This chapter is a little different than the others so far. I'll let you discover why on your own.
Chris's Recap
"Last time, on Total Drama Zero Sum...
"Bwahahahahaha! We stranded the campers on the nearby island of Kokoke! They should've seen the looks on their faces, hahahaha hahhh...Man, this is the best show! Hubert and Carys continued to feud, and when Helen pointed this out, the two of them ran off into the woods, leaving an ever eager Katelyn in charge of the Killer Waves, which she milked the heck out of, resulting in little accomplishments.
"Oswald ditched his team in order to grow discontent, but Melody joined him, thus keeping a target painted on both their backs, and both of them vowing to see the other one kicked off the team should it lose a challenge. Twilight's temper continued to dwindle towards dangerously low levels, and Liu-Ten and Nublina once again did barely anything to help with the challenge. Come on guys! This is a show!
"The Violent Quakes….didn't do much. But what they did do was manage to win the challenge, sending a recently reconciled Hubert and Carys, along with the rest of the Waves, to the Po'ino Bonfire for the second time in a row.
"The vote came down to either Helen, the outsider of the group, or Katelyn, the temporary dictator. So, even without the help of a lovestruck Damon or their secret immunity tiki, both Hubert and Carys were able to predict Helen's vote and send Katelyn packing, bringing the team down to only 4 members. Have they finally gotten rid of their problem? 15 campers remain, but only 14 will be left after tonight! Who can keep their balance in the game, and who has made their final splash? Find out, right now! On Total! Drama! Zero Sum!"
*Total Drama Theme Song Plays*
As the song starts, various camera come out of all the flora and fauna around the island.
Dear mom and dad I'm doing fine, you guys are on my mind
The camera zooms around all of the island before moving up and over Mt. Immolate, the volcano, before diving into the water.
You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see,
Carys is swimming after a school of piranha with a spear, but immediately stops short and begins to swim the other way as the piranha all die and begin to float towards the surface. Camera pans to reveal Alcott in the water, a visible stink around him. The piranha surface along with the smell to where Conlan and Rudo are rowing in the canoe.
I want to be famous
As Conlan and Rudo plug their noses and let go of the oars, a large octopus tentacle tosses the boat skyward, sending the two of them flying into the forest, where they land near Damon, who looks upset as a bunch of animals run away, he turns to Katelyn who is watching and gives a shrug. Katelyn turns away and makes a 'blech' motion. Meanwhile, the now capsized canoe floats by in a river. As the camera follows the capsized canoe, Artemis and Isaac are walking by. Isaac goes to set the canoe right again, but Artemis slaps his hand before he can walk away. Isaac turns to smile at Artemis, but she twists he head away, smacking him with her ponytail.
I want to live close to the sun
Eliana is tending to a nearby fire while Donovan jogs by. He waves to her, but she doesn't respond. Once he is just out of sight, she waves back at him without looking.
So pack your bags, 'cause I've already won
As Donovan jogs by Perci, who is gathering plants, he waves. As she waves back, he trips and stumbles down the mountain. Perci holds on to her sun hat with one hand and pulls the other up to her mouth in a concerned gasp.
Everything to prove, nothing in my way, I'll get there one day.
Donovan tumbles into the confessional booth, which opens up and Freya falls out, incredibly upset as her clothes are stained with the nail polish she was applying inside. Davon can be seen nearby as he takes a mirror that Freya dropped to preen himself and admire his reflection as the camera pans to the beach, where Liu-Ten and Nublina are sitting at a table near Chef, who has a tray of food with him.
'Cause I want to be famous
Chef puts down plates of food on a table with force, interrupting Liu-Ten and Nublina who are talking excitedly with each other. Meanwhile, Victor is crouched under the table, following a clue and looking for an immunity tiki.
Na na nananana nanananana na nanananana
Victor is about to leave when he sees a panther rush by, and cowers under the table instead. The camera follows the panther is it bounds around the island.
I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous
The camera pans back to reveal that the panther is actually being chased off by both Helen and Twilight, who upon becoming exhausted off each other a handshake and a fist bump respectfully, creating an awkward situation where neither one of them is willing to change their mannerism, so they stop, stand around, and haphazardly kick some sand up which is then blown away by the wind.
I wanna be I wanna be I wanna be famous
The camera follows the sand to where Oswald and Melody are playing against each other in a game of checkers, and Melody has narrowed Oswald down to a single piece. Hubert then walks up, takes a look at the board, and takes Oswald's turn for him, winning the game, leaving Melody in an angry shock. She flips the board up and storms off. Oswald laughs heartily while the board falls from Hubert's face and he calmly adjusts his glasses.
As the rest of the cast is crowded around the Po'ino Bonfire, whistling the rest of the tune, Peter tips his hat up as he leans in toward Kaede, who blushes and smiles as she shies away, only to bump into Zastin, who drops a twenty sided die into the bonfire and the camera follows its flare upwards to the sky, where the title of the show 'Total Drama Zero Sum' appears on the screen, backdropped by the starry night sky.
