Total Drama Island Codebreaking

by Magi Tail Welkin

Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson. The Geek. Or so he was on his first try. A chance meeting with higher powers allows him a second go at Total Drama, this time with a massive advantage, not just his memories. Getting sent back in time, however, has caused ripples. Things have changed. Can the new Cody win? Where will his heart take him? Can the Code Meister break the code?

1. Chapter 1: After and Before

Okay, I used to think Sierra would be the death of me, but I never thought she would be literally!

You might have gathered that I'm Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson. I died, thanks to Sierra, not long after Total Drama All-Stars ended. And this was after I spent more than a year rethinking my life. I'd already gotten over my infatuation with Gwen, and I was ready to get on with my life, to use my brain to help improve the world.

Then Sierra came barrelling through my bedroom window, smashing the glass and pulled me into one of her backbreaking hugs. Only this time, she snapped my neck, a cervical fracture it's called, like a hangman's noose.

Next thing I know, I wake up in this afterlife antechamber, to borrow from TV Tropes. It looked like a cleaner and safer version of the Dock of Shame. And an angel was there waiting for me. It could have been a dream based on my subconscious, but the angel, Raquel, gave me a chance to try again at Total Drama.

If anyone is wondering, the Angel Raquel is not the same being as the Angel Raguel, who is not an Archangel. Raquel told me humans still misinterpret a lot. Some of you may be wondering if the Angel Raquel looks like Raquel Welsh, the answer to that question is, sort of. Angels are nongender androgynous; therefore, Raquel looked feminine in some ways but masculine in others. I think it's down to personal perception when creating an image for a purely spiritual being.

Getting back to the deal, I was about to refuse, not wanting to go through all that again. But Raquel explained changes would happen. Sending me back through time would make ripples and shift a few things. People's ages would change; we'd be eighteen when Island began, not sixteen. Some contestants would be swapped out with ones from other seasons, and parts of their personalities might alter due to the shifts.

And I would have the most significant change. Literally. Turns out I have a rare genetic condition called hyper-puberty. An individual with it enters puberty as expected but then experiences an exaggerated and accelerated growth phase, as though their growth hormones go into overdrive. The affected person can gain two to three feet in height, body weight drastically increases, and their physique becomes highly muscular and well-proportioned at peak condition regardless of if the person works out.

An advantage of automatically having a bodybuilder's physique without needing to work out at a gym is that I'd have free time to pursue other hobbies and go on romantic dates. And according to Men's Health magazine, maintaining a muscled body improves a man's sex life.

Only two other guys in recorded history are known to have had it. John Middleton, the Childe of Hale, a village on the northern outskirts of Liverpool, and Angus MacAskill, Scottish-born Canadian. According to legend, Middleton was nine foot three inches. But some experts say the Tudor and Stuart era measurements were inaccurate, suggesting he was seven-nine, the same height as MacAskill.

So, when I became fully grown, I ended up seven and third-quarter feet tall and with Super Saiyan muscles. I was about to begin the process before Sierra killed me. This time, I'd have looks to blow Justin away right from the start. The only downside, a body like that meant I needed to eat nearly seven-thousand calories, and that was before I did any exercise. So, I basically had the appetite for a Super Saiyan too. Any romantic date I could score with a hot girl must be an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Not to mention, I didn't think my parents could afford to keep me fed and clothed and pay for any possible damage my Goliath body and Herculean strength caused to the house. I could see hundreds of toothbrushes snapping, and that's before Sierra defiled them like some holy relic. I needed a way to support myself.

So, I knew I needed to win Total Drama Island and keep the hundred-thousand dollars, which I would invest smartly. While my investment grew, I would go onto Action, win that, then the Word Tour, and possibly All-Stars.

With a plan, I accepted Raquel's offer.

And so, my eyes fluttered open as I got pulled from my sleep by the insistent blaring of my alarm clock. I lashed out with my hand to hit the snooze button. I got rewarded with the sound of my fist flattening the alarm clock like a wad of tinfoil and smashing through the nightstand as though it were made of balsa wood. With a rueful moan, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked to the floor where the crumpled alarm clock lay amidst the splintered remains of my bedside table. The device offered a last plaintive wail before going silent, the red digital numbers on its face fading to black.

