WeirdAlfan101: Thanks for the review! Yeah, Dakota coming back is going to be fun.
AnonBrowser: Really liked the beautiful nostrils line from canon, eh? Sorry to disappoint you like that. Rest assured, I plan on Samkota being a thing by the end of this. You'll have to see where I'm going with Dawn and foraging.
SideshowJazz1: Thank you for the lengthy review. I can't make any promises on the manchineel fruit. I mostly kept that in to show that not everything growing on the island is safe. I'll see what I can do with it down the line. Can't answer your questions about Dawn and Mike to how plot-sensitive they are. Thanks for your interest, though.
Acosta perez jose ramiro: Thanks for the review!
OmniUIShaggyOverexaggerated: Yeah, that's one good thing coming out of this arrangement.
Critica7: Good points on Ezekiel and Dakota's treatment in the for the review!
Johnathen Youngs: Yeah, Scott's a dirtbag, isn't he? I think you'll be happy to hear that I am Team Bawn.
That British Guy: Same, buddy. Same.
Moonstone210: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking this AU. Interesting prediction about the ships.
VickyT36: Thank you! It's okay you haven't reviewed the other ones. I'm just happy that you found this story.
Dperson3569: Thanks for the review!
Derick Lindsey: Interesting thoughts on whether Dakota or Ezekiel got the worse treatment. Can't say anything about Vito, but glad you liked the Sky mention. It kinda stunk that Pahkitew Island didn't have any references to previous contestants.
SilentSinger948: Thanks for the review! Yeah, that's one good thing that came out of the swap.
Joel Connell: Thanks for the review! Dakota won't be mutated in this story, I can guarantee!
As usual, a friendly reminder that Cast Swap has a TVTropes page that is always looking to improve. It's gotten some great additions made recently, and if you've got some ideas to add, go ahead!
Now with reviews out of the way, let's play a game of Doom Balloons! Grab as many as you can, and be ready for the surprises that lurk inside!
Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama or anything within the franchise. I only own a DVD of season one and some shirts.
Episode 3- Sabotage Isn't Everything
The episode began fading in on footage of Brick and Scott beginning the pig race.
"Last time on Total Drama Pahkitew Island," Chris narrated, "the teams ran a super slippery race while holding some very rare pork." Various moments of the challenge were shown, including passing the pigs to the next teammates in the relay.
"Dakota called in the paparazzi, again." Dakota was shown with the pig, getting their pictures taken. A flash transition showed Jo carrying her team's pig over the top of the greasy wall. "And Jo won it for the Pimapotew Kinosewak."
Another flash transition fast forwarded to the elimination ceremony. "And while the Waneyihtam Maskwak had to say later to Dakota the diva, they finally finished their shelter." The Bears' treehouse was shown, and then the camera zoomed out to show the image of the shelter was being displayed on a TV monitor.
Chris walked up beside the TV, and said, "Today's challenge is treacherous, deadly, and unless you're doing it, hilarious!" He chuckled to himself. "Who will survive to play another day, and who will be sent home by a giant cannon airlines? Find out right here right now on Total Drama Pahkitew Island!"
(cue intro)
B plucked some blueberries off a bush and tucked them into a pocket of his overcoat. He grabbed another handful and added them to the pocket.
"Thank you for your assistance this morning, B," Dawn said, walking up with a woven basket full of nuts and berries she had collected.
He smiled at her, giving an affirmative nod of his head.
Dawn returned the smile. "Your aura is a lovely purple-green. It really suits you."
B made an appreciative expression on his face.
Glancing up at the tree beside them, Dawn pointed to it. "Could you use a bit of force on this tree? The berries would be helpful in maintaining a nutritious diet out here."
B gave her a thumbs up gesture, and took a few steps back. She stepped to the side as B charged forward, ramming his shoulder into the tree roughly. The impact caused several red berries to fall from the tree's branches.
"Excellent work," Dawn remarked, smiling as she caught several berries in her basket while B managed to catch some with his pockets and the hood of his hoodie. "If you'd be open to working together more, I propose we make an alliance."
B raised an eyebrow at her suggestion.
Seeing his intrigue, Dawn continued, "We've already lost two teammates, and I get a bad feeling from Lightning. I fear if we don't act quickly, we may be out of the game sooner than we desire. Are you interested?"
B mulled the offer over in his head for a few moments, and then gave a thumbs up again, smiling.
Dawn grinned. "Great. It'll be a pleasure working with you."
