BASIC STRAINING 2

The moon shed light over Underrated Island as Team Earth slept soundly in the cabin they built, which had become their home as a result of winning every challenge so far. Asandra and Eun stepped into their own tents nearby as Joshua and Micky sat on the beach, right by the shore. Their conversation couldn't be heard from the campsite, but it was clearly a disagreement of some sorts.

"We need to do what's best for the team!" Joshua said to Micky, clearly frustrated. He had just been blindsided, and losing Janet after not getting his way with the Luigi vote either really messed up whatever grasp he had on Team Chicken.

Micky shrugged. "We did. Janet sucked."

"Janet was loyal to us." Joshua replied.

"To you." Micky rolled his eyes where Joshua couldn't see him.

"Now what are we supposed to do if we lose again?" Joshua asked him while getting up. "Eun and Asandra aren't going to vote each other out!"

"We just can't lose again!" Micky said, getting up himself. "And if we do, you better hope there's an invincibility statue somewhere." He smirked. "And you better find it."

Joshua didn't say anything.

Confession Cam:

(Micky) He's laughing. "This is too good. Joshua thought he was running the show, but it's really ME!" He points both thumbs at himself. "He's mad, but I don't care! His little Adventure alliance flopped! It's Micky's alliance now!" He laughs again, cocky as ever.

(Joshua) He's rubbing his forehead with frustration. "How did I let Micky take over the team?" He asks calmly. "I was the captain. I should have had a say in this." He pauses. "Sure, Janet wasn't the strongest, but I should have had a say in it too. Now, it feels like I'm at their mercy when we lose again… I need to find a way to turn this around."

The sun hadn't even risen before Team Earth was rudely awakened by the slam open of the door.

"MY LITTLE ROACHES." Chef screamed through a megaphone, waking not only the boys on this side, but the girls on the other side, where Delanie stood with her own megaphone.

Delanie lowered her megaphone when she saw Grace, Sandy and Colleen awake. "Just listen to him." She held their door open.

"GET UP, GET DRESSED, AND LINE UP AT ATTENTION OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW!" Chef was in his basic straining uniform: a ranger hat, tank top, and cargo pants stuffed into grey boots. These articles of clothing were all olive colored. Black sunglasses to cover his eyes, and an orange whistle dangling from his neck. Brendan, Lesley and Ignatius all stared at him, annoyed. They saw his new look and knew exactly what it meant. "I SAID NOW!" And with that, the three quickly got up.

Everyone had heard him and quickly got dressed and in line right in front of the cabin. Chef walked down the line. Lesley was first, followed by Colleen, Brendan, Grace, Sandy, Ignatius, Joshua, Micky, Eun and Asandra. "You know how this goes. I've been way too easy on ya all!" He announced as he whacked them into a proper attention pose. Luckily, most of the campers knew how to stand, having seen the first Basic Straining episode.

"You whack me again, it'll be a problem." Lesley muttered, causing Colleen and Brendan to gulp as Chef turned back around and approached him.

Chef yelled through the megaphone, at his face. "Shut up! You are my soldiers now, and you will do as I say, speak when I tell you to, and I expect you to refer to me as Master Chief starting now. Got it?" He backed up so everyone could look at him. "I said got it?"

"Yes, Master Chief." They said in unison.

Chef lowered the megaphone and spoke very clearly and sternly. "In case you don't know what we're going to be doing today, I'm putting you all through my very special boot camp! If you can't handle it, which you won't, you can drop out at any time. The bell is right there." He pointed to a bell attached to a wooden post in the middle of the campsite. "The last person standing wins immunity for their team. Welcome to basic straining two!"

Nobody said anything, making Chef smile. "Now, everyone into the woods, single file line." He picked up the megaphone. "Now!"

Confession Cam:

(Asandra) "Uh… I'm scared."

(Sandy) "This is exciting!"

Everyone sat high up in a tree on two branches separated by teams.

"Alright, soldiers, your first challenge is to hang onto that there tree branch you're on for as long as you can! Nobody eats breakfast until one person drops!" Chef announced. Joshua raised his hand. Chef rose an eyebrow, then pointed at him. "Speak."

