"Last time on Total Drama Level Up: The three teams competed in an RPG themed challenge where they had to fight through a huge assortment of enemies and defeat Leonard the wizard. That's it. There was absolutely nothing else that happened. And if the editor putting together these clips tries to make you think otherwise, he's fired. Anyway, the Yellow Ghosts won, sparing them from elimination. Meanwhile, Lexi was added to the alliance with Trevor and Aden, Taylor got on the bad sides of both Andrea AND Zane, and Rowley continued to bug Rowan. At the Gilded Joystick ceremony, Taylor was eliminated for crossing the wrong people and Rowley was eliminated by the Beautiful People's Alliance, though not without some unknown help from Trevor. Who will be the next to take the Sling of Shame? What will happen between Rowan's alliance and Trevor? And will some of these kids finally hook up already? Seriously, this is Total Drama. How do we not have a couple yet? All of that and more, right here on TOTAL... DRAMA... LEVEL UP!"
*** Opening Credits ***
It was early in the nighttime inside of the winner's trailer, where many of the Yellow Ghosts were scattered throughout the trailer doing various activities. Caleb, Clara, John and Deborah were sat on the couch, talking and playing video games. Annara and Ellie had taken the time to visit the spa room, and Jacque was enjoying a late dinner in the kitchen, where Morella and Kusa were having desert. Kusa, being the guy on the team with the most patience, had taken it upon himself to keep Morella company.
"And of course there was the time I ate like 10 ice cream sandwiches in one sitting without any trouble." Morella seemed to be in the middle of a long story with Kusa nodding along in interest. "My folks told me it made me really hyper, but I think they were just overreacting."
"Probably. I mean, you? Hyper?" Kusa chuckled. "I could never see it."
Kusa exchanged a smirk with Jacque before turning back to Morella as she began another story. Meanwhile, Lance appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking around nonchalantly at the others. He noticed Morella and Kusa talking, then saw Jacque sitting nearby. He looked over at the other room and saw the group of four in the living room.
"Clara, watch my back, I've got John pinned down," Caleb yelled, smiling at the screen as gunfire sound effects came from the TV. Clara blushed and nodded.
"Watch your back? I can DEFINITELY do that."
"Have some experience doing it already?" Deborah whispered, giggling when Clara turned redder and tried to elbow her in response. Lance chuckled and then returned his gaze to the kitchen. While Morella stopped her talking to take a bite, Kusa decided to use the bit of free time to talk to Jacque. Acting quickly, Lance quietly made his way past Kusa and whispered into Morella's ear.
"Hey, you know what would be really fun? Getting in on the video games those guys are playing in the living room."
Morella, slightly startled by Lance's sudden presence, jumped back a bit but then grinned. "That does sound fun! The more the merrier I always say."
Morella jumped up from her seat and darted off into the living room. Kusa, looking up and noticing the hesitant looks the others were giving her, sighed and got up himself.
"I'll go make sure she stays tame. Talk to you later."
Kusa left the kitched, leaving only Jacque sitting down and Lance standing nearby. The latter smirked mischievously and took a seat next to the former. There was a short silence between the two as they stared each other down, before Lance broke the silence.
"How's it hanging, slick?"
Jacque sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look, I'm tired of doing this. Are we gonna talk or are we just gonna keep sizing each other up?"
Lance chuckled and leaned back. "Oh, believe me, I feel the same way. I want to talk, that's why I got rid of hyper girl and karate kid."
"Alright." Jacque pushed away his plate and also leaned back. He sighed and gave Lance his attention. "What do you want to talk about?"
*** Confessional: Lance ***
"Our team has been doing pretty good despite losing the first challenge. We haven't gone to the elimination ceremony since then. Still, it's nearly impossible to keep this lucky streak up forever, so it's time to act before we have to boot someone again."
*** At the winner's trailer ***
"Let's not beat around the bush. You and I both know that the two of us are a lot alike. I can tell by just looking at you and I'm sure you can do the same." Jacque nodded and Lance continued. "So the way I see it, we got two options. We can start butting heads and try to find out which of us is superior, causing a bunch of unnecessary drama amongst are team, possibly even costing us a challenge or two. Or there's the second option. We team up."
Jacque raised an eyebrow. "A final two alliance?"
With a snap of his fingers, Lance shot him a finger pistol and grinned. "Bingo. You and me can play this game like a fiddle. I'm thinking we team up, get ourselves to the finale, THEN we can see who the best man is."
Jacque seemed impressed and nodded his head. "Not a bad idea. I will admit, I would rather do that instead of being rivals. Makes things a lot more simple. However, two people by themselves doesn't make for a very influential alliance. Even on this team."
"Obviously," Lance replied, glancing over at the others in the living room to make sure they were still occupied. "Which is why we'll be bringing a few other chumps along for the ride. We need the numbers to control the game. Can't bring in too many people, though. Big alliances can get messy."
While nodding in agreement, Jacque looked back at the others in the living room, then at the door to the spa room. "Who did you have in mind?"
Lance grinned. "Well here's the thing. I was thinking, rather than forming one big alliance where we have to control everyone, we should make two separate alliances, one led by each of us. That way keeping the votes in check is easier."
"A solid idea," Jacque replied with a nod. "Doesn't answer my question, though."
Lance looked over the six teens in the living room, paying special attention to Deborah, Clara, Caleb, and John. "The four musketeers over there are getting pretty chummy. We'll have to do something about them eventually but for now trying to get one of them is a bad idea. I'm thinking I should bring the kung fu guy into my alliance. He seems easy enough to deal with and we could always use some muscle."
"So I should bring Morella into my alliance?" Jacque asked with a bit of concern in his voice. Lance was quick to shake his head.
"No. She's too mush of a wild card. I don't know if we could count on her staying loyal even if we recruited her." Lance motioned his head at the spa room door and smirked. "Animal girl and the shy one in there, though? One of them would be perfect."
Jacque rubbed his chin in thought, thinking over his two options. "Now that I think about it, Ellie DOES seem like she'd be rather easy to sway when it comes to her vote. I don't think it would be too much of a hassle to recruit her."
Lance grinned and got up from the table. "So it's decided! I'll get Kusa on my side and you'll get Ellie on yours."
"Only the four of us for now?"
"Yes." Lance looked at the others in the living room suspiciously. "We'll want to keep it simple for now. Can't get ahead of ourselves. We'll probably add someone else soon enough. For now, just us four."
Lance stuck out his hand, which Jacque quickly shook. The former flashed one last smirk before walking off and leaving Jacque to think.
*** Confessional: Jacque ***
"I don't exactly trust Lance very well, but I'm sure he feels the same about me. As he should, obviously. People like him and I are willing to do anything to get what we want. Still, this alliance idea is a good one so I have no intention of betraying it. If this all goes smoothly, I wouldn't mind facing off with Lance in the finale."
*** In the Blue Bombers trailer ***
It was now morning, and the males of the Blue Bombers were waking up and preparing for breakfast. As Billy was putting on his baseball cap, he narrowed his eyes and looked over the others as they began filing out of the trailer. Aden, at the end of the line and about to leave, noticed Billy's look and raised an eyebrow.
"Uh, you doing alright, Billy?"
