~A/N~ This is the chapter I've been waiting for. I don't know if it's the twist or the challenge, but it's something that I really wanted to see in TDWT that just never came to be. Anyways, I hope this is as good as I've hyped it up to be. Enjoy.
Episode 10: Rome-Antics
"Last time on Total Drama World Tour: Round Trip, the teams got stuck in a pit of drama during a race around the Toronto Zoo. Courtney and Scarlett formed an alliance between their teams to take out the obvious threat of Team Horsepower while Jo tried to get close with Noah to take out Team Vengeance. Ultimately, Jo lost out, but not before Sky and Dave hit rock bottom and were left as bitter rivals after a close victory on Dave's behalf. It was rough, hehe. At elimination, Jo wanted to target Lightning for betraying her and to get rid of a huge threat while Brick wanted to play it safe and go for Geoff and Sky. Jo and Brick made a deal, and Brick tied things up with his vote cancel chip, pitting Jo and Lightning against each other in a puzzling tie-breaker. It was close, but Lightning went down for the count, proving once and for all that brawn and egos are a terrible combination on this show. Now, twelve remain, and they're about to have their games twisted beyond belief. Find out all about it, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"
(The theme song plays)
The final twelve took their seats at the mess hall tables. Dave and Sky exchanged angry glares. Jo and Brick sat opposite of Geoff and Sky. Scarlett sat without her glasses, causing her pupils to shrink and her face to clench, or at least it appeared that way. Izzy put her eggs against her black eye. Courtney and Scott bitterly ate their breakfast. Eva just played with her food.
Confessional
Courtney sighs and lightly punches the wall. "Losing sucks. I know we got second, but I haven't gotten first yet, and it's been a whole week. I don't get it though. My team has Eva, Scott, and I! That's three strong players! Maybe Dave is our weakest link after all. I assumed it was Scott for romantic reasons, but now, Dave's days are numbered, especially with this whole Sky thing."
(Static)
Izzy is still holding her plate of eggs to her eye. "I tried telling Scarlett that I was joking about that whole 'hot, sexy, scientist' thing last night, but she wouldn't hear any of it. All she did was growl and me and clench her fists... I'd say she's taking it well."
(Static)
"Jo was stupid last night," Brick explains. "We should've gone after Sky or Geoff, but now we're down a strong player and an advantage too. I swear, her social game is going to be her downfall." He suddenly perks up. "Good thing I made flashcards!"
End Confessional
Jo cleared her throat and pulled a notecard out of her pocket. "Uh... Sky, are you feeling better?"
"No," the Olympian hissed, stabbing the table with her fork. "I'm not."
Jo gave Brick an unsure look and pulled another card. "I... care about your feelings and want to see you succeed."
Geoff raised his brow and Brick slapped himself.
Sky pulled her fork out of the wood. "Jo, I know you're faking this whole act of sympathy. Just give it up."
Jo dropped her deck of cards, only for Brick to dive below the table and pick them up one by one.
Confessional
Sky closes her eyes and rubs her temples. "Yesterday was awful; maybe the worst day of my life. But today is a new day. I've been feeling so guilty over the past six months that I forgot how to play the game to the best of my ability. From now on, I'm one hundred percent focused on winning this season and getting rid of Dave. We're both even, but it's time to tip that scale in my favor.
(Static)
"Sky's going down," Dave growls, pacing back and forth. "I know I've said it before, but now I'm serious about it. No more crying and awkwardly pausing! From now on, I'm here to win for myself, and that means beating Sky once and for all. Dave 2.0 is here to stay."
End Confessional
Noah fiddled with Scarlett's broken glasses. "Yep, these are done for. I know they were fake, but at least they made you attractive. Now you look twenty years older. Not sure how that's possible, but yeah."
Scarlett grabbed her smashed frames and tossed them aside. She turned to face Noah, her face looking tired without her cute glasses and bulging eyes. "It's fine. I'll live. The last factor to my success was always my looks. As long as I have my brain, I'm still in this."
Confessional
Noah laughs. "Yeah, like she's got a shot at winning. If it's a challenge at the end, she might win if she can get there first... and kill off the other guy. But if it's a jury vote, she'll bomb big time. That's why I want her around. Yep, I've been planning this time. No more early eliminations for me."
End Confessional
Scott gestured to Eva's uneaten eggs. "You want those?"
Eva sighed and pushed her plate away. "Take them. I'm not hungry."
Courtney gasped. "But you always get your protein?! You need to eat to stay up to par with the team in the next challenge."
