Chapter 40
The first thing Gwen heard when the darkness shrouding her vision was the ringing before she finally opened her eyes.
"Uh..."
'Gwen!' Andromeda's voice rang through her head, unintentionally aggravating her already pounding headache.
'Andromeda...Was I standing next to a bomb?' Gwen thought as she slowly opened her eyes.
The sun was shining down her eyes and made her raise a hand to block out the blinding light.
'Close enough. Nebula has finally made a move and attempted to blow up the plane with everyone inside it.' Andromeda answered.
"MY PLANE! MY BEAUTIFUL PLANE!" Chris wailed as he fell to his knees. "The hot tub with my name spelled out in Italian tiles gone…My monogrammed sneakers gone…My custom calibrated stubble trimmer…Gone."
"Could we continue this game?" Alejandro asked, sounding impatient.
"You…with all of your selfish thoughts, thinking of only yourselves!" Chris threw his hands up in frustration.
"Pot, Kettle, Chris." Elliot mumbled.
"OH SHUT IT!" Chris shouted, surprising everyone.
"It's true and you know it, fool!" Chef walked up to the crying Chris.
"What about the bigger humanitarian crisis? How am I supposed to keep this handsome face without my hyperbolic chamber?" Chris whined pathetically.
"We got more important things to do." Chef went through the pile of metal and pushed out a large metal box.
"MY EMERGENCY KIT! I'M SAVED!" Chris hugged it like it was his own child.
Xxx
Confessional: Elliot
"Okay, I'm wondering why I agreed to sign onto this show in the first place. The host just became a drama queen with the mentality of a five year old!"
End Confessional
Xxx
'Well I guess everyone made it out if he's not worried about getting his sued if one of us was dead.' Gwen dryly thought as she sat up.
She looked down and realized she had been passed out on a boulder with one of the wings from the jet had landed next to her and it was close she could feel the leftover heat from the explosion from the wing's burning edge.
'I hate to think what would I happen if I was touching it.' Gwen winced as she stood up.
"WHO FORGOT TO TURN THE DAMN STOVE OFF?!" Chris roared as he marched through the wreckage.
Gwen took the moment to step back in surprise as she saw the look of anger on Chris's face, something she didn't see very often.
'Sadly enough he actually has good reason to be angry.'
"Someone left the stove on and it overheated up to the point a fired and THEN THE FIRED BURNED OUR FUEL!" Chris shouted.
"It wasn't us!" Elliot called back from somewhere behind Gwen.
"What happens now?" Cody asked, pushing a piece of debris off his back.
"What happens now is…GWEN!" Chris glared at Gwen.
"What?" Gwen suddenly felt freaked out by Chris's glare.
"You were the only one not present at the elimination and you were heading for the kitchen!" Chris pointed at Gwen.
"So? That doesn't mean I was the one who left the stove on!" Gwen protested. "How do you know one of the interns didn't do it?"
"Because they're banned from the kitchen so you were the only one in that kitchen at all today!" Chris explained with a pointed glare. "You obviously turned on the stove and forgot to turn it off!"
"I never went anywhere near the stove! I smelled something burning and was running to find out why!" Gwen shouted.
"Nice try but I'm not an idiot!" Chris waved a finger at her.
'Want to bet?' Gwen rhetorically thought.
"As of right now, Gwen is out of the game!"
"WHAT?!" Cody, Dawn, and Elliot shouted.
'Well, this saves me a lot of trouble.' Alejandro thought with a smirk.
"That's right. Now, without the plane you cannot get to the final challenge that it's in Hawaii where the prize money is. Anyone who gets there will take part in the final challenge." Chris continued on, ignoring the angered looks on Gwen, Dawn, and Elliot's faces.
'That smug bastard doesn't care if I'm innocent or not! He's just kicking me out as an excuse to keep the show running. And how the hell does he expect anyone to get to Hawaii when we're stuck in the middle of the Drumheller?' Gwen growled.
"How do we get to Hawaii?" Cody asked.
"Figure it out." Chris shrugged as he pulled out a remote. "Or better yet why don't you ask Gwen since she blew up my damn plane!"
"I didn't blow it up!" Gwen shouted.
"How are we supposed to continue the competition?" Alejandro asked.
"Whatever. " Chris pressed the button on the remote and the box opened up to reveal a two seated helicopter. "The challenge this time around is about you guys figuring out how to get to Hawaii by your lonesome!"
"But we stuck in the middle of nowhere!" Cody cried out.
"True, so check these fancy GPS systems I'm generously giving you!" Chris threw walkie talkies to Cody, Dawn, Elliot, Alejandro, and Ezekiel.
