We are so back
Before this chapter begins, I would like to say that I'm making a few revisions to previous chapters and I also updated the cast page. Check them out if we want a refresher on the story, or if you're interested in seeing what new minor changes I added.
With all that out of the way, time to begin the first new Blaineley-era episode. Fair warning, this will be the longest chapter yet, so sit back, relax, and enjoy.
"Last time on Total Drama Neo," Blaineley announced." Wow, I cannot believe I'm saying that. Ahem, our oddball group of campers was taking some much-needed time off after their last dangerous challenge, but boy they had no idea what was in store. Chris McLean, former Total Drama host, washed-up has-been, and old fart has once again been arrested for being an environmental menace. Old habits sure do die hard, don't they? Anyhoo, nothing of particular interest happened, well other than you know… ME!"
Blaineley made a dramatic and dare I say it arrogant pose on the docks.
"That's right, I'm the new host of Total Drama Neo, and we're gonna kick things into overdrive starting today! So sit back and relax as you tune into today's exciting and traumatic episode of Total. Drama. Neo!"
(Theme Song Begins)
The scene cuts to cameras popping up out of several locations on the island. This is also accompanied by catchy music.
Hey Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine.
A camera zooms past Blaineley holding a megaphone, straight past a cliff, and into a lake. Goku is shown swimming, looking for a fish, nude.
You guys are on my mind.
The camera then rises out of the lake and pans to Finn trying to talk to Flame Princess. Goku then jumps out, and Finn and Flame Princess stare in shock.
You asked me what I wanted to be, and now I think the answer is plain to see.
Nearby Rigby is shown laughing at Biscuit over something, but he's taken down a peg after Biscuit launches him into the sky with an uppercut.
Cause I wanna be famous.
Courage is then shown to be in the forest and is scared off by a gorilla. This just happens to be Bloo in a gorilla suit, who proceeds to take off the mask and laughs. Numbuh 5 saw the prank and proceeded to roll her eyes.
I wanna live close to the sun.
Mao Mao is shown standing triumphantly on a rock, with the sun shining down on him.
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won.
Sasha and May jump into a river, a nearby waterfall. This caused the water to get on Sam, who was trying to read. Sam then storms off and throws her book.
Everything to prove, nothing in my way. I'll get there one day.
Sasha laughs while May looks guilty. The scene quickly switches to Judai and Ilana playing a card game on a picnic table. Out of nowhere, Rigby lands painfully, on the table. As a result, this startled Judai and Ilana and they jumped back. The camera then pans to Mandy, who shoves it out of her face.
Cause I wanna be famous!
In the mess hall, Vegeta and Mordecai are playing punchies. Mordecai punches Vegeta, doing absolutely nothing, and Vegeta punches him off his chair. Meanwhile, Soldier is force-feeding Buttercup slop.
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na!
The scene switches to Numbuh 5 dancing on the beach, while Gumball makes a sandcastle. Unfortunately, Numbuh 3 clumsily steps on it, causing Gumball to put his hands on his head, in frustration. Zoidberg is also seen scuttling in the background.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
Blossom flies through the sky gracefully, ripping through the clouds.
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
The day changes to night, and Jack is seen holding a marshmallow while sitting at a campfire. He then smiles ear to ear, looking at the other contestants. The scene is then zoomed out, showing the other campers bored and whistling.
*Whistling*
Finally, the show's logo, spelling out Total Drama Neo, hovers over the cast.
(Theme Song Ends)
Episode 8: Nature Calls
…
…
…
…
BEEP BEEP BEEP
A nearby phone played an alarm to wake up our sleeping hostess. Blaineley rose out of her scarlet bed and yawned with delight. She happily swung out of bed and began her morning routine. However, she forgot to turn off the alarm, but it didn't bother her one bit. She was just so carefree and full of positive vibes that she could care less.
BEEP BEEP BE-
With one finger she shut off the sounds and turned to her windows. Blaineley took four steps toward her velvet curtains, itching her scalp along the way. Ready to embrace the new day, she pulled back the curtains and let in the sun's rays. She gazed upon the campsite as her smile grew wider and wider.
"Today's the day," said Blaineley. "Now's your chance to return to the big leagues."
After she did that, she entered her bathroom and prepped the tub. Hot water mixed with soothing pink Himalayan bath salts, quickly fills the tub with foamy suds. The woman took off her clothes and hopped in, causing some of the soapy water to splash out. Blaineley poked her head out and looked to her left. Next to her were electronic candles which would set the mood for this relaxing morning. With two claps, the candles turned on and relaxing jazz music played.
Blaineley sunk into the tub and smiled. "Oh yeaaaah. This is it."
An hour later Blaineley was enjoying a freshly prepped breakfast, made by a few interns. Unsurprisingly, they had better culinary skills than Soldier, but that's already an easy low bar to pass.
"Mmmm, delicious as always!" Blaineley still couldn't believe how fortunate she was to land this opportunity. Especially on the show that ruined her career of all things. "I've been here for just three days and it's already better than the last motel was in."
Blaineley looked across from her and at the painting of Chris, posing like a Victorian king, hanging from the ceiling.
"Ok, I definitely need someone to get rid of that."
"Dude-I mean Miss Blaineley!" Jude called out from afar. Jude raised a laptop into the air. "I got it, dude!"
"Ah, good work, Jude. 10 out of 10 for punctuality."
Blaineley had asked Jude to fetch her personal laptop, provided by the producers. For all she knew, it was hers to keep, but she also was meant to use it for work.
Jude placed the matching red laptop on the table, saluted, and walked back to whatever he was previously doing.
"Right," Blaineley voiced to herself. "Let's see what's on the agenda today."
Suddenly a new email alert appeared on the home screen, and Blaineley clicked it. The message was from Lana, secretary to the Executive Producer of the show. Blaineley noticed her email address was "lburgerstrasse " and she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Anyways, the message read:
"Blaineley, I know you're probably goofing off as we speak, but I need to remind you that this episode needs to be a PR success. Environmentalists are still up our asses, and I don't think I need to tell you why. Also, keep an eye on Flame Princess. We don't need another meltdown."
"Same old, same old," Blaineley muttered. "Welp, this shouldn't be too difficult."
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Two female interns were talking in the kitchen about current events. For most interns, this is normally where they'd eat since they aren't given a dining area.
"So how do you feel about Miss Blaineley?"
Her friend shrugged and said, "She's kinda uptight, but anything's better than Chris, right?"
"Word."
Aside from those two, another intern was in the kitchen. It was Power, the newest intern who joined on Friday. She carried a bag, which she used to smuggle slices of bacon, eggs, and toast. After she was done, she tried to sneak out of the room.
"Hey Power!" the first nameless intern called. "Nice day, huh!"
"Nice day?" Power scoffed. "The day has just begun, human. How can you already judge what's not yet conclusive? Heh, humans are so strange."
Power promptly walked out leaving the other two interns appalled.
"Power sure is weird, huh?"
"Yeah, but I love her little fangs! And those red horns are so cute!"
"I know, right!"
Elsewhere, Soldier is searching the Basement for his trusty helmet. He had other helmets he could use, but this one was his favorite because he (beat a man to death with it) used it for a special occasion. Uh, anyways Soldier's fetch quest found himself heading to the janitorial room. This would be all fine and dandy if this wasn't the place where Power kept her new pet.
"Hmmmm, now where could that damn thing be," Soldier muttered.
Soldier began rummaging through boxes and supplies, oblivious to the fact that something else was there. Mushy, Power's new pet, was hidden underneath a few boxes in the right corner, lying in a basket. Fortunately for him, Soldier had not checked there first, but he was slowly making his way. Soldier's gaze averted him to the boxes that were hiding Mushy. He brought his hand closer and was about to remove the first box until…
"HEY!"
Soldier jumped up and looked at the doorway. Power was standing right there.
"Oh, hello, devil girl!" Soldier greeted. "Have you seen my helmet around here?" Soldier pointed to his head. "It was up here and now it's not."
"Helmet? You're not here for Mus-I mean uh…I recall seeing such headwear at the campsite."
"Of course! Thank you, devil girl! You are certainly the least disappointing maggot."
Soldier walked out of the janitor's room. As he did, Power hid her bag behind her. Once he was out of sight, Power ran to Mushy's hiding spot. Once she removed the boxes, she found Mushy; green, and trim as ever. Mushy looked up at Power with big, curious eyes.
Power sighed. "Tis be the third time you were almost caught. I need to find you a new domicile."
The girl opened her bag and pulled out a few slices of bacon. Mushy cooed and opened a jaw-like snatch. Mushy didn't exactly have any fangs. You see the lip flaps on his mouth made it look like he had horrific lip fangs. Though, Power didn't seem to care.
"Hmmm, but where should you go?" Power pondered her options as she plopped a fried egg down Mushy's throat. "I suppose I haven't seen the island in full yet, soooo how about we go on a quest Mushy?"
Power lifted Mushy out of his basket, also making sure to keep him wrapped in his blanket. She placed the pet inside her backpack and sealed it loosely for air. Power then placed the bag on her back and huffed.
"Onwards!"
New Task: Find Mushy a Home
And so began Power's quest to find an appropriate shelter for her small companion. Luckily for her, she had no assigned tasks so she was free to leave the staff house. Her first thought was to keep Mushy at the beach.
"Heh-heh, yes!" Power boasted. "Beaches are tranquil! I'm sure Mushy would thrive in that!"
Power happily trotted towards the beachside. The plan was simple, welp to her at least. She would simply create a dugout where Mushy would stay for the time being, It was until she caught sight of the high tide waves moving through the beach, that she realized how dismal of an idea that would be.
"Oh right…he would drown." Power turned her head and caught a glimpse of the campsite. "Maybe there…no that's no good. They gather there often, and besides the soldier man is probably there right now. I should steer clear of place for now."
Power's search eventually brought her to the Mess Hall, but she knew how dangerous the place was because of the fumigation. However, she wasn't expecting distressful sounds coming from her bag.
"Mushy?"
Power took off her bag and made her way to a nearby stump. As she moved away from the Mess Hall, Mushy's cries ceased. Power placed the bag on the stump to make sure the little guy was all right.
"Sheesh, what were you crying for?"
Power got a good look at Mushy and realized that he was still the same size as when she met him. She thought that feeding him would be enough, but there was no change. Power deduced that Mushy might be more plant than animal. Afterall, he was found in that mushroom mess. The problem is, she doesn't have much experience in gardening.
Close by, Sam had just walked out of the communal bathrooms and pulled out an MP3 player. After selecting a song and popping her earbuds in, she began to take a walk. Power recognized Sam as that one goth girl. She also heard rumors from her colleagues that she's the outspoken vegan on the island. Suddenly, an idea popped into the girl's head.
"Halt human!" Power exclaimed, rushing to Sam as she spoke, backpack in tow.
Sam didn't hear her the first time, but when the girl jumped in front of her, she jumped back in shock. "Hey! Watch it!" Sam removed one earbud from her ear. "Ummm, do you want something?"
"You are the community florist aren't you not?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Florist?"
Power crossed her arms. "I demand your assistance on a recent dilemma. What methods would you recommend when taking care of plant pets?"
"Plant…pets? Are you trying to say you want gardening tips?"
"Ah yes…gardening tips! Feed me your knowledge, human!"
Sam gave Power a puzzling look. "Look pal, if you want your plants to grow all you need is good soil, water, and sunlight. That's just basics of course."
DING! An imaginary light bulb went off in Power's head.
"Ah-ha! I see now! Thanks, human!" With newfound information, Power ran off to the forest to find a spot for Mushy.
"Um, you're welcome!" Sam called out. "And the name's Sam!"
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"Well, that was certainly an interesting experience," Sam commented. "Something tells me I'm gonna see her again…"
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After several minutes of planting and watering, Power had fulfilled her task.
"Success!"
Somewhere near the center of the island, Power had finally found a secluded meadow to plant Mushy. After watering him to a comfortable amount, a ringtone went off in her pocket. Surprised, she pulled out a cracked phone and answered the call.
"Power where the hell are you!?" exclaimed an angry Dan. "Did you forget you're on janitor duty…again!?"
"I'm in the middle of a very high-profile task!" Power angrily responded.
"What do you mean high-profile!?"
"I'm uhhhh…." Power was at a loss for words until she remembered her earlier conversation with Soldier. "I'm l-looking for the soldier man's headgear! Or is it not necessary to ensure the comfort and security of thy supervisors!?"
Dan irritably growled through the phone. "Fine! But you better be here or I'm reporting you!"
Power snarled and hung up her phone. "Traitorous knave!"
After cooling off, Power assumed her job was done and decided it was time to return to her actual job. She needed to craft a good resume after all.
Power patted the dirt mound. "Don't worry Mushy. I'll be sure to check up on you once in a while. Hehehe, I'm sure you shall grow into a mighty meal!"
Power trotted off, leaving Mushy alone in the wilderness. Unbeknownst to the girl, Mushy was undergoing an alarming change. The proper nutrients and radiation, that gave him sentient life, made an incredible duo when factoring in his growth speed. What does this mean for Power? What does this mean for the island? What does this mean for me? Only time will tell.
XXXXXXXXXX
Moving away from the previous hijinks, we shift focus to the western beachside where Biscuit is currently training May in what she calls "Nen." Biscuit had barely trained May at all, and she had her reasons. Aside from not feeling up to training someone so unexpectedly, she assumed that May couldn't get past the first step of mastering the basics in weeks let alone a month. That's not to say she isn't coaching her. Biscuit simply told May last week that she should practice her breathing and maintaining the flow of energy around her.
May stood firmly on the sand, her arms stretched out and her fists clenched. "So uh, Bisky."
Biscuit sat on a nearby towel and was currently reading a men's modeling magazine. "What's up?"
"You mind telling me why I'm doing breathing exercises?"
The blonde smiled and looked up from her book. "I'll answer your question with one of my own. Do you feel as if you're aura was leaking out like before?"
May shook her head. "Nope. It's like I'm in control of it now. Oh, so is that why you had me train like this?"
Biscuit widened her smile and nodded. "Sure thing! Congratulations May, you have just learned the first major principle of Nen called Ten!"
May crooked her head. "Could you explain what that is?"
"Of course and keep focusing on your training! It's good to multi-task! Ahem, Ten or Shroud is a technique where you keep the flow of aura around your body. After you learned Ten, you'll never forget it. It's kinda like learning to ride a bike."
"I guess it makes sense that the first step is so simple."
Biscuit raised an eyebrow. She couldn't help but notice that May was maintaining Ten as if she was breathing. On further inspection, the flow of aura May was enveloped in was broad and well maintained. "May have you been practicing all this while?"
May nodded. "Ever since Wednesday evening, I've been keeping up with this Nen stuff. I've mostly been doing it in my free time, and I've noticed I do better when I'm alone."
Biscuit also noticed May was able to maintain Ten during a conversation. "May this might not come as a shock to you, but you've already gotten the hang of Ten!"
"It's that hard?"
Biscuit got up and stared at her pupil with starry eyes. "Definitely! Even above-average Nen users can take up to three months to master it! Hehehe, you're a real diamond in the rough! I'd even go as far as saying you're a true sapphire!"
May blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, yeah I guess I'm pretty good."
"Ooh, I almost forgot! Ten is also going to be your most basic defense against emotional Nen attacks. It also provides some defense against physical attacks, but I wouldn't recommend it."
"Emotional attacks? That's a thing?"
"Of course. Nen is all about willpower. With enough of it, you could kill solely on aura alone."
May's eyes shot open. "KILL SOMEONE!? ARE YOU TEACHING ME HOW TO BECOME A MURDERER!?"
Biscuit arched back after May's outburst. "Well-uh no of course! While Nen is commonly used in martial arts, not every Nen user is obligated to use it for fighting. Besides, I'm just teaching you how to control it. I mean that is what you wanted right?"
"Yeah Bisky, but you shouldn't talk so lightly about that!"
"Sorry, sorry. I'm just used to teaching about that aspect. It's also probably a good time to mention that Ten has other beneficial aspects. For instance, it can slow down aging tremendously."
"You don't say?" May got a good look at Biscuit and came to a realization. "Oh. Oh! Ohhhhh, so that's your secret! And here I thought it was magic. Don't worry Biscuit I won't tell."
Biscuit raised an eyebrow. "Uh sure, thanks? Anyways, now that we've covered Ten, let's begin your training toward the next step. Zetsu!"
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"Judai, I'm beginning to see a pattern here," Ilana remarked.
"Huh, what's that?" the brown-haired boy replied.
Ilana and Judai sat beside each other at a table near the campsite. Ilana has taken a keen interest in the card game Judai plays and wanted to get familiar with his cards.
"I think I understand why you use the hero motif." Ilana put on a smug smirk. "You like to be a hero don't ya?"
"Well, it's actually more than that." Judai picked up a card from the table, Elemental HERO Terra Firma. "See when I was a kid, I met this incredible duelist in the hospital. I didn't have many people to play with growing up, so I never forgot the time we had playing the game while I was getting better."
"Sounds like quite the role model."
Judai laughed. "You bet! As far as I knew, he was the best duelist in the world. He's also the one who introduced me to the HERO cards. Ever since then, I've always tried to honor his memory."
"Oh…did he…pass on?"
"What? No of course not!"
"Oh, sorry I misinterpreted."
"Nah, don't sweat it. It's my fault for wording it that way. You see, Koyo went into a coma for a few years, but before he did, he gave me his deck to carry on his spirit. After he recovered, I gave him his deck back, but I guess I loved HEROs so much that I didn't want to stop playing 'em."
Ilana smiled. "Must have been daunting to carry on a legacy like that."
"It did at first, but I realized that Koyo wouldn't want me stressing out like that." Judai then pumped a fist in the air. "So, I kept dueling with a smile! Even through the hard times!"
Judai's last comment made Ilana think of similar words she'd heard in the past. It was the kind of attitude she always tries to emulate, but it always felt difficult for her. At the same time, Ilana eyed Finn laying on a nearby bench. Both she and Judai knew Finn was around, as a matter of fact, Judai was the one who invited him to hang. Ilana couldn't help but feel bad that Finn was being left out of the group.
"Hey, Finn!" Ilana called out. "How about you come sit with us!"
"Nahhh," Finn replied, monotone. "I'm just vibing with the universe right now. You guys can have your fun."
Ilana frowned and brought her mouth closer to Judai's ear. "What's wrong with Finn? He's usually not this…mopey."
"Turns out the guy's havin' some girl issues."
