Holy cow! This chapter took a long time to get through. Without giving much away, the challenge I have planned is a very unique one, and is responsible for me taking so long to finish it. Also, this chapter is gonna be a lot longer than the last one. Anyways, on with the reviews.
Gman: I know it's a bit late but my favorite Xmas movie is Die Hard (Yes, it counts)
KirbyStar: Samey and Amy's memories were not something I originally planned, but I'm glad I put them in.
WhattheHeck: I actually thought Chef going after the competitors was a bit weird too. But I couldn't think of a reason why he would do it, so I just didn't give one. I also did add a few moments of Samey remembering her past with Amy, but they were few and far between, so I get what you mean.
Guest: I liked Don a lot too. He was really fun to write. And thank you.
Infinity Wizard: Fair points. I totally understand when you say it's anticlimactic. I was more looking to get this chapter over with, so I can get to the next few.
404 and Big Bobby: Thank you for the predictions. Let's see if you got any right.
The camera opened to a shot of the film lot. "Alright, let's see if I remember how to do this." Chris started. "Last time on Total Drama Legends. The halfwitted host known as Don failed to keep his competitors in order, when Chef led a rebellion against him, and the others. Honestly, I don't blame the man. Don's as entertaining as a frozen sloth, no wonder Chef thought he wasn't worthy of replacing me." A voice could be heard whispering to him. "What? What do you mean I can't talk about what happened?" Chris sounded annoyed. The voice got louder. "...alright, alright. I get it. I won't mention it." Chris calmed down, and continued. "Anyways, yadda yadda yadda, some big things happened (Sanders kissing Duncan), no one went home, blah blah blah, a new alliance was formed (Amy and Samey) and, as you've probably noticed, a certain host has returned."
The camera cut to Chris, sitting in a director's chair. "That's right, the rightful host is back. No more of that stupid windbag known as…" He stopped himself, and cleared his throat. "Um, we appreciated that our...previous host was able to take over while I was...occupied. We hope to...have him back sometime soon." He was clearly forcing himself to say all this, and with a clearly forced smile. He quickly dropped it, and produced a real smirk. "Now it's time to get back into the thick of things. Someone will go home today. But, to make things interesting for our final eight competitors, we have a little twist. One that will take things up to a new level. Find out what it is, on an all new...Total...Drama...L...egends! I've still got it."
It was late morning, and the remaining eight competitors were enjoying some specially prepared brunch. Surprisingly, it all looked pretty good, and didn't taste half bad either. Gwen stared at her brunch. "Ok, I'm not sure about this," she said, to no one in particular. "If the food is this good, then today's challenge is gonna suck." she laughed, and looked over.
Sanders was sitting next to her, glumly picking at her french toast. She looked miserable.
Confessional (Sanders): She gave a heavy sigh. "Yeah...I'm really bummed Duncan doesn't want to go out with me. I really thought we had something and he just…he's just not ready to date someone like me."
Confessional (Gwen): The Goth looked annoyed. "Why is he so stubborn? Why can't Duncan just admit he likes Sanders already? I know he says he doesn't like cops, but he's changed so much since All-Stars." She was sounding more agitated now. "Maybe I was wrong..."
Confessional (Sanders): She now had her elbows on the table, still looking glum. "Maybe I should just drop it. It wouldn't be fair if I was only thinking of myself." She took a deep breath, and exhaled. "If he doesn't want to date me...I'm...I'm fine with that." Her tone and sad expression said otherwise.
Static
On the other table, it was quiet. Most of the competitors were eating their food. One, however, was lost in thought.
Confessional (Zoey): She sighed sadly. "I...I don't know how to feel about this. What Mike did was really bad, I know that, but…" She looked down, and rubbed her arm. "I...I don't think I want to be mad at him. I probably should, but...I really don't like it."
Static
Eventually, she looked over at the person, sitting next to her. Duncan didn't look like he was in a great mood. He just picked at his scrambled eggs, with a dull glare.
Zoey didn't really notice it. "Hey, Duncan? Can I talk to you about something?" She didn't get a response. "Duncan?" Still no answer. Zoey finally noticed Duncan's focused look. She carefully moved her hand, and tapped him on the shoulder. Duncan didn't even bother looking. "What?" He said coldly.
Now Zoey was curious. "Duncan, are you alright?"
The Indie Chick noticed her friend cringe slightly when she asked that. "I'm...fine. Don't worry about it."
Zoey frowned. "Duncan, I know you well enough. If something's bothering you, you can-"
"I said don't worry about it!" The Ex-Con suddenly snapped.
Zoey was taken aback. The outburst caught the attention of most of the other competitors. Not even bothering to notice the stares, Duncan grunted, got up and walked out of the tent.
There was an awkward silence, after Duncan's exit. But after a while, the competitors returned to talking. Mike stayed quiet though.
Confessional (Mike): His arms were crossed, and was looking away from the camera. "I should've said something when Duncan yelled at Zoey. She's still my girlfriend, after all...I hope." He thought for a moment. "Yet again, she's probably still mad at me for what I did...maybe butting in would've only made things worse."
Static
While Mike remained deep in thought, Amy and Samey were talking strategy.
"So, Jo's next?" Samey asked. Her sister nodded in response. Samey smiled. "Alright, now we just need to make sure you win the next challenge."
Amy was surprised. "Wait, what? Why would we do that?"
Samey gave a blank stare. "Do you not want to win the next challenge?"
"No, it's not that...why would you let me win, and not yourself?"
"I..." Samey started, still confused. "I agreed to form the alliance with you, remember? I wouldn't be a good teammate if I betrayed you. Besides, Duncan and Jo aren't after me."
Amy looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Right. I forgot about that. I'm still not used to us actually working together." She considered what she would say next. "That's actually a good point, sis. You're smarter than I give you credit for."
Samey went wide eyed.
Confessional (Samey): She was processing what just happened. She looked at the camera. "Did you hear that? Amy complimented me. She said I was smart." Her look of shock changed to a smile. "I almost forgot what having a nice sister was like."
Static
From a distance, Jo eyed the two chatting twins. She knew they were talking about her.
Confessional (Jo): She was leaning back in her chair. "If you think I'm scared about some lame brain cheerleader, you're dead wrong." But she soon put her chair back down, and gave a more thoughtful look. "But two lame brain cheerleaders? That's a different story…"
Static
Soon, the competitors had finished their brunch and were talking to one another. Duncan had also returned, noticeably upset and not interacting with anyone.
"Good morning, competitors." Chris walked into the craft services tent, with his usual enthusiastic greeting. The competitors looked at him with varying degrees of disdain. Chris ignored the glares. "Since you're all done with brunch, I want everyone to head to the gilded Chris ceremony."
"I thought they were the Gilded Dons now." Jo cut in, a sly grin on her face.
Chris' eye twitched, but he held back his anger. "Follow me to the Gilded Chris ceremony" He said, through gritted teeth. "And we'll begin part one of the challenge."
"Part one?" Gwen asked aloud.
Everyone stood up, and headed out of the tent.
Confessional (Duncan): He scratched the back of his head. "Dang. I shouldn't have snapped at Zoey, like I did. I'm just…" He clenched his fists, before releasing them and exhaling. "...I'll tell her I'm sorry after the challenge." He mumbled.
Static
As the eight competitors walked behind Chris, Sanders couldn't help but dart glances at the Ex-Con. She wanted to say something to him, but didn't know what.
Jo was also casting looks at a certain competitor. Or rather...two. The Twins were still whispering to each other, and occasionally giggling. The Jockette knew that wasn't a good sign.
After a few more minutes, they had arrived at the ceremony. It had been converted slightly. At the podium stood a large flatscreen. Chef was standing next to it, with a concession stand on wheels. The competitors looked at the screen.
