The camera panned to reveal the Forgotten Island in aerial view at the break of dawn, before panning down to the docks where Valnoir and Blaineley were standing. Smiling at the camera, they prepared to make their introductions.
"Welcome back to another episode of Total Drama Forgotten Island!" Valnoir started with an almost malicious grin. "I can't wait to get started." He cackled.
"Don't get too excited now." Blaineley told him as she chimed in. "Because we need to give them a recap of what happened last episode."
"That's right." Valnoir nodded. "Yesterday marked the start of the season, and the start of the red carpet for the campers."
"There's people like Alysson, Jeanette, and Winona, who play with a clear cut strategy in mind." Blaineley said.
"People like Kazuo, Nymeria, and Daniel, or those with a hidden potential sleeping within." Valnoir smirked.
"And sadly there are those like Antoine, Keith, and Eliza, who probably needs to get their heads checked." Blaineley sighed.
"Elizabetha isn't that bad." Valnoir pointed out.
"She didn't leave a lasting good impression on me." Blaineley said dismissively.
"What are you talking about?" Valnoir smirked and rolled his eyes. "Nothing leaves a lasting good impression on you."
"Shut up." The co-host grumbled. "Anyways, the two teams went on a race to see which of them can get to the cabin first."
"The White Stallions traversed the forest, splitting up the team in order to cover more ground." Valnoir recalled. "Jeanette felt a bit conflicted by that though, considering it was Abby who took charge and with Daniel and Quincey going individually."
"Meanwhile, the Black Knights stayed together and went along the riverbank to reach their cabin." Blaineley said. "It was Caitlyn and Jamie who lead them forward, and Kazuo and Eliza bringing up the rear in their tipsy states."
"It's still funny when I think about it." Valnoir cackled.
"Well it wasn't funny for Caleb who didn't like their attitude." Blaineley pointed out.
"Then you should see Alysson get fed up easily with all of Keith's government paranoia." Valnoir laughed more. "And to think he was the one trying to flirt."
"You know that's the funny thing around here. Alysson is a guy and it looks like nobody has caught on yet." Blaineley realized.
"And that's why I accepted his application." Valnoir smirked proudly. "We'll see what he can bring to the table."
"Speaking of that, Jackie helped his team greatly with his shrieking skills." Blaineley stated.
"Aggressively competitive and with the talent to prove it? Looks like the jester is starting to become the fool." Valnoir said.
"I don't get it so whatever." Blaineley shrugged. "And while we're at it, didn't Kazuo show some promise when he easily crossed the rock platforms in the river?"
"Yeah he did, until he intentionally delayed their progress further by jumping off to get swept away by the current." Valnoir pointed out.
"Then it's a good thing Jamie and Eliza have fast reflexes. Too bad their team doesn't share their strengths." Blaineley sighed.
"Yes since it was due to both Antoine and Tom that their time was further delayed and ended up causing the Black Knights' first loss, also the first loss of the season." Valnoir chimed in.
"And after revealing why the cabins were so far away from each other and also gender specific, things got more interesting." Blaineley started.
"Because they didn't have enough time to properly plan their votes with each other, the Black Knights voted with less strategic intent." Valnoir grinned.
"In the end, an unexpected tie breaker happened." Blaineley said. "But with a flip of a coin, it was Tom who became the season's first boot!"
"You could say we celebrated the occasion with a blast!" Valnoir exclaimed.
"Seriously?" Blaineley deadpanned. "Anyways, will the Black Knights be able to recover from this loss?"
"Will Jeanette successfully rise up as the leader of the White Stallions?" Valnoir said afterwards.
"What other gimmicks does Kazuo have planned?" Eliza said.
"And can Alysson stay under the radar regarding his strategy and his gender?" Valnoir said.
"Find out right here on Total.." Blaineley started.
"Drama..." Valnoir chimed in.
"Forgotten Island!" They both finished.
(Boys Cabin)
Antoine woke up to the sound of a loud crash. The trivia guru groaned as he rubbed his eyes. He wore white pajamas that had a couple of star prints. Sitting up from his bed, he saw Keith crouching down while peeking above his bed towards Daniel, who was staring at his crow that had entered the cabin.
"He's talking to his government superiors." Keith whispered to Antoine. Keith was wearing nothing but plain pajama pants with no shirt on, and Daniel wore no shirt and just light gray pajama pants.
"What are you talking about, you dumb nut? There are no government agents in here." Antoine rolled his eyes as he stood up.
"You don't know that!" Keith insisted.
Daniel just glanced their way and shook his head before heading out with his crow perched on his shoulder. Keith took a defensive karate stance as he passed by him. The other boys woke up because of the commotion.
"Why the sudden noise?" Quincey woke up and stretched for a bit. He wears a plaid white shirt and black shorts.
"All I heard was Antoine's rage." Kazuo chuckled. He was shirtless but wore red shorts.
"Shut up." Antoine snapped.
"What's with all the anger?" Jackie laughed. "You all should loosen up!" He did a short dance and flip as he got out of bed. He wore a similar jester outfit made of lighter cloth as his pajamas.
Caleb quietly got out of bed and silently shuffled out of the room wearing his long dark red jogging pants and blue tank top. Meanwhile, Gabriel was still in bed pretending to be asleep while furrowing his brow in irritation. He wore his white shirt and blue shorts and it could be seen that he still had his golden bracelet on.
"Wake up sleepyhead!" Jackie skipped over to Gabriel and shook him hard back and forth.
"Stop that..." Gabriel seethed.
"But the sun is out!" Jackie exclaimed.
"He does have a point." Kazuo grinned. "We should go exercise."
"Exercise is for the weak brained." Antoine scoffed. "So go join them, Gabriel." He smirked arrogantly.
"Yeah right...I need more rest..." Gabriel grunted.
"If you need me, I'll be tailing Daniel." Keith said to the other boys as he went out of the cabin.
"I'll exercise by myself." Quincey said dismissively and left as well.
"Should I go mess with the girls?" Kazuo thought to himself. "Why not?" He shrugged and left.
~Confessional~
Gabriel: These rowdy people...have to share a cabin with me?... How troublesome...And to think that it's impossible to eliminate that jester and that noisy conspiracy guy...
Jackie: It's important to have a smile on your face every morning. That helps in keeping a positive outlook and prevents stress from getting to you and wearing you down. Sure some of these people are not from my team, but this is for their overall health! *he laughs*
Quincey: None of them are prepared to know my training regimen every morning. The kind of training I do ensures I'm always at my top form and ready to protect Lord Wesley at all costs. Granted, my lord isn't here, but this will still suffice in carrying my team in physical challenges.
Kazuo: I did notice that there were only eight guys sleeping in the cabin last night. Does that mean there are eleven girls in their cabin? Do they want the extra bed that we have or do they have enough?
~End Confessional~
(Girl's Cabin)
Beatrice was the first to wake up out of all the girls. She slowly sat up and glanced around at her sleeping cabin mates. She wore a shirt and pajama bottoms as her sleep wear.
"I think Winona and Alysson will wake up right about...now." She said softly. As if on cue, both Winona and Alysson woke up at the same time.
"Good morning." Alysson yawned and stretched. He wore a white long sleeved buttoned up shirt and light blue short shorts.
"Likewise." Winona greeted as she rubbed her eyes. She wears a lacy short nightgown and white underwear. It is also noticeable that the two were sleeping in the same bed. Silvia woke up afterwards.
"I still can't believe the hosts forgot to put in another bed for you, Alysson." The cosplayer said. She is wearing Star Wars theme pajamas.
"It's alright. I don't mind as long as it's alright with Winona." Alysson said sheepishly. Winona giggled.
"It's fine with me. We both got slim bodies so we fit right in." The fashionista said.
"Yeah that's true." Alysson responded.
"I see you are awake." Jeanette remarked as she stood up from her bed. She wore a short scarlet colored nightgown. "That is good. We need to start hunting for food soon."
"Nice nightgown, by the way." Winona complimented. "Red is the color of the month."
"I know, darling." Jeanette said with a slight wave of her hand. "I AM a fashionista as well. My mother does own a well known fashion line."
"Really!?" Winona's eyes widened. "That's so cool!"
"Hey, indoor voices please." Abby groaned as she woke up due to the noise. Gabriella and Caitlyn awoke too. Abby wore a light green tanktop and black shorts.
"I should go take morning pictures." Caitlyn yawned as she fished for her camera to take a few shots of the cabin room and the scenery outside their window. The journalist wore a pink long sleeved blouse and white pajama pants.
"Good morning!" Nymeria called out as she woke up. She only wore an oversized plain t-shirt as her sleeping clothes.
"Who else is asleep?" Jeanette asked no one in particular while looking around. She then noticed only Eliza and Jamie still fast asleep.
"I think Eliza is trying to get the alcohol off with sleep." Silvia sighed. She saw that Eliza is wearing a long white button up shirt that reaches down her thighs.
"She was drunk yesterday?" Gabriella asked. She was wearing a blue shirt and white shorts, with her golden bracelet still on her arm.
"Yeah, it's not the best experience." The cosplayer sighed.
"Now I wonder why Jamie is still asleep." Caitlyn wondered as she peeked over at Jamie in her bed. The police officer is wearing a white tanktop with black shorts.
"Maybe the challenge yesterday did a number on her. She was in the lead." Winona frowned a bit.
"I was in the lead too." Caitlyn pointed out. "But I see your point."
"Anyways, I'm outta here!" Gabriella exclaimed as she got up and out of bed. "I wanna do something!"
"Let us hunt for food then." Jeanette suggested.
"That's a good idea." Beatrice agreed.
"I'm not good at that stuff but I'll help out." Abby shrugged. "We're hunting by the river, right?" Jeanette nodded and the small group headed out the cabin and left the other girls, and Alysson, inside.
~Confessional~
Alysson: Day two and no one suspects anything. I even got to sleep in the girls' cabin! Now I really hope that a girl gets eliminated tonight so that I can have their bed. Not saying Winona is hard to sleep with, more like I want to have the right to a separate bed.
Jeanette: It is a fortunate coincidence that the girls who went with me are those from my team. I can talk to them about the possibility of an alliance between us. Beatrice may be physically weak, but I have yet to determine whether she is an asset or a liability.
Caitlyn: I'm kind of suspicious that the ones going to fish are from the White Stallions. Maybe I can eavesdrop on their conversation and maybe get a scoop out of it. But maybe I should just lay low for now so I don't make unnecessary risks so early in the game.
Jamie: *yawns* Did I oversleep? I think I did, didn't I? Sorry, it's just rare for me to get a good night's sleep these days since I got to carry on my brother's duties ever since he went to that other Total Drama season. But don't worry because Officer Jamie Blackburn is here to help!
~End Confessional~
Jackie, Kazuo, and Quincey were out collecting berries for the boys' breakfast. The jester was skipping around and picking out berries at a much faster rate than the other two.
"Are you sure you know what you're choosing?" Quincey asked.
"Sure I do!" Jackie exclaimed.
"But wouldn't it be more interesting if we purposely picked a poisonous one and one of us eats it?" Kazuo suggested with a carefree grin. "It will be like a delicious Russian roulette."
"Let's not do that." Quincey sighed. "Last thing we need is a penalty."
"I wonder what the penalty is, though." Kazuo wondered.
"Hey look, I found more berries here!" Jackie said as he pointed at a nearby berry bush. Quincey helped him pick them out, and none of them realized that Kazuo added two poisonous berries in the basket.
"Should this be enough?" Quincey asked Jackie as they added their find to the growing pile.
"Yep!" Jackie exclaimed.
"Good. I'll take my share." Quincey said as he took a handful of berries. "I still need to exercise before the challenge later."
"And I wanna see what the girls are up to." Kazuo stated as he took his share too. "See you around!" They all went their separate ways. They didn't know that Daniel was standing nearby them behind a tall tree.
"Aha! Found you!" Keith exclaimed as he pointed an accusatory finger at Daniel. "Eavesdropping on the boys, are you? What's the government's plan with them!?" He demanded.
Daniel just blinked at him with a weirded out face. His crow made a sound once before flying high into the air.
"I won't let you report to them!" Keith grabbed a small rock and threw it towards the bird, whizzing past its neck feathers as the crow tried to dodge to the side. Daniel's eyes widened at this. He then glared at Keith and tackled him to the ground. "Hey!" The two fought on the ground before Quincey saw them.
"Cease this at once!" Quincey broke up the fight. Keith glared at Daniel one last time before turning to leave.
"I'll get you next time. We may be on the same team, but you're not my ally." Keith said spitefully to Daniel before leaving.
"Sorry about that good sir. I promise he'll be dealt with accordingly." Quincey apologized to Daniel. The other boy just shrugged and shook his head before leaving as well, his crow descending to perch on his shoulder again. "What an interesting young man." Quincey remarked quietly.
~Confessional~
Quincey: Daniel didn't bother to speak during the whole ordeal. Is he just that reserved? Or perhaps he is mute. Either way, he is worth observing. Oh, and his crow as well.
Keith: I know Daniel's a government spy! The signs are all there. Quiet, reserved, surrounded by unusual things like that pet crow of his. He's definitely up to something, and I'll be the one to expose him for what he is.
~End Confessional~
Beatrice, Jeanette, Abby, and Gabriella all went outside by the riverbank to see what kind of fishes were in the river.
"There are some small ones over here." Gabriella remarked as she peered in the water.
"A couple of medium ones here." Jeanette called out.
"So many fishes are we going to catch?" Beatrice asked them. Abby was already trying to make spears out of rocks and wood for them to use.
"Can anyone give me a hand with tying this up?" Abby asked them as she held up a sturdy branch and a jagged rock.
"Sure thing." Gabriella grinned and went over to help. "That's what friends are for!"
"We are also on the same team." Jeanette pointed out. "Of course it is natural for us to assist one another."
"I agree. This is a great opportunity for us to learn more about each other." Abby nodded.
"Do you mean our skills?" Beatrice tilted her head slowly.
"That's correct." Jeanette affirmed. "It is vital that we know each other's strengths and weaknesses so that I may create perfect plans for us in challenges."
"Perfect plans, huh?" Abby repeated as she finished the first spear.
"I am a challenge strategist, so to speak." Jeanette explained. "I create effective plans for us in order to attain victory in challenges and avoid elimination. In order to do that, I only need to know what you are all capable of so that I may plan accordingly."
"Well I'm a soccer team manager so I'm pretty good at motivating the team and multitasking when it's necessary." Abby shrugged.
"I love the outdoors! Count me in when it's a physical challenge and involves doing it outside. Running, sports, you name it." Gabriella beamed proudly.
"And how about you, Beatrice?" Jeanette turned towards Beatrice.
"My talent is a bit...unusual." Beatrice admitted softly.
"Unusual?" Gabriella blinked, but clearly interested.
"I have foresight. Though right now I have yet to unlock its full potential." Beatrice told them.
"Foresight?" Jeanette blinked this time, clearly confused. "Is that even real?"
"I can prove it in the next challenge. But like I said, it isn't fully developed." Beatrice explained. "I may say vague things."
"To see is to believe, as they say." Abby shrugged.
"It is indeed intriguing." Jeanette thought aloud.
"As long as she can be of help to us, whatever works." Gabriella agreed with a cheeky smile.
"Whatever works for what?" A voice came from behind them. They turned and saw Kazuo approaching them.
"Are you Kazuo?" Jeanette asked him.
"Yeah, but you can call me yours." Kazuo winked. Jeanette just huffed and turned away, making her parasol face him.
"How did you get here so fast?" Gabriella asked.
"I found a shortcut from the forest that I can use to get quicker." Kazuo said.
"As expected of you." Beatrice nodded.
"You foresaw that?" Abby asked her as she finished with the last spear.
"That is correct. I knew that Kazuo would be visiting us, I simply didn't know how." Beatrice explained. "That is what I mean when I say my foresight is vague."
"Foresight? That's boring." Kazuo pouted. "The butterfly effect brings about random and fun effects. Who needs foresight when you can roll the dice and shoot away?"
"But I can foresee even consequences." Beatrice told him a bit softly.
"I'm calling your bluff." Kazuo laughed. "Maybe we'll see in the next challenge."
"So why exactly are you here?" Jeanette turned to face him again but with a raised eyebrow this time.
"I came to visit you girls." Kazuo winked again. This caused Jeanette to roll her eyes. "And visit Eliza."
"But she's still asleep." Gabriella said to him.
"She will wake up in five minutes." Beatrice said to Kazuo. "I am certain of that."
"That foresight of yours again?" Kazuo frowned. "Fine, I'll go to the cabin and watch for the time." He went off to the girls' cabin without another word.
"Hey wait! Some girls may be changing!" Abby protested.
"Nobody is changing." Beatrice shook her head.
"Oh." Abby turned towards Beatrice and stared at her for a couple of seconds. "Okay then."
~Confessional~
Beatrice: Because my foresight is not fully developed, I may or may not be useful to the team. That part is still vague to me. Other vague parts include eliminations and challenges for the day. At least I can tell you that Abby and Gabriella will make a confession after mine respectively. What is vague is what they will talk about.
Abby: If Beatrice's foresight is true, then that could really be helpful for our team. I'll also try to work with Jeanette when it comes to making team plays. As a team manager, it's my job too.
Gabriella: I don't fully believe in that foresight thing Beatrice says she has. She obviously looks like an indoors person so she's probably making that up so she can be useful in outdoor challenges. I'll keep a close eye on her just in case, but I'm calling it right now that she's a phony.
~End Confessional~
Over at the boys' cabin, Gabriel just finished wearing his usual clothes while Antoine was sitting on his bed reading a comic book.
"I had pegged you for the type...to read encyclopedias...not comic books." Gabriel rolled his eyes as he adjusted his bracelet on his arm.
"Shut up." Antoine glared. "I'm just, um, reading this so I can judge the nerds who read this."
"Sure..." Gabriel said, clearly unconvinced. Caleb entered the room in a hurry and flopped down on the bed. He took out a few metal parts from his pockets and began working on something in the bed.
"What is he doing?" Antoine glanced at Caleb.
"No idea...don't care..." Gabriel sighed.
"Hey you! What are you doing over there!?" Antoine called out rudely to Caleb.
"I'm busy." Caleb said dismissively as he kept working and tinkering on something.
"A sad and dumb man like you can't just ignore me like that." Antoine huffed.
"Guess he wised up by doing so..." Gabriel snickered.
"Shut up!" Antoine turned his glare towards Gabriel, who returned the intense stare. Antoine gulped for a bit but caught himself and just flipped through the pages of his comic book angrily. "You people are just jealous of my intelligence." He grunted.
"Sure we are..." Gabriel rolled his eyes again and took out a scrambled Rubik's cube from his bag and began trying to finish matching all the colors. Antoine took a glance at his progress and saw how fast his hands were moving, getting closer and closer to completing the whole thing. He then glanced at Caleb and saw him complete a mini catapult. The latter tested it out by launching a small pebble and it sailed through the air in a perfect arc and landed in the trash bin.
~Confessional~
Antoine: Okay so these two are clearly talented and smart. I gotta keep up the pressure so they don't know I'm being fake. I gotta act superior to them! And yet, I think Gabriel is onto me. Or nah, I think I'm giving him too much credit. I just need to establish that they're both dumbasses so the team will vote them off and keep me around.
Gabriel: Antoine...doesn't scare me. I can see right through him...and I know he isn't all he makes himself out to be...But I can use that to my advantage...I just need to bide my time a little bit.
Caleb: *show the mini catapult made of scrap metal and wood and cogs to the camera* Maybe I can use this thing in the next challenge. Hopefully it involves flinging things around so this can be useful. That Antoine is getting on my nerves, especially since I'm not doing anything to him. Good thing I just ignored him and kept working.
~End Confessional~
Eliza yawned and woke up, sitting up and looking around groggily. She saw all the girls inside save for Jeanette, Gabriella, Abby, and Beatrice.
"Oh, you're awake." Jamie noticed as she put on her shoes. "It's almost time for breakfast."
"Breakfast?" Eliza repeated with a yawn. "What's the food?"
"I heard it's gonna be fish!" Nymeria exclaimed.
"From the river? I wonder what that will taste like." Alysson wondered.
"I'm not choosy." Winona shrugged. "We should definitely be grateful to even have a source of food." She smiled.
"Good point." Alysson admitted.
"What's your favorite fish, Silvia?" Jamie asked the cosplayer.
"I personally like sardines but I definitely like any kind of fried fish." Silvia answered.
"I eat any fish that isn't poisonous." Eliza smirked.
"Fair point." Jamie giggled.
"Hey, let's all have a group picture." Caitlyn suggested as she waved her camera. "You know, for the memories."
"But what about the girls outside?" Alysson asked.
"We can always take more." The journalist said.
"Yeah! Let's do it!" Nymeria said excitedly.
Caitlyn got her tripod from her belongings and propped it up in a space in the room then prepared her camera before joining the other girls in the other side.
"I like the morning looks we have going on." Winona giggled. "I heard it's a trend in some fashion magazines."
"I don't really mind the trends." Silvia shrugged.
"But it makes for good publicity when I put this one on the papers." Caitlyn grinned as she activated the timer on the camera. "Now smile, girls!"
"Cheese!" Nymeria smiled. They all posed a little as the flash went off.
~Confessional~
Eliza: From where I'm from and what I do, I don't get a lot of beauty sleep or even sleep like a princess so you'll forgive me for sleeping longer than normal. I used to have that kind of life, but not anymore. Maybe winning the million will help me get back to that sort of life!
Winona: These girls all look so friendly! I kinda expected the other team to gloat since they won and all but I'm glad they're being good sports. I hope we can all get along great!
Nymeria: So...are we gonna gloat about our victory or nah?
~End Confessional~
After a long walk, the campers all met up at the docks where Valnoir and Blaineley were waiting for them. Beside the hosts were racks of paintball guns and a table with paintball magazines and pouches.
"Welcome, campers!" Valnoir greeted them. "How's breakfast?"
"My stomach feels funny." Keith said with a groan.
"Same here." Quincey added. "But otherwise it was adequate."
"The fish was great." Silvia said with a smile. "Gabriella cooked it well." She smiled at the girl.
"No problem! It's always great to start off the morning with nice food." Gabriella grinned. "Plus Abby was so great at spearing fish."
"That's only because Jeanette knew which areas to spear fish in. She's pretty observant." Abby complimented. Jeanette spun her parasol a bit.
"Yes, darling. That is true." Jeanette smiled.
"Interesting." Silvia nodded before looking away.
"Those girls are working together nicely...I wonder how I can exploit that.." Gabriel muttered to himself.
"Well I hope that teamwork will serve you well because it's time for the next challenge." Blaineley announced.
"We're going to have a paintball challenge." Valnoir grinned. "Seems easy enough, right?"
"No catch?" Antoine asked skeptically.
"No catch." Valnoir assured. "Although, the White Stallions will have to sit out one member to be fair." He looked towards the White Stallion team.
"I'll sit out." Beatrice raised her hand.
"Aw, too bad you gotta be in the bench." Jackie pouted. "But we'll win this challenge no worries!"
"I sure hope so." Beatrice gave a small smile.
"Well that was an easy decision." Valnoir chuckled.
"Now to explain the challenge." Blaineley stepped forward. "Each team will be given some time to create a battle plan in order to defeat the other team. The White Stallions will go back to the forest and the Black Knights will go to the riverside. After some time has passed, we will sound the horn to signal that the challenge has started."
"Once you hear that, you may now go and shoot the members of the other team. If those in the White Stallions get hit on the body by the black paint, they're eliminated. Same goes if the Black Knights get splattered with white paint. The winning team is decided if only their members stand. Beatrice will remain here with us since she sat out of the challenge." Valnoir explained.
"Any questions?" Blaineley asked.
"We can do anything as long as the other team's members get hit by paint right?" Caleb asked.
"Yeah, so you guys can be creative if you want." Valnoir said.
"That's good to know." Kazuo smiled. Eliza saw this and grinned as well.
"I wonder what he has planned now." Eliza wondered to herself.
"No more questions?" Blaineley asked. No one said anything. "Good. Now go!" She ordered. The teams grabbed their weapons and ammo then split off towards their designated spots.
(White Stallions)
The team gathered around the boys' cabin to discuss their battle plan for the challenge.
"Gather around, everyone." Jeanette said to her team. "I already have the perfect plan for us."
"Really? Let's hear it." Abby said.
"I noticed that Quincey and Keith aren't feeling so well. Therefore, they will remain behind the rest of us." Jeanette started.
"But I am an excellent shooter. You need me in the front lines." Quincey protested.
"Same here. I gotta know which ones on the enemy team are government spies." Keith insisted.
"Come on, listen to her plan." Abby said to them both.
"Yeah! We gotta work together in order to win." Nymeria added. Daniel nodded in agreement.
"With Beatrice sitting out, we won't be held back." Jackie stated. "However, Jeanette's plan will further help us. I'll listen to what she has to say if it means winning at any cost."
"Well said, Jackie." Jeanette smiled at the jester. "Now the rest of us will go to the front lines and meet the enemy head on. All except for Gabriella."
"Why?" Gabriella blinked.
"You, Quincey, and Keith will stay here and use the forest as our last stand." Jeanette stated. "Is that acceptable?"
"Fine." Keith grunted.
"I can agree to that. I have memorized the layout of this place after all." Quincey added.
"We'll be fine?" Alysson asked Jeanette. The latter nodded.
"Of course. We still have Jackie, Nymeria, and Abby as our vanguards." Jeanette said confidently.
"Yeah!" Nymeria agreed. "Wait, what are vanguards?" Suddenly they heard the horn blare.
"That's our cue, let's go everyone!" Abby said and went along with the main group headed outwards.
~Confessional~
Keith: No way am I following what Jeanette just said. I just need to wait until they're out of sight before I move out. The other team has potential government spies too and it would be bad if the team fell victim to them. I can use my military skills to get the upper hand.
Jackie: We're going to win this challenge just like the last one, no questions asked. No offense to Beatrice, but she isn't physically fit to join in. I am a bit surprised she volunteered for it, but it doesn't matter.
~End Confessional~
(Black Knights)
Minutes before the horn blared, the team gathered around as well to discuss about the challenge.
"Who's good at shooting here?" Silvia asked.
"Me, of course. I'm a police officer." Jamie grinned and pointed to herself proudly. "I got both police training and my family's personal training regimen to back me up."
"I can shoot a handgun a bit." Caitlyn shrugged. She then carried her paintball gun. "But not so much on a gun like this."
"I have experience from when I practiced at the range." Kazuo raised his hand with a smile.
"Well I know how to use one. Don't ask how." Eliza smirked.
"Of course I can use one too!" Antoine insisted. "In fact, I'm a better shot than all of you."
"Really?" Silvia raised her eyebrow.
"I'll just hang around the back lines then." Caleb sighed. "Not much of a shooter."
"Same goes for me." Winona frowned. "I don't like violence."
"Wan just stay here and be the last line...of defense..." Gabriel offered. "It's a good tactic for those who prefer fighting here..."
"Then you guys can stay here and shoot off the rest." Caitlyn said.
"Wait, Antoine said he's a better shot than anyone else, right?" Kazuo asked with a grin.
"Well yeah of course!" Antoine smirked.
"He's bluffing." Jamie pouted. Kazuo turned towards the police officer.
"If he's truly so great, then we won't be needing you." He aimed his gun at Jamie and fired once, catching her chest in white paint.
"Hey!" Jamie looked shocked.
"Kazuo, what are you doing!?" Winoan gasped and covered her mouth.
"Are you throwing...the challenge?" Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him.
"Nothing of the sort." Kazuo said. "I just wanted to see if Antoine can live up to his word, and I wanna see the consequences of losing the aid of a police officer."
"Seriously?" Silvia groaned in annoyance.
"Seriously?" Eliza perked up in amusement.
"Dumbass." Antoine blinked before glaring at him.
"That's going to cost us the challenge." Silvia pointed out.
"Will it though?" Kazuo asked.
"This is going bad." Caleb sighed and shook his head. Before anyone could say anything else, the horn blared. "Oh great, now the challenge has started."
"If we lose, we're eliminating you." Caitlyn frowned and followed the others out of the riverbank.
"And I was looking forward to it too." Jamie pouted and sat the steps by the cabin.
"Maybe next time." Kazuo smirked and joined the others.
~Confessional~
Kazuo: Time to see what the butterfly effect has in store for me now that Jamie won't help us in the challenge. This is going to get interesting indeed. Not to mention I have to do my best so I won't get eliminated. *he grins*
Winona: I wonder why Kazuo did that. Does he want us to lose? We just lost the last challenge so he should be helping us and not ruining our chances more.
Caleb: Can we just eliminate Kazuo already? He's getting really annoying. But maybe we can still win if I try to be more creative here.
~End Confessional~
Valnoir stood by the docks along with Blaineley.
"Now that our teams have their battle plans, which one will claim victory?" Valnoir smirked.
"The Black Knights aren't looking so good now that Kazuo did something random and weird. Without Jamie, will they still snag the win?" Blaineley turned to her fellow host.
"Only time will tell." Valnoir chuckled. "Let's see how they're doing now."
Over at the White Stallions' side, the front line group has already made significant ground cover. Jeanette, Abby, and Nymeria stayed together and broke off from the others to try and flank the other team from the side. This left Daniel, Alysson, and Jackie headed straight to meet with the other team in the rocky plains ahead.
"Let's make sure we win again." Jackie said sternly to his teammates. Daniel looked hesitant but nodded, his crow making a sound before taking to the air.
"Will Jeanette and the others be able to corner them in time?" Alysson asked.
"They will. We have to do what we can." Jackie said.
"Oooh, I like a man in charge." Alysson flirted.
"No time for that. Focus on the challenge." Jackie glared intensely at Alysson, causing the trap to flinch a bit and looked down.
"Y-Yeah." Alysson answered.
Daniel pointed ahead of them to warm them of something. Jackie squinted his eyes and saw some members of the Black Knights also closing the distance.
Eliza, Kazuo, Silvia, Antoine, and Caitlyn came from the other side, their weapons ready to open fire.
"Hide behind those boulders." Caitlyn pointed at two large boulders and the team immediately went for cover.
"What's our plan?" Kazuo asked.
"Easy. You all become bait while I gun them down." Antoine smirked.
"That's not what we're gonna do." Silvia sighed. "We all go to opposite sides of our cover and do a pincer attack on them."
"I think I only saw three of them on the other side though." Kazuo pointed out. "What if the others are going to ambush us?"
"Then I'll cover our rear and save your sorry asses." Antoine offered with a wide grin. "Leave it all to me!"
"Let's just let Antoine do what he wants." Eliza smirked. "Give the guy some room to brag."
"What did you say!?" Antoine snapped.
"They're coming!" Caitlyn warned them. White paint splattered on the rock but didn't catch any of them on their bodies.
"Split up and run wild!" Eliza ordered. "We can catch them if we focus one separate targets."
"So even if they have an ambush planned, it'll be easy to escape?" Kazuo asked. Eliza nodded. "Good plan." He broke away from cover and sped away from the scene while opening fire, managing to catch Jackie by the shoulder.
"God dammit!" The jester cursed loudly with a glare. "We're gonna lose now!" He threw down his paintball gun angrily.
"Chill out." Alysson said to him. Daniel shook his head at Jackie to back up Alysson.
"Dammit just win the challenge!" Jackie ordered. Alysson fearfully aimed his gun at Kazuo, but the latter was nowhere to be seen. Daniel rounded the corner and found Silvia and Eliza trying to escape but the other members already gone.
"We got you now!" Abby exclaimed as she and Nymeria got the jump on Eliza and Silvia and blocked their escape.
"Oh yeah?" Silvia opened fire and almost hit Nymeria had she not rolled to the side to avoid it. "Go, Eliza!"
"Sorry." Eliza said before sprinting in the opposite direction while laying down cover fire for her escape. She managed to get out of the rocky field and into the cover of the trees but not before seeing Silvia get shot in the sides by Nymeria and Abby.
Abby and Alysson joined up after separating from the main group in order to give chase to Eliza.
"Where's Nymeria?" Alysson asked his teammate.
"She wanted to chase down Antoine and Caitlyn, said it'll be an easy chase." Abby shrugged. "She ran off before I could stop her. Where's Daniel?"
"With Jeanette trying to go after Kazuo. Jeanette said she'll need Daniel's tracking skills with her." The trap said.
"Fair enough I suppose." Abby nodded. "I trust Jeanette's battle plan."
"Really? You like her?" Alysson asked.
"More like value her being an asset to this team." Abby clarified. "As a person, well that's yet to be judged."
"I see." Alysson nodded.
"Why are you asking?" Abby wondered.
"No reason- Look out!" Alysson pushed her to the side just as Eliza came out of hiding and fired a burst shot at them. Abby fell to her side and therefore avoided the shots but Alysson wasn't so lucky, getting black paint all over his torso.
"What?" Abby looked shocked for a moment. She then picked up her gun and was about to fire on Eliza when the latter reacted faster and fired at her first.
"Gotcha." Eliza smirked. "Quick on the draw, that's me."
"You're good." Abby conceded.
"But the others can still win it for us." Alysson pouted.
"I'll make sure they won't, darling." Eliza said before running off.
~Confessional~
Alysson: So it doesn't look like Jeanette is hated by the others. This might make it difficult to get her eliminated, but for now I have to make sure we don't even go to elimination. Okay, so I'm out and I can't help out anymore but you get my point.
Abby: Eliza is a good shooter, it appears. I hope the others can win this for us. I wonder how Jeanette is doing on her end.
~End Confessional~
Kazuo dashed through the forest and tried to avoid his pursuers. He noticed a black crow flying high above him and he narrowed his eyes.
"Is that the pet crow from that one guy? Um, Daniel was it?" Kazuo tried to remember. "Should I try to shoot it down?" He aimed his gun upwards and shot at the black bird, but the crow swiftly dodged every shot.
Jeanette saw him by her side as she ran while aiming her gun at him. Daniel was on Kazuo's opposite side, also with his gun aimed down at him.
"We have you surrounded." Jeanette declared.
"So you do." Kazuo grinned.
"Might as well stop running." Jeanette insisted.
"Fine." He suddenly halted in his tracks then backflipped once before aiming his gun at Daniel, firing a few rounds just as Daniel fired his on the spot Kazuo was before he backflipped. Daniel got pelted with Kazuo's shots and he stopped and looked disappointed.
"What?" Jeanette gasped and stopped as well, firing at Kazuo just as he fired at her. Both paint balls hit but only Kazuo got hit on his body, due to Jeanette's parasol blocking his shot. "It would seem I have won this battle."
"Using your umbrella to shield you, that's impressive." Kazuo grinned. "Well played."
"You surprised me as well. I did not expect you to suddenly stop. It was a good fight." Jeanette smiled.
"That it was." Kazuo grinned and somersaulted out of the scene.
~Confessional~
Jeanette: I may come off as proud and stuck up, but I value good sportsmanship. I acknowledge Kazuo's skill and improvisation tactics, though he is quite hard to read if he was able to surprise me like that. No matter, time will grace me with learning more about him soon.
Kazuo: That Jeanette is pretty good. I wonder if she's single. Just kidding, why would I try to date someone from the enemy team? Although, I want to see the consequences of that too.
~End Confessional~
Nymeria chased down Antoine and Caitlyn as the two were trying to retreat back to the riverbank.
"Here I come!" Nymeria giggled and fired at them. The two Black Knight members were able to take cover behind two separate boulders.
"Arrogant dumbass." Antoine cursed.
"Let's retaliate!" Caitlyn ordered as she peeked out from cover and opened fie as well, with Antoine following suit.
"Ahh!" Nymeria rolled to the side to avoid the shots and took cover behind a large oak tree in the plains.
Antoine reloaded and ran out of cover while letting out an awkward battle cry, charging towards the tree where Nymeria hid. Caitlyn looked on with shocked eyes at his sudden move.
"Wait!" The journalist tried to say.
"Don't underestimate me, brat!" Antoine exclaimed as he aimed his gun at the tree and sidestepped, only to see Nymeria grab his wrist and twist it behind him before firing at his hip with her paintball gun.
"Took the bait." Nymeria smirked victoriously. She then used him as a human shield and fired at Caitlyn, but the journalist was already back to running away while laying down covering fire to aid in her escape.
"See ya." Caitlyn grinned as she ran
"Hey don't leave me here!" Antoine protested. Nymeria just shoved him aside and went back to chasing down Caitlyn.
"I'm gonna get'cha!" Nymeria giggled as she reloaded.
Caitlyn neared the riverbank but didn't see the rest of her members waiting for her. She then stopped in her tracks when the ground in front of her started getting pelted with white paint. Nymeria closed the distance between them and tried to fire again but realized she ran out in the magazine.
"Aw man." Nymeria pouted. This gave Caitlyn the chance to aim her gun and fire, but she got splattered in the side of her head by white paint. She recoiled back then whipped her head around to she who got her. Keith stood there with his paintball gun drawn.
"Looks like I came at just the right time." Keith panted.
"Great shot." Nymeria praised with a grin.
"Really? My face?" Caitlyn sighed and tried to wipe off the paint off her cheek.
"I always aim for the headshot." Keith shrugged. "Now tell us where your government leaders are!" He demanded.
"Government leaders?" Caitlyn raised an eyebrow.
"Stand back, Caitlyn. I got this." Eliza's voice came from across them all. She walked towards them with her gun aimed at Keith.
"You should have taken the shot instead of announcing yourself." Caitlyn frowned.
"But that would be too boring." Eliza giggled. "Now go and clear the battlefield." Caitlyn just sighed and walked back to the cabin.
Nymeria finished reloading and said to Keith. "Hey Keith, do you think she's a government spy too?"
"I don't think so." Keith shook his head after taking one good look at Eliza.
"Oh?" Eliza raised her eyebrow. "I don't strike you as one?"
"Nope. You're more like a criminal wannabe who thinks she's the hotshot or something to that effect." Keith waved her off.
"What!?" Eliza's eye twitched and she gripped her paintball gun tighter.
"Ooohh, sick burn." Nymeria exclaimed and then giggled.
"How dare you!?" Eliza fired at them in a burst shot but they both dodged to the side.
"And definitely not the skills of a government spy." Keith shook his head solemnly as he dodged another burst shot from Eliza. He retaliated by firing his own bullets but the latter crouched to avoid them.
"Gotcha!" Nymeria fired at her but Eliza rolled backwards and fired her last shot, hitting Nymeria square in the stomach. "Ow! You got me." She pouted. She sadly gave them space and went back to the forest area.
"It's up to me now." Keith looked at his opponent intently. "Come on, wannabe."
"Shut it! I'll show you that you're nothing to me." Eliza glared as she reloaded. Keith took this chance to dash forward and shove the butt of the gun against her face. Eliza managed to step back to avoid the hit but Keith kept the pressure and pushed her back further using the gun's body. "Grr.." Eliza dropped her gun due to the shove and instead went to tackle him down.
"Whoa." Keith looked shocked as she wrestled for his gun while trying to overpower him. Keith moved to the side and went to push the butt of the gun against her cheek, but Eliza tripped his feet first and sent him falling backwards.
"It's over." Eliza crouched down to pick up her paintball gun and finish him off but Keith rolled to his side and jumped back up. Her shots didn't connect as it hit the ground where he once was.
"Predictable." Keith said as he took up a fighting stance. Eliza snarled a bit and aimed her gun at him and fired again, but he twirled to the side to avoid it again. He spun back and elbowed her face, but she reacted fast and blocked it with her palm. She fired a shot to his gut, but he used his free hand to grip the side of the barrel and shove it off target, letting the shot go wide. he then punched her in the stomach which made her recoil back in pain.
"Gah! Damn you!" Eliza snarled and tried to tackled him down again, but Keith did a roundhouse kick to knock her back, her rage making her unable to dodge it. The boy then picked up his paintball gun again and fired once, hitting her in the leg as she fell to the ground.
"And just like that, I win." Keith said in a slightly bored tone. "Now, back to government spy hunting." Wearing his tin foil hat, he ran off.
~Confessional~
Eliza: I can't believe Keith is that skilled. Maybe I really did underestimate him there. He looked like this usual paranoid guy who spends so much time panicking to actual train for combat. Those moves are almost like something they teach you at military school.
Keith: My parents are tied to the military, so they taught me self defense and gun mastery in pistols, rifles, and shotguns to an extent. My melee may need a bit more work but at least it fended off a criminal wannabe.
~End Confessional~
Gabriella and Quincey met up at the edge of the forest area.
"Did Keith run off on his own?" Quincey sighed.
"Apparently so." Gabriella confirmed. "I couldn't find him anywhere around here."
"Then we should go as well." Quincey stated. "The other team won't expect us to go in full force."
"But that's not part of Jeanette's plan." Gabriella pointed out and frowned.
"I know, but tactics are dynamic." Quincey turned to face her. "If you cannot adapt to the situation, then it is as good as lost." He suddenly gripped his stomach and looked a bit pained. "Agh, my stomach hurts."
"Maybe you shouldn't go out there-" Gabriella started but Quincey held up his hand.
"I'll be alright. Let us off." He insisted. Gabriella only sighed before following him out of the forest and out into the plains.
They ran for a few minutes while being alert of anyone from the Black Knights. They moved quickly but Quincey lagged behind a bit due to his aching stomach. He tried his best to hide it from Gabriella as they went closer to the riverbank. There they saw Keith crouching down behind a large boulder while overlooking the cabin. Even he felt pained by his stomach now and is evidently cursing to himself for it.
"Damn it. Just hang in there." Keith muttered as his two teammates arrived.
"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked.
"Nothing. Just my stomach." Keith grunted. "I saw one of those spies over by the cabin. He didn't seem to notice me though." He pointed in the distance where Gabriel was sitting on the porch with his gun at the ready. Gabriella gasped a bit but no one seemed to notice.
"I can't take him out from here. If memory serves, these paintball guns do not travel long distances accurately." Quincey said.
"Then let's get closer and take him out." Keith said as he stood up.
"But what if it's a trap?" Gabriella suggested.
"Then you both go and I flank him from the side." Keith said impatiently. "Hurry up so I can interrogate him about the government's secret plans for world domination." Both Quincey and Gabriella just shook their heads and sighed but did not complain.
They traversed to the other side of the river before Keith broke off from the group and went to the side to ambush Gabriel. Gabriel saw Quincey and Gabriella approach him.
"You wanna do this?..." Gabriel raised an eyebrow at Gabriella.
"It's the challenge." Gabriella said but shakily held her gun. She fired a shot but Gabriel leaped off from the steps and rolled to the side just as Quincey was aiming at him as well. He grunted as his stomach started hurting and missed his shot against Gabriel's head.
"Not bad..." Gabriel said before firing from his own paintball gun and shooting Gabriella which hit her in the thigh.
"Well I lost." Gabriella sighed in defeat.
"I'll finish him off." Quincey promised as he sidestepped gracefully to avoid Gabriel's next burst shot.
"Really?...Come at me then..." Gabriel taunted as he stepped forward while firing one bullet at the time. Quincey kept sidestepping and swaying to avoid them and fired his own burst shot, which Gabriel immediately hopped to the side to dodge. "You're pretty good.."
"You're not bad yourself." Quincey said but then gripped his stomach afterwards. "Gah!" Gabriel's eyes widened but instantly took this chance to fire his last shot in the magazine and splatter paint on Quincey's hand that was gripping his stomach.
"And I win this round..." Gabriel smirked.
"Yeah yeah. Whatever." Gabriella rolled her eyes then left while helping Quincey.
"I'm truly sorry about all this." Quincey said softly to her as they left.
~Confessional~
Quincey: Is this because of the berries I ate? Was some of it not edible? But the ones gathering the berries were Jackie, Kazuo, and myself. Wait a minute. Kazuo! He must have slipped in poisonous berries. He did ask about it earlier. But why would he do that when we're going to be doing challenges like this? I have to tell the others.
Gabriella: Yeah Gabriel is my twin brother. Younger brother, that is. He's been interested in guns ever since we were kids. He would buy a lot of toy guns and play shooting games with the neighbors until he decided to play shooting games in his computer. Seriously, he needs to go out more. It's a big world and he's wasting it.
Gabriel: My sister Gabriella...doesn't understand the value of being indoors...and staying in your safe zone. This challenge proved that home advantage is key...and that being on the defensive can still open up to better opportunities. Not only that...she hates lethal weaponry too. Granted...these guns aren't meant to kill but it's embedded in her mind...that guns are dangerous.
~End Confessional~
Jeanette went around the riverbank to see if she can get the rest of the Black Knights in an ambush. She weaved through the trees with her parasol in front of her as a shield. She didn't see anyone in sight so she moved closer and closer to the cabin. She then saw movement out of the corner of her eye and immediately spun around to block an incoming black paint ball. Winona came out of hiding from the bushes while frowning.
"Aw, I was so close too." The fashionista said.
"You almost got me, I will admit that." Jeanette smiled before aiming her paintball gun at her. "But this is where I say goodbye."
"Wait!" Winona pleaded. "Can you just shoot my hand? I don't want paint on my dress and shoes."
"Alright, I'll respect your request." Jeanette said. "I do understand your situation after all." She aimed carefully then fired on the other girl's outstretched hand. Winona closed her eyes in fear as the shot was fired then slowly opened them to see that her clothes were unharmed.
"Thank you so much!" Winona exclaimed.
"Do not mention it, darling. Like I said, I am a fashionista too. We have to look out for each other desptie being on different teams." Jeanette waved her hand at her as she continued on her way.
"Of course! I'll repay you someday." Winona said.
~Confessional~
Winona: Jeanette is such a nice girl. I wish we ended up on the same team. But I have to be satisfied with the teammates I have now and work to make sure we win. Well I guess all I can do is cheer them on now that I'm out of the challenge but it's better than being negative, right?
~End Confessional~
Keith went around the cabin and entered through the window, rolling along the ground then sweeping the room with his gun at the ready. He found no one from the other team. He saw a shelf with nothing in it save for a small catapult, and beside it is a large wardrobe.
"For a government agent...you sure hide in simple places!" Keith exclaimed as he suddenly opened the wardrobe then sidestepped, letting a paintball fly past him.
"Darn. My surprise attack failed." Caleb grunted while clenching his right fist. He bursted out of the wardrobe before Keith could shoot him.
"You don't look like you could be a government- argh!" Keith gripped his stomach in pain. "Not now!"
Caleb took this chance to shoot him, but the other boy managed to roll and avoid it. Keith then aimed his gun shakily and fired, missing Caleb's shoulder by the centimeter.
"Come on, just hit something." Caleb fired again but missed due to bad aiming because he only held his gun in his left hand. Keith saw this and shook his head.
"What bad gun mastery for a government spy." Keith 'tsk'ed and aimed to fire at him again when he felt something hit his upper back. He reached around and felt it with his hand before seeing that it was black paint. "Wait, what?" He whirled around and saw the catapult facing him, having just fired a paint ball.
"I may not have gun mastery, but at least my catapult worked. Like it?" Caleb grinned. He showed his open right palm, then that's when Keith saw a thin string attached to the catapult trigger.
"You know what?" Keith turned to face him. "Yeah, it's nice. You got the makings of a rebel. Maybe we'll see each other again when we bring the world into anarchy to overthrow the government powers!"
"Um, yeah. Sure." Caleb said uneasily.
~Confessional~
Caleb: Hey at least I helped out my team a little. I dunno, Keith seemed like a power player if he made it this far into the challenge.
Keith: I gotta get Caleb to my side when merge hits before the government does! I won't let that Daniel sink his claws into him. Or maybe his crow does the claw sinking- Agh it doesn't matter you get the point!
~End Confessional~
After Keith had left, Caleb propped up his catapult and loaded it again. Gabriel entered the cabin to meet with him
"Is there anyone else left?..." Gabriel asked the tinkerer.
"If the challenge has ended, wouldn't Valnoir let us know?" Caleb asked back.
"Good point..." Gabriel sighed and flopped down on the bed. "If we lose...who will you vote for?.."
"Talking about losing already?" Caleb looked at him.
"Just wanna...weigh my options..." Gabriel stated. "And with a same sex cabin...it's going to be hard to get the girls' opinions...So what do you say?"
"You want an alliance?" Caleb asked. He then shrugged and went back to tending to his catapult. "Sure thing as long as you don't bother me when I'm working."
"Working?..." Gabriel glanced at what the other boy was doing and then noticed the small mechanism. "Was that how you...defeated Keith?"
"Yeah." Caleb said nonchalantly as he thought of the position the catapult should be facing.
"I suggest making the catapult face this door..." Gabriel pointed at the front door. "It'll be easy to defend the windows...but if they storm the front door then we need more paint balls..flying that way." He explained.
"Good idea." Caleb positioned the catapult so it would face the front door and soon finished his preparation.
"So how do you fire it?..." Gabriel asked. Caleb held up his string.
"With this. I just tug at it and the lock trips and it fires." He explained. "It's pretty simple."
"Yet it got out one of the other team..." Gabriel smiled a bit. "Impressive.."
"Thanks." Caleb scratched the back of his head. He then saw movement by the window. "I think they're here." He readied his gun. Gabriel did the same and sat up from his bed. The tinkerer peeked outside the window but saw no one there. "Where did they go?"
"Over here!..." Gabriel called out as he began firing when the front door opened to reveal Jeanette. Her parasol was already in front of her, blocking all the paint balls Gabriel fired.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen." Jeanette greeted with a smile. "I take it you're the only ones remaining to stand for your team?"
"I guess so..." Gabriel narrowed his eyes at her.
"It's two against one." Caleb frowned. "You don't stand a chance."
"Is that right? Great minds can conquer the world, you know." Jeanette laughed a bit.
"Hmph...let's do this." Gabriel reloaded and immediately rolled under the bed when Jeanette began firing at him.
Caleb took cover by the wardrobe and opened the door to further shield himself as Jeanette fired at him before she reloaded. Caleb peeked out and was about to tug at the string when he saw Gabriel from under the bed shake his head at him.
"Take this!" Caleb fired at Jeanette blindly as he pointed his gun out and just started to open fire. This caused his shots to be very inaccurate and therefore Jeanette was able to block it easily.
"Are you panicking?" Jeanette gave an amused scoff. "This should be easy then." She sidestepped a bit to get a good aim at Caleb and fired once, almost getting him if not for him retreating back his hand.
"Don't think he's...your only opponent." Gabriel clenched his teeth and peeked out from under the bed, firing more shots at Jeanette before getting back to cover. Jeanette blocked those as well then came up with a plan.
"Hiding under the bed will not improve your defense." Jeanette said as she crouched and aimed.
"Ha!...You fell for it.." Gabriel smirked as he came out of hiding and saw her exposed shoulders. He was about to fire when he noticed that Jeanette was aiming above the bed and not under it. The girl smiled victoriously as she took the first shot and hit Gabriel right in the torso. "Ugh...Damn it.." He cursed to himself.
"I am the tactical genius, it seems." Jeanette said proudly, still crouching. "Now for the last one." She aimed her gun at Caleb's exposed boots.
"Now!..." Gabriel told him. Caleb nodded and immediately tugged on the string, making the catapult launch the black paint ball.
"What?" Jeanette looked up at the small sound made by the catapult and got hit on the forehead. Black paint streaked down her cheeks as she had a shocked look on her face. "What?" She repeated.
"Guess you're not a tactical genius..." Gabriel smirked. At that, the air horn sounded to signal the end of the challenge.
"It looks like the Black Knights have won the challenge. White Stallions, I'll see you at the docks for the ceremony in an hour." Valnoir's voice rang out in the megaphones scattered around the island.
"It was a good challenge, either way." Jeanette said as she wiped some of the black paint off with her hand.
"Yeah. Sure thing." Caleb said nonchalantly without glancing her way as he tended to his catapult.
"Go to your teammates then...an hour isn't enough to get both sexes to cooperate with votes..." Gabriel suggested. "Based from experience..of course.."
"I will take your word for it then. But I am confident this vote will go my way." Jeanette smiled as she left with Gabriel and Caleb following behind.
~Confessional~
Jeanette: We may have lost this challenge, but we can only learn from this mistake and come back stronger. In order to make sure of that, the elimination of a weak link is in order.
~End Confessional~
The White Stallions met up at the rocky plains where they first clashed with the other team in the challenge. All of them looked splattered in black paint one way or another.
"It's official. Jeanette has it worst." Nymeria chimed as Jeanette approached the team.
"A forehead shot." Quincey noticed. "Did Gabriel get you?"
"No." Jeanette shook her head. "It was a catapult."
"I know how that feels." Keith sighed.
"But now we lost so we gotta vote someone off." Gabriella shook her head sadly.
"That's the only way." Abby said to her. "Our team needs to cut off the weakest link."
"I agree." Jeanette nodded.
"We're going to spare Beatrice, right?" Jackie laughed, going back to his jolly demeanor. "We can't blame someone who had to sit out." He waggled his finger at them.
"That's fair." Abby nodded.
"Then I say we vote him out!" Keith pointed an accusatory finger at Daniel, who stood a bit further away from the others.
"This again?" Alysson sighed in exasperation. "Que c'est ennuyeux!"
"It's only day two and you're already sick of it, huh?" Beatrice glanced towards him.
"You guys don't understand. Daniel is a government spy!" Keith insisted.
"Does this mean you'll vote for him?" Abby asked.
"Yeah and no one can change my vote!" Keith declared.
"I'm with you!" Nymeria raised her hand eagerly.
"Wait, what?" Gabriella blinked at Nymeria's sudden volunteering.
"Nymeria, we will talk later." Jeanette said sternly to the girl.
"What about you? Who will you vote for tonight?" Quincey asked Jeanette.
"I will consider voting for Daniel, but not because of the reason Keith gave." Jeanette stated. "However, I am open to suggestions."
"I say we vote for Jackie." Alysson spoke up. "He was too mean to me during he challenge." He cried crocodile tears to be more dramatic.
"All for the sake of the challenge." Jackie laughed and shrugged him off. "Not my fault I acted that way. I wanted to win. Do you?"
"Yeah of course but you don't gotta be so mean about it. You won't even say sorry." Alysson said softly and cutely.
"Not sorry." Jackie laughed, oblivious to his charms. "Plus maybe I would have been nicer if we had a better plan."
"Excuse me?" Jeanette narrowed her eyes at the jester.
"Your plan didn't work." Jackie laughed. "It was pretty funny, but we still lost."
"I did that to keep Keith and Quincey out of the front lines." Jeanette argued.
"Which is a bad move because like I said, I'm a good shot." Quincey said.
"But your stomach was aching." Gabriella pointed out. "Even Keith was having the same problem."
"The government must have poisoned our food." Keith accused, glaring daggers at Daniel. The latter just rolled his eyes and his crow gave a single squawk.
"I think everyone did their best." Beatrice smiled.
"But we still lost. So someone is doing it wrong." Jackie grinned from ear to ear while glancing at all of them.
"This is going to be one messy vote." Abby shook her head.
"I get it. No one wants to be voted off." Nymeria frowned.
"But we have no choice. In fact, we only have around twenty minutes left to discuss." Alysson said.
"Then let us adjourn the meeting. It is clear we cannot reach an unanimous decision." Jeanette sighed and turned away. She glanced at Abby and she gazed back, then understood what she meant. Jeanette walked away to leave the team alone.
"Fine then! But I won't change my vote." Keith said adamantly as he brisk walked away on his own. Quincey followed behind him without trying to catch up.
"Really?" Alysson shook his head at him before walking off on his own. Jackie grabbed his wrist along with Beatrice's and made them follow him back to the forest area.
"Come with me, friends. I wanna show you something." Jackie laughed and was practically skipping away.
"Alright." Beatrice nodded but looked confused.
"We're not friends." Alysson pouted and tried to break free but the jester's grip tightened. "This better be good."
Daniel was left behind with his crow. He glanced around at everyone who had parted ways, seeing Nymeria, Gabriella, and Abby follow Jeanette after a short while with Abby practically dragging Nymeria along. He frowned a bit and looked at his pet, who squawked at him.
~Confessional~
Keith: If they don't wanna vote with me then fine! I'll do it myself. I'll vote for Daniel until he gets eliminated! They better not cry to me when he reveals his true colors.
Beatrice: Everyone has different opinions about the vote. Even my foresight cannot help me in this situation. It's a blurred picture in my mind, and it's making me nervous.
Nymeria: Should I vote for Daniel? Keith looked so determined and I felt so moved by it. Maybe I'll join his cause and vote him off like he said. But why is Abby dragging me around?
~End Confessional~
Quincey stopped Keith before the other boy went any further by placing a hand on his shoulder. This caused the paranoid boy to whirl back and karate chop his hand away before delivering a roundhouse kick.
"What?" Quincey looked surprised as he instinctively reached out his hand to block the kick and twisted his ankle before pushing him back. "Why the violent reaction?"
"I thought you were Daniel or something. Don't just grab me like that. I'm on high alert!" Keith exclaimed before glancing around uneasily and in an almost paranoid state. "It's nighttime. Will the government make their move?"
"If they do, I will protect us." Quincey said.
"Doubtful." Keith rolled his eyes.
"That matters not right now." Quincey shook his head. "I would like to talk about the vote with you."
"I'm not changing my vote." Keith insisted.
"I know. And I'm saying that I will vote with you." Quincey started. "But only if you will be willing to keep me safe in the upcoming elimination ceremonies should we ever lose again."
"You mean you wanna be in an alliance?" Keith eyed him suspiciously. "How do I know you aren't a double agent?"
"You can trust me because I only want what is best for this team. And until now, I have never seen Daniel speak to us." Quincey remarked. "I can assume he isn't interested in the team's well being as a whole."
"That's because he was just ordered to spy on us. On me!" Keith said in a paranoid state. Quincey had to hold back a a sigh before speaking again.
"Which is why I'm making this offer. We protect each other from elimination, and for now I'll vote for Daniel just like you. Is that a deal?" Quincey held out his hand. Keith looked at it and inspected the outstretched hand a bit before tentatively giving him a short handshake.
"Deal. For now." Keith said before slinking away in the shadows while staring after him. Quincey sighed this time and just went on ahead to the docks.
~Confessional~
Quincey: Keith may be an unusual person, but I can help him if he would be willing to help me. I know that I'll soon be targeted for being a physical threat. I'm simply prepping until that event comes. Alliances are a necessity, and Keith is loud and easily noticeable. If ever this alliance fails, it will be his life on the line.
~End Confessional~
Nymeria, Abby, Jeanette, and Gabriella walked further along the riverbank while discussing about the vote.
"Everyone really had different opinions." Abby sighed.
"I'm with Keith on his vote!" Nymeria said proudly.
"Are you sure about this?" Jeanette glanced at her. "Did you think about it well enough?"
"Yeah! Keith made me determined to do it." Nymeria grinned.
"But do you not have any other person you want gone?" Jeanette asked with a slight frown.
"I don't particularly hate anyone." Nymeria shrugged.
"What if we pitch someone else to you?" Gabriella suggested then turned to Jeanette. "Who's it gonna be?"
"I believe we should vote for Jackie." Jeanette declared.
"The clown?" Abby tilted her head.
"Jester." Nymeria corrected. "There's a difference."
"Fine. Jester. But why him?" Abby asked.
"If what Alysson said is true, then Jackie is not a team player." Jeanette said. "I already suspected there was something wrong with his attitude. Alysson just confirmed my suspicions."
"But I just saw Alysson go with Jackie and Beatrice earlier." Gabriella pointed out.
"Um, I clearly saw him practically dragging the poor girl." Abby remarked.
"And that only emphasizes my point." Jeanette told them. "Jackie cannot be trusted. I can read his personality now, and I am not liking the way this is going. Eliminating him will surely heighten team morale."
"Don't forget, he kinda spoke out against your plan even though he agreed to it earlier." Nymeria remembered. "What a backstabber." She pouted.
"Then it's settled then?" Abby put her hand in, palm facing down. "We're voting for Jackie?" Gabriella nodded and put her hand in as well. After a short while of contemplating what they were doing, Jeanette put hers in as well.
"Nymeria?" Gabriella turned towards the girl.
"Well this is a pretty good pitch too." Nymeria looked hesitant. She then grinned widely and put her hand in. "Why not?"
"We got this, girls." Abby smiled at the rest of them. "This is true teamwork." They failed to notice Daniel's crow behind a medium sized boulder near them.
~Confessional~
Gabriella: This is starting to feel more like a really solid alliance. But I'm still going to make Abby my partner in crime. Does she even remember that? Heh, pretty sure she does since it's only day two.
Abby: I like the teamwork we have going on and Jeanette is right in saying that Jackie is making team morale low. I don't know what's wrong with him but I can't have that on the team I'm managing.
~End Confessional~
Jackie led Beatrice and Alysson to a small clearing in the forest where no one can overhear them.
"I think we're in the clear." Jackie said happily.
"Uhuh." Alysson rolled his eyes. "You acting like that while smiling like that isn't cute."
"I can tell you wanted to talk about the vote. So who did you have in mind?" Beatrice tilted her head.
"I'm glad ya asked! Hahahaha!" Jackie laughed. "Let's go vote out Daniel!"
"I didn't expect that honestly." Alysson blinked. "I thought you were gonna say to vote out Jeanette. You did go against her just earlier."
"Yeah but I know she's still useful. Daniel, on the other hand, isn't useful at all." Jackie said. "Gotta think logical for the sake of the team." He started laughing again.
"I have no qualms with that. It is hard to socialize with him too." Beatrice agreed.
"But he's cute. His silence and mysterious nature is kinda amazing." Alysson giggled.
"But we didn't join this game to find love. We joined to win!" Jackie laughed and poked Alysson's nose, which made the latter glare at him and shove his hand away.
"Now that's not completely true." Beatrice tried to say.
"But it mostly is!" Jackie insisted and laughed almost hysterically. "So we're voting as if we wanna win! Get it? Because we came here to win it all!"
"So bottom line is, Daniel is on the chopping block tonight?" Alysson asked while looking away.
"Yepepep!" Jackie nodded giddily.
"I agree with the vote." Beatrice nodded.
"Yeah me too." Alysson shrugged. "It's cute when a man takes charge." He winked at Jackie, but the jester looked oblivious as he laughed a bit as they all agreed.
~Confessional~
Jackie: Daniel is such a funny guy. How can he hope to win if he can't even talk to us? HAHAHAHA!
~End Confessional~
(Elimination Ceremony)
The White Stallions arrived at the docks where the ceremony will take place. They took their seats and waited for Valnoir and Blaineley to start.
"Welcome to your first elimination ceremony, White Stallions." Valnoir said with a sinister grin. "It seems your prior victory will soon become even grounds."
"We'll get back up. This team won't be held back by this one loss." Abby said confidently.
"Yes but one of you will be held back from getting a chance at the million. Permanently." Valnoir smirked.
"Ready to vote? Hope it gets dramatic." Blaineley said in a bored tone.
"I'm sure it will be. Seeing anyone's hopes and dreams crushed through elimination is never boring." Valnoir cackled.
"I'm glad you're having fun." Gabriella sighed.
"Sadique." Alysson muttered.
"I'm ready to vote!" Jackie laughed.
"Ooh! Me too!" Nymeria raised her hand excitedly.
"I'm ready to bring down the power!" Keith said in determination.
"What a lively group." Jeanette shook her head.
"I can sense dread ahead." Beatrice said sadly.
"Dread is always present in a show like this. There is nothing new about it." Quincey said simply. "Let us get on with the votes."
"Right. I can't wait to see who goes." Blaineley said and ushered them to go along to vote in the confessional booth.
After a while, everyone finished voting and returned to their seats. Valnoir and Blaineley were waiting for them to get settled down before starting.
"The votes are in, so let's see who's in the chopping block." Valnoir grinned.
"If I call your name, it means you received a vote." Blaineley explained. "If you have the most votes, then you're out of here. Simple enough right? Then let's get this over with so I can sleep. First vote, Daniel."
Daniel tilted his head and his crow looked at him.
"Second vote, Jackie." Blaineley said. Jackie laughed more as his name was called.
"That's funny!" The jester said.
"Third and fourth votes, Jackie." Blaineley read.
"That's even funnier!" Jackie continued to laugh, but his face started to sweat a bit.
"Fifth and sixth votes go to Daniel." The co-host announced. Daniel looked nervous and narrowed his eyes a bit. Keith grinned and clenched his fist. "The seventh vote also goes to Daniel." His crow squawked at that.
"This is looking pretty close." Valnoir cackled. "That's four votes for Daniel and three for Jackie."
"Pretty close indeed." Jackie retained his grin. Beatrice, however, looked a bit worried.
"Eighth vote goes to Jackie, tying it up to four votes each." Blaineley said. This time, Jackie stopped laughing and looked a bit more serious now. "The last two votes go to..." She paused.
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"...Both Jackie and Daniel!" Blaineley announced.
"That's two ties in a row." Valnoir remarked. "Such a conflicted cast."
"So now we need to do a tie breaker?" Alysson asked.
"This is gonna be so exciting!" Nymeria cheered.
"That's right." Valnoir nodded. "I already used the coin flip tiebreaker last round, so let's try something different." He took something out of his pocket but didn't show it to them as he closed his fist around it.
"What's that?" Gabriella asked curiously.
"It's a small ball." Valnoir said. "It's either a black or white ball. You'll have to guess which it is."
"So simple." Blaineley yawned.
"Then it's a good thing you're not the main host." Valnoir retorted. "Daniel, call it." The boy remained silent as his crow simply looked on at the events happening. "Fine. It's all yours, Jackie."
"It's black." Jackie said while grinning, but was clearly sweating.
"Then Daniel chooses white by default." Valnoir grinned as he held out his closed fist. Everyone leaned forward a bit to get a good look at what color the ball is. He opened it and a black ball was dropped and it bounced on the ground.
"Black. Jackie gets to stay." Beatrice sighed in relief as she smiled.
"And Daniel gets to leave!" Keith stood up and smirked. "Tell your superiors you failed them! Maybe they'll either evict you or execute you for your failure."
"Is that what the government does to people who fail?" Nymeria wondered out loud.
"I suggest not thinking too much on it." Jeanette sighed and shook her head.
"Hey at least he didn't make a peep or anything. I was so nervous!" Jackie exclaimed.
Daniel stood up and looked sad. His crow remained perched but didn't make any sound.
"I was going to ask if you have any last words but that would be a waste of time." Blaineley rolled her eyes. "So let's just get you out of here."
"Follow me." Valnoir grinned and led Daniel to the end of the dock where a yacht was waiting for him. "Time for you to go." Daniel just nodded and got on the yacht with his crow.
"The rest of you may go back to your cabins." Blaineley said and ushered them away.
"I wanna see him go. It's only right and a form of respect." Abby said.
"I will stay as well." Quincey offered.
"No. Now go back." Blaineley said, irritated. The two glanced at each other before joining the others going back.
The yacht carrying Daniel left the dock and went out into the open sea. Valnoir and Blaineley watched it go and saw a whirlpool suddenly form in the middle of the sea and grow larger exponentially at a fast rate. The yacht got caught in it and swirled around violently and made its way down while the vortex closed up in the same rate. The crow's squawks can be heard a bit before it completely drowned out.
"And that just happened." Valnoir chuckled.
"That wasn't boring at least." Blaineley shrugged then turned to face the camera. "Let's close the episode already."
"Very well." The host nodded and faced the camera as well. "The second elimination surely made Daniel's dreams of winning spiral down in a vortex." He smirked.
"That should serve as a reminder that the White Stallions should always stay on their toes." Blaineley added.
"But they don't look like they're going to give up easily." Valnoir remarked. "And that's why this show is the best. People trying so hard only to be met with crushing defeat and eliminations."
"There'll be more to come." Blaineley said. "But we'll all have to wait until tomorrow to find out."
"What will Keith do now that he took out the alleged government spy?" Valnoir said to the camera.
"Will the Black Knights ride this momentum and win the next challenge as well?" Blaineley added.
"And Quincey ever fully obey the plans made by Jeanette?" Valnoir said. "Find out next time on Total..."
"Drama..." Blaineley chimed in.
"Forgotten Island!" They both finished with a flair.
~Votes~
Jackie: I vote for Daniel, but I think I made that obvious enough. Hahahaha!
Beatrice: My foresight cannot tell me who'll be voted off tonight, but that does not mean I will hesitate in my vote. I vote for Daniel.
Keith: Time to take out the spy! Begone, Daniel! *adjusts tin foil hat on his head*
Jeanette: Jackie, you are hard to read and therefore hard to control. I will not have you stay any longer. Goodbye.
Gabriella: We all agreed to vote for Jackie and that's what I'll do. No hard feelings jester boy.
Quincey: I have to gain Keith's trust to ensure my safety in this time and in the merge. I will vote for Daniel, and I can always double my efforts if needed.
Daniel: *holds up a paper that has Jackie's name written in it*
Nymeria: I know I agreed to vote for Jackie like they said, but I really think I should follow my first choice and go vote for Daniel. Really sorry but Keith's pitch was way cooler and better.
Abby: Jackie, it's clear you are not a team player. I have to vote for you to make the team's morale higher.
Alysson: As if I'll do what that clown says. I wanted to take my chances with him but his attitude in the challenge made me change my mind. So tonight I vote for Jackie.
~Eliminated~
20th place: Tom - The Host's Pet
19th place: Daniel - The Crow Whisperer
That's the end for Daniel. Going in, I knew that he wouldn't go that far. And as you can see, he really didn't. Though his main role was to be nothing more than a stepping stone, it was interesting to see where I could go with a mute character. Not being able to voice out his thoughts or communicate with his team really did a number on him early on. I think it's quite obvious that he was mute, considering he never made a single confessional. But let's move on from that, shall we? See you all next time! XBloodLegendX