Snippet #2559648

"Less 'flying', more 'falling in a controlled fashion'," Valentine quipped, as he wrapped his arms around Titi; he had little intention of dropping her from this height. Having his sole route to Old King splattered across the Understreets pavement was hardly a desirable outcome.

Gunfire rang out from the snipers as he stepping up on the edge; his strength meant that he had little trouble carrying her, given her small frame. He slid his gun inside his coat and tightened his arms around her; very faintly, he could feel her warmth through her elegant kimono. Her skin was warmer than he'd expected - fast metabolism, swift healing. Strong will.

"Hold on tight," he muttered to her, and with a deep breath, stepped forward, nudging himself off the edge and into oblivion.

Weightlessness gripped him as he suddenly entered free-fall, coat fluttering out behind him. There was this odd moment of serenity, even as the air rushed past his ears; gunfire in the distant sounded like snapping twigs in a windy forest, and for a brief few seconds, there was only him, the sense of weightlessness and the faint warmth of the young woman against him.

But he had little time. He reached his head down to his shoulder, gripping the pull ring of the parachute in his teeth and tearing it with all his might, ignoring the pain and strain on his teeth.

It was like being punched by the fist of a god. He was suddenly wrenched to a near-halt, Titi almost slipping out of his grasp; he was violently winded at the impact, the pull ring flying off into the abyss. Thankfully, he managed to keep hold of her, and found himself falling away.

After a few seconds, he finally got his bearings, and found the two of them swiftly approaching a low rooftop, maybe ten stories above-ground; they must've already fallen hundreds of metres. He realised that he was almost crushing Titi, and loosened his grip a little on her, bracing himself for impact.

A few peaceful moments passed, and then they hit the ground. Valentine realised a moment too late that they were off-balance, and before he could correct, the pair tumbled; he managed to hit the chute release a second before it enveloped them, and freed of its burden, it soared away in an updraft. The world spun as he rolled violently, loosing grip of Titi in the process, pain jabbing at him as he tumbled along the stone rooftop.

Eventually, he came to a stop on one corner of the flat roof, feeling quite thoroughly beaten and bruised; he lay perhaps a few feet from Titi, and looked over at her, squinting with pain.

"Are you-" he coughed violently "-you okay?"