*-It is time. It's the challenge that decides who is safe from the special double elimination. Oooh. So much pressure. =P
The lyrics under the title of this chapter are from Remember the Name by Fort Minor feat. Styles of Beyond & M. Shinoda. I don't own that or the characters or anything related to avatar.
With that techie stuff said, read on!! =D
10. The Memory Challenge
This is ten percent luck.
Twenty percent skill.
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will.
Five percent pleasure.
Fifty percent pain.
And a hundred percent reason to
Remember the name.
"Why would he give us another challenge after we stayed up for nearly an entire day the last challenge?" Suki asked while standing with her team.
"I hope it's something easy. Because I'm beat," Aang said. There were dark circles under his big gray eyes.
"Yeah, I'm with you," Sokka agreed.
"Sokka, you let go seven hours into the competition because you saw food."
"Seven hours is a long time to be hanging on to a bar, thank you!" argued Sokka.
"Not as long as 16 hours," Katara interjected.
"You got that right, Sugar Queen!" Toph agreed, punching her arm.
"Yep," Suki joined in.
"Or 19 hours," Aang added.
"Yeah," Haru agreed.
Sokka scoffed, "Seven hours is still long. Besides none of you lasted as long as Zuko anyways."
"Yeah, that's right. Sparky was hanging on that thing for like almost an entire day. For 20-something hours," Toph said. She punched Zuko on the arm, who looked at the short girl oddly before rubbing his arm.
"How long did you stay on that bar?" Haru asked.
"23 hours," Zuko answered. Haru ruffled with Zuko's hair, patting him on the back while smiling and yelling to him "You the man!"
Katara glanced at Zuko and rolled her eyes.
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"Okay, I didn't expect this," Smellerbee said as she plopped down on the dirt.
"None of us did," The Duke spoke out.
"So whatever it is, it has to be easy. So we can't make it that obvious when we throw the challenge. It has to be real discreet, because I want that witch gone," Smellerbee planned, the witch in question being Azula.
"I thought we threw the last challenge," Pipsqueak said.
"Yeah, I thought that, too."
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"I can't believe I even agreed to come here. I hate these challenges," Mai complained in her usual dead voice.
"I liked the last challenge," Ty Lee smiled, braiding her long ponytail.
"Of course, you did, Ty Lee. Holding on to things is natural to you. That's your strength. Endurance and flexibility," Azula said.
"Yeah, since you were one of the people on the little swing bar things---"
"Trapeze, Mai," Ty Lee corrected.
"Whatever. You're used to things like that and flexing your body in these weird positions. And you were in gymnastics since age seven."
"I think everybody can do what I can. You just have to practice alot."
"Ty Lee, how cliche was that?" Azula asked rolling her eyes.
"What?"
"What you just said. That type of crap they used to feed us at the academy. 'Practice makes perfect.'" Mai pinned up one of her side buns.
"Yeah. I say if you practice wrong, you're never going to get it perfect. Common sense," Azula reasoned.
"Ugh. You guys are soo stiff," Ty Lee said.
"I hope everyone doesn't have to compete in that challenge tomorrow," Mai said, redirecting the conversation elsewhere.
"I don't care. As long as we win. It's a double elimination, and I'm not leaving this camp," Azula said.
"What makes you think you'll leave? We're not voting you out," Ty Lee said.
"I know that. It's that tomboy freak and her friends. What's her name---er---Smellerbee. She's holding a grudge because I got her precious leader, Jet, out."
Ty Lee and Mai looked at their friend. "But she can hold a grudge all she wants to. She may have more votes in her favor, but she will be leaving if we lose. Which we won't, but in such case we should."
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Zuko ate lunch with his team, wondering the entire time if he should play to win the challenge or throw it secretly tomorrow. Azula never came up to him with a plan, and he never approached her, so he was pretty much on his own this time. He wasn't sure what to do.
"Zuko?" Haru asked. Zuko snapped back to reality.
"You know, every time you sit with us you either don't talk or you're spaced out. Sparky, if you're going to sit with us, pay attention," Toph said.
"Yeah, so join the conversation," Suki added.
"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.
"Nothing! That's the point; you just randomly throw something in the conversation and we talk about that until that eventually gets boring or someone says something," Haru says.
"Oh."
