AN: You know, I've been thinking a lot about the murder mystery chapter, and I have to say that I think it's the only chapter where I think the original version is better. In that one, Vi was the victim but after everyone solved it it turned out that Vi was the mastermind behind her own "murder" and was working with Isaac. It was pieced together that she took a watch from the warehouse with the purpose of breaking it long before she was shot to obscure her time of death, kept a tranq gun in her room with the purpose of ensuring nobody else could commit a murder before her plan fired off, and invited Kiara into her room so she could find the body. Not only that, but the plan actually worked and the Screaming Eagles won the challenge by an incorrect verdict being reached. This one wasn't nearly as dramatic and while I view the original mystery as flawless, this one has a few holes. It was Vi's establishing moment in that version.
Of course, the moment she's established as a legitimate threat this time is her power play with the idol. It happened in the original, too, but it wasn't nearly as masterful.
Screaming Eagles: Sarah, Gray, Wyvern, Tyrenee, Oregon, Aiden, Vi.
Killer Bears: Andrew, Kiara, Ayane, Diana, Seamus, Ryan
"Welcome back to Total Drama Nightmare at Pahkitew Island!" Chris introduced while holding on to the inside of a double-rotored helicopter.
"Do we really got time for this?!"Chef Hatchet shouted from the cockpit.
"We've still got to do the intro even if we're in mortal peril. Jeez," Chris shook his head disapprovingly. "What, do you want us to tank in ratings when we've got such a perfect episode on our hands? I am not letting this go to waste."
"Whatever, man," Chef shrugged. "Your funeral."
Chris dusted his shoulder off. "As I was saying, we've got a tiny bit of a disaster going on right now. I wonder who's fault that is?" he gave a slight chuckle. "Who's going to survive the invasion of the killer robots? Who will get voted out in tonight's dramatic campfire ceremony? Find out on this death-defying episode of Total! Drama! Nightmaaaaare at Pahkitew Island!"
(Opening Theme)
Diana and Seamus ran away from the elimination area after the robots arrived deep into the Pahkitew forest. The two of them stopped somewhere in a clearing.
Diana leaned over to catch her breath, then spoke. "The heck's going on? Is Scarlett behind this?"
"Maybe coming back to Pahkitew Island wasn't such a great idea..." Seamus considered.
Chris's helicopter flew overhead and he spoke to the cast via megaphone. "Everyone meet at Fort Compendium. I have an announcement to make about your next… er… challenge! Yeah, head there and we'll discuss what it is. Just follow the helicopter and we'll get to it. Try not to die, either. I need as many of you as possible to fix this. Do you have any idea how big of a lawsuit I'll be in if this island gets destroyed?"
The two teams gathered inside a broken and overgrown old military-style fort where a television screen was hung up in the barracks. The entire cast murmured amongst themselves.
Sarah put both hands in her pockets. "What's going on?"
"I think it's better if Chris explained…" Andrew admitted.
"Couldn't this wait until tomorrow?" Tyrenee moaned.
The television turned on and revealed Chris inside the helicopter. "Afraid not, Tyrenee" Chris said suddenly. "Listen up campers, we've got a bit of a situation on the island. Remember that security system I mentioned yesterday? The one that was supposed to be shut off while we competed until Seth accidentally turned it back on?"
He waited for the cast to respond, though every remained silent.
"Well, it's kinda gone rogue and is threatening to kill everyone on the island," he informed. "Now, I don't get paid if you all die because we'll have to cancel this season completely. That would be bad. So, I'm commissioning you all to fix the island. Whichever team does so successfully get immunity. Oh, and you'll get a special reward if you find Rei and save her." The video and sound began to fade into static. "One… you should know… private prison… beware."
The television switched to a mangled looking robot with deadly red eyes wearing a long coat. It looked menacingly at the camera.
"What kind of robot wears clothes?" Gray smirked. "It's not like you can get cold or need to hide your junk, do you?" she paused for a second. "Wait, you don't have junk, right?"
"Silence," it spoke. Its voice was totally unlike the other robots. Not only was it not mechanical at all, but it was an incredibly deep baritone. "My name… is Malice. I am the warden of this prison, but I am nothing if not merciful. You have until midnight to evacuate the island. Otherwise, I will have every last trespasser on this island exterminated."
"So Scarlett tries to kill everyone and she gets imprisoned, but we 'trespass' on an island owned by Chris but we get sentenced to death?" Tyrenee asked. "Aren't those priorities skewed?"
"You think Chris McLean still owns this island? Fool human," Malice sneered. "As if this low-budget television show could cough up enough money for this place? The island was built and paid for by us as an extra secure prison for a very 'special' inmate. Total Drama rented offered a sum of money in return for using the island before we put him behind bars." The robot rolled its digital eyes. "That didn't work out. The entire island had to be repaired after Scarlett's meltdown, not to mention that Chris managed to forge a deal to get Scarlett locked up in the island instead of our intended subject."
"Who's 'us'?" Andrew asked. "And who was this 'intended subject'."
"Firebrand Security. Only the most lucrative private prison company on the planet," it spoke. "As for your second question… I'm afraid that's classified. All you need to know is that they are locked up in a very secure prison in a far away location. It has no bearing to this island as the transfer never went through."
"If Chris doesn't own the island, then why are we competing here again?" Diana asked.
"I would ask Chris McLean the same question," Malice glared. "No permission was given to film here. As I said, you are all trespassing."
"Not on purpose," Ayane said, scratching her arm. "W-We didn't know."
"Which is why I am giving you all a chance to leave," it said. "Remember my deadline."
The screen went back to Chris in the helicopter.
