smolkidd: I'm glad to know you're loving the story so far! I knew from the start I needed the location to stand out because there are like a billion island fanfics so after some planning I decided on a hotel. The cast for the most part was easy to choose since the fic is an underdog/redemption type story. Sadly, not every character can make be here so I apologize if your favorites didn't make the cut. The one thing I do regret is the almost half of the competitors are Gen 1. (11/23) Of course this can be chalked up to the smaller casts from Gens 2 onward and the fact that so many Gen 1 characters were treated badly.
ImmortalSpy: Thanks! Ezekiel was definitely one of my top priorities in terms of writing b/c you know, he was feral for like three seasons. So obviously he needed said redemption as well as an explanation for why he was no longer feral. Btw, I haven't forgotten about the speical twist for the first 5 contestants to be eliminated. That'll come much later down the road so hopefully you're still here for that.
Edit: My fanfic is among your favorites? That's so flattering, thank you so much!
GeometryDashGamer: Thanks Snake, as you already know I'm not the biggest fan of Chris and the way he treats those around him in World Tour onward so I decided to make another unpopular decision to not only have Don host but do it out of a Ridonculous Race setting, also something you don't see everyday. I always try to edit previous chapters to either delete unnecessary dialogue or add more sections of dialogue or exposition to make the story flow better.
Last time on Total Drama Reborn, our contestants took part in an all-out paint war where they picked each other off one by one until one team became victorious. At the end of it all Brick and Dawn tied for first leaving Admiral Lindsay and the rest of Team Beauty as the unerlucky losers but it was a non-elimination challenge so no one went home!
Meanwhile, some of our competitors got to know each other just a bit better. Will their interactions be a one time thing or will they build off of this?
Noah also successfully mended his friendship with Cody but will he the same luck with Max? You'll just have to tune in to find out on this thrilling episode of TOTAL! DRAMA! REBORN!
Teams:
Beauty: Dakota, Katie, Lindsay, Topher, Trent
Brains: Cody, Dawn, Ezekiel, Leonard, Max, Noah
Brawn: Brick, Bridgette, Eva, Sammy, Sierra, Tyler
Eliminated: Sadie, B, Rodney, Scott, Anne Maria, Ella
*cue intro*
(The first two shots show cameras coming out the fountain in front of the hotel and out of a fake plant in the lobby before a clapperboard slams shut.)
(The main camera then zooms towards Topher posing with Don's mirror in his hand. Don angrily chases Topher)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine
You guys are on my mind
(Eva, Brick and Tyler are shown using the hotel's treadmills before Tyler trips and tumbles out of the gym)
You asked me what I wanted to be
And now I think the answer is plain to see
(Bridgette, Dawn and Sammy are seen doing yoga while Tyler crashes into them)
I wanna be famous
Cody and Noah watch the scene unfold and share a laugh over it)
I wanna live close to the sun
(Dakota, Lindsay, Katie, Sadie and Anne Maria are all hanging out on the tanning deck)
Well, pack your bags 'cause I've already won
(Scott and Max ambush the girls with water balloons)
Everything to prove, nothing in my way
(Sierra shoves both boys into the pool)
I'll get there one day
(Ella, B and Chef are all seen decorating a cake they finished baking together. They quicky turn their backs to look for more frosting.)
Cause I wanna be famous
(Leonard, Rodney and Ezekiel attempt to steal a portion of the cake but B captures them.)
Na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na
(While B is distracted with Leonard, Rodney and Ezekiel, Cody darts into the kitchen and successfully steals the cake)
I wanna be
I wanna be
I wanna be famous
(Trent is shown playing his guitar while Ella backs him up on vocals)
I wanna be
I wanna be
I wanna be famous
(The intro ends with the entire cast gathering at the lobby for one final shot while the TDR logo is briefly shown above them)
Chapter X: How to: Save a Host and his Sidekick
(This section of the story takes place shortly after the events of All's Fair in Love and Paint War)
While most of the competitors left the Breakfast Lounge, Katie and Topher as well as a few of their peers decided to stick around.
Katie scooched over to Topher's seat. "Let's finish what we were talking about earlier."
Topher nodded. "The other toxic thing...it involves you."
Katie gasped. "Are you trying to say I've been a toxic friend to Sierra and Lindsay? 'Cause I've been nothing but nice and supportive to the both and them and-"
Topher shook his head. "Katie it's not about your friendships with them. It's about-"
"Sadie, right?" Katie looked at Topher square in the eye. He obviously wasn't used to seeing such a serious look on her face. "What about her?"
"It's just that you two have sort of a really, really dependent friendship."
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Sadie keep convincing each other you're all the other person needs to the point that once you're separated you shut down."
"H-how would you know this?"
"One. (raises one finger) I'm a huge Total Drama fan. I've watched every episode at least five times and by the fifth watch you start noticing things you didn't pay attention to initially. Two.
(raises two fingers) My mom is a Psychology professor so stuff like is kinda like second nature to me."
Katie was shaken up by what Topher said but she didn't want to admit he was right. She and Sadie had each other as company for so long. Having meals by themselves, standing up for each other, shopping for clothes together and auditioning for the same reality tv show, together. Even the concept of being apart from Sadie seemed so foreign to her.
"O-oh yeah? Explain how I've been able to make friends without Sadie around."
"Okay. You've been using Sierra and Lindsay to fill the Sadie-shaped hole in your heart. Once this show is done you'll forget about those two and go running right back to her."
Katie slammed her fists on the table. "THAT'S NOT TRUE! SIERRA AND LINDSAY ARE MY FRIENDS! I'D NEVER USE THEM! EVER!"
