[A/N: I decided from now on to add names and brackets to the confessionals, just to make it neater and easier. For example, if Chase were to do a confessional, it would previously have just said CONFESSIONAL. It will now say [CONFESSIONAL: CHASE]. I thought constantly having to name the speaker through the story itself made it sound a little forced. I'll also be separating parts of the chapter when the focus shifts to another set of characters. Just to make it all a smoother experience. On top of all that, I've also made a chapter skeleton with bullet points on what I want to happen in the chapter to allow for more effective planning, and longer, smoother chapters. This takes time, so chapters will come out less often, but I'll try to upload at least once a week, and chapters will be higher quality starting now. Apologies for the lengthy author's note. Happy reading!]

[POST CHAPTER A/N: It was not supposed to be 9000 words. The rest of the chapters will NOT be this long. I'll try to keep them 2k - 5k]

—-

The forest was quiet. The scramble to hide ended, and the seekers were released. Some campers chose to stick with a teammate or two, while others opted to go it solo. One such camper was Axel. She stomped along the path, her determination matched equally by aggression. Squirrels and bears alike darted out of her way with just a single look. No forest creature, big or small, dared interfere when she was on a mission. And that was just how she liked it.

"I haven't seen a lot of people yet," Came a voice from somewhere behind her. "I didn't think the forest was so big…" Axel darted up a nearby watchtower, narrowly avoiding being spotted. With barely a second to spare, Priya and Damien wandered into view, engaged in some kind of conversation.

"Well, most forests are much bigger than this one, but they come in all sorts of sizes! The Boreal forest's a real big one. You heard of it?" Priya shook her head. "Oh, it's crazy! Over a billion acres! One of the biggest in the world!" Axel rolled her eyes. Tree facts in the middle of a challenge? If she'd been the seeker, they'd both be on the ground already. Maybe another teammate or two with them. Priya and Damien jolted when a third voice appeared. The voice wasn't speaking, but rather… singing.

"Lalala, lalalala…"

The eerie voice grew louder with each passing second, as the owner got closer and closer. It was no question who the voice belonged to. Axel ducked, watching through the rails as Scary Girl made her way toward Damien and Priya. The former nervously scooted closer to Priya, offering Scary Girl a tight smile. Even from atop the watchtower, Axel could tell it was forced. She scowled. For all her… quirks, Scary Girl had more capabilities than Axel could say for the rest of these chumps. She'd have been better suited for the Rhinos. Under Axel's leadership, she could have gone from scary to terrifying!

"Scary Girl!" Priya greeted. There was a hint of fear in her otherwise cheerful voice. Axel almost chuckled. Survival rule number one; never let the opponent catch your fear. Priya didn't have the common sense to view a teammate as an opponent, obviously. But Axel knew better. Much, much better. "H-Heyyy, what brings you over here? Any luck with the hunting?" Scary Girl's smile widened, almost further than a human should be capable of. So much wasted potential.

"No…" She pouted. At least it sounded like she was pouting. Her expression didn't change much, if at all, from the angle Axel watched from. "They hide so much better than the others did! But I'll catch them! I always do." Priya laughed nervously, and Damien ducked for cover behind her. Even Axel shuddered. "And one day, I'll catch you, too. Byeee!" Scary Girl's monstrous tone turned sweet and cheerful as she skipped away, back into the trees.

"Whew!" Damien wiped the sweat off his forehead once Scary Girl was out of earshot. "I dunno if I'mma survive another season on her team…"

"Hey, she's our teammate! Show some support!" Priya defended. "And we're… kind of friends-ish! She won't really hurt us, she just has a different way of expressing herself. Probably… I hope?" Axel certainly hoped she didn't wind up on the wrong end of that girl's self expression. Damien sighed, but nodded along. "We should get out of here, though… we shouldn't spend too much time in one spot."

"R-Right! Yeah, o'course! Let's get movin'!"

Finally, Damien and Priya made their way through the trees, and out of view. Unbeknownst to Axel, however, someone else was also watching. From behind a tree just right of the watchtower, another competitor peeked out. They looked in both directions to make sure the coast was clear. When they found that it was, they smirked. "See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya!" They taunted in a hushed voice, chuckling at their own quip. Little did they know, their own stroke of bad luck was just around the corner.

Now that Priya, Damien, and Scary Girl had left, Axel used the rails to push herself back to her feet. She leaned over the front, a hand held flat above her eyes to block the sunlight. Nothing as far as the eye could see. Axel dumped her bag over the side, and vaulted over the right-side railing. She'd done this countless times, and from higher distances. Her landing was smooth, with little bumps. Except for…

"Ow!"

Axel landed on her feet. The person she landed on didn't. A quick look down told Axel all she needed to know. Her accidental victim, thank god, wasn't a teammate. Axel had no idea what this person's name was, nor did she care. She did remember her trademark beanie, though.

MK winced. "Dude! Do you look at all before you go jumping off buildings!?" She whisper-shouted. Avoiding drawing attention... smart. But Axel knew a better trick. She growled at the injured camper, baring her teeth for extra intimidation. The effects were instant. MK raised her hands in surrender, eyeing the survivalist nervously. Axel smirked. At least this one knew to pick her battles. She gave MK a warning glare, and sprinted back into the forest.

MK, now alone, hissed through her teeth. Whatever those boots were made of, they were heavy. Heavy objects falling from high places onto unsuspecting people didn't normally go super well. And this? This was NOT an exception. MK scooted toward the watchtower, using one of the support beams for, well, support, as she pulled herself up. She wasn't even halfway off the ground when a jolt of pain shot through her leg, and she crumpled back to the ground in stunned silence.

"Crud."

—-

Chase was considerably more relaxed than most of his fellow contenders. Sometimes one or two would run past in search of a better spot, but Chase? Chase sat on a stump while, in typical Chase fashion, doing absolutely nothing. Unless you counted fiddling with the string on his hoodie, but the competition itself did not.

[CONFESSIONAL: CHASE]

"Am I worried about getting caught? Nah. They've got Zee seeking. Love the guy, great vibes, but he's not cut out for this kinda thing. Now, someone like Julia? Man, I'd be halfway across the island! I'll move if I have to, but I seriously doubt Zee can sneak up on me, so…"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

Behind Chase, a berry bush rustled. Chase looked over his shoulder, expecting to see a bunny, or a squirrel, or something like that. What he didn't expect was Zee, brushing the leaves off of himself as he stepped out of the bush and toward Chase. "Chase!" Zee smiled lazily at him as he approached. "What is up, my man?"

