2667/Burning Trees and Forensic Stuff

Burning Trees and Forensic Stuff
Date of Scene:	28 July 2020
Location:	Flushing Meadows Park
Synopsis:	Shazam battles bullies. Angelica gives a performance! Secrets are shared! Flutes are played!
Cast of Characters:	Angelica Jones, Billy Batson

---

Angelica Jones has posed:
The bell rings, signalling freedom from another day of sitting, being talked at, and pronouns. Prepositions, higher algebra, lost teeth and broken hearts. Also known as high school. The horde of exiting personnel are, by and large, younger and more than willing to leave.

Angelica Jones is one of those freed to go. She instead finds herself in the music room though, now quiet, and the sounds of a flute twitter through the slightly open door, a fair flag to whomever might still be here.

Nobody would though. It's after school!

Billy Batson has posed:
Well Shazam is here on the grounds.

The young/not too young hero is reading a clipped together computer printed tome labeled Avengers' Training Manual 304: Death rays and their results. He turns past one page quickly because 'eeeew'. True, it's photoshopped but still 'eeeew'. he looks at the book and squints at the tree, rips it open a little more, squints some more. Then he hears a flute playing softly. Shazam tucks a couple pieces of wood into his belt, sticks the book in his bag and floats up almost lazily seeking out the sound. Are there villains that play flutes and blast trees? Maybe. There are stranger things, like that talking gorilla or that vigilante with no face.

Angelica Jones has posed:
An intermediate level song, the Waltz from Sleeping Beauty is one that has always helped Angelica when she's feeling alone. She sways from side to side, her fingers missing an occasional note but her heart catching up nicely. She can almost see birds in the air at times.

As a dance tune, she twirls out her skirt once and lowers the flute, to hum the tune instead and dance along. She pictures herself at a grand ball, not seeing Shazam outside. Definitely not a moment when she's likely to set things on fire.

Still, she glances up and may or may not see him. There's a lot to see, after all.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam is at the window, sitting on the sill, his chin in his hands and a dopey look on his face. He's gotten to enjoy the flash and crack of the lightning. But this , the music, is really nice too. Solomon whispers in the back of his mind, "Do not let her see you. Catching a fair maiden singing and dancing for herself... doesn't end well for the man." Zeus and Hercules chorus, "Now while she isn't looking!" They are quickly shut up by Achilles, Atlas and Mercury. So he stays there enjoying it all. A rare perk of being a champion... not counting invulnerability, flight and being able to bend steel. What could possible ruins such a lovely scene where it seems God is in his Heaven and all is right with the world for the moment?

Angelica Jones has posed:
Then, when she sees she's truly alone (she thinks), the redheaded flautist wanders about the room, seemingly aimlessly. She finds what she is looking for though, a set of sheet music of some form or other. Placing it on the stand she assembles it, then seems to study it intensely.

Outside, sniggering comes from the hallway. Someone IS watching, and it's not the essence of Zeus, Mercury, and adolescence.

Angelica, oblivious, pauses. She looks it over again, then raises her flute, clearly apprehensive. And when she raises the flute to her lips she shows that there is good reason.

The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. One of the most advanced sets of flute music in the school's collection, and she immediately flubs the transfers, sounding like a wounded rhinoceros.

That causes intense laughter, and three people fall through the doorway they were leaning against, listening. "Oh god, Angelica you dork! Do it again, we're recording!" Phones are raised, doing exactly that, and Angelica's face turns beet red.

And the trash can behind her starts to smolder, just softly.

Billy Batson has posed:
As John Cleese said in Life of Brian, "You are ----ing nicked, me old beauty!" A mighty feast is raised and...

And what? Destroy school property? that just isn't done. the Champion of Mankind finds an open window and crawls through it.

The Champion of Mankind is stuck halfway through it.

He glares at the three, "Leave her alone! You couldn't play on anything but a guy's nerves!" Yep stuck. Stupid window! C'Mon Solomon help a guy out!

Angelica Jones has posed:
The jeering and jawing and other 'j' words stop suddenly when a superhero shows up. GEE GO FIGURE! "What are you, her bodyguard?" says Sandusky, the one who's been making Angelica her personal project. She's got guts, either that or she's been drinking.

Yes, teenagers drink. Have you MET teenagers?

Angelica takes a step back, tripping over the trash can behind her and sending her flute flying, an awkward squawk coming out of her lips that makes her ever so happy later on when she reviews this scene in her spare time, and she makes a noise that sounds like...a falling trash can and 130 lbs of idiot.

The teens in the door laugh, though most have their eyes on both Angelica and FREAKING SHAZAM STUCK IN THE WINDOW! Still recording, they back off, until one says, "Lol," yes he actually pronounced it, "Angelica's on fire. Were you smoking in here too, you lame ass bitch?" He hides his ciggies, and keeps filming.

Angelica, her skirt smoking, looks down. She's sitting on the floor, and her skirt is...

"Crap!" Ooh. Language. She looks around for water, her eyes panicky.

The kids are super helpful.

Billy Batson has posed:
Champions curse sometimes. Screw the window. He also is kind of smoking himself. there is a pops as three cell phones are trashed. Hope they got a service plan with that and don't tell them you got it wet!

