Title: Close Enough To Touch
Pairing: Boostle
Fandom: DC comics
Rating: PG
Word Count: 601
Warnings/Spoilers: Some brief mentions of the JLI and Ted Kords 'fate'
Characters: Booster Gold, Batman, Blue Beetle (sort of)
Disclaimer: Don't own, wish I did

 

“I found something.” It feels wrong to be going through the Kord Industries basement without Ted; even if the building is technically deserted. It makes his stomach twist uncomfortably and his throat feel tight. Booster jerks and nearly drops the old science journal he has been staring blankly at.
 

 Batman disappears behind the Bug; he runs his hand over the haul gently and then catches up to Bruce. There’s a bright light that Booster shields his eyes from and when he looks up again he can’t believe what he see’s.
 

 “Ted?” He reaches out, hand outstretched as he steps forwards. The image of his best friend flickers but remains staring straight ahead, devoid of emotion. “Hologram?” It sticks in his throat as the brief hope dies.
 

 Batman studies the hologram, an unreadable look on his face. Then he turns away and heads back towards the bug.
 

 “I’ll give you a minute.” He doesn’t say thank you, doesn’t even acknowledge him, he’s too entranced by the image before him.
 

 “Ted?” The image flickers again, almost like it’s remind him that while it may be life size, it isn’t real. Then its gaze transfers to him.
 

 “Booster.” The hologram grins brightly like it’s just spotting him; he can feel his eyes burning.
 

 “Ted…” He repeats, whispers, barely feels the words leave his lips. The smile shifts to a worried frown and he wants the smile back.
 

 “What’s wrong?” Hysterical laughter bubbles up in his chest.
 

 “Nothing,” You’re dead and I’m talking to a hologram of you. “Nothing’s wrong.” He half expects the hologram to accept it at face value but the worried look remains. “Remember when Batman knocked Guy Gardner out with one punch?” Of course he doesn’t, he’s a hologram. Booster asks it suddenly because he cannot let the silence settle, cannot let Ted go back to being a blank hologram, not yet.
 

 Holo-Ted chuckles; god- he’s missed the sound.
 

 “Black Canary was devastated that she missed it.” Booster adds, then leans against a crate. “Good times.”
 

 “Great times.” Holo-Ted corrects and for a moment it’s like he has his friend back. He aches to touch him. He wonders if Ted actually installed memories in the hologram before he died. He wonders if Holo-Ted remembers the same things that Ted did.
 

 Booster stands there, drinking in the sight of the other man and tries to think of something witty to say. Something to hear the chuckle again; he doesn’t succeed.
 

 “I miss you.” He looks up and Holo-Ted’s face is blank again, like he doesn’t realize Booster is still there.
 

 He turns slowly and walks away to go join Batman again, then he freezes and turns back quickly. For a moment it had actually sounded like- but the hologram has disappeared leaving only the metal platform in its wake.
 

 Booster rushes back, crouches down and frantically searches for an ‘on’ switch, but there is none. It appears to be only a piece of metal, no on switch, no off switch, no controls- nothing. So then how-?
 

   “Booster!” Batman calls him, breaks him from his thoughts. “It’s time to go.”

 He casts a long look at the machine, an impossible idea slowly forming in his head. He’ll come back later if he has to.
 

 Booster leaves the building, the whispered ‘I miss you too’, ringing through his head.

 

DI

 

Batman casts one last glance back in the room, eyes narrowing in on one shadowed corner. He quirks up the corner of his mouth and casts a slight nod in the direction, careful that Booster isn’t looking.
 

 For a moment the shadow waves back.