Alright! Hopefully this a quick update. I'm SO excited to start writing this chapter.
Also, we hit 300 reviews guys! You're the best! I have a pipe dream of getting this story to 1,000, which is a long shot haha. You never know, though! It'd be such an honor to have three comp fics with 1k+ reviews.
ITS THE MERGE! 11 contestants, battling it out in….well, I can't say yet hehehehe…Just know it'll BE AWESOME! I wonder who will be the first person eliminated in the merge?!
Oh wait…I already know…
I'm pretty sure the elimination order is set in stone, but things are always liable to change! No promises! We all know Rodney will return at the Final Four and then win out from there, then make his harem with the prize money!
Anyways, let's get on with the Merge Chapter!
The episode opened up on the small plane that had taken off from the Aftermath studio. A quick cut to inside showed Scott, Sammy, Dawn, Heather and Alejandro sitting quietly in the dim light.
"So let me get this straight," Scott spoke up, eyeing Alejandro and Heather curiously, "you're telling me that you two aren't supposed to be on this flight?"
"Like I said already, no!" Alejandro sighed, exasperation evident in his tone. "We were supposed to see you off and nothing more."
"Now we're stuck going to crappy Wawanakwa. We'll have to hitch a ride back on this crummy plane," Heather complained. "I mean, seriously…not even any in-flight snacks?"
"You sound like Owen," Scott rolled his eyes. Whilst the rolling of said eyes was occurring, he noticed a certain blonde glaring at him. "What's got your knickers in a twist, Fairy Princess?"
"What you did to Zoey was cruel," Dawn told him calmly, still gazing disapprovingly at the boy. "Coming back and mending her bridges on Total Drama would have been very good for her."
"Yeah, well me and her," Scott jerked his thumb at Sammy, "needed to come back too. We got bridges of our own to mend." He smirked, crossing his arms. "And to burn, too," he added as an afterthought. "Like my Pappy always said, you can't build yourself a bridge without torching the one that was already there into ash." His stomach grumbled, and he held it. "Speaking of, I could really go for Maw-Maw's ash-and-gravel soup."
"Settle down, guys," Sammy said tiredly, "I know were all hungry and a little confused about what's going on. We'll be on Wawanakwa soon enough."
"We better be," Heather grumbled. "We need to get back to the Aftermath Studio. Lindsay and Tyler need to pay."
Alejandro rubbed his soulpatch, "I must confess, I'm impressed by Lindsay's deviousness. How deliciously cunning of her."
"Ugh, shut up!"
As if on cue, a voice came up over the intercom of the plane. "Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing shortly."
The five instantly looked out their windows.
"Really?" Dawn questioned, staring down at the ground, "but it's still nighttime. I thought for sure Chris would wait until tomorrow to introduce us to the others."
"That doesn't look like Wawanakwa," Scott said suspiciously.
"You're right!" Heather's eyes widened. "It looks like an-"
The shot cut to Wawanakwa. The sun shined over the island and birds chirped happily in the morning air. The camera floated over the different buildings, before coming to a rest outside of the boy's trailer. With another flash, it entered the cramped vehicle, which was not so cramped anymore.
The inside of the trailer, once full of boy's clothes and dishes and luggage, was much more open and spacious now that less than half of them remained.
Only, Noah, Lightning, Owen and Duncan now slept in the trailer.
Noah slept far more peacefully now that his beef with his best friend was cleared up. He still had a burning drive to win, but his resolve for underhanded tactics was fading rapidly now that he had Lightning fully on his side and had patched things up with Owen.
Owen too was in better spirits, though the departure of good friend Shawn had prevented him from being back to his true jolly self. He still missed Izzy, of course, but knew he'd see her after the competition.
Lightning had finally recovered from the ugliness of the mid-pre-merge. With Zoey, the person he believed responsible for Sky's elimination, long gone he was able to focus solely on winning. He was getting back to his physical best, which was a formidable force indeed.
Duncan's sleep was most tumultuous. The bad boy had rarely slept well since arriving back on the island, and often dreamt of his past regrets. Nevertheless, he was tough as nails and knew he had to keep it together if he wanted any shot of becoming a two-time victor or obtaining Gwen's friendship again.
A quick pan cut to the girls trailer, which was much tidier and cleaner looking than the boys. With Izzy gone, any chaotic mess had been removed. After all, the remaining women; Gwen, Jasmine, Jo and Bridgette were fairly tidy.
Despite her stress, Bridgette slept peacefully. She had been able to, admittedly with some luck, maneuver her way past the halfway point in the competition. Her deal with Duncan seemed to have secured her safety for the time being. She had quite the task ahead of her, though.
Jo had done surprisingly skillful work setting herself up for the rest of the game. With not-terrible bonds with her teammates and a strong alliance with Jasmine, Shawn, and potentially Owen to take out the rest of Generation I, it seemed she was destined for success. Unfortunately, a small wrench was thrown in that plan with the elimination of Shawn the previous night. She would have to recover quickly, and had spent the time before bed thinking of ways to fix this hiccup.
Gwen's time had been rocky on this season of Total Drama, but when did the goth ever have a smooth ride? Despite her adamance that boy's would no longer factor in her game, 95% of her strife on Total Drama Generations so far had come at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. She had finally washed her hands of him, and was eager for the teams to merge so she could avoid contact with him entirely. She remained unaware of the plot hatched by Duncan and Bridgette to repair their friendship.
Jasmine was the only camper awake in the early morning. Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at the roof of the trailer. Things had been going so well for the strong woman. Despite the two early losses to the team, she and Shawn had beasted through the pre-merge together. With their alliance with Jo and their friendships with Owen and Bridgette, things seemed unable to go wrong…until they did. Shawn broke his ankle, and now he was gone…and she was alone.
BLUUUUUURNGURRRRNUHSHURRRRNUH!
Seven sleeping campers plus Jasmine were startled to full consciousness by an airhorn.
"Attention campers, please convene in the Mess Hall, pronto!" Chris's voice rang throughout camp. "It's a very special day today!"
"A special day!?" Owen cheered, leaping down from his bunk and making the entire trailer shudder. "Oh boy!"
"Maybe it's merge day!" Lightning grinned, somersaulting out of his bed and striking a pose. "Sha-vidual stage!"
A drowsy Duncan shot Lightning an annoyed look. "Did you seriously just say 'sha-vidual?', man?"
Lightning ignored the punk, and quickly began dressing himself.
"Let's hope it's the merge," Noah said, a wistful note in his normally placid tone. "I really wanted to make it when If first got here."
"More than half of us are gone now," Owen said, rubbing his chin in a ponderous fashion. "Seems like it might be a solid bet it's finally here."
"Only one way to find out!" Lightning hollered, now fully dressed. "Last one there's a rotten egg!"
The other three, energized by Lightning's enthusiasm, quickly got dressed and followed suit.
Lightning burst out of the trailer and slammed face first into one of the girls. They both hit the ground with a grunt.
"Watch where you're going, Doofus!" Jo cried, rubbing her bruised nose.
"Hey! Watch where you're goin, Jo!" Lightning shot back, leaping to his feet. Nevertheless, he offered a hand down to the still prone woman, which seemed to surprise her. She reached up and grabbed his wrist, and Lightning effortlessly lifted her to her feet.
"I wonder what Chris meant by a special day?" Bridgette asked curiously, as the group of eight began to walk together towards the Mess Hall.
"Lightning think's its the merge!" The jock flexed his biceps, "I mean, how much more team challengey could they get with only eight of us left?"
"Revenge of the Island had a six person merge," Jo pointed out, "It might be the merge, but I wouldn't say it's guaranteed."
"Good point," Duncan admitted. The Mess Hall loomed ahead of them. "Guess we won't know until that greaseball Chris finally decides to clue us in."
The group finally entered the Mess Hall, but immediately everyone could tell something was wrong. All the lights were off, and the door slammed shut behind them, enveloping them in darkness.
Only the outlines of their eyes were visible.
Gwens' eyes narrowed, "oh great…NOW what?!"
Lightning's eyes were wide, and they darted around incessantly. "Is an attack coming? Everyone be ready! Who's gonna get karate chopped?!"
"Relax, guys," Bridgette's eyes drifted towards the center of the Mess Hall. "Let's just find the light switch and turn the light's back on!" Her eyes widened and suddenly plummeted to the floor, accompanied by a loud thud and a yelp of pain.
