Chapter 18: Pumpkin Pummel


Reviews:

TaitanoRules555: Thanks.

Knifez: I suppose I get it. I do understand where you're coming from with Scourtney, although I do think Scott is smarter than most people give him credit for, and Courtney found Duncan's bad boy appeal rather ephemeral anyway. Mal was never said to have started out as a protector in canon, but it's a fairly popular theory among the fandom. Mike didn't say Mal wanted to kill him, he said Mal was likely to try to kill others. And my interpretation of Mal is that his actions are largely rooted in paranoia, so it would make sense for him to want to get rid of anyone with potential leverage against him. Don't worry, I have no plans to make Brick and Duncan a couple. Thanks!

Phenomenal Ultra Instinct: I don't despise Cody, I just don't get the appeal. And yes, Aiden isn't likely to get much further.

DSX62415: Thanks.

LovelyLuly: I never said I liked Leonard more than Cody; I don't like Leonard anywhere near as much as I do Cody, and I don't even really like Cody. However, I think Leonard is probably happier than Cody. Yes, Leonard is pretty much useless, and generally a pretty bad teammate, while Cody at least tries. All I'm saying is that Leonard's dorkishness isn't something to be pitied, Cody's is.

WeirdAlFan101: I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I genuinely do not believe Cody even really wants a girlfriend for any reason except the status it would give him. He's not looking for love, he's looking for the image. I suppose I could have had him realize that, but he doesn't strike me as particularly self-aware. I genuinely had no idea what to do with him beyond that, aside from being a pawn in someone else's game. Please don't stop reading!

Gucci Mane LaFlare: Thanks. I figured a bit of backstory would probably be beneficial for Mal, and I do intend to give Topher some character development. Glad you liked the scenes with Noah and Owen, they're always fun to write.

QueenAzulaThinksYourWorthless: I guess long chapters bring long reviews, don't they? Whoa, third least favorite? I'm no fan of Cody, but I don't think he's that bad. He's nowhere near as bad as Mike, or Rodney, or Amy, or Jo, or f**king Dave. Glad you liked the character interactions. I tried to make Mal at least more interesting than canon, though considering that three others know his secret, that could have a price for him. Izzy is as bonkers as ever, and we'll likely see more of her skulking around Wawanakwa. I agree, poor Trent. You actually like Aiden? Considering that I was intentionally trying to make him as easy to hate as possible, I'm surprised. Glad you like LeHarold being a thing. Yeah, only time will tell. I wouldn't say Courtney likes Scott, at least yet, but she does find him attractive. Thanks!

AndrewNotCarranza: Welcome back. I appreciate your kind words.

Knight: Indeed, Izzy is still around. And she freaks out a lot of people, Trent included. And yes, Aiden is pretty screwed at this point.

Omni Spectator: Even so, that's no guarantee of Mal's safety. I'm not sure if Aiden's team would throw a challenge just to get rid of him, but he's painfully average, literally, in every area except stealth, and three of his teammates have very limited physical skill as well. Even if his team tries their very hardest, they're bound to lose eventually. I may use your challenge idea, but if you want to recommend something in the future, please make an account and PM me. In fact, make an account anyway, and hit that "Favorite" button.

dark mage: It could. I won't spoil anything regarding Izzy, but as for a fight within Mike's head, no, that's not happening. Total Drama is supposed to be based on a reality show, and I'm not having telepathic cameras. That would be silly.

Red Rain: Thanks for your kind words. I try my best to ensure the eliminations aren't too predictable, while still making sense. I don't think Max and Jo being out early should have been too much of a surprise, as Max is a weak player, and Jo is a sociopath, but I did try to be a bit shocking with the eliminations of 'Only One Can Remain.' I am trying my best to make all the characters at least somewhat interesting, admittedly some more than Katie and Sadie, I mean others. I appreciate the validation of my writing of Aiden. I tried very hard to make him unique, yet keep his presence from being jarring, and make him sufficiently unlikeable that his misery is humorous without having him overstay his welcome. It's a tough balance to keep, one that I don't think Matthew kept as well as Aiden, Totaldramafan14, if you're reading this. But enough of taking shots at the Random Drama series. Yes, Aiden's time is running out. Thanks!


Teams:

Gophers: B, Beardo, Beth, Brick, Duncan, Heather, Jasmine, Sammy

Bass: Courtney, DJ, Lindsay, Mike, Sam, Scarlett, Scott, Topher, Tyler

Moose: Aiden, Cameron, Harold, Leshawna, Lightning, Noah, Owen, Shawn

Badgers: Alejandro, Bridgette, Geoff, Katie, Sadie, Sierra, Sky, Trent, Zoey


The episode began with Harold and Leshawna chatting and writing. "Rush, huh? I'll have to check them out," Leshawna said, writing down something on a piece of paper.

