Jasmine and Beardo dueled like two bats out of hell. Ella could barely even see the dueling sticks move before one struck the other. All she could hear was the clacking noise.
Chris had prepared a surprise for the contestants. The platforms were wobbly. Water splashed on the wooden walkways, creating slippery footing.
Jasmine swung, then Beardo parried. Jasmine swung again, and Beardo parried again.
Clack. Clack. Clack. Even Chris was on the edge of his seat.
Jasmine's eyeballs widened as if she had an idea. She swung her dueling stick in a wide arc. Beardo mimicked her and the two clashed in the middle, sending a shockwave through the water.
"Holy shit!" exclaimed Chris "I think even the fish felt that!"
Beardo, with his superior dancer's balance, weathered the shockwave. Jasmine, unfortunately, was not. She tumbled into the water as Beardo made it back to home base.
"That was badass." said Ella, starting her journey along the wooden walkway.
"What're you waiting for?!" bellowed Jasmine "Someone go!"
Scarlett jumped like a startled horse and started running, only to slip and fall flat on her face after a few steps.
All of Rodney's Angels groaned in sympathy.
When Scarlett got up, her glasses were crooked and there was a drop of blood hanging out of her nose.
"I'm so sorry, everyone. I know I just went but I panicked, okay?" said Scarlett quickly. Her eyes were wide and her pupils were darting around rapidly. Max recognized those signs anywhere. Minor to moderate panic attack. Scarlett would likely be okay in an hour or so. But Rodney's Angels didn't have an hour. This competition is probably gonna take ten minutes. Scarlett was out of commission after this.
Max couldn't help but feel frustrated. The Fugitives were already in the lead. Rodney's Angels were coming off a loss. A losing streak was not an option.
Max mentally chided himself. If it wasn't for his mother comforting him after Gruosi's outbursts...Max shuddered. He didn't want to think about it, but admitted quietly to himself that he likely would be dead.
"You're good, Scarlett!" shouted Max "It's not the mistake that matters, it's the correction!"
Topher looked at Max inquisitively.
Confessional
Topher: Okay, is it just me or was that Max actually caring about someone?
Sammy: Max and Scarlett? I don't see it. That's not gonna be a healthy relationship.
Max: I should NOT have said that. That was stupid and weak and foolish and I've never felt happier saying something in my entire life.
End Confessional
Dave wavered for a moment, but then plowed onwards. He grabbed a dueling stick and jogged back unchallenged.
Scarlett got on her hands and knees. Max winced, seeing her knees were also scraped up and bloody. The saltwater definitely was not helping.
"C'mon Scarlett!" pleaded Max "They're a third of the way done and we've only got one."
Scarlett started strolling to the dueling sticks. Jasmine clambered back onto the docks and growled. "This girl is almost too dumb to live."
Max waved his hand dismissively "Don't worry, Jasmine. Just give it time."
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "The only reason you're here is because I wanted you to stay. Don't test me, Little Man."
"Yeah, are we not gonna talk about that?" interjected Topher.
Sammy patted Topher's shoulder twice. Topher sighed and interlaced his fingers with hers. Max raised his eyebrows and looked at Jasmine for an answer. Jasmine shrugged.
Dave set the dueling stick up and Ella started her trek.
Scarlett gingerly picked up her dueling stick and, without looking, smacked Ella in the back of the head. Ella rocketed into the water.
"Oh, you did not!" bellowed Dave. Beardo wrapped his arms Dave, restraining him.
"How did you know that would happen?" asked Jasmine in disbelief.
"You're right, she is too dumb to live." explained Max "She has cartoonishly good luck."
"This isn't a cartoon" objeceted Jasmine "This is real fucking life."
"Maybe to us." said Max "But not to her."
Scarlett walked back to headquarters unscathed.
Shawn and Topher readied themselves
"Bust his head in." growled Dave. Ella sighed heavily.
Confessional
Ella: Look, I'm about to get super personal here so if you feel the need to get this out, I get it. When I was fifteen, a few years ago, I had a boyfriend named Milo. Milo didn't treat me very well. I still have a scar on my lower back from. I can even remember the exact date it happened, too. February 4th, 2014. It was scary. Dave is starting to remind me of him. I know Scarlett whacked me in the back of the head and all, but it's not that deep. It's rubber padding and Styrofoam or something.
I don't know, man. If I'm getting this skittish already, maybe I'm not ready for a relationship.
End Confessional
"Shawn's always walked with a slight limp on his left leg. Aim low, he's easier to destabilize than the average person." instructed Max.
Jasmine smirked "You see why I voted off Rodney, now?"
Topher pursed his lips then chuckled "Okay, yeah, maybe a little."
Topher and Shawn sprinted to the other end and picked up a stick. As they returned, Topher analyzed Shawn's running pattern. Sure enough, just like Max said, Shawn limped slightly. 'I can't do this'
Topher ran right past Shawn without swinging.
Max clapped Topher on the back "You're a good man, Topher. It's a shame good men tend not to win reality shows."
"Neither do wannabe puppet masters." retorted Topher.
Max ignored Topher and started to tend to Scarlett's roughed up knees. She was still breathing erratically and couldn't stop shaking.
"What do you need me to do?" asked Max tenderly, "Do you need me to leave you alone to recover or-"
"No." Scarlett interrupted succinctly "Stay."
"What happened out there, Shawn?" asked Dave.
Shawn put his hands up in a signal of surrender "Look, man. Topher didn't swing. Why should I? We're miles ahead, anyways."
