Days after his incredibly unorthodox "team formation," Billy Batson was in a whirlwind. The Wizard Shazam, having recovered from his shock (though still muttering frequently about "the end times" and "damned anomalies"), sternly ordered Billy to start "taking responsibility" and use the "assets" Tom had given him to fight crime. Of course, the Wizard did not refer to Billy's new NPCs and Quirks in a positive light as "assets."
Billy's "team" consisted of:
Granite: A giant, rock-skinned NPC, now with the "Bastion Formation" Quirk. He was incredibly strong and durable, but his brain was the size of a pebble and he only understood literal commands.
Nova: A female NPC with fiery hair, owner of the "Kinetic Blast" Quirk. Her enthusiasm for blowing things up was a little excessive.
Somnia: A short, plump NPC with moss-green skin and small tentacles, also possessing the "Deep Slumber Mist" Quirk. She tended to be sleepy and often missed her target.
Umbra: A hooded shadow NPC with a raven mask, now with "Shadow Camouflage" and "Sharp Spikes" Quirks. He was very quiet and sometimes enjoyed "hiding" a bit too much.
And Billy himself, now armed with the "Brutal Surge," "Chaotic Leap," and "Sticky Shock Ball" Quirks. A perfect combination for... disaster.
Their first call came from an old police radio that Tom had "given" Billy (Tom had simply teleported it from the nearest police station). There was a bank robbery in downtown Philadelphia.
"Alright, team!" Billy shouted, trying to sound like a heroic leader from a comic book. "Time for action! Follow me!"
He tried to use "Chaotic Leap" to arrive at the location quickly. The result? He jumped too high, overshot the bank building, and landed with a loud 'SPLASH!' in the middle of a fountain in the park across the street. The NPCs, programmed to "follow the leader," just stood confused where Billy had jumped.
"Leader... wet?" said Granite in his deep, monotone voice.
Nova was already impatient. "Can we blow something up now?"
Tom Jacker, who was, of course, watching all of this from the roof of the tallest building nearby while eating ice cream, burst out laughing so hard he almost dropped his ice cream. "This is better than the circus!"
Finally, after Billy managed to get out of the fountain and the NPCs followed him in their own ways (Granite walked through the park wall, Nova flew with small kinetic blasts from her feet that almost hit several cars, Somnia stretched her tentacles to swing between lampposts, and Umbra... well, no one knew where Umbra was until he just appeared near the bank), they arrived at the robbery scene.
The robbers, a group of amateur criminals with standard firearms, were just about to exit with bags of money when they saw this strange team.
"Attack!" Billy yelled.
Granite went first, activating "Bastion Formation." His body grew three times its normal size, his rock skin hardening even further. He tried to act as a shield for the hiding civilians, but because he was too large, he instead knocked down the bank's signboard and set off several car alarms.
Nova, with sparkling eyes, fired a "Kinetic Blast." Her target was the robbers' getaway car, but her aim was slightly off and instead destroyed the window of the bakery next door, sending a burst of donuts and pastries into the air. "Oops! But the blast was good!"
Somnia tried to use "Deep Slumber Mist." A greenish cloud of mist spread... towards the police who had just arrived and several reporters covering the event, making them all yawn and start falling asleep on the spot. She then tried to catch the robbers with "Elastic Reach," but her tentacles instead ensnared a lamppost and pulled it crooked.
Umbra was the only one who seemed competent. He used "Shadow Camouflage," snuck behind two robbers, and incapacitated them with "Sharp Spikes" at pressure points. Then, bored, he began drawing mustaches on the unconscious robbers' faces with a marker he got from who knows where.
Billy himself was the center of the chaos. He tried to punch the main robber. "Brutal Surge" activated. His punch missed the robber but hit the open bank vault door, denting it inwards with a thundering sound. The robber could only stare in horror. Billy then tried to use "Sticky Shock Ball." He managed to hit one robber, but the next ball instead stuck to the hair of an old woman who was recording the incident with her phone, making the woman's hair stand on end and emit small puffs of smoke.
The robbers, witnessing this absolute chaos and unintentional destructive power, decided that the money wasn't worth their lives. They raised their hands, surrendering not to the heroes, but to the total incompetence before them.
When the dust settled, half the bank was destroyed, the bakery was a mess, several police officers and reporters were fast asleep in the middle of the street, and an old woman had a shocking new hairstyle. Billy & The Quirkies stood amidst it all, looking a little confused but also... proud?
"We... we did it?" Billy asked, unsure.
Granite just nodded. Nova still wanted to blow something up. Somnia was already asleep standing up. Umbra was trying to pickpocket one of the unconscious robbers before Billy scolded him.
From above, Tom Jacker silently clapped. "What a show! Oscar nomination for Best Chaotic Comedy!" He wiped away tears from laughing so much. He couldn't wait for Billy & The Quirkies' next "adventure." This was going to be an endless source of entertainment.
