Total Drama Brawl
Well guys, I've decided to start another story for you all; a Total Drama one, no less. And let me tell you something about the story I'm planning to write here- much of all of it has been in my head for nearly a year and a half. Ever since I entered the TD fandom a few years ago, I've dreamed of making a fanfic like this one, which is going to be my interpretation of season seven, following the canon events of seasons one through six (and disregarding the actual season seven, which has been confirmed to air sometime in the future). It'll be a season with lots of intensity all the way through, and very physical, though that may have been something you would've picked up by looking at the title of the story. Also, I've decided that this time around, I will be writing in traditional story format, as opposed to in script format like with my other story (apparently it's illegal to use on this site, according to some ass hat I met here). Oh well, I've rambled long enough about this story you're probably interested about now, so now, let's get this thing on the road!
Note: One of the characters in this story is an OC owned by deviantART user CjLowery. Further credit will be given at the end of the chapter to avoid spoilers for the moment.
Total Drama: Pahkitew Island had come to an end, with zombie enthusiast Shawn emerging victorious in the finale episode and winning the million dollars. After the show had ended and the campers left to return to their regular lives, most of them decided that they were done with Total Drama entirely. However, as one might predict Chris was far from done with the show- due to many complaints from fans about the absence of their favorite players, Chris needed to have a season, a big one at that, to make up for ample lost viewers. Due to the plummet in ratings over the years, he needed to draw in old fans again…by bringing back the entire cast of the first three seasons. In addition, he decided to select two contestants from season four for mild variety, and a contest was even started so that one lucky fan would have an opportunity to play with all of these returning players. After having ordered the seventh season for the network, Chris knew this would be a season that nobody could ever forget…
Four Years After Total Drama: Pahkitew Island…
Chris McLean stood in the middle of an empty field in Ontario, Canada. After he was able to persuade all of these players to come and compete for a very high prize of two million dollars, he was prepared to make this a very enjoyable season….…for himself, and the viewing audience. Not necessarily for the contestants themselves.
"Welcome everybody, to season SEVEN of Total Drama! I'm your host, Chris McLean, and today is the eighth anniversary of the day I first hosted Total Drama Island, the season that started it all. It's been so long my dear audience, but after a long time in the making, this new season is about to begin! Let's go ahead and formally introduce our cast to so that we can get this thing started!"
In the distance was a fleet of individual vehicles that all looked very fancy, along with the durability of a tanker. As they got closer, they formed a queue (a line, if you will) that was randomly ordered to introduce the contestants that sat inside of each. Waiting outside a giant gate, the first vehicle in the queue began to slowly approach Chris as he spoke.
Chris grinned at the camera in typical fashion.
"Inside each of those fortified vehicles is our cast for this season; they have all been gathered and brought here separately in these vehicles to prevent them from knowing who they're competing with! I'm sure they'll be quite shocked when they see everyone they're up against! For this is the biggest season yet, which will have a grand twenty-seven young adults competing for the gargantuan prize of…Two. Million. Dollars! Who is our cast? And how will they fare in this new, intense season? Find out on this all-new, grand and epic adventure called…TOTAL! DRAMA! BRAAAAAAWL!"
(Theme Song: I Wanna Be Famous)*
*Disclaimer: This theme song ultimately shows everybody who is competing in the season on camera, defeating the entire purpose of keeping them a secret in the very beginning.
The first vehicle rolled its way towards Chris, and stopped right in front of him once it got close enough to where he stood.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to begin introducing the cast for this season as you watch from your couches at home! At this very moment, each contestant is within one of these armored vehicles- all that each knows is that they are on another season of Total Drama, but none of them know their competition yet! Time to see who our first contestant will be!" Stated Chris.
The door opened to the gargantuan vehicle, and out first stepped Owen, who was already smiling.
"Hey Chris! Long time no see, heh-heh." Greeted Owen.
Immediately noticeable was the somewhat radical change in Owen's physique- he was no longer the pudgy, cumbersome and round…blob as he once was. Instead, he had now clearly lost a majority of the unnecessary inches to his waistline and chin that he used to have. While he still was large in terms of his weight and build, it now had translated into more muscle and a far bulkier build, as opposed to being a slovenly fatso that carried a ton of flab on his bones. He wore a nearly identical outfit that he adorned from his previous appearances on Total Drama, but instead of a t-shirt, he wore a ripped white tank top that showed off his strong muscular arms. The Canadian maple leaf still showed on the front to match his old wardrobe.
"Yo, Owen my man! How's life been treating you the last four years?" Asked Chris as he greeted the jolly giant.
Owen offered him a nod and smile as he walked forward.
"Ah Chris, so good to see you! Time really changes a man, and look at what it's done for me. See, while I was comfortable with who I was as a person around the time All Stars finished, I knew I couldn't stay two hundred plus pounds forever! And since I'd become some kind of uh, role model if you will, I didn't want people to think they could live at a weight like I had! So, through an intense several years of training, changing my dieting habits, and a tiny bit of surgery to help things move along, I got to be in such better shape. It feels great!"
Owen paused for a moment; he realized that the response he'd given was a tad longwinded.
"Anyways, that personal stuff aside- I'm so excited! Again, great to be back dude." Stated Owen.
Chris nodded, and exchanged a quick high-five with Owen.
"Good to hear buddy. Trust me, the feeling is quite mutual."
Directing Owen to the waiting area, Chris prepared himself to greet the next contestant. He was curious to see who it'd be this time, and hoped they'd be just as excited as Owen to see him (unlikely as it was).
The second vehicle pulled up in a very short amount of time, slowing to a complete halt right in front of Chris. The door slowly opened to reveal Bridgette, who stepped out rather carefully to avoid tripping.
"Ah, welcome to the contest Bridgette!" Announced Chris. "How are you doing this fine morning?"
There weren't many radical changes to Bridgette's appearance. She wore a very similar outfit that she was used to having on her other seasons- a light blue hoodie, jean shorts that fit her above the knees, and a pair of open-toed sandals on her feet. What was certainly different, however, was that her hair had been cut much shorter than before. It was slightly curly now; at about two-thirds shoulder length, she no longer bore her signature ponytail that was so easily recognizable from the past. In addition, the curves on her body had become much more pronounced, with slightly bigger breasts, too.
"I'm actually doing pretty well, Chris." Replied Bridgette. "However, I never imagined that I'd be seeing you in this sort of situation again. No offense though, in case that sounded kind of crass."
Chris simply offered her a smile in return.
"None taken. Think you'll do well in the competition this time around?" Asked Chris.
"I sure hope so. It's been such a long time, and the last time I played I didn't do a very good job." Said Bridgette sheepishly. "Though hey, I was a lot younger back then- I suppose you can't blame me too much for my lack of life experience."
"I suppose not." Chuckled Chris.
As she was surprised by her ability to make casual conversation with Chris, Bridgette suddenly shifted her attention towards the other person present.
"Owen?" Gasped Bridgette.
"Hey dude, it's been a long time hasn't it?" Greeted Owen.
Finding it hard to believe who was standing before her, Bridgette did a small double take. That was Owen? The guy standing right in front of her was Owen? So much about him was different; I mean, he was totally ripped! She began walking towards him, wishing to say hello.
"Oh my gosh, Owen! You look so…so good!" Was all Bridgette could say.
This caused Owen to blush a tiny bit, being complimented in that manner.
"Oh, stop it you!" Muttered Owen, as he picked up Bridgette in an affectionate hug. "You're pretty ravishing yourself- love the new haircut you got, too."
"Aw, you noticed? Thanks!" Returned Bridgette. "So, have you been doing well for the last few years?"
"Totally!" Said Owen. "I could tell you so much about my life in that time, but I'll let it wait for the moment. Looks like we have someone else rolling in."
The third vehicle stopped right next to Chris, and the doors opened immediately, out stepping a smiling Leshawna. Looking around, the first thing she noticed was the presence of Bridgette and Owen, both of whom she was glad to see, and the latter of whom she was surprised to see having changed so much. Next, she turned to Chris, who had turned her way, with a smile on his face.
"Hey y'all, what's goin' on?" Greeted Leshawna. "Everybody's favorite big sista is once again in the house!"
The only noticeable difference in Leshawna's appearance was that she just seemed…older than before. Meaning she no longer looked like a teenager, but like a grown, adult woman. For the sake of appearances on the show, she'd been asked by production to wear the same clothes as always- a tannish shirt that had four kumquats on the front, along with tightly fitting, blue high-water jeans that complimented her curvy figure immensely well. Finally, she wore her same brown sandals from before as well.
"Go say hello to your old friends, Leshawna. I'm sure they're both glad to see you." Stated Chris.
"Don't mind if I do, old man." Said Leshawna as she headed over to the waiting area.
Bridgette and Owen were quick to approach her, and excitedly so.
"Hey home girl, what's up?" She inquired while giving Bridgette a big hug. "And you as well big boy, what's happened to ya?"
Owen shrugged. "Guess I learned to maintain optimum cardiovascular health. Oh, and to not be a gluttonous swine, too."
The three shared a hearty laugh as Leshawna gave Owen an affectionate pat on the shoulder. Then, in no time at all, the doors to vehicle four were opening to bring another old face back into the others' presence.
"Give it up for Trent, everyone!" Announced Chris as the guitarist slowly stepped out to face the others.
"Hey everyone, it's been such a long time since I've seen you guys. It's a real pleasure to finally be back!" Greeted Trent.
As with Leshawna, the differences in Trent's appearances were not very noticeable, other than the fact that he now had a small goatee, was a little bit taller, and had slightly longer hair. He wore his familiar long sleeved, camouflage shirt that a black handprint on the front, along with black pants and his usual olive green sneakers.
"How do you feel, Trent?" asked Chris. "Do you believe you'll do better this season than in your last?"
Trent's expression became neutral.
"All I can say is, I certainly wasn't proud of my performance in my last season." Trent lamented. "However! I imagine that no matter how well I place this time, I'll have redeemed myself by the end of my run. That's all I can really say for sure."
Chris nodded contently at his answer.
"Well dude, either way the audience has been eager to see you come back, so I imagine they'll enjoy you no matter what." Stated Chris thoughtfully.
"That's nice. Well, I'll be looking forward to things then." Stated Trent in a matter-a-fact way as he strolled over to the waiting area.
After approaching the others, he received a high five from both Leshawna and Owen, along with a gentle hug from Bridgette.
"Ah, here comes vehicle number five!" Declared Chris enthusiastically. "The fifth contestant we're bringing back for this season is…Katie."
As she stepped out from her vehicle, she was almost unrecognizable; however, the others were very quickly able to tell it was indeed Katie. Without a doubt, she had changed greatly since everyone had seen her many years before.
Katie had certainly been working out- she now had a full six-pack along her stomach, and her now visible muscles clearly indicated a plethora of intense cardiovascular workouts. Her new outfit consisted of a purple long-sleeved belly shirt and long grey yoga pants, showing off other kinds of growth that had occurred with Katie over the years. In addition to this, her makeup was much less gaudy than before. Her hair was also put up modestly in a bun.
"What's up, Katie?" Asked Chris. "Why, you certainly seem to have changed a bit since season one. Life been good?"
"Oh, why I'm doing perfectly well. And regarding my new look, well, it's always been my goal to be this fit- I just never had the time before, well…I got the chance." Beamed Katie.
What everybody quickly noticed as Katie spoke was that she was much more eloquent and articulate with her words- gone was her high-pitched and preppy way of speaking.
"Well, I'd say it's a good thing you've decided to go through all that training. Let's just say, you may need it this season!" Said Chris.
"I don't doubt I will. I learned my lesson from the first time 'round." Chuckled Katie as everyone heartily laughed along with her.
Chris then suddenly noticed something, and furrowed his brows in confusion.
"Say, where is- "
"Oh hey guys, how's it going?" Katie interjected, cutting off Chris from his question.
Walking up to the other four contestants, Katie was greeted with praise while receiving hugs from everyone.
"Wow, you look great, girl!" Complimented Leshawna.
"And it sounds like your life has been absolutely wonderful!" Added Bridgette.
Katie could only blush and chuckle in response to this.
"Hey, can I feel your muscle?" Asked Owen.
"Sure, go ahead!" She nodded, making a muscle with her right arm. "They're not as big as yours are, but I am proud of these I guess."
After Owen gave it a squeeze, all of the rest decided to do the same. With a playful roll of her eyes, Katie soaked in the admiration as Bridgette, Leshawna and Trent also gawked at how strong her arms had become.
"Okay everyone, now that you've said your hello's to Katie it is time to say hello to the next person that will be on this season!" Said Chris.
Once the sixth vehicle pulled up, the door slammed open, startling everyone. Following this, two arms emerged, pulling their owner out of the vehicle as he leapt onto his feet.
"Give a big, warm welcome to Duncan, guys!" Said Chris.
Still adorning his usual shirt with the skull on the front, Duncan was also wearing a black leather jacket, as well as some sky blue jeans instead of shorts. His Mohawk was a little bigger now, and had been dyed red as opposed to green. Finally, he no longer had his choker around his neck.
As he looked around him, Duncan appeared to seem rather annoyed.
"Well Duncan, dude, welcome back to the show. Think you can go the distance yet again?" Asked Chris.
"Shut up." Duncan retorted, with a look of disgust. "I'm not particularly glad to be back here, you know. Being on this show has caused a lot of trouble for me as it is, already."
Chris gave Duncan a stern look, and made every effort to stay patient with the former delinquent.
"And whose fault do you think that is?" Replied Chris.
Becoming increasingly frustrated, Duncan groaned loudly as he knew he had no defense against the counterpoint Chris had made.
"Look McLean, I've been trying very hard to change my ways since then. There's been so much I've had to deal with over the past few years, I don't think that coming back is going to do me any good." Explained Duncan.
"What about the grand prize?" Asked Chris. "Maybe if you won, it'd be worth all the hard work. Think you could at least stick around for that?"
Duncan sighed heavily.
"Who knows? It might. Look, I'm trying not to be unpleasant here- it's just that there's so much I don't want to have to deal with here." Lamented Duncan. "Life hasn't been very kind to me in the time since All Stars. Just know I'm trying my best to cope with the stress, and I'll do my best to control my temper."
As he made his way to the waiting zone, most of the contestant felt a tad uncomfortable after Duncan's introduction (all except for Owen). To hide this, they forced a smile, and did their best to socialize with him as he approached.
"Hey buddy, it's good to see you again." Remarked Owen as he held out his curled hand.
"You too, man." Said Duncan, half-heartedly exchanging a fist-bump with the large guy.
It was clear that Duncan was not very happy here, as his demeanor implied he had been through a lot of stress and hardship. Even though the old Duncan was a bit of a hard ass, right now he was just an absolute downer.
Being a little unsure of what to do, Bridgette gingerly placed her hand on Duncan's shoulder.
"If there's anything you need, we're here for you. After all…we're your friends, you know?" Said Bridgette reassuringly.
"…Yeah, I guess." Muttered Duncan as he simply shrugged the blonde off, much to her annoyance despite knowing it wasn't anything against her.
Katie and Leshawna began to try and cheer Duncan up, being careful to avoid touchy subjects. Trent decided to keep himself out of this conversation however, and due to his previous history with Duncan, said nothing.
For a moment though, Duncan looked Trent's way, so he gave a simple friendly wave that was quickly returned.
Having seen the interactions of the contestants so far, Chris clapped his hands to draw their attention back to him.
"Okay everyone, it's time for yet another contestant to be welcomed! He's another fan favorite, perhaps one of the biggest, please welcome back your old pal Noah!"
Stepping out of his vehicle, Noah looked around, briefly scanning the area to see where he had been taken.
"Welp, I see that he's dragged us somewhere so remote that there won't be any witnesses." He said.
His voice was noticeably deeper, and seemed slightly less effeminate.
For the sake of appearances, Noah had opted to wear his classic Total Drama attire, which consisted of a white undershirt, teal outer shirt and red velvet vest, along with olive cargo shorts and his signature sneakers. While he looked a tiny bit older and had apparently gelled his hair, not much else had changed about his appearance.
"Ah Noah my friend, I really missed you as well." Said Chris without a trace of irony. "Glad that you're here to play the game again though- trust me, fans were livid when you got voted out in season three. I'm just giving them what they want, in case you were wondering."
"I'm nobody's chew toy, Chris. Although I must say, I am flattered that they enjoyed me as much as they did." Admitted Noah. "I'm hoping that they not only like me again, but that maybe I can also make it a bit further than the last time I played."
"Yeah, but do you think maybe this time you won't be the first voted off your team?" Asked Chris.
"No, the chances of that happening are highly improbable." Stated Noah. "It was merely a coincidence that it happened twice before. This season, I'll make sure that I get into a good group- if I get to pick my teammates, I'll get all the strongest people on my team so we won't lose the challenges."
"Guess we'll see if things work out in your favor, should that happen." Said Chris. "Good luck, now please go and converse with the others."
As he approached the waiting area, Noah received different reactions from the others standing before him. A few appeared glad to see him; some others were indifferent, while a couple of them weren't too pleased.
"Hey buddy, how's life been?" Greeted Owen as he high-fived his old friend.
"I've done well with what I have." Said Noah. "I see you've been making a few changes though- and I'm actually kind of proud of you. Nice work Owen."
As Owen smiled from the compliment, Katie was quick to give Noah a small hug, due to having fond memories of chatting with him many seasons ago.
"Looks like you'll be able to outsmart everybody here, Noah." She giggled. "I hope I'm on a team with you."
"Thanks, Katie. I'll see what I can do." Replied Noah with a smile.
Bridgette gave Noah a smile and wave; Trent meanwhile offered a quick S'up and fist bump, one that Noah eagerly returned. Duncan and Leshawna however were not very interested in talking to him, as both had their eyebrows furrowed in his direction.
"I'm still kind of sore at him, you know." Whispered Leshawna, so only Duncan could hear her. "I've always found him to be such an ass."
"I don't blame you." Replied Duncan. "He's always been a bit of a blowhard, but we'll keep our eye on him, see how things go. And who knows? Maybe he's changed since then."
"Only seven people Chris? And man, I thought you were getting more cheap by the season before, but I had no idea it was this bad." Noah remarked.
This resulted in a stern glare from Chris, who did nothing in response except wag his finger at Noah.
"Or not." Groaned Duncan.
"Don't upset him Noah, you don't know what he could do to us since we're adults now." Cautioned Bridgette.
"…Hm. That is a fair concern. Sorry, I'll try to watch what I say." Noah replied.
"With that out of the way, time to introduce another person to the cast!" Chirped Chris.
The eighth vehicle pulled up near Chris, and no later after that, the doors to it swung open as its passenger scrambled out in a fit of panic.
"Give it up for Gwen, everybody!" Sang Chris.
Gwen still bore her recognizable teal hair and black boots, but instead of her skirt and leggings, she was wearing deep blue jeans. On top of that, she now had on a black and green short-sleeved shirt that didn't reveal any of her cleavage.
"CHRIS! What the hell, are you crazy? You know more than anybody that I have claustrophobia! Why on Earth would you lock me up in there for so long?" Gwen barked.
"Gwen, honey, stop putting so much emphasis on random words." Chris scolded. "Anyways, I'm truly sorry about that- I sent them a memo to have a window on the other side of yours, but I guess that it didn't reach them in time. You cool now?"
"Even if it wasn't on purpose, I'm still mad at you for it." Warned Gwen. "But yes, I'm fine now. Just don't put me in that situation again, please."
"Understood. Now, come along and join the others, if you'd please." Said Chris as he ushered Gwen to the waiting area.
Already noticeable was that Duncan and Trent began to act a little awkward while Gwen approached the others, as they began looking at the ground. Meanwhile though, most of the other contestants greeted her with open arms.
"Hey girl, how you doin'?" Asked Leshawna.
"I'm fine. It's good that I can see you all again, so I'm pretty good." Said Gwen.
Bridgette was next, simply giving Gwen a hug that was long overdue.
"Think we can catch up later?" Asked Bridgette.
"Definitely." Answered Gwen with a smile.
"Wow, your clothes are color-coordinated very well." Observed Owen.
Turning to the giant, Gwen's eyes widened.
"Whoa! Owen, what have you been up to?" Asked Gwen. "I didn't even notice how ripped you were."
"Like I told the others, I just figured I needed to changed a few things." Said Owen. "Besides, I sort of needed to anyway. Maybe now I'll make it to the twenty-year reunion!"
Several people joined the two in a brief fit of laughter.
"Ah Owen, always bringing smiles to the children." Said Noah.
Gwen turned, raising an eyebrow and lightly smirking.
"I didn't take you for the social butterfly type, Noah. What's gotten into you these days?" She inquired.
"I guess I learned brains aren't all you need." Admitted Noah. "You'll still have a bit of the old me here and there, but I'll know when it's my turn to play dodge ball, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, don't worry. We'll make sure your face isn't in a book all day." Chuckled Trent, perfectly understanding Noah's joke.
After this brief conversation, another vehicle rolled up to Chris.
"And up next, we'll have contestant number nine! Unfortunately Trent has already hit the scene, so it won't be him. However, let's unveil this camper to see who else is joining us for our new season!" Announced Chris.
As soon as the doors opened, a mist of cologne escaped from the confinement of the small space inside. Out stepped Justin, who upon gazing at the horizon removed the sunglasses that covered his eyes.
"Justin, buddy! How's life been treating you as of late?" Greeted Chris.
"Good day, Chris. I've been quite well, but I certainly didn't expect to return to the show." Admitted Justin. "It's quite the surprise that you allowed me to return after so long."
Like before, Justin wore his usual olive colored, short-sleeved V-neck t-shirt, along with blue lose-fitting jeans and brown sandals. If anything, he looked more chiseled than ever before, yet his face showed a slight amount of age.
"If anything else Justin, I can assure that you'll certainly look good on our cameras." Said Chris.
"I appreciate your compliments, Chris." Said Justin. "However, that's not why I'm here. It's not even about the money either- I'm secure enough in my life when it comes to finances. For me, all I want is the pride and experience of winning. With some hard work and a bit of luck, this could be my season."
"That's a bold suggestion, but you could have a point." Nodded Chris. "In time, we'll see. Now, head on over to the waiting area please."
With a touch of pride in his swagger, Justin sauntered over to the other contestants. It was clear to them that he was likely rich, or at least had a well-paying job that no doubt caused another surge in his ego.
"Hmm, I still don't think I like him all that much." Frowned Noah.
"He's certainly way into himself to this day, that's for sure." Added Duncan in agreement.
As Katie, Leshawna and Owen began to steal looks at Justin, the others were either indifferent or annoyed by his presence. No more than a minute later, the tenth vehicle had arrived.
As the door to it opened, a beautiful redhead stepped out, and calmly observed her surroundings.
"How's it going, Izzy? Are you excited to get this season started?" Asked Chris.
"Quite so Chris. I'm certainly interested in winning, but I also want to have as much fun as I can." Said Izzy. "Hopefully I can behave myself though, so feel free to call me out if I do anything crazy."
Instead of the usual jungle-like attire that Izzy had worn in seasons past, she was now wearing a modest, green long-sleeved polyester shirt that covered her stomach, along with knee-high denim shorts and red sneakers. She was also wearing glasses, and her hair had been straightened, placed in a ponytail behind her.
"Looks like it's time to join my fellow cast mates, Christopher. Hopefully they'll have much to converse about." Pondered Izzy as she made her way to the waiting area.
The other contestants seemed confused by Izzy's demeanor, as this was the girl whom they've always known for being a tad bit loopy. Her speech was calmer and drier, being less energetic than it used to be.
"What happened to her?" Asked Katie.
"I guess she's just changed her ways quite a bit." Pondered Noah. "Though it is bizarre, I cannot quite fathom what happened in four years time."
"Greetings, Noah."
"ACK!" Yelped Noah, as he realized Izzy had been behind him. "How long were you standing there for?"
"Approximately 5.3 seconds, which was enough to hear you make guesses regarding my behavior." Noted Izzy. "I'm not offended- I can tell you that I've received remedial lessons on how to behave around others in public, and practiced using my brain in more practical ways."
"Is this a relapse of her Brainzilla phase?" Whispered Bridgette.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she was playing one of her characters again." Responded Trent. "Though we can't be sure yet, so we'll have to wait and see."
"Hey Izzy, has life been going good for you?" Asked Owen.
"Ah, hello Owen. You've certainly increased your muscular mass within the past sixty lunar cycles." Replied Izzy. "Also, the correct thing to ask would be if life is going well. However, it's not such a big deal since I'm happy to speak to you once again. And yes, I've been wonderful."
"Cool. You also look quite well, yourself!" Complimented Owen.
Izzy chuckled, and shook her head lightly.
"Good suffices in this instance. Though still, thank you Owen." She said.
"Anytime, Iz." Replied Owen.
Soon enough, the eleventh vehicle pulled up to where Chris was, coming to a stop.
"And here we've got number eleven! Hmmm, I wonder who it could be?" Surmised Chris.
"Would you cut that out, Chris? I think we know how to count, dammit!" Noah groaned.
Chris turned to face him with a giant scowl on his face, allowing Noah to back off from making his snarky comments. Some chuckled in response to him being called out.
"Anyways, time to find out who's inside." Said Chris. "…Funny, they should be out by now."
Walking up to the side of the vehicle, Chris pounded on its door.
"Knock-knock! Who's in there?" He barked.
Not a moment later, the door swung wide open and slammed Chris right in the face, knocking him over.
"So that's how you open it, huh…oh no! Sorry about that Chris, I didn't…I couldn't see- "
Chris slowly picked himself up off the ground, and after doing so, sighed heavily.
"It's fine, Tyler." He said. "I guess old habits die hard, wouldn't it seem?"
Tyler was wearing the same outfit he always had, which consisted of an all-red tracksuit, coupled with a red headband, and white tennis shoes. Only now, it had been retailored to fit his new size. Quite apparent was that he had grown a bit taller and bulkier, and had some fairly pronounced sideburns on the side of his face.
"It doesn't happen as much anymore, I swear." Tyler protested. "I've really become a lot less clumsy since World Tour…"
"Don't worry about it, you're good bro. We're cool. Now, go and say hello to your old friends already. I'm sure they're dying to see you." Said Chris.
"Sure! I can't wait to compete in the upcoming challenges, either." Said Tyler, as he strolled over to the waiting zone in an upbeat manner.
While Duncan and Noah both rolled their eyes at Tyler's enthusiasm, Justin, Owen and Trent all gave him high-fives as he passed by them. Pleased by his positive, upbeat demeanor, many of the girls gave him a smile as he turned to look at each of them.
"We've got a schedule to stick to guys, so let's get to seeing our next competitor!" Said Chris as the door to the twelfth vehicle opened. "Welcome back, Beth! It's a pleasure to see you again after all these years."
"Likewise, Chris. It's been so long!" Greeted Beth.
In terms of appearances, Beth was easily recognizable. She'd lost a small amount of weight, but more noticeable was what she was wearing. She had on a magenta hoodie, along with light green pants and grey shoes.
"Beth, I can assure you that this will be the toughest season we've ever had." Said Chris. "Think you're up to the challenge?"
"Am I? Chris, I live for the competition! I've already released my inhibitions many years ago, so I'm not backing down from this." Assured Beth.
"Now that's what I like to hear! Anyways, go ahead and reunite with your old acquaintances in the waiting area. We'll have quite a few more people to introduce, so hurry!" Said Chris as he ushered Beth to mingle with the other contestants.
Without a doubt, everybody looked pleased to see Beth. Even Duncan appeared to cheer up a bit as she made her way to the group.
"Hi Beth! It's good to see you." Chirped Katie.
"Hey Katie, likewise." Smiled Beth. "You look, like, a lot different than you used to. Decided to gain some muscles I see."
"Indeed. I'm sure that everyone will have a lot of interesting stories about their lives." Added Katie.
Meanwhile, Owen and Noah were lightly conversing.
"Gosh, I wonder how many of our old friends will be brought back." Pondered Owen.
"I don't know man, but if I'm correct, there's going to be quite a few more than twelve people here after all the introductions." Replied Noah, as he pointed at the line of vehicles.
"Oh." Owen said as he realized what was to come.
As this happened, Bridgette, Leshawna and Trent were talking with each other about Beth.
"Last time she played, Beth made it to the finals." Said Bridgette. "Do you think that she'll be a threat to keep around, or…?"
"It's hard to tell right now, but I don't think so, at least not in that way." Said Trent. "I tend to look at it like this- several contestants have made it far in more than one season, some even making the final three twice. I don't think it's dangerous to keep Beth around, and if anything she'd be pretty cool to have as an ally." He added.
"I guess you're right." Admitted Leshawna. "I suppose it's hard to top being in the finals, but if any of us have her on our team, she'd make a wonderful teammate."
All three nodded in agreement.
As Beth said hello the remaining players, Chris decided to bring the next vehicle forward.
"Calling in number unlucky thirteen, let's see who will be the next to appear for this season!" Announced Chris.
With a bit of effort, the passenger inside of the car opened up the door, and stepped into the sunlight. It was Harold.
Everybody was quite shocked to see Harold the way he looked right now. Instead of the skinny noodle of a human being that he used to be, Harold had gained a newly masculine build, having moderately-sized biceps that indicated a plethora of exercise and training. He was also no longer wearing his old Total Drama clothes. No, he now was wearing a darker blue shirt that was tightly fitting, as well as black skinny jeans and grey converse shoes.
"Welcome back to the game, Harold. Did you enjoy the ride here?" Greeted Chris.
Looking around, Harold decided to briefly take in his surroundings before speaking.
"While I wasn't able to look outside of my transport, the ride wasn't too bumpy, so I'd give it at least a seven out of ten." Admitted Harold.
"I see that you still think in numbers from time to time." Noted Chris. "Think that you've improved socially since your last season?"
"I would like to think so, Chris. Having more life experience helps out; college will provide anybody with plenty of it. And not only that, I've also improved physically, too. Therefore, I assume I'll be an asset to any team I'm on, rather than a liability." Answered Harold.
"You sound pretty confident, so we'll see in due time if you were right to be." Said Chris. "Now, go and mingle with your competition as I introduce the next person."
Doing as he was told, Harold headed straight for the waiting area. As the rest got a closer look at him, many of the girls noticed that he was a lot more attractive than they remembered, sparking thoughts in their minds.
"Whoa, those arms are really something."
"His eyes are so immersing."
"The way his shirt clings to his chest…leaves so little to the imagination."
As many of the women began to steal looks at Harold, Duncan seemed to be the only one actively ignoring him with a frown.
"Looks like the ladies are appreciating the new you, man." Whispered Tyler.
"Are they? That's pretty cool I guess. Wasn't expecting attention this time around, but I suppose that's an added bonus for me." Replied Harold. "…Wait, are you sure they aren't looking at Justin?"
Tyler gulped, realizing the possibility of what Harold brought up.
"Um, I don't think so…" He answered.
Little did either know that Harold was indeed the one that multiple women were looking at.
"Looks like we're around halfway done!" Exclaimed Chris.
"So, there's going to be twenty-six people?" Asked Gwen.
"You'll see." Answered Chris, cryptically.
The fourteenth vehicle came to a stop, emptying out its contents in the form of a tall, burly giant.
"What a day, huh DJ?" Asked Chris as the gigantic man adjusted his eyes to the light.
Wearing a strikingly similar outfit to his older one, DJ looked much the same, the only lacking garment being his hat. All that seemed different now was a small beard and mustache that were neatly groomed, and instead of sandals on his feet were green tennis shoes that looked completely brand-new.
"You're telling me." He replied with a chuckle. "Although I have to ask, why such a remote location for the season?"
"Ah shucks, it's nothing big DJ. It's just the area where we'll introduce this season and its concepts." Said Chris. "Once everybody is here, I'll bring you all to where we'll be staying."
"That's cool, bro. Anyways, I just wanted to let everybody here know I ain't gonna be a coward this season." Stated DJ. "I had a lot of issues when I was a kid, but with time I've gotten over the silly little things I used to believe in. You won't see me bawling like a baby every episode."
"Ooh, that's nice to hear." Said Chris, a bit surprised. "I wasn't even going to bring that up, but it's cool to hear you've moved on from that. Good luck buddy- now go and visit your old friends. I think they'll be glad you're here."
DJ was surprised as he walked his way towards the rest of the people waiting, as they all gave him a round of applause, signifying that all of them were more than pleased of his return.
"Hey baby, give me some sugar." Shouted Leshawna as she fist-bumped with the gentle giant.
"S'up man." Greeted DJ. "It's super cool to be ba-AA!"
In that moment, Owen had swept DJ up in a giant hug, lifting him a ways off the ground.
"Dude! I was afraid you didn't make the cut- good to see you man." Owen bellowed.
"Oh, trust me, I feel the same way." DJ said sheepishly as Owen put him gingerly back on the ground.
However, hug time wasn't done just yet- what happened next was all of the girls, and even some of the guys, gave some form of hug to DJ to show how glad they were to get to meet him once again. Those who didn't hug DJ offered him a fist bump as an alternate way of greeting him.
"Thanks y'all." DJ said with a blush. "You're the greatest, really."
"C'mon dude, stop flattering us back." Chuckled Duncan.
"Yeah, you deserve to be quite proud of our praise- you earned every bit." Added Harold.
Duncan, suddenly noticing Harold was standing next to him, groaned before turning to walk away from him.
"Hmm, I guess some things still haven't changed." Observed Harold quietly.
"Hey everybody, I just had an interesting thought." Said Izzy. "I have a feeling that Chris is probably bringing back everybody from the first season to compete against each other. The chances of this are increasing with each introduction."
Justin removed his sunglasses, and looked straight into her eyes.
"And what makes you think we haven't caught on to that notion already, Mrs. Frizzle?" He asked with a hint of condescension.
"Well, I didn't surmise that at first." Admitted Tyler, seemingly in Izzy's defense.
"I didn't either." Added Beth. "No need to be mean towards Izzy for bringing it up."
Justin wiped his sunglasses with a tissue for a moment before putting them back on.
"Hmm, I do apologize for my harsh tone. I am sorry." Justin said, unconvincingly.
"Indeed, that was uncalled for. You might get in trouble if you look down on everyone like that as you speak." Noah replied.
"Stay out of this, shrimp." Threatened Justin. "I'm not going to argue with you right out of the gate."
As this tense conversation continued between old rivals, Bridgette watched along with Katie and Trent in worry.
"Not this again." She mused. "If Noah has the gall to call Justin anti-me again, then he'll escalate the argument even further and then...you know…"
"We shouldn't get involved." Urged Trent. "If they have a hissy fit with each other, it's in our best interests to stay out of it."
"Besides, they're adults now. They're not going to get into a physical altercation out here." Assured Katie. "I can guarantee they know better than to do that."
As Noah and Justin backed down from each other (much to the relief of those watching) Beth made sure to "console" Izzy, who was completely unfazed by the argument that was sort of about her.
"Really, I was completely unfazed." Assured Izzy, dismissing her worries.
However, the attention given to this situation was quickly diverted away as the fifteenth contestant stepped out from their vehicle.
As everyone saw her, a tense feeling soon overcame the contestants, who had memories of the past surface in their minds once again.
Chris, however, had a giant smile plastered on his face that hadn't been seen by anyone yet.
"Well wouldn't you know it. I haven't seen you in quite a while, Heather." Chris chirped.
"And for good reasons." Heather replied. "I only agreed to come back so I could finally reclaim what was once mine, so don't think I'm happy to spend time with you."
Clearly not one to change much, Heather had a very similar outfit to her original one. She wore a maroon tank top that showed a bit of her ample breasts, though this one now covered her stomach. She once again wore shorts that rode up very high above her knees, displaying a plentiful amount of her thighs as well. Her hair however was quite short again, and was strikingly similar to her mother's.
"Isn't she such an angel?" Chris asked to the camera. "And what exactly are you reclaiming, Heather?" He added.
"I know you're not that dumb Chris." Said Heather.
"Indeed not. The college degree ain't there just for show." Replied Chris.
"I already won, Chris! You just didn't reimburse me after HE destroyed my prize money!" Barked Heather.
"She does have a point, Chris." Said Izzy.
"Quiet, you! I can handle her on my own." Chastised Chris.
"YOU KNOW I'M RIGHT!" Yelled Heather.
"Heather, I've told you a million times over email." Sighed Chris. "It's not within my authority to do that. The executive producers were the ones with the ability to provide another physical million, and they didn't when I asked them to. Not my fault!"
"I don't believe you, Chris. You're probably worth millions- just go and withdraw a measly one million to reimburse me!" Whined Heather.
"And what makes you feel like you're worth me giving away that much of my own money?" Asked Chris.
Heather snarled in rage, as the other contestants were stunned into silence by the sick burn Chris just gave her.
"Just…go to the waiting area, Heather. Unless you have anything else important to say to me, that is." Taunted Chris.
Without anything left to say, Heather begrudgingly stormed over to the where the others were waiting around.
As she fidgeted in a fit of frustration, Gwen looked over at her in half-annoyance, half-pity. Shrugging her shoulders, she decided to go and say something.
"Um…there there?" She said uncertainly, patting her former enemy's shoulder.
"Oh, hello Gwen." Said Heather as she considered the situation she was in. "At least I know you're sane. Um…has life been good for you?"
"I guess." Gwen shrugged. "Sorry Chris was being difficult back there."
"Oh, forget him." Said Heather. "I know I acted immature up there, but I couldn't stand his lies."
"Wow, I'm actually holding a conversation with her? That's kind of cool." Thought Gwen.
"Maybe I could ally with her again? I know she didn't betray me in All Stars." Thought Heather.
As many people watched Gwen and Heather talk with a bit of confusion, Chris composed himself while the sixteenth vehicle stopped next to him.
"Okay, whoever comes out next better not piss me off." He said as the door opened to reveal the next person.
"Chris, what's up dude?" Asked a very chill voice.
"Ooh, now there we go." Chris chirped. "What's been up with you, Code-meister?"
What a difference four years can make. Cody was now a bit more muscular, and had tattoos running all the way up and down his arms and neck. His hair had been dyed black, and when he smiled, one could notice that the gap between his front teeth was gone. He wore a tight black t-shirt, and deep blue jeans to compliment his grey sneakers.
"I've been wonderful, man." Said Cody. "Ever since I got on Total Drama, all sorts of doors opened up for me. I've been able to fulfill my passions in life! It's incredible…"
"Ah, wonderful! I see that thanks to me, you've made a career thanks to being on the show." Bragged Chris. "So, what do you do these days, then?"
"I sing!" Said Cody. "I've always wanted to be a talented vocalist, and I was able to do a lot of practicing once I had time to focus on it full-time. I'm actually pretty good, too- if we have a music challenge, maybe I can show you!"
"Time will tell if you're right, my friend." Said Chris. "Time for you to get reintroduced to the others that are here."
"Will do." Replied Cody with enthusiasm.
As he walked over to the others, they observed his new appearance.
"Whoa, he looks pretty good guys." Katie observed.
"He's actually kind of hot now." Blurted out Heather.
As she noticed people looking her way, her face turned red and she hid herself behind her hands.
"You have no shame, girl." Grinned Leshawna.
"Gosh, have some humility, Heather." Teased Gwen, though she was blushing as well.
"What's going on, dudes?" Called Cody as he began to give several people enthusiastic high-fives.
"DUDE!" Tyler shrieked in excitement, jumping up and down. "ARE YOU IN A BAND?"
"A band? I wouldn't say that." Replied Cody. "I have a coach that helps me practice, and some peers that do the same. Although I must say, a band sounds rather fun."
"Doesn't it?" Asked Justin.
After saying this, he walked away from Cody without a word. Harold and Trent had seen this exchange, and then figured they understood what Justin was referring to.
"The Drama Brothers." Trent sighed. "We rose and fell pretty quick as a group, didn't we?"
"Well, we did let fame go to our heads." Admitted Harold. "Though it was just a boom and bust cycle in the end, and not to mention I went though that ridiculous 'H-bomb' phase, I think it's cool that Cody got something out of it in the end."
"I just get the feeling Justin isn't entirely over it." Said Trent.
"I have to agree with you there as well." Admitted Harold.
A whistle was heard, causing people to turn their heads to Chris once again.
"Yo guys, pay attention as I introduce the next person!" Shouted Chris, resulting in several eyes rolling.
As soon as the seventeenth vehicle showed up, the door swung open. After a few moments of nothing, Sadie stuck her head outside the confinement of the metal transport, and upon turning the other way noticed Chris standing next to her.
"Come on out, Sadie. What are you still doing in there?" Demanded Chris, impatiently.
"Oh, nothing. Just checking to make sure it's safe to go outside. I always am skeptical of what's around me in new settings…" Mused Sadie.
