Ice Cap Zone (South of Lake): Day 14
Survivors: Dante - Scout - Knuckles - Kazuma Kiryu - Tails - Mr. Krabs - Princess Daisy - Tracer - Rodin - Miles Edgeworth - Goro Majima - Nero - Sniper - Joseph Joestar - Wii Fit Trainer.
The Acogua Tribe and Punjay Tribe approached each other, meeting between Alexa and the challenge. The weather was calm and slightly warmer than usual, and though it was still cold, this minuscule temperature change was enough to bring plenty of relief to the cast.
"Welcome to today's challenge, survivors!" Alexa greeted with a wave. "This will be the first challenge with only two tribes in this season, and what better way to start things off than a challenge that tests a little bit of everything?"
He brought their attention to the course behind him. It was long and filled with a variety of different sections. To win this challenge, the tribes would need a little bit of everything.
However, before they learned what lay ahead, Alexa momentarily shifted the subject. "But before I explain the challenge, I gotta know how the two tribes are coping since the last Shuffling!" Alexa then pointed to Nero. "Nero, of the fifteen remaining survivors, you are the only contestant who has been on the same tribe as every other remaining contestant at least once. Given that you've gotten to know everyone, how confident are you in your new tribes?"
"We got some of the strongest and smartest people all on one tribe," he replied. "I'm feeling good about this one."
Alexa nodded. "What do you think of that, Tracer? Do you think Acogua is gonna give Punjay a run for their money?"
"I dunno about that," Tracer said competitively. "Our tribe may look like a bunch of oddballs, but I think they'll have a hard time keeping up."
Alexa raised both of his eyebrows. "Well, I like that attitude! I'm excited to see who's right, so allow me to explain today's challenge:"
*Today's challenge is a multi-staged race:
- The first section will have a pair of tribemates throw rocks at five ceramic targets. Once all five have been broken, the second pair of tribemates will participate in the next section.
- In the second section, the pair will attempt to balance three balls on a square disc from a starting line to a finish line using wooden handles on the corner of the disc. If any of the balls fall off the disc before the pair can reach the finish line, they will have to return to the starting line. Once they manage to traverse across without dropping any balls, then the third pair of tribemates will move on to the next section.
- The third section requires the pair to solve a word puzzle that spells out a secret message. Once they solve the puzzle, they will proceed to a cage containing the final tribe member, where one of them will untie a knot in order to free that member from the cage.
- Once freed from their cage, the single tribe member will move on to the final section, which will require them to climb up a structure using a rope ladder. On top of the platform are an axe and a log. They will use the axe to chop through the log. Doing so will drop your tribe banner down, signaling your victory.
The first tribe to complete this race will receive immunity, therefore making them safe from Tribal Council tonight. In addition to immunity, today's challenge also has a reward!*
"So," he said. "Want to know today's reward?"
With many excited nods, he moved over to a table to his left, a large cloth covering a large reward...
He pulled the cloth from the table, revealing not one, not two, but a whole mesmerising stack of pizza boxes.
"Today's reward is good ol' pizza!"
Dante's eyes widened, instinctively licking his lips. "Pizza?!"
"That's right," nodded Alexa. "With all of the classic toppings for you to indulge in and share with your tribe! They'll be sent your way as you return to camp!"
With a fantastic prize to further motivate the tribes into winning, Alexa continued. "Alright! For immunity and pizza, let's get started! Before the race begins, both tribes may group up and plan which members will participate in which section. Note that Acogua has one extra member, so they will have the extra task of choosing who sits out."
Starting with the Acogua tribe, the eight huddled together and quickly began their planning.
"So we need two people who are good at precision, two who are good at balancing and coordination, two who are good at puzzles..." Tails listed each required quota. "...And one person who's physically strong."
"I'll do the throwing section," said Nero, casually raising his hand.
Following him was Majima, who agreed to the same section. "And I'll join ya!"
"That's two for the first section," said Kiryu. "I think I can do the tribe some good at the second section."
"And I'll help ya," Dante winked.
With the first two sections planned out, Knuckles patted Tails on the back. "I think it's obvious who's gonna be doing that word puzzle."
"Oooh, can I help?!" Daisy asked, clasping her hands together pleadingly.
"S-sure," Tails agreed, taken back by her exaggerated excitement.
And that left Knuckles and Scout as options for the final section. One would participate, and the other would sit out of the challenge altogether.
To make matters more difficult, both were very eager to take the role.
"C'mon, it's gotta be me." Scout pompously pointed to his chest.
"...I dunno, I feel like this is my kinda thing," Knuckles shrugged.
