A teaser for the next crossover fight will be at the end of this post.
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Loki spun his scepter idly between the fingers of his right hand. From the depths of his viewing pool, he had been watching his older brother kill the mightiest of Midgaard's defenders. The thought made him smile. Had Loki himself not done the same to Asgaard's finest? Heimdall, Sif. Odin himself.
Odin, the Great Pretender, had
given way to Loki, The All-Father.
Loki and his army of Ice Giants
had taken the Asgaardians unawares. Tensions between the two realms had been
high for generations, but a peace treaty had been in place to keep all-out war
at bay. Loki spat on the treaty and spat on the peace talks. Now he was
King.
Thor hadn't been pleased, of
course. There was little that could have been done about that. Loki had allowed
him to keep his beloved hammer and, more importantly, his life and his freedom.
He'd owed his brother that, at least. Of course, he'd also owed him the
banishment that followed.
Thor had traveled to each of the
other realms, looking to enlist help for an army to reclaim his former
home. He'd been shut down at every turn. No one wanted to help the fallen son
of Asgaard. The thought made Loki smile like nothing else. Thor had even
thought that the Earthlings would help him.
When Midgaard turned him down,
something in his brain broke. He turned into the same kind of conqueror that he
had condemned Loki for being.
Earth's heroes hadn't taken well
to Thor's demands for subjugation. But they had underestimated his wrath. Loki
had watched with morbid fascination has his brother tore through some of
the greatest powers in the universe like a scythe through corn.
And now, this enigma...this young
boy who was obviously much more than he seemed. He was giving Thor more
problems than even their Superman had.
Loki steepled his fingers in front
of his chin and smirked into the viewing pool.
"Let the games begin."
Shazam pummeled Thor with everything that he had. Charges of electricity vibrated along his arm into his fist and he struck the invader, the murderer, in the face and chest and ribs and stomach. This monster had killed Billy Batson's friends. He had killed nearly every member of the Justice League. He had threatened the lives and freedom of billions. Shazam was all that was left between Thor and his eventual domination of Earth. He would stop at nothing to make sure that his reign would never have the chance to start. His eyes clouded over as waves of rage flowed through him, strengthening every punch.
Then a hammer cracked along his jawline. His head punding, Shazam fell from the sky. He spun like a top, freewheeling and tumbling from their arena in the sky. He smashed into the concrete streets of Metropolis, sending dust and debris high into the air. Billy lifted his arms to the outside of the small crater that he had created and went to pull himself up. He wasn't fast enough. Thor shot from the sky, hammer first, and plowed into his midsection.
The crater erupted, deepening even further. Pain blossomed in Shazam's chest and expanded to his entire body. Thor hit him again and again and again with his hammer. Blood streamed from his nose, his head, and his broken lips. Ribs were surely broken. Shazam lifted his right leg and kicked out at the Asgaardian, catching him in the stomach and sending him out of the crater and back onto the street.
He felt gingerly at his ribs while he had at least a few seconds of respite. He could heal them, of course, by shouting the Wizard's name and becoming Billy again. His powers would be gone for precious seconds, though, if he did that. Thor would tear him apart. Maybe literally. No, The Big Red Cheese would have tough this one out. The others had done the same, it was the least he could do.
A voice called from above, "Mortal! Do you surrender yet, mortal? You've fought well! Kneel before me now and I will let you serve me in my great cause!"
Shazam sat up. He was too far down to see Thor and he was sure that he couldn't be seen either. He wanted to speak up, to say something witty. He didn't get the chance. The tyrant was too busy talking himself up.
"Do you see, humans?" Shazam clenched his fists and began charging whatever electricity he could into them. "Your last hero put up an entertaining defense, but it was not enough. I have beaten them all. Your armies and your navies all belong to me now. We mill march on Asgaard and take back what is rightfully mine!"
Shazam could hear boos and screams coming from above him. Thor wouldn't let that go on for long before he started making examples of the dissenters. Pushing the pain in his chest aside, Shazam flew into the air and did a quick turn to find Thor. The two of them were staring each other in the eyes, both floating just above the heads of the assembled crowds.
Thor cracked a smile and spread his arms in what was obviously meant to be a welcoming gesture. "Ah, human," he said. "You've accepted my offer, then!" It wasn't a question. "Good. Now, tell these peasants that their only salvation will come from their own bent knees."
Shazam released the pent up power in one of his fists and threw a bolt of lightning at the invader, striking him across the face. He was knocked backward, turning with the blow to avoid the full force of the attack. When his head snapped back to Shazam, his eyes were hard and cold. The cocky offers of peace were gone.
"You will regret that, mortal."
Thor charged at him then, raising his hammer over his head with both hands. Shazam met him halfway, with a diving kick to the midsection. The two collided with the force of a train wreck, sending shockwaves of sound and air in all directions. Thor doubled over, holding his gut, his face trying to mask the pain that his body felt. Shazam lashed out with his other hand, releasing his second lightning bolt. This one caught the Asgaardian in the chest and for a moment, he was completely illuminated. He fell to the ground this time, landing amongst the masses of people below. Some turned and ran from him. Others began kicking and punching at Thor's fallen form.
Thor shot to his feet, knocking back everyone within arm's reach. They fell hard and didn't stand. "ENOUGH!"
He buckled his hammer to his belt and catapulted himself at Shazam. He moved more quickly that anyone Shazam had ever seen before. Even faster than Superman. Before he could react, Thor had grabbed him by the face with one massive hand. He squeezed hard and flew, dragging Shazam through the air behind him. They hit a skyscraper quickly, with Shazam's head leading the charge. Glass, concrete, and steel shattered beneath his skull. Still gripping his head, Thor flew to the side, shattering every window pane and wall in reach with Shazam's cut and bleeding face.
Their charge stopped inside of an office building. Shazam couldn't tell if it was occupied or not. There were too many lights flashing before his eyes and he was trying too hard to stay conscious. If he passed out now, he knew, he would die. And Thor would take over. Thor let go of him. Billy dropped to all fours, feeling less like a hero now than he ever had before. He had to get up. He had to defend the people of Earth. Superman would have wanted him to take up the mantle of Earth's defender.
Thor kicked him in the ribs, sending him sprawling across the floor and through cubicle walls. There was no screaming. The office must have been abandoned. Shazam coughed, staining the pale carpet with blood. He moved to collect himself, to stand up.
He was stopped by a boot to the face.
To be continued...
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Well, there's part 2. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave comments or to read anything else that I've posted here.
As far as the teaser goes, the next crossover showdown will be....
