Request Ficlets: Erasing the Past; What Would *He* Do? | DCU | Various Beetle Pairings | R; PG-13
Should anyone be surprised about the headers anymore? - Title | Fandom | Character/Pairing | Rating | Word Count
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit.
Erasing the Past | DCU | Booster Gold/Blue Beetle II | R (for language) | 811 w
Prompt: for sasha_anu - Boostle (no prompt)
Summary: Booster's upset with the League for the way they're acting. Ted can't much blame him.
Author's Note: More blatant fix-it fic for the boys. *hugs them* Also, yes, there *is* a big mention of a Marvel superhero. It's intentional. No, I will not be writing Iron Man fic in the future. :p
Erasing the Past
The trip home was the longest ordeal either of them had been through yet. After dealing with Max and his OMACs, they'd had to take the long route, stopping back in the time where Ted was supposed to have died to make sure everyone thought he was good and dead, just to protect the time line. Add to that a barely functioning time sphere and discovering that the Black Beetle, Booster's father, and Rex Hunter were all working to remake the time line, and it became a very long trip, indeed. By the time they made it home, both their nerves were so frazzled that neither had any patience for the League's debriefing and interrogation at all.
It was no surprise to Ted when Booster blew up at Batman and stormed out of the briefing room at the Hall of Justice. Following him out into the corridor, Beetle caught up with him quickly and grasped him gently by the arm. “Michael, wait.”
Stopping short, Booster turned back to his partner and ran a hand through his light hair. “How can you possibly sit through that?” he asked, voice filled with grief. “All the questions, the blatant gawking, the talk about everything that happened after you died?”
“I'm not dead,” Ted blinked back at him through yellow goggles.
Booster clenched his jaw, frowning, then, “You were. Every minute of every day, you were dead. For two years! Do you... do you have any idea what that did to me, Ted? I can't even think about it without losing it!”
The dark haired man could only gape. He'd known that his 'death' had hurt Michael a lot, but... “I... I'm sorry, Michael.”
Booster pulled away from him and continued down the corridor, shoulders slumped as he pulled down his half-cowl and goggles. But a few yards away, he stopped, fixing his hands on his hips and straightening up, looking toward the ceiling. “They act like it was no big deal that you died, okay? Like there were other deaths and disappearances more important than yours. Sue, Superboy, Flash... Your funeral was... the hardest thing I ever had to do, Ted, and - and they're acting like it might as well have not happened. Like all that pain and grief... like it meant nothing.” His voice cracking a bit as he finished, he dropped his head. “Well, it meant something to me. And I won't - I can't forget it. Everything I went through, everything we just went through... it's all right here,” he laid a palm on his chest, above the blue star, “and it means a hell of a lot more to me than 'how badly did we fuck up the time line'.”
“Hey...” Ted was moving forward to catch him by the elbow and turn him around before he even realized he'd taken a step. “What they think... it doesn't even matter. We didn't even have to come back here, and if you want, we can just go. To be honest... after the way they all treated me before - before Max took me away... I'm not so sure I want much to do with them.”
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Booster groaned. “No... no. After you died, they came around. It's just... I made a mess of things here, and... I dunno, maybe I'm just reacting to that.”
“Whatever happened, that doesn't excuse how they're acting now. It sure as hell doesn't make your memories and feelings any less valid. You have every right to be upset. I just... I don't want this to hurt you anymore.”
A long sigh. “Yeah. I... dammit, Ted,” he said, then drew his friend up into his arms, squeezing tightly. “This isn't easy, you know? They don't even know the half of it, and I don't want them to. Frankly, most of it's none of their business.”
“I know. I know,” Ted breathed into the crook of Booster's neck as he squeezed just as hard, hands on his partner's back. Pulling slightly away, he said, “So. You want to finish this? Or blow on out, leave them to their speculation?”
Booster smiled crookedly. “Why don't we leave Batman the last few minutes of closed circuit video of the corridor to puzzle over for a few weeks, then don't return his calls?”
