The Question's mind raced as he looked around for something, some way, to get in touch with someone who could help. Batson was incapacitated, or might as well be. Superman...well, that was obviously a no-go. He needed somebody tough.
The Question dashed over to a public phone and hurriedly started pushing his quarters in. God, he hated these things - insecure, monitored, right to Agency 13...but he didn't have a choice.
He dialed in a number. "This is The Question. Superman gone rogue above Fawcett City. Require immediate assistan..."
"I think not." The voice of Superman/Zod said from behind him, holding the phone cord - or more precisely, the phone cable. Zod spun, hurling the line into the streets - pedestrians and cars bowled over like tenpins.
Someone screamed.
"Sh...sh..." Billy kept trying to shout, over and over, but it was pointless - The Question could see that much easily. He rolled out of the booth as Zod blew the thing off its hinges and ran towards Billy.
Zod was already behind him, the Kryptonian super-speed all he needed. The Question faked right, then left, and Zod kept going, toying with him like a cat toys with a cornered mouse. He ducked under one of Zod's punches - halfheartedly swung to amuse rather than actually be effective - and rolled to Billy.
"You have to say the name!"
"I can't! I can't say it!"
"You have to, Billy! You have to say SHAZAM!"
KRAAAAAAAK-BOOM!
The sky was torn asunder by the name - the gods heeded the call; though it wasn't that of their champion, it was as close as they were going to get under the circumstances, and that was alright with them. Billy screamed as the lightning poured into him, filling his eyes and mouth and nose with the power.
A moment later, Billy Batson was gone, and the Question was sitting in front of a smoking crater. The people of Fawcett City crawled over to look down into it, and Superman/Zod hovered imperiously above it, arms crossed, ready for action.
Zod loses initiative to Billy, so Captain Marvel gets a surprise attack.
The red flash of light, trailed by electricity, soared into the sky. The people of Fawcett City let out a mighty cheer as the incredible shockwave rippled across the city - Captain Marvel's punch sent Zod soaring, tearing through buildings in the process. The Captain descended a bit.
"I know you can hear me, so I'm only going to say this one. Get out of Superman, and get out of Fawcett."
Zod's answer was as clear as day - the black-and-red bolt [The Question, observing, noted the costume's change with curiosity...it was time to pay a visit to an old friend, he decided, stuffing his hands in his trenchcoat and rolling out] struck Captain Marvel, driving him down into the ground and leaving a long, long trail. A couple cars spilled down into the line, and Captain Marvel groaned, holding his head.
Captain Marvel's surprise attack nails Zod good, sending him flying and getting him Bruised x1. Zod gives as good as he gets, however, delivering a critical on his return, and Captain Marvel is sent down into the trench, Bruised.
"You pathetic wretch! How dare you, a mere child, give orders to me? Do you not know who I am?!" Superman/Zod flew towards Captain Marvel, intending to take advantage of the Captain's incapacity.
Marvel hefted the car and lifted it with both hands, closing his eyes. He picked it up and spun it around like a batter winding up, praying to the gods he championed and the Presence he knew of that this wouldn't be in vain.
The gods listened this day, it seemed - the car struck Zod clear in the face, knocking him back into another building.
The flash of red light struck Marvel square in the chest, and he screamed as the fire seared him deeply. He wanted to cry - but Captain Marvel didn't cry. So he clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and readied his fists.
Captain Marvel picks up and beans Zod with a car, sending Zod flying. Zod retaliates with his weakened Heat Vision, but Marvel's poor roll means he's getting another Bruised. Both champions are Bruisedx2.
"Are you prepared to kneel, Thunder-Caller?" Zod called, soaring back to his imperious spot above the city. Captain Marvel looked around - the damage was getting intense. They were just lucky someone hadn't gotten hurt yet. He'd have to take this fight away from Fawcett...
"Never." Captain Marvel spat, charging up and swinging his fist. Zod ducked out of the way and grabbed his wrist, whirling him like he had whirled the car, and flung him down into the ground.
The impact was like a meteor in Fawcett. Captain Marvel was driven deep, deep, deep into the earth, the asphalt and dirt rearing up into a tidal wave, sweeping aside cars, animals, people, and everything else in its path.
Zod hovered there above the ruins of Fawcett City, stroking the beard he had just grown. Below, in the depths of the Earth, Billy Batson groaned, head lolling about as he tried to recover consciousness and speak the name that sundered the world once more.
Next up:
Faces of Justice, Chapter 5: Secrets
You won't wanna miss it!
Victor: Zod totally took this fight. He's a combat machine - combine that with good rolls on his part and hard hits, plus that meteor throw at the end, and the victory is clear.
However, their blows were very evenly traded - Captain Marvel took a bruised, Zod took a bruised, and it really felt like a battle between paragons. Really cool.
