New Total Drama Zero Sum 2 (SYOC) Chapter 3: Ep 1: Far From Home, a total drama series fanfic

{And so you venture forth unto the unknown}

A large boat sailed through the dark waters of Lake Nui Kaua towards the island of the same name. The overgrown jungles, ash-covered fields, soaked shores, and the volcano spilling with smoke welcomed the twenty-four teenagers. Four boats divided them. Their bandanas locked them each into their own area of the island.

{A fate beyond the horizon that cannot be divined}

Chris McLean walked out onto the docks to greet the teenagers. "Welcome, new vic- I mean contestants to the freshest new season of Total Drama! Total Drama Zero Sum!" He announced with the same carefree tone of voice he always used when launching his myriad seasons of the popular show. "This… is Nui Kaua, and it will be your home for the remainder of your time in this competition! Because it's off the grid, we didn't have to get any sort of permission to film here!"

{A future undefined, and in flux}

"It looks like you didn't get any sort of money to film here either." A relatively large boy in a dark red hoodie and a scarred face stared Chris down. "Was Pahkitew that big of a flop?"

"It's because Ridonculous Race took all the funding away for being a better show." Another boy much shorter and skinnier, with messy brown hair and a somewhat smudged face quipped. "And we all know the ropes by now, we're also clearly already in teams, so can you just give us the maps to our campsites?"

"Get 'em to their camps!" Chef's raspy voice yelled off camera.

Chris winced. "But-but, my introductions! The four teams twist! The new immunity tikis!"

"Immunity tikis?" A tall and pale skinned woman with a pixie cut smiled widely. "I'm curious about what those are, at least!"

"Immunity tikis!" Chris exclaimed, gaining some of his TV cheer back. "You've been divided into teams based on the four elements, the Screaming Winds, the Killer Waves, the Violent Quakes, and the Raging Flames! Each team of yours has its own special hidden immunity tiki! As the name implies, the tiki can grant its holder or another player of the holder's choosing immunity, but only if both the tiki holder and the player being granted immunity are part of the original version of that tiki's elemental team. For instance, one of the current Screaming Winds members could play the Air Tiki on themselves, or a teammate, even if, down the line, they end up on a team other than the Screaming Winds. However, no one on the current Killer Waves would ever be able to benefit from the Air Tiki. Even if they end up on The Screaming Winds later!"
"So team swapping is going to be a thing that happens? Interesting." A boy with translucent blue eyes, crimson red hair, and tawny skin mused. "And since we have already been sorted into four teams of six, I'd wager the swaps will happen at 18 and then again at 12? Hm, but perhaps that is too low. I've seen merges happen at 12. Then again, I've also seen merges happen at 7, so maybe we'll have one at 6 players left."

"Gemini-"

"And if each team has an immunity tiki only usable by members of its original team, there exists an opportunity to really turn someone's fortune around after what might look like an unfortunate swap. It also means that it might sometimes be beneficial to share the finding of a tiki with your teammates in a certain situation. Though, I suppose if no rules of anti-thievery are put in place, it can be detrimental as well, in which case the optimal strategy would be to-"

"GEMINI!" Chris snapped, finally bringing the boy back to reality. "THANK YOU for explaining the intricacies of how multiple teams and team swaps can make the game more interesting Gemini, but since I thought them up, I'm already aware. You can leave the rest of the explanation to me, because there's still one *big* twist, riiiight Chef?" Chris called offscreen.

"I said get em' to their camps!" An imposing man walked onto the dock, causing murmurs among the contestants. "Let them learn about your stupid gimmick on their own!"

"Ugh, fiiiiine." Chris groaned. "Why is everyone getting on my case today?"

"Could it be because you're an old, washed-up TV Host?" The boy in the dark red hoodie quipped.

"Alright, thanks to Nathan, another word out of any of you, and you'll be eliminated on the spot, got it?!" Chris snapped.

Nathan crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Alright then." Chris took a long, exasperated breath to calm himself down. "As you can see, you've been divided into teams already.

"Wearing white buffs, we have Jerry, Kennedy, Marcus, Mari-Susanne Gleeter-Sparkel-"

"Ah, just Mari please." Mari asked. "And why did you say my last name too?"

"For the ratings." Chris shrugged. "Not everyday we get someone with a name like that on international television! *Ahem*. Moving on. Also in white buffs are Miriam, and Roach! The six of you will henceforth be known as…The Screaming Winds!"

{The Screaming Winds, Color: White, Mascot Symbol: Eagle}

{Loading Information on Contestants: Acquired}

{Jerry: Caucasian, Blonde Hair & Blue Eyes, Tall, Red Coat, White Undershirt, Red Bowtie, Red Dress Pants, Black Dress Shoes}

{Kennedy: Korean, Aqua Blue Hair & Green Color Contacts, Petite, Blood Red Tight Fitting Spaghetti Strap Crop Top, Mid-Thigh Length Light Wash Denim Shorts, Black High Heel Boots}

{Marcus: Caucasian, Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes, Tall, Blood Red T-Shirt w/ Two Bear Claw Insignia, Ripped Jeans, Black Socks, Black Boots, Black Beanie}

{Mari: Caucasian, Sparkling Pink Hair & Purple And Silver Heterochromic Eyes, Tall, Blue School Uniform Jacket, White Blouse (First Button Undone), Red Neck Ribbon (Loosed), Short Plaid Blue Skirt, Rainbow Knee Socks, Pink Running Shoes}

{Miriam: Tan Skin, Cranberry Hair & Green Eyes, Short, Long Forest Green Blouse, Brown Corset, Purple Leggings, Brown Knee-High Boots, Fingerless Leather Gloves, Purple Scarf}

{Roach: Fair Skin, Brown Hair & Green Eyes, Tall, White Shirt w/ Black Skull Motif, Brown Pants, Black Socks, Brown Combat Boots, Brown Fedora}

"Your campsite is located in the hills west of Mt. Immolate and east of the Muliwai River! Here's a map to the location. Have fun walking over there!" Chris tossed a map toward the team.

Both Jerry and Roach ended up catching a single end of the map. They exchanged pleasant smiles with each other as their teammates all chuckled before opening it together.

"A rather easygoing trek, I'd say." Jerry nodded. He turned to Roach. "How 'bout you?"

"A short safari might be in order." Roach grinned. "We can take the time to learn about the kinds of animals we'll be sharing the island with."

As the Screaming Winds left for their campsite, Chris turned toward the team in blue buffs.

"In blue buffs… We have Alice, Arin, Jeremiah, Natasha, Nathan, and Salandro! Henceforth, you shall all be known as… The Killer Waves!"

"Killer?" Arin gasped. "Why can't we be the Helpful Waves or something nicer?"

"No room for niceties on this island." Nathan smirked. "Enjoy being eliminated, right Chris?"

"Well… I think I'll allow it since she wasn't interrupting or insulting me." Chris ascertained.

"Typical." Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Regardless…" Chris smiled. "The Killer Waves you shall remain!"

{The Killer Waves, Color: Blue, Mascot Symbol: Orca}

{Loading Information on Contestants: Acquired}

{Alice: Dark Tan Skin, Auburn Hair w/ Blonde Streak & Light Sky-Blue Eyes, Average Height, White & Black Striped T-Shirt, Tan Khaki Cargo Shorts, Black Leather Boots w/ Silver Buckles, Indigo Nail Paint, Navy White Scrunchie On Wrist, Dual Black Cross Earrings}

{Arin: Fair Skin, Blonde Hair & Light Blue Eyes, Tall, Black Jacket, Denim Jeans}

{Jeremiah: Pasty Skin, Ginger Hair & Green Eyes, Tall, White Dress Shirt w/ Folded Sleeves, Black Dress Pants, Black Dress Shoes}

{Natasha: Tanned Skin, Brown Hair w/ Blonde Highlights & Blue Eyes, Average Height, Frayed Purple Tank Top, Tan Pants w/ Leather Belt, Beige Socks, Hiking Boots}

{Nathan: Scarred Face, Dark Black Hair & Brown Eyes, Tall, Dark Red Hoodie, Dark Blue Jeans, Neon Green Sneakers}

{Salandro: Lightly Tanned Skin, Jet Black Hair & Topaz Eyes, Tall, Lemon Yellow & Pure White Velvet Top Hat, Lemon Yellow Velvet Cape w/ Emerald Shaped Magenta Jewel Hook, Magenta Bow-tie, Charcoal Black Shirt Vest w/ Lemon Yellow Trim & White Long Sleeves, White Thin Cloth Gloves, Charcoal Black Velvet Pants w/ Brown Belt & Silver 'S' Buckle, Pure White Boots, Carries Magenta Magician's Staff w/ Transparent Crystal Sphere & Lemon-Yellow Tip}

"Killer Waves." Chris smiled. "A map to your team's campsite. A small beachfront over at Kahakai Beach on the eastern end of the island!"

"I'm glad the Screaming Winds weren't around to hear how much better a spot we have than them." Alice grinned. "We really lucked out, location-wise, huh?"

Chris tossed the map to the new team, and Arin quickly caught it and unfurled it.

"Oh, uh…well, I think we'll have a longer walk than they did, y'see?" She showed it to the rest of her teammates although Nathan adamantly refused to look.

"Well Waves, let us be off!" Salandro pointed his staff in the direction of their campsite. "The day is young and the opportunities to dazzle the mind are many!"
"I wonder if we'll see anything cool along the way!" Natasha spoke excitedly as they all began to march off. "Do you guys mind if I take a detour or two to check out any interesting areas?"

"If you get eaten by a jaguar or something, that's one less person to worry about." Nathan shrugged. "Go for it if you want, but we're not waiting for you."

"Well, you might have to if you never look at the map, Nathan!" Arin tried to show him the map again, but he pushed it down.

"I don't need a map to find a beach. There are walking trails clear as day."

As the Killer Waves left the area, Chris turned toward the contestants in the green buffs.

"In green, we have Dante, Foster, Helene-"

"Gabby!" Helene, or rather, Gabby, was quick to respond. "For the love of god, not that stupid first name!"

"Is Gabbs good?" Dante asked. "It's nice and chill, y'know?"

"I guess?" Gabby shrugged. "Just not…that one."

"Dante, Foster, Gabby," Chris continued, "Melissa, Moon, and-"

"Radar." Radar announced immediately.

"Two of you on this team, huh?" Chris sighed. "In any case, the six of you will henceforth be known as… The Violent Quakes!"

"We look like we're the least violent people on the planet though." Melissa tried to hide a small laugh.

"The only one who comes close is Gabbs here." Foster sighed.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Gabby huffed.

"It means don't get violent, dumbass."

"You keep insulting me and maybe I will get violent, you little shit!"

"Wh-whatever." Foster said, backing away from Gabby and toward Radar.

{Violent Quakes, Color: Green, Mascot Symbol: Mole}

{Loading Information on Contestants: Acquired}

{Dante: Brown Skin, Black Hair & Brown Eyes, Tall, Dark Grey Hoodie, Light Grey Sweatpants, Dark Red Flat Cap, Carrying Tanned Canvas Half-Apron}

{Foster: Smudged Light Tan Skin, Brown Hair & Dark Green Eyes, Average Height, Torn Light Brown Trench Coat, White Shirt, Torn Blue Pants w/ Black Belt, Worn Down Black Shoes, Work Goggles Worn Atop Head}

{Helene "Gabby": Hispanic, Brown Hair & Hazel Eyes, Average Height, Pink & White Sports Jersey w/ Number '10' on it. Pink Yoga Pants. Pink & White Sports Shoes, Sapphire Earrings}

{Melissa: Fair Skin, Brown Hair & Light Blue Eyes, Short, Light Grey Checkered Trench Coat (Kept Open), Long Sleeve Pastel Pink Mini-dress w/ Frills & Glitter, Light Pink Wedge Heels, Silver Tiara, Gem Stud Earrings, (White Tank Top, Blue Jean Shorts & Red Sneakers carried to wear for strenuous activity)}

{Moon: Pale Ivory Skin w/ Freckles, Black Hair w/ Orange Stripes & Green Eyes, Average Height, Yellow Sweater w/ Bats Motif, Black Skirt, Black Knee Socks, Black Combat Boots}

{Tandy "Radar": Unhealthily Pale Skin, Shorter Than Average Height, Green Short-Sleeve Shirt, Black Zip-Up Hoodie, Green Cargo Shorts, Black Converse High Tops, Green Army Cap, Gold Wire-Frame Glasses}

"Your campsite, Quakes, is up in the northern reaches of the Nahele Forest!" Chris grinned as he tossed a map toward Foster, in the center of the pack, who wasn't paying much attention and would have been hit in the face if it hadn't been for Radar, who also didn't seem to be paying attention, reflexively reaching his arm out and grabbing the map.

"Okay." Melissa sighed. "I'll ask. How?"

"Magic, perhaps?" Moon put a finger to her lips in thought. "His skin is pale enough that I could see him as a spellcaster."

"It's just reflexes." Radar chuckled. "But hey, now you know why I go by Radar."

"Yes, a very fun story, and I like the part about me not getting pelted in the face by the map." Foster impatiently tried to move everyone along. "Can we just head out so I can get some rest?"

"But we only just got here!" Gabby pouted.

"And it'll be a while before we reach our campsite." Radar noticed. "It's smack dab on the opposite end of the island!"

"It's not as long a trek as you think it is based on the map." Chris smiled. "Promise. Besides, you might find yourselves rewarded back at your campsite…"

"Is there a reward at our campsite?" Gabby's eyes went wide.

"I guess the only way is for us to see for ourselves." Melissa took the map, switched to her sports shoes, and turned to face her team. "Last one there is the first one voted off! Let's get going!"

As the Violent Quakes left Chris's line of sight, he turned to the remaining six contestants.

"That leaves you six, the team in the red buffs." He smiled.

"I imagine that since the other teams were named after Wind, Water, Earth, that makes us the Fire team." Gemini concluded.

"That's amazing!" Another boy almost shouted in complete monotone. "We're the fire team!"

"Can you…turn it down a bit?" A girl with a dark brown leather jacket asked.

"Uh, no, actually!" The boy replied at the exact same pitch, still monotone. "It's a condition!"

"Great." The girl rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that won't affect our performance at all."

"Of course it won't!" The boy pumped his chest, using his gestures of enthusiasm to distract from the monotone delivery. "We're all here to help out this team!"

"Speaking of your team!" Chris smiled. "You six, Aditi, Gemini, Jacob, Nolan, Tina, and Vivian, you will henceforth be known as… The Raging Flames!"

{The Raging Flames, Color: Red, Mascot Symbol: Western Dragon}

{Loading Information on Contestants: Acquired}

{Aditi: Olive Skin, Chestnut Brown Hair & Meadow Green Eyes, Short, Dark Green Unbuttoned Black Fur-Lined Hooded Parka, Black Long-Sleeved Shirt, Black Slim Cargo Pants w/ Brown Leather Belt, Dark Green Hiking Boots, Dark Green Backpack, Silver Necklace w/ Platinum Ring Center (Ring Has Emerald Gemstone)}

{Gemini: Tawny Skin w/ Freckles, Crimson Red Hair & Translucent Blue Eyes, Shorter Than Average Height, White Dress Shirt, Red Tie, Black Blazer w/ White Embroidery, Grey Slacks w/ Rope 'Belt' & Pouch, Black Crew Socks, Brown Loafers}

{Jacob: Fair Skin, Brown Hair & Brown Eyes, Tall, Maroon T-Shirt, Teal Zip-Up Hoodie, Jeans, Black Shoes, Brown Thick-Rimmed Glasses}

{Nolan: Native American, Black Hair & Brown Eyes, Average Height, Red and Orange Short-Sleeved Button Up Shirt, Tan Cargo Shorts, Brown Outdoor Sandals, Long Black Socks, Small Brown Backpack, Missing Left Hand}

{Tina: Pale Skin, Pixie Cut Hair, Taller Than Average Height, Crimson Red Trench Coat, Grey Sleeveless Shirt, Blue Jeans, Sandals}

{Vivian: Tawny Skin, Dirty Blonde Hair w/ Dark Crimson Tips & Chocolate Brown Eyes, Sequined Tank Top w/ Union Jack Print, Dark Brown Leather Jacket, Ripped Jeans, Black & White Striped Sneakers, Small Black Earrings, Black Nose Piercing}

"So we're the Raging Flames huh?" Nolan grinned. "Wonderful name. Let us show the other teams just how bright our fires burn!"

"Doesn't the fire that burns twice as bright only last half as long?" Tina repeated the old adage.

"If so, all the more reason for that fire to burn brightly." Nolan responded. "Go out as a great flame rather than last long and only ever be considered mediocre."

"That's totally not a worrying stance for a member of our team to take in a competition." Vivian sarcastically remarked.

"Again, I am here to help us out." Jacob responded in his monotone.

"I believe if we consider all the information we have available to us, that will lead us to formulate myriad strategies for myriad challenges thus-" Gemini began to speak at length about whatever thoughts on the competition were coming into his head.

"Aditi, you going to join in on their conversation?" Chris asked Aditi.

"Well, maybe later." Aditi shrugged. "I'm just happy to be here Chris, and I'd love to know where our camp is located so that I know where to go if I ever get lost while I'm out exploring every last inch of this island."

"Explore to your heart's content!" Chris smiled and gestured his arms wide. "This tropical island in the middle of nowhere has gone untouched for decades! It's only us and the wilderness! And Chef!"

The man next to Chris crossed his arms.

"About that-." Aditi mentioned

"No time." Chris shook his head. "We need to get you to your campsite. Look alive, Flames!"

Chris tossed the map toward The Raging Flames.

Nolan reached out his single arm to catch it but fumbled it onto the dock.

"Hahaha, well, at least we're getting the butterfingers' bad luck used up right out of the gate, you know?" He put as positive a spin on what just happened as he could.

"Your camp," Chris mentioned as Gemini picked up the map and opened it, "is situated in the Nui Kaua Ash Fields, just a tad northeast of here and south of Mt. Immolate."

"Mt. Immolate is that giant mountain in the middle of the island?" Aditi asked.

"Giant volcano in the middle of the island, yes!" Chris corrected her.

"Cool! I can't wait to explore around there!"

"Don't go doin' anythin' stupid now." The man next to Chris warned.

"They'll be fine, Chef, quit worrying, and help me run my show!" Chris huffed.

"I guess that's our queue to be off." Vivian decided. "Let's not stay and listen to whatever lovers' quarrel those two are about to have."

The rest of The Raging Flames agreed that leaving to go to their campsite was the best course of action, and began their trek to camp, leaving Chris and his co-host alone on the dock.

"What's that look for?" Chris asked.

"This is a bad idea, man." The co-host replied. "Haven't ya heard the rumors about this place?"

"Yeah, and I've also heard rumors about how much money filming a TV show here will net us! And since I'm the business-savvy man that I am, I've made the executive decision. And with this cast, oh boy, it's bound to pay dividends!"

The co-host sighed and shook his head before leaving towards a production tent.

"Fine! Be that way! You'll come around!" Chris called after him.

Confessional: Chris

"He'll come around. Once he sees these suckers- I mean players in action, he'll gladly slip into his usual role."

End Confessional

Location: Screaming Winds Campsite (Grill, Charcoal, Fishing Spear, Snorkel)

Contestant(s): Jerry, Kennedy, Marcus, Mari, Miriam, Roach

"Annnnd…welcome to our new home, Screaming Winds!" Jerry grinned as the group rounded a bend in their rather overgrown hiking trail, finally arriving at the team's campsite.

"It's…rather…small." Marcus rubbed the back of his neck as he looked over a campsite approximately one quarter of the way actually finished.

"Well, nothing for it but to get started on a shelter and a fire pit." Roach determined.

"But…look at this thing!' Kennedy rushed up to the fishing spear. "This is so cool! I'm going to go test it out and get the hang of it. I'll come back to help with shelter and fire in a bit. Promise!"

"Getting a head start on learning how to use that is a good idea." Jerry nodded. He gestured toward a path leading further along the river. "In the meantime, I'll set out looking for good materials to build a shelter. Sparkles, Fedora, want to come with?" He gestured to Mari and Roach respectively.

"Oh, yes, sounds like fun!" Mari chimed sweetly.

"Of course." Roach nodded.

"What uh, does that leave us to do?" Marcus asked.

"Fire pit." Miriam replied bluntly. "We dig one."

"I guess that works." Marcus nodded a little nervously.

"Alright, break!" Kennedy cheerfully rushed off towards the river with the fishing spear in hand.

Confessional: Kennedy: The Screaming Winds

"Okay so like, my excitement to use this fishing spear is kinda-sorta twofold, right? I do think it's awesome and want to learn how to use it and everything, but have you seen the other people on my team? Marcus, Miriam, that Mari girl especially, all of them look athletic as all heck, and then Roach and Jerry are already taking on leadership roles. I can't afford to fall behind. I won't let this team be the age-old story of the small girl being voted out first! I'll force them to keep me around!"

End Confessional

Confessional: Roach: The Screaming Winds

"These are some very pleasant people to work with so far. Our communication is on point, and we're all eager to do some good work around camp and impress the rest of the team. I daresay we'll be set for quite a while if we manage to do everything on my mental checklist, and that's get a shelter, get a fire, and get a steady food source. That last task might be a little harder because spear fishing isn't guaranteed to net us anything, and we aren't familiar with the island. Hopefully, some sort of food basket will be a reward in a challenge soon or something."

End Confessional

Miriam and Marcus silently dug a fire pit, each player occasionally looking at the other, contemplating whether or not to say something.

Finally, Marcus broke the silence.

"Do you think this is enough?"

"Hmm." Miriam thought to herself. "I guess so. Let's move the other camp supplies, so we don't accidentally burn anything."

"Yeah, good idea." Marcus nodded. He got up and began to move the charcoal while Miriam walked toward the grill.

"Huh?" She noticed a slip of paper sticking out from under the grill's lid. Making sure no one else was looking, she took it and skimmed through it. Her eyes widened as she put it in her left boot before returning to the job she had assigned herself.

Confessional: Miriam: The Screaming Winds

"So, it looks like I am the lucky owner of a clue to the Air Immunity Tiki that Chris was talking about earlier! Problem is, I can't figure out this riddle for the life of me." Miriam took out the clue and began to read the riddle left upon it. "Though voiceless, it cries. Though wingless, it flutters. Though toothless, it bites. And mouthless, it mutters." Miriam thought about the clue for a while. "It's a riddle alright. I'll definitely have to sleep on it. I'd ask Marcus because he seems alright for a fellow introvert, but I'm not sure he'd get it, and I want to try to keep solving this on my own for a while anyways."

End Confessional

Confessional: Marcus: The Screaming Winds

"So uh, here's the thing… I've done some fucked up shit. I'm serious too, robbery, smuggling, even murder, I've done it. I want to use the excuse that I was a stupid kid but…I mean even if I was, it doesn't erase the damage I've done. I've only really internalized that recently. I ended up accidentally hurting someone I loved, disfiguring their face in a knife fight with a cop, and they no longer want anything to do with me. I don't blame them either. I've been clean since then and trying to raise money for a plastic surgery and facial reconstruction, but no one who knows me wants to be near me anymore, and no one is pitching in to help me either. That's also not surprising. By winning this show, I'll have enough money, but it's my first time in a competition setting since I was part of my former gang. I want to avoid falling back on old habits as much as possible, so I'm playing close to the chest for now. Ideally, they won't find out about this until I'm already the winner of this game, but I'm worried. I already kind of want to injure half the team as a message not to mess with me. As long as I'm having those kinds of thoughts, I don't think it's a good idea to get too close to anyone. I'll be polite. I'll speak when spoken to. I'll be as honest as necessary. But I'll be damned if I put anyone here in danger by falling back on old habits."

End Confessional

{In uncertain times, naught but the simplest words of wisdom will suffice}

Jerry, Mari, and Roach were collecting a fair amount of palm fronds and sturdy fallen branches to use in the shelter. While Roach went by the books in terms of gathering supplies, Jerry's attention was keenly on Mari as she seemingly effortlessly glided up a palm tree and removed some of the fullest fronds anyone had ever seen.

"These would make for a great roof, wouldn't they?" She asked, excitedly as she almost leapt down and landed squarely on a single tiptoe.

"Dang, Sparkles." Jerry chuckled. "A beauty like you with skills like that? Let me guess, you're a quiz champ too?"

"Oh, don't be silly." Mari laughed. "I'm not some overpowered triple-threat. I'm just a normal girl with average skills!"

"Nothing wrong with using a natural talent," Jerry shrugged. "But if you say you're average, I guess I'm just below-average when it comes to that stuff."

"Oh, don't be down on yourself. I could try and teach you, wouldn't that be nice?"

"Oh, that'd be great!" Jerry grinned happily.

Confessional: Mari: The Screaming Winds

"He's a slippery one. I'm not sure why I think that. Call it a woman's intuition. I just wanted to show him that he shouldn't be nefarious as long as I'm around. Roach, Kennedy, and Miriam all seem fun though! I'm sure we'll all be the best of friends before long!"

End Confessional

Confessional: Jerry: The Screaming Winds

"So, I guess this confessional is a little two-fold. First, I think I'm doing a pretty good job of ingratiating myself with the team. I've already got nicknames to call everyone by, determined while we were hiking to camp. Kennedy is Blue Buns, after her hairdo, Marcus is Peachy because of his skin tone and his sullen disposition, Mari is Sparkles because look at her, her hair is practically sparkling, and now we have her last name to go off of too. Miriam is Vixen because of her cranberry hair in a ponytail that kind of resembles a fox's tail and her whole 'hunter' vibe. Finally, Roach is Fedora, because of his fedora. Everyone has responded to the nickname I've used for them with at least a neutral attitude, so the names are staying. It helps form connections and makes people feel closer to me than they might actually be, which is great, because I don't see any skill I bring to this team that someone else can't cover, so I'll need to get by socially here. With all that said, however…

"Like hell I believe anything Sparkles is saying to me after seeing that display. I'm not quite as easy to fool as the rest of this team. I'm not sure yet when Sparkles is going to go home, but I can tell you it will be before any sort of Team Swap that Chris mentioned if I have anything to say about it. I do not want to chance going up against that kind of power in a challenge. For now though, I'll play along. She's an average girl with average skills."

End Confessional

Location: Killer Waves Campsite (Breakfast, Shower, Team Towels, Canoe)

Contestant(s): Alice, Arin, Jeremiah, Natasha, Nathan, Salandro

"WAZZAAM!" Salandro announced pridefully as he moved a large fern leaf out of the team's path to reveal a small beachfront campsite, looking out over the lake.

"It's so pretty!" Alice's eyes beamed, staring mostly at the water.

"Too far from the docks." Nathan huffed. "Whatever, you guys do whatever it is you think you need to do. I'm on firewood duty, and I'm doing it solo."

"You really should have at least one of us come with you." Jeremiah encouraged.

"No." Nathan refused. "I know what the little host-man said about us being a team, but we're not allies in a zero sum competition for a million dollars, we're enemies. I'll help win challenges, I'll lift my weight at camp, but I will do no more than that. I've already felt like I've spent too much time with you explaining this. I'm off."

Nathan turned around and walked back into the forest, unable to see the look of silent rage burning behind Jeremiah's eyes.

Confessional: Jeremiah: The Killer Waves

"Who does that insolent fuck think he is? Better yet, where does he think he is? Because last I checked, the five of the rest of us can vote his ass off the island if we lose. Not that we will though. I might not look it, but I'm pretty athletic and extremely competitive. I try to keep it under lock and key when we aren't immediately competing, but Nathan reminding me that the whole game is a competition helped to get me a little jumped up on berserker fury before we even start our first challenge. One thing's for sure though, I'm not about to blow up on my team before we get rid of that asshat."

End Confessional

Confessional: Nathan: The Killer Waves

"Everyone here is stupid. There's no 'I' in 'team', and as such, the team won't be of any use to me. The second you compromise in a game like this one, you've lost. That said, none of the team look terribly athletic, barring perhaps Alice, so for the most part I think they can stick around. I don't care about team strength, you see. In fact, I want the weaker, more useless people to go on for as long as they possibly can. It will be much easier for me to go on an immunity run that way. It'll be a pain to deal with them, but with my playstyle, I'll only have to deal with them for a couple minutes or so each day."

End Confessional

"This place just screams 'shelter spot' to me." Natasha said as she gestured to a small area where the ground was flatter than the uneven forests behind it. She turned toward Arin and Alice. "You guys think?"

"Um…" Arin shyly responded. "I guess? I, uh…don't really know."

"All I know is that we've got some team towels over there, so there's nothing stopping me from taking a dip in that lake!" Alice cheered.

"Oh, we should all take a dip, it'd be a great ice-breaker!" Jeremiah suggested.

"Oh. uh…no thanks." Alice backed away. "Maybe we could have a boys-in and a girls-in time chart?"

"But how am I supposed to beat the boys in swimming races?" Natasha joked.

"Look, there's just a line I'm not comfortable crossing, alright?" Alice pleaded to Natasha. "Anyways, let's start looking for some shelter materials."

Confessional: Alice: The Killer Waves

"I wouldn't exactly say I'm prudish, that's stretching it. I'm just, well, not much of a fan of men, and I'd absolutely prefer it if I could limit their ability to see me half-naked to only when a challenge would require it. That said, I also came across this little beauty while searching for materials. It was just hanging there by the entrance to the forest!" Alice held up a small bound scroll, which she immediately opened up and began to read aloud. "Congratulations! You've found a clue to the location of the Water Immunity Tiki, solve the following riddle to find the location where your prize awaits." Alice looked up at the screen. "Oh, a riddle, huh? Well, I'm not Natasha, but I bet I can solve it, let's see here… 'Alive without breath. As cold as death. Never thirsty yet ever drinking. Clad in mail yet never clinking. What am I?'" Alice hit the air excitedly and looked up the camera with an enormous grin. "Ha! I know it! I know this! It's a fish! It's talking about a freaking fish! My tiki is somewhere on the water, I just know it! Hold on, tiki. I'm coming for you!"

End Confessional

Confessional: Natasha: The Killer Waves

"We have a good team on our hands here. There is a strong mix of personalities, but the only one who I see causing me any trouble would be Nathan, and even then he's already given me permission to explore this island and find what I may find, which is wonderful. I look at it this way, right? How often does someone get the chance to explore every inch of a completely uninhabited island? I wonder if it ever has been inhabited, and if it has, surely there must be some sort of treasure left behind, right? Ooh, I'm getting excited just thinking about it! But, as with any good expedition, we need a good base camp to return to, so for now, I shall remain with the others and bond with them as we build ourselves a good shelter."

End Confessional

{That which lives is destined to die}

Salandro mused to himself as he paced the length of a beached canoe near the campsite.

"A canoe, complete with paddles, but…" He looked out over the sooty lake water. "Surely there isn't much life to be found in the lake."

Confessional: Salandro: The Killer Waves

"Working theory: we have purposefully been given a less than complete campsite, including some items that aren't of immediate use to us, but might be important to another team. Perhaps there is a way to win and lose such items, but the island is small, and the challenges will be spread out. Perhaps it would be more impactful if we as a team were to wage war on another, and plunder their resources for ourselves, it would not only serve to enrich our own team, but to effectively hinder another is an added benefit, especially in a 'Zero Sum' game, like our season title suggests."

End Confessional

As Salandro began practicing a disappearing act using one of the oars from the canoe, Arin, clad in pink panda themed pajamas, rushed out towards the shore.

"Never fear, valiant magician!" She boisterously shouted. "I shall locate your missing oar for you!"

Arin quickly appeared with the oar that Salandro had been using for his disappearing acts.

"Take care not to lose such important items, citizen of Nui Kaua!"

"Ah!" Salandro decided it would be better to just go with the flow Arin was establishing all of a sudden. "Many thanks, lovely assistant of the public! Might I know whom I'm addressing my gratitude towards?"

"I am the Justice of the Jungle! The Protector of Peace! I am…the Pink Panda!" Arin posed heroically.

"And I am Salandro, magician extraordinaire!" Salandro bowed with a flourish of his staff.

"Ah yes, of the wonderful Killer Waves society! I have heard of you!" The Pink Panda kept up her heroic pose. "I expect we might meet again one day, so I will not say goodbye just yet, but I will say farewell! There are a trio of citizens concerned with the structural integrity of a shelter, and I shall do my utmost to provide assistance."

"I shall be along shortly as well. A place to stay is quite important after all." Salandro smiled.

"Wonderfully spoken!" The Pink Panda clapped before running off towards the camp.

"Note to self…" Salandro gently smacked the side of his cheek with his staff as he thought aloud. "We have a 'seventh' team member, so to speak. How can this be used advantageously?"

Confessional: The Pink Panda: The Killer Waves

"These poor people are trapped on a deserted island and at the mercy of the elements, in times of uncertainty and turmoil, of hardship and melancholy! It takes the efforts and actions of a true and tried hero to set humanity back on its course of advancement and teamwork! Enter myself, the Pink Panda! Justice of the Jungle! Protector of Peace! While a lofty name, I am no more than a servant to the forces of cooperation and harmony! My current nemesis? The game known as 'Zero Sum' itself! The foul beast would have these souls at each other's throats, and I shall not stand idly by and watch these fine people be devolved by the base competition that has ensnared them!"

End Confessional

Location: Violent Quakes Campsite (Cabin, Chicken Coop, Outhouse, Sofa)

Contestant(s): Dante, Foster, Gabby, Melissa, Moon, Radar

"What the heck?" Foster complained as he opened the door to the Violent Quakes' forest cabin. "There's literally nothing in here but a couch!"

"Now, that's not entirely true." Dante corrected him with a small chuckle. "There's also a window on the north wall."

"Well, if all we've got is a couch, guess that means we'll have to cuddle up to each other to have space." Gabby smirked. "Wanna share a cushion, Dante?"

"Far be it from me to refuse an offer of warmth during what are sure to be some cold nights ahead of us." Dante shrugged, not quite reacting to the flirt the way Gabby had hoped.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about food." Radar changed topics. "We've got a nice coop with plenty of healthy chickens, so I hope people like eggs."

"How many eggs am I allowed to take per day?" Moon asked. "If I can stash some away from the camp to get some rotten shells for a ritual…"

"And there it is." Foster sighed. "I had a feeling you'd be one of those kinds of weirdos since you got on the ferry over here. What are you going to do? Turn us into frogs or something?"

"No." Moon shook her head. "I'm not going to turn you into a 'frog or something.' You know, that's a very harmful stereotype. I don't want to get in the team's way with my own eccentricity is what I meant by that question. As such, I expect not to be grilled for it unnecessarily."

"You really should know better than to act like that, Goggles." Melissa crossed her arms. "After all the damage you've already done to your own reputation due to your comments on the dock."

"Fine, whatever." Foster groaned. "I guess as long as she's not being weird at me, she can be as weird as she wants to be. That goes for all of you, by the way."

"Goggles, you really should go to the confessional and look in the fucking mirror." Melissa sighed.

"Unlike you, and maybe sports-bra over there." Foster shook his head. "I'm not shallow enough that I need to spend half of every morning on my appearance."

"What? Do you have a problem?" Melissa walked up to Foster. "Because we can talk or fight it out. Whatever you want."

"As a matter of fact I do have a problem." Foster didn't back down. "I was expecting full accommodations for this season. Not this sorry excuse for a campsite that doesn't even offer private rooms for me to have any sort of time to myself, and I definitely don't need a Prima Donna like you making things worse, high heels!"

"It's your own fucking attitude thats-" Melissa got ready to slap a bitch but decided against it. "You know what? You aren't worth it. If we ever lose you're clearly the first one that will be eliminated since you seem intent on not playing the social game you've signed up for."

"I'll play it my way." Foster said. "And if that means I'm voted out when we lose, fine. We won't lose."

Confessional: Melissa: The Violent Quakes

"That kid is such an aggravation. It's like he's going out of his way to be as rude as possible and then getting offended when people take offense to how fucking rude he is. Newsflash dude, if you act shitty, people will treat you like you're shitty. The only reason I stopped myself from slapping that kid is because I remembered that just in time. Hopefully, he finds a spot to isolate himself sooner rather than later because if I have to keep in direct contact with him for too long my sanity might not be able to take it. Especially if anyone decides to enable the little turd."

End Confessional

Confessional: Foster: The Violent Quakes

"'Why is he even playing?' I can imagine what people are saying. Well, listen up! I'm playing because my parents told me it would be a 'good social experience,' whatever the hell that means. I don't actually care about the history of the show. I don't care about the prize that much either, but I do care that I have to share a space with a coffee junkie, an all-but psychic, an occult freak, a slutty sports girl, and, most annoyingly of all, a fucking Prima Donna peagant queen. Is it too late to change teams? Any other one would be fine. Just get me the fuck out of this one."

End Confessional

{Love leads to loss}

"And here's the coop in question." Radar showed Moon the chicken coop. "I figure you could take maybe 3 to 5 eggs per person each week. Not exactly going to fully feed us, but it's better than starving. Just, uh, please put anything you find that smells awful in a spot far away from camp."

"Yes, of course." Moon nodded as she took some eggs.

"So this is the chicken coop, eh?" Dante poked his head through the door before entering fully.

"Yeah, as you can see we have quite a few hens clucking about here." Radar gestured to the chickens.

"Hey cluckies." Dante smiled softly as he bent down towards one of them and began to pet it. "Don't worry beauty, we aren't going to hurt you. We'll be able to get all the protein we need from your eggs, and we have plenty of produce growing out in the jungle to go find." As Dante pet the bird, he noticed a small scroll tucked away between the nest and the wall of the coop.

"Oh, there you boys are!" Gabby entered the coop. "Come on, those of us that actually want to work together as a team are doing a bit of a meet and greet as we build a fire pit, come on!"

"Oh, yes, that sounds great." Radar nodded.

"We'll be right there!" Dante smiled.

As Gabby and Radar left the coop, Dante made sure to swipe up the scroll.

Confessional: Dante: The Violent Quakes

"I don't know what is in this scroll, but my gut tells me it's a clue to the hidden immunity idol. However, I can't spend the time it would take to read it in here since I'm expected at a meet and greet ASAP. I promise, however, that short of a terrible tragedy occurring, we'll find out what it says together after the first challenge has concluded.

End Confessional

Confessional: Gabby: The Violent Quakes

"Icebreakers are always a must in situations like this. I need to learn what my actual teammates like and dislike, and they need to know the same from me. It helps us work better as a unit, and it also gives me some more ammo to flirt with the likes of Dante and Melissa since they're both, like, super hot, so y'know I'm interested hee hee."

End Confessional

"So what do you guys think about the campsite?" Gabby asked as she, Dante, Melissa, Moon, and Radar all sat in a circle around a recently built fire pit.

"I've actually been wondering about that." Radar nodded. "We have some luxuries at our campsite, but it feels incomplete. I had heard that Chris was strapped for cash these days, but even I expected he'd have enough to at least build a central campsite here."

"I wonder if he did." Moon pondered. "Perhaps we only have a quarter of it."

"Here I meant what you guys thought of the campsite like, is it pretty or do you prefer some other biome, but now that you mention it, that does seem strange." Gabby nodded along.

"If we truly only have a quarter of a campsite, and the same is true of the other teams," Radar reasoned, "then I'd bet my bottom dollar the twist Chris was eager to explain to us was that we'd be putting our campsite items on the line during the challenges. Something like the winning team gets to steal an item from the losing team. It would absolutely fit with the name of the season."

"Total Drama: Zero Sum." Moon nodded along.

"Damn, you two are smart." Melissa smiled. "Care to predict what the challenge is going to be too?"

"Well, not really." Radar shook his head. "But given historical precedent, Chris does tend to involve either running or water or both in his first challenges. The only outlier there is Pahkitew and, considering his current financial status, I don't think he's eager to repeat that season."

"Holy shit, dude." Dante smirked. "Guess we won't have to worry about losing if we keep this guy around."

"That's…I'm not predicting the future. I'm just giving an educated guess."

"Regardless, it's still really useful." Melissa encouraged him.

"If we want to predict the future for real…" Moon spoke up. "I have a ritual I could try setting up."

"How long would that take?" Gabby asked.

"A long while. Multiple weeks, probably."

"And…it's not just a ploy for you to stay on the show for longer than you otherwise would?" Melissa rose a brow.

"I could leave directions if I'm in danger of being eliminated. I could do that with every ritual I attempt." Moon shrugged. "Not that I expect to leave anytime soon, especially considering one of us doesn't even want to interact with the rest of the team."

"I'm actually kind of surprised you do want to interact with the rest of us." Gabby brought up. "You seem like the kind of girl who'd go off on her own and just sort of exist in the background."

"Not sure I like how that was phrased, but I am sort of like that. Unlike Foster, however, I feel like I should let you know that you're free to come bother me. I do want to participate in talks like this and stuff."

"If only Foster could understand the example you're setting." Melissa sighed.

"Regardless…" Dante stretched himself out to relax. "We're about to have our first challenge, so maybe we should get a good grip on everyone's athletic and mental abilities."

Confessional: Moon: The Violent Quakes

"The meet and greet went pretty well, I think. They understand where I am coming from, and I understand the rest of them. The only one left for me to bond with is Foster, and, call me crazy if you want, but I think I might actually be able to accomplish that. I don't need to play an offensive game to make it far. I just need to be approachable and comfortable for everyone with the power to vote me off. That's all."

End Confessional

Confessional: Radar: The Violent Quakes

"So, it's looking increasingly like Helene, or Gabby as she seems to be going by, is our 'physical powerhouse' so to speak, meanwhile, our mental powerhouse has been deemed to be… uh, me. I'm not sure I agree with that. I just have good reflexes and am aware of the show. I think Moon is the true mental powerhouse here. Dante, Melissa, and myself are the all-rounders, and Foster, sorry to say, is currently vote fodder. He'll have to either surprise us with a great challenge performance, or get over himself and socialize with the rest of us if he wants to change that status."

End Confessional

Location: Raging Flames Campsite (Mattresses, Hot Tub, Filtered Water Bottles, Dinner)

Contestant(s): Aditi, Gemini, Jacob, Nolan, Tina, Vivian

{Every beginning has an end}

"Wow, that was actually a really short trek." Vivian seemed surprised at how quickly the Raging Flames had managed to reach their campsite from the dock. "And we have mattresses and a hot tub? Alright, McLaen, I'm picking up what you're putting down."

"Wow, a hot tub?" Aditi smiled eagerly next to Vivian. "We can use it to relax after every challenge!"

"We get dinner every night too?!" Tina exclaimed as she read a small sign near the entrance to the campsite.

"Wow, dinner?" Aditi smiled eagerly next to Tina. "We can eat our fill after we're done relaxing in the hot tub!"

"The only thing we truly need to concern ourselves with is shelter." Nolan determined.

"I think that's a great idea!" Aditi smiled eagerly next to Nolan. "We can rest more comfortably on the mattresses if we don't have to worry about any sort of bad weather like rain or strong wind!"

"You're certainly full of energy." Jacob announced in his loud monotone.

"You sound full of energy too!" Aditi beamed back to Jacob.

"And I am! I think I'll get started on the shelter right away."

"Oh, I could help. Nolan, do you mind lending us some coaching as we do it?" Gemini asked. "It was your idea after all, and you led us here so quickly and efficiently too. I was incredibly impressed by the-"

"You needn't continue the flattery, Gemini." Nolan shook his head with a smile. "Of course, I'll accept the mantle of team leader. What sort of manager would I be to shirk from such a duty?"

"A one-handed one!" Aditi pointed out Nolan's lack of a left hand and half of his left forearm.

"How did you lose that anyway? Was it while you were exploring? And if so, are you still up for exploring with me later?"

"Ahahaha." Nolan laughed. "I was born this way, Aditi, so I haven't lost it while exploring, no. I don't mind exploring with you later, but let's focus first on shelter."

Aditi nodded and then rushed back over to the center of camp. "Excuse me!"

She got everyone's attention that she could.

"Merhaba, everyone! It's great meeting you! I know we will have a great time exploring the island! Tina, Vivian, do you want to come with me on an expedition? Let's aim for the base of the volcano first!"

"Uh, sure?" Vivian shrugged.

"I suppose we can scout around while the boys work on the shelter." Tina stood up. "If that's okay with the rest of you?"

"Perfectly fine!" Jacob called in his usual monotone. "The guys will get this done!"

Confessional: Nolan: The Raging Flames

"Aditi is a wonderful member of this team, very friendly and cheerful. Unfortunately…it's clear to me that she isn't quite…apt, when it comes to reading the room. When I suggested building shelter, I meant I wanted everyone to build shelter. Now we're down to half our team because of that exploring suggestion. Jacob's impulsive answer also didn't help, but he's still here to help with shelter, so perhaps a leash is necessary for him. Everyone here has so much potential, and I want to bring out the best they have to offer, but splitting up so early will not help me with that goal. It should be rectified when I get the chance."

End Confessional

"Woah, we completed that really quickly." Gemini mused at how quickly he and Jacob were able to complete personal shelters for each individual Raging Flames member using Nolan's instructions. "You're definitely the best choice for a leader around here, Nolan."

"I'm just glad you guys aren't giving me a hard time about my voice." Jacob mentioned.

"Of course not." Gemini shook his head. "I know something about the way one talks making it a little harder to interact with people than normal, and while I certainly have never experienced your condition of consistent monotone at such a high volume, I have been told, by various people, that I do tend to ramble on for a while when I talk to them about something I'm excited about or interested in, or if I have something I feel is very important to say to someone. Usually I'll just keep going because I never really know when to stop, and people often have to forcefully interrupt me, but even then sometimes I won't hear them, so I keep going anyways, especially when I'm super passionate, so I can absolutely understand the difficulties caused by speaking a certain way for a certain length of time, and I hope that the three of us can go far in this game together, since we're bros, you know, and we're on the same team, and it would do us some good to stick together, since 3 people on a team of 6 sticking together means at worst we'll have a tie on our hands, so that could be something to think about. Speaking of votes, I wonder if we'll even lose at all, considering we worked so hard so quickly and so communicatively. Not even sure if that's a word but oh well. English cannot be mastered by everyone after all. But the first challenge, ooh Chris really likes to make them difficult to accomplish, I'm sure of it, but he always seems to introduce a twist to the game as well, which is what piques my interest the most. I wager that we may be able to win more things for our rather lackluster, but still somehow comfortable campsite by winning the challenge. What do you guys think?"

"I think that challenge better watch itself because we're about to kick its ass!" Jacob motioned to show cheering, but his voice remained monotone.

"That's a good attitude to have." Nolan smiled. "Keep going forward, knowing that a loss is possible, but without fear of one. If we stick together as a unit, we'll eventually come out on top."

"That being the case," Gemini decided. "Should we make it official? Bro alliance?"

"Bro alliance." Jacob nodded.

"Triple Flame alliance." Nolan chuckled.

Confessional: Gemini: The Raging Flames

"So my current strategy is to do as much as I can to prop Nolan up as a leader figure here. He's the most natural fit for it, and while it will look like he has all the power to the girls on the tribe, I'm the one with the real power here, because it will be my influence that makes Nolan out to be the leader in the first place. Jacob is a nice enough and smart enough guy, but he's impulsive and I can see his condition eventually wearing down the other members of the team, so, though I estimate we'll be fine, at the very least in the event we lose and our alliance breaks apart, I won't be the first one targeted. Again, that's not the preferred plan. The preferred plan is to reach the final 3. I don't think there's ever been an all-male or all-female final 3 on total drama either, so it'll be nice to make history instead of learn about it for once. One time-" The confessional cuts out.

End Confessional

Confessional: Jacob: The Raging Flames

"So we've got a bro alliance forming between the three of us here on the Raging Flames already, and I'm glad I've gotten in on this. People assume that because of my voice that I'm impulsive or maybe not all there mentally, but that's a mistake they shouldn't make. I sent the women away on purpose specifically to form this very alliance. It's a matter of good luck that Gemini and Nolan offered before I did. The best part is the underestimation. I can't wait to surprise them with strategic play after strategic play. Like Alejandro in disguise, but only about one third as malicious. I may not be able to control the volume or inflection of my voice, but I can control this game."

End Confessional

Aditi, Tina, and Vivian were trekking through the ashen fields around their campsite, the tall grass reaching up over their heads in some areas.

"You can tell the island is uninhabited." Vivian sighed. "Look at this nonexistent lawn care…"

"I know, right?!" Aditi gestured upwards excitedly. "It's amazing! A whole new land for us to explore!"

"Yeah, I guess that's a good spirit to have." Vivian shrugged.

"Maybe if we can find the quickest way to the top of the volcano, I can paint a good landscape with a view of the island from the summit." Tina suggested.

"Artist, huh?" Vivian asked. "I'm an artist myself, though I guess you'd say I'm a performance artist rather than a visual one."

"I can make maps!" Aditi chimed in.

"We've all got some form of artistic creativity under our belts." Tina observed. "Let's hope they come in handy during the challenges this season."

"I wouldn't hold my breath." Vivian shook her head. "Not like Total Drama is known for low-key, creativity-based challenges. It's all about the physical torture these days."

"I'm sure there will be plenty of mental challenges as well though." Tina countered. "We don't want someone like that Helene girl going on an immunity run."

"Gabby right?" Aditi asked.

"Eh, until we need to talk to her, I'm sticking with Helene." Vivian shrugged. "I know too many girls named Gabby already."

"Forgive me if I switch her names around depending on my mood or the intention of my statement." Tina giggled.

"I hope the first challenge is something about running all around the island!" Aditi chimed excitedly and strangely out of nowhere. "Might get a few cuts and bruises from the thick underbrush, but that's what we're here for, isn't it?"

"I'm not sure about Tina here, but I'm here for the money." Vivian sighed. "I really need it. But that's…nah, you guys don't want to hear that story…"

Confessional: Vivian: The Raging Flames

"Sympathy points. They're powerful. I'm not lying about anything I might say in regards to needing the money, mind you. I'll just be using some emotional tones to, let's say 'enhance' the likeliness of things going well when I share the information. Helps that most of this team seems like the 'oh you poor dear' kind of person."

End Confessional

Confessional: Tina: The Raging Flames

"I'm somewhat skeptical of Vivian, which is unfortunate, because I'm entirely certain that with us ladies away, the men have already formed some kind of 'bro alliance', so I'm kind of stuck here. Not my preferred way to start the game. As for Aditi…I like her, she's very friendly, but I'm not sure I'll be sharing much strategy with her. For all I know she's incredibly clever and adept at such things, but her general personality makes me think by default that she'd accidentally blurt out an alliance secret."

End Confessional

Confessional: Aditi: The Raging Flames

"This island is so cool! It's kind of covered in volcanic ash, and that makes the air a little less inviting to breathe in, but I think that's fine. What's important is that I've made a good friendly impression on the rest of the team. Now all that's left is to win some challenges, so that if, or I guess, when we swap, given the way Chris was talking about those tikis, anyone I might happen to still be with on this team will want to keep me around more than they'll want to get rid of me!"

End Confessional

Location: Nui Kaua Docks

Contestant(s): All Remaining

The four teams all gathered at the Nui Kaua Docks at Chris's behest for the announcement of their first challenge. He had even told the teams that the last one to fully arrive would receive a penalty. First to arrive were the Raging Flames, owing to their close proximity. The Quakes appeared second, for the opposite reason, their distance from the challenge site prompted all six of them to hurry. The Winds arrived third, a small while after Quakes. It was the Waves who arrived at the challenge site last, thanks to only a single person's extreme truancy.

"Nathan, where the hell were you?" Jeremiah asked, pissed as all hell. "Did you not hear about the penalty? We're already starting this challenge at a disadvantage because of you!"

"Not like I care." Nathan smirked. "Or are you saying that you aren't good enough to win despite the handicap?"

"I don't want to take any unnecessary risks!"

"Yeah? Well, it's not you taking the risk is it? I'm the late one here. If that makes you want to vote me out, throw the challenge."

"Grrrr…."

"Yeah, that's right." Nathan smirked. "I had a feeling you weren't about to throw."

"We'll get to your penalty soon, Waves." Chris smiled. "First, the challenge itself! Chef?"

The large man next to Chris rolled his eyes and pressed a button. Soon, a contraption the likes of which the contestants had never seen rose from the depths of the water. A four-lane race track of sorts, with five sections to it. The first section was a simple track. The second section involved hurdles and barbed wire fences. The third section involved changing electrical panels. The fourth was a perilously thin balance beam. The fifth and final section was the strangest of all, large fake lily-pads floated in the water, separated by hoops of fire until they finally reached a finish line platform out in the lake.

"Welcome!" Chris motioned happily to the obstacle course. "To your first challenge! A team-based relay race! As you can see, there are five sections to this obstacle course! Each team will decide a captain and that captain will then have the sole responsibility for choosing a runner for each section. The captain themselves will not run. Waves, as your first punishment for everyone not getting here until much later than every other team, your captain will be chosen…by Chef!"

"That girl." Chef pointed toward Arin. "She seems quiet, a fitting punishment considering a captain needs to give orders."

"Well, at least it isn't Nathan." Alice sighed in relief.

"Not that I'd be anything less than the best captain this team could hope for." Nathan crossed his arms.

"U-um…h-hi there…" Arin, now out of her pink panda pajamas and in her swimsuit (as were the other contestants), turned to the rest of her team. "I'm… happy to be competing with you all, and I hope you can all feel good relying on me!"

"I'd feel better not relying on the quiet awkward girl, to be honest." Nathan sighed.

"Then why were you so fucking late?!" Jeremiah asked in utter disbelief.

"Oh gee, who should I put where?" Arin thought to herself.

The Winds, meanwhile, had a fairly easy time with their leader.

"Gotta' be Fedora, right?" Jerry nominated Roach immediately.

"I know I can't possibly think of a better option." Mari agreed. "You'll do so well, Roach!"

"Fine with me." Miriam shrugged curtly.

"EXCUSE ME?!" Radar's voice turned everyone's attention toward the Quakes.

"Come on, man! It's that little ability of yours." Dante smiled. "Can't think of a better team leader."

"No, seriously, this is a bad idea! Can I veto my own nomination?"

"But we all nominated you!" Melissa pleaded. "Even Foster nominated you!"

"If it's not you, I'm worried it will be her." Foster nodded his head toward Gabby. "Or her." He nodded his head toward Melissa.

"But…the captain doesn't run, and everyone else does. Why don't we make you the captain, Foster?"

"Hell no!" Foster shook his head. "I don't want to deal with the backlash from putting you strangers in the wrong positions."

"Well, at least you understand why I don't want to be the leader either." Radar sighed.

"How about this?" Dante put a hand on Radar's shoulder. "We'll give you de-facto immunity in the event that we lose this challenge."

"I need two other people to say that same thing before I believe it." Radar warned.

"Us, obviously." Gabby volunteered herself and Melissa.

"I don't appreciate being spoken on behalf of like that, but at least she's right." Melissa nodded. "Just do your best out there and we'll strut our stuff as runners."

"Everyone have their captains?" Chris asked the teams.

"Since before the challenge." Jacob mentioned as he and the rest of The Raging Flames pointed to Nolan.

"Wonderful!" Chris grinned. "Captains, go ahead and assign one of your teammates to each leg of the relay race, but as you do…keep in mind that the baton they'll be passing off to each other… is you!"

"Oh thank goodness." Jeremiah looked at Arin's stature. "Maybe our handicap won't be so bad after all."

"It's a 20 second penalty before you're allowed to start." Chris smiled at Jeremiah.

"Is killing Nathan against the rules?"

"Yes. Can't have my sweet sweet ratings- I mean players go dying on me, now can I? The legal- I mean, emotional trouble that would cause us and your families, yeesh. Not for someone with a criminal record as yours truly. Revenge of the Island, anyone?"

"I'm half-expecting this island to have toxic waste too." Marcus admitted.

"Toxic-waste free, baby!" Chris pointed finger guns in Marcus's direction, before leaning over towards a lawyerly dressed man. "That's true right?" He whispered. "We won't get in trouble."

"Negative, sir." The man answered. "Focus on your challenge."

"Right, before we begin…" Chris smiled. "Let me give you a taste of what you're all playing for! Interns!"

Two interns, struggling with all their might, brought out a large game-show looking wheel with 16 panels, each one representing an item at one team's campsite.

"This is…the Wheel of Reward! Whichever team happens to come in first place in this challenge will have the opportunity to spin the wheel and steal a luxury from the team that came in last place during the challenge! That's right, it's not just a player you'll be getting rid of if you lose, you'll be losing a luxury at your campsite as well, and you have no say in what gets taken away when it comes to the luxuries!"

"Great." Jeremiah sighed.

"I knew it!" Gemini grinned.

Challenge: Sink or Swim Relay Race!

Rules: Captains nominated by the team or by Chef will determine the running order of the other 5 team members for a relay race through a hazardous obstacle course. The runners, carrying their captains as batons for the relay, must go through their assigned obstacle course. Dropping the captain means starting their portion of the obstacle course from the beginning. The first team to cross the finish line will win the ability to spin the Wheel of Reward and steal an item from the last place team. The last team to cross the finish line will head to the Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony where someone will be voted off of Total Drama Zero Sum.

Teams: Captains, Runners, Hurdles, Electrical Panels, Balance Beam, Lily Pads

Winds: Roach, Miriam, Marcus, Jerry, Kennedy, Mari

Waves (20s penalty): Arin, Nathan, Alice, Natasha, Salandro, Jeremiah

Quakes: Radar, Dante, Moon, Foster, Melissa, Helene

Flames: Nolan, Jacob, Aditi, Gemini, Tina, Vivian

"And…everyone except Waves…go!" Chris announced as the first three runners took off, carrying their captains.

"We lucked out." Jacob spoke to Nolan as the Flames immediately began to fall behind the other two teams. "Doubt you'd be doing much carrying with only one hand."

"Oh wow, he really does only have one hand." Arin looked over as Nathan was finally allowed to start running and immediately passed the Flames.

Confessional: Nathan: The Killer Waves

"If he only has the one hand, then I better hope he stays. Any disadvantage of someone else is an advantage for me."

End Confessional

"Miriam, come on! You're neck and neck with the Quakes!" Roach encouraged. "A little more and we can pass them!"

"I'm surprised we're neck and neck to be honest." Radar told Dante. "I didn't think you had it in you to carry me and keep up with someone as clearly strong as she is."

"Yeah, me neither." Dante laughed. "But at least we can have each other's backs if this all goes to shit, y'know?"

"Fair trade, I'd say." Radar smiled as Dante handed him over to Moon.

"You're…bigger than most of my ritual components." She warned. "Expect a bit of a drop in time."

"I think we'll be alright." Radar nodded. "The other three are…"

"Yeah, I gathered." Moon sighed. "And you trust me not to mess this up? Someone like me?"

"You're the only person I can trust to get through this, frankly." Radar admitted. "Dante doesn't strike me as the kind of guy to do anything other than run effectively when it comes to this obstacle course, and the other three would all lose their temper as they needed to slow down for the barbed wire."

Confessional: Moon: The Violent Quakes

"He's right of course. I was the only choice to put here so that it wasn't completely ruined for our team, but I need to get a gauge on him. He might use his reaction speed to shield his natural smarts from others, but I'm no fool. He's still smart. If I can work with him, good. If I can find a way to work around him, even better."

End Confessional

Aditi and Marcus both quickly caught up to the Quakes as they carried their own captains. Meanwhile, Alice was very slowly making their way through the hurdles with Arin.

"I'm sorry about this…" Alice apologized. "I work better in the water than over it."

"Just uh…take your time." Arin encouraged.

Meanwhile, all the other hurdles and barbed wire players were handing their captains over to the electrical panel runners.

As Aditi handed Nolan to Gemini, he immediately dropped him. "Oh shit! Sorry bro. You okay?"

"Hahaha!" Nolan laughed heartily. "No worries here, just pick me up and get a move on. We can make up the time. I'm sure!"

Jerry and Foster both made their way through the panels slowly and carefully, sure not to shock themselves or their captain batons.

Eventually, Alice made her way to Natasha.

"Oh, fun!" Natasha smiled as she took Arin and flew through the puzzle.

"And just like that, the Waves have closed their gap!" Chris called, "But Foster is starting to emerge in the lead!"

"You're doing great, Foster!" Radar encouraged.

"Obviously." Foster sighed. "Tech is my deal. I know precisely the system used for these panels. It's baby-level stuff."

"Baby-level stuff he says." Jerry chuckled as he maneuvered Roach through the lane. "How much you bet he gets taken out first from those guys, Fedora?"

"Maybe not a bet, but for bragging rights I'll guess the hottie on the balance beam goes before he does."

"Speaking of the balance beam, we're coming up on Blue Buns. Do us all a favor and stretch yourself out as far as you can. She's a tiny one so carrying you like a balancing pole will do us all some good, you feel me?"

"Loud and clear, my friend! Loud and clear." Roach nodded.

Foster was the first to hand over his captain, Radar, to Melissa.

"Ready to fall in love?" Melissa joked to him as she turned to start her portion of the course.

"Maybe the others, who can actually see what's going on, are." Radar laughed.

Confessional: Radar: The Violent Quakes

"That was clearly a joke, guys, so uh, please don't read into that. Like if someone who looked like her made a serious advancement, I'd know it."

End Confessional

Melissa very quickly and elegantly moved across the balance beam without slowing her pace even a small amount and easily handed Radar off to Gabby.

"Holy shit, I'm sure someone fell in love, damn." Even Radar didn't expect to be on the final leg of the race as soon as he was.

"Might have been me." Gabby smirked at Melissa.

"You'd be out of luck if it was you, Gabbs." Melissa smiled. "I only swing the one direction."

"That's a shame." Gabby laughed. "Anyways, time to win this, right Radar?"

"Hell yeah." Radar nodded as Gabby began hopping the lily pads.

"Oh they're already that far ahead!" Kennedy noticed as she handed Roach over to Mari.

"Is it that big of a deal?" Tina wondered as she handed Nolan to Vivian.

"Oh, it sure is!" Salandro appeared carrying Arin. "You're about to witness something extraordinary!"

"What could possibly be so extraordinary?" Tina wondered. "You guys are dead last. It would take a miracle for you to-"

"And the Violent Quakes WIN!" Chris's voice echoed across the water. "But there are still two safe spots left and scratch that, one safe spot left, the Screaming Winds are also safe thanks to Mari's flawless jumping technique!"

{Treasure every moment}

"Oh, hardly." Mari shook her head. "I just tried my very hardest for our dear captain, Roach. is all I did!"

"My illusions will bend your mind…." Salandro smiled at the ladies. "It'll begin to quake whenever you hear… WAZZAM!"

"Yeah, you've lost, dude." Kennedy turned to Salandro as he quickly handed Arin to Jeremiah. "Vivian's already halfway across the-"

"Not. Fucking. Today." Jeremiah grabbed Arin and held her to his chest like he was a mother gorilla carrying her young. "You better hang on unless you want to be voted off with Nathan." He warned Arin who nodded nervously and hung on for dear life as Jeremiah burst through each lily-pad and fire hoop, causing a wave to splash Vivian and Nolan and slow them down every time he landed.

"WHAT?!" Kennedy's eyes widened.

Confessional: Kennedy

"How? How did they know someone who looked as scrawny as him could do that? Why is Salandro taking credit for it? Did he slow down on purpose to give the Flames a false sense of security? These players really are no joke! Dang! I'm going to need to do more than just provide for my team if I'm going to have any hope of getting further. At least I'm learning it now, while I'm safe. But I mean… dang, dude."

End Confessional

Vivian carried Nolan as far as she could with Jeremiah and Arin quickly closing in on her.

"Who will make it to the platform first?" Chris wondered aloud. "Remember, immunity is currently on the line!"

Vivian reached the final hoop of fire.

She took a breath to compose herself, and jump-

"And JEREMIAH saves the Killer Waves from Elimination!" Chris announced as Jeremiah practically flew through the flaming hoop while Vivian and Nolan were already in midair, missing out on their safety by a literal second.

"Fucking dammit!" Vivian slumped onto the wood and let go of Nolan.

"Are you kidding? You were awesome!" Nolan grinned at Vivian.

"Are you kidding?!" Vivian's eyes widened. "We lost! We have to vote someone off, and we're about to lose one of our camp luxuries!"

"Great point!" Chris noted. "Radar! As the captain for the Violent Quakes, the Wheel of Reward spin is all yours, buddy!"

"They have a HOT TUB?!" Radar asked, in utter disbelief.

"And they get FED?" Gabby had similar disbelief.

"Ah, so that's where the beds are." Dante smiled.

"Self-filtering water bottles?" Melissa questioned. "I mean, convenient, but clearly, there are better options up for grabs."

Radar rubbed his hands together and with no small amount of force, spun the Wheel of Reward.

The wheel spun quickly for a good two minutes before it finally began to slow down, until…finally…it landed on…

…

Dinner made by Chef.

"It's hard to get too excited about this…" Foster sighed. "We have a whole chicken coop, but I guess now we don't have to use it."

"You guys have a fucking chicken coop? You're literally depriving us of our only sure source of food, you know!" Vivian glared.

"Hey, don't blame us! Blame the wheel!" Radar pointed. "I wanted the hot tub or the mattresses!"

"I can't believe we're going to vote someone out, and we don't even get to have the dinner we were promised by our campsite beforehand." Vivian sighed.

"Well, look at it this way!" The grin had not left Nolan's face. "We still have the luxuries that they actually wanted, the ones involving comfort, so we can come back from this and show them a new and improved team next time!"

"Regardless of how you want to spin it, Flames." Chris shook his head. "You all have a date with me at the Po'ino Bonfire later tonight! You can see it from the docks. That pit near the bed of coal leading towards the bridge. One of you will be the first one to make use of that coal bed. The player you decide to eliminate will be forced to walk…The Coals of Shame!"

"Sounds…lovely." Vivian rolled her eyes.

Confessional: Vivian: The Raging Flames

"The coals of shame, my foot! I'm not walking any coals after busting my ass during that challenge! The way I see it, there are three people to target, Nolan, the idiot who put us in these positions to make us lose, Jacob, because that voice is annoying as all heck, and I'm not sure how much longer I can deal with it, or, well, me, and I'm not about to let it be me!"

End Confessional

Location: Raging Flames Campsite & Surrounding Areas (Hot Tub, Mattresses, Water Bottles)

Contestant(s): Aditi, Gemini, Jacob, Nolan, Tina, Vivian

"This is…unfortunate…" Tina sighed. "I dunno. I don't think it's anyone's fault really."

"I agree." Jacob's voice did not, or rather could not, match the somber mood afflicting the team.

"Where is Nolan?" Gemini wondered. "Isn't he going to play voting hot potato with the rest of us?"

"He and Aditi went up towards the volcano." Vivian mentioned from her mattress.

"Then, I guess I'll be getting some firewood." Jacob announced. "Tina, come with."

"I'm going to assume that's a question, so yes." Tina answered.

"And then there were two." Gemini lied down on his own mattress and turned towards Vivian.

"Yep." Vivian sighed. "Who…are you thinking?"

"I just don't want it to be me, honestly." Gemini shuddered. "I dropped Nolan a couple times during my leg, so it's hard not to feel a little responsible, but I also have a couple targets in mind."

"Either of them are me?" Vivian wondered.

"No, neither one is you. You were freaking amazing out there."

"Hmph. Then is Jeremiah just some freak of nature?"

"I dunno." Gemini shrugged. "But no one is targeting you as far as I'm aware. I hate to bring it up, but I think the less socially apt people are on the bottom in this situation."

"And that means…what exactly? Jacob? Aditi?"

"Not sure just yet. Depends on how the conversations go."

"Of course." Vivian turned in her mattress.

Her eyes went wide.

Making sure Gemini was no longer paying attention to her, she very quickly grabbed a small scroll from under the mattress.

Confessional: Vivian: The Raging Flames

"This is huge. This is huge. This. Is. Huge. It's a clue to the Flame Immunity Tiki, and all I have to do is solve this riddle… 'A man goes over, a man goes under. In times of war, he burns asunder. What am I?' Fuck if I know, but for now I'm going to do my best not to rock the boat so that I can live another day, and then I can work on finding this thing."

End Confessional

Aditi and Nolan had managed to reach the base of Mt. Immolate

"I'm afraid…we might not have the time to climb up to the summit." Nolan informed his companion.

"Oh, phooey." Aditi kicked up some dirt. "But at least the volcano looks pretty in the evening light."

"That it does." Nolan nodded. "And we are at a somewhat elevated level, so we can see our campsite from here too."

"It's just Vivian and Gemini on their beds doing not much of anything!" Aditi noticed. "Don't they realize that we need to explore the island?"

"Aditi, what exactly is it that drives you to explore?" Nolan pondered.

"Seeing what's out there of course! Seeing what comes next and all that."

"That's admirable." Nolan smiled. "Who are you thinking tonight?"

"Probably Jacob…" Aditi shrugged. "He's loud, and while I know he can't help that, I also think he uses that condition to try and be a bit of a control freak."

"Haha, that's an interesting read." Nolan laughed. "And not entirely incorrect either. We can't let him get too far in this game."

Confessional: Nolan: The Raging Flames

"Aditi, thank you for your candor. You've let me know that I should stick with Jacob. Unlike yourself or Tina, he still has potential to grow and better himself, and while I have a place in this game, that's the kind of person I'll be bringing with me."

End Confessional

"What do you think you'll do?" Aditi wondered. "If it ends up being you going home?"

"Keep my head up high." Nolan answered honestly. "Appreciate the time I've been given, and, well, to put it in terms familiar with you, seek out my next great adventure."

"Yeah." Aditi agreed as the pair looked out over the campsite. "Me too."

{Every step of your descent}

Jacob made sure he and Tina were far away from camp before he spoke. "We don't have much time before Po'ino." He said. "Nolan's time here needs to be cut short."

"Nolan, huh?" Tina wondered. "I can get behind Nolan."

"Just like that?" Jacob didn't sound confused, but his face made it clear that he was.

"To be fair, I don't really want to write anyone's name down…" Tina shuddered. "But all other things being equal, we chose Nolan to lead us, and we lost."

Confessional: Jacob: The Raging Flames

"This is working out great. I think everything is all going according to my plan to ensure my own safety."

End Confessional

Location: Po'ino Bonfire Pit (Elimination Ceremony)

Contestant(s): Aditi, Gemini, Jacob, Nolan, Tina, Vivian

"Welcome, Raging Flames." Chris announced. "To Total Drama Zero Sum's first ever Po'ino Bonfire Elimination Ceremony! Must suck to be here first, right?"

"Wrong." Nolan answered with a smile.

"Really?" Chris's eyes and grin both widened in surprise.

"I'm super stoked to be here right now, Chris." Nolan beamed proudly. "To have the opportunity to experience how losing works before any of the other teams. I think that's an advantage in its own way, don't you?"

"You are one weird dude." Chris grinned.

"Sounds like you want us to just vote you out." Vivian noted.

"Well, I would appreciate that not happening, but…being voted out isn't the worst thing in the world, you know?"

"Nolan I…" Chris had to collect himself. "I need you to walk me through this logic here. You've lost. One of you is about to be eliminated. You no longer have access to daily dinners made by Chef. And you not only consider this an advantage, you don't even seem scared that you'll be eliminated! What's…what's going on up there?"

"I look at it like this, Chris…" Nolan smiled. "Success is just stumbling from failure to failure, without any loss of enthusiasm. As long as I keep that up, I might lose a game, but I'll never lose my game."

"And yet…you said it yourself, you don't want to be voted out just now."

"Of course not." Nolan laughed. "I want to win while I'm here, you know."

"I think what Nolan is trying to say…" Gemini piped up. "Is that even though we're here at Po'ino before any of the other teams, we have to look at it positively to avoid demoralization. If we can't keep our morale up, we definitely won't be winning future challenges, but at the same time we need to consider who is good at doing what, and how certain people communicate with other certain people and-"

"Rambling." Vivian pat Gemini gently on the shoulder.

"Right, sorry. Look on the bright side, basically, is what I think we're saying here."

"Except the bright side is the Coals of Shame over there." Jacob joked.

"So, how are each of you feeling about your chances?" Chris asked. "On a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being incredibly doubtful and 10 being incredibly confident… how sure are you that this vote will go the way you want it to?"

"Uh…7." Aditi answered.

"9." Gemini replied.

"10." Jacob grinned. "100%."

"I guess 7." Nolan nodded to himself.

"I think around 7ish, yeah." Tina decided.

"Freaking 2, Chris." Vivian shook her head. "But we'll see."

"Wow…" Chris scanned everyone's expressions. "Only one person doubts that they'll see the vote pan out the way they want it to go. Everyone else clearly has a lot of trust in the people they consider their allies."

Those that answered with larger numbers all smiled.

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were any of you." Chris snickered. "After all, someone here is clearly being duped. What you have among you are some very skilled liars. And with that…it's time to vote."

{And there, in the depths where souls and stars rest…}

After every last person had cast their vote and Chris had left to tally them, he came back with a platter of 5 wooden tikis.

"I have with me…5 tikis." He announced. "If I call your name, come up and receive a tiki. If you do not receive a tiki, you must immediately walk the Coals of Shame, and Chef will pick you up by the Nui Kaua Bridge to ferry you to this season's Playa de Losers. You will be out of the game with no hope of winning the million dollars. Before I give away the tikis however, if anyone has the Fire Immunity Tiki and would like to play it… now would be the time to do so."

Shocked glances shot around the bonfire.

Nolan, Vivian, Gemini, Aditi, Tina, Jacob, everyone warily eyed each other, looking for any change in posture or movement.

No one gave in.

"Alright then." Chris smiled. "Our first tiki goes to…Gemini."

Gemini stood up and walked up to claim his tiki.

"Our second tiki goes to… Tina."

Tina, too, stood up and walked up to claim her tiki.

"Vivian, you get tiki number 3."

"Oh thank goodness." Vivian put a hand on her heart. "Don't scare me like that Chris, dang."

"There are 2 tikis left on this plate." Chris informed Aditi, Jacob, and Nolan. "One of you will be the first person voted off of Total Drama Zero Sum. However…

…

… It won't be Nolan." Chris held out the 2nd last tiki as Nolan nodded with a smile and walked up to claim his prize.

Chris looked over Aditi and Jacob.

"This is the final tiki of the night." He announced.

"And…the final tiki goes to…

…

… Jacob."

"I thought so." Jacob smiled as he stood and claimed the final tiki of the night for himself.

Confessional: Jacob: The Raging Flames

"It was a genius move to make sure there wasn't a tiebreaker. All I had to do was convince one of the girls to vote for Nolan while Gemini and Nolan worked on the other girls to take their chances voting for me. We came up with it immediately after forming our bro alliance as a contingency plan in case we lost, and hey, we ended up using it right away, so that was some massive foresight on our part!"

End Confessional

Confessional: Gemini: The Raging Flames

"It's sad to see Aditi go so early, but she's too easily enthusiastic and pleasant. She would be a huge liability to bring further into the game because all it takes is one bad swap. One bad swap and everything can come crumbling down, and she's too affable for her own good. She'd have too much power in that situation."

End Confessional

Confessional: Nolan: The Raging Flames

"While the decision was purely strategic, I made certain that I would not send home someone who needed to improve. Aditi is friendly, physically fit, and thanks to the conversation I had with her before the ceremony, I know she's someone who can take the loss and bounce back from it."

End Confessional

"I'm sorry, Aditi." Chris turned to Aditi. "But that was the final tiki of the night. The Coals of Shame await you."

"I get to be the first to try it out, so that's kind of neat!" Aditi smiled. "And thank you everyone! I had a really good time running around the island and talking with all of you! I really do wish you'll all do well in the challenges ahead. I'm rooting for you all!"

And Aditi turned and skipped merrily over the coals, not reacting at all to the heat on her soles.

"Again?" Chris mumbled under his breath, before shaking himself out of his funk, turning towards the camera. "*Ahem* And that is a wrap on episode 1! Will The Raging Flames come back from their defeat? Will immunity tikis be found? What alliances or romances will form or fall apart? Find out all this and more next time! On Total!

Drama!

Zero Sum!"

*Aditi's Final Confessional:

"So I lost, and I do think it was too early for me to lose. I think Jacob is a force to be reckoned with too. But I'm not going to be upset about it because the journey was fun, and now I can wander around and explore Playa des Losers! So I'm not about to hang my head. I'm going to do what people like Nolan and I do best! Put our best foot forward on a new adventure!"

End Confessional*

The Votes for those who are curious:

Aditi voted for… Jacob

Gemini voted for… Aditi

Jacob voted for… Aditi

Nolan voted for… Aditi

Tina voted for… Nolan

Vivian voted for… Jacob

Location: En Route to Playa De Losers

Contestant(s): Aditi (Eliminated)

"Almost at the place now." Chef announced as he drove the boat ferrying Aditi towards the mainland. "There will be a couple of tasks for you to do when you land at the place, be sure to follow them to the letter."

"Hey, I have a question!" Aditi leaned toward Chef. "A few questions actually!"

"Yeah?" Chef asked. "Like what? We got time."

"Why is Playa de Losers on the mainland?"

"Cuts costs." Chef replied curtly.

"Why is it so important for me to follow the list of instructions?"

"The future of the show depends on it. Don't tell Chris I said that. Not that he'll come check on you anyways. But if he does, don't tell him you know. Show ain't what it used to be."

"Yeah, that's understandable. It's been awhile, and there isn't much money to spend here I guess, huh?"

"You got that right." Chef nodded.

"Okay then…" Aditi sat back. "I have just one last question…And I hope it's not too rude of me but…"

{Find your truth!}

"...What happened to the old 'Chef' and why have you replaced him?"

EN: Oh dang, I guess we're doing short notes today… no character reviews or nothing. I just have one question before I sign off.

Whatever happened to the old Doobop? And why have I replaced him?

AN: We have a discord! The link is on my profile! Join us if you feel like it!

EN2: Outline Quotes!

There are none.

AN2: And as always, thanks for reading!