As she finally stepped out, Sadie now was shown to have on a green tube top and magenta denim shorts that reached to her knees. She'd certainly lost some weight, though she was still a tiny bit pudgy. Her face bore a heavy amount of makeup, and her long, black hair was tied into a bun. Not only that, her voice was noticeably as preppy as it used to be.
"Hmm, I like what you did to your hair." Said Chris. "Now, how have you been doing lately?"
"Oh, same old same old, Chris. I'm pretty happy with myself, and it's really cool to have the chance to play again after such a long wait." Sadie remarked.
"I'm glad to hear you're enjoying things." Replied Chris, his face softening a bit. "So, what's it been like without your- "
"Ooh, more people are already here! Better not keep them waiting!" Sadie shrieked, dismissing Chris and eagerly making her way to the waiting zone. "EEEE!"
Chris sighed in frustration as she trotted off, quite aware of the elephant in the room that would be brought up eventually.
"Hi, guys!" Chirped Sadie. "It's been so long!"
"And for good reasons." Duncan whispered to himself.
For most of the contestants, they handled Sadie's greetings quite well. Despite this, she didn't give a direct hello to everyone.
"Lovely new guns, Owen." Said Sadie as she finished giving her greetings to all the people she intended to.
Once Sadie began to walk away from the gigantic goofball, Katie stepped out from behind him.
"Too close." She whispered to herself.
"And what do you think you're doing?" Asked a voice.
Katie turned, startled to see Noah standing by her.
"Noah, Shhhhhhh! I don't want to be seen by her." She hissed.
"That's a bit mean, don't you think, Katie? A bit disingenuous too." He whispered, with an eyebrow raised.
Katie sighed deeply, putting her fingers to her forehead.
"You don't understand, Noah. I can't talk to her, not now. Please, just let me handle things on my own, and stay out of this." Pleaded Katie.
Noah was the next to let out a sigh.
"Whatever, fine. You're right; this isn't any of my business. Just don't think you can solve this by avoiding her the whole time." Conceded Noah.
As he walked away, Noah frowned as he thought to himself.
"Well, that was a bit disappointing. And to think I believed she had grown mature and wise…such a shame."
"Okay everybody, eyes over here!" Shouted Chris, once again halting all conversation amongst the cast.
Vehicle eighteen pulled up at last, having taken longer to show up for some reason. Once it stopped completely, the door to it opened, revealing a somewhat subdued Geoff.
"S'up dude, how're you holding up right now?" Asked Chris.
"I'm alright, man. Just coming out to do this because I don't really have anything better to do…" Responded Geoff.
Geoff was essentially wearing his classic Total Drama outfit. The same pink shirt and blue shorts, though instead of sandals he now was wearing red-orange sneakers on his feet. And, of course, Geoff sported his classic cowboy hat that he always had atop his banana of a head.
"Is that so?" Asked Chris suspiciously. "I mean you're such the party animal that I would've expected you to be a little more into the…party spirit…"
"Oh, I do still party dude. I've just hit a rough patch in my life, and well…I don't have the drive at the moment…" Replied Geoff.
As this new side of Geoff baffled Chris, an intern quickly came up to the host and spoke into his ear.
"What? He hasn't taken his meds yet today?" Chris asked in realization. "Shoot, well then give them to him!"
As the intern handed Geoff some pills and a glass of water, Chris sighed and put two fingers to his forehead, clearly exasperated by the inefficiency of his crew to relay information to him properly.
"Feel better yet, bro?" Asked Chris as he tapped his foot like an impatient rabbit.
"The feels are coming back to me already! I'll be nice and chipper once I start to socialize with the dudes over there." Said Geoff. "Don't worry about me, just don't forget to let me have those before breakfast and before bed."
As Geoff walked with confidence to the waiting area, Chris gazed at him, concerned.
"Are you sure he should be here, intern? He did pass the psych test, right?" Asked Chris.
"What psych test, Mr. McLean?" Replied the intern.
"…I see." Said Chris, with a hint of worry in his voice.
Geoff received a warm welcome from the others (and especially from the other guys) as he began to integrate himself amongst the mass of returning players in the waiting area.
"Dude, you're BACK!" Exclaimed Owen.
"I know! Isn't it awesome?" Sang Geoff.
Duncan and DJ made sure to fist-bump the party animal as he received the quintessential "bro's welcome" from his old buddies. Gwen also jumped in to give him a playful push.
"Don't ever let the party in you die, dude!" Sang Cody as he breakdanced past Geoff.
"Just don't double eliminate me first and I'll be alright, my man." Said Geoff in reply.
As Geoff began dancing and spinning around with his old friends, some other people outside the circle had been eager to join in with him in their own mini-party.
"Aw heck, even I'm not too important for this." Said Justin.
"Perhaps I can woo one of the guys into an alliance. This is my chance to be part of something social!" Thought Heather.
Very quickly, a full-fledged party had been started. Trent and Leshawna were having a dance-off; Harold laid down a sick beat as Cody began to rap quite impressively, and Owen carried Gwen and Beth on his shoulders as they waved their hands in the air excitedly.
Off to the side however, Bridgette avoided even looking at the spectacle, and began sighing deeply.
"Hey, is something wrong?" Asked a gentle yet dry voice.
Bridgette turned to her left to see Noah, standing there without any enthusiasm or desire to join the small party before them.
"Oh, you wouldn't understand Noah." Lamented Bridgette. "It's complicated."
"Hey, even a no-fun blowhard like me can be a good listener." Chuckled Noah. "Besides, my lips are sealed- nobody else can hear over that rave in front of you."
Bridgette considered whether or not she should trust Noah for a moment, before sighing.
"Well…let's just say Geoff and I aren't exactly that close anymore." Lamented Bridgette.
"Oh…" Replied Noah, who winced in understanding. "…I'm sorry, Bridgette."
"Don't worry about it too much, I'll be fine." Sighed Bridgette, before continuing. "It all happened a year ago. I didn't think I'd ever see him again. I'm just not ready, Noah. I don't want to have to deal with seeing him again right now."
"Well, I don't know exactly how that feels, but you have my sympathies." Said Noah. "I'm sure that if you can buy some time to be alone, you'll be alright."
"I guess we'll have to see…you know what? I feel a lot better now. Thank you Noah, it really does help to have someone listen." Smiled Bridgette.
"Anytime." He said…
…Right before a deafening noise pierced their ears. Chris had turned on his megaphone.
"WOULD YOU ALL PLEASE STOP? THAT. PARTY!" Screamed Chris.
Everybody froze immediately, all except for Geoff himself, who was still spinning with Izzy and Katie in the midst of one of his dances.
"GEOFF!" Shouted Chris.
The dance did not halt, and in fact Geoff had almost no idea everything around him had stopped.
"GEOFF!" Chris screamed again.
That did the trick. In an instant, Geoff caught Izzy in one arm and Katie in the other as he stopped, and put both back down on their feet. Realizing the commotion he had just caused, Geoff sheepishly grinned towards the host, with most eyes on him.
"Um, oops?" He said with embarrassment.
"Geoff, I am going to let you off with a warning. Just. This. Once." Warned Chris. "However, if you ever create another spontaneous party just by casually mingling with your competition, I will happily go back to dealing with depressed-you!"
As if the host's words had just punctured his lungs, Geoff immediately deflated into a much less hyper mood. Everybody seemed to be in anguish over the fact that the party was now over.
"Okay…" Conceded Geoff.
As Geoff looked rather beat down again, Izzy was putting her hair, which had been made a mess, back into a bun.
"My word, that man sure knows how to toss a woman's weight around." She sighed.
"Now, pay attention you buffoons!" Yelled Chris as the next vehicle rolled up.
The door to the nineteenth vehicle flew off as Sierra barreled out of the confined seating area.
Sierra had a new outfit this time; now she wore a darker pair of high water jeans and a lime green t-shirt, covered by a magenta jacket. Her hair was mid-length now, and her make-up was a lot lighter this time around. Her shoes were rainbow cleats, designed to allow her to run on any surface.
"Oh my goodness, guys! If my senses are correct, then Geoff just threw one of his well-known impromptu parties!" Exclaimed Sierra.
"Right you are Sierra." Said Chris. "Though I wouldn't be crestfallen to have missed it."
"Why of course, you're not a very patient man, Chris." Replied Sierra. "Everybody knows that."
"Thank you." Said Chris, not realizing that Sierra had just put him down.
Looking around, Sierra was confused about the setting she was in. Her hyperactive disposition was gone, yet she was still quick to analyze everything.
"Hmm, looks like you're bringing back all the originals, Chris. Though since I'm here too, I imagine…crap." Sighed Sierra.
Chris shook his head, realizing he was way behind schedule.
"Okay Ms. Total Drama, just get going over to the waiting zone. I need to introduce you guys a little faster than I have been- Geoff's "party" cost us some precious time." Said Chris.
"Will do, Chris." She nodded, as she hurried to the others.
Reactions to Sierra's arrival were mixed, though they merely ranged from light eye rolls to hearty waves.
"Hey guys!" Greeted Sierra excitedly.
"Yo girl, you look pretty nice." Said Leshawna.
"Thanks. How crazy would it be though, if I was wearing the same silly clothes from last season?" Asked Sierra.
"I wouldn't be surprised." Remarked Justin. "Who says you aren't still a little crazy?"
"Trust me, you have no idea what the severity of my issues were a few years ago." Assured Sierra. "I was practically insane! Luckily, I've been able to overcome those problems and stop treated all my favorite celebrities like gods."
"Hmm, so I guess that explains why you used to analyze every detail of our lives?" Asked Sadie.
"Indeed. Of course, I still like to update my blogs regarding shows like Total Drama and others. Except now, I understand that I'm just as much a part of the Total Drama family as you all. I'm here to play a good strategic game, and win against everybody fair and square." Explained Sierra.
"Wow, wise idea to just announce that in front of everybody." Said Heather.
"I wouldn't be calling anybody out, Heather." Warned Cody. "You would be lucky if anyone trusts you over someone as sociable as Sierra."
"Aw, I appreciate that Cody." Smiled Sierra. "It's okay though, I don't need any help holding my own against Heather. We all know she's had a history of being too strategic for her own good."
"Indeed she has been." Agreed Trent.
"Do you just have a habit of jumping into other peoples' conversations?" Spat Heather.
Trent looked genuinely confused.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
This conversation was quickly cut short after Chris began to loudly cough into his elbow.
"AHEM! Moving on…" Grumbled Chris.
Vehicle twenty stopped next to Chris a few moments later, and quickly deposited its contents in the form of an unbelievably gorgeous Lindsay.
"Hi Chris, lovely weather we're having today!" Sang Lindsay.
Lindsay had on a silky grey blouse, which covered her cleavage completely, much to Chris's apparent disappointment. She had on a red and white skirt on top of her black leggings, along with red sandals on her feet. Her hair was as full as ever, and was even longer than it used to be, apparent as her luscious locks floated gently in the wind.
"Whoa, you finally got my name right on the first try!" Exclaimed Chris. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Lindsay?"
"Silly Christopher, I am the real Lindsay!" Said Lindsay, missing the joke completely. "Although I was a huge dimwit a few years ago, I am not going to the dumb girl this season."
"Don't worry, I believe you." Assured Chris. "So, Lindsay, do have any particular strategy you'd like to use this season? You were the first boot of All Stars, so…"
"I'm going to have to be useful to any team I'm on. With luck, I'll land on the best one and not have to worry about elimination!" Explained Lindsay.
"Should that happen, we'll find out if that strategy carries you far into the game." Said Chris.
"It'd better, because I already bet fifty bucks that I would outlast Heather this season! Everyone'll be damned if she spends more time here than I do." Said Lindsay.
"Sounds like a plan alright." Smiled Chris. "Now quick, hurry to the waiting area. We've got several more people to introduce!"
Lindsay certainly turned a few heads as she galloped over to the crowd; even most of the girls had to stop their eyes from drifting as they were gawking at her beauty.
"Hi guys! It's great to see everyone again- just don't vote me out too early, or else I will have dressed up for you all for nothing!" Greeted Lindsay, making sure to wink during her last line.
"LINDSAY!" Exclaimed a voice in excitement.
Lindsay turned her head in time to see Tyler barreling towards her with his arms spread wide for a hug.
"Tyler, not here!" Chuckled Lindsay.
Joke or no, it was too late as Tyler nearly tackled her with an embrace of pure affection.
"C'mon silly, you talk to me every few days. You act like you haven't seen me in years." Said Lindsay.
"I know". Said Tyler, still holding her. "But this is the first time we've seen each other in person in a while. Can you really blame me?"
"No, I can understand it." Cooed Lindsay.
No sooner after that, the two were kissing each other. Messily.
Those watching didn't want to watch this public display of affection, but before everybody could voice their complaints, Geoff began to dance once again, making a revolution around the couple before break dancing off to the side of them.
"AAAAY! OOOOH! REUNION PARTAAAAAAY!" He sang.
Soon everybody, save a few people, was in the party spirit once again, following Geoff's lead as they let loose once more. Noticing what was happening around them, Lindsay and Tyler were quick to join it.
The fun was cut short fairly quickly, however, as a loud siren was heard coming from a megaphone. Stopping their party, the contestants turned to look at Chris once again.
"EVERYBODY SHUT UP!" Screamed Chris. "GEOFF! IF YOU DO THAT ONE MORE TIME, YOU WILL BE OUT OF THIS GAME!"
Geoff chuckled nervously, once again feeling ashamed of his random partying outburst. Feeling guilty also, many people tried to cheer Geoff up again.
"He won't really do it. You'll be fine." Assured Harold.
"Yeah, no way will he cut one of us right away. The fans would turn on Chris in an instant if he kicked you off before the first vote." Added Katie.
"I'm sure Katie is right." Said Beth. "Though I would advise holding off on that for just a little while. You wouldn't want to get Ella'd out of the game."