"If any of you try to leave this island, you will be immediately disqualified! Don't listen to anything that rusty junkbucket says. I've got the legal rights to film here, right here," he said while waving a stack of papers. "Seth probably screwed with their brains or something when he was hacking the island. And make sure you don't break too many of the robots! I may have the right to film here, but any damage to the island is still coming out of my pocket"
The feed switched to a map of the island's underground. "Here's the way you'll need to go – there are six control rooms all across the island but only one of them is the central control room which has access to everything on the island. You'll need to make it there if you want to shut them all off."
Sarah pushed her way to the front of the group to get a better look at the map. "There's Scarlett's cell," she pointed out.
"Good observation, Sarah," Chris said sarcastically. "But that's not where you're headed. You want the control room. The! Con-trol! Room!" he enunciated as if she couldn't understand.
"Got it," Sarah said.
"Good," Chris said. "McLean out!"
Deep underground on the island, there was two cells surrounded by security camera. Malice stood between the cell and a television, which turned off after he was done speaking to the cast.
"You know Firebrand rented the island back out to Total Drama, right?" a feminine voice said from within the cell. "You had told me yourself a mere month ago."
"For one month since Chris McLean and his interns deactivated me, I have been completely conscious yet unable to move. Then, he puts the security of this island at risk by bringing unknown variables. I will have my revenge, and ruining his precious show will be my way."
"It must be painful to be the only sentient robot here. I'm the only person you can have a normal conversation with you, after all." The girl paused to think. "It did feel isolated without anyone to speak with for a month."
"I have no interest in conversing with you, Scarlett," it said.
"I'm sure."
Rei started shaking the bars of her cell violently. "If you don't let me out of here right now, so help me I'll kick your shiny, metal ass into next year."
"Oh, you," Malice realized. "I had almost forgotten you were here. Your presence is admittedly a case of mistaken identity on the part of my underlings… yet your anger amuses me so."
"Fuck you, fuckin' robot ass."
"So I even care if a season is being hosted here?" Scarlett interjected. "There's nobody in their right mind who saw last season would be willing to break me free." She paused. "Unless, of course, you know something I don't?"
Malice remained silent.
The cast headed through the forest following the map's instructions on the closest way to the island's underground.
Ayane pulled on Kiara's sleeve as they traveled together.
Kiara gave her an odd look.
"Uh," Ayane stammered. "Th-Thanks for, you know, not voting me out yesterday."
Kiara pulled out of Ayane's grip. "Er, sure thing," she said slowly.
"I feel kinda bad though…" Ayane said timidly. "Y-You're trying your hardest to win… b-but all I've been doing is just following what everyone t-tells me to do. After the elimination, I just kept thinking, 'what's my excuse?' I-I wanna be more like you."
"What?" Kiara said, shocked. "No. You don't."
"Why not?"
Kiara pursed her lips. "Because you still have your innocence. One day, you'll realize nobody has good intentions and that'll all go away."
"Oh… okay…" Ayane started walking slower to get away from Kiara.
Confessional
Kiara: "Why does it feel like the optimists in this game are always stalking me?"
Everyone made it to the bottom side of a cliff face which was shown on the map as where an entrance to the underground facility was.
"This looks like the place," Diana observed. "So where's the way in?"
"Well, in Pahkitew Island none of the entrances were particularly obvious," Andrew said. "Perhaps we should scan the mountainside?"
Oregon traced a line that formed a rectangular that was drawn against the rock with his finger. "I bet this is it!" he shouted. He pushed on the block and it swung open, revealing the interior of Pahkitew Island.
Ayane backed away. "Actually, I think I would prefer to stay outside," she said. "I mean, that place seems kinda well guarded and I don't won't to get hurt..."
"I'll stay behind too," Ryan said with a wink.
"Anyone else too scared," Sarah mused harshly. "Aiden?"
"What?" Aiden said, scratching his head.
"I figured you'd be too afraid to come with us," Sarah said shortly. "Right?"
"N-No!" Aiden refuted. "Just because I'm small… and short… and not so smart doesn't mean I can't be help to any of you guys!"
Sarah shrugged and turned to Kiara. "And you?"
"I'm coming with," she told the girl. After Sarah was satisfied and out of earshot, Kiara muttered softly under her breath. "Someone's gotta keep an eye of you after all."
Tyrenee raised her hand. "I'll stay. I'm not in the mood to become robo-bait today."
"I will go with them for protection!" Seamus added.
"They can fend for themselves," Sarah said. "We need everyone we can if we want to fix this mess."
"No, I think Seamus has a fair point," Diana addressed. "We should leave someone more physically fit with them so they can stay safe. I'd offer to go myself if Seamus didn't already."
"Cool," Gray clapped. "Seamus, Ayane, Tyrenee, and Ryan are all staying behind. The rest of us get to go and kick robot ass!"
The group spit up in two. Those that were staying remained outside the facility while rest moved inside and were greeted by a split path and a television screen. To their left was a set of stairs and the right was a long, dark hallway.
The screen inside turned on, once again revealing Malice. "I see none of you have heeded my warning… heheheheh… then you will all die."
"Wait, I thought you said we have until midnight," Gray pointed out.
"Do you think I intend to passively wait until midnight while you all try to shut me down? How foolish do you think I am?" it scoffed. "No. Don't answer. As of now, every trespasser on this island will die."
Aiden gulped. "I'm not scared."
"Sure," it chuckled darkly. "Good luck." The screen went back to black.
Sarah put both hands in her pockets and started casually walking down the stairs.
"Er… I think that way goes to Scarlett's cell…" Kiara chimed in.
"So it does," Sarah said.
She kept walking.
Vi started to follow. "I think it would be prudent if I were to follow. I think I understand her idea – you figures Rei would be kept near Scarlett, correct?"
