A/N: Hey y'all. So originally this was going to be a big beefy double-length chapter, but the challenge was taking longer to write than I would have liked, and I didn't want my interest in writing this to wane, so I'm going to post the pre-challenge stuff now as Part 1 and post Part 2 upon its completion.
The air was dry and the sun was hot. In the middle of the arid wasteland of seemingly nowhere stood a singular building surrounded by barbed wire. In front of the building stood a young man with styled dirty-blond hair and a confident smirk.
"Aaaaaaaaand we're back!" the young man said to the camera. "Hello, world, I'm Topher O'Neal, here to give you another insane and off-the-walls season of Total Drama! Total Drama's been to islands. To the movies. Around the world! But this season... we're going to places like you've never seen before. Interested? Heh. Stay tuned, dear viewer, things have yet to begin."
Topher entered the building behind him. The interior was cold and metallic, and appeared as though it hadn't been touched in years.
"I'm at the abandoned testing site for a machine that was supposed to revolutionize the entertainment industry," Topher boasted. "Sadly, the project was deemed 'not worth the expenses' by the company in charge. Thankfully, they were dumb enough to leave their fully functional prototype here, but... I'm getting ahead of myself."
Topher cleared his throat as he walked across the room.
"Here's the deal," Topher continued. "Fourteen teenagers have signed up to compete in our little game. As teams, they'll compete in challenges. If a team loses a challenge, they'll have to cast a vote for one of their own members to leave the game. This will go on until we've crowned our champion. There's a lot more I want to explain, but the contestants will need to hear it too. Actually, they're already on their way here. Why don't we go eavesdrop on them?"
Off in the desert, an armored van drove towards the building. Inside the back of the vehicle were seven teenagers.
"Hyarrrrrrr," one boy grinned. "This'll be me greatest conquest yet."
"Conquest, eh?" another boy inquired.
"Aye," the first boy nodded. "The treasure that be the prize money. Me greatest pillage thus far!"
"Interesting," the second boy said. "You're a pirate, yes? Do you have any weapons? Like, real weapons?"
"The great pirate Irving has no need of steel or powder," the first boy, Irving, boasted. "I steal whatever I wish with nobody to stop me."
Irving was a muscular caucasian young man with orange hair under a red bandana and a scruffy face. He wore a brown trenchcoat over a red tank top, khaki pants, and brown boots.
"I have several back home. Only brought the one with me, though," the second boy said as he took a sheath out of his duffel bag. "I'm a collector, you see. Gunther is the name. I collect swords."
Gunther was a medium-sized caucasian young man with sandy-blond, slicked-back, chin-length hair and a short, pointed chin beard. He wore a dark red hoodie, faded brown pants, and gray sneakers.
"Swords are expensive..." Irving noted. "Are ye a pillager as well?"
"Huh? Oh, no, not me," Gunther said. "I buy them all honestly. I work a part-time job, plus my parents pay me for good grades. I don't spent my money on anything but these swords."
"I haven't bought a thing honestly in years," Irving boasted.
"I guess you wouldn't be a good pirate if that weren't the case," Gunther said. "By the way, if I catch you even attempting to touch my sword, I won't hesitate to vote you out on the spot."
"Hyarrr... we've known each other for naught but a few minutes, and already ye know me too well," Irving grinned.
"Better safe than sorry," Gunther said.
Over in another part of the van, a girl sat down humming to herself cheerily. She was caucasian and had back-length orange hair, oval-shaped glasses, and freckles. She wore a yellow cold-shoulder top, a mint-colored skirt, and brown sandals.
"You seem to be in a good mood," noted a boy who sat down next to her.
"I'm happy," the girl smiled. "What about you? Are you excited to get into this game?"
"I am," the boy answered. "Robby's the name, by the way."
Robby was a skinny boy of Indian descent. He had tidy black hair and rectangular glasses, and wore a blue suit over a cream-colored shirt and a black tie, as well as grey shoes.
"I'm Vanessa!" the freckled girl chirped. "So... what do you like to do for fun?"
"Hang out with friends. Basic stuff, but it's the simple things in life, you know?" Robby answered.
"Me too," Vanessa beamed.
"What say you and I become friends?" Robby offered.
"Sounds good," Vanessa smiled.
"So, why are you playing this game?" Robby asked. "Fun? Fame? ...Money?"
"For fun," Vanessa answered. "I just discovered Total Drama last year and I binged it all. It looks super fun, so I figured, hey, you only live once, why not apply?"
"This experience will definitely be one to remember," Robby snickered. "Think you have what it takes to win?"
