*Last time on Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone*
Arriving at the Ice Cap Zone, twenty-one eager and determined survivors, both new and old, were greeted by the show's main host Alexa. Upon learning the usual rules and structure that they would be following when competing for the show's grand prizes, they were briskly assigned into three teams named after the mountains surrounding the region that they would be taking refuge in: Elbrass, Denalo, and Manjari.
Elbrass and Denalo were formed as rival tribes, with every survivor in Elbrass knowing at least one person from Denalo, and vice versa. This left the Manjari tribe as the odd one out, filled with survivors with no direct connection to the other two tribes.
As they were sent to spend the rest of their day at tribe, Elbrass and (hesitantly) Denalo spent most of their time getting to know their members better. Though some attempted to get along, Manjari as a tribe was quick to fall into chaos, arguing, and tension among a few outliers. Overall, every tribe formed allies and enemies alike.
In the first challenge of the show, survivors were tasked with rowing a boat across the Ice Cap's ocean and to Paradise Isle, avoiding many icy and treacherous obstacles along the way. Those who rowed had limited vision, and thus the tribe was asked to elect a team captain that would help safely guide them to their end destination. After a brief discussion, Kiryu was trusted enough to become Elbrass's captain, Majima bargained his way to the position for Denalo, and after a three-way tie, Tracer was assigned as Manjari's captain.
Throughout the challenge, Manjari's lack of coordination and trust within the tribe found them trailing the other competing tribes throughout most of the challenge, occasionally getting close to catching up but inevitably failing. Thanks to the quick, chaotic wits of Majima, he managed to lead Denalo to first place, leaving Elbrass as second, and Manjari as the losing tribe. Unfortunately for Manjari, their placement meant that, by the end of the day, one of their members would be leaving the show.
A further lack of team spirit was shown in the tribe discussion, and after many people were pinned as responsible for the tribe's shameful performance, everyone was left to decide between Falco Lombardi and King Dedede as the candidates for elimination.
Tribal Council proved to be just as miserable as past seasons, and after being criticized by Alexa for the team's lack of mutual trust, the members of Manjari got to voting. The vote was very close, but due to his hostility and skepticism, Falco was the first survivor to experience elimination.
Not even three days in, and it's clear that this season will be the most brutal challenge yet. With an incredible sum of wealth, luxury, and glory at stake, the remaining twenty survivors must give this show their all if they want a chance at being crowned as the Sole Survivor. Who will fall next? What obstacles, twists, and conflicts lie ahead? All and more will be answered in this episode of Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone!
Ice Cap Zone (Lake): Day 3
Survivors: Dante - Scout - Knuckles - Phoenix Wright - Jean Pierre Polnareff - Kazuma Kiryu - Tails - Mr. Krabs - Princess Daisy - Tracer - Rodin - Miles Edgeworth - Goro Majima - Waluigi - Nero - Sniper - Joseph Joestar - King Dedede - Glass Joe - Wii Fit Trainer.
At the south end of the lake, survivors gathered on the outskirts to await Alexa. None of them held a clue as to what he wanted them for, but that mystery was quickly swept under the rug by the realization from Elbrass and Denalo that Falco was missing.
"Huh. Didn't expect the sharp-looking chicken to kick the bucket so soon," Dante said. "What the hell happened?"
"Well, once you start blamin' everyone but yourself for a loss... you tend to make a few enemies," said Rodin. "That's what did him in."
Joseph raised an eyebrow. "I see... that type never lasts long."
"Well, it was a good riddance!" Dedede snickered. "With that fool gone, our tribe is finally worth takin' seriously again!"
"I somehow doubt that claim," Polnareff said. "Your tribe looks like it still has a lot of fat to trim before I can start acknowledging you people as a threat."
"Did we seriously become a laughing stock overnight? I know we lost the first challenge and everything, but we aren't useless! Looks like we'll have to teach Elbrass and Denalo the next chance we get." - Wii Fit Trainer.
As Manjari felt put down by the other survivors, Alexa made his way over to where the survivors stood, carrying the extinguished torch that once represented Falco in his hand.
