Author's Note
And thus, dear readers, we officially arrive at the halfway point of this season. Five people have already been eliminated, and six more will fall before we reach the finale. I hope you're all getting excited, because things are gonna heat up from here on out.
But for now, it's time to answer last week's reviews.
SilverWriter0927: Nice name change. And yeah, Gwen and Trent being on the same team means good things for them, although I do hesitate to compare them to Zoke.
Gage the Hedgehog: Thank you, as always.
Tokusatsu-31st Century: I'm glad you like Gwent! And yeah, Lindsay stepped up to the challenge last week and let her team down, so it's only natural she'd be willing to take the blame.
CVluvFoxy: Ah, I see. Yeah, last week was a pretty obvious place to eliminate her, and I'm glad you enjoyed the direction I took her in. Same with the team swap, and Dakota's cameo. As for the other stuff...well, you'll find out soon enough. And by which I mean you already know, because I forgot to include this reply originally. Sorry.
Call Me Ishmael: Well, I'm glad I was able to develop her so well - people being sad about a character's departure is a good sign, especially since I wasn't too certain how to handle Lindsay going into this season. It really makes my decision to keep her around worth it. Not much else for me to say - I'm happy you're enjoying nearly all of the character, though I will say that Cameron, overall, has probably been the hardest for me to really get a handle on so it's no surprise that you're not sure where I'm going with him.
Zak Saturday: Thank you, I hope you enjoy this week's chapter as well.
StayOuttaMyShed: Mmm, yes, I would like to write Lindsay again in the Shuffledverse though I don't know if it'll be next season - there's just so many possible heroes from this season's cast to choose from. I'm happy you're enjoying Harold being Harold, and his apology (and general interactions) with Zoey. Them being on the same team again is gonna make things interesting, just like Trent now being stuck with Gwen and Courtney. And Noah...well, who knows?
And as for your predictions regarding the next couple eliminations...well, since I've actually finished episode 8 already and thus know for sure what happens, I can say that I'm looking forward to seeing your reaction to the next couple weeks.
Animation Adventures: Jeez, I'm glad you (and Sarcasm is a Habit) pointed that out to me so quickly so I could change it. I'm pretty sure I was thinking ahead a little too much, knowing that Lindsay was getting eliminated last week and thus removing her from the list instead of Justin. Fortunately I was able to fix it quickly. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the Rats' model choice, and fashion as well. It was a bit of a repeated gag, as you mentioned, but it works well - showing the same thing as canon, then subverting the canon choice into something that actually fits the Shuffled situation. I'm glad you enjoyed the swap, and it certainly does open up a number of possible developments, especially once they get down into the mine. It's safe to say that this week's episode is gonna be exciting, for reasons both related to and independent of the season's plot.
acosta perez jose ramiro: Yup, you're spot on with Lindsay - she's a ditz, but she does get people. Thank you for the review, as always.
Sarcasm is a Habit: Ah, I see what you meant by Harold writing the notes now, thanks for clarifying. I'll agree that last week was about the right time to eliminate Lindsay; I'm happy with where I was able to take her, and while she does have the potential to go far in a season it just isn't her time to shine. I'm happy you liked the swap; I wasn't sure how well it would go over considering that Harold had started out on the Maggots anyway, but it seems like people really like him, Jasmine, and Zoey together. And as for Izzy...well, I'm happy you enjoyed her cameos last week as well. Oh, and thank you as well for being the second to let me know about my slip-up with the remaining cast last week.
OMAC001: Thanks, I'm glad to hear it.
moka evans: Thank you, figuring out how to get Sasquatchanakwa mad enough to rampage without Brick around was difficult but I'm happy with what I came up with. Having Sam absent was similar, though less so since the video game withdrawal bits weren't as central to the plot (aside from the Donkey Kong homage, which I guess was what the canon episode was all about setting up). I'm not sure why you thought Noah would be the natural makeover choice over Gwen, but whatever. I am glad you're looking forward to seeing how Trent being on the Rats works out for them all!
ashDanLand: I'm glad to hear you liked it! Especially your thought that Zoey is being a good friend. And yeah, Dakota replacing Lindsay's cameo was pretty obvious so I'm not surprised you thought it was going to happen way back in season one.
Bruno 14: Good to hear, even your sadness at Lindsay being gone - it means I did her justice as a character. As for your suggestion about using submitted OCs for a potential Shuffled RR...sorry, but that's not really my style. I'd feel too much pressure to conform to exactly what their creators had in mind for them, and I'd probably end up feeling like the story wasn't entirely my own, which is something I like to avoid.
PizzaTheBomb: Mmm, yeah, not every eliminated contestant is gonna react the same way, simply because they aren't all the same. So it's only natural that some, like Lindsay, are going to be good sports about it, and even accept that they should be the one going home. It adds a nice layer of diversity to the cast. And yeah, in canon the Maggots dressed up a maggot while the Rats got ol' Sasquatchanakwa, but that wasn't gonna work for my purposes so I decided to switch things up. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of the season!
The Misguided Angel of Death: Thank you! It means a lot to me when I hear that someone is genuinely sad to see a character go; like you said, it means I've done a good job with her. And yeah, both the swap and the mines are gonna lead for some interesting situations this week...but you'll have to read on to find out more!
P. T. Piranha: Well okay then, fair enough. I'm glad you're enjoying Harold's switching fate and Noah staying in the background.
Explorer of the Unknown: I feel like I've said it a lot today, but I'm really happy with people's reactions to Lindsay's elimination. It really makes me feel like I did a great job with her. And likewise, I'm glad you felt that the Maggots were a pretty tight-knit group (Justin aside); it's something that I've been trying to do with them and I'm happy it's coming through to people. Regarding next season's cast, I will say that I'm going to do my best to make sure everyone deserves to be there - although to be honest, that doesn't cut out as many possibilities as I'd like, in this season's cast. There's just so many interesting possibilities!
I'm glad you're enjoying Harold so far, though you do make a good point about my unwillingness to get him and Zoey in a relationship, as well as my tendency to throw curve balls - for instance, I'm not gonna bind myself to making the finale Brains vs Brawn - the finalists could be anyone left in the game right now. Harold's friendship with Trent is something I am interested in exploring a little bit, though I'm not sure if I'll go in heavy with the Drama Brothers references. But who knows? And with Trent on the Rats now instead of Harold, the balance of power is certainly shifting...it's been interesting figuring out exactly how Noah, Cameron, and Courtney should react to this change.
And all that said...I hope you enjoy what happens next!
Guest: Yeah, I suppose the irony is kind of obvious - it's also why I'd originally planned on having Justin eliminated last week in the original plan for the season. Regardless, I'm glad you enjoyed Courtney's fashion sense and her friendship with Cameron.
This guy: ...yeah, no, I wasn't gonna do anything like that regardless of who was put on what teams.
Star Saber21: Yup, that's kind of what I was going for (though it was more that she was the most fashionable one there). And yeah, I don't think either Trent or Harold is really complaining about the swap. I hope you keep enjoying the series!
DSX62415: :D
C. DreadsFanfic. netBUM: Yup, it was just her time to go like you said. Still, I'm glad I decided to keep her on for as long as I did, it really let her shine. Not sure if she'll be back next season, though - there's a lot of heroes I gotta pick from. As for Zoey, I did intentionally have it seem like she'd consider quitting; and as for her hooking up with Harold...who knows? I'm glad you liked Cameron getting teased a bit, as well as just Harold in general. I hope you enjoy what happens next!
I. M. Poik: Yup, Dakota was the natural choice for last week's cameo. And as for Gwen taking Jo's role, well, somebody had to finish things up, and Gwen seemed like the best choice. Noah...will return to his more active behind-the-scenes works when I feel he'd feel the need to do so. And as for the possible relationship in TSPI...well, I can promise that it's not gonna be a screenhog. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week's episode!
link9753: Yeah, it really does seem like a natural place to eliminate her, doesn't it? And as for this week's hurl... well, you'll just have to read on and find out.
FOWLKON: I'm glad you enjoyed Lindsay's boot episode, and all that she did in it. And yeah, Gwen is definitely more of a Perky Goth than Crimson and Ennui, but I don't think Gwen really sees herself as such. And I'm glad you enjoyed the jokes involving Courtney. The swap will certainly change things up, and as for your predictions regarding the next boot...well, I'll be interested in seeing your thoughts after it happens.
And that's that! Here's the usual stuff before we get to what you're really here for: the poll in my profile will remain up for the time being, and as always a TVTropes page for this series exists, and as per usual with such things, could always use more work. I thoroughly appreciate those who've already been working on it, and look forward to seeing what you all add next.
