I have to start this chapter by giving a HUGE thanks to all my followers and reviewers. There have been a few chapters where I was so nervous to see how people would react (especially to the past two eliminations), but you've all been so supportive and understanding of my thought process, even if it means a likable character gets the boot at an earlier date than you would like. A big thanks to all of you, keep being this amazing!
As for this chapter... well, there's a lot going on. I compared this fic to a three-act play in an earlier chapter. If that's still true, then this chapter would probably be the finale of the second act. I'll talk more about it in my Author's Notes at the end.
Even though the three teams are no more, I'm still going to organize the list of remaining campers at the beginning of each chapter by their original teams. This is just for continuity sake and my own sanity.
Brainy Beetles: B, Courtney, Scarlett
Brawny Beavers: DJ, Jasmine, Lightning, Sky
Beautiful Butterflies: Dawn, Leshawna, Sugar
*Last Episode Recap*
"Last time, on Total Drama... this episode had everything! There was romance! There was music! And of course, endless drama that concluded in a soul-crushing betrayal. Lightning and Sky finally admitted to having feelings for one another. However, they both agreed to continue focusing on the game, rather than pursue a relationship. It was really sweet, and also, really boring. The campers were excited to learn that their latest challenge, a talent show, would be their last as the Brain, Brawn, Beauty teams. The Brawny Beavers and Brainy Beetles brought their A-game to their acts, while the Beautiful Butterflies threw it by allowing Sugar to perform her crappy music. Lindsay and Leshawna were more than ready to finally send Sugar packing, but they weren't ready for Dawn to side with Sugar and vote for Lindsay. In the end, Lindsay lost the tiebreaker, and Sugar and Dawn lost all of Leshawna's respect. Will Sugar and Dawn survive the night? Will Leshawna, DJ, and Courtney's alliance survive the loss of Lindsay? All that and more will be shown now... on Total Drama... Brains! Vs. Brawn! Vs. Beauty!"
*End Recap*
Leshawna storms back towards the three cabins that they've been living in for the past few weeks. Sugar and Dawn finally catch up to her.
"Leshawna, I'm sorry I hurt you, but you have to understand that I had to do what was best for me!" Dawn shouts to her.
Sugar adds in. "Yeah, you lost, get over it!"
Finally, Leshawna stops and turns around to face the two blondes. There's a moment of silence before she looks directly at Dawn and speaks.
"You honestly think that voting for Lindsay was what was best for your game? Why, because she and I were close? Tell you what, Dawn, we're almost at camp right now. Why don't you go explain to the other teams why you voted for Lindsay. Let's see how great your choice really was for your social game."
Dawn takes a large gulp, but still silently agrees to her terms. Sugar is thankful that it's so dark out, because now no one can see her smirk.
*Confessional- Sugar*
"Ya know, I work so hard to be the mastermind of this here show, and now Dawn's gettin' all the credit for betraying Lindsay! But I guess she can have it while everyone's mad at her."
*Confessional Ends*
The three finally make it past the clearing and approach their cabins. Like last time, everyone's chatting and relaxing in a big circle. There's a slight smile on their faces when they hear the approaching footsteps of the Beauty team. However, their smiles drop completely when they see the remaining members.
"Lindsay? But... but why?" DJ asks quietly.
"No! No more leftovers for the Lightning!" Lightning whines. Sky gives him a pat on the back to comfort him.
"What. Happened." Courtney asks, her voice full of venom. Her death stare is aimed directly at Sugar.
The gaze is broken once Leshawna speaks. "I don't know, why don't you ask Dawn."
Dawn's eyes grow wide. She says in an unsure tone, "I voted for Lindsay, because I knew I would only get so far in the game with her."
Scarlett looks thrilled to hear Dawn's choice. Jasmine, B, and Sky all nod at her words, with varying degrees of support for her decision. Lightning and DJ both look upset, and Courtney looks about as angry as Leshawna.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"Believe me, on a personal level I'd much rather see Sugar go home. But... well, Lindsay and I weren't particularly close, and Sugar still being here is going to keep the target off of me. So this may be the best thing for my game. Can't really say the same for Dawn though."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- DJ*
"Wow, I was not expecting that to happen. This really changes things up, especially since Lindsay and I were in an alliance. The most I can do now is keep as many friends around and try to vote out enemies. I guess that means Dawn has to go soon."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"As of now, I don't think there's anyone more hated on the island than Dawn, followed closely behind by Sugar. I'd like to thank both of them for taking the heat off myself. It is much appreciated."
*Confessional Ends*
Courtney stands up from her place to level herself with Dawn and Sugar.
"Well, you made your choice," she says to Dawn, "but now it's the merge, which means it's everyone for themselves. I'd watch my back if I were you."
*Confessional- Courtney*
"Right now, I'd love nothing more than to grab Dawn and Sugar and violently shake the stupid out of them. But, I'm trying to be a better person this time around, as difficult as they're making it for me."
*Confessional Ends*
Courtney heads into her cabin after her warning to Dawn. One by one, all the other campers do the same until only B and Dawn are left.
"B, do you think I made the right choice?" Dawn asks.
B shrugs.
"I don't know, I know it hurt a lot of people to see Lindsay go, but it's a game! There's no way I could've just let someone in a final four alliance make it to the merge!"
B nods in agreement.
"Sure, I get why they're mad, but Sugar voted for her too! And Scarlett's done way worse here!"
B nods in agreement once more.
"I guess they're our only choices for alliances members now, huh? At least for me."
B ponders this for a moment before shrugging again.
Dawn turns to look at him this time. "B, we're still an alliance, right?"
B nods yes without a moment's hesitation. Dawn smiles lightly and pulls him into a hug. "Good. Thank you."
B smiles back.
*Confessional- Dawn*
"So, my choice may have burned some bridges with certain campers, but there's still a lot of people to align with. I may be down, but I'm not out."
