Review Responses
Critica7- While I like Dave, I understand completely why a lot of people hate him. I'm going to take Dave in a slightly different direction compared to canon, but I don't expect to win over any Dave haters. Of course, that's all in the somewhat distant future. Glad you liked Katie and how I was able to make her stand out compared to canon that gave her almost nothing.
WeirdAlfan101- Another supporter for team Heather in the Heather vs Amy rivalry. Heather seems to have the most supporters, and it kind of makes sense since she is the original. I agree with you that Heather got great development and grew while Amy was more of a plot device than a real character. Hopefully I can make Amy stand out more as a character even if she's still the most hated character here.
ShadowJcreed- Glad you enjoyed. The further we get into this, the more divergences we're going to see. The beginning was a bit similar to canon, but now we're branching out and the story can stand as it's own thing. Thank you for clarifying your past review. It makes a lot more sense now compared to what I initially thought. As for if we'll see Heather kiss someone like she did to Trent in canon, well you won't have to wait too much longer. I think the result will be a bit shocking.
Gucci Mane LaFlare- Thanks for the kind words. It's getting a lot more interesting and fun to write these chapters, so I'm glad that it's also being perceived as good by readers.
Phenomenal Ultra Instinct- Katie may not have been able to convince the Bass about Alejandro, but Courtney who was already suspicious is going to be a lot more cautious. I agree Katie messed up by telling Alejandro, but she was driven by her emotions not her logic. The Gophers did manage to win despite their mountain of issues, but can they pull of another one?
QueenAzulaThinksYourWorthless- Thank you so much for understanding the intent behind Katie's elimination. Logically it would make sense not to confront Alejandro, but she was being very emotional about it. Amy and Heather's rivalry is one of the most enjoyable parts to write so I'm glad you're loving it. You'd think they'd get along with their similar personalities, but nope it's just hate, hate, and more hate. Good predictions for the merge. Just wait and see how right or wrong you were.
Last time on Total Drama Island. The teams were given three challenges that tested their trust in their teammates. The rock climbing revealed more than just how far Heather's hatred for Amy goes. Trent got the bad end of a blow fish, courtesy of Samey. Katie dug deeper in her investigation, and found out quite the socking secret. A lot of campers got dropped and pained, while Amy helped Ella get acquainted with a jellyfish. Touching moments, and good times for everyone. Stay tuned, for the most dramatic bonfire ceremony yet on Total Drama Island.
The theme song begins with several cameras popping out of various locations. A cue card signals the start of transitioning through the island and past Chris
(Dear Mom and Dad I'm doin' fine)
The camera goes past several trees and up the island's large cliff
(You guys are on my mind)
The camera goes under the water where Owen is shown. He farts underwater accidentally killing a fish.
(You asked me what I wanted to be and now I think the answer is plain to see)
The dead fish pops up along with the fart bubbles. An eagle flies by and picks up the bird. On the beach shore nearby Geoff is shown tanning while Lightning is working out.
(I wanna be Famous)
Ella is singing with her animal friends in the forest. The eagle drops the fish over her scaring away her animal friends. Sugar is shown laughing at Ella's misery while Jasmine glares at Sugar.
(I wanna live close to the sun)
In a raft Heather and Leshawna are having a slap fight. They aren't paying attention to their surroundings and the raft goes over a waterfall with the two girls screaming.
(Well pack your bags cause I've already won)
On a log near the waterfall Leonard is practicing his wizard spells. He is so focused on his spells that he didn't notice Izzy swinging by on a vine. She crashed into him and the two went flying off screen.
(Everything to prove nothing in my way)
Izzy and Leonard go past the camp and crash into Harold right as he was about to enter the confessional. All three of them landed on the floor in pain.
(I'll get there one day)
Inside the Mess Hall Chef is mixing something into his mess of a pot. Cody and Ezekiel are shown tied up and look concerned about what Chef is going to feed them.
(Cause I wanna be famous)
Next to Cody and Ezekiel, Beardo is making several noises. Chef annoyed with his sound effects shoves a spoonful of food into his mouth as well.
(Na nananana nananana nananana)
Outside of the Mess Hall, Katie is holding onto Zoey and staring at a nearby Alejandro who is smiling back at the girls, his teeth sparkling in the process. Dave is shown nearby looking towards Zoey before turning and glaring at Alejandro.
(I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous)
At the end of the dock Courtney is shown waving at the camera elegantly. She missteps though and falls into the water with the view panning straight up into the daylight sky.
(I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous)
It quickly turns to night at the campfire ceremony. Sammy and Trent are sitting next to each other. They lean closer to each other, but Amy pulls Sammy's hair, knocks her down, and takes her seat. The rest of the campers are shown sitting around in a circle whistling along to the music.
Outside of the Screaming Gophers cabin, the Gophers were gathered around. Sammy, Amy, and Heather were sitting on the steps on the cabin with Sammy sitting in between Amy and Heather. Leshawna and Trent stood on the side of the steps. Ella was in front them, eagerly smiling at everyone as she had been to one who asked them to meet by the cabins.