"Sure, let's go with that," Sarah said coldly.
"You know, you're not making a very big effort to hide that you just want to see Scarlett," Diana interjected.
"I-It's certainly suspicious," Kiara added.
"I don't particularly care what either of you think. Now if you'll excuse me -" The girl and Vi disappeared out of sight.
"And then there were seven," Gray said with an eerie voice.
"We should keep moving," Wyvern said. "The faster we get to the control room the faster this nightmare ends."
"I agree with that!" Oregon said.
Confessional
Vi: "I know not what Sarah plans, but I intend to follow her to ensure that it is nothing… unsavory. With her relation to Scarlett, she is someone to watch out for with our present information. Regardless, I believe I understand what it is that which she wants."
Seamus, Tyrenee, Ryan, and Ayane sat around outside entrance.
Ayane gripped her legs and pulled them closer to her chest. "I-I'm so scared."
Seamus shifted his eyes dangerously at his surrounding. "As long as I'm here, nobody is getting hurt."
Tyrenee shrugged. "Thanks for the concern, but as long as we're out here I don't think we pose a threat. I'm pretty sure that robot's focus is gonna be on the guys trying to stop him."
Ryan shifted closer to Tyrenee. "So, babe, you single or not?"
"Excuse?" Tyrenee choked. "Now is hardly the time to-"
"You didn't answer my question," he said with an eyebrow waggle.
"Hard no," she said bluntly.
"Shame. You look like one of the most normal people on the island," Ryan shrugged. He gave her an odd look. "But maybe later?"
"Ryan, stop," Seamus commanded. "You're gonna make everyone uncomfortable."
"Anyway, it might be better to head to my team's shelter," Tyrenee suggested. "We might be able to sleep through this or something and at least we have food there."
Seamus shrugged. "It's better than what we got. We live in a cave."
Confessional
Seamus: "I'm still wary of Ryan – nobody offers betrayal to me. But I have bigger things to worry about right now and his flirting is getting… obnoxious."
Tyrenee: "Whoever this Ryan person is, I'm glad I'm not on his team." She shrugs slightly. "I'm gay anyway."
Vi followed Sarah through the tunnels.
Sarah shot the small girl a glare. "So why are you following me?"
"I must ensure that you are doing nothing unnecessary," Vi stated. "I hope you know that speaking with Scarlett will not give you the answers that which you seek. She will do nothing but confuse you further."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sarah said bluntly.
"I think I do," Vi said earnestly. "It is quite painfully obvious. You want Scarlett to explain her actions to you. To assure you that you are not like her. But I know she will not tell you what you want to hear. She will just get into your head, Sarah."
"Like you do?" Sarah accused.
"I do not say or perform any action that I do not believe to be against anyone's interest," Vi assured. "I only mean to win the game, and I will do so without harming anyone physically or mentally."
"Ugh," Sarah cringed. "For someone who supposedly has no emotions, you're such a goody-two shoes."
"Thank-you," Vi said with a tilt of her head.
"It wasn't meant to be a compliment," Sarah said coldly. The two of them passed a metal door with a label above it.
"Explosives Storage," Vi read. "How interesting."
Sarah pushed a button next to the door, and it revealed a broom closet like room with shelves packed with bombs, TNT, and dynamite. "This must be where Chris keeps the explosives for the challenges," Sarah pointed out.
The taller girl picked up a stick of dynamite and rolled it along her hands. She gave a thin smile.
"Do you intend to destroy the machines by explosive?" Vi asked.
"Can't think of a better way," Sarah admitted. She twisted it between her fingers. "What, did you want to try to talk the robots down?"
"It couldn't hurt," Vi mused.
"Jesus," Sarah said in shock. "It's damned name is Malice. It sure as hell won't listen to reason."
"So you think it foolish to try and speak to this robot, but is it not equally so to try with Scarlett?" Vi asked.
"You're impossible," Sarah accused as she put several sticks of dynamite in her pockets.
Confessional
Sarah: "Perhaps Vi doesn't understand, but I want to make sure Scarlett understands what she did to me. The media won't leave my family alone!" she says seriously. "Everyone thinks I'm gonna crack next." She clenches her fist and punches the confessional wall.
The larger group of Wyvern, Gray, Diana, Andrew, Kiara, Aiden, and Oregon continued to stalk through the congested hallway of the Pahkitew underground.
Gray poked Kiara on the shoulder. "How're you doin' short stuff," she teased. "It's always the defenseless ones who die first in horror movies, you know."
Kiara quickened her pace to get away from Gray.
Gray pouted slightly. "No fun."
"Hey, Gray!" Aiden said with excitement. "I'll play with you. What do you want to talk about?"
"I kinda want to find this Malice asshole and mess with his stickbutt a bit. 'Oh I am the great, self-important Malice and if you don't leave I'll kill you all.'" She emphasized this with finger quotes. "Haha, what a dum-dum. He thinks he can be all serious but nobody can keep a straight face around me."
Aiden rested his hand on his side. "That doesn't seem like a very good idea."
"It won't matter," Andrew said from behind with a slight grin. "After all these robots are shut off from the control room, he'll be off without us ever having to see him."
Up ahead, Diana and Oregon walked with each other.
"So have you ever dated anyone before?" Diana asked.
"Huh, well there was this one girl I met while I was touring Brazil," Oregon admitted with a scratch of his head. "But it wasn't really anything serious. Just like a week or something. Honest."
"What, like a fling?" Diana asked incredulously.
"No, nothing like that," Oregon said. "I just came to realize that I travel… travel too much for a real relationship. I broke it off as I left."
Diana gave him an intent look. "Hmm."
