"Last time on Total Drama Island." Chris narrated. "Our campers we through their second challenge. But not before they were set up for some extra hardship after being woken up early, sent to run a marathon and then being fed and stuffed. Some were suspicious and played it safe while the rest fell hook line and sinker. Once that was done, they went through the ordeal of having to stay awake till all others dropped. It was a long and hard-fought challenge that lasted for 3 days but in the end Ben managed to come out on top. The Killer Base then made the choice of sending Harold down the dock of shame. Who will come out on top next? Will the campers be able to handle their next challenge while still being worn out? And who will be the next camper to take the voyage on the boat of losers? Find out today on Total. Drama. Island!"
The morning had come much to the dread of all campers. They had been sleeping and trying to recover after their previous horrible challenge. Even though Chris didn't wake them up by alarm this time, there were some issues. When several of them woke up they sadly couldn't go back to sleep. So, they had to then start their day and headed for the lounge. Those who lost the challenge early and in middle were well rested. While those who had endured and lasted far longer, still showed signs of weariness. Courtney, Duncan and Dawn were a clear sign as the C.I.T still had bags under her eyes, the punk was sleeping with his head on the table after eating a bit. Dawn however was as always, the strangest sight to see as she was sitting with her legs crossed and eating with her eyes closed. And somehow, she managed to do so without spilling any food as she took spoonful's of the paste. Duncan had attempted to pull a prank on the girl by slipping some meat paste to her bowl. Yet somehow the girl knew about and even warned him against doing so without ever opening her eyes. The rest of the killer base were looking not fully awake yet as most had droopy eyes. The Screaming Gophers were looking mostly refreshed except for Gwen and Trent. The latter who had her arms crossed on the table, using them for a pillow as she rested her head. Trent on the other hand had his head leaning on his palm as he tried to eat some grub.
"How do you eat without looking or spilling?" Bridgette asked Dawn.
"It's just a matter of familiarizing yourself with your surroundings." Dawn answered while keeping her eyes closed after she swallowed another spoonful of paste.
"I still can't believe we lost a second time in a row." Courtney let out bitterly.
"Let it go girl, it's bad to get hung up on the past." Geoff advised.
Bridgette smiled at her fellow blonde. "That's so true." She told as the party boy gave a smile in return.
Courtney crossed her arms with a small pout. "Well, we need to start doing better if we want to win, otherwise at this rate we'll be completely outnumbered two to one."
Heather overheard the opposing team and smirked as she got an idea for messing with them. She stretched her arms before looking to the other team. "Boy I slept real well last night, too bad I can't say the same for you losers."
The Killer Bass team turned their sights on the rude girl, all of them giving hard looks or glares at hearing her words. Except for Duncan who was still snoozing on the table and Dawn who kept her eyes closed, although the girl did have a frown now as she heard Heather.
"At least me and Eva lasted longer than you." Courtney rebutted.
Heather waved her hand dismissively. "Big deal, you both still lost in the end." The Killer Bass gave her sharper looks for her words but before they could respond further Chris walked into the room.
"Duncan!" Chris called out causing the boy to twitch as he growled at hearing that voice as his eyes opened to show the bags under his eyes and their redness. "You look like crap dude!"
"Zip it." The punk warned as he tried to go back to sleeping on the table.
"Man, most of you look horrible." Chris chuckled before asking. "How much are you all hurting right now?"
"You want to find out!" Duncan snapped at the host as he threatened him, looking like he was close to losing it.
Getting the message, the host raised his hands in mock surrender. "No no, it's cool."
The sound of the door opening gathered everyone's attention as they saw Eva enter the room. The monstrous strength girl's bags were gone as she looked almost refreshed. Silently she walked towards Chef to get her meal while glancing at the Screaming Gophers that looked at her. Immediately they averted their eyes as if she were Medusa herself and quietly went back their own business. Once she got her food and she went to sit with her team.
"Um hey Eva, you look well this morning considering what we endured." Courtney pointed out while trying to tread lightly, knowing the girl was not to be trifled with. "I didn't see you in your bunk when I woke up, where'd you go?"
"Went for a jog." She simply answered, earning raised eyebrows from her team.
"You went for a morning jog after that horrible challenge we all went through?" DJ asked a bit incredulously. He couldn't imagine how anyone would be up and about after over two days of lack of sleep.
"You don't stay strong by letting weakness keep you down!" Eva growled while pointing a finger. "When weakness comes at you, you gotta kick it to the curb and press onward!" she made a fist while making her declaration.
"That's the spirit Eva!" Chris cheered.
Confessional
"I thought Dawn was the farthest from normal on our team but Eva is proving to be a beast." Courtney told with a disbelieving look. "I mean come on! Would you go out for a jog after what we went through!? I don't think so."
(Static)
"I know I'm an athlete and all but even I need a good rest after a long day." Tyler remarked before getting a thoughtful look. "I wonder what routine she goes through to be tough like that? Should I ask her so I can try as well?" he suddenly paused as his imagination showed him several horrifying possibilities that Eva went through that were viable to get him killed. He then shuddered before saying. "On second thought maybe I shouldn't."
(Static)
"This is too perfect, so far things are going just as I wanted." Heather rubbed her hands as she schemed. "If we keep winning like this then the other team will be so weak and outnumbered, I'll hardly have to break a sweat beating them." She then frowned. "Although that dang hippie girl ruined my plans to get Eva voted off but no matter, there will be other chances. I just need to wait and see what the next challenge will be and then I'll set her up to be singled out. Shouldn't be too hard since her own team fears her."
"Oh! Here comes Ben!" Chris pointed out as the boy walked into the lounge. His team all gave him cheers and some clapped, even the stuck-up Heather was giving him some props.
Lindsay clapped cheerfully before leaning towards Justin. "Why are we clapping?" she asked him.
The super model like camper looked at her with a disbelieving look. "Jeez I'm so lucky to be blessed with good looks and a normal brain." He thought at seeing how dim the blonde bombshell was. "Just because." He answered.
Ben went to his team's table after picking up some grub where he then sat with them. His hair was a bit disheveled, his eyes still had some bags under them and he looked not fully awake yet. It would clearly take another day of sleeping in before he was close to normal again.
"Man I'm beat…" Ben hoarsely said as he started to eat his meal.
"Want some of my food to help you get back your strength?" Izzy offered.
