Apologies for the long wait. Basically, the reason this took so long to release is because of a combination of helping my brother with his business, not having enough motivation, being easily distracted, only having time to work at night and procrastination. But anyways, here it is.
Oh, and before I forget, Total Drama Legends officially has its own TV Tropes page. And I have Kirbystarwarrior to thank. Go check out his series: Total Drama Voyage and Aura Therapy. Both are excellent stories.
Kirbystar: I'm gonna wear Duncan x Sanders as a badge of honor. I'm glad you like it.
Goatedreads: Thank you. I'm glad you like Danders
404: If I can get anyone to ship those two, I'll consider that a huge success
Deadakus: My bad.
Infinity Wizard: I'm getting everyone into Danders. Woop. Woop. Jo's probably the funniest character I've written (Save for Macarthur).
Amit: Thank you. I know about Tyranny of the Masses and I'm debating if I'll read it or not. I'm not a huge fan of the constant three part chapters.
A bus was leaving the film lot, as Chris began narrating. "Previously on Total Drama Legends. We tested the memories of our remaining four competitors in multiple trivia based challenges. Duncan was the clear all-star, showing just how a true veteran plays the game. Sammy's new look must have given her some extra brain cells because she also had a really strong showing. It all came down to Sanders and Jo. Both had their moments, but clearly struggled in certain areas. Unfortunately for Ridonculous Race fans, it was Sanders who scored the lowest and was forced to leave Total Drama. But not without an emotional, but ever so strange, goodbye from her ex-convict boyfriend."
The camera flashed to show Chef driving the bus, with Chris sitting next to him. "I still don't understand it. He's a crook and she's an officer with a reputation to keep." He lightly punched Chef's shoulder. "Have you ever heard of something so ridiculous, Chef?"
The co-host gave a look. "Didn't you and Larry the Plant-"
"Who's gonna make it to the finale?!" Chris suddenly shouted in a panic. "We've got plenty of action coming your way, right here...on Total...Drama...Legends!" Chef chuckled quietly. "Shut up!" Chris shouted.
Duncan sighed as he sat on the dock. It was dark out, with only the moon, and a few clouds, for company. The Ex-Con was looking out into the water.
Confessional (Duncan): "I know she hasn't been gone for that long and I know I'll see her again, whether I win or not, but…" He trailed off. "...I still miss her. It...feels different without her."
Static.
From a distance, just outside the beach house, Sammy was watching him, a concerned expression on her face. She turned and headed back inside.
Jo was in the middle of the hangout area, doing squats. She had ditched her sweatshirt, in exchange for a black sports bra. "Squat champ, squat champ, squat champ…" she had been saying to herself.
Sammy entered. "Duncan's been really upset since Mikayla left."
"Ok." Jo said dully, continuing her squats.
The Twin frowned. "Don't you care at all? You were nice enough to not make fun of her when she was eliminated. I know it's a reality show, but it wouldn't hurt to show some sympathy."
Jo just rolled her eyes. Sammy was getting annoyed. "Well...you, of all people, should understand what he's going through. How would you were...separated from Ambie?"
The Jockette suddenly stopped and slowly turned her head towards Sammy. She stared at the Twin intensely. Sammy remained stoic.
Confessional (Sammy): Her brave face was changed to a look of pure fear. She was clutching her chest and breathing heavily. "Why did I say that?! Do I have a death wish or something?! How am I still alive?!"
Static
The two continued staring, in silence. Surprisingly, Jo let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. I'll talk to him." Without another word, she headed towards the exit, picking up her sweatshirt, in the process.
Sammy watched her leave, completely shocked.
Confessional (Sammy): "I was...not expecting that to actually work. Nice to know Jo has a conscience..." She thought for a moment. "...I hope."
Confessional (Jo): "The only reason," She pointed aggressively at the camera. "and I mean the only reason I decided to help that wannabe punk was because…" She crossed her arms and looked at the ground. "Seeing him all mopey, or whatever, reminded me of having to say goodbye to my girl." She glanced back at the camera. "Even if you know you're going to see them again, it doesn't make it any easier. This is the only time I'm gonna say this, but...I kinda get how he feels."
Static.
Duncan was still sitting at the dock, waving his leg just above the water. He heard footsteps heading towards him, but didn't bother turning around.
"Nice night for a mope sesh." Jo chuckled, her hands resting behind her head. She didn't get a response. "I mean, if I was going to have some self-indulgent pity party, this would be the night." She looked up at the sky. "Just look at it. That full moon is practically bathing in your misery." She looked down at the Ex-Con.
He hadn't bothered moving, but let out a quiet 'mhm.' The Jockette gave a blank look, before grunting. Putting her hands down, she raised her foot and kicked him in the back. He fell into the water with a splash. He remerged a few seconds later, glaring at Jo. Now she had his attention. "What the hell, Jo?"
"Relax. I just wanted to talk." She held her hand out.
Reluctantly, the Ex-Con grabbed it and she pulled him onto the dock. "You have a funny way of communicating." He mumbled. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He deadpanned
"Just listen to me. I'm only doing this because I owe you for helping me with my girl." She paused and shot a finger at his chest. "There's nothing wrong with you being upset, but I don't want to be dealing with this sad little man tomorrow morning." Duncan was about to reply, but Jo cut him off. "When I win this game, I want to show everyone that I earned it. And having to go against an emotionally pathetic Ex-Convict is not going to satisfy me."
Duncan looked puzzled. "I'm pretty sure I've heard you say you wanted an easy win."
"I said a lot of things." Jo countered. "My point is, you better not be wallowing in your own misery by tomorrow. Because if that is the case, I'll give you something to cry about."
The Ex-Con didn't say anything for a bit. He glanced down, frustrating Jo even further. However, he shot his head back up and smirked. "Alright, then. You got a deal." He mockingly patted Jo on the shoulder. "I just hope this doesn't come back to bite you in the ass." He walked past her, with his hands on the back of his head.
Jo scoffed, but smiled confidently. "You couldn't beat me on my worst day."
Duncan chuckled. "Goodnight, Jo." With his back still against her, The Ex-Con waved goodbye.
The Jockette watched him leave, then turned to face the moon. She stared at it intently, for a few seconds. "I'm gonna win for you, babe." She whispered. After a bit longer, she headed towards the Beach House as well.
The sun was just rising above the mountains on Kihci Island. The birds were chirping and the deers were prancing. It quickly cut to a close up shot of Duncan, sleeping on his bed. The annoying buzzing of a fly disturbed him, and he unconsciously tried to swat it away, to no avail. It flew around his head for a second, before being crushed by the Ex-Con's hands. Groggily, he opened his eyes and wiped his hands on the bed. He stood up and started walking.
