Reward Challenge

Day 10


"Come on in!"

The machines enter first. Nobody won the last immunity challenge, but they can keep their streak going with another win here.

"Hello again machines. Before we begin, get a look at the new 'Man' tribe…"

The tribe of six enters, and a sack is missing. They all have dead serious looks on their faces, like predators about to tear their pray apart. They come to a stop, and Jeff kicks this reward off.

"Man, we all know what happened yesterday. How are you feeling coming into this one?"

"I'm ready to fuckin' eat." Daisy responds, getting a chuckle out of Chun. "Same here." Drax adds on.

"Intense as usual. You better hope that intensity gets you a win, because reward is up for grabs. For today's challenge, two people will start by using a slingshot, to shoot down a series of targets. Once those are shot down, a gate will open and the next two will run in. Those people will navigate across a series of obstacles to press a button. Once pressed, that will release the last two tribe members."

So basically jail, Jeff.

"They will run up a wall and complete the Butterfly puzzle at the end."

They have to use all that energy and THEN solve a puzzle? Jesus.

"First tribe to finish, earns reward. Wanna know what you're playin' for?"

What are they playin' for?

"You'll be playing for fishing gear, that's waiting for you back at camp." Jeff announces. "One tribe looks like they're in need, while the other could get another advantage. Every reward counts."

The numbers disadvantage exists too, and the host initiates the Sit-Out Protocol.

"Machine, they are down to six, so you've gotta sit three people out. Who will they be?" Jeff asks, and the nine get together.

"You'll fare well without me." Sektor volunteers.

"Yeah same here. Clanker, you got the puzzle?" Rocket asks.

"You can count on me."

"I'll take one for the team." Gazelle says, and there they have it.

Since they've come to a decision, the tribe turns back to Jeff and fill him in. "Alright then. Sektor, Rocket, Gazelle, head to the Sitout bench." They do exactly that. With sit-outs done, it's time to move on.

"I'll give you a moment to prepare and we'll get started."


Start: Monty and Silver Sonic, Rick and Ulala

Middle: Cyrax and Dark Samus, Brandon and Drax

End: Megatron and Clank, Daisy and Chun-Li


The four starters get ready for that slingshot.

"Reward on the line. Survivors ready?"

.

.

.

"GO!"

The two pairs get right to it, three targets to hit, and a basketful of sandbags. Unsurprisingly, when not in water, Silver Sonic's on it and starts firing before Monty even gets all the sandbags he needs!

"Right out of the gate, Silver getting his team the lead!"

The gator rushes over, and Silver misses his second shot. "Go a little slower, will ya?"

"Speed is all we need."

Rick and Ulala aren't far behind, as they land their first shot!

Silver and Monty land their second!

Humanity lands their second!

"Both teams only got one more to go!"

.

.

.

Silver and Monty miss!

"Hmph. As expected." Megatron says, not learning to shut up.

Rick and Ulala miss!

"We almost had that!" Ulala shouts in frustration.

Silver and Monty hit their last target!

"Machines are good!"

Rick and Ulala hit their last target!

"Man are good!"

Cyrax, Dark Samus, Brandon, and Drax rush in, with the machines having a slight lead. Drax is hot on their tail while Brandon's slacking a little. He's the only one without that gift of athleticism.

Cyrax and Dark Samus take to the first obstacle: Four stacks of red and blue blocks. One slip will make them start over. Drax gets there too but turns around to call for his teammate. "BRANDON MCDONOUGH! RUN FASTER!"

"I'M TRYING!"

"TRY HARDER!"

Meanwhile, Cyrax elects to go first. He gets through all four easily, much to the frustration of the Kylosian. "Stop being good! Just be bad!"

"That's comedic of you."

Dark Samus goes next and has little difficult getting block to block. Once she passes, they move on and Brandon finally reaches him, catching his breath. "Ok, you go first." Drax just shoves him at the blocks and he falls into the mud!

"You were supposed to jump."

"I'm outta breath…"

Brandon climbs back to the platform…and Drax takes matters into his own hands. He picks him up like a child and jumps across the blocks. He almost slips on the third one, so he tosses Brandon at the platform and he lands!

"Machines still have the lead but Drax is looking to make up for lost time!"

Drax gets to the finish of that obstacle, and basically drags Brandon to the next one.

"Ahhh my back! Stop it please!"

"We cannot let up."

They climb a ladder and come to the second obstacle: Four Big Balls. Wait a minute…

Their two enemies are already on the third ball, these being harder to navigate than the last one. Cyrax gets to the last one and holds his hand out. "Take my hand…"

She goes to..but Drax takes down the two balls like a raging beast! He starts sliding down the third one and grabs her legs! "You'll go nowhere! Brandon grab her!"

The guy gets past the first ball..BARELY survives getting to the second one, and can see his partner dangling. "I can just step over her.."

