Kapitel 17: The Waiting Game
The distant sounds of sirens wailed across the city, bouncing off the buildings as Marcus and Rebecca made their way to the carnival's perimeter. They could see the flashing red-and-blue lights cutting through the darkness like a warning beacon. Officers in NYPD jackets stood in front of hastily assembled barricades, keeping onlookers at bay as the chaos within the carnival simmered beneath the surface.
Marcus tightened his hoodie, glancing nervously at the blocked-off carnival entrance. "He'll show," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Rebecca.
Rebecca gave him a quick look. "You sure?"
Marcus's gaze didn't waver. "I know James. He won't let anyone else get hurt because of his mess."
They pushed through the crowd until they reached the edge of the police barricades. The tension in the air was palpable—cops pacing nervously, reporters shoving microphones toward officials, parents shouting frantically for their children still inside. And then there was the unmistakable presence of one of New York's most notorious media figures, grumbling in the thick of it.
"Where's the idiot with the lightning bolts? I want something for tomorrow's headline!" Jonah Jameson barked, waving a camera over his head. He scowled at a patrol officer who tried to nudge him back behind the yellow tape. "That lunatic inside demanded the caped guy. Shazam or whatever he's called! And the moron's a no-show! You'd think these so-called heroes have better timing."
Rebecca and Marcus exchanged looks. They knew better than to expect Jameson to ever have faith in heroes. But beneath the cranky old man's sarcasm lay hard truths—Kain was waiting for Shazam, and James was nowhere to be found.
Marcus clenched his fists. "He'll be here," he whispered.
Rebecca looked toward the carnival. The shadows shifted unnaturally beyond the barricades, like a living nightmare waiting to escape. The Furies' presence was suffocating, lurking just beyond sight. "We don't have much time," she whispered to herself, biting her lower lip. "James, where are you?"
The crowd stirred as more agents in black suits arrived, sectioning off parts of the barricade.
"This is gonna get worse," Marcus muttered.
Jameson gave them a crooked grin as he reloaded his camera. "Oh, you bet it will, kid. Lunatic's calling him out. If the other guy doesn't show, those kids in there? They're done for."
---
SHIELD's Perspective – A Call from the Sky
High above the chaos, the Helicarrier hovered, cloaked by the dark night clouds. Inside, Director Nick Fury stood with his hands behind his back, his single eye locked on the holographic feed of the carnival grounds below. The Furies slithered like shadows across the space, corralling the children and civilians Kain had taken hostage. Fury's jaw tightened as he stared at the situation unfolding in real-time.
He turned to the agents gathered in the briefing room. "Find this Shazam. Now."
Maria Hill tapped her tablet, bringing up surveillance feeds and energy signatures. "There's no sign of him anywhere. No matching energy readings in New York, or anywhere else on the planet. He's gone."
Fury's expression darkened. "I don't care where he's hiding—find him. We need him in the field."
Hill hesitated. "Sir, with all due respect… Even if we do find him, handing him over to Kain is a gamble. Whatever Kain's after, it's tied to Shazam. Giving James up might be playing into his hands."
Fury gave her a hard look. "I know exactly what it looks like, Agent Hill. But lives are on the line, and we don't have time to be cautious." He jabbed a finger at the screen. "We're not equipped to take on someone like Kain—not without Shazam."
Hill nodded. "I'll double the search efforts."
Fury turned back to the feed, the carnival's lights flickering eerily as more Furies prowled. The situation was a nightmare, and Fury knew it. Without James, there was little they could do but delay the inevitable. He muttered under his breath, "This better not be one of those hero-disappears-in-our-hour-of-need stories."
---
Coulson on the Ground
Agent Phil Coulson pulled up to the carnival barricade in his sleek black sedan, stepping out with calm efficiency. His coat shifted slightly as he glanced over the scene, surveying the anxious crowd, the panicked parents, and the officers scrambling to keep order. His sharp eyes quickly landed on two familiar faces—Rebecca and Jameson— Jameson, who was currently berating an NYPD officer for blocking his view.
Coulson adjusted his tie and made his way toward them. "Mr. Jameson, always a pleasure," he said with a polite nod.
Jameson scoffed. "Pleasure's all mine, Agent," he grumbled. "This whole thing's a disaster. Where's your flying army or whatever it is SHIELD's supposed to have? Oh, wait, let me guess—standing around and watching like everyone else?"
Coulson gave a thin, patient smile before turning to Rebecca and Marcus. "We need to talk," he said, his tone low enough that only they could hear.
Rebecca crossed her arms defensively, her eyes filled with both frustration and fear. "If you're here to ask where James is… I don't know. I swear."
Coulson studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. He'd been doing this long enough to tell when someone was lying—but Rebecca wasn't. She was genuinely in the dark.
Marcus leaned in, his gaze unwavering, a quiet confidence lacing his words. "James will show. Don't worry."
Coulson tilted his head slightly, studying him. "And you are?"
"His friend. Marcus."
Coulson's eyebrow arched, a flicker of intrigue in his otherwise measured expression. "You sound awfully certain."
Marcus pulled out his phone and held it up, showing Coulson a video file. "I sent him this." He tapped the screen, playing the video. It was shaky footage of the carnival—parents screaming, kids crying, Furies prowling in the dark, and the police unable to do anything.
"I told him what's happening," Marcus said, his voice low but firm. "Told him the world's falling apart. If you know James like I do, you'd know he can't ignore that. He'll come."
Coulson studied Marcus for a moment longer, noting the certainty in the young man's eyes. He knew better than to rely on hope—but sometimes, hope was all they had.
He gave Marcus a small nod. "Let's hope you're right."
Rebecca glanced anxiously toward the carnival, her heart pounding. "And if he doesn't?"
Coulson's expression didn't change, but the weight of his answer was clear.
"Then we'll have to do this the hard way."
They all turned toward the carnival, watching as the shadows deepened and the night grew colder. The clock was ticking. Lives hung in the balance. And somewhere, in the hidden corners of the universe, James Carter—Shazam—had to find his way back.
Because if he didn't, there would be no one left to save.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein