(AN: Chapter 10! 3 more to go! 6 people left! What a fun time!)


Chris: Last time on Total Drama: Heroes vs. Villains, the 7 remaining competitors went into the mineshafts to score some buried loot! Also, they had to go down to the deepest, dankest part of it! Hahahaha! Lightning did not help at all, while Cameron, Ezekiel, and Dawn worked together to clinch victory! Heather and Jo had to deal with the frightening Lightning, while Duncan and Zoey got split! Zoey fought to the end, but unfortunately, she suffered a crushing (the cameras cut to Zoey getting bombarded by the falling mineshaft) defeat! So, she was sent packing! 6 left, and they all gotta get along! Who will finish strong? Find out on Total…Drama…Heroes vs. Villains!

*cue the theme song*

Episode 10: A Triage of Trouble


Dawn closed her eyes as the butler poured her a glass of water.

"Ahh…thank you."

Cameron, who sat across from her, smiled.

"Not a problem. Well, we gotta thank Ezekiel. He's the one who got us here in the first place!"

"Indeed. He's changed a bit, hasn't he?"

Cameron shrugged. "Well, losing Gwen, well, uh…that's gotta be a major hit to his confidence, right?"

Dawn swirled the water in her glass. "I'm not sure. Maybe we can bring it up with him tomorrow?"

"I don't think so. He's got something good going."

Dawn pursed her lips.

"Well, his aura has changed…but is it really for the better?"

Cameron shrugged. "I haven't really seen Season 1…Mom said it had too much 'indecent' material for a guy my age…"

"You're still thinking like that…?"

Dawn gently placed a hand on Cameron's and massaged his hand.

"Cameron, your aura…the way it was when you stood up to your mother…I need to see that again."

Cameron stared at her, confused. "I'm sorry?"

Dawn sighed. "I'm sorry…I'm confused, too...my auras are wavering inside, you see…"

Cameron was still staring at her. "Really? You don't seem that different to me."

"Cameron, I think something we both need to work on is our…social etiquette, was it?"

"You think so?"

"I know so. Being raised by wild animals until the age of 6 does horrors to one's mental capabilities."

"Yeah…guess being in a bubble until you were 16 does something similar, huh?"

"Well, it's not all bad, right? See…we can conquer this. Together."

With that, Dawn leaned in close to Cameron and gently kissed him on the lips.


Duncan stretched out on the bunk bed.

"This sucks! Zoey's gone, and I don't have anything to show for it! Not even immunity!"

"Do'on't feel bad, eh? Yo'ou don't see me complaining aboot Gwen, ya know?"

"Yeah, but…you're different."

Ezekiel rubbed his forearm, looking down at the wooden floor. A cockroach scuttled across it.

"Yo'ou think so, eh? Well…we were happy, Gwen and me. But then Mal—"

"Hey! Relax…chill! He's gone!" Duncan sat up, looking at Ezekiel. The latter was shaking, tears trickling down his face.

"I do'on't want to sho'ow it to the others, eh? But it hurts, eh?"

Duncan immediately went over and put a hand on Ezekiel's back. The prairie boy's breaths shook as he steadied himself, and before long, the tears had stopped flowing.

"Hey, Zeke, c'mon…" he said, rubbing the homeschool's back slightly. "Tomorrow's another day, right? We got this."

"I…I ho'ope so, eh?"

Duncan sighed and looked out the window. "Least one couple out there's having a good time..."


On Boney Island, loud buzzing noises emanated, along with shrieks, hollers, and moans. The animals were scattered along the fringes of the island.

A beaver looked at a bear, confused. The bear shrugged.


One of Dawn's tendrils wriggled near the spa hotel window, which faced out towards Boney Island. She gave it a small smile.

"Well, seems like a certain couple are taking advantage of their isolation…" she said.

Cameron was still slightly dazed from the kiss; he had never had anything like that happen before. "Yeah, huh, whaaa…"

Dawn gave him a small giggle. "Your aura's perking up! I'd say you're coming around!"

With that, she made for the girl's side of the hotel bedrooms.

It's a shame I have no bribery money…or else I'd give him some of what they're having out there…

The butler came in not long after Dawn had left. He stared at Cameron, who was still frozen in shock.

"Mr. McLean told me to give this (he motioned to a heavy knapsack) to you, but it seems like now isn't a very good time."

He plopped the knapsack onto the table. The table wobbled.

Task done, the butler calmly walked out.

Cameron's mind was whizzing with flashes of blue-green, interspersed with memories that weren't his own.

A bear was glaring at him, blood dripping from its mouth…a small bunny rabbit lay dead at its feet…

Two larger figures stared down in his general direction…he couldn't make out what they were saying…

He was looking down at his body, which was nothing but a mud-spattered mess with what remained of a dress…

Before long, the morning sun was glistening over the Wawnakwa waters, its vermillion hues illuminating the sky.

Chris yawned and stretched, before getting his signature airhorn/megaphone combo ready.

"Oh, they're gonna haaaaate me…" he said, a large grin spreading on his face.

The loud blast jolted Duncan and Ezekiel awake immediately. Dawn, however, was already awake, peering out at the sunshine.

"Ah, morning. We have so much to do and so little time to do it…"

Cameron didn't say a word.


Dawn: Cleaning up the litter and plastic polluting Mother Earth is elation to me! And I'm sure she agrees with me, too. *she cups her ear towards the ground, only to be greeted with gurgling from the confessional toilet. She stops doing so and sighs, dejected.* Oh. Right.


"Good morning, all of you! Hope you're hungry for some pain!"

The two young men were out of the cabin before too long. The spa hotel, however, was still inhabited.

Chris groaned. "Come on, we're not getting any younger here!"

"Easy for you to say, McLean!" Duncan said, chuckling a bit. He then stopped when he saw Ezekiel staring at him.

"Oh. Right."


Duncan: With Zoey gone, what's left for me, huh? The million? Big whoop, that'll fare so well when I'm thrown in prison again! Bite me! *he sighs, looking down at the grubby floor* …I miss my knife.


The spa hotel door opened. Dawn, who was sweating profusely, was pushing Cameron out the door.

"Wow, and I thought Cameron was weak!" Chris said, cackling slightly. "Anywho, we'll wait for Chef, and then our challenge can commence!"

Duncan waved a hand in front of Cameron's still shocked face. "Uh, dude? Hello? Earth to Cameron!"

Dawn wiped her forehead, which was glistening with sweat. "I nearly forgot to take the knapsack with him…that was the worst of it."

Ezekiel finally noticed that Dawn had the knapsack attached to her back. It seemed heavy; it was taking all her strength to prevent herself from falling backwards.

"Wow, eh?" he said, striding towards her, ready to take it.

"Uh, uh, uh! No sharing!" Chris said. "That reward is for the winner's team only!"

Duncan quirked an eyebrow. "Hold up, McLean. You said we had to work together yesterday. What's the catch?"

Chris's grin widened further. "Your catch is these!"

Chef chugged up in the Boney Island boat with Heather and Jo. The pair were just in time to see Chris holding up 3 pairs of handcuffs.

"Yup! I decided to bring back a little Tri-Armed Triathlon madness for you guys! You and your buddy, who I mentioned back in the mineshaft, will be shackled up with each other!

"So, I need Heather and Duncan to buddy up, along with Cameron and Dawn! Zeke and Jo, you'll round up our roster!"

Heather gave Jo a mournful look as she walked over to Duncan. Chef snapped the cuffs on the pair instantly.

"Ugh, Chris, can we drop the cuffs? This bites!" Duncan said, as Chef bound the other pairs up.

"Nope! Now you'll have to face the worst test of all: working togetherrrrrrr!" Chris said, wriggling his fingers in a poor imitation of a spooky specter.

Heather and Duncan rolled their eyes. Jo couldn't hide her smirk.

"Ooh, Chris McLame wants to spice up the challenge? Let's face it, Zeke, we're gonna rock this joint!"


Jo: Teamwork's my forte! I mean, look at me last season! Brick was putty in my hands. Homeschool shouldn't be much harder.


"So yeah, you six'll have to navigate Chef Hatchet's deadly obstacle course! Or…shall I say…the Obsta-Kill Course! You'll be dodging deadly tires, scale treacherous ropes, and dodge deadly leeches!"

Dawn looked rather worried. "Those leeches will be safe in the long run, right?"

"Nope! Lastly, you'll have to cross this suck-tacular zipline! Oh, and you can't use that knapsack until I say you can, and if you take it off before then, well…it's curtains for you!"

Duncan scoffed. "Easy, I can do obstacle courses in my sleep. What's so hard about this one?"

"Glad you asked! Two teams will be moving on to the final four!"

Everyone gasped, but Heather's gasp was soon replaced with a cold smirk.

"Well, looks like someone's going to have to pull his weight around here."


Heather: If I don't get into the final four, then what was the reason for me competing?! Yeah, Jo's nice and all, but a million dollars? That's even sweeter…

Ezekiel: Two teams goin' thro'ough to the final four, eh? Well, step back, cause the Zeke's go'oin all the way! Booyah!


"Now then, if all of you are ready…haha, psych! GO!"

At the blast of the airhorn, the 6 competitors were off. Dawn, however, was straining to carry both Cameron and his knapsack.

"Please, snap out it!" she grunted. "I don't want to have to use my auras more than I have to…"

Cameron's head lolled on his shoulder, his tongue hanging out.

Dawn sighed. Drastic times call for drastic measures…

With that, the pair set off, a slight tinge of blue-green emanating from them.


Dawn: I underestimated Cameron's naivete! Oh, out of all the times for him to go comatose and for his auras to lock up, why now?! *She sighs, and folds herself into a meditation pose.*


"Ow! Ow! Hey, these are perfectly good wedges you're ruining here!"

Duncan didn't listen; he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Heather was trying to lower his defenses to lure him into one of her traps.

Nice try, sister, but those efforts of yours are all in vain! No distractions, no nothing! I—

Duncan's train of thought was rudely interrupted. A kid-sized tire hid a pole within it; stepping on it caused it to spring up and smash his kiwis.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh…" he whimpered, clutching his hands over his groin. Heather, not one to miss an opportunity, forcibly yanked one of them as she took the lead.

"Sorry, buster! But I've got an immunity to win!"


