Total Drama: Final Season Chapter 3: Round 2: Two down, Forty-Three to go, a total drama series fanfic

Chad was standing in the same spot where the last episode ended. "Last time in Total Drama Final Season, we began the race for 10 million dollars! The task was simple: each person must have grabbed a ticket and a bag and checked in towards the next destination: South Korea. While some worked harder, others preferred the easy route". Footage of Dwayne climbing into the coconut tree and Scott stealing Junior's tickets is shown.

"In the end, Alejandro's diplomacy brings to AleHeather couple their first victory in the season, and Staci manages to trick Dwayne and Dwayne Junior with her family skills". Images of said characters are shown, ending with father and son panicking after realizing they've lost their tickets.

"What was reserved for the now 86 contestants? Find out now here on Total...Drama..." Dwayne and Junior speak, "Final Season". Chad frowns at the interruption.

Opening

The opening follows the pattern of the Ricondulous Race. After showing North America via satellite, a hand holding a travel tip appears.

Then, the silhouette of the first 21 teams running appears divided into three parts on the screen in blue, yellow and green. After that, the other 22 teams appear similarly, but now the frames are red, purple and orange.

The world map appears, highlighting the program's target locations with yellow dots. Postcards from different countries are shown in sequence, as well as the various means of transport used: a train, a bus, a plane, a car, a boat and a balloon.

A taxi door opens, revealing a photo montage of the teams following the rhythm of the soundtrack.

After a flash, the name of the program appeared on the screen.

The plane had been in the air for 1 hour. The sun was already setting, and the night marched on relentlessly. The plane's seats were arranged in such a way as to leave two rows for locomotion, two seats at the windows and four in the middle. At the back were the restrooms.

The stewardesses instructed each one about the seats according to the tickets they had given. Conveniently, many tickets were in an order that ensured couples sat together.

While some take advantage of the 15-hour trip to rest or read something, others decide to talk to their opponent.

"Thank goodness I brought our hats. I know, a little out of style, but they are still trendy worldwide!" Tom said as he patted the Fez hat. On the other hand, Jen was more interested in analyzing the dirty blonde's dress and high heels.

"Did you lose something, dear? This is Versace, you know? You don't need to be shocked to see a piece of good taste and wealth before you", Blaineley scolds her.

Jen stared at her outfit before answering. "This is not a Versace. It looks more like a cheap copy or an imitation because the red glow doesn't match the side seam", the fashion blogger stated.

The ex-host's eyes widened. "Oh, and the high heels? His beak is so worn out, and it looks like someone kicked a wall with them." Usually, she would be kinder in the analysis, but she can't stand the smug, rich type of people.

"YOU LITTLE-" As the mature woman prepares to jump Jen, Chris grabs her by the shoulder. "We haven't even been here an hour, and you're already making a scene? Have you lost any self-control?" the male host chasted her. She crossed her arms while the other stuck her tongue out mockingly.

...

With Chef asleep (he put on a sleep mask and headphones), DJ tried to talk to the person on his right. "How are you? I hope you have a good trip to... Korea..." his smile instantly melted when he saw the two dark goths staring at him with no reaction on their faces. "Thanks for the concern, but don't do it so happily. It kills our vibe", Crimson said in a monotone. "Are you interested in knowing the history of Varig Flight 820 [1]? I'm reading a book about it and can lend it to you." Ennui also took the opportunity to join the conversation. DJ thought it best not to continue that small talk.

...

"Look, Lindsay, you can see the city lights up here! I think I saw a flock of birds too! Lindsay?" as much as Beth was used to travelling by air (since she was Leshawna's stage manager and Lindsay's agent), she still felt the thrill of seeing things from above like it was the first time. Her friend was blowing kisses on her boyfriend sitting in the other column.

On the opposite side, Stephanie was ignoring Ryan.

"Is that it? Are you going to ignore me, you bitch? After everything that happened? I knew I shouldn't have come here again!" the big-muscled man growls. The fitness instructor continued to ice him while reading the distributed safety guide. "I hope there's something here about the culpability of throwing someone 20,000 meters," she muttered.

...

"Look what you've done! We have two fat asses in front of and behind us! I knew I shouldn't have trusted your stupid plan!". the queen bee snapped as she pointed at Leshawna and MacArthur, respectively. The two did not like the provocation at all.

"Who are you calling a fat ass? Know that my glutes are pure muscle, unlike this fragile ass of yours", the police officer snaps back.

"Heather, I know you're upset because your boyfriend has sex with a stick. But leave my curves out of your frustrations, girl, or I'll make your ass look fat!" the big sister threatened, turning around in her armchair.

"Mi amor, we should discuss more pleasant things that don't anger our neighbours. How about that?" Alejandro gritted his teeth. As much as he agrees with his half-Asian girlfriend, he doesn't want to witness (and break up) a fight between the three women. "Hmmph, fine!" Heather scoffs.

...

Bridgette was talking to Sky, sitting at the end of the row. It was an excellent opportunity to meet an Olympic medalist in person!

"...and that's how I managed to get silver in Rio. I'm working hard for the gold to come to Tokyo. I start my training routine daily from 6 am until 6 pm. It's tiring, but it pays off", the Cree girl cheers.

On the surfer's side was the party boy Geoff, more interested in the portable game his friend Brody had in his hands. "My turn! My turn! You're already dead, bro; hand it over!" the party animal whines.

"Just...one...more...try!" the tanned surfer was trying to hold the console with all his might. However, the dispute ended when the game flew and hit the head of Scott, who was on the other side of Brody. "Now that's mine, you fuckers", the red hair rat mocks them.

...

Emma and Noah sat next to Kitty and Owen in the middle row. As the newly engaged chatted, Owen and Kitty turned to pester Don.

"Hey, Don, you've been missing a bit, right? I enjoyed having you as a host much more than Chris", the big guy spoke excitedly. That cheered up the brunette, who until that moment was sulking being next to Josh (who ignored his presence) and Josee (whom he is sure is planning revenge for the last season).

"Thanks, Owen. It's nice to know when someone looks up to you. How are you guys doing?" the man replied.

"Not much. My sister married, and we're here again", Kitty said, trying to sound interested. As much as she's happy for Emma, it sucks to see Noah monopolize her. Maybe she shouldn't have agreed to switch chairs.

"Did that koala get married? I swore he would die a virgin and alone", Josee butted in, prompting the couple to enter as well.

"Look who says, Miss I'm a failure at ice dancing, and I never won a gold medal. You would be lucky to have a husband as handsome as mine", the snark king proceeds to high-five Emma for the answer.

The medalist huffed in anger. Jacques wouldn't help her in that argument because he was sleeping, listening to Celine Dion, and was already using his travel pillow. Soon they will see her revenge when they arrive in Korea.

...

Dawn held Ezekiel's hands as she deciphered through the lines in his palms. "By Gaia, what torture you have suffered! I hope you can recover and have a happy life. Your aura still has a little dark purple, but I believe it will fade along your journey", the moonchild premeditated lightly.

Zeke never believed in witches but that they exist, they do. And that blonde girl with ghostly skin was the living proof. "T-Thanks, miss!" he tried to end the conversation, but Anne Maria did it before him.

"My God, girl, you're weirder than when we were on that fucked up island. I hope you don't have a bug in your sweater", the jersey woman trash-talked.

"Laugh all you want, but my aura is not artificial like your tan", Dawn shooted daggers at Anne Maria.

The other started turning orange with rage. "That's it! I will smash your face in, you Harry Potter whore; nobody disrespects the tan! NOBODY! DISRESPECTS! THE TAN!"

Before the catfight started, Zeke tried to hold Anne Maria.

"Please, no fight. Please! Please!" the boy's pleas went unheeded.

Something inside him woke up.

He was frustrated at being ignored.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH" a guttural scream came out of Ezekiel's mouth, startling Dawn and especially Anne Maria. He looked at the girl again, slightly drooling and with fierce eyes, "No fight".

The jersey shore reject thought she'd pissed her pants; she shook her head and headed to the bathroom to confirm that the worst had happened.

Everyone was surprised to see Chad appear on the PTVs on the back of each chair.

"Good night, contestants. I hope everyone is having fun and resting up after today's challenge. But first things first: I'm here with the show's first losers, father and son!", he was still in the airport lounge, accompanied by Dwayne and Junior.

"As a consolation prize, they will host our new Aftermatch. Isn't it super?" Chad took the opportunity to hug the two from the side. "I'm glad I'll have two great participants as presenters since someone managed to trick them with fake tickets". Everyone on board was clueless about the reference except Staci, Rodney, Max, Ezekiel, Sugar and Scott.

Chad continued, "I didn't come here just to discuss it. As you know, dealing with 86 people would be very difficult, laborious and expensive if we were to create only two or three teams to eliminate one at a time. That's why from now on, you will be separated into pairs. The rules will reminisce the Ridonculous Race: the last team to reach the chill zone will say bye-bye to the 10 million".

As if sensing Harold would raise his hand to ask, Chad stepped forward to answer the hidden question, "How did the pairs form? Of course, in the easiest way possible: look at the person next to you, and they will be your partner; no raffle or cheap manipulation. Whoever sits next to you will be your team until the rest of the dispute".

A scream erupted from the bathroom stall. "FUCKING FUCK, SOMEONE PUT A CAMERA IN THE TOILET, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING", Anne Maria left there holding her pants with her hands.

"As a first exercise in fellowship, I installed a camera in the bathroom to function as an improvised confessional. Did you like the idea, Chris? I have watched the seasons of this show before just for this!", the old host chucked, imagining McLean's face at that moment.

"You need to do this confessional until you land in Busan. Don't be shy, I bet there's a lot to be discussed together". With that, the televisors were turned off.

The plane shook as if it were turbulence. Some rejoiced others were frightened, and some even cursed.

Confessional: The Action Team

Leshawna and Tyler sat side by side in the bathroom, which luckily was quite spacious than usual for an airliner. She wore a purple blouse with gold details and black pants; her hair was no longer straight but a hair puff; she wore glasses with a chain. The jock wore a black suit, showing off his long brown hair and a large beard.

"Back again, baby! The last time we competed was fun, and we almost won the game!", Leshawna spoke excitedly, with Tyler having the same excitement, "Yeah! It sucks that I'm not keeping Lindsay, but she can handle it! If you see this later, baby, know I love you so much!".

"By the way, why did you become so careless? You look like a bum", the sister pointed at his head.

"This? After the show, I got into the stunt career, and for some reason, I got hurt without seriously injuring myself. I look like that because I was a stunt double for Keanu Reeves in John Wick. Radical!" Tyler explained.

She smiled as she spoke to the camera, "At least the doctors on the show won't have to worry about us".

Confessional: The Adversity Twins

Since Ridonculous Race time barely passed for the twins, at least physically. The only difference is a bit of beard they both had under their chins. Mickey wore a brown vest and headgear, while Jay wore the same vest in black.

"Our doctors advise against going back on the program, but we managed to hold out pretty well last time", Jay says before Mickey compliments, "Now our allergies are more under control, and we have more stamina for the challenges. See, my nose is not bleeding!".

As if on cue, the young man's nose began to leak a lot of blood, panicking both of them.

After seeing so much blood, Jay passed out while Mickey tried not to throw up.

Confessional: The Animal Lovers

Ella and Dawn sat in the lotus position, the first dressed as a nurse and the second in a light blue sweater with a green shirt underneath. Perhaps it is the best possible team this season because of similar hobbies.

"The tea leaves told me we'll have a great season. We should only avoid beavers", the moonchild forecasted. It was possible to see a glass of water and leaves floating in her hand.

"I hope Chad asks us to sing! Just him making this season a musical makes me immensely happy!", said the Canadian snow white, already excited about the possibility of singing without being kicked out.

"Ella, your aura has a bright pink. It's so pretty!", Dawn complied, receiving a blush from Ella.

"Thank you, my faire", the other girl politely replied.

Dawn continued, explaining the duo's dynamic, "We have already agreed that if we win, we will donate half to animal protection NGOs and half to children's oncology hospitals".

Ella then started to hum a tune, with Dawn silently appreciating.

Confessional: The Airheads

The two friends were side by side, with Lindsay playing with braiding her hair, oblivious to the camera.

She still wore her signature blue bandana over her head, but the rest was a little different: she wore a cream-coloured crop top and a brown jacket that matched her skirt; along with the bandana, she still wore her cowboy boots for some reason. Incredibly, her breasts were even bigger than they were during her teens, leaving the crop top tight in the bust area.

"We've been best friends since the beginning of this show, and we've never been able to shine together since TDA", the blonde says in a sad tone before smiling, "but now everything has changed! We both have what it takes to win 10 million dollars!".

Beth raised her eyebrows at her friend's statement, "We have?". The former farmer now wore a dark green blazer and professional glasses. You could see the earrings in her ears. Her skirt was a little wrinkled from the last challenge.

Lindsay nods. "All we have to do is ask Tyler for help. He is my husband and the best person in the world", she said smugly.

"At least when he's not hospitalized", Beth retorted sarcastically, getting a look from the bombshell.

Confessional: The Antagonists

Heather sat on Alejandro's lap, with the Latino touching her hip. The mean woman wore a burgundy tank top, matching her lips and earrings. Her hair was down, season one style; she wore dark gray pants and sandals. Slung over her chest was a bull necklace similar to her boyfriend's.

The manipulative heartthrob has changed little: his hair is long and tied by an elastic band, forming a ponytail; he still retains the goatee on his smooth face. The black turtleneck shirt gives him a serious yet joyful look.

"We won the first challenge together and will continue like this. We are over our little quarrel and can now unite as competitors and lovers. That is not true, cariño?", the eel emphasized, giving her a little squeeze.

Accustomed to it, she no longer moaned in surprise or blushed at it, preferring to focus on the confessional.

"Many say I got soft after getting into a relationship and a television show. They will regret underestimating Heather Wilson. Especially you, Leshawna Edwards", she smirked while pointing at the camera.

Confessional: The Athletic Girls

Bridgette was thrilled, barely containing her joy, "Me? Paired up with THE Sky Obonsawin? I feel in a dream!"

Sky made gestures for the surfer to stop praising her so much. "Oh, stop it, you make me feel embarrassed... I'm not good. I've only won a silver medal after all.", the cree girl blushed a little.

"I love Geoff, but he's already had all the spotlight he needs. While he was making a million dollars with Brody, my name was barely in the magazines!" the blonde sighed and crossed her arms. "I've already set my goal: this will be Bridgette Summers season, no matter what. No more being nice, kissing poles or helping mean people".

Sky nodded and gave a thumbs-up, "That's the spirit, girl. I didn't win a season playing honest, and look at me today!".

Bridgette's eyes widened as she tried to process that sentence.

Confessional: The B Team

The two big guys were in the same style as their respective seasons. B was screwing something into the palm of his hand while Beardo made sounds of heavy machinery. He made a bell sound as soon as B finished the task.

"I was the first to leave Pahkitew Island. At the time, I thought people would laugh at me and call me pathetic, but then I found out how many liked me and wished I had lasted longer", the human soundboard spoke.

"We know we're not the most talkative on the show, but we have a lot of skills that will come in handy when it comes to challenges", B silently opened his coat showing his tools while his partner explained.

Confessional: The BFFs

Katie and Sadie have been very different since they last appeared on TV: Katie wore a halter top with beige pants; meanwhile, Sadie wore a dark green sweater with bell bottoms. The fat woman's hair was tied back in a long ponytail, while the thin woman's hair was short but loose.

"Katie and I only participated in the first season", Sadie said.

"Since then, we only attended the peanut gallery. Everyone calls us annoying, but we're guilty of being BFFs? No!", the other friend continued.

Sadie crossed her arms, frowning, "Yeah, there's nothing wrong with us being close friends. We can braid our hair together, eat, sleep, bath together..."

Katie put her hand on Sadie's shoulder. "Sadie, now we look like a lesbian couple the way you are we describe ourselves..."

Sadie's face was white after being alerted by her friend, "oh shit".

Confessional: The Brains and Brawl

The athlete had his body stretched out in the confessional so that Cameron was trapped under the weight of their legs.

"So, Lightning is stuck with bubble boy this time? HA! No sweat, those 10 million will be a piece of cake! Just like ROTI", he spoke while relaxedly placing his hands behind his head.

The little man wasted no time correcting him, "Actually, you lost to me that season".

Lightning looked at him like he was talking some nonsense. "Uh uh, Lightning won fine and square, you cheater! If Lightning had lost, he would have been sha-disowned by pops, and that didn't happen", he said, puffing his chest.

"I mean, I even split my prize so you could buy back your dad's rings...", the other tried to retort weakly, but in vain.

"Can you hear something? Because I can't. I need to focus on putting another ring on this hand."

Confessional: The Bride and Groom

Noah was massaging his temples to stave off a headache he knew was coming. "This will be a colossal waste of time. And worse: we don't know this new host! And if he was the original Chris? We'll die two times".

Emma rolled her eyes, noticing that her fiancé was melodramatic, "I know you are frustrated, but look at the bright side: we are now a team! Imagine if we were apart like last time".

He sighs. "As much as I like my big buddy, I much prefer your company; your farts don't smell one hundredth the same as his.", he said, pinching his nose humorously.

The bride didn't find the joke so funny, "Ewww, did you need to say that on TV?" giving him a light punch on the arm.

"What? I'm looking at the bright side just like you wanted."

Confessional: The Coronel and Soldier

"My stay at fashion school and military camp taught me that sometimes you must simultaneously be brutal but delicate. The fashion world can be as cruel as any war", Brick said, smashing his fist at the palm of his hand.

Jo chuckled when she saw the former cadet's outfit, "But what ridiculous outfit is this? Going to the gay parade or what?".

He wore a black tulle shirt and tight pants; a small mullet replaced her military cut; he had a pair of glasses over his forehead.

"For your information, this is an award-winning original look at Edmonton. Maybe gay people have more fashion sense than you", the fashionista retorted, getting a huff from the girl, "Whatever. Just don't get in my way or slow me down. The prize is mine!"

He could only smile upon seeing the old companion's behaviour, "I see you haven't changed a bit, Jo, stubborn as ever".

She got frustrated with the compliment, "As far I remember, you are the Brickhead, not me."

Confessional: The Comic Reliefs

Don and Josh wore the clothes they wore the last time they were on the show. The big difference was the countenance of the two: while Don had some wrinkles, Josh looked the same as ten years ago. Probably thanks to Botox.

The ex-Celebrity Manhut patted the ridonculous man on the back, "Don and I were great friends until we split up in college. I've always been more of a journalist than the arts".

"We were unstoppable. Everyone wanted to be like me! Ah, sweet memories", Don spoke, stroking his chin smugly.

"With my reflexes and Don's wits, we'll float to the final. It is impossible to deceive us", Josh finished in a super confident tone.

"I just hope we don't get into trouble with the Ice Dancers. Or the goths. Or the vegans. Or with Chris..." Don started to chatter as he counted the people who hated him on his hands.

"Or Blaineley", Josh added, making them both shake with fear.

Confessional: The Convicts

Duncan was wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki shorts. Not his first choice of outfit, but better than the prison jumpsuit. Scarlett was wiping her eyes with a flannel, dressed as she was in her rookie season.

"As fate would have it, we were a pair. And to think that after all these years, I wanted to be with someone normal." the punk narrowed his eyes in frustration.

Once the redhead finished cleaning her glasses, she also gave her opinion, "I've reviewed our team's probability of success, and we have a solid 80% chance of advancing to the semifinals. Duncan has never been voted out before the merger in any season he has run".

The delinquent smiled when he learned the statistic before returning to reality. He then pointed at her, "I'll do my best, but remember, girl, I will be watching you".

Scarlett grabs Duncan's arm, sinking her nails in his flesh, "Sorry, let me rephrase that: I will be watching YOU. Don't even think about eliminating us on purpose so you can get away".

She applied a little more pressure, causing tiny drops of blood to appear. "Ouch, listen here, you bitch..." he winced.

She let him go, "Save the curses for later; we have 42 teams to defeat".

Confessional: The Cosplayers

Leonard and Tammy were still disguised as pilot and flight attendant when they went to the confessional.

"I'm very excited! We finally have what it takes to stay in the game!", Tammy spoke as she showed them the large suitcase they had with them.

"Whenever we feel that we are not progressing, we can count on our disguises to help us", the ex-wizard smiled, caressing the briefcase. "I just hope that the producers don't come up with anything too exotic; otherwise, we won't have a disguise and therefore no confidence", he said without certainty.

"Or water challenges. Can't find our swimsuits", Tammy finished.

Confessional: The Divorcers

They were arguing, poking each other in the face. The two seemed as young as they already were in Ridonculous Race.

"I can't believe you came out here and left Hannah alone!" Ryan spat at Stephanie, and his words sounded as bitter as the look he looked at the woman beside him.

Stephanie was furious, "It was your week to get her! You no longer pay child support and now you don't even remember when you must pick up your daughter?". Resentment was apparent on his face.

He decided to reply, looking at the camera. "It was a mistake to be on this show, let alone dating you again. Deeper, I'm on the pill, Ryan my ass", making female moaning sounds.

The instructor widened her eyes in surprise. "Take back what you fuckin said. NOW".

Ryan makes a make me gesture at her. The two began to slap each other until they remembered it was being recorded.

They promptly stopped as they tried to fix themselves. "Hannah, if you're seeing this, please know that I am very sorry for this behaviour", said both simultaneously.

