Before Mason could throw himself forward again, the atmosphere shifted.
The sunlight dimmed, as though something had drifted across the sun. The air around them stirred, then curled inward, gathering between the two boys.
A breeze became a gust.
The gust became a spiral.
Dust, loose pebbles, and scraps of debris lifted from the ground, circling faster and faster until a narrow column of wind stood between them.
It wasn't wild, but appeared controlled.
A figure stepped from its center.
As she emerged, the whirlwind unraveled around her, dissolving into nothing. White hair framed her face, its loose strands moving in a breeze no one else could feel. Thin ribbons of lightning danced lazily through the air around her, while pale silver eyes regarded both boys with a placid authority.
"That's enough." She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't have to.
The simple words carried enough weight to bring everything to a stop.
Billy's shoulders eased. The grin he'd worn throughout the fight faded into something calmer as he gave a subtle nod.
"Shazam." The word was barely more than a whisper but the sky answered instantly.
A bolt of golden lightning crashed down, engulfing him in blinding light. When it faded, the towering champion was gone.
Billy Batson stood where Shazam had been.
Small.
Human.
Across from him, Mason released a slow breath. The polished marble covering his body cracked apart before melting away in flakes of stone. Flesh replaced rock, though faint molten veins still pulsed beneath his skin as he steadied himself.
The fight was over.
At least for today.
A rush of wind swept overhead.
Billy looked up just as another figure descended from the sky, landing gracefully beside Storm. The last traces of wind vanished around them as the two women stood shoulder to shoulder.
The reaction from the students was immediate, as the crowd broke apart almost at once.
Conversations died and within seconds, the courtyard was clearing as students quietly decided they wanted no part of whatever came next.
Storm barely seemed to notice.
Even with the sunlight returning, she remained a commanding presence. Her silver eyes moved between the two boys, assessing them with calm as Billy suddenly became very aware of himself.
'Okay... don't panic. Just act normal.'
Beside Storm, Jean Grey stepped forward.
"Break is almost over," she said, looking directly at Mason. "Return to class. You'll be informed of your punishment later."
Mason frowned at her words.
"What about him?" he demanded, jerking his head toward Billy. "Just because he's visiting doesn't mean he—"
Storm looked at him.
That was all it took, as the rest of the sentence died in his throat.
"Back to class," she said.
Her voice remained soft, but it carried the unmistakable tone of someone who expected to be obeyed.
Mason held her gaze for another second before looking away.
"...Fine."
He shot Billy one last glare before turning on his heel and walking toward the school buildings, his footsteps louder than necessary.
Only after he'd disappeared did Storm and Jean turn their attention fully to Billy.
They approached without crowding him, stopping several feet away.
Storm studied him in silence.
"You," she said at last. "I know you aren't a mutant." There was no accusation in her voice, only curiosity.
"So... what are you?"
Billy rubbed the back of his neck.
"I've got powers too." He offered an awkward smile. "Just... different ones."
Storm's eyes lingered on him.
She took in the slight tension in his shoulders, the careful way he carried himself, and the lingering traces of energy that still hung in the air.
"Interesting," she murmured.
"A normal human shouldn't possess abilities like yours without some form of genetic mutation."
She paused.
"You're... unusual."
The word wasn't meant as criticism.
If anything, it sounded almost appreciative.
Behind her calm expression, possibilities turned over in her mind.
Not mutation.
Something else.
Billy's transformation hadn't felt biological.
It felt mystical.
As though another force answered his call and clothed him in power.
Magic.
Billy couldn't help smiling.
"Yeah, 'Unusual' is basically my middle name." He paused. "Well... not literally."
He shrugged.
"But you get the idea."
For just a moment, Storm smiled. It was small and subtle, but enough to soften her features.
"I like unusual."
Before Billy could think of a reply, Jean stepped forward.
"We saw what happened earlier," she said. "You handled yourself well, even before you transformed."
Billy laughed awkwardly.
"I was mostly trying not to get my ribs broken."
His eyes drifted toward the shattered courtyard.
"So... thanks."
Jean tilted her head.
"You've received some combat training."
Billy blinked blankly.
"What makes you say that?"
"You don't have polished technique," Jean replied, "but your instincts are good. You knew how to create distance, avoid direct attacks, and look for openings."
Billy scratched his cheek.
"Huh." He smiled sheepishly.
"I've been practicing."