[CONFESSIONAL: CHASE]

"Pfft, it's fiiiine!" Chase insisted nervously. "It's all good. All I gotta do is play it cool, and there's no one better for the job than the Chaseter!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Z-Zeeeeeee! My bro, my homie! How's it going?" Chase forced a grin, apprehensively standing up. He slowly backed away, and mimicked Zee's usual finger-guns. "So, look, uh, wild story, right? Just that way, crazy waterfall. It- it, well it, um… it's soda! You know… instead of water? Ohmanthatwasterrible- right! Zee, waterfall, over there, c-can't miss it, totally cool, super cool! Super… woah!" Chase tripped over a protruding root, and landed flat on his back. "H-Haha, sounds awesome right!? You should go check out! Right this second! Far away from me!"

Zee studied him contemplatively, a look of bewilderment crossing his features. A few seconds passed until his smile returned. "Aw, sweet! Thanks, bro." Zee sipped his soda and waved goodbye. Sweat dripped down Chase's brow as he returned the gesture. Zee strolled off in the direction Chase had pointed him in, and within a minute, Chase had lost sight of him through the dense trees. Once he was sure Zee was gone, Chase scurried to his feet and hurried away in the opposite direction.

[CONFESSIONAL: CHASE]

"Nailed it!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

Once he made absolutely certain that Zee was gone, Chase scrambled to his feet and hurried away in the opposite direction. Maybe staying put wasn't the best strategy, and even Zee wouldn't fall for that again.

—-

What was Zee doing!?

Axel watched from between the trees as Chase came up with some ridiculous excuse, and the team's only seeker bought it. Axel growled, furious with her teammate. "We should have picked someone else!" She grunted, kicking a tree with all her might. She raised her leg to kick it again, when…

"Ooooo, I hear someone, I hear someone! Wheeeeeere aaaaaare yoooooou?~"

Axel dove into a bush, colliding with someone for the second time that day. Nichelle sat up, looking somewhat upset. "Um, EXCUSE me? This is my spot!" Axel remembered this one. Not that Nichelle LaDonna was an easy face to forget.

"I hide where I want to hide, princess. Now, are you gonna scram, or do I have to hide you?"

"Oh no, I know you aren't talking to me like that! I was here first!"

"Oh, yeah?" Axel smirked, leaning in. "So was beanie, but I crushed her like a bug." The smirk widened, turning to a grin as she shoved the actress. "You want the same treatment?"

[CONFESSIONAL: NICHELLE]

"Is this girl threatening a teammate? Um, news flash, maybe that's what got you booted last time! Didn't she, like, kick her teammate off the ship?"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"We're on the same… beanie? Beanie who? You mean MK?" In a matter of seconds, Nichelle's hostility vanished, sudden interest taking its place. "What happened with MK? Spill, girl, spill!"

Axel suppressed an eyeroll. Celebrities and their drama. She pointed a thumb back in the direction of the watchtower. "Had to jump. Beanie got too close. Landed on her." She summarized, finding no need for a lengthy explanation. "Should've moved!"

[CONFESSIONAL: NICHELLE]

"Nope! Changed my mind. Army girl is alright with me!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Bravo! Girl had it coming one hundred percent! She has got an attitude problem!" Nichelle praised. "You ain't so bad after all!"

"What, you two got a problem?" Axel inquired. She wasn't the type to get involved in all that prissy drama, but curiosity is a fickle thing. Following her early elimination, Axel did miss over half the season. Of course she didn't catch up, she had training to be doing! A survival rating of 9.7 didn't come from natural talent!

"Something like that," Nichelle agreed. "I was doing my best, I was trying to win it for my team! But she… she just distracted me with all those snarky comments! I don't have to be great at everything, okay!?" Nichelle suddenly gripped the front of Axel's shirt with a look almost menacing enough to intimidate her. "I am greater than she has ever been, you hear me!? I am a great actress! Because if I'm not, who am I, huh!? Who am I!?"

[CONFESSIONAL: AXEL]

"Total Drama should've been a fight to the death! We could just skip the whole drama thing and get to the winning! It's that simple!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Should'a kept quieeeeet!"

Scary Girl's voice was a mere couple of feet away. She pushed back a bush in her way, and her eyes locked with Axel's. Her grin widened.

"Found you."

Axel and Nichelle clung to each other in horror as they screamed.

"Oooh!" Chris's voice spread across the forest from the speakers. "Nichelle and Axel are BOTH out in a terrifying double-find by Scary Girl!"

Having heard all he needed to, Caleb silently slipped away.

—-

There isn't much that can distract a hockey player. There's more to the sport than athletics. Hockey requires precision, speed, strategy, and focus. As team captain, Wayne prided himself on his steel focus. When he was set on something, he made it happen. Nothing mattered more than another goal for the Snow Owls!

But the screams of terror did it for him.

Wayne skidded to a stop, and listened. Someone could be in trouble! Or it could be Scary Girl. Or both! But to his disappointment, (or relief?) there were no more sounds to follow. Or, so Wayne thought. He almost continued on his way until he heard a thump! by a watchtower, just behind a patch of large bushes. "Ugh…" a raspy voice came from the same direction. Wayne knew that voice! He pushed through the bushes, flinching when a stray branch hit him in the face. He kept pushing through, until he found the source of the noise, sitting helplessly on the dirt. "MK?" Wayne snickered. "What a wipeout! You get your legs from the discount bin? Ha! That's okay, happens to the worst of us!" His ex-teammate immediately locked eyes with him, visibly deflating.

"Perfect." She scowled. "Great. Just what I needed." MK sighed, glaring at the ground as if it'd personally offended her.

Suddenly, Wayne didn't look so cocky, and all trash talk ceased. "MK? Hold up, you okay?" His tone shifted to worry as he crouched at her side. "Can you stand?"

He was met with a scoff and an eye roll. "Oh, yeah, of course!" She began with false cheerfulness. "I'm just sitting here because I enjoy eating dirt."

Wayne, ever the expert at not taking the hint, frowned. "Really? That's totally bad for you. You want some tips? I'm a dietary pro, what with hockey and all! Raji's on your team, eh? I bet he'd help you out! Best guy to play with, trust me!"