"It says here we're in the middle of Alberta." Ezekiel said when he looked at the map.
"Set them for Tijuana Beach. It's right on the Mexican border of the United States. Now get moving, go!" Chris shouted.
Chef got into the helicopter and started it up.
"See you there." Chris waved at them as he got onto the helicopter.
"Hold on. If I'm out of the game I need a ride home." Gwen pointed out.
"You get nothing." Chris glared at her.
"What?!" Gwen's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.
"You blew up my plane, let the rodents take you home." Chris closed the door as the helicopter. "So make like you took the Drop of Shame and figure it out on your own!"
"YOU BASTARD!" Gwen shook her fist at the helicopter. "If I ever get the chance I'll drop a boulder on your mop styled head!"
The helicopter flew away leaving the annoyed teens in the middle of a desert.
'That cheap bastard. If I ever get my hands on him-' Gwen was cut off as her cell phone suddenly rang. "Wait, did I get my cell phone back-Kurt!"
"Is that your cell phone?" Cody asked.
"Yeah, and only one person could be calling." Gwen shook her head.
When she opened her cell and looked at the caller ID she saw a picture of annoying looking red head grinning at her.
Gwen sighed and answered. "…Kurt, how did you get me cell phone without me or the cameras looking? I better not find out you went through my clothes while I was in France."
"Paranoid much, Gwen? And I thought we were passed that." Kurt commented and Gwen could just see him smirking on his end. "I'm looking at the TV and I see you've been unfairly eliminated. Can't have you starving and dehydrating in the middle of Drumheller now can we?"
"You're not sending Carlos to pick me up again, are you?" Gwen groaned.
"Don't worry, Carlos is busy elsewhere but we need you in Hawaii anyways."
"And how do I get there? I have no transportation and no one to help me?" Gwen asked rhetorically.
"There is an Avatar Sanctuary north of your location, it's not too far. Perhaps just a fifteen minute walk."
"Excuse me?"
Gwen turned around and saw Jimmy standing behind her. "Y-yes?"
"We have an emergency jeep behind those rocks. Studio rules state we have to take all eliminated contestants home."
"Or just take Jimmy's jeep." Kurt commented.
"When do you have a jeep?" Gwen ignored Kurt.
"Don't ask/Don't ask." Both Avatars answered at the same time.
Gwen shook her head. "Why do I even bother anymore?"
She hung up without saying goodbye, knowing she'd be seeing Kurt soon. The redhead just loved popping out of nowhere with ridiculous timing.
"Gwen?" Cody asked, shaking Gwen from her thoughts.
Gwen looked at everyone except for Alejandro staring at her. "It's all right. Just someone who owes me a favor offering to help me get home. Don't worry about me, just make sure Alejandro does not win."
"Okay!" Elliot quickly hugged her before taking off. "See ya at the end, Gwenny!"
Gwen smiled as they all ran off before walking behind a large rock to see Jimmy sitting in a jeep, waiting for her. "Why am I not surprised you are here? Were you hiding here the whole time?"
"Have you seen the way Chris treats his interns? I'm lucky that I snuck away before he realized I stole this jeep." Jimmy pointed out as he put the key into the ignition.
"How'd you steal this jeep from Chris? He had cameras all over the plane." Gwen hopped onto the passenger seat.
"I offered a soda to the camera operator." Jimmy shrugged. "He was seriously pissed with Chris, somethin' about dating and dumping his sister…all three of them…at the same time."
Gwen rubbed her head. "How the hell does Chris find the time to pull this crap off?"
"Beats me babe, now let's ride. Got shit to do and a sanctuary to find…oh and Gwen? Did Kurt tell you about the security systems he has set up there?" Jimmy asked, causing Gwen's heart to plummet.
"Kurt…set up the security…at the sanctuary." She groaned.
"Oh don't worry, Carlos should be there already to shut them off before we get there." Jimmy assured her, causing her to only hold her head in her hands and let out a long pained groan.
"Ohhhhh god."
"Come on Gwen, it's not like Carlos is gonna forget."
Xxx
Five minutes later.
Ring-ring-ring-ring-ring
"Kurt's Assassination Services-I mean electronics shop." Kurt answered his cell phone. "Oh hey Carlos, suuuup? Are you at the sanctuary yet?" He paused in the middle of building what looked like a wrist mounted blade. "Wait, what? What do you mean you couldn't open the front gate? You set off the bombardment?! You know I only added that as a private joke, right? How'd you do that?!...oh, oh…I see. Well you did manage to survive it at least so-oh wait, no no no Gwen and Jimmy are on their way. Of course it matters!"
He sighed. "Carlos, we all die sooner or later. How about after this I let you go mess with that mop head of a host? He kicked her off….yeah, scape goating." He nodded. "I know how much you and Warhawk like punishing unfairness. Okay then! See you then…and apply the cream to the burn on your back every two hours. The bombs had a specially made gun powder that involved magical energies, so you'll want to make sure not to go into demon form until after it's all healed up….oh stop whining you big baby!"
Kurt paused. "Oh yeah? Well I'll see you at your funeral too then!"
He hung up.
"…so rude."
Xxx
"Carlos why the hell are you calling me for? I'm driving man, and I'm pretty sure even here I can get pulled over for this crap!" Jimmy complained, using one hand to drive.
"Look guys, I need you go in through the back gate and open this thing up through the backup console." Carlos explained.
"Wait, there's a backup console?" Jimmy asked as the sanctuary came into view.
"Oh sure, yeah! Should be two minutes away from you guys and hidden by a camouflage method to make it look like a boulder." Carlos instructed him. "Hand the phone to Gwen, I need somebody sober to follow instructions."
Jimmy handed the phone to the teen. "It's for you."
"Okay Carlos what did you do to spring Kurt's death trap and how do I avoid it?" Gwen sighed, leaning back in her seat as Jimmy slid to a stop by a large boulder.
Carlos answered as explosions rang out in the background. "Just enter the secondary command room and I'll guide you through it! Oh and Gwen?"
Gwen climbed out with Jimmy. "Yeah?" She asked as Jimmy began to remove the method.
"Remind to plant a bomb in Kurt's bedroom when we get back to Canada. Seriously, my back is itching like tomorrow's a dream!"
"Okay…too much information." Gwen sighed as the boulder was replaced by a stair case that led down below the sands. Somehow not a single grain slid down into the passage. "Okay, we're in." They began to descend into darkness. "Where to now?"
"Well if I remember how Kurt's systems work exactly, there'll be a-whoa crap hold on! INCOMING!" The ground rumble around them as another explosion rang out from Carlos' end of the link before he spoke. "Okay, right! I'm good now! Okay, there'll be a computer at the bottom of the steps, and the password will be 'Squishy'."
"….the hell?" Gwen blinked as they reached said computer, which was built into a stone wall.
"I know, bear with me. I think it was some pet name his girlfriend had for him or a pet gerbil." Carlos proposed. "Now I need you to hurry and shut off the security system and open the gate. I can't take much more of this crap and if you don't shut this stuff off I'm gonna go Demon and wreck the entire sanctuary!"
Gwen quickly typed the password in. "Okay, password in and it says that the off switch is the big red lever here-" Carlos interrupted her.
"Wait a second Gwen, it's a bit more complicated than that!" He warned her.
Gwen nodded. "Believe me Carlos I know, I've seen enough of his security at his shop."
"Alright, here is what you need to do first!" Carlos said as loud hissing came from the background on his side. "Okay, first press 'security system'. Push the button straight down and pull straight back up. If you think that the screen has glitched in any way, shape or form don't pull the handle. Instead unplug it, count to thirty and try again."
"I don't see a plug," Jimmy whispered to Gwen.
"And if the alert symbol comes on the screen, you and Jimmy will have VERY little time." Carlos said before a pig squealing was heard through the phone. "CURSE YOU KURRRRT! Seriously, demonic piggies?! Where the hell does that come from?!"
"Uh…what do we do if we see the alert symbol?"
"Bug the hell out. Fly, don't run or walk. Just FLY." Carlos urged her, sounding winded. "Oh…and could you please hurry?! I'm running out of cover and the Demon Piggy is making a poor shield against the ecto bombardment artillery."
Trying to put the idea of just what Kurt had armed this place with out of her head, Gwen pushed down on the button and didn't see any glitches. "Okay…next?"
"Well if the computer screen hasn't glitched just pull the lever. This will open up ALL of the doors in the sanctuary."
"Okay who the hell put Kurt in charge of building this?" Gwen demanded as she obeyed the instruction.
The wall slid up and out of sight, showing a nicely furnished hall that made her think she was in a hotel as she and Jimmy stepped forward into the sanctuary.
"Let me tell you this: it was not any of the leading Avatars you've met thus far." Carlos informed her. "And unfortunately for them, they mixed the system for the toxin dispensation up with the food dispensers. And if you and Jimmy get curious or peckish, do NOT ask for apple pie. Ask Bobby, one particular incident caused him to be sworn off pies forever…on the bright side he dropped about twenty pounds thanks to it."
Jimmy exhaled. "Well, least we have a heads up….where's the mini bar?"