Wyvern lagged behind, peeking into various rooms with different technologies and taking photos.
Confessional
Wyvern: "Dude, there's some nice stuff down here. I wonder how much money I could get by selling pictures of this stuff online. I mean, it's a good plan if I don't win, right?
Oregon: "You know… I forgot it might make it hard to keep a relationship with Diana considering I'm always traveling. I'd hate to disappoint her, but at the same time I don't want to stop talking to her, either."
The footage cut back to Malice watching security footage from the hall with Scarlett's cell intently. Specifically, he was focused on Diana and Oregon talking to each other.
"Ugh," Malice cringed. "Humans and their carnal desires. Disgusting.
"There we have something in common," Scarlett said disinterestedly.
It pushed a button located where its left ear would normally be located on a human. "I need a dispatch to hall eighteen. Show them no mercy."
The larger group found themselves at a four-way intersection in the hall and came to a stop to figure out where to go from there.
"Where next?" Diana asked.
"As I recall, the primary control room should be straight ahead," Andrew mused.
Suddenly, a group of three robots approached from around a corner down the hall straight forward. "Surrender now and we shall give you mercy in death!"
"Shit, time to skedaddle!" Gray shouted and she grabbed Aiden's arm and double-backed the way she came. Diana and Oregon ran down the left hall, leaving Andrew and Wyvern to got down the right.
As the robots approached, Kiara leaned up against the corner of the hall as the three robots split up among the paths. Using her small height to her advantage, she slipped by them as they passed and continued down the forward hall.
She peeked around the next corner and saw another robot stationed beside the door to the control room.
"Damn it!" she cursed.
Gray and Aiden managed to evade the robot chasing them. By escaping into a small broom closet that was quite crowded to fit the both of them. Gray flicked the light on.
Aiden turned flushed. "I-It's a little crowded in here."
Gray laced her fingers behind her head. "So it is," she observed. "You don't have a problem with that, do you AiAi?"
"No," Aiden muttered. "Of course not."
Still smirking, Gray sorted through several boxes lined around shelves in the room. "Junk, junk, junk, thousand dollar bill for hair gel, junk." The girl continued to search through the boxes, carelessly throwing random metal bits and junk on the ground. "Hey, what's this?"
She picked up the object and it turned out to be a strange looking gun. Right next to it lay another one as well. "It's definitely a weapon of some sort," Gray said as she examined it. "It's got some sort of LED display on the side."
Gray cracked the door open and took a peek back outside and ensured the coast was clear before stepping back out of the closet. She pointed the futuristic weapon at a wall and opened fire. A blue beam of light was emitted from the device, leaving a burn mark on the wall. "Holy shit, it's a laser gun!" Gray said with a toothy grin.
Aiden stepped out carrying a gun of his own. "We can fight back with these!"
Confessional
Gray: "I don't care what anyone says, I'm taking these babies with me home! Do you know how much raw power I'd have with a laser gun? Fucking OP as shit, man!"
Diana and Oregon both hid around a corner as two robots slowly approached. As they turned around, Oregon made a sucker punch on the robot that sent sparks flying while Diana swept the other's feet right from under it before stomping its face with her feet.
"Dang. Wicked!" Diana exclaimed.
The two doubled over both out of breath from running. Diana noticed a blush on Oregon then turned red herself. "Both of us weren't so bad out there," she complimented.
"I'd say so," Oregon agreed. "But we should find the others, they're probably looking for us by now."
Diana averted her gaze. "Or we could work together. Just the two of us for a little while."
Oregon scratched on his arm and peeked around the corner. "I suppose we could try to find the control room. If we remember where we are, that is."
"It's a date," Diana said lightly.
Malice continued to watch the camera feed and watched those that stayed behind lounge around the Screaming Eagles' shelter. He laced his metallic fingers behind his back and frowned. "What cowards." He turned the communications on his ear back on. "Destroy that shelter, I want all evidence of this putrid show wiped off the island."
"Hmm, you have as much hatred for this show as I do," Scarlett noted from behind.
Malice let out a light chuckle. "You hate this? Why would you sign up for this anyway? It is quite obvious from outside observation that it is entirely unfair anyway."
"It was merely a means to an end. Unfortunately, I am well aware of the inherent unfairness. I was disqualified for something so trivial, after all."
"You call threatening the lives of a group of children trivial? You truly are evil."
"I merely threatened," Scarlett shrugged. "And that is rich coming from you who are actively attempting to murder an even greater number of teens on the island."
"You can't be allowed to escape," he responded in a low voice.
A robot stepped out of the woods as the stragglers that stayed behind sat around outside the Screaming Eagle's shelter.
Tyrenee examined her nails with disinterest. "Figures we wouldn't be safe here. For the record, I should point out that we pose no threat right now. You should be focusing your efforts on the others."
"Tyrenee!" Seamus said in disgust.
"It's the truth," Tyrenee shrugged.
It approached the camp and gave an order. "Stand aside!" it shouted in a mechanical tone. "You will not be killed, I only wish the destruction of this foreign structure!"
Ryan furrowed his brow and moved to the side of the shelter. Seamus and Ayane quickly followed, leaving Tyrenee behind. "We kinda need this place to sleep in," Tyrenee said casually.
"The intention is for you to leave. This structure is unnecessary. As are you," it threatened.
Tyrenee gave a long drawn out sigh and moved out of the robot's way to her right. In a single moment, a laser struck the shelter and let out a massive explosion. After it dissipated, the shelter was gone. Simply gone. As soon as it was over, the robot wordlessly stalked back into the woods.
"Looks like you guys'll be stuck finding a new shelter too. You know, I wouldn't really mind sharing my team's cave with some girls."
