****If you have not yet seen anything for TDI 2023 and wish to remain completely unspoiled, then this is your final call to turn back since I will be discussing some details of the show and its characters in my A/N. Ye be warned! Lol.****
Alright! Now that the Spoiler warning is out of the way, let's talk about this new TD season here. Look, I will be very honest, I'm almost 28 and I have been a fan of TD since it premiered when I was 12 usually, I am VERY skeptical when it comes to reboots. But… UGH, I LOVED this new season! I mean, to me, nothing beats the original 3 seasons, but THIS was such a breath of fresh air compared to TDAS and TDPI. The characters, the challenges, and even Chris's new voice actor were all pretty solid and entertaining. But, I must admit and like a lot of the fandom, there was one character who (along with also making me question my sanity due to how much I loved them) stole my heart… and that was Lauren "aka Scary Girl". This girl… again, I mean don't get me wrong, she is TOTALLY unhinged and BALLS crazy, but… I just FREAKING adored her character so much! She's like Izzy mixed with Harley Quinn and then dialed up to 100. And the thing that made me love her, even more, was this almost 'odd dynamic' she had with Damien (who was like the most normal and sane person in this entire cast except for maybe Millie). It was like Cody and Sierra, but done WAY better and in a MUCH more hilarious and tasteful manner to me. Like, you could tell that even though Damien and Lauren had a weird respect for each other, it was quite a simple but hilarious premise of Damien being TOTALLY scared of her and Lauren pretty much gets her kicks from watching him get scared by something else or her scaring him since she is in fact a total psychopath. But, and in some odd way… I ship it! Like, not in an 'end game' ship kinda way since I think a Priya and Damien pairing would be very cute, but I see Lauren and Damien being almost like shipping Heather and Duncan. There's strain there, but watching them interact is actual comedy GOLD. So… screw it! I say #Daren, everyone! Lol. XD And thus, here we are with a Daren fanfic. Don't know if it's the first, but it's maybe one of the first! Haha. This chapter takes place in an alternate timeline/season where both Lauren and Damien find that they've made it to the merge with an original TDI 2007 challenge twist. Read on for more details. ;) Hope you all enjoy what I've cooked up here!
The camera showed a close-up of Damien sleeping soundly on the ground of the forest floor, the only sounds heard around him were birds chirping and the rustling of wind blowing through the branches of some nearby trees.
All seemed peaceful… until a VERY loud air horn sounded off over the Island P.A. system, causing Damien to scream and spring bolt upright until he was in a semi-recumbent position on the ground.
He was hyperventilating from being startled awake for a second until Chris sounded off over the speakers, "Gooooooood MORNING CAMPERS! And welcome to the merge and your first challenge going solo! Well, almost 'solo' I guess I should say… Hehe. Today, we are going with a new take on a 'revived challenge' back by popular demand from our original season! As you all have probably noticed, all of you were placed outside on the outer edges of the island with a partner that the viewers had the privilege of choosing for you. A partner of which you are handcuffed too for the duration of the challenge. Your task is to have both you and your partner make it back into the mess hall still handcuffed. The first team back wins joint immunity and a phone call home!"
Damien looked down at his left wrist and saw a cuff around it.
While he was internally questioning exactly how they managed to get them all paired up, handcuffed together, and thrown out in the woods without waking anyone up, Damien just smiled and shrugged before saying, "Hey! That's not so bad! Say, who's my part… ner…"
Damien's eyes went wide in horror as his eyes followed the 4-foot-long chain to its other end only to have his expression contort in horror and all of his insides felt as if they were going to collectively fall out of his butt at who he saw he was 'partnered with'.
Right across from him with the other cuff around her right wrist, casually kneeling and sitting back on her heels, hands folded in her lap, and a big yet unsettling smile on her face was none other than the absolute last person/living creature that Damien would have wanted to be in this situation with.
Scary Girl "aka Lauren".
And just from the way she was poised right now, Damien could definitely infer that she woke up LONG before Chris woke him up and that she was also definitely watching him as he slept just now.
