Hey again! Welcome back to another episode of TDOR! I told you there'd be a shorter wait this time! XD But seriously, thanks for sticking it out and being patient with me as I write these episodes. There's a lot of characters to juggle and I've had a lot going on in my life, but I'm finally back with another! Thanks for reading as always!
"Last time on Total Drama: Off the Rails!"
Courtney's voice was layered over clips of the previous episode as she recapped the events.
"Our 20 contestants took their first steps onto the Total Drama Train. After a tour around the cars, they met up in the common area for a little time to catch up. Little did they know, they were actually preparing for their very first challenge."
"Then, the Rail Spikes and the Steam Machines took place in the Know Your Enemy, Know Your Friend challenge, where they were forced to answer trivia questions about their fellow cast mates. In the end, it came down to Antonio and Victoria, with Victoria scoring a surprising victory for her team."
"Luckily for Antonio, it was a rewards challenge. The Rail Spikes secured some bougie digs in the luxury suite car, while the Steam Machines were bound to the dingy boxcar."
Courtney was standing at the front of the train, the American countryside rolling past behind her. She grinned at the camera.
"Tonight, the teens face their very first elimination challenge. Who will stand tall? Who will go home? Find out… right now! On Total. Drama. Off the Rails!"
INTRO
(A Different Side of Me - All Star Weekend)
(GUITAR INTRO)
A train chugs down the tracks, blowing steam. We see Courtney at the helm, pulling the whistle and grinning at the camera. She's dressed like a fashionable conductor. Duncan comes up from fixing a control panel, covered in soot. He rolls his eyes. He's dressed like a punk engineer.
(I'd be livin' the dream)
Newark leans his head out the window, grinning as wind whips his hair. Victoria shoves him aside, pushes her hair over her shoulder, and smiles perfectly for the camera.
(If my life switched, with the football team)
Kodi and Ally are fighting with foam swords in the hallway car. Ally sticks her sword under Kodi's arm, and he pretends to die a dramatic death, falling to the ground.
(I'd be praised by my friends)
Rosalina flexes at the camera with a grin. Grim stands behind her, towering over her in height and trying to be scary. An even taller Bryce comes up behind Grim, and (confused) also flexes.
(If I was drivin', a Mercedes Benz)
Elijah and Ellie are arguing, as Ellie tries to convince him that Bigfoot is, in fact, real, using a corkboard. Maria breaks up the argument, and then lets out a small, satisfied sigh.
(What do I know?)
Leaf sits alone in a seating car, playing a handheld video game. They don't even look up as Sloan rockets past on her skateboard.
(What do I know- oh oh)
Sloan shoots past Claire and Kelvin, who pose for a selfie together, grinning ear to ear. Sloan shoots out to a train station, where a sound stage has been set up. Rave lights are flashing.
(I wanna be, a rockstar, a superhero)
Quinn holds her hand to her headphones and turns tables, pumping up the rest of the cast with her DJ skills. Erza and Kai dance like they're having a blast.
(Livin' the dream, doin' the things that, I always wanted)
Antonio and Kirito sit on the side, watching as the rest of the cast arrives to dance. They catch each other's eye and stare each other down like Anime rivals.
(I wanna see, my face on the TV)
As the cast gathers together, Jacob stands at the forefront, his arms crossed and a big, confident smile on his face.
(WIth my picture, on the cover)
Courtney and Duncan take the stage. Team Courtney comes in with the lights and cameras.
(For my friends to see, a different side of me)
Duncan produces a tray full of chunks of coal, and snickers. The camera pans up to the logo in the sky: Total Drama: Off the Rails!
(Music fades out)
STEAM MACHINES - BOXCAR
"The goblins sniff the air curiously, starting to make their way towards your precarious hiding place. Brygar the Bold, what do you do?"
Kodi was narrating dramatically, sitting behind a tri-fold screen. In front of him, Bryce, Ally, and Claire sat with sheets of paper and dice. Kodi looked to Bryce, who seemed deep in concentration.
"Uhh," Bryce said. "Brygar aims his staff at the approaching goblins and casts Lightning Bolt!"
"Brygar no!" Ally wailed.
"You'll reveal our location!" Claire said.
"8d6 damage…" Kodi rolled a few dice. "Direct hit! You blast a bolt of electricity from your wizard's staff, exploding forth and smiting the goblins. They all go down under the might of your spell!"
"Woohoo!" Bryce cheered. Ally and Claire grinned, clapping their hands.
Nearby, Antonio watched, rolling his eyes.
ANTONIO CONFESSIONAL
My team seems more preoccupied with making friends and playing games than winning.
BRYCE CONFESSIONAL
Booyah! Score 1 for Brygar the Bold, turtle wizard!
Nearby, Sloan and Maria were sitting near each other. Maria was picking at her nails, the disassembled video game system of Leaf's sitting near by. Sloan was messing with the wheels of her skateboard, spinning them with a frown. She put some pressure on the axel, seeming dissatisfied with the way it moved.
"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a screwdriver, would you?" Sloan asked Maria.
Maria glanced up from where she had been seemingly lost in thought. "Sure. Flathead or Phillips?"
Sloan blinked. Then, she checked the board. "Flathead."
Maria started to dig around in one of her bags near her sleeping area, and produced a small screwdriver, handing it over to Sloan with an effortless, practiced motion. Sloan couldn't help the little impressed grin that split her face.
"Thanks," she said, taking the screwdriver and fiddling with the trucks of her skateboard. "You're pretty handy, Maria. First Leaf's game, now this."
"I picked up how to fix stuff growing up," Maria shrugged, ignoring the sting of guilt she felt at the mention of the dismembered gaming console. She still wasn't sure how to get it back in working order. Her motto was "it usually gets worse before it gets better"... but so far it just kept getting worse. "My brothers were rowdy, and I usually ended up putting the stuff they broke back together."
Sloan nodded. "That's pretty cool. Me, I'm usually more the "break stuff" type than the "fix stuff" type. This one time, I took my board off the side of the road, tumbled down like 50 feet of construction zone. Broke my collarbone. It was gnarly."
Maria couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her lips as Sloan described the accident so nonchalantly. She almost seemed proud of it, like it was a battle scar or a medal of honor.
"And you still thought skateboarding was a good idea after that?" Elijah asked, overhearing the conversation nearby. Sloan shrugged.