Heather: Hook, line, and piercings! Duncan's a dud and I've got this in the bag! If we get immunity tonight, and it is we, all I need is to get Jo over the finish. Perfect final four, and so long, Freak-zekiel! Barf!


"Hup, two, hup, two! Double time, soldier!"

"Yes, ma'am, eh?"

Jo and Ezekiel swiftly darted and danced over the tires, dodging any obstacles that cropped up.

"Not bad! Better than some guy I know!"

"He was cool, eh? I wonder how he's do'oin'?"

Jo yelped slightly as a set of mousetraps were set off, especially since her foot was there a second ago. "Alright, less yakking, more…uh…"

"Yo'ou don't need to be funny all the time, eh?"

"You might not know this, especially since your girlfriend dumped you, but there's more to life than just what you learn in homeschool!"

Ezekiel glared at her, exhaling sharply from his nose. "I kno'ow more than that!"

"Huh! Sometimes, I wonder…"


Jo: Time for a new game plan! Get under Zeke's skin, get an extra vote once Heather and I reach the final four! Buh-bye, Dud-can!


Dawn was half running, half bounding over the tires. Her aura was easier to access today, even with her extra loads.

She stopped. Wait…it's never been this simple before!

She steadied herself, focusing on her breathing, her heartbeat, any muscle strains…all were normal.

She checked her auras. Steady and stable.

Wait…

Dawn strengthened her scope slightly, so that Cameron's vitals and auras were detectable as well.

She gasped.

Oh, no…


Dawn: This wasn't what I wanted! I wanted to share some of my memories and auras with him during that kiss, but…to expose everything? Every deep, dark, secret hidden within me? To burden him with my every responsibility?! *she gasps slightly, choking back tears.* I—I didn't mean for this…


Dawn stared at Cameron, paying special attention to his pupils. Blue-green light darted in them every few moments.

She gulped.

Now…how can I get this out of him?

A loud yell came from the trees behind her. She flinched slightly.

This aura…it feels…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! OW! My num-yos!"

disappointing.

Harold was clutching his proverbial, and literal, num-yos, having crashed hard into a tree branch crotch-first.

"Me Wonga-taa! King of jungle! Owwwww…Samuel-san, roll for fortitude sa—"

He dropped from the branch, smacking his head rather hard.

"…on closer consideration, I seemed to have suffered a concussion!"


Sam: Well, Chris called me back in order to stir up the mayhem and bring in some "gaming drama." *he air quotes the last words and taps his special helmet that B made for him.* Well, uh, heh, Harold heard the conversation and got interested! Seems like Chris was going to leave him out of this season entirely! Not sure why, I mean, heh, Harold's a cool guy!

Harold: *his eyes are drifting in and out of focus.* Leshanwa, I have cow boobies on my head! Heheh…I said udders!


"In different circumstances, I would be concerned, but now is not the time for concern! My boyfriend's in trouble!" Dawn said, gently tapping Cameron with her tendrils.

A hissing sound came from behind her. She didn't need to turn her head; she recognized it all too well.

"That wouldn't be the alien from 'Hyper Force Warriors 10', would it?" she sighed, as the sounds of sizzling emanated from behind, as well.

"Not quite," the voice from behind her said. "They just released 'Hyper Force Warriors X: Now Starring the Cast of It's a Mamma-Mia, Meh-rio!' The aliens now have acidic saliva; they need to in order to spit their sick beats!"

Oh, Sam, your gaming interests are quite unique…

"Well, if you don't mind, could you please aim for some more deserving targets, like, um…Heather and Jo?"

"Sorry, can't! Chris said to put all contestants through trials and tribulations…"

"Then, um…could you spout some lyrical poetry? It could be considered a form of torture!"

The Sam-Alien scratched its head. "…Ssssssssuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeee…"

With a loud clearing of its throat, it began to rap.

"SSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAY, HEY, HEY, YOU SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSIBILANT SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSPAAAAAAWN,

KEEP SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEARCHING, FOR I LEFT THE LIGHTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ONNNNNNN,

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTUPID, SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSNOBBY, SSSSSSSSSSSSASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSY PESSSSSSSSSSSSSS—"

With every verse, every hiss, every stanza, a spray of acidic breath sprayed from its mouth, splattering the tires and immediately causing them to steam and melt. Dawn, ever vigilant, blocked the worst of the spittle with her tendrils, but even they withered to their might.

"I don't mean to be rude!" she piped up, "but this really isn't rap! It's more…operatic!"

The alien stopped, hands clutched around its head.

"I…I KNEW IT! NO WONDER EPIC GAMER REVIEWS GAVE THIS A 2 OUT OF 10!"

"Hahahahaha, epic gamer! Time to rise up! Time to overthrow the shackles of opp—"

"Harold?!"

Heather, dragging a still-dazed Duncan, walked up to him and Sam.

"Wait…why are you here? You were easily the lamest character in the first season!"

"Hahaha, look! Boonies!" Harold clapped Lizard-Sam hard on the back, causing him to lurch forward and expel some saliva onto the ground in front of Heather. She shrieked; the acid bore a hole through her shoes.