"You really should. They're a staple of classic rock," Harold replied.

Owen passed by them, and decided to say hi. "Hey, guys! Whatcha doing?"

Leshawna answered, "We're talkin' 'bout our interests. We figured, if we're gon' start dating, we'll need to start getting into each others' interests, y'know?"

"Yeah, that's impor...Wait, you guys are dating? That's awesome!" Owen gave Harold and Leshawna a big hug, sqeezing the air out of their lungs. "I'm really happy for you! What do you think you'll do for your first date?"

Harold and Leshawna both thought for a moment. "Well, we're into some pretty different stuff," Harold observed. "I guess I hadn't really thought about it."

Owen said, "Well, whatever you do, I'm sure it'll be beautiful. I'll see you guys later." Harold and Leshawna both waved goodbye to him as he sauntered off.


"Harold and Leshawna?" Lightning asked Owen. "Sha-whoa, I did not see that coming."

"Relationships are nothing but trouble," Shawn weighed in. "Seventy-five percent of guys in zombie movies die because their girlfriend, or wife, gets turned into a zombie and they hesitate to take her out." Then he thought for a moment. "Although I suppose it would be more likely that Leshawna would be in the guy's position there. Harold wouldn't do well in a zombie apocalypse."

Aiden walked up to the three of them. "Don't you guys get it?" he asked. "Leshawna and Harold dating means Leshawna is now part of the nerds' alliance. That means they can at least force a tie against whomever they want."

Lightning remarked, "You mean against you, skinny."


Confessional: Aiden

"I spent all day yesterday looking for those immunity idols, and found squat. I need to do something, quick, or I'm finished."

End confessional


Aiden ignored the comment Lightning had made. "We should form our own alliance!"

Shawn, Owen, and Lightning looked at him skeptically.


Confessional: Shawn

"How do I put this...I'd rather be eaten by a zombie!"

Confessional: Lightning

"Team up with Not-Quiet Dude? Sha-never! That dude's a liar, and he don't play fair!"

Confessional: Owen

"I don't think so. If it was just me, and Shawn, and Lightning, sure, but I don't wanna be in an alliance with Aiden. I don't think he's ever said anything nice to anyone here."

End confessional


"We can vote for Noah," Aiden continued. "We'll force a tiebreaker, I'll win, and then we'll have control over the votes again! What do you say?"

"I don't think I'm comfortable with this," Owen replied. Lightning and Shawn both declined to answer.

"It's good strategy," Aiden tried desperately. "If you vote me out, you're letting the others have a controlling vote over you."

Shawn wouldn't make eye contact. "We'll think about it," he said.

"Do that," Aiden said, and he ran off.


Scott, Courtney, and DJ were sitting together talking, and Sam joined them. "Hey, guys," he greeted. "What's up?"

"Topher agreed to vote for Mike when we next lose, so that's good news," Courtney replied. "Are you okay? You were acting a bit strange during the last challenge, and we didn't see much of you yesterday."

"I was going through video game withdrawl," Sam admitted. "But Dakota let me in to the interns' lounge, and I played a few rounds of Tekken with some of the interns, and I'm fine now. Most of them are pretty cool once you get to know them."

"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better," DJ said.

Sam shrugged. "Yeah. Back to Topher, though, why Mike?"

Scott shrugged. "He didn't say, and I didn't ask. A bird in the hand is better than looking a gift horse in the mouth, right?"

His alliance mates all gave him strange looks. "What?" DJ asked quietly.


Confessional: Scott

"I'm not great with figures of speech."

End confessional


In the woods, Topher met up with Duncan. "So, did you warn Chris about Mal?" he asked.

"Yes, but it didn't do any good," Duncan replied. "Chris said he couldn't do anything unless Mal actually broke one of the show's rules."

"Hmm. I have the votes to get rid of Mike/Mal, but for strategic purposes, I'd prefer it if he was disqualified," Topher replied. "Should we bait him into breaking a rule?"

Duncan thought for a moment. "How would we do that?"

Topher hesitated. "I don't know."

The two of them walked back to camp separately. Duncan was the first of the two to return to camp. Upon noticing Mal on the steps of his cabin, singing a song from Sweeney Todd. Hoping to avoid being conspicuous, Duncan started spray-paining the wall of his cabin. Brick walked by and stared disapprovingly at Duncan.

Duncan looked at him. Brick said, "I didn't say anything," a bit defensively.