The mercenary scoffed, rolling his eyes at the echidna. "...If ya think that, then let's have a vote. If you think Knuckles can do the job better, raise yer hand!"
Kiryu, Majima, Tails, and Daisy all raised their hands. Though Dante and Nero agreed with the rest, they chose to appeal to Scout's ego and kept their hands lowered.
Regardless, the vote showed that the majority of the tribe preferred to have Knuckles compete, and with a new hatred for democracy, Scout bit his tongue and sighed. "Fine... I'll sit out."
With Acogua's formation decided, Punjay was left to decide.
All of them had a clear idea of what they wanted to do in the challenge... all but Krabs, who seemed unsure on what section he thought he'd do best in. But soon enough, the volunteers from his tribemates would narrow things down heavily.
"I'll do the throwin', it's my forte," Sniper smirked.
Rodin nodded. "You also need some strength to break the targets, not just hit 'em. So I'll help."
"I can see myself doing pretty well on the last section, with the climbing and swinging," said Wii Fit.
Now Krabs got to choose between the puzzle or balancing the balls on the disc. Given that both sounded tedious, he kicked himself for not volunteering for the first or fourth section before they became occupied.
But even then, that small choice was stripped away from him as two others quickly spoke up.
"I'm not too bad at balancing, but I'm confident I could get that puzzle done faster than the other tribe," explained Edgeworth.
"The last thing I want to do is that second section," Tracer shuddered. "I'll do the puzzle too."
"...And that leaves me and Krabs on the balancing?" Joseph queried.
Krabs hung his head low, disgruntled. "Aye."
As the two tribes came to their consensus, they explained their formations to Alexa.
"Alright! So to recap, here are the formations:"
Team Acogua
Section 1: Nero & Goro Majima
Section 2: Kazuma Kiryu & Dante
Section 3: Tails & Princess Daisy
Section 4: Knuckles
Sitting Out: Scout
Team Punjay
Section 1: Sniper & Rodin
Section 2: Joseph Joestar & Mr. Krabs
Section 3: Miles Edgeworth & Tracer
Section 4: Wii Fit Trainer
"Okay! Now all that's left is to start the race," said Alexa. "Survivors! To your starting positions!"
Breaking off into pairs, the survivors approached their respective sections. Knuckles and Wii Fit were placed into cages, locked in with a tight, convoluted knot. Scout sat out on a bench, having a clear view of Acogua's course.
As everyone positioned themselves accordingly, Alexa stoically stood between the two courses. "For immunity and reward! Survivors, get ready..."
Those who were responsible for completing the first section stood before a pile of medium-sized, jagged rocks, and a black, uncrossable line was placed directly in front. The five ceramic targets were positioned between twelve and twenty meters beyond the line.
"Three... two... one... GO!"
Immediately, they ran forward, scooped up a rock with each hand, and slugged both of them across the snowy field. Nero was short, Majima missed a target by a few feet to the left, but Rodin smashed the closest target head-on with his second rock. Sniper was yet to throw, calculating the trajectory and power required as he stood still.
Reacting to Punjay's first broken target, Alexa began his commentary. "Rodin breaks a target for Punjay!"
Soon after this announcement, Sniper planted his feet firmly in the snow and lobbed his rock into the air. It traveled high and fast, and at the end of its journey, it chipped the side of one of the back targets
"Sniper hits the second target for Punjay! Acogua is yet to hit their first!"
As Majima and Nero grabbed another couple of rocks, Majima managed to cradle five in his left arm, while using his right arm to throw. On his next throw, he smashed the front target, knocking it off of its pedestal.
"Acogua finally hits their first target!"
Not long after, Nero managed to smash one of the middle targets. However, this was concurrent to Sniper and Rodin striking both middle targets at the same time.
"Acogua gets another...
AND PUNJAY GETS TWO MORE!" Alexa cried. "Punjay only has one target left, while Acogua still has three!"
Majima quickly swooped in, desperate to give his competitors a long run for their money. He flung his rock straight ahead, directly smashing one of the back targets.
"ACOGUA HAS TWO TARGETS LEFT!"
Sniper readied his shot, Nero not thinking twice before blindly throwing his rock. Miraculously, it connected with another back target, leaving Acogua with just one more.
Mere seconds later, Sniper finished off the final target with a clean, direct throw.
"PUNJAY GETS ALL OF THEIR TARGETS!" He bellowed. "THEY CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SECTION."
Springing to life, Joseph and Krabs both ran over to the square disc, the three small wooden balls were neatly placed beside it.
Joseph slotted the balls into incredibly shallow dimples in the middle of the disc. He then lifted up one half as Krabs lifted the other, and the disc was slowly lifted into the air.