Huh. He thought. It doesn't feel like floorboards. He looked down and noticed he was standing on grass. He suddenly went wide eyed and turned around. He saw Jo and Sammy, still in their beds. All of them were surrounded by trees, in a large open field.
To Duncan, it was all too familiar. "Crap!" He shouted.
Jo and Sammy were startled awake by the sudden outburst. "Hey, what's the big-" Jo stopped, once she realized where they were. "What the hell is going on?"
"I have an idea." Duncan said. "Chris and Chef did something like this to me, back in season one. One of them is probably going to show up soon."
"I don't think so…" Duncan and Jo both turned to see Sammy, holding a small grey square. It had a note on it that read: play me. The Twin put it on her bedside and opened it. It was a DVD player. The three shared worried looks, before Jo pressed the play button.
After a few seconds, Chris appeared, standing in front of a blue backdrop. "Good morning, competitors." He announced gleefully. "Welcome to the final three!" He paused for emphasis. "I suspect all of you are wondering what's going on, so I'll explain. Basically, all three of you have the same goal…" The screen cut a shot of a finish line. "...and here it is. The first two people to find and cross this finish line will move onto the final challenge. I don't need to tell you what will happen to the last place finisher."
Duncan shrugged. "Alright, so it's just like my challenge."
Chris' face appeared again. "And, in case someone's finding this all too familiar, I have a few things to add. For one thing, you're not just looking for the finish line, you'll also have to spend two nights in the woods."
"TWO?!" Everyone spluttered.
"I left duffle bags for each of you. What's inside should be enough to last you both nights. But, keep in mind, it's the bare minimum, so you should probably find more stuff in the woods. I'll give you this time to find it." The competitors looked and each found their respective bags. "After the second night is over and the sun has risen, we'll release a smoke signal, in an undisclosed location. Once you see it, run to it because that will be where the finish line is. I'll see you in 48 hours. In the meantime…" He chuckled. "...try not to die."
Jo, Duncan and Sammy shared a feeling of uncertainty, but before anyone could say anything. "This message will self-destruct...right now." The DVD player suddenly exploded in a large puff of smoke, encasing all the competitors in it.
The three coughed as the smoke cleared. Once it settled, they picked up their bags. Duncan started, "So, what should we-" Before he could finish, Jo took off and sprinted into the forest. Duncan and Sammy watched her leave.
"What do you think she's up to?" Sammy asked.
"Knowing Jo, it's either something ridiculously stupid or she has a hunch about something. Either way, we're probably not going to see her for a while."
Sammy kept staring at where Jo had left, while Duncan walked towards the beds.
Confessional (Sammy): "I'm going against two of Total Drama's strongest contestants, so I really need to step up my game." She cupped her chin. "I might have an idea to make sure I'm in the finale."
Static.
Sammy turned and ran towards the Ex-Con. "Chris never took the beds," She noticed. "Maybe we can use them tonight. It would be nice to have a place to sleep."
Duncan thought about it.
Confessional (Duncan): "Chris isn't stupid. He probably left those beds there, knowing someone would try to take it."
Static.
As he continued wondering about the beds, Duncan sniffed the air, realizing something. Sammy noticed this. "What's up?"
"Do you smell...fish?" Duncan asked. Sammy raised an eyebrow, as Duncan eyed the beds closer. He finally got the idea to look under the mattress. As soon as he did, he dropped it and held his nose. "I was right. It is fish. Chris laced the beds with salmon."
Sammy looked, seeing the head of a fish, poking out from under the mattress. She immediately cringed and jumped back. "Ew, that's disgusting. Why would he-" Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard the sound of a bush rustling.
She and Duncan looked up and froze. A large group of bears had just emerged from the trees. One of them sniffed and eyed the beds. It licked its lips and bolted forwards, with the others following. Duncan and Sammy decided they didn't want to stick around, so turned and ran into the forest. Even from a distance, they could hear the sounds of wood crunching and loud growls.
Jo ran for a bit longer, before eventually slowing down.
Confessional (Jo): She cackled to herself. "Those idiots have no idea what I'm planning. Two nights in the woods? That's nothing! And I have just the plan to guarantee I win this. If I find Mclean and Chefy before the end of the second night, I'll seal my spot in the finale. I probably can't cross the finish line until after, but if the end result means that I come in first, I don't mind waiting." She smirked proudly. "Brains or brawn, I've got it all and nobody's gonna stop me."
Static
The Jockette put her bag down and unzipped it. Let's see what we got. She reached in and pulled out of a few things. A map, a compass, a water bottle...she also pulled out some bandage tape, six granola bars, a blanket and a tarp, with some rope, to make a tent. She grinned and put everything back, except a granola bar. She unwrapped it and took a bite.
"I'm coming for you, Mclean!" She bellowed loudly, causing several birds to fly off the trees.
Duncan eventually stopped to catch his breath. Sammy followed shortly behind, equally exhausted. They glanced back, making sure the bears were no longer following them. Once they realized they weren't being followed, the two breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright," Duncan said, heading back into the woods. "I'll see you around."
Sammy thought to herself, as she watched him leave. "Wait!" She bolted towards the Ex-Con. "Don't go just yet!"
Duncan turned and gave a confused look. "What? Are you scared of being alone in the woods? Don't tell me I'm dealing with another Bridgette."
"It's not that. I have an idea that might help both of us, if we can pull it off." Sammy noticed Duncan's curious expression, so went on. "I think the two of us should form an alliance to go to the finale. I don't want to go to the finale with Jo."
"Why? Because you think I'm gonna be easier to beat?"
Sammy noticed how annoyed Duncan looked and immediately shook her head. "Nononono. I'm sorry. That's not what I meant. Even if Jo doesn't win, she's probably still gonna brag about making it to the final two. Also, do you really want to risk being stuck on an island with just her?"
Duncan thought about it.
Confessional (Duncan): He looked shocked. "Man. Sammy practically twisted my arm with that. Now that I think about it, Jo probably would take the fun out of winning if it was just down to me and her. Gotta hand it to Sammy, she's got guts."
Confessional (Sammy): She was happy, but was also trembling. "Why does this whole 'asserting myself' thing never get any easier?"
Static
"Alright, deal." Duncan extended his hand.
Sammy smiled and gladly shook it. "Maybe we can pool our resources together," She suggested. "Hopefully that should last us the rest of the day and we can find more food and stuff tomorrow morning."
Duncan nodded and opened his bag. Sammy did the same with hers.
After a few hours, Jo was starting to get tired. She was still searching for Chris, but wasn't having any luck. She reached into her bag and pulled out the water bottle.
Empty. She grunted.
After a few minutes of walking, she found a stream. Without much thinking, she held the bottle underwater and let it fill up. She took a sip, before suddenly going wide eyed. The Jockette turned and spat her water out.
