Author's Note: Hi everyone! I've been lurking here for over a decade now and after all these years, I've decided to write a story. And then, with Survivor being my number one passion in life, I decided to start writing this: a multi-fandom work featuring characters from eighteen video games, cartoons, Animes, and films coming together to play a reality TV competition. I hope, at the very least, I get a couple of readers (*fingers crossed) and that you all enjoy.
Also, a new chapter will be uploaded every Sunday (starting April 16, 2017). So yes, expect a new chapter every week.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything!
Survivor: Donto Island, Hoenn
Introduction
"The tribe has spoken."
The castaway watched as Steven Stone extinguished the flame on their blazing torch. Like a fleeting moment, the fire on the torch, the representation of life in this game of Survivor, was shut closed:
Dead.
"Time for you to go" Steven announced, sensitive to the delicate situation that he had no authority over. This person was the first victim of the game... the first of many victims for that matter.
But it was like the castaway hadn't heard that last order from the Survivor host. Instead, the victim turned towards the other castaways. Head shaking in disbelief, this person laid eyes on each tribe member, as if their eyes were a sort window of truth to enlighten the unquenched question:
Who was the mastermind that voted me off?
Suspicion escalated and frustration befell upon the castaway like a hurricane. The person's eyes stared at their tribe members, but all they cared to do was stare back. Stare at the cold, rivaling eyes of who came to be first victim of the game of Survivor.
"I will not be the first person voted off," The contestant had said that only a few hours prior.
That seemed so distant and yet in a matter of hours that same person who spoke those words very confidently was standing near the exit of the makeshift hut, holding the embarrassing and shameful title of being the game's first casualty.
Suddenly, tears descended from the starling eyes of the eliminated castaway. The person looked away from the pool of crystal clear water that situated itself beside Steven and glared with ice cold eyes at a particular tribe member. The stench of betrayal steaming from the castaway's now barely simmering torch. With pride overwhelming the already intense atmosphere, this person turned away from the tribe without any more questions and quickly walked out of the Tribal Council hut, the sound of a rushing river drowning out any sounds.
"I'll be back." The castaway muttered hoping that someone would hear it. No one did.
Before disappearing into the forest, this person took one final look at their former tribe.
The tribe took one final look at them.
"So bizarre…this cast."
The TV interviewer nodded, which motioned the young handsome man to continue.
"We have so many outspoken, vigorous… passionately evil contestants. There's numerous colossal blindsides, nearly invisible shatter points that will literally make you fall off your chair wondering to yourself how what just happened could possibly have happened?." The man laughed as he reminisced the past, "We just finished filming the show two days ago though so I may just be riding off a high."
The man laughed again.
"Why, thank you, Steven Stone. We really appreciate having you here." Said the interviewer, ending his sentence with the same familiar showbiz smile.
"Oh! There's one more thing." Steven began.
The interviewer shifted his head slowly towards the Survivor host.
"It's insane…really. No one could even suspect, not in a million years, who the winner really is."
Survivors:
Alfred F. Jones (a.k.a. America) (Hetalia)
Angelica Pickles (All Grown Up!/Rugrats)
Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)
Clark Kent (Superman Comics)
Harley (Pokemon)
Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)
LeShawna (Total Drama)
Lust the Homunculus (her alias for the Survivor competition is "Lucy") (Full Metal Alchemist)
Arsène Lupin (Lupin III)
Master Chief (Halo Series)
Ms. Muriel Finster (Recess)
Mulan Li (Mulan)
Orihime Inoue (Bleach)
Samus Aran (Metroid Series/Super Smash Brothers)
Takato Matsuki (Digimon Tamers)
TK Takaishi (Digimon 02)
Tootie (Fairly Odd Parents)
Usopp (One Piece)
Day One
Alfred F. Jones was a man who knew how to survive and conquer. From braving treacherous landscapes during the midst of a war to traversing wild acres of his own backyard, this man who called himself 'America' had all the life experience, all the knowledge. Thus, Survivor was the perfect game for him. A game show not like the numerous rip-offs that aired weekly in his citizen's households- Alfred couldn't help but feel exhilarated at the prospect of competing in what he believed to be a classic American pastime. After all, he was the very embodiment of America itself. He felt like he already had a distinct advantage over the other players.
"Yo guys! Are you all excited or what?!" He exclaimed with utmost joy. He turned his head towards two men beside him both wearing anxious and confused looks on their faces. "Like, my heart is literally beating at a thousand beats per second! It's crazy!"
Steven Stone, who was the host for the game of Survivor, had told the three men earlier to simply 'get on a canoe' and 'travel to Donto Island'. Alfred squinted his eyes towards the open sea searching for what he conceived as his next challenge, another mountain for him to conquer and so there it was. Damaging the horizon and discoloured by the morning star, Donto Island: 'an island paradise, home to an abundance of Donphan' the Hoenn travel brochure had stated. From where Alfred was standing, his soon-to-be battleground looked much like a tiny green blob sitting on the middle of the ocean. Alfred saw no deceit, no harm.
He turned his head and widened eyes were aimed towards him; as if he was the prophet to all their questions. Instinctively, Alfred wasn't sure of what to make of his situation, but soon enough, He came to the realization that these star struck eyes weren't seeking a prophet per se, but rather one to lead them all, a shepherd for the lambs. No one wanted to step up to the plate and start taking commands, so Alfred F. Jones took the spotlight, much to his own satisfaction. After all, he had led numerous countries through various battles and invasions. So how much harder could leading this gathering of strangers be? He thought.
Indeed, leading and surviving were both in bold highlight in Alfred's resume and quite frankly he loved the thrill of the very element of the game.
Survivor was definitely the competition for him.
"I want you to be in the front of the canoe!" He commanded, pointing a finger to a young man with wavy blonde hair. "Your name is TJ, right?"
"It's TK." The boy replied with a small chuckle. "And you're Alfred, right?"
Alfred immediately burst out laughing. "Oh please, no!" He shook his head with urgency. "Just call me America. All my friends do."
TK made a face. "You mean, like the country?" 'America' nodded.
"Yup! The most heroic country ever!" He exclaimed, his face excited towards observing the capabilities of the boy.
It was no surprise to acquaintances of Alfred, or America, that this man loved being the hero. Fortunately, this reality competition was all about heroes. Heroes and villains. Also second chances; and even fans and favourites. Coming in, America already knew how the television audience would react to his portrayal. He would obviously be the hero.
"Okay, I want you to be the head of our canoe" He stated with authority. "TK, you are gonna be the one getting us to the island. But no worries m'boy I'll be helping steer at the back."
Alfred turned to an interesting looking man in fashionable clothes. He styled a green hat that was covering his long, purple hair. "Harley," Alfred began, "You're going to be holding the map, so guide TK with the directions. Got it?"
"Got it!" Harley exclaimed cheerfully with a huge grin, but this smile was so strained and exaggerated that it looked fake.
Alfred shifted his gaze towards Donto Island as he pointed his finger in a dramatic fashion. "Suit up dudes! I'm making sure we're going to be the first canoe to the island! Well, then people… let's kick the island in the butt!" He started to laugh at his joke.
There was an eerie silence that followed and it lasted for a few seconds, the air was filled with a mix of undetermined motives and thoughts about this strange man. The eyes belonging to TK and Harley exchanged glances. What exactly was so funny? They asked each other without expecting any answer in return.
Alfred's laughter slowly came to halt. "C'mon dudes! You don't get it? It was a joke!" He laughed again and punched both men in the shoulder.
"Boys, in the world of survival, one essential element you MUST have is a sense of humour!" His statement sounded cold, but it was quickly dismissed when he winked and smiled.
America: What's up everyone! My name is America and I am the hero! But dude seriously, I have never been more excited to compete in this game show, like you won't believe. I mean, Survivor was an American show that transformed everything about television. It's lasted for over a decade! Now, please someone give me the name of a non-American reality competition that has accomplished this feat. Pff, yeah I didn't think you could!
The personification of America smiled widely at the camera, the shine of his teeth almost matching the glare from Texas- the pair of glasses he wore- in terms of brightness.
America: Mark my words, man, I am going to win this thing! One million dollars is a pretty huge prize and I'm more than determined to make it mine. I mean, I'm pretty sure I could use it to pay off all my debt, right? Ha ha ha.
As Steven Stone stood on the wet soil of Donto Island, he waited patiently for the five canoes to arrive. For this was the game of Survivor: eighteen castaways will be left abandoned on an island for 39 days all playing for the coveted prize of one million dollars. Every three days, the castaways will be forced to vote off one of their own from the island.
"Welcome to Survivor: Donto Island." Steven said to himself proudly.
His eyes would continuously scan the vast ocean waiting for a canoe to appear; soon enough one did. He gave a small smile as the four castaways in the canoe got up from their seat and began to make their way towards Steven.
"Welcome to Survivor, Usopp." Steven was smiling.
A tanned and lanky man with an exceedingly long nose walked in the direction of Steven Stone. "Thanks Steven!" Usopp stated with confidence. "Glad to be here." The host nodded, feeling mesmerized by his long nose almost matching that of Pinocchio's.
"Welcome to Survivor, Master Chief." Steven announced when his eyes caught an orange and green blur that looked like a giant metal robot walking towards him.
