In this chapter, the teams will be formed and someone will get the boot. And yeah, more singing.

A lot to look forward to, isn't there?

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Chris' recap: "Last time on Total Drama Everything 2, we got a great start to the new season. Twelve veterans came back for more fun, including the robot hero Mega Man, the blind earthbender Toph, and the Merc with the Mouth Deadpool. And they were joined by ten newbies. That group includes the vampire Moka, the huntress-in-training Ruby, the speedster Sonic the Hedgehog, and the wizard Harry Potter. The cast quickly got accustomed to their surroundings, and just about everyone was miffed about the singing part. That was a beautiful song, too. On top of that, I still feel sore from getting launched off the seat of a runner. Really, Yusei? I wasn't going to do anything to it! Anyway, our cast is about to land at the spot where our original World Tour took place: Egypt. Who will sweat it out? And who will take the plunge? Find out here! On Total. Drama. Everything 2!"

*theme song*

Most of the competitors looked out the window to see a vast expanse of sand. They had just entered Egypt, and were nearing their destination.

"I guess we'll find out who the teams are soon enough," Snake told Lammy, Yusei, and Toph. Though they weren't forming another alliance (after all, Nom Nom was no longer a threat), they were all friends, and they all hoped to be on a team together.

"What do you think the first challenge will be?" Toph asked.

Lammy shrugged. "No telling."

Then, they heard something on the other side of the room. "Looks like the in-flight entertainment's here," Yusei said, amused.

"Deadpool, give me back my wand!" Harry was chasing Deadpool around the room. He had seen the wand sitting next to him, and had grabbed it, but within the wizard's notice.

"Do you think I can try it?" Deadpool asked. "I've watched every single movie, so I know the names of several spells." He pointed at a small box in the corner. "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Nothing happened.

Harry walked over to him and snatched the wand back. "Muggles aren't able to do magic, ok?"

"Muggle?" Connie asked.

"Nonmagic people," Harry replied. "That mercenary, is he mad?"

Rarity nodded. "Yeah, he is."

Meanwhile, Mandy was reading a book, but she couldn't stop glancing at Gaz, who was still engrossed in her game. Eventually, though, she noticed Mandy looking at her.

"Ok, what is it?"

Mandy kept looking. "You just think you're so smart, huh? The creepy girl? Trying to steal my thunder? Well you are way in over your head if you think you can dethrone me. Got that?"

"If you're trying to intimidate me, you're failing miserably," Gaz stated. "I don't get scared that easily."

Mandy just seethed and closed her book. "I got my eye on you, Little Miss Scary."

The intercom came on at that moment. "Alright, competitors! Head straight down to the cafeteria and get ready for some fun!"

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"I hate it when he says fun," said Julie. "That always means someone's going to get hurt."

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Once everyone was in the cafeteria, Chris and Chef walked in with a bundle of parachutes. Wait, did I say THEY had the parachutes? My mistake.

Nom Nom had finally managed to get every single parachute in the room. "That's all twenty-two," he said, panting. "Now what?"

"Good job, Nom Nom," Chris said. "Now on to the challenge. Will everyone please look out the windows?"

Everyone looked, expecting to see more sand, but what they saw were two giant targets on the ground. One target on its own could cover an entire stadium. One was red, and the other was blue.

"You guys are going to parachute down to those two targets," Chris explained. "Whichever one you land on, the others that land on the same target will be your teammates. Once eleven people have filled one target, everyone else still in the air will be on the other team. And you are allowed to use anything at your disposal to make it to the target you want to hit. Simple enough. Any questions?"

Toph raised her hand. "Um, anything you can give for helping? I'm not exactly at my best in the air."

"You'll have to find someone to help you then," Chris replied.

"I volunteer," Snake said.

"Thanks, Snake," Toph said.

"No problem."

Chris looked around. "Before we begin, is there anyone who doesn't need a parachute and can make it down their own way?"

Only Harry and Cynder raised their hands.