"Huh?" Billy snapped out of it and did a fake yawn. "Oh! Uh, yeah, I'm doing good. Just, you know, still waking up and junk."
Aden nodded and walked out, making Billy sigh in relief.
*** Confessional: Billy ***
"I'll admit, I've been a bit on edge since Rowley got eliminated. I just can't figure out why he did! It's not like he messed up the challenge or anything. And I thought that everyone on the team liked him. Well, everyone except Rowan."
Billy paused, then gasped and slapped his forehead. "That's it! Rowan must have some sort of alliance going on and she had them vote off Rowley! Oh man, I should have seen it sooner. I wonder who's with her. I gotta get to the bottom of this. She might be coming for me next!"
*** In the Craft's Services Tent ***
While the players tried to stomach an odd red soup for their breakfast, Billy scooted up to Garrett at their table. He looked around to make sure Rowan wasn't listening and leaned in to whisper.
"Psst! Garrett. Can we talk?"
Garrett looked over at Billy curiously and shrugged. He whispered back. "About what?"
"I think we have a problem. It's about how Rowley got kicked off."
Garrett's eyebrows shot up, but he cleared his throat and kept his cool. "What about it?"
"Well..." Billy took another quick look at Rowan, then leaned in closer. "I think Rowan has a secret alliance going on and she voted him off."
Garrett went wide eyed. "What, uh, makes ya say that?"
"Think about it. Rowan was the only one that had a beef with him. Rowley didn't do anything to justify a vote off, so it HAD to be because of an alliance. Therefore, Rowan has an alliance going on. I just can't figure out who's helping her. Ryan? Maybe Trevor or Lexi? I tell you because you liked Rowley and I know for a fact that a guy like you wouldn't be caught dead in an alliance with a girl like her."
He didn't reply but nodded, sneaking a glance over at Rowan and Ryan occasionally.
"I don't know, man, but it worries me. Rowley and I were becoming best buds, so now that he's gone I think I might be next. You think I should tell someone else? Maybe Riley?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea," Garrett replied. "You never know if one of them would be in the alliance with Rowan, assuming she has one in the first place. Keep it on the down low for now. Hopefully we win today and have some time to think things out."
Billy nodded and smiled. "Yeah, sounds good. Thanks for the talk, man. You have no idea how much the thing had me stressed."
"Anytime," Garrett mumbled, shooting his secret alliance-mates a concerned glance before returning to his meal.
*** Confessional: Garrett ***
"Well this ain't good. Billy's on to us and if he goes yapping to the others it could be bad news for us. Should I tell Rowan and Ryan about it?" He scratches his head and sighs. "I don't know, Billy has been really pulling his weight in the challenges, and it's not like he knows who's in the alliance with her. If I can keep him quiet, maybe it'll all be fine. This team needs to pick up some more wins and booting a guy like him isn't going to help."
*** At the challenge site ***
The players were sat outside of a large building, waiting on Chris to begin their challenge. Each team was sitting on separate bleachers with each person holding a button. There was also a small stage set up with a podium resting in the middle. On the Red Mushroom side, Andrea could be seen looking at Alice. Zane noticed this and chuckled.
"You gonna ask her or are ya just gonna keep staring at her like a creep?"
Andrea shot him an annoyed glare before returning her attention to the goth. She narrowed her eyes and seemed to be in deep thought.
*** Confessional: Andrea ***
"The time has come to add a third to my alliance. Lukas, Lincoln, and Xilier's alliance is useful for now as far as votes are concerned, but the time will come when we need to dispose of them, and I don't want to risk us going against them at a numbers disadvantage. After thinking over my three options, I've decided that Alice is the best contender. Her positive attitude is certainly something that will be a good influence for viewers. At times it seems that she's almost TOO positive. Plus, recruiting Kyle or Lee Lee would be pointless. They would only want to vote off the other."
*** At the challenge site ***
Chris stood behind the podium, grinning at the contestants before him. "Today's game genre is strategy games! That refers to games where you have to think out a course of action, really get into the minds of your opponents and think out a plan to take the win."
"Does that mean today's challenge won't be a physical one?" Iris asked, sounding a bit relieved.
"Oh, don't worry, it'll be plenty physical." Chris chuckled. "Buuuut, planning things out are going to be the deciding factor, so the physical bits are only part of it. For now, we're going to do a little warm up to get those noggins working. Welcome to the first ever Total Drama Quiz Show!"
Game show music played in the background and what sounded like a studio audience clapping and cheering could be heard. The teens looked around, puzzled, before both sounds stopped and Chris motioned to the building.
"And since every game show needs a host, say hello to your veteran cameo of the day! Put your hands together for Topher!"
The studio audience cheering was heard again as Topher emerged from the building. He waved and blew kisses at the imaginary audience before shaking hands with Chris and taking his place behind the podium.
"Thank you, thank you, you're all too kind." Topher adjusted some note cards on his podium and smiled at the players. "How are you all doing today? Psyched to be here?"
There was silence. A cricket chirped in the background and Kyle yawned. Topher narrowed his eyes and waited for a response.
"Wow." Chris chuckled. "With a hot crowd like that, I'm sure the spin off you're pulling for will get green-lit in no time!"
Topher grumbled something under his breath but put on his best smiled and held up his first note card. "Alright then! Welcome to the Total Drama Quiz Show. The game show where you are quizzed on your knowledge of the very show you're competing on. Questions will range from season one, all the way up to this very season! I'm gonna ask you all a question and you will buzz in if you think you know the answer. Each correct answer is a point for your team! Answer wrong and your team can't attempt to answer the question anymore. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Rowan yelled. "Is there any point in trying on this since it isn't the actual challenge?"
"Yes. Your team will receive a reward depending on how your placed. Any other questions?"
"How many questions are there?" Xilier asked curiously.
"However many they gave me," the temporary host replied, holding up his cards. "Any more questions?"
"I have one," Riley piped up. "What does this have to do with strategy games?"
"Well if there's no more questions, we can begin!" The studio audience cheered and Topher looked at his first card. "Your first question is... who was the first camper to arrive at Camp Wawanakwa in Total Drama Island?"
A BZZT rang out and Lincoln shot his hand up. "It was Beth!"
"Correct answer! Point to the Mushrooms." Topher tossed the card behind him and pulled out another. "Who is the only Total Drama contestant to appear in only one episode?"
There was a short pause before Lee Lee buzzed in. "Uhh... Staci?"
"Incorrect," Topher replied. "Anyone else?"
"Oh!" Morella pushed her button and stood up. "It was Beardo!"
"And that is correct! Point to the Ghosts. Your next qu-"
"Hey wait!" Lexi stood up, interrupting Topher. "Wouldn't that Nathan bloke also be a correct answer? He was only in one episode so far."
Topher looked to Chris, who shrugged. "Well, I guess you're right, so Bombers get a point too! It's all tied up. For your next question, name the Total Drama All-Stars contestant that found the McLean-Brand Chris Head."
There was another silence, with many players looking at one another to try and remember the answer.
*** Confessional: Lincoln ***
"I'm pretty sure most of the people that watched All Stars have blocked out the memory of it by now."
