Previously, in MOUNTEBANK:

All I had of her now was that very voice, calling out to me from the darkest recesses of my subconscious. Falling was an incredibly familiar feeling, having lived in space for the last two years. But I wasn't prepared for how time would stand still. I felt as though I was watching myself plummet to the ground.

I took a deep breath, and pulled my ripcord.

...

The drag of the air billowing below my chute pulled it up higher, jerking my body along with it. My heart hammered against my sternum, and my head swimmed. I could feel a prickling heat at the tips of my fingers and toes, and soon a cool sweat began to pool on the back of my neck.

Darkness threatened at the corners of my vision, and for a split second, I couldn't see anymore. The lack of sight triggered my other senses into action, and I grew so sensitive I could have sworn I could hear my heart beating.

It was thrumming like an erratic hammer.

A cool breeze caressed at my jaw, and I felt my body coast on its current. The haze soon settled and my vision returned.

The lights of Brussels doubled, tears prickling at my eyelashes causing them to halo.

I had to gather myself quickly, the black out had cost me precious reaction time. I hadn't taken stock of my landing zone.

And all that chicken soup was starting to haunt me.

I burped, and didn't let the breath escape, clenching my teeth as I began to bicycle my feet.

Instantly, I tasted salty poultry, and the heat came back to my fingers and toes.

Suddenly, I saw it coming- the landing. Just about three meters 'til impact with pavement in a narrow alleyway not even a block away from the HQ building. The building itself spanned at least ten Brussels city blocks.

The landing zone was so specific and perfect, it must have been planned.

I decided I'd go for it, and firmed my legs, ready for impact.

But then I remembered that I was barefoot, and the realization threw me off kilter.

I picked my feet up at the last minute and willed my weight forward, angling with my right shoulder.

Fuck. The pavement hurt. I hit the ground hard, tucking my head in and rolling over my side. And suddenly I was still. It was as if the Earth had abruptly stopped spinning, the blacktop gripping my shirt and essentially knocking the wind from my chest.

There was that taste again.

I coughed, and a week's worth of chicken soup came with it.

I held my breath, willing myself over, but my body didn't obey.

Soon I heard the miraculous sound of Duo's boots hitting the pavement nearby. He had a better time with the landing, no doubt.

I felt him push me onto my side, emptying the vomit onto the blacktop. I wheezed, spitting chunks of bile on my exhale.

"Dude you are rusty as fuck." He snickered. I barely had a chance to retort before the soup came up again.

It reeked. Duo patted me on the back, lifting me up with a good hoist on my forearm.

I accepted Duo's blessed help, thanking him with a few spirited "Fuck you."'s

"Fuck you too buddy." He giggled, wiping the bile from my face with his chute silk.

The moment was too intimate for me, and immediately I felt my stomach turn again. Every single emotion I was capable of threatened to bubble to the surface, and for what felt like the millionth time tonight, my tongue tasted bile.

"Let's go you asshole." Duo winked, nodding his head towards the mouth of the alleyway.

I practically hugged the side of the adjacent building, lungs burning and stomach nearly weightless. As we approached the empty sidewalk, I saw an old station wagon waiting; a familiar face behind the wheel.

Duo threw his chute fabric over me, hiding my face. I felt him lead me out to the street and thrust me into the back seat of the wagon.

"Well hello there you salty bastard." I heard Trowa say. I laid there against the hard back seat, invoking my best corpse pose.

"Stay down for a sec Hee-man, I'll let you know when you can sit up." I felt Duo throw another weight of fabric on me, and the warmth it brought gave me a sense of comfort I hadn't felt in a while.

I heard Trowa click the vehicle into gear, and we jolted forward, the old engine roaring back to life from it's gravelly idle.

I was definitely free now.

My eyelids drew heavy, and coupled with the new heat from the fabric around me, I felt myself drift into a dreamless sleep.

A/N. HOLY CRAP It has been way too long since my last update. I am so sorry! I am also sorry that this chapter is shorter than I had hoped. I mentioned this in tonight's update of Dossier, but life took precedent. I am hoping to get to updating more regularly now, and I promise I will make the effort. These stories are so dear to me and I can't leave them unfinished, not when both are on the precipice of the real action ;) Thanks to those that reviewed me, honestly your reviews (both negative AND positive) gave me the motivation and called me back to writing.

Thanks again, for your continued support.

~murshmallow