"Perfect. Everyone else, get a parachute. Line up by Nom Nom and he'll give you one."

Everyone lined up in front of Nom Nom and started receiving their parachutes from him. He was polite most of the time, but he gave Snake's parachute to him a little harder than necessary. Lammy was a bit harder. And of course, Yusei was hardest. Nom Nom practically shoved the parachute to him without looking him in the eye.

Soon, everyone had their parachutes on their backs (except Cynder and Harry; Cynder had her wings and Harry had his broomstick).

"So when do we jump off?" asked Mega Man.

Chris smiled and pulled a lever. "Right now."

The floor under the competitors opened up, and everyone fell out of the plane.

"Did you just drop everyone to their potential deaths?" Nom Nom asked.

"I certainly did," Chris replied.

(Meanwhile…)

"This is low, even for Chris!" Ash screamed while holding onto Pikachu for dear life.

"Tell me about it!" Double D yelled back.

All twenty-two competitors were falling through the air, plummeting towards the targets. A few were already using their landing strategies, like Ruby using Crescent Rose's high recoil to inch herself to the red target. Harry was speeding his way to the blue target.

After a few seconds, everyone started deploying their parachutes. Toph was riding through the way down on Snake's back. Yusei and Lammy had managed to get as close as possible without getting tangled together. Po wasn't doing as well as everyone else. He was a little big for the parachute, and everyone heard it ripping.

Luckily, he was able to reach the ground before the parachute could fully rip apart, and he rolled into the red target.

"That was awesome! Scary, but awesome."

It took a couple more minutes for someone to land. Gaz had shown absolutely no emotion as she landed next to Po on the red target. Snake and Toph safely landed in the blue target, Toph more freaked out than anything else.

"Is it over yet?"

"Yeah," Snake said.

"What target are we on?"

"Blue."

"Ok then."

Harry pulled his broom in for a landing and jumped off, sticking the landing next to Snake and Toph.

"I'm guessing she's blind?"

"Yep, but don't let that fool you. She's stronger than people believe at first."

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"Sometimes, I really hate being blind," Toph said. "But I admit that it does have its rewards. If I could actually see, I would be with my parents right now, being groomed to become an Earth Kingdom socialite. Just thinking about that makes me sick. And I highly doubt I would be the earthbender I am today if I weren't blind."

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Mandy saw Gaz land on the red target, which was why she felt glad when she herself landed on the blue. She wanted to take Gaz down on separate teams.

Deadpool landed on the red target next, followed by Julie. Moka landed on the blue, then Ruby on the red. That left Connie, Ash, Mega Man, Jak/Daxter, Ivy, Yusei, Cynder, Leo, Sonic, Rarity, Double D, and Lammy.

Double D sighed in relief when he finally landed on the blue target. "I'm not exactly a skydiver," he said. "I'm glad it's over."

After a few seconds, Yusei and Lammy were approaching the blue target, both set on being on the same team as Snake and Toph. Unfortunately, the updraft from Cynder's wings blew them off course, tangled their parachutes together, and sent them all the way to the red target.

Cynder flew down to where they landed. They were struggling to get out of the parachutes.

"We certainly didn't think that would happen," Yusei said in a muffled tone.

"It could've been worse," Lammy stated. "At least we had parachutes."

Both finally got out of the tangled mess with Cynder's help. Then they both saw where they had landed.

"Dang it!" Lammy, Yusei, Toph, and Snake all exclaimed.

Cynder had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. "Well, I guess it was my fault," she said. "But I landed on the red too. So this will be cool."

"Who's left?" Julie asked.

She got part of her answer when Leo suddenly crashed into her. "Sorry, Julie," he said.

"It's cool," Julie said, a little formal than necessary.

Next to land was Jak and Daxter, who made it to the blue target. Mega Man landed on the blue almost immediately afterwards, followed by Ivy. She looked around in dismay.

"No plants. No green anywhere. What a drag."