"You only live once, man," she said. "I love to skate: falling down's just part of the gig."
"My girl!" Ellie cheered, giving Sloan a high five as she walked past, coming to sit by the other girls.
As they chatted about their pasts, Elijah met Jacob's gaze across the car. They then both glanced to Antonio. If Antonio noticed, he didn't show it.
"Elijah," Jacob said. "A word?"
Elijah nodded, and the two of them stepped aside, talking in quiet whispers.
Claire, out of the corner of their eye, saw the two of them step away. A little glint sparkled in her eyes. She turned back to the gamers, just as they were about to storm the dragon's keep. "Hey, I'm gonna go grab my water bottle. Just a sec!"
Claire got up and left the game, making her way to her luggage, near the back of the boxcar. Antonio watched her get closer, and as she knelt to dig around in her bag, she spoke to him.
"I overheard Jacob and Elijah talking about you, you know," Claire said, trying to sound sweet and innocent.
"Oh, yeah?" Antonio asked, his voice monotone.
"Mm-hmm!" Claire confirmed. "They wanted to boot you off yesterday… I guess they see you as competition. Lucky for us it was a rewards challenge, right?"
Antonio turned to look Claire in the eyes. He saw the mischief there, behind her cutesy persona.
"What do you mean for 'us'?" Antonio prodded.
Claire shrugged, looking away as if it were no big deal. "Oh, I don't know. I've been making some friends and… at the moment, it seems like my little alliance is bigger than theirs. If you joined us… we could keep you safe from elimination for a while."
Antonio raised an eyebrow. "I didn't peg you for the type who actually plays the game."
"Waddya mean?" Claire asked, standing up with her water bottle in hand. Her voice had returned to that outspoken, bubbly facade. "I just wanna look out for my friends! So what do you say?"
Antonio mulled it over.
ANTONIO CONFESSIONAL
I knew there was something going on with Claire… This confirms it. Unfortunately, she has a point. Her little clique might keep me from getting booted off after that first challenge. With Jacob and Elijah gunning for me… I don't know if I have a choice.
"On one condition," Antonio said.
"Hmm? What's that?" Claire asked sweetly.
"I lead," Antonio said seriously. Claire scoffed.
"As if. This is my alliance. You think I'd just let you waltz in and take over?"
"You might as well let me drive. Trust me; I'll get this 'little alliance' a lot further than you will," Antonio said.
Claire looked genuinely aghast.
CLAIRE CONFESSIONAL
Who does he think he is? Talk about arrogant! "Oh, I'm better than you, I should be in charge." What a pig-headed, chauvinistic, self-centered-
Claire quickly fixed her face, hiding her feelings with a dimpled smile.
"How about this: you get to be my deputy," She said. "Second in command. My first mate!"
"That's boats," Antonio remarked.
"Correct," Claire said, "and you can either climb aboard mine, or… I can leave you to swim with the sharks."
As she spoke, Claire momentarily seemed to appear quite merciless. Antonio, while not frightened, was a little impressed. He raised up his hands in mock surrender.
"Fine. First mate it is," he said.
ANTONIO CONFESSIONAL
I'll bide my time. Sooner or later I'll be running this alliance anyway. May as well let her get her kicks in.
RAIL SPIKES - LUXURY SUITE
"OK, team! Let's have a group meeting!" Victoria called out.
The Rail Spikes, who were already assembled in a circle, didn't move. Rosalina rolled her eyes. Newark smiled patiently. Kirito chuckled, adjusting his glasses. Leaf shifted their weight from foot to foot.
"What's the first point of order?" Grim asked.
"Uhh," Victoria said, realizing that she had no idea what she wanted to discuss. She just wanted everyone's attention. "Kirito. What's our first point of order?"
Kirito stepped forward and gave the team a good-natured wave. "Thanks Victoria. First of all, we know this week is an elimination challenge. That means someone is going home. Lucky for us, we have the momentum. Let's keep it up. The other team will be disorganized and at each other's throats after their loss. All we need to do is let victory come to us."
"Does anyone know where the next stop is?" Erza asked. "I need to shop ASAP."
"Hmm," Kai said, "I could see us stopping in Philadelphia. That's a big tourist spot near here. That's where the Liberty Bell is."
"You've been, like, everywhere, huh Kai?" Erza asked. Kai shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck humbly.
"Yeah, me and my folks get around. We'd go mountain climbing in China, skiing in Canada. One year we even kayaked across the Amazon!" Kai said. Erza made a wowed expression.
"Is there anything you can't do?" She asked. Kai laughed.
"Oh, sure! I'm a terrible swimmer!" He said. The two of them laughed.
"We gotta remember that Duncan is running the challenge this time," Rosalina said, bringing the conversation back to a more serious topic. "It'll be harder for sure."
"As long as we stay positive, we can do it together!" Newark said.
"Yeah!" Agreed Quinn.
KELVIN CONFESSIONAL
Rosalina had a point. I don't know what Duncan has in mind, but he's definitely the scarier of the two hosts. It's bound to be a doozy.
"We are totally gonna win again you guys!" Erza said.
Victoria tilted her head up proudly. "Hmph. As long as everyone follows my impeccable lead, we've got this in the bag."
Most of the Rail Spikes had lukewarm responses; Leaf even rolled their eyes (though nobody seemed to notice). Erza gave a giddy squeal and clapped her hands, while Newark just beamed encouragingly at Victoria.
At that moment there was a screeching as the train began to slow down. The Rail Spikes looked at each other.
KAI CONFESSIONAL
Alright. Let's see what Total Drama's got!
QUINN CONFESSIONAL
(she's pacing back and forth in the Confessional Caboose, chugging a soda)
We got the style, we got the energy. We can't be stopped, baby! Rail Spikes comin' AT YA!
LEAF CONFESSIONAL
(Leaf looks awkwardly off to the side, before giving a little half-hearted fist pump.)
Woo.
COMMON CAR - BOTH TEAMS
The Steam Machines and the Rail Spikes filed into the common car. They found that the two sides of the car were painted with their teams colors, down to the cushions of the booth seats and the curtains on the windows. The teams sat on their respective sides, and moments later, the door to the front of the train opened.
Smoke seemed to roll into the common car, as if there were a dry ice fog machine on the otherside of the door. Then, a silhouette wearing a leather jacket appeared in the smoke. A loud electric guitar played as Duncan stepped forward, arms crossed and squinting at the contestants like so many pieces of minced meat.