"That one time last season was a bunch of bull though, and we all know it." Declared Sadie.
"I know! Poor, dear Ella…at least she didn't get hurt any further." Added Sierra.
"Don't worry guys, we're adults now." Said DJ. "If Chris does something that's totally not right, we can call him out for it."
Just then, the next vehicle had shown up, and was ready to release its cargo.
"Give our next person of honor your undivided attention, ladies and germs!" Sang Chris. "Number twenty one out of…something, is someone I know you guys will like!"
Interested by his words, the contestants watched as a pair of legs left the vehicle…and to the disappointment of many, was Courtney. However, her outfit quickly drew their attention away from that disappointment.
Courtney was dressed from head to toe in a very professional business outfit, which was a deep blue-purple. She wore a pair of gorgeous sapphire earrings, and her lipstick was a beautiful shade of maroon. She wore heels, and had on silky, black leggings under her business suit. Finally, her hair was perfectly straightened, and she wore sky blue glasses for eyesight. Needless to say, she was absolutely gorgeous- the outfit clung to her body so tightly that every curve on her body was exaggerated to the extreme. She held a suitcase in her right hand that contained another change of clothes.
"'Ello, Courtney. How're you doin' lately, you 'avin a jolly good time, lass?" Greeted Chris.
"Please talk to me in a way so that I can take you seriously, Chris." Barked Courtney. "Also, don't waste my time please. What's the situation here, anyway?"
"Well Mrs. Secretary, you've been brought back for another season of Total Drama. It will be very tough and long, but I can assure you that the prize will be worth it if you can manage to win at the end. Think you're up for the challenge?" Monologued Chris.
"Of course I am, Christopher. I never back down from a challenge. However, I highly disapprove of your methods for bringing me back out here- you admonishingly forced me, and didn't give me a choice." Chastised Courtney.
"No, you signed a waiver form to come out here again. Do you not remember that?" Asked Chris seriously.
"Your interns grabbed me right after I signed the waiver. They held me for hours before I could prepare for the show properly." Said Courtney.
"What, will you sue me again?" Joked Chris.
"I very well could, but I won't." Replied Courtney. "This is a business trip, and nothing more. Now, allow me to leave you at once."
"Wouldn't dream of stopping you." Said Chris.
As Courtney walked slowly over, the others had mixed reactions about her arrival. While many were tense due to past relations and conflicts involving Courtney, many of the guys could not look away from her simply ravishing outfit. Noticing the stares, Courtney glared at each person she caught doing it, though it didn't necessarily dissuade them.
"That's a pretty…professional outfit, Courtney." Said Owen, doing his best to cut the tension.
"Thank you Owen." Smiled Courtney. "I'm glad you're appreciative as to why I dressed this way."
"That's not the only reason." Smirked Noah as he stole a glance at Courtney's ass.
"Dear, are you sure that was a good choice of clothing to wear if you want to be taken seriously?" Asked Izzy in a serious tone.
"Spare me, you gaseous sycophant." Barked Courtney. "While I commend you for generally acting more behaved, I suggest you not ogle at my outfit in such a manner, nor act like it's any of your business how I dress."
Duncan, though quite enamored by his ex's new look, was disgusted by the degree to which Courtney dismissed everybody who disagreed with her in the slightest.
"She won't be long for this game." He murmured to himself.
Chris sounded off his air horn to draw everybody's attention once again.
"Guys! We're almost done, just please bear with me for a minute." Begged Chris. "Here's number twenty-two right now!"
The vehicle had already arrived, and as soon as Chris allowed the door to be unlocked, it opened, revealing another contestant that drew the eyes of many.
"Hola, everybody!" Sang a familiar voice.
"Alejandro! Long time, no see." Greeted Chris.
Bearing a similar outfit to his classic wardrobe, Alejandro had on a maroon V-neck and somewhat loose-fitting blue jeans, with a necklace around his neck that had a bull on it. He looked as attractive as ever, though everybody at this point knew he was not just a pretty face.
"Chris, I am very humbled to be back. Alas, while I greatly enjoyed my first two attempts playing, I never truly got what I came to play for." Lamented Alejandro. "I am pleased to have the opportunity to fight for it once again."
"You mean the prize money, I assume." Surmised Chris. "Well, I do like a competitor that says he enjoyed the experience. Think you can last this time around, given your history?"
This drew a deep sigh out of Alejandro, as though he remembered everything from his past seasons in an instant.
"It all depends, mi amigo. If I'm on a fairly successful team, I may have the time I need to form necessary bonds and alliances. If not, I'm sure I'll still find a way." Explained Alejandro.
"I'll be watching, my friend. Let's see if you can live up to your own expectations." Said Chris. "Now, go ahead and see all your old friends."
Alejandro nodded before making a beeline for the waiting area. He saw a multitude of reactions as he approached his competition. They were all going to get squashed in his wake; all of them would fall before him with time. But first, he needed to curry some favor with them along the way before he sliced each of their throats.
"Hello guys, it's been quite some time, hasn't it? How's it going, fellas?" Greeted Alejandro.
Very quickly, several people became quite uncomfortable with Alejandro's presence, shifting in their place, as he looked each person individually in the eyes.
"I don't think I could ever trust that rat." Said Leshawna in a hushed voice.
"Me neither. He has to go, and quick." Said another person.
With much surprise, Leshawna turned to see Heather standing next to her.
"You too? But I thought you loved him." Reasoned Leshawna.
"I do; very much, in fact. However, some wounds just won't heal when it comes to this game." Reasoned Heather. "If I ever get the chance, I will vote him out."
"…I'm sorry, girl. I guess I figured it had been so long that you'd let it go." Murmured Leshawna.
"Don't worry Leshawna- outside of this game, we're fine. We kiss every day. However, I knew that if Alejandro ever came back to play again, and trust me I figured those days were long over, I knew I'd have to get rid of him so I could play my own game." Spewed Heather.
"Well, if you ever want my help in achieving that, I'll help." Assured Leshawna.
Heather looked at Leshawna for a moment, face stoic, before giving her a radiant smile.
"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Leshawna."
This uncharacteristic expression from Heather had caught Leshawna completely off guard, which caused the larger woman to blush furiously.
"Aw no, it's cool. Girls have to watch each other's backs out here, don't they?" Leshawna mused as she shook Heather's hand.
This exchange was seen by Sierra, who now had her finger on her chin.
"Is something going on between those two?" She asked herself.
Meanwhile, Lindsay and Tyler both grimaced at Alejandro while his back was turned to them.
"He kicked me while I was down, Lindsay." Said Tyler. "That's why I've never forgiven him, not even to this day."
"I know! He was also behind my team going down the toilet all pre-merge that season." Lamented Lindsay. "I just really hope we're on a team this season, Tyler. Maybe we won't have to worry about each other getting voted out if we could just win or lose together."
Tyler smiled, and then nodded with a goofy smile.
"I like your thinking, Linds. Hopefully if we are on a team together, we'll win a lot of challenges before we ever lose." Said Tyler.
Meanwhile, Owen was chatting with DJ and Geoff, but was interrupted by his stomach rumbling like crazy.
"Whoa. I don't know about you guys, but I have a feeling something bad is about to happen." He said nervously.
"You too?" Asked Geoff. "I just felt the same way in my gut, just now."
"That can't be good…" Gulped DJ.
A few feet away, Cody and Sadie were chatting causally about the season ahead of them.
"So, there are twenty-two people thus far." Observed Sadie. "How many more do you think there'll be?"
"It's hard to tell for sure." Mused Cody. "However, I can tell that there are a few of us who are missing. Alejandro and Sierra are here, and they didn't debut until World Tour, so that would mean that we'd also be seeing- "
"HEY EVERYBODY, WOULD YOU HALT YOUR SIDE CONVERSATIONS AND PLEASE LOOK THIS WAY?" Yelled Chris.
"SHUT UP CHRIS!" Gwen screamed. "Stop screaming at us every damn time; it's murdering my eardrums more and more with every occurrence! Please just use a quieter sound, dammit!"
Chris looked thoughtful, perhaps thinking through what the Goth was saying.
"Fine. I won't use this megaphone to alert you guys anymore." Conceded Chris. "However, if Geoff decides to throw another one of his silly little 'parties', I will see to it that everybody's hearing is forever lost. Do you all understand?"
Choruses of yes sir's filled the air, the deal having been solidly made.
As the next vehicle slowed itself to a stop, Chris awaited the next person to come out of their confinement. However, after about fifteen seconds, nothing happened. The door simply didn't open.
"Ugh, not this again." Chris groaned.
Figuring that whom he had in mind was too dumb to figure out how to exit the space, Chris came forward with a ring of keys in his right hand to try and unlock the door himself.
That is, until he heard something. Something very loud.
BAM!
At first, Chris just stood there. He didn't know what had just happened, or why such a sound would come from inside the vehicle. It didn't make sense, or sound like anything that would…
BAM!
Letting the sound sink in a second time, Chris's eyes widened in realization. Knowing now who was inside now, he quickly understood that it would be wise to get out of the way.
BAM!
Much to everyone's horror, a large dent was created in the side of the vehicle, and everybody watching suddenly understood along with Chris who was in the metal object…
CRASH!
With one final blow, the busted door to the vehicle flew off, and soared though the air for about ten feet before hitting the ground. As it lay there, pathetically ruined, a familiar female hopped out of her prison.
Not noticing the other contestants, she quickly turned to Chris, venom in her eyes.
"Why didn't you let me out of that prison, you man-child? You had me locked in there!" She growled.
"Hey now, it wasn't my fault Eva. Seriously, that much I promise." Assured Chris.
If it was possible to become more muscular and fit than Eva had been before, then Eva had indeed done both. Now, she was a much stronger powerhouse than she'd ever been before- her mere figure was enough to scare grown men into submission, with more muscular muscles and everything else too. Her long hair was still done in a ponytail, to keep it out of her eyes. She wore a blue tank top; it was very similar to the one she'd worn on her last season, and gripped tightly to her massive breasts. Her athletic shorts were also blue, going down to around her knees. Finally, her black athletic shoes were spiked, and she wore socks that fit the length of her entire calf.
"Sorry, but how was I supposed know that?" Argued Eva. "I was forced to sit in there forever! I only figured that once I stopped, I was supposed to get out somehow. When I couldn't open the door, I tried the next best thing I knew of- breaking it myself!"
"And right you were about one thing, my muscular friend." Said Chris. "It's just a shame that you felt it was necessary to bust your own butt out. I was going to unlock the door right before you pulled that stunt."
"Fair enough, I admit it wasn't very wise. At least I'm finally back, after so many damn seasons of waiting!" Sighed Eva.
"Indeed you are back, and it's a long overdue return for you. Though let me ask you Eva, do you really believe you're savvy enough to make it far in a game like this?" Inquired Chris.
"Why do you feel the need to ask me that?" Asked Eva suspiciously.
"Look at it this way, Iron Maiden. You attended three elimination ceremonies in Total Drama Island. At two of them, you were voted out." Explained Chris. "Where is your confidence right now coming from?"
Eva groaned, knowing that Chris very well had a point with what he was saying.
"Look, it won't be the same! I know I was really hotheaded back then, but I've changed. You'll see!" Argued Eva. "I'll be an irreplaceable asset to whatever team I land on, and I've gotten a lot of help with all those social issues I used to have. You won't be dragging me off in a straightjacket, assuming I lose. Trust me!"
Chris thought for a moment, before shrugging.
"Okay, whatever. It's your game to lose, Eva." Said Chris. "Now please go and stand with the others in the waiting area."
Eva suddenly remembered- the others! Looking over at them, she realized there were a multitude of scared faces and uncomfortable looking people in the crowd of returnees. Though keeping a straight face, she inwardly sighed.
"They probably saw all of that happen." Thought Eva. "Damn it, I have to make sure I put off a better vibe, and actually create some bonds with these people. I just know it won't be easy…though really Eva, was anything ever that easy for you?"
As she got closer to everyone, Eva prepared herself for the worst, as knew what to expect from crowds. Some would probably move to get away from her, fearing that she'd snap their necks if they looked at her wrong. Or worse, they'd cry. Loudly.
To her surprise, this was not what happened. Only a few people, namely Izzy and Noah, were completely unfazed by her presence in the area. Those who reacted to her were either only slightly uncomfortable or unsure of what to make of her being there. In at least some way or another, everyone was looking giving Eva acknowledgement.
"S'up." Greeted Eva.
With her introduction out of the way, she began to walk around the waiting area a bit. All eyes were on her, skeptical of what she was about to do.
"She does realize the way she's coming across, right?" Whispered Izzy.
"She may, she may not. I don't believe though that a change in that is going to take away from how generally intimidating she is." Mused Noah silently.
As Eva figured nobody would talk to her, Sierra came up to her out of nowhere, startling her.
"Hello Eva, how're you doing today?" Said Sierra.
"Good. Fine." Replied Eva.
"I know it's been a long time since you were on a season." Said Sierra. "In fact, it was all the way back during TDI when you even had the chance to compete!"
"…That's true." Said Eva. "You're pretty good at pointing out things that are trivial."
After a moment, Sierra's smile disappeared, and she gave Eva a very sour look. Realizing what she just said, Eva nervously gulped.
"Oh! I-I meant that you know a lot of trivia! Cool trivia at that." Stammered Eva. "Sorry, my mistake- me and words, you know?"
"Drat, I'm blowing it already! How can I be so stupid?" Thought Eva in a panic.
Meanwhile, the most nervous of Eva being nearby seemed to be Bridgette, Courtney, and Heather. All three were currently hiding behind Owen at the moment.
However, much to the surprise of two, one of them suddenly spoke up.
"This is so stupid." Said Heather suddenly. "Why are we still afraid of her, even? We have to stop hiding from her, there's no point."