(Confessional- Dawn)
"I wouldn't have made that offer to B if I didn't like how his aura was appearing to me," she informed the audience, "Reading auras is how I decide if someone is trustworthy. For example, despite how Dakota's upbringing could make someone believe she's a spoiled child, her aura told me she is a really sweet person."
"Good morning fellow recruits!" Brick greeted, walking into B and Dawn's conversation with Zoey at his side. Brick and Zoey each had a small cloth bag in hand.
"Greetings, Brick, Zoey. No Cameron this morning?" Dawn said, turning to address them.
Zoey smiled warmly. "Cam did a great job helping Brick forage yesterday so Mike and I thought it would be a good idea to take turns helping gather food. It only seemed fair."
(Confessional- Zoey)
"I was also hoping I could use the opportunity to make some new friends," the indie chick admitted, prodding her two pointer fingers together awkwardly. "It's perfect, really. Our team gets food, and I can gain some actual friends. Boy, do I need some."
Brick gave an appraising glance at B and Dawn's collection. "Good haul. Mind directing me to where I can gather some of that?"
B nodded and motioned for Brick to follow him. As the boys left the area, Dawn and Zoey were left alone.
The girls watched them go, and then turned their attention to each other.
"I know what you're really here for," Dawn said to Zoey.
Zoey cringed at the moonchild's cryptic sentence. "You do?"
"Of course," said Dawn, gesturing at Zoey. "It's all over your aura. I wouldn't worry though. You have a higher chance of befriending our fellow contestants than you have with your peers back home."
"That's reassuring," Zoey replied somewhat hopeful before raising a finger to her chin in thought. "I think?"
Sam sighed heavily, sitting on the treehouse deck, swinging his legs over the edge and looking over the island.
Scoffing, Scott walked out from the boys' bedroom. "Are you still hung up on Dakota getting voted off? Get over it. She was a hottie, but she wasn't a helpful hottie."
"She wasn't that bad," Sam defended as Scott sat down beside him. "At least she did her part of the course when Lightning couldn't."
"True," Scott consented, hocking a loogie and spitting down at the ground. "But if we have to carry something like a pig or build something again, I'd take our chances with Lightning over her."
"Come on, you stupid tree!" The two boys looked down below the treehouse. Lightning was standing next to another tree, glaring at it. "Give Lightning some steak!" Raising his fist, he punched the tree and a bee hive fell down. It burst open and Lightning ran screaming from the angry swarm.
Sam and Scott watched him run, wincing at his various yelps of pain. "…Though, I'm starting to reconsider if that's the smartest idea."
"We're back, friends," Dawn announced from down below as she and B returned, Dawn carrying the basket of food and B holding a bucket full of fresh water. "And we have food."
Sam chuckled at the sight of the pair. "Alright! B, pretty soon you might have to change your name to A-plus!" He and Scott hopped up from their seats and climbed their way down to meet their teammates.
Lightning ran circles around their campsite, and his teammates watched with sympathy. "Somebody want to tell Lightning how to get sha-rid of these bees?" He hollered.
"Find a pool of water to dive in," Dawn advised from afar, "if you stay under long enough, they'll get bored and fly away."
"Gotcha!" Lightning ran off in search of water with the bees flying close behind.
(Confessional- Sam)
"I miss Dakota," the gamer lamented. "She's the only person here that really got me." He sighed, looking up at the ceiling. "I guess it comforts me a little that she probably found a new phone to use by now, and I have my backup console." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out another handheld game and began to play it with a sad look.
When the confessional static cleared away, the camera was zooming in on the Salmon's shelter. Small clouds of something could be seen leaking out the windows and evaporating. Cameron, Mike, and Jo could be heard coughing inside.
The three teammates eventually stumbled out of their shelter, coughing into their hands.
"Tan in a Can," Jo spoke up once she was able to breathe, "could you maybe use a little less spray tan and a lot less hairspray?"
Anne Maria walked out with her eyes closed, still spraying at her hair. "Sorry, dolls, but I can't risk any fly-aways. Besides, we're on TV, so I gotta look perfect."
"I understand that," Cameron said, "but we need the air in the shelter to be clean. We sleep in there."
"What's it to you? You sleep on the boys' side," Anne Maria pointed out.
"Yeah, but we can still smell the hairspray," Mike argued, coughing, "and taste it a little too."
"Eh, not my problem," Anne Maria replied casually, only for her spray can to stop spraying. Noticing the lack of hairspray coming out, she shook it. "Empty already? Okay, now that's my problem."
"You know what else your problem is, Anne Maria?" Chris asked over the loudspeakers. "It's challenge time! All butts to the meeting area in five!"
"How can we have a challenge when I'm out of hairspray?" Anne Maria asked incredulously, stomping her foot. "Ugh, that man and I are having some words." She threw her empty can to the ground and made her way to the meeting area.
"Hey, wait!" Zoey called out, her and Brick arriving at the camp site with their team's food. "We didn't even hand out breakfast yet."
Anne Maria's team watched her leave, and then turned their heads when they heard an increasingly loud scream. They all watched with surprise as Lightning ran past them down to the beach and dove in the water. The angry swarm hovered over where he went under.
(Confessional- Anne Maria)
"Who does Chris think he is?" The spray tanned girl exclaimed. "Calling a challenge when I'm clearly not ready. I still had like two coats of hairspray to apply."
At the meeting area, Chris stood next to a crate full of colorful balloons, marking things on a clipboard.
"Yo, McLean!" Anne Maria snapped behind his back. Chris looked up at her greeting and set down his clipboard. "What's a girl got to do to get more hairspray around this joint?"
"I don't know. Pack more next time, or maybe don't use it all within three days?" Chris suggested, unsure what she wanted to hear.
"What? Not planning on handing out luxury stuff for a reward challenge, or something?" Anne Maria inquired, tapping her foot impatiently.
Chris shook his head. "Not really, no. All our rewards this season are food-based. Didn't think you guys would care about anything other than some decent grub once a day."
Scott arrived on the scene mid-way through Chris's last sentence, and sent a critical eye in the direction of the balloons.
(Confessional- Scott)
"My strategy is to sabotage my team and vote them all off. Winning multiple challenges in a row will make the other team so confident that when we reach the merge, they won't see me coming." Scott smirked, poking his head. "Genius, right? Nobody else has come up with that strategy before so no one will be expecting it."
A few minutes later, the teams were assembled in the meeting area.
"Gather around, victims," Chris told the contestants, "today's challenge is called Doom Balloons!" He held up one of the balloons from the crate.
"Doom Balloons?" Cameron repeated, squeaking in fright.
Mike winced. "Not sure if I like the sound of that."
Lightly tossing the balloon back in the crate, Chris continued to explain, "You'll have ten seconds to collect a bunch of balloons that are filled with who knows what. Talc, paint, itching powder, bees, spiders, bird poop, it's always a surprise." As he went down the list of possible surprises, the camera panned across the increasingly horrified reactions of the campers, including Lightning and his swollen arms from the bees earlier.
Dawn squinted suspiciously at the balloon crate. "Those balloons have a lot of negative energy."
"What was your first clue, Spooky Sally?" Jo rolled her eyes. "The itching powder?"
Chris blew a whistle, making Jo gnash her teeth. "If you are hit with any balloon contents, you're out. It doesn't matter if the balloons are thrown, dropped, launched, kicked, or sent by courier. Last player standing wins it for their team." He blew the whistle again. "Get your balloons, people!"
The contestants rushed for the crate, herding as many balloons as they could grab into their arms. Cameron and Dawn were the last of their respective teams to collect an armful, and hurried into the woods.
"The hunting doesn't start until you hear the air horn," Chris reminded them, holding up his favored air horn.
(Confessional- Cameron)
"I never expected my first balloon fight to be this lethal," the bubble boy quipped fearfully, nearly curled up in a ball on the toilet seat. The air horn went off in the distance, and he groaned. "Oh no…"
Clutching a load of balloons to his chest, Scott snuck through the woods. He looked around as an evil smirk formed on his face.
"Chris said if we're hit by the stuff inside the balloons, we're out. He never mentioned anything about friendly fire," he snickered.
(Confessional- Scott)
"It's brilliant! I go around and hit my teammates with my balloons without them seeing me, they assume it was the other team, and I make myself look good by being the last member of the team standing against those stupid Salmon," Scott explained, chuckling at the end of his rant.
Scott was about to leave the area to go find his teammates when a voice spoke to him from behind.
"Hey, Scott!" Sam greeted, making Scott nearly drop his balloons.
The devious guy whirled on his teammate. "Do you mind? You almost made me drop these."
"Sorry," Sam winced apologetically. "Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to team up for the challenge. We could watch each other's backs and double our chances of finding the other team."
"Sorry, gamer boy, but I work better on my own." Scott scoffed. He noticed Sam frown dejectedly and sighed. "If you really want to help our team win, why don't you stay here and play your game? If you're not wandering around and looking for the other team, the chances of them finding you and getting you out are less likely to happen."
Sam gazed down at his balloons. "I don't know. I should really keep moving."
Scott shrugged. "Do what you want. Just don't follow me." He sauntered off, leaving Sam behind.
(Confessional- Scott)
"I had to ditch the guy," Scott said, "You can't really sabotage your own team when one of them is looking over your shoulder."
Jo treaded carefully through the woods. She heard a snap behind her, and whirled around with a balloon ready to toss.
"Wait, it's just me! Don't fire!" Brick exclaimed quickly, holding an arm up in defense.
Rolling her eyes, Jo lowered her balloon. "What are you doing here, Crybaby Cadet?"
"Just thought I'd offer to watch your back," Brick replied. "We'd probably have more success if we worked together as a team."
(Confessional- Jo)
"Work together with him?" She repeated. "I'd rather play tea party with a bear than team up with that wimp."
Lifting a finger, she poked Brick in the chest. "Listen here. You may want to play as a team, but I don't. I'm only tolerating the team until this pre-merge phase is over. After that, I'm not dealing with any of you, you got that?"
Out of nowhere, a balloon landed on Jo's head and burst into a white cloud. When the cloud dissipated, Jo dropped her balloons to the ground and began to scratch wildly.
"What the?" She demanded. "Where did this come from?"
"Sha-bam!" She and Brick looked over and saw Lightning jog past them. "Field goal for Lightning!"
"You little," Brick's jaw dropped as he heard Jo emit a swear, "get back here!" Jo ran after Lightning, scratching along the way.
"Jo!" Brick gathered her leftover balloons up along with his own and hurried in the direction she and Lightning ran. "Wait!"
The pause symbol appeared over Brick, stuck in mid-run with an armful of balloons. The camera pulled back to show Chris watching everything on his TV.
"Lightning is really enjoying the game, and obviously Jo isn't." Chris chuckled. "There's more surprises in the balloons than these campers think. Stay tuned for more mayhem when we return on Total Drama Pahkitew Island!"
When the show faded back in, Cameron was sneaking around carefully when he came across a snake lounging in a nearby tree. He squeaked in fear, going stiff.
"Don't move," he whimpered. "Maybe it will ignore you."
A few yards behind him, Sam popped up behind a bush. "A stationary target? Sweet!" He cheered quietly to himself, unaware of Scott lurking behind him. "Time to earn the team a point." He raised a balloon, preparing to throw.
Scott acted quicker, throwing one of his and ducking down into hiding.
The balloon popped on Sam's back and sent him sprawling onto his stomach. "Ah! I've been hit!" He yelled this loudly enough for Cameron to notice him and flee. Sam laid there and smelled his arm. "Ew! A skunk stench balloon."
(Confessional- Sam)
"You know, I always figured the first time I would get sprayed by a skunk, the skunk would actually be there. Not a balloon filled with the stuff," Sam commented, idly playing his backup console while a green odor cloud wafted off of him.
"Jo!" Brick called as he ran through the woods. "Jo!" He stopped a random spot, yelling once more, "Jo!"
"Shout a little louder. That should draw the other team right to you," Jo could be heard snarking. Brick glanced in the direction he had heard her, and found her sitting against a tree, scratching repeatedly at the spots on her body that had powder stains.
"Are you okay?" Brick checked.
Jo rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, itching powder is just what I needed today. How do you think I'm doing?"
The cadet raised half his unibrow, putting a hand on his hip. "It's not a crime to show concern for a teammate."
"Well, it doesn't win you challenges either." Rising to her feet, Jo pointed in a direction. "Just get out of here and leave me alone, okay? I'm already out of this challenge. The least you could do is take out that meathead that did this."
"But shouldn't we do something for the itching?" Brick attempted to ask.
"I said leave!"
Brick raised a placating hand. "Okay, okay, I'm going." He jogged off, Jo keeping her glare on him until he was out of her sight.
"This is just great," Anne Maria grumbled as she walked through the woods. "I got no more hairspray, this challenge is going to mess up my hair if someone throws a dumb balloon at me, and I can't even get a decent shower out here." Finding a relatively large boulder, she sat down on it in a huff. "This show is turning to be a really lousy idea."
Elsewhere in the woods, Zoey was on the hunt for rival players. She kept glancing in every direction, hoping to spot one of the Bears. As she passed through the area, the bushes behind her rustled, and Mike poked his head up into view.
Watching Zoey in dismay, Mike sighed heavily.
(Confessional- Mike)
"One of my alternate personalities must have said something to upset Zoey yesterday," Mike deduced, "I don't remember much happening in the tubes and the next thing I know, we've won the challenge already and we were having dinner. When I tried to talk to Zoey, she seemed not as willing to talk. I just wish I knew what happened so I could fix it."
Mike thought to himself for a moment, and then came to a decision. "Maybe I should just tell her the truth and apologize. But," he felt a twinge of hesitance, "after she find out, will she even want to be my friend?" Shaking his head, he found new resolve. "No, I still need to clear the air."
As he moved to get out of the bush he was hiding in, his shirt got caught on a stray twig and tore off.
Mike let out a gasp, managing not to drop his balloons in the process, and switched to Vito.
Vito looked confused for a moment and glanced down at the things in his arms. He glanced up and noticed Zoey's back. Gaining a sly smirk, he chuckled, "Looks like the Vito is in for a bit of fun."
In another section of the woods, Dawn stood guard with her balloons while B did something behind her. "Are you sure your slingshot will work?" She asked, not even looking back.
B shot her a confident grin, and pulled back a slingshot he had crafted with two balloons loaded inside the pocket.
Brick and Cameron walked side by side with their balloons in their arms.
"Good job evading the enemy, Cameron." Brick praised.
Cameron shrugged modestly. "I only survived because someone got Sam first. Maybe Mike or Zoey took him out."
"Could be," Brick agreed.
Two balloons flew at them and made impact. In seconds, the balloons burst and their contents spread all over the boys.
"Gah! Spiders!" Cameron yelped, feeling the creepy crawlies all over his body. He ran off with a yell, trying to shake off the arachnids.
"Cameron, wait!" Brick took a whiff of the white powder covering him, and furrowed his brow. "Is this baby powder?"
Dawn walked over to B, smiling. "Great job, B!" The silent genius nodded in acceptance of the praise, and then Dawn frowned. "Though I do feel bad for Cameron now. And the spiders."
(Confessional- Dawn)
"I wish I had enough time while we were selecting our balloons to find the ones that had living creatures in them." She lamented, sitting in her usual lotus position. "It might've taken me out of the challenge, but setting them free and making sure they were okay would've taken priority."
Zoey was beginning to think the challenge was uneventful. The challenge had gone on for a while and she hadn't seen a single opponent since everyone grabbed their balloons. Though she hadn't seen any action, she wasn't going to give up until Chris declared the challenge had ended.
Spotting movement in the corner of her vision, she dropped low and avoided a balloon that was aimed to hit her shoulder.
"Slick move, pasty. Almost got you there." An Italian-accented voice remarked as Zoey spun around to confront the balloon's handler.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, hand poised to grab one of her ammo. "Mike? What're you doing? We're on the same team."
"Wait, we're on a team?" Vito checked, huffing in annoyance. "Nobody told me nothing."
"Mike, were you even listening when Chris explained the challenge?" Zoey replied, putting her free hand to her hip. "And why are you talking like that? Why is your shirt off?"
"I'm not Mike!" Vito snapped, pointing a finger accusingly. "I'm Vito! How many times does a guy have to tell you?"
Irritated, Zoey rolled her eyes. "Okay then, Vito. Let me make something clear. I don't like your character or whatever this routine is. It's not funny, alright? Just go away and don't talk to me." She turned her back to him.
"Gladly," Vito shot back, preparing to storm off. "maybe I'll go find that chick with the pouf. She's probably not as big of a buzzkill as you."
Before either of them could make the first exit, somebody zoomed by, hitting them with balloons.
"Sha-slam!" Lightning boasted when Zoey was covered in green gunk and Vito was splattered with pink goop. "More points for Lightning!"
"Ew! Those weren't water balloons?" Vito asked Zoey, cringing.
Zoey shook a bit of gunk off her arms, huffing. "Oh gross! Lightning!" She stomped her foot in frustration.
(Confessional- Zoey)
"Lightning is just like the jocks back home," she told the audience, annoyance evident in her tone. "Loud, rude, and totally self-centered." She counted on her fingers. "One of the reasons I came out here was to get away from people like that." Crossing her arms over her chest, she scowled as she looked away from the camera. "Don't even get me started on Mike or Vito or whatever his name is."
