Author's Note: Well I was planning on starting the next chapter of the race tomorrow, but I once again have to work on Saturday. Anyway, here's another chapter. Today we go to Mexico. We've finally left the United States, and next week will be set in the Eastern Hemisphere. Oh yeah, it's looking like a real tour of the world now.
TRIGGER WARNING: Olivia shares more of her backstory. Abuse towards minors prevalent.
Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, the shuffled concept or the (most of) the characters.
And to answer some reviews:
gman5846: Terrance could have easily been Topher's rival, but Topher needed to show some intelligence in getting rid of a guy that can see right through him. And Terrance didn't really hurt his eye. It's more of a momentary discomfort, like when sand blows in it or something.
KryptonianKnight: Terrance was an obvious choice after making it so far last time. Yeah, Topher came to play, and he came to win. Well I can promise that Olivia will get away from her parents whether she wins or not. But man is it weird to see people rooting for the previous main villain.
Gucci Mane LaFlare: Thanks. I'm glad you liked Olivia and Contessa being friends. I was worried it was too cliche.
OmniUIShaggyOverexaggerated: Don't worry, Olivia will eventually win her girl's heart. I don't know how forgiving Owen will really be. Remember, Olivia's the reason Owen lost last time.
That British Guy: Don't worry, Topher will get what's coming to him. It'll just be a while. And it probably won't involve murder.
Guest: Well I'm not gonna throw needless drama into couples I've already established as being happy. And for next season, seven from the original cast will compete, five from ROTI, and six from Pahkitew and Danger Island.
Irrelevant User: Terrance was a pretty obvious boot. Though now I'm gonna really have to think about who to boot if the Villains lose again... I'm really glad my fears about the Olivessa twist were unfounded. Topher doesn't see the point in waiting. If he has something, he'll use it. I can't take credit for the Mitch scene. I watched Girl Meets World before it was unrightfully cancelled. You've got good predictions, but man I just realized I've got to do more with Justin.
Derick Lindsey: Terrance wasn't trying to show off. He really was the fastest person on his team. And I'm glad you like the irony of what sealed his fate. Well Contessa didn't know at the time, but given what she knows know Olivia's parents keeping them apart isn't that far of a jump. Contessa has her papa, even if he does travel a lot they still constantly keep in touch and she'd be a lot worse off mentally without him. Eh, Olivia only insults people she doesn't like which is limited to Scott, Topher, and Rebecca. Everyone else that's not Contessa she just doesn't care about. Yeah Geoff had a point, but he still could've been nicer about pointing it out.
LazloVader9943: Trust me, no one's ever going to be as nuts as Matthew. And Izzy only mentioned him to show just how differently she thinks compared to everyone else. I mean, she thought that night was fun.
Remaining All-Stars:
Heroic Horses: Brick, Contessa, Dawn, Izzy, Jasmine, Mitch, Owen
Villainous Vipers: Courtney, Geoff, Justin, Katie, Olivia, Topher
Unfortunately, they all Mexican't stay in the game forever.
Episode 04: Maya Way or the Highway
"Last time, on Total Drama All-Stars 2!" Chris began, the recap montage opening with Izzy hopping off of Straitjacket the Mechanical Bull, and falling on her back with a gleeful giggle. "It was a trip down memory lane for Olivia and Contessa, who discovered that they were long lost childhood friends," he said over a clip of the girls meeting, followed by their tearful embrace. "Meanwhile," Topher was shown whispering with Justin, "a former mini-me turned the drama up to eleven with the villains. Fun right?" he added giddily over shots of Topher blackmailing Olivia, then being confronted by Terrance later on during the challenge.
"At challenge time, barbecue buffets were gobbled down," Justin and Dawn were shown making the initial dash towards their teams' plates, neither eating with much enthusiasm. "And, in a few cases," Olivia was shown flying through the air while vomiting, and Contessa was shown throwing up on the skunk jump, "thrown right back up thanks to a barf-tacular obstacle course." He laughed as Dawn was shown forcibly swallowing his vomit after she got off the bull.
"The Heroes finished first," Brick, Dawn, and Izzy cheered, "causing the Villains to scramble. Terrance made a deal to save himself," a short clip of basketballer meeting with Topher, Justin, and Olivia was shown. "Topher pretended to agree," the instigator was shown planning in the confessional. "Then went and talked to Courtney," the instigator was shown speaking with Courtney, "causing Terrance to try and make a new deal," the basketballer was shown talking to Courtney a bit later. "But in the end," Topher was shown visibly relieved as his name was called at the voting ceremony, "it was Topher who had all the right moves when Terrance was sent home." The basketballer was grabbed by Chef, tossed out of the plane, and the montage ended with him getting hit in the eye with a paper plane.
"Thirteen players remain," Chris told the camera from the cockpit. "Which one of them is gonna escorted out of the game and off of my plane?" he asked. "Find out right here, right now, on Total! Drama! All-Stars! 2!"
XXXXX
[The sequence opens exactly as it did in season three, with a tilted shot of a stagelight swinging up and turning on in front of an airport control tower, followed by another light popping out of an overhead compartment along with a pair of oxygen masks; then a camera forcibly ejecting a raccoon from a wing engine and another camera bursting out of a suitcase, sending undergarments flying. A pair of white-skinned arms clap a film slate in front of the camera, which then flies down the aisle of first class seats. It passes a drink cart, then forces Chris McLean to jump to the side as the camera flies into the cockpit.]
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
[Chef Hatchet is piloting the plane in its cockpit, bobbleheads of himself and the host sitting on the control panel. For a single frame he turns his head and glares at the camera before it passes through the windshield and out onto the runway, the silhouette of the CN Tower visible in the distance as the camera flies over and through several baggage tugs.]
