It was the day after DJ's elimination. Everyone was struggling to eat Chef's gruel. Duncan nervously held his spoon up while Harold managed to take a bite before coughing it out. "I really miss DJ's cooking," Harold admitted. "It was as awesome as this is completely grossitating."
"I wish my boyfriend was here," Beth put in. "He's such a great cook."
"Boyfriend?" Heather wondered. "I don't remember any talk of a boyfriend."
"Oh, yeah. I have a boyfriend. I love my boyfriend. What? Didn't I mention my boyfriend before?"
"You sure do like that word 'boyfriend'," Leshawna noted.
"Aw, it's so sweet you found someone!" Rodney gushed. "Tell us some more about him. When did you two meet?"
"We met between TV seasons," Beth explained.
"Wasn't that only, like, two days?" Lindsay wondered.
"Mmm-hmm. We met at the orthodonist. He was getting his braces off at the same time as me. At first, I wasn't into him. But after the braces came off, look out!" Beth held up a picture of a well-looking boy. "Such a cutie," she gushed. The Grips, minus Rodney, tried to hold back their laughter.
Confessional: Izzy (Killer Grips)
"Okay, I bought a lot of junk off late-night infomercials, but I ain't buying that!"
Confessional: Rodney (Killer Grips)
"Beth's got a boyfriend! Beth's got a boyfriend! Seems like everyone's getting their soulmates. I've got Helga, Lindsay's got Tyler, Destiny's got Greg, Duncan's got Courtney, Owen's got Izzy, Harold's got Leshawna, and even Heather has Alejandro. All that's left is someone for Justin, someone who understands him...and someone just as shallow and vain as him, too."
End Confessionals
"So, you have a boyfriend, huh?" Heather questioned. "Prove it."
"Sure," Beth happily replied. "I can tell you everything about him. He's six feet tall, has light-brown hair, blue eyes, size ten shoe, 32-pant with a 34-inch instream."
"Wait a second," Justin cut in as he pulled Beth's picture away, "Those stats are all written on the back of his picture. I know a comp card when I see one because I'm a...professional male model." He flashed a smile as cameras took his picture. "It's more like a 'getting to know you' card," Beth argued as she took the picture back. "We exchanged each other's pictures when we left the orthodontist's office. Ever thought of that?"
"No," Duncan replied as he spooned his bowl of mush into Harold's bowl, "No one ever thought of that."
"You've been chasing after a boyfriend all this time with a honey back home?" Leshawna wondered.
"Loyalty issues?" Destiny suggested.
"I can't help myself," Beth admitted. "Justin's a supermodel! Now that my braces are off, it's a whole new dating world!" She smiled at Justin, who went wide-eyed. "Blech!" Destiy gagged. "How many times do I have to say it? He's not worth the effort! Get him out of your head!"
"Wow, testy much?" Heather scoffed.
"I may not be on the best terms with Justin," Rodney admitted, "But I don't take my frustration that far. Aren't you overreacting a bit?"
"'Aren't you overreacting a bit?'" Destiny repeated with annoyance. "No, I'm not! Why don't you get it?! ARGH!" She slammed her head on the table in frustration as Leshawna and Duncan looked on with confusion. "Bendy straws!" Harold exclaimed as he grabbed one from a cup. "These are just like the ones they had at the hospital where I had my kidneys switched."
"Huh?" Owen wondered as he scooped some more gruel from the Grips' bowls.
"I was born with a rare kidney condition. My left kidney was where the right one should be."
"You had a surgical kidney swap?" Leshawna wondered in disbelief.
"That's right. I'm a rare case."
"You're a rare case, alright," Heather scoffed.
"Whatever." Harold put a handful of straws into his pants pocket. "I'm loading up."
"Morning, guys," Lara, now cosplaying as Nezuko Kamado from Demon Slayer, greeted as she, Ethan and Paul joind the group. "Have you guys seen Lacey recently? You know, the biker chic?"
"No, sugar," Leshawna answered. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen heads or tails of Biker Chic since DJ got the boot."
"She must feel bad about keeping quiet," Beth guessed.
"Great Def Leppard!" Destiny suddenly cried out. "She didn't decide to perform seppuku, did she?!"
"Say what now?" Leshawna asked. Harold was about to explain but Destiny quickly covered his mouth. "Don't, Dweeb!" she warned him. "They're better off not knowing!"
"Get off him!" Paul told her as he tried to pry her off.
