Moving Forward

July 2021

"Is everyone alright?" Shouted the Flash at the top of his lungs while scrutinizing that crowd mostly composed of young children and their parents as everyone had finally stopped running in all directions in the park.

The family members were now rushing back, hugging and checking each other out once realizing the fight was done. Once again, the Flash came out victorious and the dangerous Metahuman was neutralized and handcuffed on the ground. The threat was over, everyone was safe and the Metahuman was getting picked up by the police at this very instant.

Despite the remaining debris scattered on the ground and the dust still floating in the air, reminders of the explosive, to say the least, fight, nobody seemed injured worse than bruises and minor wounds. In other words, nothing the paramedics couldn't handle.

Advancing forward by just a couple of feet, the Scarlet speedster stopped next to the bronze statue standing proudly in the middle of the park and hold his breath without realizing he was doing it.

The tall bronze statue was representing a slim and feminine figure looking forward with eagle' eyes while wearing a perfectly sculpted suit, a mask around her eyes and half-finger gauntlets on her hands. The sculptor did an incredible job capturing the essence of the model's strength and courage in her features as it really looked like the bronze sculpture was sharply keeping vigil over the population of the town with her hands raised forward.

Olivia Woodward, the woman who saved the Flash - March 2017 the silver plaque under it said.

Carefully, Barry laid his hands on the bronze legs and looked up at it, "hey girl, you okay?" He softly asked with worry. It was almost with the same kind of concern he would demonstrate to a real-life person that Barry scrutinized every detail of the lifeless figurine for any sign of damage. The statue might not be alive, but it didn't stop the hero's heart to start pumping faster as he analysed every detail of it.

His attention got drawn away from the representation of his old friend when the corner of his eye spotted a little form rushing in his direction as fast as possible for the little legs. Turning around, Barry holds in a gasp as he instantly recognized the little, black-haired lady wearing pink shorts, a white t-shirt and a red hat with a Flash's lightning on it. There was no doubt about her identity.

"Flash! Flash!" shouted the excited little Lindy Carter to the hero as he knelt to the ground to be on the same level than her. With Matt's widow following closely behind, the speedster made sure to keep on vibrating his face and voice. Hopefully, that distorted sight and sound weren't going to scare away the little girl.

"Hey little one," softly said Barry with his left knee in the sand and his left hand right in front of it while his other arm was bent and resting on his opposite knee to meet the small girl, "shouldn't you be with your mom?"

Looking a bit up for a second, the speedster indicated with a slight nod to the girl's mother that he had everything under control. Nodding back, Amanda stopped in her a track around 20 feet back or so back.

"My mom said you knew my daddy," declared little Lindy. Her eyes were filled with all the curiosity that should be in a child of her age but also filled with the innocence that was making her unable to fully comprehend the emotions she could cause to the hero by mentioning the man who once was the hero's friend. The hero's brother.

Under the weight of the emotions, Barry felt the shiver passing through him. A shaky breath and a moment to swallow the lump in his throat was what it took for the hero to get ready to answer. Looking up once again at Amanda, he saw the same flashes of sadness in her own eyes.

"You're the little Carter, aren't you? Amanda Carter's daughter?" He asked, earning a quick nod from the girl, "yeah, I knew your dad," Barry was barely controlling his voice. Thank God for the vibration in it that was covering most of the emotion.

"My mom also said my dad was a hero," innocently added little Lindy before putting both her hands behind her head and dancing on her little feet, blushing, as she now just seemed to realize who she was really talking to; The Flash. Central City's finest.

Barry nodded heartfully, "You daddy was one of the best people I've ever known," he instantly said, without missing a beat, "he was a great hero."

Lindy smiled proudly, "is it true he saved your life? And my uncle BB's life?"

"Yeah, it is," answered Barry as the little girl pointed the statue next to them.

"Like she did?"

Barry scoffed, that girl really knew her stuff. No wonder, though, as her mom had been telling her stories about the Flash and her deceased husband since that little girl was born. Forcing himself to look up again at Olivia's representation, Barry almost choked out on his words, "yeah, yeah...just like her."

Finding the strength to look away, he stared into Lindy's eyes before speaking again, "you're a precious little princess, daughter of a great warrior. Always remember that."

"I will, I promise!" Swore the little girl, straightening herself and slightly getting up on her toes to look as tall as she possibly could as she was taking the oath.

Unable to take it anymore, Barry opened up his arms wide. Wasting no time, the little girl jumped at him, passing her delicate arms behind his neck and holding the hero as tight as possible while Barry returned the gesture. When he got back up, with the little Lindy in his arms, it was to witness Amanda coming closer to him in order to pick up her daughter. As the single woman found herself right in front of the hero and extended her arms to silently ask for her daughter, Barry saw the tears that had risen up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Flash, if she's bothering you," she apologized.

"Not at all," said Barry, smiling, even though it was hard to tell as his face was still vibrating. While Amanda hadn't seen the speedster this close and personal for years, she was getting quite familiar with the man under the mask and would have recognized him quite fast. "Your daughter is wonderful," he said as he handed Lindy over to her mother.

"Thanks."

As Barry let go of the girl and watched little Lindy slowly move away with her mother, his attention turned toward the crowd gathered behind him. It was only now that he finally noticed the cameras surrounding him and watching in silence the close and personal moment he just shared with a little victim he saved. Glancing around, he spotted the one person, the one journalist, who knew the truth; his wonderful wife who was smiling proudly at him behind the police line. More than proud, she looked moved. One day, eventually, he was going to make a great dad.

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Author's Note: Was it as bad as the first one? Let me know in the comments if you want me to write it all or not cause I'm having lots of doubt right now considering there wasn't a single view in the first chapter, not sure if anyone will see this note and if I'll write the whole thing now.