"Um," Joshua started, "isn't it a little unfair that the teams are so uneven?" There were four members of Team Chicken left compared to the six from Team Earth.

"Already looking for excuses?" Lesley chuckled.

"I'm not looking for excuses." Joshua said firmly. "I just want a fair shot at winning, that's all."

"If you can't handle it, quit now." Lesley smirked and flexed his chest.

"Let's not start arguing with each other." Colleen said to Lesley.

Chef spoke next, over the megaphone. "Enough chatter, soldiers!" He addressed Joshua. "Unfair you say? Well, well, well, look who's suddenly concerned about fairness." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I don't see any rules saying the teams have to be perfectly balanced, kid!"

Joshua hesitated, not expecting this response. Micky shot him a smug grin from across the tree branch, clearly enjoying the situation. Eun and Asandra exchanged glances, sensing the tension.

"Look," Chef continued, "the whole point of this challenge is to see who's got the grit and determination to stick it out, regardless of the numbers. You wanna complain about fairness, fine, but that ain't gonna get you any breakfast or immunity. Now, enough yapping. Get ready to hang on, 'cause this ain't gonna be a walk in the park."

Eun looked worriedly at Joshua, wanting to support him but not wanting to rock the boat further. Asandra, who was next to him, leaned in and whispered, "Don't worry, we'll handle this together, okay?" With a deep breath, Joshua nodded, readying himself for the challenge ahead.

Everyone started gripping the tree branches tightly as they braced themselves for the challenge. "Ready… set… GO!" Chef shouted through the megaphone, and the intense challenge began as everyone dropped from sitting to hanging.

The first challenge was over quicker than Chef expected. Just 45 minutes into it, Micky dropped out. He landed with a thud and quickly got up and dust himself off. "Guess I'm headed for the bell." He chuckled.

"Time for breakfast!" Sandy laughed as she let go and landed on her feet. Within a few seconds, everyone was back on the ground and ready for breakfast.

Chef was clearly annoyed. "Really? Already?" He called as Micky headed to the bell. "No muscles burning? No arms trembling? I didn't even get to whip out the hose!"

"Pfft." Micky retorted as he rang the bell. "I wasn't ever going to win this one."

"That's the most self-aware thing he's said all season." Joshua said to Asandra.

Confession Cam:

(Micky) He has his arms crossed. "As if I was going to put up with Chef and his crazy military persona. I'll sit back and relax." He chuckled. "I'm safe anyway."

Delanie served a compost breakfast to the campers, which was met with mixed reactions.

"This is actually terrible." Colleen said, poking what she considered trash.

"We have to eat it, though." Lesley said.

"He's right." Grace said, forcing herself into eating some of it. "We have to conserve our energy."

"It's gonna be a long day." Brendan muttered.

Sandy, who had eaten the small ration of food already, shot up. "While we have a bit of time, I need boy advice!" She grabbed Colleen's hand.

Colleen was confused, but she grabbed her plate and got up to follow her. "Okay?"

Sandy led her to the campsite. "Finally I get you alone!"

Colleen rose an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I have to tell you about Grace!" Sandy said. "She keeps trying to throw challenges to get Ignatius out!"

"She told you that?" Colleen asked.

"Yes!" Sandy said. "It's so weird! I'd never throw a challenge! We do that and it could seal our fate!"

"We're doing so good." Colleen said. "I want to keep winning!"

"She's so focused on getting him out." Sandy said.

"That could cost her…" Colleen wondered. "Well, thanks for filling me in."

"Of course, girl!" Sandy said. "We're sticking together through all of this!"

"So you didn't need boy help after all?" Colleen giggled. "With Joshua?"

"Well, he's acting like I don't exist!" Sandy said. She then laughed. "He'll come around for me." She winked. "What about you and Lesley!"

Colleen shushed her. "Don't talk about it! I mean, it's so hard not to like him. I didn't want this to happen again, but he's all I think about."

Sandy smirked. "We're on the same boat, sister. I swear, I would have swapped teams if Chef gave us the option to."

"So you'd pick a boy over girl power?" Colleen teased.

"No way!" Sandy quickly shot back.

Everyone met up by the lake for Chef's next task. "30 laps, soldiers!" He directed.

