Part VII
"Zatanna Zatara!" Green Arrow waved to the costumed stage magician, leaving his empty plates and tray at the cafeteria's return station and striding over to her table. "What are you doing, sitting all alone? Something go wrong with the matinee?"
The magician raised her head, then sighed.
"No. The show went fine, thanks," she said. "It's me. My magic. Everything just seems…out of balance." She took off her top hat and smoothed back her long, dark hair. "The weird feeling started back in December, around the eighth, I think. I remember, because that John Lennon tribute band was playing Vegas, just down the strip from my show. I didn't make a big deal because I thought it would even itself out eventually. Magic often does. But it hasn't. If anything, the feeling's been getting worse."
"You've said that before, about feeling out of balance," Arrow said and took a seat beside her, his eyes narrowed in concern behind his mask. "I still don't know what it means."
Zatanna pinched her lips together and shook her head.
"It's hard to explain to those outside the magical community," she said. "But, I'm not the only one who's noticed. My father, Doctor Fate, says there's been an important shift. Something foundational has happened…a change that seems to have affected the very Source…"
"The Source?" Green Arrow repeated.
"It's…well…" she tried. "OK, this is some pretty ancient lore. So ancient, it's basically myth. But, imagine a vast rock formed from fragments of many dimensions. Set at the center of the multiverse, outside of normal space and time, legends tell us this is the Source of all magic in our worlds. The Rock of Eternity. At its peak is the Big Bang, the moment of Creation, and it extends all the way to…"
The bemused look creeping over Green Arrow's face made her trail off and try again.
"It might help to think of it like…a traffic hub," she suggested. "A waystation of power, with doors and tunnels leading to many other worlds, as well as our own. But it's more than that. It also serves as a prison. According to my father's lore books, within the shadow's aura of the Rock of Eternity are held some of the most powerful and terrible monsters ever to threaten humanity - rendered captive, but not entirely harmless, by the primordial energies of the ancient gods. Long ago, this sacred place was guarded by a great Council of Wizards, who channeled those powers and kept the multiverse in harmonious balance. But, for centuries now, there's been only one. The Wizard Mamaragan, of ancient Kahndaq. My father calls him by the name of power the wizard chose for himself: S.H.A.Z.A.M.!"
"Shazam?" Green Arrow said, and straightened. "But… Zatanna, Shazam is here. Now. At least, everyone's been calling him Shazam."
"What?" Zatanna said, staring up at him. "What do you mean, he's here? As in, physically here? On the Watchtower?"
"I just saw him out there not twenty minutes ago," he gestured to the corridor outside the cafeteria. "Walking with Superman, with that big, glowing lightning bolt on his chest. The guy's up for membership in the League. Didn't you know?"
"S.H.A.Z.A.M.! ? The last of the Council? Joining the Justice League?" Zatanna blinked. "That can't be right. Or— Wait! Could it be…"
Zatanna closed her eyes and brought a hand to her temple.
"I do sense… There is an incredible concentration of power. But the connection... It's…"
Her eyes flew open in surprise.
"My god... I have been out of sorts. How could I have missed this!"
She stood and headed for the door.
"Is something wrong?" Green Arrow called after her. "Zatanna? Hey, do you want me to come along?"
"No," she said. "But thank you, Oliver."
"Right," Green Arrow said, and adjusted his quiver on his back as he watched her rush away toward the conference hall. "Yeah, so... Guess I'll be in the gym if anyone needs me…"
Shazam plunked himself down in the middle of the futuristic-looking sofa he'd spotted in the middle of the futuristic-looking antechamber just outside the conference hall. Folding his hands behind his head, he leaned back against the pillowy cushions and stared up at the ceiling, admiring the way the angled light panels made the polished, textured metal seem to shimmer like rainbows.
"Sheesh," he said. "Whoever designed all this must have been way into sci-fi. With the sliding doors and the high-tech panels and everything, this whole place looks like something out of Star Trek!"
He started to straighten up…and winced, bringing a hand to his temple. A strong, shivery tingle was pulling at the back of his mind. Almost like…like there was somewhere he needed to go, something he was supposed to do…
Had he forgotten an errand? A homework assignment…?
