AN: Hey, guys, DarkShockBro here. Sorry this took so long, but I've been busy with school and stuff. However, it's done now, and this chapter has the second elimination and the second part of the second challenge. Well, I hope you enjoy it!

(The camera slowly starts to brighten until we see the Story Man walking into the same room as before. He grabs the same book from his shelf, sits down on the same rocking chair, and notices the camera.)

Good morning. It is wonderful to have you back. Now, I shall return to my story.

(He opens the book to two pages. The left page has a backwards 'Chapter 5' written on it, and the right page has paragraphs of text, which the Story Man starts reading out loud.)

The camera brightened to the nineteen campers. They all had terrified expressions on their faces, and the camera took the time to pan across every single one of them.

Finally, Lee spoke. "Great. So tricking us like that was only part one? The only shocking thing about that announcement was the fact that I didn't pick up on it sooner."

The sadistic host chuckled. "Yeah, great foresight, dude."

The deadpan snarker shook his head for a few seconds, and then gestured to Chris, as if prompting him to continue. So, the sadistic host cleared his throat and said, "OK, first things first, we've gotta get back in the factory."

With that, Chris turned around and walked into the coal factory, and the campers collectively sighed and followed him.

The camera flashed and cut to the campers sitting down on the second floor. Sonata was carrying the generator, and the Acidic Sludge had a pile of generator parts in front of them. Each team also had a long wire, a pile of frayed short wires, and a roll of scotch tape in front of them. Most of the campers were, rightfully, rather confused regarding the seemingly random electrical things in front of them, so the sadistic host cleared his throat and said, "Alright, we've got all the materials you need for your next challenge! Anyone here like arts and crafts?"

Sophie took Chris' bait. "Oh my goodness, that was so much fun! I remember finally being able to draw the Powerpuff Girls in kindergarten, and my teacher hung it up on the classroom wall! It was great!"

Chris lightly chuckled. "Well, this challenge is the equivalent of extreme arts and crafts! Here's the deal: you guys have to construct my beautiful face using all of those small frayed wires and that tape. You could use lots of tape, or you could find another way to tie the wires together. It's your choice, dudes. Then, you'll have to connect my face to your generator using those large wires. Once you're done, you can make any changes you want, but you can't activate the generator yet. If you do, your team automatically loses. Heh heh."

Kristin sighed. "And I presume we'll have to build our own generator, Chris?"

The sadistic host grinned. "Yup! Fortunately for you guys in the Acidic Sludge, I made it pretty easy. All of the parts are in front of you, and it's kind of like a little puzzle you'll have to solve. Nothing too tough, at least by my standards. So, any more questions?"

The campers held their breath. So, the sadistic host pulled out his air horn, activated it, and yelled, "Go!"

The camera flashed and cut to the Smoky Fumes scratching their heads, as if they were attempting to comprehend what Chris just spewed out.

However, a few seconds later, the camera cut to a certain cheerleader who felt like now would be a good time to speak up. "Alright, guys, let's come up with a plan!"

This response was met with most of her team collectively gasping.

(Confessional: Ophelia)

"I am a little surprised that she was the first one to step up and try to lead, but she does seem rather nice. Thus, I believe she will do a good job."

(Confessional: Oscar)

(sighs) "Annnd that just made my goal of trying to get with Rebecca a lot more difficult." (sighs again, but brightens up) "Oh well. At least this challenge will play to my strengths. I'm just going to do my best and see what happens."

(Confessional: Rebecca)

"Trust me, as a cheerleader, I've learned to respect the importance of teamwork. And during that time, I've also discovered I like to lead. We're on a winning streak right now, and after cheering for so many sports games at my school, I know how important momentum is."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

After the campers recovered from the initial shock, Ophelia casually shrugged and asked, "So, what sort of plan are you thinking of?"

The cheerleader smiled. "Well, we already have an advantage over the other team due to our generator, and we have Oscar on our team. He should be able to connect the wires and maybe improve the generator! Meanwhile, most of the rest of us can focus on the Chris head. Does that sound good?"

Oscar blushed, but managed to recover quickly and said, "S-sure, Rebecca! G-guys, be careful not to touch the ends of the wires without tape! You never know where those wires are coming from."

The rest of the Smoky Fumes simply nodded, figuring that they had come up with a solid plan. Subsequently, they all started getting to work.

The camera flashed and cut to the Acidic Sludge pondering what they were going to do. However, one particular Chinese snarker seemed a bit more peeved than the others.

