Chapter 39

"Of course I'll marry you, Gwen. Sierra? Don't worry, she had a terrible roller skating accident."

Gwen opened one eye and looked over to see Cody sleeping on the other side of the Economy Class with a big smile on his face.

"No need to wonder what he's dreaming about." Gwen muttered as she sat up. "Where's Sierra when you need her?"

"You voted her off, remember?"

Gwen looked up to see Duncan sitting next to her. "Why are you here?"

"It's an Economy Class and it's the only place you can get any sleep on this plane." Duncan pointed out. "Plus I'm not allowed in the First Class because of your friends."

"Whatever." Gwen rolled her eyes.

"By the way, what's with you this season?" Duncan changed the subject.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't seem...interested in winning at all. You look like you've been distracted, like a lot. You haven't talked a lot to me or anyone else except your friends." Duncan pointed out.

"I was trying to keep them safe from most of Chris's torture, I had nothing to say to Heather or Courtney, Cody's still has his mega crush on me and then there's you..." Gwen trailed off.

"What about me?" Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"You've been fighting Courtney since Egypt and before that I heard you two had a fling on DJ's bus. When are you guys going to stop with that?" Gwen glanced at Duncan.

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned we're over for good this time." Duncan scowled. "She can't make me do anything I don't want to do."

"Just as you couldn't do anything to make her more like you." Gwen pointed out. "All the times you tried to get her to enjoy the things you like, such as horror movies and vandalism."

"Yeah, kind of like you." Duncan smirked.

"Don't flatter yourself." Gwen scoffed. "I know you'll keep fighting, probably flirt with a couple more girls just to piss her off before...the both of grow tired of it and simply move on or when someone goes too far and you hate each other for the rest of you lives."

"Aren't you being little bit...cold? We're just trying to show each up." Duncan shrugged. "Not that anything she'll ever do will work."

"This is why I didn't want to be involved. Too much drama, even on this stupid show." Gwen drawled. "Not to mention the fact that I was caught up between you two already last season."

"Oh come on! We had fun!" Duncan replied.

"We did and for some reason people were really not happy about that." Gwen shook her head. "I don't want to give up on our friendship, Duncan, but this little love tension thing between you and Courtney. Just keep that between you two, don't drag me or anyone else into it."

"Okay..." Duncan smirked. "Does this mean we can actually do something fun around here?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Stick some fire ants down Alejandro's pants?"

Gwen smirked. "Now that you mention that..."

Xxx

Confessional: Gwen

"I know Duncan and I were friends last season but I really don't want to be caught up in some stupid love triangle. Now that him and Courtney have broken up again I'm not sure if that'll get that target off my back or not. At least he wants Alejandro gone as much as a I do."

End Confessional

Xxx

"Cody, you have a moment?"

Cody stopped as he walked past the kitchen and saw Alejandro leaning against the wall. "Uh...I'm kind of in a hurry."

"That's okay. This won't take long." Alejandro replied as he examined his finger nails. "Tell me, just how long have you been crushing on Gwen?"

"Uh...oh...well, since the first season honestly. But she wasn't interested." Cody rubbed the back of his head. "She was crushing on Trent around that time."

"Ah yes. I remember. That relationship didn't end too well did it?" Alejandro asked.

"No...wait, they sorted it out. You know, after Trent explained the whole number nine thing. It was just a huge misunderstanding." Cody quickly explained. "But I guess now that she's free there's no harm in trying."

"What about Duncan?" Alejandro pointed out.

"Him?" Cody asked, laughing nervously for some reason. "Come on! She's not interested in him at all! She said so!"

Alejandro sighed as he held out a picture. "I didn't want to show you this."

He handed the picture to Cody who looked at.

His eyes widened in what looked like terror. "No..."

"Afraid so. Apparently Duncan wastes no time." Alejandro commented.

The picture showed what looked like Duncan and Gwen on the same bench, sleeping with Gwen's head on Duncan's shoulder. Alejandro smirked at the horrified look on Cody's face.

Xxx

Confessional: Alejandro

"Ah, the wonders of Photoshop."

Xxx

Confessional: Cody

"(Sobbing)Why?! Why?!"

End Confessional

Xxx

'About time we landed.' Gwen sighed as she stepped out of the plane.

"Welcome to Drumhellar Alberta. A world heritage site. It has the wickedest pile of dinosaur bones on the planet. In front of you is an giant pite with lots of ancient dinosaur bones. Grab whatever bones you can find to make your own life sized dino. I'm calling it, Design-O-Saurus!" Chris announced.

"Where's a meteor to wipe out his stupid lines?" Elliot complained.

"Don't ask." Gwen sighed. "Just deal with it."

"I know. They should pay just to come up with titles. I am that good." Chris grinned.

In the meantime Duncan noticed Cody was glaring darkly at him. "What's your problem?"

Alejandro quickly put a hand on Cody's shoulder and whispered. "Remember strategy. Wait."