Location: SW Camp
Contestant(s): Liu-Ten, Melody, Nublina, Oswald, Peter, Twilight
Nublina and Liu-Ten were both sitting, cross-legged, on separate mattresses while Peter, Melody, Oswald, and Twilight loomed over them.
"Listen lovebirds…" Twilight said. "We understand that for whatever reason, you like each other, but the fact is your constant face-eating is starting to get on all our nerves. Do you think that maybe, just maybe you can find a time to go out into the forest and do it, and then focus on the actual challenges?"
"I…" Nublina sighed. "I'm sorry. I guess we totally forgot that we're part of a team, huh? That's sounds perfectly fair to me." She turned to Liu-Ten. "That sound good to you too, babe?"
"Yeah…" Liu-Ten sulked. He lifted his eyes up. "I don't want to be voted off for something like that."
"Oh, don't worry." Oswald put a hand on Liu-Ten's shoulder. "Why would we vote you off for being in love? We'd have to be heartless to do something like that."
Confessional: Melody: The Screaming Winds
"Says the guy who voted his friend with benefits off because he started to get a crush on her." Melody rolls her eyes.
End Confessional
"Well, they might not, but if you ignore us for another challenge again, I'm definitely voting for one of you." Melody crossed her arms. "I know it might not seem like it, but I prefer my team to win challenges. And I don't mean this second place nonsense we seem to be stuck in since the shuffle, I mean win, and we'd be able to if you guys just started actually doing stuff to help us."
"Whoa there, Melody." Oswald lifted his hand off of Liu-Ten, walked over to Melody and put it on her shoulder. "Let's not forget that you seem to continuously bring bad luck to those who associate with you. Most of the original Killer Waves are gone, and so is Donovan. You're a tricky one that I personally feel this team should be more wary of than a young couple in love."
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
"It was my idea to have the intervention in the first place, so I knew Melody would use this as an attempt to climb the team's social ladder. All I need to do is keep reminding her of everyone she's wronged, which is almost everyone that has been eliminated, and I can keep our merry little Melody at the bottom of my team, where she belongs."
End Confessional
"Aight." Peter stretched. "Seems we've all had a good chat, now iffya' don't mind, I'mma head off to da' beach. Kaede and I are gonna check to see if Preppy's still on da' Waves of if dey voted her off."
"Actually Peter…" Chris announced as he and Chef drove up in an ATV. "You might be a little late to that rendezvous, or maybe you won't appear at all, hahaheh!" Chris turned to the camera fixated on him as the Screaming Winds all looked around, confused. "That's right, it's time for a special twist that I like to call Team Charity!" While still looking at the camera, he motioned to the confused Screaming Winds. "Since the shuffle, the Screaming Winds have managed to avoid elimination. They certainly haven't been the best performers, but they haven't been the worst! And because I'm a fair host, I've decided to give the poor other two teams a fighting chance!"
Most of the Screaming Winds began to look visibly afraid, with the exception of Twilight and Oswald. Twilight looked almost furious. Oswald however, was doing his best to hide a smile.
Confessional: Nublina: The Screaming Winds
"Why do I have a really bad feeling about this? Chris McLean is not known for charity."
End Confessional
Confessional: Twilight: The Screaming Winds
"Dammit, McLean, what the hell is your problem with me? First you put me on this terrible team, and then you come up with some plan that you seem way too happy about! If there wasn't a no violence against the host rule in my contract, I'd beat ya!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
"To everyone else, Chris must have looked like Death, come to claim them, but for me...for me that ATV was an angel descending from on high. The second he gave our team that backhand, I knew what was about to happen. Truly the stars have aligned in my favor today."
End Confessional
"Screaming Winds!" Chris turned to face the Screaming Winds. "Here's the rules of Team Charity. As the only team with a full roster of six, you'll be voting someone off right here, right now! No elimination ceremony, no tikis, just a standard vote off. I'll start with Oswald and then go down the line. You just speak the name of the person you want gone, and Chef and I will take them away, right Chef?" Chris turned his head back to ask Chef.
Chef snickered.
Confessional: Chef
"Heh heh heh. They won't know what hit 'em."
End Confessional
"Well Oswald?" Chris asked a wide-eyed Oswald.
"Ahem." Oswald cleared his throat. "As the Screaming Winds official captain, I have decided that I believe the best person to send home would be…"
"Melody." Oswald said after a pause. Melody, who was in the middle of rolling her eyes, opened them wide with shock.
"Are you serious? I haven't even done anything on this team yet!"
"And were you going to?" Oswald shrugged with a smug grin. "We have only been coming in second since the teams were shuffled, and I know it may not seem like it, but I prefer my team to win challenges."
"You giant dick!" Melody exclaimed.
"I mean...if it gets rid of one of the two of you, I guess I don't care either way." Twilight shrugged "I'll get rid of Melody."
"Yeah, she don't exactly inspire much trust in me neither." Peter also shrugged. "How you feel about it, lovers?" He asked Liu-Ten and Nublina.
"I don't want to vote anyone off…" Nublina looked around uneasily.
'That's fine then. I'll vote her off to make majority." Liu-Ten said.
Confessional: Liu-Ten: The Screaming Winds
"Hey, anything to keep it from being me or Nublina. I want to be able to prove that we can still be useful, and that can't happen if we're voted off."
End Confessional
"Alright then, that's that!" Chris smiled. "Chef!"
Chef nodded as he stood up and picked up Melody with a single arm, despite her constant struggling.
"So sorry to cut your game short, Melody." Oswald gave her a bow as she was taken away on the ATV. "I trust there are no hard feelings. After all, I'm sure you'd have done the same."
Melody tried to say something, but Chef's hand was covering her mouth, preventing her from getting the words out as she was taken away.
"Did…" Twilight blinked. "Did that really just happen?"
She began to shake Peter. "Fedora, did that really just happen?"
"Whoa, whoa, hands off da' merch!" Peter broke free of Twilight's grip. "Looks like it. In any case, I'mma go meet Kaede by da' beach now. You'll know where to find me if ya' need me for anythin'." He brushed himself off as he walked towards the beach.
Location: KW Camp
Contestant(s): Carys, Damon, Helen, Hubert, Kaede, Melody, Peter
"Oh, hey, Preppy is still on da' team after all!" Peter exclaimed as he and Kaede walked towards the Killer Waves' campsite.
*honk*
Peter looked behind him and immediately pulled Kaede to the side as Chris, Chef, and Melody passed by the two on the ATV. Melody no longer had a hand covering her mouth. "You'll regret this, Fedora!" She called out to Peter. "I've got my eye on you now!"
"What was that about?" Kaede asked, confused.
"Ah, she's upset because our team voted her off for this thing called-"
"Team Charity!" Chris exclaimed as he blew an air horn and the four Killer Waves each came out of the cabin, gripping their ears. "Killer Waves, the team that, no matter who seems to be on it, gravitates towards last place! How are you doing today?"
"I was fine until that damn air horn was blown." Carys replied.
"Couldn't you have just knocked on the door for whatever you wanted to tell us?" Helen asked.
"I could have." Chris shrugged with a grin. "I just thought that the air horn would be more fun for me, and I was right! It was!"
"So, what's this Team Charity you mentioned?" Hubert asked as he noticed Melody on the ATV. "Is she like, a present for us or something?"
"Nah man!" Peter called. "Chris is forcing teams to vote-"
"Ignore Peter." Chris smiled. "You're exactly correct Hubert. Team Charity is when the team with the most players sends over one of their members to the team with the least. The Screaming Winds have chosen to send you Melody."
"Hey, I'm all for having yet another athletic girl on this team." Damon said as he shot both Helen and Carys quick glances. "But why would they send her over and not someone who doesn't have many skills in the first place, like, say, Nublina?"
"Well, that might be because they thought they were eliminating her from the game." Chris smiled as he turned to Peter.
"That is what you thought, right, Peter? Oh look at you, you're angry! You're upset that big mean Chris and Chef tricked you, huh? Don't worry bro. I won't stop you from telling the rest of your team the truth. I mean, they better learn before the challenge, otherwise that shock could cost them the win!"
"Peter..are you okay?" Kaede asked, concerned.
"I'm fine." Peter balled his hand into a fist. "But I don't think I can stay to hang out with you and Preppy. I need ta' get back to my team. I need to first, tell them what happened, and second, chew out Oswald for not sending Nublina over here. Thanks to that sneaky bastard, we've got an angry Melody gunning for us, and that hasn't boded well for her previous targets. You tell Preppy I said hi though, okay?"
"B-but!" Kaede reached out a hand towards an already running away Peter.
Confessional: Kaede: The Violent Quakes
"I...I'm no good at starting conversations. I guess you can owe it to my complex. I've been getting a bit better at recently though, thanks to Peter. Helen too. And I'm pretty used to talking into this camera when I know what I want to say, but I still don't feel like I'd be able to walk up to the Waves' or Winds' campsites alone. Let alone begin talking to them alone. I still need someone or something there beside me that I can hide behind when I get embarrassed or scared. Usually scared." Kaede gulps.
End Confessional
As Kaede snuck back inland, the Waves and Melody, the only original Killer Wave among them, had a bit of a stand off.
"Listen…" Melody said as she looked at Helen, Carys, Damon, and Hubert. "You're all definitely smart enough to realize that I can't be trusted, and you're right. I don't blame you either, but even so, I'm going to ask that you trust what I'm about to say. I would love to see three out of the four of you leave this game, but as it stands, I'm far more concerned with getting revenge on my no-good Screaming Winds team that thought they were voting me off! I'll prove it to you in the challenge too!"
Confessional: Melody: The Killer Waves
" Death. To. Oswald."
