Author's Note
Here we are folks, the second Aftermath! Just about half way through what I feel has been an exciting season. Next week's episode is, predictably, not quite done yet; delayed by a combination of the musical number and some changes I've made to the plot. But trust me when I say it'll be a dramatic start to the third quarter of World Tour.
Admittedly, the delay in getting the chapter finished is gonna make tomorrow quite busy - not only will I be finishing that, but I'll also be putting out a much-awaited chapter of Total Drama Rebirth as well! Plus, I'll also be starting a rewatch of Revenge of the Island in preparation for next season.
Oh, and Halloween is tomorrow, but I'm not really doing anything for it. I do hope those of you celebrating it have fun!
And now, the reviews.
Elizabeth Life Stone: Is that so? Well then, kudos for predicting the unpredictable.
DSX62415: Ehh, Scott's been fun to write as the villain who just can't seem to get going. Even if people don't really like him, he has his place in the story. Sugar too, for that matter. As for Scarlett...well, I'll talk more about her at a later date.
TaitanoRules555: Why? I'll admit I enjoy happy endings, but only for those who deserve one - and Scott has a long way to go before he deserves one.
acosta perez jose ramiro: Haha, thanks! Sugar, I think, was underutilized as a villain in canon. She clearly understands how to be devious, and can pull it off, but mostly she was just given the typical bad jokes associated with fat people. I'm glad I've been able to show more of her character this season.
PizzaTheBomb: Yeah, that's kind of what I've been trying to do with Sierra this season, to some extent at least. She's the person who knows a lot about her castmates, as well as what the fans want. She is, I think, what she could have been in canon without the Cody obsession. And...really, you couldn't follow along with last week's song? I said in the Post Script that the tune was the same as 'Oh My Izzy'...
CVluvFoxy: I'm glad I was able to surprise you with Scott's elimination, and even more so that you're rooting for Sugar! Not to spoil anything, though, I just like knowing she has fans among my readers. And as for what happens with the note, well, you'll have to wait for next week...but for now, I hope you enjoy the Aftermath!
P. T. Piranha: Thanks! It doesn't seem like much to me when I recreate canon visuals like that, but I'm glad people like it. And I guess it is a little funny that Team Victory is still doing the worst, even though it's not something I ever thought about intentionally doing; it's just one of those things that just sort of happened.
Explorer of the Unknown: Oh ho, it's been a while...long enough for me to have to look back and see that you changed your name, 80jj. But don't worry, I understand - I myself have never been the best at reviewing the stories I've read, so I won't hold anything against you. I'm glad you've enjoyed the season so far, even if I have given an early boot to a few people you wanted to see longer; likewise, I'm happy you're liking my portrayal of Sugar. I hope you like what is to come, and I'll certainly read your newest project once it comes out.
Glowing Insanity: Glad I was able to take you off-guard with Scott's DQ. And yeah, Sugar was faking it in the song; she wanted to make herself out to be a victim in order to distance herself from Scott's increasingly bad reputation. And as for Dawn...well, you'll find out sooner or later.
I. M. Poik: Yeah, the biggest problem with Team Universe is that Scarlett was such an obvious first boot from the team, and in fact the only first boot that works for me; but at the same time, I wanted to make sure her exit was at the right time. Admittedly, I did change some things in the recent weeks, but still... As for Scott, it's true that he has more antagonistic potential, but...well, it just wasn't his season. Again. As for what happens this week, and whether or not anything will be revealed...just read on and find out!
FOWLKON: To be fair, Scott had pissed Chris off a little with his outright refusal to let the host interrupt. And yeah, a fair trope assessment of Sugar's path in the season thus far. And if nothing else, I'm glad I've been able to keep long-time readers on their toes. As for Dawn...as I've said, you'll have to wait and see.
Guest: Ehh, I'm not really a fan of Cody or his 'relationship' with Sierra, so don't count on it ever showing up in the Shuffledverse.
Animation Adventures: Excellent, the twists were successful against yet another reader. You'll have to wait until next week at the earliest to see how Sugar's strategy has changed with her original two allies out of the game, though. For Scarlett...well, you'll find out eventually what I have in store for her. And for Scott...well, who knows. I knew going into the season that he was gonna be another 'Disc One Final Boss' as in season one, and I'm glad I decided to invoke the 'sing or leave' rule with him. For better or worse, he played his part.
aloasa: Yeah, weird was kinda what I was going with for last week's episode. The song fizzled, two antagonists got booted unceremoniously...but in some ways, this is just the beginning.
OMAC001: Oho, a bold prediction. I look forward to seeing how you and others react to the rest of the plot as it unfolds.
LadyEnigma888: I'm glad you liked it! I'm always happy to surprise my readers, it's not good to be predictable all the time. As for Sugar...personally, I don't think she's smarter than in canon per say, just that her odd sort of deviousness is being better displayed. Still, I'm glad you're liking her so far!
Knifez: Ehh, maybe that's how other people would write it but if I'd intended it to be a more AleHeather-esque denial I'd have included some sort of slip-up where he accidentally says she's cute or something more specific. But hey, it's not something that's really come up here or in Rebirth so maybe it's just something I haven't been able to fully work out yet. That aside, I am really glad you liked the chapter, especially after you originally said you hoped there wouldn't be a double elimination. I was a little worried that Sugar's betrayal of Scott would feel a little rushed, but it seems like most everybody has loved it. As for Scarlett...well, I do have some stuff to say about her role in this season, but it'll have to wait for a later date I'm afraid. I neglected to focus on Alejandro and Sammy's alliance last week primarily because I already had a lot to do with Scott's DQ, and since I figured Scarlett getting targeted would be obvious there wasn't much need for a reminder that Alejandro and Sammy are allies now.
The Prime Writer: Hey, no worries, nothing wrong with not reviewing because you have other more important matters to attend to. Especially since you've written such a thorough review of the past few chapters, and of most of the characters. There's not a whole lot I can reply to, but I really do appreciate the thought you put into. I'm looking forward to reading your reactions to the rest of the series, should you have time and opportunity to make them known.
Star Saber21: Yup, it was a real victory for Sugar last week. It was pretty fun writing her getting one over on Scott, Scott's subsequent downfall, and to a lesser extent Scarlett's elimination. Even though having so many villains in the cast is annoying, at the same time having them all be so different from one another leads to some interesting situations. I hope you enjoy what's to come!
Bruno14: Yeah, pretty much! I'm glad you liked it, and thanks for the review!
StayOuttaMyShed: It might be awhile before you see this, but I'm glad you're catching up. I'm glad you liked the teams, and I hope you're at least okay with the elimination order - I know Team Universe doesn't really lose anyone that often, but I've decided it's almost a necessary evil for what I want out of the story. I hope you enjoyed Scott's tenure as a villain, and as for Staci...well, you'll find out eventually.
wifishark: Well, I'm not sure if I'd specifically call him a Butt Monkey, but he is certainly the villain with the least success in the Shuffledverse. The dude just can't catch a break, but that's what happens when he ends up in a show with so many other possible antagonists. At least he lasted longer this time. And I know what you mean about Scarlett needing to have gone earlier, and had I come up with a good idea that I liked I would have done so, but that's just not the case. I'll explain this more at a later date, probably.
Yandere Triangle Monster: Jeez, cutting it close with this; I was just about finished writing these up when I saw you'd posted a review. But no matter; Scott played the part that I wanted him to play, and though he's gone I'm interested in hearing how your predictions have changed.
And that's it for the reviews! Other than those, the TVTropes page for this series could always use more work. I greatly appreciate the effort everyone has put into it so far!
It's not too relevant since it's an Aftermath this week, but here are the remaining competitors:
Team Victory - Ezekiel, Tyler
Team Chris is Really Really Really Really Mean - Shawn, Sierra, DJ
Team Universe - Sammy, Alejandro, Ella, Sugar
We're just about at the halfway mark of the season, so I hope you enjoy this interlude in the main plot!
