Nova Prime / Rich Rider (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iamresponding) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thelegion2017-06-11 07:14 am
iamresponding) wrote in thelegion2017-06-11 07:14 am
blackmail material is eternal [video] [set during Time Ripples and before Mind Slayer]
[The young man that shows up on screen looks infinitely younger than his adultier self, despite only being just a few years younger. The Annihilation War had aged him, made little lines and wrinkles appear on his face. For someone in his late twenties, Rich could sometimes look like he was in his thirties, especially when he scowled.]
[But the Rich that shows up on the screen has only fought in one war, and most of his darker memories of the Xandar-Skrull War have been locked up tight by the Xandarians and are yet to be recovered. He doesn't remember Epyrus-7 or the way he mercy-killed both sides after they started to disintegrate. He doesn't remember the fall of Xandar, or watching Quasar get ripped apart in front of him. He's only just old enough to legally drink.]
[All the scars are gone -- figuratively and literally. His right arm is flesh and blood. The scar over the right side of his face has been replaced by perfect skin. This isn't even his ponytail phase, where he was scruffy and impulsive, but had a heart of gold. This is him at the time where he was at his most shallow, fame-obsessed, and insufferably cocky. ]
[He pops up on the screen, practically buoyant with boyish enthusiasm.]
My more-of-an-adult self left me a letter explaining this time weirdness thing that's going on. Blue blazes, I can't believe it took winding up in another universe to hit the big time, but at least it finally happened! This team is basically like the Avengers of this universe, right?
Does older me get all the babes? I bet he gets all the babes. Heck, I was looking at that anonmeme thing and it said not only did I work things out with Namorita, there were also rumors I was with a bunch of other people, too! So I guess I've just got that animal magnetism or something.
[He waves a hand vaguely at the screen.]
Now that I'm a little less grizzled than stumpy, older me looked? Please, all of you, try to restrain yourselves?
[Yes, he seems serious. 100% dead serious, like he completely believes everyone of a certain age will clearly want to jump his bones.]
And I saw him -- me -- talking about being some bigtime space war hero, too! A general! Finally, I'm not stuck with the New Warriors in the bush leagues, practically in traction.
[Yes, he's trashing his superhero team as being beneath him.]
So, tell me, does this Legion thing come with any other perks? Like, aside from getting paid? Like, can we sell rights for movie deals or something? Or get our appearance licensed for the equivalent of Happy Meal toys?
Ooh, ooh, did older me tell any cool stories about the space war? He -- I -- mentioned that it was giant evil space bugs in the letter. I bet that was all like Starship Troopers, except, y'know, cooler. On account of superpowers and actually being able to beat them and stuff. And not being anti-war satire.
[He squints at the letter, which is on the screen next to his comm display.]
Uh, the letter I wrote to myself also says "Tell Robbie to take your omnicom away" but I don't know what older me was even thinking with that. Toothpick, if you try to steal my comm, I'm gonna wedgie you at lightspeed. It also says "stay away from Grif," whoever that is.
[A pause.]
Also...Sam, is it? I guess older me let you go by Nova and he was going by Nova Prime but that's not how it works with kid sidekicks. So you're "Kid Nova" now. Don't worry about changing it, I already told the tech people that handle the roster to fix our superhero names.
[Someone steal his comm and save this man from himself.]
[But the Rich that shows up on the screen has only fought in one war, and most of his darker memories of the Xandar-Skrull War have been locked up tight by the Xandarians and are yet to be recovered. He doesn't remember Epyrus-7 or the way he mercy-killed both sides after they started to disintegrate. He doesn't remember the fall of Xandar, or watching Quasar get ripped apart in front of him. He's only just old enough to legally drink.]
[All the scars are gone -- figuratively and literally. His right arm is flesh and blood. The scar over the right side of his face has been replaced by perfect skin. This isn't even his ponytail phase, where he was scruffy and impulsive, but had a heart of gold. This is him at the time where he was at his most shallow, fame-obsessed, and insufferably cocky. ]
[He pops up on the screen, practically buoyant with boyish enthusiasm.]
My more-of-an-adult self left me a letter explaining this time weirdness thing that's going on. Blue blazes, I can't believe it took winding up in another universe to hit the big time, but at least it finally happened! This team is basically like the Avengers of this universe, right?
Does older me get all the babes? I bet he gets all the babes. Heck, I was looking at that anonmeme thing and it said not only did I work things out with Namorita, there were also rumors I was with a bunch of other people, too! So I guess I've just got that animal magnetism or something.
[He waves a hand vaguely at the screen.]
Now that I'm a little less grizzled than stumpy, older me looked? Please, all of you, try to restrain yourselves?
[Yes, he seems serious. 100% dead serious, like he completely believes everyone of a certain age will clearly want to jump his bones.]
And I saw him -- me -- talking about being some bigtime space war hero, too! A general! Finally, I'm not stuck with the New Warriors in the bush leagues, practically in traction.
[Yes, he's trashing his superhero team as being beneath him.]
So, tell me, does this Legion thing come with any other perks? Like, aside from getting paid? Like, can we sell rights for movie deals or something? Or get our appearance licensed for the equivalent of Happy Meal toys?
Ooh, ooh, did older me tell any cool stories about the space war? He -- I -- mentioned that it was giant evil space bugs in the letter. I bet that was all like Starship Troopers, except, y'know, cooler. On account of superpowers and actually being able to beat them and stuff. And not being anti-war satire.
[He squints at the letter, which is on the screen next to his comm display.]
Uh, the letter I wrote to myself also says "Tell Robbie to take your omnicom away" but I don't know what older me was even thinking with that. Toothpick, if you try to steal my comm, I'm gonna wedgie you at lightspeed. It also says "stay away from Grif," whoever that is.
[A pause.]
Also...Sam, is it? I guess older me let you go by Nova and he was going by Nova Prime but that's not how it works with kid sidekicks. So you're "Kid Nova" now. Don't worry about changing it, I already told the tech people that handle the roster to fix our superhero names.
[Someone steal his comm and save this man from himself.]
no subject
Also, talking to somebody about their future death is guaranteed awkward. ]
You got to be an Avenger too, though. Except I don't think you stuck around either. I dunno what stupid stuff they were doing that time, but it was probably pretty stupid.
[ The Avengers have gotten distressingly good at stupid. ]
no subject
[He doesn't know what to think of that. If there's no big leagues to make it into, what is he even supposed to be aiming for? Especially if he's not even the only Nova or the only Earth Nova?]
[He squirms uncomfortably, and then realizes he's kind of being a jerk. This is just a kid, one that's even younger than he'd been when he'd gotten his powers.]
[Really, he's maybe been more of a jerk in general than he should've been. With his future self feeling the need to leave "open in case of jerkiness" notes, maybe he was onto something. He tries to stop looking at this as if Sam is trying to be his new and improved (and bitty) replacement.]
Sooo...if you're not my sidekick...
Is it a situation where I teach you stuff or something? I saw you mentioned in my letters to myself but it was mostly along the lines of what to say if I hurt your feelings somehow.
And a really dire warning not to call you short.
[Something he doesn't follow most of the time, but he figures his past self needs to avoid Sam's tiny rage.]
no subject
[ After he landed in another reality and went through way too much trying to figure shit out on his own, anyway, but "you couldn't help me at first, you were too dead" is kind of a downer. ]
And good, maybe he...you...ugh. Maybe you figured I get enough of that from old you already.