Total Drama World Tour: The Sequel
Episode 2: Nin-JAAAAA Go!
Original Post: July 25, 2017
Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of Total Drama or any of its related properties, characters, or ideas. I also claim no ownership of anything Ninja Warrior related.
"Previously on Total Drama World Tour: The Sequel! Twenty-two contestants from all three generations of Total Drama were summoned to Pahkitew Island to embark on a new journey for an incredible grand prize! $10 MILLION! Their first challenge was a game of "Find Your Flag." Zoey, Duncan, and Samey all found theirs and became team captains! But oh no, poor Dave was left without a team of his own." Chris laughed. "But that will change after this next challenge!"
Chris walked onto screen. "One player will be headed home, and Dave will take that player's place! What insane challenges await them on this World Tour? Find out right here, right now! This is TOTAL! DRAMA! WORLD TOUR, THE SEQUEL!"
[Total Drama theme plays]
As the Total Drama plane took off from the ground and left Pahkitew Island behind in its rear view mirror, Team Ironheart was busy enjoying the cozy luxuries of first class, which included gourmet meals, comfortable seating, and actual leg room.
"Man, first class is da bomb!" Geoff exclaimed joyously. "We totally gotta win every challenge so we never have to leave."
"It wouldn't be so bad if Loser Class had actual, you know, seats and stuff." Katie responded.
"But then this wouldn't be Total Drama if they did that." Tyler rebuttled.
[Confessional Cam: Katie]
"I'm really not comfortable socializing without Sadie by my side. We're two peas in a pod. Or is it pie?" Katie sighed. "Sadie would know."
[End Confessional]
Katie stared out the window and sighed depressingly. Zoey took notice and tried to pep her up. "Hey, cheer up. We're in First Class!"
"I know. It's just that I miss Sadie. We never do anything without each other and now I'm here without her."
[Flashback]
Katie and Sadie were talking with Chris, who was informing them of the news that only one of them could make it back on the show.
"Ladies, we have one open spot left, so one of you is gonna be left out. Who's coming back?"
"It's Katie! It's gonna be Katie!" Sadie immediately shouted, not hesitating. Katie turned to her and gasped.
"Sadie, no! Don't do this!"
"You have to!" She grabbed her friend's shoulders. "I stayed on longer the last time we competed. You didn't get your shot. Take this one. You'll regret it if you don't!"
"But...but-"
"I'll be fine. I'll be rooting for you the whole time!"
A moment of silence passed. Then, Katie and Sadie embraced, crying. "I love you Sadie!"
"I love you, Katie!"
[End Flashback]
"Don't worry, I'm sure she's rooting for you from her couch right now." Zoey said, patting her shoulder. Katie looked back at her and smiled. Mike walked into the scene.
"Hey Zoe, I'm grabbing a drink. You want anything?"
"Oh, thanks, but I'm fine, Mike." She said as he leaned in to kiss her before heading back to the center of the room. Katie took note of this interaction and responded accordingly.
"You are so lucky." She responded solemnly.
"I guess I am." Zoey replied while trying to hide her blushing.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"After All-Stars, I decided to move closer to Mike so we could officially start dating. He is such a sweetheart. It really is a special feeling when you're in love with your best friend." She sighed lovingly.
[End Confessional Cam]
"Hey, do we even know where we're going?" Tyler asked. "I don't remember anyone saying anything about our destination?"
Before any other response could be said, the loudspeaker churned out noise, as Chris came on the other line. "It's called "Keeping You In Suspense." If we gave away our secrets, how could we keep you in suspense? Doy!" He finished off by laughing as Tyler sulked and crossed his arms in his seat.
"He's not wrong, you know."
Meanwhile, in Loser Class, Teams Lowlife and Underdog, and Dave, were busy strategizing.
"So, Duncan, what do we do about...you know..." DJ asked team captain Duncan.
"Who? Dave? There's nothing we can do until after the challenge. Unless you mean..." He leered over at Dave, who shyly looked away.
[Confessional Cam: Duncan]
"If DJ is implying that we should throw the challenge just to get Dave on our team...n-no, just no. First of all, Dave is a wimp. He got to the merge last season because of dumb luck. He spent half of the time obsessing over wanting to date Sky, and he spent the other half cowering like an idiot. I don't want that on my team. I mean, Amy's crazy obsessed with getting revenge on her sister, but at least she's more capable than Dave."
[End Confessional Cam]
[Confessional Cam: Cameron]
"If Amy's able to put her blind rage into actually helping us win challenges, I'd be willing to tolerate her, but I a little concerned something in her's just gonna snap and she's gonna kill us all."
[End Confessional Cam]
Over in the corner, Amy was by herself, eating an apple. She glared at her teammates, then turned around and resumed eating. DJ leaned in to whisper to Duncan. "She gives me the creeps, even more than Heather."
"Oh trust me, I hear that."
[Confessional Cam: DJ]
"Heather was cruel, mean, condescending, and hypocritical. But she's also cunning and a great strategist. Even if you can't stomach her, she makes your team better. Amy really hasn't had a chance to prove herself yet, but I can't see us keeping her around if her blind rage against her sister starts interfering with the challenges."
[End Confessional Cam]
Over on Team Underdog, Samey was paying close attention to her sister as well. She continued to leer at her and snarl, causing Samey to retreat temporarily.
[Confessional Cam: Samey]
"There's a decent chance that my little stunt back there in the last challenge might have pushed her over the edge. Not like I regret it, though. It's about time for me to take charge of my own life and stop letting her hit me around the way she does!"
[End Confessional Cam]
Samey's retreat was not met alone. Jasmine was there to comfort her and protect her. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Y-Yeah, I'll be fine. I do not regret doing what I did, and it got me to be a team captain!"
"Good for you, Samey!"
"I'm just worried about any potential retribution she may unleash. I sure hope she doesn't come after you guys, too. It's my problem, not yours."
"Hey, don't worry about us. She's not on our team. You are. Stop worrying about her and just worry about helping us win the next challenge."
Samey sighed in relief. "You're right. Thanks, Jasmine."
