SHAZAM!: The Word of Power #11

"Alarms are raised--what's going on down there?"

Her heels knock a steady, confident beat into the marble. Her servants scramble as she barks questions and orders into the mouthpiece.

Static…

"What are you imbeciles doing?!"

On the other end of the line is a charred corpse. Dozens of them. The building is rubble.

The room once containing the vault now consists of dust and death. Nothing more.

…..

Adam lands with a treasury upon his shoulders.

"Father, how? What is this?"

"Conquest, boy. You missed that part of your station," he drops it on the hard packed sand. Dozens of workers begin carrying stacks of currency, "Wait."

They freeze. They shake. What punishment awaits them?

"You all dress in rags. Your wages multiply today. Osiris, go tell the relevant men. Every unemployed Kahndan will be offered a position to rebuild what you've ruined. This age of prosperity starts here."

Osiris shuffles away in bewilderment. His father invites power struggle. The unruly masses will have the power to challenge their masters. All his work to keep the spirit of Kahndaq broken is now forfeit.

CLAP

Osiris bounces in a cloud of sand.

"You will carry out the restoration of my people with pride, grace, and resolve! After your long dynasty of failure, you're more than lucky for this redemption."

How dare he? In front of the slaves? Peasants watch his humiliation. What is Osiris to do? This is an unacceptable affront for a king!

A god, damn it!

He shuts his mouth, drops his gaze, and flies away to do his father's bidding.

Black Adam spends the rest of his day, ensuring the workers in his palace can feed their families.

A generous king is a good king, indeed.