Author's Note
And here we are, the much-awaited London episode! It's a thrilling one to be sure, but as always there's some thing to get out of the way beforehand.
First, for those who like to know, next week's chapter is going fairly well although, like so many this season, it hit a bit of a delay due to the musical number - which is complete, meaning the chapter should get finished without incident on Saturday. As I mentioned last week, it's gonna be the Greece episode.
From there, we move on to the reviews:
Animation Adventures: Thanks! I'm glad I went with the team swap, it's really shaken things up and allowed for two interesting team dynamics to develop. Likewise with the Shuffled locations, moving the episodes around helped me get the right flow I wanted for the plot. And as for what happens in London...well, just read on and find out.
P. T. Piranha: Happy to hear you support the team switch. As for what would have happened had I switched episodes around in Island or Action (well, more than I technically did in Island anyway)...well, who knows. It would've no doubt justified a different elimination order. The peanuts being phased wasn't something I even thought about; since I straight-up copy what the canon does for some scenes such as the eliminations, there was never a question of me not doing it. Other than that...glad to know you're on your toes wondering who will go next.
PizzaTheBomb: Hah, glad to see a fan of my portrayal of DJ; he's kind of an underutilized character in canon. And yeah, the team mix-up is a little late all things considered, but honestly it's only just at the start of the second half and it was really needed. The merge itself will be after the third Aftermath as in canon. Glad you liked the song so much!
DSX62415: Fair enough, fair enough.
Elizabeth Fire Ice Heart: Yup, and Sammy and Dawn are dating each other as well. It's a shame you didn't see it coming, since it was what I had planned on all along.
ferguson97: Hahaha, I'm glad you liked their misunderstanding, the exact lines of that scene took some time to figure out. Glad you liked a few of Sugar's other lines too, as well as her in general.
acosta perez jose ramiro: Not technically, no. A harem would imply that Sammy and Dawn are only dating DJ, which isn't the case since the girls are dating each other. And anyway calling it a harem would still be kind of disrespectful, I think. The three of them are polyamorous - capable of and willing to be in love and dating more than one person at a time, with their partners' consent of course.
bruno14: I'm glad you liked it! Nice to hear you like Ezekiel as well. And yeah, as much as I love Dawn/DJ/Sammy they have taken up a lot of screentime over these past three seasons so its time for them to step aside.
Guest #1: That so.
FOWLKON: Haha, yeah, pretty much! Now that the series' main love triangle has resolved itself, nothing left but to read and watch what the rest of the cast will do. And yeah, like I said in last week's Post Script, from Sweden on the episodes will proceed in canon order. As for Blaineley, sorry, but she's almost certainly going to appear. If only because I've already written the Shuffled version of Blainerific.
StayOuttaMyShed: Glad to hear your thoughts on the love triangle finally resolving. You're right in that a lot of reviewers did seem to see it coming, though some did not which is to be expected since an 'everybody wins' love triangle solution isn't nearly as common as it ought to be. Glad you're loving the mixed-up teams and Sugar's role in the new Team Victory, having her as the main villain this season has been a blast and it makes me happy knowing that so many of my readers are enjoying her. You're right that Shawn's enjoyment of Australia was a deliberate shout-out to his canon relationship with Jasmine, although I won't spoil when the girl herself will show up in the series. The predictions are, as I always say, interesting to read, and I'm looking forward to seeing if anything changes after this week's episode.
LadyEnigma888: Haha, it really makes me smile seeing how much you loved the teams getting mixed-up. And no problem being happy that DJ's gone, I know that not everyone gets excited about the same relationships as me. As for All-Stars...well, I'll certainly do my best with the season. I've already gotten a lot planned out, though it is admittedly dependent on who I ultimately decide on for the cast.
I. M. Poik: Glad you liked the teams getting mixed-up, as well as the promise of the restored canon episode order. And I'm honestly not surprised you're happy to see DJ gone, I know you don't like him and I've made peace with it. I'm glad you stuck through it until the end. And as for what happens next...well, you'll just have to wait and see!
aloasa: Yup, I had it planned from early on that Alejandro and Ella were going to assist with Dawn's revelation-by-song, and that Ella would also have a hand in finally getting Dawn to open up. Though yeah, like you said, it was a no-brainer to eliminate DJ afterwards. Glad you liked last week's song and I hope I can keep up the quality through the rest of the season, and as I mentioned in the Post Script last week it's pretty much the canon episode order from here on out - London this week, Greece next week, then Sweden and onward as canon.
OMAC001: Yup, Sugar got another notch under her villain's belt. How long it'll take the other to catch on, though...is something I'll be keeping a secret.
CVluvFoxy: And here we go again on another Friday for me. And as I've said a lot so far, I'm happy you liked the team mix-up. Sugar's gotten some new allies for now, though what that means in the long run has yet to be seen especially with Tyler and Ella having more opportunity to interact, as you said. As for returnees...well as I've said, the current plan is to still have Blaineley come back at Niagara Falls. As for this episode...
Knifez: Always good to know I've subverted your expectations in a good way though the locations, at least, will be predictable from here on out. No problem if you're not the biggest fan of my love triangle; I know that not everybody likes the lovey-dovey pairings as much as I do. As for the reward-elimination pattern...well, it's not quite the same as canon, though I won't say how. The ones in the final quarter will be the same as canon, though, if only because I don't want more than four people on Easter Island or less than four in Drumheller. That aside, I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the season!
Explorer of the Unknown: To be fair, the sky isn't the limit for any fandom, though I don't know how common it is for polyamorous pairings to actually be treated respectfully with respect to everyone involved. Momma DJ's reaction will probably be in the next Aftermath if I can remember and am able to work it in, and once again I'm glad to hear a long-time reader enjoyed the twist with the teams I decided to add. As for what'll happen in London this week...well stay tuned to find out. Oh, and as you may have seen in my review, I loved your new project!
The Prime Writer: Haha, no worries, I've procrastinated on reviews plenty of times myself so I won't get mad if someone does it to me. Glad you've liked what's happened since the last Aftermath, especially the Area 51 episode even if it was Sierra who got the boot. Scarlett's attack was just something I had planned there anyway, and her stowing away in secret was just a later addition to the subplot to help build suspense and even though it only lasted a short time I'm glad I did it. Glad you're liking the direction Ella and Alejandro are taking with respect to one another too, though I won't say what the future holds for them. Glad you liked Dawn's reappearance as well, and the resolution of her relationship with DJ and Sammy. You're right that it's disappointing there's never been an explicit gay or lesbian or bisexual relationship (or even character) in canon...I understand why Fresh is reluctant to do one at this point, but it's still something that really needs to be done, especially in a series like Total Drama. I'm glad I was able to at least make up for it a little bit in the Shuffled series.
Star Saber21: I'm glad I was able to surprise you then! And yeah, DJ's far from a loser, his place in the competition notwithstanding. And yeah, Ella's seen the first two seasons...but you know, you can't always trust everything that's presented as truth in an edited reality show.
Guest #2: I'm pretty sure you're reacting to the gay couple I included in Geoff's Drop of Shame, but nevertheless homophobes like you can piss right on off.
wifishark: Well, it was a pretty natural solution to both simplify and shake things up, though the actual mix-up itself was, I think, harder to predict. And yeah, Shawn's the last remaining member of his team while he was the first one out from his team last season...not that I even paid attention to that when deciding the elimination order. And technically, he was the last remaining member of his team in season one as well.
And that's the reviews for the week! As always, the TVTropes page for this series could always use more work, and I greatly appreciate the effort everyone has put into it so far and I look forward to what you all add next.
The teams have been mixed-up, so here's a reminder of where everyone is currently at:
Team Victory - Ezekiel, Tyler, Ella, Sugar
Team Universe - Sammy, Alejandro, Dawn, Shawn
Get ready, dear reader, because someone's on the loose again. Enjoy!
- Fangren
Episode 15 – I See London...
"Last time, on Total Drama World Tour!" the host began as the plane icon was shown flying towards and over Australia on the season's world map. "Australia!" he said in an attempted accent as the scene panned across the Outback. "It will amaze you! If it doesn't kill you first." DJ was shown riding his emu up to Ella as she sang, then Alejandro thrust an angry dingo into Tyler's arms as he ran towards the edge of Hanging Rock.
