The author of "A Geek's Bargain" returns and he is glad to give you a chapter. With that out of the way, let's look at some of the reviews that you left in the last chapter. Skim through them if you don't care.

Brainstorm297: Thank you and I knew you would be happy that he's back. :)

danifan3000: Courtney's ambitions don't align with her behavior which left me with mixed feelings about the character. She criticizes Duncan's behavior but adopts it and somehow feels like a worse person than he is. A Juvie record isn't enough after she bargained with people's lives on separate occasions and she never acknowledges that. She can kiss those dream jobs goodbye because she brought that onto herself.

Cody's memories are surfacing after loosening up once the cool facade was retired. I wanted to portray him as a person that blocked his old life to put on this persona that he used to cope with his neglect. It's a much more mature take on the character and glad it looks promising for you.

Personally, I liked that Lightning was portrayed as a nice kid since it aligns with how he was raised by his father growing up. Parents putting things in their kids as they grew up is something that happens and Lightning most likely became a victim of his father's bad parenting. Wasn't a fan of him losing his Anti-Hero status in order to play the mean jock in the finale with Cameron. Jo would have been an ideal pick because it took some time for people to get around the guy since fans loathed him.

As for Ella, I don't recall them interacting since he was probably with Max and the guys. Probably the only time I was interested in the show for the cameos and they only showed up in one episode. Eh, at least I can write Owen and Max as cousins since there is a lot of potential for interaction.

leo45: It was a decision I decided on and man, you loathe Alejandro. Not surprising since he's been controversial going way back to the early days of the fandom. Glad that my story is keeping you on the edge of your seat!

theboiishere12345: Don't worry, I skipped it after you made a mistake. Appreciate that you liked the chapter and your concern for Gwen and Courtney's rivalry is warranted. The Dynamic with Cody, DJ, and Lindsay was my favorite part to write so to hear you say it felt like a family means a lot to me. The irony of Sierra being the voice of reason while the girls fight makes for an interesting dynamic which was an approach I wanted to take. Love your profile of H-Bomb by the way!

Frosty Wolf: Funny how you say that because that was one of the Official Youtube Channels' most viewed videos on the page. It was one of the few times the fandom took their time to watch an episode of Dramarama. Cameos seemed to be the only thing worth watching so it was no secret that the show was never going to last.

The frustrating part about Sierra is that they could have redeemed her character and used her to the fullest potential. Instead, she was only used to spite Cody's fanbase while being absolved from accountability for her despicable behavior. The more I rewatch the season, the less I like her with the constant need to have her get the last laugh. All-Stars jumped the shark with her after she revealed the photo on her phone of Cody scared for his life in the shower. She reverts back to her old ways and the elimination clip rewards her…yeah this character doesn't work.

Hence why, I want to do something other than the usual portrayal of many fics use to amp up her behavior. Flanderizing her further doesn't make it better and a certain fanfic that shall not be named did something with her that I wish I didn't read to keep my sanity.

Courtney and Gwen just never had any moments for me to buy the friendship and the bullying toward Heather rubbed me the wrong way. For a group of girls that virtually signals at the woman, they claim to hate, Gwen and Courtney, adopt some of her traits which made them come off as hypocrites. It seems like both of them don't like that Heather is more honest while they deflect from their bad actions which isn't a good look. Saying I'm a nice person or that they didn't do anything wrong is bringing you some criticism down the line.

You know, that makes a whole lot of sense for Duncan to be Newfoundland than London. I was inspired by Cody Fanatic's "A Surfer Chick's World Tour" which had him be found there (which I recommend since it's kind of a hidden gem for World Tour rewrites). I put my own spin on it and had Duncan be found by Chef while Heather got into an argument with the girls. Speculating what will happen with Duncan is understandable so wait and see!

Glad you enjoyed Chris getting called out and whether it was intentional or lazy writing by the creative, doesn't help since it makes him unlikeable.

Misfit298: I'm glad you liked it and keep on getting hyped because it's about to get better!

BigSmokeYeet: Lindsay is with Tyler and Heather is attracted to Alejandro. Keep on hoping brother!

AnthMan: A new reader who loves the story direction I'm taking. Very flattered that you hopped on board with us. As for Ezekiel, that's a kept secret since I don't want to spoil anything.

Oof, you managed to not scroll after the warning, well the story is about to begin ;). Sit back and get on with the reading my viewers!


Economy Class - After The Challenge

The Contestants returned to the Jumbo Jet after Chris ordered them to once the challenge was completed. One particular individual still needed to grab a bottle of mouthwash from his bag to clean out the aftertaste that was McLean's famous Apple Cider vinegar. That man was Cody who rushed to the luggage compartment where the mouth cleanser was placed.

'Dammit, having to puke after chugging a bottle of vinegar left my throat burning. It doesn't help that I called DJ a name of an old friend that I hadn't said in years since Pre and Elementary School.' Cody thought as he rummaged through the suitcases and bags to find the mouthwash.

'What made me even say that in the first place? Was I so excited to be of help to the team or did DJ remind me of Rudolph before our friendship was strained thanks to that man who shall never be named who put things into his head? However it may be, it's best to block it for now and find the mouthwash.' The tech geek continued thinking until he found a piece of paper that got him bewildered.

The member of the Albert Einstein fan club just stared at it and pondered if he should read it for a moment. After a minute or two, he unwrapped the letter and it was issued by none other than Sierra.

'So that's how my computer was placed into my laptop case.' he thought while reading the top part of the letter. 'I was still suspicious of Izzy doing something like that out of the blue. She might have gotten help from Sierra to put it away when I was asleep last night.' he looked toward the laptop case that was perfectly put together.

"Dear Cody, if you're reading this and tempted to rip it apart while throwing it in the trash, I won't blame you. It comes to my attention that my behavior has only brought more trauma to your life. The stuff that I did to you was unacceptable and a letter was the only way I can apologize to the man I loved. You have every right to ignore and hate me from here on out. I just don't want what happened yesterday to be seen again because that isn't the Cody that I and your fans loved watching the show. The stuff I stole from your luggage whether it be toothbrushes or clothes is also returned and cleaned. All of it is in the luggage and you can still clean them if you aren't sure about my intentions. Thank you for reading this note if you haven't thrown it away yet. Sincerely, Sierra." Cody read as he just processed everything.

On one hand, he's glad that she apologized despite it being in a letter. However, he's still skeptical about the whole situation and wants to give the Superfan her distance. Today has been full of surprises for the tech-savvy geek and he needs to wash his mouth out for the time being.

"You're coming to First Class or what?" Noah asked him while Cody didn't know he was there. This was the second time he didn't know the bookworm was watching him from a distance.

"Oh, just going to rinse out my mouth after puking some of that disgusting vinegar Chris gave us," Cody said to Noah while he just snickered at his response.

"Thank god I didn't drink that garbage, from the way you looked it must have tasted horribly," Noah told him while he went to the sink and gargled the mouthwash inside the bathroom.

"Well, it's traditional all right. So traditional that it should be lost to time and never be served to a living person walking god's green earth." Cody said sarcastically after spitting out the mouthwash while Noah continued to laugh.

"Watch out, Chris is behind you," Noah said warning him about his words.

"Your recipe sucks-" Cody said not continuing to finish his reply because the host was nowhere to be seen. "Asshole," the tech geek retorted to the bookworm who laughed since he didn't expect that response.

"Damn, you aren't afraid of that guy anymore to the point of shitting on his family recipe. That's too hysterical and this side of you is more authentic, to say the least." Noah said while he continued to chuckle at that reaction.

"Yeah yeah, you got your laugh now, happy?" Cody told him while he continue to rinse his mouth to wash away the acid.

"Ecstatic," Noah reassured while he just looked at the Economy Class and wondered where are all the girls at. It was jarring to see him go through his bags in silence with none of the Amazons bickering amongst each other.

"Do you happen to know where a bunch of bipolar women went while you rummaged through the luggage compartments?" the bookworm questioned since they were supposed to be here while they stayed in First Class.

"Heather went to take a shower while Sierra is still with Izzy back at the Sea Shack shucking clams. As for Courtney and Gwen, that's a mystery." Cody explained to him while closing the faucet in the bathroom.

"Troublesome, speaking of Izzy, her new alter ego is…charming to say the least," Noah said while he didn't know how to deal with her shenanigans.

"You don't say, when I reached the landmark with my team, seeing her sporting a new look just had me bewildered," Cody said walking out of the bathroom while cleaning his face with a towel.

"Although it's not as hectic as E-Scope or violent like Explosivo, this one just left me with a chip on my shoulder." the high IQ said to the curious geek.

"Why's that?" Cody questioned him since he happened to have seen those other personalities and how can this one top them.

"While she was telling me to cool it down with my snarky attitude, my last name happen to be mentioned during our ride to the landmark," Noah said in an annoyed tone while Cody laughed.

"If it makes you feel better, Sierra told the whole cast my government name while we waited for Chris to give us a tour on the plane." the Albert Einstein fan said to him while he just rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I know, except your name is perfectly fine while mine gives me war flashbacks from my parents scolding me back home," Noah said crossing his arms as Cody related to his predicament.

"Same with my parents, once I finished my audition tape for Total Drama Island, my dad ripped into me by saying," Cody told him while he cleared his throat trying to mimic his father's tone. "Cody Emmett Jameson Anderson, stop your attempts of pursuing a singing career and mow the lawn," Cody added trying to cheer up the schemer who was amused at that story.

"Funny how you managed to be in a moderately successful band after you joined the show. You sure showed him." Noah told him while he just scoffed.

"Meh, he still didn't like the idea even when I got a hit with the Drama Brothers. We ended up sampling one of his favorite Elton John songs and vowed to never hear any track from us again." the tech geek explained to him.

"Sampling songs is something that takes originality since you need to make it your own that's differentiated enough to work. Whoever produced it might have not done a good job and your dad didn't think it was innovative or serviceable." Noah answered him while he figured out why he ended up hating from the spot.