"Anybody have any idea what the next challenge is supposed to be? Or heck, even where we're going?" Shawn asked. "I hope that whatever it is, it's not an eating challenge."
[Confessional Cam: Shawn]
"And now that I've opened my big mouth, it's probably going to be an eating challenge." Shawn face-palmed. "Way to go, Shawn."
[End Confessional Cam]
In the corner, Dave was sitting all by himself, watching over the others strategist amongst themselves. For now, he was basically on an island, all alone.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"Being all alone and teamless is kind of weird, but on the upside, at least I have immunity. All I know is I refuse to be on a team with Sky again. Ever!"
[End Confessional]
Sky peered over at Dave. Dave caught a glimpse of her staring at him, scowled, and looked away.
[Confessional Cam: Sky]
"Part of me sorta hopes that Dave and I can at least work things out and go our separate ways on amicable terms. I really don't think he's boyfriend material, but it was nice being a friend. You know, back before I screwed the pooch." Sky groaned and buried her face in her hands. "If Dave and I end up on opposing teams..."
[End Confessional Cam]
The plane landed safely (miraculously) in a mostly deserted area of land. In the distance, there were oodles of complex-looking and enormous obstacles waiting for the contestants. They congregated at the starting position near Chris and Chef Hatchet. "Welcome, one and all, to our first destination on Total Drama World Tour, The Sequel! Japan!"
The contestants all took a look around and exchanged befuddled facial expressions. "This is Japan?" Sky said skeptically. "It looks more like an abandoned desert."
"Yeah, we're in a secluded part of Japan. We have to be in order to do today's challenge! Japan is know for its many achievements - the inventions of karate, jujutsu, the Sony Playstation, the Instant Noddle - but perhaps its most unappreciated accomplishment is the creation of the now legendary game show competition...Sauske! Or, better known in English - Ninja Warrior!"
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"I actually tried to audition for American Ninja Warrior before I auditioned for Total Drama. For some reason Canada doesn't actually have its own Ninja Warrior competition yet. I don't get that. And it turns out you have to be 21 or older before they even consider you. Which sucks, because I've already got a Salmon Ladder in my backyard."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Ninja Warrior is all about strength, skill, agility, and stamina. Navigating through absurdly challenging obstacles that test all of your skills and muscles and pushing you to your limits and beyond!"
"So it's like this show." Duncan barked.
"Not even close, dude. That show is all about inspiring your peers, overcoming adversity, and raising the standards of physical limits. This show is about inflicting as much pain as possible until you all drop, or at least cry like little girls." Chris proceeded to cackle loudly. "Anywho, onto today's challenge. As you know, Ninja Warrior's finals round consists of 4 stages - 4 different courses comprised of different obstacles to test every muscle and thought the competitors have within them in order to beat the fabled "Mount Midoryama." Any contestant that finishes all 4 stages WITHOUT falling off the course earns themselves the prospect of TOTAL VICTORY! Which...actually doesn't mean all that much, especially when the Americanized version offers a grand prize of $1,000,000!
"And today, you'll get a chance to live out the dream of an aspiring ninja warrior, as you take part in our Total Drama Ninja Warrior competition!"
"...How is this even possible? I mean legally? Aren't there, like, legal channels you'd have to go through to make this work?" Zoey questioned.
"You're not wrong there. You see, we weren't exactly interested in accepting the help of the originators of the original Ninja Warrior in helping us craft today's challenge. Right Chef?" Chris turned to Chef and winked. Chef winked back, albeit hesitantly.
[Confessional Cam: Chef]
"Basically they called Chris back and told him to, uh, in no certain words, go blank himself. I think you can figure out what the blank stands for."
[End Confessional Cam]
"BUT! The American Ninja Warrior people were proud to lend their assistance to Total Drama." Chris laughed. "You should've seen their groveling faces!" He laughed even harder. Chef rolled his eyes.
[Confessional Cam: Chef]
"Yeah, they didn't grovel. If anyone was begging, it was our studio. They botched the negotiations, and I had to go behind their back and promise them 80 percent of this episode's profits just to get them to consider."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Our Ninja Warrior knock off course will be your battle ground for today!"
"So...let me get this straight: you brought us out to Japan to compete on an Americanized version of a game show that originated from Japan..." Jasmine spoke, clearly confused.
Chris hesitated with his answer. "Y...Yes!" He quickly looked away rather embarrassed.
[Confessional Cam: Chris]
Chris rubbed his temples and breathed hard. "My production staff is comprised of morons! First of all, I didn't actually find out about this weird arrangement until after it was a done deal. Apparently someone at the studio screwed the pooched and Chef had to make an 11th hour plea to get this done. Secondly, if I had known it would ultimately be an American version of this challenge, I would not have scheduled Japan as our first stop! Now everything is ruined!" He whined as he crossed his arms and pouted.
[End Confessional Cam]
"Can we just move on please?" Chris walked over to the starting position of the first course. "Today's challenge: you'll all be tackling this obstacle course just like the real life ninja warriors! There are four stages to the finals of Ninja Warrior. You guys will be hitting the first three stages. Here's how it's gonna work: we're going in heats. Each team will choose three competitors for each stage to compete for the best time. Your task is to complete every obstacle and hit the buzzer at the end of the course. If you fall off the course, you'll have to go back to the beginning of that obstacle and try again. Everyone goes at least once, and some of you will go twice. Everyone will hit that buzzer, even if it takes all day." Chris laughed again. "The fastest time wins the heat. A win on Stage One earns your team one point, a win on Stage Two earns you two points, and a win on Stage Three earns you three points. Team with the most points at the end wins this challenge and First Class seats to our next destination! Dave, since you're basically a team of one at the moment, you're gonna have to compete in every single heat."
Dave groaned loudly. "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?"
"Fear not, Dave. Because you're a team of one, we're raising the pot a little for you. If you manage to win this challenge, we'll erase the scoreboard and you get to pick the team that goes to elimination!"
Everybody gasped. Dave's eyes went wide.
"That's not fair!" Jo exclaimed.
"Sha-no way!" Lightning agreed.
"You're just making it up now, aren't you?" Cameron proclaimed.
