Tribal Council: Day 31
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Engineer - Samus Aran.
Not long after ROB's departure, Alexa was eager to progress onto the next stage of the Finale.
"As for you guys... please follow me..."
The command was sudden and intimidating, though the survivors obeyed his words immediately. As they stood up, suspense filled the air as Alexa made his way to the right passage from the entrance of the Tribal Council.
Throughout the entire competition, the passage had always been seen as a locked wooden door. Though they all had the occasional moment of curiosity where they would ponder over what was beyond the door, the accepted conclusion eventually boiled down to it being a useless storage facility. Now that they saw the host beckoning them towards it, their suspicions of its importance grew tenfold.
Pulling out a key from his pocket, he slotted it into the keyhole and twisted.
*Click*
With the door now unlocked, he swung it open and held it open for the survivors to enter. "After you," he gestured.
One after the other, the four entered through the door to realize that their suspicions were correct. Beyond the entrance lay a large spiral staircase that connected the Koopa Sphinx to an area far beneath the surface of the Dry Dry Desert.
Samus was at the front of the group, cautiously traveling down the stairs. They went on for a long, long while before eventually leading them to a dimly lit ruins-like area that was drab in color.
Exiting the staircase, they walked down a broad corridor, Alexa overtaking them as he continued to lead them onward. No words were exchanged during this exploration of the mysterious underground of the Koopa Sphinx. They stared at the torches neatly placed along the walls, the bright red flame highlighting the chiseled symbols on the walls. Each footstep made echoed through the hall, half-drowned by the intense crackling of the flame torches.
"Your destination is just through this door." Alexa lifted his finger and aimed it at the end of the path as he turned a corner to his left. He walked up to it and pushed the door open, once again holding it for the survivors to pass through.
Stepping through the door and into this next section, they were greeted with a large, ancient gallery. The room was large in all dimensions, finely decorated with more symbol-patterns and twenty large portraits that were scattered around the walls of the square-room. Though the first fifteen or so portraits were reduced to ashy remains encircled by a metal frame, the final five contained the survivors that had made it to the Finale, even including the late ROB. This made them theorize that the previous portraits represented the fifteen survivors who had been eliminated prior to the Finale. At the far back of the room was yet another locked door, but this one was bulkier and made from stone.
"Wow. What a beaut," Engineer admired. "Minus all of those burnt pictures, this is a mighty fine room."
Grinning, Alexa patted one of the chiseled pillars in the middle of the room. "I'm glad you like this room! I thought a beautiful place like this was the perfect tribute to all of the survivors we've lost along the way. In fact, I've deemed this room: the Survivor Catacombs."
Luigi stared at the burnt portraits littered along the walls and shivered. Though it had a mystical prettiness to it, the room reminded him of the ghost gallery he stored captured ghosts in back in his ghost-busting days. Because of this, the room's atmosphere was unsettling.
Moving on, the host moved the attention of the four over to the portraits. "Surely you can remember these portraits. The frame, the fact that the contents of most of them have been burnt to a crisp by yours truly. Excluding ROB, every burnt portrait represents the survivors that have kicked the bucket along the way. Though this isn't much of a challenge, I will ask all of you to do one thing..."
Their ears perked up as they listened for his command.
"...I would like you to start on the left and work your way through each portrait. Above these portraits are the names of the survivors, and the order is based on their placement in the show. Reflect on their time spent on the show, the interactions you've had with them, and perhaps even your opinion on them. Go as harsh on any of them as you like. The Jury won't be aware of what you say... at least until the show's over," Alexa snickered.
Obeying his command, the survivors began to the left of the Survivor Catacombs entrance.
The first portrait contained a plain, wooden plaque beneath it:
"Johnny Bravo (Power Flowers) - The first to be eliminated at an 8-1 vote."
Engineer shook his head. "I didn't see much of this meathead, but I'll be damned if he wasn't the most obnoxious from what I've heard and seen."
"If I remember correctly." Phoenix rubbed his chin. "Johnny made it to the Jury back in the first season, correct?"
With a sigh, Samus nodded. "That's true, but he was mostly puppeted by either me or Captain Falcon."
"I'm-a not surprised," admitted Luigi. "Mario told me that he was a bit of a... err, creep?"
"A pathetic one at that," she hissed with disgust. "I'm glad I didn't have to deal with him for long this time, and the same goes for him, too."
Samus pointed to the portrait to Johnny's right, revealing Super Macho Man's burnt portrait. Above his was another wooden plaque:
"Super Macho Man (Power Flowers) - The second to be eliminated at a 6-2 vote."
Phoenix shivered. "He didn't seem very smart, but I'd be lying if I didn't say he scared me the most out of everyone here at first."
"Even more than-a Jotaro?" Asked Luigi.
"I suppose, but he was on our team at least," he said. "Macho Man looks like he could have broken every bone in the body with one punch."
"Maybe if he wasn't just as aggravating as Johnny, those muscles would have gotten him far." Samus folded her arms.
Engineer smirked. "Apparently he had it out for Little Mac. To think a kid his size bested a brute like him."
Moving on to the next portrait, they encountered Squidward's:
"Squidward Tentacles (Super Shrooms) - The third to be eliminated at a 6-0-0 revote."
"Revote?" Engineer queried. Shortly after remembering the events of that council, his eyes widened. "Oh shoot, I remember now. That was a darn wild Tribal Council."
"Yeah," agreed Luigi. "Jotaro, Little Mac, and Squidward all tied."
"Then we voted Squidward because he was the weakest of the three if my memory is correct," added Phoenix. "I kind of felt bad, but it was him or someone as valuable as Jotaro or Little Mac."
The Texan shrugged carelessly. "Eh, wasn't fond of the squid. Just a lil' too sarcastic for my tastes."
"Yeah... he wasn't the-a most positive," Luigi confessed.
As they approached Patrick's portrait and plaque, Engineer leaned towards Samus. "You sure had a lot of fat to trim back on the early days."
With a sigh, all Samus could do was accept that fact. "Yeah. Your team was far better than ours," she said, leaning in to read Patrick's plaque in more detail:
"Patrick Star (Power Flowers) - The fourth to be eliminated at a 5-1-1 vote."
"Sometimes I wasn't sure if Patrick knew what show he was in," Phoenix groaned. "Thankfully, he wasn't on our team."
Engineer shook his head. "He was just too slow to keep up with the rest of us. And by slow, I mean physically and mentally."
"Engineer's right," said Luigi. "You really did have a lot of-a fat to trim, Samus."
The mercenary placed his hand on his hip. "Maybe it was for the best. With more obvious candidates for elimination, it prolongs her own demise in a way. Meanwhile, our first two votes as a team involved a three-way tie and then a rock draw for cryin' out loud."
"I never thought about it that-a way," the plumber remarked.
Engineer continued, "speakin' of the rock draw..."
He walked over to Gordon's portrait, reading his plaque aloud:
"Gordon Ramsay (Super Shrooms) - The fifth to be eliminated, and the first to be eliminated by rock draw."
Samus eyed Engineer. "I see what you mean."
"That rock draw was-a very scary," Luigi said.
Remembering the night as an even worse one than everyone else did, Phoenix pointed to his chest. "At least you weren't one of the two that nearly got voted out twice in a row! As for Gordon himself, it's a shame he was picked by the rocks, but I suppose he already had his chance in the Tropics."
