Disclaimer: I don't own the Total Drama series, the Friday Night Funkin franchise, DDLC, or any modded characters that appears in this work.


Total Funkin' Island

Season 1

Episode 2 - Off the Deep End, Part 1


"I'm going to live until I die and I'm not going to get life and death confused. While I'm on this earth, I'm going to live. Why be only half alive? Every minute a person spends worrying about dying is just one minute that fellow might as well have been dead." ~ anonymous


(Next morning, On a plane, 6:50)

Boyfriend felt like a pickle in a jar; a sweaty, tired, and miserable pickle.

His sleep last night was nothing short of a nightmare. While he did manage to convince Pico to sleep in the bunk underneath him- part to look after each other's back and part because top bunk was way cooler than bottom bunk- it did little to quell the buzzing of the insects in the room, the incessant chirping of the crickets outside, or the stiffness of his mattress on his body.

It took a couple hours of trial and effort, tossing and turning, but eventually his mind became exhausted enough to drift out of reality.

Then, like a one-two punch to the gut, the violent bleating of an airhorn nearly tore his heart out of his chest, causing him to tumble out of his bed headfirst into the hard wooden floor.

After a hasty announcement by Chris, Boyfriend found himself in a mess of activity. Everyone only had fifteen minutes to dress up, meet outside, and then board a small military jet. It reminded him of one of those planes that paratroopers would drop from in those WWII movies. A C-47, he remembered the name. Those were cool planes.

Well, he thought those were cool planes, until he actually got inside one.

For one, the seating cabin was a claustrophobic nightmare. It was dark and cramped. Everyone was strapped into their seats, shoulder-to-shoulder, with barely any room to move, like sardines in a can. Even the air itself was suffocating, the stench of oil and burning metal clogging his nose and fogging his mind.

Second, aside from the roaring of the plane's engine, the cabin was dead quiet. Everyone was either too tired, too agitated, or too anxious to say anything. Even Skid and Pump, the two kids even more hyperactive than Boyfriend himself, just sat within their seats in an awkward silence.

All of this drove Boyfriend's nerves up against the wall. He hated staying still in one place, especially when it was in silence and anticipation for what's to come. It made him feel jittery and impatient. While the soft snoring of Girlfriend on his shoulder helped ease his mind a bit, every minute that passed just made being in this environment more and more a living hell.

Boyfriend turned his gaze towards his most favorite ginger, who was awake right next to him but looked far more murderous than usual. "So-"

"Shut. Up." Pico growled, not even bothering to turn his head to face the blue-haired wonder.

Boyfriend pouted, shooting a glare at his least favorite ginger. 'Jerk.'

A couple more minutes of silence passed before the metallic door of the cockpit swung wide open.

"Gooooood morning campers!" Chris' voice boomed across the cabin, causing those who were dozing off to jolt up in attention. "We are just five minutes away from Asphodel Island, the location of today's challenge, so sit up and pay attention!"

He held up two circular wooden objects in his hands. One was golden in color and had the icon of a trophy with a wreath wrapped around it. The other was light blue and had the icon of a microphone with a couple musical notes around it. They were both about the size of one's palm and could easily fit within a pocket.

"These right here are your team emblems, designed by yours truly, of course. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself!" Chris chuckled to himself as he shoved the objects into his pocket. He then picked up a parachute container, holding it up high for a demonstration. "You may have noticed that you all received a backpack when you boarded this plane. Inside you will find a parachute, a map, and a compass. Your challenge today is to drop down to the island, locate and retrieve your team's emblem, and navigate your way back to Camp Hades. The first team to bring back their emblem and all or most of their members before 18:00 hour will win immunity!"

Chris grinned as he glanced at the contestants. "Any questions?"

Several hands went up.

"Perfect!" The celebrity host beamed, propping open the passenger door without a moment's hesitation. A red light shone dimly above the exit.

Chris raised his voice several decibels to be heard over the deafening winds which now swept through the cabin. "Now when the light turns green, you will-!"

Boyfriend didn't bother to listen any further. He needed to get the hell out of this wretched plane and win this challenge! He grabbed Girlfriend by the arm as they both rushed out of the door, diving into the open skies below.

"Wait! We are not even-" Chris paused, a chuckle escaped his lips. 'Heh, well that was easy! Though, I wonder if I will get a pay cut if the girl dies too…'


[Confessional]

Pico pinched the bridge of his nose, a vein throbbing against temple out of sheer irritation. "I swear, if I ever see those two dumbasses again I am putting them on a leash. Can't leave them alone for two goddamn seconds without them trying to get themselves killed."


The celebrity host turned to face the rest of the campers who had varying degrees of shock, concern, or amusement on their faces. "As I was saying… when the light turns green, you will all jump out of this plane and onto the island. Anyone left on the plane when we leave the island's airspace will not be counted in the final score. With that out of the way, good luck and have fun!"

xXx

Several minutes later the light above the exit turned green and one by one the contestants dropped out of the plane. Most jumped without much trouble. Some were a bit hesitant but whether through courage or peer-pressure they managed to jump. A couple, such as Hex and Senpai, were just straight up pushed out by their teammates, Tankman and Ruv respectively.

Soon enough, there were just three campers left on the plane and one of them was crying her eyes out.

"Oh no! Nononono! Hell no! You are not making me do this! I am staying right here and nothing you say will ever change my mind!"

"Natuski, I understand that this is difficult but we are running out of time. If we don't jump now we will-"

"I don't care! You think I want to fall to my death!? Well no, I fucking don't! You said this would be a good time! I'll never listen to a word you say ever again!" Natsuki shrieked, clutching onto her seat as if her life depended on it.

Monika sighed, unsure as to what she could say to coax her friend out of her terrified state. The club leader glanced towards the front of the cabin to see QT, the small bubbly girl from the other team, just standing in front of the passenger door, staring blankly into the sky below.

"You're nervous?" Monika called out, causing QT to break out of her stupor and snap into attention.

QT turned towards the schoolgirl, sending her a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I guess so. Skydiving isn't really a common enough experience for me. The last time I did this my neural network pretty much went haywire. I should be able to get it under control now, but there is always that non-negligible chance something goes wrong."

Monika paused. "You… are an artificial intelligence?" She probed carefully, emerald eyes piercing through the smaller girl.

"Yep! Bet you didn't expect that, huh?" QT chirped, winking at the schoolgirl. "I wouldn't blame ya. Most people think androids look like the other AI on my team. Good for publicity I guess, but really awful for any type of work involving subtility... though I guess I kinda just ruined that for me by virtue of being on this show," she laughed sheepishly.

Monika stared at the girl for several moments before a smile appeared on her face. "You're right, I didn't expect that at all! I think that is rather fascinating." She strode towards the girl, delicately placing a hand on her shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. I have a feeling someone like you has survived far worse. Use those experiences as a reference, have a little trust in yourself, and I am sure you will be just fine."

QT didn't know exactly what sensation she felt coursing through her right then but it felt… relaxing, like the loosening of a very tight cord she never realized was there. "Yeah, I guess you are right. Thanks!" She chirped as she let herself fall out of the plane.

Natsuki glared daggers at the brunette, hands on her hips, seemingly forgetting about the her prior fear. "Oh so you are just helping the enemy team out now, huh?"

Monika held herself back from rolling her eyes. "Don't worry about it. If I were you, I would be more concerned about getting down with the rest of our team in time."

The pinkette shrunk back, fear and panic quickly returning to her eyes. "I-I already told you, I am not-"

"Ten seconds until we are out of the airspace!" Chris announced. "It's now or never, ladies!"

Monika grasped Natsuki by the hand, emerald eyes meeting pink. "Just hold on to me, close your eyes, and it will be over before you know it. I promise we will make it out of here alive." And for the closer… "Besides, what do you think Yuri would say if she managed to jump down to the island yet you were too afraid to do so?"

Natsuki gritted her teeth, glaring at the brunette for the blatant bait at her pride, but it was effective nonetheless. "I swear if you drop me I will haunt your dreams for the rest of your life," she hissed as she grasped onto Monika.