"And this surprises you because...?" Asked Chris.
"Point taken."
"Remember, the losing team after this challenge replaces the player they lose with Dave. So basically, if Dave wins, he gets to pick his new team!"
Even more audible gasps.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"Wouldn't it be the greatest irony of all time if I ended up winning and I got to dangle all of these people by their scrawny necks?" Dave cackled. "Of course, I'm terrible at physical challenges. I have taken up parkour though, so maybe I'll luck out here."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Zoey, at the Winner's Station, you received the award of a two minute advantage at this challenge. You can use those two minutes however you want. You can save them all for one heat, or divvy them up amongst your teammates. It's your call. Now, you have two minutes to decide your first three champions. In the meantime, I'll be explaining the course you'll be running."
With each introduction showed an intern attempting each obstacle (and failing miserably).
"We start with Stage 1, and we begin with The Floating Steps: Contestants will have to leap their way onto each landing pad, then use the available rope to swing to the pad. Next comes The Propeller: You'll have to use the trampoline to bounce up and grab the propeller, and hang on while you spin until you can grab the rope to swing to safety. Thirdly, we have The Log Grab. You'll have to use your arms and legs - and some prayers - to hold onto the log as it jolts you down towards the water. You'll have to time your jump perfectly and leap onto the safety pad or risk falling into the water. Then there's The Jumping Spider, a staple of American Ninja Warrior. Using your arms and legs to hold you up, you'll have to navigate up and through this exhausting obstacle and land on the safety pad. Then they'll make their way through the Half Pipe by running across the pipe and swinging across the water to safety. More than halfway there! Then, our contestants will have to will their way up the Ninja Warrior staple, The Warped Wall, and then they'll need incredible body control and balance as they sprint across the Ball Bridge, then use whatever they have left for the Flying Squirrel, using the 6 inch long handles on both sides and swinging their way across three leaps before making one final climb up the cargo net and hitting that buzzer!" Chris avoided the headache of actually doing the obstacles and simply used stairs to climb up to the platform to hit the buzzer. "Fastest time wins you your heat and a point for your team! And of course, like tradition, our course is stacked with some Total Drama staples, like...sharks in the water, eels...and maybe one or two of the obstacles have been greased up a little...heh heh heh."
Meanwhile, during the introductions, each team had their discussions deciding who would go first. With Team Ironheart, the choice was all the harder.
"Okay, so who do we send up first?" Zoey asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Well, I think no matter what, we've gotta save you for last." Geoff suggested.
"What?"
"I second that. What?" Heather barked.
"Zoey's the best athlete we have on this team."
"Um, EXCUSE ME?" Lindsay barged in, grabbing Tyler and pulling him close to her. The offense was duly noted.
"Actually, I kind of agree with Geoff." Tyler replied, surprising her.
"What?"
"Did you see her kick butt on Revenge of the Island and All-Stars? She can take on anyone and anything, and Stage 3 is notoriously a killer. We gotta save our best for last."
"Well, we still need to send somebody up." Heather added. "Ugh! I'll do it. At least I'll be able to fulfill my one-heat minimum."
"I'll go too!" Katie shouted immediately without any hesitation. Her fellow teammates gasped in surprise.
"Katie, are you sure? Have you ever done any obstacle courses before?" Zoey asked her.
"Nope. But Sadie and I love watching Ninja Warrior and we promised each other we'd try out once we were old enough. I figured this may be the closest I ever get, and I am not going to waste this chance!"
Lindsay ran over to give Katie a hug. "That is so sweet! If she's doing this, then so am I!" Lindsay declared proudly.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"I have THE best team!"
[End Confessional Cam]
Meanwhile, Team Lowlifes was having its own share of issues deciding on its players.
"Okay, so we have Amy and Dawn going on Stage 1." Jo said, taking charge. "We need one more cadet to bite the bullet."
"I volunteer Cameron." Duncan butted in, much to Cameron's surprise.
"Me!?"
"You're gonna have to go eventually, Chris said everyone goes once. Besides, Stage 1 is a cakewalk compared to 2 and 3. Plus, didn't you make it to the finale on Revenge of the Island? That's no small feat. Who knows? You might surprise yourself."
Cameron sat on those words for a brief moment. "Wow. That was...strangely encouraging. Thanks! Now who are you and what have you done with the real Duncan?" He quipped back causing the others to snicker and Duncan to look away embarrassed. Amy walked brazenly towards Cameron and grabbed his collar.
"Listen to me you brittle little weasel. You better NOT screw the pooch on this! Got it? Or I swear I will make sure you are dropped out of that plane as painfully as possible. CAPICHE!?"
[Confessional Cam: Duncan]
"Amy is getting on all of our nerves. On top of her endless obsession with getting back at her sister for the stunt she pulled, she thinks we're all incompetent idiots who can't tie our shoes without help. I'm sorry, but why did her season cast like her better than Samey? It won't be such a problem is she can back it up on the playing field. But if she can't..." Duncan made a "slit throat" gesture with his hand.
[End Confessional Cam]
And with Team Underdog, the choice was clear. "Okay, so it's settled. We're sending me, Trent, and Anne Marie to Stage 1." Samey said, with everybody nodding in agreement.
"Alright, teams!" Chris yelled walking towards them. "It's time to race! Zoey, your team has a two-minute advantage to work with. Do you want to use any of it now?"
Zoey darted her eyes around and stuttered hesitantly. "Y...Yes."
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"This actually turned out to be a really hard decision. At first I was just gonna use the time advantage on the first two rounds and let the big guns handle Stage 3. But Stage 1 heats are only worth 1 point. The Stage 3 heats are really what's going to decide this challenge. But then again we are still sending our weaker troops out to battle on the first two stages." Zoey rubbed her temples. "My brain hurts."
[End Confessional Cam]
At the starting line, Katie stepped up and took in a deep breath, staring down the obstacles in front of her.
"Alright, players! The challenge is about to start!" Chris yelled into a megaphone. "Zoey has elected to give each member of her team a ten second advantage on Stage 1. Use it to your advantage!" Before Chris could continue, Topher inexplicably pulled the megaphone from Chris's hands.
