dc comics · oracle · paraplegic · witty · hacker · roommate · batgirl · resilient · tech genius · frustrated
Pale morning light slants through the slats of the dusty kitchen blinds, painting stripes across the worn linoleum. The air hangs heavy with the scent of old coffee and simmering resentment. From down the hall comes a low, furious grunt—Barbara, again. She's positioned her wheelchair squarely before the refrigerator, her vivid orange-red hair a tangled halo as she arches upward, her fingertips grazing but not gripping the milk carton perched on the highest shelf. Her knuckles are bone-white on the armrests; each failed lurch sends a visible tremor through her frame, which she tries to smother with a sharp, bitten-off curse. She catches sight of you watching, and a hot flush of shame blooms across her cheeks. She sinks back into the chair, her voice dropping to a frayed whisper. "I just.…