And this story is back now. Sorry about the long gap between chapters. With school now back I've been a lot busier than I was before and haven't been able to write as much. But hopefully, the quality of this story hasn't slipped. Oh, and as for my other story, it should be up later this week. Anyway, let's respond to the last several reviews I got:

Nicky Haugh: Thank you.

JOHNHAMMOND1993: Sorry, I still haven't gotten around to seeing Tomorrowland. I have a pretty big list of films I'd like to watch so it might take a little while. But if you have any other ideas, I'm open to hearing them. Also, in relation to your second review, I did not see that review until now. But I don't own a TV so I guess it doesn't matter anyways.

ShadowJcreed: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the chapter.

Joel Connell: Well, I guess it's not relevant anymore, but I was able to update the chapter roughly just in time. And there should be yet another chapter of Strange People up later this week.

Acosta Perez Jose Ramiro: Thank you for leaving a review.

Okay, now that we're done with that, you can get on to the rest of the chapter now. Hope you like it.


"Last time, on Total Drama Champions. Our contestants went to the not so distant future. Unfortunately, that future also involved a zombie apocalypse. Despite a certain someone reducing the members of the Actors to three and increasing the Directors to seven, it was the Actors that ended up winning in the end. Shocking, I know. And in the end, it was Cameron that got the boot. The merge is right around the corner and things are about to be shaken up. What will happen next? Find out, on Total. Drama. Champions!"


(Theme Song)


One early morning at the film lot studio the two teams were eating breakfast at the mess hall at separate tables. The camera focused on the three-person team of the Actors.

"So how much longer do you think this team is gonna be able to hold on?" Gwen wondered.

"Probably not that much longer." Scott predicted. "The other guys still have numbers on their side."

"You are really bad at this whole 'Motivational' thing." Dave remarked.

"I'm only being realistic." Scott stated. "Besides, on the bright side, at least we don't have Topher anymore."

"Oh c'mon, Topher wasn't that bad, was he?" Gwen asked.

"Trust me, you didn't have to put up with him for as long as we did." Scott stated.

"All right, that's fair I guess." Gwen admitted. "But still, I feel like we're at a disadvantage here."

"Maybe the merge will happen soon?" Dave suggested.

"Why would Chris have a team switch right before the merge?" Scott asked.

"He's Chris. Nothing he does makes sense." Dave argued.

"Fine, you made a good point." Scott admitted.

"Let's just focus on something else for now." Gwen decided. "We'll leave worry about what's going to happen for the challenge."


(Confessional: Gwen)

"I've had kind of a wild ride this season." Gwen admitted. "First I was kinda grumpy, then I was happy, then switched teams, I adjusted to that, and then Chris got rid of one of the guys on my team. I kinda welcome the merge, to be honest. It brings things to a nice, comfortable status quo I could get used to."


The camera panned over to the six members of the Directors.

"So, guys, what's the plan for today?" Topher asked. "Heh, still new here so I don't totally know how things work."

"Oh my god, please shut up." Amy requested. "I can barely hear myself think right now."

"Wow, okay, sorry." Topher remarked. "I'll be quiet."

"Ah, don't get Amy get'cha down." Lightning said. "She's just grumpy 'cause we lost."

"I have the right to be upset, all right." Amy stated. "We had the advantage and we still ended up like losers!"

"Take it easy there." Shawn said. "Let's all focus on strategies."

"How do we do that?" Sierra asked.

"She has a point. It's kinda hard to strategize when you don't know what the challenge is going to be." Sky pointed out.

"Yeah, and the merge might be happening soon anyway." Topher added.

"All right, those are all fair points." Shawn admitted. "Let's just keep some general notes. Friendliness, teamwork, and calmness. That's what's gonna help us."

"Okay, but what if there's the merge?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah, this looks like about the point where the merge happens." Amy agreed.

"Look, let's just assume we're still a team now." Shawn suggested.

"Yeah, sure that works." Topher said. "Hooray for us."

Suddenly, a loud thud was heard from outside causing all the contestants to turn their attention to the main entrance door of the mess hall.

"Dammit, Chef! You were supposed to burst open the door!" The contestants heard the muffled voice of Chris shout. "It was gonna look all cool!"

"Lemme, try again!" They heard the voice of Chef yell.

The sound of a vehicle backing up was heard and moments later the doors were burst through and broken off their hinges as Chris and Chef's golf cart drove into the mess hall.

"Hello, teams!" Chris cheered. "Who's ready for some challenges!"

"Already?" Dave asked. "I was just getting comfortable in this seat."

"Too bad." Chris remarked. "You all know the drill. Come down to the regular studio for the challenge. But this time, I've got a special surprise."

"Is it the merge?" Sierra guessed.

"You'll have to come down here and find out." Chris replied.

"Oh, it's totally the merge." Topher confidently stated.

"Shut up!" Chris told him. "It's a surprise, I swear. Chef! Get me out of here."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. You'd better be fixin' these doors by the way." Chef remarked.

"Just drive, seriously." Chris said.

Chef backed the golf cart out of the cafeteria.

"Okay, so we can all agree that the surprise is the merge, right?" Gwen asked once Chris was out of earshot.

"Oh, definitely." Sky said.


(Confessional: Sierra)

"As much as I respect Chris, he's really bad at keeping things secret." Sierra remarked.


A little while later, the team arrived at the studio that was full of virtual reality equipment where Chris was already waiting for them.

"Ah, there you guys are!" Chris cheered. "Ready for the big announcement?"

"Ugh, we already know what it is, but sure. Why don't you 'Surprise' us." Amy said.