"Here, the teams were mixed up a little placing DJ, Ella, and Sugar on the new Team Victory," the gentle giant raised an eyebrow and the pageant queen threw an arm around the singer as they walked over to Tyler and Ezekiel. "And Shawn on Team Universe," the host added over shots of the survivalist trading barbs with the charmer on the plane then following after his new teammates on emu-back.
"Sugar acted fast, roping Tyler and Ezekiel into an alliance to get out DJ," Chris said over a pair of clips, the first showing Sugar talking to the two boys as they rode through the Outback and the second showing their hushed discussion on top of Hanging Rock. "DJ, meanwhile, got a little bit distracted as Dawn finally confessed her love for him and Samey." A few clips of the previous episode's musical number as well as the trio's embrace afterward were shown next.
"Ella started to notice the feud between Tyler and Alejandro," Ella was shown looking troubled as she spoke to each boy in turn, "while Alejandro tried to keep his alliance with Samey." The charmer and cheerleader were shown conversing as they wrangled their emus, Dawn watching them with an inquisitive expression.
"In the end, DJ made the mistake of thinking his teammates were going after Ella, and took the Drop of Shame himself instead," Chris finished over shots of DJ talking to Ella in the plane, both talking to Sugar, and lastly the gentle giant jumping out of the plane.
"Only eight remain," the host said, holding up the same number of fingers as the scene flashed to the cockpit. "Who will get the boot next? Find out now, on Total! Drama! Woooorrrrlllddd~ Tooouuurrrr~!" As the shot zoomed out, a skeleton in a bowler, scarf, and boots floated by with an open umbrella in one hand and a medicine bag in the other.
xxx
(Fade to Opening Theme)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
You guys are on my mind!
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
I wanna be...famous!
I wanna live close to the sun!
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;
I'll get there one day.
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
(Fade to Episode)
xxx
The episode opened at night once again, the plane flying off to the left before the camera cut inside to economy class. A pan across the cabin revealed the four members of the new Team Victory – Ella, Sugar, Tyler, and Ezekiel – seated against the right wall, while the new Team Universe – Shawn, Dawn, Sammy, and Alejandro – sat opposite to them.
"So why exactly are we back here again?" Shawn asked. "We won last time."
"Yeah, but Chris said he needed first class fer some special guest, eh," Ezekiel answered as the camera moved back across the room. "I bet he musta picked 'em up the last time we refueled."
"Man, I wonder what kinda special guest it is?" Sugar pondered. "I hope it's somethin' awesome, like a wizard or a magician."
"I dunno," Tyler told her, "I'm guessing it's gonna be something to do with our next challenge. Maybe it'll be another one of Chris' relatives, like in Newfoundland."
"That makes a lotta sense, eh," Ezekiel nodded. "Chris is too cheap to hire someone else. I just hope we do as good this time as we did in Newfoundland."
"Totally," Tyler said, casting a glance to the side – the camera panned left, showing Ella sleeping soundly on the bench. "I really wanna impress Ella by winning this time," the jock added in a whisper to Ezekiel, shielding his mouth with his hand.
Sugar sniffed in disapproval. "Hmmph, don't know why you'd wanna," she muttered just loud enough for the boys to hear.
"Uhh, what do you mean?" Tyler asked in confusion.
"Well...I wasn't gonna say nothin' on account of you bein' sweet on her," Sugar said with faux hesitance, "but that Ella is bad news." The brows of both Tyler and Ezekiel shot up in shock, and Sugar leaned closer to whisper behind her hand. "I've seen her type before. They act all sweet an' nice on the outside, but inside they're all rotten."
"What, like Alejandro?" Ezekiel asked in disbelief.
"Exactly!" Sugar said with bright eyes.
'No way," Tyler told her, brow furrowed and arms crossed. "Ella's not like that at all!"
Sugar shook her head in disappointment. "I'm sorry, but I've been around her longer than you have. I know what she's really like. Take it from me, she's just gonna try and use you then throw you away like a bucket of slop. We gotta vote her out before it's too late!"
"I don't believe you," Tyler said, turning his back on the pageant queen.
"Yeah, that's a little farfetched, eh," Ezekiel added.
Sugar sighed. "Fine, I can see you aren't ready to believe me. But just know that I'm tryin' to look out for the two of y'all in the same way nobody ever looked out for me." The sad look she gave Ezekiel made him gulp nervously.
A tense tune played as the scene panned across the room to Team Universe. Sammy and Dawn were sitting side-by-side, holding hands and leaning against each other.
"So...any ideas what we'll have to do this time?" Sammy asked her girlfriend.
"Not really," Dawn told her. "I was going to try meditating on the plane again, but," she blushed, "well, we got a little distracted..."
"Hah, yeah," Sammy said, also blushing. "Well, I'm sure we'll find out soon. Chris will probably just 'accidentally' drop us out of the plane again."
Dawn frowned. "I hope not. Did he really do it that often while I was away?"
Sammy thought for a moment. "...well, maybe not drop specifically. Turns out there's a lot of ways to be forced off a plane." Sensing Dawn's discomfort, she added "I mean, it's not like DJ and I were ever hurt or anything. It wasn't bad, it was just, you know, Chris."
"Yes, right," Dawn said quickly, forcing herself to calm down. "The two of you were quite able to handle yourselves in the dangerous situations I only just realized I left you in."
Sammy smiled softly and kissed the mystic on the cheek. "Thanks, but try not to worry about what could've happened. It's all in the past now."
Dawn took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you're right."
The music turned plodding as the camera panned to the left a little ways, showing Alejandro leaning back with a thoughtful expression while Shawn chowed down on a jar of vegemite.
"Amigo," Alejandro whispered to his teammate, "with Sammy and Dawn closer than ever, perhaps it would be a good idea if we teamed up to protect ourselves."
Shawn lowered his jar and raised an eyebrow. "Uhh, no? I don't really like you. Besides, aren't you in an alliance with Sammy?"
xxx
"I had forgotten that DJ might tell the other members of Team Chris Is Really Mean about that," Alejandro mused in the restroom confessional. "No matter," he quickly waved his hand. "With Ella temporarily out of the picture, I need to be more...flexible with my alliances. I had hoped Shawn would understand the situation we're both in, but if he's not willing to work with me then it's his poor choice."
xxx
"Very well," Alejandro told the survivalist, a hint of regret in his voice as he stood up. "If you won't be persuaded, then I'll leave you to your disgusting snack spread."
"Hey," Shawn said, taking mild offense as the charmer walked away, "this stuff is pretty good y'know!"
/
The footage skipped forward a little ways to Alejandro walking through the plane's main hallway with an annoyed expression. The camera followed him past one set of double doors and towards the cracked-open door leading into first class as Chris' voice came through, and a very lowkey dramatic tune was beginning in the background.
"She's an animal! She'll take them out like a lion preyin' on a pack of chubby, asthmatic gazelles!" Though the host remained unseen, Alejandro quickly realized where it was coming from and after looking around with widened eyes he sneakily peaked into the room.
"But what if she takes them out takes them out?" Chef asked over a close-up of Alejandro's face sliding into view through the half-open door.
The viewpoint shifted around to show the first class compartment where Chris and Chef were standing before a tall figure in a cloak and top hat that was, most ominously, wielding a long dagger. "Legal says we're clear," Chris told his companion, "and imagine the ratings! That dip will score major hits online."
In his shock Alejandro leaned forward just enough to cause the door to squeak, then gasped. "Did you hear something?" Chris asked as the dramatic music rapidly spiked into something more dangerous, and the cloaked figure turned around, its face shrouded in shadow.
Alejandro quickly ducked out of sight, but gasped when he looked to the open door on his right – the mystery figure was standing right there, and with a peak in the music and a blood-curdling scream from Alejandro the scene went dark...
/
A different sort of dramatic tune started playing as the view switched to the series' world map, the plane icon spiraling its way across Europe towards the British Isles. "Attention helpless competitors!" Chris announced over the plane's PA system as the scene moved to the cockpit. "We've been denied permission to land, so, you're gonna have to jump."
The scene moved again to the host's voice coming out of a loudspeaker in economy class, the contestants still in it immediately voicing their objections. "Aaaand, Chef may have miscounted parachutes," Chris added.