"And don't fall in the water, or you're team's doubly screwed!" He managed to squeak out before Chris reclaimed possession of the megaphone and proceeded to bash it over Topher's head, knocking him to the ground.
"I am NOT putting up with it this time, dude!" He shouted before turning his attention back to Katie and pulling out a bullhorn. "Katie, your time starts..." He blew the bullhorn. "NOW!"
Without hesitating, Katie leaped onto the Floating Steps, tackling each one with ease...until the last one, which, as Chris prophecised, was greased up. Katie nearly slid into the water but somehow managed to hang on and pull herself back up, despite some laughter from Chris. She also handled The Propeller with ease, and survived The Log Grab. "Katie has survived the first three obstacles, and probably surprised a few people." Chris narrated. "But now comes the killer - The Jumping Spider! Can she handle it?"
Katie paced around for a moment, tabulating her plan. She stared the obstacle down, took a deep breath, and then took off sprinting towards it. She bounced off the trampoline and stuck her arms and legs out to the side, holding herself up with every ounce of strength she had. "And she sticks the landing! But now she has to navigate through without falling in the water!" And as if on cue, several sharks leaped out of the water and snapped their jaws at Katie. She screamed, but refused to let go. "Oh, and the sharks too! Don't forget the sharks!"
[Confessional Cam: Katie]
"Leave it to this show to add sharks to an obstacle course."
[End Confessional Cam]
The sharks forced Katie to take her time and use a lot of energy on The Jumping Spider. But she persisted and completed the obstacle. Unfortunately, she was forced to take a moment to recoup and breathe, as time ticked away. Eventually she resumed running the course and hit the Half Pipe next, finishing it despite a slip up and being forced to take an extra swing on the rope. Then she hit the Warped Wall, failing on her first attempt but managing to squeak by and pull herself up on the second attempt before dashing right through the Ball Bridge (which had been greased up) without even prepping for it, much to the amazement of her teammates and opponents. After another brief rest, she made a leap for the Flying Squirrel. Timing her swings just right, she did enough to avoid falling into the water and got onto the cargo net. But by then, she was so exhausted it was a slog to climb up the net. But finally - FINALLY - she managed to climb all the way up and punch the buzzer before she collapsed from exhaustion. "And she did it! Katie finishes the course, with a time of 5 minutes and 35 seconds! Then after factoring in her ten second advantage, Katie officially clocks in with a time of 5 minutes and 25 seconds!"
Katie looked up at the scoreboard and sulked, but immediately perked up at the sound of her teammates applauding her efforts and cheering.
[Confessional Cam: Heather]
"She has no real athletic abilities, average coordination, and none of us had a chance to even practice on the course. Oh, and shark infested waters. I was honestly expecting much worse."
[End Confessional Cam]
Katie walked down the stairs and towards her teammates, who all embraced her right away. "That was really good!" Lindsay praised.
"Aww you're just saying that." Katie said somberly.
"No she's not. Really, you did great! And you didn't even fall in the water!" Zoey agreed.
"None of us got to practice and you're the total opposite of an athlete." Heather intervened. "That was pretty decent. By the way, that's a compliment. I don't give those out very often." Chris approached the group.
"Yes, Katie's time is pretty rock solid! But will it be enough to win her the heat? Next up, for Team Lowlifes...Cameron!"
Cameron stepped up, but he struggled on the course. First, he fell on the Floating Steps, then he struggled on the Propeller. The Log Grab was a killer, as he fell twice. On the third attempt, he played it safe and waited for the log to stop moving entirely before moving on. The Jumping Spider, ironically enough, he actually go through on the first try, though it took extra time due to the shark attacks. He failed on the Half Pipe before marginally succeeding on the second try, took four tries to get up the Warped Wall, took a slow approach on the Ball Bridge, and finally, somehow, managed to make it through the Flying Squirrel and up the cargo net without falling. When he finally hit the buzzer, he collapsed. "And Cameron finishes with a spectacularly unimpressive time of 11 minutes and 18 seconds." Chris began laughing mockingly as Cameron trudged down the stairs to rejoin his team. Zoey, noticing Cameron's sulk and Chris's laughter, pounded her fists together.
"Hey, why don't you back off the poor kid? He grew up in a medical bubble and just took on the hardest obstacle course in the world! Lay off!" She shouted at Chris, perking Cameron up.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Chris sarcastically said as he walked towards Zoey. "Who's the host of this show again?" He smirked, expecting no retaliation from Zoey.
Unfortunately, he was wrong. Zoey grabbed his shirt collar and - quite effortlessly - lifted him up into the air. "I don't know. Who's next in line in case something, I don't know, happens to you?" The arrogance in her voice drew the attention of everyone around her, including Chef.
"That would be ME!" Yelled Topher in another delusional effort to gain Chris's spot. Chef retaliated by bashing Topher in the head with a stick, knocking him out.
"Thank you Chef." Chris shouted. "Also, the heck's gotten into you?" He said to Zoey, who simply growled at him.
[Confessional Cam: Mike]
"I only saw Zoey's, uh, coming out party, after I got booted from Season 4, so this is pretty much new to me. And I'm not quite sure if it's the coolest thing ever, or the scariest."
[End Confessional Cam]
[Confessional Cam: Chef]
"I never told Chris about Zoey's, uh, 'dark side.' Never thought it would come up again. Apparently I was wrong."
[End Confessional Cam]
Cameron rushed to Zoey's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Zoey, stop. There's no need to defend me." As soon as his hand touched her shoulder, she seemingly snapped out of her trance. "I appreciate it, but don't screw things up for your team defending poor me."
Zoey dropped Chris - literally dropped him hard - and looked around frantically. "I'm sorry, w-what just happened?"
Chris weakly stood up, clearly disheveled. "Moving on. Next up, Trent!"
Trent stepped up but also struggled on the course. Though he only fell twice - once on the Jumping Spider and once on the Half Pipe - he was not fast enough overall to catch up to Katie's time. Once he hit the buzzer, he sulked, knowing he had failed. "And Trent is done! With a time of 5 minutes and 59 seconds! Not bad, but not enough to overtake Katie. Dave, you're up!"
