(AN: This is it! The finale of our third season is upon us! And the winner is…)
Chris: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we're here! Our 14 competitors have faced almost every trial and tribulation to get to this point in time! We've seen backstabbings…(the camera cuts to Dawn sprinting off with Cameron looking at her abandoned stump)…betrayals…(the camera cuts to Gwen tearing Ezekiel's diary by the seams)…and beatdowns (the camera cuts to the blue moon Dawn screaming, tendrils flaring every which way)! However, where some relationships became strained, others bloomed. Heather and Jo became the hot new item (the camera cuts to Heather and Jo holding hands, the latter holding a vibrator in her free one) while Duncan helped Zoey see the light! (the camera flashes to Duncan and Zoey kissing in the collapsing mineshaft). Eva's violent streak came to a head…(the camera cuts to Eva punching Justin over and over again)…especially after Justin outed himself in the most traumatizing way possible! Cody gave up…(the camera cuts to Cody flushing himself down the giant toilet)…while Anne Maria didn't even make it out of the gate (the camera cuts to Justin slapping Anne Maria, who's bobbing in the Flush of Shame)! We've had an adventure and a half on Camp Wawanakwa, and today, it's all coming to an end! Our finalists include Cameron: A bubbly braniac who coasted under the radar, letting the bigger fish eat themselves first before picking up the scraps! In the villain's corner, we have Heather, who instead decided to sink her teeth into her own competition! Nasty! They started out small in their initial seasons, but now they're here and they're ready for action! Who'll leave the island a million dollars richer, and who will die trying? Find out on this explosive finale of Total…Drama…Heroes vs. Villains!
*cue the theme song*
Episode 13: The Final Wreck-ening
"So. This is it."
Heather glared at her opponent from across the spa hotel's large room. Her masseuse, ever oblivious, continued administering her shiatsu massage.
Cameron looked up from his plate of green beans and rice. "Yeah, so? I have every right to be here as much as you do."
"I'm just lucky that Chris said the finalists could share the hotel one last time before the final challenge. The last thing I need is to sleep in that crappy old cabin."
"So, you've said. Repeatedly."
Cameron: Ever since elimination, I've almost been second-guessing whether eliminating Dawn was a good idea. Almost.
Heather: Ah, the finale! It's almost like it was made for me. Jo, if you're watching, love you! *she blows a kiss at the camera, her smug expression nearly impossible to hide*
The unmistakable sound of drilling sounded from outside, complete with a loud yell. Cameron flinched slightly but looked at the spa hotel door out of the corner of his eye.
"What was that?"
"You're asking me that because…?"
"It's not every day you hear that sort of thing here!"
"Right. Listen to me and listen carefully. I really don't like you. And I really don't like that ex of yours. I have zero respect for you, and that will continue after this challenge is over. Got it?"
Cameron sighed.
"Good. Guess that's settled, then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a massage to finish."
Cameron sighed as he heard footsteps grow slightly louder outside, before they faded once again.
"What is going on?"
Chef grumbled as he sucked his bleeding finger.
"Stinkin' Chris sendin' me last minute to finish the frickin' exterior…thought he had this whole thing planned in advance…"
He stepped onto the docks, where the Boney Island boat was parked.
I don't like this, but let's do it anyway…
With a faint sound of a motor running, the boat headed off for the other island.
Cameron strained to hear anymore outside noise.
"Well…guess that's done and over with."
His only reply was more gentle slapping noises; the masseuse had started on Heather's back.
"Nice to see that someone's invested."
"Told you, don't care."
Cameron sharply exhaled through his nose as his eyes narrowed.
"Thanks, Chris. Nice to see that some seasonal traditions still live on."
Chris sighed happily as he sipped his martini.
"How much you wanna bet that our finalists are hating each other right now?"
The patio was silent, but Chris didn't mind.
"Yup, that's what I thought, too!"
He leaned further into his lawn chair and happily gazed at the large mound in the distance.
"I think they'll hate this final challenge even more!"
The Total Drama theme blared from the table next to him amidst the sounds of a buzzing mobile device. He picked up the phone.
"Y'ello?"
Unintelligible, garbled sounds emanated from the other line.
"Ah, yes, Ms. Wilkins! Sure, you can come watch the final challenge! I think that'll be just the kick in the pants that Cammy-bear needs!"
Ignoring the intensifying sounds on the other line, Chris hung up.
"Yup, this'll be one hell of a finale! Stay tuned, folks!"
The boat docked on Boney Island. Chef gulped.
It was eerily quiet.
He trudged over to the Fun Zone.
"Right, Chris really wanted you for that moat, but…"
He creaked open the door.
His pupils shrunk.
There was nothing there.
"Oh sh—"
In the waters near Wawanakwa, a pair of pale-green eyes emerged.
It had only one place in mind, and it was going to get there, one way or another…
The sun rose over Wawanakwa. The water was placid, and a cool breeze gently rustled through the trees.
Cameron yawned and stretched.
"Well, this is it. All or nothing now, right?"
The sound of loud footsteps crossed the hall in front of his closed door. Cameron knew what that meant.
If Heather's going to go at this with no hesitation, then I need to, too!
Cameron: The million dollars is so close! Funnily enough, this isn't the first finale I've been involved in. Hopefully this one will be a little less extreme.
He exited his room, his gait steady and his back straight. In that moment, the world might as well have been his bubble.
Cameron's thoughts were interrupted by a chorus of trumpets blaring from outside. Soon after, Chris's unmistakable voice echoed through his signature apparatus.
"Hear ye, hear ye, final two! It's time for your final challenge of finality! Hop aboard your chariot and our local steeds will take you to the McLean Castle!"
Cameron rolled his eyes. Even now, Chris, you can't resist slapping your name on things.
Heather was already outside as Cameron exited the hotel. "Oh look, it's everyone's favorite failure. What, are you going to go crying home to mommy?"
"That's easy for you to say, Heather," Cameron said, a smirk coming across his face. "At least I've had a better relationship with my mother than you'll ever have. I don't even remember you mentioning her!"
"Well, I have confidence that my family cares about me, which is more than I can say about some people I know."
"Oh, do they? Do they really?"
"Who was the one whose mother came to an elimination ceremony by minivan? Huh? Huh?"
"Shut it! The royal King McLean is speaking!" Chris said.
Cameron could barely stifle his laughter now that he had a good look at the host.
He was decked out in hulking, silver armor that was several sizes too large for his body. His knight's visor was ready to slam down over his face at any moment.
"If you're going to comment, save your breath," Heather said, smirking at Chris. "I've already laid into him."
"The king doesn't listen to peasantry, you know that," Chris said, glaring at her. He then unfurled a scroll and began to read.
"You are cordially invited at the behest of King Christopher McLean the First to Camp Wawanakwa's final challenge of this noble season, which pitted the dashing young heroes against the dastardly villains which opposed them! Only one may receive the prize from within the hallowed halls of the McLean castle. Our noble steed will escort you to your loyal subjects."
Cameron and Heather stared at him. Chris sighed.
"That means get on this golf kart train and go!"
He motioned to two interns, who were sitting in a golf kart with seating behind them.
The duo stepped in, Chris hopped on the back of the train, and off they went.
"Ah, Wawanakwa! Breath in its beautiful scenery, its gorgeous landscapes! Because, come hell or high water, this will be the last time you'll be gazing at its majesty!" Chris said, microphone in hand.
Heather glared back at him. "Trust me, Chris, I can't wait to get off this rock!"
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much-eth!" Chris said, eyes narrowing at her, a smirk growing on his face.
"Chris? Could the appearance of this McLean castle explain the noises and yelling we heard last night?" Cameron asked him. "Also, uh, weren't we supposed to be here for 2 weeks total? That's how it was last season…"
"And now methinks the lord doth protest too much-eth-eth!" Chris grumbled, scowling at Cameron.
Cameron: Lords? Ladies? Either Chris's ego's gone into overdrive, or we stepped back into the medieval era. Goodness knows Mom really won't like that…
The kart train curved around a line of trees, and their destination lay before them.
Both finalists gasped.
A towering structure stood before them, with bleachers adorned on its left side. The structure consisted of two moats rising tall from the ground. The moat closer to the ground was filled with scummy water, while the moat stacked atop it was glowing a sickly green. Together, they rose 10 feet above the ground.
It was what laid atop the second moat, however, that caught their eye. A towering wooden castle stood, easily the length and width of a football stadium. It towered another 10 feet, with something glittering on top of its steepest spire.
"Lady. Gentleman. I present the castle of His Excellency, King Christopher McLean the First."
"More like the only…" Cameron muttered.
"Figures he'd be adding to his list of phony titles!" Heather snapped.
Cameron took his eyes off the monolithic structure and gazed at the bleachers. He remembered this scene well; this was where the eliminated competitors of challenges past got a chance to watch the action unfold.
This time, however, he saw something that made his blood run cold.
His mother was on the top bleacher, sitting in the top-right corner, which was closest to the kart. She was scowling at the castle; Cameron could hear her half-breathing, half-snorting through her nose.
Cameron: So, Chris brought my mom with me to humiliate me further?! Come to think of it, that would be something he'd do.
