5Billy kept as quiet as possible as he crept back into the bus stop where he had been taking shelter the last couple of nights. He had no intention of being met by anyone, police or otherwise, lest they start asking too many questions. Unfortunately, he had not been able to find a place quite like his old warehouse, and he still had trouble finding anywhere or anyone he had known, so until had could find some way to adapt, he was just going to have to keep to himself.
At times, this did have its benefits. It made it easier to get in and out as Captain Marvel, anyway. Ironically enough, those were about the only times he had any amount of peace. Despite the new time period he was in, it appeared that Captain Marvel was just as welcome in Fawcett City as he had ever been. There had always been other superheroes in the other time, like Bullet Man and Bullet Girl, Ibis the Invincible, and Spy Smasher, but it appeared that in the time since he had fallen asleep, their numbers had grown. There were now hundreds of heroes, all over the world, and for the most part, the public loved them. Thus, as Captain Marvel started to become active in Fawcett again, he was pretty much welcomed in with opened arms as the city celebrated having their own hero once more.
Billy Batson, however, was another matter. He never let anyone know exactly who he was, lest be he labeled a lunatic, but he was still promptly labeled as something potentially worse: an idiot. Billy tried his hardest to fit in to his new environment, but it was tough. His first impression, that the world was large and loud now, and he couldn't understand the technological developments. At first, when he didn't understand something, he asked questions from the people around him. He was usually just told to Google it, and when he then asked what a "google" was, the reply was just an impatient statement that they didn't have the time for this and he should just go off. Eventually, he stopped asking.
The fact was that Billy was struggling to adapt to his new environment, and for whatever reason no one was interested in helping him. He felt this sting hard, and it didn't help when he tried to teach himself and made little to no progress.
What he had learned well enough was that screens were omnipresent in this day and age. Where in his time, such screens were limited to movie theaters and the increasingly common television set, they now were everywhere. In just the week and a half since he had returned, Billy had found screens on bill boards, in stores, on the sides of buildings, even one (to his distress) in a public bathroom. They were just something that apparently the people of this time loved, and so he was forcing himself to come to ignore them.
Thus, as he huddled behind the bench, he paid no heed when he heard a voice speak to him. "There you are, cub. Come, wake up."
Billy ignored the voice, supposing it was some screen like the others he had so often seen. It wasn't until he felt a paw on his back that he looked over. "I'm not-Tawny!"
He reacted fast, scooping up the cat in his arms. At the moment, Tawny was in his feral cat form, which though still large, made the action infinitely easier than if he had been a tiger. At that moment, Billy couldn't think of anyone more welcome. "Tawny, you're still alive!"
Tawny seemed just as relieved to see Billy, and he returned the affectionate greeting. "Indeed, kit, but that shouldn't be a surprise. A hundred years is no time for me. For you it is another matter though. How did you survive, and completely unchanged?"
Billy set Tawny down and pulled his legs close to his chest once more. "I don't know," he replied. "I found some statues that were releasing a mist, and after I took them down and sealed them off, I went to sleep, and when I woke up, I was here. It was even affecting me as Captain Marvel, so I have no idea what it was."
The cat closed his eyes, clearly deep in thought. "It must have been the dark magic of Pride. Only something to that power level would be able to affect the Champion in his full form. It was as Shazam feared."
"That's right, the Wizard!" Billy looked up, remembering the other troubles he had run into. "I can't find the way to the Rock of Eternity. What's going on?"
"I'm afraid since you began your nap, much has changed." Tawny took a breath. "Of course, we knew you weren't dead, though all the humans believed it so. Shazam could still sense your life, though he could not reach you, and you yourself had deemed it unwise to send anyone to find you. Thus, we elected to wait, and hope that no problems arose in your absence."
Billy caught the tone in his friend's voice. "I'm guessing it didn't work out.
Tawny gave a chuckle. "You are quite an astute cub. Indeed, it did not. For the first set of decades, all was well. New champions arose, though not by Shazam's hand, and potential dangers were warded off. All seemed well, until one day around fifteen years ago, the very Rock came under attack."
Hearing this comment, Billy's eyes opened wide. "What!? How could someone attack the Rock of Eternity?"
"We still don't know." Tawny looked morose. "There were two people at the helm, a man and a woman. The man had no power, but the woman was a witch of great strength. She was not, of course, a complete match for Shazam while he was in the Rock of Eternity, but she was strong enough to crack the foundations. A few artifacts were stolen, most notably the Holding Flask and the Scarab of Teth Adam, before the invaders backed down."