MK looked baffled by his answer. She cycled through several responses until she finally settled on "...Right. Don't you have hiding to do? Y'know, somewhere else?" MK tried again to pull herself up, to no avail. She landed right back where she started, frustratingly kicking at the ground. Wayne gasped, as if he'd made a shocking revelation.

"You can't get up! You're hurt!"

"Congrats, genius, you win the prize."

"Where does it hurt? What happened?"

"I got mistaken for a landing platform. By your teammate."

"My teammate? Oh, man… we gotta get you to the coach, pronto! You can't be on the ice if you're not in tip-top shape! C'mon, arm around my shoulders!"

MK cringed. "Hard pass." Again, she tried to pull herself up, and again it ended in failure. Only this time, Wayne had grabbed the back of MK's jacket before she hit the ground.

"MK, we're takin' you to coach!" Wayne insisted. "You'll feel good as new by tomorrow!"

"We're?"

"Yeah, w- oh. Me! Me're takin' you to coach!"

"Me're?" MK repeated incredulously. "That's- okay, whatever. Look, we're not teammates anymore. How do I know you're not just gonna bring me to Zee?"

Wayne scrunched up his face, clearly offended by the accusation. "Crazy talk, brah! Winning's gotta come with some honor!" I mean, you wouldn't do that to me, right?"

"Uh… no."

[CONFESSIONAL: MK]

"Yes."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

A grin made its way onto Wayne's face. "Right! Ya got nuthin' to worry about! I'll get'cha to coach, and problem solved!"

"You gonna listen if I say no?"

"Nope!"

MK sighed. "Figures."

"So, you'll let me take you to coach?"

"Not like I got a choice…" MK wrapped an arm around Wayne's shoulders, but she didn't look very happy about it. She completely avoided eye contact, instead opting to continue her staring contest with the ground.

"Good! Just lean on me and stand at the same speed I do! Stay off your bad leg, though, that'll hurt."

"Man, and here I thought we were doing this for fun."

Wayne laughed. "Rookie mistake!" He seemed to completely miss MK rolling her eyes. "Come on, up! I won't drop ya! I always do this at our games, and I only drop my teammates, like, half the time!"

"...How reassuring."

—-

Meanwhile, far from the chaos of the rest of the game, Zee wandered through the trees and past the bushes, over the rocks, and along the river, searching for the mysterious soda waterfall. So far he'd had no luck, but he was confident Chase wouldn't lie to him. Maybe it was hidden in a soda cave… that sounded right.

Millie emerged from the trees to find the team's seeker cluelessly looking around. "Zee?" She prompted, her expression a mix of confused and worried. "What are you doing out here? I don't think many people will be hiding this far out…"

"I'm lookin' for the soda cave, bro! Chase told me all about it. Somewhere over here, he said… I think it's in a cave, so like, I'm gonna find one."

[CONFESSIONAL: MILLIE]

"Zee is really nice." Millie fidgeted nervously. "He's just kind of… okay, I'm just gonna say it, he's really weird."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"W-Wait, wait, you saw Chase? I didn't hear Chris announce him getting tagged! …You did tag him, right?" Zee didn't answer. He squinted, seeming to zone out. "Zee!" He snapped out of the trance, tapping his chin while he thought.

"Uh… nah, went to look for the waterfall."

"Seriously!?" Millie gawked. "Zee, you're supposed to be searching for the other team! Have you caught anyone yet?" Zee shook his head. "Oh, man… okay! Z-Zee, you need to get your head back in the game! We have Jaguars to find, and a challenge to win!"

"Sweeeeeet… sure, sure, I'll find the waterfall later. Gotta be around here somewhere… see you around, Mills."

[CONFESSIONAL: MILLIE]

"Was I too bossy?" Millie worried, pressing her hands to her cheeks. "I'm not very good at talking to people… I was going for leader-like… like Priya! But, um… it's harder than it looks, I guess…"

—-

Raj and Bowie pushed through a lush thicket of trees, pressing on through the woods. "Haven't seen Wayners in a while…" Raj thought aloud, holding a branch out of Bowie's way as he passed by.

"We haven't seen anyone in a while, Raji-poo." Bowie gently corrects him. "I think that's the point."

"Well, yeah…" Raj reluctantly agreed. "But me and Wayne? We're teammates, bro! We're supposed to be in this together! I just don't get it! Why would coach want to split us up?"

Bowie hummed in acknowledgement. "Well, you've already shown us what an adorable power duo you are. Chris probably wants to see you shine by yourselves now. I know I do."

"O-Oh, well…" Raj bashfully scratched the back of his neck. "I guess that kinda makes sense… but we'll totally still be friends after, right? Right?"

"Oh, yeah! Totally. Once the merge comes, you'll be back together again! It's only a few challenges away, you know."

"R-Right! Right. Thanks, Bowie." Raj gently elbowed him, earning a smile in response.

"Sure."

—-

Scary Girl skipped past a group of bushes as she hummed to herself. Once she finally passed, Julia peeked out of a push. "God, she's creepy. Big yikes."

"Creepy, maybe, but she is in the lead." Emma added, popping out of a bush herself. Julia shrieked, and Emma put a hand over her mouth. "You'll get us caught!"

Scary Girl, meanwhile, heard Julia screaming somewhere very close by. "I hear youuu!~" She sang, skipping back in the direction she came. "Now, where are you?" In the otherwise quiet forest, shuffling to her left drew Scary Girl's attention. Giggling uncontrollably, she slowly approached the bushes, intentionally taking one slow step after another. She just loved a little scare first! She jumped through the bushes, and her smile faltered. There was nothing more than trees, water, rocks and more bushes. "Awww, boo." She frowned and kicked a stone before disappointedly returning to her search.

Julia let out a relieved sigh as she checked over a large rock to make sure the seeker had left. She and Emma barely had enough time to duck behind the rocks before Scary Girl, her voice clear as day, had arrived. Now that they were safe, Julia glared at the blonde, clearly displeased. "What was that?" She demanded. Her voice kept itself at a whispering level, and yet Emma still found herself intimidated nonetheless.

"I thought you knew I was there!" Emma quietly argued back. "I thought it'd be smarter to hide with someone… four ears are better than two!"

"Well, you should have said something earlier. You're lucky that went well, because if you cost us this challenge…"

"I-I know! I know. So, can I stick with you, or what?"

