Disclaimer. Not much to say...

Over The River and Through The Woods

DK smiled, "For this challenge, you will be trying to rescue one of the single players. Though, I will not tell you who or where. Now, each of the groups, please choose which method you would like to find the hostage in. Over water, air or foot?"

Shilo immediately jumped to get the foot trail, and Axel shrugged. Toadette looked at Bombette, "Would you like the air or water?"

Bombette shrugged, "Which ever isn't taken by the others."

Toadette nodded and went over to take the two air travel badges, "Iggy and Peach had the water travel badges."

DK nodded, "When Bee, the Para-Beetle and also my co-host, comes back, he will take each of you to the appropriate places, you can start and search for the hostage. You will get details when you are going."

All six players nodded and the Para-Beetle flew in, "I've gotten the hostage in their place, and the other person, where they need to be."

He had a small squeaky voice, one that reminded the others of someone who had breathed in helium. But it was cute. He turned to the group and squeaked, "Who here is the over foot group?"

Shilo and Axel raised their hands and took out the over land tags. DK left and Bee nodded, "I'll take you to the start of the trail. Everyone else, just stay here and relax for a while..."

As Bee led the two out the door he continued talking, "You two are going to be traveling over land, walking to the destination. Unfortunately you don't know where the destination is, nor will you find out without the others. At the start of the trail, I will give you a puzzle that you solve. If you can solve it, it will give you an answer you must give to a tour guide at the information center. If it is answered correctly, you will be give ten addresses, one for each player since day one. But since you don't know which player you are looking for, you cannot go to one, nor will you be able to open the door to it, since it is locked."

They both nodded and they arrived at the trail, a dirt road, running along the outside of the city, eventually running into it, and turning into a cement sidewalk. Bee turned to them and pulled a map, a small phone, and a piece of paper from his shell, and he handed them to Shilo and Axel, "Here are the puzzle and the map. The phone only has one number, that of which you have yet to find out. Although, it will be vital to solving the challenge. Once you get the addresses, call the number on this phone and you will tell the person on the other end."

He flew away and Shilo looked at the puzzle, "There are a few trees in a garden. On one of them, a pear tree, there are pears (quite logical). But after a strong wind blew, there were neither pears on the tree nor on the ground. How come?"

Axel shrugged and said, "Let's solve this as we walk. And I am so glad that Bee is gone. He talks in more riddles that DK does!"

As Bee flew through the door, he meeped, "And who is in the air group?"

Toadette and Bombette both nodded and he smiled, "Follow me!"

As they approached the helicopter, Bee turned to them, and pulled some items out of his shell, "Since none of you know the destination, you will be waiting for the signal for the location on this phone here."

He handed them a small phone and a box, "This box has a large puzzle, which you two will be assembling on the helicopter. Once you manage to solve it, it will show a large photo of nine of the players. The one that is missing is the one you are looking for. Once you find this out, you can call the number on this phone and tell the person on the other end."

He smiled and flew away. Bombette smiled at Toadette as the pilot beckoned them on board, "Well, I hope you're good at puzzles, 'cause I know I suck!"

Bee flew in the door and looked at the remaining two, "Come follow me."

He led them out the door toward a dock near the hotel. He turned around and smiled, "You last two, Iggy and Peach, you will be traveling by boat. You will be solving a math puzzle. After the puzzle is solved, the number created by it will be the combo for the lock in the back of the boat. Inside... Well, I'll just let you find out. But I also have some things to give you."

He pulled out a small phone and some writing things, a calculator, and other objects to help with the problem. He smiled, "You have lots of paper on board, so if you need to show work, just doodle on there. And for the phone, there only is one number there, and you can only text. I will not tell you who it is, but you will need it to succeed."

He smiled and flew out of the door of the boat. Iggy and Peach looked at each other. Iggy smiled, "Well, we better, one, solve the puzzle. Two, get the boat going, and get to the destination, when we find out where that is. And three, we need to find out who this number calls!"

Peach nodded, "Well, since it only texts, I'll get that. And you're the genius here. You're going to have to solve the puzzle."

Iggy nodded and the started, "Well, who's going to steer?"

Peach smiled, "I've had some experience boat navigating. I have a small yacht at home. I sail it every so often."

Iggy nodded and laughed, "Well, you can hardly call a yacht small!"

Iggy sat down at the table and looked at the problem. Suddenly he took out his notebook and said to Peach, get the boat sailing and then come over here and write the problem down. I have a feeling it's more than just a clue for this challenge."

Peach nodded and turned back to the front. She turned on the motor and set off. She smiled and went to the table and Iggy frowned, "Who's steering?"

Peach shrugged, "It has an autopilot. I just put in a destination, and it goes there. I currently have it going for the harbor over about three miles from here. I-"

She was cut off as the phone started buzzing. She laughed, "Well, let's see who here has the number!"

She flipped it open and it said:

Oh goodness, sorry I haven't contcted you yet! I haven't been able to get the phone running and I jus plugged it in. So, I'd like to kno who's on what team. I kno what main aea the puzzles are in, but I need to kno who's on what team, and what the problem is. Please text me back!