Master Chief wore his all of his armour including a steel helmet that covered his entire head and metallic attire that covered the rest of his body from his shoulders to his feet. Some of the other Survivors questioned Master Chief's choice of clothing; it was such a strange choice. And when he told them all that he was a war veteran and that this was his 'uniform', they still weren't convinced. It wasn't like there was going to be any wars breaking out on the island!
Master Chief: My name is Master Chief and I'm a Spartan. That is who I am. And frankly, I don't care if other people judge me for my choice of attire for this game.
He crossed his arms over his metallic chest.
Master Chief: In memory of all my men who I have ever fought for in the wars, I am going to wear all my armour for the entire thirty-nine days of Survivor. Just to let them know that I'm still with them in spirit. I hope to make them proud.
"Welcome to Survivor, Lupin." Steven announced with a pleasant smile.
The handsome black-haired man with a well-trimmed haircut was the third to pass by the host. He was blessed with such a cute baby face that it made the host himself give the guy a second look.
Steven cleared his throat, "Um… welcome to Survivor, Lupin."
Lupin turned around coolly and raised an eyebrow. A smile appeared on the man's face, but that comfort was short lived. Just as the smile appeared, it was gone.
"Hey Steven." The man mumbled.
Wiping snot from his nose, Lupin wasn't hesitant to end conversation and stand with the other two men.
Hmm… okay. Steven said to himself. The simplicity of the reply from the usual rowdy Lupin took Steven by surprise. He expected a cool bad boy answer. But to Steven's disappointment, all he got was a "hey."
"Are you okay? You look really tired." Usopp asked the handsome black-haired man.
Lupin shook his head, "I don't know. I might've caught a little something, while I was in sequester. But it'll be gone in a jiff." He paused, crossing his arms over his chest. He turned his again towards the pirate. "Weird place this is though, huh? Never seen it on any map." Usopp only nodded in response.
Lupin: Dang! This place is weird! Of all the islands I've been to, Donto Island definitely takes the cake for having the strangest assortment of plants and animals. It definitely puts me on edge knowing that I'll be on such a foreign island for thirty-nine days.
The handsome man put on his sunglasses coolly.
Lupin: Well, for those who don't know me, I'm the infamous thief that runs around from country to country robbing that which you all hold so valuable! Ha ha. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not a shadow in the night, or smoke that you had to catch with your bare hands, ha ha, I'm just downright good! How I got into this game without letting the police know, you ask? I'm as clueless as you are. Pretty crazy, huh?
"Welcome to Survivor, Takato." Steven said to the fourth and last player of the group.
The brown-haired teenager smiled back in acknowledgement of the host's greeting, but said nothing more. He marched towards the players' mat at a timid pace standing in-between Usopp and Master Chief. And then, like a flock of vultures, four pairs of eyes stared at the show's host anxiously awaiting instruction. But all Steven did was try his best to ignore them, keep his cool.
"Erm… More contestants should be arriving any minute." Steve was feeling really awkward.
He stared blankly towards the vast ocean
"Yep, here comes another boat." Steven said with a hint of relief.
The host's eyes became almost like a horizontal line as he tried to recognize who the people were that were on the boat. There were two males and one female.
"Sup ev'rybody! LeShawna is in the house !" A large, young woman announced as she made her way towards the other contestants. With her hands on her hips, she strut her entire body back and forth in a continuous motion, eyeing each star struck Survivor competitor playfully.
Steven chuckled, "Welcome to Survivor, LeShawna."
The Total Drama star stopped in her tracks, thrusting her hips to the left in a dramatic fashion.
"Hey… handsome!" She said with a wink of her eyebrow towards the host. Steven only blushed, unable to part his eyes off the African-Canadian. Well, he later did realized that LeShawna greeted every other guy that she met in the exact same manner, but that still didn't stop Steven from thinking it was a gesture specified to him.
"Welcome to Survivor, Clark." Steven said, voice turned to normal and face back into its alabaster hue
Clark Kent instantly spoke up, "Steven Stone." Clark said expecting a mutual respect, "It is very swell to see you."
Clark had an incredible build and stature, only that which you'd see in movies or body building competitions. He would have put Sylvester Stallone to shame had he not been wearing a pair of old-fashioned glasses thick and squared, which instead made him appear as a rather point-Dexter, pencil pusher than a colossal Olympian that his various muscles suggested.
To the other contestants as well as the producers, Clark Kent looked like an ordinary Newspaper journalist just trying to win the one-million dollars; however, they didn't know that he had special abilities, very special abilities.
"Welcome to Survivor, Bart."
This boy had initially caught Steven off guard. The yellow color of Bart's skin stood out under the bright sun and for a second Steven even thought that Bart was Chinese, but that idea had quickly left his mind for the sake of his position as show host.
The preteen dramatically looked at the host and then spontaneously started rapping. His skills were sub-par and the ordinary rapper would have been cringing, but Bart was met with a loud applause from the other contestants when he began to beat box.
"Thank you! Thank you!" The Simpson boy stated as he blew kisses to his fellow competitors. "Yes, you all may have my autograph." A couple of the contestants burst out in laughter.
Clark: Bart is really funny. I absolutely adore the guy. While he, LeShawna, and I were on the canoe, he wouldn't stop telling these extremely funny jokes. This guy is someone I want to keep with me for a long time…definitely!
"You all can call me 'Bart the Fart'." Bart announced to the contestants, his arms in the air.
"Why's that?" Usopp asked.
The preteen grinned mischievously as he turned his head towards the lanky Pirate, "You'll find out later tonight."
"Oh man! It looks like a few people beat us to this place!"
The sound of a man's voice immediately broke up the ongoing conversation. Turning their heads towards the direction of the shore, the players found themselves gazing at the figures of three men pushing their canoe onto the sandy beach.
"Ah... TK, Harley, and Alfred have arrived." Steven said to himself as if he was relaying information onto a hidden recorder.
As the trio neared the crowd of people standing next to Steven, it was evident to everyone that the one named Alfred was just about bursting with excitement.
This is actually happening! I can't believe it! A smile beamed from his enthusiastic face as he called out in a very, very loud voice:
"WHAT'S UP EVERYBODY! HOW YOU ALL DOING?!"
Now, the funny thing was Steven and the other contestants could hear Alfred's voice perfectly fine before. His last statement was so loud that even Steven himself could feel his eardrums hurting.
"Welcome to Survivor, Alfred." Steven muttered with a slight frown. He was unsure whether or not to be happy being in the presence of a walking personification.
"Steven, dude, just call me America." He said with a toothpaste-ad grin, "You're making me feel old."
"My apologies America." The host responded and the blonde, bespectacled man looked pleased. Soon enough, the trio of TK, Harley, and America found themselves standing in the midst of the other contestants.
"Ha, he's a real interesting character that guy." TK whispered to the players that stood beside him. LeShawna immediately let out a small laugh.
"He seems pretty funny." She stated turning her head towards Harley. The Total Drama star was looking for an approval from him, but all Harley did was shake his head in disgust.
"Are you serious? Kill me now." Harley commented sarcastically. Those who had heard his comment began laughing.
"Well, LeShawna, it seems like you're the only woman in this game." Steven pointed out drawing all the player's attention onto him again. Immediately, LeShawna turned her head; her jet black hair waving effortlessly in the breeze like something you'd see in a Maybeline commercial.
"What are you talking about, Steven? I love sausage fests. This is dang awesome!" That recognizable hood twang mixed in with the 'LeShawna-esque' attitude caused nearly everyone to be in hysterics. Some laughing for her off the cuff comment, others including Bart noting that she had said "sausage fest".
Well, after all, LeShawna was definitely no stranger to Reality T.V.
LeShawna: Okay, so for all those who live under a rock, I starred in this screwed up… and I seriously mean screwed up… Canadian reality T.V. show called "Total Drama Island" and also its two other seasons.
She brushed her jet black hair to the side.
LeShawna: I'm gonna keep it real and say that I love being on T.V. and all, but that show gives me the creeps. I seriously think that the producers are some damn psychopaths. My privacy was invaded numerous times and 'imma tell you- this girl loves her privacy!
The Total Drama star scrunched both her hands tightly into a fist.
LeShawna: And not to mention the countless number of jerks I had to endure for weeks on end… though I have to admit that there were a few cute boys there, uh huh.
The African-Canadian crossed her arms over her chest.
LeShawna: Anyways, I joined Survivor because I've seen this show before and there doesn't seem to be any challenges that involve me eating crap from the garbage or being involved in other life-threatening situations.
She nodded her head coolly.
LeShawna: So… I'm good, I'm happy… let's play this game!
"Here comes another boat." Usopp pointed out. His arm was pointing to the direction of the canoe, but it was actually his nose that made everybody look.
"They're all girls." Clark realized. He turned to LeShawna, "I guess you're not the only girl after all."
The teenager grinned and patted Clark on the back, "Mmh, also looks like I have more competition too, huh handsome?" She passed a wink at the buff journalist who raised his eyebrows.
"Well, aren't you quite the flirt?" Clark said with a smile. LeShawna grinned back, her mind wheeling to think of a good response when she suddenly noticed Bart Simpson waving his hands frantically in the air.
"Hello ladies!" He was letting out a cat-call, "Well, what do you know? It's the hot chick canoe!"
