Weeks had passed since the museum incident. Philadelphia was calm again, at least from ancient magical threats. Tom Jacker, having had his fill experimenting with his new 'Dark Magic Manipulation' ability (which he found "a bit moody but useful for dramatic effect"), started to feel bored again. Monitoring "Billy & The Quirkies" from afar was amusing at first, but even the best jokes grow stale with endless repetition.
He needed new entertainment. While "borrowing" an internet connection from a university library, he stumbled upon something interesting: a large advertisement for a famous magician's show in Metropolis, Zatanna Zatara, dubbed "The Daughter of Magic." The ad promised illusions that defied logic and an unforgettable performance.
"A stage magician?" Tom muttered. "Usually boring. But," he sensed something faint from her performance video, a thin yet real trace of energy. "Maybe this one has more tricks than just smoke and mirrors." With a new goal in mind, he teleported.
At the same time, on the Rock of Eternity, the Wizard Shazam felt another disturbance. One of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed, had managed to influence an artifact at a high-end charity auction in Metropolis. The artifact, an ancient diamond necklace, now radiated an aura that drove everyone near it mad with covetous desire.
"Billy!" the Wizard called out. "There's trouble in Metropolis. Bring your team. This is a true test. Don't fail this time."
In a luxurious hotel ballroom where the auction was being held, chaos had erupted. The once-polite nobles and socialites were now shoving, fighting, and even attacking each other, all desperate to get closer to the diamond necklace displayed on the stage.
Suddenly, "Billy & The Quirkies" arrived. This time, no fountain landings or awkward entrances. They emerged from a service door in a neat formation. They had been practicing.
"Alright, team, listen up!" Billy said, his voice now steadier and more confident. "Granite, you create a barricade, secure the exits, don't let panicked civilians back in! Nova, focus on those using dangerous objects, disable them with small kinetic blasts! Somnia, spread your mist in the densest areas to calm the crowd! Umbra, find the source of the problem, most likely the object they're fighting over!"
The NPC team moved with surprising efficiency. Granite activated "Bastion Formation," his gigantic body becoming a sturdy living shield. Nova fired precise "Kinetic Blasts," disarming heavy objects from the hands of some of the most aggressive guests. Somnia released a concentrated "Slumber Mist," putting some of the most hysterical people to sleep. Umbra vanished into the shadows, moving swiftly towards the auction stage.
Amidst the chaos, there was one other person trying to deal with the problem in her own way. Zatanna Zatara, the guest star of the event, was casting a spell.
"!ssendaeM siht potS !gnithgiF eht esaeC" (Stop this madness! Cease the fighting!), she commanded, and some people nearby suddenly stopped, looking confused. But the influence of Greed's magic from the necklace was too strong, and the larger crowd continued to rage.
That's when Tom Jacker arrived. He appeared on the empty orchestra balcony, observing the scene below with amusement. He saw Billy's new hero team, who now seemed much more competent. "Wow, they can walk without tripping now. Good improvement." Then he saw Zatanna, and his eyes lit up. "Magic by speaking backward? How creative!"
Zatanna sensed Tom's presence, a sudden surge of immense power. She looked up and saw a casually dressed man staring at her with a knowing smile.
Umbra managed to reach the necklace, but the artifact released a wave of greedy energy that threw her back. Zatanna saw this. "tcafritA eht dnieB!" (Bind the Artifact!) she cried, and magical chains appeared from thin air, attempting to shackle the necklace.
But before the chains could succeed, Tom decided to join the fun. He teleported from the balcony, appearing right beside the auction stage, and casually picked up the diamond necklace before Zatanna's magical chains could hit it.
The entire crowd suddenly stopped. The source of their madness was now in this stranger's hand.
Zatanna stared at Tom warily. Billy and his team, who had just managed to get the situation under control, also turned to him.
Tom simply examined the diamond necklace, which glowed with an evil light in his hand. He then looked at Zatanna, his smile widening.
"Interesting magic," he said, his voice clear in the now silent ballroom. "But your method is a bit... backward."