"Harold decided to throw some 808s and hi-hats while calling it a day. He slowed the first half of the track and decided to make it more upbeat to fit the pop and hip-hop fusion." Cody said with realization while Noah facepalmed.

Harold's inability to structure a song while forcing some production elements that didn't need to be there is questionable. Who thinks a rap solo that samples Elton John would work let alone on a pop song?

"That guy is full of surprises and I commend you for putting up with him. I can't imagine being in the same studio with all the other guys budding heads." the bookworm said patting Cody on the back.

"You get used to it and the guy is just passionate about his craft like me and Trent are with the band. Put aside the fascinating facts and his refusal to not be right all the time, Harold is a solid dude who cares for his family and friends. I do miss talking with him about what's going on in the gaming world and other various topics." Cody said defending his bandmate.

Noah can only take his word for granted since he always happens to talk with Harold at his worst. His least admirable traits were the only thing the bookworm was given and all he could do was have that be the stuff to define him. This leaves Noah to think about whether Harold happens to have any friends outside the show.

"Does he even have friends besides you or LeShawna? I always knew he had some siblings but not any friends outside the show." Noah asked Cody who just thought for a moment.

"Other than the scoutmaster he loves to put on a pedestal, he has some friends that play RPGs and Shoot-em-ups online back in Canada. He's been pestering me and the other bandmates to meet them." Cody replied to Noah who just scoffed at that response.

"He wants you to…meet some teenagers who play with him online in the flesh? Doesn't that sound dangerous and could backfire if one of them were insane?" Noah asked him more questions while Cody just shrugged.

"Well one of them I happen to know after he invited me to a Call of Duty lobby to play," Cody told him while he made a sarcastic retort.

"Ah yes, the place where edgy teenagers hurl slurs at each other with no moral compass while killing each other. Surely that's a great assumption to take from." Noah told him laced with sarcasm.

"Relax, it's a private lobby that doesn't attract bigots. Trust me, the last thing I need is my Mom walking in while some stupid asshole uses a homophobic or racist slur through my headset." the geek reassured him while just waiting to hear him out.

"Anyway, the guy's name is Sam and he seems like a swell guy. His voice reminds me of Seth Rogen and the sad part is that he often doesn't go out which upsets me since I want to meet him," he added while looking in the ground with sadness.

"Could it be they are related?" the high IQ questioned him but he just denied his claims.

"Pfft, nah that would be silly. It's not like they are connected to one person from somewhere." Cody scoffed at his question. "With that out the way, Shawn is another one who doesn't go out much like Sam but is one of those zombie conspiracy theorists. He is protecting himself from a future zombie apocalypse and wants Harold to help him out, hehe," he added while the bookworm is not here for this.

Aliens conspiracies are one thing but a zombie one is too outlandish for even someone like that guy. 'These supposed friends are not helping his case for me to see Harold in a serious light. Gamer addicts and Zombie nuts? This is who he surrounds himself outside the show besides his bandmates.' Noah pondered while processing Cody's explanations.

"Any other friends that aren't completely one-dimensional to the average human?" Noah asked again while hoping he had a different answer to save him from knowing more about Harold.

"There is this one girl named Kitty who he speaks very highly of. From what I heard courtesy of Harold, she's very laid back and often puts up with her strict older sister which he can relate to since they often feel overshadowed. Kitty's sister wants to be a lawyer, and despite Kitty doing her best to support her, she's always getting shafted in favor of her boyfriend Jake." Cody told him while he just raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a lot of trouble on her hands. Harold seems to be her go-to guy whenever she needs to vent about her. Kind of weird to tell someone who you never met and I'm still skeptical." Noah said while he just shook his head.

"They happen to Skype each other and Kitty happens to love Total Drama since she watched it when it premiered. She recognized his voice while they played online and from there on out, they became friends." the tech geek reassured him while having a little smile.

"Fascinating, he meets somebody sane that liked him for who he is. That's gotta count for something and I'm glad he did it." Noah said as he accepted that Harold is tolerable to some people.

"We get it, his ego gets in the way and let's get back to First Class because I'm starving. The Apple Cider vinegar made me puke out today's breakfast and some clam chowder soup will savor that." Cody said not wanting to ramble on about Harold's personal life any longer.

"Okay, let's just hope that Owen didn't eat all of it because I still don't trust him with food after LeShawna left him with the ribs two seasons ago. He is not to be trusted around any supper and I yearn to eat some nice cuisine." Noah told the tech geek looking forward to eating anything that isn't Chef's cooking.

"Always giving people the benefit of the doubt, learn to loosen up," Cody said to him while he rolled his eyes.

"Will do," was all Noah can reply while they left economy class.

Cody has been dying to get back in First Class after he swapped teams yesterday. And with Sierra's team losing, no more invasion of his privacy while keeping a lookout. Things were looking good going forward for the tech geek while Noah was glad just to get some good sleep. The caffeine put a toll on his body after he drank too much coffee to finish his homework.

'I better send a Skype call to Trent back at the Aftermath since I'm staying. Don't want them to get worried after telling Justin I was getting eliminated yesterday. For now, the Codemeister needs to chow down so I'll make sure to call them later.' Cody thought while walking to First Class and not having his guard down for the time being.

Little did they know a certain Prairie Boy was spying on them and heard they were about to eat some chowder in the luxurious part of the plane.

"Cody and Noah are eating some chowder eh," Ezekiel muttered to himself while being crammed in the air vents. "I better try to sneak in and get a bowl, can't keep stowing away with the rats and eating leftovers," he added while conversing with the rats.

He hasn't been fully Feral yet and still running low on Vitamin D deficiency. The homeschooled kid couldn't accept that he was eliminated and is in denial of the aftermath of it all. The least he can do is find some protein to keep him from going off the deep end.


Chris's Luxury V.I.P. Lounge

Duncan just sat on Chris's couch while twiddling his fingers in a circular motion. He anticipated whatever the host was going to lay on him while Chef just watched him from afar. The stress of his personal life was putting a damper on his mental health and his relationship with Courtney is too strained that he wonders if it was too late to salvage whatever was left of it.

He liked her when she was just a girl who followed the rules and bossed him around. Duncan didn't anticipate the real her once she started getting greedy and abusive after the first season. He started to regret going against his deal with Harold after he swore to never leave his underwear on the floor. Maybe if he just put his petty ego aside and stopped worrying about his bad-boy reputation, things wouldn't be this way.

'Why did I even come on this show in the first place? Should've just stayed in juvie and finished my community service. Somehow this show has brought me more misery than my parents monitoring my life.' Duncan pondered as he wondered if his decisions were worth it in the end.

Things weren't looking good for Total Drama's most popular contestant and the suspense was killing him. Chef just stared at him and can only see him shaking and gritting his teeth. He needed to break the silence and talk some sense into the boy.

"Something's on your mind, delinquent?" Chef said which alerted Duncan as he wasn't expecting him to feel concerned about his well-being. The cook was still indifferent about him when he decided to raid his fridge and go against his tutelage back in Basic Straining. Although he got the privilege of seeing him get voted out when he filled in for Chris, there was still some bad blood between the two.

"Just stressed about what's going on in my life. Parents, school, my relationship, the legal fees, and a lack of sleep." Duncan explained to Chef who just looked at him with a look of curiosity. He never got to hear this different side of the bad boy and for the first time wanted to have a serious conversation.

"Is it about confronting Karen or do you happen to have feelings for Grim? Those two have been fighting over you after you left back in Egypt. You left a big impression on them to the point of stalling their team on separate occasions." Chef said with a chuckle while Duncan just went along with those interesting nicknames, to say the least.

"Believe me, Courtney is someone that I don't want to confront right now. As for Pasty, she's been someone I relate to, and with Elvis breaking up with her, I thought maybe she was available." Duncan told him while he got amused by this revelation.

"So you want to break up with that bossy chick to date the goth? Aren't you a playa right now." Chef said teasing the delinquent while Duncan just rolled his eyes at his comment.

"Problem is, I know she's been on Gwen's neck after Geoff's "genius" idea to play a behind-the-scenes clip during the Aftermath. Seriously, when we had that going away party after the season was over, she couldn't stop glaring at her after Gwen laughed at one of my jokes. If it wasn't for Malibu diffusing the tension, I might've just left it on sight." Duncan said reminiscing from the afterparty Geoff hosted when the season was over.

Never in a million years, had Duncan thought he would give Bridgette credit. He always didn't think much of her since Geoff always gassed her up back in Island. She felt very self-righteous and nice for his tastes leading him to feel a little jealous. Didn't help that Geoff went against the guy's alliance behind his back. He may have been projecting too much since he didn't get to be more relaxed and not have a chip on his shoulder.

"Ouch, you really landed yourself into some hot water and you wouldn't believe that they managed to put aside their differences to work together before something happened," Chef told Duncan while he just couldn't believe it.

"Pfft, you saw those two earlier, they were arguing after Gwen saw me on top of those rocks. If Heather hadn't stalled them, I could've gotten caught and my sculpting skills came in handy with the time I was given. They totally bought it and now it's probably going to be futile since you caught me." Duncan replied to the cook while he laughed.

"Heather happened to have made them close as bread and butter when they both didn't like her. Maybe you should've called Grimmer to help with ya problems." Chef said to him as he scoffed at his remark.

"Dude, everyone hates Heather and that still doesn't change the fact that they were arguing a lot before they stopped at the rock. My hearing is clear despite all the loud music I blasted in my ears I'll tell ya." Duncan told him with a doubtful tone.

Chef just needed to explain to the bad boy how their friendship got strained before he saw them again since he didn't watch the show with how he was on the run.

"It's because of what happened yesterday, Scrawny got upset that the superfan, Yandere was throwing temper tantrums after trying to vote her off," Chef said starting his explanation.

"Scrawny and Yandere? Dude just say their real names for Christ's sake. I can't keep up with the story with these pet names you're giving everybody," Duncan said with frustration as he wasn't here for his subliminal disses.