"Bridgette, are you okay?!" Owen gasped. His eyes ran forward, but he collided with Duncan and the two hit the floor in a heap.
Click!
The light's suddenly turned back on, and the eight campers had to cover their eyes at the sudden brightness.
Colored streamers and balloons were everywhere. Confetti rained down upon all of them as Duncan struggled to get Owen off of him. A banner hung across the room, spelling out: "Welcome to the Merge!"
The chef's counter was littered with gorgeous looking gourmet breakfast food. Behind the counter, in the kitchen, stood Chris and Chef. Both wore party hats and had noise makers in their mouths, which they blew as soon as the lights went on.
"What the hell is this?" Jo asked, looking around at all the decorations. Her eyes fell on the 'Welcome to the Merge!' banner, and she grinned. "No way, so it is the merge!"
"WOOHOO!" Owen sprung to his feet, finally freeing Duncan from underneath him. "We did it, guys! We made it!" He turned to Noah, "Congrats, Little Buddy! You finally did it!"
Noah had a rare grin on his face, and he pumped his fist in victory as he walked up to the chef's counter to survey the food. "Guess the saying is true: Third time's the charm!"
Duncan held his head as he staggered to his feet. Being crushed by Owen didn't prevent him from walking up to Noah at the chef's counter and elbowing him in the side. "Or as I like to say, 5/5."
"Yeah, we get it, Duncan," Bridgette said with a playful roll of her eyes. "You've merged every time."
"Hah, now that there are no more teams, I can crush anyone I want," Jo laughed, eyeing the punk himself as he began serving himself up a plate.
Jasmine looked at the ground and heaved a sigh. "Shawn would've loved to make the merge…" Her pouting was interrupted when she felt a pair of hefty arms wrap around her waist and lift her off her feet, making her yelp in surprise.
The well-meaning assailant was Owen, who was crushing her in his signature hug.
"Aw, don't be sad, Jasmine! You know he wants us to power through even if he's not here!"
The tough Aussie was not bothered by Owen's crushing hug, and smiled down at him. She wriggled an arm free and rubbed the top of his head affectionately. "You're right, mate. It is pretty awesome we made it to the merge."
Chris walked around to the door that connected the kitchen from the dining hall and emerged into the dining hall with the campers. "Yes yes, congrats indeed! Now, I know you guys are probably eager to dig in, but we just have a few things to go over first. Everyone gather around and listen up."
Everyone quieted down and tuned in to what Chris had to say.
"First off, I would like to officially announced the merge," Chris said with a smirk, "yes indeed, you eight have proven yourselves to be quite the competitors this season. The teams are no more, and challenges will be for individual immunities."
"Wait," Jo interrupted, "you said immunities, plural…"
"Yes I did," Chris shot her a wink.
"You're really okay with handing out multiple immunities with just eight of us left?" Gwen raised an eyebrow at the host, her tone dripping with skepticism.
"No comment. Anyways, we have a fun little breakfast activity to help motivate you guys. Most of you have been through the ringer so far, so we're hoping this little boost will get you guys amped up for the tough merge twists to come."
"Uh-oh," Owen tapped his chubby, sausage-like fingers together nervously. He looked around at the rest of the group, "there he goes with the plurals again…"
"Yeah," Lightning agreed, "what do you mean twists, plural?"
"All will be revealed soon enough," Chris assured them. "For now, though, get some breakfast. Chef, wheel in the TV!"
Everyone began collecting a delicious plate of breakfast food. Chef, meanwhile, rolled out a big flat-screen TV from the kitchen area and began clearing away most of the tables in the Mess Hall. He left only one in the middle, and he positioned the TV at one of the heads of the remaining tables.
"Sit ya butts down, punks!" Chef barked.
"But I haven't finished getting my plate together!" Owen's voice said from behind a plate stacked nearly to the ceiling.
"If you drop that on me, we're gonna have problems," Jo warned as the tubby boy waddled over to the table. He set his plate down expertly, careful not to spill or drop anything, and beamed at the other seven.
"Aw, I love that we're all sitting at one table! We're like a big happy family."
"Considering the amount of people in this so-called family that have sucked face with one another, coupled with the fact that we're not in Alabama, makes me think this is not a family," Noah deadpanned. Duncan chuckled.
"Settle down, settle down," Chris told them. He pulled out a remote and pointed it at the TV. "While you guys enjoy your breakkie, you can also watch…some messages from home!"
Excited gasps rang out around the table.
"Let's go in alphabetical order," Chris told them, "Bridgette, you're up first!"
Bridgette clapped her hands together excitedly as the TV flickered to life.
It showed two people sitting on a couch. One was familiar; a young man with tan skin and short brown hair. A tattoo of a star wrapped around his left bicep and he had an easygoing smile on his face. The other was unfamiliar; a young blonde woman with blonde hair and a similar body to Bridgette's. Both people were dressed in bathing suits, and the background of their room had surfboards hanging on the wall.
"It's Brody and my cousin, Jerri!" Bridgette said excitedly, eyes glues to the screen.
"Heh-heyyyy, Bridge!" Brody greeted the camera. "If you're seeing this, that means you merged on the new season! Aw, we're so proud of you!"
"Of course Geoff would've loved to be here, but he got invited back for the Peanut Gallery, so he's not here!" Jerri explained.
"But it's all good!" Brody added, "because we're here!" He scratched his chin, suddenly a bit worried. He looked to Jerri for help. "Uh, it is all good that he's not here, right?"
Jerri rolled her eyes, but the smile never left her face. "Yes, Brody. It's fine." She turned to look at the camera. "We know you can do this, Bridgette! Kick butt and win! We're all supporting you back home!"
"Yeah!" Brody added, jumping up and getting really close to the camera, "here's a hug for good luck!" He enveloped the camera in a hug, and it cut to static.
Bridgette dabbed at her eyes, a goofy smile on her face. "That was so amazing!" She said in a shaky voice. Next to her, Gwen rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Alright, next up is…Duncan!" Chris announced, pressing play on his remote.
The punk just rolled his eyes. "Great, this oughta be heartwarming," he said sarcastically.
The camera opened to two young men that looked a lot like Duncan. They had the same face as the delinquent, but one was well dressed in a suit and had shaggy blonde hair. The other had a long ponytail and was covered in tattoos.
"Whoa, my brothers!" Duncan sounded pleasantly surprised. "I thought it would be a scolding from my parents!"
"Wow, it's Preppy Duncan and Heavy Metal Duncan!" Owen exclaimed, and Duncan snorted, amused.
"Hey Dunc," Preppy Duncan greeted, an easy grin on his face as he waved at the camera. "So you made the merge again, huh?"
"Way to go, little bro!" Heavy Metal Duncan said, his voice raspy and dry. "A perfect record!" His smile faded a bit. "Sorry Mom and Dad couldn't be here…but they didn't want anything to do with you…"
Preppy Duncan elbowed the youngest of the siblings in the ribs, making him yelp. "Shut it, Terrence."
Terrence rubbed his side and glared at his older brother. "What's that for, dick? It's true!"
"Yeah, but he already knows Mom and Dad aren't talking to him right now! No need to rub it in!"
Terrence crossed his arms and scoffed. "Whatever. You better kill it, big bro! Even if Mom and Dad are a couple of lameo's, Jack and I still love ya."
Jack nodded. "Yeah, we'll see you soon, little bro. Stay strong. And don't worry about Mom and Dad, they'll come around eventually."
The camera shut off, and the Mess Hall was oddly quiet.
Duncan cleared his throat, and when he spoke his tone was dripping with apathy. "My stupid parents are still bent out of shape about the whole getting sent to prison thing. It's no big deal, and I definitely don't care."
"Well, that was unexpectedly heavy," Chris whistled. "Swiftly moving on…here's Gwen!"
Gwen's video message from home opened to show a familiar frazzled looking woman with a warm smile plastered on her face.
"Hi honey!" Gwen's mom waved to the camera. "Congrats on making the merge again! I'm so proud of you!"
Gwen smiled at her mom, but couldn't help the old habit of rolling her eyes. "She never changes," she remarked warmly, eyes glued to the screen.
"Don't worry about me, things are going fine," Gwen's mom continued to ramble, "you just make sure you're doing your best out there! I know you were worried about Duncan coming back before you left, which is totally understandable,"
"Ooh," Chris narrated, "burn to Duncan, there."
"Stuff it," Duncan shot back, glaring at the host. Gwen looked a little awkward, but still kept her attention on the screen.