"…Freddy?"
The superhero blinked and jumped to his feet, a bolt of anxiety making his heart race. But, as suddenly as it had come, the tingling, pulling sensation disappeared, leaving him confused and a little sheepish.
"Holy moley, what's wrong with me?" he muttered, rubbing his flushed face. "Freddy's home, Freddy's fine! If anything, he's probably still in the middle of that dumb movie of his, eating popcorn and spouting trivia… Unless— Oh, god, what time is it? Did I miss dinner!"
Turning on his phone only gave him the low battery symbol…which was weird, because he knew he'd charged it the night before. He could top it up it with a focused lightning bolt, but the Wisdom of Solomon suggested it was probably best not to start shooting arcs of electricity from his fingers while inside a crowded metal space station.
Tucking the useless thing back in his belt, he turned to the futuristic-looking wall clock and smiled in relief. If that clock was right, he had at least an hour before he had to be back home. Even if the leading Leaguers kept him waiting, it wasn't like travel time was exactly an obstacle for a guy who literally had the speed of Mercury at his beckon call. Not to mention that amazing boom tube thing the Flash and Martian Manhunter had used to transport him to the Watchtower!
Grinning broadly to himself, Shazam scooped up the folded Daily Planet newspaper someone had left on the futuristic-looking coffee table and leaned against the antechamber's silvery wall to peruse its front page.
"Whoa – awesome! This is about us!" he exclaimed, beaming at the huge, full-color photo of him and Ibac facing off in the street. The Ibac guy looked even more monstrous and muscular in the photo than he remembered. "Holy moley… This must be what Superman was talking about when he said we'd gone international. Man, this is so cool! I wonder if they'll let me keep this. Freddy should totally get it framed. Then, we can hang it on the wall right next to his Superman article!"
"I beg your pardon. Am I in the presence of…S.H.A.Z.A.M.! ?"
Shazam turned in surprise to see a slender, dark-haired woman in a shiny top hat, black bow tie, and formfitting tuxedo standing by the room's sliding doors, staring up at him.
"Huh? Oh... Yeah, that's me. Hi!" He quickly re-folded the paper and set it back down, hoping she hadn't heard him talking to himself. "I was just...um... Batman told me to wait here and the paper was... Sorry, did you want something? Whoa, wait - are you a superhero too? I'm new here, so I haven't really had a chance to, you know, meet everyone..."
"My name is Zatanna," the woman said, keeping her intense gaze fixed on him as she stepped slowly closer. "I'm a magician."
Shazam raised his eyebrows.
"A magician? Like, for real?"
"For real," she confirmed.
"That's cool," he said, and smiled. "Guess that explains the costume. Which looks totally awesome, by the way, don't get me wrong. I'm kinda magic too, I guess. I'd tell you my name but...I guess you already know it…" He winced, feeling horrifically awkward but unwilling to risk switching from an adult superhero back to a scrawny kid in front of this startlingly attractive and obviously suspicious stranger. "Uh, actually, there's an article with my name in today's Daily Planet. Photos and everything. I can show you…?"
"No thanks," the woman said, her steady stare starting to make him twitch. "If I may say… You're not what I expected."
"Oh? Well, what did you expect?" he asked.
"Someone older," she said, her suspicious look deepening. "How old are you?"
"What? How old?" Billy swallowed uncomfortably. Why did she have to keep staring like that? "I don't know. Maybe, thirty…eight? Thirty-nine? Wait, how old is Superman? 'Cause I could totally be the same age. Maybe a year younger…"
Zatanna frowned and stopped her advance.
"The sense of deep magic is there, but the continuity has recently changed," she muttered thoughtfully, more to herself than to him. "A phoenix enchantment, perhaps? A spell of rebirth? Have you made use of the philosopher's stone? I wouldn't think one imbued with the wisdom of Solomon would risk a Lazarus pit. But then, this doesn't feel like a case of an old soul recovering its youth. Perhaps a new iteration of the primordial powers?"