Rarity landed on the blue next, and Ash and Pikachu made it to the red. That left Sonic and Connie. Finally, Sonic landed next to Mega Man on the blue, and Connie on the red.

By this time, the plane had landed and Chris walked over to the teams. "Nice," he said. "Both teams have six veterans and five newbies. The ones that landed on the red target are Ash, Cynder, Deadpool, Leo, Lammy, Po, Ash, Ruby, Connie, Gaz, and Yusei. You guys are now a team. The ones that landed on the blue target are Snake, Sonic, Rarity, Jak/Daxter, Mega Man, Ivy, Mandy, Harry, Double D, Moka, and Toph. You are also a team. And this time, I'll let you pick your team names."

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"At least I'm on Yusei's team this time," Lammy said.

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"Any ideas for team names?" Leo asked.

Deadpool smiled. "How about the Dangerous Deadpools?"

"How about no?" Cynder said.

"It was an idea! When this story gets reviews saying they wished this team was named the Dangerous Deadpools, don't come crying to me."

Ruby turned to Ash. "What is he talking about?"

"No idea."

Lammy glanced at where the other team was discussing the same topic. "The Rockin' Rockers?"

"The Duelists?"

"The Lovely Roses?"

None of those suggestions seemed to fit. They were all stumped.

"None of us have any real imagination, do we?" Connie asked the group.

Eventually, they wrote their ideas down on a piece of paper that Deadpool provided with his Magic Satchel trick. After looking at fifty ideas, the one that the most people liked were the Mysterious Moons.

"I guess it works," Po said. "A few of us are quite mysterious."

"And what's more mysterious than a moon?" Julie asked the group.

"I just want to get this over with," Gaz stated.

Lammy nodded. "All in favor of being called the Mysterious Moons, say I."

The entire group said, "I."

"Ok, this is cool," Ash said. "A little weak, but still way better than the Dangerous Deadpools."

"Hey!"

(Meanwhile…)

"Lay your ideas on the table," Snake told his team.

"What about the Ottsels?" Daxter asked.

Jak shook his head at him. "We already agreed that we weren't going to do that."

"The Awesomes?" Mega Man asked.

"Not exactly a strong nickname," Toph said. "How about the All Seeing Eyes?"

Ivy said, "The Plant People. Or maybe the Green Thumbs."

"The Fashionistas?" Rarity asked.

"That's no good either," Double D said. "We need a team name that signifies us as shooting stars."

Then a lightbulb appeared over Snake's head. "That's just it. Double D, you're a genius."

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked.

"I mean that the name of the team will be the Shooting Stars!"

Toph shrugged. "It's better than nothing."

"Although I wonder how it will register on Yusei," Mega Man said. "Several times, he has been literally called 'Satellite's Shooting Star'."

"We'll dwell on that later," Snake said. "The team name's the Shooting Stars. Everyone agree?"

The team nodded in assent. "Then it's settled. Shooting Stars it is."

"Did you guys come up with your team names?" Chris asked both teams.

Snake went first. "We're going to be called the Shooting Stars." And a golden emblem with shooting stars on it was shown.

The other team agreed that it was a good name, though Yusei looked unamused.

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"Really?" Yusei asked.

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"And what about the others?"

Julie announced, "We're going to be the Mysterious Moons." And their emblem is silver with a moon on it.

"Ok, I like both names," Chris said. "And they're complementary. Well done."

The members of the Moons high fived each other, as did the Stars. Then Chris blew a whistle to regain their attention.

"Now that we have our teams, it's time to get started on the main challenge. What you're going to have to do is go directly into that pyramid over there." He pointed to a large pyramid that was surprisingly close.

"I find it hard to believe we missed that on the way here," Double D said.

Chris just laughed. "None of you are really observant, are you? Anyway, inside the pyramid, there are twenty-two little Chris statuettes. They look just like these." He held up two little figurines of Chris. One was silver, and the other was gold.