Confessional: Duncan

"Brick is trying, I get that. But it still seems like I kinda crease him."

End confessional


When Topher got back, he also noticed Mal sitting with Lindsay and Tyler. Lindsay was badgering Mal to "sing another song."

Topher walked toward the outhouse confessional, but he heard a voice inside it. While he waited his turn, he overheard the loud commentary from within.


Confessional: Aiden

"It was supposed to be so simple! Slip something from Boney Island into Mike's pocket, sabotage the boats, and let his team vote him out. But the RCMP came for Izzy, and now it's too late. There isn't even a curse to begin with! Mike's still here, he's in a better position than me, and you can bet your [bleep] I'm taking it personally."

End confessional


Aiden then exited the confessional, fuming. Topher watched him leave, eyebrow raised.


Confessional: Topher

"I think I know how to get Mal disqualified."

End confessional


Some time later, Chris had the teams assemble in a small clearing in the woods. Within the clearing were a large number of pumpkins, painted green, red, yellow, and purple. The pumpkins were separated into groups based on the color they had been painted. "Welcome, campers!" Chris announced. "Your challenge for the day is quite simple, and provides ample opportunity for violence and wanton destruction."

"Okay, so far I like what I'm hearing," Duncan responded.

"Your challenge for the day is twofold: protect your own pumpkins, and smash those of the other teams. Green pumpkins are the Gophers', red are the Bass's, yellow are the Moose's, and purple are the Badgers'. First team to have their crops smashed sends someone home tonight."

Chris then cleared his throat and continued. "But that's not all, no! You see, I'm a bit bored of the teams as they are. The eliminations are getting a little bit too predictable for my taste. So, the second and third place teams will also be voting someone out, but not for elimination! No, we're going to have a team swap!"

This news was met with varying reactions from the campers.


Confessional: Sierra

"A team swap! How exciting!"

Confessional: Duncan

"Looks like we really need the Bass to lose, or win if it comes to that. Otherwise, Mal could slip through Topher's fingers."

Confessional: Aiden

"This could be just what I need! If my team gets second or third, I can be moved to a new team that has no reason to mistrust me!"

Confessional: Heather

"This could be bad. If I end up separated from one or both of my allies, I'll be exposed."

End confessional


"As a reward for winning the last challenge, the Bass get thirty seconds to get as many pumpkins away from this start zone as they can carry, because when the timer officially starts, it's going to be a complete free-for-all here. Any questions?"

"I have one," Scott said. "Aren't pumpkins hard to break?"

"Not these," the host replied. "The type we used for this challenge have thin shells. Ready...Bass, START!"

Immediately, the Bass team members grabbed several pumpkins. Each of them grabbed two, except for Tyler, who tried to carry six. He dropped two as he ran off, both of which shattered when they hit the ground.

Chris watched his stopwatch intently. After several seconds, he shouted, "The rest of you, START!"

Immediately, some of the campers started grabbing pumpkins, while others focused on smashing them. Lightning started stomping several of the purple ones, before Geoff tackled him. Duncan started smashing every single one of the pumpkins the Bass had left behind. Shawn threw a rock at a pumpkin that Beth was holding, causing it to shatter. Sky dashed past Owen and started smashing several of the yellow pumpkins, before Leshawna tackled her. Zoey attacked the Gophers' pumpkins, breaking several, before Jasmine tackled her to the ground. Several more acts of violence occurred in a very short amount of time.

Harold pulled out his nunchucks and waved them menacingly at Alejandro, who had already smashed a few of the yellow pumpkins, as his teammates collected their own pumpkins. As they left, Shawn tore the nunchucks from his grip and threw them at Brick, who had several pumpkins in his arms. Brick dodged, but he dropped the vegetables. "Hey!" Harold protested, but Shawn simply shoved a pumpkin into his arms and the two took off running.

The Badgers also collected what pumpkins had survived the initial attack and started running. As they ran, Jasmine threw a stick at one that Trent was holding rather precariously, and it fell to the ground, shattering as it did so. The Gophers then ran in a different direction, carrying what pumpkins they had saved.

"And out of the many pumpkins we bought for the challenge, only 22 of the Bass's pumpkins, 16 of the Badgers', 14 of the Gophers', and 13 of the Moose's survived the initial violence," Chris announced. "I love this show!"


As the Bass ran away to keep their pumpkins safe, Tyler slipped on a patch of mud. He landed on his back, and the four pumpkins he had in his arms flew up into the air. All four landed on him, shattering as they did so.

The only one of his teammates to express any sympathy was Lindsay, who dropped her own pumpkins on the ground to help him up. "Are you all right, Tyler?" she asked, worried. The rest of their team gave the two disapproving glares.


Confessional: Courtney

"Remind me why Topher wants Mike gone, and not one of these two?"

End confessional


"And six of the Bass's pumpkins fall victim to the team's own clumsiness and stupidity!" Chris announced.

Mal handed Tyler and Lindsay the two pumpkins he was carrying. "Guard them well," he said. He then took off his shirt. "Da Vito will handle da other teams."


Confessional: Courtney

"Oh. Right."

End confessional


Topher ran after him, still carrying his pumpkins. "Vito, wait up! I have to tell you something!"

DJ then looked at his six remaining teammates. "So, what now?"

Scott shrugged. "Split up, I guess."


The Moose team, once they had gotten sufficiently away from the other teams, took a moment to catch their breath and survey the damages. "So, we've got thirteen pumpkins left," Owen said. "Now what?"

Cameron looked at the yellow-painted pumpkin in his arms. "Chris didn't say we couldn't hide our pumpkins."

"Great idea!" Aiden jumped on Cameron's statement. "You can leave me in charge of that. I'll hide the pumpkins, while you all track down the other teams'!"

"Yeah, that sounds like a winner," Noah remarked sarcastically. "Imagine, Cameron and me valiantly taking down one of the big muscular guys on the other teams and breaking their pumpkins. No, Cameron, Harold, and I will hide the team's pumpkins. You can be in charge of this one." He handed a pumpkin to Aiden.

"Be grateful he's trusting you with it," Harold said bitterly.

"Man, the Lightning's gettin' bored with all this sha-plannin'," Lightning interjected before Aiden could speak. "Let's just sha-break stuff already." He ran off, followed by Owen and Leshawna. Shawn was about to follow as well, but was halted by a tug on his sleeve from Harold.

Harold handed him three ninja stars. "I brought four shruikans to the island with me," he explained. "Eva ruined one, but I still have three left. Use them well."

Shawn held the three stars in his hand. "I will," he promised. "Pumpkin or zombie, each will find a target tonight."


Confessional: Shawn

"I have some shruikan training. They're not the best anti-zombie weapon, but if you have them, might as well be able to use them."

End confessional


The Badger team also stopped to regroup. Sky was the first to speak once they did. "Okay, so, we should split into two groups. One to guard the pumpkins, and one to attack the other teams."

Katie and Sadie squealed. "Ooh! We wanna..."

"No." Sky said harshly. "Last time you went together, you were the first ones out. Zoey, Katie, Sierra, Geoff, and I can play offense. Trent, Bridgette, Alejandro, and Sadie can defend the pumpkins."

"Nooooooo! I'll miss you, Katie!" Sadie cried.

"I'll miss you more, Sadie!" Katie wept.


Confessional: Sky

"I don't get it. They'll be back together in a couple hours."

End confessional


The Gophers also stopped to regroup. "What's the plan?" Brick asked.

"I had an idea after the last challenge ended," Jasmine answered. "We played both offense and defense in laser tag and leechball, but then I realized we could have played purely defense, and let the other teams take each other out. So, split up and stay hidden."

"Good plan," Duncan remarked.


Confessional: Duncan

"No, that's not good! If we win, and the Bass don't lose, Mal could escape elimination! I need to do something about it."

End confessional


Topher ran after Mal. Once he was out of hearing range of his teammates, he shouted, "Hey, Mal!"

Mal ground to a halt, allowing Topher to catch up to him. When Topher did so, he doubled over, and panted, "Wow...you're...in really...good shape..."

Mal looked at him. "How much did Scarlett tell you?"

"Not much," Topher told him. "But I do know an item from Boney Island caused you to surface, right?"

Mal grabbed the front of his shirt. "How do you know that?"

"I overheard a confessional from Aiden!" Topher said, his voice high-pitched with fear. "You know, the skinny brown-haired guy with the black t-shirt? He put it in your pocket!"

The camera shifted to show Sierra hiding behind a tree. She saw Topher holding two of his team's pumpkins, and her eyes narrowed.

Topher didn't see Sierra, but Mal did. He put his arm around Topher's shoulders. "Thank you for telling me," he said. "I'm glad you saw fit to bring this to my attention."

Topher smiled nervously. "Of course!"

Sierra then ran out to try to attack Topher, but Mal was quicker. He pushed Topher into Sierra's path, and the two of them fell into a poorly-concealed pit trap. He then turned away from the trap, and muttered, "The hunt is afoot."

As Mal departed, Chris announced over the loudspeaker that the Bass's pumpkin count had dropped to 14.


Katie and Sky were searching for members of the enemy teams. While they searched, Katie kept trying to talk to Sky.