"Oh," Ilana chirped with intrigue. "I didn't realize anyone here had any romantic interest in anyone."
"Yeah, crazy how that happens," Judai chuckled.
"Yep…soooo are you gonna tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"Oh, come on. Who's the girl?"
Judai lightly chuckled. "Right, um…..actually never mind. I think Finn would appreciate it if I didn't go into detail about his love life."
"Awww, you tease."
Suddenly, Buttercup came flying in, causing some cards to fly in the wind. The girl was filled to the brim with excitement.
"Hey!" Judai frantically caught his cards. "Careful, B!"
"Guys they're here!" Buttercup exclaimed.
Finn rose from his resting spot. "Huzzawhat?"
"It's mail time, ya doofuses! C'mon!"
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Two weeks ago, Chris informed our campers that their family and friends are allowed to send mail or goodies from home. The mail is usually set to arrive every fortnight. If they have any specific requests, they'll have to inform any of the onsite staff three days before the delivery date.
Most of the campers were gathered outside the staff house, where the large shipment of packages was kept. Most of the common gifts were food, letters, and supplies but there were a few unique items that they would get.
Mao Mao, who happened to be the first to arrive, received a package that was wrapped in bubble wrap and packing paper. From the looks of it, it was in the shape of a sword. Rigby, who is still in a wheelchair, was nearby and interested in Mao Mao's gift.
"Dude, what is that?" Rigby inquired.
Mao Mao eagerly chuckled. "Behold!" Mao Mao quickly removed the wrapping paper and revealed a shiny, golden katana.
Rigby eyed the weapon with pure awe. "Dudeeeee, that is soooooo cooooool!"
Mao Mao proudly closed his eyes and presented his sword. He further hyped himself up by doing a little twirl with the weapon. Finally, he finished the spectacle by pointing the sword straight to the heavens. "This is Geraldine, my trusty and most treasured blade!"
"You named it, Geraldine?" Sasha snarked. "Why?"
The black cat opened his eyes and gave Sasha a sharp stare. "I'll have you know that all great swordsmen name their blades."
"I know but, Geraldine? Seriously? I hope you don't think a name like that spells out the epitome of coolness."
"Arggghhh, Geraldine is a fitting name!"
"Yeah, for a pet. Not a weapon."
"Yeah, sorry to bring ya down, but she's right," Rigby agreed. "You should go for epic name like Peacekeeper, Gladius, or the Golden Sword of Paragon!"
"Golden Sword of Paragon!?" Mao Mao cried. "That's just cheesy!"
"It's already a better name than Geraldine," Sasha mocked.
"Why you-!"
"Hey Mao, if you're done talking about swords," Rigby began, "Could you look for my mail?"
"Not until you admit Geraldine is a cool name!"
Rigby rolled his eyes. "Uggghhhh, it's kinda cool. Now can you help me?"
That response was good enough for the insecure Mao Mao, so he did as he was asked. Mao Mao searched through the pile and found a large box meant for Rigby. "Found it!"
"Aw yeah-yuh! Give it here!"
Mao Mao handed the box to Rigby, who had better control of his arms than before. Immediately, Rigby ripped open the package which was filled with goodies and a "get well soon" card. Each signature was from either a family member or friend, including Mordecai.
"Sick!" Rigby happily exclaimed.
Sasha's mail consisted of a brand-new iron mace and two envelopes, "Yep, this is definitely from Grime. Those toads sure got some handy blacksmiths. Now who sent the letters?"
On closer inspection, one envelope was from Sasha's father and the other was from her mother. Sasha frowned at the sight of them and walked to a nearby trash can to dispose of the mail.
Goku received a case of capsules that thrilled him to no end. "Ha-ha, Bulma you're the best!" Goku removed one capsule, pressed a button, and threw it at an open space.
BOM
To the surprise of everyone nearby, the capsule transformed into a mini-fridge.
"What the…?" Now Gumball has seen Goku use capsules that transformed into luggage, but nothing this extreme. "How did that tiny thing turn into a fridge!?"
Goku giggled and opened his new fridge. Inside was an assortment of food and drinks. "They're amazing, aren't they!?"
"No kidding! Why can't I get a portable fridge?" Gumball opened a box and the first thing he saw was monkey repellent and a bar of soap. "Oh, ha-ha! Sooooo funny!"
Goku and a nearby Numbuh 5 laughed aloud.
"Stop laughing! That was a traumatizing experience for me!"
"Heh, sorry," Numbuh 5 said through laughter. "That's just too good of a joke!"
Numbuh 5 was holding a new cap, that was the same as her previous one. She was also carrying a strange black suitcase.
"Hey, what kind of gift is that?" Gumball queried.
"It's the none of yo' business kind." After denying Gumball the privilege of knowing about her stuff, the girl stepped toward Flame Princess. "Got anything good FP?"
Flame Princess smiled and opened a fireproof sack filled with black rocks. "Yeah. My brothers sent me lava rocks. It's quite the delicacy."
"Heh, go figure."
Mandy was there too, and she received all kinds of stuff. Including letters from a creepy admirer named Irwin. However, she considered most of it to be junk and was searching for anything that resembled a scythe. For some reason.
"That bonehead," she muttered under her breath. "What makes him think he can disobey a direct order?"
Minutes later, more people arrived to claim what was rightfully theirs. Sam received nothing out of the ordinary, just snacks and supplies like everyone else. In particular, Biscuit got a new magazine set she ordered, much to her delight. Judai was sent postcards from old friends as well as new card packs. Buttercup got a new outfit that she'd wear later. However, before she could fly off again, Ilana brought something to her attention.
"Buttercup, there's one more package for you!" Ilana called out. The item was wrapped in transparent packing paper, and it looked like a green blanket.
Buttercup swiped the package from her hand and frowned. "Hey, mind your own business!"
Ilana was getting used to Buttercup's outbursts, so she understood that this blanket must mean a lot to her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"
Buttercup flew off with her stuff before Ilana could finish.
"What's her deal?" Sam asked.
"Don't worry," Ilana reassured. "She'll cool off."
Finn got a special gift as well, at least they were special to him. They were smushed cakes in the shape of his head. The boy smiled the moment he saw them.
"Aw, Finncakes. Leave it to Jake to cheer me up."
Nearby, May was rummaging through the stuff she got. "Let's see...Torchic cookies…pokeblocks…oh!"
The last item she saw was a circular object colored red and white. Next to it was also a note which read:
"Here's a little surprise from home May. I'm sure you'll love her! We're rooting for you, honey!"
Love Dad
"Awesome!" she exclaimed. "I wonder if he sent me one of mine…or is it a new Pokémon?"
May eagerly grasped the device, also known as a Poké Ball. The girl grinned and extended her arm out while holding the ball. With the press of a button, the Poké Ball opened, and a red flash of light shot out. What manifested was a short dog-like animal with cinnamon-colored fur and a white fur collar. When she saw May, her poofy brown tail wagged frantically.
"Vee!" The Pokémon eagerly cried.
"Aurora!" May crouched to hug her furry companion. "Did you miss me!?"
Aurora smiled and purred. "Vee!"
To everyone who witnessed this, it seemed May hit the jackpot.
"Awwww," Ilana and Sam squealed.
"So May," Sasha began, "You wanna introduce us to this cutie?"
"This is my Eevee named Aurora," she replied. "I got her a few months ago before I came to the island."
"Didn't know they allowed pets," said Gumball.
"Hey, don't call her a pet. She's my friend."
"Vee!" Aurora barked.
"Alright, lemme rephrase. I didn't know they allowed friends…..wait hold on-"
Mandy put a hand on Gumball's mouth before he could continue. "Stop…now."
"Well, I for one welcome Aurora to the island," Numbuh 5 grinned. "As long as she can clean up after herself."
May giggled while Aurora proudly smirked.
As everyone began to leave, there seemed to be only one unclaimed item. A lone envelope sat on the field, and Gumball was nice enough to point it out.
"Hey, there's one more letter here!" Gumball exclaimed.
"Who's it for?" May asked.
Gumball picked up the envelope and read the front cover. "It's for Jack."
"Come to think of it," Sasha began, "Has anyone even seen our samurai today?"
"Hmmm…now that you mention it…"
"It's not a big deal," Goku assured. "He's probably by the lake. He meditates there often."
"If you say so, pal," said Numbuh 5.
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"For the past few days Jack has been very…reclusive," said Gumball. "Like, more reclusive than usual. It's weird cuz Jack's been hanging out with us ever since we played volleyball that day, and now he's multiplied the loner stats by ten. Hope everything's all right."
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With all of the morning fluff out of the way, it was time for the first challenge in days to begin. Usually, the campers wouldn't be as thrilled, but today was an exception. A new host meant new expectations our contestants were open to anything.
"Alright, campers!" Blaineley was ecstatic to use Chris's famous catchphrase as her own. "I hope everyone had a wonderful morning! I sure know I did."
"You bet!" Judai exclaimed.
"So, what are we doing today?" Buttercup asked. "I'm looking forward to today."
Blaineley grinned. "Today we're doing a challenge that is taking us back to the great outdoors!"
Sam raised her hand. "But we're always outdoors."
"Um…yes. That is very true. To get straight to the point, you guys are going to be competing in a treehouse-building contest!"
"Awww, seriously!?" Rigby cried.
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"Lame!" Rigby hollered. "Why can't we do a rad challenge like monster truck demolition derbies or extreme wrestling!?"
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"Sorry, I don't make the rules," Blaineley remarked. "Now, each team is gonna build their treehouse at a preassigned location. Whoop Butt Squad, you'll be building at the northern forest. Lotus, your station is going to be near the forest center."
"Sweet," Numbuh 5 chirped. "We'll be near the meadow."
"Yeah that place is so relaxing," Goku added.
"Here are your rules," Blaineley continued. "Today's major theme is…anyone wanna take a guess? Don't be shy!"
Buttercup raised her hand. "Ooh! Ooh! It's obvious. Trees!"
"Uhh…no. We want your treehouses to show a major emphasis on conservationism."
"What does that mean!?" Rigby asked aloud.
"They need to be eco-friendly," Biscuit answered.
"Ohhhhhhh."
"I wonder what brought you guys to that decision," Sam sarcastically asked.
"I'm sure you can make an educated guess," Blaineley replied. "You'll be provided building materials once we start. You also have until tomorrow evening to finish. Your treehouses will then be graded for safety, quality, durability, and creativity. Oh, and you can't sabotage other teams. To make sure that doesn't happen, our camera crew will be keeping a good eye on you."
"Ugh," Mandy grumbled.
"Do we get a special prize for winning?" Mao Mao asked. "And be straight with us. I'm still livid we got nothing from the ninja challenge."
"As a matter of fact yes," Blaineley answered. "This challenge will be a reward challenge, so no one's getting sent home."
The campers shared a sigh of relief.
"However, today's prize is a brand-new teammate! Someone is going to be joining you guys in the competition."
"Seriously!?" Goku beamed. "Is someone returning!?"
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"Chris said he had something planned for Vegeta," Goku said. "What if this is what he meant? If so, me and Vegeta being on the same team sure would be something!"
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"I hope not," Sasha grumbled. "They already lost their chance, and that's how it should be."
"True that," Biscuit agreed.
"Well, you'll just have to accept it," Blaineley said. "Now get to it!"
XXXXXXXXXX
"I think I'll take the lead on this one," Sasha proclaimed. "If no one else is up to it."
"Oh please," Mandy began. "Knock yourself out."
Sasha huffed, mildly annoyed by Mandy's condescending attitude. The Whoop Butt Squad was currently gathered at their building site, but they have yet to decide what their plan is.
"I think we should build a simple treehouse, and focus primarily on decorating," May suggested. "Not to brag, but I know a thing or two when it comes to decorating bases."
"Good idea," Numbuh 5 began, "But if we really want to knock Blaineley's socks off, we gotta go all out on our architect skills."
"Right on!" Gumball agreed. "Time to use some good old imagination!"
Numbuh 5 grinned with approval. "Well said, Gumball."
"That's fine and all, but remember we still have time constraints," Sasha told the others.
"Don't worry, Sasha." Goku dismissed. "Two days is plenty for us to finish."
"It's not exactly two days," Mandy groaned. "Factoring that we're starting in the afternoon, and we'll probably take breaks for food and sleep, I say we'll have to finish in a day's worth of time."
"So, we have no time to waste," said Sasha. "Let's do this, Lotus."
As Sasha planned out their roles, Gumball nudged Jack, who'd been silent this whole time. It was as if his mind was focused on something else. "Dude, you missed mail pickup time."
"Oh…sorry," Jack apologized. "I was busy this morning."
"Sall-good. Luckily, I picked up a letter for you." Gumball handed the envelope to Jack.
Jack smiled. "I appreciate it, Gumball. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything." Jack recognized the handwriting and language. It belonged to a Scottish man he was well acquainted with. "Heh, how thoughtful."
Meanwhile, the Whoop Butt Squad was also going over their build plans.
"Check it guys!" Rigby exclaimed. "This is gonna be the ultimate p-p-p-party cluuuuub! So first we need this treehouse to be big!"
"How…big?" Ilana asked.
"Super big! No, colossally big! Also, we're gonna build different rooms and stuff! Like we'll have a game room over there! A pool room over here! And indoor theater could be next to that room too!"
"Cool!" Judai exclaimed.
"Yeah it's cool! Also, if you climb to the top, you can take a slide all the way down to leave! That's not the best part! While we're chilling wherever a truck smashes through the treehouse, and out comes The Rock!"
"Who?" Mao Mao asked. "What?"
"Only one of the greatest wrestlers ever! He'll be like, you know what The Rock's cooking? And then he'll just elbow drop the other team's treehouse and we'll be like WHOOOOOOAAAA, and he'll be like WHOOOOOOOAAAA! And then we'll win, and it'll be awesome, and then-"
"Lemme stop you right there," Sam interjected. "Aside from this being an obvious power fantasy, do you even have a clear blueprint on how this would work?"
"I don't know, we'll make it up as we go along."
Biscuit facepalmed. "That sounds about right. Does anyone else have any feasible ideas?"
"My idea is feastible!" Rigby pouted.
"I admit it was a pretty cool idea," Buttercup half-praised. "But I don't wanna give you too much credit, so I'm just gonna call ya' a dummy…dummy."
Rigby scoffed at the insult.
"We'll guess what!?" Judai exclaimed. "Finn lives in a treehouse, so he can probably give us some good ideas. Right, Finn?"
"Uh yeah, treehouses," Finn stammered. "You just gotta find the best tree…and build from there."
"Jee real helpful!" Rigby spat. "I could've said the same thing."
Mao Mao proudly raised his hand. "I used to live in a treehouse too!"
"What do you mean used too?" Sam asked.
"Well you see my friend and I had various ideas as to where to start our base of operations. I decided to live on top of the highest tree, so we built our base there. Unfortunately, the structural integrity was less than favorable, sooooo our tree fort collapsed. After that, we just settled on living by a cliffside."
"Great story, but that doesn't explain why we should follow your lead."
Biscuit flashed a magazine she had in her pocket. "Why don't we take a page from the experts? This outdoor magazine has a section on popular treehouse designs."
"Can I see it?" Judai asked.
"Knock yourself out."
Judai looked through the book and found a design that caught his attention. It was a series of interconnected tree huts. He showed it off to everyone in hopes of their approval. "Guys, I think we found our chill house!"
"That's not a bad idea," Ilana remarked. "We can each have a hut dedicated to ourselves and decorate it to our own tastes."
With both teams set on their plans, they immediately got to work. Hopefully, nothing will go wrong.
Blaineley figured this was a good enough time to take the spotlight so she could do some narration. "It looks like our two teams are well on their way to hammer up some killer treehouses. But will anything throw a wrench into their plans? Find out after the break!"
TDN
The commercial opens on a relaxing island beach. Ocean blue waves rippled far beyond the horizon and people were shown enjoying themselves in many different ways.
A narrator began well narrating the scene. His smooth buttery voice matched the tone of the commercial.
"Do you...ever need…a break from the action? Is…life…dragging…you…to a…endless…abyss? Put that aside…and come…to…Strandopolis. Strandopolis…has…many…islands…for you...to choose…from. Find…your…perfect…vacation…spot…today. Strandoplis…the pearl…of…Universe…579.
TDN
We return to the show, already in progress. Blaineley takes center stage again, but she has a more serious expression on her face.
"Welcome back to Total Drama Neo," Blaineley greeted. "Before we continue with this program, we here at Total Drama Neo do not condone environmental harm and animal endangerment. We hold the utmost dedication to respecting Mother Earth. Now that we've gotten the formalities out of the way, back to the show!"
What followed was a montage of our campers doing their part. Goku and Jack were carrying wooden planks from the campsite to their site. Notably, Goku was carrying a lot more.
Over by the beach, Buttercup was using her heat vision to turn sand into glass for windows. Buttercup was also wearing the new threads she got today. It consisted of a black, light jacket, which she kept open, with green highlights on her shoulders, and green cuffs. She also wore a green undershirt underneath, black sweatpants, and green-white high-top sneakers. It was a jarring shift from the childish clothing she used to wear.
At the Whoop Butt Squad build site, Biscuit was shown prepping planks for bridges. Above her, Mao Mao was working on a platform for a tree hut. As he was banging nails, a hammer slipped from his grip and fell.
"Oh crud!" the cat cried.
At the same time, Judai had just arrived to help Biscuit. Unfortunately for him, he was greeted by a hammer to the head. "Yowie!" In searing pain, Judai held his temple.
"Howdy, Judai," Biscuit casually greeted. "Too bad that big hair of yours doesn't act as a helmet."
"Argh, I wish."
Nearby, Finn was sulking under a tree. Lazily, he clasps planks together, not showing any progress. Rigby noticed this and wheeled over to Finn while carrying a toolbox. Without warning, Rigby launched the box straight at Finn.
Finn jumped up and dodged. "Rigby! What's wrong with you!?"
"What's wrong with me!? What's wrong with you!? You're not doing anything!"
"I am. I'm just…planning."
"No, you're slacking off, dude. Trust me, I know. Now hand me those tools, I forgot I needed them."
Meanwhile, at the White Lotus build site…
"Alright, Jack!" Goku exclaimed. "Toss 'em up!"
Jack grinned and threw wooden planks in the air. In response, Goku instantly leaped from the ground. To the ordinary eye, Goku made one swift chopping motion, but in actuality, he made much more. Afterwards, Goku landed and what followed were many smaller planks landing, perfectly stacked.
Blaineley and a nearby cameraman were also there to witness that.