Cameron gulped and averted his gaze from his mother, instead choosing to look at the people who had returned.
Directly below his mother was Dawn, who was seated to the right of Mike. The two were chatting casually; both had bright smiles on their faces. Below them was Cody, who looked unusually twitchy.
In the middle of the top row sat Duncan, sitting tall with arms folded; a satisfied smirk crossed his face. Next to him, Zoey had her hand on his leg, a contented smile on her face, despite her leg still being tightly bound in a splint. Below them were Ezekiel and Brick; the former was looking towards the far top-left corner.
Cameron followed Ezekiel's gaze, and immediately saw the reason why. Gwen sat, quite alone, clutching a new diary, a mutinous expression on her face. Below her, Anne Maria looked up at her, vaguely worried. Jo, who was seated next to her, scoffed.
"Big deal, she lost her man! That's her problem, not yours!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, but…"
Jo shook her head and heaved a sigh. "Still not over him, are you?"
"What can I say? He's hot!"
Cameron notice Brick stealing a glance at Anne Maria, who shot him a dirty look. He shrugged, then continued his quiet conversation with Ezekiel.
"Not a healthy attitude, Hairspray!" Jo said, shaking her head again. "You know what happened last time he turned you down."
Anne Maria shot Jo a dirty look this time.
"Can it!" Eva called to the pair from below, "or I'll make you can it!"
"Keep it down!" Jo snapped back, "our fabulous host is ready to make his royal announcement!"
Indeed, Chris had pulled out another scroll, a look of mild annoyance on his face.
"Attention all brave knights, fair princesses, lauded jesters and sagacious princes! It is time to now claim your throne of your castle!
"The first trial our finalists must face to reclaim their throne is to cross the Moats of Pernicious Peril! Our first layer consists of the devious creatures of the deep! …or in this case, Fang!"
A collective intake of breath was made by Cameron, Heather and, surprisingly enough, Cody.
"Unfortunately, since Fang has gone totally AWOL, we had to go with the next best, non-digested, thing! Jellyfish and piranhas!
"However, you'll have a guide to help you overcome those perils…"
At these words, a blond-haired, pink-shirted party dude came around the other side of the moat. His surfboard's wake drenched the bottom-most spectators.
"Sup, dudes?" Geoff said, raising his hat slightly with his index finger, a smooth grin etched on his face.
"Yeah, we called on the services of our good ol' nude dude here!" Chris said, smirking as Geoff's eye twitched reflexively.
"He'll be helping you guys reach the second layer, which consists of whatever's left of the radioactive waste on the island! Seems like someone's drank a lot of it…"
Cody tugged uncomfortably at his collar.
Dawn gently patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Cody, I can tell from your auras that you'll step up to the challenge that Chris assigned you! I'll be there, too, you know."
"The second moat will lead you up to the entrance of the castle," Chris continued, "where, for your second, and final, trial, you'll have to navigate the safest route to the topmost spire! There, you'll have to pull out the legendary sword, Excalibur! You do that and the throne, and the million, are yours!"
"Uh, Chris? You forgot to mention the rest of the helpers up there, dude," Geoff said, snickering slightly.
"Indeed, I did, my well-hung friend! I figured I'd keep that a surprise, keep the contestants on their toes!"
Both Cameron and Heather groaned. "Knew he'd pull a stunt like this!" she grumbled.
"However, regardless of moat level or castle, you'll have one comforting constant: you each will have two helpers to assist you on your journey…give or take two or three!
"As you can see, we're down a hot model. Gave his agency a ring; he's currently getting himself 're-beautified' once again…"
Cameron looked at the bleachers once again. He had expected this; several iterations of watching Season 2 had clued him in to how Justin and his "family" operated.
"…and Dawn and Cody will be on 'dispatching Fang' duty! Gotta keep this challenge rolling one way or another, right?"
Cody moaned under his breath, but Dawn immediately got to her feet.
"I'm assuming you'd like us to go now?" she asked Chris.
"Yup! Keep an eye out, beat him up, maybe suck the aura out of him…" Chris said, chuckling.
Dawn gently took Cody by the arm, and the two of them set off for the beach.
"Cameron, since you won immunity in yesterday's challenge, you'll have first dibs on a helper!" Chris said happily.
Cameron stepped off the kart and paced the length of the bleachers several times. His finger hovered over several contestants, in particular Brick, Duncan, Zoey, and…
"Ezekiel!" he said finally.
A quiet sigh escaping his lips, Ezekiel stood and quietly ambled over to Cameron, standing by his side.
"Heather, now it's your turn!" Chris said, his broad smile widening.
"Oh, two can play at that game," Heather said, her eyes narrowing.
"Get over here, Gwenny."
Gwen, Ezekiel, Cameron, and the rest (save Cameron's mother) gasped.
"Y—you're sick," Gwen said, stowing her diary under her bleacher seat before stalking over to her.
Gwen: Figures. Of course, Heather would go for the low blow if Cameron had picked Zeke. Figures I'd be up against my ex in the finale, one way or another. *she gives a harsh exhale, glaring at the camera*
Heather: What can I say but win-win! Throw Bubbly off his game and give Gwen no choice but to obey my every whim? What can I say? This is perfect.
"Cameron, your next pick please?" Chris's voice had a whiny air to it; it was clear he wanted this challenge to start as soon as possible.
Cameron gulped. "I…I pick, um…J—"
The sensation of two pairs of eyes boring into him caused Cameron to stop short of finishing his sentence.
Heather's glare could kill. There was no mistaking what it meant: If you pick her, I will make your life infinite kinds of hell.
Ezekiel, on the other hand, was shuffling nervously, twitching his head side to side. "No'o, eh…please?"
Cameron glanced at Heather, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.
That's the last thing I need.
"Right…I'll take…Brick."
Immediately, Brick snapped upright, full attention on his finalist. "It will be a pleasure to assist you, sir!"
He made his way over next to Ezekiel, holding out his fist for the latter to bump it. He did so, albeit weakly.
"Then I'll pick Jo," Heather said sweetly, giving her girlfriend an all-too-obvious wave and a broad grin.
"Pleasure pounding you into the dirt, stringbean," Jo said, not-so-gently bumping Cameron as she stood on Heather's other side.
"Well, with that out of the way…begin!" Chris said, with one of the interns playing a starting tune with his bugle.
Heather and her helpers were off in a flash, with Ezekiel and Brick not far behind. Cameron, however, still lacked physical aptitude; he was a fair distance behind the latter two.
Brick looked back and saw him half-jogging, half-sprinting, just to keep up.
"Zeke, we're going to have to take drastic measures."
"I hear ya, eh?"
Brick: Normally, I'd give Cameron every ability to prove himself on his own merits. However, Heather won't be the easiest to take down, especially with Jo aiding her every move. She's a crafty one, no question about it!
Ezekiel: Well, Brick and I were a little worried aboot Cameron, eh? Extenuating circumstances and all that, ya know? So'o, we figured that we'll help him any chance we co'ould, eh? That's what helpers are fo'or!
Cameron noticed his two aides slowing down slightly so that they matched his gait.
"Hey, I appreciate you keeping me in mind here, but—hey, wait!"
Ezekiel and Brick, in tandem, lifted Cameron above their shoulders.
"Ready, eh?" Ezekiel said.
"Ready!" Brick replied, eyes narrowed in concentration.
Cameron gulped.
"HEAVE!"
Both teens, with all the strength they had, launched Cameron upward and outwards towards the first moat. His low weight ensured their success; he was aimed right for the water.
Heather and Jo gaped, while Gwen still looked sullen.
"No one said you could do that, Chris!" Heather snarled, glaring at the host, who grinned back.
"Hey, they're called helpers for a reason!"
Heather whipped her head to look at Jo, who, likewise, had a similar expression to hers.
"They're going down."
Jo: No one ruins my babe's chances at the million! Especially not Cammy-bear!
Gwen: *she angrily sighs* Can you tell that I couldn't care less?
Cameron hit the water, belly-first, with a thwack! He moaned in discomfort before slowly sinking in.
Geoff whistled, chuckling slightly. "Sick landing, brah!"
Cameron didn't reply; his face and body were partially submerged.
Suddenly, what were once soft moans turned into screams of pain, indicated by the frothing mass of bubbles rising to the surface.
Geoff winced as Cameron began thrashing around, piranhas having dug their teeth into his arms and legs.
"Geoff, come on! Do something!" Brick called, as he and Ezekiel quickly clambered up the moat wall to meet with Cameron.
Geoff whistled softly. "He's really taking a beating…"
"This is no time for cowardice, soldier!"
Geoff's eye twitched reflexively once more. Coward?
His eyes narrowed, and he readied his surfboard.
"COWABUNGA, DUDES!"
With a concerted effort, Geoff surfed in a circle around the thrashing Cameron, using the wake and the waves from his sharp turns to corral Cameron within a small, confined space.
On his fifth revolution around Cameron, he scooped him up, swiftly picked off the piranhas, and tossed him towards the wall of the second moat.
"Climb when you're ready, br-AAAH! YAAAAAAGH!" he shouted, as the piranhas swarmed him, biting and nipping every inch of his body they could reach.
Cameron stirred slightly, moaning in pain.
Brick and Ezekiel had reached the top. They both winced as they saw the piranhas drag Geoff into the water, where several more swarmed him. The ferocity of their assault began churning the water into shallow waves.
"This is our best opportunity, soldier! Move out!"
"Heard, eh?"
As they dove into the water, Geoff's screams intensified. Jellyfish were now electrocuting every inch of bare skin they could reach.
From below, Heather's eyes were mere slits. Her glare would have easily killed several small animals out of fear alone.
"I'm not losing. Never again!"
"That's the spirit, babe!" Jo said, crouching down and cupping her hands, creating a foothold for Heather to use.
Gwen, on the other hand, stayed put. Her expression was as sullen as ever.
"Gwen, I picked you for the sole reason of making your ex's life a living hell and to give me a better shot at winning! Are you with me…or are you not?"
Much like Geoff, Gwen's eye twitched reflexively.
"Gwen…you have every idea what I can do to you. Now…cooperate."
Gwen's body stiffened. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Heather had vomited on what would have been her deepest secrets.
She gave a deep sigh.
"…F-bleep- it. Let's go."
Gwen: Let's be real. I'm not doing this for Heather. I'm doing this because that alternative is that much worse. I'm on to you.
Heather: Game, set…match. Hel-lo, million dollars!
Like Jo, Gwen cupped her hands to create a foothold for Heather. Unlike Jo, she didn't crouch; she bent her legs slightly, setting her hands significantly higher than Jo's.
"Climb, babe! Climb!" Jo said, barely concealing her grin.
Heather gingerly put her foot on Jo's hands, then roughly stepped on Gwen's. She made sure to dig in hard as she stepped off Jo's makeshift foothold.
Jo then placed her hands above Gwen's, creating a third foothold. Heather gently placed her foot on it, kissing Jo's outstretched hand.
"Thank you, my dear," she simpered.
"It's my pleasure, babe."
It took every effort for Gwen to resist the urge to gag.
Gwen: I get what they're doing – break me down, piece by piece, so that I lose my freaking spirit and comply with her majesty's every command. Thanks, Heather.
Mike rubbed the back of his neck as he noticed Heather stomping on Gwen's hands. Duncan, not one to let his former enemy out of his sight, glanced over at him.
"Sup with you, brainiac?"
"Duncan!" Zoey hissed in his ear.
"Fine, fine…what's the deal, Mike?"
Mike stared as Heather slowly clambered up the moat wall. "Well, it's, heh, hard to believe that I'm the reason Gwen's like that now."
Zoey sighed softly. "Yeah, I knew this would come up…Mike, it wasn't really you that did it."
"I know, but…"
"Hey, don't beat yourself up too hard for what Mal did," Duncan said, looking out at nothing in particular. "He did a number on all of us…well, give or take a few."
"Gawd, I miss Vito…" Anne Maria murmured.
"I mean, he didn't really mess around with Eva, and God knows she's got enough to deal wi—"
"You finish that sentence, wise ass, and I'll make you live to regret it." Eva's glare caused Zoey to stop short and Anne Maria to shuffle up several steps, so that she now sat where Gwen once was.
Zoey steadied her breathing and returned her gaze to the challenge. "Honestly, I've been where Gwen was."
It was a sign of their bond that Duncan didn't scoff or laugh at this. "Sorry?"
"She's not going to listen to reason. She loved Zeke that much…she'll stay like that for weeks, months even. Possibly even years."
Anne Maria glared at her. "Yeesh, talk about ya crappy taste in men, toots!"
Eva gave a non-committal grunt.
"Really?" Mike stared at Gwen, who was barely reacting to Heather's foot stomping on her hands repeatedly. "I mean, I think I get it, but…"
"Mike, Gwen and I are similar, to a degree…" Zoey glanced at Anne Maria; the latter was resisting the urge to laugh.
"Yeah, laugh all you want, Annie…"
"Eh, 4 out of 10, you'll get better," Duncan reassured her.
"…anyways, Gwen and I were both from similar backgrounds, right? We were both lonely and wanted to find ways to stand out from the…" she cleared her throat slightly "…mainstream."
"Uh…huh." Eva was looking up at Zoey now, the interest on her face palpable.
"Well, obviously, we had different ways of expressing ourselves," Zoey continued, "but I think, deep down, we both had an intense craving for affection. It's a natural human instinct."
"And who dumped ya sorry ass, huh?!" Anne Maria scoffed at her.
Zoey narrowed her eyes at Anne Maria slightly, then continued. "His name was Phillip. Easily the biggest egotist I've ever seen. Never want anything to do with him again."
"Date went that poorly, huh?" Duncan said, a smirk crossing his face.
"He kept going on and on about his accomplishments, his dreams, his future! Never asked about what I wanted, what I found interesting in the world!"
"We both know that those interests span from indie rock concerts to glasses without lenses," Duncan said, chuckling slightly.
Zoey playfully punched Duncan's shoulder, a grin of her own spreading across her face. "I'm expanding my horizons, punk."
"Will you two lovebirds keep it down?" Eva said, staring ahead at the watery moat. "Heather's finally gotten up there."
Eva: If Heather wins, I'll eat my shorts. I also guarantee that Gwen will eat her diary. That or burn it. Anything to keep it out of her grubby paws.
The waves gently splashed up against the Wawanakwa shoreline. Cody paced up and down a small length of the beach, while Dawn sat on the grassy hill behind it. The latter was in her traditional meditative stance.
"Anything?" he moaned, sweat drenching his shirt.
"No," Dawn replied. "Knowing him, I'd be feeling his auras any minute now."
"Does him being underwater lessen your aura reading capacity or something?"
"Well, last I heard from Chef, he escaped from the Fun Zone—"
"Doesn't sound all that fun to me," murmured Cody, kicking up some sand.
"Which means he could be anywhere! But, knowing how attracted he is to my auras, he'll be here any minute now."
Cody sighed and continued to gaze out over the open water.
It was relatively calm; waves gently lapped along, propelled by the gentle breeze coming inland.
"You sure he left, Dawn? I mean, it's a beautiful day, and I really don't want to miss the challenge…"
"No. He'll want revenge after what happened yesterday."
"Sorry?"
"Cody, he's a beast that lusts for a proper fight. Every injury he receives, every blow he takes, he'll take it as a sign of pride. Those tattoos of Sam and Jo, his chipped tooth he wore as a necklace last season…he'll want any chance he can to finish this."
"I don't understand what that has to do with yo—"
"Cody, I put a deep gash in his chest yesterday with my tendril auras. It took nearly everything I had, but I succeeded. My goal now is to extricate his aura and either safely disperse it or add it back to my own."
"That's great, but why am I here?!"
"Chris needed a contestant who was well-versed in robotics to hold him off and keep him away from the rest! Sadly, B wasn't available, so he chose you to be the…"
"Second-best," Cody snarled.
"Not quite those words, but yes."
Cody's rage nearly reached breaking point. His hands were balled into tight fists, several veins were throbbing in his head, and he only had eyes for the sea churning in front of him.
"Cody…"
Cody took several brisk paces back and forth along the beach. The speed with which he created new tracks in the sand caused him to slowly start digging two ruts with his feet.
The sea churned ever more fiercely.
"Cody…!"
"What? Are you going to tell me that 'it wasn't that bad?' You weren't the one who's got two psychos crushing on him, you're not the one paranoid that Sierra's going to pounce up and start doing God knows what, you're not the one who—"
"CO—!"
Dawn's scream was cut short by Fang's overlarge fist colliding, painfully, with Cody's right temple.
Cody was sent flying; he easily flew 30 feet. He zoomed past Dawn at breakneck speed, then crashed through several rows of trees with enough force to splinter several of them clean through.
Fang, who easily stood 10 feet tall, stared down at his prey. His gash on his stomach scarred and red, his blank pale green eyes expressing something beyond mere animal instinct, his inordinate number of teeth bared in a savage grin, Fang began to drool.
Dawn's body began to shiver slightly. She backed away one step, both out of primal fear and to avoid the acidic drool boring down into the sand.
"H-hello…"
Dawn shuddered once again; this concept was new to her. Fang had never elicited such a response from her; in previous encounters she had emerged, not entirely whole and unscathed perhaps, but certainly victorious.
Here, however, here was different. A vision of a bunny darted in her field of vision, its red blood contrasting heavily with its white fur and the snow on the ground.
No…no!
Fang bared his teeth.
I was over this! I had help with this!
Fang cocked his fist back.
I won't…let…y…
Any further thoughts Dawn would have had vanished instantly. Her eyes glowed a pale green, her tendons throbbed violently, and several tendrils shot out of her body, forming angelic wings and enlarged fists, which extended from her natural arms.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Dawn's scream split the air, figuratively and literally. Fang recoiled as a blast of aura washed over him like a massive tidal wave, which he was normally so accustomed to.
Dawn's expulsion of aura caused the trees to quake; those which were torn asunder from Cody smashing through them crashed to the ground instantaneously.
Several animals perked their heads in Dawn's direction, their eyes slowly turning the same shade of pale green as her aura.
Her aura wave reached as far as the challenge area, sending several strong squalls scattering. The contestants, and mother, sitting in the bleachers were nearly blown away by the force.
The force the aura made when met with the moats was enough to introduce several long cracks in the walls supporting them.
Gwen's eyes widened as she felt a small trickle of water dribble onto her hands.
Jo glared at the direction the wave emanated from. "Alright, aura whisperer's got a lot of explaining to do!"
Chris whistled as the last of the winds rustled through his hair. "Uhhh, I'd be really afraid if that second moat breaks!"
"Aw, hell no! If this moat breaks, y'alls gonna get ya butts whooped!"
Heather gasped, staring up at the curvy figure standing right at the edge of the second moat wall.
"Leshawna?!"
"Mmm-hmm! Trust me, you do not want to get yo booty whooped, drama queen!"
Heather sighed. "Great. As if my day could not get any worse right now!"
"Uh, hel-lo? Is anybody gonna acknowledge me?"
Another figure, far skinnier than Leshawna, was yelling down from the radioactive waste moat.
"Well, Scott, the Toxic Rat gets the toxic layer for being a rat!" Chris said, glaring at him.
"That was a year ago!"
"And I'm still not over it!"
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the wall of the second moat, Cameron stirred feebly.
"Ohhh, my head…"
He rose to his feet, staggering slightly as he did so. The air pressure had increased dramatically in the few minutes he had been lying on solid ground.
Geoff groaned from the water as the piranhas and jellyfish slid off him, diving deep into the water below.
"Aw, man, dude, those shocks'll scramble your mind! Only people who deserve that kind of treatment are the g—"
He caught himself just in time. Clearing his throat and cleaning himself up as best he could, he grinned again.
"Now, who needs my help?"
Geoff: Okay, that was close. Grow up in a super-strict household and some stuff'll really sneak up on you. See, Mom and Dad? I don't have to go to church to be "saved"!
Brick and Ezekiel had swum to the other side of the water moat amidst the chaos that had ensued. They were now examining Cameron carefully to see if he had any bruises, bumps, or anything of the sort.
"Are you alright, soldier? That jock threw you for a loop back there," Brick said, feeling Cameron's scalp for any signs of injury.
"I'm okay," Cameron said, although his legs buckled slightly.
"Not with tho'ose legs, eh? I get it, tho'ough…" Ezekiel looked out toward the beach.
"Brick, I know you weren't here for this, but, uh…" Cameron leaned against the moat wall, steadying his breathing as best he could.
"I get it." Brick's voice wasn't stern, nor was it authoritative.
"Cameron, you're the final voice of authority here. What do you want us to do?"
"Uh—"
"Well, I know what I'm doing! Thanks, suckers!"
Brick and Ezekiel yelped in pain as Heather gripped the backs of their necks with her nails, using them as a springboard to propel herself up higher. Making sure she trod on each of their heads with her shoes, Heather gripped the second moat wall tightly and scrambled up.
"WHAT ABOUT ME?!" Jo called from far below.
"You'll find your way up, babe! Use Gwenny if you have to! I don't care!"
At those words, Heather reached the top of the second wall and pulled herself up.
She gasped at what she saw.
A vast lake of toxic waste was bubbling rather violently; great plumes of steam rising in thick clusters. In its center, barely visible among the haze, was a stone plinth, which led to a set of ramshackle stairs leading into the castle entrance.
"So…" she turned to Leshawna and Scott, who, on closer inspection, were wearing protective gear to shield themselves from the radiation.
"How do we get your ego 'cross that moat? Don't ask me, foo'!" Leshawna snapped at her.
"Yeah, Chris just said 'help the finalists out', that was it! Does he want me to end up in there?" Scott snapped, shivering slightly.
Chris: Yes. Yes, I do.
Cameron, Ezekiel and Brick gazed up at the top of the wall, where they knew their rival stood.
"So, throwing you up there may not be the best idea," Brick said, his voice going back to his authoritative tone.
Cameron seemed rather put off by the change. "Hold on…you were just saying that it was my choice on what you two wanted to do. What do you mean by that?!"
Ezekiel looked back toward the beach again. Another inhuman scream rent the air.
Cameron's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."
"I had to, eh? I did it befo'ore, I'd do it again!"
"Zeke, you, and all of us, nearly died! How would you like that on your conscience? On my conscience? On Gw—"
Ezekiel's already pale face blanched further and his body stiffened. Cameron gasped slightly and clapped his hands over his mouth.
"Why do I say things like that?!"
"Enough of that! Every minute we spend discussing what may or may not happen is a minute that Heather gets further along!" Brick said, glaring up at their adversary, who was walking along the perimeter of the moat above.
"Listen, eh? We'll climb, you keep ho'old!" Ezekiel said, as he and Brick gripped the rock.
Cameron gulped as he made his way behind the pair. He winced slightly as he noticed several deep gashes and trickles of blood. The blood started from their necks and cascaded down their backs. The fact that they had not mentioned anything regarding pain or discomfort stiffened Cameron's resolve.
They've been through so much this season…especially you, Zeke…
His eyes narrowed. He gripped tightly to Brick's left shoulder and Zeke's right shoulder, one with each hand.
"Dawn can take care of herself. I don't want to see any of you getting hurt anymore," he said.
Both looked at him, surprised.
"No time for arguing. Onward!"
"Aye aye, captain!" the pair said, and they began to ascend.
Heather snarled as she paced the perimeter of the radioactive moat. The contents frothed violently, sending additional hot blasts of steam rising into the air.
"More I waste time, more I get a disease," she grumbled.
Several loud grunts and the sounds of hands gripping the wall beneath her feet caused Heather to stop in her tracks.
"No…"
Heather: I'm this close to the end! If Blare-y, Schmoe, and Surly want the million, it'll be over my cold, dead body!
"If you even think about pushing them back down, I'll—"
"Whup your booty? Lesh- Shawar- Mesban- …listen, lady, what is with your obsession with kicking butts?!" Scott snapped at her.
"Because she deserves a booty-whuppin! Even more than that pretty boy Justin!"
"You're still not convinced that he's pure evil?" Heather's jaw dropped and her eyes widened.
"Mmm-mmm! A guy that pretty's gotta be goo-oood on the inside too, right?"
Heather spluttered in disbelief. "Wh- I- no?!"
"Aw, yeah, eh? We made it!"
"Thanks for taking my lead away from me!" Heather shrieked.
"Face it, shawty, you did it to yourself!" Leshawna snapped at her.
"Can it!" Heather grumbled at her. "God, haven't seen such snobbiness since Primrose…"
"Who?" the other 5 asked.
"Never you mind."
"Fine, guess we won't! Cameron, I have an idea as to how you can reach the middle of this dangerous environment!"
Cameron turned to Brick. "Really? But I see no implements that'll ensure my safety!"
Ezekiel finally cottoned on. "Oh yeah!" he said, removing his hoodie.
Cameron stared blankly at the pair. "Uh, I know it's hot up here, but you're adding extra baggage to yourself and-hey!"
Brick had wrenched Cameron's hoodie over his head, wrapping his and Ezekiel's together tightly, so they created a large piece of fabric.
"Here, use the arms and don't let go at any cost!" he said, thrusting the amalgamation into Cameron's hands.
"I'm sorry, but I still don't see-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Ezekiel had shoved Cameron off the wall, sending him plummeting towards the soupy radioactive bath.
The hoodies flapped in the plumes of steam; eventually, one plume caught it from below, sending Cameron rocketing upwards again.
Cameron opened his eyes hesitantly. "I…I'm flying!"
Cameron soared effortlessly through the air, his hoodies acting as a makeshift parachute. He easily adjusted his ascent and descent speeds by using the drafts of hot air. Before long, he was close to the plinth and stairs.
Ezekiel and Brick exchanged high fives. Heather, on the other hand, was seething with rage.
"I WILL NO LONGER BE MOCKED!"
A low rumble sounded from below. The radioactive moat bubbled dangerously.
"Aaaand that's my cue to run!" Scott said, readying himself to go down the wall.
"Chris told us to help these string beans!" Leshawna shot back at him.
"Yeah, so? He'll let us die as long as it means more money for him!"
Another low rumble sounded, along with several loud CRACKS. The plinth was breaking apart from its base, and the stairs fell into the green concoction below.
"Yup, you're boned," Scott said as he jumped and fell in the water far below.
Heather staggered as the wall beneath her shook violently.
"Guess the only way you're gettin' in there is jumpin'!" Leshawna said, staring at the frothing sea of putrid green below.
"I have helpers!"
"Not anymore you don't!"
Heather struggled to maintain her balance as the wall crumbled. Screaming like she had never screamed before, she slid down, down, down…
Deep in the woods, Cody stirred. His head was throbbing painfully; blood had pooled on the leaf-strewn ground.
As he got, shakily, to his hands and knees, he heard several short screams in the air, followed by the unmistakable sounds of two brutal enemies exchanging blows.
His vision danced in his eyes; he saw two sets of everything, from trees to bloodstains.
Wha…
A loud roar emanated from the nearby beach; the shockwave sent Cody flying several feet.
He groaned as he crashed repeatedly along the ground, rolling and tumbling backwards towards the campgrounds.
"D…Dawn…"
His hand trembling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his trademark Swiss Army Screwdriver.
Don't fail me now!
With a concentrated effort, Cody pressed a large red button, which had been recently installed.
With a loud BEEP, the screwdriver began to stretch itself around Cody's body. It was rapidly creating arms, legs, a body, and a head out of its key components.
In a matter of seconds, Cody's robot suit was complete. It was a replica of him, clothing and all. The main differences were that it sported gently glowing white eyes and a more mechanical sheen.
"Welcome, Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson. It's a pleasure to assist you today." The voice was a standard, cool female voice, like one would hear in an automated phone message.
Cody spat out some blood that had accumulated in his mouth. He barely had the energy to move, let alone speak.
"Critical injury detected. Medical mode activated."
Immediately, several small sets of robotic hands set to work on staunching, cleaning and bandaging the worst of Cody's injuries. First, an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent was applied to the wound, lessening the throbbing pain severely. The effect seemed to shake Cody out of his exhaustion.
"Hey, thanks! But, uh, after this, can we get back to the main action, please?"
"Affirmative. My sensors indicate a radioactive mutant shark some 100 feet away from us. Combat mode at the ready in case of an impending attack."
"Thanks," Cody said, as the hands applied a layer of gauze, which was followed by an application of a bandage. "I'm feeling much better!"
"The protocol is not complete. Activating 'grandmother kiss' protocol."
Cody chuckled slightly as a set of hands holding a pair of soft lips kissed the wound.
Cody: Yeah, yeah, I loved my grandma. Wouldn't you? I guess that's why I love the ladies so much, heh. Grandma made me feel special and loved; I want my ideal lady-friend to have the same! *he claps his hands over his mouth* Oh, crap, Izzy won't see this, will she?
"Medical examination complete. Commencing attack protocols."
Several thrusters popped out of Cody's wrists, arms, legs, ankles, and feet. The latter thrusters pushed Cody off the ground, closely followed by the ankle thrusters aligning him perpendicular with the ground.
"Which weapon would you like to strike with, Cody?"
Cody took no time to hesitate. "My trusty sword, please!"
"Affirmative. Protocol "Psycho Chain Slicer 2.0" online."
A larger screwdriver, which looked just like his smaller one, popped out of Cody's wrist. He pressed a small black button, and a beam of energy shot out, which rotated with the same intensity as chainsaw blades.
"Ready!"
"Target locked on. Propelling you in five…four…three…two…"
Blood trickled copiously from Dawn's nose and into her mouth. She was panting heavily; several veins throbbed violently in her forehead.
Her opponent gazed down at her, his smile as wide as ever and no other marks, other than the previous scarring, apparent on his body.
Strewn around Fang were the remains of several of Dawn's summoned animals. Most had their bodies twisted and contorted into unnatural shapes, while others had several appendages separated, painfully, from their bodies.
All were dead.
Dawn growled at her adversary. Angry tears filled her eyes and trickled down her face, which was caked with dirt and congealed blood.
She raised her now tendril-less hands, and spread her wings. It was now or never.
Staggering forward, for she had sustained several body blows and cracked ribs, Dawn wailed and readied a strike.
Fang swatted her away, casually, with the back of his hand.
Dawn was sent flying, her tendril wings dissipating. She slammed hard into a nearby tree; the impact made her spasm violently in pain.
Fang's maw opened wide. Time to end it…
A rocket-propelled body collided hard with his stomach, and a rapidly rotating blade dug into his flesh.
Fang grunted as he was dragged backwards several inches. He grabbed the blade with his hand and crushed it, which made the energy constructing it dissipate as well.
Cody gulped as he gazed at his new opponent. "Wh…"
Small rivulets of blood spilled from Fang's scar on his chest. He ignored this; this new prey in front of him would make for a fine meal.
A decent challenge, on the other hand…nothing could stop him.
Fang slammed his fist hard into the suit's chest. Cody wheezed from within; the suit itself cracked ominously.
"Warning, warning. Severe damage received."
"I know, I know!" Cody groaned. He staggered backwards before clumsily hitting a tree stump created by Fang's and Dawn's previous assaults.
Fang's overabundance of teeth, even for a shark, were on full display as Cody slumped to the ground. The sparks coming from his suit acted as a beacon for the mutant, who lunged forward at once.
Instinctively, Cody's thrusters fired to his left, sending him sliding laterally along the coastline. Cody, not missing an opportunity, snatched Dawn into his arms as he passed her.
"Jeez, and I thought I looked a mess…" he muttered, as his sensors picked up on Dawn's condition.
"Berserk animalistic rage brought on by heavy fear and trauma. Mental capacity currently in "survive or die" mode. Companion is suffering from 10 rib fractures, several internal injuries, and mental exhaustion."
"Yeah…I'm sorry, but I can't fix her up right now!" Cody said, peering behind him to see Fang in hot pursuit.
"Injuries may be fatal."
Cody's attention was immediately back on Dawn, who whimpered and growled softly.
"N…no…"
With one last shudder, Dawn's pale green eyes were extinguished, and she moved no more.
Heather was shaking. Her pile of crumbled wall was all that stood between her and the bubbling radioactive waste below.
If I don't get any radioactive mutations from this, it will be a miracle…
A gentle thump came from in front of her. Heather lifted her head; she was gazing intently at what would be her soupy demise.
The stone plinth, along with one or two intact steps, had bumped into her. The rest of the steps had vanished; only the topmost ones connected to the castle entrance remained.
Heather gaped. Cameron was sprinting inside.
"NO!"
All formality forgotten, Heather jumped onto the plinth and sprinted up the few steps remaining.
She jumped for the top steps. She knew that it was beyond her physical capabilities, but she would stop at nothing, nothing, to get her well-deserved prize.
A fierce bubbling from below was followed by several loud cracks. Slowly, the wall the castle was perched on began to sink forward, causing the steps, and entrance, to slant towards the radioactive waste.
Cameron stumbled, clutching to his hoodie chute tightly. "No, no, no, no…"
Heather, against all odds, successfully clutched the topmost steps. Using every bit of her fury and channeling it into kinetic energy, she clambered up.
Cameron gulped and looked behind him.
Heather's rage had reached its peak. Her face was the same color as her halter top, her eyes were slits, and her nails were glinting ruby red.
"I…will…end you."
She pounced at Cameron. Both finalists tumbled up the path to the castle doors, despite the steepening slope and increasing gravity.
"And our finalists have entered the castle of Christopher McLean the First! It's all or nothing, now folks! Either they'll get the million or die trying!"
"Mr. McLean, sir." Cameron's mother put heavy emphasis on the last word.
"Yes?" Chris sighed in exasperation.
"To my knowledge, sir, radioactive waste does not froth and bubble to that intensity!"
"I added a little lava!"
"WHAT?!" everyone shouted at him.
"What kind of sense does that make?!" Eva screamed; all dignity forgotten.
"We're all gonna die!" Anne Maria wailed.
"I thought it'd be fun!" Chris said, in a feeble attempt to defend himself.
"Good going, Chris!" Duncan snapped, while Zoey glared. "Now we're all on a ticking time bomb! Either Fang's going to get us or the challenge collapsing will!"
"Not to worry!" Chris said, pulling out his walkie-talkie. "For we have our Terrifying Trio of Terrorrrrrrrrr!"
Radio static was his only reply on the other end.
"Uh, hello? I said TERRIFYING TRIO OF TERROR?! C'mon, already, set the traps up!" Chris yelled into the receiver.
"Katie doesn't want to do it, Chris!" a female voice shrieked on the other end.
Duncan's eyes widened in shock. "Sadie?!"
"That makes two of us!" A male voice sounded over the line; it also sounded familiar to the delinquent.
"Chris, did you seriously bring DJ, who's a known softie, Sadie, and especially Katie back to the most dangerous leg? Are you for real?!"
Zoey's mouth hung open as she struggled to form words.
"See, she gets it!" Duncan scoffed, pointing at his girlfriend. "After what Katie went through, why did anyone think to bring her back?!"
"The pay?" Chris said, legitimately confused.
Zoey and Eva both stormed over to Chris.
"Listen to me, and listen to me carefully, McLean. If she gets hurt any more than she already has, I will, without any hesitation, tear you apart, limb by limb." Eva said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Chris…" Zoey could barely speak; she was shaking with such rage. "What is your major malfunction?"
"Sorry, needed every competitor back here to h—" Chris's statement was stopped midway by Eva squeezing his windpipe tightly.
"Eva!" Zoey gasped, clapping her hands to her mouth.
"It's taking everything in me to not choke him to death…" she snarled to the group at large.
"Listen, Me 0.5, I'd really like it if you let him go."
Jo had stalked up to the group from the wall belonging to the water moat. Her eyes were narrowed and her body tense.
"Yeah? And why should I listen to your sorry ass?"
"Be-cause ," Jo said, with the air of explaining something to a temperamental toddler, "if he dies, Hea-we don't get the million!"
"Who's we, punk?" Eva snarled, releasing her grip on Chris, who collapsed onto the ground.