"Forget it," said the brawny woman. "I'm not hungry. Okay?"
Courtney went back to eating her breakfast. Scott tried to sneak an egg off her plate and got a fork to the hand.
Confessional
Eva looks outside and closes the door. "Okay, so maybe Izzy and Noah smuggled some food from first class last night while the others were asleep. So what?! As long as Courtney thinks I'm with her and not those Evils, I'm in a good spot. This is my second chance... or, actually my third, so I have to play as hard as I can and take what I need when I need it."
End Confessional
Suddenly, Chris walked into the canteen and stood there, smiling quietly.
"What?" Scott asked, pulling the fork out of his hand.
Chris snickered. "Oh, I'm just here to introduce the new twist!"
Team Horsepower became alert while the other teams gasped and murmured to themselves.
"Is someone returning?" Geoff asked with a hint of hope. "Jasmine or Lightning maybe?"
"God no!" Jo gagged.
"Nope," Chris said, walking forward with a small bag in hand. "I know you all love twists, so today, things are getting switched up. From now on, the three team format is done and over. We're going to two teams of six!"
Scarlett smirked. "Perfect."
"Finally," Courtney sighed. "Maybe now I'll be on a winning team again."
Noah shrugged indifferently. "Meh."
"However," Chris added. "Only ONE team will be dissolved! The other two will have some new members. The team that splits will be decided by random draw from this bag." He waved the sack in front of their faces." Inside are three rocks: one black and two white. Each team will pick one and the team with the black rock is dissolved. We clear?"
Chris opened the bag for Jo, who pulled a rock without looking. Courtney and Noah did the same.
Confessional
"Should I be happy about this?" Jo asks herself. "Sure, I might get away from Geoff and Sky's anti-me campaign, but unless I go with Brick and land on a winning team, I could go home next. Crap."
(Static)
Owen giggles. "I love twists. I just hope I go with Izzy or Noah if it's our team, because Scarlett's... Yeah."
(Static)
Eva shrugs. "I don't care either way. If I switch, I switch. If I don't, I don't. I have more alliances than anyone here, so I'm safe no matter what."
End Confessional
"Aaaaand reveal!"
Jo had...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"White! You're still a team!"
Noah had...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Black! Team Evil, prepare to be dissolved."
Courtney dropped her white rock and contemplated the possibilities.
Noah sighed and tossed his rock away. "Well, that blows."
"Not for me," Scarlett said with a wicked smirk. "Your plan to vote me out has been wrecked at the last moment. Quite poetic, no?"
Owen gave Noah and Izzy one last bear hug. "I'm gonna miss one of you guys. Good luck, no matter what happens."
Chris pulled another bag. "Alright, Team Evil. Two of you will draw red; two of you will draw blue. It's time to pick your rocks."
Noah reached in and drew...
...
...
...
...
...
"Red! You're on Team Vengeance, you little know-it-all you."
Noah groaned. "Never call me that again." He went and stood in front of Courtney, who slightly narrowed her eyes upon his arrival.
Owen drew...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Blue! Team HP, give a warm welcome to your new favorite-"
"Screw this!" Jo burst out in anger, only for Brick to elbow her in the ribs and pass her a card. She grabbed it and read it aloud with eyes rolling on every word. "Welcome, valued soldier. I'm sure you'll be a valuable part of the team."
Owen sniffled and waved goodbye to Noah and Izzy. "Good luck Noah! I'll never forget you!"
"Uhhh... we're six feet apart," Noah said.
"And it's horrible! Whaaaaa!"
Jo elbowed Owen to shut him up while Geoff welcomed him with a handshake.
Scarlett drew...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Blue! You're with Owen!"
Scarlett froze in place. Thoughts of throwing her rock into Chris' cornea rang in her mind. "Owen!? Owen?! Is this a joke! If I lose because of his antics, his life will be cut short within the hour!" She calmly joined Team Horsepower without saying a word.
"Oddly quiet," Chris mumbled to himself before turning to Izzy. "My little nutcase, you are with Noah on Team Vengeance."
Izzy fistpumped and launched herself onto Noah's shoulders. "Team E-Scope: together at last! We shall be unstoppable!"
"Not on my watch!" Courtney growled. "You're on my team now. None of this E-Scope jargon."
"Yeah," Eva agreed with her original teammate. "It's a new season, new alliances."
Izzy drooped. "Awww. What a party-pooper." She jumped off Noah's shoulders.
Chris turned to the new teams. "Well, whatcha think?"
