Total Drama Sci-Fi Showdown

by XBloodLegendX

This new season of Total Drama involves a whole new cast and a whole new spot. Taking place inside a building called the Drama Dome, the 24 contestants will take on sci-fi based challenges in virtual reality for 1 million dollars. Will they be legends across galaxies, or fade away in stardust? Find out now, on Total. Drama. Sci-Fi Showdown!

18. Chapter 17: Virus Tag

"Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides." - Andre Malraux

---

"Last time on Total Drama Sci-Fi Showdown," Chris started as the camera panned in on him. "The contestants got a taste of the Star Wars universe and were pit against each other in a lightsaber competition. Divided into three groups in three different places, their primary task was to be the remaining two of that group to survive in order to proceed to the next stage of the challenge."

The large colored hologram in the Drama Dome lit up and revealed the aerial view of each location. "Of course, we had a little something to stir things up too." Chris chuckled as the miniature hologram of a Rancor roamed the forest and mountain range area. "These ferocious creatures made a difference with how things turned out, and soon enough our remaining survivors were determined."

The hologram showed the full body portraits of Lucy, Nataline, Cyrus, Marvin, Desmond, and Valerie in their respective combat stances. "It was a full on battle back at the temple grounds, and it was Nataline who prevailed in the end!" The hologram showed the Nataline slew Cyrus with her lightsaber. "Being the winner of the first merge challenge, she became immune that night and I even promised her a special reward. But we'll get to that later."

The hologram fast forwarded a bit to the same temple grounds but in the middle of the elimination ceremony. "It seems not everyone is feeling the need to merge ideas even when its merge, because the votes were entirely split. It was either Cyrus, Jane, Lucy, or Cassie that will get the shame of being the first merge boot and when all is said and done, it was Jane who took that shame. Apparently having the most overpowered asset can really give you unwanted attention." The host chuckled. "Can Cassie's alliance bounce back from this loss or will this be the beginning of the end for the most powerful alliance in the game? Will Marvin continue to put the wool over the eyes of his former alliances members? And who will Lucy's next target be? Find out here on Total...Drama...Sci-Fi Showdown!" He finished with his arms spread out dramatically.

---

(The Night After The Elimination Ceremony...)

Chris and Nataline were walking along a new terraformed land. Their surroundings were simply plain meadows with a stone path that leads to their destination. The latter was looking around with wonder as they walked.

"So what happens to the outpost since you changed the entire place?" Nataline asked the host.

"Those got moved somewhere else." The host said. "They should be able to find it soon, because if they don't they they gotta sleep somewhere uncomfortable." He chuckled.

"Well I see. But where are we going?" Nataline asked. "I need sleep too you know."

"Relax. You'll get a place to sleep." Chris assured her. "It should be further up ahead. We're close." He said as he walked ahead of her.

After a few more minutes of walking, they soon came across a luxurious-looking mansion with bright lights coming from behind the windows. The stone path ended just in front of a large golden gate. Chris opened the gate for them to enter and the walkway became that of marble, surrounding it is a colorful garden filled with exotic flowers and a few water sprinklers done in an organized and aesthetic manner.

"This place is huge." Nataline's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you haven't seen a mansion before." Chris gave an amused scoff. "You do live in one after all."

"Yet it does not explain why one exists here in this...sci-fi world." Nataline said as they came up to the front door. It was decorated with intricate wood carvings that gave the feel of aristocracy.

"Consider it a safe house I prepared for you guys." Chris smirked as he opened the grand doors. "And trust me, this is sci-fi themed too." Nataline gasped as she saw what the foyer looked like. The floor is covered in glossy white tiles. Three long futuristic couches of red, blue, and green sit at the middle of the foyer surrounding a round carpet resembling the combined logos for the Silver Terminators and Cyan Protoss. Further back are two staircases connecting to one platform that leads to the second floor, the staircases decorated with blue neon lights at the edge of the steps. The walls are metallic yet glossy, the color nearly matching that of the floor. Parts of the walls are left empty to act as a connection to the other rooms. Nataline looked up and saw a chandelier lighting up the place, its design futuristic as well.

"This place..." The lady looked around in utter surprise. "..is so beautiful."

"Well don't just stand there." Chris said as he turned to the side and walked to a different room. "There is still the rest of the mansion to explore."

"Very well." Nataline obeyed and followed him to the dining room. She saw that there was a long table made of transparent glass and chairs that could be occupied by ten people. The chairs have a futuristic theme to it as well, designed in a way unique compared to normal chairs with faint lights emanating from it. "This is also quite grand." She noted.

"This mansion was built for those who have won immunity in the merge challenges. Since you won the last challenge, you get to live here for the rest of the season." Chris explained. "Well as long as you're still in the game, of course." He added quickly.

"That means I get to have my own room, right?" Nataline asked hopefully. Chris nodded.

"That's right. It's even formed to your own tastes." Chris smirked as he led her out of the dining room and into the boutique, which was a room on the other side of the foyer.

"You mean you know what kind of room we like?" Nataline blinked.

"Yeah. Don't you remember your application forms?" Chris raised an eyebrow as he stopped at the door to the boutique. "You all literally answered it in essay form."

"Ah yes, now I remember." Nataline said after some thought. "I can't wait to see mine." She smiled.

"You'll get your chance." Chris said. "And you'll get the chance to see the inside of the boutique tomorrow. We're going to the second floor." He pointed at the staircase and they both walked up the stairs and into the hallway of the second floor.

"This is rather spacious still." Nataline noticed as she saw multiple doors and two corners leading further down the hallway.

"These doors are unavailable right now so let's head right first." Chris said and soon turned the corner, with Nataline following close behind. After rounding the corner, they soon came across another set of doors until they reached a single door which glowed faintly in neon cyan lighting.

"Are these the rooms?" Nataline asked.

"Yeah. These are the rooms preferably for the ones in the Cyan Protoss." Chris said as he tossed her a sky. Nataline gasped but managed to catch it. "Your room is right there." He pointed to the door to his right.

"But what's that neon door?" Nataline pointed at the door at the far end.

"Remember the locked room in which you guys had to win three challenges in order for it to unlock?" Chris smirked. "It's that. The one for the Silver Terminators is the one in the other side." He pointed at the far end of the hallway opposite to theirs, which had a door colored in faint neon silver lighting. Nataline's eyes widened in surprise and then smiled.

"Can I go inside?" She asked hopefully. The host shook his head and this made the lady sad.

"It's closed for tonight. All you can do for now is sleep." Chris explained. Nataline sighed but nodded then went to her room.

"Well goodnight I suppose." Nataline said as she shut her door and locked it. She saw that her room was rather spacious, designed similarly to the homes back in her country, Belarus. Plain cream colored walls and a mahogany colored ceiling made up the sides of her room, along with simplistic furniture. There is a cat doll atop her nightstand, books in a single shelf, and pictures of her along with some others in frames hanging on the walls. The bed also looked simplistic, with a plain mattress and two pillows in white casing.

"This is a nice room." Nataline smiled as she sat down on the bed to feel the softness of the mattress. "It's just the way I like it." She giggled.

~Confessional~

Nataline: So this will be my room for the rest of the merge, I see. I should get used to the facilities here, and maybe go check out the two doors when I wake up. I have yet to see the benefits of either door after all. And I doubt anyone else but Cyrus has utilized it.

~End Confessional~

---

Time passed until morning came, and the camera panned over to an open field within a conservatory dome where everyone else was sleeping in their sleeping clothes. The whole place is enclosed in bulletproof glass and the only way out is through two blast doors with an air purifier in between. Cassie and Jude woke up at the same time before anyone else, and the former stretched a bit before standing up.

"How did we get here?" Cassie asked no one in particular. She looked around and saw only Jude, who rubbed his eyes and looked at her.

"I remember a light shining down on us." Jude tried to remember. "And then I was dreaming afterwards." He blinked as he got up and saw where they all were. "Where are we, exactly?"

"No guesses here." Cassie shrugged. Lucy woke up soon after.

"What's all the commotion about?" The red eyed girl groaned as she yawned.

"Why is everyone so noisy?" Cyrus grunted as he woke up due to the talks happening. "And why are we all sleeping at the same spot?"

"In our pajamas no less." Lucy added.

"I can hardly call those pajamas." Jude motioned to the nightgown Valerie was wearing when the latter stirred a bit then slowly opened her eyes.

"Hey...is this some kind of sleepover?" The flirt sat up and stretched.

"Mornin' Valerie." Cassie greeted her friend.

"Good morning." Valerie answered with a sleepy smile.

"Has anyone seen my glasses?" Terrance asked as he searched around the grass for his glasses.

"Is it t-this one?" Phoebe asked as she held up his glasses. "I found these b-beside me."

"How did it get there?" The techie boy scratched his head as he took it from her. "Thanks anyway."

"Oh my god Bartz!" Tatiana suddenly sat up with a start. "What!? What? What?..." She looked around frantically before calming down a bit. Everyone awake looked at her weirdly.

"Did you just scream Bartz?" Felix groggily sat up. "I hate that guy."

"He's the best Final Fantasy protagonist for me." Tatiana pouted and crossed her arms.

"Only you think that." Jude shook his head as he jumped up and looked around. Soon, the rest started waking up as well.

"This is rather unexpected." Nicholas noted as he glanced at everyone and then his surroundings. "We are at some sort of dome."

"Wow, didn't know that." Cyrus rolled his eyes.

"I'm gonna go exercise." Arnold announced to no one in particular and stood up to leave the conservatory dome.

"I'll come with you." Desmond offered as he stood up and followed the soccer player out.

"You think they're gay for each other?" Valerie whispered to Felix, who looked at her weirdly.

"Yo, no! Don't put those thoughts in my mind." Felix said, a bit grossed out.

"Are ya homophobic?" Cassie asked the prankster with a raised eyebrow.

"What!? No!" Felix denied. "Look, I'll just go join Desmond and Arnold then." He immediately stood up and went outside.

"I wonder why they wanna leave. It's cozy in here." Tatiana remarked as she relaxed.

"That may be true but we should be getting a good analysis of where we are." Nicholas interjected.

"I'm up for some exploring." Jude said. "Just not with you." He glared at Nicholas before going outside of the conservatory dome.

"Tensions are looking good." Cyrus chuckled to himself as he watched the others converse while others leave. Soon, only Phoebe, Tatiana, Valerie, Marvin, and himself remained inside.

"I wonder what this conservatory dome is for." Marvin thought aloud.

"M-Maybe it's to preserve the n-nature in here." Phoebe suggested.

"But why? Remember that the old Green Drell outpost was literally surrounded by nature?" Valerie pointed out. "We're definitely not in any shortage."

"Maybe Chris terraformed a new world for us." Tatiana chimed in with a clap.

"That would be good and bad." Marvin said.

"Nobody wants to hear it, Marvin." Cyrus rolled his eyes and stood up.

"But nobody's asking you." Valerie glared at him.

"Why do you always have to be so toxic?" Tatiana said, exasperated. "You're just like Shane."

"Don't compare me to him!" Cyrus shouted. "Because unlike him, I actually made it to the merge!"

"P-Please don't yell." Phoebe said softly as she hid behind Valerie.

"Hey, you're scaring Phoebe." Valerie raised her voice.

"You should just leave." Marvin suggested. "You're pretty much ruining the mood."

"Someday, you'll see that I'm right." Cyrus said as he started to walk out. "Phoebe doesn't deserve to be here but she'll continue to stay day after day because people don't see her as a threat. She's going to win the million because her innocence corrupted you." He spat before heading out.

"Glad that's over." Tatiana sighed in relief. "His speech doesn't make sense though. Phoebe's innocence isn't corrupting anyone. In fact it's really cute." She smiled at the doll faced girl.

"He's only trying to get into your head. It's been like that since the beginning anyway." Marvin said as he stared ahead.

"Well enough about him, let's talk about you guys." Valerie excitedly said as she pointed at both Marvin and Phoebe. "I heard from Chris that you two are together now!"

"Really? Congrats." Tatiana beamed.

"Thanks you g-guys." Phoebe said with a slight blush. "We're b-both happy in this relationship."

Marvin nodded and scratched the back of his head. "But we're both pretty shy to improve on it."

"Is that so? Because I can help with fixing that." Valerie winked.

"Or maybe the game is just getting to them. I know I'm getting stressed lately." Tatiana sighed.

"That is true. But we should all get through this with a clear head." Marvin said. "If not, then we'll panic once the number thins."

"Y-You're right." Phoebe agreed. "But I'm n-not all that good with the strategy s-stuff." She admitted with embarrassment.

"Then I'll handle it for you." Marvin offered.

"And we can help you out!" Valerie cheered. Tatiana blinked and pointed to herself.

"Me too?" The gamer girl asked.

"Yeah! You can join us!" Valerie said and wrapped them all for a group hug.

~Confessional~

Valerie: I'm bummed that Jane left, but this only means we have to be stronger for her. I know Desmond and Arnold planned something to get her out, so we'll avenge her together!

Marvin: Valerie is completely clueless that I played a part in voting off Jane. I intend to keep it that way. At least, until Desmond decides to sell me out since I didn't vote for Cassie like he wanted. I just felt like Jane was the immediate threat. Nothing wrong with that, right?

Phoebe: I'm g-glad I have people to rely on like Marvin a-and Valerie. They really know h-how to make me happy often. And I g-guess now I can include Tatiana too? I'd love to b-be her friend too.

Tatiana: Maybe hanging out with these guys will help me in the long run. I gotta think of the late game now that we're at the merge. Gotta expand my horizons, you know that? Gotta git gud and all that.

~End Confessional~

Desmond, Arnold, and Felix were walking along what looks to be the ruins of a grand temple. The ceiling was gone and the walls had already crumbled down, leaving only a few standing columns and furniture intact. There are shards of broken glass everywhere, the sunlight barely reflecting their colors. The prankster sat at one of the few pews still intact while the other two examined the ruined altar.

"Chris really went all out on this new world." Felix noted. "It felt like only yesterday we were strolling around the green pastures and staring at the blue sky." He looked up to see the darkened sky loom above them, with little sunlight piercing through.

"Well you were eliminated early on in the game so you surely don't miss the old place as much as we do." Desmond pointed out with a smirk as he picked up a dirty golden chalice.

"Is he your ally?" Arnold nudged his head in Felix' direction.

"Yeah. The local prankster, Felix." Desmond introduced. "And Felix, this is Arnold. He'll be part of our little band from now on."

"Cool. I wonder what instruments we'll be playing." Arnold laughed.

"Dibs on the triangle. I play a mean tune when I get my hands on one." Felix joked as he stood up to join them.

"Focus, guys. We still have strategy to talk about." Desmond insisted as he glanced at the two of them.

"Party pooper." Felix muttered under his breath. "So what do you got for us?"

"Last night didn't go as I planned, so I'm a bit frustrated but overall not against the final results." Desmond said to them with a shrug.

"Gotta agree on that one. Jane was a real pain in the butt." Arnold agreed. "Having her gone must have weakened their spirit at least."

"Having her gone means their numbers are thinning out." Desmond corrected.

"And that's a good thing right?" Felix tilted his head.

"Of course it is. What are you, an idiot?" Desmond deadpanned. "This means that we're one step closer to toppling down their alliance completely." He explained.

"Wow, since when did you get so aggressive?" Felix frowned a bit.

"Ever since we lost our leader, Sarah." Arnold said solemnly. Desmond shook his head behind his back but the former didn't notice. "These are trying times, my dude."

"I can see that." Felix nodded with a side smirk. "Don't worry because you can count on my vote."

"Good to know." Desmond nodded with a small smile.

"By the way, what happened to Marvin?" Arnold asked. "Wasn't he supposed to be one of us now?"

"He's laying low since he doesn't want his old alliance to know he betrayed them." Desmond told the soccer player. He then furrowed his brow. "But I wonder who he voted for last night. He definitely didn't vote for Cassie like I told him to."

"Maybe he voted for Cyrus." Arnold shrugged.

"Or Jane." Felix suggested.

"I'll go talk to him later." Desmond said. "But for now, we keep tabs on Cassie's alliance. We have to make sure nothing goes their way, got it?" The other two boys nodded. "Good. Just a little more and we'll be in a powerful position soon."

~Confessional~

Desmond: This plan is going to work, I just know it. Cassie's alliance has been reigning for far too long now, so it's time to end it. If we don't, then one of her alliance members will win the million for sure.

Felix: Desmond is getting more and more serious lately, or maybe I'm just getting used to his personality again. Either way, I should do my part for this small little band of ours. Don't wanna get voted off for being the weak link. Again.

Arnold: Jane's elimination gave me hope that we can still turn things around in this second half. I hope Sarah is proud of us right now, because our comeback is only beginning! *he pumps his fist in the air happily*

~End Confessional~

Jude and Lucy were walking along the park, which is in ruins much like the temple. Dark colored roots of unknown origin crawled out from the fountain that's void of water, glowing a dark red faintly. The trees are all dead with similar roots coiling it, as if strangling it. The marksman looked uneasy as he glanced at each dead tree.

"What is Chris thinking, just switching things up like this?" Jude asked his girlfriend with a slight shiver.

"Scared?" Lucy raised her eyebrow at him as she went to investigate the roots by the fountain. She found that small buds formed at the base.

"Of course not." Jude denied confidently. "Even if it's a scary place, I'll protect you!"

"So brave." Lucy giggled but rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking.

"Howdy, y'all." Cassie greeted as she jogged to catch up with them.

"You're Cassie right?" Lucy turned to look at the rancher girl.

"That's me." Cassie tipped her hat forward. "I reckon y'all know of me anyway." She gave a light laugh.

"I remember you're from the Green Drell." Jude said. "And the Silver Terminators. Must be why we don't talk."

"Ya got a point there." Cassie admitted. "But that changes today, since we're in the merge." She declared. "So it's nice meeting y'all."

"It's nice to get to know the competition after all." Jude smirked. "In case you weren't aware, we're a couple." He pointed at himself then at Lucy.

"You don't have to brag about it so much." Lucy sighed.

"What are you talking about? The world has to know how much I care about you." Jude insisted.

"Hey I'm happy for ya both." The ranch girl grinned and pat Jude on the back. "I hope ya have a happy ending."

"Thanks. You're pretty cool." Jude grinned. "Can't wait to do the next challenge with you. Let's see who the better player is."

"Ya got yourself a deal." Cassie smirked and shook Jude's hand. "And while I'm at it, I should tell ya that y'all can think about joining our alliance."

"Wasn't Jane a part of your alliance before she left?" Lucy inquired.

"That's right. It'll be lonely without her and I'm not trying to replace her or anything." Cassie defended. "I just thought that y'all might need some security in the votes."

"We'll think about it for now." Lucy answered immediately before Jude can. "Jude and I have to talk about it some more." Her red eye glowed slightly after she said it. Cassie didn't looked fazed at all and just nodded.

"Sure. It's a bit sudden anyway and we barely know each other." The ranch girl shrugged. "But at least see if y'all are open to talk before tonight's elimination." She said before jogging off.

"Why didn't you just say yes?" Jude asked his girlfriend once Cassie was out of earshot. "Our numbers would increase!" He exclaimed.

"Correction, 'their' numbers would increase." Lucy corrected. "Maybe you haven't been paying attention, but Cassie's alliance ruled as the greatest alliance in the Silver Terminators. If we are to overpower them, we should work against them." She explained.

"But what would Terrance think?" Jude tilted his head.

