*Last time on Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone...*
Following last night's double Tribal Council, it was announced to the twelve remaining survivors that the Merge had finally arrived. Acogua and Punjay combined to form the Kaytu tribe, and to celebrate the occasion, Alexa introduced the new tribe to the Survivor Crossover Auction, granting them an opportunity to bid on a variety of items.
Throughout the auction, survivors won food and comfort items, including a sleeping bag for Tracer, and a letter from home for Tails. The most noteworthy item won, however, was an advantage in the next challenge, which Sniper ended up winning for himself. When the auction eventually came to an end, the survivors were sent to the Kaytu camp for the first time.
At camp, an idol was discovered within Tracer's sleeping bag, but before she could find it herself, Daisy and Scout sent Kiryu to secretly retrieve it first. The idol in question was the Ring of Nobility. Coupled with Daisy's Ring of Abduction, the Manjari Clan was rich in power. However, with great power came greater dilemmas, and after a swift discussion, they decided to hide the idol from Majima.
The theme of idols continued onward, as Edgeworth's sharp interrogation skills led him to conclude that Nero not only still had his idol, but had lied about using it to the ex-Acogua tribe members. Upon confronting him, he learned that the lie was Dante's idea, prompting Nero to realise that his current closest ally was likely setting him up to fail.
Following that night, the Kaytu tribe arrived at their first individual immunity challenge. They were asked to race through a course, first using buckets of water to retrieve a key, then shooting five balls into five baskets, and lastly solving a picture puzzle. After an incredible comeback, Tails was the sole winner of the challenge, winning an immunity necklace that guaranteed his safety in the coming Tribal Council.
Returning to the tribe, Nero proactively took his shot at Dante. With the help of Edgeworth, they formed a majority consisting of themselves, Sniper, Wii Fit Trainer, Tracer, and Nero's two former enemies: Tails and Knuckles. With the seven combined votes, they would have enough to outnumber and eliminate Dante. Nevertheless, Tracer's disinterest in the plan had her leak it to the unsuspecting Manjari Clan.
Nightfall soon came, and at Tribal Council, it became clear that the vote was soon to become a showdown between Dante and Nero. When the latter wanted to play his Ring of Reflection, he was discouraged from doing so by his new alliance, causing him to give in to their confidence and keep the idol.
In the first vote, Tracer's flip to Dante's side caused a six-vote tie between the two devil hunters. Following the announcement of a revote, Tracer convinced Tails and Knuckles to switch their votes to prevent a rock draw. Unable to play his idol in the second vote, Nero was voted off, becoming the first member of the Jury.
Eleven remain. With a new majority alliance formed, those at the bottom will have to fight in order to stay in the game. Will they work together to overthrow those at the top? Or will they throw one another under the bus for the sake of saving themselves? All and more will be answered in this episode of Survivor Crossover: Ice Cap Zone!
Ice Cap Zone (Ring of Igloos): Day 21
Survivors: Majima.
The stretch of snowy land was empty and desolate. The sun, blotted by thick grey clouds in the sky, only made the near-abandoned Ring of Igloos bleaker. Ever since Alexa had announced that the idol had been found here, there was no reason for anyone to return.
Yet Majima stood in the midst of the area. If his memory served him correctly, what he was looking for was an igloo with a flag bearing the number "nine". After a quick scan, he located it and began walking to it.
Since he last saw it, the igloo had been partially buried. Nonetheless, the Yakuza hauled himself on top of the structure and grabbed the flag, twisting it to the left.
"C'mon... I know you're in there!" He howled, grinning from ear to ear.
He pulled the flag from its slot and reached in. To his luck, a ring with a note attached was waiting for him.
"AHAHAHAHA! I KNEW IT!" Majima jumped for joy atop the igloo. His screams of achievement rang far and wide through the Ice Cap Zone, and after calming down, he read the note aloud:
"This is the Ring of Reflection. Upon activating this ring at Tribal Council, each vote cast towards you will bounce onto a random other person with no immunity. You may also use this advantage on other people."