"Thirty?!" Colleen gasped.

Micky chuckled from the sidelines. "Glad I'm not in this."

"SHUT IT!" Chef yelled at him through the megaphone. "It's a small enough lake! Just do it! You don't want to? Go ring the bell!"

Everyone hesitated, unsure if they had the energy to complete the task.

Confession Cam:

(Brendan) "This is starting to get out of hand. These challenges are no joke."

(Ignatius) "30 laps? In a lake?" He growls. "I oughta set his face on fire."

"The faster you do it, the faster you get a break." Chef announced.

The campers jumped into the lake and started swimming. Each lap felt like an eternity, but they persisted, each driven by their determination to win. After what felt like an eternity, everyone completed the 30 laps in their own time, even Ignatius, surprising everyone, including himself. At that point it was late in the afternoon, and everyone was exhausted and hungry.

"Bon appetit!" Delanie announced as she welcomed everyone back to a biscuit and some water.

"This is all we get for lunch?" Lesley asked. "After having to exhaust our bodies back there?"

"It contains all the nutrients you need, so eat up!" Chef said. "You have 5 minutes!"

Eun struggled to eat the dry biscuit. "This is so gross. But it's exactly how I would write it."

"Any chance you could write our team a victory?" Asandra asked.

Eun giggled.

"Please don't tell me miracles can only happen in fan fiction." Joshua said.

"Don't lose hope!" Eun smiled, and chomped down on her biscuit, instantly following it with water.

Cut to the beach, where the remaining nine campers were following after Chef in his classic dance routine from the first basic straining. Ignatius fell out of line and turned the stereo off.

"Really?" Grace asked.

"It's getting dark. Why don't we start a fire?" Ignatius smirked.

Chef walked up to him. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to do this any more." Ignatius crossed his arms.

"There's the bell!" Chef pointed. "I'm getting sick and tired of you kids." He then turned the music back on and headed back to his position.

"You have to deal with us, don't you?" Ignatius pulled out his set of matches and before Chef could react, he set the stereo on fire, ceasing the music.

Chef tensed up and stomped over to Ignatius, who was preparing to stand his ground. "That's it, you're out of here!"

Ignatius laughed, but it quickly turned into shock as Chef picked him up and took him over to where the bell was. Chef slammed him down next to it and pointed. Ignatius rang the bell and Chef picked him up again and led him into the forest.

"Where is he taking him?" Brendan asked.

"Hopefully somewhere he can stay for good." Grace said.

"The dance was fun!" Asandra said. "Why did it have to end so soon?"

"I hope we're done for the day." Joshua chimed in.

Chef led Ignatius to the cave, which now had a wall built at the entrance with a door. He opened the door and threw Ignatius in there. "Solitary confinement!" He announced.

"Are you kidding me?!" Ignatius ran towards the door, but Chef slammed it shut. Ignatius looked around, then lit a match. It was dark, but the little fire he held provided some light. Eyes appeared above him. First one, then two, then much more. He looked up and screamed as bats began to attack him.

Chef returned to everyone else. "Any other quitters before our next challenge? There's plenty of room in solitary!" No one spoke. "For your next challenge, you have to stay on night watch duties. No one is to fall asleep, or you're out! Got it?! You'll stay up until I dismiss you."

"How long will that be? I'm so tired." Asandra asked.

Chef shrugged. "Don't ask silly questions, girl. I'm gonna go take a nap. Stay up!" He left them to it.

As Ignatius battled bats and rats in solitary confinement and Micky slept, the remaining eight competitors stayed up by the campfire.

"At least we have this." Colleen said, holding a stick with a marshmallow on it.

"You really want to make s'mores right now?" Grace asked. "That'll knock me out."

"I wish I had a soda." Sandy said. "I'd be soooo up!"

"You seem like you have the most energy here." Joshua said.

"You don't say?" Sandy snuggled up to him. Joshua sighed, and put his arm around her.

"You not gonna snuggle up to me like that?" Lesley asked Colleen.

Colleen smirked. "I'm sure that would make you go wild."

"As much as it would make you go wild?" He asked.

She laughed. "Oh, please. It wouldn't make me feel a thing." She teased.

"I can't wait till we lose so I can get your ass out of here." Lesley grinned.