"Terrance will follow what I tell him to do. Plus he couldn't care less if we had to join up with Cassie anyway. All he wants is for Nataline, and maybe even Nicholas, gone." Lucy told him as she looked around the fountain again. "We should be keeping tabs on everybody. Work as a separate unit, but make sure the votes go our way. Sticking to one major alliance won't solve that."

"I see, I guess." Jude scratched his head. "I'll leave it up to you then."

Lucy smirked. "Of course."

~Confessional~

Lucy: Of course he has no choice but to leave it up to me. If he thinks getting all friendly with Cassie will help his game, then he has much to learn in the ways of strategy. Trust me, I know Cassie is capable of strategy to some extent, as shown by her alliance going strong all this time.

Jude: I wonder why Lucy still has to think about it more. If the three of us join up with Cassie, we could be unstoppable! But she's still the one calling the shots so I'll leave it to her to make the tough calls out here. It's just my job to protect her.

Cassie: With Jane gone, our alliance just lost a good friend and a loyal vote. Now I ain't too hopeful that those two will be my new friends right off the bat, no sir. I just reckon they'd be good votes to use in the upcoming eliminations. Gotta stay ahead of the game to keep my friends safe, y'know.

~End Confessional~

Terrance was busy roaming the streets of an abandoned city, looking around to see a chaos of crashed cars and robotic limbs. Most of the streetlights ceased to work, and those that did emitted only flickers of light. He saw that the buildings were in a bad condition, with broken windows and foundations that look like it's about to crumble down at any moment.

"Not a bad post-apocalyptic place." The techie boy nodded in approval as he looked at an empty convenience store. "Chris really went all out with the details. Maybe I can still salvage some of these parts." He thought to himself while approaching a broken car with a robotic arm and leg sticking out of it. "I still need a place to work on these though." He sighed in frustration.

"Working on something?" A voice came from behind him. Terrance turned around and saw Nicholas standing there, leaning against a phone booth.

"Yeah." Terrance answered and adjusted his glasses. He narrowed his eyes at the detective who returned the gesture.

"Let's talk instead." The detective said evenly.

"How about no." The techie boy spat. "We have nothing to talk about."

"I remember you from day one." Nicholas went on as he fixed his trench coat. "You betrayed us the moment you had a chance."

"It wasn't even my intention to stick around. I just happened to spawn with you guys but it means nothing." Terrance growled a bit as he tried to walk past him.

"Truly?" Nicholas asked. "You say it means nothing, but your actions are not justified still. Why do you persist on antagonizing us?"

"Because the both of you are so full of yourselves! Just like all the popular people in the world!" Terrance stopped and whipped his head back to glare at him. "Just you wait, I've eliminated Wesley before, so I have the power to eliminate you both as well."

"And with that in mind, you aligned yourself with Lucy?" Nicholas narrowed his eyes. "A criminal? A liar? Do you think she'll have your back when you're the one in a bind?"

"You can say what you want, it's obvious you'd be against her." Terrance scoffed and turned back to walk away.

"Likewise. You do not know my story or Nataline's." Nicholas called out before Terrance was completely out of sight.

~Confessional~

Nicholas: It is a bit hard to understand where Terrance is coming from with all of this hatred against Nataline and myself, but I deduce that it has something to do with his school life. Most teenagers get their ideals and beliefs from their experiences in their school environment, and the influences of those around them. Perhaps it's related.

Terrance: I should be careful what I say around Nicholas from now on. I forgot that he's an investigator so he's getting info with every word I say.

~End Confessional~

---

The contestants, minus Nataline, met up outside of the conservatory dome where Chris was waiting for them. The host grinned when everyone had gathered around him.

"Welcome, final fourteen!" The host exclaimed with his arms spread dramatically.

"But where's Nataline?" Jude asked.

"She's already in the location for your next challenge." Chris smirked. He then pressed something on his wrist and soon they were all enveloped in a bright light.

"Whoa!" Tatiana exclaimed. Before they knew it, they teleported to the garden of the sci-fi mansion. After their eyes adjusted to their surroundings, they looked around at the place.

"Where a-are we?" Phoebe asked meekly.

"Oh look, there's Nataline." Marvin pointed to the front doors where Nataline stood, waiting for them to arrive.

"Good morning." She greeted with a wave.

"Good morning!" Valerie waved back.

"Now follow me so I can explain the challenge." Chris said and headed inside the mansion. Everyone else followed him inside and most of them gasped in surprise at the magnificent indoors.

"Is this Nataline's new home?" Felix asked with widened eyes.

"All this because she won one challenge?" Desmond raised an eyebrow.

"Will I get one too if I win a challenge?" Marvin wondered out loud.

"If that's the case then I'm giving it my two hundred percent in this next challenge!" Tatiana exclaimed giddily.

"Quiet down!" Chris ordered. "I'll explain the purpose of this mansion here in just a second." He motioned for everyone to sit in the sofas in the foyer.

"Those resemble the colors of our old teams." Nicholas remarked.

"Then let's sit on the couches of our respective teams y'all. For old times' sake." Cassie suggested as she flopped down on the green couch. Soon everyone was seated in the sofa representing their old team when they started out.

"This is pretty nostalgic." Felix sighed as he relaxed in the red sofa.

"It's pretty cool, right?" Arnold grinned as he sat down on the blue sofa. Jude sat down beside him.

"Kinda wish our old teammates could enjoy this too." The marksman said.

"Believe me, we get the VIP treatment back at the resort." Valerie giggled.

"Enough of the reminiscing, we got a challenge to do!" Chris interrupted. Everyone turned to face the host as he stood in the middle. "This challenge is pretty simple. It's a game of tag." He said simply.

"What?" Terrance blinked.

"Are you serious?" Lucy deadpanned.

"It looks h-harmless enough." Phoebe sighed in relief.

"To be more specific, I call it the Virus Tag." The host exclaimed.

"There's the sci-fi attachment to it." Cassie laughed.

"In this challenge, your job is to find a hiding spot in any place in this mansion." Chris explained as he motioned all around him. "The 'It' will try to find you and tag you. Getting touched in the slightest will get you infected with a virus that will force your avatar to flicker out so I hope your dodging skills are on point today!"

"Can't we just outrun that person?" Arnold asked, feeling confident.

"You won't be able to, no matter how fast you are." Chris smirked. "I've made sure of that."

"So who's the 'It'?" Marvin asked.

"I was just getting to that." Chris said irritably. "The 'It' is Delilah." He snapped his fingers and the grand doors swung open to reveal Delilah. The girl strode forward with purpose and stood in front of the contestants.

"Delilah!" Arnold exclaimed. "Long time no see."

"True. I mean, I was eliminated second." Delilah said with a shrug. "But I'm happy to get to be a part of the challenge."

"Her?" Cyrus scoffed. "She isn't that fast."

"Like I said, I've made sure she is." Chris repeated. "Now that we're all properly acquainted, let's get this show on the road!" He exclaimed. "I'll give you all fifteen minutes to explore the mansion a bit and find a hiding spot. When you hear the airhorn, that means the challenge has officially started. The last person to be found and tagged wins the challenge and immunity!"

At that, everyone got to their feet and scrambled off, hastily going around the mansion while finding a safe place to hide. The camera followed Cassie, Marvin, and Jude as they ran towards the back of the mansion through a hallway, where they came upon a back door, the design less grand than the front doors but with a glass on the upper half.

"Is that a swimming pool and some lawn chairs?" Jude looked surprised as he peeked out.

"We can hide somewhere there y'all." Cassie suggested as she opened the door and the three of them went out. Aside from the large backyard pool and lawn chairs, they saw that the grass is neatly trimmed and there are flowers off to the side, much like the ones in the main garden.

"I'll go to the gazebo." Marvin said as he pointed east, and they followed his gaze to a white and light blue gazebo. The table in the middle had a white cloth draped over it and Marvin went there to hide underneath.

"Maybe I can take a dive and hold my breath." Jude thought aloud as he approached the pool.

"Ya gotta do what you gotta do to win." Cassie shrugged. "I'll be at the garden then." She ran off in the other direction towards the main garden.

The scene switched and panned to Lucy and Cyrus who entered the dining room.

"Let's see here." The red eyed girl glanced around quickly and then saw the kitchen at the far back. "I'll go hide there." She smirked and silently entered the kitchen. She saw that there are two robot chefs in standby mode at a corner, a large sink with only one dirty plate and utensils, and the cooking area at the other side of the room. She walked to the cooking area and found a space to crouch on beneath the metallic counter. "This should do." She said as she got comfortable.

Cyrus, now left alone in the dining room, began approaching the table and admiring the table cloth adorning it.

"This gives me some inspiration." The emo boy chuckled then decided to duck under it. "And the cloth is thick enough so my silhouette can't be seen." He smirked to himself. "This is easy."

~Confessional~

Lucy: I don't usually play tag or hide and seek because I don't have many friends but I know the basics enough. Plus, my intellect will get me through this, not to mention how cunning I am. *she gave an evil smile as her red eye glowed*

Jude: I used to be pretty good at this game when I was a kid. I'd find all sorts of creative ways to hide, and I guess now it's holding my breath for as long as I can underwater.

~End Confessional~

---

Valerie and Nataline ran side by side and ended up in the boutique. They saw that the room is filled with gorgeous dresses and suits, most of which are sci-fi themed. They blinked at the sight in amazement and momentarily forgot about the challenge.

"This is so cool!" Valerie squealed. "I wanna win the challenge now so I can get to wear these cute dresses!"

"I should try some on during my free time." Nataline noted to herself.

"Why didn't you? You had all morning." Valerie pointed out. Nataline gave a side grin.

"I had matters elsewhere." The lady simply said before resuming her search of a place to hide.