"Hey, Captain of Conclusions," Lacey spoke up as she walked in, "Do I look like someone that wants to cut out their stomach?"
"We were just a bit concerned for you," Ethan defended. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, but everything that happened in the past few days made me reflect some. And so, I'm making a vow." Lacey offered her hand. "I promise to be completely honest with everyone to improve our lives for the better!" she swore. Everyone looked at her with a stunned expression. "And I thought Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu's attitude shift was a shocker," Lara muttered to herself.
"What?" Lacey asked the others. "What's with those looks?"
"Didn't peg you for the type to go soft," Duncan shrugged.
"I have to agree with the juvie boy," Paul added. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'd be more concerned with Owen's taste buds," Lacey commented. Owen was busy scarfing down his bowl of gruel, much to his team's disgust. "I think Owen's taste buds packed up and moved to France years ago," Heather commented.
"I wish I had this disgusting slop around last time I was trying to stick to my diet," Lindsay added as she toyed with her spoon. Harold cleared his throat as he noticed Chef walking into the kitchen. "This hate cuisine is obviously too complex for our unsophisticated taste buds," he loudly stated, to his team's shock. "Right?" He subtly motioned to Chef, who gave them all a hard stare. Everyone but Owen nervously nodded in agreement. "I give it five stars!" Owen declared after he finished his bowl.
"I hate suck-ups," he grumbled before walking off.
"Now I'm concerned about everyone else's taste buds," Lacey muttered. "The food here sucks!" A pan was tossed at her head from the kitchen, making her fall over. "This day better pick up from this disaster of a morning," she grumbled as she got to her feet.
"Not to worry, folks," Chris told everybody as he walked in, "You won't be holding on to your lunch for much longer." He gave a laugh. "And exactly what torture have you concocted for today?" Duncan questioned.
"Oh, nothing," Chris innocently replied, "Just that your day will be a total disaster. Get it? It's a disaster movie theme! You know, like in disaster movie flicks? People running for their lives from volcanoes, earthquakes, asteroids, tidal waves...the more disastrous, the better." Everyone stared at him in horror. "I just HAD to ask," Lacey complained.
Confessional: Lindsay (Killer Grips)
"My hair is already a total disaster! It's been three weeks since I had a trim. Split-ends city! How much worse can it get?!"
"NEVER say that, Lindsay," Lacey warned her as she popped her head in. "Things can ALWAYS get worse."
End Confessional
"Your first challenge is the Earthquake of Inevitable Pain!" Chris announced as everyone gathered outside. "Each team has to run the course, challenging your dexterity, maneuverability, and other mad monkey skills." Chef was at the top of the course and pulled a concrete block from a bag. "First team to the top wins," Chris finished. "Best out of two earns today's reward."
"Ooh!" Beth spoke up. "My boyfriend had a summer job cleaning up after earthquakes and landslides."
"Pretty selfless," Rodney nodded. "You sure know how to pick 'em."
"Still not buying it!" Izzy laughed. "But I did cave in and buy the electronic salad spinner." She made a whirring noise. "Enough with the chitty-chat," Chris told them. "Take your marks." Everyone was at the bottom of the course. "This will be a cinch," Heather boasted.
"I can't wait to swing on the monkey bars," Beth hoped.
"And...action!" Chris announced as he blew on his airhorn. Everyone raced up the course. "How easy is this?" Izzy bragged as she ran through the tires.
"Are you ready to ROCK?" Chris challenged. He laughed as he pulled on a lever, making the course shake like an earthquake. Beth fell on top of Izzy. "You break it, you buy it!" Izzy giggled. Heather and Duncan also fell over. Harold began to swing on the monkey bars. "Perfect time to get rid of some old junk," Chef said as he went through his bag. He tossed a raggedy football at Harold, making him, Leshawna and Destiny fall off the bars. "Ow!" Harold cried out. "My right kidney!" Chef tossed everything from a sink to a bowling ball to even a hammer and telephone. He held up a rubber duckie when he noticed Justin climbing on the bars. "Ah!" Justin yelled out as the duckie hit him in the face. "My precious cheekbones!" Chris pulled a lever, making the course go still. "Finally, a break!" Rodney breathed out.
"Aftershock!" Chris announced. He pulled a lever, making the course shake quickly. Owen stumbled down a bit, then puked on the course. "My delicious lunch lost forever!" he cried out as his barf slid down. Rodney was climbing up behind him when he slipped on the barf and landed with a split. "Why is it always the biscuits?" he squeaked.
