Challenge Dunes: Day 30
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Little Mac - Engineer - ROB - Samus Aran.
Upon entering the Challenge Dunes from their tribe, they were distracted from the newly built pipe by a giddy announcement from Alexa.
"Well survivors, congratulations on making it to the thirtieth day! That's right, you guys have lived in this desert for a full month. In fact, you haven't JUST lived here, you've endured the harsh climate, used your body and brain to its full potential, and you've developed relationships together. If you weren't sick of this place after an hour of staying here, then surely you must be sick of this place by now, correct?" He checked. "Regardless, you have one more challenge before the final five. Will this one be the worst one yet? Who knows, but it'll without a doubt put your strength, intelligence, and especially your will-power to the ultimate test."
He shot his finger over to a mysterious black pipe between the repurposed Super Shrooms and repurposed Power Flowers pipes. "The challenge lies behind that final pipe. I've noticed you guys get antsier and antsier to enter the pipe every time you arrive at the Challenge Dunes. So, I'll spare you the monologue. If you're ready for the next challenge, then enter the pipe."
They marched forward. As they approached this ominous, almost intimidating black pipe, they looked around the area and stared at all of the other pipes. They were positioned in a perfect ring around their own tribe's pipe, each one blocked off so nobody could enter them after the challenge was over. The recent most orange pipe had only been blocked off last night.
A small white later and they reached the final challenge pipe. The six were in a circle around it, the only thing stopping them from jumping straight in was the forcefield of suspense surrounding it. Of course, after experiencing the three trials in the prior challenge, it wouldn't take long before the survivors would begin to surpass that forcefield and enter the pipe.
"This is it," Phoenix thought. "I don't know how many slots for immunity there'll be, but even if it's one, I won't give up on trying to nab it. This three-versus-three situation both alliances have created will result in a rock draw, and if that's going to happen, then I'll need some immunity to guarantee my safety!"
The first one to enter the black pipe was Samus, carefully jumping onto its rim and peeking inside. A wave of cool air emitted from the pipe as she dropped in.
Next was Luigi. He knew that the more he stayed staring blankly at the entrance, the longer he'd stay nerve-racked.
Following him was Little Mac, patting Engineer's shoulder before climbing on and into the pipe, escaping the harsh desert sunlight and leaving the three who continued to ready themselves for the challenge.
Eventually, Engineer placed both hands on the pipe and hauled himself over, slipping in as he gave a brief wave to Phoenix and ROB.
In an attempt to take his mind off of the challenge, he turned and stared at ROB. "I didn't expect you to be so anxious about the challenge."
The robot shook his head. "That is not the case. I sometimes decide to enter the pipe last."
His face dropped as he hung his head. "Oh... well, I appreciate the company."
"It's the least I can do."
A deep sigh followed as he scrambled onto the pipe's edge, staring straight down and shivering. "Come on, I've done this about a hundred times... why am I so nervous?!"
"Making it to the final five is a great feat. I do think that it's a little over-hyped by Alexa, as we both know that there are still plenty of hurdles in our path by that point. But alas, he needs to make his show exciting," explained ROB.
Phoenix continued to stare down, failing to respond to ROB only out of fear.
With mild concern, the machine gave a suggestion. "Perhaps, if you're truly unable to enter that pipe, I could push you down-"
"N-no, I'm fine!" He said through clenched teeth. It was at that moment where he just decided to clear his head and jump down into the pipe.
ROB boosted himself upwards using his fuel. Once he was above the pipe, he slowly lowered himself down.
?: Day 30
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Little Mac - Engineer - ROB - Samus Aran.
As ROB was ejected from the pipe, he landed onto the cold, stone floor of a mysterious corridor. It was lit by dozens upon dozens of blazing torches sticking from the wall, the fire was blue in color. Beside him were his five other tribemates, though Alexa was nowhere to be seen. Last he remembered, he noticed that the host was nowhere near the survivors when they left the desert. To make matters stranger, no cameramen or any staff were close by.
"Where are we?" Questioned Little Mac. "It looks like we're in a castle."
He looked behind him to see that the pipe he came from was next to a dead-end wall. The only thing of note on the wall was a large purple banner with five symbols placed on it: a Power Star at the very top, followed by a Mushroom, a Fire Flower, a Super Leaf, and a Bob-Omb. "Is that banner supposed to mean anything?"
"Prolly just some decor," said Engineer, giving it a short glance and nothing more. "Not like it's needed. This place would feel lifeless even if Alexa decided to sprinkle confetti onto the damn ground."
"Speaking of Alexa..." Said Phoenix. "Where is he?"
ROB stationed himself beside the wall. "He wasn't close by when I entered the pipe, which I find odd. He either is the first to enter or is right behind the last person who enters."
*RUMBLE*
"WAH!" Jumped Luigi.
A loud, deep noise shook the floor from beneath. The survivors looked around in circles, attempting to see if the floor or one of the walls were shifting, but it appears as if nothing about the corridor was physically changing.
...Until...
"W-what the?" Phoenix pointed to the pipe they came from. It was sinking back into the ground, disconnecting the six from the desert. They stared helplessly as it quickly phased through the floor and deep into the underground, leaving a crater and a dirt patch in its place.
"Looks like Alexa won't be here for the challenge," Samus said. "If I had to guess, we'd get some answers if we moved down the hall."
Engineer nodded slowly. "That's what I was thinkin'. I think Alexa still has his eye on us too. I can see a few cameras sprinkled around this place."
"Way to make us feel more lonely," sighed Phoenix.
They moved down the seemingly endless hall, the banner in the entrance slowly fading into darkness as they did so. Several minutes of walking later, and the survivors at long last had approached an interesting part of the corridor: the end.
A large, wooden door, seemingly unlocked, quickly came into view, resulting in Little Mac picking up his pace as he eventually ran to the door to try and open it.
The teenager pushed forward as hard as he could, but the door wouldn't budge an inch. Though it appeared to be unlocked on their side, it must be locked from the other side.
"Guys, we got a problem!" He yelled. "This door won't open!"
Suddenly, a voice from the other side bellowed through, delivering Little Mac a series of words that left him utterly speechless.
"It's a pull door! Stop pushing it!"
And, in a flash, his face was red and flushed with shame. "O-oh, that's why it has handles on it."
Though he was too focused on his embarrassment to realize that a voice was on the other side of the door, the others picked up on it, eventually making it to the door for themselves and pulling open the stiff wooden doors.
As the door opened, they spotted him. Waiting for them on the other side, it was none other than...
...Alexa?
"Hey! Welcome to the final challenge before that sweet Finale, survivors!" He winked.
"What the?!" Yelled Phoenix. "How did you get here?"
The host folded his arms. "My ability to seemingly show up out of nowhere isn't relevant to what's to come, Phoenix. Today's challenge will be taking place in this massive fortress. Once a desolate, empty structure, this place has been renovated into an area fit to hold a challenge in! I brand this building: the Fatal Fortress!"
"F-F-FATAL?!" Gasped Little Mac.
"Whoa whoa, don't get the wrong idea!" Alexa urgently assured. "This place won't kill any of you, though it might do so physically. This place is chock-full of obstacles and demanding tasks that'll have you winded by the end of it. If you allow me to explain, I'll go into greater detail on what this Fort bestows:"
*This challenge will have all six survivors participating in a footrace through an obstacle course! You will start with a regular stretch of hall to get your body in gear, but that'll be the only easy part. From there, you'll be platforming over pitfalls filled with water, solving puzzles, and climbing to the very top of the fortress!
Once you make it to the aforementioned top, you'll be winning a one-way ticket to the Finale in the form of immunity. The number of survivors that will be able to receive said immunity is only going to be one, meaning that only first place will be sitting Tribal Council with certain safety. Despite the challenge's simplicity, the competition to get that immunity is incredibly tight. Do your very best, or you'll be convincing everyone around you to vote for someone else.
As tempting as it may be, remember that physically sabotaging other survivors competing is not allowed.
Good luck, you'll all need it!*
"A race, huh?" Phoenix gulped. "Oh boy."
Engineer placed his hand on Little Mac's shoulder. "Listen, kid. I don't see myself winnin' this challenge, so do me a favor and make sure none of 'em get that darn immunity." He then turned to Samus. "The same goes for you. As long as one of us gets first, things will be in our favor."
Still full of motivation from the letter he received the day before, Little Mac grabbed his bicep. "Don't worry, I'll get that immunity! I'm great at races."
Similar to the support given by the mercenary, ROB approached Phoenix and Luigi. "I will do my best to overcome them, but as long as it's one of us, then we have the advantage."
"Nobody has the advantage if it's guaranteed rocks," the lawyer argued.
The robot gave a comforting bleep. "I'll try my hardest to make sure rocks won't be drawn in the next Tribal Council, but right now, getting immunity is very important."
"If you say so."
"What does-a ROB mean by that?" - Luigi.
As their pep talks came to a close, Alexa got on with starting the challenge. "Super Stars! As you line up, I want you to think about nabbing that immunity. Think about how much good it'll do for you. There won't be many Tribal Councils left, so not having to participate in them as a victim is crucial to your safety."
The survivors formed a neat line as he continued his finished his brief speech. "Make sure you don't have to take the risk of being up for elimination!"
He pulled out his whistle and wiped it with his shirt, peering down the dark hall that they would be sprinting down as he slowly drifted the whistle to his mouth.
"You may begin in three..."
"Two..."
"One... GO!" He blew his whistle ferociously, signaling the survivors to begin the race...
As it goes with most races, the survivors quickly split into a defined, consistent ranking as they made the first dash. At the very front was ROB, zipping ahead with no time to lose. Behind him were Samus and Little Mac, the latter being slightly further ahead, attempting to catch up to ROB. From there, Luigi, Engineer, and Phoenix held fourth, fifth, and sixth place respectively, all only within a few meters from one another.
For the most part, the gaps between the survivors increased more and more over time. Luigi slowly gained a further lead away from Engineer who did the same with Phoenix, all the while ROB continued to extend his first-place lead. The main exception was Little Mac and Samus, with the boxer simply unable to get her off of his trail.
"So far so good," thought Engineer. "ROB may be in the lead, but Mac and Samus aren't too far behind him."
Speaking of the robot, he was the first one to make it to the end of the hall before anyone else could. Similar to the first hall, the end of this one was marked with a large wooden door.
He slowed down as he approached it, clamping the handles and pulling it open. Once again, the other side of this door contained yet another hall, slightly wider and taller than the last, though much shorter in length.
This third hall appeared to house the first obstacles that the survivors would be forced to overcome. After a few meters, the ground dipped downwards into a large, water-filled pit with a pipe at the bottom. Above the pit were several platforms, each one slightly shrinking in size until ROB's mechanical base was larger than the platform itself. In the middle of this platforming segment was an especially long gap, one that wouldn't be makeable by most of the survivors if not for the long, thick rope that dangled from the ceiling. Needless to say, falling into the pit would cost the victim all of their progress traversing over the pit as well as a soaked body.
ROB wasn't able to jump very high, though he was able to compensate for this by having the ability to use his fuel to boost himself upwards and over the segment. The main issue was that he would need to spend more time recharging his fuel, otherwise he wouldn't have enough to make the whole journey. Though he was forced to station himself in place until his fuel was back up, his courage stayed unyielding.
Right as he placed himself to the side, Little Mac pulled open the heavy door, slipping through and quickly studying his surroundings.
"Now the difficult part begins," he muttered, giving a brief look at the immobile ROB as he continued to move forward. After taking a long look at the pit he would be greeting if he were to slip and fall, Little Mac began hopping from platform to platform hastily.
As he began dealing with the obstacle course, Samus entered the third hall. Without paying attention to ROB, she flipped from the ground and onto each platform. From the first jump, ROB expected her to quickly pass Little Mac and steal his lead.
By the time he made it to the fifth platform, which was one platform away from the rope, Mac turned his head to see Samus flip over onto his platform. The speed and slickness of her movement were impressive, and though he felt upset over having his first-place status nabbed away, he was glad that ROB wasn't the one to do so.
As he hopped onto the sixth platform, he saw Samus flip onto the rope, use her momentum to launch it forward, and hop off all within the space of a few seconds. Once again, he was reminded of how incredible her movement was, but Little Mac was quick to notice that she had indirectly helped him out by swinging the rope, as it was now far easier to jump to it.
Little Mac braced himself and hopped into the air with decent timing, resulting in him clutching the rope with his bulky boxing gloves. By then, ROB's recharge was nearing its end, Luigi had now entered the hall with them, and Samus was a few platforms away from clearing the hall.
He swung himself forward and backward, peering back and noticing Luigi and his exceptionally high jumps cleared the gap between both of them more and more. He was now getting worried for his lead, and that resulted in him losing patience with the rope. Though he had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to land on the next platform, the champion took the risk and made a leap of faith...
...One that resulted in him missing the mark by a couple of inches.
"ARGHHH!" He screamed, falling to his doom and into the watery pit below.
Luigi shivered from the blood-curdling cry, looking down to see if Little Mac was okay. To his relief, he had safely plunged into the water below. With that over with, the plumber took a risk of his own to avoid having to use the rope. He suspected that he would be able to clear the gap with one clean jump, but for that to happen, he would need a running start.
He slowly walked backward until his feet were at the edge of the platform, and with a faint "Mama mia...", he began rushing forward, springing high into the air and leaping from his platform.
Unsure that he had enough speed, he began kicking his feet in mid-air, the fluttering miraculously slowing down his descent as he BARELY landed onto his desired platform. The risk paid off, and Luigi made his way over to the end of the hall, where Samus now was.
"Strange..." Commented ROB, who had observed his bizarre flutter technique. Now that he had all of his fuel restored, he was ready to notice the second problem about this hall: he was quite slow when traveling through the air. He tilted himself forward slightly for extra speed, but that still wasn't any faster than Luigi, Samus or even Little Mac's attempts.
When Engineer finally made it to the next hall, he noticed several things that rung bad news to him. The first of which was the sight of seeing Little Mac at the beginning of the hall, far behind ROB and Luigi. The second thing that concerned him greatly was the obstacle course that he would have to quickly complete without falling.
"What in the Sam Hill are you doin' here, Mac?" He questioned. "What happened to that lead of yours?!"
He sighed. "Well, if you fall into that pit, it brings you back to the start," the boxer said. "But don't worry, Samus is far ahead!"
Engineer focused on the end of the corridor and spotted Samus by the door, bringing him some hope. "That's good, but we can't just rely on her. Chances are that ROB and Luigi will overtake her."
With no time to lose, both of them made their way across the pit, Phoenix being the last one to enter this hall as they started. He was very intimidated by the course, but didn't want to extend the gap between him and the others any further, and so he got to work on making it through the hall.
As Samus entered the next corridor, she was greeted with a hall of similar length and an identical pit to the one before. However, what made this hall distinctive from the previous one was the lack of platforms. Instead, a small, incredibly thin path stuck out from the left wall, one that she would have to use to get from one end to the other. It sounded simple enough, but she was quick to spot that some sections of the wall adjacent to the path would occasionally push outward, which would deliver a nasty surprise to anyone unfortunate enough to be in front of it.
She pressed her body against the wall and side-stepped along the path, keeping a keen eye out for the sections of the wall that would push her off.
The next person to enter this part of the Fortress was Luigi, experiencing the same feeling of dread as Samus when he saw that his only way across was a small path he had to side-step across. He was close by to Samus and planned on getting close enough to her so he could overtake her in the next section.
Both of them slowly strolled down the path cautiously, hoping that Alexa wasn't cruel enough to lace some parts of the path with ice.
As they focused, the hall was dead quiet, the only noises coming from the shuffling of Samus and Luigi's feet as they scraped against the wall behind them.
Eventually... the quiet came to an abrupt end.
"WAAAAAH!"
Samus jumped with terror, quickly turning to see Luigi falling into the pit. Upon further investigation, he had gotten pushed off by one of the sliding walls, all of his progress had come to a screeching halt as he dived into the waters below. The bounty hunter was left to shrug off the shock from his yell and continue.
As Luigi spawned back at the beginning, ROB was now there to join him in making their way down the hall.
"Oh, h-hey ROB," he said, shivering from the cold waters.
The robot gave a neutral beep. "Greetings."
He stationed himself back down, allowing himself to recharge for a few more minutes so he could clear this next section. As he did this, Luigi started his second attempt at shifting down the narrow path and plastering his body against the wall. All the while Samus made it to the half-way point.
More time passed, and as ROB's charging session came to its halfway mark, Little Mac and Engineer both entered the hall.
"We made it!" Cheered Little Mac. "And now that Phoenix fell off the rope, that's one less person to worry about."
The robot eavesdropped, aware that he would likely make it to the end of this hall before Phoenix could make it to the beginning.
With Little Mac going first, he shuffled along the wall, leaving Engineer to follow, eyeing ROB as he did so.