“Sounds like a plan to me. Wanna go catch a movie?” Ted asked as they turned to head for the exit. “I've got two years of cinema to catch up on.”
“Sure. We can go see that new Iron Man flick,” Michael suggested as he pulled his half-cowl back up.
“Iron Man? They made a movie about that hack?”
Booster chuckled, laying an arm across Ted's shoulders. “Relax, he's just a comic book character, nothing at all like the real deal. Besides, you could take him.”
“Got that right.”
* * * * *
What Would He Do? | DCU | Jaime Reyes/Traci 13 (Brenda/Paco mentioned) | PG-13 | 625 w
Prompt: For htbthomas - Jaime/Traci, Brenda/Paco - What Would Ted Kord Do?
Summary: Jaime figures he's ruined things with Traci, but considers his next step anyway.
Author's Note: Why yes, this *is* tied into the preceeding ficlet. ^_~ Hehe... Also, my Spanish is *way* rusty. Lo siento. ~O_O~
What Would He Do?
Oblivious to the unrealistic hero flick playing on the screen, Jaime tried to collect himself, control his breathing, appear calm, together, cool. Wasn't everyday you got to go to the movies with Traci Thirteen, after all, even if it was a double date with Brenda and Paco.
Stay cool, Jaime. You're the Blue Beetle, you can handle this, he reminded himself, wondering if the 'yawn and stretch' move would actually work, or whether he'd get a fist to the groin for his troubles. Traci was no one to be trifled with, and besides, hadn't his parents taught him better? All that time spent with Guy Gardner had shown him exactly how bad the consequences could be if you misjudged a woman's receptiveness to, well, anything, at least.
No good, he decided, aborting the move almost as soon as he started to yawn. Her eyes were on him so fast he could feel the smack coming already.
-chirr-chirr-click-chirp-
No! She is not a threat! Shut up!
Escarabajo estupido. It would figure the thing would pick up on that; it could read a potential threat a mile away. But now wasn't the time to be arguing with the scarab. Fixing his eyes on the screen, Jaime tried to pay attention to the comic book superhero getting his ass handed to him by a bad guy in a bigger mech suit. He had to give the guy credit, though, he'd created a fine machine. Of course, truth be told, the Beetle carapace could take that thing in a heartbeat.
Grabbing his soda to take a sip, he wondered just how badly he'd already bombed with Traci. She'd want to discuss the movie afterward, but he really hadn't gotten half of it. She was probably wondering why he was trying such stupid moves, when they'd already made out... several times. Then she'd probably ditch him with Brenda and Paco when he couldn't give her a good answer to his idiocy.
The flash of an explosion on the screen caught his eye, and as he watched the 'superhero' escape relatively unscathed, he remembered the one good piece of advice that Guy Gardener had given him: think about what Ted Kord would do. Yeah, that was mostly for strategy and fighting, but why couldn't it be applied to dating? What would Ted Kord do? Jaime had never heard anything about the second Blue Beetle's love life, good or bad, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe Ted was discreet. Polite. Smart about who he dated and how.
Discretion. Wasn't that supposed to be the better part of valor? Hmm...
-chirr-click-chirp-chirr-
Oh. The movie was over. Credits rolling. Time to look like you know what you're doing, Jaime. Standing, he offered his hand to Traci, who proceeded to look at him like he had three heads.
“Are you nuts? There's a whole scene at the end of the credits, that sets up the sequel!” she whispered. “Sit down!”
-CHIRR-CHIRP-CHIRR-
Callate! he ordered the scarab, sitting and trying not to look like an idiot. Ted Kord would definitely have known about a bonus scene.
Once it was all over and the lights had come up, Jaime felt the stranglehold on his chest double. Offering his hand again, he received a quirky smile in return.
“Why don't we come see it again, tomorrow,” Traci suggested as they walked out, “so you can actually pay attention to the movie?”
“Uh...” Busted. Ted Kord would never have been this busted... would he?
“It's all right. I... didn't exactly catch the entire thing, myself,” his date said awkwardly, tucking a lock of hair behind an ear.