"So...what kind of challenge is this?" Zoey asked Chris
The Host just smirked. "Well...today's challenge won't have you off your feet a lot. You can just kick back and relax."
The competitors liked the idea, but Gwen was still confused. "So the challenge is just watching a movie?"
At that moment, Chef walked up, carrying a briefcase. He handed it to Chris. The host put it on the podium and opened it. "Nope." He reached in and pulled out several DVD boxes. "You'll be watching eight movies, in one go."
The competitors went wide eyed. "WHAT?!" They all exclaimed.
Day eventually turned to night. The last movie had finished, and the competitors were making their way back to the trailers. Needless to say, they were exhausted.
"I can't believe he actually made us watch every single one of those movies." Sanders groggily said, rubbing her eyes.
"At least they weren't all terrible." Mike added. "I kinda liked the one with the mad scientist." The other competitors were too tired to respond.
"And he didn't even let me take a nap." Duncan grumbled. "He probably got his money's worth with that stupid airhorn."
"At least he let us use the bathroom." Samey noted.
"Yeah. But only when a movie was over." Gwen complained. "I was holding it in, the entire time, during that country girl movie."
"Don't remind me," Jo rolled her eyes. "That was easily the worst one."
They could see the trailers and were looking forward to getting some sleep. Unfortunately, an unwelcome face was also there. "Good evening, competitors." Chris smiled. "Did you enjoy your trip to the movies?"
The competitors glared coldly at him. "You're lucky I'm tired, McLean." Jo growled. "Otherwise, I'd deck you."
"I'm sure you would, Jo. I just thought I'd inform you of the second part of the challenge."
"Oh, right," Mike groaned. "There was a part two…"
"Tell me about it in the morning." Duncan walked towards his trailer. "I'm getting some shut eye."
"I don't think that's a good idea, Duncan." Chris smirked. Chef walked up to him with a stalk of papers. Chris took them. "Tomorrow's challenge is what I like to call: Method Madness." The competitors looked confused, but Chris explained. "Every movie you watched had one thing in common...they all had method actors." He paused. "Method acting is a type of acting where a performer goes to extra lengths to become the character they are playing. Even when they aren't on camera, they still play the character."
"Kinda seems like an excuse for actors to act like assholes…" Gwen mumbled.
"So tomorrow's challenge will have all of you playing certain characters." Chris finished, handing them each their scripts.
"That's why you kept us awake..." Duncan realized.
"Correct!" Chris pointed. "Now for your roles." He turned to the first competitor. "Jo, I know you'll like this one. You'll be playing the role of Christine Carly: a country girl, with a spunky attitude, moving into the big city for the first time."
Jo groaned.
Confessional (Jo): "Of course that's the one I got." she snided. "Had I not said anything, he probably would've given me something cooler." She paused, before realizing something. "Yet again, knowing McLean, it probably wouldn't have mattered. Stupid host…"
Static
"Alright, Gwen. Let's see what you got." Chris handed the Goth another script. "You've been given the role of Gail Grounder. Economics professor by day, but by night…" He moved in closer for dramatic effect. "...she's the legendary superhero, Hydro-girl. Stopping crime with her wonderful waves of justice." Gwen didn't look as annoyed as Jo, but was clearly not excited about her given character. Chris moved onto the next competitor. "Duncan, this should be fun for you. You'll be playing Officer Hardy."
"I'm playing a COP?!" The Ex-Con blurted out.
"Not just any cop," Chris pointed. "But the toughest, sternest police officer in the business. And he always plays by the rules." He chuckled.
Confessional (Duncan): "Why am I not surprised that Chris made me the cop?" He paused uncomfortably. "I mean, I guess I don't hate all cops, but…" He thought of saying more, but just scoffed.
Static.
"Zoey!" Chris exclaimed. "Your character is...Bruce Ridgings. A biker from the south, who wants nothing more than to become the greatest...poet, of all time."
"Oh, yeah." Zoey remembered. "He was actually pretty nice. I guess it won't be so bad…" She trailed off, then looked at Chris. "Wait, why am I playing a guy?"
Chris pointed at the other competitors. "Because the gender ratio is incredibly unbalanced. We didn't have enough girl roles." Zoey was a little annoyed, but didn't say anything.
Soon, Chris had handed the remaining roles to the remaining competitors. Once they all had their scripts he stepped back to face them. "You all better be in character by tomorrow if you want to win. Now get some sleep...you'll need it." He started to walk away, but stopped in his tracks. He turned back to the competitors. "By the way," He started again. "I have one more announcement."
"Make it quick." Duncan ordered.
"It's kind of an important one." The Host explained. "Tomorrow's challenge will not end until someone breaks character. And we will not have an elimination ceremony, once it's over."
The competitors looked confused. "What are you talking about?" Sanders asked.
"I don't think you guys were listening." He started talking slower. "The challenge. Does not end. Until someone...breaks character. So because of that...we will not have an elimination ceremony."
The competitors soon realized what that meant
"So whoever breaks character first..." Amy started.
"...will be eliminated." Samey finished.
"You got it!" Chris pointed. "It'll be an automatic elimination. No gilded Chris', no fanfare, nothing." He paused for dramatic effect. "And, because it's the final eight and I want to make things interesting, every challenge from this point on...will all be automatic eliminations."
The competitors gasped. "So you're saying that we could be eliminated the moment we lose a challenge?" Mike asked.
Chris smirked, and tapped the tip of his nose. "No more voting, no more immunity. Since it's the final eight, I want to make things interesting. Every challenge will be a fight to stay in the game...so you all better be ready."
The competitors looked at each other nervously, as Chris walked away.
Confessional (Amy): She smiled. "Ha. Now Jo and Duncan can't vote me off. I'd never thought I'd say this but, thank you Chris."
Static
As everyone headed into the trailers, with their scripts. Samey couldn't but grin as she looked at hers.
"What are you smiling about?" Her sister asked, who was walking by her side.
Samey chuckled. "I was just remembering that time, when we were five, and we were in the school play." She chuckled. "Mom loved playing that video every Christmas."
Amy thought for a moment. Then a smile crept onto her face, and she let out a small laugh. But she immediately covered it with a cough. "Yeah...yeah I remember." The whole moment suddenly became awkward. While Amy went ahead, Samey stayed back, still looking at her script.
Night soon became morning, and the only sounds that could be heard were birds chirping and the light snoring, coming from inside the trailers. Chris walked up. He looked at the camera and grinned. "Ah geez," He pretended to sound guilty. "These competitors deserve a nice, long sleep after spending the day at the movies. It would be a shame if someone was to wake them up." He shrugged, revealing a megaphone in his hand. He turned to Chef, who was next to him. "Take this, Chef. I don't think it's the right thing to do."
Chef just chuckled, and took the megaphone. "You want the extra large one...with extra base?"
Chris pretended to ponder for a moment. "Hmmm…" He smiled. "You know exactly what a man needs, Chef."
The Co-Host revealed a much larger megaphone. It was so big, he was holding it with both hands. He had to hold it upright, while Chris held it to his mouth. He cleared his throat, and leaned forward. "WAKEY, WAKEY, COMPETITORS! THIS IS YOUR WAKE-UP CALL, SO RISE AND SHINE!"
The loud noise rattled the trailers. All of the competitors were shaken awake, some worse than others. Gwen was so startled, she shot up and banged her head on the top bunk. She rubbed the bump on her head, and grumbled. But before she could curse Chris out for his existence...
"AND, JUST SO EVERYONE'S CLEAR, IF YOU WANT TO CURSE ME FOR MY EXISTENCE, I'D RECOMMEND NOT. YOUR METHOD ACTING CHALLENGE BEGINS RIGHT NOW. FROM THIS POINT ON, YOU'LL BE ACTING AS YOUR GIVEN CHARACTERS. LOOK TO YOUR BEDSIDE, AND YOU'LL FIND YOUR COSTUMES."
Gwen held back saying anything, and she looked to her right. Sure enough, she saw a neat pile of clothes next to her bed. She looked up and noticed all the other girls were looking at their outfits. Some were starting to change into them. Gwen didn't react to it, and got up to put them on.
The camera cut to Chris, still standing outside the trailers. He was looking at his watch. He looked up at Chef. "It's been about five minutes, you think they're ready."
Chef shrugged. "Only one way to find out."
"I missed your enthusiasm, Chef." The Host smiled. Chef returned it, but coughed awkwardly. Chris turned back to the trailers. He held up a normal size megaphone to his mouth. "Competitors...I mean, movie characters. Your first challenge starts now. I'm gonna call out your name, and you'll come out of the trailer and introduce yourself. Remember, you have to stay in character the entire time." He paused. "Alright, could...Chef Mercedes come out to greet us?"
A few seconds passed by, before one of the doors to the girls dorm opened. Amy stepped out, but not in her usual clothes. She was wearing a white Chef's outfit, complete with jacket and long pants. The only difference was that the jacket was cut out slightly, exposing her midriff. She forced herself to smile. "People usually call me Mandy," She spoke in an enthusiastic tone, as she pointed a thumb at herself. "But I go by Chef Mercedes. I'm a young chef, with a dream to become the very best cook in all the world. And don't you dare try to break my smile." She gave a very toothy grin.
Chef and Chris stifled a laugh. "That's...wonderful, Mercedes." Chris chuckled. "Head over here, and we'll keep this going." Chef Mercedes nodded and walked next to them. Chris picked up the megaphone again. "Now, I would like...Bruce Ridgings to come out."
Another few seconds passed, when Zoey exited. Chef and Chris burst into laughter. Amy was trying her best not to break character, and held back her laugh too. Zoey looked...very different. She was wearing a biker's vest and a black shirt. She also had black leather pants, and a black and red bandana. And to top all of it off, she had a scruffy fake beard. "My name's Bruce," She spoke softly in a southern accent. "Most people think my life's about loud bikes and street gangs. They don't know me at all. I just want to write poems and…show people that anyone can be what they want to be."
Chef and Chris were still sniggering, as Bruce made his way down. "Alright, this should be interesting." He whispered to Chef. "Doctor Heyman. Please make your way down."
The door to the guys trailer shot open, having been kicked out. Mike stepped out, and cackled evilly. Doctor Heyman was wearing a long white trench coat, a dark blue undershirt and goggles, above his head. Needless to say, Mike had no issues in his role.
"Hahahahahaha." He laughed in a nasally voice. "Fear me world. Doctor Heyman will soon be conquering you. That's right. I will burn this world to the ground, and rebuild it in my own image. My evil image!" He laughed maniacally again.
The Host and Co-Host stood, in silence, not sure what to say.
"Well," Bruce spoke up. "If he wants to follow his dream of takin' over the world, I say let 'em."
Chris turned to the Biker, weirded out. "Thank you...Bruce." He turned to the trailers. "Next up is…"
More competitors introduced themselves. Jo was the next to come out, as Christine Carly. Despite how forced (not to mention terrible) it was, she spoke in a country girl accent. She was wearing blue overalls, with a white undershirt and a tan cowboy hat. She introduced herself as a naive girl who's only ever worked on the farm, and is now making the big leap into the city, for the first time.
Duncan was wearing a police uniform, complete with hat and shades. Despite how out of place it was, he played the no nonsense cop to a tee. The real Officer Hardy would've been proud.
Samey's entrance was met with some stifling laughter from Chris and Chef. She was wearing a white and red baseball jersey, and long pants. Her hair was in a net that was tucked under her baseball cap, making her look bald. Oh, and she was wearing a fat suit that made her look like she had a beer belly. She introduced herself as Big Gus, an old timey baseball player who wants to prove he can still play.
Only two had yet to be introduced. Chris pulled out a box of matches and lit one of them. Chef took a nearby trash can and put it in front of him. Chris nonchalantly tossed the match, and the garbage inside immediately caught fire. "Oh no." He spoke in fake distress. "Is there anyone that can save me from this roaring fire?"
A few seconds passed, before the girls door shot open and a flash of blue rolled out. A splash of water suddenly appeared and doused the garbage flames. Now standing in front of Chris and Chef, was Gwen. She had her fists to her hips, and was standing stoically. She was wearing a light blue full body superhero outfit, complete with mask, cape and utility belt. She had a now empty water bottle in her hand. "Fear not, citizen." She boomed. "I, Hydro-Girl, will protect you from any savage flames. No suffering shall occur, as long as I'm here." She paused, holding her pose.
Chris and Chef nodded, impressed . "Alright, Hydro-Girl. Get in line, we've only got one more left." Hydro-Girl nodded and went next to Big Gus. Chris whispered to Chef. "This next one should be interesting…" Chef sniggered, as Chris held up his megaphone. And last, but certainly not least, let's give a big welcome to the Mobster Boss: Ivy 'Eagle Eyes' Tarrant!"
No one stepped out, immediately. But soon, the competitors could hear loud, slow footsteps coming from the trailer. It was somewhat ominous. Soon, Sanders had walked down the steps. But she did not look like herself. She was wearing long black pants, black suspenders and white buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She had a cold glare on her face, as she slowly eyed the other competitors. They were all a little surprised by the sudden tone change, but didn't say anything. Without a word, she headed towards them.
Chris was a little unnerved, but tried not to show it. He coughed uncomfortably. "Yes...well...alright. Now that we've gotten that done with, we can start the day." He pointed off to the distance. "Everyone head to the craft services tent. It's time to eat." He and Chef walked off, while the others followed.
Confessional (Officer Hardy): Duncan was about to open his mouth, but Chris' voice cut him off. "Remember, you have to act like your character for the entire day. That includes the confessionals."
Officer Hardy looked like he wanted to say something, but his mouth slowly fell closed. He cleared his throat. "I, just…" He spoke in a deep voice. "I just hope that...that mobster boss and that...evil scientist can keep themselves in check...otherwise, I'll have to...do something about it." He crossed his arms and nodded.
Static
Author's note:
If you get confused, here's who's playing who:
Amy as Chef Mercedes
Gwen as Gail Grounder/ Hydro-Girl
Samey as Big Gus
Sanders as Ivy "Eagle Eyes" Tarrant
Duncan as Officer Hardy
Jo as Christine Carly
Mike as Doctor Heyman
Zoey as Bruce Ridgings
Soon, everyone had arrived at the tent. But it wasn't what they were expecting. There were the usual tables, but they already had their food waiting for them. There were a number of plates, and they each had a different type of food on them. There was a plate of fried chicken, a funnel cake, a plate of doughnuts and other things. Chris turned to face the competitors. "For this challenge, you have to decide which food belongs to you. Remember, if you get it wrong, you lose and you're out of the competition."
The acting competitors dispersed and walked over to the table. Most of them quickly picked their foods correctly and sat down.
"Ah, yes." Dr. Heyman cackled, sitting in front of the funnel cake. "If there is one thing the earth has gotten right, it's funnel cake!" He held it up, with one hand. "I shall invent a ray that turns everything into funnel cake. And I only feast upon once I…"
As he went on declaring things, Hydro-Girl (who was now in her alter-ego, Gail Grounder, outfit,a simple tan suit and pants) sat down in front of the bowl of fruit. "It's always important to maintain a healthy diet, especially when you want to make the world a better place." She said to no one in particular.
Big Gus was sitting next to her. "I don't know about that." He pointed at his plate, which had a bag of peanuts, with a hot dog next to it. "But the best type of food is what you see here. Back in my day, this meal always made you feel ready for another game. I remember when my team was about to play the away team, and none of us had any breakfast, so I decided to…"
Now there were two people rambling.
Ivy, however, was the only one not sitting. In her head, Sanders took note of the dishes. There were only seven of them. She looked at all the plates and quickly realized that the missing food was hers. Before the other competitors could take their seats, Sanders quickly turned back into Ivy. "Hey," She demanded, marching towards Chef. Chef looked up from the kitchen, and gulped when he saw the mean looking Mob Boss coming in his direction. She aggressively pointed a finger at him. "Listen to me, Bozo." She snarled. "I don't see my meal on any of those tables. You're a chef, right? You should know what I like." Even though he was bigger, Chef was very intimidated. Ivy wasn't finished. "I want a big plate of lasagna, with a side of asparagus and I want it in ten minutes." She grabbed Chef by his collar. "And if it gets here in eleven minutes…" She leaned in and whispered menacingly. "Your arm will be my meal." She pushed him back into the kitchen. But her message was received too well, as Chef just sat on the ground and hugged his knees, crying in the process. The other competitors were all watching, astonished.
Chris walked up to Ivy, and chuckled. "I gotta admit, that was pretty intense, Sanders." He was holding her order and handed it to her. "I believe this is yours…"
But Ivy just looked at Chris, with a glare. She slapped the plate out of his hands, and it smashed into pieces on the floor. Chris stepped back, as Ivy pointed at him. "Oh, so you think you're funny? You like calling me by a different name. If you do it again, I'll go to your trailer and snap all of your fingers until I spell my name with them. That way, you'll never forget it...again" She gritted her teeth. "Now, what's my name?"
Now Chris was reduced to a stuttering mess. But, this time, he was able to get a few words out. "It's...It's Sand- Um...Ivy...Eagle Eyes...T-Tarrant. I'm...so sorry."
Ivy just continued to glare. By this point, all the competitors were all watching what just happened. Once Ivy turned to look at them, they all focused on their foods. The Mob Boss turned to Chef, who was still a blubbering mess. "I'm not hungry." She said coldly. Without a word, she casually walked out of the tent. The other competitors nervously ate their food.
Later, with their meals finished, the competitors were all brought outside. However one of them wasn't there.
"Ummmm…" Officer Hardy raised his hand. "Aren't we missing that...Mob Boss?"
"She's probably doing some illegal…" Christina narrowed her eyes.
"She…" Chris nervously answered. "She's not gonna do the next challenge with us for...specific...reasons." An awkward silence followed. The acting competitors could see how small Chris looked. The Host then looked up at the group. "For your next challenge, I would like everyone to paint a picture." He pointed to his left. The competitors turned and saw a circle of white easels and benches. Next to each bench was a small palette with a number of paints on them. Chris explained. "When you paint, I want you to really channel who your character is. Create a piece of artwork that shows us who you are. Remember, if you don't, you're out."
The competitors followed and took their seats at each easel. While everyone else got to work, Chef Mercedes stared at her easel for a bit. Chris walked up to her. "Something wrong, Mercedes?"
The Young Chef kept staring, then she smiled and ran towards the craft services tent. She came out a few minutes later, carrying a box of fruit. Chris was puzzled, but allowed her to continue.
"I may not know a lot about painting," Mercedes said excitedly, putting the box down. "But I like to think making food is just like painting a picture." With that said, she took a tomato and smashed it on the easel. It splattered over the painting and covered it in tomato juice.
Chris nodded approvingly. But he stopped and sniffed the air. "Is someone cooking something?" He asked. He then turned and went wide eyed. While everyone else was painting, one of the easels was now on fire. Chris panicked and ran towards it.
There was Doctor Heyman, standing in front of the burning easel, cackling like a maniac.
"Mi...Doctor Heyman, what's going on?" Chris cried
The Evil scientist turned to the host. "You see," he grinned. "Painting has always brought joy to this world." He looked back at his flaming easel. "And my goal, in this world, is make sure all the joy is eradicated. Except the joy that I get when I eliminate the joy that others experience." He finished off with another maniacal laugh. Chris just stared.
Confessional (Chris): "So does Mike have an evil scientist persona or...what?"
Static
Gail Grounder noticed the fire and quickly ran off. About a minute later, Hydro-Girl came back, with a bottle of water. She opened it, and tossed it onto the fire. Within moments, the flames were doused and all that remained was a charred easel. Hydro-Girl smirked, but glared at Doctor Heyman. The Evil Scientist responded by giving a toothy grin.
Most of the competitors had done their paintings without any issue. Christine ended up painting some farm lands, with a sunset over it because it reminded her of "her home." Big Gus painted things he liked, such as baseball bats, peanuts and jerseys because...he likes baseball. Officer Hardy painted...nothing.
"Ummmm...Officer Hardy?" Chris leaned in. "Where's your painting?"
In his mind, Duncan couldn't think of anything to paint, but he needed a better excuse. He looked around. "I was…" He spotted Doctor Heyman and came up with an idea. "I had to keep an eye on these...criminals." He pointed. "You saw what that Doctor did. I have to watch him, so he doesn't cause any more trouble." He paused and thought. "And that...that Mob Boss too."
Chris stared blankly. Duncan hoped his excuse had worked. "I'll buy it." Chris shrugged. "Keep up the good work, Officer." And he walked off. Though he didn't do it outloud, Duncan was relieved that his plan had worked.
Chris walked the acting competitors to the trailers. He turned around and faced them. "Alright, my little method actors. You've done well so far, and no one's broken character. We'll take a break until the next challenge." The competitors looked like they were about to exhale in relief, but Chris stopped them. "Now, for the record, the method acting challenge is not over. Even if a challenge isn't happening, you still have to be in character." The competitors held back their sighs. Chris smiled and walked off. The competitors weren't sure what to do, but slowly dispersed.
Duncan thought for a moment. Officer Hardy was someone who was hell bent on catching any, and all, criminals. He then looked over at Mike dressed as the Mad Scientist. The officer put on a stern face and walked to him.
"Excuse me, Mr. Dr. Heyman." He said, in a deep voice. The Scientist turned, curious. "I saw what you did earlier. If you think you can get away with setting fires to everything, then you've got-" Officer Hardy was cut off by a sudden splash of water to the face.
Doctor Heyman revealed a now empty bucket of water (Wait. Where did he get that?). He cackled an evil laugh and ran off. Officer Hardy just stared as water dripped down his sunglasses. Duncan was more confused than anything else, but knew the Cop wouldn't take this lying down. Without a word, he ran after Doctor Heyman.
Big Gus and Chef Mercedes walked together. They watched as Christine Carly pranced around, almost in a dream like state. The City Girl from the Farm seemed to be dreaming of the times she was just a simple old farm girl. For a Jockette, Jo was actually pulling off the role pretty well. Gus and Mercedes walked towards her
(Start of Flashback)
Amy and Samey watched as everyone headed towards the trailers. Samey was about to do the same, but her sister grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side.
"What are you doing?" Samey asked, a little startled.
"Don't worry," Amy reassured. "I just want to go over our plan for tomorrow's challenge."
Samey raised an eyebrow. "Plan?"
"Yes, a plan. We're gonna get rid of Jo, and I know just what to do."
Samey looked hesitant. "Wait, wouldn't it make more sense to focus on the challenge, and just...try not to get eliminated ourselves. Chris said all we have to do is stay in character the entire time. Why do we need to sabotage anyone?"
"Because," Amy said pointedly "Jo hates me, and I need her gone before she can do anything else." She paused. "So are you gonna help me, like you said you would?"
Samey didn't answer immediately. She remembered her agreement, and Amy was holding her end of the bargain, but something didn't feel entirely right. But, yet again, Amy was being nice to her. "I'm in." she said, with a small smile.
Amy smirked back, and put her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Alright," She whispered. "Here's what we're gonna do…"
(End of flashback)
As Christine made her way through the trees, Big Gus suddenly appeared. "Uhhhh...Christine, is it?" He asked, in a gruff voice.
The Farm Girl turned around. "Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?" (Jo's country accent was still terrible).
"You've worked on a farm, right?" Gus walked to her.
Christine chuckled. "Of, course, I have" She pulled her overalls up, slightly, and let them snap back onto her shoulders, for emphasis. "I ain't wearing this just for show."
"That's great. I love large fields. It's much better than those giant stadiums, with the sponsors, the mascots, the announcers, the music, all that noise. It's too much. Baseball has been ruined by the corporations. It's too commercialized. Back on the field, it would be calm and peaceful. Jackson's mom would show up with glasses of lemonade-"
"Did you say lemons?" Gus and Christine (who was trying her best not to tell the old baseball guy to shut it) turned to see Chef Mercedes, walking towards them. She giggled. "That reminds me of the time we pranked our RA, at the culinary school. We knocked on his door, and when he opened it, all he would find was a lemon on the floor. He took it, and then closed the door. Then we knocked on the door again, and this time, there would be two lemons." She couldn't hold back her obnoxious laughter, and let it all out. "We kept doing this all night, until there were like fifty lemons in front of his door. He was soooo mad. And then, another night, we…"
"See, that's how you know you had a good team." Big Gus started talking, at the same time. "Good ole pranks to lift morale. I remember this kid. Name was Johnny. He wasn't the best, but he knew how to put a smile on your face, I'll tell you what. Once he..."
Whatever Big Gus was saying, it could not be heard over Christine's endless talking. At the same time, her words were being drowned out by Big Gus' long winded speech. Poor Jo was trying her best to not to crack, but she was having trouble keeping up her smile. I need to get these idiots to shut up, She thought or I'm gonna punch something...what would the stupid farm girl do in a time like this? Suddenly, an idea came to her.
Christine suddenly started humming. Gus and Mercedes noticed this, and stopped talking. The Farm Girl continued to hum, before opening her mouth. "Oooooooh, when I was a little girl…" She started singing...very poorly, but she was definitely singing. "I walked around the pigs, I talked to all the sheep…" As she sang, she started moving away from the two. "...I started feeding all the chicken, and all they did was peep...I sang to all the birds and danced around the cows...My father always told me…" As she got further away from the two, her voice slowly faded away. Big Gus and Chef Mercedes were left, confused.
Confessional (Big Gus): He let out a loud HARUMPH. "Kids these days. I don't understand 'em."
Static.
Gail Grounder was walking through the forest. Though she wasn't showing it, Gwen was very agitated. Why does Duncan care so much about his self image? She thought I figured hewas over that stupid 'I'm not nice' thing. He should be happy to date anyone, even if she is a cop…
Her mind suddenly trailed off, as she sniffed the air. Smoke? Indeed, Gail could smell smoke, and it didn't seem far. She looked around and peeked behind some bushes, where she found the source.
Chef and Chris were chilling near a grill. Chef was flipping burgers, while Chirs was relaxing in his chair. The two were chatting and enjoying their barbeque.
Christine Carly didn't make much of it, but Gwen had a devilish plan. She stepped back and went behind a tree.
"So," Chris asked. "Who do you think is gonna crack first?"
Chef placed a burger onto an open bun, and turned. "I think it'll be Jo. Girl's got no patience, and I'm pretty sure she hates having to play the Country Girl."
Chris nodded, then thought to himself. "I think I'll go with Duncan. I gave the guy a cop role, how far do you really think he's gonna get?"
Chef raised an eyebrow. "But doesn't he still have a crush on a cop?"
The Host went wide eyed and sat up. "Wait, that's still going on?"
Before Chef could answer, he felt a splash of water slap him on the back. He winced and turned around. The flames from his grill were suddenly doused and all the meat was wet. Chris got up and looked, confusingly, at the burgers.
A few seconds later, Hydro-Girl heroically entered, with a now empty bottle of water. She looked worried. "Is everyone alright? I saw the flames and I knew I had to do something?"
Now Chris was annoyed. "What is wrong with you, Gwen? You just ruined our barbeque."
Hydro-Girl stared blankly. "I'm sorry, citizen. I don't know who this Gwen is, but I saw those flames and had to do something about it." She pointed at the trees. "These flames are dangerously close to those branches. If you weren't careful, you could've caused a fire." She put her fists to her hips. "I just hope, in the future, you'll be more careful where you set up your fire related activities."
Chef and Chris both glared at her, but they knew they had to play along. They weren't allowed to be the direct reason for a competitor's elimination (Cody being the obvious exception), per their contract. "Thank...you." Chris said through gritted teeth. "We've...learned our lesson." Chef grunted in agreement.
Hydro-Girl nodded, turned and walked back into the forest. Since it wouldn't be right of the superhero to make fun of them, Gwen was doing her absolute best to hold in her laughter.
With the sun still out and birds chirping, Bruce Ridgings thought it would be the perfect time to write some poems. Zoey was actually finding the role very easy to play, but her mind was still on something else. Why is Duncan so upset? She thought sadly I hope he's not mad at me for asking. She focused again on the poem, before going back to her thoughts. Mike...I still don't know what to do with you.
"Whatcha doing there, young man?"
Big Gus suddenly jumped and turned around. There was Big Gus, looking down at his book. "Hope you're writing about the good ole' days of baseball."
It took a moment for Bruce to answer, but he eventually found his voice. "Oh...uh, no, sir. I was just...writing poems."
"Poems about baseball?"
Bruce shook her head. "I like to write about the scenery around me. The trees, the skies, the-"
"You can find all those things at a stadium," Gus rudely cut off, before forcing himself closer. "I can tell you all the good things to write about. The smell of freshly cut grass, the sizzling of a hot dog and the sound of a ball hitting a bat and into the stadium seats…"
Suddenly, Chef Mercedes jumped into between the two and shot a finger on Big Gus' book. "And you know what else you should write about?" She said in her "quirky" way. "The sizzling of bacon in the morning, the crunch of buttered toast, the chopping of a tomato, the…"
Soon, Big Gus had joined back in. "The cheers of the crowd, the calls of the umpire, the jeers of the away team, the…"
Big Gus felt overwhelmed with the two chatterboxes ringing in his ear. Zoey also wasn't enjoying it, and knew she needed a way out.
Soon, Big Gus stood up. Mercedes and Gus looked at him. The Biker Poet took a deep breath and faced them, giving a small smile. "Thank you so much for your input. I love that others are able to express themselves. You both clearly have a passion for food and baseball, and I respect that. But I need a quiet place to really...find my rhythm. So I bid you both adieu." With that, Bruce headed out, leaving the other two by themselves.
Ivy "Eagle Eyes" Tarrant sat alone on a picnic table, in front of the trailers. All she was doing was glaring at...nothing. This was accurate to the film though, Ivy had spent a good chunk of movie time sitting behind a desk. Since there was no one there, she had nothing else to do and she was fine with that, since it gave her time to think.
Even though she looked mean on the outside, Sanders was sadly thinking about what to do with a certain Ex-Con. I guess it wouldn't be fair if I pressured Duncan into dating me. Maybe I'm just being selfish. I mean...if he wanted to date me...he'd probably just say so...I think.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when she heard the sound of maniacal laughter. She looked up to see Doctor Heyman running like a crazy person out of the woods. Seconds later, Officer Hardy appeared out of the forest too. He looked out of breath, as he started to slow down.
Was he chasing him the entire time? Sanders thought.
Officer Hardy soon turned and the two suddenly locked eyes. Ivy continued to stare coldly, but Sanders was trying her best not to look flustered. Soon, Hardy walked towards her. Ivy sat upright, acknowledging his approach. He was now standing on the other side of the table.
"So…" He said, sounding slightly out of breath. "...you're a mob boss, is that right?"
Oh my god, his cop voice is adorable. Despite Ivy's cold stare, Sanders was internally freaking out. "You got a problem with that, cop?" She snapped back
Officer Hardy put his hands on the table, and leaned closer. "As a matter of fact, I do. If you want to mess around in my neighborhood, you should know the consequences. Try anything funny, and you'll spend the rest of your days, in a cold lonely cell."
Suddenly Ivy let out a loud laugh. Then she slammed her palms against the table and stood up. Officer Hardy stepped back, surprised. Ivy looked pissed. "Listen here, Cop Guy. No one tells me what to do...ever. And if anyone has the balls to step up to me, I would break both of their knees so they can't stand up. Then, I'd staple their hands to the ground and cover their entire body with gasoline. Then...I'd light a match." She held up her hand, as if she was holding an imaginary matchstick. Her voice softened and she spoke slowly (which only made things sound creepier. "Then I'd drop it, and watch them burn...to a crisp."
Officer Hardy looked frozen in fear. Or...maybe it was Duncan who was absolutely terrified. Either way he didn't say anything for a while. And when he did find his voice, it was nothing but stuttering. "I...I...I-I…I-"
Before he could get a word out, he felt a sudden shock. He jolted upright and even Ivy was surprised. Officer Hardy turned back around, and the Mob Boss looked over. There was Doctor Heyman, with a pair of rubber gloves, holding two electric eels.
He let out another laugh. "Whatsa matter, Copper? Are my surprises too...shocking for you to handle." He laughed again, and ran back into the forest.
Hardy stared for a few moments. Duncan was still processing what just happened. Where the heck did he get those eels? But he soon turned back into Officer Hardy and ran after him.
Ivy sat back down at her table, her scowl having returned. But her thoughts were very different. Did...did I almost get him eliminated? Sanders panicked.
Later, Chris had called everyone to the trailers. They were all standing in a circle. "Alright, I think you guys have talked enough, let's move onto another challenge." He rubbed his hands together. "This one is simple. All I want you to do...is name something you like to do. And, of course, when I mean you I really mean your character. Just thought I'd remind you." He walked down the line, coming to his first competitor. "Doctor Heyman, tell me something you enjoy doing in your spare time."
The Mad Scientist grinned. "Oh, that's easy. My favorite activity is...plotting my eventual world takeover. Every moment of every day is spent writing, planning and scheming to take over the world…" He raised his hand maniacally. "...and I will burn it down to the ground and build in my image. My glorious, evil image." He paused for dramatic effect, still holding his arms up. Then he slowly dropped them, and calmed his tone down. "I also like to knit sometimes..."
Chris gave him an awkward look. "Alright, that's...something. It's definitely...accurate." He walked to the next competitor.
"I like to write poems, in my spare time." Bruce answered. "I might seem like someone who wouldn't, but it's one of my favorite things to-"
"Ok, ok I didn't ask for your life story." Chris interrupted. "Just wrap it up."
Bruce was a little surprised, but was able to continue. "Every day I ride my bike into the morning sky and I feel...I feel...inspired." He said in a dreamy way.
Chris rolled his eyes, and moved on. However, his next competitor was Ivy. The Host suddenly felt his throat dry up. He tugged his collar and coughed awkwardly. Ivy just dully stared at him. Without another word, Chris went to the next competitor.
For the most part, it was pretty obvious what everyone said. Christine Carly talked about her old farm and how much she loved working on it. Big Gus went on one of his long speeches about teaching the young baseball stars of tomorrow how to play baseball the correct way. Gail expressed her love of working in journalism and getting lunch to eat at her favorite pizza place.
Soon enough, everyone had finished the challenge, with no one breaking character. Chris looked impressed. "I gotta say, I did not think all of you would've lasted this long." He pondered. "I might have to keep this challenge going into the next day…" The competitors didn't show any reactions, but were internally groaning at that possibility.
Later again, Chris once again had the competitors lined up. This time, they were all standing in front of a white line. Weirdly though, some were very close to each other.
"Time for a three legged race." Chris announced. Indeed, Chris had the competitor's shins tied together. They were split into four groups of two. Some of the pairings were Big Gus and Gail Grounder, Bruce Ridgings and Officer Hardy, Christine Carly and Chef Mercedes.
One of the members of the other dup grinned at his partner. "Excellent." Doctor Heyman cackled in his nasally voice. "You will make the perfect sidekick and the perfect henchwoman to help me with my takeover. Choose carefully because this isn't a choice I give to most people. Join me, and you'll be able to bask in my glory."
Ivy remained unphased. But eventually she sighed. "Listen," she spoke calmly. "If you ever refer to me as a sidekick, I will turn your skull inside out and drink orange juice from it."
Doctor Heyman laughed again, but, this time, he faltered and choked a little. While he was doing his best not to show it, Mike, like the others, was very unnerved by Sanders' convincing performance.
Chris held his arm up. "First on to cross the finish line..." He pointed to the other white line, on the other side of the field. "...will win. But, again, it's more important that you stay in character." With that, the Host gave the ready signal and started the challenge.
Three of the duos went ahead, though Doctor Heyman moved surprisingly slowly, making sure he didn't trip Ivy up. Christine walked forward, but suddenly felt a snag and fell forward. She looked up at her partner.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Mercedes laughed. "I sometimes forget where I am, or what I'm doing. But I have an unbreakable spirit."
Jo knew what Amy was trying to do and didn't take the bait, despite how much she wanted to punch the Twin. "That's fine…" Christine smiled "I sometimes love to lay in the grass and...enjoy nature."
Chef Mercedes returned the smile. Amy, on the other hand, was annoyed her plan didn't work.
Doctor Heyman was still trying to not trip up his partner, so couldn't keep up with the rest. Officer Hardy wanted to move faster, but her partner was being difficult.
"Can we get going? We're gonna lose at this rate." He said.
Bruce was walking slowly and staring at the trees. "No rush, man. You gotta take things slowly. Admire the scenery. Write it down somewhere. In fact…" Bruce reached into his biker's vest and pulled out a notepad. He started writing in, glancing up at the trees. Officer Hardy groaned.
Gail and Big Gus were the only ones not having any issues. Considering they were probably the most normal characters, they had no trouble cooperating. With little opposition, the two crossed the finish line.
"Big Gus and Gail Grounder win the three legged race," Chris announced. The winning team nodded to each other. He let the other competitors walk up to him. "You've all done well so far. But, like I said, the challenge will end, once someone breaks character."
The acting competitors nodded, but secretly, they were getting sick of the challenge.
Soon, Chris had left and the competitors were left to themselves. Big Gus and Chef Mercedes gave quick glances to each other. As everyone dispersed, the duo walked towards another competitor. They were about to try their plan again. They tapped him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, young man?" Big Gus explained. "We would like to-"
Doctor Heyman suddenly turned and cackled at the two. "I don't think so." He was carrying a brown paper bag (seriously, where does he keep getting this stuff) He pulled something out. "This thing really packs a punch." He pulled out a crossbow, with an arrow. At the tip of the arrow was a big red boxing glove. He aimed and pulled the trigger. The glove went flying towards Big Gus. It nailed him in the face and he fell over. Chef Mercedes was shocked. "But that's not all," Doctor Heyman reached into his bag again and pulled out some fireworks. They were already lit and he pointed them at the two. Now they were scared. Big Gus picked himself up and he and Chef Mercedes ran in the other direction. Doctor Heyman shortly followed, still cackling as he shot fireworks into the air.
Gail was sitting at a picnic table. She watched the two characters, who were across from her. Officer Hardy had not turned away from staring at Ivy. She, in turn, kept glaring coldly at him.. She was back in her original seat, while Officer Hardy stood a few feet away. Gail kept sitting, waiting for something to happen. But in her mind, Gwen was thinking of something else.
Why can't someone just break so I can tell him what an idiot he's being? She thought, staring at Officer Hardy. He should just admit that he likes Sanders, and stop being such a wimp. No one gives a crap if he dates a cop.
Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard screaming. All three heads turned to see Christine Carly and Big Gus, running out of the forest. Shortly after, Doctor Heyman ran out, after them, still with his bag of tricks. Officer Hardy watched as the three disappeared out of sight. After a few seconds, he headed towards them. Gail decided to stand up and head towards him. Ivy watched her leave. She kept glaring, but her mind said something else. Gwen...what are you doing?
Officer Hardy was still walking around, looking for any sign of the running trio. He was walking through the fake buildings set, looking in between the gaps. He was keeping his guard up, to make sure no evil scientists jumped out and threw some evil formula onto him. No way would he let that insane man turn him into a-
"Shouldn't you be watching that mob boss?"
Officer Hardy turned around. He was surprised to see Hydro-Girl walking next to him. "I'm looking out for that mad scientist." Hardy answered. "I want to bring him to justice."
"I can find him and bring him in," Hydro-Girl responded, also looking between the gaps. "Why don't you go watch that mob boss? She seems like the real criminal."
Officer Hardy continued to search, not saying anything for a few moments. "You're a superhero, I'm a cop, we're on the same side." In his mind, Duncan was starting to get nervous. What is Gwen trying to do?
"You were staring at her for a while...yet you're here now?"
Officer Hardy turned around. "I told you, I'm looking for that scientist. He's the real danger."
Hydro-Girl pointed at his chest. "No. The real danger are the mob bosses. The ones you should be watching. The ones you should be getting to talk. The ones you should take out...to the station."
"The station?" Officer Hardy gave a confused look.
Hydro-Girl glared back at him. "Yes. The station. Maybe the two of you can talk...alone...about...crimes and...breaking laws."
Officer Hardy looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you, Officer Hardy. I want to make sure you're doing your job correctly. I want you to take that mob boss to where she belongs...at your station. With you. Talking to each other. Find out what makes her tick."
Officer Hardy didn't answer, but his mind was racing. Is Gwen trying to get me to crack? Why does she care so much if I talk to Sanders? Then it hit him. Is she trying to-
"Are you serious?"
Officer Hardy broke out of his trance and looked back. He didn't see Hydro-Girl this time. He saw Gwen. She looked annoyed and angrily pointed at him. "I can't believe you don't get it." She stepped forward. "Sanders. Likes. You. And I know you like her too. Why can't you just admit it? Are you trying not to be seen as a nice guy, again?" Duncan didn't answer. He was still in shock. "You've changed so much since then, so I don't get why you can't just tell her you like her. You're stubborn, yeah, but are you seriously going to let a girl like that pass by?"
Again, Duncan didn't answer. He just stared, wide eyed, at his ex-girlfriend. Gwen would've continued, when an intercom went off. "You guys probably thought I wouldn't hear you, right?" Chris' voice sounded. "But, unfortunately, I did. And it looks like the first one to break, is...Gwen. Which means...she's automatically eliminated." He paused to let everything sink in. The Goth forgot to be annoyed, and finally realized what she just did. She stared, mouth agape, as Chris continued. "Lucky for you, Gwen, we won't be doing the elimination send-off until tonight, so do what you want until then." With that, the intercom shut off.
Gwen looked down, still upset that she lost. Duncan continued to stare blankly. Did she just say-
"And, yet again," Gwen finally said, sounding annoyed. "I let boy troubles get me eliminated." She paused, and suddenly turned around to glare at the Ex-Con. "And this time...it wasn't even my boy troubles." Her emphasis stung Duncan. Gwen sighed "I guess that's what I get for trying to fix someone else's problem." She stared at her ex-boyfriend and scoffed, before turning around and storming off. She had only taken a few steps when…
"Do you really think I've changed?"
Gwen suddenly stopped and looked back. Duncan faced her, with a hopeful expression. Gwen put her anger aside, and gave a small smile. "I do. I couldn't tell, at first, but I know this isn't the same Duncan that I broke up with." There was an awkward silence at being reminded of Duncan's worst memory on the show, but Gwen spoke again. "You saved my girlfriend, Duncan. Your Ex. I see how much you've changed...Now I just hope you can too."
The Ex-Con didn't know what to say. Gwen just got herself eliminated to tell him what an idiot he was being. He took off his sunglasses and looked to the ground, deep in thought. Gwen could tell, and decided to leave him alone. Once she was out of earshot, she let out a sad sigh.
Confessional (Gwen): She looked downcast. "I hope Duncan actually listened to me. If that stubborn idiot doesn't admit his feelings to Sanders, I'm gonna punch him." She awkwardly paused, rubbing her arm. "I'm...probably an idiot, too, for blowing my chance at five million dollars…" she suddenly went wide eyed, realizing something. "Courtney just punched a hole in the TV for what I did. Knowing her..."
Static
When Jo heard the announcement, she gave an exhausted exhale.
"Holy crap, finally." She took off her cowboy hat and threw it on the ground. "If I had to be that stupid country girl for a second longer, I would've lost it...I need to punch something." She balled up her hands, turned and threw a strong punch at the tree in front of her. It shook violently, and all of its leaves fell to the ground. A squirrel also fell from one of its branches, surprised. The Jockette sighed in relief. "Much better…" She then heard a noise from behind her. She turned and saw Mike, still in his mad scientist costume. "Hey, Dr. Heyman." The Jockette called.
Mike looked up. "Yeah?" He said nervously
"What the heck was up with you? I thought you were crazy before, but this was a whole new level."
"Sorry," Mike cringed. "I get really into playing characters, and I...don't know when to tone it down, sometimes."
Jo wanted to ask more, but Amy and Samey entered, still in their costumes, and walked past her.
"You got lucky, Jo." Amy mocked. "Had you been around us any longer, you would've cracked." She cackled. She looked over at her sister, noticing that she wasn't laughing with her. Amy elbowed her slightly and cleared her throat. Samey wasn't sure what to do, at first, but she realized what was going on. She chuckled, though it was clearly forced. Amy followed suit and put her arm around her sister, and the two headed off.
Jo narrowed her eyes, while Mike didn't think much of it. But the two were interrupted again, when Sanders showed up, also in her costume. She looked panicked.
"Hey, guys…" she said awkwardly.
Mike and Jo stepped back, slightly worried. "Hey...Eagle Eyes." Jo said cautiously.
Sanders looked up. "Guys, I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry if I scared you. I have no idea where that came from."
"For a cop, you play a convincing mob boss." Jo said. Mike nodded.
Sanders still looked apologetic.
Confessional (Sanders): She sighed. "At the very least, Macarthur would be proud of me." She thought about that for a moment. "That's probably not a good thing…"
Amy laughed, as she and her sister walked towards the trailers. Samey smiled, but was unsure of what was going on. They were still wearing their costumes.
"You look ridiculous." Amy chuckled, eyeing the beer belly on Samey's outfit.
Her sister looked a little disappointed.
Confessional (Samey): She sighed. "Well, I guess Amy's back to making fun of me." she shrugged. "It was nice while it lasted."
Static.
Then Amy looked at her outfit and continued laughing. "And look at me." Samey's disappointment turned to surprise, as Amy went on. "I look pretty stupid too. What Chef wears a crop top?"
Samey wasn't expecting that and struggled to think of what to say. "I...it...I think you pull it off." She gave a small smile.
Amy looked up at her. "Thanks."
Samey went wide eyed.
Confessional (Samey): "Holy crap, Amy never thanks me for anything." Another smiled formed across her face, and her eyes started to water. "I love this...so much."
Static.
As the two walked and laughed together, they soon arrived at the trailers. While Amy went towards them, Samey looked around, a little disappointed.
"Can we say goodbye to Gwen, once she leaves?"
Amy turned and shook her head. "I don't think so. We need to strategize for our next challenge. If it's gonna be instant elimination, we need to make sure someone else loses."
Samey wasn't sure. "But...Gwen's my friend. I might not get to see her again."
Amy put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "I know. But five million dollars is more important than friendship. You agreed to help me, remember?" Her voice was soft
Samey didn't say anything. She was still getting used to her sister being comforting. But, at the same time...she really wanted to see Gwen again. Also, how were they going to make sure someone loses? This played on Samey's mind, but she eventually turned her attention back to Amy.
"I remember." She said plainly. "Let's get a plan going."
Amy smirked and walked into the trailer, ready to change into her usual clothes. Samey waited outside, for a bit longer, thinking.
As day turned to night, almost all the competitors had gathered at the Gilded Chris ceremony. Everyone stood in a line next to lame-o-sine, ready to say their goodbyes. Gwen watched on, as Chris walked up to her.
"Well, Gwen." He said. "Even though you lost, this was definitely a season to be proud of. If my word means anything, then you-"
"It doesn't, Chris. " Gwen cut off, coldly. "Your word means nothing to me."
Chris was about to continue, but froze, mouth agape. He awkwardly looked at the Goth, and sighed. "Whatever. Just...just get out of here." He grumbly walked off.
Gwen turned her attention back to her ex-competitors, and smiled. She first walked up to Zoey and the two embraced in a tight hug. "We'll miss you, Gwen." The Indie Chick whispered.
The two released and Gwen went to the next person in line. She and Sanders shared an awkward look, before Gwen gave a hopeful smile. Sanders wasn't sure how to take it, but they hugged nonetheless.
Next was Mike. They both just stared at each other for a few seconds, before Gwen put a hand on Mike's arm. "Good luck." She nodded. Mike was surprised, but nodded back. The Goth then looked at the rest of the line. She noticed the lack of a few certain competitors. She didn't expect Jo to be there, and didn't know Amy well enough. But where was Samey? They weren't close, but she figured she would've been there to say goodbye. She looked around, hoping to see her coming, but, unfortunately, she never did. She looked down, slightly disappointed, before returning her attention to the last competitor in line.
Like with Sanders, Gwen and Duncan didn't speak for a while. They both looked like they wanted to say something, but didn't. Finally, it was Gwen who broke the silence.
"So did you actually listen to me, or was I wrong?" She said, fists on her hips.
Duncan didn't answer immediately, almost like he was processing what to say. Gwen was about to speak again, but Duncan stopped her by holding out his fist. "See ya around, Pasty."
Gwen was confused by the unrelated response, but when she looked at the Ex-Con's face and that he was smirking, she got her answer. With a wide grin, she returned the fist-bump. They exchanged one more goodbye, before Gwen walked towards the lame-o-sine. Before she entered, she turned and waved to her ex-competitors. They all waved back as the Goth entered and the car drove out of sight.
As everyone dispersed, Duncan waited for a little while longer. Eventually, he turned and started walking. But when he did, he jumped back a little.
"Sorry, sorry." Sanders, put her hands up defensively. "I just…" She breathed in, and let out a heavy sigh. "I was thinking about what you said to me, and...if you don't want to go on a date with me...that's fine. It would be unfair of me to keep pressuring you when you already said no. So…I respect your decision to-"
"Sanders." Duncan cut off. The Cadet looked up at him, still looking nervous. "It's fine...you don't need to apologize because…" He struggled at first to get the words out, but eventually, he smiled. "I like you too...and I want to go on a date with you, at some point."
Sanders' nervousness turned to shock, as her jaw practically fell to the floor. Seconds later, her surprise turned to pure, unbridled joy. "Really?!" She squealed. Duncan held his smile, and nodded. Sanders was overjoyed and immediately jumped at him, arms spread. But Duncan stepped defensively. Sanders noticed this, stopped and gave a curious look.
"Can...Can we start things...small?" He asked, quietly. "Dating a cop is gonna take some getting used to."
Sanders just stared blankly.
Confessional (Sanders): Surprisingly, she looked a little annoyed. "Take things slowly?! I've been taking things slowly ever since I knew I liked him. Now he wants me to-" She took a deep breath and exhaled. "Ok. Ok. This is a win. This is a win."
Static
Eventually, she smiled. "Sure. I'm fine with that." Duncan looked happy, and, although it wasn't much, he was clearly holding back an even bigger smile. The two walked off, towards the trailers, side by side. Sanders looked down at Duncan's arm. "Can we...can we hold hands?" she asked. "We don't have to...just a suggestion"
Duncan didn't say anything. He just looked to his right, and stared for a few seconds. Sanders was still facing forward, when she suddenly felt something warm wrap around her fingers. She glanced down and, sure enough, they were holding hands. Sanders' excitement only grew. She looked up at her new boyfriend. Though he was facing forwards, like she was, he was clearly content with the whole situation. "By the way," Duncan spoke. "The way you tore Chris and Chef a new one was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen." Sanders chuckled in response. The two walked off, out of sight. Chris was left alone, and gobsmacked.
"Wow. Duncan's dating a cop..." He thought for a second, before shrugging. "Weirder things have happened, I guess." He paused. "Wait a minute, no they haven't. I think that's the strangest thing that's ever happened on this show." He sat down on the ground, and put his hand to his head, as if equations were suddenly popping up in his mind. "Duncan dated Courtney, then he dated Gwen, now both of his Exes are dating each other...and now Duncan's dating Sanders." He paused again giving a confused, but pleading, look to the camera. "W-We'll see you next time. I...I need some time to think about this. What is this show coming to?" He walked off-camera, still looking for answers, as the screen faded to black.
This challenge took me a long time to get through, and I'm not entirely sure why. The next couple of challenges might be easier to write, so I'll try to get them out quicker. Anyways, yup, Danders is now official. But how long will they last in the game? You'll just have to wait and see. Do they make a cute couple, at least?
Mike and Sanders as their receptive characters were a lot of fun to write too.
Now with Gwen gone, Duncan is the last gen one character left in the game. I figured this was a good time to let her go because she's done plenty already. I had a different ending planned for her, but I'll explain that at a later time.
And just in case someone asks: isn't the automatic elimination just plot armor for Amy? I can see why people would think that, but I had the idea of the automatic eliminations for a while. I wasn't thinking about protecting Amy when I made it.
Eight have now become seven. Who do you think is going next?
I hope everyone had a great and safe New Years, and here's to better 2021.
Peace be with ya!
Merge: Amy, Duncan, Jo, Mike, Samey, Sanders and Zoey
Placement:
22nd: Sierra
21st: Lightning
20th: Tyler
19th: Cody
18th: Heather
17th: Alejandro
16th: Owen
15th: Macarthur
14th: Scott
13th: Courtney
12th: Dawn
11th: Jasmine
10th: Leshawna
9th: Noah
8th: Gwen (Auto. Eliminated)