Once again the players all laughed in unison. It was charming really, how the kid seemingly blurted out everything that other people only let cross their minds. With inquisitive and fascinated eyes, the players watched as three beautiful women made their way out of the canoe and headed towards them.
"Welcome to Survivor, Mulan." The host said with a merry tune. It was evident prior that Steven was getting tired of the same introductions, but when Mulan came, a certain joyous tone flooded his voice, pouring out word by word. Steven even gave a brighter smile, not that familiar and expected showbiz smile. In response, the Chinese princess stopped in her tracks and replied with a bow leaving the other contestants watching in awe of her elegance and class.
"Thank you Steven." Mulan said as she stood among her fellow competitors.
"Welcome to Survivor, Samus." Steven Stone announced a little louder, his tone a result of having to acknowledge the best looking woman of the three.
Samus Aran was dressed in a tight, blue spandex suit. The host was surprised, when he saw Samus' body, as to how muscular and fit she was.
"This is someone who will definitely be the one to beat." Steven muttered to himself.
The fit blonde suddenly stopped in her tracks when the realization dawned on her- nearly all the men in the game had arrived at the island before her. And then, to make matters worse, they were staring at her. Oogling her. Annoying, she gave an icy glare to a few of them, which unfortunately, one mistakenly interpreted as an invitation.
Lupin cleared his throat and removed the sunglasses he was wearing. "Huuuh-lo, beautiful!"
Samus shot him a deadly look before continuing at a brisk pace towards the other contestants.
"My name's Lupin." The gentleman thief continued, completely undeterred by the grimace on the blonde bounty hunter's face.
Samus simply rolled her eyes, refusing to even look at him. She continued walking, keeping as much distance as she could from the womanizing Lupin.
"Way to go, Lupin. That was smooth." Bart commented sarcastically. He punched Lupin on the shoulder.
"Well, I always like feistiness in a girl." Lupin defended himself keeping his eyes locked onto Samus' fit body.
Of course, all this extra attention towards the fit Samus Aran would end up annoying at least one contestant.
A black-haired woman who was walking right behind Samus was left unnoticed by all the men. She was in no way unattractive, but for some reason, nobody expressed any fascination for her beautiful black hair or her voluptuous body. In fact, Steven the host had greeted Samus, but had forgotten to greet her.
The woman, later found out to go by the name of 'Lucy', crossed her arms in a rebellious manner. The dark lines in her eyes intensified.
Lucy: I find it very interesting how immediately, everyone was so enamoured with that Samus Girl. When we arrived on the island, she was the centre of attention.
The black-haired woman's voice was a strange tone. The cameraman noticed a bit of evil in her eyes.
Lucy: I'm pleased that I may have my work cut out for me. There's no fun in having the men wrapped around your finger if they all just fall onto my lap. Ha! Bring it on then. Anybody who knows me knows that I always win.
Minutes later, the final canoe made their way to shore and all the contestants were brimming with excitement.
"Please stand over there." Steven motioned to two very young looking girls. One was black-haired, pony-tailed, and wore braces. This girl was very fidgety. The other girl was a blonde and was holding onto a pink bag. She was also very fidgety, but for different reasons.
The girl holding the pink bag turned her head back and forth, her eyes filled with anxiety and suspicion. When the coast seemed clear and it seemed like no one was paying attention to her, she opened her bag. Her hand dug through the piles of clothes and other belongings until it reached a small wooden object. A mischievous smile appeared on the blonde's face.
"Excuse me?"
The girl quickly dropped the wooden object inside her purse and re-positioned herself.
"Yes?!"
"Your Angelica, right?" Steven asked.
"Yeah, that's me." Angelica answered slightly out of breath.
The host grinned, oblivious to the item that Angelica had hidden inside the bag. He suddenly turned towards the rest of the cast.
"Can I have your attention guys?" Steven announced.
The contestants continued speaking, ignoring the host's announcement.
"Please! Please… I need your attention!" The host's brows furrowed, frustration beginning to etch on his face.
He waited a few extra seconds for them to settle down.
"We can't have this happen again, people. The longer you guys talk, the less time we'll have to play the game." Steven sounded like an intern at a youth summer camp.
"I like your hair." The young, brace-faced girl suddenly announced, motioning towards a young beautiful redhead.
"Thank you! I like your shoes." The redhead replied.
"Tootie and Orihime, please… I need your attention!" One could notice that the host's patience was deteriorating.
Both females exaggeratedly covered their mouths and giggled at each other like two little girls.
"S-sorry…" Orihime, the redhead, began. She took a step forward, placing her pale, delicate hands behind her back. "This place is just so beautiful! I can't believe I am going to be on this island for thirty-nine days."
TK's face lit up, "Looks like someone is excited."
Orihime laughed, turning her head towards the Digidestined. "I really am!" She threw a floppy grin at him and the blonde smiled back.
"Isn't that soooo sweet?" Harley muttered to himself sarcastically. Angelica had heard the comment and laughed, but the Pokemon Coordinator wasn't even joking. His deep dark soul was cringing at the absolutely annoying cutesy and innocent voice that came out of Orihime. He hated cutesy and innocent voices. Especially when it from teenage girls.
A beat passed before Steven asked for everyone's attention again. He gave a nod towards one of the cameraman and within seconds, from out of the dense forest, a teenager emerged.
"We held a contest for those who wanted to become a part of this Survivor game." Steven explained. "The winner would be chosen to join the seventeen of you for a shot to win the one million dollars."
"And after long deliberation, the fans have chosen…um, Haruhi,…to become a part of our cast!" Steven revealed a young teenager with dark brunette hair emerging from behind a rock and walking at a brisk pace. A friendly, but nervous smile was plastered on her face.
"Um…you can stand over there." Steven cursed himself for almost forgetting the contest winner's name. He also wanted to ask her if he had pronounced her name correctly, but she didn't seem to care.
The contest winner turned towards the host and bowed slowly, evident that this Haruhi character was definitely a true disciplined Japanese citizen. A few of the contestants stood there in awe at the politeness the Ouran student was portraying; they looked on with fascination as the contest winner finished the gesture with a friendly comment.
"Thank you, Steven."
A few waited for the contest winner to say anything more, but there was nothing. Soon enough, the contest winner walked over to the other seventeen contestants placing herself near the end beside Takato. A smile was passed between a few of the other men as well, as if there was a secret the contest winner's eyes were hiding.
Steven looked up into sky; noticing that the sun was already flying high indicating that it was already noon. The host wondered where the heck the time had gone. The first day of Survivor was coming to a close fast.
Steven placed his hands on his waist. "You eighteen people are here, all from different walks of life, playing for one goal: a million dollars..."
And Steven continued, relaying the speech he himself had memorized and prepared for weeks prior to this game. All of the contestants looked as if they were listening intently; all except Bart Simpson of course, who after a few seconds of Steven's speech began tuning him out. He was already bored and listening to some older guy lecturing him was not on his day's to-do list.
"C'mon Steven!" Bart shouted at the top of his lungs cutting off the host who was already mid-way into his speech. "Let's just get this party started!"
Everybody laughed at the young boy's interjection, Steven the host immediately feeling a little bit stupid and embarassed. But soon enough, all the fun and laughter was cut short when a loud, demanding voice began to bellow.
"I don't know who you are, but you are being very disrespectful." The voice of an old woman was overpowering.
"When someone's talking, it is respectful and polite to be listening to them." She added, pointing a wrinkly finger directly at Bart. Her beady eyes like narrow slits of pure hatred centred solely on the pre-teen.
But all Bart Simpson did was laugh loudly in response.
"Excuse me! I'm talking to you!" The old woman continued as soon as Bart began to back away from her.
"Muriel, Muriel. It's okay. We're running short of time anyway." Steven quickly intervened. Gosh, if the contestants kept interrupting him like this, the thirty-nine days would've already passed before the game could even get started!
But Muriel swiftly turned her head, offering a snarl at the poor silver-haired host. "Steven, I would like to be called Ms. Finster or just Finster for short." Ms. Finster explained, her tone sharp and condescending.
She turned her head again, eyes locking with Bart Simpson. "And you, mister, you need to behave yourself. This isn't summer camp."
Bart scoffed and other players rolled their eyes. Who was this woman? Barking orders at them like they were nine. It was clear that this Ms. Finster didn't receive the all-important Survivor memo: make a good first impression and make sure they like you. Did she want to get voted out first?
With a huff, Ms. Finster resided back in place situated between Master Chief and Clark. Her eyes watching Steven intently, the senior teacher either didn't notice or didn't care that everyone was staring back at her. Some players with apprehensive eyes, a hint of fear evident in them. Other players with a bitten lip, kept that way to prevent them from bursting out into hysterics. After all, if there was one thing that everyone, including the viewing audience, could agree on, Ms. Finster was going to be amazing television.
Bart: That lady who looks like she's on the verge of death? What's up her butt? I was just trying to have some fun, you know, play around a bit with Steven, and then she comes barging in screaming 'you're being very disrespectful!' 'you need to be polite!' Like I'm sorry lady, but whatever school you're from is miles away from here. An attitude like that is gonna get you voted off.
He threw the camera a wicked grin.
Bart: Oh, and Muriel? One more thing. Eat my shorts.
"Alright time for a very important announcement." Steven began to say as soon as order was restored.
