Act 1: "The Unsung Hero"
Black Mountain.Shazam of New Guy?
I was stronger, faster, and more perceptive than I would ever be. It took me little time to adapt to my new physique. It was weird how calm I was after transforming into an adult body. Sure, I was shredded and powerful, but hopefully, I'd be able to return to my original shape, since I wouldn't want to worry my parents too much.
Black Mountain loomed ahead, a dark, imposing silhouette against the high-noon sky. Its rocky crags and steep slopes were shrouded in mist, making it look like a fortress of shadows. As I sped towards it, the weight of my new powers felt both exhilarating and daunting. The ground beneath me blurred, and I could feel every muscle in my body humming with energy, my senses heightened to an almost dizzying degree.
It might not seem much, but I knew this place, well at least on paper… I knew my geography very well, especially if it involved capes, and the 'Black Mountain' was often a battleground for capes around here in Australia.
I arrived at the base of the mountain in seconds, feeling the heat from the explosion still lingering in the air. The landscape was scarred by my lightning, with chunks of rock and debris scattered everywhere. The Simurgh was there, her alabaster wings spread wide, damaged, and having a hard time healing herself.
What exactly happened? Moments ago when the Simurgh teleported the second time, my instincts beckoned me to follow her… I basically jumped at the spatial fracture she entered, something nearly impossible to do unless you had the Wisdom of Solomon.
It was a peculiar feeling, but I felt like I knew things, despite being unaware of what they were exactly.
After getting out of the spatial fracture that the Simurgh created, I immediately blasted her with my magic lightning from my fingertips so strong it charred the earth and blasted her a significant distance away… I'd be honest… I've fantasized about gaining superpowers one day, and hoping to 'test' them and see what I could do with them… But the 'powers' that the wizard bestowed me were basically gifted in a Christmas wrapper with a set of instructions already tucked in it.
Meaning, I knew my powers more than anyone could hope for when they started.
Apparently, Shazam wasn't just a word.
"Let's finish this," I muttered to myself, steeling my resolve. I leaped into the air, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat.
The Simurgh's song hit me like a tidal wave, a cacophony of dissonant notes that clawed at my mind. I gritted my teeth, pushing through the mental assault. My fists glowed with that strange, ethereal light as I aimed another punch at her. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ground, but she barely flinched, her telekinetic powers absorbing most of the blow.
I didn't let up. Punch after punch, I hammered at her, each strike more forceful than the last. My movements were a blur of speed and power, driven by an intense focus to keep her pinned. "You won't get away this time," I growled, my voice steady despite the chaos.
But the truth was… I was hitting nothing…
I had been hurling fists at her for the past ten seconds or so, but it was in fact just an illusion. I kept my calm. I hovered in the air, watching warily as the Simurgh reappeared from the haze. I had heard conspiracy theories on PHO that Endbringers had the ability to evolve and adapt at the risk of their lives. Like any lifeform capable of thought, they'd do anything to survive especially if they valued their life. Rather than a conspiracy theory, this was more likely a byproduct of human wisdom. Any creature capable of survival instinct had the power to evolve and adapt.
The Endbringers were no different, I realized.
Slowly, one, two, three, and several more Simurghs appeared and surrounded me, each of them the product of a powerful psychic illusion that I couldn't even see through with the Wisdom of Solomon. The Simurgh's song continued to batter at my head, but I countered it with the Courage of Achilles. The fog continued to proliferate around us, and it shared the same feeling as the Simurgh had. The fog was most likely a result of the Simurgh's psychic illusions too.
This was unheard of… Did my appearance or my lightning do something to her to be so motivated and transformed?
I clenched my fists, feeling the power surging through me. I needed to break through this illusion, to see the truth hidden beneath the layers of deceit. "Alright, Simurgh," I muttered to myself, "time to show me what you've really got."
This was my first cape fight, my literal debut, and it just had to be against the scariest Endrbinger out there! Give me Behemoth or Leviathan any time of the day! Sigh… if only I could laugh this off…
With a burst of speed, I flew towards one of the Simurghs, aiming a punch straight at her chest. My fist connected, but instead of solid resistance, I felt nothing. The image shimmered and dissolved into mist. "I knew it," I cursed, whirling around to face another one.
This time, I unleashed a bolt of magic lightning, the crackling energy lighting up the fog. The illusion dissolved again, leaving nothing but empty air.
"Think, Greg Veder," I told myself, trying to focus despite the song pounding in my ears. "There has to be a way to find the real one."
I hovered in place, closing my eyes and trying to concentrate. The Wisdom of Solomon had to offer some clue, some insight into how to pierce through these illusions. Slowly, I began to filter out the noise and focused on the subtle differences between the illusions and the real Simurgh.
"It is useless," I realized, so I opened my eyes as I dodged several boulders flung at me with telekinesis. The Wisdom of Solomon wasn't a special sensing ability, so it wasn't like by closing my eyes, I could miraculously pin down where the real Simurgh was. And here I thought I knew everything about my powers already.
Clearly, I didn't know what I didn't have. I dodged the debris hurled at me, calculating the trajectories, using them instead to trace the Simurgh's presence.
I pierced through several illusions and arrived in front of what seemed to be the real Simurgh. I stabbed her with my palm in a knife-hand strike, but the thing I struck was just debris, faking itself as something with weight. Explosions were set off under me… I realized they were high-yield bombs. Annoying, but useless, except if used as a smokescreen.
When the cloud of debris, dust, and smoke settled, I noticed that the Simurghs had multiplied ten times more. One of them rushed at me, and I struck it with lightning from my fingertips. The Simurgh exploded in a sphere of vacuum. I noticed it used the same mechanism as the Simurgh's teleportation.