"Alright, we're all here, now what do you want?" Amy asked Ella.
"I'm so glad you could all make it. I've noticed our team spirit hasn't been the strongest recently and decided that a song would do wonders for helping to build and restore our bond in each other." Ella told her.
Amy rolled her eyes, while Heather looked at Ella uninterested. "You really think sitting in a circle and singing Kumbaya is going to make us suddenly get along. This is a waste of time Ella." Heather told her.
"Well, you don't have to sing if you don't want to, but I'd hope you'd at least listen to my song. I worked very hard on it." Ella told her.
Ella cleared her throat, and prepared to sing the song that she had written for her team.
Let's build up our teamwork, and we'll beat the Bass
If we work together, then for sure we'll pass
Ella took a step forward standing directly in front of Amy, Sammy, and Heather. She reached her hands out towards the girls and then pulled her hands back to her body.
You're the strongest group I've ever met
And So I know, that once I'm through
Spinning back to face the group, Ella points over to Trent and Leshawna, still on the sides of the cabin. As she finishes the verse, she moved over to Sammy and grabbed her hands to lift her up from where she was sitting. Once Sammy was up she tried to do the same thing to Heather and Amy. Neither of them budged, so she just went back to her starting position.
Somehow I'll build a team from all you
Ella finished her song off by twirling around and going past each of her team members to give them a brief hug.
Trent, Sammy, and Leshawna clapped for her while Amy looked bored, and Heather maintained a fake smile.
"That was really impressive Ella." Trent told her.
"Too bad some people didn't appreciate the effort." Leshawna said glaring over at Amy and Heather.
"Yeah, nice singing or whatever." Heather said uninterested.
Ella smiled blushing slightly from the praise. "Well there's still much more of the song if you wish to listen to it." Ella said.
Before anyone could respond, the camp loudspeaker went off, and Chef's voice could be heard coming out of it. "Listen up you little cockroaches!" He yelled gaining everyone's attention. "I want all campers to report to the Dock of Shame at 0900 hours!" The Gophers, as well as some nearby Bass looked at each other in confusion as to what was going on. "That means now soldiers, NOW!" Chef yelled again.
"Well, it looks like we won't get the rest of that song after all. That's too bad." Heather said.
"Thank goodness." Amy said.
At the Dock of Shame, everyone was lined up and waiting. Chef approached them wearing a drill sergeant uniform rather than his usual Chef outfit.
"Line up and stand at attention!" Chef yelled into a megaphone. He pulled out a pointing stick and walked down the line of campers. "You call this proper formation? Feet together!" He smacked Geoff's legs, causing him to yelp and put them together. "Arms down!" He hit Jasmine's crossed arms, causing them to drop. "Eyes forward!" Zoey immediately turned her head forward. "Head up!" Heather's chin was forced up, and Chef finished by smacking Harold several times to correct his poor posture.
"I hope the rest of the day isn't this harsh." Sammy whispered over to Trent.
Chef went over to Sammy. "What did you say solider?" He asked her through his megaphone startling her.
"Umm... nothing... nothing at all." She hesitantly answered.
"And you will continue to say nothing, until I tell you that you can say something! Today's challenge will not be an easy one." Chef explained as he walked past the campers lined up across the dock. "In fact, I do not expect everyone to come out alive." Amy looked over at Sammy mimicking a knife cutting her throat only to get smacked on her arm by Chef's pointing stick in response. "My orders are to make sure all the babies in front of me drop outta my boot camp except one. The last one standing wins immunity for their team." Chef explained.
"Excuse me Chef, but what happened to Chris?" Zoey asked Chef.
"Rule number one, you will address me as Master Chief!" Chef yelled ignoring Zoey's question. "Have you got that?" He asked them.
"Yes Master Chief!" Everyone frantically said.
Chef walked past them, and stopped in front of Geoff. "You will sleep when I tell you to sleep. And you will eat only until I tell you to eat. Is that clear?" He asked the party dude.
"Yes Master Chief!" Geoff answered.
"Rule number two! When you are ready to give up, you will report to the dock and ring the bell. Which brings me to rule number three. I like to get one quitter before the end of the first day. And that day will not end until someone drops out!" Chef explained tensely. "Now get your butts down to the beach soldiers! Now! Now! Now!" Chef ordered. They ran over to beach as fast as they could, hoping to escape Chef's wrath.
(Confessional Camera)
"I don't know who's sick idea it was to let Chef be in charge of this challenge, but he clearly isn't fit to be host. Still, this is just another challenge so we'll just have to deal with it." Courtney said.
(Confessional End)
Once everyone gathered at the beach, they stood by two colored canoes. One of them was green, and the other was red. They awaited further instructions from Chef for the challenge to begin.
"Listen up!" Chef barked at them. "Each team must hold a canoe over their heads. I catch you taking your hands off the canoe, and you will be eliminated!" Chef told them. "And no one eats lunch until someone drops out!" He added. The campers looked at each other in shock and concern. "Canoes up!" Chef ordered. Since each team had six members, it was pretty even to hold up the canoes. Seeing as how Jasmine was much taller than most of the other Killer Bass, she squatted to adjust for the size difference and help hold her team's canoe. Ella's bird friends placed their wings on the canoe and her squirrel friends stood on her shoulders also lifting to help out, though it didn't do much.
"Hey, this isn't too hard." Trent said.
"Piece of cake." Geoff said.
Their words would come back to bite them, as hours later they were still holding the canoes. Courtney's arms were shown getting tired, and Leshawna's stomach was growling with nothing to eat.
"Come on you sissies." Chef taunted them. "It's only been three hours."
"Looks like they missed lunch today." Chris said suddenly showing up.
"Mm-hmm," Chef nodded. "Guess they just weren't hungry! Unless someone wants to quit now?" The camera zoomed out and revealed the two men were sitting cross-legged on top of the two canoes. Chef was on the Gophers while Chris was on the Bass.
Harold's stomach growled and his team looked at him in concern. "Come on, just a little more dude and we'll be done." Geoff told him.
As the hours passed by, more and more people were getting tired. Still, there was no quitter so the challenge continued.
"Seeing as how we're stuck here, why don't I sing more of my teamwork song for all of you?" Ella asked her teammates.
"You really think singing is a good idea with psycho chief over us?" Heather asked Ella.
Ella thought for a moment and smiled. "I'll just do a small part then. It'll also help my little birdie friends get more energy. The poor things, they're just as tired as we are." She said.
Teamwork is a strong skill, that we hold within
When we work together, then I know we'll win
We're a fractured, split, and broken group
Right now things are looking blue
But still I'll build a team from all you
Just as Ella finished the next part of her song, Chef ducked his head down to see the Gophers. "What's all that noise down there?" He yelled at them.
"Nothing Master Chief." Ella meekly replied. Chef stared Ella down before returning to his seat atop their cabin.
Nightfall soon came with the challenge still going on. Many were reaching their breaking point, but none had yet to give up. Chef sat on a beach chair watching the two teams.
"Twenty-five of us went in the jungle that night," Chef muttered. "Only five came back out..."
Zoey yawned, and looked over at Chef. "Just which war were you in?" She asked him.
"Did I ask you to speak. Because I don't remember asking you to speak." Chef yelled at her.
"Sorry, I was just curious." Zoey said.
As they continued to hold the canoes, the challenge seemed to drag on, until Jasmine collapsed to the ground letting go of the canoe.
"Holding the canoe is no problem, but I can't stand my legs anymore from being down here for so long." She said.
"None of us would blame you for dropping out at this point." Courtney told Jasmine.
Jasmine smiled and wobbled over to the loser bell, her legs still dead asleep from squatting down for hours. Chef stood by and watched as she rang the loser bell in shame. Once it was rung, the Screaming Gophers tossed off their canoe, while the Killer Bass let it simply collapse. Chef went over to Jasmine.
"Listen, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Chef told Jasmine in a soft voice. "Except being a little baby that let you team down!" He yelled at her through his megaphone. "As for the rest of you, report to the mess hall. Dinner is served." He announced.
"Sweet, let's go get some food." Geoff said.
Everyone gathered in the Mess Hall except for Jasmine who had gone back to her cabin to try and relax. Chef stood in front of them ready to give them instructions to eat.
"Alright Maggots, open your ears. You've got ten minutes to eat before your night training begins. So get to it." He instructed. More groans and complaints could be heard from everyone gathered around.
"Excuse me Master Chief, but where's our food at?" Trent asked Chef.
Chef gestured over to a pile of trash cans. "You're looking at it." He told them.
"This is just leftover garbage from breakfast." Geoff pointed out as he looked through the trash bin.
"Darn right." Chef said. "When you're at war, you take what you can get.
Geoff dug through the trash until he managed to find part of an apple that was still decent. He shrugged and took a bite out of it, much to the disgust of others.
"Well I can see you have this under control." Chris told Chef. "I'm off to craft services. Coming?" He asked.
"Serve me up some of that." Chef said walking out with Chris.
Once Chris and Chef left, several of the campers held their try and searched through the trash cans hoping they would be able to find something edible in there. Heather threw her tray away in frustration.
"I am not eating this." She said.
"For once, I agree with her. I'm not eating any of that either." Courtney said.
"A weak stomach Courtney?" Alejandro asked her. "I would not judge you, as I myself do not particular enjoy having to put up with meals of this poor caliber so frequently.
"I actually have a strong stomach for your information. I'm going to be running for office someday, and nobody is going to pull up a file of me eating garbage." Courtney told him.
"Of course, because there aren't several other embarrassing moments available as a result of your competing in this game." Alejandro teased her.
Oh will you just shut up." Courtney said storming off.
(Confessional Camera)
"I think I've toyed with Courtney's head long enough. Now, it's time to see just how useful she can be to me." Alejandro said smirking.
(Confessional End)
At the Gopher table, Sammy picked at her tray of garbage unsure what she could eat. Trent sat down next to her smiling.
"You did a really good job with the canoes. I didn't know you had it in you." Trent told her.
Sammy blushed and rubbed her neck. "Oh it was nothing. I guess years of being a cheerleader have helped me get used to holding heavy objects for a long time." She said.
"Don't get too full of yourself Samey, don't forget that you're the reason our team lost the regional championship last year." Amy said from across the table.
"That wasn't my fault and you know it. You shouldn't have tried to change the routine at the last minute after we practiced the old one for months." Sammy yelled back.
"The old routine wasn't good enough and you know it. If you just listened to me like you should've, then we would have won." Amy yelled moving in front of Sammy and pointing at her angrily.
"You weren't even the captain anymore. Why should any of us have listened to you?" Sammy yelled shoving Amy's hand away.
"Because when I was captain, we won. I deserved that spot more than any of the losers on our team." Amy yelled.
The two girls stared each other down intensely, the sound of their argument getting the attention of everyone in the Mess Hall. Seeing the argument escalate, Ella went over to Amy and Sammy.
"Amy, Sammy, let us not fight anymore. How about we instead say something special about each of our teammates. I can start." Ella offered. She cleared her throat to sing, much to Amy's annoyance.
Trent's music truly is the best
Heather really is my bestie
Sammy's heart is strong I'm sure you can see
Leshawana's pride shines through the rest
Oh and let's not forget Amy
Put them all together for our victory
Ella's song did little to stop the sisters from glaring at each other. Amy stormed off, and Ella simply sighed in disappointment at her failed attempt.
The first night challenge had the campers all lined up in three rows. Chef stood in front of them dancing, and they had to copy his dance moves while smooth music played. The dance moves went on for quite some time with Chef getting more and more distinct as the song played. During a series of pelvic thrusts, the music suddenly stopped, and Amy was shown having turned it off.
"You said one of us drops out, and we're done. The giant freak of nature already quit so there's no reason to keep putting up with these dumb dance moves." She said.
"Actually Amy, Master Chief said the day would not end until one person dropped out. He didn't say the day would end when someone dropped out." Alejandro said.
"You better not be trying to kiss up to me boy. Drop and give me twenty." Chef yelled at Alejandro.
"Understood Master Chief." Alejandro said dropping down.
"Same for you Blondie." He told Amy. She rolled her eyes and got to the ground. "Any other questions?" Chef asked.
"Sorry," Sammy said raising her hand. "but can I go to the bathroom?" She asked.
Sammy was shown in the bathroom, however she had with her a pair of latex gloves, a mop, and a bucket to clean it. "This wasn't what I meant." Sammy complained to herself.
Back inside the Mess Hall, Chef explained to them the next challenge. ""For your next challenge you will write a three hundred word essay about how much you love me. Anyone who falls asleep or fails to complete the challenge will be eliminated!" Chef explained to them.
"Excuse me Master Chief, but may we write a three hundred word poem or song about how much we love you?" Ella asked Chef.
Chef went up to Ella. "Let me think about that." Chef kindly said. "NO!" He yelled causing Ella to shrink back in her seat.
Hours later, as everyone continued to write, they were noticeably getting more and more tired. An alarm went off signaling that it was time to stop writing and Chef returned to gather the essays. Harold frantically kept writing, but Chef pulled the paper away from him leaving him to write in the air. He gathered all of the essays, and looked over them.
"Just from looking at these, I can tell none of you put the smallest of efforts into this paper." Chef said. "I'll read over these disappointments soon enough. He walked past the Gopher table, and slipped on a pile of drool that was on the floor. "Clean up that drool you blonde baby." He told Amy.
"What, that is not mine. It probably belongs to Samey." She said.
Sammy stuck her tongue out at Amy causing Chef to slam his hand on the table. "I don't care who it belongs to, just clean it up." He yelled at them.
Alejandro walked over with a mop and began to clean the drool. "You need not worry Master Chef, I shall take care of it." He said smiling.
"Boy what did I tell you about kissing up. One more and you'll be running fifty laps." Chef yelled at him. He slammed his hand on the table again waking up Trent and Zoey who had fallen asleep. "You two slackers are out. " He yelled at them. "The rest of you, get to bed and report to the playing field at 0500 hours." He said before walking out.
As they were heading out, Courtney went over to Alejandro who was almost finished cleaning the drool up. "What are you thinking Alejandro? Chris might be someone you can kiss up to, but you need to stop trying it with Chef." She told him.
"I appreciate the concern Courtney, but I am not kissing up. I am merely doing my best in the challenge, and hoping that we can succeed." Alejandro told her.
Courtney looked at Alejandro suspiciously, but walked away. "Whatever, you'd better not get us disqualified." She said.
Once it was time for the following challenge, those left gathered by a mud pit and an obstacle course. The obstacle course featured a large wooden wall, a pair of hanging ropes with ramps on both sides, a pair of raised tires, and a pair of large axes hanging upside-down end. "You will all run this course," Chef explained, "until you can all complete it in under one minute. Am I making my self clear?" he asked Alejandro.
"Understood completely Master Chief sir." Alejandro responded. Courtney rolled her eyes at him, and he gave her a subtle smile.
"Go maggots Go!" Chef ordered.
They ran to start the obstacle course as fast as they could. Geoff and Sammy jumped over the large wall somewhat easily, while Leshawna struggled to get over it. At the raised tires, Heather dived in, and managed to make it through easily. Courtney and Amy slowly made their way through the axes, Amy complaining about her clothes getting muddied the way through. Alejandro and Ella both made it over the rope swing without a problem. Starting the course over due to poor time, Harold jumped over the wall, but fell down into the mud. He weakly got up, but began to vomit up the mud.
"Master Chief sir we have a medical emergency." Alejandro yelled getting Chef's attention.
"Too much mud." Harold weakly said in between vomits of mud.
Chef grabbed Harold, and lifted him up. "Ring the bell and report to the infirmary." He instructed. "Your tour of duty is finished. The rest of you back on the course and keep going. One false move and I'll be on you like stink on a poop wagon." Chef told everyone who was gathered around watching.
Ella worked through the obstacle course, getting some slight help from her animal companions in the harder parts. As she ran, she began to sing once more.
Team Gophers
We will unite, and then we will triumph
Ella jumped to make it over the wall. Her birds gave her a small boost, and she managed to make it over the tall wall in a single attempt.
Team Gophers
Yes our team spirit it shall renew
At the rope section, Ella didn't have any problems swinging over with her current momentum.
Team Gophers
No matter how sad we may be right now
We'll do the best together yes, it's true
Ella spun in the air as she reached the tire section, and dove through the center of the tires easily. As she approached the final axes, she dove down, and was able to slide underneath them easily. Chef waited for her at the end of the course.
"That was a real good attempt." He told her. "Now do it without all the singing." He yelled at her.
Everyone ran through the obstacle course several more times, with each attempt getting worse and worse. Several people were getting stuck on the same obstacles, and no progress was being made. Geoff was stuck in one of the tires, Heather, was tied up with the rope hanging upside down, and Leshwana had sunken into the mud by the axes. Chef looked at them dissapointed and shook his head at their display.
"That's enough!" He yelled through his megaphone. "It's clear that none of you are fit for even the simplest of courses. You're all a disgrace. That along with your pitiful essays means that none of you are getting anything to eat tonight. Go wash up, and get out of my sight." Chef ordered them. They sighed in relief at being done, and began to head off. "I'm not finished with you yet!" Chef yelled to get their attention. One of you maggots has managed to not be a complete disgrace. Alejandro is the only one who even came close to completing this course. His essay proved he has a decent enough grasp on the English language, he's the only baby here who hasn't complained, and what I once thought as kissing up, I now see as giving me the respect I deserve." Chef said.
(Confessional Camera)
"Was that Chef's version of a compliment? I have much more than just a decent grasp, and I am far certain I completed that course in well under a minute. Still, I suppose I shouldn't argue and ruin the good standing I currently have." Alejandro said.
(Confessional End)
"For attempting to put in effort compared to the rest of these sissies, you get to enjoy a decent meal, along with a guest of your choice tonight while the others go without food." Chef told Alejandro.
Alejandro looked around to see who he should choose for the dinner. "Well it's a tough choice, but I'm simply going to have to go with Courtney." Alejandro said extending his hand out to her. There were several gasps at his choice, and Courtney reluctantly took his hand.
Inside the Screaming Gopher cabin later that night, after everyone had washed up, Heather was pacing around annoyed. "I can't believe that jerk took Courtney to have dinner with him." She yelled pacing back and forth.
"What you jealous that he didn't pick you after all the flirting he's done?" Leshawna asked her.
"Shut up, I could care less about Alejerkdro. I just want to be able to eat something that isn't from the trash before this dumb challenge is over." Heather yelled at her. Leshawna gave Heather a look causing Heather to huff and storm out.
In Mess Hall, Courtney and Alejandro were sat together for their dinner. They had a large selection of food options to choose from.
"I hope you enjoy this meal Courtney. I couldn't pick anyone else but you to join me." Alejandro told her.
Courtney stood up in frustration and looked at Alejandro seriously. "Alright, just what game are you playing?" Courtney asked him.
"I am sorry Courtney, but I don't know what you mean. I merely wished to have a fine diner with my close teammate." Alejandro told her.
"I don't get it. First you flirt with Heather for days, then you kept trying to mess with me by bringing up my former controlling nature, not to mention all the stuff Katie said last time. Now you invite me to dinner out of everyone available. I can tell you're up to something Alejandro, and I want to know what it is." Courtney yelled at him.
Alejandro kept his smile, and took a step forward towards Courtney. He grabbed her hands, and looked into her eyes. "Only someone as brilliant as you could see though me so well." He told Courtney. "The truth is that I have become quite enamored by you Courtney. Your brilliant mind, your fierce personality, your beauty, it has all captured my heart. Flirting with Heather and teasing you was the only way I knew to get your attention, and now that I have it, I can confess my true feelings." He told her.
Courtney pulled her hands back from Alejandro and took a step back. "Alejandro I... I appreciate the sentiment... but I didn't join this game to get into a relationship." She told him blushing.
"I understand completely. Someone of your caliber must remain focused on the main objective, and I would simply be another distraction. I hope that we may be able to work together, and perhaps after the game explore where things would go." He said charmingly.
"That... that sounds reasonable enough." Courtney said.
"Thank you Courtney. All I ask is that we may work together for one of us to win. Of course, in a finale between you and I, there is no doubt you would be victorious." He told her.
Courtney blushed harder, and went to fill her tray from the dinner table available for them to choose from. "Well we're currently down this challenge, so there's a chance we might lose. We should probably vote off Harold if we do since he hasn't been helpful in the latest challenges." Courtney said.
"A fine observation as usual Courtney, but may I suggest something else. I believe that Jasmine would be the best option for elimination if we lose today." Alejandro told her.
"What!" Courtney yelled in surprise. "She's our best player. Why would it be a good idea to get rid of Jasmine?" She asked him.
"I know Jasmine has been a fine leader. If you recall I was the one who initially nominated her for the position. We must look at the larger picture however Courtney. The teams are getting smaller each day. It will not be long until they are gone. When that happens can we trust on Jasmine to keep working with us?" Alejandro asked her.
"Of course we can. Jasmine is my best friend, and there's no reason we'd stop working together just because there aren't teams." Courtney said.
"Jasmine may be our friend, but this is still a competition at it's core. Jasmine is skilled enough to win on her own, and she knows it. Sure she may keep us around at first, but she won't need us for long. The longer we allow her to stay on this island, the more of a threat she becomes to both of us." He said.
Courtney thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I won't do it. I won't vote off my best friend like that." Courtney said.
Alejandro sighed and turned his back to Courtney. "A shame that the tactical mind which captured my heart has become softened over time. The Courtney I know would do anything if it meant getting an advantage in the long run." Alejandro told her.
"Well maybe that Courtney is gone!" Courtney yelled at him.
Alejandro turned around, moved closely to Courtney, and softly held her hands. "No she isn't. I know she's standing in front of me, and I know she'll make the smartest decision regardless of her feelings. You're sharp, determined, cutthroat, and willing to make the decisions that nobody else will. I won't force you to do this Courtney, and I will respect your decision, but we both know that you know what you have to do." Alejandro told her. He kissed her hands softly and went to gather several pieces of food in a bag.
"What are you doing?" Courtney asked him.
"Chef did not say we couldn't share our dinner with the others. It is unfair they starve so I shall provide both teams with plenty of subsistence." Alejandro told her. He walked back over to the cabins leaving Courtney alone.
(Confessional Camera)
"Is 'Alejandro right about Jasmine? Is it too risky to let her stay once the teams are gone?" Courtney asked herself. She slapped herself hard to shake her thoughts away. "No, I won't do that to her." She said. "Will I?" She quietly asked herself.
(Confessional End)
In the Bass Cabin, everyone was gathered around, and enjoying the food that Alejandro had brought back for them. Everyone was enjoying the variety of food, and having a good time together.
"Alejandro are you sure that Chef won't get mad at you for bringing us all of this?" Zoey asked him.
"Do not worry, Chef's time in charge will come to an end soon enough." Alejandro told her.
"Why didn't Courtney come back with you?" Jasmine asked him.
"I believe she wanted to enjoy her meal in the Mess Hall. Perhaps she'll rejoin us soon enough." He said hiding an evil smirk.
Other campers were spending their time together criticizing Chef.
"What is with those lame war stories. That guy is seriously messed up." Trent said.
"Boy," Leshawna said. "These nails weren't meant for combat training, you know what I'm saying?" Leshawna said.
"Cheer camp was intense, but this is just torture. Remind me never to sign up for the Army." Sammy added laughing.
Ella looked over and smiled at how everyone was getting along. "Now seems like a perfect time to finish my song for all of you." She told them.
Amy groaned loudly, and Heather sighed getting more food.
The night goes on forward, and the vote arrives
If we work together, then we'll all survive
"Enough singing. Will you shut up, you're annoying all of us." Amy yelled at Ella.
Ella stopped and looked over at Amy glumly. "Oh my apologies. I'll just go outside where I won't be a bother to anyone." Ella said heading out by herself. As she headed she softly sang to herself.
I'm unsuited for this teamwork chore
I have failed I know, it's true
How could I make a team from all you
Amy smiled with Ella being gone, and Trent went over to where she was sitting. "Hey, she was just trying to help us out you know. You didn't have to be such a jerk to her." He told her.
"Whatever, like I care about the feelings of that delusional loser." Amy said. She took a tray of food, and left back over to her own cabin.
(Confessional Camera)
"I'm starting to wonder why I ever thought that Amy was nice. It's not just Sammy she's mean to, she's a jerk to everyone around her. Sometimes I think she might even be worse than Heather." Trent said.
(Confessional End)
"Ain't Ella supposed to be your friend?" Leshawna asked Heather. "You seem almost glad that she's not here anymore." She said.
Heather put on a fake smile, and walked towards the door. "Of course I'm going to cheer Ella up. I just wanted to finish my dinner before anyone else could take from it." She said.
(Confessional Camera)
"Ella's singing was getting on my nerves too, but luckily Amy managed to make herself look bad again. At this point it's a simple matter of letting her look bad so everyone can forget about me." Heather said.
(Confessional End)
Heather found Ella sitting on a bench nearby. She was humming to the birds that followed her around, but it was clear that she still had some tears in her eyes from Amy.
"Oh hello Heather. Pleasure to see you as always." Ella said putting on a smile.
"Look Ella, don't worry about what Amy said. Everyone on the team loves your singing, especially me. Maybe you should tone it down just a little bit, so that we don't have any more problems getting along." Heather told her.
Ella gave Heather a hug and smiled. "Thank you for being my bestest friend here Heather. As long as I have you I know that things won't look as bad as they are." Ella told her.
"Anytime." Heather said smiling.
The camp loudspeaker went off, and Chef could be heard from it "Attention remaining boot campers." He announced over the loudspeaker, "The next evolution of your training begins at 0700 hours. I know that you were all given contraband despite my order to have no dinner, so you'd better be ready for the hardest day of your life." He threatened.
The final challenge set up had the remaining players hanging upside down from a tree. The Killer Bass had Geoff, Courtney, and Alejandro, while the Screaming Gophers had Amy, Sammy, Heather, and Ella.
"What you are experiencing is an ancient form of torture." Chef explained. "By now the blood has begun rushing to your head. The next stage is nausea, followed by dizziness and a flushed appearance as the blood begins to pool in your eyes. You may experience fainting spells." He said.
As Chef finished explaining, Sammy collapsed, and fell out of the tree. Seeing Sammy below her, Amy dropped down on top of her.
"Break my fall." She yelled before landing on top of her sister.
Those who were left on top of the tree grabbed their legs hoping to stay as long as they could. Alejandro looked over at Courtney, gave her a wink, and dropped from the tree. When he fell Chef went over to him.
"I'm dissapointed in you. I thought you had potential, but you're just as much of a failure as everyone else here." Chef told him.
"I apologize for my disappointment Master Chief." Alejandro told him before stepping away. He looked up to Courtney and gave her another wink. Heater, noticing this interaction dropped down annoyed.
"That's it, I'm so done." She said before landing nicely and walking off from the challenge. Courtney took a deep breath, and dropped down as well. Geoff and Ella were the only two left. Ella played with a squirrel on the tree, while Geoff dangled in enjoyment.
"You can do this Geoff." Jasmine told him.
"Rock on, sister!" Geoff cheered. "I live for the head rush!" He laughed. After a moment his laugh stopped and he began to slur his words. "It feels... sooo... gooood..." He dizzily said. It wasn't much of a surprise moments later when he finally fell.
The Killer Bass looked down at Geoff in concern. "Well that's another loss for us." Jasmine said looking down.
As the Killer Bass lamented their loss, the Screaming Gophers cheered for another victory, and held Ella up in celebration. Chef went up to their celebration, and looked at Ella proudly.
"I underestimated you solider, but you proved it's not how strong you are, but how much fight you have in you. Congratulations. I'd go to war with you anytime." He told her.
"Oh umm thank you very much, and I shall remember that." Ella kindly told him.
"You do that solider. You do that." Chef proudly said letting a tear drop fall from his eye.
Alejandro went up to Courtney as the Bass headed off to prepare for their elimination. "Considering you purposely dropped out same as I did, I suppose you are on board with what I suggested last time?" He asked her.
"Yes... No... I don't know. Besides, how can just you and I vote Jasmine out. Nobody else will go along with this." Courtney told him.
"You go speak with Zoey, and I shall talk to Harold and Geoff. Do not explain more than is necessary. I trust that we can do this together." Alejandro told her. Courtney blushed, and he blew her a kiss before going into his cabin.
Inside of the Bass guys cabin, Geoff and Harold were looking down.
"A bummer about losing. I thought I could handle the rush." Geoff said.
Alejandro walked into the cabin to join them. He looked at Geoff and Harold, confident in his plan. "Gentleman, I agree it is a shame that we loss. I have even worse news to report. Courtney is planning on voting out Harold." Alejandro told them.
"She's what?" Harold asked panicking.
"Relax Harold. I overheard her talking with Zoey. If the three of us vote against Courtney, then we can force a tie." Alejandro told them.
"Man, I really thought Courtney had changed, but if she's going behind our backs, then she's just gone back to how she was at the beginning." Geoff said.
"A shame indeed." Alejandro said smiling.
(Confessional Camera)
"Even if Courtney does not go through with our initial plan, then she will be the one voted out. Whether it be Courtney or Jasmine, one of the largest threats in the game will not be making it to the merge." Alejandro said confidently.