Confessional
Courtney lets out a subtle groan. "Well, I guess it could be worse. Noah has brains and Izzy has brawn: two qualities this team has been lacking in lately. I just hope Eva stays with my alliance and doesn't get all nostalgic about Noah and Izzy."
(Static)
"Well..." Noah begins. "This blows. Not only am I on a team with the C.I.T., a redneck pig, and a whiny man-child, I'm on a team that's lost every challenge. It's just first and second; no more third. If we don't get this train wreck up and running now, I'll be gone in no time."
(Static)
Izzy does a handstand on the toilet. "Izzy loves the new team. E-Scope is finally back together and ready to kick serious tail! With Eva's brawn, Noah's brains, and my awesomeness, we'll be the best team in the history of teams. Oh, and Courtney and Scott and Dave are going down. Muahahahah-" She falls headfirst into the toilet bowl.
(Static)
Jo slaps her forehead. "Why?! Why did we get stuck with the worst players of the season. Slow-en and Scarlett Witch are useless unless they align with me, which they probably won't."
(Static)
Owen slumps against the back wall. "I miss Noah and Izzy. Scarlett's just so mean to me, and now I'm with Jo! That's two evil people in one package. At least Geoff's here to keep me company though. Yeah, we go way back to season one and the first guy's alliance. Heh, maybe we should revive that?"
(Static)
Scarlett stares into the camera with no expression on her pale face. "This team deserves to burn alive. Good thing they'll likely carry me to the merge on their challenge prowess before hand."
End Confessional
Chris walked over the plane's emergency exit. "Well, if you wanted to get a good feel of these teams, now's your first chance, because... It's challenge time!"
"Now?!" Owen gasped. The chubby teen grabbed as much food from the table as possible and stuffed his mouth.
Chef arrived with a box. "Grab a chute and hope they work. Y'all landin' in Rome, Italy in thirty seconds.
"Another 'Olympics'?" Noah snickered under his breath.
Chris raised a bull horn and ignited the ear-piercing noise. "Go, people! Go! Go! Go!"
Jo grabbed six chutes and tossed them to her team while Team Vengeance kind of just grabbed from the pile like animals fighting over scraps.
Ten seconds later and the twelve teens were strapped in and jumping one by one into the early morning sky, below them a ring of stone.
As Noah and Dave floated down, the former decided to start up a small conversation.
"So... Is Courtney as bad as usual, or...?"
Dave sighed angrily. "She's in my alliance, so no."
"Well, take her words with lots of salt."
Dave looked away from his new teammate with disgust.
Izzy suddenly nosedived (without a chute) into Dave's side, latching onto the heart broken brat. "Izzy bomb, baby!"
"Hey!" Dave said, pushing her away. "Off!"
Jo and Geoff floated side by side.
"So, I guess it's game on again with these newbies," Jo said with a smirk. "Good luck, Sucker Dude."
Geoff rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you totally mean it, huh?"
Jo looked up to Brick just a few feet above. He was holding another card. "Uh... Yeah, I do. Strong competition is the best competition."
Confessional
Jo smirks. "I didn't read that one off a dumb card. Geoff's admirable competition and beating him over and over gets sweeter every time. I can't wait to send him out next time. Oh, the joy. But I have to... play nice. He hates me enough already, so laying off the insults couldn't hurt."
End Confessional
Sky hit the ground first and found herself in the outer rim of a massive arena. "The Colosseum! Wow..."
Dave landed nearby, smacking into the rock seats with a thud. "Ugghhhhh..."
Scott and Courtney collided and fell to the ground above Dave. Noah calmly landed on top of their tangled mess of bodies and smiled.
Jo and Brick hit the ground with Geoff and Scarlett right behind them.
A scream echoed from the air and the four teens looked to the sky to find the sun blocked by a massive body.
"Out of the WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!"
Owen rocketed towards the Horsepowers at terminal velocity. Time froze. Shocked faces were cemented on their faces.
Owen smashed into the ground next to his team without his parachute to aid him in the fall. Well, it was there, or half of it was.
Sky helped the chubby fart-machine to his feet. "Are you okay?"
Owen looked around, grabbing his head. "Yeah, just a little... woozy." His vision became blurred and his teammates doubled in numbers. "Hey, when did you guys go asexual?" he laughed groggily.
Jo raised her brow and slapped Owen across the face.
Brick stopped Jo from launching another attack by grabbing her arm in mid-flight. "Hey, you're making it worse. He's got head trauma."
Owen fell over. "No guys, I'm fine. Just don't... call the Easter Bunny... I've been a good boy... this Halloween... Ugh."