"Okay, the door opened." Carlos said, sounding relieved. "Now I can get in safely and-OH MY GOD!" Screeches could be heard. "Oh no, not the monkeys! I HATE MONKEYS!" He could be heard battling the primates, cursing Kurt's name repeatedly. "Gwen I have to go, he somehow gave these things Ecto Launchers on their backs! I swear PETA is gonna be on our asses if they ever find-"
The line went dead.
"…" Jimmy set a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, he's Carlos."
Gwen pocketed the phone. "I just have one last thing to ask…what was Kurt's mother on while pregnant with him?"
"Won't try to wonder myself," Jimmy shrugged. "I have enough problems on my back as is, last thing I need is crap from either Kurt or Carlos. You know those two are kind of the black sheep among Avatars for a reason, right? Kurt for his designs and Carlos for….being Carlos."
"Yeah, I know that better than anyone." Gwen shook her head. "So now what?"
"Now, we book you a flight to Hawaii disguised as a ride from the Total Drama Studio so they won't get suspicious." Jimmy replied as he sat down on a nic looking couch.
"But I was kicked off." Gwen pointed out.
"Yes, and all eliminated contestants were moved to Hawaii to play a part in the final challenge." Jimmy explained.
"Really? Even DJ?" Gwen asked, remembering that DJ and his mother had decided to move back to Jamaica.
"Yep." Jimmy nodded. "It's a big challenge and I hear that the eliminated contestants will help to give the finalists an advantage in the challenge."
"That means Alejandro can expect help from probably Heather and the girls he managed to charm. Dawn and Elliot, I can see Izzy helping Elly out and I know they must hate Alejandro right now for all the crap he has pulled this season. I'm not sure who they will want to win more: Cody, Ezekiel, or Elliot and Dawn." Gwen reasoned. "And I still haven't figured who was Nebula's Avatar, even when they tried to kill us when they blew up the plane."
"Did you get a good look?" Jimmy asked.
"No." Gwen shook her head. "It was dark and I think they used a Shadow Method to cover themselves."
"At least you weren't killed. I hate to think what would have happened if anyone died in the blast." Jimmy shrugged. "Elliot and Dawn can look after themselves. They managed to after you were left behind in France."
"Don't remind me." Gwen rolled her eyes. "I still owe Carlos a splitting headache for abducting me on live TV."
"Get in line, Gwenny!"
Both Avatars turned to see Carlos walking into the room…
And he looked like Hell.
His clothes were burned, scorches, and dirty with a bit of smoke rising from his hair and Gwen and Jimmy were both surprised to see what looked like a giant mouse trap attached Carlos's foot.
"…Carlos?" Gwen shook her head. "What's with the mouse trap? Did you meet Jerry's giant cousin out there or something?"
"Oh I wish…I wish." Carlos sighed. "Now if you would kindly pardon me….nappy time." His eyes rolled back before he collapsed forward onto the floor, lying face down. Between each snore he muttered something.
"Z….Curse you Kurt….Z…..five minute break…Z….smoke if you got 'em." He mumbled.
"Yeesh," Jimmy muttered. "What kind of traps did Kurt set up here? It's worse than at his shop!"
"Kindly do not remind me." A deep voice carried from Carlos' pocket as his pocket knife floated up and out of it. An image appeared around it, resembling a man clad in armour from head to toe, hiding any features beneath. His hands grasped the hilt of a large sword, the tip resting against the floor. "Merlin chose perhaps too well when he selected his avatar."
"Warhawk?!" To say Gwen was shocked was an understatement. "I didn't know Spirits could manifest like this!"
"There is a lot you will learn as you further synchronize your very soul with Andromeda's, Gwen." Warhawk replied. "Carlos had ample time to reach this level through training…good old fashioned field training of course." Gwen recalled how Carlos' idea of training was going out on missions that were considered 'softy assignments', something that had given him far too much time in the field in the beginning even compared to Gwen.
"I assume that you are closing in on the Avatar of Nebula." Warhawk rumbled.
"I wish," Gwen sighed. "I was just a few feet from him when the plane blew up. I got blamed and kicked off! Now Dawn and Elliot are racing around the world to get from here to Hawaii of all places."
Warhawk's golden image took on a red tint as he tightened his grip on the sword. "I wish it were Carlos and I racing to dispense punishment to this cretin. He has the blood of the Marauder's victim on his hands," The spirit hissed. "And he is the key to Carlos finally getting his hands on the coward. Do try to take him alive if you can…or find any residual spiritual scent on him that could assist us."
"I'll do what I can, supposing I get anywhere near the guy." Gwen nodded. "I'm more worried about Elliot and Dawn getting all the way to Hawaii without a plane or a method of transportation. All they have is a GPS, and with them being on live TV they can't use a portal or any of their powers."