"It must suck to get far in the first season, only to be one of the first to be eliminated in the second season. By rocks, no less." - Phoenix Wright.
"He wasn't a bad teammate, but I remember targeting a group he was apart of at one point last season," Samus remarked. "It didn't work out."
As they moved on to the survivors that had been eliminated after the Triple Tribe twist, they noticed that the plaque had been upgraded. Instead of a boring wooden one, they were met with a polished, bronze plaque:
"King K. Rool (Power Flowers) - The sixth to be eliminated at a 2-0 revote."
"In theme with most of my tribe, I didn't remember K Rool fondly either," Samus scoffed. "I was exiled whilst he was eliminated, however, so I don't know too much of the details beyond what I was told."
"In case you guys were wondering..." Phoenix shamefully paused. "Macho Man might have been first place for scariest, but K Rool was a close second."
Luigi gulped. "Understandable, he wasn't the-a most friendly."
The Texan scratched his head, confused. "Y'know, I find it a lil' weird how ROB, Waluigi, and Squidward were awarded with returning to the show or becoming Jury, but K Rool wasn't. You think he would've crushed the latter two."
"I imagine his stupidity got the best of him," insulted Samus.
The next survivor to receive the bronze plaque was the aforementioned Waluigi:
"Waluigi (Super Shrooms) - The seventh to be eliminated at a 3-1 vote."
Engineer chuckled to himself, finding the memories of Waluigi's night of elimination to be amusing. "Heh, I remember when the guy suddenly got a spring in his step once he realized he made it further than his friend."
"His friend?" Said Phoenix, confused.
"He's-a probably referring to-a Wario," explained Luigi.
"Bingo," Dell winked.
The plumber gave an exhausted sigh. "He really wanted me to-a be eliminated."
"Yep, I remember the crap he used to give ya," he nodded. "Now look at ya, nearly at the Finale whilst he only came close to hittin' the Merge."
"When it became known that Waluigi had-a been eliminated, I was a little happy that he wouldn't pick on-a me anymore. But now that he's-a Jury, I'll never get his-a vote." - Luigi.
Once their discussions over the purple villain came to a close, they approached the eighth portrait and read its plaque:
"Papyrus (Power Flowers) - The eighth to be eliminated due to rule-breaking."
Concerned that Alexa might hear her, Samus lowered her voice. "I remember when he punched Alexa to purposefully eliminate himself. He had it coming to him, but Papyrus being the one to do it was a complete surprise."
"I remember that clear as day," Engineer chuckled. "The joint Tribal Council nearly had us drawin' rocks if not for his antics. Would've laughed if it wasn't so darn sudden."
Envious of the other two, he huffed. "I wish I saw it."
"Knowing Alexa, it won't be long before it happens to him again," she smirked.
As they chuckled amongst themselves, Alexa leered at them from a distance. "I hope they aren't laughing about the time Papyrus punched me," he grunted.
Once the laughter subsided, they moved on to Tails. Once again, the plaque had changed material. This time, instead of being a shiny bronze, it was a much slicker silver plaque.
"I think I get it now. The further you get, the better plaque you receive. Judgin' by this silver one startin' at Tails, the Jury all get silver plaques. Hope mine's gold." - Engineer.
After focusing on the plaque's second change, they leaned in to read the contents:
"Miles "Tails" Prower (Super Stars) - The ninth to be eliminated at a 3-2-2-2-1-1 vote."
As Engineer silently respected Tails and the alliance they had, the others were more shocked by the vote.
"Was it really that-a split?!" Exclaimed Luigi. "Half of-a the tribe was-a voted for."
Phoenix scratched the back of his neck. "Well, all teams combined. I'm sure there weren't many big alliances back then, so it was more "every man for himself" than ever. I liked Tails, but it was undeniable that he would have won every race challenge going forward."
"That's true," Samus said. "He was also strong enough to lift and carry Little Mac. If anything, Tails was likely the second strongest next to Jotaro."
"...Speak of the devil," the lawyer joked, walking over to the next portrait.
As they followed him to Jotaro's portrait, they read his plaque:
"Jotaro Kujo (Super Stars) - The tenth to be eliminated at an 8-3 vote."
"Where to begin," Phoenix shuddered. "It was bad enough dealing with a "stand" that could punch as fast and as strong as Jotaro's, but the ability to stop time was just too much to comprehend."
Engineer couldn't help but agree despite his respect towards Jotaro. "Let's hope Alexa doesn't make that mistake again. Surprised he was eliminated so early."
"Maybe it-a shows how he's still not too powerful despite his-a stand," debated Luigi. "He may be strong and able to-a stop time, but even he knew that one slip-up would get him forced into Jury, and that's exactly what-a happened!"
Though she felt as if Jotaro had the potential to steamroll the competition until the very end, Luigi's words were all but wrong to her. "You're right, Luigi. At the end of the day, he lost to half the tribe back in the cave challenge. I'm just glad he took Spy with him."
The four turned away from the stand user's scorched portrait and made their way to Spy's, reading his plaque immediately:
"Spy (Super Stars) - The eleventh to be eliminated at a 7-1 vote."
After a long, bitter stare at the mercenary's portrait and plaque, the survivors turned to one another.
"I don't think this guy deserves much "reflection" if you ask me," Phoenix uttered with scorn.
"You took the words right outta my mouth, Mr. Wright." Engineer turned his head away from the portrait and made his way to the next.
As Phoenix and Luigi followed suit, Samus gave one momentary cold gaze towards Spy's portrait before joining them.
Needless to say, they didn't care much for remembering Spy. Instead, they made their way to the next portrait read its plaque:
"Meta Knight (Super Stars) - The twelfth to be eliminated at a 5-2 revote."
"Beyond the feud I had with this lil' fella, he wasn't too bad to be around," Engineer confessed.
"He was yet another person I was scared of messing with, but at least he wasn't explosive as some of the others that were on Power Flowers,"
Samus, meanwhile, respected him far more than anyone else. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am now," she said. "I appreciate him for that."
"...And then you have no choice but to work with the two responsible for knockin' him out," the Texan teased. "Ain't that ironic?"
"You know, there's still always the possibility of me blindsiding you."
The blunt retort knocked the wind out of him, and just like that, he decided to keep his mouth shut.
With silence overtaking the conversation, Phoenix and Luigi awkwardly stared at each other before moving on to the next portrait:
"Kirby (Super Stars) - The thirteenth to be eliminated at a 6-4 vote."
"I feel bad for-a Kirby," Luigi said.
"Something tells me the reason why has something to do with the idol," guessed Phoenix.
"Well that, but also because of-a how unexpected his elimination was."
"Unexpected?"
"I'm sure everyone thought it would-a be ROB, even if they also voted for-a Kirby."
Engineer jumped in, casually pointing to Samus. "Well if it wasn't for her idol, ROB wouldn't have made it to the Finale."
"If you want someone to blame, then blame Alexa for making that the final night where idols were playable," Samus said, defending herself eagerly.
Still annoyed over that night's random twist, she turned away from Kirby's portrait and briskly walked to the next. By this point, only a handful remained before they would loop back around to the beginning of the room:
"Princess Peach (Super Stars) - The fourteenth to be eliminated at a 4-3 vote."
Joining up with Samus, Engineer strode to her scorched portrait and huffed. "I really thought I was toast then. Sure, I think that a lot, but I made enemies with two of the Jury whilst her speech was seemingly praised. God knows what made them pick me, but I'm grateful."
