Last time on Total Drama Panzer:
Our first stop on our globetrotting tour was the beautiful anti-bubblegum country of Singapore. Our commanders got to enjoy a pleasant stroll through the scenic jungle and visited the famous night zoo, where they got in touch with their wild side.
Jajka was up to her usual tricks, plotting for Nishi to take the fall for the Bruised Boko's defeat, but also convinced her and Mika to form an alliance. They aren't they only ones, as Erika and Katyusha were also plotting a collaboration. Meanwhile, the Pummeled Punchys were as nice and friendly as always. Boring
But in the end, Éclair was the first to board the Dinghy of Losers for being a pain in the butt. Or, more accurately, the stomach.
Will Jajka and Erika's alliances tear the Bruised Boko's apart? Will the Pummeled Punchys do anything interesting for once? And will anyone sell out their friends for a chance at the big money? Find out Today on Total – Drama – Panzer!
The S.S. Total Drama was out in the open ocean again, headed for the next destination on their tour of pain and misery. The Bruised Bokos were still licking their wounds from their crushing defeat yesterday, and very rarely were they seen together as a group. As opposed to the Pummeled Punchys, who were having a team pool party on the deck.
At the moment, Kay was the only commander in the dining hall, leaning against the counter to the kitchen, tapping her fingers impatiently. She only had to wait a few moments until Head Chef Pepperoni laid out a tray in front of her and ring the bell on the counter, which she didn't really need to do, but wanted to anyway. Kay was literally beaming with joy. The tray was loaded with a big, greasy hamburger with all the fixings, a small mountain of fries, and a giant cola.
"Oh wow, you're the best, Pep!" said Kay giddily.
"It was no problem," said Pepperoni, proudly flexing. "I've never made American style food before, so I was fun to try something different. I even added extra artery-clogging fat like the Americans do it."
Kay hummed a happy little tune under her breath as she grabbed the tray and carried it to the nearest table. Excitement tingled up and down her spine as she sat down, draping a napkin over her lap (she wasn't a savage!), and grabbed hold of the giant slab of meat with both hands practically salivating.
"Itadakimasu!" Kay chanted enthusiastically.
But before she could take her first big bite, the dining hall doors flew open so hard they bounced off the walls. Kay spun around wildly. It was Erika and Katyusha! What were they doing together, Key wondered. Before she could ask, however, Erika grabbed Kay roughly by the back of her jacket and said, "Come with us."
Kuromoremine's commander pulled the Saunder's leader sharply out of her chair and onto her feet. The roughness caused Kay's burger to fly out of her hands, splattering on the floor.
"No!" Kay cried like she had just watched her dog die. "My burger!"
"Forget about your stupid burger!" Katyusha snapped. "This is important!"
They ignored pitiful whining and dragged her out into the hallway and carried down the corridor until they stopped on the third door on the right. Katyusha opened the door and Erika threw Kay inside. It was a janitor's closet. They stepped inside, closed the door behind them, and turned on the overhead light.
"Ow, don't be so rough," Kay complained, rubbing her neck. "If you wanted someone for a threeway, you could've just asked – "
"It's not like that, you idiot!" Erika screamed, blushing furiously.
"Let's get straight to the point," said Katyusha, crossing her arms sternly. "Katyusha wishes to extend you an offer to join Katyusha's alliance."
"Our alliance," Erika corrected.
"An alliangce?" Kay repeated curiously. "You mean like the one Jajka's got going on with Nishi and Mika?"
"She's already formed an alliance?" asked Katyusha; she and Erika looked startled by this information. "How do you know that?"
"I know all the gossip on this ship?" said Kay, smiling brightly and flashing a peace sign. She then leans in closed and whispers behind her hand. "Did you know that Marie knocked over a cake shop while we were stopped in Singapore and is hiding her entire stash in the lower levels?"
"Really?" gasped Katyusha gasped. "How'd she manage to do that without getting caught?"
"I heard she – "
"Why are we gossiping right now!" Erika shouted impatiently, startling the other two. "Look, this is exactly why we want you to job our alliance. You're more sociable than either of us. You can get along with just about everyone. And you're the least suspicious person on the ship."
"Hee-hee, praise me more…," Kay giggled happily.
"If we work together, we could eliminate the rest of the competition and make it to the final three," said Katyusha. "After that, it'll be every commander for herself."
"It won't be that easily," said Erika. "If what Kay says is true, Jajka's already got her own alliance against ours."
"Katyusha has outsmarted her before, Katyusha can do it again," said Katyusha. "The problem is the Punchys. Their team chemistry is too strong; they get along too well. If we don't break them apart, they'll take us all out."
"And what do you suggest we do?" asked Erika.
"Actually…," Kay chimed in, winking playfully. "I have an idea."
"Cannonball!" Aung screamed with glee.
Shizuka and Marina barely had time to dive out of the way before the Tategoto commander crashed into the pool between them and created a wave that splashed in every direction.
The Bruised Boko's were throwing a pool party, high off their overwhelming victory from the night before. DJ Alisa was jamming out on stage, tiki bar proprietor Cutlass had fruity drinks ready for distribution, and Rosehip got her foot stuck in the mop bucket again and was being chased down by Tamada ("Come back, Rosehip-dono!)
When Aung wasn't drowning everyone in miniature tsunamis, others like Trout, Anchovy, Miho, and Emi were deep in an intense game of volleyball (or dodgeball when Miho spiked it.) El and Shizuka had a contest to see who could hold their breath the longest, but El couldn't stay down long because her chest was a natural flotation device; Shizuka felt a strange sense of defeat. And, of course, Darjeeling and Marie had a floating tray between them to hold their tea and cake.
Aung surfaced with a gasp, then leaned to float on her back, saying, "Man, there's nothing like kicking back and enjoying the finer things in life."
"Especially coming off a win from that last challenge," Trout commented.
"Victory is sweet," said Marie, happily taking another bite of her *ahem* acquired dessert. "Almost as sweet as this cake!"
"I still can't believe we managed to beat them in the first challenge," said Emi, setting up the next serve. "The tank race, I mean. They went charging through the woods, but we still beat them going five miles an hour."
"Have you seen who's on the Bokos?" said Marina. "They have a charging idiot, a pint-sized loudspeaker, a kleptomaniac, a ditzy blonde, the walking IKEA store. We'll knock them out in no time."
"Have you heard this saying," said Darjeeling sophisticatedly, taking a short sip of her tea. "The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow."
"That's William Polland, American scholar and clergyman during the industrial revolution," said Marie, surprising Darjeeling.
"That is correct," said Darjeeling, sounding impressed. "Not many people outside of Orange Pekoe understand where my sayings come from."