Colleen hit his arm playfully. "You're kidding!"

"They are such flirts, these girls." Grace said to Brendan, who was half asleep.

"Mhm." Brendan nodded, his eyelids fighting to stay open.

Grace looked over at him. "Wake up! We need all the manpower we can get." She shook him a bit, but he then fell over and started to snore. She facepalmed.

Confession Cam:

(Grace) "I wanted to lose before, but now I feel like we need to win… I don't know. I keep going back and forth here!"

Grace walked up to Colleen and Lesley. "We lost Brendan." She pointed.

"You're not losing me." Lesley said.

"Or me!" Sandy shot up.

Eun and Asandra were laying down next to one another, stargazing.

"Can we talk about how you keep surviving eliminations?" Asandra said to her. "So badass."

Eun smiled. "I never thought I'd love being an underdog!"

"I don't think we're underdogs anymore." Asandra said. "We have Micky on our side. You must have some sort of magic in you."

"You have magic too!" Eun exclaimed. "You beat your curse."

Asandra gave a warm smile. "I'm starting to think I was never cursed in the first place."

Confession Cam:

(Eun) "I found the bestest of friends in Asandra! There's no way I'll turn on her. It's us to the end!" Her eyes light up and she pulls open her book. "I'm going to write a one-shot about this right now!"

(Asandra) She is smiling. "I thrive when I have friends around me. I thought I wouldn't be able to do this without Carter or Phoebe, but look at me! I'm thriving! I beat my curse… And I have a new bestie. And she's my number one ally!" She starts humming a tune.

After what seemed like a long time waiting for Chef's dismissal, Asandra got up. "I can't do this anymore!"

"No!" Joshua frowned. "We need you."

"I'm sorry, Josh." Asandra said. "I need my sleep. I'll go mad without it."

"I'm not going to argue with that!" Eun said. "We'll take it from here!"

"Thank you." Asandra nodded and went about her way. She rang the bell and collapsed into her tent, moments before Chef headed to the fire pit to dismiss everyone.

Chef looked at the remaining campers: Eun, Joshua, Sandy, Colleen, Lesley and Grace. "Good job, soldiers. You made it to bedtime. Go get some rest."

They all sighed with relief and were allowed to sleep in the cabins for the night, a luxury Joshua and Eun had yet to experience.

Door slam. "UP, UP, UP, SOLDIERS!" Chef screamed through the megaphone. It was 6am, and they had only slept for three hours. "Time for the next task!"

The remaining six groaned and met Chef on the beach posthaste. There was an obstacle course set up.

"Looks like we're about to have fun!" Sandy exclaimed.

"How is she not exhausted?" Colleen whispered to Lesley before yawning.

"Alright, maggots!" Chef sized them up with his stick in hand. They all stood at attention. "You will face the toughest obstacle course of your lives. The first person to complete it in under a minute will be the only one who gets to eat a good breakfast! The rest of you, biscuits and water!"

Confession Cam:

(Chef) "These kids are really tough for sticking it out!" He sipped on a smoothie. "Only three hours of sleep and they're all gonna attempt it anyway? I'm… a bit proud."

"Go, soldiers, go!" Chef commanded as they all started the course.

"Under a minute? A breeze!" Lesley smirked as he jumped up and over the first wall.

"Don't get caught in the barbed wire, Grace!" Colleen called as she got low to crawl.

"Way ahead of you!" Grace said. "I'll stick to the middle."

Everyone ran through the obstacle course multiple times. They had to complete it in under a minute, but were all falling short. Even Sandy, who overexerted her body. It was Joshua who ended up being the first person to make it in under a minute.

"Whoopie!" He cheered. "50 seconds!"

"Good job, Josh!" Eun called as she swung on the ropes section of the course. "Ah!" She screamed as she missed grabbing one and landed with a thud in the mud.

"How did I not win this section?!" Sandy exclaimed, annoyed. She flipped back to the start and got ready to give it all she got. "If I beat 50 seconds, can I have the good breakfast?"

Chef shrugged. "Let's see if you can do it."