"Tuh, delinquent," Chef muttered to himself while Duncan rolled his eyes. "Cody and Total Drama's number one superfan Sierra had a falling out since she kept sexually harassing him leaving the boy to go to Chris and vent his frustrations," he added while Duncan didn't know how they were involved.

"Okay…what do they have something to do with Courtney and Gwen breaking their truce," Duncan asked the cook who didn't like getting interrupted for the umpteenth time.

"BOY! Who's telling the story, me or you?" Chef told him off while Duncan just gave in to his threat. The last thing he needs is Chef on his case when he sent him to the boathouse two seasons ago.

"Anyway, Chris's smart idea to brush off the boy's frustration led him to go on an unhinged rant that seemed out of character even for Cody. He went in on your girlfriend and called her out on abusing you saying that you were the only one that liked her on the show." Chef said which got Duncan to raise an eyebrow because nobody ever had the guts to call her out.

"He also said that her actions such as trying to kill you, him, and the rest of the cast on separate occasions were brushed off while Heather always was reminded of her past misdeeds. Going as far as calling her a hypocrite and shouldn't be forgiven too easily." the cook added while Duncan just continued to process this revelation.

'Woah, that's something I've never seen from that wannabe ladies' man. Gwen always told me that he was always failing to be cool and was a bit of a pervert around her. He didn't seem to have that confrontational vibe and what could Sierra have done to drive him to tell off Princess? Things got interesting when I left and now I'm curious.' Duncan thought while Chef continue to explain.

"Then we have Gwen who completely left him high and dry with Sierra's predatorial advances toward the scrawny one. Since Gwen didn't acknowledge Courtney's despicable behavior and treated him as well as Heather for being pests. That made him think she was only getting closer to her so she can get close to you. Buying into those dating rumors that Geoff and Heather were fueling leaving him to snap." the ex-military general said which got Duncan confused.

"Why did he even care about who she dates, the guy didn't have a problem with Elvis and her dating. Did he think that there was a shot with him and Pasty after they broke up?" Duncan asked him while Chef kept thinking about it.

"Hmm, I'm sure that was another force in the equation but it didn't help that Gwen didn't give a good reason why she and Karen were friendly while only talking about you and hating Heather. In the end, she seemed like a hypocrite in his eyes and it wasn't believable how they can be friends since they had nothing in common." Chef told him while he thought about it more.

'Was it really meant to last when he puts it like that? The idea of Courtney and Gwen being on good terms seems like a fever dream. Too bad I left because this is all the information given to me at the moment.' Duncan pondered as Chef forget to mention another thing to him.

"I also forgot to mention Chris's dumb idea to release some animals for the challenge yesterday leaving them to railroad DJ. After Cody left Chris's room, he didn't like the mean-spirited nature of the challenge and thought he didn't deserve to go home." Chef said while omitting the fact that he put them there as a way for revenge on the Brickhouse for last season.

"While they kept arguing, Sierra came to the rescue since she's a fan of both and wanted him to not get disqualified. Out of peer pressure, she told him that she was fake crying in hopes to get the geek to pay attention to her and put up with her harassment. The whole thing ended up being a ruse and Cody felt like he wasted his time. Heather also felt like she made the wrong call and now her team is strained." he added while Duncan just felt like he heard something that came out of a bad soap opera.

The way Sierra was acting toward Cody and the others not keeping her in check made him glad he left back in Egypt. Imagine getting your privacy invaded while Courtney and Gwen were having a petty vendetta against Heather. 'This show brings out the worst in people and if someone like Cody was breaking down, it's a bad idea to come back.' Duncan thought after Chef finished his explanation.

"So what happened to the dork after Sierra admitted to lying? Did he get voted off?" Duncan questioned since he didn't see him with others.

"Oh, after that she told him. He got really angry and Chris's "genius" idea to walk up to him while he looked red as a pepper led him to punch that dumbass and knock him out." Chef answers his question while the delinquent just stared at him with a look of shock.

Then Duncan remembered the eye patch Chris wore when Chef and the interns pulled the bag off of him. 'So that's why he wore it in the hot tub, dude got a taste of his own medicine and is pretending like nothing happened. The ego of this guy is reaching levels that shouldn't be possible.' the delinquent continued thinking since he felt disgusted that Chris hasn't felt ashamed of his actions.

"Chris called the producers and they didn't side with him since he failed to officiate and do a better job of holding contestants accountable for not being active in the competition. They sided with Cody and he was moved to a new team while not having to face a lawsuit and elimination from the game." Chef said finishing the question, Duncan asked.

"Hahaha, they sided with the dork and not their host, that's priceless," Duncan said laughing out loud clutching his stomach. The idea of Cody getting the last laugh while Chris had to face humiliation was too hysterical for him to not poke fun of.

"Make sure to not mention that when he returns because he's still mad about it. He hasn't shown it, but since this was the day he met his cousin, the boy blocked it out for now." the cook said to him while he understood his reasonings.

"Yeah, yeah," Duncan said wiping a tear from that laugh fest. 'So, this is the place where his relatives live? Sucks that I didn't get to meet or at least haven't yet since we're still here in Newfoundland.' the bad boy thought while waiting for the host to return. He was feeling a bit better after that talk with Chef so the wait isn't as dreadful as before.

Chef was being impatient because he wanted to make a call to one of his friends and Chris is taking too long. The producers seem to take a long time to finish saying what they have to say and Duncan is someone they were upset quit which soured them on the host's bad officiating. Only time will tell how long will this take and for now has to watch Duncan.


First Class

The contestants were conversing with each other while waiting for their supper. In the meantime, the interns gave them some snacks and beverages as they weren't quite done with it. Cody and Noah, we're on the computer catching up on their favorite content creators.

"Man, that was another fun video to watch from Ian and Anthony. Those dudes were meant for greatness and I hope they don't sell out." Cody told Noah who thought of something else that concerns them.

"Eh, I worry that they will run out of ideas and get stale over some time. Don't get me wrong, they're great but I fear that when I look back on these videos, it won't age well." Noah said to the geek who just scoffed.

"It's not about the future but enjoying it in the present times. Why have you got to be a shmuck and think of the worst?" Cody asked him as he laid down his reasonings.

"You're right about enjoying it at the moment, but the over-saturation of Youtube content will affect them immensely. They are very one-note and that's the worst thing that will happen to comedians. Ian and Anthony aren't getting movie deals or sitcoms so they better switch it up." the high IQ explained his reasonings to Cody.

"You know, you got a point, Noah. They may be on borrowed time if they aren't taking more risks and as much as I don't want them to sign off the Smosh name, won't put it against them." Cody said to the bookworm while he felt contemplated.

As time goes on, Youtube will be bigger and have more Ads as well as more copyright laws. He remembers when they got their popular Pokemon lipsync video claimed by Nintendo. The only way to watch now is on their website and the video player is too laggy.

"Glad you can understand my reasonings," Noah told the geek while he just continued to scroll through his other tabs.

"Hey Noah, guess who just uploaded a new video?" the tech-savvy geek said to him with glee.

"If it's who I think it is, forget it," Noah retorted to Cody while he just chuckled at his response.

"Your loss, Max Mayhem is one of the best blogs out there. Don't let your cynicism get the best of you and enjoy greatness." Cody told him while Noah proceeded to make a gunshot sign to his head as he had better things to do than watch Owen's cousin.

"I'm just gonna let you be in your little world while I catch on my book, got it, Casanova?" Noah said to him while grabbing his book to read.

Cody just shrugged and went to Max's blog page for the new video on "World Domination".

The video opened and we see none other than the guy they watched last night. "Hello, my fellow minions. I have been working on a new device that will manipulate my parents into lifting my punishment." Max said with a smile while showing the viewers his new contraption in the flesh.

"I have a prototype right now and it's still a work in progress so for now I'll use it on my pet porcupine, Darius," Max explained while he opened the cage to let the rodent out.

"A pet porcupine, his parents must be real proud of him am I right?" Noah said with sarcasm while reading his book.

"Shh, I want to see if it works?" Cody shushed the bookworm as he rolled his eyes at the geek's weird fascination for the edge lord.

"Now that he's out of the cage, time to use it to see if my plans will flourish! Bwahaha." Max said forcing an evil laugh while proceeding to zap him with the mind-control device.

"I should've mentioned that he isn't tamed as the other animals so this might be a chance to get him disciplined," Max told the viewers since he forgot to mention that part. "Darius, do as I say and roll over for your master, bwahaha." the mad teenager commanded his pet while it just looked at him with disgust.

Things didn't go well for the evil genius because the porcupine lunged onto Max's head leaving him to scream in agony. He ran back and forth while Cody just burst out laughing. Max thought it was going to work out with the facial expressions he showed while looking at Darius. This only made the Codemeister struggle to hold his laugh.

"God damn, it shouldn't be this funny but it is." the scrawny teen proclaimed while wiping tears from his eyes.

"Hooray, you got the laugh you desired. Will you please turn it off so I can read my book before you sour my mood with that noise?" Noah politely asked him as Owen came back from the bathroom and overheard them.

"Hey guys, what's with all the ruckus? Any chowder happened to be present in these fine times." Owen said with enthusiasm while approaching his two buddies.

What he saw just happen to trigger his paranoia once he looked at Cody's computer screen and found none other than his evil cousin Max.

"AHHHH!" Owen screamed which alerted the others who were conversing in the back. Alejandro was telling DJ, Lindsay, and Tyler about his brother Carlos's successful soccer career and was bothered by Owen's shouting.

'Culo gordo,' was all he can say in his head since he can't blow his cover in front of the contestants. Owen was really testing his patience with all the nonsensical habits he's been throwing at the diplomat. He couldn't wait for the excuse he was about to give him once he talks with the Latin.

Things calmed down after both Cody and Noah covered the big guy's mouth out of peer pressure. The tech geek was not anticipating that reaction and he should've listened to Noah about playing his vids. 'Me and my dumb idea to play the video with the possibility of Owen walking in. I knew he told me that he hyped him up as evil but never thought it would lead to him having a panic attack.' Cody pondered while thinking of an excuse for the others.