He shrugged.
"I've still got a lot to learn, though."
After a brief pause, he added, "I just... don't like watching people get pushed around."
His expression sobered as he glanced toward the direction Mason had gone.
"I figured if someone needed help..."
He trailed off before giving another sheepish grin.
"I guess I kinda jumped in."
Storm regarded him quietly. "Bullies exist everywhere," she said.
"There isn't a place in the world completely free of them." There was no bitterness in her voice, only experience.
Jean rested a hand lightly against Storm's arm as a silent reminder, they were already running late.
"We'd like to learn more about you," Jean said "And about your abilities."
She smiled politely.
"But we'll have to continue this another time."
Storm inclined her head.
"It was nice meeting you, Billy."
Then, without another word, the two women turned and walked away.
Billy watched them disappear across the courtyard.
Only after they were gone did he finally release the breath he'd been holding.
The adrenaline from the fight had faded, leaving behind something quieter.
Something thoughtful.
And... if he was being honest...
Meeting actual X-Men was still a little surreal.
- - -
Billy wandered the halls with his hands tucked into his pockets, his heartbeat finally settling into something resembling normal.
The excitement from the fight still buzzed beneath his skin, refusing to fade completely.
Students drifted past in small groups, laughing, chatting, arguing over classes. Every now and then, a mutant ability flared somewhere nearby—a burst of flame, a ripple of telekinesis, someone casually floating a stack of books through the corridor.
The school felt alive, but wasn't chaotic.
More comfortable.
Like extraordinary had become ordinary.
Billy kept to the edge of the hallway, more out of habit than necessity. Nobody paid him much attention, and he was more than happy to keep it that way.
Eventually, he reached a pair of enormous reinforced doors which caused him to stop.
"So this is it..."
The words escaped under his breath.
"The Danger Room."
Even from the outside, it looked less like the entrance to a classroom and more like the blast doors of a military bunker. Thick steel plates overlapped one another, while a sleek security panel sat beside the frame, quietly informing anyone curious enough that they weren't getting in without permission.
Billy stared at it for a long moment.
"...Now what?"
His eyes drifted to the keypad as one idea surfaced almost immediately.
'I could just transform…'
He imagined calling down lightning, reducing the electronic lock to molten slag, then casually walking inside.
A second later, he grimaced.
'Yeah... that's definitely breaking and entering.'
'Probably not the best first impression.'
He sighed.
"Think, Billy..."
As if on cue, the heavy doors slid open.
A student stepped through, talking over their shoulder to someone still inside, completely oblivious to the teenager standing off to the side.
Billy's eyes widened.
'No way.'
The doors had barely begun to close before he slipped through the narrowing gap, squeezing inside just before they sealed shut behind him.
"...Still counts as permission."
Probably.
The instant he stepped inside, the room came alive.
Metallic panels shifted across the walls with deep mechanical rumbles. Entire sections folded inward while others expanded, reshaping the environment before his eyes.
Holographic structures flickered into existence.
Platforms rose from the floor.
Walls appeared where none had existed seconds earlier.
The ground beneath his feet shifted ever so slightly, reminding him that the room itself could change at any moment.
Billy slowly turned in place.
"...Whoa."
It wasn't just a training room.
It was more like an entire battlefield as movement snapped his attention elsewhere.
Training drones powered on throughout the chamber, their optics glowing as targeting systems activated. Some hovered silently into the air while others unfolded from hidden compartments in the floor, weapons extending with precise mechanical clicks.
Every one of them looked ready for war.
Billy's grin spread without him realizing it.
'This place is awesome.'
Across the room, two familiar figures stood overlooking the simulation.
Storm.
Jean Grey.
"So this is where they disappeared to." Billy thought.
He watched them for a moment, both women completely focused on the exercise unfolding before them.
Then another figure caught his eye.
Standing atop one of the elevated platforms was a man whose posture alone demanded attention.
Blue and gold uniform.
Broad shoulders.
Red visor.
Billy's eyes widened.
'Cyclops.'
He'd recognize that visor anywhere.
'Okay... that's actually really cool.'
"Who are you?"
The sharp voice echoed across the chamber.
Billy froze.
Cyclops hadn't raised his voice, yet somehow it reached every corner of the room.
The X-Man stood rigidly atop the platform, one arm extended as he pointed directly at the unexpected visitor.
His expression remained hidden behind the ruby quartz visor, but his posture said more than enough.