"Oh, yeah," Chris thought, "That reminds me. It's lava time!"
"You're not using actual lava, are you?" Lacey gulped. A hatch opened on the top of the course, and red liquid flowed down to the cast. Chef dipped his finger in it and tasted it. "Tomato soup?" he wondered. "That was supposed to be for supper." Everyone tried to dodge the piping hot soup. "Is it getting hot in here?" Chris teased. Destiny sniffed the soup as she hung from the monkey bars. "Mmm, yummy soup lava!" she gushed. She jumped down and licked some of the liquid up. Suddenly, her face heated up and she coughed up some flames. "BLAZING MOLTRES, THAT'S HOT!" she screamed as she clutched her throat.
"Yeah, it's called cayenne pepper," Paul informed her. "Chris told me to put it in there in case anyone had the bright idea to eat the lava."
"How about a cool, refreshing hailstorm?" Chris recommended as he sat behind a gunner. "Golfball-sized hail is bad, but hail-sized golfballs are even worse!" He laughed as he fired on the cast. Izzy tried to duck but was knocked over. "I got one!" Chris announced.
"Don't get cocky, kid," Chef advised him.
"You've got this, guys!" Ethan rallied. Lara tried to cheer but the bamboo on her jaw prevented her from speaking. "Ow, my jaw," she moaned.
"I told you biting that was a bad idea," Lacey scolded.
"It's called 'getting into cosplay'." Chris continued to fire at the cast. "No!" Justin cried out. "Not the face!" A few golf balls hit him in the face.
Confessional: Justin (Killer Bass)
"I give up. There's no way I'll get that skin care line endorsement now." He rubbed his bruised skin. "Oh, not so silky smooth!"
End Confessional
Chris fired a few more golf balls. "AFTER aftershock!" he announced. He pressed a button, and the course shook until it started to crack. As the course split in two, Lindsay started to fall. Rodney managed to grab her by the arm and pulled her up. Owen stumbled back and landed on Rodney's spine. "Can't...breathe..." he moaned.
"I'm still carrying a little holiday weight," Owen admitted.
"Spine cracked. Ribs bruised. Feeling owie!" Rodney slipped through the hole. "My boyfriend was part of a rescue team that saved people stuck in avalanches," Beth boasted as she walked over. "He used to say-"
"Beth," Justin interrupted as he walked over, "We need actual advice from real, live, living people!" Beth strained as she tried to pull Owen out. "Hurry!" he shouted. "They're getting a lead!" Heather and Duncan crossed a log towards the end of the course. Harold tried to cross, but he was knocked off by the golf balls. "Everyone!" Owen told the Grips. "Get behind me!"
"Where's Rodney?" Lindsay wondered. Rodney was moaning as he tried to crawl towards the others. "We'll find him," Owen told the others. "Just go!" He blocked the incoming golf balls while the rest of the Grips crawled through the tunnel. "Shouldn't someone be yelling 'fore'?" he wondered. He kept getting hit. "Fore!" Chris taunted with a laugh. The gunner clicked as it ran out of ammo. "Run for it!" Lacey shouted. "It stopped!" Owen quickly went through the tunnel, with Rodney slowly crawling behind. "Chef," Chris moaned, "Do something!" Chef backed the vehicle up, making Chris crash into a pole. He quickly climbed a ladder to the top of the course and threw some stuff from his bag towards the cast. Heather and Duncan reached the end of the course while Leshawna was knocked over by a plant. "Gentle, aren't you?" Destiny whipped at Chef before getting knocked over by a frying pan.
"Hang on, team!" Owen shouted as he crawled through the tunnel. "We're almost there!" Justin, Lindsay and Beth made it to the end of the course after they climbed a wall. "Please, after you," Owen offered to Izzy.
"Oh, come on," Izzy replied. "You're the one who sacrificed himself for us. I insist."
"Ladies first."
"Pick someone already!" Rodney complained as he crawled over to the duo.
"Ah, my unpublished manifesto," Chef recalled as he pulled out a thick book from his bag. Izzy was helping Owen climb the wall. "I've lived a lot of years!" Chef declared. He chucked the book just as Owen reached the top of the wall. Time slowed down as it slammed him in the jaw, knocking him over and making him land on Rodney, crushing him. "Ouchie," Owen muttered as he put a hand to his jaw, "That'll hurt come morning."