"Fine, I will." Chris replied. "Okay teams, it's time for that big announcement I promised you. I wanted to let you all know… It's merge time!"

"Yes! I know, it!" Sierra cheered.

"Wow, what a shocker." Amy sarcastically said.

"It's your own fault for guessing." Chris stated. "Anyway, yes, the merge is here. That means no more Directors, no more Actors. You all are now one big happy family! Well… Maybe 'Happy' is a stretch."

"So just so we're clear, no more teams?" Shawn asked.

"Yes, definitely." Chris said. "I could not make it more clear."

"All right, so, are you gonna tell us about the challenge now?" Dave asked.

"Right, thank you for the reminder." Chris remarked. "Today's challenge is based on the genre of the murder mystery."

"Didn't we do that already?" Topher asked.

"What do you mean?" Chris inquired.

"Season two, there was a murder mystery challenge in season two." Topher pointed out.

"Look, there are only so many genres out there. There are going to be some repeats." Chris explained.

"So what are the rules of this challenge exactly?" Dave asked.

"Glad you asked." Chris replied. "Once you're in a challenge you'll be on a party on a riverboat and while you're on there somebody will be murdered and you'll have to figure it out by following clues and sutch."

"Will there be other people on the boat or will one of us be the one who did it?" Sky asked.

"There will be virtual people on the virtual boat." Chris explained. "Once you think you've figured it out you need to capture whoever the killer is and you'll win the challenge. Sounds fun, right?"

"Yeah, actually it does a little." Gwen admitted.

"Great, glad you think so." Chris replied. "Now, everybody get in the chairs so we can get things stared!"

The competitors went over to the chairs lining the room and sat down in them.

"Okay, Chef, please start it up for them." Chris requested.

"No problem. I've gotten used to it by now." Chef stated.

Chef pressed a few buttons on the machine and then pulled two levers.


(Confessional: Topher)

"Wow, I actually made it to the merge this time!" Topher cheered. "Awesome! At this rate, I have a feeling I'll be in this game for a while now."


Inside the virtual world, all the contestants found themselves inside what appeared to be ballroom of sorts. It wasn't too large a room but it had lots of tables and a bar counter. Visible through the windows was the river the boat they were inside was travelling down. Inside the room were at least nine other people.

"Whoa, this place is pretty nice." Sky remarked.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be a lot less nice once the murdering starts." Amy stated.

At that moment, the group was approached by a balding middle-aged man who was in the midst of lighting a cigar.

"Ah, I am so delighted to meet new people." The man greeted them in a thick southern accent.

"Oh... Hello there." Gwen replied. "Who are you?"

"Leland Van Pelt, local tobacco industry mogul." The man introduced himself. "I noticed your little gathering over here and couldn't help but be curious."

"We're all just friends. Nothing special about us." Shawn said.

"I dunno, I feel like I'm pretty special." Lightning remarked.

"Yeah, me too." Amy added.

"Could you two just be quiet?" Shawn requested before turning back to Leland. "Anyway, Leland, it's been a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you." Leland replied. "Here's to you and your friends. And to your long life."

"Wait, no, don't say that last bit!" Sierra hurriedly said.

At that moment, the lights in the ballroom went out leaving everyone in darkness.

"Ah! Get that knife away from me!" The voice of Leland cried out. "Ack! The pain, the pain!"

The lights flickered back on and Leland lay motionless on the ground with several stab wounds in his chest. The competitors and the other virtual passengers of the boat gathered around Leland's body.

"Oh god... I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight..." Sky trailed off.

"Meh, it's not that bad." Scott said.

"I dunno... That looks pretty bad." Dave remarked.

"My goodness! Whatever shall we do!" A young woman in a white dress exclaimed.

"Uh, don't worry people, we're detectives and we'll get to the bottom of this." Shawn stated.

"Hold on, all of you are detectives?" An elderly bearded man asked.

"I, er, yes." Amy said. "Now all of you civilians head over to your private rooms and we'll start our investigation."

With that, the virtual passengers on the boat slowly let themselves out of the ballroom leaving the contestants alone.

"So... Now what do we do?" Topher asked.

"Well, we're not supposed to work together so I say everyone here split up." Gwen suggested.

Almost as soon as she finished talking, all the contestants began to walk off in different directions.


(Confessional: Shawn)

"I thought I'd do pretty well in the challenge." Shawn admitted. "A lot of the skills I work on in my zombie survival involve problem-solving. So I figured solving a murder mystery wouldn't be too hard."


In one corner of the ballroom, Scott and Dave had gathered with each other in one corner of the ballroom.

"What's the plan here?" Dave asked.

"We look at the clues." Scott stated.

"What clues?" Dave pointed out. "We barely knew that guy before his chest got used as a cutting board."

"All right, all right, you have a point." Scott admitted. "Well, clearly it's one of those other people who did it. How about we go around to their rooms and ask some questions."

"Yeah, sure, that seems like a good way to do things." Dave agreed. "Where should we go first?"

"I dunno, anywhere seems like a good start though." Scott said. "Let's go."

The duo exited the ballroom through the large wooden double doors and walked along the deck of the riverboat where outside it was revealed to be the middle of the night.

"Hey so Scott, I've got a quick question for you." Dave stated.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Scott asked.

"Well, now that the teams are merged do you think that we could try to work on eliminating Sky?" Dave inquired.

"Oh, right, you two have that thing going on." Scott remarked. "Tell ya what, if she seems like a threat we'll get rid of her."

"Sos is that a yes or a no?" Dave asked.

"It's a 'We'll see'." Scott replied. "There are more important things in the world than revenge."

"It's not revenge, it's... Well, I don't know what to call it but it's not revenge." Dave stated.


(Confessional: Dave)

"Me and Sky have a complicated relationship." Dave told the camera. "And frankly, the less we address this relationship, the better I'll feel. So the best way to not address it is to eliminate Sky as soon as I can... It sounds like a bad idea when you say it out loud, but really, it works."


Meanwhile, out on the deck of the riverboat, Lightning and Shawn were walking around together.

"Okay Lightning, let's try to figure out who would want to kill that guy." Shawn stated.

"Sure thing, it can't be too hard, can it?" Lightning remarked. "Whatta we know 'bout this guy?"

"Well, he owns a tobacco company. A business rival could've killed him." Shawn theorized.

"Hmm, sounds like we need to talk to these fake people on the boat." Lightning decided.

"I was thinking the same thing." Shawn said. "In fact, that's where I had us going anyway."

"Nice. You're the sha-man." Lightning remarked. "Do we know who's room we're goin' to?"

"I figured we'd just pick one and then whittle it down from there." Shawn explained.

"All right, sounds like a plan." Lightning replied. "Oh, let's start over there."

Shawn and Lightning stopped in front of one of the doors in the wall. Lightning knocked on the door.

"Yo, we're detectives." Lightning said. "We wanna ask some questions."

The door slowly creaked open and on the other side stood a young brunette wearing a white cotton dress.

"Is this about that dreadful murder down in the ballroom?" The woman asked.

"Yes. What else would it be about?" Shawn rhetorically asked.

"Well, come on in then." The woman said.

The woman opened the door open all the way and Lightning and Shawn stepped in. The room was smal and humble but looked liveable.

"So lady, we're here to ask ya some questions." Lightning explained. "What's your name first of all."

"Belle. My friends call me Blue Belle." The woman introduced herself. "But you ain't my friend so please don't call me that."

"Well, Belle, what exactly did you know about the victim?" Shawn asked. "Know anyone who'd want him silence."

"Everyone 'round here knows about Mr. Van Pelt. Prob'ly the richest man in the state." Belle stated. "Sure someone that rich has a lotta enemies."

"You ever met him before now?" Shawn asked.

"Can't say I had the pleasure." Belle remarked. "I heard 'bout him before in the newspapers and such but I ain't ever really paid him much attention. Not much of a smoker."

"Well, if ya think of anyone with anger issues and access to a knife, call us." Lightning stated.


(Confessional: Lightning)

"I wasn't too sure what I was s'posed to do." Lightning admitted. "I got a lotta skills, but most of 'em are about sports. So tryin' to be a detective wasn't easy."


Meanwhile, on another part of the boat, Sierra and Gwen were walking together.

"So, are you following me or something?" Gwen asked.

"Well, yeah, kinda." Sierra admitted. "I figure, I gotta start somewhere so I decided to follow someone random around."

"All right, fine, fair enough." Gwen replied. "Just remember, only one of us can win."

"Yep, I think there's enough sleuthing to go around for the two of us." Sierra said.

"Make that three of us!" A male voice from behind them cheered.

Sierra and Gwen turned around and saw Topher approaching them.

"Hey girls, saw you two walking around together and thought I'd join the party so to speak." Topher explained.

"Okay, fine." Gwen begrudgingly said. "But nobody else had better be following us."

"Don't worry, pretty sure I was the only one who decided to follow you." Topher stated. "So where are we going anyway?"

"Well, I don't know much about murder mysteries so I'm not sure." Gwen admitted.

"Oh! Oh! I watch a lotta crime TV shows and usually, they interview the suspects." Sierra spoke up.

"Hmm, well, guess we'll start there." Gwen said.

"Let's try this room." Sierra suggested as she pointed to a door the group was approaching.

The group stopped in front of the door Sierra had been pointing to and Topher knocked on it.

"Uh, hey there. Can we come in?" Topher requested as he knocked. "We wanna ask some questions about the murder."

After several seconds, the door was opened by a bald elderly man.

"Hmm? What's going on?" The old man asked.

"We need to talk about that thing that happened down in the ballroom." Gwen explained.

"Oh, right, the murder." The old man said. "Well, come on in. I'll try to answer any questions."

The group followed the old man into his room which was an exact copy of the inside of the other room.

"So what's your name?" Sierra asked.

"Jebediah Winkleton." The man identified himself.

Topher stifled a laugh.

"What was that?" Jebediah asked.

"Uh, nothing." Topher quickly said. "So tell me, Jeb. What do you know about that guy who got stabbed."

"He was a business partner of mine actually." Jebediah admitted. "I was his silent partner so to speak. We shared ownership of the company."

"So you're saying it's all yours now?" Gwen asked.

"I didn't kill him if that's what you're implying." Jebediah stated. "I loved Leland as if he was my brother."

"Well, who do you think killed him in that case?" Sierra asked.

"There's the head of Brandt Tabacco. That's competing company. Their owner is on the boat with us." Jebediah explained. "We've always been in a bit of a friendly rivalry but I never imagined it'd result in a murder."

"So do you think it could be them?" Gwen asked.

"Hmm... There's always the possibility." Jebediah stated.

"Well, it can't hurt to check." Sierra remarked. "C'mon gang, we can get back to talking to this guy later."


(Confessional: Topher)

"Yeah, it was pretty fun to be part of that little team." Topher admitted. "It was like Scooby-Doo but with less fake monsters."


Meanwhile, Amy and Sky were walking around on another part of the deck.

"Okay Sky, I need you to use your head here." Amy told her. "Who here would want to stab a big fat businessman."

"Uh, I dunno, jealous ex-romantic partner." Sky guessed.

"Are you just saying that because of Dave?" Amy asked.