"They can't pass if she falls!"

Brandon smacks himself in the face and jumps onto her! He wraps his arms around her and it's a tug of war between the three!

TEST YOUR MIGHT.

She pulled towards the men, then back towards her ally.

To men, to Cyrax again.

To men….to Cyrax again.

This is a struggle for her. One Montgomery Gator decides to make a move and end this tug of war once and for all. "HEY DRAX! OVER HERE!" The destroyer doesn't look. "DRA—"

"You are trying to take my focus off, but that's not going to work."

"I KNOW ABOUT YOUR SECRET!"

Monty: Nothin' like a distraction to throw 'em off!

Drax swings his head over, and that slight distraction gives Cyrax the momentum he needs to pull Dark to the fourth ball! They hit the finish to that, and their button is in sight. The two men keep hanging onto the third, not out of it yet.

Dark hits the button, and the cage holding Megatron and Clank raises, letting them leave. There's a wall ahead of them, and the last obstacle waiting up there. Megatron takes advantage of their lead and offers his hand.

"I will throw you up. Do you trust me?"

"…."

"I'm not going to break you. Do you trust me?"

Clank spots the two men reaching their finish, and takes it. The Decepticon tosses him up, and Clank grabs onto the top of the wall, pulling himself up. "Now you!"

Megatron blasts through the wall in a few seconds, hoisting himself up. You've got beasts when it comes to running these walls like T'Challa and Diana. Megatron might need added to that list. Anyways, Drax and Brandon reach their button and smack it, as Daisy and Chun are released, taking on a wall ahead.

Back at the machines puzzle, and they've got some of it complete. While they work on that, Megatron speaks up about the events from a few days ago. "While we are up here…"

"Yes?"

"Is there any way people can move on? I've learned how sensitive they are over it." Megatron, missing the point.

"It hurt a lot of people. For all we know he was a good prescience on their team. What you did made everyone sick to their stomach." Clank responds. "It wasn't humane."

"It was strat—"

"I know it was strategy, but it blew up your game. If you want people to move past this, you need to prove yourself with actions, not words." Clank says.

Chun rushes up the wall first, and reaches a hand out for Daisy. "Treat this like the Olympics.."

"This is boring compared to that." She says, running up that wall and taking Chun's hand. They get to the puzzle and Chun devises a strategy. "They've got a head start."

"So, just go as fast as possible."

They try to speed run the puzzle, but unfortunately for them, the two machines have too great of a head start. They get the final piece in and…

"JEFF!" Megatron shouts.

"MACHINES WIN REWARD!"

The two slide down the wall and join their team. Daisy and Chun slide down too, eating yet another loss.

In confessional, Daisy has the deadest look in her eyes.

Daisy: What a shocker.

Once the two teams regroup, Jeff does what he usually does. Prop one team up and guilt trip the other. "Congratulations machines, you've earned the fishing gear. Man…I've got nothing for ya. Head back to camp, I'll see you all tomorrow for the immunity challenge."

The two teams depart, and we hear from Drax.

Drax: ..That gator will stop at nothing to make me miserable. The next time we meet, I'll be getting mine back.


Man

Day 10


Welp, another reward loss. They cannot catch a break thus far.

Nobody's happy about it, but luckily nobody's had a mental breakdown yet. Rick's one of the unhappy few, drinking out of his canister with bags under his eyes.

"Hey!"

He turns around and Ulala's coming to him with a canister of her own. "You've been off. Can't say I blame you."

Rick let's out a sigh. "We take one step forward, two steps back. I've tried being an optimist but ever since that bastard robot did what he did, it's been a beating."

"Tell me about it…"

"How do we come close one minute, and get squashed the next? A man can only take so much."

Ulala doesn't seem sad though. That's probably out of her system for now. "We've sucked, that's how it is. But if we mope around none of us have a shot."

"I didn't want to mope but man..it's been a minute since a community got our asses handed to us this badly. It's rough getting the shit end over and over. I see why Daisy lost it." Rick admits.

"It's tough but you've gotta snap out of this. Porky called me 'weak' and it stung, but I'm still strong. Monty's been calling us a wreck but we're still here. That has to count for something!" Ulala says, trying to look at the bright side. She's had her moments but the last thing the team needs is more negativity.

Rick and Chun have had their heads on their shoulders, but ones starting to slip away. He takes down more of that H20. "We need to pull off a win. If Drax and Brandon can't get it together, one of them has to go. There's no getting around it."

"Well let's just take one out and lock it up next time. Drax has this 'secret' and Brandon's not pulling his weight. I know i just said we sucked, but we get closer every time, sooo tomorrow could be our lucky day. I love your optimism, we don't need to lose that too." Ulala coming from the heart.

Rick doesn't smile, but the words are getting to him. Maybe he's just in his own head about it. Unusually negative from the sheriff. "You becoming the tribe's therapist?"*

"It's the best I can do."

Ulala: Everyone needs support on this team I'll be the one to step up. Everyone's patience is running out, even MINE, but if our heads are in the clouds, they are gonna fall hard.


Machine

Day 10

Clank, Cyrax, Dark Samus, Megatron, Mighty Gazelle, Monty, Raccoon, Sektor, and Silver Sonic


The machines return to camp, Monty, Megatron, and Sektor check out the fishing gear. Yet another reward won for the team.

Clank expresses such feelings. "Another success! Despite how different we are, I say we work together pretty well." The gator fumbles the rod in his hand. "We got brains, brawn, and beauty!"

"And little too much confidence…" Megatron mumbles.

"Don't hate me cause you ain't me. I didn't need to tear a sack to MaKe A StAtEMeNt."

Clank gets in between the two. "Guys can we just enjoy the reward for one moment?"

"NO!"

"NO."

The little bot just has a dejected look on. The F-Zero vet steps between them too. "I get you two got your egos but let's just settle down."

Megatron doesn't take that well. "We could settle down if you all would move past this. It was an error, why are we still dwelling on it?"

"Because it's inhumane. You are in desperate need of an education because you still can't wrap your head around this." Clank's definitely losing his patience when he's calling someone stupid. Politely though.

"Just because you're soft doesn't mean I need to be the same. Sackboy got dismantled, but that's not our problem is it?" EVERYONE glares at Megatron…except for Dark Samus who has a neutral expression.

Silver Sonic's the first to retort. "For someone who calls me a Metal clone, you act more like him than I ever have."

OUCH. The death stare from Megatron tells everyone all they need to know. "You're talking about ice?"

It's fight night.

Clank: ..Why do we do this to each other? Can't they get out of their own way? We are supposed to be celebrating and testing out the equipment..but instead, they are fighting again. For a tribe that's supposed to be "logical", we are more emotional than we'd like to admit. And that's ok! But these blows are too low for my liking.

Megatron doesn't hold back. "Your creator ditched you for Metal. Oh yeah, I know about Ivo Robotnik." The silver bot glares at him. "HE could get whatever task he needed done. You struggled against a meek old man."

"I still won."

"You lost us time in the water."

"I—"

"MECHA can even adapt and he's never participated. No wonder Robotnik ditched you so early, because you've been a throwaway your entire life." Megatron is a menace cutting that deep. Silver doesn't have a response, and the Decepticon goes on. "Even when they edit this show together, they still won't remember you because you're here to fill a spot."

Ok this is getting a bit too personal.

"You'll always be inferior to the other hedgehogs. Who do you think they'll pick for All-Stars? Two of the best to play this game? Or a pre-merge boot?"

"….."

"You've got nothing. Because you know I'm right."

He.

Just.

Snaps.

"If you're done talking, I'm about to demolish you."

"Give me your worst."

"You want to talk about my failures? Let's talk about yours. I hear you mention this 'Optimus Prime' character and how one day you're going to beat him. You've been repeating that for years, but have you ever won?"

"…."

"..No wins?"

The Decepticon seethes, but his rival doesn't stop. "Oh and you should know, I'm not going anywhere. You've caused your own downfall, and I'll gladly watch the drop."

"Silence.."

He takes great offense. "I will never silence myself for a hypocrite like you! You've been coming for me all this time because you're scared of me, yet YOU want to talk about how I'm the throwaway?! How typical of you, acting before you think."

He's going in..

"You keep beating a dead horse with this 'hedgehog' talk…THEY. DON'T. MATTER NOW. Do I need to say it slower so your programming can understand?" He asks, not just going in on Megatron but kicking him while he's down.

Clank decides to step in again. "I can't sit by and let you two hurt each other like this. Can we please put this to an end?" Oh what a sweet robot he is. That's the problem here.

Neither of THEM are.

"By hell or high water I promise that you, Silver Sonic..will never win this game."

"When Optimus is cast, he'll beat you again."

Rocket starts to laugh but the Decepticon points at him. "Do you think this is funny?"

"Hahaha, sorry but it's just so funny how he bent you over and spanked you!"

"Grrrrrhhhh…laugh now rodent but when you leave the game with him, you won't be laughing.

Rocket just makes a mockery of this. "Oh nooo, I'm so scared the guy with nobody is gonna rally the troops. Who are you gonna get? PRODUCTION?"

Some can argue that this treatment is cruel. The others on the tribe can definitely conduct themselves better, but Megatron has not helped his case at all by doubling down.

Silver Sonic gets a confessional, putting it all out there.