She ran off to her room before Topher could say another word.
Topher sighed before slowly making his way to the confessional.
Confessional: Topher
"Great. (rolls eyes) I can officially check off therapist off of my list of future careers."
In Room 206
Katie was seen crying on her pillow, tossing and turning over what Topher told her.
"Do I lean on Sadie too much?"
"Have I been using Sierra and Lindsay this whole time without even knowing it?"
(KNOCK!)
(KNOCK!)
(KNOCK!)
Two familiar voices rang from the other side of the door.
"Hey BFFFL? Are you there?"
"Katie, are you okay? We were like, looking all over for you."
Katie begrudgingly rose from her bed and opened the door to see her two best friends; (after Sadie) Sierra and Lindsay.
"Hey..." Katie sighed, her voice was filled to the brim witn anguish.
"Topher told us everything, why didn't you tell us how you felt?" the uberfan said.
"Well I-"
Lindsay looked very concerned. "Katie, we are your real friends, aren't we?
Katie balled up her fists when Lindsay said 'real friends'. She did have fun whenever she spent time with either or both of them. They weren't forcing her to choose between them, it was just a simple yes or no question.
"So why? Why is this is so hard to answer?"
Sierra put a comforting hard on her shoulder. "We can come back later if you're not ready."
Katie looked up at Sierra with determination plastered on her face. "No. I need to tell you two everything."
Noticing how high the tensions were, Lindsay decided to lighten up the mood. "So if we're gonna be here a while does that mean we can have a sleepover?"
Katie giggled. "That's a great idea, Lindsay. A sleepover is just what I needed. Sorry for putting you two through this. Topher deserves an apology as well."
Sierra waved her hand. "Apologies later, Venting now. Let's go so you can tell us everything."
"Mhm, don't miss a single detail either, ok?" Lindsay nodded as the two pushed Katie in her room for what would be the greatest therapy session/sleepover known to man.
The Following Morning...
(BEEP!)
(BEEP!)
(BEEP!)
As much as he regretted it, Noah set an alarm for 6:45 so he could get ready for the absolute torture that was Team Brawn's early morning training routine.
Cody shoved both of his pillows into his ears. "Noah...turn that stupid thing off..."
Noah grumbled to himself before getting up to turn off the alarm. He got up from his bed, grabbed a change of clothes and a towel as he made his way to his room's bathroom.
On the other hand, Brick and Tyler were exiting the Breakfast Lounge after having a hearty breakfast.
"Who knew Chef could make such good food?" Brick realized.
"I know right! It's been almost a month and I'm still shocked. I wouldn't be surprised if Chef was poisoning us or something." Tyler said.
"There's no way Don would allow such an underhanded action to take place."
"He DID make us fight using paint weapons a few days ago."
"That may be true but it pales in comparison to the crazy stuff Chris would make us do."
"Oh yeah, and he'd always try to say it's for the 'ratings.' What a lying jerk..."
"Cheer up soldier, at least Chris can't get us from inside here."
Tyler nodded. "Thanks Brick."
The two kept walking and talking about the weird, dangerous and downright cruel things Chris put them through.
"...but I do have to give Chris credit."
Brick raised his unibrow at Tyler. "For what?"
"Getting me and Lindsay together, if it weren't for him I wouldn't have met her."
Brick blushed averting his gaze. "I wonder if I can-"
Sammy excitedly waves her arms. "HEY GUYS! OVER HERE!" She was dressed in a plain white tee, pink sweatpants and white running shoes. She also tied her hair back.
Tyler comes over to the nice twin with an open palm. "Don't leave me hanging!"
She hesitates momentarily but gives the jock a high-five.
Tyler turns to Brick. "So what were you trying to say earlier?"
"Uh, nothing...Oh look! It's Bridgette and Sierra!"
Bridgette was dressed in her signature hoodie and jean shorts but Sierra was dressed in a limited edition Drama Brothers tracksuit
"Hi guys! Look at what I found! Isn't it totally adorbs?" The fangirl presented a gopher.
Sammy went over for a closer look. "Awww it looks so cute. Where'd you find it?"
Bridgette began to explain the situation. "Yeah about that...we were on our way here and we just found this little guy trying to eat one of the fake plants so-"
"I claimed him as my own and nothing is gonna seperate us." Sierra said, nuzzling the rodent.
"Yeah she's really good with animals. It's like she can read their minds or something." the surfer admitted.
Brick gave himself a moment to take in what happened. "So let me get this straight. You found a wild animal and instead of letting Don call animal control you adopted it?"
"Well duh, try to keep up recruit." The fangirl taunted.
Brick's eyebrow twitched. "I. Am. A. Cadet."
Sierra put a hand to her ear. "What was that? Speak louder, recruit."
The cadet pointed a finger at Sierra. "You better listen because I'm only telling you this once. I'm a cadet, you hear!? A CADET! I did not put in countless hours of dedication just to..."
Confessional: Sierra
"BT Dubs, I totally knew Brick is a cadet, like hello! I'm THE biggest Total Drama Superfan on Earth! I know everything this is to know about the show. Just like how I know Brick is very sensitive about his title."
While Brick was ranting at Sierra, her gopher hopped out of her arms and bit his hand, causing him immense pain.
"Chester no! Get off of him!" Sierra cried, trying her best to pry her pet off of Brick's hand.
"Sierra, stop! You're going to make the wound worse." urged Bridgette.
"How else am I gonna get him off?"
"With this. (presents an apple) I was gonna save this for a snack but I can always get another. Here you go." (sets apple on the floor)
As soon as Chester noticed the apple he loosened his grip on Brick, forcing him to stumble backwards.
1st Floor Hallway
Noah and Eva were discussing their alliance while on their way to the indoor courts
"...So that's my plan for the alliance."
"That's a pretty good plan Einstein. I guess they don't call you 'The Schemer' for nothing."
Noah chuckled. "Thanks but I still need a third member to round out our trio, We need someone who's popular, super sociable and-"
"Lindsay." the female bully blurted out.
"Huh?"
"You heard what I said."
"Why her though? She's a total airhead and she could spill the beans at any moment."
"She fits all of the qualities you listed. I personally don't see a problem with it."
"That's true but there's something on my mind."
"Then spit it out."
"Why was Lindsay the first person that came to your mind? She's not exactly your type."
Eva's face flushed red. "People can change, you know."
"Interesting. I almost never see you two together. In fact I've seen you hang out more with butterfingers (Tyler) than her."
"She's a special friend, you wouldn't understand."
"You're right. I don't care enough to know why you chose her-"
Eva quickly rose her fist, leaving it inches away from Noah's face.
"-but if there's one thing I've learned since being here it's that I need to stop taking my friendships for granted-"
Eva slowly retracted her fist
"-which is why I'll listen to you. After this challenge, we'll talk to Lindsay and see what she thinks."
Eva's eyes lit up like stars when she heard what Noah said. "Really?! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret this!"
She quickly pulled Noah in for an airtight bear hug.
"The light...I can see it...Stephen Hawking...here I come..." he wheezed.
Just as Noah was about to faint, Brick crashed into the duo, freeing Noah in the process.
"Thank you (HACK!) so much! I felt like I was gonna (HUFF!) die back there!" Noah coughed, quickly taking up air to prevent himself from nearly fainting.
Eva propped Noah up. "Holy shit! Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."
"I'm fine but take a look at everyone else." the schemer said, jabbing a thumb to the rest of Team Brawn who were very shocked to see Eva being kind to someone.
Bridgette and Sierra were grinning from cheek to cheek, Sammy hid behind an astonished Tyler while Brick was clutching his now bleeding hand.
"None of you saw a damn thing." she growled.
Confessional: Bridgette
"I knew it! I knew there was a heart of gold under all those layers of ice. She really has changed since Total Drama Island. I'm so proud of her."
Confessional: Sierra
"I might not have seen anything but my phone sure did. These pics are gonna get me so many views on my blog, see? (she shows the pictures she took to the confessional's camera) But I'm gonna wait until the show airs on TV 'cause this place is actually pretty nice."
"Well I'm gonna go to the infirmary, you guys continue the exercises without me. See ya." Brick waved to his fellow teammates (plus Noah) as he made his way to get his wound checked out.
Sierra called out to the cadet. "Brick! Can you please take Chester to Dawn?"
"Sure. Now if you'll excuse me..." Brick said as he took Chester and made a mad dash for Room 101.
Eva opened the double doors to the indoor courts. "We might as well go inside."
As the remaining members of Team Brawn went inside Noah gulped as he realized what today's exercise was.
1 Hour Later - Indoor Courts
Bridgette blew her whistle. "Time's up guys! What's the final score Sierra?"
The fangirl was putting the final touches on the scoreboard before raising in the air. "20-17. Team Tyler wins!"
"Woohoo! We're the best!" The jock whooped.
"We did it!" Sammy cheered.
While the two were celebrating their victory Noah turned to an unusually calm Eva. "Aren't you supposed to like get really angry and storm out of the gym right about now?"
Eva turned to her friend. "That sounds like something old me would do. I'm a changed person now."
Noah rose an eyebrow. "You haven't gone soft, have you?"
She jokingly punched him. "Hell no! I'm still in this to win it."
"Good. Now I'm gonna take the nap I rightfully deserve. See ya." Noah waved before leaving the court.
Just then, Bridgette walked up to Eva. "Eva. I just wanted to tell you I'm so proud of you."
"For what?"
"You apologized to Ezekiel, made friends, and you curbed your temper. You really came around."
"Yep, I knew something had to change if I wanted to win the money."
"And I'm glad you did."
In the Game Room...
Ezekiel and Cody were in middle of an intense round of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
"So Ezekiel, what would you do if you won?"
"I dunno, probably get me and my family out of the country, eh. I've got a lot to learn about the outside world. Like before I met you and Leonard I didn't know what video games or anime were and now I can't live without them."
Cody paused their game. "Speaking of anime, how's your JoJo's marathon with Leonard?"
Ezekiel tapped his chin. "We're on Stardust Crusaders, eh."
"How do like it so far?"
"So far so good, eh. Although I wish we could've skipped the first two seasons. They're so boring."
Cody looked deeply offended. "You WHAT?!"
Ezekiel sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Y-you can't really blame me, eh. I-"
"Yoohoo, over here~" a voice called out.
The friends turned to see it was Dakota. "Hey guys, I'd hate to break up your...bonding but I need Ezekiel for just a teensy minute."
Cody raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"
Dakota took great offense to this as she dished out a stinging slap to the geek. "Don't you EVER assume I'd cheat on Sam! EVER!"
Cody was rubbing his now swollen cheek. "Okay, okay geez."
"Now c'mon, let's go!" Dakota said, dragging the homeschooled kid's arm out of the Game Room.
"I want to form an alliance with you."
"But we've literally never spoken to each other, eh."
Dakota clapped her hands. "Exactly! That's why no one will see it coming!"
"I'm getting a major case of déjà vu, eh."
"Anyways...my last attempt didn't work out. Sierra and Katie don't make the best alliance members..."
In the meantime, Noah was on his way to return some books he'd lent from the library when he heard some voices nearby.
"So you came to me."
"Yep."
"Why me?"
"Because me and you were both turned into terrible monsters as the hands of Chris. I've already recovered but what about you?"
"Well...um...since you know what it's like to be creepy monster I'll show you."
Ezekiel lifted up his shirt to show his scars from his surgeries. "I'm not fully recovered, eh."
Dakota nearly cried when she saw it all. "Is this why you came back on the show?"
Ezekiel nodded yes.
Dakota held his hands. "You WILL get that prize money, you hear? We're gonna bust our asses off so you can finish your recovery. No one deserves to go through what you did."
Ezekiel was on the verge of tears. "Th-thank you so much. It's been tough keeping my feelings bottled up like this... Thankfully Don hooked me up with medicine to calm my feral instincts but I don't know if it'll work forever."
Dakota brought him in for a hug "It'll be okay. Once we win the money everything will be fine."
After hearing the entire conversation Noah had an epiphany. "So THAT'S the secret Leonard was hiding from me. There's no way he would react that way he did if it was something trivial..."
The schemer was too deep in thought to realize Ezekiel was right around the corner. "Did you say trivia? 'Cause I love trivia, eh." The homeschooled kid blurted out, causing Noah to jump back in shock.
Confessional: Dakota
"Poor thing...I would help him with his recovery but after all of my surgeries and treatments my family isn't as a rich as we used to be. No one deserves to go through what he had to. That's why I'm determined to help Ezekiel get that money, by ANY means necessary."
"ATTENTION CONTESTANTS! COME TO THE LOBBY IN T-30 MINUTES FOR A BRIEFING OF TODAY'S CHALLENGE!"
Little did the contestants know, the announcement they heard was just a recording and the real Don (and Chef) were kidnapped by a mystery assailant and were headed to the CN (Canadian National) Tower...
30 Minutes Later...
The 17 constestants arrived at the lobby to see...no one...
Brick was the first person to speak up. "Where's Don? Isn't he supposed to tell us what today's challenge is?"
Everyone began conversing over one another as to where Don might be located...
Suddenly, Dawn appeared in front of everyone. "I have a solution to our dilemma. Look here."
She pointed to a card that she began to pick up and read:
Dear Contestants,
If you've found this you're too late. An adversary of mine has kidnapped me as well as Chef and is taking us to the CN Tower. You must rescue me using any means necessary. The first team to do so shall win the challenge. If no teams are able to find me, the team closest to the tower will win. Good luck and try not to fail me.
Your Beloved Host,
Don
P.S. There are three watches available for each team. Putting one on begins the 4 hour countdown. Before you get any smart ideas, you cannot leave the Château without wearing the watch.
P.P.S. Keep an eye out my adversary's hired muscle. They'll try to kidnap you at any give moment so keep your wits about you.
"Typical Don. Dramatic as always..." Noah sneered.
"We should still try our best. Maybe this is just like the hide-and-seek challenge where the winning team gets a reward in the next challenge." Dawn advised.
Cody nudged his friend. "Yeah Noah, lighten up man. We can still make this fun."
As the other teams left, Noah motioned for this team to fall back.
"What are you doing? The other teams are leaving, eh."
"I'm not worried about them (waves dismissively) because as long as we follow my gameplan everything will go smoothly."
"So what's the plan?" Leonard wondered.
"I'm glad you asked."
While Noah was outlining his plan Team Beauty (as well as Brawn) was on the move.
Time Remaining: 3 hours, 50 minutes
"Luckily for us, I know a few shortcuts around this area." Trent bragged.
"That's great and all but how exactly but how are we gonna get around?" Topher asked.
"Easy! I'll call for an Uber and we can just cruise our way to that tower Don's locked up in." Dakota suggested.
Everyone began to cheer, except for Katie and Trent.
The sweet girl shook her head. "Don't you see? That's what the kidnappers are gonna expect. They've probably dispatched some people on Uber to kidnap us so we won't be able to reach Don."
The team looked toward Katie with looks of surprise (Dakota and Topher) and awe (Trent and Lindsay)
"I was gonna suggest renting some bikes to keep our bodies active but your reasoning was spot-on."
"Thanks Trent, renting bikes is an awesome alternative. We'll be doing the Earth a huge favor."
Confessional: Trent
"You know, back when me and Gwen were together she got me super into caring about the Earth but when we split up those habits drifted away from me. I'm glad she reminded to get back on those habits, even if it was indirectly."
Confessional: Katie
"I know some of you at home are wondering 'Since when does Katie care about the Earth?' Well it started after Gwen's blog about saving the Earth. After it all went down, she was suuuper pissed at us for nothing helping her out. So we asked how could we help. Gwen showed us photos of cute baby animals and told us that if we didn't change how we lived, those baby animals won't be able to survive. Me and Sadie cried on the spot. Ever since that day we've been doing everything we can so those little animals can have their best lives."
"C'mon guys we need to hurry and get on the bikes if we're gonna win this thing!" urged Trent.
"Uh, Trent? How come we aren't going anywhere?" Lindsay piped up.
"Crap! (facepalm) I totaly forgot we have to pay for these..." The cool guy realized.
"Don't worry, I got this." Dakota said as she got up to pay for everyone's bike."
"Thanks Dakota. Now let's go save Don!" Trent declared, taking the lead as the rest of the team followed.