"I am top of my class," said Marie, taking another bite of cake.
"That's probably the most shocking thing today," Emi murmured under her breath, before receiving a ball to the face spiked by Miho. "…Ow."
"Darjeeling is right," said Miho seriously. "We get ahead of ourselves because of one win. Don't forget, the Boko's have a lot of great commanders on their team. Like Alice, Kay, Katyusha, and Erika."
"Okay, I'll you the first three," said Anchovy, who, of course, brought her own plate of pasta to the pool. "They're pretty tough. But I wouldn't count Itsumi among 'the great.' She's still green when it comes to commanding."
"Erika is a great commander," said Miho, somewhat defensively. "She's smart, and talented, and dedicated – "
"How do you know?" asked El curiously.
"Well, I – " Miho started until Shizuka cut in with a mischievous grin.
"I heard a rumor that they were bunkmates in Kuromorimine," she said.
"Ah, of course, they were bunkmates," Darjeeling hummed playfully.
"So they were bunkmates, huh?" Anchovy nodded with a smirk.
"My god, they were bunkmates," said El teasingly.
"Why does everyone keep saying 'bunkmates?'" Miho cried, feeling oddly flustered for some reason.
CONFESSIONALS
Erika: As a commander, I am the most inexperienced here. I've only been in charge for a few months while everyone has had years of practice. But what I lack in experience, I make up for with cunning and tactics.
BZZT
Jajka: Out of everyone on this ship, Nishizumi and Itsumi are the ones I am most weary of. I've watched all of Ooarai's matches during the summer tournament and there is no rhyme or reason to them. She is completely unpredictable. I thought Itsumi would be easy to read, but then she started switching things up during the winter tournament. The only positive in this situation is that they are on opposite sides. I need to find a way to eliminate them before the merge…
BZZT
Miho: *Confused and red-faced* Why did they keep saying "bunkmates?" And why does it feel so embarrassing?
BZZT
Maho: *Glares* You better sleep with one eye open, Erika.
While the Punchys teased Miho into oblivion, one commander sat away from the rest of the group in her own corner of the pool. Kafka wasn't exactly a social butterfly, preferring solitude over the rowdiness of her teammates, though it did give her the impress of a creeper (especially when she didn't blink for long periods of time.
Still…she should make an effort to interact with them, Kafka thought. They were going to be working together for the foreseeable future, so they might as well be on good terms.
But how does one go about interacting with extroverts? Maybe she should introduce herself? No, they already know who she is; that would just come off weird. Maybe she could invite them to play a game? But they have eleven people in their group; what if one person gets left out and they become sad? What is she is left out? Okay, games are off the table. Maybe they could talk about Sensha-do strategies? They're all commanders, so they would have that in common. But what if they thought she was trying to steal their strategies and mistrust her? Then the whole team would fall apart! Bad idea! Bad idea!
"Is that Kafka girl all right?" Anchovy asked Shizuka behind her hand. "She's been scowling at us the whole time."
"That's just her thinking face," said Shizuka nonchalantly. "She looks like that when she overthinks things and lets her imagination run wild."
"She bears an eerie resemblance to my mother," said Miho, feeling a shiver run down her spine.
Kafka's thoughts continued to spiral further and further downward until she reached the possibility of global nuclear warfare. Fortunately, she was pulled out of her thoughts when a steaming mug appeared in her peripheral. She followed the hand offering to a bikini-clad Bosporus, who smiled sweetly with her own mug in hand. Kafka felt hot, and it had nothing to do with the overhead sun.
"Coffee?" Bosporus offered kindly. "It's a special Kebab blend, made from the best imported coffee beans."
Kafka nodded mutely and accepted the mug. She took a sip; it was bitter but had a taste of French valilla and…cured meat?
"Not going to join your friends?" Bosporus asked, sitting in a nearby deck chair.
Kafka shook her head silently.
"I understand," said Bosporus. "Not the social type. There's nothing wrong with that. I hope that doesn't mean I'm bothering you."
Kafka shoo her head faster; Bosporus giggled amusingly.
"Well, that's good," said Bosporus. She set her mug on the table, then rested her head in her hand, smiling softly in a way that made Kafka's chest flutter. "Because I was hoping we could get to know each other. We didn't really get a chance to talk much during the Cauldron. Oh, wait, I forgot we're on opposite teams. It's probably not a good idea for us to be seen together – "
She started to stand when Kafka thrashed her arms violently in the water to get her attention. The mute commander then climbed out of the pool and took the chair opposite Kebab's commander, dripping wet. Bosporus could practically see an imaginary dog tail wagging behind her.
"Well, if you're sure," said Bosporus pleasantly. "What do you want to talk about?"
Meanwhile, Darjeeling took a delicate sip of her tea while shooting suspicious looks at the couple.
CONFESSIONALS
Darjeeling: Now what could Kebab's commander be doing talking to our teammate? Could it be a simple chat, or is there some underlying motive? I will have to keep a closer eye on them.
"Attention, passengers, this is your captain speaking," Chris's voice screeched over the loudspeakers. "We will be making port soon, so be prepared to disembark for your next challenge."
"I suppose that's by cue to leave," said Bosporus, rising from her chair. "It was nice talking to you, Kafka. You're such a good listener. Let's do this again sometime."
Kafka was practically glowing with happiness and nodded enthusiastically. Darjeeling, on the other hand, looked even more suspicious as she toweled herself off.
When the S.S. Total Drama docked at the port, Maho guided them to a (cheap and dilapidated) bus, where they were taken to the local station. They boarded the next train (seated in the luggage compartment) and took a two-hour trip further inland. Once getting off in the station, there was another dumpster of a bus that too another twenty-minute drive before they reached their destination.
When the commanders stepped off the bus, they found themselves standing in the middle of a vast savanna seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The high grass, sparse tree coverage, and hot climate gave Miho the impression that they were somewhere in Africa. Off in the distance, there were herds of elephants marching across the grassland while zebras and antelopes gathered around the large watering hole. A couple of lions were spotted sitting in the shade of the trees, watching the newcomers in fascination. Miho hoped they didn't think they were a tasty snack…
Chris and Maho were the last to step off the bus, both having thought ahead to bring safari hats and sunglasses for the trip.
"Ugh…why is it so ho-o-o-ot?" Marie complained, fanning herself.
"It's gotta be a million degrees," Katyusha groaned, removing her helmet, which released a cloud of steam.
"It's only forty degrees Celsius," said Wallaby acting perfectly fine. "Don't be such little girls."