Alert, and ready.
Billy felt his stomach tighten.
'Uh-oh.'
He quickly raised both hands.
"Easy!" he called with an awkward smile. "I'm just... watching."
He paused.
"...Promise."
Cyclops didn't move, neither did he answer.
If anything, he looked even less convinced.
Billy swallowed.
'Right... because random teenagers don't usually wander into classified mutant combat simulators.'
Fair point.
Before anyone could say another word—
One of the training drones whirled toward him.
Its optics flashed crimson.
Target acquired.
Billy barely had time to blink before it launched forward, mechanical limbs right through the air with frightening speed.
Cyclops' hand immediately rose toward the side of his visor.
Ready to fire.
Ready to stop the drone before it reached the boy, but Billy reacted first.
"Shazam!"
The word rang through the chamber.
A heartbeat later, the ceiling disappeared beneath a blinding flash of gold.
Lightning crashed into the room with a deafening roar, striking Billy squarely.
The energy surge rippled through the entire simulator as warning lights flickered, and holograms glitched.
Several drones momentarily lost synchronization as their systems struggled to compensate for the impossible electrical discharge.
When the light finally faded...
The teenager was gone.
Standing in his place was someone entirely different.
A towering figure clad in crimson and gold.
A white cape draped across broad shoulders, stirring in a wind that existed for no one else.
Golden lightning danced lazily across his body, converging around the glowing thunderbolt emblazoned across his chest.
The room fell silent.
Even the drones hesitated.
High above the arena, a gravelly voice broke the quiet.
"A lightning strike..."
Wolverine crouched atop one of the observation platforms, claws already extended.
"...indoors."
His brow furrowed.
"Huh."
His eyes narrowed as he studied the transformed stranger.
"And here I thought today couldn't get any weirder."
The hesitation lasted less than a second.
The nearest drone reacquired its target and lunged, but Shazam moved first.
He vanished in a blur of red and gold, slipping past the machine before it could complete its attack. His hand swept out as he passed, fingers crackling with golden lightning.
The bolt hit like a cannon.
The drone flew across the chamber, smashing through a holographic barricade before crashing into the far wall in a shower of sparks.
Jean's eyes widened.
"Scott!"
Cyclops never looked away from the newcomer.
"I'm watching."
Shazam grinned.
"Good!"
Another drone swooped in from above.
He caught it by the arm, spun once, and flung it into two more charging machines. Metal collided with metal, sending all three tumbling across the floor.
The simulation adjusted instantly.
Panels shifted as new cover rose from the ground.
More drones emerged from hidden compartments, spreading out in coordinated formation.
Billy's smile only grew wider.
'Now we're talking.'
He burst forward.
One moment he was standing still.
The next, he was weaving through the battlefield with incomprehensible speed.
A blade swept toward his neck.
He leaned back just enough for it to whistle harmlessly past his face.
Another machine fired.
He twisted aside, the energy blast streaking over his shoulder before exploding against a distant wall.
Without breaking stride, he pointed two fingers behind him as a brilliant arc of lightning leapt across the room, striking the drone square in the chest.
It exploded.
Three more advanced.
Billy ducked beneath the first, vaulted over the second, and planted both feet squarely into the third, launching himself high into the air.
He laughed.
"I am loving this!"
Storm watched him from an elevated platform, with arms folded.
"He adapts quickly," she observed.
"Very quickly." Jean nodded, her eyes never leaving him.
"He's reading the simulation instead of reacting to it."
"Like he's done this before," one of the students muttered.
"He hasn't," another replied.
"I would've remembered someone like him."
Across the room, Wolverine remained crouched, watching every movement with narrowed eyes.
"Kid's got instincts."
Cyclops glanced toward him.
"You noticed it too."
"He ain't fighting like a rookie."
Below them, Billy darted between another barrage of attacks.
His movements weren't polished, there were no textbook stances. No carefully practiced forms.
Everything flowed on instinct.
Every dodge naturally became an attack, every attack opened another opportunity.
It wasn't elegant, yet it was effective.
A mechanical arm swung toward him with enough force to crush concrete.
Billy ducked beneath it.
The arm slammed into the floor, splintering the reinforced surface.
"Missed me."
He slapped the arm as he passed.
Golden lightning surged through the machine.
Its entire frame locked up before collapsing with a heavy crash.
"That..."