"So, is there, like, any guy you think is hot?" Katie asked.

"I guess there are a few guys that are kinda cute," Sky admitted. "But I'm not here to date, I'm here to win."

"Date?" Katie asked. "No, I don't mean guys you wanna date, just that you think are hot. Sadie would get it. Anyway, who do you think is the hottest guy here?"

"Shh," Sky shushed her, upon hearing a sound from not that far away. The two crept over to the source of the sound and saw DJ, holding two pumpkins. "Bunny will love these," he commented to himself.

"Okay, now, we've got to sneak up on him," Sky whispered to Katie. "I'll go around to his other side and..."

Katie wasn't listening. She charged out of the woods, shouting "Attack!" Sky sighed and charged after her.

DJ took one look at the two girls charging towards him and ran in the other direction. The two chased him for as long as they could, but he eventually lost them.

"Wow, I did not see that coming," Katie commented.


Confessional: DJ

"I used to live in the hood, but not anymore. My time there taught me a few valuable lessons about losin' pursuers. Not that many guys would try to jump me, seein' as how I'm big and strong. But it's almost happened a few times, and I've learned how to get away easy enough."

End confessional


Bridgette and Sadie were both struggling with trying to carry four pumpkins by themselves. Bridgette dropped one by accident, and it broke as it hit the ground.

"And the Badgers are down to 15!" Chris announced.

"Sorry, I'm...I'm not very coordinated on land," Bridgette told Sadie.

"I get it," Sadie said. "One time, when me and Katie were still learning to roller skate, she lost her balance and smashed her banana split into my shirt and ruined it. I was so mad at her, 'til she got her mom to get me a new one." She then started to tear up. "Katie, I miss you so much!"

"It's okay," Bridgette consoled. "You'll see her soon."

"I guess," Sadie sniffed. However, something caught her eye in the trees. "Wait, is someone there?"

Upon hearing that she had been discovered, Scarlett charged the two girls. They both began running in separate directions, Bridgette dropping another pumpkin as she did so. She shouted a word that had to be censored, and Chris announced the destruction of a second Badger pumpkin.

Scarlett chose to pursue Sadie. She chased her for a respectable distance, though neither girl was particularly fast. Eventually, Scarlett had to stop to catch her breath.

Sadie stopped as well. Upon noticing she had all four pumpkins still in her arms, she squealed, "Hey, I'm doing great!"

"Really?" Scarlett asked. She was holding two pumpkins herself, and she tossed one at Sadie. Sadie instinctively caught it, but when she did, she dropped the four she was holding. When she saw what had happened, her shoulders slumped and she dropped the pumpkin in her hands. It shattered along with the rest of them.

"And the Bass are down to 13, Badgers 10!" the host announced.


Confessional: Scarlett

"Fortunately for me, Sadie is simple-minded enough that she didn't even realize she could still try to break the remaining pumpkin in my hands."

End confessional


Duncan stealthily made his way through the woods, carrying the one pumpkin that he had been tasked with defending. He kept careful watch for members of the enemy teams, particularly the Bass. Eventually, he did see Courtney in a clearing. "Sorry, princess, but I need to make sure you lose," he whispered under his breath as he set his pumpkin down on the ground. He then charged into the clearing, intent on shattering the pumpkins Courtney was holding.

His attempt could not have gone worse. As soon as he got close enough to her, Courtney kicked him between the legs. Surprised and in pain, he dropped to the ground. She then walked in the direction he came from, stomping on the green pumpkin as soon as she saw it, and continuing in that direction. Chris announced the destruction of a Gopher pumpkin.

Neither of them noticed that Scott had been watching the whole exchange.


Confessional: Scott

"Okay, maybe it's a bit weird, but I actually found that takedown kinda...hot? Courtney's definitely tough, and I do likes 'em tough. Think maybe she'd...nah."

End confessional


In the pit trap, Sierra and Topher had tried to climb out, but met with no success. Eventually, they gave up.

"Great. I'm stuck in a pit with you. Of all the bad things that could have happened, it had to be this," Sierra spat. Topher just sighed in response.

"Oh, the silent treatment? Well, two can play at that game," Sierra said. However, she only remained silent for a few seconds before cracking. "I don't wanna play that game!" she squealed. "Can't we just fight? It's better than the quiet."

Topher shrugged. "Sorry. I don't feel like fighting. The anger is gone."

Sierra sighed. Neither of them spoke for a few seconds, until Topher asked Sierra, "What even happened? We used to be such good friends. We'd have a ton of fun watching movies together, and just hanging out. We would have so much fun. What changed?"

Sierra frowned at him. "What changed was, we started dating, but you acted like nothing changed."

