A taxi cab pulled up to the messy, mossy green house, and Izzy climbed out of the back. She faced the driver and quickly paid for the fare before turning back around and walking up into her home. As she approached the front door, her mind began to race with the biggest realisation: She was in another season of Total Drama. And, despite it all, she hated it. She didn't want to be thrown around in a jet, she didn't want to go from frozen tundras to scorching deserts, she didn't want to deal with anyone else but Team E-Scope. She also had somehow convinced Chris to let Merida on the show, and with how little fight the host put up, it made her even more uneasy.
Letting a sigh to try and collect herself, Izzy opened the front door and walked inside. As soon as she closed the door behind her, her mother immediately hugged her.
"Izzy! Oh my god, where were you?!" Her mom asked, frantic and horrified.
Izzy took an easy breath. "It's a long story, I'd rather talk about it later."
The older woman nodded. "Of course. I'll make you some cocoa, you relax on the couch, and then tell me everything that happened."
The wild child nodded, and jumped onto the couch. Now that she was home and her comfy couch, she felt a bit better. But not by much. Lazily, she grabbed the TV remote and turned the screened device on just as her mom walked in with the cocoa. Setting Izzy's mug on the coffee table, she looked at her daughter in concern.
"Alright sweetheart, tell me everything that happened", the older woman said.
With a sigh, Izzy nodded, and explained to her mom all that happened since she left for the Gemmie awards. From Chris locking her and all the others out, the wild bus chase to stop the new cast, being stuck in the canyon, and how it all was a ploy to get them onto a new season. Izzy's mom listened silently, looking at her daughter carefully. There was a mixture of emotions that flash on the Psycho Hose Beast's face as she rambled on, from anger to sadness to joy to fear. She was clearly mixed on how things turned out.
"That definitely is… a lot…" The older woman said when her daughter finished her story.
Izzy sighed loudly and leaned back in her seat. "And the worst part is now I'm in a new season, and I had all these plans!" She looked at her mom in desperation. "And I told Chris I'd bring one of my friends along!"
Izzy's mom gave her distressed daughter a sombre look. "You don't seem to be happy to be a part of this new season. I thought you liked being on it?"
Izzy set her cup down so she could dramatically lean back, groaning in anguish. "Because It's not what I want anymore! I want to do what I want, with my friends. Chris is a maniac! And I know now-"
That everything is fake, her mind screamed, sealing her mouth up tightly. She… she knew that was the main reason. Everything was fake, all of it. But… it didn't feel like it. Shaking those existential thoughts from her head, she looked over at her mom and thought of a very careful response.
"That I don't have a chance at winning", the redhead said slowly. "I got Owen, Noah and Eva, sure. But everyone else would be more than happy dumping me as soon as they get the chance."
The older woman gave her girl a sad look, then pulled her into a hug. "Izzy, shush. You are an incredible girl, so creative and always looking for adventure. No matter what happens, I just know you'll do amazing."
Izzy wanted to believe her mom. She really did. But… that feeling of everything wearing a mask terrified her. She couldn't shake it. So, silently, she simply hugged tighter and nodded.
Satisfied with the answer, Izzy's mom kissed her on the head and left to clean the kitchen. Now that she was all alone, the Psycho Hose Beast, almost as if on auto pilot, walked up to her room. Closing the door, she let out a groan and flopped onto her bed, already feeling like seven years were shaved off her life. Lifting her head just a bit, Izzy became quickly aware of the subtle dampness on her cheeks.
But before she could mess with that, she felt a buzz from her pocket.
She quickly twisted into a sitting position, and answered the phone.
"Hey there, Jungle Child", Merida's voice sounded off from the other end. "Last I heard, you were trapped in a desert. You got home safe?"
Izzy let out a tired sigh. "Yeah, we got back fine…"
"I think there's something you aren't telling me…"
Izzy fought back a sob. "Caleb was right! He was right! All of this was just Chris' way to get us back into another season of Total Drama!" She let out a cry of rage.
Merida hummed. "Good thing Caleb took me shopping then, huh?"
"Yeah… It also helps that I told Chris to let you on, or I wouldn't join."
A snort came from the speaker. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. If I was getting sucked back into a season of hell, I'd want all the help I could get too."
Izzy smiled at Merida's blunt language. Majima, being such a constant presence in all of their lives, had made them much more aware of the colourful vocabulary the human race had to offer.
"When are you planning on coming over?" Izzy asked suddenly. "Because we've got two days to get ready."
"I'm on my way right now. Catch ya' later, Iz."
The call abruptly ended, and Izzy let the smile that had morphed onto her face fall. Why? Why did it have to come to this? Roped into another season after the disaster Action was, now with her best friend in on it. She flopped back down onto her bed, and as her thoughts raced, the memory of when she first came back after the whole adventure came to her mind…
~
Izzy stepped onto the paved ground of the movie lot, breathing in the city air she missed oh-so much. Taking a look around, some things were heavily apparent. One, the monster was gone, and the destruction was still noticeable. That made Izzy think… how long was she gone? Looking down at her newly acquired phone, she saw it was two days after that explosive night at the edge of Toronto.
She hummed quietly, stepping out into the open. The sun was rising, thus leaving the sky a fiery orange like her own hair. She snorted at the thought, and instantly remembered something.
She was eliminated.
No, Kaleidoscope was eliminated.
Grinning devilishly, she snuck off to go and get ready, the bracelet Merida bought her glinting beautifully as she moved.
It was time for her second chance.
But then she realised something, and froze.
Zomboss wasn't able to wipe the cameras on time, which means everyone saw her caught right in the middle of a kaiju brawl that levelled most of the lot. Her head started to ring as the thought of being confronted about what happened banged around.
But then she shook her head and grinned goofily.
That was a future Izzy problem.
~
And it still sort of was. The second Aftermath was a nightmare, with Izzy on the spot as everyone, including the RCMP, questioned Izzy about what happened. She pretended to be oblivious, pulling the very same doppelganger card she did to Sierra yesterday night.
It wasn't going to work forever, especially now that Merida was coming over.
Which made Izzy realise something that made her heart beat frantically.
Merida.
What was she going to do about the Dun Broch princess? The second fiery redhead with a back for archery all the way from a non-existent place in Scotland? How would she explain her to everyone else?
Groaning, Izzy sat up and looked at herself in the mirror. She still had her hair styled in pigtails, untouched despite everything.
Another hint that she was fake. An illusion.
The thoughts from earlier entered her head as she thought back to what happened. Chris had the Psycho Killer and a bear with him for Dirtbags. That branch could handle the weight of a bus filled with 23 people. She wasn't that hungry even after a day.
It was all fake.
Izzy's eyes widened as she stared herself down, hand shaking as it reached to touch her face. To claw at it. To let it all out-
She was snapped out of her thoughts when a knock sounded off from her door. "Izzy, your friend Merida is here!"
"Alright, I'm coming!" Izzy called back. When she heard her mom walk away, she slapped her face hard, stopping the thoughts from consuming her head. Not in front of Merida.
She took a deep breath, and grinned manically as she rushed out of her room and down the stairs. When she reached the living room, her grin became a more genuine smile when she spotted the spunky Scotswoman on the couch.
Merida smiled back and stood up, letting Izzy get a good look at the "time appropriate" attire Caleb helped her pick out.
Merida had her bush of orange hair done up in a braid, the bunch of hair draped over her shoulder. She had a pair of teal frame sunglasses resting on her head, with a matching sweater with golden cuffs. She had a pair of black joggers, and a pair of teal sports sneakers.
"Merry!!!" Izzy exclaimed in joy, launching herself into a firm yet comforting hug. Merida laughed as she hugged her friend back, setting the duffle bag she was holding down.
"Bloody hell, Iz. If I knew you'd pounce on me like this, I would've brought some armour!"
"You flatter me, princess", Izzy shot back. The two girls broke off the hug, and smiled at each other.
"So, how have you been?" Merida asked with a cheeky smirk.
Izzy rolled her eyes with a smile. "We talked, like, five minutes ago!"
"A lot can happen in five minutes!" Merida shot back.