*Confessional Ends*
The next week goes by painfully slow. There hasn't been a challenge all week, and people are stating to get antsy. Leshawna and Courtney refuse to talk to Sugar and Dawn, and Jasmine and Scarlett keep making snide comments at each other. Lightning and Sky go back and forth between being stuck in their own little world, and anxiously awaiting the next competition. All the while, B and DJ are stuck in the middle of it all, trying to maintain the peace.
The campers are beginning to begrudgingly get used to the excess amount of free time. Currently, Lightning, Sky, Jasmine, and B are playing water polo, while Courtney, Leshawna, Scarlett, and DJ are tanning out on the beach. Well, Leshawna and DJ are tanning. Courtney is scribbling something into a notebook, and Scarlett is drawing diagrams in the sand.
"Courtney... what are you you doing?" DJ asks cautiously.
"I'm writing out lists. With all this free time I can finally get all my thoughts on paper."
Leshawna takes a peek through her sunglasses to see her ally in action. She chuckles afterwards and says, "Girl, you need to relax. This is the break we've been needing, enjoy it."
"I am relaxing, lists help me relax. And without any challenges happening recently, I need to stay mentally sharp some other way. So, lists it is." Courtney explains, not even looking up from her notebook as she says so.
"Huh. So, what list are you working on now?" DJ asks.
Before she can answer, they are interrupted by Sugar and Dawn. Sugar plops down next to Scarlett without so much as a word to anyone. Oddly enough, Scarlett is the one that seems the most agitated by this.
Instead of following suit, Dawn timidly asks the group, "Do you mind if I sit here?"
DJ nods politely, while both Scarlett and Courtney shrug in indifference. They all look to Leshawna for her response. She looks away from the platinum blonde and bluntly says "Sure".
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"I can't stay mad at Dawn forever, especially since I understand why she did it. So, on a personal level, I don't hate her, but she's still not forgiven. On a game level, she made a direct hit on my alliance. As soon as I'm given the opportunity, she's out of here."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"Look, I can understand Dawn wanting to make a game move to help herself out, but the move she made was at my expense. And now, I will start a new list... I'll call it, 'Reasons to take out Sugar and Dawn'... it'll be quite extensive."
*Confessional Ends*
As Dawn sits down, Sugar is looking over Scarlett's shoulder to see what she's writing in the sand.
"So Scarlett... whatcha' got there? If you got's somethin' important ta remember, I reckon you should write it on paper!" Sugar offers.
Scarlett rolls her eyes. "Actually, I'm calculating the probability of scenarios within the competition, which will take a lot of revising and extensive space, so basic paper will not do. Although, I must say, the evidence I'm finding is concerning at the very least."
"Huh?" Sugar and DJ ask in unison.
Scarlett lets out a huff and explains further. "I'm trying to see how likely it is that the merge is coming, but... I'm not liking the odds as much as I would hope."
Leshawna lifts an eyebrow with curiousity. "But that wouldn't make any sense... Chris said the teams were done. The lawyers probably made them give us this break to celebrate."
"Sha-celebrate? Celebrate what?" Lightning asks from afar. He, Sky, Jasmine, and B are all coming in from the water.
Dawn shakes her head. "No celebrating. Scarlett thinks the merge isn't coming up yet."
Sky quietly gasps. "What?! But Chris said-"
Scarlett interrupts. "- I'm not saying the merge isn't happening, only that something isn't adding up. It's been a week and... nothing. You would expect they would at least have had us consolidate into two cabins, but we haven't moved yet. It's as if they're stalling too much for any big changes to happen right away."
The next reply doesn't come from a camper's mouth, but instead over the intercom.
"That's an awful lot of assumptions, isn't it Scarlett? Guess we'll find out soon. Campers, please change into clothing that isn't your bathing suits and meet us by the fire pit in 20 minutes." Chris announces.
The contestants need no more prompting after that. They all quickly go to their cabins to change and then proceed to the large fire pit. As expected, Chris and Chef are waiting for them.
Chef speaks up first. "Attention, weaklings! Line up next to your current teams! That is not a suggestion, that is an order!"
Though confused, the campers do as their told. The result is a large line with all three teams grouped together. From the left to right, the lineup is: Dawn, Sugar, Leshawna, Courtney, Scarlett, B, DJ, Jasmine, Sky, and Lightning.
Once the line is formed, Chris speaks up. "Well, campers, congratulations are in order. What started with 21 contestants has now been dwindled down to 10, meaning we are more than halfway through the competition."
With this announcement comes genuine smiles from all ten remaining campers. Despite everything they've been through, they still have a sense of accomplishment with how far they've come.
Chris continues, "And to celebrate, I have a big announcement for you all."
The smiles only grow bigger in anticipation for Chris' next words.
"Getting ready campers, for the Brains, Brawn, and Beauty teams are no more!"
Everyone begins to cheer excitedly, much to the annoyance of Chris and Chef.
"Oh thank god, finally!" Leshawna yells.
Unfortunately for them, now it's Chris and Chef's turns to be excited with Chris' next announcement.
"You will now be divided into Heroes and Villains!"
The cheering and hollering ceases with those words.
"...What?" Dawn asks in a low whisper. The confusion is written over everyone's faces. They're all used to Chris' tricks by now, but it doesn't make anyone less shocked.
"Yup, we're now in two teams instead of three." Chris explains.
"But you said last week was our final challenge before the merge!" Courtney yells at the pair.
Chris snickers at this. "Noooo... I said that was the last challenge as the Brain, Brawn, and Beauty teams. Which is true, because now we're Heroes and Villains. But just for this week."
"Huh?" DJ asks.
Chris lets out a large huff before he continues his explanation. "To spell it out for you simpletons, this is actually the last challenge before the merge. To celebrate, we will be swapping the teams around. Half of you will be on the Heroes team, and the other half will be Villains."
By this point, the air is filled with the sounds of the camper's disappointed groans and sighs. Scarlett is doing some quick calculations in her head while the rest are distracted in their aggravation.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"What do you know, my hypothesis was proven to be correct, as per usual. And considering past actions, Courtney, Sugar, and I are all guaranteed to be on the Villains Team. Getting through to the merge shouldn't be a problem with those numbers."
*Confessional Ends*
Chris speaks once more. "Alright, now Chef is going to announce both teams. After the teams are read aloud, you will join your new teammates to get ready for your next challenge.
Everyone visibly tenses up, ready to hear the team announcements. Some look nervous to hear their placement, while others already know where they're going.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Given last season, I'll probably be a Villain. But, given Lightning's other seasons, he'll probably be a Villain too. So I guess it's not all bad!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"I don't believe I've done anything particularly villainous in my time here, so I'm assuming I'll be on the Heroes team. DJ probably will too, so that's good. But the rest are kind of a toss up. All that matters is that it works in my favor."
*Confessional Ends*
Chef pulls out a clipboard with the list of names. After eyeing it for a moment, he begins to read from it.
"And the five campers that will be on the Heroes team are... B, DJ, Jasmine, Leshawna, and..."
Everyone holds in their breath to hear the last name.
"Sky."
Sky's name is the one that surprises everyone the most, especially Sky. Well, almost everyone.
*Confessional- Lightning*
"Lightning don't know why people are surprised that Sky's on the Hero team. Obviously she's a Hero, she's the nicest person left! Well, except maybe DJ, but still!"
*Confessional Ends*
Sky, however, doesn't share Lightning's level of confidence.
"I'm a Hero? Seriously?" She asks, pleasantly surprised.
Chris shrugs at the question. "Meh, that's up for debate. To be honest, we wanted to split you and Lightning up. And there's no way that guy is going on the Heroes team."
We hear Lightning shout "Hey!", in the background. He sounds offended, but doesn't say anything to back it up. Sky looks more nervous after hearing the reasoning.
*Confessional- Sky*
"Okay, so it's nice to hear that I'm a Hero, but not at the expense of my game. Lightning's the only one I know who will never vote for me, and now we're separated. Hopefully having two other Brawny Beavers on this team protects me."
*Confessional Ends*
Chef clears his throat to announce the rest of the campers. "Anyway, the campers on the Villains team are... Lightning, Courtney, Sugar, Scarlett, and Dawn."
No one on the Villains team is surprised by their placement. That is, no one except for Dawn.
"Wait, I'm a Villain?! Why?" Dawn asks, genuinely confused.
Chris laughs at Dawn's naivety. "I don't know Dawn, teaming up with another villain to vote off the only person that's been nice to everyone... not a very heroic move, I must say."
"But... it wasn't meant to be malicious!" Dawn says defensively.
Chris shrugs again "Doesn't matter, we needed five villains and this is what we're going with. Now, to the villains side you go."
A dejected Dawn moves her way towards the spot where all the villains are standing. Sugar gives her a hard smack on the back.
"Don't cha' worry Dawn, we're gonna kick booty at this here challenge! Just you wait and see!"
Before Dawn can reply, Chris begins to speak again. "Well campers, I present to you, for this week and this week only, the Heroes and Villain teams!"
The Heroes all look genuinely happy with their lineup, while the Villains look aggravated, particularly Courtney and Lightning.
*Confessional- DJ*
"Honestly, I'm liking this team right now. I think we have a real chance at winning. Hopefully Courtney will be okay on the other team."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Lightning*
"Man, this sucks! I'm the only dude, and the only Brawny Beaver! Lightning's gotta figure something out, and quick!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"What do I think of this team? Well, I don't like Dawn, I hate Sugar, and Scarlett's... Scarlett. So by default, Lightning's going to be my closest ally this week, whether he likes it or not. It's not like he has many other options."
*Confessional Ends*
After a few minutes of silence, Chris proclaims, "Yeah, not the dramatic responses I was expecting. But, no matter... let's make way to the location of your latest challenge."
The campers do as their told without much complaint. Some campers are using the time to further analyze their new team.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"Have you ever seen one of these shows? 'Heroes' is just a nice way to label players who are too weak to do anything ruthless. And our Villains team is nothing but ruthless. Except for Dawn, but she'll come around. Needless to say, our victory is basically guaranteed."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"Honestly? This team's not too bad. I'm cool with Jasmine and Sky, and DJ's one of my closest allies. B may be Dawn's friend, but he's great in challenges, so I might as well give him the benefit of the doubt."
*Confessional Ends*
When the campers arrive, they are met with a short, but sturdy balance beam that's attached between two giant trees about 20 feet off the ground. It's a very simple set up for the challenge, so campers are naturally confused.
"Soooo... this is our challenge?" DJ asks.
Chris nods his head enthusiastically. "Yep! Since we spent so much time dividing up teams, we figured it made sense to have a simpler challenge. Basically, Invincibility will be awarded to whoever can stay standing on the balance beam the longest."
Courtney raises her hand.
"Yes, Courtney?" Chris answers.
"Did you guys spend all week setting up a simple balance beam? Is that really why we waited so long for the challenge?"
Chris shrugs sheepishly. "Ehhh, kinda? We had a few mishaps with safety regulations, which we legally now have to care about. But you can't deny that it helped build up the suspense."
Now Scarlett raises her hand.
"Ugh, yes Scarlett?" The annoyed hosts inquires.
The redhead points towards the aforementioned beam. "How do you expect all ten of us to stand on that thing? By the looks of it, I'd say it can barely hold a single team."
Now Chris and Chef are really laughing, knowing full well that they've been withholding the final detail about the challenge in.
Chris finally speaks again after settling down from his laughing fit. "Oh, did we forget to mention? Your teammates won't be who you're competing with, they're who you're competing against."
"What?!" Everyone shouts in unison.
"Yup, we'll run this challenge twice, first with the Heroes, and then with the Villains. Last camper standing in each round wins Invincibility. Afterwards, each team will go to the Campfire Ceremony to vote someone out, meaning two people will be going home tonight."
"Man, how many double eliminations are you gonna have this season?!" DJ asks.
"As many as we damn well please!" Chris answers. "Enough with the unnecessary questions! Heroes, get up on the balance beam!"