Damn salt water. Where am I supposed to find- She opened her eyes and froze. A bear was standing directly in front of her. It's fur was wet from having been spat on. Needless to say, it was not happy.
Jo jumped back, but realized she couldn't get away. Putting on a brave face, she pulled her arm back and went for a punch. However, the bear caught it with its own paw. It let out a low growl and smirked. The Jockette gulped.
The camera panned away from the two. Off-screen, sounds of punches and clothes/fur tearing could be heard. It ended after a few seconds, with Jo limping back on-screen. Her clothes were slightly torn and she had several scratches on her face. Despite the obvious pain, she smiled proudly.
Sammy and Duncan were walking, side by side, each with a bag. Neither had said a word to each other. Sammy kept glancing at her temporary teammate.
Confessional (Sammy): "I'm worried that Duncan still remembers me holding his hand, after Mikayla was eliminated. I might be overthinking it, but I hope he doesn't think I have a crush on him."
Static
"So…" She started. "Now that it's just the two of us…" She quickly realized what she was saying and corrected herself. "Uh...now that we're all alone-" She flushed with embarrassment. "Now that...you and I...are...partner-" She let out a frustrated grunt.
"What are you trying to say?" Duncan asked, confused.
"I wanted to apologize!" The Twin finally blurted out.
"For what?"
Confessional (Sammy): "Yeah, I was definitely overthinking it."
Static.
"For that...hand holding thing at the elimination ceremony. Like...in case you thought I was hitting on you."
Duncan stared blankly. Sammy waited nervously for his response. Finally, The Ex-Con let out a light chuckle. The Twin sighed in relief. "Nah." Duncan said, still laughing. "You're good."
Sammy smiled, but eventually, a thought struck her. "So what's the plan? Do you think we should look for Chris and Chef? If we find the meeting area before the second night, we'll have a major advantage."
Duncan shook his head. "Chris isn't that dumb. He's probably somewhere where we can't find him that easily. We probably won't see him until the end of the challenge."
The Twin slumped her shoulder and awkwardly rubbed her arm. "Oh…"
The D-Man noticed her downcast expression and rolled his eyes. Then he spotted something. "Hey," He put his arm in front of Sammy. "You wanna help out?" He pointed up.
Sammy looked and immediately perked up. They were standing in front of an apple tree. "Let's do it."
Duncan grinned. "Alright, good." He turned to face the tree again. "I can climb up and we can put the apples in our bags. What do you-" He looked where Sammy was supposed to be standing, only to find she was no longer there. He glanced up, surprised to see Sammy already in the tree.
She looked down at him. "Oh, sorry, did you want to climb the tree?"
The Ex-Con was surprised, but shook it off. "N-no, it's all good. I'll get the bag ready." Sammy smiled as she began plucking the apples.
It had taken a lot of time, but Jo had finally found a freshwater stream. She had just filled her bottle and took a large swig of it. She exhaled contently.
She continued her walk to find Chris and Chef. But after a while, her stomach rumbled. Damnit, She thought. The granola bars aren't going to be enough. She scanned the area and spotted a lake.
Once she got closer, she saw a bunch of fish swimming around. The Jockette grinned and licked her lips. She tossed her bag to the side and rolled up her sleeves. She reached for a nearby one, but it slipped out of her hands. She went to grab another. She got it, but, once again, it was too wet and slippery for her to hold and splashed back into the lake.
The Jockette gritted her teeth and got in a stance. She waited for a few seconds, before her hands shot into the water and quickly pulled out a fish. She grabbed it by the tail and it didn't fall out of her grasp.
Jo grinned triumphantly. "Thought you could get the better of me?" She said to the fish. "News flash, Flounder Face, no one bests me at anything. Just like you, I'm gonna chew up all of these competitors, with a smile. Now let's get you on a-"
She stopped, realizing something. She turned her head and realized she had no means of cooking the fish. Without a fire, she'd have to eat it raw. Shuddering at the thought, she glanced back at the fish. With a groan, she tossed it back into the water and set about finding some wood.
Many hours had gone by and the sun was close to setting. Duncan and Sammy were setting up their tents. They were next to a lake. The Ex-Con looked at it, then turned to Sammy. "I'm gonna catch us some dinner. Do you think you can get a fire going?"
Sammy nodded.
Confessional (Sammy): "I gotta admit, I had my doubts about teaming with him, but Duncan's a really cool guy. I mean, he's dating Mikayla, so that might already prove it." She thought to herself. "Would it be rude to say something like that? I don't really know a ton about her, so for all I know she could be a psychopath." She opened her mouth, but suddenly realized what she just said. "What is wrong with me? Why didn't I end it at 'Duncan's a nice person?'
Static.
As The Twin started preparing the fire, Duncan grabbed a few sticks. He pulled out a pocket knife and began widdling. Sammy watched him. "Where did you get that?"
Duncan turned. "Get what?" Sammy pointed at his hand. "Oh, the knife? I grabbed it from my bed, before the bears attacked it."
"You keep a knife in your bed?"
The Ex-Con nodded. "Jail taught me to have a weapon nearby when I'm sleeping. I've had this thing with me since episode one." Once he finished whittling, he removed his shirt, took the makeshift spear and walked towards the water. "Now to catch some fish." Without another word, he jumped into the water. Sammy watched him, half bemused, half concerned.
Jo had already set up her tent and was laying down in it. Her fish had been cooked and eaten and she was trying to get some sleep.
Confessional (Jo): "Alright, so here's the plan. If I go to sleep early, I can get a head start on looking for McLean. If I wake up, before the sun rises, they won't see me coming and I can just hang out near them until the next morning." She grinned and patted herself on the back. "I can almost taste the victory." She smacked her lips, then gave a weird look. "And it tastes like...fish."
Static.
Despite her commitment to falling asleep, Jo was finding it extremely difficult to relax. She tried counting sheep, to no avail. She went outside and jogged in place, to tire herself out. She even tried meditating...before giving up after twenty seconds. She groaned in defeat and layed back down.
None of this is working, She thought to herself. Then an idea hit her. It's made me fall asleep before...maybe it'll work this time. She grabbed her blanket and put it over her body. Then she closed her eyes tightly. She kept them shut for a good ten seconds, before suddenly opening them. She glanced down at her side.
Now Jo wasn't the only one in the tent. She could see her girlfriend, Ambie, snuggled on the covers, next to her. She was asleep and was tightly hugging Jo's right arm. The Jockette smiled, as she imagined hearing her soft breaths.
Jo stared up at the tent. She was already starting to feel calmer than she did before. Slowly, she started to fall asleep. As soon as her eyes closed, Ambie suddenly disappeared.
