Super Reporters

Little Boy in a Grown Man's Body

Flight.

Wind rushing against his skin as he soared through the clouds, taking in the world around him in wonder. Heart bubbling with joy, nine year old Billy Batson laughed. A deep, powerful sound rumbled out of his lips, startling him. It's the voice of an adult man.

Just yesterday, little Billy Batson was an ordinary newsboy, selling papers to get by. Today, he's a superhero flying over Fawcett, in a huge grown up body, thanks to the wizard Shazam.

Sure, he's still an orphan, thrown on the streets to fend for himself by his inheritance grabbing uncle Eben. Bile rose. He took a deep breath. His parents taught him to live and let live. To forgive. Though they're gone, he'd honour their memories. He'd learn to forgive but could never forget.

Breaking out of that downward spiral, he focused on the here and now. He had power to protect the weak and help people in ways he couldn't before. It's a privilege he still felt, had to be a dream.

He could fly. He was fast. Little Billy in his Captain Marvel body, snatched a woman away from an incoming truck before it could hit her. He saved her life, though he couldn't understand why she kept fluttering her eyelashes at him. Billy's heart overflowed with joy at the good he could now do. Soaring through the clouds over the ocean, he spotted a cyclone heading towards his city.

"Holy Moly!"

If that cyclone hit the shore, it would tear apart everything in its path, killing people. He couldn't let that happen. With the Wisdom of Solomon, he knew exactly what to do.

Howling wind and crashing waves greeted him as he flew into the twister, tearing into its structure with the Strength of Hercules. Dark clouds and whirling debris obstructed his vision. Lightning danced through the storm, striking him. Electricity tingled his skin, sweeping over his entire being.

The Captain froze.
Horrified.

Shazam's lightning triggered his transformation. He couldn't change back to Billy right now.

The light faded, he was still Captain Marvel. Relieved. He knew now that only Shazam's lightning could change him.

Powerful winds, rain and wreckage struck his form. The impact would have crushed little Billy, but as Captain Marvel, it didn't bother him. With the speed and strength granted him, Captain Marvel disrupted the cyclone's form, dissipating the twister.

Too late.

A plane, caught in the cyclone's path plummeted.

Pouring on his speed, Captain Marvel caught the plane. Easily.

How strong was this Hercules guy, again? The massive plane felt as light as those paper aeroplanes Dad made for him.

Not wanting anyone to get whiplash, he slowed its fall and realigned it. He didn't want to take any chances so he landed it in the nearest airport, putting it down as gently as he could.

"Superman! Thanks for saving us!" Someone yelled as the plane door opened.

"Wait, you're not Superman," another passenger realised.

"Superman, I love your new look," another called out.

"I'm not Superman," Captain Marvel rubbed the back of his neck absently, a habit he'd picked up from his dad.

"Who are you?" A reporter ran, pointing a microphone at him.

"I'm Captain Marvel," he grinned, flying off.

Weird things have been happening to him since he met Shazam. Colours swirled around him, the vortex swallowing him, spitting him out before he could react. Then he found himself on some kind of operating table, thick bands of metal binding his arms and legs to the platform. The sharp metallic tang of blood hit his nose. Above him loomed a giant albino ape. "Holy Moly!"

"You're conscious?" the Ape brandished a glowing green scalpel waving it at Cap's nose. "See this, Kryptonian?"

"What are you trying to do?" asked Captain Marvel.

"I'm going cut open your head to replace your brain with mine," the talking Ape's smile was as menacing as the school bully's. Could he do that? Could that knife hurt him?

Little Billy sensed a deep pain within the heart of the Ape. He was hurting inside. Maybe he just needed someone to talk to. Maybe the ape was just being dramatic. 

"You should be writhing in agony by now but you're not even sweating," the ape pressed that glowing green scalpel against Billy's skin. Little Billy's heart skipped a beat. Could he be hurt in this form?

The blade snapped. 

"This is impossible," growled the ape.

Relief washed over Billy.
He tested the bonds. Though they looked strong, they felt like tin foil. Breaking free, he head butted the Ape, knocking it out.

Looking around the room, Billy gagged at the evidence of the mad scientist ape's gruesome experiments. Steeling himself, he carried the ape and the damning evidence to the nearest police post, turning the unconscious villain in.

"That's the Ultra-Humanite," the officer exclaimed. "It usually takes Superman or the entire Justice League to take him down."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Cap's cheeks burned. "I got lucky."