"Princess..." Luigi whispered under his breath. "If she was going to-a be eliminated by-a Jury, then that means they probably wouldn't have voted for-a her to win at the end."
"That's a surprise to me," admitted Phoenix. "She was rarely voted for in Super Stars if ever. I really believed that she had it in her to receive the most votes by the Jury."
With a playful nudge to his arm, Engineer chimed in with a joke. "Well, she did receive the most votes. Just not in the good way."
The lawyer frowned as he picked up on the irony of her elimination. "Yeah, that was the strangest part of her elimination. At least it was close... say, I expect Spy to be one of the two to become enemies with you in that Tribal Council, but who was the other?"
"Waluigi."
"What'd you do to annoy him?"
Engineer rolled his eyes. "Well, he hated Little Mac, and cuz it became known to him that I was teamin' with him, that screwed me."
"Just as petty as I expected from him." Phoenix pinched his nose and sighed.
As they moved from Princess Peach's portrait, only two portraits were left, and the first of which was Little Mac's:
"Little Mac (Super Stars) - The fifteenth to be eliminated, and the second to be eliminated by rock draw."
Engineer couldn't help but smile. He hadn't partnered up with Little Mac for long, but they made a great duo. The energy, cockiness, and enthusiasm that Little Mac held were unforgettable and admirable. "You did good Mac. Real good."
"Sixth place is a big step up from his previous attempt," said Samus. "Said attempt landing him cornered and eliminated at eighth place. If he hadn't been rocked out, he definitely would be where we are right now."
"Mhm," Phoenix said. "And I probably wouldn't."
"You don't know-a that," said Luigi. "Little Mac might have not been a good driver."
"Much respect to the kid, but I got a feelin' he would have made plenty of mistakes in that last challenge," Engineer opined.
And finally, with a goodbye to Little Mac's portrait, they made their way to ROB's portrait. To their surprise, it had been scorched into the same fate as the fifteen portraits before it whilst they were touring around the room. Above the portrait was, as some had guessed, a golden plaque with the details of his departure engrained on it:
"ROB (Super Stars) - The sixteenth to be eliminated at a 4-1 vote."
"Can't believe that robot got as far as he did," said Engineer. "But he held up a good fight for both of his stays."
"Minus the time he was sandwiched by two idols," added Phoenix. "That must have sucked."
"He was-a the reason our alliance was-a formed," Luigi explained, giving a smile. "And considering that made things a lot easier for-a me and Phoenix, I'm-a happy that he got this far!"
Samus tutted at the plumber's gushing and tapped her foot. "He might have made the lives of you two a lot easier, but the same can't be said for us."
"I got a feeling that this reflection Alexa made us do only made Samus more annoyed. Sure, she always looks and acts annoyed, but being reminded of how her team was fifty percent useless has clearly not been pleasant," Phoenix thought, carefully studying the bounty hunter's disgruntled expression.
"Well, survivors?" Checked Alexa. "How were the memories? I'm sure most of them were fond, correct?"
"No," Samus uttered.
The cold answer made him crack a humored grin. "Oh well, that makes sense. Anyhow, now that you're done reflecting on the good and bad times you've shared with the fallen survivors, I say it's time you really show your respect for the fallen ones. That's right, your next and final challenge in Survivor Crossover's second season will be taking place in these very catacombs!"
"Here we go," Phoenix thought. "Don't screw this up! No matter what he wants you to do, you can't afford another loss."
Alexa pointed to the middle of the room, gesturing to the survivors and beckoning them over. "Please move to the middle of the room whilst I explain the challenge."
As they made their way past the large pillars and to the center of the room, the four quickly spotted four podiums that certainly weren't present when they had first arrived. Neither of them could guess how Alexa got them in without it being visible or at least audible, but they were unsure of how he went about most of his antics at this point:
*For your final challenge, each of you will stand behind one of these four podiums. On each podium is a buzzer, and once pressed, it will disable the buzzers of the other podiums for a short amount of time. The main gist of this challenge is to answer questions relating to the sixteen previously eliminated survivors. These questions will sometimes have multiple choices for an answer, and other times they won't.
If you think you know the answer to the question, then you will hit the buzzer and will be given a few seconds to answer the question. If you run out of time or get the question wrong, then you will be frozen until either someone else gives the correct answer or everyone else gets the question wrong.
The first survivor to get five questions correct will receive immunity, ending the challenge. However, if sixteen questions pass without any survivor reaching five correct questions, then the survivor with the most will win the challenge instead. In the event of a tie, the tied will be asked one question until either of them get it right.
Good luck, survivors!*
"A quiz to cap things off?" Phoenix's eyes lit up. "I actually stand a chance!"
They wandered over to the podiums. They could taste victory at this point, and whether they'd make it to the glorious end of the show would all come down to their performance in this final hurdle.
Upon standing behind the podiums of their choosing, Alexa was quick to begin the challenge.
"I'll now give to you your first question! To recap, the first one to hit that buzzer will be able to answer the question. If you get the answer wrong, you're frozen out and everyone else will be given an opportunity to answer the question," Alexa explained.
Q1 - What was the last name of Johnny?
It appeared that the first few questions would be very easy for the survivors to answer. The only problem was that, if most people had a good idea of what the answer is, then the competition to hit the buzzer first would be much higher. That idea had been replicated the second the question was uttered from Alexa's mouth, as every survivor rushed to hit their buzzer first.
*BUZZ*
From Phoenix Wright's podium came the sound, and Alexa pointed his finger at him. "Phoenix! What's your answer?"
"Bravo," he firmly answered.
With a clap, Alexa stuck his thumbs up. "Good job! Phoenix has gotten the first question right."
The other three groaned, also having Bravo in their heads.
"Next question!" He declared.
Q2 - Before being defeated by Little Mac in the WVBA World Circuit, what was Super Macho Man's total number of wins?
A - 10
B - 16
C - 23
D - 30
E - 35
There was a lengthy pause before the first person hit their buzzer, that person being Phoenix once again.
"Thirty?" He guessed.
"You don't seem sure about that one, and for good reason." Alexa shook his head and pouted. "That's an incorrect answer, meaning you've been frozen out!"
With the lawyer out of the question, the next person to buzz was Luigi.
"Umm... twenty-three?"
Once again, Alexa shook his head. "That's also incorrect! That leaves Samus and Engineer as the only two able to give guesses."
With two answers down, it could either be ten, sixteen, or thirty-five. With some confidence, Samus slammed down on her buzzer right before Engineer could.
"Thirty-five."
"There we go; that's correct!" He applauded. "So far, Samus and Phoenix both have one correct answer under their belt. Next question!"
Q3 - What species of sea creature is Squidward Tentacles?
Though Phoenix was about to press the buzzer, he was instantly cut off by an enthusiastic yet slightly suspicious Luigi. The answer almost seemed too obvious, but he thought that the obviousness of it was only to throw people off.
"Is he a squid?" Luigi asked.
"Despite what his name would have you believe, that's incorrect!" Alexa exclaimed. "Luigi has been frozen out."
"Mama mia..."
Once the buzzers were reactivated, Phoenix immediately pressed his and gave an answer. "Octopus."
"Correct!" He cheered. "Phoenix has scored two of the three answers correct! Only three more before the challenge ends and he receives immunity."