The current teams are as follows:
Toxic Rats: Cameron, Courtney, Gwen, Noah, Trent
Mutant Maggots: Jasmine, Zoey, Harold
Looks like there's some trouble brewing, so get ready for some excitement. Enjoy!
- Fangren
Episode 7 – A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste
"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!" the unseen host opened on a stock shot of the island before the recap montage began. "We saw how clueless our players are when it comes to fashion," he said over clips of the Rats' business casual mutant rat and the Maggots' disastrous attempt to bring a self-dressed Sasquatchanakwa out on to the runway. "And how useless they are when it comes to rescues!" he added over Lindsay's unintentional tipping-off of the ape-man to Jasmine's arrival at the top of the cliff and Gwen's half-hearted and ultimately failed attempt to seduce him.
"In the end, although all of the Maggots messed up," a few clips were played in quick succession showing Zoey pointing out the Sasquatchanakwa, her and Trent and Jasmine getting thrown through the air over Lindsay, and Lindsay cowering in fear at the top of the cliff as the ape-man loomed over her angrily, "it was Lindsay who pointlessly volunteered for the toss-a-roo." Lindsay stood up to volunteer, and then was escorted away by Chef. "And after that, Harold and Trent got tossed on to opposite teams," Chris added over clips of the two boys volunteering, then high-fiving each other as they walked over to their new teams.
"Who will thrive, and who won't survive?" Chris asked the camera, the recap footage ending to show him standing at the end of the Dock of Shame. Before he could finish, however, a sudden strong wind and the sound of a rotor signaled the arrival of a helicopter.
"This is the Department of Environmental Protection!" a voice called out, the camera zooming out to show a RCMP helicopter hovering a few feet away from the host. "You're busted, McLean!"
"Aww, man!" the host griped. "Meddling tree-huggers..." With a scowl on his face he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Launch Operation Doomsday!" he ordered. "Repeat, Operation Doomsday! Over!" A short hiss of static ended the message, and he turned a smile to the camera. "What is Operation Doomsday, you ask? Find out right here, right now, on Total! Drama! Revenge, of the Island!" As the shot cut outward as usual, another pair of RCMP helicopters swooped down to join the first over the dock.
xxx
(Fade to Opening Theme)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
You guys are on my mind!
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
I wanna be...famous!
I wanna live close to the sun!
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;
I'll get there one day.
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
(Fade to Episode)
xxx
The scene opened in the boys' side of the Rats' cabin, a serene tune playing as Trent stood up, stretched his arms, and slung his guitar onto his back.
"Let me guess," Noah spoke up, lounging on his top bunk with a book in hand, "off to woo a gothy beast?"
Trent chuckled. "Yeah, you caught me," he admitted.
"Well, don't let us stop you," Noah said, motioning vaguely down to Cameron who was rubbing lotion onto his hands. "Or Courtney, for that matter. Since you and Gwen are on the same team now she can't complain about you two spending time together. Should make hooking up a whole lot easier if you ask me."
"Hah, I hope so," the musician smiled before turning more serious. "Hey, you guys probably know Gwen a little better than I do. Do you think she's really in to me?"
"Well," Cameron considered, "Gwen's behavior is consistent with what I've read about human attraction."
"So in other words," Noah interpreted, "it's a big fat 'probably'. But hey, neither of us has had a date in our lives so I'd say just go for it, man."
Trent smiled. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, guys," he said before walking out of the cabin.
Once he was gone, Cameron slid off his bed and walked forward. "He seems pretty nice," he commented to his sole remaining roommate.
"Yup," Noah said, leaning back and looking back into his book.
Cameron stepped outside onto the cabin's porch, took a deep breath, and smiled.
xxx
"Even though I actually haven't been out here for that long, I think I've actually become fairly comfortable with living outside my bubble," Cameron told the confession camera. "Sure, the challenges are often as terrifying as they are life-threatening, but I've managed to survive all of them so far. My team may have had a rough start, but I think we're really doing well right now – Courtney and Gwen have both been really encouraging in their own ways, Noah can be difficult to talk to but I appreciate his honesty, and although I had my concerns about Trent joining the team it appears that he's getting along well with all of us. I'm very appreciative of the people I've met out here. Well most of them anyway, " he corrected with an almost sheepish look. "Still, I'm confident that I've earned my place among them."
xxx
The scene cut outside the Rats' cabin as a helicopter flew by overhead. The shot panned down to Cameron as he stepped off the cabin porch, then the camera zoomed out to show Gwen and Trent sitting next to each other on a nearby log. They smiled at one another as Trent began to play his guitar, and after a moment Cameron moved on in the direction of the mess hall. The focus lingered on the cabin, however, as Courtney stepped out of the girls' side and quickly noticed Gwen and Trent. She pursed her lips at them for a moment, then took a breath and moved on.
As she did, the camera panned left onto Noah, now standing in the doorway of the boys' side. He raised an eyebrow, then shrugged noncommittally.
xxx
"Let's see now," Noah began his confessional, tapping his chin and looking thoughtful. "We should be about halfway through this thing, meaning the teams are probably gonna merge soon – and I need a plan for when that happens. Harold's back in good with the Maggot girls so I think they'll stick together, and Gwen and Trent are practically drooling over each other so there's that, too. Trent will probably want to side with his old teammates...but Gwen might want to side with the rest of us Rats. Hmm," he crossed his arms. "I guess I just need to get in good with both sides, which should be easy enough, but until then I need to make sure I don't get the short straw if we lose. And that means I need to be in good with at least two of my other teammates...the lovebirds will be the easiest, but there's no reason I can't work on the others too."
xxx
Noah, too, stepped down from the cabin porch and joined up with Courtney who was standing near Gwen and Trent.
"Hey, are you two gonna be here long?" she asked. "I don't want you two missing breakfast."
"Relax, we'll be there in a bit," Trent said calmly.
Courtney opened her mouth to say something, but paused upon feeling Noah's hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, let's leave them to their fun and go score the pick of the slop," he said, ushering away the team's self-declared leader and earning a smile from both goth and musician. He shot the pair a finger pistol, then turned back forward and walked alongside Courtney.
"I don't get how you can be so...calm about those two," Courtney whispered as they walked past a pair of white interns, one male and one female, frantically dragging luggage from the opposite direction.
"And I don't get why you're so hung up about them," Noah replied dryly. "Especially since, if I remember right, you said you weren't going to."
"Well...," Courtney said, looking down and mashing her fingers together anxiously, "I'm just...a little worried, okay? They're practically a couple, so all they need is one more vote and they'll control the team!"
"Is that so?" Noah said in his usual bored tone, raising an eyebrow as he and Courtney reached the steps of the mess hall. "I'll keep that in mind," he added, going ahead through the open doorway and earning a lightly indignant gasp from his teammate.
/
"Alright, time for another gag-fest of a meal!" Noah said as he and Courtney walked into the hall, Cameron and the three Maggots standing around looking confused at the table closest to the meal counter. "What's on the menu?"
"Nothing," Cameron answered. "Chef's not here, and neither is breakfast!"
"Wait, what's going on?" Gwen asked as she and Trent walked in, confusion on their faces.
"No breakfast," Courtney answered with a hint of outrage in her voice.
"Whoa, really?" Trent said, raising an eyebrow and walking over to the counter. "Jeez, you're not kidding," he said after looking around a little. "I guess we're just gonna have to make it ourselves."
He walked into the kitchen, and the perspective changed to show the inside of a refrigerator as Jasmine opened the door and looked inside. "Well, there's no food in the fridge," she called out after looking over the bare shelves, the background music becoming plodding and mysterious.
"Nothing in the cupboards, either!" Zoey added after opening a cupboard door.
"We should check in the walk-in freezer!" Chef Hatchet suggested through a small open window, quickly hurrying away as the camera zoomed out to reveal Harold standing nearby.
"Hey, good idea!" the dweeb said brightly, pounding his palm in realization. "Our meal must lie in the freezer!" He hurried across the room and threw open the freezer door, stepping inside as a cold mist poured out. "Hey guys, that oddly familiar but disembodied voice was right," he called out after a second, "there's meat in here!"
The others promptly ran in to join him...and a shutter door slid down behind them. They gasped, and the camera cut outside to show a truck driven by Chef starting up and moving away from a hole in the side of the mess hall.
"Challenge time, suckas!" he cackled, sliding open a small view slot and grinning at the camera and campers inside the cargo hold.
"This is highly unorthodox!" Cameron complained, holding on to a swinging piece of meat as most of the others tried to keep their balance in the moving vehicle and Jasmine and Gwen began to breath heavily.
"Oh no," the survivalist moaned, "I can't be trapped again!"
"Where are you taking us?" Zoey asked Chef, steadying her teammate while Trent held on to Gwen.