The eighteen players turned in unison, immediately a hush of silence fell among them.
"The eighteen of you will all spend your first night here on Donto Island." He explained.
Immediately, many of the contestants drew a sharp intake of breath. A mixture of fear and confusion evident in their very eyes.
"Do you mean there's only going to be one tribe?" Orihime interjected. Other contestants looked on with terror, knowing how much chaos there would be if the eighteen of them had merged right there and then.
"Whoa... There just can't be one tribe!" LeShawna protested eager to voice her opinion on the matter.
"Wait, everyone! Calm down." The blue-haired host snarled. Breathing in a slow and deep breath, Steven began to speak again in a more polite manner, "Before I explain any further, you all must first vote for two people who you think are naturally born leaders."
Immediately, America's ears perked up. Did he say naturally born leader? Immediately, the blonde straightened his back and even fixed his tie. His eyes began scanning the other contestants, hoping that the majority of them were thinking exactly what he was thinking.
"Those two leaders will be making a very important decision that will affect the entire game." Steven said. Most of the contestants nodded stating that they understood the host.
"These leaders must be capable of-"
"I think it's clear who should be leader, guys." America immediately spoke up, interrupting Steven mid-sentence, yet again. He had a arrogant grin on his face and his chest was lifted up. "I mean, there's really no better option." A few of the other players had confused expressions.
"America, I think you should wait for Steven to finish first." Ms. Finster huffed.
America rolled his eyes. "Come on! I doubt anybody else has more life experience..."
"Yeah, I agree!" Tootie suddenly chimed in, a smile present on her face. America let out a joyous noise, obviously pleased. He winked playfully at the little girl and then turned his head towards Steven.
"Okay, it's settled then!" He stated with exuberance. "I will be your-"
"Actually, I think the robot man should be one of the leaders." Orihime cut in causing America's expression to fall flat. The redhead was scanning her eyes searching through the sea of contestants until they fell upon Master Chief.
"Me?" The space Marine asked as he raised his head. His tone of voice tinged with confusion.
"Him?" America himself looked floored.
"Yeah, you look like a leader." Orihime explained in a chipper, innocent voice. She turned her head towards the other players hoping that some agreed with her.
"I'm with Orihime." Samus suddenly expressed supporting the redhead's nomination. "Come on guys, he even looks like one with his suit and all." The bounty hunter turned towards Master Chief and gave him a friendly and encouraging smile.
"I agree with Master Chief as leader." Came the voice of Ms. Finster. A couple more followed in the affirmative as well.
"Does everybody agree that Master Chief should be a leader?" Samus asked with a smile. Everyone except for America responded with a 'yes'.
The bounty hunter turned towards Steven who was nodding tentatively. "Okay then... Master Chief is one leader. We need one more."
Instantly, America raised his hands again. It peeved him that his fellow competitors dismissed his leadership skills for the space Marine. Obviously, he had the utmost respect for the war veteran like everyone else, but, damn, he was the perfect leader. Why couldn't the other players see that?
"I think our best bet is to see who's most capable!" America said, his fist high in the air.
Lupin made a face. "How are we supposed to do that?"
A sly grin appeared on America's face. "With an arm-wrestling match!" He flexed his bicep with poise and confidence. Believe it or not, America was actually serious with this suggestion. Knowing his own strength, he figured he could beat anyone in a strength competition easily, even the buff guy with glasses. Unfortunately, the majority of the contestants merely responded by rolling their eyes.
"No…just no." Harley's disgust reflected the opinion of most of the contestants about that subject. "That's a terrible idea."
"Well, who should be the leader then?" One voice suddenly called out.
And immediately, all the contestants began talking among each other. Voices like a symphony of chatter enveloping the entire island. It was pretty chaotic and poor Steven Stone was at a lost for what to do. The producers sure did go above and beyond when they said that they would pick only the best contestants for television!
The incessant chatter continued for a few moments until it was broken by the voice of a bespectacled journalist.
"I'm thinking the youngest five-year old girl could be our leader," Clark said, his voice rising above everyone else'. "That'd be cool, wouldn't it?" The shocked expressions of the other players conveyed everything.
"Are you serious?" A voice called out.
"Come on!" America exclaimed. "I'm a way better leader than that young girl!"
"I'm not five!" Tootie shouted in exasperation. She turned towards Orihime. "Do I look five years old to you?" The redhead replied with a quiet 'no'.
"That's a dumb idea man." Lupin furrowed his brow. "Why would we do something like that?" He shot the buff journalist a crazy look.
"If Tootie led the tribe, they'll end up losing each and every challenge." Ms. Finster growled.
"Yeah, exactly!" Lupin chimed in.
"Look, people... SHUT UP!"
LeShawna's voice echoed loudly. She had seen a disappointed look on Clark's face and decided to come to his rescue.
"Sheesh, people, chillax! It was just a freaking suggestion. I mean, don't get all psycho about it!" The Total Drama star placed one arm on her hip, allowing the other to wrap itself around Clark.
TK nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he didn't mean it anyway."
"It's not your fault," Samus turned her head in an act of consolation towards Clark. She patted him on the back.
"Yes… thank you," He removed his glasses to clean them with his shirt and turned towards the two women who were next to him. "Nice to know some people here love me still."
LeShawna blew a raspberry, "Mmhmm, boy that was so cheesy."
The journalist blushed. "Sorry."
All in all, Clark Kent wasn't offended by any of his cast mates' bitter comments. He should've known better, this is Survivor after all. But still a dragging thought lay heavily in his head.
If they only knew. The buff journalist thought to himself.
LeShawna: First impressions? What is Lupin's problem?! That boy is so childish and immature. I don't know what's wrong with him. I'm guessin' his momma never loved him much… that seems like the most logical explanation.
She shrugged her shoulders.
LeShawna: But of course this is Survivor so I should really expect that from the various people. Oh well, at least Heather... or Chris aren't here! Ugh, that'd be the worst!
"Okay…okay." TK began to say as soon as the players had all settled down. "We still have to choose someone to be our second leader."
"Why don't we have Ms. Finster as a leader?"
All heads turned, including Ms. Finster's, to the direction of the voice. It was from Master Chief.
"She's the oldest. No offense to Ms. Finster, but it only seems fair to give the oldest the role of leadership, right?" Master Chief made sure he sounded stern, but not demanding.
"Well, son, I wouldn't mind being the leader." The senior teacher replied, a thoughtful expression forming on her face.
In spite of America's clear disapproval (yet again), the rest muttered in agreement, albeit, begrudgingly. When that was done, they told their decision to Steven. Master Chief and Ms. Finster would be the two leaders.
"I want to make it clear that you will still be placed into two tribes and I will still be assigning you to your tribes. You will be heading to your campsite first thing tomorrow morning." He paused, a mischievous grin on his face. "And let me tell you, it is a long, difficult journey to your campsite." The contestants nodded their heads in understanding.
The host rubbed his hands together, "Okay, in Survivor, you can never expect the unexpected…I mean… you should always expect the unexpected. Yeah, that's right." He chuckled at his stumble of words.
"And in the game of Survivor, there are always twists."
Steven paused once more. He noticed that the surrounding video cameras were zooming in on the contestants trying to get close ups of the sudden horror forming on many of the contestant's faces.
"To start off this season of Survivor, the leaders must choose two people who will not make the long and difficult journey to their tribe's campsite." Steven deepened his voice.
"That means, two people will not be placed in a tribe and, instead, removed from the island."
Gasps from the castaways immediately shot like bullets into the ocean-scented air. The fact that Steven had said "two people" and "removed from the island" in the same sentence struck unimaginable terror in the hearts of many of these Survivor hopefuls. They could feel fear and despair engulfing them like a tidal wave to the shore.
"Oh sh-" Bart began to say. Nearly everyone else wanted to repeat the same word.
Tootie: The thing is, before I left for this game I kept telling myself: "whatever you do, Tootie, do not get voted out first." But then Steven comes over here and tells us that two of us will be eliminated right off the bat!
The little girl was shaking her head.
Tootie: Now, in order for me to make sure that doesn't happen I have to befriend this scary, old lady and a guy in his Halloween costume! This is not good at all.
Steven was having a difficult time trying not to laugh. The absolutely terrified expressions on almost all of the castaways' faces were priceless.
"Of course the leaders have all night to decide," Steven looked up into the sky and noticed that the sun was beginning its afternoon descent. "You guys stay calm though, alright? See you later."
The host's last statement was so ironic. How could any of these players keep calm when two of them were about to be eliminated the following morning? And by two random people that they barely even met?
And with that, the host walked away and disappeared into the dense forest leaving the eighteen contestants standing there on the beach. For a few seconds, the players remained motionless and mute, most of them pale in the face. The direness of the situation dawning on them. Being eliminated first was a nightmare scenario. Nobody wanted that to happen to them. Yet, two of them were going to have to live with that reputation for the rest of their lives.
"Hey why don't we all go search for firewood or a place to set up camp?" Angelica suddenly asked, breaking the long and tense silence.
Immediately, a few of the contestants responded with mutters of agreement. They dispersed seconds later, each one walking off either alone or in pairs towards the dense forest that lay before them. After all, they had a lot of work to do. They would be spending the night on a deserted island and all of them wanted to be comfortable. Soon enough, Angelica was the only person left standing on the beach.