"So anyways...if winter comes in summer, does that make summer winter or winter summer? Or was it never winter anyways if summer came during winter?" Suki says.
"That's confusing. But I'd say that it was never winter. So summer would come during winter, right?" Aang reasons.
"Wait; this whole topic is confusing. I didn't even understand the question!" Sokka exclaimed.
"And that's someone cue to change it. Zuko? Your turn," Toph says.
Zuko looked around at all the faces around him, which were all staring back at him. Except for one. Katara's. He stared at her side before actually trying to think of a topic to discuss.
"How hot does something have to be to burn you," Zuko randomly says, all the while avoiding everyone's eyes.
It was a moment before anyone responded to his..topic. Sokka was the first to comment.
"Really hot, I guess."
"It'd have to be..red and steaming?" Suki responded cluelessly.
"Horrible topic, Sparky. Someone else's turn."
"Kat?" Suki says while Katara lifts her head up.
"Suki.." Katara says lowly, looking at Suki directly in the eyes.
"I'm sorry. I forgot that's what Jet used to call you," she apologizes.
"Whatever. Your turn to change the topic, Sugar Queen."
"Why are all boys such lying, deceiving, idiotic, moronic, jer---" she starts. Her eyes never left Zuko's. That was the first time in days she'd ever made eye-contact with him.
"Hey! I object!" Sokka interjects.
"Well..I agree with the idiotic. Can't understand why boys are idiotic. Hmm...let's ask Sokka. Sokka, why are you so idiotic?" Toph teases.
"I'm not idiotic."
"Yeah, you are."
Zuko didn't pay attention to much of the rest of the conversation. The only thing on his mind at that moment was what Katara had said. What did she mean by it? He obviously knew she was talking about him; she stared at him with such an intense look on her face the entire time she stated her topic. But why would she be talking about him?
She can't be talking about me. Not after that kiss last week, Zuko thought to himself. But then he started to doubt. Right after that kiss she would not look at him at all. Right after that kiss she wouldn't even speak to him (besides the fact that she cursed him out and kicked him in a very tender place). Heck, she wouldn't even be anywhere near him. Zuko knew he hadn't done anything wrong. Not that he knew of, anyways. So why was she so angry? He didn't know, but he was sure he'd find out.
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"It's me again! Are you all ready for your next challenge?" Kianu happily shouted from his bull horn.
Scattered responses were heard from the two teams of teens.
"Well you better be. There's a double elimination tomorrow! So I guess all of you unenthusiastic people want to go home, right?" Kianu teased as he paced back and forth.
There were more objections from the crowd.
Kianu smiled. "Good. So over here is your challenge--" Kianu points to the right. There are fifteen booths laid vertically across the deck. At the front is Kianu's 'director' chair that he sits in regularly when the teens are competing.
"Here is your directions. Alright Kuruks and Sozins, this is more of a mental competition. Testing your memory and others, if you will. So you have to stand at the booth with your name across the back, and I will ask everyone a question. With the dry erase board and the marker, you will answer the question. Don't worry, I will give you two choices. But, as the game progresses, I will add more choices. Of course if you answer a question incorrectly, you are eliminated. Ready to begin?" Kianu explained. The teens nodded their heads as they proceeded to their individual booths. Only Kianu could see their answers because their booths blocked their view of seeing anyone else's.
Once everyone was situated, Kianu strided toward his chair, pulling out a small stack of index cards from his jacket pocket. "Alright teams, I hoped you paid attention to your camp and fellow campers," he smirked. "So now let's begin the Memory challenge. Who was the first person to be officially eliminated from the competition? Was it Yue or Jet?"
The entire group that made up Team Sozin already knew their answer. They didn't hesitate to scrawl it on their board. As for Team Kuruk, a couple members knew who left right off the back---like Katara, Suki, Zuko, and Sokka---and the rest were slow to write their answer down.
"Hold up your boards, please," Kuruk said. He glanced at each person board before giving out the correct answer.
"The answer is was not eliminated; she left for personal matters. Haru, please step down; your answer is incorrect." Haru did as he was instructed, and exited his booth. Kianu directed him toward a bench on the end of the last booth. Haru sat down and watched Kianu move on to the next index card.
"Next question. On the day that you arrived to Camp Avatar, what was the main meal served in the mess hall? Was it pork'n beans, grilled cheese sandwiches , or pepperoni pizza?"