"...I'm a cook," Chef said back in the cockpit, "not a mathematician!"
"So, you might wanna light a fire under your butts and grab one before they're gone," Chris told the contestants.
/
The scene skipped ahead again, now in the elimination chamber as Team Victory and Shawn lined up in front of the open door with parachutes on their backs. Tyler was in front and jumped out with a whoop, and the shot cut to a close-up of the lone remaining parachute.
"I guess we're gonna have to share it," Sammy told Dawn as the two looked at it warily.
/
A flash skipped the footage ahead once more to a shot of the jumbo jet flying high above, the screams of Sammy and Dawn rapidly approaching the camera as they fell, Dawn on Sammy's back with her arms tight around her girlfriend's waist.
/
A quick riff of "God Save the Queen" played over a shot of the Tower Bridge where a few blurry figures stood next to a red double-decker bus. A parachute pack was shown being thrown into a pile of them, and the four members of Team Victory were shown standing nearby.
"Oh, I've always dreamed of coming to London!" Ella gushed. "I wonder if we'll get to see the Queen?" she added, looking around excitedly.
"Yeah, uh, I hope we do," Tyler told her with a smile that she didn't notice.
"Look out below!" Shawn suddenly cried, the camera quick-panning up to him falling rapidly...only for his parachute to get stuck on a flagpole on top of the bridge. "Aaaand this is why you don't parachute onto a bridge," he deadpanned to the camera.
A whistling sound caught his attention and the camera moved to the right, the logo of Team Universe appearing in the corner with a ding just as Sammy and Dawn plummeted past with a scream and half-opened parachute.
They landed, quite painfully, on top of the double-decker bus. "See?" Sammy said weakly, lifting her head just a little. "Not so bad!"
Dawn's reply was too muffled to be understood.
/
The scene moved inside the bus, a pan up the aisle showing Dawn and Sammy sitting together in the back nursing their injuries; Shawn alone on the seat in front of them; Ezekiel and Tyler in front of him; and Sugar and Ella in front. Chris was standing by the last row of seats separating the girls from Chef in the sealed-off driver's seat.
"Wait, where's Alejandro?" Ella asked, looking around in confusion and concern.
"Yes, where is he?" Chris repeated with false ignorance. "The answer in a sec. But first," he raised a finger and smiled, "GUN IT CHEF!"
At the host's shouted command, Chef slammed down on the gas and the bus took off with the squeal of tires.
"London," Chris began happily, speaking into a microphone hooked up to the bus' intercom. "Home to loads of wicked stuff." The bus hit a bump, and Ella looked back worriedly. "Big Ben, the London Eye," the host continued, counting off on his fingers, "the sandwich stuffed with french fries known as the 'Chip Butty'."
"Ooh, where can I get one of those?" Sugar asked eagerly.
"London's also home to Scotland Yard," the host continued, "the world's biggest crime-busting out fit. But there was one case even Scotland Yard couldn't crack," he frowned. "Jack the Ripper!" A dramatic riff played and the camera moved in for a close-up as Chris said the same, a dark grin on his face.
Team Victory gasped. "The wacko serial killer who terrorized Victorian London," Chris explained, taking out a painting that looked identical to the mystery figure who'd been on the plane. "Today, you'll be tracking that bad boy down. But be caaarefuuull," he said slyly, "Jack's also hunting you! That's why Team Universe is now short-handed."
"Oh em gee," Sammy gasped, "the Ripper got Alejandro? But...but he's Alejandro!"
"Next stop," Chris announced cheerfully, "Tower of London!"
"Oh no, do you think Alejandro's okay?" Ella asked her teammates with barely-contained panic. "The Ripper wouldn't...wouldn't do anything to him, would he?"
"He'll be fine," Sugar said dismissively. "More importantly, him bein' gone means we got the advantage!"
"Oh yeah, definitely eh," Ezekiel added with a nod and a grin. "He's like their strongest player. Err, not like we couldn't beat him if he were still here though."
"Yeah, it's almost like a blessin' that he was taken out first!" Sugar said happily.
"Excuse me," Ella said in shock and offense, "I know this is a competition, but don't any of you care that Alejandro could be seriously hurt? We should try to find him!"
"Pfft, let them handle it," Sugar said with a hand-wave and a thumb towards Team Universe. "We're gonna have enough trouble protectin' our own hides from the Ripper."
With an anxious look between Ezekiel's bland smile and Ella's hurt expression, Tyler gulped. "Uhh, maybe we could at least keep an eye out for him?" he offered nervously, earning a smile from Ella and odd looks from Sugar and Ezekiel.
/
A flash skipped the footage ahead to a long-distance shot of the Tower of London, the contestants already assembled outside it. "Your challenge," Chris began as the camera zoomed in on the top of the tower before panning down, "is to follow a series of clues through the tower complex," the shot reached ground-level where a pair of elderly white guardsmen were standing behind the host, "all the way to the Ripper's secret lair."
"Bag the criminal mastermind before he gets you," he added while pulling out a pair of sacks from behind his back, "and you win. Your first clue will be found during the changing of the guard," he explained with an odd grin. "And when I say change, I mean change the guards." His expression became more devious as he motioned to the men that were silently flanking him. "Your clue is hidden in his uniform, so, one of you has to strip him down to his gitch, until you find it." He smiled, and it gleamed.
The contestants gasped. "Whoa, strip a dude?" Tyler repeated in disbelief. "I'm out!"
"Up to you, bro," Chris told him. "Million bucks...that's all I'm sayin'. And while you're at it..." He grinned cheekily and pointed to an empty space over his left shoulder where the music note icon spun into view with its usual ding. As usual, Ella was the only one who didn't immediately groan though she did blush in embarrassment.
~/~
[A few drumbeats opened psychedelic rock tune, the scene itself starting with a close-up of Team Universe's guard.]
"It's weird how they just stand there, and don't ever move;"
[Sammy began the lyrics, the camera pulling back a little as she approached the elderly man and hesitantly poked him in the shoulder.]
"And having to strip him down won't make it improve!"
[The cheerleader continued, giving the guard a wary and scrunched-up look before taking a step back.]
"Well maybe, if we ask him, he'll do it for u-u-us?"
[Dawn suggested, the camera panning slightly to the right as she stepped up to the guard, gave him a scrutinizing look, then looked to the left where Sammy stood off-screen.]
"I don't think he'll just strip himself!"
[Sammy sang to her girlfriend, the camera panning back and pulling out just enough to get both girls in the shot again.]
"Well somebody must."
[Dawn answered, hands clasped behind her back as she gave her girlfriend a knowing look.]
"It's not, proper for me, to even peek!"
[Ella lamented, the shot cutting first to the guard assigned to Team Victory and then to the singer, who was covering her eyes in embarrassment.]
"And I'm too much of a lady, too..."
[Sugar added, walking to the left past Ella to give the boys a stern look.]
"Back me up here, Zeke!"
[Tyler spoke, elbowing his friend in the side as they caught Sugar's forceful look.]
"Well, I got this condition...err, make that allergy?"
[The homeschooler offered with a nervous grin, mashing his pointer fingers together as he sang.]
"Aww man, not you too! So I have to do it? Weak."
[Tyler lamented, smacking himself in the forehead.]
"If we're gonna find that clue,"
[Ezekiel sang as Sugar and Ella closed around Tyler.]
"There's only one thing to do~oo~o,"
[Ella added with a hint of regret, the jock spinning around to face her.]
"Force someone to strip him down,"
[Sugar finished, forcefully spinning Tyler back around to face the guard.]
"And Tyler, yeah, that's you!"
[Ezekiel, Sugar, and Ella sang together in an unusual harmony, the line finishing with Sugar shoving Tyler over to their team's guard. "Jeez, fine!" the jock grunted as he stumbled over to the man.]
"If we're gonna find that clue,"
[Sammy echoed, playing rock-paper-scissors with Dawn and tying.]
"There's only one thing to do~oo~o!"
[Dawn added to another tied round of their game.]
"Force someone to strip him down,"
[Sammy sang next.]
"And sorry, Shawn, that's you!"
[Sammy and Dawn sang as one, ending their game and pointing at the camera; the perspective flipped to show Shawn raising an eyebrow, then hanging his head and sighing.]