- Fangren
Episode 12 – Aftermath: Revenge of the Telethon
An electric guitar riff opened the episode on a sequence last used six episodes prior, the spinning globe and flashing title of 'TOTAL DRAMA WORLD TOUR AFTERMATH'. The blocky letters exploded in a flash of light that took over the screen, transitioning to a scene from a previous episode.
xxx
"I love you, Geoff!" Bridgette said quickly as Geoff and her teammates rushed over. She tried to reach out to her lover, but the wind caught her from behind and pulled her away from the plane's doorway and out into the open air.
"I love you too, Bridgette!" Geoff called back sadly, leaning out the open door as the camera fell away from it, mimicking the eliminated surfer's viewpoint.
xxx
The Aftermath logo appeared again, and it's glare transitioned the scene a second time.
xxx
"Later dudes!" Geoff waved to his former teammates with a happy grin, the parachute pack on his back as he stood in the open doorway. "I hope you get everything you deserve!" With a whoop of excitement he jumped backwards into the open air, his final shout of "Geronimo!" heard by everyone in the elimination chamber.
xxx
A third appearance from the Aftermath logo marked the transition to a third clip.
xxx
"SHOVE IT, MCLEA-AAAAAAHHHH!" Scott tried to shout, but his fury caused the eels clinging to him to let loose and shock him for a good couple of seconds. He was left twitching, and promptly sank into the lagoon.
The scene immediately cut forward to the farmer lying in the infirmary bed, Chris McLean giving him a stern look from the end of it then turning his back. "You had your chance, Scott," he told the boy, "and you blew it. You are officially disqualified from the competition."
xxx
(Fade to Opening Theme)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
You guys are on my mind!
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
I wanna be...famous!
I wanna live close to the sun!
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;
I'll get there one day.
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
(Fade to Episode)
xxx
The Aftermath's short introductory animation repeated itself once again, this time eliciting a roar of applause from the in-house audience as the scene cut to the studio. Several changes had been made to the stage since it was last seen, the least of which was the removal of the second guest couch. The central big screen TV displayed the show's title, and was now joined stage left by another hanging monitor displaying a few dollar signs against a reddish starburst design on a pale pink background. At the bottom of the second display was a row of empty boxes, seven of them the same size with two smaller ones raised up at the right end.
Below the second display was the Peanut Gallery, who now sat at two raised tables – Topher, B, Beardo, and Lightning in the top row; Jo, Beth, and Amy in the bottom. Their appeared to be an old rotary telephone sitting in front of each former contestant.
Standing at center stage were Dakota and Sam, and they were dressed much more formally than usual – the gamer was in a tuxedo, while the heiress was wearing a sleek and expensive-looking dark pink gown.
"Good evening!" Dakota greeted with a happy squeal. "I'm Dakota, and this is my amazing cohost, Sam!" she motioned to her boyfriend, who waved at the camera.
"We're coming to you live," he said, his smile fading into a more serious look, "because we need your help to raise some money for a seriously worthy cause."
"I totally know what you're thinking," Dakota continued, "what could we possibly be raising money for? Well think back to the last episode when the Total Drama jet crash landed in Jamaica. Such a tragedy, am I right?"
"Totally," Sam nodded. "And it could've been avoided if they'd just had more gas! Unfortunately, our host blew the show's budget on stuff for himself."
"And a gold-lined hot tub is so tacky," Dakota added with a knowing look. "Unless we raise money for a refueling, our friends could all be stuck in Jamaica forever!" The camera zoomed in on her dramatically as the audience gasped.
"All of Total Drama could be canceled," Sam added with a concerned look. "And that means us, too! Which is why tonight, we're bringing you..."
"Total Drama the Telethon!" Dakota finished as the screen cut to a logo reading "TDM TELETHON" in two lines of big block letters, the top green and bottom white. It was set against a pink-and-purple flowery background adorned with stars and music notes, and the screen quickly star-wiped back to the studio as the crowd applauded.
"The phone lines are open," Sam said, he and Dakota on the central couch and the telephone number '1-800-555-5555' displayed on the bottom of the screen. "So please," the gamer pleaded, "for the show we all love, call now and donate." Another round of applause went up, and the two hosts shared a happy look and stood up.
"Please welcome our first special guests," Dakota said with a gesture stage right.
"Drama to Drama!" she and Sam announced the band at the same time, the shot cutting to the three boys and sasquatch in their stage clothes. Beardo was on the left holding a keytar, Topher had his tambourine, Sasquatchanakwa was center-right with a guitar, and B was furthest right with his keyboard. The four smiled and waved at the camera and audience, who cheered them on.
The shot cut to the three girls in the Peanut Gallery, Beth standing up to cheer for her friends while Jo raised an eyebrow at her and Amy just huffed and rolled her eyes.
~/~
[The number opened with a close-up of the keytar as Beardo began to play, his bandmates joining in with claps punctuating the beats. The camera quickly pulled back as Dakota walked by in front of the band and began to sing.]
"This show, you need to save! This show, you gotta tell, this show! That you caa~aare!"
[The heiress sang in a high but mournful voice; as she repeated 'this show' a second time she motioned to the big screen as, one by one, portraits of the remaining contestants appeared over the Telethon logo – Tyler, Ezekiel, Shawn, Sierra, and DJ in the top row; Alejandro, Ella, Sugar, and Sammy in the bottom.]
"Jamaica, they're trapped down in! Jamaica, they can't even, Ja-party! It's so unfair!"
[Sam joined in with his husky voice, the image of the cast fading into a map of the island they were on. On the second 'Jamaica' it cut to the well-dressed gamer standing in front of a green screen playing a montage of clips from the season – the turbulence in both classes that had preceded the plane crash; Sierra and Beardo running in fear from the mummy-wrapped Staci in Egypt; the cast falling into New York harbor; Team Chris stacked on top of their goat as scarab beetle swarmed around them; Geoff accidentally causing the ice bridge Team Victory was standing on to crumble beneath them.]
"You gotta help now, we're on the brink!"
[Dakota added, appearing next to her boyfriend as the montage continued – the bear brandishing its chainsaw in the Louvre; the giant sewer alligator coughing up Team Chris' boat.]
"The crew gets fired, if this ship sinks!"
[Sam's line was accompanied by clips of Shawn, Sugar, and Scott fighting over the gold chain and getting shocked for it; then the jumbo jet's disastrous landing in front of the Eiffel Tower.]
"So make a difference, in their lives!"
[As Dakota sang, Geoff and DJ were shown kissing cod; Sierra was shown tricking Sugar in Central Park; Shawn was shown getting attacked by the bear and baby goat while trying to drive his golf cart through the Louvre; and Alejandro was shown getting hit in the face with raw sausage meat courtesy of Scarlett.]
"Give us cash or this show dies!"
[The two hosts sang the line together as they and the montage were temporarily replaced by an angled shot of a wheeled filing cabinet overflowing with cash.]
"Saaaave this show, Total Drama!"
[Dakota sang, the montage resuming but the telethon number replacing the hosts on-screen. Ezekiel was shown turning his back on a shocked and bedridden Scott; Team Victory was shown dangling from the icy cliff in the Yukon again; then tumbling forward end-over-end after their sausage sled collapsed in their ride down the Alps. Dakota appeared on-screen towards the end of her line.]
" Saaaave this show, you know you wanna!"
[Sam sang as his girlfriend bobbed her head and the montage continued – Sierra kicking Sammy off her dance pad; Team Universe getting attacked by giant caterpillars in the Amazon. The gamer appeared on-screen.]
"Save the show that you loo~oove~!"
[The host sang together as behind them the cast landed in a giant bowl of rice in Japan; then Sugar got attacked by piranhas after dropping off the zipline into the Amazon River.]
"Saaaave this show, Total Drama!"
[Dakota repeated after she and Sam faded away, the montage showing the cast fleeing for their lives as Machu Picchu crumbled around them; the slap-dancers getting shocked all at once as their practice ended; Team Victory getting cornered by the fake Zing-Zings; and the crashed plane on the Jamaican beach at sunset.]
"Saaaave this show, so call the number!"