[CONFESSIONAL: JULIA]

"I could tell Emma to get lost," Julia commented, rapidly typing on yet another phone. "But sticking with her means a safety blanket if I run into trouble, sooo…" She set the phone down with a smirk. "Travel buddies it is."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

—-

"Preeeeetty sure we passed those bushes a few minutes ago."

Wayne and MK only seemed to get more lost with each step they took. Or rather, each step Wayne took for them. MK, on the other hand, had been forced to shift most of her weight on Wayne, uselessly hopping along with each step he took. "Do you even know where we're going?" She asked, squinting at her helper. By now, they had traveled much deeper into the forest, and the voices of the other contestants had faded.

"For sure, dude! Shouldn't be far now!"

"You said that twenty minutes ago. Shoulda taken my chances in the bushes…"

Wayne frowned. "Hey! We'll get'cha to coach eventually!"

"And then what? Dude isn't really my first choice for a medic."

[CONFESSIONAL: WAYNE]

Wayne gasped, his eyes wide. "That's it! That's why she didn't want me to take her to the coach!" He declared, definitely too confidently. "MK's afraid of doctors!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"You'll be okay, MK! A little help from the coach is nothing to be afraid of!" Wayne told her with a reassuring smile. MK didn't look impressed. In fact, she looked more confused than anything.

"Riiiiight… thanks?"

"I mean it! Trust me, I get all sorts'a injuries on the ice, and the medics are never the scary part!"

His companion scoffed. "Were they mostly head injuries?"

No way! How'd you know!?" Wayne gasped, awestruck.

MK snorted, half from surprise. "Uh… let's call it a lucky guess."

—-

Further away, Priya silently motioned Damien to freeze. "I hear something," She whispered, sidestepping behind a tree. "Someone's over there… but I can't tell who." Sure enough, quiet footsteps became louder as the person approached. Priya held a finger to her lips, and Damien nodded. Until, of course, the figure emerged from the trees.

"Omigosh, Millie!" Priya cried. She abruptly rushed out of her hiding spot, and Millie yelped before she'd realized who was coming toward her.

"Oh, Priya!" Millie sighed, and her shoulders relaxed. "And… Damien?" Millie shyly waved, and Damien casually returned the gesture. "Um…" Millie quickly glanced around before she leaned in, hushing her voice. "Zee's close to here, just so you know. But I don't think he was doing much… he said he was looking for some waterfall? I guess Chase said something to him…" The friends giggled, with even Damien chuckling quietly.

Well, until Scary Girl tackled Millie, anyway.

It all happened so quickly. One second she was laughing with Priya, and the next, she was on the ground. "Oh my gosh! Millie, are you okay?" Priya squatted next to her. "Not cool, Scary!" Scary Girl giggled but stepped aside.

"I-I'm okay…" Millie weakly confirmed with a thumbs up.

"Ouch, man, major bummer…" Zee added, sipping his soda. Damien let out a high pitched shriek, and darted away. In his escape attempt, he tripped over Millie and, grabbing for something to keep himself upright, took Priya down with him. Both hit the ground with a thud, Zee now standing over them. "Oof, bro." He crouched, tapping Priya on the head. "Tag."

Damien found an opportunity to escape when Zee suddenly paused to sip his soda. He did manage to get to his feet, to his credit- but he was near-instantly knocked back down by a rock, and subsequently tagged.

"Heeey, thanks for the help, uhhh… Squirrel Lady." Zee raised a hand as a ruthless figure emerged from the trees, carrying an armful of rocks.

"What have you been doing!?" Axel barked. "We're behind!" Zee waved it off, his aggressive teammate's intimidation tactics hardly having any effect at all.

"Man, chill out, Squirrel Lady! We're just playin', we don't gotta get so worked up." He was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and yanked forward until his eyes met with Axel's, the latter's full of rage.

"It is not just a GAME!" She argued. "Get moving, before I make you move! And for good measure, I'm going with you, and if you wander off one more time, I'll eliminate you myself!" Priya and Damien shuddered, and Millie squeaked fearfully. No one could see Scary Girl anymore.

"Alright, seeking buddy!" Zee cheered, leading the way back toward the waterfalls. Axel stormed after him and grabbed him tightly by the wrist, yanking him the other way. Save for an 'ouch', Zee's relaxed demeanor continued to shine through as he was dragged off into the trees.

"Man, I hope they are hidden well!" Damien commented as he stood back up. "That rock hit hard!" He offered a hand to his fallen teammate, who gratefully accepted it. "Real sorry 'bout that, Priya."

—-

"Do you, like, hear something?" Julia finally asked after she and Emma had been traveling in silence for almost half an hour, give or take.

"I did," Emma softly agreed, watching over her shoulder just in case. "But I think it's stopped now. I don't think that was Scary Girl, though, and it definitely wasn't Zee. Do you think something happened? Oh, I hope Chase is okay…"

[CONFESSIONAL: JULIA]

Julia dramatically gagged. Once she was finished with her theatrics, she resumed typing. "I was totally waiting to see how long it'd take her to start on Chase again. Ugh, I sooooo want that money, but I literally cannot listen to this for another season."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Julia?" Emma shook her shoulder, yanking her hand back when Julia slapped it away. "Um… did you hear me? I said we should hide deeper in the forest so we don't get-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now hurry up! If you get lost, I am not coming back for… Wait a minute. Did you hear that?" Somewhere closeby, two distinct voices conversed. Julia and Emma exchanged glances and tip-toed forward, careful to avoid any twigs or rocks. The voices became clearer as the girls got closer. "Is that Nichelle?" Julia asked, squinting as she leaned forward. "Who is she talking to?"

"Caleb," Emma filled her in. "I, um… remembered his voice… " She admitted, shyly fiddling with her ponytail. As her cheeks turned pink. "Hard not to when he sounds like that."

[CONFESSIONAL: JULIA]

"Wasn't she just talking about Chase!?"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Ugh, hush it! I am tuh-rying to listen!"

—-

"Are you serious?" Nichelle shifted anxiously, rubbing her arm in shame. "You heard everything?" Caleb nodded without a word. "What, so you're just gonna tell MK everything I said, huh?"

He shook his head. "Not a word," he assured her. "But it sounds to me like she did you dirty. I know the feeling. I've got a bit of a grudge myself."