*** At the challenge site ***
Alice eventually snapped her fingers and buzzed in. "Wasn't it Alejandro? He used it to get rid of Heather."
"That he did, but he wasn't the one to FIND the Chris Head. Incorrect."
Ellie raised an eyebrow and quickly buzzed in. "Then the answer is Heather, isn't it?"
"Correct! Ghosts take the lead!" Topher tossed his note card and pulled another from the stack. "Let's continue, shall we?"
A short montage rolled of the contestants answering Topher's questions. Deborah buzzed in with "Anne Maria" as an answer. Rowan incorrectly answered a question with "Courtney," allowing Annara to get the correct answer of "Courtney AND Blaineley." Billy correctly answered a question with "Shawn," and Xilier got one with "Mr. Coconut." After various more buzz ins and yelling, Topher was finally down to his last card.
"We've made it to the last question! The Mushrooms and Bombers are tied up at 10 points each, while the Ghosts only have 8. Sorry, dudes, but you're gonna have to sit this question out."
The members of the Yellow Ghosts either sighed or glared at the host and sat back to watch the finale of the challenge. Topher looked from one team to the other, both of them looking determined and with their hands on their buzzers.
"Your final question is... who was the player this season that had their name called first on your first day?"
The members of the Mushrooms and Bombers hesitated. A little over a week had passed since the first day, so memory of it was cloudy.
"None of us buzzed in immediately, so it has to have been someone who's been eliminated already," Aden whispered to his teammates. "I know it wasn't someone on the Ghosts because they were introduced last."
"The Mushrooms were before us, weren't they?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, but they've kicked off three people so far," Trevor pointed out. "Which one of them was-"
They were cut off by the sound of a buzzer. When they looked over at the other team, Andrea could be seen leaving a group huddle. "It was Liam. He was introduced first."
"That is," Topher started before going into a dramatic pause. "... Correct! Red Mushrooms win!"
The team jumped up and began to cheer while the Bombers hung their heads in defeat. Chris quickly walked on stage and nudged Topher out of the way. "Remember guys, this wasn't the actual challenge. Just a warm up. Time to follow your much more handsome and successful host to the main event!"
Topher shot a glare at the host and barged off silently. With him gone, the players followed Chris inside the building. The huge interior looked like some sort of battlefield, with the arena divided up into different sections. A forest, a rocky terrain, a grassy hill, and an icy area. At three points on the edge of the arena were small strongholds surrounded by flat land. Each building was colored with one of the team colors.
"For today's challenge, we'll be having you guys compete in a multiplayer classic. Capture the flag!" Chris was handed a flag by an intern, embroidered with the logo of the Red Mushrooms. "Or make that flags, because each team will be given five. The goal is simple. Have the most flags at the end of an hour! Each of your strongholds are equipped with some minor defenses to keep attackers away, but you need someone to operate them. That's where strategy comes into play. You have to decide how to capture the enemy flags while also protecting your own."
The players took this all in, looking over the playing field and already going over potential ways to go about the challenge in their head. Zane cocked his head to the side and glanced at the host. "Hey, what about our reward for winning the quiz show?"
"Ah yes!" Chris motioned off screen for an intern, who brought him a hard had and baton. "Thanks for reminding me. You'll see here that I have two things that'll come in handy for the challenge. A hard hat, which can protect you from harm caused by some of the enemy defenses, and a stun baton. If you find an opponent on the arena somewhere and want to stop them in their tracks quick, it's a good way to shock them."
Chris tossed a hard hat to Kyle and a stun baton to Lee Lee. "For winning the quiz show, each of you get one of both. The other teams won't go empty handed, though. For coming in second, the Bombers will all still get a baton, while the Ghosts will get hard hats for coming in third."
"What, so we don't have any protection?" Ryan asked in a worried tone as he was tossed his stun baton. He pointed at his face worriedly. "Do you really want to mess up all of this?"
Chris shrugged. "Better keep an eye out for the defenses then, shouldn't ya? Alright people, head on over to your strongholds and map out a game plan. When I sound the alarm, you'll have an hour to compete. This should go without saying, but the team with the least amount of flags by the end will be sending someone home. Hop to it!"
The teams ran off to their respective strongholds, those who had won helmets putting them on. The Mushrooms were the first to arrive. The stronghold was a long building and five flags stood in front of it. Enough room was provided in front of the stronghold for up to ten more flags and inside there were various red buttons on the walls.
"Alright, we have the smallest team so we gotta plan this thing out carefully," Zane said, looking around at the others. "I think we should figure out who's defending first."
"Well, I don't think I'd be very useful when it comes to combating the others and trying to get past their defenses," Kyle replied, looking around at the buttons on their wall. "So I think it would be best if I stay here and control whatever it is that these buttons do."
"Now hold on a minute, defending our flags is a pretty big deal." Lee Lee shot a glare at the rich kid. "I don't trust you to arm the defenses yourself."
"Well as I said, I wouldn't be doing us much good if I was trying to get flags from the other teams. What else would you want me to do?"
"You have a hard hat AND a baton," Lee Lee barked back. "It doesn't matter if you suck at fighting, just target the Ghosts and you'll be fine!"
Lukas groaned and stared at Lee Lee. "Holy crap, can you two just shut up for once? How about this, since Kyle wants to be on defenses, you stay here with him and help him out. That way you guys can cover more ground when it comes to protecting our flags and you can 'keep and eye on him' since you don't trust him to do it alone."
Lee Lee glanced over at Kyle, who glared back at her. "Fine. That sounds fair to me."
"Whatever shuts the insufferable woman up is also fine with me," Kyle added.
"Then that covers out defenses," Andrea said, looking around at the others. "Now then, as far as attacking strongholds go, I feel we should divide ourselves up evenly and attack as one. Zane, Alice, and myself can attack the Bomber's base, while Lukas, Xilier, and Lincoln can attack the Ghosts."
The others either shrugged or smiled.
"That sounds like a good plan," Xilier replied. "I think this is gonna be the challenge where we break our losing streak."
"I sure hope so," Alice added. "Four eliminations in a row would be rough."
With no more to say, the group silently waiting for Chris to begin the challenge. Meanwhile, the Bombers were having a hard time thinking up a game plan.
"I'm telling you, we need to have everyone except one person on defenses attack a stronghold at once," Lexi barked. "Those idiots won't see us coming. They'll be overwhelmed and get absolutely mullered. We'll bring back some flags, easy."
"And I'm telling you that it's too risky," Riley replied. "We don't know what the defenses are like and we can't risk almost all of us being incapacitated in one fell swoop while we only have one person defending here. That's just asking for the other teams to get our flags. We should send out small groups one at a time to get the flags while the rest of us stays here and defends."
"I don't know," Aden replied, looking from Lexi to Garrett. "Small groups would require more stealth and I, uh, don't think stealth is our forte."
"It IS kinda risky to leave ourselves more open, though," Iris pointed out. "Plus I think keeping your flags is the most important since having the least will send us to the elimination ceremony again."
"Sitting around twiddling our thumbs ain't gonna get us in that winner's trailer anytime soon, though," Trevor said. While the team continued arguing, the Ghosts seemed to have been having a much easier time forming a plan.