You guys are on my mind!
[Fading through the whiteness of a baggage cart, the camera emerges close to the CN Tower. The camera flies up along it, the sun shining bright at its peak. The scene arcs downward towards a lake, and speeds forward into it with a splash.]
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
[The bubbles from the splash fade to show Owen floating underwater seemingly naked. He notices his swim trunks float past him and covers his crotch with a blush on his face, and the camera pans up to the surface.]
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
[On the roof of the cabin of a boat woven from reeds, Dawn is meditating in lotus position.]
I wanna be...famous!
[The camera pans down and to the right to where Olivia is frantically paddling the boat as crocodiles leap out of the water on either side and snap their jaws. The boat leaves the screen, and on 'be' one of the reptiles winces; the camera moves back to the boat, revealing that it had crashed into an inflatable raft that Contessa was standing on. The raft begins to sink, and Olivia quickly grabs her into a fierce hug. The two girls blush and separate just as quickly.]
I wanna live close to the sun!
[The camera flashes to the a snow-capped mountain, immediately cutting to the top it as Brick climbs up from the side, then wipes the sweat from his brow as he helps Courtney reach the summit.]
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
[The couple stop with shock on their faces as Izzy suddenly runs past. The wildcard blindly runs straight into Jasmine, and the two tumble off the other side of the mountain.]
Everythin' to prove,
[The camera quick-pans to Mitch standing in an open field on Pahkitew Island. He catches Jasmine in his arms and gently sets her down, and she kisses him on the cheek as Izzy lands on the ground behind them.]
Nothin' in my way; I'll get there one day.
[Another pan to the right shows Topher watching with a devious expression. He rubs his hands in anticipation, only for a furry paw to quickly tap him on the shoulder. The camera pans to Scuba Bear glaring at the instigator, who promptly runs away. On the bear's other side, Terrance begins to laugh...]
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
[...Scuba Bear then turns to glare at Terrance instead, even roaring at the boy and chasing him off. The camera zooms in on a mountain in the background, and flashes over to Geoff and Katie walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The party dude turns to the right and screams and the two run away, a large number of fans chasing them away.]
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[Justin and B were next, the genius driving a speedboat and the model waterskiing behind him. They speed up and out of frame and the camera shakes for a moment. The shot pans to the right to show that the boys had ran into another speedboat driven by Sasquatchanakwa, Justin now face-down in his and B's boat. The yeti makes a hand gesture that had to be censored and the camera pans up to the sky.]
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[The jet flies right past a Mayan pyramid, causing whole structure to fall apart; the jet flies over Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janero, startling a priest into crossing himself; the jet flies trough the air and the camera pans down.]
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[The pan ends on a zoomed out shot of the swim-dressed all-stars lined up on eight platforms according to their teams – the villains holding red dueling sticks on the left of each platform, the heroes holding gold dueling sticks on the right. The camera zooms in and moves between them as they clash – smirking Courtney against smirking Brick; smug Topher being shoved in the water by a smiling Mitch; vain Justin holding off a confused Owen with one hand as he admired his own reflection in a hand mirror; Geoff thrusting eagerly but being easily blocked by an unimpressed Jasmine; Katie smirking darkly as she easily knocked Dawn into the water; Olivia being knocked away by a maniacally grinning Izzy; Terrance evenly matched with B, both boys smirking competitively; and Rebecca evilly smirking as she slammed her stick against a terrified Contessa, the top pieces of the padding suddenly catching fire and making both girls look up in surprise.]
[The lyrics end and a guitar is strummed as the camera zooms in on the two flames as they flare together, and the last few whistling notes play. The fires peter out to show the cast lined up and most of them smiling at the camera, the jet behind them. Mitch is on the far left end; to the right are Jasmine, B, Owen, Terrance, Geoff, Justin, Topher and Rebecca. In front of them are Dawn, Olivia, Contessa, Katie, Courtney, and Brick. Rebecca has her back turned to the camera as the song ends, spray-painting a '2' at the end of the 'Total Drama All-Stars' logo on the side of the jet, then turns and winks at the camera.]
XXXXX
The episode opened with the now-typical shot of the Total Drama Jumbo Jet in flight, the camera quickly cutting to economy class as Courtney asked "Where is Olivia?" The scene was focused squarely on the prep and Topher, the latter of whom seemed to have been caught off-guard by the question.
"Oh, well, you know her," the instigator told the de-facto team captain, not meeting the girl's gaze. "Olivia's probably off complaining about us somewhere."
Courtney just growled. "If we lose again she is so out of here. We can't trust someone who's never around."
"Let's not be hasty," Topher said with a placating gesture. "Now that Terrance is gone she and Katie are the ones with the most experience in this game. Besides, she always comes through in challenges."
Geoff scoffed from the other side of the room. "Yeah, she comes through, but not because she cares about us. It's all about her."
"There's nothing wrong with a little self-preservation," Katie said bashfully.
"Figured you'd say that," Geoff shot at her. "I'll talk to you when I need someone's kiwis kicked."
Katie sighed and hung her head. Courtney glared at the party boy and Topher smirked at the three of them.
XXX
"On second thought," Courtney told the confessional. "I think Geoff should go home when we lose again. I'm so sick of his 'woe is me' attitude. Like we all aren't ticked about our villain labels."
XXX
"Now there's some serious drama potential," Topher mused. "Geoff and Katie... keep them in the game as long as possible and there's two people who don't get along. That'll make getting rid of them later much easier..."
XXX
The static cut to the plane's cargo hold, Olivia and Contessa sitting on the ground and facing each other cross-legged. "Have I ever told you how much I admire you?" Olivia asked.
"Me?" Contessa asked in genuine confusion. "What's so admirable about me?"