Angelica: Look, this is Survivor. You have to always be prepared for twists. I'm obviously worried about this whole instant elimination thing, but all you have to do is make sure you don't get on their bad side during this first day. Just work the social game, you know? That's all Survivor is about.
The teenager wore excessive makeup all over her face; on top of that, she was wearing hair extensions. She dragged her finger across the dirty soil as the cameraman asked her a question. With a smile, the teenager immediately responded back.
Angelica: I know! I don't look like someone who'll survive long, right? Well, as much as I hate the outdoors, I'm so excited to be a part of this show. I'm not telling you guys now, but I did some research prior to coming to the island…
She flashed the camera a cheeky smile.
Angelica eyed each contestant as they all disappeared into the forest, a sly grin slowing forming on her lips.
This is going to be so easy. She thought to herself.
No one knew yet, but Angelica with her purple platform shoes, skinny jeans, and colourful shirt, already had an ingenious plan concocted in her mind the very second she found out that she was on the show.
Once the coast was clear, Angelica quietly began searching through her small pink bag, the one that she had brought with her into the game. After feeling the same small wooden object hidden inside the purse, she took it outside of the bag.
"There you are." Angelica muttered to herself.
After shifting her head discreetly to assure herself that no one was watching, the skinny teenager gazed her eyes on a statue of a tiny man attached to a piece of rope. Imprinted on the man's chest was the inscription: HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL.
Angelica: In this game, you always have to be prepared. So prior to leaving, I went to this convenient store back at Pacifidlog Town and asked the owner to make me a wooden statue. Basically, I wanted him to make a fake immunity idol.
She flashed the camera a mischievous idol.
Angelica: And yes, I checked the rules of Survivor, and it was allowed. You know, in this game, I want to be a step ahead of everyone else. If I can use this fake idol as leverage to bring me further. Then that's what I will do.
"What's that?"
Angelica quickly buried the counterfeit idol inside her bag and stood up. She was staring face-to-face with the lascivious, black-haired woman, Lucy.
"Oh, it's nothing. I just checked to make sure I didn't forget anything in the canoe." The teenager smiled innocently.
The mysterious woman looked very unimpressed.
"Whoa, you two! Come on, we've got a lot of things to do before the sun sets." The two women turned and found America carrying a stack load of firewood in his arms.
"Well, that was pretty fast!" Angelica said. She was shocked by America's strength. "You sure you can carry all that firewood?"
"Ha!" He bellowed. "Of course I can little girl! I'm America!"
The blonde man sauntered off in the opposite direction leaving Angelica standing there blinking in confusion. Understandably, Angelica was slightly disturbed with America's strange demeanor.
"What a weirdo." She muttered with indignation. She couldn't believe that she may end up having to live with this strange man for thirty-nine days. That would literally be a nightmare. "Hey Lucy, do you think we could-"
As Angelica turned her head to speak to Lucy, it only took her a few seconds to realize that she was once again all alone. The space the mysterious woman was occupying was now empty.
Where had she gone? And how did she leave so quickly?
"Hey Angelica! Do you mind helping me out a bit here?"
The teenager lifted her head and saw Harley carrying a few pieces of firewood in his arms. It seemed like he was struggling.
"Oh, yeah for sure! I'll be right there." She bent over to grab her bag, but all she felt was air.
"Oh crap." Angelica said suddenly whipping her head to the left and to the right. She could feel her heart plunge within her chest.
"What's wrong?" Harley called out. He dropped his stack on the sand, disgusted at the pieces of dust and dirt that had accumulated on his clothing. "Are you okay?"
The Pokemon Coordinator turned his head and found himself looking at a completely panic-stricken young girl. He raised his eyebrow in curiosity.
Angelica's eyes were flooded with sheer panic, muttering to herself curse words like rapid fire. She began to twist her head towards Harley, her face flooding with fear and anxiety. Then in her most desperate, innocent, pleading voice; she opened her mouth to speak.
"My bag is gone."
When Samus Aran had applied to compete on Survivor, she had immediately assumed that she would be playing against the best of the best: child prodigies, super soldiers, maybe even a few from some far advanced alien race that knew how to create fire their sleep. Certainly, she thought, the people she would be stuck on the island with would know, at the very least, the basics of surviving in the wilderness.
It didn't take the bounty hunter long to realize that she was on an island with a bunch of idiots.
It all started when she and a few others had been tasked with making the tribe's shelter for the night. There was eighteen of them altogether so they had to make sure that the shelter would be wide enough to fit all of them comfortably. She had motioned towards Takato Matsuki, a young brown-haired boy who was standing quietly off to the side, fidgeting his fingers like he was second guessing his life choices, and politely asked him for the axe.
"Oh yeah, sure." Takato responded. He darted his eyes along the ground in search for the aforementioned tool. It only took a few more seconds before Samus felt something in her outstretched hand.
"No, I asked for the axe." Samus said, glancing swiftly at the tool, her patience already wearing thin. "This is the machete."
"Oh, crap. Sorry!" Takato blurted. He took the machete back and, already in a panicked state, rummaged around the campsite looking for the axe, the object of his current desire.
Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. "Uh, I'm really sorry, Samus." The brown-haired Digimon Tamer said timidly.
The blonde bounty hunter turned her head back, frustration already etched on her eyes. "For God's sake! It's right there!" She said with an annoyed huff, pointing in a direction off to Takato's far right.
"Where?!" He asked, panicked.
"There! Underneath the palm tree. Near the stack of bamboo." Samus responded, clearly annoyed. Was the boy blind? The axe was literally so easy to find.
"Uh... um..." The brown-haired boy said with a stutter.
"Never mind!" Samus exclaimed, she stood to her feet and began to walk towards the direction of a palm tree.
"Oh, there it is." Takato said with a sigh. His throat was so dry and that whole ordeal was Samus had given him a heart attack. "Sorry, I must be blind or something."
"Hmph." Samus grumbled under her breath as she bent over to grab the axe.
Samus: Honestly, I'm a little surprised that you guys had the opportunity to choose out of millions and millions of applicants and this is the cast you guys came up with. My expectations for this game were way too high, clearly.
She pauses, rubbing her chin carefully.
Samus: I'm no stranger to being forced to live with a bunch of weirdos though so I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed. I have a whole mansion of crazies cheering for me back home, so I suppose I have a sort of advantage. But then again, I don't have the luxury of just locking myself in my room for hours on end if someone ends up annoying me.
She bursts out laughing.
Samus: Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into?
It took two more hours before Samus and the others were finished with their shelter. And even by then, it was only because Ms. Finster had informed them that they were only going to be on this island for one night and that there was no point in building a "house the size of my gun collection". The players dispersed then and Samus found herself walking side-by-side with the enigma that was Master Chief.
He had approached her, asking the bounty hunter if she would like to gather some food with him. After walking in the forest for about five minutes, Samus began having suspicions that she was being invited into a strategy talk. What other reason could Master Chief have to pull Samus aside so conspicuously?
"There's some coconuts." He pointed at a palm tree about 12 feet high. "I'll go get some."
But alas, the man truly only cared about gathering food. Strategy wasn't even on his mind! Apparently, Samus had the perfect build for climbing trees. Given the space Marine's clunky suit, he was bound to have some trouble; and thus, needed someone who was fit for the job.
"That tree over there is good too." She pointed to one a few metres to their left. "Lots of coconuts as well." Within seconds, the bounty hunter was up the tree dropping coconuts towards the ground.
Master Chief: Samus is a good player. She's a hard worker. She's strong. She's definitely somebody I could see holding her own on the battlefield. And I don't say that to just anyone.
After a successful coconut gathering session, the two players sat back-to-back at the base of a palm tree sipping on some coconut juice. Master Chief was drumming his fingers on the rough shell of the fruit apparently deep in thought. A few moments later, he turned towards the bounty hunter.
"Samus?" Master Chief whispered.
"Yeah?"
"What do you do for a living?" The space Marine inquired.
The blonde bounty hunter was thrown off guard with the question. From her observations, Master Chief wasn't the type to make small talk with anybody. Nevertheless, she entertained the Spartan's inquiry, stroking her chin as she began to reminisce about her life.
"I'm a bounty hunter." She stated. "From a world far away." It was critical that the athletic blonde didn't give away too much information about the Galactic Federation on universal television lest it gave her enemies a chance to hurt her.
Master Chief didn't seem to mind the secrecy. He was nodding attentively. "I am also a part of this universe-wide tournament." Samus continued. "It's called Super Smash Brothers , where fighters from everywhere would come together and fight to see who the best of the best is."
She paused. Her eyes reflecting the glorious battles she had fought on that famous stage. "It was a great experience and I loved it." The bounty hunter added.
Master Chief cocked his head to the side. "Do you think I would be able to join that tournament?"
"What?" Samus nearly coughed out the coconut juice she had been drinking, but caught herself. "Oh, um, maybe. Actually... that would be great. When this is all over, I'll help you send an application" She turned her deep blue eyes towards the Spartan who was staring intently back at her.
"Everyone would love that." The bounty hunter added and Master Chief nodded in response. A few seconds passed as the two sat in complete silence. The quietness was comforting, surprisingly. And It was nice, Samus had to admit. After the whirlwind of the entire day, paddling a canoe for what seemed like hours, arriving to the island only to be immediately flirted on, and that whole debacle with Takato and the axe, the bounty hunter felt a strange sense of peace being in Master Chief's presence.