Sokka was the first person to scribble something on his board; the rest were deep in thought.
"Reveal your answers, please," Kianu said after a brief moment of time.
The adolescents flipped over their boards. "I need an answer," Kianu said, noticing that one person was still writing down their answer. The person hurridly flipped it over so that Kianu could review everyone's answers.
"The correct answer is grilled cheese sandwiches. Chan, please step down; you are not correct."
Chan stepped down and headed toward the bench Haru was perched at. His face revealed that he was visibly pissed, his mind steady thinking, How the hell was I supposed to know what lunch was that day? Dumb question.The remaining teens wiped off their boards and waited for Kianu to ask the next question.
"The bus that brought you here, what color was it? Was it yellow, orange, brown, or none of the mentioned?" Kianu asked.
A couple of minutes passed before Kianu asked the remaining competitors to reveal their answer. His eyes darted at everyone's board.
"The correct answer is brown. Everyone got it right, so no one is eliminated," Kianu announced as he flipped to the next index card.
"Who were the last three camp members remaining in the last challenge, Endurance? Was it Katara, Zuko, and Aang; Smellerbee, Ty Lee, and Azula; Haru, Zuko, and Aang; Katara, Zuko, and Azula; or Zuko, Ty Lee, and Azula?"
Of course the last people remaining on that challenge knew the answer. The rest of the people knew who won and who the last people hanging were, but they could not remember the third, solely on the fact that most of them were too exhausted to even care.
It took the teens longer to answer this specific question, and it didn't help them much when Kianu ordered them to hurry up. So most scribbled something down to say at least they answered the question.
"The correct answer is Zuko, Ty Lee, and Azula. Sokka, Suki, Pipsqueak, The Duke, and Aang step down because your answer is incorrect."
Katara was shocked that many people were being eliminated off of that one question. She would have been one of them too, but she knew the answer only because she found out Zuko was related to that Team Sozin girl---Azula. And there were only two choices; one she knew was incorrect because it featured her name and she knew she was not one of the last three people remaining. So that left only one answer.
"Okay, this goes to the seven remaining competitors: Katara, Toph, Zuko, Azula, Smellerbee, Mai, and Longshot. Once you stepped off the Camp Avatar bus, you were greeted by camp supervisors. How many supervisors greeted you, excluding Ozai? Was it one, two, three, none, four, or ten?"
Mai sighed heavilly thinking to herself, Damnit, I don't remember. None of the remaining teens knew the exact answer so they all guessed.
"Hold up your boards, please."
They did as they were told and Kianu's eyes grazed each marker written answer.
"Wow," Kianu began, "The correct answer is two. Everyone besides Katara and Azula are incorrect. Please step down."
The eliminated team members stepped away from their booth and headed towards the bench. Only a couple of seats remained so some people had to stand behind it.
"This is it. Team Kuruk's Katara versus Team Sozin's Azula. This is the final question. Since your arrival to this camp, right when you first stepped on this camp site, how many hours have you been residing here? I will not give any choices. Write down your mathematical answer and the person closest to the exact amount will win for their team. You have a minute and a half to figure this out," Kianu explained.
Katara hurridly began trying to figure out how many days she spent at Camp Avatar, while Azula pretty much knew the amount, she just needed to figure out the hours.
Time was ticking by quicker than neither of the girls expected as Kianu called out there were only ten seconds left for them to figure out their answer.
"Alright, hold up your boards," Kianu announced. The girls flipped their boards toward him; Katara's board read 554 hours; Azula's read 552.
"And the exact amount is 567 hours, so Katara wins with 554 hours for Team Kuruk!"
"YEAAHH!!" Team Kuruk members shouted in unison, jumping up and down as Katara came out of her booth. They ran up to her smiling and hugging her. Sokka half way picked up his sister out of pure joy. Zuko was happy, but he didn't express it as much as the rest of his team. Haru wrapped Katara in a bear hug, lifting her all the way off the ground, chuckling and yelling out all at the same time. Zuko stood in the midst of his team, and for some reason he felt a tiny bit jealous of the way Haru was holding Katara. He looked away quickly.
Katara was giggling and punching Haru playfully to put her back down on the earth's ground. Haru eventually pulled her back down, still hugging as he rocked her back and forth.
