DISCLAIMER:
Hello and welcome to chapter 37. The Black unicorn is on the finals, and they are celebrating big time, enjoying the calm before the storm.
What will happen next? What will happen in the finals? Find out next here on War of the Bands.
And if you like the story so far, don't forget to mark it as a favorite. Or, if you feel more fancy, leave me a review of the chapter, that helps me here and in other stories. Now let me answer last week reviews.
Total Simaniac: Yes, I hope you enjoy it, I know it was not so surprising, but not all can be surprising storylines ;)
Total Drama belongs to Fresh TV, Corus Corporation, their creators, and associates companies. Any song used on this fic belongs to their original creators.
Final Countdown
"TO BLACK UNICORN, CHEERS!" the toast was loud. All the guests cheered happily. There were so many people that they ended clinking in small groups around the house. Most of them with cups and bottles, but some exceptions clink with other things like Owen who used a barrel, and Brody who used a plate.
Justin was looking at the wild party. This time he didn't care about all the uninvited guests, after all his friends were in the final. He was still using Duncan's bloodstained shirt and brought a drink to Eva. The European girl's face was much better, only with a light read bruise near her lips.
"How weird that you aren't freaking out with all these people around your house," said Eva, blushing as Justin was paying attention to her.
The male model took a quick gaze at the room. In the kitchen was Cody talking with Dakota, Noah, Sammy, Emma, and Sam. Trent was talking with Dawn, Kitty, Gwen, and Ella sitting on the living room's sofas. Duncan was with Geoff, Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, and B, drinking near the stairs. Finally, in the middle of the room were dancing Owen with Izzy, Dave with Sky, and Brody with Scarlett.
"It doesn't matter. It was a long day, and everyone deserves to have a good time. And with everyone is goofing around, we can spend some time together," said Justin, his smile sparkling.
Eva blushed and looked away from him. "I can't understand why you prefer spending your time with someone like me."
"I'm handsome, so I can do what I want," replied Justin posing with his hands behind his head. "But if you want a reason, it's because, Eve, you aren't intimidated by my beauty and talk with me like any other person."
Eva laughed, it was a silly reason, but she accepted it, being happy to be with him.
In the kitchen, the group wasn't celebrating only their pass to the finals but also their own personal victory.
"Cody, you did it! You exposed those behind the blogs! You're a true detective," said Sammy excitedly.
Cody rubbed his neck, just like Trent, "Hehehe, thank you, Sammy. But it was really Sam and Noah who did all the hard work. I only help them a little."
"Ehehe, Don't be modest, Codemeister. I was only a male version of Emmy Altava[1]. You deserve the credit," said Sam, making finger guns at Cody.
"Samuel! who is this Emmy Altava?" asked Dakota, glaring at the gamer, "You know something, like forget it," she then added, walking out of the kitchen fuming.
"Wait, Dakota, Emmy isn't another girl. She's a videogame character," shouted Sam running behind the fame monger.
Noah looked at the couple going out of the kitchen and then turned to Cody, "Anyway, ignoring the love comedy, Sam's right, you deserve most of the credit. You were the one that discovered the problem. I at first thought it was just some kind of cruel prank to break my cousin's relationship with Sky."
"It's a shame this happened. If not we would be on the final instead of you or H-tonics," said Emma, then the Asian girl flustered, "but you deserve to be there, of course, it was fate. And if this didn't happen, I would never meet Noah."
"Now you can concentrate on winning the competition and the heart of Ella," said Sammy smiling, trying to hide her feelings.
Cody stood up, full of determination. "You're right! But before that, there is something I must do. And maybe it's the sugar rush, but I'll do it right now."
The Codster then went out of the kitchen to the living room.
"Well done, Sammy, your positive attitude had plunged my best friend into an early death," said Noah in a snarky tone.
Emma shrugged, "Alas poor Cody, I barely get to know him, dear Noah; a fellow infinite jest of most excellent fancy."
"I really can't understand your jokes," said Sammy, blinking a few times.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Trent's group was talking joyfully about the competition.
"It is like a fairy tale. The new band with the humble dream is on the great competition final, and against none other than your former friend. It is so romantic," said Ella putting her hands together and twirling.
"Romantic? I mean, yeah, what a coincidence, but you're just reading too deep into it," said Gwen raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, c'mon Gwenny, what were the odds? They're a newly formed band, and against Harold, his former bandmate. You have to be heartless if you are not a bit excited by this," said Kitty, winking.
Gwen smirked, "Sorry for being heartless, and call me Gwenny again, and you'll disappear without leaving a trace," all chuckled at her joke, but it didn't sound like a joke.
"Please, let's not quarrel about this," said Trent trying to mediate. "We're all friends, and romantic or not, we'll do our best to win. But more importantly, we'll have fun making music together," as he said this, the musician raised his bottle of water.
The goth shook her head at the cheesy speech while Kitty, Dawn, and Ella clapped. The fairy princess also blushed. For her those words have a different and kinder meaning.
"And, what is this week's challenge?" asked Gwen trying to forget what just happened.
"There is no challenge, but we'll have to make a performance together with H-tonics. I have to talk with Harold to agree on a date to rehearse together, probably on Monday," said Trent rubbing his neck while smiling.
Just then, Cody arrived and made gun fingers at the girls.
"Helloooo ladies! I'll borrow Trent for a moment. Can you join me, my friend?" asked Cody winking at him.
The guitarist nodded, already knowing what Cody wanted. "If you excuse us, we'll be right back."
The two went away, leaving the girls alone.
"And tell us, Ella? Which one is the lucky one?" asked Kitty. Gwen also looked at her, feigning disinterest.
"I think it is Trent. Cody usually is prone to accidents and misunderstandings," said Ella putting a finger on her cheek and looking at the ceiling.
"Oh! Don't try to play dumb, Sky and I talked about it, and you surely like one of your bandmates. All of them are quite a good catch," said Kitty elbowing Ella playfully.
The fairy princess blushed, turning red as a tomato. She was so flustered that she couldn't talk.
"All are good men except Duncan. That guy is the worst. He's loud, crude, and also doesn't know the meaning of private property or personal space," said Dawn frowning.
Gwen chuckled and looked at the blond girl. "He's not that bad. Deeply, and I mean very deep inside of him, there is a nice guy. Only that he doesn't like to show it. I think he and Ella make a good couple, like the beauty and the beast."
"What does Ella did to you? Does she kill you in a past life? She deserves someone better, like Trent. They make a wonderful couple, the gentleman and the princess," said Dawn, glaring at Gwen.
"Eh? That's totally wrong. Ella's best vibes are with Cody. Just for how he looks at her with such puppy eyes. I think it's better to have a cute couple than a cool one," said Kitty, jumping excitedly.
Ella kept silent and flustered as the other girls discussed who would be the best boyfriend. It was a painful decision for her, as she cared for all of them. She was confused and didn't know what her true feelings were.
And in the stairs, Duncan's group was laughing and chatting while drinking.
"And then B told in the middle of the stage all of Alejandro's wrongdoings. I never saw you talk so much, man, that was awesome," said DJ, putting his arm around the silent man's shoulders.
Geoff patted B's back. "That was so cool, dude, and you have such a deep voice. It's a shame they didn't transmit that part in the actual episode. You're my hero."
"Yes, how is that you never talk to us, Bumblebee?" asked Duncan, smirking impishly, "you really told him everything. You should talk more, just like me."
B sighed, he opened his mouth to talk, but someone came to his rescue.
"Oh, leave him alone, Duncan! He'll talk when he wants to, so stop pressuring him," said Courtney, putting a hand on her hip and pointing at Duncan with the other.
The silent men made a grateful smile and sent a kiss to the Sereia. Courtney winked at B and replied, "you're welcome."
"Hey, wait a minute before you continue flirting with our drummer. Why are you here? I thought you hate parties," said Duncan scratching his eyebrow's piercing.
"I was invited by Trent and Bridgette to celebrate my friends Cody, Ella, B, and Trent pass into the finals. So don't feel so important, mister know-it-all," said Courtney, poking the delinquent on the chest.
Duncan coughed and smirked again. "I never said you come to see me Princess, maybe it's your subconsent that betrays you."
"Is subconscious, and I don't know why I even try," said Courtney, shaking her head.
"You try because you care," said Bridgette with a smile while hugging her friend, making laugh all the presents.