As this was happening, Majima connected the final shot, finishing the section.
"ACOGUA CAN MOVE ON!" Alexa wrung his hands. "Things are looking close, but Punjay's got a useful lead! It's down to the balance and precision of Krabs and Joseph for Punjay, versus Kiryu and Dante for Acogua. Remember, if any of those three balls fall off, you gotta go back to the start!"
And, almost as if it was on cue, Joseph and Krabs' inability to hold the disc straight caused the balls to quickly slide off before they even finished their first step.
This slight window to catch up allowed Kiryu and Dante to run over and quickly load up their disc. From there, they grabbed a handle each and slowly lifted it, their similar heights and builds allowed for a far more comfortable transport than Joseph and Krabs.
Krabs and Joseph were soon back in it, their balls planted back on the disc as they slowly but surely shuffled forward.
Both pairs went at the same pace, though it was clear that Dante and Kiryu were far more stable.
"In every other section, you either make progress or no progress. In this one, losing progress can happen in the blink of an eye," Alexa warned. "You may be urged to speed up, but there's plenty of risk in doing so. Not to mention you have to coordinate with your partner."
Each pair communicated with one another differently. Dante attempted to establish a rhythm in his and Kiryu's movement, though with Joseph and Krabs, it was far more short-tempered.
Joseph was forced to respond to sudden movements from Krabs. Though they were subtle, they would be enough to send the balls rolling off the disc if Joseph wasn't there to quickly adjust to them.
"Keep it steady," Joseph complained, suddenly noticing that his partner was also starting to pull away, squandering their rhythm. "Why are you ahead of me? You're making it awkward!"
"I don't see the problem, lad," Krabs said. "As long as we're faster, we'll beat 'em to the next section! We're fine!"
"Barely," he muttered, having no other choice but to speed up and abide by Krabs's ignorance.
As the challenge went on, the intensity ramped up more and more. Ample progress was made by both pairs, and though Joseph was against the reckless approach from Krabs, it managed to help them catch up to Dante and Kiryu. However, both pairs were so fixated on their respective disc that neither knew if they were ahead or behind the other.
Only a few metres from the finish line, Punjay's pair experienced their next big problem. Krabs' impatience and excitement had him slowly but noticeably speeding up.
"Keep it slow..." Joseph muttered, his eyes locked on the disc. "The last thing we need is-"
He quickly fell silent, his eyes widening as two of the three wooden balls had escaped from their dimples, and were precariously rolling towards the edge of the disc, towards Joseph.
Though he raised his side of the disc in an attempt to prevent the balls from rolling off, this was paralleled by Krabs' impulsive decision to drastically lower his side of the disc. Though this momentarily stopped the two balls from rolling off the edge, the third ball quickly flew from its dimple and rolled off the other side of the disc. In a mere second, they had lost all of their progress.
"Ouch!" Alexa grimaced with pity. "Krabs and Joseph lose their balance so close to the finish line! They have to return back and start over!"
"NOOOO!" Krabs roared, kicking the fallen ball away as he dropped the disc with frustration. Though it was a justified response, it simply puts them even further behind.
Dante pulled a smug grin as he and Kiryu continued to move forward. They were in the lead by a game-changing amount, and the only thing they had to do now was stay slow and careful as they approached the finishing line. They fastened their grip on the wooden handles and continued their rhythm.
Joseph sighed as he kept his composure, snatching the disc and the three balls from the snow as he ran back to the start, Krabs following behind.
As they restarted, all attention was brought on to Acogua's pair, just a single metre away from completing the section.
"Acogua's very close to the finish line," Alexa mentioned.
Without making a lapse in concentration, Kiryu and Dante stoically cleared the final metre, completing their section and allowing Tails and Daisy to begin with the puzzle.
The two of them ran to a table containing two tied sacks. Upon opening and emptying these sacks, they were given a total of thirty wooden tiles with a letter written on each of them. On the table itself were thirty slots split up into six words varying in length:
- The first word had five letters.
- The second word had eight letters.
- The third word had two letters.
- The fourth word had six letters.
- The fifth word had three letters.
- The sixth and final word had six letters.
Immediately, the two brainstormed, separating out the tiles and looking at how many different letters they had. They then decided to look to see if commonly used terms relating to the competition could be spelled out using the letters, and after half a minute of checking...
"I think I know the second," said Tails.
"Huh?" Daisy turned and watched the fox piece together the second word.
I-M-M-U-N-I-T-Y.
"Oh wow, that makes sense!" She cheered, looking at the remaining sixteen unused tiles. "...Hmm... what could be next..."