"Now that was extraordinary!" Blaineley told a nearby cameraman. "Let's some more good shots. Nothing too dull."
The cameraman panned to May and Gumball working on a platform. May was setting nails while Gumball was banging them in.
"Feel free to wave to the camera you two!" Blaineley exclaimed.
May looked and waved." Oh, hi!"
Gumball waved as well, but he was also still using his hammer. May still had another hand on a platform and well…
"Ow!" The girl held her left hand and angrily eyed her partner. "Gumball!"
"My bad!"
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"In my defense," Gumball began, "That woman distracted me."
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Blaineley laughed for a good bit. "Oh, how clumsy. Hey hand me that water bottle, my throat is dry."
The cameraman did just that, and after a quick chug, Blaineley tossed the bottle away.
"Alright, let's keep moving-ow!" Blaineley looked down and noticed a wild chipmunk had just bitten her foot. Enraged, Blaineley punted the small rodent like a football.
From above, May and Gumball snickered at the scene.
"Oh, shut up!"
Nearby, Sasha and Numbuh 5 were discussing a rough blueprint they drew.
"Are you sure we can build this thing?" Sasha asked. "It's less of a treehouse, and more of a treefort."
"Please we can build this," Numbuh 5 boasted. "Sure, we don't have special equipment, but we're much more capable than you think. Besides, I know kids who can get this done easily."
"If you say so. So what were those plans you had?"
"I was thinking we'd include an elevator system since our treehouse will be about seven stories tall."
"Fair."
"Also I think you were unfair to leave FP out."
"You can't be serious."
Coincidentally, Flame Princess happened to walk up to Sasha as the two were talking. "Uh, Sasha. I was wondering why I wasn't given a role."
"Yeah, why not Sash?" Numbuh 5 questioned.
Sasha awkwardly sighed, not wanting to answer that question. "Your role is to…supervise the others and fill me in."
"That's not very helpful though, and you're effectively doing that just fine. Surely, I can do something more productive."
"Look, FP. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Goku's super strong, but he's not very bright. Mandy is intelligent, but she is uncooperative. Gumball's creative, but he's physically weak. I can be a great leader, but I guess I can be too cautious. I have no doubt that you're capable FP, but well fire is super effective against wood."
"Oh." Dejectedly, Flame Princess looked down. "Heh, I guess it was foolish of me to think I could help."
"Look FP, if it was anyone else I would say the same exact thing. It's best that you sit out this one challenge, ok?"
"Now hold on!" Numbuh 5 interrupted. "I was thinking we could put some lanterns on the exterior, and I think I know the girl who's right for the job."
Flame Princess looked up and gave Numbuh 5 a weak smile. "Sure, Abby. I'll do that."
Flame Princess sadly walked off, worrying Numbuh 5. Sasha couldn't help but feel bad too.
"Hey, I'm gonna catch up to her," said Numbuh 5. "Is that cool with you?"
Sasha nodded. "No, you should go. Just don't take too long. I need your help too."
XXXXXXXXXX
Hours passed and it was now late in the afternoon. At a particular meadow. Jack decided to take a break to clear his thoughts. The challenge didn't bother him one bit. The work was rather refreshing to him. Something else seemed to be weighing on his mind.
Jack sat and gazed at the nearby greenery. Nothing was unusual, and they were rather lovely to look at it. It was until one particular plant got his attention that he regained focus.
"I've never seen such an exotic organism," Jack said to himself. "It looks a lot like a…cocoon?"
Sure enough, it was, although Jack did not know it yet. He also did not know who was inside.
"Jack! There you are!"
"Ah, Goku. Good to see you."
The spiky-haired man waltzed onto the scene. As usual, he had a wide smile and a warm expression on his face. "You're taking a break too, huh?
"For a moment. I just have…a lot on my mind."
"Hm." Goku had an odd feeling that this might be related to Jack's recent behavior. Goku also noticed that there was a strange cocoon nearby. "Say, what's that?"
"It must be a cocoon. Who knows when it will hatch."
"Huh." Goku felt compelled to walk up to it, but just because of heightened curiosity. He'd never seen anything like it when he went to the meadow.
"I'd be careful," Jack warned.
Goku lifted his arm and put a hand on the cocoon. Instantly, strange imagery flashed in his head. What felt like an eternity, was just a few seconds. Afterward, Goku removed his hand and stood in shock.
Jack didn't notice that Goku underwent a bizarre experience, but his silence sure did bother him. "Is something wrong?"
Goku snapped back to reality and turned to face Jack. "Uh, no. We should leave this thing alone. It's probably nothing too scary. Maybe it's a bug we've never even seen before!"
Jack nodded and continued his meditation.
XXXXXXXXXX
"What…was…that?"
Mushy had become much more self-aware as time passed. His growth was extraordinary, but he wasn't bothered by it. Currently, he remains in a cocoon, awaiting his evolution. However, a strange sensation awoke him from his trance.
"Was…someone…there?
Mushy didn't know what to make of it. For all intents and purposes, he encountered another organism. Many animals touched his cocoon as he slept, but this one was different. It was the same feeling he got when Power carried him. This one…felt like him.
"I…want to feel that sensation again…"
XXXXXXXXXX
Ilana was proud of her team. Through hours of work, they've built eight attractive tree huts and made wooden bridges to connect all of them. Given that it was getting late, she thought it'd be best for them to retire for the night. She had no doubts that they'd finish tomorrow.
Buttercup slowly hovered over to Ilana, exhausted. "Ilana, you think we can hit the hay?"
Ilana smiled. "Of course. Hey, did you get a new outfit? It's very bold."
"Thanks for noticing." Buttercup let out a deep yawn. "Now, I'm leaving."
"Would you mind telling the others?"
Buttercup frowned, took a deep breath, and… "WHOOP BUTT SQUAD! STOP WORKING AND GO TO BED!"
Ilana awkwardly laughed.
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"Did I overdo it?" Buttercup asked rhetorically. "Heck no! People can't just work all day!"
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"Finally," Judai sighed. "You know I was excited at first but was more exhausting than fun."
"Rest assured tomorrow will be the fun part!" Mao Mao jumped from a hut and landed. "I can't wait to make a superb armory! Frankly, I don't see any reason to stop working."
"Heh that's just like you," Sam chuckled. "But you're crazy; I'm going to bed."
Rigby wheeled in a bit agitated. "Hey, does anyone know what's wrong with Finn? He barely did anything. I did more than him, and I'm stuck in a wheelchair!"
"Yeah, it's unlike him," Biscuit mentioned. "He acted similarly during the ninja challenge. I wonder why he-"
"FLORIST!"
Judai, Sam, Mao Mao, Biscuit, and Rigby shared a collective scream. The jump scare came from Power, who was looking for Sam.
"Hey, it's you," Sam said. "What-"
"I wish to talk to you!" Power exclaimed. "Incognito!"
"Sam, who is this chick?" Rigby asked.
"Trouble," Sam muttered to Rigby. "Look, if I talk to you will you leave me alone?"
Power nodded. "Very well."
"Hey, is it even allowed to talk to an intern!?" Mao Mao exclaimed. "You two aren't hiding anything are you?"
"Mao that's very presumptuous," Judai bluntly remarked.
Sam sternly crossed her arms. "Yeah, very. Look, I'll explain later, just go."
"Understood, but I'm keeping an eye on you.
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"I'm still suspicious of Sam!" Mao Mao cried. "I watched a good bit of Total Drama Action, and in that season, one of the campers was working with that chef guy! It's actually a really good idea…..…b-but I'm not letting it slide!"
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The others left while Sam stayed with Power, much to her distaste.
"So is this about plant pets, again?" Sam exasperatingly asked.
Power smiled and put her fists on her hips. "Precisely! I would like to express gratitude for your assistance this morning."
"It was nothing. Seriously, anyone could've told you that."
"Thanks to you, Mushy has grown exponentially!"
"You…named it?"
"Before I leave, florist, I have one more question. What would be an appropriate meal for plants? Red meat or white meat?"
Sam was understandably silent. "Plants don't eat meat…usually."
"Well, mine does! So spill it!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Flame Princess was wandering at the campsite, her mind wrapped up in past events. She was currently thinking about her experience in the last challenge.
(Flashback to last week Wednesday, the day of the ninja challenge.)
Flame Princess had one mission, to subdue an unsuspecting velociraptor. To complete the was given special fire resistance darts, made solely for her. The convenience of these darts was puzzling, but she was more focused on the challenge.
She trekked for a long period of time until she found it. I looked just like it did on the paper slip, and she was determined to catch it. Not wanting to overdo it, she crept towards the dinosaur, doing everything not to alert it. What she didn't know was that her target knew she was there, and ran once she got within a few steps.
"Come back!"
The girl ran after the velociraptor and got a dart ready to take it down. The chase brought Flame Princess to a nearby waterfall crashing onto a lake, but there was no sign of the beast. As she searched for it, Flame Princess shuddered when she caught sight of the water.
"Don't freak out," Flame Princess thought to herself. "It can't hurt you."
Suddenly, a boulder fell from a cliff, causing Flame Princess to leap back. However, this proved to be a mistake because she almost fell into the lake. The water splashing from the waterfall was enough to hurt her back.
"Aaahhhh!" Flame Princess winced from the mild pain and ran from the lake. She looked up from where the rock fell and noticed the velociraptor was observing her. "You…"
Flame Princess felt humiliated. What she should've been hunting almost got the drop on her. If she wasn't lucky enough to stop herself, who knows what would've happened? Angered, she gritted her teeth and flared up. Relying on instinct, the velociraptor ran immediately. Unfortunately for them, she wasn't going to let it go peacefully.
Flame Princess chased the animal, growing blind with rage. At times she didn't know where she was, just that she wanted to get back at her target. Eventually, she launched a fireball that struck the velociraptor. It cried in pain and fell to the ground, but that wasn't enough.
Minutes passed and Flame Princess regained her sanity. She was huffing heavily and surveyed her surroundings. When she realized what happened, she was in pure shock, but it was too late. She started a forest fire, burning the surrounding flora. What's worse, she burnt the animal she was supposed to capture peacefully subdue to a crisp.
Flame Princess couldn't help but cry. A lava-like substance emerged from her eyes, and she tried to run away. However, she collapsed as the stress overwhelmed her.
(Flashback Ends)
Flame Princess' stroll brought her to the campfire, burning as bright as her. Fierce. Uncontrollable.
"Didn't think I'd find you here," Mandy grumbled.
Flame Princess eyed Mandy. She had her loyalty, but quite frankly she was the last person she wanted to see. Mandy was an enigma to her, she makes alliances, and yet she barely shows respect. It annoyed Flame Princess to no end, but she would never show it. "Mandy. Why-"
"I'm relaxing, it's not like I'm not allowed to do that here. What about you? You don't seem to know where you want to belong."
"Well first off, that wasn't going to be my question."
Mandy raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
"Why did you ask me to join your alliance? Do you not feel like I'm a liability?"
Mandy stared at the campfire for a few seconds. "No."
"…that's it?"
"Yes."
The fire cackled as Flame Princess' confusion grew.
"I don't understand. No matter how much control I try to build, no matter how many emotions I suppress, I just feel so…useless."
Mandy remained silent.
"You know it too, don't you? So why? Why are you lying to me?"
"I'm not. I accepted you for who you are since day one."
"Huh?"
"I'm kinda jealous of you FP. You're powerful. Far more powerful than me. You could achieve so much easily. I thought that by getting you by my side, I can have a little taste of that. Though, quite frankly, you're a wild card and while do more harm than necessary, you've never shown me any reason why I shouldn't count you as an asset. You're more useful than Gumball that's for sure…"
Flame Princess was silent, not sure how to process this. "So you're using me?"
"Honestly, yes. That's the point of an alliance anyways."
A frown formed on the princess's face. "I think I'm beginning to understand. You're crazy Mandy."
"If that's your way of accepting me, that's fine."
Flame Princess was confused by Mandy's words. Acceptance? What is she talking about?
Mandy looked at her teammate, noticing she was at a loss for words. "No point trying to change who we are, FP. So just move on already."
Flame Princess gritted her teeth. "You know Mandy, it's not that easy…but what would you know?" Frustrated, she left shortly after, leaving Mandy alone.
"Hmph." Mandy threw a piece of firewood to keep the fire going.
XXXXXXXXXX
Day Two
"Yawwwwwwwn!"
Goku woke up, feeling drowsy. "Ugh, what happened last night? I'm so-" Goku noticed that he wasn't in his bed. He was in a meadow. The same meadow. "Am I dreaming? Hm, I guess not. Maybe I sleepwalked…"
Goku looked around and noticed nothing seemed different. He failed to realize that the cocoon was missing though. Spooky.
Meanwhile, Mandy was forcing Gumball to take part in a devious plan. Gumball was actually very cooperative with Mandy's scheme, trying to gain some good boy points. He had still failed to find the invincibility statue, which he still hadn't told her about, so he needed to show her faith was not misplaced.
"So you want me to give Sasha this bag of trail mix?" Gumball asked.
"Uh-huh," Mandy confirmed. "Any issues?"
"Nah, but I don't really see how this is a plan to screw her over."
"Try using that imagination of yours more often. You'd see things coming a mile away."
Gumball took the bag and inspected it. "Nature's Edge Trail Mix, now with coconut. Hey, can I get a taste?"
"I'd rather you not."
"Yeah, yeah. Just wanted to shoot my shot. Now where's your nemesis?"
Mandy pointed behind him causing the blue cat to turn around. Gumball saw that Sasha left the communal bathrooms and seemed to be heading to the building site. Impatient, Mandy pushed Gumball towards her, and off he went.
Sasha noticed that Gumball was heading towards her, unaware that Mandy was involved, and waved. "Morning."
"Hey, Sash!" Gumball greeted. "Ready for an exciting day!?"
"…you're up to something, aren't you?"
"Alright you got me," Gumball sulked and lifted the bag of assorted snacks.
"Is that trail mix?"
Gumball beamed. "Yeah, you want some!? I was thinking I don't do much for you whenever I'm around. I thought you'd like it."
Sasha chuckled. "You're odd Gumball, but I find odd amusing. Thanks."
After the exchange, Sasha walked off and so did Gumball. From afar, Mandy observed all of this.
"Phase one complete," she said.
Mandy had cut a hole in the bag. Small enough not to be seen, but large enough for food to slip out. Sasha was now leaving a trail of trail mix. The next step of Mandy's plan involved the Canadian national animal.
A family of beavers lived on the island, rarely interacting with the campers unless bothered. Minutes after Sasha left, Mandy made her way to their nest, located on the southern side of the island. Without fear, Mandy walked close enough to attract their attention. After they had her in their sights, Mandy took out another bag of trail mix and began a new trail back.
Once Mandy was far enough, the beavers followed making cute sounds along the way. Surprisingly, more beavers popped out from the nest, attracted by the sounds of their colony, and followed.
More minutes passed and Mandy made her way back to the beginning of the trail left by Sasha. Seeing her work was done, Mandy dipped to observe the beavers.
"This better work," she muttered.
Miraculously the beavers caught up, eating away at each piece of food. However, they stopped in their tracks.
"Oh boy."
Luckily for her, the brief rest stop ended, and they continued on the trail.
"Phase two complete," Mandy followed the beaver trail with devious intent.
XXXXXXXXXX
Moving up ahead, Sasha had finally arrived at the build site. The incomplete treefort towered above her and it was a sight to behold. A wooden elevator system, connected by a rope, rested at the bottom. Taking the elevator up would bring you to the main hub inside. Some ladders led into other rooms too. At the top was a nature area where not only was there plenty of foliage, but good spots to hang out.
"Yep, don't see how the other team can beat that," she muttered while snacking on trail mix. "All we need to do is decorate and we're done. Ugh, but Flame Princess still hasn't finished those lanterns yet. I should probably find some good spots to place them, too."
Sasha circled the tree fort until she heard strange sounds behind her. She calmly turned around and saw them, beavers. Beavers who seemed very interested in the tree in front of them.
"Uhhhhhh."
Zoidberg's Fun Corner
"Hi kids," Zoidberg greeted. "Welcome to Zoidberg's Fun Corner! I've interrupted this scene to tell you about important life facts that can help you in very very specific situations. Beavers sure are extraordinary creatures, aren't they? They build dams, they have funny-looking tails, and they even go great with mashed potatoes!"
Ba Dum Tsss
"Also, their teeth never stop growing. So, they gnaw on trees for optimal dental care. Kinda like a giant toothpick. Now I'm not exactly sure how this could help someone in Sasha's situation, but hey now you know! See you next time!"
Zoidberg's Fun Corner
Sasha stared at the beavers, then back at the tree. Then the beavers, then back at the tree. Once again, the beavers, then the tree. Beavers. Tree. Beavers. Tree. Beavers. Tree…
"…don't you dare-"
The beaver family leaped at the giant oak tree and went to town. Sasha tried to desperately get them away, but in a strange, comical fashion the damage had already been done. The tree crashed on its side, along with the tree fort, and somewhere someone was yelling timber. With their job done, the beaver family left.
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"I…hate…beavers," Sasha groaned.
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The crash was loud enough to be heard throughout the island. Aside from that, Sasha was in quite a predicament. All she could do was curse herself. I mean what could you do here? Nearby, Mandy was hiding behind a bush, entertained by the scene. It was almost enough to make her crack a smile…almost.
Sasha stopped and realized, "Wait! I better get outta here or someone's gonna blame-"
Suddenly a high-pitched scream pierced her ears. To her surprise, it came from Goku.
"Our…tree…house," Goku stammered. "S-S-Sasha…what happened?"
"H-hi Goku," Sasha nervously greeted. "Uh, did you know there are beavers on this island?"
Eventually, the rest of the White Lotus arrived, grief-stricken by the whole ordeal.
"How could this have happened?" Jack asked.
May kneeled and mournfully used her hands to sift through the rubble. "All our hard work… ruined."
"Sasha!?" Numbuh 5 cried. "Care to explain!?"
"Like I told Goku," Sasha began, "Beavers. Tree. Do you expect me to be some kind of beaver whisperer or something!?"
"But why did they choose our tree?" May pondered. "Awww, out of all the bad luck…"
"It is strange how those beavers traveled far from their dam now that you mention it," Mandy noted, showing no deceit. "I'd say something attracted them here."
Gumball figured this was his cue to play into the lie, so he decided to help stir the pot. "But what could've brought them here? Could they have been chased here by… a predator? Or could it be food?"
Mandy irritably glanced at Gumball for overplaying the part. Especially when she'd prefer him not to.
000000000000000000000000000
"You know," Mandy began, "I'm getting to the point where I wouldn't mind Gumball going away."
000000000000000000000000000
"Hey, you're right Gumball!" Goku agreed. "Sasha, you were carrying a bag of food earlier, weren't you?"
The others stared at Sasha with suspicion.
Now Sasha had hidden away the bag of trail mix before everyone, sans Goku, arrived, but she didn't expect Goku to pick up that detail.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasha said bluntly.
"Nuh-uh. I got a good nose for these things." Goku sniffed the air for good ol' olfactory feedback. "Yep, smells like nuts and raisins…ooh, and some chocolate!"
Sasha decided she needed to save face. She thought about pinning the blame on Gumball, but it's not like he told her to go to the treehouse. "Ok, maybe there was a…hole in the bag and I didn't notice. I'm sorry, so we'll just have to work extra hard today."
"Are you crazy!?" Gumball cried. "We'll never get it done!"
"No duh, genius," Numbuh 5 snapped. "So, we're just gonna have to go simple."
"If we go that route, we're sure to lose," Mandy said. "There's no doubt in my mind the other team's treehouse is top-notch right now. If only you were more careful, Sasha."
Sasha gritted her teeth. "I'm sorry, do I have to spell out what the word accident means to you?"
"Alright, alright," May said trying to ease the tension. "It's not all bad. Goku, you were our fastest builder yesterday. You can work your magic again, right?"
"Awwww," Goku groaned. "I don't think I'll be much help today. I didn't get much sleep last night. Not to mention I got this nasty headache."
"I don't care Goku!" Sasha yelled. "We need everyone to be on board for this!"
"Does that include me?" Flame Princess asked.
Sasha rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just don't touch anything you think you can burn."
"Yeah, 'cause I'm the only one capable of ruining things apparently," Flame Princess muttered to herself.
Sasha sighed. "Alright, let's get to it. Sorry again everyone."
"Don't worry about it Sasha," Goku assured.
"Yeah, you can't control everything," Mandy added.
The campers angrily split up to clean the mess. Sasha stood in place, just as angry and distraught by the sudden turn of events.
"Great," Sasha groaned. "The treehouse is down, we have less than a day left to finish this, we have no concrete plan, and I can't even get a hold of things. I'm so-"
"Hey Sasha."
Sasha looked back to see May behind her. She had a worried expression on her face.
"May…look if you want to talk, save it for later. I'm not in the mood."
'Yeah, I just wanna say…well you know we don't hold it against you, right? Everyone's just processing this. I'm sure of it."
"Yep, they're totally not mad at me. Now can you just go so I can think?"
"Uh…sure."
XXXXXXXXXX
Blaineley was outside the staff house, ready to resume the challenge in progress. She was currently talking to a producer over the phone.
"Yeah, yeah this should be a breeze. Oh, and before you go, where the heck did you find the new guy? He's so insufferable, ewugh! Why isn't there a prerequisite for decent manners? Huh, there is? ….you're lying, aren't you?"
As she prattled on, Blaineley felt someone bump into her.
"Ah!" Power screamed. "Lord Blaineley!"
"Watch it inte…Lord…Blaineley? …..th-that has a good ring to it! So, how's the 9 to 5, or is it 9 to 10? Now that I think about it, you're always on duty."
"…eh?"
"What's with the duffle?"
Power was carrying a duffle bag with gardening tools and today's breakfast. "Uh…um….uhhhh."
"Ok, good talk. You just go do…whatever you're doing." Blaineley pushed Power out of the way and went back into the house.
A mischievous grin formed on Power's face. "Heh, the fool was none the wiser."
Power hummed to herself as she trotted off to Mushy's spot. She was undoubtedly excited to see him today. More than that, she was hoping he'd emerge from his cocoon today. Making sure to steer clear of the White Lotus, she finally arrived at the forest meadow.
"Mushy!?" Power called. "I got breakfast!"
Power looked around, expecting to see something akin to Mushy. Eventually, she stumbled upon what looked like…
"Mushy's pod?"
Only this time it was cracked open.
"Perhaps Mushy transformed into a butterfly…and he flew away! That traitor!"
Before she could panic any further, Power realized there was a green slime trail. Where there's slime, there might be Mushy. For her, this was worth investigating. Worst case scenario, he became something's breakfast.
Power followed the trail, taking her deeper into the forest and farther from camp. She'd occasionally eye a bird with a strong urge to pounce, but her dedication to Mushy overpowered those primal urges.
After half an hour of following a trail, she finally reached a large cave opening.
"Mushy!" The call echoed throughout the cave, but there was no response. "Mushy! It's me, Power!"
Once again, there was nothing.
Power huffed and entered the cave. The dark, musty passageway led into an underground section. Every once in a while, Power would call out Mushy's name. She also didn't know exactly where she was heading. The pathways branched out into different sections. The only lead she had was a faint and familiar scent, that she could track easily.
"Mushy where are you-ooooooh!"
Eventually, Power stumbled across a pod, similar to Mushy's cocoon. As a matter of fact, there was a cluster of pods scattered around her.
"Mushy! That's where've you been hiding!"
In an instant, blood shot out of Power's wrist and formed into a knife. This was a supernatural ability she kept secret from her associates. Power cut open the pod and out came…a green, half-alive monster. Power sniffed the thing and groaned.
"Ugh, tis not Mushy." Power took a chunk from the creature and ate it. "It appears to be half-baked." Power sniffed the air and recognized the scent. "Mushy!"
Power ran on all fours and rocketed toward the smell. "HAHAHA! Here I come!"
The girl continued until she came to a screeching halt. Power came across something she wasn't expecting. It was a green four-legged beast. They had fungi growing out of their body, three-toed paws, a long tail, and a spiky back. It seemed to be a completed version of the creature she found earlier.
Power sniffed the air, gritted her teeth, and formed another blood knife. "Ah, a proper feast! It seems you also brought friends."
Out of the darkness, more monsters surrounded Power in the large clearing. They were coming from branching entrances, snarling and foaming out their mouths.
"Heehee!"
The bloodlust was thick, and it seemed that one single move would lead to quite the show. However, the beasts stopped sending looks at Power and cleared a pathway… for something huge. Out came a 4-meter large, green, fungi monster, staring Power down with its glowing yellow eyes. Its mouth was shaped like spiky teeth, it had four claws on its hands and feet, and dark green veins covered the monster's body.
Power couldn't believe what she was seeing. Her nose twitched and her eyes shot open. "M-Mushy?"
This creature smiled. "Yes mother, it's me."
"I…see." Power found the whole parental nickname off-putting.
The monstrous creature was in fact the grown-up version of Mushy. His soft voice was quite the contrast to his ferocious look. Mushy took hold of Power and lifted her to eye level.
"Howdya get so big!?" Power cried.
"It's quite a shock, isn't it? Even I'm not sure about my full capabilities. I mean… I can talk now. I suppose I rubbed it off from you."
"I see." Power looked down from above and noticed the mutants were watching her. "Who are they?"
"My…subjects I suppose. They follow my commands, but they're like cattle."
"I see. I see. I'm hungry! Can I eat one?"
Mushy thought it over. "I don't see why not. It's only right that I take care of you since you did the same for me.
A devious grin appeared on Power's face. "Heehee!"
Hours passed as Power and Mushy talked for days on end. Power spoke about her internship and her pursuits for higher education. Mushy monologued about radical theories on self-actualization. Power would often get calls from Dan, but she decided to put him on mute.
They were now sitting at Mushy's newly made dwelling, in layman's terms his room. Power was still eating fresh minion meat, and Mushy continued to talk.
"I think I shall give the animal an appropriate nom de guerre," said Power. "From now til the end of time, they shall be known as Fungbeasts!"
Mushy closed his eyes and smiled with contentment. "That is a good name, mother."
"Why do you keep calling me that? I'm not a mom! I'm too young to be a mother. I have to take care of my beautiful physique!"
Mushy opened his eyes to look at the girl. "You took care of me, remember? Is that not a fair way of showing respect?"
Power held her chin. "I suppose I'll allow it, but only if you bring me more fungbeasts."
Mushy nodded in approval. "Mother, I'd like to ask you something."
"Huh?" Power had a mouthful of food.
"Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Power found this to be out of the blue. She swallowed and faced Mushy. "Of course. Reincarnation is factual Mushy."
Mushy chuckled. "I've been seeing memories of my past life. I fear if I don't make amends with my past, I won't be able to move on to my true calling."
Power took another bite of her food. "True calling?"
Mushy got up and walked out of his room. "I think we spent enough time connecting. It's time that I get to my work."
Power raised an eyebrow and shrugged it off. She hadn't had food like this in a long time, so she wasn't going to miss out on the opportunity.
Mushy returned to the cave's center, where he was greeted by his minions. "Quiet. I need to concentrate."
Mushy closed off his mind to focus. Though it wasn't on something, it was on someone.
XXXXXXXXXX
The evening was fast approaching, and the White Lotus was still making up for lost time.
"Ugh, not feeling too hot guys," Goku groaned while holding his head.
"I feel you, man," Gumball sighed. "This is like doing a school project on the due date."
Numbuh 5 jumped down from a ladder and dusted off her hands. "Welp, at least we're done building."
The new treehouse was nothing too extravagant, nothing too bold, it was just as they planned…simple.
"Dude…this sucks," Gumball complained. "This whole thing right here, it sucks."
"Well, what do you think we should do Gumball?" Numbuh 5 grumbled. "Unless you're the world's faster builder or can magically slow down time, I suggest you shut yo' mouth!"
"Urgghh," Goku groaned softly.
"…you think one of us can discreetly go to the other team's treehouse and you know…kaboom?"
"Gumball, please tell me you're joking," said May, unamused.
"Arghhh," Goku continued.
"Well, we gotta do something!" Gumball exclaimed.
"Eh, why bother," Mandy shrugged. "It's just a reward challenge."
"Rrrrrgh," Goku held his head with both hands.
"Goku, are you ok?" Flame Princess worryingly asked.
Goku got on his knees and gritted his teeth. "Something's…not…right!"
Jack crouched and got beside him. "Goku, what is it!?"
"Arrrrraaaaaaagh!" Goku tucked his head and continued to scream in agony.
" GIVE IN!"
A voice was pounding into Goku's head with ill intent. The group surrounded Goku, trying to help him.
"What's with him!?" Sasha questioned. "Don't tell me he's done for today!"
"That's not what we should be worried about!" Numbuh 5 cried.
" SUBMIT!"
"No!" Goku cried.
"We should take him to Zoidberg!" Gumball suggested. "I mean…I think he can help."
"Good idea," May agreed. "Let's lift him up!"
"NOW!"
"Get…away!" Goku yelled.
Jack and Sasha lifted Goku up from both sides.
"Holy crud he's heavy!" Sasha grunted.
"No can do, Goku," Jack said. "We don't give up on friends."
"…" Suddenly something snapped inside Goku. He was no longer himself. Metaphorically, someone else was in his shoes. Instantly, Goku smacked Sasha and Jack into nearby trees.
"Oof!" Sasha groaned.
"Argh!" Jack grunted.
"Goku what the heck!?" May cried in fear.
Numbuh 5 and Mandy took a readying stance, but they were completely nervous. Gumball and May were shook, horrified at what would happen next. Flame Princess stood completely still, not sure what to do.
Goku turned to face his other teammates, but he was particularly focused on Gumball.
"Uh guys…is it just me or is he looking straight at me?" Gumball whimpered.
XXXXXXXXXX
"How strange," Mushy thought to himself. "He's just like him too."
Mushy was looking through the eyes of Goku, controlling his every move. He was currently using him to stare directly at Gumball, who gave off a strange yet familiar vibe as well. Before he could act, Jack sneaked from behind and held Goku in a full nelson. Another set of hands, belonging to Sasha, held down Goku's legs. Eventually, the whole team ran in and dogpiled him. However, they were only able to do so since Mushy wasn't completely used to Goku's body, and so his guard wasn't up completely.
"What!? No!"
Jack was currently telling the others to run but was cut short when Mushy commanded Goku to throw everyone off him. The sudden show of force sent everyone spiraling in different directions.
"I need to know what else this body is capable of! Dammit, and I need to get the rest under my control. Let's start with the other man-no how about that cat? When I touched the man, I felt no connection to him, but that cat grabbed onto me and I felt it again…"
Mushy sent the command and Goku rushed towards Gumball, who was struggling to get off the ground. Goku grabbed Gumball with one arm and raised him to the sky, causing Gumball to stay frozen in shock. With a simple touch from Goku, Mushy was able to access Gumball's mind, though it would take some time to put him under his control. However, he's figured out how to quickly brainwash select people through his experience with Goku. All it took was persuasion and some headaches.
Before Mushy could decide what to do with Gumball, he felt two more distinct presences.
"They're…up north. That's where I'll go. For now…I'll use the cat to keep an eye on them, but since I don't need him immediately I'll let him run free."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Let him go, Goku!" Numbuh 5 threw a nearby tree branch at Goku's shoulder, hoping to get his attention.
Goku continued to stand motionless and kept Gumball within his grasp. However, when Mushy signaled his commands, he let him go. Gumball proceeded to fall like an apple and rolled away just as quickly.
Once he was released, Gumball finally regained consciousness. "Huff…dude, huff, what's wrong with you!? Are you trying to kill us!?"
Goku ignored him and turned his head north. After a few seconds of staring, he ran off in that direction.
"He's…gone," Jack muttered.
"Uh, what the what!?" Gumball exclaimed. "Why's Goku acting like a murderous robot?"
"Yeah, did you see his eyes?" May asked. "It's like he's possessed."
"Argh." Jack had finally gotten up from the hits he took. "We have to go after him!"
"You're not serious?" Gumball gulped.
"Crazy more like it," Mandy added. "Or do you have a plan after that beating you just took?"
"Not at the moment," Jack sighed. "But did you notice the direction he's going? He's heading toward the other team."
"Argh, we can't let him wreck their treehouse then, but am I the only one noticing the weird attack patterns here?" Sasha winced in pain as she rubbed her head. "Why'd he give up on us? He had us dead to rights."
"Maybe 'cause we bored him?" May piped up.
Numbuh 5 raised an eyebrow. "Bored him?"
"Well uh…Goku likes fighting. If he's still in there, maybe he wants to fight someone stronger?"
May's theory gave Jack an idea. "Quick, does anyone know where we can get some food?"
Gumball gave Jack an odd look. "Dude, I'm hungry too but this is not the time-"
Gumball was swiftly interrupted by Mandy. "Shut up and let's hear him out."
"If Goku is still in there," Jack began, "Then we could use something to bring him back to us. I heard stories of people using treasured items like family heirlooms to help people with memory loss. I'm not sure if Goku has such a thing on the island, but this might be it."
"Good call," Sasha said. "I mean that kind of stuff only works in the movies, but whatever. Alright, Gumball, Mandy, May, and Numbuh 5 we need you to bring as much food as possible."
"On it," May dutifully replied.
"You got it, baby!" Numbuh 5 playfully answered.
Mandy rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Don't order me around, but I'll do my part."
Gumball looked at his teammates as if they were insane. "But the Mess Hall is blocked off, and it's not like they'll let us sneak into the staff house!"
"Well, it's a good thing a lot of us stocked up on snacks yesterday," May noted.
"But why should we do any of that!?" Gumball cried. "We need to get outta here! That isn't Goku anymore!"
"No, first we save Goku," Numbuh 5 ordered. "Or do you want him to stay like that forever?"
Gumball held his hands to his head. "Awwwwwwwwwwwww, fine! But I'm only this because Goku's pretty cool!"
Numbuh 5 friendly slapped Gumball on the back. "See, I knew you had it in ya."
"Good," Sasha said. "FP, Jack, and I will assist the other team."
Flame Princess's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Yes," Jack assured. "Now it's time to prove yourself."
"But I'm not sure that's a good idea. What if I lose control or-"
"Look FP, we don't want to do this either, but we don't have a lot of options," said Sasha. "Besides, if Goku wrecks their treehouse, we'll be disqualified."
"Ahem." Jack coughed. "Aside from that, Goku is our friend, and if we were in the same situation, he'd be there for us. I'm sure of it."
Flame Princess thought about the time Goku helped her in the jungle. He even did it while ignoring her protests. "Alright. I'll try."
Jack nodded and smiled. "Gumball! I need you to get my sword! I shouldn't have to tell you where it is, right!?"
"Yeah, yeah! Let's just do this thing!"
XXXXXXXXXX
"Good work, everyone! Keep it up! Just a few more hours until we're done!"
Ilana was currently commending her team for nearly finishing their system of treehouses. Each hut was interconnected by a system of rope bridges and ladders hung from the base of each hut. In total, there were eight huts, each assigned to a member of the Whoop Butt Squad to decorate.
Ilana opted for a mix between a hangout spot and an art gallery. Most of the art she improvised herself due to having some experience. To further make use of the art theme, were also a few miniature wooden sculptures she was able to make, with the help of Buttercup. There was also an assortment of carpets, of many different colors, that covered the floorboards.
Sam went for a fusion gothic and punk rock aesthetic. The messy, darkly painted wood clashed with purple and blue neon lights, hanging from the walls and ceilings. Decorative skulls, posters, and vibrant graffiti decorated the interior and gave a rebellious vibe.
Judai was very simple when it came to decorating his assigned hut. Inside was a hammock, a potted plant, and an open window to view the outside. He wasn't sure if he wanted to add more yet, but he figured he still had time.
Biscuit did the same, but she added much more. She went for the usual, a hammock, plants, a window, etc., but she also placed a few mats and beanbag chairs. Biscuit also used stones to make various shapes on the floor. One was made in a heart shape; another was done in the shape of a circle. One was even made in the shape of her face. She even put a few magazine cutouts of exotic landscapes on the wall
Mao Mao stayed true to his word and went full armory style. From the outside, a range of wooden weapons and shields are proudly displayed, showcasing a bit of Mao Mao's handiwork. Stepping inside, the interior is lined with racks and shelves, each meticulously organized to house an array of wooden swords, axes, daggers, and armor suits. Most importantly, the center rack cased Mao Mao's very own golden sword.
Buttercup went for what she called, "The Perfect Training Room." Inside were clear mirror walls showing reflections of yoga mats, dumbbells, and various weights. Buttercup made sure to install extra supports so they wouldn't fall through the floorboards. There was a pull-up bar built near the entrance and a giant punching bag hung in the middle of the room.
