Chapter Text
There was an eerie silence as they trudged back. Even crossing the rickety bridge didn’t seem to elicit any response. Each one was deep in contemplation over the events, mulling over the loss of a potential ally, even a bit -
“Frick!” Cole Jr snapped, shattering the silence. Nano turned around to face him, pulling the rope back as the others went to move forward.
“Hey!” Skai called out, as he and Jayde moved toward them. “What was that for?”
“Sorry,” Nano replied. “All good bro?”
“Of course I’m fine!” he seethed furiously. “We got turned down by the one person who could have helped-”
“Cut him some slack,” Skai attempted to reason, but a daggered look kept him quiet.
“And now we’re pretty much back to square one,” he continued, pushing his hair off his forehead. “I’m tired, I’m hungry, I-i-”
He stopped, as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I want my dad and home.”
There was an echo of silence as they all understood - and agreed solemnly. The weight of his words sunk in.
“Gosh, I sound so-” His incoherent words were stopped by Jayde wrapping her arms around him.
If it had been any other time, or any other place, Cole Jr would have been overjoyed. But at that moment, he felt comforted more than anything. Two other pairs of arms entangled themselves as Nano and Skai added themselves to the cuddle. Soon Cole Jr wasn’t the only one with wet cheeks.
They were, after all, teenagers. And they could only handle so much.
“I think we should do something before we continue,” Skai stated. “My dad would tell me to do this whenever I’m frustrated, or anxious.” He gave a meaningful look at the three others before walking toward the ledge.
“Careful, Skai,” Nano called, but Skai held a finger to quiet him. Then he turned around, and took in a deep breath.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” he screamed into the abyss. Then he turned around.
“Screaming on a rooftop or cliff or even a pillow is a non-destructive way to relieve stress,” Skai explained. “It’s a practical way to vent, given that you feel the weight go away. I get it if you don’t feel comfortable with it though…” He looked down, slightly embarrassed. Cole Jr walked up to the area.
“KYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!” he bellowed. “HAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”
Looking up he sighed. “That isn’t too bad to be honest.”
Nano looked a bit uncomfortable with shouting. “It’s ok, you can sit it out,” Skai replied, as Jayde followed in screaming out.
“Perhaps there are… other ways to distract ourselves on the trek back,” she stated hoarsely. “I’d like to be able to still talk to you without it feeling like I swallowed a mouthful of sand.”
“How about we.. umm…” Cole Jr struggled to get the words out. He was waving his hands frantically, as if it would somehow help. The other three looked at him, slightly confused.
“Are we playing charades or something?” Jayde raised an eyebrow. The other two laughed lightly.
“Yeah!” Cole Jr finally clapped. “Something like that,” he mumbled afterward.
As they picked up the rope, Nano reasoned out. “We can’t though. I’d like not to have to duck when guessing Ducktales.”
“What about Never Have I Ever?” Skai offered.
“That drinking game our dads would play?” Jayde narrowed her eyes. “Skai, we’re all underage, and the only alcohol we have is for wounds.”
“We can just do a tally with our hands,” Cole Jr suggested.
“I’d hate to say it,” Skai said, “but I agree with him.”
And so they set off, asking weird questions and discovering that, even though they had been in contact with each other for their entire lives, there were undiscovered sides of their friends as well.
“What do you mean you like peanut butter and celery?” Nano sputtered.
“Just saying, can’t hate it till you try it,” Skai smirked.
“It isn’t that bad,” Cole Jr agreed. “It’s also quite nutritious.”
“Et tu, Cole Jr?” Nano gasped melodramatically.
“Hold up,” Jayde grinned mischievously, “are we skipping the part where Cole Jr and Skai are in agreement? Has the world done a 180?”
“Hey!” the two boys yelped. Jayde wheezed out a laugh as Nano suppressed a giggle.
They were so caught up in conversation that they didn’t realise the time passing. As the sun dipped into the horizon, and the sky began to become darker, so too did their eyelids grow heavier. Their senses were dulling; they were losing vigilance.
“How about this? Never have I ever had a crush on someone here?” Nano asked.
“Oh c’mon,” Cole Jr huffed out. “That’s not fair.”
“What do you mean?” Jayde asked. “It’s just a silly question, right Skai?”
They turned and saw the space where he had been was now empty.
“How could he vanish like that?” Nano asked.
“Perhaps a quick bathroom break?” Jayde scratched her head. “SKAI?”
“Wha-”
Nano spun around and saw Cole Jr disappear into the greenery.
“Jayde?” he called, a bit of uneasesiness in his tone .
"Yeah?" They heard the dull crunch nearby. Oh no.
“We need to run.”
“What?”
“RUN! NOW!”
But it was too late. A smokescreen took over. As the fumes filled their lungs, they both dropped to the ground, dizzy and drained out.
The last thing Nano saw was the dark figures enclosing around him.
“No…” he slurred out, before it faded to black.