"That robot can just fly across the damn halls without doin' any work. God forbid the robot makes it to the part where you gotta climb up the fortress." - Engineer.
With Phoenix still stuck on the platforming hall, the rest of the survivors attempted to catch up to Samus as much as they could. She was only a few meters away from being able to jump from the path and onto the end of the hall, and Luigi, despite his tumble into the water, did a good job catching back up to her.
After a long, cautious routine of sidestepping to the left, checking for sliding walls, and pressing against the wall, she had finally made it to the end of this hall. Albeit, before she left, she turned around and caught ROB drifting over the abyss that was the pit below, his pacing just faster than most of the others who continued to shift along the wall. She then looked to the right of him, catching Luigi who was mere seconds away from arriving. With no time to lose, she dragged the door open and ran through...
This next hall was perhaps the shortest, but easily the most unique in shape. In front of Samus were six branching pathways, each one leading to a small room with what appeared to be another door on the end. With the assumption that each survivor would have their own room, which explained why they were six of them, Samus went for the right-most path, running into the room.
*SLAM!*
Behind her was a stone door, now completely blocking her way back out of the room. Now, standing between her and the door in front of her was what seemed to be a puzzle. Next to the door was a large panel with five symbols plated into the wall, and besides this panel was a sign for her to read:
"Remember the banner from the very beginning of the challenge? You better have! If you input the correct order that the symbols appeared from top to bottom on this combination panel, then the door in front of you will open! From there, it's a climb to victory!"
The sign proved very useful, but unfortunately, Samus couldn't remember the banner's order of symbols too well. On the panel, the five symbols displayed a Mushroom on the top slot; a Bob-Omb on the second slot; a Super Leaf on the middle slot; a Fire Flower on the fourth slot, and a Power Star on the bottom slot. Obviously, this was out of order, as the door ahead was fully closed.
At first, she felt doomed. There were plenty of combinations that could be made out of five symbols. In fact, if her math was correct, there would be over 3000 combinations available, so her being able to try each individual combination would simply take too long. However, she knew two things about the banner that would help her.
To start, Samus remembered that there was definitely a Star atop the banner, so with this in mind, she changed the Mushroom displayed in the top slot to the Power Star. Now that she only had four slots to work with, the number of combinations was now a little over 600. That was a far easier number to work with, but still too long for her. However, she also remembered that none of the symbols on the banner repeated, which further lowered the number of combinations down to only twenty-four. Now she had a number she could work with.
As she got to work on figuring out every combination, Luigi had discovered the six pathways, noticing that one had been closed off. With that pathway off-limits, he chose the pathway to the left of it.
Upon entering the room...
*SLAM!*
"WAAAH!" He cried, turning around. "Oh..."
Luigi then discovered the door, the panel, and the adjacent sign that he read thoroughly. Not only was he glad to know that the challenge was nearly over, but he also remembered the combination of the banner, or so he thought.
He switched the top panel to a Power Star, then from there he changed the panels to a Mushroom, a Fire Flower, a Bob-Omb, and finally a Super Leaf. Upon inputting the final symbol...
...Nothing happened.
"Huh?" He gasped, distraught from nothing happening. "Maybe I remembered the-a bottom bit wrong?"
Luigi reached out and swapped the fourth and bottom slots around, now changing the order to: Star, Mushroom, Flower, Leaf, Bob-Omb.
Shortly after inputting it, the door in front of him swung open, allowing him to leave the area.
"Oh yeah!" He cheered, leaving the room.
Upon exiting, he soon discovered that the six pathways all led back into one another, as he had already assumed. With no other doors opened, he assumed that he had taken first place, and he wouldn't lose it this late into the challenge without a fight.
After traveling down a tight corridor, Luigi was faced with another large wooden door.
As he pulled it open, he was astonished to find himself in a massive, vertical tower. At the very bottom was a regular spiral staircase that wrapped itself up and around a thick, wooden pole in the middle of the room. The stairs were wide enough for anyone to squeeze past and overtake him, and at the very top lay yet another pair of wooden doors, one that he assumed to be the very last.
Without hesitating, he jumped up and onto the staircase, running up as fast as he could muster...
Around the same time, ROB, Little Mac, and Engineer entered one of the four remaining pathways, all of which led them into the same small room that Luigi and Samus entered. Though Phoenix wasn't at this section, he was making his way down the tight path hallway, having conquered the previous one after an embarrassing fall.
Whilst Little Mac and Engineer attempted to recall the banner, read through the sign, and familiarized themselves with the combination panel, ROB simply scanned through the area, remembered the exact banner combination, and instantaneously opened up his door. "That was simple enough," he remarked.
By the time he made it to the doors leading to the final vertical stretch, he noticed Samus approach him from behind.
"I predict Luigi's won this," he said, opening the doors.
"Not on my watch."
Samus bolted past him and into the tower segment, noticing that Luigi was around a quarter of the way to the top.
She jumped up onto the stairs and dashed upward, the noise made quickly alarmed the plumber that someone was coming his way.
He knew that his speed wouldn't be enough to make it up the stairs alone, especially if the person on his trail was Samus. In order for him to secure victory, he would need to think outside of the box.
And, after thinking it through, Luigi knew a risk that might just score him the win. He stopped in his tracks, turned to the cylindrical wall of the tower, and leaped from the staircase, making sure not to look straight down.
ROB, who was using the rest of his fuel to rocket himself upward, spotted the feat from below. Whatever Luigi was doing, it seemed to be a dangerous yet rewarding stunt.
He landed on the wall of the tower, and then kicked himself off of it, propelling himself forward and upwards onto a higher section of the stairs. Due to his high jumps and floatiness, he was the only person capable of using wall-jumping to his advantage.