He shook his head while giving a small smile. "Thanks for the offer but I'll pass."
"How's Gwen doing?" Trent asked his fellow camper seeing she was the only one left from the team who wasn't here.
Ben turned to him. "Looking as bad as I am, maybe worse. I saw her heading for the showers. No doubt to try and give herself some peace and comfort to start the day we're all in for." He answered after recalling spotting her doing so.
Heather looked to her two alliance members as she recalled something. "Say Beth, Lindsay. You mind coming with me for a minute? I'd like to talk to you in private about something."
"Sure." Beth replied right away as Lindsay nodded and they both followed her to a corner away from both teams. Now this would've been suspicious to Ben however he was still too tired to care right now.
"Ok so let's go over the rules of our alliance" Heather spoke softly so the others wouldn't overhear. "Since I'm the captain I get to make the rules, that's rule 1 by the way." She raised two fingers. "What's rule 2?"
Beth and Lindsay got deep thought expressions as they tried to recall. After a moment the blonde answered. "Breaking the rules will result in being kicked out of the alliance?"
"Very good Lindsay." Heather complimented the dumb blonde for remembering her words. "Now rule 3, no dating or befriending anyone from the other team."
Beth looked a bit discouraged at hearing that. "Not even a little?"
Heather gave the braces girl a stern look. "No! They're our enemies and we don't help our enemies." She then paused as a thought came. "Unless it's to help our alliance."
Beth understood what Heather meant but Lindsay looked confused. The blonde's eyes wandered off and they met the clumsy athletes who met her eyes. He smiled and waved at her which brought out a smile of her own. Heather noticed the blonde looking elsewhere and turned her head to see at what. The moment she saw Tyler looking Lindsay's way she knew what the girl was thinking about. Immediately she got between the blonde's line of sight, blocking the view of the wannabee athlete.
"No." She wasted no time in making it clear. "You can't date him."
Lindsay looked crestfallen. "But he's cute."
"And on the enemy team." Heather reminded with arms crossed. "Therefore, you can't date him. At least not until the show is over." She added the last part to give her something to look forward to. She avoided mentioning about being able to date if they were both eliminated so that the girl didn't get any crazy ideas about throwing a challenge. She needed the two of them willing and able to do whatever was required to stay in the game.
"But isn't that a long wait?" Lindsay questioned given how many campers remained.
"Just tough it out." Heather practically ordered as she was losing patience with the girl. "And don't think I didn't notice you and him having a moment during the first challenge. So you'd better keep your distance until I say otherwise!"
"Speaking of toughing things out." Chris suddenly popped in between them startling the three girls. "It's time for me to announce that your next challenge awaits." He said for all to hear.
"Great, what is it this time?" Ben asked in slight dread. "You gonna make us see who can go the longest without eating."
"NOOO!" Owen screamed in horror at the very idea of having to go through that.
"Relax Owen that's not the challenge." Chris reassured, calming him down while secretly putting that idea away in his mind for future possibilities.
"Oh good." Owen sighed in relief.
"Your challenge will begin at noon sharp, so you got a few minutes till then to get ready." The host looked to the Screaming Gophers. "So, if I were you guys, I'd get your missing teammate and prepare for what awaits you."
The campers had all gathered at the next designated location for their challenge. Which turns out will be indoors as they were all standing inside a makeshift gym. But not a regular one mind you, for the walls were transparent due to being made of glass and there was no roof. There were bleachers with their team flags hanging on opposite sides and the there was red marked rectangle on the wooden floor. There was even what looked like a tennis judge's chair between the bleachers.
Eva suddenly had a small smile at the corner of her lip. She didn't know what the challenge was but for some reason she was getting a real good feeling about it. If the sight of what looked like a sports field wasn't a good sign of a physical challenge, then she didn't know what would be.
Gwen wasted no time in lying down on the bleachers and crossed her arms for a makeshift pillow. Dawn felt the need for a longer rest as well but instead of lying down she instead sat down and leaned against the bleacher behind her before closing her eyes. Duncan chose to lie on his back on the bleachers before giving his team a look.
"If you disturb me, then you'll pay dearly for it." The punk warned before shutting his eyes.
"Alright campers!" Chris called as he walked over. "I'm sure you're all wondering what today's challenge will be? So, here's a hint to help you out, oh Cheeeef!" he almost sang the guy's name.
The bulky cook came through the transparent door, now wearing a referee's uniform with a whistle hanging from his neck. What got the campers attention however where the bag of rubber balls he was carrying with him.
"Rubber balls?" Owen asked at seeing them.
"That's right Owen, rubber balls." Chris agreed before smirking. "And todays challenge will be the glorious, rigorous and sometimes hardcore game of… Dodgeball!"
As soon as those words left Chris both teams had different reactions. The Killer Bass had excited expressions as they felt like they were sure to win in this event. Most of the Screaming Gophers however suddenly looked very nervous. The reason for that was made clear when several of their eyes glanced at Eva who sent chills down their spines when they saw her grin. Now this wasn't your basic excited kind of grin, no this was like the bloodthirsty grin of an apex predator that suddenly found a herd to feast on. All while looking more interested in the killing rather than the feasting.
"Oh crap." A few of the Screaming Gophers thought at the same time.
Confessional
"This is so unfair; dodgeball is a tough athlete's game and their team has plenty of them." Heather complained. "I mean they've got two surfers, a giant, Miss C.I.T, a clumsy looking jock, a juvie punk and most of all a monster girl. How are we supposed to compete against that kind of line up?"
(Static)
"Okay so our opponents might have an advantage over us." Ben admitted without hesitation. "But we got some good contenders as well. Justin looks fit, Leshawna seems tough, Owen has strength and I'm a soccer athlete." He paused to think. "I don't know about Gwen, Trent and Izzy but they should do ok." He then got a doubtful look as he thought about Eva. "Maybe?"
(Static)
"We just caught our first break." Courtney smile as she cheered in relief, excitement plus anticipation. "With Eva as our secret weapon for this challenge there's no way we can lose." She then got a proud smile. "I'm also in good physical health so this game won't be out of my comfort zone at all."
(Static)
Eva stared into the camera with an intense look of focus. She gripped her fist and applied pressure as her knuckles could be heard loudly popping. She followed that up by tilting her head and cracking her neck before she suddenly got a near feral look while smirking. "Those Gophers are… miiiiiiiine." She told the camera with a grin of complete resolve and what some would call crazed eagerness.