"So let's go over this one more time," Deborah said. "Lance, Caleb, Kusa, Clara, and myself will make up the attacking party while Ellie, Jacque, Morella, Annara, and John defend. Correct?"
"Correct," Jacque replied with a nod. "Is everyone ok with that plan?"
The others also nodded.
"This is gonna be fun," Morella cheerfully said, looking at the buttons with a smile. "I wonder what those things do, anyway."
Suddenly, the sound of an air horn blasted and a timer within the stronghold flicked on, counting down from an hour.
"Guess we'll find out soon enough." Lance quickly exchanged a knowing glance with Jacque before motioning for the rest of his part of the team to join him. "Come on, guys. I say we hit the Bombers first."
The five members of the Ghosts on offense set out and the challenge had begun. The six attacking members of the Mushrooms also departed, leaving a glaring Kyle and Lee Lee at their stronghold. After a last bit of arguing, Iris, Ryan, and Aden were left to defend at the Blue Bomber stronghold while the other six scattered out in teams of two. Rowan with Garrett, Billy with Riley, and Trevor with Lexi. They all went their separate ways, with Rowan and Garrett on their way to the Ghosts, Billy and Riley on their way to the Mushrooms, and Lexi and Trevor heading to the middle of the arena.
"Why are we going this way again?" Lexi asked curiously.
"I'm sure that either the Mushrooms or the Ghosts will have people going for the other, which means they'll be going straight across." Trevor smirked and chuckled to himself. "I'm thinking we hide near the middle, wait for one of them to come by and get the jump on them. That way it makes things easier on our team and they won't be getting any flags."
Lexi grinned. "I like it! We deck one of those mongs in just the right way and they'll be out like a light."
Trevor grinned as well, though his expression did seem to fall for just a bit.
*** Confessional: Trevor ***
"I'll admit, I'm not exactly proud of all of my plans. I may have a dark side, but it's not like I don't feel remorse." His frown quickly turns into a grin and he shrugs. "But hey, it's a million bucks on the line. And all's fair in love and war. Ought as well have a bit of fun if you're gonna play the villain, am I right?"
*** In the arena ***
Back at the Yellow Ghosts stronghold, Jacque had taken command and placed his teammates at different areas to watch for enemies. Annara stood at the far right of the structure, while Ellie was on the far left. John and Morella were positioned evenly between the two. Using the temporary moment of silence to his advantage, he quietly made his way over to Ellie's post. She looked out into the distance worriedly, occasionally looking around at the buttons.
"Nervous about the challenge?" Jacque calmly asked, keeping his voice low enough so the others couldn't hear him.
"Oh. Um, a little," she quietly replied. "It's just that I'd just hate to mess something up and get voted off because of it."
Jacque held back a smile and kept his voice calm. "Well you know, that wouldn't be a concern if you were in an alliance. And it just so happens that I was looking for someone to form an alliance with me. Would you be interested in that?"
Ellie's jaw dropped and she looked up at her teammate in shock. "You want me? In an alliance?"
Jacque nodded and flashed her a smile. "But of course! You seem like you'd be a great partner to take to the finale."
"The finale?" Ellie grinned. "Y-you'd really want to take me that far?"
"That's what an alliance is for, my friend." Jacque stuck out his hand and gave her a wink. "So does that mean we're partners?"
Ellie cautiously looked back at the others to confirm no one was watching and eagerly shook Jacque's hand. "Partners!"
*** Confessional: Ellie ***
"I can't believe it! Someone actually wanted to be in an alliance with me!" She breaths a deep sigh of relief. "I was worried that I was going to be the next one on our team voted off. Now I don't have to worry anymore. This is great!"
*** Confessional: Jacque ***
"Well that went easier than I thought it would. Now I just need him to fulfill his end of the plan."
*** In the arena ***
Caleb and Clara were leading the charge for the Yellow Ghosts, nearing the halfway point between their stronghold and the Bomber's. Deborah was close behind them, with Lance and Kusa trailing at the end. They found themselves in the forest area of the arena, with many trees scattered around of various sizes.
"Keep an eye out for any of the Bombers, you guys." Caleb looked around cautiously. "If any of them are going for our flags we might cross paths with them, and they'll be the ones with batons."
"I think we'll be more than able to take them," Clara replied, giving him a smile. "You could totally outsmart them."
"Still, we don't want to get shocked and we don't know how many of them could be coming, so we need to be alert," Deborah said, scanning the forest and looking for anyone else. "We wouldn't want to risk getting taken out by one this early in the challenge."
Suddenly, a rustling could be heard from ahead. The Ghosts quickly hid themselves behind different trees and peeked around to see the source. Eventually, Rowan and Garrett could be seen coming through the forest, with Garrett leading.
"We just HAD to come through the way with the gross forest," Rowan grumbled, scanning the trees with narrowed eyes. "Who knows what kind of bugs are crawling around here."
"Pretty sure this whole place is one big movie set," Garrett replied in a bored tone. "So, you know, no bugs. Just quit yer whining and keep walking."
Rowan sighed and quietly followed behind her alliance-mate. The Ghosts, meanwhile silently looked around at each other, trying to think of a plan without the others hearing. Lance had been hiding behind a tree next to the one Kusa hid behind and snapped his fingers.
"Psst. Kusa. Over here." Lance kept his voice low enough for only his teammate to hear. "I have an idea."
"What is it?" Kusa whispered back.
"If you can distract them long enough for me, I think I can snag one of their batons." Lance motioned his head at Rowan and then at Garrett. "Just keep the big guy occupied long enough for me. Think you can handle it?"
Kusa nodded and with a bit of distance still between him and the two Blue Bombers, he emerged from behind the tree where Garrett and Rowan could see him. The two exchanged a confused glance before looking back to him. Deborah, Caleb, and Clara also watched with puzzled expressions from their hiding spots while Lance began to sneak around.
"You... get lost from the rest of your group or something?" Garrett asked. "Or are you out here by yourself?"
"It's just me. Was hoping I wouldn't run into anyone else out here, but I guess that went south." Kusa discretely eyed Lance as he slowly tried to sneak behind them. "You two by yourselves?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Rowan sneered before hold up her stun baton. "Look, give us one good reason why we shouldn't just knock you out with these things. Having one less person to worry about on the Yellow Team sounds good to me right about now."
"I'm feeling nice, so I'll give you a 30 second head start to run back to your base," Garrett added with a grin. "Of course, we could do this the hard way if you want."
Kusa stood his ground, holding out a hand and making a motion that said to bring it. Garrett's smirk widened and he turned his baton on. "I was hoping you'd pick that. Hard way it is."
"You want me to run ahead to the stronghold while you have him distracted?" Rowan whispered into his ear.
He shook his head and motioned for her to stand back. "Nah, this will just take a sec."
With a quick crack of his knuckles, Garrett began to approach his opponent. Kusa stood firm, holding his hands up and at the ready. When he was in range, Garrett took a swing with the baton, which Kusa easily dodged. He swung a few more times, with the martial artist being able to avoid each. Kusa kept bobbing and weaving out of the way while Garrett didn't let up. Caleb was about to run from his spot to assist his teammate when Deborah held him back by the shirt and pointed to the trees near Rowan. Lance could be seen quietly approaching her as she held her stun baton at her side while she watched the fight.
