Wally West / Kid Flash (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
runningstart) wrote2015-01-02 01:38 pm
runningstart) wrote2015-01-02 01:38 pm
(no subject)
The wind was loud, like it was helping the MFD tear the world apart, but even with it whistling past their ears and turning chips of snow into projectiles that tore at their skin, they heard it. Conner heard it, Kaldur heard it. Even Artemis and Dick heard it. Jaime was shouting at his scarab, something about, "What does that mean?!" that has their hackles up and there's no mistaking it.
Someone inside that maelstrom is screaming.
As things tend to go with speedsters, it's over far too quickly for anyone to tell when the action actually stopped. Suddenly there's a muted explosion of snow and the twister is gone, the mist and rising steam from the snow they'd melted with their kinetic energy hissing through the air, refreezing with tiny crackles but Bart is doubled over and Barry is stumbling over to the nearest drift to bury his hands inside, frantic.
"Kid! Wally!"
Artemis whispers something and the team lunges forward as the snow Barry tosses aside starts turning red. Barry hauls Wally out of the snow drift with shaking arms, a hand reaching up to cup his face and from what they can see of his skin it's angry and blistered. His hands are curved into claws, like he can't move his fingers and they're shaking and his breathing is wet and goopy and Artemis is there, on her knees next to him, pulling his head into her lap as Barry takes one of his hands and hangs on.
"Medical emergency code red; we'll be bringing Kid Flash back-"
"Nightwing-"
"-make sure the IV bags prepped are appropriate for an accelerated metabolism-"
"Nightwing, it won't-" Blue Beetle stutters to a stop when everyone turns to look at him. Bart approaches his elbow, expression blank, and Jaime doesn't even notice. "It won't work. His...his insides, they're-"
M'gann presses a hand over her mouth and they all look to Wally, who can barely look back. The whites of his eyes are red with burst blood vessels and his lips are cracked and bleeding. He looks like he'd been boiled alive and his expression is pinched but his eyes, his eyes are clear. He heard them. He knows.
"No," Nightwing says firmly and Wally holds out a hand toward him. "No. We have the top medical facilities this corner of the galaxy. And he has accelerated healing. He'll be fine." He stands, fingers still pressed to the comm of his ear, stock-still and unmoving even as Wally's hand drops and Artemis catches it.
"Babe," Artemis whispers, eyelashes crusting over with ice as her tears begin to freeze, holding his hand to her cheek and gently petting his hair. Wally blinks slowly up at her and Barry clutches his other hand, palm pressed to his shoulder as he bites the insides of his cheeks. Wally shudders and his eyes screw shut, and Artemis looks frantically up to M'gann. "Meg- M'gann. Is it- can you block the pain out? Is that-"
"I can," M'gann answers, even if she's not sure she can, and she takes a knee at Wally's hip and her eyes glow as Wally slowly begins to relax, eyes drooping. Artemis bites back a wail and curls over Wally, hands cupping his face.
"My friend," Aqualad says lowly from Nightwing's shoulder, "you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don't go to him now."
Nightwing doesn't move, but it becomes obvious when Conner grabs his arm and pulls him over to Wally that he couldn't, he couldn't, because he's falling to his knees beside Artemis and picking up the hand she'd laid on his chest, clutching it between his own. "You saved everybody," Nightwing whispers, and his voice cracks and he pulls Wally's hand back to bump against his chest. "You saved the world, dude. You."
Wally's chest swells once. "Cool," he whispers. His eyelashes flutter. He doesn't exhale.
Jaime mutters something and it sounds like a prayer, and the Flash bends over Wally's body and chokes.
Someone inside that maelstrom is screaming.
As things tend to go with speedsters, it's over far too quickly for anyone to tell when the action actually stopped. Suddenly there's a muted explosion of snow and the twister is gone, the mist and rising steam from the snow they'd melted with their kinetic energy hissing through the air, refreezing with tiny crackles but Bart is doubled over and Barry is stumbling over to the nearest drift to bury his hands inside, frantic.
"Kid! Wally!"
Artemis whispers something and the team lunges forward as the snow Barry tosses aside starts turning red. Barry hauls Wally out of the snow drift with shaking arms, a hand reaching up to cup his face and from what they can see of his skin it's angry and blistered. His hands are curved into claws, like he can't move his fingers and they're shaking and his breathing is wet and goopy and Artemis is there, on her knees next to him, pulling his head into her lap as Barry takes one of his hands and hangs on.
"Medical emergency code red; we'll be bringing Kid Flash back-"
"Nightwing-"
"-make sure the IV bags prepped are appropriate for an accelerated metabolism-"
"Nightwing, it won't-" Blue Beetle stutters to a stop when everyone turns to look at him. Bart approaches his elbow, expression blank, and Jaime doesn't even notice. "It won't work. His...his insides, they're-"
M'gann presses a hand over her mouth and they all look to Wally, who can barely look back. The whites of his eyes are red with burst blood vessels and his lips are cracked and bleeding. He looks like he'd been boiled alive and his expression is pinched but his eyes, his eyes are clear. He heard them. He knows.
"No," Nightwing says firmly and Wally holds out a hand toward him. "No. We have the top medical facilities this corner of the galaxy. And he has accelerated healing. He'll be fine." He stands, fingers still pressed to the comm of his ear, stock-still and unmoving even as Wally's hand drops and Artemis catches it.
"Babe," Artemis whispers, eyelashes crusting over with ice as her tears begin to freeze, holding his hand to her cheek and gently petting his hair. Wally blinks slowly up at her and Barry clutches his other hand, palm pressed to his shoulder as he bites the insides of his cheeks. Wally shudders and his eyes screw shut, and Artemis looks frantically up to M'gann. "Meg- M'gann. Is it- can you block the pain out? Is that-"
"I can," M'gann answers, even if she's not sure she can, and she takes a knee at Wally's hip and her eyes glow as Wally slowly begins to relax, eyes drooping. Artemis bites back a wail and curls over Wally, hands cupping his face.
"My friend," Aqualad says lowly from Nightwing's shoulder, "you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don't go to him now."
Nightwing doesn't move, but it becomes obvious when Conner grabs his arm and pulls him over to Wally that he couldn't, he couldn't, because he's falling to his knees beside Artemis and picking up the hand she'd laid on his chest, clutching it between his own. "You saved everybody," Nightwing whispers, and his voice cracks and he pulls Wally's hand back to bump against his chest. "You saved the world, dude. You."
Wally's chest swells once. "Cool," he whispers. His eyelashes flutter. He doesn't exhale.
Jaime mutters something and it sounds like a prayer, and the Flash bends over Wally's body and chokes.