"I'm not sure," Vanessa thought aloud. "But hey, someone has to win, so I'm happy for whoever that'll be."
"Thanks in advance," Robby said.
"For what?" Vanessa asked.
"For being so happy for my win," Robby explained.
"Oh, um, no problem," Vanessa smiled.
Over in a different part of the van sat two girls, both of Hispanic descent, one with pink hair in a pixie cut, one with dark brown hair that went down to her bottom and had two braids that reached down to her shoulders. The two wore similar outfits; each wore a black vest over a white long-sleeved dress shirt, but the pink-haired girl wore a pink bow tie, a black skirt, grey tights, and black booties, while the brown-haired one wore a green bow tie, black slacks, black dress shoes, and a black silk hat with a green band.
"Ohhhhh man I can't wait!" the pink-haired one said excitedly. "My lovely assistant and I ready to take the game by storm!"
"I wish you didn't make me dress like this," the brown-haired one droned. "We're such an obvious duo."
"Ah! I did not make you dress like that," the pink-haired one huffed.
"You made mom make me do it," the brown-haired one corrected.
"Well yeah. You should support me in my wishes to become a world-famous magician," the pink-haired one said. "Alakazam!"
"So, a magician and her assistant, hm?" asked a dark skinned boy as he approached the two. He had spiky black hair and wore an orange, long-sleeved polo shirt, black jeans, and dark brown shoes.
"That's right!" the pink-haired one confirmed. "Wanda the Wonderful, at your service! The grouchy one here is my lovely assistant Zelda."
"Yo," Zelda greeted flatly.
"How childish," the boy said dismissively. "I hope you don't expect to win this game by playing dress-up."
"Nope. I expect to win by winning challenges and making friends!" Wanda beamed.
"How disgustingly idealistic," the boy scoffed. "Friendship means nothing in a game where you can and will be voted out by your allies if it benefits them in the moment."
"And to what do we owe the pleasure?" Zelda snarked.
"My name is Nils," the boy said. "Remember it well. I will be winning this game. And if either of you try to stop me, I will not hesitate to do whatever I deem necessary to bring your endeavors to an end."
"Does that mean you're not up for arts and crafts later?" Zelda remarked.
"Ooh, we're doing arts and crafts?" Wanda asked.
Zelda gave Wanda a concerned side-eye.
"Make an enemy of me, and you will regret it for the rest of your life," Nils said as he left the girls alone.
"Too bad there won't be any mud where we're going. I'm sure he'd be able to make friends with the local stick population," Zelda quipped.
"Well, he'd better stay away from my wand," Wanda said. "Or else I'll turn him into a flock of doves!"
"We've been over this. A group of doves is called a dule or a flight," Zelda said.
"Yeah, but nobody knows that. Everyone knows flock!" Wanda smiled.
Over in another part of the desert, a different armored van drove towards the building. In the back of the van sat a caucasian girl with short, spiky black hair that was dyed cyan and pale green in some parts. Her face was covered in piercings and she had hearts painted on her cheeks with makeup. She wore a spiked collar, a grey jacket, a torn black shirt, dark purple pants, black combat boots, and grey fingerless gloves. She listened to music intently on her MP3 player.
"Oh. My. Goodness!" said a second girl as she approached the first. "I. Love. Your hair!"
"Eh?" the first girl asked as she took an earbud out of her ear.
"Your hair!" the second girl repeated. "It's so cute!"
"Oh. Thanks, dude," the first girl grinned.
"Blue is such a pretty color, don't you think?" the second girl asked. This girl was black and her hair was dyed blue and worn in an afro. She wore a cyan dress, a blue camisole, and blue flats.
"It's got nothing on black, but shit, blue's pretty tight too," the first girl said as she took her other earbud out. "The name's Jynxie. Who're you?"
"My name is Cyan," the second girl introduced. "I know, it's too cute to be real, right? Well, no, it's my real name! I sure lucked out, huh? Is Jynxie your real name?"
"As far as you know. Hahahaha!" Jynxie laughed loudly.
"What's your favorite shade of blue?" Cyan asked.
"Huh?" Jynxie asked.
"Obviously cyan ranks up pretty high for me, actually the lighter shades of blue in general are quite nice, but recently I've been branching out into some teals, which, I know right, slow down Cyan, don't give yourself whiplash, but you know what, I'm living on the edge these days!" Cyan rambled. "That's why I signed up for Total Drama."
"I signed up for Total Drama because I got bored as shit and it looked fun," Jynxie said. "You're only young once, right?"
"YOYO!" Cyan chimed in.
