DISCLAIMER:
Welcome, chapter 50 released. A new episode starts. What will happen between the twins? Can Sammy's alliance survive after losing another member? And what will be the new challenge about? Find out now here in Total Drama Tyranny of the Masses.
And remember, if you enjoy the story, mark it a favorite, or if you feel fancy, leave a review. That way, I can know you are enjoying it and Improve this and future stories. Now before getting started, let me answer the last chapter reviews.
Tempokeep: Yep, poor Sky was an expected elimination, but she endured a lot. And yes, the top 11 had a lot of things going among them, is still a little early to guess who will reach the ending.
gman5846: We will find out eventually ;)
Aleheather: I enjoy a lot the Courtney/Heather team, about Cody anything I can say is a spoiler.
Amitav: It's soon to know what will be the last Blast from the past challenges. But I'm sure Brick would ace it (but again, he has trained a lot in similar things.) About Charlotte no comment, but as you say it's weird ;)
And as always, a HUMONGOUS shoutout and THANKS to Geofics, who help me proofread the episodes. I would like to do more to show my gratitude to him. Thanks a lot.
Total Drama belongs to Fresh TV, its creators, and associates companies. I don't own anything from the properties used in this fic.
Pahkitew Gone Wild Part 1
Last time on Total Drama, Tyranny of the Masses, we had an ancient and exotic Chinese-themed challenge. Our campers had to compete in pairs and survive the oriental-inspired (ok loosely inspired) events in which the last place was out of the challenge.
Our campers dealt with all kinds of events: Zen archery, eating local food, the traditional bear rodeo, swimming in thermal waters, and avoiding the treasure chamber traps. After facing each other in these awesome and traditional events, only the strongest couple remained and won the immunity.
And in an unexpected twist the twins, which we were sure would be one of the worse pairs, won all the events and got the immunity. But we were more surprised when Sky was the one to take the ride in the chopper of shame.
It seems her kind opponents voted for her because she was 'injured.' Who will be mercifully eliminated next time? And what will happen with Sammy now that she lost another of her friends? Find out in the next exciting episode of Total Drama Tyranny of the Masses.
It was another morning on the island. She woke up to find that the bitter twin was the only one still sleeping in the cabin. It wasn't a surprise. Somehow everyone on this season seemed to enjoy waking up early, but she was an owl preferring to enjoy longer nights and wake up later in the day.
She took her makeup case and went to take a shower before looking for breakfast. Usually, her boyfriend would bring her breakfast in bed. He's the kind of guy that can't sleep past 9:00 am. But on this godforsaken island she didn't have those kinds of amenities.
Heather entered the shower and enjoyed the warm water falling on her head. The feeling of her fingers across her hair was one of the few pleasures she still had on the island. She was sure it was some kind of trauma after that bastard of Chris shaved her hair 3 years ago.
After the shower, she dried her hair and then began to put on her makeup. She was more minimalistic than when she was 16 but still thought a woman must take care of herself, and putting on the right makeup was another weapon in her arsenal.
She then had breakfast, the dining hall was empty. It didn't matter. It was better for her to be alone while thinking about her next steps. These days were hard on her.
Right now, there were still 11 campers in the competition, and she had 3 allies, and unexpectedly, none of them were as loyal as they should. The Queen Bee was in a weak position, not what she expected or wanted after working so hard during the first half of the season.
Her first ally was Samantha, she was a nice girl. Her feud with Amanda, her sister, made her easy to work with, and Heather's goal was for Samantha to get enough confidence to confront her, in part because their situation seemed like her and her own abusive older sister. Right now, she was her most important ally. Especially because she could bring Topher into their alliance.
Then was Courtney. What's her problem? Heather was friendly and polite with that arrogant former CIT, and she still says they aren't friends! This was a problem because the plan was to become friends and eliminate Duncan in the process. But the Latin girl doesn't open up to her for some unknown reason. What about the bonding because both were victims of cheating?
And finally Cody. He was a mystery for the Asian girl. So far he acted like always. They even played poker like before, and now he owes her 255 dollars. But why? He isn't stupid, so he surely knew something was off with his elimination, but he didn't tell her anything about it.
So far, the brunette guy was only focused on eliminating Alejandro, and yesterday Sammy asked them to vote for Sky. So she wasn't sure if Cody would focus on Duncan or not.
The problem was that even with the 4 of them voting for the punk, it may not be enough. After all, they have to vote against Amy, Mike, Brick, and Lilly's alliance. If they stood together after Alejandro's elimination, they would go after Sammy. So she needed at least one more vote of either Sammy's boyfriend or the dark-skinned videogame nerd.
But again, maybe it would be wiser to go against Amanda's alliance and let the punk for later, something she didn't want but maybe was the best course of action.
She tried to figure an answer when a sudden greeting took her off her thoughts. "Hello babe, is this seat free?"
