Author's Note: Leg nine…five teams left. Who will come in last? Will it be Jolene and Mush, who might not have had enough time together to know what they can do? Might it be Don and Fransesca, who have an extremely distinguishable separation of strengths? Is it Merluvlee and Merlee, who are the only all-female team remaining in the race? Could it be Koopley and Koops, the latter having a variety of fears? Or could it be Rawk Hawk and Yoshi, who have argued the most throughout their time here? Find out...
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Loading the Memory Card… The save file in Slot A has been loaded!
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"Previously…on the Amazing Race…
Six teams of two departed from the sunny area of Isle Delfino and raced over 23,000 miles to Pipe Land. Doing some late-night studying back at Delfino Plaza gave siblings Jolene and Mush the upper hand."
"The Delfino Information Center is open to the public 24-7. We can do some studying on Pipe Land and be prepared."
"After seeing the museum with 'Naturality' inside, teams headed out to Channel Greens. Several teams chose hard toil, while others ventured into an underground maze."
"I'm so glad I'm not claustrophobic…" Mush chuckled, but quickly stopped, hearing his own laugh echo off of the green walls.
"…Yes, Rawk Hawk. Yes, something underground isn't usually lit up very well…"
"Wow." Merluvlee gazed upon the interior walls that enclosed the couple.
"It'll be easy, Frannie! Just youse wait." Don energetically grabbed a rake, and tossed the corresponding one to his daughter, who dropped it instead of catching it.
"We're going to have to do Cultivate, alright Koops?"
"Getting revenge from leg three, Rawk Hawk hastily Yielded sailors Flavio and Bobbery."
"I choose to Yield Flavio and Bobbery…for total revenge!" Rawk Hawk had a nasty grin on his face as he stapled the two photos onto the board. "WOO-HOO-HOOO! Man, this is rich! YEAH!"
"But the duo fell behind, getting lost in the maze after Rawk Hawk broke the locater."
"Fine. Where's the exit to this dump?" Rawk Hawk seemed more at ease since the clue was in Yoshi's possession.
"…I dunno, dude. You broke the locator."
"After a Roadblock against time, teams raced back to the pit stop. Jolene and Mush garnered another strong finish."
"Jolene and Mush." Blaise paused. "You're team number one."
"Yes!" The siblings hugged, having a more mild celebration than the previous leg.
"In the end, it all came down to a car race to the pit stop by the Yielders and Yielded. The elimination plunged itself onto the sailors, arriving just a minute too late."
"I'm…sorry to tell you that you have both been eliminated from the race." Blaise apologized.
"It was a good run." Bobbery smiled.
"For you…I can only remember leg one…part of it…" Flavio held his head dizzily.
Jolene and Mush Repeat; Flavio and Bobbery Come Up Short
"Five teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?"
…
"This is Pipe Land. Famous for containing over 90 square miles of pipes, many unknown secrets lie within its boundaries. On the eastern side of this natural maze is Cylinder City. This building, the Pipe Hall of Fame, holds over 5,030 world records made by citizens. The hall containing the smallest naturally made Warp Pipe in the world, became the eighth pit stop in a race around the world.
Teams checked in here to take part in a mandatory twelve-hour rest period, where they can eat, sleep, and mingle with the other teams. With two consecutive wins under their belt, can Jolene and Mush remain in the lead? Will the effects of toil push Fransesca to the breaking point? And can fighters Rawk Hawk and Yoshi pull out of last place?
Jolene and Mush, who arrived at 11:34 A.M., will depart twelve hours later, at 11:34 P.M."
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Jolene & Mush: Siblings- 1st to Depart (Pipe Hall of Fame- 11:34 P.M.)
(Camera pans around a darkened Pipe Land. It then moves into the Pipe Hall of Fame, still well lit.)
Mush tore off the strip, and took the clue out. "Route Info. Fly to Technotropolis…once there, you must locate the Glac Lake. Your next clue waits in front of the western banks."
"Teams must now fly 10,620 miles to Technotropolis, technology center of the world. From there, they must find transport 9 miles to Glac Lake. This area of crystal-blue waters is unique, because although its surrounding city is pure metropolitan, the lake remains as one of the few in a warm climate with traces of glacier. Teams will find their next clue in front of this natural wonder."
"You have 109 coins for this leg of the race." Mush concluded. "Let's go, Jolene!"
"Of course, Mush." Jolene walked briskly to catch up with Mush, yet trailed by a bit.
"No one wants to admit that they're happy about making it so far. Eight of us think that we didn't exactly deserve to make it so far. We've seen so many good teams be eliminated, and it's just too bad, because a lot of the time, it's all been luck. But, I guess…it has been more than luck for the rest of us to manage it all. Especially with us; we've covered so much ground, I can't help but feel proud." Jolene smiled.
"We have to go back to Pipe Port, right?" Mush asked.
"Mm hm." Jolene nodded.
"Okay…" Mush started the car.
Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- 2nd to Depart (Pipe Hall of Fame- 11:41 P.M.)
"We're going to Technotropolis! Oh my gosh!" Merlee and Merluvlee jumped up and down with joy.
"Oh, I've heard so much great stuff about that place!" Merluvlee's eyes seemed to twinkle, as did Merlee's.
"We've had such a good time, we just don't want to stop! We've traveled…about over 30,000 miles…probably. But, I know that wanting to travel more makes us play hard. That's the advantage of being a non-seasoned traveler…it's so weird, it's funny!" Merlee exclaimed, giggling.
"Pipe Port…I think I remember the way back." Merlee mused.
"Either way, I've got the map still…we'll be good." Merlvulee reasoned, stepping into the back seat.
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Jolene & Mush (Pipe Port)
(Camera moves down from a screen of flights onto a counter.)
"Oh, wow!" Mush gawked. Despite the fact that time was nearing midnight, many people were still busy in the airport. Crowds were thin, but still provided a possible obstacle.