"You have two minutes to look through the plane's cargo hold and find whatever you can to help build your creations. And...GO!" Christ pointed to the plane.

Just before Duncan was ready Cody pushed him aside and knocked him down. "Hey!"

Gwen noticed Duncan falling down as she started running. "Since when does Cody do something like that?"

They were all in the plane, looking for anything they could use to dig up dinosaur bones.

"Check it out. Glitter glue, stickers, puffy paint!" Elliot laughed as she pulled out a box of contents.

"Um...Elly, we're making dinosaurs, not Grade three art projects." Gwen pointed out.

As Cody walked past her, she noticed him glaring at her.

"Wow, Gwen. Did you do something mean to him?" Elliot asked.

"No. I didn't do anything." Gwen shook her head. "At least I think I didn't do anything."

"Cody's aurs suggests you did and whatever it was he believes that Duncan was a part of it." Dawn said as she pulled out a huge pile of paper.

"But how could..." Gwen's eyes widened. "Alejandro!"

Xxx

"Yo-yo! The Zeke's digging up dinos!" Ezekiel shouted as he pulled a bone out of the ground.

"Awesome!" Duncan laughed as he pulled what looked like a skeleton hand.

Gwen picked up what looked like tooth. "Perfect."

"It resembles perfectly what is meant to be." Dawn smiled.

"Cool." Cody said as he finished his work.

"I am so winning!" Elliot shouted happily.

"Devilishly handsome, just me like me." Alejandro chuckled.

"Okay! Times up! Show me what you got for your dinosaur creations. Alejandro, you're first!"

Alejandro's creation was actually the real skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

'Impressive.' Dawn thought.

Dawn's was actually a Triceratops, since she didn't believe these remains should be disrespected by making them into something demeaning. Gwen's looked like a mix between a Raptor and a Phterodactyle with the wings come out of the Raptor's back, making it resemble a winged demon. Duncan's resembled a gargoyle with a Triceratops head as a shield. Ezekiel's...

It looked like a pile of rocks put together.

Cody's was made fossilized dinosaur waste instead real bones, something he was horrified when he found out.

And Elliot's resembled an angel somehow, built like a human with wings on the back but it's obvious the legs were Pterodactyl legs instead of humans, it was all sparkled up with all the decorations Elliot had made.

"All right, everyone. It's Judgment Day! And we're going to have very special judges: you!"

"Huh?"

"That's right! You are going to judge your own creations but with a shocking twist of course! What would this be without them?" Chris rhetorically asked.

"An actual success?" Elliot asked with smirk.

Chris huffed at that.

Xxx

Gwen looked at the battery attached to the chair she was strapped to. "What's with the battery? You know if you shock me and the others over one little lie then we could get brain damage?"

"Relax. All you have to do is tell the truth." Chris chuckled.

"Something I bet you've never done in your whole life." Gwen mused.

"Whatever, it's time to vote for your favourite dinosaur." Chris waved her comment off.

"Fine...I pick...Elliot's. It's unique, it looks real and..." Gwen bit her lip. "I think the glitter makes it sparkle like a real angel."

"Oh thank you, Gwenny!" Elliot ran up and hugged Gwen tightly. "I knew you'd like it!"

Dawn was next and she answered honestly that she liked Elliot's the best. Almost everyone liked Elliot's, even Alejandro and Duncan but the latter tried to deny it and got shocked.

"As the winner, Elliot gets this handy dandy Post-Digger." Chris gestured to the Digger as Chef brought it up to Elliot.

"Oh cool!" Elliot said as she tried to lift it. "Daddy's going to flip when sees me with it! I'll be careful dad!" She waved at the camera.

Xxx

When the commercial break was over the group was back in front of the plane.

"Welcome back to resource rich Alberta. The interns were supposed to burry these barrels of maple syrup, sugar, spiders and rattle snakes." Chris banged on one of the barrels, scaring the contestants when snakes started hissing. "But, long story short, the interns buried our reserve fuel barrels instead."

He knocked the barrel over, dumping rattle snakes and spiders on the two interns. He turned back to the contestants, ignoring the screams.

"Since Gwen came in second she gets this old prospector kit." Chris tossed them at her.

"Cody comes in third place because his creation was so funny." Chris handed a simply bucket and toy shovel.

"A kitty pale and shovel?" Cody asked.

"You're welcome. And for those in dead last." Chris continued.

"How are we in dead last? Duncan, I understand but me and Dawn created the only original dinosaurs." Alejandro protested.

"You'd think so." Chris held up his whistle. "The first one to find the barrel of my oil win immunity."

"There must be like twenty square miles of bad lands. It's like looking for a needle in twenty square miles of bad lands." Cody protested.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that we'll be pummeling you with the occasional boulder." Chris laughed. "Funny right?"

"If someone threw a rock at you would anyone laugh?" Elliot asked.

"I would!" Nearly everyone said at the same time.

Chris blew his whistle, signalling the start of the challenge.

Xxx

"Hey, Gwen."

