Several months passed in a strange tranquility. After the incident with Zatanna, Tom Jacker spent his time in divine idleness. Sometimes, he would test his new powers from the Tom Shazam Template, transforming into his adult form just for fun to fly through the stratosphere or use the Wisdom of Solomon to win all chess games against himself (which turned out to be quite boring). Other times, he was busy with his latest "side project": upgrading "Billy & The Quirkies."
He had "fixed" his NPC AI programs, giving them more complex personalities and better learning capabilities. He even occasionally summoned Billy and his team into a pocket dimension he created (using one of AFO's forgotten Quirks) for "training sessions," where they had to fight his custom-made monster NPCs. As a result, the makeshift hero team now moved with surprising precision and cooperation. They became competent. And for Tom, seeing his creations grow so efficient was a new and satisfying form of entertainment.
However, peace was Tom's greatest enemy. He started to feel bored.
In another part of the world, in Washington D.C., amidst a global summit attended by world leaders, something dark began to take root. Senator Thompson, a highly charismatic, ambitious politician known for his immense ego, suddenly stood up in the middle of his speech. His eyes glowed with a faint, unnatural purple light.
"Why should we debate?" he said, his voice amplified by unseen magic. "When it is so clear that there is only one true vision, one worthy leader to lead this world to glory... which is me!"
Strangely, the other delegates didn't laugh at him. Instead, they began to look at each other with similar gazes. "No, I should be leading!" exclaimed a Prime Minister from another country. "My experience is far superior!" another chimed in. Within minutes, the peaceful summit turned into a fierce debate full of arrogance, then quickly escalated into a physical brawl. Security guards tried to break it up, but they too were affected, each claiming they were the strongest and most worthy of giving orders.
The chaos quickly spread throughout the city. An infectious aura of pride, emanating from Senator Thompson as its center, made civilians incredibly selfish and aggressive. Drivers crashed their cars into each other just because they wouldn't yield. People fought in the streets because they felt others' gazes were condescending. This was no longer a riot; this was an ego epidemic.
Zatanna, who happened to be in the city for a show, was among the first to sense the true nature of this chaos. This wasn't ordinary magic. This was pure, ancient, conceptual energy. "Pride..." she whispered in horror. She knew this was beyond her ability to handle alone.
At the Rock of Eternity, the Wizard Shazam felt the same. "He has risen!" he exclaimed to Billy. "The most dangerous Sin of all, Pride! He has found the perfect vessel! Billy, you and your team must go now! Stop him before the whole world is consumed by its own arrogance!"
Billy, now a more mature young leader, nodded seriously. "We understand. The Quirkies, prepare!"
Tom, who was relaxing on top of the Eiffel Tower enjoying a croissant he had teleported from a Parisian bakery, saw the news of the chaos in Washington D.C. on his stolen phone. He saw reports of world leaders punching each other and a city engulfed in ego-driven madness.
He smiled. A very wide smile full of anticipation.
"Pride," he said to himself. "The most interesting, most human, and most destructive Sin of all. People destroy themselves by thinking they are the best." He finished his croissant in one bite.
"This is going to be a very, very entertaining show."
He watched live footage where "Billy & The Quirkies" arrived on scene, trying to contain the chaos with their now much more controlled Quirks. He also saw flashes of purple magic from Zatanna trying to protect civilians. They all seemed overwhelmed by the scale of this psychic plague.
It was time for the main star to take the stage.
With a blink of an eye, Tom Jacker vanished from the top of the Eiffel Tower. A moment later, he appeared in the sky above the chaotic National Mall in Washington D.C., hovering casually as the city below burned with the fire of arrogance. He arrived not as a savior, but as a VIP spectator who had just bought front-row tickets to the final act.
From his throne in the sky, Tom Jacker observed the stage of chaos below him. Washington D.C. had transformed into a giant gladiatorial arena, where everyone was a fighter battling for the supremacy of their own ego. Amidst it all, "Billy & The Quirkies" and Zatanna fought valiantly.
Billy's team now moved like a well-trained military unit. Granite created human barricades to protect paramedics, Nova fired precise kinetic blasts to disable rampaging vehicles, Somnia and Zatanna worked together, Somnia's sleep mist calmed small groups, while Zatanna's magic created protective shields for trapped civilians. Umbra moved between the shadows, neutralizing the most dangerous threats before they could cause more harm. They were competent, they were heroic, but they were merely patching a dam that was about to burst.
At the center of this storm stood Senator Thompson, or rather, the vessel of the Sin of Pride. He no longer looked human. His eyes glowed with an arrogant purple light, and every word that came out of his mouth amplified the wave of ego-driven madness throughout the city.
Pride finally sensed Tom's overwhelming presence in the sky, a force that didn't participate in the mortal skirmish below, but observed with calm superiority.
"Aha!" Pride's voice boomed, speaking through Senator Thompson but heard in the minds of everyone nearby. "Another with a spark of divinity! A being who understands true power! You, up there, you are not like these insects!"
Tom just smiled and descended slowly, landing lightly in front of Pride, completely unaffected by the aura of arrogance radiating from him.
"You see the truth," Pride continued, his eyes staring at Tom with admiration and incitement. "This world belongs to the strong! To those who dare to take it! With your power and my philosophy, we can reshape this reality in our magnificent image! Join me, Anomaly! Be my partner, my equal, and we shall be the gods of a new world!"
Tom seemed to think for a moment. Billy and Zatanna, who watched this interaction from afar, held their breath.
"An interesting offer," Tom finally said. "But there are a few problems. First, I don't like 'coworkers.' Too many meetings. Second, I'm already a god in my own world. And third," Tom's grin widened considerably, "you're incredibly boring. All big villains always offer the same thing. 'Join me, we'll conquer the world.' Doesn't anyone have original ideas anymore?"
