Mullet-verse prequel. Prologue
Title: The Redemption of Booster Gold -- Prologue: Absolution
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Booster, Beetle, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman
Prompt: "How."
Word Count: 1168
Rating: PG-13?
Author's Notes: The first Mullet-verse Prologue kind of skipped over the how of Booster going from shooting Batman to bringing Ted back from the dead. Part of that is because...well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it started as a joke. And while summarizing it can be pretty darn funny (if I want to listen to my own press), actually exploring the details and day-to-day of the progression of obsession and mourning...not so much. Of course, there are also Junior and Zombie Max to take into account, so don't expect nothing but weepy emo BS. I unlike some people, who shall remain nameless but rhyme with BC respect the characters too much to do that.
So...yeah. A prequel of sorts. And despite the fact that I'm using a prompt for this story, there are chapters. (The above title is only tentative at the moment, but it amuses me.)
(Partly inspired by the song "Crazy Man Michael," which I enjoyed even before I realized the fic potential.)
CHAPTERS: { Prologue: Absolution }{ Chapter One: Benediction }{ Chapter Two: Consecration }{ Chapter Three: Delegation }{ Chapter Four: Education }{ Chapter Five: Flagellation }{ Epilogue: Glorification }
<-{ previous story: Mullet-verse handbook/guide } { next story: Hairy Situations and Situational Hair }->
Beta by alba_aulbath.
Prologue: Absolution
Absolution in a liturgical church refers to the pronouncement of God's forgiveness of sins.
-----
"You can stop looking."
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
"Look, Booster--it isn't the same as it was in the old days. Things have changed. I've changed."
"No doubt, in a few minutes some pinhead in a costume more ludicrous than ours is gonna walk through that door and sneer at us--vowing revenge for the parking ticket we gave him six years ago!"
"The merchandise will be silent!"
"When'd you get it back? How long? How many days?"
"Blue Beetle's dead."
"As if anyone would care if he killed us!"
"For cryin' out loud, Beetle--you used to trust me with your life!"
"He was going to track the signal--and confront whoever was doing it. Nobody else believed him. I wanted to go with him...was too hurt to even get out of bed."
"I've lost too many people I love, too many friends! My sister...Ice...Sue...now Skeets...Like hell I'm gonna stay here and watch it happen to you too."
"Waynetech is tied into this somehow."
"You son of a bitch! Ted went to you at the start! He went to you and you knew what he was getting into and you refused to tell him!"
"Booster--"
"I didn't--"
"Booster! For God's sake, man...what the hell are you doing?!"
"They did me like they did everyone! They destroyed my life! But now I can stop them before they start!"
"I'm not overreacting to anything! I'm just sick of living life as the butt of a bad joke!"
"YOU GOT HIM KILLED!"
"Michael, stop--!"
"That's enough. Blame will be laid later."
"...Who're you kidding? No, it won't... He'd have to admit he was wrong first."
"Get a grip, Booster. You're acting like some jilted lover."
"We were best buds once. What'd I do to make you turn against me?"
"Okay, okay--so we can't put up much of a fight. And we're generally useless."
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
---------------
There was...an ache. A tight, hollow ache in his chest, and for brief blissfully ignorant seconds his mind refused to explain the feeling to his heart.
Then the words washed over him and tangled up in the dozens of words clamoring in his memory for attention. Only the unnaturally sharp-focused image of the object in Batman's hand kept the past, present, and future from becoming indistinguishable.
Beetle's goggles were...smashed. He was going to be pissed when he saw--
No.
"Blue Beetle's dead."
It wasn't...no. Ted wasn't--He couldn't. How many times had Booster sat at his bedside while Ted healed from a brush with death? But he never...he never....
"Blue Beetle's dead."
How the hell did Batman know, huh? A pair of broken goggles wasn't a dead body!
But...Ted did it, didn't he? He figured it out. All alone, he had tracked down Batman's rogue spy satellite and...