"Have faith Gwen, they do not rely on their powers; nor do you." Warhawk said, tilting his helmet clad head. "However…perhaps I might be in position to assist you. Even with Carlos rather…indisposed I have numerous abilities at my disposal that could help you to finally capture this avatar of Nebula."
"Like…?"
"For one…I could help you to set up a trap that will leave him in Carlos' capable hands." Warhawk let out a low chuckle that made Gwen shudder, sensing the blood lust in the spirit. "Long before Nebula dies, he will talk…his avatar will be spared if you wish, but Nebula has caused far too much suffering to be shown mercy. He faces the dragon after he tells all that can be told of the Marauder and the Black Star. Anything we learn will be passed directly to you."
He leaned forward. "Do we have an accord, Gwen?"
Gwen immediately nodded. "Got it! Totally. Yes sir!"
"Grand!" Warhawk sounded pleased. "Now then, I know that the contestants have all separated. Each one will use their own method to reach Hawaii. This gives you time, as the Avatar of Nebula will not risk using their powers in view of the world. It also means you will have time to reach the island before that bothersome man Christopher McLean and his cameras."
"Sweet, what's the plan?" Gwen asked.
Warhawk held up one hand, an orb of flame appearing in his palm. "This fire is part of a two way teleportation method, not unlike the Hexagons you use. However, it is personalized, to teleport whoever it strikes to the location of my Avatar. Find the Avatar of Nebula, draw them out, strike them with this and Carlos and I shall handle the rest."
"That's it? How will I draw the avatar out?" Gwen asked.
"By forcing each contestant except for those who you have eliminated as a suspect into a life risking situation. Remove the cameras, remove the safety nets that catch them at the brink of death on that show. They will think it is safe to use their powers, and for those who fail you can easily save them on your own. But the Avatar of Nebula…they will move to save themselves, and in that moment they will be all yours…and in the next moment they will be all MINE."
Warhawk's image faded into the pocket knife and both Avatars watched as it floated back into Carlos's knife.
"That guy is tense." Jimmy remarked.
"He's a spirit of War…who just hard you Jimmy." Gwen commented as she turned and walked to the console. "But he has a point."
"About what?" Jimmy asked.
"I can't go around waiting for Nebula to reveal himself anymore. If I want to find out who his Avatar is before he and the Marauder do something horrible I have to resort to drastic measures."
"By putting those kids in dangerous situations." Jimmy commented. "Be careful, Gwen. The number one law of the Avatar code is to protect the mortals from spirit related danger, that includes us."
"I know but like I said I can't wait for Nebula to try anything anymore. If I don't do something now he'll slip away again." Gwen replied as a digital map Alberta appeared on the screen.
The screen showed red dots moving across the province.
"Those are the remaining contestants, aren't they?" Jimmy asked.
"The good thing about a Sanctuary is that it can track any GPS system on the planet. Kurt had me study this stuff inside and out when I started working at his shop." Gwen replied. "Looks like Alejandro's in the lead, he's moving fast. And Zeke's with him."
"I know why." Jimmy pointed at the line Alejandro was traveling down. "That's a rail road that goes down into Mexico. Al must be on a train."
"Ezekiel must have latched onto the train at the last second." Gwen looked down and saw Dawn and Elliot's signal. "Elliot and Dawn, they're moving fast. What did they find?"
"Probably some fireworks." Jimmy joked. "Cody's way behind."
Gwen noticed that Cody had not made as much progress as the others have. "He's not a runner and he hasn't been out in a desolate place like here before."
"Should you help him?" Jimmy asked.
"I can't. Even if I thought he was the Avatar of the Nebula he's under watch from the cameras and I'm eliminated." Gwen sighed.
"We still need to investigate him." Jimmy pointed out.
"I know but I do not see Cody being the Avatar of Nebula." Gwen answered.
"Personal interactions mean almost nothing in the Avatar life, Gwen. You know this." Andromeda reminded her.
"I know but I also remember that Cody was almost always with his band, right up to when they did community service and broke up." Gwen replied. "They would have noticed if he was acting odd or if something was off."
"You sure?" Jimmy questioned.
"I'm almost positive. Justin's not that bright but I'm sure Trent and Harold would have noticed something off with him." Gwen sounded completely positive.
"If you say so." Jimmy shrugged.
"I'm not going to single Cody just because of my friendship with him. I will make absolutely certain he's not Nebula's Avatar. But as much as I hate to say it I'm hoping Alejandro is Nebula's Avatar." Gwen looked at Alejandro's signal.
"Hoping for payback for what he did to the surfer and animal lover huh?" Jimmy commented.