With that crucial reminder now hammered into the minds of Samus, Luigi, and Engineer, they focused more on getting to the buzzer first.
Q4 - What type of object does Patrick Star call home?
A - An anchor
B - A rock
C - A pineapple
D - A dome
E - A bucket
Much like the second question, the survivors were stumped. Though most of them ruled out pineapple, they were all torn between the other four options.
Eventually, Engineer manned up and decided to give his guess after hitting the buzzer.
"Gonna go out on a whim and say rock?"
"Correct!" Beamed Alexa. "Engineer gets his first correct answer, leaving Luigi as the only one without one!"
"Well I'll be damned," he chortled. "I know I was makin' an educated guess, but a part of me still thought sayin' a rock would be stupid."
Q5 - How many Michelin Stars does Gordon Ramsay hold across all of his restaurants?
A - 5
B - 6
C - 7
D - 8
E - 10
With not much concept on Michelin Stars, Phoenix hit the buzzer and went fully generous on his answer.
"I'm going to guess ten."
Alexa frowned and gave an exaggerated thumbs down. "Nada! Phoenix has been frozen!"
Taking after Phoenix's generosity, Engineer buzzed in and gave the second-highest answer.
"I'll say eight."
Much like Phoenix, Alexa denied his answer. "That's also wrong! Samus and Luigi remain."
With a slight feeling of panic, Samus thought it was best to buzz in before Luigi and give her own guess.
"Five."
For the third time, the answer was incorrect. "Sorry Samus, but it's not five either! That leaves Luigi to choose between either six or seven."
After a short moment of thinking, Luigi delivered his guess. "...Seven?"
To the plumber's joy, Alexa gave a bright smile and awarded him with applause. "Congratulations Luigi, you got the answer right!"
"Yahoo!" He said, jumping for joy.
Q6 - What color is the gemstone on King K. Rool's cape?
Immediately, Luigi buzzed in.
"Is it blue?"
And just like that, he had gotten himself his second correct answer. "That's right! Luigi is now tied with Phoenix with two, leaving Samus and Engineer at one each."
This challenge was already proving difficult. It was either occasional general knowledge or educated guesses, many of which didn't end up working out too well.
Q7 - How many times does Waluigi's hat emblem appear on his outfit?
Though Luigi knew his arch-nemesis well, the other survivors were quick to remember his clothing. They remembered it appeared once on his hat, but then they remembered that it appeared once on each glove too.
As they all slammed against the buzzer...
*BUZZ*
Luigi's was the only one that made noise, meaning he managed to hit it first.
"Three!"
"Correct! Luigi only needs two more before he wins the challenge; what a comeback!"
"God damn it," Engineer said, clenching his fists.
Q8 - What is the name of the underground town that Papyrus lives in?
Engineer faintly recalled Papyrus mentioning it before. Meanwhile, Phoenix's research prior to joining the show as well as Samus also recalling the skeleton mentioning it in the past left the three of them racing to remember it in full. Luigi, on the other hand, was completely stumped.
After a long enough wait, the buzzer was eventually pressed by Engineer.
"What's your answer?" Asked Alexa.
"I'm gonna guess... Snowton."
"That's unfortunately incorrect, meaning you've been frozen out of the question," he announced.
With his close guess jogging the memories of Phoenix and Samus, both of them went to hit their buzzer.
*BUZZ*
Fortunately for Samus, she barely managed to get to hers first.
"Snowdin."
"Correct!" Exclaimed Alexa. "To recap: Luigi has three questions correct; Samus and Phoenix both have two questions correct, and Engineer only has one question correct."
Q9 - What is the name of the biplane built and partially owned by Miles "Tails" Prower?
A - Storm
B - Hurricane
C - Cyclone
D - Tornado
E - Typhoon
Though Engineer had the best idea out of everyone else, he was swiftly beaten to the buzzer by Phoenix Wright.
"I'm going to guess... Cyclone?"
With a firm headshake, Alexa declined his answer. "Sorry Phoenix, but that answer's not correct! You're now unable to hit your buzzer again."
"...It was worth a guess," he said to himself.
Now that Phoenix was out of the way, the mercenary was now able to hit the buzzer for himself.
"It's the Tornado, ain't it?"
Pleased with the answer, Alexa gave a nod. "Correct! Engineer's now tied with Samus and Phoenix."
Q10 - What is the name of Jotaro Kujo's Stan-
*BUZZ*
Before Alexa could finish the sentence, Samus had already buzzed in.
"Star Platinum."
"Y-yeah, that's... that's correct!" He praised timidly, thrown off by the speed and sharpness of her answer. "Samus ties herself with Luigi at three correct answers!"
Q11 - How many different types of revolvers does the Spy have?
A - 4
B - 5
C - 6
D - 7
E - 8
Despite knowing the Spy decently well, Engineer was a little stirred by this question. He didn't pay too much attention to his arsenal of weapons, and that was mainly down to the secrecy that the French snake possessed. With that said, his guess was as good as anyone else's.
The first person to hit the buzzer was Samus.
"Seven."
"Wrong," Alexa said. "Samus has been frozen out!"
Not long after, the second person to hit the buzzer was Engineer himself.
"Five?"
"He's got it," said Phoenix.
"Wrong also!" The host claimed. "Engineer has joined Samus in being frozen out."
A short pause occurred before Luigi rushed to hit the buzzer. There was no point in dragging things out, so guessing was his only valid strategy.
"Um... err... six!" He hastily answered.
"...CORRECT! Luigi only needs one more correct answer before he wins the challenge," warned Alexa. "Think fast and think smart, Super Stars!"
They gritted their teeth, desperately wanting the next question to be one that Luigi didn't know.
Q12 - What is the name of Meta Knight's battleship?
A - Halberd
B - Morning Star
C - Meta Cruiser
D - Heavy Lobster
E - Supernova
Samus couldn't put her finger on why, but she found the Halberd to be a strangely familiar name. With no better guess, she went to hit her buzzer...
...But was quickly beaten by Luigi.
"Luigi! If you get this next answer right, you win that sweet immunity!" Alexa reminded. "What's your answer?"
Crumpling from the pressure, the plumber used an educated guess. "The... Morning Star?"
"Sadly not! Because of your wrong guess, you've been frozen out."
As he gave a sigh of defeat, the others gave a louder sigh of relief. The next person to hit the buzzer was Samus.
"The Halberd."
"Correct! Samus is now tied with Luigi, meaning that one more correct answer will get her immunity! As for Phoenix and Engineer, you two need to catch up."
"This challenge is harder than it looks; most of my answers have been complete guesses. To make things worse, I haven't interacted with half the people eliminated pre-Merge."
Q13 - What planet does Kirby hail from?
A - Dream Star
B - Pop Star
C - Neo Star
D - Rock Star
E - Ripple Star
"No way is it Pop Star or Rock Star, those are just puns Alexa threw in," Engineer thought, slamming his buzzer down.
Alexa turned his way. "What's your answer?"
"I'm-a guess Ripple Star."
With a shake of the head, his answer was wrong. "That's not right! Engineer has been frozen out, leaving Phoenix, Samus, and Luigi to nab the answer. If the latter two get it, then that means they win!"
"Come on Phoenix, think!" The lawyer stared down at his podium and focused intensely. Were there any clues pointing towards Kirby being in either a place called Dream Star, Pop Star, Neo Star, and Rock Star? Much like Engineer, he suspected that Pop Star and Rock Star were both joke names, leaving Neo Star and Dream Star.