Suddenly, things didn't look so bad. Gracias, Ted!
* * * * *
Disclaimer: DC and WB own it all. I own nothing. Darnit.
Erasing the Past | DCU | Booster Gold/Blue Beetle II | R (for language) | 811 w
Prompt: for sasha_anu - Boostle (no prompt)
Summary: Booster's upset with the League for the way they're acting. Ted can't much blame him.
Author's Note: More blatant fix-it fic for the boys. *hugs them* Also, yes, there *is* a big mention of a Marvel superhero. It's intentional. No, I will not be writing Iron Man fic in the future. :p
Erasing the Past
The trip home was the longest ordeal either of them had been through yet. After dealing with Max and his OMACs, they'd had to take the long route, stopping back in the time where Ted was supposed to have died to make sure everyone thought he was good and dead, just to protect the time line. Add to that a barely functioning time sphere and discovering that the Black Beetle, Booster's father, and Rex Hunter were all working to remake the time line, and it became a very long trip, indeed. By the time they made it home, both their nerves were so frazzled that neither had any patience for the League's debriefing and interrogation at all.
It was no surprise to Ted when Booster blew up at Batman and stormed out of the briefing room at the Hall of Justice. Following him out into the corridor, Beetle caught up with him quickly and grasped him gently by the arm. “Michael, wait.”
Stopping short, Booster turned back to his partner and ran a hand through his light hair. “How can you possibly sit through that?” he asked, voice filled with grief. “All the questions, the blatant gawking, the talk about everything that happened after you died?”
“I'm not dead,” Ted blinked back at him through yellow goggles.
Booster clenched his jaw, frowning, then, “You were. Every minute of every day, you were dead. For two years! Do you... do you have any idea what that did to me, Ted? I can't even think about it without losing it!”
The dark haired man could only gape. He'd known that his 'death' had hurt Michael a lot, but... “I... I'm sorry, Michael.”
Booster pulled away from him and continued down the corridor, shoulders slumped as he pulled down his half-cowl and goggles. But a few yards away, he stopped, fixing his hands on his hips and straightening up, looking toward the ceiling. “They act like it was no big deal that you died, okay? Like there were other deaths and disappearances more important than yours. Sue, Superboy, Flash... Your funeral was... the hardest thing I ever had to do, Ted, and - and they're acting like it might as well have not happened. Like all that pain and grief... like it meant nothing.” His voice cracking a bit as he finished, he dropped his head. “Well, it meant something to me. And I won't - I can't forget it. Everything I went through, everything we just went through... it's all right here,” he laid a palm on his chest, above the blue star, “and it means a hell of a lot more to me than 'how badly did we fuck up the time line'.”
“Hey...” Ted was moving forward to catch him by the elbow and turn him around before he even realized he'd taken a step. “What they think... it doesn't even matter. We didn't even have to come back here, and if you want, we can just go. To be honest... after the way they all treated me before - before Max took me away... I'm not so sure I want much to do with them.”
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Booster groaned. “No... no. After you died, they came around. It's just... I made a mess of things here, and... I dunno, maybe I'm just reacting to that.”
“Whatever happened, that doesn't excuse how they're acting now. It sure as hell doesn't make your memories and feelings any less valid. You have every right to be upset. I just... I don't want this to hurt you anymore.”
A long sigh. “Yeah. I... dammit, Ted,” he said, then drew his friend up into his arms, squeezing tightly. “This isn't easy, you know? They don't even know the half of it, and I don't want them to. Frankly, most of it's none of their business.”
“I know. I know,” Ted breathed into the crook of Booster's neck as he squeezed just as hard, hands on his partner's back. Pulling slightly away, he said, “So. You want to finish this? Or blow on out, leave them to their speculation?”
Booster smiled crookedly. “Why don't we leave Batman the last few minutes of closed circuit video of the corridor to puzzle over for a few weeks, then don't return his calls?”
“Sounds like a plan to me. Wanna go catch a movie?” Ted asked as they turned to head for the exit. “I've got two years of cinema to catch up on.”