For a split second, she was about to open her mouth and ask the space Marine about his own life. What he did for a living. The reason for his suit. His likes and dislikes. But after playing with the idea for a minute, ultimately decided against it. She didn't want to ruin this perfect moment. And since Master Chief was one of the leaders in charge of deciding who may end up leaving the island, she didn't want to take the risk and end up offending him if she prodded too much.
"This is... nice." Samus exclaimed with a sigh stretching her legs out in front of her and resting her head on the palm tree.
Master Chief turned, motioning his head towards her. "Yeah, it kind of is." He replied back.
Master Chief: Samus has been the topic of quite a bit of discussion from what I've noticed. The tall man with the arrogant face is in love with her, I'm sure of that. The woman with long, black hair... Lucy... I sense a bit of jealousy towards Samus. The woman has gathered a lot of attention, unfortunately and I don't think she's noticed just how much people are talking about her, or are intimidated by her.
He crosses his arms.
Master Chief: I didn't come here to make friends and I don't plan to, but since Samus is somebody I respect, I'm going to do what I can to give her a fair shot of surviving the first few votes. She has way too much to offer to this game.
When Harley, Pokemon Coordinator extraordinaire, envisioned his first stint on Survivor, never in a million years did he imagine curled up in the fetal position on the first day vomiting buckets every five minutes. He was on the verge of losing his mind. It was terrible!
Act a little more fabulous, Harley! He thought miserably to himself. You've dreamed of this moment on T.V. Come on!
But no matter how hard Harley tried, he just couldn't shake off the illness, which seemed to be some sort of combination of the stomach flu and food poisoning. He didn't get it. He was the only contestant in the cast who was actually from the Hoenn region. Yet, he seemed to be the only one this badly ill.
"You just need to rest." Ms. Finster said as she sat down on the ground next to the shaking Coordinator. "Don't worry about helping out around camp. We got the majority of chores taken care of anyway." She began rubbing soothing circles on Harley's back in an effort to relieve his pain. "Just sleep as much as you can."
"T-Thanks Ms. Finster." Harley said with a wince. "I think it's just something I ate earlier. I'll definitely be better in the morning." He offered a reassuring laugh, hoping to drive away any worry. It pained the Pokemon Coordinator to see the look of pity on Ms. Finster's face. His own life in the game was in the older woman's hands right now. The last thing he wanted was for the senior teacher to eliminate him because he was sick.
"Is he alright?" A voice called out causing the two of them to turn their heads in the same direction.
"Hi Haruhi." Ms. Finster replied offering the brown-haired Ouran student a swift nod. "He's sick actually. I think it's food poisoning. He looks to be in a lot of pain."
A beat passed as Haruhi Fujioka carefully thought about how to respond. "That really sucks." She said finally. "Hope you feel better."
Harley only responded with a roll of his eyes.
"Come on." Ms. Finster announced as she stood to her feet. "Let's give him some space."
Harley: I felt soooo stupid. Just lying there, basically dying? It was so embarrassing. I honestly wanted to kill myself right there and then.
He shook his head dejectedly.
Harley: What a way to make a first impression, huh? I'm just, like, praying to the Survivor gods that I get better in the morning. Because the last thing I want to be known for is the loser that threw up on the first day and then got eliminated on the second. I could never live that down!
"I can't imagine being so sick on a show like this." Haruhi remarked as soon as the two of them were out of earshot from the Pokemon Coordinator. "I feel really sorry for the guy."
"Well, one less competitor to worry about, right?" Ms. Finster said, a sly grin present on her face.
Haruhi scrunched her eyebrows together. "Uh, yeah if you say so."
The two of them walked in peaceful silence for the next few minutes. Neither of them really certain how to continue a conversation with the other. As the afternoon sun began to roll across the expanse of the sky, Haruhi's mind began to drift back home. She briefly wondered about her father, her friends, and all the people she knew back in Ouran who were cheering her on. It was definitely a surreal experience being on Survivor. If you had told her twelve months that ago that she'd be stranded on a deserted island in a strange place with seventeen complete strangers, she would've called you crazy. But here she was.
"Hey Haruhi."
Ms. Finster's voice instantly brought Haruhi back to the present. She shook her head a bit before responding with a tentative 'yeah?'
"Steve said that you won a contest to be on this show?" The senior teacher raised a curious eyebrow. "What did you do?"
Thoughts of the supposed 'contest' immediately flooded back to her. Cries of despair, rounds of laughter, and lots of swearing. To put it simply: her school friends had videotaped her without her knowing and sent the Survivor producers an edited video explaining as to why she should be cast. The producers had chosen her to be one of ten auditionees who would compete in a fan vote to claim the final spot on contestant list and, as luck would have it, Haruhi received the most votes. Poor girl didn't even realize that she was on the show, until a week before she had to leave. When Steven Stone appeared on her doorstep. She hadn't even heard of Survivor before then.
"Oh, it's a long story." Haruhi said with a small chuckle. "I basically won this fan vote to be on the show."
"Oh, really?" Ms. Finster said with a glint in her eye. "You must be very famous on the Internet, then?"
The Ouran student shook her head. "Oh no, not at all. It was pure luck that I won, honestly."
"Interesting." Ms. Finster replied.
Haruhi: Yes, I am a scholarship student at Ouran Academy. You know, on my first day of class there, I was initially known as the 'poor girl' from a 'poor family' who got into the expensive Ouran Academy through a scholarship. At the very least, I want to start this game with no baggage. I just want people to see me as Haruhi. Not some genius student or whatever B.S. people might end up thinking about me.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Haruhi: Like, I'm definitely going to try. I'm not one to quit, but I just feel like the cards are pretty stacked against me. And if I get voted out first? Kaoru and Hikaru, if you are watching this right now, screw you! You guys were the ones who entered the contest under my name.
She gave a small chuckle.
Haruhi: Yes, I'm basically here against my will, but since I'm already here, I might as well make the most of it, right?
"What the hell is that?"
As Samus enjoyed coconut juice with Master Chief and Haruhi explored the island with Ms. Finster, Lupin the Third had been tasked with the job of locating fruits for the tribe to eat. That lasted all of twenty seconds before he saw a blur of black hair ducking behind a bush the moment he walked into the forest. Lupin, with eyes like a hawk, knew in an instant that the hair belonged to the mysterious woman with daggers for eyes, the one Lupin himself had nicknamed 'the other hot one, probably great in bed'. She had previously introduced herself as 'Lucy', a name that almost made the gentleman thief burst out laughing because no way in hell was that woman a Lucy, not with a figure that sexy. 'Okay, what's your real name?' He almost wanted to ask.
The mysterious woman raised her head a bit at the sound of the thief's voice. "None of your business." She deadpanned once she caught sight of Lupin, glaring at him with eyes of hatred.
"Is that someone's bag?" Lupin exclaimed, his voice going ten octaves higher. The thief blatantly ignoring Lucy's off-kilter demeanor that basically screamed 'piss off!'
"Holy crap, you stole someone's bag! That's hilarious!"
Lucy gave the handsome man an angry look. "You don't tell anybody about this, you understand?"
Lupin chuckled. "Nah, I wouldn't betray you like that, babe."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Alright, here, take a look at this."
Lupin trudged towards her, his eyes trained on a small wooden object that the mysterious woman held in her hand. It depicted a small statue of a man attached to a long black string that looped around to form a necklace.
Lupin was having a hard time keeping his jaw off the ground. "Is that the hidden immunity idol?"
"Obviously." She gestured towards the imprint at the centre of the idol that stated "HIDDEN IMMUNITY IDOL."
"This is fantastic!" The gentleman thief exclaimed with a fist pump in the air. "We're basically set for the game. The hidden immunity idol is, like, the most powerful tool in Survivor."
"We can't use it though." Lucy said with a roll of her eyes.
"Why not?" Lupin raised his eyebrow.
"Once someone finds an idol, it's their property. Keeping it for ourselves could get us disqualified." She shook her head, eyes darting from Lupin to the cameraman behind him and back towards Lupin.
"Pff, rules are for pussies." The gentleman thief remarked dismissively. A sly grin suddenly crept onto his face. "Oh, is that why you stole the bag? You're mad someone found the idol before you and now you're just going to bury all their stuff in the middle of the forest?"
"Calm down. And the answer is 'no'." She stood to her feet, crossing both arms over her chest. "That little blonde girl was creeping around with that bag of hers and I had to see what she was up to."
Lupin scrunched his forehead. "Who? Oh, you mean Samus? That's her bag?" He bursts out in laughter. "Wait! Let me see if she has some panties in there that I can borrow, you know, for research."
Lucy's frown intensified. "No, not her. The other blonde. The one with the really tall shoes."
"Who? Oh wait, yeah I remember her. Angela-something." He said with a nod of his head.
"Anyways, since you're here, help me find some palm fronds." Lucy demanded. "She won't be needing her bag anytime soon."
"Oh, so you do want to bury her stuff in the middle of the forest?" Lupin replied with a knowing smirk.
"Yes, but not because I'm mad about her having the idol." She gave the gentleman thief a mischievous look. "But because it's a game, bitch."
