*Last time on Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone*
The day started early with Alexa bringing the twenty survivors down to the Ice Cap Lake for a meeting. Within this meeting, the survivors learned about The Shuffling: a twist that shuffles around the members of the three tribes every three eliminations. In addition, Alexa reintroduced idols, which were small, single-use advantages with varying abilities, capable of turning the tables in Tribal Council. He revealed the whereabouts of them to be within the Forest and Ring of Igloos area, and, as a result, members from each tribe ventured out to these areas in an attempt to secure one.
Barring a mysterious encounter between Tracer and Scout (featuring an eavesdropping Sniper), nothing eventful happened at the Ice Cap's forest. With nobody able to find the idol, everyone left the area empty-handed.
Meanwhile, after discovering a clue that led him to the whereabouts of an idol at the Ring of Igloos, Nero raced and bested Waluigi, retrieving the advantage before he could. The idol in question was the Ring of Reflection: a chaotic and powerful idol that reflected each vote cast towards the user onto a random, non-immune individual.
Back at the three tribes, relationships began to unfold: tensions in Denalo grew as Edgeworth confronted Joseph over his Stand that he had been hiding; Polnareff's unknown method of catching fish resulted in a mix of praise and suspicion among the Elbrass tribe, and a day of bonding between Wii Fit Trainer and Rodin formed more trust between them.
The next day housed the second challenge of the season. Each team was tasked with splitting into three pairs, taking turns at freeing a chest within a block of ice using a pickaxe. Within the chest contained a puzzle, and the first two tribes to successfully do so would win safety. Due to their status as captain in the last challenge, as well as Elbrass and Denalo having more members than Manjari, Kiryu and Majima sat out.
The challenge started, and it didn't take long for Manjari to begin falling behind. Due to Rodin, Dedede, and Krabs' valiant efforts, however, Manjari turned the tides by taking the lead, being the first to retrieve their chest. As Elbrass retrieved theirs, it became obvious that Denalo was unlikely to escape from last place.
Due to a sudden wild streak of momentum, the Manjari tribe found their redemption by being the first to complete the challenge. From that point, Elbrass struggled to make quick progress as Denalo made their miraculous recovery. Eventually, Denalo took over and were the second tribe to finish the challenge, leaving a disappointed Elbrass to return to tribe.
Back at tribe, an alliance between Polnareff, Kiryu, and Knuckles blossomed immediately. With only one more vote needed before they would have the majority, Polnareff tasked himself with winning Daisy over to use her as a second vote. Though it seemed like an easy task, the unexpected presence of Scout forced Polnareff to win them both over through deceit. After gaining their trust, he made them target the alliance of Dante and Phoenix.
Following a small chat with Alexa at Tribal Council, the members of Elbrass finally received their opportunity to vote. Though it was close, Phoenix was forced to say his goodbyes after being booted out at four votes.
Nineteen now remain. Denalo stands as the only tribe that hasn't faced Tribal Council, and trust and suspicion alike are beginning to take over the remaining contestants. 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!
Manjari Tribe: Day 5
Survivors: Tracer - Rodin - Glass Joe - Wii Fit Trainer.
Getting the daily chores done and over with, the majority of Manjari thought to keep things slow with a lazy day. As for Mr. Krabs and Dedede, the two of them set off to have another go at exploring the Ring of Igloos, unbeknown to them or most people that the idol there had already been retrieved.
"Did anyone else struggle to sleep last night?" Asked Tracer. "I don't usually have an issue with dozing off, but that wind kept me up all night."
"Are you implying that you had good sleep before that?!" Said Glass Joe, two black rings around his eyes. "We have no heat, AND we don't have anything comfortable to sleep on. Sometimes I wonder if the tents we get even make a difference."
"Watching the previous two seasons made it look too easy. I watched the challenges, saw how people were forced to cope in these horrible conditions, and then I said to myself, "I can do that!". Looks like I was wrong..." - Glass Joe.
She shrugged. "It's not been perfect, but I managed to get myself to sleep most nights."
Pitying Joe's inability to sleep, and concerned over his diminishing physique, Wii Fit Trainer intervened. "I could teach you some breathing exercises. The technique I would use is actually commonly used by soldiers to fall asleep quickly!"