End Confessional
Confessional: Hubert: The Killer Waves
"Hrm...I'm not too happy about Melody joining us. Carys, being Carys, is going to want to get rid of her right away if we lose, and that means I won't be able to have much time to pick apart Melody's mind to figure out exactly what motivates her. Know your enemy, as they say."
End Confessional
Confessional: Carys: The Killer Waves
"I have no problems with Melody joining the team as long as she pulls her weight, helps us avoid losses, and doesn't question any decisions I make. She is also the first one to go if we lose. Hubert, being Hubert, will probably want to keep her around longer to get a read on her, but there's no point in doing that if we just get rid of her and keep Helen and Damon instead. Stick with the Devil you know, as they say."
End Confessional
"Well, if you're serious about what you just said, I suppose we can work together as a team." Helen nodded with arms crossed. "Just know that the second you mess up, I'll be the first to call you out on it."
Confessional: Melody: The Killer Waves
"What gives? I thought Helen was supposed to be some kind of nice and non-threatening type of person."
End Confessional
Confessional: Helen: The Killer Waves
"Yeah, I know I could've been nicer, but this is Melody we're talking about. From what I've seen, she doesn't deserve my kindness, and besides, who do you think is on the bottom once she leaves? That's right, this girl." Helen points to herself with a thumb. "And I'm not ready to leave yet! I can come back from this!"
End Confessional
"You can cook and eat two eggs." Carys told Melody as she pointed to the chicken coop. "And when you head into the cabin, pick any corner that isn't the one Damon uses as your sleeping corner. We don't have mattresses, and Helen, Hubert, and I share the couch."
"I thought that couch had room for four though…" Melody scratched her head. "And if Damon isn't using it…"
"If you want to sleep in between me and Helen, I suppose you can, but I snore. Loudly."
Melody's eyes narrowed. "I'll find a corner after I eat a real breakfast then." She said as she went to the chicken coop to take two eggs.
Confessional: Melody: The Killer Waves
"Don't test me, Carys. I thought I was eliminated earlier today, but now that I know I wasn't, you can bet that I'm not going anywhere for a long time. It'd be in your best interest to stay on my good side, because those that get on my bad side don't remain around."
End Confessional
Location: VQ Camp
Contestant(s): Zastin, Rudo, Kaede, Conlan, Artemis
"What the fuck is this Team Charity shit?" Artemis asked as Kaede, upon Zastin's request, explained where she had been during breakfast as well as what she had seen.
"I think it was Chris evening the amount of people on each team." Kaede answered. "Because now we all have five members each…"
"And you're sure it was Melody that was moved?" Rudo asked intently.
Kaede gave a nervous nod, bringing up her sleeves to her mouth before continuing.
"Melody was sent to the Killer Waves, and Peter headed back to tell the other members of his team because they thought they were eliminating her."
"Oh really?" Rudo asked as she and Zastin exchanged glances.
"Sounds like his work."
"Sounds like whose work?" Conlan asked, curious.
Confessional: Zastin: The Violent Quakes
"It appears Oswald has been busy since the team shuffle. I had hoped there was a chance he'd be gotten rid of, but oh well. It's good to know, at least, that he and Melody are not working together, and even greater to know that they are once again on separate teams. It looks like this iteration of The Violent Quakes might win yet another challenge this week."
End Confessional
"Hey." Conlan nudged Rudo. "Sounds like whose work?"
Rudo looked over at Artemis, and then Kaede, before realizing that neither of them would be paying attention to the conversation anyways.
"Probably Oswald's." She answered. "You remember how he ended up with the Earth Immunity Tiki, right?"
"Yeah." Conlan nodded. "He stole it from-mmph!"
Rudo cupped her hand over Conlan's mouth before he could say any more and then looked over at Zastin, who had begun talking to Kaede about the details of Melody's transfer to the Killer Waves.
Artemis seemed to have gotten up and left.
"Let's go for a walk in the woods." Rudo glared at Conlan.
Location: Nahele Forest
Contestant(s): Rudo, Conlan
"Hey, I'm not sure if you're just tired or something, but don't just let it slip that I was searching for a tiki earlier so casually like that! You never know who could be listening. Artemis isn't known to be the nicest person, and Kaede might have that complex about her or whatever, but she's more observant than you'd think, and she's pretty smart."
"I'm really not getting why you seem so standoffish towards Kaede." Conlan shrugged. "She's not threatening in, like, any way."
"She's threatening in one way…" Rudo mumbled.
Conlan tilted his head, confused. "I didn't quite catch that, sorry."
"Nevermind." Rudo sighed as she sat down on a tree stump.
Conlan sat down next to her.
"Hey." He said. "Do you ever feel like our team never gets to do anything cool? I mean, Zastin's here so we can play D&D, but I just can't shake the feeling that the other teams are doing other exciting things."