Monika did her best to stifle a laugh as the two jumped out into the morning sky, letting gravity take care of the rest.

Chris watched as the two girls fell towards the island, a grin spreading across his face as he made his way back inside the cockpit of the plane. "Hah, told you they would all jump! Chris, one; Chef, nada!"

He was met with the less than pleased visage of Chef Hatchet, the designated pilot. "That last second reminder was a cheap move, McLean."

Chris waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's for dramatic effect. Besides, do I look cheap to you? Now quit whining and pay up!"

Chef rolled his eyes, muttering a couple curses under his breath as he handed Chris a fifty dollar bill.

xXx

(Asphodel Island, Interior, 07:15)

Senpai grimaced as he trudged along the rainforest floor, ignoring the searing pain rippling across his body.

His fall to the island left much to be desired. While the production team did provide all of the contestants with some "training" relating to certain survival skills prior to arriving on the island, they consisted of nothing more than links to years old instructional videos on the internet.

Better than nothing, he supposed, but when one was forcibly shoved out of a plane and falling through the air at terminal velocity it was understandably difficult to be calm enough to remember each minute detail of proper procedure.

While Senpai managed to activate his canopy in time, the high-altitude winds and minimal visibility caused him to miss a clearing and fly straight into the tendril vines and jagged branches of the rainforest trees.

Although several gashes now surrounded his body, he was quite grateful none managed to graze his face, his arms taking the brunt of the damage instead. He couldn't think of a crueler fate than to have a scar desecrate his perfect visage.

A small chuckle escaped his lips as he leaned against a tree, breathing heavily as he recovered. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? He almost forgot what it was like to feel his flesh cry out in pain, to feel his stomach growl in hunger, to feel his mind clog up in fatigue.

It was miserable and yet still a million times better than the utopian hell he was once trapped in. Even though back then he experienced no pain, no hunger, and no rainy days, the real world had one thing no simulation could ever hope to accomplish.

Freedom.

Here, in reality, he was free to enjoy the pleasure that comes after pain. Free to experience dreams once again. Free to control his own fate, make his own goals, strive for his own destiny.

If the struggle of reality was the price to pay for that freedom, he considered it a worthwhile sacrifice to make.

Besides, the women here were far more interesting here than the cookie-cutter scripts of the girls back in his hell. A near endless buffet of different personalities, interests, bodies, and faces, all a challenge just begging him to solve and conquer. On his team alone Senpai had quite the selection of fine maidens he could court and persuade to his side.

He was fairly certain the Asian chick was already heads over heels for him. Senpai wasn't one to turn down a freebie. While he could and would use her to increase his influence and power within the team, there was one girl that caught his attention far above the rest.

Monika.

It was the way she carried herself differently from the other girls that truly allured him, the way her calm demeanor and piercing emerald eyes beckoned him to unravel the layers upon layers of secrets hidden inside.

The fact that she was trying to position herself to be the de-facto leader of the team was merely a bonus as far as Senpai was concerned. All that meant was that if he could capture her heart, he might as well be capturing the entire team under his influence, rendering him practically immune from elimination at least until the Merge.

Senpai's thoughts grounded to a halt as his ears picked up some shuffling from the underbrush. He jolted upright, turning towards the sound to spot an attractive tan-skinned woman staggering into his view. Her face writhed in pain as she held a hand over a deep cut on her shoulder. Blood seeped through her fingers, pouring down her arm like rivers of rain on a windshield.

"What happened?" Senpai asked, eyes wide in a mix of shock and concern.

"I-I got cut." She bit out, limping towards him. "Please... can you help?"

The schoolboy nodded. He tore a portion off the sleeve of his shirt. It didn't matter too much to him. The shirt was already ruined and he had plenty of spares back in camp. He leaned over and began tying it around her arm in an attempt to stop the bleeding… over the nonexistent cut.

If he had looked up for just a second, he would've noticed the girl's lips curling into a smirk before his head got slammed into the trunk of the tree, knocking him out cold.

xXx

"You know, when I said 'capture him' I did not mean smash his head into the nearest tree. God, I can't believe you Tabi!"

Tabi ignored Ayana's incessant ranting as he watched Senpai's body slump onto the ground like a puppet cut from the string. He pressed two bony fingers into the boy's neck, confirming a pulse. "He's alive but should be out for a couple hours. That should be enough to-"

"I don't care about that!" Ayana snapped as she wiped off the fake blood from her arm. "What if we get disqualified?"

Agoti, who had found the two shortly after dropping onto the island, let out a snort. "Yeah, that ain't happening. Sol' pretty much forced me to read the terms and conditions front, back, and sideways. Unless the host strictly forbids something prior to the challenge, pretty much anything goes."

"Don't they forbid assault in the rules?" Ayana asked while using the rope she brought along with her to tie Senpai's body around a tree.

"Ehh, kinda. Contestants can't attack or harm any interns, staff, or his most excellency Chris McLean." Agoti recited from memory, cringing a bit at that last part of the line. "Serious injury is also off limits within the campgrounds but aside from that, the rules said nothing about what could happen outside of that area."

The tan-skinned assassin pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "For fuck's sake, why the hell did you not tell me that sooner?! I could've just knocked the dude out instead of wasting a whole packet of fake blood. Do you know how annoying it is to wash it off of fabric?"

The digidevil shrugged as he then turned towards Tabi who was currently going through Senpai's pack. "So, wanna fill me in on why we took out Mr. Lover Boy over there? I doubt the dude could find his way out of a park, let alone this shithole."

"Insurance," Tabi said as he retrieved the map and compass out of the pack and shoved it into his own. "Each member of the enemy team we ensure can't make it to camp in time is one less member of our team we have to worry about actually being competent enough to finish this challenge."

Agoti whistled. "Sheesh, that's ruthless. So I am guessing we are just going to go around the island and hunt down whoever we could find? Pretty sure I saw a couple people from the other team landing around not too far from here."

The goat-headed arsonist shook his head. "At this point anyone else we saw landing on the island had moved positions. Right now our priority is to get the emblem and then find a way out of this island. If we do come across anyone else on the enemy team though, we will deal with them."

The digidevil grinned as he cracked his neck. "Heh, sounds like a plan."

Ayana, who just finished tying up their victim onto a tree branch, had an amused expression on her face. "Honestly Tabi, I am surprised you of all people would be taking something like this so seriously."

Agoti snorted. "Well duh, Daddy D's little hellspawn and her gaggle of idiots will try to vote us off one by one if we lose any challenge and he'd be the first to go."

"Ugh, don't remind me," Ayana rolled her eyes. "You saw her alliance at the dinner last night? The bitch already got half of the team wrapped around her fingers."

"All the more reason to win challenges, eh? At least until the teams merge."

"We need to get someone else into our side but we don't have much to work with. All we have left are two jackasses and two girls who look like they'd pass out the second they get into a real fight…"

Tabi tuned the conversation out as the three of them rushed out of the area. He focused inwards, guiding the cold, cursed energy flowing within him towards his hands. A faint flash of yellow shone as a sword of sharpened bone manifested in place. He used it to hack his way through the thick underbrush that blocked his path.

Ayana was right to be surprised by his motivation regarding this competition. Under normal circumstances, no amount of money would've ever convinced him to participate in this clown show. He already had his run in the entertainment industry, his shot at pursuing his passions. All that left him was broken dreams, a shattered heart, and the utter destruction of everything he ever owned and loved.

This, however, wasn't normal circumstances. At his lowest point, he was given a powerful incentive, an offer he couldn't refuse.

A chance to win his life back.

A chance to see his body, his face again.

A chance to get rid of the curse that turned the last sixteen months of his life into a living hell.

If he had to play this game to regain some semblance of himself back, so be it. When Tabi set his mind on a goal, on a purpose, he pursued it with the intention to win.

He won't fail again. He wouldn't allow himself to fail again.

He would show that clown McLean, that monster Dearest, that whore Girlfriend, and the entire world what he was capable of.

And he would do whatever it took to be the only one left standing.

xXx

Selever had to admit, he really outdone himself this time.