"It's free, but babe? Really? Hello 80's called and want you dead," said Heather in a snarky tone.
Cody sat across her with a big grin on his face. "HEY! Babe is still a swag word, just as it was back in the day."
"Hehehe, ok say what you want. You're the one who will look like a dork. And how are you today? Want to lose a little more money against me?" asked the Queen Bee, making movements as if she was shuffling a deck of cards on her hands.
"NO! But I'll gladly play some games to recover some of the money I owe you," answered the brunette guy wiggling his eyebrows.
She tossed her braid playfully. "You're still saying that. I wonder if you're really trying, or you enjoy giving me money for free."
"You know what they say. He who laughs last, laughs best," said Cody before eating a little of the green slob they had for breakfast.
"I really want to know, where does all that confidence come from?" asked Heather. She then looked again at her breakfast and decided she had enough, putting it aside.
Heather thought about it, and this was a good chance. She took a deep breath and tried to sound solemn. "By the way, there is a matter I wanted to talk with you about the game."
"You know you can tell me anything," replied Cody making finger guns. "Is it about you and Alejandro?"
"OF COURSE NOT!" shouted Heather hitting the table, "Also, Alejandro is out of the game. Why are you bringing him up now?"
Cody rubbed his neck, "I don't know. You were so serious that I thought you wanted someone to confide or to comfort you."
"You're so…" Heather took another deep breath while massaging her temple. "But thank you for worrying about me."
There was a small silence. Cody felt something awkward in the way she thanked him. The brunette guy wasn't sure if she was being honest or not.
"Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is that I want to bring Samantha into our alliance," said Heather trying to repeat the same serious tone. If she remembered her lessons, a solemn tone is usually more effective with friends and family.
"Eh? That's all?" replied Cody scratching his head, "of course you can bring her. In fact, it could be the best option because just the 3 of us are really vulnerable. But you think she will accept?"
The Queen Bee looked sad at the table. "She'll accept. The problem is different." Heather gulped before talking, "I hope you don't get angry, and maybe I'm betraying Samantha for telling this, but you're my friend and I trust you."
Cody gulped but remained silent to not interrupt the Queen Bee. It was weird hearing her being so serious.
"The problem is that she voted for you in your elimination," said Heather, biting her lip.
"Hahaha, phew, if it's just that, don't worry. It's normal she voted against me. I was the worst one at that challenge. Also it's only a game." Cody shrugged. "With 4 votes with 11 players remaining, we can be a little more confident. Please ask her to join us."
The Queen Bee stood up and suddenly hugged him. "Of course, it's only a game! That mature attitude is what makes us friends, Cody." She said, smiling arrogantly. "Now let's go, we can play some games now. And then I'll go and look for Samantha."
"Of course, this time I'll show you why they call me Codemeister," replied Cody. And in a quick movement, a deck of cards appeared on his hand.
Heather smiled and walked with him. She was surprised at how effective was using the right tone when asking for something. Also, she was happy because Cody knew this was only a game, so there wouldn't be hard feelings after she wins.
Confessional: Heather
The Queen bee looked down at the camera, "I would prefer to have better control of the game, but so far, things don't seem that bad. Right now there are few alliances, and mine is one of the biggest. As long as we can rid of Samantha's sister, Mike, or the military guy we should be fine. Then we can focus on that stupid delinquent."
Confessional: Cody
"I'm really glad that Heather agreed with me about this being only a game. It may be strange but I really enjoy being her friend. She sometimes is a little full of herself and vain but she also worries about her few friends. And I wouldn't like to stop being friends if she is eliminated," said Cody looking with a thoughtful expression at the camera.
Duncan was in the forest. He liked to go there to think and also to train. Part of his strategy was to feign he didn't care about the game and then surprise his opponents. Right now, things were going better than he expected.
He was thinking about looking for either Sammy or Courtney when he saw someone going down the mountain path while jogging. So he decided to go, greet him, and got a good laugh at his expense.
The delinquent hid in some bushes and waited for him to get closer and then-
"RAAAAAAAAARGH!" shouted Duncan as he jumped out of the bush.
But the man didn't get startled and just looked at him with a small smile.
"Good day, you're louder than usual cadet. I'm glad to see you so full of energy," said Brick with a mocking smile.
Duncan rolled his eyes and began to jog with Brick, "Hello G.I. Brick, I can't believe I failed to startle you."
"You need to do better than that to get me. I used to be very nervous, so my friends always startled me like that. Now, I'm used to it," said Brick smiling proudly.
"Hahaha, really? Are you saying that you're not nervous anymore?" asked Duncan in a mocking tone.
Brick looked away, clearing his throat. "Ehem, I may still be a little nervous, but I have improved a lot. Life is about trying to improve yourself all the time."
"Damn G. , that is something I can agree. People should try to improve themselves," replied the delinquent showing a real smile.