"The flavor of role-playing does get stale after a while." Rudo agreed. "I'm not sure what you think the other teams are doing while we're sitting around a dinner table, but" she turned and gave Conlan a smile. "Maybe sometime we can go on like a hike up Mt. Immolate together or something! I bet the view of the lake from the top is really beautiful!"
"Wait really?" Conlan asked, sounding more excited than he intended to. "Yeah, that sounds awesome! Let's try doing that tonight or tomorrow if at all possible!"
Confessional: Rudo: The Violent Quakes
"Yes! Woo! Date confirmed! Man, now I feel, like, really energetic. You know how you get that rush of energy when something amazing happens? Yeah, that kind of energetic. If the next challenge is a physical one, I'm so going to rock it!"
End Confessional
Location: SW Camp
Contestant(s): Oswald, Twilight, Peter
"She's what?" Twilight began to shake Peter again. "Fedora, I swear if you're fuckin' with me-!"
"I ain't fuckin' wit' ya'!" Peter rose his hands up. "I know what I both saw and was told by Chris himself! Melody's back on Killer Waves now. We weren't really votin' her off, and now she's gunnin' for us!"
"Yeah? I wonder why?" Twilight asked sarcastically as both she and Peter turned to Oswald.
Oswald gulped.
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
"You've got to be kidding me! I should have known getting rid of her wouldn't be that easy! No, I need to calm down...Calm down...How can I work with this?"
End Confessional
"Hey now, you both voted for her too! And so did Liu-Ten! Right?" Oswald turned to see that Liu-Ten and Nublina weren't anywhere to be found.
"Where did Liu-Ten and Nublina go?"
"Probably somewhere to get in as much smooch time as they can before Chris calls us all up for a challenge." Twilight grumbled.
Confessional: Twilight: The Screaming Winds
"Look, I know that they're honoring the deal we made this morning, but the letter of the law and the spirit of the law are two different things. When we sat them down, we wanted them to socialize with the rest of us more, not to cut off their contact with us practically completely! And now the one I thought we'd gotten rid of is on another team and incredibly pissed at all of us! Dammit, am I ever going to catch a fuckin' break this show?"
End Confessional
Confessional: Liu-Ten and Nublina: The Screaming Winds
Liu-Ten and Nublina are using the confessional as a place to make out with each other.
End Confessional
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
Oswald walks into the confessional, takes a whiff, and starts coughing.
"What unholy mixture of perfume and cologne is this? Here I am trying to tell my winning strategies to the world, and my nostrils are assailed by such an overwhelming stench!"
He plugs his nose. "Ugh… In any case, if Liu-Ten and Nublina are going to do nothing but play kissy face all day sans the challenges, I can deal with it, but when they do it here? Even my patience has a limit, and they've crossed it. Operation down with the lovers is a go. I repeat, operation down with the lovers is a go. Ugh, I sound so stupid with my nose plugged like this."
End Confessional
*BEEEEP*
"Hello Contestants!" Chris chimed over the loudspeakers. "I'm aware that some of you might be having a more eventful day than others. Let's change that! It's time for a challenge! Meet me by the docks in 10, and unless you're both DJ-level strong and a really good balancer, you be sure to wear your swimsuits! McLean out!"
Location: Nui Kaua Docks
Contestant(s): All Remaining
"Welcome!" Chris gestured his arms towards the large floating platform in the middle of the water as well as the three racks of dueling sticks in the team colors of white, blue, and green. "Take a good look, final fifteen, at a challenge I like to call 'Tri-Attack'!"
Chris moved everyone forward as he continued to explain.
"A few of you might remember the dueling stick challenge from Pahkitew Island."
"That season sucked." Artemis looked at her nails and rolled her eyes.
"You suck!" Chris whined back. Chef gave him a look.
"She's starting them!" Chris complained, before clearing his throat. "Ahem, regardless of any season's particular ratings, this challenge is based off of that one. One contestant from each team will take to the platform and use the dueling sticks to knock the other two contestants off the platform and into the water. The last remaining contestant wins 3 points for their team. If 10 minutes pass and there is still more than one contestant on the platform, then the players stalemate, and each only earn 1 point for their team. The team with the highest total once everyone has gone is the lucky winner of the challenge, while the team with the lowest score will be sent to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony, whereupon one of the fifteen of you will become the newest loser to walk the Coals of Shame."
Confessional: Rudo: The Violent Quakes
"Yes! A physical challenge! I feel like I've got enough energy to take on freaking Isaac and Victor at once!"
End Confessional
Challenge: Tri Attack
Challenge Rules: 1 contestant from each team will take their place on a platform floating in the lake. Using colored dueling sticks, the contestants will then attempt to knock each other into the water. The last contestant standing on the platform wins the round and scores 3 points for their team. If more than one contestant is on the platform after 10 minutes have passed, all remaining contestants stalemate and each win 1 point for their team. The team with the highest total score at the end of all five rounds will be crowned the winner of the challenge, while the team with the lowest score will be sent to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony. If after the five rounds have concluded, there is a tie between teams, all tied teams will compete in another five rounds to decide the winner. If no winner can be decided, a single contestant from each of the tied team will be elected to partake in one final match without a time limit.
