Chris: Well viewers, this is the moment all of you have been waiting for. We are gathered here at the campfire, with the one remaining marshmallow. Who will receive it and be 5 million dollars richer? Who will have to settle for half that? It comes down to two campers. Duncan…everyone's favorite bad boy and Total Drama Island alumni…winner of Total Drama Action. Cobalt…newcomer to the Total Drama Island franchise…team player and all-around nice guy. He's also the outsider. Our first…and most likely not the last…competitor from the United States. Will he be the big winner or will fans stick with the one they know best. Guys…any last words before the big presentation?
Duncan: Let's just get this over with man.
Cobalt: I hear that. I'm ready for whatever. I'm really looking forward to the party.
Chris: Wow…you guys really know how to kill the suspense. I think our former campers are showing more apprehension than you two.
Chef: Well I try to tell you that awarding prize money to the second and third place finisher was a bad idea. Takes all the fun out of it.
Chris: Hey…preaching to the choir Chef dude. I didn't particularly like the idea myself. Hopefully after this season, I'll get to be head producer. Anyway…without further ado…it's time to declare our winner. The votes were very close. Only about a 5% separation existed. Ladies and gentlemen…the final marshmallow of TDI III goes to…
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Cobalt
Cobalt leapt into the air as he caught the soft, fluffy treat. So excited was he that he did a flip in mid-air. The landing was not a very good one but at this point he didn't care. He hugged and high fived the other contestant, especially Duncan. Even though he was thrilled at winning the contest, he was really looking forward to the party at the Playa de Losers and meeting all the past TDI contestants like Ezekiel, Beth, Lindsay, and Tyler. As for Heather, he instantly locked lips with her before she could protest. After awhile, she ceased her struggle to break away and keep everything status quo. She gave in and let herself be caught up in a moment she thought might never come.
Heather: You know…this doesn't change my opinion of this place and these people. They'll all still a bunch of freaks.
Cobalt: Yeah babe…that might be so…but they're our freaks and I for one will never forget them.
Cobalt was having the time of his life at the moment hanging with the past contestants. He had hoped to gang up with the other guys and toss Chris and Chef into the lake like what was done during the first season. Those plans were interrupted when head producer Jack Diamond introduced himself.
Jack: Congratulations Cobalt on your victory. Congrats to you as well Duncan for making it this far. As you know we've set up a nice party for all back at the resort. Chris…if you and Chef would take the nine other participants of TDI three back to the resort. I will follow shortly with our winner and runner-up.
Chris: Sure thing sir but why can't we all go back in one vessel?
Jack: I want to have an exclusive interview with these two before the big party. You know hard it'll be to get these two to sit down and have an interview once the festivities begin. We won't be too long.
Chris: Al right then. Let's go everyone. It's time to party!!
The nine past losers cheered and entered the boat with Chris and Chef. They were to gather in the main conference hall at the resort and set up the party. Chris was ensured that the cameras would be in place not too long after they got their. With them sailing out of site, Jack radioed Vince to make sure the cameras on the island had stopped rolling.
Duncan: So let's get this little Q&A session done already. I'm…
He was stopped cold after a tranq dart lodged in his neck. Cobalt was stunned to see Duncan fall to the ground but before he could figure out what was happening, he too was hit and the whole Island around him seem to spin a little and then go dark. The two are loaded into Jack's boat while Vince disposes of the blowgun and darts by tossing them into the lake. Once Jack gets confirmation that the other campers have reached the resort and that all were gathered in the conference room, his plan is officially set in motion. Back in said conference room, there's a lot of catching-up going on. All seems well except for the fact that Noah is a little more distant than he usually is.
Lindsay: Hey Norman. Is everything ok?
Tyler: Yeah dude…you seem a little stressed out. Is it just the after effects of your Malaria?
