The night after the elimination ceremony had passed quite peacefully, as a slight breeze permeated the air throughout the night. Lance was standing on the dock at sunrise ready to give a recap of the previous night.

"Last time, on Total Drama Tropic," Lance began, "we had a prank war that unfortunately did not live up to my expectations. Some of the campers straight up quit the challenge. How outrageous is that? We also said good-bye to Daniella. It turns out that sneaking off someone during a challenge is not the way to win the game. How surprising. Today's challenge will be packed with drama. Expect to see tears, breakdowns, and maybe even a few fights. I can't wait. Can you? Stay tuned for more on Total Drama Tropic!"

"Cut!"


Michelle and Monique were on the north part of the island on a small hill that overlooked the water below. It was one of the most gorgeous places on the island.

"Thanks for coming here with me," Monique said to Michelle. "I just needed to clear my head after last night. I could barely sleep the entire night."

"I completely understand why you're worried, but honestly, it's just how the game works," Michelle said. "People are going to go after you at some point. You have to just let it happen."

"I know that. I'm just worried that I've been doing something horrible to someone else and I've been blind to it," Monique expressed. "Yeah, I'd like to win, sure, but I can't do it by hurting someone else."

"I get that," Michelle sympathized. "Trust me, nothing you've done so far has been harmful. You're not that kind of person. That's why it was so easy to become friends with you. Our team is lucky to have someone like you."

Monique smiled when she heard this. "Thanks, Michelle. I really needed that."


Confessional:

Monique: Michelle is right. I haven't done anything immoral to anyone on this team. That does help me feel a little better knowing that Michelle will be someone I can confide in. I just wish I knew the real reason why I had voted against me.

Michelle: I felt good helping Monique sort out her problem. But that got me thinking. How much about the rest of the team do I actually know? Honestly, not a whole lot. I'll feel a lot more confident knowing what the others are planning.


Below Michelle and Monique, the members of Team Neon were enjoying their jet ski outing. Shayli and Adrian had the most skill out of their team.

"How are you go good at this?" Adrian yelled as he avoided the spray from Shayli's jet ski.

"I did this last year in Key West" she yelled back. "I guess I retained my skill."

"I'm a bit jealous," Adrian belted as he began to catch up to Shayli. "This is sick."

"You'll get better," Shayli said. "You'll just ge trailed in the process." Shayli sped up her jet ski, leaving Adrian behind. He immediately tried to catch up.


Confessional:

Shayli: Now that I think of it, this will be the first summer where my family won't have our June vacation. I miss being with them. This island is nice, but home is nicer.


Far behind the two, Rowena and Otto were moving at a conservative pace to avoid falling off and getting soaked.

"You know what? I'm having fun just doing this," Otto said to Rowena. "No point in risking it."

"Shayli and Adrian bolted off right away," Rowena said. "I guess they're the only ones who've done this before. It's better to learn now rather than later."

"My brother and my dad did this before at a lake in France," Otto recalled. "They wanted me and my sister to go do it but we were too scared. I don't really regret it much."

"As long as you don't live life with a bunch of regrets then I suppose it's alright," Rowena said. "Speaking of regrets, I'll regret not trying to go as fast as I can."

Rowena immediately sped off, bobbing up and down on the surface of the water. "Definitely don't regret this."

Unlike the others, who were all having an adrenaline rush, Jaime was not enjoying the reward.

"I genuinely thought this would be fun, but this is terrible," Jaime thought to himself as he dried off in the sun after falling in the water a few times. In nearly an hour since Team Neon reported to the dock, Jaime had only gone about a quarter mile, whereas the others had gone well over one.

A loud motorized noise suddenly approached Jaime rapidly from behind. Jaime turned his head to look behind him and saw Shayli coming toward him rapidly with Adrian not too far behind.

"Jaime, MOVE!" Shayli yelled as she came close and closer towards him.

"I can't!" Jaime yelled back with a frustrated tone.

A few seconds later, Shayli whizzed right by Jaime leaving him soaked and bobbing in the water unsteadily. He wiped some of the water off of his face but immediately after, Adrian's jet ski smacked into Jaime's, hurling both of them plunging into the water.

"Holy shit," Adrian said. "That was not supposed to happen."

"Yeah, clearly," Jaime said sarcastically as he hopped back on the jet ski. "This fucking sucks."

"Sorry," Adrian said as he get back on his jet ski. "Maybe try, I don't know, moving next time."

Adrian sped off leaving Jaime in a state of angry disbelief.


Confessional:

Jaime: Such a great way to start off the day. (He rolls his eyes.) Looks like I'm never trying this again. I just hope there won't be any challenges like this because I'll be fucked.