"I'm glad you agree. Sorry but I assumed you would be of the opinion that people are just people and you didn't need to improve. No offense," said Brick looking with wide eyes at the delinquent.
Duncan sighed and made a smirk, "None taken. But more than improve, you need to first accept yourself. And I think that you, tin soldier, already know that."
"Yes, as you say, I became happier after accepting that I like to live by my code. Yes sometimes I fail and people betray me, but I prefer being betrayed than to betray," said the cadet with a wide smile.
"Just like how that Alejandro betrayed you?" asked Duncan chuckling.
The cadet glared at him. "It's true that Alejandro sometimes was a schemer, but even if he lied to me on more than one occasion, I still think that our time together and our friendship wasn't a lie, so I'll ask you to refrain from talking of him like that."
"Hahaha, you're stubborn and naïve, but I can't hate that about you," said the delinquent, laughing.
"Thanks?" replied Brick, not sure if he was being complimented or insulted.
"Don't worry," said Duncan, shrugging and enjoying Brick's confusion.
But the cadet smiled and decided to also speak his mind. "You should also be proud of yourself. Not only you risked yourself rescuing Topher during the underground challenge. You also sacrificed yourself for Courtney fighting against me. That was brave and made me look at you in a different way."
"Nah, it's just me being me. But you were also awesome in the shooting challenge. I guess you don't dress like that just for laughs," replied Duncan huffing. The delinquent knew that he didn't sacrifice himself for Courtney, she just used him as a stepping stone, but there was no use in telling Brick the truth.
"I really like my uniform. Do you think I look out of place?" asked Brick in a worried tone.
"Hahaha, of course not, but maybe I'm not the right person to ask that question," said Duncan running his hand through his green lime mohawk.
Brick laughed and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Thanks, I got nervous for a moment."
They jogged for a little while, and then Duncan smirked.
"By the way I wanted to ask you something, now that Alejandro is eliminated. Are you still planning to keep going alone?" asked Duncan in a serious tone.
Brick stopped jogging and looked at him in the eyes. "I have many bad experiences in the alliances game. I have used my vote and hurt many people without realizing it, so I would prefer to go on alone."
"Are you sure? We already were in a de facto alliance with Al, and right now, we need protection in numbers. I thought about it after our last chat and if it's who are we voting for what worries you, we can decide together," said the delinquent in a serious tone unusual to him.
"I'm still not sure," replied the cadet, "But even if I accept, that I'm not accepting, an alliance of 2 people can't do a lot."
Duncan put his arm across Brick's shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it. It's only the beginning. We can always look for allies later. But I'll not force you. If you still don't want to, I'll leave you alone."
The cadet sighed, "Can you give me some time to think about it?"
"As much as you need. But try to decide before any of us take a free chopper ride," replied Duncan, who began to jog again. "Now let's go back to the cabins. I'm so hungry that I almost wish to eat Chef's food. Almost."
Then Brick followed him. He was full of doubts. Yesterday he voted for Sky after Chef told them about her condition. But in the next elimination, what should he do? Joining Amy meant to vote for Sammy, but joining Duncan was a better option? He needed to eat something. Maybe with a full stomach everything would be easier.
Confessional: Brick
"I'm not sure if I want to keep voting in alliances or not. There is something unfair in ganging against someone else. But as Duncan said, it's part of the game. What should I do? My military instructor would be ashamed at how bad I'm as a tactician," said Brick sighing and looking disheartened at the camera.
Confessional: Duncan
The delinquent was leaning against the confessional wall. "I must say that everything went better than I planned. I don't know why I didn't think about allying with G.I. Brick after Al was eliminated. He's strong, strong-willed, and good-natured, the ideal ally for anyone. And best of all, he isn't stupid. I'm sure he will accept to cooperate."
Just after cleaning the cabin, Topher went away to look for someone while Mike stood there thinking about the previous day's challenge. It was just bad luck with the keys, but he wished to have at least reached the last event.
His arms and legs ached after all the exercise in the pool. It was a weird feeling. He knew he would change into Chester if he was the old Mike, but that was past history.
"Do you call this muscular ache? In my times, if it wasn't broken we just spat on our legs and continued with our day as usual," said Mike in a lower tone, hiding his right eye with his hand.
"Are you talking alone?" Mike was startled by the sudden question. He looked back at his visitor with a nervous smile.
"Amy? You surprise me there girl, I didn't see you coming," said Mike making a wide smile showing the gap between his teeth.
The older twin smiled back at him, "Really? Sorry I didn't mean to scare you."
"Don't worry. It was my fault because I was distracted," said the spiky-haired guy rubbing his arm.
"Thinking about your girlfriend? I never thought you had such lecherous thoughts," Amy said in a teasing tone.
Mike panicked, putting his arms in front of him defensively. "O-Of course not. I was just thinking about yesterday's challenge. I would never think in Zoey like that."
"You never, like never-never? That's kind of sad," asked the older twin, enjoying the distressed expression on the thin guy.
