Mary Bromfield wasn’t supposed to be in downtown Fawcett City that late morning. In fact she should have been in freshman history at Fawcett High, but the events of the previous night left her unable to concentrate.
She kept replaying the realistic dream over and over in her head. A woman, who appeared to look much like what she remembered of her real mother, appeared in her room and told her about magic, a hero, and that she would be needed soon. Her words rang through her head... “remember my name”.
Mary shouldered her backpack and continued down the street, oblivious to the fact that something was raging on in the distance. She passed several people hurrying the other way, but was too engrossed in her mental musings to take any notice from it.
The smell of burning rubber hitting her nose finally jarred her out of her daydreams and froze her in her tracks. Several cars were on fire on the deserted street, billowing dark acrid smoke into the clear blue sky.
Whatever’s going on, I definitely shouldn’t be here.She turned to head back the way she came and ran into a large, broad-chested man with his hands on his hips. She was about to run when she recognized the gold lightning bolt adorning his chest.
“Thank goodness its you,” she gasped. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I'm sure someone needs your help.”
The man looked down at her with a smile.
“Don’t worry little girl, your safe with me,” he said with a booming voice. “In fact, I have great need for you right now.”
He put a hand on her shoulder, and pain shot through her body.
“Owwwww,” she whimpered, “that hurt!”
It was nothing like when he pulled her out of her parent’s car the other day. He was so gentle then, lifting her out of the overturned automobile and placing her on the ground.
“Heyyyyyyyyy,” she said with a weird look on her face. “Why are you wearing black now instead of red?”
At that moment the man seized her by the arm and blasted off into the sky, skimming over the streets of downtown Fawcett City, which now looked like a war zone.
Mary struggled against his grip, but it was like iron around her arm.
“Let me go!” she screamed. “Let me go!”
Black Adam looked at his captive with a wide smile.
“You insolent whelp! I need your help, but if you do not keep quiet I will drop you to the street where you will become a puddle to be washed away in the next rain.”
The tone of his words made Mary believe he was serious and she stopped her protests. Black Adam finally slowed down and hovered over a spot that used to contain a small drug store, but was now just a pile of smoking rubble. He glided gently to the ground, keeping a tight grip on Mary’s arm.
“Come out hero!” he shouted. “I have another innocent for you to save.”
Mary looked around for who he was talking to when she noticed a pile of rubble begin to move.
Captain Marvel emerged from underneath the lumber, steel and concrete looking worse for the wear. His uniform was filthy and his faced was bruised and battered.
“Hiding behind a little girl now are we,” he said quietly. “You are one sick puppy mister. But I’ll be darned if I let you hurt that girl.”
The sight of Marvel gave Mary hope. Her captor wasn’t the man who rescued her, but someone else entirely.
“Help me please,” she whimpered. “I need to...”
Before she could get out another word, Black Adam’s hand closed around her neck, giving her just enough room to breathe.
“Now, the choice belongs to you champion,” he began. “Say the words and I will let this young child go. Refuse and I will remove her head from her shoulders right here in front of you."
That’s was the last thing Marvel wanted to hear. It was bad enough it was a child, but he felt some sort of connection to this young girl.
His shoulder’s slumped, resigned in the fact that he would have to sacrifice himself to save the girl.
“You win,” he sighed. “Tell me what to do, as long as she is set free.”
Black Adam’s laugh echoed on the buildings surrounding the scene in downtown Fawcett.
“You know exactly what you have to do champion,” he said. “Say the name and I will let her go.”
Marvel tried to play dumb.
Maybe I have a chance if he’s not paying attention.“I don’t know what name you’re talking about,” he pleaded.
The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by the half scream, half gurgle from Mary’s mouth.
“You take me for stupid,” Adam boomed. “Say the name now, or the child dies!”
It was worth a shot. He’ll surely kill me when I transform, but I have to save that girl.“Ok, ok..” Marvel said. He turned his head skyward, searching for some sort of answer when he was interrupted by Mary’s voice.
“Please sir,” she whined. “Help me. Say what he wants.”
And then it hit her. The woman who visited her the night before in the dream. That had to be the name the man was talking about. She didn’t know that Marvel was trying to trick Black Adam or what the words would do to either man. So she pleaded to Marvel with the name that lady told her to remember.
“Say her name,” Mary pleaded. “Say Shazam.”
As soon as the last syllable of the word escaped her lips a broad bolt of lightning flew down from the sky striking Black Adam and Mary.
****
