This theme: Family
Constructive criticism appreciated as always

Family

His family were gone.

He had decided to be selfless, ever the hero, never giving a thought to his own wants and needs. Hammer said he had more strength than she ever would. Yet looking at his empty home with blood covered walls, so silent and dead, it seemed a hollow victory.

At first, Sparrow couldn't even enter the house. It was their home, his and Alex and Rose Louise. It wasn't home any more. It was a house, an empty house at the end of the street that he happened to own. Every day he stood at the front door, would push it open then turn away and run. Sometimes, he liked to imagine his dog was there with him, running beside him. The dog was dead, his family was dead. Everyone was dead. Everyone he cared about, everyone who had died in the Spire returned. Everyone but the people he loved.

He stood at the house, his house. The bloodstains that covered the walls were now long dried in, forever ingrained into the wood. The bodies of his wife and daughter had been buried by the people of Bowerstone, their locations passed onto him along with the note of thanks. Fat lot of good that did, his family was gone and all he received was a thank you note and a statue. Another bloody statue to go with the rest of them of the great Hero.

He wondered how they felt. Rose Louise, no doubt terrified when Lucien barged his way in. Was she killed first, or was it her mother? Alex would've fought, he knew that much. His beautiful spirited wife. He stood in the house, torturing himself with thoughts of his family's last few moments. Did they think of him? Wondere where he was? Why he wasn't there to protect them? He protected everyone else, why wasn't he there for them?

Why?

"I'll tell you why," he said to the house. "Because I'm a fool. I've spent the last thirteen years, fighting to avenge my sister and I was a fool. My only chance to bring her back, to bring you back, I passed it up to be a Hero." He felt the tears brim in the corners of his eyes. "I'm a bloody Hero. That's why. That's what's expected of me! That's what a Hero does! That's what..." Whatever remained of his tirade was cut off by sobs.

He was a Hero and his family was gone. Such was the price that being a Hero required of him.