Shazam squinted.
"Primordial…huh? A what pit?" He held up his hands. "Look, I'm sorry, but I honestly don't have clue one what you're talking about. Like, zero. Seriously, the only philosopher's stone I've ever heard of is, like, from that old Harry Potter movie with the mirror, so…" He shrugged and winced again.
Zatanna's expression crumpled in dismayed confusion. Closing her eyes, she held out her hands as if feeling for Billy's aura.
"This is surely ancient magic...far deeper and stronger than any strain I've come across," she said. "But you..." She opened her eyes and stepped back. "You are not the wizard S.H.A.Z.A.M.!, in any form! In fact, you're not a wizard at all."
Billy eyes widened in realization and he clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Oh! Oh...oh, right – you're a magician! You must have thought—!" He chuckled just a little. "No, I'm not the wizard! No way! I'm more like…the wizard's champion. That's how… Well, that's how he put it."
"Teth-Adam?" she said, furrowing her brow. "But, you don't look anything like the man described in the lore books."
"Teth— Who?" Billy shook his head. "No. No. Look, either you're confused or I am... Actually, it's probably both of us. But, I'm not that Teth-guy, or a wizard or anything like that. I'm the guy the wizard chose to, well... To be his heir, basically. That's why we have the same name now. My Family and I have been watching over his lair and stuff since he died. That's probably why your magic got us mixed up."
Zatanna blinked.
"The wizard is dead?"
"Yeah," Billy said. "He's been gone since, like, December. I'm really sorry if you didn't know."
"The imbalance at the Source..." she whispered. "Then it's real! It has to be. I remember long ago, reading in my father's books…'When the last of the Council abandons his aged shell, he will transfer his powers to a mortal with a pure and worthy heart…'"
"Yeah," he told her. "That's how it happened. So, did you know the old guy?"
"No," she said quietly. "Until today, I thought he was a legend. A story. But, if you…" She stared up at him, then averted her eyes and started to back away. "I'm sorry," she said, and bowed her head. "I shouldn't have presumed. If the wizard chose you, then you are Magic's rightful Champion. You are, indeed, Shazam."
"Thanks," he said, her respectful tone making him feel weirdly uncomfortable. "But, uh… Zatanna? You don't have to go. Really."
"No, I should. I'm sorry," she said awkwardly, heading for the door.
"No, wait! Please," he called her back. "I… Look, I wasn't kidding when I said I was new to all this," he confessed. "Plus, you know, besides the wizard, you're, like, the first magic person I've met who hasn't wanted to kill me or steal my powers. You seem to know so much about this stuff…and there's so much the wizard never told me. I'd really like it if we could talk for a while. If not now, then maybe when you have some time…?"
Zatanna regarded him deeply, then smiled and adjusted her top hat on her shiny dark hair. As she did, Billy felt another strange sensation wash over him, sharply alerting him that her hat was far more than a mere costume accessory…
"I always have time for a friend," she said, and pulled a dark, shimmery card from her sleeve. "I'm playing Mandalay Bay on the Las Vegas strip all this month, right between the Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. Last show ends at midnight. This pass will get you backstage. Meet me there any night you're free, and we can talk as long as you like."
"Awesome!" Shazam said, accepting the pass and watching it shimmer as he held it to the light. "Vegas, wow! You must be really good! But… Wait, this isn't… I mean, this won't be like a date or anything, right? 'Cause, I know we're, like, totally the same age and everything… But—"
"You don't have to worry, Champ," she said. "I don't date tall, muscular guardian entities imbued with the powers of the ancient gods. Work always comes first with them. A girl doesn't have a chance."
Shazam blinked, looking rather startled.
"I'm joking, big guy," she said, and smiled. "Magic's my business. Our meeting will be strictly on the level. Though, you are pretty cute." She winked, her smile broadening when Shazam blushed beet red. "I'll look forward to our talk."
"Yeah. Yeah, me too. Thanks a lot, Zatanna!" he said, waving as she headed back to the corridor through the sliding doors.