"...Bowie?" The actress reluctantly made eye contact. Almost every frog could recall Bowie coming to them to instill fear. Nichelle was one of the last. She remembered that wannabe influencer girl- what was her name? -walking out of the cabin. She looked deeply troubled, and Bowie wasn't far behind. He waved her over, and she cluelessly approached. "You know Caleb? Massive threat," He told Nichelle once she got close enough. "Voting him off now might be our only chance."

"Bowie." Caleb confirmed. "I asked around a little bit during the finale, talked to a frog or two. They told me everything, Nichelle. I don't blame any of you, though. Only him. And clearly you've got your own score to settle. We can help each other out here, Nichelle."

Oh, she knew where this was going.

"You and me can form an alliance. We'll take out MK and Bowie first, then go for the rest of them. Who knows? Maybe you and I will have a spot together in the finale?" He flashed her a charming smile.

[CONFESSIONAL: NICHELLE]

"Maybe Bowie had the right idea… that dang charming face! Now, ya girl ain't interested in anything like that, but if being a charmer gets MK outta the game? Nichelle is in!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

Nichelle had just started to answer. The words barely left her mouth before she shouted something else;

"RUN!"

A look over his shoulder was enough to send Caleb running for the trees, Scary Girl on his heels. Nichelle saw no reason to stick around, and so she didn't. What she also didn't do, was notice the whispering from the bushes. Emma and Julia made their exit, and nobody was ever the wiser.

—-

"Ripper? Dude, how'd you get up there?"

From a tree branch, Ripper watched the competitors below. So far, Chase had been the first (and only) other player to realize he was there. Now he stared up at Ripper from the base of the tree, wearing a look equally confused and impressed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Ripper taunted from above. "I'm not givin' away my secrets!"

"Uh… yeah, I would!" Chase called back. "Kinda why I asked!"

"Caleb has been eliminated!" The host announced before Ripper could argue. Chase pumped a fist with a quiet 'yessss!' "The Rhinos will really have to pick up the pace if they want to win it now!"

A scream of rage followed the announcement. Of course some people would be mad. But what worried Chase was just how close the scream was. He hardly had any time to dwell on it before an infuriated Axel (more infuriated than usual, anyway) broke through the trees, Zee in tow. Chase really did do his best to run, really, but against a well-respected survivalist with half a second to react? Needless to say, Chase was on the ground in seconds. Zee, thankfully, was nowhere near as aggressive as his counterpart, and at least had enough decency to help Chase off the ground after he'd tagged him. Still, Chase was sure it wasn't a big deal, even if his arm was killing him right about now. Ripper had an alright spot. All he had to do was sit still, shut up, and…

…And Ripper was laughing at Chase. The end result of this was Axel violently hurling a rock in the former's direction. With Axel's skills, it was just shy of a direct hit, even from such a distance. Ripper lost his balance, slipping off the branch. At first, he just barely held on with his leg. But on Axel's second throw, he was as good as gone. Zee tagging him was a formality, if anything. "You're too slow!" Axel shouted after all was said and done. "Get on my back, I'll do this myself!" She dropped to one knee, her back facing Zee.

"Um… but like, aren't I supposed to-"

"NOW!"

"Nice going, idiot." Chase elbowed Ripper as soon as he approached. Ripper glared, and Chase glared back. Their stares were harsh and unrelenting, and both looked as if they were about to burst. And soon enough, they did.

Both burst into laughter, leaning on each other as they wiped the tears away.

—-

"Julia, I'm telling you, I keep hearing something." Emma nervously looked around, peeking between the trees that grew ever-denser as they made their way deeper into the forest.

"And I'm telling you you're nuts." Emma frowned when Julia dismissed her, but kept her mouth shut. People always dismissed Emma, after all. She'd live with it. Julia briefly looked up from her phone, something past the bushes catching her eye.

"Julia? Hey, we should keep moving…"

"Right." Julia snapped back into reality. "Let's move."

Snap!

A twig broke behind them, and Emma's head whipped in the direction of the sound. "See? I heard it! I heard it, I heard it, I knew it, I heard it!" She sang, clapping along as she danced. Her celebration barely lasted a few seconds, when she realized Julia, Julia, had nothing to say. "… Julia?" Emma turned to where her companion once stood, finding her previously occupied spot empty. "Julia? W-W-Where'd you go!?" She felt a pair of eyes on her. When she turned back where she'd been looking, she was met with a pale face and a terrible grin.

The whole island heard Emma's screams of terror.

—-

Raj and Bowie heard Axel before they saw her. Her loud footsteps and heavy breathing are difficult to miss. So when they heard just that, Raj yanked Bowie behind a tree seconds before Axel came into view, carrying Zee on her back. "Nice strat!" Raj whispered. Bowie promptly shushed him.

Axel prowled the area, almost as if she could smell them. Could she? Maybe. Maybe not. But she was Axel, and no one was willing to rule it out. "Nobody's here." Axel declared, unusually calm. Raj sighed in relief.

Big mistake.

Axel's bluff had been enough to identify their location, and the couple stood face-to-face with an unintimidating seeker, and his terrifying transport. "Bowie, go!" Raj shouted. He pushed himself between Bowie and the seeking duo, providing an effective barrier. "Run, Bowie, run!"

[CONFESSIONAL: BOWIE]

Bowie filed his nails with a smile…ish? A look half-smug, half-genuine made itself at home on his face. "Awww, Raji is such a sweetheart." He tossed the file aside. "If he insists! I'll feel terrible, though."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

Bowie took the advice to heart and bolted. Axel would have pursued, but Raj wouldn't give her the chance. He launched himself at Axel in a full body tackle, taking the three of them, Zee included, to the ground. Bowie looked back as he fled, only to see Axel lift Zee over her shoulder in a fireman's carry before pursuing him. Raj gave him a thumbs up from behind Axel. Bowie smiled, even if he knew he was on borrowed time.

—-

The eerie, deeper parts of the woods were not a fun place to wander all alone. Julia found this out the hard way. After ditching Emma, she was left with no other option but to keep moving. After all, she had no clue where Scary Girl was, or when she'd pop up again. She only had so many team members she could sacrifice, and she was pretty sure it was just her and one of the hockey guys now. Speaking of which, where the heck was this guy? Julia hadn't seen him all game! That is, until she saw a figure in the distance. Not just one, but two. Julia crept closer, maintaining her cover among the trees. Just close enough to ID them and listen in. That was all she needed.

One of the people was male. Julia nearly mistook him for the other guy with the hat, but this one was more athletically built. It seemed to Julia like she'd found her missing teammate. The second person looked injured. They hopped on one leg, using the hockey bro for support. With the second person's height and beanie, Julia had a much easier time identifying this one as MK. But what were they doing together? They were ex-teammates, not teammates-teammates! Julia took a step forward. Her foot landed on a leaf, which crumpled beneath it. MK didn't hear a thing. But Wayne stopped suddenly, cautiously surveying the area.

"You gonna tell me why we just stopped, or…?" If Julia hadn't already figured out this was MK, the sound of her voice would've been more than enough. She sounded exasperated. No shock to Julia. No sympathy either.

"Shhh!" Wayne shushed her. He pressed a finger to MK's lips, to her annoyance. "I heard something! Get down!" Julia watched in surprise as her teammate helped her not-teammate between a pair of trees that provided some decent cover. Wayne himself ducked into a bush, leaving Julia gaping at what she'd seen.

[CONFESSIONAL: JULIA]

"Is the hockey guy protecting MK?" Julia wondered aloud. "Ohoho, now that's some tea!" She leaned back with a confident smile. "It'd be stupid to show my hand all at once, right? I'll keep his little secret. For now."

[CONFESSIONAL END]

—-

Bowie's escape was not going well.

Despite his headstart, Axel was gradually gaining on him. He tried every trick in the book to lose her, but she stayed locked on him through the trees, over the rocks, and into the bushes. Every attempt to shake her off only fueled her determination. Now she was almost close enough for Zee to touch him, the seeker's hand outstretched as it nearly reached Bowie.

And then Axel tripped.

Bowie didn't look back when he heard both Axel and Zee collide with the ground. He didn't look back when Axel's enraged screams carried through the forest. But he did look back when he overheard Zee, audibly distressed, shouting "Not cool, bro!"

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Axel lifted Zee above her head,

Leaned back,

And threw Zee at him.

Bowie was sent to the ground on impact. He groaned, an aching feeling forming on the back of his head as he rubbed the injured area.

[CONFESSIONAL: BOWIE]

"She threw him!? Is that even allowed!?"

"It's allowed!" The speakers answered, to Bowie's surprise. "The person getting thrown might not be too happy, though!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Bowie!" Raj rushed to his side. "O-Oh man, that was a nasty fall… totally illegal check! Are you okay?"

Bowie's pained wince shifted to a smile, and he pecked Raj on the cheek. "I am now."

The hockey player was reduced to bashful giggles. He offered Bowie a hand up, which he accepted. The couple smiled at each other, and made their way back to the clearing. And if they never ended up letting go of each other's hands? Well, neither of them was about to point it out.

—-

"Ugh… this place gives me the creeps." Julia whispered to herself, tip-toeing through the woods. Her hands trembled, just narrowly avoiding dropping the phone that provided her only light in the deep dark woods.

Somewhere in the distance, someone started to sing. An eerie voice carried through the forest, almost echoing as it grew louder. Clearer. Closer.

"Juuuuuuliaaaaaa…"

Julia spun around, pointing her phone's flashlight toward the voice's source, only to find empty space.

"I seeeeee youuuuu!"

She turned the other way, and was met with nothing.

"I'm getting so bored, Julia. Won't you stop running from me?"

"W-Who's there!?" The influencer demanded. She took slow, uneasy steps back, and her hands shook violently. "You better back off before you get hurt!" Julia took another step backwards. Then another. And then another. And then…

…Her back hit a tree.

Julia turned around in horror, frantically checking in both directions for a place to hide.

"There you are!"

With a scream, Julia nearly tripped over her own feet as she whipped around. Scary Girl stood a mere couple of feet away, her smile unfaltering.

"I don't think I want to play hide and seek with you anymore," Scary Girl commented as she moved toward Julia. "It took so long to find you! I want a prize… another skull for my collection, maybe!" She stopped when their noses almost touched, purple eyes fearfully meeting blue ones. Scary Girl reached out…

…And tapped Julia on the nose. She stepped back, maniacally giggling to herself as Julia slid down the tree and onto the grass below, resting her hand on her chest to feel her still rapid heartbeat. Was this girl a serial killer, or what!?

"You're funny!" She told Julia, as if having read her mind. "Byeeeee!"

Scary Girl skipped past Julia, disappearing back into the woods. Julia let out a deep breath, finally feeling a sense of calm fill her as the footsteps grew distant.

"This way!" Someone shouted nearby. Axel and Zee rushed through, stopping when they spotted Julia. "You! Beanie's the last one! Have you seen her!?" Axel asked, almost frantically. Julia nodded. "Where? Which way did she go!?"

"Like… somewhere that way, I guess?" Julia gestured in the direction she'd last seen MK, leaving Wayne's presence out. Axel grabbed Zee by the wrist, and pulled him along as she followed Julia's less than specific directions. Seriously, was that, like, their only lead? Whatever. It wasn't like it was her problem anymore. Julia searched the grass for her phone, finding it laying just a few inches away from her. She'd find her way back sooner or later, but now? She needed to rest.

—-

"And with Julia out, we're down to our final two, people! Will Scary Girl find Wayne and claim the victory for the Jaguars? Or will Zee hunt MK down first and win it for the Rhinos? This one might be closer than you think, so stay tuned to find out!"

"Wha… it's just us left?" MK whispered, staring up as if confirmation would come from the sky. It didn't. Either way, MK looked baffled.

[CONFESSIONAL: MK]

"Okay, not counting myself out here," MK began, shifting uncomfortably. "But how's it me and him? My leg's messed up, and he's throwing the game! How do you lose twelve people before one of us?" MK's demeanor shifted and she smirked, leaning forward and resting her arms on her knees. "But hey, I can work with it, so you won't see me complaining. All I gotta do is wait it out until I find somewhere to hide, then ditch the guy and leave him for Scary Girl. Risky, but if I don't win this one, I might just be first boot. And hey, better him than me!" She laughed.

MK placed her feet onto the floor and slipped out of her sitting position. Her eyes widened, realizing a second too late that she could in fact, not stand. She fell to the floor with a CRASH!, and groaned in pain. A series of knocks came from the confessional's door.

"MK? Hey, MK, you good there!? Yell if you're not good!"

"Ugh… I'm fine, gimme a minute!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Man, who's singing?" Wayne asked nobody in particular.

