Booster Gold: Say the Tragic Words

Beaten by Nobody

Abra Kadabra sported a shiner on his chin, but he cackled. Standing on the steps of the First Bank of Central City, he saw the moment of his greatest victory finally coming to pass. His audience consisted of the squadron of police officers that tried to stop him. Their patrol cars were either crushed or tossed aside like toys. The cops themselves panicked, chain of command completely shattered. For the main event, the Flash lay underneath a pile of money bags, pummeled nearly senseless and surely injured. Now the gigantic door to the bank vault screamed down from the sky, ready to crush the speedster. For Abra, the day kept getting better.

"Not to worry folks!" a voice called from the sky. "I've got this!"

A blue and gold blur swooped down and stopped the vault before it could meet its crushing destiny. The Flash, surprised to still be alive, looked up at his savior. Booster Gold held the door high above his head, arms spread like a champion weightlifter.

"Yes indeed folks, Booster Gold has arrived!" Skeets, his metallic sidekick, said to the small crowd. "My champion and yours, hero for truth, justice and the future!"

Kadabra was not amused. "What? What is this nonsense?!" he said, then aimed his wand at the star on Booster's chest. The tip illuminated, readying a blast.

"Han Solo!" Booster said. He balanced the door on one hand and fired off a shot from his wrist laser before Kadabra. He aimed for the wand, but got Kadabra's hand. The shot ignited his glove's fabric; he dropped the wand and slapped at his burning hand in a panic.

"Aaagh! You, you...you rube!" Kadabra said, stomping on the blackened remains of his glove.

"Wow, nice shot Booster...Booster?" Flash said, looking up at Booster from the sidewalk. Booster got his hand back up to steady the door again, but the laser trick threw him off balance. He leaned hard and started stumbling. The gargantuan slab wobbled above him.

"I got it, I got it!" Booster said, kneeling down. He tried steadying the door, but his suit's strength enhancements didn't help with balance. "Uh, Flash, little help? Hurry."

The second threat of death by crushing gave Flash a shot of adrenaline. In two seconds' time, he placed the bags with the CCPD, and zipped Booster out from under the door. It hung in the air like a cartoon coyote, then slammed down onto the sidewalk, cracking the concrete. The quakes from the landing made even the street lights half a block down wobble. Meanwhile, Kadabra scrambled for his wand, but it was gone in a gusting red blur.

"No dammit, this should not be happening!" Kadabra said. He was furious, stomping like a pouting child. "You spangly fool--!"

"My suit isn't spangly," Booster said, then extended a spherical force field around Kadabra to cut the rant short. Flash nursed his neck a few feet away, surrounded by disheveled leather bags. "Your ass is going to prison."

- - -

Abra Kadabra had not arrived in Iron Heights Penitentiary.

Monitor duty on the Justice League Watchtower involved a laundry list of menial tasks. Check lunar life support systems, make sure teleporters transported people back to Earth in one piece. etc. J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter, reached the final task after a few hours. He'd been puttering around the moon base, with few interruptions, save for one. The Flash called from the hospital earlier and asked to make sure the rogue was incarcerated as planned. Simple enough, J'onzz thought. But upon accessing Iron Heights' records via their secure connection, he saw that Kadabra had not arrived yet. J'onn sighed when he saw the name of Kadabra's escort; 'Green Lantern.' Knowing that all Leaguers named Green Lantern were currently off-world, J'onn made a video call to the correct hero.