Scott crouched behind some bushes, and peered over the foliage. B and Dawn were walking along in search of potential opponents.
"Two more. Then it's just me and Lightning," he grinned.
He waited for them to pass his hiding place, and then slammed them both with balloons, hurrying away before he could be spotted.
Dawn blinked as she processed the sudden attack from behind. "That was sudden. Achoo!" The balloon she had been hit with had contained sneezing powder. B meanwhile seemed to have been hit with a combo of mustard, ketchup, and relish stains.
Once he was sure he was far enough away from his sabotaged teammates, Scott allowed himself to chuckle.
"That was fun. I wish I could've stuck around to see their faces," Scott said to himself. "Now to find Lightning and take him out. Then I pretend to have an accident that makes one of my own balloons pop in my face and we lose."
"Gotcha, freckles!"
Scott whirled around to see who found him, and was met with a balloon full of bird poop to the face.
Anne Maria walked over as he wiped the poop from his eyes, lightly tossing a balloon up and down in one hand as if it were a baseball. "About time I found one of you bozos. This place is more of a maze than the mall."
"We're down to one player from each team!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers, causing Scott and Anne Maria to both look up. "It's Anne Maria versus Lightning. Please return to our meeting area for the final showdown! McLean out!"
"McLean wants us to find each other?" Anne Maria narrowed her eyes. "Oh, it's on." As she made her way to the location for the final match, Scott stayed behind, sitting on the ground. Grinding his teeth, he pounded a fist into the dirt.
(Confessional- Scott)
"So close! I was so close to making my strategy go perfectly, and then she came along and messed it up!" He ranted, throwing his arms high. Bringing them back down, he crossed them over his chest as he scowled at the camera. "The only way it can still work is if Lightning botches this last showdown somehow. Given how dim the guy is, it can happen."
At the meeting area, the TV monitor and the crate that held the balloons were cleared away. Lightning emerged from one side of the woods while Anne Maria appeared from the other.
"Aw yeah, Lightning represents!" The athletic overachiever whooped upon seeing his opponent.
"Let's just get this over with. K, doll?" The spray-tanned girl said. Lifting one of her remaining balloons, she called, "On the count of three!"
"Sha-fine by me," Lightning agreed, grabbing one of his own. "One!"
"Two!" Anne Maria reared her arm back.
"Three!" Lightning shouted, doing the same.
Both players threw their balloons at the same time. The moment they left their hands, time was edited to be slowed down.
The only difference beside the balloons' colors, Lightning's red against Anne Maria's green, was their athletic ability.
Having been an athlete since childhood, Lightning was quicker on his feet. He had the time to take in the balloon's trajectory and act fast. Clutching his last balloon like a football, he made a quick step and spin to the side. Anne Maria's balloon passing through right where he had been standing.
Anne Maria did not have that skill. She barely blinked and had only shifted on her heel when Lightning's balloon crashed into her chest and forced her to drop her other balloons.
"What the?" Anne Maria gawked as she examined the balloon contents- the balloon contents that were now crawling all over her. "Are these… ants?" Screeching in terror, she ran off flailing her arms wildly in an attempt to shake off the bugs. "Get them offa me!"
"Game over!" Chris announced. "Team Maskwak wins the challenge!"
Lightning watched Anne Maria flee, and pumped his fists in victory. "Sha-bam! Lightning leads his team to the sha-win! Touchdown!" Without thinking, he tossed his last balloon at the ground and it exploded, revealing a swarm of angry bees. Lightning's eyes went wide. "Crud, not again!" Turning on his heel, he sprinted away with a scream while the swarm flew in pursuit.
(Confessional- Lightning)
"The Lightning totally carried his team today," the athletic overachiever boasted, kissing his bicep. "Now they'll remember why he's team captain."
(Confessional- Anne Maria)
"Just great," the spray tanned girl complained, "since I lost that last round, my team's probably gonna be gunning for me to be the one to go home. Even worse, I'm still finding ants in my pouf!" Raking a hand through her hardened hair, she proved her point when she managed to pull out two or three ants. Shaking her hand free of them, she commented, "I wonder if I can convince my team to get rid of that Jo chick. She's way too bossy for any of us."
The teams regrouped with Chris and Chef, everyone who had been hit with something kind of substance still coated in the stuff. The host himself held up a takeout bag depicting a shepherdess holding a burger.