"You'll see," Chef answered with a devilish smile and snicker, sliding the viewing slot shut...and jamming his finger in the process, causing him to yelp in pain.
/
A flash took the scene to what appeared to be the entrance of a mineshaft. On a ledge to the right was a bulldozer and some other pieces of machinery, while to the left was not only a pile of toxic waste barrels, but also a widescreen television showing what seemed like a live feed of the host. The Chef-driven truck backed up to the entrance and with a grin the hulking driver pushed a button that caused the hold to lift, dumping the campers out onto the dirt.
"Good. You're here. Finally," Chris said, giving them a quick look of annoyance before shifting into his typical smile. "Today's challenge is to find a Golden Chris statue in your team color," he raised his left hand and a statuette with a green base appeared with a flash and a chime, then did the same with a red-based statuette on his right, "hidden somewhere in this old abandoned mine." He motioned to the mine entrance, and the two statuettes disappeared with another flash. "First team to get theirs back, wins!"
"Awesome, sounds pretty straightforward if you ask me," Harold said, sharing a happy nod with Zoey.
"Well not me," Jasmine said, shivering anxiously. "I don't wanna go down a deep, dark, confined little hole in the ground."
"Me neither," Gwen said, also starting to panic. "Seriously, Chris," she said, rushing over and grabbing the sides of the widescreen, "you cannot make us go down-"
She was cut off when heavy orange backpack was tossed on her, forcefully knocking her to the ground. Trent gasped and looked towards the truck with the others, the shot cutting over to show Chef – now in his hazmat suit – tossing the backpacks out of the back of the truck.
"Don't worry," Chris told them, "there are enough packs for everyone."
The shot cut outward just as Trent was tossed his, revealing that all the others had received packs as well. Most were lifting them with little trouble, though Noah, Harold, and especially Cameron were all struggling and Gwen was still lying on the ground.
"What, are these things filled with cement or something?" Noah griped, reaching to open the pack's main flap.
"Up-up-up, no peeking!" Chris admonished with a wag of his finger. "Those 50 lb bags are purely for your torment," he explained, "and my amusement. Enjoy."
Cameron was shown crouched down on the ground, having given up trying to lift the pack in order to root through a side pocket and pull out a small metal armband with a bright green triangular patch on front. "Chemical badges?" he asked in concern. "Why do we need to measure our exposure to toxic waste?"
"No reason," the host said with an impish shrug. "Except that I rented the mine out to store hazardous material." The campers all gasped.
"Are you crazy?!" Gwen asked in utter shock, finally getting back on her feet.
"No," Chris answered smugly, "which is why I'm in a studio right now!" Both teams immediately protested. "Relax," the devilish host told them, "it's perfectly safe. For thirty minutes," he clarified as an inset of a timer reading 30:00 appeared on the screen next to him. "When your badge turns orange," he pointed at the inset as it showed the green triangle that was on the armbands turning orange, "you have fifteen minutes left. Red is your five minute warning," the triangle turned red, "and, if you see a skull and crossbones," the entire triangle was replaced by a flashing skull and crossbones, "we'll dedicate this episode to you! But no way is it gonna come to that. I sent one of the interns down there for forty minutes," he pointed at his wristwatch as the entire on-screen inset disappeared, "and they're gonna be fine!...ish..."
"Now move it, peeps!" he told the cast, the camera cutting back outward to show them all standing with their packs.
"Could you at least give us a hint about where to find the statues?" Zoey asked.
"Funny story," Chris said with an impish smile and sideways glance as the background music became tense and trilling, "the statues have gone missing! Someone, or something down there must've taken them."
"I," Jasmine started, pausing to gulp nervously, "I don't suppose it's nice and open and well-lit down there, is it?"
"It's a mine, so no," Chris answered, his smile almost mocking. "Pitch black and narrow, all the way." Both Gwen and Jasmine squirmed anxiously. "There are flashlights and fireflies inside," he added, "first come, first serve. Anywho, time's a-wasting, and so are your healthy blood cells. So go!"
/
The scene cut inside the mine entrance as the Maggots ran in with Jasmine in the lead.
"Okay," she told herself with a forced smile, stopping right before a small elevator with an open front, "just gotta be quick about this so I can go back outside. Just. Gotta. Be qui-" She absentmindedly started to pound on the wall of the shaft with her fist as Zoey and Harold joined her, but before she could finish her mantra the mine began to rumble and rocks fell down from the ceiling, burying her and her teammates.
Courtney, Cameron, and Noah ran past them, and they were followed by Trent leading a very anxious Gwen. "Aww, jeez," the musician told his former teammates, who had poked their heads out of the rubble, "I wish I could stay and help."
"Hurry up!" Courtney called shrilly, forcing Trent to move on with Gwen.
"You're okay, you're safe, I'm here with you," he told the goth calmly as he steadily led her into the elevator with their teammates, Courtney pursing her lips and closing the short gate as soon as she could.
"We got the flashlights!" Cameron said, picking up a pair of the devices from the elevator floor. An ominous creaking cut off any possible celebration, however, and moments later a cable snapped, dropping the elevator down its shaft. All five of the Rats screamed, but none as loudly as Gwen.
They landed with a resounding crash, and the scene cut down to the total darkness at the bottom of the shaft. A few pained groans rose up, followed by Trent saying "Is everyone okay?"
"I think so," Courtney replied first.
"No!" Gwen whimpered out next.
"My spine...!" Noah groaned third.
"The flashlights!" Cameron finished, turning one on and revealing the broken elevator and scores of waste barrels scattered around the five fallen teens.
Courtney quickly picked up the second flashlight, turned it on, and looked around. "Guys, I think I see a tunnel," she said, the camera panning left to show both a normal mineshaft and a more natural-looking tunnel next to it. "Do we take it?"
She was answered by a high-pitched squealing that echoed through the tunnels and caves, lasting long enough for all five Rats to look around in terror.
"Oh no no," Gwen said, standing up in a panic, "what was that?!"
"A good reason not to stay here," Noah answered, getting up and making a dash towards the more natural-looking tunnel. His teammates followed shortly after him, though Trent once again had to lead Gwen forward by the hand.
/
The squeal faded away as the scene cut back to the top of the elevator shaft, where the three Maggots had managed to get themselves free of the rubble.
"Well, the elevator probably isn't coming up anytime soon," Harold commented, looking down the shaft.
"So...we're going to have to climb down that narrow little shaft to proceed, then?" Jasmine asked nervously. "Alrighty..."
"Well, at least it won't be dark," Zoey said, picking up a large glass jar full of small, glowing fireflies.
"Yes, good," Jasmine said, her breaths becoming quicker as she tried to reassure herself. "Great! We can see exactly how...," she gulped, "how cramped everything down there really is."
Zoey put a nervous finger to her lip, and Harold stepped forward and took the firefly jar from her. "I'll go ahead and light the way," he told the girls. "Then Jasmine should come next, and then Zoey, you bring up the rear to make sure Jasmine gets down okay."
"Right," Zoey nodded.
"Right," Jasmine echoed with barely-contained panic. "Good thinking, mate. Let's...let's get this over with, shall we?"
"Naturally," Harold said in a confident tone, holding the cable with his left hand and the firefly jar under his right arm. "Excelsiooaaaahhh!" he cried as he jumped into the shaft and slid down that cable, his declaration quickly turned into a pained shout. "Cable burn!"
Zoey and Jasmine shared a nervous look. "Well...I'm sure he's okay," the indie girl said tentatively before the sound of a crash made both of them wince.
"Awhawhaw, my biscuits," Harold's pained groan echoed up through the shaft, causing his teammates to share another wary look.
/
A flash took the scene back down to the bottom of the shaft, Harold now lying on top of the broken elevator with his hands covering his groin. Jasmine and Zoey hesitantly slid down above him, then hopped off – the indie girl to Harold's side, and the survivalist to the floor of the shaft.
"You alright?" Zoey asked, bending over her fallen friend and offering her hand.
"Uh-huh," he said pitifully, taking her hand and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.
"Good. Now where's the fireflies?" Zoey followed up.
"Over there," Harold answered, pointing to the ground. The camera panned down and zoomed in on the upturned jar, then zoomed out as Zoey picked it up.
"Okay, looks like we made it down in one piece. Right, Jasmine?" she said, looking expectantly to her right. "Jasmine?"
"I'm okay," the girl in question answered a little too quickly as the shot quick-panned over to her hunched over shivering in fright. "Just...just give me a moment..."