"But I have some good news!" The video continued, "I know you're always annoyed with me trying to set you up on dates, but I think you'll really like this one! He works at a restaurant!"
Her words had a quick effect on some of the others. Bridgette winced, and Duncan's eyes widened ever-so-slightly. Gwen, funnily enough, didn't seem to realize what her mother had said, and had merely rolled her eyes again as she smiled on.
"Anyways, I know these can't be too long, so just know I love you! Stay safe!" Her mom blew a kiss to the camera, and it cut to static.
Bridgette quickly eyed Duncan to gauge his reaction, being one of the three people to be aware of Gwen's lie about not being single. However, Duncan seemed unreadable and nonchalant, and was reclining in his chair with his hands behind his head.
"How sweet," Chris noted, sounding bored. "And how revealing…"
It was only with those words that Gwen seemed to realize that her lie had been exposed. She too winced, and glanced over at Bridgette.
"How was that revealing?" Lightning scoffed. "Because we found out that Gwen has a momma that obviously loves her?" He waved his arms around in mock-surprise. "Sha-whoaaaa, man! That's K-R-I-E-Z-Y!"
Jo scoffed and kicked him in the back of the leg, making him yelp. "Pipe down, Doctor Doofus," she snapped. "I wanna see my video!"
"Jasmine first," Chris told the angry woman, "because 'J-a' comes before "J-o" alphabetically, you see."
"I get it," Jo said with a roll of her eyes, "just hurry up already!"
Jasmine's parents appeared on the screen, sitting on the couch with their cat Whiskers sleeping peacefully on Jasmine's father's lap. Both were huge and had dark skin just like Jasmine. Her father had a large afro and wore roughed up survival clothing, while her mother's head was shaved and she was dressed fashionably.
"G'day, Jasmine!" They both waved at the camera. "Your mother and I both know you're gonna be watching this, because of course our strong daughter made the merge again!"
Jasmine beamed, obviously proud of herself.
"Your father and I are pretty busy," Jasmine's mother said with a warm smile, "but we both postponed some meetings to clear up some time together to record this for you! We don't have a lot of time, but we know you can do it!"
Jasmine's father waved to the camera, "I'd say good luck, but we know you don't need it!"
Jasmine's mother blew a kiss to the camera, and it cut to static.
"These are so warm and gushy," Noah noted, turning to eye Chris with a raised eyebrow. "How unlike you."
"Trust me, I'm gagging on in the inside," Chris admitted, "but we thought you guys might like the morale boost."
"Shut up and play the video!" Jo shouted, a rare touch of excitement in her tone as she eyed the screen.
"Have a cow…" Chris grumbled, but played the video nonetheless.
A man appeared on screen, one who shared Jo's eyes and sandy blonde hair. The man was ripped. Like, he gave Ryan from Ridonculous Race a run for his money. Both his bushy beard and close-cropped hair were speckled with grey.
"My little Josephine!" He boomed.
Lightning's jaw dropped. "Is that your Dad?!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's Pops," Jo smirked. "Makes you look like Static Electricity, huh?"
Despite the insult, Lightning couldn't help but admire Jo's father. "The man gets sha-gains!"
"Yeah, Mom left when I was two, so it was just me and my dad growing up." Jo said fondly. She flexed an arm, "he's my role model."
"I know you've had a rough go of it on that dumb show!" Her father shouted, "but it's okay! You're gonna do great this time! You're already my tough little gal!"
"Why is he shouting into the camera?" Gwen asked, confused.
"He's not so great with technology. He's super annoying whenever he's on the phone, too." Jo replied.
"Well, gotta go now! Kick some ass, take no prisoners!" Her dad bellowed, "Bye!"
"Weirdly, that video explains so much," Noah drawled. Jo flicked him in the back of the neck.
Chris pressed the forward button on his remote. "Alright Lightning, you're up next!"
Unlike Lightning's first video from home, his father was not present. Instead, there was a lovely older woman in focus of the camera. She had pale skin and fiery red hair, which gleamed in the sunlight. She sat outside, by an outdoor fountain.
"That's your mom?" Owen smacked his forehead. "Holy biscuits and cheese, that is not what I pictured her like at all!"
"That makes two of us," Bridgette agreed.
"That's Lightning's step-mom!" Lightning explained fondly, "Pops and Moms have been divorced since Lightning was a little kid. That's Sienna, and Pops married her after Total Drama All-Stars! She's taught Lightning a lot about being a better teammate." He kissed his bicep. "And Sha-dang if he ain't the best teammate ever, now!"
"Hello, Rudolph," Sienna waved to the camera. "I hope you are doing well."
"Hey Momma!" Lightning waved to the camera like a small child, "He's doing super well! The Wellest!"
"Uh, he does realize it's not a video call, right?" Jasmine whispered to Bridgette.
"I dunno," Bridgette responded, looking a little amused by it all.
"You've grown so much since I met you and married your father," Sienna said warmly, "I know you now possess the skills to win! Your father sends his wishes too, but you know how busy he is."
Lightning's face fell a little at those words, but he tried to hide it. "Oh, Lightning understands. Pops is always too busy unless Lightning's playing football."
"Stop replying to her, doofus, it's not a video call!" Duncan told him, exasperated.
"Anyways, I'll be cheering you on, honey," Sienna finished up her message, "stay strong, and stay safe!"
"Thanks Momma! Sha-bye-bye!" Lightning waved to the TV. "Don't worry about him, Lightning's gonna win it all!"
Chris just shook his head, a little annoyed with Lightning's exuberant declarations. "Alright man, pipe down, will ya? Sheesh."
Lightning just crossed his arms. "Shut up, Bad-Stubble dude!"
Chris clapped his stubbly cheeks with his hands. "My Stubble is not bad! You're the one with grandpa hair!" He pointed to Lightning's white hair. "And PS: you look weird with your white hair and black goatee!"
Lightning clasped his own facial hair. "You take that back!"
"Make me!"
Chef quickly held back Chris, who had advanced at Lightning making fierce, limp-wristed slapping motions. "Take it easy, man," Chef told the angered host quietly, "he ain't worth it!"
Lightning kissed his biceps, "Lightning ain't scared of you, Chris the Cringle!"
Jo facepalmed.
"Chris Cringle? Oh, it'll be Christmas Day up in this bitch when I drop some knowledge on you guys that'll leave you all quaking in your diapers," Chris warned, ceasing his struggles in Chef's grip. "Let's get these stupid video messages over with already."
Noah was up next, and two familiar faces appeared on the screen. It was Noah's girlfriend, Emma, and her younger sister Kitty.
Owen gasped, "It's Emma and Kitty," he pointed unnecessarily at the TV. "Noah, are you seeing this?! It's Emma! And Kitty! EMMA AND KITTY!"
"Yes Owen, I see them," Noah said, a familiar goofy grin on his face as he stared at the screen.
"Hey Noah," Emma greeted happily, waving at the camera. "I so hope you're seeing this because that means you finally merged! I know it means a lot to you to accomplish that."
"Emma misses you like, so much!" Kitty added.
Emma glared at her. "Of course I do, but don't worry, I'm doing fine with being apart! I'm almost finished with the semester, so I've been keeping busy. I'm also watching this new show where-"
"She has a calendar pinned on the wall next to her bed so she can cross off the days until you come back," Kitty interrupted her sister again, a cheeky grin on her face, "and she's had me sleep over every night so she doesn't have to be alone."
"Kitty!" Emma complained, "are you trying to embarrass me?!"
"Uhh, duh!" Kitty laughed, "that's what little sisters are for silly!" She winked at the camera. "Kick some butt out there, Noah! We believe in you!"
"Definitely!" Emma agreed, "I love you. Do your best out there!"
The two sisters waved to the camera one last time, and the tape cut off.
"How did you score a girl like that?" Jo asked the bookworm, who was still grinning goofily at the now black screen. "Seriously, she's way outta your league!"
"That's what I've been saying," Duncan agreed. He rubbed his chin, "maybe he's packing some serious heat…"
"Ew, gross, Duncan," Gwen gagged, "I do not need that mental image."
Owen, meanwhile, had broken Noah out of his stupor with a rib-crushing hug. "Aw, isn't that awesome, little buddy? She misses you!"
"She better," Noah choked out, his ribs cracking under the pressure, "we've only been dating for a couple years…"
"Alright Owen, you're the last one," Chris told the fat boy.
"Ooh, who's it gonna be?" Owen asked the host, "my brothers? My parents? My PE teacher?!"
"Maybe, maybe, and…huh?" Chris pressed play, and Owen's two little brothers appeared on the screen. Both were a little on the hefty side, but not nearly as fat as Owen was.
"Hey Owen! It's your little bros, Johnny and Gavin!" One of the brothers said, pointing to first himself and then Gavin.
"Wow, you guys really look alike!" Jasmine remarked. "You guys could be triplets!"
Owen giggled. "We're Irish triplets. It's so good to see them!"
"Dude, you gotta kick butt!" Gavin said happily.
"And see if you can score me Courtney's number, if she's on the show!" Johnny added. "She's totally hot!"
Duncan burst out laughing.
"Johnny, she's not gonna go out with you," Gavin rolled his eyes. He grinned at the camera, "but if Dawn's there, give her my digits, eh?"
Johnny smacked the back of Gavin's head. "Hey! Don't be a hypocrite!"
Gavin rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly at the camera. "Alright then, good luck Big Bro. You got this!"
Johnny gave him the peace sign. "When you get back we're hitting up the Chinese buffet! On us!"
Gavin heard this and instantly looked glum. "Why'd you have to say that? Guess I'll start saving my allowance now…"
The camera cut to static, and Owen wiped a few tears from his eyes.
Chris was not oblivious to the general morale boost that the videos had brought the group, and a faint crease appeared between his eyes as he took a deep breath. "Must…resist…urge to destroy happiness," he said to himself through gritted teeth.
"What was that?" Gwen asked the host.
"Nothing!" Chris said quickly, "now that everyone has had their fun little moment, it's time to get into the merge. We've got some twists for you guys."
Owen pumped his fists. "Bring it, Chris! I am ready! Ready-freddy! A steady man named Fred who is ready!"
Chris ignored the oaf, "alright, follow me." Without further explanation, he walked out of the Mess Hall. The eight mergers looked at each other, confused. After a few seconds, Chris peeked his head back inside, a frown on his face. "Today, dudes! Let's go!"
Everyone quickly hopped up and jogged after the host. The day was sunny and warm as they walked across the camp. To the surprise of the campers, Chris began to lead them deep into the woods.
"Where are we going?" Noah asked.
Chris just chuckled darkly. "Oh…you'll see…" His chuckle evolved into a full-blown laugh, and the campers eyed each other nervously.
In the distance, a faint rumbling was heard.
(Confessional: Gwen.)
Gwen gives the camera a dry look. "I know that laugh…I hear it in my nightmares. This can't be good."
(End Confessional: Gwen.)
(Confessional: Duncan.)
"Meh, after four seasons I don't think anything Chris throws at us can throw me off."
(End Confessional: Duncan.)
The contestants plus Chris emerged into a huge clearing. There was a long, thick strip of concrete that ran the length of the clearing.
"Wait a sec," Jasmine said nervously, "I've explored most of this island…this wasn't here before. Don't tell me Wawanakwa is actually mechanical!"
"Naw, don't get your silly hat twisted," Chris told her. "We had this put it in a couple of nights ago."
Realization began to dawn on Noah's face. "Uh oh…I know what this looks like…"
"Do you guys hear that?" Jo asked.
The rumbling, which had been faint and sporadic for the last few minutes, had now become a steady thrum of noise…and it was only getting louder.
"You all might wanna step back…" Chris warned them.
"Wait, Lightning recognizes that sound!" Lightning gasped, "that sounds like a…"
"PLANE!" Owen shrieked, pointing over the horizon as a black blob appeared.
"Wait a second…" Bridgette's eyes widened. "Is that…"
"No way!" Duncan slapped his forehead.
"Yes way," Chris confirmed. "Back from the dead after four seasons absence…it's…The Total Drama Jumbo Jet!"
Sure enough, as the plane got closer, the familiar mug of Chris in an aviators cap could be seen emblazoned on the side of the Jet. Within minutes, it was touching down on the makeshift runway.
"You guys need to go pack," Chris told them, "because in half an hour we're boarding this bad boy!"
"And going where, exactly?" Bridgette asked, a little nervous.
"Only time will tell," Chris smirked. "The only thing I can tell you is that we're leaving the island. Like I said, half an hour!" He clapped his hands together, and his white teeth gleamed in the sunlight. "Chop chop!"
The eight contestants ran back towards camp.
"Woohoo!" Owen screamed, "I don't know whether to be stoked or scared!"
"Don't worry, big guy," Noah told him, panting a bit from the exertion. "I've got just the thing!"
The four boys clattered into the boy's trailer.
"Sha-dang! This is super exciting!" Lightning said, opening one of the drawers in the dressers and dumping all his clothes into his duffel bag.
"Grab your pillows, guys," Noah said as he stuffed his own pillow into his suitcase. "If my hunch is right…and they usually are, we could definitely benefit from them."
Duncan, Owen and Lightning exchanged a look, but shrugged and packed their pillows, too.
(Confessional: Noah.)
"My guess? It's World Tour 2.0," Noah guesses, not looking particularly impressed. "Either that or we're being shipped off to a new place. At least there's no Eel-ajandro around to screw everything up for me this time. With Lightning and Owen on my side…" he smirks, "it should be smooth sailing."
(End Confessional: Noah.)
(Confessional: Jasmine.)
"Going on a trip around the world would be amazing!" Jasmine starts out her Confessional super excited. "I mean, a free chance to see all these different cultures? Incredible!" Her face falls, "but doing it without Shawn…" she sighs. "I know I have Owen still, and my alliance with Jo. But, I still feel so alone…"
(End Confessional: Jasmine.)
"This is so scary, but so cool!" Bridgette said, throwing her clothes haphazardly into her suitcase.
"What's scary about it?" Jo asked, her tone incredulous as she finished zipping up her duffel bag. "It's just whatever the next stage of the competition is."
"But what if it's another trip around the world?" Jasmine asked the burly, crabby woman. "I mean come on, even you would be excited about that?" Having packed the least of all the girls, Jasmine was already ready to head back.
"Okay, sure it might be fun," Jo conceded, "if this weren't a competition! I'm here to win a million bucks. I can tour the world after I win!"
"True that," Gwen said, her brow furrowed. She too had packed a pillow into her suitcase, and this didn't go unnoticed by the others. "Total Drama World Tour really screwed things up for me. I am not happy about potentially doing that again."
"Why'd you pack your pillow into the suitcase?" Bridgette asked.
"Remember Loser Class?" The goth asked her friend, and a teasing grin formed on her lips. "You should, you never slept in anything else!"
Bridgette gasped, punching Gwen lightly on the arm. "Wow! Low blow!"
Gwen just chuckled, and headed for the door. "Yeah, I don't feel like sleeping on a bench without a pillow again."
The other three girls eyed each other, and each grabbed a pillow of their own.
"She makes a good point," Jo shrugged, "now let's move!"
(Confessional: Jo.)
"Okay, I'm majorly annoyed!" Jo confessed, "if we're leaving this crappy island, that means I ran out of time to get the stupid immunity idol! I still have no idea what the clue means." She pulls a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket. "What a bust!"
(End Confessional: Jo.)
(Confessional: Lightning.)
Lightning grins and pumps his large, muscular arms. "Lightning is ready for this! Sha-Bam!"
(End Confessional: Lightning.)
The eight campers had re-convened back at the makeshift runway with their suitcases or duffel bags. During their absence, Chris had changed from his normal attire into his aviator hat and jacket so he matched the logo on the side of the Jumbo Jet.
"Alright, everyone on!" Chris clapped his hands, and the door high up on the plane opened loudly. Chef, from inside the plane, dropped a rope ladder down onto the concrete. "Nowwww boarding!"
Everyone climbed into the Jet, and found themselves in the Elimination Area from World Tour.
"Wow," Gwen remarked, "is this an exact replica?"
"Pretty much," Chris said, climbing in after the campers and dusting himself off. He frowned as he pried dirt from his jacket, "man, sometimes I really miss my jetpack…"
"So what, is this another World Tour or what?" Jo asked impatiently.
Chris stopped his self-grooming and pressed a finger to Jo's lips, effectively silencing her. "Shut. It! All will be explained soon! But first, let's take a quick tour through the plane for those that have never been on it!" He gestured around to the room they were all in, which was the same as it was in Total Drama World Tour. The wooden tiki statues remained by the exit, and the benches covered by the grass were tucked away on one side of the room. The little stand where Chris stood was intact, and there was a large crate behind it with the word "PEANUTS" branded on it.