Finn…hasn't done much.
As for Rigby, he wasn't able to design his room, at least not without help.
"No, no, no put that there!" Rigby ordered.
"Are you kidding me!?" Mao Mao was carrying a small trampoline. "The feng shui would be all off!"
"Feng…"
"Sheewee?" Buttercup interjected. "What is that? One of your stupid rules?"
Mao Mao growled. "I'll have you know feng shui is one of the guiding principles of house design!"
"Well, I'll have you know that this is my treehouse and you should go by my rules!" Rigby cried.
"Well, I'll have you know that I'm doing most of the work!"
"Well, I'll have you know you're doing a third of the work!"
"Well I'll have you know that you don't understand what a third means!"
"Well, I'll have you know that you're full of c-"
"ZIP ITTTTT!" Buttercup screamed. "Sheesh you're acting like kids, and I'd know! Now stop yammering and get to-!"
CRASH
"...work?"
Out of nowhere, Goku came barreling through their treehouse. He stood before the three, staring intently at Rigby and then Buttercup.
"Hey, what gives!?" Rigby cried. "The mini basketball hoop was gonna go there!"
"What do you think you're doing wise guy!?" Buttercup snapped. "Look at the mess you made!"
Their cries were utterly ignored. Goku slowly and robotically approached the group, whom were still unaware of the situation they are in.
Mao Mao narrowed his eyes. "Hey, hey, hey! Are you even listening!?" He wasn't sure what was wrong with Goku, but is instincts were telling him to be on guard.
"Hey newsflash dude! Smashing other people's treehouses is against the rules! Now how about you get your spiky-haired butt outta here and-mmmpf!"
Without warning, Goku grabbed Rigby by the mouth and lifted him as he did Gumball earlier.
"Hey, let him go!" Buttercup barked.
Mao Mao held his hand out. "Buttercup wait!"
Buttercup ignored her teammate's pleas and kicked Goku through the treehouse. Luckily, Righy was released from Goku's grip as well. At the same time, the rest of the team arrived at the scene just in time to see Goku flying past them.
"Huh, so that was Goku flying over here," Biscuit confirmed. "But what the heck has gotten into him?"
"You all ok!?" Ilana called.
Buttercup stuck her head out of the hole she made and smiled. "I'm stiill kickin'! Welp, except for Rigby."
"What's wrong with the guy!?" Judai cried.
"What isn't wrong with him?" Sam muttered.
"I don't know!" Buttercup replied. "He seems out of it!"
As everyone was trying to make sense of everything, Biscuit's senses spiked, and she immediately turned around. Goku was running straight at 'em. "Aw great! Looks like we got a fight on our hands!"
"Are you kidding me!?" Sam cried.
"Fight?" Finn asked with growing vigor. "Yeah, I can do that! Let's fight!"
Biscuit stood in front of everyone, preparing for Goku's attack. Finn rallied to her side, ready to take his angst out on something. To their shock, Goku did not attack them, instead, he leaped toward Rigby's treehouse. "Buttercup, Mao Mao! Watch yourselves."
Buttercup winded her arm. "Looks like someone wants more!"
"Hey, don't go in charging!" Mao Mao warned. "Something's not right!"
"Blah, blah, blah!" Buttercup took one jump, brimming with confidence. Unfortunately for her, one overhead double axe handle shut her mood down…hard. Buttercup came crashing through the roof of Judai's treehouse.
"Buttercup!" Ilana ran to the girl's aid, not noticing that Goku had landed and was heading for them.
With no time to plan, Biscuit dashed in front of Goku. The fighter quickly reacted by throwing a right hook. Biscuit raised both her arms and blocked the attack. She staggered a bit after the blow, but she quickly recovered. Goku proceeded to throw another punch from the opposite hand, but Biscuit was able to read the attack. With a quick dodge, she nimbly rolled across his arm until she was behind him. In an instant, she landed a powerful elbow strike to the kidney, sending the Saiyan to his knees.
"Strange, no grunts or nothing," Biscuit noted. "And his attacks were so easy to read."
Biscuit recalled the sparring match Goku had with Jack on the day of their arrival. He was completely unpredictable during that match and showed the utmost control. He excelled in speed and technique then, but here he showed none of that prowess. Given her estimates that Jack was on par with her, she figured she'd be severely outclassed.
Nearby, Judai, Sam, and Finn watched in awe. Biscuit's fighting capabilities were something to behold that was for sure. Mao Mao watched from above, carrying the still unconscious Rigby in his hands. Ilana was checking on Buttercup, but also trying to keep track of the fight.
Watching from afar was Blaineley and a cameraman, who were horrified by the sudden chain of events.
"What do I do!?" Blaineley whispered.
Her cameraman gave her a strange look. "What do you mean what do you do? You're the boss!?"
"What and just go in there and stop him!? How do I do that!?
Back to the fight, Biscuit prepared herself by taking a stance. "Step back guys! He's getting up!"
Goku slowly got back on his feet and stared at Biscuit. Getting a good look at his face, Biscuit noticed Goku had a blank expression on his face. Putting two and two together, she came to a result.
"That's not Goku." Now more than ever, it was imperative to her that Goku be taken care of immediately. Biscuit straightened her hand and delivered a swift chop to the neck. "…what!?"
Goku apparently tanked the hit and immediately socked Biscuit. A split second before the attack, Biscuit realized something even stranger. Despite starting off sloppy, whoever was manipulating Goku was doing an exceedingly well job at getting used to his body. The punch sent Biscuit flying into another treehouse and temporarily stunned her.
"Bisky!" Judai called out hoping to hear a response. "What gives!? I thought she was winning for a second!?"
Mao Mao put his hands on his head and panicked, but not just because Biscuit got her stuff rocked. "No, my armory! Wait, the armory!"
Mao Mao left Rigby and ran towards the treehouse while the others stared at Goku. Finn was the first to rush him, but Goku easily kicked him away. The boy was out cold. Afterward, Goku came barreling toward Buttercup who was just waking up.
"Urgh…what," Buttercup stammered.
"We gotta move!" Ilana cried.
"Right-o!"
As Buttercup flew into the air, she quickly rubbed her hands together. Goku halted his charge and gazed upwards. All of a sudden, something manifested in Buttercup's hands. The others watched from below, finding it difficult to process what was happening.
"Is that…fire?" Sam asked.
Buttercup smirked and hurled a radiant fireball at Goku. The brainwashed Goku simply took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs. The others covered their ears, even Buttercup. As a result, the auditory attack was so powerful that the fireball was ultimately nullified.
"Wha-wha-how'd you do that!" Buttercup angrily exclaimed.
Goku stood motionless for several seconds as Buttercup kept yelling at him. Eventually, Goku began to levitate off the ground, while maintaining eye contact with Buttercup.
"Great, he flies now," Buttercup muttered.
"Buttercup!" Ilana exclaimed. "He's only after you! You must go!"
"Yeah, run!" Judai cried. "Or fly!"
"You're tellin' me to just go with my hands tucked?" Buttercup muttered. "No way! There's gotta be a way to beat him, and I'm gonna do it!"
"Just keep him busy!" Sam yelled. "We'll think of a plan down here!"
Buttercup groaned. "Whatever! Over here big guy!" Reluctantly, she flew off with Goku fast on her tail.
Sam sighed. "Does anyone have any ideas?"
"Look no further!" Mao Mao stood triumphantly, holding several wooden weapons and shields in his hands. "We shall plan an attack with these!"
"…..…"
"Are you insane!?" Biscuit jumped down from a bridge. She was also covered head to toe in bruises. Biscuit picked up one of the swords and flung it away. "We are not scratching him with these! He won't even get a splinter!"
"That's not my plan!"
"Really?"
"Well…not anymore...I just wanted to be helpful."
"It's ok Mao," Ilana consoled. "But I think our best bet is to find the other team. Maybe they have something to do with this."
"Yo!"
Everyone turned their heads to see Sasha, Jack, and Flame Princess approaching the group.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Sasha began, "but for the record, it's not our fault. So, any questions?"
"Finally!" Blaineley emerged from the foliage she was hiding in. "Lotus, care to explain why I shouldn't disqualify you for breaking one of the rules?"
"Oh, come on! This is more important than that!"
Jack nodded in agreement. "Yes. We fear Goku's action may not be of his own doing."
Blaineley raised an eyebrow. "Come again? Do you think someone's controlling him? What is someone using a remote control and putting him in attack mode? Hahaha, that is sooo stupid! Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"Not as stupid as the flying super-powered people and talking animals, right?" Sam joked.
"…..ok fair. Is there any way you guys can calm him? You know if he's actually being controlled."
"We're gonna use a little something to snap him out of it," Sasha answered. "It's not a guaranteed solution, but it's the best plan we got."
Blaineley impatiently put her hands on her hips. "Ok, so where is this deus ex machina of yours?"
"The others are bringing it, but we're gonna need Goku here if we're gonna use it."
Just then Goku came crashing down on another of the W.B.S's treehouses. Everyone was put on high alert, while Blaineley ran off in fear.
"Speak of the devil." Biscuit took a fighting stance. "But where's Buttercup?"
"ARGH!" Jack was sent flying by a powerful roundhouse kick. The force sent him into one of the other nearby tree huts.
Everyone turned to see where the attack came from and to their horror it was Buttercup. Just like Goku, she had the same lifeless expression, confirming their theories of mind control. Without another word, Goku and Buttercup rushed at Biscuit.
"Grr!" Biscuit blocked the first few attacks until she was sent on her back by a kick from Buttercup.
Seeing his comrade in danger, Mao Mao immediately jumped in. Earlier when Mao Mao retrieved weapons from the army, he also made sure to equip his katana.
"Attack Pattern Number 13! Flashing Golden Gale Strikes!" Mao Mao performed a series of slashes on Goku. His speed and precision were impressive, however not a single attack damaged Goku. At best he merely left cuts on his clothing. Mao Mao gulped and jumped back to avoid an oncoming kick from Goku.
"Any other attacks left Mao!?" Sam worriedly exclaimed. "You know ones that actually hurt him!?"
Mao Mao gritted his teeth. "I'm trying to think here! Argh, this is why I hate spectators!"
Mao Mao kept attacking, using his speed to his advantage. Biscuit on the other hand was more focused on fighting Buttercup.
Sasha looked down and noticed a wooden sword on the ground. Disappointingly, she rolled her eyes and armed herself. "FP, let's move!" Sasha ran into the battle, leaving Flame Princess in the dust.
"Wait…" Flame Princess was hesitant, still not confident in controlling her abilities.
The rest were preparing to retreat if need be. Judai carried an unconscious Finn on his back while Sam decided to carry Rigby. Ilana was helping Jack back on his feet, but he wasn't in his best condition.
"I need to help them." Jack tried to free himself from Ilana's grasp, but he found it difficult to do so.
"Easy," Ilana comforted. "You can't just go out like that."
Jack grunted and looked on as Biscuit, Mao Mao and Sasha were being wrecked by the combined might of Goku and Buttercup. He was beginning to fear that the situation might be hopeless.
"Jack!"
Jack and Ilana looked up to see Gumball standing on a hill, waving his katana in the air along with a single-wrapped rice ball; one of Goku's favorites. Numbuh 5, May, and Mandy had also arrived to help in whatever way they could.
"This is not going to end well," Mandy grumbled.
"We don't need the negativity right now!" Numbuh 5 plopped a bag of snack foods and cut it open.
"GOKU!" May called. "WE GOT A TASTY TREAT FOR YOU!"
Unfortunately, May couldn't get Goku's attention.
"Any other ideas?" Mandy groaned.
"Maybe we need to be louder," May muttered.
"Nah, we need to get closer." Gumball took the blade and skewered the rice ball through it.
"Lemme try throwing that." Numbuh 5 took the blade and took aim. "HEADS UP!" She arched back and hurled the blade at Jack's feet.
Jack grinned. "Nice throw. Ilana, you need to rally everyone and run."
Ilana nodded and did just that. She then ran off to help Judai carry Finn.
Jack took the sword and locked his eyes on Goku. The plan was simple: reason with Goku, save him, and then they could subdue Buttercup. It was all they had going for them anyways. Immediately, Jack ran into the battle. Mao Mao and Sasha lay unconscious while Biscuit was doing her best to keep fighting.
While Goku was too focused on fighting Biscuit, Jack found an opening and jumped on his back. To secure his grip, he held his katana over Goku's chest. "Goku please!" He began to wave the rice ball in his face. "Remember who you are! Remember your friends; your son Gohan!"
Jack had no idea if this would work. He just kept saying anything that could get to his friend. Unfortunately, Goku wasn't paying any attention to Jack. Instead, he fell on his back, crushing Jack in the process.
"I don't…understand," Jack stammered through mixed breaths.
The others weren't having a good time either. If a brainwashed Goku and Buttercup wasn't bad enough, squads of fungbeasts rushed onto the scene. Flame Princess immediately hurled fireballs at them, and while it warded them off they showed great resistance to her flames.
"No way," Flame Princess gasped.
"What are those things!?" Gumball cried.
"I don't wanna find out," Sam groaned. "I think it's time we get out while we can."
"But we can't leave!" May argued. "Sasha, Jack, and the others are fighting for us!"
"I know…but if we don't run we could end up like Buttercup and Goku. Besides, some of us need medical attention."
"Then let me carve out a path for you guys!" Flame Princess relentlessly bombarded more fungbeasts to clear a path "Go!"
"You really think we'll just leave you here!?" Numbuh 5 yelled.
"Trust me…you don't want to be here if I lose control. Now go!"
"You heard her!" Mandy exclaimed. "Come on!"
Everyone else left, running off in different directions. While Flame Princess tried to hold off as many fungbeasts as she could, a few got away to chase after the fleeing campers. As of now, the ones left behind were Jack, Biscuit, Sasha, Mao Mao, and Flame Princess.
Eventually, the samurai collapsed from exhaustion. Soon after Biscuit was defeated too. With no one else willing to fight, Goku and Buttercup turned their attention to the only person left.
Flame Princess huffed, exhausted by expending so much power. She hasn't pushed herself like that in a while. She knew she could go even further, but she decided against it. Flame Princess formed a weak smile on her face. Even if she lost here, at least the others got away.
XXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, Sam found herself running alone near the northern part of the island. Everyone ended up getting separated by the chaos, and so she lost She also happened to be carrying Rigby. The raccoon was still out of commission, but it wasn't like carrying him was difficult. The only problem was evading the scouts.
"Is it too much to ask for a regular day at camp?" Sam muttered to herself. "I swear if this becomes a recurring problem, I'm gonna get sick."
Amidst Sam's ramblings, Rigby would groan in pain.
"Don't worry, Rigby. We'll get you-"
Sam went dead silent when she caught sight of three fungbeasts approaching her position. She immediately took cover behind a tree and remained still. Her nerves spiked after every step the monsters took. To make matters worse, Rigby was groaning uncontrollably.
"Sshh!" she hissed. "Come on, Rigby. Work with me here."
The heads of the fungbeasts shot up and the ears pointed high. They were now alert to the noise and they began to search for it. Sam gulped, realizing that if she stayed any longer she'd be toast. She slowly and discretely got up from her hiding spot until…
"Ah!"
Sam was face-to-face with another, but a lot angrier, fungbeast. Sam chuckled and nervously waved at the creature. Unphased, the beast began to snarl at her.
"Guess you don't wanna play nice…" Sam felt something bump her back. "Woah there!"
The three fungbeasts she found earlier had finally caught up to her. Sam expected this to be her untimely end, but strangely enough, that wasn't the case. Instead, they urged her to follow them and to make sure she didn't run away they surrounded her on all sides.
"Ok, ok. I'll follow as long as you don't eat us…I really hope you guys can understand me." Sam looked down at Rigby with a worried look.
XXXXXXXXXX
It was finally nightfall, and the camp was definitely worse for wear. Fungbeasts swarmed the entire campsite, searching for anything with a pulse. Several unfortunate interns were captured and carried off…somewhere. Everyone else was in hiding or trying to find somewhere to hide.
Numbuh 5, Judai, and May wandered alone on the campsite. The three had just left the cabins to bring bags, filled with supplies, back to their hiding spot. Seeing how this could go on for days, they had to be ready for anything.
"This is such a bad idea," May whispered frantically.
"Keep it together," Judai reassured. "We're almost there May."
As they approached the mess hall, Numbuh 5 spotted a group of fungbeasts heading their way. "9 o'clock! Hide!"
The trio hurried and hid behind the mess hall. As they did, a large bag of chips fell out of May's bag, The noise caught the attention of two fungbeasts, who were slowly approaching the mess hall.
May panicked. "Oh no!"
"Shh!" Numbuh 5 hissed. "Stay still!"
"I'm still! I'm still!"
As Numbuh 5 peeked through the cracks, she noticed something peculiar. The fungbeasts seemed uneasy about approaching the mess hall. One took a few steps closer and sniffed one of the gas canisters. Immediately, it leaped back in fear and scuttled off with its companion.
Numbuh 5 couldn't believe it. "Weird."
"Is it safe now?" Judai questioned.
"Yeah…I guess so. C'mon, to the meat locker."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Of all the days," Blaineley began, "Why is today the day we get no signal!"
The remaining island staff were currently hiding in the basement of the staff house. Unfortunately, they haven't been able to contact anyone for the past few hours.
"I think the power's out too, dudes," Jude said meekly.
Standing beside the laid back intern, Dan groaned. "Oh? How'd you come to that conclusion, dude?"
They were also sitting in a very dark room with no lights for a long period time now.
"Well uh, the lights aren't on."
"Wow, you're sooooooooo wise."
"Thanks, dude!" Jude wrapped his arm around Dan. "You always know how to lift my spirits up, D!"
Dan growled and decided not to say another word.
"Ok!" Soldier announced. "I did a roll call, and it seems the only people missing or Riley, Fetch, Timmy, Moto, Loto, Zoto, Joto, Power, Brian, Taran, and that traitorous scoundrel Zoidberg! I'd be happy if we didn't lose some of our valued soldiers!"
"Welp, I can't believe it," Blaineley wept.
"Oh, you said it!" agreed the misguided Soldier. "The enemy has us surrounded with very few equipment and resources. We lost fellow troops and are certainly at death's door. Aw, it reminds me of my campaign on the Western Front! Deep in the trenches of Okinawa!"
"This isn't the time to be reminiscing you lug! It's over and there's nothing we can do! This is what I get for sticking my neck out! Oh, but you just had to come back to this dreaded show!"
