Chapter 9: Crucifix Twofold
-Last Time On Quarantine-
"Nooooo! My doom machine!"
Ghosts came and destroyed all the mechs, and Dagger Eyes appears once more.
"Sweet precious Quarantine. How I long for revenge against that ugly beaver and his STUPID minions!"
Contestants were tasked with retaliation against the second Dagger Eyes general, Hespute.
"Behold: Ghost Cougher!"
The contestants had to find Hespute's friend and stick him with the gas.
"Gulp is the real danger here, not Hespute. ...The thing is... no one knows who Gulp is."
Only Aria started out with an inkling.
"Well, I have a pretty good idea of where Gulp could be found."
But Riley shut her up every single time.
"Don't tell me you're siding with Aria. I thought you had more brains then that."
Eventually, Aria was going to win the challenge for the team, but Riley's reckless endangerment cost them the win against Team Artic-Uno.
"Woo hoo! Another day I don't go home!"
Naturally, Riley was sent home right after spilling his guts to the team.
"I've let my group down once again and now... Now I'm starting to feel disappointed."
...But don't feel too bad for Riley.
"Hmph, he seemed kind of nice. Maybe I should invite him into a future season, assuming we get that far."
...You knew deep down Bertram felt sorry for him. ...But then again maybe he just liked him as Aria's enemy. ...But maybe he might keep his word. But for now, eleven contestants remain. Who will win all the accolades and chips in the end?
-One-Note Voices-
"Okay, I have made SO many fixes to my robot that I have lost track."
Grant was doing the usual morning routine of working on his robot. He was now putting in the supports he got in yesterday's challenge.
"Alright, just a small pipe here," Grant blurted out. "Excellent. Now, once and for all, I command you already to move and preform your task as my Ultimate Destructo Robot of Dooooooooooooooooooooooom!"
Grant pressed the button one more time. Low and behold, the coconuts moved. The coconut robot raised an arm and then it started walking. This made Grant squeal like a girly pig.
"Eeeeee! It works!" Grant shouted. "It finally works!"
"Yeah, and it's going to be broken again if you don't stop shouting!" Muffy yelled, waking up from trying to sleep after Grant's antics.
"Oops, sorry," Grant said before playing with his robot. ...But then he looked over at Ruce. Grant started to think about something.
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"I forgot about the egg-shaped one," Grant said. "All this time I've been too busy that I forgot I was supposed to get rid of her. I must proceed with phase TWO! It's only a matter of time before Ruce catches onto me."
-After Confessional-
Over at Zap-Dos, Kiki was thinking strongly about what Riley said before he left, in that he actually did have a crush on her. Kiki kind of felt sorry for him to be frank. What if he actually could have been more useful.
She looked at the entire room, and everyone still seemed to be asleep. Kiki thought it would be a good idea to go hunting for breakfast alone.
She didn't close the door quiet enough. Awaking from sleep, Drenig just woke up when she closed the door. Drenig looked around the castle and noticed Kiki was gone. He felt maybe now was a chance to talk to her. But he had to avoid being weird about it.
-Confessional Session(Drenig)-
"Me and Dustin are good friends, Wren and Aria are also good friends," Drenig mentioned. "But Kiki? After Riley left yesterday, she has no one. Ay don't know if last night was a sign that, maybe... maybe I should take the opportunity to make a new friend. ...But just a friend. Ay aint taking it that we must be together or anything, I mean I aint Chauncey, man."
-After Confessional-
Drenig crawled out of bed and went toward the door. But he wasn't the only one awake. His friend Dustin got up as well and noticed Drenig was leaving.
"Hey, where you going?" Dustin asked.
"I... I just wanted to check up on Kiki," Drenig answered.
"This isn't about last night, is it?" Dustin asked.
"No it isn't that," Drenig said. "It's just that she seems so lonely and I guess I just wanted to talk to her. Maybe to see if there was anything I could do to help."
"You want me to come with?" Dustin asked.
"Nah, I am not sure she likes you that much," Drenig said.
Suddenly, the other members of the team woke up. They were already in on Drenig's plan.
"What about me?" Wren asked. "I'm usually pretty good at talking to people and helping them out."
"I suppose I could try to help as well," Aria mentioned.
"I... I kinda wanted to talk to her alone," Drenig said.
"That's a bit selfish, don't you think?" Aria asked. "Wanting to do a task by yourself that can be completed with multiple people?"
"Yeah, I wanna help too," Wren said.
"Well, it's just that... ummmmm..." Drenig didn't have an excuse, so he just cracked under the pressure. "Alright... You can all come."
None of them said anything. They just smiled and followed Drenig out the door. The started heading for the hunting grounds, hoping to find Kiki and see if there was anything they could do to help.
Kiki wasn't even hunting right now. She was pulling a log over to a pond. She finished pulling it over and then, surprise, she sat down on it and started looking to the water. That's when the others showed up. Aria and Dustin stayed in the background, but Drenig and Wren seemed to both want to approach her immediately.
"Ummm... hello there Kiki," Drenig stated. Kiki looked up at Drenig and then back at the pond.
"I said I'm not here to look for a mate," Kiki mentioned. "I'm not Chauncey you know."
"Huh, that's exactly what I said in confessional earlier," Drenig mentioned. "Coincidence?"
"What is he doing?" Aria whispered to Dustin.
"I think he's just nervous," Dustin responded.
"Yes, it's a coincidence," Kiki said.
"Oh, wait I didn't mean to say that," Drenig said. "What I meant to say was... uhhh... I don't want to sound weird like I'm trying to start something. I just came here to help."
"Let me try Drenig," Wren said. "I've been helping people out all my life. So... Kiki. Do you want to talk?"
"I... guess there's no harm in it," Kiki said.
"If it's about Riley, I think we all share your pain a bit," Wren said. "None of us liked Riley all that much before, but after last night we all kind of... feel sorry for him. I think the reason you're bummed is that he's the closest you had to a close friend."
"Yeah... that kind of describes it," Kiki said. "But how did you know?"
"I have a lot of friends at home," Wren said. "I learn the ways of emotion through experience."
"You don't have to feel left out Kiki," Aria said. "We all would like to help. That's why we're here."
"We're a team, and a team needs to have each others back," Dustin said.
"But what if we lose the next challenge," Kiki said. "You guys have close friends among the team, and I don't."
"Just because you aren't as close of a friend to me as, say, Dustin is," Drenig started. "That doesn't mean you'll get my vote next chance. After all, me and Wren aren't close. Neither are me and Aria."
"But still, to avoid losing, we have to do our best," Aria said.
"If you ever feel down, you know who to talk to," Wren said.
"Well... what do you think?" Dustin asked. Kiki turned around and smiled.
"I think it's great to have such friendly team-members such as you guys," Kiki said. "Now... I'd stand back if I were you."
Eventually, everyone stood back. Kiki stood up and faced the log. And then, she karate chopped the log right into two pieces. This showed how well she trained her talons to endure strong objects, but also how much she's trained at martial arts in general.
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"Let's just say I've wanted to do that the entire series," Kiki mentioned.
-After Confessional-
"So... we're all friends now?" Drenig asked.
"Even if our two teams merge, let's stay friends," Wren said.
"Agreed," Aria answered.
"For Team Zap-Dos!" Dustin cried.
"For Team Zap-Dos!" the others cheered together.
...But little did they know, they were being watched. Behind a tree, there was a certain panda who happened to be associated with Dagger Eyes watching on.
"So they vow to always be friends," Pandora said to himself. "Those pathetic little whelps, how dare they. Ha! I know one way to put them in their place."
Pandora then lifted up a brain control helmet to the camera. It was one of Dagger Eyes.
"This will be MUCH too easy," Pandora said to himself.
Over at Team Artic-Uno, Percy and Jet were taking turns throwing spears at the straw targets they made days ago. Percy was beating him.
"Wow, another bulls eye," Percy said. "I've gotten better haven't I?"
"Ugh, I swear you're cheating you fat..." Jet started, letting his emotions get ahead of him for a moment. "...I mean yeah! Good job!"
Percy rolled his eyes at Jet. Was he STILL trying to act friendly towards Percy?
"I'm still trying to burn it off," Percy said.
Jet threw another spear at his target. He missed it entirely.
"Argh! What are you doing? Are you greasing my spears so they slip off my hands!?" Jet shouted.
"I'm not doing anything," Percy mentioned. "You're just getting worked up over nothing."