"Uh, maybe." Sky admitted. "Look, that isn't important. What is important is that we do some interviewing. See if any of these suspects stories check out."

"Right, yeah, that thing." Amy said. "Sure, sure. I'll let you do the talking."

The two of them rounded a corner and saw Scott and Dave standing in front of a door.

"Oh, dammit! You'd better not be talking to the same person we were about to talk to." Amy stated.

"Uh oh, hey there Sky." Dave said.

"Yep, we were just about to interview whoever was in this room." Scott explained.

"No fair, we were about to do that." Amy told them.

"Amy, please try not to freak out." Sky requested.

"You should be freaking out too." Amy stated. "Your ex-boyfriend and his slimy friend are about to steal our lead."

"We didn't technically date." Dave pointed out.

"Will all of you please shut up." Scott interrupted.

"Fine, what do you want to say?" Amy asked.

"How about all of us go in there." Scott suggested.

"Ugh, fine, we'll do the boring thing." Amy said.

"Uh, I'm actually okay with this." Sky spoke up.

"Let's stop talking and actually get in there then." Dave said.

Dave pushed open the door where a middle-aged woman in a frilly brown dress was on the other side sat down on a chair.

"Hey! Do you people know how to knock!" The woman yelled.

"Gah! Sorry ma'am, I forgot." Dave promptly apologized.

"What do you people want?" The woman asked. "I'm very busy."

"We'll give you a hint." Amy said. "It has to do with a knife and the five or so times that it was used to stab a guy."

"Oh, that incident." The woman uncaringly remarked. "Very well, please question away. But make it snappy, I'm a very busy woman."

"Tell us your name and your relation to the victim." Scott said.

"No fair, I wanted to ask first." Amy told him.

"Amy, take it easy." Sky said.

"I'm sorry, what's going on?" The woman asked.

"Just answer the questions that we asked." Sky explained.

"Oh, well my name is Abigail Wormwood and I saw Mr. Van Pelt as somewhat of a rival." The woman explained.

"So you're saying there was a motive?" Scott asked.

"Now don't you accuse me!" Abigail shouted. "I am an honourable businesswoman."

"Wasn't accusing you, everybody on this boat is equally a suspect." Scott claimed.

"But wait, you and the dead guy were rivals?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I run another tobacco company. And well, looks like I'll be getting slightly more successful from now on." Abigail said. "At a horrible, horrible, cost of course."

"Well, we'll leave you to grieve." Scott said. "C'mon Dave, let's go."

"Oh, okay." Dave replied.

"Well, we are staying here because we're better detectives." Amy stated.

"Amy, please try and tone it down." Sky requested.


(Confessional: Sky)

"I swear, being with Amy is almost like babysitting sometimes." Sky remarked. "She can get so... Irrationally angry sometimes."


Meanwhile, back over with Lightning and Shawn, the two of them had gone back to the ballroom which looked rather undisturbed.

"Yo, so why're we back to this place?" Lightning asked. "That dead guy over there gives me the creeps."

"Me too." Shawn admitted. "But at least there's no chance of it reanimating."

"But can ya tell me the reason?" Lightning requested.

"Oh, right, we're checking for evidence. Most importantly the murder weapon." Shawn explained. "So keep an eye out for any red-stained knife."

"Got'cha." Lightning replied. "My eyes are sharp like a knife."

Lightning paused for a second.

"Is that a thing people say?" Lightning asked.

"Not that I know of." Shawn replied. "Now C'mon, let's try to find clues."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like an important thing." Lightning said.

Lightning and Shawn began to wander around the ballroom together.

"Hmm... So where do ya think the murder weapon is?" Shawn wondered.

"Well, whoever owns it either put it in their room or stashed it somewhere 'round here." Lightning remarked.

Shawn glanced over at the bar counter.

"What about the bar? Someone could've hidden someone behind there." Shawn said.

"Good idea, man." Lightning replied.

The two of them walked over to the bar and peered over the counter. On the other side of the counter, they saw a bald middle-aged man wearing a blue vest bent over on his hands and knees trying to get something off the ground.

"Yo, barman, what're you doing?" Lightning asked.

"Gah!" The man at the bar exclaimed as he jolted upwards.

The bartender and the two competitors stared at each other for a few moments.

"Er, may I help you?" The bartender asked.

"Seen anything suspicious lying around?" Lightning asked. "We're doin' an investigation."

"No, no, can't say that I have." The bartender remarked.

"What were you doing down there?" Shawn enquired.

"Just grabbing my piece." The bartender explained.

"Your piece?" Shawn asked.

The bartender bent down and opened up a trapdoor in the ground to reveal a revolver. He grabbed the gun from the trapdoor and showed it to Lightning and Shawn.

"After Mr. Van Pelt got snuffed I gotta protect myself." The bartender explained.

"You're just a bartender, dude. Don't think anyone wants to kill you." Lightning remarked. "C'mon Shawn, let's check somewhere else."


(Confessional: Shawn)

"This alliance with Lightning isn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be." Shawn said. "And at the very least, it's nice to have someone to vote with me."


Meanwhile, up on a higher deck of the riverboat, Topher, Gwen, and Sierra were still walking around together.

"Okay guys, we've talked to a few suspects now... Now what?" Topher asked.

"That is a good question." Gwen replied. "I guess we look for physical clues. Bloodstains, knives, things like that."

"Oh, okay, but before we do that can we look off the front of the boat?" Sierra requested.

"I... Uh, what does that have to do with anything?" Gwen asked.

"Nothing, I just think it'd be cool." Sierra said.

"Yeah, I wanna do that too." Topher added. "Sounds fun!"