"Of course we voted off our smartest contestant before this…"

Graham sighed. "Look, there's no use complaining about it. Do you think you could fix the generator, Lee?"

Lee sighed. "I suppose I might as well. Does anyone care to help me?"

The gentle giant shrugged. "I could try. I'm a little familiar with mechanics, but I don't think I'd be able to help you that much."

The deadpan snarker returned the shrug. "Any help would be fine, I guess. We can't have all the campers working on the face, right?"

"Fair enough. Let's gather the pieces."

The gentle giant nodded, and the two started picking up the pieces. However, before they could continue, Damian spoke up.

"Guys, can I work on the Chris head with Dwayne? I think I may be able to create something great!"

The chill jock shrugged. "I don't see why not. Heck, I'll even join you."

With that, Dwayne and Damian started working on the head, Graham and Lee worked on repairing the generator, and the rest of the group either stood around or tried to help one of the two groups.

(Confessional: Damian)

(sighs) "OK, I know that I am probably not going to win over Suzy, but if I turn out to be good at making three-dimensional art, I will be happy nonetheless."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The camera flashed and cut back to the Smoky Fumes. Oscar was hard at work on improving the generator, and a few seconds later, he heard a voice say, "Hey, Oscar!"

The tech savvy male turned around and blushed upon seeing who the voice belonged to. "Oh, h-hey, Rebecca. H-how are you?"

She smiled. "I'm good! The other campers are doing pretty well on the face. It's going to be a bit tough to get the details of his face down, but if it lights up, we should be good!"

Oscar chuckled. "Knowing Chris, he'll probably pick the best face rather than the face that actually lights up."

The cheerleader giggled. "Yeah. Still, how's the generator coming along?"

"I think I can increase its power pretty easily, and I can double-check to make sure the wires connect to the head. Wow, that did sound stupid…"

Rebecca giggled once more. "Well, if you can do all that, I should have enough time to come up with a cheer for us!"

The tech savvy male blushed. "A c-cheer?"

"Yeah! I think it's the perfect thing to keep our spirits high! I'll just think about it as we put together the head, and-"

"Ow! Mr. Wire, I do not appreciate your attempts to get the better of me!"

The cheerleader smiled. "I'd better get back to the head construction for now. Good luck, Oscar! You can do it!"

Oscar blushed heavily, but managed to nod before Rebecca returned to the section where people were going through the head construction.

(Confessional: Oscar)

"Rebecca is just amazing. But I've got a job to do right now. I can't let her down! She took a step out and lead the team for this challenge, and I'm not going to be the reason she looks bad if something bad happens."

(Confessional: Rebecca)

"Wow, I guess I can be a decent leader outside the squad! So long as we don't have any more height challenges, I think I could go far in this game! And Valerie, thanks for the baton! It's really making me feel more confident, and I promise to represent the squad well!"

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The camera flashed and cut to Lee and Graham working on the generator. The gentle giant also appeared to be reading some sort of blueprint.

After a second or two, the deadpan snarker chuckled. "I can't believe Chris gave us an instruction manual for this. He must want his head to be…"

Lee then spoke with a mocking high-class accent. "Completely immaculate!"

This caused Graham to chuckle. However, before the gentle giant could respond, the deadpan snarker started reading the manual, and then angrily said, "Seriously? This is basically the equivalent of a second grader's LEGO project? Then what's the point of giving… ugh, never mind. Let's get this over with."

The gentle giant shrugged, and the two got to work on their project.

The camera flashed to Damian and Dwayne working on the head. Damian seemed to be in the zone, and while Dwayne did attempt to help, his big hands made the precision of this task rather tricky.

Suddenly, Kristin walked up to Dwayne. "Your little Indian friend seems to be concentrating well, yes?"

The chill jock smiled. "Yeah, he is. Lil' buddy knows what he's doin'."

"I can see that. The head is coming out well thus far. Our wonderful host should be pleased."

Dwayne chuckled. "Here's hoping."

Suddenly, Damian yelled, "Ow!"

The tough chick sighed. "He must've found a bad wire. I swear, Chris has some sort of…"

Kristin was suddenly bleeped out. So, before the chill jock could respond, she asked, "Do you think that's going to get censored?"

Dwayne shrugged. "Maybe. But hey, 'least the head's coming along well."

"That's good. I'm going to check the wires. Make sure things keep going well."

