Booster Gold - Future Legend
Prologue - Everyone Says Hi
Quite how it happened is a story for another day. The how's and whys aren't really that important despite what you may think. All that matters is that a hero was reborn from the events. Small town America. Smallville to be exact, a slow lazy Sunday afternoon in progress when out of nowhere;
CRASH BANG BOOM
A man fell from the sky. Not that the residents of Smallvillle were that surprised by this. It happens all the time. For such an apparent inconsequential town the place has seen more ruckus than some apparent "big cities" over the years. What was perhaps surprising what with all the crashing, the banging and the booming was the sight of the man standing up mere seconds later. Make no mistake even in all the smoke and debris the few who caught sight easily made out that this was in fact a man, not some superman. Oh but dear reader what a man….
The cloud of dust slowly dispensed and slowly revealed the character standing in the middle; he took a moment to steady himself before asking or perhaps just thinking out loud; "What-what year is this?" A kid who had been staring at the whole thing responded; "Are you stoned man?" The man didn't respond to the question instead taking a second to lean over and throw up his guts, having done that he took what was left of his dignity and asked with more authority this time "What year is it?" An older man responded this time "2007. Just who the hell are you. You one of those godamn aliens?" "Me?" The man started with an enigmatic swagger. "I'm BOOSTER GOLD! And I'm from the future. How cool is that?" And before giving anyone a chance to respond to his question he had taken to the skies with aplomb. The old man responded under his breath anyway with the kind of derogatory comments that turn things from parental guidance to rated r in one fell swoop, but make no mistake Booster Gold is from the future and it's very cool indeed.
Just a shame he wrecked a main road crash landing here.
Chapter 1 Up the Hill Backwards
"Ok so that was stupid" Booster thought to himself. "I ask for the year, but not the actual date or you know, were I am."
Booster was flying back to Metropolis to find his penthouse apartment but had thought of two problems:
Problem A: What would happen if he was in the past before he left to have his many wacky adventures with Rip Hunter, what would happen if he ran into his past self? He'd had enough problems fixing time these past few months (Years?)
Problem B: He had no idea were he was due to trying to make a cool exit rather than stop and ask for directions.
Problem B was quickly solved by taking a pit stop at a truck stop (also allowing time for some lunch and a pee he had been keeping in for quite literally years) Problem A was disproved when he found that days paper dated September 7th 2007, a full 4 months after he left with Rip. He had hoped to get home closer to the day he left, but beggars can't be choosers he thought to himself. Problems solved without to much effort nonetheless. Well, at least until he got back to Metropolis.
"YOU CANT DO THAT DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"
"We know exactly who you are Mr, erm, Gold, you're a tenant who hasn't paid his rent in 4 full months, thus you are now an ex-tenant. We wish you well on your future endeavours." The representative of Booster's landlord had a mixture of a patronising and smug look on her face as she said this.
"But… but… where did you guys put my stuff?"
"We contacted your friends in the Justice League and they came to deal with your belongings. I imagine they're currently in a Satellite or a Cave waiting for you."
"But I have no fr- wait. You contacted the Justice League? What did you tell them? Laundry emergency?" Booster laughed out loud at his own lame joke as the representative stood in pokerfaced silence
"Actually we've contacted them on a couple of occasions before due to your, your…. People in in your line of work disappearing time and again. I'd imagine they still have Hawk's underoos in their Team Up Cave."
"Actually I think they got rid of the cave when I was still a member…." he began before he was cut off.
"Have a nice day." The door was abruptly closed in his face.
"Great" Booster thought to himself, "The f$£!& Justice League"
Chapter 2 Super Creeps
Booster landed outside the newly built "Hall of Justice." and made his way in. He'd called ahead. Not that he, a former Justice League stalwart had anyway to get in contact himself, no he had to get the number from the woman he'd spent ten minutes berating which was an exceptionally humbling experience in a day filled with them.
The doors opened automatically and a robotic voice lead him down a thin corridor adorned with pictures of the current roster. Booster began to mutter to himself under his breathe "Vixen? Hawkgirl? Black Lightning? Worlds greatest heroes my a-"
"I'd think about how you plan to finish that sentence before you continue Gold."
"Aw crap" Booster thought to himself. "It's Batman"
"If I remember correctly there was a time when people could have said the very same thing about you. " Batman began, before a rare sly smile broke on his face. "In fact I believe they still say it about you. Your stuffs through the door on the left." And with that Batman got back to doing whatever it is Batman does.
"That's it? The usual Batman put down. And then "your stuffs in there." No "Hey Booster being saving the world much recently? Were you been these past few months?" Booster surprised himself by responding in such a manner, but it had been one of those days.