After a few more seconds of thinking, the princess perked up as she began scrambling together the first word.
T-R-I-B-E.
Alexa was impressed by their speed. "Acogua are making quick work of the puzzle! Punjay has a LOT to catch up on if they want to win today's challenge!"
As they continued to piece together the word puzzle, Krabs and Joseph continued to struggle. The urge to catch up, mixed in with the frustration of losing so close to the finish, had Krabs especially impatient. This caused him and Joseph to drop their disc again only a few steps in. While Acogua was nearing tribe immunity, only the opposite could be said for Punjay.
"Bloody hell..." Sniper groaned.
Sick of constantly being sent back to the start, Joseph attempted to take control on their next attempt. "Okay, don't rush this time. Let's take it slow, or we're not going to get through this part."
"Are ya crazy?!" Krabs argued. "Look how far behind we are! If we take it slow then we ain't gonna have enough time!"
"Maybe not, but it's the only way to do it," he said. It was obvious that they didn't have much room to catch up to and overtake the Acogua tribe, but Joseph wasn't one for quitting.
Again, Krabs continued to argue. "We just gotta do what we did before, but faster! It's as simple as that!"
"If it's as simple as that, then we wouldn't still be doing it!" He said. "Now quit arguin' and follow me' lead! Trust me!"
Joseph groaned as he began loading the balls into the disc. "...Right."
Meanwhile, Acogua was slightly stumped. Ever since concluding that the first two words were "TRIBE" and "IMMUNITY", they made the next assumption that the third word would be "IS".
"Tribe immunity is..." Daisy muttered to herself. "Something, something... something."
"I think the fifth word might be "THE"," suggested Tails.
Daisy shrugged. "Well, it could also be "AND", right?"
With even the three-letter word having multiple options, they evaluated what tiles had not been used yet: they had fifteen tiles left, consisting of one A, C, D, H, T, and U tile; two E, N, and O tiles, and three R tiles.
"Yep." The fox slowly started shuffling the tiles around, attempting to make six-letter words. Following his lead, Daisy began doing the same with her own tiles.
"Tribe immunity is... near?" Daisy assumed before immediately shutting it down. "No... that's four letters, not six..."
With Acogua's third pair fumbling around with their remaining tiles, Joseph and Krabs' opportunity to catch up suddenly became very doable. Though Krabs' faster approach made things very risky, they managed to make it halfway through the section without any of the balls dropping, and the few close calls they had were mostly saved by Joseph.
Just as things began to seem even between both tribes, a sudden revelation hit Tails.
"Oh!" He gasped, sliding the tiles into their slots. Daisy watched cluelessly as he did so, but soon enough, she realised what he was trying to spell.
As the final tile was slotted in, Tails and Daisy raised their hands with enthusiasm. "We're done!"
Alexa walked over and stared at their answer:
'TRIBE IMMUNITY IS AROUND THE CORNER.'
After a brief pause, he gave a nod. "That's correct! You're free to move on!"
Overhearing this, Mr. Krabs took his eyes off the disc and glared at the pair with panic. "Wha?!" He gasped.
Before Joseph could warn Krabs not to take his eyes off the disc, the crustacean lowered his side of the disc without knowing, causing all three balls to slide off their dimples.
The two spent the next few seconds attempting to save the balls from falling off yet again, but after yet another failed attempt, they were forced to return to the start yet again.
"Awww screw it!" Krabs cried. "There's no point anymore. They've won it."
Even if he was right, Joseph wasn't fond of his quitter attitude. Despite this, all he could do was stay silent and watch as Tails and Daisy ran up to Knuckles, trapped within a large metal cage.
"Long time no see," he said wittily.
As Tails began untying the knot, Alexa picked up on the defeatist attitude taken by Mr. Krabs and Joseph.
"It looks like Punjay's given up!" He observed. "Things couldn't be any bleaker for them!"
Moments later, Tails managed to fully untie the knot, pulling the rope from the cage door and allowing Knuckles to exit.
"It's all come down to Knuckles on the final section!"
In contrast to the hype that Alexa was trying to generate, Knuckles climbed through the door of the cage and began strolling over to the structure he would soon climb. Knowing that Punjay was no longer a threat due to Krabs' decision to quit, he made his journey as painfully slow as possible, smugly showing off to the bitter Punjay tribe.
He eventually grabbed ahold of the rope ladder and began climbing up. Once he made it to the top, he grabbed a nearby axe and stared at the log. All he had to do now was cut through the piece of wood, and then his tribe would be handsomely rewarded with immunity and pizza.