Round 1:
Twilight Vs Melody Vs Artemis
Round 2:
Oswald Vs Damon Vs Conlan
Round 3:
Peter Vs Hubert Vs Rudo
Round 4:
Nublina Vs Helen Vs Kaede
Round 5:
Liu-Ten Vs Carys Vs Zastin
Round 1, Begin
"And, start!" Chris exclaimed as Twilight, Melody, and Artemis all took their places.
"Yahhh!" Melody wasted no time in charging Twilight with her dueling stick.
Twilight barely had enough time to brings hers up to deflect it.
"Yah! Yah! Hyaaah!" Melody kept up the offense on Twilight, who was already being brought incredibly close to the edge of the platform.
She took a deep breath before exhaling with a mighty swing. "Get off me!" She announced as she hit Melody in the stomach, knocking her back across the platform.
Twilight then took a peek over at Artemis, and began to charge her instead.
Artemis gulped, seeing the girl who was no doubt much stronger than her approach, and flinched as she braced for the dueling stick's impact, but Melody leapt towards Twilight once again, knocking her away from Artemis.
"Oh no, you're not getting away from me that easily!" Melody growled. "Not until you pay your dues for trying to just vote me off like that!"
Confessional: Twilight: The Screaming Winds
"Dammit! The second Fedora told me that Melody was still in this game, I knew. I knew she'd be gunning for us. This is all Oswald's fault. For whatever reason he thought one of our better athletes was a bigger threat to our success than the lovebirds who have done practically nothing since the teams were shuffled."
End Confessional
"Damn, why are you so much stronger than you look?" Twilight asked as Melody once again pushed her towards the edge of the platform.
"I think you might just be a bit out of shape." Melody remarked. "But either way, I'm still knocking you off this platform!"
She swung her dueling stick and sent Twilight flying into the lake.
Twilight surfaced and began treading water.
She grumbled before she noticed something towards the bottom of the lake beginning to move.
Chef zoomed up to Twilight in a speedboat and took off with her just as the giant octopus tentacle reached up to grab Twilight.
"Octo's been a bit hungry lately." Chris winked into the camera.
"And now, I'm coming for you!" Melody turned to Artemis and she rushed forward.
"Eyaaahh!" Artemis closed her eyes and shoved her dueling stick upwards.
She caught Melody off guard with her frantic action and hit her square in the chin.
Melody began spinning around in a daze caused by the impact, before she fell off the platform.
"I don't know how!" Chris exclaimed. "But Artemis wins the round for the Violent Quakes!"
Round 2, Begin
"And...start!" Chris blew an air horn as Oswald, Damon, and Conlan all took their places on the platform.
"Damon…" Oswald spoke out. "I have a proposition for you. What do you say we focus or energy on the Violent Quake among us and then fight amongst ourselves. I see no reason to allow another three points to go their way."
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
"Normally, I would not be making such deals, but until I can think up the specifics of what to do should my team lose, I'd prefer it if we don't, and the best way to do that is to make sure the Violent Quakes don't get any more points."
End Confessional
"I suppose that seems like a good idea." Damon said as he poked the cushioned edges of the dueling sticks to make sure they wouldn't hurt Conlan if he was hit by them.
"Then charge!" Oswald announced.
He and Damon both rushed towards Conlan with their dueling sticks.
"It's not a bo stick…" Conlan said as he looked at the dueling stick. "But maybe the same concept still applies."
He charged forwards towards his two attackers.
The three sticks clashed as Conlan was able to maneuver a block for both Oswald's low attack, and Damon's high one.
"Hngh…" Conlan exerted force on his dueling stick. "Man pushing two people at once is tough."
"You should be grateful." Oswald smiled. "We've decided to let you lose early on so you don't get a false sense of hope."
Confessional: Conlan: The Violent Quakes
"I will not be grateful for that. I will never be grateful for that."
End Confessional
Eventually, the might of two proved to be greater than the might of one, and Oswald and Damon were able to push Conlan off of the platform.
"Now your turn." Oswald smacked Damon with his dueling stick.
Damon staggered towards the edge of the platform, but caught his balance.
"Rude!" He said as he turned around. "I thought we were going to go back to our starting positions and start from there!"
"Don't be silly." Oswald said. "This is a challenge, and I want to win it." He turned to Melody who was sitting on the Killer Waves' mat. "For you, my sweet Melody."
"I'd rather you lost it for me, my sweet Oswald." Melody responded in an angrily sarcastic tone.
"Well then." Oswald dropped his stick on the platform and spread his arms out open. "Damon…"
"I...I can't knock you off now!" Damon complained. "Your defenseless! My moral code won't allow it!"
Confessional: Carys: The Killer Waves
"Dammit, Damon...How you managed to get this far with your particular moral code is beyond me."
End Confessional
"If neither Oswald nor Damon is willing to fight." Chris said. "Then they automatically stalemate. Let's move on to round 3!"
