Chapter 4:
Tridente City, Xebel, Atlantis
January 18th, 2003
Today in training, all the new recruits went through physical exercises that were really a way to separate those with more potential for combat from the rest.
To Namor's great embarrassment, despite his best efforts, he ended up among the mediocre of the group. Although he wasn't at the very bottom, he didn't stand out in anything either.
Seeing a group of atlanteans who were only 12 or 13 years old outperforming him in everything made him feel even worse, considering that, mentally, he was about 16 years old. Sure, if he transformed into Captain Marvel, he could easily defeat them all. He even doubted that anyone in all of Atlantis could beat him—maybe Aquaman would be a tough opponent… but as Namor, he was weak, very weak compared to other physically superior atlanteans like Atticus.
That feeling of weakness bothered him. On the surface, his atlantean physique had already stood out among humans, but here he was still just mediocre. And even though he now had the powers of the wizard Shazam, which allowed him to transform into Captain Marvel, who was incredibly powerful… Namor didn't like depending solely on his ability to transform into Captain Marvel.
Part of him wanted to achieve something significant just as Namor. Knowing that physically, as an atlantean, he didn't really have the skill or talent, he once again decided on magic.
In the past, he had dismissed learning magic because he couldn't sense it, and also had no way to learn it on his own without going to the Sorcery Conservatory or being a damn genius. But now, in the Rock of Eternity, he had everything he needed and more. There was an immense library filled with knowledge on all kinds of things, and magic was one of the most abundant topics.
So, as soon as he finished his eighth day of mandatory military service, he went to his small room and grabbed the Staff of the Gods that he had hidden, then used it to enter the Rock of Eternity.
"Enternus!" Namor said, and instantly a bright blue light enveloped him completely, making him disappear from the place he was in and then reappear in the Rock of Eternity.
Once in the Rock, he headed to the enormous secret library and asked the magical quill, which knew practically everything, to recommend the best books to start learning magic.
….
….
He spent a month learning magic at night and spending the rest of the day at his mandatory military service. During the day, he received intense atlantean physical training with an emphasis on improving overall physical condition, some combat training in air-filled rooms, others in hot or cold water, and he was also taught how to handle some basic atlantean weapons. Additionally, he was instructed in certain skills like first aid, using some communication equipment, among others.
However, the most difficult thing for him during those days was undoubtedly the magic. Even with the best books at his disposal and the help of the magical quill that provided him with other books for better understanding, it was extremely difficult for him to get started in magic.
It was only after 20 days without sleep that he made noticeable progress. If he hadn't made any progress, he would have thought that he simply couldn't use magic, even after being imbued with magic by the wizard Shazam, since he hadn't shown any signs of being able to use it. He had the knowledge, but using it wasn't yielding any results.
He was very happy to see his first progress. In fact, it was only thanks to that that he didn't get frustrated and kept trying day after day without resting, even when he didn't see new progress.
On the other hand, it was a great advantage to discover that he didn't need to sleep. As Captain Marvel, Namor didn't need to rest since his atlantean physical body rested while he was transformed, and as for his mind, with Gamer's Mind, he never had headaches or mental fatigue, only physical fatigue.
Gamer's Mind allowed Namor to optimize his cognitive and physical functions more efficiently, and also helped him maintain a clear and focused mind, mitigating the negative effects of sleep deprivation, such as mental fatigue and confusion, and reducing his need for sleep. Namor was able to function at optimal levels even with less sleep, as the ability helped him stay calm and clear-headed at all times.
So when he got the powers of Shazam, he didn't even need to sleep at all anymore because when he transformed into Captain Marvel, his physical body as Namor could rest, and even though his mind kept working, it was supported by Gamer's Mind, which allowed Namor to not sleep at all without any negative effects.
Gamer's Mind, combined with the powers of Shazam, complemented each other in such a way that he could eliminate the need for sleep.