Noah: You could say that…
Before he could finish, the sound of a helicopter landing caught there attention. Well that was all that Noah needed to make his decision. He decided that everyone had to know what he'd been through and the potential danger they were in. He knew it was gonna be a hard sell but he did his best to convince everyone.
Geoff: Dude…I want to believe what you're saying but…that seems so far-fetched.
Bridgette: Still it's not like you Noah to lie.
Noah: Trust me it's no lie. You know I'm not the type of guy who would do or say anything for some attention.
Katie: He's right. Still it would help to get some more corroborating information.
Eva: I'll get the information straight from this Vince guy myself. He'd better have a good explanation for me than he had for Noah.
All was confirmed when the fire doors activated and sealed all 20 campers plus Chris and Chef in the conference room.
Cody: Um…I think I speak for everyone when I say this can't be a good thing.
Noah: No need to panic everyone. As I explained to you all, I have found another way out of here but I'm not sure how safe it is right now. It may be guarded or even rigged somehow. Cody…you will help determine if the secret exit is safe. Then we'll probably need to have a team go through and investigate where it leads. I just wish I knew where Duncan and Cobalt were.
They were not far away at all. When Cobalt came to, he was less than thrilled with his current situation. His hands were chained above his head. In fact he was pretty much hanging by those chains. His bare feet submerged in a metal bucket of what looked and felt like water. Judging by the level of grittiness he felt between his toes, he figured that there was some salt in the water. His situation was not near as bad as Duncan's was. He was chained onto what looked to be an old-fashioned grindstone. The stone ring he was on was fairly and appeared to rotate under another stone on the other side. It was like a set of gears you'd find in some huge clock. These did not have teeth though. This was for stone-on-stone grinding of wheat or corn. Duncan was already freaking out over what was most likely gonna be done to him on this grinder when Cobalt came too. His own situation just screamed brutal electrocution and so he was starting to panic until he noticed the third figure in the room with them.
Jack: I see you two are all nice and settled in. Comfy?
Cobalt: Jack…what the hell is going on here? Where are we?
Jack: Why…this is your final resting place Cobalt. Yours…Duncan's…and everyone else above you in the resort's conference room. You see I'm ending TDI on my own terms…with a hot and brilliant ending. You might say it's smoking. Duncan…you will be ushering in the fiery ending. Once this grindstone crushes you like a grape, the heart monitor I attached to your chest will trigger two things simultaneously. Down here, it will trigger the flow of high voltage electricity through you Cobalt. Upstairs, it will trigger incendiary devices throughout the hotel and especially in the conference room with all your friends. About five seconds later, once Cobalt is good and fried, incendiary devices will trigger down here as well.
Duncan: Dude…that's totally insane. What's your problem? Why are you doing this to me? to Cobalt? to everyone?
Jack: Well it's mainly you that I want to suffer. Cobalt will suffer for being your ally. Everyone else…well…that just adds to the drama don't you think?
Cobalt: What has Duncan done to you to deserve such a ghastly death?
Jack: Why…killing my niece Courtney. I know you must have had something to do with her death. I tell you what…admit to me that you were responsible and I'll send you under the grindstone head first. It'll still be a helluva way to go but it'll still be quicker than the alternative.
Cobalt: He and I have already been through this. It wasn't his fault. He has no reason to hold on to the guilt and blame….especially n…ahhhhhhhhhh.
Jack's response to Cobalt's outburst was a jolt of electricity.
Jack: That's just a taste of what is in store for you Cobalt. So Duncan…does he answer for you?
Duncan: No one answers for me…well not usually. This time around however, he does. I've cleansed myself of that guilt with Cobalt's help. It took so long for me to let go of it but I finally did. So no…I will not admit any responsibility for Courtney's death.
With that, jack put the grindstone in motion. The extremely slow and methodically motion made Duncan wish he had just told Jack what he wanted to hear. I death this slow and ghastly no one deserved. He figured he had a good three minutes or so before his feet reached the stone. He wandered if the wait would actually be worse than the actual crushing. Jack was about to exit when he was jumped from behind by a familiar, lanky teenager.