[Sam continued as the next few clips were shown – Scarlett, Scott, and Sierra dryly predicting the moment the cast was unceremoniously dropped out of the cargo bay door they'd gathered on; Chris' fishing boat approaching the cast treading water in the North Atlantic; and the final jazz hand-filled shot from the very first musical number of the season.]
"Save the show with loo~oove, and five hundred thousand dollars!"
[Sam and Dakota sang together as they faded back on-screen; the montage ended with a rising shot of the plane used in the first musical number before it faded into a beating red heart set against orange, yellow, and green rays. The heart faded away as well, getting replaced by a dollar sign that both hosts motioned to.]
"Save the show, man. Just give us some dough...give us some love and some dough."
[Sam finished as his sorrowful head took the place of the dollar sign, the other hosts fading away again. The scene star-wiped to the TDM Telethon logo and telephone number as the music wrapped up and the crowd went wild.]
~/~
The scene cut to the Peanut Gallery as Blaineley walked onto stage. "That's right," she told the camera as a trendy tune began to play, "you need to give us five-hundred-thousand dollars in the next half-hour." She spread her arms wide as the shot moved in for a close-up, then smiled. "Hi, I'm Blaineley Stacey Andrews O'Halloran," she introduced herself. "And I'm your co-host!"
"Uhh, don't you mean you're the roving reporter?" Sam asked in annoyance, earning a gasp from the audience as Blaineley scowled.
She quickly resumed smiling, however, and her trendy tune resumed as well. "I'm thrilled to be here tonight, co-hosting with Dakota and Sam," she told the camera.
"Hey, wasn't she gonna go back to her old job at Celebrity Manhunt?" the gamer whispered aside to his girlfriend.
"Oh, she tried," Dakota giggled, "but they totally said no."
Blaineley's music resumed once more as the camera cut back to her. "I'll keep you posted on the total as your calls and your cash," she winked and the telephone number appeared again, "pour in. This is the number," she looked down at the on-screen text. "Call now, we have gifts!"
"For a donation of only twenty-five dollars," Dakota said as the screen was taken over by a rotating reddish-orange sunburst pattern and the music was taken over by a familiar zany theme as a certain packet of disgusting snack foods spun into view, "you'll get a commemorative box of delicious and nutritious Yummy Happy Go-Time Fishtails!" The crowd applauded, and the heiress quickly and quietly added "Strictly decorative, do not eat, may not be legal in all provinces, keep out of reach of children."
"And for fifty dollars," Sam added as the zany Japanese theme was replaced by the series' own them and the screen sort of flipped around to a close-up of a scrawny white person wearing a dull blue t-shirt emblazoned with Chris' face, "you'll get a special commemorative Total Drama T-shirt! Sure, it looks like a plain tee," he added as the audience cheered, "but when you get it wet," he paused to chuckle as the shirt was splashed with water, causing it to shrink and the Chris head's colors to run, "it becomes a wet t-shirt...yeah." His last word was considerably less impressed.
"If you get a busy signal," Blaineley said as the scene cut back to her, "keep trying! You'll get through eventually!"
The shot cut to the fully-stocked Peanut Gallery where not a single telephone was ringing. The seven teens manning them looked around with a mixture of boredom and awkwardness.
"If amazing viewers like you don't start donating," Dakota told the camera with hands clasped in a pleading gesture, "like, soon, everyone here's gonna be out of a job! And for our friends in Jamaica, the nightmare will really begin."
"Our goal tonight is five-hundred-thousand dollars," Blaineley repeated, now holding a clipboard as a different but more familiar trendy theme played. "And thanks to your donations, so far we've raised a grand total of..." The music peaked as the shot cut to the donation counter hanging above the Peanut Gallery; it's numbers started rolling up, and stopped with a ding on...0s across the board.
"Nothing?!" Blaineley announced in shock, the audience gasping in shock as well.
"Like, seriously?!" Dakota exclaimed in shock and annoyance of her own.
She hung her head, and the camera panned slightly to focus on Sam. "Let's welcome our first guest," he told his girlfriend, "and encourage her fans to call in!"
"Ooh, good idea!" Dakota squealed, suddenly happy again. "She was the victim of a plot to break up her and her boyfriend," she told the camera as it focused on her, "and ended up voting herself off the show, it's Bridgette!"
Both hosts stood up and clapped along with the audience as the surfer walked out on stage with a smile and wave.
"So great to see you, Bridgette!" Dakota said, giving her fellow blonde a hug after she walked over between the hosts. "Why don't you tell us about the gifts you've brought for people who donate in your name!"
"Gladly," Bridgette laughed. "Every donation you make tonight earns you a raffle ticket towards winning surfing lessons from myself!"
"Ooh, I bet there's a lot of people out there who'd love to win that!" Dakota said with a wink at the camera.
The shot cut to the Peanut Gallery where all seven telephones were now ringing and being answered. "Huhuh, yeah, I guess Bridgette has a lot of fans," Sam chuckled.
"Yeah," Blaineley corrected, "Amy's complaining to her mother, and Topher's making a pitch to the producers."
The camera cut to the host wannabe as he said "You're gonna need a new host sooner or later, I'm just saying," with a smarmy grin.
"Which means our new fundraising total is," Blaineley said in annoyance with a motion towards the donation tracker. It rolled up again, and stopped with a ding on 304 dollars exactly. "Three-hundred and four dollars!" Blaineley announced. "And three-hundred of that came from somebody who just wanted to hear B be silent to her over the telephone," she added with a roll of her eyes.
B smirked at the camera and gave a thumbs-up.
"Hey, great job man," Sam told him. "Who knew you were so popular with the ladies? But we've still got a long way to go," he turned and told the camera.
"C'mon, everyone, I know you can do this!" Dakota pleaded.
"Umm, hello?" Amy interrupted brattily. "Why don't you just donate the rest of the money? Isn't five-hundred thousand, like, less than pocket change to you?"
"Umm, well...," Dakota said, averting her gaze and hiding a blush.
"Hey, uhh, Dakota has her reasons for not donating, just trust me okay?" Sam quickly intervened.
"But she could save the whole show herself!" Beth countered with a look of almost betrayal.
"Actually," Blaineley interrupted with a mischievous grin, "I happen to have some inside information about that."
"No you don't," Dakota denied immediately.
"Oh yes I do!" Blaineley countered.
Dakota looked like she was going to angrily say something else, only for Sam to sigh and put a hand on hers. "Look, you might as well just say it yourself," he told her. "You know she's not gonna let you keep dodging it like last time."
The heiress whined in utter despair, and Sam took another breath. "Look, the reason she hasn't just donated it all herself is because...," he told the others, "...her dad cut her off."
Bridgette on the guest couch, the audience, and the Peanut Gallery gasped in shock as Blaineley's grin turned more devilish.
"It's true," Dakota admitted. "Between my spin-off and the Aftermath getting renewed, Daddy decided that I had a stable job and I could earn my own money from now on. But I don't get paid nearly as much as what my allowance used to be, so before I knew it I'd spent nearly all of what I had, and now...now...I'm poor!" Everyone gasped sharply again as she broke down crying into her hands, and Sam put a comforting arm around her.
"Well, she's more like upper middle class now," he explained to the others on stage, "but it's still a pretty harsh drop from what she's used to. She's figuring out how to support herself just fine, but she just doesn't have enough money saved up to save the show herself right now. It's really eating her up inside."
"Awww," Beth cooed along with a good chunk of the audience, causing Blaineley to roll her eyes in annoyance. "That's okay Dakota, we understand!" the wannabe told the crying hostess. "You're doing the best you can!"
"Y-you really think that?" Dakota sniffed, lifting her head and rubbing the tears from her eyes.
"Yeah!" Beth answered happily.
"Looks like the fans do too," Jo commented as the phones started ringing again.
"You know," Sam said with a sudden smile, "if that's getting donations, then I think I know how to get even more. How would you guys like to see an episode of Total Drama Fugitives?" he asked the audience as a dramatic riff played. He looked up at the big screen, which now displayed wanted posters of Staci and Dawn. "If you're interested, then call in! We won't show you any more until we hit ten thousand dollars, and believe me," he chuckled, " we have a lot of new info to share."