"I regret...nothing," Rodney muffled.
"Oh, no!" Izzy gasped as she ran over to the duo. "Owen! Are you okay?!"
"Rodney!" Destiny shouted as she looked back from the top of the wall. "Say something!"
"My editor was right," Chef commented. "My life really is dangerous."
"Don't joke about-WHOA!" Destiny fell off the wall. "I'm okay!" she shouted. Owen moaned in pain.
Confessional: Beth (Killer Grips)
"Did Owen actually break his jaw?" She gasped. "That's so tragic! Owen lives to eat!"
Confessional: Destiny (Screaming Gaffers)
"Poor Rodney! Did you see how twisted his spine got after Big O went PLOP on him? And Owen's jaw going BLAM? I can't even imagine what Izzy and Helga must be feeling right now!"
Confessional: Izzy (Killer Grips)
"Owen is my buddy! He's the only one who truly gets me. If something happens to Owen, I'll be stuck with my imaginary friends. And let's face it; I should've ditched them years ago." She knocks on her head. "Yeah, Phil I'm talking to you!"
End Confessionals
Owen and Rodney moaned in pain as a cameraman filmed them and Chris watched on. "Um, Chris?" Leshawna complained. "Why doesn't the crew go over there and help them?"
"You're obligated to provide aid whenever a contestant gets a serious injury," Lacey added. "Now help him or you'll be the one moaning!"
"Yeah, yeah," Chris casually answered, "As soon as we're done getting every shot. The good news is it looks like Owen and Rodney won the challenge for the Killer Grips." The Grips cheered at this. "Oh, no, he didn't!" Leshawna argued.
"Yeah," Harold agreed, "We got our whole team across the finish line!"
"Serious injury trumps all," Chris told them.
"You just make up the rules as you go along, don't you?" Heather pointed out. Chris just smirked in response. "I love my job," he said. An ambulance siren rang out as Ethan rolled Owen and Rodney into the vehicle. "The wounded Owen and Rodney," Chris announced as the ambulance drove off and everyone looked on with concern. "What will become of them? Stay tuned to find out."
"Pray they recover, McLean," Lacey warned as she waved her fist, "Or the next one riding in an ambulance will be YOU!"
(cue commercial)
Everyone was now at a submarine set. "How's Owen doing?" Izzy asked with concern.
"And Rodney's condition?" Ethan added.
"Oh, Owen's fine," Chris replied. "A little broken jaw, but it's all wired shut now. Shouldn't take more than four to six weeks to heal. As for Rodney, however, the damage to his spine is so severe, the lawyers advised us to pull him out of the competition so he can properly heal."
"Oh, no," Beth gasped. "It's that bad?"
"I mean, they're doing fine." The Grips gave Chris a skeptical stare. "Gee, how lovely," Paul sarcastically scoffed.
Confessional: Chris
"That's what release forms are for! Correctamundo?"
End Confessional
"All right," Chris continued, "Now it's time for the second disaster-themed challenge. Who's excited?" Everyone stayed silent as they sat on the rafts. "Whoo-hoo," Lacey blandly rallied.
"Because of Owen and Rodney's win," Chris announced, "The Grips have the advantage of getting this handy-dandy piece of paper for the second disaster challenge." He folded it into a paper airplane and threw it to the Grips, which flew over the Gaffers' heads and did a loop-de-loop before crashing in Lindsay's eye. She unfolded it, showing Roman numerals. "What good is this?" she wondered. "It just has some dumb numbers on it."
"I think it's a lock combination!" Beth pointed out.
"Okay, time to get inside," Chris ordered the cast.
"You crazy?" Leshawna argued. "I'm not getting in that tin can."
"Not even for five million bucks?"
"Better be carpeted in there."
"No," Lacey answered. "Sorry to disappoint." Soon, the teams were inside the submarine, with the Grips on the left and the Gaffers on the right. "I don't like this," Leshawna stated, "Not one little bit." An alarm sounded out, to everyone's worry. "What's going on?" Justin gulped.
"Who cares?" Beth sighed as she hugged him. "I could stay like this all day." Justin backed away from her. "For this challenge," Chris announced over the loudspeakers, "You've got to get out before it's too late."
"Too late?" Heather wondered as Chris and Chef watched the scene from the studio room. "Too late for what?"
"Oh, you'll find out."
"Pick up two," Chef told Chris as they played a game of cards.