"Unless you're drawing a blank as to which Manjari member is missing, you should be aware by his absence that Falco Lombardi has been eliminated from the show. He was booted in a four-to-three vote. This torch once represented his fight and chances to come out on top, but ever since I extinguished it, it's nothing more than a hunk of metal," he said, tossing it behind him. "But that's all in the past now! You must be more concerned over why I brought you out here."
"What twist do you have up your sleeve this time?" Phoenix thought, holding low expectations.
Alexa grinned maniacally. "Usually in Survivor Crossover, a team will start to know one another fairly well after about a week. Communication gets easier, alliances may be formed and the survivors progress and adapt to the people they're forced to work with. This time, that natural step-by-step process will be... sabotaged a little bit."
The survivors looked at him puzzled, and as Phoenix had cynically thought, his announcement was not looking to be a positive one.
"You see, for every three Tribal Councils that pass, all remaining survivors will have their tribes reshuffled. Allies may become enemies, and enemies may become allies! This long-term twist will surely put your adaptation skills to the test! I coin this twist as 'The Shuffling'."
"This sounds like a recipe for disaster. Just when a team gets used to its members, most of them get swapped out for new ones. I can't think of a single person that'll see this as an advantage." - Miles Edgeworth.
"So all I gotta do is bite my lip with these punks for a few more days, and then I'll get a better team?! This twist is sure soundin' like an advantage to me!" - King Dedede.
"Looks like I'll be on the same team as Kiryu-chan sooner than I thought! I know I told him that I'd be puttin' him to the test, but I won't be turnin' down the opportunity to work side-by-side with the Dragon of Dojima!" - Goro Majima.
Monitoring their faces, Alexa couldn't help but chuckle at their shock. "Yeah yeah, a lot to take in. Day three and you've already been told that you'll have your teams shuffled around every week, but what's a game show without keeping you on your toes at every waking moment? Anywho, your next challenge will be tomorrow, which means you can spend today exploring and relaxing! As you might've seen on the map in your tribe, there are a few extra areas you're able to access. There's the forest and the Ring of Igloos. They're quite the trek away, but you might just find something useful there! Like... let's say... an idol?"
As some had expected, idols had returned. On top of confirming this, Alexa felt the need to elaborate.
"In case you've forgotten, idols are neat little items that have been scattered around the Ice Cap Zone. They not only look cool, but have special advantages tied to them that can be activated in Tribal Council! They may be able to nullify half the votes that are cast towards you, or they may triple the value of your vote! Each idol is different, and can only be played once. You can even use them on others if you're feeling generous! Once you lay hands on one, it can't be stolen off you either!" Alexa explained. "Feeling overwhelmed yet?"
"Very..." Glass Joe responded honestly.
"Well, you won't have to hear me blather on about announcements for a good while, at the very least. Now that I've told you everything that you need to know, you're finally able to spend the rest of the day doing what you want! Remember Denalo, you should be putting those fishing rods and flint to good use," he advised. "I'll see all of you for tomorrow's challenge, so stay sharp!"
Rhythmically marching off, the survivors were left with a full day of free time. They could spend it doing whatever they want, but a good chunk of the survivors had their minds focused on one thing: the idols.
"Well, if ya excuse me..." Majima said, slowly slipping away from his tribe. "I'm gonna go explorin' for some idols at that igloo place!"
"Sitting down for a full day isn't my style. I'll be going too," replied Nero.
"Me three!" Waluigi chanted. "Those idols are all mine!"
Majima scoffed as others began to join in. Meanwhile, others were more focused on getting food.
"I'll get the meal ready for when everyone gets back," said Joseph. "So if anyone else wants to go, feel free."
"I won't bother just yet. I'll stay behind and lend you a hand, though don't have high expectations for my ability to fish... it's not exactly what I'm known for," Edgeworth admitted.
Tails and Sniper both seemed eager to explore as well, leaving only Joseph and Edgeworth as the two that would stay behind.
"The fox is goin' too?! So much for my plans to get an idol under my sleeve! That kid will make it there before I take my first step, so here's hopin' he doesn't find it before I get there." - Goro Majima.
"Looks like everyone's fussed about going to that Igloo Ring, probably because of how close it is to our mountain. I'm more interested in exploring that forest, but it's gonna be a bloody long walk back to my tribe from there... ah well. I'll be alright." - Sniper.