"That and beating him would be next thing to beating the crap out of Chris." Gwen smirked. "All right. We have work to do."
"Yes we do!"
"GAH!" Gwen and Jimmy yelped as Carlos shouted loudly from behind them, scaring the crap out of both of them.
"What's up?" Carlos asked.
"What's up? What's up?! You lie down to take a nap and suddenly jump back and scare the hell out of us!" Gwen growled. "When did you even get up?!"
"Two seconds after I was knocked out. I heal pretty fast which is why they sent me here. No one else wanted to try and disable Kurt's system." Carlos shrugged.
"And you decide to let us know you're awake now!" Gwen rubbed her head. "Carlos, I'm not getting paid enough to put up with you!"
"Have you been talking to my sisters and my girlfriend?" Carlos asked curiously. "Cause I swear I heard them say the exact same thing."
"I said the same thing before." Jimmy pointed out.
"Oh, you've been talking to Jimmy!" Carlos realized.
Gwen shook her head. "Why do I try reasoning with you?"
"I don't know. Almost everyone has given up on that." Carlos shrugged. "So what's the plan? I dosed off when Warhawk was talking to you."
"Okay, that's it. I'm going for the apple pie." Jimmy grumbled and walked over the food dispenser.
Xxx
"Hey, Gwen!"
Gwen was in the middle of preparing to head out to meet each of the contestants. She had already changed into her Avatar hunting clothes consisting of a dark blue long sleeved shirt that bordered on black, black pants with her usual combat boots a jacket with a hood when Carlos walked in.
"What?" Gwen just finished adding some Method symbols on her clothes that will keep her cool while wearing her dark clothing under the hot sun.
"Kurt's sending us footage of the latest episode of Total Drama. It's the Aftermath show and it's happening in Hawaii!" Carlos grinned.
"Really?" Gwen asked, intrigued.
"Come on!" Carlos led her out into the plaza like room. "We have a TV on right now!"
There was a large flat screen TV in front of three big couches that Gwen did not remember seeing when she and Jimmy opened the doors but she didn't bother to think about it as she sat down. On the TV screen was Geoff and Bridgette standing on a beach, facing the camera.
"Yo world! Welcome to Total Drama Aftermath set here in beautiful Hawaii! I'm Geoff!"
"And I'm Bridgette, safely back from Siberia!"
"Bridgette was in Siberia?" Gwen asked.
"Oh right! You didn't know! Blaineley AKA Mildred kidnapped her and sent her to Sibera."Jimmy answered.
"What?!" Gwen gasped.
"Quiet!" Carlos whispered as the ex-contestants cheered.
"That's right, Bridgey-bear! We're also in lovely paradise because where else would be the most awesome place to host the Aftermath of a show that's been all around the world?" Geoff asked.
Bridgette nodded. "Indeed, Geoff. Beautiful Hawaii, full of flora, fauna, and home to one of the best surfing spots in the world. But we're not here for your local Travel Channel."
"So we've got all of our favourite contestants in the peanut gallery! Say hello everyone!" Geoff pointed the camera towards the ex-contestants sitting on bleachers.
Almost all of them waved at the camera while contestants like Heather or Courtney turned away from the camera with their arms crossed and scowls on their faces. Duncan's leg was still in a cast from the boulder that knocked him out of the competition.
"And now we are joined by our eliminated contestants: Owen, Heather, Courtney, and Duncan."
"Hi everyone!" Owen was still in a fully body cast but he still waved his hand at the camera.
Duncan, Courtney, and Heather didn't say anything as they walked over the bleachers and sat down.
"You guys can take your seat in the peanut gallery, cause you guys are about to get a huge say in who is going to win the million!" Geoff announced.
"Good, cause I have a lot to say about that!" Courtney obviously wanted to rant something pertaining to her elimination and her failed relationship with Duncan.
"Oh give it a rest, Courtney!" Heather snapped. "No one cares!"
"First off, I'd like to point not all of the eliminated contestants made it this far." Geoff started. "I am of course talking about recently eliminated contestant: Gwen."
"Yes." Bridgette looked at the screen with a worried and relieved look. "She gave us all a good scare when she disappeared in London but thanks to the effort of the interns."
"What? No credit for me?" Noah drawled.
"And Noah." Geoff added.
"She was found safe and sound and allowed to compete because she wasn't technically eliminated." Bridgette finished but frowned. "Until Chris unfairly kicked her off even though it's obvious she didn't destroy the plane."
"And the remaining contestants have to race here to Hawaii to win the million dollars. Who will win?" Geoff asked.