"Did you say dodgeball?" Duncan suddenly spoke up as he cracked an eye open with a smirk of interest.
"I did indeed." Chris confirmed for the punkish camper.
The host then went on to explain the rules of the challenge. How each team could only send out 5 players to compete in a round and can switch players at the start of each round. The game continues until one team manages to win 3 rounds in total. If your hit by an opponent's thrown ball then your out, if you catch it then the thrower is out, plus the catcher can bring in a teammate if one or more were already out. However, to avoid drawn out matches each team can only bring back one person per round. They were allowed to use a ball to deflect a thrown one but if it's knocked out of your hands then your still out. If someone caught a ball that was being thrown at someone else, then the thrower would still remain in play.
There was no time limit, the rounds would continue for however long it took until one side lost all participants. Both sides would start with three rubber balls at their feet.
Noah rolled his eyes with an unamused look. "Great a game where you throw rubber balls at each other, that's really mentally challenging." The sarcasm in his voice was clear.
"I know right." Lindsay said up close to him making the bookworm share a look with Owen. Sure, there were a few rules mentioned but come on, it's not hard to remember.
"Okay people you got 3 minutes to decide your first line up for round 1. After that there will a 2-minute time out in the other rounds for you to decide any changes, you want to make." Chris informed before he and Chef took their places as the cook sat on the judge's chair while the host stood next to said chair in case he had to dodge any stray shots.
"Okay so who wants to sit out with sleeping beauty here for now?" Heather questioned as she quickly took charge.
"Oh alright, I'll do it." Noah offered as he went to the bleacher while making it sound like he was reluctant. Everyone but Lindsay could see through him however as he clearly had no love for the sport whatsoever.
"Fine then." Heather accepted since Noah was clearly one of their weaker physical players. "So who do we send out first?"
The Screaming Gophers looked at one another as they pondered that question. Several volunteered to go first but they had some trouble deciding who to pick from them. Eventually however they came to the choice of having Heather, Leshawna, Ben, Owen and Izzy go first. Having decided to use most of their best to try and face Eva who as expected was going first alongside her was Courtney, DJ, Tyler and Katie. Duncan had decided to stay put for now and just enjoy the show. Considering Eva was going first there was no doubt going to be plenty of carnage to see. He wished he had some popcorn and soda to make this perfect.
"Everyone ready?" Chef questioned as he received silent nods. The Screaming Gophers looked slightly nervous as they stared down Eva. It certainly didn't help when she gave them an anxious grin and made the throat slitting gesture. Chef then blew his whistle to signal the start.
Without wasting a second Eva quickly grabbed the closest ball and threw it at Heather. The girl got a fear filled look before she managed to barely duck to avoid it.
"Ha missed you mis- GAHHH!" Heather taunted right before her back was suddenly in a world of pain as the ball Eva threw had ricochet off the wall behind her and come straight back. The force was so strong it made Heather fall over on the ground. The others looked in slight horror at how fast that was.
Cheft blew the whistle pausing the game to allow the now eliminated camper to clear the playing field.
"Urgh." Heather groaned as she held her now sore back and walked to the bleachers. "I'll get you for this Eva!" she promised the monstrous athlete who looked unconcerned by her promise of retribution.
"Kind of glad she got hit." Ben and Leshawna unknowingly both thought together.
"I'm already feeling better." Gwen thought as she had one eye open after hearing the first whistle blow. She was glad not to have ignored it cause man that sight was worth pausing her rest.
The game resumed and Owen counterattacked as took a ball and threw it at Tyler. The poor boy didn't know what hit him as he got flung all the way back into the wall before sliding down. Chef blew the whistle as the jock was out and the clumsy athlete held his gut as he went to the bleachers. Now it was four against four as Ben took the third ball and after dodging Courtney he fired at Katie who failed catch the ball and was hit by it. With her gone it was now four on three but that proved to be a fruitless advantage against Eva. She proceeded to wipe them out as she did a double ball toss that nailed Leshawna. Ben managed to avoid her but was then attacked and taken out by DJ who had the third ball. Now Izzy stood alone against Eva, Courtney and DJ as they all held their own ball ready to launch.
"Great this rounds clearly goes to them." Heather complained at the obvious outcome.
"Hey she may be outnumbered but she's still got a chance." Ben defended their remaining camper.
"Against Eva?" Noah said skeptically. "I doubt it."
Izzy stared down her three opponents. Strangely however there wasn't any fear in her eyes. Instead, there was excitement in them which showed as she had a daring grin on her face. The three Killer Bass looked puzzled at her.
"What're you smiling about? Your about to lose." Courtney questioned suspiciously at the girl's calmness.
"Gimme all ya got!" Izzy suddenly called out almost with anticipation.
"Let's get her." Courtney told DJ who nodded and the two fired their shots at the green clad girl. Eva held back from throwing hers, wanting to see if this would end the game with their first win. If Izzy dodged, then she would take her shot when her movements were exposed.
That didn't happen however as instead of ducking of dodging to the side Izzy jumped into the air to avoid them. However this wasn't your average kind of jump either, this was the kind of jump you'd expect to see only achieved with a trampoline. Eva saw her opportunity and threw her orb knowing the girl couldn't evade while in midair. At least that's what the monstrous strength girl thought until Izzy quickly reacted by using the ball she still held as a shield. Her orb connected with Eva's thrown one which caused the red head to get flung back from the force but also for Eva's ball to get sent back at their team.
Eva's eyes widened and she quickly split apart from DJ who did the same to avoid it. The rebounded ball soared past them and bounced off the wall as it rolled to the side away from the players. Izzy quickly got back up after hitting the floor and took advantage of them all now being disarmed. She threw her ball at DJ who panicked and tried to run away but got hit in the side of his head. But it didn't end there however as the ball continued now in a new trajectory that lined up with Courtney's position. The girl couldn't react in time when she saw it finally coming her way and got nailed in the shoulder, taking her out as well.
Nobody from the bleachers moved a muscle at that point. Even Chef and Chris had stunned looks on their faces. The events of what they saw replaying in their minds. Courtney and DJ looked at the redhead in slight disbelief as they just stood on the spot. Eventually the silence broke when Chef finally blew the whistle and the two Killer Bass vacated the field. Now it was just Izzy against Eva for the first win.