"You've been hanging out with The Doctor, haven't you?" Izzy asked with a snort.
Merida sighed. "More he dragged me along for some adventures in his world. Amy and Rory helped me out a lot when that happened."
Izzy winced. "My sympathies." She gave Merida a slightly nervous look. "So…"
"So what?"
"Are you okay… with all of this? Joining me, taking part in Total Drama, dealing with Chris, Heather and Courtney? That's all good?"
Merida shrugged. "Eh. After everything we've been through, I can handle some… reality show with a crazy host." The archer shot her friend a reassuring smile. "I'm going to put my stuff away. Be back in a bit." She picked up her duffle bag and headed upstairs.
Izzy watched her leave, mind twisting as she tried to think of what to explain to the others when they showed off Merida. She shook her head, deciding it wasn't worth the headache. With a deep breath, Izzy headed into the kitchen, and saw her mom on the phone.
"Ah, sweetheart! Good", Izzy's mother said in relief. "Chris told the producers you want your friend to join, and they're hoping to pick you two up so Merida can sign her contract."
Izzy nodded. "I'll let Merry know before we hit the hay."
The older woman smiled and nodded, returning to having a quiet conversation on the phone. Izzy smiled and quickly pulled out two sodas out of the fridge before quickly retreating back upstairs to her room. She opened the door, and had her smile grow wider as she saw Merida finish setting up the sleeping bag she brought.
"Sorry about the mess", Izzy said casually as she set the drinks on her vanity. "I was trying to go for a new look before the Gemmies." Izzy gestured to her new look, and Merida studied her for a moment.
"It looks good", Merida complimented. "I can tell you're taking what Maria said to heart."
Izzy shrugged as she walked over and climbed onto her bed. "Yeah… I did think back to what she told me back at the mall. It…", She looked down, grabbing the bottom edge of her jacket, "It felt right."
"I get you on that, Iz." Merida walked over to the vanity, grabbed one of the sodas, and popped it open. "Now, I heard we're doing something tomorrow. Mind telling me what?" The princess took a swig of her drink, eyeing the label after she finished.
"We gotta meet the producers", Izzy explained. "You've got to sign the same contract I did."
Merida snorted. "Ay, I should've expected that. Caleb gave me the run down before I came over."
"You were waiting at the castle?"
"Yep. In case all of this wasn't for a new season, I'd be able to chill with the others."
Izzy snorted again, catching the other soda when Merida tossed it. "Yeah, I get that." She took a sip and smirked. "You've been getting better at using modern lingo."
The princess sighed dramatically, flopping onto a patched up and aged bean bag chair. "That's what happens when you're around Star and Corey for too long. Bastards, all of them."
The two teenage redheads burst into a fit of giggles, and spent the rest of the night happily talking till the moon was high in the sky.
Izzy found herself still awake, staring out of her window like she does most nights. Merida slept on the floor, head hidden in shadow as the Psycho Hose Beast had opened her curtains and blinds to look out at the night sky's jewel.
The more she stared, the more ill she felt.
The moon, without a doubt…
Was flat.
~X~
After the two girls had eaten breakfast, they were currently sitting on the curb waiting for the taxi the producers had set up to pick them up. The redheads both chatted amongst each other about various things, like what to expect from the show, who'd make Chris the angriest, and where in the world they'd visit. Merida, for her part, wasn't really believing the whole 'travel around the world' thing.
"Yeah, I'm not buying that whole plane trip thing", Merida said flatly. "I saw how cheap he made things later on during Action. Him spending more money than I'll ever see in my life, that'll be a pipe dream."
Izzy scoffed. "Tell me about it. But TD is super popular, so maybe Action made enough money to do something like this."
Things fell into a comfortable silence between them for a moment, before Izzy asked something important.
"What was going on, when you called me when I was at the Gemmies?"
Merida sighed. "Just… stuff. Home is chaotic, Doc's adventures were exhausting, and I was thinking about things."
"What things?"