Topher looked at her regretfully. "What was supposed to change?"

Sierra sighed. "I—I don't know, but I thought...I expected, once we started dating, we would get super-close, you know? I thought we would be, like, in harmony."

Topher looked away from her. "I thought it would be like it always was, just with more kissing," he admitted. "I don't know, I just felt...content around you, and I thought you felt the same way."

Sierra slammed her fist against the side of the pit. "I did feel the same way before we started dating, Topher! But when we did start dating...I wanted it to feel different, Topher! I wanted us to be close, to be romantic, to...to not be like Mom and Dad!"

Topher chuckled sadly. "Two sets of divorced parents. All they could teach us was a very specific thing that love isn't."

"Maybe we just weren't ready."

"Maybe."

Sierra let the silence hang in the air for a few moments. Then she finally said, "Do you wanna be friends again?"

Topher smiled. "That would be great."

"FINALLY!" came a voice from above. The two teens looked up and saw Izzy. "It took you long enough!"

"Wha...how long have you been watching us?" Sierra asked.

"The whole time," Izzy admitted.

"Then why didn't you help us out?" Topher shouted, anger evident on his face.

"Well, you wouldn't have made up if I had," Izzy said nonchalantly. Then she lowered a rope to the two teens. "Now climb out. I'm trying to catch a Gremloblin, and I need you out of my trap."


The episode cut to a montage of the campers breaking each others' pumpkins. Lightning tackled Scott and broke the pumpkins in his arms. Sky ambushed Beth and broke hers. Owen found Lindsay and Tyler, and managed to catch them by surprise. Heather chanced upon one of the Moose's caches of pumpkins and trampled them.


Jasmine and Sammy chanced upon each other. Jasmine was holding two pumpkins, and Sammy was holding one. While they were conversing, a piece of metal flew into the pumpkin in Sammy's arms, and broke it.

Without looking, Jasmine ran in the opposite direction as quickly as she could. Shawn, still holding two shruikans, pursued her. Jasmine made an admirable effort of evading him for some time, but eventually Shawn managed to throw the shruikans through both pumpkins.

When she saw the results of Shawn's throws, Jasmine stopped. Shawn stopped as well, once he caught up with her.

"Nice work," Jasmine said flirtatiously. "But I'll get you next time, just you wait."

"Looking forward to it," Shawn replied.


It took a long time for Mal to find Aiden, but he finally did. When he did find the hate sink, he jumped him from behind, grabbed the pumpkin out of his hands, and broke it over his head. He then began viciously beating Aiden with his fists. Aiden tried to fight back, but he wasn't as even close to as strong as Mal, and he had been caught by surprise, so he failed to protect himself, and received many harsh blows.

"And the Moose are now down to eight!" Chris announced over the intercom. "Uhh...Mike, you can stop now."

"No, I can't!" Mal shouted. "I need to teach everyone what happens when you mess with me!"

"Chef, stop him!" Chris said.

Chef eventually reached Mal's position, and fired several darts into him with a tranquilizer gun. However, Aiden was still very injured from the beatdown he had received, with his body covered in bruises, an obviously broken arm, and his eye damaged by Mal's knuckles. Two interns loaded him onto a stretcher.


At the campfire pit, two helicopters had landed. Paramedics were loading Aiden into one of them, while Mal was being wheeled towards the other by Chef and Dakota, strapped down to another stretcher. The contestants were all watching as this occurred. Delirious, Mal said, in a slurred voice, "No, Batman, I can't go to Area 51 now. I need money to start my essential oils company."

Chef stopped when he was next to Shawn. He quietly asked the conspiracy nut, "Got any more of that holy water on ya, Zombie Boy?" Shawn handed him a bottle of water, and Chef poured it on Mal's face. In the alternate personality's semi-tranquilized state, he ended up swallowing some.

Chris made an announcement as the contestants watched the two being loaded onto their helicopters. "Following the events of today, it is clear that Mike, or rather, his alternate personality Mal, is a clear and present danger to the people on this island. As a result, he has been disqualified and is being transported to a secure psychiatric facility until such time as Mike regains control of his mind. Also, Aiden has been deemed too injured to compete. So, he has also been disqualified and is being transported to a nearby hospital." This announcement caused an uproar among the campers, but Chris refused to elaborate. Eventually, the crowd dispersed.


"Wow, so, Mike had an evil personality?" Sam asked, after the Bass boys had returned to the cabin. "Who knew?"

Scott was about to shrug, then he frowned.


Confessional: Scott

"Topher knew. That's why he offered to vote for Mike."

