Kapitel 3: Thunder Man in Training
Chapter: Rebecca's Investigation
Rebecca paced the dimly lit confines of her small office, surrounded by stacks of papers and open files detailing the recent string of mysterious disappearances in New York City. The fluorescent light flickered overhead, matching her restless energy. She sat down at her cluttered desk, taking a sip of her cold coffee as she glanced at her computer screen filled with open tabs on the latest disappearances.
"Just one solid lead," she muttered to herself. "That's all I need."
Her phone buzzed, breaking her concentration. It was a text from her boss, J. Jonah Jameson: "Any updates on the disappearances? Don't waste my time."
With a sigh, she replied, "Working on it. Just gathering more info." She knew Jameson was relentless, always pushing for the next big story. Failure was not an option, especially with the high stakes of this case.
As she rifled through her notes, she found a piece of paper with a hasty scrawl from her last interview. "Strange symbols… dark magic… cult," she read aloud, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, right. Magic doesn't exist. People just love to make up stories."
Still, the clues were mounting. After interviewing families of the missing, she had heard too many unsettling tales. Each one mentioned symbols they'd seen etched into sidewalks or around their neighborhoods. "This isn't just some urban legend," she thought, jotting down the details in her notepad.
She grabbed her jacket and headed out. Her first stop was a local art gallery where she hoped to find the street artist who had documented these symbols. "If anyone can give me clarity, it's him," she reasoned.
---
Chapter Three: Thunder Man in Training
James sat cross-legged on the floor of his apartment, staring at his hands as if they held the answer to life's greatest mysteries. Days had passed since the strange encounter in the underground hall, and he was still struggling to make sense of what happened. The thunderbolt, the statues, the glowing orb… it was like something out of a comic book. But the power—oh, that was real. He could feel it buzzing beneath his skin, waiting to be called again.
The only problem? He had no idea how to use it properly.
He took a deep breath, "Okay. Let's try this again."
---
Trial and Error
Standing in the middle of his small apartment, James clenched his fists and whispered, "Shazam."
Nothing.
He exhaled and tried again, louder this time. "Shazam!"
The only response was the hum of the fridge in the kitchen.
"Great," he muttered. "I've officially lost it."
Frustrated, he paced the room. "Come on, Carter. It worked before. What did I do differently?" He tried to recall every detail of the cave—the statues, the glowing orb, the thunder that hit him like a cosmic joke.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Yo, open up!" Marcus called from the hallway.
James sighed, unlocking the door to let in his best friend. Marcus strolled in, holding a bag of donuts and wearing a smirk. "You look like you haven't slept in days. Are you... okay?"
"Marcus..." James ran a hand through his hair. "I think I'm going insane."
Marcus gave him a sideways look. "You thought that before or after you dragged me out of bed at 2 AM to talk about 'weird glowing orbs?'"
James slumped onto the couch. "I wasn't imagining it."
Marcus sat beside him and popped a donut in his mouth. "You gotta give me more than 'weird orbs,' man."
James blew out a breath. "Alright, fine. You remember those disappearances Rebecca was talking about? Well... I think I fell into one of those places."
Marcus froze mid-chew. "What?"
"Yeah," James said. "I... touched something. And I think—no, I know—a thunderbolt hit me. And now, something's... different."
Marcus blinked slowly, processing this. "Wait. Hold on. You were struck by lightning... and you're still alive?"
James gave him a tired look. "I know how it sounds, okay? But it's real."
Marcus stared at him for a moment before letting out a laugh. "Dude, you've officially lost it. No more late-night alien conspiracy podcasts for you."
"I'm serious, Marcus." James stood up. "Watch."
James squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and said, "Shazam."
The air hummed for a split second, and then BOOM! A deafening clap of thunder roared from nowhere, and a blinding flash of lightning struck through the ceiling, hitting James directly.
Marcus yelped, diving behind the couch. "HOLY—"
The light dimmed, and Marcus slowly peeked over the couch. His jaw dropped.
Where James had stood, now stood a towering figure, his body crackling with residual electricity. His plain clothes had been replaced by a sleek, almost mythic suit—a glowing bolt of lightning emblazoned across his chest. He looked like a god, radiating raw power.
"Holy crap," Marcus whispered. "It's real."
James blinked and stared down at his hands, now larger and stronger, glowing faintly with energy. "I'm... I'm huge."
Marcus, still in shock, stood up. "Dude. You're ripped. Like, Captain America-ripped."
James grinned, flexing an arm. "This... is insane."
He turned toward the mirror on the wall and nearly stumbled. His reflection was unrecognizable—a taller, more powerful version of himself, with a heroic jawline and piercing eyes. He tried not to look too impressed with himself.
"Okay," Marcus said, stepping closer. "How do you feel? Strong? Fast?"
"I feel..." James paused, clenching his fists. A surge of energy crackled through him. "...like I could punch through a wall."
Marcus's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Dude, we gotta try this out. You've got superpowers! This is huge!"