"There are eleven silver figurines inside that pyramid, one for each of the Moons. Likewise, there are eleven gold ones also, for the Stars. All you have to do is find a figurine that corresponds with your own team, and then bring it back outside. First team to have all eleven competitors and figurines out here will win invincibility and first class to our next destination."

Gaz rolled her eyes. "Too easy."

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as you think," Chris continued. "There are plenty of booby traps, spiders, maybe mummies, and more to keep you on your toes. I do believe the veterans have already learned that lesson."

The newbies all groaned.

"And to start off the challenge," Chris said with a grin, "a little song never hurt."

The familiar music notes played in the background, and most of the competitors complained, while Deadpool looked elated.

Daxter did a facepalm. "Let's get this over with."

(Author's Note: Imagine the kind of sound you would associate with deserts. That sound that's like clarinets and some drums. A true desert song. This one is called "The Sun is Shining Bright".)

Toph: A sandy desert. Better than ice. Though I admit that solid rock is twice as nice.

Leo: I hope I get close to Julie in this game.

Julie: *Rolls eyes* I wish I could say the same.

Yusei: I hope I find this statue before I get buried in sand. Wish me luck, Crow!

Sonic: Wahoo! I bet I'm going to get their first! Let's have a race!

Rarity: You remind me of someone else I know!

Sonic: Who would that be?

Rarity: My friend Rainbow Dash.

Sonic: Oh.

Po: Guys, we need to stop lookin' on the bad side! The sun is shining bright, now were on teams together!

Connie: He's right! Now were united as teams together!

Ivy: Sure there are no plants around here.

Moka: And sure I'm getting sand in my hair.

Lammy and Connie: And sure this game's a chore.

Gaz and Mandy: And sure no matter who leaves today, we don't care. (both realize they had just spoken simultaneously) Hey, quit copying me! No, you quit copying me!

All: We need to stand together, because soon we'll be united. I guess we all are excited, only some of us want to hide it.

Deadpool: Soon we will be able to break the fourth wall.

Julie: And we'll also find who will win and who will fall.

Ruby: I can't wait for this thing to start.

Snake: I want my entire team to play part.

All: So stop looking on the bad side. The sun is shining bright. And now our team will be united!

The song ended, and the competitors stepped in the pyramid.

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"Meh," Chris said.

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The first thing both teams saw was a weird set of passageways. And no one could see what was in any of them, as they could only see darkness. However, Rarity took a step, and suddenly, several torches started igniting down every passageway.

"We're going to have to split up if we want to retrieve those tokens," Snake told his team. "Pick a path, and we'll make it through this."

"You guys too," Lammy told the Moons.

So the teams split up into the paths. Jak and Daxter ran down one, Sonic and Ruby sped into their own paths, Yusei and Lammy went down a passageway together, and soon, everyone was well on their way through the pyramid.

(After a little while…)

Rarity had not expected there to be a lot of dust on the ground. She kept telling herself it was no big deal, but every step was torturous, knowing she was stepping in dirt. She kept shivering in terror at the sight of every dirty spot.

"Why did the mummies decide to be buried here?" she asked herself. "This place is filthy. And it smells!" She started covering her nose.

Then she spotted something standing on the ground. She ran to pick it up, and saw that it was a golden figurine; the color her team needed.

"That was easy," she said. "And the second I'm out of here, the better."

So she continued running through the hallway, searching for the way out.

(Meanwhile…)

Po was having a little trouble getting through some of the narrower halls. "I wish I hadn't had that second lunch," he complained as he shifted his way through.

He had now come to a fork in the building. "Left, or right? Eenie meenie, minie mo…." He did this for a few seconds before deciding on going left.

He only ran about twenty feet before leaning against the wall, exhausted and panting.

"Why me?" he asked. Then the spot on the wall he was leaning on started to slide back. Po quickly backed away as the wall revealed a secret room.

And the first thing he spotted was a silver Chris token.

"Jackpot."

But once he picked it up, the room started to close again. Po ran for the door and just barely got through.