Knuckles positioned himself and lifted the axe straight into the air before swinging down with all of his might. Impressively, that single swing managed to split the log open, striking the mechanism inside and unleashing a giant banner, asserting their victory.
"THAT'S IT!" Announced Alexa, lifting his arms into the air. "ACOGUA WINS IMMUNITY AND REWARD, SENDING PUNJAY TO TRIBAL COUNCIL!"
Though they were aware that immunity was virtually guaranteed towards the end of the challenge, Acogua still cheered and rejoiced. Alexa then gathered the two tribes and lined them up back at the start.
He applauded. "Congrats to Acogua! Thanks to your teamwork, you've awarded yourselves a night of peace and, better yet, pizza! No Tribal Council for you... unlike..."
Alexa then turned to Punjay. "...You guys! You'll head back to tribe empty-handed, where you will discuss and decide on who should be the seventh person to leave Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone."
The two tribes nodded before Alexa sent them away. "Alright! You're free to go. Enjoy your night, Acogua!"
Acogua happily made their way back to camp, enthralled in the promise of one of the best food rewards so far, all while Punjay returned back to camp, both hungry and frustrated...
Punjay: Day 14
Survivors: Miles Edgeworth - Tracer - Rodin - Mr. Krabs - Wii Fit Trainer - Sniper - Joseph Joestar.
Coming back to camp, Punjay's loss had especially soured the moods of Joseph and Sniper, the former having had to painfully endure Krabs' arrogance that ended up costing the whole tribe immunity and reward.
"I was looking forward to that reward..." Tracer sighed. "But it's fine. Everyone tried their best, and that's what matters."
Krabs tutted at her response, angrily catching the attention of Joseph, who decided to say nothing.
However, despite the attempts to keep things civil, Krabs decided to add a snarky comment. "I wouldn't say that, lass. But oh well, it's over now."
"You got some nerve to say that when it was you who screwed up the challenge," growled Sniper.
"Me?!" The crab pointed to his chest offendedly. "Maybe if Joey next to ya matched me pace, we wouldn't be standin' here havin' to make this decision!"
Joseph folded his arms. "You sped up when we were so close to finishing!"
Still under the impression that he was the number one target of the Punjay tribe, Edgeworth could see an opportunity growing as the argument developed.
However, said argument swiftly came to an end as Wii Fit stepped in. "Let's not argue right now, okay?"
Krabs glared at Joseph as he nodded slowly. "Right... well, if anyone needs me, I'll be on my own."
He stomped off, leaving Sniper to voice his anger.
"Well, ain't he up himself," he hissed.
It wasn't long after until the tribe further split off. Tracer and Rodin tended to the fire beneath the shelter; Joseph and Sniper lingered around the entrance, bitterly discussing the events of the challenge; Krabs and Wii Fit were separately roaming the camp, leaving Edgeworth to plot out his survival in the cave.
Edgeworth spent a fair portion of his time going over his options, yet it didn't take long for the prosecutor to realise just how deep in a hole he really was. There was an opportunity to potentially sway over Joseph and Sniper, but even so, he had a feeling that Joseph would be unable to trust him given past conversations between the two. In addition, both of their votes would result in a total of three, which would not be enough to save Edgeworth from elimination. He needed four, and given the loyalty of Wii Fit, Rodin and Tracer, he had no confidence that any of them would be willing to ditch Krabs for himself.
Flummoxed and unsure, he couldn't help but reflect on how much he had underestimated this game. He went in expecting to pull the strings, build alliances and use everyone around him to keep himself safe, but instead, he was a definite candidate for elimination. Edgeworth perfectly knew the power of numbers and relationships, but despite his preparation for the season, he didn't expect to struggle with making and maintaining them.
It made sense, as he was naturally an awkward person. Whether it was the intention or not, he came across as sly, conniving and hostile before he even had much opportunity to be any of these things, which was likely why everyone is now plotting to take him out. Despite the perfectionist having set himself back, he was not prepared to go out.
Knowing he had no other option left, Edgeworth decided to venture out for an idol. With idols having been found in the Ice Cap's Forest and the Ring of Igloos, he wasn't sure if there were any idols left to find, but he wasn't going to bother scrambling when it wouldn't benefit him. He would use the last of his time wisely.
He slipped away from the cave and looked over to the shelter, seeing Wii Fit and Krabs walking away from Rodin and Tracer, all of which looked comfortable. He rolled his eyes and made his way to the entrance of the tribe, moving past Sniper and Joseph.
Leaving the camp, Sniper and Joseph turned to each other.
"Do you think he knows it's him?" Asked Joseph.