"Why don't YOU do the hunting by yourself!" Jet yelled. ...And once again, he stopped to calm down. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that Percy. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it's just because I'm used to winning."
"Yeah... I can see that," Percy stated.
"You know, your shouting didn't help either."
Percy and Jet looked to the Jhotan bunker and saw Lilly and Muffy walking out of it. Lilly seemed to have had a headache right now.
"You're right I shouldn't have yelled," Muffy said. "But it's what gets the point across. Otherwise, that stupid Grant would go on about how he's SOOOOO evil and smart and what-have-you and none of us would have slept a wink."
"So screaming even louder helps?" Lilly asked sarcastically.
"No, it doesn't," Muffy admitted. "But I'm only mortal. Mortals makes mistakes.
"I suppose," Lilly said.
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"My parents have always gotten at me for my loudness," Muffy said. "They think I should start trying to control my voice. But I've always been a loud monster. I don't mean to be a bad guy, I just tend to talk loud when I want to get a point across. I did it a lot as a bully, and I still do it."
-After Confessional-
Eventually, the two went to pick berries, leaving Jet and Percy behind to throw more spears at the targets. But suddenly, Ruce and Grant came out as well.
"You mean to tell me you've figure it out?" Ruce asked.
"Well... no, not yet," Grant said. "But I AM on the verge of doing so. While controlling my robot, I just had a breakthrough. All I need is one final clue as proof."
"What clue is that?" Ruce asked.
"That I am unsure of," Grant stated. "Hopefully by the end of the day, I'll have the answer. I will tell you what I know later."
"Well, fine but... I kind of want to know now," Ruce mentioned.
"No, I don't have the proof yet," Grant said. "If I make accusations now, and it turns out I'm wrong, who knows what could happen."
"Well alright," Ruce said. "Do you want to toss a soccer ball around?"
"Okay, why not," Grant said before going inside and getting the ball.
"Awww, I want to play soccer," Jet whined.
"Well we have to go hunting," Percy mentioned. "Breakfast first, games later."
Eventually, everyone had gotten done with their morning routine. During breakfast, Bertram appeared on the screen, though he seemed a bit odd today.
"Good morning subjects," Bertram said in a strange mono-tone voice. "Today's challenge will expose the strengths and weakness deep inside each of us."
"Holly Hannah Barbara, what's up with your voice?" Aria asked.
"There is nothing wrong with my voice," Bertram stated. "I'm just feeling a little sick right now. Someone depressed even. I would rather not go into that right now. But soon your challenge will begin."
"Did he say "expose strengths and weaknesses?" Wren asked.
"I did Wren, yes I did," Bertram said. "Today's challenge will be like no other we have experienced as of today."
"Stop talking like that!" Kiki yelled. "I don't care how sick you are, there's no disease that makes someone talk in a mono-tone voice."
"But Kiki, my voice hurts, and if I talk in too many octaves I could damage it more," Bertram said.
"Something doesn't feel right," Drenig said. "What's going on back there!? What are you doing with Bertram?"
"Oh, so you figured it out."
Eventually, Bertram was pushed aside. Then, you could see another figure: Pandora. Pandora's mouth was concealed, but you could tell he was happy.
"Mwahahahaaa! Surprised? It's me again!" Pandora said. "Bertram is now under Dagger Eyes' control. I am running the show now. And now for the moment you have ALL been waiting for. It's time to tell... the truth!"
-What I DON'T Like About You-
"Boy, what an interesting plot twist," Aria mentioned.
"Silence is golden, Squidface," Pandora said. "It would be wise to make use of silence right now."
Over at Artic-Uno's side, they seemed to be even more rattled; especially Grant. Of course, Grant tried to hide it as you'd expect.
"Tell the truth?" Grant asked. "Ha! I got nothing to hide."
"Not even your quaLms with other members?" Pandora asked. Eventually, Pandora's face looked up as if someone was talking to him. "I'm reading the script," Pandora said before turning away from the camera and putting his paw to his head. "Qualms, QauLms, what difference does it make? Well how am I supposed to know the "L" is silent, I'm reading your stupid script! Who even uses that word? Whatever, I'll try to be more careful."
"Let me guess, your master is angry you pronounced a word wrong?" Lilly asked.
"I am pretty sure I already said this, but... Silence is golden!" Pandora reiterated. "So who's ready for today's challenge? Each of you will be strapped one by one into the confessional, with a lie detector attached to each and every one of you. Every lie you tell, you shall get zapped."
"...You know you can't just force us into the confessionals, right?" Lilly asked.
"Ugh! What is your problem anyway?" Ruce yelled. "What is this going to do for you!?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Pandora said. "MiniOOOOONS!"
That was when a loud knocking noise hit both doors. Eventually, the doors opened, and you could see several Ursaring entering the bunkers. They looked particularly buff and had a nice figure, although Percy could probably take them on if he wanted to.
"Well? Who's first?" Pandora asked the two teams.
"You're worthless minions mean nothing to me," Percy said. ...But Percy changed his mind once he saw the Ursaring pull out some orbs. It looked like they were explosive orbs at that.
"Then maybe you'd rather go boom," Pandora said. ...Once again, it appeared he was being yelled at by his master, who he was listening to through an ear piece. "There's no script for that, so I just said something. Well I liked the sound of it, and I don't care if you like it or not. Shut up! You're not here right now! I will do what I want! Waaaaaaaah!"
Over at Zap-Dos, they found something very odd.
"Did... did he just scream like a child?" Dustin asked.
"Why does Pandora remind of a certain someone?" Drenig asked.
"That's right, you DON'T want to upset me," Pandora continued. "Now, let me use the words I want to use. Got it?" Eventually, Pandora looked back at the screen and smiled evilly. "Well? Who's first?"
"Why don't I go first," Kiki offered.
"You don't have to push yourself Kiki," Wren said. "After all, we can take the bullet for you if you want."
"My turn's going to come up anyway," Kiki mentioned. "I might as well get it over with."
"If you're sure," Aria said."
Over at Artic-Uno's bunker, they were still deciding. But Muffy wanted someone to go first.
"I think that stupid pig should go first," Muffy said.
"Wah! Why have me go first?" Grant asked. "Why not Jet?"
"You said yourself you had nothing to hide," Muffy stated.
"I don't have anything to hide," Grant said. "But I'd rather save myself for later. I still want to tinker with my robot."
"I'll destroy that robot like I said I would this morning!" Muffy yelled.
"Well sorry for angering someone who said they didn't want to be a bully anymore," Grant countered.
"Wah! Am I bullying right now?" Muffy asked the others.
"Yeah, you kind of are," Lilly mentioned.
"Why don't I go first?" Ruce asked. "I actually would like to get some things off my chest."
"I... I suppose there's no harm," Lilly said. "Okay, you can go first."
"Glad I have your permission," Ruce said back.
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
You could see Kiki was strapped to the device Pandora mentioned. Kiki was unsure what to make of it.
"So... how does this work?" Kiki asked.
"Oh for Pete's sake," A creature on the other end, probably one of the Ursarings, said to her. "It detects the pulses in your body for uneasiness. When people lie, they feel uneasy inside, and this device can detect that. Are we clear?"
"Yes we are," Kiki said quickly. ...Immediately she was zapped with electricity. "Ow! What was that for!?"
"You told a lie," the Ursaring said. "I thought Pandora made it clear that if you lie, you get shocked."
"But I didn't lie," Kiki said again. ...Immediately she was zapped a second time. "Ow ho ho, my muscles."
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"Alright, bring on the questions," Ruce said.
"Okay, question one," The Ursaring on Ruce's end started. "Who is the competitor you respect the most."
"That would be my sister Abigale," Ruce said without blinking.
"Okay, but of those who are still here," the Ursaring mentioned.
"Hmmm... of everyone here," Ruce said. "Well, I suppose I do admire Percy quite a bit. Although he seems a bit quiet despite his appearance. I can't think of any situation where he stood out."
"What does that mean?" the Ursaring asked.
"I guess it's that he only does well enough to get by," Ruce said. "But then again how often have his skills actually been needed?"
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"What don't you like about Percy?" the Ursaring asked Lilly.
"I think he lets that loud mouth frog off too easy," Lilly stated. I'd really like to see him actually stand up for himself as he seems a bit on the passive side."
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"Well... there's nothing that really stands out about him," Muffy started. "But I think if I thought hard enough maybe I could think of something."
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Do you see that stupid heroic posture of his?" Grant asked. "His physique and his righteousness? I don't respect that at all."
Suddenly, Grant got shocked by the device. Apparently, Grant had more respect for him than he was letting his "evil genius" persona speak out.
"Alright, alright," Grant started. "I... really am kind of afraid of him. He's so big."
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"No, I'm still thinking," Muffy stated.
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"What don't I like about Percy?" Jet asked. "What oh what oh what? I am supposed to be nice, but really he's a joke! Past the first challenge, he's really done very little."
"Are you a bit jealous of him?" the Ursaring on his end asked.
"Of course not!" Jet yelled. ...He lied, obviously. His white lie cost him a body without static.
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"Oh yeah, I am kind of jealous of him for his bravery," Muffy said. "He's so much bigger and braver than me, and I kind of wish I was him."
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"What is your opinion on Aria?" the Ursaring on her end asked.
"Aria... is... a... riot!" Kiki said. "She says the dumbest things all the time, and it's funny seeing the consequences of her actions."
-Confessional Session(Dustin)-
"Thy does not fully trust thou," Dustin stated in his L.A.R. P. ing voice. "Thy be weary of Malamar, they be evil creatures that rarely show any true righteous traits."
-Confessional Session(Drenig)-
"It's just a game Aria," Drenig mentioned. "I do see Riley's point, in that she often ruins things for the rest of us by pointing things out, even when they're pretty obvious."
-Confessional Session(Wren)-
"I... I don't want to," Wren said.
"You do realize you have no choice," the Ursaring on his end mentioned.
"Well... okay," Wren started. "I don't like how she opens her mouth at the wrong times. I am trying to teach her to have better control over her words, but I'm not sure how effective my endeavor is."
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"Is there anything you don't like about Muffy?" the Ursaring on his end asked.
"She seems a bit on the loud side," Percy mentioned.
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"She is VERY loud," Jet mentioned.
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Loud. Unbelievably loud," Grant said.
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"She just doesn't have the courage thing down yet," Ruce said. "I don't really think someone who lacks courage will make it in the real world."
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"I don't want to say anything mean about her," Lilly said. "But yes, she does talk very loudly."
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"Do you have an opinion on Dustin?" the Ursaring on her end asked.
"Do I?" Kiki asked rhetorically. "His L.A.R. P. ing schtick is SUPER annoying."
-Confessional Session(Wren)-
"He does seem like a nice person," Wren mentioned. "What I do think is a bit odd about him is his reckless thinking. How he beat Cort, you would think he'd be able to beat Edgar just as easily. ...But then again, Edgar's a L.A.R. P. er too. ...Come to think of it further, I'd really like to see Dorval in battle against Dustin."
-Confessional Session(Aria)-
"Why do we have to wear normal clothes and he gets that cool armor to wear?" Aria asked. "Doesn't that qualify as cheating?"
-Confessional Session(Drenig)-
"I... I don't want to say anything mean about my best friend," Drenig started. "But... there was one time where he threw a surprise party, and the surprise was that I was shoved into a pool by a bunch of Pokemon wearing armor and wielding shields. He knows I hate water and can't swim!"
"And you're a Krookodile?" the Ursaring asked. "I thought you guys could swim easily."
"We Krookodile prefer to swim in sand over water," Drenig stated.
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"What do you dislike about Jet," the Ursaring asked.
"What DON'T I hate about him?" Ruce asked. "He's egotistical, clumsy, paranoid, dishonest..."
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"...Loud-mouthed, manipulative, self-centered..."
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"...Desperate, hot-headed, whiny..."
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"...Idiotic, poor sportsmanship, was probably scared by a cake in the shape of a Gengar as a child or some other scary Pokemon..."
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"...And he's a total jealous jerk to those who are better than him," Percy finished before flexing his muscles. "Like me."
-Confessional Session(Drenig)-
"Is there anything about Wren that sticks out?" the Ursaring asked.
"You mean besides the fact he tends to fixate on stuff like Riley?" Drenig asked. "But then again, I can't blame him. We all disliked him until last night."
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"He always wants to help," Kiki mentioned. "But that also makes him very nosy. Eventually, he's going to confront the wrong person and it will bite him."
-Confessional Session(Dustin)-
"He's a good runner, I'll give him that," Dustin said. "But his athleticism over-all is questionable. Plus, Wren spends a lot of time around that shifty Malamar. Maybe he's not as serene as he appears."
-Confessional Session(Aria)-
"I... I really got nothing," Aria stated. ...Another shock came her way.
"No one is perfect," the Ursaring mentioned. "There's always SOMETHING about people you don't like."
"Well... he seems a bit sensitive," Aria mentioned. "He seems very kind, but also a bit of a wimp. ...Maybe it's just me, because I'm not sure I've ever seen any real confirmation of it, but I wonder what would happen if someone really insulted him."
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"Now, let us talk about Grant," the Ursaring mentioned.
"What is his problem with me?" Jet asked. "He keeps accusing me of planting that page, but I didn't plant that stupid page! ...The fact I did not get shocked right now should PROVE that."
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"He's kind of a weirdo, really," Percy mentioned. "What's his obsession with acting like an evil scientist."
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"Anyone who goes onto a reality show and acts the way he does has some serious nerves," Lilly mentioned. "Most people should be embarrassed to act that way on television unless they're actually playing a villain. Grant however is not."
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"...Isn't it obvious how much I don't like him?" Muffy asked. "The only reason I never tried to vote him off is because I dislike Jet more."
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"He tries to act all evil and what-not, but deep down he's harmless!" Ruce said. "He can't even build a decent robot!"
-Confessional Session(Aria)-
"Does Drenig bother you in any way?" the Ursaring asked.
"He's so easily swayed by opinions," Aria mentioned. "That hideous creature Lilly shows up, and what do you know, now Drenig wants to be a pescitarian. Might I mention that's STILL a meat-eater?"
"...No I don't see how that's relevant," Ursaring mentioned.
"I'm just saying, doing half the job is like not doing it at all," Aria said.
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"He seems a bit hot headed," Kiki mentioned. "That one time with Riley? I mean Riley did go out of bounds, but he still blew up a bit too much."
-Confessional Session(Wren)-
"I wish he had a bit more strength," Wren said. "He seems to rely heavily on being the smart guy of the group, and isn't good for much outside mechanics and throwing stuff at things. Parabola was it?"
-Confessional Session(Dustin)-
"He made a surprise birthday party for me and stuck me into a big wooden box where only my head showed through," Dustin started. "And then he had his other friends toss plastic horseshoes around my neck. One even hit my forehead, and sometimes I could swear I still have a mark from that."
"That wouldn't have anything to do with revenge, would it?" the Ursaring asked.
"...Did he already tell you guys about the time I got my friends to push him into a pool?" Dustin asked. "But at least no one got hurt then."
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Lilly's next, what's your opinion on her?" the Ursaring asked.
"Sometimes I feel like she doesn't know how to have fun," Grant stated.
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"Oh what is there not to like about her?" Muffy asked. "She's assertive, brave, generous, and she knows how to stand up for herself."
"Yeah, but this isn't about the things you like about her," the Ursaring said.
"I don't want to badmouth her," Muffy said.
"Then your contestants will thank you for hogging up the line," the Ursaring mentioned.
"Er, what?" Muffy asked.
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"She spends more time reading and picking berries than she does helping the team," Percy mentioned. "Come on girl, you can help out more than that."
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"Vegetarians don't get the needed protein in their diet," Jet said. "It's all about protein. Why do you think she's so spindly?"
"Well... she's a Gardevoir," the Ursaring mentioned. "Gardevoirs are spindly."
"Uhhhh... no comment," Jet said.
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"Although she's very assertive, she can also be a bit rude," Ruce mentioned.
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"...Awwwwww, I don't want to offend her by saying this," Muffy said. "But to tell you the truth... I really don't like berries. I don't care for picking them either. I only do it with her cause I'm trying to be nice."
-Confessional Session(Wren)-
"And finally, Kiki?" the Ursaring asked.
"She's cool," Wren mentioned. "But I do kind of think she's a bit bossy at times."
-Confessional Session(Drenig)-
"The way she treats my friend is very uncool, man," Drenig said.
-Confessional Session(Dustin)-
"She can break apart a log with her talon?" Dustin asked. "I can't do it with a sword. ...Also, she's very mean to me."
-Confessional Session(Aria)-
"I am very much willing to be her friend," Aria said. "But she is deep down a very anti-social person. YOU may think she's nice, but she says constantly she only likes my sarcasm cause I get punished for it. That means she ACTUALLY enjoys seeing me suffer!"
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"Lastly, what don't you like about Ruce?" the Ursaring on his end asked.
"Short fuse," Percy said simply. "She spent entire episodes playing the blame game without trying to think calmly about the situation."
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"I'll bet if she and her sister were in the final two, Ruce would have let Abigale win," Jet said. "Goody two-shoes."
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"She's all talk," Muffy said. "She looks menacing, but she doesn't back it up. She did yesterday, but I don't even know if that was just a once in a lifetime moment."
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"Ruce just doesn't contribute," Lilly mentioned. "She does nothing but babysit that stupid pig."
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Grant, truth time," the Ursaring on his end mentioned. "What don't you like about Ruce."
"Ummm... well... I have nothing," Grant said. ...Grant got shocked again, obviously. "Well... oh Grant, Grant, Grant. ...She's my best friend." Grant was delivered another shock from the lie detector. "Is that thing broken? I told the truth there!" Grant suffered yet another shock.
"No, I'm pretty sure it's working," the Ursaring mentioned.
"Okay, I do have better friends at home," Grant said. "But... One thing I do dislike about her is... awww... She really does kind of scare me..." ...No shock. Maybe what he said was true. "I try to be nice to her, but I still get the worry she could seriously injure me. And that is one thing I don't like about her." ...Still no shock.
"For an evil genius, you are quite cowardly," the Ursaring mentioned.
-After Confessional-
After everyone was finished, they all went back into their bunkers. Pandora was ready to tell them the next bit.
"Glad that took so long," Pandora mentioned. "I swear I caught someone sneaking around, and it gave me time to check thoroughly. Oh well, next comes the challenge. But first, I have a special surprise for all of you."
-The Maze Of Haze-
Eventually, some clips from the confessionals showed on the screens. The flames were about to begin as each of the contestants saw what was said about them.
Over at Artic-Uno, Percy was shown clips of him first. His reaction was... indifferent. But he did think about his actions towards Jet.
"They do have a point," Percy said. "I let you get away with a lot of things."
"Jet? What's wrong? Aren't we friends?" Jet asked.
"You blew that in the confessional, idiot!" Percy yelled before he rushed up and grabbed Jet, lifting him up in the air.
"I suppose you'd like to see YOUR comments next, Jet," Pandora said to the group before showing the clips. There was a LONG list of clips for him.
"What!?" Jet cried. "The things I do for you ungrateful louts and this is how you repay me!?"
Percy eventually dropped Jet onto the floor right before Muffy's clips showed up. They didn't say much about her, except she was loud. But Ruce said something about her courage.
"I'm doing the best I can," Muffy said. "I'm still learning about courage and being quiet."
Grant's clips were next. Grant seemed... kind of happy, really.
"Mwehehehe, that's right. Hate me," Grant said.
"So Jet didn't plant the page," Ruce said.
"Urgh! I told ya!" Jet said, sprawling about on the floor a bit.
"Does that disprove your theory Grant?" Ruce asked.
"Nope, I now know it's not him," Grant said. "My theory is on someone else."
"Why don't we look at Lilly's clips next," Pandora mentioned before showing the clip of Muffy saying she didn't enjoy berry picking.
"...Really?" Lilly asked. "You don't enjoy our time together?"
"...I'm sorry," Muffy said. "It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, it's just that... I don't really like berries or pricking my fingers on thorny bushes. Please don't be mad at me."
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"Point proven on the whole courage thing," Ruce said.
-After Confessional-
Lilly took a moment to look at Muffy. It was then that she went up to her. ...And patted her on the shoulder.
"It's okay Muffy," Lilly said. "Maybe some day we can do something you like."
"Really? You're not mad?" Muffy asked.
"No, I can't be that mad," she said.
"I-I still will go berry picking with you if you want," Muffy said. "I still like spending time together."
Finally, Ruce's clips were up. She saw Grant's clip and felt a bit... sad for him.
"What's wrong?" Ruce asked. "Why do I scare you?"
"Well, Percy mentioned your short fuse," Grant mentioned. "And despite what Muffy said, you still look pretty tough."
"Well... I can't change everything about me," Ruce said. "Emotions are a hard thing to control. But you don't have to worry. I wont hurt you."
"Really?" Grant asked. "Do you mean that? I mean I've got all kinds of evil inventions to stop you, but..."
"Yes, I do mean that," Ruce said. "Unless you turn out to be that worthless slug who got my sister elminitated! ...Then we're A-okay."
"*Gulp* Then I have nothing to worry about," Grant said.
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Maybe I should reconsider telling her," Grant said. "She's scaring me even more."
-After Confessional-
Of course, those were only Arti-Uno's clips. Team Zap-Dos would see theirs next.
"Let's see who we should show first," Pandora asked. "Hmmm... Let's start with Aria."
"Aria... is... a... riot!" The clip showed Kiki's words towards Aria. "She says the dumbest things all the time, and it's funny seeing the consequences of her actions."
"Well I already knew THAT from you," Aria stated.
"Thy does not fully trust thou!" Dustin's words were next.
"What? Just cause I'm a Pokemon normally associated with evil?" Aria asked. "Did someone say "Evil?" MWAHAHAHAAA! ...That was my best Grant impression. I almost kind of wish he was on our side just for that moment."
And then Aria saw Drenig and Wren's post. She already knew her sarcasm was annoying to some, but something about Wren's words made her feel inside.
"Aww, you really didn't want to hurt my feelings," Aria said. "That's why I consider you to be a good friend."
"I always try to be the best friend I can," Wren stated before crawling up to Aria and giving her a hug.
"Oh? We'll see about that," Pandora said before showing them Wren's clips. Wren saw Aria's words towards him and started to feel sad.
"You... you think I'm sensitive?" Wren asked.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what else to say," Aria said. "I had to say something."
"What have I ever done to show you that I'm sensitive!" Wren asked.
"Well... there was the time Stawolt got eliminated," Aria mentioned. "You got quite emotional there."
"That's cause I had just made a friend, and I lost him before I got to know him!" Wren shouted.
"Well look at it this way," Aria started. "...You're kind of proving my point."
"But that's not all," Pandora said before showing the contestants Dustin's clips. Dustin rolled his eyes at Kiki.
"Thy evil dragon doubt my authenticness?" Dustin asked.
"If you were a real knight," Kiki started. "You wouldn't say "authenticness."
Next, Kiki's clips were shown. Kiki did feel a bit sorry at Aria for the things she said.
"It's... it's not that I like seeing you get hurt," Kiki started. "It's that sometimes you say really dumb things."
"Hmmmmm..." Aria hummed to herself.
"Oh boy, I think this one is going to be fun to show," Pandora said before showing Drenig's clips. One clip in particular set him off.
"...Did he already tell you guys about the time I got my friends to push him into a pool?" The video showed Dustin's comment. "But at least no one got hurt then."
"...But at least no one got hurt then."
"...But at least no one got hurt then."
"...What!?" Drenig shouted.
"Ooh, this is going to be fun!" Pandora cried. "I popped some popcorn for this situation."
"Really?" Kiki asked. "If you really have to bring popcorn into a situation like this, then you're being a jerk."
"No one got HURT!?" Drenig yelled.
"Yeah, those horseshoes hurt you know," Dustin said.
"Oh, and I suppose DROWNING A GROUND TYPE is COMPLETELY HARMLESS!" Drenig roared. "I COULD HAVE DIED THEN, AND ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY IS NO ONE GOT HURT!?"
"And that justifies almost having my jugular snapped!" Dustin shouted. "At least I had my friends fish you out before anything bad happened!"
"THAT DOESN'T JUSTIFY THINGS EITHER!" Drenig yelled.
"Still eating popcorn," Pandora snarked before lifting his bandana and stuffing some more kernels into his mouth. "See?"
"And I'm sure almost cracking my neck bone is PERFECTLY PEACHY!" Dustin yelled.
"But NO ONE GOT HURT!?" Drenig shouted. "You have the nerve to say NO ONE GOT HURT!?"
"You're OVER REACTING!" Dustin shouted.
"Guys, calm down," Wren said frantically.
"OH YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Drenig and Dustin shouted in unison.
-Confessional Session(Wren)-
"Today we see the darker side of those two," Wren said. "But so what. I'm sure the two will make up eventually. Friends eventually forgive each other. ...Right? Please tell me I'm right when I say that."
-After Confessional-
"We made sure we used the lightest horseshoes we could find!" Drenig yelled. "In fact, I do recall you complaining about a broken neck, but wouldn't you have died? I mean I'm not a doctor or anything, but I'm pretty sure you can't survive a broken neck, man."
"Okay, maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but it still hurt!" Dustin yelled. "Plus, we had experienced lifeguards there at the pool to make sure you didn't drown."
"I can still melt!" Drenig shouted.
"What are you, the Malicious Malamar of the SouthWest?" Dustin asked. "Krookodiles don't melt in water."
"Okay, maybe that was also an exaggeration, but it still wasn't fun!" Drenig shout.
"Look guys, I'd love to keep watching you two fan the flames," Pandora said. "But right now you guys need to hoof it to our next challenge. ...Plus I'm out of popcorn. And right now I got a kernel shell stuck in my gums, and it's really irritating! And who made up the term "fan the flames" anyway? Dagger Eye's made me say that! But anyway, the Ursaring guards will escort you to the next challenge with blindfolds for each of you. When you get there, I will tell you MORE about the challenge, but right now MOVE IT ALREADY!"
Eventually, contestants were lined single file into the hunting grounds, but their fates remained unknown. Even the camera did not show the location they would be heading.
"Why do we need to wear blindfolds?" Ruce shouted to one of the Ursaring.
"It's not a secret otherwise," the Ursaring replied.
"Don't worry, I think we're almost there," Grant said.
"What!?" Ruce shouted.
"I said I think we're almost there!" Grant yelled.
"WHAT!?" Ruce shouted.
Grant didn't notice, but the contestants were being separated now, and Ruce was being taken away from Grant, making it harder for her to hear him. Eventually, the contestants were escorted to a place they have never been, each in their own chamber.
"Okay, you may take your blindfolds off," Pandora's voice rang out.
Eventually, everyone did and all they could see a big sign with a question on it. Also in each of their chambers was a big screen with Pandora's face on it. The rooms had eight doors, some of which had names. Five doors had names on them.
"Welcome to the Maze-Of-Haze," Pandora said. "I'm sure each of you have seen what your fellow team-mates have had to say about you."
"Hmph! You have a right to be sure," Jet shouted. "I mean how dare they?"
"Well, here's the object," Pandora mentioned. "Each of these signs has a question concerning things said about you and other team mates. The object of the game is to open the door of the Pokemon who concerns the question. Get it right and you move on. Get it wrong, you are either sent to a dead end OR a room that has a question with NO correct answer."
-Confessional Session(Jet)-
"Oh great, not another intelligence challenge," Jet whined. "Why did Pandora have to exploit my one true weakness of getting average grades in school? No matter. I'll still clear this course with flying colors."
-After Confessional-
"Remember, if you end up bumping into another team mate, that means you BOTH reached an incorrect question or a dead end," Pandora added. "The end room will be big and have a rug with the word "End" on it. Are we clear? The first team to get at least FIVE members out of the Maze of Haze is the winning team. Remember, contestants can only exit from THEIR mazes. Anyone caught trying to escape someone else's maze will be disqualified. Now, if you don't mind, I think I smell a mighty strong sloth around these parts that needs to be disposed of."
"Wait, how are you supposed to know what you smell?" Lilly asked.
"I'm a Pangoro, and bear Pokemon have a good sense of smell," Pandora mentioned. "And just so you know, I know what a Slakoth smells like: very similar to his other evolutions in scent."
"Fair enough," Lilly said, rolling her eyes."
"Now, it is time for you ALL to get lost! See ya!" Pandora left with those last words. Now the competitors were on their own.
"Let's see..." Lilly started on her first question. "Which contestant said that Lilly doesn't do much to help the team. ...Hmmm... I think Jet said that one."
Lilly opened the door with Jet's name on it and entered the next room. There she saw another sign.
"Which contestant claims that Percy doesn't work out enough?" Lilly asked herself. "Hmmm, I think Jet again."
Lilly opened the next door with Jet's name and went inside. ...But inside, she was greeted by an empty room.
"Wait a minute... what was that last question?" Lilly asked herself. "Did I already take a wrong turn?"
-Confessional Session(Lilly)-
"I'll admit, my memory is not the greatest mind trait of mine," Lilly said. "I really don't remember many of the things said about me or others besides the ones that stuck out like Muffy's berry picking comment."
-After Confessional-
Over on Team Zap-Dos, Kiki was tackling the course. Would she do better?
"Which contestant said Kiki was bossy," Kiki said to herself. "Ugh, that stupid Watchog."
Kiki entered the door and saw another question.
"Which contestant said that Kiki has anger issues," Kiki said to herself. "Ummmm..."
Suddenly, Wren popped through a door behind her. But now they were both in the same room? That didn't seem right.
"Oh, we must have gotten our questions wrong," Wren stated.
"Wait a minute," Kiki stated. "I thought for sure Dustin said I was bossy."
"No, that was me," Wren mentioned.
"Huh? Oh, now that I think of it, you did say that," Kiki mentioned.
-Confessional Session(Kiki)-
"Wren really isn't memorable," Kiki stated. "He's too nice. Everything he says is just so quiet that it's easy to forget the things he says. If he put more anger in his words, I might have remembered the things he said."
-After Confessional-
Aria, on the other hand, seemed to be making some good progress on the maze. She was already on her third room.
"Hmph! Which contestant thinks Malamar's are evil?" Aria asked. "Dustin! Ha!" Aria opened the door and went into another room with another question. "Who thinks Wren is too much of a goody-two-shoes to the point he's nosey? Kiki! At this rate I'll be out of the maze in no time!"
While Aria was kicking butt at the course, Ruce was having more problems. She came across a question that stumped her.
"What contestant in particular thinks Jet is whiny?" Ruce asked herself. "I thought we all said that? Or maybe it was just one. It's hard to tell, everyone's list of complaints with Jet were so long. I'm going to go with Lilly."
Ruce opened the door, and on the other side she saw a confused pig looking around the room. He seemed very frantic.
"Come on, come on! Am I getting any of these right?" Grant yelled.
"Calm down little guy," Ruce mentioned. "Retrace your steps. What was your last question?"
"Which contestant did not specify Muffy was loud?" Grant said.
"I don't know that one," Ruce responded. "Wait... Muffy, of course! She was the one that called Jet whiny."
Ruce started to exit the room. But before she left, Grant stopped her.
"Hey, Ruce. Maybe I could come with you and help you with the challenge?" Grant offered. "Two heads are better than one."
"You know that's against the rules," Ruce stated.
"Is it?" Grant asked. "I don't remember."
"Yes, Pandora specifically told us to find our own exits," Ruce said.
"He never told us we couldn't tag up though," Grant mentioned.
"He kind of implied that," Ruce mentioned.
"Well maybe we could get away with it," Grant said. ...Ruce started to get suspicious.
"What are you trying to do?" Ruce asked. "Are you trying to get us disqualified on purpose?"
"No!" Grant shouted. "I just wanted to find an easier way to beat the challenge. But I guess you're right, I better go back my way."
"Yes, you really should," Ruce said.
"It's just these rooms are so... dizzying and I'm getting lost easily," Grant said.
"Then do your best!" Ruce shouted. "Stop wasting my time!"
Ruce slammed the door behind her before Grant could get another peep out. Grant smiled evily as he went back through his door.
"But wasting the team's time is the general idea," Grant said to himself.
"Ha! I think I can beat the course!" Suddenly, Grant heard a shouting from his room. It sounded like Jet. "Which contestant specifically said I was scared of a Gengar shaped cake when I was a child. Easy!"
"Yeah, that was Percy who said that," Grant said.
"Grant?" Jet shouted from his room. "No, you said that!"
"No, I'm pretty sure it was Percy," Grant called back out.
"I'm going with my gut and saying you did," Jet answered back. Eventually, Grant heard a door slam in the distance, which means Jet picked a door. ...Probably Grant's.
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Wow, Jet's more formidable than I thought," Grant mentioned.
-After Confessional-
Lilly and Percy were both having a hard time with their mazes. Eventually, they too wound up in the same room together.
"Aww, not again," they said in unison.
"Wait... you're lost too?" Percy asked. "But you're the smart girl."
"I... I guess not," Lilly stated. "Not in this case anyway."
"I bet the other team's far ahead by now," Percy mentioned. "But I can't remember anything said about me."
"Those are the only thing I remember are ones said about me," Lilly stated. "What is it with you thinking I don't do much for the team?"
"Well... I don't see you really doing much..." Percy said.
"Why do you think I'm vegetarian?" Lilly asked. "Obviously I don't like killing primitives."
"You could at least gather water," Percy said.
"We still have water left from the FIRST time we gathered water," Lilly said. "What do you want me to do?"
"Well... I'm sorry," Percy mentioned.
"Good, be sorry," Lilly said back.
"Wait... do you have any tips?" Percy asked.
"Just think hard," Lilly said. "All I can tell you." Lilly then exited the room and went back to clearing the maze.
"Think hard..." Percy thought. "Think... hard... Hmmm... That doesn't really help. ...Oh well." With no lead to go by, Percy went back to his room and back to challenging the course.
-But Wait, There's More-
Pandora watched the mazes through a monitor in his station. Eventually he noticed a breakthrough on both teams.
"Huh. That did not take very long at at," Pandora said. "It looks like Aria AND Jet have made it through the maze. But everyone else should pick up the pace."
"No, I cannot keep being hidden like this," Percy said.
-Confessional Session(Percy)-
"Have I really contributed so little to my team?" Percy asked the screen. "I have to think hard to make it through the course. My team and my place in the game depend on me making a bigger impact on these challenges. ...But what if I'm just too slow?"
-After Confessional-
"Which contestant said Percy made them jealous," Percy said. "I thought for sure that was Jet. ...Maybe it was Ruce. No... Grant? ...No... Think! They took a long time to answer. ...Was it... Muffy?" Percy picked his head up and headed towards Muffy's door. "I suppose I have to go on," he said before proceeding through the door to the next room and the next question.
Over at Zap-Dos, both Drenig and Dustin were angrily going through the challenges. Their anger did not get either far?
"What contestant said I'm too easily swayed?" Drenig asked himself. "I can't believe Dustin would act like what he did was okay."
"Who criticized my reckless thinking?" Dustin asked himself. "It was probably Drenig, he thinks he is always right?"
"Did Dustin say that when he was trying to be nice?" Drenig said.
Eventually, they both opened each others door and came face to face with... each other.
"Ugh, why did I have to run into you?" Drenig asked. "I thought I told you I wanted alone time?"
"You said no such thing!" Dustin shouted. "You're just being a big blowhard right now!"
"I still can't believe you'd justify what you did!" Drenig shouted.
"My thoughts same with you," Dustin said.
"Well I have a challenge I need to win," Drenig said. "I'm getting to the end first!"
"Not if I have anything to do with it!" Dustin shouted. Eventually, the two left their room and continued their mazes.
Over with Artic-Uno's maze, Lilly bumped into yet another team member. It was her friend Muffy.
"Huh? You're still not through with this course yet?" Muffy asked.
"No, I guess not," Lilly said. "No time to talk, have to win."
After Lilly left, Muffy went back into the maze and tried to find her way out. She was on a wrong question, but still had to figure it out for herself. Eventually, Grant appeared in the maze next to Muffy. He was lost too.
"I cannot believe I am saying this," Grant said. "But I'm lost. I thought an evil genius like me would make quick work of this maze, but..."
"Grant, maybe you can help me," Muffy said. "I'm trying to figure out who the only contestant was who mentioned that I have anger issues."
"Oh, that was..." Grant stuttered. "I think it was Percy?"
"Can't be, I just came out of that door," Muffy mentioned.
"You're right. Now that I think of it, it was Jet," Grant mentioned.
"Are you sure?" Muffy mentioned.
"Probably, he has a lot of things to complain about," Grant mentioned.
"Okay, I'll see," Muffy said before opening the door to another dead end. "No, that just leads to another dead end," Muffy mentioned.
"Just keep trying answers till one of them works," Grant said before exiting the room.
"Wait! That doesn't give me anything to go by!" Muffy shouted out. But Grant was already gone. "Stupid pig!"
-Confessional Session(Muffy)-
"What is that creature's bag, anyway?" Muffy asked. "Not only is he a complete and total weirdo, but he's a total enigma. ...Wait, isn't that kind of the same thing?"
-After Confessional-
Wren had made it to his final question. "Which contestant specified Drenig as being impulsive?"
"Hmmm... What did I say?" Wren asked himself. "I think I said I wish he was stronger. But who said he was impulsive. ...Has to be Kiki, who else would have said it?"
Wren opened the door with Kiki's name on it, and went through. There, he saw a big Exit rug on the floor and Aria standing away from him.
"Hey, you made it out Wren," Aria congratulated.
"I did?" Wren asked himself before looking around. "Oh, I did. Yay for me!"
But over at Team Artic-Uno's side, Percy had also made it through not long after. It was looking tense.
"Neck and neck folks," Pandora blurted out.
Ruce heard what he just said, but felt a bit on the confident side. She was on her last door as well.
"Not for long, brat king," Ruce mentioned before reading her questions. "Who said that Grant is doing something on TV that most people would be embarrassed to do or watch? Hmmm..."
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"Now that I think of it, don't we all think that?" Ruce asked. "You can't like acting like a real villain SO MUCH that you're proud of it enough to do it on television. ...What if he's a legit villain? ...Nah."
-After Confessional-
"Easy," Ruce blurted out. "It was Lilly, she said that about Grant. ...Wait, do I need to blurt out my answers? Can't I just choose the door?"
Ruce went through Lilly's door and out to the end where Percy and Jet were. Jet was feeling pretty happy.
"Ha! Only two more need to come out," he said. "Then victory will be mine, as usual."
"Yours?" Percy asked. "You mean "Ours" right?"
"Well, you guys helped of course, but..." Jet was cut off by Percy.
"Jet, I want to let you know that I've had an epiphany lately," Percy started. "The others made me realize the things I've let you get away with. Well, no more mister nice Purugly. Got it?"
Percy stared Jet straight in the eye to make sure he was getting the point across. Jet started to cower before him.
"Yes Percy," Jet whimpered.
But problems arose in the Zap-Dos maze. Kiki was looking through her maze then came across another question.
"What contestant said Wren was a bit sensitive," Kiki thought for a moment. "Aria, I think."
But before she opened the door, she heard some shouting.
"Again!" Kiki heard Drenig yell.
"Ugh, you just came to egg it on again, didn't you?" That was Dustin.
Kiki realized she would have to steer off her course to do something about the two. Kiki untied her karate belt to use it as a trail. It was long enough to stretch into two rooms over, but she needed to go through three to get to where Drenig and Dustin were.
"No! I came by accident!" Drenig shouted.
"You left your horseshoes at the bunker, right?" Dustin said.
"Or maybe you plan to drown me in the pond next chance you get!" Drenig yelled.
"Why don't you take responsibility for your actions!?" Dustin shouted.
"Why don't you both!?" Kiki butted in.
"Huh? Is something wrong?" Drenig asked.
"You know you two can't stay mad forever," Kiki said. "And right now, we have a game to win."
"He started the whole thing!" Dustin shouted.
"You were BOTH in the wrong with the things you did," Kiki mentioned. "You may not realize it, but no one's perfect. We all get into arguments from time to time. That's part of being a mortal creature."
"But he tried to drown me," Drenig mentioned. "I'm just supposed to forgive him for saying no one got hurt?"
"And I'm just supposed to stand here and let him try to justify things?" Dustin asked. Kiki let out a sigh.
"This may take a while," Kiki said.
Meanwhile, Kiki was nearing the end of the maze. But she started to get worried. She could have swore she heard crying in the distance.
"Muffy?" Lilly asked herself. Eventually, Lilly started back through the maze. Eventually, she ran into Grant.
"Huh? Why are you going backwards?" Grant asked.
"Not now!" Lilly mentioned before running off. "I have to find Muffy."
"She's fine," Grant said. "She's probably just being emotional."
"...She's defeating herself," Lilly said. "I can tell. Maybe Ruce was right, maybe she doesn't have the courage thing down."
"Fine, but I'm going to win," Grant said before going through a door to another room.
Lilly ran straight to Muffy where she really did seem to be crying. Lilly felt a bit sorry.
"I can't do it," Muffy said. "Muffy don't remember everything contestants said."