"I need a vacation," he moaned.

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"And a giant bowl of noodles," he added.

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Sonic came to a halt in front of a giant statue. On a hunch, he started looking around the area, until he saw two Chris tokens, one gold and one silver.

"Looks like I'm covered," he said. "But I'll give the silver one to Ruby if I find her and she doesn't have one."

And he sped down another hallway.

(On the other side of the pyramid…)

Rarity hadn't been the only one who recoiled at the sight of dirt. Double D was disinfecting every spot possible in the pyramid. "Messy, messy, messy."

He was so hung up on this that he didn't look where he was going, and he bumped into someone.

"Oh, my apologies. I guess I didn't se-YIKES, GAZ!"

The person he had bumped into had been Gaz.

"Watch where you're going, nerd," she said, brushing herself off.

That comment surprised Double D. "Well, I certainly wish you could understand that I was trying to sanitize this filthy corridor. Oh, and there's a silver token behind you."

Gaz looked and grabbed the token. Once it was removed from its spot, the ceiling above Gaz started to lower. However, she didn't seem to notice.

"Uh, Gaz?" Double D said. "You might want to move from that spot."

The girl just scoffed. "I don't take orders from wimps. Got that?"

"I'm not joking. Move!"

"How about you stay out of my way, sockhead. I have a challenge to win for my team, and there's no way some wimp is going to pull me out of-!"

She was interrupted when Double D quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way of the ceiling, which was now falling faster.. Gaz finally got the picture when she saw the ceiling hit the ground and then pull back up.

Both were silent for a long time, having no idea what had just happened. And Double D looked as pale as ever while Gaz looked simply surprised. For a while, neither said a single word. Gaz didn't even breathe loudly, and Double D was shocked at what he had just done.

Finally, Gaz broke the silence. "You're still a wimp," she said without even looking at him, and she ran off with her statue, leaving Double D still shocked.

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"For a creepy girl," Double D said, "she really seems on top of everything."

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"So one guy keeps me from being pancaked and suddenly people expect me to bow to him?" Gaz asked. "Or even fall for him? Sorry, but this girl's not exactly lovey-dovey."

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"They really nailed the ancient and creepy motif," Lammy stated. "We haven't really seen much yet besides spiders and dust, and already this place makes me uncomfortable."

"You're not the only one," Yusei responded. In fact, the part about the spiders gave him goosebumps.

Both kept walking, but then Lammy stepped on a button on the floor, and the ground below them caved in, and both started sliding down, slightly freaked out.

After ten seconds, both landed at the bottom of the slide, in another room. They noticed a flight of stairs about five feet from where they landed.

"Beats taking the stairs," Yusei said, taking a look around.

Directly in front of them was a silver figurine. Yusei handed it to Lammy. "Will you do the honor of claiming it?" he asked.

"Absolutely, good Sir Knight," Lammy replied, taking the figurine, but then their attention was drawn away by a red glow coming from the other side of the room.

It was the most spectacular pendant either of them had ever seen. It was a brilliant red ruby set in gold, and it hung off a simple black string.

"It's beautiful," Lammy said, barely more than a whisper.

Yusei carefully walked up to it and held the gem in his hand. "Do you think it would be safe to take it?"

Lammy shrugged. "I don't believe anything about Egyptian curses that linger in tombs, but you never know."

"How about we ask Chris about it when we get out of here?" Yusei asked. "We'll see if he knows anything about it."

He then untied the string and set it around Lammy's neck. "Until then." He tied it around her, and she lifted up the gem and smiled.

"It looks amazing," she said, then she and Yusei smiled at each other. Both walked up the stairs, and they came to the very spot where the trap door was.

"And we have a figurine," Yusei said. "You go on and get out of the pyramid. I'll keep looking."

Lammy nodded. "Good luck," they both said, parting with a light kiss.

(Meanwhile…)

Cynder was steadily flying around the halls, keeping a sharp eye out. "This seems like my kind of place," she said. As she turned the corner at that moment, she bumped her head into something on the ceiling. She looked up and realized it was a silver figurine.

"Nice," she said, pulling the figurine off.

(Later…)

Ivy was calmly taking in her surroundings as she walked down a flight of stairs. "No sunlight, no vegetation. This place bores me to tears. I would rather hang out with Batman's butler than walk around here."

When she came to the bottom of the stairs, she noticed a single golden figurine. She smiled. That was her hard part done.

As she reached for it, however, she started to consider something she knew. Every single veteran on her team was a threat. Even Double D. Why bother taking the figurine and increase the chances of the Stars winning when she could get rid of one of those threats. Besides, it was only the first challenge. If a newbie were to fail to claim a figurine, the rest of the team wouldn't care. There were plenty of chances in the future to prove themselves.

Making her decision, she took the figurine and snapped it in two. Then she buried the two halves in the sand and ran back upstairs.

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"When an opportunity like this come up, I don't want to let it slide," Ivy explained.

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Deadpool was happily skipping through the hallways, keeping a sharp eye out. "This place stinks like Blind Al's flat," he complained as he skipped.

Soon, he was skipping so fast that he couldn't stop as Toph appeared and he bumped into her.

"Sorry, Toph."

Toph simply straightened her hair. "It's fine," she said. "I've been through worse."

Then Deadpool noticed two figurines in her hand; gold and silver. "You already found one of both colors?"

"Yeah," she stated. "They were sitting right next to each other. I figured if you, Yusei, or Lammy appeared, I would give you the silver one."

"Well, one of those three showed up," Deadpool said.

The earthbender rolled her blank eyes and threw it in his direction. "Knock yourself out," she said as she ran off.

(One hour later…)

Over the next hour, Yusei and Connie found their own silver figurines, while Snake, Mega Man, Moka, and Jak/Daxter found their golden ones. The only ones left were Ash, Ruby, Julie, Leo, Mandy, Double D, Harry, and Ivy.

Ruby was running through, and she somehow didn't seem tired. Taking occasional speed boosts, she spotted a familiar blue blur making his way through.

"Hey, Sonic!"

The hedgehog stopped and turned to see Ruby. "Anything yet?" Ruby asked.

In response, Sonic held up a gold and a silver figurine. "You have the silver one," he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks," Ruby said.

"No problem. Now, race you to the exit!"

Both started going as fast as they could to the exit.

(Meanwhile…)

Double D finally spotted a teammate as he walked through, still sanitizing wherever he went. Harry had managed to find two figurines already when Double D found him.

"You wouldn't happen to know a way out of here, would you?" Double D asked as Harry handed him a figurine.

Harry smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do." He quickly pulled out his wand.

"Point me."

The wand spun around a few times in Harry's hand before stopping with it pointing south.

"Not bad," Double D said. "I prefer science and logic myself."

"Interesting. I have a friend who's a lot like you. I think you and her could become friends."

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"Science and magic are completely different," Harry said. "Despite that, Double D seems likeable. He's absolutely a friend."

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Ash and Pikachu ran into the very center of the pyramid, where they found a silver figurine standing in the center.

"Another job well done," Ash said.

"Pika!"

(Meanwhile…)

Julie was quietly walking, hoping not to disturb anything nearby. As she walked, she started to hear listening. Thinking it was Deadpool, she quickly ran closer and closer to the source. However, she was disappointed.

"Oh, hello Leo."

Leo stopped whistling and looked at her. "Hello," he said. "Any figurines yet?"

"I'm empty handed," Julie replied, a little sharp. "As you can plainly tell."

"My apologies." He handed her a silver figurine. "I found two sitting across each other in one of the rooms. And a mummy sarcophagus."

Julie did a half smile. "A shame the mummy didn't eat you."

"It was dead. That whole talk of mummies coming to life is false. Now how about we get out of here?"

"Whatever."

(Later…)

Everyone that had found their figurines was outside the pyramid and talking. The group watched as Mandy walked outside, figurine in hand.

"It's really stuffy in there," she complained. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

This left Julie, Leo, and Ivy. "Who do you think will come out first?" Deadpool asked. "I have my bets on Julie. She rules."

Heck, as he said this, Julie climbed out into the sun, tossing her figurine aside, Leo came three minutes later.

"I ditched him the first chance I got," she whispered to Deadpool. Leo didn't seem to hear.

Connie made a quick headcount. "That's all eleven of us," she said.

"Where's Ivy?" Mega Man asked.

Finally, Ivy crawled outside, pretending to shiver. "No plants in there, no sunlight, couldn't find the figurine anywhere. It was cold. I didn't know how long I could last."

Chris just shrugged. "Then it looks like the Mysterious Moons have won the challenge!"

The Moons all cheered. "First class, here I come!" Deadpool hollered.

"As for the Shooting Stars, I hope you'll have better luck in future challenges. Now go get ready to vote someone off."

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"I am such a genius," Ivy said. "Now a veteran is going to be eliminated. And I hope it's either Snake or Mega Man."

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"We won the challenge, and now I have a new necklace," Lammy said, holding up the ruby pendant.

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"Now who are we going to eliminate?" Double D asked.

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"Lammy found that sparkly necklace in that dusty old pyramid?" Nom Nom asked. "How come she has all the fun?"

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Moka, Harry, Jak/Daxter, and Sonic were all in the Economy room, discussing the usual topic that occurs after losing a challenge.

"We may want to eliminate a veteran," Jak said. "They know the game, while we're totally unprepared."

"And some of them just look stupid to me," Daxter added.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Any ideas?"

Harry thought about each veteran. "Double D's my friend, and he can still prove useful. We could be going to Paris eventually. That's Rarity's area of expertise. Toph was excellent in the pyramid, and we may need her powers for an area with nothing but rocks. And we're all too scared to eliminate Mandy right now."

"That leaves Snake and Mega Man," Moka said.

Sonic shrugged. "Mega Man's a robot with a lot of experience. Last season, he was eliminated before he could demonstrate his full powers. This season, I want to see those powers for myself."

"Then it looks like it will be Snake," said Moka. "He's the perfect soldier, a spy, years of combat and military experience."

"And last season, he singlehandedly led an alliance and spearheaded a counterblast on Nom Nom's reign of terror," Jak said. "He led several people through the season."

Daxter nodded. "If he could do it once, he could do it again."

"Are you sure we shouldn't eliminate Ivy?" Moka asked. "She was the only one who didn't find a figurine."

"We all agreed that it wasn't her fault," Harry responded. "She's a walking plant lady, so it would be expected for her to need sunlight."

"That, and she's attractive," Daxter added.

The newbies all nodded. "Then it's decided," said Sonic. "If you want to, tell the others. I don't know if the veterans will listen, but try."

(Later…)

The Stars were all sitting in the cafeteria when Chris came in. "First elimination of the season, and it looks like it's this unfortunate group. Here's how the voting system will work. Each member of the team will step into the confessional, where there are several passports, each having a certain teammate. All you have to do is stamp the passport of the person you're voting for. Simple enough."

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Sonic wordlessly stamped Snake's passport.

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Mega Man took Ivy's passport and stamped it.

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Double D was having trouble deciding between Snake and Ivy. Chris came in, pointing at his watch.

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Moka sighed and stamped Snake.

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Daxter swiped the stamp from Jak and stamped Snake's passport three times.

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Snake stamped Ivy. "I don't trust her. Anyone looking like that has to be hiding something."

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Harry levitated the stamp with his wand and put it on Snake.

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Ivy smiled and stamped Snake.

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Toph was given special passports that said the correct name out loud when touched. She found Ivy's stamp and marked it.

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Mandy stamped Snake several times.

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Rarity changed the stamp to pink with her horn and put it on Ivy.

