Bridge

Mitch cautiously reached out a foot, testing the old bridge with a fraction of his weight. The rotting wood creaked dangerously under his shoe and he shuddered at the prospect of actually getting across the thing. "Just get on already!" Sky cried out, shoving him forward lightly. Mitch yelped, tensing, and Jerome sighed at the trembling Benja frozen on the old bridge, giving him a semi reassuring smile.



"Biggums das alright!" He flashed the boy a thumbs up, revealing his sharp bacca teeth in a grin.



"O-okay..." Mitch muttered, grip tightening around the wether beaten rope that was falling apart, barely holding the wooden planks together. He winced as the wood groaned under his weight, but it didn't give out. That was a good sign. Mitch shakily raised a thumbs up at the rest of the team making Jason look up for a moment, then return to fiddling with the controls on his suit. Quentin and Ian just shot him a nervous look and Ty gazed up at the sky, watching the clouds drift by lazily. Sky grinned and stepped on as well making the bridge sway dangerously under their combined weight, Mitch gasped, returning his hands to the frayed rope, his knuckles turning white from the grip he was clinging to it with. His heart was racing and he was pretty sure a fraction of his life just flashed before his eyes. Mitch cautiously turned around to cast the smirking commander a glare.



"Aww come on dont be such a pu-", Sky got cut off when he heard Jerome growling behind him and he chuckled nervously,"ok sorry that was too far." Mitch sighed again and resumed walking forward, taking long but slow strides to get to the other side. The Canadian sighed in relief when his feet touched solid ground in what seemed like an eternity, turning around to flash a big grin at his team. He noticed Sky cautiously picking his way across the moss covered planks, and smirked at him.



"Who's the pussy now Sky?" he muttered quietly, seeing Sky's eyes flash in a challenge. He would have to watch his back later.



---



Jerome sighed glancing at the watch on his left wrist before remembering that he had left it back at base camp. The bacca blew the air from his ips in a small puff. He heard a small sound behind him and turned, seeing Ian eyeing the rushing river far below the bridge apprehensively, Quentin saying something tha sounded like he was trying to reassure him. Well, the only thing he could do was to let them go first right? The sooner the better. Quentin gave him a grateful nod as they swapped places, returning to waiting patiently for Sky to cross.



Suddenly an explosion sounded from behind them startling Jerome. Snapped out of his day dream, Ty cried out in shock, barreling into Jerome's back and causing the bacca to yelp, crashing into Ian and Quentin. The four of them stumbled onto the bridge, eyes wide in shock. Sky looked backwards, the surprise in his eyes showing clear behind his shades,"Wha-?" The commander was cut off when the bridge snapped with a gut wrenching crack, the rope snapping and swinging to the sides of the ravine. The broken rope caught Jerome's hind paw, momentum helping the coarse rope to coil tightly around it making the bacca cringe. Instinct kicked in and Jerome's paws snapped out to grab Ty's and Ian's foot, shock jolting through his shoulder joints from the sudden stress on them. For a moment time seemed to stop and the 'bridge' of Team Crafted members was suspended in midair, small fragments of rotting wood splintering and dropping into the water below.



The moment passed and Jerome glanced up at Ty, visible eye wide from shock, staring down at the unrelentless force of water they were hanging above, mouth curved into a frown. Jason had managed to grab the back of his shirt, muttering "sorry" over and over. Had he caused the explosion sound? Come to think of it the blast had sounded pretty close but there was no force behind it other then Ty slamming into him. He switched his gaze to Ian, one leg dangling and grasping Sky's foot with both his hands, Quentin clinging onto him for dear life. Actually the mudkip seemed to sport a small grin as he clambered onto Ian's back, in the most comfortable position of the five of them. Sky had his hands tangled in ropes, amulet swinging wildly in the air, teeth gritted in an almst angry snarl. Mitch himself was digging his heels into the ground, eyes narrowed in concentration as he gripped the ends of the rope holding Sky up, grinding his teeth together.



"MITCH IF YOU LET GO I WILL KILL YOU!", Sky screamed, glaring daggers at the Canadian.



"I KNOW!", Mitch shouted back, beginning to pant. Jerome licked his lips nervously and watched the bigger chunks of wood get washed down the river, looks like this was gonna be a long day.