Peach smiled, "I have no idea who that is. I'll ask. But anyway, I'll text back, and see who it is, and a I'll tell them about the stuff."

She open up a new message and typed:

Hi! This is Peach speaking! I was just wondering who you are and why you're making so many spelling mistakes! It's Know not Kno. And it's Just Not Jus. But anyway, me and Iggy are in the water group, and out math problem is, "[(3x^2-27)/ 4)] *[8x^2) / (9-3x)]/ [(x^2+3x) / 6]. Iggy is trying to condense it, but he's having a lot of trouble. But anyway, thanks, and let us know who you are!

She hit the send button and turned back to Iggy.

Bombette turned back to Toadette, "I don't get it. Why are we assembling the outside first?"

Toadette shrugged, "Well, I don't know the exact reason, but it really helps me, and since you're not doing anything. I'll do it my way!"

Bombette nodded, "I guess that's fine. I just don't get it."

Todaette nodded and shrugged. Suddenly the phone buzzed and Bombette went over to read it:

Hi everyone! As for the reques, I'm sorry, but I'm not allwed to disclse that information. If I do, we will lse the challenge.

Bombette and Toadette: I honesly don't kno ho on eath to help you with the puzzle, but did you try assembling the edges firs. Then after that, you could sat at the corners. Also, you might have a few false pieces. I was told of the possibility.

Peach and Iggy: Iggy! I thought you HATED water! But anyway, I'm sorry I can't tell you who I am. You kno, money penalty. Try to condense the things don, and then, after you have an answer, try to get it back to the original sate. If you can't, odds ae you did something wrong. But I have to say, I can't even begin to help. Sorry...

Shil and Axel: As for your problem, "There ae a few trees in a gaden. On one of them, a pea tree, there ae peas (quite lgical). But after a srong wind blew, there were neither peas on the tree nor on the ground. Ho come?" Knoing the producers, and well, everyone who works in the Mole, there is probably more than this than it seems. Yep!

Bombette frowned, "Okay, this is weird. Both of the single players, Kooper and Starlow, know how to spell. But this is way out of hand. They practically misspelled half the letter!"

Toadette shrugged as she popped a piece into place, "Well, how do we know that it's Kooper or Starlow? Maybe it's not even a player or producer!"

Bombette nodded, "Well, most likely it's Kooper or Starlow, because they can't tell us the name. We don't know which is the hostage, so obviously we can't know who is working the controls!"

Toadette nodded seeing sense in the statement. Bombette went to talk to the pilot to see where they were.

Shilo looked at Axel who looked back. They were both silent when suddenly Shilo jumped, "WAIT!"

Axel started and Shilo continued, "Well, I just noticed this, but maybe this is a play on words? I mean, what if "Pears" symbolize something? And the wind too? Or maybe they are trying to trick us with the wording! Oh goodness, I really have to thing about this one."

Axel laughed, "I text that to the controller!"

He opened the phone:

Hi! This is Axel! I was wondering, maybe you could help us find a hidden meaning to the words, like maybe the "Pears" symbolize something. Or maybe it's a trick question, maybe they are trying to confuse us with unnecessary words. Just a though thrown out there! Thanks!

He hit send and turned to Shilo again, "Well, what do you think?"

Shilo shrugged, "I say we wait for a response."

Peach turned to Iggy, "While you're trying to find the answer to that problem, how about I try to figure out who's at the phone?"

Iggy nodded, "That's a good idea. But elaborate. How are you going to do that? Use your powerful mind powers?"

Peach laughed, "Not quite."

Bombette shrieked as the plane jerked to the side. Toad grabbed the puzzle and held it down. Bombette screamed again, and the plane jerked again. It went forward, and then backwards, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. Toadette screamed, "BOMBETTE! GET HELP!"

Bombette let a little shriek out and muttered, "No! I'm sure the pilot will have it down soon!"

Toadette shook her head and yelled back, "NO! JUST SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

Bombette reluctantly nodded and went up. Toadette smiled and momentarily loosened. She suddenly screamed as the plane careened to the right and the table flew out from under her. The puzzle wet with it and both shattered on the ground. She screamed and Bombette flew out of the cockpit. She smiled and looked at Toadette. The turbulence died down. Toadette looked at Bombette, "What?"

Bombette gulped, "Nothing. It's just, something was hacking the controls."

Wow... I like, so completely ran out of motivation. I was all like... ... ... ... and the I was like... MOLE! It kinda went on and off, so I think the on and off-ness will be visible. Oh, and no one is voting on the poll! I voted (Derp!) and so did Inspired Girl (THANK YOU! Free cyber cookies to you!) But that's only two! Wahhh... But anyway... Random fact of randomness: Once a newspaper in Alabama accidentally posted, "This is the thought of the day. And this is where you put the thought of the day, as if anyone had a thought for the day. And doesn't know what the hell is going on. Or what is happeningishness." I just cracked up so hard reading this. Well... random... ~ Shilo Burbans