Lucy: You see, I'm the type of person who takes the phrase: 'lie, cheat, and steal' literally. So I stole the little girl's bag? Who cares? It's part of the game.
She flashed the camera a wicked smile.
Lucy: If anything, I expect the hidden immunity idol to be returned to her since it's already hers to begin with. But if I can mess with her mind, get her a little flustered, more power to me, right?
As Lupin and Lucy continued their villainous escapades, the majority of the other players had busied themselves with various camp chores including building a fire and gathering water from a well. Both Clark and Mulan, however, had been tasked with providing the players with dinner, preferably something, in the words of Master Chief, that were 'good sources of protein'. So the two of them decided to head out into the ocean and catch some fish. They've done the task before, after all. How hard could it be fishing in a foreign ocean?
Unfortunately, in spite of the years of training Mulan received in the ancient Chinese army and Clark's own combined talents and skills, catching the aquatic creatures of Hoenn proved to be quite the difficult challenge.
"Watch out!" Mulan cried out. A squid-like creature had surfaced right beside Clark just as he had grabbed hold of a juicy pink fish. The squid creature cried out in despair as it hooked one of its tentacles around Clark's arm, the shock causing the journalist to lose his grip on their would-be dinner.
"It's on your arm!" Mulan gasped pointing to the creature that kept yelling 'Tentacool!' over and over again.
"Get away from me!" Clark said with a shout. He gripped the Pokemon's head with his free hand and detached its tight grip on his arm within seconds. Obviously, in pain, the creature gave one last cry before it sunk deep into the ocean blue.
The buff journalist was a bit shaken after that whole ordeal. In all of his adventures, he had never experienced such a creature before. Who knew what other animals lived on this island?
"That was a close one." Mulan breathed out, abruptly falling into a fit of giggles. "Do you have any idea what that was that just attacked you?"
Clark shook his head, a fond smile on his face. "No, I actually don't!"
"Okay, well, why don't I give you a break?" Mulan said with a chuckle. "Give me your spear."
The Chinese princess motioned towards the long piece of blade that was wrapped up in rope at the end of a long stick of bamboo: their 'spear'. It was pretty pathetic for a spear actually Mulan had to admit.
"You sure?" Clark asked inquisitively.
"Pff, of course!" Mulan exclaimed dismissively. "If another one of those squid things come at me, I'll just punch them in the face." And with a graceful dive from the edge of the canoe, Mulan found herself surrounded by the serenity of the Hoenn ocean.
Mulan: I'm going to be honest. A lot of people take one look at me and immediately underestimate me. They're like: 'Oh, she's just a girl. What can she do?' Well, I can do a whole lot, for one!
She brushed her hair back.
Mulan: I will admit though, I'm a little bit intimidated by this strange place. Not just with the creatures, which are pretty scary I might add, but with everything else too! Everywhere I look, I feel like I'm from a completely different world. I mean, just yesterday I had no idea what a camera was!
She threw the camera a cheeky smile.
Mulan: This whole game is gonna be tough, but I just know it's totally gonna be worth it in the end. I just hope to come home with some amazing experiences that I could tell my family about. It's gonna be fun.
The fishing expedition would later prove to be a success when Clark and Mulan returned back to camp with quite a few fish and clams in tow. It was more than enough protein for the eighteen players to feast on and Master Chief was quite pleased. The sun quickly set within the next hour, however, barely giving any of the contestants enough time to continue their work. While many tried to make their beds on the carefully built shelter that Samus and company had built hours before, others tried more creative ways to catch some snooze on the uninhabited island.
"Do you think this is gonna work?" TK Takaishi asked Angelica, the blonde teenager situated next to him. The Digidestined's hands were carefully tying pieces of rope to the trunk of a tree. He was trying to create a hammock using some leftover supplies from the box that they had received earlier.
"No way, I seriously doubt it." Angelica replied with a laugh.
"Eh, you of little faith." TK tutted as he finished tying the last knot. Slowly, carefully, he lifted one leg in an effort to test the strength of his hammock. His feet began to press hard against the fabric.
The rope snapped within seconds.
"Ha, never mind!" The athletic Digidestined shook his head in defeat. "I'll just sleep on the sand like everyone else!" He slumped to the ground, his back resting against the trunk of a palm tree, a goofy smile present on his face.
Angelica couldn't help but crack a returning smile.
"Hey, I heard you lost your bag. Did you find it?" TK asked as he twisted his head towards the blonde teenager.
"No." Angelica shook her head. "I do have a hunch that Lucy stole it. But when I asked her, she said she didn't have it."
"Dang," TK remarked as if there was no better way to put it.
Angelica nodded her head. Despite her worries regarding her missing bag, it honestly felt nice being in the presence of the Digidestined. He had such a cool demeanor about him and he was good looking to boot, too! Frankly, if she had to survive on this island for thirty-nine days with TK always by her side, Angelica had to admit, the game would seem more like a reward then a competition.
"TK, do you-?"
Angelica stopped speaking as soon she heard leaves rustling behind her. Seconds later, the young girl with braces, Tootie, emerged out of the bushes. Armed with a handful of seashells and a killer smile, she looked so happy, relieved even, to see the two of them standing there. The sweet red-haired girl Orihime was following directly behind her.
"Hey TK!" Tootie announced with a spring in her step. "Hi Angelica!"
"Tootie! Shh, people are sleeping!" TK whispered loudly, pressing a finger close to his lips.
"Oh sorry." She covered her mouth and then began to speak very softly, "Hey TK. Hi Angelica."
TK chuckled quietly. "How old are you again, Tootie?" An incredulous look present on his face.
"Old enough to be on Survivor!" The young girl immediately replied with a cheer.
Noticing the comfortable position that TK was in, Orihime swiftly left her position at Tootie's side and made herself towards TK, plopping right beside him on the ground. Within seconds, an exasperated groan escaped from her lips causing TK to chuckle.
"You tired?" Orihime replied with a quick nod of her head.
"I'm so tired. Tootie, insisted that we both go exploring. We were walking around this island for hours, I think!"
The Digidestined scrunched his eyebrows. "What did you guys see?"
"Not really anything to be honest." The redhead said with a laugh. "The island is beautiful though."
Angelica tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. She was just about to ask TK to form an alliance with her. Something strictly strategic, obviously. She knew that having TK as an ally could prove wonders for her game since he was such a charmer and oh so easy to get along with. It pained her that Tootie and Orihime were here though. She liked them, sort of, but game-wise, she couldn't see how either of them could help her out at all.
"Tootie, Orihime, you guys didn't happen to see a pink bag anywhere when you were searching the island, did you?" The blonde asked, a hopeful tone evident in her voice.
The two girls exchanged glances with one another.
"No, sorry." Orihime finally said. "But I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled."
"Did you lose it?" Tootie asked.
Angelica nodded her head. "I have a hunch though that Lucy stole it. But she keeps denying it."
Orihime shot her a worried glance. "I don't know about you, but Lucy sort of scares me."
"She scares all of us." TK said with a laugh.
"Well, wherever my bag is, I'm just hopeful that someone finds it. Even if it's just a member of production." Angelica shook her head, both of her eyes rolling up at the same time. "I'd like to have at least some stuff to remind me of home for the next thirty-nine days."
TK shot the teenager a playful grin. "What if you don't last that long?"
Angelica stuck her tongue out. "Just watch me."
TK: Never in a million years did I ever imagine that my first day on Survivor would be like this. People's bags are being stolen. Little girls are lecturing me on how to play the game. It's nuts! But at the end of the day, this is how the game of Survivor works. And I'm definitely gonna embrace it.
He ran a finger through his wavy blonde hair.
TK: Now, I just have to get through this first night. Oh man, this is going to suck!
As dawn approached, the camera caught the sun giving a mighty spectacle as it rose from the east. All around the island, the sky was splattered with a hazy orange-yellow colour that reflected along the crystal blue ocean of Hoenn. It was such a sight to behold and given that it was already the second day of this Survivor competition. The production team was itching to see the game get started.
The producers had awoken the players from their slumber shortly after sunrise. Though the majority of the players failed to even get more than thirty minutes of shut eye, there was a buzzing of excitement and energy emanating from almost every one of them. It was time. This was it. The moment of truth.
They were all about to find out which two players both Master Chief and Ms. Finster decided to eliminate from the game.
"Welcome Survivors."
Steven Stone grinned cheekily at the competitors, passing a quick glance at both Master Chief and Ms. Finster who both stood beside him.
"It is time for Master Chief and Ms. Finster to announce which players will be eliminated from this island."
The fourteen other contestants stood in a semi-circle as they waited to hear the news. Suspense and anxiety filled the air. The tension was thick. The game was on.
The space Marine turned his hea d to look at Miss Finster. She nodded back at him.
Finster: Right away, Master Chief wanted to eliminate Bart and Tootie. They were the two youngest. They were also the two weakest. It made sense.
The assistant teacher crossed her arms giving the camera a small smirk.
Finster: But the thing is, everyone else in this game are all young and athletic. I stick out like a sore thumb because I'm the oldest here. So I need the young ones in my tribe to keep the target off my back. After some careful persuasion, I was able to convince Master Chief to go along with my plan!
She gave a crooked smile showing her yellow-stained teeth.
Finster: Don't underestimate me! I know how to play this game.