Meanwhile, Elbrass had more people staying behind, with only Scout, Daisy, and Knuckles opting to explore the nearby forest region for any idols.
"I'll spend the whole day searching for idols. I'm gonna aim to find at least five before I head back!" Daisy cheered, exciting herself at the thought of finding one.
Though Knuckles appreciated her determination, he felt the need to give her a reality check. "Chances are, there's probably only one idol in that forest. Two, if you're lucky. Besides, you'll be competing with others, including me."
"Well, in that case, I'll find every idol in that forest regardless of how many there are. I'll find all... one of them!"
"Sorry, but that idol's mine for the frickin' taking," Scout grinned. "It's inevitable!"
"Yeah, in a million years!" Daisy retaliated. "I'll be the one to find it first!"
He scoffed at her cockiness and began branching off from his tribe. "You're on!" He challenged.
Wanting to make it to the forest first, the princess swiftly followed.
"I guess that's my cue to leave as well. I want to get there nice and early," commented Knuckles, getting into position.
To the surprise of his teammates, he sped off at an impressive speed, soon catching up to and surpassing the others.
"Here's hoping they don't kill each other over that idol," Dante shrugged.
"The forest was pretty big on the map, right?" Kiryu queried. "I doubt they'll find that idol right away."
"Why else do you think I'm not going?" Polnareff groaned. "A long walk and a long day of searching in a forest that size... all of that energy for a tiny chance at finding some little trinket."
As the rest of Elbrass left the area, the Manjari tribe was left with four of the six members willing to search for idols. What made things better for the majority that chose to spend their day searching for idols was the element of choice. Mt. Elbrass was adjacent to the Ice Cap's forest, and Mt. Denalo was adjacent to the Ring of Igloos area. However, as Mt. Manjari was between the two other mountains, it meant that it was fairly close to both areas.
Wii Fit Trainer and Rodin, the only two not bothering with exploring on the first day, immediately broke away from the group. As for the others, they quickly announced where they would be exploring.
"I think I'll take my chances at checking out that forest," proclaimed Tracer. "Anyone else care to join me?"
"A big open area like that, and you expect to find a small idol hidin' there?" Dedede laughed. "I guess that leaves fewer people to fight when searchin' for the idol at those igloos, so suit yourself!" he said, cracking his knuckles.
His gesture sent a shiver down Glass Joe's spine, the intimidation almost knocking him over. "I-I'll stick with the forest."
"The last thing I wanna explore is a giant forest!" Krabs denied. "I'm goin' with the bird to those igloos."
The four split off into two different directions, everyone that chose to explore hoping to find and secure an idol...
Denalo Tribe: Day 3
Survivors: Miles Edgeworth - Joseph Joestar.
A few hours had passed since most of the team opted to spend their day exploring, leaving Joseph and Miles to cook a meal for when they got back. Much to their glee, the fishing rods came in extraordinarily handy, causing them to catch two meaty fish within an hour. In addition, the flint they had also won allowed them to build a raging fire much quicker than before.
The two of them sat facing each other, a simmering pot of rice and beans. Beside this pot were the two raw fish that they were planning to cook separately.
After an awkward silence, Joseph peered his eyes up from the pot and decided to take his mind off dinner for a few minutes. "So... we all got one person we know on Elbrass. Is that so?"
"That's what we were told."
"Something about Phoenix makes me believe you know each other. Maybe it's the similar build, or maybe it's just a gut feeling," he guessed.
"If we're going off builds, then you and Polnareff must be familiar with each other," he retaliated, raising an eyebrow.
Joseph scratched his wrist as he maintained eye contact. "So is that a no?"
"Not quite," said Edgeworth. "Phoenix and I know each other, and we've worked together to crack open cases many a time. But don't get the wrong idea. This isn't a serious court case, so I doubt either of us will have much trust towards one another."
As they continued to stare each other down, Edgeworth further pressed him for information. "Now that you know that Phoenix and I are "paired" together in that way, the least you can do is admit that Polnareff and yourself are also paired."
The old, hardened man gave a slow nod. "It's true. We also have a few ties, but that's about all you need to know."
"I suspected as such. Hiding the truth seems to be your forte," he smirked.
Joseph's suspicious gaze soon turned nervous, though he tried his best to hide that from Edgeworth. "And what do you mean by that?"
"Nothing much, but I am aware that Polnareff's not the only person in this show you're related to in some way."
"..."
"Do the names Jotaro Kujo and Josuke Higashikata ring a bell?"
Before Joseph could muster up the courage to respond, Edgeworth continued.
"They should. Josuke participated in the first season of this show, and Jotaro took part in the second season. It only makes sense that another one would take part in this season," he explained. "And, considering both wielded these invisible, spiritual beings known as Stands, it only makes sense that you have one of your own."
Silence struck, leaving Joseph dumbstruck. Just how did Edgeworth find out so much information about him and his relatives? In addition, he knew that lying to someone as research-savvy as Edgeworth would be futile, so his only option remaining was to confirm the prosecutor's findings.
"There's no wrangling my way out of this one," he said. "Just tell me one thing... how did you know?"
He folded his arms. "When studying the first two seasons for preparation, I noticed that Josuke and Jotaro were similarly built men with functionally similar Stands. It was then that my eye caught what appeared to be some sort of tattoo on Josuke's neck. I naturally went to check if Jotaro had one of his own, and though it was hard to find the right angle, I eventually noticed that he shared that same tattoo."
Joseph then placed his hand on his neck. "Looks like I should have brought a scarf... my birthmark's as clear as day."
With a cocky bow, Edgeworth huffed with amusement. "And that's when I realized you were related in some way. In fact, you referring to it as a birthmark only confirms my suspicions further that you have a stand of your own."
"Shit... of all the things I expected from this show, having someone find out just who I am within the first few days was not one of them. This is bad for me, and it's bad for Polnareff too!" - Joseph Joestar.
"So, what are you planning to do with this information?" He questioned. "Spread it to the rest of the tribe? Or maybe you'll blackmail me."
After thinking about it for a few moments, Edgeworth pointed to him. "I'd like to see your Stand in action, first of all."
"Sorry to disappoint, but my Stand is nothing like theirs," warned Joseph. "I may be related to Jotaro and Josuke, but my stand is nothing compared to their powerhouses. Mine is known as Hermit Purple, and they're a cluster of vines that I can summon at will. I can use them to find information through mediums such as electronics, but I don't see any of those lying around."
Miles folded his arms. "Is that so?"
"It's the truth," he said firmly. "You cornered the wrong person."
"Not necessarily..."
"Huh?"
"If you have a Stand, then I have reason to believe that Polnareff may have one too," explained Edgeworth.
"He's nothing more than an acquaintance. He's not related by blood." Joseph argued sternly.
Edgeworth brushed his suit off as he shook his head. "Well, I'll have to find out for myself. I won't bother telling anyone else this information, because the last thing I want is to stand out. Besides, I'll get nothing out of it other than enemies. I just find it useful to learn my opponents... or future opponents, that is."
And just like that, the tension faded away. Joseph was unsure of Edgeworth's motives, but something told him that he wasn't a downright threat to his future on the show...
Elbrass Tribe: Day 3
Survivors: Kiryu - Dante - Polnareff - Phoenix.
Roughly an hour after everyone had scattered for idols, Kiryu, Dante, and Phoenix made their way up to the tribe, leaving Polnareff at the lake, who wanted to be left alone while he attempted to catch some fish for the tribe.
Up on the mountain, the three resided under the small cloth shelter of the tribe, twiddling their thumbs and attempting to pass the time.
Dante attempted to fuel the fire that simmered their lunch, adjusting the sticks and separating any snow that found its way near the fire. As he did so, he placed his hand on his stomach and sighed.
"I've not been this hungry in a while," he groaned. "Kiryu was lucky enough to get us a pretty hearty fish on the first day, but I still feel like I could eat a horse or two before I start feeling full."
"Doesn't help that our only rations don't even taste nice," Phoenix complained. "But I've been through this diet for a whole month, so having the chance to eat some fish with it sounds like pure luxury."