"Some of us are little girls," Alice groaned, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Does anyone else see the white light…?" Mika asked dizzily before she collapsed forward.
"No, Mika-san, don't go into the light!" cried Nishi, shaking her teammate frantically.
"Glad to see you're all enjoying yourselves," said Chris, taking sadistic pleasure in the commanders' suffering as they shed a few layers to cool themselves. "Welcome to Tsavo East National Park. Nearly fourteen thousand square kilometers of untamed wild lands situated in the heart of beautiful Kenya. Famous for the Tsavo lions, of which there are over six hundred, and all of them could gobble you up in one bite."
"Do you have to say morbid things like that?" asked Trout.
"Yes, yes, I do," Chris answered proudly. "It gets the rating."
"What kind of show did we sign up for?" Emi muttered to herself.
"Okay, challenge time!" Chris sang cheerfully.
The commanders were led to another part of the savannah where a large section of the tall grass had been mowed. A couple of mud huts, wooden statues, and tribal-style torches were set up around the edge of the clearing, but they were purely for decoration, likely set up by the show staff. Inside the clearing were a hundred logs standing upright with different types of fruits sitting on each one (Passion fruits, mangoes, pineapples, oranges, bananas, pears and papaws just to name a few.) On their left were a couple of bins holding several pointy spears….
"Part one of today's challenge will test your aim and throwing arm," said Chris. "Shouldn't be too much trouble for a bunch of tank commanders."
"Excuse me!" said Nisha, raising her hand politely. "Did you say that we would be doing a Panzer challenge at each stop on our journey?!"
"Yes, but I never said what order they would be in," Chris explained. "Completing this physical challenge will provide you with an advantage or disadvantage in the next round, depending on how well your aim is."
"Our aim?" Semla repeated curiously.
"Maho will explain the object of the first challenge," said Chris, gesturing to his assistant.
"Each commander will go one at a time throwing the provided spears at one of the one hundred various Kenyan native fruits," Maho explained, gesturing her clipboard at the bin of spears, then at the fruity targets. "Carved on the back of each fruit is a number between one and ten with ten being the maximum total you can receive. The number correspond to the amount of ammunition you will be given in the second part of the challenge."
"Ammunition?" Erika repeated. "So we're going to be shooting something with our tanks?"
"Please refrain from all questions until the end," said Maho in a clipped tone; Erika bit her lip. "Every piece of fruit is given a random number, so it doesn't matter which one you aim for. If you miss your throw, you will have to wait until your next turn. The challenge will end when all commanders have received a number."
"Sounds suspiciously simple – " Shizuka commented with narrow eye.
"And painless!" Kay added her two yen.
" – compared to the last challenge," Shizuka concluded, leering at Chris. "What's the catch."
"Trust me, we're just building up to the good stuff," said Chris, laughing sadistically. "Now how wants to throw first?"
"I'll go," Erika declared before anyone else had the chance. She grabbed one of the spears from the bin and stepped up to the line. "Watch me score a ten on the first throw."
"Good luck, Erika!" Miho cheered. "I know you can do it!
"We're on opposite teams, you moron!" Erika berated her, while hiding the faint redness on her face. "But…thanks anyway…."
Erika shook off the distraction, hefted the spear to shoulder level, and aimed with her free hand. Her former commander said that all the numbers were random, but Erika had the suspicion that some of the smaller fruits would have higher numbers. With that in mind, she aimed for the passion fruit on the left and threw the spear at full strength. The spear only barely managed to stab the fruit's side and knocked off the log; Erika pumped her fist in a cheer while her teammates whooped behind her.
Maho picked up the spear and checked the back of the fruit, then wrote the number on her clipboard and announced, "Itsumi Erika, nine shells."
"Looks like the Bruised Bokos are off to a strong lead," said Chris while the Boko cheered in delight.
"Not exactly a ten, but it'll do," said Erika smugly while her teammates patted her on the back.
"Great job, Erika," Miho praised, clapping with the Bokos. "That was a good hit."
"She's still on the other team," Anchovy pointed out bluntly; Miho chuckled and scratched her head sheepishly.
"Anyone else wanna take a stab at it," said Chris, laughing at his own joke; he was the only one.
"I'll go next," Emi declared, walking over and picking out a spear from the bin.
"Do your best, uh…pigtail girl!" said Marie brightly.
"At least try to remember my name," Emi grumbled, stepping up to the throwing line.
"Think she'll get a good one?" Aung asked her teammates while Emi set up her stance.
"The cards do not fall in her favor," said Marina, capturing the attention of her team. The commander of Count High had pulled out her tarot deck and drew the top card, examining it. "The wheel of fortune in reverse. Representing poor luck. She will get a low number."
Some like Anchovy and Trout doubted the prediction, but they were unable to voice their opinions before Emi threw her spear, stabbing a pineapple dead center. The Pummeled Punchys praised Emi's accuracy until Maho checked the pineapple an announced, "Nakasuga Emi, two shells."
"What?!" Emi cried.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Anchovy complained.
"I told you," said Marina, shuffling her deck smugly. "The cards are never wrong."
CONFESSIONALS
Shizuka: I have a prediction. If we lose this round, miss fortuneteller's paddling back home.
"Step aside, mates," said Wallaby enthusiastically as she collected a spear from the bin. "Just leave this to Ol' Wallaby!"
As the commander of the Aussie-themed Sensha-do school, no one was surprised when Wallaby took a running start to the throwing line and threw the spear so fast, it appeared as a blur in everyone's eyes. The spear stabbed through a banana, a tangerine, and a watermelon in that order and were all stabbed together to the tree behind the clearing. The Bruised Boko's awed at Wallaby's talent while Maho ran up to the spear and checked the backs of each skewered fruit.
"A two, a three, and a five," Maho announced, writing down the numbers. "That's a total of ten shells."
"Hey, no fair!" El complained. "You never said we could hit multiple targets!"
"We never said you couldn't," said Chris with an impish smirk. "The rule was that you could win a max total of ten. There's nothing wrong with knocking down more than one target, especially if it lowers the chances of the opposing team getting higher numbers."
"Why you…," El growled, infuriated with the host. She spun around on her heels and nabbed the spear from Marie, who had been preparing to throw next. "Gimme that!"
"Hey!" Marie complained.
With a grunt of effort, El threw the spear with all her strength. The Blue Division commander skewered five fruits and miraculously jabbed through Wallaby's spear in the tree, splitting the shaft down the middle. The commanders on both teams were dumbfounded and slack jawed; they didn't realize how strong El actually was. In Miho's humble opinion, she might be physically on par with the Anteater team.