Silver Sonic: I meant EVERY. Word. There won't be any apology from me. This pathetic excuse of a leader has tried to make me feel small ever since I joined this tribe, spreading this narrative that I'm a pest who needs controlled to everyone. I'll credit where it's due to Clank filling me in on what's going on, because if he didn't do that I could have believed it.

W.

Silver Sonic: No matter how hard Megatron tries to break me down, I'm nobody's throwaway.

Megatron just storms off, done with all of this. Even though he's the one who did it, but then again, the assessments on him might be right.

"Pathetic…."

After the ruckus dies down, but those feelings are still very much alive in the two who hacked each other.

Clank decides to get Silver away from camp. They walk along the beach, with rocky terrain behind them. Clank's been his closest ally ever since the second reward. He's also been Rocket's as well, but Drax is still in the picture so he's more like his number two.

The raccoon's also just busy elsewhere, so Clank decides to kick this session off with a question."Are you feeling better?"

"Vengeance is still in my mind. Thanks to his babbling, I'm making a new plan…what if we throw the other team a bone and eliminate him right now?" He's DONE done with Megatron.

Clank has his concerns. "I understand where you're coming from, throwing can backfire. He could still have an idol."

"If he has an idol, we can just flush it and take the shot next time."

"With all due respect, this isn't the way to go about it. If we get carried away throwing, the other team could pick us off. There is a bigger picture here." Clank worries. "Besides if he plays the idol, he'll take you out."

Silver Sonic gives him what looks like a death stare..but then the tension leaves his face. "Then it's a risk I'm willing to take."

Clank: He's not threatening when you actually talk to him..or he's at least trying to hold that back. He's straightforward and there's nothing wrong with it. But this plan to throw against our target is asinine when idols are in play. He's a Tron on an island and he knows it.

That robot, once under Eggman's control, shows restraint. "If I decide to try, there are no promises come a swap."

"That's reasonable. I hope to see you at the merger."

"As do I."

Silver Sonic: If you asked me when i'd go on day two, it would be Pre-merge. But Clank and Megatron have given me mileage in two different ways.

Those two aren't the only ones reeling from the fight. Cyrax is sitting on a log, with a couple butterflies nearby. He knew Megatron was bad news from the start, but all it took was one strategy and everyone sees the Decepticon for what he is. That has to be validating for him.

He can dive deep later though cause his thoughts are interrupted when Gazelle enters the scene.

"Saw you storm off. What's up with that?"

"..have a seat."

The racer obeys, and lets the member vent. "I can't help but feel this tribe is doomed to fail."

"Doomed?"

"We aren't proving anybody wrong when it comes to how we act. A majority of us are always callous." Cyrax explains. "When I go back into the real world, I'd actually like to live life without a mob coming for me."

It clicks for Gazelle. "Ohhhh..so this is a reception thing. Yeah, he's really makin' us look bad."

"Not just him. Montgomery scares the other team. Sektor and Dark Samus are going to be ruthless to the audience. Even though Silver Sonic stood up for himself, he'll still be seen as aggressive." Cyrax vents.

"Well…who cares you know? It's not like everyone's going to jump you."

Cyrax chuckles. "They'll still see machines like us as things to be afraid of. People can cross over into our worlds and take it out on us there."

Gazelle sighs. "No offense or anything but dude..if you don't like being a machine, why'd you even choose to be one?"

Cyrax gets up from the ling and walks towards the racer, who apologizes. "Hey I said no offense."

"No offense is taken, but you don't know do you?"

"Know what?"

Sektor walks right in, cutting him off. "Sorry to interrupt..but Gazelle, do you mind staying this time?"

Gazelle tilts his head. Sektor actually talking with him? In what world? "Well it sounds important so I'm stickin here."

"Good. It's pressing."

Sektor faces Cyrax next. "This situation matters above all else."

Gazelle's caught by surprise and it shows in his confession.

Gazelle: Right in the middle of our talk, Sektor broke in and we talked strategy. What?! Hell has frozen over!

Before anything is heard about Sektor's plan, Cyrax gets a confessional explaining himself.

Cyrax: Despite Sektor's change in plans, I wasn't thinking about that. Every machine that's come on here paints us in a bad image. Metal Sonic, Nefarious, now Megatron. That will turn people against me in the real world out of fear, when I just want to live my life. It already happened with the Cyber Initiative. My life has been going downhill ever since then, and having stigma because of Megatron is the worst outcome. I may not be able to get my body back, but I'm still only human.


Alright so first of all, what's Sektor talking to them about? Is it regarding a certain couple of players? You'll find out before the immunity challenge next chapter. Also, Silver Sonic and Megatron have reached the point of Hate, getting them some more screentime.

As for Man, Rick's done lost his patience, and it looks like Drax and Brandon's dysfunction has made them both targets again. Will they get it together and win? Or is it Tribal time once again? If there's a swap, how will that impact the game?

Ticket out, see you in 4C.