Dwayne nodded. "Sure thing."

(Confessional: Kristin)

"I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised by Damian and Dwayne. Dwayne must have done something to rekindle Damian's spirit after Damian went gaga for Suzy." (sighs) "Some people just don't have high standards."

(Confessional: Dwayne)

"I'm proud of my lil' buddy. He's finally found something he seems to be good at, and I think he'll be able to brave through the shocks and get us a win. Because trust me, in any competition, momentum is everything."

(Confessional: Damian)

"I felt like I was in that zen mode for the first time in forever when I built that Chris head. It was wonderful."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

While Damian was working on the head, Ernest was chuckling under his breath.

Unfortunately for him, Ophelia heard his laughter and asked, "Ernest? Are you alright?"

The supposed mastermind's eyes widened. "Gah! Oh, it's only you. I suppose you want to become my queen when I manipulate everyone in this factory?"

The spoiled sweetie cocked her head. "Why are you so obsessed with manipulating people? That word has a negative connotation, you know."

Ernest gave Ophelia what was probably supposed to be a smirk, but it came off as more of a crazy smile. "I am the ultimate antagonist, heiress. Soon, all of the campers will do my bidding, and none of them will be aware that I am the one who pulls their strings to make them dance for my amusement."

With that, he started to laugh. He tried to make it intimidating to the best of his ability, but all it seemed to do to Ophelia is make her start to giggle.

This did not seem to mollify Ernest, as he got angry and grabbed both of the spoiled sweetie's shoulders and asked, "Why are you laughing? I am going to manipulate you until your pitiful, wide-eyed self turns into a quivering pile of jelly! Surely laughter is not the appropriate response for such an accusation!"

After a few seconds, Ophelia managed to control herself enough to look at Ernest with her baby blue eyes and say, "I apologize, Ernest. I just believe you are a very amusing and funny person."

Once again, the supposed mastermind blushed, but instead of continuing to look at the girl, he turned his head and walked away from the spoiled sweetie.

(Confessional: Ernest)

"How dare she laugh at my attempts to make her life miserable! Oh, that heinous heiress will rue the day she ever doubted my abilities!"

(Confessional: Ophelia)

"I like Ernest. He is a rather strange individual, but he seems to have a fantastic ability to make me laugh. Perhaps it would be wonderful to get to know him a little better."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The camera flashed to Rebecca walking back to where most of the campers on the Smoky Fumes were; around the area where Chris' head was being constructed. However, one particular camper was not around that area, and when Rebecca came across that camper, she asked, "Hey, Tyson, are you alright?"

Tyson's tone was fierce. "No, I'm not!"

Rebecca's eyes widened, causing Tyson to sigh. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just wish I could do more…"

Rebecca smiled. "It's alright, we'll be fine! We've got lots of people working on Chris' head, so you shouldn't need to worry!"

The guitarist sighed again. "Thanks for the encouragement, but I'll be alright. Still, if you could get Sonata, I'd be very grateful… but you don't have to!"

The cheerleader giggled. "It's fine, I'll get her right now!"

Tyson smiled. "Thanks, Rebecca. Sorry I'm so useless right now… but I have faith that'll change soon."

Rebecca simply nodded with a smile, and walked over to Sonata.

(Confessional: Tyson)

(sighs) "I was hoping for this competition to be like one of those summer camps where they don't give you any technology. You know, kind of like the original Total Drama. But now that I know it isn't, I'll just have to surround myself with friends and hope that Chris eventually relents and gives us a challenge I can actually succeed in. Until then, well, hopefully I'll at least seem friendly to my teammates…" (sighs)

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The Smoky Fumes' head seemed to be coming along fairly well, with the occasional yelp of pain when a stray charge of electricity coursed through one of the campers working on it. One of those campers was the classical pianist, and after a second or two, she was disrupted by someone lightly tapping her on the shoulder.

So, Sonata turned around to reveal the cheerleader, and responded with a simple: "Guten Tag, Rebecca."

She sighed. "Hey, Sonata. Tyson isn't feeling too well over… well, his pacemaker. I guess he figured that Chris would at least be honest with the title 'Total Drama Isle.'"

The classical pianist returned that sigh. "I am not too accustomed to socializing, but I believe all of us were similarly fooled. It is a shame, for certain."

"Yeah. So, would you mind cheering him up a little? I'll take your place, since our plan is well under way, and perhaps some work will allow me to come up with a cheer."