"You don't get out much, do you?" Jynxie asked. "If you want to party, you'd better hop on board the Jynxie train, 'cause I'mma tear this motherfucker DOWN!" She cackled loudly, and Cyan awkwardly laughed loudly along with her.
On the other side of the van, a young man stood up with an intense look in his eyes.
"Please, quiet down!" the boy shouted. "Such loudness is not welcome in a claustrophobic environment!"
"Pot, meet kettle, right?" a second boy chuckled.
"Totally, bro," a third boy chuckled alongside him.
"I only raise my voice so that they can hear me!" the first boy insisted.
"We're right here and we can hear you just fine," the second boy pointed out.
"Force of habit, I suppose," the first boy said. He placed his right fist over his heart. "As the hall monitor of Ric Reyes Academy, it is my duty to keep everyone in line!"
This first boy was black and had black hair in a buzzcut and thick eyebrows. He wore a long-sleeved white dress shirt, black slacks, and black loafers.
"Furthermore... wait a minute, are you naked?!" the hall monitor gasped.
"Yep," the second boy said nonchalantly.
Sure enough, this second boy was completely naked. He was a caucasian young man with messy brown hair
"That is most certainly not welcome in a public environment!" the hall monitor gasped.
"Chill, bro. He's not hurting anyone," the third boy piped up.
"It's indecent! It's illegal!" the hall monitor panicked.
"I got permission," the naked boy shrugged. "I'm a nudist. The show didn't want to disrespect my lifestyle."
"Yeah, bro. Why are you disrespecting another bro's beliefs? That's not cool with the bro code, bro," the third boy continued.
"I am most certainly not your 'bro'," the hall monitor insisted.
"Any dude is a bro in my book, bro," the third boy said.
This boy was of Hispanic descent and wore his black hair in a pompadour. He wore a green camo tank top, taupe cargo shorts, and black sandals.
"Name's Joseph, by the way," the pompadoured boy introduced.
"Felix," the naked boy introduced.
"I am Dunstan Peterson, the keeper of law and order in a world of chaos!" the hall monitor pledged with his right fist over his heart.
"I'll just call you Dunstan for short," Felix joked.
Off in another part of the van sat a tiny caucasian girl with brown hair done up in pigtails. She wore a pink cardigan over a lilac-colored shirt, teal pants, and pink sandals.
"They said you won't be able to do it... so let's prove them wrong," the girl told herself.
"Who said that?" came a voice from behind the girl.
"Eep!" the pigtailed girl jumped. She turned around to find a second girl. This girl had pale skin and back-length blonde hair. She wore a violet-colored shirt with a lavender wispy ghost design and black-and-white-striped sleeves, grey pants, and pink sneakers with white soles. She was also overweight.
"Did I scare you, little girl?" the blonde asked with a wide smile.
"No, you startled me. A perfectly natural reaction," the brunette insisted. "And don't call me 'little girl'. I find that patronizing."
"But you are a little girl," the blonde said.
"I'm seventeen," the brunette said.
"You look ten," the blonde said.
"Never heard that one before," the brunette sighed.
"I wonder if that'll affect how long it will take for you to die..." the blonde giggled.
"Never really thought about it," the brunette said, slightly annoyed.
"I do. I think about it all the time," the blonde smiled. "I hope I die suddenly and abruptly."
"Well, you do you, I suppose," the brunette said.
"Don't you want to know why?" the blonde asked.
The brunette sighed. "Why?" she asked.
"So I'll for sure have unfinished business, and I'll for sure become a ghost," the blonde giggled. "I want to be a ghost more than anything in the world."
"And you think Total Drama's going to kill you?" the brunette figured.
"Whoa, you're smart, little girl," the blonde said in awe. "I'm Lilith, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," the brunette said politely. "And, for the record, my name is Cosette. Not 'little girl'."
"Mweeheeheeheeheeheeheehee..." Lilith giggled.
"...Okay," Cosette responded.
The two armored vans arrived at the bunker where Topher had previously stood. The barbed-wire gates opened up, allowing entry into the perimeter. The buses parked and let the fourteen teenagers out.
"Welcome, contestants!" Topher greeted as he exited the building. "I'm sure you guys are melting from all the desert heat, so let's go indoors, yeah?"
Topher and the contestants all entered the bunker.
"Alright, I'm going to do roll call real fast," Topher said as he looked at a sheet of paper. "When I call your name, let me know you're here. Cosette."
"Here," Cosette responded.
"Cyan."
"I'm here!" Cyan answered.
"Dunstan."
"Reporting for duty," Dunstan said with his fist on his heart.