"This is where losers got booted last time, right?" Jo asked.
"Correctamundo," Chris confirmed. "Whether or not anyone will be eliminated here remains to be seen…" He turned around and headed out of the room. The others followed him and they emerged into a long, dim hallway. Shitty airplane lights were the only source of light. "Straight down there leads to the Dining Area," Chris told them, pointing to the end of the hall. "As you can see, there are two doors in this hallway, one on the left and one on the right. The left door is a normal bathroom. The right is the Confessional bathroom. Don't get 'em mixed up, hahah, hahaha…"
The host and group followed down the hallway and emerged into the Dining Hall. Identical to the one in Total Drama World Tour, they didn't spend too much time in it. Instead, Chris pointed to one of two doors. "Down there is two more bathrooms and a little kitchen where food can be cooked.
Duncan rolled his eyes. "Isn't that the hallway where Alejandro told Sierra and Cody he was a witness to their marriage?"
Chris gave him finger guns. "Right you are, my man." He then pointed his finger guns to the second door. "Follow me down this hallway!" He led the way and the hallway split off into three sections. "One of these leads towards Loser Class," he pointed to the right door, "the left door leads to First Class, and the middle door leads to the Storage Area."
"Is that all? I remember the plane being a little bigger…" Noah asked.
"There's a couple more areas, but you'll get to see those later," Chris winked. "Now, go drop your bags off in Loser Class and then meet me back in the Dining Area. It's time to drop those bombs I've been hinting at!"
Once the eight campers had tossed their things into the damp, musty Economy section, they met back up in the Dining Area.
"Have a seat, have a seat," Chris urged them, ushering them towards one of the bolted down metal tables. "Now, as most of you have probably guessed ever since you saw the Jumbo Jet…we are going around the world for the remainder of the competition! Each challenge will be in a different country!"
"Woohoo!" Jasmine cheered, "this is gonna be right amazing!"
"Oh boy," Owen gulped, "lot's of flying…huh?"
"C'mon, dude, the Race got you over your fear a little, right?" Noah asked his friend hopefully.
"I guess, but it's still been a while since I've flown since then," Owen said nervously. "Hopefully it won't be too bad this time around…"
Duncan realized something, and a look of horror appeared on his face. "Wait a minute…don't tell me…" He gulped, and a bead of sweat trickled down his neck. "Are…are we gonna have to sing again?"
The other seven gasped.
"Oh no, I am not singing like some froo-froo little princess," Jo said adamantly.
"I mean, it wouldn't be the worst thing, I guess…" Bridgette said half-heartedly.
"Yes, yes it would," Gwen said dryly.
Chris raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Guys, guys, settle down. Worry not, there will be no singing required this time around. Ella totally soured me on the idea last season anyways."
Jasmine wiped her brow, "Phew. Thank you Ella."
"There is one minor annoyance, though," Chris's brow furrowed. "I've been told by the producers that we have to…ti pay homage," he spit the word out like it burned his tongue just to say, "to a certain other show that tried it's best to copy Total Drama." He eyed Noah and Owen angrily. "Something I still haven't forgiven two people here for!"
Noah just smirked. "What, is Don gonna come in and host a couple challenges?"
Chris sighed. "No, thank God. I never wanna see that wimpy loser ever again. We have to pay homage to the Ridonculous Race by having three challenges be in countries used by the Ridonculous Race. The challenges will be similar to the ones done there, too."
Owen cheered loudly, pumping a meaty fist through the air. "Woohoo! That's awesome, though! The challenges in the Ridonculous Race were awesome!"
Chris gave the fat boy a death glare, and Owen quickly dropped his arms. Satisfied with the response, the older man cleared his throat and began to pace back and forth, "Now that that's out of the way, I have one more ginormous bombshell to drop on you guys. One so huge, so massive, so UNBELIEVABLE…that you'll never guess it in a million years!"
"Someone's coming back into the game?" Gwen guessed dryly.
"Nope!"
Jo rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Ooooooh, let me guess…two people are coming back?"
"Wrong again!"
That left the campers a little stumped. They looked amongst each other, waiting for Chris to announce what this alleged 'twist' was.
"Not one, not two…but THREE people are joining the game!" Chris told them excitedly, "and they're doing it right now!"
"Sha-THREE?!" Lightning exclaimed. "Oh come on, man! That just trounced Lightning's odds form 1/8 to…uh…" he paused, and began counting on his fingers. "Man, Lightning don't even have enough fingers for that kinda math!"
Duncan was looking a little uneasy. "Who's returning…?"
"We'll introduce them one by one," Chris smirked. "Two of them you all will know very well. The third might come as more of a shock." He jogged over to the hallway that lead towards Loser Class, First Class, and Storage. He stuck his head in the hallway and shouted down it. "OKAY, NUMBER ONE! COME ON OUT!"
The eight campers watched with trepidation as they heard footsteps clatter against the metal walkway. A figure emerged into the dim light of the cafeteria, and the light glinted off his ginger hair.
"Everyone give a warm welcome to…Scott!"
Crickets.
Scott just smirked, not at all bothered by the lack of enthusiasm. "Yeah, that's right. I'm back, suckers!"
"Oh great," Duncan grumbled, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "That's just great…"
Scott walked over to Lightning and slugged him on the arm, making the jock raise an eyebrow at the schemer. "Hey there, Lightning. You been making friends?" He turned his wicked grin to Noah, and gave him a knowing stare. Noah's eyes widened.
(Confessional: Noah.)
"There's no way he could know about the Sky and Zoey thing…is there?" Noah asks the camera nervously.
(End Confessional: Noah.)
"COME ON OUT, NUMBER TWO!" Chris yelled down the hallway as Scott took a seat at the tables with the others, and footsteps were once again heard as the second person emerged into the Dining Area.
Sammy smiled out over everyone as she emerged. "Hey everyone," she said, her tone a little nervous.
Jasmine jumped to her feet with an excited scream. "SAMMY!"
Sammy found herself lifted off her feet and the breath crushed from her lungs as Jasmine enveloped her in a bear hug. The nice twin was happy to see Jasmine too, and returned the hug to the best of her ability. Once she found her feet back on the floor, she beamed up at Jasmine. "Ohmygosh, Jasmine! I totally missed you!"
"I missed you too," Jasmine said, her voice a little wobbly as she looked down at the nice twin. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're back…"
"Yes yes, very touching," Chris said dismissively, "sit down, though. We still have one more returnee to introduce."
"Oh yes, I'm quite pleased to be here," came a sudden new voice from directly behind Chris.
"AGH!" Chris squealed, turning around in his alarm and nearly falling over.
Lightning gasped, a grin forming on his face. "It's Creepy Girl!"
Dawn smiled at the Uber Jock, "Hello, Lightning. It's good to see you after so long."
Lightning rushed over to the tiny girl and gave her a fist bump. "It's been forever!"
"Oh!" Bridgette said, recognition on her face, "Dawn! You were my favorite in Revenge of the Island!"
"Hello Bridgette," Dawn greeted her warmly, "you were always one of my favorite classic competitors. Your aura is so strong and purple."
Bridgette looked flattered. "Oh…thank you!"
Noah rolled his eyes. "Oh brother."
Dawn heard the bookworm and turned to glare at him. Noah flinched under the glare and quickly avoided eye contact.
(Confessional: Duncan.)
"Could this possibly be any worse?!" Duncan rants, running his hands through his black mohawk, "Scott and Sammy are gonna be coming after Gwen and I for what we did to them, and Dawn's all into reading auras and exposing people's dark secrets! This bites!"
(End Confessional: Duncan.)
(Confessional: Dawn.)
Dawn looks around the Confessional bathroom with mild interest before refocusing her attention on the camera. "My, there are lots of troubled souls on this aircraft." She shakes her head, and her blonde locks flutter around her face, "There are many conversations I need to have with people here. I do not know if my purpose is to win this game, but I will do my best to help mend some of these ruined bridges while I am here." She stares balefully into the camera. "Except for Scott's bridges. Those can stay destroyed."
(End Confessional: Dawn.)
"Alright," Chris said, "moving on then. Welcome Scott, Sammy and Dawn to the competition! Now that there's 11 of you, this is our second largest merge ever!"
"You're telling me," Jo crossed her arms, "Revenge of the Island was almost this big when we started!"