Batman's satellite. All alone, even after he went to Batman for help. Batman, who knew and didn't help, didn't even warn him!
Batman got Ted killed.
The understanding was so sharp, so clear, and the rage bubbling to the surface only made it more so.
Booster had a temper. He knew it, and it had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. But when properly focused, oh the things it could accomplish.
Hot anger danced with something wobbly like hysteria, making his skin prickle. And all at once, it was both like an out of body experience and like being so grounded in his body there was nothing else. Everything focused and narrowed to simple facts.
Batman was responsible for Ted's death.
Batman had to die.
Everything went in slow motion for a moment, like the universe had decided to let him savor that moment, that moment right before Ted was avenged and Batman got what-for. Maybe that would finally stop him being such a gloomy dick.
But then the moment was over and Superman was there suddenly, so suddenly, blocking the shot and stopping Batman's death. Stopping what needed to be done.
...No.
Just like that, it was over. The only thing he had left, revenge, was out of reach. And it, he, and Ted...were dismissed.
Like he didn't matter. Like they didn't matter. Like what had gotten Ted killed in the first place.
So easily.
Thoughtlessly.
NO.
How dare they?
He couldn't stay there, listening to them just go about their business like nothing had happened. Like the man responsible for Ted's death had done nothing wrong.
Booster's mind was a whirling slideshow of thoughts and memories.
"You took a road that changed everyone's life for the better. And whatever your past sins...that more than makes up for them."
"When'd you get it back? How long? How many days?"
"I'm from the future, remember--?! This isn't my time... I've worked damn hard trying to adjust to your asinine world...and, believe me, it hasn't been easy!"
"Get a grip, Booster. You're acting like some jilted lover."
"Soon as I stepped off that plane, I knew where I needed to really be. So here I am."
Diana was there, on the edge of awareness, talking to him. Offering to help. Too little, too late.
Shaking his head, Booster went to a teleportation tube. ...The coordinates for Ted's house were still in the buffer. He had been there. Asked for help and been turned down.
Again.
Where was Wonder Woman then?!
Booster activated the tube and squeezed his eyes shut. He'd witnessed a messy teleporter accident as a child and never been able to shake the uneasiness he felt at having his molecules broken down and then reassembled....
And then he was reassembled before he could really think about it.
Looking around, Booster marveled at the damage. He hadn't realized.... Ted had told him about the fire, and he'd been conscious for the...lightning bolt? ...Laser?
From above.
The satellite...?
One more thing to blame on Batman.
Walking dazedly through the debris, Booster leaned against a wall, scorched but still sturdy, and let himself slide to the floor. His body was still bruised and battered, intermittently reminding him of how sore it was. His mind was hyper and buzzing and he felt a little like he was drunk and sugar-high at the same time.
He felt.... He felt.
Too much.
No.
And he wanted...he wanted Ted. Smiling, teasing, yelling, anything. Just there. Where Booster could see him and know he was there.
No.
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
"I've lost too many people I love, too many friends! My sister...Ice...Sue...now Skeets...Like hell I'm gonna stay here and watch it happen to you too."
"Take care of yourself, Booster...it's what you do best."
"I wanted to go with him...was too hurt to even get out of bed."
"I'm sorry, Ted," Booster whispered thickly, dropping his face to his hands as his eyes prickled.
"If you're looking for forgiveness, Booster, there's only one man who can give it...and you're looking at him."
"I'm so sorry...."
-----
Various quotes taken from: Countdown to Infinite Crisis, OMAC Project #1-2, Formerly Known As The Justice League, Justice League America Quarterly #10, and Justice League America #37.
[ETA of chapter the first: ...unknown.]
Mullet-verse handbook/guide. (AKA "Are you as lost as I am?")
PIMP: The prologue to the crazy!Junior story has been posted in my journal. So far, the tentative title is Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. New updates to it will be pimped with new updates to this fic. Enjoy.