"MY WEDGES!" she screamed, darting away from Sam. "You're dead, you hear me? DEA—"

A bucket of sand flipped up as she stood on the first tire that wasn't melted, slamming itself hard over her head. Muffled coughs and splutters were heard as a cascade of sand trickled out of the sides.

Sam transformed back to his normal self. "Well, guess that's our job done on this leg!" he said, chuckling and grabbing Harold by the wrist.

"Onward, noble steed!"

Harold was starting to regain some of his sanity. "Were…were some of my future children murdered?"

"Harold…we'll talk about that later…" Sam said, as the pair disappeared into the trees.

Duncan shook his head, slapping his cheeks to regain focus. "Huh…was that…Harold?!"


Duncan: I know what I heard! You'd never mistake that high-pitched dweeb sound for anything else! Ah-hem! 'Oh, Ben, your disability is so insp—' …wait, Zoey's probably watching this. Yeah, that was a little too mean…


Jo and Ezekiel quickly scrabbled up the ropes, with Jo taking a frayed electrical wire and Ezekiel taking one composed entirely out of licorice.

"Alright, soldier, let's head onward for ho—wait…" Jo cocked an ear, hearing a set of shrieks and yelps.

"Change of plans! We're heading back down and freeing my girlfriend from her endless pain and torment!"

If Ezekiel was meant to wince at these words, he didn't show it. "Nuh-uh, eh? We're go'oin' this…nnnngh…waaaaayyyyyy…"

The chain taughtened between the pair as both attempted to set off in opposite directions.

"Yoooou…sexist…spaaaaaz….we're goo-uuuunnngh…this way!" Jo said, her cuff digging deep into her wrist.

"Nooooo…waaaaaay…eeeeeeh…aaaannnnngh…immunity…is….ooooooooours!" Ezekiel grunted, fighting a steadily-losing battle.

Jo kicked Ezekiel's shin, causing him to topple over. "Ha!" she shouted in triumph, dragging Ezekiel along towards Heather and Duncan.

Jo took great care to step over the tires, while at the same time, making sure her "partner" set off any traps. By the time she reached up with Heather and Duncan, Ezekiel was a mess of welts and bruises, both from a swarm of angry bees, as well as several mousetraps that Jo hadn't set off earlier.

"Hold on, babe, I'll save you!" she said, while overdramatically yanking off Heather's sandy bucket.

Duncan stared at her, incredulously. "Okay, seriously? Instead of going on and heading to the third leg, you double back?! Are you trying to get eliminated?"

"Are you?" Heather and Jo replied in unison.

"Well, someone was wailing over her burnt shoes!" Duncan yelled, motioning to Heather's now-bare feet, "and you're one to talk! Zeke's not going to last too much longer at this rate!"

Ezekiel moaned. "Santa, I need a new face for Christmas, eh…"


Jo: Easy as 1-2-3! New meat shield, and a peon to fulfill my every whim!


"Now that that's settled," Heather said, glaring at Duncan, "where are bubble breath and Miss Shrieks-a-Lot?"

"Oh, I'd say they've left…about 5 minutes ago." A broad smirk was spreading across Duncan's face.

Heather and Jo's faces both paled. The former struggled to form words.

"W—wa—wai—wait a minute!" Heather snapped. "So, you didn't save me, you didn't alert me that the enemy was LEAVING? HOW DARE YOU?!"

"Hold on!" Jo added. "If they left five minutes ago, then I must have seen them as I doubled back! Where are they?"

Duncan casually whistled. "Would you believe me if I told you that Dawn could fly?"


Dawn was floating to the best of her abilities. Given that she was carrying roughly 90 pounds of boyfriend and knapsack, this wasn't the easiest task. However, she had cleared the tires and touched down on top of the ropes.

"Hey, hey!" Chris and Chef rolled up in their signature ATV. "You're supposed to be clearing all obstacles, missy!"

"My deepest apologies, Chris, but my partner's, well, um…unconscious."

Chris sighed as Dawn gave him a sheepish grin. "Yeah, well, that's not my problem, it's yours! Your punishment will be waiting for you at the last leg of the challenge! Now, get moving!"

As the pair roared off, Dawn sighed.

I only meant to share with him some of my past, not all of it! Ohh, I feel wonderful, but at what cost?

She debated getting back into her meditation position once more, but a sloppy, wet sound near her broke her out of her trance.

A leech landed right next to her right foot. Dawn gulped.

"N-nice leeches…I'm sure you didn't magically gain the ability of self-propulsion all on your own…that-that's not what nature intended…


Dawn: Having a host of leeches suck your blood until you're nearly with Mother Nature…it changes how you perceive them! *she shudders slightly.*


Dawn, on tiptoe, slowly advanced. There were a plethora of rocks and rubble strewn around the area. Several leeches, most likely shot from a powerful gun, were arranged in a nearly uniform line, which ended at the one that had landed near her feet.

"Um, Chris? You think there'd be some monkey bars we could scale or something?" Dawn's voice trembled slightly as she advanced slowly.

"Ha! Do you think we're that juvenile?" A row of loudspeakers lining the trees nearby crackled on. Chris, apparently, had advanced to his usual announcer's booth.

