Chapter Text
When he had first traveled to the past, Booster expected it to be more… exciting. Different, somehow. Superheroes and metahumans running everywhere, extinct animals roaming about, a limitless surplus of fossil fuels.
Instead, Booster found the twenty-first century to be relatively the same. Unnecessary conflict, regular alien invasions, everyone living in a constant state of stress and panic. Everything felt like the end of the world - which, by the way, is ridiculous, because Booster is from 400 years into the future, so he knew the world wasn’t ending anytime soon.
Despite all the aching similarities, there were still some wild differences that Booster would never grow used to, like the fact that a coffee doesn’t cost $60 or that volcanoes were considered threatening.
The biggest change wasn’t from the difference in time, though. It was how he was perceived. No longer did people turn their noses up at him on the street; so long were the days where his family would have to pay for his mistakes. Don’t have to worry about your sister when she won’t be born for four centuries, right?
Yet it was all so… boring. Mundane. Bleak . Booster repeated the same things every day. Wake up, get ready, go to the coffee shop down the street, fly over to the Embassy, fight off some international threat, escape within an inch of his life, and then fly back home and drift to sleep. He needed something to shake it up. Sure, there would be the occasional day where no extraterrestrials or higher magical beings were threatening existence. Then, he’d either sit around at the Embassy or solve a few petty crimes in major cities across the country.
Today was one of those days. Booster had somehow found himself on the scene of a robbery at the Metropolis Aerospace Museum. He used his JLI clearance to flash past the security and speak with a few high ups.
Booster Gold wasn’t the most widely known member of the Justice League, nor the most trusted, but that wasn’t for lack of cause. He had a questionable backstory - how many people actually believed he was from the future anyways? It was the truth, but it’s not like he could prove it - with an obnoxious name and costume to boot. Despite being a heavy hitter, people usually wrote him off. It was… annoying, to say the least.
Nevertheless, clearance was clearance, so he and Skeets were still able to slide beneath that yellow tape and into the Metropolis Aerospace Museum. There were a few officers nearby, as well as two detectives and a CSI.
Booster walked over, flashed a winning smile, and outstretched his hand in an attempt at polite greeting. “‘Morning, guys.”
No one really jumped to greet him, not like they would if it had been Superman to show up. Instead, they were stuck with Booster Gold, the low-grade shiny guy, and his pet robot. Whatever, as soon as he deduced that the stolen property wasn’t of interest to international security, he’d march on out of there.
One of the detectives finally took his hand in a firm handshake, glancing briefly to Skeets before landing back on Booster. He spoke with a hint of a southern accent. “Doesn’t look like anyone took anything. No signs of forced entry, not a hair outta place. We wouldn’t have even known there’d been a break in if the guard’s hadn’t’ve been knocked cold.” He spoke with false confidence, like he wasn’t sure this was information to be shared. “We’re just waiting for the lab techs and security to finish counting up all the exhibits.”
Before he’d come to the past, Booster had worked night shifts at a museum very similar to this one, but there were two major differences: one, it was centuries into the future, and two, it was in the center of Gotham and constantly hit by criminals and professional crime organizations alike. He was definitely not equipped for that, but there were drones and security robots - like Skeets - that were built for that sort of thing. At least, there will be.
But these guys? In the Metropolis Aerospace Museum? They never even dared fear someone would try to steal from them. Everyone in Metropolis was too positive, too hopeful. Under the watchful eye of Superman, everyone felt safe. It was grossly misleading.
Okay, yeah, sure, Superman’s fine. He has arrested big bads like Lex Luthor, his super hearing allows for him to hear when you call, no matter how far away. How great is that, really? He’s strong. He punches things. Who doesn’t nowadays? Everyone can fly, he isn’t special. Ever heard of an airplane, Supes?
“What about the camera footage? Was it doctored in any way?”
“We got a guy checking it out now,” the detective assured him. “Y’know, it’s a little weird. So many robberies like this lately. Someone shows up, only takes one thing, and leaves no signs or slip-ups to track them.”
“Wait, this is a trend? How long has this been going on?”
The guy shrugged, “A couple weeks, maybe?”
“A couple of- why didn’t you mention this earlier?” This could very well be a chain investigation, and it’s not like Booster is much of a detective. He prefers to work with his fists. Maybe he should call in Ralph.
“Sir, we just got word back on what’s been stolen,” One of the CSIs came scurrying up to them, holding a clipboard in one hand and coffee in the other. “A piece of armor from the Anti Monitor invasion a few years ago. It was on display in Exhibit E.”
Well, shit. “Do you think you can show us?”
The CSI jumped back when Booster spoke, as if he hadn’t even seen the shimmering golden superhero standing three feet away. “Uh, yeah-”
“Great! Let’s go, then.” At this point, he was pretty tired of being ignored by the authorities here. Sure, he’s shiny, but even the shiniest of the shiny have to be given credit. People don’t write off the Sun.
The CSI led them through a long, winding corridor to Exhibit E, the E being for extraterrestrial. Technically, the Anti Monitor isn’t an extraterrestrial, but he certainly wasn’t human, so Booster would let the misclassification slide.
“This where it was?” The detective asked, gesturing to a large, empty glass case.
The CSI nodded and referenced his clipboard. “It says that the piece was donated a few years back - after that thing with the red skies and aliens - and that there’s an unknown energy coming off of it. Scientists have the rest of the suit in a lab somewhere, testing and experimenting with it, but it has so far been deduced as harmless.”
Booster practically snorted. Those scientists didn’t know what they were dealing with. The Anti Monitors harnessed dangerous, dark and mysterious energies that even the Trinity hadn’t understood. Nevertheless, that was a worry for another day. Today, now, Booster was to worry about the stolen piece of Anti Monitor armor which also possessed the same dangerous, dark and mysterious energies that even the Trinity hadn’t understood.