"Nobody's bloody spoken to him and he ain't dense; of course he does," Sniper shrugged. "He's probably on his way to look for an idol... here's hoping."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He folded his arms.
"I get he's apparently a snake and that, but is it really the smartest idea kickin' him off for the sake of keepin' that bloody crab around?" The mercenary spat. "I don't want to lose again."
Joseph sighed. "You're right, but I don't trust Edgeworth enough to keep him, even if it means having to work with Krabs. Besides, if we lose the next challenge, then we can vote Krabs out."
"And you think they won't turn on us?"
"Too early to tell," he said. "All I know is that I'm not voting Krabs out tonight."
"Edgeworth's tried to be a mastermind for a while now, and luckily, he's not had many chances to become one. If we don't snuff his torch now, then I don't think any of us will get that opportunity again." - Joseph Joestar.
Sniper nodded. "If you're that confident, then I'm not gonna bother arguing. Anyway, I'm gonna go have a chat with Wii Fit about the vote."
"Alright," said Joseph. "I'll be at the shelter with Rodin and Tracer then."
As they walked back to the middle of the camp, the duo split off to talk with the rest of the tribe.
Sniper walked over to Wii Fit, who was practicing yoga by the edge of the cliff.
"How the bloody hell do you manage to do that in this weather?" Asked Sniper, walking up to her.
"Moving your body is the best way to keep it warm," she said. "You should try it sometime."
"I'll pass for now," he said. "I only came over to ask about tonight."
"The vote?" Wii Fit folded her arms. "As far as I know, we put all our votes on Edgeworth and leave it at that. We caught him leaving the tribe earlier, so there's no fear of idols."
"Alright, sounds good. Any plans for after?" Sniper pressed.
She sighed. "Then it's the six of us against each other."
"Figured," he said. "In that case, we need to win these next couple of challenges so we can get to the Merge unscathed."
"Against those guys, it'll be hard. But, I know we have what it takes," she smiled.
Sniper gave a frustrated groan. "Well, with Edgeworth gone, we're suddenly a lot weaker on the puzzles."
"I'm not too bad at puzzles!" Wii Fit offered. "I can do those if they ever come up."
As they continued to talk, Krabs watched them from a distance. The alliance was in two separate groups, and he was in none of them. Suddenly, he could feel paranoia beginning to set in.
"Why'd they go to them and not to me?" He thought to himself. He started to sweat as his mind jumped to conclusions.
"They better not be complainin' about how I did in that challenge! I know Joseph n' Sniper were angry over our loss, but it wasn't all my fault! If they're gonna try n' get me out, then I'm gonna have to go over and convince 'em to stick to the plan!" - Mr. Krabs.
Taking matters into his own hands, Krabs walked over to Sniper and Wii Fit before awkwardly interjecting himself between the two.
"How're you, lad?" He asked Sniper.
"Not bad."
"Good! Well, I just came to make sure that you're stickin' to the plan!"
"...Wha-?"
Sniper's confusion was cut off by the overly blunt Mr. Krabs, Wii Fit watching with embarrassment. "Trust me, lad, you n' Joseph are better off stickin' with our alliance of four than jumpin' ship with that Edgeworth punk."
Before he could give any reassurance, Sniper suddenly paused. "...Alliance of four?"
"Duhh!" He rolled his eyes. "Y'know, with me, Rodin, Tracer n' Wii Fit?"
Wii Fit shook her head disappointingly as Sniper grew skeptical. "So you want us to tack ourselves onto your grand alliance?"
"Yep!"
"What about the next Tribal Council?"
"Well... er..." Krabs suddenly scratched the back of his head. "Good luck... I guess?"
Sniper turned to Wii Fit, then back to Krabs, then walked off, leaving them with a vague "Okay".
When he left, Wii Fit covered her face with her hand. "...I don't think you achieved much."
"Ahhh oh well," he shrugged. "Even if both of 'em join Edgeworth, that's three against our four! We're fine either way."
She sighed, at least happy to know that he was right.
Not long after, the Punjay tribe began preparing for Tribal Council. Edgeworth soon arrived back, though unfortunately for him, his expedition had resulted in zero idols. Despite this, he was ready to fight for another day in the game, even if the odds were stacked against him.
Eventually, they left camp and made their way down the mountain and over to the Tribal Fortress...
Tribal Council: Night 14
Survivors: Miles Edgeworth - Tracer - Rodin - Mr. Krabs - Wii Fit Trainer - Sniper - Joseph Joestar.
Entering the large, icy building, the survivors marched to the seats in the middle of the room. Sniper and Joseph, both being new to Tribal Council, drank in the gloomy, intense atmosphere while making their way to the small stone seats.
