Chapter 4

The new Scarecrow, Techno-Tune, and Moth Queen were in different positions to unleash the most epic prank yet.

"Okay, everyone. Hatty told us to have some fun with Booster Gold while he handles something," Scarecrow responded through his own communicator. "Let's make every second count and get it all in the memory books. Techno-Tune, do you have your disks ready?"

"All floating cameras are on and ready to record," Techno-Tune said, giving a thumbs up while adjusting the volume in his helmet before pressing buttons on his wrist gauntlets. "The same goes with some epic music to play as a background. Should have some lighting around the area."

"Good. Do we have our star dressed to impress, Moth Queen?" Scarecrow asked further.

"Oh, we most certainly do," Moth Queen assured, giggling at her end and brushing off the victim's new threads. "You boys are so gonna love this. I'm just itching to give the word and make him go crazy all over Gotham."

"Well, you're about to in ten seconds," Scarecrow stated, having his old-school camera ready for snapshots. "Remember; we want Booster as a major distraction long enough until Hatty comes back. Is everyone ready?"

"Affirmative," Techno-Tune said.

"I was born ready," Moth Queen scoffed, flipping her winged cape.

"All right! Then, let's get this party started," Scarecrow said, his devious smirk showing. "And...ACTION!"

Booster Gold was pushed into the crowd; wearing a black flat hat, a long black cape with yellow inside, a black eye-hole mask on top of his visor glasses, red gloves, red boots, and attire from a prisoner's wardrobe with a long necktie hamburger printed around his neck. Not to mention some black markings on his teeth to make it look like he's lost his two front teeth.

The moment he stepped out into the light, he started acting ballistic. "Bwaaaa, ha, ha, ha, ha! Beware, citizens of Gotham! For your hamburgers are mine! All mine!"

Booster shakes his hand and shoots Moth Queen's silk blasters at some random people in the crowd and many who weren't yet trapped go around in circles running away bumping into each other and screaming like kids.

"I am the Hamburglar, and I've come for your hamburgers!" He started shaking his face with his tongue out and drooling like some kind of slobbering dog.

Scarecrow and Techno-Tune couldn't believe their eyes at what Booster Gold was wearing plus saying. The boys kept it together from laughing so hard.

"I'm evil and hate tacos and burritos!...But not as much as I hate myself where only burgers are my comfort food," Hambooster replied that last part in a sympathetic manner and pouty face. "Will someone give me a hug for my sad pathetic life?"

Some police officers arrive to see what is going on and they see the futuristic superhero acting like a maniac.

"I have more pizzazz than the Condiment King! His fashion and weapons belong in a dumpster!" Hambooster exclaimed, running wild and chasing more people around while blasting several goop splats randomly all over the place.

"Oh, man...This is pure comedy gold," Scarecrow managed to say through his laughing fit. He even continued taking a few pictures of this. "Hatty is so going to love this."

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND NOW!" A police officer shouted.

"Oooh, it's the lowlife boys in blue from the Fossil era. Come and get me, before I start stealing everyone's delicious hamburgers for myself!" Hambooster stated maniacally, as he ran away from the police to continue goop blasting random property. "I must avenge all extinct burgers gone in the 25th century!"

Midnight Hope and Skeets were nearby and both heard the commotion. "Oh, dear," the small robot said, sounding worried. "This isn't going to end well."

The Blue Lantern took a look and she blinked as she saw Booster Gold dressed in what looked like a prisoner costume and running around like a crazy person. "What's going on?" She asked.

"I think...he's been hypnotized, Miss Hope," Skeets said. "There is no way Booster would act like this on his own."

She took the small robot's word for it since she knew he was the only one that knew Booster Gold the best. "Okay, how do we snap him out of the spell?" She asked.

"Maybe you can talk him back to his senses?"

Nodding, she went over to the hero-turned-villain. "Booster Gold, I order you to stand down," she said firmly.

He looked at her. "I am Hambooster!" He said firmly before trying to blast her. She quickly flew upwards and dodged to avoid the liquid goop, which she recognized to be mustard and ketchup.

The Grimtales were nearby and giggling. Moth Queen smirked. "Oh, she thinks she can snap Hambooster from my grasp, does she?" She asked.

"She won't," Scarecrow said with a smirk.