Time Remaining: 3 hours, 30 minutes
The members of Team Brawn were currently riding comfortably in an electric bus. Eva was listening to music via her MP3 Player, Bridgette, Sammy and Sierra were bonding over animals while Tyler and Brick were recalling many embarrassing moments in their lives.
"...and that's how I got this nasty scar on my forehead." Tyler said, putting his headband back on.
"To think it all happened over a rock." Brick realized.
"I know right! (nudges) So Brick, you got anything else you wanna share?"
"I suppose so...but you have to promise to take this story to the grave, alright?"
"Ok man, lay it on me."
The cadet took a deep breath. "Okay, it all started when..."
(ZIP!)
And just like that, the bus lost power...
"What's the hold up? We have somewhere to be!" a patron complained.
"And so do we, so SHUT UP and stay in place!" Eva roared.
While everyone clamored amongst themselves, Sammy got up from seat and walked to the driver. "Um, excuse me, Mr. Bus Driver guy, how long will it be until we can get moving again?"
The driver shrugged his shoulders at the nice twin.
"Well that's just great..." she mumbled.
"Should we nab 'em?" a voice whispered.
"Of course! Now's as good as a time as any!" another voice replied.
The duo went and grabbed a person each as the lights slowly increased back to normal revealing Sammy and Bridgette as their victims.
"AAAAAH! SOMEONE HEEEEEELP!" Sammy cried.
Her fellow victim Bridgette was unusually calm consdering their circumstances. "Guys, we could really your help right about now."
Brick immediately took hold of the situation. "Eva."
"Yeah?"
"Me and you will focus on freeing Sammy and Bridgette."
"Sounds like a plan." the female bully glared at the kidnappers while audibly cracking her knuckles.
"Tyler. Sierra. You two focus on getting us a way out."
"You can count on me!" the jock saluted.
"Yeah, we got this." the fangirl replied.
They bumped fists as they frantically looked for an alternative exit.
"I'm giving you one chance to drop her." Eva said menacingly.
"And if I don't?"
"Hmmph. I'll show you." the female bully cracked her neck as she began swinging at the enemy.
"EEEK! Eva, watch out!" The nice twin pleaded as Eva was coming awfully close to hitting her face on multiple occasions.
"Don't sweat the small stuff, I...know...what...I'm...DOING!" Eva said in between punches. She connected her last punch to the kidnapper's face, causing him to keel over in pain.
"Damn, that hurts!" he said, dropping Sammy all the while.
Sierra dragged her arm. "Come on, we gotta go!"
"But-"
Before she could even finish her thought, she was already out of the bus.
Tyler nervously rubbed his neck. "I guess we should find a new way to the tower, huh."
Sierra nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, on the Bus...
"Uh guys, we need to go, like now." Bridgette advised.
"I second that idea, let's go Eva." said Brick.
"Sure, lemme get one last punch in."
"We need to go, NOW." urged the cadet.
"You're not telling ME what to do, piss-pants." the female bully snapped.
"We're going and that's FINAL." Brick demanded, stomping his foot on the bus' floor for emphasis.
"Over. My. Cold. Hard. Body." Eva snarled.
"If we lose this challenge, so help me I'll-"
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT THE HELL UP!"
Both of them turned to see a rare sight, a vexed Bridgette.
"I'm not gonna sit here and watch you two argue like little kids when there's a challenge at stake. Our teammates are depending on us to pull through and help them win. Now put on your big boy and big girl pants and LET'S GO."
Brick and Eva scowled at one another before making their way off the bus with Bridgette.
But unfortunately for the trio their exit was blocked off one of the kidnappers from earlier.
"Going somewhere?" he said, flashing a toothy grin. "Yo Driver, step on it!"
The bus driver silently nodded as he slammed his foot on the gas, causing the teens to fall over, leaving themselves open to capture.
Bridgette rolled her eyes. "Well this is just perfect..."
Time Remaining: 2 hours, 50 minutes
Team Brains just boarded their final subway en route to the CN Tower.
"I dunno about the other teams but we still have all of our teammates! Isn't that great?" Ezekiel rejoiced.
Noah looked up from his book. "It's good and all, but try not to jinx us homeschool."
"Why are you always so grumpy, eh?"
"Why is it your business?"
"Well, it's not but-"
"Exactly. So leave me alone and let's get through this challenge as quietly as possible."
Everyone on his team frowned at him.
Noah turned to the 'super villain'. "Aren't you supposed to say something about how evil I was, or something like that?"
Max scooched over to Noah. "Normally, yes. However, I'm currently trying to gain the respect of the rest of the team so I can't praise your evil comments. For now."
Leonard rose an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?"
Before Max could open his mouth, Noah put his hand over his mouth. "Science. We were talking about science."
Max slapped Noah's hand off of his mouth. "Of course, we were discussing how great Nikola Tesla is and VILE Thomas Edison is."
"What's the big deal? Both of them made major contributions to electricity. They both should be celebrated and addressed equally." Leonard proposed.
"I second that." Cody said.
"Me too, eh." Ezekiel agreed.
Dawn put a hand on Ezekiel's shoulder "Ezekiel, your aura is grey and it's concerning me greatly. Is there something you wish to talk about?"
Before Ezekiel could utter a single word the lights quickly turned on and off.
After doing a quick headcount, Leonard came to a realization. "Guys, I believe Dawn and Zeke were kidnapped when the lights were off."
"Stellar observation! You got anything else to add?" Noah quipped.
Leonard ignored the brainiac's sarcasm and presented his suggestion. "We should split up, the kidnappers couldn't have gone that far with them. I volunteer myself for lookout duty, would anyone else like to accompany me?"
Cody quickly rose his hand. "I volunteer."