Confessional: The Drama Brothers

Justin was toying with a coin between his fingers. "I will show once and for all that I'm better than Alejandro. I'm already hotter and sexier than him, I just need to beat him in intellect", spoke the Hawaiian adonis.

"Is that where I come in?" Trent asked, uninterested.

The coin jumped from one hand to the other, making a clink.

"Exactly my not-so-lucky beauty friend, as I can't afford to think and gain crow's feet I count on you to handle the more intellectual part of the show", Justin then gave his musician friend a bright smile.

"Especially because the last time you tried to think, you got a glass shoe on your head", the coin rolled between the model's fingers slipped and hit his cheek due to the painful memory.

Trent couldn't hold back the chuckle in his throat at that scene.

Confessional: The Ex-Hosts

Chris and Blaineley were both looking at the camera in extreme annoyance. Neither wanted to be there, but they were tasting their poison.

The show's mastermind decided to start that torture. "I must be paying for all my sins. That alone explains why I was tricked into participating in my show, let alone paired with a dirty cougar". He points to the blonde, who promptly reacts.

"Watch your tongue, McLean, it's only your show because I said no", she poked him in the chest.

The host tried to defend himself from the presented fact, "If you were those idiots' first choice, I'm a porn star".

It was just the cue Blaineley wanted for a tirade.

"Really? 'Cause I always thought you had such dick-sucking lips", the mature woman spoke sardonically while making obscene hand gestures. She was satisfied when she saw the furious face that Chris displayed.

Blaineley kept talking, taking an eyeliner off her cleavage to touch up her makeup, "Anyway, we're going to fight with all our weapons. This babe here is going to make the list of the 50 celebrities of the year".

Chris saw the perfect opportunity to strike back.

"Only in your dreams, Mildred." She dropped her eyeliner upon hearing her real name, making Chris smile for getting to mess with the blonde.

Confessional: The Ex-Stepbrothers

Lorenzo and Chet wore the same purple T-shirt as before, the big difference being the beard they both had on their faces.

"Unfortunately, we are no longer half brothers", Chet started, being complemented by Lorenzo, "My father separated from his mother three years ago. But that didn't stop us from seeing each other!".

They high-fived and did a secret handshake: raising and lowering the thumb three times, a wave, and finally, a fist explosion.

"Yeah, we may not be blood brothers, but we are soul brothers forever and ever", Chet grinned at Lorenzo, opening his arms.

"Gimme a hug bro"/"Sure bro"

Confessional: The Fashion Vloggers

"I know, I know, we're not the most athletic or the smartest team", Tom was already justifying himself.

"Or the most vindictive", Jen pointed out.

"But now we have a better sense of what we need to do to do well in the competition, including resisting the call of clothing sales", the brunette man spoke confidently.

"We must do well if we want our YouTube channel to thrive, " Jen said while showing her cell phone with their channel.

"Is a shame that nobody reads blogs these days", he wailed as Jen updated her feed.

Confessional: The Frenemies

Courtney was in her traditional sweater. The only significant difference is leaving the hair in a bun style.

"It's absurd that they brought all these people together to make a new season. When I almost forgot about that part of my life, these psychopaths reminded me of my traumas. Thank God the therapy worked, and today I am a normal and productive person. I messed up a few times, but it was someone else's fault every time. Now that we're running without the need for a vote, I can dedicate all my willpower to the competition".

After the rant, the Lawyer turned her head to look at her partner.

"What about you, Gwen? Something to say?" Gwen's gaze was distant as if she remembered something far away.

"Gwen? Wake up!", the Type-A snaps her fingers.

Returning to reality, the ex-goth only sighs, "Can we just get this over with?".

Confessional: The Gamers

Dakota tried to find a comfortable sitting position while Sam settled in his girlfriend's lap. As soon as she got it, the confessional itself began.

"This bathroom is pretty tight, you know? If I were a mutant, I wouldn't have been able to fit in here", she said looking at the camera.

Sam rested his hands on the fame-monger's hips, "True. Also, is your tail ok? The doctors have said that the bone there can break if you twist it too much".

The level of care he has for Dakota is something she had never encountered in her previous relationships. Maybe she's the one who got an SSR lover on a gacha and not him.

"Don't worry, she's here. Look!", Dakota's tail fluttered behind the two, still in an orange tone and with a bit of green fur on the tip.

"If we earn that money, I think we can get that tail off without needing your dad's help", the gamer-man commented, hopeful.

"That could be handy, my plumber", She caressed his cheek, bringing her lips close to his.

"Anything for you, my Princess". It was the last thing he managed to say before they shared a passionate kiss.

Confessional: The Geniuses

Mary and Ellody were the same as in Ridonculous Race, maybe a little taller.

"Since we were eliminated we have tried to train our bodies at the same pace as our brains", the Indian declared.

The nasal-voiced friend started spewing the stats, "Now we have 54% more stamina, 13% more lung capacity, 29% more upper and lower limb strength, and 7% more likely to put our foot behind our head or lick our elbow".

"As a bonus, we managed to increase the sensuality of our bodies by 200% when we wear our gym clothes!", Ellody spoke as the two lifted their blouses, showing their ripped stomach with six-pack indications.

"Now we know why those preppy girls spent so much time in the gym and so little in the library. But unlike them, we will use our minds and bodies for the good of humankind", Mary spoke while the other girl nodded in agreement.

Confessional: The Ghouls

Ezekiel avoided looking at Anne Maria out of shame for what he had done earlier.

"Sorry for before, I was bad with you", fidgeting his fingers.

The half-beast Ezekiel still shook Anne Maria, who had confirmed that she hadn't soiled her pants.

"I-It was nothing, I was an asshole to that weirdo. Let's have a great trip, the two of us, right?" she spoke as sweat trickled down her forehead.

"Anne, friend?", the boy's face changed, now looking at her with joy and brightness.

"Y-Yes, Anne is your friend..." she laughs nervously.

She's fucked if she pisses that creature off. Best to keep up appearances and get away as soon as possible.

Confessional: The Goths

The Goths haven't changed, as if they've been hibernating in a coffin for the last four years.

"We're thrilled to be back on TV", began Ennui in his usual monotone voice.

A pause occurred before Crimson spoke.

"We are very touched that many teens and adults have chosen the goth lifestyle because of us. We receive weekly emails from couples from different cities worldwide about how to be a dark and morbid couple but a non-toxic type", she was holding some letters as if she was already prepared for it.

"This time we didn't bring Loki. He's very old, and we don't want to cause trouble by bringing any of his great-great-great-grandchildren into the race", the scary goth said with a small smile.

"Ennui, you showed joy again", the little goth scolded him.

"Sorry Crimson", he returned to normal again.

Confessional: The Grim and Evil

Eva crossed her arms and closed her eyes. After so many years, she knew this was a trial by fire to tame her nerves. If she could manage not to kill the tiny gremlin next to her, she could take any mockery.

"Let's make a deal: just don't be annoying, and I won't punch you in the face", Eva says neutrally as she opens one eye to look at Max.

The evil wannabe pondered. "Hmm, I can work with that. But you must be my bodyguard, my assistant who will sow evil among the runners. Together we will be legendary, HAHHAHAHHA OUCH!"

She punched him in the arm to make him stop laughing evilly. "I warned you about being annoying", Eva threatened, still with her eyes closed.

Max hissed in pain as he tried to rub the punched spot, "Can we discuss the terms of that deal at least?". She couldn't be any worse than Scarlett, could she?

If the elimination were in pairs and not by vote, the brute would have had a better chance of winning if her partner wasn't completely incompetent.

She relaxed as she looked at him, still unfriendly, "Let's see if your evil is good for anything".

Confessional: The Ice Dancers

The ice dancers were frowning, arms and legs crossed. The pink outfit was still as charming as the last time.

"Last season we were humiliated with the bronze medal. BRONZE! Unacceptable!", Josse gritted her teeth with rage at the past failure.

Jacques took the opportunity to change the course of the discussion, "Since then, we have trained hard to overcome any adversity that can be put in front of us, whether they are called cadets, sisters or goths", citing the main tormentors of the duo in the previous season.

The two pulled gold medals under their shirts, waving with pride and arrogance.

"We already crushed our opponents in Sochi, time to crush whoever comes our way", Josee spoke with the same competitive, eel tone they adopted on the show.

"Et maintenant que nous pouvons parler en français, nous nous sommes enfin débarrassés de cette langue faible et pauvre appelée anglais!" [2], both start to make an evil but contagious laugh.

Confessional: The Improbable Duo

As fate would have it, Harold was again separated from his Goddess, partnered with an unknown boy with a caramel pompadour. This guy was fixing his hair and smiling at the camera as if in a photo shoot.

The H-bomb straightened his glasses and crossed his arms, "I don't know how we will survive this race. We barely know each other! Gosh! Worst season ever!".

Topher remained unfazed.

"This can be your problem, but I have to enjoy every second of exposure.", the McLean wannabe said while putting the comb away. "AHEM. Looking for a young adult with professional experience and good looks? Then the Topher experience is perfect for your broadcaster!", making finger guns.

"I'm sure that's not how they select TV hosts", the savvy nerd commented, drawing a frown from the other.

Toper silenced Harold by holding his lips with his fingers. "Zip it, beatbox failure. I'm trying a multi-million dollar contract here. Where was I? Oh yes! The Topher Experience!", he spoke, returning to display a smile and joy.

"Gosh, you are an asshole!" said Harold, still with lips tied.

Confessional: The Lovers

Carrie and Devin wore an outfit similar to what they wore on the last show. Devin's beard was a little longer than it had been back then, and Carrie had tied up her hair.

"After Devin recovered from his injuries in Argentina he proposed to me and we married!", the blonde spoke with shining eyes.

Devin touched his wife's belly while summing up their lives, "And now we have two children at home. I didn't know how savvy three-year-olds could be; they already know how to swing for the box of cookies we keep in the closet!", he explained, bulging his eyes a little.

"We had our disagreements last time, but now we're going to win for Henry and Mary", Carrie was determined to show that they managed to go further without breaking a few bones along the way.

Confessional: The Master Chefs

Chef wore his cook costume, crossing his arms while holding a meat cleaver in his right hand; DJ, on the other hand, was quite nervous about having to team up with Chef once again.

"A soldier needs to be aware of his environment; whatever moves are your mortal enemy, and whatever doesn't move is your potential enemy," said Chris's right arm with the air of someone who has been to war and seen the horrors it does to everything it touches.

The gentle Brickhouse didn't seem very convinced. "But what has that to do with the show?"

"LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE; YOU HAVE COMPETED THREE SEASONS AND STILL THINK IT'S A CAKE? I failed to mould you into a man last time, but I won't make the same mistake again", Chef yells at him while poking his chest with those big fingers.

DJ whimpers, "Mama, if you are watching, I apologize for considering returning to this program. I miss you".

Once again, Chef imposed himself on the gentle cook, pointing the cleaver in his hand, "Cry while you can, DJ, because your balls will be made of steel when I finish with you."

Confessional: The Matchmakers

The bathroom was a little cramped, with Kitty and Owen sharing the same space, but they managed to find a comfortable position. The big guy had torn the arm sleeve of his shirt, which displayed the Canadian maple red leaf. The Sister was still wearing her sundress.

"I'm glad I paired my friend with Kitty's sister. I mean, it's really bad to be a third wheel, you know?", he placed his hand on her shoulder, pressing lightly against her body.

The Canadian-Vietnamese woman nodded and raised her arm for emphasis, "Emma would never forgive me if she stayed away from Noah because of this reality show".

"Now that they're together, we can shine; go Team Kittwen!", Owen fist-pumped while Kitty was surprised by the portmanteau.

"Kittwen?" she raised an eyebrow, trying to understand that.

"Yeah, Kitty and Owen! I spent the whole night thinking of a cool name", he explained excitedly.

The girl didn't know how to react, "Wow, that's...something?".

"I'm glad you liked it", Owen smiled sheepishly while Kitty looked at him awkwardly.

Confessional: The Mother and Daughter

Taylor was typing something on her cell phone while Kelly was on the phone with a slightly troubled face. The young girl looked much happier than the last time she competed alongside her mother.

Seeing that the camera was ready, the younger girl started talking.

"After years, I finally got my degree! My father always questioned my competence in doing things alone, but now I can show him who was right. Isn't it, Mom?", waiting for an answer from the other woman.

Kelly covered the phone and smiled, "Sweetie, just a moment, I'm on the phone", the smile turned into a bothered and annoyed look when she went back to talking on the phone, "No, I don't care if you have to lay off 30 people, I'm going to spend time with my daughter, and that's it. Goodbye."

"It was dad?", her father knew how to be tough when he wanted to. That's an experience she's already learned.

"Yes, he still thinks it's a waste of time that we're here, but I know he's just jealous of us", Kelly then speaks to the camera, recovering from the little dispute that happened earlier.

"After the season I made my husband throw away all the trophies he had bought. Today, Taylor's bookshelf already has three honourable mention trophies and the architecture diploma on the wall.".

Taylor blushed a little with embarrassment at her mother gushing on the internet.

Confessional: The Nutjobs

"This gonna be soooo fun! Will we see the moon? The center of the earth? I would love to see Ireland...Did you know that my ancestors killed impudent Britons?", The Psycho Hose Beast was thinking out loud as she looked at a cowering and scared Dave. He's already suffered enough on Pahkitew Island, why did he have to stay with this crazy girl!?

Izzy pouted and sighed, noticing that her partner was uncomfortable with her presence. "You know, if we're going to be a team we have to talk. The success of any relationship is open and sincere dialogue!" she relaxed her posture as he touched the Indian's shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, I think that is...", the hypochondriac let his guard down, remembering all the tumour that was his relationship with Sky.

She pulled him out, giving him a bear hug.

The grip was so tight that her face was kissing the crazy redhead's collarbone, "GREAT, because we'll be veeeeeeery open and sincere with each other, Noah 2".

"Wait, did you say Noah 2?", he spoke in a panic.

Izzy shook her head frantically, refusing to let go of him, "that girl may have stolen my smart-ass, but she's not going to steal this one!"

As much as he tried, he couldn't get rid of her, which now positioned the young man's head on her cleavage.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE", he shouted in vain at the camera, as if it could do something.

Confessional: The Opposing Twins

The twins sat side by side, the only physical difference being Amy's mole. In clothing, the two no longer wore the cheerleading uniform, which (frankly) was a poor choice for the Pahkitew Island environment: Amy wore a blue miniskirt with a red jacket and a white top; Sammy wore a pastel tank top and jeans, with a piercing in her navel.

"After this stupid show people started harassing me on the street, calling me bitch sister, the worst character in Total Drama, hot on the outside but rotten on the inside. I didn't do anything, my sister tricked everyone and almost killed me with a poisoned apple!", the mean sister ranted.

The doormat sister retorted, "First of all, you deserved it. Second, I am delighted with the affection I have received from people since the program ended. It was just what I needed to cut ties with my toxic sister and grow as a person. Our clothes no longer match and I cut my hair much shorter than hers!" she said while showing her side buzz cut.

"Good for you, dyke hair", her sister taunted.

Sammy took a deep breath before responding to the provocation. "And I learned how to deal with whatever shit my sister says about me. Look!", she proceeds by pulling Amy's hair and placing her head against one of the bathroom walls.

"How does it feel to be weaker than your dyke sister, huh?", she said sardonically, enjoying how furious Amy was. "I'll make you pay for this...Samey"

Confessional: The Police Officers

"I'm impressed MacArthur hasn't been arrested once. Not even for ideological falsehood to enter the police", Sanders spoke as she stared at her co-worker.

Valentina ignored the stare as she flexed her biceps, "You're just jealous because they need an informant that plays both sides. And luckily, I'm that snitch".

"Because this that ACAB people talk about how we are corrupt by nature we are and how we do more harm than good", the thin cop pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Speak for yourself. Justice is not nice. Now that we're cops, we have to deal with this. And with gun safety", MacArthur unholstered a pistol to show the camera, causing Sanders to freak out promptly.

"Jesus Christ, woman, how did they allow you to get on a plane armed?", Sanders snatched the gun from the other woman's hand before anything worse happened.

"'Cause we're cops, duh. By the way, here's yours", the burly female officer pulled another gun from her holster and handed it to her co-worker.

Sanders examines the gun before putting the safety lock on both. "Hope no one gets shot by the end of this season", the black cop muttered.

"Only if they deserved it!", MacArthur finished.

Confessional: The Rednecks

Scott was carving something with a knife, just like he did with the fake immunity idol. Sugar looked excited to see what the redhead would create with that little wooden block.

"I watched the last seasons before coming here. I've already drawn these people's flaws and how to explore them. This time I don't have to worry about knowing too many people, two or three will be enough", the rat from season four spoke.

Sugar began to speak while still enthralled by the sculpture, "I don't like cheatin', but if'n we have cheaters playin', nothin' fairer than makin' it a two-way game. Can you make a poodle?", the pageant asked with puppy eyes, getting a look of strangeness from the other at most.

"Let's make them think we're two dumb hillbillies. They will never know what hit them hehehe". At that time, the two looked at the camera maliciously.

They certainly won't miss any opportunity to wreak havoc with other teams.

Confessional: The Rockers

The two are making guitar sounds while strumming in the air. Rock starts talking after finishing an imaginary guitar solo.

"I can't believe we're here again! Last time we went far but ended up close to home. With the publicity from the show, we got our band together and did some tours around down under. We managed to buy an apartment together. Isn't that right, Spud?", Spud nods in agreement.

"And we even managed to improve Spud's reflex response time; check this out" Rock took a small hammer out of his pocket and tapped his friend on the knee. The leg instantly rose.

Ten seconds later, Spud felt the involuntary reaction. "Before he only noticed after 10 minutes".

Confessional: The Scammers

Rodney and Staci had bags under their eyes and messy hair. The flight to South Korea was not pleasant for both of them.

"Did anyone find out what we did?", the farmer panicked for the sixth time.

The chatterbox tried to appear calm despite being close to having a nervous breakdown, "Don't be silly, nobody would suspect us, right? We are just two insignificant participants; even the public doesn't care about us. There's NOTHING to be afraid of. NOTHING!", she screamed as she grabbed the collar of Rodney's jumpsuit.

The two were silent after that. Staci was still clutching Rodney.

"When we land, would you like to get something to eat? How about a coffee or something, you know, like...to get to know each other better?"

Rodney didn't know what to make about the proposal. Usually, this means that a woman loves him, but he doesn't feel anything.

Confessional: The Stockholm Alliance

The two sat apart from each other. Sometimes they looked at each other but soon returned to look at the camera in awkward silence.

Sierra coughs. "I hope we have a good race, right Cody?", trying to break the ice between both.

"Yeah, a good race, got it!", Cody smiled nervously.

The two stared at the camera silently for another 2 minutes before leaving.

Confessional: The Stoners

Laurie and Milles were in the same hippie style, although their philosophy of life had changed a little.

"After Ridonculous Race Laurie and I tried to go back on a vegan diet, but unfortunately Laurie succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh", Milles glared at his companion.

At the same time, Laurie ignored her, chewing on a piece of jerky beef distributed by the in-flight service.

"So we rebranded yourselves as The Cannabis Friends!", the ex-vegan took a flag embroidered with the marijuana leaf from her pocket. "We've already made progress, such as the edibles debate in Oregon and marijuana stores in Calgary".

"The tobacco industry doesn't know what is waiting for them", the lone vegan spoke fiercely.

Confessional: The Surfer Dudes

The two goofs were the same way they were last time, which makes the reader question if they aged at all.

"Dude, it's cool to be together like last time. But aren't you a little sad to be away from Brid?", the brown surfer expected a more resounding response from him, but Geoff hadn't changed his behaviour.

"Don't worry bro, my girl is racing too and got a awesome partner too! She knows her way around very well", the blond man chilled.

"Cool"

"Pretty cool man"

Suddenly, Brody remembers his parked car.

"MY CAB, I LEFT MY CAB AT THE AIRPORT", he screams while desperately trying to get out of the bathroom to get back to Vancouver somehow.

"Calm down, man. When we get back, he'll be there", the party boy soothed his friend.

The camera switches to the airport, where Brody's taxi is being towed, not only having a pile of tickets on the windshield.

"I hope so"

Confessional: The Survivors

Jasmine was sitting on Shawn's lap, although she was much bigger than the zombie hunter.

"We started dating after the Pahkitew final. Now that we're adults, we rotate between Canada and Australia", the outback girl said.

"My silly obsession with zombies is out of my mind. Now I'm into serious things like my survival blog on the internet", the beanie man said, puffing out his chest with pride and drawing a smile from his girlfriend.

"Surviving the World with Shaw and Jasmine is the most viewed website in Oceania in the entertainment category, along with Boxing and Gardening Tips with Jasmine and Shawn. We even got a commemorative plaque from Perth for warning about the risks of fighting a dingo while naked", she unlocked her cell phone to show the photo of the two receiving the plate.

The two looked confidently at the camera with audacity and curiosity.

"There is no climate, forest or animal that can stop us. We were finalists once and will be again!", Shaw then pointed at the viewer with a smirk.

Confessional: The Sweethearts

Zoey and Mike were kissing until they realized the camera was on. The two quickly stopped and tried to fix their clothes and hair.

"Ah, hey! I'm Zoey", said the hipster girl waving her hand.

"And I'm Mike!", said the DID man waving her hand too.

"We are the winners of All Stars!", the two spoke at the same time. Their hands were intertwined like two soul mates, a bond lasting for eternity.

"We decided to come back to the show more for fun. Our financial life is still comfortable with the money we earn", Zoey spoke brightly, without any irony.

Mike continued, still holding hands with his redheaded girlfriend, "We can finally fight as a couple, so no evil personality, no Scott, and especially no Chris McLean causing drama between us".

Her eyes sparkled again, "I love it when you speak so confidently", saying softly.

"And I love you when you love me", he replied.

They kiss each other again.

Confessional: The Tennis Rivals

Pete nudged Gerry, starting the conversation, "Did you see that your nephew will run against us?".

By now it should be obvious who he was talking about; the name McLean is not very common to have two separate families.

"Sorry buddy, but I don't have any nephews. Especially when he prefers badminton to tennis" Gerry crossed his arms, refusing to look at the rival or the camera.

The white-haired tennis player was surprised by that statement, "For real? He said this?".

Saying that badminton is better than tennis is one of the biggest insults a tennis player can hear. That, and saying it's a boring sport.

"Not only has he said it, but he's also starred in movies about that sleaze he considers sport", Gerry splatted venomously.

An idea popped into Pete's head, "Why don't we teach him a lesson? We may be old, but we have more motor coordination than these young people".

The black-haired man pondered before accepting the idea, "It's not bad, but my sister will be annoyed". He sighed, already imagining the yelling his sister would make for humiliating her son on television.

The other didn't miss the cue for another boomer joke, "Better an angry sister than an angry wife". The two laughed at the comment together.

"After a long journey, the teams landed here in Busan, South Korea, for their season's first challenge", Chad narrated as the pairs were shown getting off the plane and heading towards the airport entrance.

The teams gathered in front of the older host, next to a crate with a red button on the top.

"Welcome to South Korea! One of the most important countries in Asia, known for its boybands, dramatic soap operas, spicy food and an inexplicable hatred for its close neighbours", he briefly explained.

"In front of you is a precious item that will accompany you on your journey to the $10 million: the travel tip box. One of these little things at each leg stage will help you proceed safely to the next step. Since I am the host, I will do the honours for you all".

DING

A low bell sound came out of that box, spewing out a gray ticket.

Chad made a little plane out of it and launched it into the crowd, hitting Mickey square in the eye. The frail only groaned in pain before his brother unwrapped the tip.

"Be quick, but don't be stupid. The last to arrive at the train station is a rotten egg", Mickey spoke nervously as everyone understood what was to be done.

"Today will be busy, so I hope you guys got plenty of rest. CHOP CHOP!" Chad spoke as he blew a horn.

It was the start they needed to run in search of any means of transport to the train station.

"Taxi!"

"Cab!"

"Let's go through the subway."

"On foot! We are in a country with pedestrian mobility, gosh!"

...

At the forefront were the Improbable Duo, Antagonists, Ex-Hosts, Police Officers, and Goths. Behind these, and closing in, were the Gamers, Stoners, Master Chefs, Rockers, Soldiers and the Team Action.

"Step aside, police passing by!" MacArthur flashed his badge while pushing pedestrians and other competitors.

"Relax there, Bullock, don't even think about getting in front of us", Heather threatened as she threw a clueless Harold toward the female officers. While they managed to dodge the runaway nerd, the same could not be said for Leshawna, who was slammed by her date.

Big sister's curses sounded like boons to the queen bee. Now they needed to get rid of the others.

Alejandro started running backwards, looking at Chef and DJ, "You need a lot of courage to run again, considering your animal curse and all...".

The Brickhouse didn't seem scared by the mention of the disaster that was his last appearance.

"Nice try, but I don't fall for that anymore", DJ spoke confidently while Chef huffed, looking at the Latin, "Come here, pretty boy, and I'll show you what a real curse looks like".

They bumped into a trash can without noticing, making the three of them fall.

"Looks like they're out too, Alejandro. Alejandro? Amor?" Heather glanced back worried about missing her bastard boyfriend, stumbling after her foot slipped on a section of sidewalk with fresh cement.

As the cops passed, MacArthur blew a raspberry at the Asian diva.

She could also see Leshawna and Harold passing her, giggling. "Enjoying your mud bath, my queen?" the black woman hassled.

"Well, what did I say about us trying to play dirty? Now we're both filthy", the slippery eel appeared with some garbage on its shirt, leaning against the easel that protected the cement.

"Shut up and get me out of here! We're falling behind!", The humiliation of being mocked by her rival was greater than being covered in cement at that moment.

While the couple tried to clean themselves up, the police officers arrived at the station, seeing the train and the travel tip box in the distance. The brute slammed the button, making the gray ticket pop out of the latch.

DING

"Aw, sweet! An All-In!", MacArthur smiled before Sanders took the tip from her hand. "Against the clock?", the black officer asked curiously.

Chad was standing inside a train car alone, "In the All-In challenge, the two competitors must help to complete the task. Each team must board this bullet train bound for Seoul and survive a 30-minute chase against flesh-thirsty zombies". Unbeknownst to him, hands began to appear on the door behind him.

BANG

"What was that!? Anyway, teams that fail will be punished when they reach our destination", he finished as a hand broke the glass and grabbed him by the neck. "TRAINS WILL DEPART WITH 20 MINUTES APART, GOOD LUCK!"

The first ten teams boarded the first bullet train, aware of the nightmare they would face.

The Rockers were listening to music, oblivious to their surroundings; Chris preferred to abandon Blaineley and talk to Chef; Leshawna and Tyler protected DJ from having a zombie meltdown.

Jo took the opportunity to make fun of Heather's dirty laundry, getting the finger in return; Sam, Sanders and the Stoners relax in the seats of the bullet train car.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and nothing scary happened.

The blonde hostess went to the bathroom to reapply her makeup ("damn bright lights"), not bothering to close the door completely. Her mascara brushes the lid in a precise effort to look her best.

A grunt is heard outside, and a light knock echoes against the bathroom door. "Wait your turn. I'm busy here", she said, not caring who (or what) was near her.

A hidden figure opens the door and walks towards Blaineley.

Closer.

Closer.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The obnoxious woman screamed when she felt a hand on her shoulder, throwing her mascara toward her attacker.

"OUCH, that hurt ma'am!", Brick massages his forehead after the item's impact on him. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, CREEP?", she still hasn't recovered from the scare.

"Didn't you know it's not good to separate from the pack? I looked for you because we are already heading to first class", the fashion soldier explained as they walked out of that space.

"Just...don't do that again, okay?" she said breathlessly.

Brick gave each other a small salute, "No problem! In this challenge we have to help each other if we want not to be penalized".

Brick's turn was to feel a little nudge on his shoulder, "Is something wrong? I apologize again for having scared you".

The problem is that Blaineley was on the other side of the touched shoulder this time.

The two swallowed hard.

"I-I didn't touch your shoulder."

"How funny because I just felt like you touched my shoulder, and not some kind of scary zombie"

An interesting thing about the journey from Busan to Seoul is that it passes through several tunnels between the mountains. And conveniently, the train has just entered the first of these tunnels.

The carriage lights went out when they were about to turn around to see what was next to them.

...

Once the power came back, there was nothing behind them.

The tension in the backs of both of them went away.

Brick wiped the sweat that was forming on his forehead with his hand. "Phew! For a moment I thought something would appear behind us to scare us. I'm glad this is real life and not a clichéd horror movie".

His thought was interrupted when he looked at a petrified Blaineley, sweating cold and pale as death.

He looked up, turning simultaneously and seeing a group of extras with realistic zombie masks. One of them was even drooling with hunger in his eyes.

A scream was the only thing that escaped both victims' mouths.

"The hell was that?", Chef asked Chris. It sounded like the desperate screams of his friend's partner. The host bruised off, darting down at his poker hand.

"Probably nothing; got a seven?", he spoke nonchalantly.

"I really don't know; I'm pretty sure it was Blaineley", the chef replied, looking at his hand too. "Now is the time for you to kiss my ass," the black cooker grinned, playing the royal flush he had.

Chris muttered that it wasn't fair, opening his wallet and handing his friend a Borden bill. It was one of the few copies he still had after the end of that note's printing.

The car door flung open, showing a frantic Jo.

"WE HAVE TO MOVE, THEY ARE COMING" the jockette yelled at them, "GET YOUR ASS UP IF YOU WANT TO LIVE".

The police officers promptly got up, going to meet the dirty blonde. "What's the emergency girl? Did you see a zombie?", MacArthur gibed, looking at Sanders for some laugh.

"Yes, I saw them. And if you don't run, they will catch up with us. Fuck, there must have been like 50 coming here, and they already caught the metrosexual soldier and the cougar". Her desperate look made it possible to see that she was serious.

Sanders tried to be the voice of reason at this time, "Just calm down; let's stay close and go to the other end of the train. We know they can't fall from the ceiling, right?".

The eyes of the rest widen when they hear knocking coming from the ceiling.

"Great job, officer, what way to jinx us!", the queen bee cheered ironically.

All but the rockers ran for the door. They had headphones on, preventing them from hearing what was happening in the outside world.

"Should we let them know?", Alejandro asked Leshawna, worried about that team. She stopped to think. "Hmm, nah. Rather them than us", the big black woman spoke as she locked their car door.

Five minutes have passed since they left the car with Rock and Spud inside. With each car they passed, the last one to pass locked the door in case something tried to chase them. A guttural scream is heard in the distance.

...

"I haven't felt this excited since Romania. Knowing that there are flesh-hungry zombies after us is just...sublime" Although Crimson did not show any alteration, his words were sincere.

"Do you want to stop saying weird things? I'm already shitting my pants enough", Dakota snapped. Her tail was straight as if indicating danger. Sam, on the other hand, was calm and thoughtful.

"This all reminds me of House of the Dead 16, it's not one of my favorites of the genre, but the controls are good at least", the gamer was talking to himself while trying to conserve his breath. "I wonder if..."

Testing his theory, Sam grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and hurled it at the next door, barely missing Laurie but hitting a lurking zombie.

"YES! 1000 points!" he pumped his fists.

The celebration was short-lived as the violent pounding sound on the locked door grew louder by the second. Before they knew it a horde of zombies was running towards them.

The survivors ran as if their lives depended on it. DJ couldn't handle the pressure and had to be carried on the shoulder by Chef.

They were managing to keep a pace of safe distance between themselves and the monsters until Alejandro fell to the ground gasping in pain.

Interview: The Antagonists

"Unfortunately, the aftermath of the World Tour final still manifests itself in my beautiful body: the nerve in my right leg has never healed, and for the past two years, I have had difficulty running long distances for extended periods". As the Latino spoke, Heather crossed her arms with a look of sympathy and guilt.