Once she was gone, he blew out a long sigh and ran his hands over his smoothed-back hair.
"Holy moley! First I meet Wonder Woman, and now… Wow! And she totally digs the Captain!" He laughed brightly and tucked Zatanna's pass safely in his golden boot. "Man oh man, I can't wait to tell Freddy about this! He is not gonna believe an actual magician from actual Las Vegas actually gave me a backstage – huh?"
A wall panel beside the conference room doors had begun flashing green. Shazam frowned and edged closer, jumping a little when the doors suddenly opened.
"Shazam! Come on in," Green Lantern invited warmly, gesturing with his arm.
"We've made our decision," Wonder Woman said, watching the red-and-gold clad hero stride to the front of the table.
"Full League membership is yours, if you want it," Batman told him. "If there's a conflict with your usual duties, or it doesn't work out, you're free to leave at any time."
"And my Family?" Shazam asked.
"They're in too, but through you," Flash spoke before the others could open their mouths. "Think of it like family membership to a gym, or a theme park. They can use the general facilities. Training room, cafeteria, stuff like that. But yours is the all access pass."
The other Leaguers groaned and shook their heads.
"Come on, I thought the analogy was pretty good!" Flash protested.
"Well, Shazam?" Martian Manhunter said, his somber voice cutting through the groans. "The choice is yours. Is it your wish to accept the responsibilities of membership in the Justice League?"
Shazam turned his gaze to each of the gathered heroes in turn, his heart seeming to swell until he felt it might pound right out of his chest.
"It is," he said, fighting hard not to choke up. He honestly hadn't expected to feel so touched or so relieved by their decision; his mind was in kind of a whirl. Yet, he managed to keep his voice and posture steady and strong as he said, "I accept your invitation, for myself and on behalf of my Family. And, I want you to know how seriously I take the League's mission, and how much it means to be a part of this incredible team. This kind of acceptance...camraderie... It's what I've always longed for, but never thought I'd find. I promise, we'll do our best to make you all proud."
The League leaders broke into applause, and Shazam blinked in happy surprise, bringing his hands to his face to hide his attempt to wipe his eyes dry. Green Lantern smiled and stood, and the others followed suit, coming around the table to shake Shazam's hand and welcome him into the fold.
"So," Green Lantern said. "I hear your Family calls you 'Captain'?"
"Yeah, sometimes," Shazam said. He couldn't seem to stop smiling. "It's just kind of a more convenient thing to say."
"No, I get it," Lantern said. "You're their team captain. Mind if I call you 'Cap' too? No offense..."
"Trust me, I had the same reaction first time I heard the wizard's name. It takes a little getting used to," Shazam said and chuckled at the memory, stepping back a little to gesture to his glowing lightning bolt and white-gold cape. "You know, I didn't get to pick, like, any of this. The name, the cape... They just kind of...came with the job."
"Hey, it's cool," Lantern assured him. "I didn't get to pick either. The ring chose me, much as your wizard chose you."
"Hey, yeah," Shazam said, and grinned. "Yeah, I like that!"
"So, Cap," the Flash said, zipping in between them. "Is Shazam like a first name, last name—"
"It's a Family name," Shazam said. "Freddy, he's my, uh…my brother – hey, you'll probably meet him! Anyway, he's been testing out a whole list of possible superhero names online. The only one I really liked was Captain Marvel. But, it seems that one's taken. Like, literally. Someone owns the copyright."
"Sucks, man," Green Lantern said. "Well, we all make do with what we've been given. The name, the uniform, that's just packaging. It's who we are and what we do that gives any of this real meaning. If we perform our duties with respect and honor, that's what people out there will remember when they think of the Green Lantern Corps. The Shazam Family. The Justice League." He smiled and, again, offered Shazam his hand. "If you ask me, we all made the right decision today. I know you'll do us proud."
Shazam took his hand with a sincere nod, a warm swell of joy filling him to the brim. But all too soon, the League leaders had to head back to their duties, and Shazam remembered to look at the clock.
"Whoa, yikes," he said. "I didn't realize how late it was getting. I really have to head home. Um, how do I…?"