"WHAT?!" Max and Noah gasped.
"The way I see it, you two are my friends and could use some time to bond. Besides, we won't be gone for long."
"Let us venture forward, into the unknown..." Leonard dramatically narrated.
Cody chuckled and followed him, leaving Max and Noah in the main car...
Confessional: Cody
"If this doesn't get them to see eye to eye, I dunno what will."
"They're so gonna get snatched up." Noah surmised.
Max was too busy tinkering with some scrap metal to pay attention to anything around him.
10 Minutes Later...
Noah looked up from his book. "Just as I suspected, Cody and Leonard got snatched up. Looks like it's just the two of us."
"Yes! This is best possible outcome for the both of us." Max realized.
Noah pinched bridge of his nose. "In what world is losing of most our team the best possible outcome? Especially in a situation like this?!"
"Think about like this, with our combined intelligence and eeeeeevil-"
"Aren't you trying to crack down on that?"
"It's a hard habit to break, I've been doing this for a while."
Noah snickered. "I could tell."
"Hmmph. Save your mockery until after the challenge. Now, back to what I was saying. With our combined intelligence and eeeeeevil, this challenge should be a breeze."
"Okaaaay, what exactly does being evil have to do with anything?"
"Uh, helloooo... in order to stay ahead of our kidnappers we have to think evil and if my intuition is correct the tower should be laced with traps."
The intercom began to play as the subway came to a halt. "Attention Passengers, our next stop is Union Station, I repeat our next stop is Union Station."
"Well, this is our stop. Let's get this challenge over with." the bookworm said, rolling his eyes.
The two boys ran out of the subway and exited out of Union Station to gaze upon the CN Tower.
"If not for the challenge and legal reasons, I'd claim the CN Tower as my own!"
Noah tried his hardest to stifle his laughter. "Of course you could, your evilness."
Unaware of the mockery, Max took what Noah said as a compliment. "Finally! Someone addresses me by my designated title."
Confessional: Max
"Once we get in that tower, my expertise in evil will truly come into play. (rubs his hands together) Ehehehehe..."
Confessional: Noah
"I suppose there is some merit to Max's intelligence, after all he's the one who built all of those contraptions on Pahkitew but he's way too confident in himself and his abilities, not to mention he's just a total laughing stock."
Time Remaining: 2 hours, 30 minutes
As the duo entered the CN Tower, they were met by the remaining half of Team Beauty: Katie, Lindsay and Trent.
They all waved at Noah and Max and while Noah was about to wave back, Max pulled Noah aside.
"What are you doing?! They're the enemy!" the super villain hissed.
"You idiot, I'm playing the long game. We gain their trust then crush them at the last minute." the schemer retaliated.
"I knew there was latent evil within you."
"Yeah, yeah you can celebrate all you want but let's focus on the task at hand."
"If you guys are done huddling, I'd like you both to hear out my idea." Trent said.
"Yeah! The more the merrier!" Lindsay chirped.
Both boys shrugged their shoulders and walked over to Trent.
"I say we call a truce for now. We both want the same goal and there might be more goons up ahead so we'll need all the help we can get. What do you guys say?"
"We accept." Noah said, shaking Trent's hand.
"Let's get to it, we've got of ground to cover." ordered Trent.
"Hey! Wait for us!" a pair of voices shouted.
The group turned around to see it was Sammy and Sierra.
"P-please...wait...for...us..." Sammy wheezed, taking in deep breaths with her hands on her knees.
"Whoo, I've never ran harder in my life..." the fangirl panted.
"Um...where's Tyler? Isn't he on your team?" the blonde asked the exhausted duo.
Sammy was struggling to get out an answer. "Well, um, I, err...Tyler..."
Seeing Lindsay grow sadder and their time shrink, Sierra decided to tell it straight. "We were getting chased by some of the (air quotes) hired muscle (air quotes) and Tyler distracted them so we could get away. Sorry Lindsay..."
The dumb princess wiped her eyes. "I-It's okay. Let's get up those stairs so we can rescue Don."
Sammy pointed to the elevator. "Why don't we just use that?"
Katie shook her head. "It doesn't work, we tried using it already."
"Guys come on! We're short on time as is." Trent urged, motioning the group to follow him up the stairs.
The remaining survivors followed him up the stairs, pushing themselves to the limit with every floor they ascended.
Floor 75... ( 1 hour 30 minutes remaining...)
Max and Noah appeared to be utterly exhausted, dragging themselves up the stairs on sheer will alone while the rest of the survivors were chatting amongst themselves.
"How's everyone holding up so far?" Trent asked, facing the group.
"We're fine!" the girls said, giggling amidst each other shortly after.
Max and Noah weakly gave him a thumbs up...
"I looked ahead and there's a water fountain on the next floor so I think we should take a short break."
As Trent opened to door to Floor 76 Max and Noah immediately rushed to the water fountains, lapping up as much water as their bodies could handle.
Katie plopped herself on the floor. "Phew, walking up all those stairs was hard work."
Lindsay joined her on the floor. "I knoooow, right?"
Sierra went over to Trent. "Hey, how are ya holding up?"
"I'm fine, just super nervous. Leading a group this big...it's so much pressure, y'know?"
"But you were the leader of the Drama Brothers, that counts for something, right?"
"Yeah right, we faded out of the mainstream just as quickly as we made it in."
"Obviously you've learned since then if you've kept us all safe so far."
"Huh, I guess you're right. Thanks Sierra."
As Sierra walked away from him, Trent called the end of their break.
"Noah, how much time do we have left?"