The phones were shown ringing again, and the hosts grinned. "Ooh, excellent!" Dakota squealed in anticipation. "All you Staci and Dawn fans, keep calling in!"
The sound of the donation tracker rolling up moved the camera's attention to Blaineley. "Ten thousand! Look, we just hit ten thousand!" she exclaimed as the audience cheered, and the shot changed to the tracker to show it reading $10,000.00 exactly.
"First, a newcomer to the segment," Sam said. "Scarlett was finally voted out last time, but like Staci she never showed up to be taken home."
"But at the end of the episode," Dakota added as the camera panned up to the big screen, "the cameras caught this image of what might be her ducking behind the plane." The television cut from static to the still image of the jumbo jet on the unnamed Jamaican beach, and it promptly zoomed in on the bit of red hair poking out from behind the landing gear.
"The moment the episode was over, we received tons of messages from all of you," Sam said as the shot cut back to the central couch, "telling us to check the plane for stowaways."
"And we did just that," Dakota said with a knowing smile. "And it didn't take us long to find this clip. Take a look!" She motioned back up to the big screen as it cut to static and took over the scene.
xxx
An eerie tune played as the clip opened on the cargo hold, a pounding coming from a distant floor panel. It as finally lifted off, and a shadowy figure darted out from the hole it had made to behind a stack of crates.
It lingered there for a second, then came back out and put the floor panel it had dislodged back into place. As it did so, it's top half leaned into the light just enough for Scarlett's determined face to be visible.
xxx
The audience gasped as the shot returned to the studio. "I know, right?" Dakota gushed. "What is she doing there?"
"Whatever it is," Sam said, "the others had better be careful. Scarlett's gotta be feeling pret-ty vengeful right about now."
"Totally," Dakota nodded. "But enough about her, let's move on to Dawn next." The camera focused on her as she turned to smile at it. "Not only have DJ and Sammy been seeing Dawn around them, but so have a lot of loyal fans. Tonight, we're gonna show you our two best leads."
"If you're a Dawn fan and think these are legit sightings of her, let us know with a donation," Sam added. "Our first clip comes from Mexico, so let's take a look." He looked up at the big screen as it cut to static once more.
xxx
The eerie music played once more as the clip opened on a deserted desert road at night, a railing and overhang in the foreground suggesting it was being filmed from the porch of a building. The camera was focused on a tumbleweed rolling down the road before suddenly jerking up to follow a Dawn-shaped silhouette as it ran across the dry earth. The figure passed behind a large saguaro cactus...and didn't come back out again.
xxx
The audience gasped, of course. "Okay, that definitely looked like Dawn," the gamer said.
"I don't know...," Dakota said uncertainly. "It was pretty dark out there, it could've been anyone. Now my clip," she smiled, "is totally her. Check it out!"
xxx
The next clip opened on a foggy Stonehenge, a Celtic tune playing despite the monument having nothing to do with those people. The camera quickly zoomed in on the top of one of the stone arches, where Dawn seemed to be sitting in her modified lotus position with her back to the camera. A particularly thick bank of fog drifted between her and the camera, and when it cleared away she was gone...
xxx
Another gasp issued from the audience as the shot cut back to the studio. "Now that was Dawn," Dakota said. "What do the viewers think, Blaineley?"
"We've gotten hundreds more calls so far," the older woman said as the camera moved to her. "And their donations have added a whopping..." The donation tracker was shown rolling up again, and stopped at a less-than-dramatic $10,500.00 "Five hundred bucks to our grand total," Blaineley said in a disappointed tone.
"Well, good thing we still have more to show!" Sam told Dakota.
"That we do, Sam!" Dakota smiled. "Once we get reach twenty thousand, we'll dish all the dirt we have on Staci!"
"Really," Blaineley asked in disbelief, "you think the viewers are gonna donate just to learn more about Staci. She's the least popular person on the show!"
"Was the least popular," Sam corrected. "But ever since she went AWOL, she's gained a lot of fans as people tried to track down where she was and where she might be going. And let me tell you," he chuckled, "they found a lot of stuff that we're gonna share once the total reaches twenty-thousand. Heck, we even have someone on webcam!"
"Hmmph," Blaineley rolled her eyes. "Well we've just passed the total you asked for," she added with a happy smile as the donation tracker was shown rolling up to $23,000.00, "so might as well give 'em what they asked for!"
"Sure will!" Dakota smiled. "Now, as you may remember from our last Aftermath, Staci was reportedly sighted in both Syria and Turkey. Since then, her fans have managed to trace her path up through Bulgaria and into Romania, where this photo was taken."
He motioned up at the big screen, which was now showing what looked like a small town set in the some forested and mountainous area. Staci was standing in the center of the picture, wearing a brown cloak as she walked along the side of the road but with the hood down so her entire head and face could be seen clearly.
"Guess she's not trying to hide," Sam joked over a surprised gasp from the crowd as the camera cut back to the hosts. "Makes me wonder what she's been up to all this time, though."
"Luckily, we have someone who can answer that," Dakota said with a conspiratorial wink. "Now, I think we all know how much Staci likes to talk about her relatives," she told the audience.
"And how much her stories sound bogus," Sam chimed in.
"But just because she makes stuff up doesn't mean she's a total liar," Dakota continued. "I mean, everyone has family, right? And we managed to track down one of her actual relatives to give us some insight on one of Total Drama's quirkiest contestants. Give a warm welcome to Borys from Ukraine!"
An applause went up as the camera panned to the big screen, which cut from static to a live feed of a fat, balding, and hairy white man in a white tanktop. "Hey, this thing is finally on, yah?" he said in a gruff and heavy Ukrainian accent, tapping the webcam he was sitting in front of. "Hello world!" he waved amicably. "Is nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you too, Borys!" Sam replied. "Why don't you tell us how you're related to Staci?"
"Sure thing," the man said. "Staci is my, ehh, niece's second cousin. Have picture to prove if you don't believe me." Before anyone could react he held up what looked like a series of photographs taped together end-to-end so they showed the entirety of a massive row of people. "Was taken at family reunion five years ago," Borys explained. "Staci is here," he pointed to one section of the massive photo, holding it closer so that a preteen girl that was recognizable as a younger Staci could be made out; "Borys is here." He pulled the photo back, looked at it, then moved his finger to a place a little further away – though the man he pointed at looked younger and had a terrible hairstyle, it was still clearly Borys.
Dakota and Sam shared a surprised look. "Wow, you really have a big family," Dakota said.
"Thank you," Borys replied, stowing the chain of photos away. "We take pride in keeping track of everyone. Is only thing we're really good at, yah?"
"Well I'm impressed," Sam chuckled. "But enough about that, tell us about Staci! When did you see her last?"
"Hmm..," Borys scratched his neck in thought, "she turned up on my doorstep just a week ago, and stayed with me for two nights. She said she hitchhiked all the way from Egypt...after stopping off to see a couple of cousins along the way, of course."
"Sounds like those sightings of her were real then!" Dakota said offhandedly.
Borys shrugged. "Yah, probably. They, ehh, match with what she told me about her trip."
"Did she say where she was heading to next?" Sam asked.
"Yah," the man nodded. "She was going to visit my brother up in Minsk in Belarus. I offered to drive her, but she said no. Haven't heard from her since, though. I'm a little worried, to tell you the truth," he added with a sheepish look, "since my brother should have called and said she was there by now."
"Wow," Sam said in concern. "I hope you get that call soon."
"But don't worry, though," Dakota added in a more chipper tone, "we here at Total Drama Aftermath will do our best to find out where Staci is."
"Thank you, kind Total Drama people," Borys told them. "I cannot say how much this means to the family. We are all very proud of Staci, and we are happy she has such good television friends who are looking out for her."
"Thanks, Borys," Blaineley chimed in. "Though I don't really get why you're so proud of Staci. Don't you know she was the first person kicked off in both seasons she's been in? I hate to break it to you, but most people think of her as an annoying loser."