"I don't think she likes me that much." Admitted Courtney. "I said some things before that definitely made her mad, so I don't want her to associate me with anything negative in her mind."
"Well, I don't know if she still dislikes me to be honest." Said Bridgette. "I have this weird feeling if I see her, and it scares me. I'm just uncertain about so many things…"
Heather motioned to where Eva was standing.
"Look over there, you two. What do you see?" Asked Heather. "All that's going on right now is Eva making a fool of herself. And who knows? Maybe she's changed enough to where she won't be so aggressive anymore."
"That's a big risk to take, Heather." Warned Courtney.
"It might be." Admitted Heather. "Just know I'm not going to act afraid anymore. Not like she can do anything to us without repercussions. I'm out of here."
As Heather stepped out from behind Owen and walked back into the crowd, Bridgette and Courtney were both stunned and a tad impressed by her decision. Looking at each other, they reluctantly did the same, and realized they felt okay.
They would at least be fine for now, they decided.
"Think Heather was right?" Asked Bridgette.
"I hope so…" Said Courtney. "Let's just try to keep an open mind for now…"
Chris looked upon the crowd before him with great interest, seeing how Eva's arrival had changed things.
"And it looks like the drama has already begun. However, there are still a few people we have left to introduce." Mused Chris. "And look! The twenty-fourth one has already made its way here."
Finally showing up to the loading zone, the vehicle stopped next to Chris before the door to it began to open.
"Attention everyone! Our next person has arrived, and I'm sure you're all eager to see who it is." Announced Chris.
The door opened slowly, as Chris could tell the passenger did not want to come outside. Eventually, though, Ezekiel forced himself to step into the sunlight, where all eyes were immediately on him.
"Bonjour, Zeke monsieur." Greeted Chris. "You look a lot better than you did before, my million-stealing friend."
Thanks to years of therapy and medical rehabilitation, Ezekiel had managed to make a full recovery and return to his normal, human form. His skin was once again a pale shade of Caucasian, his hair had grown back, and his facial scruff was meager but visible. He wore his same outfit that he had in the last season simply due to wardrobe reasons, and also had on his ever-recognizable green wool toque.
Looking around, Ezekiel seemed incredibly reluctant to be where he was. Looking over at his fellow contestants, all he managed was a friendly wave.
"…Um…hello, eh." He said sheepishly.
The looks on many of their peoples' already indicated that some people were not happy to see Ezekiel show his face in their presence.
"So, dude, how's your life been treating you outside this game?" Asked Chris. "It must be somewhat decent, given you actually look normal again."
Ezekiel's expression tensed, and he suddenly turned to Chris with a scowl.
"Oh, I ain't forgotten about what you did, McLean." Warned Ezekiel. "I hope you understand that my life getting to crap was your fault. And don't go denyin' it because you know it's true."
Chris mentally eye-rolled, but kept a straight face.
"That's a discussion we'll need to save for another day, home boy." Remarked Chris. "Until then, however, you'll simply have to deal with this game and its elements."
"Chris, my therapist told me that I really shouldn't come back, eh! This ain't gonna be suitable to my health!" Pleaded Ezekiel.
"What about your vitamin D?" Asked Chris. "Though I am curious about another thing Ezekiel, do you think that you could actually last past the first episode this time? You certainly haven't yet before."
Ezekiel could only sigh in contempt of Chris's words.
"Both times I was out first, it was because I made silly mistakes Chris." Explained Ezekiel. "Since I know better than to do that now, I am much more capable of keeping myself out of trouble. Though if you keep bringing up my past so much, it may not matter this time, either, eh."
Chris thought to himself, and then nodded in response.
"A fair point- I'll say no more." Promised Chris. "Other than to tell you it's time to go stand with the rest of your competition."
While ushering Ezekiel over to the waiting area, Chris could tell that the poor kid was not eager to in any way mingle with the group of people ahead.
Too bad it was completely unavoidable. Nobody even made eye contact with him, which added to the tension in the air. Daring to look to his left, he noticed Heather was standing by him, and she was clearly not happy with her position.
"Say, what is this season anyway? Total Drama Desert? I mean, c'mon, eh." Joked Ezekiel.
"Please don't talk to me." She replied, before briskly walking somewhere else.
Sighing dejectedly with much frustration, Ezekiel kicked the dirt at his feet. If what had just happened was any indicator, he wouldn't be able to get anywhere with these people, not soon nor ever.
"Whatever." He growled silently.
Deciding not to waste his time socializing, Ezekiel began to distance himself from everyone else so he could be angry at his situation, alone.
"OOF!"
That is, until he bumped into someone rather hard, and fell over onto his back from the impact.
"Hey, watch where you're going homeschool."
Looking up at the source of the voice, Ezekiel noticed that he had bumped into Eva. The first thing he noticed was the rather cross expression on her face. The next thing he saw was her right hand, which was quickly extending its way towards him.
Suddenly, a memory was triggered in Ezekiel's mind.
Eva's hands wrung his neck with an iron grip, and were quickly lifting him off the ground. All eyes in the room were on Ezekiel as she began to shake and throttle him in the mess hall of Camp Wawanakwa, his lungs desperate for air…
Very quickly, Ezekiel began to panic. Breathing heavily and rapidly, he moved backwards as he scrambled to his feet.
"AAH! Please no, eh!" Yelled Ezekiel, scared out of his mind.
"What the- wait! Hold on a second, Ezekiel!" Pleaded Eva.
A few people were now staring at her as well, as Ezekiel had run away and was now hiding behind Owen.
"What? I was offering to help him up." Explained Eva. "I…I wasn't going to hit him! You guys know that, don't you?"
As murmurs began to fill the air once again, Eva groaned inwardly as she realized her mistake.
"Guess I shouldn't be too surprised that he's still afraid of me…though that little incident there certainly just made me look even worse." She thought.
"Wow, I sure am being used as a hiding place for all of you, aren't I?" Asked Owen in an annoyed tone.
"Sorry, eh." Said Ezekiel sheepishly.
Chris took a good look at the contestants gathered before him, and proudly inhaled before letting out a humongous sigh.
"Ah, what a reunion this is! The entirety of the first generation cast is once again competing together, and we are going to have so. Much. FUN!" Said Chris excitedly.
"Says you." Groaned Courtney. "Aren't you just going to put us through unimaginable hell like how you always used to?"
"Hey now. One man's hell is another man's heaven, so don't be all judgmental out of the gate Mrs. Perfect." Said Chris.
"Can't we just get started already?" Asked Beth. "I'm starting to get a little impatient out here, and we have everybody here now, so…"
"Yeah!" Cheered Tyler. "What she said. Let's go ahead and brawl, because I'm ready to play!"
Chris silenced them both with a blare of his air horn.
"Not so fast you two. I get that you're both excited to begin and all, but Beth is incorrect- because not everybody is here yet!" Explained Chris.
"There's more?" Asked DJ in surprise.
"What the hell, then how many other people are even playing here anyways? The entire second generation and the Pahkitew Island cast or something?" Asked Katie.
Chris's bright smile quickly turned into a large frown.
"No, it is NOT those Pahkitew loons. I am probably quite over most of if not ALL of those guys." Growled Chris.
"If not them, then who?" Asked Gwen.
"Only about a few more people, but you'll see in a sec." Promised Chris.
"Is it someone we've seen before, then?" Asked Sierra.
"Quiet! I said you'll see, just be patient for a moment." Retorted Chris.
About a minute later, a nicer looking metal vehicle pulled itself up to the loading area. Chris appeared to be listening through an earpiece to a crew member, and once he was finished he nodded, turning to the crowd so he could speak.
"This is a contestant who competed a while back, and lucked out by being on a winning team that resulted in her never casting a vote the entire time she was in the game. She is most well known for making a foolish mistake right before the merge- she literally quit while she was ahead, mistaking a discovery she made for something worth more than competing for the Total Drama prize money." Explained Chris.
The door to the vehicle opened, and out came a curvaceous woman with a slight tan along her body.
"Please welcome Anne Maria, everybody!" Announced Chris.
All the classic contestants cheered for Anne Maria, causing her to giggle in delight.
"Hey you guys, I love y'all a super bunch! It's been cool watching you play, and now I'll get to compete along side ya!" Said Anne Maria.
Everybody noticed that her Jersey accent was no longer as thick as it used to be. Due to living in Canada for so long, it had thinned out quite a bit.
In terms of looks, Anne Maria's skin was no longer deep brown due to the lack of spray-tan all over her body. She was still incredibly curvy, looking as beautiful as she used to, if not more so. She still wore a nearly identical outfit from her last season, for the sake of the audience remembering her more easily. Her hair still had its large poof, and she wore much less makeup, though the small amount she had perfectly added to her look.
"In case y'all didn't notice, I've given up on that fake spray-tan garbage. I feel like such a fool, watching myself now on that season! I feel like I've grown up enough not to quit halfway through the season, so at least I won't be labeled a quitta again!" Mused Anne Maria.
"What's funny is that you actually had a considerably large fan base last time you played, and they were pretty upset when that happened." Said Chris.
"Oh, I won't ever disappoint them again, hon. Believe it!" Chirped Anne Maria.
"That's what I like to hear!" Sang Chris. "Now, go meet all the first generation people if you'd please."
Chris didn't have to tell her twice, as she was already giddily approaching everybody else out of excitement to play again.
"Wow, we get to all compete with another second generation contestant!" Said Sierra.
"We have before though, have we not?" Asked Alejandro.
"Oh, we did Alejandro. Only, we didn't see her during All Stars…" She sighed.
Alejandro rolled his eyes, believing Sierra to be acting crazy once again.
"Such a shame, wasn't it?" He replied.
Meanwhile, Katie was running her fingers through Anne Maria's hair in wonderment.
"Whoa, your hair is so soft! Just overall a lovely head of hair…" Mused Katie.
"Thanks, doll." Replied Anne Maria. "Those muscles of yours are really something, too."
"Aw, I'm happy you noticed, girl." Said Katie.
Eva shook her head as she witnessed this conversation, and turned to face away from both girls.
"I'm not very good at making small talk. Most of it annoys me, anyways…" She muttered to herself.
Chris cleared his voice to get everybody's attention once more. They all noticed that another nice looking vehicle had pulled up alongside the host.
"The other contestant I'm about to introduce is from the same season. The way they played seemed to be based on a basic philosophy- don't be an asshole, and confront those who do act like one. Not only that, they went out of their way to stand up for those that couldn't defend themselves, though this person wasn't most know for having a strong backbone either. He was ultimately ousted for making a wise long-term decision that helped his opponents win and resulted in his elimination, and yet never wavering from his morals." Explained Chris.
Most of the contestants seemed to already know who it was, but Chris held silent during a few moments suspense for the sake of the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Brick to the brawl!" Announced Chris.
As the military buff exited his vehicle, he received a big round of applause from everybody (save maybe a couple people). Pleasantly surprised, he gave them all a salute and wave before turning to Chris.
Brick had grown a lot more buff since he had last competed, clearly shown by the size of his arm muscles. He still had flat-topped hair, and his face was completely shaven. He wore a grey-green muscle shirt, along with khaki pants fit for participating in physical activity, and a pair of brown boots that could be worn just about anywhere. He was smiling, and seemed happy to be in front of the classic contestants he watched during seasons one, two and three.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it Brick?" Asked Chris.
"You bet it has Chris." Said Brick in reply. "Why I've been itching to play since I was voted off for being a decent person! Though to be serious, it is nice to have another chance, and I promise I won't let it go to waste."
"Sounds quite promising." Said Chris. "Have a good feeling about competing alongside these twenty-four oldies?"
"I sure do. If nothing else, I'll be a huge asset to any team I'm on. I have the strength and wit to do well in any challenge I face with my teammates." Explained Brick.
"I like your confident outlook, soldier. Anyhow, go ahead and see those other whippersnappers." Said Chris.
With a quick nod and salute, Brick was quick to find the others in the waiting area giving him warm a welcome.
"Whoa, it's cool to finally meet you in person, Brick!" Chirped Lindsay, as she was absolutely star-struck.
"Likewise, Miss Lindsay." Said Brick. "I can appreciate you being a fan of me as much as the other way around."
"S'up dude." Greeted Tyler, offering a fist bump. "Welcome to the sixth eliminated club! With Lindsay, myself, and you!"
"That's a thing?" Asked Brick. "Oh wait! I get it now, that's pretty clever, Tyler."
As Brick chuckled over his bizarre discovery that he was a member of an ultra-exclusive club, Cody was asking Anne Maria questions about him.
"So, isn't it interesting that you two were double-eliminated together"? Asked Cody. "And what was it like being on a team with him?"
Anne Maria thought for a moment or two before she furrowed her eyebrows in remembrance.
"Well, I kinda remember thinking it was baloney that Brick got voted off over Lightning that night, though I was obviously more wrapped up in that whole diamond nightmare." Said Anne Maria. "As for being on the Mutant Maggots with Brick, I didn't really think too strongly one way or the other about him. He was a pretty nice, sorta attractive guy who did good in challenges, so I wasn't going to vote him off. He did let Jo take advantage of him a lot though…hopefully there ain't gonna be any repeats of that, if you catch me."
Anne Maria looked over to the side of him. Cody followed her gaze, seeing that she was looking square at Eva, who had her back turned to them and was far enough away to not hear them talking about her.
"I see what you're getting at. While I don't believe that she and Jo are quite the same, we'll never know how she might act this time around until things truly begin." Said Cody.
"Yeah. Maybe." Conceded Anne Maria.
Once again, an air horn interrupted all conversations being had by the contestants. All of them cranked their heads to see Chris requesting their attention once more.
"ENOUGH!" Yelled Duncan. "This had better be the last damn person you're introducing, because my ears will wither thin if you sound that thing one more time!"
