By Delphic 12 Comments
Continued from Corrupted: Kon-El returns
Washington D.C. – Shortly after the attack on Metropolis
Connor had flown to the capital as fast as he could. The whole time focusing only on Diana’s heartbeat. She had left Metropolis to go and fight the rebels that had appeared in Washington, while Connor stayed behind. Most of the rebels in Metropolis had been stopped, and was now either being apprehended by Hawkmen agents, or they were long gone. Now Connor had to shift his attention elsewhere.
Diana was a priority to him. It wasn't only because she was an old friend and the wife of the President, but also because she was his only connection to the world outside of Smallville. Without her his decision to return and put a stop to the rebel cloning efforts might run into more resistance.
Diana’s heart beat was elevated, but that meant she was still holding her own, against whoever it was she was fighting. This time he called on his sight, looking far ahead in the direction that he was moving. He saw Wonder Woman fighting against what looked like…Captain Marvel!?
“Billy?” Connor muttered. He pushed himself further and this time he was right on top of them. Right before Captain Marvel was going to strike Diana, Connor slammed his fist into Marvel’s face sending him plummeting to the ground at a high speed. He stopped long enough to see if Diana was alright. There were a few cuts and some bruises, but it wasn’t her wounds that disturbed Connor the most. It was the glowing red ring on her finger, and the steaming blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.
“What are you doing here?” She spat, “What about Metropolis!?”
“Metropolis is fine. I've come here to help.”
“I have this handled!” She growled, but before she could speak again, Connor grabbed her arm and held up the hand with the red ring.
“This doesn't look handled to me.” He retorted, and Diana snatched her hand away. Connor started to get a nasty feeling in his gut. He looked back down at the ground and saw Marvel getting back to his feet. He turned back to Diana just long enough to say, “We’ll talk about this later.”
Connor flew down to the ground and landed in front of Marvel, and stood up straight and looked down at him.
“Billy, I don’t know what point you’re trying to prove by throwing your lot in with these rebels, but it’s not you. The Billy Batson I know would have never done anything like this.”
“Who the heck do you think you are!” Marvel spat, “You a super-wannabe or something,” Marvel charged back at Connor throwing his fists at him. Marvel wasn't like the hyped up rebels he had dealt with in Metropolis. Connor struggled a little more in trying to dodge the Mightiest Mortal’s attacks. Connor didn't want to fight him though. He wanted to talk him down because, none of this made any sense. Captain Marvel was an ally not an enemy. Connor’s thoughts were interrupted though when Marvel landed a blow on the right side of Connor’s head. Causing him to stumble. His vision blurred and his head seared with pain. Connor retaliated with a few blows of his own. Punching Marvel in the stomach twice causing him to lurch over, and then he slammed his elbow into the back of Marvel’s neck sending him crashing to the ground once more.
“Stop, this pointless. It’s against everything you and I both stand for! What the hell happened to you Billy?” Connor asked, Marvel coughed and spit blood into the dirt. He then glared up at him and said:
“For the love of god, my name is not Billy!” Those words shocked Connor long enough to take him off guard. Marvel moved quickly around behind Connor grabbing him and lifting him skyward before shouting: “SHAZAM!”
Connor knew what was coming next, and he braced himself, but nothing could have prepared him for the bolt of magical energy that struck him square in the middle of his chest. For a minute everything got dark, but he could still see just a little, but his ears were ringing and he could feel the blood trickling from his nose. His chest was heavy, and it was a little hard to breath. He felt himself hit the ground hard and knocking the wind out of him further. He didn't lay motionless for long. He grunted in pain as he rolled himself over, and slowly lifted himself up.
‘I guess now I know why Kal hates magic so damn much,’ Connor thought, ‘that freaking hurt like hell.’ Connor would have thought by now that Marvel would have retaliated once again, but instead the next blow had never come. The next words he had heard was
“Let’s go, we’re leaving.” He looked up into the sky and saw Marvel flying away with what Connor believed was Black Adam, but that couldn't be. Adam and Billy were mortal enemies, but then again. Marvel had said that his name was not Billy, but if Captain Marvel wasn't Billy Batson anymore then who was he. None of this made any sense.
The next thing Connor heard was a loud roar. It was a roar he had heard long ago. It was Kal. He looked to the source of it, only to see Kal burst from the walls of the White house, but he looked different. His costume was green, and a lantern symbol marked the seal on his chest. On his head was a golden helmet that looked all too familiar. He looked on the scene long enough to see a blur moving. Narrowing his vision he thought he saw someone who looked like Deathstroke, carrying a small bundle in his arms. It was right before the man disappeared that Connor realized that the bundle was actually a child.
At this point Kal had stopped and was going on a rampage, blasting things left and right. From what looked like a green ring on his right hand erupted emerald blasts tearing at the surroundings. From his left gold energy flowed shifting the very fabric of everything it touch attempting to unravel it all. Kal continued to trash about like a mad beast.
As Connor looked on frozen, he couldn't shake how surreal it all was. None of this made any sense to him at all. Why was Superman dressed like that? Why did Diana have a red ring? Why did that man just kidnap a kid, and who in the world was Captain Marvel if not Billy Batson? Connor started to feel sick to his stomach. He knew he had been gone from the world a long time, but he never could have imagine that the world would have turned completely on his head like he had witness it do today. Things were spiraling out of control, and Connor knew one thing for certain. He needed answers, and he was definitely going to get them, and soon.