"Are you sure about this, gentlemen?" Ethan wondered as he sat down a bottle of soda.
"Gentlemen?" Lacey scoffed as she, Paul and Lara joined his side. "They are an insult to that title."
"Not to mention Chris is completely twisted in the head," Paul added.
"I try," Chris replied with a grin. He turned to Chef. "You mind cranking that lever?" he asked. Chef pulled a lever, making water slowly pour into the submarine. "It's filling up with water?" Ethan gasped as the others looked on with concern. "But they'll drown!"
"Not if they're quick about it," Chris replied.
"You don't know that!" Lacey protested. "You little-"
"Choke them later," Paul interrupted as he held her back. "Let's focus on helping the others."
"Agreed," Ethan added. "Let's move!" The four interns rushed out of the studio room.
"What is that?" Justin gulped as the water touched his sandals.
"I really wish my boyfriend was here," Beth hoped. "He's a registered lifeguard."
"Uh-huh," Izzy replied, "Yeah, it would be great if he were here. You're right. You know what would be better?"
"What?"
"If he existed in the first place! Now let's get out of this death trap!"
"This water is freezing," Heather complained as Duncan tried to unscrew a valve. "And it's too dark to see anything!"
"No problem," Duncan shrugged. "I've got great night vision. A lot of the stuff I get up to happens when the sun goes down." Heather just rolled her eyes. "I can only imagine," Destiny muttered.
"This should help," Duncan noted as he went over to a box. He pulled out some flashlights. "Get to work, everybody," he ordered as he flicked one on.
On the Grips' side, Beth and Izzy were struggling to turn some valves as Lindsay and Justin tried to avoid the water. Izzy loosened one up but crashed into a box filled with flashlights. "Wow," she noted as she rubbed her head, "What a headrush."
"Yay for Izzy's hard head!" Lindsay cheered as she turned on a flashlight.
"Hey, look," Justin pointed out as he shined his flashlight up to a hatch. "I think it's a way out."
"Or maybe that's the exit," Beth said as she pointed to a hatch with a combination lock.
"This one's closest," Leshawna noted as she and the Gaffers looked at the hatch with the combination lock, "So let's try it first."
"Anybody know how to pick a lock?" Heather asked.
"Actually," Harold spoke up, "I learned how to open a combo lock at Picky Steve's Lockpicking Camp."
"There's a camp for that?" Destiny wondered.
"You do have mad skills," Leshawna complimented.
"Yeah," Harold shrugged, "Well-" Duncan kicked him over. "Duncan!" Destiny scolded. "This isn't the time to play Kick the Dweeb! Or at all, come to think of it."
"The water is rising," Duncan pointed out, "So get to it, Harold-dini."
"This is it," Ethan told the others as he paddled an inflatable raft to the submarine set.
"Lovely," Lacey sarcastically noted as she observed the set. "Now we can't see how the others are doing."
"Any bright ideas on how we get in and get the others out?" Lara asked.
"We just have to find the right hatch on this thing and the water will rush out of both sides. Just a little precaution I put on it."
"You designed this thing?" Ethan wondered.
"What do you think I was doing during my probation? Unfortunately, McLean was too vague about the purpose of the sub set."
"Figures," Paul grumbled. "Let's search for that hatch, then."
On the Grips' side, Beth was trying to open the hatch on the bottom. "Oh, no!" she realized. "It's a combination lock!"
"Sound familiar?" Izzy asked Lindsay, who just looked confused. She pulled out the paper they won earlier. "How are we ever gonna open it?" Lindsay wondered.
"Guys?" Beth spoke up. "We better get to it quick before the water gets too high."
"I'll do it," Justin volunteered as he snatched the paper.
"No, I wanna do it," Lindsay said. The duo argued until the paper fell into the water. Izzy pulled it out, but the numbers were all smeared. She crumbled the paper up and growled in frustration. "Come on," Justin encouraged, "What are the numbers? Read them out." Izzy dropped the paper in the water. "I'm surrounded by loons!" she cried out.
"Where?" Justin wondered.
"I love ducks!" Lindsay exclaimed. Izzy just screamed as she ran off.
Harold was trying to crack the combo lock but ran out of breath. "I can't do it," he breathed out. "I need more time. If only I had gills."
Confessional: Harold (Screaming Gaffers)
"How cool would that be if I had gills? I really should've been born with gills. Life can be so unfair."