"Yeah, well, no one said winning the was gonna be easy," Chris told her with a wink. "Now, the deal is-"
"Eh-HERM!" Came a new voice from behind Chris, and all of Chris plus the eight original mergers jumped in surprise.
"What the hell?" Chris whirled around and came face to face with a scowling Alejandro and Heather. The host let out another undignified scream. "Agh! Alejandro!? Heather?! What the-…what are you guys doing here?!"
Gwen and Noah had both grown pale at the sight of their arch enemies. The goth lifted a hand to point at the equally annoyed Queen Bee. "What…the hell…is she doing here?"
"Oh shut it, Gwen," Heather snapped. "Trust me, I don't want to be here either."
Alejandro, meanwhile had chosen to answer Chris's question. "When Heather and I were escorting Scott, Sammy and Dawn to the plane to be flown here, Lindsay shoved Heather into the plane! Then she closed the door so the pilot took off with us still on board!"
"What?" Bridgette asked, "why would they do that?" She was currently glaring daggers at the Latino, who had not failed to notice. He awkwardly looked away.
"Wow, how devious of her!" Gwen smirked, "remind me to buy her a coffee next time I see her."
Owen gave a shy little wave to Alejandro. "Hey there, Al!" He flinched, "Uh, I mean…Alejandro! Hows it goin?!"
Alejandro rolled his eyes, but when he spoke his tone was civil. "I've been doing well, Owen. It seems you haven't changed much."
"D'awww, thanks!" Owen grinned. After a brief moment, his grin faded. "Uh…was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?"
"He is the master of complasults," Duncan smirked, walking up to the arch-villain with his signature cocky smirk. "Long time no see, man. You as evil and greasy as you used to be?" He held out his hand for a fist bump.
Alejandro looked offended, but accepted the fist bump nonetheless. "Duncan, my friend, we both know that my antics pertain only to the game. Outside of it, I'm quite fond of most of you!"
"Whatever you say, pretty boy."
Chris chose this moment to clear his throat. "Alright, settle down everyone! This whole stowaway business is so throwing a major wrench in my plans!" He glared at the villain couple. "Are you two going to be the next Ezekiel's?"
Heather scoffed so hard her whole body shook. "Don't you dare compare me to that million-stealing moron. Trust me, just drop us off back at the Aftermath Studio and we'll be out of your poorly styled, overly gelled hair."
Chris didn't look at all amused by Heather's comment, thought it did garner a few snickers from some of the others. "Yeah, I hate to break it to you two, but the Film Set for the Aftermaths is west. We're heading East."
"So make a stop!" Alejandro demanded. "We can't just be stuck here! Heather and I need to make sure our spots as Aftermath hosts aren't in jeopardy!"
"Hmm, lemme think about that for a second," Chris told him. He put a hand to his face and scratched at his stubble in mock-thought for all of two seconds. "Nope! No can do. Guess you guys are along for the ride."
"Oh no, I am not playing this stupid game again." Heather told him, her tone deadly serious. "That was not in our contracts!"
"Yeah, going from eight people to thirteen? Are you outta your freakin' mind?!" Jo hollered.
"Relax, there's no way he'd bring back five people at once," Noah tried to assure everyone, though his face looked far from convinced.
"As much as it annoys me to say, Noah is right," Chris said happily. "Alejandro and Heather won't be joining the competition."
The group of eleven let out a collective sigh or relief.
"What they will be doing," the host continued, an evil grin forming on his face, "will be interning!"
"INTERNING!?" The two would-be interns shrieked in unison.
"Oh no," Alejandro told Chris angrily, "I've seen what happens to the interns on this show. I can't risk a mauling on myself! I need to be as gorgeous as ever for the hosting job!"
"And no way is interning in our contract," Heather added.
Chris pulled out two red-shirts from behind his back. They were a deep, dark red that was borderline maroon, and could be recognized as the shirts that all of the various interns seen on the later seasons had worn. "Your contract states that you shall aide the show with your presence. Due to an oversight by both of you, the only way you can fulfill your own contract now is to be interns."
Heather began to walk out of the room, down the hallway towards the elimination room. "No way. You can't make me. I'll just jump out the stupid Elimination door right now. We're still on the ground anyways."
"You could spend the rest of the time on Wawanakwa," Chris conceded, still holding out the shirts as his eyes followed Heather. "But then there's zero chance you guys ever make it back to the Aftermath Studio before the season ends. If you stick around and do a good job as faithful little interns, there's a chance I might throw you two a bone and drop you off."
Heather stopped in her tracks, and when she turned to face Chris he couldn't help but flinch from the venom spewing from her eyes. "You're going to pay for this, Chris!" She snapped. She stalked up to him and snatched one of the red-shirts from his hands.
"I've heard that before," Chris teased, not looking particularly frightened. He tossed the other shirt to Alejandro. "Here you go, Al. I figured since you go wherever Heather goes, you're in too."
The shirt flopped over Alejandro's head, and he let out an indignant huff as he yanked it off him. "This isn't over," he told Chris.
"Yeah yeah yeah," Chris waved his hands dismissively.
The discussion was cut off when the plane shook, making most of the others stumble.
"What the heck was that?!" Owen shrieked.
"Sounds like we're taking off!" Chris said excitedly. "Alright then, we're on our way to our first destination! I'll let you guys know when we're gonna start making our descent. For now, I'll throw you guys a bone and let you all hang out in First Class."
"Alright, luxury!" Scott cheered, "I wonder if they have those fancy toothpicks that smell like mint!"
Everyone hurried off towards First Class, but Chris thrust out an arm to stop the last two from going. "Not so fast, guys!"
The two to be stopped were none other than Alejandro and Heather, who exchanged an unsurprised, yet tired look.
"You two need to be briefed on your duties as interns," Chris told them, very obviously enjoying the whole situation. "Chef will brief you in the cockpit. Chop chop!"
Neither bothered to respond, but both glared heavily at the host as they headed down towards the cockpit.
(Confessional: Jasmine.)
Jasmine has a relieved smile on her face. "I can't believe Sammy is back!" She lets out a huge sigh, and her wide smile grows. "You know, I was so worried about having to do this without Shawn, but now that she's back I feel like I have the strength to carry on!" She pats one of her biceps, "she and I are gonna own this! I'm sure Jo will be happy to recruit her too!"
(End Confessional: Jasmine.)
(Confessional: Gwen.)
"Oh mom, why'd you have to go and blab about my dating life like that?" Gwen complains, "well, whatever. Just chalk it up as another thing Duncan can be salty at me for."
(End Confessional: Gwen.)
Some hours went by, and everyone had kind of spread out and was doing their own thing.
The camera cut to storage, where two people could be seen amongst the large crates.
"So…" Bridgette said nervously, holding her arm as she eyed the pacing Duncan, "what did you wanna talk about?"
Duncan stopped his pacing and ran a hand through his mohawk. "You heard that, right? Gwen's message from home?"
"Uhh…" Bridgette winced, knowing that it probably wouldn't do her any good to play dumb. "You're talking about the setting her up with a guy, right?"
Duncan nodded, "I thought Gwen said she had a boyfriend, didn't she?"
"Well…yeah," Bridgette told him, "the thing is…don't get mad Duncan…but…" she trailed off.
That was all Duncan needed to put two and two together. Realization dawned on his face, and he couldn't help but chuckle dryly. "Ah, so it was a load of crap." He eyed Bridgette critically, "let me guess, it was to throw me off, and you knew about it too?"
"Yeah, pretty much…Just don't be too mad at her, Duncan. She wasn't thinking when she said it…"
Duncan was silent for a few moments, and sat himself down on one of the crates. He leaned his elbows on his knees, his eyes narrowed in pensive thought. Bridgette watched him, a little nervous. The last thing she needed was for Duncan to go ballistic and go and accuse Gwen in front of everyone.
After a little while of contemplative silence, Duncan rose to his feet and brushed off his hands. "Well, fine then."
Bridgette blinked. "Wait…that's it?"
"What do you mean?" Duncan asked, "I came here wanting to get with Gwen. I get why she did it. That lie is just another thing on the pile of shit we've had to deal with from each other this season. Sure, it doesn't feel good, but it's not like I care…"
Bridgette eyed him skeptically, "you don't?"
The punk rolled his eyes, "I don't, Bridgette. Gwen's gonna do what she has to do. I was never gonna be upset with her for not wanting to get back with me. It's when she betrayed a potential friendship that I was pissed at her." He shrugged, and a little sadness showed on his face. "But we're beyond that now too, I guess."