As he continued to think, Samus immediately thought of an answer she was somewhat confident in. Upon hitting the buzzer, she said her answer immediately. "Dream Star."
"Ouch! Also incorrect," said Alexa. "That leaves Phoenix and Luig-"
*BUZZ*
The noise came from Phoenix's podium, who didn't bother giving Alexa a chance to go over what he already knew. He was very confident that his answer was correct, and him getting it right would prevent Luigi from winning.
"Is it Neo Star?" He guessed.
After a short pause, Alexa... shook his head once more. "Apologies Phoenix, but Neo Star is not the correct answer. That leaves Luigi to give the final guess."
The plumber, who had been unable to decide on an answer, was now put on the stand. He did not expect Pop Star and Rock Star to be the final two choices, but he would have to quickly give a guess. It's all come down to this...
"An answer, please," he hurried, his tone impatient.
"...Pop Star."
Another pause, similar to Phoenix's guess, rolled by. Unlike his guess, however, Alexa did not shake his head. To the dismay of everyone around Luigi, he nodded.
"That's CORRECT! Meaning... LUIGI HAS WON IMMUNITY FROM THE FINAL CHALLENGE!"
Shaking with joy, the plumber hopped into the air rose his fist up high. "I-a did it!"
The others sighed, giving deflated looks to Luigi as he continued to bask in victory. He had overcome the penultimate hurdle that was between him, the money, and the Luxorium Hotel visit, and he couldn't be happier.
Once the wave of euphoria came to a close, the Finale was soon back on track.
"So then," Engineer said. "Let's get Tribal Council over with."
Alexa was quick to pick up on his monotone voice. "Sounds like somebody's ecstatic to get things over with. Tribal Council will be taking place in these very catacombs, and by the end of it, one more of you will have their beautiful portrait scorched into a charred frame. I'm sure any discussion won't be necessary for any of you. This is the part of the game where you make one last effort to eliminate anyone you may think has a better shot at getting the most votes than you."
"If only I could eliminate anyone," Phoenix quietly commented.
He continued, "so, let's begin the final Tribal Council!"
Survivor Catacombs (Tribal Council): Night 31
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Engineer - Samus Aran.
As the survivors fixed themselves into their podiums, Alexa began the Tribal Council.
"Before I ask you all to cast your votes, I'll dish out some questions. Starting with Luigi: I'm sure you must be endlessly happy to have a secure spot in the Final Three, correct?"
Luigi nodded rapidly. "I know people say this a lot, but I never thought I'd get that-a far. And for-a most of the challenge we just did, I didn't expect to-a win it either. Samus had the advantage of-a knowing a lot of the pre-Merge contestants and being a veteran."
"That's true, but she didn't get many questions right regarding those," he said. "Any reason for that, Samus? Did you blank, or were you simply not social enough with them to find out."
"I didn't feel like becoming friends with the likes of Macho Man, Patrick, and K Rool. I expected them to go early on and I was right. Though, I suppose I did blank a few times."
Alexa understood her troubles. "It wasn't an easy challenge. A quiz doesn't require as much physical power, but some of those questions were very tricky. Alas, Luigi pulled through. Phoenix and Engineer, you guys didn't even get three questions right. What happened?"
"Wasn't proud of my performance in that one," Engineer hissed. "I should've gotten Spy's question right for sure, but he's too secretive to make any question on him a cakewalk. That's for damn sure."
The host snickered. "I see. Well, you all tried your hardest on both Finale challenges, even if some of you lost miserably on them. But now's the moment where we eliminate the final contestant from Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert, reducing the cast to fifteen percent of what it started with. While you do not have easy access to the old voting area, the hallway in which you came from has since been converted into one. With that in mind, please... CAST YOUR VOTES!"
Starting with Samus Aran, the survivors momentarily left the Catacombs to cast their votes...
Samus Aran: I can either stay loyal to Engineer and force a two-on-two tie, or betray him and get to the Finale. If I eliminate him, then that means Phoenix won't vote for Luigi as Jury... but that might also risk Engineer and Little Mac not voting for me. I suppose I'm used to risks, but is this one I want to make? (?)
Luigi: This is-a hard choice. Engineer has plenty of-a people that will and-a won't vote for-a him in the Finale, but so does Samus... I'm-a so glad that I'm not a target in all of-a this. (?)
Engineer: Alliances don't matter as much now. I hate double-crossin' someone that's helped me out, but it has to be done. I ain't riskin' another damn draw. Hell, how will rocks even work in a vote this small? I'm not gonna find out. (Samus Aran)
Phoenix Wright: I'm confident in who I want to vote for. I think Engineer will have more people on his side than Samus, and even though she deserves it more because she's performed better, that logic doesn't always apply to the Jury. After all, Peach did much better than Engineer in challenges, yet she was the one who got eliminated by them. (Engineer)
"Survivors!" Proclaimed Alexa. "Get ready. I shall now read out the votes!"
A chilling air danced around the Catacombs as he took the first vote slip out and read it aloud:
*VOTING TIME*
First vote goes to Engineer. One vote Engineer.
Second vote goes to Samus Aran. One vote Samus and Engineer. (Samus and Engineer pass a gaze to each other.)
Third vote goes to Engineer. That's two votes Engineer and one vote Samus.
"The final vote..." Alexa paused. "This vote will dictate the final eliminee and Jury of Survivor Crossover's second season. Depending on who you are, you're either praying for a tie or a vote to decide the victim here and now."
He took it out and read it to himself. "The fourth vote goes to..."
Samus and Engineer stared at him without moving an inch.
"ENGINEER!" He yelled. "At a three to one vote..."
"God damn it," the mercenary cursed.
"...You have been eliminated from Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert and have become the final Jury member. Please say your final words before leaving through the entrance."
Phoenix's breathing slowed down. How had he not received a single vote? It quickly became apparent to him and Luigi that both of them attempted to double-cross one another.
Leaving his podium, the Texan placed a hand on his hip and smiled. "That was a toughie. Well played Samus; good luck to you and the fellas beside ya. I'm ready to join the Jury."
Taking the loss moderately well, he gave a wave to them as he swiftly left the Survivor Catacombs.
"Farewell!" Alexa said as he left. He then turned to the survivors. "There goes Engineer. An unorthodox survivor with a plan, a brain, and some brawn and bravery to stand on his two legs. Unfortunately, his strategy fell short, and he has to take the unfortunate title of "The survivor that missed the mark". As for you guys, just take this moment to pat yourself on the back. As for me, I'll be burning his portrait..."
Engineer's last words: "It stings. It stings a helluva lot to fail at that last moment. In fact, if I went out first, it probably would have hurt less, but I had plenty of fun in the end. Made friends with a young fox and a marshmallow thingamajig, kicked Spy in his scoundrel ass, and I made an enemy into a friend for my final days before, well, gettin' blindsided by them."
VOTES
Engineer's voters: Samus Aran, Phoenix Wright, Luigi.
Samus's voters: Engineer.
REMAINING SURVIVORS
Super Stars Tribe (Yellow)
- Phoenix Wright
- Luigi
- Samus Aran
Jury Tribe (Gray)
- Squidward Tentacles
- Waluigi
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Jotaro Kujo
- Spy
- Meta Knight
- Kirby
- Princess Peach
- Little Mac
- ROB
- Engineer.