End confessional


Scott decided to change the subject. "Maybe let's not talk about that. Hey, do you think any of you could give me some advice about girls? The only advice my pappy ever gave me was, 'if you're ever in Holland, go Dutch.' And I don't even know what he meant by that. And he and mammy fight constantly anyway, so it probably ain't even good advice anyway."

Sam shrugged. "Hey, don't look at me. I only ever had one date in my life."

Topher shook his head, eyes downcast. "My one serious relationship didn't work out. But hey, as of a couple hours ago, we're friends again."

Tyler shrugged as well. "Sure, Lindsay and I hooked up, but she made the first move."

Scott frowned. "Wait, you and Lindsay are together?"

Now it was Tyler's turn to frown. "You didn't know?"

Scott shrugged. "I guess you two just aren't interesting enough for me to notice."

DJ grinned. "I can help. My Momma gave me plenty of great advice about girls." He rubbed his elbow. "I've never needed to use it, but my brothers did, and they're both in good relationships. I can help."

Scott smiled. "Thanks, DJ, you're a lifesaver. So, I've got a crush on this girl..."

"Wait, what girl?" DJ asked.

Scott hesitated, but then admitted, "Courtney."

Tyler gave DJ a high-five. "You were totally right, bro!"

DJ smiled smugly. "Of course I was."

Scott frowned. "Wait, you knew?"

DJ shrugged. "I guessed it would happen sooner or later."

Scott continued frowning. "Huh. Well, anyway, how would I go about telling Courtney that I like her?"

DJ thought for a moment. "Honestly, I think your best bet is to just come right out and tell her."

Scott cringed. "Wait, what? What if she laughs at me?"

DJ shrugged. "At least you'll know."

Scott frowned and nodded, hesitantly at first, but gaining resolve. "All right! All right, I'll do it!"

DJ grinned and slapped him on the back. "Atta boy!"

Topher decided to weigh in on the conversation. "I could use some advice too. So, Sierra and I were together, but we had different expectations for our relationship, and it ended up tearing us apart. Where did we go wrong?"

DJ took a moment to consider the problem Topher had posed to him. "I'm goin' to guess you didn't talk about your feelings much, right?"

"Right."

"That's probably the problem," DJ told him. "You should've been more honest with each other, about your feelings and your expectations."

Topher sighed through his nose. "Maybe you're right."

DJ grinned and folded his arms. "Of course I'm right. My Momma gave me the advice, after all. Any other questions?"

"Just one," Sam said. "How come you never mention your dad?"

DJ's expression turned sad. "He was killed in a drive-by shooting when I was a baby."

Sam gave him a sympathetic look. "Oh."

DJ smiled unconvincingly. "It's okay. It's been, what, fifteen years? We've moved on." In a quieter tone, he added, "Still would have liked to get to know him, though."

"Well, thanks for the advice," Scott said.

"Hey, no problem. We're friends, after all," DJ responded.

"Friends," Scott repeated quietly. "Yes, I guess we are."


Confessional: Scott

"Originally, I thought of my allies as pawns, or underlings. I guess the change happened at some point and I just didn't notice." He paused for a moment. "I'm still gonna leave them behind if I have to, don't get me wrong. It just means I'm gonna feel kinda bad about it afterwards."


At the Campfire Ceremony, Chris made an announcement to the two teams present: the Badgers and the Gophers. "You might be wondering why I asked you here," he said.

"Not really," Alejandro replied. "You said there would be a team swap."

Chris glared at him. "Way to step on my moment, Al."

Al gritted his teeth. "I would appreciate it if you would please not call me by that name," he said bitterly.

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe," the host said dismissively. "Anyway, yeah, we're doing a team swap. You'll be voting for whoever you want swapped. Also, elimination votes are always private, except occasionally, but these aren't elimination votes. So, you will all be using the pieces of cardboard next to where you are all seated."

Each of the campers reached to their sides to find cardboard and a marker. They each wrote a name on the cardboard, and when Chris said, "Show your votes," they did so.

The camera panned across the group. B and Jasmine had voted for Heather, Sammy voted for Beardo, Brick voted for Beth, Heather, Beardo, and Beth all voted for Duncan, and Duncan also voted for himself.

"What?" he asked. "I'm not close with my team, so I might as well try a new one."

"That's fair," Chris said, shrugging as he did so. The camera then showed the Badgers' votes. Katie and Sadie had voted for Sky, Trent, Bridgette, and Sierra voted for Sadie, and Alejandro, Geoff, Sky, and Zoey had voted for Katie.

"The votes are clear," the host announced. "Duncan and Katie, pack your bags and switch your teams!"