Chris floated down via jetpack and examined the damages. "Yikes, that's not good."
Noah approached Chris with a worried pace. "Is he going to be okay?"
Chris looked at Owen again and shrugged. "We'll have the medics look at him, but he won't compete today, that's for sure."
"No way!" Jo barked with rage. "That's unfair! Take one of their guys away too, then."
Chris sighed in frustration. "Fine. Today's challenge is a gladiator battle. Five v. five, winner of two matches wins immunity. Team V, sit someone out."
All eyes went to Noah.
The bookworm shrugged. "Fine, but only if I get immunity tonight, guys."
Scott snickered. "Oh, sure. Definitely."
"Why not?" Courtney said indifferently.
Noah slapped his forehead. "Y'know? You could at least pretend to be honest."
Confessional
"I'd vote for him," Eva says with a causal shrug. "It's my game, and there's always and 'I' in 'Winner'. I'll keep him around for as long as I can, but if it's down to the two of us, he's gone."
(Static)
"Being down a man is awful," Brick says. "But today, we'll win for Owen. No man left behind... ever."
(Static)
"I wonder what happened to Owen's chute?" Scarlett asks, feigning innocence. She whips out a shard of her glasses and makes cutting motions. "Hahaha!"
End Confessional
Noah walked into the makeshift medical tent and watched as Chef bandaged Owen's head. Something boiled inside of him: fear. He didn't want to show it.
"How's it going?" he asked the drag queen nurse.
"Fine. He's not too bad. Just some minor cuts and bruises. A minor concussion."
Noah looked at Owen, who smiled upon seeing his little buddy. "Hey, Noah. Please tell me you brought some food."
Noah pulled a half eaten granola bar out of his pocket. "There's this, I guess."
Owen inhaled the bar from his bedridden state, sucking it in from over three feet away like a three hundred pound vacuum cleaner.
Noah's eyes went wide. "Uh, that's interesting, I guess."
Owen belched and wiped his mouth. "Aren't you playing in the challenge?"
"Nah, I'm sitting out. Figured I'd stay here and let the others get maimed."
Owen chortled. "That's sooooo you. Hehe."
"How does it feel?"
"My head hurts, but I'm still happy to be alive and in the game. Ironic, huh? Last time I got injured was when the plane fell on me; now I fell from the plane! Owwww..."
Noah smiled and rubbed Owen's shoulder. "Just get some rest, buddy. I'm off to watch the challenge. Too bad... we're on opposing teams, huh?"
Owen got gloomy. "Yeah. If we lose, I go home. If you lose?"
"I don't know. They might boot me. They might not. It's three to three if Eva stays loyal."
"Wow. That's intense. Well, good luck out there, not that you're doing anything."
Noah nodded and walked back into the colosseum as the challenge started.
The five Horsepowers and the five Vengeances stood on opposite sides of the flat ground near the entrance. The ground dropped off into an open maze of brick walls that spread across the entire floor, giving the battles two dimensions to fight in.
Each player was decked out with a padded helmet and chestplate. Everyone had a baseball bat, golf club, or something long and hard to use as a weapon, as well as a shield made from a pot lid.
Chris stepped forward in a traditional Roman garb and blew a horn. "All hail Mighty McLean!"
"Nice dress!" Scott taunted from below.
Chris threw the horn at the farmboy and nailed him in the eye, sending a hilarious scream of pain through the early morning Roman air.
"As I was about to explain, today's challenge will be a gladiator match. Five at the most to be exact. The armor you're wearing is wired with pressure sensing nodes: one in the head, one in the chest, and one in the back. Hitting these will leave the victim stunned and send a signal to the television screen to my right." A screen popped up out of nowhere. Two rows of players was displayed. "Once all a team's players are out, the winners score a point. First to two wins, losers go the elimination ceremony and vote out another player."
Confessional
Sky glares into the camera with her arms crossed. "Dave, prepare for your just desserts."
(Static)
Dave glares into the camera with his arms crossed. "Bring it on, Sky. Bring. It. In."
(Static)
Scott munches on a bag of chips. They're delicious.
End Confessional
Chef sounded the horn and the ten fighters were racing to the center of the flat, sandy ground. Jo and Brick led their pack with bats held high and shields at the ready. Courtney and Eva charged ahead of the others and prepared to strike.
Time froze as the two parties met in the middle. Jo and Courtney locked in a forceful battle of the bats as the power players pushed each other back. Eva swung at Brick, who skillfully dodged and struck her in the side.