"Felix."
"Sup," Felix responded.
"Gunther."
"I'm here," Gunther smirked.
"Irving."
"Hyarrrrrrrr!" Irving grinned.
"Joseph."
"I'm here, bro," Joseph winked.
"Jynxie."
"Ready to fucking ROCK!" Jynxie said as she stuck her tongue out.
"Lilith."
"Mweeheeheeheehee... hi," Lilith giggled.
"Nils."
"I am present," Nils acknowledged.
"Robby."
"Good day," Robby said with a slight bow.
"Vanessa."
"Happy to be here," Vanessa beamed.
"Wanda."
"Shazam!" Wanda announced.
"And Zelda."
"I'm here too," Zelda nodded.
"Great, that's everyone," Topher smiled. "Before we begin the game proper, let's take a tour of the area, shall we?"
Topher led the contestants to a room which had thirteen cots.
"This is where you guys will be sleeping," Topher said. "The cots aren't the comfiest things in the world, but hey, maybe doing well in challenges will fix that. Who knows?"
"Excuse me, Mr. O'Neal?" Dunstan said as he raised his hand.
"This isn't school, Dunstan. You can just ask me a question if you have one," Topher explained.
"Okay. I cannot help but notice that the number of cots and the number of contestants differs by one. Might I ask as to why?" Dunstan inquired.
"Good eye, Dunstan," Topher nodded. "Yes, there are only thirteen cots, because one of you will be eliminated before the day is over."
This sparked murmurs amongst the contestants.
"I never said this game would be forgiving," Topher said.
Topher led the contestants to a different room, this one larger and with a large round table in the center.
"This is where you'll all be eating," Topher said. "We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner here during certain timeframes. Don't go missing the meals because we won't feed you if you miss the cutoff time. The meal schedule can be found on the wall of this room, the bedroom, and among the other rooms as well, so you have no excuse to not show up."
"Are these meals vegetarian-friendly?" Vanessa asked.
"You said you had no dietary restrictions during the health test you took before you came here," Topher noted.
"Oh, not for me, but in case anyone else is," Vanessa explained.
"Nobody present has any dietary restrictions," Topher continued. "So everyone will be served the same thing."
"Um, I forgot to mention I'm allergic to food valued less than $30," Robby said.
"Ha ha," Topher said in complete deadpan. "Moving on..."
Topher led the contestants to a room which housed a machine which took up a good portion of the room. There was a central computer component as well as fourteen chambers.
"This is where your challenges will be taking place," Topher smiled. "As you definitely already know, but the audience may or may not know, this season's going to be special. All the challenges will take place in the world of virtual reality! That means that anything goes. You can get as violent as you wish with little consequences to your victims, and we can provide environments that a normal season wouldn't dream of. All you guys have to do is lie down in these pods, and you'll be put to sleep and transported to new worlds. Fantasy, history, science-fiction... you guys are in for a wild ride! Of course, if you sustain enough physical shock in the virtual world, for your own safety you will return to the real world. And some challenges will encourage or even require that this happens, so... have fun!"
"I'm not here to have fun," Nils scowled.
"I know, Nils," Topher said dismissively.
"I assume our states of dress will remain the same in the virtual world?" Felix inquired.
"Unless the challenge specifically requires otherwise, yes," Topher confirmed.
"Sweet," Felix grinned.
Dunstan winced in disgust.
"This will also be where eliminations take place," Topher added. "Also in the virtual world. Should be fun."
"Where will the losers end up?" Wanda asked.
"You'll see," Topher winked.
"I'd rather not," Wanda said.
Topher led the contestants back to the first room.
"Now, do you recall the group of people who rode in the back of the armored van with you?" Topher asked.
"I won't soon forget them," Gunther said.
"Yeah, I recognize the bros I rode with," Joseph nodded.
"Great. Because those are going to be your teams for this season," Topher smiled. "Separate into your teams if you would."
The contestants all grouped up with their respective teammates.
"Gunther, Irving, Nils, Robby, Vanessa, Wanda, and Zelda... you guys are the Cyber Snakes!" Topher announced as a neon green logo with a pixely snake design appeared in the top left corner of the screen.
"Cool," Vanessa smiled.
"Cosette, Cyan, Dunstan, Felix, Joseph, Jynxie, and Lilith... you guys are the Pixel Peacocks!" Topher announced as a bright purple logo with a pixely peacock design appeared in the top right corner of the screen.
"Cute," Cosette smiled.