Sonata's eyes widened. "He truly believes that I could cheer him up? Well… I shall do my best, although I cannot promise anything."

Rebecca shrugged. "Hey, he asked for you."

Sonata blushed slightly, but nonetheless gave a firm nod and walked over to Tyson. Subsequently, Rebecca took her place.

(Confessional: Sonata)

"Oh dear… I have never done anything like this before. Well, at the very least, that means I will have little to no expectations for myself. Mother… father… I hope to be able to go through this new experience with class and sophistication, and I will do my best to make sure that occurs."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The classical pianist walked up to the somewhat depressed guitarist. However, before she could open her mouth, Tyson smiled at her and said, "Hey, Sonata. Sorry to call you out like this."

The classical pianist sat down next to him. "It is fine. Is there any reason why you wanted me here, Tyson?"

The guitarist sighed. "I guess I just wanted someone to talk to. I've been holding in a lot of disappointment and anger about how this show turned out, and I just want to help you guys. It's kind of like the feeling when a gig, or, in your case, a recital, gets cancelled. You can't give others your best if you don't have a chance to show what you can do, you know?"

Sonata's eyes widened. "I suppose you are right. But perhaps you can do something for the team."

Tyson looked inquisitive. "Like what?"

The classical pianist shrugged. "It was merely a suggestion. I am not good with people, having so little experience with socialization. I just hope to be able to portray myself with a certain level of class, no matter how bad this game gets."

The guitarist smiled. "That's admirable, Sonata."

Suddenly, Tyson's cheeks turned a slight crimson. "And… if you want, I can always help you improve your social skills."

Sonata responded with a warm smile. "That would be wonderful, Tyson. I just hope you can stay long enough for your teaching to make a great impact."

The guitarist sighed. "Me too… but I think I can watch from the sidelines and give advice about how the head construction is coming along."

The classical pianist nodded. "I believe you could do that. So, before I go, do you have any social tips for me?"

Tyson's eyes widened, but he managed to recover fairly quickly and say, "Yes, actually. I think the two most important things for socialization are eye contact and listening skills. As in, when you're talking to someone, you should always look them in the eyes. That way, the person who you're talking with will believe that you're listening to them. Then, just make sure you try to keep up with what the person is saying to you. That way, you'll be able to respond in a way that will keep the topic going… Sonata?"

The classical pianist was starting to scooch closer and closer to the guitarist, which naturally made Tyson a little uneasy. So, he said, "B-back up, please! You're a bit too close to me…"

Sonata's eyes widened, but she nonetheless listened to him and said, "My apologies. I was simply trying to make sure I understood what you were saying. I did catch both of those tips though, so thank you for your help. Would you mind if I went back to the head construction?"

With that, Tyson took a deep breath, regained his smile, and said, "Not at all. Thanks, Sonata."

"And thank you as well, Tyson."

With that, the tall pianist got back to her feet and walked over to the Chris head.

(Confessional: Sonata)

"Tyson appears to be a very nice person. Perhaps he would excel at a classical recital too, and perhaps he will help me get my… limited social interaction to a point where I could interact with others outside of the people I meet in my recitals."

(Confessional: Tyson)

"Well, now I certainly don't feel useless! Teaching Sonata how to socialize should be interesting, and perhaps it'll make our already pretty strong team even stronger. See, I knew I could get better if I stuck through everything! Now I just need to keep those positive thoughts in my mind…"

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

Right after Sonata went back to the construction of the Smoky Fumes' Chris head, the camera panned to a certain enthusiastic cartoon lover working alongside a less enthused dark dude. The two were hard at work for a few seconds, but then Dan pulled his hand backwards, seemingly as a result of an electric shock.

This caused Sophie to look at the dark dude with a concerned look in her eyes and ask, "Are you alright, Dan? I know you said you were good with pain, but that really didn't look good…"

Dan sighed. "I'm fine, Sophie. I don't know why you're so concerned about me anyway. You love cartoons, and I see them as evil. We have no room for improvement, from what I can tell."

The cartoon lover got a more determined look in her eyes. "That's not true! Why, what about that comic I gave you two days ago? Haven't you started to read that?"

The dark dude's eyes widened. "I… guess I did. But even still, one good comic does not change the fact that cartoons are not a medium worth any praise."

Sophie smiled. "I have many, many more! And I would show you some DVDs I have when and if we actually have a TV!"

"You do? How did you get all of them past Chris?"

