Act 2: "Shazam's Real Debut"
I can help," I said simply. "Where do you need me?"
It did hurt me that Panacea had not heard of me yet when I've encountered lots of capes already for the past hours since the night started. But there was no use moping around.
Panacea's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. She wore a robe with a large hood and a scarf that covered the lower half of her face. The robe was alabaster white and had a medic's red cross on the chest and the back. Her frizzy brown curly hair peeked out from under the hood, and freckles covered her face from forehead to chin, densely packed enough that there were as many brown freckles as pink skin. Despite her tiredness, she exuded a determined energy.
"So you are a cape?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
"Yes! And I can heal!" I replied, trying to sound reassuring.
"How do you heal? What are your healing power's mechanism?" she demanded. "Forget that," she added quickly, taking my wrist in her hands. "Let me check your biology. Do you agree?"
"Fine," I said, I knew people had to give their consent when healing someone, I saw it on the TV about a news feature regarding Panacea. I didn't know however that she could check if someone was a cape via analyzing their biology. Panacea's powers seemed not as simple as healing. "Check as much as you want, but I'd rather move on to healing..."
Her eyes widened in shock as she examined me. "Your biology is at peak condition and is very normal," she muttered, almost to herself. "You really are a fucking creep! Guards! Security!"
Ah shit… I analyzed my situation. It appeared my magic didn't register to her. While I had a body in its peak mental and physical state, my magic wasn't visible to her… This meant she couldn't perceive 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.
"I am not a creep, but a cape, damn it!" I hovered in the air to prove it, hoping to convince her.
Panacea was speechless, her eyes wide with shock. "But it felt definitely like normal human biology…"
"But you are wrong! See! I can fly! And I can heal too! It is not my fault your powers cannot see through me, and oh Wizard from above, help me have more patience! I can heal, okay?" I pleaded, trying to keep my voice calm and steady. I've been accused as a creep more than once already, but Panacea saying it hurt more than I'd admit.
A familiar paramedic, a woman in her 30s, approached us. "Oh, isn't this Shazam? I knew him and saw him from other hospitals. Panacea, sweetheart… he's healed a lot of people already and even rescued more from burning buildings and the like."
Panacea still looked skeptical, but her expression softened slightly. "Okay. How do you heal people?"
"I zap them with healing lightning," I said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
"Seriously?" She gave me a look of disbelief and annoyance.
Shortly, the same paramedic separated me from Panacea and helped me around the hospital…
It was a long night. I even went as far as to heal people with my special lightning with extra fervor. Finally, I truly ran out of people to save. Unfortunately, it was already past midnight by then. When I was finally out of Brockton Hospital, I thought of magic— it had so much possibility—
The paramedic joked, "Who exactly are you? Some long lost brother of Glory Girl?"
What? What the fuck? That was the second time someone thought I was related to New Wave.
Wait… I looked at the side view mirror by the ambulance. I had blonde hair, could fly, hit like a brick, and blast bright stuff. My power set and appearance sure looked like the male counterpart of a certain flying brick, but no way, right? And then I thought of Glory Girl who looked at me strangely… no wonder… Then there was Panacea…
"On top of that, you can heal…" The paramedic added, becoming more convinced of her sudden realization. "Yeah, your blaster ability looked like something that would only come from New Wave too… What is your name again?"
"Just call me Shazam…" I told her my cape name with a frown, "And no, I am not from New Wave."
Soaring through the night sky, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that I should have been able to find Bakuda. The chaos she'd caused was mind-boggling, and I couldn't just let it go. But tonight, at least, I had saved lives. It was a start.
When I finally landed back in the alley near my house, the adrenaline began to wear off, and the mental exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I snuck back into my room through the window with super speed and transformed back into my regular self with a whispered "Shazam". The house was dark and quiet, my parents were likely asleep after the stressful evening.
