Post by Spider-Man Beyond on Nov 7, 2006 14:52:26 GMT -5
Legends of Shazam’s Power #2
A New Dawn
A New Dawn
Written by Mike Bowen
Edited by Daniel Dyer
The bus pulled up to the station in Fawcett City, but the doors couldn’t open fast enough for Billy. The boy was waiting, pushing on the sliding door when the bus came to a complete stop.
“What¹s your hurry, son?” the bus driver asked, with a tone of anger in his voice.
“I am just excited to be home,” Billy said non-chalantly while flashing a big smile. “I have been cooped up on this bus for a while and I just want to get where I am going.”
The driver shrugged as he released the lever and the door swung open, almost spilling Billy out on the pavement.
“Look! It’s Captain Marvel!” Billy heard excited voices shouting. His mind raced, not even a year into his career as a super-hero and already he has compromised his secret identity. But the crush of people rushing towards him never materialized. Finally he found the object of the crowd’s attention. A television set, with a news report blaring about one of his recent exploits in Philadelphia.
Well at least they seem to appreciate me, Billy thought to himself as he shouldered his bag and headed out of the bus station.
Fawcett City unfolded before Billy has he came through the double doors of the bus station. It wasn’t the biggest town in the world, but it looked like it could be home. In fact, little did Billy know that it was only five or 10 miles from where his family had camped every summer when he was little.
As he stepped off the curb to get a better look of the city, he heard the screech of tires and then his feet were yanked out from under him. Billy found himself laying on his back looking up at an older man, who had apparently yanked him back by the collar of his shirt.
It was a good thing because right where Billy stood was a long skidding tire mark that ran a good length of the curb before disappearing back into the street.
“Good thing I saw that car coming,” the man said smiling down at Billy.
“Golly, Mister, thanks a lot,” Billy stammered, looking back and forth from the tire marks to the man.
But before the man could answer, the high-pitched whine of a police sirens screamed its way into existence as the black and white car sped up the street, following the car that had almost hit Billy.
“They just robbed the city bank!” a tall, slender man in a business suit was shouting as he was running up the block. “They just robbed the bank, six of them. The police are trying to catch up with them now!”
“Well, you picked an exciting day to arrive in Fawcett, the name’s Dud...” the man said as he turned back to the spot where Billy was laying, but found only empty concrete.
No one saw Billy quickly scrambling into a hiding spot between two large buildings and no one heard him speak aloud the simple word: “Shazam!” but nearly everyone in downtown Fawcett City that morning saw the red streak of Captain Marvel fly off after the bank robbers car.
As Marvel sped off in search of the criminals, he noticed several miles up the road a shiny, black sedan on its roof in a ditch near the right side of the road. It looked like there was a young couple struggling with the back door as he quickly passed over it.
His instincts took hold. Those people needed help, he thought as he made a long, looping arc to head back the way he came. He landed behind the couple, who took no notice of him. They were frantically trying to get the back door to their car open, but to no avail. The woman was crying hysterically, clawing at the door. Marvel reached over her shoulder and put his hand on the door handle, “Can I be of some assistance ma’am?”
The woman’s whimpering suddenly stopped as she slowly turned around to come face to face with a golden lightening bolt on a solid red suit. She slowly looked up to see Marvel’s face adorned with a ear-to-ear smile.
“Wh.. w..aa..helll,” she tried to speak while trying to stop crying.
“Hurry, son!” the man yelled. “A car, followed by a police cruiser ran us off the road. Our daughter is in the back seat. You have to get her out.”
The smile faded from Marvel’s face as his look turned to sheer determination. He knew what the loss of his sister did to his father and mother, and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
He moved the couple back with a wave of his arm and then wrenched the door off of its hinges revealing a small, dark-haired girl, probably just a little bit younger than Billy. She was unconscious, but was still breathing.
Captain Marvel reached into the car, but as he touched her a large lightning bolt ripped across the clear, blue sky, sending the couple reeling and ducking for cover. He thought it was strange but quickly forgot about it in light of the events.
When Marvel returned his attention to the girl, he had her cradled in his massive arms, but now her eyes were wide open and staring at him.
“Are you O.K. miss?” he asked.
“Fine, thank you. Where are my parents?” she asked as if this happened every day.
Captain Marvel turned around, still cradling the girl and set her down in front of two very gracious parents that immediately began weeping over their daughter.
“Thank you, sir,” the man said rising with his hand outstretched. “But, who are you?” he said suddenly fully taking in the red suit and golden lightning bolt.
“I’m sorry,” Marvel said, slightly blushing. “My name is Captain Marvel. Pleased to meet you, Mister ...?”
“Bromfield, Nick Bromfield,” the man replied heartily shaking Marvel’s hand. ”This is my wife Nora and our daughter. And the pleasure is all mine, thanks to the rescue you just pulled off.”
Marvel’s smile returned and he held up a finger for Mr. Bromfield to wait one minute. Cap slowly turned around, lifted the car high over his head and sit in down back on the highway on its wheels. “Sorry about the door sir,” he said. “But I think it is almost as good as new.” With that Captain Marvel sped off in the direction of the car than ran the Bromfield’s off the road went.
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