"S-soldiers?!"
"Don't worry. It's nothing hardcore."
The boxer then rubbed his eyes and realized just how deprived of rest he was. As a result, he felt as if he had no choice but to accept. "Well, if it's to make sure I don't collapse one day, then I'll do it!"
"Maybe that's why Joe is such an underperformer. He might actually be really good, but the fact that he can't get himself to sleep is making him do poorly. Maybe if I can help him out, then our team will be much stronger!" - Wii Fit Trainer.
He then looked to the fire in front of him, his hunger hitting him like a truck. "But right now... I think food's more important."
"If you're thinking of waiting a few more hours until you can get your tiny portion, then remember we still got plenty of food left over from yesterday," said Rodin. "If we ration it out over the next few days, then we'll have the energy advantage."
"Plus, the temperature will keep it fresher for longer," said Wii Fit.
Joe smiled as he stood up. "Of course, how could I forget about our well-earned prize?"
Recalling where the tribe had stored the fruit, he wandered over to where the map was and knelt beside it, scanning for any fruit.
After a minute of searching, he grew concerned.
"Uh, I can't seem to find it."
"It should be under the sign!" Tracer stood up and walked over to where he was. "Oh? Hang on, it probably got buried by some snow."
Growing concerned herself, she joined Joe in digging up the snow around them, coming across nothing but stone and mud underneath. As far as they could tell, the fruit had vanished.
Joining them in their hunt, Rodin and Wii Fit Trainer walked over.
"There was at least enough to keep us going for today and tomorrow. Where'd it go?" Wii Fit queried. "Maybe the wind blew it off?"
"No way could the wind have blown it off," Rodin said. "It was put in a place where the wind couldn't have moved it."
Right before panic struck, Joe gave a cry of joy.
"I FOUND SOMETHING!"
They swiftly turned to where he sat, digging a dark red object from the snow.
As more and more of it was uncovered, his giddy face slowly turned sour. He pulled it from the snow and revealed a mostly-eaten apple core.
"We ate the fruit around the fire last night," said Rodin. "With that in mind, it's obvious what happened to it."
"Someone ate ALL of it this morning?" Joe asked. "We all may be starving, but how can someone eat that much, especially without anyone noticing?"
Tracer rubbed her chin. "Maybe if they were a large, hungry blue penguin. Other than that, who knows."
It was a plausible idea, but Wii Fit wasn't completely sold. "Are you saying this was Dedede? Who's to say it wasn't Krabs? Or both?"
Rodin rose his hand and vouched for her. "She's right," he said. "I was up pretty damn early, and not long after I left the cave, Tracer and the crab woke up. Tracer joined me, but Krabs said something about wanting to wake up early for the idol and left. I didn't see him take any fruit, so my guess is that Dedede woke up before any of us and snatched the rest of the food."
"He already ate the most out of the six of us," Tracer noted. "I guess some people are just too greedy to trust."
"So much for being a team player..." Sighed Joe. "I was really looking forward to having breakfast for the first time in days."
Rodin stood up and stared back at the fire under the shelter. "Looks like this is all the evidence we really need. If we lose this next challenge, then voting Dedede is our best bet. A guy like him can't be trusted. Even if the teams are gonna be shuffled in a few days, nobody wants to risk havin' a guy like him as a teammate."
"You're right! That food was a prize we all earned! Maybe some of us did less work, but that doesn't mean one person gets to have it all for himself!" Joe ranted. "That's why Dedede is getting my vote."
"No objections here," said Tracer. "If he goes out, then he has nobody else to blame but himself."
Also in agreement, Wii Fit Trainer gave a nod. "I'm with you guys on this. Hogging the team prize for yourself isn't the most forgivable thing you could do."
With the four of them unanimous regarding Dedede's future in the show, they returned to the fire.
"Do we tell him when he returns?" Glass Joe questioned.
"I don't want to confront him when he could have an idol in his pocket. Blindsiding him is our best bet," Wii Fit said. "I'll let Krabs know what happened. I imagine he'll be as angry as the rest of us."
"Of all the people here, I think it'd be stupid for me to trust anyone more than Wii Fit. She's a girl that uses emotions and trust as a factor in who she should vote, so as long as I don't do anything that'll make me look like a bad guy, she'll have trust in me too." - Tracer.
For the rest of the day, the four lounged by the fire, occasionally gathering more sticks for the fire by venturing down to the base of the mountain. Little did Dedede know, the whole tribe was soon to turn against him...
Ice Cap Zone (Ring of Igloos): Day 5
Survivors: Mr. Krabs - King Dedede - Goro Majima.
After a tedious few hours of searching, Dedede and Krabs failed to find anything of value within the Ring of Igloos yet again. They always found themselves right next to a useful hint, but unable to locate it.
Majima, however, quickly discovered a hint beneath a chest within one of the igloos:
"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."
"Shit... looks like my instincts were finally right!" He grinned madly.
Prancing out of the igloo with an aura of smugness, he read the clue again discretely, making sure that Krabs or Dedede couldn't notice from their distance.
"I dunno what the hell three-squared is, but my instincts are tellin' me that I should go to that igloo and twist everythin' I see!"
He casually strolled over to the ninth igloo, one that seemingly "triggered" the instincts within him.
Upon his arrival, he looked at it from top to bottom and rubbed his stubble. It didn't take long before the flag fit the "left twist" part of the hint.
Climbing atop the igloo, he grabbed the flag, twisted it to the left, and was surprised to pull it out from its position. Doing so revealed a small note, which he bent over and collected:
"Unfortunately, while you may have the glory of discovering an idol location, somebody managed to get to it before you could! Better luck next time!"
Majima had the note half-scrunched with rage by this point, but he continued reading:
"However, if the person currently in possession of the idol is eliminated without playing it, then it will return to its original spot."
Though this part of the note was slightly reassuring, Majima was far too disappointed for it to cheer him up. Without much thought, he shoved it into his shoes, slotted the flag back in before anyone caught him, and left the area, leaving Dedede and Krabs to continue their search.
Unfortunately, they were unable to finish their search on a high note. The two were still oblivious to the hint's placement, and Dedede was the first to leave the Ring of Igloos.
As Dedede followed the trail back to the Manjari mountain, he remained unaware of just how low his reputation in Manjari had become...
Denalo Tribe: Day 5
Survivors: Nero - Sniper - Miles "Tails" Prower - Miles Edgeworth - Joseph Joestar - Goro Majima - Waluigi.
Similar to Manjari, the majority of Denalo tribe had decided to spend their day of freedom at their tribe. The exception to this was Majima, and, if not for Nero retrieving the idol from the Ring of Igloos, then he and Waluigi would have also ventured out in search of them.
Though he set off early, Majima came back a little over an hour later, his face in a constant scowl. He sat down under the shelter and grumbled to himself, making the others around him curious.
"Someone doesn't look very happy," said Joseph. "What happened?"
"Eh?" He raised his head. "What does it look like? Somebody got to that idol before I did!"
"Wait, really?" Tails widened his eyes. "How do you know?"
Majima growled. "Because I solved the puzzle, obviously! There I was, findin' a hint under the chest and solving it like a genius, and then my prize is ruined by some asswipe who got to it before I did! It must have been one of those Manjari freaks that keep showing up. That penguin and the giant crab!"
As he continued to seethe with anger, Waluigi turned to Nero and shot him an evil grin.
"I know who-a took it!" The lanky purple villain proclaimed, his malicious smile growing ever wider. "It was-"
Before he could spill the beans, Majima grabbed him by the overalls, startling him.
"If you knew who took it..." He said, beginning to shake him. "THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY EARLIER! You wasted an hour of my life, ya dumb bastard!"
"Do these numbskulls work backward or something?! If there's important info that should be said, then friggin' say it! I shouldn't be told after freezing my balls off in the middle of nowhere!" - Goro Majima.
Eventually, he let go of his grasp by shoving him away, returning to his seat. Nero, while amused over Waluigi getting scolded, knew that it was a matter of time before his idol would be exposed.
"So which one has that idol then, lanky?" The Yakuza asked.
Waluigi shot his finger at Nero. Naturally, all the devil hunter could do in retaliation was sigh.
"Is that true?" Queried Joseph.
Lying wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Yeah," he said. "I found an idol."
"Even people like Waluigi have their uses, I suppose. Nero having an idol makes him an obvious threat, but it's all about knowing what his idol brings to the table. I could try and get that info out of him myself, but he seems far too reserved to make that a quick process. And considering we may be on different tribes soon, it doesn't seem worth the trouble." - Miles Edgeworth.
"Found?" Waluigi clenched his face from the absurdity of his statement. "More like-a stole! That idol was supposed to-a be mine, but-"
"-But I got to it first, after finding the hint no less," Nero argued. "You were the one eavesdropping behind me, but I still managed to get there first."
"Waaaahahaha! Say what you want, but nobody here will believe a cheater!"
Sniper, slowly losing his mind from Waluigi's antics, decided to keep himself busy. "I'm gonna try and catch a big one down at the lake. The fishing gear's in the cave, right?"
To his dismay, the one person he was trying to avoid was more than eager to join. "Get me one! I'm gonna catch one big enough to-a feed the whole team!"
Panicking, the mercenary rubbed the back of his neck and hissed with fake sadness. "Aww, sorry mate. There's only three rods."
"Are you-a dumb? That's more than enough for-a me!"
"Yeah, well, err..."
"Spit it out!"
Sniper turned to the rest of the tribe. "I, um, already asked Edgeworth and Joseph if they wanted to go. And they said yes."
"We did?" Edgeworth thought to himself. "Something tells me Sniper really doesn't want to fish with Waluigi."
Holding pity for the Australian, Joseph gave out a chuckle. "Oh right, of course! We were gonna help Sniper fish, weren't we, Edgeworth?"
"..."
Waluigi eyed him as the prosecutor was peer-pressured into blurting out a "Yeah..."
"See! B-better luck next time," Sniper said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
The three awkwardly shuffled to the fishing rods before leaving the tribe, leaving Tails, Nero, Waluigi, and Majima to awkwardly process the fact that one of them wields immense power and control. As expected, this resulted in an awkward wave of silence, coupled with bored humming and thumb-twiddling from Majima.
Upon exiting, the trio began their trek down the Denalo mountain, Sniper taking the time to apologize halfway through. "Didn't mean to drag you lot along, but the reason I decided to fish in the first place was so I could get away from that Waluigi bloke."
"On a typical day, the people I work with are a bunch of crazy, loud psychopaths. But unlike Waluigi, you can rely on them to get the job done. In the last challenge, I felt like an idiot having to teach that yob how to swing a pickaxe. It's a bloody miracle we managed to nab second place." - Sniper.
"You don't need to explain that. I could tell just by looking at you," admitted Joseph.
Sniper folded his arms. "I got no patience with him, and if any of you had to work with him yesterday, you'd agree."
"Well, considering how Majima treats him, you're not the only one," explained Edgeworth. "It's a shame how someone like him isn't even our biggest target."
Instantly catching on to Edgeworth's next scheme, Joseph decided to bite. "Who is?"
"The one with an idol, obviously," he said, tapping his temple.
"You're planning on taking down Nero?"
"Indeed."
"Good luck with that. I'd rather win this next challenge and form a plan after the teams are shuffled," said Joseph.
Edgeworth huffed, deciding to press Joseph. "And what if we lose the next challenge? We may have a winning streak of two, but that by no means makes us invincible."
The Stand user paused, unsure of what to say. Waluigi, Nero, and Edgeworth were all viable candidates in his eyes, but he had no idea which one would be his safest bet.
"Nero it is, then," Sniper interjected. "Even if I want him gone more, Waluigi's at the bottom of the barrel no matter who he gets placed with."
"I'm glad someone sees the issue at hand." Edgeworth gave a sigh of relief, though he felt Joseph's eyes burning into the back of his head.
"This has the risk of putting a target on my back, but when I saw Edgeworth and Sniper forming this agreement to get out Nero, I knew I could kill two birds with one stone. If we lose this next challenge, I can tell Nero that Sniper and Edgeworth are targeting him. That way, if I can get him to play his idol and blindside Edgeworth, then two big threats will be gone. No way will he see that coming!" - Joseph Joestar.