Being forced to wander between parallel universes to complete a near impossible task, it took quite a lot to surprise him. He found himself living through and escaping from enough apocalyptic hellholes, overpowered maniacs, and eldritch aberrations to make even the most daring of adventurers beg for an early retirement, assuming they hadn't already gone insane.

It was a dangerous existence. Even the slightest mistake could cause his life to be snuffed out in an instant. He didn't have much of a choice in the matter though.

Either he remained in the hell he was wrought from until he faded away into nothingness or he continued on the search for something, anything that set him and his sister free, back to where they truly meant to be.

Frankly, he would've given up a long time ago if it wasn't for the promise he made to her, that brat of a sister who was the only one keeping him somewhat sane. It may be looking for a needle in a haystack, it may be an impossible task, but as long as he kept searching, as long as he didn't cave in, they would still exist.

And as long as they were alive, there was still a chance.

Thus, when his patron decided to give him a break and offer him a way to get out of his hell, he figured it was going to be some impossible, suicidal task just to to fuck with him even further.

So what was the esteemed mission he was entrusted to, exactly?

To win at some obscure survival game show.

He honestly didn't know whether to be grateful or utterly insulted.

Still, Selever knew better than to bite the hand that fed him, so he accepted the task without much thought. A survival game show? It sounded so absurdly easy it was laughable. He would've been dead ages ago if he hadn't mastered the art of staying the fuck alive.

There was just one tiny but oh so significant problem…

His freaking parents were here.

One might've thought this would've been fantastic news. They were dead wrong.

For one, Selever knew this wasn't in his reality, his canon, proven by the fact that they didn't recognize him when he arrived on the island. This meant that in regards to this timeline he was at least several years away from being born. He wasn't even sure if they stopped beating around the bush and realized they were a thing for each other yet.

Besides, it wasn't like he could just tell them that he was their future son from an alternate timeline. All that would result in them viewing him as certifiably insane, he screws over this universe's future version of himself and potentially his sister, and he would be stuck with three months of extreme awkward and painful interactions

Even if they did believe him, as mind-boggling baffling as that was, at best it would still just result in three months of awkward conversations and parasocial side-stepping that would be nowhere close to an actual fulfilling reunion.

For now, his best course of action was to avoid actively interacting with them until he could figure out what the hell was going on. It sucked, it really did, but being impatient would just ruin everything he worked so hard for in the end, especially when he was so close.

All he had to do was push on, get this shitty game over with, and then he would get the ending he and sister deserved.

He shook his head. Blah, that was enough existential bullshit for him. Time for a little fun.

He grinned as he vanished in a blur.

xXx

(Somewhere at sea, 07:25)

Boyfriend was straight up not having a good time right now.

It wasn't like this was his first time skydiving, far from it. Just a couple months ago he and Girlfriend had to jump from a crashing private jet onto a desert wasteland. They landed in some mercenary camp where he then rap battled their leader before nearly being killed in a shootout. He grinned at the memory. That was hella fun.

His current situation, however, was anything but fun.

There was a difference between falling towards land versus falling towards water. Without any land or objects in sight for reference it was almost impossible to calculate just how far away he was from the surface. This meant figuring out when to open his parachute may as well be playing a game of Russian roulette.

Too high and he was at the mercy of wherever the winds sent him. Too low and he'd become a neon blue pancake floating in the ocean.

That wasn't even the worst of it. As Boyfriend learned the hard way, the worst part about parachuting onto water was actually landing on the surface.

In order to withstand the rushing winds of higher altitudes, parachute canopies were designed to be incredibly resistant and difficult to tear apart. Great for getting someone alive to the surface, as was their function, but they made for terrible life jackets.

This was because they were neutrally buoyant, meaning that they floated not on the surface but a couple inches under it. If a diver landed in the water with the canopy over their head, there was very little stopping the fabric from dragging them under the surface.

Combined with the water filling the canopy from above making the fabric even heavier than if it was dry and the mess of unbreakable suspension lines inadvertently tying the diver up by the limbs, the thing that someone relied on to save them became the very thing that sent them to a watery grave, and that was exactly what was happening to the unfortunate protagonist.

Yeah, Boyfriend could confidently say that drowning absolutely sucked.

Fortunately, Girlfriend managed to have a somewhat easier time landing, making sure to turn towards the wind so that the canopy wasn't above her when she made it to the surface. She swam under the water to untangle her drowning lover before dragging him towards a floating red buoy, the only visible thing from horizon to horizon.

Boyfriend gasped for air as he felt a pair of hands push against his chest, forcing out the briny water clogging his throat and lungs. He coughed out what seemed like a gallon of water before he managed to come to his senses. "Blegh… Thanks for that, babe."

Girlfriend gave him a radiant smile. "No problem! Sorry I couldn't get your pack though."

"Meh, don't worry about it." Boyfriend shrugged as he picked himself up and glanced around his surroundings… only to realize there was no land in sight. A mix of confusion and annoyance crossed his face. "Hey, what gives? I thought Chris said we will be jumping onto an island or something."

Girlfriend folded her arms as she blew a strand of hair dangling in front of her eyes. "Ugh, I know right? Why would he open the door if we weren't even there yet? That is like, so irresponsible."

Boyfriend nodded in agreement. "We will need to let him know his mistake when we get back to camp. Do you have your map?"

The brunette nodded as she reached into her pack, delicately retrieving the soaked parchment so that she didn't accidentally tear it apart. She furrowed her brow as she glanced at the map. "Hmm… do you remember which direction we came from?"

The blue-haired wonder paused for a moment in thought, taking a quick look at the map. "Well, we were supposed to land on Asphodel Island, which is to the right of Hades… so that means we just need to turn left and we should make it back to camp!"

"Ahh, okay. That makes sense!" Girlfriend nodded but then paused. "Wait, my left or your left?"

"My left, of course," Boyfriend answered, a grin spreading across his face. "After all, my left has never left me behind before!"

If a certain violent ginger was there, Boyfriend would've been shot on the spot for that god awful pun.

"Oh my God, stop!" Girlfriend choked, bursting into a fit of giggles. She was always a sucker for puns. It took a minute for her to recollect herself. "Guess that means we will have to swim back though. Do we know how far we have to go?"

Boyfriend shrugged. "I mean, it can't be too far. We only flew for about an hour so we should make it there in time. Bet I can swim there faster than you though."

Girlfriend giggled as she flicked him on the forehead. "And who was it that had to be saved from becoming fish food?"

"Oh come on, that was just a freak accident!" Boyfriend huffed, rubbing his forehead. "By the way, the loser has to do both of our laundry for the week."

"Aww, how kind for you to do the laundry for me!" Girlfriend chirped, a competitive smirk appearing on her face as she got in position to dive. "Please remember to separate the reds from the whites. Pink does not look good on you."

"Oh please, I can make anything look good on me," Boyfriend scoffed as he also got into position. "Three… two… GO!"

Girlfriend let out an startled squeak at the early signal as Boyfriend practically flew into the water, cutting through the surface as fast as his limbs would carry him.

He figured going full speed off the gate and getting an early advantage would enable him to just cruise along for the rest of the race, however long that would take. Thus, he continued on for about three minutes before he bothered glancing behind him to see just how much distance he gained.

Girlfriend was about fifty yards behind him, but that wasn't what surprised him. Rather, it was the fact that she had stopped swimming completely. She just floated in the water, staring at him with a blank, terrified expression.

Boyfriend pouted. "Aw come on. It is not fun if you give up this early."

"B-Boyfriend…" The auburn-haired girl stammered, pointing a finger towards him, or more accurately, behind him.

The blue-haired wonder raised an eyebrow in confusion before turning his gaze to where she was pointing at. As soon as he spotted it, his blood turned to ice.

A jagged gray fin sprouted from the surface, speed right towards him.

"Oh, hell nah."

Boyfriend let out a terrified beep as the two lovebirds bolted towards the buoy. He was fairly certain he broke a couple of personal records at that moment, but even then it did little to stop the apex predator from getting closer and closer to claiming its meal.

