers that marched with the larger robot. At the cockpit was a short man dressed in a purple sweater and red bowtie, while on his head was what appeared to be a ceramic mask of a marionette's head with creepy smiling teeth. This was the Toyman, who was out to cause his usual brand of chaos upon the city.

"Hello Metropolis," he greeted in a psychotic glee fashion. "Will you play with me?"

His robot then raised an arm, firing a laser blast that destroyed several cars. He then fired another blast that sent several more cars flying. A mother was trying to flee with her child but looked up, seeing she couldn't get clear in time. As she braced herself and her child for the impact, something seemed to stop it. She looked up, seeing Superman floating in the air and holding the car.

"Superman!" she cried out.

"It's alright," he reassured. "Best get clear. I got a feeling this is gonna get a whole lot messier."

The mother nodded before running off. Superman set the car down before flying over to confront Toyman.

"Superman," Toyman greeted. "Have you come to share in my fun?"

"Fraid not, Toyman," he replied. "Playtime's over."

"But you haven't met my new friends," Toyman insisted as the toy soldiers marched forward. "They're 'dying' to play with you."

The toy soldiers aimed their weapons at Superman before opening fire. The combined blasts managed to knock him out of the sky. He spun around a bit before landing on his feet and skidding back.

"Good thing I have friends too," he replied before activating his comms. "Justice League, could use some backup here."

In an instant, the Flash sped through the city and came to a stop right next to him.

"Was afraid you were getting sick of me," Flash remarked.

"Hardly," Superman reassured.

At that moment, a Boom Tube opened up, allowing Cyborg to run through and land next to them.

"Gotta admit," Cyborg remarked, preparing his sonic cannon. "Never did like playing with toy soldiers."

He then fired at one of them, destroying it instantly. The other soldiers opened fire on the group, causing them to scatter as they began their fight.

…

Elsewhere in the city, Billy was walking down the street, his eyes glued to the staff as he did.

"This… this can't be for real," he insisted. "I mean…me? A superhero? That's insane… right?" his free hand clenched his head, unsure of how to handle this. "I need to talk to someone about this."

As he continued walking, he passed an electronics store with several TVs in the display window. Thinking he saw something, he doubled back and saw the Justice League duking it out with Toyman. The camera then cut to Cyborg as he rolled out of the way of a blast before firing at Toyman's forces. As the camera got a good look at his face, Billy went wide-eyed.

"Vic Stone?" he let out in surprise. "If he's with the League… maybe he can help me!"

He then went running down the street, rounding a corner and nearly running into an old man in the process.

"Whoops," he let out. "Sorry, sir."

"No worries. What's the rush, son?"

"Uh… want to catch the Justice League fight."

The old man smiled in response. "Head down this street and take a left until you hit Siegel. Can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Billy called back before rushing off.

The old man smiled as he watched the kid run off.

"Good luck out there kid…" he whispered to himself before walking off.

…

Back at the fight, Flash zipped back and forth between the shots, punching the heads off the toy soldiers in rapid succession. All the while, Cyborg lifted one soldier over his head before chucking it into another, causing both of them to explode. Up above them, Superman chose to engage the giant robot head-on, delivering a punch to the head so it would stumble back.

"You're no fun, Superman!" Toyman whined, priming his weapons again.

The robot opened fire on Superman, prompting him to fly through the air and avoid the shots.

"Your kind of fun isn't shared with the people of this city," Superman countered, narrowly avoiding another blast.

As the fight continued, Billy made his way toward the action. He ducked and weaved through the crowd, hoping to catch sight of Cyborg. Finally, he made it to the front of the crowd, seeing Superman as he flew right at the robot. He tore through the robot's chest, causing the robot to stagger backward as a result. The robot then dropped to its knees, prompting Toyman to pull a lever that allowed the head of the robot to launch off, nailing Superman as it flew past. It then fired lasers at the heroes, prompting them to scatter in response. One of the laser blasts nailed a nearby car, sending it flying into the air and heading for the crowd of people. The crowd all took off running, with Billy tripping on a rock as he made his escape. He looked up as the car started falling toward him, prompting him to brace for the impact. As he waited to be crushed, however, he noticed nothing hit him, causing him to open his eyes and see Cyborg standing over him and holding the car. He then tossed it aside before turning back to the kid.