Dave took a deep breath "Yeah, you're right. I'm gonna go again." He readied himself and saw Jasmine getting ready to run on the other side.
"This is gonna end badly!" Dave shouted
The docks jolted violently.
"What the hell?" asked Jasmine.
A mottled, gray and black serpent-like body the size of a eightteenwheeler surfaced between the two docks, knocking everyone into the water.
Shawn opened his eyes underneath the water. Enduring the salty sting, he saw what he considered to be the worst case scenario.
Morgan the Sea Dragon.
Morgan writhed in the shallow water, trying to snatch one of the Angels. Shawn and the Fugitives were lucky, if you could call it that. They were faced with Morgan's giant tail.
Dave sunk listlessly in the water. The impact must've knocked him unconscious.
Beardo grabbed Dave and the next thing Shawn knew, he woke up on the shore. He heard Topher's voice. He was pissed.
"We could've fucking died! We thought you had some sort of sway over the beasts of Pahkitew, but you don't. Do you?"
"It's complicated." replied Chris.
Shawn sat up and started wiping off the wet sand that stuck to him. Topher and Chris were nose to nose.
Shawn did a quick head count. Miraculously, no one was missing. The sea was littered with small pieces of wood and a few dueling sticks. Morgan, however, had disappeared as quickly as she arrived.
"Enlighted us, then! I'm very curious considering I was almost eaten alive!"
"The Hainosaurus, or Morgan as you call her, does have a tracker. Normally, Hatchet would keep an eye and warn everyone if a monster was coming. But since Cullinan is new, Morgan literally slipped under the radar."
"Give me one reason not to sue the everloving shit out of you." growled Topher.
"I don't like playing this card, but I am your only chance at a million dollars."
Topher jammed his finger into Chris's sternum "Fuck you, man." He stormed off.
Chris watched Topher leave and regained his highly unstable composure. "Before our little interruption, the Fugitives win. So there."
The Fugitives didn't cheer. Rodney's Angels didn't react negatively. Everyone was just thankful that Morgan didn't eat them alive.
And terrified about what else could.
xXx
Ella and Cullinan met by Varan's Pond at seven o'clock, right before dinner. Ella wanted to clear the air. Dave's sudden craving of violence still reminded Ella uncomfortably of Milo. Thinking of Milo sort of turned her back into that vulnerable girl terrified of everything. She hated it.
"So you left everything to Lesotho. Why?"
"I thought we already discussed this. I could have eliminated you."
"After how you fucked up today? I highly doubt it."
Cullinan huffed but deigned not to respond.
"So, what got you so scared that you left everything you built to the man that's been trying to kill you for ten years?"
Cullinan grunted.
"Chris has some killer lawyers. If Topher turns his sights on you, you're pretty much boned."
"The Reaper." said Cullinan finally. "And the Drifter."
Ella sighed "So, they're real, too, huh?"
"They are."
Ella remembered hearing stories about the Reaper and the Drifter when she was a girl. Two serial killers, never seen without the other, cutting down any authority figure in cold blood. It didn't matter if you were a police officer or politician or even a mob boss. They were anarchists.
"Do you know anything about them?"
"Only names." Cullinan paused "If you win the million, you can get out of Venice Beach. Start a new life in Canada with that boy of yours. They'll never even know you exist."
"What're their names?"
"Montparnasse and Eponine." said Cullinan "That's all I got from Lesotho before he stopped sending me messages. I can only assume he's dead."
Ella's face hardened "Well, I guess I better win, then."
Cullinan started walking towards his kitchen "Tortellini for dinner, tonight."
xXx
"How's that?" asked Max, applied a cold towel to Scarlett's knee "Any better?"
"Yes, yes. I'm fine." insisted Scarlett.
Max paused "I'm not really asking about your knee."
Scarlett tilted her head "Oh?"
"I'm guessing you have some sort of anxiety disorder, judging from how today went. I commend you on how well you hid it."
Scarlett tried not to smile "What does commend mean? I wanna know if I should be offended or not."
"Commend is another word for compliment, just fancier."
Scarlett chuckled. "Okay then, thank you."
For a moment, the twosome sat in silence, listening to the waves lap quietly against the shore. Max continued to press the towel against Scarlett's knee.
"We could've died today." Scarlett said matter-of-factly. "I just found out wizards were real less than a month ago and I could've died without investigating magic."
"I'm just glad you're alive." croaked Max.
"Me, too." Scarlett paused. "The Tarro family has a tradition. Whenever somebody's about to die, we record ourselves talking about our lives. Grandpa Peter got a few cassette tapes where he talked about when he went skinny dipping one time and saw a girl naked for the first time. It makes me laugh to hear him laugh."
"You should digitally back that up" suggested Max, delicately removing the towel from Scarlett's knee. Scarlett winced slightly, but then relaxed.
"I don't know how to do that."
"When we get off this accursed island, I'll show you how."
Scarlett curled up into a sort of fetal position, facing Max. Max offered his hand, and Scarlett took it.
"Make no mistake, you're still super annoying." said Max.
"Yeah, but it's endearing now, isn't it? That's my superpower."
Max leaned down and kissed Scarlett's forehead "I don't like how true that is."
Author's note: Sorry about the wait. Something very unprecedented happened in my life and then I completely forgot that I write FanFictions sometimes. I'm still planning to write Ridonculous Race Inverted and Leonard and Tammy vs The Elder Cyclopses, as well as a possible spin-off with Ella dealing with those two serial killers. Should be fun times. Please drop a review and for God's sake, wash your hands and use your turn signals.