Zoey and Harold shared a concerned look, then walked forward. "It's okay, we're here," Zoey said calmly. "Deep breath in," she instructed, and Jasmine inhaled deeply. "Now blow out the candle," the indie girl continued, sticking a solitary finger out in front of her teammate. Jasmine blew out her breath on it, and Zoey smiled. "Better?" Jasmine nodded silently with a bit of anxiety still on her face. "Good, now let's keep moving," she said, turning and leading Jasmine and Harold towards the left.
/
The Rats were huffing and panting as the scene cut back to them entering a slightly wider portion of the tunnels. Cameron and Courtney were still in front with the flashlights, Noah was right behind them, and Trent continued to bring up the rear with Gwen.
"That's it, just take deep breaths," Trent said to the heavy-breathing goth. "Don't think about where we are right now, just concentrate on moving forward."
"I'm trying...," Gwen muttered pitifully, clenching her eyes shut in displeasure. "But it's just so hard!"
"I know. But look at how far you've already gotten," he told her. "You're strong, Gwen. You can make it through this."
Gwen took a few more breaths, and seemed to calm down a little. "You're right...thanks," she said.
"Are you...gonna be okay, Gwen?" Courtney asked in concern, the musician and goth looking up to see she had lingered back and allowed Cameron and Noah to go ahead.
"I...maybe?" the goth answered uncertainly. "For now?"
"...good," Courtney said, "because I don't really think we can afford to turn back."
"R-right...," Gwen said nervously, following Courtney as she turned and walked forward again. Trent watched them go with concern still on his face, and hurried to catch up to them.
The focus cut over to Cameron and Noah, who were inspecting another pair of tunnels as their teammates rejoined them – a normal-looking mineshaft on the left, and a jagged-edged hole on the right.
"So, what's the situation?" Courtney asked the boys.
"We've got a choice to make," Cameron said, turning around to face her.
"Not much of one if you ask me," Noah muttered, earning a confused look from Courtney, Trent, and Gwen.
"What he means is that the two tunnels are very different from each other," Cameron explained. "The one on the left has minecart tracks and looks to be just another shaft, but the one on the right almost looks like it has tooth marks on it. But I don't know what could have carved it out!"
"Considering the toxic wasteland we're in," Noah said, "I'd say just about anything."
"So...we're going left, then?" Courtney asked.
"Oh yeah," Noah replied, "unless we want to meet whatever dug that tunnel."
"Left it is!" Gwen said frantically, rushing forward to the mineshaft dragging Trent along with her.
/
"Wow, I never thought a jar full of bugs would be so bright," Zoey commented as she led the way for her team, holding up the firefly jar and looking at it more closely.
"Actually, fireflies are more efficient at producing light than lightbulbs," Harold said. "It's because the chemical reaction they use to make it doesn't give off any heat." The camera zoomed out as he spoke, showing a pair of glowing eyes looking out at the three from a crack in the wall.
"Huh," Zoey said blankly, looking at the jar again. "I guess that explains why this jar isn't warmer." As the trio moved on, the glowing-eyed figure emerged from the wall, and a familiar silhouette darted off in the direction the Maggots had came from with the distinct pattering of feet.
"Umm, not to interrupt the firefly talk or anything," Jasmine spoke up, eyes darting around nervously, "but did anyone else hear that?"
Zoey and Harold stopped in their tracks to look around, and a dramatic riff played in the background.
/
A flash took the focus to a pair of minecarts linked together on a downward slope as the beam of a flashlight approached.
"Yes! These will totally speed things up!" Courtney said excitedly as she and Cameron led the rest of the Rats to the carts.
"I don't know," Noah said warily, "these seem a little too 'death trap' for my tastes."
"This whole place is a death trap," Courtney countered, earning a nervous gulp from Gwen. "What we need now is speed, so we can cover as much ground as possible, find our statue, and get out of here."
Just then Courtney's badge turned from green to orange, earning a gasp from her and the others. "Oh no, your badge just changed colors!" Gwen cried out. "We're gonna freakin' die down here!"
"No we won't," Trent said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close as her breathing became quick and shallow. "We still have fifteen minutes. We're gonna get through this!"
"Which means we need to ride those carts!" Courtney said.
The shot focused in on Cameron as his badge suddenly turned orange as well. "Yikes!" he said before running over and diving headfirst into the front cart. "Shotgun! Called it!"
"Me and Gwen will take the back," Trent said, taking Gwen by the hand and running forward with her.
"I...guess I'm in front with you guys," Noah said hesitantly.
"Then come on!" Courtney said, grabbing his arms and pulling him to the carts. The shot cut to a close-up of the front wheel as Courtney reached down and pulled away a rock that was holding them in place, and the camera pulled back out to show all five Rats in their chosen cart.
"My first time riding the rails!" Cameron said excitedly as Courtney pulled a lever and the carts started moving downhill. He and Courtney cheered as they rolled off-screen, but the bubble-boy quickly added "I don't like it!" with a hint of terror in his voice.
/
"So...what should we do if there really is something else down here with us?" Zoey asked as the scene moved back to the Maggots. "Do you think we could just hide from it?"
"Unlikely," Harold answered. "Anything that lives down here probably relies on something other than sight as its primary way of sensing things. If it has echolocation like bats, it could probably find us from just about anywhere."
"Oh...," Zoey said with a frown. "Then...I guess we just try and outrun it then?"
"That probably won't work either," Jasmine spoke up, looking around with wide, nervous eyes. "Whatever's down here will know the terrain much better than us, so we'd just end up getting cornered. If it does come for us, we're gonna have to try and fight it off."
"Well in that case, I'm glad you're here with us, Jasmine," Zoey said, looking back and smiling at her teammate. "I'd hate to think what would happen if you weren't."
The three were silent for a moment before Harold said "Well, I'd probably be able to fight it off. I'm well-trained in ka-ra-te," he said with a cocky nod and quick chopping pose.
"Good to know," Jasmine said with a slightly relieved smile, and the three continued on with a decent amount of comfort for a few seconds more...before the badge on Zoey's arm beeped and turned orange.
All three of them gasped. "Oh no! I only have fifteen minutes left!" Zoey said.
Another beep drew their attention to Harold's badge as it changed as well. "Me too!" he cried out in panic.
A third beep, and Jasmine's breath became quick and shallow. "Oh no," she said, "not like this, not here! I...I gotta get out of here!" Her eyes rapidly darted around, and she turned and fled back the way they'd come from.
"Jasmine, wait!" Zoey called out, reaching a nervous arm out just a little too late.
The music became tense as the shot cut to Jasmine as she raced back down the tunnel into ever-increasing darkness. The camera zoomed in as she clenched her eyes shut and sped up...and ran straight into something large, pink, and hairless.
"Wha?" she said, stumbling back and opening her eyes and looking forward, the music rising ominously as the perspective moved behind her revealing the gigantic naked gopher she'd slammed into that was now lying on its back.
The mutant quickly got back to its feet, stood up on its haunches, and squealed menacingly at the girl. Jasmine quivered for a moment, then yelled "No!" in panic, blindly uppercutted the beast away from her, then turned around and ran back towards her teammates.
/
"Okay guys," Courtney told her teammates, the music becoming tense and trilling as the scene cut back to them rolling down the slope and the camera zooming in on the young woman in the front cart, "just keep your eyes open for that statue. It has to be around here somewhere."
"Umm, Courtney? I think we might have a more pressing issue," Cameron said from just off-screen, the shot cutting outward to show that the two carts were now on different tracks, with him and Courtney and Noah in the foreground and Gwent and Trent in the back.
"Seriously?! How did that even happen?!" Courtney exclaimed in disbelief. Gwen and Trent just shrugged with helpless nervousness.
The two carts exited from the tunnel into a much more open cave, with the former front carts's track curving downward while the other track sloped upward. Courtney, Cameron, and Noah all screamed as their cart dipped off-screen and promptly crashed, kicking up a bit of dust and causing the camera to shake.
The shot cut to Gwen and Trent as horror dawned on their faces as they looked ahead. "Oh man, the track's broken!" the musician cried out, the perspective moving to the front of the cart to reveal the mangled piece of track they were approaching.
"We're gonna frickin' die!" the goth screamed, the camera moving back to a distant side-view as the second cart launched off the track, and fell straight down with its passengers screaming all the way. They quickly passed the rocky ledge where Courtney, Cameron, and Noah lay seemingly unconscious, and landed with a splash far below.
A few ominous drum beats played as the scene receded into a set of monitors, the leftmost one showing only static while the middle showed the three Maggots running in terror and the rightmost one showed an underground lake.
"Looks like our players are doomed," Chris said, the camera zooming out to reveal him and Chef standing in a control room of sorts. "Will any of them survive? I have my doubts," the host laughed. "But find out for sure when we return with more, Total! Drama! Revenge of the Island!"
(Fade to Commercial and Back)
The episode resumed on a shot of the dark and dank and craggy underground cave, water drips echoing in the background as the camera panned to the left. It stopped on a small and sudden burst of bubbles, then cut in closer as Gwen broke the surface with a spluttering cough. Trent joined her a moment later, and the two quickly locked eyes before looking around in panic and confusion.
"Where are we?" the goth asked. "And what happened to the others?"
"No idea," the musician replied, "I didn't see where their cart went. I guess Noah was right about them being a mistake." As he spoke, a glowing-eyed figure stood up from behind a rock formation in the background, its long ears twitching with interest before it ducked back down out of sight.
"I guess so," Gwen said. "And now we're lost in some radioactive underground cavern with no idea where our teammates are, much less where that statue we're supposed to find is. Could things get any worse?"
"Well...at least we still have each other," Trent said, and the two smiled.
And then an almost wolf-like howl rang out across the lake, startling the two lovebirds. "Aaaand...whatever that is," Trent added nervously.
"Okay, time to get to shore!" Gwen added, and the two frantically swam off in the opposite direction.
/
The howl was still echoing through the cavern as the scene flashed to the wrecked mine cart still on dry land, which had crashed against a thick and massive stalagmite. A low yet tense tune and a human groan rose up as the howl faded away, and the camera panned to the left onto the fallen bodies of Courtney, Noah, and Cameron. The bubble-boy got to his feet with an active flashlight still in his hands, rubbed his head with a pained "Owww...," and looked around.
He immediately spotted his teammates nearby and gasped. "Courtney! Noah!" he exclaimed, running over to them. "Guys, wake up!" he added, tapping Courtney on the side of the head with the flashlight and groaning when he didn't get a response. "I've read about situations like this but it's sooo different in real life," he said as he ran around the girl to Noah and tapped him in the head as well, still to no effect.
"Think, what would Courtney do...," he asked himself, tapping his chin then looking down at Noah again. With a swift cry of "Wake up already!" he whacked the other boy on the head, who immediately groaned in pain and got to his feet.
"...Cameron...?" he asked blearily, opening his eyes and seeing the bubble-boy.
"You're okay!" Cameron replied eagerly.
"Yeah, no thanks to you," Noah muttered as the camera zoomed in slightly, rubbing where he'd been smacked while Cameron turned around and whacked Courtney.
"OWWW! Who hit me?!" she demanded, bolting to her feet with a flashlight in her hands as well.
"Sorry," Cameron told her, "it was the only way I could think of to wake you up. Now come on," he said, his teammates' eyes widening as he unknowingly rose about a foot into the air, "we have to find the others!" It was then that he noticed his sudden height change, and along with Courtney and Noah he looked at his feet.
The camera zoomed out a step, revealing that Cameron was now standing on the head of a giant hairless gopher that had just popped out of the ground. The three teens screamed, and ran away in fear as the gopher rose up even more and roared at them.
/
"Is that gopher still chasing us?" Jasmine asked as the scene cut to her, Zoey, and Harold running through another mine shaft.
The camera focused in on Harold as he looked back over his shoulder, then zoomed out as he saw the naked gopher that was running behind him. "Yes!" he looked back at his teammates and screamed.
"No choice, then," Jasmine said, skidding to a stop and letting her teammates to pass her. She reeled around and punched the hairless mutant square in the face again, knocking it onto its back a couple feet away. The perspective moved behind the giant young woman along with Zoey and Harold as they all looked down the tunnel at their pursuer. They watched with baited breath as it quickly got back on its feet, and the shot briefly cut to Jasmine's close-up as she frowned. "You're a tough little thing aren'tcha? But I wouldn't come any closer if I were you."
The camera moved back behind her, then zoomed in on the gopher as it rubbed its nose in irritation. Then it suddenly sniffed the air, squealed, and hurriedly dug straight down into the earth.
"Is it gone?" Zoey asked warily as the perspective resumed its usual side-view.
"Maybe," Harold answered. "But with that kind of burrowing ability, it could pop back up at any moment."
"Good to know," Jasmine said with a frantic smile. "Let's just...keep going." Her teammates nodded, and they turned as one and resumed running down the tunnel. The camera lingered, however, and the previously-energetic background music became low and ominous as the shot panned back to the gopher hole, and the same familiar silhouette that had been watching them earlier tiptoed into view from the right, jumping over the gopher hole and landing softly after a mid-air flip.
/
The background music became tensely energetic once more as the scene flashed back to Courtney, Noah, and Cameron running in terror down a different tunnel.
"Did...did we lose it?" Courtney panted.
"We came down here, didn't we?" Noah replied.
"I meant the gopher!" the young woman scolded.
"I think so!" Cameron said, looking back over his shoulder from the rear of the group. The three promptly skidded to a halt, and looked around – the camera pulled back slightly to reveal that they'd come to yet another crossroads.
"Okay...where to next?" Courtney asked, and the three Maggots fanned out – her and Noah going further into the room, while Cameron stuck close to the wall.
"I guess we just look for more...tracks, or something?" Noah guessed vaguely, sticking close to the CIT and her light.
"Probably," Cameron said as the shot cut over to him. The shot zoomed out as he turned his back on the camera, revealing that the long-eared silhouette that had been watching Gwen and Trent in the underground lake was now lurking just inside the tunnel the trio had come in from. "Although we really have no idea where anything even leads, so-" The shadowy figure suddenly darted into the room on all fours, grabbed the hood of Cameron's hoodie in its mouth, and dragged him away screaming into the next tunnel along the wall.
"Cameron!" his two teammates cried, turning around in horror and running off towards the tunnel they'd just seen him disappear into, his flashlight lying on the ground.
The scene cut to follow the bubble-boy in close-up as he was dragged along, yelping or grunting in pain every few seconds. "Hey! Let me go!" he yelled as he flailed helplessly. "Where are you taking me?" Between his struggling and the occasional bump he eventually managed to rotate from his side to his back, got his first good look at his assailant, and gasped. "Wait! I recognize you! You're-"
He was cut off again when another bump caused his shirt to get pulled up over his face, muffling his next words.
/
The music leveled off abruptly as the scene cut to yet another tunnel, this one being trudged through by the still-dripping forms of Gwen and Trent.
"Trent?" the goth called out, looking around nervously.
"Yeah?" the musician replied, stopping in his tracks and inadvertently causing Gwen to bump in to him.
"Sorry, it's nothing, I just...wanted to make sure you were still there," Gwen said sheepishly. "It's so dark in here I can't tell what's real and what's just my mind playing tricks on me..."
"Yeah, I know how you feel," Trent told her. "Even though I'm not claustrophobic like you are, everything that's happened is really stressing me out." He pulled his luck rabbit's foot from his pocket, and started tapping it to his head. "One-two-three-four-five-six-seven-eight-nine."
"Does that...really make you feel better?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah, it does," Trent answered with an unseen smile. "I know it's weird, but it gives me something to focus on when times get tough as a way of maybe making things turn out okay."
"Wow," Gwen said, "I never thought of a lucky number that way. Where'd yours even come from."
"Oh, well...," the musician began slowly as a light and emotional melody began to play, "I had this toy train my grandad gave me as a kid. Right before he died one of the wheels fell off, so there were only nine. I was devastated. So my mom told me nine was now my lucky number."
"I had no idea," the goth said softly. "It really means a lot to you, huh?"
"Yeah," Trent replied just as softly, stopping in his tracks and turning around. "And don't worry. No matter what happens, I promise I'll be right there to share my luck with you." He reached out and took her hands in his, and in the darkness they shared a faint smile and fainter blush.
/
A flash took the scene back to the Maggots, the music turning tense and plodding as they crept along the tunnel warily. Every few steps Jasmine made a hand signal and they froze, she looked around slightly, and then at another signal they silently started moving again.
As they repeated this process the camera zoomed out, revealing the familiar silhouette creeping along behind them, moving as they moved and stopping as they stopped. When Jasmine suddenly turned around the figure darted into a crevice in the wall, and crept back out when the Maggots turned back and moved on again.
A few feet later Jasmine suddenly looked back again and the figure darted behind a large rock jutting out of the wall just in time. The survivalist and her friends slowly turned back around, and the figure crept back out into the open with a mischievous grin...only for Jasmine to immediately look back again before the figure could react.
"Gotcha!" the survivalist shouted, quickly tackling the mysterious figure to the ground. Harold and Zoey quickly ran over to them, and Zoey held up the firefly jar to illuminate the area and reveal...
"Izzy?!" Jasmine said in shock upon seeing the true face of the person she'd pinned.
"Jasmine!" the wild child replied with an almost mocking enthusiasm, though she quickly scrunched her face up in thought. "It is Jasmine, right? Hahaha, I totally never really learned all your names when we were on opposite teams."