Round 3, Begin
"Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl!" Rudo said as Chris blew the air horn to start the challenge between her, Peter, and Hubert. "I'm going to give this challenge my all!"
"Dem's some big words, Pigtails." Peter responded. "But don' expect me ta' go easy on ya' just cuz your a girl neither. I'm the winner o' dis here round."
"Let's put your money where your mouth is then!" Rudo charged at Peter.
He brought his dueling stick up to block but was immediately knocked into the water by Rudo.
"Ha!" She laughed down at him. "That's what your team gets for ganging up on us Quakes last round!"
She turned to Hubert, who was gripping his dueling stick as firmly as his hands could grip, which was not terribly firm.
Confessional: Helen: The Killer Waves
"Rudo VS Hubert? There goes this round…"
End Confessional
"Yaaah!" Rudo lunged towards Hubert, ready to knock him into the water.
Hubert swung his dueling stick towards Rudo, and managed to hit her, but the force he took from her blow was more than enough to send him into the water as well.
"And Rudo with a nearly flawless victory for the Quakes." Chris announced. "At the end of the third round, and with two rounds to go, it's 1 to 1 to 6! It would take a miracle for either team to take first place away from the Quakes now!"
Round 4, Begin
Confessional: Kaede: The Violent Quakes
"So, round 4 was me, and I had to fight Nublina, which seemed fair given our physical strength, but then there was Helen too, and there's no way I can hit Helen, let alone beat her…"
End Confessional
"Um…" Chris said as 5 minutes passed after the air horn was sounded. "No one's attacking!"
"I'm too scared!" Kaede replied.
"I'm not going to start until Kaede is comfortable." Helen replied.
"And I would never attack someone who didn't attack me first!" Nublina replied.
Confessional: Liu-Ten: The Screaming Winds
"Ahhh...That's what I love about her. She's so kind and supportive and pretty and-"
End Confessional
"Well, if none of you are going to fight…" Chris said through gritted teeth, "I suppose you all stalemate. The Winds and the Waves now have 2 points each, and the Violent Quakes are up to 7."
Zastin tried to hold his laughter in from the Violent Quakes' mat.
Confessional: Zastin: The Violent Quakes
"Okay, that was hilarious! She might not realize it, but Kaede's problem just won us this challenge. There's only one round left, and even if either of the other teams scores 3 points, they'll only be brought up to 5. Had someone actually won the round that just happened, one of those teams might have had 4 points, and they'd then have been able to win again to bring them up to the 7 we're at now, and we'd still only be at 6. In a way, that single stalemate pity point once again gave our team the win! I just think its hilarious. I mean, they aren't dumb or anything but there's no way the rest of my team understands that."
End Confessional
Round 5, Begin
"Alright." Chris said as Liu-Ten, Carys, and Zastin all took to the platform. "Zastin doesn't really need to be here, but then it wouldn't be 'Tri-Attack' would it? Players on your marks, get set, fight!" Chris blew the air horn.
"Good luck, Liu-baby!" Nublina called.
"Of course!" Liu-Ten called back as a splash was heard in the background.
"And Carys has knocked of Zastin as quick as a lightning strike!" Chris exclaimed. "We're down to the battle for 2nd place!"
"Liu-Ten!" Twilight yelled. "Turn the fuck around! You've got the fricken she-wolf after you!"
"Baby, behind you!" Nublina called.
Liu-Ten turned around and noticed Carys approaching with a fierce look of determination in her eyes.
Confessional: Carys: The Killer Waves
"1. I do not want to go to elimination for the third time in a row, 2. I want at least one of our team to be able to score 3 points, and 3…" She gets an almost childlike grin on her face. "I really want to see the look on the Winds' faces when they realize they actually saved Melody from elimination this episode by sending her to the team that beat them."
End Confessional
Carys was able to knock Liu-Ten into the water with a single blow.
"Carys with the clutch victory for the Waves!" Chris called out. "Final score is 2 to 5 to 7! Quakes win, Winds lose!"
A bunch of interns brought out the Wheel of Reward. "As the latest member of the team to earn a point...Kaede." Chris motioned to Kaede. "You get to spin the Wheel of Reward!"
Confessional: Artemis: The Violent Quakes
"She didn't even do anything this challenge! It should be me spinning." She looks at the camera. "What?"
End Confessional
Kaede spun the wheel and watched the choices go by until finally, the wheel landed on the snorkeling gear.
"Oh." Twilight sighed. "Well, we weren't using that anyways, so I guess its okay."
Confessional: Twilight: The Screaming Winds
"What isn't okay is that I have three fuckin' problems still on this team! Liu-Ten, Nublina, and Oswald, each equally at fault for both my steady loss of fucking sanity since the shuffle, and for losing the goddamn challenge! Ugh! Why must I have so many good choices for who to vote off?"