Tom's cheeky comment hung in the air of the now silent, luxurious ballroom. Zatanna's face, which had been focused on her magic, now turned entirely to Tom, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. As a stage magician and a true sorceress, she was used to dealing with skeptics and hecklers, but this man was different. There was an aura of relaxed yet absolute power about him.
"Backward?" Zatanna repeated, her voice cool yet still captivating. "At least my magic doesn't cause millions of dollars in property damage just for show." She glanced towards the dented bank vault door from the news, a clear reference to Billy's chaotic debut.
"Artistic flair, Miss Magician, artistic flair," Tom countered with a smirk. He tossed the cursed diamond necklace in his hand as if it were a cheap toy.
Zatanna had no time for these games. She raised her hand. "!sseltceN eht em evig" (Give me the necklace!), she commanded. Invisible magical chains shot from her hands, attempting to snatch the necklace from Tom.
However, Tom merely chuckled. With speed invisible to the naked eye, he teleported a few inches to the left. Zatanna's magic chains hit only empty air. Tom now held the necklace in his left hand. "Too slow."
Billy, seeing the dangerous artifact being toyed with, felt his responsibility as a "hero" called upon. "Jacker! Stop it! That thing is dangerous!" he yelled. "Team, get the necklace from him!"
The order was a mistake. Granite, with his blind NPC loyalty, immediately attacked. "Bastion Formation!" He charged towards Tom, ready to ram him. Tom didn't even turn his head. He was still looking at Zatanna with his annoying smile, then casually flicked his finger at Granite. Using the Compress Quirk from AFO, Granite's stone arm, raised to strike, suddenly shrank and transformed into a small gray marble that fell to the floor with a 'click'. Granite stopped, staring at his now stumped arm in complete confusion.
Nova, seeing his teammate "injured," grew angry. "You'll pay for that!" He fired a "Kinetic Blast." Tom merely waved his hand. Using Telekinesis (via AFO), the kinetic blast stopped in mid-air, spun around, then was gently redirected towards the ceiling, shattering an expensive crystal chandelier. "Poor decor," Tom commented.
Seeing this, Zatanna realized that direct confrontation was useless. This man was on a different level. She changed her tactics, her voice now more persuasive. "Alright, powerful stranger. Clearly, you're no ordinary person," she said. "That object is cursed by the essence of Greed, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The longer you hold it, the greater its influence on you. Hand it over to me. I know how to break and seal that curse."
Tom looked at the necklace. He did feel a cold, dark energy creeping from it, trying to whisper desires for more. But to him, the whispers were more like annoying mosquito buzzes than genuine temptations. The Courage of Achilles from his Shazam Template made the Sin's whispers feel weak. Then, the Wisdom of Solomon gave him instant understanding of the curse's nature.
"Oh, so this is one of those ugly monsters I have to 'deal with'?" Tom said, more to himself. He looked at Zatanna. "You say you can seal it? How long? An hour? Two hours?"
"It's a complex ritual, it will take time and"
"Too long," Tom cut her off. "I have a faster way."
He held the necklace in the palm of his hand. He didn't need to transform into Shazam Tom. He only needed to summon a tiny fraction of that power. He focused his mind, and small but incredibly pure golden lightning sparks began to dance around the necklace. This was the Power of Zeus in its most concentrated form.
The dark energy of the Greed curse seemed to shriek upon contact with the divine power. Thin black smoke emanated from the diamond, then vanished. The evil glow in the necklace extinguished, replaced by the pure brilliance of a beautiful jewel. The purification process was complete in less than five seconds.
Tom blew away the remaining wisps of smoke from the necklace as if dusting it off. "There, clean now. No more boring evil magic." He walked towards Zatanna, who was staring at him with her mouth slightly agape, utterly stunned. Tom casually placed the now safe necklace into Zatanna's palm.
"You can keep it," he said. "Consider it an introduction gift."
He then turned, flicked his finger again. Granite's marble-shaped arm returned to its normal form. Granite could only stare at his arm in confusion.
Zatanna held the necklace, which now felt warm and pure. This man... he had just done in seconds what would likely take hours or even days for a sorceress of her caliber. He wasn't just powerful; he was an impossibility. Her wariness was now mixed with immense curiosity. She had to know more about the anomaly who had just saved her city in the most arrogant and most casual way she had ever seen.