"Alright. Alright. Calm down." Kianu quieted the winning team down so that he could make an announcement. Katara turned her head from off of Haru's chest so that she could see Kianu.
"As you know, there will be a double elimination tomorrow night. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Team Sozin, it will be very unfortunate for you as you have to eliminate two of your members. I'll see you tomorrow," Kianu said, and exited away from the two teams.
Team Kuruk went back to celebrating their win as they walked off; loud talking and laughing among the group. "Gosh, Sugar Queen, I thought for a minute we were going to elimination."
"I always knew my baby sis' was smart. Of course not as smart as me, but still smart," Sokka said, causing a couple of teasing snickers and chuckles from the group.
"Hey, what about we have another campfire? To celebrate escaping double elimination?" Suki proposed.
"Yeah, that'd be cool," Aang voiced.
"Wait. We are having s'mores again, right?" Sokka asked. The group laughed at him as they walked on.
"I'm serious. S'mores, right?"
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"Calm down, Azula."
"Why should I, Ty Lee? I bet those Jet lovers threw the challenge on purpose just to get me out," Azula spat as she paced around their cabin.
"Well maybe so, but if that was the case, wouldn't they already have voted you out? They almost had enough votes to eliminate you the day Jet left," Mai added boringly from her position on her bed.
"Oh they had enough votes that night," Azula smirked devilishly.
Ty Lee jumped up curiously. "What are you talking about? You're still here."
"Ugh. Way to point out the obvious, Ty Lee," Mai snickered.
"I'm just saying. If they had enough votes the night Jet left, why isn't Jet still here instead of you?"
"Loop hole," Azula added.
"What kind of loop hole?"
Azula failed to answer the question, but instead changed the conversation's topic. "Is that Kianu guy going to eliminate the two people with the most amounts of votes?"
"How should we know? This is our first double elimination," Mai said.
"Then I guess I have to add another loop hole," Azula said.
"Wait, Azula, what are you--" Ty Lee began. She never finished the question because Azula left the cabin without even a second glance.
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"Mmm, s'mores," Sokka said between mouthfuls of warm, crunchy bites of two s'mores (yes, two whole s'mores).
"Just how did you guys even get this stuff?" Katara asked, raising her eyebrow.
"Oh that's easy. Me, Twinkle Toes, and Bandanna Boy just hid out in the mess hall's bathroom until it closed. Then we snuck in the kitchen and got the goods. Sparky was on look out," Toph explained as she wiggled her toes further into the dirt.
"And why was I not invited on this special ninja mission?" Sokka asked after he managed to swallow his two s'mores.
"Because you were too busy snoring in the mess hall when we planned it, Snoozles," Toph laughed.
Sokka opened his mouth to object, but closed it.
A couple of minutes passed where Team Kuruk just sat by the fire and talked and joked with each other until Suki proposed, "Ugh. I am stuffed. How about we play a game?"
"Niiice idea, Warrior Girl. How about Truth or Dare?" Toph said.
Her team members mumbled some agreements and some groans escaped their throats. "Truth or Dare it is."
"Who first?" Sokka asked.
"I'll go," Haru volunteered.
"Okay, Haru. Truth or dare?" Suki asked.
"Truth."
"Way to go, Mr. Unadventurous," Toph interjected.
"Okay, so...is there anyone on this team you see yourself talking to out of camp?" Suki asked, trying to start with easy questions so as the game progressed, it would get more challenging and personal.
"Yep," he answered with a huge grin on his face.
"Alright. That's my question."
"Sokka! Truth or dare?" Haru asked.
"Ughh....truth."
"Have you ever gone a day without eating dinner?"
"Of course not!" he exclaimed. The teens around him burst out in laughter.
"Aang, truth or dare?" Sokka continued.
"Truth."
"Is everyone going to pick truth?" Toph sighed.
"Aang.....have you ever been in a fight?"
"Nope."
"These are the most boring questions ever," Toph interjected.
"Toph. Truth or dare?" Aang asked.
"Dare."
"I dare you to...um....shove a s'more in Sokka's face."
"Hey! Why me?"