Lauren just held her place and facial expression until she gave him a wave and tilted her head slightly at him in an equally unnerving fashion as she casually greeted, "Morning, partner. Guess we're on the same team again."
It barely took 2 seconds for everything to register as Damien immediately started screaming in absolute horror at his 'current plight'.
Immediately, he leaped to his feet as he screamed up at the nearest speaker and started, practically pleading as if his life depended on it, "CHRIS! No! NO! Please, man! C'mon! I don't care what I have to do! What can I do to get out of this?!"
Right then, Chris replied coyly, " Well… just like the original challenge, there is a whim key to uncuff you and your partner. All you have to do is say the word and I can have an intern come out and uncuff you!"
Damien opened his mouth, looking like he was immediately going to jump on the offer to 'be released' from his greatest nightmare.
Or at least Damien was until Chris cut off, " Buuuuuut… IF you take the offer of the whim key, then you forfeit the challenge. No immunity, no phone call, and possibly losing out on that million-dollar prize! And; just to make things even MORE interesting, anyone who chooses the whim key will be given a HEAVY penalty during the next challenge. Your choice!"
Damien looked like he was experiencing a range of emotions from anger, outrage, and above all absolute and TOTAL fear at being literally attached by the wrist to the scariest person he has ever personally met in his life.
This was solidified and outright confirmed as Damien slowly looked back at Lauren just in time to see her tilt her head to the point where her neck cracked, still holding her disturbing grin as she gave him another wave.
Damien went wide-eyed and gulped as his mind started wildly racing out of fear.
But, despite still not seeming remotely 'okay' with the situation, Damien eventually looked like he gave in as Chris also took the same cue from where he was watching the contestants and said, "Good! With that out of the way, somewhere around you is a map hidden underneath a rock with a McLean brand sticker as a marker. Find it and use it to make your way back to camp. Or not and you can just try winging it? Your funeral!... er, I mean 'choice'. Hehe… AND as an added twist so none of you try to 'speed through this', I'm having you all stop at a designated check point halfway and spend the night there before continuing your way back to camp at the next sunrise. Now THAT makes for good ratings! Anyway, you can start in 3…2…1… And GO!"
Right then, an air horn sounded off again. Damien's heart felt like it was progressively getting smaller as he started to worry more and more for his well-being now that he was making the decision to stay handcuffed to Lauren for the rest of the challenge, and especially feeling his whole being sink now that he knew he had to 'camp out' with her for the night.
He kept up his current state of existential dread as Scary Girl excitedly called out, "Weeeee! Let's go, partner ."
After which she immediately started doing her usual 'creepy giggle' that Damien already swore haunted his dreams.
But, he had no other time to ponder this as Scary Girl took off in a sprint and quite literally 'pulled' Damien out of his thoughts, pretty much dragging him behind her as she took off.
Fortunately, before he face-planted, Damien called out, "Wait! Scary Girl! What about?!… the map?!"
She immediately halted her forward progress as she said in her usual sugary yet slightly unnerving tone of voice, "Oh yeah! That's right! We should probably get that, shouldn't we?"
Damien breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees to catch his, smiling in satisfaction at his 'quick thinking' to regain his footing. And also to buy himself more time to figure out HOW he was going to spend the next 24 hours being literally physically attached to Lauren by a chain.
Or at least he did until Lauren took off again, yanking the chain and pulling Damien forward until she was literally dragging him on the ground.
Damien was screaming and pleading for her to stop as Lauren continued giggling with glee as she kept running and pulling him along with ease.
Occasionally with Damien taking a raised tree root or rock to the face every now and then as he kept up his pleading.
But, Scary Girl looked as if she was having an absolute field day as she kept running to 'find the map'… and also keep looking behind her in delight at Damien's 'current state'.
Confessional: Lauren
"I am having SO much fun! Seeing Damien screaming while being dragged around like that was better than that time I loosened the nuts on this girl's bike when I was 11 after she laughed at me. Yeah, that wa s fun watching the tires fall off as she crashed into a gully and broke her arms. Ah… that was another great day." She said with a smile and delighted sigh.