Lying in bed, I couldn't stop thinking about the events of the night. Bakuda was out there, and she needed to be stopped. But I also had school, my parents, and a life that demanded attention. Balancing these dual lives was going to be a challenge.
With Bakuda's campaign, I had the leeway not to worry too much about school…
The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Mom's voice calling me for breakfast. I dragged myself out of bed, still feeling the weight of the previous night's events. I was mentally tired. Downstairs, Mom and Dad were both seated at the table, their faces showing the strain of worry.
"Morning, Greg," Dad said, his tone more somber than usual.
"Morning," I replied, grabbing a seat.
Mom pushed a plate of pancakes towards me. "Eat up. You have a long day ahead."
As I dug into my breakfast, I thought about my meeting with Sparky later. After seeing the horrendous bombing last night. I've decided that I want Sparky to know the truth—or at least a version of it. The whole city was in a state of fear and confusion, and I needed allies.
I knew I was going to do something super reckless, but I knew I could trust Sparky… Even while in Shazam state and even after referring to the Wisdom of Solomon, I could ascertain that Sparky was someone I could trust.
After breakfast, I sneaked out to meet Sparky at our usual hangout spot, a small park near our school. Hopefully, my parents wouldn't catch too fast about my sneaking out. Sparky was already there, sitting on a bench and looking anxious.
Sparky was taller than me by a few centimeters. He looked like a hippie, but I wouldn't blame his fashion choice. He was an American Indian down to his bones, though he wasn't as culturally inclined to his roots as our classmates liked to think. He liked rock music, and he was in a band.
"Hey," I greeted him, taking a seat beside him.
"Hey, man. You look like you've been through hell," Sparky said, eyeing me critically.
"You have no idea," I replied with a sigh. "Listen, I need to tell you something, and it's going to sound crazy."
Sparky raised an eyebrow. "Crazier than you getting kidnapped by ABB thugs?"
"Yeah. Way crazier." I took a deep breath and began to explain everything—about my powers, the transformation, and the night I spent trying to save people from Bakuda's bombs.
By the time I finished, Sparky was staring at me with wide eyes. "So, you're like a superhero now? Hmmm… so being kidnapped by ABB goons was a lie, and what really happened was a wizard kidnapped you, and gave you powers…"
"Something like that," I said. "I know it's a lot to take in."
Sparky let out a low whistle. "Man, this is insane. But you know what? I believe you. I mean, I've seen weirder things in this city."
"Thanks, Sparky. I need your help, though. I can't do this alone."
"Proof," he demanded. "I'd be the insane one if I didn't ask for proof of your powers."
"Sure," I said, looking around to make sure we were still alone. The park was perfect for this, with no CCTV cameras and hardly any people around. I had chosen clothes that could obscure my features, a hoodie and a handkerchief tied around my neck that could act as a scarf if needed. "Shazam!"
At the shout of my magic word, a bolt of lightning struck me, and I transformed. Sparky's eyes went wide, and he staggered back, clearly overwhelmed.
"That's utterly insane!" Sparky exclaimed, his voice shaky. "And here I thought you were pulling my leg!"
"I know," I said, my voice deeper and more commanding in this form. "Shazam!" I reverted to my original shape, feeling the familiar rush of energy dissipate.
Sparky looked at me, still in shock. "What's next?"
"What do you think of powers? I mean, do you want powers? Because I think I can give you powers…"
He stared at me, speechless, before shaking his head vigorously. "You must be fucking shitting me! Of course, I don't want to!" His panic was palpable. "Listen to me, don't tell this to just anyone! Did you tell this to your parents!?"
"I'm not stupid. I have no plans of sharing it with anyone. And no, I didn't share it with my parents. I want to give them plausible deniability."
Sparky ran a hand through his hair, visibly stressed. "Oh shit, man, so what am I? A disposable friend? That's why you sprung me this shit, right?"
