14517/The Pop Up Sale!

The Pop Up Sale!
Date of Scene:	27 March 2023
Location:	Behind the Library - Happy Harbor High School
Synopsis:	Caleb meets Shazam and Lightspeed and... gets away.
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Caleb Dykstra, Julie Power

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Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam has finished his patrol for the day early and ended up over the High School. He drops down behind the Library to become Billy. H does have classes soon. Unfortunately the back of the library is occupied by several amorous student. They are not amused.

"Hey. Whats the idea? Go fight Loki somewhere else! Beat it! Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer!" The smile on his face fades. The wave is stopped. His descent is stopped.

One girl says angrily, "Why do you hang around here anyway? You aren't staff, you don't go here! That's loitering! Yeah I seen you around here acting like one of us, like you know us! I was at Big Belly where you nearly had a throw down with Crush over being a buttinsky! Get lost! No one here wants you! Understand?"

Shazam says softly, "It's not like that at all. I..." You what Billy? You just turned 18? No? Shazam was returning some books?

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
And in campus, you also find another guy, dressed in clothes covering most of his frame, and a hoodie. He moves around from place to place, hangs out a few minutes with the students, shakes hands with them and laughs... He's just everybody's friend, really.

In fact, while he's meeting, he's passing down stuff to sell, while everybody else is paying up. Constituting business as friendship.

And eventually, transactions accomlished, he searches for a nice secluded spot to rest up and place the money in a safer pocket - the back of the library, which seems to be...

And he goes around the corner to find the amorous students, and Shazam. The deadpan is actually comedical.

"Uhhhm... Hi there", he shoves his hands in his pockets, and looks between the group. "Talk about bad timing or what?"

Julie Power has posed:
On the other hand, there's no rainbow arching down as Julie is getting to the library. It's technically not her school's library, and she had deliverd a bag of books. Or... actually more than just a small bag, because she's a voracious reader. Why this library? Because it is somewhat convenient and has the right books she hasn't read yet.

Just as she exits the portal, the commotion at the side makes her turn the head, eying to Caleb as he slips to the way behind.

Billy Batson has posed:
Julie is in time to hear a little of the talk and see the Champion's back slump in defeat. Maybe if Billy was a little more acceptable, he could roll with this. Shazam cannot. He throws his head back and zooms into the sky. Sharp ears might catch a yell of frustration as the hero leaves trailing a wake of lightning, messing some hair styles in fact.

He can out speed the insults. He could possibly hit light speed with enough room but he can run from himself. He comes to a stop in the stratosphere where it's quiet at least. He ponders sending a thunder shower down on Happy Harbor.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"WHOAH!!", exclaims Caleb as the man in red, gold, and white flies off into the sky. He looks at the students caught red-handed. "That was wierd, huh guys?" Seeing the place isn't so secluded after all, he proceeds to move away from the back of the Library, "Well, keep working that statistic, eh? See you around." As he steps out, he finds an approaching Julie. "Hey there." And he points back. "I think it's a private party."

Julie Power has posed:
Julie Power Shazam leaving upwards, Julie follows the trail of gold and red, stopping at the steps. What... might have happened back there? Did he... do soethign back there? Hmmm...

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam isn't hard to find. He stopped flying. Sparks fly off hm as he holds his head in his hands. the air is thin and cold this high up, but he still seems to be overheated and is out of breath. "I don't need to do this. I should just decide, Billy or the Hero. Be one person and maybe fits somewhere."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb looks up at the trail. "Some fireworks, huh?", he chuckles. "Well, I guess I'll see you around", he says in a light-hearted tone, paying no further mind to the trail of red and gold, and starting to move away; he'd prefer not to ge caught with so much money - hundreds of dollars, in fact - on him.

Julie Power has posed:
Julie Power looking up to the hovering figure, and then back at the guy that seems to have been the reason for the commotion, Julie sighs after a few moment before she gets a little closer to thje back alley, but not yet slips into it

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam suddenly takes a deep breath and falls forward he's a red and gold streak that splits the sky. There is a boom in his wake, but the lightning is gone. He's still hovering.