"We should probably try using their Research Center to book a flight." Jolene remembered. "It's probably our best bet."
"Good idea, Jolene…" Mush nodded.
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Don & Fransesca: Father/Daughter- 3rd to Depart (Pipe Hall of Fame- 11:47 P.M.)
"109 coins. We're running low…gosh." Fransesca remarked, causing Don to shake his head.
"Frannie, youse been spending quite the bit of our money." Don sighed. "Heh, it's okay…"
"We've been doin good since the beginnin' of de race. A lot of de other teams are surprised we're still here…along with us. It's amazing dat we were actually able to do so well…but we'll keep on truckin' until we hit dat obstacle dat stops us!" Don said, determined.
"Pipe Port, quickly!" Fransesca told Don like he was a taxi driver.
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- 4th to Depart (Pipe Hall of Fame- 11:48 P.M.)
"Glac Lake. The next clue is in front of the western banks, and we have 109 coins for this leg." Koops summarized.
"Great! I hope we can find a good flight out of Pipe Port." Koopley energetically strode after an equally excited Koops out of the building.
"Dad and I are just…just…elated to make it this far! I had no idea what the world looks like…it's awesome! I never knew that I could accomplish so much with his help…think of how much I could do on my own. This race has been the turn of a lifetime…I'm so happy to have just made it this far." Koops expressed his happiness.
"You seem excited, Koops…any reason?" Koopley asked as he took a turn on the street.
"Of course! I've heard about Technotropolis through networking and magazines!" Koops was practically bouncing off the backseat.
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, tiger!" Koopley chuckled as Koops let out a yelp of excitement.
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Jolene & Mush (Pipe Port)
"The best flight…got it." Jolene quickly scribbled something unseen by the camera onto a small notepad with a pencil. "Let's go, Mush."
"Where to?"
"The Science Air counter. They clearly have the best flight." Jolene showed her brother the notepad. Mush smiled at his sister's thoughtfulness and nodded.
Merluvlee & Merlee (Pipe Port)
On the other side of the airport, twins Merluvlee and Merlee entered.
"I wonder where the best flight to get to Technotropolis would be?" Merlee said aloud to no one.
"Maybe if we look at the map…" Merluvlee bent down to look at a scale map of Pipe Port, covered by glass. It was very big, and had descriptions on the sides.
"I see a counter that looks reasonable. Techno Air should work, right?" Merlee asked.
"Probably." Merluvlee replied.
Jolene & Mush (Pipe Port)
"Hi, we reserved the flight for Technotropolis by computer…is it in the bookings?" Jolene asked politely.
"Name?" The ticket agent waited patiently.
"Prince Mush and Jolene." Jolene replied.
"Okay…Miss Jolene, I've got it all for you. Let me just print it…" The ticket agent glanced at the printer, and tapped her fingers. "Ah. Here you go…"
"Thank you so much!" Mush winked.
"This should pay off well." Jolene remarked.
Merluvlee & Merlee (Pipe Port)
"Hello…" Merluvlee approached the Toad behind the counter. "We need to reserve spots on the Technotropolis flight you guys have."
"Hm? Oh, okay…I'll get it in…" The Toad typed in some data into the computer. "Okay…this'll be done in a sec."
"Great!" Merlee gave Merluvlee a high-five.
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Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- Last to Depart (Pipe Hall of Fame- 11:56 P.M.)
"Dangit! It's some sciency place!" Rawk Hawk acted like he had just been shot, and fell to the floor, shaking. "It's…like a venom…"
"…" Yoshi just walked past Rawk Hawk, ignoring his strange performance. "Come on, Hawk."
"It's been a really rough ride. We've come close to being eliminated so many times. This leg, we need to concentrate really hard, because every second counts. The competition is close…and we're determined to stick in until our time comes." Yoshi sighed, but still seemed confident.
"Pipe Port…we need to find it." Yoshi stepped into the driver's seat.
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Don & Fransesca/ Koopley & Koops (Pipe Port)
"If we could get on, dat'd be very good." Don smiled.
"Of course, cutie…" The Pianta ticket agent of the Science Air counter fluttered her eyes.
"Ugh!" Fransesca seemed extremely irritated. "Daddy, just get the tickets so we can go!"
"Yeah, just a min…" Don sighed, just as the ticket agent did. Their world was silent for several seconds. But then…
The tickets printed.
"Here you go…cutie." The ticket agent repeated, giggling as Fransesca huffed and swiped the tickets from her hands. The father-daughter team walked away, with Don seeming a bit infatuated.
"Hi. We need the same tickets to Technotropolis they got, if that's alright with you." Koopley told the ticket agent.
"Sure…I'll have them prepped in just a sec!"
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Pipe Port)
"Flight to Technotropolis?" Yoshi aimed his question at the Toad behind Techno Air.
"Yeah. I've got that." He typed into the computer.
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(Flight Departing at 3:00 A.M. for Pillow Gardens)
(Flight Departing at 5:00 A.M. for Technotropolis)
"The five teams are split among two flights to Technotropolis. Merluvlee and Merlee, and Rawk Hawk and Yoshi are on the 3:00 A.M. flight that is scheduled to make a brief stop at Pillow Gardens before continuing on to Technotropolis. On the 5:00 A.M. flight are Jolene and Mush, Don and Fransesca, and Koopley and Koops."
(Flight Arriving at 10:00 A.M. in Pillow Gardens)
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi/ Merluvlee & Merlee
"Delayed!" Merluvlee sighed, looking up at the screen.
"There goes the lead we had over the others…surprising." Yoshi shook his head.
"This is truly terrible…" Merlee muttered.
"Hey, uh…I've got a strange urge to go to the lavatories…" Rawk Hawk hurriedly stood up and rushed to the back of the plane, knocking over several passengers on the way.
"…What a brute…" Merlee rolled her eyes.