"That a nine, a six, and a seven, and three, and another nine," Maho counted the fruit carvings, unphased by El's herculean strength. "Since ten is the maximum number, El wins a total of ten shells for the next round."
"Holy cow, that was awesome!" Chris genuinely praised while Pummeled Punchys snapped out of their stupor and cheered for their comrade. "El pulls a wicked sharpshooter throw and takes down multiple high numbers in one shot. That's gonna hurt the Bokos' chance of getting more ammo for the next event."
"That was amazing, El-san!" Shizuka praised, starry-eyed. "How'd you get so strong?"
"Blue Division starts muscle training from kindergarten," El answered with a wink. Flexing her impressive bicep.
"Wow, I did not see that one coming," Kay whistled impressively, joining by Erika and Katyusha (who was sitting on Erika's shoulder's again.) "Maybe I should've gone to Blue Division."
"Then your characters would've overlapped," Erika commented, confusing the blonde commander.
"Hah, that's nothing!" Katyusha proclaimed, crossing her arms confidently. "Katyusha could hit twice as many targets as that big-boobed bimbo!"
"I don't see that happening," Erika remarked while Kay laughs behind her hand.
"You dare to doubt Katyusha!" Katyusha shouted furiously, bopping the top of Erika's head with her tiny fists. "Let me down! Katyusha will show you what she's capable of!"
"All right, all right, stop hitting me, you little gremlin!" Erika grimaced.
"This oughta be good," said Chris amusingly.
Katyusha struggled to pull one of the spears from the bins and nearly jabbed Jajka's eye out when she stumbled back. The tiniest commander held the weapon over her head as she approached the line. With a narrowed gaze of determination, Katyusha let out a mighty roar and threw the spear with all her might…and watched it plop on the ground halfway to the targets.
The other commanders were polite enough to hide their snickers behind their hands, though Chris and Jajka had no qualms with laughing in a little girl's face. Katyusha was red-faced and looked to be on the verge of crying, but she bit her bottom lip and held it in, marching back to her team looking straight ahead.
CONFESSIONALS
Katyusha: It wasn't Katyusha's fault! Katyusha was just tired from the long drive! And Katyusha definitely wasn't crying!
One by one, the commanders tried their luck at the spear throw. Bosporus stabbed a watermelon and managed a decent six, but Anchovy only hit a pear worth two shells and Semla skewered a passion fruit worth three. Marie surprised everyone by piecing a tangerine worth seven shells and an apple worth five, rounding the total to ten shells. Trout tripped over her foot and accidentally threw the spear in a high arc, but miraculous managed to stab a cantaloupe from the top with a big seven carved in the back. And Miho – with ridiculous levels of accuracy – managed to stab a tiny strawberry in the back worth a whole ten shells.
"We're about halfway done with the first challenge," Chris announced as Maho wrote down Miho's number. "Who's up next? Come on, don't be shy."
"Hey, Kafka, you haven't taken a shot yet," said Aung, slapping her teammate on the back, nearly bowling her over. "Go on, you can do it. Show 'em that Gregor spirit?"
"Does Gregor even have any spirit?" Marie asked openly.
"I don't know," El shrugged her shoulder. "I didn't even know they existed until this show."
Kafka hanged her head depressingly from that devastating emotional blow.
The commander of Gregor High collected one of the spears from the bin, tested its weight, then put it back and reached for another one. Once she was satisfied, Kafka stepped up to the line and aimed with her free hand. Her gaze zeroed in on a grapefruit in the back row. Based on Miho's throw, she suspected the staff might have put the higher numbers in the back. She pulled back her arm ready to throw –
"Good luck, Kafka!" Bosporus suddenly cheered. "I'm rooting for you!"
Kafka lost her focus and her attention was diverted towards Kebab's commander, her normally pale face flushed. Gregor's commander unintentionally let her spear fly, which sailed over the targets and bounced off a rock, then (thanks to anime logic) bounced off a tree branch, then flew back at Chris and Maho. The host and his assistant yelped and threw themselves to the ground, and the spear stabbed the wooden statue behind them.
"Hey, watch it!" Chris yelled, shaking his fist at Kafka.
Kafka hanged her head in shame and trudged back to her team.
"That's okay, Kafka," said Bosporus reassuringly. "Everyone makes mistakes. You'll do better next time."
While the edges of Kafka's lips turned up slightly, Darjeeling leered between the two of them with suspicion.
CONFESSIONALS
Darjeeling: It's just as I thought. The enemy is using psychological warfare to hinder our chances of victory. So far, it's only been a minor annoyance. But if this persists, I am afraid that Miss Kafka will become a liability. John Lyly said it best: "All is fair in love and war."
"And that wraps it up for the first half of the challenge," Chris announced after Katyusha succeeded on hitting a target on her fourth attempt (by moving the line closer.) "Everyone has successfully landed a target and the totals are as follows:
"Wallaby, El, Marie, and Miho had earned a total of ten shells each. Erika and Marina get nine. Nishi earned eight. Seven for Trout and Darjeeling. Bosporus and Aung win six a piece. Alice and Kay walk away with a nice five shells. Mika and Katyusha have four. Semla and Shizuka get three. Emi, Anchovy, and Jajka earn two. And Kafka the lonely loser gets one. Newsflash: you suck, creepy."
Kafka sat depressingly in the shade of the tree; Aung patted her back comfortingly.
"Which brings us to a total of…," Chris paused, trying to do the mental gymnastics in his head. Eventually, he leaned over Maho and whispered, "Uh, what's the total?"
"Sixty-seven shells for the Pummeled Punchys," Maho answered without hesitation, "and fifty-six for the Bruised Bokos. That puts the Pummeled Punchys at the advantage with eleven extra shells."
"Sounds like Bokos have their work cut out for them," said Chris jokingly.
"Is anyone going to tell us where these shells are?" asked Jajka impatiently, gesturing to the empty savanna around them. Or what we're using them against."
"Keep your skirt on," said Chris. "We're about to start the second part of the challenge right now. Maho, call in the cavalry," he said to his assistant.
Maho whipped out a walkie-talking from her coat pocket and gave the order, "All tanks move in."
Second after the command was issued, several commanders jumped when music suddenly trumpeted through the high grassy fields, joined by the course of rumbling metal. If one listened closely enough, they would recognize the sound of Funiculì Funiculà, Anzio's marching song.
As to be expected, almost two dozen Semovente da 75/18 M41 tanks barreled into the open, their expert paint job making their nearly camouflaged in the tall yellow grass. A few tanks had speakers bolted on them, explaining where the music came from. One of the Semoventes was carrying a metal cart behind them, which appeared to stockpiled with tank shells.