"Chillax Duncan, buddy." Said Chris. "Though it's funny you should mention it, because this actually is the last person that I will introduce for the season."
Everybody rejoiced over this, though they were also curious to see who'd be joining them.
"Is it going to be another person from Revenge of the Island?" Asked Sadie.
"If so, hopefully it isn't Scott." Said Geoff.
"Yeah, I'd be unable to stand having that little weed rat around with us." Blanched Leshawna.
"While I agree, I must say that he sure made a mean stew." Admitted Courtney.
"STOP MAKING PREDICTIONS, ALL OF YOU!" Screamed Chris.
This scared the living daylights out of everybody, and nearly destroyed Chris's voice, forcing him to request a glass of water from an intern.
"Chris, would you please just chill out?" Requested Gwen. "Screaming at us when you want our attention is just going to make that happen over and over again."
"Yes, and since we care deeply for your well-being, don't go screwing things up before the season even gets started." Warned Noah.
"…Alright, I'm good now." Assured Chris. "And yes, I'll be sure to refrain from screaming at you all the time- I do find myself doubting it helps much, anyways."
"He realizes this now?" Asked Courtney.
"So, without any further ado, let's get this last person ready for presentation!" Boomed Chris.
Rather than another metal vehicle, the next contestant was being flown in by helicopter. As it approached the landing site, Chris explained what the mystery player was like.
"Before the season started, the producers started up a contest that would allow us to select from a pool of fans to play in the new season! It was a long time in the making, and it was only about a week ago that we confirmed who the lucky winner of the contest was. This person currently lives in British Columbia, and has quite the spirit for partying- "
"They party? This is gonna be AWESOME!" Yelled Geoff.
"Geoff. Would you kindly SHUT UP! Anyways, she considers herself to be pretty tough, but she hasn't ever been on this show before!"
"Hmm, so it's another girl…" Thought Ezekiel.
"My lovely veterans I ask you now, to please welcome your newest competitor! She's feisty yet chill, quite the lover of old things yet is herself hip and cool, is from Latin America though she grew up mostly in Canada, she's the newest kid on the block, and is about to hit the scene right here, right now, iiiiit's…"
The helicopter lowered itself onto the landing pad, and as the propellers slowed to a halt, its doors flew open to release a tall, attractive young woman.
"Say hello to Skye Perez, folks!" Beamed Chris.
For a few moments, the returning players all gave themselves the opportunity to observe this new girl.
"What's crackalackin', yo?" Greeted Skye with a wave.
Skye had a large volume of red hair on her head, which was currently separated into two giant pigtails in the back, while two small strands of it hung past her bangs in front and a smaller strand hung right in the middle of her forehead. She wore a blue backwards cap on her head that bore a giant heart on its face, and a few smaller ones on the other side. She wore a jacket that was striped, with four giant dark pink and yellow-green stripes running along it, covering most of her torso except for her stomach. Beneath this were a white undershirt and a small necklace with a skull in the middle. On both her wrists were red wristbands. For pants she wore light blue denim high waters, and finally had blue sneakers on her feet. For the most part, Skye was pretty lean but also had quite a bit of strength hidden away within her figure.
[Note: There are images online of her if you search "total drama skye perez". You'll find them pretty quickly.]
"She looks a lot like Aria Blaze to me. I definitely should not bring this up out loud, though, for so many reasons." Thought Harold.
There was a brief silence, as the veterans seemed to be sizing her up, but someone nobody was expecting to raise their voice soon broke it.
"That's weird, eh. Wasn't there already someone named 'Sky' on this show?" Asked Ezekiel.
Almost everybody glared at him right away, causing him to immediately realize how inappropriate and rude his question sounded.
"Oops". He thought to himself.
"You fool!" Cried Alejandro. "Not only is it totally uncouth to compare a lady to another by name, but you just gave a lucky fan the worst greeting to our show possible!"
"Not cool man." Said Duncan in agreement.
"Wait, eh! I didn't mean- "
Ezekiel's pleas were drowned out fairly quickly, as there was now a huge collective bickering over what he had just said. It had completely taken the attention away from Skye, who just stood there, looking unsure of what to do.
"…Um, Chris?" She began to ask.
"I'll handle this." Said the host.
A loud air horn pierced the air, silencing everyone that was upset immediately.
"YOU IMBECILES!" Screamed Chris.
He then immediately requested another glass of water, which he downed as soon as it was handed to him. Clearing his throat, he began to speak once again.
"How could you ruin your first impressions for Skye so quickly? You all should be embarrassed!" Roared Chris.
"Hey! He started it." Whined Eva.
She pointed at Ezekiel, and nearly everybody glared at him again, causing him to hide under his toque in shame.
"Guys, it's fine." Said Skye. "Just chillax and give him a break; I know he wasn't trying to insult me."
Ezekiel was glad to hear that she wasn't mad, but was still ashamed nonetheless.
"I don't care if it's about something anyone said that was stupid, that is no excuse to erupt into discourse and interrupt my introduction of our fan contestant." Lambasted Chris. "Luckily for you all, I'm not going to punish anybody. This time."
"Hey, not everybody was calling for war over what Zeke said like an idiot." Protested Noah. "I was just standing here, being quiet and reading my eBook on my phone."
"Then know I wasn't talking about you, Noah." Replied Chris. "Anyways, time to get on to the actual introduction. How're you doing, Skye?"
Skye turned when she heard her name, and realized Chris was asking her some questions.
"Oh, I'm doing quite well Chris. It's actually rather amazing to have the chance to answer your questions as I'm being introduced to all the first generation players!" Answered Skye, before adding. "Oh, plus Anne Maria and Brick, too."
"I see." Said Chris. "And if you're wondering why they're the only season four players here, it's because they were the only two from that season who expressed any interest in returning. So, we made things work with that being the case."
"Wow…sorry, I'm just still really buzzed about finally being on my favorite show!" Said Skye. "I'm totally part of the Total Drama family now, bro."
"Indeed you are." Agreed Chris. "Now, do you believe you have what it takes to go the distance, Skye?"
"I sure do, Holmes. For one, I'm both really strong and agile, and I feel like I can really connect with people when I need to, yo." Answered Skye.
"Those sound like good reasons to me. Now, will the veterans keep you around, or want you gone? Only time will tell…" Mused Chris.
"Now, when you put it that way…" Began Skye worriedly.
"It's what you make of it." Assured Chris. "Now, go and get up close with those pigs in human clothing, if you dare!"
Deciding to waltz over to the veterans, Skye was certainly the new focal point that drew everyone's attention at the moment.
Being new on the proverbial market for strategy and bonding, this was everybody's chance to get to know her, and perhaps she'd become important to someone's game very soon.
"Hey y'all, it's great to be here! And to be honest, I kinda want to know each and every one of you, if time allows." Said Skye excitedly.
As many of the veterans exchanged their brief hellos with Skye, many things were on each of their minds. Some were dazzled by her looks, focusing on how attractive she was. Others were thinking of how they might use her to advance in the game by making her their 'new best friend'. Others simply wanted to chat with their new competitor to pass the time, though they'd get the chance to do that soon.
A few people, however, chose not to scramble and try introducing themselves to Skye right away. There were many reasons for this as well.
Ezekiel stood outside the circle of people flocking around Skye, still wallowing in his shame that had been cast upon him by nearly everyone.
"Can I do anything right, eh?" He asked himself. "Every time I open my mouth, it gets me in trouble on this show…"
Eva meanwhile stood off to the side as well, giving the new girl a wry look.
"There's something about that girl that seems a bit off to me." She said to herself. "I don't know what it is, but I know I can't let her out of my sights…"
Noah also stood off to the side, taking a break from socializing to read an article about pseudoephedrine applications on his eBook.
"Fascinating. As is Skye, though she's a fairly new face. Maybe if I can meet her alone, I'll be able to hold a conversation. So long as she's surrounded by these lunatics altogether, I can't." Mused Noah.
"Still allergic to being social, I see?"
"No, but right now I can't deal with a big crowd, Courtney." Replied Noah.
"Fair enough. Sometimes it can overwhelm you, though I see for you it's always." Chuckled Courtney.
"So, what do you think of her, anyway?" Asked Noah.
"You mean Skye? Well, she appears a little offbeat, but from what it seems she could get along with just about anyone alright. Obviously we can't let her make it too far in the game." Mused Courtney.
"I forgot you were big on strategy. It's too soon to think that far ahead in my opinion, but I can appreciate your rationality." Smiled Noah.
Shouting and cheering was suddenly heard, drawing the attention of those outside the circle. A few glances revealed that Geoff had thrown another party in honor of Skye's debut, and he was personally giving her a welcome dance.
"THERE'S A PARTY OVER HERE…! THERE'S A PARTY OVER THERE…!" Sang Geoff as he twirled Skye in his hands like a javelin.
"Yahooooo!" Cheered Skye.
She was having a real blast in the heat of the party, which Chris had no choice but to let continue for the next fifteen minutes.
Later…
After it had concluded, Geoff hung his head in shame as he stood before Chris.
"I warned you, Geoff! I told you there'd be consequences, and did you listen? NO!" Scolded Chris.
"I'm super sorry with ice cream on top…" Muttered Geoff.
"That won't cut it, you're a grown ass dude." Barked Chris. "And now, for your punishment…"
"WAIT!" Cried Skye. "Chris, please don't make him leave, or anything for that matter. He was making sure that my welcome was as good as it could be! Besides, I didn't even know he was on party probation- it was my idea to do it!"
Chris stroked his chin, thinking to himself about this weird situation he'd never experienced before.
"Can anybody confirm this?" Asked the host.
"I can." Affirmed Izzy. "She strongly encouraged a small celebration, to which she added that Geoff ought to throw a party, as she put it."
Chris nodded, believing her words to be true.
"Well, I suppose that Geoff isn't entirely at fault here as I'd initially believed. However, it was still a disruption that cost us time, and something must be done." Demanded Chris.
"Don't punish him, I'll take the brunt of this!" Pleaded Skye. "Anything so that nobody has to leave!"
Chris furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Well, then how do you suggest- you know what? Screw it. I'm just going to let this one go."
Everybody heaved a sigh of relief, since Chris letting something go only happened once every blue harvest moon.
"Good thing he decided to turn away and slam the door, so to speak." Sighed Sierra.
"I imagine he didn't care what we were going to say, anyways." Added Tyler.
"Though I would have preferred if he let our little storm rage on." Sighed Trent.
Beth grinned.
"I guess he was bothered because he was- "
"ALRIGHT! Stop it, just…stop it! Before I change my mind on the matter, quit doing that right now." Warned Chris.
Everybody complied immediately, though Lindsay still hummed a certain tune to herself out of earshot of Chris.
"Alright everybody. Now that we have everyone here, I want to officially welcome everybody to this season! Said Chris.
"Here we go…" Said Justin.
"For we are on…TOTAL! DRAMA! BRAWL!" Bellowed Chris.
Silence.
"…Seriously? That's what you named the season?" Frowned Heather.
The other reactions behind her ranged from somewhat impressed to a little disappointed, though nobody else voiced their opinion.
"What? It's edgy! Surely a name like that ought to draw in more viewers." Reasoned Chris.
"It's fine." Assured Lindsay. "In fact, I like that name a lot."
"See? Some people appreciate my genius." Beamed Chris.
Heather groaned, while others either chuckled at her expense or didn't care.
"Now that all that hoo-ha is out of the way, I will lead you all to a railway that will take us where we need to go next." Said Chris.
Everybody looked around, confused as they checked the horizon.
"Where is this 'railway', anyways?" Asked Leshawna.
"Don't move." Answered Chris.
After pressing a button on his watch, the floor beneath the host and contestants began to lower itself slowly, revealing a stairway to what appeared to be the railway Chris had mentioned. Everybody was in awe, impressed by the stunning architecture and constructions created for what appeared to be simply made for the season.
"Okay everybody, we'll head off on that transit very soon. But first, I'd like you all to do something very quick for me." Said Chris.
He pointed to a small alcove in the wall, which had a door leading to a tiny room.
"That is a confessional. It is not the one we will use quite obviously, but I would like you guys to share your thoughts within it real quickly before we head off." Explained Chris. "You'll all have a chance to use it, so really let us know how you feel!"
Looking inside of it, the confessional seemed to be pretty nice for such a remote location.
"I'll go first." Said Eva. "Unless anybody would rather go before me."
Though she said so to be polite, everybody assumed it was meant as a subtle threat. With nobody willing to argue against such a proposition, Eva made her way inside the small, metal room.
(Confessional: Who doesn't enjoy being alone in small metal rooms?)
Eva: If I remember correctly, I've only ever had two of my confessionals aired in the first season. One was to show me voting, and the other was shown during the show's first special. Anyways, now that I get to talk in one of these again, let me say that I am absolutely ecstatic to be back. My return has been long overdue, but now I'll finally be able to prove my worth in this game. I'll have to land on a good team and manage my social relationships a lot better, but I know I've got it this time. The only thing I have to worry about is if I end up blowing up at somebody, but I can make myself control that urge nowadays, and even then I struggle to find a reason I shouldn't at least make the merge. So, long story short? Watch out everybody, because I'm going to tear anyone apart that gets in my way of winning.
Owen: Wow, it's been forever since I've talked directly into a camera. All I can say so far is that it'll be different without the old me being here, and now the new me will be able to perform aptly in this game, both physically and socially! I guess it's weird that I was hardly a target anyway, but now the chances of me getting voted off should be as close to zero as it can be!