"With all that said and done, I'm going to give you guys some time to unwind before we get into the meat of the game," Topher said. "Oh! Actually! Before I forget. There are a few confessional rooms scattered around the place. They've been clearly labeled, and they're all soundproof, so feel free to use them whenever you want."
Confessional:
Irving: Nothing sings music to a pirate's ears like hearing that ye can do whatever ye want in the challenges. No holds barred! Dread Pirate Irving'll take the game by storm! Hyarrrrrr!
Lilith: The idea of a small group of teenagers trapped in a bunker unbeknownst to the government where we're forced to use a machine not ready for the public? ...Count me in. Mweeheeheehee
Zelda: Just going to get this out of the way: yes, Wanda is my older sister. I honestly didn't think we'd both get accepted, but, hey, it is what it is. Make no mistake, though; I will be playing my own game. If that means I work together with Wanda, so be it. If that means I vote Wanda off first, so be it. We'll see how things go.
Cyan: I'm really digging the whole aesthetic of this place. Lots of Natural Color System blue on the walls. Ooooh, I can't wait to get this game started!
After everyone broke off to do their own thing, Nils led Gunther and Vanessa off to an empty room.
"What's up?" Vanessa asked.
"In this game, you need allies," Nils stated. "You two are the most normal people on this team besides myself, so I deem you acceptable to work with."
"You hear that? We've been deemed," Gunther told Vanessa.
"Oh. Sounds good," Vanessa smiled.
"Works for me," Gunther said.
"Excellent. Now to decide on who to vote off," Nils decided.
"Wait, what?" Vanessa asked.
"Why waste time determining who the most suitable target should be?" Nils asked. "I'm partial towards Wanda. Not only is she clearly tight with Zelda right out of the gate, but I find her over-the-top antics annoying."
"Shouldn't we at least wait until we lose a challenge before figuring out who we want gone?" Vanessa asked.
"There is no point in wasting time," Nils reiterated with a leer.
"What if Wanda catches wind of this? Or what if something happens that makes someone else a bigger target?" Vanessa asked.
"Are you threatening me?" Nils asked coldly as he angrily walked Vanessa into a wall.
"What? No!" Vanessa cried.
"For the record, I think the both of you make good points here," Gunther pointed out. "Why don't we instead decide who our fourth should be? Otherwise we won't have the majority."
"Assuming the others will all vote together," Nils pointed out as he backed away from Vanessa and turned to face Gunther.
"I mean, two of them pretty much were aligned before the game started, but, you know," Gunther shrugged. "For the record, I think Irving would be willing to work with me if I asked."
"And I could get Robby on our side... I think," Vanessa added.
"Five is too many people," Nils decided. "We'll go with Robby. He's overdressed and seems pompous, but I'd rather work with that than someone who believes he's a pirate."
"Whatever works," Gunther said.
"I'll talk to him later," Vanessa said.
"Excellent. Alliance meeting adjourned," Nils decreed.
Confessional:
Nils: The key to maintaining power in this game is to showcase that you are not to be trifled with and that you will enact consequences upon those who stand against you. Not only am I aware of this, I also have no reservations towards doing so. I will be winning this game.
Vanessa: What is Nils's deal? He basically decides I'm in his alliance, then gets mad at me when I point out that he might kind of be overplaying right out of the gate. I'm not sure I want to work with someone like him.
Gunther: I'm going to take it easy these first few rounds, you know? Try to seem as harmless as I can so as to not be an early target. Nils is a huge edgelord - and believe me, I know edges - but he's definitely going to be a bigger target than me or Vanessa coming out of the gate, so yeah, I'll see what I can do about keeping him around.
Off in another room, Felix and Joseph hung out.
"Bro, this game's going to be sick," Joseph grinned.
"I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a while," Felix agreed. "I honestly wasn't sure I'd be allowed on, but here I am."
"Bro, the nudity thing shouldn't even matter," Joseph said.
"People aren't comfortable with it. I get that," Felix said.
"I wish Dunstan wasn't such a hardass," Joseph continued. "I wanted a bro alliance to dominate this game, but we're the only three bros on this team, and I don't think he's going to want to work with you."
"You know..." Felix thought aloud. "If we can convince him that the girls plan on voting him out, we might be able to get him onto our side."
"Bro, you think?" Joseph asked, impressed.
"Dunstan might have a stick up his butt, but I don't think he'd be willing to throw his game away just to avoid me," Felix explained. "If not, eh, he probably deserves to go home, then."
"Wait, wouldn't we need one of the girls on our side anyway?" Joseph asked. "If we want a majority?"