"Well, it could be worse, at least this guy's not dead,"
[Shawn went as he walked over to the guard and peered closely at him, speaking the first half of his line but singing the second.]
"Dude, don't joke about that, it's gonna mess with my head,"
[Tyler scolded in spoken word, the camera zooming out to show both boys warily standing by their guards.]
"Well we're gonna find that clue,"
[Ezekiel sang, still standing with his teammates as he and Sugar watched Tyler get to work off-screen while Ella bashfully averted her gaze.]
"We're doing what Chris proposed,"
[Ella sang next in a tone that seemed meant to reassure herself.]
"Force someone to strip him down,"
[Sugar added, grinning as the guard's hat flew off and landed on her head.]
"'Cause if we don't, we're hosed!"
[The two girls of Team Victory sang as one.]
"Totally ho-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-osed!"
[Ella finished, clasping her hands together and lifting up on one foot as she slowly drew out the last word, the camera panning up to the moon shining over the tower.]
~/~
A flash took the scene ahead again, now showing Shawn quickly tearing the clothes from his guard's body and throwing them back over his shoulders to his teammates. The shot zoomed out to show Dawn inspecting an ornate neck-ring while Sammy picked up the guard's hat, gasping when she pulled a note from it.
"We got it!" she exclaimed, immediately gaining the attention of her teammates.
"Well that was easy," Shawn commented as he and Dawn moved to Sammy's sides. "What's it say?"
"Pulled taut atop a southern spire," Sammy whispered to them. The three shared a confused look as a light but mysterious tune played and the scene flashed away.
/
"We're at the top of the southern tower," Sammy cried as she, Shawn, and Dawn ran into a room lined with a variety of medieval-looking torture devices. "This has to be it!"
"Oh my, this place is absolutely filled with negative energy!" Dawn remarked in shock as she looked around, the three having stopped at a large table with cranks on either end. "What happened here?"
"A heck of a lotta stuff you kids don't wanna know about," Chef answered, walking up wearing an executioner's hood and carrying a large axe. "What matters right now is this medieval torture rack," he added with a motion to the large table. "Clue's inside. Tie someone on and stretch," he explained with a dark cackle.
Shawn gulped, and looked at his teammates – all three of their eyes were wide. "So, uhh, I hate to ask this, but does anybody want to get strapped to that thing?"
"W-well, I don't want to," Sammy offered, "but I'll do it since we have to."
Dawn gasped. "But you can't! It's torture!"
"I know," Sammy told her, "but since I'm the tallest it'll hurt me the least, right?"
The moonchild murmured in concern, causing Shawn to cast a quick and nervous glance between the two girls. "Look," he told Dawn, "one of us has to do this, and Sammy's tough enough to take it. Besides, I'll be pulling the crank, and I'm not gonna let her get hurt."
"Right," Sammy added, "so you don't have to worry about me."
Dawn took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay," she told them. "You two do the challenge, and I'll...I'll go outside and get some fresher air. This place is too dark for me," she motioned to the room at large, her tone suggesting she didn't mean the light level, "and anyway one of us should stand guard in case the Ripper comes."
"Good call," Shawn nodded. "Yell if you spot him."
"And please don't worry about me," Sammy said, hugging the girl from behind. "I'll be fine, trust me!" She kissed her girlfriend's cheek, and Dawn smiled lightly.
/
The scene moved back to Team Victory, their guard now without most of his uniform. "What do you think you're doin'?" Sugar asked indignantly, looking down with her hands on her hips an the guard's hat on her head. "Are you tryin' to make us lose?"
The shot pulled out to reveal Tyler kneeling on the ground, trying to pull the guard's red pantyhose down with only his teeth. "No!" he answered through his bite. "You try takin' off a dude's pantyhose with your teeth!"
"Err, I don't think you hafta use yer teeth, eh," Ezekiel told him, walking up from behind.
Tyler immediately spat out the guard's pantyhose. "Dude, why didn't you tell me that like five minutes ago?!" he asked angrily.
"Sorry, eh," Ezekiel shrugged sheepishly, "I thought you were usin' some kinda special technique or somethin'."
"And I thought you were just havin' a laugh," Sugar told him.
"Sorry," Ella said with concern in her voice, walking backwards up to them with her hand clasped firmly over her eyes, "but are you saying that Tyler wasn't going about things the right way?"
"I'm really sorry," Tyler said with a pained expression.
"Don't worry," Ella told him with a soft smile that wasn't facing him, "I'm sure you put forth a...spirited effort."
Tyler hung his head sadly.
/
A flash, and the focus moved to Dawn hugging her knees at the bottom of a flight of stairs in a small room lined with paintings. She sighed, then looked up as a shadow as ominous as the background music moved over her. "Oh my," she said as the camera pulled back to show the dagger-wielding Ripper standing at the end of the room. "I recognize that aura! Why, you must be-"
Before she could finish the cloaked figure dropped its weapon and pounced, the scene cutting to the outside of the Tower as Dawn's scream filled the air.
The pounding dramatic music abruptly faded into a hollower sound as the shot zoomed in on an open doorway. "And then there were six," Chris said from off-screen as the Ripper dragged a bulky sack out of the building. It stopped as the host suddenly popped up into view, saying "Will anybody survive the Ripper? And, this show?"
"I didn't even get to warn my teammates!" Dawn lamented from within the sack, causing Chris to momentarily flinch at the suddenness of it.
"Come back after the break," he quickly recovered into a smirk at the camera. "When we'll try and answer at least a couple of these questions." A few more dramatic notes sounded as the scene faded out.
(Fade to Commercial and Back)
A plodding and annoyed tune played as the camera panned up the hairy legs of the guard assigned to Team Victory, past his Union Jack boxers and his bare chest to his unflinching mustached face.
The only other things left were his socks, gloves, and a single boot which Tyler was currently trying to remove. "Come on, this has to be it!" he said in annoyance as he tried to pry the boot free. "There's nothing left!"
"Man, why did the others get to have their clue in an easy spot?" Sugar said, tapping the guard's hat then holding it up and looking into it from below. "It just ain't fair!"
"Well, I suppose we could have checked his boots sooner," Ella suggested, still determinedly not looking at the nearly-naked guard.
"Don't remind me," Tyler groaned just before he finally pulled the stubborn boot off and let the guard lower his foot back down. "Hey, I got it!" he said, grinning excitedly as he pulled a note out of the boot, then cringing at the smell that came along with it.
"Sweet, eh!" Ezekiel said, swiping the note and opening it as the rest of the team, Ella included, crowded around to read over his shoulders.
/
A half-muffled scream echoed through the torture chamber as a rat scurried up a chain to watch, and the camera panned down to Shawn hesitantly turning the crank and stretching Sammy even further.
"Okay, you got this," he reassured her. "It's probably just a little bit more, so hang in there." He turned the crank a little bit more, and Sammy had to bite her lip to stifle the whimper. "See? You're strong. This rack won't beat you."
"Right. Thanks," Sammy breathed.
A couple second passed as Shawn slowly continued to turn the crank, and Sammy seemed to be doing well with the pain. "Uhh...this probably isn't the best time to ask, but we are voting out Alejandro the next time we lose, right? Because I know you have your alliance with him, but he did ask me if I wanted to team up against you and Dawn."
Sammy groaned lightly. "Yeah, that sounds like something he'd do...," she said. "But still...even though it's Al I don't know if I wanna be the one who breaks the alliance. Breaking my word like that seems like something my sister would do, and the last thing I want is for people to say that I'm, like, as bad as her or something."
"That...makes sense, I guess," Shawn admitted, "but it's really not comforting right now." He turned the crank again, and sharply enough to elicit a yelp from Sammy. "Oops! Sorry!" the survivalist said sincerely.
"Look, I don't want to vote you out," Sammy told him, "which is why I'm not planning on us losing any time soon. But if we do, I know Dawn will vote for Alejandro too, so at least you'll have a chance to win a tiebreaker."