"Do you seriously think that Bubble Brain's gonna win the million? Against my woman? As if!"
"Hey!"
Everyone turned to see Mike standing up, glaring at Jo. He was panting, as if he was struggling to keep himself in check.
"Sorry?" Jo said, glaring up at him. "I don't remember anything about you."
"Oh, yeah? Well, from now on, you will!" Mike stalked down the steps and stomped over to Jo, until the two were staring eye-to-eye, inches apart.
"Out of my way, Mal." Jo's voice had lowered to barely above a whisper, but her words carried on the wind.
"Try me, cap'n." Manitoba gripped Jo's sweatshirt, drawing his clenched fist level with his chin.
"Oh? You think you're macho enough to take me on, Multiple Mike?" Jo said.
The hand gripping Jo's sweatshirt shook violently. Manitoba's face was contorted tightly, his expression pained.
"Yeah…" Mike said finally, wrenching control back to him. "Yeah, I am!"
"And you're sticking up for Cammy-bear? Please!"
"Now you listen here, young lady—"
"Ma'am, this is an argument between contestants. Please, let me handle it." Mike's body was trembling; from fear, rage, or shock at back-talking Cameron's mother, he did not know.
"Yeah, Mommy-bear. This is between me and h—"
"ENOUGH!" Mike's shout rang across the area, causing nearly everyone in the vicinity to jump.
"You know, I barely knew Cameron, but from what Dawn told me, he's a hell of a better guy than either you or Heather ever will be!"
"Oh?" Jo snickered. "Look at that, the big bad wolf's going to talk me down?"
"Yeah, I am!" Mike repeated. "Look at what Mal did to you! To Brick! To Gwen!"
Gwen, who was still sulking by the moat wall, jerked her head upward to stare at him.
"Please!" Jo cackled, "he directly caused Lanky Legs's boot and orchestrated Little Miss Pouty's elimination!"
"Yeah, so? You don't have any shred of respect for them? After everything?"
"Should I? They weren't my problem."
It took Mike everything he had to prevent him from erupting into a rage fueled by his past demons.
"Jo, I know you don't care, but listen. Mal's still in there. If I make any wrong steps, he's coming back out, and I know you don't want him back out…"
"Maybe I do!"
Mike continued on, ignoring her. "…but you know who didn't give up on me? Dawn didn't. You know who else didn't give up on me? Cameron didn't!"
"I'm sorry, but you barely knew each other for all of 24 hours!"
"Yeah, so? He showed interest in my plight, Jo, which is a hell of a lot more than I can ever say for you!"
"Yeah, but I don't think he helpe—"
"Mike. Cool it."
Gwen had joined them, her hands on her hips, and glaring at the pair.
"Good speech, but really missing the point. Besides that, we need to talk…about what you did."
Mike sighed and let go of Jo's sweatshirt. She smirked and dusted herself off.
"Pleasure doing business with ya, lame-o!" she said, heading back to the bleachers.
Mike heaved a heavy sigh and stared up at the water moat. "Come with me."
Ezekiel spat out water as he resurfaced, with Brick coughing next to him.
"Jeez, eh, wasn't expecting that!"
"Tell me about it, dude!"
Geoff had paddled his surfboard up to the four; Leshawna and Scott were weighed down by their suits.
Brick stared up at the crumbled wall. "Do you think that aura blast had something to do with it?"
Ezekiel nodded, his skin clammy and pale in a way that had nothing to do with the water.
"I'm wo'orried about Dawn, eh?"
Brick heaved a heavy sigh. "She's pretty self-sufficient, Zeke. I wouldn't go to that combat zone if I were you, though."
"But yo'ou were all fo'or it earlier, eh?"
Brick gulped. "Well, I had the fear that Fang would completely dominate Dawn in combat, and Cody would be little more than a flea to him…"
"Yeah?" Geoff had pulled Leshawna and Scott in the direction of the moat wall, where they took off their protective head gear.
"…but then I remembered."
"Get to the point!" Scott said, more harshly than he normally would have been.
"Cody hates being bested by B."
Cody was running out of time. Fang was closing in; his tactical diversions (such as a small bed of nails) had proven fruitless.
Dawn's body still remained as lifeless as ever. He had to steer Fang away from his quarry.
"Hey, Medi-bot?"
"Yes, Cody?" The voice this time was one of a sultry nurse.
"You gotta give Dawn some medical attention, stat!"
"As stated before, her injuries may be fatal."
"So? I'm ordering you, Medi-bot!"
"You understand that, by my departure, you will no longer have access to my healing capabilities."
"So? I don't need the heal! I need to take this creep down!"
"Affirmative. Full command now goes to the main computer."
Two small, pod-like drones detached itself from Cody's head where the ears would normally have been. They latched on to Dawn's body and lifted her into the woods, to safety.
"Attack form at the ready, Cody. If there is no possible way to save your companion's life, the Medi-bot will return to you and resume normal functions."
Cody did a 180 and gently landed on the ground. His fist was cocked, and his gaze was fixed on Fang, who had his fist raised, ready to strike.
"Do what you gotta d—"
WHAM.
Fang's fist connected with Cody's left temple. He was sent flying, out into the sea, where he smacked the water fiercely upon contact.
Several warning alarms and sparks lit the interior of Cody's robotic head. The actual Cody, on the other hand, was rather dazed.
Through his hazy vision, he noticed a speeding, mutated bullet shooting towards him…
Heather picked herself up off the ancient wood floor. She flinched as she heard it creak ominously under her weight.
This can't be good…
"H-Hello?"
Heather jumped. The voice it belonged to wasn't Cameron's; he was still lying on the ground.
"Who's there?" The voice was distinctly male.
Heather plucked up courage. "N-no one you care about!" she snapped.
"…Heather?"
DJ nervously poked his head around a corner. Sadie's head followed shortly after; she was shivering in what was undoubtedly fear.
"Great," Heather said, rolling her eyes. "I expected some help, but instead I got the chickens."
"I made it way further than you did!" Sadie shot back, glaring at her. "And Katie got 4th!"
"Speaking of which, is Tweedledum here?"
Sadie looked behind her. Katie was clutching her hand, her body and face taut and her grip tight.
"…Yeah."
Heather sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Could you tell me where to go, please? This place won't last much longer!"
"Actually, um…" Sadie started, but DJ finished for her.
"We're leaving. Sorry, dawg."
Heather gawked at him. "Ex-cuse me? Aren't you going to help us?!"
"Well, yeah, but that was before this," Sadie said. "We were supposed to trip you up, but now that this place is falling…"
Cameron groaned and got to his feet. "I'm sorry, what's happ-whoa!"
The castle lurched and the floor tilted dangerously. DJ instinctively grabbed Cameron by the wrist as he slid towards the doorframe.
"C'mon, l'il guy, you're so close to the end!"
"Hel-lo?! Any love for me?" Heather snapped, pressed against the wall.
"Sorry, man, but this guy reminds me of a l'il me!"
Heather: Seriously?! I work my butt off to get here and this is the thanks I get? Ugh, least Jo gets me.
"So, we're making our own way up to the top?" Heather said as she struggled to find her footing.
"Yup!" Sadie said, as she gently led Katie to the door. "See ya!"
With that, the three "hinderers" escaped from the castle.
A loud crack sounded from above, followed by the ceiling caving in.
"Aaand offIgo!" Cameron said, sprinting towards the staircase.
Cameron: When in doubt, use the stairs!
Heather growled as she ran through the hallway where DJ, Katie and Sadie were looking at them from. It led into a small foyer, where a large set of wooden stairs led to parts unknown.
Several more planks of wood were slowly cracking and falling from the ceiling. The floor was now starting to crack in several places, meaning Heather had to keep step to prevent herself from falling out of the castle.
"Okay, Heather, you can do this…it's just the mineshaft, but in reverse…"
With that, she clambered up the long flight of stairs to her new destination.
In the woods near the bleachers, Gwen and Mike were sheltered by several trees.
"So…Mike," she said, looking down at the ground and kicking a pine cone, "I saw the rest of Season 3 while waiting for the finale, and…"
"Yeah…" Mike said, heaving a deep sigh. "I want to say…I'm sorry."
"Well, that's sweet of you."
"It's the least I really can do, you know? I mean, really devastated you and Zeke…"
Gwen sighed, looking resolutely at Mike now. "Yeah, I saw…I didn't want to believe it. I thought he was…"
"…lying for the cameras, Gwen, I know." Mike finished for her. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't see Mal's handiwork there, though."
Gwen quirked an eyebrow. "Sorry?"
"No, no! I mean, think of it this way! You and Zeke have been together for a year, if not longer, yeah? Why would he suddenly turn a complete 180 on his girlfriend?"
"He hung out with Dawn a lot, and…and I think they really bonded…"
"Gwen, they're friends! Trust me, if you knew Dawn like Cam or I did, you'd know if they had something going on!"
"Like…?"
"She'd be infatuated with him, like…talking about how wonderful he is, how great he is, on and on! She said it about Cam…and, well…she's been saying it about me, too."
"Uhhhhhh…Mike, this is new territory for me."
"That's beside the point, Gwen! What I'm trying to get at is, Zeke never gave up on you! Just like Dawn!"