"I… with n-never I m-mean like…" Mike stuttered but then regained his composure. "Stop teasing your seniors!"
She winked, "Don't get angry. I was just teasing you because you're cute when you are mad like that."
"Thanks," replied Mike ignoring the obvious flirting attempt. "I'm a little stiff after yesterday's challenge. Are you ok? Because you still did an extra challenge."
"I'm ok. I didn't swim as much as you, and also, winning always helps you to feel better the next day," said Amy smiling smugly.
He nodded, "Yes and it was a great victory. You and Sammy were awesome in the last challenge."
"Yes, sadly Samey also won immunity, so I couldn't vote her out," added the twin rolling her eyes.
Mike stood silent for a moment and then looked at her with a serious expression. "I have wanted to ask you for a while now. What is your problem with Sammy? I know you told me about how she poisoned you in the last season, but even then, she's your sister. It wouldn't be better if you work together?"
"Ugh," Amy was in a pinch. She didn't want to talk about this but she needed Mike's vote. So she decided to play safe and talk a little. "Don't get me started. It's a long story."
"Well, I have time. Maybe it's just me being selfish, but I really wanted to have a blood-related brother or sister. So I feel sad seeing you fighting like that," said Mike looking upset at the ground.
The older twin smirked and looked at the sky. "I don't think you would want her as your sister."
"Why? Sammy seems kind and polite, I haven't really talked with her, but she can't be that bad if she's your twin sister," said the spiky-haired guy, looking at her face.
"That's right, she seems that way. But it's only an act. She just acts like the victim so I become the villain every time. It's always like that at home. The poor good Sammy and the nasty evil Amy," said Amy sighing sadly.
Mike looked at her with a thoughtful expression. "She doesn't seem like the kind of person to lie and manipulate others."
"That's what she does best. She even turned the entire school against me after we went to total drama. Luckily I could stay as the cheerleader squad captain, but I was shunned by everyone outside the club. Just because I put her in her place during the show, I became the evil and abusive older sister," said Amy in a harsher tone, clenching her teeth.
"But two wrongs don't make a right," said Mike in a worried tone. "Even if Sammy was trying to hurt you, you shouldn't be abusive or trying to get revenge."
The twin stood up, glaring at the thin boy. "So you're saying I should just let her have her way. That I have to just let her slander me and don't do anything. Especially after she betrayed me!"
"No, I'm just saying that just abusing her will never resolve the problem. You should try to see things from her perspective," explained Mike, looking into her blue eyes.
"Why should I? I'm the older sister, and she was the one who betrayed me. She's the one that needs to see things from my perspective," shouted Amy, looking into Mike's eyes.
The spiky-haired guy stood up, his gaze still locked on the older twin. "Because you want to reconcile with her. One of you needs to give in, and you, as the older one is better suited to try to reason with her."
"Agh! How can you take her side? I thought we were friends," rebuked Amy stomping her foot on the ground. Her eyes were so red that she seemed about to cry.
"Because I'm your friend I want to see you happy," said Mike looking distressed in her eyes. "And since the merge you have been bitter about her. Either she wins immunity, or we fail to vote her off. You're just bitter all the time. Why are you so obsessed with eliminating her?"
Amy's face was red as she became angrier and stopped thinking about what she said, just answering her friend's question. "Because the one that stays longer in the game will be the best twin!"
"That doesn't make sense. Even if you lose it doesn't mean anything. Who cares about who is the best?" asked Mike not believing they could bet something like that.
"I care! Because I'm the older and I'm the one that kept our promise. I will not let her get her way after what she did," said Amy standing as tall as she could, unconsciously trying to lock her eyes into Mike's.
The thin man's expression changed into a sad frown. "That's really sad. Do you really want to live a life focused on fighting your only sibling? Why would you want to do something so terrible and tragic?"
Then tears began to fall across his face. Amy stood there, her anger turning into confusion.
"Why are you crying? Stop it," demanded Amy in a distressed voice.
"I'm crying for you. Because I know what it's like to live a life only focused on hating someone and believe me, it's not worth it," replied Mike. His sad expression was completely different from Mike's usual demeanor.
Amy put her head against his chest. She just gave up. "Then what are you saying? That I should forgive her?"
"No, I say that you need to talk to her once again and hear her one more time," Said Mike holding her in his arms.
"Even if she tried to kill me?" asked the older twin, her voice cracking.
Mike caressed her head. "That's one more reason to try to talk one last time."
They stood there until both calmed down. Then Amy let go of him.
The older twin frowned. "I'm still voting Sammy out of the game."
"I would talk with her first, but do as you wish. I support you," replied Mike, showing his usual wide smile.
Both chuckled, but at that moment, a seagull went down and put a small piece of paper in Mike's hand.
"Ugh, did that bird just give you a piece of trash?" asked the twin with a disgusted expression.