"Hey, if they gave us a slice of pizza to eat a day, I'd find myself even hungrier. The last thing I want is to look forward to a tiny meal, so feeding us this crap is probably for the best," Dante shrugged. "...That being said, I don't think I could get any hungrier anyway..."
"You and me both."
Kiryu simply looked to his right, where the single entrance and exit to the tribe were located. "Polnareff won't be back for a while. I'd put those thoughts about food away if I were you."
"You're right," said Phoenix. "I'm just confused as to why he was so adamant about you not fishing with him."
"He said something about not wanting to be distracted."
"Distracted? You're the quietest on our team! The only time you'd make noise down there is when you miraculously manage to catch a fish with your bare hands." Dante folded his arms, riddled with confusion. "And another thing I just realized. Can't you both fish on different sides of the lake?"
Not even Kiryu had thought about that, causing him to get just as suspicious. "Now that you mention it..."
Coincidentally, their discussion on Polnareff was interrupted. Much sooner than anticipated, the three were surprised to see that Polnareff himself had arrived back at the tribe. Cupped in his arms was a pile of fish, four in total.
"W-whaaaa?!" Phoenix cried. "How did you..."
"-Get so many fish?" He chimed in. "Just a secret technique I use! Not that I could teach it to any of you..."
Polnareff leaned by the fire and deposited the cluster of medium-sized fish down next to the flames. "...My methods stem from a family tradition, so unless you're apart of the Polnareff bloodline, you'll never know!"
"Hopefully none of them get too suspicious. My Silver Chariot allowed me to skewer up the fish before they could even react, but obviously, if they learned about that so soon, then I'd be in deep trouble. As long as Joseph doesn't end up spilling the beans to anyone about our Stands, then things should be just fine." - Jean Pierre Polnareff.
Dante, being next to the fire, picked up one of the fish and analyzed it. "Now that's a good portion size! If only we had a frying pan laying around."
It was then that he noticed a fairly large hole in the centre of the fish, perfectly clean and round. He didn't bother asking questions when he knew he wouldn't get an answer, but this made him curious about his so-called "technique".
"We'll begin cooking them when everyone else gets back. Hopefully, they won't spoil by then," remarked Polnareff.
Kiryu shook his head. "In an environment this cold, those fish will last a good few days at least."
"A few days?! Maybe this snow isn't too bad after all..."
As he sat down, something began bugging Phoenix. Though he was grateful to no end for Polnareff bringing the tribe so much food, there was a fairly big contradiction in his words.
Before he could spit it out, someone decided to do the job for him.
"Say, Polnareff," asked Dante.
"Hm?"
"You said that your technique is a secret family tradition, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Didn't you say to Kiryu that it was so you couldn't be distracted?"
At that point, Polnareff panicked, his eyes darting up and down. "Well, you see... I thought saying it was a family tradition was, err, a little embarrassing. But as soon as I saw the fish I caught with my family's age-old technique, then I was proud enough to share the truth!"
"Phew... that was close." - Jean Pierre Polnareff.
Kiryu and Phoenix grew suspicious over his nervousness when throwing together the excuse, but decided to not pursue him any further for the sake of keeping the peace.
With a tribe full of food to keep Elbrass energized for the next challenge, things were looking bright for them, even if the method of acquiring the food was deeper than Polnareff made out...
Manjari Tribe: Day 3
Survivors: Null.
With Krabs, Dedede, Joe, and Tracer out exploring, Rodin and Wii Fit Trainer took it upon themselves to try and get some extra food in for tomorrow's challenge. This meant that they weren't going to arrive back at the Manjari tribe for some time, instead deciding to spend the first couple of hours at the Ice Cap Lake, attempting to fish with minimal tools...
Ice Cap Zone (Lake): Day 3
Survivors: Wii Fit Trainer - Rodin.
Adjacent to the Manjari Mountain, Wii Fit Trainer and Rodin had placed themselves on the edge of the Ice Cap Lake. By now, they had been fishing a good few hours, and though they had spotted several fish swim by a decently large hole they found, neither of them were able to snatch a single fish from the lake.
"Go figure. Throw me into the fray of Inferno, and I'll come out on top... then here I am, struggling to pluck a fish out of the water." - Rodin.
After a long twenty minutes of waiting by this hole, Wii Fit Trainer leaned back and sighed.