Billy already knew well the story of the champion that had come before him, and why the disappearance of the Scarab was bad. "Is Black Adam out there?"
"For the time being, no." Tawny's answer brought much relief, though he wasn't finished. "I'm afraid that isn't the end to our trouble, though. Because of the damage done to the Rock of Eternity, the divide between the Seven Realms has been broken. In response, Shazam has sealed off the Rock to hold back illicit travel, though it is only minorly effective."
This was all new to Billy. "The Seven Realms? What are those?"
"They will be explained later, Tawny replied. "Right now, just be warned; due to the damage to the Rock, your powers might be affected. I don't know how, but until we are certain of the effects, please be careful."
"Affected?" Billy cocked his head. "How? Am I weaker now?"
"I don't know, but-" Tawny started, but then he looked up. "Humans are about here, I must go before I am heard. Just know that it means you may be running into others like me; others with magic, and with your powers changed, they may be more of a threat."
"Wait, what should I do now?" Billy was in distress, not certain where to go next.
Tawny froze for a moment in thought, then he spoke. "Cub, I know you will not like this answer, as you never liked it before, but find a home that will take you in."
It was now Billy's turn to freeze. "I can take care of myself."
"Back in your time, you could take care of yourself, at least to a better degree than others your age," Tawny corrected, "which is why I tolerated that response then. This, however, is a different time, and as you already know, things have vastly changed. Especially after damage was done to the Rock. You don't know or understand this world, both the magical and non-magic parts, and you will need help to acclimate to it. At the very least, a home would provide some defense against the magic, as magical creatures are not allowed in those uninvited. There's also more mundane issues, like hygiene and nourishment. When was the last time you ate something other than garbage?"
Billy balked. "I'm sure I'll find something."
Tawny gave a sigh. "William, I know you value your independence, but it is a different, potentially more dangerous time. I warn you, if it reaches the point that you are putting your life at risk, and you have not found a home for yourself, I will find one for you. Now, I must go. I will find you when I can, but there is important business I must fulfill first."
"Yeah, but-!" Billy started, but the cat had already disappeared.
Dawn found Billy still huddled behind the bus stop bench. After Tawny had rushed off, he had slipped back to sleep, trying to get as much rest as he could for the day ahead. True, it wasn't exactly the most comfortable of quarters, but Billy had slept in worse, so it would do.
As morning light woke him, he realized he had a tougher job ahead of him: finding breakfast. Back in his own time, he would have gone out to Mrs. Abraham's bakery, since the old lady had a soft spot for him. However, the old bakery was long gone, and something called an electronics store was sitting in its place. He wasn't sure what that was, as the things they sold looked so strange and alien, but he didn't think they were edible.
Eventually, he decided his best course of action would be to find a cafe. If they were serving breakfast right now, there might be a chance he could get some leftover scraps before the waiters came and cleared the dishes away. It wouldn't be much, but at least he wouldn't go hungry.
It took him an hour and a half before he finally stumbled on a place that fit his needs. It was a newer shop, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Of course, no one was outside at the moment, considering the cold and snow, but it was still active.
Moving in, Billy kept close to the café entrance, watching the tables close to see if anyone was going to leave with food still on their plates. Soon, he got his chance. Two older men got up and left, leaving a quarter of a bagel and a few scraps of sausage and scrambled egg behind.
Seeing his opportunity, Billy raced in. He shoveled the remainder of the scrambled egg into his mouth first, hardly taking time to chew, before tearing into one the sausages. He had just grabbed the bagel when he felt someone push him aside.
"Hey, scram!" a waiter shouted, pushing him towards the door. "Get out of here!"
Billy didn't wait. He knew these places didn't like street urchins hanging around, and he had not intention being hit or having the cops called on him. Keeping the bagel gripped in one hand, he hurried out and ran away.
Once more all on his own, he ate the bagel as slowly as possible as he wandered down the street. He no doubt looked odd, in long-outdated clothes that were now ragged and threadbare, covered only by a torn coat he'd discovered in the dumpster. Thankfully, it appeared that "odd" just didn't attract too much attention, as he was pretty much allowed to move about unnoticed.
He soon finished off the last crumbs of the bagel, and his mind turned to his next meal. Of course, the bits he had gotten in the café weren't quiet enough, but he wanted to rest a bit before he tried another stunt like that again.