"I'm betting on Dawn or Elliot." LeShawna spoke up, raising one hand with a regretful look on her face. "I owe them and Gwen for the smack down I gave Dawn."
"I'd vote for either of them too." Bridgette agreed.
"I like Elliot! She laughed at my farts!" Owen answered.
"Me too!" Izzy laughed.
"She's gotta win the million dollars! She's like the only scary one left!" Owen said.
"True on that. She stood up to Heather and Courtney and even threatened LeShawna after what happened to Dawn in Germany." Bridgette pointed out.
LeShawna flinched.
"That's IF they can live long enough to compete. They're stranded in the Drumheller, where the number one cause of death…is being stranded in the Drumheller!" Harold pointed out.
"Are they going to be okay?" Bridgette asked.
'The Drumheller's probably the least of our worries.' Gwen thought.
"Relax, babe. Cody and Zeke are like the cockroaches of Total Drama." Geoff reasoned.
"I thought it was just Ezekiel." Duncan spoke up.
"My Cody is more like a grasshopper!" Sierra shouted.
"So…who in the Peanut Gallery think will win?" Bridgette asked.
That was when the music started.
Bridgette and Geoff: Who you gonna root for?
Who's it gonna be?
Is it Elliot, Dawn, Alejandro, or will you pick Cody or Zeke?
Bridgette: There's Dawn, she's nice,
But she's been playin' hard!
Geoff: What about Elliot? Everybody likes her.
She'd probably beat Al!
Bridgette and Geoff: Who you gonna root for?
Who's it gonna be?
Is it Elliot, Dawn, Alejandro, or will you pick Cody or Zeke?
Harold: (rapping) Ricki-tick-ity, you're gonna hear it from me!
The only one winning this is C-O-D!
Pimpin' like a king, sippin' lemonade in the shade!
Kickin' it Hawaiian style, gonna take home the cheddar!
We're gonna be all smiles!
Shawty!
"Hey! How come he gets to sing?" Courtney protested.
"He doesn't! Harold!" Geoff shouted.
Harold: (rapping) Ricki-ticki-ticki-tody, give it up for my man Cody!
Harold's in the house spittin' rhymes like a roadie, a roadie!
Bridgette and Geoff: Who you gonna root for?
Who's it gonna be?
Harold: (rapping) Ricki-tick, whoa!
Bridgette: Does anyone vote fort Zeke?
Geoff: How's he still in the game?
Harold: (rapping) Ricki-tick, oh, no!
"Cut! Stop the music!" Geoff shouted.
The music came to a screeching halt.
"And it was just getting good." Jimmy commented.
"The music or the rapping?" Gwen asked.
"Mmm…I'll need to get back to you on that."
Gwen shook her head as flags with faces of the remaining contestants were distributed to the Peanut Gallery.
"Before the Peanut Gallery holds up to show us who they've chosen to root for let's see how our finalists stack up." Bridgette announced.
"Who's got the best chance of taking the cashola? Let's see who might have earned it the hard way!" Geoff exclaimed. "Cody's taken a major beating this season, most if from Sierra."
"I would never hurt my Codykins!" Sierra shouted.
"But with Sierra out of the game will he fare any better? Then there is Zeke who somehow managed to survive being eliminated at the beginning of the show. No one knows how he made it this far and Team Victory was considering taking him out first." Bridgette continued. "And then there are Gwen's friends who came onto the show with her: Elliot and Dawn."
"Elliot's a very cool kid. She's nice, cheerful, and boy is she scary when mad!" Geoff shuddered.
Footage of Elliot shouting at Courtney, Heather, as well as throwing snowballs at Chris when he isn't looking or insulting him with clever jokes.
"Girl's got a lot fire in her." Geoff laughed. "And she's so nice."
"Yeah. She's like the little sister I always wanted." Bridgette chuckled.
"Me too!" Izzy laughed. "She actually listened to all my stories of battling aliens and the RCMP! Go Elly! Go Elly!"
'That's for sure.' Gwen smirked.
"And then we have Dawn: a real down to earth girl who seems to be to communicate with animals. She's odd at time…" Bridgette trailed off. "But she's arguably the nicest person out of everyone on the show, not even remotely saying a bad word to anyone."
"Not true, Bridge. She got mad a few times at Chris for doing something that was against nature or something." Geoff pointed.
"Oh right. She doesn't like New York, animals being hurt, or violence." Bridgette recounted. "But I really like her commitment to Mother Earth. She's like me, we both hate meat. Elliot's got a temper when people try picking on her but Dawn's pacifistic nature seems to balance them out. I really understand why Gwen considers them good friends and they totally look like real friends."
'Thanks, Bridge.' Gwen thought.