"Err, yeah, it's Jasmine," the taller girl answered warily, getting off of Izzy. "What are you doing down here?" she asked as they both stood up. "You've been making this place even more terrifying than it already is for me."
"Oh, haha, well," Izzy laughed, dusting herself off, "I was just, like, playing a game, y'know? I bet my roommate that I could get more of you guys back to our place while being sneaky about it."
"Wait, really?" Zoey asked with a dumbfounded look. "Why?"
"For fun," Izzy shrugged. "But anyway, now that you guys know I'm here I guess it's time to do this the fast way."
"What's faster than just leading us yourself?" Harold asked.
"This," Izzy said simply before making what could only be described as a modified hog call. She grinned at the three confused Maggots, and at a sudden peak in the music three pair of mutant gopher hands shot up out of the ground under them, grabbed them by their ankles, and pulled them screaming in to the earth. Izzy giggled, sighed, and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, that's them taken care of...what to do, what to do..."
As she muttered to herself, she raised an arm and scratched her head with two hands still on her hips.
/
A hollow sound played as panned across another cave, from an entrance tunnel on the right, past a large pile of toxic waste barrels, and on to Cameron lying on the ground with his shirt still covering his face, next to some steps carved into a higher level of stone.
He stood up, pulled his hoodie back down with a gasp, and looked around in confusion. "Where did you take me?" he asked the room. "And why did you do this?" A movement to his left caught his attention, and he whipped around towards the steps.
"Yah, sorry about being a little rough back there," the long-eared figure said, stepping out from behind what looked like a cobbled-together set of bunk beds atop the plateau with what appeared to be a box of something in her hands. A few mutant gophers were on the platform with her, but they seemed to be milling around and grooming themselves peacefully. "I just wanted to get you back here as fast as possible. Hey, I didn't lose your teammates, did I?" Staci added with a glance around, stepping forward even more and revealing herself in full – the same wolfish features she'd gotten during season three, and with slightly more tattered clothing.
"I'm...sure they'll catch up," Cameron said with a hesitant wariness. "But more importantly, what do you want with us? And how are you even surviving down here?"
Staci blinked, then held up the box. "Oh, well, we go out and scavenge food from the camp every now and then. Want some crackers? They're chicken flavored~!" she said, shaking the box in a somewhat enticing manner.
"...no thanks," Cameron replied. "What I meant was, how have you not died from toxic waste exposure?"
The wolfish girl shrugged. "Like, my roommate asked the same thing. I'm pretty sure it's because I'm a werewolf, yah. Werewolves are pretty, like, durable, y'know."
"I highly doubt that, as there's no scientific proof that werewolves exist," Cameron said with unthinking bluntness.
Immediately, Staci and the nearby mutant gophers bristled irritably. "Like, what do you mean there's no proof of werewolves? I exist, don't I? Unless you think I'm something else!"
"Sorry," the bubble-boy cringed before becoming suddenly thoughtful. "Although...where was it that you, umm, 'transformed' again?"
"Northern Ukraine, but I don't see why that matters," Staci replied in confusion and annoyance.
Cameron's eyes went wide. "Eureka! That explains everything!"
"...really?" Staci asked skeptically.
Before Cameron could explain, however, a familiar cackling laughter caught the attention of himself, Staci, and the gophers, and he froze in fear. "Oh no," he groaned, the music taking a sudden and dramatic turn. "Staci, what was that you said about a roommate?"
"Oh, yah, you probably know her don't you?" Staci said idly as the laughter drew closer. The shot focused in on Cameron as he nervously turned around, then zoomed out just enough to show him looking towards the tunnel at the far end of the room.
The music peaked, and the laughter suddenly stopped as something dropped behind Cameron, causing him to jump a little in fright. His breath became shallow as he slowly turned back around, and the camera zoomed out to show Izzy standing there with a broad grin on her face, with nothing particularly out-of-the-ordinary about her.
"Hi, Cam!" she said with a happy wave.
/
A tense challenge tune began playing as the scene cut to a drop of water landing in a small puddle, soon followed by two sets of feet that ran through and around it. The camera zoomed out to show them belonging to Courtney and Noah, the two Rats panting as they ran down the tunnel. A shrill but familiar cry of terror echoed down the tunnel, and the two looked at each other - "Cameron," they said at the same time.
Seconds later, Courtney's arm badge beeped and turned red, earning a surprised look from both teens. "Five minutes left," Courtney said with renewed determination, "let's make 'em count." Noah's badge changed soon after, but they ignored it – but a second scream, much louder and of a different tone than Cameron's, could not be.
"Gwen!" Courtney said in concern.
"Well isn't that convenient, they're in the same direction as our missing Bubble Buddy," Noah remarked. "Hey Turtle Doves!" he shouted. "We're over here!"
The camera quick-panned right over to Gwen and Trent, the goth clinging to the musician with both their badges red. "Noah? Courtney?" Gwen called out with fearful hesitance.
"Oh man, are we glad to see you guys," Trent said as the two other Rats ran up. "Was that Cameron we heard just now?"
"Yeah, he got captured by some cave monster or something," Noah answered.
"We gotta find him and the statue quick," Courtney said. "Let's just take off these stupid packs, they're only slowing us down," she added, moving to take the straps off her shoulders.
The sudden crackle and whine of a loudspeaker turning on gave her pause, however. "Those packs of pain stay on until I tell you otherwise!" Chris told them. "Or your whole team is disqualified! Dis-qual-i-fied!"
"CHRIS!" Gwen screamed the moment the message ended. "YOU'D BETTER GET US OUT OF HERE!"
"Uhh, I'm more of a watcher, not a saver," Chris replied. "So, uh, no." The loudspeaker shut off again, and the four Rats shared a nervous look.
"We're on our own, then," Trent said.
"I think Cameron's cry came from over there," Courtney said, pointing back the way she and Noah had come from. "Let's get going." She took off first, and her teammates quickly followed after.
/
The scene flashed back to the entrance to the cave that Staci, Cameron, and Izzy were in as the four remaining Rats ran in as well.
"Oh no! Cameron!" Gwen immediately gasped.
"What did you do to him?" Courtney added, the camera panning left to show the bubble-boy lying unconscious on his backpack next to Izzy, a few mutant gophers standing nearby immediately turning their attention towards the newcomers.
The wild child shrugged. "No idea, I just said hello and he passed out. But more importantly," she grinned, "now we're all here!"
"Uhh, and what do you mean by everybody?" Trent asked warily.
"I think she means us," the voice of Zoey explained, causing the camera to quick-pan over to her. Though her team's jar of fireflies was still in her hands, the shot zoomed out to reveal that she was dangling with her heavy pack in the jaws of a mutant gopher standing on its haunches on a pile of barrels; another outward zoom revealed Jasmine and Harold in a similar state next to her with the survivalist looking particularly terrified.
"Tunnel...dark...so small...," she whimpered and shivered, her eyes wide with shock.
"Fear not, my sweet," Harold told her in a fairly reassuring tone, "we're in a nice, open cavern right now." Jasmine just whimpered again.
"Right, aaanyway," Izzy said, "how about me and Staci give you guys a tour of our crib?"
"Uhh, unless the tour includes a couple of golden statues and ends before we die of chemical exposure in a couple minutes," Noah spoke up, "I'd rather not."
"And I think I speak for the rest of my team when I say that we'd like to be put down now," Harold added rather calmly.
Staci sighed, then walked over to Izzy. "See, I told you they wouldn't wanna stay once we brought them here."
"Aww, that's too bad," the wild child said sadly, patting her apparent friend on the back then snapping her fingers. The gophers holding the Maggots squealed lightly then dropped them, the three campers landing in little more than a heap. Harold and Zoey quickly helped a still-stunned Jasmine back to her feet, their fireflies forgotten on the ground, and the shot cut back over to Izzy as Staci left for the makeshift bunk beds and the other Rats rushed over to Cameron.
"Cameron? Please, please tell me you're okay," Courtney said with great concern as she knelt down and propped her fallen teammate up on her lap.
"Guys," Gwen moaned pitifully, swaying unsteadily and putting a hand to her forehead, "I'm really starting to not feel good right now." She nearly fell over, but Trent and Noah managed to grab her just in time.
"Urrgh, me too," Jasmine groaned, finally shaking away her shock but drooping a little – startling Zoey and Harold, who were still propping her up.
"Hey," Staci called from off-screen, earning the Maggots' attention and causing the camera to cut outward, showing the full cavern with all the teens and gophers. "Yah, these are what you wanted, right?" The wolfish speaker was standing at the edge of the stairway up to the elevated bunkbeds, and was holding the two Golden Chris statuettes that the teams had been tasked with retrieving. The camera zoomed in on them, an angelic tune playing as a radiant golden background appeared behind them.
Those campers who were still conscious gasped. "Noah, watch Cameron," Courtney commanded, lifting the unconscious bubble-boy and shoving him into the slacker's startled arms. Without another word the dominant young woman charged forward, and the shot cut to the Maggots as Zoey gasped and did the same – causing Harold to nearly collapse under Jasmine's weight.
The two girls reached the edge of the steps at around the same time, and immediately started trying to push past one another to get to their team's statue first.
"Get out of the way!" Courtney demanded through clenched teeth as she pulled Zoey's braid and shoved against her shoulder.
"No!" Zoey retorted, though with less resolve even as she struggled to both pry Courtney's hands away and squeeze onto the steps.
"Aww, jeez, we don't have time for this," Trent said with wide-eyed uncertainty as he continued to hold on to a weary and woozy Gwen.
"Ehh, just give 'em a second, they'll sort it out," Izzy said dismissively before leaning in towards Cameron, still unmoving in Noah's arms. "I just don't get what's wrong with him," she said, her brow furrowed in thought.
"I'm not surprised," Noah replied with a stinging sort of anxiousness.
It was then that Cameron finally murmured and stirred and awoke with a jolt. For a silent beat he and Izzy stared at each other, then the bubble-boy screamed "NO! GET AWAY FROM ME!" He squirmed blindly against the hold of his pack with enough violence to startle Izzy back a step and cause Noah to drop the pack. Cameron promptly took the opportunity to slip out of its straps and dart away, leaving Noah looking shocked and Izzy looking hurt.
Moments later, a crackling through the air indicated the start of a message over the loudspeaker – and a low but tense tune indicated the start of something else. "If you can hear this," Chris called out as Cameron was shown hiding behind Gwen and Trent, "congrats! You're not dead yet!" Courtney and Zoey paused in their still-fruitless struggle to look up and around along with Staci, while Harold paused in carrying Jasmine forward a step at a time. "Wherever you are, immediately discard your bombs-," panic immediately covered faces of the dweeb and the survivalist, "I mean, backpacks, and run!"
Noah gasped and looked down at the discard pack he was holding. The shot cut back to Courtney and Zoey, who had stopped their fruitless effort to grab the statues in order to take off their own packs..
"Bombs?!" Courtney exclaimed, lifting the largest flap to see what looked like several sticks of dynamite and a detonator. "You went too far this time, Chris!"
"Y'know, I don't think it's really the right time for explosives," Izzy mused.
"Nobody does," Noah told her sharply. "We gotta get out of here!"
"There's some mine carts over there we can use," Staci suggested, the camera cutting back to her and the statues she was still holding, then over to the left where a trio of mine carts sat on a rail. "Yah, it leads right out of the mine."
"Good," Courtney said forcefully, finally just leaping right onto the rocky platform and grabbing the green-based statuette from Staci. "Guys, I got the statue! Let's get out of here!" She ran off to the left, and the shot cut to Noah following in the same direction.
Zoey gasped as the focus moved back to her and Staci, and the two girls locked eyes. "Sorry," the indie girl said as she grabbed the red-based statue, "I hope you didn't need this."
"Like I care," Staci told her with panic rising in her voice, "I'm getting out of here. C'mon, Izzy, let's go!" she shouted before running off towards the carts.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, right," Izzy said absentmindedly before running off as well.
The shot cut to the carts just as Zoey reached them and Courtney started pulling Noah into the front car with her. Zoey paused as she started to climb into the second, and looked around in concern. "Wait, where's...?" she murmured, and the camera quick-panned back to the main part of the room to show Trent and Harold packless but struggling with their respective teammates while a few growling mutant gophers closed in on them.
"Oh no!" Zoey gasped, quickly dropping from the side of the cart and running back towards the others.
"Crap," Courtney muttered, hauling Noah into the front cart while Staci and Izzy jumped into the second cart. 'Here, hold this," the Rats' leader said, thrusting their team's statue in Noah hand, then hopping out of the cart and running back into the main part of the room herself.
The shot cut back to the stragglers as they slowly but frantically tried to move away from a pair of increasingly aggressive gophers. A third circled in front of them with a fierce squeal, and Harold and Trent screamed. They closed their eyes and braced themselves as the music peaked, but with a noticeable thud the gopher in front of them toppled over, revealing Zoey behind it with her team's statue raised to use the base as a bludgeon.
Harold and Trent breathed a sigh of relief that only lasted until the two gophers behind them squealed menacingly and reared up on their hind legs. Zoey quickly darted forward and resumed her position under Jasmine's left arm, allowing her and Harold to quickly carry their groaning teammate away. Trent, however, could only gasp and try to hurry up with Cameron on his back and Gwen at his side, both barely conscious. His relief came moments later, however, as Courtney ran past him, launched a flying kick into the belly of one of the gophers that sent it flying back into the other one, then quickly turned around.
"C'mon, they won't be down for long," she said, picking Gwen up piggyback style and running off with Trent hot on her heels still carrying Cameron.
The footage flashed ahead to them arriving as the Maggots got settled into the rearmost mine cart. Noah helped Trent and Cameron up into the front, then the former two pulled up Gwen. As the music became more and more hectic Courtney pushed the carts from the side until they started moving forward, then hopped up into the middle cart with Izzy and Staci.
Most of those still conscious screamed as the carts rolled down a slope into a tunnel, then down even more into a slightly more open cave. The rails bent upward, and the carts followed them out of sight...
/
The music stopped abruptly as the shot cut outside to Chris and Chef waiting at what appeared to be a dilapidated mine entrance – a wooden platform and scaffolding that had been outside the elevated shaft had crumbled, and the cart track's end was twisted and bent. Both men were wearing hazmat suits, and interestingly Chef was also holding the massive tongs he normally reserved for elimination ceremonies.
"They're really cuttin' it close," the host said.
"Mmm-hmm," Chef replied.
Seconds later the camera panned up to focus on the entrance, and a drumroll led into the resumption of the intense musical score as the trio of mine carts and their screaming passengers flew out into the air, and crashed just past the two adults.
When the resulting cloud of dust began to settle the camera was focused on Staci and Izzy, the two girls coughing and hacking. The sudden clamping of the tongs around them caused them to stop, and the camera zoomed out to show Chef lifting them out of the rubble as Chris watched. "I'll deal with you two trespassers later," he said irritably before turning his focus towards the campers, just now groaning and getting to their feet. He walked forward, and picked the green-based statue up off the ground.
"We...we won, right?" Courtney asked, holding her head in pain. "Our statue was in the front so it got out of the mine first, right?"
"Technically, yes," the host answered, "buu~uutt, after reviewing the footage, it seems somebody removed their pack before I said so. And if you'll recall, I said that doing so would cause their entire team to be disqualified." The other rats looked at Cameron, who held his head and groaned. "Therefore," he turned on his heel as the background music turned triumphant, "the Maggots win!"
Harold, Zoey, and Jasmine cheered weakly.
"All clear?" Chris turned and asked Chef, the hulking man still holding on to Staci and Izzy. Chef nodded, and the host took out a remote control. "EXECUTING OPERATION DOOMSDAY!" Chris shouted, pressing the button on the remote.
An explosion billowed out of the mine entrance, and when the smoke and dust cleared it had been entirely blocked by rocks. Chris and Chef shared a happy nod.
"Wait a minute, this wasn't about the statues at all!" Harold said accusingly, walking over to the two men.
"Sure it was!" Chris told him. "And as an added bonus," he motioned back to the blocked mine entrance, "you just helped me seal off the toxic waste forever! And get the feds off my back. It's win-win," he gave the camera a thumbs-up as Chef walked by behind him, "for me."
"Figures," Gwen muttered bitterly, the shot zooming out to show the entire cast back on their feet.
Chris just shrugged and put his hands behind his back. "Rats, hope you're hungry for marshmallows. But first," Chef walked back up behind him, having traded in his captives for a fire hose, "before there's permanent genetic damage..." He walked away, and with a chuckle Chef turned on the hose and doused the campers with a spray of water powerful enough to push them off-screen in a matter of seconds.
/
The footage skipped ahead to dusk, as Trent walked calmly into the boys' side of the Rats' cabin. The camera followed him inside, showing Noah reading a book on his bed. "Hey, man," the musician greeted.
"Hey," the slacker replied. He took a breath, then put his book down and swung himself to the side of the bunk. "How's Gwen doing?"
"Good, now that she's had some fresh air," Trent replied, smiling as he walked over and picked up his guitar.
"Cool, cool," Noah said in a failed attempt at being casual. "Look, uh, this is kinda weird," he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, "but...we're good, right?"