Scarlett watched the madness from the background and noticed Dave and Sky going at it, exchanging blows like ten year olds in a slap fight.
Geoff took on Scott with his club and couldn't break through the farmer's defensive barrier.
Izzy ran forward and jumped on top of Courtney's raised shield, launching herself over the action and towards Scarlett.
The psychotic redheads met at their shields and fell to the ground. Scarlett quickly rolled over and dodged a downward strike from her rival. Using her pipe, she flipped Izzy on her back and smashed into her chest, igniting a jolt of electricity that paralyzed the hosebeast.
Izzy's face darkened on the screen and Scarlett smiled.
Jo saw an opening and jabbed forward, nailing Courtney in the chest. With a quick seizure, Courtney was on the floor. Jo hurried to Brick's side and double teamed Eva.
Sky and Dave swung and missed again and again, only connecting with shields and swords.
"Just give up!" Sky screamed, pushing her former flame to the ground.
"Never in a million seasons!" Dave pushed upward and connected, shocking Sky and causing her to fall on top of him.
Confessional
"Didn't enjoy it," Dave shrugs. "Normally, girls lying on top of me is something exciting, but when you're about to to win, you lose all the hype. Oh, and it was Sky after all. Gross."
End Confessional
Dave squirmed to get away from Sky's paralyzed body and got nabbed by the stealthy Scarlett with a hit to the head. She rushed to help Geoff with Scott.
Noah watched from the sidelines with no interest, only looking up from his book once.
Eva swung at Jo and missed by an inch, allowing Brick to go for her head. She raised her shield and blocked both attacks with a sideways swing of the lid. Then she pushed forward, crashing into Brick and knocking him to the ground.
Jo brought her bat down on Eva's skull and met that shield. The muscle woman delivered a stab to Brick's chest and knocked him out before going down on Jo with a series of powerful slashes.
Knowing that Eva was too strong to beat one on one, Jo ducked away and jumped down in the maze, taunting Eva to follow her.
Scott swiped Jasmine's hat off Geoff's head, catching it in midair on the tip of his bat.
Geoff gasped. "No way, bro!"
Scott flung the hat away and blocked shots from Scarlett and Geoff until he felt his grip loosening on his bat. Inch by inch, Geoff beat Scott back with powerful blows. Then the bat went flying across the field, leaving Scott with just a shield.
Scarlett went in for a fatal blow and was met with a flying shield to the head, sending a shock through her body.
Geoff gripped his bat tight and attacked a wide-eyed Scott. BAM!
"Homerun, man. Boo-yah!" Geoff put a foot on the downed ginger and put his hat back on, twirling his bat on a finger.
Eva slinked through the maze of tunnels, looking around every corner with her weapons at the ready. A rock shifted behind her and she flipped around, keeping her shield facing behind her.
Another rock shifted to her left. Another to her right.
"Stop throwing crap!" Eva grumbled loudly. "It's confusing."
A rock soared over Eva's head and told her where to go. The sound of footsteps echoed down the pathways as Eva tailed Jo by a few feet. The sliver of gray sweatpants caught Eva's eye and she changed her direction to meet Jo at the upcoming intersection. With her bat at the ready, she waited at the corner as Jo approached. Closer. Just a little closer.
Eva couldn't help it. She swung at the first movement that rushed around the corner. Geoff fell to the ground, seizing with electricity.
"Ha!" came a voice from above.
Eva looked up to find Jo standing on the top of the maze. A flash of gray overwhelmed her and she fell to the dusty earth. Her bat rolled away and her shield was beaten out of its locked position in front of her chest.
Jo stabbed downward and Eva convulsed.
"And Team HP wins Round One!" Chris announced. "Round Two will start in ten minutes!"
Confessional
Jo smirks. "Eva has nothing on me. She's just a bottle of rage, stupidity, and power. No strategy. I almost respect her though. That was a great battle."
(Static)
Eva punches a hole in the confessional door. "Bull crap! I had that in the bag and she cheated!" She slowly calms down until she's composed herself. "I'll get her next time. You can bet on that."
End Confessional
The teams regrouped. Chris sounded the horn again and the battle started.
Eva and Jo targeted each other again, as did Dave and Sky. Scarlett and Geoff teamed up on Courtney while Scott and Izzy went for Brick.
Brick swung at Izzy and connected with her head, knocking her out early. Scott retaliated with a rapid series of what could've been called spasms. The barrage of attacks knocked Brick off balance and he fell down into the pit with Scott right behind him.