"Joseph's silence makes it clear that he's probably going to leak mine and Sniper's plans to vote out Nero to him. If that happens, then I'll get Majima, Tails, and Sniper to boot out Waluigi. It won't be an easy task, but if I form an alliance with Sniper, then that would make things a lot easier." - Miles Edgeworth.
The tribe eventually made it to the lake and spent a few hours fishing. Unfortunately, only one minuscule fish was caught in that time, causing them to throw it back in and give up. Upon returning, they were met with disappointment, especially from Waluigi, but the information that they had learned from one another on the way down had made the expedition entirely worth it...
Elbrass Tribe: Night 5
Survivors: Dante - Scout - Knuckles - Jean Pierre Polnareff - Kazuma Kiryu - Princess Daisy.
By the time Scout, Dante, Daisy, and Kiryu had returned from their expedition, the sunset was coming to an end. Cold and hungry, the four idol-hunters were greeted by a surprisingly large feast prepared by Polnareff and Knuckles. A plentiful helping of fish per person, alongside the usual ration of rice and beans mixed in.
"Hell yeah!" Scout licked his lips. "Another big meal is just what I need after five hours of wandering through that piece of crap forest."
"Thank Polnareff and that hidden technique of his," shrugged Knuckles. "I didn't believe it myself until I saw him come back with four skewered fish."
The mercenary grinned. "I expected nothin' less."
"Looks like Scout's warmed up to me a lot since I saved his rind from the chopping block yesterday. If Dante ever catches on to this alliance that Kiryu, Knuckles, and myself are in, then he'll have a hard time convincing Scout and Daisy to target me. The only stone left unturned is the fact that Scout received a mysterious third vote, but Knuckles said he was going to tell me something when Kiryu came back from the forest." - Jean Pierre Polnareff.
Though their tribe had been punctured by the loss of Phoenix, Elbrass continued to live their life in the tribe merrily. With satisfactory rations of fish offered by Polnareff, as well as a generally optimistic outlook from most of the tribe, Elbrass refused to mourn over their losses.
However, though the tribe looked healthy on the outside, plenty of alliances and strategies were unfolding behind the scenes.
Later that night, a slight snowstorm had forced Dante, Scout, and Daisy into the cave early. Though they eventually decided to follow themselves, Knuckles stopped Kiryu and Polnareff as they went to leave the cloth shelter.
"I almost forgot to mention," he said. "Last night, there were three votes towards Scout."
"Do you know who planted that third vote?" Kiryu questioned. "I thought that was strange."
With little shame, the echidna pointed to himself. "Well, the person who dropped that third vote was... me."
"Huh?!" Polnareff gasped. "What made you do that?"
"I did the right thing, even if things would have been better off if I laid off," Knuckles said stubbornly. "If Dante and Phoenix targeted one of us instead of Scout like you said they would, then they would have lost a lot of trust in you. Knowing neither of you would also vote Scout, I decided to vote for him to make your story more truthful."
Though Polnareff was angry, Kiryu saw where he was coming from. "It was slightly risky for you to do that, but Scout doesn't seem to be too bothered about the third vote towards him."
"Exactly! And besides, it's not like Dante can make any moves. In a minute's time, we'll all be in that cave together," he added. "We have the numbers, and Dante will be out if we end up losing again. That is unless he has any idols."
"Anyone could have idols," said Polnareff. "Even you two! In fact, I'm the only one who hasn't searched for one of those trinkets. Surely by now, there has to be someone among these mountains that has one."
In agreement, Knuckles nodded. "You're right. It's also a possibility that someone from another tribe might have an idol from that forest area, even Denalo."
"Denalo? But getting there from that tribe is a pretty intense walk. They have that igloo place nearby."
"They do, but that didn't stop my eyes from spotting one of them a few days ago."
"Who was it?"
He scrunched his face and thought hard, but couldn't remember his name. "He's pretty tall, has a stubble..."
"Does he have an Australian accent?" Asked Kiryu.