The cartoon lover shrugged. "I dunno, he never checked my bag! So, are you finished with the 'Return of Queen Chysalis' comic? I could always give you the next comic in the series!"

Dan appeared to be in a ponderous state. "Well… I suppose so. I'm halfway done anyway. Do you want the comic back when you're done? You must have taken some time to staple all four of the issues together…"

Sophie smiled, and said, in a sincere tone. "You keep it, Dan. Trust me, you need it much more than me, and I really hope the other comics I give you will help you realize how awesome cartoons can be. Because no one should run around all mopey-dopey about things meant to bring joy and entertainment into the world!"

The dark dude looked shocked, but managed to say, "...If you insist."

The cartoon lover's enthusiasm reached its peak with that statement, as she yelled, "Woohoo!"

Subsequently, she increased the pace of her work, and after a few more seconds, she got shocked. However, instead of simply pulling away, the electrical charge forced her to maintain her grip on the wire to bear even more pain.

The cartoon lover managed to detach her hand from the wire a second or two later, but when she looked back at Dan, he had already gone back to work without even a hint of acknowledging her previous plight.

(Confessional: Sophie)

"Aww, man… just when I thought I was getting through to him, he just ignored me like that…" (sighs) "He's really convinced that cartoons, and the whole world, for that matter, are evil. Still, I know I can help show him the true beauty of toons and bring out his heroic spirit by showing him all of the great comics and cartoons that I have! ...And if I don't do anything else by the end of this game, I at least want to see him with a genuine, warm smile on his face. I want to get the gloomies out of him, because all I want to see from him is a smile, smile, smile!"

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

Tony was working on the main wires connecting the generator to the head with Erika working directly to his right.

After a few seconds, the Swedish Superstar began to sing, "~I'm addicted to you! Hooked on your love! Your love is my drug! Can't get enough… awwwhuhhhh! Lost in your eyes! Drowning in blue! Out of control! What can I doooohooo? I'm addicted to you!"

The skateboarder chuckled. "Sweet singin', Erika!"

With that, the DJ blushed and took her headphones off. "Oh, sorry! I tend to start singing with my headphones on. I can kinda forget people can hear me."

Tony smiled. "No worries. 'Addicted to You' by Avicii, huh? Man, that's a wicked song."

Erika's eyes widened. "Y-you listen to EDM too?"

The skateboarder nodded. "Sure do. It's the perfect stuff to pump me up when I'm doin' a wicked stunt. I kinda wanted to bring my headphones here, but I figured I wouldn't have the chance to pull off some longer and more complex stunts. Plus, I don't wanna lose that stuff, y'know?"

The DJ gulped. "J-Ja. My equipment is very important to me. And I thought perhaps I'd have the chance to throw a party when we get a break from challenges."

At that moment, Tony looked like he had just gotten hit with a truck. "No way, you actually brought your DJ equipment here?"

Erika winked. "Ja! Why would I not? I want everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves when I step on the scene, and I do that with some sick beats and some hard bass drops! Soon enough, everyone will be raising their hands for me and my beats!"

The skateboarder returned the wink. "You can count me 150% in for that bash! I could even do some sick dancing moves with my skateboard!"

The DJ giggled. "Just don't hurt anyone with it!"

Tony shrugged and winked. "I make no promises. Parties can get wild, y'know."

Erika shivered a little. "Y-yeah…"

However, the skateboarder didn't notice Erika's slight fear, and said, "Well, I hope that party goes on! It'd be totally wicked!"

The DJ gulped, yelled, "Yeah!" and returned to constructing the wires.

(Confessional: Tony)

"Erika is just amazing. I've never seen a female DJ actually get recognition, and for her to bring her equipment, have that much energy, and have that much swagger… wow, she's awesome! I can't wait for that party to kick off!"

(Confessional: Erika)

"I'm shocked that Tony was into the kind of music I produce that much! Who knows what else he's hiding up in that crazy skateboarder head of his? Still, it would be great to have a party with me at the helm later on in the show! Keeping our morale high is probably going to become very important when everyone starts… fighting each other." (slaps herself and recovers surprisingly quickly) "No way, that'll never happen! We'll all have a great time when the bass drops and the hands are raised! Lat oss ga!" (gives a genuine, non-wobbly smile)

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The camera flashed and cut to the Smoky Fumes. While most of the campers on the Smoky Fumes were hard at work on the Chris head, one particular cheerleader noticed that most of her other teammates were starting to get tired. Many campers were wiping their brows, and only Sophie seemed to be in a good mood.

