Sweden Exposure - A Total Drama Fanfic part 1
"And just where do you think you're going?" a snippy mezzo-soprano voice resounded from within the rusted jumbo jet. Dark chocolate eyes glared daggers across the white and blue tundra before her, focusing on a young man trudging away from the plane.
Said young man's hands resided deeply within blue jean pockets, his form hunched over slightly to bear the cold. He made no indication of heeding her call, only that he paused for a moment before continuing across Sweden's winter landscape. Frustrated by his silence, Courtney slide down from the door of the plane onto the snowy ground below. She'd been spying on Duncan, a plain brown blanket wrapped around her shoulders to shield herself against the cold of "second class accommodations".
The contestants had flown to Sweden to compete in a game of capture the flag on the a frozen lake. At the end of the challenge, Team Chris had defended their place as champions leaving Team Amazon in the hot seat again. However before they could return to the skies for the elimination ceremony, Chef announced some grave news, in the form of a fuel line busting.
The news wasn't happy, and Chris was adamantly "unhappy" about it. The show didn't really have it in the budget to fix the plane, and thus would result in a patch up job, rather than a real repair. For the contestants, it was just a delay of the inevitable, and an extra night in this winter wonderland. The boys fortunately had the luxury of first class to celebrate their victory and enjoy themselves. The girls plus Cody, were meanwhile stuck uncomfortably in economy class, which was even more uncomfortable with the dropping temperature.
So, with the coziness of first class, the night closing in and the temperature plummeting, Courtney couldn't fathom why Duncan would leave the plane. At first the bronze teen stalked him from a bay window, watching him stretch as he breathed in the cold air. Than after looking around, the delinquent teen began to march along the shores of the lake. Her brain told her he was up to something so she moved to the door he'd just exited to watch him more, thinking maybe he'd turn back soon. When that didn't seem likely, Courtney decided to call him out and find out what mischief he was up to.
Her wedge sandaled feet crunched loudly and swiftly across the snow as she hurried after the Mohawk styled teen. Thankfully Duncan's pace was leisurely enough for her to catch up but stay a good 6 feet behind him.
"Where are you going?" she nagged, unable to rouse his attention, even though she knew he heard her. "Chris told us to stay with the plane."
"So," His voice coldly replied, "go back to the plane."
Courtney closed the gap, "If we're not with that plane, he'll leave without us."
"Fine. If you're so worried, go back."
Blue eyes forward and brow knitted tightly, Duncan continued his trek along the frozen lake. Behind him, his stalker had paused to tug her blanket more tightly around her shoulders. Courtney's brow creased deeply as she glared at his backside. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, partially in anger, part in part in excursion but mostly in longing.
The sky was starting to turn a lovely hue of lilac layered with pale yellows and blue, and as breathtaking as it should have been, it only meant the light was leaving. The signs of civilization were sparse up ahead, there was really no where to go in this little frozen region. Her pig-headed-ex still made no indication of turning back, and with a heavy sigh steaming from her lips, Courtney chose to continue her pursuit.
Glancing at the horizon, Duncan saw that night was steadily approaching overhead and knew that soon it would become impossibly dark out here. The snow shifted as he walked, covering his red converse sneakers in a fluffy white crystals. His sharp blue eyes closed as he contemplated turning back before it got too dark. He'd just planned to go outside for some air, take in the scenery since they were stranded, and he doubted he'd ever be in Sweden again. That's when she'd come out of the plane and in that grating tone of hers, questioned him like a nagging guardian. Duncan's whole body tensed like an irate cats' at the sound and he chose to widen the space. A bitter anger welled up inside of him as he heard her come down from the plane and follow.
Frustrated as he was, he realized starting a fight with her would only draw out the time he had to spend with her. Duncan tried to play it as nonchalantly as he could, in the hopes to deject her with apathy. It wasn't working.
That's why the casually dressed man had continued along the banks of the lake in hopes that eventually she'd tire of the chase and give him the peace he so desired. Courtney, he should have remembered, was a persistent one and the only thing he was getting, was cold. Colorful uses of the English language ran through his head, mostly cursing Chris Mclean and his lack of responsibility into getting them coats they all desperately needed. That over-puffed host was more than irresponsible, stingy, arrogant and chauvinistic, he was a downright sadistic fucking prick. What he wouldn't give to put that overrated host through some of the shit they'd been through on this show, he smirked.
So lost in his own musing Duncan had almost forgotten about his shadow, until she brushed up besides him with such ferocity that he removed his hands from his pockets just for balance. Courtney passed him with her nose proudly in the air, carrying her worn blanket like a royal cape off her back. Her soft tresses flowed daintily in the cold air as she hurried steadily past him and for a moment, he was speechless. That moment quickly morphed into anger when he'd remembered that she'd shoved her shoulder into him and was strutting like a pompous peacock.