"Not yet," Bridgette argued, walking over to Duncan and rubbing his arm in a comforting manner, "give me some time to work on her. She'll come around!"
"If we're even around long enough for it to happen," Duncan said dryly, "with Sammy and Scott back, her and my's ass are now seriously in the hot seat."
It was hard to argue with that, but Bridgette tried anyways. "Sammy doesn't seem too vindictive," even she knew her voice lacked confidence, "I…I don't think she was too mad?"
Duncan just laughed, and ruffled her hair roughly. "Whatever lets you sleep at night, Malibu." He turned to start walking out of Storage.
"So you're not gonna say anything to Gwen?" Bridgette called after his retreating back, patting her frazzled hair back into place.
"Nope," Duncan answered.
Bridgette watched him go, warmth in her eyes.
(Confessional: Bridgette.)
"Wow, I wouldn't have put it past Duncan to go ballistic and throw a tantrum about Gwen's lie!" Bridgette tells the camera, her eyes wide. "That was seriously mature of him!" She looks a little stumped, "huh, maybe he has changed…"
(End Confessional: Bridgette.)
Sammy and Scott were sitting next to each other in First Class, chatting quietly.
"So I really can't tell her anything…?" Sammy asked, her tone a little hesitant as she looked around.
"I know it sucks," Scott said, his voice oddly consoling as he pat Sammy on the shoulder, "but it's the best thing for our game. She'll understand, if she ever finds out…"
"Okay, fine," Sammy frowned, "but I have a condition."
"Oh? What's that?"
Sammy placed a hand gently onto one of his, and smiled at him. "Try and loosen up a bit, okay? You were like, super crabby back when we were introduced. We both got a second chance! I'm okay with playing a hard game, but you don't have to be a villain or a jerk or whatever while you're doing it."
Scott stared dryly at her, "you do know who you're talking to, right?"
Sammy giggled, "yes, I think I do!" She stared into his eyes, "just try, okay? For me? Let's have a good time."
Scott felt his face heat up, and quickly broke the eye contact and coughed awkwardly. "Uhh…okay, sure. I mean, whatever! I mean, uh, if that's what you want!"
The two heard footsteps behind them, and turned in their chairs to see a smiling Jasmine approach them.
"Hey, Jasmine!" Sammy said excitedly. She leaned forward and pat the seat in front of her. "Have a seat!"
"Hey Sammy," Jasmine greeted. Her gaze turned to Scott, and a wary caution entered her voice when she addressed him, "Heya, Scott."
"Jasmine," Scott greeted, polite enough. He stood up, "I'm gonna go get some grub. I'll let you gal pals catch up." He slipped past the two and walked out of first class towards the Dining Area.
"Okay, bye!" Sammy smiled after him before turning to Jasmine. "I can't believe Im back in the game with you guys! This is so amazing."
"Super," Jasmine agreed, her eyes following Scott as he left the room. "So, you and Scott, eh? You two seem chummier than ever."
Sammy flushed, but couldn't hide her happy grin, "I guess, he's just so cute. And he's got that devious bad boy streak that I can't help but like…"
"So are you two official?" Jasmine asked, her tone and expression a little guarded.
The younger twin shook her head, "No, nothing like that," she said quickly, "we just hang out and stuff…"
Jasmine visibly relaxed upon hearing that, and the grin she gave Sammy was pure and genuine, "Oh okay, good. Now that you're back, we can totally use you in the alliance!"
Sammy raised an eyebrow.
(Confessional: Sammy.)
"Why did Jasmine say, 'good', huh?" Sammy asked, looking a little confused. "Even if Scott and I were officially together, there's nothing wrong with that!" She bites her lip nervously, "right?"
(End Confessional: Sammy.)
(Confessional: Jasmine.)
Jasmine opens her Confessional by sighing. "Look, I get that Sammy has a crush on Scott, but I just don't trust the bloke. I've seen what he's capable of, and I think there's a good shot he's just stringing her along. I know she's her own person, but it's my duty as a friend to protect her from harm." She frowns at the camera, "I'll be keeping a close eye on Scott."
(End Confessional: Jasmine.)
"What alliance?" Sammy asked curiously.
"The best alliance ever, that's what!" Came a new voice from behind Sammy, making her 'eep' and turn around in alarm.
Jo popped her head out from behind the seat, her usual smirk on her face.
"Jo, you really gotta stop skulking around and eavesdropping on people," Jasmine scolded, "it's just weird!"
"Relax, Jazz-music," Jo brushed the bigger girls words away, "I just got here and decided to spook you guys." She eyed the rest of First Class, which was empty. "Hey, where the heck is everyone?"
Jasmine shrugged, "Dunno. But you're down with Sammy being in our alliance?"
"Yeah, it's a good buffer considering your boyfriend went and got himself kicked off," Jo said. "And we can get Scott in there too. That's me, you, Sammy, and Scott. Four is pretty good, especially since most people won't see it coming."
"What about Owen?" Sammy asked her friend, "do you think he'll join us too?"
"I dunno," Jasmine said uncertainly, "he and Noah have made up from their ugliness early on. If we're gonna be targeting the people from the first generation, I doubt he'd be on board. Bridgette, Noah, Gwen and Duncan are all good pals of his."
"Good point," Jo sighed. "Ah well, I think we know the first order of business with our alliance anyways."
Sammy nodded quickly. "Absolutely."
Jasmine nodded, "For sure."
(Confessional: Scott.)
"It's pretty obvious that Jasmine doesn't trust or like me," says Scott, his tone bored and dry as he talks to the camera, "but I don't care. Sammy and I are tight, and we've got each others backs. I ain't gonna let no hulking giantess get in the way of what we got, because it's special!" He seems to realize what he said, and coughs awkwardly, "special because we can own this game together, I mean." He chuckles nervously, "what else could I have meant anyways, right?" He stops chuckling and regains his serious expression, "anyways, if she thinks I'm gonna back off Sammy because she wants me to, she's got another thing coming."
(End Confessional: Scott.)
"Man, why the heck are we back here?!" Lightning complained, looking around the dreary Economy Class room. "This place stinks!"
"Because, no one else wants to be here," Noah said quietly, "and keep your voice down!"
"Gee, Noah, what did you wanna talk about, eh?" Owen asked, fidgeting nervously on the wooden bench he was sitting on.
"I think we should set up an alliance," Noah said.
"Man, ain't we already in one?" Lightning asked, a little annoyed, "and Lightning don't see why we need to add Tubby, toot!" He blinked, then looked at Owen, a little sheepish. "Er, no offense…"
"None taken!" Owen told him happily.
"I keep telling you not to underestimate Owen, Lightning!" Noah berated the jock, "besides, three votes are better than two! I know math isn't your strong suit, but I'm sure even you can see the value in that!"
Lightning chewed that over for a moment, and finally offered a grudging nod. "Fine. Lightning sees your point. He wants to get Creepy Girl in the alliance then too!"
"Creepy Girl?" Confused at first, it didn't take long for Noah to figure out who Lightning was talking about. "Wait, Dawn? No way, man. She's totally insane."
"Aw, c'mon Noah, if you get to pull me into the alliance, then Lightning should get someone too!" Owen reasoned.
"Yeah, but I want you!" Noah protested, "you know, someone who is actually good at this game and, most importantly, not all screwed up in the head and deluded?"
"Creepy Girl is awesome," Lightning protested, a little pouty as he crossed his arms and frowned, "she's in the alliance, and that's final."
Noah didn't have the energy to continue arguing with him, so he just groaned and slapped his face. "Fine. Whatever."
"Woohoo!" Owen rushed over and threw an arm around each boy, hugging them close to his chest. "Guys, what're we gonna call our alliance?"
"Lightning squad!" Lightning said instantly, unbothered by Owen's headlock.
"Or we could not call it that," Noah said flatly. "Our alliance doesn't need a name."
"Pfft, we'll think of something good," Lightning assured Owen, as the big lad released both of his captives. "Alright! Lightning will go talk to Creepy Girl ASAP!" He waved to the two and sprinted off, "Sha-bye-bye!"
Owen and Noah watched him leave, and Owen turned to Noah once he was gone.
"I never really thought you'd make friends with a guy like that, Noah," Owen giggled.
Noah shrugged. "Meh. We're friends by circumstance. I doubt we'll stay friends after the game is over."
"Friends by circumstance? Whaddya mean? What circumstances?"