"You get used to him…" Yoshi mumbled sarcastically. "Actually, never mind…"
Rawk Hawk was currently flirting with a female Tweeter, who grumbled something, and jumped on his head several times. Everyone in the back of the plane laughed.
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(Flight Arriving at 5:30 P.M. in Technotropolis)
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- Currently in 1st (Technin International)
(Camera spans around Technotropolis' many landmarks before coming to rest on Technin International)
"You know how to get to Glac Lake? If you could get us there as fast as the taxi is allowed to go, that'd be great." Koopley told the taxi driver.
"Sure…just get in."
"Awesome! Thanks, mister!" Koops exclaimed.
Don & Fransesca: Father/Daughter- Currently in 2nd (Technin International)
"There it is, Daddy!" Fransesca was followed by her father through several busy sections before reaching the taxi area.
"Do youse know how to get to de Glac Lake? We gotta go dere now." Don requested.
"Sure…it'll just cost ya a bit o' cash." The taxi driver replied.
"Dat, we got."
Jolene & Mush: Siblings- Currently in 3rd (Technin International)
"Taxis! I see 'em!" Mush took off towards the doors. Jolene rushed after him, trying to avoid the buzz of the airport. The duo eventually reached the taxi terminal.
"Hello…we'd like to go to Glac Lake. Could you take us there promptly?" Jolene asked a driver.
"Of course, sir and madam."
(Flight Arriving at 5:40 P.M. in Technotropolis)
Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- Currently in 4th (Technin International)
"Glac Lake, please go very fast." Merlee told the driver, stepping into the taxi.
"Go!" Merluvlee looked behind to see the Glitzville guys jumping into their own cab.
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- Currently in Last (Technin International)
"How'd they…" Rawk Hawk slammed a fist down on the seat in front of him. "You BETTER catch up to them!"
"Rawk, calm down!" Yoshi flailed his hands to stop Rawk Hawk's rage from igniting into a large flame.
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Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- Currently in 1st (Glac Lake)
(Camera shows a large lake in a dramatic backdrop of trees, with several glaciers almost in the middle. It then cuts to a small clearing on the far side of the lake, where a clue box is shown.)
"Stop here…I can see the race flags." Koopley ordered. The taxi halted, allowing the team to get out and retrieve their luggage from the trunk. Rushing over to the lake, Koops pulled a clue out of the clue box.
"…Roadblock, Dad!" Koops continued. "Which one of you wants to conquer ice?"
"A Roadblock is a task that only one person may perform. In this Roadblock, that person will have to paddle a chunk of the glacier towards the other shoreline, where the clue awaits in a small rocky cove. From there, they will then be required to paddle back through the lake to their waiting partner. It won't be too difficult of a task, because of calm waters, but spanning the large lake could take a while."
"I guess I want to do it." Koops decided.
"You sure, sport?"
"Yeah." Koops walked over to one of the pieces of ice to find a paddle on it. "I guess this'll be easier than just using my bare hands…" Koops chuckled, and started paddling.
Don & Fransesca: Father/Daughter- Currently in 2nd (Glac Lake)
"It's dis leg's Roadblock." Don muttered. "Which one of youse wants to conquer ice?"
"Daddy, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, that looks really wet, but...oh, that doesn't mean that I want to do it, though." Fransesca grinned sheepishly.
"Eh, don't worry about dat, Frannie…I'll just do dis Roadblock and get us out of heres!" Don jumped onto the ice chunk, creating a small splash. He then started paddling the ice.
Jolene & Mush: Siblings- Currently in 3rd (Glac Lake)
"Which one of you wants to conquer ice?" Jolene paused. "Mush, do you want to do this one, or do you want me to?"
"I'll go ahead and do it." Mush decided. He energetically hopped onto the ice.
Still ahead, Koops seemed to be showing a bit of trouble in paddling. Quickly catching up to him was Don, who was steadily plowing through the water. Not too far behind in the race across the lake, Mush had a powerful start, swiftly running through the water like fingers through hair.
"Come on, Koops! Don't mind them; just keep on going!" Koopley yelled, noticing Koops look behind him at Don.
Koops gritted his teeth at this, and immediately focused his sights ahead on the clue box; he was over halfway done with the paddle across.
"Go, Daddy, go!" Fransesca shouted like a cheerleader, but hopped up and down.
"Keep on, Mush! You're doing great!" Jolene yelled.
Seconds passed as Don and Mush picked up speed. Koops started to slow down as his glacier reached the shallow waters of the banks. He nimbly leapt off the chunk, allowing it to sit upon the edge of the waters as he grabbed a clue. He then jumped back on and continued the trek, this time heading back towards his partner and the other two.
"Dat won't stop me…" Don rushed onto the grass as soon as he hit the edge, and pulled a clue out. Mimicking Koops, he got back on and started paddling, seeing a chance to pass the Koopa.
"Whoa!" Mush withdrew a small bit as water splashed close to him as Koops furiously scrambled to cover the large amount of space he had left. Mush took this as his cue to hurry up; he immediately started paddling even faster than what he had been doing before.
"Go, Daddy! Yay!" Fransesca waved energetically from the land.
"He's almost there…" Jolene murmured, watching as Mush closed in on the clearing. Mush hopped off of his chunk of the glacier. "Yes!"
"Here we go…all downhill from here!" Mush kneeled down on the glacier, the clue under his knees in a protective plastic bag to avoid the moisture.
"Not…much…farther…" Koops muttered, evidently losing speed as Don gained. As Koops passed the halfway point, Don's chunk caught up.
"Don't be discouraged, Koops! Just come on back!" Koopley encouraged.
"YEAH! GO DADDY!" Fransesca was jumping up and down like she had springs on her feet now.
As Don came back, Mush's onslaught of quick and effective paddling brought him up behind Koops.
Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- Currently in 4th (Glac Lake)
As their taxi pulled up, Merluvlee and Merlee were already out before the cab even started to stop. They quickly grabbed their bags and rushed over to the clue box.