(Confessional End)
The elimination ceremony started and it was a tense one. "I only have five marshmallows on my plate," Chris said to the remaining Bass. "And these marshmallows represent the campers... that will continue to be... campers... here." He said. "You've all cast your ballots in the confession cam. If I do not call your name, you must immediately go to the Dock of Shame. Catch the Boat of Losers and go home. And you can't come back... ever."
"Zoey." She sighed in relief.
"Geoff." He cheered in joy.
"Alejandro." He smirked and looked over at Courtney winking to her.
"Those three did not receive any votes. The remaining three of you did receive votes." Chris told Harold, Courtney, and Jasmine. "We have one vote for Harold... one vote for Courtney... one vote for Jasmine... a second vote for Courtney... a second vote for Jasmine... The final vote goes to...
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Jasmine." Chris revealed. "Jasmine, you've been eliminated." He said.
Jasmine stood up in shock and looked at her team. "Why did you guys get rid of me? After everything I've done to help this team out you'd do something like this." She said.
"Yes, yes. Always a shock." Chris said uncaring.
"There's no way this is right dude. I know for a fact that three of us didn't vote for her." Geoff said standing with Harold and Alejandro.
Chris snapped his fingers, and Chef showed up to drag Jasmine away. She went with him willingly, but looked back at her team in shock and betrayal.
After everyone left back to their cabins, Alejandro and Courtney met up in secret. They sat together by the campfire roasting their marshmallows.
"That was too close. Zoey must have told Jasmine our plan, and that's why the two of them voted for me." Courtney said.
"Close indeed, but as I assured you, together we would win. Now you and I will make it to the end together." Alejandro told her. He blew her a kiss, and headed off to his cabin.
Courtney left her marshmallow in the fire and let it burn to a crisp as she sighed with a mix of pride and regret.
(Confessional Camera)
"It hurt, but Alejandro is right I've gotten too soft. The game is only going to get harder and if I want to win then I can't hold back anymore because of my feelings." Courtney said.
(Switch)
"Jasmine served her purpose as leader well, but without teams, she was no longer needed. We'll see how long Courtney proves to be useful before she too is eliminated. They had all better watch out, because compared to me Heather's a saint." Alejandro said smirking.
(Confessional End)
Courtney sighed once more as her marshmallow completely burned, and there was nothing left for her to consume.
Elimination Order
22. Leonard
21. Lightning
20. Ezekiel
19. Beardo
18. Izzy
17. Dave
16. Cody
15. Owen
14. Sugar
13. Katie
12. Jasmine
Remaining Contestants
Screaming Gophers: Heather, Ella, Amy, Sammy, Trent, and Leshawna
Killer Bass: Geoff, Courtney, Alejandro, Zoey, Harold
Elimination Explanation: I don't think anybody could have predicted Jasmine getting eliminated before the merge. My first thought, was that Courtney would get eliminated here with Alejandro double crossing her. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized Jasmine couldn't make it to the merge. It was a tough decision, but I knew I had to go through with it. As Alejandro pointed out, Jasmine is a strong competitor, and her skills would easily let her dominate past the merge. If I didn't get rid of her before the merge, then she honestly would have won the rest of the game without too many problems. As much as I enjoyed writing Jasmine I didn't want her to go too far as I have plans for other characters in the endgame. Still she almost made the merge, and was a great character to explore.
A/N: Boy was this so much fun to write. There were't any of the canon plot lines here so it gave me 100% freedom to do whatever I wanted. There wasn't anybody who I could see taking Duncan's role of pushing Chef so I went in the opposite direction and had Alejandro be the perfect solider to get on Chef's good side. Chef in canon has shown to have some level of respect for Alejandro so I don't think it was too unbelievable. It also provided the perfect opportunity for Alejandro to play some mind games with Courtney.
I don't know if anyone caught it, but the teamwork song that Ella sang throughout the challenge is actually a parody of a famous training montage song. I felt it fit the theme of the challenge rather well. I won't say what it is, but if you know what I based it off of, let me know. I haven't had Ella sing too much, and I'm going to try and fix that since singing is a major part of her character. Hope I can do a good job with her singing. Speaking of Ella though, I had no idea she was so loved. Every single review last time talked about Amy shoving her into the jellyfish pool, and how despicable that was. I'm a big fan of Ella myself, so it's great to see the love for her. I know some people might find it unbelievable that Ella won the challenge, but I think it does make sense. Beyond the fact that she has her animal friends helping her out, her small size is also a major benefit. It not only makes the obstacle course easier to complete, but it also gave her a huge advantage in the final challenge. Being small the effect that of hanging upside down isn't as harsh on her body compared to some of the larger contestants. There's less force being put on her, so she can last longer upside down.
Overall, this one is definitely a game changer. Arguably the strongest player in the game is out, Alejandro is making more villainous moves, Courtney is conflicted with her decision and strategy possibly regressing a bit as a character, Ella managed to somewhat fix the Gophers except for Amy, and there's only one more elimination before the merge hits. Go ahead and place your bets on who's going to be the last one out before the merge, as well as our two returning players. I have one of the returning players chosen since nearly the beginning, and the other I'm still deciding between a few final options. I think it'll all work out in the end but we'll just have to see.