"While waiting to perform another surgery, I ordered this!", he showed a mahogany cane with silver details; his traditional bull family mark rested on the tip.

Heather narrowed her eyes at the sight of the piece, still crossing her arms, "You look like a pimp with that".

The boyfriend retorted, "It's called style; when you have trouble walking you'll know how it feels".

Alejandro was lifted by Heather, who had the retractable cane in her pocket. In possession of the equipment, the team headed for the door before being attacked by the Korean zombies.

They noticed they were locked when they approached the door to change cars. On the other side was Leshawna, grinning like an idiot. "What are you doing there? OPEN THE DOOR!" Alejandro banged the cane against the door without avail.

"I'm sorry, but don't you know that in horror movies the first to die are black? I'm not going to go into that statistic, honey". The couple's gaze widened in surprise and fury at what Big Sister was planning.

"You wouldn't dare leave us here to die", the Asian spoke menacingly, although her voice showed fear.

"Yes, I dare. Have a good time in hell", Leshawna backed away from the door as she listened to their attempt to break in.

"MARK MY WORDS, GHETTO GIRL, YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOU WAS A ZOMBIE WHEN I GOT DONE WITH YOU. LESHAWNA? LESHAWNA? LESHAWNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

...

The knocking ceased.

...

...and they returned, accompanied by grunts.

The second train has just left the station, with ten more teams on board: Lindsay and Beth complimented Jen and Tom's hat; Trent tried out some chords on his guitar while Justin chatted with Kitty and Owen; Harold was staring at Scarlett as if he were trying to remember someone.

Across the seats, Don tried to ignore Ella's singing and Topher's pathetic comments about how he looked like his Uncle Steve; Eva greeted Noah and his bride, who already found her fiancé's circle of friends quite strange; Chet and Lorenzo were scouring the baggage areas for anything that might help them against the zombies.

The moonchild was meditating, trying to calm her nerves. Dealing with those who have died always imbues the environment with a horrible and disgusting aura. His eyes snapped open, looking frantically at the cargo door.

"Duncan, close that door immediately! They'll try to get in there!" Dawn pointed to the door. The reformed delinquent was more surprised that she knew his name without ever having met him than the fact that she could predict where the zombies would come from.

"Got it!", he preferred to trust her words than to condemn everyone in that car. Without anyone noticing, the ex-stepbrothers were sealed in that same area.

...

"Did you hear that?" Lorenzo asked.

"What?" Chet replied, getting a fart from the other boy. They both laughed at the little prank.

Once satisfied with the search, they went to the door to join the others, only to find the door locked. "The fuck? It was unlocked just now", Chet thought aloud, forcing the doorknob.

"You're pulling. The door is for pushing, you idiot. Observe!" Lorenzo pushed his friend aside as he pushed open the door with a smug smile.

Thud

Passengers on the other side broke out in a cold sweat, interpreting their tapping as if they were zombies. It was the cue they needed to jump off the wagon and move on to the next one.

"It was just pulling, right, Einstein? What's the next brilliant plan?" Chet taunted him.

"Well, since you asked, we can try to pick the lock, but it's too dark for that. Can you get me a flashlight? I think I still have that Swiss army knife I got from your grandma", Lorenzo spoke commanding. He trusted his lockpicking skills.

Rummaging through his pockets, he found the Swiss army knife and gave it a few tries before realizing that, in the dark, it was impossible to do that. He was reassured when he felt a nudge on his shoulder, taking the flashlight without taking his eyes off the keyhole.

Even though it was easier for Chet to hold the flashlight and use both hands, he knew his best friend would hardly know the best position to light it.

"Almost...there!" the brown boy exclaimed, celebrating the feat. "I told you the Steve Lockpicking Summer Camp would be worth it. Time to get out of this place!"

As Lorenzo got up to leave, a hand grabbed his shoulder. He swallowed, trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach.

"Want to say something, Chet? Any little thing? That you're not a zombie ready to eat me?" by this time, he was trying to fight the urge to run as fast as possible.

"L-Lorenzo..." his heart started beating again. He decided to look back.

It was Chet's hand, but a horde of zombies now trapped him. His eyes glowed in the dark like predators about to pounce on their hunt.

"RUN"

The boy didn't even have time to process his friend's plea. It was too late for both of them.

Three minutes remained until the challenge ended on the first train. So far, running and locking the doors has worked without any problems. MacArthur and Sanders were ready to clear the way in front, and Leshawna and Tyler brought up the rear.

The black hostess checked that the door latch was closed correctly while the stunt double decided to eat what was in the minibar.

"Dude, these Korean cereal bars are great! I feel the energy running through my veins! HIIIIYA!" the clumsy jock tried to make karate moves, only managing to injure his hand after hitting a table.

He felt something pulling on his leg as he recovered from the pain. Under one of the tables was a zombie! He tried to kick him, but it didn't work; the monster was stronger than he was, slamming him into the door leading to the next car.

"Let's see what you're capable of, you ugly bastard", Tyler said, getting up and into a fighting position. The zombie replied, gesturing for the athlete to give it his all.

Tyler went for a right hook and was blocked and hit by a left hook; he tried to land a left hook, being blocked again and hit by a right hook. This time he tried to use both fists, which were repelled by the zombie and answered with a kick to the stomach.

"Fuck, what are those zombies eat to get so strong?" he spoke loudly as he tried to compose himself.

"Did you say something, Tyler? I'm here trying to close this damn door", Leshawna spoke, trying to hit the bolt that locked the door.

"That's nothing my friend; I've been beaten way worse than this!" he said, spitting out a little blood. His smile showed determination and confidence. He ran towards the zombie, surprising him.

He started by throwing a dozen punches at the monster's torso, making it lose its balance; With his guard down, he took the opportunity to perform his signature move: the Kennedy Special.

His arms were spinning with astonishing speed, his fists looking like they would catch fire. The zombie widened its eyes and ducked, trying to protect itself from the attack. Tyler was so blind to winning that he overlooked the detail, tripping over the monster and flying toward Leshawna.

"And done! Who knew closing a door would be so hard?" the sister with 'tude was stretching relaxedly when a Tyler without a license plate hit her.

"WOAAAAAAAHHHHHH"

THUD

The two moaned on the ground in pain.

The zombie's shadow approached the two holding a rope. "망할 미국인들 [3]", the zombie muttered before tying them.

...

The first train reached Seoul. Chad was waiting for them by the travel tip box.

"And our first survivors finally reached our next destination", the host narrated as the camera panned to the Stoners, Chefs, Goths, Police Officers and Gamers.

"Along with our first losers too", showing those seized by the zombies: Brick, Blaineley, The Antagonists and Team Cction. "Did you like the challenge? Koreans know how to do makeup", Chad spoke as one of the zombies took off a rubber mask.

"You're going to regret you left us in that train car, Leshawna. Mark my words" Heather threw daggers with her gaze, and his tone was as bitter as possible.

"My plan would have worked if it weren't for that meddling zombie", the black woman retorted, "and my stupid partner!". Tyler had bandages all over his face and smiled guiltily.

"Without further ado, let's get to the punishment...wait, where are The Rockers?" Chad noticed the lack of that team.

Everyone looked at each other. No one had noticed that they hadn't landed.

To everyone's surprise, Rock and Spud appeared with no signs of being caught by the zombies.

"Care you explain to us how you didn't get caught?" Chris inquired.

"Pfff, it was a piece of cake. We just had to ignore them!" Spud spoke. "We were so immersed in the music that we didn't see or feel anything", Rock continued. That could be bullshit, but everyone else believes it without a better explanation.

"Since the zombies didn't apprehend you, I think you are safe in this challenge", Chad said without confidence.

"And to teams that have been fully or partially captured: you must wait for 30 minutes! The rest can pick up the hint for the next stop. This is a warning of what happens when you abandon your teammate", the old man spoke while staring at the losing teams.

Gamers were the first to approach the tip box, getting the instructions for the next challenge. "Botch or Watch: Korean Night Fever. What does that mean?" the big girl asked.

"As much as two heads are better than one, this program also values the individuality of each competitor. For this reason, there is the Botch or Watch: teams must choose one member to win a dance match at this game center here, in downtown Seoul", Chad was standing on a platform with arrows on the ground.

"The next hint will only be obtained when the team member scores 100,000 points in the dance game.

At that moment, the machine dropped the tip through one of its openings.

"Fail, and you'll have to start over. But beware: you must go to the queue's end! One misstep, and you can go from the first to the last!", Chad finished the explanation.

The first teams made their way to the city center, entering a vast gaming center. It was possible to see that the game was precise as Chad had said.

As there were three platforms, it was only possible for three competitors simultaneously. Losing would mean opening a significant disadvantage for the other teams.

Sam steps up. "Baby, I will. Nobody knows how to play this like me", the gamer man was confident. Dakota didn't protest, first because she trusted her boyfriend and second because she feared her weight would break the dance platform.

"I call dibs", Laurie and MacArthur said simultaneously. While Milles was cool, Sanders was skeptical of her partner's rhythmic ability.

Chef Hatchet, Ennui and Rock decided to wait their turn; no one from the second train or the penalized ones was there anyway.

As soon as the three were ready, the machines lit up, illustrating the sign:

렛츠 그루브 - LET'S GROOVE

Luckily for everyone, the music was the same, so there was no problem with cacophony.

The beat was infectious but hard; MacArthur started to miss consecutive steps while Laurie got confused in the change of arrows. Sam, who used to the mat after his Korean Night Fever 2 6-hour walkthrough, was the only one who didn't break a sweat.

The points began to rise continuously: in the middle of the song, the cops had 55 thousand, the stoners had 40 thousand, and the gamers had 70 thousand.

"Fuck, this is hard! Those Koreans must wear this to the gym because I'm sweating like a pig", the white officer spoke while trying to breathe and dance. Laurie wasn't in the best of shape either.

With the song's end, the score was quite discrepant: Sam had the highest number of points, with 120,000; MacArthur and Laurie failed by 5,000 and 45,000 points, respectively.

The Chef was already standing by, waiting for Sanders to pull a battered MacArthur off the platform, "Get out of there, you losers!". The black policewoman didn't like it but preferred to concentrate on getting her companion out of that place and bringing her some water.

The victorious couple celebrated while picking up their next tip.

Heather and Leshawna were tapping their feet and looking at the penalty clock. Still, 3 minutes left. To their misfortune, the second train was approaching in the distance.

"You gotta be fucking with me", the two sighed.

When the penalty ended, the losing teams from the first train restarted the dispute with the victors from the second train: Don and Josh, Dawn and Ella, Eva and Max, Noah and Emma and Scarlett and Duncan.

"Good luck Kitty. I hope you can get Owen out that window", the elder sister spoke while picking up the next tip.

One of the windows was broken and with a familiar ass sticking out. A group of zombies used a plunger attached to a rope to remove the big guy.