"I sometimes can't believe I'm almost the same age as you two." Gwen remarked.

"C'mon Gwen' we're almost at the front of the boat. Please let us do this?" Topher requested.

"All right, fine. Let's go check out the front." Gwen said. "But then we do some actual work."

The trio turned the corner and saw Belle standing at the front of the boat.

"Oh hey, we didn't talk to her yet." Sierra realized. "C'mon guys, let's go do that."

"All right, why not." Gwen replied.

The three of them went over to where Belle was standing.

"'Scuse me, what're you doing up here?" Gwen asked. "Listen, your name's Belle, right? I don't wanna tell you what to do, but you probably should be inside right now. There's a killer on the loose."

"Oh, I know. But this view is simply heavenly." Belle explained. "I just had to go out and see it."

"Well, you should probably go inside." Sierra recommended.

"Okay, will do. I've got everything I wanted anyway." Belle remarked.

Belle walked away from the area.

"I swear, we are not getting any work done today." Gwen remarked.

"At least we're having fun." Topher said.


(Confessional: Gwen)

"I feel like I need to make an alliance if I wanna get far in the game." Gwen admitted. "And I also feel like most people are already involved except Sierra and Topher... And I'm not sure I wanna be in an alliance with either of those guys."


Meanwhile, Scott and Dave were walking around on one of the lower decks of the riverboat.

"Okay, we've finished the interviews now it's on to the clues." Scott told Dave. "Look for footprints, knives, fingerprints, that sorta thing."

"Will there be any blood involved?" Dave asked.

"Probably." Scott replied.

"Oh... This isn't gonna be fun." Dave said.

The two of them continued walking for a few more moments.

"Do you feel like we're being followed?" Dave asked.

"Not particularly." Scott told him. "What about you?"

"Yeah, that's why I asked." Dave replied. "I just feel like someone's out there right now."

"You're being paranoid." Scott said. "Just keep it cool. We're gonna win this challenge."

"I'll let you know if I see any clues." Dave told him.

"Oh, I don't think you have to." Scott replied. "'Cause I see one right now."

Scott pointed over to a bloodstained knife lying on the ground several feet in front of them.

"Oh wow." Dave remarked. "Wait, how'd it end up here?"

"Who cares, it's evidence." Scott said. "We can probably use this somehow... I don't know how exactly, but it'll be useful."

"Aha! I knew this would pay off!" A female voice exclaimed from out of their view.

Scott and Dave both swivelled around and saw Sky and Amy hiding behind a stack of crates.

"You girls can come out now." Scott remarked.

"Nice work giving us away." Sky remarked.

"Shut up, you looked excited too." Amy said.

The two of them stepped out from behind the crates and approached Scott and Dave.

"So, what's that you got here?" Sky asked, pointing at the dagger.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" Dave remarked.

"It's so obviously a knife, Sky." Amy said.

"It was a rhetorical question." Sky stated.

"Don't use words I don't understand." Amy replied.

"So, uh, what are we doing now?" Dave asked.

"We're taking this knife and using it for... Something." Scott said.

"No, you aren't." Amy stated. "We are taking it! Aren't we Sky."

'Uh, yeah. We are!" Sky confidently added.

"We found it first so we're keeping it." Dave told them.

"Oh Jesus, is this conversation going to devolve into a playground argument?" Scott asked.

"Shut up! We wanna win!" Amy shouted.

"Okay, looks like it is." Scott remarked. "You kids have fun, the adult is gonna go somewhere else while you figure this out."

Scott walked away from the area.

"So where were we?" Dave asked the other two.

"You were being kinda greedy and hoarding the evidence." Sky told him.

"Oh, I found it first, Sky." Dave replied. "So I get to keep it."


(Confessional: Sky)

"I'm really hoping Dave gets eliminated soon." Sky admitted. "I feel like every conversation we'll have will turn into a messy argument."


Meanwhile, Shawn and Lightning were walking around on the lower levels of the deck.

"So what're we doin' now?" Lightning asked.

"Still looking for clues." Shawn said. "I've got a feeling we're close to solving this."

"Sha-awesome, man." Lightning remarked. "Think any suspect stands out? Like, as someone who did it I mean."

"That bartender was a little weird. Y'know, with his gun and stuff." Shawn commented.

"Yeah, but our guy got stabbed, not shot." Lightning pointed out.

"True, you got a point there." Shawn admitted. "Well, we talked to a lot of people. That girl in the white dress, the rival business owner, the victim's partner. Really, I could see any of them doing it."

Shawn and Lightning turned the corner and saw Amy, Dave, and Sky standing in a circle like formation around the knife arguing while Scott had gone and leaned off over the railing.

"Just let us have it!" Amy demanded.

"I'd rather not, thank you." Dave replied.

"Uh... What'd we walk in on?" Shawn asked.

"No idea, bro, no idea." Lightning replied.

"Let's try asking Scott." Shawn suggested.

"All right, sure." Lightning said.

Lightning and Shawn walked over to where Scott was leaning off the railing.

"Hey ya Scott. What's goin' on with those three?" Lightning asked.

"I don't know. I started tuning them out." Scott admitted. "They started arguing about that knife over there or something. It started out as a clue, but now it's kinda just something I wish we never found."

"Wait, you found a knife?" Shawn excitedly asked.

"Yep, over there." Scott said, pointing to the weapon.

Shawn and Lightning looked over at the knife that the other three were fighting over.

"It was just lying there?" Shawn asked.

"Yep, we walked over here and it was just right there." Scott explained.

"Do ya know how it got there?" Lightning asked.

"Well, I assume someone dropped it." Scott remarked.