The two girls circled around the boutique to find a suitable place to hide before coming to a stop at the specific places they chose. Valerie went ahead and ducked behind a clothes rack that was also covered by shoes on thick pedestals, her relatively small height able to squeeze through. Nataline, on the other hand, hid inside a dressing room and made sure to lock the door, believing it to be the best place to hide and to take cover.

The scene switched to Nicholas as he explored the mansion for a bit before coming across a large carpet at the far corner. Curiously, he stepped on it and began walking on the carpet more loudly.

"I knew it." He muttered when he stepped on a rather hollow wood tile covered by the carpet. "A secret passage?" He hoped as he rolled up the carpet. As expected, a trap door was revealed right there. He opened it and saw a ladder leading down to the basement. "Perfect." He smiled a bit before making his descent.

~Confessional~

Nicholas: I locked the basement entrance from the inside and found a good place to hide despite my height. I should be safe for sure. Then again, maybe Chris chose Delilah because he knows she's a good player when it comes to these kinds of games.

~End Confessional~

Terrance and Phoebe went in the same direction in another part of the mansion in the first floor. The doll faced girl kept looking over her shoulder in slight fear.

"Chris didn't sound the airhorn yet. There's basically no need to worry for now you know." The techie boy pointed out to her as they went on.

"B-But what if it's all a t-trick and Delilah is already a-after us?" Phoebe asked anxiously.

"Surely he won't break his own rules." Terrance said before coming to a stop in front of a door. "I wonder what's inside here." He went inside and saw the room was filled with different kinds of machinery as well as machine parts. Two long worktables can be seen and various tools and laid out on them. "A mechanic room of sorts?" He went inside. Phoebe peeked her head around the door then went in after him.

"A-Are you sure this is a g-good place to hide?" Phoebe asked. She then saw the head of a terminator and squealed in fright. "E-Eeek!"

"Relax, those aren't active. Yet." Terrance said with a side smirk as he looked around. "Anyway, if you don't feel like you can hide here then you go search somewhere else. I'll find a place to hide in here."

"O-Okay." Phoebe frowned a bit and left the room to go search for another hiding place. She didn't walk too far until she came across another door. She tentatively opened it to reveal a bathroom. "Maybe this w-will work." She whispered as she slowly closed the door behind her and locked it. The bathroom had a simple white design but it's clean and complete with a bathtub and a shower area with three shower heads. The doll faced girl went to go hide in the tub and swung the curtains to cover her.

Meanwhile, Tatiana and Felix ascended the stairs and went down the second floor hallway to search for a room.

"I wonder if Nataline explored all these rooms already." Felix wondered as they walked.

"Maybe she did. She's a pretty thorough person, I believe." Tatiana answered as she opened the door to a room. She gasped when she realized they had entered the arcade room. Rows of arcade game machines, both old and new, were lined up in two walls. An air hockey table rests at the center of the room, and on the far side is a lounge, with big tv with a console connected to it, accompanied by a comfortable carpet with large pillows. "I found heaven!" She exclaimed in delight.

"No kidding?" Felix went to peek inside too and his eyes widened. Brushing past Tatiana and rushing inside, the prankster looked around with a face of pure happiness. "Dude, this is so awesome!"

"I know right!" Tatiana giggled. "I hope Chris lets us use this once the challenge is over."

"Same here." Felix nodded but then remembered why they were there in the first place. "Wait, but we still have to find a place to hide."

"We can hide here." Tatiana motioned towards the gaming lounge. "We can make a pillow fort!"

"Heh, I remember doing that when I was a kid." Felix said. "But it's going to look suspicious, don't you think?"

"We can ambush them with the pillows." Tatiana exclaimed and clapped her hands. The gamer girl went over to the pile of pillows and began stacking them.

"That's actually a good idea. Chris said that one touch would get us eliminated, but these pillows are big enough to create a distraction to buy us enough time to escape." Felix grinned as he helped her create their pillow fort.

"This is gonna be so cool." Tatiana said giddily as she got another pillow.

~Confessional~

Tatiana: The arcade back in my hometown isn't that good to be honest. Some machines are broken and the people there can be quite messy. But here, it's a gaming paradise! I'm glad Felix understands that feeling. Maybe he's a gamer at heart too. If that's the case then I kinda feel guilty to have voted for him back then.

~End Confessional~

---

The camera panned back into the second floor hallway, this time following Arnold as he made his way to one of the rooms. He opened it and couldn't see anything due to the lights being off. After flipping on the switched, he found out that the room was actually quite simplistic. A simple bed with one pillow, a nightstand, and a closet was all the room had to offer. The walls were cream colored but bare.

"For a mansion, this looks like a common room." Arnold frowned as he flopped down on the bed. "I wonder where I can hide." He wondered to himself as he looked around. He rested his gaze on the closet and sighed to himself. "Better than nothing I suppose." He went and began fitting his body inside the closet.

The scene switched to follow Desmond down the other hallway of the second floor. The boy seemed to glanced towards the wall and ceiling for something.

"Maybe there is a secret in this mansion that would be useful for hiding." He muttered to himself as he continued to search to prove his theory.

He jumped up a bit to grab the small handle visible before moving back to avoid the long ladder that came down once the hatch opened. It revealed to be a way going up the attic, which made Desmond chuckle.

"Nobody will suspect me here. I bet even Delilah won't be able to reach this." Desmond smirked and climbed up the attic before lifting the ladder then shutting the hatch from the inside.

~Confessional~

Arnold: Hiding in the closet seems like a movie cliche, but it's kind of practical too. I mean, can you imagine if a person built a pillow fort to hide? *he smirked*

Desmond: I wonder if I should have sought out the basement instead. But then again, height is my advantage here. If Delilah can't reach this place then I basically win this challenge.

~End Confessional~

---

After the fifteen minutes had passed, Chris sounded the airhorn to signal the start of the challenge. Delilah, who was in front of him, covered her ears and frowned.

"Was that really necessary?" Delilah asked as she sighed.

"I'm the host here! I can do whatever I want." Chris smirked. "Now get to work!" Delilah ran off to go find the contestants with a running speed faster than she originally can do.

Delilah ran out the back door and scanned her surroundings. She saw that the poolside was empty and the gazebo as well. She slowly walked along the stone path and kept her eyes peeled. Suddenly, she sensed movement coming from the gazebo, specifically under the table cloth. She grinned and ran towards it, her hand reaching out. As if on instinct, Marvin rolled to the side to avoid her touch.

"Found you, handsome." Delilah winked at him then quickly put her foot down the pushed herself to the side, changing direction in time before Marvin could react again. She managed to grab his arm then let go.

"Well that's it for me." Marvin sighed as he looked down at the arm she touched. Green lines formed and spread out from the source at blinding speed and before he could say anything else, his avatar disappeared.

"Too bad. I really liked you to be my underling in the merge." Delilah shook her head. "If only I wasn't voted out." She walked out the gazebo and began looking around again. She then looked up and saw that the lights in a room on the second floor was on. "Looks like somebody doesn't know how to play this game." She giggled to herself then began scaling up the wall effectively. She didn't notice Cassie peeking her head out to see her do that.

~Confessional~

Cassie: Well I'll be. Looks like Chris was right when he said that the 'It' was something else. I saw Marvin go down, so I know that her reflexes are really good.

~End Confessional~

Delilah slowly opened the window a bit then her body glowed green and morphed into the point where she became the essence of a serpent. She then slid down the window before morphing back to her original self. Looking around, she found that the bed sheets were slightly rumpled so she knew that someone is inside. She looked down but found no one under the bed. She then looked to her side and smirked when she saw the closet. Walking silently towards it, she pulled back the door and shot her hand forward, palming Arnold in the chest.

"Ow!" The soccer player said in pain as he got pushed against the closet. "No need to be so pushy."

"Oh sorry." Delilah giggled. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

"Wait, how did you get in here? I didn't hear a thing." Arnold blinked as he stared at her grinning. But before she could answer his question, the green veins enveloped his body enough to make his avatar disappear.

"Looks like I'm slow at talking. I wish Chris buffed that about me." Delilah giggled as she silently left the room.

Delilah then walked downstairs to the first floor, where she whipped her head to the side towards the boutique.

"I can bet someone is here." Delilah narrowed her eyes as she slowly made her way inside. She scanned the room and found no sign of movement. She walked around a bit, keeping her eyes peeled. She then caught the slightest movement coming from the clothes rack near a pedestal of shoes. "Got you." She whispered with a grin as she dashed towards the spot with her arm forward to grab whoever was hiding.

Valerie burst through from behind the clothes rack and narrowly avoided Delilah as the latter's arm went above her. The flirt squealed and didn't look back as she ran out of the room. "Aahhh!"

"Darn it." Delilah cursed as she was about to chase after her when she saw the doorknob move a little in one of the dressing rooms. She crouched down and saw Nataline's legs in one of them. "But not a complete loss." She ran towards the dressing room and her body glowed green as her aura changed into that of a serpent once again. She did a slide and her aura looked like a serpent slithering past the gap in the dressing room. She stood up directly in front of Nataline and smirked.

"Not yet." Nataline threw down a smoke grenade in between them and Delilah recoiled back before she could touch her. The smoke spread out quickly and Nataline tried to open the door to slip past, but suddenly felt a hand on her wrist. She gasped in surprise before her avatar flickered out.

~Confessional~

Nataline: I knew that we were doing this challenge because I went inside the Cyan Protoss' reward door and then I went inside the Silver Terminators' reward door for a free asset that will help me in the challenge. I'm quite certain that a smoke bomb would distract Delilah long enough for me to escape, so how did she get me? Or maybe I used it at the wrong time?

Delilah: If you wanna know how I did that, it's because Chris made my eye vision way better than before. I can sense the slightest movement happen and I'm nearly immune to vision impairing things. Smoke bombs? Ha!

~End Confessional~

Delilah walked along the first floor hallway while keeping her eyes peeled. She went out the front door and looked around the garden, not noticing Cassie hiding behind some bushes. Walking down the stone path, she came across the gazebo once again.