A barrage of ideas swarmed his mind. Something like this not only granted him safety, but added a layer of chaos that not even he would be able to control. This was exactly his style.
"Oh Nero, you shoulda used this when ya had the chance!" He cackled.
"I remember checkin' this spot what felt like centuries ago, and I found a note that told me that the idol had already been found. It pissed me the hell off! Buuut, the note also said that if the bearer of the idol gets eliminated with the idol in hand, then it returns back to its hidin' spot! Thanks to the group of cocky morons that convinced Nero not to use his idol, he got sent packin' with it! I guessed that he got that idol from here, and it was the damn best guess I've ever made!" - Goro Majima.
Majima kissed the ring, holding it in the air. "WATCH OUT KIRYU-CHAN! THIS IS SOME NUCLEAR SHIT RIGHT HERE!"
He tucked it into his pants and promptly headed back to Kaytu's camp. It was early in the morning, so he was hoping to get away with nobody noticing...
Kaytu: Day 21
Survivors: Dante - Scout - Knuckles - Kazuma Kiryu - Tails - Princess Daisy - Tracer - Miles Edgeworth - Goro Majima - Nero - Sniper - Wii Fit Trainer.
After a pitiful night of sleep, Scout lay awake in his tent. He was tired, cold, and his patience was starting to run thin with living in such a miserable location.
Making things worse, he heard a yawn from the tent over, followed by the shuffling of fabric. It was Tracer, leaving her warm, cozy sleeping bag as Scout continued to lie on his back on the stone floor of the cave. He was envious, having won nothing at the auction while she came out with what he thought was the best item that could've been won.
He then thought about yesterday. Tracer wiped the floor with him in terms of performance, even if she ended up losing. Then, she ended up saving him and his alliance from Nero. None of it was to spite him, but his jealousy was beginning to get the best of him.
Eventually, ruminating about how she was able to get away with teleporting drove him to storm out of his tent. Scout proceeded to follow his arch-nemesis out of the cave, and over to the shelter without her realising.
Tracer went to sit down, facing the cave. As she was about to tend to the fire, she noticed Scout from the corner of her eye. He sat opposite her, staring at her with unmasked distrust.
"Oh, you're up too?" She asked.
"...Yeah."
"I never took you for an early bird!"
"Well, quit with the assumptions!" He bitterly snapped back.
The soldier rolled her eyes as she continued to set up the fire, though even ignoring his rude remarks wasn't enough.
"Listen here, wizard!" Scout said. "I get you saved us last night n' everythin', but don't think you can start runnin' the show around here."
Amused by his hostility, Tracer folded her arms. "I never pulled off that move for control, y'know. I did it to get away from a majority alliance full of snakes."
"Well... I guess you got a point there." He leaned back, frowning angrily. "At first I expected myself to be workin' with Sniper, but he's just too full of himself!"
"Really? That's quite the twist," she said. "You two have had your banter, but I didn't know we shared an enemy." She gave a wink, making Scout curious.
The mercenary suddenly leaned forward, springing to life. "Wait, you wanna wipe that smug look off his face too?"
Tracer gave a thumbs up. "Not for no reason. I used to have a pretty sweet alliance myself. Rodin, Krabs, Wii Fit, and myself were a pretty tight four."
"You teamed up with that crab guy? Wouldn't call that "sweet"." Scout scoffed.
She continued. "Don't mind that. The point is, Sniper used an idol to send me and Wii Fit off Tribal Council, meaning we couldn't participate. He then ganged up on Krabs with Edgeworth and Joseph."
"A douchebag move," he admitted. "Sounds just like Sniper to me."
"It gets worse. Next thing I know, he convinces Wii Fit to join his alliance, and she voted Rodin." Tracer sighed. "That's why I had to put on a pity party a couple of Tribal Councils ago, remember? Anyway, Sniper's been behind everything that's damaged my game, so I want him out."
