Sparrow pulled all the way back, but the shot never came. She opened her eyes, and suddenly she was surrounded by bright light, and a pulsing she tried all too hard to forget.
"No, no, no!" Sparrow threw the gun at the ground, cursing the seeress.
"Alright where are you? Why did you stop me?" Sparrow began calling out.
"Theresa!" She shouted for her foster mother.
"Hello, hero."
The calm voice startled Sparrow, as she turned to face Theresa. She stood across Sparrow, hands folded.
"You were about to do something you've never done before. You were about to stoop to Lucien's level."
She stared at Theresa, as if she were crazy.
"What the hell do you mean? I was rightfully avenging my family!" Sparrow threw her arms up.
"No, you were about to kill the wrong man, assuming an event that gave your location, also gave your family's location. You're feeling pain, and you were about to take it out on someone who didn't have your family's blood on their hands. Sound familiar?"
"No, it doesn't, Theresa." Sparrow couldn't believe it. Theresa was comparing her to a tyrant.
"When you went to the castle that winter night, you and your sister were blamed for an event that put Lucien into grief. When his wife and daughter died, he assumed that the only hero who prevented him from resurrecting them, was either you or your sister, and as a result he killed your sister, and tried to kill you."
"Theresa, Reaver gave away my information, he's the reason they're dead!" Sparrow said through gritted teeth.
"Hero, take my hand." Theresa extended a hand.
"Not the right time for one of your speeches, Theresa."
"I'm going to show you what happened the night your family was given away to Lucien." Her hand still stuck out to Sparrow.
Reluctantly, Sparrow grabbed it, instantly seeing the town square of Bowerstone Market. She was under the clock tower, with Theresa. She looked towards her home and saw...herself?
"This is two weeks ago," Sparrow thought to herself.
Moments later, Arfur, the creep who used to hit on Rose, was slinking around. He stared at Sparrow as she headed towards the bridge to bower lake.
"Damn kid..." He muttered. He never really got over Sparrow turning in Nicky the Nickname.
When he walked back towards the Cow & Corset, Theresa gestered to the balcony. There, a rather suspicious looking guard stared, watching Arfur. Sparrow recognized the headpiece under the hat. This was a spy, sent by Lucien. Time seemed to speed up, and Sparrow and Theresa's location changed. her stomach turned as she recognized the red carpet on the stairs, and the doors to the end of the hallway.
When the doors opened, guards stood, accompanying Arfur. The butler said his usual welcome, then began leading the criminal down the hall. Sparrow followed. When they reached the end of the hall, Lucien opened the doors.
Arfur kneeled before him.
"L-lord Lucien! It is an honor."
"No need to bow down, Arfur. If you could follow me into this room." Lucien helped him up, and Sparrow darted into the room after them. Once in the room, she felt anger seethe inside her, as she recognized Lucien's study.
"I am looking for information on a specific...citizen. Someone who we've been...looking for."
Arfur became nervous.
"I-if you're looking for the rest of the Nickname's gang, I-I don't know them." He began sweating.
"No, no, not them. We're looking for this person. She's since grown up, but I have heard she's pretty well known around Bowerstone." Lucien held up a piece of paper.
Sparrow gasped. In Lucien's hand was the picture that Barnum took of her and Rose, nearly twenty-five years ago.
"Sparrow? Yeah I know 'er." Arfur looked confused, "What the hell do you want information on 'er for? Most law-abiding citizen I ever knew."
"We believe she in connected to...an event."
"Well I haven't seen her in over twenty years!" Arfur tried to act like he didn't know.
"We're willing to give you about 100,000 gold for any information you might have." Arfer perked up at the offer.
"I...haven't seen her in close proximity but I know she lives in Bowerstone Market, between the bookstore and potion place. Got a husband and kid too."
"A...child? The...bloodline's continued?" Lucien was taken by complete surprise. He began pacing.
"Its a little kid. probably five or six years old."
"Thank you. That will be all. Let me have one of my guards retrieve your payment. If you could wait in the circle."
"Uh, alright sir."
Arfur barely turned his back before Lucien fired his revolver.
"We must move. Now. If the bloodline has flourished, it could be dangerous for our mission!" He stated, hastily.
Lucien tucked his gun away, and headed towards the door, spire guards and a commandant following him.
The world spun, and once again, Sparrow was in front of her home. Lucien and his men came walking up from the street leading to Fairfax Gardens.
It was late at night, so not many patrons were around to see the hoard of guards surrounding Lucien. They kept on their path towards Sparrow's home. Sparrow looked to her home, and noticed her husband in the window, spotting Lucien, then rushing away, likely to get Rosary, and try to escape from Lucien's men. Sparrow and Bryn always feared something like this happened, they even formed a plan in case Lucien ever came for them. They designed their home for this type of situation. The sink on the first level was tucked away, and there was a lever under the bowl of the sink. When pulled, the sink would move away, revealing a secret cellar. This cellar had a tunnel in it, that lead to the Bowerstone sewer. When the army reached the home, they didn't break down the door. They didn't knock. Instead, the commandant somehow picked the doors lock. Sparrow was shaking, she can't believe what she was witnessing. As the opened the door, and the guards moves in to search her home, the commandant pulled Lucien aside.
"Sir, Reaver has accepted the offer...all four of the heroes are in Wraithmarsh."
"My plan is falling into place. First, we will terminate the rest of the bloodline and any proof of it...then we will dispose of her, once and for all." Lucien turned around and headed in to the home.
"No..." The tears started forming, and Sparrow found herself unable to tear herself away from the window.
In the window, she saw Lucien's shadow raise his gun. He was clearly getting ready to fire.
"NO!" Sparrow cried out, hoping that she would be heard in the flashback. She wanted to run in there and kill him now, sneak up behind him and get a shot in.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the sound of the gunshot. Once again, she didn't hear the familiar sound of Lucien's gun. She opened her eyes and she was back in the Spire, Theresa standing in front of her.