"That or we can try to split the girls' votes," Felix figured. "We can cross that bridge when we get to it. No need to force alliances or targets right out of the gate. I do want to work with you, though."
"Bro, same," Joseph grinned. "Bros to the end!"
"You know it," Felix grinned back as he shook his friend's hand.
Confessional:
Joseph: So my bro alliance might not work out, but I'm not against the idea of working with girls. But "bros before hoes" is Rule #1 of the Bro Code, and I just wanted to cover my bases. I'd rather try and work Dunstan over than dismiss him outright, but with his Felix-phobia, that might be hard.
Felix: I knew going in that people being turned off by my lifestyle would be an obstacle. That's why I want to make allies who I think won't mind too much. Joseph's cool, and of the girls... maybe Cyan and Jynxie? They seem carefree, maybe they won't mind.
Irving stood in the VR room, admiring the machine.
"Hyarrr... I wonder how much this'd be worth," Irving thought aloud.
"Probably at least a hundred dollars," Wanda suggested as she walked up next to him.
"Heh. Ye truly don't know the value of a dollar, do ye?" Irving smirked.
"I dunno. My parents pay for everything," Wanda said.
"And yet ye can afford to dress like that," Irving noted.
"I can't be a proper magician without proper magician's attire," Wanda said. "Would you be half the pirate you are without that outfit?"
"Gyahahahaha!" Irving guffawed. "There are many of my trade who dress no different from anyone else."
"Wait, really?" Wanda asked. "I've never even met a pirate in real life."
"Oh, I'm sure ye have," Irving said. "Loads of people have downloaded movies or music illegally."
"...Wait, what?" Wanda asked.
"Hyarrrrrrrr!" Irving exclaimed. "I just so happen to run one of the most successful media sharing websites on the net! I am a pirate among pirates, the Dread Pirate Irving!"
"Ooh, I want a cool title!" Wanda said. "I'll be... uh... The... Dread... Magician... Wanda... yeah!"
"The only thing about you that fills me with dread is your unoriginality when it comes to choosing names for yourself," Irving said with a disapproving head shake. "Ye'll be Wanda the Wench until I decide otherwise!"
"I don't want to be a wench!" Wanda pouted. "I want to be a dread magician."
"Titles have to be earned, lass," Irving said. "I run a successful movie, music, TV, and game pirating website. What do you do?"
"I can do this!" Wanda said as she pulled out her wand, which began expelling fireworks from the tip.
"...Alright, that is pretty neat," Irving conceded.
Confessional:
Wanda: Pirates and magicians... all we need is a ninja, and the trifecta would be complete! Aw, I should have made Zelda be one. Oh well. What I need is to do something to earn a title better than Wench!
Irving: And to any government agencies who think ye can take down me website, it ain't happening! I'm a computer genius. I took precautions! Unless ye want a powerful virus infecting yer fancy government computers with all that fancy government data. Gyahahahaha!
"Dude, that's fuckin' sweet!" Jynxie grinned as she and Lilith hung out in the entrance room. "No one else I've met has even heard of half the bands I like!"
"Mweeheehee... I like that kind of stuff," Lilith giggled. "I have a certain... fascination with ghosts... the undead... the afterlife... any music which explores it is definitely for me."
"Hell yeah dude!" Jynxie whooped. "You know what just happened? You and I? Just became best friends in this game."
"...Cool," Lilith said with a wide smile.
"Kacey! I thought I told you that yelling is not welcome in an enclosed environment!" Dunstan scolded as he approached the two.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa!" Jynxie leered. "First of all, who the fuck said you could call me that? Secondly, how the fuck did you find out that's my name?"
"I refuse to indulge in childish nicknames. It's unprofessional," Dunstan stated. "Your name was written on your duffel bag in permanent marker, by the way."
"Shit," Jynxie swore. "Well, what you need to do is to go mind your own damn business, buster! Lilith and I were just enjoying pleasant conversation!"
"Hi," Lilith said.
"It was most certainly not pleasant!" Dunstan refused. "The walls of this building are made of metal, which conducts sound incredibly well. If you're not careful, you could break the VR machine with your screaming!"
"You're screaming, too, dipshit!" Jynxie pointed out.
"I am raising my voice in an authoritative manner!" Dunstan insisted.
"If you won't quiet down, then I sure as hell won't!" Jynxie shouted.
Dunstan glared at Jynxie. "Just remember that I can vote you out if our team loses a challenge," he threatened.
"Back at you," Lilith giggled.
Dunstan left the scene.
"He's funny," Lilith said.
"I'm taking his threats to vote me out as a challenge," Jynxie sniggered.