Olivia smiled. "You kinda the strongest person I know," she said with a light blush on her face.
"I saw Jasmine knock down a tree by backhanding it the other day," Contessa deadpanned.
"Not that kind of strong," Olivia said, a slight irritation in her voice. "I meant, after all you've been through. You didn't change who you are to make life easier. That's really impressive Tessa," she added seriously.
Contessa gave her a concerned glance. "Where's all this coming from Liv?"
"Did I ever tell you why my acting career dried up?" Olivia asked.
Contessa gave her a blank look, then scratched her head. "You grew out of the cute little kid roles and couldn't escape your typecast. Isn't that what you said?"
"That's what I said," Olivia confirmed. "But that's not what happened. I got blackballed," she revealed. "Someone high up in the industry made sure I'd never work again," she explained after seeing her friend's confused expression.
"But why?" Contessa asked.
"I was cast as the lead in the Mina Tracy movie when I was thirteen," Olivia started. "I know the final movie didn't have me in it," she said after seeing Contessa start to object. "I...I had a massive crush on my co-star Miranda. She was supposed to play my best friend and the more we talked the stronger I felt."
"Wait," Contessa said. "You mean-"
"I'm gay too," the actress confirmed. "I didn't know at the time why I felt the way I did, so I talked to Miranda and she helped me figure myself out. She told me she felt the same and I was so happy I kissed her."
"Wait, Miranda May played Mina Tracy," Contessa said. "So-"
"The day after the kiss I was approached by the director," Olivia said. "He was big on 'family values' which is just a nice way of saying he was a homophobic jerk. Miranda told him about the kiss and had video to back it up, edited to leave out the part where she confessed to liking me." She sighed and looked away. "I got fired from the movie, and the director told everyone not to hire me if they wanted to keep their careers."
"Liv," Contessa said blankly. "I'm so sorry."
"It got worse when my parents found out," the actress continued. "They didn't hit me... but I wished they did. Instead they locked me in my room until I 'fixed' myself. No food, no water, no bathroom trips." Contessa gasped, and Olivia gulped before continuing. "I made it three days before I took back my coming out. So that's why I admire you Tessa. You didn't let others change who you were... unlike me..."
"I hardly think our situations are the same," Contessa said. "You... how could people be so cruel to you? And Miranda May, I used to think she was amazing but-" She stopped and let out a tense breath. "What changed? Why are you coming out now?"
"Because I have you back," Olivia said seriously. "I always felt like anything was possible when we were kids and knowing that you and Tessa are the same, it brought back that feeling. I feel- you make me feel-" She let out a groan of frustration at her inability to speak.
"Hey," Contessa said, putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "It's okay, I think I know what you mean."
"You do?" Olivia asked, joy and hope evident on her face and in her voice.
"Of course," the hopeless romantic smiled. "I feel the same-"
A touching tune played as Olivia surged forward and captured Contessa's lips in a kiss. The actress pulled back with a smile...
...that fell into despair at the shocked and confused look on her crush's face. "Liv?" Contessa asked.
"Oh my gosh," Olivia said, standing up as her voice started to break. "I totally misread that and- I'm sorry!" she dashed off as Contessa just stood there stupefied, and after the actress left, she reached to touch her lips.
XXX
"I can't believe I couldn't control myself for one second!" Olivia complained in the confessional, tears in her eyes. "Now Tessa probably hates me for forcing myself on her. It's Miranda all over again!"
XXX
"She kissed me," Contessa told the confessional, still looking shocked. "I can't believe she kissed me. I didn't hate it, but she caught me so off guard and-" she groaned. "Now I'm all confused. What does this mean? Does she like me? Does she want to date me? Do I feel the same?" She groaned again.
XXX
"Hey there you are!" Owen said with a smile as the scene cut to him eating breakfast at the first class meeting area. "Sit down, I saved you some breakfast," He slid a bowl of fruit salad to the right, and the camera pulled back to show Contessa sitting down next to him.
"Y-yeah," the hopeless romantic said blankly, "thanks Owen." She started eating, but was clearly just going through the motions.
"Hey, everything okay?" Owen asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
"Yeah, I'm not bad," Contessa said, giving the boy a fake smile.
"Are you sure?" Owen asked again. "You know I'm here if anything's wrong."
"I know," Contessa smiled softly, "but it's nothing you need to worry about."
Owen looked like he was about to say something else, but a sudden voice cut him off. "Don't worry Owen," Dawn said, briefly startling the two friends as they turned to see her standing right behind them. "There's simply a bit off confusion in Contessa's aura. But my tea leaves tell me that everything will work out by itself rather quickly."
"Well I can't argue with that," Owen smiled. "I wouldn't even know how to," he finished with a slight chuckle, going back to his breakfast. As he ate, the camera zoomed in on Contessa as she shot a concerned look back at the door to economy class.
\
The scene cut to Jasmine, Mitch, Brick, and Izzy relaxing in their seats, Jasmine leaning into Mitch and Brick and Izzy wearing cucumbers over their eyes. A high-pitched squeal signaled the intercom turning on, and the former three shot annoyed looks upward, brick removing a cucumber to do so. "Brace for landing!" Chris announced over it as a few tense notes were struck. "We're beginning our decent into our next destination." The camera focused on Brick grimacing and buckling his seatbelt as another squeal signaled the end of the transmission.
"Huh," Mitch said blankly. "I wonder where Chris is gonna dump us next."
Izzy audibly shrugged and ate one of the cucumbers on her eyes.
"Izzy, I don't think you're supposed to eat the cucumbers." Jasmine said wairly.
"Aw, but my eye sweat really gives it that extra kick y'know?" the wildcard protested, eating the other slice.
