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It was a normal email, he assumed; he'd never received an email before. Normally, it was a message through his communicator (but he doesn't respond to his communicator anymore).
"Dear Michael-" He didn't like being called Michael. Skeets did it because that was the name he'd known him by before he was a hero. Michelle did call him Michael too, but mostly to annoy him. Rani called him Mickey, which wasn't so bad, and Rip usually preferred to call him Booster, even though he probably knew his full name and blood type.
"Happy birthday.
We hope you have a good day today.
Please remember that the doors of the Watchtower are always open for you.
Sincerely, Batman and the JL"
It was written like a professional office email. He still didn't understand how a millionaire who hadn't needed to work a day in his life had learned to write emails like an expert office worker.
Or why he was still trying to recruit him for the Justice League.
Booster would love it, of course, but no, because of his job as a future Time Master, if he had to do his job for Rip, be a public hero in the present and take care of Rani, all at the same time? he would explode, again
besides, it was obvious that nobody there liked him,
he didn't have to be a telepath to know what they thought of him,
the only one who wanted him at the Watchtower was Batman, and he was still mad at him
and it wasn't worth being in the Justice League if he was alone. He'd only be there officially, but not because he was really part of the League, not like Batman, not like Wonder Woman, not like Superman, much less without Ted.
he didn't even knew the League sent emails, but it could just be Batman's thing.
Because of course Batman would use email; he's like 60 or something,
well, it depends on how you count it
technically Bruce was way older, but the time resets (universal resets? multiversal resets?) made him much younger (and everyone else too, actually)
Booster himself could be like 50 or something; he's pretty sure he traveled from 2462 to the 20th century (using a borrowed time machine) and arrived in October 1986
Maybe he was 20 years old back then.
..Or maybe 22?
He assumes that even so, he was born in 2442, on December 29th, with a twin. He was obviously the older one, by a full two minutes.
But it's not just two minutes anymore.
Today Booster turned 36. Time travel again; it's a bit confusing.
But Michelle blew out candles shaped like 26 today. They aren't twins, at least not anymore.
Because he made a mistake. again. as always.
And he lost her for more than 10 years.
Now she's back and she's the same as always, but he isn't.
Many things happened in his life without her, good and bad.
Many people came into his life without her, good and bad.
Some people aren't coming back.
Some people don't want to come back.
Some people can't come back.
He's not sure if these people should come back.
He's still angry.
They weren't the kindest. Or maybe they just didn't treat him like he was someone who deserved to be kind with.
Maybe Tora did
but not the rest.
He wishes Max had stayed six feet under.
He wishes 'Dad' hadn't come back.
He wishes he'd been better enough.
Better enough so they wouldn't have to come back into his life.
But he was selfish.
Shit, he only took the job with Rip because he promised to bring Ted back. He didn't ask for his own twin sister back, but for the guy he'd met a few years ago, and he didn't even get him back.
He wishes Ted would come back.
If he were here, everything would be better.
maybe no.
Because Ted can't come back, (and he probably doesn't want to, considering the consequences.)
Because Booster can't have what he wants.
He can't get the recognition he wants.
He can't raise Rani the way she deserves.
He can't have Ted back.
He can't have his twin again even though she's here, because Booster turned 36 and she turned 26.