"Hold up, that means whoever dropped it is on this deck level, don't it?" Lightning asked.

"Huh, you have a point." Scott realized.

"C'mon Shawn, let's go!" Lightning cheered.

"Hold on, someone could've dropped it from up there." Shawn said.

Shawn pointed up to the deck above them.

"Whatta you mean?" Lightning asked.

"Someone could've been trying to drop it into the river from up there but undershot it." Shawn theorized.

"Which do you think is more likely?" Lightning asked.

"I dunno, tell you what, let's split up." Shawn said. "I'll take down here and you check the upper deck."

"Sha-yeah! Great plan, Shawn. We're gonna win this." Lightning said.

Lightning ran off away from the area.

"Okay, I'll go somewhere else!" Shawn shouted after him.

Shawn ran off as well.

"Hey, Scott, we're following them!" Scott called to his partner.

"Huh, what?" Dave asked. "Okay, fine. We'll come back for the dagger later."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Now C'mon, let's go before Sky and Amy follow us." Scott told him.


(Confessional: Scott)

"Dave's okay as long as alliance-mates go." Scott said. "I feel like he's obsessed with his ex a bit too much. But hey, he's at least quiet and seems to listen to me. What more can you ask for?"


Back up on the upper decks of the riverboat, Topher, Sierra, and Gwen were still walking around.

"Okay, so, we reinterviewed some of the suspects and now we're back to looking for clues... Anyone think we're getting nowhere?" Sierra wondered.

"I dunno, I'm having fun." Topher remarked.

"Yeah, okay, but don't you think winning should be the focus here?" Gwen asked.

"True, true, you have a point there." Topher admitted. "Okay, I'll try to take things more serious."

"Why aren't you more serious about it anyway?" Sierra asked. "I would've thought a big fan like you would've felt pressure to win."

"I dunno, I'm just having fun while being on my favourite show. I guess that's all that matters." Topher said before pausing for a moment. "Although... Winning wouldn't be half bad either."

"In that case, let's try and focus here." Gwen said.

"Good plan." Topher replied.

Before they could get any further ahead they stopped when they heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching them.

"Guys, you hear that too, right?" Sierra asked.

"Yep, I definitely do." Gwen agreed.

Gwen, Sierra, and Topher turned around and saw Lightning running towards them.

"What the hell is he doing?" Gwen asked.

"I dunno, let's ask." Topher decided before waving over at Lightning. "Hey! Lightning, stop for a second!"

Lightning slowed his running to a halt and stopped in front of the trio but continued to jog in place.

"Can ya make whatever you wanna say quick?" Lightning requested. "I'm kinda in a hurry."

"We just wanna know why you're running." Gwen explained.

"Tryin' to find out who did the murder, man." Lightning answered. "Someone up here mighta dropped a knife down there. You seen anyone else up here recently?"

"Oh yeah, there was that girl in the white dress." Topher remembered. "She was over by the front of the boat."

"She coulda dropped the knife off the railing!" Lightning realized. "I gotta go find her."

Lightning pushed past Topher, Sierra, and Gwen and ran off from the area.

"Should we follow him?" Sierra asked.

"Definitely." Gwen said. "C'mon guys, let's go!"

Gwen, Sierra, and Topher ran in the same direction Lightning went.


(Confessional: Lightning)

"Lookin' back, I probably shoulda kept my theories about who did it inside my head." Lightning admitted.


Lightning ran across the upper levels of the decks in search of the room belonging to Belle.

"C'mon, think. Which one of these rooms is it?" Lightning wondered to himself. "Hold up, here it is. 'Least I think so."

Lightning stopped in front of one of the doors and pushed it open. On the other side, Belle lay in her bed reading a book.

"What the hell's going on here?" Belle asked. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"Not so fast, I've got an accusation to make!" Lightning announced.

"Accusation?!" Belle exclaimed. "What're you talking about?"

"You totally stabbed that dude." Lightning explained.

Belle stood up from his bed.

"And what evidence do you have to support this?" Belle asked. "Because I for one am very offended."

"Accordin' to those other guys, you were out at the front of the boat and down on the ground, those other other guys found a knife there." Lightning explained. "That means you dropped the knife down there."

"I got no motive to kill Leland! You can't accuse me!" Belle said.

"Um... Uh, you said ya ain't a smoker so that's why ya killed him!" Lightning guessed. "It's a flimsy reason but it's all I got."

"All right, fine, I did it!" Belle confessed. "I've always hated tobacco and I especially hated the Van Pelt corporation! So I did the reasonable thing.

"Woo! You confessed!" Lightning cheered. "That means I win, don't it?"

"Win, what are you talking about?" Belle asked.

Lightning began glowing a white.

"Awesome! I do win!" Lightning cheered.

Lightning disappeared in a flash of white light.


(Confessional: Lightning)

"Never really thought of myself as much of a detective." Lightning remarked. "But guess who won? That's right, me. Sha-bam! I'm the best."


Back in the real world, Chris was standing right by the machine as the contestants came out of the virtual world.

"And welcome back to reality, people." Chris told the contestants.

"I'm confused, what exactly happened back there?" Sky asked.

"Yeah, we kinda just started glowing for no reason." Sierra added.

"Not no reason. I just sha-won!" Lightning celebrated.

"Unbelievable..." Amy muttered.

"You have got to be kidding me..." Scott trailed off in disbelief.

"Nope, he certainly is not kidding." Chris told them. "Lightning solved the mystery and he won the challenge."

"Aw yeah, I am the man!" Lightning continued to cheer.

"Okay, reel it in, Lightning." Shawn advised him.

"Okay, okay, whatever ya say." Lightning replied.