"Roadblock. Which one of you wants to conquer ice?" Merlee read. The twins briefly glanced at the three racers on the lake before turning back to the clue.
"I think it's you."
"What? I was thinking you would do it."
"Fine, I'll do it."
"No, that's okay, I'll do it!"
Embarrassed, the twins stared at each other before playing a short game of rock, paper, scissors. Merlee lost, and dashed between Jolene and Koopley to a chunk of ice, and started paddling.
"Pick a steady pace, Merlee!" Merluvlee advised.
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- Currently in Last (Glac Lake)
"Roadblock. Which one of you… …Rawk Hawk." Yoshi finished bluntly.
"What!" Rawk Hawk made a swipe for the card, but tripped as Yoshi moved it out of the way. He ended up rolling onto the chilly chunk with the paddle on it.
"Heheh…" Yoshi grinned.
"You'll pay for this, twirp! But right now…IT'S RAAAAAAWK TIME!"
Rawk Hawk put his physique to work with strong, sweeping strokes that evidently showed he'd been on waters before. Ahead of him, Merlee's paddling kept taking her to the side with her unbalanced movements. Within seconds, Don passed Merlee, heading in the opposite direction.
"Woo! That's it, Daddy! Go, go, go!" Fransesca screamed. She had picked up the backpacks and was waving them like beacons.
"Almost dere, sweetheart! I'll be dere in just a sec!" Don yelled.
Trailing slightly behind, Mush had already overtaken Koops, who looked extremely tired.
"Great job, Mush! Just a bit further; you can do it!" Jolene exclaimed confidently.
"Don't give up, Koops!" Koopley yelled, noticing his son's exhaustion.
"You're doing good, Merlee! You're the only girl doing this, and you're doing awesome!" Merluvlee shouted.
"Don't feel too chilled, Rawk Hawk! You've still gotta row back here!" Yoshi hollered.
Don finally reached the shore.
"Got it, Frannie!" Don triumphantly held up the clue.
"Yay!" Fransesca picked up the packs. "Hey…when did those marked cars get here?"
"Dey've been dere, Frannie. You just didn't notice dem." Don responded. The father-daughter team ran back up the hill to the parking lot of Glac Lake before Don opened the clue. "Drive youseselves to de house of famous inventor Pairius Piranha to locate yous next clue."
"Teams must now drive themselves back into Technotropolis using marked cars, and locate this small cottage close to the outskirts, 4 miles from Glac Lake. This was the first house of the famous and still-living Pale Piranha inventor, Pairius Piranha. Inside of this wooden chalet waits Pairius himself, with the next clue."
"We gotta drive ourselves, Frannie! Let's go!" Don jumped into the driver's seat, while Fransesca got into the seat right behind him. Don backed the car up and drove out of the lot.
"Yes! Great job, Mush!" Jolene happily greeted her brother, who handed her the clue.
"Thanks. I think we need to go that way…didn't Don and Fransesca head there?"
"Yes…" As the duo ran up the hill, Jolene read the clue aloud. "Drive yourselves to the house of famous inventor Pairius Piranha to locate your next clue."
"Great! Come on, sis!"
While the siblings left, the race of Glac Lake continued. Koops drew nearer to the bank, and the remaining three partners. Meanwhile, on the far side…
"Oh no…" Merlee grimaced as she noted Rawk Hawk passing her. The bird didn't seem to give her any notice; he instead focused on reaching the cove, not too far away.
Eventually, Koops reached shore.
"Great job, sport…you did fine." Koopley patted Koops on the back.
"Thanks…dad…" Koops gasped for air, completely exhausted from the venture onto the waters. "Let's go…"
Koops pulled out the clue card as he jogged behind his dad, leaving Yoshi and Merluvlee sitting on the bank.
"Takes a lot of guts for a babe like your sister to be doing this, huh?" Yoshi voiced.
"Hm? …Oh, yeah. Well, we chose by playing rock, paper, scissors…we were both willing to do it." Merluvlee smiled.
The duo shared a good laugh as they watched their respective partners near the far bank.
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Don & Fransesca (Technotropolis Streets)
"Okay…we have the relative location of the house on the clue…" Fransesca noted, looking at a picture with a red square around a certain area of Technotropolis.
"Let me see dat, Frannie." Don requested. Fransesca obliged, handing him the clue. He glanced at it. "We're in dat area. We just need to ask someone…"
Jolene & Mush (Technotropolis Streets)
"It should be around here, somewhere…Mush, could you keep an eye on the street names? The street Pairius lives on is named in his honor, according to what that Toad said…"
"Will do, Jolene." Mush replied.
Koopley & Koops (Technotropolis Streets)
"We've been up and down this place a few times already, dad…don't you think we should go try a different street?" Koops asked worriedly.
"No…I have a hunch it's around here. Just trust me, Koops. It's around here somewhere." Koopley said, looking out the windows.
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Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- Currently in 4th (Glac Lake)
As Rawk Hawk leapt off the chunk of ice, he came over to Yoshi.
"Happy now, punk?" Rawk Hawk crossed his arms.
"…Yup." Yoshi jumped onto Rawk Hawk's back and ruffled his hair, causing Rawk Hawk to try punching around.
"Hey! Get off!"
Rawk Hawk ended up running up the hill and slamming into the door of the car, at which point Yoshi jumped off just in time to avoid making contact with the metal parts of reinforced Technotropolis steel.
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Jolene & Mush: Siblings- Currently in 1st (Pairius Place)
(Camera shows a quaint wooden structure that looks very old.)
"That's it! The only wooden house on this street!" Mush pointed.
"Great eyes, Mush! This should be it."
Jolene and Mush strode into the house, to find a race arrow pointing up the stairs. The two walked up…
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Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- Currently in Last (Glac Lake)
Merlee made the last few strokes to the shoreline, and disappointedly came up to her sister.