The Simurgh indeed possessed Professor Haywire's technology. Something I thought I'd heard in passing from conspiracy nutjobs was being confirmed right in front of my eyes.
Why didn't the Simurgh use 'Haywire's tech' as bombs seconds ago? I deduced it must have been because Professor Haywire's technology was too sensitive and required delicate touch. Dirt and little impact could destabilize it, and cause accidents… Considering this was the Simurgh, I wouldn't put it beyond me that there were other reasons why she didn't use Haywire's tech like the way I thought of…
With the Simurgh's telekinesis and nearly precognitive ability, she was able to use Professor Haywire's technology as she liked flexibly.
I should assume every illusion in front of me was planted with Haywire technology that could potentially rip me through a space fold or exile me to another dimension or planet. I was forced into a passive situation. But there had to be a way out of this.
The Simurgh's illusions were powerful, but they couldn't hide everything. I analyzed the patterns, and the movements, looking for any hint of the real Simurgh's presence. I frowned, my mind working in the background as I dodged the Simurgh's attempts to destroy me.
Could I recklessly unleash my lightning to destroy the illusions and their traps? Unlikely. It might set off a chain reaction that would send me to kingdom come. Professor Haywire's technology had always been notoriously unstable.
Hmmm… What was taking Alexandria and the rest of the Triumvirate so long? I could use some backup… Then it registered to me… The fog, the continuous attempt at my life, and then there were the evolving powers… Perhaps, I was being isolated? Why? Would it be possible that the Simurgh was intent on killing me now?
Let's test it.
I attempted to escape by flying in superspeed and full lightning: theoretically, I should have been able to escape with this, but the Simurgh's fog and evolving powers were too much even for me.
Not to my surprise, the Simurgh was impressively angered by what I did. She did everything in her power to impede me. The fog meddled with my senses, forcing me back into the fight. I couldn't afford to escape anyway, since this was as much an opportunity as a crisis. If the Simurgh had no plans of running away, then I had a good chance I could end her once and for all. But that meant, she had as good a chance of killing me too.
It was 50/50.
This wasn't merely arrogance on my part, but just me being aware.
This was now a fight for survival in my case.
With determination burning in my chest, I focused on the task at hand. I couldn't let fear or doubt cloud my judgment now. Every move had to be calculated, every action deliberate.
As the Simurgh continued to barrage me with illusions and psychic attacks, I kept my cool, weaving through the chaos with speed and precision. It helped that I could fly and that the Speed of Mercury ignored friction, allowing me to glide in the air smoothly. The fog thickened around me, but I refused to let it hinder my movements.
The Simurgh was cunning, and her tactics were ever-changing and unpredictable. Just when I thought I had her cornered, she would slip away, disappearing into the fog like a ghost. She was using a combination of mover-type powers, tinker tech, stranger effect, and master powers.
I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. I couldn't let her elusiveness get to me. I had to stay focused, and stay determined, no matter what. I felt like our fight was stretching for a long time, and wounds had begun to appear in my body.
There was even damage to my magic clothes that came with my transformation.
I had to end this.
Her psychic powers must be interfering with my chemical balance, hindering my performance. The endless well of stamina I had was beginning to wane… I swore I might really die today… Moreover, her psychic power was also beginning to affect my memories, inserting herself into a few snippets I swore she shouldn't be there.
Dying might be the least of my worries.
With renewed resolve, I pushed forward, pressing the attack with everything I had. Lightning crackled around me as I unleashed my powers, the raw energy pulsing through my veins. Her illusions flickered in and out, which helped me discern which illusions were rigged with Haywire's tech.
I've been learning her tactics, and she was doing the same…
But in this contest of learning each other's pattern, I still ended on the top.
"Found you," My eyes were laser-focused as my analysis bore its fruits.
With a primal roar, I charged forward, my fists blazing with lightning. The Simurgh met me head-on, her wings unfurled like a shield against my onslaught.
"Die."
I used the Might of Hercules, the Speed of Mercury, and the Power of Zeus in tandem—
With fists and claws imbued with lightning, I dismantled her limb for limb. I noticed a strange bulge from her largest wing, buried in her joints… It possessed a strange energy to it, and I knew, this must be an important organ for her.
The Simurgh angrily thrust her hand at me with a telekinetically empowered fist. But it was too late for her to stop me. I used every attribute the power of SHAZAM could give me. With a final, decisive blow, I shattered her defenses, striking true and deep into her core.
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze, the world holding its breath as the Simurgh's form flickered and wavered. I grasped her core, plucked it, flew away from her, and while at it— crushed it in within my palm.
The Simurgh couldn't even react in time. With a deafening roar, she exploded in a burst of blinding light, her essence scattering to the winds. For some reason, the Simurgh was obsessively intent on killing me… Even when dying, she tried to take me down with her.
A sharp light struck me just on my forehead— it was the Simurgh's last-ditch effort, but no pain followed or anything... I wished it was that simple…
I stumbled back, gasping for breath as the aftermath of the battle washed over me. But there was no time to rest, no time to celebrate. I felt immensely tired at the moment… When the fog was no more, it was revealed that the night had already claimed the skies. I knew days had already gone by, and not just merely hours… I didn't know if time was compressed inside the fog or the opposite, but with a single glance at the stars above, I could make a rough guess that days had certainly passed by…
My Wisdom of Solomon was very OP huh? But the same could be said with the rest of my abilities…
… I wondered, what was the date today?
It was time to go home, and I hoped Mom wasn't making too much of a commotion…
