Booster Gold (the greatest superhero you’ve never heard of) sat on a rooftop overlooking a bustling city. Winter was just around the corner but there was no snow to speak of. He was enjoying a burrito with an ingredient that was unfortunately extinct by the 25th century. Of course, by then they’d invented half a dozen alternatives and then made a half a dozen more for good measure. He sat in silence, Skeets floating beside him as the two remained in quiet contemption.

  A second burrito sat wrapped up on the rooftop, by Booster’s side. He looked over at it and smiled but before he could take a bite, the two of them were interrupted by a boom that echoed across the city and towards his quiet spot on the roof.

  Sighing heavily, he set the burrito down and flew towards the sound of the disturbance with his arms outstretched. Within seconds, and with Skeets keeping pace they hovered above a bank. People fled from the front doors, screaming in terror as smoke emerged from a gaping hole in the roof.

  Adjusting his visor, Booster peered inside. Through the smoke, he saw the shape of someone spewing a fiery liquid from her mouth. He flew inside, making his way through the smoke and keeping close to the bank’s high ceiling. The shape had torn the door to the bank vault open and was emptying the contents.

  He had a closer look at her. Her clothing was red and bck from head to toe, a crest on her chest. Her mouth leaked a burning red liquid like magma. She had a head of long red hair with curls on the end.

  “Talk to me, Skeets.”“There’s no hostages. Looks like everyone got out. But...Michael, that’s a Red Lantern. I would advise caution…”

  “Yellow is scary, Blue is being nice and Red is…”

  She sharply spun around, revealing that her eyes were filled with the same intense red glow. Piercing through Booster.

  “Oh, they get pissed…” He muttered under his breath.

  She flew upwards towards him, striking Booster and sending him flying towards the ceiling, crashing through it. He managed to regain his bance in the sky, firing off a few energy bsts, taking care to keep the settings low. She powered through them, closing the gap and he raised his arms to defend himself.

  She grabbed him by the wrists and spewed the va-like substance from her mouth, attempting to get it in his eyes but his visor protected him. There was nothing but hate in her eyes, not even a human being behind them anymore but an angry beast. While initially wincing at the sight, Booster thought quickly and headbutted her, disorientating the ntern and following it up with an energy bst that sent her flying backwards.

  “Skeets. Ideas?”

  “The Red Ring’s possessed her, and it’s still fuelled by her rage. If you try to calm her down?”

  “That’s it? Great.” He rolled his eyes

  Michael cleared his throat, raising his arms

  “Please, we can talk about this..” He was cut off as she flew into him, striking Booster with full force and sending him back into the bank, denting the door of the vault. With Michael on the ground, the Lantern’s eyes turned back to the money and for a split second, the red glow in her eyes dimmed ever so slightly. She sharply shook her head, letting out a growl but her attention shot back to Booster as he stood to his feet.

  “Fuck you Green Lantern! Stay out of my way! I don’t want to hurt you!” She yelled, showing her teeth, va still spewing from her mouth “I’m not…I’m wearing Gold!” He pointed to his suit

  “I don’t care who you are. Stay out of this!”

  “Y-you know I can’t do that, right?” He winced, moving slightly closer “You still have control.” He pointed to the red ring wrapped around a finger on her left hand “Those things can consume people and the fact that you’re not trying to kill me right now tells me it’s not in control of you. So, let’s maybe take some breathing exercises and talk about this? Nobody’s been hurt yet. You still have a chance.”

  “I need this! There’s no other way!”

  He raised his hands “I’m sure you do. Everyone does. But I don’t wanna fight you.”

  She met his gaze, seeing that Michael’s eyes were tired and pleading. There was no hatred or cruelty in them “Not today.” He sighed heavily “Please.”

  She bared her teeth, her fists clenched tightly but took in one deep breath “Okay.” She nodded “But not here.” She gnced around the interior of the bank vault, the sounds of police sirens echoing outside

  Michael sighed heavily, squeezing the ridge of his nose for a moment before managing a smile, offering her his hand.

  “You’re not in trouble, okay? Those rings…This wasn’t you.”

  She didn’t take his hand but the two flew through the hole in the ceiling and she followed Booster onto the top of a high building. She sat down and continued to breathe deeply, her eyes closed. He walked to her side, hesitating as his hand hovered over her shoulder.