"Oh, Merluv… I'm so sorry I was so slow…now we're in last…and it's all my fault…" Merlee seemed to be fighting tears.
"Merlee, it's okay. If I didn't know better, there's going to be a Detour soon…and we'll catch up then. Come on, let's see that clue…"
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Don & Fransesca: Father/ Daughter- Currently in 2nd (Pairius Place)
"I'm pretty sure I saw… Aha! There's their marked car!" Fransesca pointed. Don parked close by, and the two got out.
Inside of the residence…
The siblings emerged from the stairs to find a potted Pale Piranha, as dressed up as a Piranha Plant could get.
"Velcome… I zuppoze vu are here for ze clue, yes? No? Yes?" Pairius asked.
"…Wow! How…authentic…" Jolene excitedly whispered to Mush. "Of course, sir!"
"Um…yeah! What she said!" Mush faked an excited face in an attempt to mirror his sister's joy.
"Vell then…vu are vizhed the vezt of luck…Vu are vorthy of azzepting thiz…" Pairius presented a clue envelope with his leaves.
Gratefully accepting the clue, Jolene quickly bowed and then headed back down the stairs, with Mush in tow. On the way down, the two passed Don and Fransesca.
"He's really cool, guys!" Jolene exclaimed to the duo, who nodded, apparently already knowing of the inventor. Mush still looked clueless.
Jolene and Mush exited the house, at which point Jolene opened the clue.
"Detour. Mad Escape or On the Cape. What is your idea of suspense?"
"A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. In this Detour, teams have a choice between Mad Escape or On the Cape. In Mad Escape, teams will have to travel 7 miles to this place: the Infiltration Training Center, a building where agents decades ago learned how to escape from a series of different traps. Teams will be required to figure out how to crack the code of a simple lock, using hints given to them in their specified room. Once the team breaks the training lock, they'll receive their next clue. The task requires logic and outside-the-box thinking, but if teams can figure out the basic structure of the lock they have, they can finish quickly. In On the Cape, teams will have to travel 4 miles to this place: the Tech Cape. This romantic cape overlooks the city as a serene place for couples. Strewn about the grass are 300 colored bottles. Teams will have to open bottles until they find two with a golden key inside to exchange for their clue at this lemonade stand. It's not a confusing task, but opening many bottles to locate keys could take a really long time."
"As much as opening a code sounds fun, I think it's better to travel a shorter distance." Jolene stated.
"…Yeah…" Mush concurred.
Back at the top floor of Pairius Place…
"Here is vour clue…good luck to vu." Pairius held out a clue envelope. Fransesca accepted it, and opened it in front of the professor.
"Ooh…Detour. Mad Escape or On the Cape." Fransesca showed the clue to her father.
"Dat looks weird…I guess we should do dat On the Cape option. You really think youse father can pick a lock?"
"…I dunno. All I know is that I need to learn how to pick a lock that Frankie has…maybe it has some secret love statement about ME!" Fransesca squealed loudly, giggling at the same time. Don and Pairius sweatdropped.
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- Currently in 3rd (Pairius Place)
"That's em, right there!" Rawk Hawk pointed. The fighters entered the building that Don and Fransesca left.
"Good luck, guys!" Fransesca called sweetly.
Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- Currently in 4th (Pairius Place)
"There it is! That's a marked car!" Merlee exclaimed.
"That means we caught up to somebody! Come on!" Merluvlee leaped out of the car, Merlee in tow. The sisters ran to the door.
Upstairs…
"Detour. Mad Escape or…BLEAH! Some fruity-sounding roma…nti…cly…sounding place!"
"You can't even say romantically right? Looks like someone skipped their schooling." Yoshi remarked, grinning.
"…Shut yer trap. I guess we've gotta do this fruity thingy… I don't even use a lock for meh locker…" Rawk Hawk explained, causing Yoshi to face fall.
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- Currently in Last (Pairius Place)
"It's right here…and those are probably the cars of the last teams out of Glac Lake…" Koopley rolled his eyes before parking in an empty space, one of the few on the street.
"Don't worry about it too much, dad. We can catch up." Koops reasoned.
The father-son team spun in their shells to the house, passing Rawk Hawk and Yoshi on the way.
"Hey! Watch it, you twits!" Rawk Hawk yelled, nearly tripping over Koops' spinning shell.
Up in the room…
"Yay! Thanks!"
"No problem…vu are velcome." Pairius replied in response.
"Okay…it's a Detour. Mad Escape or On the Cape." Merluvlee read.
"What do you think we should do, Merluv?" Merlee asked.
"Mad Escape. I think the power of the mystics can help us on this one!" Merluvlee responded, leaping over to the stairs.
It took a few seconds before Koopley and Koops emerged from the staircase after a near collision with the twins.
"Velcome…velcome! Veel at home…yes? Ze clue is yous…" Pairius greeted eagerly.
"…" The two looked at each other nervously, before Koopley spoke. "Yes, um…thank you. It's our pleasure."
Gratefully accepting the clue, Koops bowed before ripping it open.
"Detour. Mad Escape or On the Cape. Oh, geez…we better do Mad Escape; it's closer." Koops showed the clue to his father, who nodded in agreement.
-----
Jolene & Mush (Tech Cape)
(Camera scans a wide field where many colorful dots lay in the grass. It moves closer in towards a cluster to reveal that they are bottles.)
"Look at all these bottles…oh my gosh." Mush gaped.
"There are shapes in each of them…" Jolene observed. "There's Don and Fransesca now. We should hurry…it's probably an elimination leg."
"PRETTY!" Fransesca reached for the nearest bottle as soon as she got out of the car. She uncorked it… "AAAH!"
A small spider had leapt out of the bottle on a spring before going back in.
"Dat's what dey meant by suspense?" Don asked, picking up a bottle.
"…Oh, boy." Mush closed his eyes before uncorking a bottle. A cloud of smoke flew out. "…Lame."