Dawn frowned at the voice. "I expected you, especially from your auras, to indulge in such an activity…"

"Well, duh! We had plans for a 'snapping bars', complete with vicious, hungry turtles, but A. our budget wouldn't allow it, B. even if budget did allow it, someone would've complained, and C. well, leeches are way more fun! Also, we had a whole load of 'em leftover from the leechball challenge!"

Dawn sighed. Guess I can't argue with that…

She tiptoed quietly on. Her tendrils were sensing the air for any changes, or leeches for that matter.

Phht! Phht! Phht! Phht!

Dawn gulped. A fresh salvo of leeches was beelining straight towards her. She darted, ducked, and blocked them with her tendrils, causing them to hit the ground with a soft thwuck.

As long as Cameron's not hurt, this is doable!

She sped up slightly, darting behind a rock for cover. Several leeches splattered against the front side of it, before dribbling down and hitting the earth.

This could be my opportunity to snap Cameron out of this trance!

She stared at Cameron, her eyes flashing green occasionally.

Come on…


The other four, in the meantime, were at the ropes.

"Alright, loser, we're going up here!" Heather snapped, grabbing onto a rope that was quite fuzzy and pointing Duncan to the frayed wire.

"Guess that leaves me with, uh…" Jo scratched her head. The only two ropes left were the licorice rope and one that looked ready to unravel at any moment.

I'll take my chanc—

Jo's thoughts were interrupted. A loud slurping sound came from above, and the licorice rope grew shorter and shorter.

"Wait a minute…I know that scarfing sound from anywhere…Sam!"

Sam, who indeed, was up top, was slurping up the licorice rope like a long strand of spaghetti. He shot a thumbs-up to a nearby tree.

"BANZAI, STEVEN-SAMA!"

With a deft flick of the wrist, Harold hurled two shuriken towards Heather and Duncan. Heather shrieked as the first shuriken embedded itself right next to her thigh, causing the shuriken to bore straight through the fuzzy rope.

Jo's heart sank as she saw the rope slice itself and fall to the ground. She smelled dog hair, and her despair turned to disgust.

The second shuriken, however, sank itself through Duncan's hand and dug into part of the frayed electrical wire below.

Duncan yelled as several strong electric shocks coursed through his body. Heather, being attached to him by a rather metallic cuff, received much of the same.

Jo whistled as she saw the sight unfold. "Well, I'm staying way away from that! Later, losers!"

"I…AM…NOT…A…LOSER-OW!" Heather yelled, as Jo, dragging Ezekiel behind her, started up the weak rope.

Duncan finally wrenched his hand away from the smoking wire, leaving a series of electrical sparks coming from it. He yanked the shuriken out from the back of his hand, then clutched the wound as blood flowed freely.

"Aaaaagh…DANG IT, HAROLD!" he yelled, glaring up at the tree.

Harold had disappeared, but if he were there, he would've given him a sly smirk and vanished.


Harold and Sam had rejoined, looking at Dawn and Cameron up ahead.

"Uh, bro, I thought you were afraid of ninjas?" Sam said, glancing at Harold, who was pocketing some more shuriken.

"Ah, you underestimate me, Samuel-San! In order to face the fear, you must be the fear! Hiii-ya!"

Harold kicked Sam, hard, in the gut. The latter fell to the ground, moaning in pain.

"Ow! A little less gusto, there, dude!"


Harold: If Chris thinks that I, Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V, am not adequate enough for a show like this, I'll show him! I'll show them all! I didn't graduate second-best from Nuclear Steve's Preparedness Camp for nothing! Not even that first-placer can match my skills! You hear me, Shawn! Nobody! *he leans into the camera, breathing heavily through his nose. Unfortunately for him, several flecks of boogers fly into the camera.*


Jo yelped as the rope, predictably, unraveled and gave way. She clutched to the wood grain behind the rope (that normally served as a brace while climbing) by only her fingernails.

"C'mon, strength, don't fail me now!"

"I'm coming for you, Dorkahontas!"

Heather screamed again as Duncan dragged her up to the top of the ropes. She looked back, and her pupils shrank to the size of pins.

"Jo!"

"Ignore her, let's go!"

With a hard jerk, the pair had moved on to the leech portion, leaving Jo and Ezekiel all alone now.

"Heather? Oh, great, great job, Duncan! I'm on to you!"

Her nails dug in deeper into the wood, with some slivers digging themselves into her fingertips.

It's Jo time.


Jo: Serious or not, you've always gotta have a sense of humor! Helps mask the pain! *she grips a splinter in one of her fingertips and pulls, but quickly stops, whipping her finger in the air to ease the stinging.* OW!


With a concerted effort, Jo slowly climbed. Her wrist was on fire; supporting Ezekiel by a rapidly weakening metal chain was extremely difficult.

With one last groan of effort, Jo scrabbled to the top. She gasped and panted, a thickening layer of sweat trickling down her face.

"Underestimated…own…hubris!" she gasped, before grasping Ezekiel's neck with her feet and dragging him up, too.

She groaned as she got to her knees, wincing as she put pressure on her sliver-coated fingertips.

Yeah, if we get second place, this is a miracle…


Duncan led the pair, darting and ducking past the onslaught of leeches. Heather, however, was getting the full brunt of most of it.