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"Wow, another double elimination... things just got way more intense now. My initial instinct is to fight my hardest for Invincibility, but I may want to let someone else win it to gain some trust with the competitors. I need to play smarter, not harder."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"If Dawn hadn't changed her vote, Lindsay would still be here and Sugar would be the one gone. But if she wants to mess with my game, I'll have to mess with hers."
*Confessional Ends*
After the confessional turns to static, the next thing viewers see is the five Hero campers standing on the wooden balance beam. In order, the lineup is Sky, B, DJ, Jasmine, and Leshawna. The Villains team is watching from below, waiting for their turn.
Once they're all settled in, Chris begins to speak from the megaphone. "Alright campers, it's quiet simple- stay on the balance beam longer than the other four. No sitting, no hanging onto branches... just good ole' standing. And, Part One of this challenge begins... now!"
With that, the five campers' have a determined look on their face. Sky stares up in the trees in order to maintain her focus. B looks incredibly nervous, knowing full well that his game is on the line if he doesn't win. His eyes are shut closed in order to block out all distractions around him. DJ appears to be thinking intensely about something, if the scrunched up look on his face is any indication.
*Confessional- DJ*
"Okay, so I'm about 90% sure that there is no possible way I'm getting voted off tonight. If I can turn that into 100%, then there's no point of tiring myself out over a challenge I don't need to win."
*Confessional Ends*
"Psst" DJ mutters out to Jasmine and Leshawna, quickly getting their attention.
"What?" Jasmine asks in a quiet tone.
DJ discreetly points to B next to him. He mouths "voting for," hoping that they both understand what he's trying to tell them without saying anything out loud.
Jasmine and Leshawna look to each other and then back to DJ, nodding in agreement. Leshawna then whispers to Jasmine, "What if he wins?", which Jasmine then whispers to DJ.
At that moment, Lightning shouts from below, "Come on, Sky! You got this girl! Lightning knows you can do it!"
Sky chuckles in reply and shouts down, "Thanks Lightning, but I need to focus right now, okay?"
Lightning shouts back, "Sha-got it!"
Jasmine and Leshawna look at each other after this, knowing full well the answer that is on their minds. Leshawna whispers "Sky," into Jasmine's ear, who again relays the message to DJ. This time, she adds to the message.
"If B wins, vote for Sky. We need to split her and Lightning up." She whispers to DJ. DJ nods, but looks nervous at the implication.
*Confessional- DJ*
"So now I'm almost positive there's no chance of me going home. However, if B wins invincibility, that means I'll probably vote for Sky, which will make Lightning angry. So I'll stay on the balance beam until B loses, or if something scary happens."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"Since I can't vote off Dawn this week, I gotta do the next best thing and get rid of B. So he better not win invincibility, because I'm getting my revenge one way or another."
*Confessional Ends*
Down below, the Villain campers are watching the uneventful challenge go by. Scarlett is standing by herself, focusing intensely on the campers above her. Sugar and Dawn are on one side, whispering in private. On the other side, Lightning has ceased cheering for Sky out loud, but Courtney and him are still discussing their predictions for the challenge.
"I'm still saying Jasmine's got this in the bag. No way any of them are going to outlast her." Courtney tells him.
"Uh-uh. Sky's a gymnast, she's used to this stuff and she loves competing! She'll win for sure!" Lightning insists.
Courtney smiles when she sees the look of admiration on his face. "You really like her, don't you?"
Lightning snaps back to reality and stumbles over his words. "What? I mean, yeah, she's great and all... like as a teammate, and a competitor, and... Lightning's just got a lot of feelings right now."
"Have you told her exactly how you feel?" Courtney asks him.
Lightning shakes his head no. "She knows I like her but... not how much. I'm not gonna do anything during the competition, though. We're both here to win."
Courtney nods. "Honestly... I'd say that's a smart move. Take it from someone who knows, relationships and game do not mix."
Lightning smiles at this. "Psh, yeah... I'm glad Sky and I both feel that way. You know, you're the first person to agree with us about it. Everyone else says we should pour out our feelings and stuff."
Courtney shrugs. "I know from personal experience. But Lightning? Just... make sure she knows that she does matter to you, even if you're not together. I... I just wish I did that."
Lightning nods, deep in thought about what she just told him.
*Confessional- Lightning*
"Man, Courtney can get sha-deep sometimes! I guess she gave the Lightning some stuff to think about, but hopefully this means we can help each other out now!"
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Courtney*
"What? I can have heartfelt moments too, damn it! Lightning's a potential ally, of course I'm going to try and help him. And no, I will not tell you who I was referring to in that last sentence. He's not here, so it doesn't matter!"
*Confessional Ends*
Courtney speaks up to Lightning again. "You know... I'm no Sky, but we are on the same team this week. We should vote together, no matter what happens."
Lightning looks more excited now. "Sha-yeah! Lightning likes the sound of that! After I win Invincibility, of course!"
Courtney pokes her pointer finger right into his chest. "Ha! That's what you think, but keep dreaming!"
Before Lightning can reply, Dawn makes a coughing noise to announce her presence.
"What do you want?" Courtney asks bitterly.
Dawn looks more nervous, but continues with her purpose nonetheless. "Well Courtney, I was hoping I could speak to you in private for a moment."
Courtney looks to Lightning, who responds with an indifferent shrug. She replies with a curt "Fine," before heading off wth Dawn.
When they're out of Lightning's earshot, Courtney asks again, "Well, Dawn, what do you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you about the vote. Sugar and I both think it's best if we vote for Lightning, assuming he doesn't win Invincibility.
"And why would I ever vote with you and Sugar?" Courtney says with a glare in her eyes.
"Well, you don't have to. But Lightning is a threat, and it makes sense to get rid of him as soon as possible. Sugar's trying to convince Scarlett of the same thing right now."
She points over to the two Villains, and sure enough, Sugar's yapping away to Scarlett, who looks visibly annoyed.
An unimpressed Courtney merely replies, "I'll think about it, that's all I can offer. I won't make any promises until after the challenge is over."