Eva beat Jo back and into the wall where she was free to pummel her into the bricks. Using her shield, Jo blocked every attack and pushed forward, giving her enough space to roll out of the way.
"No you don't!" Eva kicked Jo in the chest and knocked her back down. One downward strike later and Jo was down. Wasting no time, she hurried to Dave's side to aid in his battle with Sky.
Surprisingly, Dave pushed her back. "No! This is my fight! Go help Courtney!"
Courtney jabbed at Geoff and had her weapon knocked up and away by Scarlett. She hurried to pick it up, but tripped on herself. Scarlett let Geoff take the final shot, but their victory was short lived.
Eva came charging, catching Scarlett in the head just as she turned to survey the battlefield. Geoff panicked and raised his shield, but a careful swipe from Courtney's arm knocked him on his tail and open to Eva's powerful strike.
With Geoff and Scarlett down, Eva helped Courtney to her feet.
"Thanks," the CIT said, breathing heavily.
"Whatever, just don't mess up anymore."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because I'm such a weakling."
"I never said you were weak," Eva explained with indifference. "I just think you're lacking in this one."
"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion, Eva."
Dave's scream rang out and Sky stood victorious. She looked at Eva and Courtney and froze like a deer in headlights. "Crap!"
Sky jumped into the maze with the girls on her tail.
Confessional
"She thinks I care about her little alliance," Eva says. "As soon as we lose again, Izzy and Noah have my vote. Hundred percent."
(Static)
"What's with the sudden disdain?" Courtney asks. "It's like Noah and Izzy brought old Eva back. I don't like that Eva."
End Confessional
Brick and Scott played cat and mouse in the maze. The ginger jerk narrowly escaped a volley of rocks sent flying with Brick's bat and returned with a rock of his own.
"Give up, man!" Scott shouted. "You're out of your element! I've played with bats and balls since I was five and still do today!"
Brick snickered. "Well, sir, that's quite an accomplishment. Too bad you forgot about my military training and precise aim." The cadet grabbed a rock and launched it straight up into the air.
Scott watched as the rock soared high, unsure of what was happening.
"Yes, sir-ree, you've just been-UGH!"
Scott laughed as the rock came straight back down, knocking Brick into a state of paralysis.
Confessional
Brick feels the knob on his head. "So much for that padding."
End Confessional
Sky blocked Eva's strikes with her shield and Courtney's with her golf club. Sweat blinded her with long strands of wet hair and drove to her exhaustion. She gave up her defenses and dodged through a hole in the wall. Eva tried to grab her legs and missed, smashing her face into the wall.
Courtney jumped over the wall and leapt in front of Sky, taking a swing and missing by an inch. Sky jabbed and took out Courtney before turning her attention to Eva.
The muscle woman launched her entire body onto Sky, shoving her into a wall and eliminating her with a smack to the head.
"Team Vengeance wins Round Two! One round left to go!"
Noah looked up from his book. "Nice." He went back to reading.
Confessional
Courtney pumps her fists. "So we win Round Two and I'm happy. Sure, I lost to Sky, but at least we had a chance at first class."
(Static)
Brick sighs. "That was embarrassing. You don't think Jo saw that, right?"
End Confessional
Round Three began with a twist. Instead of launching into battle, Team Vengeance immediately retreated to the maze and spread out.
"Group up, stay together, and take 'em out one by one!" Jo directed, leading her team down into the maze like some clan of warriors after their prey.
Dave hid behind a wall and readied his bat. Sweat trickled down his nose and into his open mouth. Salty. A set of footsteps approached, but it sounded louder than normal. There was more than one!
Dave peeked around the corner and screamed as the five Horsepowers trampled him into the dirt. Sky stopped to kick dirt in his face before pressing on.
Eva and Courtney met up and took a breather.
"They're flocking together," Courtney hissed quietly. "We need a plan."
"Okay," Eva explained. "We need to be sneaky, hide in the shadows and ambush them. Take out Jo and Brick first, then Sky and Geoff. Redhead ain't a problem."
"Okay, but where are the others? We got split up too soon."
"Who needs them?" Eva snorted, readying her bat. "We got two badasses right here. Now let's move."
Jo and Brick led the way while Scarlett stayed in the very back, watching with her creepy, shrunken eyes.
"Hiiiiiyyyyyaaaaaa!" Izzy burst out of thin air and swiped at Scarlett with a golf club.
The mad genius limboed under it and met Izzy with a stab to the chest, eliminating her fellow ginger.