Noah winced. Because I got his girlfriend voted off and then pinned it on someone else, then was there to support him while he was sad. Of course, he didn't say that out loud. Instead, he smirked. "Probably a mutual dislike of Jo."
Owen chuckled at that, covering his mouth with his knuckles. "Yeah, she's pretty mean."
The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment.
Rrr-Rr-R-rRrumble!
The plane bounced up and down a little, hitting some turbulence, and Owen let out an 'eep'. Noah noticed and smacked his forehead. "Crap! I can't believe I haven't given you this yet!"
A nervous Owen glanced Noah's way, "given me what?" His eyes widened when he saw what Noah pulled out from behind his back. "B-b-b-b-b-b-b-"
In Noah's hand was a small, brown, adorable stuffed bear.
"Yup," Noah agreed with Owen's stammering, "It's Beary v56.0!" He stopped to think for a moment, "or is it v57.0? IT's tough to keep track…"
"Oh who cares?!" Owen said, reaching out and snagging Beary from Noah. He hugged the bear close to him, and instantly looked calmer. "How'd you get a Beary?!"
Noah smiled at his friend and tried not to look too pleased with himself. "Oh come on, we traveled together for years. I knew you were coming back, so I packed a Beary, just for emergencies."
Beary was released, and it was Noah who suddenly found himself wrapped in Owen's clutches.
"Awww, you're the best friend ever!"
Noah gasped for breath, slowly asphyxiating in Owen's death-grip. "I…do my….best…" he choked out.
(Confessional: Owen.)
"I hope Jasmine won't be too mad, but I think I gotta stick with my buddy Noah going forward," Owen confesses, "I mean, we're like BMMMFL's!" He looks at the camera, "what's a BMMMFL? Best Male Manly Muchachos For Life, obviously!" He chuckles happily, "but I'll tell Noah and Lightning and Dawn that we can't vote for Jasmine or target her, at least not yet. I owe her and Shawn that much!"
(End Confessional: Owen.)
Some time later, all eleven campers found themselves hanging out in First Class. Some were chatting, others were resting their eyes, and Owen was pigging out at the bar.
"It's cool that the bar here actually serves alcoholic drinks now," Gwen said, sitting at one of the stools with Dawn. The goth had a glass of red wine in front of her.
"If that's your thing I suppose it might be enjoyable," Dawn said, noticeably having no drink in front of her.
"What, you sober or something?" Gwen asked curiously.
"I just don't find the experience of drinking very enjoyable," Dawn confessed, "it can do all sorts of strange things to my aura." She shakes her head, "It's best for me and alcohol to remain distant."
"Sounds like you're a crazy drunk," Bridgette said, walking up behind the two and wrapping an arm around each girl.
Dawn smiled slightly, "I assure you, whatever you're picturing…it's worse."
"Now you've just got me intrigued!" Gwen laughed, taking a sip of her wine.
"Speaking of intrigued," Dawn said, peering at Gwen earnestly, "I was wondering if you would want to have a chat."
That stumped Gwen a little, and she turned to Bridgette for help. "Um…aren't we chatting right now?"
Dawn reached out and placed a hand on top of Gwen's. "I mean a chat," she emphasized. "I would love to know the cause of that gnarled, rotting black mass in the part of your aura that is what you think of Duncan."
Both Gwen and Bridgette's eyes widened, and Bridgette's jaw dropped. Gwen jerked her hand away, disturbed, and quickly looked around to see if anyone had overheard.
"Wh-what the hell? What are you talking about?" Gwen stammered, looking thoroughly rattled.
Bridgette closed her gaping mouth and began to wring her hands together nervously. "Uh, Dawn…that's kind of a sensitive subject…"
"I"m aware," Dawn told the surfer warmly, "but I think a little soul-searching would do wonders for you, Gwen. Please, would you try?"
"Look, I'm all for believing in whatever you believe in," said Gwen, obviously defensive. "But I don't think any issues with Duncan will be solved with a little introspection."
"Would you at least humor me?" Dawn asked. "I've encountered harsher skeptics, and helped them." She swiveled on the stool and gazed out over the crowded First Class. "We can go somewhere more quiet if you prefer."
Gwen chewed her lip, and once again looked to Bridgette for help. Bridgette shrugged in a 'what harm could it do' kind of way.
"Fine," the goth said, "let's go to the Dining Area."
"Do you want backup?" Bridgette asked, looking a little nervous as the two girls stood up.
"Please."
The shot cut to the three girls in Storage. Dawn climbed onto a crate and assumed the lotus position. Bridgette sat on her knees on the floor, and Gwen leaned agains the wall, choosing to remain standing.
"Alright, work your magic," Gwen said dryly.
"I have no magic," Dawn told her politely, "the only one who can get to the root of this is you, Gwen. I can merely help guide you to the solution." She closed her eyes and began to meditate. "Like I said, your aura around Duncan has red, green, and mauve. All typical signs of love and a breakup. However there's the rotting black core you have. What is that source?"
"I still don't know what you mean by rotting black core," Gwen said uncomfortably.
"I sense resentment and bitterness," Dawn told her woefully, "so much of both, and it's so concentrated. It must be about one specific thing."
Gwen looked increasingly uncomfortable. "It's…it's…"
"You don't have to say anything, Gwen," assured Bridgette.
"Certainly not!" Dawn agreed, "at least not to us. But I think if you confront Duncan about the real reason you hold such bitterness towards him."
"That's easier said than done," Gwen grumbled. "Talking to him can be such a pain in the ass."
Bridgette chose that moment to speak up. "I think it's worth a shot, Gwen. I know Duncan wants to make things up with you. And you do too."
"Meh, I could care less," Gwen said quickly, so unconvincing it was almost funny.
Both Bridgette and Dawn just stared at Gwen.
"Okay fine, maybe I care a little," Gwen sighed. "I'll think about it, okay?"
"I can sense you're already in the process of detoxifying your aura," Dawn told her, getting up from her lotus position and hopping off the crate. "I'm proud of you, Gwen."
"Uhhh…thanks?" Gwen eyed the moonchild as she left storage. Once she and Bridgette were alone, Gwen put a hand over her forehead and let out an exasperated groan. "Man, that girl is so weird."
"She means well," Bridgette defended her fellow blonde, "and I do think she's right."
"Yeah yeah, we'll see how it goes," Gwen sighed, "we should have plenty of time, though. I think the big threats like Lightning and Jo will get eliminated first."
"You're not worried about Sammy and Scott coming after you and Duncan?" Bridgette asked.
Gwen shrugged, "I mean I guess it's possible. I'm gonna try and make things up with Sammy and see if she wants to reunite the girls alliance now that I don't have to listen to Duncan anymore and we're all individuals. I don't see why she'd say no."
Bridgette shot her friend a thumbs up. "Cool!"
Gwen opened her mouth to say something else, but the intercom over the plane crackled to life, and Chris voice was heard.
"Get ready campers, we're beginning our descent into…Transylvania!"
Remaining Contestants: Bridgette, Dawn, Duncan, Gwen, Jasmine, Jo, Lightning, Noah, Owen, Sammy, Scott,
Eliminated: Anne Maria, Brick, Scott (1), Sky, Rodney, Zoey, Sammy (1), Izzy, Beardo, Shawn.
DUN DUN DUN! It's World Tour time, baby!
I am SO EXCITED FOR THIS! I always wanted to write a hybrid-comp season in terms of location! I thought about doing it in Total Drama Chaos, but ultimately dexided against it. The moment I planned out the premise for this story, though, (IE Normal Wawanakwa and a mellower Chris) I knew we'd be hitting the Jumbo Jet come merge.
I know there's no elimination this chapter, but I knew what with the video messages, the reveal of the Jumbo Jet, the reveal of the returnees, the reveal of AleHeather, and just wanting to have interactions with each other, there's no way i would be able to adequately fit a challenge and elimination in here. This isn't a part 1, just it's own episode. Think of this as this seasons "Brunch of Disgustingness!"
So, let's talk about locations real quick! I've only got four or five locations that I KNOW I'm going to hit. Does anyone have any cool ideas on where to go? I'm open to suggestions!
Let's leave off with some questions before we wrap up, I'm curious to know what you guys are feeling!
- Are you excited for the Jumbo Jet travels? Or, do you wish the group had stayed at Camp Wawanakwa all the way through?
- Who do you WANT to get eliminated next? Who do you THINK will be eliminated next?
- What locations do you want to see?
I hope you guys enjoyed the episode!