In a subway car in Fawcett City, a boy listened to music, seemingly at ease. This boy, Billy Batson, didn't live an easy life. Abandoned by his parents, he had moved from one foster home to another. It wasn't that all these families treated him poorly—rather, he couldn't accept them as his real family. His only goal was to find his mother, who, as he remembered, had once loved him deeply.
Billy continued to gather any clues he could find about his mother. Just today, he thought he'd found her address, but when he knocked on the door, he was greeted by an older Black woman—not his mother. Still, Billy stayed optimistic. Not finding her this time only meant trying again next time. In truth, this hope of reuniting with his mother was all that kept him going; without it, he didn't know who he'd become.
Lost in thought and music, Billy didn't notice the frost forming on the subway window. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder.
"What the—?!" Billy jerked, looking back at another boy. Instinctively, he pulled his arm back, eyeing the stranger warily.
"Sorry for startling you. I'm Frank. Looks like you're one of the chosen ones…" The boy smiled and nodded, pulling his hand back.
"Chosen? What are you talking about?" Though Frank didn't seem like a threat, Billy remained on guard as he backed away slightly.
"Haven't you been watching the news? Lots of kids have gone missing here in Fawcett City," Frank replied, watching Billy's wariness deepen. He quickly continued, "Relax. I'm not some kidnapper. This is a supernatural event. Those who pass the test gain extraordinary power. Even if you don't, you'll be returned safely, with your life unaffected."
"A supernatural event?" Billy blinked, relaxing slightly. Supernatural events weren't unusual these days, but he wasn't interested in power; all he cared about was finding his mom.
"Yes. I don't actually live here in Fawcett, but I heard about the event and came. Strangely enough, I wasn't chosen until just now, when I touched you and somehow gained access to the test," Frank explained openly, looking at Billy.
Frank wasn't one to hide things. Since Billy was chosen, he clearly had a higher chance of succeeding in the test. While Frank wanted power, he wasn't about to steal someone else's opportunity. His upbringing simply wouldn't allow it.
This wasn't Frank's first encounter with the supernatural. During the vampire and werewolf events, Frank had been involved too. However, back then he wasn't the seasoned fighter he would become; he was just a kid Robert had saved from vampires and werewolves.
From that day, Frank became a fan of Robert, whom he saw as the strongest Avenger. After all, he'd watched Robert punch a vampire into the ground with enough force to shake the earth. Inspired, young Frank began training with his father, a former elite Marine, to prepare for his own encounters with the supernatural.
Since then, Frank and his father had hunted down many vampires and werewolves, achieving considerable success. However, while they were skilled in killing these creatures by exploiting their weaknesses, they couldn't overcome the sheer physical superiority of the supernatural. This was part of why Frank had come to Fawcett City—he was determined to find any leads on supernatural power.
"Oh, I see. So, what exactly is this supernatural test?" Billy asked, still unclear but no longer suspicious.
"Have you noticed the frost on the window?" Frank pointed to the ice on the subway window. "And the subway is slowing down. Once we arrive, the test should begin."
Just as Frank finished, the subway came to a halt. When the doors opened, they revealed a cavern filled with a primordial aura.
Clearly, this place wasn't part of the subway system—it was the testing ground. While Billy hesitated, Frank patted his shoulder and stepped off the train, heading into the cave.
"Another kid?" The old wizard muttered as he saw Frank and Billy enter one after the other. He immediately recognized that Billy was the chosen one, while Frank, though calm, was not who he had in mind.
"I heard that this place should hold the seven sealed demons, but it seems pretty empty here. Did something happen?" Frank asked before the wizard could speak, noticing the odd silence in the Rock of Eternity.
"You're perceptive, child. Are you with any government agency?" The wizard looked at Frank curiously.
"No, I'm just an ordinary person who's interested in supernatural power." Frank shrugged casually.
"You're not wrong; something did happen here. If you had arrived earlier, you could have taken part in the test to see if your heart was pure enough. But the Seven Deadly Sins have been released…" The wizard sighed, waving his staff to conjure an image.
"A long time ago, nearly nine thousand years back, my parents were murdered. I vowed to protect the innocent and vanquish evil. But I was only human, so I prayed to the gods, who granted me this power through a pact…"
"After that, I fought against all forms of evil until, three thousand years later, I grew too weary to continue. I hastily chose an heir, only for him to misuse his power and release the Seven Deadly Sins from the underworld…"
"I expended much of my power sealing them away, but doing so left me in a deep sleep until I recently awoke, sensing my end approaching. I must now choose a new heir…"
"Recently, a boy who once failed the test returned somehow. He took up the Eye of the Demon and released the Seven Deadly Sins, merging their powers into his own and injuring me. So now, I must pass on this power to save the world…"
"Uh, Mr. Wizard, you do realize Earth now has a superhero team called the Avengers, right? They're incredibly skilled, and… um, they have powers beyond imagination. A few demons wouldn't be much of a challenge for them," Frank interjected, informing the wizard about Earth's current situation.
"You have never seen the true power of these demons. I've encountered many superpowered beings, but only the power of the gods can truly counter such creatures. These aren't ordinary demons; they're as powerful as lords of the underworld!" the wizard replied sternly.
"If it weren't impossible for underworld lords to enter Earth's dimension, these demons would already be such lords, or perhaps they're here to claim dominion over Earth and make it their realm… But explaining this to you is pointless; you won't understand. Let's focus on choosing my heir…"
"So, if I inherit your power, I'll have to fight those dangerous demons?" Billy asked, his voice trembling with fear.
"Don't worry. With my power, dealing with them won't be hard. Even if that man has absorbed the Seven Deadly Sins, making him almost as powerful as an underworld lord, my divine power isn't to be underestimated!" The wizard offered Billy an encouraging smile.
"If the Seven Deadly Sins were easy to defeat, why didn't you kill them instead of sealing them? Isn't that leaving trouble for your successor?" Billy hesitated, asking question after question. "And you fell asleep after sealing them. If I fight them, won't I end up like you? I don't want to sleep forever—I need to find my mom…"
"No, my sleep was because another chosen one fought alongside me against the Seven Deadly Sins. If you only face the Sins, you won't suffer the same fate…" Seeing Billy hesitate, the wizard grew anxious.
"One question," Frank spoke up, catching the wizard's attention. "If you already had an heir who turned evil, does that mean your power can be passed on to more than one person?"
"My power doesn't come from a single god. I prayed to multiple gods and received a collection of their gifts, bearing the name Shazam…" The wizard, realizing Frank could be a backup if Billy refused, explained further.
"This means that as long as the initials of six gods spell out Shazam, one can inherit their power. Each person only inherits one combination, though. My power comes primarily from Greek gods, while that failed heir's power came from Egyptian gods."
"Then why not let me try to create a new combination of gods under the name Shazam? That way, you can pass your power to Billy too," Frank suggested, his eyes lighting up.
"With my staff, I can only pass on one set of powers at a time, but if you two trust each other, you can actually share the power…" the wizard said, looking once again at Billy.
"So, if I accept your power, I'll have to face the Seven Deadly Sins?" Billy asked hesitantly.
"Yes. The Seven Deadly Sins must be defeated!" the wizard replied firmly.
"Then give it to him. He seems like a good person, and he wants the power more than I do." Billy shook his head slowly. He had no envy for supernatural abilities; all he wanted was a family filled with love.
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