"Um, Owen just found out he didn't do his online homework and is behind on assignments. No need to look over here and continue with whatever you guys were talking about, hehe." Cody said in the heat of the moment thinking.

After a few seconds, the others just accepted that excuse, and Alejandro pretended like that didn't happen for now. He might figure out a way to eliminate the goofball once the opportunity comes to fruition.

"Phew," both Noah and Cody said in unison while wiping sweat off their foreheads.

"Keep it down before you attract any unwanted attention. The interns will see you causing problems and will kick us out so if you want your precious clam chowder then pucker down." the bookworm reassured while he just nodded. Noah released his grip from his mouth and whispered to Cody about his cousin.

"Buddy, how did you manage to find a video of Max on the internet? He's very scary and shouldn't be posting on there." Owen said in a low voice as Cody moved so he can sit.

"He has a blog on Facebook and since your other relatives follow you, it got me to see this interesting user on the friends section," Cody told Owen while he just grabbed the sides of his hair with grief.

He didn't think that he was active on social media and since his parents follow him, the algorithm would lead to someone like Cody finding him.

"Stupid, stupid." the lovable giant slapped his head. "The thought of Max being on the internet posting videos didn't cross my mind. The little guy is crammed up in his room and is going plot for world domination." Owen said with the realization since Max is smarter than he lets on.

"I don't mind Owen, the guy is a total riot with how he's so unintentionally funny," Cody reassured him so he won't be frightened by the guy.

"You don't understand, that evil death ray or whatever can be used against the animals for his evil schemes. Minions of any kind and will obey his commands while we scream in terror!" the party animal told him trying to warn Cody of his cousin's motives.

"For the record, Max wanted to use that contraption to brainwash his parents and tested it out on his pet porcupine. It didn't work since it attacked, not listening to his commands and you're giving him way too much credit for doing the bare minimum. Way to overhype this supposed big bad you told me yesterday, huh Big O." Noah interrupted his friend from his melodramatic panic attacks while reading "Touching Spirit Bear".

"Even if it didn't turn out the way he wanted, that doesn't change the fact that he's capable of a greater evil in the future," Owen said convincing the bookworm of his full potential as a villain.

"When that happens, I'll consider giving up my dream to be a respected businessman. Which isn't possible so too bad big guy." Noah retorted to Owen while he just sulked over the schemer's response.

"If it makes you feel better, I don't think Max holds it against you for causing his punishment for the summer," Cody said comforting the party animal while Noah just corrected him.

"Nope, he referred to you as he who shall not be named and was jealous you got to compete and win Total Drama Island. Try not to give him any ideas, Cody?" the high IQ scolded the tech geek for his poor attempt at lying to Owen.

"Noah!" Cody told him with annoyance while Owen just understood the predicament he was in with his cousin Max.

"Nah, don't worry Cody. If Max wants to never talk to me again, then I understand. Our relationship has been rocky for years and the little guy never seemed to like me." Owen said in defeat while Cody was a bit curious.

"Is there a reason why you guys are so strained in the family? You get along with pretty much everybody especially Noah who's starting to warm up to you." Cody asked him while Owen just gathered his thoughts and memories of growing up with Max.

"He wasn't the most social of the age group and nobody wanted to involve him in any activities. I've done my best to be there for him and he seems to project his neglect onto me since he's made up his mind on being the outcast out for revenge." Owen explained to him while Cody just felt bad.

Being an only child meant that he didn't interact much with the family besides his parents. Rarely do they want to get together and introduce Cody to other parts of the family and share bonds excluding the aunts and uncles. The grass isn't always greener on the other side after hearing Owen tell him that Max suffered from neglect even when he was invited to family reunions.

'I wonder if that could've been me once they got to see my least admirable traits. Someone like Owen isn't common in the real world and I applaud the big guy for at least trying to be there for Max' Cody pondered after hearing Owen's explanation.

Then Cody remembered himself thinking of Rudolph before their friendship became a relic of the past. 'All thanks to that bastard.' the tech geek thought bitterly of his childhood changing during the years of his preteen days.

"Hey Cody, your spacing out on me buddy." Owen alerted the member of the Albert Einstein fan club who was lost in his deep thoughts.

"Affirmative, anyway Owen if you're able to reach out to him, get the family to give him another chance. I'm assuming your cousins and brothers teased him growing up so how bout getting them to apologize to Max." Cody told him as a way to motivate the lovable giant.

"You think it will work?" Owen asked the tech geek who just shrugged.

"Not sure, but giving up on someone isn't going to make you happier. If it still doesn't work then me and Noah will back you up." Cody said with an optimistic tone.

"Pardon, I didn't sign up for this quest to redeem Owen's little cousin," Noah said as he wasn't here for Cody's offer to include him in this dilemma.

"Come on dude, you can just be there and be supportive of Owen. You don't need to talk to him and Owen needs some people outside the family to give him a perspective of the real world." Cody said convincing the bookworm who was skeptical.

"…Fine," Noah muttered with a deep sigh. "I'll be there as Owen tries to reconcile with the guy. However, if he says one thing about being evil, I'm leaving got it?" Noah told Owen who was glad that he at least wanted to back him up.

"Sure thing buddy, glad you're at least gonna be there for me," Owen said to him and approached Noah with a big hug that hurt his lungs much to his dismay.

"Must…breathe," Noah said struggling to speak while Owen let him go and returned the book he was reading.

"Hehehe, sorry Noah." the party animal comforted the bookworm while scratching his head.

Unbeknownst to them, Izzy walked in and overheard bits of their conversation. "What's he going to help you with?" the redhead said alerting them of her presence.

"Izzy, how long have you been there?" Cody questioned her while she just laughed.

"A minute and 21 seconds after Izzy finished cleaning the seafood from the sea shack," she told him while untangling her hair bun and putting away her glasses. "So what's the problem with Big O?" she asked again since curiosity got the best of her.

"Owen's cousin has a strained relationship with him and his family leaving him to go on a path of evil while not trying to accept that he's just going through an edgy phase due to child neglect." the bookworm said bluntly while she processed his explanation.

"You didn't tell me you had a cousin Owen and he has a bit of a dark side too," Izzy said with enthusiasm and interest leaving him to rub his head in embarrassment.

"His name is Max and has a blog on Facebook that I found while skimming through the friends section. He's…an interesting character to say the least and despite Owen warning me of his evil potential, I can't help but love the guy. The dude is a bit of a dork and I see myself in him a little." Cody explained to Izzy who was eager to see him on social media.

"Show me, show me," Izzy said with a hyper attitude while Cody just chuckled.

"Sure, let me grab my computer and resume that video I had to pause earlier," Cody told her while opening the computer that he closed after Owen's outburst a few moments ago.

Izzy sat and looked to see the man that was related to her Big O. He already looked like a mess after the porcupine attacked him which she didn't know about and raised an eyebrow.

"Why does he look like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" the psycho hosebeast questioned the geek who realized that he got hurt in this video.

"Oops, he got hurt after an experiment went bad. Let me find a video to give a good view of what he's like." Cody told her while scrolling through the videos posted on his blog. "Aha, here's one that looks promising." he proclaimed while clicking on it to play.

The video opened with Max and his lab kit which looked like he was going to mix different liquids for an experiment.

"Hello there viewers, after my prototype failed to work on Darius, I decided to go back to the drawing board and come up with a formula to get my parents to free me from this confinement," Max said while Noah overheard him and made a snarky comment in the background.

"You could just sneak out ya know," Noah adlibbed while reading his book. For an evil guy, Max doesn't seem to want to break the rules and rather do it the hard way much to the bookworm's confusion.

"Shush, Noah." Izzy scolded him while he just rolled his eyes at her.

"This evil potion is going to be my ticket out of here and I'll finally be able to launch my plans for world domination…bwahaha." Max proclaimed while forcing his signature laugh as his mother banged the wall to shut him up. This made the Dr. Evil wannabe fall flat on the ground.

"Pfthahaha, stupid guy," Izzy said as she laughed at the goofball's attempt to be threatening.

"Iz, this isn't supposed to be funny. Max is a force to be reckoned with." Owen told her while she gave him a big hug for comfort.

"D'aw, but he's so adorable Big O. Maxie just needs a little friend is all, and I'll change him for ya." the redhead said to Owen who was still having his doubts. However, he can't say no to her and trusts her word for it since he now has her, Noah, and Cody backing him up.

"Thanks, Izzy and I'm glad that you are optimistic as Cody is about a chance of me reconciling with Max," Owen said with a smile as he returned her hug back.

"Don't mention it," Izzy told him while the cooks and interns brought in their reward much to their knowledge.

"Contestants, you're dinner is served!" one of the interns said which got Owen jumping for joy.

"Easy there big guy, save some for the rest of us," DJ told Owen while he calmed down when Alejandro gave him a scolding look.

"Sorry," Owen said innocently while waiting patiently in line for his supper.

All members of Team Victory and Team Chris were holding their bowls while the interns poured the chowder one by one.

"Hey Cody, wanna sit with me and Lindsay?" DJ asked Cody who was more than happy to talk with them. They hit it off during the boat race and the least he can do was celebrate with the team.

"Sure thing DJ," Cody agreed while this time saying his name right because he didn't want that to happen again.

Cody made sure to sit next to DJ as Lindsay sat next to Tyler in front of them. Meanwhile, Alejandro decided to sit next to Noah while both Owen and Izzy sat in front of them.

The Spaniard noticed he was reading "Touching Spirit Bear" and that caught his interest since his mother owned that book.

"Never knew you happen to read that book, a little too angsty don't you think Noah?" Alejandro asked him as Noah just scoffed.

"Angst or not, the plot is engaging and I'm a sucker for this type of literature. Although, I do think having the main character being abused by his father wasn't needed at all. It makes the bear mauling unnecessary since he was a product of bad parenting to make him this way." Noah explained while he couldn't defend some of the choices the author went with the story.