"What?" Katie screamed. "But...I can't be on a team without Sadie!"

"And I can't be on a team without Katie!" Sadie squealed.

"Too bad," Chris said. "Not my problem."

"No!" the BFFFLs cried in unison as they hugged each other.

Duncan rolled his eyes at them. "Sorry you have to deal with one of them," he said to his old teammates. "Later, losers!"


As Sierra walked back to her cabin, she ran into Topher. "Oh, hey, Topher," she greeted awkwardly.

"Can I talk to you?" Topher asked. "I have something I need to get off my chest, and I'd like some outside input."

"Sure, what's up?" she asked.

Topher looked very guilty. "What happened to Aiden...it was my fault."

Sierra frowned. "How?"

Topher told her the story. "And if I hadn't squealed to Mal, he wouldn't have beaten him up," he concluded. "I expected him to get a few bruises, sure, but I didn't expect him to have to be airlifted out."

Sierra didn't say anything for several seconds. "Eh, from what you've told me, he kinda had it coming, but Mal did go too far," she said, finally. "Still, who knows what would have happened if he had stayed? It might have been even worse."

"True," Topher acknowledged. "Well, we should probably get some rest. We might have a challenge in the morning."

Sierra nodded. "Okay. Oh, and, Topher?"

"Yes?"

Sierra smiled. "I'm glad we're friends again."

Topher returned the smile. "Me too."


Well, this chapter took way too long to write. Seriously, it took me forever to get this one done. I don't even really know why this chapter in particular gave me so much trouble, it just did.

Credit to agreenparrot for the challenge idea, which I borrowed from Total Drama: Legends vs. Nobodies.

Thoughts on Mike? I absolutely hate him. He's not quite my least favorite character, but he's quite possibly the most objectively bad character in Total Drama. At least Dave could make an interesting villain if brought back for another season. Take away Mike's DID and his romance with Zoey, and you are literally left with almost nothing.

And not only is he a bad character, but he's a bad person, too. He willingly kept a potentially life-threatening secret from Zoey, and he got Fang to attack Alejandro in the All-Stars finale. This person is seriously supposed to be a hero? I tried to make him a bit less hateable, and have a bit more personality, but I must admit I'm glad to see him go.

Mal specifically...I tried to make a more interesting reason for his malicious actions, but it came at the cost of his longevity in the story. Extreme paranoia, especially coupled with brutality, does not translate well to Total Drama. He could be an interesting villain, but not in a competition story. At some point, I'll do something with him in a future story that doesn't take place within the competition.

As for Aiden, he was the product of a lot of tough decision-making. I planned the entire team setup before I realized Mildred was one of the 52 TD contestants, and I had no plans to include her. I considered having Josè Burromuerto fill the final remaining space, but then I realized his strategy would be the same as Alejandro's. Eventually, I just decided to go the OC route.

After that, I had to decide what his personality would be. Knowing that most readers would be predisposed to hate him, I decided to play into that. As a guest reviewer pointed out, he was based heavily off of Matthew from the Random Drama series, with hints of Natasha as well. However, the primary influence was Matthew, who, like Aiden, is a good tactician but a poor long-term strategist. And that ultimately would have been his undoing even without Mal, but Mal just ensured a painful exit for him, as he ensured a quick one for Mal. I just hope he didn't end up staying in the game too long, as hate sinks overstay their welcome quickly.

The team swap was something I planned for a while; Katie and/or Sadie could have absolutely no plot relevance unless separated, and by now Duncan had very little plot left on the Gophers. The question of how this might change things remains.

One more thing. I'm starting school soon, and I'm out of prewritten chapters, so I'm putting this story on temporary hiatus until I can get settled in and write a few more chapters. I promise I'm not going to abandon it, but it may take longer than normal before I can update.

Elimination order:

52: Dave, the Germaphobe

51: Staci, the Compulsive Liar

50: Dakota, the Fame-Monger

49: Sugar, the Pageant Queen

48: Amy, the Evil Twin

47: Leonard, the LARPer

46: Anne Maria, the Jersey Shore Reject

45: Izzy, the Psycho Hose Beast (still out there?)

44: Rodney, the Lovesick Farm Boy

43: Max, the Super-Villain Wannabe

42: Jo, the Take-No-Prisoners Jockette

41: Ezekiel, the Homeschooled Guy

38 (Tie): Gwen, the Loner

38 (Tie): Dawn, the Moonchild

38 (Tie): Eva, the Hothead

37: Ella, the Fairytale Princess

36: Justin, the Eye Candy

35: Cody, the Flirty Geek

33 (tie): Mike, the Introspective

33 (tie): Aiden, the OC Hate Sink