When everyone sat down, Alexa emerged from his seat behind the desk and greeted the survivors. "Welcome, Punjay! This is your first Tribal Council as a tribe. Soon you'll be given the opportunity to vote out one of your members, whittling your numbers down to six," he explained. "Now, in the last challenge, things seemed pretty even until the second section. Unfortunately for Joseph and Mr. Krabs, their inability to complete said section cost the tribe the challenge. Does that make you concerned, Joseph?"
"A bit," he replied, turning his head to his fellow tribemates. "Most people in this tribe don't seem to be looking at challenge performance tonight, but I could easily be wrong."
"What about you, Krabs?" The host continued. "After all, most of those errors seemed to be on your behalf. That would naturally put a bigger target on your back if the tribe were to vote by challenge performance."
"Well, I got two things to tell ya." He folded his arms with an offended look. "One: ya can't blame it all on me. Two: it's one stinkin' challenge anyway, and I know more than anyone here that I can do better in future challenges."
Edgeworth shook his head, grabbing Alexa's interest.
"Edgeworth, it seems like you don't agree with what Krabs just said," he commented.
The prosecutor nodded. "I'd argue that Krabs is the weakest when it comes to overall challenge performance. All he offers is the occasional physical strength. Given we have members such as Joseph and Rodin and Wii Fit, we're not lacking in strength. What we are lacking in are people that can perform well in more strategic or intelligence-based tasks, which I believe suits me more than Krabs."
"The way you're speaking makes it sound like you're giving a pitch to stay in the game," Alexa noticed. "Do you think you're on the chopping block tonight, then?"
Again, he nodded. "Definitely... I seemed to have rubbed people the wrong way, and that's had its consequences."
"Yer a total snake!" Krabs spat. "And I ain't fond of you tryna get me kicked out instead. Give it up already."
Alexa turned to Sniper. "What do you make of this, Sniper? Your choice tonight seems to be between someone the tribe doesn't trust and someone that apparently does not add much to challenges. How do you decide which one is the better option for your specific game?"
He leaned forward and rolled his eyes. "Well, instead of keepin' the tribe strong, my job tonight is to vote with a majority four alliance that is only usin' me n' Joseph as extra votes. The next time we lose after tonight, it'll be my head on the choppin' block."
His sarcastic, bitter response had the tribe silent. Joseph was shocked, Edgeworth was pleased, and Alexa was thoroughly entertained.
"Oh no," whispered Wii Fit, knowing this would happen.
"You seem fairly confident that you're nothing but a pawn in someone else's game. Is that right?" Alexa queried.
Sniper shrugged. "Well, that's what I got from what Krabs told me before Tribal Council. He made it clear that I should join his "alliance of four". Which, if you didn't know, consists of Tracer, Rodin, Wii Fit, and himself."
"Did you say that?" Joseph asked Krabs, who had gone pale. Though the crustacean said nothing, his nervous silence said it all.
This was Edgeworth's chance to stir things up further. "The problem here is that we're all sitting ducks waiting to get picked off by an ex-Manjari alliance. If Joseph and Sniper join this alliance, then they'll be picked off if Punjay were to have another Tribal Council."
"That's one damn linear way of looking at it," argued Rodin. "Things could change between tonight and the next Tribal Council. A lot can happen in two days."
"Rodin brings up a good point," Alexa stated. "Next Tribal Council, this alliance could crumble, or a new dominant alliance could arise. No matter who gets voted off tonight, things could change."
Sniper stayed silent.
Eventually, Alexa decided to move on. "Alright. I think we've gotten enough context as to what's going on here. It's time to vote! Edgeworth, you're the first one up."
But, before Edgeworth could stand up...
"Hang on a sec," Sniper interrupted. "I got something for you, mate."
He stood up and walked over to Alexa, reaching into his pocket.
The tribe watched curiously as he pulled out a ring, handing it to Alexa.
"I can confirm," said Alexa. "Sniper has just played the Ring of Ambiguity, one of many idols that can be found around the Ice Cap Zone. This ring allows Sniper to select two people to return to camp immediately."
Punjay was completely stunned at this revelation, but Alexa continued.
"Not only does this make them unable to be voted for, granting them safety in tonight's vote, but they will also be unable to cast a vote as well."
"Damn..." Rodin muttered.
Alexa turned to Sniper. "So, Sniper, which two people from this Tribal Council would you like to remove?"
After a long look at his six tribemates, he eventually came to his conclusion. "I'll be polite and let the ladies leave early."
"Tracer and Wii Fit?"
