It was late at night, and the sky was a black starless carpet. Not even the moon was showing, and the only illumination around were the few streetlights that dotted the suburban neighbourhood. They didn't even help, however, as the sky was also filled with dark clouds, dumping buckets of rain down onto the earth below. Thunder rumbled in the distance, which was followed by an occasional bolt of lightning that streaked across the sky.

A man was walking down the street during this horrible night. He was clad in a torn trenchcoat and what looked to once be a trilby-like hat, but it was almost completely destroyed as well. The clothes he wore under weren't faring much better, as his tee-shirt was slashed, his jeans were almost in tatters, and his shoes... well, they were outright missing. His clothes were soaked in blood as well, as though he'd received many grievous wounds... or dealt them out. However, the former was more likely, as his face was bruised and cut as well, and his gait was... hobbled, at best.

But he was determined. He had to make it. He stumbled along the middle of the dead road, looking at the various houses that surrounded him.

"She's here..." he said to himself. "She has to be. I can smell it." he said further, before noticing one of the houses in particular. Due to the nature of the suburbs, every house's lights were out, as people were well asleep, to prepare themselves for their day jobs.

Except one.

One of them still had lights on, and that, alongside what other evidence he could gather, was the one that he was looking for. So he shifted his direction slightly, and headed right towards the front door of the house, unaware of what was going on inside, and the jovial rendezvous he would be interrupting.

The haggard and battered man just looked at the woman as she opened the door and addressed him. He smiled slightly, though there was definite pain behind it.

"...C... Csilla..." he stammered quiety, before tipping sideways and using the doorframe to hold himself up.

"...help..." he said further.

"Danger... t-trouble..." he went on, before suddenly coughing violently, a little blood coming up from it.

In the glow of the light on the front porch, it was clear that he was in VERY bad shape. His damage to his clothes was more noticeable, as were his injuries, and just how soaked his clothes were with rain and blood,

"....." he was then silent, and let out a small breath, as he started to slowly fall to his knees.

He had no more strength left, and it was clear he'd been moving by sheer will.

The man was silent as she worked on him. He didn't even seem to flinch when she stitched up some of the larger wounds he'd received. All the while, he seemed to be in a strange trance-like state, until the blood she'd given him managed to kick in, and he seemed to come back to reality.

He slowly looked over towards her, and almost couldn't find the words.

"I... I finally found you..." he said.

"I've looked... for so long..." he went on, before coughing a little once more.

"I... I was attacked." he then informed her.

"A band of them." he continued.

"At least a dozen of them." he told her further.

Nico watched her go, and sighed quietly to himself.

"..." he was silent, but couldn't help himself from looking at her rear as she left.

"Heh." he chuckled.

'A sight for sore eyes, no matter WHERE y'look.' he thought to himself, before closing his eyes and resting for a moment, though he dared not fall asleep.

Meanwhile, when Sydney checked in the bathroom, she found Vincent sitting on the floor next to the toilet.

"....ugh." he was silent, wiping his mouth with some tissues.

"Uh... you win, Sydney." he got out groggily.

"Again."

"...." Vincent was silent, before popping the mint.

When he did, his eyes widened for a moment, and he clutched at his head for about a minute, before looking at her.

"A band of hunters?" he asked, sounding better.

"That's... troublesome, to put it lightly." he said, slowly rising to his feet.

"How do you know?" he asked her.

"I mean, I wasn't up here for THAT long, was I?" he asked further.

"Admittedly, there're no windows around here, and my perception of time wasn't the greatest..." he then admitted, scratching the back of his head... before he suddenly stopped, and looked alert.

Vincent narrowed his eyes at her, before sighing heavily.

"Fine." he replied.

"This IS pressing news." he agreed.

He then shook his head, before he was surrounded by a small whirlwind.

"Goodbye for now, Sydney." he told her.

"Sorry our night had to end so abruptly like this." he finished, before disappearing entirely.

Nico was silent for a moment, opening his eyes and looking at her.

"Hungry? Extremely." he said.

"It's been a bit since I last ate." he admitted sheepishly with a chuckle, which caused him to flinch in pain.

"Oh, hurts to laugh..." he mumbled.

"As for how I'm feeling... better." he then told her. "I don't feel ready to collapse and die. Still feel light-headed and ready to pass out, though." he went on.

"...don't really want to do so, though." he then muttered.

"That band really laid into me with all they had..."

Nico just smirked.

"You are amazing." he said.

"Always were." he told her. In his tone, and in his expression, she could see that he had missed her. That he was SO happy to finally see her again.

She then received a text back from Rene.

Got it. it read.

I can be there in 5 minutes, sooner if need be. But why the don't just come over thing? Seems weird... the next one said.

A couple of seconds later, she actually received a call from him.

"Sydney." he said when she answered.

"My first reaction is to fly off the goddamned handle, and I still feel like doing that." he admitted.

"However, I will withhold that instinct, because I know you would not ask me this without good reason." he then said.

"And, as a doctor, I DID swear an oath to help anyone that needed it." he added.

"So... tell me where I'm going in Italy, when you know, and we'll get this done." he finished, some hesitation in his tone, but conviction and certainty as well.

I'll be there within 10 minutes. she received.

Meanwhile, Nico sighed heavily.

"Ugh." he grunted.

"I need a drink." he said.

He then paused for a moment, and sniffed the air some, flinching a little.

"...wow." he muttered. "This place is thick with the scent of alcohol." he commented.

"And it smells like some REALLY quality stuff, as well." he added.