She turns away and walks back towards Lightning before Dawn can respond back.
*Confessional- Courtney*
"Of course it's difficult for me to trust Dawn. I mean, come on, she sided with Sugar- on purpose. Lightning, on the other hand, is all by himself on this team, meaning he'll probably go along with any plan that doesn't involve him getting eliminated."
*Confessional Ends*
*Confessional- Dawn*
"Well, that could've gone better."
*Confessional Ends*
Dawn walks back to Sugar and Scarlett to repeat what Courtney told her. When she's done speaking, Scarlett seems indifferent, while Sugar looks more agitated than usual.
"That damn Courtney! Gettin' way too big for her britches there. I say that if she doesn't win Invincibility, that we vote for her next instead! That'll show her!" Sugar declares.
Dawn ponders this for a moment before replying, "You know, that's not a horrible idea. Courtney is a valiant competitor and is much more ruthless and intelligent than Lightning. Maybe she should go next."
Sugar jumps triumphantly. "Woo-wee! Sounds good to me! Whaddya think, Scarlett!"
Scarlett shrugs with indifference, attempting to hide her discontent.
"If that's what's best, then why not?" The red head says.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"Courtney is still a valuable ally, and Sugar is basically an extra vote for me. I can't have Sugar and Dawn talking nonsense about blindsiding Courtney. If they continue to do so, I'll have to make sure she wins Invincibility."
*Confessional Ends*
About an hour has gone by of the first challenge, and all five of the Heroes are still standing on the balance beam. With nothing else going on, everyone is incredibly bored as a result.
"Ugh, this is so boring! Do somethin' entertaining for Christ's sake!" Sugar yells.
Chris makes a loud sigh and says, "You know, I hate to agree with Sugar, but this is getting really boring. I'd say it's time to intervene. Chef, you know what to do."
Chef gives the camera a sinister chuckle and smirk. He heads over to their beloved golf cart and pulls out what appears to be five t-shirt guns. However, instead of T-Shirts, it has tomatoes lodged inside.
"Um... what is that?" Leshawna yells from above.
Chris smiles as Chef hands each Villain camper a blaster. "These are our tomato cannons. Since the Heroes are taking wayyy too long, the Villains are going to help you speed up the process. There are five tomatoes in each cannon. You can shoot them at any camper you like, in hopes that they fall down. Got it?"
"Wait! I'm heading down, forget this!" DJ yells. The gentle giant doesn't hesistate any further and jumps quickly off the balance beam.
"Finally, we have a Hero down! DJ's out and ineligible for Invincibility. Four more campers to go!" Chris announces.
*Confessional- DJ*
"I said I was gonna stay on until either B went down or something scary happened. Villains armed with tomato guns certainly fall into the latter category."
*Confessional Ends*
Courtney raises her hand and asks. "Do we still get to shoot these tomatoes at the Heroes?"
Chris laughs. "Of course, please go on."
Then, without hesitation, Courtney fires her tomatoes straight for B, all five being a direct hit. B begins to wobble from them. He almost regains his balance until he's hit by another five tomatoes, courtesy of Lightning. He falls quickly after that.
"B is out! Three campers left!" Chris yells.
Courtney and Lightning give each other a high five.
"Nice hit." Courtney tells him.
"Sha-thanks!" The jock replies.
Dawn goes over to B to make sure he's alright. When he assures her that he's fine, an aggravated Dawn aims her gun unexpectedly at Sky. She gets hit, but doesn't fall.
"Hey! Watch it Dawn- ah!" Sky yells before getting hit again, this time by Sugar. The surprise hit startles her enough that she's the next to fall.
Chris announces, "Sky's out! Now it's all down to Jasmine and Leshawna!"
Chef turns to Chris and tells him, "I told you the tomato guns were a good idea."
Chris nods in agreement. "That you did my friend, that you did."
Scarlett is the only one not to have fired her cannon, much to the surprise of everyone. She continues to stare up, deciding in her mind what her next move should be.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"I'd like for this challenge to go by with as little interference from me as possible. Neither remaining contestant is in danger of going home, and winning will only expose them as a challenge threat. I'm sure I'll get another chance to throw things at Jasmine, so it's no bother."
*Confessional Ends*
Up on the beam, Jasmine and Leshawna are quiet for a few moments before Jasmine speaks up.
"Do you want Invincibility?" Jasmine asks.
"Um, obviously I do." Leshawna responds.
"Good. Now that Sky and B are out, you can have it." Jasmine tells her.
Now Leshawna looks very confused. "Seriously? Um, any particular reason for that?"
Jasmine looks down quickly and then replies, "I want to build some trust with you, and I believe we're both safe tonight. But... I'm not sure which is the better choice to send home."
"You mean Sky or B?"
Jasmine nods. "Yes... so if I jump, just promise me we'll vote together no matter what."
Leshawna nods. "Yeah, sure girl, whatever you want."
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"The first half of this game, I was all about goofing off and having fun with my team. But now it's every man and woman for themselves, and I need to start thinking about what's going to keep me around longer. Which means I need to step up my strategic game."
*Confessional Ends*
Jasmine smiles at her and jumps from the balance beam quickly after. A moment later, Chris' voice is over the intercom.
"Jasmine is out, which means... congratulations to Leshawna, you have won Invincibility! Now get down here so we can begin Part Two please."
Leshawna does as she's told with a huge smile on her face. Everyone gives her words of congratulations and pats on the back.
*Confessional- Leshawna*
"As if I was gonna pass up Jasmine's offer for Invincibility! But she's worrying me with her talk about getting rid of Sky. B has to go home tonight, no matter what!"
*Confessional Ends*
As the confessional fades out, we now see the Villains team standing on the balance beam. Their lineup is Dawn, Sugar, Scarlett, Courtney, and Lightning.
*Confessional- Courtney*
"Right now, I have two goals. One, win Invincibility. Two, make sure both eliminations work in my favor."