Sadly, this wasn't the first time it happened. I'd been going through alarm clocks like most people go through underwear.

With a heavy sigh, I gently moved Jerry, my stuffed emu, aside before pulling the blankets off me. I required two to keep myself covered, one for my lower body and one for my upper. Then with a grunt, I propelled my hulking body into motion, throwing my legs over the side of my makeshift bed. I now slept on two double mattresses taking up much of my bedroom floor space. There came a moment of disorientation as the soles of my feet connected with the floor sooner than anticipated. My new life memories inserted themselves; I remembered how a mattress two feet off the ground for an average person seemed only one foot high for me.

The mattress springs groaned in relief as I lifted my heft from them and pulled myself to my feet. With my strength, it's easy to forget how much I weigh. My powerful legs barely registered the gravity of the inordinate mass packed onto my frame.

Carefully, I felt the wall until finding the light switch. I couldn't open the curtain encase the roaming gangs of paparazzi and businesspeople were still outside. The fees from the lawyers were eating into the funds the local university was paying the household as part of their ongoing study into my hyper-puberty condition. They still hadn't convinced all the media hounds to go without broadcasting anything outside the town.

The room illuminated, and in less than a room rattling step, I reached the high, sturdy table standing against the north wall of the room with a large mirror affixed just above it. This piece of furniture sat atop very thick old carpets and a recently thoroughly wet one. A makeshift washroom, a jug of water and a basin, some towels, soap, and various other toiletries were atop the table. Mom and Dad did not want me attempting to squeeze into the shower stall again. Thankfully, the house had separate upstairs and downstairs toilets.

I had to lean down because the top of the mirror cut off my top lip. Despite the memories of growing into this appearance, I remained stunned and proud of my new looks.

Compared to my previous appearance, my body practically exploded in muscle. I once had a flat thin torso, now two expansive field pectorals spread out far, with shoulders expanding past the outer edges of my bedroom doorframe. Laterals spread like a cobra's hood, leading from hairless armpits to the rock-hard twelve-pack of egg-sized abs etched into my abdomen. The twelve-pack isn't even something from the hyper-puberty genes. Justin had one as well; it's another rare genetic quirk.

Whenever I flexed one muscle, others moved out of the way first; it looked like continental drift sped up.

Not to say I was overly muscled to the point of grotesqueness like modern bodybuilders. My physique was comparable to Frank Zane in his prime. Big muscles but focused on aesthetics. I more resembled a Michelangelo statute.

And my face now looked like a lady-killer with sharp cheekbones. My chin, which before seemed non-existent, now pronounced itself instead of the completely round, baby face. And finally, while I still sported his usual hairstyle, I parted it further, made it shaggier, and included sideburns. I briefly experimented with a soul patch but decided not to keep it because it reminded me of Alejandro.

When discussing perfect tens in Total Drama, if Alejandro was an eight and Justin a nine and a half, the new me was a fifteen.

The cold water helped wake me up. I struggled to keep the soap in my hands as it slipped through my oversized fingers.

After rinsing and towelling dry, it came time to dress. As I said earlier, with such a high metabolism to maintain such a body, the household struggled to make ends meet without splashing out on tailor-made clothes. So, we settled for ten pairs of 12xl pants, which were somewhat tight, and the leg only went halfway down my calves. To cover my torso, we bought ten pairs of tank tops. Again, they clung to my body, not leaving much to the imagination of onlookers.

Finally, I slipped on some flip-flops, a pair of oversized joke ones that fit my fourteen-inch-long feet. Better than barefoot.

Crouching down, I sidestepped through the doorway, the bane of my new existence and gingerly took each stair one at a time.

Mom waited at the door with my backpack. "Morning, darling,"

"Hey there, Mom," I said in my deeper voice. My increased testosterone lowered my tone. I wasn't James Earl Jones or Barry White, more of a low baritone than the tenor I previously had. "Sorry if I woke you and Dad up,"

"No, your father's not back from work today, and I just had a bad night."

I grimaced; all the stress was getting to my parents. Hopefully, my being gone for just over three months for Island and Action would allow them time to recover.