"What makes you think you can speak that way to me or anybody? Who do you think you are? You insult us, belittle us and then scream, for us to save you. I'm sorry I interrupted your love fest back here. I'll let Dr. McIntyre know how popular this spot is -maybe it will stop something really nasty from happening. What will you do?"

There's a few mutters but no real answers.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"Ouch...", Caleb can't help but mutter at Shazam's strike back. But, instead of continuing on his merry way, he looks back and slows down his pace. This argument got so interesting that his eyes fall upon Julie for a moment, to see if she'll say anything.

Julie Power has posed:
Julie Power's eyebrows furrow at the atypical action from Shazam, but she doesn't entirely disregard Caleb yet. Was he responsible? hmmm... most likely not... but she would have to stop Billie if he went too far.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam says, "See, I'm not a cop or a teacher. I have discretion with these things. You don't deserve it. This is high school. It's way easier tearing other people down than making yourself better. Yeah, don't listen. This is your last safe space for being an entitled bully. Go ahead -walk away. What can you do when someone better than you in every way you think matters, power, muscles, looks, talents calls you out for being average. Don't think I didn't notice the MJ... enjoy having your lockers searched." He lands as the last student leaves. A soda bottle flies at his head and he catches it and laughs. "Hey... what are you looking at?" Suddenly he blurs and is standing next to Caleb.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
And the teen in the hoodie immediately steps backwards in a jump, apparently all that newfound resolve now focused on him; of course, the fact that Shazam blurs to be right on top of him has a little something to do with it. "Hey, what the hell, man?? I'm just a bystander here." He visibly frowns. "You know, you got a tough act to put kids in their place, but you really should know when you're pushing it." He points at the other person here, Julie. "Don't see you running your mouth off to her."

And he begins to walk away, now annoyed.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam zips in front of Caleb, again. "You should know something -I get hurt. Magic, demons, Juggernaut all have handed me my head. I stopped the Seven Deadly Enemies, I caught planes falling, I held up the Brooklyn Bridge but right now maybe I ought to be right here and cut the crap. And you look shady to me. Like you were heading back of the library without a partner, where kids are known to light up. Or do worse. Maybe you ought to leave the campus. Or... I can follow you around like your conscience!" He grins.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
The teen sighs. He pulls up the proverbial sleeves of his talkback repertoire, and just... Let's it roll!

It starts with the blink, "I... I honestly had no idea. Really, sounds big, but I guess I skipped the social network news because..." He shakes his head. "No, don't ring a bell. Were your stories mistaken for ads, or something? Really, you should have a word with your sponsor."

"And while you're up in the clouds, this 'shady' guy right here, as you've put it, has fought aliens, killed aliens, has faced some, some... Thing that takes people into a collective, /twice/ now, and helped to take down the HYDRA robots that invaded New York just recently. And did it all without the fancy tights and a fancy name."

Pause, to calm himself down. And he coughs - damn lung.

"So while you're out there in the sky, how about you put the word out to whomever your buddies are that there's something down here, on the ground, possibly killing peole by the dozens?"

He grabs his phone, "Now excuse me, I got to call my sister." And dials in. "Sheila? Where are you?" And he begins to pace away. "What do you mean, you went home?? All by yourself?? Are you /crazy/??"

Julie Power has posed:
Now... things go a little too far for Julie. Sighing, she steps past one of the colums in front of the library, her clothes getting overtaken by unstable molecules and shifting to a form fitting suit of black and red, her body rising of the ground on a rainbow. "Captain Thunder," she sternly remarks, giving him an equally harsh look as she hovers next to him. "Can I have a word with you?" There's stil limage to lose.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam holds his hands up in a peace sign. "Do... you want a ride home? I can sympathize with a sister in trouble. I have siblings. Look I give you my word of honor no tricks and no questions. Just a really fast trip home. Sounds like there's a situation. After that I will leave or help in whatever way I can."