"I think she did…" Gwen murmured.
"Yeah, she was so enamored with Cam that she forgot about her feelings for me, heh."
"Let me guess. Start of Season 2?"
"Yup! You saw how we bonded. Dawn really likes outcasts. Feels a bit of a kinship, you know?"
"I mean, I don't, but go on."
"Gwen, she totally respected your relationship! Zeke wasn't 100% her type anyhow! He was more into you! You two kept bringing out the best in each other!"
Gwen froze. Memories of all the experiences they had had flooded her mind.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Mike, I was…sc-scared, you know? I had my parents g-go through a di-divorce when I was y-young and…and…"
Mike immediately pulled her into a tight hug. "Trust me, I've had issues with my parents too, it's okay…it's okay…"
Gwen spent the next several minutes sobbing into Mike's shoulder. She hiccupped slightly, wiping her eyes.
"Now, think we can confront our fears and talk to Zeke?" Mike asked her, a smile plastered on his face.
Gwen, with great difficulty, swallowed; the lump in her throat threatened tears again.
"Yeah. Let's go."
"Don't worry. I got your back."
With that, the two friends made their way back to the moats.
Cameron wrenched open the door that stood at the end of his flight of stairs. He groaned.
He stood in a massive dining room, which was adjoined by a wooden kitchen. All the tables, chairs, and related furniture were pressed against the far wall, due to the teetering structure.
Figures. Chris would cut corners.
A door stood to the right side of the dining area; it was slanted at a 45-degree angle.
Well, no time like the present!
Cameron slipped along the wooden floor, but successfully latched on to the doorknob.
His weight immediately flung the door open, which then completely separated from the frame.
"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…"
Heather entered the new room that sat at the end of her long flight of stairs. She was just in time; they crumbled as she reached the top.
"Well, guess I'm not going back down there…" she sulked before examining her surroundings.
She was standing at the top of one of the castle turrets, which was near the top of the castle. She could barely see the glint of Excalibur.
She stared apprehensively at the teetering slope.
"Well…nowhere to go but up!"
Cody was running on fumes. Several of his thrusters had broken and his suit had suffered major damage. It crackled and sparked as he sputtered along to shore.
Yeah, I'm running out of options here!
Fang launched himself out of the water, tackling Cody hard in the back. The latter screamed as he slammed hard onto dry land.
"N-Nice shark…don't make me have to use this…" Cody stammered, his robotic finger gently touching a button on his massive screwdriver. It was red and adorned with a skull-and-crossbones symbol.
I can't use it until I know Dawn's alive!
Fang was not impressed. He swung his fist back and slammed Cody's suit hard in the face.
Cody, once again, was sent flying. He slammed into a tree; the extra weight of his suit had made him heavier and therefore harder to throw.
Cody was in a daze. C'mon, Medi-bot…I can't hold out for much longer!
Dawn's eyes shot open.
"H…Huh?"
"Final analysis: able to mitigate certain injuries, although mental exertion is still heavy. Long periods of bed rest advised."
"Well, thank you, but there's a creature I must save!"
"Escort injured companion back to main body immediately."
Dawn gave a small yelp of surprise as the pods latched on to her once more. She was then whisked towards the main battle.
"Excuse me, but, um…Cody?!"
Cody was still slumped in front of the tree; his impact had left a large dent in it.
"H…Hey, Dawn…can you still use your…aura…thingies?"
Dawn released a few aura tendrils. "Yes, but why?"
"Oh…oh, good…because I'm gonna go all…all out here…"
The pods had inserted themselves back into the ears of the suit, the pod for his left side had to take some time to form an opening for itself to dock into.
"Hey, I know…I know I'm doing bad, but…we're going all…all in here…" Cody said, spitting some fresh blood from his mouth.
He pressed the red button.
Several alarms went off in his head piece. "WARNING. NERVES WILL BE BREACHED TO ENSURE MAXIMUM COMBAT CAPACITY. FATAL DAMAGE WILL ENSURE IF PUSHED TO ABSOLUTE LIMITS."
"I know!" Cody groaned, as several tubes inserted themselves in different points of his body.
On the outside, however, the large screwdriver changed into a hulking set of armor. It fitted itself on Cody's old suit, head piece and all.
The end result was a suit that still bore a resemblance to Cody, but it was far bulkier. In lieu of his standard clothing on his first suit, this suit was decked in red samurai armor.
"Heh…" Cody chuckled sheepishly.
Dawn shrugged. "I won't judge your fantasies, Cody."
Cody coughed and struggled to stand. His nerves sent strong electrical jolts through the tubes, feeding the information to his suit.
Dawn gasped as the suit stood almost at once. "Cody, that's amazing!"
"Yeah…amazing…and dangerous…"
Fang, however, wasn't staring at the new suit nor the ensuing transformation. He was gazing at his new prey with rejuvenated vigor.
Time to kill.
Cody instantaneously struck Fang with every ounce of strength he had. His fist sunk deep into his jaw; it made a loud CRACK and several teeth were sent flying.
Inside the suit, Cody screamed in pain. His knuckles were red raw, and his fingers were shattered in several places.
"Cody? Cody!" Dawn heard the screaming, and fear began to flood her brain once again.
"Dawn…this…this suit…it uses my body's nerves and multiplies their strength tens of times over! It's…it'll kill me if I don't end it qu…NNNNNNGH!"
"I'm sorry, but huh?"
"Dawn, my nerves are the source of power for this suit! Whatever effort it exerts, I exert! Whatever pain it feels, I feel! Considering that that punch was enough to crush a monster truck…"
Dawn whimpered slightly. "Please…please don't…"
"Dawn, if you go berserk, I'll personally snap you out of it!"
Dawn's breathing intensified. "Cody…he's getting up!"
"I can see that!"
Fang rose, gingerly feeling his jaw. He winced as he rubbed his hand over the location of the fracture. A combination of blood and drool splattered into the sand.
"Dawn, tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it. I can't use my gadgetry anymore, not that it even worked in the first place!"
Dawn stared at the rivulets of blood emanating from Fang's scar.
Her breathing steadied. She was now in prime position to finish what she had started the previous day.
"…Right. I need you to hold him still for me, please. Any way you can will work. I need to get into his body with my tendrils and suck the aura out of him."
Cody nodded and charged at Fang, who did likewise.
The two of them were immediately locked into an intense grapple, with neither one giving an inch.
"That…good?" Cody groaned, as he pushed Fang forward a few inches.
"Perfect!" Dawn said, and she shot her tendrils into Fang's exposed injury.
Her eyes began to glow a pale green and several veins began throbbing in her head.
Dawn exhaled slowly. It was now or never.
Slowly but surely, aura began to outline her body. It was thin, but soon thickened.
Fang grunted loudly. He opened his lopsided mouth, ready to bite Cody's thickened suit.
Cody, however, thought fast. He rammed Fang several times in the torso area, making sure not to interfere with Dawn's aura intake.
Fang coughed out blood and saliva, which pooled on Cody's suit. The latter yelped as several large welts began to appear on his arms, body, and legs.
"Dawn, hurry!"
"I'm trying!"
Indeed, Dawn had sprouted angelic wings once again, but tendrils were sprouting from those.
"Fang's got so much aura stored in him! It must be the radiation mutating what's there!"
"Tell me something I do—"
Cody's words were interrupted by several tendrils shooting out of the overlarge wings. Some slammed into the ground, others inserted themselves into Fang's body. There was, thankfully, no blood; they were merely attached to his essence, which was separate from the main body. In addition, Dawn's will meant that no harm would come to Fang via her tendrils digging into his skin.
"Cody, I've got hi—"
A steady hum drowned out Dawn's words as the tendrils began multiplying at an unprecedented rate. They surrounded Dawn, Cody, and Fang, coalescing into a giant dome of pale green.
As Dawn collected more and more aura, she diverted it wherever she could, be it her own body or adding it to the dome, which was increasing in size.
She gasped slightly as her ribs healed themselves and her internal organs repaired the damage they had sustained. She was now whole and undamaged, as she was before the whole fiasco had started.
The dome was expanding quickly, and Fang's stance faltered. Dawn gave a small smile: she could do this.
Slowly rising into the air, the new tendrils sprouted from the bottom half of the dome, slowly tapering off so that Dawn and company were now encased in a gigantic sphere of aura.
Mike and Gwen were back at the bleachers; the latter was searching for Ezekiel.
"Hey, Mike, would he be in the water moat? The second layer's pretty screwed."
"Well, yeah, but, I…I…" Mike looked back towards the beach in abject horror.
"I gotta go, Gwen."
As Mike sprinted toward the aura sphere, Gwen scanned the area for Ezekiel once again.
"Zeke? ZEKE! EZEKIEL! WHERE ARE YOU?"
Geoff was helping DJ, Sadie, and Katie into the water. He high-fived each of them as they successfully splashed into the water.
Ezekiel stared at the rescue operation, but cries of his name caught his attention...
Back at the collapsing castle, Cameron struggled to reach the door frame, which was nearly at a 90-degree angle with the top facing him. The contents of the dining room and kitchen were slowly falling out of the glassless windows, splashing into certain doom below.