"Okay-ow!-you're really getting-ow!-on my last nerve—ughhhhh!"

The third leech to hit her missed her face, only to land in her hair, coating it with a veneer of unidentifiable gunk.

"Can we go back, please? My girlfriend's in trouble!"

"Yeah, tough beans! Your girlfriend…and you…got rid of mine!" Duncan ran past Chef, who saluted them before readying his gun again.

Come out, come out, li'l pixie…


Dawn was still trying to revive Cameron, to little avail. Several leeches were wriggling madly on the ground in front of the rock they still hid behind.

"Time is running out, Dawn! Duncan and Heather are headed straight for that zipliiiiine! And Jo's heading through the leeches, aaaaand…"

Jo ran past, using Ezekiel as a meat shield for the leeches firing in her direction.

"Ah, love! It leads to many a wonderful elimination!" Chris said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.

Dawn's green eye flashes ceased. I can't get eliminated now! Not while he's like this!


Dawn: If Cameron's mother sees her son acting as strange as he is now, a restraining order is the least of my worries!


With a concerted effort, Dawn started off again.

I must do this! For Cameron!

Meanwhile, Duncan, who was still half-pulling, half-dragging Heather along, arrived at the edge of a large cliff. A long zipline spanned a watery gorge, with the finish line waiting on the other side.

Chris had gotten out of the announcer's booth and was also waiting. "Hello, firsties! You're going to have to wait for Team Cheater to arrive…because we'll be doing a little redistributing!"

Duncan's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, McLean? I have a geek that needs squashing!"

"You gotta learn a little patience, mister! Ah, Jo and the stowaway! Hop on up and get crossin'!"

Jo had arrived, looking a little winded. "Alright, ziplining! Wait, did you say 'hop on up?'"

"Yup! No gear for you! That's for these two over here…(he pointed a thumb at Heather and Duncan) because someone…(he pointed at Dawn, who was panting and gasping) decided to cheat!"

"Ha!" Jo said, before spitting on her hands, rubbing them together, and grabbing hold. "See you at the finish line, babe!"

"Later, babe!" Heather said, smirking cruelly at Duncan.

"Don't remind me…" he grumbled under his breath.


Duncan: So, Heather and Jo's plan is to get under my skin and boot me at the final four. Ugh, whatever. Next challenge's elimination's going to change depending on who's immune anyways…and…*he stops talking and puts his chin in his hands, deep in thought.* I might have a person who deserves it more than me…


Jo was sweating again; the zipline rocked precariously as she advanced.

Unfortunately for her, her journey was about to be cut short…

A large, energy-infused hand caught her in the small of the back, sending her skyward. A second large hand slammed her down onto the pair of zipline ropes, causing it to bounce dangerously and for her to squeeze her eyes shut.

"I know it's you, Norbert-Sam-Game Guy! No need to hide yourself!"

Sam had no need to hide. His size was so gargantuan that he threatened to crumble the nearby cliffs if he got too close. He didn't speak, for he had no need to.

He, instead, pointed a finger at Jo and shot out a small spurt of energy.

The spurt, however, was the size of a rather large arrow.

Jo was knocked off the ropes, but not before she clung on to one of them with her hand. The hand, however, was growing red and raw.

Norbert-Sam shot out another small spurt of energy.


"Ah, here they are now!" Chris said, as Dawn and Cameron arrived at the ziplining site.

"Now then, Dawn! Could you give Heather and Duncan that knapsack, please?"

Dawn, who was too weary to speak, obliged. The pack slammed hard to the ground with a thud.

"Heather. Duncan. This pack is now yours! As for Dawn and Cam, you guys gotta cross manually…like Jo is—oh, there she goes!"

Chris was right; Jo landed in the water with a loud ker-splash!

Duncan rapidly opened the knapsack and pulled out two sets of ziplining gear, which included a harness, helmet, and buckle to attach to the rope.

"Get this on, and get moving," he said, glaring at Heather. He rapidly donned his gear, buckled himself to the rope, and glared at his partner.

Dawn, however, was still gasping and panting. "Uh, can…I…cross…please?"

Chris shrugged. "I mean…if you want to?"

Dawn grunted and got on the zipline ropes.

"Oh, and Dawn? If you use any kind of freaky aura powers, it's a 10-minute penalty at the end! Deal?"

"D-Deal…Chris…" she gasped, as she slowly moved across with her hands.


Dawn: It was either manual labor, which Mother Nature appreciates…or use my auras in order to save the one my heart yearns for most…*she looks down and sighs.*


Heather had finally put on her gear. "Let's do this!"

Duncan wasted no time. He fastened the pair of them to the same line. "Dawn, you're gonna need to hang on to that other rope!" he called out.

Dawn did so, albeit with massive difficulty; it was tough enough supporting herself, but with the extra weight, it made the task nearly impossible.

"Ready…go!" Duncan shouted, and he and Heather were off like a speeding bullet.

Norbert-Sam noticed them. He shot a spurt of energy that grazed Heather's back in its upward trajectory towards the sky.

The rope, however, was cleaved neatly in two.

Heather and Duncan screamed as their journey was prematurely halted. Down they went, going…going…

"Heather, hang on to something!" Duncan growled as he clamped onto the opposite cliff wall, having used the rope as a makeshift, Tarzan-esque vine.