"Pathetic," she snorted as the others watched in shock.
"Good moves," Jo said. "Maybe you aren't useless after all."
Scarlett glared her way, shutting Jo up.
Confessional
Scarlett plays with her broken glasses. "Jo may be in charge, but I'm calling the shots now. She's merely a pawn in my game, useful for shielding the queen from attackers while she takes out the opposition."
End Confessional
Scott readied his bat as Team HP approached, his heart racing with adrenaline. He grabbed a rock and tossed it behind them. Time to strike!
Scott leapt out and nailed Brick in the head while his back was turned. He tried the same maneuver on Jo, but was met with strong blows from her and the rest of the team as they mercilessly beat him into the ground, filling the air with hilarious screams.
Eva heard Scott go down and sighed angrily. "Worthless. Just worthless."
Courtney looked through the holes in the wall and spotted Team HP moving closer. "They're coming. Get ready."
"On it." Eva snuck off to get a better angle.
Courtney grabbed a rock and tossed it overhead before sneaking off in the opposite direction.
Jo saw the rock hit the ground and stopped her team. "Wait. They're close."
Scarlett screamed and her team whipped around to catch a trace of blue fleeing the scene, leaving a twitching Scarlett on the ground.
"What the-AHHHH!" Sky fell to Courtney's strikes and dropped her bat, which Courtney picked up and tossed at Jo.
Jo raised her shield and blocked the projectile. She looked to see only her and Geoff remaining.
"This ain't good-looking, brah," Geoff whined in fear. "Those girls are smart."
"Not smart enough. Just stay on my back."
Jo and Geoff went back-to-back and slowly moved forward, turning ninety degrees every few seconds to keep a good view of their surroundings.
A rock shifted and dust flew up from Jo's right and Geoff's right. Footsteps approached from both sides and... went silent.
"Yahhhh!" Eva came roaring out of the cloud, tossing herself over the wall and bringing her bat down on Jo. She blocked with her shield and stabbed at Eva, but missed.
Courtney tossed herself through the other cloud and went after Geoff. He swung with his club to counter her bat and pushed forward with the shield, knocking her back.
Eva and Jo exchanged swings and blocks until Jo kicked Eva in the shin, allowing her to slam her bat down on the iron woman's head in the half-second of distraction.
However, Eva's bat managed to get through Jo's defenses, hitting her in the chest as the titan toppled onto her.
Geoff saw both girls go down and tossed his shield at Courtney like a frisbee, but she blocked it with a swing of hers. The surfer dude leaned down and picked up Eva's bat to add to his club, a double sword attack!
Courtney threw her shield up and blocked the barrage of swings, stabs, slams, and slashes, but one carefully executed hit tossed her shield into the air. Panicking and feeling overwhelmed, Courtney went all out, executing bludgeoning after bludgeoning on Geoff's pair of swords.
He kept his weapons flying around, blocking the blows. Each strike from that win-hungry beast of a girl wore him down until his grip loosened. He dropped his club and fell back, holding the bat up to his assailant. Courtney ran forward and felt something under her feet, then nothing. She fell into Geoff as her feet slipped over the fallen club, landing straight on the outwardly held bat.
Geoff opened his eyes. Courtney was down.
"Geoff wins for Team HP... AGAIN!"
Courtney, in her paralyzed state, could only let out an angry mumble. "NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
Confessional
"It's fine," Courtney says. "You can't win them all..." Suddenly, she rips the top off the toilet and throws it into the wall.
(Static)
Geoff swings his hat around and yells. "Yeah, baby! Winner winner, chicken dinna'!"
End Confessional
As the teams filed into the plane, Courtney stopped Noah.
"I don't want to hear it," she growled. "Just don't talk."
"About what?" Noah asked. "I wasn't going to." He suddenly scowled. "Now, if you're gonna sit there and blame me, then screw that. I didn't even compete. You did. And I'm a brain with sticks for legs, so don't even think I could've won that physical orgy of muscle."
Courtney stomped into the confessional to cool down.
"She's our vote," Noah said to Izzy and Eva.
"Yes," Eva said. "Yes she is."
In First Class, Owen relaxed, finally out of medical care. "You guys rocked it out there. I can't wait to see that on TV."
"Yes, it was amazing," Scarlett said, smiling. "We owned the challenge by a mile."
"I just wish I knew what happened to my parachute though. I pulled the strings and it wouldn't come out. I got, like, half of it out so wouldn't die, but... wow. That's weird."
