[That night]
John, Maureen, and Harley lay together under a big blanket. Harley rested her head on John's chest while Maureen curled against his left side with her hand over his heart. The peace in the moment wrapped around them like a second blanket.
But then something shifted.
John's eyes opened, and the warmth of the bed vanished. The blanket dissolved into mist. The floor beneath him turned into cold stone.
He stood inside a massive cave filled with shattered rocks and drifting dust. He could feel the ancient magic flowing through that place. Before him were the empty thrones of the seven wizards, and on the great staircase sat the last of them.
The old wizard held his staff with both hands. His robe was worn out. He looked tired, and his shoulders drooped. John noticed the wounds on his face and arms. His eyes, although dim, still showed the wisdom of many years.
John took a step forward.
He stopped just a few feet away and spoke. "So, you finally decided to talk to me. I was waiting for this moment."
The Wizard lifted his head slowly. His voice carried the weight of his fading strength. "I know that Blaze chose you as her champion. I also know that you severed her influence from your soul. Because of that, she turned to Sivana. She corrupted him completely. She made him the new champion of the Seven Deadly Sins."
John nodded once. "I know."
The Wizard shifted painfully on the steps. "Then you also know that you cannot defeat the Sins. Not even with the help of Doctor Fate, Harley, and Maureen. The Seven are ancient beings. They have already consumed far too much power. And Blaze will not remain a spectator. She will interfere the moment the tide turns. If she succeeds, this world will end."
John crossed his arms. His gaze did not waver. "Yeah. I know that too. If Blaze steps into the fight, she will find a way to take back what she gave me and then the usual... End of the world. And knowing you, you won't sit around and watch her destroy the world. That brings us to why I am here."
He pointed at the Wizard's staff.
"Give me your power. All of it. I will stop Blaze and the Sins. If six gods are not enough, then I will take twelve. The power of the Egyptian gods and the Greek gods combined. I will carry both mantles. I will carry your legacy and the legacy of Black Adam at the same time. I will end this demonic war once and for all and then bring Khandaq back to its glory days."
The Wizard's eyes widened slightly. His breath grew shallow. His fingers tightened on the staff, and the cave shook faintly as if the Rock itself reacted to the request.
John continued speaking, his voice steady and determined.
"Blaze chose me to be her weapon. I rejected her. I chose my own path. Now I choose to end this war. Give me the power, and I will make sure Blaze never corrupts another soul."
The Wizard closed his eyes. For a moment, the Rock of Eternity fell silent. Then the Wizard spoke.
"John… you ask for a burden no mortal has ever attempted to carry. The power of the six gods already lives within you. If I grant you my power, twelve divine forces will reside in your body. The Greek pantheon and the Egyptian pantheon will share a single vessel. The strain may tear you apart."
John stepped closer until he stood directly in front of the Wizard. "That we don't know, do we? No one has ever tried to fuse both powers. So, we won't know unless we try. And if it doesn't work and strain my body, I should at least be able to fight for a few minutes with my maximum potential, right? That should be enough to end the war."
The Wizard pushed himself upright with a strained breath. He steadied himself on the staff for a moment, then lifted it and brought it down against the stone with a loud stomp.
The Wizard's voice gained strength that his body no longer possessed. "Let the Rock witness the birth of something new. Lay your hand on the staff and say my name so that my power may flow through you. I open my heart to you, John Mason and in so doing, choose you as my Champion."
John reached out and grabbed the staff with his right hand.
"Shazam!"
Instantly, sparks of lightning and magic erupted from the staff, surrounding them.
The Wizard lifted the staff and said, "Yes! Carry my name and with it, carry all my power."
Sparks of divine lightning swirled around John in a spiraling storm that shook the entire Rock of Eternity as they entered John's body.
"The Wisdom of Solomon!"
"The Strength of Hercules!"
"The Stamina of Atlas!"
"The Power of Zeus!"
"The Courage of Achilles!"
"And the Speed of Mercury!"
The sparks that entered his body multiplied until they formed a storm around him. The bolts spiraled and wrapped him in a cocoon of pure magic.
Everything went white for a moment.
When the light faded, John stood transformed: A bright red suit with yellow accents, a white cape flowed behind him, and a wide golden lightning bolt glowing across his chest. He was also holding the magic staff.
The Wizard watched him with a mixture of awe and sorrow. His body had begun to crumble at the edges. Small fragments of stone and ash drifted from his arms and robes. His time had finally come.
He placed a weakened hand on John's chest, right over the golden lightning.
"John Mason. My Champion. Keep your heart pure. Resist the temptations of the Sins. They will seek you. They will test you. You must remain firm."
His legs weakened. The lower half of his body was already turning to dust.
"Restore the Council of Wizards. Guide new protectors. Build a foundation that will last after you are gone. The world must never be left without guardians. Promise me this."
John slowly lowered the staff and placed his own hand over the Wizard's. His new voice echoed with layered tones, both human and divine, yet gentle.
"I promise."
The Wizard smiled through exhaustion.
"Good. Then I may rest."
His body broke apart like dry earth touched by a desert wind. The fragments drifted upward in a slow spiral. The ancient robe dissolved into light.
The last piece of the Wizard's face cracked.
"Protect them all."
The voice faded into silence as the final fragments scattered.
John stood alone in the ancient chamber. His cape drifted behind him in the faint magical breeze. He looked at the empty seats of the council. He felt the weight of twelve divine forces humming inside him. It was heavy, but it did not crush him.
"So much power!" He said as he clenched his fists. "Haha..." He chuckled, thinking of the past. "I always wanted to live in peace away from fights. But I guess, it's impossible." He opened his palm. Sparks of golden lightning crackled over his fingers. "Well, since I'm going official soon, might as well aim for the top."
He imagined getting out of the Rock of Eternity, and instantly, he found himself lying on the bed, just as he was before being summoned by the Wizard. It was as if he never moved from that place and he was in his base form.
'That's freaky,' He thought.
John slipped out of bed without waking up the girls and went outside. With the power coursing through his body, he must balance them properly and get stronger.
"Gotta figure out a way to merge all twelve powers together while transforming, but I might explode if things go wrong. Let's save it for an emergency," He thought as he looked at the sky and visualized Shazam's transformation.
"SHAZAM!"
A bolt of lightning struck John, and he was transformed to his full potential. This time, instead of Black Adam, he was Shazam.
"Nice. Now, what if..." John yelled again after visualizing Black Adam's transformation. "SHAZAM!"
The same thing happened: a bolt of lightning struck John. But instead of transforming back to his base form, he became Black Adam. Or to be specific, his suit changed.
"Fuck yeah!" John said with a grin. "That takes care of the weakness of the word in case I fail to redirect the lightning. Now, I wonder if I can create some more lightning-style attacks like those from the anime or movies. Wait! With the Wisdom from both gods, can I create other unique magics like those from Harry Potter?"
He went inside and left a note for the girls, then walked out, shot up into the sky and flew toward a desolate land to train without interruption.
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