Mitch and Brick exchanged an incredulous look and Jasmine gagged.
\
An ominous tune played as the shot cut to the season's world map, the airplane symbol flying from just above the Rio Grande towards the Yucatan Peninsula.
\
"Welcome to Mexico," Chris told them, the cast now gathered in their teams at the edge of a dense jungle. The background noise was filled with the chatter of birds and insects and frogs, and the ruins of a small stone building were visible through the trees. "Home of the Mayan civilization! These guys were super advanced until they disappeared without a trace. And they even had a famous calendar that predicted the apocalypse," he explained.
"Uh," Izzy spoke up. "The 'end of the world' craze was a misunderstanding of the bak'tun," the wildcard explained. "It was just the end of that particular cycle."
"Anyway," Chris said forcefully, glaring at the girl for interrupting and making her shrink a little. "Your challenge today is to hike along an ancient Mayan trail," the camera panned across a dirt path leading through the jungle, "through the Mexican jungle, all the way to the top of the El Castillo Pyramid in the abandoned city of Chitzan Itza." Another dramatic score played as the camera cut to the base of the famous site and panned up to the top, where a standard checkered banner had been set up.
"First team to the top wins first class passage to our next destination," Chris said. "Last team to arrive will have to send someone out the elimination door." The teens were shown looking and listening with wary expressions. "And be warned, the jungle contains many vicious animals. From ferocious jungle cats to tiny and extremely poisonous bugs!"
"So how far is it to Chicken Pizza?" Owen asked.
"Chitzen Itza," the host corrected with a smile, "is about a day and a half's hike. And involves crossing a pretty wide river."
The cast groaned in unison, with Villians getting shown by the camera. "The jungle is too dangerous to travel at night," the host warned them, "so, teams will have to break at dusk and camp along the trail until sunrise."
"I reckon we're doin' this without tents?" Mitch asked, a worried Contessa beside him.
"Negatory," Chris told him. "The lawyers insisted I provide some form of protection during this challenge. So," Chef arrived on a jeep filled with travel packs, some nicer than the others. "For winning the last challenge, the Heroes get state-of-the-art McLean Brand tents," Chef tossed seven high-quality packs to each of the Heroes. While Mitch, Jasmine, Brick and Izzy managed to catch theirs easily, Owen let his fall to the ground in front of him and Contessa and Dawn were knocked over by the force of the equipment. "You also get a map and compass to help you navigate," he tossed the items to Brick, who had already put his pack on his back.
"Villains," he addressed the six Vipers. "Since you lost the last challenge you get some tarps, metal poles, and stakes," Chef tossed six ratty looking burlap packs to the Villains, all of whom caught theirs with no issue. "And you get a GPS," he tossed the device to Courtney, who smirked.
"Hey, why do they get a GPS?" Owen asked.
"Don't worry mate," Jasmine told him. "Once they get in the jungle, that'll be worthless. It's impossible to get a signal with such dense foliage."
"Now," Chris continued, "because the playing area is so vast and dangerous, each team will have a walkie-talkie in case of emergencies." He picked up a cardboard box filled with the devices. "Teams, I wish you good luck," he said as the background music took a deep and ominous turn.
\
The footage skipped ahead to the two teams standing at a fork in their trail, their respective team icons hovering above them on the screen.
"So, what do you think?" Contessa asked Jasmine who was kneeling down and inspecting a bush by the side of the trail.
"Well, I'm pretty sure this plant isn't edible," the amazon admitted, standing back up. "Also, I have no clue which way to go."
"Well there's no fork on this map," Brick said as he looked form the paper to his team. "In fact, there's not even a trail. Just the start and finish."
"Well at least we know the general direction we're supposed to go," Owen smiled.
"Hmm," Dawn said as she tapped her chin in thought, drawing her teammate's attention to herself. "The trail on the right has a better feel to it."
Izzy shrugged. "As good a reason as any, I guess."
As the Horses headed down the left path, the camera moved on to the Vipers. "Well dudes," Geoff told the others with a smile on his face, "how 'bout we go right? Seems like a good path to me."
"Agreed," Olivia chimed in.
"Makes sense," Topher thought to himself. "That way not only can we follow the Heroes and overtake them at the last minute, but if we're wrong we won't be completely out of the game. Good strategy Geoff."
"Aww man, really?" Geoff said, casting a forlorn look down the left path. "I wasn't tryin' to be like that."
"I didn't think you were," Katie told him with an a hand on his shoulder.
Geoff rudely shrugged off the appendage and glared at her. "I didn't ask you for any input. Let's just go." He jogged down the left path, and most of his teammates followed him. Katie and Courtney however stayed behind, Katie to sigh in disappointment and Courtney to place a comforting hand on her back while narrowing her eyes at Topher.
\
The Horse logo appeared in the corner of the screen as the camera panned down, revealing them walking down the trail with Jasmine leading the charge.
"Alright," Brick said from behind her, "here's the plan for today. We've been doing great so far, and I intend on starting a winning streak."
"Well, this challenge isn't hard," Contessa said. "We have a compass and all we really have to do is just wake up before the Vipers. Right?"
Izzy nodded. "Yeah, seems pretty easy."
"I wouldn't count on it," Jasmine countered. "Remember, they're probably gonna wake up as early as they can too. And I'd be willing to bet they're planning on following us to the end."
"Eh," Mitch shrugged. "Between Dawn, Brick, and Sugarcube, I don't really see us losin' today."
\
A flash took the scene back to the Vipers, who were now running through the jungle with flies swarming around them.
"Dude!" Geoff called out to Courtney, who was at the front of the group. "Don'tcha think we should slow down and pace ourselves a little?"
"And fall behind?" the prep replied with an incredulous look. "Are you serious?"