"I'm going to help Mrs Wardell with her pool, then Mr Dwan needs his roof fixed, and the Cranes want my help putting up a shed,"

One thing I decided to do this time, instead of wasting my teenage years buying trendy tech and following the crowd to become cool, I dedicated my ample spare time doing part-time handy work around the neighbourhood. From twelve until my condition kicked in, I mowed everyone's lawns. With my added height and strength, I was now the heavy lifter for more substantial home improvement projects. All high earners. Mom and Dad told me to keep the money I earned, which I spent on personal tech projects.

"All that will take the morning. I'll make that audition video in the afternoon."

"Take care, darling. Remember, don't sign anything until the lawyers have gone through them,"

I squeezed through the front door and charged through the flock of reporters and ambulance chasers.

Agents from virtually every professional sports team in the country have been by or called, wanting to sign me on. I can see how having a seven-foot guy built like an Olympian playing for you can be helpful. And they're all willing to pay to get me to join them. I'm talking big bucks, an eight-figure bonus was included in the last shouting match. Still, I'm not interested; I've never been much of a sports person.

Then there were the talk shows, the magazines, the modelling companies, and similar. Speaking of talk shows, I caught a glimpse of a certain Mildred O'Halloran, from Celebrity Manhunt trying to shove a microphone up to my face. It proved futile because she was only at eye-level with my elbow.

Some corporations wanted me to be the spokesperson for their muscle-building supplement. I outright refused them as it would be false advertising. There was even a man who, honest to God, wanted me to star in a porno, and this was before I turned eighteen. Dad called the police on that guy.

Thankfully, I quickly outstripped the vultures with such a long stride, increased stamina, and pace.

After powerwalking for five minutes and covering half a mile's worth of streets, I slowed to a walking pace, which was power-walking speed for the average human.

Across the road, a group of popular girls stole glances as they followed. One of them was Dakota Milton.

Yeah, this was not a change from before. Dakota and I attended the so-called Upper Crust College, though she was in the year below me. Since I was an unaware geek back then, we never interacted until Revenge of the Island when she and the other eliminated stayed with us, the Original Cast at the Playa Des Losers. I still have fond memories of Dawn.

Now I had the attention of hot ladies. Yet, every local girl and some guys only admired me from a distance, like some living demi-god worshipped from afar. That might have been fine for Justin, given Dawn called him vain; what Anne Maria did to Justin when he tried leaving her after their fling still made me cringe.

It might have been fine for the Hawaiian Eye Candy, but not me. After the troubles I went through to try and score with Gwen and failed, I wanted to find the right girl.

I enlisted the help of some friends in the Albert Einstein Fan Club to help film my new audition tape. In it, I explained my condition and showed off my looks, including a stomach vacuum pose, causing at least two girls hiding in the background to blissfully faint. I then montaged my talents and intelligence. Ultimately, I thought it looked like a great dating video. Still, if I had to use a dating site, I'd upload it after Total Drama Action.

It should go without saying I got picked by Chris and the Producers. I never learned if more people other than Chris were running the show.

So, after a fortnight, I found myself riding on one of the luxury speedboats across Lake Wawanakwa and towards the camp. Despite my minimal wardrobe, I took a large trunk. Third-six inches in length and twenty inches both in height and width. Inside were not just my clothes but also my custom-made music keyboard. Given my size and strength, a regular plastic electric keyboard did not cut it, so I built one of my own. One of those personal projects I used my work money on. There were a few other things in the trunk too.

I stood on the bow to better see the person ahead of me and who else was on the dock. Remember, Raquel told me some contestants were going to be swapped out.

Courtney got off her boat before me and subsequently shook hands with Owen before she and everyone else glanced my way and became stunned. This gave me three bits of information; I had a potential ally in Owen, but Courtney was still around to be bossy, mean, and violent. And given the order, I had taken Justin's place.

As the boat approached, I examined the other people on the dock. Strangely only three more from my first time were replaced. Beth, Katie, Sadie. In their places were Dawn and Anne Maria from the Revenge Cast, two other girls I didn't recognise, and an unknown boy took my original place.

