Ticket here, checking in to say that chapters uploads will be a little less frequent. I've gotten a job that'll take five days off my writing schedule. I'll be working on 14C, and even this at the time of writing, on Saturdays, Wednesdays, and late nights if I have the time. It's all good though, they've got an easy to follow routine over there. It'll exhaust me by the end of the day, but work's never known for being real easy.

Anyways, here's the second chapter out of three! Enjoy!

Merge

Night 36

Bandana Dee, Gordon Ramsay, Kabal, Li Mei, and Sonic the Hedgehog

Night falls once again in Fiji. Everyone seems to be getting nice rest in. Well, what rest they can anyway since they're on a bamboo bed. That doesn't sound comfy at all.

As it turns out, a couple aren't getting any at all. The finger of Kabal pokes the waddle dee, who's eyes fly open! He looks forward the finger and sees the owner gesturing to have a talk. It's exactly what Li Mei told him about. But a talk at night while everyone's asleep? What for?

They head to the forest, and Kabal gets even more screen time in the episode.

Kabal: Heard through the grapevine Dee's not feeling so good about this. But I need him to make this work. He was never fond of my clan, but there's no clan left for him to hate. Maybe he won't be apprehensive this time, especially if he can put his big boy pants on.

Kabal gets down to business. "I was told you were feeling off. Are you ok going forward with this?" he asks.

"Uhhh…well…"

"…."

"Ok look. It's just weird since y'know…how we've been after the swap. Just a week ago we were still like, enemies. How did we end up in an alliance?" The waddle dee asks.

"The pace can change day to day. We've been at the part where we need to talk outside of our alliances instead of gossiping in them." Kabal explains. "It's not my first time doing strategy, i do it all the time outside of here."

"Really? Well..what's YOUR strategy?"

"Hit people really fast. I even have to do it with people I DON'T trust. That's just what we have to do in the game too. We've never been on good terms but if we turn on each other now? We both lose." Kabal summed it up well.

"Ok well when you put it like that…I kind of trust you more? Like, the way you're going about this pact seems honorable. A fair tiebreaker at the end to see who wins." Dee replies.

"It's the only way we all win. One of us enters four with no ally, then we're cooked. If you FEEL like you have to vote Gordon out, then it'll upset him, but you did so because it'd get you to the final three." Kabal says, but there's a hole.

"But…winning the tiebreaker can also get me to three too."

"It can. Either way, our pact is going to work out. It's better to have me and Mei with you than against you, isn't it?" A blunt question, but Kabal doesn't really care about Waddle dee's feelings.

"Well..you're right. It's kinda complicated stuff with the whole 'four-to-three' thing, but I'm all for it if that means we make it out in one peace."

"Glad you can see the vision." Kabal replies.

Dee doesn't say much else to his face, but luckily he does in his confession tape.

Bandana Dee: Before Luigi left, Gordon said we should spread our wings before it's too late…is this it? If I can separate myself from Gordon, I can win. I'd have a better chance than Kabal and Mei. Maybe it's just denial but if we win or lose the tie..it'll better my chances even with a snake like Kabal around.

Raw innocence.

Kabal: Fatu will die in the tiebreaker. They have no chance to win. Me and Mei have more challenge wins combined than they do. But they still want to get rid of Sonic. Oh well, that's their grudge…and sometimes mine.

While they continue their talk…they are NOT alone. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and one blue hedgehog is standing behind a tree nearby! He. Caught. EVERYTHING.

Oh my. This is getting spicy!

Sonic: Well look what we have here: a double agent. Dee thinks he can talk about an alliance with Kabal while Gordon's not there?

He clicks his tongue.

Sonic: He looks so innocent, but that guys got a big brain. You two thought you could get away..but I just caught you in 4K!

Merge

Day 37

Bandana Dee, Gordon Ramsay, Kabal, Li Mei, and Sonic the Hedgehog

After the talk he caught last night, Sonic wastes no time at all and takes Dee's disloyalty to Gordon. There's still a risk in letting him know, cause the hedgehog's on the bottom of the barrel. But, if Sonic can get through to him, then there's a chance to flip it back on them, which would work GREAT in Sonic's favor.

So Sonic tells Gordon exactly what he saw, and…

"Look mate, if it's true, not trusting you will come back to bite me…but you can still try to sabotage me. You lied to my face before, so I'll talk to HIM about that thank you very much." Oof, Gordon's got little faith in him.

"Chef, I'm not coming to you just to lie. I wouldn't bring up Dee and Kabal if they were just being themselves. But this is bigger than the both of us." Sonic pleads, seeing not just a crack in allegiances, but an opportunity to get the chefs trust back, for at least one time.