"You can't keep this up forever, man," Garrett commented as he nearly caught Kusa with one of his swings. "Give up now and I don't have to use this thing on ya."
Suddenly, with an opportunity presenting itself, Lance ran from within the forest, straight at Rowan. She had no time to react as he swiped the stun baton from her hand and charged at Garrett. The Bomber in question looked back in confusion when he heard Rowan yelp, giving Kusa a chance to knock the baton out of his hand and send it flying. Between both distractions, Garrett didn't see the stun baton swing coming from Lance and was out like a light once the loud BZZT from the stun baton stopped.
"Well... that worked," Caleb said as he and Deborah emerged from their hiding spots to join their teammates. "Way to go, guys!"
"What do we do about her?" Deborah asked, pointing a thumb at Rowan. The aforementioned girl held up her hands defensively and slowly began backing up.
"I don't want any trouble," she slowly replied. "I'll just go back to my base and-"
She was cut off by Clara suddenly running behind her with Garrett's baton in hand and shocking her before she could finish. Rowan plopped to the ground and a short silence followed as the Ghosts looked from one unconscious enemy to the other.
"Welp, no time to stand around looking at these guys." Lance offered Kusa the stun baton he had taken from Rowan and motioned for the others to follow him. "We should keep moving."
The five teammates left, continuing down the path to the Blue Bomber's stronghold. Meanwhile, Lexi and Trevor found themselves in the rocky terrain, hiding behind a large rock as they awaited players from the enemy teams to pass.
"So... about you and Aden," Trevor commented to pass the time. "What's the deal there?"
Lexi raised an eyebrow. "What do ya mean?"
"Like, are you flirting with him or just messing with him?"
"What do you think?" she replied with a chuckle. "Could you really see a girl like me with a bloke like him? I just like screwing with his type. Never gets old. Why, you ain't gonna snitch to him, are ya?"
"Nah." Trevor looked out into the distance from behind the rock. "Was just curious."
Nearby, the trio of Lukas, Lincoln, and Xilier were walking along, with Lincoln trailing behind as the others talked to each other.
"So that's when I got this bad boy," she said as she pointed out a tattoo of a butterfly atop a skull on her back. "It's one of my favorites."
"Looks cool," Lukas replied with a nod. "So is that all of the tats you got so far?"
"I have another, but I don't think you want to see where that one is," she said with a wink.
"Oh, I think he does," Lincoln piped in, getting a quick glare from Lukas. "Isn't that right, buddy?"
"First of all, don't call me that. Ever. And second-"
Before he could finish his sentence, the group happened to pass by a certain large rock where Trevor suddenly jumped behind from to knock Lukas out with a stun baton to the back. Lexi quickly followed by doing the same to a shocked Lincoln. Xilier tried to act quickly but fumbled her stun baton, eventually dropping it by accident and allowing Lexi to take her out as well.
"Should we go for the flag now?" Lexi asked. "I don't think any of the Ghosts are coming through here.
Trevor looked around and pointed at the grassy hill area in the distance. "Sure, bet let's go around there. They'd be expecting us to come back the way they did."
She nodded and the two ran off. In another part of the arena, a standoff was currently taking place in the icy area between the Mushroom stronghold and the Bomber one. Billy and Riley stood firm on one side with Andrea, Zane, and Alice on the other. Each held their stun baton in hand and watched the enemy team carefully.
"May as well give up now," Zane yelled. "It's two vs three."
"That don't make no difference," Billy yelled back with a smirk. "We can handle it, right Riley?"
"Right you are." She grinned and stared down Andrea. "If you guys wanna go then we're game."
Neither team made a move. There was silence as they carefully watched each other.
"... Are we all just gonna stand here for the entire hour?" Alice asked.
"No, we need to move." Andre pulled her close and motioned at Riley. "You take her. Zane and I will take the other guy. Use the ice to your advantage if you can."
The three Mushrooms scooted forward, being propelled by the ice. Riley and Billy stood still, watching them carefully as they turned on their batons. When they were close, Andrea dived at Billy's legs, causing him to slip and lose grip of his baton. As the device slid away on the ice, Zane slid forward and knocked him out with a shock. Alice and Riley were at a standstill, holding on to each other's wrists to prevent them from striking, but Alice held her in place long enough for Andrea to get her with her own baton.
"That could have gone a lot worse," Zane commented before carefully scooting forward. "We shouldn't be too far from their stronghold by now. We should go."
While the two girls followed behind, Andrea kept her voice down to a whisper. "That was some good teamwork back there. I notice that you've been doing a lot for the team as far as challenges go."
"Just trying to do my part," she said back with a smile. "Don't wanna get eliminated with a million dollars on the line, ya know?"
Andrea nodded and gave her a smile of her own. "You know, Zane and I have been looking for someone to make an alliance with. Would you be interested in such a thing?"
Alice's smile widened. "Of course! Truth be told, I was starting to get worried since Mandy and Taylor were both friends of mine. That would definitely give me peace of mind and I'd love to be in the final three with you guys."
"Glad you feel the same," Andrea said. "We'll be glad to have you."
*** Confessional: Andrea ***
"With another vote at my disposal, getting rid of the freaks in this competition will be all the more easy. I'll continue to cleanse this show of bad influences, one degenerate at a time."
*** Confessional: Alice ***
"Andrea seems like such a nice person. I'm glad to be in an alliance with her."
*** At the Blue Bomber stronghold ***
Aden and Iris stood near the front of their stronghold, scanning the area and watching for anyone else. Ryan sat behind them, inspecting his hair in a handheld mirror.
"What do you think these buttons will do?" Iris asked as she looked at one curiously. "I hope they don't do anything too painful."
"Well with hard hats as one of the rewards and considering the fact that this is Chris, I would count on them being at least a little bit painful," Aden replied. "Probably nothing too extreme, though."
Suddenly, a loud commotion could be heard coming from both the east and west. Ryan got out of his chair and watched with the others as they saw the Yellow Ghost members emerge from the forest and the Red Mushroom members come from the icy area. The two teams exchanged quick glances before running straight at the stronghold. Iris, Aden, and Ryan all looked shocked.
"Seriously?" Ryan yelled. "Two groups at once? How is that fair?"
Aden quickly mashed one of the buttons which created a pit in front of the Ghosts. Kusa and Lance jumped over it and the others went around it. Ryan pushed a button, causing a log to swing from the ceiling and strike Zane. Thankfully his hard hat took the blunt of the blow and he quickly got back up. Iris hit a button that caused a large boxing glove to punch up from the group, hitting Caleb. Clara quickly ran back and helped him up before they continued towards the flags.
"Nothing's working," Ryan said as he pressed another button that blew stink gas into the Mushroom's faces. They covered their nose with their shirts and continued to advance. "Why didn't Chris label these freaking buttons?"
"M-maybe we're just supposed to get lucky." Iris pressed another button, which caused a cage to be dropped down directly in front of the Ghosts. The door swung open and out came a roaring bear. The five members of the Yellow Ghosts came to a screeching halt.
