"That's exactly the problem! I'm the one that's supposed to take that kind of risk on, Sam. Not you! If that ever has to happen, it should happen to me, not you!"
After saying those words, Rich just knelt there, looking him in the eyes, and some of the fight left him, leeching out of his shoulders.
"That's my job. Being that guy is my job." He tapped him on the shoulder. "And that's -- that's the one part of being Nova that you should never try to do. I'm not saying don't protect people or never risk your life, because that's impossible when you're a superhero, but during the times somebody needs to be that guy, that does the absolutely crazy, suicidal thing, that's -- "
He swept a hand down his face.
"That's a Rich Rider thing. Not a Nova thing." His face softened even more. "You're fifteen. You're an amazing hero and you're gonna grow up to be an even more amazing one, but you're fifteen. You deserve to be protected and taken care of. You're a kid. And I don't mean that you can't handle it or anything, I just mean you shouldn't have to."
Kids were supposed to be kept as safe as they could be kept. Sure sometimes Sam would have to risk his life but if it was down to the two of them and one of them had to do something suicidal and brave instead of just brave... well the choice was obvious.
"I lived my life. Maybe not a whole lot longer, but enough."
This was a moment where Rich wasn't aware of how sad it was to think twenty odd years of life were enough. It was a moment where maybe Sam could see the cracks -- that there were at least a few. That there were things Rich could be blind about, and feeling like he was the one that should always automatically be thrown under the bus to save the day was one of them.
"There's too much you haven't gotten to do yet and too much you haven't gotten to be."
As if the same didn't go for him, someone who'd briefly been dead before 30.
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After saying those words, Rich just knelt there, looking him in the eyes, and some of the fight left him, leeching out of his shoulders.
"That's my job. Being that guy is my job." He tapped him on the shoulder. "And that's -- that's the one part of being Nova that you should never try to do. I'm not saying don't protect people or never risk your life, because that's impossible when you're a superhero, but during the times somebody needs to be that guy, that does the absolutely crazy, suicidal thing, that's -- "
He swept a hand down his face.
"That's a Rich Rider thing. Not a Nova thing." His face softened even more. "You're fifteen. You're an amazing hero and you're gonna grow up to be an even more amazing one, but you're fifteen. You deserve to be protected and taken care of. You're a kid. And I don't mean that you can't handle it or anything, I just mean you shouldn't have to."
Kids were supposed to be kept as safe as they could be kept. Sure sometimes Sam would have to risk his life but if it was down to the two of them and one of them had to do something suicidal and brave instead of just brave... well the choice was obvious.
"I lived my life. Maybe not a whole lot longer, but enough."
This was a moment where Rich wasn't aware of how sad it was to think twenty odd years of life were enough. It was a moment where maybe Sam could see the cracks -- that there were at least a few. That there were things Rich could be blind about, and feeling like he was the one that should always automatically be thrown under the bus to save the day was one of them.
"There's too much you haven't gotten to do yet and too much you haven't gotten to be."
As if the same didn't go for him, someone who'd briefly been dead before 30.