"...Singing?" Wayne was about to add to his statement, but MK raised a hand, signaling him to be quiet. They waited like that for a few seconds. "Yeah, I sorta hear it… who sings in the middle of the…"

"His screams are so… delicious!"

"Yep, there's for sure ZERO screening process to get on this show."

"...Dumb question. Better one; how did you hear that? Like, if you focus, yeah, but you just heard it?"

Wayne beamed and puffed out his chest with pride. "That's why I'm team captain, brah! You gotta feel the game around you! No blind passes, ya know?"

Nod and agree was a rule MK found herself following for the majority of this encounter. As she was about to do just that, she hesitated. "...Huh. It's getting clearer."

"All right, MK!" He whooped. "Ever think 'o hockey? You're pretty scrawny-" Ouch. "-but me an' Raji'd show ya the ropes!"

"Um… no. Pretty sure it's just…" Getting closer. But MK couldn't tell him that. She needed Scary Girl as close as possible before she made any noise. If Zee got to them first, she'd be a goner. If MK could just keep him talking… "I don't do sports." She told him instead. "Got no idea how to even skate."

Wayne gasped. The singing stopped. "What do you do in the winter!?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Build… snowmen?" She answered, though it sounded more like a question itself. It was a total fib, yeah, but something told her that 'steal' wouldn't be a very good answer.

"Ha! Child's play!" Wayne laughed. "Been on the ice every winter since I was six! Out on the lake with all my buddies, we'd play 5v5s for hours, bro!" He raised his voice a little, nearly vibrating with excitement. The footsteps got faster. Closer.

"Well props to you, spending the winter with a bunch of hockey bros sounds like my worst nightmare."

Wayne choked on air. He stopped and turned his body a little to better face MK without dropping her. "What!?" he sputtered, "A hockey team is more than just 'a bunch of hockey bros'! It's a family! A cause! A brotherhood! It's-"

"YO, SCARY! HE'S OVER HERE!"

The footsteps escalated from a brisk pace to a sprint. Somewhere nearby, someone shouted "I hear her voice! She's this way!" Wayne stumbled back in shock. By the look on his face, the idea that MK would have betrayed him hadn't even crossed his mind. He let go of MK in his panic, and she collapsed to the ground, hissing in pain.

Well, this was not the plan. Scary Girl and presumably Zee were both nearby, and she had no idea who was closer. On top of that, if Wayne fled, she'd be a sitting duck when Zee found her. Her spot in the competition depended on this.

And MK wasn't about to give it up.

"MK, what gives, bro!?" Wayne only managed a step in the other direction before MK's hand shot out and grabbed his ankle. She yanked, and Wayne lost his balance and hit the ground ahead of her.

"Just stay down!" MK desperately yelled back. She was at a disadvantage in size and strength and she knew it, but she just had to keep it up for a little while. This, however, proved to be no easy task. He stood back up, and MK used what strength she had in her working leg to launch herself at him. The odd angle resulting from the one-legged leap sent both tumbling to the ground and rolling across the dirt.

Scary Girl and Zee, accompanied by Axel, broke through the trees at roughly the same time (neither Wayne nor MK was paying attention), all three momentarily startled by the sight of a somewhat feral-looking MK desperately trying to wrestle Wayne, someone almost twice her size, to the ground. Both seekers sprung into action, reaching out to be the first to make a tag. And that was when Wayne made a fatal mistake.

In his goal to get MK off him, Wayne clearly hadn't considered where she'd end up. So when he shoved her away from Zee and Scary Girl, MK didn't put up a fight. The strength of the blow had sent her rolling a couple feet, for most of which MK kept herself securely in a ball with her eyes screwed shut. A few seconds passed, and no one came to tag her. When the sound of Chris's horn met her ears, MK opened her eyes.

"GAME OVER! Jaguars win the challenge!"

—-

The teams regrouped in the clearing. Chase and Ripper celebrated together, performing some elaborate handshake that nobody knew when they got the time to memorize. Bowie smiled as Raj whooped, and MK was kept standing via support from both Damien and Priya, the latter offering Scary Girl a high five, which was accepted. On the other end, Axel and Zee looked to be having some kind of disagreement. Millie made several tries to step in and mediate, but with Axel's brash stubbornness and Zee's unique way of handling things, her words fell on deaf ears. Julia scrolled through her phone, intentionally ignoring Emma's glaring. Caleb and Nichelle whispered amongst themselves and, strangely enough, Wayne stood off to the side, guiltily avoiding eye contact with his teammates.

[CONFESSIONAL: WAYNE]

"The loss was my bad," Wayne admitted, twiddling his thumbs. "But someone had to take the penalty! I just didn't think she'd do that! The injury was totally legit, too! I got played, man…"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

[CONFESSIONAL: MK]

"Got dealt a crappy hand and made it work. Both teams couldn't win." Her tone turned almost robotic. "Nonetheless, I'm very sorry if I've hurt his feelings and I immensely regret my…" MK snickered, and a full-blown fit of laughter followed. "Ha! Yeah, nah, I can't even fake it! I was a goner and he threw it. Say what you want, but someone's going home, and it's not me!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Rhinos. Jaguars. Welcome back." Chris strode into view, eyeing each team amusedly. "Congratulations, Jaguars. You all live to see another day!" The Jaguars cheered, and a few high-fives were exchanged.

"Rhinos, I'll see you at tonight's elimination!"

—-

"So, what's the verdict? She gonna be okay for the next challenge?"

Bowie and Raj were engaged in a lengthy conversation about their respective sports teams, but had taken a break to watch Priya and Damien stand around the former's bed, worriedly looking over its inhabitant. Everyone was in agreement that MK's bed- a top bunk-was too dangerous for her to access, so Priya had volunteered for a temporary swap. With Damien's general safety knowledge and careful precision, and Priya's interest in medicine, the pair had combined their skills and spent the last 20 minutes examining MK's leg, to her clear discomfort. "I think she's okay…" Priya mumbled, half to herself, as she tapped her chin in thought. "She won't be feeling perfect, but if she rests, I bet she'll be fine." MK sighed in relief. "If she rests!" The team's makeshift doctor reiterated. Damien nodded in agreement.

"That means you gotta stay down until then." He elaborated. "We'll find some painkillers or somethin' if we can, and we'll bring you whatever you need. But for now, don't leave the cabin! No sneakin' around or anything. Got that?"