Remembering that everyone stood on the dock when Justin arrived, Dawn took Beth's place, and Anne Maria replaced Katie. A pudgy, frizzy blonde-haired girl in tight denim jeans and a garishly pink crop top stood in Sadie's position.

The new male contestant in my original slot looked Indian Canadian, like Noah, but with tanner brown skin, shorter cut black hair, and stood an inch taller while looking slightly thinner, more like Harold. He wore a short-sleeved shirt with a blue sweater vest, a black tailcoat, white gloves, and a bowler hat ensemble matched with winklepicker shoes and white spats.

Dawn looked a little different. She wore the same attire and stood at her petite five feet. However, her figure filled out more in the extra two years, giving her a well-proportioned hourglass figure. To me, she looked better than Angel Raquel.

Seeing her brought a pearly white smile to my face.

Just like Sadie, this Miss Piggy lookalike fainted when my teeth sparkled. Eva gained the same dopey expression while Anne Maria's eyes and smile broadened as she brought her hands to her cheek and licked her lips.

I threw the trunk onto the dock and vaulted over the boat railing. The combined weight and shock caused the pier under my feet to collapse, like it did for the fake group photo. My travel case remained high and dry.

Everyone hurried over to the edge just in time for me to surface out of the water. I clambered onto the secure part, my tank top now see-through and clinging tight to my contours. As I stood to my full height, I ran my hand up and through my hair; having learned to pose, I knew how to move sexily.

Chris proudly introduced me, "This is Cody. The Code Star. The Code Meister!"

I rolled my eyes this time. "McLean, did you just invent a bunch of nicknames for me? I never called myself any of those in my audition tape. Just call me Cody, everyone,"

Anne Maria wriggled her hips. "Oh, baby, I'll call you anything you like."

"Easy," I said, quickly picking up my case single-handedly. "We haven't started yet."

"On that note," Chris said, looking up at me. "Welcome to Total Drama Island,"

"Thanks for having me,"

"Just so you know," McLean continued. "We picked you solely because of your looks,"

I sighed. "I had a feeling you would," I began walking to the end of the dock. "Hopefully, I can show more of my abilities. I'm not just a handsome face and a hot body."

"I'll say," Owen said, chuckling. "Your huge, dude!" he rushed up, comparing his size to mine. "How big are you?"

"Height, seven feet and nine inches," I answered, passing the swooning girls and the grinning guys. "Weight-wise, five-hundred and ten pounds of pure muscle,"

"Wow!" Owen replied. "I'm only two-ninety-six,"

Chris then announced, "Hey, everyone. Our final contestant is coming," an annoyed expression appeared on his face. "I wanted someone else, but I was overruled by one of the newer producers convincing the others. Anyway, Ella!"

I blinked in surprise. Izzy was omitted this time. So much madness occurred last time, thanks to her. During my rewatch of my time on the show before Sierra killed me, I became convinced Izzy was a mad genius who tricked all of us.

My torture under Sierra during the World Tour season would likely not have happened if Izzy hadn't offered to swap places with Sierra. The Uber Fangirl would have probably been voted off early since Alejandro. Noah wouldn't have wanted to deal with her crazy, and they would have easily convinced Owen and Tyler to vote with them.

The new girl looked nothing like Izzy, more like Snow White, with her colour palette-swapped to pink. She gracefully pirouetted and twirled off the boat and curtsied. "May I interest you all in a sweet song, my friends?"

Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Is this girl for real?"

Dave looked at Ella with apprehension. "We're in for one long season."

Chris grinned at Ella. "A keener? Maybe a little fun can fix that," the host glanced at the ruined dock. "I was going to get a group photo for the promo here, but since someone wrecked the pier, we'll have to do it on the other side of the sign,"

I shrugged. "Yeah, sorry about that; my size, strength and weight made me a literal homewrecker,"

Duncan grinned. "Really, then maybe I can give you some tips,"

"If it's on how to avoid accidentally smashing the bedside table when trying to stop the alarm clock, I'm all ears,"

The juvie punk groaned. "Yeah, no, that's not my kind of advice."

I naturally stood at the back for the group photo, with Owen on my right, holding Noah like before. And my height allowed me to remain visible even with Duncan and Tyler standing on the bubbler buddy's back.

