Gabriel hesitated. The absurdity hit him, as he stood there. This young child, this insolent brat, would save him? It brought a smile to his lips, and after a moment, laughter echoed through the street corners, standing out even amongst the bustle of life in the city. It was an empty, hollow laugh, the reflection of mirth, as seen through a shattered mirror. And as Gabriel leaned back he tipped his top hat forward, hiding his eyes as a million emotions flickered across them unseen, disguised by that stoic, unchanging smile. And then, as laughter died down, a silence fell. It was a silence that Gabriel was loathe to break, as if it were a still pond and the merest of ripples would set into course a tumultuous flood of events beyond his control.

But, eventually, he spoke.

"Ah, child, I do not have that spark. I have watched the world burn. I have seen the greatest evils in men, and the greatest deeds of good, and I have seen them all fade to nothing. In the end, all is crushed by the wheel of time. I can remember the buildings that once stood here, the peoples that once lived there. Did you know I once had a child among the Native Americans? You remind me of her." Another pause, a silence. The streets seemed darker, the people seemed shiftier. And yet, as Gabriel looked up, he looked not at Mithias, nor anything within this century. The fog of memory covered his eyes, as he dove into the endless pit of his memory. "So fierce, so fiery, always ready to jump forward and pick a fight. Young, naive, ignorant, foolish child. She picked a fight at the wrong time, with the wrong person. She was burned alive."

A silence that crushed even the merest thought of speech, overwhelming and oppressing. It was as if the air itself had turned into some kind of thick slurry, absorbing all sound.

Gabriel stood straight, his eyes once more aimed to the present, that familiar red tinge returning to his pupils. And yet, when he smiled, it was not the bright smile of a showman. It was a slight smile, barely visible. And yet, it shouted it's presence out to the world, for in it's subtlety a world of emotion could be found. For Gabriel had not smiled before, it had simply been a charade, a simple trick to fool both the observer, and the trickster himself. But this smile was genuine, an expression of mirth, of amusement.

An investment, and one that had already been regretted.

"An old man like me, I cannot live in this world as if it were new to me. I have seen it all, boy. From the greatest heights to the deepest depths, I have seen the very mountains form from dust. The truest terror and the greatest hope, the purest darkness and the brightest of lights. But..." For a moment, Gabriel hesitated. A choice stretched before him. For ten thousand years he had secluded himself from emotion, he had sought out nothing but those base worldly pleasures. He had spent ten thousand years alone, thinking only of what he had lost. He had spent ten thousand years in mourning.

"Perhaps... I can live vicariously through you. I'm never one to back down from a challenge. I couldn't, I have quite the reputation to uphold. Have you heard? It turns out I'm something of a celebrity." Gabriel grabbed Mithias' hand, shaking it firmly. Already, the cold fear and regret were forming in the back of his mind. And yet, for the first time in a long time, he ignored them. He looked forward, even as he turned away.

"I'll see you in London!" Chuckling, Gabriel made his leave.