"I'm not one for giving up... but none of the fish have passed us are even big enough to feed one of us," she said. "Maybe that's why we can't get our hands on one."
Rodin twizzled an unlit cigar between two of his fingers. "You got that right. A few hours wasted waitin' for somethin' good to pass by, but it's not like we could have spent our time any different. After all, we both volunteered to stay behind, so it's either waitin' down here or up there."
"At least if we waited up there, we wouldn't have to worry too much about the fire dying out." Wii Fit Trainer stood up and began walking back to the tribe, Rodin following without much hesitation.
On their walk back, the topic of their fellow tribemates was brought up by Rodin.
"You voted for Falco, correct?"
She turned to him and nodded. "Yeah. I just didn't trust him as much as Dedede, which says a lot. He seemed like he was at everyone's throat, not just a few people that annoyed him."
"Well, I thought that taking a bit of risk would help us out in the long-term. Ain't a single person in our tribe that has much faith in that Dedede guy," Rodin explained.
"Of course... he did say he'd be more of a team player, whatever that means."
The both of them left the icy surface of the lake and began their snowy trek up the mountain as the conversation continued.
"Probably just something to get us off his tail for a few days, and considerin' he survived that night... it worked," said Rodin. "But it's always important to think ahead in something like this. It may surprise you, but nobody seems to do it all that much."
Wii Fit Trainer felt the air around her change as he elaborated.
"Who do you plan on throwin' out after Dedede eventually goes?"
The question knocked the words out of her as she scrambled for some form of answer. After a few seconds of thinking hard (but to no avail), she heard Rodin huff with amusement.
"Consider what I said a joke. If I'm honest, I got no clue either." He placed his cigar back into his jacket and shook his head.
"Oh, good..." Wii Fit Trainer sighed with relief. "Maybe I'd be able to form some idea if it weren't for that team shuffle twist that Alexa told us about. As long as our team uses our first loss as a way to survive these next two challenges, then we won't have to vote anyone else off!"
"Well, let's hope that's what happens, then. Maybe I'll do better in a challenge that doesn't force me into a cramped boat," Rodin said.
She gave a light chuckle as they continued to journey up the mountain, their conversation soon dying off as they spent the rest of the walk more or less silent, eventually making it back to their tribe...
Ice Cap Zone (Forest): Day 3
Survivors: Scout - Daisy - Knuckles - Sniper - Tracer - Glass Joe.
"This sucks on ice!" Proclaimed Scout, his cries of frustration echoing through the empty sector of the forest. "I've been lookin' for this dumb idol thing for ages, and as far as I know, somebody coulda' snatched it!"
Grumbling to himself, he continued to wander through the trees, checking every nook and cranny he could find. If there was a suspicious-looking bush, he'd dive into it for the hopes of crashing into an idol. If he saw a hole in one of the trees, he'd stick his hand into it without hesitation, once again hoping for an advantage. At one point, his motive changed from having extra safety to having bragging rights over everyone else.
Five minutes passed since his outcry, and he could feel the day growing colder, his skin tensing as his clothes became worse and worse at keeping him comfortable. He didn't have long before he would have to head back to the tribe, otherwise, people would be searching for both the idol as well as his frozen body.
Coming to a large boulder, Scout leaned against it with his palms and sighed, attempting to endure the harassing winds.
Before he uttered another complaint, an unfamiliar voice came from behind.
"Somebody could do with a blanket."
"WHOA!" He cried, spinning around and flattening his back against the icy stone boulder, causing him to tense.
In front of him lay Tracer, leaning against a nearby tree.
"Didn't mean to scare ya there," she said, attempting to hold back her snorts of laughter.
Scout, offended by her teasing, kicked himself off the rock and pointed to her face. "You scare me again, and it's OVER for you. Ya hear me?"
She shot back with more giggling, not taking him very seriously. "I dunno if I buy that threat. I was just checking in on a so-called foe that looked like they were about to pass out."
"Tsk, yeah right," he said with doubt. "Good intentions, from an enemy? Don't butter me up with those lies!"
"Sheesh... it's just a game, right? It's not like I was gonna bury you in the snow," Tracer shrugged. "Is the cold already making you paranoid?"