At Duncan and Sammy's camp site, the two were sitting across from each other. The glowing fire lit up both of their faces. Like Jo, they had already finished their dinner and had their tents pitched. They were sitting right near an edge of a cliff. They also had both of their bags hanging from a branch, with some leftover rope. It had been mostly quiet, but Sammy was about to break the silence.
"So…" She asked, trying not to sound awkward. "What do you think you're gonna do, once Total Drama is over?"
Duncan pondered, then shrugged. "I don't know, really. I could quit my job, but...I don't really want to." Sammy gave a puzzled look, so Duncan explained. "For one thing, I already enjoy it. But more importantly, if I did quit, I'd probably spend the money in one place and just let all the fame get to my head. Then I'd be right back where I started at the end of All-Stars."
Sammy nodded. "That makes sense. I'm probably just gonna give some of it to my friends. I honestly don't know what I'd do with five million dollars."
"Do you consider me a friend? At least enough to give me a portion." Duncan said, with a straight face.
Sammy opened her mouth, but wasn't sure how to answer. She found the situation insanely awkward. But she relaxed, once Duncan burst into laughter. She exhaled. "OMGEE, I had no idea what to say…"
"Sorry about that. You don't have to give me anything." The two sat, in silence, again, but it was Duncan who eventually spoke again. "Oh, by the way, I didn't say this earlier but nice job on standing up for yourself."
Sammy chuckled. "Thanks. You probably wished you could've been the one to eliminate her."
"I mean yeah, but...you probably had more of a reason to hate her." He paused. "You do still hate her, right?"
Sammy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"If you still hated her, you'd probably have been jumping for joy when you eliminated her. But for someone who claims to hate her sister, you didn't seem that excited."
Sammy thought about what he had said. "I...I don't know if I still hate her. I mean, I haven't forgiven everything she's done to me, but…" She sighed. "A part of me really wants things to go back to the way they were before we hated each other."
Duncan nodded. "I know what you mean." For a third time, neither said anything for a while. Eventually, Duncan yawned and stood up. "I think I'm gonna turn in. Hopefully we can just chill for the second day. Night." He headed towards his tent.
"Goodnight." Sammy replied. Then a thought struck her. "Oh, I promise I won't, like, betray you in the morning...in case you were worried."
Duncan laughed and went into the tent. Sammy, with only the fire to keep her company, looked up and gazed at the stars.
As the sun was just peaking over the mountain, Jo had been following through with her plan. All her stuff was packed back into her bag and she had been munching on one of her granola bars as she made her way through the forest. However, despite her commitment, she was having no luck.
Confessional (Jo): The Jockette grunted. "How hard is it to find a stuck up host and his crony? With how massive their egos are, it should be like finding a hummer in a parking lot of scooters."
Static
Jo groggily rubbed her eyes and continued walking. Suddenly, she had another idea. Maybe I should just go to the beach house. I can spend the night in one of the rooms and I'll have a good view of the smoke signal, next morning. She grinned. Once again, my genius has saved the day. With that, the Jockette confidently made her way to the outer edge of the island.
As the sun continued to rise, one of the tents at Duncan and Sammy's campsite was being unzipped. The Twin stepped out and rubbed her eyes. She then yawned and headed towards the bags. Time for some breakfast, She thought to herself.
She opened the bag and pulled out a granola bar. As she took a bite, she looked at the other tent. Doesn't look like it's been opened yet. Wonder what we should do until-
She heard a rustling sound behind her. The Twin turned around. She didn't see anything, but the noise got louder. Curious, she stepped towards the bush. As soon as she did, a massive brown bear slowly rose from the other side. Sammy gasped and nearly fell backwards.
Thankfully, the bear didn't look angry. It got on all fours and walked forward. Sammy was careful to stay out of its way. It probably smells the fish from last night.
She hoped it would just give up, once it realized there was no fish. However, she went pale once it started heading towards Duncan's tent. It sniffed it, and started pawing at it.
Sammy was in a panic. "Duncan!" She called, "Get out of there! There's a bear!" The tent didn't open and the bear continued to scratch it. Sammy looked down for something to help her. All she saw was a rock, lying near her feet. She picked it up and…
Confessional (Sammy): "Ok, in hindsight, that probably wasn't the smartest thing to do."
Static
...tossed it at the bear. It struck the creature, hitting it just below its eye. It winced and glared at the Twin. Sammy gulped and stepped back. The bear growled and stood up. Its shadow almost completely engulfed the Petrified Twin. Sammy quickly looked for something to help her. She saw one of Duncan's spears lying near her. She picked it up and held it in a fighting stance.
Confessional (Sammy): "Maybe had I thrown the spear, instead of a rock, things might have ended differently."
Static
Not wanting to take any chances, Sammy turned and bolted in the other direction, still with the wooden spear. She could hear the sound of paws hitting the ground, and knew the bear was chasing her. That just made her run faster. After a while, she glanced back to see if the animal was still behind her. But as soon as she did, she ended up running off the ground and into a river. She spat the water out, once she surfaced. Then she looked over to where she fell off. Thankfully, the bear wasn't there anymore.
However, her relief was cut short as she heard the sound of rushing water. She turned and, to her horror, the river was taking her towards a waterfall. Sammy tried swimming towards the ground, but the current was too strong. With no other option, the Twin held her breath and waited for the fall.
"There she is!"
Jo grinned as she walked out of the woods, and towards the beach house. I knew I'd find it. And now I got it all to myself.
She opened the glass slider and proudly stepped inside. However, her excitement quickly turned to confusion. She had expected the beach house to be empty, but not...this empty. All the tables, chairs, rugs and couches had been removed. All that remained was the bare walls and wooden floor boards. The Jockette looked around, still confused. They must be renovating. She shrugged. Whatever. Maybe there's some leftovers in the- Sure enough, the refrigerator had also been removed. Jo grunted. And the beds probably aren't there either.
She sat down on the floor and thought about what she could do to pass the time. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something beeping. The Jockette glanced around. Her eyes landed on a black device resting on a counter, where the kitchen would've been. Curious, she headed towards it.
The device was small and had a screen on it. Jo checked what it was. Looks like a timer. And it's counting down. Thirteen...twelve...ele- The Jockette gasped and immediately put two and two together. The removal of the furniture, the beeping, the countdown. In a panic, she grabbed her bag and bolted towards the door. She had only gotten a few feet away when the entire beach house suddenly exploded. Wood, glass and tile shot everywhere. Thankfully, Jo didn't get hit by it, but the explosion sent face first into the sand. She lay there...not moving.
Duncan's eyes sprang home at the loud noise. He scrambled out of the tent and looked around. He could see smoke in the distance, which confused him. Isn't it a bit early for the-
His thoughts were interrupted by a loud intercom. "Ignore that!" echoed Chris' voice. "That has nothing to do with the challenge. Just a little...demolition." He chuckled. "Probably shouldn't go near there. That is all, carry on." The intercom shut off.
