16493/The Test of Thunderbolt

The Test of Thunderbolt
Date of Scene:	05 December 2023
Location:	Rock of Eternity
Synopsis:	Introducing the all new yet familiar Thunderbolt	!
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Mary Bromfield, Marie-Ange Colbert

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Billy Batson has posed:
The summons goes out -via text. <<Ten minutes till you are portaled in. Get ready! Billy. P.S. Athletic wear pls.>> Ten minutes after the summons, a closet door opens as if by, well you know it's magic. Beyond the door is the familiar Rock with two dark robed figures, one holding a familiar staff. The other hooded figure beckons to Mary.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary took advantage of the warning to wear a pair of shorts, athletic shoes, and a fairly baggy t-shirt. She wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen, but she wanted to be fairly ready. With that, when the portal opened in the closet, she looked over at Marie and smiled, offering her a hand, "Ready?"

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
For her part, Marie is dressed to hunt for bear; that is, she's sporting her New Mutants uniform, the yellow and black bodysuit that includes a belt pouch for her deck of cards, and a pair of escrima sticks strapped to her back. Her hair's tied back in -- what else -- a proper French braid with a pink ribbon intertwined in it. Fortunately, drills at the school have made it easy for her to get dressed in a hurry!

"Oui, mon amour." Marie replies, taking the offered hand and leaning in to plant a quick kiss to Mary's cheek.

Billy Batson has posed:
Inside the figures are revealed as Momoragan and Shazam. Shazam is wearing a black cape and hood, which looks very familiar to Mary, as she has worn it to Ren Faires and D&D games. It smacks of collusion. Mormoragan hands his staff to Shazam. "Shazam has empowered you. Shazam will test you. I am assisting with magical matters. Is this understood. He waits a moment for dissent then nods to Shazam.

Shazam says, "Speak the word, my friend, my sister, tale teller, and game master, my counsel, my critic, my strength."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary returns the kiss to Marie, then steps through, taking in the figures and what they represent. She bows slightly to them both, then takes a half step away from Marie... just to make sure she doesn't get caught in anything. Because then Mary takes a deep breath, then shouts "SHAZAM!"

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie smiles a little to herself as she spies the pair of waiting men, dipping down into a formal curtsey of her own, and then taking a step back at the same moment that Mary takes hers foward... because, really, she's not entirely unsure what's going to happen in Mary's current state; the usual lightning strike, or something else entirely!

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam levels the staff at Mary. There is a blinding flash and she finds herself on the slab Billy uses for a desk. The desk is set up for... a D&D game. In fact, Shazam, who now seems to be a giant sits behind a DM screen. Mary finds herself on Dungeon terrain, square floor grid, resin corridor walls and doors, a few nicely painted figures, now dwarfing Mary. To Marie, her amour is about 25 millimeters tall.

Shazam smiles and says, "You're getting all this stuff no matter how you do. It's an early Christmas present... Mormoragan did the painting, Marie helped /borrow/ the cape and screen. Anyway... first door on your right. The first test is the Body."

Mormoragan says, "It was simple enough. I enjoyed it. I hope you like them."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary hrms, "You said athletic clothes... I should have brought my SCA gear." She grins slightly, and moves towards the door, pausing to take a listen, then she steps through the door. This, at least, is something she's pretty familiar with.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie's eyes go wide as Mary is suddenly... gone! Wait, no. She's on the desk, and so utterly tiny! The French girl can't help but giggle to herself at the sight. "Oh, she is tres adorable!" she coos, eyes twinkling as she watches and waits to see what's in store for her beloved.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam says, "You're not fighting monsters. You're being tested! Don't backtalk your wizard." There is a snort from HIS wizard at that.

Beyond the door is a pole. Two large and heavy looking plaques with the Shazam lightning emblem lie before it. Each has a chain leading to a manacle. "The first test... clamp the weights on your wrists and then... climb the pole."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary says, "Backtalking a DM is totally acceptable, Billy, because you did it all the time!" She does look at the weights, then at the pole, arching a brow, "Oh boy. Well..." She doesn't look for a loophole, just yet, putting on the manacles before moving the weights over by the pole. "Hoo boy."

Okay, this might be a challenge... but she starts trying to climb.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie, for her part, cheers from the sidelines. "You can do it Mary! I have much faith in you!" Of course, what she can't do at a moment like this is let this whole ordeal go undocumented... so out comes her cellphone, and the French girl is moving around to get juuuust the right picture of Mary attempting the trial. Living in a table top game? Oh yes, that needs to be recorded for posterity!

Mary Bromfield has posed:
After falling down as the weights are *very* heavy, Mary then blinks. "Wait a minute..." She looks at the chains, then at Billy, "Disney, seriously?" She then wraps the chains *around* the pole, entwining them so they have a solid grip on the pole as she pulls them taut.

Then she works her way up the pole, using the leverage to work in her favor as she gradually makes her way to the top.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam watches eagerly. Mormoragan jumps a little at the flash of light. Someone say the word? He then frowns at Marie. Shazam says, "Mulan was a classic tale, with a strong female character. You be glad I didn't borrow from Enchanted and have it involve you singing! Also... I want a copy of that picture, Marie!" He sighs with a little relief. Both the emblems vanish and Shazam swiftly extends a hand to catch tiny Mary. "Okay, you have won wisdom and strength. Stop wiggling!" He sets her on a trolley track. A trolley readies to move forward. The track diverge where Mary is now standing. On the main spur a man who looks very much like Frank Vasquez is lashed. The spur of the tracks leads to a ravine. The trolley is filled with members of the Vasquez family or likenesses.