End Confessional
Location: Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony
Contestant(s): Oswald, Peter, Twilight, Liu-Ten, Nublina
"Are you...really sure?" Nublina asked in a hushed whisper to Oswald, who nodded.
"I'm incredibly sure." Oswald nodded back. "You think about it."
"Screaming Winds. Nice to see some faces here. I've missed you." Chris grinned with a devilish smile as he walked in front of the bonfire.
"Needless to say, your team clearly hasn't been getting along the best, but I suppose that was the point of the shuffle in the first place. Ooh! How do you feel knowing that the player you thought you were eliminating this morning is actually the only one of you that is safe tonight? Oswald?"
"I feel like I should have seen that coming." Oswald answered. "But I also feel like I am not alone in sharing the blame for that. I simply made a call as team leader."
"And now we're here." Twilight scoffed at him. "Some leader you turned out to be."
"If I recall correctly, it was you that made me the leader." Oswald adopted a smug grin on his face.
"And then there's the lovebirds." Twilight ignored Oswald and moved on to Liu-Ten and Nublina. "I'm already not keen on romance, especially publicly shown affection on your guys' scale, but man, I think you might have ruined it for me forever. If finding love turns me into some mindless idiot, I guess I'm staying single for life. At least then i might be able to win a few challenges."
Liu-Ten and Nublina did not talk back. They just shrank in their seats.
"Peter, I think you might be the only one truly safe tonight." Chris grinned at Peter.
"Don' jinx me like dat, dude!" Peter widened his eyes in shock.
"Well, in that case…" Chris looked at the five Screaming Winds. "I suppose we should vote. Peter, your up first!"
Peter got up to vote. "I gave ya' a chance, and ya' blew it. I ain't gonna give you another. See ya."
After Peter returned, Twilight was sent up.
"Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk." She shook her head into the camera. "You're done."
After her, Liu-Ten was sent up.
"Sorry about this...but...well, yeah…"
After Liu-Ten, Nublina.
"I'm doing this because I have to. I'm doing this because I have to. I'm doing this because I have to. I'm sorry baby."
And finally, Oswald.
"Hey, audience." Oswald looked into the camera. "You're going to love this."
Oswald came back and sat down.
"I'll go tally the votes." Chris said as he left.
A few minutes passed by before he came back, with 4 tikis on a platter.
"Well, this is a very sad day...or night, whatever." Chris said. "I never thought one of this season's contestants would do such a thing, but...looking over the footage, a contestant Total Drama Zero Sum has voted themselves off.
Chris handed out the four tikis quickly.
"Peter, Twilight, Liu-Ten, Oswald." He tossed each of them their tikis. "Nublina has, for whatever reason, given up her place on the team so that you might be able to continue. As everyone knows, if a contestant votes for themselves, they immediately become the eliminated contestant."
"What?" Liu-Ten stood up. "No! Nublina you didn't-!"
"I'm sorry!" She said as a tear rolled down her face. "But they were going to get rid of you for losing the last challenge and being distracted! But I know you, and that isn't fair at all! I, I know it'll be a little more lonely but, I wanted to save you!"
"Nublina…" Liu-Ten walked up to her as she stood by the Coals of Shame.
Nublina smiled. "I love you." She said before she gave him one last kiss on the lips and began to elegantly walk across the Coals of Shame.
"No…" Liu-Ten stammered before falling to his knees.
"No…"
Confessional: Oswald: The Screaming Winds
"Nublina, I'm about to tell you something that I know you won't want to hear, but Peter Twilight, and myself, we all want to vote off Liu-Ten for his challenge performance. I highly suggest you join us in doing so if you don't want to be on the outs of the team after elimination. No, I don't think either of them are willing to change their minds. I doubt you'd even be able to convince me. The only way you'd be able to save him would be to eliminate yourself, but none of us want to see that happen. You're way too nice and polite. We like having you around. Your departure would make us all very sad." Oswald pauses before looking at the camera with a grin. "And that was essentially my lines in the conversation I had with Nublina on the way over here." he puts a finger to his mouth. "Shh. Don't tell the others."
End Confessional
"And with that…" Chris said next to a moping Liu-Ten "We're down to our final 14 contestants! Will Oswald or Melody ever get rid of the other one? Will Rudo and Conlan finally get the ball rolling on their relationship? How will Melody fair with her new teammates? Will the Violent Quakes ever do something even remotely interesting for this show? Find out the answer to probably none of these questions next time, on
Total!
Drama!
Zero Sum!"
*Nublina's Final Confessional:
"I sort of knew my days were numbered going into this game, but I never thought I'd go far as to sacrifice myself to save another contestant. Liu-Ten, I'm rooting for you! Let's be sure to look each other up after the show!" She blows a kiss. "I love you! And good luck!"
End Confessional*
The Votes(for those who are curious)
Peter voted for…Oswald
Twilight voted for…Oswald
Liu-Ten voted for…Oswald
Nublina voted for…Nublina(Self-Vote Overrides All Other Votes)
Oswald voted for...Liu-Ten