"He's more for real than you are," Olivia spoke up, running alongside the party boy with Justin and Katie ahead of them and Topher behind them. "We can't possibly keep this going for a whole day and a half!"
"I think they have a point," Justin added. "Besides the Heroes will have to camp at some point. Since our supplies are a bit more bare-bones we can overtake them when they settle down.
"That's...a surprisingly good point coming from Justin," Courtney admitted a tad uncertainly. "And now that I think about it, it'd be stupid to wear ourselves out on the first day of the challenge."
"Especially since the Heroes probably will tire themselves out trying to stop our obvious plan," Topher added.
"Then it's settled!" Courtney said with a bright and confident grin. She slowed to a stop, then turned around to address her teammates. "Alright Vipers, we need to ease up for the rest of the day," she told them, the camera panning across their smiling faces. "But only so we can go faster tomorrow, got it?" The shot panned across the other Villains again as they grumbled their understanding.
\
The music became tenser as the scene moved back to the Horses, Brick now walking at the front of their group. He stopped suddenly and glee filled his face, and the viewpoint shifted to show a six canoes sitting near the edge of a river. Three of them were yellow, and the other three were red.
"Look, the river!" Brick announced to his teammates. "And the Villain's canoes are still there which means we're in the lead."
"Good thing too," Jasmine said. "I wouldn't put it past Olivia to knock our canoes into the water or something."
"She wouldn't do something like that," Contessa said defensively. "I mean sure she was manipulative," she added after seeing her team's odd looks, "but that just doesn't seem like her..."
"Why are you defending her?" Owen asked. "Did you forget all the crap she pulled last season?"
"Well she stood up for me last year," the hopeless romantic said bashfully. "And I just felt obligate to do the same?" she finished uncertainly
"I get it mate," Jasmine smiled. "But try not to let yourself get suckered into helping people like that. They'll just take advantage of you if you let them."
"Thanks for the advice," Contessa smiled. Her smile turned into a frown the second everyone went after the canoes.
XXX
"Right," she said. "I forgot the others don't know her as Liv. That's gonna get awkward in the future. Even more so now that I think she likes me." She sighed. "I wish I knew what was going through her head."
XXX
Back with the Villains, the team of six managed to reach the river. Courtney was still leading the group, and looked at the canoes with irritation on her face.
"Great, the Heroes got here first," the prep grumbled.
"At least we know we're going the right way," Katie told her.
"Well, we need to decide who'll pair up on the canoes," Courtney commanded. "Geoff, you're with me. Justin and Topher, you're a team, and that leaves Olivia and Katie."
"H-hey! Why am I paired with you?" Geoff shouted in alarm, as the rest of the Vipers dashed toward the canoes.
"Because if I put Justin with any of the girls, he might try and talk his way out of doing any work and put us behind. And since you have the biggest grudge against Katie and Olivia, that only leaves me. Now are you gonna complain or do you want a shot of actually winning this challenge?"
"Ugh, fine," Geoff groaned. The scene skipped forward to show the party boy grumbling to himself as he pushed a canoe in the water, Courtney already sitting within.
\
The camera panned across the various sub-teams lined up in their canoes, Heroes slightly ahead of the Villains, and zoomed in to show Dawn and Contessa paddling at a leisurely pace. "If you don't mind my saying so," the moonchild spoke up. "I sense a great turmoil within you."
"I get that you like helping folks with their problems," Contessa told her. "But I get the feeling this is something you can't help with."
The moonchild just peered at her. "I noticed your aura change when we were discussing Olivia," she continued. "Talking about your feelings will help you figure them out faster, and I won't hold anything against you."
"Yeah, well, I'm not gonna take the risk of talking about this in the middle of the challenge," the hopeless romantic replied. "Especially where our teammates might hear."
"Sure is a great day out," Owen mentioned as the focus passed to him and Izzy, the optimist sitting on the back of the canoe and the front noticeably in the air.
"Kind of a shame, though," Izzy mused. "I was hoping it'd be more like first season. A canoe race to a cursed island totally would've been awesome, am I right?"
Thee optimist shook off a raised eyebrow. "Uh, if you say so."
The scene cut to Geoff and Courtney. "Okay, what is your deal?" the prep opened. "I know you've always had a thing against me, but the way you've been treating Katie is just uncalled for." As he scratched his head, the camera cut to the object of their discussion.
"Oh my gosh, Olivia, it's so hopeless!" the hot-blooded girl vented. "I only came back to this show so I'd have another shot with Geoff. But he hates me!"
"Yeah," Olivia could be heard saying with a heavy sigh, "I can understand that."
"I know, right?" Katie replied, and the scene shifted back to Geoff and Courtney.
"Look," the party dude said, "I'm just sick of people who think the best way to get ahead is to mess with other people. I almost lost my best bud because of people like that and-"
"But that doesn't explain why you're so harsh on Katie," Courtney interrupted.
The camera cut in close to show Geoff look toward the girl in question with a sad look. "I really thought me an' Katie had a connection last year y'know?" he said as touching music began to play. "Then I find out she was messin' with everybody. How am I supposed to trust her after that?" He asked his paddle partner.
"Well you could understand that people change," Courtney answered, "but after the way you've been acting, I'd say she's better off without you. I mean look how you treated her and she hasn't done anything villainous this season."
The party boy looked like he understood, and mostly looked upset by the prep's advice. "So...you're sayin' I'm the one who's being a jerk?"
"A massive one." Courtney said. "I know I wouldn't forgive you if I were her."
XXX
"It's a mix of reverse psychology and tough love," Courtney told the confessional. "The more he thinks he can't fix things the more he wants to. Then maybe we can ge through a challenge without him making Katie cry."