*Confessional Ends*
Chris announces that their challenge has begun, and the Villains begin to wait it out. Lightning whispers something to Courtney, who laughs a tad louder than intended.
"Somethin' you wanna share with everyone, Courtney?" Sugar asks aloud.
Courtney lets out a low growl and throws back. "As usual, Sugar, it's none of your fucking business."
Sugar 'tsks' at her and says, "Be nice Courtney... after all, there's very few people we can vote for tonight."
"Yup, and I can't wait until it's your sorry ass going home." Courtney replies.
Dawn says quietly, "I don't think this is doing anyone any good. Please everyone, settle down."
Both women are begrudgingly quiet after this. Scarlett, however, looks happier than ever, as if she's finally solved the last piece of the puzzle.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"Courtney and Sugar can't stand each other. Which means that their only connection is their alliance with me. Therefore, they'll never team up to vote me out. I think I just found my perfect Final 3."
*Confessional Ends*
Down below, Chef is handing out the Heroes the now reloaded tomato guns.
"Yeah, there's no way we're waiting another hour for this challenge to end," Chris tells everyone. "Heroes, fire when you see fit!"
B pushes his cannon to the side, indicating that he wasn't going to fire at any of the remaining campers. All of the other Heroes fire, without hesitation at either Dawn or Sugar. By the time all four of them are out of ammo, both girls are on the ground.
Chris and Chef laugh hysterically at what just transpired.
"Man, that was brutal!" Chef hollers.
Chris chuckles back, "Dude, I know! Man, that was great! Well, Dawn and Sugar are both out, meaning it's between Scarlett, Courtney, and Lightning!"
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"After analyzing all possible scenarios in order of probability, the best outcome would be to allow Courtney to win Invincibility. That way I don't have to choose between allies. Now only Lightning remains in my way. I'm sure we can work something out."
*Confessional Ends*
The three remaining Villains look questionably at each other. Finally, Scarlett speaks.
"Funny, Sugar and Dawn have been talking about nothing but voting for one of you today, and yet they are first two out. Quite ironic, really."
Courtney and Lightning give each other a glance that is full of worry.
"Um... yeah... it'd be nice to win, ya know?" Lightning says worriedly.
Scarlett speaks up again. "You know Lightning, it does concern me to allow you to win Invincibility. I certainly don't want to put our shared ally of Courtney at risk. It could be too tempting for you to vote for her, especially knowing that you're at no risk for going home."
"Huh?" Lightning asks.
"I think she's saying that you two should throw the challenge to me." Courtney tells him.
Scarlett explains further, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I believe it will build trust between all three of us."
*Confessional- Courtney*
"Yeah, I'm very confused as to where this is going. But, if it means I win Invincibility, then they can agree on whatever they want."
*Confessional Ends*
"No... Lightning would rather win the challenge." Lightning tells the two women.
"Are you sure about that? Making a deal means that we trust each other, even for future challenges. If you want to get far in this game, you'll need more allies than Sky." Scarlett tells him.
An uneasy Lightning takes a deep breath and says, "Lightning's listening... what's your offer?"
"On the count of three, you and I will both jump off the balance beam, which means Courtney will win Invincibility. Then, we all vote for Dawn at tonight's Campfire Ceremony."
*Confessional- Lightning*
"So, on any other occasion, there's no way the Lightning would even consider throwing a challenge! But Pops did say I should play smarter this time around... and if it means more allies for me and Sky... I think I'm gonna have to swallow my pride."
*Confessional Ends*
Lightning takes a big gulp and finally replies with, "Okay."
Scarlett and Courtney are both surprised by his reaction, but neither asks if he really means it.
"Alright. Courtney, do you mind counting to three?" Scarlett replies.
Courtney nods silently and does as was asked of her. She counts to three, and both campers jump off the balance beam together. Everyone is silent from the shock as they land on the ground. Chris' voice comes on the intercom one more.
"Um... well, that was unexpected. But anyway, congratulations to Courtney for winning Invincibility! You, as well as Leshawna, are safe from your respective Campfire Ceremonies! I will see both sets of campers tonight, where two of you will be going home. Give your vote some thought, Chris out!"
Courtney gets off the balance beam and is greeted with warm congratulations from almost everyone. Sugar and Dawn, clearly upset, pull Scarlett away from the celebration to talk.
"Scarlett, what in the lord's name was that!?" Sugar yells.
"What do you mean?" Scarlett replies politely.
"It just seems like you threw the challenge to Courtney." Dawn explains.
"Oh, I most certainly did. But, I convinced Lightning to drop too, which means we can vote for him tonight."
"But we wanted to vote for Courtney!" Sugar whines.
"Well, now you can't. But I don't understand why you would possibly want to vote for her over Lightning. He's physically stronger and more likely to win challenges. Courtney's strong, but she's her own worse enemy. Quite easy to take out whenever we like." Scarlett analyzes.
"I guess that is true." Dawn concludes.
"Of course it is. Trust me, this is for the best." Scarlett tells them. She walks promptly back to her cabin before they can say anything else.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"There are benefits to voting for Dawn and Lightning. Getting rid of Dawn would be the more popular choice at the moment. But, if I go back on my word and vote off Lightning, then there's a physical threat I no longer have to worry about. I guess we shall see."
*Confessional Ends*
As everyone disperses, Sky also pulls Lightning aside to speak privately.
"Lightning, you threw the challenge, didn't you?" She more so tells him than asks him.
A guilty looking Lightning defensively says, "Okay, I did... but I had to! Scarlett and Courtney promised to vote for Dawn with me. This means we have more allies! This could help us further in the game!"
About a million things run through Sky's head. She wants to yell at him, she wants to explain why Scarlett is not someone to rely on, or Courtney, for that matter. She wants to say how heartbroken she is about how this may very well may be their last night competing together. But she decides to say none of it.
Instead, she just takes a deep breath and says, "Well, what's done is done. Let's head to the cabins before people start to worry."
*Confessional- Sky*
"So, Lightning threw the challenge to Courtney, because Scarlett, of all people, promised not to vote for him. I'm gonna try and enjoy the last few hours I have with him."