"Oh crap, it's Snuffles," Lance yelled as the beat growled at them.
"What do we do?" Clara quietly asked. "We don't have Annara."
Snuffles let out a roar and began running at them.
"RUN," Deborah yelled. "That's the plan!"
As the team ran away with Snuffles in hot pursuit, the Bombers turned their attention to the three Mushrooms still running at them. Andrea was in the lead and quickly approaching one of the flags. Aden tossed his stun baton at her, which just missed. He pressed a button which simply dropped a water balloon on her. Being only a mild annoyance, it failed at stopping her from grabbing a flag and leaving.
"Crap," Aden mumbled. "Ryan, you think you could catch up to her with your baton?"
Ryan pressed a button that momentarily halted the other two with a large metal wall and shook his head. "Doubt it. Especially when she reaches the ice. We just need to stop the other two from getting a-"
"Too late," Zane yelled from in front of them as he ran off with a flag. Alice followed close behind with a flag of their own. All three Bombers tried to stop them with a button press, but they only dropped a banana peel, a pair of chattering teeth, and a harmless bunny rabbit. Ryan grunted in frustration.
"Oh come on, where was our other bear? Now we gotta be in last place or something."
Inside of the forest area, Garrett and Rowan were beginning to stir. Garrett looked around for his stun baton and sighed when he couldn't find it.
"They took our weapons. Guess we gotta keep going without them." He looked back at Rowan and helped her up. "Did you see how many of them there was?"
"I don't know, like five?" Rowan groaned and rubbed her head. "It was definitely a big group."
"Well, hopefully their defenses aren't as big. We gotta make up for lost time." He took off towards the Ghost stronghold in a run. "Try to keep up!"
Rowan glared and reluctantly followed behind her more athletic alliance-mate as fast as she could.
*** Confessional: Rowan ***
"I knew it was a mistake not making Ryan go with him for the running. When are we going to get a challenge that isn't so stupidly physical?"
*** In the arena ***
Billy and Riley had also woken up and were beginning to run for the Mushroom base.
"How much time ya think we lost?" Billy asked as they neared the end of the icy area.
"Probably not much. Maybe a few minutes or-"
"30 minutes remain," the sudden voice of Chris yelled through a megaphone in the distance. Riley sighed and the duo continued towards the base.
"Or 30 minutes."
Billy shrugged. "Still enough time to snag two flags and make it back to base. We got this."
In the rocky portion of the arena, the trio of Lukas, Lincoln, and Xilier were the last to awaken from their unconsciousness. Lukas jumped to his feet and looked around, ready for a fight.
"Where are they? What just happened?"
"We got ambushed," Lincoln replied with a groan. "Pretty painfully, I might add."
"It was those two from the Blue Bombers," Xilier added. "Trevor and Lexi I think."
Lukas narrowed his eyes towards the Blue Bomber's stronghold. "The Bombers, eh? Change of plan, guys. We're getting flags from there."
"What about the Ghosts?" Lincoln asked, him and Xilier following him as he had already taken off in a run.
"They can consider themselves lucky. The Bombers are sending someone home tonight."
Lincoln and Xilier exchanged a look before shrugging and following Lukas.
*** Confessional: Xilier ***
"Normally one of us would probably tell Lukas that it isn't a good idea to change plans on the fly like that, but it WAS a good idea to make sure we weren't the team that lost. Plus, I kinda like it when a guy takes charge."
She begins to blush and smirk, but quickly realizes what she had said and clears her throat. "You know, because it shows that I'm in a good alliance and all."
*** In the arena ***
In the forest area, the Ghosts had just lost Snuffles and were catching their breath as they recovered from the long run they had taken.
"Well... that failed," Lance said between breaths. "Now what?"
"We can't go back to base empty handed," Kusa replied, looking toward the direction to the Red Mushroom base. "How about we try attacking the other team?
"Beats staying here doing nothing." Caleb looked back at Clara and Deborah. "You guys cool with that?"
Clara quickly smiled and nodded. "Of course!"
Deborah also nodded. "Definitely."
"Then we gotta hurry, because time isn't on our side." Kusa quickly stretched a bit before running off. "We gotta go!"
The others followed quickly behind, all running as fast as they could. Meanwhile, at the Red Mushroom stronghold, Lee Lee was keeping Riley and Billy at bay with her defenses. One button press caused a wall of fire to shoot up from the ground, forcing them to go around it. Kyle looked at them curiously and began approaching Lee Lee to assist in defending against them, but she was quick to hold up a hand.
"Don't even think about it, money bags." She pointed at the other end of the stronghold. "You need to keep watch of the other end. I have these two covered."
Kyle mumbled something under his breath and did as she asked. Once he had made it to his end of the stronghold, he looked out into the distance and noticed two figures approaching from the grassy hill area of the arena. He narrowed his eyes and was able to faintly make out Lexi and Trevor as the figures.
"Anything she can do, I can do better," Kyle mumbled before placing his finger on a button and waiting. Once he felt they were close enough, he pressed, dropping an empty cage from above. Unfortunately, they were able to roll out of the way and avoid being trapped.
"Curses." Kyle pressed another button, which caused a portion of the ground in front of them to open, revealing a pool of water. They fell in but were able to quickly climb out and continue towards the flags. The next button dropped an anvil, which was easily dodged by both.
"Why is none of this working," Kyle yelled while pressing a bunch of buttons. While various items and junk flew through the air wildly, Trevor and Lexi bobbed and weaved out of the way of each, eventually reaching the flags. Both grabbed a flag and ran off.
"Thanks for the flags, ya ninnies," Lexi yelled as Kyle unsuccessfully tried to stop them with a bunch of coconuts dropped by a button press. He growled and yelled in frustration.
"What the HECK did you just do?"
Kyle jumped and looked up to see Lee Lee glaring down at him. "Did you just lose us two flags?"
"I tried to stop them, but the buttons failed to give me anything useful," Kyle said defensively. "It was bad luck."
"It was you messing it up for the team," she snapped, pointing at him with a glare and clenched teeth. "You screwed up!"
Suddenly, the two Ghosts heard loud cheers and looked up to see Billy and Riley running away with each hauling a flag. Lee Lee quickly ran back to her side of the stronghold and mashed a button to stop them, but it simply dropped a white sheet that landed far away from them. It was Kyle's turn to yell.
"Now look who just screwed up! You were supposed to handle those two!"
"I was a bit busy getting distracted by you dropping the ball," Lee Lee shot back getting in the rich boy's face. "Don't try to put the blame on me."
The two continued arguing, not noticing five figures quickly approaching in the distance.
*** Confessional: Lee Lee ***
"Can you believe him? First he lets those two get flags from us, then he messes things up for me and loses us two MORE flags! God, how the heck is he still here over people like Liam, Mandy, and Taylor?"
*** Confessional: Kyle ***
He grunts in frustration and folds his arms. "I despise most of the people here, but she takes the cake. From day one I've had to listen to her insufferable complaining. Why does my team allow her to still stay here when she is such a nuisance?"
*** In the arena ***
Garrett cursed under his breath as he and Rowan peeked out of a bush and looked at the Yellow Ghosts stronghold being defended by five members of the team.
"This... is gonna get hairy."