Aang made an I-don't-know noise as Toph jumped up from the log and started fidgeting through the food supplies to create a s'more. She stuck the marshmallow on a stick and held it into the fire. "Don't worry, Snoozles. Soon this treat will be all over you face. But in the meanwhile, Katara! Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Do you like Sparky? I mean, Zuko?"
Her team-mates were all looking at her intently. She glanced at Zuko, who was also looking at her, but she turned away. "No."
Zuko looked away from her that moment as all attention went to him. "Alright...well that was my question." Toph said.
"Suki? Truth or dare?"
"Let's see....truth."
"Katara."
Katara looked away from Suki and at Zuko. She didn't respond verbally just raised her eyebrow as to say What?
"Come here. I have to talk to you."
"I'm asking Suki her truth question."
"Oh don't worry, Sugar Queen. I'll handle that. Go ahead and chat with Sparky," Toph said. Katara whipped her head back and caught Toph's eyes. She was smirking. Katara hesitantly got up from her place on the dirt and followed Zuko a couple of yards away from where the rest of the team was located.
From where they were, their team member couldn't see them, and vise versa.
"What do you want?" Katara spat angrily.
"I'd like to know what your problem is."
"My problem is you. There. Are we done now?" Katara said impatiently as she turned away from him and started to walk away. Of course, Zuko wasn't going to let that happen. He grabbed her wrist and swung her back to where he stood.
"What did I do to you? We were getting along just fine a week ago. Then ever since we kissed you started ignoring me. Why?"
Katara was looking at Zuko straight in the eyes while he was talking. When it was her turn to speak, she quickly darted her eyes away from his. She sighed. "This would have never happened if you never kissed me. I wish you wouldn't have."
" Oh come on. That's not what you thought when you were kissing me back," Zuko smirked.
"Yeah that was before I knew you already had a girlfriend," she said quietly. Zuko caught everything she said despite her quiet tone.
"Where did you here that?"
"I didn't. I saw you kiss her; that's proof enough."
"Katara, no---I can explain."
She looked into his flaming golden eyes, which were filled with what looked to her like sincere. "Go ahead."
"My ex-girlfriend wanted to know why I dumped her. I told her over and over again why but she wouldn't believe me. So I got frustrated and dropped it. She came up to me and told me she forgave me and then she kissed me. I told her I couldn't...I couldn't do that and walked away."
Katara had been staring at him the entire time. She wasn't sure if she should trust him, or if she shouldn't. After all, she'd been through enough crap with dudes as it is. But Zuko wanted to apologize, so she was willing to at least forgive him.
"Okay, I believe you."
"So that was the reason why you were crying in the mess hall? And why you were swaring at me so much. And....why you kneed me," Zuko said. Katara giggled at the memory.
"Yeah. I'd tell you I'm sorry, but then I'd be lying," she smiled. Zuko looked at her.
"So we're friends again, right?" he asked, just making sure they were both on the same page.
"Friends," she smiled, hugging him from where she stood. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her. For now, he thought.
"We should probably get back now. Sokka's probably sitting on nails wondering what's happening," she said as she pulled away.
"Yeah," Zuko said as him and Katara made their way back to the campfire.
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"Aww look, Sparky and Sugar Queen made up," Toph teased. Sokka glared at Zuko.
"Just what happened back there?"
"Nothing, Sokka. Chill out," Katara said, taking her place on the log.
"It better have been nothing. For your sake," he says, looking at Zuko.
"Oh and Snoozles, before I forget," Toph says as she takes the s'more and shoves it on Sokka's face. His fellow team members were laughing hysterically at him as the chocolate started dripping down his face. Of course, Sokka loves s'mores, so he wiped some of it off of his face and stuffed it into his mouth.
His team-mates were doubled over in laughter at the sight of him.
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Azula pretty much already knew what she planned to do to keep from going home elimination night. Quite frankly, she knew all along. There was no way on earth she'd be leaving tomorrow night. But she knew one freakish girl that will. She smirked deviously.
*-Okay you guys. There is still a double elimination. It's in the next chapter. And just what is Azula doing to keep herself safe.? Hmm...I wonder...Zuko and Katara are friends again despite their silence. The next chapter should be up shortly. And again, to all you guys who read this story thanx! And for you who also review, thanxx!! And to all of you who fave, thanxx! And if you do all of that, I love you!!! lol.
Alright..I'm out so press the review button. =D