A hearty workout did the body good--Benni felt it during her routine, and however tired she felt now, that satisfaction lingered still. Loose, slightly sore muscles made her walk back home languid, but she did not at all mind taking the stroll at a leisurely pace, especially given the sky at this time. Gorgeous in its vivid, discordant hues, it hung over the earth like a painting in a dream. At moments like these, feeling tired and content, and privy to something beautiful, Benni felt about as high as one could get on life. It didn't get any better than in Florence, either; the sprawling, easy-going town was a far cry from the cluttered floating labyrinth called Venice or the perilous, red-hot hustle and bustle of Rome. She could easily duck into any no-name mom-and-pop cafe on the street here, and without so much as speaking procure a slice of today's freshly-baked pizza or a few ragu-stuffed arancini from the genial locals. It was a lovely day.

Her Nokia's buzzing and vibration broke her out of her reverie, bringing her back to the avenue sidewalk where she meandered in a grateful daze. Benni turned it on to see a call incoming from one Manzo Stufato. "Huh. Whatcha got to say this time o' day, big guy?" She slid it up to her ear. "What's up, dude?"

She reeled back as a burst of overexuberant Italian slammed into her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill out!" A few familiar words reached her, in particular 'SkyVer', the common abbreviation for Sky Versus Shattering, a new fighting game IP that came out some time ago in Japan. Just mentioning it got her excited, but she knew her enthusiasm was wasted. While some arcade cabinets might make it out of Japan, the chances of one appearing in Florence were next to zero. Its mention piqued her curiosity, however, but before she could learn more Benni needed to bring her friend back down to earth. "You know I can't follow when you go full native. What's the deal?"

Manzo's frenetic tone came in reply. "It's SkyVer, ragazza! Panepiatto has it! He must have ordered it for the local scene, or something!"

Eyes wide, Benni could scarcely keep from shouting. "Are you serious!?"

Her friend chuckles. "Yeah, yeah! And that ain't it! I'm there now, and I saw the opening on the machine. Remember the rumors saying SkyVer would be crossing over with an older fighter? They sure are, and I bet you can't guess what it is."

Benni's heart was already pounding. "Shut up."

"Heheheheheh," came the voice over the phone. "Come over and see for yourself!" Whatever else he said Benni did not hear. She took off sprinting down the sidewalk, recklessly pounding her feet against the pavement in her mad scramble to get to the arcade. She scarcely notices when her foot calf scraped against a bent length of iron sticking out from a curbside fence hit by a car, but each step after that started hurting more and more. Eventually, the pain overcame Benni's elation and she looked down to find blood flowing freely down her leg. "Aw, crap!" As much as she wanted to tough through the pain, it was a bad cut, one that could leave her lightheaded at best and woozy at worst. At the very least, she wouldn't be taking any sets in that state. Right now, she needed to bind that wound.

Looking this way and that, she spotted a nearby pub. Good enough. Like a woman possessed Benni ran inside, almost shoving past a man with green hair as he went in. "Scusa!" she cried as she hustled to the counter. "Hey! Hello? Do you have any...uh, bandages? Paper towels? Napkins?" One look from the bartender convinced her that he didn't speak a lick of English. With a heavy breath, Benni picked up her leg to show the man her bloody leg. That at least got him moving, and Benni sat down to wait. Her leg was really stinging now, and the bleeding plus the exertion had her feeling lightheaded already. "Man..." she moaned. If only she paid attention. It was such a simple mistake to make, so easy to undo. But Rubberband Man wasn't about that life. Benni looked down to see him partially manifesting, peering at her cut quizzically. All he could do was bounce back, so she would have to, too. Once the bartender returned with some kind of solution for her exsanguination, she could be on her way.