[Confessional Cam: Shawn]
"Part of me feels kinda bad Dave has to do every heat by himself. Then the rest of me kicks that part of me in the face because then I remember he's kind of a nutcase with his obsession of revenge on Sky and stuff. Oh, and also the part about him getting to choose the team that votes a player out if he wins. That's bad too."
[End Confessional Cam]
Dave stepped up to the starting line. He took an approach similar to Katie. He took it very slow on each obstacle, keeping mind of the ones that were greased up and the ones that had the sharks and eels.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"Since I'm being forced to run every heat anyway, I figured it does me no good to go fast on the first try and use too much energy or fall in the water a lot. It's in my best interest to learn on the spot how each obstacle works and then crank it to eleven later on."
[End Confessional Cam]
So slow, in fact, that Dave had already gone beyond Katie's time by the time he reached the Half Pipe. Dave sadly did fall twice, once at the Floating Steps and once at the Log Grab. After that, however, he remained dry and finished the course with ease, albeit slowly. "And Dave finally hits the buzzer, clocking in at 7 minutes and 32 seconds! Which means, Katie has won the heat and the first point of the game goes to Team Ironheart!"
Team Ironheart started cheering, especially Katie. "I won! I can't believe it!"
"Now, onto the second heat!"
The second heat consisted of Heather vs Dawn vs Anne Marie vs Dave. Heather managed to complete the course without falling in the waters, despite some greased obstacles, clocking in at 3:49 (3:39 with the advantage Zoey gave her). Dawn went next and - surprisingly - performed well, also not falling in the water but unfortunately did not beat Heather's time, clocking in at 4:20. Next was Anne Marie, who unfortunately fell multiple times, especially on the Jumping Spider. But at least, she made it to the buzzer, only to clock in at 7:01.
Dave was the last one of the heat, and despite again failing to win, he bested his previous time, which did not go unnoticed. "And Dave finishes the second heat with a time of 5 minutes and 45 seconds, besting his previous time by nearly two full minutes!" Chris announced. Everyone chattered nervously among themselves.
[Confessional Cam: Jo]
"It's like every sports movie ever produced: the underdog proves everyone who doubted him wrong and then they all look stupid. Except now, that stupidity could get one of us sent home...and one of us stuck with that turd!"
[End Confessional Cam]
"Okay, so after two heats, it's Team Ironheart with two points! Everyone else has squat. But don't worry...there's still plenty of time left." Chris laughed.
The third heat consisted of Lindsay vs Amy vs Samey vs Dave. Lindsay was Team Ironheart's first real bad heat. Beyond falling on the first obstacle, she fell twice more before even reaching The Jumping Spider (which she ironically completed without falling). But it took her some time to actually make it to the final obstacle and the cargo net. When she reached the buzzer, she dropped to her knees and groaned, clocking in at 9:08 (9:18 minus ten second advantage). Now, it was Amy's turn.
[Confessional Cam: Dawn]
"I cannot help but sense a brewing dark energy within Amy. I was always taught that holding in your emotions is detrimental to your health. And yet, I confess, I am terrified of what she would do if she were to release all of her rage on all of us."
[End Confessional Cam]
Amy stepped up to the starting line...and completely obliterated the course. Getting past all of the grease traps and the shark traps, Amy completed every single obstacle with relative ease. She took very short rests and kept herself moving, keeping the other contestants on her toes. When she reached the buzzer, she cheered joyously. "And Amy hits the buzzer! She clocks in at 3 minutes and 30 seconds! Our best run of the night so far!"
As Amy walked down the stairs towards her team, she glared menacingly at Samey. Samey stared her down without fear. Amy approached her team with a scowl on her face.
"You know, I had my doubts, but I gotta say, that was impressive." Duncan said as he held his hand out to shake. But Amy took the low road. Literally. Instead of shaking his hand, she kicked him square in his nuts, causing him to fall over withering in pain.
"That was for questioning my focus and my discipline, you prick!" She screeched at him. She then approached DJ and did the same thing to him, causing him to cry out in pain. "Make that mistake again and when I'm done with you you'll be begging for my foot to your wee area again!"
[Confessional Cam: Heather]
"I stand corrected. Izzy, now you've been replaced."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Okay then...moving on. Next up, Samey!"
Samey took to the course. To the shock of pretty much everyone on Earth who ever lived, Samey proved to not only be competent on the course, but also dominant. She never fell once and managed to avoid the sharks as well. She hit the buzzer with ease, and... "Samey finishes! In what's likely the most surprising run so far! She clocks in at...3 minutes and 30 seconds!" Everybody, including Amy, gasped loudly. "Wow! That is impressive. We have a tie for first!" Amy growled loudly. As Samey came down to rejoin her team, Amy leered in her direction and grinded her teeth together. She was pissed. "Alright, it all comes down to Dave!"
Dave took to the course for the third time, and this time, he blew it out of the water. He cranked up his speed to 11, avoided slipping on the grease or falling prey to the sharks, and finished with an excellent time of 3:27, besting Amy and Samey by just the slimmest of margins. "And with a time of 3 minutes 27 seconds, Dave wins this heat! By just three seconds!" Everyone in the group gasped.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"I can't believe it! I actually won a heat! Wait until the chess team hears about it at home!" A brief silence. "They don't actually watch this show. They thing it's too grotesque. And...I can't exactly blame them."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Okay, all Stage 1 heats are done, and the current score is Team Ironheart with 2 points, Dave with 1 point, and Teams Lowlifes and Underdogs with nada. But don't worry, there's still plenty of points left to be earned. Onto stage two!" Chris walked over to the next obstacle course, which appeared to be even bigger and more challenging than Stage 1. "Here on Stage 2, out contestants will be pushed even harder than on Stage 1. We started with the Rope Jungle. They'll have to use their wits and their muscles to swing their way through this labyrinth of ropes to the platform. Next up is the Double Salmon Ladder. Using their muscles, perfect coordination, and concentration, they'll have to hold onto this bar and leap up four rungs, before taking the leap of faith onto the next ladder, then making their way up three more rungs before completing the obstacle. Then comes the Unstable Bridge, where they'll have to use their hands and arms to hold themselves up on this board that continues to widen as they go along before jumping off to the next platform. Next is the Butterfly Wall. They need to use the provided trampoline to get a good bounce onto the wall and then use it to spin around to the other side and leap off, grabbing the rope to pull themselves up and over. Then they'll have to make a dash and leap onto the Metal Spin, and use the metal chains to spin around to the other platform, where, if they survive, they're primed for the Wall Lift, where they need to use all their strength - if they have any left - to life up three walls of increasing weight, and then make a final sprint to the buzzer to stop the clock. Fastest times earn 2 points for your heat! Oh, and do be on the lookout for some of our signature Total Drama shake ups on this course..."