"This is going to take a long while…" Jolene sighed.
-----
Merluvlee & Merlee (Infiltration Training Center)
(Camera shows the building from the air before moving in closer to show a trail of race flags leading up to a large room.)
Parking the car, Merlee raced out of the car to catch up with Merluvlee as she jogged in the doors.
"Okay…according to this, we've gotta follow a marked trail to find this lock." Merlee told Merluvlee.
"Yeah, I… …Don't look now, but there's another team behind us."
Merlee turned to find Koopley parking close to the twins' marked car.
"Come on; we've gotta find it before they do!" The sisters' jog turned into a dash as they burst into the training center, frantically following the race flags to locate what they needed. Turning corner after corner…
"This is it?" Merluvlee asked, confused. The two had emerged in a large room with several more doors, and several Snifits in lab coats.
"Hi…you're here for the race?" A Laser Snifit asked.
"…Yeah, that's us!" Merlee responded quickly after a moment of silence besides the pounding of feet in the distance.
"Okay…if you will follow me…" The Laser Snifit requested. The twins followed the Snifit into one of the several rooms, as the door partially closed behind them. "What you need to do, as you already know, is crack the code. We'll lock the door, but don't worry, if you would like to switch tasks at any time, you have access to us. Now, on this computer lies a code that you'll need to figure out in order to receive the clue. You'll get a series of hints, but no answers to match them to. Once you've broken the code, the door will open automatically, and you will have accomplished the task. …One more thing. …It tends to get a little distracting in the room, so stay focused."
When the Laser Snifit had finished instructing, he found both sisters asleep.
"HEY! Wake up!"
No response.
"…Fine." The Laser Snifit walked out of the room. The door shut completely, startling the twins into waking up.
"Wha…uh-oh…" Merlee held her head dizzily as the screen in the front of the room burst into life. A large screen taking up the rest of the room flickered on as an abstract background appeared and moderately loud music started playing in the back.
"…Oh, great…" Merluvlee sighed.
In the other room…
"It looks like a giant crossword puzzle…except…it's not." Koops murmured.
"A number crossword, Koops. These are popular around these parts…being Technotropolis, and all." Koopley mentioned, typing in a set of numbers into a row.
-----
Jolene & Mush/ Don & Fransesca/ Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Tech Cape)
"Found one!" Jolene pulled a glimmering golden key out of a green bottle. Mush sighed in relief, Fransesca moaned, Rawk Hawk looked infuriated, Yoshi looked discouraged, and Don didn't seem to care.
"Only one more." Mush closed a bottle that had a blue substance in it.
"This is SUCH a waste of time…and it is SO stupid…" Fransesca whined.
"Yeah! Why not some cool action Detour!" Rawk Hawk complained.
-----
Koopley & Koops/ Merluvlee & Merlee (Infiltration Training Center)
"I think that the date was in 302…it fits, at least…" Koopley typed in another set of numbers.
"…" Koops yawned. "I don't like Technotropolis…this is really boring. Oh, and that one on the side should be pi. You know, 3.14…those other numbers…"
In the other room…
"What kind of words fit with…I don't get it." Merlee muttered.
"Hey, look at this, Merlee! It says the year of something…uh…how do we type that out in…" Merluvlee trailed off, very confused.
-----
Jolene & Mush/ Don & Fransesca/ Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Tech Cape)
"YES! FINALLY!" Rawk Hawk threw a golden key up in the air and caught it. He placed it aside, and continued opening bottles around him.
"We don't have any yet…" Fransesca murmured.
"Frannie, just keep truckin'. We'll get it done soon." Don encouraged.
-----
Koopley & Koops/ Merluvlee & Merlee (Infiltration Training Center)
"It's like one giant kaleidoscope…" Koops muttered. "But then again…I don't exactly care…"
Watching his son clap his hands over his eyes, Koopley laughed.
In the twins' room…
"Okay, so it's numbers. But how are we supposed to fill all these out? It's impossible…and the lock was supposed to be simple!" Merluvlee grumbled.
"Merluv, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Merlee asked dryly.
"Yeah…SWITCH!" Merluvlee yelled out. The only screen not on flickered to life, as the Laser Snifit before appeared on.
"You want out?"
"Yes…this is really stupid." Merlee replied. "I-I mean, s…super…"
"…Uh-huh…" The Laser Snifit didn't look assured, but pressed a button off-screen anyways.
-----
Jolene & Mush/ Don & Fransesca/ Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Tech Cape)
(Camera moves up to show the sun barely visible over the tops of buildings as the sky grows darker.)
"This is so retarded. I bet that cracking a…" Yoshi paused.
"No way…" Rawk Hawk gawked.
"WAY!" Yoshi exclaimed excitedly. "Where's the…aha!"
Both fighters collected the keys they had collected, and met up at the lemonade stand close to the entrance of the cape.
"And dey were de last…" Don pulled out a shimmering key from a red bottle. "Well, whaddya know."
"I think I'm in heaven…" Rawk Hawk drooled at the female worker behind the stand.
"Right…" The female bird gently pushed Rawk Hawk back towards Yoshi.
"…Not the pit stop? Weird. Okay, Rawk dude…it says here we gotta find the Breakthrough Barrier."
"Teams must now travel 1 mile to this place: the Breakthrough Barrier. This roller coaster moves outside of its own theme park, and has had a relocated entrance over five times during its 3-year existence. Teams will have to take a trip on this fast-moving coaster, which shows no apparent use of propelling. Once the team has finished their spiraling ride, they'll receive their next clue."
"Awesome! A roller coaster! The pit stop is after that; I'm sure of it!" Yoshi pulled Rawk Hawk back to their marked car, leaving the other two teams in the field.
"This is just getting a little too freaky…" Jolene hastily dropped a bottle back on the ground, seeing it filled with an extreme number of spider webs.