Bridgette was about to go on but she stopped when she saw Geoff was drawing on Cody and Ezekiel's pictures. "Geoff, what are you doing?"
"Doodling." Geoff answered as he drew a moustache on Cody's face.
"Stop that." Bridgette asked sternly.
"Okay…" Geoff put the cap back on the marker. "And finally, there is Alejandro, the slime ball we know and hate!"
That was when most of the Peanut Gallery started booing.
"Looks like they really don't like him." Jimmy commented.
"I can understand why." Gwen answered with a frown.
"He's avoided injury all season! Even when he was battling rabid caterpillars in the Amazon, alien creatures in Area 51…"
"They went to Area 51!" Carlos yelped.
"Why? Is there something really there?" Gwen asked, sounding interested.
"Nothing that needs to be known at this time!"
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"And even Owen's indigestion. Plus, raise your hand if he's the reason you're here." Bridgette continued.
She along with LeShawna, Harold, DJ, Noah, Tyler, Izzy and Owen all raised their hands.
"But he sure ain't perfect. Sierra the Ripper nabbed him before he even got off the plane in London and he took the season's most humiliating tumble in Greece. Can we see it?"
Gwen laughed at the image of Alejandro face planting the ground, very hard along with Carlos and Jimmy. "I can't believe I missed that!"
The laughter continued as Geoff played the clip back in slow motion.
"At he's actually one of the finalists!" Courtney pointed out.
"He's only there right now because Duncan was injured and Chris blamed Gwen for the plane blowing up. Otherwise he'd be here with the rest of us!" Harold pointed out.
"Yeah! Where does that mophead get off accusing Gwen of blowing up the plane?" LeShawna growled.
"Now that I think about it that was a little sudden of Chris to suddenly blame me." Gwen narrowed her eyes as she saw Carlos whistling innocently. "Carlos…"
"Yeah?"
"Did you or Kurt have anything to do with that?"
"Gwen, you know us." Carlos smiled.
"…You guys got me kicked off!" Gwen pointed at Carlos with a scary glare. "You wanted me here so you shifted the blame over to me!"
"No! Nebula made Chris shift the blame! That way no one can stop from him getting away!" Carlos retorted.
"And you and Jimmy were right here waiting!" Gwen pointed out. "You knew he was going to do that!"
"Maybe….I think someone bet on that." Carlos looked away.
"Great." Gwen leaned back against the couch.
"Exactly! The dude's got a horseshoe up his butt the size of Texas!"
Gwen laughed as Geoff drew devil horns, fangs, heavy eye shadow, and some nose hairs on Alejandro's face.
"Can you at least try to be impartial?" Courtney asked, annoyingly.
"Don't forget the pitchfork!" Heather called out.
"I thought you liked him." Lindsay pointed out.
"I DO not like him!" Heather growled.
'Denial.' Gwen thought.
"Don't forget the tail, Geoff." Bridgette suggested, smiling at the drawings.
Courtney pouted and sat back down.
"My bet's on Dawn or Elliot taking him down! Those new girls have made it through the entire season!" Geoff added.
"Only because they had Gwen helping them out!" Courtney pointed out.
"What about when Gwen was held back in London? Dawn and Elliot were pretty much stuck on their own and they managed to stay together up to when Gwen was brought back at Niagara." Harold pointed out.
"So far the race is too hard to call. So it's time to vote for our finalists!"
Gwen watched as Courtney, Katie, Sadie, and Lindsay voted for Team Alejandro. Sierra and Harold were on Team Cody, Izzy, Owen, Bridgette, and much to everyone's surprise Eva and Duncan picked Team Elliot.
"What? The little girl's got fire." Eva shrugged.
"That's what she'll need to take Al down." Duncan explained.
Most of the cast picked Dawn with LeShawna seemingly the leader. "Like I said, I owe Dawn for the smack down I gave in Germany."
No one bothered to be on Team Ezekiel while Heather herself didn't choose anyone. "I should be in the finals not here so I'm not voting!"
"Just lump her with Zeke." Geoff said, tossing a Zeke flag that landed on Heather's head. "OW!"
"Well, it's time for a commercial break but we'll be back with how we help the finalists! On Total…"
"Drama…"
"World Tour!"
As the cameras cut to commercials Carlos turned the TV off.
"Hey!" Jimmy complained.
"Sorry guys, but we have no time to see the rest of the stupid Aftermath if we want to cut the others off." Carlos walked to the door.
"He's right, Jimmy." Gwen stood up and stretched her limbs. "We can watch a rerun later. Right now, we have to track Nebula and fast."
"Oh fine." Jimmy sighed and walk after Gwen and Carlos.