Chapter 27: Chapter: Fury's Gambit
In the dimly lit office of the Helicarrier, Nick Fury sat behind his desk, scrolling through the latest SHIELD reports. His one good eye flicked over the lines of text, pausing every so often to absorb the significance of the words on the screen. Something was coming—he could feel it in his gut, the same gnawing sensation he'd had during every major shift in the world's balance. It wasn't just a guess; it was experience, and Fury's instincts were rarely wrong.
This time, the warning signs pointed to two things: an ancient, otherworldly object emitting strange energy readings in the New Mexico desert—and a young man named James Carter, better known to a select few as Shazam.
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Fury leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He'd dealt with cosmic entities before—Carol Danvers, the Kree, and others that left scars not just on his mind, but on the world. Back then, the answers had been easier to find. He knew what he was dealing with, or at least who. But this... This was different.
The object they were tracking wasn't Kree, maybe Asgardian. It was old. Ancient. Far beyond anything Fury—or SHIELD—understood. Their sensors barely scratched the surface of its properties, and there was no telling if it was a threat. But something told Fury it was connected to forces beyond anything Earth had seen.
Just like James Carter.
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Fury tapped a few keys, pulling up James Carter's profile. He scanned it again, even though he'd memorized it the first time. Ordinary. A bright kid who showed promise in school but had settled for a simple job at a tech store. No red flags, no strange family history, no record of mental health issues.
By all accounts, James was an average citizen. Yet, somehow, the same man could transform into Shazam—a being with unimaginable strength, speed, and power.
SHIELD had run every background check they could on him, tracing his movements, his family, his education—everything. And nothing, not a single detail, pointed toward James Carter being connected to anything supernatural. But the footage didn't lie.
The transformation was undeniable. Shazam's appearance was vastly different—taller, broader, with different facial features and a commanding presence that couldn't be mistaken for the quiet tech worker from New York. Yet, SHIELD's intel confirmed it: James Carter was Shazam. There was no escaping that fact.
Fury pulled up the surveillance video—a clip confiscated from a pedestrian's phone. It showed James Carter, powerless and struggling in Elias Kain's grip, with Rebecca Martinez trying to help—only to be thrown into a wall like a ragdoll.
James's rage boiled over as Kain whispered something sinister.
Then, James shouted— "Shazam!"
A bolt of lightning crashed down, engulfing both men in a blinding flash. The screen glitched, static distorting the image. When the video briefly flickered back, Kain was gone, and in his place stood a towering figure, electricity crackling along his frame, his white cape rippling in the fading storm.
The footage cut out. The man who recorded it never got the chance to share it. Fury made sure of that.
He wasn't protecting SHIELD's interests alone; he was covering James's ass too. If the world knew who Shazam really was, James Carter's life would be over. He wasn't ready for that. Hell, Fury wasn't even sure the world was ready for someone like him.
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Fury drummed his fingers against the desk. James Carter didn't understand the extent of his powers—Fury was certain of that. In the reports, James seemed reluctant to use his abilities unless the situation forced him to. He had saved a kid from a burning building recently, but the act seemed almost reflexive, not heroic.
Still, there was something Fury couldn't ignore. When things got dangerous—when the world needed a hero—James stepped up. He had every reason to avoid the fight at the carnival, but instead, he transformed into Shazam and faced Elias Kain head-on.
Fury's jaw clenched at the memory of Kain. Elias had been a valuable asset once, a friend, even. But now, Kain was a sorcerer wielding dark magic—something SHIELD had no counter for. Fury's agents were trained for almost everything, but not this. Not sorcery.
And yet, Shazam fought him. He could have run and hidden away in that strange place even SHIELD couldn't track him, but he didn't. When people were in danger, James Carter didn't back down.
That was enough for Fury to make his next move.
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The screen in front of him switched back to the live feed of the strange object in New Mexico. Whatever it was, Fury knew one thing: it wasn't just a rock in the sand. Something bigger was coming, and Earth's ordinary defences wouldn't be enough.
They needed Shazam.
Fury reached for his phone and dialled. The call rang twice before going to voicemail. The damn kid ignored me.
His patience wearing thin, Fury redialed immediately. This time, the line connected.
"Carter," he said, his tone sharp and commanding. "Pack your bags. We need you in New Mexico."
Whatever was waiting for them in New Mexico—an ancient object, cosmic storm, or something else entirely—Nick Fury knew one thing.
James Carter might not see himself as a hero, but he damn well was about to become one.
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Yo, Dear Readers.
This is more of an extension of the previous chapter, than anything else.
I just wanted to put this out there, so, yeah.
Anyways, tell me how you're liking the 2nd arc so far. I have something in mind for this arc. Nothing really huge will happen, but something important will take place that will impact the whole story.
So keep reading. And do give me your powerstones.
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