The interns all had various looks of distress, uncomfort, and embarrassment. Blaineley's tantrum wasn't boosting morale one bit.
"Uh, miss Blaineley?" Jude called.
"Now I'm going to die as just some B-list celebrity!" Blaineley began to cry a very ugly cry. The worst kind of cry.
SLAP
"Oh snap!" Dan gasped.
The entire room went silent when Soldier slapped the tears out of Blaineley's face.
"Now listen here, missy!" Soldier boomed. "There are good people out there who are at the mercy of…something! I know it seems dire, but I've seen dire and let me tell you something this doesn't even compare to the dire these old eye sacs have witnessed! Now pull yourself together, tighten your butt, straighten your scowl, and face the problem like a true commanding officer!"
Blaineley was flabbergasted, so much so that she stopped crying. Her first response though was to kick Soldier square in the crotch.
"OH, NOT THE NADES!" Soldier fell on his side, holding his privates for dear life.
"You're right, Soldier!" Blaineley exclaimed. "And for my first action as leader, I'm punishing you for that brief insubordination!"
"Under...standable….ow"
Blaineley faced her crew and gave them a stern look. "We don't have much guys, but what we do have is me, and I know for a fact that I'll lead you through this! So, let's make this work!"
"…." The silence was palpable.
"You know you're asking a lot from a bunch of college students and part-timers but eh, alright," Dan snarked. "What do you want us to do?
"Gather all the supplies we can muster and bring them here!" Blaineley commanded. "We're also gonna need to fix the electricity if we're ever gonna get help. If that fails, our best hope is that someone at Fresh notices they lost contact with us. Soldier!"
Soldier was back on his feet, fighting the pain. "Yes, sir!"
"I need you to form a search team. The other campers might still be out there. Though I can already see the potential lawsuits coming."
"Don't worry, sir! I'll find them if it's the last thing I do! Privates Jude and Dan!"
Jude saluted "Sir!"
"You are taking this way too seriously," Dan groaned.
These are serious times private!" Soldier boomed. "You two are with me!"
"Oh, damn you."
"No, damn you!"
XXXXXXXXXX
Of the sixteen, only seven campers remained. Numbuh 5, Mandy, Gumball, May, Finn, Judai, and Ilana were currently held up in the underground meat locker near the mess hall. It was a good hiding spot, but it was also quite frigid. Luckily, instead of staying in the freezer where all the meat is stored, like a crazy person, they stayed in the entrance room. It was still pretty chilly though.
"Sam and Rigby are still not here." Ilana worriedly put her hand to her mouth. "We need to find them."
"Good luck with that," Mandy muttered. "You won't last a minute out there."
"Yeah…I guess you're right."
"Hey, don't say that!" Judai yelled. "Just because the odds are against us doesn't mean it's over!"
"I pity you and your optimism," said Mandy. "Did you forget that if it wasn't for FP it would've been over."
The room was silent for a few seconds.
"Yeah, FP really did save us back there," Numbuh 5 moped. "I just wished we could've saved her."
"Me too," May agreed. "Now who knows what happened to the others…"
The mood was pretty grim, but Judai in particular wasn't going to accept this.
"Ok, so maybe things aren't going too well," Judai began, "But we're still here. By all means, we shouldn't have escaped that easily, but we did. So, who cares about all that stuff about the odds!? I hear people say the same old all the time, and somehow, my friends and I always make it out! So I'm sure we can do it too!"
Mandy huffed, further annoyed by Judai's cheerfulness. However, the others were deeply moved by Judai's words, however clumsy and cheesy they might be. As a matter of fact, Finn was touched the most and immediately got up from where he sat.
Judai raised his eyebrow. "Finn?"
"I'm going out," Finn declared. "I'll see if I can find Sam and Rigby. Maybe Flame Princess made it out ok."
"Hey, slow down!" Numbuh 5 cried. "Do you even know what you're saying!?"
"Don't try to stop me!" Finn immediately ran up the nearby stairs and out the basement doors.
"…he's gone," Ilana murmured.
"I'm going after him!" Judai angrily exclaimed.
"Hold it!" Mandy called.
Before Judai could leave Ilana grabbed one of Judai's sleeves. "Wait, Judai."
"But I can't-"
"I know. I know, but we can't just go about it like this. If we're going to fix everything, we're going to need all the help we can muster, and we can't go about it alone."
"She's right you know," Mandy agreed.
Judai gritted his teeth but eventually, he solemnly smiled and nodded. "Alright, thanks for stopping me. So what do you have planned?"
"Jack said that Goku was under some sort of mind control, but they didn't know the source," Ilana noted.
"So, what is the source? May asked.
"Don't know, but if I had to guess it might be coming from the forest."
Judai raised an eyebrow. "Why the forest?"
Ilana folded her arms. "Well, that's where the monsters were coming from. It's not like they showed up at camp."
"So, we just go back?" Mandy questioned. "Not gonna be easy with all those things roaming. The further we go, the more danger we'll be in."
"You know, I don't think that'll be a problem," Numbuh 5 brought out her suitcase she got in the mail yesterday and set it on the floor.
"What's that?" May asked.
"A suitcase."
"I know, but what's that for?"
"Well, my friend, watch and be amazed." Numbuh 5 knocked on the suitcase five times and immediately it transformed.
As it did the others stepped back to watch it change shape. The end product was a large armory, filled with all sorts of weapons, gadgets, and trinkets.
"Abby…" May began, "What is that?"
Numbuh 5 smiled. "A suitcase. Super Useful Item To Carry All Stuff Efficiently!"
"Woah," May, Judai, and Ilana said in unison.
Mandy examined the pocket armory and removed a small smoke bomb. "Well at least we got something to arm ourselves with, so that's a plus."
"Yep, but there's also more," said Numbuh 5.
"Lemme guess. A watch that transforms into an armored tank?"
"That be nice, but no. I think I figured out those green things' weakness."
Everyone's eyes widened by this reveal.
"Seriously!?" May cried with excitement.
"What is it a weed wacker?" Mandy snorted.
"Remember when we almost got caught at the mess hall?" Numbuh 5 questioned. "Something drove them away. Any guesses?"
May snapped her fingers. "Course! The fumes!"
Numbuh 5 smiled proudly and nodded.
"Who would've thought the mess hall getting fumigated was a blessing in disguise," Ilana pondered.
"Before we do anything rash," Mandy began, "We should test your theory first."
"All in due time," Numbuh 5 reassured. "But before that, we need some of those gas canisters." The girl took one of the guns from the armory and presented it. "This is a G.A.S.B.L.A.S.T.E.R.; I'm sure there's no need to explain what it does. All we have to do is fill these up with the liquids from those canisters and we're set."
"Then let's go get what we need!" Judai boldly exclaimed. "Sooner we do, the sooner we can save everyone!"
"I'll go too then," said Ilana.
"I'm...staying," May nervously stammered. "Sorry, but I'm way too scared."
"I'll stay too," Mandy noted. "Best not to put all our eggs in one basket."
Gumball didn't say a thing, but the everyone else felt three was enough. And so, Numbuh 5, Judai, and Ilana left the basement, leaving Mandy and Gumball alone. Mandy eyed Gumball and noticed he was very quiet, which was refreshing but odd.
"So," Mandy began, "How ya feeling?"
Gumball didn't respond.
"Uh, earth-to-moron?"
"Huh?" Gumball seemingly snapped back to reality. "Uh, what?"
"Have…you been daydreaming?" May asked.
Gumball rubbed his head. "I guess I did. Maybe I froze to death…for like ten minutes."
Mandy rolled her eyes and muttered to herself.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Weakness?" Mushy muttered. " What are those fools up to?"
"MUSHY!" Power called.
"Ah! Coming mother!"
Power walked out of Mushy's room, with little enthusiasm. "I'm bored!"
"In a minute mother. I'm very busy. I need to decipher the memories of my new minions; they have so many abilities that I haven't unlocked. I also need to keep an eye on my enemies, and I have to turn the prisoners into food."
"Prisoners? Food…food?
Mushy smiled. "Come mother, there's so much I must show you."
Mushy happily lead Power to the main cave area. There she was introduced to the brainwashed force of Goku, Buttercup, Jack, Sasha, Mao Mao, Biscuit, and Rigby.
"Behold my new minions," said Mushy.
"Hey aren't these the contestants?" Power asked. "How are they your minions?"
"Oh, that's simple." Mushy pointed at Goku, Rigby and Buttercup. "You see those three decided to eat remains of my old self. While in my captivity, I just forced the rest to consume me as well. The neural integration process was easy, and I've gotten better handling of the mind control. Just so you know, I think you ate a piece of my previous body too, but I see no reason to control you."
"Oh…..tis is neat. Can you make them do a flip?"
"That and so much more. Oh, and you should see more of the work I've done first."
"Awwwww, I wanna see a backflip like a video gam!"
"Now look up there."
Mushy pointed to what looked like a giant lantern perched on a tall rock and restrained by string. Inside was a sleeping Flame Princess.
"Why is the firey one in there?" Power asked. "Why isn't she one of your new minions?"
"Her internal temperature incinerated the chunks of my body." Mushy ripped a piece of flesh from his arm. "I've increased my resistance to heat, but I'm not immune to someone like her. Luckily, I used the green girl to make this glass prison. She now operates as an efficient light source."
Inside the lantern, Flame Princess was slowly coming to. She blinked twice as she slowly adjusted to her surroundings. Immediately, the girl panicked and tried to punch and blast her way out, but it was to no avail. "No! This isn't happening!"
Mushy ignored the girl and directed Power to nearby cages. They held the many interns and Zoidberg that got caught earlier. Power's excitement turned to shock once she saw them.
"Ah-ha, Power!" Zoidberg exclaimed. "There you are! I was looking for you!"
"I'm n-not in t-trouble am I?" Power stuttered.
"Of course not, my horny friend! I thought I failed once I was captured, but I guess not, huh?"
"Power!" said one female intern. "Power it's us!"
Power recognized two interns that she met in the kitchen. "Oh, you two. Uh…Riley and Fetch?"
"Hey, you remembered!" Fetch cooed. "Well, it's good to see you, but I wish we weren't locked up. Guess this hasn't been a nice day after all, huh?"
Power continued to look at the cages and spotted another particular poor soul. It was Sam but to her it was, "Florist! You're here too!?"
Sam looked up from where she sat and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. Sucks, doesn't it? By the way, why aren't you in one of these cells too?"
Power nervously chuckled. "I am currently a servant."
A confused look formed on Mushy's face. "Mother, what are you talking about?"
Everyone had puzzled looks on their faces and Power was red from embarrassment. Immediately, Power goaded Mushy into going to his room real quick, further confusing the captives. Angry noises could also be heard from Mushy's room, which was directly from Power After some time, the two came back.
"That was a slip of the tongue," Mushy said. What I meant to say was…slave."
Mushy did not like calling Power that at all, but he felt obliged to. Power simply said she was going to punish him if he called her that in public.
"Oh, ok!" Zoidberg cluelessly exclaimed. "That makes complete sense. It it's a known fact that every oppressive monster needs a slave."
"Yeah," said one of the interns. "For a second I thought Power had special privileges or something."
"Yeah, could you imagine that?" Riley asked. "It'd be as crazy as saying Power's actually the one in charge."
Power awkwardly laughed. "Ha, what an entertaining sense of humor!"
Everyone in the vicinity laughed, except for Sam who was less than convinced and Mushy who did not find this amusing.
"Yeah," Sam muttered. "How strange."
"Now that the laughter has passed," Mushy began, "I think it's time for the food processing."
"Free food!?" Zoidberg beamed. "You are one of the best oppressors I've met!"
Mushy gave Zoidberg a confused look. "You're content with becoming food to feed me and my drones?"
"WHAT!?" Sam and the interns shouted.
"Hmm, I don't know," Zoidberg mumbled. "I wouldn't mind if it was for a good cause. It'd have to be a really good cause though."
"I assure you it is," Mushy falsely reassured. "Through all of you, I will be fueled and ready for the start of my world conquest. In time I will collect more of your kind for subjugation and nutrients."
"Why!?" Sam cried. "Why can't you just mind control us and not eat us?"
"I'll be honest with you…controlling so many people has proven to be harder than I anticipated. I'm sure I'll get better with time, but at the moment all of you are just taking space."
Everyone couldn't believe what they were hearing, even Power who felt especially guilty.
"Well now, let's start with an appetizer." Mushy opened a cage and pulled out a frail, red-headed intern.
"No not Timmy!" Zoidberg cried. "He had such a bright future! Someone save him!"
Sam snapped back from her shock and angrily eyed Power. Power tried to look away to avoid the guilt, but given that Sam helped her, she eventually caved in.
"Wait!" Power cried.
"Yes mot-I mean uh servant?" Mushy inquired.
Power nervously pointed to Mushy's room. "Can I talk to you over there?"
"Understood."
Mushy dropped the scared intern and left for a private talk with Power. Immediately, Timmy scuttled back into the cage and hid behind the others.
"You think Power's trying to save us?" Fetch asked.
"I'm not sure," Riley answered. "Sometimes I feel like she doesn't like us."
"Oh, she'd better," Sam muttered.
Moments later Mushy and Power came back to face the group again. Power had a wide, victorious smile on her face, indicating to the others that their lives might be saved.
"Good news, all of you," Mushy announced. "My servant here proposed an idea to make use of you. Starting now, you will all become my new servants and you will be led by the head servant, Power."
Power nervously shrugged. "Tis fine right?"
"Why does the rookie get to lead all of us!" an intern angrily questioned. "She's the most irresponsible intern on this island! She couldn't lead squat!"
The others tried to shush the irrational man, but Mushy wasn't having any of it. Immediately, Mushy took him out of the cage and brought him to his face.
"What is your name?" Mushy asked.
"Uh….Joto?"
"Well, it was nice knowing you Joto." Immediately Mushy swallowed the man whole. The action left quite an impression on the others. "I'm sure you all know the pecking order by now. That is if any of you were foolish not to."
Everyone happily nodded as they shook in fear.
"Aye-aye, sir," Sam trembled. "So uh, Power…what do you want us to do?"
Power was bothered by the attention. "Uhhhhhhhh, stay in your cages while I come up with an idea."
"Good work, mothe-I mean slave," Mushy praised. "I'll be in my chambers. Please do not disturb me."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Alright, men! Listen up!"
Soldier was stationed outside the enemy base, surrounded by countless fungbeast. Beside him were Jude and Dan. Miraculously, they were able to make it this far.
"We're about to go hard into enemy territory! I will be honest with you, this might be our last moments, but I wanna say you are some of the finest troops I've met! Except, for you Dan you're more moderate than fine."
"Gee…thanks," Dan muttered.
"Now let's go over the plan! Jude will go in and divert the troops stationed at the entrance! Dan and I will go in and go in guns blazing! We then find our M.I.A.s during our murder spree and we emerge as heroes while we mourn the loss of Jude! Now who's with me!?"
"I'm with you!" Jude happily exclaimed.
"That is a horrible idea!" Dan cried. "So many things can go wrong lead-for-brains!"
"Fine!" Soldier huffed. "You can be the diversion and Jude and I will save the others."
"How do you even know they're there!?"
"Where else would they be? Cuba? This is the only place that makes sense! Now let's move out!"
"Wait!" cried a familiar voice.
The three screamed and turned around.
"Hey, you're Finn!" Soldier exclaimed.
Finn was wielding a makeshift spear while wearing torn clothes. He was also covered in claw marks. "Yep it's me, and I'm just gonna tell ya that plan is bogus."
"Ha!" Dan laughed only to receive a punch in the gut. "Oof!"
Soldier laughed maniacally. "And do you have a better plan, Finn?"
Finn smiled. "Actually, I do."
Ten minutes later, Finn found himself captured by fungbeast. Nearby, the Soldier, Dan, and Jude watched from a safe distance.
"This better work," Dan whispered.
"Don't worry," Jude assured. "He'll find them."
The fungbeasts led him into the prisoner area, where he was greeted by the faces of Power and the prisoners.
From above, Flame Princess also saw this and gasped. "Finn?"
"Finn, they got you too!?" Sam cried.
"Got me?" Finn put on a heroic grin. "No, I'm right where I want to be!"
"Huh!?"
Finn immediately jump in the air and goomba stomped one of the fungbeast. Two more fungbeast tried to rush him, on both sides. Instead of facing them both, Finn jumped out of the way so they could run into each other.
"Finn I don't think this is a good idea!" Sam warned.
"Don't worry I'm saving you!" Finn immediately picked up a large rock and ran towards the cage holding Sam, Zoidberg, and the interns. Easily, he broke the lock and the cage door swung open. "Let's move!"
Instead, they didn't move an inch.
"C'mon guys, don't you wanna leave."
"I'd look behind you if I were you," Zoidberg whimpered.
Finn slowly turned around and realized he was surrounded by the brainwashed campers.
"Oh…" Defeated, Finn threw his hands in the air, "I…surrender?"
Moments later, Finn found himself inside a cage located on the other side of the prisoner's dwelling. Mushy wanted to give him special treatment.
"I must say," Mushy began, "I'm impressed. I would make you one of my new minions if I wasn't controlling so many."
Finn gripped his cage bars fiercely and stared Mushy down. "So, you're the head honcho!"
"Indeed. Rest assured, you'll eventually become one of my prized henchmen." Mushy promptly returned to his quarters.
"Oh yeah!? Well, I still got friends out there, and there probably finding a way to take you down!"
"Yes, I'm well aware of that. They're invited to try, but don't worry they'll be in your position soon. I'm so sure of it."
Mushy left, leaving Finn angry and even more beaten. His foolhardy plan was a complete failure. What's worse is that he couldn't even find-
"Finn!" Flame Princess called.
Finn's eyes widened and he looked up to see Flame Princess in a lantern. "FP? You're here!? How ya holding?"
The fire girl sighed. "Not…well. Being in a glass jail again is the last thing I wanted. I'm sure you remember this is how I thought I met you."
"Yeah…hey I just remembered! The others were glad that you saved them!"
"What's the point? They'll just get captured again I'm sure of it. I didn't make any real difference."
"Hey, don't beat yourself up! You did the best you can!" Finn put on a sad frown. "Besides, I'm the real screw-up. Now I failed you, again."
Flame Princess stared at Finn as he moped. As she did, a weak smile formed on her face. "Well, I guess there's been a lot of failings going around, so don't beat yourself up about it."
Finn smiled back. "Thanks FP."
As the two talked, Power was using her authority to talk to Sam. They were currently in an area that Mushy set up for dining purposes.