On the east of the island, Helena was laying on a few large, flat rocks the jutted out from the after. Her totaled jet ski was a few feet away, its engine smoking and exposed through the metal.

"Lance didn't say that we'd be punished for crashing one of these," Helena thought to herself. "I still probably should've been paying attention. Too late now," she shrugged as she got off of the rocks and went back to the cabin.

On her way back, she spotted Lotus and Devin in the shallow part of the water. "More couples? Didn't expect those two," she said to herself as she she walked down the beach.

Devin was floating on his back, the front of his body completely emerged from the water.

"How can you float like that?" Lotus asked. She was lightly treading water. The sand on the sea bad was just below her height.

"It takes core strength," Devin said as he stopped floating and stood up instead. "You also just need to relax."

"I'm trying to relax," Lotus said. "This game is already kinda stressful."

"Really," Devin said as he swam closer to Lotus. "Why is that?"

"Liv is gone and she was the only person that I really talked to and I just feel like I'm not being a likeable person," Lotus confessed.

Devin looked concerned when he heard this. "You have me. And I doubt anyone would disregard anyone with as much talent and personality as you."

"I guess you're right," Lotus said. "Sometimes I worry that maybe I act too outrageous to people and that drives them away."

"Well, you're wrong for thinking that," Devin said strongly. "You're a great person to be around. Why do you think I'm here?"

Lotus blushed. "Well, it does sound a lot better when you put it that way." She floated over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "It looks like Team Krypton as a new couple now, huh?"

Devin returned another kiss and smiled. "Sure looks that way."


Carson and Felix were still lounging in their side of their team's cabin.

"It really sucks that Daniella is gone," Carson said. "I was sure we had enough votes for someone else. Unless someone didn't vote the way we planned."

Felix looked concerned as Carson looked suspiciously at him. "Hey, it wasn't me, dude. I'm honest and I can tell you my vote was for Monique last night. I promise you that."

Carson shrugged when he heard this. "I don't think you're lying. Someone is though. Either Lara or Daniella must've switched. Daniella did seem shocked when I told her that she might be going. Maybe she didn't believe me."

"It's not a big deal," Felix said. "You're still here. I'm still here. We have to lookout for ourselves more than anyone. You know that."

Carson sighed. "Yeah. But looking out for yourself involves looking out for others and I haven't been doing that real well."

"Whatever you say," Felix said as he got up. "Play the game how you want." Felix left Carson by himself on the boys' side of the cabin.


Confessional:

Felix: Did I vote for Monique? No. That would've been a stupid choice. Carson clearly wasn't thinking about how eliminating one of our best member would affect the rest of us. It's better he doesn't know about my vote.


Angelica and Emily were tanning on the beach near a cove at the northern end of the island. Both had on sunglasses and were wearing

swimsuits.

"This is how summer should be spent," Angelica said happily. "On a beach with friends. You can't beat it."

"Couldn't agree more," Emily said. "This wasn't the vacation I had planned to have this summer but it's worth it. It certainly beats going to the Grand Canyon."

Angelica shrugged. "I dunno. I've wanted to go to go there for a while but it's a long trip from where we live."

"Where do you live?" Emily asked. "I don't think I've asked."

"Upstate New York. Sorta near Syracuse," Angelica said. "What about you?"

"Tucson," Emily said. "Arizona. A lot of people don't know where that is."

"Interesting. How how does it get there? I always assumed the southwest was like Hell," Angelica said.

"Yeah it's not rare to have temperatures in the 100's," Emily said. "Being here is actually cooler surprisingly."

"That must really suck," Angelica lamented. "I could never do that. Unless if I was paid."

"You get used to it."


Confessional:

Angelica: This show really does bring people from all around together. Without being here, I would've never met Emily or anyone else and that would suck. Friends can be found anywhere, I guess.


Lara was doing yoga on the beach outside the cabins. She had brought a yoga mat from her home and had it laying over the damp sand.

A breeze blew through her hair. "Finally, I can relax again," she thought to herself as she extended her legs backward and leaned backward.

"What are you doing?" Landon asked as he ran down the beach. "Yoga? I guess we all have our own interests."

"What exactly do you do to pas the time? Trampoline? What are you, 7?" Lara scoffed back, still keeping her eyes closed.

"No, that was just improvising," Landon said, feeling the sarcasm. "I was actually on a run. Nothing wrong with that."

"Fair enough," Lara said. "But if we have a physical challenge, you'll be all tired out. Risky choice."

Landon thought about that for a moment. "Hmm. It was only a jog anyways. Nothing too strenuous."