"Yeah, no crap," Rowan grumbled. "How are we gonna do this?"
Garrett took a second to think before looking at the flags then back at the forest. "I think I got an idea. You stay here and wait. I'll try to get the nearest flag, I'll toss it over to you, and you run off with it. Then I try to get another flag for myself and I'll make it out with that one. You won't have to do any trap avoiding."
"I can do that," Rowan replied. "You sure you can handle this?"
"Easily," Garret replied, before preparing to run. "Just hang tight."
Garrett took off in a run at the first flag. With his speed and how sudden he had appeared, the others were barely able to press a single button before he reached a flag. He moved around an oil slick caused by one and tossed the flag once he was within distance. Rowan quickly grabbed the flag and ran into the forest. He then turned and ran for another flag.
"Crap, thought he was alone," Jacque mumbled before pressing another button. A Chris bot rose from the ground, but it was much too slow to reach Garrett. He quickly picked up another flag and avoided the minor obstacles triggered by the others such as a pothole and thumbtacks. "Someone get down there and stop him!"
"On it," Morella confidently replied. She jumped down and began to run at Garrett, but he suddenly kicked the Chris bot at her, causing her to fall. She pushed the robot into a pit trap before it could harm her, but by the time she had recovered Garrett had gained too much distance and was gone.
"Darn it. Two flags down," Annara said before looking at the others. "You think the others are doing alright?"
"It HAS been a while since we saw them," John replied. "I hope they're doing fine."
The camera switched to show Lee Lee and Kyle still arguing in their stronghold. They were finally interrupted by a voice louder than their own.
"What is going on here?"
The two jumped back to see Andrea glaring at them, Zane and Alice behind her with similar expressions. Lee Lee quickly pointed at her rival.
"He lost us four of the flags."
"What?" Kyle yelled. "You lost two of them when you left you position to berate me. I only 'lost' two flags because the buttons failed to give me proper defenses. At least I tried, you allowed them to simply take it!"
"If Billy and Riley were two of them, we got those flags back on the way here," Alice said with a smile while holding up her baton. "Add that to the three we got from the Bombers and we still have six flags now."
"See? The flags that I 'lost' are still here," Lee Lee said with a smug smile. "But yours aren't."
"But it isn't my fault," Kyle replied with a groan. "When will you get that through your idiot head?"
Lee Lee glared and got back in his face. "You wanna repeat that?"
"Which part? The part about you being an insufferable, unbelievable idiot?"
Lee Lee tried to throw a punch, forcing Alice to hold her back. Kyle had to be restrained by Zane. When Lee Lee nearly broke free, Andrea had to jump in and also help restrain her. While everyone continued yelling and arguing, Zane glanced over at their flags and went wide eyed.
"Uh, guys? Where are the flags?"
Everyone went silent and stopped what they were doing. At once, they all looked out and saw that only one flag remained before their stronghold. They looked up and saw the five members of the Yellow Ghosts running away with their flags.
"W-when did they get here?" Alice asked in disbelief.
"Most likely when these two morons were arguing and forcing us to restrain them," Andrea spat with a harsh glare pointed at the rivals. "Come on, maybe we can catch up to them before they reach their base."
Andrea, Zane, and Alice ran off with their batons in hand. Kyle and Lee Lee just watched in silence, staring solemnly at their single flag in front of their base. Behind them, the clock ticked down to show that only ten minutes remained.
Meanwhile, at the Blue Bomber base, the three defenders were back in action as they kept Lukas, Xilier, and Lincoln away from their two flags. One button dropped down a laser shooting robot cat, but Lukas was able to kick it away after some dodging. The scuba bear robot also emerged thanks to a button press by Iris, but Lincoln and Xilier both hitting it with a stun baton shorted out the circuits.
"Come on, we can't get brought down to no flags," Ryan said desperately as his button presses dropped a bucket of feathers and a pile of twigs. "Give us something good!"
A button finally caused a python to be risen from the ground, but it only kept Lincoln away. Lukas and Xilier went around it and were finally able to reach the remaining two flags. They ran off, dragging Lincoln along with them as they avoided the last few objects triggered by the buttons. When they were out of reach, everyone within the stronghold sighed.
"And there goes the win," Aden said with a frown. "Unless the others have some flags to bring back."
As if on cue, Rowan emerged from the forest area with Garrett close behind. The two were grinning, but the grins quickly fell as they noticed the lack of flags at their base. They placed the two flags they had brought in place and quickly stormed inside.
"What the HECK happened?" Rowan yelled.
"Yeah, seriously," the voice of Trevor suddenly added as he and Lexi entered as well. The others looked out and noticed two more flags added to their total. "We leave for a few minutes and you guys lose ALL of the flags?"
"W-we can explain," Iris squeaked. "You see-"
Suddenly, a loud buzzer sounded off, startling everyone inside. They looked behind them to see that the clock had struck zero.
"Challenge is over," Chris yelled over a megaphone yet again. "And Blue Bombers end with a mere four flags."
Aden and Iris hung their heads in defeat. Ryan gave Rowan a sheepish grin.
"They definitely won't be winning today, because the Yellow Ghosts were able to finish with a whopping eight!"
At the Yellow Ghost's base, everyone could be seen cheering, including the search group of Lance, Kusa, Deborah, Caleb, and Clara, who all had successfully returned in time. Andrea, Xilier, and Zane had just made it to the base and all glared at the winning team.
"However, that doesn't compare to the insane failures of the Red Mushrooms, who end today with a measly little singular flag. That's right, just one!"
Lukas, Xilier, and Lincoln, who had come to a stop in the icy area looked around in shock. Lee Lee and Kyle, still at the stronghold, looked at each other and sighed.
"Guess that means I'll be seeing the Mushrooms at the Gilded Joystick ceremony... again." Chris chuckled. "See you tonight, kiddies!"
*** Confessional: Lukas ***
"One flag? Seriously? ONE FLAG!" He grunts in frustration. "We're sending someone home for the fourth time in a row! This has got to end. Now."
*** Outside the trailers ***
Lance was walking back to the winner's trailer with Kusa, both players smiling.
"We really killed it today," Lance said while patting his teammate on the back. "Especially you, holding your own against the enemy when they had the stun baton."
"It was nothing," Kusa replied. "Everyone contributed. We got ourselves a great team."
Lance nodded. "That we do. But you know how Chris likes to throw twists at us, and it's only a matter of time until something goes wrong. Eventually we're gonna have to vote someone else off, and that's when things will get messy. I was kinda wondering... would you want to be in an alliance with me?"
Kusa raised an eyebrow. "With who else?"
"Just you and me for now. Don't want to over-complicate things, ya know?" Lance smirked at him. "I just thought, what with you being the most physically gifted person on the team, and I being the arguably most intelligent, we could make one heck of a formidable alliance, especially after the merge."
Kusa seemed to think things over silently. Eventually, he nodded and smiled back at Lance. "That sounds great! Consider me in."
Lance grinned. "Glad to hear it."
As the two continued walking, they passed the other trailers, where everyone on the Red Mushrooms besides Lee Lee and Kyle had gathered.