"Get back to Earth?" Flash said, smiling. "Follow me. You'll get the hang of how these boom tube things work pretty quick. Nightwing and Manhunter are already setting up a Philly link for you. We'll tell you where. When it's ready, you just state your League name and number and boom! You're here!"
"When do I start my duties?" Shazam asked, jogging a bit to keep up with the speedster. "I mean, now that I'm in, what will I be expected to do?"
"Watch duty, mostly. That would be my guess," Flash said. "It's what most of us do when we're here. Well, that and training. We keep an eye out for suspicious activity, hostile aliens, interdimensional invasions… Usual stuff. And if the baddies attack, we engage. As a team."
"Cool," Shazam said, and stepped up onto the platform Flash indicated. "So, see you later?"
"Sure thing," Flash said, zipping to the control panel. "This is set to send you back to Metropolis. Guess you can fly to Philly from there. Lucky. Hey, it was great meeting you, Shazam! Welcome to the team!"
The boom tube activated in a blinding flash of colored light, and Shazam found himself back in the central train station's broken old photo booth. Smiling wickedly to himself, the caped superhero flew past the dusty curtain into the hall, over the dense crowds of people, and out into the starry evening sky, leaving a startled host of oohs! and aaahhs! and what the—'s in his wake.
Turning toward the west and using the big green and white highway signs a guide, Shazam soared toward his waiting home and family at top speed, laughing and whooping with a happiness Billy's teenage heart couldn't keep inside.
"WAAAHOOOOO!" he cried, spinning and twirling through the chilly air. "Best. Day. EVER!"
To Be Continued...
References include - Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil, by Jeff Smith; Superman/Shazam!: First Thunder, by Judd Winick and Joshua Middleton; Shazam! #1: Shazam! and the Seven Magic Lands!, by Geoff Johns; Shazam! Volume 1, by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank; Shazam! (movie - which (probably unintentionally) pins the date Billy got his powers from the wizard on December 8th, the anniversary of John Lennon's murder); Young Justice: Misplaced; Justice League Action; Justice League/Justice League Unlimited; Justice League: War; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001 movie - which, if the movie version of Billy's supposed to be 14 in 2019, came out 4 years before he was born!).
Trivia: Superman is over a year older than Captain Marvel/Shazam, since Superman first appeared in Action Comics #1 (published April 18, 1938) and Captain Marvel first appeared in Whiz Comics #2 (released December, 1939). Batman's several months older than Captain Marvel/Shazam but younger than Superman, first appearing in Detective Comics #27 (release date March, 1939). Captain Marvel beat them both to the movie theater, though, becoming the first superhero to appear in a serial filmed for the silver screen in 1941's "Adventures of Captain Marvel"! The story's sort of like Indiana Jones if Young Indiana Jones had been given super powers - and if Indiana Jones had been written and filmed in the time of Indiana Jones and sincerely needed an epic theme song. Anyway, the fight scenes in that are pretty fantastic, and the guy who played Billy Batson later made a cameo in the 1974 Shazam! TV series driving a little zoo cart, which made my whole week when I spotted him. :D (I've been really sick this week, so I've been watching a lot of videos...) Superman followed Captain Marvel to the cinema in a couple of his own serials starting in 1948, facing down the Spider Lady, then Lex Luthor. Captain Marvel used wires and dummies for his flying stunts - Superman used animation! LOL! Superman also got cartoons and his own awesome TV series (starring the ill-fated George Reeves) which ran from 1952-58. Batman and Robin got some what-the-heck-am-I-looking-at type serials in 1943 and 1949 and Adam West's fun, campy 1960s TV series (and its weird spin-off movies). Unfortunately, poor Captain Marvel and his Family (and Doctor Sivana and his family), got trapped in a sphere of Doctor Sivana's Suspendium until the 1970s and lost his name in the meantime. Which is still awkward. :( At least the Cap's back in the movies now, even if it's gotta be under the wizard's acronymic appellation: SHAZAM! :D
Until next time, thanks so much for reading! Please review! :D