James chuckled nervously. "Let's maybe not go straight to punching walls just yet."
---
Outside, in the alley behind the apartment, the two of them found an old, rusted sedan. James took a deep breath and approached it. "Alright. Let's see if this works..."
He crouched, placed his hands under the car, and lifted it effortlessly, as if it were made of cardboard.
Marcus let out an excited shout. "Oh my god! You're like Hulk-level strong!"
James grinned, holding the car above his head. "This is insane!"
At that moment, a cat scurried by, triggering the car's ancient alarm system. The blaring sound filled the alley, and James panicked, dropping the car with a loud BANG.
"Crap, crap, crap!" Marcus yelled, covering his ears. "Turn it off!"
"I'm trying!" James fumbled, panicking as the alarm echoed off the walls. He scrambled to grab the keys Marcus had swiped from a neighbor earlier. After several agonizing moments, the alarm finally stopped.
The two of them stood there, panting.
Marcus glanced around nervously. "We need to work on your... stealth."
James groaned. "Yeah, no kidding."
---
The First Flight (Sort Of)
Marcus's excitement grew. "Alright, alright—can you fly? You gotta try flying, man."
James looked uncertain. "Fly? I don't know if I can..."
"Come on!" Marcus urged. "You lifted a car! Flying's gotta be part of the package, right?"
James sighed. "Fine, but if I crash into a wall, you're paying for it."
He crouched slightly, clenched his fists, and focused all his energy on the idea of lifting off the ground. For a moment, nothing happened. But then—
His feet began to hover a few inches off the floor.
Marcus gasped. "Dude! You're doing it!"
James grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. "Holy crap, I'm flying!"
Except... he wasn't quite in control. The next second, he shot forward, slammed into the wall, and came crashing back down in a heap.
Marcus burst out laughing. "Well... not quite the Iron Man takeoff, but you're getting there."
James groaned, rubbing his head. "Yeah, remind me to practice this in an open area next time."
---
Back to Normal... Sort Of
After a few more experiments—and several close calls—they made their way back to the apartment. James whispered "Shazam" again, and with another crack of thunder, he returned to his normal form, looking like his old self again.
Marcus slumped on the couch, exhausted but grinning. "So... what now?"
James sat beside him, still catching his breath. "I don't know. I guess I have to figure out what all of this means."
Marcus leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Well, we gotta come up with a name for your alter ego. You're basically the newest superhero in town."
James groaned. "Let's not jump the gun here. I don't even know what I'm doing yet."
Marcus grinned mischievously. "How about... Thunder Man?"
James groaned. "That sounds like a terrible name. I sound like a weather channel mascot."
Marcus tapped his chin, then snapped his fingers. "Wait. What if... we just call you what that orb said? Shazam."
James blinked. "Shazam? Seriously?"
"Yeah, man! Think about it. It's short, it's catchy, it sounds cool. Plus, it's already kinda tied to your powers, right?" Marcus grinned. "Shazam. Has a nice ring to it."
James tilted his head, considering it. "Huh... you know what? It's actually not bad."
Marcus gave him a playful nudge. "See? Told you I'm a genius."
James chuckled, despite himself. "Yeah, I guess. But we're not telling anyone. Not yet."
Marcus threw an arm around his shoulders. "Deal. For now, it's just between us."
James smiled. For the first time in a long while, life felt... exciting. Strange, terrifying, and way out of his comfort zone—but exciting.
And deep down, he knew this was just the beginning. Something told him his normal life was officially over.
Marcus handed him a soda. "So... what's next, Shazam?"
James cracked open the can. "I have no idea. I mean, what do people even do when they get superpowers? There's no instruction manual for this."
Marcus leaned back, thinking. "Well... I guess step one is figuring out how to control it. You don't wanna zap yourself or someone else by accident."
James nodded. "Yeah, good call. And I probably need a plan. If people find out about this..."
Marcus gave him a pointed look. "You mean like Rebecca?"
James scoffed. "What does Rebecca have to do with this?"
Marcus smirked. "Come on, man. You've had a crush on her since she started coming into the store. Maybe now's your chance to impress her."
James rolled his eyes, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, because 'Hey, I can summon lightning and lift cars' is totally the way to a girl's heart."
Marcus chuckled. "Well, it's better than just asking if she likes tech gadgets."
James shook his head, but deep down, he knew Marcus wasn't entirely wrong.
And as much as he tried to play it cool, the truth was... this was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him.
He had no idea where this road would take him, but one thing was certain: he wasn't just James Carter anymore.
Now... he was Shazam.
---
Hello, Dear Readers.
I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Firstly, I would like to say the first arc of this story is like a movie of it's own. Shazam in MCU, type. There will be many OCs in this arc, and you can practically say the Universe is an AU.
Since the next arc, the story will take its course and James will step into the spotlight in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is all happening during the Phase - 1 of MCU, so that's the timeline.
I would like if you guys comment more. And give me power stones.
Peace.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein