Author's Note:
Apologies for the long delay for this chapter. I didn't mean to fall behind again. I was planning on getting back to it last month after NaNoWriMo, but I got distracted with other things. But I'm back now, and hopefully will be more active in order to wrap this story up.
Before we get to it, let's do some review replies.
Dunsparce519: Deedee will always be a highlight no matter what. She's always a blast to write, and it's always a shame to eliminate her.
Zibster: It's always good to hear from eliminated contestants. And don't worry, Desmond will actually be able to talk next Aftermath.
Fantasy Lord 77: It's definitely a surprise to see so many characters from last season already out. But we'll see for sure if any make it to the end. The fact that more rookies are left means there's a chance that a lot more of them could go down in a row.
Credits:
Chris McLean and Chef Hatchet owned by the guys who own Total Drama
Alex, Moira, Logan, Todd, and Lance owned by me
Maeve owned by Candela Monsoon
Nigel, Clover, Rita, and Hunter owned by Fantasy Lord 77
Sara owned by xxPrincxssxx
Now...on to the drama!
EPISODE TWENTY-THREE: INVADERS OF THE MISSING TOMB
This episode of Total Drama contains scenes of extreme stunts performed by animated teens. Do not try anything you see here at home. Seriously, you could get really messed up.
Chris stood in front of Chef's Restaurant. "Last time on Total Drama," he began, "Our competitors spent a relaxing day trying to stay on top of a hill (clip of various campers moving up the hill) while fighting their fellow campers (clip of the large brawl at the top of the hill). The boys all joined forces into a brand-new Guy's Alliance (clip of the guys teaming up) to try to get the girls out one by one, an alliance that will probably fall apart before long due to certain people (clip of Hunter grinning evilly). Sara, Sonya, and Alex also made an alliance (clip of the girls making their alliance), which only helped a little in the battle for the hill (clip of Hunter shooting Alex off the top of the hill). After an explosive finale (clip of the hill blowing up), Hunter won invincibility (clip of Hunter still hanging onto the top of the hill), and it was the swan song for Sonya, who ended up getting the boot (clip of Sonya getting eliminated)."
The scene returned to Chris. "Eleven players left in the game. Who will be betrayed next? Stay tuned for the most dramatic elimination ceremony yet right here! On Total! Drama! City!"
*Intro*
(As the intro music begins to play, cameras are seen popping out of a skyscraper window, a manhole, a streetlamp, and a trashcan. The clapper claps.)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine
(Chris is seen driving by in a sports car as the camera goes down a runway)
You guys are on my mind
(the camera pans into a building and off a diving board into an indoor swimming pool)
You asked me what I wanted to be, now I think the answer's plain to see
(In the water, Sarah is swimming gracefully as spikes are shooting past her. The camera pans to the surface, where Jared is sitting in a rubber raft with Maeve. The spikes puncture the raft and the two begin to sink. The camera quickly moves outside, where Otis and Tara are working on a generator together.)
I wanna be famous
(The camera pans over to the side, where Todd and Rita are working on an experiment. Todd pours a liquid into a beaker, which explodes and coats both him and Rita in ash, while Yves watches disapprovingly from a shadowy room in a nearby building)
I wanna live close to the sun
(Harmony is seen in a park meditating, unaware of Zander performing a magic trick right in front of her, though his trick is interrupted when a raccoon jumps out of his magic had and latches onto his face)
Well pack your bags cause I've already won
(Charlie and Lana are side by side practicing the same ninja fighting moves as William and Nicole kiss next to them)
Everything to prove nothing in my way
(Malik is running at top speed away from a flamethrower wielding Deedee. As he is running, he is caught in a trap that yanks him up to the top of a small building, where Hunter is waiting with a knife. Kaia stands disapprovingly behind him)
I'll get there one day
(The scene pans into a kitchen, where Logan is photographing a pot of mysterious food. Clover appears behind him, shocking him, but Chef then appears behind Clover and chases the two out of the kitchen)
Cause I wanna be famous
(At a table just outside the kitchen, Theresa is focused on her writing while Tim is next to her typing on a laptop. A spotlight drops on the table, causing both to jump in surprise)
Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah
(In an alley, Hannah battles back against Sara, who is trying to pummel here with fists covered with boxing gloves)
I wanna be. I wanna be. I wanna be famous.
(On a street, Desmond and Moira are both in go karts, trying to knock each other off the road. Alex skates in between them both while Lance tries to catch up to her on a motorcycle)
I wanna be. I wanna be. I wanna be famous.
(The scene pans to a stage, where Sonya is playing her electric guitar and singing along to the lyrics into a microphone. The scene pans back to show it was on a monitor)
*whistling the main theme*
(The scene pans down, where Nigel is seen showing a clearly impressed Erin a collection of watches under his jacket. The scene zooms out to show the rest of the cast, with Chris off to the side. Sonya plays the last guitar rift of the theme song on her electric guitar)
As day came to the city, Logan paced the floor of the building he was in. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself. "What's taking her so long?"
"Who's taking so long?"
Logan screamed, jumping and whirling around to see Clover behind him. "Don't do that!" he yelled, holding his chest.
"You really gotta stop being so paranoid," Clover told him.
"Then how am I supposed to stay alive?"
"Your life literally isn't in danger!"
Logan gestured around him. "Hello?! We're on Total Drama!"
Clover blinked. "Touché."
"So, where are we at?" Logan asked.
"Well, for starters, I'd like to know where you were during the last challenge," Clover answered. "I noticed you were missing."
Logan sighed. "I was trying to break into Rita's lab."
"You were what?"
"Hey, I knew I wasn't in any danger of getting kicked off at the last vote, so I decided to take the opportunity to try to get some evidence on Rita."
"And did you?" Clover asked.
Logan shook his head. "She's got some sort of super lock on the door. I couldn't pick it."
"So, you pretty much accomplished nothing."
"Hey, at least now we know there's a lock there," Logan protested. "We just have to find a good time to find a way to break in."
"Why not go during the challenge when Rita's distracted?" Clover asked.
"Because I can't miss two challenges in a row, and you have to try to get invincibility."
"Aww, is your little Guy's Alliance plotting to eliminate me?"
"Yes!" Logan exclaimed. "They probably would've if they hadn't decided to vote out Sonya instead!"
"It's nice that you care about me so much, partner," Clover said with a smirk. Logan glared at her in response.
CONFESSIONAL
"Let's be clear," Logan said. "The only reason I'm working with Clover is so we can dig up enough dirt to expose Rita and get her eliminated from the show. After that, it's fair game and I'll be going back to fearing for my life that she's going to stuff a sack over my head and drag me off to some secret lair."
END CONFESSIONAL
"I'm serious, though. While I won't vote for you, the others will," Logan told her. "Todd will probably get Rita's vote, especially if it helps eliminate someone that's a threat to…her…" Logan's eyes widened. "Uh oh."
"What is it?" Clover asked.
"Todd said that he'd get the remaining votes to ensure Sonya's elimination," Logan explained. "But if he just got Rita's vote, there could've been a tie."
"But it wasn't a tie," Clover reminded him. "Probably because the girls' votes were scattered."
"I know, I know." Logan began pacing. "But what if…what if Rita ensured that there'd be enough votes to kick Sonya out?"
"What are you saying?" Clover asked.
"I'm saying," Logan answered, "that Rita's got a secret partner."
"A secret partner?" Clover repeated.
"It makes sense," Logan went on. "A lot of the stuff she's supposedly pulling off is too much, even for her and her inventions. She has to have someone else, someone working in the shadows, to ensure her plans keep moving forward."
"If she has someone secret working for her, who could it be?" Clover wondered.
"I don't know," Logan admitted. "But we have to find out and soon."
Little did the two realize that Moira was listening in just outside the building.
CONFESSIONAL
"Logan and Clover working together to take Rita down?" Moira questioned. "Good. If they can get rid of that witch, then I won't be stuck doing her dirty work anymore."
END CONFESSIONAL
As Moira walked towards Chef's Restaurant, a bionic arm grabbed her and pulled her into a nearby alley. "I noticed you're not sabotaging the others as much," Rita said chillingly.
Moira wrenched her arm free. "There hasn't been much to sabotage."
"Perhaps," Rita admitted. "But it's in your best interest to do what I want. You wouldn't want your big secret to just…slip out, would you?"
Moira clenched her jaw, saying nothing.
"Just be sure you step up today, 'lassie,'" Rita warned. "Otherwise, I'll be the least of your worries." With that, the scientist walked off, leaving Moira fuming behind her.
The loudspeaker suddenly blared with a foghorn noise, sending a nesting seagull flying out of it. "Campers!" Chris boomed. "The only thing good about today is that it's about to get a lot worse. For you." He laughed. "Report to the giant pyramid pronto."
"What giant pyramid!" Alex yelled.
The sound of a helicopter brought her and Sara's attention to the sky, where Chef was flying a helicopter somehow holding up a giant pyramid. The pyramid suddenly dropped onto the city, crushing several buildings in the process.
"Never mind," Alex muttered.
"Welcome to the Temple of Chris," Chris announced as the remaining contestants arrived at the pyramid. The host himself was dressed up in an Indiana Jones style outfit. "For today's challenge, I've hidden a special treasure inside the pyramid. The person to find this special idol and bring it back to me wins invincibility."
"Sounds easy enough," Sara commented.
"If this is a temple, that means there are booby traps," Alex guessed.
"Oh, we've got plenty of traps, Alex," Chris assured her. "Traps that will hopefully provide much pain for you and much laughter for me." He chuckled. "The idol is hidden somewhere inside the temple, but I'm not going to tell you where." He laughed again. "More fun for me!"
The rest of the campers looked annoyingly at him. Chris glared back in response. "Remember, only the person that brings me the idol gets invincibility. Annnd….go!" He blew his airhorn, sending the campers all running for the pyramid entrance.
In the first chamber, however, the group found themselves in a central chamber with five different paths leading away from it. "Oh great," Todd grumbled. "Our idiotic host didn't mention that there were multiple passageways."
"Did you expect anything less?" Rita asked him.
"Good point."
"Well, no point in sticking around here," Hunter said, starting for one of the passages. "See you when I win!"
"Hold on, comrade," Lance interrupted, blocking his path. "We should all go together."
"Who? You and your little Guy's Alliance?" Clover challenged.
"What Guy's Alliance?" Maeve asked.
Clover pointed at the guys. "I heard them plotting. The boys are in an alliance with each other to get rid of us girls."
"Wait, seriously?!" Sara exclaimed.
Hunter glared at Clover. "You'll pay for that, spy."
CONFESSIONAL
Hunter was pounding a fist into his palm. "It's time we get rid of that meddlesome spy," he decided. "She's too skilled and too smart. The more threats I eliminate early, the easier my path to the million bucks will be."
END CONFESSIONAL
The temple began to rumble, small pebbles raining down from above.
"The chamber's collapsing!" Logan exclaimed.
Panic ensued as campers scattered down different tunnels. As they ran down them, the tunnels sealed themselves behind them. Once she had made it down several feet in the passage, Alex turned around and saw who was with her. "Oh no," she groaned.
"Don't worry, My Lady," Lance proclaimed. "I am here now to defend you."
CONFESSIONAL
Alex was banging her head against the confessional wall. "Why me?" she groaned.
END CONFESSIONAL
Logan pounded on the door that had sealed behind him. "Hey! Let us out of here!"
"Hey, genius," Sara told him bluntly. "Punching that door isn't going to do anything."
Logan slammed his fist into the door. "Great."
"Well, if you're done messing around with the door, we've got a challenge to finish," Sara commented, turning around and heading down the passage.
"Wait for me!" Logan hurried after her, not wanting to be left behind.
Nigel helped Clover to her feet. "You okay?"
"I've been worse."
"Good, because the others are off in different tunnels. We've got to get to that treasure first."
Clover crossed her arms. "We?"
"Yeah, we. If we both bring it to Chris together, then we both get immunity."
"Chris never said that," Clover said to him.
"Well, it's worth a shot," Nigel insisted.
"Oh, no," Clover told Nigel. "I'm not falling for your con man routine."
"Fine. Don't trust me then," Nigel said, turning around. "Let's see how far you get on your own." Clover followed close behind him, having nowhere else to go but forward.
CONFESSIONAL
"I don't care what he says," Clover insisted. "I saw what his manipulations did to Erin. I wouldn't trust him as far as I can throw him."
END CONFESSIONAL
"Keep moving, wimp," Hunter ordered, pushing Todd forward.
"Doesn't it make more sense for the stronger one of us to take the lead?" Todd asked nervously.
"Of course not," Hunter told him. "After all, someone has to be the bait. And that someone's not going to be me."
Todd sighed. "Why couldn't I be stuck with Rita?"
"Oh? Worried about your girlfriend?"
"She's not my girlfriend," Todd insisted.
"Right. Sure she's not."
"We're just partners in science, that's all."
Hunter snorted. "Whatever man. Not like I care too much. I'm here for one reason only: to win."
"Yeah, you've made that pretty obvious," Todd muttered under his breath.
CONFESSIONAL
"Yeah, Hunter's gotta go," Todd insisted. "But how can I get rid of him when we're in the Guy's Alliance?"
END CONFESSIONAL
"How long do you think this tunnel is, lass?" Moira asked.
Maeve shrugged. "Don't know."
Moira stared at her briefly. "You don't talk very much, do you?"
"It's better that way."
"Why? Don't want people to get to know you?"
Maeve flinched. "What made you think that? Do you know something?"
Moira threw her hands up. "Easy, lassie. I was just asking."
"Well, stop asking. The less you know, the better." Maeve stalked off further down the passage.
CONFESSIONAL
"Maeve seems really determined to hide anything about her past," Moira noted. "If I were devious, I'd push and figure out what it is to use against her. But that's Rita, not me. And I for one won't push anything unless she forces me to. And trust me," she added, punching her fist into her palm. "She won't be forcing me for much longer."
END CONFESSIONAL
Maeve suddenly stopped. "Watch it," she warned. "We've got a booby trap."
"How can you tell?" Moira asked.
Maeve got on her knees and pressed a hand down on the secret pressure pad. Instantly, a dart shot from the side of the wall, sticking into the wall on the other side.
"Good catch," Moira told her.
Suddenly, Chris popped up on a monitor. "Moira, Maeve—welcome to the Hallway of Doom," he announced. "This passage is filled with pressure pads that will shoot out poison darts everywhere."
"Won't that kill us?" Maeve asked.
"Don't worry," Chris said, "Our lawyers said that we had to dilute our poison into something slightly less deadly. So, it will probably feel like you're dying, but it won't actually kill you."
"What a cheery thought," Moira muttered.
"So, I'd say good luck, but it's bad for ratings," Chris finished. "So, I hope you suffer a lot of pain." The monitors switched off.
"Raspberries," Moira cursed.
"Be careful," Logan warned Sara as the two walked. "This entire passage is probably lined with death traps."
"Oh, please," Sara said. "I can handle anything that sadistic host throws at me."
"Even when it comes to death traps that tend to LOOK OUT!" Logan grabbed Sara and yanked her back as she stepped onto a trapdoor that instantly broke apart under her feet. The debris fell into what appeared to be a pool of lava.
"What the—" Sara stumbled back, crashing into Logan.
"Pit trap," Logan explained.
"How did you know?"
Logan walked over and pointed in front of the pit trap, where a picture of a smiling Chris head was. "Call it a hunch."
"Woah," Sara breathed. "How'd you see that?"
Logan smiled. "Hey, I'm a detective, remember? Things like that just pop out at me."
CONFESSIONAL
"Huh," Sara commented. "That Logan guy seems more decent than I thought. Guess Alex was right about him."
END CONFESSIONAL
"Looks like Chris rigged this place up like the island last season," Logan noted. "Keep an eye out for any image of Chris's face. That marks a trap." He looked down the passage, taking note of several more Chris faces on the floor. "This could be a bit tricky."
"Guess we'll just have to watch where we step," Sara agreed.
In his control room, Chris watched this interaction. "Looks like Logan's got this all figured out," he said. "Or does he? Find out when we come back."
In another part of the temple, Rita roamed alone quietly. Unlike the others, she was in no hurry to complete the challenge.
At one point, she came across a small chamber. She looked around curiously. "Hmm," she said. She took a scanner off her belt and began to scan the room. "Always good to scan some new data for future experiments."
Voices began to echo down another connecting passage. Rita whipped her head around, instantly ducking out of the chamber and into the shadows. Moments later, Clover and Nigel entered.
"I'm just saying that I should take the lead," Nigel was saying.
"Oh please. Do you think I'd trust you to not lead me into a trap?" Clover responded.
"What would be the point of that?"
"To eliminate the competition, obviously."
"I'm not like that."
"Uh huh. I saw what you did to Erin."
"I actually liked her!" Nigel protested.
Clover crossed her arms. "I still don't trust you one bit." Their voices faded as they exited the chamber together. Moments later, Rita emerged, going back into the chamber.
"So, Nigel and Clover are together?" Rita mused. "Interesting."
Suddenly, the doors to the room all slammed shut. Rita whirled around. "What the—"
"Rita, looks like you've gotten trapped in the water chamber," Chris announced from a monitor that popped out of the wall. As he spoke, faucets opened from the floor and began to shoot out water.
"So, you're planning on drowning me?" Rita asked.
"Or you could solve the extremely hard puzzle I've hidden somewhere in the room," Chris suggested. "Either way, clock's ticking." The monitors raised up again, leaving Rita alone in the room.
CONFESSIONAL
Rita snorted. "If Chris thinks he can keep me locked up in a death trap, he clearly underestimates my intelligence."
END CONFESSIONAL
"Oh, now what the heck is this?" Todd groaned as he and Hunter turned the corner and saw a moat lining the corridor.
"Well, well, well," Chris said as he appeared on a monitor. "Our strongest and weakest players got forced together. Who would've thought?"
"Can it, McLean," Hunter growled. "Just tell us what this is."
"Fine. What you see here is just a plain old moat," Chris said.
"Oh, well, that's not so bad," Todd said, getting closer to the moat. That was when Fang burst from the water, trying to take a bite from him. Todd screamed and stumbled, falling flat on his back a few feet away from the moat.
"It's what's in the moat that will definitely kill you," Chris added with a laugh as Fang descended back under the water.
"That's it?" Hunter asked. "A puddle of water and an overgrown guppy?"
"Well, when you put it like that…" Chris hit a button on a remote. Down the corridor past the moat, pillars began slamming down from the ceiling and the walls, axes began swinging from side to side, and pieces of the floor began collapsing and moving all around.
"Nice going, Hunter," Todd grumbled, getting back to his feet. "Now how are we supposed to get past all this?"
"We use the greatest asset we have," Hunter said with an evil grin.
"Oh really? And what's that?"
Hunter leaned in. "You." He proceeded to shove Todd into the moat.
"Hey!" Todd sputtered. "Why you—" Fang popped up behind him, growling.
Todd gulped. "Uh-oh." He began to swim away as fast as he could, with Fang in hot pursuit.
"Stand firm, my lady," Lance declared. "We will complete this challenge yet!"
Alex winced in frustration. "Would you please stop with the whole Camelot routine?" she complained.
"But we have not finished our quest yet."
"We're not doing a quest," Alex growled. "We're just in a stupid challenge."
"Speaking of challenge," Chris announced as he appeared on a monitor, "It's time for you to see what you have to deal with this time." He pressed a button and flames began to fire out of the walls down the corridor ahead.
"Fire? Are you serious!" Alex yelled.
"Yep!" Chris laughed. "Have fun!" Alex picked up a rock and chucked it at the monitor, smashing it to pieces.
"I really hate him," she grumbled.
"Do not fear, fair maiden," Lance said, striding towards the fire without a trace of fear. "I will get us through this challenge."
"Are you crazy?!" Alex yelled. But Lance was already in the fire, stretching his armored hands out to hold the fire back and creating a small safe path for Alex to get through.
"Woah," Alex commented.
"Quickly, my lady!" Lance yelled. "My armor will not hold up for long!"
The two spent the next several minutes slowly making their way down the corridor. Lance would use his armored body to block the flames long enough for Alex to slide under him to get to the next safe section. Then they'd repeat the process. Before long, the two had made it through.
"Not bad, Lance," Alex said, slapping his back, then wincing in pain and waving her hand around. "Ow!"
"Careful, my lady," Lance warned. "My armor is hot."
"Yeah, I noticed." Alex shook her hand vigorously. "Let's just keep moving. That central chamber's gotta be close."
"Where are all the traps?" Nigel wondered as he and Clover walked.
"Are you complaining?" Clover asked him.
"Well, no. But it seems weird that this passage isn't filled with death traps."
"Maybe Chris ran out of budget or something."
"Since when does Chris run out of budget?"
"Good point."
Suddenly, there came a rumbling sound from behind them. The two looked back and saw, to their horror, a giant boulder rolling down the passage behind them.
"You just had to say something!" Clover complained as the two took off running, the boulder in hot pursuit.
"Just shut up and run!" Nigel yelled back.
The boulder rolled closer as they ran, threatening to crush them both. But Clover spotted a large chamber up ahead. "Get ready to jump to the side!" she yelled.
The moment the two reached the chamber, they dove out of the way, letting the boulder roll past them. "Whew," Clover breathed. "That was close."
Nigel stared. "Check it out." Clover turned her head and saw, on a pedestal in the center of the room, was a golden idol in the shape of Chris' head.
Clover smiled. "Jackpot."
Todd screamed again as Fang chased him out of the moat and towards the stomping pillars. Hunter, meanwhile, calmly swam the moat and followed at a small distance.
Todd ducked under the first two pillars, with the mutant shark right behind him. Unfortunately, he mistimed the next one and ended up smacking into the pillar as it came down. As he stumbled back in pain, Fang snuck up and leered at him, about to pounce. But it was then that the pillar he was under smashed down onto him, pounding him repeatedly as Hunter leaped over it in a blur, landing next to Todd.
"Nice work, nerd," he said. "You make for a pretty good distraction."
Todd slowly crawled to his feet. "I hate you."
"Well, get moving. There's still a long way to go, and a lot more traps for you to set off."
Todd groaned.
"Only a few more of these fake floors to go," Logan announced as he and Sara carefully stepped past the next Chris face.
"You know, you're not so bad a guy, Logan," Sara remarked. "I'll be sorry to see you go if you get eliminated."
Logan shrugged. "I imagine you won't be sorry too long if you're still in the game at that point. After all, it'll mean that you'll be one step closer to winning the million dollars."
Sara blinked, and then started to laugh. "You've got a point there, detective." As she talked, she misplaced her foot and put it directly onto a trap marking.
"Look out!" Logan yanked her back just before the floor gave out, collapsing a lot more of the passage in front.
"Thanks," Sara said.
"Don't thank me yet," Logan warned. "That trap collapsed way more of the floor than the last ones. Too much floor. We can't step over the hole and we can't jump that gap either."
"So, what, we're stuck or something?"
Logan nodded. "Yes. We're stuck."
Sara let out a curse that was bleeped out.
"I'll take care of this," Nigel said, moving forward.
"As if!" Clover yanked him back. "I don't trust you!"
"Do you really expect there to not be a trap linked to when we take that idol off the pedestal?" Nigel challenged.
"Well—"
"If there's a trap there, can you make the exact right calculations to put something just as heavy back there so as to not trigger the trap?"
"Well—"
"I didn't think so. Now, let me do my job so we can get the idol out of here and try for both of us to get immunity as I suggested right at the start of the challenge." Nigel wrenched himself free from Clover's grip and walked closer to the pedestal. He leaned down, putting himself at eye level of the idol, making calculations in his head.
After a few moments, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag, which he had filled with pebbles. He eyes the pedestal again, then took a few of the pebbles out of the bag and tossed them aside.
Behind him, Clover watched anxiously, hands flexing in nervousness.
Nigel then reached a hand out gently towards the idol, grasping the bag with his other hand. In the blink of an eye, he yanked the idol off and put the bag on the pedestal, leaning back in anticipation of a trap.
Nothing happened.
Nigel breathed a sigh of relief. However, as he turned to go, something clicked on the pedestal and the temple began rumbling.
"Uh oh," Clover said.
"Campers!" Chris' voice came out over the intercom. "The idol has been retrieved. But unfortunately, the final trap has been triggered, meaning that everyone has two minutes to get out of the temple before the entire thing collapses. Have fun!"
"We gotta move!" Nigel yelled, running to Clover.
"I'll take that!" Clover yanked the idol from her grasp. "I can hold onto it better than you can." She stuffed in her back pocket.
"Have at thee!" Lance burst from another side passage, running towards the two, with Alex hot on his heels.
"Less talking, more running!" Nigel yelled as he and Clover ran, pursued by both Lance and Alex.
"We have to go back!?" Moira complained. "Aw, raspberries! We just got through that dart trap!"
"We don't have time to go back through it all slowly!" Maeve shouted.
"Just behind me after I trigger the darts," Moira told her. She spun on her heel and ran back the way they had come. When her feet touched the pressure pads, the darts flew out from the walls. However, Moira was moving too fast for them to hit her. After a few seconds hesitation, Maeve followed.
"Go back?!" Todd repeated.
"Unless you'd rather stay here," Hunter growled already moving back the way they had come. It wasn't long, however, before he came face to face with Fang, looking battered and bruised and extremely angry.
"Oh, it's you again." Hunter didn't bat an eye. "Here—fresh meat." He grabbed Todd's arm and tossed him at Fang before darting around his side.
Fang grabbed Todd and leered down at him, licking his chops. "Oh, come on," Todd complained.
"Keep running!" Nigel yelled. "They're catching up!"
"I know!" Clover yelled.
"Come back here!" Lance yelled from behind. "The idol will be for my fair maiden!"
"I am not a maiden!" Alex hollered.
Clover kept her eyes ahead and narrowed when she saw what was ahead. "We've got a gap up ahead!" she called back. "Get ready to jump!"
"I'm right behind you!" Nigel answered.
Clover ran full speed at the gap and leaped off it. She landed well, and a split second later, Nigel landed behind her, stumbling a bit and running into her. "Sorry, sorry!" he apologized.
"Just shut up and run!" Clover yelled, speeding up again.
Lance made a flying leap over the gap, but landed too short, grabbing onto the edge and hanging on for dear life as Alex landed ahead of him.
"Keep going, my lady!" Lance yelled. "I will be fine!"
Alex looked back towards the retreating Clover and Nigel, then back to Lance, who was clearly slipping from the edge. She let out a big sigh. "Why do I have to be a nice person?" She got down and grabbed Lance, pulling him to safety just before he fell into the bottomless pit below.
"You're welcome," she said.
CONFESSIONAL
"No, this doesn't mean I'm falling for Lance!" Alex insisted. "Would you stop trying to see something that's not there? There's nothing going on between me and him, got it?!"
END CONFESSIONAL
Outside the shaking temple, Chris grinned. "And here they come now," he said.
The first two out of the temple were Moira and Maeve, followed closely by Logan and Sara. "You…are one sick person, McLean," Sara panted.
"Thanks, Sara." Chris chuckled.
At that moment, the ground next to the group burst apart as a bionic fist punched the air. Moments later, Rita, soaked to the bone, climbed out. "There was no puzzle in that chamber," she announced.
"Oops," Chris said with a grin. "My bad."
Hunter emerged from the temple next, not even the least bit winded. A few seconds later, Todd was ejected with a scream, landing next to the group completely beat up by Fang. "I…hate you…" he seethed at Hunter.
"Live and learn, nerd," Hunter told him simply.
Finally, Clover and Nigel emerged from the temple, followed immediately by Lance and Alex. A few seconds after they were out, the entire temple collapsed in a shower of dust and debris.
"Well, so much for that temple," Chris said with a laugh. "Now, who's got the idol?"
"I have it right here." Clover reached into her back pocket, but found it empty. "What the—"
Nigel cleared his throat. "Looking for this?" He held up the idol with a gleam in his eye.
Clover's eyes widened in shock. "How did you—" Her eyes then got even wider as she realized what must have happened.
Clover ran full speed at the gap and leaped off it. She landed well, and a split second later, Nigel landed behind her, stumbling a bit and running into her. "Sorry, sorry!" he apologized, swiping the idol as he made contact with her.
"You—little—" But before Clover could make a grab for him, Nigel handed the idol to Chris.
"Nigel wins invincibility!" Chris announced.
"Yes!" Nigel cheered.
Clover let out a scream of frustration. "You tricked me!"
Nigel shrugged. "Hey. All's fair in love in war. And this is definitely war."
"Enough chit chat," Chris interrupted. "Nigel may be safe from tonight's vote, but the rest of you aren't." He let out a laugh. "This…is going to be interesting. But first, Nigel—who's coming with you to the Hotel?"
Nigel looked around at his options carefully. "I think…Sara."
"What?" Both Hunter and Sara said at the same time.
CONFESSIONAL
"Do I feel bad about tricking Clover like that?" Nigel asked. "A little. But hey, it's getting down to the wire, and I need the stronger girls like Clover gone. That way, I can get the Guy's Alliance to vote out Hunter at the first opportunity. After that, it's a straight shot to the million dollars. But to pull this off, I need someone else on my side. And I think I can work out some sort of deal with Sara to make it all work."
END CONFESSIONAL
Later, the Guy's Alliance met in a nearby building. None of them looked too happy.
"So, who are we going to vote out tonight?" Logan asked.
"I say it's high time we get rid of Clover," Nigel decided.
"You're just saying that because you're afraid she'll kick your butt for stealing her chance at invincibility from her."
"Can I just say that having the walking mountain of muscle is going to cause no end of problems for us?" Todd pointed out.
"I'm in the alliance too, you idiot!" Hunter snapped. "You can't vote me out."
"Maybe we can," Todd said. "After all, the girls know you're strong. They might all target you and get you out while they still can."
"Let them try," Hunter said. "But this hunt's not over yet. I say we dump Clover."
"That's not a good idea, guys," Logan warned. "There'll be another time for her, I know it."
"Then who do you suggest we go for then?"
Logan thought about it. "Well—"
"Forget it," Hunter said. "We got with Clover. And anyone that doesn't follow those instructions will answer to me. Got it?" He gave a cold stare to Todd.
Todd gulped. "Got it."
"So, it's agreed," Alex said. "We vote out Hunter."
"Are you sure we can pull it off?" Sara asked.
"There's six of us and only five of them," Clover said. "And that's if they all vote together in their little Guy's Alliance. A few might also turn on him."
"Aye, it's agreed then," Moira said.
"It seems so," Rita commented. "Let's get on with it."
CONFESSIONAL
"It will all come down to two choices in tonight's vote," Rita said. "And I know exactly which one of those two I'd rather see gone."
END CONFESSIONAL
At the elimination ceremony, Chris held up one final ticket. "Campers," he said. "It's all down to this."
Nearby, Alex, Lance, Sara, Logan, Nigel, Rita, Todd, Moira, and Maeve all had their own tickets. The only two that were still empty handed were Hunter and Clover.
"And, with a final vote score of 6-5, tonight's biggest loser is…" Chris paused for dramatic effect. At the sound of the numbers, a brief flicker of fear flashed over Hunter's face, while Clover seemed to relax a little.
"…Clover!"
"Aw, seriously?!" Clover complained as the rest of the girls gasped in shock.
CONFESSIONAL
"What the heck happened?" Alex asked. "Did one of us turn traitor or something?"
END CONFESSIONAL
CONFESSIONAL
"Curse you, Rita, for making me do this," Moira growled.
END CONFESSIONAL
CONFESSIONAL
"I didn't vote for Clover," Logan admitted. "Which means that two of the other girls voted for her. One was probably Rita…but this definitely proves that someone's secretly working for her. Mark my words, I'm going to find out who.
END CONFESSIONAL
"Well, I guess I'll be seeing you guys," Clover said, sadly walking to the train. As she stepped on, she turned and gave Logan a small salute. "Take care, detective."
Logan actually managed a small smile. "You too, spy."
With that, the doors closed and the train sped off.
"Another one gone, and we're down to ten," Chris said to the camera. "Who's heading for a one-way ticket to Loserville next? Will Hunter throw Todd to the wolves again? And will Lance find a way into Alex's heart?"
"Hey!" Alex complained off camera.
Chris ignored her. "Find out next time on Total! Drama! City!"
BONUS CLIP
"Well, I guess I should've seen that coming," Clover said. "I wish I could've stayed longer and taken down Rita. It's up to Logan now. And I think he's more than capable of pulling it off. I've never seen a mind as sharp as his. He'll figure Rita out and see that she gets nowhere near the grand prize. Count on that."
VOTES:
Alex: Hunter
Clover: Hunter
Hunter: Clover
Lance: Clover
Logan: Hunter
Maeve: Hunter
Moira: Clover
Nigel: Clover
Rita: Clover
Sara: Hunter
Todd: Clover
TEAM STANDINGS
Boys
Hunter, Lance, Logan, Nigel, Todd
Girls
Alex, Maeve, Moira, Rita, Sara
ELIMINATION CHART
31st: Zander: The Magician
30th: Tim: The Computer Whiz
29th: Jared: The Downed Perfectionist
28th: Malik: The Track Star
27th: Lana: The Underconfident Nobody
26th: Harmony: The Oblivious Hippie
25th: Tara: The Mechanic
24th: Theresa: The Writer
23rd: Yves: The Shadow
22nd: Sarah: The Swimmer
21st: Otis: The Gear Expert
20th: William: The Archery Master
19th: Hannah: The Blind Powerhouse
18th: Erin: The Wannabee Romantic
17th: Kaia: The Plotter
16th: Nicole: The Friendly Gymnast
15th: Desmond: The Strategist
14th: Deedee: The Pyromaniac
13th: Charlie: The Ninja
12th: Sonya: The Famous Singer
11th: Clover: The Secret Agent
And so we say goodbye to Clover. Shoutout to Fantasy Lord 77 for making such an awesome character! As for why she had to go, well, she was one of the biggest threats out there, particularly to Rita. So, sadly, she had to eliminated.
We now have the top ten locked in. Was it how you predicted, or were there some surprises mixed in?
With only ten left, anything could happen. Anyone could be eliminated at any time. You have been warned.
I hope you all enjoyed the challenge. It's pretty obvious what movie some of the traps were based off of. The pairings, I hope, were also fun to see, and may or may not lead to hints of future alliances/friendships/events.
Well, that about wraps it up for me. Make sure you hit that favorite/follow button to stay informed on future updates, and don't forget to drop a review to let me know how I'm doing. Until next time, this is Guest 1138, reminding you that lava is hot. Ciao!