Duncan focused on the smoke. Only an idiot would go near there. He turned around and went to his tent. It was then he noticed that Sammy's tent was left open. The Ex-Con walked over and peered inside. Where did she go? He spun around and looked between the trees. More food, maybe? Or is she…? He trailed off, another thought entering his mind. Then he spotted something on the ground.
Confessional (Duncan): "I kinda thought Sammy might've turned on me and went on her own to look for Chris. But then I realized she didn't take any supplies with her...except for one thing." He paused. "If Sammy took a spear, either she went hunting...or she ran into something and took it as a precaution."
Static.
With no one else around, and Sammy's whereabouts still unknown, Duncan sat at the tip of the cliff. He pulled out an apple and took a bite.
Jo lay face down in the sand. The wreckage from the explosion was still behind her and she hadn't moved for several minutes. Her head suddenly shot up and she spat out some sand.
Confessional (Jo): Needless to say, The Jockette was furious. "What...the...hell was that? Was Chris trying to kill me? What kind of dangerous idiot blows up a beach house without giving any sort of warning?" She pointed at the camera. "All I gotta say is, nice try, McLean. I'm not about to let a wannabe TV host be the death of me."
Static.
The Jockette stood up and dusted herself off. She turned around and looked at the burning crater that used to be the Beach House. Well...now I really have a reason to find him. She grunted, picked up her bag and headed back into the forest.
The shot cut to a calm river. A low branch was hanging over it. A hand suddenly sprang out from the water and grabbed the branch. Sammy emerged, gasping for breath. She pulled herself to shore and collapsed onto the ground. She was still holding the spear.
Confessional (Sammy): She was scratching the back of her head. "Man, falling down that waterfall was easily the scariest thing I've ever done, that didn't involve my sister. Not only that, I was all alone."
Static
The Twin was finally able to catch her breath and stood up, looking at the waterfall, in the distance. Maybe I should go back the way I came. Duncan's probably waiting for me. She thought. With that, she walked alongside the river, back towards the waterfall.
It had been a good while since Duncan had decided to wait for Sammy. He grumbled to himself. Damnit, where is she? He clutched his stomach and grunted.
Confessional (Duncan): "I didn't want to leave Sammy in the dust like that, but I couldn't just hang around. I was too hungry and…" He exhaled. "...she can take care of herself. If she's made it this far, she can probably manage."
Static
With much reluctance, Duncan set about packing everything up. It had taken quite a bit of time and Sammy still hadn't shown up. That had convinced him that Sammy wasn't coming back. He finally finished putting everything away, picked up both bags and headed out.
A montage started up, showing each competitor on their individual journeys.
First was Jo. She was shown walking through the forest, looking around for any sight of Chris and Chef. She gave an annoyed look and failed to see the partly uprooted tree in front of her. She tripped over it and fell, face first, onto the ground.
Sammy, who developed several scratches on her arms and face, put her hand on her stomach and winced. She looked at a nearby tree and noticed an apple hanging from an inside branch. She took her spear and jabbed it. However, she failed to notice the squirrel behind the apple. The tip of the spear went through the fruit and was centimeters from the creature's face. Sammy pulled the apple down and pulled it off. She took a bite and smiled. Seconds later, she saw the squirrel fall out of the tree, having fainted.
Duncan had been snacking on a granola bar as he walked. He stopped to take a break, as a curious chipmunk watched him from a nearby branch. A second one showed up next to it. Duncan turned to look at them, but didn't think much of it. Once he was done with his granola bar, he lazily crumpled up the wrapper, tossed it behind his back and continued walking. The two chipmunks watched the discarded garbage fall onto the grass. They both looked at each other and narrowed their eyes with malicious intent
Jo was now sitting next to a stream. She dragged her hands across her face and groaned. No luck in finding the hosts. A fish suddenly jumped out and slapped the Jockette on the cheek. She was surprised, but didn't do anything. A second fish leaped out and did the same thing, followed shortly by one more. Now the Jockette was getting annoyed. She stood up and readied herself for another. When one jumped out, she punched it and the aquatic creature was sent flying. It hit a bear that was resting on the other side. He grunted and slowly opened his eyes. Once it saw Jo, it stood up and growled. The Jockette gulped and sprinted away.
Duncan runs into a cave. The chipmunks were still on his trail, but went in a different direction. The Ex-Con, now surrounded by the dark, stops to catch his breath. He doesn't see the pair of glowing red eyes staring at him. Another pair appears, followed by several more. When he finally saw the eyes, Duncan ran out of the cave. However, once he was out, the chipmunks saw him and began chasing again.
After one last flash of white, Sammy is shown resting against her large stockpile of fruit. She is comfortably eating an apple. She had black face paint under her eyes, her clothes were partly ripped and her hair was messy, but she was no worse for wear.
Duncan was now sitting in a tree, with the horde of chipmunks on the bottom. They all looked around for him, but couldn't see him. Eventually, they gave up and left. Once he was sure they were gone, the Ex-Con jumped down.
"Damn chipmunks." He muttered, leaning against the tree.
Now that it was quiet, he was able to rest. He reached out into his bag and pulled out a granola bar. Remembering what happened last time, he put the wrapper back into his bag. The Ex-Con took a bite and looked up into the clouds.
Hope Sammy's doing ok...
Sammy was doing...better than anyone would've expected. She had a ton of fruit to enjoy and hadn't come across any major issues.
Confessional (Sammy): "I'm really proud of myself. I proved I could manage on my own and I had enough food to last me for the rest of the challenge." She smiled. "I really have a shot at going to the finale."
Static.
Still celebrating her success, the Twin decided to take a nap. She found a tree and rested against. But before she could close her eyes, she heard a faint chewing sound. She turned her head to see a raccoon eating one of her berries.
Sammy got up and glared at the creature. "Hey. Get out of here! That's mine." The raccoon ignored her and continued eating.
Confessional (Sammy): "On any other day, I would've questioned why I was arguing with a raccoon. But, gosh darn it, I earned that fruit." She crossed her arms and looked away. "I'm sorry for swearing."
Static.
The Twin reached over and picked up an apple. "Listen here. This fruit is mine. I'm not about to let some...smelly…" She struggled to think of an insult. "...garbage...rat steal my food." She then threw the apple at the raccoon. The impact caused it to drop all the berries and fall backwards.
Sammy grinned triumphantly to herself, but it didn't last. She heard chirping noises behind her. She turned and saw several more raccoons not looking too happy at her. The Twin was now getting worried, especially when she noticed even more raccoons surrounding her, all angry.
Confessional (Sammy): "Maybe...that wasn't a good idea." She said sheepishly.
Static.