"Understandable, the reason it got my attention since my mother read it during her breaks. She would scold anyone who interrupted her reading sessions." Alejandro told him while Noah had an assumption.

"Could be that your mother is used to that type of stuff from watching soap operas if my assumptions are correct?" Noah asked him while the Latin just looked back at those days.

"You may be right, she always lived vicariously through those shows of hers. Sometimes I feel like they are made to corrupt the mind of the viewers and start developing prejudices." Alejandro said while eating a spoonful of chowder.

"I know since my parents adopted those toxic tropes and never bothered to evolve with the times. Stuff like that is why I want to graduate early and move on with my life." Noah said closing his book so he can start eating the clam chowder.

"Such aspirations are worthy of my gratitude. Noah, I wish you good luck in your quest to break out and leave that toxic household." the Spaniard told him as he was only putting on his nice guy act.

'Although, that is why I was hired by Chris to get away from living with my family. They never had faith in me and sided with Josè in every argument we've had. The million is going to be my ticket out of that wretched household that is the Burromuerto.' Alejandro thought bitterly while continuing to eat his supper.

While that was happening, Cody was chowing down on his clam chowder and got concerned looks from his team and Tyler.

"Yo dude, it's not going anywhere with the way you're eating it," Tyler said as he didn't want Cody to throw up like earlier.

"Hehe, sorry. Since I threw up earlier, most of my breakfast from this morning was a part of it leaving me feeling famished." Cody told him in his defense but credit where it's due. This chowder was delicious and it reminded him of his aunt's cooking since she had some family recipes.

"Farming? Are you hungry that you want to milk a cow?" Lindsay misinterpreted that last part since it was not common to hear where she lived.

"Me and my big words. It's another saying for feeling starved after not eating for a while." Cody corrected her as she understood his explanation.

"Oh, that makes sense. You're really smart Cody when you're not failing to flirt with the ladies." Lindsay told him while he laughed at her comment. The tech geek left a bad impression on the cast of the show with his Casanova persona.

'Glad I don't need to do that anymore while being able to be true to myself. Being cool isn't the path I want now that I have aspirations outside the show. I'll still say the nickname from time to time, but that's about it.' Cody pondered while slowly eating his chowder.

"Uh, Lindsay. Might not want to offend Cody with that comment." DJ told her while the tech geek didn't mind the remark.

"It's okay DJ, my past is always going to be remembered on the show. The least I can do is show you guys my dorky side since that's who I am at the end of the day. Don't have any interest in flirting with the ladies." Cody said as Tyler was shocked at his revelation.

"Dang dude, you're retiring the Codemeister on us. What a way to go out and these last two days must be taking a toll on you." Tyler told the geek with a surprised look.

"Not entirely Tyler, the nickname still holds sentimental value to me and I'll still show it once in a while for you guys." the tech-savvy geek answered the jock who he didn't want to feel sad.

"Well, whatever makes you happy and you have my support brother," Tyler said while referring to Hulk Hogan's lingo at the end. Cody laughed at that and decided to make his little wrestling reference of his own.

"And that's the bottom line cause the Codemeister said so." Cody jabbed back at the jock while chugging his chowder like Stone Cold chugs his beers.

"Alright bro, it didn't flow like you wanted it to so relax man," Tyler said laughing at his attempts to mimic the famous wrestler's catchphrase.

"Yeah yeah, it was the only thing I can come up with the fly." the scrawny teen defended himself. "With that out of the way, Lindsay? I forgot to ask you this but how did you get locked up back in Paris with Beth? The thing is I didn't get to ask you back when we were riding on the boat which left me curious." Cody asked her while she was happy to explain to him.

"That's a long story but to keep it short, me and Beth were in the museum in Paris when one thing or another, the Mona Lisa painting was damaged," Lindsay told Cody while he just got confused for a moment.

"Damaged?" the tech geek said with bewilderment since the painting should've been guarded by some security on standby. How did both of them manage to get close to it in the first place?

"Beth wanted to take a picture and accidentally tripped and misaligned the painting. She went under the ropes that block anyone that trespasses and that alerted guards. Lindsay followed through and smeared the painting because of her lack of awareness and that just irked them even more." DJ explained to Cody while understanding why they got arrested.

"And it was a load of bull if you ask me. Why even try to lock someone up without realizing it was an accident?" Tyler questioned with a look of disapproval.

"Tyler, they didn't speak English, and Lindsay managed to be released from prison," DJ said consoling him since he didn't want him to be upset about it.

"I'm just shocked that they didn't recognize you yesterday when we arrived. Must've been some different workers that day?" Cody said wondering how Lindsay didn't get recognized.

"Beth's parents got us the money to bail us out and the translator they hired smoothed things out." the airheaded blonde explained to Cody who nodded as if he never thought of that possibility.

"Well, glad you are safe and Tyler like DJ said, don't worry about it." Cody consoled both Lindsay and Tyler as the jock calmed down.

"You're right," Tyler said while chowing down on his soup.

"With that out of the way, Cody? Why did you call me Rudolph back at the shack? It's not every day that someone accidentally thinks of a name used by one of Santa's reindeer. It's been in the back of my head and curiosity got the best of me." DJ said chuckling in embarrassment since that was the most random thing that's happened to him.

Cody just felt nervous and didn't want to explain himself to the others. 'Got to come up with an excuse to leave the table and avoid that question because I can't think of something.' the former Casanova thought with a rush of emotions.

"Who's Rudolph?" Tyler said with a mouth full of chowder.

"I wanna know too." Lindsay chimed in while Cody just looked at his bowl and a lightbulb went off on his head.

"Mind if I go refill my bowl? The hunger has just been getting the best of me and nothing helps than some good ol' clam chowder am I right?" Cody told them as he stuttered with a smile of embarrassment.

'What's got him so defensive about that name? Something must have happened to make him feel that way.' DJ pondered while Cody looked like he wanted to leave.

"Okay, little guy. If you want to eat more then that should be a priority." DJ reassured him because he wasn't ready to answer his question and obviously was rearing to go.

"Thanks," Cody said leaving the group while fast walking to the snack bar. He saw Owen and he looked…scared.

"Yo Big O is everything alright you look spooked," Cody asked the lovable goofball who whispered something in his ears.

"I saw something that frightened me when I opened the pot and I can't scream or Al will scold me," Owen told him in a low voice as he got a little pale.

"Let me see," Cody said as he opened the pot and just saw some of the chowder inside. He took the big spoon and dipped it in and found nothing that would be unusual. "There isn't anything wrong with it Owen. You must be seeing things and here, let me pour some chowder in your bowl," he assured him while he just tried to brush off the embarrassment.

"Oh right, I was seeing things. Surely there wasn't a creepy prairie boy stowing away on this ship. Everything is just…fine," Owen said with some self-doubt while walking away with his bowl of chowder.

Cody didn't understand what that explanation meant and thought it was Owen being his usual naive self. That was until he stepped on something after putting the cover back on the pot. He picked it up and it was a gold chain that looked very familiar. It wasn't until he saw a capital "Z" that he put two and two together. 'Creepy prairie boy stowing on the ship eh,' Cody thought while looking again at the necklace.

He put it in his pocket and grabbed two bowls of chowder that were on the table. He still needed to talk to either Heather or Gwen for closure before he tries to find Ezekiel and figure out why he was stowing away on the Jumbo Jet. Luckily, he went unnoticed as the others were in a deep conversation with each other.


Economy Class

Heather was filing her nails while a towel wrapped around her head. Courtney and Gwen's lack of care today for the challenge only made her take a long shower. So much for trying to win the challenge and get back to First Class only to be stopped by a guy who wasn't active in the competition.

'Oooh, when I see that punk, I'll give him a piece of my mind. He's done irreparable damage to those two that I'm stuck in this gross death trap.' Heather thought bitterly as she hated Economy class for its not-so-great accommodations. The aroma was too masculine for her tastes and the queen bee was used to the luxurious First Class.

A few moments later while she continued filing her nails, Sierra walked in after finishing shucking clams and cleaning the seafood. The fangirl didn't know how to approach Heather since she failed to keep both Courtney and Gwen on good terms.

Sierra stood there and once she took a deep breath, walked in the Queen Bee's direction, and sat next to her. "How's it going Heather, sorry that Courtney and Gwen slowed us down." Sierra consoled her while she just rolled her eyes.

"If you think I'm mad at you then stop with the nervous body language. As far as I'm concerned, today was all about Duncan and that is all I can see at the moment." Heather said bluntly as Sierra felt defeated by that comment.

"We really wasted our time because that rock they thought was Duncan, slowed us down. To think that someone who isn't here is holding so much power over them to the point of hallucinating his whereabouts." Sierra said with the sad realization of why they failed.

"All say, before this season started it wasn't this bad, and Gwen just kept denying it. Now that she confessed, it's only made things worse with the weird goth girl, and that B.I.T.C-" Heather said while gripping her nail file as Sierra interrupted her before she let the anger get a hold of her.

"Heather, you're going to break it." The SuperFan chimed in as Heather just took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Like I was saying, the confession seemed to only hurt the dynamic even more and we got to vote one of them off so that things can get back to normal around here." The Ice Queen told her while Sierra was skeptical. "Problem is, I don't know who since they are all equally annoying. Only time will tell when that loser gives us an elimination challenge," she added while going back to file her nails.

"Yeah, who knows?" Sierra said nervously as she shuffled her legs on the ground. "By the way, I finished the job that Chris ordered us to do so you don't have to worry about him scolding you next time." she reminded Heather who felt at least better with that out of the way.

"I apologize for making a big scene and leaving on the spot. After having to deal with those two, the last thing I needed was Chris rubbing it in while cleaning disgusting seafood. The emotions were getting the best of me and thank you, Sierra." Heather told the fangirl who appreciated the genuine apology.

"It's fine, I needed to make up to Chris after making Cody knock him out yesterday. Plus, Izzy offered to help since she crashed his plane as well." Sierra explained to Heather who thought those two together were a match made in heaven.

"That's understandable and damaging his ego was at least satisfying for me now that I feel less guilty about it," Heather said with a smile that soon faded as she remembered Alejandro's face during the ordeal.

'Just you wait jerkface, I'll get back to you once the next challenge arrives. Thinks he's so smug with his team of nimrods.' the queen bee bitterly thought of her rival getting two up on her in a row.

"Usually I'll defend him, but today you have your reasons," Sierra told Heather as she was glad that the superfan was toning it down.

"Much Appreciated," Heather replied as she removed the towel from her head.

"Did you happen to know what happened to Courtney and Gwen? Haven't seen them on the ship and that's concerning me a little?" Sierra asked Heather while the ice queen shrugged.

"Beats me and the less I have to see those two, the better." Heather retorted as Sierra chuckled nervously.

"Well I better run off to the shower, hope the rest of your time is manageable when I'm gone. The smell of seafood is starting to linger on me and that should be a priority." Sierra told her while gathering her stuff to head to the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah." the ice queen nodded as she combed her head while Sierra walked out of Economy Class.

As soon as she left, Cody walked with two bowls of chowder and saw Heather fixing her hair after today. He wanted to have some closure with the Queen Bee and The Goth after what happened yesterday in Paris.

"Hey Heather, is everything alright?" Cody asked her while she continued combing her hair.

"Other than Courtney and Gwen derailing our chances of winnings, things are just...fine," Heather sarcastically told him. The Geek wasn't the best at confronting others with his problems so Ezekiel will take some difficulty like with Heather.

"As someone who hangs out with Noah, that sarcasm is noticeable and I'm assuming that both Courtney and Gwen got sidetracked because of Duncan am I right?" Cody questioned her as she just scoffed.

"Oh yeah, that punk is going to get a piece of me for all the irreparable damage he's done on them. They literally thought a rock with a spike looked like him, Cody. It was the most ridiculous reason to get sidetracked and it ended up being a lie!" the queen bee told him in a frustrated tone.

"Ouch, that's gotta suck. To have to stop and that be the reason you lost could get me upset as well. I guess Gwen admitting her true feelings only seems to make her hallucinate about him." the tech geek said as he sat down next to her on the bench.

"The worst part was Courtney believing it and it stalled us from winning the challenge. I can't believe something so contrived ruined my chances of being in First Class." Heather said angrily chucking the hairbrush.

"Which is why I brought you some clam chowder from First Class to apologize for going against team orders," Cody told her handing her a bowl while she felt conflicted.

"No, I shouldn't take it and it was my fault that I put you with Sierra. Don't feel guilty about me causing a scene back at the shack." Heather said in defense as she didn't feel like she earned it today.

"Relax, I know you don't want to eat Chef's cooking and you look hungry. I take full accountability myself for not being a better team player so dig in." Cody convinced the Queen Bee while she grabbed from his hands.

"Do you have a secret crush on me or-" Heather said defensively while the geek just reassured her.

"I don't have a crush on you and Heather, stop beating yourself and relax. You already paid for your sins so I'm not going to hold your past against you." Cody confessed to her up front as he didn't want her to get the idea of him doing this to get laid.

"However, my perverted behavior does leave you skeptical and you also have every right to judge me for that. It's why I'm in this mess and for now, just want to make amends with everyone while starting from scratch," he finished his reasonings as Heather processed his revelation.

"Thank You," Heather told him while looking at the chowder. She was hungry like he said and after hearing his explanation, Heather knows that he was coming from a genuine place.

"You're welcome and have you seen Gwen? I want to make it up to her after she got in a fight with Courtney this morning and during the challenge?" Cody asked her while she ate a spoon full of chowder.

"Don't know, maybe check the Cargo Hold since she might be writing in her diary over there," Heather told him since she didn't think of that possibility earlier with Sierra.

"I'll take your word for it," Cody said while waving goodbye. Truth be told, that was the place he was going to look for Ezekiel so he can kill two birds with one stone in the meantime. 'I gotta lot of work cut out for me today.' he thought while walking to the Cargo Hold.


Chris's Luxury V.I.P. Lounge

"Look, Princess. I know ol Dunkie leaving the show unannounced was a bad call and didn't take your word for consideration since it upset you. Why don't we call it quits so we can part ways and move on with our lives?" Duncan said reenacting his potential breakup with Courtney by using one of the pillows on the couch.

"Pasty, listen, it's been a rough few weeks, and with me and Courtney breaking up, how bout you go out with me since you and Elvis aren't seeing each other anymore?" Duncan said to another pillow reenacting his potential hook-up with Gwen.

The stress was putting a toll on him with Chris taking too long with the producers. His lack of closure with both of them made things worse for the most popular contestant on Total Drama. Chef was starting to feel weirded out by the delinquent and can only roll his eyes at his poor attempt at acting.

"You awfully look corny doing that so put away the pillows and straighten up soldier." Chef scolded Duncan while he felt embarrassed of his lack of sanity.

"Well aren't you supportive, try having to wait for a guy who has your life in his hands while two girls are fighting over you," Duncan said in his defense of talking to himself.

"Pfft, you should have sung and dealt with the consequences in the season. Instead, you quit and tried to dodge accountability because of your ego." Chef told him while he just sulked on the couch.

"Glad to know, Master Chief," Duncan muttered while the cook just chuckled at that comment.

He was getting nostalgic from his time in the first season and Duncan pushed him to his limit. To hear Duncan refer to him as Master Chief without a sly remark was satisfying to him. But he needed to ask Duncan something else because he can't afford to see him like this any longer.

"Do you even have feelings for the goth girl or do you just want the easy way out because she is like you?" Chef asked Duncan who gave him a look of annoyance.

"What's that supposed to mean? So what if we have things in common it's a great way to bond more and I enjoy her company." Duncan said defensively while Chef didn't buy it.

"Just because the bossy girl is abusing you doesn't mean you have to jump into another relationship. You said that you have a lot of problems outside the show and that should be a priority is what I'm trying to tell you." the ex-military commander explained to him while Duncan thought for a moment.

It was tempting to ask Gwen out but Chef's reasonings had him conflicted on how it will affect him since he's voiced his problems earlier to the cook. 'This bites.' was all he could say in his head as the thoughts were building in his head.

"Out of everyone on the show, she's the most relatable person I've ever met. Everyone else back home has let me down time and time again so I thought I can start fresh one last time." Duncan confessed to the cook who let him explain his reasonings.

"However, the stuff that's happening currently is not going to help, and going with the flow is the only thing that will keep me from stressing," the bad boy added as he doesn't want to overthink.

"Maybe it's you trying to protect your bad boy image, has it ever dawned on you? Toxic masculinity is why I had a falling out with my parents and it's what led to me being on this show." Chef told him in a serious tone while Duncan felt taken aback.

"You're saying I'm going to end up as you if I go down this path?" Duncan shouted with fright as he didn't want to be like Chef working under a narcissist.

"No, I'm trying to tell you that the bad decisions you keep on making will eventually bite you in the ass. Not listening to your parents is why this keeps happening boy and you need to stop running away from your problems," Chef further explained while Duncan wasn't here for it. His relationship with his parents wasn't the best, especially his father.

"What makes you think that you know anything about it? My father doesn't ever think of what I have to say and my Mom just pities me from afar." Duncan stood up with an annoyed tone.

"Your mother cares deeply about you and I don't want you to strain your relationship with her. I can't speak with mine since I fucked up while you are still young at the moment. It's why I feel a little bad for ya and watching you talk to those pillows makes me pity you as much as pains me to say." Chef told him while Duncan was conflicted by his words.

The Delinquent still resented his father for putting him down whenever he messed up and didn't comfort him when his dog, Petey, ran away. He vowed to never respect him and it didn't help that he never got the unconditional love that his siblings got.

Eventually, they grew up to follow in the footsteps of the family by pursuing the job of police officers. Something Duncan vowed to not follow as he didn't want the satisfaction of pleasing the man who hates him.

"Don't let your dad strain your relationship with your mother because she still cares at the end of the day. Being a wife and a mother isn't the easiest job so stray away from letting the anger taint the possibility of rekindling that bond." the cook added hoping that his words would go through Duncan since thoughts of his mother were always in the back of his mind.

"I'm just…tired of being the black sheep of the family and with Ma always taking his side with the arguments, ends up bumming me out," Duncan vented to the cook while he processed his confession. "Mom doing it is one thing, but my brothers following him on his every word left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It's like things were going fast and Duncan was left behind to do nothing of note," he said while sitting back down on the couch.

"Could that be the reason you always don't follow the rules? It pains you that you never reached your father's expectations and the whole family puts him on a pedestal while writing you off." Chef asked him while he took a deep breath.

"That and the fact that my dog, Petey was going to be replaced after he ran away. He kept telling me it was just a dog and was replaceable since he was a mutt." Duncan told him bitterly remembering his father not caring.

"So he didn't do the best job consoling you when you were at your most vulnerable. It all makes sense how you refuse to listen and deflect as a coping mechanism." Chef said as he nodded to his answer since it was true.

"Now you know why and when is Chris coming back, the wait is killing me," Duncan asked the cook who just laughed at his response.

"See how quick you were to move on. At least you're making progress with opening up more with our conversation. I gotta say that I like this different side of you and not that snarky attitude you gave me." the ex-military commander told Duncan who felt defeated.

"Yeah, yeah," Duncan muttered while sipping a glass of water. The Hunger was getting the best of Total Drama's most popular contestants and a lack of nutrition will do that.

Meanwhile, Chris was in his private room discussing with the producers on Duncan's status.

"So at the end of the day McLean, Duncan on the show is what's best for business and you know how we live for this business. You got lucky that Chef found him in Newfoundland or else we would've docked more of your pay. Be grateful!" an anonymous voice spoke from his cell phone.