Licking the remainder of the butter off his fingertips, he looked around to see if there was any shelter he might be able to take without being chased off. Not much. This was one of the nicer areas of the city, not too far off from where the houses were. He never went by the houses themselves, as people tended not to like urchins loitering on their property, but there was always public places like the library, where he could warm himself without someone throwing him out. Heck, they occasionally even had free food, which would be much more than welcome.
As he was searching, however, he heard sounds of shouting and a struggle, and they sounded like kids. "Let him go!"
"Shut it!"
"You can't-off!"
"Get off, you big bully!"
"What's the little-ow! She bit me!"
Smack!
Without hesitation, Billy realized there was some sort of fight going on. Considering the ages of the voices, he supposed this wasn't quite at the level that might require Captain Marvel, and he wasn't sure he had a place to transform anyway. However, there was still something Billy Batson could do.
Hurrying over, he found four teen boys bothering a set of five kids. One of the teens was holding back a girl by her hair and wrist, and another had a black-haired kid with glasses in a headlock while he was sitting on a bigger boy in a green coat. A dark-skinned little girl was sprawled in the snow, apparently the recipient of the slap Billy had heard. The final two boys were holding another black-haired kid in against the wall and holding a knife against his throat, and a pair of crutches lay discarded nearby. The kids were fighting valiantly, but they were outmatched by their older, larger opponents.
Realizing what was happening, Billy decided he couldn't stay back. "Hey! Leave them alone!"
Hearing the shout, all eyes turned to him. One of the bigger boys who had been holding his captive against the wall let him slip. "Keep Freeman pinned," he told his knife wielding crony. "I'll deal with the rat."
He came over, smirking cruelly at Billy. He was a good half to three quarters of a foot taller than Billy. "What? Does little ratty think we're being mean?"
"Mean is not quite the word for it." Despite the size difference, Billy was completely unafraid. The teens were clearly cruel, but they were also clearly inexperienced and cowardly. "I'd think more sadistic. Cowardly would be another term I'd bring up."
"Cowardly?" The smirk melted and turned into a sneer. "You want to say that again, rat?"
Billy gave a snorting laugh. "Well, you're clearly attacking opponents who don't have a chance of fighting back. They're mostly younger and smaller than you, and one of them is using crutches, so they don't stand a chance of physically threatening you. That would only mean that you are the aggressors, and thus, are cowards because you are attacking opponents who cannot fight back."
As he spoke, the teens' victims called out, trying to stop him from getting himself into trouble. However, their cries were drowned out by the teens snarling at them to shut up.
The teen who was towering over Billy moved fast, grabbing him by the collar and hauling him against the wall. "You think you're better than us, huh, rat? You think you can take us?"
Wrinkling his nose at the smell of the bully's breath, Billy made a face. "I'm sure I'd do better than you'd think."
The response was exactly what Billy supposed it would be. "I'd like to see you try it, rat."
Giving a sigh, Billy turned. "I'd like it noted that he literally asked for this."
Without another word, he lifted his legs and delivered an unexpectedly powerful kick to the teen's stomach. The sudden blow forced all the air out of the aggressor's lungs, and he was forced to drop Billy.
The young hero didn't have much time to recover, however, because as soon as he had laid out the one aggressor, the other cronies came in. Billy was outnumbered and outsized, but he did have once major advantage.
While he could not access the Strength of Hercules, the Stamina of Atlas, the Power of Zeus, and the Speed of Mercury while as Billy Batson, he could access the two other powers. Though not as strong as when he was Captain Marvel, Wisdom of Solomon and the Courage of Achilles still bestowed their knowledge upon him as Billy Batson. Between these libraries of history and tactics, he had enough wits and knowledge of battle strategies that gave him an upper hand on his foes, who were little more than street thugs.
Ducking low to keep out of reach, he delivered two punches to the stomach of the closest teen. He then dodged out of the way when the attacker lunged, leaving only his leg out to trip the enemy on the way out.
As he pulled out, one of the two remaining boys grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms. The final one then ran at him with the knife. "This'll teach you, ratty!"
Before the attacker could make good on his threat, Billy kicked out again, hitting his enemy below the belt, causing the teen to drop the weapon and crumble in an instant. On the rebound, he kicked his captor in the shin, which got him loose enough to deliver and elbow to the gut.
As soon as he was freed, he grabbed one of the abandoned crutches. This he wielded up as one of the previous boys grabbed and lunged again with the knife. He used the crutch to continue the attack from a good distance, and with a few good blows, he was able to send the weapon flying back. One of the teens did try to retrieve the knife, but this time the boy in the green coat reached it first and brandished it threateningly.