The heats were as follows: Mike vs Topher vs Shawn vs Dave, Geoff vs Jo vs Sky vs Dave, and Tyler vs Duncan vs Lightning vs Dave. Zoey again gave each of her teammates a 10 second advantage to work with.
[Confessional Cam: Sky]
"There is no way I'm letting Dave intimidate me. He can try to get inside my head all he wants, but if he wants to beat me, he's gonna have to do it on the battle field like the rest of us!"
[End Confessional Cam]
Mike went first. This time, some of the rops on the Rope Jungle were greased up and the water below was stoked with eels and sharks. There was also another surprise on the Unstable Bridge: flamethrowers set up and hidden out of sight from all quadrants. They weren't close enough to cause any actual harm no matter where they were on the obstacle; they were only there to scare them. He passed through Rope Jungle despite finding greasy ropes and the sharks, but once he completed the Double Salmon Ladder, he got a taste of the flamethrowers. "What the heck?! Flamethrowers? Really!?"
"You are not in any danger of being harmed by the flamethrowers!" Chris yelled into his megaphone. "They are only there to scare you and make you pee yourselves."
Unfortunately, Mike lost his concentration long enough to fall off the Unstable Bridge. He had to do it again, but this time, managed to succeed. Though he took a slower approach to this course than what a typical Ninja Warrior athlete would, he managed to not fall off again, even getting past the Metal Spin before taking a short rest and conquering the Wall Lift and hitting the buzzer. He finished with a time of 4:00 even, which fell further to 3:50 after the advantage was applied.
[Confessional Cam: Mike]
"I really haven't been able to access any of my alternate personalities since the All-Star season. And believe me, I've tried. In any case, the only one that probably would've been of any help was Manitoba. Vito may have more muscles, but Manitoba's actually more athletic."
[End Confessional Cam]
Next was Topher, who...took the unusual step of narrating his own performance. Every step of the way. It annoyed the hell out of everybody, especially Chris, who sadly was powerless to stop him. Despite this, Topher performed extremely well on the course. Not only did he not fall once, but the flamethrowers didn't even intimidate him. It all added up to a stellar time of 3 minutes and 1 second. "AAAAAND Topher takes it!" Topher finished his narration, prompting Chris to slingshot a rock at Topher's face, causing him to fall and clutch his eye in pain.
"First of all, enough with the narration, it's annoying!" Chris yelled. "Secondly, you still got two people left before the heat's decided, genius!" He turned away from Topher's direction. "And I thought Courtney was annoying."
Shawn went next. Despite a few stumbles, he finished at 4:31, which was not enough to win the heat. Dave struggled mightily his first go around and finished with nearly double Shawn's time, at 8:25. Just like he declared, Topher took the heat, and did not hesitate to rub it in Chris's face.
Heat 2 consisted of Geoff vs Jo vs Sky vs Dave. Geoff went first and dominated the course. He didn't fall once and avoided both the grease traps and the sharks/eels. He made it look easy, finishing the course at 3:34, which dropped to 3:24 after applying the 10 second advantage Zoey gave him. However, it wasn't enough, as Jo managed to squeak by with a fantastic run, and a time of 3:00 even. But that time was subsequently beaten by Sky, who finished with 2:50. Dave came close - very close - but ultimately fell short of besting Sky, finishing with a time of 3:11, more than halving his first run on Stage 2.
"Sky takes Heat 2!" Chris announced. "We have a three-way tie for first! But it's still anybody's game!"
Heat 3 consisted of Tyler vs Duncan vs Lightning vs Dave. Tyler went first, but his clumsiness got the best of him. On top of slipping on the greasy ropes on the first obstacle, he fell on the Double Salmon ladder, smacked his face in the Butterfly Wall, and fell twice on the Metal Spin. The Wall Lift was the easiest obstacle, ironically, for him. But by that point all hope was lost, and he finished with a disappointing time of 6 minutes and 59 seconds, which was knocked down to 6:49 after applying Zoey's advantage.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"I think Tyler's a better athlete than Geoff, but his extremely clumsiness could end up being a problem for us."
[End Confessional Cam]
[Confessional Cam: Lindsay]
Lindsay sat there, face-palmed. "What can I say? I love Tyler, but even I knew this was coming."
[End Confessional Cam]
Duncan easily bested his time, clocking in at 3:25, falling just once - on the Metal Spin. But Lightning then bested Duncan, just barely, at 3:23, where his only fall was on the Salmon Ladder. But the surprise, once again, was Dave, who shocked everybody by beating Lightning, finishing with a time of 3:13.
"And Dave wins the last heat of Stage 2! Here's how the teams currently stand. Teams Ironheart, Underdog, and Lowlifes are all tied with 2 points each, and it's Dave - DAVE - who has the edge with 3 points. But on Stage 3, heats are worth 3 points, so nobody's out of the mix yet!"