Wolverine gave a low whistle.
"...was kinda satisfying."
Billy heard him.
"Right?"
The older mutant couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching upward.
"Huh."
Storm's expression remained composed, though amusement flickered in her eyes.
"He certainly enjoys himself."
"He enjoys everything," Jean replied.
Billy launched himself skyward again and the chamber responded immediately as a warning siren sounded.
New targets deployed.
Dozens of drones descended from concealed ports in the ceiling, spreading through the air until they surrounded him from every direction.
Red targeting beams converged as Billy slowed to a hover.
"...Well."
He looked around.
"That's new."
Every weapon fired at once. Lasers, micro-missiles, concussive rounds.
The barrage filled the air.
Below, several students instinctively ducked.
Cyclops couldn't help but tensed.
Storm's fingers crackled with electricity.
Even Jean shifted her stance, ready to intervene if necessary.
Billy didn't move.
The attacks struck him head-on as smoke swallowed him.
The barrage continued for several more seconds before finally ending.
Silence settled over the chamber as the smoke drifted apart, revealing Billy who floated exactly where he'd been.
Completely unharmed.
He looked down at himself.
Brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his shoulder.
"...That's it?"
Several students blinked in awe.
One actually lowered his training weapon.
"...Seriously?"
High above, Wolverine frowned. "If all that bounces off him..."
He glanced toward Cyclops.
"...why's the kid been dodging everything?"
Cyclops watched Billy for another long moment.
"I don't think..."
He paused.
"...he wanted to find out."
That answer surprised even him.
Because it made perfect sense.
Billy hadn't known what the simulation was capable of.
So he'd treated every attack as dangerous. Not because he had to, because that's how he'd been taught. He assumed.
Jean smiled faintly.
"Good habit."
Billy floated there for another moment before rubbing the back of his head.
"Heh..."
"I guess I didn't really have to dodge after all."
The realization made him laugh.
"Well..."
He stretched his shoulders.
"That makes things easier."
He shot forward again, this time he stopped holding back. Both his strength and confidence.
He tore through the formation like a living thunderbolt.
One drone disappeared beneath a lightning-charged punch.
Another was caught by the leg and hurled into a cluster of incoming machines.
Three more vanished beneath a single blast of divine lightning.
Metal rained across the battlefield.
The Danger Room's adaptive systems worked furiously to compensate, deploying new obstacles almost as quickly as Billy destroyed the old ones.
Yet no matter what it generated...
He adapted faster.
Around the chamber, training had come to a complete stop.
Nobody was practicing anymore.
Every student was watching, just because they couldn't look away.
- - -
Training had ground to a halt.
Students stood scattered across the simulation, their attention fixed on the stranger flying effortlessly through the Danger Room.
Billy, meanwhile, hadn't noticed.
He was having far too much fun.
Another drone burst from the floor, its weapons unfolding as it locked onto him.
"Oh, come on," Billy laughed. "You guys have got to try harder than that."
The machine charged and Billy met it head-on.
He slipped beneath its first swing, pivoted around its side, and drove a lightning-charged elbow into its frame.
The drone folded around the impact before skidding across the floor in a shower of sparks.
Another tried to flank him.
He caught it by the arm, spun once, and released.
It hurtled across the room, crashing into a reinforced wall with enough force to shake the entire chamber.
Storm watched in silence.
His movements still lacked refinement. There were openings an experienced fighter could exploit.
His footwork wasn't disciplined, his guard occasionally dropped.
And yet...
None of it seemed to matter.
He learned as he fought. Every exchange made him just a little cleaner, a little sharper.
Jean noticed the same thing.
"He's adjusting."
Cyclops nodded.
"I see it."
"He isn't repeating mistakes."
"No."
Cyclops folded his arms.
"He only makes them once."
That earned a thoughtful glance from Storm.
Not many people could improve this quickly in the middle of a live combat simulation.
Billy ducked beneath another swing.
'Okay... maybe don't wreck everything.'
Bruce would probably have something to say about that.
Probably.
He extended a hand instead.
A controlled burst of lightning leapt from his fingertips, disabling the drone without blowing it apart.
The machine shuddered before collapsing harmlessly to the floor.
Billy smiled.
"There."
"Progress."
A low chuckle drifted down from above.
"I'll give the kid this," Wolverine said.
"He learns fast."
Cyclops remained silent.