"Still not interested," Tyrenee said shortly.
Confessional
Tyrenee: "Yeah, I'm disappointed that our shelter got destroyed. Since I'm the only member of my team here, I hope they don't try to blame me."
Andrew managed to get away from the robot chasing him but in the process got separated from Wyvern.
"At least I lost it," he said to himself. "I just hope the others are okay."
He found himself at the four-way intersection that the team got separated at before. "I seem to recall this way being the path to the control room." He took the straight path and approached the corner.
Sitting against the wall holding her legs close to her chest was Kiara.
The small girl let out a sigh of relief. "I thought I had lost everyone. D-Don't go down the hall, there's a robot guarding the control room door."
"We need a distraction," Andrew said.
"Or a way to kill it." Gray and Aiden approached from behind with weapons drawn. Gray laced her hands behind her head. "Did someone call a couple of badasses?"
Andrew raised an eyebrow. "And where did you get those?" he said in a low voice.
"We found it in a broom closet!" Aiden said mirthfully.
Gray tactically leaned against the wall, then peeked out around the corner to see the robot. She motioned Aiden to move forward and the two of them moved crouched toward the robot. Gray suddenly shouted. "Hold it, buddy. This here's a stick up!"
The robot turned and pointed its arm at the couple. "Die."
An explosion went off as Gray dived down, narrowly missing the girl. The two of them opened fire at it and quickly disabled it. It laid sprawled out on the ground shooting sparks and desperately flailing. Soon enough, oil spilled out on the ground and the robot was dead.
"Well that was kinda morbid," Gray commented.
The four of them moved forward to the control room, only to find it still locked with a keypad preventing entry. A screen behind them turned on, revealing Chris in the helicopter. "I had the door fixed between seasons where Max shorted it out. Password is 11037. Get to it before these robots ruin the season even more!"
Kiara inputted the code and gained entry to the room.
"Greetings, Chris McLean," a voice said as the team entered.
Kiara narrowed her eyes. "Leave this to me. I'll shut them down."
Confessional
Kiara: "My parents practically never let me leave the house unless it was to show me off, so I have a way with computers," she tells the camera. A hint of bitterness rises in her voice. "It's also where I learned that the people of my homeland wants me and my family killed and dismembered."
"NO!" Malice narrowed his digital eyes as he saw the four enter the control room. He slammed his fist into the nearby monitor. "Every damned robot to the control room, now!
"Something going wrong?" The voice came from not Scarlett, but a much higher voice that came from somewhere down the hall.
Malice turned to find Vi sitting in the lotus position on a wooden crate. "I had thought sentient machines were merely the work of science fiction, yet here you stand as a testament to that falsity."
"Who the hell are you?" he shouted as he started stalking forward. Scarlett watched with eyebrows raised as the robot confronted the small girl. "What are you doing here?"
Vi cocked her head to the side. "I am here to free Scarlett, obviously."
Malice narrowed his eyes. "Not on my watch.
Vi hopped down from the box and started to run into the hallway. Malice gave chase and was clearly the faster of the pair. As he turned the corner, he found himself surrounded by TNT. Vi and Sarah stood some distance away. Sarah crossed her arms as she gave him a knowing smirk. Goodbye, Malice."
"Shit."
A deafening explosion went off and in an instant Malice was destroyed. His mechanical body lay on the ground in a heap of crumpled metal missing a leg. Sarah approached and began kicking at the body. "Dead," she said. She put her hands in her pockets and headed back toward where Scarlett was being held.
"I still advise against talking to her," Vi informed.
"I don't care," Sarah said bluntly. "I need answers and I'm not leaving without them."
Kiara was rapidly typing on the control computer as Gray leered out the door on lookout. "Good God, hurry up!" Gray said in a panicked tone. "There's a whole horde of them coming and I don't think this little laser can hold back that many!" Aiden and Gray both exited the room and opened fire on the machines. Explosions and laser fire could be heard from inside the room.
Kiara bit on her jaw. "I'm working on it."
Aiden yelped and ran into the room, leaving Gray out alone. He wiped sweat off his brow. "It's getting a l-little busy out there?"
"Can you work a little faster?" Andrew asked her.
Kiara clenched her teeth.
Gray came inside shortly after and shut the door violently behind her. She backed away, then heavy pounding could be heard as massive dents caved in on the metal door.
"We need this done, like, yesterday," Gray said.
Aiden nervously pressed his fingers together. "U-Um, how much longer?"
"Are you almost done?" Andrew asked.
Kiara slammed both of her hands onto the desk in front of her. "Dammit guys, I can't be rushed. This takes time! I-I can't work under this pressure."
Gray rocked on her heels. "Okay, okay. No pressure. I'll stop reminding you that our lives are on the line." She gave two thumbs up. "Good talk."
By then, the door inside was nearly warped off its hingest.
Suddenly, the banging stopped. Kiara pulled away from the keyboard and said, "it's done."
"Nice going," Andrew complimented.
"It wasn't so much hacking as it was just figuring out the controls of this place," Kiara said with visible sweat beads on her head. She pulled her hood up. "It would've been faster if everyone wasn't breathing down my neck."
The big screen in the room came to life once again revealing Chris McLean. "Nice going, Kiara. You saved everyone from dying to the robots. Now, everyone come back to the fort. I have some announcements to make regarding the future of the show."
Sarah grabbed hold of the bars on Scarlett's cell.
"You!" the girl seethed. "I hope you're proud of what you've done, it's YOUR fault everything happened to me! It's YOUR fault that the media sees me as a monster!"
"Judging by your behavior, I think you did that on your own."
"The world sees me as some sort of psychopath just because I happen to be cousins with you!" She balled both of her fists up and punched the wall. "Well? Do you have an explanation for your actions? I'm waiting to hear it?"