End Confessional
Leshawna pointed her flashlight to a hatch up close to the ceiling. "Maybe we can boost each other up," she suggested. Duncan helped her climb onto his back, with Heather climbing on top of the duo. "I...can't...reach!" Heather strained. They fell over into the water, though Leshawna's hair poofed up into an afro again. "Did I mention I don't like water?" she told them. "Cause I don't! Not a fan!"
"Funny," Heather snapped back, "You look like a floater."
"That another big girl joke, huh?!" The two started to get into a slap fight. "You two fight like girls," Duncan scolded as he and Destiny separated them.
"Can't we just float to the top and open the hatch?" Destiny wondered.
"At least you're more a thinker than Duncan," Harold put in, making Duncan dunk him.
"Any luck, Miss Lacey?" Ethan asked as he steered the raft.
"No, Sir Gawain," Lacey replied with some annoyance, "And knock off that 'Miss' stuff. Hold on..." She reached out her hand to feel for something on the sub. "Easy, easy!" Paul warned as the raft began to wobble. "You'll fall off!"
"I know what I'm doing!" Lacey barked. As she stretched her arm out, she fell off the raft into the water. Her head hit a stone in the water, knocking her breath out. "I don't see her," Lara gulped as she and the others looked on with concern. "The water isn't that deep, right?"
"Hang on!" Ethan declared. He dove into the water. A moment later, he pulled the unconscious Lacey out of the water. "She's okay," Ethan assured Paul and Lara as they got onto the raft. "No water in the lungs, but she hit her head on some rocks."
"Our rebel biker's out cold for a while," Paul grumbled. "Now what?"
"I think I can see what she was reaching for," Lara noticed. "Ethan, paddle to your left."
"Yes, Miss Lara," Ethan replied. He steered the raft towards his left. "Okay, stop," Lara ordered. She reached up on the tips of her toes to touch the bottom of the sub and felt a round indintation in the metal. "This must be the hatch," Lara realized as she felt it. "And there's another! One for each team."
"Any ideas on how we can get it open?" Ethan asked.
"Hmm...Oh, I have an idea! We can cut a hole where the hatch is. At the very least, it'll take out the water as fast as it's going in."
"Cut it with what, Cosplayer?" Paul pointed out. Lara pressed something on her wrists, and a pair of claws popped out on her fingernails, making Paul fall over in surprise. "How did you perform that feat?" Ethan wondered.
"Special effects," Lara explained. "Did you think I got those awards with just a costume? Now lift me up so I can reach this." Ethan placed Paul on his shoulders, and Lara climbed on top of them. "Careful..." she warned as they wobbled a bit. "Careful..." She tried to scratch the hatch but made little progress. "It's not working!"
"I'm losing balance!" Ethan shouted. He fell over, making Paul and Lara crash down. "Good thing I kept my hands up or our boat would've popped," Lara muttered as her hands were held behind her back. "The belly flop sucks, though."
"Oh!" Paul exclaimed as he lifted himself off of Ethan. "Didn't mean to land on you."
"Honest mistake, Sir Paul," Ethan assured him. Paul turned his head to hide the slight pink tint on his cheeks, which caught Lara's attention. "With the claw idea scratched out," she cut in, "No pun intended, what do we do? The cast are probably shoulder-deep in water right now!"
"So..." Izzy thought as the water rose higher, "Anybody got any ideas?"
"My boyfriend used to do underwater photo shoots and taught me how to hold my breath for a really long time," Beth informed them.
"My agent totally wants me to learn that," Justin commented.
"Brady could teach you!" Beth gave an excited laugh. "Then I could have you both to myself."
"Guys," Izzy interrupted, "There's something here!" She pointed to a hatch on the ceiling. "It might be a way out. Pull, come on!" She and Justin tried to open it, which they managed to do. However, they noticed Fang growling and snapping at them, and they quickly closed the hatch. "No good," Justin decided as he backed away. "Any other ideas?"
"I've got it!" Heather declared as she tried to open her hatch. Suddenly, the mutant beetle shot some fire breath at her. "Hi, Mister Mutant Buzzy Beetle!" Destiny greeted. "Um, is that the exit, by any chance?" The mutant beetle hissed before closing the hatch up. "I think that's a no," Destiny told her scared teammates.
"No good," Heather gulped as she hugged Duncan out of fear. "Any other ideas?" She noticed Duncan smirking at her and slapped him away. "Mutant beetle, huh?" Chris wondered as he and Chef continued their card game. "Don't you think that's a bit much?" Chef just shrugged.