Girlfriend managed to reach the anchored float first, scurrying herself on top metallic surface. She turned around, calling out towards her lover as she extended her arms out in preparation to help him up.

Boyfriend swam as fast as he could, but there was no point. He was too far away to make it in time. With no other options left but to fight or go down swinging he stopped his dead sprint and turned around, his eyes locking onto the eyes of the apex predator.

"Come at me, you oversized fish stick!" He screeched, cocking a fist back to punch the living daylights out of the damn shark.

Right as the beast opened its carnivorous jaws to feast on the squealing midget, Boyfriend was nearly taken aback as a giant pink tentacle shot out from the surface, wrapping around the shark before pulling it into the depths.

A couple seconds later a pool of deep red sprung up right in front of the blue-haired wonder.

Boyfriend and Girlfriend stared in awe and horror, mouths agape for a solid minute before Boyfriend slowly swam back onto the buoy. The next second he puffed out his chest, brushing himself off as if nothing happened. He grinned at Girlfriend. "Hah! That shark never stood a chance against me. See? I had that all under control."

He should really learn when to keep his mouth shut.

Not a moment after those words left his lips, several massive tentacles sprouted from the surface like demented fountain geyers.

The two teens screamed as they held onto the buoy for dear life. Girlfriend let out a squeak of terror as one of the tentacles coiled around her, yanking her off the sea structure and into its grasps.

Boyfriend called out her name in a panic but his cries were cut short as another tentacle wrapped around the structure, uprooting it from its anchor and lifting it high into the air. He grasped onto the tall metal poles of the buoy to prevent himself from falling into the tumultuous sea below. He gritted his teeth as he looked down to catch a glimpse of the sea monster…

Only to find himself staring face to face with the Kraken itself.

"Nooooo! This is just like this one dream I had, except this doesn't feel good at all!" Girlfriend sobbed as she squirmed within the monstrous appendage to no avail.

Boyfriend swallowed a lump in his throat. With his back against the wall and facing his imminent demise, there was only one thing left he could do…

He reached into his pocket and took out a microphone, sending out a single taunting beep at the sea monster.

The Kraken stared at the midget with the most deadpan of expressions.

The world froze as Boyfriend wondered if he was just a second away from becoming an early morning snack.

His concern turned into excitement as another tentacle rose up from the water, holding a microphone of its own.

xXx

(Asphodel Island, Southern Tip, 8:30)

Monika hummed as she strolled along the stony shore, her hair flowing gently along the warm ocean breeze.

It has been over an hour since she and Natsuki landed on the island. After spending the first five minutes calming the pinkette down from her terror-induced rage, the two had a relatively uneventful time strolling along the coast in search of a way out of her.

She was quite grateful that the two of them haven't ran into any trouble. While they did cross paths with someone on the other team- Garcello she remembered the name- the man went off on his own way after a terse greeting.

Following that encounter, Monika took the relative peace and quiet she knew wouldn't last to take a much closer look at the map which had been given to each of the contestants, planning her next moves.

The map was surprisingly detailed, displaying a hundred by hundred mile area of the entire archipelago where this game show would take place. The region consisted of four large islands, with the largest being Hades smack-dab in the middle, surrounded by several smaller islands and atolls.

Interestingly enough only two of the four main islands- Hades and Asphodel- were fully mapped out. The other two major islands- the elusive Elysium towards the north and the shattered Tartarus to the southwest- had their interiors blanked out, only the outlines of their coasts visible on the map.

She could only presume that those two islands were either going to be used later in the competition for some future challenges. Something to look into later. For now, Monika was more focused on getting out of this island in one piece.

She took a closer look at the crescent-shaped Asphodel, the second largest island in the region and location for this challenge. It had a mountain range that ran from tip to tail like an exposed spine with most of the interior being thick, dense jungle. There were also a couple of structures and places of interest inhabiting the island though those seem to be irrelevant for this particular challenge.

What was relevant however was where the emblems were located. The map didn't specify the exact coordinates of the objects; rather, it circled an area on the island for each of them- the Beep Bops to the south near one of the larger rivers and the Winners Club to the north within the mountains. While this meant that the contestants didn't have to scour the entirety of the island for a hand-size object, it still could mean several hours of diligent investigation depending on how well the production team hid the emblems.

Interestingly enough, the emblems weren't the only thing marked on the map. There were also small red markers scattered throughout the interior of the island. What they were supposed to indicate Monika wasn't sure, but she had a couple theories.

Then there was the issue of getting off of the island itself. Camp Hades was about twenty miles away from Asphodel. She immediately ruled out swimming there as an option. While she wasn't a slouch in the athleticism department, It would take over eight hours for a normal person to cross that distance, assuming they would even last that long out in the open sea.

While there were some powerful individuals in the competition who could swim that distance in a much faster time, it would be unreasonable to expect everyone to perform such a feat when designing a challenge. Thus, Monika deduced that Chris must've included some other means for the contestants to make it back to camp.

Another possible option was to construct a boat, but Monika eventually ruled that out as well. Building a boat that wouldn't fall apart out in the ocean would, at a minimum, take days worth of effort to construct. This challenge had a deadline of less than twelve hours.

Something wasn't adding up. Monika doubted that Chris would give out an impossible challenge, at least not this early into the competition. That just made for bad television and she had the feeling the cavalier host would do anything to avoid such a travesty.

So how exactly were everyone supposed to finish the challenge?

Monika didn't get much more time to reflect on that problem as she and Natsuki managed to come across Yuri, who had also been walking along the shore but in the opposite direction. Monika mentally patted herself on the back for the foresight to tell her friend to land near the coast while they were still in the plane.

'If only Sayori was here. It's been a long time since we got the four of us together like this since we graduated. I hope she landed safely,' She thought whimsically as she listened to Natsuki and Yuri get themselves into yet another argument.

"I already told you, I managed to get here just fine on my own," Natsuki said, glaring at the slender bookworm.

"Natsuki, your parachute canopy clearly hasn't been deployed," Yuri noted, her eyes glancing over the pinkette's unopened pack.

"So? What if I just put it back inside it for? How about you think of that instead of assuming stuff like you always do!"

A small smile etched across the bookworm's face. "...You held onto Monika on the way down, didn't you?"

Natsuki's face flushed red. "S-shut up! Like you had a much better time falling down here!"

"Hmm, I actually enjoyed it," Yuri sighed, closing her eyes, reliving the experience. "There is something alleviative about falling thousands of feet with nothing but the force of gravity acting on your body. The air flowing through your hair. The pounding of your heart against your chest. The adrenaline and serotonin coursing through your veins as you get closer and closer to the earth, your mind questioning if these next few minutes will be your last. It is a sobering but healthy reminder of the fragility and fleeting nature of our existence."

"Yeah, it'd be soothing if I was freaking insane! I like my existence safe, intact, and not about to be a stain on the ground, thank you very much!"

"Natsuki, keep your voice down," Monika chided, earning an indignant hmph from the pinkette as she turned towards Yuri. "Have you managed to find anything interesting while you were looking for us?"

"Uuu, yes! I have, actually. Apologies for not informing you sooner," Yuri said, pressing her fingers as she collected her thoughts. "While walking along the coast I found a rather large sailboat not too far from here but it… it is stuck in the sand. I investigated it a bit further, only to find that the motor is completely out of gas. The sail as well as parts of the hull were also damaged."

Natsuki scowled, placing her hands on her hips. "Ugh, seriously? And here I thought we could actually get out of this damn place."

Monika sighed, relieved. She could work with this. "Well, this pretty much confirms my suspicions on what this challenge is really about."

Natsuki turned towards the brunette, raising an eyebrow. "The hell do you mean by that?"

Monika sat down on a nearby rock, beckoning her two friends to gather around her. She opened the map in its entirety. "From what I can recall, there are two objectives to this challenge- retrieve the emblem and navigate back to camp. Given that it would be unreasonable to have the contestants swim or build a boat given the allotted time frame, it thus stands to reason that Chris has placed various boats around the coast ahead of time for us to sail back to camp with."

