OK, I changed my mind about splitting Chapter 20 into sections. I've done that with other stories and it just gets kinda clunky. These bits may be short, but they can still be chapters. And the shorter bits help me keep the story moving even though I've been swamped with stuff lately. So, forget Section I and Section II. This'll be:

Part XXI

Shazam and his team stumbled out of the hazy portal into a dark and unfamiliar space. Freddy fell against the rough rock wall and quickly pushed himself to his feet, checking to make sure he was still in his superhero form.

"Oh, thank god," he sighed in relief at the sight of his blue uniform and cape, then straightened up to find the others looking similarly staggered and off balance. All except Batman, who tucked and rolled straight to his feet. "Gotta learn that move," Freddy muttered.

Shazam spread out his arms to steady himself, breathing hard.

"What happened? What was that!" he gasped, his wide eyes almost perfectly round. "Guys, that felt really wrong. Like – like the way here just…moved!"

"Your portal didn't 'just move,' Captain. Someone diverted it. From the outside. Which is also ridiculously advanced," Zatanna told them. Accepting Superman's offer to help her back to her feet, the magician beat the dust from her tuxedo's knees and elbows then replaced her hat on her shiny black hair.

Mary straightened her skirt and cape, then turned to her brother.

"Billy, where are we? This doesn't look like the Throne Room."

"It's not," Shazam said. He frowned and blinked, still trying to get his bearings. Staring through the hazy mist, he could just make out a high ceiling supported by rows upon rows of intimidating, elaborately carved stone pillars. Flaming torches lit the vast cavern, their flickering light making the pillars' shadows seem to move. "Oh, wow…"

"Dude," Freddy agreed, rising up to hover a few inches over the floor beside him. "Look at this place! It's like the Halls of Khazad-dûm!" He started to zip forward, but Mary pulled him back.

"Freddy wait," she said. "What if this is part of that trap Batman was talking about? Are we even sure this is the Rock of Eternity?"

"This is the Rock, all right," Shazam confirmed, staring all around the vast torch-lit cavern. "It's just a different level. The Throne Room is somewhere above this place. That's where they're holding our family."

Batman regarded him, his hooded eyes gleaming in the dimness. "What makes you so sure?"

"I…" Shazam trailed off and shook his head. "I can't describe what it is. I just know I feel them. Here," he said, pressing his big hand to the lightning bolt glowing brightly over his heart. "My team. My Family. I know where they are, and I know they're still alive."

Batman grunted, clearly dissatisfied. Superman also seemed wary. But Zatanna looked intrigued.

"No, this makes sense," she said. "The Shazam Family share a uniquely powerful magical bond. They're connected together by the Living Lightning." Zatanna gestured to the emblem Billy, Freddy and Mary wore on their chests. "If the Captain feels that connection can lead him to the rest of his siblings, I believe him."

Batman and Superman shared a long, solemn stare. Batman's glare stayed firm, but Superman looked to Shazam and gave him a nod.

"All right, Captain," the Kryptonian said. "I trust you. How do we get to the Throne Room from here?"

Shazam nodded back, but his shoulders seemed to sink a little into his cape.

"I…don't really know, actually," he admitted with a pained wince. "I've never been down here before. It would be really great if we had a map of this place…"

"There are stairs through those arches to the left and right, and a larger tunnel just ahead," Batman stated, his gaze fixed on a scanner device he'd pulled from his utility belt.

"Great," Superman said. "Can that Bat-Scanner of yours spot any traps or security triggers among these pillars?"

"I can scan for electronic explosives. Physical objects. Heat signatures. Electromagnetic fields," Batman said, his eyes still on the screen. "Not magic."

"Fortunately, that's were I can help," Zatanna said, and held out her hands. "Laever flesruoy!"

A sort of energy pulse washed over the vast space, momentarily blurring the pillars and making the torch flames seem to waver and dance. The misty haze dissipated and, for the first time, they saw the cavern clearly.

"Oh my god…" Mary breathed in horror, bringing her hands to her mouth. "Who would make something like this…?"

A long, oval table with seven chairs stretched down the center aisle, looking as if it had been carved there. Around that, everywhere they looked, eerie statues crowded the walls, the rows of pillars – monsters and demons half-embedded in stone, their frozen faces twisted with rage. As the group moved forward, they could hear the monsters whispering their hatred, hissing oaths of vengeance…

"It's a prison," Shazam realized, his eyes wide and wary as he protectively moved ahead of the others. "Mary, these…these statues… They're not statues. These are real demons, locked in stone like the Sins!"

"Then the lore books were right," Zatanna whispered. "Which means we're seeing some of humanity's most terrible enemies. This must be where the Council of Wizards trapped them, after harnessing the primordial energies of the gods…"

Shazam stared at her, his face taut with questions. They welled up inside him, far too many to ask at once. But, before he could try—

"Billy, let's get out of here," Mary said, reaching out to touch his arm.

"I'm with you, sis," Freddy said, giving his brother's cape a tug as he flew toward the nearest archway. "Last one up the stairs is a monster's breakfast."

Batman grunted, but the group followed Freddy's lead, Superman joining Shazam, Freddy and Mary in the air while Batman and Zatanna moved on foot.

As they headed for the stairs, a small shape broke from the shadows. A sleek black cat, its night-adapted eyes gleaming green in the dimness. It cast a long gaze over its shoulder, then dashed from the hall, trailing the team of heroes like a specter.

To Be Continued…


References Include - Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil, by Jeff Smith; Justice League: Action; Batman: The Brave and the Bold; The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien; Shazam! (movie); Shazam! Volume 1, by Geoff Johns.

Next Time: Shazam and his team face the hazards of the Rock of Eternity. Will Billy discover how to contact the Wizard? Will the team fall victim to Mr. Mind's trap? Stay tuned! :D

Hope you enjoyed this little chapter! Please let me know what you think! :)