"Don't worry, I didn't tell you everything..." I reassured him, omitting details like my fight with the Simurgh and the true nature of my power being magic. I had mentioned a Wizard, but knowing Sparky, he'd likely think of the Wizard as some sort of scientific experimenter rather than anything supernatural.
Sparky took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I will help you, but I don't want the powers, okay? I don't want to become a cape."
"Understood," I said, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude. "I just need someone I can trust, someone who knows the truth and can help me keep my head on straight."
"Yeah, man, I got you," Sparky said, still looking a bit shell-shocked. "But you have to promise me one thing: be careful. This city is dangerous enough without you drawing more attention to yourself."
"I promise," I said, feeling a sense of camaraderie. "We're in this together."
"Yeah, because you forced me to, what a great friend!"
"So, any advice?" I asked, hoping Sparky might have some practical insights.
"Aren't you like super smart with that Wisdom of Solomon bullshit?" he replied, still looking a bit overwhelmed but starting to calm down.
I took a deep breath. "It didn't make me super smart, it enabled me to do smart. Big difference."
Sparky leaned back on the bench, considering this. "I mean, it is basically a thinker ability at this point."
"I didn't think of it that way. I just saw each attributes as enhanced attributes or something, like a package… But only if it was that easy. I wasn't a clairvoyant… and I surely couldn't logic my way out of everything."
"Then tough luck, man. You found yourself with a useless sidekick," Sparky said, shaking his head.
"If only you accepted my initial proposition… you don't want powers, really?"
"Nah, I am all good," Sparky replied, looking relieved that I wasn't pushing the issue. "Someday? I wouldn't know…"
"Oh shit, thanks, Sparky!" I said as a sudden thought struck me. "I think I know what I should do! Bye!"
With that, I took off running, not even giving Sparky time to respond. The Wisdom of Solomon wasn't about having all the answers; it was about knowing where to look for them. I needed to gather more information, and I think I knew where to look.
I hurried back home, feeling a surge of energy and purpose coursing through me. "Shazam!" I sneaked back inside, relying on my Shazam-state. Once inside my room, I fired up my computer and navigated to Uber and Leet's site. The live stream had long stopped, but thankfully, they hadn't deleted the video footage.
If the PRT was taking this seriously, they must also have thought of the same idea and were using their thinkers to investigate the video. But in the end, what we could gather from this measly footage would be limited... or maybe was a plot for a trap... but I wouldn't think Bakuda was that smart... er... wise, she wasn't wise. Bakuda was smart, she was a tinker after all... but wise? Doubtful.
Remaining in my Shazam-state, I activated the Wisdom of Solomon, allowing me to analyze the situation with a keen eye. As I watched the footage of the Undersiders' confrontation with Bakuda, I began to piece together what had transpired.
Despite the video being edited to favor Bakuda's narrative, I could discern that she had actually lost the battle. Her body language, her demeanor—it all suggested a defeat that she was unwilling to accept. Bakuda was relentless, the kind of person who wouldn't back down until she achieved victory. And the fact that none of the Undersiders were killed indicated that Bakuda's plans had failed.
I meticulously reviewed the frames of the video, analyzing every detail. It became clear to me that when Oni Lee arrived, the Undersiders likely retreated under his assault. However, the video had been suspiciously cut off in the middle of the confrontation. It was evident that Oni Lee had covered for Bakuda's retreat, allowing her to escape without a real confrontation.
"I see," I've been to the docks, and I knew it was useless to come back there. The important thing here was Tattletale. "Not much is currently known about her, except she was a thinker. The nature of her thinker-power was unknown, but after reviewing the video, I could tell her ability was nearly precognitive. No wonder she was so confident…"
Finally, I had my answer… It seemed I could trust Tattletale after all to deliver her word. The business card she left me was a sign she wanted to earn my trust. First, I'd need a burner phone… Making contact with Tattletale might yield me more intel than I initially thought. I reckoned she might provide useful advice if I pressed the right buttons.