"This is not a brave thing for you to do," Lilly mentioned. "You're tougher than this."
"Oh, who am I kidding," Lilly said. "Maybe Yoshi was wrong about me, maybe I'm not fit to be brave."
"Muffy, pull yourself together!" Lilly said. "Don't think that, you can be very brave."
"But that won't help me solve the puzzle," Muffy said.
"We can't do anything but our best," Lilly said. "But crying solves nothing. Besides, you're letting the other team win."
"What!?" Muffy cried. "No! I don't want to lose!"
"Then sit up and fight the course like a Granbul should!" Lilly exclaimed.
"You are right!" Muffy cried.
"Who has the meanest most terrifying growl in Quarantine?" Lilly encouraged.
"I do!" Muffy cried.
"Who's ready to kick some bully butt?" Lilly encouraged some more.
"I am!" Muffy cheered.
"That's the Muffy I want to see," Lilly said. "We can still win this! Don't give up!"
"ROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAR!" Muffy's loud roar could be heard through the entire course.
"...Yeah... Roar and such," Lilly said. "Now let's go!"
Eventually, the two were out on the course again, trying to get through the best they could. They didn't want anything to stop them now.
Back with Kiki, she was trying to tell Drenig and Dustin to stop fighting. When suddenly she heard an announcement.
"Attention, Artic-Uno needs one more member to win," Pandora called out. "Grant has escaped my maze."
"Okay, listen you two," Kiki said. "You're best friends. You both have differences, but you both need to set them aside. Dustin, you should be sorry of you and your friends actions, as what you did was hazardous to your friend's life. And Drenig, you too."
Dustin and Drenig looked at each other for a moment. They started to look said.
"Maybe she's right," Dustin said. "I'm sorry I had my friends push you into the pool. And I'm sorry for pretending it was a harmless prank."
"I... I'm sorry for having my friends throw horseshoes at you," Drenig stated. "It was wrong of me to get revenge for that."
They both shook claws and paws, then gave each other a hug. But they had to get going.
"Come on, we have to hurry," Kiki said.
They all started racing out of the room and resumed their mazes. They were trying their hardest to scramble. But so were Lilly and Muffy. Each of the teams tried their hardest to look through each door for the answer, and to remember every single question. First, Dustin came out. Then Drenig escaped his prison. But Kiki, Muffy and Lilly were racing as hard as they could. Eventually, a winner emerged. The first of the three to exit their maze was...
...
...Muffy! Muffy had made it out of her maze first, and had given Team Artic-Uno it's fifth member. Kiki exited her maze next, and finally Lilly.
"I did it! I beat the maze!" Muffy yelled proudly.
"It looks like we have a winner," Pandora said. "Muffy exited first, which means five members have exited before Team Zap-Dos!"
"We did it guys! We won!" Jet said.
"HOWEVER!" Pandora shouted.
"However?" Muffy questioned. "I don't like the sound of "however."
"After carefully reviewing the footage," Pandora started. "It has come to my attention that Grant had exited out of someone elses exit. And I specifically said by the rules to exit out of your own exit! Therefor, Team Artic-Uno is disqualified!"
"What!?" Ruce shouted before she turned and stared at Grant. Everyone gathered around the Grumpig and stared angrily. Grant clacked his hooves together and waved his fingers innocently.
"He he he, oops," Grant said, seeming to be nervous about things.
"Therefor, Team Zap-Dos is the winner," Pandora shouted.
Everyone on Team Zap-Dos side started to cheer. ...Everyone except Kiki, who shook her head at the thought of winning only by default. Her mind was disrupted after Drenig and Dustin held her shoulder.
"Thanks for talking us out of anger," Drenig said.
"We'll try to patch things up later," Dustin said.
"But wait, there's more," Pandora said. "We have arranged a prize and a punishment for both teams. Please enter the door away from you."
Both teams saw the room they were in and also two more big doors, one for each team. The teams walked up to their doors, opened them a walked in. ...Where they each saw the same thing. They were now on the edge of what appeared to be a large lava pit.
"Well? Jump in," Pandora said.
"Why are you doing this?" Wren asked.
"Why do you think? It's for revenge," Pandora mentioned. "And if you don't jump in, I'll have my Ursaring guards OW that hurt!"
Pandora seemed to have been poked by a long black claw. Pandora turned around and saw a Vigoroth who was wearing a tan business shirt saying "Wyler's Beds."
"Not this again," Aria scoffed.
"Bed salesman by day, master spy by whenever I am needed," Wyler said. "That's me: The one and only Wyler!"
"This is just some cheesy advertisement," Aria stated.
"Bah! Where did you come from?" Pandora asked.
"More importantly, why are you in my spot?" Eventually the camera shifted and showed Bertram with a helmet in his hand. He was free of control.
"Oh no... What do I do now Dagger Eyes?" Pandora blurted out.
"Now, you will be electrocuted," Bertram said before slamming his cane down and summoning a bolt of lightning near Pandora. Wyler even started towards Pandora, trying to keep on his persuit.
"Arg! Retreat!" Pandora shouted. "This is not over! I will get my revenge!"
Eventually, Wyler chased Pandora off the screen. Bertram shook his head and resumed his duties as host.
"Hmph, kind of a wuss, don't you think?" Bertram said. "Now where was I? Oh yes, it came to my attention that Zap-Dos had won the challenge. Today, they shall bask in the glory of conquest. A crown upon each of their heads and a robe to match as they are escorted to a royal palace. They will all be layed down on luxurious beds where for one night, they will spend a day at a massage spa."
"Whoa! Sweet!" Drenig cried.
"A crown fit for kings and queens, as we are royalty," Dustin said.
"Yes, in our Spa treatment, we have hired many taskmasters," Bertram said. "Dizzy's drinks will provide you with elegant luscious smoothies of your choosing while masseuses of Garrets Relaxing Experience bring relief to all your soar muscles. And it wouldn't be a spa without a HOT TUB, which you get to keep for the rest of the entire continuity of the game!"
"Wow... That's the best prize yet," Ruce mentioned.
"Thanks a lot, Grant!" Muffy yelled.
"And now, to get you out," Bertram said. Eventually, he held up a control switch, pressed it, and bridges came out of the platforms the teams were standing on. These bridges shot out to another door. Eventually, both teams followed the bridge to the door, and they were both on their ways home.
-Doom or Bye?-
Zap-Dos was given their promised crowns and robes, even though the crowns were plastic and the robes were just red blankets with white fluff. They were then escorted to said palace, which was really just their bunker with a bunch of strangers. However, the promised hot tub was right outside their bunker, and back at the camp, five massage beds were in place, each with a cheerful looking Machamp standing by them. Also in a room, a happy Spinda was standing at a counter with all sorts of berries, gummies, and goodies.
"How cheap," Aria said. "Just cheap child's clothing and the palace is just our castle."
"Who cares?" Dustin said, immediately gravitating toward one of the massage tables. "Our own masseuses and barista? Give it your all!"
"Uhhh... I'm not licensed to massage through thick armor," the Machamp at his table said.
"What? Thou must take his prized possession off?" Dustin asked. "...Okay."
As Dustin was getting undressed, Kiki and Drenig were getting a drink.
"Welcome you two," Dizzy the Spinda said. "What will it be?"
"Give me a tropical fizzy," Dustin said happily. "One Pinap berry, one Starf berry, one Nanab berry and one Pomeg berry."
"Give me something spicy," Kiki said. "Whatever you think is best for a spicy drink. I need a pick-me-up after that."
"What's wrong?" Drenig asked. "Are you mad?"
"...We won by default," Kiki said.
"So?" Drenig asked. "Why is that a bad thing?"
"It means our opponent played dishonorably," Kiki mentioned. "That stupid little pig! I hope he gets kicked off right away."
"Don't worry, I see no reason he won't," Drenig stated.
The other three were enjoying their massages quite well. Aria decided to share something with Wren.
"You know, if you ever want a massage when there's no one to massage you," Aria started. "Just imagine yourself getting a massage. Even watching or reading about people getting massages makes you feel relaxed. ...But not much compares to the real thing."
Suddenly, there was a crashing noise outside. Everyone picked their heads up.
"What was that?" Wren asked.
"Oh, probably nothing we should be concerned about," Aria stated.
She was right, it did not concern them. Over at Artic-Uno, they had just gotten back to their bunkers. They were still angry at Grant, but Grant tried to make things better.