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Booster, Beetle, Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman
Prompt: "How."
Word Count: 1168
Rating: PG-13?
Author's Notes: The first Mullet-verse Prologue kind of skipped over the how of Booster going from shooting Batman to bringing Ted back from the dead. Part of that is because...well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, it started as a joke. And while summarizing it can be pretty darn funny (if I want to listen to my own press), actually exploring the details and day-to-day of the progression of obsession and mourning...not so much. Of course, there are also Junior and Zombie Max to take into account, so don't expect nothing but weepy emo BS. I unlike some people, who shall remain nameless but rhyme with BC respect the characters too much to do that.
So...yeah. A prequel of sorts. And despite the fact that I'm using a prompt for this story, there are chapters. (The above title is only tentative at the moment, but it amuses me.)
(Partly inspired by the song "Crazy Man Michael," which I enjoyed even before I realized the fic potential.)
CHAPTERS: { Prologue: Absolution }{ Chapter One: Benediction }{ Chapter Two: Consecration }{ Chapter Three: Delegation }{ Chapter Four: Education }{ Chapter Five: Flagellation }{ Epilogue: Glorification }
<-{ previous story: Mullet-verse handbook/guide } { next story: Hairy Situations and Situational Hair }->
Beta by alba_aulbath.
Prologue: Absolution
Absolution in a liturgical church refers to the pronouncement of God's forgiveness of sins.
-----
"You can stop looking."
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
"Look, Booster--it isn't the same as it was in the old days. Things have changed. I've changed."
"No doubt, in a few minutes some pinhead in a costume more ludicrous than ours is gonna walk through that door and sneer at us--vowing revenge for the parking ticket we gave him six years ago!"
"The merchandise will be silent!"
"When'd you get it back? How long? How many days?"
"Blue Beetle's dead."
"As if anyone would care if he killed us!"
"For cryin' out loud, Beetle--you used to trust me with your life!"
"He was going to track the signal--and confront whoever was doing it. Nobody else believed him. I wanted to go with him...was too hurt to even get out of bed."
"I've lost too many people I love, too many friends! My sister...Ice...Sue...now Skeets...Like hell I'm gonna stay here and watch it happen to you too."
"Waynetech is tied into this somehow."
"You son of a bitch! Ted went to you at the start! He went to you and you knew what he was getting into and you refused to tell him!"
"Booster--"
"I didn't--"
"Booster! For God's sake, man...what the hell are you doing?!"
"They did me like they did everyone! They destroyed my life! But now I can stop them before they start!"
"I'm not overreacting to anything! I'm just sick of living life as the butt of a bad joke!"
"YOU GOT HIM KILLED!"
"Michael, stop--!"
"That's enough. Blame will be laid later."
"...Who're you kidding? No, it won't... He'd have to admit he was wrong first."
"Get a grip, Booster. You're acting like some jilted lover."
"We were best buds once. What'd I do to make you turn against me?"
"Okay, okay--so we can't put up much of a fight. And we're generally useless."
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
---------------
There was...an ache. A tight, hollow ache in his chest, and for brief blissfully ignorant seconds his mind refused to explain the feeling to his heart.
Then the words washed over him and tangled up in the dozens of words clamoring in his memory for attention. Only the unnaturally sharp-focused image of the object in Batman's hand kept the past, present, and future from becoming indistinguishable.
Beetle's goggles were...smashed. He was going to be pissed when he saw--
No.
"Blue Beetle's dead."
It wasn't...no. Ted wasn't--He couldn't. How many times had Booster sat at his bedside while Ted healed from a brush with death? But he never...he never....
"Blue Beetle's dead."
How the hell did Batman know, huh? A pair of broken goggles wasn't a dead body!
But...Ted did it, didn't he? He figured it out. All alone, he had tracked down Batman's rogue spy satellite and...
Batman's satellite. All alone, even after he went to Batman for help. Batman, who knew and didn't help, didn't even warn him!