Gwen turned to see Elliot and Dawn holding the post-digger. "Yeah?"

"Want to help us dig? Dawn said she's already found the oil barrel." Elliot gestured to Dawn.

"Really? How the heck did you do that?" Gwen asked.

"It's very simple actually. You only needed to look at the ground and see if it had been disturbed." Dawn explained.

Gwen smirked and nodded. "Sure. Anything to get out of the sun. I think I might get burned again soon."

She turned and glanced at Cody who was giving her a small glare. "Okay, why have you been glaring at me like that? I'm not going to stand around and take it for no reason."

"You mean you've already forgotten?" Cody asked rhetorically.

"Forgotten what? Your birthday?" Gwen shrugged.

"...Well, actually...I think today is my birthday!" Cody's eyes widened when he realized he had forgotten his own birthday. "Holy! I can't I forgot my own birthday! I usually remember, even when my parents forget!"

"Your parents forget your own birthday?" Gwen and Elliot asked at the same time.

"...Uh..." Cody started to blush a little. "Last year my parents forgot my birthday...I didn't think I'd forget about it this year but we've been so..."

"Busy getting tortured?" Gwen offered.

"Sure, that. Busy getting tortured." Cody chuckled.

"Well, now we finally have a smile." Gwen smirked. "So what was with the glares, sour puss?"

"Well..." Cody looked up. "LOOK OUT!"

He pulled Gwen out of the way as a boulder fell on where she was standing. They fell on the ground and Gwen felt a picture fall onto her face.

She pulled it off her and looked at it. "Huh? Where did this come from?"

"What is?" Elliot looked at it. "You cuddled with that Three Day's Grace reject?!"

"No I didn't." Gwen looked at the picture carefully. "This was looks like it was Photoshopped! You can tell by looking at it!"

"Photoshopped?" Cody asked with shock and hope in his voice.

"Yeah. Look at it," Gwen showed him the picture. "My hair and face are leaning against Duncan's shoulder but there's no evidence there if you look at it. My hair would be pressed against my face, harder to see if that was the case. Who gave this to you?"

Cody gasped. "Alejandro!"

"So the creep was trying to set me up. Probably to get you to vote for me or Duncan." Gwen scowled. "Chris was right, he is perfect for Heather."

"He is so going down!" Elliot shouted as she started the drill.

The drill was on only for a few seconds before it hit something.

"We hit something!" Dawn called out.

They lifted the drill to see what they had found.

"It's a barrel of oil!" Elliot exclaimed. "Yes!"

"That was fast!" Gwen smirked.

"Cool!" Elliot and Gwen lifted the barrel out of the ground and wheeled it to Cody. "Here you go!"

"Huh?" Cody asked.

"Your birthday present." Gwen explained.

"But..." Cody tried to protest.

"It is impossible to change our minds, Cody. This is our gift to you and you can repay us by helping to vote off Alejandro in the next elimination." Dawn pointed out.

"So take it and say thank you like a good birthday boy." Gwen crossed her arms and gave him a mock-stern look.

"...Thank you." Cody smiled and wheeled the barrel towards the plane. "I'll pay you girls back, I promise!"

He quickly wheeled the barrel towards the plane.

"So Dawn, how long before you can help us find ano-"

"Found one!" Dawn called out.

"Why do I even ask?" Gwen sighed.

Xxx

This challenge a little more simple than all the other challenges that Chris had put them through today. Gwen chalked it up to the fact that the interns had buried the gas reserves and Chris was just happy to be getting off the plane. Things didn't end too well, Duncan had found an oil tanki just before a boulder fell on top of him, breaking his leg. That had really put a damper on the celebrations as Gwen and the others were sure they'd get rid of Alejandro today.

'The good news is that Duncan's injury confirms he's not the Avatar of Nebula. If it was then there would have been a reaction to Duncan's injury. Nebula would either have to leave or heal Duncan to avoid Avatars like Jimmy and anyone else working behind the scenes who are watching.' Gwen thought.

'Yes. Now that leaves only three.' Andromeda confirmed.

'Alejandro, Ezekiel, and Cody.' Gwen nodded. 'It'll be much easier now...Andromeda, do you feel something...hot?'

Gwen stopped and smelled smoke in the air. "What the hell?"

"The chase ends here Avatar!"

Gwen spun around and saw a dark shadowed figure hiding in the cargo section of the plane.

'Nebula!' Andromeda shouted in Gwen's mind.

She could see a golden aura surrounding the mystery person's form and instantly knew she was standing before the Avatar of Nebula.

"Time to end this. With a good bye present for everyone." The Avatar said with a sinister tone.

"Everyone?" Gwen asked.

"CHEF! GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS! NOW!" Chris screamed.

Gwen spun around and ran into the elimination hall just in time see smoke cover the place.

"We got to get out before the plane expl-" Gwen started but it was too late.

BOOM!

That was the moment when the Total Drama Jumbo Jet exploded with everyone on it.