She came close to surpassing him, but as he continued to repeat the process of jumping from the stairs, onto the wall, and back onto a higher section, the gap between them began extending. However, whilst Samus was struggling to surpass him, ROB was quickly catching up.
Things became incredibly close, Luigi was only a few wall-jumps away from the final pair of doors, though ROB was only a few seconds away from passing him.
As ROB soared beside him, his fuel began running out. He spent a few seconds charging here and there, but none of it was enough for him to reach the top of the tower, and so, he hovered over to the stairs beside him and slowly skated up the stairs.
Samus continued trying her best, but she knew that she wouldn't make it at this point. Luigi was just too far ahead for her to catch up.
At long last, the plumber wall-jumped and landed at the top of the stairs, the pair of wooden doors was waiting for him. He would savor the moment if not for the fear of someone overtaking him at the last possible moment, and so he swung open the door and leaped out.
"Congratulations, Luigi! You've just won yourself the challenge!"
Alexa stood at the very top of the fortress, clapping with glee. "From looking at the cameras, I could tell it was a close game! But that maneuver you did at the end sealed the deal for you."
"I... I did it... I-A MADE IT TO-A THE FINALE!" He threw his arms into the air and beamed. No matter what happened tonight, he would be a guaranteed member of the final five.
Samus and ROB came barging through the door, only to see Luigi being praised by Alexa.
"Too late, guys. You held up a good fight," he frowned. "Now, the others are still stuck at the bottom of the fortress. Heck, Phoenix isn't even at the combination room yet. I'll have them fetched and brought here, but in the meantime, you guys can go savor that view!"
As he disappeared through the doors, the three of them stared at the view from the balcony, revealing that they were far above the clouds.
"Woah! We're higher up than I-a thought," admitted Luigi.
ROB turned to him, a positive beep emitting from his head. "Well done on the win, Luigi. Our alliance will have a much better chance at staying intact for the next Tribal Council."
With a huff, Samus shot him a cold stare. "No matter who has immunity, we're still going to be forcing a rock draw, at the end of the day."
"It doesn't have to be a rock draw," he stated. "But that would require you to betray your alliance."
"It would," she replied vaguely.
Many minutes of silently staring into the clouds passed until a rumble came from the door. Upon turning to it, out came Alexa, Engineer, Little Mac, and an abashed Phoenix.
"Well played Luigi..." Muttered Engineer.
"If I didn't fall at the beginning, I might have won," groaned Little Mac. "That and the stupid combination lock puzzle screwed me!"
"At least you made it to the stupid combination lock puzzle," Phoenix added.
The host patted Luigi on the back. "With Luigi now immune, that leaves you five up for elimination! You totally don't want to be eliminated right before the end, but someone has to be that guy. Survivors, there is a pipe at the back of this balcony that leads you back to the desert. Please take the pipe, discuss an eliminee amongst yourselves, and come to Tribal Council to deliver me that victim! I'll see you all tonight..."
He waved as the survivors left the Fatal Fortress, returning back to the Dry Dry Desert...
Super Stars: Day 30
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Little Mac - Engineer - ROB - Samus Aran.
"I don't like how things are panning out..."
Little Mac sat down, staring into the orange-hued horizon as he slowly turned his head to Engineer. "If we're going to force a rock draw, we have a larger chance of drawing the purple rock."
"We have a third of a chance of everythin' goin' in our favor. Those odds ain't high, but they could be worse," he said. "Not to mention, one of us will be immune at the rock draw."
"Huh?"
"Remember back when Phoenix and Tails tied twice in a row?" Engineer chuckled. "To think either of us could have been screwed before the Merge from pure chance alone. Anyhow, when rocks were drawn, neither of the two tied fellas had to participate. So, if I were to get voted up next Tribal Council, chances are we'd tie twice, and I'd be completely safe from rocks."
The boxer slowly nodded with understanding. "Oh yea, I remember! I hope I get voted up, then."
"Same here, kid," he sighed. "Do ya fully trust Samus?"
Little Mac, in contrast to the mindset he held only a few days ago, gave a thumbs up. "Definitely! She might have gotten Kirby out instead of what we wanted, but I still trust her. She's great at challenges, too."
"Never thought I'd say this, but I underestimated Samus! She might have targeted me at one point, but since she joined our alliance, she's led Engineer and I to victory with her skill alone. Back when Engineer and I teamed up to take out Meta Knight, I felt powerful alongside him, and then when Samus joined our alliance, I began to feel unstoppable. If only Luigi didn't best her in that race, then I wouldn't be worrying as much." - Little Mac.
"It's good to hear you've finally warmed up to the gal, but somethin' about her doesn't make me so sure." Engineer folded his arms and stared in the distance, where ROB and Samus stood. "When ROB came over and asked Samus for a lil' chat, we both knew that he would try to convince her onto his side. I don't think she'll buy it, but somethin' tells me she might turn her backs on us."
He shook his head frantically and reassured Engineer. "Come on. She knows that getting to the Finale by betraying us and eliminating either me and you would make her a target to everyone. Even if she was offered to join his alliance, I bet you she'll be kicked out of the alliance once only she and they remain. Her only option is staying immune, which is something nobody can do consistently... unless you're JoJo."
A little more hopeful, the Texan placed his hands onto his hips. "She's pretty darn bright, so I expect her to take that risk with the rocks."
"It's a huge risk, though," admitted Little Mac. "If you hadn't saved me countless times, I'd get the urge to betray you just so I wouldn't have to deal with that luck-of-the-draw thing for a second time. It was scary enough back when six people had to draw rocks!"
Engineer eventually broke his stare off of the two distant survivors and back to his alliance partner. "My best bet is to take that risk. I wouldn't make it far after backstabbing you or Samus. After all, I ain't close to being the best at challenges next to the likes of Luigi, ROB, Samus, and heck, you. Phoenix and I are at the bottom of the food chain."