Confessional:
Jynxie: Dunstan really has no self-awareness, does he? Pfft! Fuck that! I'll show him what's what! Jynxie style! KEHEHEHEHEHEHE!
Dunstan: I've found myself on a rambunctious team of streakers and punks! I know I can't get along with everyone, but is it too much to ask for one person who loves following the rules as much as I do?!
Lilith: You think that if they kill each other, one or both of them would become a ghost? Dunstan probably would. ...Hmmmmm... (She smiles.)
As Zelda set her duffel bag in the sleeping room, Robby approached her.
"Good day," Robby greeted.
"Yo," Zelda responded.
"Enjoying your time here so far?" Robby asked.
"Nothing has happened yet," Zelda pointed out.
"Perhaps, but I'm excited," Robby said. "Not a lot of people get to play this game. I'm going to make the most of it."
"I am curious as to what the challenges will be like," Zelda admitted.
"I don't doubt they'll have some creative ideas," Robby agreed. "So tell me, have you been thinking about the game yet, or are you giving it some time?"
"Call it a hunch, but I get the feeling you've got a deal in mind," Zelda remarked.
"If it interests you," Robby said. He reached into his pocket and took a $20 bill from it. "On our team's first vote, if you do not vote for me, I will give this to you."
"You're going to pay me to not vote you out?" Zelda asked in disbelief. "Well, I can tell you're a man who's confident in his abilities. Great ally material."
"I can tell that's sarcasm," Robby winced as he pocketed the bill. "Look, your connection with Wanda is obvious. I don't doubt that it will make you a target in the near future. You're going to need allies besides her. All I ask is that you consider it."
"Really? Because it sounds to me like you're asking not to vote you out," Zelda pointed out.
"That, too," Robby conceded.
"You're not wrong about me being connected with Wanda," Zelda said. "And you're probably not wrong about it making us targets. I'd be willing to vote for her if the votes lean that way."
"Really? Wouldn't have expected that," Robby figured.
"It might be cowardly, but is it any more cowardly than paying people to not vote for you?" Zelda reasoned.
"I won't tell Wanda if you won't tell the others about my offer," Robby said.
"That's a deal I can agree to," Zelda nodded.
Confessional:
Robby: Of course, if Zelda doesn't follow through, I can and will make deals with the others as well. I'm not experienced in physical activities, and people might see me as a challenge liability, so I need a reason for them to keep me around. And money is what makes the world go 'round.
Zelda: Telling Robby I'd vote for Wanda could be a mistake, since he doesn't seem like the most trustworthy person in the world, but I can't become a target on day one simply because of my sister. I don't want to throw her under the bus, and I may have jumped the gun, but it's a cutthroat game, and I'd rather not be the one to go first either.
Cosette went to the mess hall and studied the meal schedule. Cyan entered the room and took notice.
"Oh, sweetie, it's not time for food yet," Cyan giggled.
"I know," Cosette said. "I'm just trying to memorize the schedule. I don't want to miss a meal by accident."
"Ooh, I hadn't thought of that," Cyan realized. "You're pretty smart for your age."
"Seventeen?" Cosette asked.
"You're seventeen?" Cyan gasped. "I wouldn't have guessed."
"Yeah," Cosette said, her eye twitching a bit. "So, what do you think of our team?"
"Well, I do wish our team color could have been blue, any shade of blue would have done, especially because real peacocks are a nice royal blue that I think would have made a fun team color, but purple is pretty close to blue, and there haven't been any purple teams on Total Drama to my memory, so I'll take it," Cyan answered.
"I meant the people on our team," Cosette giggled.
"Oh!" Cyan realized. "Um, Jynxie seems fun. I like her hair. Dunstan gets on my nerves a bit, and Felix... yeah, ew."
"Oh thank goodness I'm not the only one," Cosette said with a sigh of relief. "Regarding Dunstan and Felix, that is."
"They don't seem to get along well with each other, either," Cyan pointed out.
"That could be good for us!" Cosette smiled. "If they want each other gone, it'll be easy for us to vote them out."
"Ooh, that's true," Cyan realized. "I'm honestly not sure which one I'd want gone first, though."
"We can figure it out later," Cosette decided.
"You keep saying 'we'," Cyan noticed.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to be presumptuous or imply anything you might not be comfortable with," Cosette apologized.
"Oh, no, I don't mind," Cyan smiled. "You seem pretty nice. I think you, Jynxie, and I could be a cool trio."
"That could be fun," Cosette chirped.