"Well duh, you weren't gonna try and take on a guy like me!"
"Then what did you think I was doing?"
"Spyin' on me. Waiting for me to find that glorious idol just so you can catch me off guard and steal it."
Deciding that his chances of trusting her were long gone, she decided to play along. "You know... that does sound like a good idea."
"What?!"
"I could follow you until you find the idol, wait for you to get close... and..."
*BLINK*
Tracer vanished from Scout's vision, freezing him more than the cold ever could.
Midway through processing the events he had just witnessed, two hands suddenly grabbed ahold of his shoulders from each side, causing a shamefully high-pitched scream to erupt from the soldier.
"...Steal it!" She said, finishing her sentence with pride. "But even though you won't trust me on that, just know I'm not that petty."
Scout spun around again, nearly falling over as he jumped back and kept a much greater distance between himself and the mysterious Brit.
"Did you just freakin' teleport?!"
"Simply put... pretty much," she shrugged.
He looked down at the ground and muttered to himself. "The hell am I up against..."
Scout then lifted his head and pointed to her. "You ain't winnin' this next challenge. Your team sucks, and your dumb teleportation changes nothin'! So until then... never follow me!"
Slinking off into the woods, Tracer chuckled at how good she was able to frighten him. After checking the boulder Scout had rested on for any idols, she sprinted away.
Meanwhile, from the bushes, an eavesdropping Sniper poked his head out. "Bloody hell... I might not have found that blimmin' idol, but at least I know what to expect from her."
Fully emerging from his hiding spot, he dusted leaves and snow from his clothes before making his way back to the Denalo Tribe...
No other interactions took place in the forest. Knuckles, Daisy, and Glass Joe all spent a good few hours searching the area.
Glass Joe wandered around and looked under every spot that could potentially house an idol, ignoring the more adventurous idol hiding spots as he stuck to the ground.
Meanwhile, Daisy scoured every single crevice she could lay her hands on. From the trees, to small mounds of snow, to thick, thorny bushes. Though a lot of the hiding spots she assumed to house idols seemed ridiculous, she searched them one-hundred percent regardless.
As for Knuckles, he kept to the trees. With his ability to glide through the air, he went from tree to tree, checking the branches and small holes for any idols that may be resting within them. After a while of doing the same mundane routine, he figured if it was even possible to find an idol in such a repetitive barren playground.
Unfortunately for the six, none of them found any idols within the forest region. Nor could they find anything that would get them close to finding one. After many hours of searching, the forest was empty...
Ice Cap Zone (Ring of Igloos): Day 3
Survivors: Goro Majima - Nero - Waluigi - Tails - Dedede - Krabs
With the massive labyrinth that was the Ice Cap Forest leaving people with no idols in their clutches, those that chose to explore the Ring of Igloos were delighted to see that the area was fairly condensed. At just under a square kilometre in size, it held a circle of twelve, large and spaced-out igloos.
Each igloo bore a large, white flag with an individual number from one to twelve written on it. Every igloo also contained a large brown chest in its interior, though ironically, all of them were empty.
After receiving such a large head start, Tails was the first to reach and explore the Ring of Igloos. To his misfortune, he was the first to discover the aggravating truth that each chest contained nothing. He continued to search around and even on top of the snowy structures, but to little avail.
He was mid-way through scavenging through the fifth igloo in detail before noticing others beginning to enter the area, starting with Majima, with Nero trailing behind.
Majima abruptly drifted into the first igloo he could reach, spotting the chest at the back.
"AHA!" He exclaimed, brimming with excitement. "Well colour me lucky. I just found myself an idol!"
His loud gloating was just audible enough for the nearby Nero to hear. With disbelief, he spun around and dashed into the igloo.
As he entered, he spotted Majima staring deep into the chest's soul, completely frozen.
Nero walked closer, expecting him to snatch the idol for himself, but upon closer inspection, he realized that Majima had gotten a little too cocky.
"Is this some sorta joke?!" He said, kicking the chest with anger.
"It's empty?" The devil hunter asked.
"Go ahead and jump in," Majima growled. "There ain't shit."