"And here we have the maggots," Duncan spat.
Erza gulped. Even Newark's positive grin faltered slightly. Kelvin and Kai swapped nervous glances. Maria's face looked the same as it always did. Sloan looked determined. Elijah and Ellie were whispering to each other again. So far, Duncan had not heard.
"Where do you think he got the fog machine?" Muttered Ellie. Elijah's face contorted as he strained to control his laughter. "Did he bring it from home?"
Duncan strode down the aisle like a drill sergeant, mean-mugging all the teens one by one.
"Today," Duncan said, "is not a Courtney kind of challenge. This… is a Duncan Challenge. Any guesses as to what the difference is?"
Ellie looked sidelong at Elijah. She could sense he was about to explode. Unable to contain her instigative nature, she leaned over, barely opening her lips as she whispered to him.
"Courtney challenges don't have fog machines."
"Buh-HAH-ha!"
Elijah couldn't help it, he burst out into laughter. All eyes turned to him, and he froze when he realized what he had done. Ellie gulped, straightening up and acting innocent. Duncan turned his shark's eyes onto Elijah and Ellie.
"You two again," the co-host sneered. "What was your name, Pink Streak?"
Elijah swallowed, trying to keep his cool. "Elijah."
"Well, pack your bags. You're switchin' teams," Duncan said. "I'm sick of you and Grape Crush here whispering behind my back."
"What?!" Cried several other contestants, including Elijah.
Duncan ignored them, turning his back on Elijah and scouring the Rail Spikes. His eyes eventually landed on Newark's boyish face. The boy mostly just looked confused. Duncan pointed a finger at him, and then jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Elijah. "You. Golden Retriever. You're swapping with Pink Streak."
Everyone was stunned. However, slowly, Elijah and Newark got up to say goodbye to their teams.
VICTORIA CONFESSIONAL
Is he, like, allowed to do that?
(she pauses)
Can he do Erza next?
"Sorry, buddy," Ellie said, getting up and giving Elijah a friendly punch on the shoulder. "No hard feelings, right?"
Elijah shrugged. "Don't worry about it. That's the game."
He gave a glance to Jacob, who mostly seemed lost in his own thoughts. Then, Elijah gave a glance to Antonio. Out of everyone on the Steam Machines, Antonio seemed the happiest to see Elijah gone.
On the opposite side, Newark had big globby tears forming in the corner of his eyes. He sniffled a couple times, wiping at them with his sleeves, trying to keep a big bright smile on his face.
"Well, g-guys," Newark burbled. "It's been fun."
Quinn instantly went over and gave Newark a hug. "We're gonna miss you dude!"
Kirito gave him a pat on the back. "They're lucky to have you."
Newark gave one glance over to Victoria as he pulled away. He gave her a little wave. "See ya, Victoria."
Victoria had her nose upturned at Newark, arms crossed. However, as she met his gaze, her bottom lip trembled and she sniffed once. "Whatever. It's not like you're getting eliminated… It's a shame though. You're going to the losing team."
It was as close to a teary goodbye as Victoria could muster, and Newark took it with a rueful laugh, shaking his head and matching a knowing look with the rest of the team. "Good luck, guys."
"Alright, alright, c'mon," Duncan said impatiently, as the two boys swapped sides. "Waterworks already? You barely know each other."
As Elijah arrived on the Rail Spikes side of the common car, he was met with mostly curious glances. None of them were sure exactly what to make of him. Eventually, Kirito offered a hand to shake. Elijah shook the hand.
"Welcome to the Rail Spikes," Quinn said with a grin. "I like your hair, dude."
"Thanks," Elijah said, smiling absently as he ran his fingers through his fringe.
On the other side of the room, Newark arrived at the Steam Machines with a bit of a cautious, lopsided smile on his face.
"So uh," Newark said playfully, "anyone order a new teammate?"
Sloan and Ellie snorted. Bryce and Claire gave Newark matching friendly waves, patting the bench for him to sit by them. As Newark sat beside them, Kodi looked over, and for a moment there were sparkles in his eyes. Newark turned to look at him, giving Kodi an earnest wave. Kodi's heart fluttered, and he barely remembered to wave back.
"Hey!" Newark said brightly.
"Hey~" Kodi said weakly.
"Now," Duncan continued. "It's time to introduce you losers to today's challenge. Follow me."
Duncan led the contestants out of the train, stepping foot onto the first Total Drama station on their journey. They found themselves overlooking a large city. Nearby was some kind of national landmark: it was Kai who pointed it out.
"That's the Liberty Bell," he said. "So we're in-"
"Welcome," Duncan spread his arms wide as if presenting, "to Philadelphia!"
Behind him, a bald eagle screeched. The bird swooped down out of the sky, aiming for a small group of raccoons that had been eating nuts nearby. Before the bird could get to the raccoons though, a flock of pigeons attacked the eagle!
They surrounded the larger bird in a cloud of feathers, and when the dust settled, only the eagle's bones rattled to the ground. Then, the racoons suddenly got an evil glint in their eyes, and they charged at the pigeons, and the group of them turned into a tumbling brawl that rolled away into the distance.
All the contestants were left blinking in shock.
BRYCE CONFESSIONAL
Poor eagle. That reminds of this one time that me and my buddies were looking for rattlesnakes in my grandma's garage, and-
NEWARK CONFESSIONAL
If I just keep singing songs in my head I won't have to come to terms with what I just witnessed!
Kai sighed nostalgically. "I love America."
"Your challenge today is simple. Each of your teams must retrieve four items of classic Americana, the list of which I have right here. Think of it as a… bad %# scavenger hunt," Duncan said. He showed a sign that Team Courtney had made, upon which were images of the four items needed: a signature from a colonial cosplayer, a selfie with a wild animal, a stone from a nearby quarry, and a large egg.
Rosalina frowned at the sign. "A signature from a colonial cosplayer? What even is that?"
"Like, one of those Revolutionary War re-enactors," Elijah said.
"Is that supposed to be an egg?" Maria asked.
"Not just any egg," Duncan said mischeviously.
After reading it further, Jacob gave a groan. "It says pigeon egg. How are we supposed to sanitarily acquire a pigeon's egg?"
Sloan gave Jacob a pat on the back. "You gotta get cool with a lot of stuff, real fast."