"Is that what it's called?"
"You might be talking about Sniper."
Suddenly remembering Alexa referring to him by that name, Knuckles snapped his fingers. "That's the one! I saw him hiding in a bush, but I didn't catch what he was looking at."
Not liking the sound of what Knuckles was describing, Kiryu's opinion on Sniper suddenly shifted into a negative light. "Sounds like he might be spying on people."
As they continued to distract themselves from entering the cave, Dante found himself unable to win over Scout and Daisy.
"So you're tellin' me that the guy who saved my skin from you... is worth kickin' out?" Scout huffed. "I ain't stupid, and a fancypants like you ain't gonna change the fact that you're gettin' my vote next."
"Yeah! Not to mention that I would've been next if your schemes worked out," spat Daisy.
"I only voted for you because that's what the others told me," said Dante, lying. "I was left out of the loop, and Phoenix was blindsided."
Scout shook his head. "That ain't what Polnareff said, tough guy. Pack your bags and give up already."
Knowing that convincing either of them was an impossible feat, he leaned against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. Now that he wasn't even able to speak to Scout or Daisy without tension, he couldn't be more at the bottom.
"Man... Polnareff really left me in the dust. If I can't win this next challenge, then I'll be joining Phoenix in the Blindside Club. It doesn't help that any idols that are in that forest have probably been found, knowing my luck." - Dante.
Zoning out, Dante ignored Kiryu, Knuckles, and Polnareff as they entered. In comparison, Daisy was more than happy to see them.
"Hey guys! What took you so long?"
With a shrug, Polnareff sat down against a wall. "Can't say it was important stuff. Apparently, Sniper's quite the threat."
"Sniper?" Scout and Daisy said in unison.
"Y'know. He's tall, has a hat, and an Australian accent... whatever that is," Knuckles tutted.
As his description fascinated the princess, Scout was far more concerned over his seemingly negative reputation.
"Me and Sniper don't see eye to eye. That guy's all about hiding in a corner and campin' while I'm about that high-octane stuff. Y'know, the crap a person signs up to do in a war? Anyway, I'm plannin' to team up with him once we get ourselves in the same tribe, and if everyone wants him out, then that screws up my master plan!" - Scout.
Daisy rubbed her chin. "What IS an Australian accent?"
Before anyone could answer, Scout quickly chimed in with his own question.
"Wait, hold up just a sec," said the mercenary. "You said somethin' about him bein' a threat?"
Knuckles nodded. "I saw him spying from some bushes while I was searching the forest a few days ago. Couldn't tell you who, but it's bad news no matter who it is."
"Someone who takes their time to watch others when finding an advantage should take priority is not someone you should take lightly," added Kiryu. "That person he was spying on could have been you."
"Coulda' been spyin' on that Tracer freak," he said, attempting to justify Sniper's mysterious actions. "Did you know she can teleport?"
"That's news to me," said Polnareff.
Scout recalled the event, as clear as day. "I was lookin' for the idol after we just learned about it, right? I was about to say "screw it" and give up, and then she appears from nowhere! Then she bothers me some more, frickin' vanishes then grabs me from behind!"
"Sounds like she's not planning on hiding that ability," stated Kiryu. "But the past two challenges don't involve anything to do with teleporting."
Whilst everyone was engaged in learning about the mysterious nature of their enemy tribe members, Daisy placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "If you guys learned about this Australian accent guy and this teleporting girl a few days ago, then why didn't you tell us then?"
"Hey, I thought that chick would show it off the next challenge I saw her! Besides, the last thing I wanna think about is how I'm up against a frickin' wizard," Scout defended himself.
"Well, if tomorrow's challenge is a race, then all hope is lost." - Dante.
The tribe eventually quit discussing their enemies and rivals alike, and as everyone was cooped up in the cave together, discussing the next target for elimination was out of the equation.
As far as Dante knew, the performance of Elbrass in the next challenge was ultimately going to decide his fate. If they fail to receive immunity of any kind, then he would certainly be eliminated. Otherwise, he and the rest of his tribe would make it to the first Shuffling event of many...
*TO BE CONTINUED*