The tans stopped in a half circle around the commanders. The hatch of the leading tank opened and a blonde girl in Anzio's uniform waved cheerfully at them.
"Buongiono, Duce!" she said.
"Carpaccio?!" Anchovy shouted in surprise. "What're you doing here?"
"The kitchen staff has delightfully agreed to assist in the second part of the challenge: the wild hunt!" Chris explained enthusiastically. "Each commander will drive their own tank around the Tsavo Park, either working with their teammates or flying solo to hunt down their prey."
"Isn't using tanks against wild animals a little excessive?" asked Selma, frowning.
"Trust me, you're gonna need all the firepower you can get," said Chris, smiling from ear to ear. "Because your pray is the dangerous and terrifying…Slitherbeast!"
"What's a Slitherbeast?" asked Alice, tilting her head.
"Just something we had left over from last season," said Chris cryptically. He then gestured to the cart filled with shells, which were being loaded into the tanks by the Anzio students. "As you already know, you all receive the amount ammo you one in the first part of the challenge. Some of you each a good number, others not so much. You'll want to be careful with every shot, because you never know when it might be your last.
"And to reduce the chances of lawsuits – I mean, injury – the shells have been loaded with pre-chewed gum for extra stickiness. So try not to get it in your hair."
"EEEWW!" multiple girls grimaced at once.
"Yeah, disgusting, I know," Chris cackled.
"Where'd you get all the pre-chewed gum to fill those up?" asked Shizuka curiously.
"Also something left over from last season," Chris answered cryptically again.
FLASHBACK
"C'mon, people, let's pick up the pace!" Chris yelled, clapping his hands importantly. "We've got about thirty more of these things to fill by next week!"
Someone in an undisclosed location, days before Total Drama Panzer started, the reality show host oversaw his unpaid workers chew through billions upon billions of pieces of chewing gum. And by 'unpaid workers,' I mean the former contestants of last season, Total Drama Boiling Isles. Twenty-one witchlings whined and complained as they worked their way through the miniature mountain of artificially sweet candy, their jaws sore and their teeth tingling.
"Why are we even doing this?" Luz complained. "We're not even competing anymore."
"You guys wanna host the aftermath show or not?" Chris questioned severely. "Not stop moaning and start chewing."
"Isn't child labor illegal?" asked Kay, her brow raised.
"Not on the Boiling Isles," Chris cackled. "The goal of this challenge is to hunt down the Slitherbeast and shoot it with these bubblegum-filled rounds until it is immobilized. Once you've stopped it from moving, take a selfie with the Slitherbeast and send it to either me or Maho for confirmation. The first team to send their pics will be safe from elimination. Those losers were be sending someone on a long paddle boat ride home.
"Ladies, to your tanks!"
The commanders scattered and climbed into each of the Semoventes; Anchovy naturally dropped into the same tank as her trusted righthand, Carpaccio, arms crossed and a smug grin on her lips.
"Now is the time to show those other schools what we can do," said Anchovy confidently. "We have the advantage, because nobody knows the ins and outs of the Semovente better than Anzio!"
"Anzio students are also driving for the other tanks," Carpaccio reminded her Duce.
"Crap, that's right!" Anchovy shouted, only just remembering that little detail.
"We should spread out in groups or twos and threes, headed in the four cardinal directions," Alice instructed her teammates as she climbed into her Semovente (with the kindly help of the Anzio students.) "Miss Wallaby, you and Miss Bosporus head to the north. Miss Semla and I will head south. Miss Erika, Miss Kay, and Miss Katyusha will sweep the eastern sector, and Miss Jajka, Miss Nishi, and Miss Mika with head west. Any questions?"
"Not a one, lil' miss!" said Wallaby with a cheerful salute.
"That's the Shimada school for you," said Erika, sounding impressed. "She already devised a search strategy and paired the groups off based on who they work best with. She must have been observing all of us from the background."
"Bah, Katyusha could've come up with a better plan!" Katyusha declared with a huff. "But Katyusha won't, because Katyusha doesn't want to steal Alice's thunder."
"How generous of you," said Kay, laughing.
"Everyone, let's stay in contact via our phones," Miho instructed, settling herself in her own Semovente. "If you see the Slitherbeast, send a mass text of your coordinates and the direction it's headed."
"How'll we know what this Slitherbeast thing looks like?" asked Shizuka.
"If Chris's words are anything to go by," Miho hummed thoughtfully, "it'll something you wouldn't expect to see around here. Just keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual."
"I'll be sure to do that," said Darjeeling. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bosporus waving sweetly at Kafka, who waved back shyly. The commander of St. Gloriana frowned.
"Is everybody ready?" said Chris. "On your mark…get set…panties war!"
The commanders stared at their host strangely, some looked uncomfortable, and others in pure disgust. Chris, at least, had the decency to feel embarrassed. Maho coughed loudly to get everyone's attention.
"I believe what our host is trying to say is…Panzer vor," she corrected.
The commanders scattered in multiple directions, though some like Kay shot teasing looks at Chris before they left.
"…I could've figured it out," Chris grumbled.
"I'm sure you could," Maho replied uncaringly.
Marie, El, and Anchovy treaded slowly past the large watering hole where pack of gazelles were gathered around the edge and couple elephants on the opposite side. Their reason for moving so slow was because they didn't want to startle the animals in case their prey was among them. A few animals perked up when they heard the faint rumbling of the tank's treads, but the Semovente was thankfully camouflaged to match the tall grass around them. The commanders would wait silently until the pack went back to their business.
Anchovy cautiously climbed out, laying herself flat against her tank, and scouted the area with binoculars.
"See anything?" Marie asked while stuffing her face with cake.
"A bunch of animals, but nothing that looks like it could be the Slitherbeast," answered Anchovy.
"How do you even know what a Slitherbeast looks like?" asked El curiously.
"It's like Miho said," replied Anchovy, climbing back in the Semovente, "it'll be something we'd never expect to see. Plus, given that Chris has dimensional traveling technology, it wouldn't surprise me if it was some otherworldly monster."
"But it's not gonna kill us, right?" said El. When Anchovy and Marie didn't respond, she gulped loudly. "Right?"
Again, the question went unanswered as the three moved on to the next area. All the while completely unaware that they were being followed from a distance. Alice and Bosporus remained concealed in the tall grass while the youngest commander observed her opponents with binoculars.
"Not to question your tactics," Semla spoke up, "but why are we following them. Shouldn't we be hunting for that slither-whatever?"
"Tracking pray is the same as Sensha-do," said Alice monotonously. "The more lookouts you have, the more successful you are at locating your target. We will follow them while keeping an eye for the Slitherbeast ourselves. When the beast shows itself, we will take the opportunity to snatch it out from under them."