"Ok now that we are far from prying ears," Power began, "I need you for an important task."
"If this will lead to an explanation, I'm all ears," Sam replied.
"Alright. I need you to stand there while I tell you about all my woes."
"Sooooo, you need to vent? Alright, I'm all ears."
Power sighed. "That's thing I was talking with is Mushy, my plant pet."
"Seriously?...wow uh I guess you weren't lying about the man-eating pet. I guess that also explains why he was keeping you alive and well, but I don't get it."
"What's not to get?"
"That guy looks exactly like the monster that attacked us a few days ago and Goku dealt with it. Unless you somehow nursed it back to health."
"Actually, it was one of my acquaintances who tasked me with restoring it," Power lied. "But you gotta help me stop him! He's gone nuts!"
"Yeah, no kidding, but what am I supposed to do? If you ask me, you're better suited to take care of him."
"Me?"
"Yes, you. He clearly trusts you. That's probably why he called you his mommy. If anyone can change his mind, it's probably you."
Power simply shook her head. "You don't get it, florist. Mushy would rather follow his instincts than accept change."
"Well, are you sure?"
Power fiddled with her thumbs. "I'm also afraid he might eat me if I got on his bad side."
Sam gave Power a defeated look. "You can't be serious…?"
XXXXXXXXXX
"It's been more than twenty minutes," Dan said. "I think it's time to say….he failed us!"
"Hey, no need to overreact," said Jude. "It might be taking longer than we thought."
Immediately after Jude said this, Buttercup flew out of the cave lair followed by a squad of fungbeast.
"See there's one!"
"I don't know, Jude," Soldier warned. "They seem to be following her."
"Oh. That's naaaawt good."
"Give me the short-range walkie-talkie."
Jude did as he was asked, and Soldier immediately contacted Blaineley.
"Proud Eagle to Mama Bear, we might have found the missing, but we have a problem. They're most likely in the enemy camp and there are a lot of hostiles."
"STOP CALLNG ME THAT!" Blaineley said through the transmission. "SO WHAT DO YOU NEED, BACKUP?"
"Precisely!" Soldier exclaimed.
"WELL, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THE POWER BACK NOR, A SIGNAL, SO DON'T EXPECT ANY BACKUP ANY TIME SOON. BUT WE HAVE ONE BRAVE SOUL WHO'S WILLING TO HELP YOU ALL."
"Who?"
"Soldier!" Dan cried. "Enemies heading our way!"
A large group of fungbeasts was heading their way. The noise they were making attracted their attention. Jude jumped into Dan's arms, petrified. Dan was also shaking, not ready to die.
"Gonna have to talk to you later, Blaineley!" Soldier cried. "We're about to go out like men!"
Soldier threw away the walkie-talkie and jumped into the action. His mad screams echoed through the night.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Soldier!" Blaineley groaned. "Argh, that idiot's gonna get himself killed.
"Don't ya worry," said a familiar voice, shrouded in darkness. "I'll get 'em back."
"You do know your paperwork hasn't been updated to make us liable? If you die, it won't be our fault."
"So be it. It's about time I make my grand entrance, and I will wait no longer. Besides, those campers will see just how great I am. They'll practically be begging me to join their team!"
"Yeah, you're gonna die. Since I'm still living off that adrenaline rush Soldier gave me, I'm coming with you."
"Wow Ms. Blaineley," said one astonished intern. "This is very bold of you."
"What can I say? I'm a role model."
XXXXXXXXXX
Elsewhere, the remaining campers in the meat locker have finally prepared their weapons. The only thing left for them to do was test them. Luckily, their test subject was inside with them. After luring one fungbeast into the meat locker, they managed to tie it down using spare clothing.
Numbuh 5 put on a gas mask she found in her armory. After protecting herself, she held her G.A.S.B.L.A.S.T.E.R. and aimed it. "Now for the moment of truth. Step back y'all!"
Everyone put on gas masks of their own and backed away.
"3, 2, 1!" Numbuh 5 pulled the trigger, and out came toxic sulfuryl fluoride.
Instantly, the fumes enveloped the fungbeast and it began to cry in pain. In a matter of seconds, the gas caused the beast to deteriorate, leaving only bones.
"Woah," May gasped with fear.
"Heh, it worked," Numbuh 5 beamed.
"Kinda gruesome though," Judai noted.
"Yeah," Ilana agreed.
"Who cares," Mandy muttered. "It's not like they're sentient. Hey Abby, these things are effective, but their range sucks."
"I know," Abby sighed. "We're gonna have to get up close and personal. So, keep those masks on tight."
"Gotcha," Judai replied. "So how do we use the other weapons?"
'It's easy," Mandy said. "The N.A.D.E.R.S. (Nasty Amalgamation for Demolition, Explosive Removal Shell) are filled with the same gas. They should work well as explosives."
"Thanks, Mandy," Numbuh 5 said. "You sure are…familiar with this kind of stuff. Anyways, our last weapon here will be the big one."
Numbuh 5 plopped down a weapon the size of a watermelon. It was a bunch of N.A.D.E.R.S. strapped together and was the only one they got.
"We should use it when we actually need it," Ilana remarked. "Really the grunts are the things we shouldn't have a problem with, but if Goku and Buttercup are still brainwashed…this might not go well."
"Relax Ilana," Judai comforted. "We'll be super stealthy!"
Ilana smiled. "Alright let's get ready."
"Wait!" interrupted May. "Are we really going to use that..." May first pointed at a G.A.S.B.L.A.S.T.E.R. in Numbuh 5's hands and slowly moved her finger at the fresh fungbeast corpse. "...into that?"
Ilana was the first to realize what May's apprehension meant. May certainly didn't look like a person used to violence. "It's alright May, as long as you're by our side don't worry about fighting."
While Ilana didn't mean it, May felt as if she was being talked to. Though, she easily kept those feelings to herself.
Regardless, everyone was preparing for the mission at hand. Equipping weapons, carrying smaller gas canisters for refueling, and other supplies that might come in hands into carriable sacks.
"Come out Aurora!" May opened her Poke Ball and out came her Pokémon.
"Vee!"
"Stick close to us alright? Remember how we trained back at Oldale? We're gonna need you on your A-game."
Aurora proudly grinned and wagged her tail. "Vee vee!"
May smiled at her companion, moved by her enthusiasm. Though behind that joyful exterior, was a trembling mess. She kept thinking to herself, "Can I really do this?" and slighty shook in place.
Aurora notcied May was shaking and looked straight into her master's eyes. She hung her mout slighty open and tilted her head with a curious stare. "Vee?"
May paid no attention to her Pokémon's concern, but she did feel a jolt when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. To her surprise it was Judai.
Judai smiled and grinned. "You look sick. Everything alright?"
May frowned and looked at the floor. "Was it that obvious?"
"Yup. Truth is I'm really scared too."
May looked from the floor and faced Judai with curious eyes.
"I know it looks like I'm keeping it cool, but not knowing how everything will turn out has been bothering me. Friends are either captured or missing, there's so few of us left, and we don't even know what's exactly behind all this."
May sorrowfully gazed at a wall and held the Aurora close. The little one paid no mind to it and playful snuggled up to May. "I know what you mean."
Judai proceeded to put his hands behind his neck and took a deep breathe. "But...that's just how it is, huh?"
Meanwhilre Mandy was cautiously eyeing Gumball. His silence mixed with his dazed look gave her a bad feeling.
Numbuh 5 suspiciously stared at Mandy. Out of all the campers, she was extremely familiar with her tech. If anything, it confirmed her suspicions about her.
"Hey Abby," Ilana greeted.
"What's up?"
"Just wanted to ask how are you so well equipped? This seems way out of your league."
Numbuh 5 snickered "I don't think I need to tell you not to judge a book by its cover."
Ilana gave her a warm smile. "You're right. What's important is that you helped give us a better chance."
"Eh, it's nothing. We should probably get going before the sun comes out."
thunk thunk
The faint noise caught everyone offguard. Everyone, but Gumball.
"What was that?" Judai asked.
Thunk Thunk
"It's coming from outside," Ilana noted.
"I'll check it-"
THUNKKKK
The basement door flew down the stairs and right at Numbuh 5's feet. Peering through the door was a girl with green eyes and brainwashed complexion.
"We need to go!" Numbuh 5 cried.
"Get in the meat locker!" Mandy ordered.
"Aurora, Shadow Ball!" May cried.
Aurora shot out a purple orb to create a smoke diversion and Buttercup immediately ran into the meat locker. However, when she got inside, she couldn't find the others instead she found…Gumball? Suddenly, the meat locker door was locked shut and the temperature inside got even colder. Cold enough for the entire place to freeze Buttercup and Gumball.
Mandy removed her fingers from the A/C controls and looked through the door window. "That should hold them."
"So Gumball was not only brainwashed, but he was leading Buttercup here?" Numbuh 5 asked.
"It didn't bother you that Gumball was actually quiet?"
"Fair enough."
"Are you sure they'll be ok?" May asked.
"Of course, they are," Mandy replied. "Worst case scenario is that they die of hypothermia, but I've seen them been through worse. Now let's move!"
The unfortunate quintet, and Aurora, ran out of the basement and into the wild. The team ran as a group, making sure to stick close.
"We got unfriendlies!" May cried.
"Unfriendlies!?" Numbuh 5 had a puzzled look.
"Yeah, you know? You got friendlies and unfriendlies."
Three fungbeasts came running towards them, but Judai sprayed them with G.A.S.B.L.A.S.T.E.R.S. Instantly they disintegrated, and the lingering gas discouraged a few fungbeast.
"I never heard that one before!" Judai panted.
"Just call them enemies, hostiles, monsters, or something that sounds appropriate!" Numbuh 5 huffed.
"Sorry," May frantically apologized. "I don't think properly when I'm scared!"
"May, they're coming your way!" Ilana yelled.
May shrieked as the fungbeast rushed towards her. She brought up her blaster to aim, but she was in a state of panic. Her vision was becoming blurry, her palms began to sweat, and her hands shook.
"May!" Judai's eyes began to glow and seemingly out of nowhere an explosive energy blast engulfed two fungbeasts.
More fungbeast came from all directions, forcing everyone to put their attention elsewhere.
Three more came towards May's direction, but without command her Pokémon shot out star-shaped projectiles. The attack took out two of them but the last one lunged at May.
"Eep!" Terrified, May winced and held out her blaster. With the press of a trigger the gas came out. Once she opened her eyes she was shocked to see the fungbeast incapacitated. "Sorry! I'm so sorry!"
"Why are you apologizing?" Mandy asked.
Mandy had tears swelling in her eyes. "It makes me feel better!"
Meanwhile, the mind-controlled Buttercup and Gumball were still stuck in a predicament. Unfortunately for the fivesome, Buttercup's eyes started glowing green and she shot out green laser beams to melt through the ice. Through a stroke of luck, she managed to hit a beam through a wall and busted the A/C system.
It took a while, but the ice finally melted and the two were free. Back for more, Buttercup loudly broke through the ceiling and headed for the fleeing campers. Gumball just laid there…apparently.
Back to our protagonists, they heard something far back and it was coming from the Mess Hall.
Ilana stopped in her tracks and locked back. "Buttercup's coming!"
"You're joking!" Judai cried.
"I wish."
"Then stop standing there and let's go!" Numbuh 5 exclaimed.
"No, she'll catch up with us." Ilana started running in the other direction. "Good luck, everyone!"
"Ilana!" May screamed.
"She's right we gotta keep going," Mandy said.
Mandy ran off while the other three painfully looked back but continued running towards the forest.
On the other hand, Ilana ran back to her cabin room. Three fungbeast stood in front of her, but she sprayed them with no fear. After she finished them off, Ilana entered the room and pulled her suitcase from underneath her bunk. She opened it and pulled out a golden watch.
"I guess it's been a while." Ilana wrapped the watch around her wrist and ran back outside.
Buttercup came crashing down as if she was on queue. Ilana frowned and clutched her watch. It was certainly a standoff.
XXXXXXXXXX
"We need to go back!" Judai cried.
"Don't be stupid," Mandy scolded. "You won't stand a chance against her."
"But Ilana's totally not gonna stand a chance! She's gonna get creamed!"
"Don't you think she knew that!? If you respect, then you should have faith in her that she'll follow through!"
Just then there was a flash of light coming from the campsite.
Judai knew this spelled trouble. "I'm going back! You go on without me!"
"Hold up!" May pointed to the sky. "Look!"
The others looked up to see Buttercup was engaged in combat. Her opponent seemed to be some robot with golden armor. The mech shot multiple laser rays from its head plate. Buttercup was easily able to dodge two and tanked one. Even so, the fight continued as the mech was agile enough to keep up with Buttercup's speed.
"Who is that!?" Judai hollered.
"How about we stop staring and keep running!" Mandy snapped.
The four continued on, occasionally running into fungbeasts along the way. Numbuh 5, Mandy, and Judai fearlessly pressed on, and while she was still distressed, May continued to fight the best she could.
Eventually they were able to trail a patrolling unit back to their cave. The four were not situated on a nearby ridge. Security was even tighter now, because not only were there fungbeast there, but Mao Mao, Jack, Biscuit, and Sasha were there too.
"No…" May whimpered.
"Well at least they're safe," Judai said with relief. "I hope we can still save them."
Mandy looked down and noticed there was a broken handheld transceiver. "Looks like they got someone here. We're gonna need a diversion."
"Then I'm your guy." Judai grinned proudly. "And you can't stop me this time."
May nervously rubbed her legs and looked down. She then began to quietly murmer to herself. "Mmmmmmm, I-I'm with you too."
"You sure May?" Numbuh 5 worriedly asked.
"It will be dangerous," Mandy said. "I can guarantee at least one broken bone."
May gulped, but when she needed her Aurora jumped in her arms and gave her a confident smile. May smiled back and looked back at the three. "Sorry, but you won't be changing my mind either."
Numbuh 5 nodded. "Wish us luck."
"Same to you," Judai replied.
Numbuh 5 and Mandy used nearby cover to sneak their way toward the cave. Once they couldn't go any further, May and Judai decided to make their move.
"Alright Aurora," May began, "Time for another Shadow Ball."
"Vee!" Once again, Aurora created another ball of ghastly energy from her mouth and shot it at the fungbeast by the entrance.
"Hey!" Judai shouted. "Come and get some!"
Immediately, the guards were alerted and ran to their location. Luckily, Mandy and Numbuh 5 were easily able to slip by without detection.
"There in!" May beamed. "Now comes the scary part, though."
"Yubel," Judai thought to himself. "I'm gonna need all the power you can give. Oh, and uh try not to hurt our pals too bad."
"As you wish,"Yubel replied.
Meanwhile, Mandy and Numbuh 5 were en route to wherever they believed the source of all this chaos was. Surprisingly, there weren't too many fungbeast to deal with. Occasionally, they would have to hide so they wouldn't attract attention to themselves. While they didn't know where they were going, they heard voices deeper in the cave and followed them.
After minutes spent navigating a cave, they finally found what they were looking for. Standing on a high platform in a massive cave opening was a monstrous creature. Surrounding him were prisoner cages filled with very familiar faces.
"Poor FP," Numbuh 5 whispered.
"Isn't that the breakfast monster?" Mandy asked. "Of all the things…"
"Yeah, I know. Anyways…" Numbuh 5 removed a sack and took out their Hail Mary. "We'll only have one shot at this."
"Yep, and my guess is that you wanna take it. Word of advice, make sure it's up close and/or down the throat."
Numbuh 5 pulled out another device from the bag. "I'm giving you the trigger. Distract him so I can get close."
"Fine. Just hurry up." Mandy got up from her hiding spot and took a deep breath. "This might be a candidate for the fourth worst moment of my life."
Mandy revealed herself to everyone inside and shouted, "HEY MUSHROOM FACE!"
Everyone's eyes turned to Mandy. Mandy stood with her hands stretched out and a nervous scowl. So far, everything was going to plan.
"Mandy's here?" Flame Princess banged on the lantern to get her attention. "Mandy you gotta go!"
The prisoners all got up to see what the commotion was about.
"What does she think she's doing?" Sam asked.
"That form…" Zoidberg came to an insane realization. "I think she wants to show us a magic trick."
"Please tell me you're joking."
Mushy looked down from where he stood. "And what do you want, girl? Come to surrender?"
Mandy coughed and cleared her throat. Then, she did the impossible.
Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there
Everyone's eyes shot open, and their mouths hung open. Even Numbuh 5 was too shocked to move. Mushy didn't know what was going on, but all he did was stare.
"Has she lost her mind?" Power asked.
"Is she singing?" Finn chuckled.
She would merengue and do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a starrrrrr
Tony always tended bar
Numbuh 5 shook her head and focused on the mission. "If someone told me the camp being overrun by plant monsters would lead to Mandy singing, I would send them to a mental hospital." Immediately she snuck about, trying not to avoid prying eyes.
Across the crowded floor, they worked from eight til four
They were young and they had each other
Who could ask for moreeeeeee?
"Oh my gosh she's singing," Sam gasped with amusement. "Not a bad show."
"Sam look." Zoidberg pointed to Numbuh 5 sneaking across the cave.
Sam easily put two-and-two together and began clapping along to the song. Soon after more of the prisoners joined her, distracting Mushy further.
At the copa
Copacabana
The hottest spot north of Havana
"What is happening?" Mushy asked himself.
At the copa
Copacabanaaaaaaaaaa
Music and passion were always the fashion
Numbuh 5 ran up the ramp that led to Mushy's platform. Surprisingly, she was doing well.
At the copaaaaaaaaaa
They fell in love
"C'mon Abby," Flame Princess muttered. "Do whatever…you're about to do…"
His name was Rico
He wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair, he saw Lola dancing there
Numbuh 5 was so close. From a few meters, she was at Mushy's feet.
And when she finished, he called her over
But Rico went a bit too far
Tony sailed across the bar
However, she couldn't foresee someone lunging at her. That someone was a mind-controlled Rigby who jumped on her and knocked the bomb in her hand away.
"NO!" Numbuh 5 cried.
And then the punches flew and chairs were smashed in two
There was blood and a single gun shot
But just who shot whooooooooo?
Mandy stopped midway through her song and watched as the bomb fell to the bottom floor. Luckily it was still intact, sadly it was out in the open. "Uh, oh."
Everyone stopped clapping except for the socially awkward Zoidberg.
"Aw, we're done singing?" Zoidberg groaned.