"Forget sanitary, did you guys see those pigeons?" Ellie asked nervously. "They're like freakin' sky piranhas!"
"The first team to bring back all four items on your list wins the challenge. We'll be hosting fireworks and ice cream tonight for the winners. For the losers…" Duncan's face again stretched into a grin. He was enjoying this part of the job a little too much. "Someone goes home."
That straighted up the contestants, as they formed up into loose groups of their teams.
"Contestants, are you ready?" Duncan asked. Everyone gave a shout of approval. Duncan nodded. "Then get outta here!"
The two teams ran off in opposite directions.
RAIL SPIKES
"OK, OK," Victoria said. "So I think we should get the animal selfie first cuz that sounds easiest."
"I was thinking it would be smart if we split into groups," Kirito suggested.
Elijah, Leaf, and Grim nodded in agreement.
"I know where this quarry is," Kai said confidently. "I used to jog near there while my parents and I were staying here. I can grab the rock solo!"
"Alright then. Kelvin and Elijah can come with me to get the animal selfie. Kirito, you take the jolly Green Giant and the quiet one and get the egg. Erza, Quinn, and Rosalina can get the autograph," Victoria announced.
"Wait, can I switch with Elijah? I wanna take selfies with the animals too!" Erza asked hopefully. "Plus, then you and I can hang out!"
"Absolutely not," Victoria said flatly.
"Why is she picking the teams?" Elijah asked Kirito, who was standing nearby. Kirito smiled at him and leaned over to talk in a quiet voice.
"Right now, its better if you just play along," he said with a wink. Then, Kirito started to walk away. "Leaf, Grim. You coming?"
Leaf and Grim hopped into step behind Kirito. Then, Erza, Quinn, and Rosalina headed out as well. Kai gave one last wave before jogging off towards the quarry. That left Victoria, Kelvin, and Elijah in search of some wildlife. Victoria had a self satisfied smile on her face.
VICTORIA CONFESSIONAL
Alone with the two cutest boys on the team. Just another win for me!
STEAM MACHINES
"Alright, so who's getting what?" Sloan asked the group.
"I'm great with people. I have big social meet-ups with fans of the stream like, all the time," Claire said, excitedly raising a hand. "Bryce, Kodi, and I can handle the cosplayer."
"Hm-huh?" Kodi asked, as if he hadn't been paying attention. His eyes had been on Newark this entire time. The boy's blonde locks and lopsided grin… Kodi tried to snap his focus back to the task at hand. "Sure. Yeah!"
"Maria, you wanna come with me to the quarry? I bet you and I could get a good rock," Sloan suggested. Maria shrugged.
"Sure, sounds good," she said nonchalantly. Sloan offered her a fist, and the girls grinned as Maria bumped it.
"Those pigeons are seriously freaky guys," Ellie said. "I think at least three of us should go after the egg. Strength in numbers."
"It sounds as if you've just volunteered for Team Pigeon," Jacob said smugly, adjusting his hair (which was perfect, and needed no such adjustment).
"And so did you," Antonio said, instantly wiping the smug look off of Jacob's face. "I'll go too. That leaves Ally and Newark with the animal selfie. Can you handle that?"
"Not a problem at all, my good fellow," Ally said confidently. "I am a friend to all beasts and birds of the woodland variety. This quest shall be finished with haste."
Newark just beamed. "I love animals too!"
"Right then, let's get moving! The other team is already gone!" Antonio shouted.
RAIL SPIKES - Team Cosplayer
Rosalina, Erza, and Quinn were making their way across the national park, on the lookout for a cosplayer. Quinn had taken the lead, since the other two seemed to display little knowledge about cosplay.
"It's like Halloween, but sweatier and more expensive. You usually do it at conventions, like Comic Con and stuff. I've never seen people do it in the wild: that rules!" Quinn explained, as the three girls crested a hill.
"What's so fun about dressing up like a dork?" Rosalina wondered allowed.
"I think it's kinda cool," Erza said ditzily, "I love Halloween. I was a cat last year."
"Right on!" Quinn grinned.
ROSALINA CONFESSIONAL
I'm not liking my odds with Barbie and "DJ Iron". Just being honest.
"Hey, look!" Erza pointed out. "That guy in the red jacket!"
It was a middle aged man, balding on top, dressed as a British Redcoat. The three girls scrambled up to him, much to his surprise.
"What the-' the guy stuttered.
"Can we get your autograph?" Erza asked brightly. The guy blinked in confusion.
"It's for a contest!" Quinn pleaded.
"I don't know, I don't really like just giving away my signature. After all, it is my word and-" the man started to say.
"Oh. My. Gosh!" A voice said. The girls turned to see a familiar blonde girl, Claire, arrive on the scene. She had a huge smile on her face. "Hey you three! What a coincidence!"
Claire turned to the cosplayer, as Bryce and Kodi filed in meekly behind her. Kodi was wearing a cosplay cloak, as well as a model sword that they had recovered from his bags on the train. Claire flipped some hair over her shoulder. "They're my friends from school. Anyway, my friend Sir Kodi here has something to ask you!"
She pushed Kodi gently forward, and he brushed his hair out of his eye. It immediately fell back down. He sighed.
"Uh, hey," he lied sheepishly. "I'm from, the uh, Youth Cosplayer's association… We were wondering if you'd sign our petition for more cosplay funding…"
KODI CONFESSIONAL
It was Claire's idea to lie to the guy. I just sort of went along with it… Not very knightly of me…
The cosplayer agreed to sign. The Steam Machine's logo flashed across the screen, along with the sound of a ringing bell, as Bryce and Claire cheered. They had won the first point! Then, the Steam Machine trio ran off, racing back towards the train, leaving behind an annoyed looking Rosalina.
STEAM MACHINES - Team Pigeon Egg
Each step Ellie took made her wince. She, Jacob, and Antonio were sneaking up towards a pigeon's nest. It was nestled in a tree, amongst a small cluster on the edge of the park. The three teens were straining not to make any noise, as the pigeon mother was still home.
When they made it to the treeline, the three of them crouched behind a wide oak. Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.
"So what's the plan man?" She whispered harshly. "Who's getting it? I call not it!"
"We have to decide in a diplomatic fashion," Jacob said. "Otherwise, we're no better than animals ourselves."
"We'll do rock paper scissors," Antonio decided.
Ellie groaned, but it was agreed to be the only fair way to decide. Antonio and Jacob faced off first. First, they both threw rock. Then, Antonio beat Jacob with scissors. Then, Antonio faced Ellie. She was practically sweating, she was concentrating so hard. They both threw paper first, and then they both threw scissors. Ellie was looking frantic now. Ellie threw rock!
…
Antonio threw paper.
"Nooo!" Ellie shouted out. Then, to her horror, she realized what she had done. Dozens of pigeons appeared in the branches of the tree above them.
"Oh, no," Jacob said.
Then, the pigeons descended on them! They ran away, screaming and trying to get the pigeons away by swatting and shouting.
STEAM MACHINES - Team Animal Selfie
Ally and Newark were hiking along a well-trodden trail. Ally walked with her trusty walking staff (a cool stick she had picked up), and Newark just seemed to be happy to be out in nature. As they walked, Ally turned over to look at him.
"How do you feel to be switching teams?" Ally asked. Newark's grin faltered slightly.
"It's… not so bad," he said. "I do miss some of my teammates. We were just getting to know each other, and it feels a little weird to be away from them now."
Ally nodded wisely. "Indeed. "
"Oh, but you guys are cool too!" Newark said, his sunny smile coming right back. Ally looked at him sidelong, and she couldn't help but smile too.
"You're a fine companion yourself, Newark," she said, cheeks briefly pink. Then, she focused back on the task at hand. "Now, what sort of creature shall we photograph?"
"Ooh! What about a bald eagle?" Newark suggested.
"A majestic creature!" Ally said excitedly. "But… where to find one?"
"We're near a national monument. There's bound to be one somewhere!" Newark said.
"Indeed. Let us make haste!" Ally shouted, and the two of them went rushing off in search of an eagle.
It took them a while, but as Newark had suspected, there was a bald eagle not too far away, preening its feathers and defacating onto a nearby dumpster. Newark pulled out his phone, and snapped a selfie, making a peace sign with his hand. The flash frightened the bird (who had recently recovered from a raccoon attack) and it flew off.
"Aw… Goodbye, birdie!" Newark called out.
"Farewell, you noble thing," Ally bowed her head. "Friend Newark, was your photograph sufficient?"
Newark squinted at his phone. "Yeah, it's alright. It's a little blurry, but it'll have to do!"
With that, the two of them started heading back for the train.
RAIL SPIKES - Team Animal Selfie
"Mm- Nope. My hair looks awful in this. We're taking another one," Victoria said.
Elijah and Kelvin groaned. They were covered in scrapes and bruises from capturing small woodland creatures and posing them for Victoria's "perfect selfie." As a self appointed master of social media, Victoria had given herself the lead on this project. Thus, she had assigned herself as the subject of the photo, and employed the boys to make sure her fellow talent (read: wild rabid animals) behaved.
"Please," Kelvin panted from the ground. "Can we just- pick one we already got? We took so many photos."
"One of them has to be good enough," Elijah agreed, wincing and pulling a porcupine quill out of his leg.
Victoria feigned being insulted. "Excuse me? I'm actually trying to win here. What happens if the other team takes a better pic than us? Then, we lose. Do you wanna send someone home?"
Kelvin sighed, and shook his head. Elijah wanted to argue, but held his tongue.
ELIJAH CONFESSIONAL
I thought back to what Kirito said. Let her think she's in charge for now… If this really messes us up, we'll just tell everyone who's idea it was. She'll go home, and Kelvin and I will be safe.
"Fine," Elijah said, groaning as he got up to search for another animal. "I'll be right back."
TOTAL DRAMA TRAIN STATION
Back at the train, Claire, Kodi, and Bryce were the first to return. They quickly went up to Duncan, who scanned their autograph before giving a nod.
"Point 1 goes to the Steam Machines!" Duncan announced.
Bryce and Claire cheered and high fived, but Kodi's celebration was a little half hearted. He still felt guilty about breaking his code of honor. Claire noticed, and got in a little closer.
"Heyy," she said, "you did a great job. You got us the lead!"
"Yeah, but… I lied to do it," Kodi said.
Claire gave him a sickly sweet smile, and pat him comfortingly on the shoulder. "Hey, listen! You did it for the good of the team. One little white lie won't hurt anyone."
She winked. Kodi tried to give her a fake smile, just to get her to feel like she had accomplished what she set out for. However, when she went back to chatting with Bryce, Kodi continued to look somewhat remorseful.
Shortly after, Ally and Newark arrived. Newark waved his phone in the air like a trophy as they ran up to Duncan. He glanced over the photo, and then made a slightly impressed face.
"Not bad. Point 2 goes to the Steam Machines! You guys are on a roll," Duncan said.
The team cheered, and Newark gave Ally a big hug. She beamed, going a little red in the cheeks, but hugged him back. Kodi, watching the whole affair, looked a little uncomfortable. He squirmed slightly, and turned away.
KODI CONFESSIONAL
Jealous? … Pfft. No. Jealous of what?
RAIL SPIKES - Team Quarry
Kai was feeling great. He had a great big smile as he ran across the American country side. It felt good to be free from the cramped train car. He ran through familiar trails, making his way towards the quarry.
He rounded a corner, when suddenly something huge jumped out at him!
"Boo!" Grim shouted.
"Ahh!" Kai screamed, before realizing who it was. "Grim! Dude, you scared me. I thought you were supposed to go with Kirito and Leaf?"
"I was," Grim said with a shrug. Kai blinked.
"Oh."
GRIM CONFESSIONAL
One thing you ought to know about me… I don't really play by convention. I do what I think is the most interesting in the moment.
(he shrugs)
It's just the kinda guy I am.
"Well what are you doing here?" Kai asked.
"I heard from some of the Steam Machines that Sloan's heading to the quarry," Grim said, a mischievous smile crossing his lips. He rubbed his hands together with anticipation. "I'm gonna prank her."
"Oh," Kai said again. Then, he shrugged. "Alright, man. The quarry's up this way- c'mon!"
The two boys ran ahead, Grim following Kai's expert lead.
STEAM MACHINES - Team Quarry
"Can you believe Duncan made them swap teams?" Sloan asked.
"That was crazy," Maria said.
The two were walking down a hiking trail, following a tourist map they had picked up at the train station.
"Total blindside," Sloan agreed. "This season could get crazy if they're doing stuff like that this early."