Shazam comes through the window, bending the frame somewhat. Cracking the glass. As he gets free he becomes a blur. The flaming skirt is flung aside and faster than the eye can see a sheet thrown over a piano is snapped out and becomes... a sort of toga. Thanks again, all you greek guys.

He's moving at normal human speed as he stalks towards the three.

He smiles and says, "No... I'm not her bodyguard. I'm your best friend! I'm going to go with you everywhere. I'm going to be your constant companion... or you can scram now... and stay in your lane... and leave all the poor kids you torment alone." He is walking up to Sandusky, almost chest to chest (his is bigger for what it's worth). "Oh and you don't wanna try to ditch me in the girl's locker room or bathrooms. Then I have to call my big sister in, Thunderbolt, and she's the mean one." He suddenly gives vent to a loud barks at the three and causes lightning to play around his eyes. "Now get lost if you don't want people wondering how that fire started Mr. Cigs! Beat it!"

Angelica Jones has posed:
Thus does it occur that Angelica's tormenters turn and RUN THE 'F AWAY, as bullies will tend to do when confronted by someone who will stand up to them. Angelica, her own face gone pale, looks at her new outfit, at the damp trash (assuming that Shazam had the wisdom to put out the fire), and at the room.

Then she starts to tear up, having no idea how to handle all of this. "What's going on??" she says, cries out really, as she watches the kids run, her outfit in the sink, and her brain melting. "Why does this keep happening to me? Who ARE you?" To Shazam, yes. He's got to, gasp, talk to a girl.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam did not deal with the fire, yet. Oops. "One second," he says. The trash is dumped and stomped out, again speed of Mercury.

Billy can talk to girls. Mary is a girl technically. Mary never turned on the waterworks like this. And he kind of liked her so far. And she was playing and singing and really looked like she was named right. And...

"Uhm, I'm Shazam. Sometimes known as Captain Thunder or Red Thunder... ? I saved... uhm, are you going to be all right? Is there someone I can call for you, a friend?" Oh you unprincipled cad! We all know what you have in mind! Zeus give a thumbs up, "It ain't turning into a morning shower but give the kid time!"

Angelica Jones has posed:
As a meta-comment, the typist of Angelica Jones would like to slip in this side note: Zeus, you're a pig. XD

Back to the action, as actioney as it may be, Angelica wipes her face on the sleeve of her shirt, still under the toga, and tries not to cry so much. "I'm SORRY! I'm not built for adventure, I know that." You gonna have a hard life then, sweetheart.

She mumbles something unintelligible, and then rushes at Shazam, leaning against him and crying. Not really answering the question, she lets the superhero save her. That's how it works after all.

In a moment she sniffles, and mumbles about finding her flute..

Billy Batson has posed:
Let it be said, the Courage of Achilles does many things for Billy Batson. It protects him from any external forces generating fear. It lets him have some matter of confidence fighting demons and monsters. But...

The Courage of Achilles can be a bitch. He really can't rationalize anything away out of fear. If he knows the right thing, he has to do it or realize he's being a jerk, not scared or cautious. Let it be said, Billy has a fair amount of courage himself. So little Angelica is crying on a superheroes chest one moment, then he whispers something. There is a flash of light that is visible through her tightly closed eyelids and she's hugging someone much thinner and wiry and her head is on his slim shoulder. When she picks her head up she sees Billy Batson looking at her worriedly and smiling.

Angelica Jones has posed:
The results are, well, predictable. The redhead that trusted him falls on her petite behind and scrambles backward, her first impressions torn away and the entire concept being so confusing that she fails, she utterly fails. The words 'I just can't' apply, as she simply cannot anything for almost four seconds.

3.7 to be exact. But who's counting.

She looks up, then..."Billy? What ...happened to Shazam?" She glances around, she looks back. She puts two and two together and gets 3.7, her pulse slowing and her brain misfiring more normally. "Am I being punked?" Her eyes narrow, but she doesn't truly believe it. It's just an option that needs exploring. Given her life, she probably gets more pranks than superheroes..

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam shakes his head and says more loudly, "Shazam!"

<<Boom>>

Shazam.

<<Boom>>

Billy. "Uhm... are you getting the idea or should I do it again? 'Cause it sort of makes me trippy if I do it too fast. He extends a hand to Angelica.

"I'm not going to bite you. I'm just... a superhero sometimes. I want to help. Whatever way I can. I just... it felt like lying to you the way it was going and I don't lie and I... think you're awesome. The way you play and dance and sing. I can't do anything like that. those dumb bullies can't. That's why they bother you."

And you have the prettiest eyes ever and I will move the world if I have to to make you smile again because... you need a friend more than anything.

Angelica Jones has posed:
Angelica Jones, faced with this, has two choices. She can either stay distant, or do something else. So she just sits, on one of the uncomfortable band chairs, and the tearworks stop. She pats the one beside her, though the janitors will be coming soon to kick them out, and lets him sit.

Not a word from her, as she processes all of this, until she opens her mouth and says:

"I can teach you, if you want."

It's not bad. And she does smile, though it will get better. Over time.%