Chapter 17: Not Invincible

Leanbow studied his frowning son. Ever since defeating the Master, he had sensed a great deal of anger in the boy. Something had to be done. "Bowen, come spar with me," he called.

The teen obediently followed his father outside. "You're angry," Leanbow stated. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Dad, I'm fine," the former red ranger snapped angrily.

Leanbow nodded, before swinging his leg out and sweeping his son's legs out from under the boy. "Bowen," Leanbow sighed.

Bowen, or Nick, growled. "You wanna know why I'm angry?" He snapped. "You lost!"

Leanbow blinked. "You lost to the Master! He killed you! That's…that's not how the story goes. You're supposed to beat the monsters." Nick began beating his fists against his father's chest, as tears ran down his face. "They aren't supposed to beat you." Nick buried his face in his father's chest, as his shoulders shook with his sobs.

"Bowen," Leanbow rubbed his son's back. "I'm not invincible. I will lose battles. I will get hurt. Even during the Great Battle, I got hurt. I just, you were a baby and I had to keep you from the war, I had to protect you from its horrors, so after every battle, your mother would use a healing spell as soon as I returned home, and then I would spend time with you. Most of the time, as soon as you were in my arms, I refused to discuss the war. I wasn't a warrior then. I was a father and I would keep my little boy away from war discussions."

Nick rubbed at his eyes. "Dad, that doesn't change the facts. I'm supposed to be able to go to you and Mom when I'm scared and I was alone and I needed you to make the monster go away," Nick whimpered. "And you weren't there. Neither of you were."

Leanbow tightened his grip on his son. "My son," he murmured.

Nick whimpered. "I will always be there for you, even when you can't see me," Leanbow promised.

Nick nodded, leaning into his father's embrace, where Udonna later found her son and husband.