Heather grunted as she slammed into the cliff-wall, too. "Really, Duncan? Just…just hurry up!"

Duncan was off. Clambering and crawling up the rocky bluffs, he snarled as the top drew nearer and nearer.

If Harold's over there, he's as good as dead.

Dawn gasped as she, too, started falling towards the water below. Norbert-Sam wasn't helping; he kept firing off shots at random now.

Dawn stared at the finish line, which was growing higher and higher. Her eyes narrowed.

If there was a time to act, it would be…now!

With a powerful whoosh, wings and tendrils sprouted, She growled slightly.

Cameron, cheating might not be in your code of honor…but I will not let you get eliminated in such a disgraceful fashion!

A slight blue-green outline appeared around Cameron's body. What little aura was in him slowly seeped out to join the ever-growing wings and tendrils.

With a snort and a grunt, Cameron snapped back into focus.

"Wait, I, wh—huh?!"

Cameron, out of instinct, clamped hard onto Dawn's shoulders. The latter barely noticed that the former's nails were digging through her sweater.

Let's go!

"Dawn, I—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…"

Cameron's screaming faded into the wind as Dawn, like an arrow, shot straight towards the finish line.

Chris whistled in amazement as she hurtled through the banner, before touching down. In her case, it was more like slamming hard into the ground, belly-first. Even her slowing down wasn't graceful; she was sliding through the dirt for several seconds before grinding to a halt.

For a moment, all was quiet. But, then—

"CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!"


Cameron: *he's inhaling and exhaling into a paper bag, rapidly* So, Dawn kisses me, several weird memories of hers travel through my mind…and then I come to, and I'm hurtling towards a finish line at breakneck speeds?! What is this?!


"Dawn! You technically crossed first, but since you used your aura powers, you get a 10-minute penalty! Time starts…now!"

Chris watched his stopwatch eagerly. Cameron groaned as he got to his feet.

"Dawn? After elimination tonight, we need to have a long talk."

Dawn, who wearily stood up, gently nodded her head. She couldn't speak; she was so exhausted.

With several loud grunts and angry mutterings, Duncan clambered over the lip of the cliff. He and Heather bolted through the finish line and crossed, with the former staring around furiously and the latter pumping her fist triumphantly.

"Heather! Duncan!" Chris said, looking quite amused. "You two are the big immunity winners tonight! The spa hotel is yours!"

"Can I bring Jo, too?" Heather asked, bouncing on the balls of her bare feet.

"Nope! That's reserved for only you guys! Hahahahaha!" Chris laughed briefly, then grinned devilishly at her.

The smile was wiped nearly immediately off Heather's face.

"Wh…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


Heather: For real?! Chris says I have to share the hotel with Duncan? Disgusting! He smells like…street!


"Whelp, looks like Zeke and Jo have 9 minutes to clamber up here and join Heather and Duncan!" Chris said, looking down into the water.

"Unless they're drowning! Which…well, I'll notify someone's next of kin!"

Jo, indeed, was having severe difficulty getting to the water's surface. The extra weight wasn't helping matters.

Yeah…definitely got myself eliminated through my own hubris…

With a great effort, Jo slowly swam to the surface. The spurts of energy coming from Norbert-Sam splashed around her as she breached the water.

"Okay…gaaaaaaasp…okay, yeah that's…that's way better!" she said, before helping Ezekiel up and allowing him to breathe.

"Ya know, I think you'd have some people at home who'd be a little touchy if I let you die, string bean."

"…7 more minutes! Tick tock!" Chris's voice echoed over the water, amplified by his megaphone.

"Wait, what? Where's everyone else?" Jo asked, pushing in Ezekiel's stomach to help him expel some water.

"Up here! Buuuuuuut, Dawn did a little freaky magic, so she's got a 10-minute penalty! You have 6 minutes and 30 seconds to make it up here and earn a spot in the final four!"

Ezekiel burst out some water and coughed himself back to consciousness. "Whoa, eh? What happened?"

"Long story, kid! But for now, we gotta get swimming!" Jo said, aiding him in a breaststroke.


Jo: I might be a lot of things, but I am not a quitter!


"Five minutes left!" Chris said, as the two reached the cliff.

Norbert-Sam stared at the pair of them, then ambled off, presumably to transform back.

"Yeah, that was in his contract! No damage to the island's natural structures while he's in that form! Most of you remember that crazy sword blast from the finale, right?"

Cameron nodded, gulping.


Cameron: That finale ranks second in "most stressful experiences of my life." First was convincing my mom to have my Frankie brand French fries without extra salt. *he sighs* Mom was stringent about my sodium intake.


"Four minutes, thirty seconds!" Chris said, as Jo and Ezekiel slowly started to climb.

Jo was gasping for breath, as was Ezekiel. "Yeah, treating you like expendable cargo? Not the brightest idea!" Jo said, as she winced upon applying pressure to her splintered fingertips.

"Weird, eh? We co'oulda made a nice team, ya'know?" Ezekiel replied, coughing slightly. "Turns oot I got stung by bees again, eh?"