Cody: I'm doing pretty well with my life, though I will say that when Chris wanted me back, I agreed to return in a heartbeat. I know I came close to winning before, but in all honesty Sierra dragged me there so I don't deserve any credit for it. I'm cool completely with Sierra now, but I'm hoping that this time I can do what I need to all by myself. I have a lot of friends out here, but I'll need to ensure that my team comprises of people that I know I can work with. Is it something I'll have control over? Maybe. Assuming things will be random, however, I'll have to make myself seem enough of an asset AND a non-threat to everybody so I can make it to the finals once more.
Beth: I've learned a lot growing up since Total Drama Action. I did make it to the end in that season, and make no mistake, I'm very proud of myself for that. This time around, however, there's a lot more people competing for the prize, so I know I'll need to work even harder if I want to reach that final two a second time. No matter what the outcome is, I can walk away feeling proud, but I know in all honesty that I'm hungry for the win again. I won't make it personal with anyone, which I imagine is the unnecessary evil some people mess around with when playing a cutthroat game such as this.
DJ: Dude, I'm super glad to be back here again. I can't really explain it, but maybe I know that no matter what, this is going to be so much better than World Tour could ever be for me. I had serious problems, and an actual condition might I add. It essentially caused me to act like I was a little lost baby without me even realizing it. So, as soon as I asked people I knew for help, they were there for me and things began to get better. I know I've always been the nice guy, and I would never ruin my friendships for some money that won't last, but I'm very motivated to win this season. I hope to make momma proud!
Katie: I felt really awkward the whole time Sadie was there. Like, I really do mean the whole time. I'm just glad that nobody other than Noah called me out on it, because I wasn't prepared to deal with this whole ordeal between us just yet…but nonetheless, I know that this game is first and foremost about deceiving your opponents. I know that sounds really gross and evil, but really that's just the lie we're always fed every time- that strategy is evil. For some reason, it always seems like each season with us, the "antagonists" were the only people actually thinking about votes and numbers. Why? Sure, they're also stupidly lucky, but I feel like people wait too long in most instances to make decisions regarding whom to vote off, like they can put off doing their math worksheet until an hour before it's due. That's why I intend to be smarter about numbers, and actually make moves to benefit my own game.
Izzy: Without naming names, I can already tell that some people here right now aren't going to win this season. That falls under various reasons, including the fact that they've gone far in the past, won already, made themselves out to be untrustworthy in previous seasons, or they've just already made enough of a fool of themselves this season that they may not be around for very much longer. But again, I won't name names. All I can say with certainty is that I will ensure my own success by being useful to others who need me. While I make them believe they're in control, I'll be the one secretly in the driver's seat. And I know it to be true, for realzies.
Anne Maria: Watching Revenge of the Island nowadays makes me feel really embarrassed for my younger self. For now and forever, there'll exist tapes of me, several years younger, acting like a complete fool. I understand that I've changed in my personal life, but in terms of Total Drama there may be some lingering perceptions of me based on my old self. First on my list is crushing what remains of that, and then finding people who will ally with me for the long run. Since there are so many big threats in this game that are more noticeable than me, I'll need to make sure that those sorts of people are kept around so I won't be voted off before they are. Perhaps if that plan works, I can earn back what I lost for picking that stupid diamond over the game…
Gwen: From what I've experienced so far while here, some people have changed quite a bit. Others, they haven't so much. I carry a lot of baggage from playing so many times already, so I'm going to need to end up on a successful team to ensure I avoid elimination often. If you think about it, there are so many reasons to point to me and suggest voting me off this season, since I've made it to the final four twice, and…well, it could happen! I have every right to be skeptical of the others, even though I do have a lot of friends in this cast.
Justin: It's really difficult to withhold everything I wish to say in reply to a lot of stupid stuff people keep spewing. I'm likable enough; I just need to make sure that the others have a nice face and body to look at and then…viola. I am being very serious here- based on what I know, the average person is more likely to want to hang with a person they find good to look at than someone who they don't want to as much. Other factors are there, such as sociability and subtle things that will make people feel more comfortable around each other, but the entire physical aspect does matter. There was a moment during the introductions where I came across kind of like a dick, which was not at all my intent. I'm simply trying to manipulate people based on what can toy with their thought processes, and I wasn't quite utilizing them in the past enough…now I'm a little more used to the tricks of the trade.
Sierra: Oh my goodness, it took all of my willpower to not go crazy and ask Skye a million questions right out of the gate! Since she's the new girl, I know nothing about her at all and to be frank, I'm not entirely happy about that. However, if I can spend some time getting to know her better, I may be able to use my knowledge of her to my advantage, should I acquire it. I don't want to be creepy about it, but I think there's a lot of backstory to her, so I'm going to take it upon myself to form that bond.
Brick: At last! I am able to not only sit in, but also talk in one of these things once again. Now, last time I played the game I was punished for a decision I made to save the other teammates from certain death. Not only were they my friends, but also I wasn't going to let anyone die right in front of me that day. I am very proud of myself for doing it and I would never ever change what I did if I was presented the opportunity. However, with that being the case, I was disappointed when I realized I was eliminated before the merge, and that I failed to win as I'd hoped. Even having come to terms with that, this new opportunity is absolutely incredible. While I face more opponents than before, I know that I can hold my own against them all. I will make sure that whichever team I'm on will be valiantly led to victory, time and time again.
Courtney: All of these people make me so frustrated. Some can't sit still for ten seconds. Others can't understand what you mean by what you say, and it all drives me really crazy! That being said, I know that the view some have of me is…less than favorable. I've come to terms with the fact that I could be a target if I don't tread carefully, so I'm going to have to play a lot more slowly than I am used to. One thing I can say for sure is that wearing the rather sensual costume was an intentional move. I'm currently a single woman, and I do know what I can do to subtly manipulate the guys in this cast, knowing what each of them is like. If it comes down to making the men bow before me, then I'll have already won. Of course, other women could be difficult to work with if they don't like me, which is why I know I'll need to be a lot savvier than ever before with my strategic moves. And this time, I won't be stupid and draw a chart that might be discovered…
Harold: If I'm being perfectly honest, not everything has been hunky-dory with my life ever since I thought I was done with Total Drama. I began to grow apart from many of my friends on this show, not necessarily on purpose either, but I feel like it's going to be as though I'm meeting them for the first time all over again. I was in a very serious relationship with this beautiful woman named Lana- unfortunately, we broke it off abruptly last year, and I was incredibly depressed afterwards. I was like that for around seven months or so, and that was inarguably the worst period of my life. It was hard, man- it was around the end of those seven months that I started talking to Leshawna again. I needed to go to someone, didn't I? Over time I got healthier again, and fortunately I'm good enough now to have been cleared for this show. Now, regarding strategy I'm certainly going to make sure that I don't do anything stupid this time, like…oh, I don't know, quitting? I'm amazed that I was manipulated so easily back then, but you can only look to the future, am I right?
Heather: I'm not thoroughly convinced that everybody has changed so much. In a way, we're all a lot similar to how we used to be, at least now that we're all together again. The new girl is interesting, and I do hope I can talk with her alone at some point. That aside though, what will be important this time is making sure I'm not public enemy number one. Ever. Should I manage to avoid the heat early on, and I can create some momentum or perhaps an alliance, I should cruise straight into the endgame.
Leshawna: Coming back feels really weird. I imagine for anyone who goes back to college when they're forty-something, this is quite similar. Even though I'm not certain of everything I think I know just yet, I still intend to fight for the win. Fortunately after the disaster of a performance I had in World Tour, I managed to still keep a lot of my friendships from this show solid even as I had to begin living my own life along the way. Harold disappeared from my circle for a while, but he appeared again last year or so, and I'm looking forward to seeing not only him but also my other old friends, too. And this new girl, maybe she can be my friend, too?
Geoff: Man, I feel so weird right now. Life back home has had its ups and downs, but here I am with a bunch of people that I never figured I'd ever get to visit again. Some of the experience so far has brought up some unpleasant memories, but there are plenty of positives to counter against those. So far, I like the new girl, and a lot of the guys here are really nice to talk to. DJ, Duncan and Owen are all good examples, though everyone is mostly quite friendly nowadays. I just need to make sure I take my medication so that I'm not…oh, wait a minute. I think I'm using too much time in here. Got to run!
Trent: I feel like some of the others probably said something along these lines already, but I deeply regret some things I said and did the last time I played. It was such a long time ago, but I still remember some of that stuff and it sucks. I can't undo the past, but I know a lot of us have moved on, and at least Gwen and I are cool as friends. I'm hoping that nothing in this game opens any old wounds, but other than that I have few worries. I just want to redeem myself after such a lousy run last time around.
Sadie: I know there's an elephant in the room when it comes to Katie and I right now. I feel like we started growing apart around a certain time when…actually, I'd rather not think about it too hard right now. All I can say is, she needs her space and I will respect her wishes. It's just really difficult to have to deal with this, since I figured we'd never see each other again…but enough about her. Me? I'm simply here to play in challenges and win them in order to make it all the way. I had a chance to make a big move last time that wasn't shown, but I blew it trying to vote off Harold the night I left. Better not make the same mistake again…
Tyler: When I was booted off the show with that injury in World Tour, it was probably the lowest I'd ever felt in the history of my life. Once I fully recovered, I did everything I could to make myself better. I trained, worked hard, ate better, but also made sure I would get smarter, too. And to some degree, I feel like it's had a huge effect on me. Fortunately, I also was able to stay in touch with Lindsay pretty much the whole time. Now that I've returned, I want to become a person that people can look to as a reliable asset, not some buffoon that's just getting in the way. I want to be strategic too, and let people know I mean business. First, however, I'll need to take baby steps to ensure that happens.
Duncan: Wow, that new girl sure knows how to party. So, why am I back again? Don't ask me, I was simply begged by Chris to come back since I am apparently still worth something on his screens. Look, I don't want Total Drama to be my life, okay? In fact, I really regret some things I've done on this show, since there are millions who've judged me from watching it alone. While they didn't know everything about me, they weren't wrong to lambast me for being such a jerk. Now to go to jail, I mean like real jail, it wasn't pretty at all. So as a former delinquent, I tell kids now…don't go to jail. It's a hell on Earth, if you even truly understand what that means.
Lindsay: I can't say that I don't appreciate what Total Drama has done for me. In a sense, it's opened up several doors in my life, ones that allowed me to make some money and earn some exposure to the media as a celebrity for a short time. I never thought I would return to the show, especially after I was such a wreck on All Stars…I don't even remember doing all that stuff they showed me doing. I swear to this day, Chris drugged me with something to make me that stupid. I guess the fact that I got a proper college education helps combat my natural instincts to act like a dumb blonde…
Noah: What can I say? I would have been content never showing my face on the show ever again, but you pesky fans just wanted me so badly, didn't you? I'm not going to deny you guys the privilege to see me on your screens again, but don't get any weird ideas that you likely are thinking about constantly. I'm here to play a game, and to win said game. I'm not here to lock lips with anybody that I'm competing against, and especially not with another guy. Though I like that kind of stuff with a woman off the playing field at times, it would be too much to handle while I'm here- and I'm already having too much to deal with already, as you probably saw with me avoiding Geoff's 'party'. Just please be patient, fans of me. You'll get what you want. With time, with time…
Bridgette: …I'm not sure if it was a good idea for me to come back. Yes, I'm athletic, friendly, fun-loving and I will be playing to win this season like I always do…it's just that there's a lot I don't want to have to deal with either. What Geoff and I had is long gone now, and I don't see it ever coming back. He may not seem to pay any mind to it in front of the others, but I know he's still hurting right now; he keeps masking it with those 'parties' he's been throwing. In all honesty, as long as Geoff does what he wants and can be made happy, then I won't be too upset with being here. However, if we're somehow forced to spend time together, I don't think I'll be able to handle it…
Skye: Yo! Just in case you'd forgotten already, my name is Skye Perez and I'm soooooo hyped right now! I am on a season with the entire original cast of Total Drama, along with a few more as well, but this is the real deal bro. Now, I'm no fool- I know they're different people now than they used to be, though many still at least possess some traits they had a few years ago. Some haven't changed a bit, which is fine with me, but this is all about playing against the people I watched play when I was just a teenager myself. I know some things, but now I've got to know them a little more closely…man, once I'm on a team, I hope it all works out for the best! Because bro, I would be in absolute anguish if they all chose to get rid of me right away, being the stranger of the group and whatnot.
Alejandro: Hmm, looks like I'll be facing my largest group of opponents yet. I'm aware that there are other smart people in this group, so I'll have to take out them first if I want to have any control over my foes. It was a strategy that worked for me before in my first season, and when I tried to play a friendlier game the next season, it didn't work out as well for me. Therefore, I will need to target people who I know can outsmart me early on. Though, if it comes down to it I'll vote off whomever I need to in order to advance, in such an instance where I do not hold control for example. Needless to say, I'll always find a way to weasel through the cracks.
Ezekiel: Ugh, look at me, eh. Being the last to use the confessional and all, I mean what else did I expect, but come on. I guess it really sucks because, well, Alejandro actually bumped into me on his way out of the confessional, and I know he didn't do it by accident. That kind of got me a little worked up. Anyways though, what am I going to do, eh? I know that everybody here ain't gonna give me a chance, no matter what I do…especially because whenever I open my mouth, it just makes everything worse. You know, I suppose the only hope I have left lies with that new girl, Skye. She seems all right to me, but if I want anybody else to believe I've changed, then I'll have to be her friend and let her convince everyone else for me, because…I ain't even good at defending myself, eh.
After Ezekiel was done, Chris motioned for the twenty-seven contestants to follow after him.
"This way, everybody! You're going to love where we're staying this season, so let's not waste any time in getting there!"
With their interest heightened, everybody quickened their pace as they followed Chris to the underground railway.
Next Time: The contestants get shown the location at which they'll be staying for the season. The first challenge occurs, and the teams are formed.
[Skye Perez belongs to CjLowery.]