"Damien!"

"O-Oh, oh no, I-I-I didn't mean it like that! My bad MK, I just meant- I was just sayin' that-"

Damien was cut off when the door opened, and Chase peeked in. Several band aids covered his face, and one of his hoodie sleeves was pushed up, and his arm bandages. Priya and Damien had seen a couple people in the last few hours, acting as volunteer medics for campers on either team. MK had taken the worst of it, but with other campers being tackled or hit, several needed mild medical attention. Chase snickered at MK's situation, but backed down quickly enough when he was met with three equally annoyed glares. He nervously cleared his throat.

"Hey guys, so, I'm supposed to deliver a message from the other team or something."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Chase if they weren't already. "...A message? That's cryptic. Okay, shoot." Priya's glare softened, and she encouraged him with a nod. Several mumbles of agreement followed.

"Yeah, that's what I said. Anyway, uh, they told me to tell you guys to bring Priya and Damien over for Ripper." Confused silence came over the Jaguar cabin.

"Ooooh! How hurt did he get? I can amputate!" Scary Girl, sitting cross-legged on her bed, broke the silence. Chase coughed awkwardly into his elbow, and checked back over his shoulder.

"He looks fine, B-T-Dubs." Damien, under the watch of his equally befuddled teammates, opened the window. Ripper's voice became intelligible across the way as the team- excluding Scary Girl, MK, and Chase–gathered at the window.

"...it feel to be the founding members of Loser-ville, huh? Huh!? Yeah, that's right! Take the L, y-"

Julia slammed the door open from the inside, crushing Ripper between it and the wall. She and the rest of the team filed out, and left Ripper. Wayne was the last out, and seemingly the only team member to realize they were being watched. He waved at Raj and Bowie, suppressing his laughter as he jerked a thumb back at Ripper. Raj giggled like an elementary schooler, and Bowie just smirked. Both waved back before Wayne ran off to catch up with his team. "Oh dear, okay Damien, let's go!" Priya packed up what little supplies she had and rushed out, Damien in tow.

—-

The Rhinos walked in a small cluster to the elimination ceremony. Some team members looked nervous, others confident. Some relaxed, others determined. The small group arrived at the bonfire where Chris waited for them, waiting until each person had taken their seat to begin.

"Rhinos," Chris began, his tone eerily serious. "I think you all know why you're here. You're here today because you lost, and you must now send a teammate home." The host chuckled, his carefree demeanor returning. "And hey, with your crummy performance today, you've got a heck of a lot of options!" Chef came to Chris's side with a plate. On the plate sat 7 marshmallows.

"Julia," The team turned toward the girl in question, who looked up from her phone, eyebrows raised. "You could be going home tonight because you agreed to stick with Emma, and ditched her the first chance you got."

[CONFESSIONAL: JULIA]

"Mmm… yeah, I guess I did. #Sorrynotsorry!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"Zee. You spent half the challenge goofing off, and made no effort to help your team! You only came close to winning because Axel closed the gap as much as she did." Axel smirked, clearly pleased by the credit.

"And Axel," The smirk was wiped off the survivalist's face when Chef called her name. "You single-handedly brought the game to a standstill. And threw your teammate in the process."

[CONFESSIONAL: NICHELLE]

"Wait, did she for real?"

[CONFESSIONAL: END]

"Rhinos, cast your votes."

—-

"Alright! The votes are in. If you receive a marshmallow, you're safe. If you do not, you must immediately walk down the Dock of Shame, and be driven away in the Bucket of Tears! He gestured toward a large bucket on the water, attached by a cord to the back of a motorboat.

"Yikes." Julia commented. "You're, like, really running out of ideas…" A couple others nodded.

"We spent all our budget on challenges, okay!?" Chris defensively scolded the campers. "We worked with what we had!" Chef put one hand comfortingly on the host's shoulder, and passed him the plate with the other. Chris took a deep breath to calm himself, and accepted the plate.

"Let's begin. The following people are safe;"

"Millie," Millie smiled as Chris tossed her marshmallow to her. She fumbled with it, nearly dropping it onto the ground.

"Emma," Emma caught her marshmallow with both hands, nodding in thanks.

"Caleb," A relieved sigh escaped his lips as Caleb caught his marshmallow.

"Nichelle," Caleb nodded in approval, earning a smile from the actress.

"...And Wayne." Wayne jumped up, and caught the marshmallow in his mouth, cheering in muffled celebration.

"Julia, Axel, and Zee. There are only two marshmallows left. And this one belongs to…"

…

…

…

…

…

"...Axel!" Axel smirked, effortlessly catching her marshmallow, and popping it into her mouth with her hands on her hips. Caleb clapped, and Nichelle gave her a thumbs up.

[CONFESSIONAL: AXEL]

"Finally, some respect!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

"And now, the last marshmallow of the night is going toooo…"

…

…

Zee shifted nervously as he watched Julia from the corner of his eye.

…

…

Chris smirked, squishing the marshmallow a little, just for emphasis.

…

…

Julia tapped her fingers on her knee, her brows furrowed.

…

…

"Julia!"

"Yes!" Julia rose to her feet. "Woo-hoo! How's that, Emma!? Yeah, we all know you voted for me! Cry about it!"

[CONFESSIONAL: EMMA]

"So I voted for Julia! Whatever, she ditched me!"

[CONFESSIONAL END]

Chris absent-mindedly tossed Julia her marshmallow, before approaching Zee. "Sorry, Zee, but it looks like your marshmallow was hidden a little too well for this seeker, huh?" He chuckled at his own joke. "It's time to go. Follow me, please."

—-

Zee walked along the Dock of Shame, making his way to the bucket attached to the boat.

"Welp, I got out first… which totally stinks, man. But, like… I got a new thing now, so it's good. Didn't win the million, but I'm gonna find that waterfall, bro."

Zee climbed in, the bucket tipping left and right from the sudden weight.

"It could be, like… so far that way, it's on another island, so, uh… yeah. I think I got something goin' on here."

The boat sped off, the bucket being thrashed perhaps a little too violently as it rushed opposite of the waves.

"Looks like Zee's in for a bumpy ride home! One down, fifteen more clowns! Who will be our next champion, and who will go home in a bucket that makes even the safety inspectors cry? The answer to that and more next time, on Total! Drama! Island!"