Confessional
"You'd be surprised how fit your body can become when your being hunted by the RCMP." Izzy giggled almost crazy like. "Being a survivor who's had to stay one step ahead of them has also really sharpened my reflexes and instincts."
"Whoohoo go Izzy!" Owen cheered.
"Yeah!" Leshawana joined in. "Keep it up girl!"
"You can do this!" Ben added in excitement.
"Come on Eva what're you doing, take her out!" Courtney shouted out in worry at the sudden turn around and now being down to one on one. If Eva was defeated, then that meant their best chance wasn't enough and they'll lose for the third time in a row and vote someone off again.
"You got this!" Bridgette called out in support.
Eva grabbed the nearest ball and threw it and the redhead but she sprinted to the side to avoid before grabbing two for herself. She threw one aiming for Eva's legs and the girl was forced to veer her body to let it pass by her. When she did that Izzy went for the second shot aiming lower this time. The ball hit the floor two feet from Eva before bouncing up from the floor to try and hit her. Eva got an alarmed look and forced herself to fall over on the floor and the ball to bounce right over her. Izzy seized the opportunity by grabbing another nearby ball and hurling it at the floored girl.
Refusing to be defeated Eva quickly reacted by grabbing the nearby ball and using it to block Izzy's thrown one. Unlike with Izzy the monster strength girl didn't get flung back as the ball bounced back towards the owner's head. Izzy quickly leaned her body back as if she were playing limbo and the ball sailed right over her nose. She then bent her body back up just in time to see Eva already up and running to grab another ball so she did the same. The two rearmed themselves and then turned to face each other as they both held their arms back in preparation to fire.
However, neither of them did so. Instead, they were now locked in a stare down watching the other one carefully. It was now a stand off as they kept their aim on target but didn't take the shot.
"This is fun." Izzy claimed with an excited giggle while having a nearly crazed look on her eyes.
"I gotta admit your pretty good." Eva confessed to the redhead, having not expected her to be so skilled in one of her favorite sports. Yet despite that however she wasn't bothered at the struggling she's been having. On the contrary the slight smirk on the monstrous athletes face said the opposite. She was enjoying this, not just the game she was playing but the fact she was facing a worthy opponent. She may have a deep drive to win but that didn't mean she always enjoyed winning easily. After all where's the real challenge in that without true opposition?
"Thanks, you are too." Izzy returned the compliment.
"I'm still not going to let you win though." Eva remarked at her determination to win this.
Izzy gave a challenging grin. "Then what're you waiting for?"
Eva gave a sharp look at the redhead calling her out for her own hesitation. The powerful athlete tightened her grip around the ball as her fingers squeezed harder. Izzy flexed the fingers of her free hand as they made popping sounds while she rubbed her foot on the floor as if securing her position. The redhead got a determined look as she reared her arm back as far as it could to deliver maximum launch capability.
You could practically feel the tension from the other campers as they practically held their breaths in silent anticipation. Everyone was frozen in their seats with anxiousness as they knew they were coming into the finale of this round. And the question on everyone's mind was who will win?
"Best dodgeball game EVER!" Chris thought with barely concealed excitement.
"Now this is how you play the sport. No wimps or sorry disgraces in the game." Chef thought with pride at seeing the sport played by true men… uh girls.
"ARGH/RAHH!" Both remaining competitors roared as they both simultaneously threw their projectiles at the other.
Everything seemed to suddenly decelerate into slow motion. The two orbs soaring towards their targets in midair. Their distance from each other shrinking more and more with every second. Finally, the two spheres met in the middle and collided with each other near the center of the field. The two orbs were pressed against each other as they tried to overtake the other for but a millisecond before they quickly repelled each other. The two orbs quickly sailing back to their owners just as fast as they were thrown. The two quickly brought their arms up to catch their respective orbs.
Both clasped their hands as the orbs struck their chests. Eva stumbled a step back from the force as she held her reclaimed ball. Izzy however fell on her rear… and the ball slipped from her grasp as hit the floor.
Immediately Chef blew the whistle to call the game.
"And the Killer Bass take the first point after an exciting and intense in round one!" Chris declared in enthusiasm.
"Yeah Eva!" The Killer Bass cheered and clapped after finally getting a lead.
The super strength like athlete raised a simple thumbs up to her team. She then turned to Izzy who was up and rubbing her lower cheeks after the hard fall. Eva approached the redhead and offered her hand.
"Nice round Izzy." She commended and the girl didn't waste a moment in gripping Eva's hand and shaking it.
"Thanks, you too." Izzy spoke happily as if unbothered that she lost.
"Now that's good sportsmanship." Ben commented from the bleachers.
"Indeed." Trent agreed at the respect shown.
"Who cares about that!" Heather complained in displeasure. "We lost the first round!"
"Would you not yell so loudly." Gwen added with annoyance as she popped an eye open. "I'm trying to get some rest."
Before Heather could rebuke the goth however Chris spoke up. "Okay campers, let's get ready for the second round." He then handed each team a piece of paper.
"What's the paper for?" Bridgette asked.
"To write down who will compete in the next round. Need to make sure you don't decide to change players after seeing who the other team will be using." Chris explained as if it were obvious. "So, you use the short break to decide your team and write it down before handing it over."
The two teams took the paper and began discussing who they'll use in the second round. The Killer Bass didn't take long to submit their paper first. Despite not knowing who will participate they'd just knew Eva would go again. Considering she did so well already and wasn't showing signs of fatigue yet there was no reason to switch her out. The Screaming Gophers needed to come up with a plan and they needed to do it fast.
"What're we going to do, as long as they got Eva we're in trouble?" Leshawna asked the team.
"And that was without Duncan joining them. If he's also part of the next line up we're toast." Cody added, looking fearful after watching the first round and seeing how bad things got when Eva got going.
Ben paid half attention to his teammates as he thought about their options. They had used most of their best in the first round which failed. Eva was the biggest threat and unless they could find a way to overcome her then they could forget about winning. Izzy had shown surprising skill and faced her almost like an equal but in the end she still lost. Perhaps the way to win wasn't through force but other means. Maybe change their tactics to focus on speed to avoid getting hit and keeping their enemies guessing? A possibility but not a very original idea, plus there was no guarantee it would work.
Suddenly a certain memory replayed in his mind, and he was suddenly struck by possible inspiration.