"WHERE...THE HELL...ARE THEY?!" Jo screamed, causing several crows to fly away. She grunted and punched a nearby tree. She turned around and slunked down to the ground.
Confessional (Jo): "So there I was, sitting in my own misery and failure, starting to wonder if I actually made a smart choice." She paused, forming a smirk. "That is...until I got an even better idea."
Static
The Jockette's head suddenly shot up. She got to her feet and turned around. She gasped and tossed her bag to the side. Why didn't I think of this before? She grabbed a branch and pulled herself up. She did the same with the next branch. Then the next.
Confessional (Jo): "Since I couldn't find them on foot, I figured they were running from me. But, as long as I get a good view, it'll be easier for me to track McLean." She put her hands behind her head and leaned back. "I'm always two steps ahead of ya, Mr. Host Guy."
Static.
After a while, Jo had made it to the top. It was windy and the tree was swaying side to side. Despite all that, the Jockette was still able to find her footing. She had a full view of her side of the island, as well as the tops of many trees. She carefully started to look around. I'm so high up, there's no way they can avoid me. She thought. Alright. Trees. Trees. More trees. So many trees. There's a waterfall. That's different. Oh, and there's a hawk...coming right towards...
Jo barely had any time to react, before the winged creature screeched and spread its wings...directly in front of her. "Ah!" Jockette screamed. The surprise loosened her grip on the tree. She only noticed when she felt herself falling backwards. She tried reaching for the branch, but was too out of range. She could do anything to stop herself from free falling.
Sammy had still been running from the horde of raccoons. Despite her best efforts, they were slowly gaining on her.
Confessional (Sammy): "So...these past two days have been interesting. I nearly got attacked by a bear, I fell down a waterfall and now I'm being chased by racoons. I guess I can cross those off of my...non-existent bucket list."
Static
Realizing she didn't have much time left, Sammy quickly thought of a plan. She saw an apple tree ahead of her. The Twin reached up and plucked one off its branches. Please work, please work. She glanced back and threw the fruit at one of the racoons. It struck it in the face and caused it to slip and fall. The apple then went off course and rolled underneath a second racoon. It also slipped and fell in the path of a third racoon. One by one, the racoons were knocked over into each other.
Once Sammy saw they were too distracted to chase her, she veered right and picked up the pace. She ran for a good twenty seconds, before figuring the racoons were no longer after her, she stopped to catch her breath. But despite her attempts to calm down, she was still in a panic. She had no food, no tents and nothing to defend herself. Why didn't I take the spear with me? She thought. How am I going to survive the night without-
"Sammy?"
The Twin yelped. Her head shot up and she jumped into a fighting stance.
"Relax." Duncan said, moving out of the bushes. "It's just me."
"You scared me half to death!"
"Sorry. I heard noises and I…" He looked at her, noticing Sammy's torn outfit and black face paint. "You look...different."
"A lot has happened today." Sammy groaned. "But I'm really glad to see you." She froze. "Can I- can I hug you?"
"What?"
"I'm not trying to hit on you, I just...I'm still really stressed out and a hug usually calms me down. If you don't want to...it's fine."
Duncan hesitated, but shrugged. Awkwardly he held his arms out. Sammy smiled and hugged him. Duncan was careful where he put his hands, but eventually returned it.
"Thank you." Sammy whispered. "That really helped."
"Yeah, it's no-" The Ex-Con's eyes suddenly locked onto something. "How much of that did you hear?"
Sammy raised an eyebrow and pushed off. "What are you talking about?" Duncan pointed. The Twin turned and was just as surprised as the D-Man was.
Jo was hanging upside down, her legs wrapped around a low branch. She had bruises on her face, and her sweatshirt was all scratched up. It didn't take a lot of thinking to realize what had happened to her. "I'm gonna throw up." She groggily stated. "And I don't know if it's because of the concussion, or just your disgusting display of friendship. Either way, can someone please get me down?"
"Since when do you ask for help?" Sammy pointed, still weirded out by her presence.
"Yeah, well...like I said...concussion."
Duncan and Sammy glanced at each other, unsure of what to do next.
Several hours had passed and the sun was going down. Duncan had just returned with a bundle of fish.
"About time you showed up!" Jo snapped. She jerked her arm up to point at him, but winced suddenly.
"Jo! Don't do that." Sammy scolded. She had just finished bandaging the Jockette's arm. "Just hold still for a minute. I'm almost done."
Jo grumbled, while Duncan laughed at her. He then got to work preparing the fish. Pretty soon, he had them hanging over a roaring fire. The three sat in silence, with only the crackling of the flames providing any noise.
After a while, Sammy spoke up. "So...Duncan? I forgot to thank you."
The Ex-Con looked confused. "For what?"
"For bringing my bag with you. Now none of us have to share a tent with each other." She chuckled, nodding her head towards Jo.
Duncan smirked. "Yeah, it's no problem." He turned away, before remembering something. "Oh, by the way, I never asked: What happened to you this morning?"
Sammy was about to answer, but Jo intervened. "What exactly are you two nimrods doing?" Both 'nimrods' turned to face her. "Need I remind you that we're still in a competition. Why are you being buddy buds when you know it's not gonna last?"
Sammy frowned and was about to answer, but Duncan beat her to it. "Hey, Jo. Need I remind you that we're all in the same position right now. Wherever the finish line is, it won't matter. We all have the same chance at winning. So why don't you just relax and put aside your 'win at all costs' attitude for a few hours and let us live in peace?"
The Jockette glared, but it faltered after a moment.
Confessional (Jo): "On any other day, I would've told him to stick it." She crossed her arms. "But...I guess that ex-convict made a point."
Static.
"Fine," Jo sighed. "I'll play your game. But don't expect me to go easy on your butts tomorrow."
"Wouldn't have it any other way." Duncan smirked.
"Uh...Jo?" Sammy said. "Can I ask a question?" The Jockette nodded. "How did you and Ambie meet?"
Jo grunted, but remembered what she had just said. I'm not going anywhere, so I might as well… With much reluctance, she took a deep breath. "Alright, I'll tell the story. But, only under one condition," She pointed at Duncan. "You are not allowed to make any jokes."
The Ex-Con rolled his eyes. "Relax. I wasn't going to...at least not out loud." He mumbled that last part to himself.
Jo pretended she didn't hear him and took another deep breath. She began shortly after. "So it was just another normal day at the gym. Business was decent and I was just cleaning some of the machines. Then walked in a short, cute light skinned hottie. She was filming something for her vlog. I was about to tell her she couldn't record anything in here, until I felt my heart skip a beat. I tried talking to her, but my throat kept drying up. After a while, I finally figured out that I was in love with her."
"After a while?" Duncan pondered. "Did you try to deny how you felt?"
The Jockette nodded sheepishly. "Believe me, I tried every excuse in the book."