Confessional:
Cyan: If Cosette were a shade of blue, I think she'd be baby blue. And I'm not just saying that because she looks younger than she is... or maybe I am, on some deep subconscious level the likes of which I cannot fathom... You know, maybe.
Cosette: I'm actually really looking forward to getting into the meat of the game. I've been a fan for a while now, and I just want to get the show on the road and do a challenge, and maybe even do a vote... though maybe the latter can wait a bit. I wouldn't mind. (She giggles.)
The fourteen contestants all gathered in the VR room, where Topher stood before them. The VR pods were all open.
"Alright, contestants. Are you guys ready for your first challenge?" Topher grinned.
"Yeah!" Cosette cheered.
"We'll wipe the poop deck with ye!" Irving boasted to the other team.
"Is that a fucking challenge?" Jynxie grinned.
"Yes, it is. Were you not paying attention?" Nils responded condescendingly.
"You guys seem eager. Hop into the VR pod that has your name on it and let's get this show on the road!" Topher ordered.
The contestants all found their respective VR pods and climbed in. As they all lied down on their backs, the pods closed, and their vision went blurry.
When the contestants escaped their trance, they found that they were outside in the dead of night. Futuristic-looking buildings surrounded all of them, and flying cars whizzed overhead. Each and every one of them was outfitted in sci-fi-esque armor and carried what looked to be a laser gun. The teams had been separated, with the Cyber Snakes in one building and the Pixel Peacocks in another.
"Whoa, this is cool!" Wanda smiled as she examined her gun.
"Definitely starting off with a bang," Robby nodded.
"Aw, man," Felix winced as he noticed his state of dress.
"Thank goodness..." Cyan muttered.
A large screen in each team's room powered on and showed Topher's face.
"Contestants! It looks like you all made it safely," Topher noted. "As you can see, you've been transported to the futuristic city of Topheria!"
"Cute name," Zelda remarked.
"Please, no talking, I can't address both teams at once," Topher requested. "Anyway, the teams have been put into separate buildings. If you'll look behind you, you'll notice your team's Core of Power."
The contestants all looked behind them to notice a glowing orb in their respective team's color suspended in the air by electromagnetic pillars.
"Whoa, sick," Joseph said, impressed.
"Your job is to destroy the opposing team's Core of Power," Topher said. "I'm sure you've noticed your new getups, complete with laser rifle. These will come in great handy in helping you complete this goal. Your suits of armor can withstand a lot more damage than ordinary clothes, and your guns will help take out the opposition. These suits of armor have 100 health points, and each shot of the laser will deal 10 points of damage. You'll also sustain damage from falling or crashing into things, just like in real life, so don't do anything stupid. If you run out of health points, you'll be pulled from the virtual world and return to the real world for your own safety. Just like how dying in a dream doesn't actually kill you in real life, same goes here, although, as it's a new technology, we don't want to do anything risky. This show's been in enough hot water as it is."
"An excellent idea!" Dunstan declared. "Any measures taken to remain in a positive light in the eyes of the law is are measures I can support!"
"I told you not to talk, Dunstan," Topher scolded.
"Ack! I broke the rule! I'm sorry!" Dunstan cried.
"Anyway, the first team to destroy the opposing team's Core of Power will win the challenge and be safe from elimination tonight," Topher continued. "Alternatively, if everyone on one team ends up losing all their health points before either Core is destroyed, they will lose by default. This will be a constant clause throughout every challenge this season, so, like I said, try not to screw up. There may or may not be a few other surprises in this challenge, too, but I'll leave those up to you to discover. That said, let's get this challenge underway!"
Confessional:
Vanessa: Our first challenge is pretty straightforward, so that's good for easing us into everything, I think. I like it.
Gunther: Not used to shooting guns, but then I doubt most of the others are, either. I'm sure I can figure something out.
Lilith: These challenges don't seem all that lethal... Shame...
"When we come back," Topher said to the audience. "The challenge will commence! People will fall! People will rise! But one person will take the plunge as the first person voted out of the game! Stay tuned, dear viewer, for more Total! Drama! Virtual Party!"
Cyber Snakes:
Gunther - The Sword Collector
Irving - The Cutthroat Pirate
Nils - The Stone-Cold Heartless
Robby - The Weasely Briber
Vanessa - The Bringer of Happiness
Wanda - The Chipper Magician
Zelda - The Snarky Magician's Assistant
Pixel Peacocks:
Cosette - The Small Bean
Cyan - The Blue Enthusiast
Dunstan - The Hall Monitor
Felix - The Nudist
Joseph - The Bro Code
Jynxie - The Uber Punk
Lilith - The Ghost Obsessor