And thanks to this, when about a month had passed since he started practicing, he was happy to see that he could now do small things with the knowledge he had acquired. Nothing impressive or very useful, but that's how it started.
And today, for the first time since starting mandatory military service, all the new recruits were given a day off.
Namor obviously took advantage of it to get away from Xebel and transform into Captain Marvel for the first time outside the Rock of Eternity.
At this very moment, Namor, transformed into Captain Marvel, was underwater, surrounded by the vastness of the ocean, and everything felt completely different from when he was underwater as an atlantean.
Instead of swimming, he felt as if he were floating freely, propelled by the powers of his transformation. He moved his body with ease, gliding through the water as if it were air. There was no resistance; the sensation was almost surreal. He could move in any direction just by thinking about it, his movements fluid and natural, as if the water were just a different environment for his body.
As he moved faster, the underwater landscape blurred around him in a rush of colors and shapes. The fish and other marine creatures seemed startled by his presence, quickly moving away as Namor explored the depths as Captain Marvel. And just like with his atlantean physique, the pressure of the water didn't affect him, and he could descend to great depths without feeling any change in his body—only now he was much faster and stronger than before.
When he stopped, Namor remained suspended in the water, looking up and observing the sunlight filtering through the surface, creating patterns of light and shadow.
He considered flying out of the water to fly for the first time on Earth.
He took a deep breath and then, with a roar, burst out from under the water and soared into the air. He could feel Earth's gravity trying to pull him down, but in his Captain Marvel transformation, Earth's gravity felt like a gentle tug. He could feel a magical force field covering his entire body, and suddenly, he was soaring through the air with no barriers holding him back. A sonic boom echoed in his wake as his body cut through the air, completely surpassing the speed of sound. He was among the clouds, and pure joy filled his mind.
He felt a freedom he had never imagined possible. The wind on his face, the sun on his skin, the view of Earth from above. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time.
"This is what it really means to be free," he said to himself with a big smile.
After flying for a while, he decided to fly into space, and quickly he felt pressure on his body as he reached the atmosphere, but his new body could handle it. He saw the curvature of the Earth, the oceans, and continents clearly outlined, the satellites in orbit, the stars shining in the darkness. It was an awe-inspiring sight.
But at first, Namor couldn't enjoy or appreciate the wonderful view around him because he felt a bit overwhelmed, but Gamer's Mind helped him stay calm. He was doing something he had never done before, something that seemed impossible. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his hands were trembling slightly.
But soon he began to feel a sense of calm and control. He realized he was in a completely new environment, but that he had the power of Captain Marvel.
"This is incredible," he said to himself as he looked around. Although he had to admit that the immediate outer space around Earth was a junkyard full of used rockets, old satellites, and other types of solid debris. But along with this trash, hundreds of functioning satellites floated and orbited in fixed orbits around Earth.
Then he looked at the Moon and saw the craters and mountains, the dusty and barren surface.
"It's like a completely different world," Namor thought. "So close to Earth, yet so distant in terms of environment and landscape."
As he continued flying, Namor felt increasingly comfortable and confident. He quickly adapted to zero gravity, learning to move and navigate in space with ease.
Finally, Namor decided to head for the Moon, propelling himself through space with surprising ease. As he landed on the dusty surface, the reduced gravity gave him a strange feeling, like every movement was in slow motion.
"It's like walking in a dream," Namor murmured, somewhat amused at the thought that he was doing what all of humanity had dreamed of doing.
'A very vivid and amazing dream,' he thought as he now headed for the Moon. 'I'm doing something I literally never thought I could do.'
Upon reaching the Moon, Namor landed on its surface and felt the reduced gravity; he could jump and move with ease.
'I've never seen Earth like this.'
From there, he saw Earth from a unique perspective. The Earth looked like a blue ball floating in the darkness. The first thing that stood out was the blue of the oceans, which covered most of the planet. This blue contrasted with the greens and browns of the continents, which appeared as patches of various sizes and shapes. He also saw the patterns of the clouds, rivers, and mountains.