The spiky-haired guy read the note and then shrugged. "It's from Chris, it said it's…" Mike then read it was confidential and that he needed to talk with him this afternoon. "it's trash after all. Hahaha."
Amy gave Mike a suspicious gaze but decided to not pursue the matter.
"I'll go to look for Lilly. Are you joining us for lunch?" asked the twin tilting her head.
"Sure, I hope we can eat together," said the thin guy, but his mind was still on the letter.
Both went their separate ways. Mike wondering what Chris wanted, and Amy thinking about what she had to do. Even after her conversation with Mike, talking with Sammy was one thing and what she had to do was another.
Confessional: Mike
The former multiple Mike was frowning sadly at the camera. "Maybe I got too emotional, but living only in rage and anger isn't life at all. Mal was born to protect Mike, but he harbored too many of his negative feelings. In the end Mal decided to hurt others to protect himself and punish those personalities who disagreed with him. And Amy is so focused on beating Sammy that I'm afraid she'll end up being like him. That's why I'll help her."
Confessional: Amy
"This was only a strategic…" Amy began to say, but her expression betrayed her words. She then shook her head and continued, "Anyway, let's forget Mike for now. There are other businesses I need to take care of tonight. I can focus on Samey after resolving that problem. *Sigh*, that ungrateful child doesn't imagine how bothersome it's to be her older sister. "
Courtney was resting on the docks writing a list. She didn't want to go behind the cabins because Heather would be there playing poker with Cody, and she didn't want to see her after yesterday's challenge.
She then heard some steps in the dock and smiled. "I was wondering about when you would appear. You're late."
"Eh? I'm sorry, but I believe you're mistaken," said the person timidly.
Courtney looked at her and blushed deeply, almost dropping her list. "Sammy!? Sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Are you waiting for Duncan?" asked Sammy, putting her hands over her mouth.
"What? Why would I be waiting for that Neanderthal?" asked Courtney in a disconcerted tone.
The younger twin looked at her raising an eyebrow. "Because he's usually at the docks. And also, you seem to be close friends.
"Pffft, please we aren't more than acquaintances," replied Courtney trying to sound unconcerned.
"But you were together when I found you in the cave challenge. And he was talking with you in the carnival challenge and teamed with you during the shooting challenge," said Sammy, counting the occasions with her fingers.
Courtney's jaw dropped. "That last one is a lie. Who told you that?" It was supposed to be a secret.
"Heather told me, and she seemed very sure about it. She was distressed because she thinks he's trying to use you," said the twin making a small smile.
The Latin girl cursed her Asian 'friend' under her breath. Why did she have to tell Sammy about that?
"Heather likes to see schemes and alliances everywhere. Take what she tells you about that with a pinch of salt," said Courtney shrugging.
"Oook," replied Sammy, but there was another matter that bothered the younger twin. "But that means that you and Duncan aren't friends?"
Courtney blushed and tried to end the conversation. "Why did this suddenly become an interrogation about my relationship with that ogre? I'll not answer any question if my lawyer isn't here."
"I didn't mean it like that, sorry if my questions bother you," said the younger twin, holding her hands defensibly.
"I'm joking. Your questions don't bother me," lied Courtney. "And what are you doing here?"
Sammy smiled and sat next to the Latin girl. "I ended my morning routine and was looking for Topher or Duncan. So when I didn't find Topher in the cabins, I came here."
"Are you looking for Duncan?" asked Courtney, her voice a pitch higher than she intended.
The younger twin nodded, ignoring the former CIT tone. "Yes. He's sometimes a jerk but he also had his nice side. And I want to show him I'm more than a pushover."
"Do you like him?" Asked Courtney in a serious tone.
"Hehehe, no, I'm not even sure if we're friends. But he's definitely someone I want to know better," said Sammy chuckling. Then she narrowed her eyes at the Latin girl. "And now you're interrogating me? should I call my lawyer?"
Courtney blushed and frowned. "I… You… Mph! I was just worried about you. Sorry if it sounded like I was pushing you."
"Hahaha, don't worry, it just surprised me. I didn't think you would react like that," said Sammy, making a big smile, she then turned to look at Courtney. "Thanks for worrying about me."
The former CIT sighed. "Sorry, let's change the subject then. I have embarrassed myself enough for the day."
"As you wish." Sammy chuckled and looked at the Latin girl's hands "and what were you doing? Are you keeping a diary?"
"This? Oh no, I was making a list of things I want to change," said Courtney raising the paper sheets. She replied honestly, still flustered about her conversation with Sammy about the delinquent.
Sammy covered her mouth. "A list of things you want to change? It's not that a little mean?"
"Sometimes if you want to improve, you need to try to change yourself. So I decide to make a list to help me order the things I need to change," said the Latin girl looking at the pages in her hands.
"So the list is about yourself?" asked Sammy looking at her with wide eyes. She remembered that Courtney made a list of things to change about Duncan when she watched the old Total drama seasons.
