Chapter Text
Since it was a nice day out, Billy Batson was completing his homework in the park, rather than at his current home in the subway or at WHIZ radio tower. The subway was usually too dark, and the radio tower had too much going on for Billy to concentrate. It was almost a 60-page reading tonight, since he had missed the past few nights due to schemes from Dr. Sivana, Mr. Mind, and even Sabbac.
Still, even in this quieter part of the park, he was finding it hard to concentrate. There wasn’t even any birdsong in the background… Or bugs chirping…
Billy looked up. Black Adam was floating in the air not too far away, arms crossed, glaring down Billy.
Billy shouted in surprise and fell backwards off of the picnic table bench, hitting his head. He rubbed it, annoyed, “What do you want now?”
“Hmph. This is truly pitiful. A true warrior is always on guard, with perceptions heightened to detect any foe. Pathetic child!”
Black Adam had been on one of his ‘better-than-you’ crusades for a while. Billy guessed that Khandaq was probably getting too peaceful or something. This would’ve been the fourth time this month that the ex-champion picked a fight with Captain Marvel. At least since it was a fight based on pride, Billy could usually count on Black Adam attacking Captain Marvel, not Billy.
Billy rolled his eyes, and sat back down on the bench, “Well, this ‘true warrior’ has history homework to catch up on, so you’ll just have to wait.”
“I’ve been waiting five minutes! Your studies can wait.”
“You’ve been floating there for five minutes? Are you really that bored?”
“Insipid child! This conflict of ours is a serious battle. I expect you to regard it as such. Say the word, and meet me in combat. I have made sure there are no ‘bystanders’ around to suit your childish stomach.”
Billy sighed, looking up from the book. He hated fighting for the sake of fighting, even more so to suit the arrogant ruler’s boredom and desire for conflict, “Look, you’re like 6000 years old, right?”
Black Adam was taken aback by the question, “Yes. What does this matter?”
“These chapters are on ancient Egypt, including the region of Khandaq. Help me finish these chapters and my worksheet, and then Captain Marvel will fight you.”
Black Adam groaned, floating down to the ground. He peeked over Billy’s shoulder at the textbook. “I don’t have to negotiate with the whims of a child.”
“Believe me, it’s not my whims! Miss Wormwood always assigns extra homework whenever I’m late. I can’t exactly use ‘fighting crazed supervillains’ as an excuse.” Billy looked at Black Adam pointedly.
“Whining isn’t going to solve anything, you should respect your elders. Scoot over, let me look at this…” Black Adam read the first few pages of the book quickly, aided by the powers granted to him by Zehuti, the Egyptian god who invented the alphabet, “This book is complete garbage!” Adam threw it against the ground, into the mud.
“Hey! I have to return that at the end of the year.”
“Hmph! You can return it now. Let me tell you how things really went down circa 4000 BC…”
Although Billy later confronted Black Adam about his failed history exam, Black Adam insisted that the answers he gave were correct. It was only through a quick bit of diversion that Billy prevented the villain from heading to Billy’s school himself and barking sense into the history teachers there.