Scout reevaluated the arch-nemesis that stood before him. He had previously despised her, specifically her ability to blink through challenges effortlessly. However, to him, the enemy of his enemy is his friend, and now he was considering accepting Tracer as an ally.
After a pause, he looked up to her. "Alright, wizard. I ain't fond of your cheap methods, but if there's someone I can work with to pull a fast one on Sniper, then I won't be picky. Ya wanna help take out Sniper, then?"
"That would be a pleasure!" She extended her arm out merrily, offering the soldier a handshake.
With an eye roll, he accepted the handshake.
"I never thought I'd see the day that I would be able to work with someone as stubborn as Scout. Adapting to this new alliance is gonna take a lot of work, but now that I'm on one person's good side, that's definitely some good progress I guess!" - Tracer.
As she knelt back down to tend the fire, Edgeworth was the next person to arrive at the shelter. He sat down next to where Tracer was, blankly staring at the cave in an attempt to not hold eye contact with Scout, whose cocky looks annoyed him.
Unfortunately for him, his attempt to avoid interacting with the mercenary was worthless.
"So, how was the blindside attempt?" He chuckled. "Didn't go to plan, right?"
"...No, it didn't." The prosecutor placed a hand over his head. "You're not planning on being an annoyance until breakfast is cooked, are you?"
"Consider it payback! You tried to take out our alliance, and Nero went home with a friggin' idol!" Scout continued to laugh about it, further pressing Edgeworth.
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not particularly concerned. Nero was a bit of a loose cannon anyway, and it was clear he didn't work on relations enough for him to pull off a move without a blindside."
"...But you're now on the bottom, moron. How can you not be fearin' for your life?"
"I've been in worse situations."
His composure was enough to intimidate Scout. The mercenary believed he was hiding something. "You don't have an idol or anythin' do ya? Nero didn't roll his ring to you on the way out or somethin'?"
"Why would I tell you that?" Edgeworth huffed, glaring at him.
Tracer decided to break up the rising tensions. "Look. What's done is done. No point arguing about it or rubbing it in. This is all a game, after all."
"Yeah, and it ain't a game without a little bit of well-earned taunting!"
With another sigh, this one much harsher, Edgeworth went quiet and continued staring at the distant cave.
"Last night was a disaster. Convincing Nero to not use his idol when he finally needed it was not my best move, and I really did think that Nero had done his homework in convincing Tracer to go with the plan instead of flipping. What's worse is the lack of strategy, judging by Tracer having to grovel to Knuckles and Tails to flip. But unfortunately, it managed to pay off, and now I'm on the bottom." - Miles Edgeworth.
Coming from behind Edgeworth, someone else joined the conversation, biting into Scout's arrogant remarks.
"Well-earned tauntin'?!" Majima cried, coming from behind Edgeworth. "Ya didn't do shit last night! Our asses got saved from bein' planted on the bottom of the peckin' order thanks to her!" He pointed to Tracer. "Give the cocky shit a rest."
He grumbled to himself, amusing Edgeworth and flattering Tracer.
"Well, so far, that's two people in this alliance that have taken a liking to me. Things are looking great!" - Tracer.
More people began entering the shelter, swarming the growing fire as breakfast was put on.
They all ate together as usual, Tracer dishing up the portions. However, unlike the days before, things felt off. Since the last Tribal Council, a minority three of Sniper, Edgeworth, and Wii Fit were the remnants of last night's fallen alliance. They were on the bottom, and they ate in complete silence. As for the new majority of eight, they all gave occasional glances to the trio, with each member having a different target in mind:
Scout and Tracer had already discussed their wishes to vote off Sniper. With him constantly angering Scout, as well as the damage he had previously done to Tracer's alliances and overall game, neither of them wanted him in this game any longer.
Meanwhile, some of them, such as Dante, had their sights on Miles Edgeworth. His cold and calculated gameplay was something Dante had been well aware of, and after he participated in last night's blindside attempt to get out Dante, he wanted to strike before Edgeworth could get another opportunity to do so.
Some even saw value in booting off Wii Fit Trainer. Her social game and experience from making it to the Final 4 of the first season placed a huge target on her back. Despite this, she wasn't as big of a strategic threat in comparison to the other two. The dilemma was, however, if focusing on the vocal threats would allow her to slip further into the game unchallenged.
As for the trio themselves, Wii Fit and Sniper could only awkwardly sit there and eat their food. They were at the absolute bottom of the pecking order with what felt like no wiggle room. They pulled off a blindside, failed, and now both of them were eager to save themselves by trying for immunity at tomorrow's challenge.
Edgeworth's confidence, however, continued to power him through this low moment. He was used to being in danger, but what made this situation more beneficial was the number of members within the Kaytu tribe's majority. More people meant more cracks, and that meant more opportunities.
In addition to that, something wasn't adding up. He was too cold and tired to be able to put his finger on what, but it continued to bug him throughout the meal.
Meanwhile, Daisy rubbed her lower back, upset. "I think sleeping on that stone floor's finally taking its toll on my back. I feel like a grandma."
"Hmm..." Dante looked to her, and then to Tracer. "Sounds like someone is hinting at you for a night in that sleeping bag."
"What?!" She cried. "I'd never! She earned it... though I really can't say I'm not jealous."
It was then the princess widened her eyes slightly, a wave of guilt surging through her.
"I almost forgot that I worked with Scout and Kiryu to steal the idol from Tracer's sleeping bag before she could find it. Next thing I know, she saves all of us in Tribal Council, and Kiryu still has that idol in his pocket, and she doesn't know about it! I guess I'll have to try and ignore that for now, but if she's in our alliance, doesn't that mean she deserves to have it back?!" - Princess Daisy.
With nobody picking up on her stunned look, the conversation resumed.
"Come on, it's just a bit of stone," Knuckles shrugged. "I've slept on worse."
"I got more in common with a critter than I thought!" Majima admitted. "I can sleep like a damn baby in that cave, and you'll still catch me struttin' out without any problems! Maybe it's ya form that might be breakin' your spine, Daisy."
The conversation continued for the rest, but for Edgeworth, that one thing that had been nagging him finally came to mind. It was easy for it to go over anyone's head, but the prosecutor firmly recalled not seeing Majima leave the cave. From the moment he sat down, he had a perfect view of the cave's entrance, and not only catch Majima emerging from it, he came from behind. The Yakuza had retrieved no firewood or water bottle either, meaning it had to have been something else.
It could be the first crack of the alliance, or it could be completely nothing. He kept it as a mental note for now.
As people finished their meal, people began splitting off as usual. Whether it was to do chores around the camp or spend time with others. With the stakes brought by the last Tribal Council, a few survivors sought out chats with others in an attempt to help better their game.
First up was Wii Fit, who had experienced what she felt was a wake-up call last night. For maybe the first time all game, she was now on the bottom. It didn't matter if she was going to be booted first or last in the minority group, because she wanted to climb out as quickly as possible.
It seemed that working on new relationships was going to be difficult at this point in time, but luckily for her, she had an old alliance with Tails and Knuckles.
"Seeing Tails and Knuckles flip so easily under Tracer's influence really spoke volumes about their position in this tribe. Neither of them feel secure, so as long as they can vote for someone that isn't themselves or each other, then they'll go through with anyone's plan. That's probably what happened last night, as they didn't want to risk getting rocked out for an alliance they didn't have loyalty towards. What they need is some security, and if I offer that to them, maybe they'll flip back." - Wii Fit Trainer.
Approaching the two at the edge of the camp, Wii Fit leaned against the mountain's wall and greeted them. "How're you two?"
"We're doing okay I guess," Knuckles admitted. "Still trying to wrap my head around last night."
"Tell me about it... whenever a majority collapses, you expect it to fragment," she explained. "Instead, a larger one just took its place."
Tails trailed his gaze down to the floor, looking uncertain. "That's what confuses me too. This feels more like an alliance of convenience. Five of them were previously against us, and other than Tracer's promise to work with us, I feel like we'll be out of the alliance first."