"No." Ben thought incredulously. "That couldn't actually possibly work, could it?" The idea would seem ludicrous to others but for some reason he thought otherwise. "Hey guys." He called out getting everyone's attention. "I think I might have a crazy idea that could work."
The time limit for their break ended as they also handed in their papers. Chef then proceeded to call the selected team members to the field. The Killer Bass had chosen to go with Eva, DJ and Courtney again but replaced the other two with Bridgette and Geoff this time. The Screaming Gophers team consisted of Ben, Izzy and Owen again but with the new addition of Justin and Trent.
"Both teams ready?" Chris asked and received nods from both sides. With that Chef blew his whistle and as two had now begun. The Killer Bass members Eva, Bridgette and Geoff quickly ran to get their balls.
"Now!" Ben called out as he, Izzy, Trent and Justin made their move.
Suddenly Eva, Courtney and Bridgette froze in their spots. The reason for that was because Justin had taken off his shirt in an instant and tossed it over his shoulders. The hot stud then proceeded to smile at them, showcasing his sparking white teeth and even struck a pose for good measure. The three Killer Bass girls all developed happily dazed expressions as they gazed at Justin's smiling face and exposed chest. It wasn't just them either as the girls from both bleachers also got the same expressions. This left DJ and Geoff vulnerable as they were struck by the throw from Ben and Trent while Izzy fired her shot at Eva who didn't react due to being occupied staring at Justin. The three Killer Bass were now out while the remaining two woke up from their daze when they heard Cheff blow the whistle.
"Alright it worked!" Ben fist pumped the air while the others cheered at his plan having worked. He turned to his shirtless teammate. "Nice work Justin."
"Glad to help." The hot stud replied with a thumbs up.
"Hey that's not fair!" Courtney protested while feeling angry at herself for falling for that trick.
Ben raised an eyebrow before turning to the host. "Hey Chris, was that a foul for us?"
"Your plan was quite devious." Chris said in a monotone voice before breaking into a grin. "And it's just the kind of thing I love which is why it's not against the rules!"
"Yeah I didn't think so." Ben smirked as he and the others looked at Bridgette and Courtney who were all that remained.
The two girls backed away a bit as the Screaming Gophers got to work. Courtney threw her ball to try and take out Izzy since she was the most dangerous. The redhead dodged by sidestepping and then grabbed the thrown ball when it bounced off the wall and was coming back. Izzy then shot her hands forward at the blonde but it turned out to be a fake out as she threw it at Courntey. The C.I.T tried to catch the ball to bring back Eva but that turned out to be what Ben was waiting for as he threw his newly acquired ball at her. Just as Courtney's fingers were grasping Izzy's thrown ball, Ben's hit her leg and caused her to fall. The two balls rolled back to the Gophers as Chef blew his whistle again.
With Courtney out now, it was all up to Bridgette who was looking nervous. The grins on all five opponents facing her wasn't helping her confidence. Especially since Izzy and Ben both had a ball on their hands again.
"Would you care to surrender Bridgette?" Ben offered the girl the chance to back out. She was one of the nicer campers on their enemy's team and as such he didn't want to hurt her.
The offer sure sounded tempting to Bridgette. Mostly because she was not liking the crazed look in Izzy's eyes as she held her orb a little too eagerly to fire. However, despite being outnumbered and clearly outmatched she wasn't going to quit. After all she didn't want to give her team a reason to be upset or worse angry at her.
"Thanks for the offer but my mom didn't raise a quitter." Bridgette turned down defiantly as she held her only ball in hand. She would make her last stand if she had to.
Ben nodded respectfully towards her. "Suit yourself." He then glanced at his team. "Positions guys."
Suddenly Justin, Owen and Trent moved to the front forming a blockade. Ben and Izzy stood behind them in the openings between their teammates bodies to allow their shots to go through.
Now Bridgette definitely wasn't liking her odds. Ben and Izzy thew their balls at the blonde which she managed to dodge by zigzagging and then threw her ball at Justin to try and take him out. Sadly for her however the handsome boy managed to catch the ball with one hand causing her to get eliminated.
"No one harms the face." Justin declared seriously as that's where Bridgette's shot had been heading for. Chef then blew the whistle calling the end of round 2 with both teams tied at 1-1.
Confessional
"Man I wasn't sure that was going to work to be honest." Ben confessed. "I was worried that with Eva focused on the game she wouldn't get distracted but I'm glad I was wrong. Now we're back in the game and making a comeback."
(Static)
"I can't believe I just let that happen!" Eva shouted angrily. "How could I let some guy distract me and cost me a victory! So what if he's good looking… with perfectly tanned skin… shinny teeth… glossy hair and… (SMACK!)" she paused to slap herself in the face so hard a red handprint was left on her cheek. Her mind had begun to wander and she began getting dazed again by visuals of the shirtless teen. "ARGH snap out of it!" she gripped her head as if clawing at it.
(Static)
"I'm happy I got to contribute to my teams win." Justin remarked while looking at himself in a mirror. "If Eva is there secret weapon, then I'm now our teams weapon against all their female players."
(Static)
"Ok I have to admit that was a good plan from soccer boy." Heather reluctantly admitted before crossing her arms. "But I bet I could've come up with it if Eva hadn't hurt my back and made me think about nothing but revenge against her."
(Static)
"Payback is mine Eva!" Izzy shouted to the sky as he rubbed her hands together. "Now we head for a tiebreaker!"
Static
"That Justin is hot." Owen said almost dreamily before realizing how his words sounded and he got a panicked look. "No wait I mean… his skills were hot… in how he handled the girls." He chuckled nervously. "Yeah… that's what I meant."
"Urgh I can't believe we lost that one." Eva grumbled in displeasure.
"Neither can I, how could you just freeze up like that!?" Courtney questioned the female athlete only to get a glare in return. She wisely shut up and stepped back to avoid antagonizing her more.
"You froze up to." She retorted back at the C.I.T earning a flinch.
"She's got a point; I mean we weren't exactly any better." Bridgette added.
"But Justin was so hoooot." Katie trailed off while still bearing a still happily dazed look on her face.
"Yeaaaah." Sadie sighed as she also daydreamed about the hot stud.
"Not helping!" Courtney angrily berated the two BFFF's.
