Lightning struck the sky as Hellboy gazed out from the rooftop of an apartment building. He sniffed the air and smelled the scent of rain. It was coming and it was going to come hard. He stood at the edge of the stone ledge and looked down. He put his arms on there and leaned. Eyeing the activities below, he marveled how the world could just keep going. The world just never stopped. It never stopped when the one he loved lost their life. He felt Time should've stopped. The world should've stopped but he was one man in a world of millions.

The phone rang from his pocket as a drop of rain fell. He pulled it out as he used his stone hand to pull up the hood of the rain jacket, a larger fit than normal. He wasn't a normal man after all.

"Ya?"

"Hello Red," the tinny voice chimed from the phone.

Hellboy rolled his eyes, "What'd ya want Abe?"

"You weren't in your room," Abe said. "You know Manning doesn't like it when you leave the compound. I was concerned for you."

Hellboy replied with a snort, "Manning can go crawl in a hole. I don't care what he like or doesn't like. I appreciate your concern Abe but I'm fine." The rain began to fall as each drop stained the stone. It bounced off his slick jacket and fell to the ground.

"It's been six months. Are you sure you're okay?"

He sighed as he palmed his face. "I'm okay, Blue. I just needed to get out and be alone."

"I'm here for you if you need me."

"I appreciate it." Hellboy said as he looked up. He looked around as the rain continued to fall. Lightning flashed and something caught his eye two buildings over. "I gotta go Abe." He shut his phone off and slipped it into his pocket as he headed towards the other side of the building.

Lightning flashed again and he glimpsed quickly a figure. It was as if someone had snapped a photo and the flash caught something stuck in time. It seemed as if the figure had wings. Her head up towards the rain screaming in pain. He stood on the ledge hoping he could get a better look that way. His tail flickering anxiously. The next flash had him seeing her on her knees. Her head down, the wings fallen to the side, and a small glow on her wrist. She had disappeared by the third flash. His eyes widened in worry when he couldn't find her.

Hellboy gauged the distance between the building he was on and the next. Then figured he could still make the jump between the second building and the one she was on. He stepped down from the ledge, jogged to the other side, then made a running start. His raincoat flying behind him. He propelled himself off the ledge with a foot, landed on the other side, and kept running. No stopping. He did it again knowing there was a risk he'd might not make it for the second time. He landed with a thud. By that time, the rain had switched to a pour. He squinted through the rain and couldn't see anything.

He didn't have his trench coat on, so he didn't have any supplies on him that could've been useful, like a flashlight. He took a few steps to explore but when he found nothing he frowned. He could've sworn he saw something. He didn't imagine it. He took a step backwards and suddenly fell. He nearly cracked the floor when he landed.

He groaned and looked and what he had tripped over. It was the woman he had been looking for. She laid on the ground drenched and unconscious. Her brown hair laid behind her. Her white t-shirt soaked from the water. He moved towards her and put a hand on her throat. Once he felt the pulse he sighed in relief. He slipped his arms under her and lifted. He stood, careful to not slip. He looked around and spotted a small area where there was an overhanging. A good place to stay dry from the rain.

He laid her down, her back to the wall so he could take off the raincoat. He sat down, the space was small, but he squeezed in. He pulled the woman to him, into his arms. Her head laid on his chest. His body was full of heat so he hoped he could provide some warmth for her. He pulled the raincoat over her, and it nearly covered her small body.

She moaned and Hellboy looked down at her. Her skin was creamy white. Just a little too pale. He lifted his normal hand, his stone hand holding her, and caressed her cheek, attempting to dry her off. Since she was still out, there was nothing more that Hellboy could do for her. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The sound of the rain lulling him to sleep.

Only a few hours had passed when Hellboy woke up. The rain had stopped, and he could see ahead of him the early signs of a sunrise. It had been a while since he had seen one. He looked down at the woman. She didn't seem to be in the unconsciousness state but just sleeping. He could hear the faint noises of snoring. He shifted to pull his phone out. The early morning time blinked on the phone. He needed to go. He's pretty sure the BPRD might be calling him for a mission soon, or at least go home to relieve Abe's worries.

He moved his arms to lay the woman down on the ground. He left the rain jacket on her to keep her warm. He fiddled through one of the pockets to pull out a business card (Manning had insisted he bring those in case someone needed help) and a pen. He scribbled a few words and slipped it into one of her hands. He left her behind hoping she'll be alright, and maybe she'll contact him. As he jumped from the ledge of the building onto the next in the direction of his home, the young woman stirred awake.