"It's over now," Billy said firmly. "Do you still want to fight?"
The teens scowled, but it was clear that the fight had been beaten out of them. "This isn't over! Our father's going to hear about this!" With that, they ran off.
"Sorry about that," Billy said as he and the green-coat boy helped the previous captive up and returned the crutches. "I don't think they'll be bothering you again."
The boy gave a dry laugh. "Oh, they'll be back, just once they're sure you're not around. Name's Freddy Freeman. Thanks for the help by the way."
"Billy Batson," Billy introduced. "Do you know why they were attacking you guys?"
"Mary Bromfield," the older girl introduced. She had moved closer since they started talking, and seemed to be studying him intently, though if she was, she wasn't about to speak about it. "As to why, there could be any number of reasons. Once the Bryer boys decide you're a target, they don't leave you alone."
"Of course, I've never seen anyone lay them out like that before," the green-coated boy stated. He held out his hand and gave a friendly smile. "Pedro Peña pleased to meet you."
"That was so cool!" The little girl, who appeared to be several years younger than Billy, exclaimed as she threw her arms around his waist. "My name's Darla. How'd you learn how to fight like that?"
"Darla, it's not polite to just hug people you just met," the boy with glasses scolded. He turned to Billy and gave a shrug. "Sorry about that, she'd just really affectionate. I'm Eugene, by the way. Eugene Choi."
"It's alright," Billy assured as he was released. Frankly, he was just pleased the other kids weren't treating him like he was diseased or something. "I've just had…experience having to defend myself."
"Those were some pretty good moves," Freddy replied, nodding appreciatively. "Of course, I could have handled it myself, but I always appreciate a hand now and then."
"Right," Mary replied, giving a slight eye roll. "We'd better continue out errands. Mom and Dad'll get worried if we take too long." She smiled at Billy. "You're welcome to come, if you like."
"That's alright, thanks," Billy replied. "I'm not exactly welcome in stores. Where's the library, by the way? There's some…stuff I gotta do there."
"That's on Oak Street," Pedro directed, "about three miles that way."
"Thanks, I think I'll head that way." Billy started heading in that direction, happy at least to have a destination.
"Hey, Billy, one more thing," Freddy called out before he could go too far. "There's a soup kitchen on 65th. They're open from noon to 7:30."
"Thanks again!" Billy called before rushing off. "I'll be sure to check it out!"
In the library, Billy was pleased to find that a kids' section had been set up. It was mostly for littler kids, with toys he was far too old for scattered this way and that, but a smaller section had been designated for older kids. It had couches and a few large cushions that appeared to be acting as seats in their own right.
The whole place was set up around the flattest television Billy had ever seen, and remote controls were scattered around it. Two boys were using the remotes to control the pictures on the screen, in this case pictures of oddly dressed men that were fighting each other. It was rather fascinating to watch, and a part of Billy wanted to ask if he could try. However, that would mean asking for an explanation of what they were doing, and for instructions on how to do it. Remembering the looks of derision he received every time he admitted to not understanding something about the technology of this time, he held back, instead just enjoying the warmth of the building.
To his disappointment, there was no free food out, so he satisfied himself with a water fountain that was set up in the café area, with the promise to himself he'd go to the soup kitchen later. It looked very different from the fountains he seen before, but he'd figured it out after watching one or two other people use it. He had gotten up to get a drink when he overheard a report coming from the TV set up for the patrons.
"…and if you look behind me," a blonde reporter stated, "you can see the damage done to the fields by whatever it was." Sure enough, behind her was the image of destroyed crop fields that had deep trenches, like footprints, dug in them. Billy's stomach turned, as he thought he knew that place.
"Thankfully," the reporter continued, "the crop had already been harvested, but few people can explain what could have done such damage. One person does claim to have seen it, though."
The picture changed to an old man who was standing in front of the field. A name bar reading Ezekiel Fasman was on a label in front of him. "I saw it myself!" he exclaimed. "A huge robot, all black and gold and silver with a pointy head just got up out of the ground! Tore up everything in its path! The missus and I were lucky enough to get away with our lives!"
"There you have it, folks," the reporter finished. "Wisconsin farmers are in terror of this new development. Only time will tell if we are dealing with robots, or something far more sinister."
Billy gritted his teeth. Mr. Atom got out somehow. Captain Marvel would have to deal with this personally. Without another word, he slipped out of the library and looked for some place he could change without being seen.