"It is Duncan, after all. Remember him in the first season?" Maria commented.
"Yeah," Sloan said. "Total bad $$. Hey, look! I think that's the quarry."
The two girls ran ahead, but they were stopped in their tracks. It seemed that rain had flooded the path, and now a miniature lake stood between them and the quarry full of rocks. Sloan looked to Maria with a grin.
"Up for a swim?"
RAIL SPIKES - Team Pigeon Egg
Leaf was the first to notice Grim was missing. They tapped Kirito on the shoulder. Kirito turned silently to them. They were in a small cluster of forest, doing their best to remain silent and not awaken the canopy full of sleeping murder pigeons..
Leaf gestured behind them, communicating Grim's absence. Kirito nodded, and tilted his head as if to continue without him.
KIRITO CONFESSIONAL
Grim appears to be untrustworthy. Noted.
The two crept forward in the forest. A noise started to rumble in the distance. Kirito and Leaf froze. The noise grew closer- and louder. Leaf looked nervously up at the sleeping pigeons. They had not stirred so far, but the noise was getting louder by the second. Soon, they were able to make out the sounds of people screaming.
"Ahhh! It's in my shirt!" Jacob shrieked.
"Stop moving!" Antonio shouted.
Kirito and Leaf moved forward, and saw Jacob, Antonio, and Ellie fighting off a swarm of pigeons. As the chaos continued, more pigeons nearby began to wake up, eyes flashing red with menace. Leaf and Kirito gulped, crouching lower to avoid detection.
"Get! Back! Demon birds!" Ellie shouted, swinging a fallen tree branch like a weapon to clear some space.
"Has anyone even seen an egg?!" Jacob cried.
"Keep looking!" Antonio shouted.
The ruckus continued, with more pigeons now bombarding the Steam Machines. In the chaos of feathers and shouts, something small and white fell from a treetop. A single egg had fallen as a swarm of pigeons flapped through the treetops. Leaf and Kirito spotted the egg at the same time. Leaf's eyes widened. Kirito's glasses flashed, and a grin crept onto his face.
"Go," Kirito murmured. "I'll keep them distracted."
Before Leaf could respond, Kirito ran into the clearing, waving his arms and shouting.
"What the-?" Ellie shouted in surprise.
"Hey! Come on! This way!" Kirito shouted, gesturing towards the opposite direction of Leaf and the egg.
The pigeons, briefly confused by Kirito's entrance, paused just long enough for the Steam Machines to scramble out of the thick of it. They dashed after Kirito, who led them back towards the path that he and Leaf had come from. Antonio paused, however, suspicious.
"Wait- why are you helping us?" He asked skeptically.
"Should we really be talking about this now?" Ellie pleaded. "Let's go!"
Meanwhile, Leaf was booking it towards the egg. They reached it, scooping it up mid-run and hustling away with it cradled in their hands. However, now that the pigeons had let the other teens out of their grasp, they were looking around angrily for something else to rile them up. One pigeon returned to its nest, realizing its egg was missing. It let out a cry of anger! Then, several other pigeons took up the cry. The lead pigeon drew little black marks under its eyes, and tied a camoflogue bandana around its head.
"Cooo! Coo!" The pigeon charged, and the entire horde took off behind it, flapping towards the now frantic Leaf.
"We've been had!" Antonio shouted, shoving Kirito down and dashing towards Leaf. "Get the egg!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Jacob sighed, trying to fix his now absolutely ruined hairdo while scrambling after Antonio. "All this running!"
Ellie hung back for a moment, hesitant. She helped Kirito to his feet.
"Thanks," Kirito said, pushing up his glasses. "He's smart."
"So are you," Ellie said. "You almost had us there. I mean, you definitely had me."
"Aren't you gonna go help your team?" Kirito mused.
Ellie looked to the swarm of rabid pigeons, and her face paled with fear. She chuckled nervously. "Ya know, I might take it at more of a jog. I don't wanna get in the middle of all of that."
Then, several sets of eyes appeared in the treetops above them. Kirito and Ellie looked up.
"Coo, coo."
The two of them gulped.
TOTAL DRAMA TRAIN STATION
Rosalina, Quinn, and Erza arrived at the train station. Erza came over and gingerly gave their signed slip of paper to Duncan.
"Is this a tooth?" Duncan asked, pulling a small piece of debris from the page.
"Don't ask how we got the autograph," Quinn said. Rosalina cracked her knuckles.
Duncan raised his eyebrows, somewhat surprised. "Wicked. Point Rail Spikes. That makes it 2 to 1."
The Rail Spike girls looked nervously to each other. The rest of their team wasn't back yet, and on the Steam Machines, half of their number had already returned. Erza nervously held Quinn's hand in fear. Rosalina crossed her arms.
"We've got the lead guys!" Newark said happily. Claire and Bryce beamed, Ally seemed satisfied, and even Kodi seemed a bit relieved to at least not be going home just yet.
"Don't get too comfy," Duncan said. "Anything can happen."
At that moment, Victoria, Kelvin, and Elijah arrived. Victoria looked proud and flawless, tilting her head up like a queen as she strode towards the train. Kelvin and Elijah, covered in twigs and scratch marks and porcupine quills, looked far less proud and definitely far less flawless. Exhaustedly, Kelvin presented to Duncan the picture of Victoria posing with a duck.
"Not bad," Duncan said. "Point Rail Spikes. Looks like it's all tied up!"
VICTORIA CONFESSIONAL
Leave it to me to save the day, once again. Where would my team be without me?
RAIL SPIKES - Team Quarry
Grim was confused when Kai came to an abrupt stop.
"You good?" Grim asked, coming up beside him. Kai was staring straightforward- the boy gulped. Grim followed his gaze, and seemed to realize what was bothering him.
The path had been cut off. From here, they could see the quarry. However, in between them and their goal was a miniature lake of water. Kai seemed confused.
"This… wasn't here before," Kai said. "This is new."
"Hmph," Grim said, shrugging off his huge trench coat and heavy boots. "Looks like we're swimming then. I wonder where- Look!"
Grim pointed out to the water. They could see two shapes paddling their way towards the center of the lake. One, a small girl with fiery orange hair, and the other, an athletic looking girl with a head full of coils. Maria and Sloan.
"There she is," Grim said, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. "She has no idea! This'll be perfect."