"Yeah, I understand that, but it kinda defeats the purpose if the boats don't even work to begin with," Natsuki replied as she crossed her arms, half in thought and half in frustration.

"And that's where these markers around the jungle could come in." Monika said, pointing at a couple of them on the map for emphasis. "This may be pure conjecture on my end, but I believe these are where the contestants could find the tools and materials needed to repair whatever vessel they come across along the coast."

Yuri gave a small nod. "I see… given that everyone will have to repair their vessels and traverse the ocean… combined with the requirement for someone on each team to locate the emblem… I am afraid time is of an extreme scarcity here."

"You are absolutely right!" Monika smiled at the soft-spoken bookworm. "This challenge is not only a test of our navigational and mechanical skill, but also of time management and game theory. It doesn't matter how many people make it to the island, if a team doesn't find and bring back the emblem, they lose. On the same note, if too many people on the same team search for the emblem they are at an outsized risk of being beaten by the other team who have more efficiently allocated their manpower."

"There is one problem with that though," Natsuki began. "Just how the hell are we supposed to communicate with our teammates on who does what if we are spread out all over the place? It's not like we could've planned something out since we were just shoved off the damn plane as soon as we learned of the challenge."

Monika paused for a second to think. "The most ideal strategy would be for one or two of the fastest people on the team to search for the emblem while the rest start looking for and repairing their boats. However, as you mentioned we weren't given the opportunity to coordinate that. Therefore, the next best strategy would be that whoever finds the emblem first should give a signal so that the rest who are also searching for the item would make their way back towards the coast, reducing the time wasted."

Natsuki frowned. "So we are essentially hoping that the rest of our team will manage to somehow coordinate enough with each other to not waste time and get to the island in time?"

Yuri shook her head. "Keep in mind that the same issue our team is facing is the same one our opponents are facing as well… We just need to be marginally better in our performance to ensure victory."

"That's right, and I have full confidence in our team to succeed in this challenge!" Monika gave them a wink. "We are the Winners Club after all."

Natsuki groaned. "Ugh, I still can't believe we actually went along with such a hokey name."

An amused smile etched across Yuri's face. "While I agree that it may be a bit trite, it is still a significant improvement compared to what our adversaries decided to call themselves."

"The Beep Bops!" The pinkette giggled. "Seriously, how drunk were they to even come up with that? Even Sayori wouldn't come up with something that stupid!"

Monika joined in on the laughter as she stood up from the rock. "I think that's enough planning for now. Yuri, take us to where you found the boat. Time for us to win this challenge!"


[Confessional]

"It wasn't hyperbole when I said that I was confident in our team's ability to win this challenge," Monika began, a confident smile on her face. "I was quite surprised at how much of the team showed up to our first meeting last night. We have such a wide variety of talents and abilities that I am certain we are able to overcome whatever challenges Chris throws at us. As for absentees, the only people missing at the first meeting were Darnell, Nene, Ruv, and Sky. I am certain, however, that in due time they feel comfortable enough to fully incorporate themselves within the team."

The brunette gave a wink to the camera. "It would only be in their best interest to do so, after all!"


xXx

(Asphodel Island, Interior, 9:10)

"Hey Skid."

"Yeah Pump?"

"Do you ever feel like you are going everywhere and nowhere at the same time?"

Skid paused for a moment before shrugging. "Hmm, I dunno. What makes you say that, buddy?"

The miniature pumpkin glanced at the rushing rapids several feet in front of them. "This is the third time we come across a river."

"Yeah, that is pretty weird," Skid noted. He pointed at the middle of the rapids where a collection of large stones stood out above the surface. "Look, this river even has those same rocks as the other two!"

"Woah, that is spooky," Pump said. "Now that I think about it, I think we even passed by that guy sleeping on a tree like, twice now."

"Oh yeah, I remember!" Skid piped up. He then furrowed his brow as he pinched his chin in thought. "Though, I wonder why he would tie himself up to sleep. That doesn't look very comfy."

"You think we should've woken him up?" The miniature pumpkin asked.

Skid shook his head, his face showing hints of fear. "Bad idea. Remember the last time we woke up mom too early?"

A chill ran down Pump's spine. "That wasn't spooky. That was just scary…"

The skeleton weakly nodded in return. The two boys stood next to the river, gazing at it in silence before Skid spoke up again. "I think we are lost."

"And we are inside a jungle…" Pump continued.

"Alone on a remote island…"

"Surrounded by predators…"

"And poisonous insects…"

"With no food…"

"Or clean water…"

"And no way to protect ourselves…"

They both turned to each other, grins spreading on their faces.

"AWESOME!" They cheered, jumping into a high five.

The rustling of the foliage behind them cut their celebratory exuberance dead in its track.

They both jumped, startled. Thinking it was a wild animal, they immediately reached down, picked up the nearest rocks they could find, and hurled them straight into the bush.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL!?" A voice cried out in anguish.

Pump let out a gasp. "Wow! A talking bush!"

A second later a girl with bright blue hair strolled out of the underbrush, one hand covering a rapidly swelling bump on her forehead while the other finished pulling up her skirt. Her face flushed red in a mix of rage and embarrassment.

"Oh my God, the bush gave birth!" Skid added in even greater shock.

The girl glared at the two boys as if she could burn a hole through their skulls.

She was about to say some scathing remarks before she stopped herself, the furious snarl that adorned her face morphing into a tender smile.

"Ah, hey kids! Sorry about that, you kinda scared me there for a second."

The miniature skeleton beamed at her. "No problem, bush lady! I am Skid and he is Pump!" He pointed to his orange buddy, who also waved enthusiastically at her.

"I know. We are on the same team. My name is Sky, by the way."

"You are? Cool! So I am guessing you are also lost?" Skid asked.

Sky shook her head. "Not really, I'm just looking for supplies. If you are looking to get back to the shore, I can get you there."

"You can?" Pump asked.

"Of course!" Sky smiled. She then leaned in, lowering her voice. "Before we head there though, I have a secret I've been meaning to share…"

"Oh, really? We love secrets, we know a whole bunch!" Skid exclaimed.

"Yeah! We can't tell you any of them though," Pump quickly added, his face suddenly turning dead serious.

"If we did, the entire fabric of reality could collapse around us," Skid paused for a second, pinching his chin in thought. "Though I am still not sure if it is a rug or a carpet…"

Pump raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I thought it was a curtain."

"I thought so too, but if it is… then what is holding it up?"

"Oooh, spooky."

Sky blinked, staring at the two boys incredulously before shaking her head. It didn't concern her what those two idiots were talking about. What mattered was that they were eager and impressionable; they displayed both in spades.

"Alright, I am convinced. I trust you both!" She said as she leaned in closer. She paused for a second as the two boys also leaned forward in anticipation. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I know of a way to guarantee that we make it to the final three."

"REALLY!?"

Sky cringed as she immediately slapped a hand over both of their mouths. God, they were loud. She made a shushing sound to emphasize the point of staying quiet.

"Really?" They repeated, their voices muffled through the fangirl's hands.

Sky nodded. "Really. I will explain it more when we make it back to camp but for now, just know that we are secret friends."

"Secret friends?" Skid tilted his head to the side, still muffled.

"Yep! This means that no matter what, we have each other's back. That, and you two need to follow everything I tell you to do, including who to vote for and what to do during challenges." She removed her hands from their mouths as she stared them in the eyes. "Can I count on you two?"

"Of course!" Pump exclaimed.

"You can count on us for anything!" Skid assured her. "We will be the best secret friends ever!"

Sky smiled. Perfect.


[Confessional ]

Sky sat in the confessional booth, absently playing with a lock of blue hair. "My strategy to take over the team is simple. It is more of a counting game, really. Each vote I can get on my side is a vote that not only can't be used against me, but one I can use against whoever I need to get rid of. With those two idiots now firmly in my grasp, I pretty much guarantee that I have the voting power of three people right off the bat."

