Guess who’s back… back again? Booster’s back, tell a friend. It was a week that he never expected because it had been so long since he had been around. Now that he was back, he didn’t want it to go. There was always something really awesome about being himself, about being a superhero that was so rewarding. Except, he didn’t have anything anymore. He was Booster, or Michael but only certain people could call him that and get away with it, but he didn’t have any of his stuff. He didn’t have his costume, he didn’t have his flight ring and he didn’t have Skeets. Oh, beloved skeets. That little robot was one of his favorite companions and he was always good for doing whatever it was that Booster said. It could literally be the most ridiculous thing in the world and Skeets would do it. He was one of the good ones. Tora was here, though. Which was a plus. They had both been through this before, a long time ago, or at least it seemed like a long time ago. But now they were much more equipped for the world. Or that’s what he thought.

The biggest surprise, though, was Ted. After searching for his best friend for so long the last time they were here… he appeared to him. And it was Jon’s best friend which made it all the sweeter. Ted… he was alive and mostly well, it seemed. Michael was just glad to have his best friend back but it seemed like there was something wrong with Ted as the week went on. He seemed to be distant… maybe even a little too careful. The first week was always the roughest, even Michael could agree to that, but there was something more in there that he wasn’t sure about. To be honest, though, Michael was always not the most observant person in the world. It made those times that he was sorta observant mean something more.

When it came close to the end of the week, Ted starting talking crazy talk to Michael. All this talk about the timeline being fucked and how he was going to have to die or Michael would die and blah, blah, blah. That thought had crossed Michael’s mind, sure, but it was never something that he thought could actually happen. This wasn’t part of the timeline they were used to. Now they were sharing bodies with another person and Michael was sure that that other person would have to die to make that a reality. It wasn’t like where they were from. Of course, he couldn’t really be sure but he held out hope that was the case. That’s all he could really do was hope. He sure as hell didn’t want to lose his best friend all over again.

So he went over to check on him because he was worried that Ted might do something to hurt himself to right the timeline. He was concerned that he would try and sacrifice himself for Michael and god dammit, that wasn’t going to happen. Michael had been through hell when Ted died and he had tried to keep it together for the sake of appearances but it still hurt. Losing someone was never an easy thing to go through but Ted was more than a best friend, he was a brother. He was someone that Michael loved and it was hard for Michael to love someone as much as he loved himself. But Ted was always that person for him and it was an epic bromance for the ages… and then he was gone. And Booster didn’t know what to do without Blue Beetle. More importantly, Michael didn’t know what to do without Ted.

Now that he was back, he was going to keep it that way. Even if Ted didn’t think it could happen, Michael wanted to prove that it could. And when he finally made it to Ted’s and he saw the way that Ted looked and the way that he talked, like he had to die to save Michael, Michael got real with him fast. Because there was no way they were going through this again. Even if Maxwell Lord was here (and really, if Maxwell Lord was here, Booster would likely want to kill him himself. He never got the chance to and it always bothered him.)

And they talk and Ted cries and it almost makes Michael cry and that’s not fair because Michael rarely does shit like this. He wouldn’t cry for anyone else except for Ted. He comforts him and they get hug it out. In a very platonic way because that’s the way they are. (One would assume they might be into each other but they would be very wrong. There is nothing wrong with hugging your best friend who is also male. They were like brothers after all.) And then he grabs the drinks but he knows that what Ted really needs his some sleep because he can tell he hasn’t slept in days and he understands why. The last time he shut his eyes, he was dying. He was shot in the temple and he fucking died. If that had been Michael, he’d be worried about closing his eyes too, for fear that something awful might happen to him. So he doesn’t blame him at all.

But they drink, Michael gets a little buzzed but certainly not drunk when Ted finally falls asleep. Michael smiles and just watches him, making sure that he’s still breathing because now he is a little freaked out that Ted needs to die to save him. It sucks but he was so scared that maybe that would be the case but it doesn’t seem like it. So he grabs the nearest blanket to toss it over him on the couch and he smiles again because he has his best friend back. And yeah, maybe a little bit of a tear comes to his eye because he never thought he’d ever see him again where he didn’t have to die to save his life.

And gold needs a little blue. Always.