"I kinda hoped he would win." She sighed to herself as she passed by it. She then saw some bubbles in the swimming pool she hadn't noticed before. "I wonder who hid themselves here?" She giggled softly then went over there on the edge of the pool where she saw the bubbled come from. She crouched down and bode her time.

"Hnngg!" Jude's head emerged from under the pool with a gasp, panting for air. He turned around only to find Delilah there, smiling. "Damn."

"Too bad." Delilah said as she poked his forehead. It didn't take long for Jude's avatar to disappear in blue sparks once the virus had spread. "But it was a good plan, I'll give you that." She stood back up and went on her way to the back door to enter the mansion again.

Cyrus sighed in boredom as he sat underneath the dining table. He fiddled with his thumbs hoping that it would entertain him, but that didn't work. He was about to groan loudly when he heard the door to the dining room open. He breathe slowly to not be heard as Delilah went inside and looked around. After a while, the girl went inside the kitchen to search there. Cyrus breathed a sigh of relief and stayed put.

Inside the kitchen, Delilah narrowed her eyes at the robots still offline on the corner. She went past them and went towards the large counter and sink. She then heard movement coming from behind her and so she swiped her arm backwards. Lucy reacted fast and leaned back then placed her hand on the counter and flipped backwards to keep her distance.

"Lucy." Delilah glared at her and faced her, specifically taking note of her red eye. "Sarah told me everything."

"Did she now? Well it doesn't matter." Lucy smirked and grinned evilly. "You were too weak to compete anyway, it's time I prove that point again." She reached for a knife from the knife rack and threw it at the other girl. Delilah swayed to the side to dodge it easily and placed her hand on the counter to flip to her side. Lucy threw another knife but she swatted it to the side and landed in front of her. "What!?"

"I don't have time for this." Delilah sighed and grabbed Lucy's wrist before the other girl could recoil back.

"No!" Lucy scowled as she saw the virus creep up her skin.

"Yes." Delilah smirked victoriously as she saw Lucy's avatar disappear. "And that's for eliminating me."

~Confessional~

Delilah: Well that was so satisfying. I forgave Sarah for voting for me, because I know now that Lucy is the real vermin here. *she hisses a bit* Oops, sorry. Guess I got carried away with my spirit animal there.

~End Confessional~

Delilah went up the second floor once again after seeing no one else in the kitchen completely missing Cyrus hiding in the dining room. She opened the door that led to the arcade room and looked around, the same way she did with the other rooms. She instantly took notice of the pillow fort in the gaming lounge.

"Seriously?" Delilah called out to whoever was inside.

"Say the password or you can't get in." Tatiana answered.

"She isn't gonna fall for that." Felix sighed.

"Well she's gonna fall because of our combined might." Tatiana argued back.

"We'll see about that, won't we?" Delilah grinned and went over to the lounge. She saw the pillow door open and a pillow get shot out to stop her. She only pushed it aside without it breaking her momentum and soon slammed into the makeshift fort. She shot her arms forward in multiple directions but was shocked when Tatiana and Felix dashed out from opposite sides, each of them holding two pillows.

"Abandon fort!" Tatiana exclaimed and headed for the door with Felix.

"Not so fast." Delilah got up and chased after them, easily gaining on them. She swiped her hand at Felix, but was blocked by the pillow he was holding.

"Nice try." Felix smirked and ran out the door.

"You shall not pass!" Tatiana said as she blocked the door and held her pillows as if it's a tower shield.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Felix blinked as he stopped. "Get over here!"

"Go on ahead without me." Tatiana said dramatically. "The leader has to sacrifice herself for her comrades."

"Well I mean, if you insist I guess." Felix shrugged and ran down the hallway, leaving the gamer girl there to deal with Delilah.

"Quite noble of you. But I'll still be able to find him." Delilah said as she pushed against the pillows that protected Tatiana.

"You won't if I buy him enough time to find a good hiding place!" Tatiana exclaimed and pushed her back. Delilah staggered for a moment but slid down afterwards to touch her in the ankle. Tatiana widened her eyes at the sudden action and wasn't able to defend against it. "No way!"

"Game over." Delilah said as she saw Tatiana's avatar flicker out. "Another good strategy, better than Jude's." She nodded in approval and went out of the room. She looked down both hallways and found no sign of Felix. "Guess she really did buy enough time for him to escape."

---

Chris stood outside the gates of the mansion, facing the camera before him with his signature smirk.

"Things are getting intense for a simple game of tag." Chris chuckled. "But hey, nobody wants to get infected. Almost half the contestants have lost their shot at immunity tonight and it's down to Nicholas, Valerie, Phoebe, Cyrus, Desmond, Felix, Terrance, and Cassie. Which one of them will be next to feel the serpent's venom, and who will win this challenge?"

The camera panned back inside the mansion following Valerie as she silently walked down the hallway but covering less ground. The flirt glanced back from time to time as she went on her way.

"Delilah sure is making it hard for me to win." Valerie panted a bit. "I barely even dodged her that time."

"Don't worry, this time you won't." Delilah said from behind her. Valerie whirled back in surprise but before she could scream, the former covered her mouth and restrained her until the flirt's avatar flickered out. "Silent yet deadly." Delilah giggled as she continued down the hallway.

Desmond was still hiding in the attic, narrowing his eyes at the dust and cobwebs around. "For a luxurious mansion, they sure don't keep this attic clean. Maybe they're going for the horror and suspense vibe up here." He went to a worn out wooden chest and opened it. He gasped at what he saw. "Impossible."

Inside were some of the assets that were used up in the past challenges. The ones in the chest were Terrance's EMP grenades, Harvey's smoke bombs, and Jane's rope. "Are you saying we can use these again?" He muttered to himself as he reached out to grab a smoke bomb. Just as he did, two hands rested on his shoulders and Delilah's head peeked out from over his shoulder, her aura glowing green and her eyes resembling that of a serpent's.

"What do we have here?" Delilah giggled and hissed a bit.

"Back off!" Desmond exclaimed and threw down the smoke bomb. To his surprise and disappointment, it just rolled along the wooden floor and didn't explode.

"Guess you're out of luck." Delilah laughed as she watched Desmond's avatar flicker out.

~Confessional~

Desmond: So these assets are useless to me anyway. They're just for show. The only thing useful in this mansion are the reward doors from both teams. Too bad I won't be able to utilize it just yet.

~End Confessional~

Just as Delilah dropped down from the attic, she immediately saw Felix poking his head out from a room in the other hallway. The prankster saw her staring and ducked his head inside and locked the door.

"Won't help." Delilah giggled as she went over and her essence glowed green once more, taking the form of a serpent. She crouched down and her body became one with her aura, enabling her to slip past the gap between the door and the floor.

Over on the other side, Felix was frantically searching for a hiding place when he saw Delilah's green essence slip through the gap. "What!?" The prankster looked towards the bed and hustled to go under it. He tried to control his breathing as he saw Delilah morph back into her normal body once her entire essence had made it inside the room.

"Bad move hiding in here." Delilah called out to him as she walked to where the wardrobe is. "It's over, Felix." She burst it open but found no one there.

"Now's my chance." Felix crawled out of the bed quietly then jumped up to make a mad dash for the door, but suddenly got knocked against the wall by Delilah. "Ow!"

"Sorry. Don't know my own limits." Delilah grinned as she pinned him there. Felix tried to struggled but his avatar flickered out before he could do anything. "And that's one more out of the way."

She went back downstairs after making sure that the second floor had no one else hiding. She went down another hallway and saw the door that leads to the mechanic room.

"If I had to guess, I bet Terrance is in here." Delilah smirked to herself as she entered the room. She closed the door behind her and failed to noticed Phoebe sticking her head out from the bathroom which she hid in.

Terrance heard the door open and kept himself hidden behind a large control terminal in the room. He took out a remote and pressed a button. Two terminators in the room came to life and locked in on Delilah, then proceeded to engage.

"Really, Terrance?" Delilah called out to no one in particular as she swayed to the side to avoid the terminator's metal hand reaching out for her. Her essence turned green and the aura of a serpent formed with the tail coiling around one of the robot's body and crushing it with little difficulty. The other terminator got a gun and was about to fire it but Delilah weaved forward and knocked the gun out of its hand before using her other hand to chop off the head. She held up the broken head and threw it at the control terminal where Terrance hid.

"Tsk." Terrance grunted and moved away from it once he heard it crash against the control terminal, sparks flying and the machine went offline as a result. "What did Chris do to you?"

"Made me better, of course." Delilah said as if it's the easiest question in the world. "Faster and more deadly like a serpent." She hissed a bit then weaved in a zigzag pattern towards Terrance. The techie boy retaliated by igniting his psionic blade and slashing at her, but she easily avoided it and grasped his arm. "But your resistance is pretty creative, I'll give you that." She winked at him.

"Whatever." Terrance sighed then his avatar disappeared.

~Confessional~

Terrance: I was sure my plan would work, but I guess I underestimated the buffs Chris gave her. It's almost as if she became an asset itself.

~End Confessional~

Delilah walked out of the mechanic room and saw the bathroom door wide open. She curiously went to go see if anyone was inside, but found it empty. She then heard a short squeal coming from around the corner and whipped her head back, only to see a flash of a dress cloth disappear into the corner.

"Was that the small anxious girl?" She wondered to herself as she walked leisurely. "I should take my time with this one. It's not like she'll go very far." Delilah giggled and rounded the rounded the corner where Phoebe had disappeared to. Seeing no one in the hallway, she looked around and saw a single door to the side. With a smirk, she strode there, walking loudly to further make the doll faced girl anxious. But to her surprise, she noticed a hollow sound being made when she stepped on a specific part of the hallway floor.

