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ajremixTitle: The Power of Hope
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 836
Characters: Booster, Max, JLI, Boston Brand
Summary: A potential (and highly unlikely) ending for Generation Lost.
Booster can’t figure out how they had screwed up so badly. He doesn’t even know where they had screwed up- no, scratch that. He knows. Because they’re up against Max who’s always been a little sideways before he went batshit villain-mastermind on them.
But they should’ve had him. They should be winning, dammit! They even had the White fucking Lantern (whatever the hell that meant) with them and they should be winning!
Instead, Nate is down and out after his fight with Magog and he’s leaking some kind of radioactive material that Tora is trying keep contained with her ice; Skeets, Jaime, Gavril and himself are pinned to the ground by some super electro-magnet bullshit S.T.A.R. Labs thought was a good idea to put in their damned floor and Max is pushing Bea and Boston’s minds just enough to keep them incapacitated without killing them. Presumably.
Booster doesn’t know what Max has planned and he doesn’t care. He just wants Max stopped and to pay for everything he’s done. He wants Ted’s name cleared and his death avenged and he wants people to stop thinking he and the rest are crazy or useless or jokes from days gone by. Booster tries for his gauntlets- thinking maybe he can switch the polarity of something or overload either his blasters or forcefield generator and it’ll damage the device under them. But his fingers fumble clumsily and he can’t help wishing that Ted was there. Even though Booster knows his tech, Ted was always quicker with the plans and his hands never faltered when his technical prowess was all that stood between them and death.
And if Ted couldn’t save the day with Booster’s gear, maybe he could’ve with Gavril’s armor or did something to stop the scarab’s screeching (helplessly watching Jaime grip his head and plead ‘stop stop please stop!’ to some voice only he can hear is breaking Booster’s heart).
If Ted were here, he would’ve gotten Nate into one of S.T.A.R.’s containment cells so Tora could fight without worry. If Ted were here, he could’ve come up with a way to distract Max just enough for Bea and Boston to fight back against his control. If Ted were here, he would’ve pulled some out-of-leftfield stunt that gave them the upperhand.
If Ted were here...
If Ted were here.
And Booster doesn’t know how but he just knows that he’s not the only one thinking that. He can feel Ted’s name in his mind like a pulse; the name taking shape in his heart, twisting and evolving until the name looses meaning and only the idea of Ted- of all he was and all he meant to Booster and to everyone in the room is left.
Ted’s name falls from Booster’s lips because it’s the only thing he can think of now. Somewhere between gasps, Booster can hear Jaime whimper the name. Then it comes from Tora whose attention never wavers from Nate. Ted’s name comes from Bea, slipping out from between her lips and that’s when Booster sees Max flinch.
Boosters grasps onto Ted’s name like a lifeline and says it again. And again. Strong and defiant and looking right into Max’s eyes, daring him to make him stop. The others pick it up, Ted’s name like a chant that brings their focus back. As if, if they say it with enough conviction, they can will the battle back in their favor.
Max is losing it. He’s gripping at his own head and he knows he’s losing control of the situation but he doesn’t know why and that makes him lose it all the quicker and Booster still doesn’t know what any of them can do but he knows that they’re winning and keeps saying Ted’s name.
Boston’s ring drowns the room in white, leaving nothing but haloed silhouettes. And then-
“Special delivery for Maxwell Lord!”
A fist catches Max across the face, landing him flat out and Bea and Boston gasp as their minds are freed.
“It’s an exclusive from karma, bitch.”
The electro-magnet shuts down and for a moment Booster doesn’t know what to do, just looks over Jaime who’s slowly uncurling from himself and at Gavril who’s probably equally stunned under his helmet. A blue light engulfs Nate and Tora sits back on her heels, shaking and drained.
He just stands there as everyone pushes themselves up off the ground and it is him, they all know it in a way they can’t explain. Booster can’t believe it but he does and he clings to that hope so desperately that he can taste the tears in the back of his throat. And still he stands there with a grin that can only be his and eyes that are almost glowingly bright and dressed in blue that isn’t familiar but so undeniably him
There’s a flare at the base of one of his fingers and it says soothingly, “Ted Kord of Earth. You have the ability to instill great hope. Welcome to the Corps.”