"Okay okay, I get it. Does this mean that you guys will be off my back for now at least?" Chris asked the mysterious caller with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Well, the fact of the matter is currently we don't have anything else to gripe about. Duncan will return to active competition as soon as possible and that means don't save him for an obstacle in a challenge." the caller scolded him while Chris just got offended by that remark.

"Come on, you guys are not fun man. We could've used Duncan for the Jack The Ripper challenge in London. Guess I have to find someone else to do it." Chris whined to the caller from his phone.

"Your need to always add some twist will only put your job in jeopardy, McLean. Stop doing what you want and abide by our rules even if it could pop a rating which they haven't lately. As far as I can see, we need to tone down the additional parts of the challenges and make sure no one snaps because of your poor officiating." the producer said bluntly through the phone as Chris couldn't say anything to combat his argument.

"Cody has committed assault and now Heather was the other one to do it on you. Start doing your job and not enable these toxic environments from happening, got that." the producer added as Chris just took a deep breath.

"Fine," Chris said in defeat while the producer stopped pestering him and wanted to address the other elephant in the room.

"Stupendous, now back to our conversation on Duncan earlier. I want him to be satisfied with his return and now that the singing portion of the season is gone, things are looking promising to say the least. This is why I want him to choose which team he will be on for the remainder of his stay." the anonymous producer told Chris which got him flabbergasted.

"Nah uh, the last thing I need is Duncan having the privilege to choose anything around here after he left. We shouldn't reward that punk for quitting the competition especially when you guys cut my pay!" the host said in a confrontational tone.

"Well, we were going to let Cody have that choice but you wanted to decide for him to move to a team. So I decided to pass that on Duncan's behalf as a way to spite you and judging by that reaction, I'm standing on it." the producer chuckled evilly through the phone while Chris wanted to throw a tempted tantrum.

This hasn't been a good week for the host with the most and his ego is slowly but surely depleted. 'I hate this show so much.' Chris shouted in his head while having to stomach the orders from the producers.

"Yes sir," Chris said with the urge to throw up while the anonymous producer was at least satisfied by that answer.

"Good, I better cut ya off. We have a meeting with the board of directors and we're hoping to get another fund. Peace out, McLean, and I'm that damn good!" the producer's last words as he hung up the phone.

Chris stood in his room while looking at paintings on his wall. The host was having the most pressure in his career and his power was losing its grip as the days go by. He walked over to his picture of his plant, Larry, and felt bad that he left it on the Island. All that toxic waste they dumped, while they moved, meant it was probably destroyed and he usually talked to Larry whenever he was bored.

'If only you were here pal to cope with this stupid job.' Chris said while clutching the picture in his hand. He put it back on top of the drawer and took another deep breath as he exited the room to see Chef and Duncan conversing.

"About time, so what's my status, and am I getting sued or something?" Duncan asked the host as he stood up with adrenaline.

"No, you're returning to the game and will be given the choice of picking your team," Chris told him which left Duncan with a bunch of emotions. "Come with me to the elimination ceremony so we can call the contestants. Chef, you are excused." Chris said to both of them while Chef was glad to be off watch duty.

'I'm going to see all the contestants upfront, aw crab baskets. Confronting Princess and Pasty is bad enough, but the whole cast is gonna be a pain in the butt.' Duncan pondered as his bad mood was returning after Chris's response.


The Cargo Hold

"Gwen!" Cody called her name as he entered the Cargo Hold. "Ezekiel" called the prairie boy's name while holding the bowl of chowder.

The Codemiester was alone in the place he was packing yesterday and it felt a bit more creepy than before, to say the least. Chills were going through his body as he looked in different directions inside the Cargo Hold.

'Wasn't like this before, it gives me the spooks with the dim lighting. I better find the power switch to brighten the room a bit.' Cody pondered while walking until he saw a shadowy figure in the distance.

"Ah!" Cody screamed while closing his eyes in fear before the figure jumped in front of him and it wasn't the scary thing he expected.

"You going to finish that eh," a voice said that happened to be Ezekiel. The homeschooled teen who entered Total Drama to learn about the real world is now stowing away on the Jumbo Jet.

"Ezekiel?" Cody said with relief but that wasn't going as he saw Ezekiel in his pale state. "Woah, dude you look sick man," Cody realized that the boy was struggling in his state with not wanting to leave the show.

"How did you know I was on the plane, Owen didn't see me did he," Ezekiel said with worry since he doesn't want his cover blown until he gets the million or comes back on the show.

"I found your chain after you tried to sneak in and take some chowder to eat. Owen couldn't scream since we told the big guy he would get kicked out and it was ultimately your lack of awareness that brought me here." Cody said pulling out the necklace that belonged to the Prairie Boy.

Ezekiel felt ashamed once he saw it and knew his clumsiness bite him in the ass now that Cody found him.

"But that isn't the issue as of right now. The elephant in the room is that you need some protein so I brought you some clam chowder." Cody said with a nervous chuckle while Ezekiel was shocked.

Shocked that Cody went as far as going to the Cargo Hold to find him and return his chain. But Cody helping out by bringing him some food was too much for him to handle.

"Why are you helping me eh," the prairie boy asked Cody who raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have respect for the ladies and think I'm sexist for my comments that boys are stronger than girls?" Ezekiel questioned his motive more as Cody just felt some sympathy for the guy.

"I don't hold people for their mistakes and define them by what they said in the past. As for the lady's comment, that was more of a persona that I put behind me since I no longer have to be cool anymore." Cody explained to Ezekiel who was still skeptical of his words.

Being eliminated first from the competition for his sexist comments and now his clumsiness gave him the impression that nobody wants anything to do with him. Now, Cody is here with a bowl of clam chowder and isn't treating him like a pest. He grabbed the bowl from the geek's hands and proceeded to chow down.

"Geez, you must have been really hungry that you are eating like an animal," Cody told him while he finished the soup in a matter of seconds.

"Sorry, I haven't gotten to eat since I've been stowing away on the plane," Ezekiel said as he put the bowl on the side. "You're not gonna tell Chris or the interns that I'm here right?" the homeschooled teen asked Cody since the thought of this being the end was on his mind.

"Not at all, but I wanna know why didn't you just leave once you got eliminated. Chris is not going to put you back in the competition no matter how hard you try. So why go as far as stowing away on the plane in hopes to get back on the show?" Cody asked him with concern since no amount of money would lead him to this path Ezekiel was going down.

"I just don't want to let my parents down after I got voted off in the first season. Having to be kicked off not once, but twice in the first episode made me stubborn to not give up. It's my pride on the line." Ezekiel explained to Cody who processed his reasoning.

"Your pride is making you live with the rats on the plane with no nutrition or vitamin D," Cody said while pointing down at the rats squeaking near the both of them.

"They're cool once you get to know them eh," Ezekiel defended his little comrades.

"If you say so, after watching the movie Ratatouille, I tend to avoid those critters," Cody told him as he remembered the main character being controlled by a rat.

"What's a ratatouille?" Ezekiel said since he wasn't aware of the movie or dish.

"Oh forget you're homeschooled. Well, it's basically a Disney movie named after a popular dish, and it stars a man being controlled by a rat who does all the work. I'd show you it, but we're on a plane in Chris's homeland with no access to it." Cody told Ezekiel while scratching his head in embarrassment.

"A man being controlled by a rat?" Ezekiel asked with curiosity and amusement. "Wish I can see it since my parents hate Disney movies and say they are the devil," Ezekiel said looking down in sadness at not being able to do normal stuff.

"What a shame," Cody said to the prairie boy while patting him on the back. The tech geek sees a dude that's struggling and is broken down emotionally by the show's double standards. All he can do is comfort the guy after living in these bad environments that Chris created.

"Listen, Zeke, eventually someone is going to find you so for now I'll keep my mouth shut." Cody let Ezekiel know of his intentions. "In the meantime, here," he added while handing him a bottle of gummies.

"What are these eh," Ezekiel said looking at the bottle with confusion.

"There are Vitamin D gummies that will help you get by while stowing away on the plane. Don't take all of them in one swoop because that will make you sick. Take two once a day and since I know you're here, I'll sneak in some snacks and refreshments to make your time worthwhile." Cody explained to Ezekiel who felt flattered by the geek's support.

"Thanks," was all Ezekiel can say since this turned out to be beneficial for him. His health was deteriorating and these vitamins will help ease the problems. Cody then realized that Ezekiel needed to take a shower as well because of his bad hygiene since he didn't shower for weeks.

"ATTENTION CONTESTANTS, REPORT TO THE ELIMINATION CEREMONY BECAUSE I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!" Chris said in his intercom that alerted both of them.

"I was going to keep watch while you showered, but Chris is calling me. I'll come back later with some food for you to eat afterward and make sure to keep a lookout." Cody told him while Ezekiel nodded at his orders. "See ya later Zeke," Cody fist-bumped the prairie boy while walking to the Elimination Ceremony.

'Wonder what's he going to announce that needs to be held there. Hope one of us doesn't get disqualified or Ezekiel's cover was blown.' he pondered while leaving the Cargo Hold. Things are about to be shaken up much to the boy's lack of awareness.


Elimination Ceremony

Contestants were arriving one by one while Duncan was busy hiding behind the statute where Chef was guarding him. He had to wait for his cue before Chris let him know of his presence to the cast.

Duncan peeked and all of the contestants sans Cody were gathered together Gwen arrived on the scene with a bag of Wendy's.

"So that's where you went, how did you even find Wendy's around here?" Heather asked the Goth while she scoffed at her question.

"Um, it's not like we're in a foreign country that doesn't serve this stuff. It's a part of Canada and I needed some time away from being on the plane to get my head clear of any negative thoughts." Gwen retorted to Heather as she realized she could have done that.

"Well, you're lucky that you made it back in time because Chris gathered us here for an announcement of some sort," Heather told her since she didn't want to bother her about it. She accepted that her anger got the best of her earlier and now they need to keep their distance.

Courtney just glared at Gwen because the counselor-in-training wished that she got something to eat outside the plane. Chef's cooking wasn't the most edible and her extending the list for Duncan only hampered that possibility.