"I don't know if 30 minutes will be enough to get him out of there", the younger sister expressed bluntly.

The Losers got off the train with Lindsay, Beth, Justin and Tom dishevelled and bruised. "What happened to you people?" Chris questioned, half-curious.

"Owen", the four spoke, not wishing to pursue that topic further.

Sam and Dakota took a while to find the next challenge, located 5 km from the previous one. In front of them were tables with big red bowls and chopsticks beside them.

Chad was waiting for the team. "Congratulations, you are the first to be in the last stage today! I'll keep it simple: today's last challenge is an Either/Or. You can choose between eating the traditional Korean delicacy, kimchi, in its extremely spicy version or going directly to the chill zone".

The host again articulated before the couple started walking, "This task is not an easy choice. Those who don't eat the kimchi will need to wait 30 minutes until they can go to the relaxation zone as a toll for sparing the taste buds".

"What do you think? Better to die trying to eat that food or to risk taking the penalty?" Dakota darted into her boyfriend's eyes, waiting for a decision.

The nerd considered deeply. On the one hand, he didn't want to suffer from eating spicy food, but on the other hand, the punishment could make them get eliminated.

"Let's go for the kimchi; we can't risk it, " he said as they approached the bowl of spicy kimchi. It was possible to feel the heat radiating and the nose runny just being near it.

"While we already have the first finalists, others are trying to complete the first challenge", Chad narrated as a montage began with a team briefing.

On the third train, the survival team and the Olympic girls crossed a car full of zombies clinging to a bar on the roof; any slip and they would be decimated. B made a catapult and slowed the horde with a wedding cake while the ice dancers duelled the monsters using dance moves. The Sweethearts and The Lovers survived the challenge by hiding in one of the train's bathrooms. The same luck did not occur to The Divorcers, who were caught trying to hide in one of the luggage racks. Amy deliberately used her sister as zombie bait, only for her sister to stop her from escaping. While trying to defend The Tennis Rivals in his pilot costume, Leonard was captured and had his clothes torn apart.

On the fourth train, Rodney fell in love with a zombie in a schoolgirl's outfit, deliberately running into her. Izzy squirted blood from raw steaks on her and Dave so they could blend in with the zombies undetected; the actors chose not to approach the two due to the gross idea. The Adversity Twins passed out before the challenge even started when they heard the word "zombie".

Amazingly, the best-prepared team on the last train were the BFFs Katie and Sadie.

Interview: The BFFs

"We're like super fans of the Korean stuff", Sadie said.

"Yeah, we watched Train to Busan three times: once illegally, once at the movies, and once at that weird club near our house", Katie cringed on the last one.

"If any team is prepared to win this leg, it's us! Even if we are in the last positions", Sadie tried to give hope that they could accomplish something besides staying in the race.

"OMG, will they make us sing kpop? I would love to sing!" the thin woman began to chatter.

"Me too. Why don't we start training if we have to?" the other woman gave fuel to the chitchat.

Before they started singing, the camera went static.

Finally, the last teams took the hints to the game center at the destination. Less than half of the teams had achieved 100,000 points on the first attempt; some were in their second, while others were in their sixth.

On the platforms were Katie, Jacques and Blaineley.

While the dancer leaned on the bars behind him for better dexterity, the tanned friend relied on her heels and hips to not miss a step; the only one who was uncoordinated was blonde, who didn't make the slightest effort.

Not only Katie and Jacques got those 100,000 points, but they were the only ones to break the record of 160,000 points!

When the two approached to take the hint, a green ticket appeared instead of the usual blue ticket.

"As a small incentive, I left a bonus for this task: the teams that beat the record of 160,000 points would earn a ticket straight to the chill zone without the need to complete the last challenge! Cool, isn't it?" Chad stepped in to explain.

As the BFFs looked at each other, stunned by the gift, the ice dancers hurried to run for first place.

"Gold medal, here we come!" Josee announced, raising her arms and smiling characteristically.

The kimchi fight was still hot. The Gamers still haven't finished their plate, stopping more and more because of the spiciness that burns their tongues.

"I'm sorry Dakota, it was a bad idea to eat this- COF COF COF", Sam spoke while coughing in pain; his face was red, and his eyes were watering.

Scott and Sugar eyed the bowl. As much as the two had strong stomachs, that didn't mean they were immune to spicy. Looking around, the rat was scrutinizing for a new victim to hatch his plan.

"Gotcha!" he murmured as he made his way to the Matchmakers' table. Owen was wolfing down his food even though he was crying in pain, while Kitty was sweating profusely while eating.

"You seem focused on winning this one. I wish my partner was like you. By the way, the name's Scott". The farmer introduced himself, trying to empathize with the two.

"Nice to meet you, Scott. My name is Kitty, and this is Owen!" the upbeat girl pulls out her phone to take a selfie but is stopped by Emma. "What did I tell you about being too friendly? What if he's trying to manipulate you?" she said, pointing the chopstick at him. Scott frowned at the possibility his plan might fail.

"I just wanted to chat; it's not like I'm a cheater. This show already has many and doesn't need another one", a good thing none of them seemed to have watched ROTI. Otherwise, his lie would fall apart.

"I don't know. Normally a cheater doesn't advertise that he is cheating someone. Only if he's really dumb or whoever's being tricked is really stupid", Noah intervened in the argument, trying to ignore the pain he felt in his tongue.

"As I was saying, you guys seem like professionals at this. I mean, we don't even know how to start eating this!" this time he wasn't lying. Using chopsticks was really tough for him.

"It's very simple. Bring your bowl and we'll teach you!" the big buddy encouraged.

It wasn't long before Scott brought out the full bowl of kimchi. Kitty taught him how to use chopsticks and Owen how to eat while avoiding the taste buds.

"Did you get the tricks?" said the Canadian-Vietnamese girl, chewing another piece of fermented cabbage.

"Thank you very much! But I guess I still don't quite understand the taste buds part. Can we try again?" the red-haired man innocently talked.

What ensued was that the pair slowly switched from eating from their bowl to eating from The Rednecks team bowl. Scott finally "got" the trick when only a few pieces remained.

"Got it! Once you realize it, everything is much easier. Thanks, my new friends! Good luck!" he smiled as he walked back to his table.

"We shouldn't have warned them about..." Emma asked her groom as she watched her sister being tricked.

Noah shrugged, "They have to learn for themselves to survive this hell. Let's get this over with before my tongue falls out".

Currently, fifteen teams decided to face the final task, while sixteen chose the penalty; removing the two that had free passes to the chill zone were ten teams who still tried to win the dance task.

All were horrible at dancing.

Rodney and Staci couldn't get more than 60,000 points, this on their fourth attempt.

Tyler begged Leshawna to give up dancing for the ninth consecutive time ("That machine is rigged, I swear to God!")

Pete dislocated his knee while trying a bolder step.

Beth and Lindsay were mediocre, scoring fewer points than The Scammers.

The Opposing Twins and The Divorcers were fighting to see who would dance. Mickey and Jay were still unconscious.

Eva and Max refused to dance, the first saying it wasn't their style and the second one because "evil doesn't dance pop music".

Tied with Leshawna, Blaineley tried in vain to beat the machine. Her legs were tired and there was no possibility of swapping since Chris showed no signs of showing up.

"For god's sake, dude, stop being so stubborn and let me dance!" the jock complained, holding the big woman by the legs.

"Nobody says I suck at dancing, nobody!" the sister resisted.

"You go to that platform whether you like it or not, got it?" the evil sister threatened, pinning the other sister by the neck.

"Go fuck yourself, cunt", the good sister splat.

"Stop being an asshole, do it for our daughter!" Ryan said.

"No, you can stop being an asshole and do it for our daughter!" Stephanie tried to push her ex-husband onto the platform.

The BFFs and Ice Dancers were fighting head-to-head for the lead. According to their GPS, there was only 1 kilometre left to reach the chill zone.

"Look at Jacques! The little pig and the stick are trying to compete with us. Is it not beautiful? Even sounds like a fable", Josee sneered.

"Hey, that was mean!" Sadie shot back.

"Yeah, I'm not a stick", Katie added.

"And I'm am a pig to you?" now the corpulent friend was addressing the BFF.

"Of course not! I mean, they want to destabilize us!" Katie defended himself.

"And you swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Au revoir, suckers!" Jacques waved ironically at his opponents as he accelerated his run.

"Let's take a shortcut, make these jerks eat dust, " Katie said as they turned onto a parallel street.

Scott and Sugar "finished" eating the bowl of kimchi. They were walking towards the chill zone when the two teams ran towards Chad.

"I'm sorry, but we got there first. Here is our bowl", Scott lifted the empty bowl triumphantly.

Chad took the container to check. After checking every nook and cranny, he smiled at the duo. "Scott, Sugar, I'm really impressed with you two! This bowl is completely smooth!"

Nothing could go wrong with that plan!

"As a reward for your efforts, I'm going to give you a choice: eat another bowl in front of me or take a 45-minute penalty for trying to trick me", the host's smile contrasted with the harsh words he uttered.

Scott's face fell, turning into a frown as he saw that he would have to work hard to win a challenge. "Whatever, this food is worse than my grandma's quiche", he grumbled while Sugar didn't understand what was happening.

The old man then turned to the other two teams. "BFFs. Ice Dancers. You two were the only ones to get a free pass to the chill zone. But only one can be the winner of this round. And this one is..."

...

"The BFFs! Ice Dancers, second place!", the host celebrated.

"WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WE WERE AHEAD OF THEM, I WANT A RECOUNT!" Josee throws a tantrum.

"Don't worry, we have a new technology to know who came first. Say hello to VAR: video assistant referee. This toy will be tested next year in the Italian football league. But enough explaining, time for the magic to begin!"

With a click of a button, a camera emerges from the ground, showing the arrival of the two teams.

The side view of the teams is replaced by an aerial one, showing the ice dancers on one side and the BFFs on the other.

In slow motion, it was possible to see a distance of half a body between the BFFs and the Ice Dancers.

"You can revise all you want, this is the truth and only the truth", said the host, mocking them.

Jacques had to restrain his partner to prevent her from breaking the millionaire's experimental equipment.

Josee looked at Katie and Sadie with hate and fury, "Celebrate while you can. Starting today, we will make both of your lives a hell on earth! Watch out, worms!".

The BFFs were worried. But they could worry about that later.

"With the leadership already decided, time to see the bottom race. And it seems that we have not had much progress...", Chad's voice echoed as the camera panned to the teams' unsuccessful attempts to win the task.

So far, the best result was Ryan's, with 92,000 points; closely followed was Amy with 85,000 points and Beth with 80,000.

On the floor were Lindsay, Stephanie and Eva.