"That's the Shimada style for ya!" said Semla cheerfully.
CONFESSIONALS
Alice: It sounds easy, but we're hunting a creature that nobody knows anything about. And we're using shells filled with chewed bubblegum, which is unconventional to say the least. I'm not even sure if it even is possible to capture a beast with this ammunition.
The lion crouched low to the ground, peering through the tall grass with a low purr. A lone zebra had wandered away from its pack, leaving it vulnerable. The lions tensed up, moving into position, waiting until the zebra's attention was elsewhere. When its prey turned the other way, the lion pounced…and slammed face first into the side of the Semovente that conveniently blocked its path at the last second. The lion fell in a daze and the zebra almost seemed to be laughing before it galloped away.
The hatch opened and Kafka poked her head out, looking down at the dizzy lion.
"Is everything all right?" Darjeeling asked, rolling up next to Kafka's tank.
Kafka gave her a thumbs up.
"Then let's keep moving," said Darjeeling, ducking inside to speak to the driver. "Move forward, please."
Darjeeling's Semovente rumbled forward and Kafka followed shortly behind. The pair drove in silence (then again it was always silent with Kafka around) while Darjeeling daintily sipped her tea without spilling a drop despite the Semovente's shaking. After a moment, Darjeeling replaced her teacup on its saucer and spoke to her teammate.
"I couldn't help notice that you and Bosporus have become rather friendly with each other," she said.
Kafka scratched her cheek embarrassingly.
"I've also noticed it's been effecting your performance," Darjeeling added critically.
Kafka hanged her head in shame.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue a relationship with her," said Darjeeling, taking another long sip. "Who am I to interfere in the matters of the heart. But be aware: should it become a hinderance to the group and we fail because of your infatuation, I will hold you personally responsible."
Kafka gulped loudly
CONFESSIONALS
Darjeeling: The poor thing is clearly smitten, but I worry that Bosporus knows this and trying to take advantage of a maiden's heart. Then again, I could be paranoid because St. Gloriana and Kebab High aren't on the best of terms.
BZZT
Marie: *Eating cake* Darjeeling's been obsessed with Bosporus and Kafka all day. She probably thinks Bosporus is using Kafka to sabotage our team, but I don't think that's the case. Take it from me: I've watched Andou and Oshida flirt all the time to know it's real…. But I can't help feeling there's something else going on behind the scenes.
BZZT
Bosporus: I hope Kafka is all right. She seems a little on edge lately.
BZZT
Kafka: *Runs hands down face exasperatedly*
"You see anything yet?" asked Emi, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Nothing that looks like it could be a Slitherbeast," said Miho, scanning the terrain through her binoculars.
The group consisting of Miho, Emi, and Shizuka were following along the dirt road used for tour vehicles, figuring it would give them the best very of the park and prevent them from hitting anything in the grass. So far it had been over an hour since the game started and not a single person had reported anything on this mysterious beast they were hunting. Miho was starting to suspect that the Slitherbeast might be a smaller animal, but that wouldn't explain the need for the Semoventes or the chewing gum ammo.
Shizuka climbed out of the hatch and made the mistake of putting her hand on the surface of the tank, which had been heated by the sun for the past hour.
"Gah! Son of a – " Shizuka physically restrained herself, blowing on her slightly burned hand. "I'm gonna kill Chris when I see him. Who in their right mind drives a metal tank through arid place like this?"
"The British Empire and Italy fought in similar environments during the East African campaign," Miho informed. "That's probably why Chris had us ride these Semoventes, which are Italian-made tank?"
"That, or it was cheaper for him to find manual labor," Emi commented.
"Well, the least he could do was install some air conditioners," Shizuka complained, fanning herself.
"I spotted movement north-east of our position!" Miho shouted suddenly. "In the watering hole!"
All tanks came to a sudden stop. Emi and Shizuka's followed their (unofficial) leader's line of sight to a large watering hole in the middle of a small clearing. The smooth surface of the water was broken by large groupie of bubbles. Miho tapped the Semovente's gunner with her foot, signaling her to move the cannon in that direction; Emi and Shizuka followed her example. Miho heard someone load the gum-filled shells below. Everyone waited in tense silence as something started the breach the surface. The hidden threat finally emerged and revealed –
"Ugh, it's just a hippo," Emi groaned.
"Are hippos even native to this area?" asked Shizuka curiously.
"How should I know?" Emi retorted.
"It's kinda cute," said Miho, whipping out her photo and turning on the camera. "I should send a picture to Caesar's team. I'm sure they'll love it."
But as she started to line up her shot, the watering hole exploded as something even large surface and gobbled the hippo in one bite. Miho, Emi, and Shizuka went slackjawed as monstrous yeti-like beast with no visible eyes stomped the shore and shook it's snow-white fur like a dog.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Emi screamed.
"I think that's the Slitherbeast!" cried Miho.
"We're supposed to hunt that?!" yelled Emi. "Chris is out of his goddamn mind!"
"Seems like a worthy opponent!" said Shizuka, grinning with manic excitement. "Gunner, at my mark – "
"Tsuruki-san, hold on a minute – "Miho tried to warn her, but was too late.
"FIRE!"
The Semovente recoiled as it launched the first shell, nailing the Slitherbeast directly in its side. The shell exploded in a burst of pink, congealing into a gigantic gum wad on the side of the monster's face The Slitherbeast stumbled in momentary shock, then felt the gum sticking to its body. It tried to pull the gum out of its fur, but it was stuck in there. The yeti-beast snarled furiously, bearing its multiple serrated teeth, as it turned menacingly on the girls.
"…I think you made him mad," said Emi.
That was quite the understatement. The Slitherbeast howled furiously and bound across the clearing charging at the tanks. Miho screamed at the drivers, "Reverse! Reverse!" and the Semovente's treaded backwards from the raging beast. But even at their top speed, the Slitherbeast was slowly closing the gap between them. Inside Emi's team worked fast to load the bubblegum-filled shell and aimed at the Slitherbeast.
"Fire!" shouted Emi.
The Semovente recoiled as the shell left the chamber. Unfortunately, the Slitherbeast bounced to the right to avoid the shot. It jumped out of the way again when Miho and Shizuka took their shots without losing any speed while the Semovente's slowly slightly from the cannon fire.
"He's too fast!" shouted Shizuka. "I'm down to my last shell already!"
"Same here!" said Emi.
"Both of you, stay behind me – I still have nine shots lefts!" Miho ordered.