Pride's face, residing in Senator Thompson, hardened with anger. His manipulation had utterly failed. "Foolish creature! If you will not kneel, then you will be destroyed!"
A dense wave of purple energy exploded from Pride, no longer influence magic, but pure destructive power.
Tom just sighed. "Alright, I guess it's time to get a little serious." He looked up at the sky.
"SHAZAM!"
A golden lightning bolt struck, and in an instant, Shazam Tom stood there in his magnificent red costume. "Let's get this over with. I have a date with boredom after this."
The battle began. Pride unleashed all his power, creating purple energy constructs, firing lasers from his eyes, even attempting to manipulate the egos of other heroes to attack Tom.
But Shazam Tom was too strong.
He used the Strength of Hercules to punch back every energy construct until it shattered. He used the Speed of Mercury to easily dodge every laser. He used the Power of Zeus to fire back lightning that neutralized Pride's purple magic. He even used the Compress Quirk from AFO to turn one of Pride's most powerful energy attacks into a tiny purple marble which he then flicked at Senator Thompson's forehead, making him stagger.
"Do you understand now?" Shazam Tom said, hovering in front of the weakening Pride. "Your pride is based on feeling better than everyone else. My ego? My ego doesn't need comparison. I am the best. That's a fact of the universe."
Pride roared in frustration, unleashing its last wave of energy in a desperate attempt. Tom didn't dodge. He flew straight through it, completely unaffected, and gripped Senator Thompson's neck.
He didn't kill him. He did something far more humiliating. He looked into Pride's eyes, and with the Wisdom of Solomon, he understood the essence of the Sin. Then, he used All For One. Not to steal power, but to give it.
He gave the most useless and ridiculous Quirk in his library to Pride's vessel. A Quirk that made the user hiccup uncontrollably every time they felt arrogant.
Instantly, the majestic Pride entity was "tainted" by this ridiculous Quirk. Its concentration broke, its power faltered. Senator Thompson began to hiccup loudly. HIK! The purple aura around him flickered. HIK!
Tom burst into laughter. He then used Telekinesis to lift Senator Thompson/Pride high into the air, then casually tossed him into a passing garbage truck.
Zatanna and Billy & The Quirkies stared at the scene with their mouths agape. The world's greatest threat had just been defeated... by being thrown into a garbage truck after being made to hiccup.
After the humiliating defeat of the Sin of Pride, the suffocating aura of arrogance slowly left Washington D.C. People awoke from their ego-driven madness, looking around confusedly at the chaos they had caused. The battle was over, but the big questions had just begun.
In the ravaged city, "Billy & The Quirkies" and Zatanna helped emergency responders. Billy's new hero team, now having gone through a true trial by fire, worked with quiet efficiency. Granite lifted heavy debris, Nova extinguished residual fires with controlled kinetic blasts to blow away dust, Somnia used her mist to calm those still panicking, and Umbra quickly found trapped civilians. They were no longer a joke; they were heroes.
Zatanna approached Billy, who was directing his team. "You... you alright, kid?"
"I'm fine," Billy replied, his eyes showing a new maturity. "I just... don't know what to think about him." His gaze drifted to the sky, where Tom Jacker was last seen.
As if summoned, Tom teleported and landed lightly between them. No more Shazam costume; he was back in his usual casual appearance.
"Good show, everyone," Tom said with a soft clap. "You all passed my test with a... decent grade."
"Your test?" Zatanna asked, raising an eyebrow. "You call an epidemic that almost destroyed a nation a 'test'?"
"Of course," Tom replied. "And now the test is over. I've seen everything I needed to see in this world. It's time to move on."
A strange relief washed over Zatanna and Billy. This anomaly was leaving.
Tom closed his eyes for a moment, reviewing the powers he had accumulated in his main slots. He now had four abilities stored: Spatial Teleportation, All For One (AFO), Created Entity Customization, Basic Dark Magic Manipulation
He had to choose three to take with him. The choice was quite easy. 'Basic Dark Magic Manipulation' was interesting, but too weak and specific compared to the other three which offered unlimited potential.
"Alright, it's decided," he muttered to himself. He would keep his three pillars of power: absolute mobility, a flexible power library, and the ability to create an army.
He opened his eyes and looked at Billy. "Kid, you have potential. Maybe one day you really can be a great hero with all the weird toys I gave you. Or maybe you'll accidentally blow something up. Both sound exciting to watch from afar."
He then turned to Zatanna. "And for you, Miss Magician. Your show was the best. If you ever get bored of this world, you know who to look for... though you'll never actually find me." He winked.
With that, Tom focused his mind, activating his Dimensional Shift ability. The air around him began to warp and shimmer, a kaleidoscopic tear in reality began to form.
"Goodbye, Magic World!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "Hope you don't miss me too much!"
He stepped into the portal without hesitation, vanishing from sight. The portal closed behind him, leaving silence.
Billy Batson stared at the empty sky, then at his NPC team who now looked at him, awaiting further orders. He had lost the Shazam power, but he had gained something else: a team, strange new powers, and a lesson in how insane this universe could be. His journey as a hero had just begun.
Zatanna could only offer a faint smile. The world might have been saved, but she would never be able to look at a magic show or a glass of brandy the same way again.
Somewhere between dimensions, Tom Jacker sped towards his next adventure. He carried the Tom Shazam Template fused with his soul, and his three strongest core abilities. He had four empty slots ready to be filled, and an insatiable hunger for new entertainment. The next world would never know what hit it.