[video] With Great Power Comes Great Irresponsibility

[whyarewehere]

[ Grif is in high spirits today. He seems to actually be in one of the training rooms for once, which makes that a lot weirder. ]

Hey guys. There are a bunch of weirdos running around and it's been a while since we talked about powers. So guess what we're going to do today?

[ 'We' because he expects participation, dammit! ]

And because I'm feeling generous, I'll start. Guess who learned a new thing?

[ He points at himself with both thumbs and backs up, revealing a line of targets. He steps back, lines up his shoulder with them, and winds up his arm like a softball pitcher. He doesn't stop. Grif's arm blurs as he speeds up, and finally the force of the moving air is enough to tip over the nearest target. But only the nearest one. He stops, gestures at it with definite pride, and continues. ]

So let's talk about your powers because we already know mine are pretty awesome.

[ Of course they are, Grif. ]

Has anybody else figured out anything cool? And if you're new: I'm Grif and this is basically my job around here. Tell me what you got, because I'm still way disappointed about the lack of eye lasers we got going on on this team. I could read profiles, but who has time for that crap?

If I know you already... I don't know. Injury status report? What did you have for lunch? I'm just bored, okay?

((( This is a free for all mingle post! Grif will reply to everyone who responds, but if you want to have a character jump into a conversation with anybody you are absolutely welcome and, in fact, encouraged. Feel free to have characters ignore the point, talk about other things, etc etc. Threads are assumed to be public unless you mark them otherwise. This is set after the Ambush of TTHS but the Investigation is still ongoing. )))

Comments

[iamresponding]

[You'd think with the way he looks gutted that it's because she's the one who died and not vice versa, but they've already done that whole dance. Him getting hit in the face with it unexpectedly, him grieving, him not even taking enough time to grieve the way he needed to, because it was too painful to even touch.]

[Then him finding her again and pulling her out of time itself.]

[That's all done, so you'd think he'd be less emotional over dying himself, but he never thought he'd see her again. There'd been that moment where he'd felt himself dissolving into energy, and the world had gone black, and he thought that was it, that they'd only ever have one that one last kiss, that one last embrace, that one last "I love you."]

[That one last broken promise: "I will come back."]

[Even with getting revived like this, he doesn't know if it'll last. If he gets to stay. But of all people to be here, in case maybe he has to go back to the bright light and the quiet when all this is over, she's one of the ones he's wanted to see the most. Hell, with her here now, with meeting Sam and all the friends that have been brought to the Legion's universe, it's starting to feel a little "Rich Rider, This Is Your Life.]

So I think this is supposed to be the part where you kill me, but I feel like I should get out of it on a technicality, 'cause you said -- you specifically said -- "If you come back dead, I'll kill you" and even though I'm doing the coming back part, I'm not doing the dead part. You were very specific.

[God, she's going to kill him, but he could say anything and she'd kill him at this point. That's okay.]

[littlecousin]

[Nita's face goes blank as she fails utterly to decide what reaction she should have to this.

Hope is the worst part, always. She can't stop hoping; it's who she is. It buoys her, but it also lets the wounds fester, hurts that never quite heal. How can you let go when the dead might return?

Rich keeps talking, and Nita doesn't hear the words, just the sound of his voice. Her hand creeps up to her mouth.]

...Richie?

[Everything is suddenly all blurry for some reason, and she blinks back tears.]

[iamresponding]

It's me, Legs.

[He gives her a gentle smile.]

One of the X-Men must've left the door to the afterlife hanging open or something.

[Because this doesn't usually happen to them. To the X-Men and the Avengers and the cosmic people, sure, but they're the New Warriors. Him being able to save her and the Time Trapper bringing him back is the very first they've ever dealt with this.]

I don't know if this'll last, 'cause I did -- I was gone. And I don't know what the Time Trapper did to bring me back, if it's permanent. But I'm here now.

[littlecousin]

[It might be Rich's first time, but Nita has dealt with this before. Namor, the Invaders, the Fantastic Four...what should be certain death has instead been an agonizing ellipsis for most of her life.

It's hard to tell whether she's crying or laughing at him. Probably a little of both. Pile on too much, too soon, and even Nita can't cope.]

Whatever. We'll sort it out later. Where are you?

[She sniffs and brushes away tears. Something to do, even as simple as "track down Rich," is better than sitting around thinking about metaphysics.]

[iamresponding]

[Rich stops and looks mildly amused.]

Obs Deck.

[Which is nice and scenic for a reunion. Or a good vantage point if she want to, y'know, punt him so hard he reaches escape velocity. Multipurpose.]

I guess, uh. I'll wait? Except I know my way around better, so if you want I can come to you --

[littlecousin]

["Annoyed at dumb boys" is also better than thinking about metaphysics.]

I can follow signs, Rich!

[That's actually questionable, given that she flies everywhere, usually above skyscraper height. Fortunately, Legion World is laid out for that.]

Stay put. I'll see you in a few.

[The learning curve on a flight ring is shallow for someone who already knows how to fly, and soon Nita is zipping onto the Observation Deck.]

Rich!

[Prepare to be hit by a small blond guided missile, Nova Prime.

Apparently she's not angry enough to punt him to escape velocity...but she also doesn't realize he's lost his near-invulnerability, and that's a pretty tight hug he's getting.]

[iamresponding]

[It's definitely one hell of a collision now that he doesn't have invulnerability. At first he figures that he can tough it out, that he can just take her in his arms, and hold her, and kiss her, and revel in it -- but nope. It's just a little too much. He can practically hear his ribs creaking.]

Ribs. Ribs!

[His face scrunches up in a cringe.]

No invulnerability right now, so I'm annoyingly squishable.

[littlecousin]

Oh, jeez. Sorry!

[Nita overcorrects and lets go entirely. It's really embarrassing when you screw up with your superstrength, okay.]

Do you still have the Nova Force at all? Are you gonna be okay?

[Nita's remembering what Robbie told her about Rich's body needing the Nova Force to sustain itself now. She hasn't really processed how long it's been for Rich, and that the Legion must have at least found a way to stabilize him, and she looks scared. There are only so many deaths even someone as strong as she is can take.]

[iamresponding]

I'll be fine. I still have some of it -- enough that I can survive.

[He knows that's what she's worrying about. He's lost the Nova Force before and one of the times he did, he actually died right there in front of his ex, Laura. It's what he'd worried about when he first got here, too.]

It doesn't matter how much I have, just that I have at least a spark of it.

[He looks at her arms, and gives her one of his pouty puppy dog faces, because said arms aren't around him.]

So you can hug me, just mind the ribs.

[whyarewehere]

Wait, you know her?

The Time Trapper must really like your people, Rich.

[iamresponding]

He should.

[He likes his people. He has good people.]

She's my girlfriend.

[A pause.]

Possibly 'was' but whether it's past or present tense depends on how mad she is at me on account of that whole 'dying' thing.

[whyarewehere]

[ Grif just wolf whistles obnoxiously at him and grins. Because what else is he gonna do with this opportunity? ]

[iamresponding]

This is why I don't talk to you about anything to do with women.

Aside from what's probably your near-total unfamiliarity with the subject.

[whyarewehere]

C'mon Rich, if it were me you'd do the same thing, right?

[ The teasing must flow. ]