Sandy rushed toward the wall and flipped over it. She speed crawled through the barbed wire. She flipped through both tires and grabbed onto the ropes. She readied herself to try and bypass them all, and jumped for it. She was just too short, and dropped face first into the mud.

"Ouch." Joshua cringed.

Everyone stopped what they were doing when she didn't move.

"Is she okay?" Grace asked.

"Get up, soldier!" Chef said through the megaphone.

"I think we have a fallen soldier…" Eun said, going up to her.

Delanie appeared, rushing over to Sandy. "Step aside!" She said too Eun, who obliged. She rushed to Sandy's side and rolled her over. "Can someone get me water? Stop standing there!"

Grace quickly ran to get a water bottle. She also brought a can of soda for Sandy, just in case.

"She's exhausted." Joshua said, worried.

"And dehydrated." Delanie said. She turned to Chef. "Do we have a medical team?!"

Sandy coughed out some mud and tried to breathe. Two interns came out with a stretcher and placed her on it.

"Is she going to be okay?" Lesley asked.

"She'll be fine!" Chef said. "Get back to work!"

"I'm glad she's getting the attention she needs." Grace said.

"She'll be more than okay." Chef said again. "Now get to it! Six becomes five!"

The remaining competitors rushed to complete the obstacle course. Chef let them each have their own waters after what happened to Sandy.

Soon, Lesley finished, and the girls were finishing up. Grace was crawling through the barbed wire when she felt something under her. "Huh?" She picked something that looked like a small package up and wiped some mud off of it. There were bold letters on it saying 'open in private.' She rose an eyebrow and put it in her shirt.

Confession Cam:

(Grace) She washes her hands in the lake before opening the package she had found in the obstacle course. In it was a small parchment. She read it out loud. "Congratulations, you have just found an advantage." Her surprise made her mouth drop. "This is an extra vote that can be used at any point in the game. You will be able to vote two times at any given elimination of your choice!" She covered her mouth to conceal the squeal she let out. "This is new! Never before seen on Total Drama! Oh wow, this is an epic game changer! With this extra vote, I can make a big move and secure my position in the game!"

"Ready for your next challenge?" Chef asked as everyone gathered at the campsite. "You are to stay in a tent together for six hours. You will battle the elements!"

"Six hours in that tiny tent?" Lesley asked.

"Battle what elements?" Eun asked innocently.

"Me." Delanie said, pulling up with a hose in her hand. "It's not supposed to start raining for a few days, so we had to improvise."

"Is Sandy okay?" Joshua asked.

"So you DO care about her." Colleen eyed him.

"Enough." Chef said. "Chatter in there." He pointed to the smallest tent and the five went in.

"I can't wait for six grueling hours of this." Grace said as the 'rain' started to hit the top of the tent and drip in.

"You could always quit." Joshua said. "Even the playing field."

"No way!" Grace said. "I'll quit when you do."

They looked at each other. "Touché." Joshua said.

As the hours passed, the five huddled up together for warmth, napped and talked about their personal lives and about the game.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we were the final five?" Eun asked.

"Doesn't sound like a bad deal." Grace said.

"Not at all." Lesley smirked.

"It's not the first time alliances were born out of challenges like these." Joshua said.

"I loved this challenge in Island!" Colleen exclaimed. "I think it was my favorite episode that season."

"Is it still your favorite now that you got to experience it?" Lesley asked.

Colleen thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Oh yeah, makes me appreciate them a lot more. Especially Gwen."

"We've been pretty tough." Joshua said.

"People are gonna love OUR version!" Eun giggled.

"You know what my favorite thing about it was?" Colleen started. "When Courtney and Duncan stole food from Chef's supply. It was super fun to watch."

"And their little love affair!" Eun exclaimed.

"That was cute to see." Grace said.

Colleen shot up. "I have a great idea!" She looked around at them. "Why don't we recreate that moment here, for us?"

"Stealing food?" Grace asked.

"Ooh!" Eun got excited. "Let's do it! It's a classic Total Drama move!"

"I know they're hiding some sweets!" Colleen said. "Brownies and chips and soda, of course."

"For Sandy." Joshua said.

"I'm in." Lesley smirked.

"Me too!" Eun exclaimed.

"Grace?" Colleen looked over at her.

Grace was hesitant. "I guess I'm hungry enough to say yes."