Confessional
Scarlett chuckles. "Owen may not have died as planned, but my quest to rid this plane of him and Izzy is not over. Until then, I'll be looking for the idol, wherever is it."
End Confessional
Scarlett remembered the clue found in Economy. "It's all in tying the knot..."
She looked around for knots, spying something in the snack bar that caught her eye: a wedding cake.
"Could it be?"
She examined the cake behind the glass and looked at the topper. Something was off about it, as if it was leaning over ever so slightly.
When her team had their backs turned, she quickly snatched it off to find a clue taped to the underside of the topper. "Congratulations. Enjoy your divorce in six months" she whispered, putting the husband and wife back on the cake and shoving the clue in her bosom.
Chris took his place at the lectern and looked over the votes. "Wow. Interesting. Heh, ironic."
"Just read them!" Courtney snarled. "We don't have all day!"
Noah looked up from his book and sighed.
"Alright," Chris said in defeat. "The person heading home is..."
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"None of you! It was a reward challenge!"
Everyone sighed in relief.
"Of course it is," Courtney said, glaring knives at Noah.
Chris clicked his remote. "But, and just for fun, let's see those votes, shall we..."
Confessional
Noah stamps Courtney's passport. "My advice: never breed."
(Static)
Courtney stamps Noah. "You are annoying, selfish, lazy, and have no place in this game. Goodbye, buddy."
(Static)
Izzy dips her lips in the ink and kisses Courtney's passport. "That's as close as you're getting to Izzy's lips. No one picks on my Noah but me."
(Static)
Dave stamps Noah. "Sorry. I'm sure you're a great guy and all, but alliances take priority."
(Static)
Scott stamps Noah's face. "That's for insulting my kinda, not quite, yet sorta boyfriend-I mean girlfriend. Yeah, that."
(Static)
Eva stamps Courtney. "You think I'm dumb, but I'm a stronger gamer than you in every way. I know you think it's four to two, but surprise! The lines have been drawn, Courtney. E-Scope for life... bitc-"
End Confessional
Courtney snapped her head to Eva and gasped. "You traitor! You said we were strong!"
"I lied. So what?" Eva turned away. "I outsmarted you. Suck it up. Hey, I even passed on info to Izzy and got free first class food too! Looks like you weren't even paying attention."
Noah sat back and watched the fireworks.
Courtney stood up and stormed off, cursing at the top of her lungs. Eva snorted and smirked at her alliance. "E-Scope is back."
Izzy hugged her teammates and laughed maniacally. "Time to slay! Y'all goin' down!"
Scott and Dave shared an angry glance.
"So much for Eva being trustworthy," Dave sighed.
"Courtney looked so hot when she got pissed," Scott said, blushing. Dave looked at him with narrowed eyes.
Confessional
Courtney grabs an Eva passport and flushes it. "Eva, I knew you would flip eventually, but to pledge loyalty to the Vengeful Four... which is now the Vengeful Triad, and then try to out me? Disgusting! I don't know when it will happen, but I'm taking you down on behalf of my alliance. You think you're smart? Well, find a way out of your web of lies before I cut the thread!"
End Confessional
Chris and Chef sat in the cockpit. Chris raised a finger and spoke. "Looks like things on Team Vengeance just got more vengeful, huh? The team dissolve has taken its toll! And that idol clue? Yeah, stuff's going down, and you won't want to miss any of it, here, on Total Drama... World Tour... Round Trip!"
"..."
"Was that rushed, Chef?"
Chef shrugged. "Who cares?"
The Votes
Courtney: 3 votes
Noah: 3 votes
Eliminated: Max, Zoey, Dawn, Jasmine, Rodney, Lightning
Team Vengeance: Courtney, Scott, Dave, Eva, Izzy, Noah
Team Horsepower: Jo, Brick, Geoff, Sky, Scarlett, Owen
~A/N~ And that's the twist! Most of you guys predicted it, but I'm sure the method of switching was a surprise to some. I was going to have a random swap with completely new teams, but for plot reasons I went with a dissolve of Team Evil. Now both teams are stacked pretty evenly and can have better focus instead of one team dominating and another falling into invisibility. :)
Review Questions:
1. What did you think of the twist? Fair? Unfair?
2. Who's the next boot?
3. What locations would YOU like to see visited?
Thanks again for all the feedback! My goal is to get this story to the front page of reviews, and while it's a long shot, I definitely think it's possible. So, if you haven't fav'd, followed, or reviewed, it was awesome if you did! Every little bit helps. :)
(P.S.: Vote on the winner pick poll if you haven't already.)