A/N: some past of Jack and John, before Jack was Jack

No spoilers.

Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian (with heroic strength of Hulk)

The young time agent roamed streets of Troy while his partner walked beside him prancing around. He didn't know his name at the time but wasn't bothered with it, he was sure that they'd give it back to him as soon as this assignment ended. It wasn't uncommon to block some private information on a mission, especially a mission that was in a time like this when even the wrong name spoken to the wrong man could alter history and go in the records for all time. If they did that they could easily arrest themselves. Not that his partner wasn't already qualified to be arrested, but that was the job, to be more on the edge than righteous. That suited the young time agent who decided to call himself Jasper. It seemed like unnoticeable enough name. It would be lost in records without a family tree to connect itself.

An unimportant merchant with no special background. It seemed to suit him. He was charming enough and good looking to be noticed and addressed without needing a background. A lower background sometimes gave an advantage in collecting data without being noticed.

"Antichelies" said his partner and stretched out "a nobleman on the road looking around for fun."

"A tourist, really?" Jasper said mockingly, he still wasn't accustomed to his partner's… odd sides. "In these times? A merchant is better suited."

"Like anyone would believe I work hard for anything" Antichelies looked at him with disdain and Jasper had to agree, he looked spoiled and vain as any nobleman would.

"Ok" Jasper shrugged his shoulders "have it your way. We're just traveling together then."

"No, you're my personal merchant for fabrics, and you have to get me some of those luxurious suits."

Jasper rolled his eyes and went in a search for their designated Gargoyle.

"I'm serious" Antichelies yelled after him "I can't go around dressed so poorly. Locals might miss my beauty."

Jasper shook his head convinced that he'd get by in any clothes.

He found the Gargoyle in a side alley posing as a statue. A few people admired it.

"Oh, here is my shipment" Jasper spoke up loudly smiling widely at them. "Hello I'm Jasper" he said to them and earned an appreciative gaze from both of them. He smiled even wider thinking it would be fun to stop and admire local view but then the Gargoyle behind them moved and he had to get rid of them. "But there's no time for pleasantries, this statue is infected by small pox and I have to cover it with cloth so no one touches it."

He wasn't sure he got the disease right but it worked, and soon he was alone with the Gargoyle.

"Don't try your tricks on me" he said seriously "or I'll leave you here telling them you were nowhere to be found."

It froze and Jasper threw purple cloth over it.

"Now you just have to tell us where Helene is and we're on our way" Jasper said as he removed the cloth in their docked ship that they'd parked just outside city walls.

Antchiles suggested that they should make a trip few years ahead to see the Trojan horse as he entered the door but Jasper thought it was a terrible idea. He wanted nothing more than to leave this doomed place behind him.

Gargoyle before him sadly stayed silent.

"What did you think?" Antchiles mocked him. "That it'll open its stone mouth and speak? One of us has to touch it to communicate, you know it's the only way."

"Not me" Jasper argued "I have no desire to see the future. You go, you'll see some orgy of blood or bodies anyway. You won't mind."

"Maybe" Antchiles said thoughtfully staying distant from their passenger "but it'll take the fun of it. The most fun part is to not know whether I'll succeed in my conquest or not, to know would drain the fun of the chase from life. You do it. It wouldn't hurt you to get some edge to those pretty innocent eyes of yours. It may show that you'll become someone interesting, not just pretty."

Jasper looked at the Gargoyle and thought of Gray, because no cosmetic suppressant of information could erase him, he was after all intertwined with all Jasper's memories, following him in all moments. The loss was always there. Maybe the Gargoyle could offer him some clue because he was out of ideas to pursue. It was dangerous to mess around with a Gargoyle but maybe it would show him something, some small piece of information from the future that could lead to him.

That's why Jasper didn't argue anymore but touched the Gargoyle. His mind overflowed with images, he struggled to focus on the ones including Helen of Troy, but Gray's face came into his sight. He was all grown up and Jasper got his hopes up. He would find Gray, but then Gray spoke full of anger and Jasper got worried.