"What?" Delilah curiously stomped on the ground and heard the hollow sound again. "Is this a secret room?" She crouched down and saw a gap that could act as a handle. Lifting it, she realized she stumbled upon the basement. "Nice spot for a basement." She remarked then glanced towards the door. "I'll come for you later." She giggled and continued down to the basement.

Nicholas, having heard the basement trap door open, silently stood in between two dusty shelves, taking care not to breathe in the dust and sneeze. He heard the footsteps draw closer and lowered his breathing to remain quiet.

"There's no one in here." Delilah sighed as she looked around the dark basement. "Maybe no one found this yet. Such a shame. Could be a good place to hole up." Nicholas heard her footsteps become more distant. After a short while, he stepped out of his hiding place once he thought it was safe.

"She's gone?" Nicholas glanced around the room for a bit. He suddenly saw a blur of green to his left and tried to jumped to his right but Delilah grabbed his wrist in time.

"Got you!" Delilah hissed a bit and smirked. "To think you fell for that trick, guess the detective Nicholas has fallen again."

"You were only able to defeat me because of the asset Chris gave you." Nicholas said evenly as he saw the virus spread around his arm and up to his body. "I still do not regret voting for you that day." He said before his avatar completely disappeared.

"Why does he still act so composed?" Delilah hissed in frustration as she went up the stairs to leave the basement.

Upon closing the hatch, she glanced towards the door where she thought Phoebe had gone. She went over to open it when she heard something break in the dining room. She narrowed her eyes down the hallway that leads to the dining room.

"I could have sworn I cleared out the dining room." Delilah hissed before going over to investigate.

Meanwhile, Cyrus was looking down shards of a broken glass with an annoyed look. He rushed over to the curtains and hid behind there when he heard Delilah's footsteps approaching. He made sure his body fit the thick curtains to conceal himself just as Delilah arrived.

"Whoever was in here was definitely not careful." Delilah called out with a giggle. "I wonder who it was that made such a careless mistake." She eyed the curtains and saw shoes sticking out from under. "Not to mention whoever it is definitely doesn't know how to recover well. I can see you over there."

Cyrus sighed irritably and left his hiding place. "Can we just get this over with?" He rolled his eyes.

"If you wish, emo kid." Delilah hissed and over to him. Cyrus tried to outmaneuver her but she grabbed his hair and pushed him back.

"Hey!" Cyrus said in pain as his back hit the wall.

"Don't blame me, you were trying to escape." Delilah defended as Cyrus' avatar disappeared. "Not that standing still would make me more merciful." She shrugged and took one last glance around the dining room to fully make sure no one else is there with her. Suddenly, she heard movement coming from out in the garden. With a grin, she left to go after it.

~Confessional~

Delilah: Was Cyrus always hiding in the dining room even when I dealt with Lucy in the kitchen? That's actually good on his part. Too bad he screwed up and got the venom. *she hisses playfully with a wink*

Cyrus: So I saw a beetle go under the table and I got startled. It's not my fault I got this fear of those little demons!

~End Confessional~

Going out the back door once again, she then caught Cassie and Phoebe trying to find a new hiding place. The ranch girl looked over her shoulder and saw Delilah.

"Aw shucks. Guess we're caught." She tipped her hat backward. The doll faced girl looked back as well and backed up in fear.

"W-What should we do?" Phoebe looked scared as she hid behind Cassie.

"We gotta survive." Cassie said simply.

"I don't think you know how this works." Delilah interrupted. "Only one person can get immunity. Which means, only one of you can truly be safe tonight."

"Then just go ahead and get me eliminated." Cassie declared as she stepped forward. "Give Phoebe the immunity."

"C-Cassie?" Phoebe frowned as she saw her friend willing to make the sacrifice. "I can't ask you t-to do that for m-me."

"I insist." Cassie smiled at her and tipped her hat forward.

"Hey I do get a say in this you know." Delilah interjected. "And I think I'll try extra hard to make sure it's Phoebe who takes the fall." She giggled.

"Yer welcome to try." Cassie leaned forward to prepare for her assault. Delilah's aura turned green and ran in a zigzag pattern to try and avoid Cassie. However, the ranch girl predicted her movements and went to block her path.

"Not bad." Delilah stopped just in time before she could touched the ranch girl and moved back a few steps. She saw Phoebe head for the gazebo. "But it looks like coordination isn't your strong suit." She dashed as fast as she could towards the doll faced girl, who saw her and shrieked then ran faster.

"Oh no ya don't!" Cassie exclaimed and threw herself at Delilah. She managed to grab her by the waist and bring her down just as the latter's hand was a centimeter away from touching Phoebe's hand.

"No!" Delilah said as she was brought down on the ground. Cassie's weight didn't weigh much on her after a while since her avatar disappeared, but by the time she stood up, Chris' hologram appeared beside her.

"Alright Delilah, that's the end of the challenge." Chris announced. Phoebe heard this and slowly approached them, still taking anxious glances towards Delilah. "Phoebe, you have won today's challenge! Congratulations on your immunity!"

"I w-won?" Phoebe looked genuinely surprised.

"That's right. And as a bonus for winning the challenge, you get to sleep here in the mansion!" Chris exclaimed as he motioned his hands back at the mansion.

"R-Really?" Phoebe looked really happy now. "Thank y-you so much! Can I invite Cassie to m-move in as w-well?"

"Sadly you can't." Chris laughed. "This place is for those who have won challenges in the merge. So as long as Cassie hasn't won immunity yet, she can't live nor visit this place to see you."

"I s-see." Phoebe frowned.

"For someone who has just won, you don't look too happy." Delilah remarked. "Trust me, these things will go a long way for you."

"If y-you say so." Phoebe was still frowning as she nodded.

"I already told everyone to group up at the lobby after an hour for the elimination ceremony." Chris said to her "You'd better go and talk to your friends about the vote." And with that, his avatar flickered out. Delilah looked at the doll faced girl intently.

"If I were you, I'd consider voting for Nicholas or Lucy." She said. "Those two are dangerous. Especially Lucy. You do not want to be victimized by her schemes." Her avatar flickered out soon after she said that.

"L-Lucy? She's a b-bad person?" Phoebe wondered to herself as she walked back to the foyer.

~Confessional~

Phoebe: I w-wonder if Delilah was just l-lying to me. I don't think Lucy is e-evil at all. But then a-again, I'm n-not so good at reading p-people's intentions.

Terrance: It's that time again. This time for sure, I'll get Nataline out of the picture.

Desmond: Time to gather the votes against Cassie once again. Marvin better be in on this plan. He has to if he wants to survive in this game.

~End Confessional~

---

Cassie, Valerie, and Phoebe all met up in the foyer and sat on the green sofa.

"The Green Drell, huh." Valerie patted the couch. "Someone get Marvin over here so we can be complete."

"Couldn't find the guy." Cassie frowned and tipped her hat backward. "I wonder why he wouldn't come to the alliance meeting."

"A-And isn't Cyrus also a G-Green Drell member?" Phoebe added.

"Ew, no emo boys in this couch allowed." Valerie rolled her eyes. "I just didn't say that earlier because I didn't wanna start a scene."

"Why not? Ya look like you always wanna start a scene." Cassie laughed a bit.

"Not this time." Valerie winked. "We're at the merge. Gotta change up the approach."

"S-So, who will w-we vote for?" Phoebe asked them. "Delilah talked t-to me earlier after the c-challenge. She suggested w-we vote for Lucy."

"Why her?" Valerie asked.

"She s-said something about h-her being dangerous. Nicholas t-too." Phoebe answered while looking a bit anxious.

"I agree that Nicholas is dangerous but we ain't gonna vote for Lucy." Cassie said to them. "I'm trying to get her and Jude over on our alliance to keep us strong, y'know."

"Why didn't you tell me that? I could have helped." Valerie frowned. "I love socializing."

"But it's for strategy." Cassie pointed out. "Ya ain't so good with that."

"Well yeah but I can try." Valerie insisted before slumping down on the couch. "Fine, let's just talk about the vote already."

"We should vote for Desmond." Cassie declared. "He's been out to get rid of us ever since the team switch. He's gotta go."

"That reminds me, both you and Jane received so many votes in the last elimination." Valerie remembered.

"Y-Yeah. It was s-scary." Phoebe frowned and curled up.

"I don't know who else voted for us, but I know Desmond's involved in it somehow." Cassie stated. "We should take him out tonight. I'll go ask Lucy and Jude to see if I can get their votes for this."

"I'll join you." Valerie beamed and stood up. "Like I said, let me do the talking."

"Well if ya want." Cassie shrugged and they both left to go find the two.

~Confessional~

Valerie: I kinda wonder why Cassie wanted to be in an alliance with those two, but I'm not complaining! More friends for us! Desmond better watch out, because I'm coming for him. *she winks*

~End Confessional~

Terrance entered the gaming room and saw Tatiana playing Pac-Man in one of the arcade machines. "You said you wanted to talk?"

Tatiana stopped playing and turned to face him. "Yep!" She exclaimed.

"Are you sure it's not just because you have no one to play with over here?" Terrance raised an eyebrow as he adjusted his glasses.

"Well that's only one thing." Tatiana pouted. "But I really wanted to talk. Look, you have to leave Lucy's party."

"What do you mean?" Terrance asked as he sat down in the lounge and Tatiana joined him.

"She's just manipulating you! She's evil! The final boss, even!" Tatiana exclaimed while waving her arms around to make an emphasis.

"Wait are you talking about her red eye?" Terrance realized. "Look, she's a good strategist and can help me get far in the merge. I suggest we join her instead."

"No!" Tatiana shook her head vigorously. "You don't understand. She's using you!"

"I don't think so." Terrance placed his hands in his hoodie pockets. "Plus even if she takes me to the final two or three, I can take her on."

"But what about the honorable path of heroes?" Tatiana frowned.

"There is no honor in this show." Terrance retorted.