"True," Borys admitted, "but at least she is famous annoying loser. It might not seem like much to you, but being the first person eliminated on a famous reality TV program two times is a big deal in our family. The rest of us wouldn't have even gotten on the show in the first place!"
"Wow, really?" Sam asked. "But there's so many of you!"
"What can I say? Whole family is cursed with mediocrity." Borys shrugged helplessly. "It is probably why Staci has such an, ehh, overactive imagination when it comes to telling people about us. We are all goatherds, or janitors, or middle management, you know, boring things. Nobody interesting in entire family tree. I can't really blame her for lying about what her family has done, but please, do not hold it against her. She is very nice girl, and we are all very proud of what she has been able to do."
"Aww," Dakota and the audience cooed as the camera cut back to the studio again. "That's so sweet! I hope you hear from her soon," the hostess added.
"Yeah," Sam chimed in. "We'll make sure to let you know if we get word of her first."
"Thank you," Borys told them. "It means so much to me, and to entire family."
"Talk to you later, Borys," Sam said with a wave that the man returned just before the feed cut off.
"Now," Dakota told the camera," as it turns out, we do have another possible Staci sighting from northern Ukraine that was taken just after she left her Uncle Borys. We didn't tell him about it, though, because...well, just take a look!"
The crowd gasped sharply as another still image appeared on-screen, depicting a figure silhouetted against a full moon. It's general body shape and ponytail were definitely reminiscent of the currently-missing girl, but the long pointed ears, long bushy tail, and the fact that it was howling at the moon set it distinctly apart.
"What?!" Jo exclaimed from her seat in the Peanut Gallery. "C'mon, that's just some dog! You can't seriously expect us to believe that's her, do you?"
"Well, there is a reason we didn't show it to her uncle," Dakota said.
"Still, it's kinda funny knowing there's some dog or something out there that looks like Staci," Sam added. "Plus the person who sent it in was pretty insistent that it was her. They said it sounded exactly like Staci."
"As if," Amy scoffed. "They probably just made that up to get you to show a picture of their dumb pet on TV."
"I'm with Amy," Blaineley said. "You two seriously need to do a better job vetting the viewer submissions."
"And you need to realize that this is our show," Dakota shot back, motioning to herself and Sam. "We're the hosts who decide what gets shown on-air, you're just the roving reporter who could stand to rove a little more."
"Hey hey, don't forget that I'm here too," Topher interrupted, ignoring the phone ringing in front of him. "I was the show's first roving reporter, so I should be the one going out to do interviews in the field. I say let Blaineley be co-host!"
"Thank you, Topher," Blaineley told the boy, "it's nice to know someone here appreciates real talent."
"Anyway," Sam said forcefully, "I think we all have a pretty good idea now of what Staci's been up to."
"Not to mention some clues about Scarlett and Dawn," Dakota added.
"But we've still got a ton of stuff to show you guys," Sam continued.
"Two more guests, and all the pain and excitement you guys love to watch!" Dakota said happily.
"Make sure you send in your donations," Sam told the camera, "and we'll see you after the break."
(Fade to Commercial and Back)
The episode resumed on the Aftermath's title screen, it's theme playing as the words gleamed and the feed cut to the studio. The Peanut Gallery were busy answering calls, the phone number was on the screen, and the hosts were in the middle of a hushed conversation as the camera panned to them.
"I know you don't like it," Dakota told her boyfriend, "but I really think we're gonna have to break it out to get the money we need."
"I know," Sam sighed sadly. "Hopefully we won't have to use it for very long, and-what?" he asked in a louder voice to someone off-screen. "We're on?!"
The eyes of the two hosts went wide as they quickly turned their full attention to the cameras. "And we're back, live!" Sam said.
"Welcome back to the most dramatic telethon ever," Dakota greeted. "Let's check in with Blaineley for our new total."
The shot cut to the older woman who had her arms crossed and a haughty look on her face. "I was wondering when you'd get to that, Dakota. Drumroll please!" She looked up at the donation tracker, which rolled up to $100,298.00 with a trendy jingle.
"Sweet," Sam grinned as the audience began to cheer, "we broke a hundred thousand!"
"Yeah," Blaineley said bluntly, "too bad that's not even half of our goal."
"I...guess we'll just have to raised the other four-hundred thousand in the next ten minutes," Dakota said uncertainly.
"Luckily, our next guest is sure to get the viewers pumped up about calling in," Sam said confidently. "I know I'm pumped up about him being here. Please welcome the King of Partying, Geoff!"
"Yo, dudes, so great to be here again!" Geoff greeted with a cheery wave as he walked out on-stage to the roar of the audience. He shared a kiss with Bridgette as he passed the guest couch, then bumped fists with Sam and sat down.
"It's great to have you back!" Dakota told him. "Now why don't you tell the viewers what you'll give them if they donate in your name?"
"Okay, check it dudes," Geoff told the camera. "Everyone that donates two hundred dollars or more is totally gonna get an invite to a massive party thrown by moi. It's gonna be killer, dudes, so call in!"
The camera cut to the Peanut Gallery, who were answering another round of phone calls with mostly happy expressions.
"Looks like you're gonna have a lotta guests, man," Sam told the party-lover.
"Awesome, dude, the more the merrier!" Geoff replied.
"Ooh, it's gonna be great!" Dakota squealed expectantly. "But I think we all know there's more to you than just parties. Let's talk about the bumpy road that you and Bridgette faced this season."
The two blonds on the guest couch shared a look and put there arms around one another. "Not much to talk about," Geoff told the hosts.
"Yeah," Bridgette added. "We thought we could handle being on different teams, but since one of us was always winning we never really got to see each other all that much."
"And I let Scott get into my head," Geoff added sadly. "He was makin' me all paranoid, and then suddenly you were gone and I just...I guess I never really got myself back together. I'm still really sorry for everything that happened, Bridge."
"Aww, I know," Bridgette told him sweetly, the lovers looking into each others eyes. "And believe me, I totally forgive you." The audience 'aww'ed as they kissed again, and the camera cut to Blaineley rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"Great," she quipped, "another love fest. Can't you show something more exciting to get the viewers to call in?"
Sam and Dakota gave her an annoyed look before smiling at the camera. "Actually," Dakota said, "we have something like ready to go."
"In honor of Geoff and Bridgette," Sam added, "here's all their best, and most painful, moments from throughout the season in a very special 'That's Gonna Leave a Mark'!" The four teens looked up at the big screen as it cut from static to the montage of pain, set to a grander version of the segment's usual chipper tune.
xxx
The first clip opened on Bridgette hesitantly walking through the cargo hold. "Oh, this is from one of Shawn's 'zombie hunts'," she explained from off-screen. "Uhh...do we really have to show this?" she added as she crept up next to a towering pile of junk.
"C'mon, babe, it's all in good fun," Geoff reassured her as the clip continued, showing a rat run up to the past Bridgette and startle her. The surfer jumped and bumped the stack of junk, which fell with a crash behind her. She winced and the audience chuckled, then past-Bridgette cautiously checked behind the remaining crate and saw Shawn's arms sticking out from the rubble.
"Sorry, Shawn!" the real Bridgette said.
"Don't worry, babe, he's fine!" Geoff told her as the next clip began, showing the party boy running through the snow carrying a shovel full of sausage meat. He tripped suddenly, sending both shovel and meat flying off-screen to the left. The camera quickly caught up, just in time to catch it all smacking Scott in the back of the head and knocking the devious farmer into the sausage casing. "Hah! I forgot how awesome that was!" Geoff laughed.
"Haha," Bridgette joined in, "that was pretty funny."
The third clip focused on the surfer again, this time showing her and her teammates speeding through the absurdly spacious New York sewers. Bridgette seemed to be standing at the back of their boat keeping an eye out behind them, and thus didn't see the low-hanging pipe that slammed into the back of her head and knocked her off the boat. The audience laughed, but the real Bridgette groaned audibly.
"Aww babe," Geoff told her, "why didn't you tell me you got hurt?"
