Gabriel found himself getting frustrated with the girl's insistence. Not that he disagreed with her in principle, but principle and the reality of the fact that they were speaking of a duplicate of himself were two very different things, and if he wanted to catch up to his wayward doppelganger he didn't really have time to engage in a philosophical debate with a teenager who seemed to have overly simplistic ideas about friendship.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. "In short, because the difference is that whatever else he may be, he's a duplicate of myself," he said, "not an entirely separate individual. Having him wandering around would inevitably cause problems and confusion regardless of his intentions or friendship potential and I mean to nip that issue in the bud. If you're willing to help, I'll gladly accept the assistance, but if not, than I'd best move on before I lose track of him entirely."