"There can still be if you leave and join me instead. You know, the Red Sith party." Tatiana suggested but Terrance stood up and turned to leave.

"I'm sorry but i can't go back there." Terrance sighed.

"Is this about Nataline? I can talk to her and make peace." Tatiana insisted.

"I don't want to make peace! I want her voted out!" Terrance snapped. He then saw Tatiana's shocked face and his expression softened. He sighed again and opened the door. "Sorry, but I've made up my mind."

"But what about my chocobo-" Tatiana didn't finish her statement when Terrance closed the door behind him.

~Confessional~

Tatiana: What should I do? I can't vote for Nataline because she's my friend and in my party. I don't want to vote for Lucy now because it's going to make Terrance mad at me. Who should I vote for then? Maybe someone that isn't a part of either party?

Terrance: I guess I shouldn't have snapped at Tatiana like that, but she's the one who doesn't understand. Lucy made it possible for me to vote out Wesley so she can make it possible for me to vote out Nataline. I just have to stick with her until the plan works.

~End Confessional~

Desmond, Felix, Marvin, and Arnold met up in the attic to discuss about the vote.

"We look like we're about to do some secret cult or something." Felix snickered.

"This will give us more privacy." Desmond said to the prankster. "Now, first things first." He turned his attention to Marvin. "Who did you vote for last night?"

"Jane." Marvin said without hesitation.

"Good enough, but from now on you have to stick to the plan if you want your vote to hold water." Desmond said as he glanced at all of them. "We were lucky Jane has many opponents, but she's gone now, so we should weigh our options."

"Weigh them?" Arnold rolled his eyes. "Let's just vote for Cassie like we did last night. Pretty sure Marvin here has no objections, right dude?" He nudged Marvin in the shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, no objections here." Marvin nodded.

"And when Cassie leaves, her alliance falls." Desmond smirked. "Now all that's left is to do one of two things. We can either get more people to vote with us, or we can scatter the seeds of doubt to make them split their votes."

"Seeds of doubt!" Felix exclaimed as he raised his hand. "That's way cooler than getting more allies."

"I agree with him, and it's not like people will vote with us." Arnold pointed out. "Let's face it, we're underdogs."

"You have a point." Desmond conceded. "So we'll make sure the votes are split then."

"And our main vote is Cassie." Marvin said.

"Yeah." Arnold nodded. He then put his fist forward. "Let's go team!" The other hesitated but shrugged it off and they joined fists then did a group fist pump in the air.

"Let's make this merge something to remember by!" Felix exclaimed.

~Confessional~

Marvin: I can't tell Phoebe how I'm voting tonight. All I can do is comfort her. I'm doing this for both of us. I know this. So why does it feel like I'm doing the wrong thing?

Felix: I can't wait for the elimination ceremony. I just know things will go well partly because it's not me on the line, but also because I'm going to become a part of a major alliance if this pulls through without a hitch.

Arnold: I know being the underdog sucks, but they're also the fan favorites. Tonight, the Cassie dynasty falls! *he laughs heartily*

~End Confessional~

Lucy and Jude were hanging out by the pool, their feet dipped in the pool as they talked.

"So who are we voting for tonight?" Jude asked her.

"Terrance wants Nataline gone tonight." Lucy mused. "Let's just go with that for tonight."

"Really? You aren't going to think really hard on it?" Jude asked. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "Not that I doubt you or anything! Just asking is all."

"I know what you're thinking." Lucy giggled a bit and gave a side smirk. "You're thinking, 'why does it look like she has no big game plan', right?" Jude blinked and looked away in embarrassment. "I thought so."

"It's because I always look forward to you making the plans for us. I thought maybe your mind isn't into it yet." Jude tried to explain but Lucy put a finger to his lips.

"It's alright, I understand. The reason why I'm laying low for a while is simple." Lucy looked up at the night sky clouded in pollution and thick layers of gas. "We're not the only players. We can't always be the ones taking the spotlight. Let others do their own damage."

"I get it now." Jude nodded. "But do you think we have enough votes to take out Nataline?"

"Maybe, or maybe not." Lucy shrugged. "Back in the Cyan Protoss, I pulled some strings to make sure she got voted out, but this time I want to see if Terrance can pull it off. I want him to play mastermind tonight."

"Do you think it will work?" Jude asked.

"We'll see. And of course, we'll try to help him." Lucy giggled. She then noticed Cassie and Valerie go out the back door and approach them. "Yes, ladies?"

"Howdy." Cassie tipped her hat forward. "We should talk about the vote."

"So formal." Valerie faux yawned. "Heya, new friends!" She kicked off her shoes and went to join them in the pool. "What's up?" She exclaimed cheerily.

"You're Valerie, right?" Jude grinned. "Nice to meet you." He shook her hand. Valerie winked and pointed at herself proudly.

"That's me! And nice to meet you too." The flirt said. "Now we'd love to stay and chat but the ceremony is like in thirty more minutes so we'll just cut to the chase for now." She winked. "We want you guys to help us out with the vote."

"Oh? And who do you have in mind?" Lucy asked.

"Desmond." The ranch girl stated. "Ya help us out by voting for him and we'll help ya out in the next elimination."

"It's a good deal, I assure you." Valerie said as she ran her hand down Jude's arm slowly.

"What do you think?" Jude looked towards Lucy for confirmation. The girl's red eye glowed a bit before she looked at Cassie.

"We'll consider it. We still aren't completely sure about all of this." Lucy said.

"But the ceremony is gonna start soon." Cassie pointed out.

"I know." Lucy smiled.

"Well if ya say so." Cassie looked at Valerie and motioned her head to the back door. "Let's go, we gotta meet up with Phoebe again.

"Coming.~" Valerie said in a sing song voice as she smiled at Jude and Lucy before joining her friend. "I'll see you guys soon! Hope you make a decision by then. It would really help us out." She giggled before they both went back inside through the back door.

"Those two are making moves now." Lucy glanced back at the door. "See what I mean now?"

"Yeah." Jude nodded. "So do we vote for Desmond?"

"That's up to you. I'll let you decide that without my opinion." Lucy smirked. "Just join me in my next big move soon."

"Really?" Jude blinked. "Well okay then." He laughed. Lucy giggled as well and had a sinister smile on her face, which the marksman didn't notice.

~Confessional~

Lucy: If Jude votes independently this round, it will draw attention away from us. I'm doing this to make sure Nicholas doesn't come up with a pattern to how the votes go. Either way, the names popping up for the chopping block aren't so bad either. *her red eye glows evilly*

Jude: I'm not completely sure what Lucy has in mind but I'll go along with it. She's still the one calling the shots, even if she did say I should vote the way I want to.

~End Confessional~

Nicholas and Nataline met up in Nataline's room to discuss their strategy.

"Did you design this room yourself?" The detective asked her as he looked around.

"Not really. But it suits my tastes." Nataline answered as she sat on the bed and Nicholas sat beside her.

"Ah, I see." Nicholas nodded. "Now we should talk about the vote. Are you alright with voting for Lucy again?"

"That would be fine, but I don't see why we can't seem to get the votes going that way." Nataline frowned. "Is there something else going on that we're not aware of?"

"I can only think of one hindrance." Nicholas placed a hand to his chin. "There is a feud between the alliance of Cassie, Valerie, Marvin, and Phoebe against the alliance of Desmond, Felix, and Arnold."

"How do you know this?" Nataline blinked in surprise.

"My own research." Nicholas gave a small smile and raked his silver hair. "Do we adjust our plans to fit their terms?"

"If we do, then we must make sure it benefits us." Nataline said. "Which side should we align with?"

"Both options have their pros and cons." Nicholas said softly. Before he could say anything else, Tatiana entered the room.

"Sorry I'm late." Tatiana said with a sad face.

"What's wrong? You look down." Nataline noticed as the gamer girl sat beside her.

"It's nothing, really." Tatiana lied. "So who are we voting for?" She took off her hat to let her hair flow free.

"We are still deciding on it." Nataline said as she glanced at Nicholas, who was still thinking. "It's a tough choice."

"Hey guys!" Felix grinned as he entered the room as well. "I got something to tell you guys."

"Yes?" Nicholas regarded him.

"I overheard Cassie and her alliance plotting to vote you out." Felix pointed at Nicholas. "Saying something about you being a challenge threat and all that."

"My, that's not good." Nataline looked at her friend.

"They're threatening one of my party members?" Tatiana stood up. "We should do something about this!"

"Let's not be too hasty." Nicholas glanced at all of them. "We should keep in mind that Felix here is a member of Desmond's alliance. He could be here to plant the seeds of doubt in our minds."

"W-What?" Felix scoffed lightly as if to deny it. "No I'm not." He turned to the two girls. "Come on, you believe me right? We got this bond of the Red Sith after all."

"Bond of the Red Sith?" Tatiana tilted her head. "But last I remember, even back then you were part of Desmond's party, not mine."

"But that can still change." Felix pouted. "Desmond didn't protect me last time like he promised. He only cares about himself."

"So you want to change sides?" Tatiana asked hopefully.

"Yeah! The Red Sith has to stick together, right?" Felix beamed, oblivious to Nicholas narrowing his eyes at him.

"I suppose you do have a point." Nataline admitted. "Anyway, we'll decide our vote ourselves."

"Yes, do we thank you for the input." Nicholas told the prankster. Felix nodded and turned to leave.

"Trust me, you're gonna want to watch out for the two alliances." Felix said before leaving.

"Please tell me you are not buying that bland lie." Nicholas looked at his friends.

"It just doesn't make sense." The lady said.

"Of course it doesn't! Who would dare be bold enough to attack one of my party members?" Tatiana had a look of conviction on her face and wore her hat again.

"Someone's protective." Nataline giggled.

"Of course! Time is running short. Onward to the foyer!" Tatiana exclaimed and charged forth, only to trip over herself and fall face first. "Ow." She got up and ran out again.