"Oh man. I thought for sure I was going the right way," Grant said.
"Why do I have a hard time believing that?" Muffy asked.
"I mean it, though," Grant said. "I wish I could make it up to the team."
"Forget it, kid," Percy said. "Nothing against you, but you have not exactly been useful to the team."
"He has a point," Lilly said. "When have you ever excelled at a challenge? Never!"
"Oh come on, give me a chance," Grant whined.
"Sorry Grant, but I think your time ran out," Ruce said.
"Hey Lilly," Muffy started. "Can... Can we go berry picking at the shore? I want to see the sunset."
"Good idea," Lilly said. "They have Pinap and Nanab berries there, I could go for some."
Eventually, the two left the room. Percy and Jet seemed ready to leave.
"Whatever, we're going hunting," Jet said.
"Don't forget," Percy mentioned. "Make one rude comment, and bad things will happen."
"Eek, yes Percy," Jet said.
Eventually, they left too. This left only Ruce and Grant at the Bunker.
"I guess there's nothing left of me now," Grant said. "You guys are sending me home for this challenge."
"Probably," Ruce confirmed.
"Before I go, I should tell you that I found out who planted the page," Grant said.
"Really?" Ruce asked. "Who would that be?"
"Well it turns out that someone left a clue on the page in the form of a print," Grant said. "I was able to decipher that print."
"Was it Percy?" Ruce asked. "He was the only one who touched the page as we saw."
"Or so it would seem," Grant said. "You see, right before that, someone planted the page there and left prints."
"Okay, get to the point, who did it?" Ruce asked.
"That's simple," Grant started. "The one who planted the page there... was me!"
"Wait, what!?" Ruce asked.
"That's right, I did it! I planted the page," Grant confessed.
"WHAT!?" Ruce yelled.
"I helped get rid of that ugly little furry," Grant stated. "And the team helped too. They were ALL responsible for her elimination."
"You worthless piece of TRASH!?" Ruce yelled.
"Of course I did, she made a promise and she broke it," Grant said. "So we offed her from the show. She really was a stupid contestant. So weak and insignificant."
"DON'T TALK ABOUT HER THAT WAY!" Ruce roared.
"And YOU are just as weak," Grant said. "You and your stupid bunny ears and empty threats, you're as much of a joke as your sister is!"
"I AM GOING TO PULVERIZE YOU!" Ruce screamed.
"That's right! Hate me! Hate me you pathetic..." Ruce immediately rushed up to Grant before he finished talking and forcefully grabbed him by the arms. "Ow! Not my favorite Halloween costume... I mean every-day clothes."
"YOU DIRTY LITTLE CHEATER!" Ruce screamed. "SHE DID NOTHING MAJOR TO YOU AND YOU BETRAYED HER!? I TRUSTED YOU YOU SACK OF PUTRID GRIMER WASTE!"
"Let go of me!" Grant whined. "She betrayed me!"
Grant eventually got out of her grip and then ran over to his robot. He picked up the controller and pushed buttons on it.
"Go get her, robot minion!" Grant cried.
...But Ruce easily walked up to it and grabbed the robot minion. She lifted it over her head and launched it into the wall. The robot shattered into pieces.
"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Grant screamed. "My Ultimate Destructo Robot of Dooohoohoohoohooooom."
Eventually, team members were coming back to the bunkers and they heard Ruce shouting fury. They each opened the room and saw Ruce running after a scared Grant. She got him into a corner and Grant cowered like a child.
"Help me! She's going to hurt me!" Grant said.
"You STUPID WORTHLESS PIG!" Ruce shouted. "YOU GOT MY SISTER ELIMINATED!"
"NO! You didn't let me completely finish," Grant whined. "You just jumped to conclusions. THEY voted your sister off. I tried to help her."
"YOU ARE SO GONE, GRANT!" Ruce roared.
"ARGH! Percy! Muffy! Help!" Grant whined.
"They won't help you!" Ruce shouted before turning to the group. "They'll get rid of you just like they got rid of my sister!"
The group started to back away from the Bunker. Ruce needed time to cool off.
-Confessional Session(Ruce)-
"Oh I cannot wait to see Grant go home!" Ruce shouted. "He's getting what's coming to him!"
-After Confessional-
It was time for the groups to head off to the Quarantine Chamber. Ruce kept an angry face on Grant the whole time. Bertram did the usual passing of the milk before starting the ceremony.
"This game refuses to stay one-sided," Bertram said. "You two teams keep taking turns sending people home. Well today, one more will go home."
"Just get on with it!" Ruce shouted angrily.
"Right," Bertram started. "Here are the contestants who are safe today. Lilly, you are safe."
"Uh... yay," Lilly said shakily.
"Jet!" Bertram called out. "How does it feel to NOT be on the chopping block?"
"Eheheh... terrific!" Jet said, also shaken.
"Percy! You and Muffy can join Lilly and Jet in tomorrow's episode," Bertram stated.
"Ha ha ha... great," Muffy said, also shaken. Percy seemed to be the most calm of the group. Grant was still cowering.
"Oh..." Grant whined, trying to crouch below Ruce's glare.
"And finally," Bertram started. "The last team member staying with us today is...
...
...
..."
"Oh, why did it have to end this way?" Grant whined.
"Grant!" Bertram shouted. "You are safe."
"WHAAAAAAAAAT!?" Ruce roared. "You mean to tell me that the team is sending ME home instead of that TRAITOROUS..."
"Calm down, Ruce," Bertram said shakily. "The team did blame Grant for losing the challenge, but the team also agreed that YOU are dangerous!"
"DANGEROUS!?" Ruce shouted. "So what if I'm overprotective of my sister! It's not like I was really going to hurt him!"
"Be that as it may, I'm afraid they have chosen you to leave," Bertram said, as rattled by her as the others were.
"NO! That stupid pig cheated!" Ruce said.
"Uhhh... little help please?" Bertram said. As he called out, a couple of Gurdur came out and grabbed Ruce and started dragging her to the Quarantine Chamber.
"ARGH! THIS ISN'T OVER, GRANT!" Ruce yelled. "YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE IN THE END!"
They threw her into the Quarantine Chamber and closed it up. Bertram went over to started the gas.
"I banish this rage-aholic Azumarill to the outskirts," Bertram said. "Big blue bunny BEGONE!"
Bertram pressed the gas button and watched Ruce pound away at the glass. She was furious at Grant for what she said. Eventually, the gas covered the room for about a minute. ...But when the gas cleared, Ruce was still there. She was struggling against more Gurdur.
"She won't go cleanly," one of the Gurdur excused.
"Let go of me! That pig should be here!" Ruce yelled.
"Just drag her out," Bertram cried. "Get her out of hear!"
"RAAAAAAAAAARGH!" was the last thing you heard from Ruce after the Gurdur dragged her out of the chamber.
"Oh dear, maybe I don't have the scariest growl anymore," Muffy stated.
-Confessional Session(Grant)-
"Ha! Hook, line and sinker Ruce!" Grant shouted. "I can't believe that my awesomely eeeeevil plan to get rid of her worked! Phase two completed! Onto phase... Ugh..."
Grant stopped for a moment. He seemed... guilty.
"What have I done?" he asked himself. "Did I really manipulate too competitors? This isn't like me. ...Ha! Well it is now! Once you go bad, you don't go back."
-After Confessional-
"Well... that was interesting," Bertram said as the group went back. "Made me remember how mature Abigale was compared to... Ruce. Well... tomorrow, Artic-Uno and Zap-Dos are no more. The merge will commence and more thrills will be had. So tune in next time for another episode of Quarantine. Until then we say..."
"Mwahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!" There was another laugh in the background.
"Oh, not again!" Bertram whined.
"He he, sorry, just me." Bertram looked over and saw Grant was still there.
"Shoo, subject!" Bertram cried out. Grant retreated back to the bunker. "Until next episode, we say goodbye to you AND that scary bunny for now."
-Next Time On Quarantine-
"Welcome all to Team Mol-Tres!"
Bertram merges the teams for the next episode.
"YOU are not supposed to be here!"
The remaining competitors are split into five teams of two for another challenge.
"Time to meet my new team."
The last team to clear a course obstacles must duel each other in one more battle.
"Bring it on! He's going down!"
No votes to be had, loser of the duel goes home.
"Where does Bert come up with all of this?"
All this and more on the next episode of Quarantine: Ingredients To Success.