The gun when off and cranial guts spattered onto some of the SOLDIER members that were standing around. There were a few screams. Mithias stood motionless, expressionless except for a slight crease between his eyebrows. He knew something like that was coming, and he had been as powerless to stop it as he was now to do anything about it. Even trying to do anything to Gabriel, had he wanted to, would surely result in mass slaughter if he failed, and failure was extremely likely. 

When Gabriel was in a mood, he could be wicked, ruthless, morbid... but he wasn't only capable of evil. Mithias knew there was more to him than that, a lot more. This was merely a tactical display, successfully decreasing the likelihood of any additional, blundering attacks. Mithias chose not to intervene, counting on his father's wisdom, and allowing the shroud of either cowardice or prudence to cover his actions at the present moment.

Any other vampire would have been killed, or at least captured and brought to trial. By all rights, Mithias should have arrested Gabriel, or more likely fought to one of their deaths to uphold the moral contract that keep peace and equality between the species, but he couldn't. When it came to his sire, he was overwhelmed with doubts. Did one murder justify execution of an immortal life? Did Gabriel kill the man or was it suicide? There were so many questions. In the end, the debt he owed Gabriel, the fact that the vampire had touched his soul, demanded acknowledgement. It demanded obedience. These secrets Mithias kept to himself. 

"It's all so wrong teacher..." The meek voice sounded up from below. 

For some unknown reason, the word, "teacher," triggered something in the vampire's mind. Mithias' eyes unfocused as he suddenly appeared to be lost in thought. Teacher... hadn't someone called their father that before... "Their?!" Mithias ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he had ever since he was human, a telltale sign he was disturbed. he felt like he was forgetting something very important. Who in hell was it?? He looked down at the bloody, dirty, scrambling human who mumbled about cards and their opposition. He and his insanity were so incredibly familiar. Then Mithias noticed the name "Matt" written in blood on one of the cards. Matt... Matt... Matt... Words written in blood on the back of the inside of a van flashed into his memory like a scene from a nightmare. "Mart... Martin." Mithias began a whisper just as the switched flipped off in his mind, a scene of a fiery explosion... and he couldn't remember anymore. 

The black-haired sireling looked at Gabriel in confusion, yet accusingly, with a look that appeared to say, "The fuck just happened?"