Come on…come on!
He whooped in delight as his fingers grasped the top of the door frame, and he pulled himself up and through.
"Right…now what?"
Several windows lined this new corridor. Cameron gulped as he avoided the gaze of the ones aiming directly down toward the green bubbling mass.
He gasped as he stared out the windows on the other side.
There was Excalibur, glinting brightly as it sat, much like the Arthurian legend, in the stone throne.
Cameron pulled himself out the window and steadied himself on the outer wall of the corridor.
"Come on…"
Just as he was about to reach for Excalibur, a pale green glow in his peripheral vision caught his attention.
He turned around and stared.
Dawn's aura sphere would have encompassed three-quarters of the island with the shadow it created; it easily would have been twice as tall as the Wawanakwa hill, had the latter still existed.
"Dawn…" Cameron whispered, sinking to his knees.
A loud shlunk sounded from behind him.
"Isn't that precious? You caring so much for her cost you the million! Too bad! So sad!"
Heather, who had clambered up the wall on the opposite side, was sneering. She held Excalibur in both hands, and raised it high into the air.
Deep inside the aura sphere, Fang's eyes lost their savage glow and his pale green veins vanished.
Dawn, her work completed, strained enormously to marshal the tendrils clinging to Fang back in line with the rest of the dome.
Al…most…
"ZEKE! COME ON, PLEASE! WE NEED TO TALK!"
"GWEEEEEN!"
Chef's voice rang throughout the island; Chris was still knocked out.
"AND HEATHER WINS TOTAL DRAMA—"
CRACK.
Dawn's efforts to corral all the tendrils into order failed, and the sphere exploded. Its force was great; it sent out a massive shockwave in all directions.
One direction, in particular, was Camp Wawanakwa.
Everyone shrieked, Cameron's mother fainted, and Anne Maria was beside herself. Her sobs stained her heavy amount of makeup, exposing her rash laden skin underneath.
The shockwave hit Camp Wawanakwa, rending it completely in two. The moats, castle, and bleachers were pulverized, leaving only small rocks, stones, and planks of wood in its wake.
The cabins, mess hall, hosts quarters, and communal washrooms were eviscerated. The earth beneath was torn asunder, and large chunks rained down on the island.
The trees were crushed, slashed, and smashed; the animals that lived within barely escaped with their lives.
Almost as soon as it had started…it had stopped. All the contestants, staff, and family were struggling to their feet.
"Dawn…?" Cameron groaned, peering at a small figure dropping towards the ground through his cracked glasses.
"Dawn!"
Adrenaline coursed through him like nothing had before. He got up and started sprinting across the rocky remains of what had been their island home.
He staggered through the remains of the woods, heading for the beach. He wasn't alone in this endeavor, however.
"Svetlana vill help you, young vienerschnitzel! Ah-ta!"
Svetalana scooped Cameron in her arms and launched him at Dawn. Cameron yelled in fear, but he caught her successfully.
Dawn might as well have been asleep; her body was warm and her breathing was steady. Cameron gave a small smile and kissed her cheek.
Any romantic moment the two would have shared was interrupted by a lasso snagging the pair. They were pulled back down to earth and caught by Manitoba Smith.
"Ey, g'day, beauty!" he said, grinning at the pair.
Dawn yawned and stretched, before opening her eyes, a smile on her face.
"Fang has been relieved of the aura that tormented his mind for the past several days," she said, hugging Mike, who had returned to being himself once again.
"Oh, uh, Cam?" Mike said, a sheepish look on his face. "I, uh…well, that is to say, uh, Dawn and I…we were talking about something that might make things…well, heh, better for all of us."
Cameron quirked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"
"Cameron," Dawn asked him, a placid expression on her face, "have you heard of polyamory?"
"…multiple relationships? I mean…"
"Hey, listen, we'll take you back to your mom," Mike said. "I think we've got a lot of explaining to do."
As they set off back towards the ruins of the final challenge, a bulky robot struggled out of the water.
"Hey…hey, guys…waaaaaiii…"
Back at the ruins of the final challenge, a certain goth was still searching for someone she cared about dearly.
"Zeke? …Zeke?"
A hand popped up from a pile of rubble, closely followed by an arm, then a shoulder, then…
"Zeke…oh, my God." Gwen hugged Ezekiel tight, sobbing into his shoulder as she had with Mike.
Brick, Geoff, Leshawna, Scott, DJ, Katie, and Sadie surfaced shortly afterward. Scott was choking and sputtering on something, although none knew what.
"Rock in my throat! Rock in my throat!" he yelled, before gulping noisily.
"Ahhh…all better!"
Chef, in the meantime, was shaking Chris in an attempt to restore consciousness. The latter, miraculously, had sustained very little damage; his armor had shielded him from the worst of the blast.
"Get your stinkin' ass up!" Chef snapped, slapping Chris upside the head.
"Ow! Darn it! What'd I miss?" Chris grumbled, opening his visor.
"Island's destroyed; skinny chick won the million."
"Oh, just the usual, then?"
"No! Not just the usual, dammit! We gotta find a new home!"
"Well, I mean…there's that property off Vancouver Island!"
"Y'mean, the one you wanted to make your 'houseboat getaway'?"
"The very same! Our rides at the McLean Mansion if you wanna get it!"
"Uhhhhhh…I'd bet that the mansion's destroyed too, Chris…"
Chris gasped, overdramatically.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Ex-cuse me, but I demand my prize money!"
Heather, her hands on her hips, glared at the host and his chef-o-sexual life partner.
Chris sighed. "Yeah, yeah, Chef, if you have the million-dollar briefcase…"
Chef grumbled as he pulled the briefcase out from under his apron and handed it to Heather.
"Here! Take it, do what you want…"
"Aww, thank you!" she cooed. "Now, where is my lovely girlfriend? Jo? Jo-ooooo!"
Chris gagged as Heather skipped off. "Never expected her to be like that, huh?"
"Mmm. Now, let's gather everyone up and get off this crazy rock!"
Cameron's mother was coughing and getting to her feet. "Well, this experience will call for a hefty lawsuit…"
"Mom?"
"Cammy-bear! Thank heavens! I'm going to grab my minivan and we shall depart this wicked place!"
"Uh…mom? Where is that minivan?"
Cameron's mother pulled out a key from her pocket and clicked a button. In a snap, the minivan splashed up from the sea and screeched to a halt in front of her.
"Self-driving mechanism, Cammy-bear! I had it recently installed so that I can never let you out of my sights again!"
"Booyah!" Chris cried, "that's our ticket home!"
Cameron's mother sighed. "Very well, sir. But I will be charging you top dollar."
"Fine by me! Comes out of Chef's paycheck!"
Chef groaned. "Why do I put up with this…"
Before long, all the contestants, sans Cody, helpers, crew, and staff were crammed into Cameron's mother's minivan. She started the motor, and the van roared into life.
"And now, we head for home."
"Um, Mom? I need to talk to you about, um…a poly…amorous…relationship…that I'm interested in being in."
"Poly-WHAT?!" shrieked Cameron's mother as she stomped on the gas pedal.
"Well, count me out," Gwen said, snuggling up to Ezekiel. "I've had enough mayhem for eight seasons."
"I never want to come back here again!" Heather said, kissing her briefcase, then Jo, in that order.
Cody, who was latched on to the back of the car via sturdy rope, screamed as the van sped into the water.
"Farewell, Wawanakwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" he yelled, as the minivan splashed into the sea, ready for the journey home.
The last thing the cameras saw before they faded to black was a pair of two eyes, glaring at the island, the rest of his radioactive, mutated body hidden under the waters…
(AN: That is a wrap for Season 3! This chapter was extremely long, but I'm extremely proud of this. I've been sitting on this one since May of 2019, and here we are in 2020 now. This message will be dated, but I want to sincerely thank you all for holding out. I am now a Master's Graduate, and my next steps will be looking for a job and continuing this series where I can.
Speaking of series, Pahkitew Island's going to be a whole other beast. I don't hate the canon series anymore, but I will admit that it has several glaring flaws. Mainly character personalities and interactions; they're so limited.
In addition, if these three seasons of TD fics were the equivalent of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix/Deathly Hallows, expect the next season, if not the next three or four, to be more of a Half Blood Prince. I want to make Pahkitew very different from this series. Less gore, less dark elements, but far more intrigue. I got a little too carried away here.
But, until the first Pahkitew chapter is posted, you'll have to wait and see! I know I'm excited!
Short aside, but if you know your AMC TV series, you might know what I'm referencing with Cody's line right before he gets punched by Fang. Such a phenomenal show.)
14th: Anne Maria
13th: Cody (quit)
12th: Brick
11th: Eva
10th: Justin
-merge-
9th: Gwen
8th: Mike/Mal (quit)
7th: Zoey (injury)
6th: Ezekiel (double elimination)
5th: Jo (double elimination)
4th: Duncan
3rd: Dawn
2nd: Cameron
1st: Heather
(Author's PostNote: I apologize if this got too gruesome for some. I sort of had this planned out for a while now, but be thankful that no one died or things got to be too bad. As I said, it'll get less violent and dark, and more…well, mysterious!)