Jesus, that was a mouthful.
“Well mark it down and report the thing as stolen,” the Detective stated, pulling his phone from his pocket to scroll through it. “Need a ride back to the station, Jimmy?”
The CSI - Jimmy, apparently - nodded and began packing up his notes. “Yes, thanks.”
“Wait- that’s it? Find what’s stolen, report it, and you’re done?” Booster was in disbelief. No wonder they’d replaced police and security with robots in his time! “Aren’t you supposed to track down the stolen artifact?”
The detective looked tired and bored. As he continued scrolling through his phone, his shoulders slumped with a sigh. “There’s nothin’ more we can do.”
“Ridiculous! You’re not even going to try? This stuff is dangerous! If it ends up in the wrong hands-“
“It’s already in the wrong hands, Buster,” Jimmy, the CSI, pointed out.
Booster clenched his teeth and hissed, “It’s Booster . Gold.”
“ If I may,” Skeets interrupted, shocking the other two men with his tinny, automated voice. “We should compile a list of all the previous robberies and look for trends. This may also allow us to predict where the thief will strike next.”
The detective briefly looked at Skeets, shocked that he had spoken, then returned to his phone screen, ignoring the golden robot. “Whatever,” He shrugged and waved them off. “It’s already in the wrong hands. I’m sure one of y’all hero types can fix the problem when it arises.”
Booster wanted to argue - sure, they always saved he day. However, if they found it now , it could save a whole lot of trouble and, y’know, property damage. Plus, there was always that small chance that they wouldn’t fix it when it next came up.
But he kept his mouth shut. This guy was stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to reason. Booster watched as the two men swiftly exited the exhibit before he continued looking around.
The guy was right, there was no wreckage. Whoever had done this really knew what they were doing. Even the glass case it had been taken from was perfectly intact.
“Skeets,” He spoke up, turning to face his companion, “Take some pics of the crime scene, alright? And, uh, that list of the targets was a good idea.”
“Right away, sir,” Skeets obliged, proceeding to fly around the room and snap pictures of everything from the dent in the wall to a candy wrapper that missed the trash.
A chain robbery, huh? Booster leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms while he watched Skeets. Hopefully it wasn’t too late for him to cut the guy off, put a halt to the inevitably devious and sinister plans that were already in motion.
———————-
“Booster, I believe that I have found the most probable location for our thief to strike next,” Skeets stated matter-of-factly, later that same evening.
He was hoving right at Booster’s shoulder. The TV was on, playing news coverage of the days events, but neither man nor robot found it in themselves to care. “What is it, Skeets?”
“I ran an algorithm based on the input from previous thefts and the probably of cities based on what they have struck so far, as well as comparing probability of artifacts with similar multitude and design as the one’s they’ve taken and-“
“Okay, okay, I get it!” Booster turned in his seat to face Skeets. “Where’re we heading?”
“The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C., sir.”
———————-
“Any clue on when they’re gonna get here?” Booster wondered, hovering a couple dozen feet above the museum and keep watch. He was bored, to say the least. Booster was flying on his back, head hanging backwards to keep eyes trained on the building while he fiddled absently with his hands. Whoever decided that stakeouts were a good idea needs to have just, like, not existed, thanks.
“My apologies, sir. My programs did not present such data,” Skeets said, apologizing out of obligation rather than an actual feeling of guilt.
“S’okay, Skeets.” Booster began humming a little tune, twirling around in the air absently. “Hey, did you little algorithm say what they might need all this stuff for?”
“The most probable connection was either for their personal collection or to create a time dilation device.”
Booster scrunched his nose. “You mean like a clock?”
“No, sir. Like a time machine.”
“Oh.” It was quiet from there out. Many villains, super or otherwise, have tried to replicate a time machine. Especially in the past couple years, since it’s apparently possible with heroes like Impulse and himself having traveled back.
Booster continued to twirl and hum around the air; tried not to think about how his travelling here could cause a tyrannic world domination.
There was the distinct lack of anything interesting going on. That is, until he saw a dark silhouette duck past one of the windows. “Yes, Skeets! Let’s go!”
Without much thought regarding property damage or the fact that this was a national landmark, Booster dove head-first through the window. Glass rained down around him, but Booster Gold was able to stand tall and proud as his shield protected him.
The silhouette, however, did not have as such, and proceeded to duck beside the wall with both hands above his head.
It was only after the glass ran out and the man stood that Booster got a good look at him. He was wearing compact black armor, but judging on the yellow goggles, was definitely not a security guard. Although the tousled brown hair and soft, freckled skin didn’t look like it would belong to a thief, either.
“Y-you’re, um-“ Booster stammered out, shoulders hunched as he rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re really cute. Wow.”
The stranger smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye as he innocently asked, “And why is Booster Gold at the museum so late? You planning on meeting someone? Midnight rendez-vous?”
Booster was elated . This cute potential-thief had not only gotten his name right, but was he flirting ?
“Depends, are you?” Okay, okay, not his best work, but he was a little preoccupied by the way the black armor hugged the man’s thighs and shaped broad shoulders.
The thief laughed, “I could be persuaded.” He flashed a devious smile, one that was a tad lopsided. Before Booster knew what was happening, he was on the floor and a smoke bomb had been thrown down.
Before the air had even cleared, the thief made off with one stolen artifact - a huge chunk of nth metal - and any semblance of right-minded thinking Booster had left.
“Well,” He begun, turning to address Skeets, “I think things just got a whole lot more interesting.”