Harold: It's about time you were introduced to me and my awesome skills.
Leshawna helped to wrestle him to the ground while Cody and Noah proceeded to free Cobalt.
Cobalt: Harold! Leshawna! Get the controller from him. We have to stop the grindstone.
Jack managed to throw Harold off of him but not before he grabbed the controller. After he kicked Leshawna aside, he was ambushed by Izzy and Eva. Harold then made the grave mistake of throwing the controller over to Tyler who was calling for it. It slipped through his hands and broke into a million pieces on the hard, stony floor.
Duncan: Oh great…now what?!
Cobalt: Well…there's always the direct approach.
Cobalt ran over to the grindstone to help Duncan out of his chains. It was too bad that Jack had managed to get Izzy and Eva off. The next sound was a gunshot that hit Cobalt in the back and sent him crashing to the floor inches from the grindstone. He was about to start firing his pistol at all seven of them down there until he was downed by gunfire. All turned shocked to see Vince in the doorway.
Noah: It's about time you got down here man. We gotta help Duncan.
Noah didn't need to worry too much as Duncan was already being freed at the moment by Cobalt. He had managed to crawl over and undo his chains. The group of seven plus Vince rushed over to Cobalt to access his injury and to make sure Duncan was all right. Noah immediately began treating Cobalt's gunshot wound. The bullet had shattered a couple of his lower lumber vertebrae. Fortunately it looked like it was at a point below where the spinal cord ended. The biggest danger facing Cobalt right now was the fact that his vertebral artery appeared severed.
Noah: Ok…I think I can…yeah…I got a hold on it. I think I can keep it from bleeding too badly. Duncan…you and Eva get that flat cart over there in the corner. We need to get him on it and roll him out of here.
Cody: Guys…we have a seriously problem here. A countdown of some kind has started. It seems to have begun right at nine p.m. That was about thirty seconds ago.
Vince: Damn…I should've thought of that. Nine o'clock was the time we were supposed to take off in the helicopter. He must have put in this program as a fail-safe. How much time to we have?
Cody: (already dashing back up to the conference room) Only a couple of minutes and that's not enough time to try and stop it. I have to get the others down here and we have to go now!
Vince: Noah! Is Cobalt ready to move?
Noah: Yeah…we're on the cart and ready to go. I have the bleeding under control. We need to go by the cells down here and free Courtney and her parents.
All including the ones from upstairs: Courtney!
Noah: Oh crap…I knew I forgot to mention something. Hey don't glare at me like that. At the time I had a lot on my mind. You couldn't expect me to remember all relevant information.
Geoff: I think that would be a piece of information that's hard to forget.
Bridgette: Courtney's alive. Such good news.
Noah: Yeah…yeah…the reunion will have to wait though, we have to go now!
The large group found the cell Courtney was being held in thanks to Noah. She and her parents were freed and they made their exit out of the mouth of a cave. This was obviously used to at some point to smuggle goods or maybe people in and out of the resort property. Cody volunteered to be the last one out to make sure all were accounted for. He was about to exit himself when he was grabbed from behind, a knife held to his neck.
Jack: Listen up! There's about fifteen seconds left until this place goes up in flames. Cody here will burn to death with me here unless Duncan comes forth and trades places with him.
At this point Cody was saying to himself how tired he was to be the weak one always doomed to be in these situations. Well not this time. He planned to take action. It was made easy thanks to what happened next.
Courtney: Let him go Uncle Jack!
Jack: (stunned) Courtney!?...you're…you're…
He was stopped mid-sentence by a shin kick from Cody. Cody dashed for the cave opening while Jack howled in pain from the kick. He was about to be in even more pain as the devices went off, filling the hotel above and the cave below with intense flames. Cody made it outside the cave but the flames ignited his shirt. Izzy ripped off her top and proceeded to use it to put Cody out. Unfortunately this caused Owen to faint and fall to the ground.