"Hey, Grim, I uh-" Kai tried to see.
"I'm goin' in!" Grim cut him off, dashing toward the edge of the water. "See you over there!"
With that, Grim took off, leaving a nervous looking Kai behind. He inched closer to the water, looking down at his reflection. Kai sighed.
KAI CONFESSIONAL
I've been all over the world. I do rock climbing, sky-diving, I've done it all… But there's one thing I've always sucked at.
(he sighs)
Swimming.
Up ahead in the water, Grim was paddling like a big, green and orange crocodile. He kept only his eyes above the water, trying to sneak up on the two girls without them noticing. To his credit, he did an impressive job, despite his size and bulk. When he got closer, he submerged, holding his breath and diving to the bottom of the miniature lake.
He plucked a piece of sea grass from the ground, and then looked up. His eyes lit up with mischief as he realized that Maria and Sloan had stopped, and were treading water. Grim's gaze honed in on the bottom of Sloan's foot, and he held up the feathery piece of plant matter like a knife as he started to float up towards them.
STEAM MACHINES - Team Quarry
"This feels nice!" Sloan said, kicking back and squirting some water out of her mouth.
"Yeah," Maria agreed, casting her gaze across the lake as she tread water.
"Any sign of the other team?" Sloan asked, swimming over beside her.
The two of them scanned the shores and the water, looking for a sign of the Rail Spikes. Sloan spotted something in the water, but Maria spotted a figure on the shoreline. As Sloan swam over to scoop up the floating debris, Maria pointed to the shore.
"Look! It's Kai," Maria said.
The boy was pacing back and forth at the edge of the water, like he was unsure if he wanted to get in.
"What the…?" Sloan said, scooping up the item from the water. It was a soggy piece of orange cloth… a necktie?
Suddenly, Sloan felt something tickle the bottom of her foot! She let out a shriek of terror, and kicked out instinctively, hitting something big.
"Maria! Barracuda! Swim!"
There was a sudden commotion beneath the surface, and before the two girls could get to the quarry, Grim emerged with a spray of water.
"Bahahaha!" Grim cackled. Then, he held his nose. "Oo- Ouch. My nose!"
"Grim?!" Sloan cried, splashing water into the boy's face. "What the heck!"
"I gotcha!" Grim said, clearly proud of himself as they all bobbed in the water. "Told ya!"
"Oh, I'm so gonna get you back for that!" Sloan rued.
"Sloan!" Maria cried. She was somewhat further away now.
Sloan and Grim turned to see Maria standing on the shore of the quarry. Her hand was held aloft, bearing a round, grey stone. Sloan grinned, and dunked Grim's head under water before swimming sidelong of the shore, angling towards the paths that would lead back to the train.
"C'mon!" Sloan shouted. Maria wasted no time, diving back into the water and swimming after her friend as fast as her short legs would propel her.
Grim resurfaced, this time looking annoyed. He swirled all around, until he spotted Kai still on the shore.
"Dude!" He shouted. "What are you doing over there!"
"I'm a really bad swimmer man!" Kai called out morosely. "You're gonna have to get the rock!"
Grim grumbled and rolled his eyes, but reluctantly swamp up to the shore of the quarry and plucked a stone.
STEAM MACHINES - Team Pigeon Egg
"Hurry up!" Antonio demanded, as he and Jacob chased after Leaf. "We gotta get that egg first!"
"I'm hurrying! Quit barking orders, G.I. Joe!" Jacob said. Despite his outward appearance, Jacob was actually keeping good pace with Antonio. He didn't even seem out of breath.
JACOB CONFESSIONAL
I have incredible lung capacity. You know, from playing in a classical band for so long.
Due to their headstart, Leaf was still keeping away from their pursuers, but the two boys were slowly gaining ground. On top of that, the swarm of pigeons that chased them wasn't giving up either. Soon, the entire group went crashing into the Total Drama Train Station, causing a ruckus of shouts and cries as they arrived. The pigeons swarmed and coo'd and attacked. Moments later, Kirito and Ellie arrived, harbinging even more of the demonic birds.
Duncan, at this point, stepped forward. He put on his best mean face, and pointed at the pigeon with the army paint.
"Grahhh!" Duncan shouted aggressively.
The pigeons all stopped at the same moment. Gingerly, they all stepped back a few paces, before turning and flying back into the woods. The contestants cheered for Duncan. Then, Leaf came forward, breathing heavily, and placed the egg in Duncan's hand.
"Here," Leaf said. Duncan inspected the egg.
"Yup, it's the real deal," the host said. Leaf looked relieved. "Point Rail Spikes! They're up 3 to 2 now!"
The Rail Spikes cheered and shouted. Antonio marched up to Ellie, who was looking like she was going to be sick.
"Where did you go?" He demanded.
"Dude, please," Ellie groaned. "I think I swallowed something on the run back."
"You cost us the-!" Antonio started, but was cut off by Ellie unleashing a torrent of vomit. He grimaced, as the puke landed on his shoes. Ellie groaned, wiping her mouth.
"Sorry, dude," she said. She looked down and frowned. "Does… that look extra chunky to you?"
Antonio, despite himself, looked too. Then, his heart jumped.
"Wait!" Antonio said. He snatched away Jacob's scarf ("Hey!") and used it to reach down and pluck something from the mess. Several people gagged. As he wiped away the bile, however, Antonio revealed something special.
"It's an egg!" He shouted, lifting it up for all to see. He started to give it to Duncan, but the host held his hands up.
"Woah, nah, I'm good man, I believe you," he said, not wanting to touch the puke egg. "Point Steam Machines! That means its neck and neck. It's all down to the quarry team."
"Grim better not be messing around," Victoria said. Kirito had filled in the team on Grim's disappearance at this point.
"Don't worry, he's got Kai with him!" Erza said. "He knows what he's doing."
RAIL SPIKES - Team Quarry
"It's just like… I don't even know what I'm doing!" Kai said.
"What?" Grim asked.
"When I'm swimming," Kai clarified.
The two boys were sprinting back to the Total Drama Train. Grim held a jagged, dark blue rock in his hand. Kai was looking guilty.
"It's fine," Grim said. "Just keep running!"
They took off, and eventually, they saw the smoke rising from the train. They had made it! With their last burst of energy, the two boys ran into the station, Grim waving the rock over his head…
But they were too late. As the two boys arrived, they saw that Sloan and Maria had already been lifted up onto the Steam Machine's shoulders, and the team was dancing and cheering and celebrating. The Rail Spikes, meanwhile, were looking sourly at their newly returned teammates.