Confessional: Chef
"Seriously! I'm just not in the mood! Busting my hump for a bunch of snot-nosed little- Don't I deserve a little me time?!"
End Confessional
"Really, it might be time to end the challenge," Chris pointed out as he observed the monitors, which showed the cast neck-deep in water. "The water's geting pretty high, and those kids are terrible swimmers."
"Focus!" Chef barked out. "I want my chips back. I'm starving." He ate a chip. "This is getting serious," Chris pointed out. "Turn off the water!" Chef rolled his eyes before pulling the lever, which snapped in half. Chris gasped in shock. "We've got to get the cast out of there!" he declared. "Simple formula: no more contestants equals no more episodes equals no paycheck and the end of my luxurious lifestyle!"
"Texas Hold'em?" Chef offered as he shuffled the cards.
"You're not hearing me!"
"What, Gin Rummy?" Meanwhile, the Gaffers were treading water. "This-this could be it," Leshawna breathed out. "The end! Like, the end end!" She started to tear up. "I wanna live!"
"I wanna live, too!" Destiny cried out. "So many songs I haven't heard and anime I haven't seen!"
"I know you two are scared," Harold told them, "But you don't have to cry. I'll save you."
"Who said anything about crying?" Leshawna argued. "Leshawna never cries!"
"You sure blubbered enough when a reward was on the line," Duncan pointed out.
...
The scene flashed back to the medical challenge. "For your reward," Chris told the Gaffers. He opened the platter, revealing the poitraits of everyone's friends and family. A second later, Leshawna burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she told the Gaffers, "It's just-" She wiped away a tear. "It's been so stressful. I thought I was gonna lose you. Fighting for your lives..."
"All in favor?" Duncan asked.
"Aye," the rest of the Gaffers agreed.
...
Leshawna noticed the glares coming from Duncan and Heather. "You're a total sham!" Duncan scolded.
"You mean Leshawna fake-cried to get the reward with Leshaniqua?" Heather growled. The duo went towards Leshawna. "Hey, wait a second!" Harold argued. "Let's not forget who's always there listening to everyone's problems."
"She's not the lying type," Destiny defended with tears in her eyes. "Right?"
"You're gonna pay for this, big, loud and proud!" Heather screamed as she went after Leshawna.
"H-hold on! Anybody else hear that?" A CLANG-CLANG noise was heard. "I know this trick!" Destiny exclaimed as she went to a wall. She banged on the metal. "Shave and a haircut..." she sang. However, there was just silence. "Shave and a haircut..." she repeated with irritation.
"We don't have time for that nonsense!" Paul shouted through the metal, taking Destiny by surprise. "Everyone, listen up! There's a hatch at the bottom of each side of the sub set. According to Lacey, the water will drain out of both sides once one of them is opened."
"But it's a combo lock," Destiny pointed out. "Don't those things require some numbers to open them?"
"THAT'S what that paper meant!" Lindsay realized. "Oops."
"Does anyone know the combination?" Beth asked.
"The only one that knows is currently unconscious," Ethan explained as he held Lacey in his arms. She gave a soft moan. "And you don't have enough time to wait for her to wake up," Ethan added.
"Even if we knew the combo," Destiny argued, "The hatch is under a bunch of water right now, and none of us are water-breathers."
"Wait!" Harold realized. "I've just realized something!" He pulled out the straws from earlier. "Quick," he told Leshawna as he passed her the rest of the straws. "Help me make a snorkel." He dove down while holding a straw while Leshawna attached the straws one by one to it. "Brilliant!" Chris breathed out as he watched the scene from the studio. "Harold's gonna save the day! Once the hatch is open, it'll drain the water out of both the rooms, and I'll still have a paycheck!" He hugged Chef, who only glared in response.
Harold was using his stethoscope and makeshift snorkel as he worked on the combo lock on the hatch. Chris watched on with worry as the water rose higher and higher. "Hurry, guys," Lara breathed out. Chris shut his eyes while Leshawna continued to add straws to the snorkel. "Come on, Harold!" Heather cried out. "Come on; there's not much time left!" Her words came out in a gurgle. Harold wiped his head as he worked on the lock. Chris bit his nails while Chef continued his card game. Harold finished his work on the lock as it gave a CLICK. "I think they've got it!" Paul exclaimed as he put an ear to the hatch.