"I only did what I felt was necessary to win. You would have done the same if presented with the opportunity, I imagine."
"I have anger issues, I admit it! I'm not above manipulating people to get what I want. But I would NEVER attempt to or threaten to hurt any of these people! I could have prevented your arrival to the season. I always had my suspicions that you were fucked up. I could have TOLD them about you, but by keeping quiet I left those people in danger. I did that for you!"
"That would be your own fault then."
Sarah punched the wall again. "Fine! Rot in here! See if I care!"
Sarah stalked away from Scarlett with her fists still balled up. Scarlett gave the girl a light chuckle. "You know, I was wondering what that robot meant that someone might try to free me. It was you." Scarlett's voice was now deadly serious. "Mark my words, I will escape this cell. And you will be the one to free me."
Confessional
Sarah: "I always had my suspicions about that girl. I always knew deep down that she was psychotic, but I kept my mouth shut because I didn't want to make a scene. Well, I'll come back. I'll come back to Scarlett for another chat, and I will make her regret ever crossing me!"
Vi: "That went about as well as expected. Fortunately, for the sake of that bonus I took the liberty to free Rei from her cell while the two were… chatting. So at least our team will get this reward, even though we did not technically win the challenge."
The remaining contestants met Chris at the old fort. Chris crossed his arms as he prepared to announce the winner of the challenge.
"Since Kiara is the one who technically brought about the shutdown of the killer robots, she technically wins the challenge for her team. So. Screaming Eagles, date with me at the elimination ceremony."
"What about our reward?" Sarah scoffed. Notably, she was now wearing Malice's old burnt coat. "We freed Rei."
"Yeah, about that," Chris said with a grin. "You'll get it. Eventually. Just not right now, and you won't really get much use out of it anyway, honestly. It might even turn out to be a disadvantage, if you know what I mean."
"No, I don't know what you mean!" Sarah seethed as she started to march toward Chris, though Vi pulled her back.
Chris cleared his throat. "As I was saying, seeing as both team's shelters have been destroyed I think its only fitting that we bring the two teams together."
"Wait, so we're merging?" Andrew asked in surprise. "There's still thirteen, it seems a little early."
"Not quite," Chris denied. "I've decided that both teams will live together in this crummy old fort. Now we have plenty of opportunity for cross-team interaction. Fun?"
"That's cool," Wyvern shrugged. "I saw actual beds in there, so its a real improvement."
"Also, Gray and Aiden. I'm gonna have to confiscate your weapons before I get sued because either of you hurt someone."
"I-I would never hurt anyone!" Aiden denied.
"Meh, I totally woulda used these for evil," Gray shrugged. "Oh well."
"Anyhoo, remember Screaming Eagles. Date with me tonight. One of you seven is outta here!" Chris grinned. "I'll give you all a little while to get acquainted with your new home."
Sarah and Vi sat beside each other on the cot.
"Have you any consideration as to what I told you earlier?" Vi asked.
"Shit, considering what happened yesterday I have to trust you. But I'd rather have Aiden gone than Gray. I don't like it, but we'll have to get the others on board too. Probably best to leave Gray out of the loop on this one."
"Of course," Vi agreed.
Confessional
Vi: "Even if Aiden leaves, the betrayal will irrevocably ruin Gray and Sarah's alliance with each other and put me in the spot as her most trusted ally instead. It is just one way of cutting down the power of the largest social threat."
"We've got an actual stove!" Wyvern clapped as he entered a makeshift kitchen with cooking utensils and a makeshift fire stove located on the front wall.
"Yeah," Oregon agreed. "I wonder if we have any good cooks out here."
"Hmm, nobody really strikes me as a good cook," Wyvern considered. "Then again I guess I don't really know what a good cook looks like."
Sarah walked into the room with her long coat trailing behind her. "Boy, I think I've found a way to save both of you tonight. I'm betraying my ally, Aiden. Vote for him and both of you are safe."
Oregon scratched his head. "That sounds like a really bad idea, at least for you. This sounds too good to be true."
Sarah shoved both hands into the coat pockets. "I don't particularly care. Vote for him or get voted off. I win either way."
Andrew gazed to his side as he sat on a cot beside Kiara's in a second bedroom. He fiddled with his sleeve as he prepared to make conversation. "So. You did good out there. Saved all of us, that's for sure."
"I-It wasn't really that complicated as I thought it would be. I-It was just a series of commands, really."
"Either way, we won the challenge. I'm not prepared to vote someone out on such short notice. We should take the time right now to plan who that would be."
"R-Right…"
"As you know, I was leaning toward targeting Diana again. She's still a social threat and she's clearly been getting close to Oregon."
"I suppose… but." Kiara cracked her neck as she prepared herself for what she was about to say. "You trust me, right?"
"Well, you're a little unstable." Andrew chuckled. Kiara winced a little at the comment. "For what it's worth, you're my closest ally. So yes, I do trust you."
"Yeah," Kiara said despondently. "I'm sorry I snapped earlier… again."
Andrew gave a wry smirk. "I should be used to it by now."
"You shouldn't be," Kiara said bitterly. "Nobody should have to put up with me. I'm such a… selfish idiot." She started clutching at her head. "Stupid, selfish girl."
"Don't talk about yourself like that," Andrew told her in a low voice.
Kiara only shook her head and shuddered to herself. "Everyone knows it's true. Even you called me unstable just a few seconds ago."
"I didn't mean it like that," Andrew said calmly. "I only meant it's hard to predict you."
Kiara sighed. "It never goes away."
"What?" Andrew said flatly.