"It was a shame that this responsibility fell on us." Ms. Finster began to say. She shifted her eyes towards her fellow competitors. Terrified eyes stared back at her.
"But Master Chief and I decided that the best way to choose two people to eliminate was by chance."
A rush of commotion filled the atmosphere. Chance, what do they mean by chance?
The senior teacher crossed her arms. "So we drew lots."
What?!
Instantly, riotous voices filled the air. Why would they leave something as important as who gets to stay in the game to sixteen pieces of paper inside a hat?
Everybody began to speak at once. Many shouted in disapproval, while others spoke among themselves.
"We're really sorry." Finster apologized in a voice that actually sounded angry. It made her apology unconvincing.
"I was initially against it." Master Chief piped up. "But Ms. Finster brought up some valid arguments." He turned his head towards Ms. Finster who was giving one of her crooked smiles.
"Survivor, after all, is all about luck." Ms. Finster noted and Master Chief was nodding his head in agreement.
Master Chief: I'm gonna be frank, we completely lied about drawing lots. It was all Ms. Finster's idea. She reasoned that the two players we ended up eliminating wouldn't be able to hold it against us in the off chance that they didn't actually end up being eliminated. Which, all things considered, is a pretty good assumption to make. This is Survivor after all.
He stroked his chin.
Master Chief: The real reason why we chose to eliminate those two players? We both wanted to get rid of anyone who looked like gamers or strategic threats. Like, there was a rumor going around that Lucy had stolen Angelica's bag. That's huge! Only a villain would choose to do that.
Steven raised his hands in the air. "Master Chief and Ms. Finster please tell us who you have decided to be eliminated from this island."
At that moment, Usopp suddenly felt a sickening feeling deep within his stomach. This whole ordeal was going to be entirely dependent on lady luck. It completely unnerved him. He had confessed earlier to the camera that he didn't think he'd be the one chosen to leave the game. He had so much to contribute to the tribe! According to him, he was one of the best, most resourceful pirate on the Grand Line. He had fought monsters, weathered typhoons, saved damsels in distress.
It would absolutely suck if the pirate was out first- before the game had even started!
"The two players are…" Master Chief began to say.
Usopp took a deep breath. His heart thumping loudly within him.
Please not me. Please not me. His mind screamed.
"Usopp and Lucy."
That was the last thing the pirate heard before he passed out.
"Okay, okay. He's waking up."
An exotic voice with an accent he had never heard of entered into Usopp's ears. For a second, he thought that he was in heaven. The last thing the pirate remembered was the blaring sun, the orange tint of Master Chief's armour, and the scorching sand as his face fell upon it.
"Usopp, are you alright? You fainted." Usopp opened his eyes and saw a blond-haired woman looking directly towards him. "But you should be fine now. You're blood pressure is all good."
The pirate man felt like saying something, but he couldn't muster up the strength. He nodded his head.
"Thanks, doctor." Usopp heard Steven say. He squint his eyes towards the host who was rubbing his shoulder reassuringly.
"You need some help getting up?" Takato suddenly asked, a pleasant smile on his face as he loomed over the pirate.
"Yeah." Usopp replied, a thankful expression forming in his eyes. With the additional help from the Digimon Tamer, the pirate was able to bring himself back to his feet.
"You okay?" Takato asked. He patted the pirate on the back.
"Yeah… hehe… that was embarrassing." The pirate uttered to himself.
"Hey, don't worry about it." The Tamer wrapped a comforting arm around him. "We all understand."
Takato: Watching Usopp faint like that was pretty scary. It just goes to show you that Survivor is not only a man vs. man competition, it's also a man vs. nature one. And that one is more deadly.
The Tamer stared deeply into the camera as he spoke.
Takato: It's a wake up call. Especially for me, I have to take care of myself here. I promised my mom that I'll be back in one piece.
"Master Chief, you are the leader of the orange tribe called 'Groudon'. You are the official head of your tribe."
Steven spoke with much authority as he announced that the members of this tribe consisted of Lupin, Mulan, Orihime, Samus, Takato, TK, and Tootie each of whom would be wearing orange-coloured buffs. Unfortunately, Master Chief who was the leader did not look particularly happy with the tribe makeup.
The host turned towards the remaining competitors.
"Ms. Finster, you are the leader of the blue tribe, which will be called 'Kyogre'." He nodded his head towards the senior teacher, handing America, Angelica, Bart, Clark, Harley, Haruhi, and LeShawna blue-coloured buffs.
The host removed two rolls of paper from his back pocket and gave one each to the two leaders.
"These are the maps to your campsite. You must use the canoe that is the colour of your tribe in order to get to your island." Steven pointed towards a blue-coloured canoe and an orange-coloured canoe.
The sixteen players who had been assigned a tribe talked animatedly among themselves. Checking out their buffs, talking enthusiastically to their fellow members. It was exhilarating. They had each survived the first elimination. Harley himself was thanking his lucky stars that, despite still feel a little bit under the weather, he had been placed on a tribe. He wasn't going to be mercy-killed. It was enough of a happy realization that his former, flamboyant self started to reappear.
"You know, ladies, we should totally start our own buff fashion show!" The Pokemon Coordinator said with a giggle. "This blue is so fab!"
The fun conversation continued for a few more seconds, until Steven asked once more for the players' attention. He turned his head towards the two unlucky contestants whose games were cut short: Usopp and Lucy. Gone so soon. They were barely even able to play the game! The host offered them a comforting smile one that was rich with apology and understanding. "Unfortunately, Lucy and Usopp, you two will not be making the long journey towards either campsite."
"Because you guys are eliminated!" Bart suddenly cut in. The spiky-haired boy winking playfully at the two eliminated players. Usopp groaned loudly.
The host raised an eyebrow. "Eliminated? When did I say anything about someone getting eliminated?"
A hush fell over all of the contestants.
"I just said they will not be making the journey to a campsite." Steven explained. "But they aren't being eliminated."
"YES! Thank you Survivor gods!" Usopp screamed, his voice erupting in praise. "We're not out of the game!" He turned his head towards Lucy, who despite the emotional roller coaster she had just been on, was as serious as the dead.
Steven laughed relishing in the pirate's over-the-top display and the mysterious woman's cold demeanor. They were basically polar opposites.
"Instead, Usopp and Lucy." He began to say. "The two of you will be heading to Exile Island."
He pointed to a small boat off in the distance.
"And that boat will bring you two to Exile Island."
Usopp nodded quickly, it was such a huge relief for him. To realize that he had a second chance at a million dollars, that he wasn't actually out of the game. The pirate breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank you Steve, but what's Exile Island?" Usopp asked.
There was a sudden gleam in Steven's eye. "Oh, it's nothing really… just the fact that there may be a Hidden Immunity Idol hidden in the island." He explained with a taunting tone in his voice.
The host placed his hands in his pockets as he let the information sink in. The looks on the contestant's faces were hilarious. So many of them looked shocked, excited, anxious even.
Frankly, an immunity idol could completely change the game! And finding it would give the player with possession of it immense power. Suffice to say, both Lucy and Usopp looked thrilled to be the first ones with the opportunity to find the idol. Especially Lucy. She was practically dancing in her spot, which was awfully uncharacteristic of her.
The host turned towards the two exiled players. "Lucy, Usopp, you two will have a tribe by the end of tomorrow. I will give more information about that when tomorrow comes."
All the contestants nodded in near unison. They watched as Steven started to walk away.
"Alright, it's Day 2 of your journey in Survivor. You guys better get going," The host smiled as he turned his back from the contestants and began to disappear, once again, into the dense forest.
Once the host was gone from their sights, the three groups of contestants ventured off, each to their own respective boat. The Groudon tribe to the orange-coloured canoe, the Kyogre tribe to the blue-coloured canoe, and Lucy and Usopp towards a yacht docked waiting to take them to Exile Island.
Now, someone, during this mad chaos, could've heard the exchange. It was quick, but it was significant. A woman's mouth was moving, slowly, as if it was speaking words of death. A man seeing her and catching on to what the woman was trying to say, replying to her with his own mouth, suddenly and randomly marking a player for execution only hours into the game's second day. It was swift, the exchange, but it could've been heard. It might've been heard.
"You need to vote her out." The woman had said.
"Oh yeah, she is gone." The man replied.
And then they were off.
End of Introduction Chapter.
Author's Ending Note: And that concludes the introduction chapter! I apologize if there were any grammar errors, let me know if I missed any. Reminder, Episode 1 (including the first boot!) will be uploaded next Sunday.
An answer to a question I know you might have:
Clark Kent, Tootie, Master Chief, Mulan, Haruhi all playing Survivor in the Pokemon universe? How does that work?
- I'm guessing this is where you'll really have to suspend belief. The characters are kept the same, they're no different than how they are in their own universe. They're just playing Survivor. And they're aware that Survivor is a thing that exists. I have this idea in my mind that all fiction humankind has ever created exists together in an alternate universe. And each work of fiction is aware that another work of fiction exists. And so, instead of having an Olympics, where the best of the best from each work of fiction competes against the other, they instead play Survivor! I don't know... does that make sense?
Anyways, constructive criticism would really be appreciated. Or even just your general thoughts on the chapter or the story as it progresses. I'm really curious to hear what some of you might think. You are also free to give me suggestions on what characters I should focus more on.