The clouds were easy to see, slowly moving over the Earth's surface. From this perspective, you could see enormous storms and hurricanes as large white swirls. The clouds weren't static; they were constantly moving, changing shape and location.
Around the planet, there was a thin blue edge—the atmosphere. This edge was very thin and fragile, almost imperceptible, but it was essential for life on Earth. When the Sun rises or sets, this edge lights up with shades of orange and red, clearly showing the curvature of the planet.
"I really never imagined I could see Earth this way…"
The emptiness of space is immense and gives a feeling of loneliness and smallness. Seeing Earth from here, a small dot of life in the darkness, is a unique and impressive experience for Namor.
Then he looked at the stars and distant planets and felt that same sense of smallness again… Space itself is dark and vast, full of stars that appear as tiny points of light in every direction.
"It's so big," he said aloud. "It's hard to believe I'm here, seeing all this in person."
Namor spent hours in space, exploring and marveling at the sight of the planets and stars. He felt a sense of freedom and excitement he had never experienced before.
"It's like I've been living in a bubble," Namor thought, "and now, I'm seeing reality for the first time."
Returning to Earth, Namor flew at high speed, feeling the wind on his face and the adrenaline in his body. It was a feeling of freedom and excitement.
In every moment, Namor felt more alive than ever, and it was an experience he had never imagined possible, but now it was his reality.
...
Namor, transformed into Captain Marvel, flew leisurely, enjoying the views of various cities and countries across America. He had always dreamed of traveling and seeing the entire continent, and now not only was he doing it, but he was doing it in a way he never would have imagined—flying by himself and without spending a cent.
Furthermore, he took the opportunity to use runes to create a magical access from the Rock of Eternity to the different countries in America where he stopped, so he could go there instantly whenever he was in the Rock.
This magical runic access created by him was like a magical portal accessible only from the Rock of Eternity through gates that were actually just a physical representation of the portal and only acted as a mere visual representation to smooth things out.
He learned this runic magic since, even though it wasn't useful in either combat or defense, it was still very useful to reach different parts of the world in an instant. However, this was solely possible because, as the owner of the Rock of Eternity, he was able to create these runic magic accesses to different places using the Rock as the access point.
It was a highly useful magic but also very simple since he only had to set the magic runes in the desired place; then it would automatically create a portal door in the Rock of Eternity, which he only had to open to travel to the designated place. And returning to the Rock was as easy as holding the staff and saying "Enternus!"
…..
Upon arriving in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, he noticed a group of police cars surrounding a building and a helicopter hovering overhead. The helicopter camera detected an ugly reptilian creature on the building's roof.
"What is that?" Captain Marvel wondered, intrigued by the creature that was about the size of two humans.
Determined to investigate, he quickly flew toward the roof.
As soon as he landed, the creature sensed him and attacked, screaming unintelligible things as it did: "AHHAAHDHDHSHAHHA!"
The creature lunged at Captain Marvel and punched him in the face. He responded by kicking the creature with his legs, surprised by how fast it moved despite its size. He jumped and kneed it in the face, but the creature pulled out huge, sharp claws, slashing at his chest and knocking him to the ground. Before he could react, the creature kicked him in the head, grabbed him, and threw him off the building.
Captain Marvel quickly recovered, flying back to the roof to face the creature with more preparation. After a flying kick, a strong punch to the face, and a knee to the stomach, he thought he had defeated the creature. However, the reptile only growled and sent an uppercut to his face, jumped on him, grabbed him by the neck, and tried to strangle him.
He felt a bit dizzy, but his resilient body allowed him to withstand the attacks. He was really grateful that his current body was so durable because, with just his atlantean physique, he doubted he could face or even withstand the creature's attacks.
He punched the creature in the face, grabbed it, and threw it to the ground. The creature got up again, only to be knocked down when Captain Marvel's knee collapsed into its stomach.
"Does that mean I won?" he wondered, staring at the creature.