She smirked up at the camera. "Am I concerned about that preppy ass rich girl forcing her way to be captain? Not in the slightest. She could get that role for all I care. It just means that she would be the first one everyone blames whenever the team loses a challenge. All I have to do is sit back, gain the trust of others, and when the time is right, boot that bitch out of here for good."

Her face turned dreamy, swooning. "Once she is out of the way, all that is left is to get rid of the slut leeching off of my man then it will be smooth sailing into Boyfriend's arms~"


xXx

(09:45)

"You know, this really isn't that bad." Carol mused as she and her bombshell of a boyfriend trekked up the jungle slopes. "It is always nice to take a break and enjoy nature once in a while."

"Yeah, if we ignore the sweltering heat, the swarms of mosquitoes, the oversized predators, and the fact that we are thousands of miles away from civilization, it really feels like we are right at home." Whitty drawled, his eyes locking onto an anaconda staring at him from a tree as if pondering whether the talking bomb would be worth the meal.

"Come on, Whitty. The creatures here are more afraid of you than you are of them," Carol began before her face turned sour. "Especially after what you did to that poor pig. I still can't believe you would do something like that!"

The bomb stared at her with a deadpan expression. "That poor pig was the size of a hippopotamus and was charging right at us. I had to use self-defense."

"You call incinerating it into a crisp and eating it self-defense?"

"Of course. My stomach was dying. I had to save it."

"You are unbelievable."

The slightest tinge of amusement appeared on Whitty's face. "I know. Everyone says that when they first look at me."

The afro-haired girl let out a sigh, exasperated. "What would it take to get you to enjoy our vacation like normal people?"

Whitty let out a snort. The two of them had very different ideas as to what they considered a vacation. "Carol, I am a walking doomsday weapon and you are an angel hybrid. I don't think we are the experts on what is considered normal."

Carol scoffed and said nothing, continuing up the hike at a slightly faster pace. Whitty smiled on the inside, satisfied with the rare victory. He would take whatever sliver of peace and quiet he could get, even though he knew it would last only for five minutes before something else popped up.

He barely got five seconds in before his senses screamed bloody murder at him.

A red and white figure blurred into his sight for a split second as Whitty crossed his arms just in time to block a ferocious kick, the force sending him crashing straight through the trunk of a tree.

Carol called out his name in a panic as feathery wings immediately sprouted from her back. She shot up into the air in an attempt to put some distance away from the attacker and gain some high ground.

She could only hover for just a moment before that same figure appeared above her. A swift stomp to her head sent her crashing right back down to earth.

"Damn it!" Whitty growled as he burned bright blue, flames erupting from his hands as he shot himself from the tree trunk, incinerating it in the process.

Enraged orange eyes scanned the area before locking onto his attacker. He fired a storm of fireballs, each one reducing whatever in its path to nothing more than cinders and ash.

The figure weaved adroitly around the trees, using the flora to evade the fiery balls of death before kicking off a branch, launching themselves at the walking bomb.

Whitty moved in response, shifting to the side just enough to avoid a kick that snapped the tree behind him in half.

The attacker was unperturbed, using the momentum to launch themselves at their target again.

The two of them engaged in a rapid exchange of blows, high-speed kicks clashing with explosive punches, both with enough raw power to sound like gunshots from a distance.

A flash of light shone in Whitty's periphery as his attacker suddenly bent backwards, barely avoiding a beam of divine energy which tore through the air between them.

Whitty mentally thanked Carol for the split-second opening as he shot a hand forward, firing a point blank fireball right at the annoying pest.

It hit dead on.

It should've hit dead on.

Dirt, flame, and smoke shot up around him, further bolstering his annoyance as it indicated that his attacker managed to escape from near-certain death.

He jumped back, scanning the area again. He managed to catch just a glimpse of that red and white blur darting around the area, using the smoke from the rapidly swelling wildfire to further shroud their movement, looking for an opening.

'Tch. It's like trying to swat a damn mosquito,' he gritted his teeth, tired of this cat and mouse game. Time to put an end to this.

"Carol, move!" Whitty barked as heat rippled throughout his body like a raging fire.

Carol didn't hesitate for a second, knowing exactly what was about to happen. With a burst of speed she shot herself straight into the air, flying well above jungle canopy and out of range.

A second later the ground quaked as a fiery explosion lit up the area, turning everything in a fifty yard radius into nothing more than a charred wasteland.

Several moments passed. He didn't see the figure again.

"Whitty! Are you hurt?" He heard Carol call out from above, his partner slowly descending back towards the ground, a soothing energy coalescing around her hands.

He gave his body a quick rundown. Nothing out of the ordinary aside from his clothes now more scorched and unkempt than when he started. Annoying, but tolerable. He shook his head. "I'm fine. It'd take much more than an oversized pest to harm me anyways."

Carol let out a breath. "I'm glad. It is unfortunate you had to do that, but I supposed it was for the best that you managed to take out whoever that was…"

A bark of laughter roared behind them. "Yeah dumbass, you took 'em out alright! Really showed those trees who's boss, eh?"

Whitty and Carol snapped towards the voice to see Selever lazily floating around above the treeline, hands in pocket, a bored expression on his face. Aside from some slightly scorched clothing, the teen might as well be completely unharmed.

"The hell do you want?" Whitty growled, his patience running on the last few seconds of life support.

Selever shrugged. "Eh, I was bored as fuck so I wanted to see if there was any talent on the other team. From what I am seeing though, you both are damn pathetic."

Whitty scowled. Pathetic? He was barely getting started. He was about to blow the smirk right off the brat's face before Carol latched onto his arm, shaking her head.

"Stop. He wants you to get riled up. What would our team think if you just tore through the landscape, hurting an innocent bystander or worse, destroying the thing we're supposed to be looking for!" She hissed. Whitty gritted his teeth but understood her logic enough to back down, for now anyways.

She turned towards Selever, scowling. "Don't you have a challenge to complete? I highly doubt your team would look kindly on you wasting valuable time."

"The only time I am wasting is with that oversized sparkler over there," Selever snorted, jabbing a finger towards the incensed bomb. His smirk turned into a carnal grin as he stared at the angel hybrid. "Word of advice, ditch his ass. Come with me and I can show you exactly what you've been missing out on."

It was only the death grip Carol had on Whitty that prevented him from nuking the bastard right there and then.

She glared at Selever with thinly veiled contempt. "Sorry, I am interested in men, not boys."

Selever let out a bark of laughter. "Your loss. Anyways, I am done here. You all are fucking boring and I already found what I needed. I would wish you good luck, but that'd be a lie."

With that, he flew into the trees, disappearing from sight.

"That little shit…" Whitty spat.

Carol shook her head, tugging on Whitty's sleeve. "Forget about him. We need to go to shore and rendezvous with the others. I have a feeling he isn't the only one looking to take out other members of our team…"


[Confessional]

"Honestly, I can never understand why guys would still try to pick me up especially when I have an angry walking bomb right next to me." Carol let out a sigh, exasperated. "I swear if I hear yet another 'did it hurt when you fall from heaven' joke I am going to be the one that goes ballistic."


xXx

(Asphodel Island, Mountains, 10:20)

A nun and a Russian walked into a cave.

It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.

As far as Ruv was concerned, the joke began the moment he agreed to this vacation. Except there was no punchline. No funny quips. Just annoyance and misery that dragged on with no ending in sight.

He should've known better. He should've figured this was what Sarvente had in mind the moment he noticed her sneaking in a couple hours of soap operas on the side. He wanted to make it up to her, for his past mistakes, but even this was pushing his limits.

Ruv hated the tropics. The hot, muggy climate made wearing his coat and hat a particularly awful experience. He didn't have much other clothing and there was no chance in hell he was going shirtless.

Furthermore, he abhorred being in public. Any attention was bad attention. It invited the unwanted prodding of those who stuck their noses in places they shouldn't. Knowing that he was on live TV only exacerbated his irritation further. He could care less about this competition. All of this was just entertainment for the masses to distract themselves from the death throes of their collapsing society.

Regardless, his musings didn't change the fact that he was still stuck here. As much as he hated this place, leaving early left a bad taste in his mouth. It meant leaving Sarvente alone, and that meant going back on his word. He had zero doubts that she could handle herself well here, but better safe than sorry.