"Tonight's winners get to enjoy dinner from Mary's Lamb Burger," Chris declared, "That's Mary's Lamb Burger and Barbecue Emporium. Mary had a little lamb." Chuckling, he emphasized, "Had."
Back at the Floating Salmon's camp, the team sat outside their shelter on rocks that acted as seats.
"Way to go, team," Jo said sarcastically, giving her team the stink eye. "We had a winning streak going and you blew it. Great job."
Brick raised a finger to interject. "In our defense, we might've had a better chance if you weren't so busy shouting at me."
"At least she didn't try and take out her own teammate," Zoey pointed out, jabbing her thumb at Vito, who was lounging back and examining his knuckles. "Mike almost took me out with friendly fire and he distracted me long enough for Lightning to get us both." She sent him a glare. "Or should I call him 'Vito'?"
Anne Maria found herself staring at Vito in awe. "Call him whatever you want, I'm calling him 'hot stuff'. Look at his abs!"
"Thanks, babe," Vito flirted, winking at her. "You're pretty hot, yourself." Anne Maria blushed in response.
Jo retched at the flirting. "Gag me."
Looking between his teammates, Cameron spoke up, "Zoey, if I may ask something? From what we've observed, Mike or Vito has only acted like this when his shirt was off. Right?"
Thinking back to the past day, Zoey answered, "Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"Then I think I might have an idea of what's going on. Give me one second." Cameron rose from his seat and entered the shelter. He came back out, holding one of Mike's spare blue shirts. "Let's see what happens when he gets a shirt back on."
The team watched with confusion as Cameron slipped the shirt over Vito's head and put it on him. He stepped back as Vito gasped sharply. His slicked hair went back up into Mike's normal spike.
Blinking for a moment, Mike looked around in confusion. "What happened? Why are we back at the shelter?" He noticed some of the pink goop from the balloon on his arm. "What is this stuff?"
"Mike, is that you?" Cameron checked slowly.
Mike looked at Cameron, nodding. "Yeah, why? Sorry, I tend to black out so I have no clue what's going on."
"We lost the challenge." Cameron informed him. "Lightning got most of us, and you attempted friendly fire on Zoey."
Mike gasped in horror, staring desperately at Zoey. "I'm so sorry. Whatever happened, I had no control over it."
Already perplexed by Cameron's strange questions, Zoey found herself lost even further. "No control?"
Seeing how hurt and confused she was, Mike swallowed.
(Confessional- Mike)
"Okay, I have to tell them now. Here goes…" he said, somewhat nervous about the possible reactions.
"I… I have dissociative identity disorder," Mike admitted. When he saw that only Cameron was understanding him, he elaborated, "it used to be called multiple personality disorder." Then he could see his teammates making the connection in their heads.
"So, what?" Jo inquired, an eyebrow raised. "The names you've mentioned so far- Chester, Svetlana, Vito. They're all personalities living inside your head?"
"Identities," Mike corrected, "but basically yeah. Whenever one of them is triggered, they come out and I don't remember a thing they did while in control. Sorry for any trouble they've caused."
"That explains a lot, I guess," Zoey said slowly, processing everything. She glanced at Cameron. "How did you… how did you know?"
Cameron shrugged. "I read a lot in my bubble. Psychology was just one of many subjects I read up on. I didn't know for sure he had it, but the signs seemed to fit."
"Wait, so Vito isn't…?" Anne Maria trailed off, unsure of what to say without accidentally offending him.
"Sorry, but yeah." Mike looked at his team, cautiously optimistic. "So, are you all okay with this? I know DID isn't exactly the most common thing…"
"I certainly don't have a problem with it," Brick replied. "Everybody's minds work differently, after all."
Jo stood up from her seat. "I don't really care one way or the other. Just try not to let them screw up the challenges, okay?" Without saying any more on the subject, Jo went into the shelter to do something.
"I should go find us some dinner. Without the reward, we're on our own tonight." Brick said, also rising to his feet.
The remaining team members watched him go, and Mike turned to the last three. "How about you guys?"
Anne Maria thought for a moment, and then said, "I still don't really get it, but you and I are good."
"I don't mind," Cameron said with an encouraging smile. "In fact, since I've read up on DID, maybe I can help you manage it while we're out here."
"For real?" Mike beamed at the bubble boy. "Thank you, Cam!"
"And thank you for telling us," Zoey spoke up, finally smiling since that morning. "I know it must've been tough."