Meanwhile with the Screaming Gophers where also discussing things for the next round. But first the team was giving Ben props for his successful plan that won the round. They were skeptical of it at first but after the girls recalled how they acted after first seeing Justin they figured it was worth a shot. To their satisfaction the plan had worked perfectly, so much so in fact they themselves were affected by it in the bleachers.
"Nice plan Ben." Trent said as he and the American exchanged a high five.
"Simply and ridiculous but none the less effective." Heather added despite his having found the plan stupid at first.
"So what should we do next?" Gwen asked as she was now sitting up, having started to get interested in watching the game. "The same trick won't work twice obviously." She stated.
"Sorry guys but I got nothing for this round." Ben apologized as he didn't know how to go about the next round.
"Well, they might make their team mostly guys so we can't use Justin again." Leshawna thought on the best way to overcome their handsome teammate before glancing at the other team. "Eva still looks ready to go for more."
"Just go out there and keep doing your best." Noah remarked earning looks from the others. The fact he had just been sitting out without even really providing support was not lost on them.
"Why you don't you try offering some ideas here brainiac cause so far you haven't done anything." Heather remarked earning a glance from the bookworm.
"Neither have they, in case you forgot." Noah gestured his thumb to Gwen and the others who haven't played yet.
"Yeah, but they've at least been cheering for us with enthusiasm." Ben retorted with a look. "You on the other hand have just been reading a book without giving us much attention or support." Noah was silent, not knowing how to counter that remark. He took in the looks everyone was sending his way now.
A slight worry began to form in his mind as he realized her hadn't been contributing and the others noticed. If he didn't do something to help his team even a little bit and they lost the entire game, then they would have a reason to vote him off. There was no way he was going to play, he knew he his physical skills were meager at best and he'd most likely end up costing them the round. Still perhaps he should try and help them come up with a plan if only to make sure he they win so they don't vote someone off. Or just to ensure they saw value in him and decided to keep him on the team. Still though the question now is what advice could he offer to help them win?
A thought suddenly came to the bookworm. "I think I may have an idea after all."
At that everyone raised an eyebrow. "We're listening." Ben spoke for the group.
Soon enough time ran out and both teams submitted their next entries. The Screaming Gophers were now using Trent, Owen, Izzy, Leshawna and Gwen. The latter of whom had decided to participate after finally getting enough rest. The Killer Bass were using Bridgette, Eva, Geoff, DJ and Tyler.
"Alright let round 3 begin!" Chris called out and Chef blew his whistle to start the game again.
Eva didn't waste any time and quickly got her ball and fired it at Izzy to take her out. The redhead however managed to dodge by stepping to the side. Tyler struck next as he fired straight at Leshawna. The sassy girl panicked a bit and brought her own ball up to deflect it. It worked plenty as it not only deflected the ball but also made it return to the sender. The tracksuit wearer was struck on the face so hard he fell over in pain and held his now aching nose.
Chris winced. "Hsss ohhh that's gotta hurt." He remarked on the obvious as Chef blew the whistle and the downed boys teammates pulled him to the bleachers.
Courtney slapped her forehead "Urgh, why did we let him play another round." She asked herself.
The game resumed as Bridgette threw her acquired ball at Gwen, but the goth veered her body and dodged. Trent responded by throwing his ball at the surfer, but the blonde jumped up and avoided getting hit.
"Let's do this team!" Leshawna called out.
Suddenly Trent and Owen threw their orbs at the wall on their right. The Killer Bass turned their heads wondering why they did that. They quickly got their answer when the balls ricocheted off the walls and headed right for them. DJ and Geoff became alarmed as they attempted to step aside to avoid them. That however was when the Gophers sprung their trap as with their enemy's attention away from them, they didn't see Izzy's thrown shot until it was too late. DJ got nailed in the back and it bounced off to knock Geoff's hat off him when he ducked. Cheff blew the whistle for the pause.
"Hah two more down!" Leshawna cheered.
"Ah ta ta!" Chris interrupted with a wagging finger. "The hat took the hit not Geoff, he's still in the game."
"No matter, they're still going down." Gwen said in a rare display of competitive spirit. Trent cast a glance at her from behind finding it an attractive sight.
Chef blew the whistle to resume and the game was on again. Now knowing the tactic that the Gophers were using helped the Bass team try and prepare themselves. Bridgette managed to take out Trent right in the moment he threw his ball away. Eva was still a monster to deal with as she managed to catch a ricocheted ball from Owen. However, the big lug wasn't eliminated as Chris said it only counts if the ball hasn't bounced even once after being thrown. So because it bounced off the glass it no longer counted for elimination by being caught.
That didn't stop Eva however as she simply threw the ball she caught at Owen with a fury. The poor boy took it in the gut so hard he bended over and had to catch his breath. Chef paused the game to allow him to basically crawl back to the bleachers. Leshawna fired a combo with Izzy to take out Geoff by dividing his attention like with DJ and attack from two directions. Bridgette didn't seem to like that as she wasted no time in returning fire to the sassy girl, making a direct hit that took her out. Now it was down to Izzy and Gwen vs Eva and Bridgette to decide the round.
"Well, this is starting to look familiar wouldn't you say?" Izzy questioned her opponent with an excited grin.
Eva returned the gesture. "Except we're both carrying some dead weight on our ends." Her words got her a small glare from Gwen and an unappreciated look from Bridgette.
"No need to be rude." Izzy said in defense of both their teammates.
"Sorry I'm just eager to win." Eva half apologized, far too into the game to even try being civil with her words.
"We could say the same thing." Gwen retorted. Gym class was never one of her favorite classes but that didn't mean she wasn't good in it. Plus she vaguely recalled a certain delight she got when playing dodgeball at school once and she managed to hit a stuck up girl who made fun of her.
The action was back on as they all went on the offensive. Shots were thrown left and right as they attempted to take out their remaining competition. Evasive maneuvers were taken to avoid elimination as they were all kept on their toes. Time began to pass as neither side got the edge over the other. It was a drawn-out stalemate as while Eva had the greater strength and Bridgette had balance. Izzy had speed while Gwen seemed to have quick reactions.
"Take this!" Eva said as he fired a fast ball. The orb soared towards Gwen who got an alarmed look. She was saved however when Izzy threw her ball at Eva's and caused it to change course missing the goth entirely.
Gwen breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to the redhead with a look of gratitude. "Thanks Izzy."