  “John’s not gonna like this.” He muttered to himself “Or Kyle or Jessica or Guy…Who’s in charge right now?” He gnced at Skeets

  “It might be Hal at the moment.”Booster winced loudly at that “Ah, crap.”

  The Red Lantern slowly turned around, the rage in her eyes starting to fade, showing them as their natural green but still surrounded with a red glow.

  “I…Ah shit. Did I hurt anyone?”“No.” He shook his head, offering a smile “You just went straight for the money. I’ve broken up a lot of bank robberies in my day. You didn’t tear the vault door open until the bank was clear, and you didn’t take any hostages.”

  “I was attacking you.”

  “You barely scratched me.” He chuckled

  She gnced at her ring.

  “I didn’t…You gotta believe me when I say…Please don’t take me to jail.” Her eyes started to well up

  “Uh…I-I won’t.” He shrugged

  “We could argue it was the ring’s doing, but…Michael, I need to speak with you in private.”

  “Keep doing those breathing exercises, I’ll be right back.” Booster gave her a grin and thumbs up before moving away with Skeets.

  “I’ve analysed everything we know about Red Lanterns by our time and…We won’t be able to remove the ring without killing her.”

  “What kinda crap is that? Rest of the space rainbows take their rings off all the time!” He was keeping his voice low, but his whisper was akin to a shout

  “Red Lanterns are different. The ring repces their heart.”

  He groaned heavily “We can’t just leave her like this for the Lanterns to throw her in some space jail! She’s just a kid who made a mistake. Skeets, c'mon. There’s gotta be something…” He shook his head“There are a few ways we could de-power it but we don’t have access to any of them. Otherwise, she may just have to learn to control her anger.”

  He smiled

  “Michael?”“I have an idea. Just follow my lead.”

  The two moved back towards the young woman who continued to meditate. Booster sat down next to her and removed his visor, setting it on his p and letting his legs dangle over the edge.

  “I never asked your name.”

  “It’s Eve.” She kept her hands close to her chest, her eyes fixed on the ring

  “Cool name.”

  “I, uh…I picked it out myself.”

  He nodded

  “It’s Michael. Sure, I go by Booster Gold but that’s…Yeah.”

  “Aren’t you risking a lot, revealing your secret identity?”“I’m from the future.” He gave an over the top shrug, smiling “Haven’t got a secret identity. But who wants to be rescued by friggin’ Michael Carter?”

  “W-why are you being so nice?”

  He pointed to the Red Lantern ring.

  “That and I know what it’s like to screw up.”

  She brought her knees close to her chest “I…I don’t think you could understand. Nobody does.”“Try me.”

  She stared at the ring.

  “I got this a few days ago…Everything’s been a blur up until the bank, but…I was just so angry. And it wasn’t over one thing. So much…Bullshit happened in one week. But, I guess things started like, three years ago. I…”

  “Hey, I’m not here to interrogate you. Do I look like Batman?”

  She ughed dryly at that.

  “The st straw was that goddamn letter. Telling me…Telling me my.” She choked back “I’d been rejected for things I needed, uh... I…And then this thing flies through my window. And I hear a voice saying I’ve been chosen. It was, everywhere. That voice. Like I was hearing it in my head.” She rested her head in her hands “I just...God, I’d never felt like that before.”

  Michael shifted closer towards her

  “What did you need?”

  She turned away.

  “Eve, please. Maybe I can help with it?”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  “You’re forgetting I’m from the future.” He offered her a comforting smile, but still hesitated to rest a hand on her shoulder, keeping it by his side.

  “What year?”

  “Twenty-fifth century.”

  “There’s still a pnet by then?” She scoffed

  “We…Figure it out, eventually. There’s no war by then, barely any crime and even a screw-up like me got another chance. Not gonna lie and say it’s perfect, but…” He looked down for a moment and then looked directly at her “It’s medical, right?”

  She remained silent for a few moments.

  “It was the st straw in three years of bullshit.”

  “Yeah, those things don’t just pick anyone.”

  “The future…Is it more accepting?”

  He nodded, slowly.

  Michael’s eyes went wide as the hissing of a feline filled the air

  “Oh no.”