Besides, if he helped her win the ten million dollars, he wouldn't have to worry about giving her a birthday present. Ruv always preferred killing two birds with one stone, even if that stone was a concrete block.

"Um, Ruv. Are you sure we should head in there?" Sarvente asked, her disquieted voice shaking the wanted criminal out of his thoughts.

Ruv glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. It was rare to see Sarv anxious. That alarmed him. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing really. Just that these caves tend to house a lot of… snakes… in them."

Ah, right. That. Ruv found it almost humorous that the same woman who could exorcize the most nightmarish of demons, the same one who didn't even bat an eye at the sounds of nearby explosions, also became distressed at the sight of what were nothing more than limbless lizards.

"I see snake, I stomp on it. Let's go," Ruv said as he grabbed a piece of flint, tied it up to a stick, and struck it against the wall, producing a makeshift torch to light up the cavern. He walked forward, leading the way as Sarv followed closely behind him.

The two walked on in relative silence, the air only disturbed by the occasional humming of a hymn by the nun. Thankfully for the both of them they didn't have to travel far into the cave. The light of the torch reflected off something embedded within the cavern walls.

Ruv got closer to the gold-colored object. Closer inspection revealed the glistening icon of a trophy wrapped around a wreath. They found their team's emblem.

"Oh, how glorious!" Sarvente beamed as she took hold of the shiny object. "This is so exciting! Our team will be so delighted that we managed to find…" She trailed off as she noticed Ruv suddenly walking back towards the cavern entrance. "Hey where are you going?"

"Camp." Ruv said without pausing.

"But Ruv… don't you think you are forgetting something?" Sarvente prodded as she caught up to him.

"No. We found what we came here for. You can fly. I can swim quickly."

The Neapolitan nun let out a sigh. "You know how much I hate using that form, especially since we are on camera."

"Then ride on my back. We will get to camp in a couple hours, at most."

Sarvente sputtered, heat flaring up to her face before shaking her head. "Ruv, we can't just leave our team here! We should at least help them so we can show that we are good teammates."

"They'll live," Ruv said, unconcerned. If his team couldn't find their own way back to camp, they weren't much of use to begin with.

"Come on Ruv. We need to be good stewards of our talents and help our brothers and sisters…" Sarvente pouted, glancing at her friend with pleading eyes. "Please?"

Ruv groaned. He hated when she did that, only because it was cheap yet effective. "...Fine, I'll help."

Sarvente perked up, clasping her hands together as if she wasn't about to be on the verge of tears. He freaking knew it. "Oh how glorious! I bet with our-"

She stopped herself short when she saw Ruv taking a slow, long breath. She paled as she recognized what he was planning to do. "W-wait! Hold on-"

"WINNERS CLUB. STOP LOOKING, LEAVE!"

Even with her hands covering her ears, Sarvente could feel the ground quake as Ruv's voice tore through the island. Several rocks tumbled down from the surrounding mountains, trees swayed in the wind as large swaths of birds fled to the skies. There was no doubt every single living being on the island heard those words loud and clear.

Once the tremors and echoes died down, Sarvente shot the culprit a peeved and embarrassed glare. She could've sworn she saw the barest hints of satisfaction in his eyes.

"There. We helped. Let's go." Ruv stated, jumping from the cave's ledge and into the jungle below.


[Confessional]

Sarvente sat in the outhouse, her face in her palms, shaking her head. "This is my fault. I should've expected this, I really should've." She sighed as she straightened up. "Oh well, we need to count our blessings. At least he finally decided to help others out with something. Baby steps!"


xXx

(Asphodel Island, Interior, 11:11)

Sweat dripped down from his chin as Pico weaved through the jungle at a pace that would've broken most people by now. Despite having never been in a rainforest before, he felt surprisingly in his element, keenly aware of every tree, vine, and bush in his vicinity.

Navigating through this rainforest, Pico realized, was a lot similar to navigating the urban jungles. Tons of obstacles to maneuver around. Plenty of places to get caught in an ambush or a trap.

No shortage of creatures roaming the area that wanted him dead.

There wasn't much difference between a gorilla and a random street thug, all things considered.

Shoot, he could've sworn he heard some explosions and gunfire out in the distance not too long ago. Pico wasn't surprised in the slightest that people already started going at it with each other, in fact he wanted in on the action himself. The moment he spotted Darnell or Nene he was emptying a magazine clip on their asses.

Unfortunately, the only person he came across since landing was Hex, the jersey-wearing robot that was part of Boyfriend's alliance. How the hell that neon-haired idiot keep managing to either befriend or make mortal enemies of the weirdest of freaks Pico hadn't got a clue.

Not to say Pico himself was normal by any stretch of the imagination…

Pico's encounter with the robot was a swift one. Hex wanted to join him in searching for the emblem but Pico declined. The mercenary teen preferred to travel alone, especially in unfamiliar territory. It let him move faster, hide his tracks easier, and avoid unwanted attention.

Instead, he told the robot to go locate Garcello and Sunday and head to shore. He already knew that there would be boats there since he came across a supply crate earlier. He didn't know how many boats were available nor how many people each could carry, so the sooner those three can claim and repair one the better.

Pico took a quick glance at his compass to confirm he was still heading south. He'd been traveling for like what, four hours by now? He should be closing in on the location already.

His guess wasn't far off. A couple minutes later, the trees suddenly cut off as Pico came across a small clearing, perhaps no more than twenty feet in diameter. The jungle canopy parted as a ray of sunlight shone dead center on the field, an emerald jaguar statue meditating in its light.

Pico scanned the area for a quick second before making his way over to the statue. It reminded him of those porcelain cats sitting on the counter of a local Chinese take-out near his apartment. The owner was an absolute ass, but damn would Pico kill for some of his Bourbon chicken right now.

His gaze drifted from the gaping jaw of the jaguar to its open stomach, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a circular hole carved into its surface, completely empty…

Shink!

It was only through pure instinct that Pico jerked his head back just in time to avoid his brains being splattered against the statue by a piece of… bone?

He cursed under his breath, hitting the deck as a barrage of sharpened bones flew overhead, each embedding themselves several inches deep into the stone jaguar.

A dangerous shift in the ground screamed at him to move. He sprung himself backwards, narrowly avoiding becoming a pincushion as bones sprouted from the ground like thorns from the depths of hell.

After a couple of handsprings to gain some distance Pico landed at the edge of the clearing. In a single, well-practiced movement he withdrew his Uzi's from their holsters, both weapons ready to lay waste to whoever was dumb enough to pick a fight against him.

"You dead motherfucker!" Pico roared, his eyes scanning the area for his attacker. "Show yourself or you will be wishing for death once I get my hands on you!"

It only took a second for not one, but three figures to step out from the underbrush.

To his left, at his ten o'clock, Ayana leveled a .44 Magnum straight at his skull, an irritated expression on her face.

To his right, at his two o'clock, Agoti grinned as the tendrils on his head flared wildly, his body ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

And right in front of him, an all too familiar floating goat-skulled terrorist glared at him. A dozen spears of bone hovered around Tabi, each one ready to skewer the ginger in an instant.

Agoti let out a snicker. "Hehehe, 'dead motherfucker' he says. Real quiet now, ain't ya?" The digidevil snarked, his razor-sharp teeth barred in a grin.

Ayana was less than pleased. "Oi Tabi, what the hell? You know that's a teammate, right?"

"I know." Tabi drawled as walked towards the statue, paying not an ounce of concern regarding the submachine guns pointed right at him.

"You know? What do you mean, you know?! Do you know what could've happened if he died? We would've lost a point!" The femme fatale exclaimed, though she didn't lower her gun nor take her eyes off of the ginger.

Agoti shrugged airily. "Eh yeah, but we would also cut down someone from the bitch's alliance. Sounds like a good deal to me."