The redhead gave a small salute. "No problem."
Bridgette took advantage of the fact both her opponents didn't have a ball anymore and fired at Izzy. The redhead dodged and got a new ball but before she could use it Eva fired another shot at her. She dodged by jumping in the air while performing a split as the ball soared below her.
"Argh!" Gwen's voice called out with signs of pain as the redhead turned to see her teammate was now on the floor holding her shin. Clearly having been hit by Eva's shot when the redhead had dodged. Chef blew the whistle once more signaling her elimination and ordering her removal from the field. "Sorry." She apologized.
"Don't worry I got this." Izzy reassured as she stared down her foes.
"I would say you're at a disadvantage but we both know how that turned out the first time." Bridgette remarked in recollection of how Izzy managed to scrap out a win when it was 1 against 3.
Izzy smirked before throwing her ball at the surfer. The blonde barely dodging to the side before she responded by throwing her own. Izzy dodged to her right only to do so again when the blonde threw her second ball at her. The red head was now almost against the glass wall. Eva then took her shot seeing Izzy was partially backed against the wall. She threw it with as much power as she could put into it, wanting to take her down. The redhead ducked just in time as he ball graced strands of her hair before hitting the glass wall.
In a turn of events, the ball bounced off the glass and went soaring at a new angle, straight towards the Gophers bleachers. They all screamed in panic as they ducked in cover. Unfortunately however Ben wasn't so lucky as he not only got hit on the chest but also got knocked from the bleachers as he fell over. Which was worse for him as he was sitting at the top section and ended up crashing into the ground headfirst. He lost consciousness as soon as he hit the floor.
Everyone's eyes widened at what just happened as they suddenly all froze on the spot.
"Well, that's not good." Chris spoke up as he looked at the now downed camper. "Time out everyone!"
"FOUL!" Chef called out after snapping out of it and blowing his whistle as loud as possible. "Striking at a nonparticipant is an automatic penalty! Eva get your butt off the field your now benched for the rest of this round!"
"Forgot about that he needs first aid!" Owen panicked as the Gophers all went to check on Ben. Even the Killer Bass went to check on him now that the game was on hold.
"Is he ok?" Beth questioned as she and everyone stood around him.
"Let me through please." The voice of Dawn came from behind the group as her teammates let her pass. The soft-spoken girl knelt down and gently raised Ben's head before sliding her hand underneath the back to feel around.
"What 'cha you doing girl? You a doctor in training or something?" Leshawna questioned.
The moonchild shook her head. "No but I did volunteer work at a veterinary during a summer. You'd be surprised how similar animals and people are in some areas." She then gently lowered Ben's head before she stood up. "It looks like he just has a minor concussion from the fall. He should be moved to a bed to rest his head and not participate anymore if he wakes up."
"Great." Chris exhaled in slight relief it wasn't anything serious. "Chef, take him to the medical tent to sleep it off."
"I'll go watch over him." Dawn volunteered earning looks from everyone.
"Why do you want to watch him?" Heather questioned suspiciously at leaving a member of her team alone with an enemy. Oh sure, the girl obviously wasn't going to harm him. However, that didn't mean she couldn't try and secretly get Ben to turn on them if he woke up alone with her.
"It's only right someone from our team does since Eva knocked him out." Dawn remarked.
Heather wasn't convinced however before turning to the Goth. "You go as well and make sure she doesn't do anything suspicious." She basically ordered gaining a look from Gwen.
"Fine." Gwen relented.
"Ok then." Chris clapped his hands before turning to the ref. "Take a minute to take him to the medical tent. I'll stay and judge the rest of the game."
"Fine." Chef grumbled before grabbing Ben and roughly put him over his shoulders.
"Jeez at least try and be gentle with him." Leshawna berated the referee. Chef just rolled his eyes and walked away with Gwen and Dawn following after him.
"Ok people let's finish this round. Izzy and Bridgette go back to the playing field." Chris ordered as the two surviving girl returned to finish what they started. When they did however Bridgette got a nervous look when she saw Izzy giving her a bloodthirsty grin.
"You hurt my teammate." Izzy spoke with clear tension in her voice as she spun her ball over her finger menacingly. She then stopped and caught it without missing a beat. "Now you pay."
Bridgette suddenly gulped as she backed away slowly while trying to hide behind her ball. "Now Izzy… let's try and stay calm, alright. Let's not do anything crazy, I mean I wasn't even the one who hurt him." She tried reasoning with her.
"I know but Eva's out and your all that's left." Izzy admitted before her grin grew.
The surfer knew right then and there that she was doomed.
A few hours later
Most of Screaming Gophers were all now gathered with Heather unhappy that they had lost. Owen, Lindsay, Justin and Cody were out doing their own things. After the third round resumed, Izzy had taken down Bridgette and won it for them bring the score 2-1 in their favor. They only needed to score one more round to win the challenge. Sadly, however their next round turned into quite a disaster. The reason for which is because Duncan had finally decided to join in after seeing they were in a pinch. With the punk's addition to the team, he led them to a straight win in the fourth round tying the game 2 apiece. The final round was a disaster for them once Duncan joined forces with Eva. Just the two of them together was a nightmare for them as they were quickly mowed down. Even Izzy who was their best player couldn't stand her ground for long against those two. So, they ended up losing the challenge after having had the lead at first and were now debating who to vote off the team.
"Urgh I can't believe we lost after having the lead." Heather complained with arms crossed as she sat along with the others in the lodge.
"Well, we were bound to lose a challenge eventually." Trent added on how this was only their first ever loss.
"I still say this is all Eva's fault for knocking out one of our good competitors." Heather grumbled at how everything seemed to go wrong after Ben was removed. Oh sure Duncan clearly showed that his contribution heavily influenced his teams win but even so she was still livid at the defeat.
"Girl would you just shut it about Eva and help us figure out who we're voting off. Cause I'm starting to think it should be you!" Leshawna bellowed out, already starting to lose patience.
Heather gave the sassy girl a small glare before replying. "Well why don't we choose Ben then?
At hearing that almost everyone looked at the girl in disbelief.
"Why would we vote Ben off the team!? Leshawna questioned incredulously. "That boy fought tooth and nail for us and helped us win some rounds."