Her Semovente slowed down to left Emi and Shizuka's tanks pass, but it put her within striking range of the Slitherbeast. The yeti beast slashed its claws against the tank's frontal armor, which thankfully managed to hold up with only a few narrow scratch marks. Down below, Miho's loader and gunner gave her the signal that they were ready to shoot again. The Ooarai commander waited until the Slitherbeast raised its claw for another swipe before giving the order:
"FIRE!"
The Slitherbeast wailed as it was thrown backwards after getting shot in the face at pointblank range. The Boiling Isle's monster rolled over twice before landing facedown in the dirt. The creature shook off the momentary daze and started to stand, only to realize that it's face was stuck to the ground by a massive wad of chewed gum. The Slitherbeast snarled and tried to rip the gum off by force, stretching the wad ridiculously far.
During this momentary reprieve, Miho whipped out her phone and tapped away furiously.
"What're you doing?" asked Emi.
"Calling for backup," Miho explained shortly. "'Attention, everyone, target has been located at point – "
"'D19 north-by-northeast, moving at 35 km/h,'" Anchoy read the text aloud. "All takes converge at point E18 for a multi-angle counterassault. Target is large and very fast. Be prepared for an immediate retreat.'"
"Sounds like Nishizumi is already in the thick of things, as usual," Marie commented nonchalantly.
"We should hurry and back her up!" said El urgently.
"Carpaccio, Avan – " Anchovy began when something slammed into her Semovente from the side, nearly knocking her out of the hatch. El and Marie had similar reactions. On top of that, there was a noise that sounded like grinding gears. "What the hell was that?!"
Carpaccio poked her head out, looked down, and announced with dread, "Duce, the treads have been gummed up."
"Same over here!"
"Us, too!"
"Where did it come from?!" Anchovy yelled frantically. "Who shot us?! Why isn't – " She cut herself of when she spotted two Semovente's running off in the distance. Peering through her binoculars, Anchovy caught a glimpse of her assailant and screamed, "Curse you, Alice Shimada!"
"That was pretty clever, Alice," Semla complimented her partner as they charged full speed across the savanna. "It'll take them hours to get that gunk out of their treads."
"And by that, the challenge will already be over," said Alice. "Tracking their movements and listening in on their conversations paid off. Now we know where to go, and we have the numbers advantage." She whipped out her phone and went to text. "'Attention all Bruised Bokos…."
CONFESSIONALS
Anchovy: How dare she goop up the trends to the Semoventes! Doesn't she realize how much its gonna cost to get those cleaned?! Chris better reimburse Anzio for this or there will be hell to pay!
BZZT
Chris: *Holds up Anzio's contract* Total Drama is in no way responsible for any damage or destruction of personal property and therefore under no legal obligation to compensate for said property. Oh, fine print, how I love you.
The Slitherbeast finally tore away from the ground, ripping out a large patch of its fur in the process. The monstrous beast roared, its bald patch throbbing violent-red.
"…We probably should've kept shooting it while it was stuck," Shizuka pointed out.
Emi facepalmed.
"Full reverse, but keep the target in sight!" Miho commanded.
The Semoventes backed away at top speed just as the Slitherbeast pounced on them, its claw cutting small marks in Miho's frontal armor again. The Slitherbeast leapt in the air again, this time flying at Shizuka. The ribbon warrior ducked inside her tank, pushing the Anzio gunner aside, and took her place. Through the tank's scope, she could see the wide maw of the Slitherbeast flying toward her.
"Chew on this!" Shizuka howled maniacally.
Shizuka shot her last round and landed a direct hit in the mouth, knocking the Slitherbeast out of the air. The yeti monster rolled over onto its feet and found that its jaw was clamped shut by the massive wad of chewing gum stuck between its teeth. It's even more disgusting when you realize where that came from….
"Nice shot, Shizuka-san!" Miho praised as the Semoventes came to a stop.
"Very creative," Emi complimented.
"Hope he can still smile for the camera – " said Shizuka jokingly as she popped out of the hatch, when a gum shell suddenly exploded against the side of her tank, covered the treads and the commander. "AAH! GUM IN MY HAIR! GUM IN MY HAIR!"
Luckily, Miho and Emi were quick to react as they commanded their tanks to move before two more shells exploded on their previous position. Miho followed the direction of the shell's origin point, spotting Wallaby and Bosporus charging their way at top speed.
"G'day, mates!" Wallaby shouted excitedly. "Bonzer o' you to do all the hard work, but we'll be snapping that pic, all right?"
Koala's commander was nearly knocked out of her tank when a gum shell exploded on the ground near her treads. Wallaby gained her bearings and spotted the duo of Darjeeling and Kafka speeding their way.
"I'm afraid the ones who will be 'snapping that pic' shall be us!" Darjeeling declared.
Another explosion between St. Gloriana and Gregor's commanders, and another party of tanks emerged over the horizon.
"No one will claim victory except for Katyusha!" Katyusha howled.
One by one, every available tank from both teams began to converge on their location, surrounding the Slitherbeast from all side. But instead of shooting the monster, both teams were aiming at each other's tanks, somehow believing they were in the middle of a Sensha-do match. Some like Nishi, Semla, Marina, and Aung were wiped out from the initial bombardment, while others successfully dodged and straight ahead.
The Slitherbeast look like a confused puppy, bewildered and terrified that all the tanks were driving its way from all sides. And most unfortunately, the commanders were so caught up in their epic shootout that they failed to realize their Anzio drivers were about to collide with the Slitherbeast in the center
Several miles away, near their rental bus, Chris and Maho were enjoying a relaxing under a nice shaded tent that they (meaning Maho) had set up. They were enjoying chilled beverages and the local specialty grilled meat dish, nyama choma, when they heard an explosion in the distance. Somewhere on the other side of the savanna, a giant pink mushroom cloud blotted the sky.
"We should probably check that out," Maho suggested. "Wouldn't want to get sue for any life-threatening injuries."
"Fi-i-ine," Chris whined, reluctantly rising from his seat.
Good news: the Slitherbeast was caught.
Bad news: so was everyone else.
When all the tanks had collided, they caused a chain reaction that caused every bubblegum shell to explode, splattering sticky chewing gum on everything within a fifty-foot radius. The commanders were, thankfully, unharmed, but they were all trapped in the sticky pin glob like being caught in a giant spider's web. Some of them were left in award positions like Darjeeling, who was hanging upside down and using her only hand to keep her skirt from falling. Erika was finding it difficult to breath with Katyusha's tiny body latched to her face. Though Marie didn't seem to have any complaint, somehow falling asleep with her head resting on El's soft breasts.
"Ngh…ugh…is everyone all right?" Miho asked worriedly, trying and failing to break free.
