Chapter 291: Shazam and Doctor Sivana Come Knocking
Lorien was initially quite interested. It had been a slow, uneventful day, and it wasn't often that a new patient showed up. He decided to humor the man and chatted with him for a while.
But Lorien's patience only stretched so far. Once he'd said everything that needed saying, he lifted his chin slightly, signaling for the man to leave.
The tall man adjusted his cloak, murmured a brief "thank you," and turned to leave without hesitation. His billowing cloak stirred a gust of wind as he walked away.
Lorien watched the man's retreating figure and let out a quiet, amused snort.
Who would've thought the wizard Shazam would appear here? Looks like this world just got a little more interesting.
Muttering to himself, Lorien picked up the book he'd just closed, flipped to the page where he'd left off, and resumed reading with renewed interest.
Books were fascinating things. You could read them every day and still never finish them all—and they'd never betray you.
He'd thought it was already surprising enough for Wizard Shazam to have come looking for him. But to his surprise, twenty-nine days later, another visitor appeared.
"Do you know someone named Billy Batson?"
Lorien looked up and saw a face that, though somewhat unfamiliar, sparked recognition.
He'd seen this man before—back in Fawcett City. If he remembered correctly, this was the one who had controlled the giant robot.
Now, the man wore ordinary clothes, looking almost youthful. A baseball cap shaded his face, but Lorien could tell he was trying to avoid being recognized.
Lorien never forgot a face. Even someone he'd only glimpsed once on the street—if he'd seen them clearly, the memory would stick.
And this man, he had looked at a few times more than most.
It was Dr. Sivana. Frankly, Lorien found it odd that the scientist responsible for the failed robot had come all the way to Gotham City to find him.
In the original sequence of events, this man would never have sought out Billy Batson on his own. Even with his robot destroyed by Billy, the odds of him coming to find the boy were slim. Yet here he was. And judging by his demeanor, Lorien couldn't quite tell what his goal was.
He didn't immediately reveal Billy's whereabouts. The doctor and the wizard were very different types of visitors.
Wizard Shazam meant no harm to Billy Batson—if anything, he wanted to help him. But this man? He practically radiated villainy.
"I have a very important matter to discuss with him," Dr. Sivana said. "I made some inquiries and found out he used to be with you. You're friends, right? Don't worry, I won't harm him. I just need him to do me a small favor."
"A favor? What kind of favor?"
Lorien smiled lightly, his gaze fixed steadily on the doctor's face. He didn't blink, didn't shift his eyes—just watched.
If the man was lying, he'd catch it.
"Just a small favor. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."
The doctor's expression was strange, his gaze flicking away as he spoke.
Clearly, this "small favor" wasn't small at all.
Lorien observed him for only a short while before making up his mind.
"Sorry," he said calmly. "Yes, I know him well. We've worked together a few times. But as for where he is now—I have no idea."
His tone was light and devoid of emotion.
But that attitude only angered Dr. Sivana. He glared at Lorien with hostility.
"I told you, just tell me where he is, and I won't cause you trouble."
"Cause me trouble?"
Lorien almost laughed.
How long had it been since anyone had tried to threaten him?
"Then tell me," he said mildly, "how exactly do you plan to cause me trouble?"
He wasn't the least bit intimidated.
The doctor's expression twisted with irritation. Then suddenly, he stepped back, and something leapt from his hand to the floor.
Within a second, it transformed into a massive monster.
Lorien's eyes narrowed.
A scientist using monsters? That was unexpected.
Was this doctor connected to those thieves from before? He didn't remember that ever being the case.
Dr. Sivana's smirk grew as he watched Lorien stand there, calm and unmoving.
"I told you already—all you had to do was cooperate. I'm not asking for anything terrible, just the location of that man, Billy Batson."
"Once I know exactly where he is, I'll let you go."
"Why so tense?" he sneered. "Oh, right—you should be. After all, I'm planning to cause your friend some trouble... ha!"
"How badly do you misunderstand your own strength?" Lorien replied coolly. "Or this monster's strength?"
He'd been waiting for Dr. Sivana to finish his gloating. When he realized the man was just rambling without saying anything meaningful, his tone grew faintly impatient, though his face remained composed.
The monster looked much like the ones unleashed by the thieves before. It was larger, perhaps, but not any stronger.
Lorien glanced at it, unimpressed.
His indifference only enraged Dr. Sivana further.
"There's no one here but you and me. No one can save you. No matter how tough you think you are, you're no match for my monster!"
"Attack! Teach him a lesson!"
At his command, the creature lunged toward Lorien.
It was fast—at least, to anyone else. But in Lorien's eyes, its movements were sluggish, almost comical.
Pathetic.
This creature wasn't even close to Billy Batson's level. Lorien couldn't imagine what made this naive doctor think marching in with a single monster was a good idea.
He hadn't understood at first, but now he was certain—Dr. Sivana wanted Billy's power. He was looking to study it.