"Of course," Courtney made a small smile, "do you think I can't do it?"
The younger twin shook her head. "It's not that. Changing is hard. I have been trying to change for years and until I met Jasmine I never had the courage. Changing is harder than it seems."
"Jasmine was the tall Aussie girl right?" asked Courtney, looking intently at Sammy.
"Yes, she's my first friend," said Sammy in a tender tone and then shook her hands. "Not my first first friend, but MY first friend, a person that was my friend but not Amy's friends."
Courtney raised an eyebrow. "So you always have the same friends. And that was something bad."
"We always were together, well almost all the time. There was one summer we spent apart. So yes, we shared everything. School, friends, clothes, we were together all the time," related the twin, her eyes filling with tears. "Now that I remember, it was probably around that summer that she changed."
The Latin girl felt a shiver go down her spine. She didn't know why Sammy was telling her this. It was probably just the flow of the conversation. Her old self would insist on listening to the story to try to take advantage of it. But what should a normal person do? Lend her a shoulder? Ask her to stop?
But Sammy, unaware of Courtney's drama continued. "So my sister had been treating me like a slave for years, and I always assumed I deserved it because I was afraid to confront her. But thanks to Jas, I found the courage to change myself."
"And you should be proud. Many people don't realize they need to grow or to change, and they end up living lonely and bitter lives," said the former CIT, her expression darkening.
"You know, talking with you was like taking a burden off my shoulder. I don't know why but I feel ok to tell things that I couldn't tell Jas or Heather. Maybe it's because we both are trying to change ourselves," said Sammy, making a big smile. "If it's ok, can I talk with you later?"
Courtney also didn't know why, but she somehow enjoyed hearing Sammy's stories. "Of course. But don't think this has anything to do with the game. In the end only one can win."
"Hehehe, I supposed that," chuckled Sammy before standing up. "I'll go to see if I can find Topher in the dining hall. Want to come?"
"Yes, Let's go together," said the Latin girl, also standing up.
Both then went together, Sammy was more relaxed, but Courtney felt more stressed than before.
Confessional: Sammy
"It's funny. I never liked Courtney too much. I mean she always seemed serious and hard to approach. But talking and listening to her, also struggling to change herself, filled me with hope. If a strong-willed woman like her can change, I also can. I just have to believe and work harder." Said Sammy flexing her arm.
Confessional: Courtney
The former CIT was biting the inner part of her cheek. "I'm glad that Sammy felt better after talking with me. But I'm not so sure. Can you really become a better person? Can you really change your nature like that? Maybe my mother is right and I'm just wasting my time." She then buried her face in her hands.
Cody went out of the dining hall. He lost again after playing some games with Heather and right now wanted to relax a little. He regretted playing that final 10 dollars hand and was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't notice the person standing in front of him.
The brunette crashed against her and almost knocked her down. But luckily he reacted quickly and grabbed her by the waist before she fell.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you," said Cody, holding her tightly.
"N-No problem. It was my f-fault," replied Lilly, blushing a lot.
She was flustered and waited for 20 minutes for him to come out. But it worked just as Amy said. Now she could talk with him.
The problem was that she didn't know what to say after this…
Cody helped her to stand up and then released her. "Are you all right?"
"Y-yes. Thanks to you I'm ok. And are you ok?" she asked absentmindedly. There was no way he was hurt.
"Yes, I'm sturdier than I seem," replied Cody smacking his chest.
She smiled. It was working, she was talking with him! There was so much she wanted to tell him.
But then she panicked. What should she tell him first? About how he inspired her? No, that was creepy. Ask him about how he felt after being eliminated? No, that was inconsiderate. Maybe something more personal? No, that was rude.
After an awkward silence, Cody smiled at her. "I'm happy you're ok. See you later."
"WAIT!" shouted Lilly in a low voice, "I hoped we can at least talk a little."
He looked at her tilting his head. "Eh? Of course, anything for a fan. How can I help you?" The brunette boy wanted to talk with Charlotte, but that could wait for later.
"You remember it," said Lilly in a joyful tone, covering her mouth.
"Yes I remember. I mean you're the only one in this season that has asked for my autograph," replied Cody, his face beaming.
Lilly wanted to scream joyfully but decided against it. Then she heard a small beeping coming from her bag.
"What's that sound?" asked Cody, raising an eyebrow.
Why is he calling right now? Thought the treehugger, that then looked with a worried expression at her bag. She needed to make a decision.
The redhead was sure she would regret it later but she turned off the device. She didn't want to lose this chance.
She made an innocent smile. "I was so glad that you returned to the game but never had the chance to talk with you. Welcome back."
"Thanks, you're too kind," said the brunette boy. "But I'm just a normal guy, a little older than you. There is no need to be so formal."
"But you were a Drama brother and also get third place in the third season. Even against all odds, you do your best. I always admire that about you," said the treehugger, blushing and looking to the ground.