The blonde showed evolution, memorizing the order of the beats with the platform's steps; the gym instructor danced aggressively but managed to keep the rhythm and the weightlifter moved her legs without showing emotion.

This time the result came: all managed to score above 100,000 points. Feeling like they were on the chopping block, the three teams decided to hurry to reach the last challenge.

The next trio was made up of Sammy, Tyler and Staci.

Staci and Sammy awkwardly danced but managed to earn the required score; Tyler finally got his chance, managing to achieve the record.

"I told you I was good at it!" the stunt double puffed his chest proudly. Leshawna, on the other hand, just wanted to hide in a hole after being stubborn.

With the number of competitors dwindling, the tension mounts for the remaining teams.

"Tammy, I don't think our disguise is helping us with this task. Do we have something we can use?" a ragged Leonard asked.

The companion rummaged in the suitcase until she found something to get them out of that situation, "We can use the disco one. That should save us for now, I guess".

"To the bathroom then!" the young ebony fellow commanded.

...

It wasn't long before they were dressed like they were in the 70s. Although difficult because of the platform shoes, the girl decided to take the initiative because she felt lucky.

"Time to shine!" Tammy flashed a smile, making the necessary moves to get the score. If before she was nervous, now she felt one with the music.

Gerry and Blaineley watched the pair take the ticket while they thought about how to win that damn challenge.

Only the two of them were left, as the twins hadn't woken up yet.

"Where's your partner? He gives up?" the retired tennis player asked the blonde as he applied ice to his friend's knee.

"As if I knew that scoundrel...knowing he must be trying to pull the strings to get out of the contract, " she said while wiping the sweat from her body.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Jay woke up from his deep sleep.

"Can anyone tell me what's going on? Is the challenge over yet?" the fragile teen asked the two.

"I had forgotten about you there, boy. Just earn 100,000 points on that machine over there and go. Since you look like an expert in Korean dance, I think you'll get it on the first try". Blaineley was clearly making fun of the guy; the tennis players tried to contain their laughter at the mean joke.

"That's it? I don't think it's that hard. You just adjust the difficulty", Jay stated.

The seniors widened their eyes at the information.

Even though it was difficult in the easy setting, it was easier than before. Jay only needed two attempts to get the necessary points.

"HEY, THIS IS CHEATING! It is not!?" the former hostess wasn't quite sure.

Chad appeared onscreen. "Well, I didn't specify that it was necessary to win on extreme difficulty; I thought that was implied", he defended himself.

"Dude, who are you talking to?" Brody asked as he looked around. His mouth was smeared with kimchi and sauce.

Jay carried Mickey to the finish line with the tip in hand.

Gerry managed to win on medium difficulty ("I look like a child to play on easy?").

The only team left were the Ex-Hosts.

...

It's not the first time Blaineley has felt humiliated. And that's probably not the biggest humiliation of her life, but it's not the smallest either. She had angry tears in her eyes, waiting for Chris to show up only to sink her nails into that throat.

...

Five minutes later, McLean appears, talking to someone on the phone.

"I know, but I'm not here asking you a favour. I'm ordering an obligation you owe me. No matter how long it takes, I want you to find some loophole in that contract before I personally rip your head off", the douchebag host hung up with no interest in the answer from the person on the other end of the line.

The diva came towards him, with smoke from her nostrils, "Where you were, you son of a bitch!? Everyone has already left!"

"Calm your tits, Mildred. While you're stooping to this silly match, I was doing what any adult would do in a situation like this: contacting my lawyers", he said in a condescending tone.

"I didn't stay here dancing for an hour non-stop so you can think you're the clever guy. To the platform NOW!", the blonde grabbed him by the arm as she pushed him onto the dance floor.

"You're not leaving until you get that fucking tip, you little fucking shit", he swallowed when he saw the anger on his partner's face.

"Let's do a little summary of how our partial ranking is so far: The BFFs finished in first place with Ice Dancers and Olympic Gals completing the podium", Chad explained.

"Here's the rest:

The Chefs, 4th place

The Soldiers, 5th place

The Police Officers, 6th place

The Lovers, 7th place

The Bride and Gloom, 8th place

The Goths, 9th place

The Comic Reliefs, 10th place

The Improbable Duo, 11th place

The Rockers, 12th place

The B Team, 13th place

The Gamers, 14th place

The Brains and Brawl, 15th place

The Nutjobs, 16th place

The Geniuses, 17th place

The Frenemies, 18th place

The Stoners, 19th place

The Survivors, 20th place

The Ghouls, 21st place

The Stockholm Alliance, 22nd place

The Sweethearts, 23rd place

The Matchmakers, 24th place

Mother and Daughter, 25th place

The Convicts, 26th place

The Antagonists, 27th place

Team Action, 28th place

The Animal Lovers, 29th place

The Fashion Vloggers, 30th place

The Drama Brothers, 31st place

The Ex-Stepbrothers, 32nd place

The Opposing Twins, 33rd place

The Airheads, 34th place

The Divorcers, 35th place

The Rednecks, 36th place

The Surfer Dudes, 37th place

The Grim and Evil, 38th place

The Cosplayers, 39th place

And The Scammers in 40th place"

The pair's image appeared according to the classification, forming a mosaic with only three pieces missing.

"Our program is approaching the final stretch, with only three teams fighting for survival! Will it be the twins? Tennis rivals? Or the pair of embittered hosts? Let's find out right now!"

As if it were a foreshadowing, the teams mentioned have just reached the place of the last trial. The already qualified teams looked forward to the outcome.

"Mommy? Are we home?" Mickey asked, still dizzy. Unfortunately for him, his senses returned when he smelled the kimchi, making his eyes water immediately.

"You'll eat this or have to eat your shoe. Your choice", the red-dressed devil darted his eyes towards Chris.

"I can't! This is going to kill me!" Pete screams, getting slapped in the face by Gerry, "Get hold of yourself! We're not going home today, you hear?".

The twins tried to eat the first few pieces, only to choke in pain from the spiciness; Chris gulped down the dish as Blaineley glared at him; Pete cried while being encouraged by Gerry.

"SCREW IT, LET'S SKIP!" Mickey and Jay jumped out of their chairs to run toward Chad. They knew this was the same as confirming elimination, but they couldn't bear to eat another piece of that cabbage.

"Uh, uh, not so fast: as we are at the end of this leg, I will reduce the penalty time to 10 minutes. Remembering that the two remaining teams can try to finish the bowl or run here. But if you run, the order of arrival will determine who goes home", said the old man with a mischievous smile.

The Tennis Rivals looked at each other. The same could be said about the ex-hosts. The two pairs slowly got to their feet, one staring into the eye as if ready to fight.

"Do you think you can run with that dislocated knee?"

"Do you think they can run faster than us?"

"On my mark, you hop on my back and we race to the finish line"

"I don't think this is a good idea, Blaineley..."

Gerry and Blaineley glared at each other as they gave the signal.

"THREE!"

"TWO!"

"ONE!"

"GO!"

The rivals led the 30-meter race, causing the other pair to quicken their pace. "Almost, almost!" Pete cheered while Gerry was puffing with tiredness.

...

20 meters left

...

10 meters left

...

5 meters left

...

The race was balanced, with the pairs taking turns, but in the end, the tennis players managed to enter the circle before the hosts.

"Now you only have one chance: eat your bowl before the tennis players' time runs out. Good luck!" Chad was certainly enjoying the tension in the air.

The screen split in two, showing Blaineley and Chris struggling with the bowl of spicy kimchi and Pete and Gerry's apprehension of their situation.

The final timer was approaching the last 4 minutes when the duo finished eating. Now it was time to run to the finish line.

Chad started the countdown.

"Ten"

...

"Nine"

...

"Eight"

...

"Seven"

...

"Six"

...

"Five"

...

"FOUR"

...

"THREE"

...

"TWO"

...

"ONE"

...

"ZERO! TIME'S UP! Let's check the VAR once more to see who will stay in the race", the camera again rose from the ground.

The video shows the timer along with an aerial view of the duo.

Chris's left foot was outside the circle when the timer expired, which guaranteed the team's defeat.

The reaction among all was incredulity, followed by celebrations for eliminating the most hated adults in the franchise. Even people like Amy and Sierra were happy to see the former host eliminated.

"Glad this madness ends here. Now let me say something to all of you", Chris started to rant.

"Without me, you would be nothing. Nothing. I selected each one of you so that you would have the chance to be rich and famous, and guess what? You all failed because you are all worthless. Who cares if that bitch called Heather or Hobo Owen gets a show? If you guys are cockroaches today, it's thanks to ME".

"I don't need this shitty franchise to pull myself together professionally. I have contacts, I have connections! I will still be young watching you rot, sucking any tycoon's dick looking for money. So fuck you all, especially you, Chad", at this moment, Chris pointed to the old man.

"You think you can laugh in my face for free? Get into a game I didn't agree to? And worse: think I wouldn't try every possible loophole to escape? You drooling old, sclerotic shit, I wait for the day of your burial to piss on your grave".

Everyone was speechless. Nobody had seen Chris McLean as pissed off as he is now.

Chad sighed and glared at the other presenter, "I admire that you have the guts to say that to my face and on international television. Really. But words have consequences, and unfortunately for you, the network has given me full powers this season to take whatever action I see fit regarding contestant misbehaviour".

He walked over to Chris and Blaineley, shaking hands with both of them with a devilish grin.

"This is a non-elimination round. You will continue in the race with no possibility of withdrawal. I hope you like the little surprise."

Everyone gasped. Every season has had an episode without elimination, but the severity of this one far overpowers the other times.

Chad recovered from the roast he received, putting himself between Chris and Blaineley, who were stunned.

"And with that, we conclude our adventure through South Korea. Two down, forty-three to go. What will be our next destination? Will Chris behave better? Find out all this and more in the next episode of Total...DRAMA...FINAL SEASON!", he finished the episode winking.

"I'm fucked, aren't I?" Chris spoke at Blaineley.

"Definitely", she replied, still in shock.

And another chapter is over! I hope that you enjoyed it! If you want, comment about your favorite interactions, criticisms and compliments.

The cool thing about the Ridonculous Race format is the diversity of challenges you can create; I chose the teams based on their potential. But don't worry, each one will have its own development arc, some in a single episode, others in multiple episodes.

As for the winning and losing teams, it's a shame that BFFs are always underestimated. Granted, they aren't the most interesting, but I figured they could shine in some challenges. The choice for a non-elimination episode was deliberate for the final scene.

The next chapter may take a little longer to come out for inspirational reasons. I hope to fix this by the next fortnight. The same can be said about the musical numbers.

Footnotes

[1] The Varig Flight was an air tragedy that occurred in the 70s, killing many famous Brazilians. Back then, smoking in the bathroom wasn't forbidden.

[2] "And now that we can speak in French, we finally got rid of that weak and poor language called English!"

[3] "Damn Americans"