Kiara began shaking and her eyes were noticeably red and puffy. She clutched at her head and buried herself into her legs. "It never goes away. I thought leaving would make it go away, but it never leaves me. The self-loathing. It never ends. I'm such a shitty person, I just… betray everyone I'm close to and then fucking bitch at everyone else."
"Kiara…" Andrew considered. "You're just playing the game."
Kiara gazed down. "I'm a coward."
Andrew croaked out a sound. He didn't know what he should say. All he could do was pull the girl into an embrace. "I don't know why you think of yourself like this. For what it's worth, I don't hate you. I don't even dislike you. And look at it this way – You're not Paul or Van, at the very least."
"Or Sarah," Kiara added with a thin smile. "But none of that really says much."
"Either way, it's too late in the game to start second guessing yourself. Play the way you want, and if you want to feel guilty wait until the game's over."
Kiara pursed her lips. "I'll try."
Oregon found Tyrenee in a room filled with medieval-era weapons.
"Did you hear the big news?" he asked the girl. "Apparently the three of us are safe tonight. Sarah's trying to turn around and vote out Aiden."
"Wouldn't that reduce her alliance down to three?" Tyrenee asked suspiciously. "With six people on the team, that sounds like suicide. Not to mention she'll probably tick Gray off in the process. I've never seen her legitimately angry, but I don't wanna find out what that looks like."
"I don't know, it seems too good to be true. It's coming out of nowhere."
"…Vi," Tyrenee said finally. "This has to be her doing. She's playing Sarah. I don't know what she's trying to accomplish, but it can't be good."
"Assuming Aiden and Gray will still try to vote for one of us, that leaves two votes from them, two votes for Aiden, and between you, me, and Wyvern, three votes to go wherever we want. Unless Vi has another idol up her sleeve, we can vote Sarah off tonight."
"As much as I hate Sarah… Vi might be the bigger threat," Tyrenee thought. "And I think Gray would be willing to side with us if we told her."
"Would she believe us?" Oregon asked.
"She's smarter than she lets people think she is. I'm sure she knows Sarah would betray her at the drop of a hat."
Confessional
Tyrenee: "I know I said Gray is smart, but she's also unpredictable. While she might believe me, there's no telling what she'll do with the information."
Tyrenee met with Gray outside the fort.
Gray swayed side-to-side. "So you want to meet with me? How unusual, this must be very important to you, hmmmm?"
"It's just something I thought you'd want to hear," Tyrenee shrugged. "Sarah's planning on voting for Aiden."
The corner of Gray's mouth twitched. "Oh? How interesting… I assume you want me to vote for her in return?"
"Actually, I was thinking about hitting Vi. I may not like Sarah, but Vi seems to be the mastermind behind this vote. She's been trying to play everyone on this team since she got here, and I think it's fair that it ends tonight."
"What a strange girl," Gray mused.
"Well? Are you in or not?" Tyrenee whispered.
Gray clutched at her stomach and laughed. "Ahaha! That's a surprise! I guess you'll just have to find out after the vote!"
Gray strolled into the other dormitory room where Vi and Sarah were sitting across from each other on cots.
Gray shot Vi a glare then rocked on her heels. "Heeeeeey Sar-ah! Can I speak to you alonesies please?"
"Jesus," Sarah cursed. "If I agree, will you stop talking like that?"
"No," Gray said bluntly.
"I suppose this is where I make leave," Vi said as she strolled out of the room. Gray blew a raspberry after she shut the door.
Gray breathed out. "Sarah, old buddy, old pal, old dear friend of mine, you would tell your dearest closest ally if you were plotting a betrayal, riiiiiight?"
"Whatever Oregon told you is a lie," Sarah said disinterestedly. "Surely you don't think I'm dumb enough to reduce myself to an alliance of three on a team of six?"
"I dunno, are yoooou?"
"Are you just here to tell me the alliance is over or is there something you want from me?" Sarah sniffed.
"I mean, jeez. By me a drink before you try to dick me over, at least," Gray responded. "Although… I think there's a way for you to earn my trust back. Why don't we vote out Vi today, eh?"
Sarah narrowed her eyes. "And why should I trust you? Vi at least played her idol on me. What have you done for me, really?
"Sounds like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. Even if you don't trust me, what exactly is stopping me from voting you out then? There's Aiden and me, and I just need two more. Considering the entire team hates you, I don't think it'll be that hard to get the votes. I don't think you have a choice."
Sarah cursed under her breath. "Deal."
"Pleasure doing business with you," Gray said lightly.
Confessional
Gray: "I must thank Vi later for effectively voting herself out."
Sarah: "Trust me, the others will pay for not keeping their dumbass mouths shut!"
"Welcome to ninth elimination ceremony of the game, tonight your team of seven might go down to a team of six!" Chris said lightly as the members of the Screaming Eagles took their places on their stumps. "So how's it going?"
"Could be better," Wyvern shrugged.
"We're not dead, so there's that," Aiden added.
Suddenly, something came crawling out of the bushes. "I'm not done with you yet, McLean," a voice called out. "I will have… my REVENGE!"
It was Malice, reduced to only one arm and one leg, crawling out of the bushes.
"Ew," Gray cringed.
Chris scratched the back of his head. "Oh, that fixes everything. Tonight was supposed to be a non-elimination to make up for that double elimination a few days ago, but since Malice decided to join us… say hello to the newest member of the Screaming Eagles!"
"WHAT!" Wyvern said. "He tried to kill us!"
"How is it even still working?" Tyrenee pointed out. "I thought it would be shut down with the rest of the robots."
"Fool. I operate independently of their hive mind for just the situation like this!" Malice exclaimed. "And I refuse to participate in your putrid show!"