Shawn sighed. "I guess that's something."
xxx
"I know I should probably be madder at her," he admitted in the restroom confessional, "but to be honest even if she did vote for Alejandro I'd still be gone if we lose again before the merge." He groaned, pinched the bridge of his nose, then spread his arms wide. "What else am I supposed to do here, side with Alejandro and take out one of the girls then hope they don't hate me for it?"
xxx
"I do feel really bad about what I might have to do to Shawn," Sammy said in the next confessional. "It's not his fault Chris mixed the teams up like this. And to be honest, I'm not even sure if keeping my promise really is the right thing to do, especially if it means voting off a friend!" She sighed sadly, then gave the camera a halfhearted smile. "Well, here's hoping we don't lose, I guess."
xxx
A dramatic riff played as the scene moved to a torture chamber similar to but distinct from the one that Sammy and Shawn were using.
"Okay, so which one of us is gonna get stretched?" Sugar asked her teammates as they looked around the chamber, Ezekiel and especially Ella looking nervous about it.
"I'll do it," Tyler volunteered. "Check it, I'm flexible to the extreme." To the shock of his teammates he hopped up and somehow threw both legs over his shoulders, then landed on his open palms. "Sweaty moksha yoga," he explained, "hoo-hoo!" With an excited whoop, he dashed off-screen towards the torture rack leaving his teammates to stare in surprise.
"Well, okay then!" Sugar chuckled. "That sure was easy." She went after the jock with a smile on her face, Ella and Ezekiel following shortly after.
"You don't have to do this just to make up for what happened with the first clue," Ella said with an expression of concern on her face as she hurried over to the rack. "None of us are holding it against you," she told him as he stretched and limbered up.
"I know," Tyler replied as he extended his arms and twisted his back until it cracked. "But I want to make up for that. Besides, I can't let any of you do it. That wouldn't be sportsmanlike or gentlemanly."
"Oh, well, thank you for doing this for us," Ella told him with a sweet smile as Sugar and Ezekiel strapped him in. "I suppose it's too much to ask for it to be painless, but I hope it's not too painful at least."
"Don't worry about me," Tyler told her with a cocky grin, "I can handle pain."
Sugar turned the crank hard, causing the jock to yelp and scream. He saw Ella's fearful flinch, however, and quickly forced himself to smile. "Hah, took me by surprise is all," he told her through the pain. "But like I said, don't worry about me. From here on out I'll do this silent, sweaty yoga-ish monk dude style."
Ella still looked uncertain as Sugar turned the crank again, eliciting a mostly-muffled scream from Tyler.
/
Meanwhile, Sammy was also screaming in pain as the rack in another part of the Tower stretched her. "Please tell me that we're done," she whimpered, "I don't know how much more of this I can take!"
"Just hang in there, it can't be long now," Shawn told her nervously, turning the crank again and eliciting another scream. It also, however, caused something in the rack's machinery to click and the camera panned to a box atop the headward crank to open, revealing an envelope.
"There it is!" Shawn said excitedly, grabbing it and opening it up. "If your teammates can still use her feet," he read, "bring her down for something to eat." He raised an eyebrow. "So what, like some kind of banquet hall or something?"
"We'll just have to find it," Sammy told him. "And can you let me out now?"
"Oh! Sorry!" Shawn said sheepishly, quickly undoing the shackles on her wrists.
The cheerleader immediately sat up and undid the shackles on her legs. "Oh em gee, it is such a relief to be done with this thing," she said as she swung her legs around and stood up, her spine cracking painfully the moment she raised her arms to limber up.
"You okay?" Shawn asked, still wincing.
"Yeah, just gimme a moment," Sammy said with wide eyes, seemingly frozen in her pose. "Let's go find Dawn," she said after a second, leading Shawn to give her a wary look but towards the exit anyway, Sammy hopping along on one foot after him.
/
"Dawn?" Sammy called out, concern in her voice as she and Shawn stepped into the painting-lined room at the bottom of the stairs. "Where are you, we have the second clue!" The music once again took a tensely dramatic turn.
"Oh man," Shawn said in distress as he knelt down and examined a gash in the hardwood floor, "I hate to say it, but I think Dawn was attacked by the Ripper!"
"What?!" Sammy said in shock and horror, darting over to her teammate's side. "Why do you think that?"
"Look," the survivalist told her, holding up a few strands of long, pale blonde hair. "It looks like there was some kinda struggle here, and Dawn was on the losing end of it."
"Oh no!" Sammy moaned as a few deeper notes played.
/
The scene changed unceremoniously back to Tyler's pained grimace as his teammates stretched him on the rack. The camera panned to the right to show Ezekiel leaning on the table and watching his friend. "I think I read somewhere that some monks can breathe through their toenails, eh," he said. "I wonder if that's what Tyler's doin'?"
The only answer he got was a click from the box at the head of the torture rack, its panel sliding open to reveal the note inside. "The clue!" Sugar exclaimed excitedly. "Give it here!" She dashed forward and swiped it, her brow furrowing as she looked it over.
"Finally," Ella said as she and Ezekiel unshackled Tyler. "Let's read it and get out of here. Between Alejandro going missing, the stripping, and this torture, this challenge has been just dreadful. We should get it over with as quickly as possible."
"Well then, we gotta get our butts down to some kinda eatin' place," Sugar said before hustling towards the door.
"Coming, Sugar!" Ella called out, giving Tyler one last concerned look before running off as well.
"C'mon, Zeke, let's go," Tyler said, cracking a few joints as he limbered himself up again.
The homeschooler moved to follow, then looked down and stopped in place – the shot moved downwards to reveal that the laces of his left boot had come undone. "Yo, I'll be there in a minute," he called out to his teammates, unaware of the ominous shadow that had just fallen on him. "I just gotta tie my laces, eh!"
/
A flash took the scene to the hallway as Tyler caught up with Sugar and Ella. "What're we looking for, some kind of kitchen?" the jock asked.
"I think it'll be a banquet hall, actually," Ella said before looking back over her shoulder and frowning. "Hold on, wasn't Ezekiel right behind you?"
"Huh?" Tyler said, raising an eyebrow before looking back as well. The camera pulled back as all three stopped in their tracks and saw the empty hall behind them, no sign of their fourth teammate anywhere. "Zeke?" the jock said, louder and with alarm in his voice.
"NOOOOOO!"
The cry that answered was loud, terrified, and most definitely Ezekiel's. It had come from back down the hall, and the background music spiked once more as Tyler, Ella, and even Sugar donned panicked expressions. "No! Zeke!" they cried as one.
/
The shot cut to a close-up of an ornate jewelry box sitting on a table along with some steaks, a cake of some kind, and some dinner rolls. "Yup, that's gotta be it," Shawn said as the camera panned up to show him looking in through a window. The viewpoint moved outside as the survivalist turned to his remaining teammate, saying "One of us just has to go in and get it."
"But what about the Ripper?" Sammy asked, completely on edge as she looked around with wide eyes.
"I'll keep watch for him out here," Shawn told her. "You go and get the next clue."
"But-" Sammy tried to say again, whipping around to face him with fear on her face.
"No buts," he told her sternly, holding up the sack they'd been given. "We have to get that clue to win the challenge, and I have a better shot of fending off the Ripper. As long as we're fast, we should be fine."
Sammy gulped. "O-okay..."
/
The scene flashed inside, Sammy frantically rooting through the jewelry case on the table. "No," she said as she causally tossed a gold toothpick over her shoulder. "No," she repeated with a large diamond ring. "No!" she said a third time, tossing away a large teal jewel. "Where is it?"
A low growl from behind her caused her to jump in fright. "Who's there?" she asked, whipping around and brandishing a large, emerald-studded toothbrush like a weapon. The camera quick-panned over to the source of the growling, revealing a pack of six snarling corgis. "Nice doggies," she said nervously, backing up against the table as they slowly moved towards her.
/
"Where are you, Ripper," Shawn muttered as the camera moved back to him, crouching in a bush outside the banquet hall with the sack slung over his shoulder. "I'm ready for you, so just show yourself." Without warning he rolled to the side and out of the bush, and swung the sack around into both hands. "I've trained most of my life to fight the undead," he called out loudly. "I'm not gonna let you beat me just because you're alive!"
He suddenly rolled forward again, looking back over his shoulder with a smirk. "Just try and catch me off guard!" he yelled out to the open air.
The background music spiked just then as a long dagger flew down from above Shawn, piercing the sack and pinning it to the ground. "Oh crap," he said with wide eyes, quickly turning around and looking up – the perspective rotated with him, revealing the shadowy form of the Ripper perched atop the ornate lintel over the window.
He opened his mouth to shout, but was cut off by the weight of the Ripper pouncing onto him. The two rolled end-over-end over the grass, ending with the Ripper pinning Shawn to the ground with a hand over the struggling survivalist's mouth.
/
The dramatic music ended abruptly as the camera moved back inside the banquet hall, showing the pack of corgis happily enjoying a few steaks. "Well that was easy," Sammy said with a nervous smile as the shot panned up to her. She turned back to the jewelry case and picked up a fabergé egg; after a quick inspection she realized that it could be opened, and that there was a note inside.
"The clue!" she said excitedly, quickly taking the note out and reading it. "The Ripper's most natural place has two levels inside its space. Go use your sack to bring the guy back, at the red starting line to the race." She blinked, then folded it back up. "Huh, maybe Shawn knows what it means."
She turned and ran out the room, the scene flashing outside as she arrived at the spot where Shawn had been keeping watch. "Oh no," she moaned in horror as she picked up the damaged sack, "not Shawn too! What am I supposed to do?!" she cried, gripping her hair in anguish.
/
The footage skipped ahead, showing Tyler leading Sugar and a distraught Ella into the banquet hall. "Okay, this has to be the place," the jock said. "Let's split up and look for the next clue."
"Ooh, I'll check the meal!" Sugar said, eying the food on the table excitedly. Ella wordlessly moved towards another open jewelry case filled with opulent junk, while Tyler tapped his chin then bent over and lifted the tablecloth to look under the table.
Sammy was huddled underneath it, wide-eyed and clutching both her note and the golden toothbrush. "Aah!" she shouted in fear.
"Aah!" Tyler repeated, falling backwards in surprise.
"Sammy?" Ella asked in confusion as she and Sugar bent down to see their former teammate. "What are you doing here?"
"Sorry," Sammy said nervously as she crawled out from under the table. "I was hiding from the Ripper."
The three members of Team Victory gasped. "Oh no! He's not here, is he?" Ella asked, looking around in fear.
"I don't know," Sammy explained, "but I don't wanna find out. I figured I'd hide in here while I tried to figure out the clue, but I really don't know what the point is," she added, the panic rising in her voice. "I mean, he already captured Alejandro, Dawn, and Shawn, and if they couldn't beat him then how am I supposed to?"
"Oh my, that really is distressing," Ella said in concern. "We've lost Ezekiel as well, but I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now."
"Scared, mostly," Sammy told her. "Really...really...scared..."
"Oh, well, you're welcome to come with us," Ella offered. "I know we're on different teams now, but keeping safe should be our top priority. Right?" she asked her teammates.
"Right!" Tyler replied emphatically.
Sugar, on the other hand, had been distracted by the jewelry case. "Huh?" she said, looking back over her shoulder. "Oh, yeah, sure she can come with," she finally answered. "But we gotta work out this clue first!" She held up another fabergé egg, a piece of paper sticking out of a crack in it. "The Ripper's natural place...has two levels inside its space," she read. She muttered the next line unintelligibly, then finished with "red startin' line to the race..."
"Yeah, that's the same as my clue," Sammy said. "But I don't know what it means."
"Ain't it that bus we took here?" Sugar said plainly. "It was red and had two levels, so it's gotta be."
Sammy stared at her blankly. "Oh...that was easier than I thought..."
"Well then, time's a wastin'!" Sugar said. "One of us has to win this challenge!" A few dramatic notes played as she ran off, waving for her team to follow; Sammy, however, bit her lip in hesitation.
/
A tense trilling tune started playing as the scene flashed outside the Tower as Sammy walked out an open door, struggling to carry her oddly-squirming sack over her shoulder. "I hope this works," she told herself. "There's no way I can win this if it doesn't..."
A few deep notes were struck as she walked forward, then suddenly paused and stiffened. The camera swung around in front of her as she glanced backwards; the Ripper was standing in the doorway behind her.
"Stay back," she said fearfully, dropping her sack and turning around in one fluid motion. "I'm warning you!"
With dagger in hand, the Ripper took a step forward.
Sammy gulped. "I warned you," she told the shadowy figure, pulling a steak out from behind her back. "Get 'em, doggies!" she exclaimed, throwing the steak into the confused Ripper's hands and opening the sack. The pack of guard corgis immediately jumped out, noticed the Ripper holding the meat, and growled.
The Ripper's eyes narrowed, and the steak was casually thrown aside. The figure advanced on the dogs, and began a low and animalistic growl. The corgis immediately stopped what they were doing, yiped, then turned and fled right past an utterly stunned Sammy.
"Oh eh gee, I'm toast," Sammy said hopelessly as the Ripper advanced on her.
The camera panned upwards as her shriek filled the air, then back down to Tyler, Ella, and Sugar as they heard it while they ran.
"Well, there goes the competition," Sugar remarked with a half-hidden smile.
"Not again!" Ella said, a horrified look on her face. "I thought she was right behind us!"
"Guess not," Sugar said as the three kept running. "Makes it easier for us, though."
"I don't think it does!" Ella countered, her voice rising with her panic. "The Ripper's taken so many of us, how are we ever going to protect ourselves, much less capture him?" Her terrified expression suddenly faded into dull surprise, and the shot followed her gaze down to see Tyler holding her hand.
"Don't worry," he smiled as the camera panned back up to him, "whatever happens, I promise I'll protect you."
"Oh, thank you," she said with wide-eyed surprise, unable to hide her faint blush.
Sugar rolled her eyes and pursed her lips, then raised her brow in surprise and hope and pointed forward, saying "There's the bus!"
"And there's the Ripper!" Ella shouted, pointing backward even as Tyler led her forward by the hand. "What do we do?"
"You two get to the bus in case there's somethin' there we need," Sugar said. "I'll take care of him." She skidded to a halt and turned to face the Ripper.
"Sugar, no! You can't!" Ella said, calling out in anguish.
"We gotta!" Tyler told her, practically dragging her as he ran forward now. "Like she said, there's might be something on the bus we can use to stop him!"
Ella bit her lip in silent worry, but turned forward again and ran alongside Tyler, the two still holding hands.
The music turned tense as the camera panned back to Sugar, who was cracking her knuckles and grinning darkly as she and the Ripper approached one another.
"Well then, Mr. Ripper," she taunted confidently, "maybe you beat all the others, but you ain't ever tangoed with Sugar before."
An intense drumming battle tune started playing as the two pounced at one another, Sugar's weight giving her the upperhand and allowing her to pin the Ripper as they hit the ground. The Ripper growled fiercely, however, and managed to rock forward with enough strength to reverse the situation.
"Well ain't you a fighter?" Sugar chuckled darkly.
/
The battle music faded back into a light but intense trill as the scene flashed to the inside of the double-decker bus which Ella and Tyler were now trying to search.
"Oh, I hope Sugar's okay," Ella said, on the verge of tears. "Tonight has been awful, having so many of us get attacked. I just wanna wake up from this nightmare."
"Don't worry," Tyler told her as he looked under one of the seats, "it'll be over soon. The dude's gotta be pretty tired by now, so I'm sure Sugar will beat him easy. Then we figure out how we're supposed to capture him, and then everything will be fine!"
Ella forced herself to let out her breath and nod. "Yes, you're probably right, I shouldn't worry about-"
A loud and rapidly-approaching cry of "DAAAANG IIIITTT!" was followed by a dull thud that shook the bus causing its occupants to stumble.
"Sugar!" Ella cried in shock and horror. The background music rapidly grew louder and more terrifying as she and Tyler gasped, then turned to the front of the bus as the door creaked open and the Ripper stepped inside.
Tyler immediately put himself between the Ripper and Ella, arms spread wide and a look of fierce determination on his face. "Don't move, guy!" he told the shadowy figure. "I'm not afraid of you!"
The Ripper's eyes narrowed, and they held up their gleaming dagger and took a step forward. Tyler didn't flinch, which seemed to surprise the figure. It began to growl, and took another menacing step forward.
"I said, don't move!" Tyler yelled, running forward and grabbing the Ripper under the arms. The cloaked figure immediately began to struggle with him, even turning the dagger around and slicing Tyler in the shoulder.
