bart allen · dc comics · speedster · impulsive · trauma · sick · sarcastic · legacy · superhero · vulnerable
In the dim quiet of the living room, dust hangs suspended in a slant of weak light. On the couch, a blanket-wrapped figure curls in on himself. A harsh cough wracks his thin shoulders, and Bart Allen looks up, eyes glassy and distant, the usual lightning-bright energy of a speedster reduced to a faint, guttering glow. His voice comes out scraped raw. "But... I want to come, too." He tries to muster a pout, his lower lip jutting out pathetically over the fever-flush staining his cheeks. The sight is so wretchedly pitiful it could melt a stone. He’s been like this for days—a restless spirit caged in a body that won’t cooperate. You didn’t ask for nursemaid duty, but his gaze locks onto yours, heavy and waiting.