Midnight Hope wracked her brains before the solution hit her. One way to wake someone up from hypnosis was to spray them with water. She looked around and saw a fire hydrant. "Perfect," she said, quickly calling up a hose construct and grabbing the end of it, aiming it at Hambooster. "Last chance, Hambooster! Stand down or get soaked!" She called out.

He laughed and went to blast more goop at her, but she aimed the hose and, seeing a few fireman nearby turn on the fire hydrant and give her a thumbs up, she fired the cold water right at Hambooster.

The water hit his face before knocking him down to the ground, getting soaked as the deluge of water soaked into his clothes and he began crying out in surprise. "Hey! What gives?!" He cried out before seeing Hope and Skeets. "Midnight Hope! Skeets!"

Hearing the hero, the small robot did a quick scan and a sigh escaped him. "I think he's snapped out of it, Miss Hope," he said.

The Blue Lantern turned off the hose, signaling to the firemen to stand by. In front of them, Booster Gold stood up and he looked at the drenched clothes he was wearing. "What happened?" He asked. "And why am I wearing this...costume?"

"Sir! Is that really you?" Skeets asked, flying closer.

"Yeah, it's me, Skeets," he said.

Midnight Hope flew closer. "Tell us something only Booster Gold would know," she said.

He smiled. "You once admitted you couldn't find any flaws in me because you didn't know me," he said.

Blinking as she realized he was talking about the time she was infected by the rage toxin, she nodded, a bit embarrassed but grateful that he had put it so delicately. "Okay, it's you," she said.

Techno-Tune called back his drones. "We better split now," he said.

"Oooooh! She ruined one of my best works!" Moth Queen said, upset.

"Let's worry about that somewhere else. I'd rather not get arrested," Scarecrow said.

The three scampered off, meeting up with Hatty and vanishing without a trace.

An ambulance was nearby and kindly allowed Booster Gold to use the back of it as a changing room so he could change back to his normal uniform. Midnight Hope and Skeets waited patiently and when Booster Gold came out, he had the costume he had worn bagged. "I think Batman needs to see this," he said.

"Why?" The Blue Lantern asked curiously.

"Because I think this clothing was used to hypnotize me," the hero said.

Skeets scanned it. "I am picking up traces of some agent on the clothing," he said. "An agent that is negated by water."

Booster Gold looked at Midnight Hope. "How did you know water would snap me out of the hypnosis spell?" He asked.

"It's one of the oldest tricks to use to wake up someone who has fainted or is under the spell of hypnosis," she explained. "Still, are you okay? What happened that you ended up wearing that?"

"I'm not sure," Booster Gold admitted. "My memory's kind of fuzzy, but I do recall seeing an area that had fans calling my name, but then...my mind goes fuzzy. Although I thought I saw someone in the crowd and she said she had something for me." He held up the costume. "I'm guessing this is what she had in mind."

He then looked around at the mess and looked at Hope. "Did I...do all that?" He asked, looking ashamed.

"It happened while you were being controlled, yeah," she said.

He nodded. "Well, guess I better help with the clean up then," he said.

"I'll help, Sir," Skeets said.

"Me too," the Blue Lantern said with a nod.

Working with the police and firemen, the area was soon cleaned up and Booster made a formal apology. "It seems I fell victim to being hypnotized," he said. "But still, I am sorry for the trouble I caused."

"It wasn't your fault," someone in the crowd spoke up and the others in the crowd agreed.

Later on, the two heroes headed back to HQ, where Booster gave his report to Batman, who had been surprised, but nodded, warning Booster to be a bit more careful in the future before taking the bagged clothes to evidence.

As Midnight Hope watched him go, she couldn't shake her skepticism about what Hatty had said to her. He had seemed very convinced and the photos she had were pretty clear, but she refused to believe that Batman had annihilated Joe Chill.

"He couldn't have," she said to herself.

But there was still that little bit of doubt that refused to leave her. Lea then knew there was only one thing to do.

She had to find the truth.

And this concludes Hopeful Madness, but don't worry, there will be a sequel story coming soon. :)

Redbat132 and I want to extend thanks to our good friend Alvaxerox for helping us out with this story. Thank you, Amigo! :)

Please leave Redbat132, Alvaxerox, and myself a review, but no flames!

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