Trent looked at him and blinked. "Well, yeah, man, why wouldn't we be?"
Noah sighed and flopped backwards onto his head. "I don't know. It's just that with you and Gruesome being so close, and her being pretty good with Bubble Buddy and Big Boss, I can't help feeling that I'm about to be the odd man voted out of this show."
Trent smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, I know how that feels. But don't worry," he said, "I can promise you that there's no reason any of us would want you gone right now."
"Really?" Noah said, raising his head and his eyebrow. "That's...actually reassuring. Thanks."
"No problem," the musician told him as he slid down onto the floor.
"Well with that taken care of, I, uh, think I'm gonna go for a walk," Noah said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
/
The scene flashed outside, Noah closing the cabin door behind him then turning around to see Courtney heading out of the girls' side at the same time.
"Oh! Hey! Just, uh, just who I wanted to see," Courtney greeted awkwardly.
"Likewise," Noah said with a dry smirk, and Courtney raised an inquisitive brow at him as they walked down the steps. "Look, I've been thinking about what you said this morning about Gwen and Trent."
He paused there, and Courtney quickly smiled and filled the silence. "Good, I'm glad you're finally thinking about strategy," she whispered. "We need to figure out how to deal with them, but I don't wanna just vote one of them out." Noah raised an eyebrow at her, and she looked away. "Look, I have my reasons, okay? But anyway, I'm afraid that means we're gonna have to...vote for Cameron tonight. And before you say anything," she said quickly, "I don't feel good about it. He's been a great friend out here, and I think me might have a crush on me too."
"Uhh, I'm pretty sure that's just something me and Harold made up to tease the guy," Noah admitted awkwardly.
"Oh," Courtney said blankly. "Well I guess that makes things a little better. But still, he's close enough to Gwen that he might form an alliance with her and Trent if we don't act now, and he did cause us to lose the challenge today."
"And unless Chris actually gets rid of Izzy for good there's always a chance she'll pop up in the middle of something important and scare the guy half to death again," Noah added.
"Exactly," Courtney said. "That's why I think we should vote him off now and, y'know, spare him from that happening. So, you in?"
Noah smirked. "Hey, as long as it's not me getting hurled," he told her.
/
The usual handful of drumbeats opened the low elimination tune as the footage cut ahead to the ceremonial campfire.
"The votes, are in," Chris opened, the camera cutting outward to show him at his podium, Chef with the toxic marshmallow in a smaller pair of tongs, and the five members of the Toxic Rats sitting nervously in a row. "Who will received the marshmallow of loserdom and leave the game forever?" the host asked idly, the camera zooming in on the radioactive treat in question before panning back to Chris. "The following players, are safe." He picked up the first of four normal marshmallows, and the music reached its tensest part. "Gwen. Trent. Courtney," he said, tossing bits of white to each person called. Though those three smiled and accepted their prizes with silent grace, the two remaining boys shared an anxious look.
"Aaaand...Noah," Chris finished, the large-headed sneak letting out his breath just enough to allow the marshmallow to enter his mouth and become lodged in his throat. "Cameron, I'm afraid it's back to the bubble with you."
"Me?" Cameron asked in shock, getting on his feet but quickly ducking as the toxic marshmallow was tossed overhead, landing with a sizzle off-camera. "But why? I...I thought I earned my place among you! I thought we were friends!"
"You did, and you are, Cameron," Gwen said anxiously, standing and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "But we just...," she looked vaguely at Trent and Noah and even a slightly surprised Courtney, "thought this might be what's best for you right now."
"I vehemently disagree," Cameron told her. "But I don't think I have a choice anymore." He hung his head and sighed.
/
The music became sombre as the scene flashed to the Dock of Shame, where Cameron was already seated in the bucket of the season's catapult. Chris laughed, and asked "Any last words, kid?"
Before Cameron could reply, however, the squeak of wheels caught the host's attention. "Hold that thought," he told the bubble-boy, and the camera cut to a close-up of the wheels of a large hand truck. The shot zoomed out as a dramatic riff played, revealing Izzy and Staci inside a cage being wheeled down the dock by Chef Hatchet.
"Right, it's time for the two of you to get your butts of my island," Chris told the two captives.
"Aww," Staci said, her ears drooping sadly.
"Hey," Izzy growled angrily, "you cannot do this to me, okay?"
"Oh really?" Chris said with a look of amusement.
"Oh yeah," Izzy nodded with an intense look in her eyes. "I was never actually eliminated before I left, so technically I'm still in the game. And according to my contract, if I get hurled without being formally voted off, I can sue you guys for, like, millions."
Chris' brow shot up warily. "Is she telling the truth about that?" he hissed at Chef, who shrugged helplessly. Chris sighed and scowled and palmed his face. "Fine," he said, "whatever, you can stay. For now. But Staci's still going, got that?"
"It's probably for the best," Staci lamented as Chef opened the door of the cage and grabbed her by the arm. "I didn't really like living in the mine anyway."
The footage flashed ahead a little, Staci now sitting next to Cameron in the Hurl of Shame. The sombre farewell music resumed as the two of them sighed, and the camera zoomed out to show Chris and Chef and Izzy at the end of the dock with them, then the rest of the cast watching from dry ground.
"You know," Staci told Cameron, "you never did explain what me transforming in Ukraine had to do with anything."
"Oh yeah," the bubble-boy said blankly. "I think you might have entered the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone by mistake." At the wolfish girl's blank look, he cleared his throat and continued. "It was the site of a biiiig nuclear meltdown a few decades ago, and there's still a lot of radiation around. I think you're a mutant, not a werewolf."
Staci stared at him blankly and seemed to sag a little in sheer disbelief. "I'm not a werewolf?" she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Most likely," Cameron answered. "It's the only explanation for why you didn't change any further despite spending so much time in the mine. Although," he rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow, "that still doesn't explain why Izzy-"
Before he could finish the wild child darted forward and pulled the lever of the catapult, grinning and waving as the two were hurled screaming into the night. "You know, that actually seems like a lot of fun!" she said excitedly, her hand 'shading' her brow as she watched them disappear into the darkness.
"Good, because I'm sure it won't be long before you get to try it yourself," Chris told her with a rather forced smile as the camera zoomed out and the series' capstone theme began to play. "Especially because from now on, you'll be joining the Mutant Maggots." He motioned up the dock, and the camera cut to Zoey, Jasmine, and Harold sharing a wary and uncertain look.
"Cool," Izzy said excitedly as the shot moved back to her and Chris.
"Join us next time," the host said as he turned to the camera and spread his arms, "for more danger, treachery," Izzy bent down behind him and waved at the camera...with two left arms, "and incredibly annoying weirdos," Chris said with a quick glare at the redhead, who stood straight up and whistled nonchalantly, nothing visibly abnormal about her body any longer.
Chris huffed, then turned his usual smile back towards the camera. "On Total! Drama! Rrrrevenge, of the Island!"
(Fade to Credits)
Author's Note - Post Script
Cameron, out of everyone on the cast this season, is the person who I feel I've had the most difficulty with, and as a result I'm most disappointed by. I never intended on having him go nearly as far as he did in canon, but even so he didn't really turn out exactly like I wanted. I had originally intended on portraying him as basically Courtney's second-in-command, as well as the one keeping the peace between her and the other Rats, but I'm not sure how much of that really ended up coming through. Ultimately, he just wasn't ever that important to the plot - I had other events and relationships I wanted to focus on, so Cameron just ended up getting shunted to the side. To those of you who wanted more from him, I'm sorry.
Still, I did accomplish one thing I wanted from him - which was to meet Staci, and explain what she really was. I don't know how big of a surprise the reveal is, or how well it'll be accepted...but it is what it is. And I don't think this is the last we'll see of her, either.
Strategy-wise, well, nothing to comment on regarding the Maggots, but the Rats seemed to have shifted a bit. Gwen and Trent, even if they don't really realize it, are the center of power now, with Courtney and Noah stuck between either banding together against them for their own survival, or gaining Gwent's favor as the third wheel. Well...it's probably quite as dramatic to them, but still. Noah, again, didn't send any notes this week; I did consider it, but ultimately decided that he still wouldn't see the need as long as he could more directly ensure he wasn't going home.
Oh, and now Izzy's back! For...kind of a bullshit reason, I'll admit, but hey - she pretty much had to come back somehow, it's what she does. The Maggots are about to get...stranger, I think.
Let me know what you think, and I'll see you all next Friday.
- Fangren
Appendix: TSROTI Eliminated Contestants
Cody - (13th Place)
Izzy - (RETURNED | Formerly AWOL)
Leonard - (12th Place)
Justin - (11th Place)
Lindsay - (10th Place)
Cameron - (9th Place)