Duncan swallowed his saliva since he knows that there was tension between those two. Chris is going to drop a bombshell on them and he will be front and center for it.

Cody was the last to arrive and stood next to Lindsay and DJ. He saw Gwen who he wanted to console after today, but important things were about to happen with Chris having an announcement.

"Greetings, Ex-Campers, and would-have-been campers for Alejandro and Sierra," Chris said while Alejandro rolled his eyes while Sierra chuckled at his starting sentence. "I called you all here today to discuss an important matter that affects the competition." the host added as the cast was confused.

"Chris, you said there was nothing else to discuss within the competition this morning or does it concern someone else?" Alejandro told him with intrigue while staring at Heather who got nervous about what was to come.

"Well you're right about it concerning someone else but it has nothing to do with Heather, unfortunately," Chris replied to the Diplomat while Heather rolled her eyes at the host's comment.

'Unfortunately, you're lucky I didn't give a knockout courtesy of Cody.' Heather thought negatively of the host's tone.

"Someone who happens to be the reason I've been having a rocky relationship with the producers of the show and my paycheck getting docked," Chris said with his signature smirk which got the cast fueling with emotions since it couldn't be who they thought was.

Courtney and Gwen are the ones who happen to have the most history with the person who they think is going to be said from the host's mouth. Could it be that their assumptions earlier were correct if he was here in Newfoundland?

"He's one of the most popular contestants on the show, a huge quitter, and probably the worst fashion since my bandmate, Jason," Chris said again building anticipation for the reveal while Duncan scoffed at that last comment.

'Pftt, bad fashion. Like his outfits are something to brag about.' Duncan thought with some snark as the host led them on.

"Boys and Girls hold your applause or scratch that don't applaud because Total Drama's number one bad boy Duncan, is back!" Chris said while blowing the party whistle which was the cue for Duncan to show himself.

"Don't applaud eh," Duncan muttered an empty threat to the host as Chef pushed him forward in front of everyone.

The Delinquent then stared at the cast who are still in the competition. Courtney, Gwen, and Heather glared at him for different reasons that have been said before. Everyone else either felt indifferent or didn't know how to process his return to the game.

The only two who were excited to see him back was DJ and Owen. DJ had an awkward smile since he was glad to see him, but deep down he knows that he doesn't want to come back on the show after Chris gaslighted him with the contrived singing rule.

Owen rushed over to where Duncan and Chris were standing and gave the bad boy a huge hug after not seeing him for a while. "Duncan, it's nice to finally see ya again buddy," Owen said holding the bad boy in a big embrace that left him struggling to breathe.

"Owen, it's nice to see ya too but your buddy needs his oxygen to live," Duncan told the goofball while Chris gave him his signature laugh.

"Hehe, leave it to Owen to lighten up the mood," Chris commented on Owen's reaction to Duncan's return.

"Sorry, it's just that once you left, I forgot how much you mean to me as a friend," Owen confessed to Duncan.

"It was just a few weeks, you act like it was an eternity." Noah reminded his friend who was too happy at the moment.

"What's a few weeks, feels like an eternity to me little buddy," Owen said in his defense since he wasn't the best at explaining things.

"Now that's out of the way, yes Duncan has returned and will be a part of the game for this season. We finally located him and brought him back since he didn't get eliminated from the competition." Chris explained to the cast who were still processing the reveal.

"Okay, so which team will he be on?" Heather asked the host with curiosity since she didn't want him on the team after what happened today.

"I second that," Courtney said with a glare at the delinquent.

"What they said," Gwen chimed in while Chris didn't like getting interrupted.

"That is why I called you guys in because he gets to pick which team to be on," Chris said to the cast while they gasped. "The producers value Duncan to the point of letting him choose for himself. Usually, I would do it, but Duncan was a victim of my poor host-manship leaving me no choice by upper management orders. Cody's situation happened to be different since he didn't leave the plane so that got me an advantage." he further explained the reasoning.

Cody was still indifferent because he was glad to be moved either way while Duncan felt the stress and pressure take hold of him. The most popular contestant on Total Drama had to choose on the spot while the two girls he had a connection with watched. This wasn't going to be easy for Duncan and all he could do was swallow his saliva.

"So Duncan, choose wisely," Chris said with his usual gaslighting. To say the host wasn't enjoying this was a total lie. He was glad the producers made Duncan the choice looking back because it gave the host satisfaction while also bringing in the ratings and drama.

'I'm fucked!' Duncan shouted in his head as he didn't know who to pick. There was no way he was picking Team Amazon and despite Owen being on Team Chris left him with the new guy and two guys he didn't get along with. Out of peer pressure, Duncan needed an excuse to leave at the moment.

"I gotta use the restroom," Duncan blurted out to the cast as they just stared at him with confusion.

"YOU WHAT!!!" Gwen and Courtney yelled in unison as Chris laughed.

"You should have used it before we came here. No matter, the show is being recorded so go on ahead, hehe." Chris said as he knows that the bathroom had a camera in there so he'll vent to the viewing world once the episode airs.

"Uh, yeah." Duncan stuttered as he rushed into the bathroom across the hall. Courtney and Gwen didn't like that Chris stalled the inevitable and glared at the host.


Confessional

"Ugh, I don't know who to pick. There's the team with my girlfriend and best friend that's going to backfire. Doesn't help that Heather's there to fuel the fire and from what I'm hearing about Sierra, nah uh. That leaves the other two teams and despite Owen being one of my friends, no way I'm staying on the same team with Izzy, Noah, and Tyler being there. The new guy is a wild card, but that doesn't outweigh those three. Besides, something about him is so untrustworthy that it gives me the creeps." Duncan said with a rush of emotions building inside of him while clutching his head with grief.

"That leaves Team Victory with DJ, Lindsay, and Cody. DJ is cool, but Lindsay isn't someone who is a conversationist from my experience. Believe me, I remember going to the movies after she won the challenge in Action, and I did my best to keep up. Cody is someone I'm indifferent about since Gwen told me about his personality, but that isn't what it seems lately." the bad boy explained since Chef told him about Cody telling off Courtney and punching Chris. "I better come up with a good excuse to not be on Princess and Pasty's team." he finished while the camera went to static.

Confessional End


Duncan returned to the Elimination Room while the other contestants stared at him. Courtney and Gwen, we're anticipating his choice, and that only pains them. He thought for a moment while looking at the teams and an excuse popped up in his head good enough to get some of the tension off his back.

"I've made my choice," Duncan told Chris as he smirked at the boy's potential decision.

"And that choice is…" Chris said with anticipation leaving the bad boy to glare at him.

"I'm going to be on Team Victory to even out the teams," Duncan said quickly as he took a deep breath after getting that off his shoulders.

DJ was happy with his choice as Lindsay was since Duncan being added to the team meant that things were looking more promising after many slip-ups. All the while, Cody knew he had a chip on his shoulder and understood his choice. Despite feeling indifferent toward the delinquent, having him on the team is beneficial. Especially with helping out DJ if things don't go well with his anxiety. Those two seem to have a consistent friendship in the show as well despite not liking them bullying Harold.

"What!" Courtney shouted at his answer.

"No Way!" Gwen shouted as well since this wasn't how she wanted to see him again competing against each other in the competition.

"All choices are final and he has a point about evening the teams. Glad that you thought of the statistics eh Duncan," Chris said pretending that was a smart move by the delinquent. The drama was going to happen either way and he needed far away from Courtney and Gwen to do that.

"Oh, now you care about the rules. Ugh, you're lucky I don't have my lawyers on speed dial or help me I will-" Courtney threatened Chris while he pulled out the air horn to use.

"As much as I want to hear you do that, Duncan made his decision so I'm leaving," Chris announced as he walked away leaving Duncan and the cast alone. Chef went back to the cockpit since he needed to start up the engine.

Courtney walked up to him as Duncan winced at the potential temper tantrum she was going to lay out on him. What he got was a tight embrace from the counselor in training leaving him bewildered.

"I missed you," Courtney said while hugging Duncan as the cast looked from afar.

Gwen wanted to talk to him but it was obvious that he needed to have closure with Courtney. She knows that the wait to approach him was going to be awhile so she left the elimination room. Heather and Sierra followed her lead as they both needed to give them some alone time.

Alejandro didn't show it, but that swerve got him since the arrival of Duncan returning to the game wasn't on his bingo card. Team Victory got the adrenaline spike it needed with him being added on there. He worked hard to take them down so now he needs to do double duty. For now, he walked back with his team to First Class.

"Um, let's leave them some privacy y'all," DJ said nervously to his teammates.

"Okay," Lindsay said reading the room while Cody nodded since he still needed to help Ezekiel and call Trent later so he was glad to let Duncan go about his business.

As soon as everyone left, Courtney released her hug and looked at him in his eyes. Being away from the guy left her with a lot of regrets and emotions that she needed to embrace him, especially after today.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" he asked his girlfriend who simply replied.

"Take a shower and get something to eat afterward, you stink!" Courtney told Duncan who didn't show it but that comment made him want to smile. "As soon as you're done, meet me in the cafeteria to talk. I've got a lot to say after you left back in Egypt," she concluded while Duncan nodded.

"Sure thing Princess," Duncan said accepting his fate to speak with her. She wasn't wrong about him needing a shower. Being on the run didn't give him a chance to take care of himself and a bite to eat was also a priority.


And that's the end of Chapter 4 for "A Geek's Bargain" and it was a blast to write the aftermath of the Newfoundland challenge. Duncan is now a new member of Team Victory with Cody, DJ, and Lindsay, as well as Ezekiel, being caught by the Codemeister in the Cargo Hold. Things are just getting better my readers.

I would like to thank the readers who favorited and followed the story throughout its current lifespan. Make sure to write a review and share it with your friends if you like the direction I'm taking in this story. "A Geek's Bargain" is slowly growing as the days go by and might as well promote it. I'm also open to PMs if you want to ask me some questions as well.

CrispyDolla signing off and hope you have a nice day!