XXX
"Courtney gave me some major harshness," Geoff confessed next. "But it was harshness I needed to hear. This whole time I've been bummed out about bein' on the Villains and I din't even realize I was the bummer." He looked down in shame. "I gotta apologize to Katie."
XXX
The campers looked wary as the paddled closer, and as the first few canoes ran ashore the focus was put on Justin and Topher.
"Not sure how we got here first, but I'll take it!" Topher declared, jumping to the beach and spreading his arms excitedly. "Now we just have to keep on to the end!"As screeching he spoke, the rest of the all-stars made their landings as well.
\
The music took a tense turn as the shot flashed to a close-up of a bird perched on a branch; it looked back and flew off with a squawk as the camera panned to the right, showing the Heroes entering a small clearing nearby.
"Dusk!" Brick said with a brief look skyward. "We can make camp here."
A short pan a little ways back left showed Owen crawling out of a bush on his hands and knees. "So tired," he moaned. "Need food! Nachos would be killer right now."
"Great idea buddy," Contessa snarked playfully as she stepped into the clearing after Jasmine, Mitch, and Dawn. "All we need are tortillas, beans, guac-"
"Hey slow down!" Izzy said as she walked into the clearing, writing on a notepad. "I'm tryin' to make a list."
\
The music took a more victorious turn as the focus cut to the Villains as they ran through the jungle, Courtney and Geoff at the front.
"Dudes, check it out," the party boy said as the six skidded to a stop in a different clearing, "Food!"
The camera panned upward to show the trees surrounding them were filled with bananas.
"Once again, life is made easy for the beautiful people!" Justin said in excitement as he and his teammates gazed upon the fruit.
"All the bananas we can eat!" Topher said before a pause icon appeared on the scene.
\
"Both teams have decided to hunker down for the night," Chris said as the opening notes of the capstone theme played, "but it's still anyone's game!" He walked in front of the scene, smiling and holding a remote. "Who will survive the junjle challenge?" he asked, the camera jumping backward to show him standing in front of the widescreen television. "And which team will make it to the pyramid first? Find out after the break, on Total! Drama! All-Stars! 2!"
\
(Commercial Break)
\
The scene faded right back in to a crackling campfire before zooming out to show Dawn and Contessa sitting on opposite side of it. Three rather nice looking tents were set up in a semicircle behind them, all zipped closed with light snoring coming from within one of them.
"Now would be a good time to speak," the moonchild told her companion. "The others are asleep."
Contessa sighed. "You're not gonna let this go are you?" she asked.
"Normally I would respect your boundaries," Dawn admitted. "But I can see a great deal of turmoil in your aura. I'm afraid of what will happen if you don't untangle all these feelings."
"Sorry," Contessa said. "So, yesterday I found out that Olivia was my childhood best friend I hadn't seen in years."
"That explains the green," Dawn said. "But I still don't understand-"
"She kissed me this morning," Contessa explained. "And I don't know, I kinda started feeling something for Olivia last year but I told myself it would never happen and I kinda just pushed it to the side, then I find out that Olivia is actually my friend Liv and that threw me off because like, now, half the time I'm counting them as the same person and half the time I'm counting them as different people and then there's the whole 'kissing me' thing. I mean, has she always liked me? Did she only start when we found each other? And I'm still not over the whole Rebecca thing."
Dawn opened her mouth, but Contessa continued talking.
"Okay, I am over it. But I've just got this little voice in the back of my head telling me that Liv's just doing the same thing she did. Which makes me feel super guilty because I know things that make that pretty impossible but my own screwed up mind can't let it go and it's actually really annoying. Anyway," she shook off a brief look of irritation, then stopped in mild shock. "No... there's nothing else."
"Oh my," Dawn said blankly. "That's quite a bit more than I thought."
"There's actually a bit more," Contessa admitted. "But it involves things that aren't my place to say."
"Well hearing you say everything," Dawn spoke slowly. "I think you've already figured out what you want to do. You just don't know if it's what you should do."
"That's it!" Contessa gasped. "Ugh, I've been stewing over that mess the whole day and you just put it in a cute little bow. So," she said seriously. "What should I do?"
"I haven't seen her aura," Dawn told her. "So I can't speak for her, but I can see the softest pink in yours whenever you talk about her. If I were capable of such a thing, I'd want a love like the one you have for her."
"Love?" Contessa questioned. "I don't know, isn't it a bit early for love?"
"Asks the hopeless romantic," Dawn smirked.
The black girl scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, as in hope. Less. Meaning I don't believe in that junk anymore. I like Olivia. I really do, but even if she actually likes me she's only gonna dump me when she gets tired of me."
"I think you should go for it," Dawn said. "She might restore your faith in love."
"I never said I don't believe in love," Contessa protested. "I just don't believe it'll ever happen to me. I'm worthless, there's nothing about me to love."
Dawn frowned. "You truly believe that..."
"No one's ever shown me anything different," Contessa shrugged.
\
The scene flashed to a bunch of banana peels scattered on the ground before the camera panned up and over to Olivia and Topher, who were sitting on opposite sides of a campfire. Behind them, two makeshift tents were set up, Geoff and Justin's legs sticking out of the left one and Courtney and Katie's out of the right one.
"Courtney's plan was decent," Topher said as he poked at the fire with a long stick. "But I have a better one."
"Which is?" Olivia asked with a roll of her eyes.
"You are gonna go steal the Heroes' map from them," the instigator commanded. "That way we'll have the advantage come morning."
"What?!" Olivia said in shock. "You said you'd leave her alone if I helped you!"
"Actually," Topher said while holding up a finger. "I said I wouldn't tell the Heroes about you two meeting up. But if you don't wanna do this," he added with a smirk, "I could always do it. And while I'm there I could tell them about your little kiss."