*Confessional Ends*
As the pair head back, they catch the sight of Jasmine, who eyes them sadly. Currently, her head is struggling with what she should do at tonight's vote.
*Confessional- Jasmine*
"Okay, so the obvious person to vote off this week is B, since his closest alliance member can't save him. But Lightning and Sky are going to be a threatening alliance moving forward... it might be smart to spilt them up while we can."
*Confessional Ends*
DJ runs up to Jasmine while she's deep in thought. When she snaps back into reality, she sees that Courtney and Leshawna are right behind him.
"B's voting for Sky tonight, I asked him." DJ tells him.
Jasmine looks down and sullenly replies. "You know, I'm starting to believe that's not the worst idea."
Now Courtney looks worried. "Wait, why would you vote for Sky?"
"Her and Lightning as a pair will be bad news. They're way too strong together. If we vote her off, Lightning's loyalties will shift to us." Jasmine explains.
Leshawna shakes her head no and adds in. "It's way too early to be thinking about all that. Obviously, I want to get rid of B because of what happened with Dawn and Lindsay. But B and Dawn will never side with us now, they already think we're too dangerous."
DJ buts in with, "Yeah, plus, Scarlett's the deciding vote between Dawn and Lightning. No offense, Courtney, but do you really think she'll vote to keep Lightning?"
Courtney looks to the ground and mutters out. "Honestly, I wouldn't put it past her to vote him out. There's still a chance it may be him going home."
"So basically we're taking a risk with our choice either way." Jasmine says, rather annoyed.
Courtney faces the three Heroes again and declares bluntly. "Well, I can't vote with your team, so the decision is up to you three. I don't even know how my own team's vote is going to go, so you can't base your vote off of that. You just have to ask yourselves which is better for you; keeping B and Dawn together, or Sky and Lightning?"
Jasmine, Leshawna, and DJ look around at each other. No words are spoken at first, but there's no need. They already know the answer.
*Campfire Ceremony*
"Welcome, Heroes and Villains, to our last Campfire Ceremony before the merge!" Chris announces to everyone.
The Heroes are on the right side, and the Villains are on the left. Most of the campers look scared for the outcome. Scarlett, being the deciding vote for her team, is the only one that is completely comfortable.
Chris continues with, "So, it'll take wayyy to long to do two entirely separate ceremonies, so here's what I'll do: I'll say all the campers names that are not in the bottom two of either team. Then I'll announce who's going home from there. Sound good?"
The campers nod collectively, but they know fully well that their opinion doesn't matter anyway.
Chris smiles at their agreement. "Okay, good! Now, the campers safe on the Heroes team are... Jasmine, Leshawna, and DJ."
He tosses the marshmallows to each of them, who catch them easily.
Chris speaks again. "And those safe from the Villains team are... Scarlett, Courtney, and Sugar."
Scarlett and Courtney catch their marshmallows normally, while Sugar catches hers with her mouth.
The camera now focuses on the bottom two of each team. All four campers made sure to sit next to their closest allies, fully aware of the likelihood that one or both of them may be sent home.
"B and Sky, Dawn and Lightning, you are the bottom two of each team. Dawn, you made a risky move last week that has not worked well for you so far. B, you seem to be guilty by association. Sky and Lightning, it's hard not to notice how close you two are, and it's even harder not to notice how you two are physical threats. But you knew all that, so I'll move on. And the two campers going home tonight are..."
The normal dramatic music plays in the background. Dawn grabs onto B's hand out of worry, which surprises B. Lightning grabs onto Sky's hand much tighter than he anticipated, much to the discomfort of Sky. She's too nervous to say anything about it.
Finally, Chris says the names of the two eliminated campers.
"B and Dawn."
B and Dawn both nod in acceptance of the results. Lightning pulls Sky into a tight hug after they receive their marshmallows, which surprises Sky for a moment.
DJ, Leshawna, and Jasmine all have mixed feelings about the results. Sugar looks confused, and is counting on her fingers, trying to figure out what happened. Courtney looks incredibly happy with the vote, as does Scarlett.
*Confessional- Scarlett*
"Let's see, I could have voted for Lightning and broken up a clearly fragile duo, or I could vote out Dawn, ensuring that Sugar is solely dependent on me. The choice was obvious. Sometimes, the most shocking thing a villain can do is keep their promise."
*Confessional Ends*
B and Dawn stand up from their place together. Dawn turns to all of them and speaks out.
"I understand your choice and I am sorry to those I have hurt while I was here. Please know that I never intended to intentionally hurt anyone."
Everyone seems to accept this answer, which leads Dawn and B to give their round of hugs and goodbyes. The last two people Dawn reaches are Courtney and Leshawna.
Courtney gives her a light hug and whispers "No hard feelings," to her, to which Dawn replies "of course not."
Leshawna approaches Dawn, much to the latter's worry. She is surprised, though, when the dark skinned girl gives her a tight hug and a genuine smile; a silent indicator that all is forgiven. She then tells the blond girl in a lighthearted tone, "Now we're even."
Dawn smiles an accepts Leshawna's goodbye, feeling much better knowing that there is no more ill will towards anyone.
Finally, Dawn pulls B into a hug and says to him, "You know B, it's sad we got eliminated, but I'm more than happy to be leaving the game with you."
B blushes slightly and shakes his head yes in reply.
Finally, Chris tells them, "Alright, that's enough heartfelt crap. B, Dawn, you know the drill."
The pair look at each other with a slightly more worried expression.
The camera now shows the Slingshot of Defeat, this time with Chef holding B and Dawn in its pocket.
"Well, any last words? I guess that's just a question for Dawn." Chris asks.
Dawn turns to the remaining campers and says, "Even if it didn't work out, I don't regret my choices. I hope to one day prove to you that I am a strong player."
"Hm, that day may come sooner than you think." Chris mumbles to the camera.
"What?" A shocked Dawn says.
But Chris ignores them and instead says, "Chef, release the losers!"