Chris walked over to the starting line on Stage 3. "Stage 3 is the toughest, gnarliest, most brutal obstacle course known to man! First, it's the Pendlum Swing, where contestants will have to hold on to this giant pendulum and generate enough momentum to grab onto the next obstacle, the Floating Boards. Suspended 20 feet above the water, contestants will have to use precision and lower body strength to make their way across these 4 floating boards. Next is a classic of Ninja Warrior - the Ultimate Cliffhanger. Relying on only upper body strength, they'll have to hold onto these bars, just 2 1/2 inches thick, then make not one, but TWO daring leaps to transition to the next section. Then comes the Ultimate Body Prop! They'll need to salvage whatever is left to hold themselves up as they trek through a 30-foot long, upwardly-curved body prop, and then transition onto the Hang Climb, climbing upside down at 45 degrees before taking on the Spider Flip. Use the I-beam to maneuver your way across and upward, then make a daring 6-feet wide leap to the other side, and then make your way to the final obstacle, the Flying Bar, where you'll need to use your entire body to kip your way across four landing pads spread five feet across. Remember to watch out for the greasy obstacles and the shark infested waters! Winners of each heat earn 3 points for their team! If we have a tie for first after this round, we'll go to the coveted, much sought after Stage 4 for an epic climb off!"
The first stage 3 heat was Zoey vs DJ vs Jasmine vs Dave.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"I decided not to use any advantage on myself and split the last 60 seconds I had to the other two heats. I trust myself to crush this course, and it goes wrong, I'll take the fall. But I'm not letting my team go out there without enough weapons to win!"
[End Confessional Cam]
Zoey went first. Without an advantage to use, she had only her abilities and instincts. Both of those served her fairly well on the course. Despite falling once - on the Body Prop - she managed to get through mostly unscathed and finished with a time of 6:20.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"You know, I'm not thrilled with how I did, but these courses are absurdly difficult. Those guys train for these courses consistently throughout the year and make it look like child's play."
[End Confessional Cam]
DJ was next, and not only did he not fall, he went faster than Zoey, especially on the Body Prop, clocking in at 6:07. Jasmine was next. Her height made the Body Prop a challenge; she fell twice and ultimately it cost her, as she finished with a time of 7:09. Dave performed the worst of all of them in the first heat, falling several times and needing a total of 6 tries on the Body Prop before he finally got past it. He finished Heat 1 with a time of nearly 20 minutes, making Zoey the winner.
"And DJ wins the first heat! Team Lowlifes takes the lead with 5 points, but it's still anybody's game!"
The next heat consisted of Katie vs Amy vs Sky vs Dave. Zoey had opted to give 30 seconds each to both Katie and Geoff, who was running the final heat. Katie was determined to prove herself after what she considered a disappointing first try. Despite Stage 3 being far more daunting, she buckled down and hit the course like her life depended on it. She went slowly, but did not fall once, not even on the Body Prop. She would also - astonishingly - give one of the best performances on the Flying Bar, before finally hitting the buzzer and clocking in at 7:08, which was bumped down to 6:38 thanks to Zoey's advantage. Her performance earned her high praise and applause from her contemporaries. Even Chris was applauding, and he never applauds.
[Confessional Cam: DJ]
"If there's one person that I think's gunning for "Breakout Player" of the season, it's Katie. Only because she didn't really get a chance to prove herself the last time she competed. She looked like dynamite in today's challenge."
[End Confessional Cam]
Amy was next. Despite concerns that her anger and lust for revenge on Samey would sour her concentration, she squashed all doubts about it by turning in an outstanding performance, crushing Katie's time by clocking in at 6:15. And once again, when she returned to her team, she rejected all their outreaching of praise and scoffed. Sky, however, proceeded to beat Amy's time, clocking in at 5:44. Dave fell short, clocking in at 6:09, making Sky the winner.
Katie, upon learning the result, hung her head in shame, only for Zoey to intervene. "Hey, don't you dare feel sorry for yourself. You were terrific out there!"
"But I didn't win..." She sulked.
"Doesn't mean we're gonna lose, though. There's still one more heat left."
The final heat was Geoff vs Jo vs Samey vs Dave. At the moment, the scores stood as follows:
Team Ironheart: 2
Team Lowlifes: 5
Team Underdogs: 5
Dave: 3
Geoff went first. He successful completed the course without falling, but taking a much needed rest following the Body Prop cost him some time. He finished at 6:19, which was bumped down to 5:49 thanks to the advantage Zoey gave him. He was beaten out by Jo, however, and her time of 5:45. Jo, however, was then beaten out by Samey and her time of 5:39. It all came down to Dave.
"We have one competitor left to run!" Chris announced, turning to Dave. "Dave, right now you're trailing Teams Lowlife and Underdogs by 2. If you win this heat right now, you'll win the challenge! If not, Samey wins it for her team!"
Dave stepped up to the starting line. When the buzzer sounded, he took off.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"Don't ever let anybody tell you that revenge can't be a good motivator for you. It all depends on the circumstances."
[End Confessional Cam]
Just as he had predicted, Dave managed to summon every little bit of energy he had left to complete Stage 3 with ease and just inch out ahead of Samey by one second.
"AND DAVE IS THE WINNER!" Chris announced. As Dave fell to his knees in agony, everyone on the ground remained shocked and dumbfounded. "Dave has won this challenge!" Dave returned to the ground with the other contestants. "Okay, Dave! You've got some serious decisions to make. First, as a reward for besting all three of the other teams by yourself, we're erasing the scoreboards completely, and you get to choose the team that goes to elimination!"
Dave cheered gleefully, then took his attention to the teams in front of him.
[Confessional Cam: Dave]
"This was actually a tough call. I wanted to stick it to Sky by sending her team to elimination, but nothing would throw off her game more than if I was on her team. But then...maybe she would try to sabotage me by throwing challenges on purpose hoping to send me home...Gah, this is so hard!"
[End Confessional Cam]
After delibrations, Dave pointed to Duncan's team, sending them to elimination and sparing Sky from the chopping block.
[Confessional Cam: Sky]
"On the one hand, Dave's clearly driven by revenge and I know he's gonna be focused quite a lot on me. On the other hand, it totally beats having him on my team."
[End Confessional Cam]
"Dave has made his decision. Team Lowlifes, you're going to elimination!"
"This is so unfair, you know." Jo protested.
"And this surprises you...? Okay! Big Decision number 2: one member of Team Lowlifes will be spared from the chopping block tonight. Dave, who's that person gonna be?"
"I choose...Amy." Dave smirked. Amy celebrated her safety and the others groaned.