He walked out and made his way to the next igloo, suspecting that Tails already nabbed an idol for himself. As Majima was on his way, he spotted two others walking close by one another, neither of which from Denalo. Those two were none other than Mr. Krabs and King Dedede, both of which thirsty for idols.
"Those look like igloos to me," Krabs remarked, catching up. "Looks like that idol is nearly in my claws!"
"...If you can outdo me or the bajillion others who decided to come here," Dedede remarked. "As for me, I ain't gonna let a single person get in between me and that idol!"
His bravado was ironically interrupted by a voice bellowing from behind.
"THERE IT IS!"
Zooming past him, Waluigi came running through the snowy plains and over to the closest igloo to him. After nearly getting lost in the samey tundra hills and plains, he was the last to arrive at the Ring of Igloos.
"Jeez, what a freak," Dedede uttered.
And so, with everyone at their destination, a long, two hours were spent looking extensively in every igloo. Having already traveled a long time to reach the place, most people began giving up after they had already searched through each igloo two or three times over. The most frustrating thing was the fact that there was nothing to search. The igloos were empty barring the chests, nothing other than the flag could be found on the exterior, and nothing else of note was visible.
Out of frustration, Dedede, Tails, and Krabs soon departed. A little later than that, Majima's hunger got the better of him, driving him out of the ring. Nero and Waluigi remained, both of which becoming less patient and more hungry over time.
With Nero winding up back at the igloo with the number one written on its flag, he entered and suddenly snapped. With zero leads, he found it difficult to accept that his time and energy had been wasted on finding a virtually non-existent idol.
Grabbing the chest, which had been moved around by previous survivors, he threw it across the igloo with anger. It had been flipped over, though suffered no damage from his outburst.
Before turning to leave, he gazed at the chest once more, his eyes suddenly widening.
"What the hell... don't tell me..."
He walked towards the chest and observed the bottom side, noticing a taped note stuck to it. At this point, Nero was struggling on whether he should celebrate or headbutt a wall, but without hesitation, he nabbed it and read it:
"Congratulations! This note is located under every chest in the Ring of Igloos, so hope that you're the first to find one! As long as you decipher this hint, the idol's as good as yours:
three-squared - left twist - pull - obtain."
Nero read through the hint, attempting to understand what it meant.
"Three-squared... that's nine? That has to mean the igloo that has the flag with the number nine on it," he said aloud, unknowingly feeding a certain someone valuable info. "So what do the other parts mean? I guess I'll figure it out when I get there. It's still gonna be a while before night hits."
Turning around, he saw Waluigi scrambling out of the structure in a hurry, not realizing that he had been there the whole time.
"Damn it... HEY!"
Running after him, Nero planned to reach the igloo first, where he would decipher the code and quickly nab the idol before Waluigi figured it out.
"I'm never reading anything out loud again!" - Nero.
Surprisingly, Waluigi was fast, but Nero was able to keep up, eventually surpassing him by the end.
Quickly looking at the hint in his hand, he attempted to scan the igloo for anything capable of being twisted to the left...
...And then it hit him.
Making it to the igloo, he jumped onto the roof and shuffled to the flag, gripping it firmly.
"Wah?!" Waluigi cried.
Nero then twisted it to the left, hearing an audible, mechanical click, before pulling it out and hurling it off.
Looking down into the slot that the flag resided in, he saw a large, shiny metal ring with another note attached to it.
As he snatched it from its hiding spot, he stared down at Waluigi. "Remember what Alexa said. Once you lay your hands on an idol, it can't be stolen."
All he could do was watch and grumble with defeat. With all hopes of having an advantage down the drain, he strolled away, leaving Nero to read the note attached to the ring:
"This is the Ring of Reflection. Upon activating this ring at Tribal Council, each vote cast towards you will bounce onto a random other person with no immunity. You may also use this advantage on other people."
"Sounds pretty good," he said, stuffing it into his pocket. His mood had been lifted; he wielded the power of a very chaotic idol, one that could turn the tides of a Tribal Council through nothing but luck. However, if he wanted to reap its benefits without wasting it, he would have to use it at the right moment. And, in a game where everyone's out to get one another, being able to gauge when you're the target is never an easy task...
*TO BE CONTINUED*