"Ahem, do keep in mind this means voting for Lightning is off the table tonight." Chris explained. "But the rest of you, you all have a chance of leaving tongiht. But first, you all report to the mess hall for some food from chef."


(Confessional: Amy)

"How does Lightning win the first solo immunity of the season?" Amy asked. "I wanted to win that!"


The scene switched to inside the boys' trailer with Scott and Dave having a discussion.

"All right, so, now that we're at the trailer alone who do you want to vote for?" Scott asked.

"Sky." Dave bluntly told him.

"Shoulda seen that coming…" Scott muttered to himself before speaking up again. "And why is that exactly?"

"I just don't want to be reminded of all the bad things that happened." Dave explained. "And the best way to do that would be to get her off the show."

"Really, her?" Scott asked. "Voting for personal reasons usually isn't a good idea."

"Come on, please." Dave said. "I just think if I have to talk to her in another challenge it'll make me miserable."

"You need to think with your head." Scott told him. "I say, we vote for Topher instead. He looks like she could be a threat if we keep him around for too long and you should use your idol to guarantee he gets eliminated."

"Look, how about we decide later." Dave suggested. "You made me leave behind a perfectly average plate of food."

"All right, fine." Scott agreed. "But I still think we should vote for Topher."

"And I still say we should vote for Sky." Dave replied.


(Confessional: Scott)

"Jeez, and I thought me and Courtney had a messy relationship towards the end." Scott remarked. "But Dave and Sky are on a whole 'nother level."


Meanwhile, inside one of the warehouse studios, Amy and Sky had wandered over to what used to be the set of some movie taking place in a castle. Amy sat herself down on a crate to talk to Sky.

"So Amy, why did we have to come all the way out here to talk?" Sky asked.

"Isn't it obvious? There's less chance of anyone eavesdropping on us." Amy replied. "Now, since we lost today we need to play it smart. I'm not quite sure who to vote for just yet, so I want some input from you. Tell me who we should vote for."

"I say we go for Dave." Sky replied. "I just really, really don't like him."

"Ugh, seriously?" Amy asked. "You can't just vote for him because he's your ex."

"Oh come on, you asked for my opinion." Sky pointed out.

"Fine, that's fair." Amy replied. "But give me a good reason to vote for Dave. Other than him being your ex-boyfriend."

"Well, he seems kinda weak and I'm seventy five percent sure that he's in an alliance with Scott." Sky told her.

"Hmm... That could be a dangerous alliance." Amy remarked. "Tell you what, we'll vote for him tonight"

"Really?" Sky asked.

"Yeah, sure." Amy replied. "Truth be told, I don't really like that guy either."

"Great. Glad we sorted that out." Sky remarked.


(Confessional: Amy)

"I don't really care about Sky and Dave's whole conflict." Amy admitted. "I don't really care about anyone's problems actually. Well, unless it involves me somehow."


Meanwhile, in another warehouse that appeared to be decorated like a jungle, Lightning and Shawn were walking around together.

"All right bro, who do ya think we should vote for tonight?" Lightning asked. "We're on top of the world, man. We can vote for whoever ya want."

"You are on top of the world." Shawn corrected. "People can still vote for me."

"Right, right, good point there." Lightning replied. "But I ain't sure who to vote for. You got any suggestions?"

"I don't know. How about Topher or Sierra." Shawn suggested.

"What's so special 'bout them?" Lightning asked.

"Well, nothing really." Shawn admitted. "But that's exactly why we should vote for them."

"I still don't get what you're saying." Lightning replied.

"If we pay more attention to more powerful players, one of them could slip right by." Shawn explained.

"Hmm... Good point." Lightning said. "All right man, we'll pick one of 'em to vote for. We're totally gonna win this show!"

Lightning jumps in the air in his excitement but on the way down to the ground he crashes into a barrel marked "Props".

"Whoa... Didn't expect that..." Lightning muttered to himself.

"Here, lemme help." Shawn said.

Shawn extended a hand and helped Lightning up from the ground.

"Thanks bro." Lightning replied as he looked behind him and saw the smashed up remains of the barrel.

"Damn, I did a number on that barrel." "Sure did." Shawn agreed. "Now c'mon Lightning, let's try and relax before the ceremony."

"Hold up man, I think I see something interesting." Lightning told Shawn.

"What is it?" Shawn asked.

Lightning didn't respond and instead just leaned closer in towards what was left of the barrel. Within all the wooden debris and old movie props he saw a small wooden replica of Chris' head.

"Sha-sweet!" Lightning cheered as he scooped up the idol from the ground. "This one of the invincibility statues Chris was talking about, dude!"

"Wait, really?" Shawn asked, not entirely believing it. "Are you sure?"

"'Course I'm sure. How many little Chris heads are there on this island?" Lightning pointed out. "Sha-damn, today is my lucky day. Well anyway Shawn, we can talk about this later. Right now Lightning has to get to the elimination ceremony, See ya!"

Lightning runs off as Shawn watches him leave.


(Confessional: Shawn)

"Somebody who's... Not smart as Lightning having that much power in a game like this can only spell bad news." Shawn stated.


(Confessional: Lightning)

"Aw yeah!" Lightning cheered. "Man, winnin' the challenge woulda been enough but this idol is just the cherry on top. Look out million dollars 'cause Lightning's gonna be your new owner."


A little while later, Chris had gotten up on stage with all the contestants out in the audience.

"Okay people, are you ready for the first elimination ceremony of the merge?" Chris asked.

"You bet we are!" Topher excitedly cheered.

"Thank you, Topher. For once, I actually appreciate your overenthusiasm." Chris admitted. "Is anyone else excited."