His attention shifted briefly toward the observation booth overlooking the arena.
A small light blinked on the communication panel beside him.
Incoming message.
He pressed two fingers against the receiver in his visor.
"Scott."
Professor Xavier's calm voice filled his ear.
["Continue observing."]
Cyclops glanced toward Billy.
"He entered the Danger Room without authorization."
["I know."]
"And he has abilities we've never encountered."
A brief pause followed.
["Exactly."]
Cyclops understood.
The Professor wasn't interested in removing Billy.
He wanted answers.
["Do not interfere unless the situation becomes dangerous."]
Cyclops looked back toward the battlefield.
Billy had just redirected three drones into each other before landing lightly atop a platform, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"...Understood."
The transmission ended.
Storm noticed the subtle shift in Cyclops' expression.
"The Professor?"
Cyclops gave a slight nod.
"We're observing."
Nothing more needed to be said.
Below them, Billy looked around.
"...So..."
He spread his arms.
"Anybody else?"
Almost on cue, another wave of drones emerged.
Billy laughed outright.
"Oh, now we're talking!"
He shot into the air.
Lightning exploded around him.
For several seconds, the chamber became a blur of gold, red, and crackling energy.
Drones fell one after another.
Some were disabled cleanly.
Others weren't nearly so fortunate.
Even so, Billy was clearly making an effort now.
Instead of simply blasting everything apart, he was choosing his shots more carefully.
Redirecting, disarming, controlling his strength.
Storm noticed.
"So he can restrain himself."
"He was always capable of it," Jean replied.
"He just got excited."
"...Fair."
Several students exchanged amused looks.
That much, at least, was relatable.
Then a familiar voice echoed through the chamber.
"Billy."
The single word resounded through the noise with surprising ease as Billy froze in midair.
"...Uh-oh." He knew that voice.
Slowly, he turned toward the entrance where Bruce stood just inside the doorway.
His arms were folded, and his expression was calm.
Which somehow made it worse.
Billy winced.
"Hey, Bruce..."
Bruce looked around the room.
Disabled drones littered the battlefield.
Scorch marks stretched across sections of reinforced flooring.
Maintenance crews were going to have questions.
He looked back at Billy. "...Having fun?"
"...Maybe." Billy scratched the back of his head.
Bruce sighed. "I had a feeling."
Billy floated down until his boots touched the platform.
"I can explain."
"I'm sure you can."
Bruce smiled faintly.
"You can explain on the way back."
Billy's shoulders slumped.
"...Right."
He looked around the room one last time.
Honestly...
He wasn't ready to leave.
Not yet.
He lifted his head toward the X-Men.
"Thanks for... not kicking me out."
Storm inclined her head in a nod as Jean expressed a smile.
Billy grinned, doing his best not to look towards Cyclops or Wolverine as he drew in a breath.
"Shazam."
Golden lightning erupted once more.
The towering champion disappeared within the flash.
When the light faded, Billy Batson stood in his place.
A few students openly stared.
Even after seeing it twice, the transformation was no less remarkable.
Around him, a few students openly stared, the shift from godlike figure to regular kid clearly not something they were used to seeing as Billy offered an awkward little wave.
"...Hi."
Several of the younger students couldn't help smiling.
Billy glanced back briefly, catching Storm's gaze for just a second before giving her a small, almost respectful nod. Then he turned and broke into a quick jog toward Banner.
"Bruce, you—" he started, already gearing up to explain, to justify—
—but Banner cut him off with a simple shake of his head.
"No arguments," he said, his tone was calm but firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "Time to leave. We'll talk about this later."
Billy exhaled, shoulders dropping slightly in surrender.
"Yeah… yeah, okay," he muttered, though there was still a hint of a smile tugging at his lips that he couldn't quite get rid of.
As they walked back through the hallways, the sounds of the Danger Room faded behind them, replaced once again by the steady hum of the school. Students passed by like before, conversations resumed, powers flickered in controlled bursts—but something felt different now.
Billy's mind was still racing.
Replaying everything. The fight. The transformation. The way they'd looked at him.
Compared to what he initially thought, Xavier's School was something else entirely.
A playground, maybe a proving ground.
And maybe… just maybe—
A place where he didn't have to separate who he was from what he could do.
A place where Billy and Shazam didn't have to be two different things in people's eyes.
But one.
And for the first time since he got here—
That idea didn't feel impossible.