Merida gave her friend a look. "Things that I think all of us have been thinking. Since… you know…"
Since we found out we were fake, Izzy finished in her head. She looked down slightly, only able to get out a quiet "Oh" as her eyes lost a bit of their usual manic energy. She knew that was a thing, it's just she wasn't handling it well. At all.
But before she could dwell on that depressing thought, the taxi finally pulled up a bit away from then. As Merida stood up, Izzy shook her head clear and joined her friend in the back of the vehicle. The driver silently nodded at them, then drove off down the road.
Izzy lazily looked out the window as Merida texted the group chat about her situation. Izzy could see it through the reflection, and decided to watch the messages fly by.
~
ImaginationKid: So everything is okay, Merida?
DunBrochQueen: Yeah, everything is okay. Me and Iz are on our way to get my contract signed.
ImGonnaWreckIt: If they give you a hard time, be sure to let them know what you're capable of.
AmyPond: I'm pretty sure she already knows that, Ralph.
ImGonnaWreckIt: Just saying.
TrollWhisperer11: Guys, just relax. Merida's got this. … Right?
DunBrochQueen: Trust me guys, I got this.
GreatestWarrior: I do have to say that she should bring her bow, in case there's any sort of hostile danger. Flowey, when he gave me a brief synopsis on Total Drama, seemed very unfriendly. This season will be no different.
Scrap_Princess: Regardless… Merida, you and Izzy (please tell her this), just know that if either of you are hurt, I'm skating over there and slaughtering everything around you two.
PowerpuffRedBow99: I don't think that'll be necessary, Baby…
Scrap_Princess: Shut it, Blossom. A matter of fact…
Scrap_Princess created Kill Chris Club chat
Scrap_Princess: Anyone who wants to, join me here so we can plot.
OniChampionOfPurgatory: COUNT ME THE FUCK IN!
LordOfTheUndead: Count me in, too.
XJ9: Seriously, guys?
MagicMewmanMonster: Heck yeah, violence!
XJ9: STAR!
EleventhHour: Oh, let them plot, Jenny. If a line gets crossed, I'm sure all of us will rush over there
CreepersSuck568: He's got a point, Jenny.
XJ9: …you guys all suck.
ImaginationKid: We love you too, Jenny.
RockinStar: LMAO
~
Izzy smiled and tucked her phone away, catching Merida smirking in the reflection of the window. She fought to keep an embarrassed blush off her face, and decided the best thing to do was ignore everything but the world passing by as the taxi travelled down the road.
Merida continued to text all the way to the producer's studio, FreshTV. Izzy's eye twitched for a fraction of a second, but nothing more came of it as the two girls stepped outside and walked into the building. They walked up to a typical receptionist's desk, the woman sitting at it already taking a call.
The woman held up a finger, so both redheads were forced to wait as the call went on for a bit longer. Soon enough, though, she set the phone down and regarded both girls with a smile.
"Welcome! Do either of you have an appointment?"
Izzy shook her head. "I'm Izzy, the contestant from Total Drama. This…", she gestured to Merida, who stood tall, "…is the friend I said I wanted to bring, Merida."
"Oh, yes, of course." The woman looked down at a thing on her desk (presumably a schedule), and nodded. "Yep, the producers themselves have you down here. Top floor, room 146."
Izzy nodded with her iconic grin and Merida said a polite "Thank you" as they left down the hall towards the elevators. As they walked down the hall, they walked by a lot of the employees. And Izzy became heavily apparent that Merida didn't look anything like anyone here. She was a lot more softer, and didn't have any obvious sharp angles like she did.
And, of course, she had no thick outlines around her body.
Externally, Izzy looked fine. Internally, her mind was completely crashing as she began to snap her thoughts onto just that. But when they reached the elevator, she put all of that aside. Stepping onto the lift, she and Merida got into position and the Psycho Hose Beast. As the lift ascended, Izzy gave Merida a comforting look.
"Excited?" The first redhead asked with an excited grin.
"That, and kind of nervous", Merida admitted, watching the lights as the lift rose up. "This is the first time this has happened. Obviously, I know. But still."
Izzy nodded. "I get that. As confident as I was in my audition tape, I was terrified when I saw that pile of papers."