  “What?”“Lantern Corps don’t fly solo.”

  “Well, there’s an exception to that…” Skeets tried to butt in, but he was cut off

  “Crap, I was so worried about Hal and the others that I forgot about them.”

  He slowly turned around seeing a cat adorned in bck and red, the colours of the Red Lantern corp, with an insignia on his chest.

  “Oh, it’s a kitty?” Eve raised an eyebrow“That kitty had committed unspeakable crimes in multiple star systems.” Skeets stated coldly.

  The sharp, yellow eyes of the feline had a red glow surrounding them.

  “Out of the way…” He hissed “Or I’ll scratch out your eyes!”Booster stepped in front of Eve, his gaze narrowing “You’re not taking her, Dex-Starr.”

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “Booster G-…Nevermind.” He put his visor on “I don’t wanna beat up a housecat. But I will. Leave her alone.”

  Eve stepped in front of him.

  “No. I’m not worth risking your life for.” She shook her head

  “Bu-”“Michael, please. You’re the only person who’s given a shit about me in a long time. And you don’t even know me, I don't want you getting hurt…” She looked down “I’m not worth it. And…I don’t think I belong on Earth anymore. Maybe this is what I need.”

  As she took a step closer towards Dex, Booster grabbed her by the arm.

  “Wait! What about that medical thing?”

  “What about it?” She scoffed, defeat in her eyes “The letter I got means I’m not getting it. Not unless I pay out of pocket and…It’s a lot of money.”

  “Not in the future!” He spat out.

  The cat tilted his head while Eve raised an eyebrow

  “What?” Dex-Starr hissed“What?” Eve scoffed

  “What?” Skeets spat

  “I’m not gonna pretend to understand what you’ve been through, what made you mad enough that these intergactic assholes wanna use you but…I can at least try and make it better. Will you let me?”

  “Michael, what are you doing?” Skeets demanded, keeping his voice low

  “I got this.” He whispered back.

  “You’re not taking her anywhere, she belongs to us.” The cat flew forwards, his cws at the ready.

  But Booster was faster, and before Dex-Starr could unch an furious and vicious attack, he already had an arm around Eve, activating the time travel device in his suit. Skeets followed as the three of them entered the timestream. But they did not enter alone, for the furious feline followed into the tunnel of blue light.

  “Oh, fu-”

  Dex-Starr tried to dig his cws into Booster’s arm, but was stopped by a shield made of a golden light. However, the blow knocked Booster and Eve further into the timestream, with Skeets now struggling to keep up. The feline never relented, his next attack going for Booster’s throat, teeth first. He deployed the shield a second time, managing to hold back the assault but each blow sent the group further into the timestream.

  They emerged from the tunnel, Booster tumbling out with Dex-Starr still on top of him while Eve and Skeets remained by his side. Michael finally managed to toss the feline off of him and he stood to his feet.

  The bustling metropolis, the flying cars, the thousands that walked the streets. It was all gone. The buildings were far older, but y in ruins. There was no nature in sight, as birds and even greenery were entirely absent. The only sound that filled their ears was the whistling of the wind flying through the buildings. Panicking, Booster quickly checked his wrist.

  They must’ve gone too far forward, right? Had to be centuries beyond his own. His face dropped as he read the year, falling to his knees and tugging at his hair.

  2426

  The same year he’d left.

  “No! No!” He cried “Skeets!”

  “Michael, I…”

  A rush of wind kicked up a mountain of dust behind the group, and they all turned to look as a shape, dressed from head to toe in yellow stood before him, his form remaining still and yet shaking too fast to make out his features, beyond a set of red glowing eyes and an insignia of his chest of a red lighting bolt.

  “Skeets. Get Eve outta here.” He gulped, standing tall

  “Oh, I’m not going to kill you.” His voice was distorted, and he shook his head

  “Did you have anything to do with this?”

  “Why would I end the world?”

  “Because you’re insane?”

  Within an instant, the shape had his hands around Booster’s throat and had lifted him into the air.

  “Michael!” Eve cried

  “I set…Get her out of here.” He grunted

  “You know I could catch her if I wanted to. I could kill all of you before you can even blink. So ask yourself why I haven’t.”

  He lowered Michael back onto his feet.

  “Let me you how the world ended.”