"Huh?" Lacey moaned as he came to. "Wait! Get back! The water will-" As Harold lifted the hatch up, the water rushed at the interns' raft, sweeping them away. The Gaffers swam out of the sub. "WHOO-HOO-HOO!" Chris cheered as he did a victory dance. The water drained out of the Grips' side. "Phew!" Lindsay breathed out. "This will make escaping from underwater way easier!" Izzy and Beth shared a look.
Later that night, everyone was wrapped in bath robes as they sat by the fire. "That's the last time I deal with submarines," Lara sniffled before letting out a sneeze. "It's worse than the hospital set."
"The hospital set was scarier," Paul shuddered.
"You really don't like hospitals, do you?" Ethan asked, and Paul shook his head no. "Here, I've got you." He brought him closer with a hug, which Lara giggled at. "Why are you so giggly?" Paul wondered.
"Oh, nothing in particular," Lara mysteriously replied.
"Well," Chris began as everyone glared at him, "That was a pretty exciting day, huh? Looks like another reward win for the Gaffers. Seems like the Grips are a tad overdue, but I wouldn't hold my...breath!" He laughed at the poor-tasting joke. "And now let's see what the Gaffers have won. Oh, an all-expenses-paid trip to beautiful British Columbia!"
"Yay!" Destiny cheered. "Maybe I can show you guys around Cypress Mountain. Greggy and I love to ski and snowboard there."
"Not quite, Destiny," Chris explained. "You'll be staying at the luxurious inn on the volcano, a charming lodge teetering on the edge of a little-known active volcano on Vancouver Island." Everyone stared with shock. "To get you there, you'll be enjoying an exhilarating eight-day hike up the rugged, treacherous-"
"No thank you!" Duncan interrupted.
"Have you LOST IT?!" Lacey snapped. "That's so-" Lara covered Lacey's mouth as she continued to muffle her complaints, with certain colorful words spliced in. "And people complain about me being foul-mouthed," Paul muttered to Ethan. "Can't really fault her, though."
Confessional: Duncan (Screaming Gaffers)
"I couldn't believe we were actually gonna drown. Did the producers lose their minds?! But it would've been a pretty cool way to go on national TV and all."
Confessional: Harold (Screaming Gaffers)
"I had it all under control. I work best under pressure." He laughed. "Pressure? Get it? Water pressure?" He laughed again. "I'm hilarious, even when my life's in danger."
End Confessionals
"We'll just take some chips and pop," Leshawna bitterly decided, "If that's okay."
"Suit yourselves," Chris shrugged. "More money for my end of the year bonus."
Confessional: Heather (Screaming Gaffers)
"That's what they call a prize? Right. All we need after today is a disaster-themed vacay."
Confessional: Destiny (Screaming Gaffers)
"Greggy and I know about that volcano. He told me it was as unpredictable as Pinhead. Not the way I wanna leave a first impression of my home area."
End Confessionals
"Cheers to being alive," Lara weakly toasted to the Gaffers as they enjoyed their new reward.
"Thanks for sharing, guys," Lacey told them. "Really appreciate it." Chris wheeled Owen over in a wheelchair. "Okay, here's the deal," he told him. "You can go and eat with the Gaffers and interns if you promise not to sue."
"Promise," Owen muffled between his wired jaw.
"Promise promise? Not, like, fake promise. Your fingers aren't crossed, are they?" Owen held up his hands. Chef passed him some soda, chips and a blender. "Enjoy!" Chris told him. "Well, that magical bit of legal maneuvering brings us to the end of another awesome episode. What disaster lies in store for our teams next time? I'm your host, Chris McLean, asking you to tune in, turn on and find out right here on Total...Drama...Action!"
"Hey!" Owen exclaimed, taking Chris by surprise. "You dropped your chips in my pop! Hey, you spilled your pop in my chips!" He laughed as he blended the chips and soda together before sipping it out of a straw. "It's probably the pain meds," Chris shrugged.
So, this disaster of an episode is finally done! Really, all this episode has is some added moments. The first is Rodney being injured and taken out o the competition, and it might be a while before we see him again. The other major addition is the role of the interns trying to help the cast escape and their interactions.
Now for a disaster-themed movie quote. (I first thought it would be tricky until I realized the perfect movie.)
"I don't know about you, but I intend to write a strongly worded letter to the White Star Line about all of this." Jack
-From Titanic
The next episode will be a real battlefield with the teams. Until next time, this is Dunsparce519 saying enjoy and have a good day.