-----
Koopley & Koops (Infiltration Training Center)
"It should be only a few more numbers now, Koops." Koopley said.
"…I think that one is 982… … …Zzzz…" Koops had already fallen asleep, using his pack as a pillow.
"Heheheh…guess he's caught the ol' boredom genes from his dad…" Koopley chuckled.
-----
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Parts Park, Eastern Side)
"I see it, but I don't see the entrance anywhere…" Yoshi muttered.
"Be quiet. I'm trying to think." Rawk Hawk snapped. "…Oh yeah! I remember what I was going to say! …I don't see the entrance anywhere. I mean, I can see the totally tight roller coaster…"
Yoshi just ignored this comment.
-----
Jolene & Mush/ Don & Fransesca (Tech Cape)
"We just need one more…where is it?" Fransesca tripped over a bottle, falling on her face. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"Hey, who's that?" Mush asked aloud. A marked car was parking in the parking lot.
"Maybe de fighters forgot something of deirs." Don suggested, opening a purple bottle. Annoyingly fresh-scented fumes floated out.
"It's Merluvlee and Merlee!" Jolene gasped.
"Hi, everyone." Merluvlee waved a hand. She stumbled over a bottle. "What the-"
Merlee narrowly caught her sister, and brought her back upright. "This looks…fun…"
-----
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
(Camera shows a large tube of spirals, turns, and twists only broken by a section of coaster without any tube, but only the underneath railing. It then moves to the back of the line, and dramatically cuts forward to the car.)
A Hoopster crawled away from the ride, leaving Rawk Hawk and Yoshi in the front seats.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Rawk Hawk rubbed his hands together. He then crossed his arms.
"…You're not going to hold on to the grips?" Yoshi asked.
"Of course not. Why would I…" Rawk Hawk trailed off upon feeling the ride jerk into movement. The front car entered the tubing, followed by the four three-person cars attached to it.
"Whoa…" Yoshi's eyes shined in awe. The tube had a dazzling array of colors all around it that resembled an aurora.
"Oh, brother…" Rawk Hawk yawned. The ride started to speed up as the cars started going uphill.
"This is going to be great!" A Lakitu in the second car exclaimed.
Suddenly…the ride reached the top of a hill. Several seconds of silence passed before it descended at an alarming speed.
"WAAAAAH! OHBOYOHBOYOHBOYOHBOY!" Rawk Hawk screamed.
"WOOOOOOO! THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, GONZALES!" Yoshi yelled. The colors around reflected the sky, clouds, and landscape moving past like the cars were jets speeding through the air at a high altitude.
"AIIIIYEEEEEH! I'M GONNA HURL! I'M GONNA HURL!" Rawk Hawk held onto the railing in front of him for dear life as his face turned a pale shade of green.
Before Rawk Hawk knew it, the ride was over.
"…Urrrp…" Rawk Hawk stumbled over to a trashcan.
"Make your way to the next pit stop, at E. Gadd's Garage." Yoshi read.
"Teams must now drive themselves 4 miles to the pit stop for this leg of the race, E. Gadd's Garage. Home to another famous inventor and scientist, this lab is full of handy gadgets and contraptions. The last team to check in here may be eliminated."
"Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated!" Yoshi finished. He pulled Rawk Hawk away from the trash can, leaving a trail of something nasty on the ground. Yet, no one seemed to even care.
-----
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- Currently in 2nd (Infiltration Training Center)
The door opened.
"Yeah!" Koopley strode out. "Woo! That was a BLAST!"
"My, how grand!" The Laser Snifit that had accompanied them in exclaimed. "Before we give you your next clue…"
Another Laser Snifit walked up to the duo, and placed a medal on both of their necks.
"In honor of your accomplishment in completing the lock, you have both been presented with Infiltration Medals, showing that you have the potential skill to become top spies. And here…is your clue."
"Thanks!" Koopley shook the Laser Snifit's hand before opening the clue and showing it to Koops. "Drive yourselves to the front entrance of the Breakthrough Barrier and take a ride on it to get your next clue. Sounds like a roller coaster…come on, Koops!"
"…A-a roller c-coaster!" Koops asked in horror.
-----
Jolene & Mush/ Don & Fransesca/ Merluvlee & Merlee (Tech Cape)
"Got it!" Mush held up another key.
"Great job, Mush! Let's go!" Jolene motioned for him to come over to the lemonade stand.
"We haven't found one single key out here…oh my gosh…" Merlee muttered.
"This is taking way too long. Way, way, way too long!" Fransesca whined.
-----
Team ? (E. Gadd's Garage)
(Camera moves around the high-tech laboratory, showing various experiments and inventions. It then moves to the mat, where Miles and E. Gadd are.)
"A bunch of stupid flasks. Urrggh…"
Rawk Hawk and Yoshi came running up to the mat.
"Welcome to my garage!" E. Gadd greeted, shaking both fighters' hands.
"Thanks." Yoshi nudged Rawk Hawk and cleared his throat.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah…"
"Rawk Hawk and Yoshi." Miles paused. "You're team number one."
Rawk Hawk & Yoshi: Fighters- 1st Place (7:46 P.M.)
"What? YES! OH YEAH!" Rawk Hawk stood tall, flexing.
"Woo!" Yoshi jumped up and down excitedly.
"I have some more good news for you. As the winners of this ninth leg of the race, you have both won…two custom-made motorcycles from Technotropolis, compliments of Tech E. Motor companies, which you may enjoy after the race." Miles was immediately pulled into a hug by Rawk Hawk.
"Motorcycle! Pinch me, I'm dreamin'!" Rawk Hawk shouted. "Ow!"
Yoshi laughed even harder than he did after hearing Miles' announcement.
-----
Koopley & Koops (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Oh, gosh…this is so unnerving…" Koops gulped, looking at the roller coaster.
"Come on, Koops…we're next!" Koopley pulled Koops to the car.