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 836
Characters: Booster, Max, JLI, Boston Brand
Summary: A potential (and highly unlikely) ending for Generation Lost.
Booster can’t figure out how they had screwed up so badly. He doesn’t even know where they had screwed up- no, scratch that. He knows. Because they’re up against Max who’s always been a little sideways before he went batshit villain-mastermind on them.
But they should’ve had him. They should be winning, dammit! They even had the White fucking Lantern (whatever the hell that meant) with them and they should be winning!
Instead, Nate is down and out after his fight with Magog and he’s leaking some kind of radioactive material that Tora is trying keep contained with her ice; Skeets, Jaime, Gavril and himself are pinned to the ground by some super electro-magnet bullshit S.T.A.R. Labs thought was a good idea to put in their damned floor and Max is pushing Bea and Boston’s minds just enough to keep them incapacitated without killing them. Presumably.
Booster doesn’t know what Max has planned and he doesn’t care. He just wants Max stopped and to pay for everything he’s done. He wants Ted’s name cleared and his death avenged and he wants people to stop thinking he and the rest are crazy or useless or jokes from days gone by. Booster tries for his gauntlets- thinking maybe he can switch the polarity of something or overload either his blasters or forcefield generator and it’ll damage the device under them. But his fingers fumble clumsily and he can’t help wishing that Ted was there. Even though Booster knows his tech, Ted was always quicker with the plans and his hands never faltered when his technical prowess was all that stood between them and death.
And if Ted couldn’t save the day with Booster’s gear, maybe he could’ve with Gavril’s armor or did something to stop the scarab’s screeching (helplessly watching Jaime grip his head and plead ‘stop stop please stop!’ to some voice only he can hear is breaking Booster’s heart).
If Ted were here, he would’ve gotten Nate into one of S.T.A.R.’s containment cells so Tora could fight without worry. If Ted were here, he could’ve come up with a way to distract Max just enough for Bea and Boston to fight back against his control. If Ted were here, he would’ve pulled some out-of-leftfield stunt that gave them the upperhand.
If Ted were here...
If Ted were here.
And Booster doesn’t know how but he just knows that he’s not the only one thinking that. He can feel Ted’s name in his mind like a pulse; the name taking shape in his heart, twisting and evolving until the name looses meaning and only the idea of Ted- of all he was and all he meant to Booster and to everyone in the room is left.
Ted’s name falls from Booster’s lips because it’s the only thing he can think of now. Somewhere between gasps, Booster can hear Jaime whimper the name. Then it comes from Tora whose attention never wavers from Nate. Ted’s name comes from Bea, slipping out from between her lips and that’s when Booster sees Max flinch.
Boosters grasps onto Ted’s name like a lifeline and says it again. And again. Strong and defiant and looking right into Max’s eyes, daring him to make him stop. The others pick it up, Ted’s name like a chant that brings their focus back. As if, if they say it with enough conviction, they can will the battle back in their favor.
Max is losing it. He’s gripping at his own head and he knows he’s losing control of the situation but he doesn’t know why and that makes him lose it all the quicker and Booster still doesn’t know what any of them can do but he knows that they’re winning and keeps saying Ted’s name.
Boston’s ring drowns the room in white, leaving nothing but haloed silhouettes. And then-
“Special delivery for Maxwell Lord!”
A fist catches Max across the face, landing him flat out and Bea and Boston gasp as their minds are freed.
“It’s an exclusive from karma, bitch.”
The electro-magnet shuts down and for a moment Booster doesn’t know what to do, just looks over Jaime who’s slowly uncurling from himself and at Gavril who’s probably equally stunned under his helmet. A blue light engulfs Nate and Tora sits back on her heels, shaking and drained.
He just stands there as everyone pushes themselves up off the ground and it is him, they all know it in a way they can’t explain. Booster can’t believe it but he does and he clings to that hope so desperately that he can taste the tears in the back of his throat. And still he stands there with a grin that can only be his and eyes that are almost glowingly bright and dressed in blue that isn’t familiar but so undeniably him
There’s a flare at the base of one of his fingers and it says soothingly, “Ted Kord of Earth. You have the ability to instill great hope. Welcome to the Corps.”