The creature growled and punched him in the ribs and kneed him in the head. It tried to use its claws to strike him, but Captain Marvel dodged and, now a bit annoyed, began punching it without holding back. Finally, he left it unconscious in a rather precarious situation, not suitable for children.
As Captain Marvel recovered, he noticed that he was now surrounded by police officers. There were two helicopters over the building, one from the police and another from a news channel, capturing the entire scene.
From the police helicopter, Sergeant Ramirez watched the situation with disbelief.
"¿Quién demonios es ese tipo?(Who the hell is this guy?)" Ramirez asked to his partner in spanish.
"No lo sé, pero parece que está de nuestro lado. Esa criatura era una amenaza(I don't know, but it seems to be on our side. That creature was a menace)" replied his companion.
"Si… es cierto. Hmmm, bueno tal vez es algun conocido de Superman…(Yes... that's right. Hmmm, well, maybe he's an acquaintance of Superman…)" commented Ramirez.
In the building, the other officers were discussing how to deal with the situation.
"¡No tenemos idea de quién es!(We have no idea who he is!)" exclaimed one of the officers. "¿Y si es otro villano?("What if he's another villain?)"
"No lo creo, parece más un tipo como Superman(I don't think so, he kind of looks more like a Superman type of guy)" commented another of the officers.
"Sea quien sea, acaba de salvarnos de esa cosa. Debemos averiguar más antes de actuar("Whoever he is, has just saved us from that thing. Let's find out more before acting)" said Lieutenant Hernandez, keeping his cool.
Meanwhile, the reporter in the news helicopter livestreamed the situation:
"Amigos televidentes, estamos presenciando una escena increíble. Un hombre en traje rojo y dorado con capa y capucha blanca se ha enfrentado a una criatura reptiliana en el tejado de un edificio. La policía está en el lugar, pero parece que este misterioso héroe ha tomado el control de la situación. Y por lo que pudimos ver tiene caracteristicas similares a las del mismisimo Superman!(Fellow viewers, we are witnessing an unbelievable scene. One man in a red and gold suit with a white cape and hood has confronted a reptilian creature on the roof of a building. Cops are on the scene, but it looks like this mysterious hero has assumed control of the situation. And from what we could see he shares many Superman-like abilities!)"
Captain Marvel, noticing that the cops were approaching cautiously, decided to act quickly.
"Tranquilos, soy Capitán Marvel. Solo estaba ayudando(Relax, I'm Captain Marvel. I was just helping out)" he stated in spanish language using a very simple and basic translation spell while smiling calmly before climbing into the air.
The cops and onlookers were stunned as they watched him fly away, recorded by the cameras of both helicopters.
Captain Marvel flew away quickly to avoid arrest and, at the same time, had taken the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on everyone present.
….
Namor didn't stop there, after facing that strange creature he created some magic runes in the vicinity to be able to access from the Rock of Eternity to the assigned place and then he continued flying and wandering around the continent. And on the way if he saw any crime he quickly solved it and then continued flying and enjoying his day off as Captain Marvel.
...
His next destination was Rio de Janeiro, where the problems in the favelas were constant. Namor as Captain Marvel faced gangsters armed to the teeth, but he was fast, strong and tough, more than any criminal could handle. With every punch, he took down a gang member, destroying their morale and organization.
One particularly memorable scene was when Captain Marvel saved a group of children who had been caught in the middle of a gunfight. He lifted them in his arms and carried them to safety on a hilltop, where their parents were anxiously awaiting them.
From Brazil, Captain Marvel headed to the Amazon, where a group of illegal loggers was destroying the jungle. The local natives had tried to stop them, but their efforts were in vain against armed men and heavy machinery.
Captain Marvel arrived just in time, taking down the loggers with brute force. His powers were an impressive sight: he lifted trucks as if they were toys and swiftly disarmed the men with impressive speed.
And so, Namor's journey as Captain Marvel continued across the continent...