"You alright?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah…" Billy let out, still reeling from what happened. "Thanks, Victory."

"How do you-?" Cyborg asked before getting a good look at him. "Hey, I remember you. You're that kid who snuck into the locker room that day."

Billy blinked. "You… remember me?'

"Yeah," Cyborg confirmed, noting the jersey he was wearing. "Still got my jersey, I see."

"Uh… yeah. Look, I need to talk to you. Something totally insane happened to me and-" Billy then looked up. "Look out!"

Cyborg turned to see the head firing another laser, prompting Billy to shove Cyborg aside as the blast hit, knocking the both of them back. Toyman looked down and saw Billy trying to pick himself up, smiling under his disturbing mask.

"Well, well," Toyman noted. "A new toy."

A claw then shot out from the underside of the head, grabbing Billy by the back of his shirt and pulling him up as Cyborg began to recover.

"No!" Cyborg cried out.

When the claw finally retracted, Billy found himself dangling high above the ground, much to his horror.

"Hang tight, friend," Toyman told him. "We're gonna play a new game. Hostage."

"Let him go, Toyman!" Superman demanded, hovering in the air.

"That's not how we play the game, Superman," Toyman insisted. "You count to a hundred while me and my new friend try and hide. Any peaking… and we'll see if he's a flying toy."

"Help me!" Billy cried out.

"Hold on tight," Toyman told him as they started flying away.

"Let me go!" Billy demanded. "Somebody! Wizard guy… Shazam!"

Just as he said that, storm clouds suddenly started rolling in. A bolt of lightning then shot down toward Billy, much to his surprise. He braced himself as the lightning hit, destroying the claw holding him and causing Toyman's headship to shake in the air. The heroes all looked on in surprise as something smoking crashed down to the ground. As the smoke cleared, it revealed itself to be a man in a red suit with yellow boots, a white cape with a hood attached, and a yellow lightning bolt adorning his chest. As he stood up, he looked down at himself in shock and astonishment.

"Holy moley…" he let out before his hands went to his throat. "Is… is that me? Is that my voice?"

Cyborg did a double take, piecing together what was happening.

"... kid?"

Flash and Superman turned to each other in surprise.

"This… this is new," Flash admitted.

Superman then looked back up at Toyman, prompting him into action. He flew up into the air to deal with the villain as Flash went over to Cyborg and the magically transformed Billy.

"Ok, I'm one for the impossible," Flash admitted. "But how did this happen?"

"I was wondering that myself," Cyborg admitted before turning to Billy. "Alright kid, spill."

"Ok, I know this is gonna sound nuts," Billy began to explain. "But I met a wizard in a cave after riding a magic subway, and he turned me into this."

Flash and Cyborg just gave blank stares upon hearing that.

"Honestly… that sounds insane enough to be true," Flash admitted.

"I mean if Amazons and Gods exist, why not wizards and magic?" Cyborg remarked.

"Exactly!" Billy replied, waving his hands around. "And he said I'd have these powers, and-"

As he waved his hands, a stray bolt of lightning shot from his hand, flying right at Toyman's headship. The electricity began to fry the controls, much to his irritation.

"Hey!" he cried out. "You cheated! No fair!"

"Game's over, Toyman," Superman declared, frying up and diving right on top of the headship, causing it to crater into the ground.

Superman then ripped off the top of the ship and pulled out Toyman before heading over to the others.

"Need to make sure Toyman gets taken to the proper authorities," he explained. "You two got this?"

"No problem, Supes," Cyborg reassured. "We got it handled."

Flash nodded in agreement, prompting Superman to smile before flying off with his foe in hand. With Superman gone, the two remaining heroes turned back to Billy.

"Looks like we've got a lot to talk about," Cyborg commented.

…

Meanwhile, Kari arrived at the lab handling the project Faraday had asked her to weigh in on. She had to admit that the focus itself was fascinating, and from all the notes Dr. Sivana had gathered, she could see that there was something to this whole "Mass hysteria" thing. As she entered, she instantly took note of the various notes and sketches littered across the walls, signaling he had been at this for a while. On a table in the center of the room was a model of some kind, and sitting next to the table was the doctor himself, going over interview footage as he held a Magic 8 ball in his hand. Kari raised an eyebrow in response to his demeanor, but cleared her throat, cuing him to her arrival.