"I used to be in an alliance with Kiryu, Scout, and Daisy!" Knuckles pointed to his chest. "You know who else was in that alliance? Polnareff! And since he got out, me and Tails haven't been trusted since."
"Even though Polnareff was trying to play both sides?"
The echidna slumped back against the wall and sighed. "...Yep. Even when Daisy started to believe me, the plan to vote us off was already solidified. That, or she never believed me at all! Trust me, you don't know the half of it."
"Why would you vote with those people at not with us?" Wii Fit queried.
"I would've been more than happy to vote with you," Tails said. "And we did. Though once we found out Nero had votes, I found it easier to flip and vote him off."
Knuckles agreed. "Exactly that! I wasn't scared of a rock draw, but vengeance was pretty much always written on that guy's face. Heck, if you stared deep enough into his eyes, you'd probably see his hit list, and I'm sure we were both written on there somewhere."
"...He did tend to wear his heart on his sleeve." She pushed herself from the wall and looked to them both. "But now that he's out... do you really want to keep working with those guys?"
The fox shook his head. "No... but, I'll be honest. I don't think I want to work with Edgeworth or Sniper either."
Wii Fit was shocked to hear that. "Then... what other option do you have?"
"I've been thinking," he said. "Maybe the three of us could work together long term."
Knuckles leaned in. "Do I sense a pact to make it to the final three?"
It was a sudden yet fairly enticing offer. Wii Fit didn't want to necessarily flip from Sniper and Edgeworth, given that she risked a lot by joining their side, but Tails and Knuckles were a less controversial duo that had ties to the majority.
"...That's... a lot to think about." The fitness trainer scratched the back of her head.
"C'mon!" The echidna beckoned. "Think about it. You group with us, and we'll make sure the majority keeps you out of the votes as Edgeworth and Sniper get picked off. From there, all we have to do is make sure we're never at the bottom! Foolproof!"
"I wouldn't say foolproof... but it's a plan!" Tails added.
Their confidence was ensuring, but it still wasn't enough to assure Wii Fit's commitment. Nevertheless, she played along for now. "It does sound like my best option. I do trust both of you on this, but for now, let's just see what happens tomorrow."
"That's fine. You have plenty of time to think it through," he said.
With the thread attaching Wii Fit to her alliance stretching thinner, Sniper and Edgeworth were hoping for the opportunity to scour for cracks in the majority alliance.
Sniper boredly sat by the cave entrance as Edgeworth stood beside him, staring daggers through the camp.
The mercenary took off his hat and looked at it, trying to think of any ideas that could put him in a better spot than he currently was in. With nothing coming to mind, he fastened it back onto his head and stood up, turning to the camp's exit.
"Where are you going?" Edgeworth asked.
"To find an idol."
The prosecutor nodded. "Are you not confident?"
"Not confident? We're buggered!" He said, frustrated. "And it's pretty freaky how you aren't too fussed. There's half a mil at stake here, mate. I'm not gonna sit around and wait for a crack to show itself, because that's a shoddy idea!"
Edgeworth remained silent, causing Sniper to turn around. "And what are you even starin' at?"
He then followed his gaze, eventually meeting Majima, laying down beneath the shelter on his own.
It was then that Edgeworth finally spoke up. "...I have reason to believe Majima went searching for an idol. When I was by the shelter earlier, I was facing the cave entrance the whole time, yet he managed to end up behind me."
"So what? If he has, that doesn't mean he found one," Sniper argued.
"After the events of last night, I wouldn't expect him of all people to go searching for an idol. Of all the people here, I can't seem to read him at all, but I wouldn't be surprised if he had an advantage."
He continued. "Besides, the Ice Cap Zone is a giant area. Finding an idol, especially at this stage is next to impossible without a hint. I reckon he might have found one, which led him to an idol."
"I found one not long ago without a hint, so I can find another." He began walking off, beginning his search. "I'll be a few hours, and I'll make sure to bring some firewood up with me."