Subsequently, she stood up, pulled out her baton, and yelled, "Everyone ready for a cheer?"

Although the cheerleader received no response except for a blushing Oscar giving an enthusiastic cry of approval, Rebecca cleared her throat and began her cheer.

"Total Drama Isle, yeah! T-O-T-A-L D-R-A-M-A! Goooo, Smoky Fumes!"

During all of this, she jumped around, twirled her baton, and before the final line, she tossed her baton up into the air, got down on her right knee, and caught it with a wink. This energetic display seemed to cheer up the Fumes and convince them to keep going.

But for one particular camper, the cheer caused his cheeks to turn a deep scarlet, and it almost caused him to pass out.

(Confessional: Oscar)

(sighs) "I know this is getting redundant, and I'm sorry… but wow. That was incredible. S-she really put her all into improving the team morale…" (shakes his head violently) "And I'm not going to let that go to waste."

(Confessional: Rebecca)

"Wow, my cheer really did its job! This is great!"

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The camera flashed and cut to the Acidic Sludge working on their Chris head. It looked to be a surprisingly accurate model, thanks to the work of Damian. In fact, he looked to still be working on the final touches on the head.

And, after a few more seconds, he backed away from the head and proudly proclaimed, "I'm done!"

In response, most of his teammates congratulated him. Tony fistpumped and gave a shout of approval, Erika yelled 'bra jobb!', and Jane gave a primal war cry of enthusiasm.

However, this celebration was short lived after the Acidic Sludge heard a loud 'cracking' noise, as if a sudden spark erupted from one of the power cords. And, unfortunately, that's exactly what happened. In his excitement, Damian accidentally stepped on and broke the main power cord, rendering the electrical generator completely useless. This caused most of his teammates to gasp in horror, and for Damian himself to look down, sad and forlorn.

(Confessional: Dwayne)

"Aw man… he did such a great job on the head, and all of that work just went out the window. That's just terrible."

(Confessional: Tony)

"Wow, that was just the bad kind of gnarly. Where things are gnarled and stuff."

(Confessional: Erika)

(sighs) "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is one time where you don't want to drop the bass…"

(Confessional: Damian)

(extremely forlorn) "I cannot believe it… I wanted to pass out at that very moment, but, at the very least, my head was very good. And even if I do get eliminated now, perhaps I could become a sculptor. It does technically relate to people, after all." (sighs) "But wow, I really messed up there… I just hope my head construction was good enough."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

Before the Acidic Sludge could recover from Damian's massive blunder, the obnoxious sound of an airhorn resonated throughout the second floor. Subsequently, the sadistic host walked through the door, cleared his throat, and spoke into his megaphone.

"Alright, campers! Time is up! Drop everything and step away from your creations now! It's grading time!"

The campers emitted a collective sigh, but nonetheless listened to Chris' demands.

Once the sadistic host made sure everyone stopped what they were doing, he cleared his throat and continued to speak into the megaphone. "Alright, Smoky Fumes! Since you got the advantage from the previous challenge, I'll be judging you first!"

The camera flashed and cut to Chris walking up to the Smoky Fumes' Chris head. After analyzing it for a few seconds, he said, "Hmm… not bad. Not great, but not bad. Now, let's see if my glorious mug lights up!"

(Confessional: Oscar)

"I put my all into making this a spectacle. I just hope it's enough."

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Second Floor)

The sadistic host walked up to the generator and flicked the switch on. After a second or two of nothing happening, the Chris head glowed extremely brightly, and then slowly started to dim… while changing colors from yellow to orange in the process.

Chris seemed to perk up as a result of this minor spectacle, and responded by saying, "Well, that was pretty good. Let's see if the Acidic Sludge can beat you."

The camera flashed and cut to Chris walking up to the Acidic Sludge's Chris head. Most of the Sludge members appeared to be visibly nervous, but their fears were slightly curbed when Chris nodded approvingly and said, "This is an awesome Chris head! It even looks like me a little! But, will it light up? Let's find out!"

The camera panned to the campers of the Sludge looking nervous, and went back and forth between Chris walking up to the generator, and the members of the Sludge looking terrified. Finally, the sadistic flipped on the switch and…

Nothing happened.

The sadistic host sighed. "What a shame. Such a beautiful head just wasted with no extra light or anything. Well, in that case, the Smoky Fumes win yet again!"