Survivor Catacombs: Night 31
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Samus Aran.
As the reflection on their entire performance during the game ended, Alexa walked over to the survivors after having scorched Engineer's portrait. "Well, survivors. This is it, huh. The ultimate conclusion to the answer of who will become the Sole Survivor of Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert is almost here. But obviously, I don't think this place is grandiose enough to contain the true end of this season. Please follow me."
He guided them through the large stone doors at the back of the room. Miraculously, they appeared to open as Alexa came close enough, revealing a massive room that made their eyes widen.
Finale Council: Night 31
Survivors: Phoenix Wright - Luigi - Samus Aran - Johnny Bravo - Super Macho Man - Patrick Star - Gordon Ramsay - King K. Rool - Papyrus - Squidward Tentacles - Waluigi - Miles "Tails" Prower - Jotaro Kujo - Spy - Meta Knight - Kirby - Princess Peach - Little Mac - ROB - Engineer.
A large, lit room filled with seats lay before their eyes. The back row of seats contained every non-Jury survivor that had gotten eliminated. The front row contained the cast of Jury, now including Engineer who had somehow made it into the theatre despite moving out of the Catacomb entrance. Every aspect of what was happening rendered them speechless, and they were standing on a stage-like platform with one large curved bench in the middle.
"Take a seat, survivors," gestured Alexa. "Welcome to the Finale Council. Every lost man along the way, both Jury and non-Jury, are here to celebrate the end of this show. This is the moment everyone's been waiting for, and through all of the challenges and trials you've competed in and survived through, tonight will reveal the ultimate Sole Survivor of the Dry Dry Desert!"
His voice was giddy, even the host was excited to see the winner. "I thought a nice, small theatre such as this would be a luxurious fit for you three."
"W-wow..." Phoenix thought. "If I hadn't been in a courtroom for many years, I'd collapse from the number of people judging me."
Alexa pointed to those standing in the seats. "At the front row is your wonderful Jury: Squidward, Waluigi, Tails, Jotaro, Spy, Meta Knight, Kirby, Peach, Little Mac, ROB, and Engineer. These eleven will dictate who wins and who misses out. As with every Tribal Council you've experienced, it all comes down to the vote. However, before this vote, the Jury will give their two-cents, then you will give your argument as to why you should be the one to win. From there, the Jury will vote, and the survivor to receive the most votes will be crowned as the Sole Survivor, meaning they will win the million dollars, the Luxorium Hotel stay, and the glory of besting the desert!"
The three were nerve-wracked. Even Samus found it fairly tense for what it was.
"Alright. If the Jury is ready, then they can begin entering the stage and giving their thoughts on the three survivors. Go harsh or go praising; it's your call!"
The first Jury to stand up was Squidward Tentacles, who shuffled himself out of his seat and walked onto the stage. Though many of the Jury thought of speeches to give long before the show would make it to this point, Squidward was not one of them. Regardless, he had a fair amount to say.
"I'm not sure on who to vote just yet, but I'm thankful that none of you three are as annoying as the imbeciles I had to deal with back in those islands. Not like it's a hard thing to accomplish. Anyway, my vote will go to the most convincing speech, so don't say anything stupid."
After his short speech was over, he quickly took a seat back in his old spot, intercepting an angry Waluigi as he stomped onto the stage.
Upon arriving, he shot his finger at Phoenix and began his long-winded rant.
"This isn't fair! The lawyer was abysmal at all of-a his challenges, so he shouldn't-a be here! As for the lady, she teamed up with that cheater Little Mac alongside the cowboy that cheated his way out of elimination a few days ago." By the time he got to Luigi, he was practically frothing at the mouth. "As-a for you. You're a pathetic, cheater who got all the luck. I don't want to-a vote for any of-a you, but if I really have to, then you better give a good reason as to why Waluigi should give you the time of-a day!"
After one last hiss, he stomped back and left everyone in the room stunned and angry at him. Not even ten minutes into this ceremony and the villain had already screamed at the three contestants who had toughed it out to the very end.
"Mama mia..." Luigi uttered.
Next up was Tails, someone who brought a far better atmosphere to the stage than the bitter Waluigi or the unprepared Squidward did.
"You all did great! I've heard about your results in the challenges and what you've had to do to make it this far, and no matter who wins that title of Sole Survivor, I'd say they deserve it. As for who I'm voting for, I have a small idea, but I feel like I'll need some convincing. Good luck on winning!"
The survivors began to notice a pattern by this point. Much of the Jury was not as stubborn as they had anticipated. Many of them depended on the speeches and arguments that the survivors would propose, and though they didn't have a way of showing evidence, lying wouldn't end well.
As the fox sped off the stage, the tall, intimidating Jotaro took his place. Something about being judged by Jotaro made the survivors especially nervous, as he was easily the most powerful survivor in the show by far. The ability to obliterate with punches, aim with absolute precision and stop time itself were impeccable abilities.
Once he got into position, he eyed the three, studying their faces. "I already know who I'm voting for."
The one-liner had the life drain from Phoenix. "Here lies Phoenix: didn't get a chance to convince Jotaro to vote for him."
"They're good at challenges, have the guts, and escaped some tight spots. Alexa clearly likes things ambiguous, so I won't say who, but I think they might know who they are."
Turning around, he left the stage and sat back down, Spy rolling his eyes at his words before standing up to give his speech. The three of them did not expect a pleasant speech, no matter who they were.
"Ahh. The cowardly plumber, the quack lawyer, and the endlessly annoying brat of a girl that just wouldn't stay down," Spy sighed. "Not an impressive final bunch, but I suppose there was a sweet spot of tolerance and actual fight in them. It's obvious who I'm talking about, but if you want me to spell it out for you, then it's the one that'll send the purple fool behind me into despair. Au revoir."
As the rogue made his exit, Phoenix and Samus slowly turned their heads to Luigi. Spy was clearly on about Waluigi, and they couldn't think of a scenario that would anger the lanky Italian more than seeing his green archnemesis bathe in victory.
They were halfway through the Jury, and the next person to say their peace was the wise Meta Knight.
When he strolled onto the stage, he gave a nod of approval. "All of you are incredibly worthy of winning. You all showcase different levels of skill, but whilst one of you might accel there, another excels at staying out of Tribal Council's spotlight. In short, the fact you made it to this stage is a big enough indicator that you've done well enough to earn that money. It all just comes down to the detail and our opinions. I personally have someone in mind, though if their victory is nabbed, I wouldn't be surprised."
His speech was respectable, and Samus got a faint idea that he might have referred to her when explaining who he has in mind. They did team up plenty of times, after all.
The next in line was the adorable Kirby, someone who was simply happy to see the remaining survivors once again.
"Poyo!" He waved. "Poyo poyo, poyo poyo. Poyo poyo poyo... poyo, poyo poyo POYO! Poyo, poyo, poyo poyo! POYO POYO!"
Though his words were cute, the survivors had zilch clue what the puffball was attempting to say or explain. He didn't do any physical indicators for his target, and it felt more as if he just wanted to praise them without thinking of a target to vote for. After his short series of incoherent ramblings were over, Kirby sat back down and allowed Princess Peach to take the stage.
Now that it was back to English, the survivors were ready to hear the princess's thoughts.