Merida snorted at the memory of Izzy's tape, and flashed her a grin. "Well, knowing you were scared really helps the nerves."
Izzy rolled her eyes, smiling brightly as the doors opened. It didn't take long for the two girls to find the right room, and carefully they walked on in.
Already sitting at the decently long table were four adults in clean suits. Two men and two women of varying ethnicities. They all looked up and smiled at the sight of them.
Izzy felt her spine tingle nervously as she sat down at the other end, Merida taking the spot beside her.
"Izzy! It's great you were able to talk your friend into tagging along with this new season!" The blonde producer said in a jolly tone. Izzy's eyes darted to the logo of the new season, World Tour, that was pasted on the wall.
The Psycho Hose Beast smiled, though it might have seemed a bit strained. "Of course! She means a lot to me, so I just thought 'what the heck?'"
The female producer with braided black hair nodded. "That was very admirable of you. But I'm curious… Where did you two meet?"
Merida cleared her throat. "When Izzy was visiting family in Scotland, I happened to cross her path. And we've been keeping in touch ever since."
"That's very sweet." The other man, one with an Afro, said. "Now, I'm sure Izzy has told you about the show already."
"She has, and I made sure to watch it so I knew what I was getting into."
"That's good! Now, signing this contract", the producer slid a stapled stack of papers over to the Dun Broch princess, "Means you are legally involved with Total Drama, and accept all things that happen. Chris is the host, and he will do what he says. Got it?"
Merida read over the first few pages of the contract, then nodded. "I got it."
The producer smiled and sent a pen across the table. Merida grabbed it and signed, with Izzy catching the four adults gaining a glint in their eyes. But she couldn't make out what it meant. She then returned her gaze to Merida's contract, watching her write out on the final page her name and some basic facts about her.
Merida, after she finished, slid the papers back over. "Done!"
"Excellent! Now, tomorrow a bus will come by and pick you both up, and we want you to get in the back. The last few seats will have a curtain to keep you and the other two new contestants separated from the others. Don't want any drama starting prematurely."
The four producers shared a somewhat sophisticated but phoney laugh, which was Izzy's queue to leave. She bit a quick farewell and dragged Merida out with her by the shoulders. Once they were out, Izzy let out a sigh.
"Okay, actually meeting the producers like that was a lot more nerve wracking than I thought", the Psycho Hose Beast admitted.
Merida nodded. "Yeah, you're right. They…", she shivered, "They almost felt like statues. Or my mum before the whole bear thing."
Izzy took a deep breath. "But now that that's over with, I say we get back to my place and get ready. I want to make sure we're 100% before the bus comes."
Merida nodded, and the two friends left back to the elevator. As they passed by a mural of the whole TD cast on the Wawanakwa dock from their first day together. Izzy found herself eyeing it a bit longer than she thought she would, wondering what her life would've been like if everything was different.
If she wasn't made.
~X~
As the sun set over the quiet suburban neighbourhood, there was activity within the room of one of the homes. Izzy had two large suitcases out, stuffing them with a plethora of essentials as Merida watched, sitting cross-legged on the bed.
"Are you sure all of this is necessary?" Merida asked in confusion. She ducked under a rogue shirt.
"Yes", Izzy said bluntly, looking over her shoulder for a split second before returning to her task. "After Action, and especially after our adventure with Caleb, I've been wanting to be more careful."
"You and careful don't exactly mix, Iz", Merida pointed out with a smirk. But when she got no response, that smirk shifted into a look of concern. "Hey, is everything okay?"
Izzy jumped at the question, froze, then shrugged. "Just thinking, that's all."
"About…?"
"What we've all been thinking."
Merida winced, then gave Izzy a sympathetic look. "Not handling it well?"
"I'm handling it just fine!" That little lie made Izzy's mind scream out, but she ignored it. "I'm more just packing for you, in case… you know."
The princess gave her friend a dubious look, but didn't press. With a huff, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face, she pursed her lips. "Just don't go overboard, Iz. We don't know how much we're allowed to bring."