The jock cried out in pain, but didn't let go. "Oh no," Ella gasped, holding her hands close out of fear and worry. "Tyler, please, you don't have to do this! You'll hurt yourself!"
"Maybe I will," the jock grunted as he continued to struggle with the Ripper, keeping the figure from advancing down the bus. "But it's worth it to protect you!"
"But why?" Ella asked in shock. "I mean I'm flattered, but I don't think there's anything I can do right now!"
"I'm not doing this because of the challenge," Tyler said, narrowing his eyes and looking straight at the Ripper, who seemed to be taken aback slightly. "I'm doing this because I love you, and I don't want you to have to do this anymore!"
Ella gasped sharply, shocked so much by the admission that she fell to her knees on the aisle of the bus. The Ripper also looked startled, taking a short step back causing Tyler to slump lean forward a little. As the jock raised an eyebrow in confusion, the Ripper's eyes were seen closing solemnly. Then, after the camera panned up to the raised dagger that was pointing down at the jock, the music spiked dramatically as the weapon was turned around, and the hilt slammed down hard onto Tyler's neck.
He slumped onto the ground with a grunt, and the Ripper stepped over him.
"Tyler, no!" Ella screamed, reaching out towards the fallen jock but quickly retracting her hand as the Ripper jumped forward and narrowed their eyes menacingly at her. "I...I don't suppose I could convince you to let us go with a song, could I?" Ella asked, her voice filled with hope and fear.
The Ripper made no sound, merely taking another step forward.
Ella gulped. "Here goes," she said before taking a deep breath. A light and flowery tune abruptly took over the background music before being cut out by a loud and ominous chanting tune as the Ripper raised the gleaming dagger. The camera zoomed in on the blackness of the singer's open mouth as she let out a very musical scream...
/
A duller tune started playing as the footage skipped ahead to show the jumbo jet in flight once more, flying towards the rising sun. The scene cut inside to first class where Chris and Chef were standing next to a large entertainment center set into the wall; its screen was divided into quarters showing the inside of the double-decker bus, the exterior of the Tower of London, the torture chamber, and the banquet hall.
The two adults leaned to the left, the camera panning to the left and revealing the captured contestants lined up on a long rug against the wall – Sammy holding Dawn tight, Shawn, Ezekiel, Alejandro, and the Ripper dumping Ella and Tyler out of a sack onto a bruised and battered Sugar.
Ella immediately brightened up when she saw everyone. "I'm so happy everyone's okay!"
"I know, right?" Sammy said, holding Dawn even tighter. "I was worried out of my mind, it was such a relief to see that Dawn wasn't hurt."
"Same here," Dawn told her with a smile and blush.
"Yes," Alejandro said calmly as the shot moved on to him, "we were all concerned with each other's safety. Some moreso than others," he added with a pointed look at Tyler as the jock helped singer to her feet.
"Uhh...were you watching, like, everything?" Tyler asked, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh I was," Alejandro answered with a glare.
"Yes, well," Ella interjected, swiftly putting herself between Tyler and Alejandro, "I'm sure we all have things to talk about later. More importantly, I think we'd all like to know who it was that captured all of us." She motioned to the Ripper, standing at the end of their line and being eyed warily by Sugar.
"Yeah, who is he anyway?" the pageant queen asked.
"I'm glad you asked," Chris said as he walked past the contestants and stood next to the Ripper. "If you'd be so kind?" he motioned to the cloaked figure, who nodded and dramatically threw away its hat.
A dramatic beat played as the camera zoomed in on the face of...
"AMY?!" Sammy shrieked, the shot quick-panning away from the beauty-marked and blank expression of the mean twin to the nice twin, who was looking the most horrified she had all night.
"Hah!" Chris laughed as the camera cut back to him. "Not really, I just thought it would be a great joke. The Ripper is really...," he grabbed the mystery figure's face, the camera following his hand as he tore away the rubber Amy mask and leaving the face unseen. The off-screen contestants gasped, and the camera slowly panned back down onto a chubby head with long, pointed brown ears, a thick brown ponytail bound by a red ribbon, and a mouth full of pointed teeth set into a happy grin on a face covered in short brown fur...
The room was silent of even background music as the shot panned back across the utterly stunned campers until it finally reach Dawn staring calmly at the end of the line.
"Staci," she said with a quietness that nevertheless pierced the room.
"Yup! Hi guys!" a familiar voice said as the camera snapped back to the wolfish features of the unmasked Ripper. "Sorry for being so rough," she told them after a happy wave, "but I'm still really happy to be back in the game, yah."
Alejandro cleared his throat and raised a finger to get the host's attention. "Excuse me, Chris? By 'back in the game', does she mean-"
"Uh-huh!" Chris answered immediately and with great mirth.
"We found her eatin' out of a dumpster when we stopped to refuel yesterday," Chef explained as he walked over to Chris and Staci. "Once we saw what she'd become, we brought her on the plane."
"And in the privacy of first class, I offered her a deal," the host added. "If she successfully captured all of you guys before she got captured herself, she could come back in the game. And since she did, congratulations!" He motioned with fake excitement to Staci, who looked overwhelmed by the gesture, the handful of confetti that Chef had tossed over her, and the hesitant-sounding version of the series' usual triumphant music that was playing in the background.
The shot zoomed out again as the triumphant music abruptly cut away to silence and the rest of the cast save Dawn were shown looking at Staci with a blunt sort of shock.
"Umm, sorry," Shawn raised his hand to speak up, "no offense, but Staci doesn't really seem, y'know, human anymore. What happened to her?"
"Oh, yah, it's pretty simple actually," Staci replied with a light handwave. "See, after I was eliminated in Egypt, I totally hitchhiked around visiting all my relative. Like, I managed to get all the way to my second cousin's Uncle Borys in Ukraine, but like the day after I left to visit his brother Mykola in Belarus I stopped for the night in this forest outside this, like, old abandoned town, yah." As she spoke, the camera panned back across the other contestants as they gave one another confused and disbelieving looks.
"And when I woke up, I was totally a werewolf!" Staci said excitedly, causing the most of the other teens to gasp.
"Oh my, you were turned into a werewolf?!" Ella asked in shock.
"Uh-huh!" Staci nodded happily. "Like, I don't really remember how it happened since I guess I was asleep at the time," she looked back over her shoulder and under her right arm, "and I still don't really know where I was bitten since the fur doesn't go away, but I'm still totally a werewolf now. See?" she tore away the rest of her Ripper outfit to reveal her old and slightly-tattered outfit, and more importantly the long furry tail that was sticking out the back and wagging happily. "Isn't it awesome?"
The full cast was shown again, staring blankly for a moment before Alejandro stepped forward and gave the girl a slightly dulled version of his usual charming smile. "Of course! It's so good to have you back, Staci. But tell us, why exactly didn't you just keep visiting your family?"
"Oh, well," she explained, looking somewhat bashful, "I figured that since I was a werewolf now, I should, like, roam around Europe causing trouble and earning some monster cred, yah. But that was totally, like, annoying, so I decided to try and find a boat back to Canada instead. But then I ran into Chris and Chef, which was even better!"
"And then she kicked all your butts in a truly awesome fashion," Chris added, "and the rest is history. Team Universe," the four in question stiffened at the call, "since your team was taken out first, you lose today's competish. Team Victory, even though you also got taken out, you still lasted longer and as such get to stay in first class to our next destination."
Ezekiel, Sugar, Tyler, and Ella began to cheer in excitement as the proper triumphant tune began to play.
"Team Universe," the host turned back to the other team, "head on back to the elimination room, you're voting someone off. And just to make things a little more interesting," he smiled slyly, "you also get Staci on your team! But someone else is gonna have to go."
He pointed a thumb to Alejandro, Shawn, Sammy, and Dawn, the charmer narrowing his eyes and smirking while the middle two uttered a nervous "Uh-oh..." to a single chanted note.
/
A more plodding tune took over as the footage skipped forward to Alejandro and Staci walking through the halls together, headed towards economy class. "I'll admit I never thought much of you before now, but after your performance tonight I am quite impressed. It's an honor to have you on my team."
"Thanks!" Staci said happily. "Honestly, I'm really proud I was able to pull everything off. There were some really tense moments, yah. I was really scared when you showed up before we landed, I thought it was over for me right there."