News of the "new destructive hero team" quickly spread among criminals and the magical community of Philadelphia. Descriptions of unexpected explosions, uncontrolled physical power, misdirected sleep mist, and shocking sticky balls became both a laughingstock and a warning. The Wizard Shazam was seen more and more frequently buying headache medicine at the nearest pharmacy.
Tom Jacker, of course, enjoyed every news report and rumor he heard. He would occasionally "visit" Billy and his NPC team, offering "advice" that was more like provocation, or simply watching their always chaotic training sessions from a safe distance.
One evening, as Tom was relaxing on the roof of an old cathedral, enjoying the city view while "borrowing" Wi-Fi signal from a cafe below to watch funny cat videos online, he felt a surge of dark and powerful magical energy. Far stronger and more malevolent than the Wizard Shazam's magic or Billy's chaotic Quirk energy.
"Hmm, looks like there's a new player in town," Tom muttered, closing his cat video. His boredom instantly vanished. He teleported towards the source of the energy.
He arrived at an old, closed museum, in the ancient Egyptian artifacts exhibition. There, under the moonlight streaming through the skylight, he saw a woman with long black hair, wearing an ancient-looking emerald green dress and emanating an aura of dark magic. She was June Moone, but currently, her Enchantress side was dominant. She was performing some kind of ritual in front of a sarcophagus that had just been forced open, her whispered incantations sounding like whispers from another world.
Around Enchantress, several museum guards lay unconscious, and other ancient artifacts appeared cracked or shrouded in dark energy. She seemed to be trying to absorb or awaken something from the sarcophagus.
Tom landed silently on a ledge above, observing with keen interest. "Beautiful sorceress, interesting dress, and bad taste in choosing a time for a ritual. Ten points for drama."
Suddenly, from another part of the museum, there was a commotion. "Billy & The Quirkies" had arrived! The Wizard Shazam, perhaps sensing Enchantress's dark ritual, had sent his new hero team to investigate.
"Stop, Evil Sorceress!" Billy yelled, his voice a little high-pitched. He tried to appear brave, but was slightly trembling. Behind him, Granite, Nova, Somnia, and Umbra took ready stances (or at least, their version of ready stances).
Enchantress turned, her glowing emerald eyes coldly staring at the newcomers. "Annoying little insects." She waved her hand, and a dense wave of dark magical energy shot towards them.
Nova tried to retaliate with a "Kinetic Blast," but her attack was easily deflected and absorbed by Enchantress's dark magical shield. Granite advanced with "Bastion Formation," but the dark energy hit him like a tidal wave, making him stagger back several steps despite his large size. Somnia's "Deep Slumber Mist" had no effect whatsoever on the magically protected Enchantress, and Billy's "Chaotic Leap" instead made him crash into a display cabinet containing ancient pottery, which shattered into pieces. Umbra, as usual, disappeared into the shadows, perhaps waiting for an opportunity (or just avoiding the fight).
Tom, watching from above, chuckled. "This team really needs a lot of practice. Or maybe a more competent manager."
Seeing the "heroes" rendered powerless, Enchantress refocused on her ritual, the dark energy around her intensifying. That's when Tom decided to intervene. He didn't care about the artifacts or the museum guards. He was only interested in the dark sorceress before him and the potential "entertainment" she offered.
He teleported, appearing directly between Enchantress and the sarcophagus. "Excuse me, Miss. Am I interrupting your craft session?"
Enchantress turned, surprised by Tom's sudden appearance. She sensed a strange power from this man, not pure magic like hers, but something else, something... unexpected and incredibly potent. "Who are you, mortal? How dare you stand in my way?"
"I'm Tom," he replied with a relaxed smile. "And I don't like my parties being interrupted by boring rituals. Your dark energy is a little too... gloomy for my taste."
Before Enchantress could answer, Tom decided to test his opponent. He used Telekinesis from his All For One library, attempting to grasp and disrupt the flow of magical energy Enchantress had gathered around the sarcophagus. He could feel a strong resistance, ancient magic that was dense and fierce.
Enchantress roared in anger, her eyes glowing brighter. "You will pay for your insolence!" She unleashed a larger, more focused wave of magic towards Tom, a storm of emerald energy ready to tear through anything in its path.
Tom felt the power of the attack. His AFO Telekinesis might be able to withstand some of it, but he wanted something more... spectacular. This was the perfect opportunity to properly try his new "toy."
With a wide grin, he took a deep breath.
"SHAZAM!"
A gigantic golden lightning bolt struck from nowhere within the dimly lit museum, hitting Tom with divine precision. Billy and his team (who were starting to regain consciousness) gasped. Enchantress herself was momentarily startled by the sudden burst of energy.
When the light receded, Shazam Tom stood there in all his glory, his red and gold costume gleaming, his white cape dramatically fluttering. An aura of pure divine power now surrounded him, a stark contrast to Enchantress's dark energy.
"Alright, Witch," Shazam Tom said, his voice now deeper and more authoritative, but his playful tone remained. "How about we dance properly now?"
The battle between the newly awakened Shazam's power and Enchantress's ancient magic was about to begin.