Mushy laughed aloud. "Such a strange diversion, but do you really think that would work? I can have eyes anywhere!" Mushy made a motion with his hands and entangled both Numbuh 5 and Mandy.
Numbuh 5 and Mandy struggled to free themselves, but their luck ran out.
"Dangit," Numbuh 5 muttered. "Did we just lose?"
"Now," Mushy began, "Time to dispose of that disgusting weapon."
Goku emerged from the darkness and made his way to the bomb. If it wasn't clear to them before, this was certainly the 11th hour.
Numbuh 5 and Mandy were struggling to free themselves. Finn tried to break through his cage. Flame Princess desperately attempted to melt through the lantern. Sam tried to send signals to Power to make a move, although Power was still unmotivated to do anything. Unfortunately, it was pointless and Goku was about to pick it up until...
BANG
Spinning into the scene, a absurdly large hammer managed hit Flame Princess's lantern cage and the weapon fell to the floor. The owner of it made his entrance and it turned out to be a fat, blue penguin with a red robe. He also had a big fat smirk on his face.
"HA DIRECT HIT!"
As he gloated, the glass on the lantern began to crack slowly, and slowly, and slowly, until the whole thing shattered.
Flame Princess fell to the ground and landed on her feet. Immediately, she flared up and directed her focus on Mushy. The green giant stepped back, intimidated by the girl's raw power.
Mandy was close by and watched confidently. "So, ready to accept who you are now?"
Flame Princess didn't feel any fear or doubts. Instead, she felt determined to take Mushy down. Not for herself, but for the people she befriended. Immediately she threw a fireball aimed at Mushy's head.
"AHH!" Mushy cried in fear. Before the blast could hit, Mushy controlled Goku to jump in and take the blast.
Flame Princess growled and charged another fireball, larger than the last one. Once it was ready, she threw it at Goku's chest. The blast hit, but it also split into four smaller projectiles. The fireballs managed to burn off all four of Mushy's limbs, leaving the monster immobile. The girl couldn't help but smile while in the background, the prisoners cheered her on.
"Slamacow!" Finn hollered.
"STOP HER!" Mushy panicked.
Goku was sent into action and punched the girl through the cave. He then followed her to keep Flame Princess far away from Mushy. As Mushy lay there in shock, Power ran to his side. Suddenly, Blaineley came darting in just in time to free the prisoners.
"Smash those locks new blood!" Blaineley ordered the penguin.
"With gusto." The penguin lifted his hammer and first smashed the lock belonging to the cage holding Sam, Zoidberg, and the interns. Next, he freed Soldier, Jude, and Dan from their cage. He then threw his hammer like a boomerang to destroy the lock holding Finn's cell.
"Miss Blaineley!" Riley cried. "You saved us!"
Blaineley put on a proud, self-indulgent pose. "Oh, it was nothing. You're my people and I had to save you."
"And like that, she's already better than Chris," said Fetch.
The penguin angrily crossed his arms and muttered to himself, "As if I didn't do all the work…"
Soldier ripped the vines holding Mandy in place with his bare hands and boomed, "Go! Go! Go! To freedom!"
While everyone stormed out of the cave, the only ones who remained were Finn, Sam, Mandy, and Soldier stayed behind. Blaineley noticed this and was confused.
"Have you four lost it!?" Blaineley screamed. "We gotta evacuate!"
"Without Abby and Power?" Sam asked. "Yeah, I don't think so."
"She's right!" Soldier proudly brought his fist to his chest. "We leave no soldier behind!"
Mandy then pointed to the bomb on the floor. "Besides, we need to get rid of that monster too."
"Wow," Blaineley gasped. "You guys are so brave…you make amazing model celebrities! Hey, can I plant the bomb for you guys? I need a big moment!"
Mandy and Sam rolled their eyes at Blaineley's vanity.
"Sure thing ma'am!" Finn said. "Let's end this!"
The squad split up to fulfill their roles. Blaineley and Mandy ran towards the bomb to reclaim it. Mandy inspected the device and was relieved to see there was no major damage to it. She then handed it to Blaineley so she could plant it.
"Ok, all you have to do is press that trigger to arm it and I'll press the switch so it can go boom," Mandy said.
"Ooh!" Blaineley shrieked. "I wanna blow up the monster! It just feels right for me to do so."
Mandy rolled her eyes once again. "Ok you glory hog. Just make sure everyone is at a safe distance before you press it."
Moments later, Soldier and Finn had freed Numbuh 5 from her viny prison. Soldier also picked up Rigby, who was previously laying on the floor.
"Thanks, fellas," Numbuh 5 sighed. "Where's the bomb?"
Finn pointed down from the ramp and to his right. Blaineley was making her way to Mushy's location while Power was unwittingly distracting Mushy by talking. Sam was also behind the horned girl.
"Can't you just regenerate Mushy?" Power asked.
Mushy sighed. "I'm afraid not, mother. Not without a sufficient water source. Haha, I guess I didn't prepare for that. I suppose that's the folley of self-confidence."
Power frowned and placed her hand on what would be Mushy's chest. "You know, it's not too late Mushy. You could abandon your plan for world domination and join my plans. You could even become my vice president."
"What is a vice president?"
"My second in command. Once I become president through the humans' political system, humans will have to bow down to me!"
"That would be nice…we'll be able to enslave every being on this planet with little opposition. That sounds like a wonderful plan, Mother."
"Um...slaverly wasn't part of the idea, but my ideas are ever-changing."
Mushy peacefully closed his eyes. "Well, once I regenerate, I'll be sure to exact my wrath on the planet. I'll make you proud."
Sam awkwardly smiled and patted Power on the shoulder. What seemed to be a show of support was also a signal to hurry up. Blaineley managed to covertly plant the bomb near Mushy's neck, and everyone was beginning to leave the cave.
Power sadly looked at Sam and back to Mushy. "You stay here Mushy. I'll go get you some water."
Mushy smiled and nodded. Assuming that all would be well soon.
Power and Sam ran away to catch up with the others, passing deceased fungbeasts along the way. Eventually, they made it outside and once they confirmed no one was inside, Blaineley held the trigger to her face.
"Prepare to be amazed!" Blaineley pressed the button, and a loud BOOM was heard from outside.
A few seconds later, clouds of green smoke emerged from the cave. Everyone rushed out of the way so they wouldn't inhale the fallout. After reaching a safe distance. They stared in awe as the cave entrance collapsed on itself.
"WOOHOOOOO! Suck on that!" Blaineley cheered.
"Are you sure he's dead?" Soldier wondered.
"Shut up, you're ruining my moment!"
Power was the only one who seemed to mourn Mushy. Feeling some sympathy, Sam put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"At least it's over," Sam whispered.
Power looked at Sam with a straight face. "Don't pity me, Sam. I know very well this was a possible outcome. I told you Mushy wasn't going to accept change so easily, or at all really."
Internally, Sam agreed with Power but she was surprised by how quickly Power got over her grief. She was also surprised to hear her name and not florist.
"Still...I wish things could've been different," Power whimpered.
XXXXXXXXXX
Across the island, many of the fungbeast began to break down and die. Soldier wanted to take them in for food rations, but Blaineley was completely against it and ordered him and the interns to dispose of them…with fire.
As for the brainwashed campers, once Mushy died they immediately regained their consciousness. Many of them did not remember the events that transpired when they lost their mind, but they were grateful to know that there were no major or minor side effects…according to Zoidberg. The only thing he found was that Mushy's cells gave the others an immense healing factor while under Mushy's control.
"Congratulations Rigby!" Zoidberg cheered. "How does it feel to be among the walking again?"
Rigby had tears in his eyes. "I'm kinda up-in-arms about being healed by a plant monster who wanted to enslave me, but this is way too cool!"
With only one minor casualty, the producers decided the show could go on. And so the night passed and it was the dawn of a new day. The campers were present at the campsite, ready to be graded for their treehouse design. None of the campers were allowed to return to their treehouses, nor the forest for that matter because an environmental cleaning crew was called in to handle the mess.
"So, you're telling me I tried to kill you guys?" Buttercup whimpered. "Aw, man! That's totally messed up!"
"Don't worry about it, kid," Mao Mao said sorrowfully. "You're not alone with that guilt."
"The whole thing was very sporadic," Ilana remarked. "I'm just glad we all got out okay."
"But Ilana, how did you escape from Buttercup?" Judai asked.
"The strangest thing happened," said Ilana. "Some golden warrior saved me and kept Buttercup at bay. After the chaos ended, it just up and left."
"A robot?" Sam said with disbelief.
"That explains it," said Judai. "We actually saw it too before we went to the cave! You should've seen it though, it was going toe to toe with Buttercup."
"That sounds rad," Finn beamed. "Wish I got to see it."
"Wow, you're in a better mood," Biscuit noted.
Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah well…I guess I resolved some things."
Judai gave Finn a supportive thumbs up. "Way to go buddy! Looks like you're back on track."
Biscuit smiled and crossed her arms. "Yep, good to know."
Nearby, Mandy was conversing with Flame Princess about last night.
"I don't say this often," Mandy began, "But…you really came through for us back there."
Flame Princess smiled. "Did you just thank me, Mandy?"
Mandy didn't reply and bluntly looked to her side.
"Don't worry; I understand how prideful you are. Though I want to thank you Mandy for helping me realize I don't have to shun my powers away."
"Good. Hopefully, that means you'll be putting those flames to good use from now on."
"You said it." Numbuh 5 was eavesdropping on the conversation. "Like I said, those powers of yours are really amazing."
Flame Princess gave both of them a heartfelt smile and nod.
"So Mandy," Numbuh 5 began, trying to hold back laughter, "I gotta say, that distraction you pulled off sure was…something."
Mandy growled. "If you told anyone…"
"Don't worry about it. I'll keep my lips sealed. Unfortunately, I don't speak for anyone else who saw it."
Mandy groaned and facepalmed. "Kill me, now."
"For what it's worth, you're a pretty good singer," Flame Princess innocently praised.
"AHEM!" Blaineley arrived at the scene. Alongside her was Soldier and some interns. "I think I can say yesterday was eventful for all of us."
Goku awkwardly chuckled. "Yeah. My bad for scaring you guys."
"Gratitude accepted," Jack replied. "It's good to have you back, friend."
"I'm still kinda scared," said Gumball. "But nothing I can't fix with therapy."
Blaineley nodded and continued with her speech. "Anyways, I think we've all learned a valuable lesson on how dangerous nature is. However, I think we've all learned we're awesome and nature got nothing on us! Now, we got some judging to do, and I'm not sure if we should disqualify the White Lotus."
"What!?" Sasha cried. "If this is for Goku smashing the other treehouse, then that's unfair!"
"Yeah, Goku wasn't in control of himself," said Judai.
"Dude, why are you on their side?" Rigby hissed.
"It's only fair."
"True," Blaineley said. "True. Alright, but I think we need to find out who exactly is responsible for the monster who attacked us."
Power was among the group of interns she brought along, and she gulped. She assumed this would be her end.
Sam raised her hand to gain Blaineley's attention.
"Oh? Something you want to admit to."
"Not really," said Sam. "I think I know who's responsible for this."
Power gulped once again and thought to herself, "Surely she won't betray me!?"
"You see on the day of your arrival; we were briefly attacked by a monster that looked just like the one who started all of this."
"Yeah, I remember that!" Goku exclaimed. "So that's what it was?"
"She's right," Numbuh 5 replied. "And it came from Soldier's breakfast too."
Sam nodded. "Yup. I think we have a good idea who's guilty."
Everyone sent irate and/or hateful stares toward the veteran.
Now Soldier was wearing a helmet, but if you could see them his eyes were shot wide open. "Now wait just a-"
"Soldier, is this true?" Blaineley sternly asked.
"Well er…partly, but it was completely accidental. I never anticipated I'd give birth to that abomination!"
Blaineley facepalmed. "Are you telling me that whole stressful day happened because you don't know how to cook properly!?"
"How dare you critique my cooking! I'll have you know that I've served many companies throughout my tour of duty, and they all gave me a hearty American salute before facing the enemy!"
Blaineley facepalmed once again. "That doesn't automatically make it...whatever. You're so lucky the producers consider you an integral part of the cast, you know that? Since I just want to get this over with so I can have a nice relaxing day to myself, I'll let this go. However, I'm assigning you an assistant chef."
"Roger that."
"Good."
Power was relieved to know that she steered clear of trouble. It would seem her path to becoming the President is still intact. She then looked at Sam, who winked and smiled at her. Power politely grinned back, knowing she has a trustworthy ally to rely on.
Blaineley proceeded to take out two large photographs. She made sure not to present them yet, or give an accidental sneak peak, for dramatic build-up. "Listen up, campers! Instead of walking from one treehouse to another, we decided not to waste everyone's time and take a good shot of both of them. So first up is the White Lotus!"
Blaineley held up the photo for all to see. The White Lotus were understandably disheartened by how their treehouse turned out, but at least they had one.
Rigby couldn't help but laugh. "That's their treehouse!? Hahaha, we got this in the bag!"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Rigby. Your team's treehouse was not only damaged by the fight with Goku but by those strange creatures lurking around the campsite." Blaineley presented the other picture, and just as she said the Whoop Butt Squad's once perfect treehouse was completely demolished.
Naturally, the members of the Whoop Butt Squad were appalled.
"Sorry, but we don't count broken treehouses. The White Lotus secures the win for having a treehouse worth looking at!"
Both teams were absolutely shocked by the end result. How fortunate was it that a monster attack secured the White Lotus a win?
"But we should've lost," Sasha gasped.
"Yeah, but we didn't!" May cheered. "How wonderful is that!?"
'I don't know…this win doesn't feel right."
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"Wasn't expecting that outcome," said Mandy. "Still a win is a win, and I still got Sasha to start doubting her capabilities as leader. All I gotta do now is keep sabotaging her piece by piece."
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"Alright!" Gumball joyfully exclaimed. "We get a new teammate!"
"So where are they?" Jack asked.
Suddenly the giant penguin man burst into the scene. He struck an exciting pose and faced his new teammates. "TA-DA!"
"Awww," Goku moped. "I was hoping for Vegeta."
The penguin made a disgusted face. "Ew! Why would you want that stick in the mud on ya' team when ya' got me, KING DEDEDE!"
"Who exactly is this guy?" Mandy asked with an annoyed tone. "And why is he allowed to be here?"
"Dedede-"
Before Blaineley could continue she was interrupted by Dedede. "Ah-ah-ah! King Dedede! Say the full title lady!"
"Right um…King Dedede was a rejected contestant who was given the chance to join the show at a later date. He got the highest number of votes from fans, so he was allowed to join."
"That's right!" Dedede promptly joined his new team and put his arms around Gumball and May. "Ya' gonna be seein' my mug for a while so get used to it! I'm sure we'll have many wonderful adventures!"
May awkwardly chuckled. "Same to you too."
"You're…squeezing…me…" Gumball wailed.
"Glad to see everyone's getting along so well!" Blaineley happily exclaimed. "Well everyone, the challenge is over so enjoy the rest of your Wednesday."
Blaineley left to return to the staff quarters and many of her people followed her. Some of the campers began to disperse while others stayed behind to talk.
Dedede was currently speaking with Goku, Gumball, and Jack. "Now, what are the sleeping accommodations here? I assume I'll be rooming with you two men and one boy."
Gumball angrily frowned. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Anyways, let's get this straight pal. There are three bunk beds in our room, and for a while, each of us just had a separate bunk to ourselves, but since you're here you throw the whole thing outta wack."
"Really now? That sounds like a personal problem if ya' ask me."
"Why do you care?" Goku asked Gumball. "Didn't you say you were excited for a new teammate?"
Gumball nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Y-yeah, but I don't like sharing a bunk with someone I'm not completely fond of yet. No offense."
Dedede simply shrugged.
"If it bothers you so much, I'll share my bunk with the king," said Jack.
"Seriously?" Gumball questioned.
"Now that is what I call a good neighbor!" Dedede wrapped an arm around Jack. "What's your name, samurai?"
Jack smiled and said, "Jack."
"Well, Jack…I hope you don't mind if I take the bottom bunk."
"Oh, not at all." Jack was grateful that he wouldn't have to worry about a situation where Dedede falls on him.
Meanwhile, Mandy and Numbuh 5 were having a private chat by the beachside.
"This is a first," Numbuh 5 remarked. "Something tells me you didn't bring me here to gossip, right?"
"Of course not," Mandy said bluntly. "I think it's about time we both come clean."
"Come clean?"
"You heard me. I think we both know a lot more about each other than the others."
Numbuh 5 frowned and folded her arms. "What exactly?"
"I know you're an operative known as Numbuh 5 and belong to a global organization known as the Kids Next Door."
"…well that confirms it. It really is you Mandy, or should I say former Supreme Leader Mandy?"
"Then I'm glad we're on the same page."
"Same page? What do you even hope to gain from knowing anything about me? The KND isn't exactly a secret for people who bother to look us up. And for the record, weren't you decommissioned?"
"Fortunately for me, I escaped. Your security isn't all that great, but I'm not here for all that."
"Let me guess this is just some elaborate scheme?"
"I simply just want the prize for my own sake, nothing much. Instead, I have a proposal for you."
"Which is?"
Mandy extended her hand. "Would you like to join my alliance?
XXXXXXXXXXX
Meanwhile, May and Sasha were in their cabin rooms fixing any damages that occurred inside. May was also making sure everyone got their things back after borrowing them yesterday. In particular, May placed a couple of snacks on Numbuh 5's bed.
Sasha glanced at the snack pile and noticed something that bothered her. "Nature Edge Trail Mix?"
"Yeah, it's Abby's," May said. "Is something wrong with it?"
Sasha narrowed her eyes. "No, just odd that's all."
And that's a wrap.
So, how many of you were surprised that King Dedede made it into the mix? I'm sure he'll add another comedic element that hopefully won't get annoying.
Anyways, I'd also like to announce that the current TDN poll is now officially closed. By the time of this chapter's release, it'll be replaced with the 1st Character Popularity Poll, so please participate if you'd like.
As for upcoming chapters, Episode 9 will be put on hold because I'm currently working on the second episode of TDN Side Stories. This time it will feature our eliminated contestants on Playa des Losers Dos.
Welp, thank you for reading and I will hopefully see you next time.
Notes
1. I decided to change Judai's backstory and make it a mix of his anime and manga backstory. Unlike the anime, he never met Yugi nor did he receive Winged Kuriboh from him. If you read the GX manga, you probably know who his mentor figure is.
2. Mandy knows the lyrics to Copacabana. Who knew?