"All of you have done great. Phoenix and Luigi have been incredible alliance members to me, and though Samus was my enemy for a while, she deserves credit for being such a powerful foe. I will stick with voting for my loyal alliance, however, and it's just a question of who I think has done the most work between you two, which I'm confident in answering myself."
Upon hearing that, Phoenix continued to mope in the reality that he would receive the least votes from the Jury. "I can answer it confidently myself," he thought.
With one last wave, Peach was quickly replaced with a giddy Little Mac.
"You know Samus, we've had a bumpy friendship. I liked you at first, but then I wanted you gone the second I heard you and Meta Knight planned to get me out. I teamed with Engineer and managed to get Meta Knight out, and then we were forced to team with you to take on the large alliance on the other side of the tribe. From there, I didn't just like you, but I respected you. It was clear you worked yourself up from nothing to the skillful beast you are now, and that's why I'm making it apparent that you have my vote regardless of what the others might say!"
Samus was relieved to hear those words. She had noticed that the boxer had forgiven her for the fiasco that involved ridding him from the show prior to his elimination, but she was concerned that it wouldn't be enough to have Mac vote for her at the very end. This was enough evidence that she could put her doubts to rest. So far, things looked massively in her favor for victory.
Two more Jury members remained: the two who had been eliminated at different points during the Finale. The first of which was ROB, who boosted himself onto the stage.
"After putting all of your performances into account, I can safely say that Samus and Luigi have been the strongest contenders in terms of receiving immunity. In addition, Luigi has received the least amount of votes. Ironically, the only vote he has received throughout this competition has been from me, though that was only because of the predicament I was placed into earlier today. Through my own opinion and the facts, I believe he should win out of the three, but I wouldn't be opposed to the outcome of Phoenix or even Samus winning. Good luck."
With one clunky nod, ROB drifted off the stage and left Engineer to deliver the final speech.
The Texan smiled. "Ain't it obvious I'm votin' for Samus? I admitted it earlier, and she's done far more to warrant winnin' even if I hadn't teamed up with her. Her team was incredibly weak, she was targeted a lot, and yet she's still here. Hey, and not to mention she's gotten to the Finale before, so it ain't just a stroke of luck that got her to where she is now... mostly. Sorry Luigi and Phoenix, but you two ain't got my vote."
As he left the stage with confidence in Samus winning, Alexa continued. "Well, what do you three think of that? All of them had something worthwhile to say, and I'm sure you can get an idea of who might be thinking of who from a good chunk of them. If you feel like you're out of luck, then don't lose hope just yet. All three of you will be asked to convince the Jury to vote for you based on what you've done over the others. The most convincing argument may just swoon over a few members onto your side, which is crucial! And also, it's fun to brag, so don't get too humble with your persuasion."
The trio of contestants nodded as Alexa asked the first survivor to give their speech. "Let's start with the first survivor to receive their confirmed application: Phoenix Wright. Please stand up, face the Jury with determination, and explain why those prizes are yours for the taking!"
Phoenix shakily stood up from his bench and faced the audience. He was on TV in front of millions, and the last thing he wanted was to make himself look unworthy of voting. Though things looked sour for him, Nick knew he wasn't out of the game just yet. He would prove everyone who doubted him wrong, and impress those that already believed in him.
"I won't pretend that I'm the most powerful guy in the desert. I won't pretend I was the smartest either, or the most charismatic, or the most strategic. But through all of the odds that I faced in this desert, I've proven that anyone can make it this far if they try hard enough. They can overcome and adapt to this harsh landscape, and they can even outlive the likes of a masked warrior, two powerful boxers, or even a guy who can stop time. And I've proven that by getting here, and I know that I deserve to win this show by dodging every threat that came my way! Please, if you're unsure on who to vote, then choose me!"
His voice was passionate and determined as Alexa had asked. Some of the indecisive Jury perked their eyes at his words, but now Luigi and Samus had a chance at stealing his thunder.
"Thank you, Phoenix," Alexa said. "The next person I would like to give their speech is the brother of Mario, who was the Survivor Crossover: Tropics runner-up. Luigi, do what your brother couldn't, and win the show!"
Luigi stood up and faced the audience. "I really never thought I'd make it this-a far. But, now that I-a have, I realized that I've-a made it this far because I'm worthy of-a winning the competition's prizes! I've done well at challenges, and as-a ROB said, I've only been voted once. I-a did what I can to get by, but I tried my best to-a never play dirty. Please vote for-a me, because I've played fair and-a hard!"
Peach softly applauded the plumber as he sank back down, full of anxiety and fear. As Phoenix was, he was scared that Samus would drown out his argument with hers.
The host pointed to Samus. "Well, that leaves one last person. The veteran of Survivor Crossover who made it further than she did last time: Samus Aran! You have the last chance to persuade the Jury."
She stood up firmly, her movement far greater than the shakiness of Phoenix and Luigi. "Last time I played on this show, I sacrificed my social game in an attempt to get out those I deemed as a threat. Not only did I fail on all of those attempts, but I was cornered and eliminated right before I got to the end. This time, I've formed alliances, performed better at challenges, and I had the ability to form strategies and adopt new ones when they would begin to fall apart. I already have the votes of my previous alliances, but my speed, strength, and skill warrant the title of Sole Survivor."
Identical to how she stood up, she lowered herself back down onto her bench, leaving the room silent.
"I think we've heard enough," said Alexa. "The Jury has said their thoughts, and the survivors have attempted to change those thoughts for their benefit. Who had the best speech, and how close will this vote be? Let's not beat around the bush any longer; the Jury will be asked to vote for the final three one by one. The final vote will then take place. I will remind you all one last time that the Sole Survivor will receive one million dollars as well as a two-week stay at the Luxorium Hotel where they will be given the opportunity to bring two friends or family of their choosing. The two runner-ups will receive absolutely nothing."
Phoenix sighed. "Way to rub it in," he thought.
"For the very last time... I will ask the Jury of Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert to CAST, THEIR, VOTES!"
At the back of the room was a voting room. Starting with Squidward, the Jury left their seats to cast their final votes. The three survivors remained on their bench, anxious beyond words.
"So this is how Captain Falcon, Mario, and Papyrus felt." - Samus Aran.
They watched as each Jury member entered the room...
Squidward...
Waluigi...
Tails...
Jotaro...
Spy...
Meta Knight...
Kirby...
Peach...
Little Mac...
ROB...
and finally Engineer...
As they all returned to their seats, the votes were collected and handed to Alexa.
"Man, this is tense," he commented, grabbing the box of votes. "Survivors. For the last time in this ferocious desert, I shall read out the votes. Not to eliminate another poor soul, but to announce the Sole Survivor..."
He took the first vote from the box and read it aloud:
*VOTING TIME*
The first vote goes to... Samus Aran. One vote Samus.
The second vote goes to... Phoenix Wright. One vote Phoenix and Samus.
The third vote goes to... Luigi. One vote Luigi, Phoenix, and Samus.
The fourth vote goes to... Luigi. Two votes Luigi, one vote Phoenix and Samus.
The fifth vote goes to... Samus Aran. Two votes Samus and Luigi, and one vote Phoenix.
The sixth vote goes to... Samus Aran. That's three votes Samus, two votes Luigi and one vote Phoenix. (Luigi and Phoenix begin sweating.)
The seventh vote goes to... Phoenix Wright. Three votes Samus, two votes Phoenix and Luigi. (Phoenix is surprised that he's keeping up.)