Subsequently, most of the campers on the fumes burst with excitement, and there were lots of high-fives going around.

Then, the camera cut back to Chris shaking his head at the members of the Acidic Sludge and saying, "Man, you guys lost two challenges in a row! You must have some serious dead weight just waiting to be placed on the Piston of Shame, huh? Well, since I'm such a nice guy, I'll give you the opportunity to talk amongst yourselves and come up with the second camper getting a one-way ticket to Pistonland! So, get out of here. My coffee's almost ready."

With those words, all nineteen campers slowly started to disband.

(Confessional: Suzy)

"I don't think I'll mind if Damian does go home. I mean, sure, it would have been nice to have another member of my alliance, but I'll survive without him. Bye-bye, Damian!" (blows a kiss and giggles)

(Chris McLean Coal Factory: Outside)

The camera flashed and cut to Graham, Suzy, Dwayne, Kristin, Tony, Erika, and Lee in a circle in front of Chris' factory. The tension around the seven seemed like it could be cut with a butter knife, and no one seemed to want to speak first.

However, eventually, the deadpan snarker sighed and gave in. "So, Graham. Why did you call all of us here?"

The gentle giant cleared his throat. "I thought we'd discuss who we'd eliminate here. We've lost two challenges in a row, so perhaps a meeting would get our… morale back, as it were. Is that alright, everyone?"

Lee shrugged. "It's not like there's anything better to do."

Most of the other responses essentially equated back to the phrase 'why not?', which convinced the gentle giant to continue. "Cool. So, I was thinking that we should eliminate Damian. He seems like a nice guy, and he was good at constructing the head, but he also seems to be kind of clumsy. And I'm afraid that could cost us down the road. Any thoughts?"

The skateboarder sighed. "Yeah, as much as I hate to admit it, he kinda screwed up there. I think his heart was in the right place, but you know, too much passion can cause a gnarly wipeout. And not in a good way, either."

The chill jock shook his head. "I dunno, man. I get where you two are comin' from, but I think if we give my buddy a chance, he'll prove to be a great part of our team."

Graham shrugged. "Alright. But I'm afraid we'll need to eliminate someone. Who do you have in mind, Dwayne?"

"Hmm… maybe Jane? Nothin' against her, I just don't think she's 100% there."

Suzy smiled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree. Let's vote for Jane!"

The gentle giant appeared to be in a ponderous state. "A blindside this early? Nothing personal, Suzy, but I'm not sure that's a great idea. Plus, Jane was the one who said that she wanted to stay with Damian to boost his spirits."

Subsequently, Kristin finally spoke up. "I agree."

Most of the group looked shocked that the tough chick of all people would be the person to speak up, but Kristin ignored their shock and continued. "A blindside this early would cause intense disorder within our team. Plus, Damian is not very athletic, and most of these challenges involve some kind of physical component. And regardless of how loopy you think Jane may be, if Graham's story is to be believed, her energy could improve the team morale as a whole, and she could become better at challenges as a result of that energy. Besides, Damian stated that he wanted to find something he was good at besides reading emotions, and he found it in building Chris head. Perhaps his head won't be in the game from now on. Thus, I believe in this case, the safe elimination is the best elimination."

Most of the group continued to appear in a trance due to Kristin's speech, but Graham was the first to recover and say, "Well, you guys heard her. So, whoever wants to vote for Damian, raise your hand, please."

Graham, Erika, Tony, Kristin, and Lee raised their hands almost immediately, but Dwayne and Suzy also raised their hands a few seconds afterwards, although they were a bit more reluctant to do so.

With all seven group members raising their hands, Graham concluded the meeting by saying, "Alright, so Damian it is. Thanks for attending this meeting, guys. Now, let's just wait for Chris to call us up."

With that, the group slowly disbanded.

The camera flashed and cut to Damian walking down the stairs with Jane. The mascot was essentially bouncing down the stairs, while the empath was simply walking down.

Once the two reached the bottom of the stairs, Damian seemed to be in a ponderous state. A few seconds later, he turned to Jane and asked, "Are you, by any chance, concerned about me due to my blunder in the challenge, Jane?"

The mascot's eyes widened. "Wow, how'd you guess that?"

"You just had that air to you. I did not appear to be too depressed, and yet you followed me down the stairs anyway. However, I would like to tell you that you do not need to concern yourself over me. I managed to find something else I am good at besides reading emotions, and because of that, I have a good feeling that I can make money for my parents without having to rely on me being an emotional psychic. It gets a bit draining over time, after all…"

Jane pouted. "Aww. Maybe you could work at the zoo though! I could always put in a good word for you!"

