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Prologue: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

"It's my turn!"

"I'll take as long as I want!"

"Get out of my way you ugly brute!"

"I'm your identical twin, idiot!"

My alarm clock didn't go off that Saturday morning – instead I was stirred awake by the screaming of my brothers as they brawled over the use of the shower. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the curtains and burned into my eyelids. At first I rolled over and tried to ignore the commotion outside my bedroom door, but after several minutes I finally gave in to the dawn. I dropped out of bed …and landed not-so-gracefully on my face.

"You take forever! Let me go first!"

"No, I got here first so I'm going to be using it first!"

I dragged myself to my feet with the corner of the bed, groaning an incoherent complaint about my idiot siblings. Eventually I settled with slamming open the door, screaming, "Will you two shut the hell up? You're ridiculous in the morning!" and then hitting one of them squarely in the back of the head with an accurately tossed football.

"OUCH! Jake started it!"

"I did not!"

I massaged my throbbing temples as a mild headache came on, "I don't care who started it, I'm ending it!"

Sighing to myself, I kicked the door shut with enough force that the frame splintered upon impact. I combed my unruly hair and settled at my desk, pulling out my list of things I really, really, really hated in the world. I could probably entertain myself for days checking off this "things I didn't want to exist on the same planet as" list: Chris McLean, butterflies, the color pink, the color orange, Chris McLean, fluffy things, cheerleaders, losing, and Chris McLean who topped the chart.

I added Brothers right below losing.

My loss on Total Drama left me steaming long after I returned home. In fact, the first chance I got away from my family I partook in a kick-boxing class… in the end, however, I wound up with a few bruises, which was a few more than I had ever gotten out of one class. It was official: my time on the Island of Economic Dysfunction (which was 100% entirely Chris's fault) had made me soft. Like melted ice cream in the summer heat kind of soft, when I should be rock wall solid.

I simply would not have it!

"Father," I addressed the man poised on the couch in front of the TV watching reruns of the Total Drama Action episodes. "Dad, hello, are you listening to me? I need some parental advice."

He paused the episode and craned his head around to look at me, "Ah, Jo! Come sit with your old man."

I shrugged impassively and plopped down beside him. "I need to re-establish my position as number one in this world. If I can't retain the gold medal then what am I supposed to do? I refuse to settle for silver."

"Move on," he dead-panned, starting the episode again.

I crossed my arms over my chest, ignoring his brash remark, "There has to be a way that I can become the best at something and redeem my loss on Total Drama…"

"Why not ask your friends for ideas?"

"Jo doesn't have friends!" My eldest brother exclaimed from down the hall.

"Shut up Jake! That's more friends than you'll ever hope for!"

My dad seemed confused, "But I thought you made so many friends on the Island…?"

"They all hated my guts. Except for maybe the Cadet…"

"Can't blame 'em!" Jake rebounded, "If I was stuck on an island with you I'd either swim for shore or let the mutant shark eat me! Both sound less painful than putting up with you!"

"If you don't put a cork in it I'm going to put your head through a wall!"

Our father slouched in his chair, "Jake, stop antagonizing your sister before you wind up in the hospital with two broken arms and a sprained ankle again!" Silence filled the house. "Do I make myself clear, son?"

"Y-Yes, Dad…"

Jake's younger twin's voice echoed from the bathroom as he stepped out, "Hey, Jo, did you ever consider setting a world record?"

My lips pressed into a thin line as I pondered his offer. Come to think of it I have always wanted to set a new world record… or perhaps I could start by beating an old one. Regardless. "And how do you suggest I go about doing that, Jack?"

His head poked around the corner, "You can borrow my collection on my shelf! I have a bunch of volumes! As a matter of fact, a competition is being held at the Amber View Hotel in two weeks in front of judges! If the act passes you get yourself thrown into the Guinness Book of World Records!"

I frowned, "Hm… Dad…?"

"Do whatever you want to, you're eighteen now."

I leapt up and bolted into my room, fishing my cell phone out of its hiding spot in my dresser. If I was going to set a world record I was going to need to prepare… and preparations called for a team of experts.

A weary young boy settled on the couch, massaging antibacterial cream into his hands. He adored the smell of the aloe; it was scented with mint, and freshness. Well, if freshness could be considered a word. So far there were no complaints in the dictionary but…

His cell phone rang.

He hadn't had any use for such a foreign device until his miraculous win on Total Drama. Almost everyone exchanged phone numbers, although he had yet to really hear from anyone… Maybe it was one of them right now! Oh, he was so excited! His first conversation with his new friend! Or, er, friends, depending on who was on the other end of the line. The more the merrier!