Jo smirked. "Yeah, but hey, you looked quite a bit better on national T.V.! Wonder what Gwen'll think…"

"Good question, eh? Where do the eliminated contestants go?"

"Beats me! Haven't heard back from any of 'em! Even Sierra!"

"Three minutes!"

Jo jumped slightly, then looked at Ezekiel.

"Finish together?"

Ezekiel thought about it for a minute.

"But…Duncan and Heather won, eh? Tha…"

His voice trailed off. Jo glared at him.

"I'm not standing around just to be talked into oblivion! I'm coming, babe!"

At the last word, something seemed to snap in Ezekiel.

"Babe? Babe?! After yo'ou insulted my ex fo'or nearly the whole challenge?! Not a chance, eh!"

With a satisfied smirk, he let go of the cliff face.

Jo wailed as she quickly lost her grip; her fingertips were too battered to support the weight on their own any longer.

"Nononono…nonononono…NONONONONONO—"

With a loud splash, the pair hit the water again, hard. Chris whistled.

"Whelp, at two minutes, it's pretty much impossible for them to make it up here! So, Dawn, Cameron, welcome to the final four!"

Dawn, although weakly, cheered. Cameron just stared in confusion.

"…this has been a perplexing day."


Cameron: Honestly, I'm glad we won! Although, with Dawn doing what she did…the old me would've suffered a heart attack! New me…well, you saw.

Dawn: Cameron and I need to have a deep discussion about everything that's transpired today, there's no question about that. I only hope that…*she exhales slowly*…I hope that he doesn't think less of me for this…


Ezekiel and Jo stood next to the Flush of Shame. Harold and Sam were holding two marshmallows each.

Duncan was glaring at Harold like he had at Mal several days prior. "You're dead, Doris!"

"My death would bring great dishonor upon the McGrady family line, and it would all but confirm that the line ends with—"

"Enough!" Chris shouted, shocking the two into a heated silence. "So, since the toilet can't accommodate two at once…pick a side!"

He pulled out a regular-looking coin and readied it in his fingers.

Jo sighed. "I'll take…you know what, I'll take tails!"

"Sure thing!" Chris said, flipping the coin. Whirling, twirling, soaring in the air…it landed on tails.

"Whelp, looks like Zeke's getting 6th place!" Chris said, grinning. "You know what to do, eh? Get in! Jo, looks like you're 5th!"

"It's been fun, eh? Hey, Duncan? Cameron? …Dawn? Win for Gwen, eh?"

Dawn cocked an eyebrow at him. "But, our troubled interactions led to a distressing break-up in your case!"

"That was Mal, eh? I'm sure Gwen's seen the footage and, well…we'll talk it oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooottttt…"

Chris sighed happily as he lowered the flushing device. "I'll give it a few seconds…and, time! Jo, you're up next!"

Jo sighed as she stepped into the porcelain bowl. "Well…it's been quite a ride!"

"In more ways than one," Heather replied, winking and smirking at her.

"And you've got one more to go!" Chris chuckled, before pressing the flush button once more.

"Ha! Goood oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnee…" Jo's voice soon vanished, and silence fell once more.

"Ah, this show just became 33% less aggravating! Now, Harold, Sam, I leave it to you to do the honors!"

Harold tossed his two marshmallows to Cameron and Dawn, while Sam tossed his own to Duncan and Heather.

"Eat 'em in good health!" Sam said, chuckling. Harold, however, was still silently sulking.

"And on another note," Chris continued, "who's ready for a volunteer night on Boney Island!"

No one replied. That is, until…

"Me."

"Dang, Duncan's giving up his luxurious spa night for a traipse around the island with several hungry wild animals! Rough!"

"Well, as long as it gets me away from her (he motioned to Heather). Also…I need some time alone."

"Well, I'm sure Chef'll see to that!" Chris said, as Duncan stepped into the Boney Island boat.

As it sped off, and as the other 3 competitors went back to the cabins, Chris turned to the cameras.

"On that note of double trouble, we're down to the final four! Which one of these will become the fantastic three? Will Cameron and Dawn ever kiss and make up…or actually kiss? Find out the answers to these questions, and many more you never asked! Next time on Total…Drama…Heroes vs. Villains!"


(AN: That's it. We're done with this chapter. 3 more to go, and the season is finished.

Firstly, I am incredibly sorry for making so many of you wait. I hope the chapter was of sufficient quality to make up for the lapse in content. I will attempt to follow suit with the others.

Secondly, we're finally at the final four! Was this what you had expected? Some of you expressed that any one of the remaining six could have won the season, so now the pool's been cut by a third. This will be interesting.

Lastly…I'm almost done with graduate school. That, understandably, takes priority. Add in the fact that I'll be searching for full-time work afterwards, and I can't promise the other chapters will come out more quickly than this. Thank you for understanding.)

Remaining contestants: Cameron, Dawn, Duncan, Heather

14th: Anne Maria

13th: Cody (quit)

12th: Brick

11th: Eva

10th: Justin

-merge-

9th: Gwen

8th: Mike/Mal (quit)

7th: Zoey (injury)

6th: Ezekiel (double elimination)

5th: Jo (double elimination)

Next up: More Than One Way to Get a Head

(That's right. The sundaes are not happening.)