-----
Don & Fransesca/ Merluvlee & Merlee (Tech Cape)
"I found one…it's about time. At least we know there are still keys here…" Merluvlee sighed.
"Dey've got one…Frannie, we need to kick it up into high gear!" Don whispered.
"I know, Daddy! But I can't find one!" Fransesca opened another bottle, only to find a picture of the moon inside.
-----
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- Currently in 2nd (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Was the ride fun, guys?" Jolene asked.
"Yeah…it was." Koopley nudged Koops, who looked very dizzy.
"I guess it's our turn, then…ooh, this is going to be fun!" Mush exclaimed.
As the siblings boarded the coaster, Koopley pulled Koops out of the area.
"Make your way to the next pit stop at E. Gadd's Garage. Warning: the last team to check in may be eliminated…" Koopley read.
"Eliminated?" Koops immediately snapped out of his awestruck state. "Whoa, come on, dad!"
-----
Don & Fransesca/ Merluvlee & Merlee (Tech Cape)
"YES! Yeah!" Fransesca triumphantly held up a key.
"Great job, Frannie! Let's go!" Don pulled Fransesca by her hand to the lemonade stand with both keys.
"Darn it…" Merlee muttered.
"We're so last…" Merluvlee bit her lip.
-----
Jolene & Mush (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Make your way to…the next pit stop! Yes! Finally…this has been a long leg…" Mush grinned. "It's at E. Gadd's Garage."
"Okay…we better try and locate it, then." Jolene and Mush rushed back to their car.
-----
Merluvlee & Merlee (Tech Cape)
"I got it! I got the last key we need!" Merlee held up a shiny golden key.
"What! Yes!"
-----
Don & Fransesca (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Well, hang on tight, Frannie…" Don squeezed his daughter's hand reassuringly.
"Oh, wow…" Fransesca gulped as their car went into the tunnel.
-----
Team ? (E. Gadd's Garage)
Another team came up to the front of the lab, where the mat was.
"Welcome to my garage!" E. Gadd said, shaking the hands of both team members.
"Thanks."
"Thank you very much."
"Koopley and Koops." Miles stated. "You're team number two."
Koopley & Koops: Father/Son- 2nd Place (7:59 P.M.)
"Second! Not bad, huh Koops?" Koopley gave Koops a high-five.
"You bet, Dad!"
-----
Don & Fransesca (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Dis is de pit stop now! Come on, Frannie!" Don urged.
"Oh no, there are Merlee and Merluvlee!" Fransesca spotted another car pulling up. "Come on, Daddy! Hurry!"
As Don and Fransesca leapt back into their marked car, Merluvlee and Merlee ran in.
"Come on! If we hurry, we just might beat them to the pit stop! I bet that's where they're going!" Merluvlee pulled Merlee into the coaster car.
"Start, start, start…" Merlee murmured impatiently.
-----
Jolene & Mush (Technotropolis Streets)
"Oh, great…where is it? Where is the garage at…" Jolene asked.
"I don't know! It's…not here on the map!" Mush panicked.
"What? Mush, let me see it!" Jolene put her right hand back while keeping her left on the steering wheel.
-----
Merluvlee & Merlee (Breakthrough Barrier Entrance)
"Pit stop…hurry, Merluv!" Merlee yelled.
The twins ran back to their car.
-----
Team ? (E. Gadd's Garage)
"Oh, wow! We found it!"
A team walked up to the mat and got on.
"Welcome to my garage." E. Gadd shook the rather large hands of the competitors.
"Danks!"
"Don and Fransesca." Miles started. "You're team number three."
Don & Fransesca: Father/Daughter- 3rd Place (8:07 P.M.)
"Third!" Fransesca repeated in astonishment. "Awesome!"
"Danks very much, Miles." Don gratefully shook Miles' hand.
Team ? (E. Gadd's Garage)
A car parked in front of the garage, alongside the other three already there. The camera then went in front of the team to the pit stop mat.
"Welcome to my garage." Professor E. Gadd shook the team members' hands.
"Thank you…" The duo replied in unison.
"…" Miles stared blankly at the team before speaking.
"Come on, just tell us already…"
"Jolene and Mush." Miles paused. "…You're team number four."
Jolene & Mush: Siblings- 4th Place (8:11 P.M.)
"What! No way!" Jolene excitedly pulled Mush to a tight embrace.
"Cool! We managed to stay in after we even got lost!" Mush exclaimed.
Merluvlee & Merlee (E. Gadd's Garage)
Looking hopeful, the twins jogged up and onto the mat.
"Welcome to my humble garage." E. Gadd bowed before extending his hand for a handshake.
"Thank you."
"Merluvlee and Merlee." Miles nodded. "You're the last team to arrive."
Merluvlee & Merlee: Twins- Last Place (8:17 P.M.)
"Oh…we know…" Merlee hugged Merluvlee tightly. Merluvlee hugged back.
"I'm… …"
Merluvlee and Merlee looked at Miles expectantly.
"…Happy to tell you that this is the second of three non-elimination legs, so you are still in the race!" Miles revealed.
"We're…not eliminated!" Merluvlee asked in shock.
"Oh. My. Gosh." Merlee uttered. The two sisters just looked at each other before hugging tighter and jumping up and down, laughing.
"However, there is some bad news." Miles tried to intervene, but Merlee just held out all of the money the do had best. It was quite a lot. "…Okay…and you realize that next leg…you will start with zero money added to your name, okay?"
"Sure! We don't mind one bit as long as we're still in!" Merluvlee explained.
"Just because we don't have any money doesn't mean we can't win the race. Even though we have no money, we still have each other…and that's all we require." Merlee commented. (After-leg Interview)
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Author's Note: I haven't been all that inspired lately, but I managed to get this done...and it's nearing its close.
The second non-elimination leg? Yes…it is…how well will Merlee and Merluvlee fare without cash at their disposal? Find out next time…on the Amazing Race…