"What the hell?" he spurted, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"
"I'm just going out for a walk. Got a problem with that?"
Courtney glanced back with a smug smile that boiled Duncan's blood. His armed tightened firmly across his chest, a look of death in his eyes, "I'm the one taking a walk here!"
"Oh, I didn't know this was your lake to walk on now. Looks like anyone can walk on it." she shot sarcastically, whirling around proudly to continue on ahead. Her expression quickly dropped now that he couldn't see, realizing just how far away they'd already traveled. There was only a sliver of daylight remaining in the sky which she estimated meant only about 10 minutes left of sunlight. Stars where already crowding the sky and the three quarter moon softly illuminated the snow at her feet. Sincerely she thought about telling him they should really head back, she was cold, and he was undoubtedly freezing now. Unfortunately that proud stubbornness caught her tongue and instead the bronze skinned Courtney pushed onwards.
It was Duncan's turn to follow her now, seeing the challenge in her actions and not about to back down. She'd ruined his solitude, she'd fouled his already sour mood and he was going to give her a piece of his mind. His sneakers stomped angrily in the powdery white crystals as he silently pursued his quarry. Her steps were brisk almost to a near run as she moved down the banks of snow to walk on the smoother shores of the lake. Duncan didn't break stride as he slide artfully down the bank to catch her, his anger increasing with every step. Courtney's heart crept up her throat when she felt his approach and the rage radiating from his aura. Something inside her told her to run, but the option was quickly eliminated when he gripped her shoulder to force her back around. Defiant brown eyes met equally defiant blue eyes.
"I have had about all I can fucking stand of you!" Duncan shouted, inches from her face.
"Me? What about you?"
"All I did was go outside and you're on me like flies on shit!" the green-haired man heedlessly continued over Courtney's own defense. Not about to be out down, she raised her own voice to be heard over his baritone, "It's your own fault cheating bastard!"
"You're such a whiny nagging bitch it's no wonder I tolerated you for so long…"
"Who knows who you were sneaking off to see…"
"…getting into everyone else's shit!" Duncan's voice continued to roar as he aggressively paced across the snow.
"…some blonde Swedish bimbo!" Courtney continued to rant, only hearing every other word Duncan was actually shouting. Not like he heard much of what she actually was shouting either, caught in his own rage. Months of true unspoken anger, frustration and hurt echoed across the frozen lake. Their voices continued to escalate, unfortunately blocking out all other sounds around them.
"…some high and mighty princess prancing around like her shit don't stink…"
"…dirty delinquent with a one way ticket to life as someone's bitch…"
"…all over Alejandro like a whore…"
CRACK! The sound of flesh striking flesh resonated through the night air and instantly the frozen lake was silent. Courtney breathed heavily, her hand trembling violently at the end of her outstretched arm. The blanket she'd donned had fallen from her shoulders, but she couldn't feel the cold, only the stinging in her hand.
Duncan stood straight and still, eyes shut tight, head turned to the side, his cheek shinning red. Furious, Courtney felt her insides twist horribly as she glared at his unmoving figure, no longer angered, not even hurt, he almost looked serene. She found herself at a loose for words, and he had nothing to say to her. It was only when the first of many flecks of snow touched her cheek, did she straighten her own stance. Courtney's mind, heart and eyes burned fiercely, but she refused to cry, instead choosing to croak barely above a whisper, "I hate you."
Scooping up her fallen blanket Courtney hurried heavily back to the snowy banks to retrace her steps through the darkness. The loud pounding of her newly forming headache was deafening, muting all other sounds around her.
The world around Duncan was muted as well, mostly because of the slap, but the outside world was dark and dead to him as well. He only saw Courtney's retreating form and once she'd started to climb back up the snow bank, he figured he too needed to head back to the plane. His first footstep was heavy and crunched loudly beneath him. The second footstep crunched even more loudly and the third was accompanied by a wet sloshing. That's when the world came screaming to him full force and the continued sounds of crunching, sloshing and cracking filled his being with fear.
The sound reached Courtney's ears loud and clear as well as she turned back to the lake and horror dawned on her that they'd been fighting on treacherous ground. Her eyes widened, taking in every sight and sound in high definition, even the horrified face of her companion. Cautiously he slide a foot forward, attempting to not aggravate the situation anymore. He growled as he perceived Courtney returning to his side, only making things worst. However she stopped at the bass of the bank, her mind calming her instincts and preparing to coax him back to safety. Those instructions never came when the ice finally lost it's strength and dropped Duncan like a rock into the icy waters.