Olivia gasped and glared at her 'ally'. "Did you follow me again?"
"Nope," he smirked. "That time I just guessed. And it looks like I guessed right," he said slyly.
"I don't care anymore," Olivia scoffed. "I was just using her anyway. Now it's become too much trouble."
Topher tsked and shook his head. "You may be a great actress, but you're a terrible liar."
"Fine," she huffed and stood up. "I'll do it."
\
Another flash took the scene back to the Heroes' campfire. Dawn was still awake, but Contessa had fallen asleep and was currently using the smaller girl's shoulder as a pillow.
"I know you're there," Dawn called out quietly. Seconds later the bushes rustled and Olivia walked out into the open. The actress took a look at the two girls and her face fell, then she steeled it into something more determined.
"Well, I was planning on sneaking," the actress explained in a whisper. "But now I'm just gonna tell you. Give me your map."
"I know you don't want to do this," the moonchild said. "There's another choice."
"Not one I'm willing to take," Olivia said seriously, looking at her crush.
Dawn peered at the other girl, then smiled. "Yes, you'll be perfect," she said cryptically, confusing the actress. She then shifted slightly, grabbing the map from under her butt and giving it to Olivia.
"Thanks," she said before leaving. She stopped at the edge and looked back. "Just... just treat her nice okay?" Dawn opened her mouth but Oliiva cut her off with a scoff. "Who am I kidding? You wouldn't even think of hurting her. You're what she deserves..."
She walked away before the moonchild could say anything else.
XXX
"So that's it then," Olivia sadly confessed. "Tessa doesn't like me. She likes Dawn. At least she found a girl who won't break her heart. Like I probably would've done..."
XXX
The static took the focus back to Vipers' campfire. The camera panned to the left, where Olivia was entering the clearing while holding the map.
"Here," she spat as she threw the paper at Topher. "Keep watch by yourself. I'm going to bed."
The camera zoomed in on Topher to show him glancing at the girl in mild confusion, then shrugging and smirking as he put away the map.
XXX
"Ooh, just think of all the infighting the Heroes will be dealing with when they realize they lost their map!" Topher said. "Once again I'm proving I'm the best player in this game. And it's only the fourth episode too!"
XXX
The footage skipped forward to the smoldering remains of a stone-lined campfire pit; the sun had clearly risen. The camera panned up and to the right, showing most of the Villainous Vipers in various stages of grogginess. Courtney was on one knee and looking the most alert; Topher and Justin were leaning against each other and looking incredibly sleepy; Katie was also alert as she crouched over the still-sleeping form of Olivia; and Geoff was nowhere to be seen.
"Daybreak!" Courtney said, causing her teammates behind her to stir and stand up. "As soon as Geoff gets back we're going to Chitzen Itza as quick as possible."
"Even quicker than that," Topher bragged. "Look what I took from the Heroes last night!"
The camera cut to a close-up of the map, displayed proudly in the handsome boy's hand against a radiant background.
\
A single dramatic note played as the scene flashed to the Horses waking up. As they all sleepily gathered around their smoldering campfire, Dawn cleared her throat.
"Friends, I must apologize," she told them. "But I lost the map last night while I was supposed to be on watch."
"What?!" the other Heroes shouted to a spike in the music.
"I don't know how it happened," she continued. "But I must have fallen asleep and let it fly away in the wind."
Jasmine narrowed her eyes. "I don't remember any wind last night..."
"Well ain't no use standin' around gabbin' about it," Mitch said. "We gotta get movin' and quick!"
"Right," Brick agreed. "Horse Company, let's move out!"
The Heroes took off at a jog, however Dawn lingered for a bit with a confident if unsure expression.
\
The scene skipped ahead again, now showing the six Villains running through the jungle with Courtney in the lead.
"Great job stealing the Heroes' map Topher," Justin smiled. "I can't wait to get back to first class."
"Uh, the other guys are gonna be able to get out of the jungle safely right?" Geoff spoke up.
"Oh my gosh," Kate gasped. "I totally didn't think about that."
"Come on guys," Courtney scoffed. "This is Chris, he'd never actually let anyone die."
"True," Olivia admitted. "Losing so many kids so fast wouldn't be good for his precious ratings."
\
"Looks like the paths split up again," Jasmine said as the scene flashed to the Heroes at a fork in the path, six of whom were gathered around a kneeling Jasmine. "The Villains went down the right trail, but if the left on is a shortcut, we might be able to cut them off."
"But what if it's not?" Contessa asked. "We'd lose."
"Eh, we were probably gonna do that anyway," Izzy shrugged.
"Yeah, but we'd also get lost," Owen said. "I'm not sure if it's worth it."
"Well I'm afraid we don't have much choice," Brick declared. "We're taking the other path."
He charged off, and the others followed him moments later.
\
The scene cut to Chitzen Itza, zooming in at the top of a pyramid to show Chris checking his watch before panning to the left across the complex to the edge of the jungle. The Villains entered the city first, followed closely by the Heroes.
"Well hot dog!" Mitch cheered. "Looks like that was a shortcut after all! Good job Sugarcube," he said to his girlfriend.
"Let's hurry up!" Courtney said after momentarily stopping in shock.
The music ramped up in intensity as the thirteen all-stars raced through the city toward the pyramid. The Heroes took the lead, then the Villains, then the Heroes, then the Villains, and finally the Heroes.
The shot cut to Chris at the top of the pyramid, smiling as the Villains reached the top and crossed the finish line first, all huffing and puffing.
"And the Villainous Vipers get here first! They win the challenge!" The music took a triumphant turn following his announcement, and the members of the winning team cheered.