"Ah," he spoke up, getting to his feet. "Dr. Miller, I presume?"

"Indeed." She held out her hand. "The Director asked me to act as a second set of eyes on your project. I hope we'll work well together."

"Here's hoping. Let me show you what I have so far."

He turned back to his work and Kari slowly lowered her hand, swallowing a grimace. She wheeled forward, seeing the various notes and sketches he had accumulated. She turned to one, seeing a man in robes holding a staff.

"So… this is the Wizard?" she assumed.

"Indeed," Sivana confirmed. "All the subjects reported seeing him. As well as being 'tested' by him."

"Tested? For what?"

"Purity." He twirled the Magic 8 ball in his hand. "He tested them to ensure they were pure of heart. 56 recorded cases so far. No one's passed the test."

"Guess this Wizard has high standards," Kari commented.

Sivana clenched the ball in his hand, trying to mask a twinge of anger he was feeling.

"So it would seem." He turned back to her, feeling more collected. "Still, with all the powers that have come to light in this world, who's to say such magic can't also be real."

"No argument there. I've seen magic close up." She sighed. "Gives me a headache."

"I can imagine. Such great power can be… overwhelming."

Kari looked around, seeing the model on the table.

"Is this what everyone's seeing?" Kari asked, wheeling over to it.

"Yes. The Wizard's domain. Carved out of rock, six empty thrones… and seven statues of monsters."

Kari glanced over the demons, scrutinizing them. She could see inscriptions on the pedestals.

"Pride, Lust, Envy… seven demons… seven deadly sins."

"So it would seem," Sivana confirmed.

"Well, if someone needs to be pure, then likely they need to avoid triggering one of those demons. Is that the test?"

"The ones I have interviewed told me they heard the sins tempting them. They called out to them, promising them… power. That was enough for the Wizard to deny them…. To tell them that they'll never be worthy… never be good enough…" Sivana's fist clenched. "You can only imagine what that must be like."

Kari put a hand to her stomach, feeling the raised skin of her scar.

"I don't need to imagine it, Dr. Sivana. And I'm willing to bet… neither do you."

Sivana turned back to her, knowing she could see right through him. Not wanting to argue, he took a seat so they could be on an equal level.

"I was a boy when it happened," he explained. "My father was taking my brother and me up to our grandfather's for Christmas. I was just playing with…" he held up the Magic 8 ball. "With this. When I saw these… symbols flashing before my eyes. Before I knew it, I was in this cave. At the end of the hallway, I saw him… the Wizard. He said he was… seeking a champion. Someone to pass his power to. As I got closer though…" he turned back to the model, focusing in on the monsters. "I could hear these voices. They were calling me. Promising me all I could ever want… The Wizard said those voices were part of a test. One that… one that I failed. He told me as long as I held onto whatever darkness was in me… I would never be worthy."

Kari was taken aback by this but continued to listen regardless.

"The next thing I know, I'm back in the car, like it never happened. I begged to be taken back, and pleaded for another chance. My father tried to calm me down, but… he got… distracted, and we crashed."

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

"Nobody died, but… my father, he… well, let's just say you two would have a few things in common."

Kari gripped the wheels of her wheelchair at that.

"I tried to explain what happened… but my father thought I was crazy, or making it up. That's… that's why I've dedicated so much to this. To prove what I saw was real. And maybe… prove to this Wizard that I am worthy."

Kari let that sink in, slowly relaxing. She sighed, then picked up a file folder off the desk.

"Well, maybe a fresh set of eyes can help. What's your most recent case?"

…

At STAR Labs, Flash and Cyborg set up a training room for Billy to test his new form out. The three stood in the middle of the room getting all the info they could from Billy about the situation.

"And the next thing I knew, I was back on the subway holding this," he explained, holding up the staff.

"Wow," Cyborg let out. "That's a lot. Any idea what triggered it?"

"No clue. I-" Billy then paused, remembering something before snapping his fingers. "Wait! I just remembered! The wizard said I had to call upon his name to access my power."

"You think that would do it?" Flash questioned.

"One way to find out," Billy replied, taking a few steps back and taking a breath. "... Shazam."

Just then, a bolt of lightning shot down from above, striking him. As the smoke cleared, Billy reverted to his original form. He looked down at himself, smiling at the sight.