Batman paused and looked up for a second. "We saw what you did in Smallville, Superman wasted 10 minutes of his day fixing the main road, something you could easily have at least made an attempt to do instead of flying off showboating again. Your stuffs still through there."
Booster went through to find two black bin bags no doubt filled with clothes and not a hell lot else. "I was sure I had more than this" he thought out loud. "You did." Came the response. "But we gave it to charity"
"Charity? Charity? You sonofabit-" Booster spun round ready to smack the hell out of whomever was standing behind him. Unfortunately the whoever was none other than the man of steel himself. Yes kids, it was Superman."
"I'd watch that Booster you might break your fist on my jaw if you don't calm down." The man of steel glanced an ever so arrogant glance at Booster and allowed himself a small smirk at this comment.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN? I go away for a couple of months and you guys donate my stuff to charity?"
"Well firstly we're not a storage locker for your "stuff" Booster. Secondly how old are you? 27? 28? What use did you really have for a Playstation or other children's toys like that?"
"That thing cost me 400 dollars…." Booster was now resigned to defeat.
"Then I imagine your going to need to get in contact with those sunglasses company again and get some work."
"Ouch. Hey that was a total low blow. Are you not even interested in what I've been doing the past few months? I've been saving the universe!"
"Been there. Done that."
"Jesus." Booster thought to himself. "Superman's a dick."
And so it continued. If there truly is a brotherhood of superheroes Booster would be the brother who everyone jokes about behind his back and doesn't get invited to the family barbeques. The contempt in the air was shocking. Black Canary and Green Lantern giggled like schoolgirls. Wonder Woman blanked him. Vixen and Hawkgirl having obviously been told by Batman what Booster had said earlier ("The shit stirring prick" Booster thought to himself.) told him exactly what they thought of him. The word loser has never been used so many times with such aggression in one spiel of words. Thankfully Booster Gold did have one ally left. Jon Jonz. The Martian Manhunter. He was nice enough to give Booster a hand with his stuff, officially consisting of 2 bin bags of clothes and a box of keepsakes Superman had decided the children wouldn't fully appreciate. He also told Booster that he could borrow a couple of hundred bucks to find a place to stay for a few nights until he could get back on his feet. Quite were or why a Martian would get that sort of money Booster didn't question he was just happy for the help without having to ask with Superman in earshot (but then Superman is always in earshot he thought to himself…) And with that Booster grabbed hold of his stuff and what was left of his crumpled dignity and flew off into the distance ready to get a shower and get out of the spandex for the night.
Little did he know….
Chapter 3 Ricochet
To say it had been a long day would be an understatement.
To say the last thing Booster needed was a big Superheroic fight to finish his day would be an understatement.
To say the last thing Booster needed was a big Superheroic fight with a giant frigging robot would be the greatest understatement of all.
Yeah. Can you guess what comes next?
Booster landed just outside a small motel a few miles out of the "Halls of Justice." "Thank god that's over" he mumbled to himself as he started to walk, fully costumed, through the car park of the kind of sleazy motel usually saved for 1940s Hollywood Noir. Then the ground started to rumble and suddenly out of the corner of his eye Booster noticed what would appear to be a giant robot destroying stuff in the background.
"Oh no, not today, no way. Let Superman deal with it." With that a flash of blue and red went crashing past him taking out a couple of cars in the process. It was Superman knocked loopy by the robot in question. Booster paused. Took one look at Superman. Took a look at the giant robot causing some ruckus. Then took a look at the bags and box in his hand and walked onward to front reception.
"Screw it. Let Batman use his giant penny or something." With that he caught a glimpse of the Batwing in the distance. Within seconds its wing was on fire and crashing to earth as Batman parachuted out. "Ha! Jerk. Serves him right." With that though the robot grabbed hold of the falling Batwing and proceeded to throw it. It took Booster a moment to realise but the plane was in fact headed straight for him and the motel car park.
"Crap." The plane hit Booster full on before skidding down the car park destroying every car in its path, but thankfully and bafflingly missing every pedestrian it went past before smashing into the side of one of the rooms and stopping. There was silence as everyone around took a second to take in what had happened then a cry was heard. "Hey that guy stopped the plane! He saved us all! Damn hope he's okay…."
Then the plane exploded.
"Okay so he's not okay…."
But then there was some movement and low and behold Booster Gold was in fact okay. He'd taken the time before the plane had smacked into him to turn on his Force Field thus he was A okay. His black bin bags however…..
"THOSE. WERE. MY. SHORTS!"
And with that Booster went to join the nonsensical giant robot battle.
Next Time: Booster Gold: Day 2 (and probably a lot more besides)