Sniper soon disappeared from the camp, leaving Edgeworth by himself. He continued to stare off into the distance, prepared to do anything to stay another night.
"If there aren't any cracks to exploit by tomorrow, then tomorrow's vote is going to be between Sniper and I. He's a far bigger challenge threat than myself, and it was him that ultimately resulted in Tracer's old alliance dissolving overnight. If there's one person I can confidently convince others to vote instead of me, it's him." - Miles Edgeworth.
On the other side of the camp was the rest of the tribe: Daisy, Scout, Tracer, Dante, and Kiryu. As Majima continued to defy the elements by peacefully napping in the middle of the camp, Kiryu gathered most of the majority to discuss the future of the game.
"So, what's the issue?" Scout twiddled his thumbs. "Cuz if we're gonna have the discussion on who's goin' next, then just know that Tracer and I have a few hundred points on why Sniper should get the boot, ain't that right?"
Daisy wagged her finger, pouting. "Sniper?! Edgeworth voted against us too! The only difference is that he's pretty scary. His stare is so intense. It's unnerving..."
"You're scared of his stare?" Dante laughed. "That guy's just a slimy lawyer. Nothing to be afraid of. I agree though, I think it's him that should go next."
"He ain't half as slimy as Sniper!" Scout pointed passionately. "I gotta get at him before he gets at me!"
Kiryu ended the argument there, speaking up. "We're not here to discuss voting Edgeworth or Sniper."
"...Don't tell me you're aiming at Wii Fit Trainer. Isn't that a little low priority?" Dante challenged.
He shook his head. "It's not her I'm talking about either. Daisy and Scout might know what I'm getting at."
"...Wait." Daisy clasped her face, her mouth agape. "Of course! Majima! What happened last night almost made me forget!"
Tracer folded her arms. "Hang on a second. I'm a little new to this. Why is Majima suddenly a problem?"
"That makes two of us," added Dante.
Kiryu explained. "Majima met up with me at the start of the competition while I was with Scout and Daisy. He said that he was going to give me a run for my money, and though we've worked together for a while now, I have a feeling he's going to turn on me soon. By turning on me, that means he's going to strike at this alliance."
"Oh yeah!" Scout grimaced. "Y'know, I bet if it weren't for Nero doin' what he did and gettin' himself packin' over to the Losers' Club, Majima would've tried to make a move sooner."
Caught up on the situation, Tracer didn't feel too worried. "I can't see how this is much of an issue. His only way of striking at us is to flip to the three on the bottom. That makes four, which won't come close to our seven. Do they have any idols?"
"Not that I'm aware of." The ex-Yakuza looked over to the other side of camp, over at Tails, Knuckles, and Wii Fit Trainer. "But if they flip Tails and Knuckles back, then they get back to six."
"Hush!" She assured. "I've been giving both of them some larger portions. I'll see if I'm able to help them out a bit at tomorrow's challenge too. Then, before Tribal Council, I'll try to include them as best I can. Trust the process!"
"I wouldn't believe Kiryu's explanation one bit if it was anyone else, but from the little, I've seen of Majima, I can believe it. I thought he was crazy, but this reckless?!" - Tracer.
Kiryu was satisfied with her unmatched confidence. "Okay then. Just remember, this is Majima we're dealing with. We'll need to be very cautious, and more importantly, we can't let him win tomorrow."
"Rest easy. I'll make sure he doesn't get that necklace!" Scout flexed his bicep cockily. His confidence satisfied no one.
With the chat over, they eventually broke off. Majima was the new public enemy, but even so, Kiryu had his doubts about whether it would be successful or not. He had to try either way, otherwise, he would join Nero on the Jury bench soon enough.
No chats of importance happened again that day. On the surface, the lines seemed set in stone, and it only became more blatant when Sniper returned to camp with no idol in hand. Nevertheless, the next Tribal Council was shaping up to be a chaotic change of fate, and it was clear that the only way to truly guarantee protection from it was to win the immunity necklace...
*TO BE CONTINUED*