Eva: Great…it's bad enough we have two seriously injured people…now we might have a third thanks to Ms. Crazy over there.
Izzy: I wouldn't worry about him. He's done that several times around me in the past. He's always recovered.
Cody: I don't think my burns are too serious. I may be able to be treated he…oh yeah…there is no resort anymore.
Trent: We should be able to take you by boat over to the mainland and a waiting ambulance.
Noah: Yeah…but Cobalt's gonna have to be airlifted out.
Chris: Already got a helicopter flying in. Should be arriving… (shouting over the approaching chopper) NOW!!!
Vince stayed behind to file a report with the Mounties while Cobalt was airlifted out and Cody and the others left by boat. Once they were gone, he himself had a phone call to make before the authorities arrived.
Vince: Hola señior Ortega. Yes…yes…it's all been taken care of. We want have to worry about Jack's instability compromising are lucrative trading business. Yes I know it was risky involving his niece and her family but it worked out as planned. At this point I could probably ask for the position of studio C.E.O. and get it after my heroic efforts here. Perhaps I will try to reach that level but for now…head producer is fine. No…I don't think any of those teenagers suspect a thing. The two I'm most worried about are Noah and Cody. For now we can put this operation down as successfully completed. Looks like it will be business as usual. I look forward to your next shipment of "props" hehehehe.
He hangs the phone up as the Mounties and fire crew arrive. The resort is nothing but a shell by this point. That's definitely gonna have to be addressed before the next season. Oh well…if the studio wouldn't pick up the tab for rebuilding the place, he sure would be able to. Ah yes…business as usual.
A few weeks later and we find a few of the former TDI contestants hanging out on a beach in the Caribbean. Heather and Cobalt are sitting next too each other in beach chairs watching as the sun sets and the full moon begins to bathe the shore with its soft light. Leshawna, Izzy, Courtney, Gwen, and Katie are taking on Harold, Owen, Duncan, Trent, and Noah in a volleyball game…yes believe it or not…Noah is participating. He's been trying his had at several non-cerebral activities since he and Katie have been dating. There was laughter in the air, mainly the laughter of Ezekiel, Geoff, Tyler, and Cody as they were buried in the sand and being tickled by Beth, Bridgette, Lindsay, and Amanda.
Lindsey: You're right Miranda…this is fun.
Beth: I'll say.
Ezekiel: (giggling) That… depends on…who you ask eh.
Tyler: (chuckling) I don't know…this isn't so bad. There's a lot worse things that could be done to us.
Heather: (annoyed) Yeah…like having to listen to all of you laughing at once…especially you Ezekiel. Man that's an annoying laugh.
Cobalt: Relax babe and try to focus on the waves. Besides…they say laughter is the best medicine.
Heather: You know…if you'd like to join them…
Cobalt: Oh no…no no no no…I'm good.
Heather: Thought as much…hey…
She herself got a good laugh when Cobalt pounced on her and began tickling her.
Cobalt: You see how much better you feel after a good…
Of course she retaliated quickly and the two ended up rolling into the ocean.
Gwen: (laughing after watching to whole scene) Good thing they ended up in the ocean. They needed some serious cooling down. Speaking of which, I'm ready for a swim in the ocean. Care to join me Trent.
Trent: You know it babe.
Leshawna: Sounds like a plan to me.
Owen: Oh…oh…me first. Cannonball!!!
Owen's cannonball must've displaced about fifty gallons of water or so as the others were bowled over by the waves. Owen laughs innocently as the scene fades away in the light of the moon.
The End
Author's Note: I'm so glad to finally have it done with. I did leave a little opening in case I wanted to come back and write a sequel to this but I highly doubt that will happen. But hey…who knows what might happen. After seeing a few TDA episodes, I might get the urge to write yet another fic with these guys because let's face it…they're fun to write about. Take care y'all.