"Sorry, I just never had the chance," Bridgette told him apologetically.
"That's okay," he replied as the next clip began, "I get it." It showed Geoff in the pose he'd ended his verse of Paris' musical number in, dipping the head of the 'Venus di Milo' as though he were about to kiss it. He noticed his teammates giving him awkward looks and immediately fumbled the severed head as he tried to shrug it off, only to gasp when he realized the statue piece was headed for the security lasers. He quickly darted forward and grabbed it, but in doing so managed to get himself zapped pretty badly.
"Ohh, I hope you're alright!" Bridgette told him in concern.
"No worries, Bridge!" he told her in a jovial tone. "I'm fine! And seeing myself go through that again was actually pretty funny. Good work on the segment, dude."
"Thanks, man," the unseen Sam answered.
"And here's the last one," Dakota chimed in as the fifth clip began – the happy couple making out in the snow of the Alps.
"Oh wow," Bridgette chuckled, "this is gonna be bad."
"I can't believe we did this!" Geoff added with a laugh. "You guys are gonna love it."
And sure enough, when the kissing couple got so distracted by one another that they rolled across the snow and off a cliff, the audience roared with laughter.
xxx
"Man, that looked painful," Sam told the two as the camera cut back to the studio and the chipper music ended.
"It was," Bridgette said.
"Totally worth it, though," Geoff said.
"I'm glad you two are being so great about this!" Dakota said happily. "Now, let's see where we're at in donations. Blaineley?"
The shot cut over to the older woman who was smiling generously. "The viewers loved watching Bridgette and Geoff hurt others, and get hurt themselves," she said. "So much so that we've finally passed the halfway point of our five-hundred-thousand goal!" She motioned up to the donation tracker, which rolled up to $260,549.00 total.
"Awesome!" Geoff cheered.
"Too bad we still have a ways to go," Dakota pouted, "and only one guest left, too."
"I'm sure we'll make it there," Sam told her. "And since our last guest is basically responsible for every elimination so far this season, I'm sure we're gonna get a lot of exciting material out of him."
"Say hello to the devious player we all love to hate," Dakota said by way of introduction, "Scott!" She motioned to the side as the farmer walked out to a chorus of boos, the sneer on his face becoming wary as he looked first at the crowd and then at the others on stage.
"Heh, tough crowd," he remarked as he took his seat next to a glaring Geoff and Bridgette. "You'd think people would appreciate me for keeping this show interesting."
"Some of 'em do, man," Sam told him, "but that doesn't make any difference to all the fans of the people you got voted out."
"Why don't we take a look at exactly what you did?" Dakota said, motioning up to the big screen.
xxx
A grand but dark tune played over a montage of some of Scott's moments, beginning with him messing with Team Chris' commercial while Beardo was being distracted by Sugar. Next was him making an angry remark to Lightning while their team was held at spear point, then later voting for the uber-jock. That was followed up by a short clip of him saying something to Geoff that made the party boy stick his fingers in his ears, then a clip of Scott taking a dive against Bridgette in the slap-dancing challenge. The montage ended with him having a conversation with Ezekiel and Tyler that caused the former to look uncertain and anxious, and the final scene of Scott triumphantly beating Geoff in the tiebreaker challenge.
xxx
The scene cut back to the studio as the audience murmured their disapproval. "Hey," Scott told them sharply, "don't act like I'm the only one to blame for all that! Sugar's just as guilty as I was!"
"Like, we know," Dakota told him. "But, umm, she's not here, and you are, so you get to take all the heat!"
"Great," Scott said flatly. "I guess Sugar's gonna get away with what she did again."
"Well, not really," Dakota told him. "I mean, we all know she's up to no good."
"And honestly, dude, you kinda got what was coming to you," Sam added. "Just because she stabbed you in the back first doesn't make up for lying to your teammates and sabotaging Team Chris is Really Really Mean."
"Thanks," Scott said dryly.
"Let's...move on, okay?" Dakota said. "Since this season's Total Drama is a musical, I thought it might be cool to have Scott sing for us."
"Wait, seriously?" Scott asked in shock.
"Yup!" the hostess replied.
"No way," the farmer said, waving his arms in a gesture of denial. "I had enough singing on the stupid plane."
"Uh, dude, you got kicked off because you didn't sing," Sam told him bluntly. "If nothing else, don't you wanna make up for your mistake?"
"Will I get back in the game if I sing?" Scott asked.
Dakota and Sam shared a hesitant look. "Well, no," the gamer answered, "but-"
"But nothing," Scott said. "I don't see why I should embarrass myself if I'm not gonna get anything out of it."
"Wow, rude much?" Dakota said in annoyance. "Seriously, this is a charity telethon. We all have to do our part to make sure the show keeps going!"
"So what?" Scott sneered. "Like I care if this show gets canceled." The audience, hosts, and guests gasped dramatically. "Jeez, don't act so shocked," Scott told them. "This show's treated me like trash, why should I wanna save it?"
"I don't know, for your fans maybe?" Dakota told him.
"...wait, I have fans?" Scott asked incredulously.
"He has fans?" Geoff repeated in shock before turning to Bridgette and whispering "Did I hear her right? Scott has fans?"
"Well yeah, we all do," Sam explained. "Yours mostly just really loved your strategies...for some reason..., and thought you were robbed of the win both times you played. And I think a few just think you're hot and wanna redeem you...for some reason..."
"Oh really," Scott said with a growing smirk. "Well on second thought, maybe I will play along," he told the hosts, causing them to share a smirk. "After all, I sure wouldn't mind having another chance at the game. Finally show people what I can really do."
"Does that mean you'll sing?" Dakota asked expectantly.
"Nope," Scott answered bluntly, stunning the hostess. "I'm afraid I just can't think of anything to sing about right now, and I doubt my fans wanna watch me flounder awkwardly on-stage for a few minutes."
Dakota sighed. "Aww, there goes that idea...I guess we'll just have to move on to something else." She gave Sam a look that caused the gamer's eyebrows to shoot up.
"Oh yeah, I guess we do have something prepared, huhuh," he said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. "Hey Scott, you mind coming backstage with me a bit? This is something you're gonna help us with."
"Fine," Scott grumbled, standing up with the gamer host. "This isn't gonna hurt, is it?" he asked as he followed Sam off stage right.
"Uhh...that...depends on what happens," Sam answered awkwardly.
"Great..." the farmer grumbled as they disappeared backstage.
"And while they get ready," Dakota told the camera, "I'll keep this telethon moving. Let's see," she looked thoughtful for a moment, "how about..."
"Something that's sure to appeal to the female demographic," Blaineley interrupted, stepping up next to the guest couch. "Though I don't think you or Bridgette are gonna like it..."
"Hrmm...," Dakota said uncertainly, "well, if it'll help raise money, you might as well show it."
"Sure thing," Blaineley smiled, motioning up at the big screen as a sensual song began to play and Alejandro was shown squirting lotion onto his bare chest, some of his hair tied back in a short ponytail. A distinctly feminine chorus was heard from the crowd.
"Wait, seriously?" Bridgette said in shock, averting her gaze from the screen. "Alejandro is still popular? But he's evil!"
"And gorgeous," Blaineley said. "And audience research tells us that people loved the dynamic you and Alejandro had on the plane, it had all the makings of a great good girl-bad boy showmance. It's a shame you were voted off so early." The footage was shown again, showing Alejandro running across the beach and giving the camera one of his trademark gleaming smiles that made the women in the audience go wild.
"I have a boyfriend, you know," Bridgette said forcefully, grabbing onto Geoff but still purposely looking away from the screen. "And even if I didn't, I still wouldn't fall for him. How could I, after everything he's done?"
"Well Dakota seems to disagree," Blaineley said with a knowing look at the hostess, who was currently staring up at the footage of Alejandro with a faint blush on her face.
"Dakota!" Bridgette said in shock.
"C'mon Dakota, what would Sam think if he saw you right now?" Geoff added. "You can't do that to the guy!"