"We can't all do it, though." Lesley said. "We'd get caught."

"The two of you, then." Grace said.

And so, the plan was set. After six hours, everyone emerged from the tent without the intention to ring the bell. Chef tried to hide his annoyance at no one dropping out. "Good job. You can have the night off." He said begrudgingly. They all cheered.

Confession Cam:

(Eun) "I love competing! It's so fun making friends with the people I've written about! You get to see so much complexity… Much more nuance to their personalities and characters. I'm winning that fan fiction contest back home!"

(Colleen) "We have the night off! This is perfect! I guess Lesley and I will put the plan into motion." She giggled.

That night, everyone joined together on one side of the cabin, even those that had dropped out of basic straining. Lesley and Colleen headed out at one point to put their plan into action.

"Why did we start crawling way back there?" Colleen asked.

"Gotta make sure we cover our asses." Lesley said. "We don't want to get caught."

"All I want is one of those brownies in my hands." Colleen said.

"We're almost there." Lesley said.

They reached the little shack at the eating area and crawled in. The fridge had a bunch of different locks, but all Lesley had to do was unlatch them.

"This is so fun." Colleen said. "I'm glad everyone was down."

Lesley finally got the final latch open, but before he could open the fridge, they heard a loud "AHEM." Caught.

"You didn't think I would have learned from last time?!" Chef's anger was palpable. "You never learn, do you? Solitary confinement for both of you! And you're gonna have to ring that bell on your way there! "

Colleen sighed in frustration and Lesley nodded. They both were exiled to the same cave Ignatius had spent the night in the day prior. Luckily, they had a lantern to keep the cave bright and the bats away. The flickering light from the lantern cast dancing shadows around them as they spoke.

"Well, this is not how I imagined spending time together." Colleen said, looking around the cave.

Lesley smiled. "At least we're in this together. It was pretty fun being reckless with you." As they observed their surroundings, they noticed signs of recent havoc, with charred marks on the walls and various objects burnt by fire.

Colleen looked around. "What happened in here?"

Lesley chuckled. "Looks like Ignatius had a fiery night in here. Guess he went out with a bang."

Colleen laughed, but she found herself staring at him. Her heart was beating faster. There was clear tension in the air, and now they were alone here together. She spoke, but it almost came out as a whisper. "You know, I've always found you so infuriatingly charming. From the moment we met, I couldn't help but be drawn to you."

Lesley's smile widened. "Infuriatingly charming, huh? I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

Colleen let out a small chuckle, relieved to find some humor amidst the intensity of their situation. "But in all honesty, I can't help but feel something deeper for you. You challenge me, make me laugh, and at times, drive me crazy. And... I think I like it."

Lesley leaned in close to her. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say that. From the moment I met you, I knew you were special, Colleen. You're strong and beautiful, and every moment we've spent together has only made me want you more."

Their gazes locked. Colleen sighed. "Lesley, I don't want to rush into anything, you know what happened in Seasons, between us and Ar-"

Lesley put his finger to her lips. "Trust me, babe. None of that matters anymore. Being here with you. That's all that matters to me now."

Colleen blushed. "Life is too short to hold back. I don't want to keep holding back anymore."

Lesley leaned in closer to her. "Let's not hold back anymore." Their lips met in a soft and tender kiss. As they finally pulled away, their eyes locked, and they smiled. They held each other close and found solace in each other's arms for the entire night in solitary confinement.

Confession Cam:

(Colleen) She is blushing. "The feelings, the emotions… That's been brewing between us for some time."

(Lesley) He flexes his chest muscles. "And THAT is how you get the girl." He winks. He then becomes serious. "This doesn't mean I'm a softie now, by the way." He flexes his arms. "I just really care about her, you know?"

The next morning, only Joshua, Eun and Grace remained.

"How did you outlast my entire team?" Grace asked them.

Eun giggled. "Perseverance!"

"Luck." Joshua smiled. "Got one more to beat, though."

"You aren't taking her down!" Sandy called from behind them. She had recovered from the previous day's events.

The final challenge awaited Joshua, Eun and Grace as they gathered near the water's edge. Chef stood at the ready, a mischievous grin on his face. "Final challenge, folks! You'll be holding your breath underwater for as long as you can. Last person wins for their team!"