"Maybe you should think ahead of time," Lara advised. "It might save you one day."

"Sure," Landon shrugged. "Keep doing what you're doing," he said as he went off.


Confessional:

Landon: Lara had a point about wasting my energy. But I think staying in shape for challenges is a bit more important. One day it'll pay off for me.


Henrique was reading a science-fiction novel in his bed. He was the last one left on his team to leave the cabin; he was enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Huh, didn't expect that," Henrique thought as he raised his eyebrows after finishing a chapter. "I guess it does make sense thinking about it."

A few pages later, the door opened behind Henrique's bunk. Sebastian and Xavier walked back in, still wet and in their swimsuits.

"You should dry off better next time," Henrique scolded. "Now the floor will be all wet."

"It's not a huge deal," Xavier shrugged. "We dried off the best we could."

"Well I don't want to have a moldy floorboard to deal with for the rest of the summer," Henrique stated.

"We'll only be in here for a few minutes just so we can change for the challenge," Sebastian said. "What are you reading anyways?"

"A book about a dystopian future," Henrique said. "It's fine. Not a super unique book or anything."

"How can you spend a nice morning like this in here?" Xavier asked. "You could at least read outside."

"The heat tires me out," Henrique said. "I prefer not to tire myself if I can avoid it."

"Whatever," Xavier said as he grabbed his clothes and went to change in the bathroom.

"Personally, I'd rather spend the day inside also, but the weather is never this nice where I live," Sebastian said.

"Yeah the weather back home isn't great either," Henrique said. "I just don't care enough to get out."


Confessional:

Sebastian: I feel like Henrique and Xavier don't get along very well. I wish they would be more amicable because I like both of them but they just have some tension for some weird reason.

Henrique: Being judged for staying inside during summer? I thought I left that at home with my mother. I love her to death but she always pressures me to be more active and I just don't care. She knows that.


A short while later, Lance had called all of the campers to the Mess Hall for breakfast. They had all finished by the time Lance arrived.

"Greetings, everyone," Lance said as he entered the room, shifting everyone's attention toward himself. "I hope you're ready to uncover some deep secrets from your fellow campers because that's the theme of today's challenge. I'll explain a bit more after you all change into your swimwear and meet at the dock. I'll see you all there."


Confessional:

Rowena: Uncovering secrets? Um, yeah no thanks. I don't have much to hide but there are still things that I don't want to be revealed. How will Lance even know these things anyways?


About 10 minutes later, everyone was gathered at the dock with a change in outfit. Everyone was looking in wonder at a confusing looking object that seemed to appear over the water. It contained 3 bench seats, one per team, and a few industrial fans, all propped up by individual levers.

"I see everyone is admiring our engineers' creation," Lance smiled to the others.

"Yeah, but what exactly is that?" Jaime asked.

"I was getting to that," Lance informed. "Today's challenge will be a quiz. Now, I know that you all just got finished with school and tests are the last thing on your minds, but this one is different. The questions will be asked contain secrets that our producers have uncovered from each of your pasts."

Some of the campers looked worried after hearing this news.

"Here's how the game will play out. I'll ask each of the teammates one question per round. For Team Neon and Xenon, since there are only 6 of you, your teams will each nominate one person to answer the final question per round. There will be 2 rounds. The first round will consist of someone from each team being asked a question with the answer being someone from their own team. A correct answer is one point. There is a twist in round 2 which I will address when the time comes. However, an incorrect response will result in your team's bench being lowered into the water. When it raises back up, our fans will turn on full power, leaving you team shivering cold. You know, just an incentive to answer correctly," Lance detailed. "Are you all ready?"

"Does everyone have an answer dedicated specifically to them?" Angelica asked.

"Good question. Yes. Everyone has at least one question pertaining to them. Some of the more interesting contestants have numerous questions," Lance informed. "Is that all?"

Everyone nodded.

"Alright," Lance nodded. "Everyone, swim out to your bench. We'll begin shortly."

As the campers swam out toward the construct, Lance turned to a cameraman.

"The challenge didn't even start and some of our campers are already nervous. That's just what I wanted to see. Will there be tears? Fights? Rage-induced outbreaks? I sure hope so. Find out what happens when we return to Total Drama Tropic!"

"Cut!"


A/N: Well, this chapter took longer than I had hoped, but I suppose I'm getting better with consistent updates. I'll get back into a better system... eventually. Anyways, this challenge should be a lot of fun to write. Some campers will have secrets revealed that will change the course of the game. I can't promise anything, but I sure hope you all view some characters after this chapter. If you read this chapter and have any feedback, I'd love to hear it! Until next time.