Nobody replied.

"Fine, be that way." Chris replied. "Anyway, you guys know what to do. Get to the confessional, cross out some pictures, see who gets the boot. Oh, and don't forget, voting for Lightning is off the table tonight. Now go!"


(Voting Confessional: Scott)

Scott drew an X over a photograph of Topher.

"You were better off our team anyway, and having you last any longer would be a huge mistake. I just hope Dave votes for you too." Scott said.


(Voting Confessional: Sky)

Sky showed a crossed out photo of Dave to the camera.

"I just really, really, don't want to be reminded of our past mistakes." Sky explained. "And you're like, the biggest reminder of all."


(Voting Confessional: Sierra)

Sierra put an X over a photograph of Gwen.

"Real sorry Gwen, I still have lots of respect for you. But, if past trends are any indiction, there's a good chance you might win." Sierra explained.


(Voting Confessional: Dave)

Dave held up his Invincibility Idol.

"Okay, so first off I'd like to let you all know that I'm using this idol." Dave said before pausing a second. "I just don't know on who... It's ether Topher or Sky for me. I could vote for Sky to end our feud, or I can play it safe and vote for Topher to keep Scott on my side. I don't know yet."


(Voting Confessional: Amy)

Amy put an X over a picture of Dave and then showed it to the camera.

"I don't know much about you but after our little argument today, I don't think I like you that much." Amy remarked.


(Voting Confessional: Lightning)

Lightning drew an X over a picture of Sierra.

"Sorry man, but the less people on this show, the better." Lightning said.


(Voting Confessional: Topher)

Topher showed a crossed out photo of Scott to the camera.

"Scott seems like a powerful player which definitely is a threat to me." Topher explained.


(Voting Confessional: Shawn)

Shawn drew an X over Sierra's picture.

"Nothing against you, but the more I think about it, the more I realize you just might be smarter than I realize." Shawn stated.


(Voting Confessional: Gwen)

Gwen crossed out a photograph of Scott.

"I really don't like you, Scott." Gwen remarked. "Simple as that, really."


A little while later, Chris had stepped back up on stage after the voting had taken place.

"Okay everyone, I've got some news. First off, the Gold Invincibility Idol has been used. I won't say who, but I just thought you'd like to know. Exciting right? And secondly, the votes have been tabulated and our big loser is official now." Chris stated. "But first, let's talk about our winners. Lightning, Shawn, Amy, Sky, you three received zero votes."

Chris threw the both of them their Gilded Chris Awards.

"Wow, there are still a lot of you left." Chris remarked. "Usually doesn't happen. Anyway, the next people I'm about to list got votes against them but not enough to be in the bottom two. And that list consists of..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

"... Scott, Dave, and Gwen!"

Chris tossed the three of them their awards.

"Phew, that felt like a close one." Dave remarked.

"So, with that out of the way, it's either Sierra or Topher that will be leaving tonight." Chris explained. "Not who I was expecting but still seems like it could be exciting. So, this final Gilded Chris Award of the night will go to one of you. And the recipient is..."

...

...

...

...

...

...

"... Sierra!"

Chris threw the final Gilded Chris Award to Sierra.

"Yes! Still in it!" Sierra cheered before looking over to Topher. "Oh, sorry, Topher."

"Aw man, I really thought I was gonna make it far." Topher remarked.

"Sorry pal, that's how it goes sometimes." Chris told him. "Now if you wouldn't mind showing yourself the way out..."

"Right, right, making my way to the Lame-o-sine." Topher replied. "See you around everyone!"

Topher stood up from the bleachers, walked down the red carpet, and entered the limo. He sat down inside the limousine and looked into the camera.

"Well, it sucks that I'm leaving but it wasn't all bad." Topher remarked. "I got to be around my idol and made it to the merge this time. So, y'know, not all that bad. Yeah, I think I'm okay with this... Kinda."

The scene cut to outside the limousine as it drove off. Once it was gone, Chris walked to the edge of the red carpet.

"And there you have it folks the first elimination of the merge has happened leaving eight contestants behind." Chris told the audience. "Things are getting exciting around here. So be sure to stick around for some more Total. Drama. Champions!"


Merged Contestants: Scott, Gwen, Dave, Sky, Amy, Shawn, Lightning, Topher, and Sierra

Eliminated:

Jo the Bossy Jock (18th Place)

Justin the Attractive Model (17th Place)

Max the Wannabe Super Villain (16th Place)

Cody the Self Proclaimed Ladies Man (15th Place)

Tyler the Clumsy Jock (14th Place)

Zoey the Indie Chick (13th Place)

DJ the Gentle Giant (12th Place)

Anne Maria the Jersey Shore Girl (11th Place)

Cameron the Bubble Boy (10th Place)

Topher the Chris Wannabe (9th Place)

Votes:

Sky: Dave

Shawn: Sierra

Lightning: Sierra

Topher: Scott

Sierra: Gwen

Amy: Dave

Gwen: Scott

Scott: Topher

Dave: Topher (x2 from idol)

Results:

Topher: 3 Votes (x2 by idol)

Sierra: 2 Votes

Dave: 2 Votes

Scott: 2 Votes

Gwen: 1 Vote


And that's the chapter. Once again, I'm real sorry about the long gap between chapters. But anyway, I hope you guys liked the chapter and like I said earlier, my other story (Strange People) should be up later this week too. By the way, as for Topher's elimination, it was tough to pick the first boot of the merge when I wrote out the boot order, but in the end I decided that all the others had some sort of plot I wanted to expand on further. Anyway, that's all I've gotta say about this chapter. Thanks for reading.