"Looks like the Steam Machines take it this week! They get fireworks and ice cream tonight… And that means that you losers-" He pointed to the Rail Spikes. "Better get ready to vote somebody off! Elimination ceremony. Common car. 20 minutes."
WIth that, the host went back into the train, leaving the morose Rail Spikes behind.
"Why did you leave the team?" Kirito asked. Grim shrugged.
"Felt like it," he said.
"Yeah, well, that's not good enough," Rosalina started to say.
"Guys, we seem to be forgetting the real reason that we lost. Kai said he could get the rock solo. He was the first to leave, and the last one to get back. What happened?" Victoria said accusingly.
Kai sighed.
"I messed up guys… There was this lake on the path that I didn't remember. And…"
"You can't swim," Erza said sadly.
"Yeah," Kai said.
"I don't think he deserves to go home over that," Quinn said. "Grim, like, totally betrayed trust. Who knows what he'll do just cuz he "feels like it"?"
"But Kai is the reason we lost the challenge," Rosalina said.
"Alright, alright," said Kelvin. "We're just gonna have to let the vote decide…"
TOTAL DRAMA COMMON CAR
A little while later, the Rail Spikes found themselves in the common car, seated across the various tables and booths. The lamps had been dimmed to provide a spooky atmosphere. Outside, fireworks, music, and laughter could be heard. Inside, though, it was morose silence.
The front door opened and it nearly caused everyone to jump. In strode Duncan and Courtney. Courtney looked serious, all business. Duncan, meanwhile, had a boyish grin on his face. This was his favorite part.
"Attention maggots," Duncan said. Courtney gave him a stern look. "I mean- contestants."
"Today, you faced a difficult challenge. Some of you showed up to the task… others missed the mark," Courtney said.
Duncan produced a tray full of lumps of coal. "On this tray, I have 9 lumps of coal. In front of me, there are 10 contestants."
"One by one, we're going to call your name. When we do, you will receive a lump of coal. If you don't get a lump of coal…" Courtney started.
"You're goin' home," Duncan finished.
Leaf gulped. Kelvin and Kai looked nervously at each other. Kirito hid behind the reflection of his glasses. Erza tried to hug Victoria for comfort. Victoria gingerly peeled her off.
"First lump of coal goes to…" Courtney said. "Leaf."
Leaf let out a sigh of relief, catching the lump as it was tossed to them.
"Kelvin," Duncan said.
"Quinn."
"Elijah."
"Erza."
"Rosalina."
"... Victoria." Courtney said.
"Of course," Victoria said, before being pelted in the forehead with a lump of coal.
"Contestants," Duncan said, showing off the final piece of coal. "This is the last lump of coal. The last chance at salvation. If you do not receive this lump of coal, you will head straight for the Handcar of Losers, and you will peddle yourself back to wherever it was you came from."
Grim and Kai were the last two remaining members of the Rail Spikes without a lump of coal. Kai looked genuinely afraid, whereas Grim just looked determined.
"The final lump of coal," Courtney said.
The Rail Spikes were on the edge of their seat.
"..."
KAI CONFESSIONAL
I messed up. It happens. I just hope that my team can see that I'm a valuable member going forward. I wanna stay!
GRIM CONFESSIONAL
Regrets?
(he thinks for a second)
Nah. I'd do it again.
"Goes to…" Duncan said.
The anticipation was building. Sweat dripped down Kai's nose. Erza looked frantically back and forth between the two of them. Rosalina rolled her eyes. Kirito looked on patiently. Quinn was bouncing up and down like if she didn't get an answer soon she'd explode.
"To…" Courtney said.
…
…
…
…
…
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Grim."
Stunned silence washed over the crowd, followed by a few moments of sadness. Kai looked down at his empty hands, and a sad smile crossed his face. He stood up, as a member of Team Courtney brought him his bag. He turned to his team one last time.
"Well guys," he said. "It's been a ton of fun! I'll be cheering for you all at home!"
The Rail Spikes waved goodbye to their teammate. Erza and Quinn gave him a hug, and Kelvin gave him a complicated bro handshake.
"Take care out there in the real world, man," Kelvin said, clapping him on the back.
"You win this thing, OK?" Kai said with a grin. "K-Name represent."
Kelvin laughed, and Kai was escorted to the back of the train station, where the rinky-dink Handcar of Losers lay waiting for him. Kai turned, giving one last look to the train, and then smiled sadly.
VICTORIA CONFESSIONAL
Clearly his "knowledge" is faulty, since he didn't even remember a stupid lake. Sorry, Kai!
ROSALINA CONFESSIONAL
It's not that I trust Grim. It's just that, for now, it's best to cut the week links.
ELIJAH CONFESSIONAL
He just didn't show up to the plate. Sorry buddy.
KAI FINAL CONFESSIONAL
In life, you win some and you lose some. The world out there is such a big place… and I've seen a lot of it. Maybe this is for the best. They all deserve a chance to see this big, beautiful country for themselves.
Even if my adventure here was short… It's one I'll treasure forever.
Courtney and Duncan faced the camera, walking along the night-time train station. Behind them, fireworks exploded in the sky, and the cheers of the victorious Steam Machines could be heard as they danced and partied and ate ice cream.
"Today, we sent home our very first contestant," Courtney said.
"And, we had our very first Duncan-Style challenge," Duncan grinned.
"Who will leave next? What sort of challenges await our contestants? Where will the Total Drama Train head off to? Find out, all of this and more, on the next exciting episode of-!" Courtney said. "Total. Drama. Off the Rails!"
And with that, Kai is our first to leave the show. I want to give a HUGE thank you to dasilvario69/Kai the Raichu for submitting the OC! Kai was a joy to write. He's this sort of wholesome, down to earth guy who really has a story for everything. He's been all over the world already! That's why I determined that he doesn't really need a whole new big adventure. Kai's the type of person who goes off and does great things, even without needing to be on Total Drama!
That being said, don't worry! Kai will be back. Like every eliminated contestant this season, you'll see him return periodically throughout the series for our Aftermath segments (which will take place after every 4th elimination), as well as during the finale!
Once again, I want to thank you guys so much for reading. More coming as soon as I can!