"I like your grit young man. I do. But if someone's desperate enough, they'll lie about anyone."

"I'm not lying! What do I have to do to show you?" The Hedgehog asks, frustration building.

"You could be telling the truth, but our track record stomps that out. I'll check with my waddler first, and if he denies it? You better send me proof."

Wow, another dim reaction between the two. How frustrating must it be to tell the truth, but get brushed off?

"Dude, I'm just saying: if you follow me to Ponderosa, it's on you. What do I have to do!"

"What do you have to do? It's simple: be trustworthy." Kind of a dick response, Gordon. But be real, has Gordon ever been known for being calm?

Gordon: He lied to my face, threw me under the bus, and probably had to get talked out of targeting me first. Dee could have finally taken my advice. I didn't mean being a rat, but if he's a rat…f*ck me. But I trust him way more than Sonic, so when you ask me why I have a hard time trusting Sonic? We've been against each other since week two.

Cut to Sonic..

Sonic: Our relationship is so bad, it's not even a relationship. We just exist together. No more strategy, no more games, we just talk about the weather and move on. Yeah, I lied to him first, and that's no good. But that was at the final thirty, we're at the final five now! I've got nobody, why lie to you now! Gosh, he can be SO stubborn sometimes…

Two different reads on the other…but not shocking in the slightest.

Just like he said though, the chef takes Sonic's information straight to the bandana'd waddle dee, getting down to business. Some sweat rolls down behind Dee, who has to keep his composure.

"They're probably bluffing, but I want to hear it from you first. It's you over him." The chef says, looking to seek the truth.

"Huh? Wait, WHO said that?" The denial route.

"Guess."

"….did he snap after Matt left?" Dee asks, realizing that Sonic must've seen his little chat.

"I'd do the same if I was alone. Won't ever admit that though, he'd be like 'So We ArE FriEnDs AfTeR AlL.' I just don't want to hear that right now." Gordon admits. "He can keep burying himself. Don't see why you'd be having some secret deal with Kabal. We're all planning final four anyways."

"Thank you! I don't want him spreading allegations.."

"He's not getting a chance too…plus, who would actually trust KABAL to keep up his end of the bargain? He backstabbed Blu, badmouthed Kano, and flipped on THREE of us already. He can't win the jury at this rate." Oh wow, bold call from Gordon.

"Well…if he sits at the end with Mei he can." Dee says, playing devils advocate.

"Eh..they have an even chance." Gordon predicts. "Those two have left the frontlines a while ago. There's been bigger threats hanging around, that's why they're still here."

"Well…where's the lie?"

Bandana Dee: …THAT WAS CLOSE. If he finds out I may end up betraying him with this pact thing them um..YIKES.

Well, that didn't go well…no shit.

That blue blur's plea was a blue bust. With no other options, there's one thing left to do. It's saved people at 13, 12, 10, 7, and could be here. You know it, some love it: the hidden immunity idol.

Sonic: The necklace can't carry me forever. I'd be braindead to ignore that an idol was LITERALLY rehidden. I used this for Matt when he needed me the most.

He rips through the forest, but can't seem to find it as quickly as the last time. So he resorts to the shore.

"Already easier than the last spot."

Sonic: I hope that's it's a "when" and not an "if" I find this thing. Last time I found it was under a rock in the middle of nowhere. If idols carry me all the way, some of the fans will tear me to shreds, send me some hate mail, and make my life miserable for the next year.

Oh yeah, some of the unforgiving fans. The players themselves aren't saints like Jerri "Man-Eater" Manthey, but still they could go too far.

Sonic: If I can't find it today, I'll do it tonight. If I can't find it tonight, I'll search in front of everyone because what do I even have to lose?

His search is still on, but he doesn't have much time left in the day. There could be developments elsewhere, but It doesn't matter to him anyways, he's got two nights to get outta this mess.

Poor Sonic. Bro literally told Gordon the truth, but due to their past history, that chef's not believing a word he says. Still thinks Dee is completely loyal to him when well..Dee knows he'll have to separate himself eventually. Is it really the best move? Sure, Dee could separate himself, but that means Kabal and Mei can just pick him off at three…cause if Sonic's not there to stop them, Kabal or Mei can just sweep final immunity. Then one of them can go on to win the season despite losing Mac and Kano early merge.

Now it looks like Sonic BADLY needs another immunity win to escape elimination. He's in the same spot people like Black Panther and Wonder Woman were in before. How will that turn out? Can Kabal and Mei advance their agenda? Find out in 14C, coming soon in (hopefully) the next couple of weeks!