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"Now that everyone has voted," Chris told the group, "we can get down to business. When I call your name, Chef will throw you a barf bag filled with peanuts. Ignore the smell of barf. They're safe to eat. Whoever doesn't get a bag will take the Drop of Shame. Any questions?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"No questions? Great. Then the first bag goes to Toph., who I guess I'll have to give the bag to by hand."

He handed the bag to Toph, who started munching.

"Rarity."

"Sonic."

"Moka."

"Jak/Daxter."

"Mandy."

"Double D."

"Harry."

"And Mega Man."

As Mega Man caught his bag, he looked at Snake and Ivy. Neither were looking too afraid.

"Competitors, we only have one bag left to give out. Snake, you're a competition beast. And you kept a group of people together last season. The ingredients of being a mega threat. Ivy, you were the last person to come out of that pyramid, and without a figurine. Is a newbie going to be the first one out?"

Snake sat up, waiting, while Ivy smiled.

"The person taking the Drop of Shame is…."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Snake."

Snake raised an eyebrow in surprised. "I can't say it wasn't a jolt," he said. "But at least I get to say hi to Sam. I consider this a lose-win for me."

Chef handed him a parachute. "Gook luck guys," he said, waving at his team. Then he did one last nod, put on his parachute, and jumped out of the plane.

"A veteran gone," Chris said. "And it was none other than Snake. Talk about interesting exits."

(Meanwhile…)

The Moons were all enjoying first class. And a few were admiring Lammy's new necklace.

"I talked to Chris about it," Yusei explained. "He said he didn't know it was there, and had nothing to do with its placement."

"Toph was fifteen feet away at the time," Lammy added. "And she confirmed he was telling the truth."

Ruby couldn't stop staring at it. "It's like you're wearing me," she said. "And it really looks pretty too."

"So shiny and pretty," Deadpool said. "Lammy, that think makes you shine."

He laughed at his own joke. "Get it? Shine?"

Nom Nom walked by and rolled his eyes. "It's just a necklace."

Everyone on the Moons had a nice party, but as everyone talked, Lammy's necklace shined for one second to reveal an eye on the ruby, and a weird laugh could be heard in the background.

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One down, twenty-one competitors left.

Out of every competitor that could have been eliminated first, I'm sure none of you expected it to be Snake. Thing is, I have several reasons.

First off, I wanted to show how his friends could handle themselves, particularly Yusei and Toph, both of whom were eliminated before Snake last season.

Second, as much as I love Snake, he's an absolute nightmare to write. I have to do my best to portray him as the super awesome secret agent that he is. I feel that the only place where I achieved this was his elimination.

Third, he seemed easy to eliminate. Big threat, veteran, overly too skilled for his own good. I sense that if he hadn't lashed out at Nom Nom, he would've won last season.

The last reason has to do with the Aftermath. I had a few suggestions to eliminate Yusei and Lammy first, and for a few days, I was seriously considering it. But then I thought about the original hosts, Geoff and Bridgette. Geoff didn't compete during World Tour, but Bridgette did, and she went right back to Aftermath host right after her own elimination. If she could do this, why not Snake? Besides, I've had this plot involving that necklace planned for months, and that lessened Yusei and Lammy's chance of being eliminated first.

So I made a change of plans with my Aftermath. The first one will happen after four more eliminations instead of five, and the hosts will be our spies Sam and Snake. That will be fun.

Yeah, and like I said, the necklace that Yusei and Lammy found will serve as a base to what I hope will be a fun sideplot.

Friendships have already been made, namely Ruby and Sonic, and Harry and Double D. Speaking of Double D, this chapter was the start of a complicated issue between him and Gaz, who still has Mandy after her.

The next challenge will find the competitors in Rome, Italy, where vuvuzelas will be blown, chariots will be driven, and another competitor will get the boot.

So remember to read and review, fav and follow, send some challenge ideas and destinations, and keep sending good luck messages, which, by the way, I'll start showing next chapter.

With that said, I'll see you next time. TheMasterKat out!