Izzy nodded, not looking back, as she continued for a bit longer. Once it was done, she let out a relieved sigh and collapsed onto the bed next to Merida. She gave her friend a smile, which was graciously returned, and both girls fell into a comfortable silence.
That was, until Izzy's phone went off.
Both girls jumped, and the Scotswoman watched as Izzy went over and picked it up from the spot on the vanity.
"Hello?" Izzy asked into the device after answering.
"Izzy! Put me on speaker!" Izzy smiled as Caleb sounded off from the other side, and immediately obliged.
"You're on speaker now, CC!" Izzy said with a smile. Merida perked up, and beamed.
"Hey girls! How's it going?"
"All good here, Caleb!" Merida said happily.
"That's great! Contract signed and everything?"
"You got it!"
"Sweet! So, I wanted to call you guys to let you know something: Zomboss and The Doctor are hacking into your world's satellites so we can watch the show live. Mainly you two."
Izzy giggled. "Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised. But hearing it makes me feel a lot better."
"Cool. Also, Majima wanted to say good luck to you both." There was distant complaining heard. "Oh shut it, Majima! I know you're worried about your partner in crime. Don't act like that." Shuffling was heard as Caleb went to address his phone again. "Well, I gotta go. We're getting a whole TD watch party set up here, and we need all hands on deck. Talk later, girls! Love you!"
"Love you too, Caleb!" Both girls chorused back. Izzy ended the call and set her phone back down on the vanity, returning to Merida's side.
"So… tomorrow is it, huh?" Izzy asked in a surprising amount of vulnerability.
Merida gave her friend a reassuring look, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It is, but it'll be fine. If anything happens, we can count on each other like always, right?"
Izzy gave the princess a long, firm look, expression unreadable. Then she smiled, baring her fangs. "You know it, Merry!"
Merida snorted, then laughed. Soon enough, both girls were caught in an explosive fit of laughter that helped make any sour mood better.
It's just what Izzy needed.
~X~
It was the next morning, and the bus would be here in less than an hour. Izzy and Merida had a filling breakfast, courtesy of the Psycho Hose Beast's mother, and now both girls were waiting out on the front lawn with their luggage. Both of them sat on Izzy's largest suitcase, each of their smaller ones by their side as they let the sun beat down on them.
Merida let out an exhausted and frustrated sigh. "Bloody hell, when's the bus showing up?!"
Izzy pulled out her phone and checked the time. "Any moment now."
And with the gift of prediction granted to her by Apollo, the bus turned the corner and made its way to the front of her home. Merida stood up, taking her duffle bag and slinging it over my shoulder.
"So… I guess I'll see ya' on the runway, huh?" Izzy said with a smirk as she gathered her cases.
Merida shrugged. "We'll see how the drive goes. Unless the other two newbies don't make me jump out a window, I'll be fine."
Izzy snorted and waved her friend goodbye as she boarded the bus, quickly making her way to the open seat next to Eva (who just so happened to be sitting behind Owen and Noah). She stuck her suitcases under the seat, and hopped up to lean over the seat in front of her.
"So, you guys excited for this?" The redhead asked, putting on her best performance.
"Suuuuuure, stuck in a cramped metal box with a bunch of people I hate", Noah sarcastically spat. "Sounds like a blast."
"Awwww, c'mon Noah!" Owen said in naive joy. "It'll be fun! You get to hang out with me, Izzy and Eva!" The blonde boy looked over at his girlfriend. "Plus, that new friend of yours!"
"I was wondering what's her deal", Eva grunted. "Where and how did you two meet?"
"I met her at a family reunion in Scotland", Izzy explained, putting on a mock Scottish accent. "She lived in the town my grandparents did, and for that whole week we were joined at the hip. She's crazy good at archery, and when I had to go home, we kept in touch."
"On that new phone we just found out about two days ago?" Noah asked in a bored tone.
Izzy's smile fell just a bit. "Yeah. Just felt right. I got this phone as a gift from people I met a while back. We did some crazy things, and I won't ever forget them."
"Awwwww, that's so sweet Izzy!" Owen cooed.
Eva rolled her eyes with a grumpy expression. "Whatever. As long as your friend knows not to mess with me, we'll be fine."