The eighth vote goes to... Luigi. Three votes Samus and Luigi, and two votes Phoenix.
The ninth vote goes to... Luigi. That's four votes Luigi, three votes Samus, and two votes Phoenix. (Phoenix would need these final two votes to tie with Luigi.)
The tenth vote goes to... Samus Aran. Four votes Samus and Luigi, and two votes Phoenix. (The lawyer accepts his defeat as Luigi and Samus await the final vote.)
Here they were, at the climax of the show. Alexa removed the final vote from the box and read it to himself.
"The eleventh vote, revealing the true Sole Survivor of Survivor Crossover: Dry Dry Desert, is in my hand. Though he can't make a comeback as it is, it's sadly not a vote towards Phoenix. This is no tie."
Phoenix hung his head, but still eyeballed Luigi and Samus. Which of these two would be crowned the winner?
Alexa gave a dramatic pause as the room fell silent.
"...The winner is..."
"...LUIGIII!" Bellowed Alexa.
Samus clenched her fist momentarily as the plumber sat there in shock.
"I... I-a did it..." He said to himself. "M-MARIO, I-A DID IT!"
"Poyo!" Yelled Kirby with glee.
"Congratulations, Luigi!" Peach waved.
The audience of the room began their applause. Phoenix and Samus hesitantly joined in. They weren't too surprised by the outcome. Luigi was kind, supportive towards the friends he made, excellent at challenges, and though he had moments of doubt, he truly began to believe in himself towards the end. He was the Sole Survivor, and nothing would take that away from him. He felt bad for Phoenix and especially Samus, though the incredible joy he felt washed away anything close to negative that he felt. Luigi was absolutely restless, repeating the same phrase over and over.
"I DID IT!"
"NOOOOO!" Waluigi cried. "...CH-...CHEATER!"
He stood up to bolt forward, but right before he could get ready to tackle the plumber, Jotaro swiftly slammed his hand against his chest and held him back. The intimidation and suddenness forced Waluigi back into his seat, but nothing stopped him from hissing over the victory of Luigi.
Samus turned to Phoenix and grinned. "We tried."
"...yeah," he smiled back, shaking her hand. "It must suck losing by one vote."
She nodded. "It does, but I suppose he deserves it. All of this effort I did was just for some ship parts that I probably couldn't afford anyway. People like Luigi and Captain Falcon do this for the glory or to prove themselves, and I suppose that makes them more deserving than I do."
"I suppose. Good game, Samus."
"Mhm... good game."
Meanwhile, at the back of the row, Papyrus smiled. "I'M GLAD LUIGI'S TAKING THE WIN WELL!"
"If only they hadn't voted me off second, I would be the one doing the dancing," muttered Macho Man. "This outcome stinks, but anything beats that loser boxer."
Little Mac rolled his eyes, turning around from his seat. "I can hear you, y'know."
"That was the plan, pipsqueak!"
"At least he has more clothing on than a speedo," said Gordon. "Bloody hell, learn some class."
As Johnny and Patrick childishly sniggered at the chef's insult, Macho Man folded his arms and pouted. "I already hate being back here..."
"Tell me about it," K Rool said. "All I associate with this place is being eliminated by a couple of worms and being tranquilized..."
After draining himself from all of the cheering, Luigi shook hands with Phoenix and Samus as Alexa moved on. "Well. That's that. Luigi had the heart, soul, muscle, and brain of a Sole Survivor, which explains why he won that status! As with Captain Falcon's victory, this will forever go down in Survivor Crossover history. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ONE LAST CHEER FOR THE SECOND SOLE SURVIVOR OF SURVIVOR CROSSOVER!"
Though some skipped out on it, the majority gave whistles and cheers for the plumber.
The celebration continued on for a short while longer, with survivors talking about their time spent in the desert, the best and worst moments, and how much of a journey it's been for them all. Luigi continued to cheer and receive praise from Jury and pre-Merge contestants alike, Phoenix and Samus were given condolences, and by the end of it all, everyone happily returned to their regular lives. They were able to eat real food and sleep in real shelters. As for Alexa, he continued to do what he did best, and that was work on Survivor Crossover. The next season would be far grander than this one, and he was excited to take things to more professional heights. Would he survive a season without getting punched by a contestant? Only time would tell.
Thank you for watching...
THE END
VOTES
Luigi's voters: Tails, Spy, Kirby, Peach, and ROB.
Samus's voters: Jotaro, Meta Knight, Little Mac, and Engineer.
Phoenix's voters: Squidward and Waluigi.
FINAL RESULTS:
*DOUBLE-TRIBE ARC*
20th - Johnny Bravo (Power Flowers. Eliminated at 8-1 vote. Episode 1)
19th - Super Macho Man (Power Flowers. Eliminated at 6-2 vote. Episode 2)
18th - Squidward Tentacles (Super Shrooms. Tied at 3-3-3 vote. Eliminated at 6-0-0 vote in second vote round. Episode 3)
17th - Patrick Star (Power Flowers. Eliminated at 5-1-1 vote. Episode 4)
16th - Gordon Ramsay (Super Shrooms. Eliminated via Rock Draw. Episode 5)
*TRIPLE-TRIBE ARC*
15th - King K. Rool (Power Flowers. Tied at 2-2 vote. Eliminated at 2-0 vote in second vote round. Episode 6)
14th - Waluigi (Super Shrooms. Eliminated at 3-1 vote. Episode 8)
13th - Papyrus (Power Flowers. Eliminated due to rule-breaking. Episode 9)
*MERGE ARC*
12th - Tails (Super Stars. Eliminated at 3-2-2-2-1-1 vote. Episode 10)
11th - Jotaro Kujo (Super Stars. Eliminated at 8-3 vote. Episode 11)
10th - Spy (Super Stars. Eliminated at 7-1 vote via Bob-Omb Twist. Episode 11)
9th - Meta Knight (Super Stars. Tied at 4-4-1 vote. Eliminated at 5-2 vote in second vote round. Episode 12)
8th - Kirby (Super Stars. Eliminated at 6-4 vote. Episode 13)
7th - Princess Peach (Super Stars. Eliminated at 4-3 vote via Jury. Episode 14)
6th - Little Mac (Super Stars. Eliminated via Rock Draw. Episode 15)
*FINALE ARC*
5th - ROB (Super Stars. Eliminated at 4-1 vote. Episode 16)
4th - Engineer (Super Stars. Eliminated at 3-1 vote. Episode 16)
Third Wheel - Phoenix Wright (Super Stars. Received 2 votes from Jury. Episode 16)
Runner-Up - Samus Aran (Super Stars. Received 4 votes from Jury. Episode 16)
Winner - Luigi (Super Stars. Received 5 votes from Jury. Episode 16)
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
- Princess Toady (FFN)
- DabBoiLe3rd (AO3)
- Reader1235 (AO3)
- Kelp_head2 (AO3)
For being helpful, frequent reviewers that motivated me to keep going with this fanfiction!
IT'S OVER! After so many months, I'm happy to have finished it at the very beginning of April. Thank you to every reader that took the time to read their work. Give me thoughts, feedback, and tell me who you'd like back for the third season when I make it! (I'm gonna take a decently long break before I start and burn myself out with S3.) It'll be bigger, better, and the variety of fandoms should hopefully improve.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!