He checked his watch. "1 hour and 15 minutes left. We have 72 more floors to go up as well."
"Crap, we'll have to go double time from now on."
"That's if we get past that laser field." Noah said, pointing ahead.
"What the...How did that even get there?"
Max piped up. "You didn't notice it because your eyes aren't as eee-(Noah casually jabs him in the stomach)-excellent as ours."
"How are we gonna get across?" Sammy asked.
"I have a solution, but I'll need to take my jacket off." Max said, opening his jacket to reveal many pockets filled with scrap metal, glass, wires etc.
"We can use the glass in my jacket to reflect the lasers in a way that'll allow us to access a safe route through."
Katie looked at Max in total awe. "Wow! You're soooo smart!"
"Mhm, I know...that I must give thanks for such a compliment. So, thank you."
"You're welcome." Katie said, as she went to pick up a piece of glass.
Everyone positioned their glass exactly as Max told them to and just like he said, there was now a safe route through.
"Don't forget about our plan." Noah whispered to him.
"Me? Forgetting about an evil scheme? Unlikely."
Trent was eyeing the duo. "Are you two gonna stand there or are you gonna move?"
Noah and Max said nothing as they successfully crossed the field but they noticed Trent was quickly approaching so Max 'accidentally' kicked a piece of glass, ruining the entire setup, causing Trent to trip the alarm, causing him to fall through a trapdoor."
Max shrugged his shoulders as he kept running. "Whoops, my bad."
The remaining six escaped Floor 76 and made their way to another stairwell.
"Where's Trent? He was just with us." Sierra asked.
"He tripped on a shard of glass and fell through a trapdoor." Max lied.
"Aww...poor Trent..." she looked crestfallen after hearing Trent's 'fate'
"We have to keep pushing on, it's what Trent would-" Sierra was quickly silenced and was dragged through a secret passageway.
"It's what Trent would what?" Sammy asked.
"Guys, she's gone..." Katie said, pointing to where Sierra once was.
In a shocking turn of events, Sammy decided to take charge of the situation. "We have to keep pushing forward, no matter what. We can't let the bad guys win."
Everyone nodded as the remaining 5 continued the seemingly endless trek of the CN Tower...
Confessional: Sammy
"Brick always tells me that I shouldn't be afraid to speak up and take control of a situation. I didn't think I'd need the advice but with eyes like those how could you say no..." She blushes when she realized what she said. "B-because he's such an a-amazing authority figure, duh! It's not like I have a secret crush or anything like that, no way."
Floor 146... (15 minutes remaining...)
"Phew, we're almost there." Lindsay said.
"Let's give this one last push you guys-"
(THUD!)
Katie collapsed to the floor. "I-I can't go on anymore. I'm too tired..."
"Katie no!" Lindsay immediately ran to her friend. "We have to finish so our team can win, we really really need this!"
"Guys, we have 15 minutes left, we have to make a move..." Noah advised.
(THUMP!)
(THUMP!)
(THUMP!)
"Oh no! They're coming!" Sammy gasped.
"Lindsay. Listen to me. You need to leave me behind." Katie pleaded.
"But-"
"Do it! They're almost here!"
Lindsay nodded as she ran away from her friend but not without shedding an endless amount on tears...
Noah leaned towards his partner in crime. "This is it Max, the final stretch. You know what to do."
Max nodded as he ran into Sammy, knocking her down as he landed on top of her.
"What the heck?! Get off of me!"
"In the name of evil, no."
With Lindsay and Noah reaching Floor 147, Team Brawn was automatically disqualified and thus, lost the challenge, making them today's unlucky losers.
"This is it Noah, you got this." he kept giving himself more pep talks to convince his body not to give out during final phase of the competition.
Floor 147 (Outside)
Don was comfortably sitting outside with Chef, the contestants (minus Max and Sammy) and Don's 'mysterious adversary'
"You can take off your mask now." Don said to his rival.
"Thank God, this stupid thing is messing up my hair..."
All of the contestants shared a loud gasp upon finding out the identity of the person responsible for Don's 'capture'
Don hushed the contestants. "Save your reactions for later, the winner is about to come through these very doors!"
The constestants watched Lindsay and Noah's progress via some monitors Don brought with him and it seemed both were neck and neck, constantly switching for the lead. Both were very exhausted, sweat pouring down their faces like a waterfall.
"And the winner is..."
The doors opened to reveal it was none other than...
"Lindsay! Which makes Team Beauty today's winners! You guys can continue your reactions now."
Sierra shrugged her shoulders. "Meh. Moment ruined."
Lindsay's jaw dropped when she figured out who the 'kidnapper' was. "OH MY GOD! CHIP KIDNAPPED YOU! SOMEONE CALL 911!"
"It's CHRIS, Lindsay. You competed on Total Drama for four seasons and you still can't get it right?" The ex-host grimaced.
"After what you did to me and Dakota you don't deserve to be called by your real name, eh." Ezekiel retorted.
"Ezkeiel? You're human? Weird, I thought you'd stay ugly forever, oh wait..."
Everyone frowned at him except Ezekiel who gave the ex-host two birds and Chef, who was trying his hardest to not laugh.
Lindsay spoke up. "Um, Chip?"
"Chris."
"Chandler?"
"Chris."
"Kristoff?
"Chris."
"Chip Skylark?"
"Tyler, how do you deal with this?" Chris asked.
"Love and a whole lotta patience." Tyler replied
"And I have neither. By the way, you (Ezekiel) and Dakota would make for an awesome couple."
"I have a boyfriend." Dakota interjected.