Courtney made a forced smile. "Bridgette, thanks, but you're making it worse."
While all laughed, Trent and Cody joined them.
"Hello! Sorry to interrupt you, but we need to borrow Duncan for a moment," said Cody, with a sheepish smile.
"You can take him forever, for what I care," said Courtney, showing a smug smile to Duncan.
The delinquent stood up, cracking his neck. "Well, it must be important if you also bring Elvis, so let's go. But if it's about money, sorry because I'm broke."
The three-man went out of the house, closely followed by B. Trent turned and said, without waiting for any hand sign from the drummer, "Of course you can come, man, you are part of the band."
B smiled. It was heartwarming how they slowly began to understand him without the need of hand signs or words.
It was a warm night, the clear sky showed the stars, and the cold wind felt good. Duncan put a cigar on his mouth, Cody a few steps behind him, Trent and B were a little further away, near the entrance.
"Duncan, before the finals, there is a matter I need to talk with you because we're friends," said Cody with an unusually serious tone.
The delinquent smirked and lighted his cigar. "If you're asking my help to hide a corpse. Sorry man, I'm not doing that anymore."
"Man, this is serious, al least for me. And I'm sure that for you too," replied Cody looking at him with an irritated expression.
"Easy Codester, I'm just joking, take a chill pill," said Duncan raising his arms and showing both hands, "now spit it. What is this so important conversation?"
Cody took a deep breath before starting."Duncan, I'll be honest with you because we're friends," he repeated, trying to get courage from those words. "I like Ella, and I'll ask her to go out with me after the final."
The yard felt silent. Duncan took a puff from his cigar and let the smoke out from his nose. He then faced Cody.
"So?" asked Duncan raising an extreme of his unibrow.
"So!? That's it. I like her, and I'll confess my feelings for her. I know you also like her, so I wanted to avoid any misunderstanding," said Cody, angered by Duncan's attitude.
The delinquent smirked, "Codester, I already know. Your little crush was too obvious. Elvis there and Bumblebee were more discreet than you, so it's hardly a surprise."
He took another puff and continued, "the four of us like Ella, so what? None of us will give up only because you or I said so. But luckily, we don't have to fight. We only need to wait for her to make her mind and respect what the Fairy Princess decide."
Cody was shocked, Trent and B were also surprised, but the geek was speechless. He expected that Duncan would be furious and would want to fight, but he had a mature and calm demeanor toward relationships.
"Wow, you're right, man, she's the one that will choose. I only wanted to talk before, so there were no misunderstandings. I like Ella, but I also love you guys, and I would like to continue the band after we participate in the final," said Cody with a sheepish smile.
"You mean after we win the final, right Codester," said Duncan walking toward him and offering a fist to bump.
Cody bumped his friend's fist. "Of course, after we win the final."
"See, I told you, you worry too much," said Trent, walking and putting his arm across Cody's shoulders, but secretly he was glad that nothing happened.
"By the way, now that we're alone and confessing all our secrets, the other day, I discovered Bumblebee's real name," said Duncan with a mocking smile.
Trent looked at him with wide eyes. "Wow, really? I always assumed his name was Robert."
"Eh? It wasn't Benjamin, like The Thing[2]," replied Cody, disappointed that B name wasn't from a superhero.
Duncan raised his unibrow and smirked, "Both of you are super wrong, B name i-*"
Before Duncan could end his sentence, he was tackled by B, with speed never showed before by the silent guy. He charged the delinquent so roughly that Duncan lost consciousness in the act.
B immediately put Duncan over his shoulder and began to walk into the house, ignoring the duo of former Drama Brothers that looked at him in shock.
"He really wants to keep his name a secret," said Cody, Trent nodding absentmindedly.
The party continued after that. Cody was more relaxed now that he knew the band wouldn't break because of their feelings for Ella. Nobody talked about B's name again.
It was Saturday morning. Duncan was waiting for Mike in front of the luxurious house he shared with the rest of H-tonics in Toronto. He wanted to talk with him about Zoey, but Duncan hadn't seen the singer known as the Circumstance since last week.
Of course, Duncan wasn't waiting in the open. He didn't want to have to face Heather again. It was incredible that such a hot girl could hold so much anger. Poor Harold guy, he must be resilient.