Handcuff still attached to her wrist, but Damien was nowhere in sight (indicating he was outside the confessional).
End confessional
Confessional: Damien
Damien was gripping the camera with terrified eyes, dirt and scratches and some bruises already forming on his face from being dragged around, as he yelled in unrestrained desperation, "For those of you who voted for me to be handcuffed to her, I HATE ALL OF YOU! Why?! WHHHHYYYY?! What did I ever do to you people for me to deserve THIS?! AHHHH!"
Damien kept on having his mental breakdown inside the confessional as Scary Girl stood just outside, smiling to herself as she made direct eye contact with the camera. Mainly indicating she was clearly enjoying her 'handiwork' with scaring Damien at the moment.
End Confessional
Lauren kept giggling in delight as she kept dragging Damien behind as she was 'looking for the map'. Eventually, in one last ditch effort, Damien got out, "Wait! Scary Girl?! I…" She still wasn't listening until he finally called out, "Please! Stop! LAUREN?!"
"Yeah?" She responded in a chipper tone as she stopped immediately and looked back at him.
Damien went wide-eyed in absolute shock and confusion as Lauren kept looking at him with her undivided attention, looking like she was fully prepared to listen to what he had to say.
Confessional: Damien
Damien, although still dirty, scratched up, and bruised a little from previous events , seemed much calmer now yet also totally confused for a second before finally saying, thinking out loud more than anything, "Wait, is that all it took?! All I had to do was call her by her 'real name' for her to listen to me!... Huh?... Never would've guessed that. But, hey! I'll take it!"
End Confessional
Confessional: Lauren
"Hmm, Damien screaming in blind panic? Always like that! But, I don't know? I've never heard anyone scream my name like that before. That was… interesting. I'll listen to him!" Lauren stated cheerfully.
End Confessional
Damien was then completely surprised when Lauren pretty much lifted him off the ground by his shoulders like it was nothing before almost, dare he admit, placed him 'gently' back on his feet and continued to look at him intently to listen.
Even though Damien was shocked now for two reasons. not only because of her willingly wanting to hear him out; but also, because he was still in shock by her level of sheer strength since she lifted him off the ground like he was his family's 25 pound Beagle at home instead of a 5'10" 175-pound guy.
But, Damien was quick to take advantage of having her attention for whatever reason she was giving it to him as he started, "Look, uh… Lauren , if we want to win this challenge then we gotta work together. First, we gotta find the map to help us get back before we do anything else. How about we use our chain as a baseline and walk together while you scan one side and I scan the other with a mutual scan zone between us to cover any and all ground. That way we can cover more ground to find that sticker. After all, like you said, we are a 'team' right now, right?... Right?"
Damien progressively got more and more nervous by the silence as she just kept smiling and looking right at him.
He bit his lip and could feel a nervous sweat starting to sprout up on the back of his neck.
But, right as he felt like he was going to have a panic attack over 'what she was going to do next', his head sprung up when she put a hand on his shoulder. Sure her hands had already been on his shoulders when she lifted him off the ground, but this time felt… different.
She kept splaying her fingers out and in over his left shoulder until she finally said, sounding almost playfully ominous, "Of course, we are… teammate. "
Then she completely caught him off guard when she winked at him before taking her hand off his shoulder and firmly grabbing his left hand and pulling him along as she announced gleefully with a laugh, "Let's find that map!"
Despite still feeling sweaty, being disturbed out of his mind by 'whatever that wink was', and trying to figure out exactly what just went down… he had to admit that this was weirdly going better than he thought so far.
So… there it is! Again, I know this is a total 'crack pairing' at this stage, but I had A LOT of fun writing this and I hope you all enjoyed reading this as well! I only plan on making this fic maybe 2 or possibly 3 more chapters, so just let me know if you'd like me to continue this in the comments!
Stay Classy!
Dexter1995