Chris quickly dismissed her. "Didn't ask. Anyways, just think of the ratings! Two ex-freaks finding solace and comfort in one another, you two could be Canada's next power couple!" (literally...)
Don noticed Ezekiel's skin rapidly turning green and decided to change the subject. "Look! It's Noah!"
"Oh cool, the gig's over. See ya never, campers." Chris said, waving at everyone before leaving the scene.
Noah came through the doors shortly after. "Ha... (points at Chris while he leaves) I...knew...it.." he collapsed to the ground shortly after.
Dawn scooched over to Ezekiel. "Meet me in Room 101 as soon as possible."
Ezekiel nodded in understanding.
Don clapped his hands together. "Now that the challenge is over, Me and Chef will be seeing Team Brawn at the Auditorium for the Elimination Ceremony."
Auditorium
"I'm not gonna mince words, you all sucked big time in today's challenge but today's ceremony is special."
"How?" Tyler asked.
"There will be no vote."
All of the members instantly celebrated, under the assumption this was a non-elimination challenge.
"AHEM! I didn't finish. There will be no vote because Chef is choosing who's going home tonight."
Chef took the stage. "Some of you were great, some of you were trash but the trashiest is going home tonight and that's you Eva."
"Damn..." she mumbled to herself as she got on stage.
"Any last words?"
"Yeah. You were all great to work with. Brick, thanks for giving me a chance. Tyler, make sure Noah doesn't skip out on the morning training and tell him to get along with Lindsay."
"I got the first one but why the second one?" The jock was scratching his head.
"Just do what I-"
Don pressed the button activating the Trapdoor of Shame, causing her to fall.
"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAID!"
Don turned to the camera. "Seven down, sixteen to go. Who will be the next to go on the next thrilling episode of TOTAL! DRAMA! REBORN!
Room 101
Dawn quickly closed the door. "Lindsay is out with Brick and Katie, so we'll have plenty of time."
Ezekiel scratched his head. "I appreciate what you're doing but why is he hanging with them?"
"Because they all have an affinity for fashion. Now, back to the matter at hand."
"Oh..." Ezekiel rubbed his neck.
"You need to control your emotions, letting Chris get under your skin nearly exposed your secret.
"I know, I know, eh."
"If you know, then why do you give in to your anger?"
"Because Chris is a selfish bastard that only cares about himself and stupid ratings, eh. He KNEW I was on board and never once tried to help me. He only used me for his stupid challenges..."
Dawn was listening intently, she already knew the info Zeke was dishing out but she knew that hearing it from him would provide for an interesting session.
"When I nearly killed him on Boney Island, it was..."
"...the happiest I'd felt in a long time..."
"Ezekiel..." she gasped, covering her mouth.
"Dawn, I-"
"You have no need to apologize. Now knowing what feelings you've kept inside your heart, I'm even more determined to help you."
Dawn clapped her hands together. "With that being said, you need to share your secret with your fellow contestants."
"Why?! The rest of 'em would go back to treating me like a freak, eh!"
"Because I recieved a premonition via my ability to see into the future."
"A pre-what?"
"A premonition is a strong feeling you get when you know something will go wrong. I felt it last night."
"So...what did you see when you looked into the future?"
"I saw...everyone shunning you...looking down on you..."
"B-but what about my friends? I still have friends, right?"
"Of course, however they are disappointed in you for not revealing the truth."
"So...who spilled the beans?"
"I can confirm that it was neither Dakota, Cody or Leonard."
"But don't you know who did it?"
"I'm afraid not, all I saw were silhouettes. I had to make my best guess."
Ezekiel sighed. "Thanks for the one-on-one Dawn. You're a lifesaver."
"Oh please, I'm just using my gifts to help you out. There's no need for such praise."
Ezekiel rolled up his sleeve to check the time. "I'd love to stay and talk but I gotta meet up with Cody and Leonard so we can-"
"-watch JoJo's? I don't know what that is but I won't keep you from being with your friends."
Ezekiel opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Dawn. "Yes. I can read minds. Now go, you don't want to be late."
Ezekiel vigorously nodded his late and quickly left the room.
Confessional: Dawn
"As terrible as I feel for lying to Ezekiel, he has to find out who exposed his secret on his own..."
Elimination Order:
(23rd) Sadie
(22nd) B
(21st) Rodney
(20th) Scott
(19th) Anne Maria
(18th) Ella
(17th) Eva
Author's Note: I knew I wanted to do more challenges outside of the Château because up until now there's only been one chapter that takes place outside of CDR so of course I had to change that.
I also decided to give Team Brawn the focus of this chapter because I've unintentionally been shafting them in favor of Teams Beauty and Brains this entire fic. Yeah, yeah shame on me...
As for Eva, I never planned to have her make the merge but she was one of my top priorities while writing this. I wanted her to acknowledge her mistakes and grow as a person and in that regard I think I did a good job. I mean, can you guys count how many fanfics would give Eva the spotlight within a chapter? So to all of you Eva fans that thought she'd make the merge, sorry to rain on your parade.
Don't forget, I constantly go back to edit previous chapters, no matter how miniscule the changes are.
Without a doubt I can say this is the longest chapter I've worked on. (8,795 words to be exact) I had lots of fun writing this one and I hope you all enjoyed it.
Coming Soon: Chapter XI: Mutiny on Set!
The teams are taken to THE film lot that was used for Total Drama Action while being tasked with creating films for genres of their choice. Will a certain someone let their ego get the best of them? Which team's movie will flourish? Who's gonna be on the chopping block? You'll just have to wait for this star-studded chapter of Total Drama Reborn!
Until then
~Rozan