"Bonzer, mate."
"The wind blows favorably this way."
"Forgive me for my part in this incident, Nishizumi-dono! How shameful!"
"Well, at least everyone is okay," said Miho, sighing in relief.
Suddenly, everyone heard a metallic creak and stared in amazement as one of the tank hatches opened up. It was Kafka! Since she had used her only shell in the charge, the Gregor commander had managed to avoid getting caught in the blast when she ducked inside at the last second.
"Kafka, you made it!" Aung cheered.
"Even I didn't see that coming," said Marina.
"Quick, snap a selfie with the beast before the Bokos get loose!" Emi shouted urgently.
Kafka nodded in confirmation.
She climbed out of the Semovente, careful to not step in any of the gum, and stepped lightly over to the Slitherbeast, who had been completely pinned to the ground by massive wads of gum. The Bruised Bokos intensified their struggles to break loose, but Kafka had already pulled her phone and turned on the camera. She angled the screen to get herself along with the Slitherbeast, making a peace sign for good measure. Her finger hover over the snap button –
"Ow, ow, that hurt…."
Kafka paused and turned toward the sound. Bosporus crawled out from her upturned Semovente, narrowly managing to avoid getting crushed. Kafka didn't hesitate to throw down her phone and run to Bosporus's aid.
"Hey, where're you going?!"
"Come back!"
"Take the picture!"
But Gregor's commander ignored her teammates and crouched down to Bosporus, offering her hand to the fallen lady.
"My hero," said Bosporus, smiling.
Kafka smiled back.
However, Kafka's chivalry granted Wallaby time to reach into her pocket and pulled out her survival knife (a standard for all Koala High students.) She used the knife to cut herself free from the gum, dashed over to the Slitherbeast, and whipped out her phone. No one had a chance of stopped her before Wallaby turned on her camera and framed herself and the beast, flashing a peace sign.
"Cheers, mate!" said Wallaby enthusiastically, snapping the shot. "And…send."
With impeccable timing, Chris and Maho drove up to the scene in a safari jeep just as the host's phone dinged.
"Selfie received!" Chris announced after checking his phone. "The Bruised Bokos win!" The Bokos cheered while the Punchys groaned, some shooting glares at Kafka. "Bokos, you're safe from elimination…for now. Punchys, get yourselves cleaned up and meet up in the auditorium. One of you is going home tonight."
CONFESSIONALS
Shizuka: We were so close! Just a literal tap away! If it wasn't for Kafka, we would've won!"
BZZT
Miho: I know Kafka was worried about Bosporus, but she really let the team down.
BZZT
Darjeeling: After this, I think everyone knows who they're voting for. She has no one to blame but herself.
Night had fallen over the S.S. Total Drama as it had already departed from Kenya and made its way out into open water. The tension was palpable in the auditorium as the Pummeled Punchys gathered in the front rows. Several commanders were shooting dangerous looks in Kafka's direction, who was trying to make herself as small as possible. Their glares were momentarily drawn elsewhere when Chris and Maho walked on stage with a case of fake medals.
"Welcome to your first Honorable Discharge Ceremony, Punchys," said Chris way too cheerfully. "As you already know, the commander who doesn't receive a medal will immediately walk the Deck of shame, board the Dinghy of Losers, and paddle back home. And you can never come back. Ever.
"The first medal of the night goes to…Miho."
The commander of Ooarai did not seem too enthusiastic as she rose from her seat and climbed the stairs to receive her plastic medal. That was because she knew what was coming.
"El."
The Blue Division pumped her fist in silent cheer and practically skipped on stage, her bouncing breasts attracting the undivided attention of the camera crew.
"Darjeeling."
She silently rose from her chair with her hands folded in front, stepping elegantly on stage to receive her medal.
"Emi. Anchovy. Marina. Shizuka. Marie. Trout. And Aung."
By the time Chris was done, ten commanders stood on stage wearing Chris-imprinted medals around their necks…leaving Kafka the only one sitting in the audience.
"I'm not even going to pretend to be shocked," said Chris. "You had the chance to win for your team and you blew it. For a girl. Now that's embarrassing. Now it's time to walk the Deck of Shame.
Kafka hanged her head in pitiable acceptance as she stood up, immediately flanked by Nonna and Klara. She was escorted out of the auditorium and guided across the deck of the ship where the Dinghy of Losers awaited her. Nonna helped Gregor's commander climb into the tiny boat before Klara lowered it to the water….
DINGHY CAM
Kafka: *Stares creepily at the camera…then gives a hand gesture that requires censoring*
Kafka paddled off into the distance until she disappeared beyond the black waters. What the mute commander never realized was that on the bow of the deck, Bosporus watched her sail away with a sad, downtrodden gaze. Even after Kafka had faded away, she stared out on the horizon longingly, possibly hoping she would come back. Bosporus sighed dejectedly and rested her head in her arms on the railing.
"You okay, Bo?" asked Kay, appearing at Bosporus side, offering a friendly hand on her shoulder.
"She's gone," said Bosporus moanfully. "They voted her out."
"Yeah, I kinda figured," Kay grimaced. "Not for nothing, but she kinda dropped the ball today."
"I just wish I had spent more time with her," said Bosporus. "We were on opposite teams, but she was so sweet and courteous. Not to mention silly."
"She really liked you," said Kay, giving her a strange look. "Everyone could see it."
"And I liked her, too," Bosporus admitted. "But I never would've acted on it if you hadn't encouraged me to try. Even though it didn't end the way I wanted, it's still better than regretting a missed opportunity. Thank you, Kay."
"Just trying to help," said Kay cheerfully.
CONFESSIONALS
Kay: My darling thought Bo was sabotaging the Punchys the whole time, she never suspected I was one who set it all in motion. I knew those two were head over heels for each other, so I gave them a little nudge and everything fell into place. Everyone thinks I'm just some dumb blonde, but I didn't become commander of the biggest Sensha-do school in Japan for nothing. Miho and Alice may be good at war strategy, but this is a social game. They're in my element now.
"Finally, a real competitor!" Chris guffawed after watching Kay's confession. "Will the Bruised Bokos survive with two alliances competing against each other. Will the Pummeled Punchys be able to come back from this humiliating defeat? Find out next time on Total – Drama – Panzer!
Commanders Remaining: 20
Bruised Bokos: Alice, Wallaby, Bosporus, Erika, Semla, Éclair, Nishi, Mika, Jajka, Kay, Katyusha
Pummeled Punchys: Miho, Emi, Anchovy, Marina, Darjeeling, El, Shizuka, Kafka, Marie, Trout, Aung