Without even checking the caller I.D. he answered, "Hello~?"

"I need your help."

The excitement visibly died from his features like a sniped bird. "Oh, uh… hi Jo…"

"Don't sound so ecstatic to hear from me again, Cameron. It's only been a month."

"What do you want?"

"Yeesh, excuse me Grouch. I'm forming a team and I need your smarts to be the brains of the operation."

Cameron brightened, "R-Really? Wait, what's the team for? Because I'm not going to rob a bank if that's what you're implying."

"Wait, what?"

"Do you want to steal the Stargate? See, everyone thinks it's just a show, but I think it's real. You stole a bunch of gate codes, didn't you? No, they're too complex. Did you steal a time machine? I'm not sure how you pulled that off, but be careful. Creating a time paradox can have destructive results…"

"So can pissing me off."

"Oh, sorry, I was ranting again. Please continue."

A beat of quiet. "I need to establish myself as number one for everyone to remember for years to come. I'm going to set a world record, and I need all the help I can get if I want to get this done in the next two weeks. So are you in or are you in?"

He rolled his eyes, "Sounds like I don't have much of a choice… Jo, look, it's a world record not a trip for deep space exploration. You don't need me on speed dial."

"Yes I do, you're smart! That's why you're the first person I called!" There was a pause. "Seriously Cam, I need your help."

The awkward tension between them was so thick Cameron was tempted to slice through it with a knife. But his mother didn't let him near knives out of fear that he would cut himself. Come to think of it, he'd never really been cut before. Except for the time on Total Drama when that branch slapped him in the face… he wouldn't stop bleeding. And the cut wouldn't heal until Dawn used some weird herbal remedy as a medical substitute.

"You still there?"

Cameron sighed, "When, where, and for how long?"

He could hear her make an exclamation of triumph. "Amber View Hotel, only one in the whole damn country! Be in the lobby at 10-o-clock AM sharp, two days. And pack for two weeks!" With that the phone clicked and the line went dead.

Cameron pinched the bridge of his nose. He really hated leaving the safety of his bubble. "Mom! I need to talk to you about something!"

Brick hummed a familiar tune to himself as he jogged the length the beach, dog tags slapping his chest, sand clogging the crevices of his boots. The sun beat down on his exposed flesh in pulsating waves of heat. He turned down the closest alley and sprinted to the other end of the block, grappling a street sign so he swung around and made the turn.

It was the same routine with him day in and day out: wolf down breakfast, run around town until he was on the verge of dropping, participate in whatever daily activities were planned on his parents' schedules, and then end the evening with dinner that he helped his mother prepare.

He was such a good boy. It was kind of sad, actually.

His cell rang.

The tone wasn't usual for his phone, but rather it was a voice advising against answering the call. This is your phone speaking. You do NOT want to talk to the person calling you right now. As a matter of fact, I might just cut their call short. Seriously, don't answer. Brick found the thing amusing.

He answered anyway. "Brick MacArthur reporting for duty!"

"Yo, General Bricks-For-Brains!"

The hairs on the back of his neck shot up. "Jo?"

She muffled her laugh. "Don't act so surprised! What are you doing? You sound out of breath."

"I was out for my morning run, ma'am." He pushed the door to his house open with his hip.

"I didn't expect you to be so tired. Must've been a good work-out." She paused. "But that's not why I called. I'm in a bit of a jam… See, I just haven't been the same since losing Total Drama, and I decided that I'm going to set a world record to retain my position as number one."

Brick passed into the kitchen, popping open the fridge, "Aw, look on the bright side Jo – you'll always be my number one." He smirked when she squeaked in surprise to his comment; he could practically feel her blush through the phone.

"Sh-shut up you desperate sack of cadet meat! I need your help."

He sipped his drink, humming in thought, "What could I offer you, ma'am?"

"Hold on. JAKE GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!"

"Who are you talking to Jo-Jo, your boyfriend?"

"At least I have a friend period!" There was the sound of brief wrestling and then everything went quiet. There was a shudder from the other end of the line, "I need someone to compete with so I know that I'm pushing myself." Jo exhaled in defeat, "In two days at 10 AM sharp I want you to meet me in the lobby of the Amber View Hotel. Pack for two weeks worth of adventure, maggot!" The phone clicked off.

Brick saluted weakly, "Ma'am, yes ma'am…"

This can't possibly end well…