"I don't think I'm beating you in this." Eun said to Joshua.

"I think I can take her." Joshua said, staring at Grace.

"I'm not going down without a fight." Grace said.

Confession Cam:

(Grace) "I want to win, but now I'm thinking, I have the chance to lose here, and I can finally get rid of that douchebag Ignatius…" She holds up her extra vote. "And I have this, too."

The three submerged themselves into the water and the challenge began. Eun was right, as she was the first person to come back up for air.

"It's okay, Eun!" Asandra said. "We're proud of you, right Micky?"

Micky gave a thumbs up. "I just had two days off, thanks to you!"

"It was nice." Ignatius added.

"Solitary?" Sandy asked him.

"He burned the whole place down." Colleen said to her.

Minutes felt like hours to the two underwater, but neither was willing to back down. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Grace resurfaced, gasping for air. Joshua had outlasted her and secured the win for Team Chicken, who began to cheer and hug and jump together.

Chef clapped his hands as Joshua resurfaced. "Well done, Joshua! Team Chicken finally snags their first win!"

The mood was bittersweet as Joshua received congratulations from his team.

Confession Cam:

(Joshua) "I did it!" He was so happy, he couldn't believe it. "I FINALLY LED MY TEAM TO VICTORY!"

(Grace) She was a bit disappointed. "I gave it my all, truly. Luck just wasn't on my side. I need to think about my next move carefully."

Chef shed a single tear. "Congratulations, my boy." He said to Joshua. "I am proud of you. I'll go to war with you any day of the week."

"Thank you, Master Chief." Joshua said before hugging Chef.

Chef separated himself from Joshua and faced everyone else. Team Earth was radiating an energy that was loud and clear. They had lost, so now they would face their very first campfire ceremony this season. "I must admit," Chef said, his voice softer than usual. "This season has been intense, and you've all shown tremendous growth and determination. You've made it through boot camp, and I'm proud of each and every one of you."

The contestants exchanged glances, wondering what was coming next.

"So," Chef continued, a glimmer of emotion in his eyes, "this round is going to be a non-elimination round. Consider it a reward for all the hard work you've put in."

The remaining contestants let out a cheer of relief and gratitude. Chef smiled. "However, it's time to shake things up a bit. Instead of staying on your current teams, we're having a team scramble!" The contestants' eyes widened in surprise as Chef explained the new twist. "You will all be assigned to new teams, 5 versus 5. This is your chance to forge new alliances and face fresh challenges together." He announced.

With the team scramble announced, the contestants gathered around the campfire to draw new team colors from a bag. Excitement and nervousness filled the air. They were instructed to take a rock from the bag and not look at it until told.

Confession Cam:

(Grace) She's optimistic. "I'm excited for this scramble! It's a chance to get away from Ignatius for a while." She thought about it. "Actually, I want to be there to boot him from the island myself."

(Ignatius) "As long as I stay on the winning side, we're good."

Everyone had their rock hidden in fists. "Ready to see your new teams?" Chef asked. "Let's reveal!" Everyone did as they were told, and each person had either a green or brown rock. They separated themselves by color.

On the new Team Chicken was Micky, Eun, Brendan, Colleen and Lesley. On the new Team Earth was Joshua, Ignatius, Grace, Sandy and Asandra.

Confession Cam:

(Brendan) He's smiling. "Hey, I got pretty lucky!"

(Asandra) "Oh no…"

(Colleen) "I lost Grace and Sandy… At least I'm still with Lesley."

(Joshua) He's determined. "I'll do whatever it takes to lead Team Earth to victory!"

"Get to know your new teammates, because from now on, it's all about unity!" The campers dispersed, and Chef addressed the camera. "Next time, these two new teams are gonna have to work together in a very high stakes challenge. We're going to war!"

NEXT TIME ON TOTAL DRAMA UNDERRATED…

Brendan: "Now that Eun and I are on the same team, I can tell her how I really feel!"

Grace: "I can't believe this. Sandy's making moves to secure her position. This could be a problem."

Ignatius is staring at Grace from afar. "It's time to get rid of you once and for all."