Someone cleared their throat beside me; I saw Dawn standing there. "May I stand on your shoulder, Cody?"

I smiled. "Sure, you want a lift?"

"If you could crouch down, please," I did as instructed, and Dawn climbed onto me. Something about how her delicate and deft hands felt on my skin softened me. In the corner of my eyes, I could say before Anne Maria and Sugar gritting their teeth and quietly growling as they glanced at Dawn. As I stood up, Dawn balanced on just one leg with her arms in the classic meditative stance.

Anne Maria took Justin's original place in front of Owen. Dave took my old spot in front of Heather and beside the sitting Zeke, but he tipped his bowler hat instead of doing the Nixon double V for Victory gesture. Ella lounged in front of Dave beside Zeke, her hands clasped and cutely brought to her cheek. Sugar occupied the space Katie and Sadie had, front and centre, and lounged in the paint me like one of your French girls act.

This time Chris didn't stall like I thought the dock collapse of the first go was staged, and my accident on purpose saved us the embarrassment. Instead, Chris took multiple shoots, and then Sugar let rip, making us all scatter, coughing and spluttering. Owen, Noah, Duncan and Tyler all fell into the lake.

"Okay, guys," Chris called in his callous manner. "Get yourselves cleaned and dried off. Then meet me at the campfire pit in ten."

Once we were all assembled, Chris explained the game as before. And Duncan repeated his sleazy comment about a bunk under Heather.

Dave looked at the Delinquent disgusted and added, "Gross,"

Heather nodded. "I agree with the Germaphobe," she said before asking if the cabins were co-ed. Chris explained the sleeping arrangement like last time, and Lindsay asked her a vain innocent question.

Even without Katie and Sadie's saccharine devotion, Owen still head-locked Gwen and Tyler. And Duncan roughly rubbed the deer's head with his knuckles.

"Hey!" said a familiar voice. Dawn stood behind Duncan. I blinked and looked to where she previously sat, right before me. Before, I thought the aura whisperer was silent and stealthy; instead, I felt she could teleport.

Her sudden appearance behind Duncan made the juvie bird jump and leg the deer go. "Leave the innocent deer alone," Dawn demanded. Ella walked over. "Yes, the poor thing has done nothing to offend you, knave," both girls petted the stag on his head. Dawn smiled. "There now, you can return home,"

"Be safe and happy," Ella said. The deer smiled and bowed to them, to which Dawn bowed, and Ella curtsied before the stag pranced back to the woods.

Chris then called the names for this version's Screaming Gophers, which was much the same as the old one, only this time, with Dawn, Dave, and Ella. Anne Maria and Sugar went to the Killer Bass. This meant no team members swapping, and they didn't look happy.

Sugar grumbled. "That means Dressy and Creepy Gal are with the hunk,"

Chris shrugged. "That's how the cookie crumbles," he explained about the cameras and the confessionals. I recorded my first one following Owen; my bulk meant I needed to bunch up and crouch to have my face on camera. During this, I explained my condition.

When entering the cabin, I refused to repeat my mistake with Gwen, so while I overheard the exchange with Heather, I didn't follow her to the girls' side. Instead, I squeezed under the doorway and claimed a bottom bunk. "With my weight, I might need to sleep on the floor," I pushed my trunk underneath the bed.

Dave occupied the bunk above me. "Please don't. Just the thought alone irks me,"

"A little squeamish?" I asked. Dave was a complete unknown, so I wanted to know who I was dealing with. He shook his head. "I have germaphobia," he explained as he took out a pack of wet wipes and cleaned the wood of his bunk. I shrugged and walked outside, just in time for Gwen to leave the girls' side.

"I liked your comeback to Heather, Gwen. It's just ridiculous she questioned something so obvious," Gwen smiled. "Thanks, Cody,"

Just then, Lindsay came out and asked about the electrics. Chris answered by mentioning the communal bathroom, Lindsay's famous response about not being Catholic, and Gwen explaining it to her.

After Lindsay wailed her disappointment, Owen made his famous comment, which Noah, Trent and I all deadpanned. Owen followed on with another renowned response.