As their discussion died down, all they could do was wait for the cue to begin traveling over to the Koopa Sphinx...
Similarly distressed about his fate, Phoenix vented his troubles to Luigi beneath the tent.
"If ROB doesn't manage to convince Samus, who knows what will happen," he panicked. "ROB is easily the biggest threat between me and him, so if the others target him, that means he'll be immune in the rock draw! From there, all I can do is hope that either Samus is persuaded into voting Little Mac with us, or I'm not the unlucky one faced with that purple rock."
In an attempt to cheer up the atmosphere, the plumber remained optimistic. "I'm sure Samus is-a thinking the same thing. She'll have to join us in our vote against Engineer if she wants a guaranteed slot in-a the Finale."
"You have a point, but it's all easy for you to say when you're completely safe," he remarked weakly. It was then that Phoenix decided to bring up the dream he experienced last night. "I had that nightmare where I was eliminated again, and it's difficult to shrug off now that I'm this close to making it to the end and winning. Heck, ROB and Samus might even be plotting to blindside me so he can stay safe! Far-fetched, sure, but I can't rule that out."
Luigi pouted. "It wouldn't be like ROB to-a betray the alliance like that. Maybe it'd be the best outcome for-a him, and he-a might even know that! But, I-a still trust him."
"Right, trust!" Thought Phoenix. "Sometimes, relying on someone is the best option you have. And even though ROB's a robot, I've interacted with him enough to know that he wouldn't betray his alliance. He would much rather try and keep his alliance together for as long as possible, and to do that, he would need Samus on his side."
The lawyer ended up agreeing with Luigi, and though he was still anxious for his safety, he had a feeling that his elimination wouldn't involve a blindside.
Finally, far out in the outskirts of the Jagged Rockies area, ROB had finished his proposal to Samus:
"If you vote with us for Engineer, then not only will you dodge the rocks, but we'll focus down Little Mac instead as opposed to yourself. From there, you have a high chance of making it to the final three. Alternatively, you can make the biggest risk that you've ever made regarding this show," ROB laid out the options sternly after having explained the situation in detail. Samus thought long and hard about her options. Would she betray her tribe and make things harder in the long-term? Or, would she make the risk for a chance to smoothly sail to the end? She typically made decisions quickly, weighing up the pros and cons and deciding from there. This time, making a choice was tasking.
ROB observed her thinking, letting her take as much as time as she needed without further input.
By the end of the wait, Samus folded her arms and huffed loudly.
"Fine..."
Pleased, the machine gave a high-pitch beep of approval. "Thank you. You've made the safer choice."
After further thinking, the bounty hunter added onto her answer.
"It's not the safer choice, it's the riskier choice."
"Hmm?"
"I never said I would be voting alongside you, Phoenix, and Luigi," she coldly revealed. "I'm going to chance it and vote alongside my alliance."
ROB tilted his head. "I see. Well, good luck to you on tonight's Tribal Council. The chances of things going right for you are one in three."
"Maybe it would be better if I voted alongside ROB and the others, but Engineer and Little Mac came to me after voting against Meta Knight and offered to form an alliance to try and tackle the others. I feel more inclined to stick with them than the others." - Samus Aran.
They parted ways and traveled back to their alliances, ROB returning to the shelter as Samus returned to the middle of the tribe.
"How did it go?" Asked Phoenix.
"For a second, I thought I had her convinced." He hung his head. "I apologize, Phoenix, but it's either you or me, if things were to go wrong."
The lawyer quivered. All it would take was one rock for his entire experience on this show to be over. He momentarily contemplated voting against ROB, but he didn't feel that it was right for him to vote against his own alliance, not that it would get him much further.
Meanwhile, as Samus approached Little Mac and Engineer, a similar question was shot her way.
"So, what'd he say?" Engineer questioned.
"He asked me to join him in voting against their target, which is you, Engineer," she said. "I kindly declined the offer."
Engineer smirked, appeased by her apparent response. "I hope you ain't lyin'."
"It feels weird havin' the person you sabotaged multiple times throughout the competition turn around and decline an offer to have ya eliminated." - Engineer.
"I could just admit it and there would be nothing you could do about it," she said. "Anyway, we should start heading down to Tribal Council, and I presume ROB is our target?"
The Texan winked to her. "Bingo. But, I advise we don't vote for him."
"You're not making much sense," she said blankly, half-questioning his sanity.
Not surprised by her comment, Engineer was swift to elaborate. "When Mac and I participated in the rock draw that took Gordon out a while back, I remember that the two individuals that tied twice did not have to draw a rock. I know none of those three have it in 'em to backstab each other, so if things are gonna resort to a rock draw, then we should make sure the tie is between Phoenix and me and not ROB and me. That way, ROB will have a shot at drawing that purple rock."
New to this information, Samus took his word. "If that's the case, then I'll follow through with that plan."
"Same here." Little Mac raised his hand casually. "So, who's ready to get Tribal Council over with?"
"I am," she replied, a friendly smirk on her face. "Good luck."
Engineer and Little Mac got up from the sandy, gritty floor and made their way to the Koopa Sphinx, Samus by their side. As for the other alliance, they followed them a few minutes later.
Things could go either way for the two factions. Although Luigi's immunity gave his alliance a slight advantage in odds, the rocks could target absolutely anyone not protected by immunity. It was going to be the tensest night for sure, and the only valid strategy the survivors had was hope...
Tribal Council: Night 30
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Little Mac - Engineer - ROB - Samus Aran.