[Confessional Cam: Duncan]
"Because of course he would choose her."
[End Confessional Cam]
"And so the stage is set. Team Lowlifes is heading to elimination, and Amy is safe from the chopping block."
"Wait a minute..." Amy interrupted. "Since Dave's going to be on our team...does this mean we get seats in First Class too?" She suggested, which got her teammates talking.
"Oh no no no no no, no!" Chris interrupted everyone. "Nice try, but no. Dave gets First Class to himself for winning the challenge. You guys all get Loser Class!"
"But Dave is going to be on our team!" Cameron groaned.
"Yes, he will. Tomorrow. But tonight, he's on his own, and so are you." Chris laughed. "Which reminds me." He turned to Dave. "Dave, Big Decision number 3: as the winner of today's challenge, you get exclusive access to our Winner's Station. And since you're getting First Class all to yourself anyways, it only makes sense that tonight's choices for rewards are all luxuries!" Chris cackled smugly as the others groaned.
"Sweet!" Dave celebrated. Afterwards he looked around looking for the Winner's Station. "Um...where is the Winner's Station?"
"There!" Chris pointed up at the Tower - Stage 4 of Mount Midoryama. "All the way at the top of that tower lies the Winner's Station. Choose one envelope for yourself - but don't open it until you get back to the plane. Got it? Good! Off you go!"
"But wait, how am I supposed to get up there?"
"You climb the rope! Duh!"
Dave sighed. "I thought this part would be easy."
"You clearly don't know me at all."
Back on the plane, the losing teams all stewed in Loser Class. Team Lowlifes awaited their call to elimination, while the others had to process the fact that they were all beaten out by Dave. DAVE!
"Hey Zoey?" Cameron spoke to Zoey. "Thanks again for sticking up for me back there. Chris can be a real pain
Zoey raised and eyebrow, but smiled. "Sure Cameron. It was no trouble, really." She kept her smile on until Cameron turned away. Then she turned her attention to Mike, who had placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Mike, this is going to sound really bad, but...I have no idea what he's talking about." It was Mike's turn to raise an eyebrow.
[Confessional Cam: Zoey]
"So...There have been times where I would, like, black out, and I'll lose track of what's happening. And then I'll come back to and I won't remember anything. I have no idea what's going on." Zoey gasped. "Oh gosh, do I have Multiple Personality Disorder too?"
[End Confessional Cam]
"You mean you don't remember Chris mocking Cameron during the challenge and you going all commando and standing up for him?"
Zoey shook her head.
"Wow. I mean, you were awesome, you even physically intimidated Chris."
"I did?"
"Oh yeah! We actually saw him quivering and stuff. It was great!"
"Oh. Well, cool, then. I guess..." Zoey smiled sheepishly, but then looked away in embarrassment. Mike embraced her.
"Zoe, chill. You were great, and if nothing else, at least we know you have our backs, right?" Zoey's smile grew warmer as she returned Mike's hug.
"Right."
Elimination
It was time for the first elimination of the season, with Team Lowlifes (And Dave for some reason) front and center. "Welcome, one and all, to the first elimination of the season!"
"Um, why am I here?" Dave pondered.
"Because I'm the host and I say so." Chris retorted back. Dave shrugged. "Don't worry, Dave, your reward for winning the challenge is being set up for you in First Class. But for now, we have business to tend to. Tomorrow, Dave is a member of Team Lowlifes. But tonight, somebody else is getting tossed. Now, to the voting! Up in the Loser Class bathroom, you'll find passports with the faces of each player eligible for the chopping block. Simply stamp the passport with the player you want to oust. Remember, Amy is safe - again, thanks to Dave - so someone else is taking the plunge. Alright...go vote!" Everybody stood up, including Dave. "Except you, Dave. You're not a team member yet, you don't get a vote."
Dave groaned, face palmed, and sat back down.
After everyone took their turn voting, Chris returned with passports in hand a a plate full of packs.
"I have the results with me. Also with me is a very special treat, completely new to the Total Drama lore. Those who are staying will receive..." He picked up one of the packs. "A pack of freshly produced, completely original, Total Drama trading cards!" The contestants all murmured positively upon hearing those words. "That's right: it's our newest promotional product, and you guys are getting a sneak peek at them before they even hit the market! Total Drama Trading Cards: five cards per pack, guaranteed to heighten your love of our show, or you're not a real fan! Ha ha! And now...the results. The following players are safe: Amy, Duncan, Jo, DJ, Dawn..."
With each name, he tossed the corresponding player a pack of cards.
"That leaves us with Cameron and Topher. Cameron, you're on the chopping block because you completely screwed the pooch at the challenge. Sometimes brains really aren't better than brawn. And Topher, you're on the chopping block because you're an annoying prick that doesn't know how to take no for an answer." Topher raised an eyebrow. "Okay, that's my reasoning. I have no idea why the others would hate you. Regardless, the team has spoken. The final pack goes to..."
"...Topher." Chris tossed Topher the final pack of cards, leaving Cameron packless.
He sighed, stood up, and walked towards the door. "So I guess it's the Drop of Shame for me, huh?"
"Actually, no. We've got something brand new for you." Chris pulled out a remote and pressed a button. Within seconds, the roof of the room opened up. Chris tossed Cameron a parachute. "I'm gonna need you to stand in the middle of the room!"
Hesitantly, and in fear of being picked up by Chef, Cameron slowly walked to the middle. "What's going on-AHHHHHHHHHH!" Without any warning, the floor Cameron was standing out thrust him out and through the hole into the unforgiving sky. Everyone but Chris gasped.
"Behold, our newest method of elimination: The Launchpad of Shame! Don't worry, I'm, like, 99% sure that his parachute works. Ha ha!" Chris turned to the camera. "One down, 21 to go. What's next for our remaining contestants? Find out next time, here, on TOTAL...DRAMA...WORLD TOUR THE SEQUEL!"
End of Episode 2!
I'm glad to be done with this episode :) I'm not overly thrilled with the pacing of it, so I'm hoping to iron everything out as I go along.
As always, R&R!