Chef does just that, leaving B and Dawn to the same fate as the previously eliminated campers.
Chris focuses his attention on the eight remaining campers and makes his final announcement to them of the night.
"And now that we're down two more players, I can officially announce that all teams are dissolved! We have merged!"
As the campers are all celebrating the event they've been waiting so long for, Chris directs the camera to focus on him so he can close the episode.
"How will the campers fare now that it's everyone for themselves? What more can I possibly throw their way? Well get ready, cause next episode is a blast from the past, on Total Drama... Brains! Vs. Brawn! Vs. Beauty!"
•End of Episode Eleven•
So... we have our third double elimination of the book. This was probably not expected, and especially not with Dawn, as she just recently made her big move.
What did you all think of the Heroes and Villains twist? While it was only for this chapter, I figured it'd still be handy to have a full list of the Heroes and Villains teams. Next chapter, the merge WILL be in full effect, meaning no more teams of any kind!
Heroes: B, DJ, Jasmine, Leshawna, Sky
Villains: Courtney, Dawn, Lightning, Scarlett, Sugar
Figuring out the lineup for each team was a little difficult at first. Originally I was going to have Sky and Dawn switch roles, but the team dynamics didn't feel right. Once I decided the manner of Lindsay's elimination, I figured it made sense for Dawn to be on the Villains team, even if she doesn't really deserve it.
And as always, here is the voting lineup for this chapter. Since it was separate votes, I listed it by teams.
Heroes:
B- Sky
DJ- B
Jasmine- B
Leshawna- B
Sky- B
Villains:
Courtney- Dawn
Dawn- Lightning
Lightning- Dawn
Scarlett- Dawn
Sugar- Lightning
B and Dawn's eliminations make more sense once you see how the rest of this series plays out. Unfortunately, I can't give away too much of what that means, so I'll explain as much as I can with the information you already know.
First off, Dawn made a huge move last week by helping get rid of Lindsay. While it was smart to target the largest alliance, I would argue that it was a mistake at that particular time. Everyone believed a merge was coming up, so by eliminating Lindsay, at least three of the people in that merge were going to be pissed at her. Throw in the fact that two of those people are Leshawna and Courtney, who are known to be spiteful... she definitely wasn't in the most secure position. Sometimes, big moves don't work out, especially with people like Dawn that don't want to be in that Villain position. She truly thought she was doing what was best for her, but she just didn't get to prove herself in this chapter.
As for B, I took him out for two reasons. One, because he was Dawn's closest friend, so it would make sense that he would be targeted at this time. Two, he was the last background character I had left in the game. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore B, but his purpose was more so to help others than be a protagonist/antagonist himself. He helped the Beetles win a lot of challenges, he comforted Dawn when she was down, and he was the last surviving male of the Brainy Beetles. Hey, given that his other team members were Scarlett and Courtney, I would say that's a pretty great accomplishment. But everyone left in the story has some type of storyline that needs to be worked on, and I wasn't ready to let go of any of them yet.
That being said, there's going to be a change in pace moving forward in terms of character development. As the number's dwindle, I now have more time to dedicate to characters' deeper flaws/insecurities.
Speaking of which, there was a lot going on with the other campers. One reason I liked the idea of dividing up the teams was because it encouraged interactions between campers that haven't really talked. The main one would probably be Lightning and Courtney, who I can totally see bonding over being competitive and villainous. Once I decided on the Villains team lineup, I ran with the idea of those two working together, eventually pulling in Scarlett as the deciding vote. It made sense to me that Scarlett would be the one to convince Lightning to throw a challenge for Courtney. Lightning was attempting to make a smart move, even though it was misguided. Basically, he got incredibly lucky that Scarlett didn't turn on him.
I thought a lot about Scarlett as a character while writing, trying to figure out what could possibly lead her to vote for Dawn over Lightning. Then I realized that Scarlett is all about control. She loves being the one in power, and now that she's decided on her ideal final three, she's not going to want Dawn around. She wants Sugar and Courtney to eventually be her pawns in the game. This will be tricky for her, since Courtney has more allies than Sugar.
As for the Heroes, they have a lot on their minds. If that last conversation was any indication, then Jasmine is basically DJ, Leshawna, and Courtney's new "fourth person" in their alliance. However, that's not entirely true. Although she ended up voting for B, Jasmine was seriously considering turning on Sky and separating her and Lightning, a pair that she help get together. It's a bit hypocritical of her, but Jasmine is slowly separating the game from the personal. She wants Sky and Lightning to be together and be happy, just like she wants DJ, Leshawna, and Courtney to get far, but she also wants to win. As of now, she has no allegiances to any one person or group, unlike Lindsay, who was dedicated to her alliance. Jasmine will vote with them while it's convenient, but she isn't sacrificing her game for them either.
DJ and Sky had much smaller parts this chapter, but that doesn't mean I'm giving up on them. Sky's got a few big moments coming up, and there wasn't much she could do if the Heroes voted for her. Because of this, I didn't see a reason to force her into this chapter when it wasn't needed. As for DJ, I would argue that as of now he's in the best position of the game. He has the best connections and hasn't been on anyone's radar to get voted off. So for this chapter, he took a back seat while everyone else figured themselves out. He didn't need to win Invincibility, and winning it might have made him a bigger threat than need be. Next chapter may or may not have some good DJ moments to look forward to.
I am SO excited for this next chapter, it will be arguably one of the most dramatic ones of the whole book. This is one of the "special" chapters I mentioned previously in the notes of "The Devil You Sew." There will be loads of character development, some surprise appearances, and a shocking elimination.
A lot of the dialogue is written, but it's going to take me awhile to construct everything. Please continue to be the wonderful readers you are with your amazing follows, favorites, comments, and PM's. You're all so great and patient, I'm so lucky!
Sincerely,
VintageMadame
Eliminated: Harold, Topher, Anne Maria, Justin, Shawn, Brick, Jo, Cameron, Leonard, Eva, Lindsay, B, Dawn