Pico snarled as he glared at the three of them. These clowns. He wanted nothing more than to deliver a bullet right through each of their skulls, "teammates" be damned. He wasn't suicidal though; he was pinned three to one. His priority right now was to get the hell out of there so he can get this challenge over with already.

"Tch. You fucks can get the emblem for all I care. You are wasting your time by holding me up," Pico said, slowly walking backwards towards the jungle but still keeping his guns trained on his three attackers.

Tabi stared at the statue for a second, noticing the circular hole on the jaguar's belly. "You don't have the emblem?"

"Of course not, I just got here!" Pico snapped. "If it ain't there, then someone else must've gotten it before us."

Ayana's eyes widened before letting out a groan. "Oh, goddamn it!"

Agoti raised an eyebrow. "Oi, ain't that supposed to be a good thing?"

"Not if whoever found it is on the other team," Pico answered, his grip on his weapons tightening out of frustration. "Nothing is stopping them from just snagging the emblem, throwing it into the ocean, and getting themselves an easy win."

Tabi let out a growl before he noticed something in his gaze. Sunlight reflected off of something hidden between the stones the statue sat on, a bright colored metal tube. A signal flare? He took a step back and cracked open the cap. Thick cyan-colored smoke poured out of the tube, quickly rising up above the jungle canopy.

Ayana fumed. "What the hell? Whoever was here didn't even bother to use it!?"

"So either a teammate either didn't realize the flare was here, didn't bother to use it, or someone from the enemy team ignored it entirely and took the emblem," Pico said, feeling a migraine boiling up within his head.

"And they better hope it is not the last one," Tabi said, his tone dangerous. He glanced towards Ayana and Agoti. "We're done here. Only thing we can do now is head back to camp."

"No shit, Sherlock," Pico said as both he and Ayana lowered their weapons. Right before he made his way back to the jungle, he turned towards the three, seething. "Also, I am begging, pleading with you fucks. Try that shit again. See what happens."

"Careful, I might just take you up on that offer," Agoti goaded. He was just about to make his way towards the ginger only to wince as Ayana jabbed an elbow into his arm.

"Quit fooling around, we need to move," she hissed as the four of them rushed out of the clearing.

xXx

(11:45)

Could robots feel fear?

QT always found that question to be a curious one. Fear, like all emotions, was a reaction, a response resulting from a set of inputs that signaled a threat to one's survival.

Of course, the emotion wasn't always perfect. Faulty reasoning could cause an overreaction to those inputs, inducing outsized feelings of helplessness and despair at extremely minor or even non-existent threats.

Despite that, fear was still a necessary and valuable emotion for survival. Regardless of whether there was a legitimate threat, fear forced a person to think, to find a solution, to react, to get out of whatever was about to cause them great harm. Without fear, one wouldn't survive long in this world.

It thus stands to reason that every sentient being- even the strongest, the boldest, the most experienced- became afraid when faced with danger, with uncertainty, with the unknown. What made someone brave was not a lack of fear, but whether they acknowledge their fear, accept it, and push through regardless.

QT wouldn't say that she was afraid at the moment, but she was definitely concerned. Everything had been running smoothly since she landed on the island. She trekked to the coast, found a run down jet ski by an abandoned lighthouse, and was well in the process of repairing it.

Then, like a snake hidden in the grass, it snuck up on her. Her body heated up. Her thoughts grinded to a crawl. Sweat poured out of her forehead as each step felt like she was pushing a weight up a mountain.

A quick internal scan revealed that something was using up her memory, and fast.

She already knew that there was another entity within her. Technically it was a parasite, but she lived with it for so long that they developed a love-hate mutual relationship. She provided her body and infrastructure as a host, he provided firepower when necessary. They worked together and he was the ace in her pocket, one that power-players paid top dollar for to get necessary work done.

The problem was, she knew that her current condition wasn't his doing. While he did have access to her memory pool, whenever he tapped into it, he never was subtle about it. Wasn't like she could do much to stop him regardless.

Whatever was using her memory this time was anything but obvious. It was slow and insidious, source leeching off of her in incremental steps that compounded by the second yet remained completely undetectable.

By this point she should've heard from KB. If her scans couldn't reveal anything as to the source of this trouble, perhaps the ally living inside her could give some insights.

Requesting [Entity_KB]

...

ERROR: Unable to Establish Connection

QT blinked. She tried again.

Requesting [Entity_KB ]

...

ERROR: Unable to Establish Connection

Requesting [Entity_KB]

...

ERROR: Unable to Establish Connection

QT's lips curled into a frown. He never ignored her, at least not in potentially threatening situations. If she died, he would perish alongside her, and they both enjoyed existence. She dug deeper.

Troubleshooting Initiated…

ERROR: Insufficient Memory Allocated

Troubleshooting Canceled.

QT felt her heart drop to her stomach. She had issues with memory before never to such an extent to prevent her from contacting her friend. She needed to head back to camp ASAP so that she could perform a more thorough diagnosis of the issue, potentially even a soft reset. She just hoped she could make it there before this got too out of hand.

Picking up the gas canister and toolbox, QT felt a growing pit in her stomach as she continued through the underbrush…


Current Results:

At Sea-

Beep Bops (3): Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Selever

Winners Club (2): Ruv, Sarvente

At Asphodel-

Beep Bops (10): Agoti, Ayana, Garcello, Hex, Pico, QT, Sayori, Sunday, Tabi, Tankman

Winners Club (11): Carol, Darnell, Monika, Natsuki, Nene, Pump, Senpai, Skid, Sky, Whitty, Yuri


Current Alliances:

Beep Bops-

Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Pico, Hex, Garcello, and Sunday

Tabi, Agoti, and Ayana

Neutrals: QT, Sayori, Selever, Tankman

Winners Club-

Monika, Yuri, and Natsuki

Sky, Skid, and Pump

Neutrals: Carol, Darnell, Nene, Ruv, Sarvente, Senpai, Whitty


Author's Note:

Phew, sorry for the delay. Finals + real life obligations pushed this chapter out longer than necessary. Originally I was planning on having each challenge be one chapter but looks like many of them will be in two parts due to the sheer amount of content.

Now would be a good time to discuss abilities and powers.

Obviously most of these are fanon and extrapolations from the few bits of trivia known about these characters. I will try to keep things as close to "canon" as possible, though with a bit of artistic license. Also might change a few things here and there as I refine the power system further.

Whitty- Pretty straight forward. Bomb creates explosions. Think Bakugo from My Hero Academia except he isn't limited to just his hands.

Carol- We know from canon that she is a type of angel and that she can fly. Ideal for a support role. Her energy beams are extra effective against demons and other cursed beings. She can also heal pretty much any non-fatal injury.

Selever- If you have seen the Selever vs BF Animation by Pol on Youtube, I am basing his fighting style entirely off of that. Pretty much Sanji with wings.

Tabi- Fun fact: Homskiy, the creator of Tabi, designed him around 2016 when Undertale was taking the internet by storm. So of course, given that he is pretty much cursed to be a skeleton, what better power to give him than to manipulate bones similar to Sans and Papyrus? He won't be throwing around souls anytime soon though.

Agoti- Well, we know that he can produce oil, has hella strong tongue game, and can stretch the tendrils on his head to use as extra limbs. What is uncertain is what type of oil he can produce. Since it is supposed to be a defense mechanism we can assume it is the combustible kind, though I may have him produce other types of oils as well.

Regarding Monika, since she is in the real world she won't have access to the console and thus can't alter reality. That doesn't mean she is completely defenseless though.

Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Ruv, Sarvente, and Sky will be revealed in the story later, so sit tight.

Also, just because someone don't have abilities doesn't mean they are powerless or weak. Weapons exist and if Hank or Matt were in this season they would be utterly busted. Plus, many of the challenges won't require much combat or physical strength at all, but rather intelligence, teamwork, and/or the utter lack of dignity and self-respect.

Yeah, I think that's pretty much it for now. The next chapter will be the conclusion of this challenge and we will have our first elimination. I enjoy reading each of your comments and I am curious as to your predictions on what you think will happen! Also, if you have any questions or challenge ideas, please feel free to share them!

Anyways, take care of yourselves.