~Confessional~

Nicholas: If this is Desmond's doing, then it will not work on my and my partners. We are far too rational to be driven by mere doubt and lies.

Tatiana: I'm gonna show them that my party is not to be messed with! Let's get on with the ceremony already. *she jumps up and down excitedly*

~End Confessional~

Marvin saw Cyrus hanging around the garden, looking at each of the flowers.

"Cyrus, we should talk." Marvin said to the emo boy.

"What is it? Make it quick." Cyrus looked at him.

"Lucy couldn't find you and it's almost time for the elimination ceremony." Marvin stated. "I'm just going to tell you the vote."

"Well go ahead then. I'm still not done here." Cyrus sighed as he glanced at the flowers. "So much for the inspiration I can get from here."

"She said we're voting for Nicholas." Marvin said. "He's a challenge threat and has a keen mind. She doesn't want him around any longer than necessary."

"That's true." Cyrus shrugged. "And he might win immunity if he stays any longer. Alright, that's my vote." He said nonchalantly and went back to observing the flowers.

"Glad you're on board." Marvin said and turned on his heel.

"Hey." Cyrus called out to him before he could leave. "Thanks for tolerating me all this time."

"What do you mean?" Marvin asked.

"You know, since I hate Phoebe and you two being in a relationship and all." Cyrus pointed out. "You're still being civil about it so thanks I guess."

"Just don't give her too much trouble." Marvin said and walked away.

"Noted." Cyrus watched him leave and then sighed before looking at the flowers again.

~Confessional~

Cyrus: It's kinda peaceful in the garden so I kinda got emotional there, but I won't rest until Phoebe has been eliminated. I just gotta bend to Lucy's will for now but I'll make the big plays soon. Just you wait.

Marvin: I really wonder if Cyrus is a bad person. Sometimes we antagonize those who are really assertive about their beliefs and values, especially when it goes against the norm. Is Cyrus wrong? Am I wrong? All I know is that I'm playing the game as it's supposed to be played, so I wonder...

~End Confessional~

---

(Elimination Ceremony)

Chris stood in the foyer, with the contestants all seated in the couches representing their old teams. Beside the host was a tray of space food containers.

"Welcome, final fourteen!" Chris exclaimed. "Although by the end of tonight, one of you will leave this place and never return."

"Ready when you are.~" Valerie chimed in with a wink.

"Say the votes already!" Tatiana added, clearly hyped.

"It's as if you guys are more excited than I am." Chris shook his head. "Anyway, you know the drill by now. You don't get a container, you're out of here." He tossed one to Phoebe. "Of course, the one immune gets the first." The doll faced girl shrieked a bit but sloppily caught her space food container.

"Terrance."

"Lucy."

"Arnold."

"Felix."

"Jude."

"Marvin."

"Valerie."

"Tatiana."

"Cyrus." The people mentioned all caught their respective space food containers.

"Now, the four of you all received votes." Chris glanced at Nicholas, Desmond, Cassie, and Nataline.

"Why am I not surprised?" Cassie glared at Desmond, who returned the gesture.

"It's getting rather old already." Nataline stuck out her nose at Terrance, who stayed quiet and adjusted his glasses.

"In fact, to make things more interesting, I'll say how many votes you guys got." Chris smirked. "With only one vote against him, Nicholas is safe." He tossed a space food container at the detective, who caught it with practiced ease.

"Thank you, Chris." Nicholas gave a small bow.

"With only two votes against her, Nataline is safe as well." The lady caught her space food container and gave a victorious grin at Terrance, who looked on with a slightly shocked face.

"Well, can't say I'm surprised." The techie boy sighed.

Both Desmond and Cassie stared each other down.

"Ya think ya can stay in this game?" The ranch girl taunted.

"Longer than you at least." Desmond smirked.

"The final container goes to..." Chris paused for dramatic effect.

.

.

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.

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.

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.

"...Cassie!" The host announced and tossed it at the ranch girl, who took it with pride and rubbed it in. "With five votes against her." He added.

"Five!?" Desmond repeated as he stood up and was in a state of pure shock. "That means I got six votes! Who was it!?" He glared at everyone else. "Don't you see? She's leading a strong alliance! She's going to dominate this game!"

"You talk too much." Valerie giggled. "Save it for the bed, mister."

"This isn't right, dude." Arnold shook his head and clasped Desmond's shoulder, but the latter shrugged it away.

"Don't even try to make me feel better." Desmond seethed.

"Hey man, it's just a game." Felix tried to calm him down.

"Shut up! This isn't how this night was supposed to go." Desmond insisted. "What about you guys, huh? Without me, you won't have any allies to carry you far! Without me-" He then noticed Marvin sitting there and comforting a cowering Phoebe who was getting terrified of Desmond's reaction. "This guy! He's a double agent!"

"What?" Cassie raised her eyebrow.

"He's loyal to no alliance. He's only out for himself and Phoebe!" Desmond pointed a finger at Marvin.

"Uh, Chris? Isn't it time for him to go?" Marvin glanced towards the host without answering back to Desmond.

"Indeed it is." Chris chuckled. "Save the drama for the aftermath, Desmond. Because now you leave this game at 14th place!" He said as the chandelier above them glowed white brightly.

"Whoa." Nataline said in awe as she looked up.

"You'll all regret keeping her here, I swear it!" Desmond said in anger. He was about to say something else when a beam of light coming from the chandelier hit him where he stood and his avatar left the virtual world.

"And that's it for tonight." Chris announced. "Nataline and Phoebe, you two are sleeping here. The rest of you can go back to the conservatory now." He said as he motioned for them to leave the mansion.

As everyone except for Nataline and Phoebe stood up to leave through the front door, Felix approached Arnold.

"Guess it's just us now." The prankster whispered.

"Yeah. Guess so." The soccer player replied with a short sigh.

~Votes~

Desmond: Cassie, your stay was long overdue. Jane may have taken the fall for you last round, but this time I'll get you out for sure.

Cassie: Usually I'd be pushing for Cyrus to go, but it's time to play more strategical now that Jane's gone. And I can tell ya that Desmond is out there and dangerous as heck. Might as well cut him off.

Phoebe: M-My vote goes to D-Desmond. It's n-nothing personal really. J-Just an alliance thing. S-S-Sorry. Oh and y-you were mean t-to my friends too.

Cyrus: If Lucy says I should vote for Nicholas, then Nicholas it is. I figured that he should go home anyway since he's strong and smart and all that. Whatever I guess.

Valerie: Bye-Bye Desmond! This is for working with Shane to get me out during the pre-merge! But maybe I'll forgive you if you visit my room in the resort when all this is over. *she winks*

Marvin: I can't have any doubts now. Like I said, I'm doing this for me and Phoebe. It's time...for Cassie to go.

Nataline: Nicholas said we should vote for Desmond tonight and try to get on good terms with Cassie and her alliance tomorrow. I can agree with that plan. Plus I'm not afraid of Terrance's schemes anymore. *she looks slightly nervous*

Terrance: I'm voting for Nataline. Granted, I didn't talk to anyone else about the vote since I spent the last few minutes trying to understand what Tatiana was telling me, but I'm sure people will feel the same way and vote for her too.

Jude: I'm gonna use this freedom of vote to take out Desmond like Cassie and Valerie wanted! It's not like I'll ditch my Lucy for their alliance. It's just for tonight after all.

Arnold: The underdogs team has been made, and now it's time to get rid of the ranch girl! I can hear the whistle blowing and the referee giving her the red card already.

Lucy: I'm gonna waste my vote and vote for Nataline. At least then I'll still be keeping my promise to Terrance that I'll help him out. *she laughs as her red eye glowed*

Felix: So Desmond wants Cassie gone, huh? Well I got nothing special going on with her so it's no big deal. Nothing personal, alright?

Tatiana: No one messes with my party! I'll show them by voting off the alliance's head captain, Cassie! This is so gonna send a message to all.

Nicholas: I have weighed my options and have decided to vote for Desmond in favor of Cassie and her alliance. This is simply because Desmond's alliance seems to have been made on the spot. With that logic, it means that they are not refined and patterned. It makes them unpredictable, and therefore dangerous to work with. Cassie's alliance, on the other hand, have been strong since the pre-merge. I will be able to predict them and stay one step ahead. It is a risky move, but I learned that risks in this game yield great rewards.

~Eliminated~

(24th place) Richard - The Maestro

(23rd place) Delilah - The Serpent

(22nd place) Harvey - The Chill Guy

(21st place) Betty - The Phone Addict

(20th place) Wesley - The Blue Blood

(19th place) Shane - The Lone Wolf

(18th place) Ivy - The Distant Cloud

(17th place) Sarah - The Rocker Girl

(16th place) Nelly - The Arrogant Nerd

(15th place) Jane - The Survival Expert

(14th place) Desmond - The Jack of all Trades

---

Chris stood at the entrance of the sci-fi mansion with his arms spread out in a dramatic fashion while he faces the camera with his signature smile. "That concludes the second merge challenge of the season. Guess it goes to show you can never recover from the serpent's venom. With Desmond gone, will his merry band of underdogs find a way to get back on their feet? Is Marvin's cover blown? Will Nicholas' decision pay off in the end? Can Tatiana still win Terrance over and make him realize Lucy's evil ways will only be harmful to him? Find out next time on Total...Drama...Sci-Fi Showdown!" He exclaimed as the camera panned out then turned off.

---

And there goes Desmond. Did anyone ever like that guy? Anyways, Desmond was always this filler character that made it far for the sake of making it far. His entire plot revolves around him doing his best to stir up drama and succeed to an extent, but never truly got what he envisioned. He is meant to start things, not finish it. This is the chapter where his role of planting the seeds of chaos comes to an end. Whether you liked his balanced talents, or hated him for his slightly antagonistic nature, that's your peace you need to hold. See you all next time! :) XBloodLegendX