"Hey… hey, it's me!" he cried out. "I'm back!"

"Wow," Flash commented. "Well, at least we know how to turn it on and off."

"Looks like," Cyborg commented before turning to Billy. "Still, would be fun to see what you can do."

"You read my mind, Victory. Shazam!" Lightning struck, turning him back into his hero form. "So, where do we start?"

…

A few moments later, Flash and Cyborg were in an observation boot looking out at Billy in the training room.

"First time I've ever been on his side of powers testing," Flash commented.

"Alright, Billy, let's test your accuracy," Cyborg instructed.

Billy nodded, turning away to see several targets spring up. He threw out his hand, allowing lighting to shoot out of his hand. He did this repeatedly, nailing one target after another. Billy smirked confidently as he took down one target after another. After taking down the final target, he cracked his fingers, sparks emanating from his fingers as a result.

"Nice warm-up, Victory," Billy remarked. "But what else you got?"

"Well, if you wanna keep going," Cyborg responded, flipping a switch on a console.

At that moment, there was a whirring sound coming from above, causing Billy to look up and see part of the ceiling dropping down toward him. Instinctively, he raised his hands, catching it as it came crashing down on top of him. The ground cratered a little bit, but he was still standing tall, holding the platform above his head.

"Feeling the pressure there, Batson?"

"Yeah, haha," Billy taunted. "Surprisingly light, gotta be honest."

"Then let's increase the pressure," Cyborg challenged, turning a dial. "Just make sure to speak up if it becomes too much. Showboating is not allowed."

"Hey, when it becomes too much, I'll let you know," Billy replied, going one-handed.

…

As the three were having fun testing Billy's powers, Dr. Wells was watching everything play out from a monitor in his secret room. The presence of Billy made him feel uneasy, his brow furrowing visibly.

"Who is he?" he let out. "What did Barry do?"

…

Back with Kari, she was going over the most recent interview Sivana conducted in relation to the abductions. It didn't seem any different than the others, with the patient explaining what she saw and experienced. As she continued going through it though, she paused, going back over something.

"Wait a minute…" Kari let out.

Sivana perked up. "What is it?"

"This woman… she didn't mention seeing the symbols like the others… but she did note something on her alarm clock."

"Alarm clock?" Sivana questioned, walking over to her.

"Yeah, she said it malfunctioned, with the numbers… glitching out or something."

"You don't think…"

"She sent a video."

Kari wheeled over to a laptop placed on the table. She pressed a few keys, bringing up the video. She hit play, showing shaky cam footage from someone's iPhone. It was aimed at a closet door, which was glowing and shaking like crazy. However, their focus wasn't on the door, but on the alarm clock on the nightstand next to it. Instead of numbers, several strange symbols began to flash across its screen.

"Holy…" Kari fumbled for a sketch pad, doing her best to copy the symbols.

"Fifty-seven cases…" Sivana let out. "And I never saw it… seven symbols, repeating seven times."

"Seven on seven is said to be one of the most magical numbers in existence." Kari finished sketching the simples, letting out an astonished gasp. "I take back my earlier trepidation for this project, Dr. Sivana. When I tell Director Faraday about this breakthrough-"

Before she could finish, she was suddenly struck in the head, causing her to fall out of her chair. As she collapsed, Sivana stood over her, holding his Magic 8 Ball.

"Please understand how grateful I am," he told her, tossing the ball to himself before taking the sketch from her hands. "But I can't let anyone stand in my way."

With that, he took off, leaving the lab and making his way down a long hallway. He finally came to a stop at a secure office door, inputting a security code and doing a scan on his hand before entering. Inside the room, even more pictures, figurines, and reports linked to the Wizard and those he brought into his domain were scattered about. At the center of the room, was a lone wooden door. He set his Magic 8 Ball aside, grabbed a nearby piece of chalk, and started writing out the symbols Kari had drawn in sequence, seven times. Once he had finished writing, he took a step back, getting a good look at his accomplishment.

"After all these years…" he mused. "Finally… the world will know my worth."

Finally, he reached out toward the handle, receiving a slight shock before reaching out again. He grabbed the handle and turned it, slowly opening the door. To his shock and amazement, the other side let out… to the Rock of Eternity