Shazam says, "Test of the Spirit. If you throw the switch those on the trolley die, if you do nothing, a single life is lost." The trolley begins moving forward gaining speed.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
"/I/ thought it was a lovely idea." Marie chimes in -- she has seen and very much enjoyed Mulan. "And certainly! I can send it to you once we are done, oui?" she agrees, before her attention goes right back to Tiny Mary and her newest trial. Eyes going wide. Oh, what will her beloved do now?!

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary looks indecisive for a second, then she suddenly realizes... strength. She has the Strength. So she runs /forward/ to intercept the trolley, looking to ram into it with the Strength of...

Well, it's no longer Hercules, but it feels different. Equal in power, but more suited to who she is, as she looks to just stop the trolley from getting the speed to really get going.

Billy Batson has posed:
The trolley pushes! mary can feel it slwoing but... she lacks the durability Atlas imparts. Her feet start smoking. She feels the heat increase until it is excruciating and she blacks out! When she opens her eyes the trolley is stopped all are safe, except her sneakers. They're half melted. her feet are scorched but not badly burned. Shazam looks down at her and says, "I'm sorry sis. for your feet and this. Final test... the mind..." Billy and Marie disappear, Momoragan grabbing the falling staff.

"Mary Bromfeld. Proceed through the door when you are able. I will administer the final tes. You are gifted with durability and lightning." As he says this two emblems on the trolley vansih and Mary is surrounded by the familiar crackle. Her blistered feet begine healing quickly.

Beyond the door Marie-Ange is in a cage, suspended over a river of laval and flames. Shazam is now again Billy. He is locked in an identical cage. A golden muzzle prevents him from speaking.

Mormoragan says, "You have wisdom, strength, durability and power. You lack the speed and flight you once knew. Before you, is a control. You will choose which cage will fall. This is Hellfire. It will not kill them... it will torment them. The one who falls will wake screaming for years to come. Take as long as you need to decide."

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary feels a bit lighter, even as her feet heal up from the previous test. She looks at the control, then at her brother, then her lover. And she mutters something about being a good thing she's tiny at the moment, because she looks angry.

However, beneath the anger, she's thinking... not with the Wisdom of Solomon... but someone else. Someone older. The depths of Memory, searching out a solution.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
The sudden change in location is a shocker for Marie; she's springing into action quickly, reaching out for the bars to get a better view of what's going on... only to see a river of death below. "Mary!" she calls out in surprise, before looking over and "...Billy? Oh no."

There's a look towards Billy, and then one towards Mary again as Mormoragan speaks. "Save him, Mary!" she implores. "You have already given me all I could ever ask for." Then? She moves to sit in the center of her cage, waiting as calmly as she can for the fall she's expecting.

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary looks up at Marie, and smiles a bit, "Don't worry, I got this." She then moves towards the controls, and... presses the button for Billy's cage. However, just as the cage starts to drop, Mary then shouts as loudly as she can, "SHAZAM!"

It's no lightning that answers, not exactly. It is a bolt of lightning and power, but it feels more like... hope. The rising dawn, the start of a new day, as it roars in towards Billy and strikes him just as he starts to fall within the cage.

Even though it might not be Zeus' lightning, not exactly... the end result is going to be the same...

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam feels the lightning hit him, familiar but different, gentler, like a caress or kiss. He changes before the cage falls far, Shazam bursts out of it, tearing the metal of his gag away. He's closer so takes it upon himself to tear open Marie-Ange's cage and offer her a hand down. "Thank you... "

Like that they are normal sized standing beside a beaming Wizard. He places a hand on Mary and she again wears her familiar costume. Shazam says, "Skirt's still too short."

Momoragan says, "Congratulations. Victory. You honor your brother's choice, as he honors mine. Go to your love... don't crush her." He claps Shazam on the shoulder looking pleased.

Marie-Ange Colbert has posed:
Marie's a little surprised when it's Billy's cage that starts to fall, not her own... but Mary said don't worry, and she trusts the brunette implicitly so it's easy to place her trust. That trust is rewarded as Billy's transformation occurs and he's soon escorting her out of her own cage, and she takes the offered hand with a soft, "Merci beaucoup."

"I like the skirt." Marie adds with a little wink directed in her girlfriend's direction, before bursting into a round of joyous applause. Her pride in her beloved was clearly well-placed!

Mary Bromfield has posed:
Mary smirks, "I'm wearing /shorts/ under this. Sheesh." She looks over at Marie, and smiles, picking her up gently and hugging her close, "See, you like the skirt, and that's all I care about." Her eyes light up, as she looks at Marie, before saying quietly, "Selene, Hippolyta, Athena, Zorya, Artemis, Mnemosyne." She pauses, as if hearing the goddesses with her now, helping her in the tests and deciding that she was worthy. Then she kisses her girlfriend, looking exceptionally happy in the moment.