"Nnnn...I know," Dakota whined. "I just...forgot how hot he was, okay?"
"Looks like the viewers didn't," Blaineley said, looking back at the donation tracker as it rapidly rolled up. "We already got another hundred thousand just from Alejandro alone!" she said as the current total stopped at $370,389.00 overall. "Things are really heating up out here!" she said mischievously as she fanned herself. "And there's more where that came from, folks!"
"Sure is!" Sam chimed in with a chuckle as he came back out on-stage. He immediately noticed the awkward looks on Bridgette, Geoff, and Dakota's faces and frowned. "Uh, did something happen while I was gone?"
"Oh, nothing much," Blaineley told him playfully, "just your girlfriend making eyes at some clips of Alejandro."
"Oh, is that all," Sam said dismissively.
"Uhh...aren't you even a little bit mad at her?" Blaineley asked in confusion.
"Not really," Sam said. "I mean, he may be way better looking than I am, but he doesn't have Dakota's heart."
"Aww," Dakota said sweetly, the audience and guests echoing her sentiment.
"Aaand, there goes the drama," Blaineley muttered flatly.
"Oh don't worry," Sam told her with a chuckle, "it's about to come back." He turned to the camera and adopted an uncertain sort of grin. "It's time for our newest segment, 'Truth or Consequences'!" A game show tune played as he motioned stage right, and a large wooden platform was pushed out by a pair of interns. Mounted on top of the platform was a giant roulette wheel to which Scott was strapped. The wheel was subdivided into twelve sections; eleven of which were stamped with the faces of an Aftermath host, guest, or Peanut Gallery member; the twelfth section bore the music note icon used to signal impending musical numbers. On top of the wheel was a two-sided electronic display, the left side showing a green check-mark and the right side a red X; both sides were currently unlit. The audience began to clap and cheer as soon as the contraption was rolled out.
"Hey, I don't think my fans wanna see me tied up like this!" Scott yelled angrily.
Sam shrugged. "Who knows, some might," he replied. "And I know all your haters are gonna love it!"
"Here's how this game is gonna work," Dakota added, walking up next to her boyfriend but addressing the audience. "We spin the wheel and whoever it lands on gets to ask Scott here a question," she explained with a mischievous smile, motioning first to the smiling head of Geoff on the nearest wheel section and then to the panicked-looking Scott. "They can ask him whatever they want, but you guys get to call in and decide how hard the question is with your donations."
"And if Scott lies or gets the question wrong," she continued with another motion to stage right as the interns returned – one carrying a large barrel of crabapples, another two pushing a large pool of water into position below the platform. "Then whoever asked the question gets to throw one of these at Scott." The heiress smiled as she picked up one of the nasty-looking fruits and tossed it in one hand. "And if he gets hit five times or more...," she added, tossing the crabapple over her shoulder and into the pool, a tentacle immediately rising up to snatch the fruit and crush it into pulp.
Scott yelped in terror.
"Huhuh, yeah," Sam chuckled nervously, "he'd better make sure not to get hit. Oh, and see that music space?" the gamer added, the camera cutting to a close-up of the music note icon. "If the wheel lands on that, then Scott has to sing the rest of his answers or the asker gets a free shot."
"You, uh, you sure this isn't going a little overboard?" Scott asked nervously.
"Sorry, Scott, but we really need the money!" Dakota told him with a pout that quickly became smile again as she and Sam took their spots on the platform next to the wheel and the Peanut Gallery walked up next to the platform. "Now let's play 'Truth or Consequences'!"
The game show jingle played again as Dakota took the first turn, reaching up and spinning the wheel with a grunt of effort. It managed to go around three times before stopping, the pointer at the top landing on the music note.
"Ouch, bad luck there, man," Sam told the schemer with a sympathetic wince. "You're gonna have to sing the rest of your answers. Speaking of..." He took his turn at the wheel; it landed on... "Beardo, step on down!" the gamer told the beatboxer, who stepped forward eagerly. "Blaineley, tell us what difficulty we've got!"
The shot cut to the Peanut Gallery, now empty save for a harried Blaineley trying to answer four of the phones at once. "Harsh!" she replied.
"You heard her," Sam smirked, the gesture returned by Beardo as he grabbed one of the crabapples and turned to Scott.
~/~
[The same melody that had played during part of Beardo's song on the previous Aftermath rose up quickly as the beatboxer began.]
"Yo, so when you all decided to to control this game, didja write down names, or choose targets as they came, Scott?"
[Beardo rapped quickly, surprising Scott.]
"Uhh, we never really focused on a target that we'd chosen, we just cared about the team, not about who got voted?"
[Scott's hesitant yet frantic answer followed the same beat Beardo had laid down, but a buzzing noise from the top of the wheel and the red X lighting up caused Scott's hopeful smile to fade into a panicked look.]
~/~
"Your rhyme's okay, but your answer's not, dude," Beardo said simply before chucking his crabapple at Scott and nailing him in the right arm. "Guess you and Sugar really did try to sabotage specific people."
"Oww!" Scott said in pain as Beardo walked away, and the game show theme replaced the beatboxer's music.
"Let's see who's next," Dakota said chipperly before giving the wheel another spin. It landed on Dakota's own space. "Ooh, me!" she squealed happily. "And the difficulty?"
"Major!" Blaineley answered, now balancing on one leg so she could handle the receivers from most of the phones.
Dakota smiled.
~/~
[As the heiress-turned-hostess began to sing as well, the same melody that had opened the episode's earlier song began to play again.]
"So Scott, please answer me! So Scott, what did you like? So Scott, about your time on the shoo~oow?"
"Dakota, there's nothing that; I've ever, enjoyed about, this show! It's been a pain in the buu~uutt!"
[Scott's response was harsh and disbelieving, and the subsequent buzzer from above startled him.]
~/~
"Ooh, somebody's lying," Dakota said with a mischievous look. "Maybe one of the others can squeeze the answer out of him?" As she posed her question to the camera, the tentacle in the pool rose up perilously close to Scott. It ducked back down as Dakota threw her crabapple, hitting Scott in the left knee.
"Next up," Sam said as he gave the wheel another spin, "Bridgette!" Surprisingly, the surfer didn't look very hesitant as she stepped forward and grabbed a crabapple. "Where are we at, Blaineley?" Sam asked, the camera cutting away again.
"Brutal!" the older woman replied, a few cords tangled around her waist.
Bridgette took a breath, then looked up at Scott.
~/~
[The music used for Bridgette's question came from her duet with Alejandro in the Yukon, though her line was short and simple.]
"How can you live with all the trouble that you've caused?"
"It's just a game, I'll never care about, all the people that I beat."
[Scott's singing was getting better and coming quicker, but the buzzer and red X on top of the wheel indicated yet another falsehood.]
~/~
Bridgette shook her head. "You're just making things harder for yourself, y'know," she told him before pelting him in the forehead with her crabapple and walking away.
Scott just grunted in irritation.
"Three hits down," Sam said as he prepared to spin the wheel again. "Two more and you're done, dude." He spun the wheel, and the game show jingle played as the camera watched it land on the uber-jock. "Lightning, you're up!" Sam called out.
"Sha-zam!" Lightning said, eagerly sliding up to the barrel of fruit and picking up a crabapple. He looked expectantly in the direction of the Peanut Gallery.
"Ridiculous!" Blaineley shouted, balancing six phones and picking up the ringing seventh immediately after hanging it up.
Lightning smirked.
~/~
[The melody accompanying the latest questioner was, of course, taken from the song he'd sung the previous Aftermath; his question was given hard and fast.]
"Sha-Lightning thinks your schemin' self ain't really all you got; so tell us, dude, now where did Zeke fit in your little plot?"
"Ezekiel? Well...eventually I was gonna tell him what was really going on and take him to the end?"
[Though his verse didn't quite fit the lyrical pattern of the original song, Scott's answer matched the rhythm well enough and surprised the hosts and Lightning jock when the box on top of the wheel dinged and the green check mark lit up.]
~/~
"Okay then," Lightning said blankly with his brow raised. "Sha-Lightning did not expect you were gonna take the dude all the way."