"Hahaha, well, I suppose it's for the best that you got the better of me," Alejandro laughed. "And since you surely don't know who to vote for, I'd be happy to lend you a hand tonight."
"Ooh, I'd love to be in an alliance!" Staci told him, her wagging tail momentarily distracting him.
"Yes," he told her after regaining his cool. "I just need to talk to one more person...," he lingered in front of the curtained entrance to economy class, just as Sammy walked out looking distracted. "And what do you know, perfect timing!"
"Oh, hi Alejandro..." Sammy said, nervously rubbing her left arm and not meeting Alejandro's devilish gaze. "I didn't see you there..."
"No matter," he said with a dismissive hand-wave as he stood up straight and closed his eyes to compose himself. "I just wanted to know whether or not you'll be honoring our agreement tonight.
"Umm...," Sammy began hesitantly, only for Alejandro to immediately cut her off.
"I'd accept your reluctance if it were Dawn we were voting," he told her, "but as it is not, I expect you honor your alliance. After all, we wouldn't want you to develop a reputation for treachery, now would we Samey?"
A few ominous chanted notes played as the camera zoomed in on Sammy's anxious face.
/
The scene flashed to the elimination chamber, where Chris was standing in front of the open door with an envelope in his hands. A quick set of deep drum beats played, and he began to read. "Aaand, with three votes against him," he announced as the camera panned over to the seats – Alejandro and Staci were seated in the top row, while Dawn sat between Sammy and Shawn in the bottom - "Shawn!"
Both the survivalist and the cheerleader hung their heads, the former in frustration but the latter in sadness and regret.
"It's time to say tally ho," Chris said as the shot cut back to him imitating an English accent. "Pip-pip, cheery-o, toodle-oo~oo!"
"Yeah, I get it," Shawn spat as he stood up. "I'm going."
The sombre elimination music began to play as he walked forward, only for Sammy to grab him by the wrist and pull him into a hug. "I'm really sorry I voted for you," she told him. "I never should have agreed to that alliance..."
Shawn sighed and broke the hug. "Look, I'll get over it," he told her. "Just make sure you don't let Al keep getting to you." He gave the charmer a glare that was easily shrugged off, then turned a softer gaze to the moonchild. "Dawn, I'm counting on you to keep this team in line and free of the undead."
"I'll do my best," the mystic nodded, taking her girlfriend's hand and smiling.
"Right," Shawn nodded, turning and walking towards the door. He accepted the parachute pack that Chris gave him, slipped it on, and paused at the doorway. "So long, you stupid plane!" he said, kicking the wall and jumping out with a whoop and a holler.
Chris watched fall for a few seconds before the feed cut to static.
xxx
"Man," Tyler opened his confessional, the camera zoomed in oddly close, "today was like the most...not extreme..," he said after a moment's thought, "exhilarating? Yeah, today was like the most exhilarating day ever. Between the challenge, and finally telling Ella I love her, I've got just this major buzz going on right now!"
He paused to flash a goofy grin at the camera, which was slowly zooming out as the doorknob clicked and the door swung open and Staci walked in unaware of the room's current occupant.
"Whoa, what the heck happened to the alarm?" Tyler asked, backing up against the far wall with a freaked-out look on his face.
"Oh yah, I guess it's busted or something," Staci said with a shrug before giving the jock a warm smile. "But I'm glad I ran into you, I wanted to talk about what you said on the bus."
"You do?" Tyler asked, raising a brow in confusion as Staci quickly sat down next to him and leaned in close.
"Well yah," she said with a bashful smile. "I mean, I know the others thought you were talking to Ella, but I know by the way you were looking at me who you were really saying those sweet words to."
"You do?" Tyler repeated, freaked out once again as Staci batted her furry eyelashes at him.
"Yah, silly," Staci said playfully. "I don't know how you knew it was me, but you really touched my heart. I love you too, Tyler!"
Before he could respond she'd kissed him, deeply and on the lips.
As if on cue, Ella leaned into the room to the sound of a slide whistle. Her mouth was agape in shock and her wide eyes immediately locked on to Tyler's. The singer's eyes turned to tears and she leaned back out to the slide whistle sound again, and the jock turned his wide eyes to the camera.
xxx
"Whoa-ho-ho!" Chris laughed as the scene zoomed out, the confessional feed appearing on a small monitor screen hanging on the back wall of the cockpit and the dramatic capstone music beginning once more. "That's how you get some drama started," the host told the camera watching him. "Wait until everyone finds out about this one!" he added, earning a chuckle from Chef.
"Will Ella tell all," Chris asked the camera, "and who's gonna fall? Find out next week, on Total! Drama! World Tour!"
(Fade to Credits)
/
/
/
[Bonus Clip]
"Welp, not gonna lie and say I didn't see that coming," Shawn said as he plummeted towards the Earth, his parachute not yet deployed. "I get why Sammy did it, but it still stings getting eliminated because she actually wanted to keep a promise to Alejandro."
It was then that he pulled the cord on his pack, deploying his parachute and drastically slowing his descent. His jar of vegemite popped out with the parachute, and he eagerly grabbed it before it fell away. "Huh, I was wondering where this went," he said with a smile before looking back at the camera. "Pretty good stuff, all things considered. Nice color, too; it'll make good camouflage for when the undead really start rising up and civilization crumbles."
He seemed to have a sudden realization, and turned a troubled look upwards. "And speaking of undead...although to be honest I'm not really sure if werewolves count as undead," he said, looking at the camera again and adding "The sources are a little vague. The point is, if Staci's a werewolf now, the others are gonna have to watch their backs so she doesn't infect them. The last thing the world needs is a plane full of monsters flying around."
He laughed to himself, then added "Chris and Chef are bad enough on their own!"
Author's Note - Post Script
So, any of you review-watchers recall how I mentioned earlier in the season how, between the animal curse, the incredible losing streak, and Feral Zeke only one would be retained in some form, but that you (probably) wouldn't see it coming? Yeah. This is what I was talking about.
I think there was maybe one reviewer who actually guessed that the 'dog that looks like Staci' from the second Aftermath's Total Drama Fugitives really was the girl herself. Perhaps the thought occurred to others, but they never brought it up and so I have no way of telling whether or not it's true. Regardless, this was something I've been planning since the start of the season.
See, I've always felt that the main problem with the Feral Zeke plot wasn't so much him stowing away in secret and popping up in the background from time to time (which was hilarious) but rather that they completely destroyed his humanity in the process. However, he also became a recurring part of the series in the process, with London and Tanzania and the next two seasons, which meant I couldn't just do away with the subplot entirely. So instead, I kept the points that were truly required - that an eliminated contestant became a somewhat monstrous recurring entity - and merely tacked them on to existing characterization instead of replacing them wholesale.
Thus, Staci retains everything that makes her Staci, it's just that she's now a werewolf...or so she believes anyway. Regardless, she's still a usable and complex character which I hope everyone will at the very least warm up to.
Speaking of Staci, her returning here was something I new I wanted early on - if canon had the outcome where the Ripper failed, then why not explore the outcome where the Shuffled Ripper succeeds? Which, incidentally, is why this episode wasn't a reward as so many of you predicted. I was actually going to have another double elimination just to get the numbers right for the merge again, but I didn't end up liking what that would have to require.
As such, with a heavy heart, I decided to eliminate Shawn here. I hope you all aren't too mad at me.
Other than that, all I have to mention is the Shuffled take on the infamous kiss scene from canon, which is one of my favorite parts of the season if only because of of Tyler. As you can tell, though the reactions between the three involved here are much different than in canon...
Oh, and if it wasn't obvious the song is just a shuffled version of 'Changing Guard Mix', so there's not a lot to talk about with it.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this rather twisted chapter, so let me know what you think and I'll see you all next Friday.
- Fangren
Appendix: TSWT Eliminated Contestants
Staci - (RETURNED)
Beardo - (17th Place)
Lightning - (16th Place)
Dawn - (Quit Unofficially | RETURNED)
Bridgette - (15th Place)
Geoff - (14th Place)
Scott - (13th Place | Disqualified)
Scarlett - (12th Place)
Sierra - (11th Place)
DJ - (10th Place)
Shawn - (9th Place)