"Owen," I began, "Just admit you're bi and get over it. No one cares about your sex life, just don't try pushing it onto us. I'm straight, and I want to find the girl of my dreams,"

Noah rolled his eyes as he got out a book. "Oh, and Mr High and Mighty is sad about not finding the exact girl to fulfil his male power fantasies, even though he's probably swimming in lady gardens,"

"Actually, no," I admitted. "I'm still a virgin,"

Before another of the guys could answer, Lindsay shrieked.

Several of us rushed over. Like before, the Bombshell was frightened by a cockroach. Only this time, before DJ could get scared, everyone panicked, and Duncan using an axe, Dawn calmly walked over, put her hand down in front of the insect and picked it up. "It's going to be all right, little one," she said, stroking a finger on its back.

Dave, watching this, covered his mouth and looked ready to vomit.

Dawn walked out of the cabin and towards the woods. "You and your brethren should find somewhere else to nest," she placed the roach down. It scuttled, turned around to look up at her, and made some clicking noise. The moonchild cooed. "Thank you, I hope to see you again, too," the bug crawled away.

I leaned against the cabin porch beams with an amused expression. Everyone else looked at Dawn, confused and disturbed.

"Yeah," Gwen finally drawled. "That girl is creepy,"

Dave forced down another wrench. "I hope she cleans her hands."

"Dawn is indeed strange," Ella commented, standing beside Gwen. "I have a talent for befriending animals, but never once have I managed with insects."

Dave glanced at the pink princess. "So, what? You can sing the birds out of trees?"

Ella smiled. "Oh, yes, I can," she sang a few angelic bars. And immediately, several birds, a few squirrels and rabbits came bounding up to her.

Dave blinked. "So, this is my team," he muttered before returning to the cabin.

Tyler walked up beside Lindsay. "If you ever see one of those again, just let me know, okay? Cause, you know, I like to help out too," Lindsay smiled and gazed into the clumsy jock's eyes.

Duncan rolled his. "They always go for the jocks."

Half an hour later, we were introduced to Chef Hatchet and his repulsive meals. When I took my tray, having taken the last place in line, I talked with Chef. "You'll find it hard feeding my, Corporal Hatchet,"

"And why's that, musclehead?"

"Because it takes roughly seven-thousand calories a day to maintain this body, and that's before I do any exercise," Chef's jaw dropped. "Seven thousand a day?" he removed his apron and walked out. "I'm talking with the Producers. No way I can keep up with that with the slop, they're giving me,"

I sat down at the head of the table as Chef left. The other Gophers looked at me, amazed. I shrugged. "I may have just improved the menu," then I took a large bite out of my sloppy joe and a spoonful of pottage.

Chris came in. "Welcome to the Main Lodge. Don't get too comfortable and eat quick. Your first challenge begins," he turned around and stepped forward before finishing, "In one hour." And he walked out.

On the Killer Base table, Anne Maria casually brushed her hair. "What do you reckon they'll make us do?"

DJ made his famous jinxing line.

Everyone changed into their usual swimwear. I looked at the substitute people as we followed Chris, using the escalator. Dawn and Anne Maria retained the ones from the Revenge series. Dave wore a full wetsuit instead of the short one Bridgette wore. Ella dressed in a simple pink one-piece, keeping her bow.

Sugar constrained herself into a bikini similar to Sadie's. One a couple sizes too small for the hick, meaning she bulged in some unsightly places. She saw me looking and poorly stuck a pose. "You like it? I won the Little Miss Pork Rinds Pageant with this,"

Shuddering, I turned to Dave. "That's your swimming costume?" I asked.

"I've got some ambitions in life," Dave answered. "One is to have on my headstone, in simple Latin letters, the words: To his eternal credit, he was never seen topless."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you think Dawn and Ella are weird? You've got some pretty odd quirks too,"

Dave scowled and crossed his arms. "This from the guy walking about in nothing but a posing pouch. Show off,"

Again, my family's limited finances meant using as little material as acceptable. So, my swimwear now consisted of a pouch over my male parts. If we weren't at the top of the cliff staring down the thousand-foot drop, I imagine the reaction from the girls would have been far more positive.

Like before, the gentle Jamaican giant made the show's first swear.