#but its not easy when you're 16 have severe PTSD are hero of the universe and have the power to kill everyone at your fingertips

[redrobin-detective]

Just ‘I almost killed myself by running too hard’ thoughts.

Does?? Ben go to school anymore? Omniverse was very ambiguous on the subject. From what I can tell he did in AF/UAF but that was before his identity was outed. In OV he’s out and about during the day time doing alien/Plumber work and school isn’t so much as mentioned. I suppose it could be the summer but Ben absolutely should not be in school. 

One, he gets attacked like multiple times a day, having him in one place for hours a day is not safe for him or the people around him. Two, Holy shit that child has enough on his plate already between daily patrols, world ending emergencies and like trying to have something of a decent life/rest schedule. Three, education is important but a normal human school is not going to teach Ben what he needs to know as an intergalactic hero. 

But I can see his parents and Max forcing Ben to go back, making him cut his Plumber hours and trying to give him something of a ‘normal’ childhood before he has to grow up. But like, that shipped sailed loooong ago. Can you imagien you go to school and there’s this kid there who’s constantly on the news for saving the world, who’s traveled all over the universe, has the power to both become and kill God on his wrist... and he’s sitting next to you in Lit II. Ben would be both a celebrity but also people would keep far, far away from him. It’s intimidating being around famous people but also, Ben can be damned scary when he wants to be. I bet they won’t let him join any of the soccer clubs which would depress him so much. 

Does Ben like, excuse himself if there’s an emergency? “Hi sorry gotta duck out of this quiz early, Vilgax was just spotted downtown so uh bye.” He would have to have a modified class and homework schedule to accommodate potentially missed classes and assignments. Ben himself must be furious about the whole thing, literally forced into the life of a superhero and he’s doing his damned best and now he has to deal with high school on top of it? Normal teen sdon’t want to go to school not to mention ones who have unofficial full time jobs with high, high stakes and expectations. And they expect him to study for calculus in between apocalypses?

Nuh uh Ben needs to be homeschooled. Even the Plumber’s Academy wouldn’t be a good fit for him, he needs something personalized to his bizarre and unique situation. I’m sure Max could set something up for him eventually. But I think he and everyone would have a bad like 6 month period of making Ben go to normal school, thinking its for the best, not knowing it’s just adding more stress and burden and isolation on his already hectic life.

#OV never even so much as brought up school which makes me think Ben doesnt actually go #which thank god #but it got me thinking of well meaning adults telling him to enjoy the last of his childhood #and go to school and make friends #but its not easy when you're 16 have severe PTSD are hero of the universe and have the power to kill everyone at your fingertips #and Ben is stressing #trying to be normal and not scare the shit out of his teachers and classmates #trying to deal with any problems that come up (and you KNOW Max would be on him about not using the watch) #still trying to keep up with patrols even though hes burnt out bc its his job and he really does take it seriously #this is upsetting me #Ben really cant go to school #poor boy would have a nervous breakdown for the adults to really see what their supposed kindness was doing to him