"You flatter me, but believe me, not all things are as pretty as you hear on tv. Let me tell you some stories," said Cody, making a tender smile.
Both then began to walk around the cabins and near the forest. Cody told her stories of his past seasons and his time with the drama brothers.
"So the idea of the Drama brothers came from you and Mr. Harold. I always assumed it was from Mr. Trent," said Lilly, surprised by Cody's last story.
"Hehehe, yes. It was my idea to call Trent. We were friends, and I wanted to do something to cheer him up after he and Gwen broke down. And also he had musical experience and wrote some songs," explained Cody nodding, while remembering those days.
Lilly chuckled. "You're a good friend. I wish I had a friend like you."
"Are you saying we're not friends?" asked the brunette guy trying to tease her a little.
The treehugger jaw dropped, and her eyes filled with tears. "YES!, I mean I would be so happy if you consider me your friend."
"Then we're friends, don't worry about it," replied Cody, smiling and showing the gap between his teeth.
She then took a deep breath. The treehugger felt confident now. "Cody, I wanted to ask. Would you like to vote with us?"
"Vote with you?" the brunette guy was taken aback by the proposition. "Like in an alliance?"
"Y-Yes, like in an alliance," stuttered the redhead, looking at the ground. "But I understand if you don't want to."
He took a moment to think about it. "I don't think it's a bad idea, but just the 2 of us wouldn't make a difference with 11 people still in the game."
"I have more friends. So if you want, we can try," said Lilly, trying to hide her excitement.
Cody gave her pistol fingers. "Let's talk after the next challenge. I think we can help each other."
Lilly nodded wildly. If this was a dream she didn't want to wake up. They then went back to the cabins. Talking a little more about Cody and the season.
Confessional: Lilly
"I just hope Amy wouldn't be angry because I invite Cody to our alliance. I think we can use his help, and also I want to help him reach further into the game," said Lilly blushing. "I only hope Max isn't too mad after I left him waiting."
Confessional: Cody
The brunette guy was smiling with his arms folded. "This isn't a bad chance. Also like I said before, this is only a game, so let's not have bad feelings if one of us is eliminated."
Mike went to the mountains where Steve, the chubby intern, was waiting for him.
"Hello Mr. Mike, please follow me," said the intern entering an elevator built in the rocks.
The thin guy smiled. "Thanks. Do you know what Chris wants?"
"I'm sorry I don't know. Lately Mr. McLean is harder and harder to understand," said Steve in a tired tone.
Both went down in a futuristic hall, there were some rooms at the sides and bright white lights illuminating the aisles, giving a strange feeling to the place. But the strangest thing was the silence. There were almost no people in the facility.
The chubby intern knocked at a black door. "Mr. McLean, Mr. Mike is here."
"Let him in," shouted Chris, in a joyous tone.
Steve stepped aside, letting the spiky-haired guy go into the room. The office was big with a Mahogany desk and also expensive chairs. Chris stood up and shook Mike's hand.
"Welcome, I'm so happy you came," said Chris, making a small smile.
Mike looked at him with a confused expression. "No problem, but what is this about? Your message only said you wanted to talk with me."
"Right to the point. I like that boring Mike. It's not really polite but it saves us a lot of time," said Chris nodding. "I want you to help us with an issue we have in the show."
The thin guy nodded but still wasn't sure about this.
The host continued. "As you know all this competition is managed by DAM our secure supercomputer. But it seems a contestant had an illegal tool to connect into DAM and is trying to hack into the system."
"It's that even possible? How did they bring the tool to the island?" asked Mike surprised by the revelation.
"That isn't important," said Chris, avoiding the question. "But we need help to identify who is using this tool and also recover or destroy it."
Mike gasped. "Are you telling me to spy and snitch on my own friends?"
"Snitch is quite an ugly word, but yes, we're asking your help investigating this matter. We would use Dramaman for this but the useless boy got himself eliminated before the merge."
"Sorry, but I can't do that. I can't betray my friends. Please ask someone else," replied Mike looking hurt at the ground.
Chris glared at him. "But they're cheating. Do you want to lose a million dollars like that?"
"If you're sure they're cheating, why do you need me to spy on them? Can't you just disqualify them?" asked Mike in a distressed tone. He didn't want anything to do with this.
"Because they control the cameras, so we don't have any real evidence. We don't even know what that tool actually looks like. Can you at least think about it?" said Chris making puppy eyes at the former multiple Mike.
The spiky-haired guy winced but tried to not show it. "There is nothing to think about. And if you don't need me for anything else, I need to go back to the cabins."
Mike stood up and went out of the office. Surprisingly Chris didn't say a word and just looked at him going away.
Then Chef entered the room, the big man was glaring and the veins in his neck pulsing.
"What was that scrawny guy doing here?" asked Chef raising an eyebrow.