"So we're all agreed that we need to get rid of one of them, right?" Zane looked around suspiciously while keeping his voice low. "They're the reason we lost today."
"Ya got that right," Lukas added. "I mean, I don't care if they want to butt heads, but it becomes a problem when it costs us challenges."
"The question is, which one do we vote off?" Lincoln asked. "I mean, Kyle is... Kyle, but it DOES sound like Lee Lee started it today, which led to us losing the big group of flags."
"We weren't there so we don't know what happened," Alice pointed out. "Kyle doesn't seem exactly trustworthy."
"Regardless of who said what, one of them needs to go," Andrea said with a nod. "And if you ask me, it should be-"
*** Gilded Joystick Ceremony ***
The eight Red Mushrooms sat before the stage on the bleachers, with Chris grinning at them. Chef, as always, stood nearby with the gilded joysticks. Lee Lee and Kyle glared at each other while the others looked down at them.
"Man, four times in a row." Chris looked over the team and shook his head. "That's one heck of a losing streak! If you guys ain't careful, you're gonna end up giving Team Victory a run for their money as 'Worst Team in Total Drama History.' Don't think you guys want that."
Sighs and frowns were exchanged, before Chris took six of the joysticks from the platter. "You ALL know who the bottom two is, so I'll make this simple. Lincoln, Xilier, Alice, Lukas, Andrea, and Zane are all safe."
Joysticks were caught, leaving only the bitter rivals empty handed. Their glares intensified and both never bothered to look at Chris.
"You two really like fighting, don't ya?" Chris laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two had a crush on each other."
"WHAT?" Both yelled simultaneously. They exchanged a glare when they noticed that they had done so. Chris laughed even harder before taking the final gilded joystick.
"Regardless, one of you is about to go home. Either Lee Lee the hot headed survivalist, or Kyle, the condescending rich kid. The final gilded joystick of the night goes to...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
... Kyle!"
Lee Lee gasped as the final joystick was tossed to her rival. Even Kyle seemed a bit shocked, but he gladly took the symbol of immunity. Once it had sunk in that he was safe, he began to grin. He waved the joystick in front of Lee Lee's face and began to laugh. He continued to laugh even harder while pointing at her before she shut him up with a knee to the crotch. He collapsed in pain and she stormed off to the Sling of Shame without saying anything to her team. Chef shot her through the air and Kyle continued to moan in pain.
"Well, that was entertaining." Chris chuckled. "Hey Mushrooms, try not to be here for the fifth time in a row next time, alright?"
The teens nodded and all left, with the exception of Kyle who was still on the ground in pain.
"And so concludes another thrilling episode! Who will be the two to take the Sling of Shame next week? Will the Mushrooms ever win another challenge? Will Kyle ever be able to have kids after tonight?" The host was answered by a pained moan. "Most of those questions answered next time, right here on TOTAL... DRAMA... LEVEL UP!"
Votes:
Kyle: Lee Lee
Lee Lee: Kyle, Lukas, Xilier, Lincoln, Andrea, Alice, Zane
Remaining Contestants:
Red Mushrooms: (Andrea, Zane, Alice), (Lukas, Lincoln, Xilier), Kyle
Blue Bombers: (Trevor, Aden, Lexi), (Riley, Iris), (Rowan, Ryan, Garrett), Billy
Yellow Ghosts: (Jacque, Ellie), (Lance, Kusa), Annara, Caleb, Clara, Deborah, Morella, John
27th: Lee Lee
28th: Rowley
29th: Taylor
30th: Mandy
31st: Liam
32nd: Piper
33rd: Nathan
Author's Note:
Ha! Two chapters in one month! Told you guys that I'd break the streak. Yes, it was tempting to just go ahead and continue Underdogs, but I thought I owed it to readers of this story to do another chapter to make up for my delays. There was a reason why this didn't come out a few weeks earlier, but it's personal and I think my readers are sick of hearing my excuses by now, so I'll just not worry about it. Now then, since the story now has two more updates, it should go without saying that I'm doing Underdogs after this. And since I'm so close to the end of that story, I'm going to keep going until it's over. Don't fret, though. I DO intend on writing the Aftermath at some point next month, I just don't know if Level 6 will be in the next month. The next genre is Sandbox games. If that doesn't sound familiar, it means games with an open world to explore. Everything from Banjo Kazooie to Grand Theft Auto. It's a pretty good genre to do right now since one of the big things in gaming right now is a Kickstarter for Yooka Laylee, the spiritual successor to Banjo Kazooie being made by the people who worked on the original. If that game doesn't ring a bell, I apologize about you not growing up with a Nintendo 64. Oh, and anyone still interested in knowing the RPG outfits from last chapter can view them at the bottom.
The chapter itself? Fun to do. I tried to show even more of characters we haven't seen much of, like Kusa and Billy, and also moves along some storylines and built some alliances. I know some people liked the idea of Topher for an aftermath host, but I plan on giving him that role in my next upcoming story and don't want to overuse him in that role, so I just made him a cameo. Right now I'm toying with the idea of Cody and Sierra as hosts, but it could change. As for Lee Lee, I fear I didn't really do her justice and probably jumped the gun on her rivalry with Kyle, but this is where I saw her going. I really enjoyed writing the rivalry and would probably consider it the highlight of this first fifth of the story.
So that about does it. This concludes the first act of the story. At least that's how I see it. The story is divided into fifths, with the finale coming at the end. I think this fifth was kinda dominated by Andrea and the Red Mushrooms because of how much I had them eliminate someone, but Act Two will show us a lot from the others teams. Now that we've reached this point, though, I'd love to hear what you guys think so far. Storylines you like? Stories you dislike? Characters you're glad to see in the game still? Character you wish were gone? Characters who shouldn't have been eliminated? Favorite moments? Tell me all. Until the aftermath, I'll catch you guys later.
RPG Outfits from last chapter:
Garrett: Zell (Final Fantasy 8)
Billy: Ness (Earthbound)
Rowan: Edea (Bravely Default)
Trevor: Demi-fiend (Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne)
Ryan: Shulk (Xenoblade Chronicles)
Iris: Primm (Secret of Mana)
Lexi: Rose (The Legend of Dragoon)
Aden: Andy (Advance Wars)
Rowley: Black Mage/Vivi (Final Fantasy series)
Riley: Hilda (Pokemon Black/White)
Lukas: Barrett (Final Fantasy 7)
Kyle: Solaire (Dark Souls)
Alice: Lyn (Fire Emblem)
Lee Lee: Dragonborn (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
Andrea: Courier (Fallout: New Vegas)
Taylor: Chie (Persona 4)
Lincoln: Geno (Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars)
Xilier: Elly (Xenogears)
Zane: Robin/Avatar (Fire Emblem Awakening)
Kusa: JC Denton (Deus Ex)
Lance: Ninja (Etrian Odyssey)
Morella: Alicia (Valkyria Chronicles)
Annara: Terra (Final Fantasy 6)
Jacque: Commander Shepard (Mass Effect series)
Caleb: Giant (Wizardry)
Clara: Sheena (Tales of Symphonia)
Ellie: Jessica (Dragon Quest VIII)
Deborah: Noa (Legend of Legaia)
John: Crono (Chrono Trigger)