"Yeah but he's injured now which makes him a future liability." Heather countered. While she did see Ben as a valued player on their team the fact remained, he was now injured. An injured teammate would be a hindrance to the entire team which she so didn't want. It didn't matter if he contributed, cause if the boy couldn't continue to add to the team, then he's better off gone.
"He has a mild concussion not a broken leg." Gwen berated. "He's expected to recover after one or two days."
"What if he doesn't?" Heather shot back.
"Well, I'm not voting him out just because of a what if." Gwen made her point. "If he still hasn't recovered when the next challenge comes, and we lose because of him then I'll be more willing to vote him off."
"I agree with that." Izzy joined in.
"It does seem better this way." Beth added which earned her a slight glare from the Asian girl for agreeing with them.
"Urgh fine, so if not him then who?" Heather demanded from them to see if they had any nominations.
Everyone looked at each other in uncertainty. Not knowing who to suggest for elimination. It didn't help that there weren't any real people they disliked on their team. Although Heather would probably fall into that category, they didn't have any incentive to vote her off since she did participate and did well enough. The Killer Bass however clearly had people they disliked given what happened to Ezekiel and Harold. Heck they still had others, with how people feared Eva and Courtney seemed to be at odds with others sometimes. Unfortunately for them however they weren't as such.
"If no one has any ideas then I have a suggestion." Heather spoke up again after seeing their silence.
It was now nighttime as the Screaming Gophers were all now gathered by the campfire. Even the formerly bed ridden Ben was present with an ice pack wrapped around his head to help reduce the throbbing he felt. Chris stood before them with the plate of marshmallows ready to be given to all but the unlucky person tonight.
"Well Gophers you had a good run with two for o challenges but now it's finally happened. You've lost and therefore must now bid farewell to one of your fellow campers." Chris said with growing tension. "You've all cast your votes and now it's time to see who is safe and who is getting out of this place, foreeeeever. First marshmallow goes to… Izzy."
The red head stepped forward with excitement at being the first one called. She took her marshmallow and quickly got a stick to skewer and roast it by the fire. The host then complimented her for doing awesome in the dodgeball games which she returned with a thumbs up.
"Beth, Owen, Lindsay, Leshawna, Gwen, Trent, Justin, Noah, Ben." Chris continued to call out as each camper stood and got their tasty treat except for Ben who the host threw his piece at to let him stay seated. Now that just left Heather and Cody much to both their disbelief.
"Wait what's going on here!? I should've already gotten my marshmallow, why am I in the last two!?" she thought in suspicion as she looked at her so called teammate. "Those losers better not have switched their target to me!"
"We're now down to the final marshmallow." Chris's words broke Heather from her thoughts. "One shall be given life for another ordeal while one will be saying goodbye. You both fought hard, played hard and got taken down hard. So now the final marshmallow goes go…" he paused to build up the drama. Cody shook nervously in his seat while Heather kept looking back and forth from the marshmallow to Cody.
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"Heather." Chris finally spoke the name as the girl let out a sigh of slight relief as she went to get her marshmallow. Cody sat frozen in place as disappointment and slight sadness came over him. He couldn't believe he was the first one on their team getting kicked out. The host walked up to him. "Cody I'm afraid this is where we must part ways." He said almost sympathetic as he gestured to the dock. "Your boat awaits and it's time to go."
"It was fun while it lasted, I guess." He said a bit dejectedly as he stood up and began to walk. As he approached his now former teammates, Ben and a few others blocked his path.
"Hey man sorry about this. We just couldn't come to an easy decision since there wasn't anyone we disliked." Ben said apologetically before casting a glance at a certain Asian girl as it didn't feel right to him.
"It's ok." Cody responded while appreciating the sentiment. He then turned to Gwen and gave a smile. "Say Gwen, think I can get your number before I go?" he asked in what he thought was a charming tone.
Everyone else at hand mentally shook their heads at the boys request. The girl was clearly someone who didn't open herself up to just anyone and Cody didn't seem like the kind she would. So, imagine their surprise when she just gave a half-hearted smile in return as she ruffled his hair.
"Sorry but no." She turned him down almost playfully, despite her rejection however he didn't seem bothered. In fact, he looked a bit flustered from feeling her hand rubbing his head. His mood however was broken when Owen suddenly gripped him in a bearhug.
"We're gonna miss you little buddy." The big lug sadly spoke.
"Y-yeah me too… Owen… too much love." Cody breathed out with difficulty as the big boy got the hint and released him
"You'll always be one of us." Leshawna paid her respects while tapping her chest for emphasis.
One by one everyone said their goodbyes including the mostly silent Justin, Heather just gave a wave while hiding a smirk. Cody then finally went to the dock and got on the boat that took him away. With that done Chris said his piece for the coming future challenges and everyone left to go back to their cabins. Everyone got dressed in their pajamas and went to their chosen beds to sleep in preparation for the next day.
One camper however wasn't asleep like everyone else had fallen already. That camper was Noah who was looking up in thought about today's events along with something else.
"I guess my plan to take out Heather didn't work." He thought on how his tactic failed. "I suppose I was a bit too reckless trying to make a move on her this early in the game. Oh well, at least she doesn't know about my involvement."
It had been more of a plan for testing anyway. After Heater had recommended Cody for elimination and they all eventually agreed, Noah and left to find the others who hadn't been with them. Using subtlety, he managed to get them to think about voting Heather off after remarking on how she was the meanest in their group. That girl thought she was playing smart and sneaky but the bookworm knew all about her secret alliance with Beth and Lindsay. It was remarkable how easy it was to find out from a simple chat with the dumb blonde. All it took was a little reverse psychology and the girl revealed her team up with the two without much resistance or awareness to her actions. He even wagered she might've already forgotten about it.
"Tomorrow's another day." Noah thought smugly before closing his eyes to sleep.
And that's a wrap for this chapter as the Screaming Gophers suffer their first loss. I must admit it was a bit tricky to chose who will be kicked off since Noah did his part to avoid being picked. So, Cody was selected as Heather's choice due to her seeing him as their current weakest player. Although Noah is probably as physically lacking, he has brains which he used to avoid giving them a reason to pick him.
I bet you weren't expecting Noah to have made that attempt to take out Heather XD. He said he had a plan in his try out video which was never shown on the cartoon, so I gave him one. Now you've seen his first attempt to try and get things to go as he planned. Who knows what he might go next.
Stay tuned for the next chapter on Total… Drama… Island… Madness!