"Excuse?" Sammy interrupted. "Why would you need an excuse for something like that?"
Jo sighed. "Believe it or not, I've never really given much thought about relationships. It always felt like some far away dream that wasn't for me. I never even realized I liked girls until about a year ago." He cheeks glew red. Sammy and Duncan looked at her in respectful silence. "When you spend every waking night thinking about someone, that's the point where you can't deny it anymore. Anyways, after that I…" Jo continued her story, while the two listened. The camera panned up to show the night sky, which quickly turned to day.
It panned back down to show the rest of the island. Puffs of smoke could be seen coming from the far east side. Another quick flash revealed Chris standing next to Chef, who was releasing the smoke signals with a thick blanket and a roaring fire.
Chris eyed his watch. "Alright, now it's just up to the competitors. This...should be interesting."
A third flash of white showed the campsite, which had now been abandoned. One last flash of light showed all three competitors running alongside each other. They had seen the puffs of smoke and knew exactly where they were going.
Jo had a slight lead, but Duncan was able to get alongside. The Jockette grunted and slammed her shoulder into the Ex-Con's. Duncan didn't budge and simply pushed back.
Confessional (Duncan): "Why should I go to the finale?" He scoffed. "After all the crap I've been through, I think I've earned it. I fixed my issues with Gwen and Courtney, made up for my terrible performance in All-Stars and I'm dating a cop." He paused to let that sink in. "If you don't think I can win this..." He smirked. "...I'll be happy to prove you wrong."
Static.
Sammy was only a few paces behind the two. She could see they were heading for a small river. Duncan and Jo noticed, and when they got close enough, they jumped. While those two got across without any issues, Sammy landed just short and her left leg fell in the water. She winced and watched Duncan and Jo gain distance from her.
Confessional (Sammy): "I think I should go to the finale because...after all the torment I've had to suffer: with Amy, and with just being on the show itself, I think I deserve it more than those two." She paused, considering what she said. "Ok, maybe that isn't fair. I mean, Duncan was in jail for a while and Jo...ok I deserve it more than Jo. And...maybe a little more than Duncan."
Static.
The Twin pulled herself out of the water and frowned. She had no shot at catching up to either of them. She was about to sigh in defeat, when she saw something that could help. The trees nearby each had several vines hanging from the branches. They went in the direction of the smoke signal. A glimmer of hope flashed in Sammy's eyes.
Meanwhile, Jo and Duncan were still trying to outrun each other. Jo had a slight lead, but Duncan was close. The Jockette knew she couldn't risk Duncan passing her, so came up with a plan. She saw a low hanging branch ahead of her and grabbed it. She continued running, until she felt the snag. She let it go, and it smacked into Duncan's stomach. The Ex-Con coughed and fell on his knee. He managed a pained glare as Jo cackled her way towards the smoke signal.
Confessional (Jo): "I don't need to explain to anyone why I deserve the win. I've fought harder than those two idiots will ever know." She gave a serious look to the camera. "Go ahead and doubt me because I'm about to wreck this whole competition and take what's rightfully mine."
Static.
Chris and Chef were still waiting at the finish line. "Thought they'd get here quicker..." Chris joked, looking down at his non-existent watch.
They heard a rustle and Duncan and Jo suddenly ran out of the trees. They both turned and saw the finish line.
"That's mine, JailBait." Jo declared.
"In your dreams…" Duncan retorted.
Before either could take another step, Sammy suddenly came swinging out of the woods. She let go of her vine and smacked into Jo and Duncan, sending all three of them to the ground.
Chris winced. "Ow...That's gotta hurt. But now the competitors have an equal shot at going to the finale. Who's gonna take it?!"
Jo, Sammy and Duncan were all rubbing their heads, until they spotted the finish line. The Jockette and the Ex-Con scrambled to their feet and sprinted towards the finish. Sammy was right behind both of them.
"I'm not losing this!" Jo shouted.
Sammy had a problem. She was directly behind the other two competitors, with no easy way to get around them. The Twin was trapped. Duncan suddenly shoved Jo and she was pushed outward. Sammy tried to use the gap, but Jo quickly recovered.
"Gonna have to try harder than that, Piercings!"
Duncan grinned. "If you insist." He started running faster. Jo noticed this and increased her speed as well. Sammy was now panicking.
Confessional (Sammy): "I didn't have much of a choice. It was either let them cross the finish line before me, or…"
Static.
The Twin jumped forward and latched herself onto Duncan and Jo's backs. The two were surprised and were thrown off balance. All three tumbled to the ground in a heap.
"Ow!" Jo cried. "What's the big idea, Bluebell?"
"You would've done the same." Sammy retorted, wincing from the pain.
"She's got you there, Jo." Duncan chuckled.
"Glad to see you three getting along," Chris walked up to them. "But I think you should look where you landed. More specifically, where your hands are."
Jo, Duncan and Sammy did so and gasped. Each of their hands were stretched out in front of them. And they were all laying over the finish line.
The Jockette quickly scrambled to her feet. "Wait, who won? It has to be me. I know it!"
Chris just shrugged. "No idea. Gonna have to consult the tapes." He turned and started walking away. "By the way, we don't have enough time for a tiebreaker, so if anybody crossed the finish line at the same time as someone else, they'll both be eliminated."
"Wait a minute," Duncan said. "Are you saying if all three of us tied, we're...all eliminated?"
The Host nodded his head.
Duncan and Sammy nervously glanced at each other, but Jo was hysterical. "What? No nononononono. I've shared my placements too many times, I can not let a tie be the end of me!" She was starting to hyperventilate. "I...I can't...I'm...gonna-"
"Jo!" Sammy suddenly ran up and wrapped Jo in a tight hug. "Jo, you need to calm down."
"Calm down!?" The Jockette shrieked. "You're seriously gonna tell me to-"
"Knock it off, Jo." Duncan interrupted. "None of us know who's gonna go home. And even if it is you, are you seriously gonna let your last moments be you, throwing a temper tantrum?"
Jo fumed at the Ex-Con. But after a few seconds, she exhaled and eased up. "I hate you, but you're not wrong. You better hope I didn't place in the top two because I'm not holding back anything."
"What? Did you think I was gonna make things easy for you?" Duncan smirked.
"Yeah," Sammy, who was still hugging Jo, added. "And I hope you guys are ready when I...when I…"
"Kick our asses?" Duncan suggested.
"Yeah that."
Duncan burst into a light laughter, which Sammy joined in. Jo watched them with a dull glare, but eventually she couldn't hold back and started laughing herself.
After what felt like hours, Chris had returned. He had a big grin on his face. "You guys ready to see who won?"
Duncan and Sammy nodded, while Jo crossed her arms. "I'm ready to take what is owed to me" She said, "After surviving that explosion, I deserve to go to the finale."