"Aww we were so close," Izzy said as the rest of her team groaned in disappointment.
\
The music turned deep and plodding as the scene cut to the jumbo jet on the runway, then cut to the Heroes in the dining area. "So..." Owen said. "Who do we vote off?"
"I don't know," Contessa sighed. "This is the first time I've ever lost a challenge that was no one's fault." She slumped over. "This is really hard."
"I can make it easier," Dawn said solemnly. "I would like for you all to vote for me."
The rest of her team gasped.
"Please let me explain," she continued. "I had no real desire to compete again. I only did because of my contract. I wouldn't feel right if I won when I already still have plenty of money from my previous season. Plus, I sense that you all need to stay here just a bit longer."
"Are you sure about this mate?" Jasmine asked. "You're giving up a million dollars."
"Yes I am." Dawn nodded. She stood up and left the dining area, and the camera lingered as her team exchanged sad and wary looks.
\
The scene moved to the elimination room, the Heroic Horses' logo spinning into view in the top left corner of the screen.
"Alright Team Hero," Chris greeted the seven teens sitting on the stands, all of whom perked up, "are you ready to find out who you chose to eliminate?" The camera cut to the host, who was leaning against a the drum that served as his podium. "Time for voting!"
XXX
A few drumbeats opened the voting confessional as each Horse voted quickly and silently – Jasmine first, then Contessa, Izzy, Mitch, Owen, Brick and Dawn at the end. All did their voting with a forlorn expression.
XXX
The elimination theme began to play as Chris leafed through the stacks of photos he was holding. "Well then," he announced after a second, "in surprising turn of events, the vote is completely unanimous. Izzy, Jasmine, Mitch, Owen, Brick, and Contessa, you're all safe," he said, quickly tossing marshmallows to the campers in question from a tray resting on his oil drum. "Dawn, you're out."
"I know," The Moonchild said, her smile sad as she stood up. "I voted for myself to be sure. Farewell my friends," she told her former teammates, "I wish you all good luck in the rest of the competition."
"Aww," Owen said, a tear leaking from his eye. "Group hug!" The scene skipped ahead to show Dawn smiling while being embraced by her former teammates.
"Thank you all," Dawn smiled. "But before I go, I must warn you of a lurking threat. While most of the Villains are not dangerous, I urge you to never trust- hmm!" Chef put his hand over the girl's mouth and picked her up by her sweater.
The shot cut to her being thrown out of the plane, somehow managing to land gracefully on her feet but looking back desperately. "Wait!" she cried. "I have to warn my teammates!"
"Here's a map to the nearest airport," Chris told her as he tossed a rolled-up piece of paper to the girl. "You should make it in about... three days! Adios!" He slammed the door with a chuckle.
\
The camera cut to the jet's cockpit as the series' capstone theme began to play.
"And we finally say goodbye to our creepiest player!" Chris laughed and looked straight at the camera. "Tune in for more action, more betrayal, and more romance, next time! On Total! Drama! All-Stars! 2!" The camera pulled back for a distance shot of the plane, and a flock of birds passed by underneath.
(Roll the Credits)
\
\
(Bonus Clip)
Dawn walked calmly though the Mexican jungle, hands behind her back and a frown on her face. "I know that Topher was to blame for Olivia trying to steal our map," she declared with a serious face. "And I have complete faith that the Universe shall see fit to punish him in due time."
She took a deep breath. "I hope Contessa follows my advice," she said. "I've never seen two souls so perfectly intertwined. They would benefit greatly from admitting their feelings. But I saw so much despair in Olivia's aura. I wish they would figure things out as quickly as Dave and Britney."
Dawn sighed again, and looked away. "But it seems the Universe decided it isn't quite time." She sighed. "Who knew love could be so...complicated? This is why I'm glad I will never have romantic feelings for anyone." She smiled softly, then got into lotus position and began to silently meditate in the jungle.
Author's Note Post Script: Eliminating Dawn was, surprisingly, a much more difficult decision than it probably should have been. I know she's one of my favorite characters but I've had no problem booting characters i like more in the past. But so much of what I had planned was cut in later planning stages I just couldn't justify her staying any longer. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but Dawn was originally supposed to be Contessa's new love interest. But I couldn't for the life of me find a way to do things that satisfied me, so when I misinterpreted a review and changed it from Dawntessa to Olivessa, that pretty much got rid of Dawn's plot this season.
And so I tried to come up with something new, and I did. I knew that Olivessa's first kiss would be this episode and cause a fair bit of angst, so Dawn's role was pretty much helping Contessa come to terms with her feelings for her old friend before being eliminated. That was supposed to happen in episode 6, but the next episode would be a bit difficult to have everything fit so I had to swap eliminations with the episode six boot.
Regarding Olivessa, as I mentioned earlier I've known for awhile that this would not be a cut-and-dry happily confess and be happy relationship like all the others I've written. Between Contessa's bullying and Olivia's abuse, these girls do not have high opinions of themselves and that's going to cause most of the speed bumps in their relationship. But the ansgty tunnel makes the light at the end better right?
And, well Gatie makes a bit of progress. I feel like I'm dragging that one out too much even if I finally did give what I think is a valid reason for Geoff's assholeness. Eh, I think one more episode before I tie that off, two at the most. Depends on how easily I want Katie to forgive him.
And as always I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention something.
I hope you all enjoyed the episode, or some part of it.
Please stay safe and healthy during these difficult times.
And I'd also like to remind you guys that a TVTropes page for this series does exist and needs you guys adding to it.
With that I'm signing off
-TotalDramaFan14
RDAS2 ELIMINATION TABLE:
16th Place: Rebecca
15th Place: B
14th Place: Terrance
13th Place: Dawn