Batman got Ted killed.
The understanding was so sharp, so clear, and the rage bubbling to the surface only made it more so.
Booster had a temper. He knew it, and it had gotten him into trouble on more than one occasion. But when properly focused, oh the things it could accomplish.
Hot anger danced with something wobbly like hysteria, making his skin prickle. And all at once, it was both like an out of body experience and like being so grounded in his body there was nothing else. Everything focused and narrowed to simple facts.
Batman was responsible for Ted's death.
Batman had to die.
Everything went in slow motion for a moment, like the universe had decided to let him savor that moment, that moment right before Ted was avenged and Batman got what-for. Maybe that would finally stop him being such a gloomy dick.
But then the moment was over and Superman was there suddenly, so suddenly, blocking the shot and stopping Batman's death. Stopping what needed to be done.
...No.
Just like that, it was over. The only thing he had left, revenge, was out of reach. And it, he, and Ted...were dismissed.
Like he didn't matter. Like they didn't matter. Like what had gotten Ted killed in the first place.
So easily.
Thoughtlessly.
NO.
How dare they?
He couldn't stay there, listening to them just go about their business like nothing had happened. Like the man responsible for Ted's death had done nothing wrong.
Booster's mind was a whirling slideshow of thoughts and memories.
"You took a road that changed everyone's life for the better. And whatever your past sins...that more than makes up for them."
"When'd you get it back? How long? How many days?"
"I'm from the future, remember--?! This isn't my time... I've worked damn hard trying to adjust to your asinine world...and, believe me, it hasn't been easy!"
"Get a grip, Booster. You're acting like some jilted lover."
"Soon as I stepped off that plane, I knew where I needed to really be. So here I am."
Diana was there, on the edge of awareness, talking to him. Offering to help. Too little, too late.
Shaking his head, Booster went to a teleportation tube. ...The coordinates for Ted's house were still in the buffer. He had been there. Asked for help and been turned down.
Again.
Where was Wonder Woman then?!
Booster activated the tube and squeezed his eyes shut. He'd witnessed a messy teleporter accident as a child and never been able to shake the uneasiness he felt at having his molecules broken down and then reassembled....
And then he was reassembled before he could really think about it.
Looking around, Booster marveled at the damage. He hadn't realized.... Ted had told him about the fire, and he'd been conscious for the...lightning bolt? ...Laser?
From above.
The satellite...?
One more thing to blame on Batman.
Walking dazedly through the debris, Booster leaned against a wall, scorched but still sturdy, and let himself slide to the floor. His body was still bruised and battered, intermittently reminding him of how sore it was. His mind was hyper and buzzing and he felt a little like he was drunk and sugar-high at the same time.
He felt.... He felt.
Too much.
No.
And he wanted...he wanted Ted. Smiling, teasing, yelling, anything. Just there. Where Booster could see him and know he was there.
No.
"You gonna help me, or you gonna wallow in nostalgia?"
"I've lost too many people I love, too many friends! My sister...Ice...Sue...now Skeets...Like hell I'm gonna stay here and watch it happen to you too."
"Take care of yourself, Booster...it's what you do best."
"I wanted to go with him...was too hurt to even get out of bed."
"I'm sorry, Ted," Booster whispered thickly, dropping his face to his hands as his eyes prickled.
"If you're looking for forgiveness, Booster, there's only one man who can give it...and you're looking at him."
"I'm so sorry...."
-----
Various quotes taken from: Countdown to Infinite Crisis, OMAC Project #1-2, Formerly Known As The Justice League, Justice League America Quarterly #10, and Justice League America #37.
[ETA of chapter the first: ...unknown.]
Mullet-verse handbook/guide. (AKA "Are you as lost as I am?")
PIMP: The prologue to the crazy!Junior story has been posted in my journal. So far, the tentative title is Dangers of Dihydrogen Monoxide. New updates to it will be pimped with new updates to this fic. Enjoy.