While the delinquent was pondering this, he saw someone coming out of the house. It wasn't Mike. The person was an Asian boy of 11 or 12 years, dressed in black pants and a white shirt, with a sweater tied around his neck. It was the child that showed him B's photo with Alejandro. What was he doing in H-tonics' house?
Damien, the Asian boy, walked down the street and crossed a hallway to take the bus. He was fuming after being yelled at. It wasn't his fault that the fat guy didn't accept the offer and that the punk ran away before hearing him.
"Stupid green-haired, loud-mouthed clown, it's his fault that idiot Heather chew me. Only because I was born some years later is no reason to be treated like a slave. Next time I found him, I'll tear off one of his stupid piercings, " said Damien kicking a bottle in the alley and breaking it against the wall.
"Oh? Green haired clown, eh? That's new," said a voice behind Damien. The young man could feel a shiver down his spine.
He tried to run, but someone held him by the neck of his shirt and lifted him like a leaf, pushing him against a wall.
Damian looked at the green-haired punk, his blue eyes filled with anger, "I think there are some stories that you want to share with uncle Duncan, right boy."
The Asian boy was scared but was too proud for his own good, so he spat on Duncan's face. "I- I'm not afraid of the likes of you, you, you don't know who my father is."
Duncan didn't flinch. He cleaned the spit with his free arm and then took out a rusted needle from his jacket. "I don't know, and I don't care, but let's play a game. It's a surprise, but I make my own piercings. So if you don't talk, I'll make some free piercings for you. Don't worry, I'm an expert," the delinquent looked at the boy with wide eyes and mad expression, showing the piercing in his tongue.
Damien cursed his sister one more time for putting him in this situation.
It was Sunday afternoon, the group was practicing for the final. This time they'll not have to choose a song but need to practice a full repertoire, as the rules to select the winner would be revealed the same day of the final.
"This will not work," said Trent after they perform again 'Don't stop me now' by Queen.
Duncan glared at his fellow guitarist. "Elvis, can you be more cryptic? What isn't working?"
"Duncan, do not say that. If Trent speaks in more cryptic terms, we will not understand him," said Ella, looking at him with wide eyes. "Also, I think he means that if we play as usual, we will lose against Harold and his friends."
"Is as Ella says. We're doing great, but H-tonics had the value of his A cappella interpretations, which are awesome and leave a great impression on the audience. We need to improve our game if we want to win against them." As Trent was finishing, his phone began to ring, "Sorry, wait a moment."
Cody rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Trent's right. We can try new songs and unique formations. Maybe play with two guitars and a keyboard, or sing a duet with bass, guitar, and drums. B, Duncan, can you play any other instruments?"
B nodded and mimicked what seemed to be a guitar.
"You can play guitar?" said Cody. The silent man shook his head, "No? then bass, No? Acoustic guitar, no again?".
"Banjo?" said Duncan raising an extreme of his unibrow, "acoustic band? lute?" the delinquent began to say names with a mocking smile, so B started to ignore him.
"I know, it is ukulele, right?" said Ella, B making finger guns at her.
"Well, thanks Bumblebee, now we know you can play a useless instrument," said Duncan, as B stood up and smacked him in the head, "Hey, what was that for?"
"Duncan, don't ask that? The list of answers is too long," said Cody with a smug smile, making Ella and B chuckle.
Then Trent finished his call and came back into the basement, "It was from Harold. We'll meet tomorrow at his studio for the rehearsal."
The five Black Unicorns nodded and resume the practice. Tomorrow they'll have their practice with their rivals, even if it was 5 days ahead, the final battle of the War of the bands had already started.
[1] an assistant of Professor Layton in the prequel trilogy of the games.
[2]Benjamin Grimm, aka the Thing. A character from the Fantastic Four's Comics.
The time for celebration is over, and now the Black Unicorn will meet with their opponents 5 days before the competition. What will happen now that they are entering enemy territory? Find out next in War of the Bands.
As the last episode was thrilling, I prefer to put the celebration of the Black Unicorn victory on this one. Poor Justin, there are so many guests at his house that I need many scenes to show most of them ;). I hope you enjoy it
And as always, thanks for reading and I hope you like it