“Sure. We can go see that new Iron Man flick,” Michael suggested as he pulled his half-cowl back up.
“Iron Man? They made a movie about that hack?”
Booster chuckled, laying an arm across Ted's shoulders. “Relax, he's just a comic book character, nothing at all like the real deal. Besides, you could take him.”
“Got that right.”
* * * * *
What Would He Do? | DCU | Jaime Reyes/Traci 13 (Brenda/Paco mentioned) | PG-13 | 625 w
Prompt: For htbthomas - Jaime/Traci, Brenda/Paco - What Would Ted Kord Do?
Summary: Jaime figures he's ruined things with Traci, but considers his next step anyway.
Author's Note: Why yes, this *is* tied into the preceeding ficlet. ^_~ Hehe... Also, my Spanish is *way* rusty. Lo siento. ~O_O~
What Would He Do?
Oblivious to the unrealistic hero flick playing on the screen, Jaime tried to collect himself, control his breathing, appear calm, together, cool. Wasn't everyday you got to go to the movies with Traci Thirteen, after all, even if it was a double date with Brenda and Paco.
Stay cool, Jaime. You're the Blue Beetle, you can handle this, he reminded himself, wondering if the 'yawn and stretch' move would actually work, or whether he'd get a fist to the groin for his troubles. Traci was no one to be trifled with, and besides, hadn't his parents taught him better? All that time spent with Guy Gardner had shown him exactly how bad the consequences could be if you misjudged a woman's receptiveness to, well, anything, at least.
No good, he decided, aborting the move almost as soon as he started to yawn. Her eyes were on him so fast he could feel the smack coming already.
-chirr-chirr-click-chirp-
No! She is not a threat! Shut up!
Escarabajo estupido. It would figure the thing would pick up on that; it could read a potential threat a mile away. But now wasn't the time to be arguing with the scarab. Fixing his eyes on the screen, Jaime tried to pay attention to the comic book superhero getting his ass handed to him by a bad guy in a bigger mech suit. He had to give the guy credit, though, he'd created a fine machine. Of course, truth be told, the Beetle carapace could take that thing in a heartbeat.
Grabbing his soda to take a sip, he wondered just how badly he'd already bombed with Traci. She'd want to discuss the movie afterward, but he really hadn't gotten half of it. She was probably wondering why he was trying such stupid moves, when they'd already made out... several times. Then she'd probably ditch him with Brenda and Paco when he couldn't give her a good answer to his idiocy.
The flash of an explosion on the screen caught his eye, and as he watched the 'superhero' escape relatively unscathed, he remembered the one good piece of advice that Guy Gardener had given him: think about what Ted Kord would do. Yeah, that was mostly for strategy and fighting, but why couldn't it be applied to dating? What would Ted Kord do? Jaime had never heard anything about the second Blue Beetle's love life, good or bad, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Maybe Ted was discreet. Polite. Smart about who he dated and how.
Discretion. Wasn't that supposed to be the better part of valor? Hmm...
-chirr-click-chirp-chirr-
Oh. The movie was over. Credits rolling. Time to look like you know what you're doing, Jaime. Standing, he offered his hand to Traci, who proceeded to look at him like he had three heads.
“Are you nuts? There's a whole scene at the end of the credits, that sets up the sequel!” she whispered. “Sit down!”
-CHIRR-CHIRP-CHIRR-
Callate! he ordered the scarab, sitting and trying not to look like an idiot. Ted Kord would definitely have known about a bonus scene.
Once it was all over and the lights had come up, Jaime felt the stranglehold on his chest double. Offering his hand again, he received a quirky smile in return.
“Why don't we come see it again, tomorrow,” Traci suggested as they walked out, “so you can actually pay attention to the movie?”
“Uh...” Busted. Ted Kord would never have been this busted... would he?
“It's all right. I... didn't exactly catch the entire thing, myself,” his date said awkwardly, tucking a lock of hair behind an ear.
Suddenly, things didn't look so bad. Gracias, Ted!
* * * * *