"It really was," Mike agreed, "but I'm glad I got it off my chest. Without any secrets, our team can probably do even better in challenges now." He frowned, something coming to mind. "I just wish I knew what happened so I could figure out who to vote for."
After Mike finished his sentence, the scene began to fade.
When the show faded back in, it was nighttime and the Floating Salmon were at the elimination bonfire.
"Alright, players," Chris said, the ceremony already under way. "Those of you holding marshmallows are safe, for now." Brick, Cameron, Mike, and Zoey all held a sugary treat, leaving Anne Maria and Jo without one. Jo had a scowl on her face and her arms crossed, feeling angry that she was put in the position. Anne Maria seemed less concerned, choosing instead to use a hand mirror to check her pouf.
"Anne Maria, Jo, one of you is going home tonight," stated the host. "Anne Maria, you seem more concerned with how you look in the game instead of playing the game. Jo, your bossy behavior is really rubbing your team the wrong way."
Jo pointed a finger at her team. "Really? Then you people need thicker skin."
Anne Maria snorted in response. "Yeah? Well you need a lot more than that."
Grinning, Chris continued, "As much as I'd like to see you two break into a catfight, this is a half hour show. Jo, you're safe. Anne Maria, you're out."
Anne Maria sighed. "Kinda expected that. Kind relieved too." Standing up from her stump seat in the front row next to Jo and Brick, she said, "No offense to you all, but an island in the wild like this just ain't my scene. Give me that crummy camp or that film lot, and I'd probably ace this thing."
"The important thing is you tried," Brick commented from his seat nearest to Chris. "And we thank you for your service to this team."
"Anne Maria, you have an appointment with a cannon," Chris said, walking over.
"Whatever." Anne Maria followed Chris and Chef down to the Cannon of Shame. "One of you kick Jo's butt for me after I'm gone, kay?"
Jo scoffed, leering at her team. "I'd like to see one of you try." She pointed at Cameron. "Especially you, Pencil Neck." Cameron flinched at the threat.
A flash forward to a few minutes later, Chris stood next to the cannon. "Any last words?" He asked Anne Maria.
Loaded into the cannon and a helmet squeezed over her voluminous hair, Anne Maria shouted, "Next time there better be a decent show-waaaaah!" She was fired into the night, her voice fading as she flew further away.
(Confessional- Scott)
"Okay, so this win is a slight hiccup in my strategy," the devious guy conceded, "but I'll let them think of this as a fluke. My team will keep losing, the other team will keep winning, and by the time the merge comes, they'll have such swelled heads they won't see me coming!" Laughing maliciously, he didn't notice a fly flew into his mouth until he suddenly started coughing and hacking.
When the static finished, Chris was shown. "Only ten players remain, but only one goes home with a million dollars. Find out who lasts and who blasts on the next Total Drama Pahkitew Island!"
(cue end credits)
Anne Maria- 11th
Dakota- 12th
Staci- 13th
Remember back in ROTI when I said that Ella got the short end of the stick? I stand corrected. Anne Maria probably got the shaft the worst. Because she doesn't have that worthless diamond to quit over and she's not as willing to get dirty as Sugar, she just couldn't stay very long. Sorry to any Anne Maria fans out there, I couldn't come up with any storylines for her out in the wild.
This has been my shortest chapter to date. With the characters wandering the woods in random hopes that they'll find someone to chuck a balloon at, there's only so much to describe that hasn't already been said. For some reason, this one was difficult to write. Since Amy and Sammy are not here for this episode, I had to change the title just like I did with turning 'I Love You, Grease Pig' into 'Piggy Panic'. I decided to title this one to reference the fact that Scott's strategy isn't easy to pull off and can fail at times, highlighting his team's first win in spite of his efforts to sabotage them.
Okay, big thing now. Mike revealing his secret six episodes ahead of canon. When Fangren wrote Total Shuffled, they brought up a good point about Mike not being able to be explored as a character when so much of the focus on him was about keeping his disorder secret. Like I said at the beginning of the Pahkitew Island section of Cast Swap, I wanted to focus more on Mike himself, and now I can since Mike doesn't have to hide a secret anymore. I almost had him reveal his secret to Zoey privately in the woods while the challenge was going on, but that threw off the episode's pacing and seemed cheesy at the moment. So I switched that moment out with Vito causing more friction with Zoey, and let Mike reveal his secret at his team's last scene before the elimination ceremony.
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