The Koopa Sphinx was quiet. Crackling fire alongside the footsteps of the survivors were the only sources of noise in the Tribal Council room. This wasn't exactly out of the norm for Tribal Councils, and with a depleting cast, each council was bound to get quieter and quieter with each visit. Though, the survivors themselves paid more attention to the silence than usual. Maybe it was because they tried to put their minds on something that wasn't the impending rocks, or maybe it was because they felt as if this silence was a little different than usual. Whatever it was, they accepted that they wouldn't be able to put their finger on it.
All six of them sat down uniformly on their benches. As they did so, they realized that only one of the two benches was just enough to fit the whole tribe on. Despite that fact, they continued to evenly disperse themselves among the two benches, mainly because it was far more comfortable than crowding onto one bench.
Needless to say, all of them were fretful. Even Luigi, who had guaranteed immunity, fidgeted with his hands. How far would he get if Phoenix or ROB drew the purple rock? Thinking about it gave him a headache, and he empathized heavily with those that were in the hot seat of elimination via rocks.
Alexa had returned to his stern persona from the last Tribal Council, silently eyeing the survivors while they shuffled into their seats. Once they were in position, he started the Tribal Council. "Welcome to Tribal Council. As you've known for a long time, this specific Tribal Council is going to be the last one before the Finale. From there, things will be unpredictable and ruthless, so let's hope you can get into the incredible milestone of the Final Five before you get to that."
He then clicked his fingers, sharply traveling around the room as he called out to the Jury. "Come on out!"
Once given the cue to do so, the Jury erupted from the left passageway, starting with the freshest blood: Peach, and ending with Tails. Most of them didn't exchange any words to Super Stars as they passed by, but Peach gave a gentle wave to ROB, Luigi and Phoenix.
"Take a good look at the Jury," the host said. "Specifically, their numbers. There are more of them on their benches than there are more of you on your benches. In other words: you guys are outnumbered, and that will be further rubbed in when the fourteenth eliminated contestant is revealed and sent over to their tribe."
Doing as he asked, the six gazed at the eight. If things were to repeat as they did in the first season, then that would mean those eight Jury, plus the next and final three eliminees, would be the ones to decide the victor of the show from the three survivors that would remain. They had been guessing an outcome like that since the desert was a new environment to them, but now that the Jury was beginning to rack up a sizeable roster, they found it difficult to believe that Alexa would leave deciding the winner in the hands of everyone that sat on the bench, which unfortunately included more infamous characters such as Waluigi or Spy.
After enough eye contact between the judges and the soon-to-be judged, Alexa continued. "Let's get on with a few questions before we begin the long-awaited vote."
With no hesitance, he followed the announcement with a point to Engineer. "Let's start with you, Engineer. Since the close call between you and Peach a few days back, has luck been on your side?"
A mixed look appeared on his face, and from that, he concocted his answer. "As you can tell, it's not been on my side as much as I wanted it to. If it was on my side, then Luigi wouldn't have been the one to nab that immunity, and instead, it would've been me. But, I ain't completely in shambles, because from what I can tell, I have a pretty low chance of kickin' the bucket tonight."
"Can you tell me why you think that?"
"No-can-do." Engineer wagged his finger from left to right. "But if things go to plan, then you'll find out why."
"Thanks to Samus informin' me that the others are tryna vote me out, I've been feelin' a little more optimistic about my fate tonight. Normally, sayin' that would be a big ol' oxymoron, but if things are going to be a tie as everyone here expects then that means I won't have to draw a rock if I'm one of the two involved in it." - Engineer.
Luigi and Phoenix looked to him with confusion, though ROB understood what the Texan was getting at.
Satisfied with his answer, Alexa moved on to the next person. "I'm looking forward to seeing what makes Engineer think he has a good shot at pulling through, but in the meantime, I'll ask ROB a similar question: do you think you have a good chance at surviving this Tribal Council?"
With minimal thinking time, the robot replied. "Weighing up the possibilities of tonight, my chance of leaving is thankfully not too high."
"Mind explaining some of those possibilities?"
"Of course," he accepted. "It's incredibly likely that tonight's elimination will be in the form of rocks. Henceforth, all of the possibilities I'm thinking of are based around that notion-"
"Hold it just a second." He leaned forward, raising both eyebrows with surprise. "It's very likely that Tribal Council will resort to rocks?"
ROB confirmed his query. "With how everyone stands right now... yes, I predict it will."
"You know, even for a robot, there aren't many predictions he's gotten right," Phoenix thought.
Now that Tribal Council had been exposed to the vital information, Alexa clasped his hands together and cut the questions short there. "Well, if it's all going to be a roulette, then there's no point in asking for people's confidence."
On the inside, Alexa was still completely taken back by ROB's statement. Both alliances that remained were loyal enough to be comfortable with risking it all on a rock draw. Tonight's Tribal Council was truly a strange one.
"Let's see if ROB's prediction of a rock draw holds merit," said Alexa. "Survivors. Cast your votes!"
The moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived. One by one, they stood up from their bench and walked down the narrow left corridor to reach the voting room.
ROB: It's unfortunate that it has to be a rock draw, but at least the odds are more in our favor than it is in theirs. (Engineer)
Engineer: You got eliminated, came back from the dead, dodged several chances for you to finally get kicked off, and you managed to get yourself a pretty strong alliance. Here's hopin' that luck of yours finally comes to an end. (ROB)
Little Mac: A one-in-three chance of getting ROB out is better than nothing. I hope those rocks don't pick me or Samus... (ROB)
Luigi: No matter what happens, even if it ends badly for-a me, I'll still be in the game, and I'll still be able to-a win! (Engineer)
"Survivors, I shall read out the votes!" Yelled Alexa.
*VOTING TIME*
First vote goes to Phoenix Wright. One vote Phoenix. ("W-whaaa?!" He cries.)
Second vote goes to Phoenix Wright. Two votes Phoenix.