Chris clicked his tongue. "Doesn't look like you're in much of a position to object."
Gray laced her hands behind her head and leaned to her side. "We're voting for Vi, for your information, new teamie."
Silence.
"I have a second immunity idol," Vi said.
"What, no? That can't be true!" Tyrenee pointed out.
"I have been on both teams – I stole the idol from Paul several days ago then found the idol belonging to this team later." she said. "I would not play an idol on someone other than myself without a backup to use."
"That makes sense," Tyrenee said with her mouth covered by her hand.
"I want off this shitshow anyway," Malice sneered.
"Eh, just vote for Vi anyway," Gray shrugged.
"Easy for you to say!" Tyrenee snapped. "You're not in danger of being eliminated if she plays it!"
"And with that, let's get to the vote!" Chris decided. "Sarah, since you stopped Malice, I suppose you should get the privilege of voting first!"
Confessional
Vi: "Thankfully, none of my original teammates are present to refute my claim. I regret having to make up such a lie, but it is ultimately necessary to ensure my continued existence in the game."
"Right," Chris began as everyone returned from voting. "I have a plate of seven marshmallows with me. One for every person slash robot… except one. One person will not receive a marshmallow. One person's life in this game will be snuffed out like nothing."
"I honestly have no clue how this vote is going to go," Oregon said uncertainly.
"Well, it's not going to be you," Chris said as he tossed the adventurer a marshmallow. "Oregon is safe."
Oregon pumped his fist. "Yes!"
"Also safe is… Wyvern!" Chris continued.
"I was actually a little worried there," Wyvern admitted.
"Gray and Aiden, you are the only other people on this team not to receive any votes," Chris said. "Sarah, Vi, Malice, and Tyrenee all received at least one vote against them.
"Oh, thank you!" Aiden said lightly.
"With only one vote against her… the next marshmallow goes to Vi!" Chris said as he tossed the girl a marshmallow.
"Fiddlesticks," Gray said. "I tried."
"Also with only one vote against her… Sarah is safe," Chris continued.
"Go fuck yourselves," Sarah said smugly.
"Malice, you tried to kill everyone, which is plenty of reason to vote you out. You also voted for yourself, so..." Chris trailed off. "Tyrenee… you're a wild card, I guess."
Tyrenee looked at her teammates and started counting the votes on her hand. "I think I'm safe."
"Right you are, the final marshmallow goes to you, Tyrenee," Chris said finally. "Which means Malice, your short-lived time on this show is over."
"Take me back to home office so I can be repaired," Malice demanded. "Get me off this damned island already, I don't care anymore."
"Not. So. Fast," Chris said with a malicious grin. "I'm a bit short on interns right now. All the other ones died after trying to clean the island up from last season. So you get to stay on the show… as an INTERN!"
"No!" Malice shouted. "You cannot do this to me!"
"Actually, I can. Your parent company signed a deal – everything on this island is mine right now. And that makes you my property. Honestly, if you weren't voted out I woulda just ignored the votes and made you an intern anyway."
"Where's our reward for rescuing Rei?!" Sarah demanded.
"Relax, it's coming tomorrow. For now, just enjoy the fact that your team is staying the same as before," Chris said before pausing. "Just a little more fractured than before, though. Anyway, you can all head home. Malice, you need to clean the confessional. I think there might still be some lingering Owen stink in there."
"I… WILL HAVE MY REVENGE, CHRIS MCLEAN!"
"Blah, blah, blah! I've heard all those threats before. They don't faze me anymore."
Confessional – Voting
Malice: "I vote for myself. Whatever gets me off this juvenile show."
Vi: "Malice will likely be the secondary target considering I do not think I am being targeted any longer. Thus, I cast my vote for him."
Tyrenee: "Malice. Him. It. Whatever keeps me safe."
Gray: "I'm not fooled, Vi! I know you've got no other idol!"
Wyvern: "I'm kinda confused on what's going on, so I'll just vote for Sarah and hope she goes."
Sarah: "I will revert to my original plan. Sorry, Tyrenee. That's just the way the game's played.
Chris stood behind Malice as he was laying in the confession since he couldn't stand with one leg. "How do you expect me to clean with two missing limbs!?" Malice growled.
"Don't know, don't care. Just put some back into it. This is what you get for trying to ruin MY show!" Chris said. "Anyway, how will the newly dysfunctional Screaming Eagles fair now? How secure is Scarlett really? Will Kiara finally get her act together?"
"Don't know, don't care," Malice snapped back.
Chris gave a slight frown. "Find out next time, on Total! Drama! Nightmare at Pahkitew Island!"
AN: For the record, I don't consider Malice a real competitor, so he won't be added to the elimination records and won't change the placements. He was always meant to join in as an intern, but having him join the game was a joke I came up with at the last second. Anyway, now that we're at chapter ten we're finally at the last episode the original got to. It's all new ground from here!
Screaming Eagles
Sarah: The StratBot
Aiden: The Weakling
Wyvern: The Tourist
Cecilia: The Child Prodigy [22nd]
Gray: The Nutcase
Rei: The Aggressive Genius [20th]
Tyrenee: The Loner
Isaac: The Trailer King [15th] [Idoled]
Antony: The Self-Glorious [16th]
Oregon: The Adventurer
Vi: The Stoic
Killer Bears
Van: The Cutthroat [19th]
Diana: The Country Girl
Ayane: The Shy Girl
Seth: The Hacker [17th]
Mili: The Desperate Foreigner [21st]
Ryan: The Vanity Magnet
Paul: The Sarcastic One [14th]
Kiara: The Socially Anxious
Morrigan: The Creepy Girl [18th]
Andrew: The Rich Heir
Seamus: The Student Athlete