Damian looked confused. "How could a sculptor work at a zoo?"

The mascot grinned. "Well, we could always use more animal statues! You're old enough for a job, right? I think the zookeeper told me you need to be 18 or older…"

The empath smiled. "I am 17, but I will be turning 18 in a few months. If you could put in a good word for me, though, I would be extremely grateful. The show should have most of my contact information, so your zoo should be able to reach me. Thank you for your kindness, Jane. I appreciate it."

"No problem! Well, now I have to return to my dorm! Later, Damian!"

"Have a good day, Jane."

The two then parted ways and went back to their dorms.

The camera flashed, and cut to the boys relaxing in their dorm. However, their relaxation session was cut short by a loud voice shouting, "Alright, Acidic Losers! It's time for the second Coalside Elimination Ceremony!"

While most of the campers were reeling from the noise, the boys got up quickly and went out the door.

However, before most of them could leave, Connor flipped his hat up a little and said, "Good luck to y'all."

He was met with a few 'thank yous', but outside from that, the boys and the girls from the Acidic Sludge got out of their dorms without too much else happening.

The camera flashed and cut to the nine campers on wooden log. Subsequently, the sadistic host walked up to the campers and said, "Acidic Sludge. This is your second loss in a row. Great job. So, I've given you some time, and you can now cast your votes to get rid of some nice deadweight. And, your time starts…"

The sadistic host walked over to the confessional and opened it. "Now!"

The nine campers got in a line to cast their votes. About thirty seconds later, all of the votes were cast, and Chris walked into the confessional to get the jar and tally them. "I see… very interesting."

A few seconds later, Chris placed the jar down, walked over to his plate of coal pieces, and picked them up. "Alright. Well, campers, the votes have been cast. There are only eight coal pieces on this plate. When I call your name, come up and collect your coal piece. The person who does not get a coal piece must immediately board the Piston of Shame and get catapulted out of the game. And when that happens, you can't come back. Ever. The first camper to receive a piece of coal is… Graham."

The gentle giant smiled and collected his coal piece without another word. "Suzy."

The flirt sauntered over to the plate, picked up her coal piece, stood next to Graham, and gave him a wink, causing the gentle giant to blush slightly. "Tony."

The skateboarder fistpumped, rode his skateboard over to Chris, and picked up his coal piece. "Lee."

The deadpan snarker rolled his eyes, but nonetheless walked up to the sadistic host and took his coal piece. "Kristin."

The tough chick nodded and went up to collect her coal piece without another word. "Dwayne."

The chill jock smiled and said, "Cool," before coming up and collecting his coal piece. "And Erika."

The female DJ shouted, "Yeaaah!" before running up, collecting her coal piece, and giving the skateboarder a high five.

With only Jane and Damian left, the sadistic host said, "Campers, this is the final coal piece of the night."

Jane looked rather concerned that she was in the bottom too, and Damian, while concerned, seemed more resigned than anything. Chris' hand went up and pointed back and forth between the two, which increased the tension more and more, before his finger finally ended up pointing to…

"Jane."

The mascot wiped her brow and breathed a sigh of relief before going up to collect her coal piece.

"Damian, what can I say? You cost your team the challenge, and you were pretty useless anyway. I can think of no better candidate to board the Piston of Shame tonight."

The empath sighed and stood up. "Sorry, guys. I tried my best, but I suppose I just was not cut out for this game. I wish you all the best of luck, and hopefully I may actually become a sculptor one day."

Before the other campers could respond, the sadistic host said, "Boring! Piston of Shame, dude, now."

With a nod, Damian walked on over to the unholy Piston. He was quickly strapped in, loaded up, and launched into the sky with a push of a button and an unfeeling 'goodbye' from Chris. And unlike Kylie, when he was launched, he gave a nice scream for the sadistic host.

"That's much better. Heh heh. Well, another one bites the dust! Two down and eighteen more to go! Who will succumb to the pressure? Who will step up and become a villain? And how much power can I get to my mansion using this wicked factory? Find out next time, on Total!"

The camera zoomed out.

"Drama!"

The camera zoomed out again.

"Isle!"

(We cut back to The Story Man…)

That is all to say for today. Come back tomorrow if you wish to hear more of my story.