Third vote goes to Engineer. One vote Engineer, and two votes Phoenix.
Fourth vote goes to Phoenix Wright. That's three votes Phoenix, and one vote Engineer. (Phoenix stares at his vote intensely.)
Fifth vote goes to Engineer. Two votes Engineer, three votes Phoenix.
"And the sixth vote goes to... Engineer! As ROB had predicted, a tie has occurred!" Alexa proclaimed. "Meaning that a second vote will take place."
Ironically, the survivors were relieved over this outcome. The last thing they wanted was a vote backstabbing them or their alliance.
"In this second vote, both Engineer and Phoenix are unable to vote. With four remaining survivors in charge of eliminating one of these two, that means a second tie IS possible. If that were to happen, then a rock draw would take place. If you guys want that, then feel free to vote as you did before, but if you can't handle the luck, then changing your vote would be the better choice," advised Alexa. From the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was attempting to discourage making such a massive risk, even if the reward would be just as big. "Survivors, you may cast your votes for the second time!"
One by one, the survivors barring Engineer and Phoenix stood up and re-entered the voting room, casting their votes once again. The tied individuals remained in their seats, unable to take their minds off of the slight possibility of someone following Alexa's advice and changing their vote.
After the four repeated their process, Alexa gathered the votes, brought them to the main room, and read each one to himself.
He peered to the survivors, still looking down at the final vote in his hand. "Much like the first vote, this one has resulted in a tie. Meaning rocks will have to be drawn."
Those words weighed down on the remaining survivors heavily. The scariest part of the Tribal Council was just about to begin.
"Every Tribal Council, I place cloth-wrapped rocks underneath your benches and shuffle them before you arrive. You may pick up these wrapped rocks, but do not open them just yet," he demanded. "This is a punishment to those unable to come to a decision, meaning that the two that are tied: Engineer and Phoenix, will not be participating. Additionally, Luigi's immunity prevents him from participating either. That leaves either ROB, Little Mac, or Samus to draw their rock."
As he continued, the three mentioned reached down and nabbed their wrapped rocks. "All of your rocks are shaped like mushrooms, and two of which are red, which grant you safety. On the other hand, there is a purple rock among those you have in your hands. Whoever draws the purple rock will be eliminated from Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert. They will be the fourteenth eliminated, the ninth Jury member, and the third ever survivor to be eliminated by rocks."
Little Mac's hands shook wildly. He was desperate to stay in the game for a chance at winning the prize. Meanwhile, Samus and ROB might have looked collected on the outside, but they were just as nervous as Mac was. They had committed to this game for so long, and for it to end by luck would be a pitiful, measly end.
"Survivors...
You may now pull the cloth from your rocks, and take a look."
Simultaneously, each of the three pulled the cloth from their rock, revealing its color...
ROB, to the despair of Engineer, drew a red rock...
Meanwhile, Samus had also drawn a red rock...
They all turned to Little Mac, face in his hands, and the purple rock taunting him from his lap.
"Little Mac has drawn the purple rock," Alexa weakly announced. "Unfortunately for you, Mac, you're the survivor that will miss out on the Finale. Please say your final words and leave Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert."
He continued to sit there for a few seconds longer before finally revealing his gloomy face. With a sigh, the boxer stood up from his bench as Alexa began blowtorching his portrait. He had gotten so close, and if not for the risk he and the others had decided to take, he would have made it to the Finale of the show. Instead, he was sitting next to the path that would lead him out of the Koopa Sphinx and out of the show.
With a look to the five that had outlived him, he muttered a few words before turning around and taking his immediate leave.
"Good luck, guys."
Engineer scowled as the teenager, once full of life and hope, left the area without looking back.
"And that's what happens when you mess with rocks so late into the game. Little Mac brought energy to the game, being a powerful veteran destined to prove himself after getting eliminated at the last season. Though he did get a lot further than he did on his first attempt, the rocks had destroyed his progress. But now, with his sacrifice to the cruel placement of sixth place out of the way, only five of you remain. The Finale will begin tomorrow, so I hope you're all prepared for what it has in store for all of you. Goodnight survivors, and get some rest... if you can."
Though the taste in their mouth over Little Mac's departure was undoubtedly bitter, the survivors had made it. Through every obstacle and enemy that stood in their path, they were at the home stretch, and they had only a few more hurdles to climb before they would have the opportunity to be crowned the Sole Survivor by the ever-growing Jury Tribe. And with that determination, the survivors left the Koopa Sphinx with their heads up high.
It is almost over...
Little Mac's Last Words: "Maybe it was a meant-to-be. As strong and as close I was to getting immune in that last challenge, I think everyone around me might have had me beat anyway. Samus is stronger and more strategic, Engineer clearly knows how to persuade the Jury onto his side, ROB and Luigi are great at challenges, and the last time I underestimated Phoenix was the time he beat Engineer and Peach in a challenge! It sucks that the rocks chose me, but either Samus or Engineer has this win in the bag!"
VOTES
Engineer's Voters: ROB, Luigi, Phoenix Wright.
Phoenix Wright's Voters: Engineer, Samus Aran, Little Mac.
VOTES (Round Two)
Engineer's Voters: ROB, Luigi.
Phoenix Wright's Voters: Samus Aran, Little Mac.
REMAINING SURVIVORS
Super Stars Tribe (Yellow)
- Phoenix Wright
- Luigi
- Engineer
- ROB
- Samus Aran
Jury Tribe (Gray)
- Squidward Tentacles
- Waluigi
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Jotaro Kujo
- Spy
- Meta Knight
- Kirby
- Princess Peach
- Little Mac
Thank you all for watching! The final episode (including every chapter) should be out by the end of this month if not sooner. Until then, why not leave a review predicting who you think might win out of the five?