"She will, don't worry Eva!" Izzy pat her friend's head sweetly, and Eva huffed, turning her attention to the outside world.
Izzy smiled and looked around the rest of the bus. Chef was driving, and many of the others were mingling in some way. Tyler was looking at Lindsay sadly while she and Beth talked a mile a minute. Heather was at the back, closest to the curtains and sitting alone.
When the Psycho Hose Beast turned her attention to Courtney and Duncan, she could just barely catch the punk give Gwen a very subtle and almost unnoticeable side-eye. Just that simple motion alone made Izzy uneasy, like something worse was to come.
But she turned her attention away from that and back to the window beside Eva, watching trees and power lines fly by as they travelled down the road. Silently, Izzy hummed to herself in thought, reaching under the seat to pull out her much smaller backpack. Opening the biggest pocket, she did a double check of her stuff, smiling when all was accounted for.
"You know, I didn't expect you to still be going with what you wore at the Gemmies", Eva suddenly said.
Izzy snapped her gaze at her friend, then looked down at her coat, a hand subconsciously playing with one of her braids. "Yeah. My friend said I should rock it, because it suits me more."
Eva raised half her unibrow in disbelief. "Really."
Izzy nodded. "Really. Plus, I gotta say… it feels nice." Her expression fell just a bit. "Plus, my dad got me this shirt. If I'm travelling around the world, I should show off what he got me."
"You never mentioned you have a dad."
"Had a dad."
Eva winced. "Oops. Sorry, I just-"
"It's okay, Eva", Izzy shot her friend a reassuring look. "It was a long time ago. I just now, with what I've done, he;d be so proud."
But in the deepest part of her mind, Izzy wondered if her dad ever existed. That nagging bit that without Merida or anyone else, it grew louder. But she would just try and ignore it, like now.
Eva gave the redhead the faintest of smiles, and returned to staring out the window. Izzy's attention went back to the others on the bus, and she spotted Heather glaring at her. No one else noticed Izzy glare darkly back, so much so Heather flinched in surprise, then huffed and turned her attention back to the window next to her.
The redhead was about to turn back around when she spotted the slightest glimpse of Merida peeking through the curtain. Both redheads shared a smile before the princess ducked back, Chef glaring up into the rear view mirror before she was caught.
Izzy giggled and pulled out her phone as discreetly as possible, not wanting Hatchet to sniff it out. She scanned over the texts of the group chat, but luckily she didn't miss anything important. She put the phone away again, and felt the bus jerk a bit. There were murmurs as everyone got ready to eventually dismount the plane, although it was increasingly apparent that the whole 'travel around the world' thing hit Owen.
Hard, based on how he locked up.
"This'll be fun…" Noah sighed as the bus came to a stop.
Eva sighed with him as Izzy got out of her way, letting the strong woman pull the lovable lunchbox into a restrained bear hug and walking outside. The Psycho Hose Beast could hear Chris announcing names as the said people left the bus, and Izzy knew it was time. Strapping her backpack to her back and pulling out her other suitcase, she walked to the exit of the bus. But just before she could face the cameras, Chef stopped her.
"Leave the suitcase, girl", he ordered. "I'll take it with me and load it onto the plane."
To the surprise of everyone still on the bus, Izzy nodded silently and left the travel case with whom she considered her rival in Action.
Taking a deep breath and ignoring the stares, she stepped outside…
~X~
And thus the second chapter of This Is Your Captain Crashing is finished! This took a while, mainly because I was focusing on Dreams Come True for a long while. But now that I'm at chapter 59 with that story, I wanna focus on this story so it's more substantial.
So yeah, Merida is here! This is a sequel story, after all. One of the main points I want to focus on is Izzy and Merida's relationship, so that's why they got a lot of moments together.
Trust me, big things are gonna happen. This isn't like your usual World Tour Rewrite.
Up Next on This Is Your Captain Crashing: Merida finally makes her grand entrance, and the contestants learn just how fun this season will be. Singing, flying, and the scorching Sahara Desert can help with that…
~Caleb~