"I was asking him a favor, but he needs to think about it," replied Chris, resting his chin on his hands. "But I don't think you just stormed into my office to ask that."
"NO! What the hell are you thinking!?" Shouted Chef, slamming his fist on the desk.
"HEY! take it easy. It's authentic mahogany," shouted Chris standing up. "And you need to be clearer than that. What did I do?"
Chef pointed at him menacingly, "Stop playing innocent. Why did you fire all the interns?"
"Oh, that," Chris rolled his eyes, "I didn't fire all of them, I keep Steve, Logan, Ire…"
"Stop playing around. You keep 5 interns of 63. Why? Who's supposed to do their work now?" asked Chef, his nostrils flaring.
Chris patted his arm. "DAM will take care of everything, don't worry, I'll not ask more from you than usual."
"You said that the Damn Computer was too expensive to let it take care of the challenges," said Chef folding his arms and looking down on the host.
"It's DAM not damn. And that's why we're firing those interns, to reduce costs," said Chris sighing and then looking at Chef with a small smile. "We don't need them, and it'll not increase your workload. So what is your problem? Is something else bothering you?"
Chef clenched his teeth. "There is nothing else."
"I'm glad at last you understand what I was trying to tell you. Now let's hit the sack. Tomorrow we have a challenge," said Chris laughing.
"I still have something to do in the kitchen. See you tomorrow," said Chef in a neutral tone.
The host nodded and waved at his co-host. "As you wish, just don't oversleep."
The big man went out of the room while Chris shook his head. It was harder and harder to understand what Chef was thinking.
The next day Brick was going out of his cabin to start his daily jogging. Even if Alejandro lied and probably manipulated him, the cadet still missed his company while jogging.
But the peaceful morning was interrupted by the sound of an air horn through the camp speakers.
"GOOD MORNING CAMPERS! Meet me at the forest's entrance in 10 minutes for today's challenge," said Chris in a loud voice, chuckling.
There were groans and protest from the cabins after the rude awakening.
In the boys' cabin, Duncan threw his pillow against the window, Topher hastily groomed his hair, and Cody woke up Mike, who was still sleeping after all the noise.
The girls' cabin wasn't different. Amy and Sammy stood up at the same time, changed their pajamas, and both put first her left sock. After that, both keep glaring at each other. Heather changed in a moment and put on light makeup while Charlotte was the first to get ready and went out of the cabin.
But even if tired, all the 11 remaining campers arrived at the forest before the 10 minutes mark. Chris was there looking at them with a joyful smile.
"All arrived on time! You're without a doubt the best of the best campers," said Chris receiving them with open arms.
There were some groans again while everyone stood before the host.
"So many long faces. I just hope you put more enthusiasm into the actual challenge. This is an entertainment show, remember?" said Chris making his trademark mocking smile.
Amy rolled her eyes. "Can you stop clowning around and tell us about the challenge? It's bad enough to wake up this early to also have to endure your bad jokes."
"They aren't bad. I'm surprised you can have such a bad sense of humor SAMEY." Chris said as both twins glared and protested, but he ignored them. "Today's challenge is the fifth Blast from the past challenge, so get ready for a nostalgia attack."
"Wait! The paintball one wasn't a blast from the past challenge?" asked Cody frowning. He was eliminated in a paintball challenge in his first season.
Chris laughed. "Nope, here the blast from the past challenges are old challenges with a twist. The paintball challenge this season wasn't like that. Today will be an authentic old challenge with a twist."
"So, what will it be? Fighting among us using robots?" asked Courtney, rolling her eyes.
"Chasing monkeys across the forest?" said Topher folding his arms.
Mike rubbed his arm. "Isn't stealing chef go-karts, it is?"
"Hehehe, of course no. But Topher is almost right. It's the ranger challenge. You had to go into the forest and capture one animal. It brings a lot of good memories, doesn't it." Announced Chris in a joyful tone.
Every camper either gasped, rolled their eyes, or gulped. Capturing animals wasn't easy seasons ago and wouldn't be easy this time. This promised to be a hell of a challenge.
Author Notes:
The challenge's already announced. What kind of animal would need to catch each camper? What can they use to hunt them? And how will they win the immunity? Find the answers to this and more questions in the next episode of Total Drama Tyranny of the masses.
And another first chapter, I hope you enjoy it, there are some more developments and some insight about Heather. Also there was Mike's scene with Amy. I hope his reactions seemed strange because that was the intention. I hope you enjoy it.
Immunity idols left: all used
D.A.M. Eliminations left: 3
Remaining players: Amy, Brick, Charlotte, Cody, Courtney, Duncan, Heather, Lilly, Mike, Sammy, Topher.
Eliminated: Cameron, Jasmine, Max, Lindsay, Dawn, Jay, Lightning, Charlotte, Beth, Cody. Zoey, Dramaman, Shawn, Alejandro, Sky.
As always, thanks for reading and I hope you like it.