"And the first real answer, too," Dakota added as she began to spin the wheel again. "I guess the viewers will just have to raise the difficulty a little." She winked at the camera, then looked over at Blaineley. "And the difficulty?"
"Nearly impossible!" Blaineley answered as the camera cut to her with three receivers cradled between her shoulder and neck, another two in her hand, and the last two ringing behind her. Cords were wrapped around most of her body.
"And our next questioner is...Geoff!" Dakota announced, turning her attention to the stopped wheel.
"Awesome, dudes!" the party-lover said, stepping forward and clearing his throat.
~/~
[Geoff's part in the musical medley came from his and Bridgette's section of the Bavarian remix of 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik' that was used in the Alps.]
"Oookaaay, why pick Zeke? He's not that weak, and I don't think that you could count on bea-ting-him!"
"Beee-caauuse, somehow I just trust the guy and figured sticking with him would ea-si-est."
[Scott's answer was given sheepishly, though he was upside down as he sang. The ding of the green check mark lighting up signified another truth, surprising Geoff and the others.]
~/~
"There, I admit it!" Scott said. "Zeke's a twerp, but he's also the only person who's stuck by me all this time. I don't really believe in friendship like the rest of you, but I still figured I could at least pay him back a little for trying to be there for me or whatever."
"Y'know, I'm actually kinda glad to hear it," Sam said with a small smile.
"Yeah, it totally makes you more, like, human," Dakota added. "I bet your fans will really like it!"
"Good for them," Scott said dryly. "Can you let me down now?"
Dakota and Sam looked over at the donation tracker, which was currently rolling up but still had the hundred-thousands displayed as '4'.
"Sorry man, but it looks like we're not quite there yet," Sam said as he gave the wheel another go. Scott groaned as he spun around and around, the game show jingle playing until the wheel finally stopped...
"Huh, it's Amy," Sam said blankly.
"Yes!" the mean twin shouted, pumping her fist and dashing forward to grab an apple.
"What's the difficulty, Blaineley?" Dakota asked.
"Actually impossible!" Blaineley replied, now encased in a cocoon of telephone cords.
The hosts and Scott looked down at Amy, who grinned devilishly.
~/~
[The melody that began to play was the lead-up to the season's first musical number. Amy took a deep breath, and...]
~/~
"Okay, so, my friend Kat and I went shopping a while back, and we found the hottest pair of boots. Kat said she wanted to get them because they matched a skirt she already owned, but I said I wanted to buy them because I knew that they would make Samey jealous. But then we realized that we didn't have enough money, so I was gonna go and take some from Samey because, hello, like she needs it. But then Mommy said that I should get a job to pay for the boots, which is totally messed up because, like, who wants to wait? So my question is, what should I have told Mommy?"
She said all of that very fast, and even the background music paused in disbelief.
"What the heck does that have to do with anything?!" Scott exclaimed in utter exasperation.
The box above him buzzed, and the red X lit up.
"Hah!" Amy said triumphantly. "He didn't sing, so I get two shots!" She threw her fruit before anyone could react.
"Aaghh!" Scott cried in pain as the cheerleader's first crabapple hit him in the eye.
She grabbed her second and wound up her throw, but froze when Blaineley suddenly exclaimed "We've done it!"
Everyone's face lit up, even Amy's, and the camera cut to the older woman standing in a cordless daze below the donation tracker. "Dr...drumroll, please!" she said a little dizzily, and a dramatic tune played as the tracker rolled up. With a musical flourish, it stopped at $600,000.00 exactly.
"I can't believe it!" Dakota squealed excitedly as the camera moved back to her, Sam, and Scott. "We reached our five-hundred thousand dollar total!"
"Not only that," Sam added excitedly, "but we even passed it by another hundred grand!"
The shot zoomed out as just about everyone began cheering, and a grandiose and victorious tune began to play.
"We did it, Sam!" Dakota said, quickly hugging her boyfriend. "We really do know what the fans want!"
"I know!" Sam said happily, and the two broke apart and looked at the camera arm-in-arm.
"Thanks to your love and support, Total Drama fans" Dakota said, "all of us here still have jobs, even Blaineley! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to us!"
As she spoke the camera's focus wandered back down to Amy, who smirked devilishly and gripped her crabapple tighter. The energetic tune that had been playing took a sudden an ominous twist as she threw the fruit, interrupting the hostess and striking the tied-up Scott square between the legs.
"Rude!" Dakota said harshly, hands on her hips and a glare on her face while Scott squealed in pain.
"Hey, I was supposed to throw that," Amy countered smugly. "It was your rule, you can't complain."
Dakota made a noise of disapproval, but before she could say anything Sam tugged on her arm.
"Uhh, I'm pretty sure that was five," he said in a worried tone. "Maybe we should-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Scott's straps suddenly came undone and he flopped forward with a scream into the pool. He was immediately grabbed by a tentacle and began flailing his arms against it. The creature holding him screeched and raised another pair of tentacles, which promptly began thrashing around wildly.
Sam and Dakota quickly tried to climb off the platform, but stopped when they realized it was shaking ominously. With a sharp spike in the music the entire thing collapsed, and moments later the pool of water collapsed as well to the shock of Amy and the others who had been standing nearby.
Faced with a sudden rush of water, wood, and a giant angry octopus, most of them screamed and fled; they were joined by what sounded like a good chunk of the audience.
"Don't worry folks, the show will go on!" Dakota frantically told the camera as it closed in on her and Sam ducking behind the guest couch, their clothes and hair and make-up ruined by the water.
"Especially since we have money to fix this now!" Sam added, ducking under a tentacle that was swinging a shrieking Amy around the room.
"Be sure to tune in next time," Dakota said with a forced smile, briefly ducking as Scott was swung around by his leg, "for the continuation of the world's greatest reality competition ever,"
Sam joined her as they sung the season's title. "Total! Drama! Woooorrrrlllddd~ Tooouuurrrr~!" The usual blaring tune played as the camera zoomed out to show the entire stage again, a few pools of water lingering around and a handful of interns doing battle with the giant octopus, which still had Scott and Amy in it's grasp.
The remaining members of the audience cheered wildly.
(Fade to Credits)
Author's Note - Post Script
And thus ends the telethon, albeit a bit differently than in canon. As I didn't use the animal curse, there was no reason for a bunch of animals to trash the stage and double the total they needed, meaning I had to adjust the rate at which money came in so that the total was still reached at the end of the show.
And as there were only three guests instead of four, I had to extend the Total Drama Fugitives segment to compensate. Luckily, between the addition of Scarlett and all the stuff for Staci that I thought up a few weeks ago, I was able to make it up easily. How did you all like it?
Other than that, we had the reunion of Geoff and Bridgette, concluding their arc this season on a good note. And it seems like both of them will be spending some time with the fans soon...
Then we have Scott...to be honest, I'm not entirely sure if his opening up at the end was paced right, or if it works at all, but I'm pretty happy with it. He's still a prickly scheming villain who doesn't like other people, but he does have a slight soft spot for Zeke and was kinda bummed about how things went down with him. Also, his ego is easy to stroke.
The songs this week were a Shuffled version of 'Save This Show', which I kept because I figured the song wouldn't have been written by Geoff and Bridgette in canon so there was no reason not to recycle it. The second, of sorts, is called 'Medley of Pain'; admittedly I did it that way because I couldn't think up a good song for Scott to have. Still, even though it might be a little awkward, I think it works for both the scene and the episode as a whole. Though, of course, I'd like to hear all your thoughts about it.
Let me know what you thought of this wrap-up of the second quarter, and what you're expecting moving forward. Until next week, and Happy Halloween!
- Fangren
Appendix: TSWT Eliminated Contestants
Staci - (17th Place)
Beardo - (16th Place)
Lightning - (15th Place)
Dawn - (14th Place? | Quit Unofficially)
Bridgette - (13th Place)
Geoff - (12th Place)
Scott - (11th Place | Disqualified)
Scarlett - (10th Place)