Chris stopped in his tracks. "The...the explosion?"
"Yeah. Thought you could get the better of me, didn't ya? I gotta admit it was pretty intense. Even for a guy like you."
Chris started sweating profusely. "You were in the beach house? Didn't you see the sign-" He suddenly turned to Chef, who just shrugged. Chris turned back, trying to process everything. Eventually, he shook his head and cleared his throat. "Yes, Jo. You're very hard to beat. It's no wonder you made it this far."
Duncan and Sammy shared confused looks, while Jo jbasked in the praise.
"Now with that near lawsuit out of the way," Chris mumbled. "Let's move onto the important stuff. I have good news for all of you. No one tied with each other." This was met with soft cheers, which quickly went quiet. "That means one of you is going home, and two are moving on. And I can tell you who one of them is...right now. The winner of the challenge is…" The three competitors braced themselves.
Duncan cast a glance at Sammy. "Good luck." He whispered.
"You too," She answered.
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"...Jo!"
It took a moment for the Jockette to process what was just said, but it eventually hit her. She broke out into a wide smile, as she slowly raised her hands in victory. "YES!" She screamed. "I'm going to the finale!" She punched the air several times.
Chris chuckled, then turned to Sammy and Duncan. "Either of you excited to go against Jo?"
"I'll kick her ass in a heartbeat." Duncan smirked.
"And I'll...I'll also...kick her in...places." Sammy shakily added.
"Awesome. Love the energy." Chris took a step back. "You guys were close. Less than an inch apart from each other. But it made all the difference for one of you. And that person is going to the finale. So congratulations…"
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"...Sammy!"
The Twin nearly felt her heart jump out of her throat. She looked down at her hands. She was already shaking. Then she broke out into a wide smile. "OMGEEEEE! I'm in the finale! I'm in the finale! I'm in the-" She suddenly stopped, coming to a realization. Quickly, she turned towards Duncan.
To her surprise, he was smirking at her. "Don't worry about me. You earned it. It's ok to gloat."
Sammy was hesitant, but after Duncan nodded, she went back to being elated. Jo watched her dance around like an excited child.
Confessional (Jo): "So my finale opponent is...Sammy." She thought to herself. "This is...acceptable. But she needs to realize what she's going against: me."
Static
While everyone watched Sammy celebrate, Duncan stepped back. He faced away, and looked down at the ground, without saying a word. After a few seconds, we wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Damnit." He choked.
Like last time, the sun was just setting as the competitors, Chris and Chef stood at the dock, with Sammy and Jo behind them. Duncan was already walking towards the Boat of Losers, with his bag in tow. Chris idled alongside him and put his arm over the Ex-Con's shoulder.
"Well, Duncan." He said. "After getting out of prison, making a new friend in Zoey, almost getting voted out, fixing things with Gwen and Courtney...and getting a cop girlfriend...you still couldn't make it to the finale." He mockingly shook his head. "And here I thought we were going to have our first ever two-time finalist. Guess I was wrong."
Duncan rolled his eyes and pushed Chris' hand away. "Whatever. If it means I don't have to see your ugly mug again, I'm glad I'm leaving."
"Still," The Host suddenly stopped, as Duncan went ahead. "I think this is a performance to be proud of."
The Ex-Con froze and looked forward. He glanced back, noticing Chris' smile. After a few seconds of staring, Duncan scoffed and continued walking.
"Y'know." Jo said, her arms folded. "I'm not at all surprised that I beat you. Like, I knew from the get go I was going to outlast you." Duncan sighed and was about to move on, when Jo put her hand on his chest. "But...going to the finale is now going to feel a whole lot sweeter. You're pretty tough, D-Man. And that's saying a lot coming from me."
The 'D-Man' went wide eyed. Did Jo just compliment me? He went slack jawed for a bit, before shrugging his shoulders. "Ya know what? I'll take it. See you around, Jo-nut."
The Jockette let out a laugh. "Hey, that's a good one. Not as good as mine, but still decent." Duncan smirked as he went to the next competitor.
"If it means anything," Sammy started. "I really did want to go to the finale with you." She gave an awkward look. "Like, in case you thought I actually was gonna betray you."
The Ex-Con waved his hand. "It's all good. Honestly, the way you did turn on me was kinda brilliant.."
Sammy flushed. "Wait, but I didn't-"
Duncan suddenly started laughing. "Gotcha."
The Twin quickly realized what just happened and joined in the laughter. "Say hi to Sand- Mikayla for me."
"Will do. But you gotta do something for me..." Duncan leaned in and whispered. "Kick Jo's ass." He held up his fist. Sammy gladly returned the bump.
But now it was time. Duncan turned, took a deep breath and walked onto the Boat of Losers. It blew its horn and parted shortly after. The Ex-Con turned and looked at the final two. He managed a smirk and gave a single wave of his hand.
Sammy waved back and watched the boat until it was out of sight. She turned, only to suddenly realize someone was standing directly in front of her.
Jo glared down at her. "Listen up, Hair Dye. Tomorrow's the finale and I intend to take home the five million. But I don't want to just win. I want to prove to everyone in the world why I'm the greatest competitor this show has ever seen. I know what you're capable of, and I don't want you to hold anything back."
Sammy felt her throat get dry. She took a step back, then stopped. At that moment, she realized where she was. There was no running. Even if she pretended Jo wasn't there, it wasn't going to stop anything. The Twin took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Once she opened them, she stood tall and glared back at the Jockette. "Jo. I promise you will give it my all...but you're not going to win."
Jo just narrowed her eyes and scowled more. Sammy didn't budge.
From a few feet away a camera was pointing at the two finalists. Chris jumped in front of it. "Woah-oh-ho. We've got some tension building. This...is gonna be real interesting. Jo vs Sammy. Who's gonna take home the cash? And who's gonna bring home the shame? Stay tuned to find out on the final episode of...Total...Drama...L...egends!"
I'm surprised so many people wanted to see Duncan vs Sammy in the finale. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad idea and it makes sense from a story perspective. But that was never the plan. Jo was going to go to the end the moment I made this series and I wanted to make it an all female finale. Also, while I can believe Duncan could be a two time finalist, this was a redemption season for him. He got everything he needed already.
Think of it as a retelling of the Gwen vs Owen finale. One character who went through a whole arc and became a better person by the end of it. The other didn't go through an arc and wasn't involved in as many plotlines, but was still enjoyable to watch.
So the finale is set. Sammy vs Jo.
Are you guys excited?
Where do you think the finale will take place and what kind of challenge do I have in store?
In the meantime, take care and have a good one.
Final Two: Jo and Sammy
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
7th/6th: Mike
6th/7th: Zoey
5th: Amy
4th: Sanders
3rd: Duncan