Rich's eyes go wide and he takes a step back, his body shaking.

"No."

He's not particularly emotional when he says it. It's more a rejection of reality. This isn't real. He's going crazy because of what the squids are doing to him. It's a hallucination.

...A hallucination of Peter assuming Rich is a hallucination. But that doesn't mean he's real. It's just the hallucination being in character.

"This is a trick. Squirming through my head. Making me see things. Just like how they made me do things."

They made him do things that could've plunged existence into an endless nightmare. They almost made him kill one of his other best friends. If they could do all that, of course they could mess with his head like this.

He edges around Peter keeping his distance, planning on just staying away from him while he keeps on his way.

"No, you're not here. I saved you. I sent you and Drax home." He breathes out, "I was the door."