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Caleb turns back to see if Shazam follows him, and... It's just that well-timed coincidence you know? The kind that happens, to quote Jack Black in Tenacious D, once every hundred thousand years or so, when the Sun doth shine, and the Moon doth glow, and the grass doth grow. Exactly when he turns, he spots Julie going around a column wearing normal clothes, then stepping out wearing a completely different uniform... /And/ flying.

Mind. Officially. Blown. "Holy rainbows." So he doesn't say a completely different thing; because, you know, kid on the other side of the line.

He blinks several times, shaking off his surprise. "N-No... I mean, that's okay", he says. "She's home already." He takes the phone up to his ears again. "You /are/ home, right Sheila?" His voice sounds pissed. "Because on the scale of red to blue, this is a solid orange, got it?" But in fact, orange is a well-rehearsed code for 'high priority, alibi required' - gotta dodge the long arm of the law somehow... Or supers', for that matter.

Julie Power has posed:
Glancing down to Caleb, still hovering some meter off the ground at the call about rainbows, Julie gestures to Shazam, then up. She wants to have a word with him a moment, even if Caleb seemed to be ok for the moment. "It seems he's allright... so... have a moment? I mean, just takes a second or two."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam nods and gives his feet a twitch, sending him several hundred feet up. "First of all it's Shazam now. Second of all I know I went over the line with that guy, and those students. But... he was up to something. I know that. He also watched way to much Star Trek: Voyager. He was blathering about the Borg coming or something. Anyway, no harm done. I'll be glad when I'm finished with this place. I... don't know how you did it fo all that time." He rubs his eyes.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
Watching the two superheroes taking their flight upwards... Well, Caleb can't keep up, now can he? Besides, it's a private conversation, and he's got a sister to get to - a.k.a. step out while he's not made.

He turns towards the campus exit, keeping his pace steady. No rushing, here - rushing earns you suspitions.

Julie Power has posed:
Following at the speed of sound, Julie's rainbow arches after the red trail of Shazam, halting up there. But when Shazam starts to blabber about his own error "That's what I wanted to say, but good you see it for yourself. And... it's way easier if you try to just blend in. I mean, if you just don't use your powers to get around if needed. And let me tell you, being a known heroine isn't easy either. If you want to know a good spot to change... The toilets are the one spot people don't usually bat an eye to when you go there as a hero."

Sighing, she gestures down to where she suspects Caleb to still be somewhere. "Now, that offer in the end was sweet, but you shouldn't have boiled over in the first place. Now... what you thought was suspicious?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam reaches over to give Julie a quick impromptu hug. "He was going to a known hang out for couples, by himself, he was wearing a hoodie -which stereotypes is really good for stashing a lot of stuff or money. Finally -he was way too calm. Innocent people get flustered when you confront them about wrong doing or they laugh from stress or boil over r ask for a lawyer. None of this is enough to go on. Next time... I'll take a pass at him as Billy and see what the deal it. This time, I blew it. I'm way better at fighting demons."

Julie Power has posed:
"Indeed you did, but the logic is sound. If you can spot him... you might follow from above, silently. Or... of course, try to find him as Billy." Julie offers after teturning the hug carefully. "But remember the fishing rule? Let the small ones swim, go for the big ones."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam does hug carefully for all that he moves mountains. "Right. I'm glad you're back and hanging around... hey! You're like my awesome female friend now!" He starts floating away from the campus. "I can use some advice on women at times. Who'd be better to ask? I man if I went to Mary..." Shazam shudders a little.

Caleb Dykstra has posed:
And both heroes can see, from their stand point, Caleb walking over to a '71 Dodge Challenger and entering the driver's seat.

From his standpoint, he takes the money he got from the sell, and places in in a tin box inside the glove compartment. He sighs, even shudders off the adrenaline rush. "Man, that was close." He looks over the mirror to see if he can spot the two floating figures, and starts off into the driveway.

Julie Power has posed:
"I guess... but really... well, you can ask, but don't expect all the answers, ok?" Julie offers with a little flush, then gestures. "Shall we... do our things now?"