"Yeah."
"Okay then," he obeyed. "Tracer, Wii Fit, both of you must leave Tribal Council immediately. You may head back to your camp, and the vote will continue with the five remaining members."
Tracer's face was blank. "...Well then. Erm, I'll see you guys back at camp."
She stood up alongside the stunned Wii Fit, and quickly left through the entrance, leaving Mr. Krabs, Joseph, Edgeworth, Rodin, and Sniper.
"And so, Tribal Council continues," Alexa announced. "And without further ado, I think it's time to vote... for real, this time. Edgeworth, you're up!"
Edgeworth grabbed the voting box and made his way to the far left corner of the room to cast his vote:
Edgeworth: I have high confidence that Sniper played that idol to save me, and I can only assume that he would want me to vote for Krabs. (Mr. Krabs)
"Rodin, you're up."
Rodin votes, but doesn't leave a comment.
"Mr. Krabs, you're up."
Mr. Krabs: Why did he have to play that stupid idol?! (Miles Edgeworth)
"Sniper, you're up."
Sniper votes, but doesn't leave a comment.
"Joseph, you're up."
Joseph votes, but doesn't leave a comment.
After receiving the voting box back from Joseph, Alexa opened the lid and stared at the tribe once more.
"If anyone has any idols and they would like to play one, then now's the time to do so."
With no other idol-bearers present at Tribal Council, they remained silent.
"Alright," he said. "I'll now read out the votes."
*VOTING TIME*
The first vote goes to... Mr. Krabs. (Krabs' teeth start chattering with fear.)
The second vote goes to... Miles Edgeworth. One vote Edgeworth, one vote Mr. Krabs.
The third vote goes to... Mr. Krabs. Two votes Mr. Krabs, and one vote Edgeworth.
The fourth vote goes to... Miles Edgeworth. That's two votes Edgeworth and Mr. Krabs.
"One vote left..." Alexa said, removing the final vote slip from the box.
As he read it to himself, he peered back at Krabs and Edgeworth.
"The seventh person to leave Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone is..."
He flipped the vote around.
"Mr. Krabs. At three votes, that's enough."
"NOOOOOO!" Krabs cried. "M-MY MONEY!"
Edgeworth turned to Sniper. "Thank you." He uttered.
"Don't thank me," he snickered. "Thank that big bad alliance for thinkin' I was some kind of muppet."
Krabs pitifully strolled to the front, cringing as Alexa grabbed an ice cube and placed it on the torch beneath his plaque.
As the gentle hiss of his torch signified his elimination, Krabs didn't waste a moment leaving the Tribal Fortress.
"Oh... well, there he goes," Alexa said. "I guess his reaction shows how much money and luxury you're missing out on if you're unlucky enough to be eliminated. But, tonight showcased the perfect reason to fear idols. If you think majority makes you untouchable, then think again, because there are more idols out there than you may think," he winked. "Anyway, I'll see you at the next challenge. Goodnight survivors."
The remaining four made their way back to camp, soon to reunite with Tracer and Wii Fit...
Mr. Krabs' Last Words: "All of my money... GONE! That was enough money to set me for life one hundred times over, and that stupid idol ruined everythin'! I hope Sniper, Joseph, and Edgeworth all get a taste of what they did to me, because they ain't gonna last much longer, that's for sure!"
VOTES
Mr. Krabs (3): Miles Edgeworth - Sniper - Joseph Joestar.
Miles Edgeworth (2): Rodin - Mr. Krabs.
IDOLS
Ring of Reflection: Found in Ring of Igloos by Nero. Upon activating this ring in Tribal Council, every vote cast towards that person will be reflected onto a random contestant with no immunity.
Ring of Abduction: Found in the Survivors' Shack by Daisy. Upon activating this ring at Tribal Council, the user may steal a vote from anyone of their choice, additionally being able to use it as their second vote. The target must be able to vote for the effect to work, and those with immunity can still be targeted to have their vote stolen.
Ring of Acogua: Found in Mt. Elbrass near the Punjay tribe by Tracer. Upon activating this ring at Tribal Council, the person it is played for receives full immunity. However, this ring can only be played by a member of the Acogua tribe. This ring will lose its power at the Merge phase of the game.
REMAINING SURVIVORS
Acogua Tribe (Red)
- Dante
- Nero
- Knuckles
- Miles "Tails" Prower
- Kazuma Kiryu
- Goro Majima
- Scout
- Princess Daisy
Punjay Tribe (Yellow)
- Miles Edgeworth
- Tracer
- Rodin
- Wii Fit Trainer
- Sniper
- Joseph Joestar