Ticket here, welcome back to yet another episode of Man versus Machine! Even though I can't see the stats right now, I appreciate everyone who's sticking to this story. At least I'm entertaining SOMEONE out there :)

Anywho, this chapter deals with the fallout of yesterday's tiebreaker…there's also a little something important coming this chapter.

That being said, enjoy!

(New) Man: Daisy, Dark Samus, Drax, Montgomery Gator, and Sektor

(New) Machine: Chun-Li, Cyrax, Megatron, Rick, Rocket, Silver Sonic, and Ulala

Twelve are left. Who will be voted out next?

Man

Night 17

Daisy, Dark Samus, Drax, Montgomery Gator, and Sektor

The five arrive back to camp, and lean their torches on the lovely Torch Tree. After the events they were apart of, they figured now's a good time to relax.

Well, Drax doesn't. He just walks off without any explanation.

"What a strange alien.." Dark Samus could word that better.

"Eh, that don't matter." Monty shutting down a bashing session. "Let him get in his feelings about a game." Nevermind.

With two allies gone, and one roaming away, Daisy just drops onto the bamboo bed and stares at the ceiling. She doesn't get her peace, because Sektor walks right up to her, and puts a hand on the top of their shelter. Better hope it doesn't fall.

"There's still hope for you." That gets her to raise her head. "Surprised?"

"Well YEAH, you're coming for us."

"Not you. Even though our last conversation went awry, that doesn't mean this one has too." Sektor takes a look in the distance. No Drax. "You're the reasonable one, the Kylosian has no reason."

"I mean..he can be a wildcard."

"That's why he's going to go next. We normally merge at eleven, and could lose again. You don't mind voting him off, do you?" She takes a few seconds to even think of an answer. "If you have more people I don't have a choice."

"Hm…" Sektor takes a seat right next to her. "You aren't a prisoner."

"Well if I HAVE to.."

"It's only one vote. He'll appreciate your hesitance when he watches this back." Sektor, not letting up.

What's that bot plotting anyway?

Sektor: They both despise me, but I can use one to vote the other out. Drax may be a fool, but he can't be directed. Daisy's desperate to stay. I'll gladly keep her over an unhinged warrior.

Cut to Daisy's confessional.

Daisy: I REALLY don't want to play the damsel in distress, but if Sektor wants to keep me around? Fuck it, I'll play the part. No idol means no options.

With all this Drax talk, it's a matter of time until he gets more screentime. He's back in the woods, and stares at a silhoutte in the dark.

"Hey."

Rocket steps out from the shadows. "Shit's hit the fan, huh?"

"It's destroyed it. They've eliminated Clank. I'm surely next."

"Not if I get 'em to throw." Rocket pulls out a toothpick and gets some of that plaque out. "Just keep your cool. I know it's funny coming from ME, but merge is coming and I need you around."

"I've been doing a better job. It may make me boring for our friends to watch, but they've seen enough out of here." Drax admits. "..so who's going next?"

"If we throw, Megatron. If it's a merge, Megatron." Rocket let's a chuckle out. "He's so screwed."

Cut to another Rocket confessional.

Rocket: All I can do is be his therapist. "Yes Drax," "It'll be ok Drax." No way am I letting these other bots send him home. He's MY family, he's MY responsibility.

Cut to Drax's confessional.

Drax: We need to get stronger. If we can't, I'm going home early. I'd love to see my daughters again, but not without the money.

Man

Day 18

The face of Gator Golf himself brings treemail to his tribe, who's sat around like it's a family gathering. Except this is a toxic one.

"Here goes.." Monty starts reading it off. "Eighteen days, you've come a long way. Come to the beach and see what's up today." He raises a brow. "That's not what I think it is right?"

Daisy jumps off of the shelter, and embraces Drax. "Finally!"

"We're going to eat like kings!"

"Fuck yes we will!"

While they pop off, Sektor and DSamus lightly clap, like a golfing crowd. Monty fakes a chuckle. "Hot damn."

He's not so happy in confession.

Monty: Damn, right when we were gonna send Drax out.

On the other hand..Drax is thrilled on his!

Drax: We have struggled for eighteen days, but finally: the dog days are finally over! I'm going to consume the whole table at the merge feast, nobody will get to eat.

While they celebrate, That Dark Samus whispers to Sektor. "Is he next?"

"No. We have a common enemy."

Sektor gets another confessional.

Sektor: It's not so easy to eliminate them now. Megatron's coming back into our lives. What would you do when an erratic player comes back?

Cut to Dark Samus' confessional.

Dark Samus: This would be a good chance to use him as a shield if he wasn't so erratic. After he leaves, any sense of kuumbaya is dead.

Machine

Day 18

Chun-Li, Cyrax, Megatron, Rick, Rocket, Silver Sonic, and Ulala

These seven also know about the treemail. Chun has it in hand, and reads it off. "Eighteen days, you've come a long way. Come to the beach and see what's up today." She clocks it. "Looks like we're merging!"

Almost everyone breaks into cheers.

"I thought it would never end!" Ulala, hater of pre-merges.

"It's gonna get real." Rocket hits bluntly.

"We got to look after twelve now." Rick points out.

"The more the merrier!" Ulala responds.

Megatron the only one without a smile, he's got one thing in mind.

Survival.

Megatron: This merge is my second chance. They can't turn me down when there's more to worry about. The humans are aligned, and the machines have fractures. This isn't the end of me.

Challenge Area

Day 18

"Come on in!"

The two tribes enter the challenge area, soon to be twelve players in a free-for-all. Jeff's standing next to a table with a cloth on it. Most of them already know what's in store.

A confessional airs as they walk down.

Ulala: Pink or purple would look good on us. I don't think they'll reuse any color, that'd be lame.

They come to a stop, and Jeff has a smile on. This can only be good. "You like the treemail?"

"It was perfect, Jeff. Perfect." Drax says with an intense stare.

"I don't know if you're angry or happy."

"Happy." His straight face doesn't help. "I just don't have the energy to smile. Me and Daisy spent most of it celebrating."

The other three on Man get a laugh out of it. Jeff decides to touch on it. "This is what's great about what's going to happen next. You won't have to worry about tribe immunity…because it's time to drop your buffs.."

Drax and Daisy slam theirs down!

"We're merged!" Jeff shouts.

There's more cheering, at least from those with emotions. Megatron just turns to Sektor. "We need to talk."

"Later, Decepticon."

Daisy gasps when she sees Rick. "You have a whole beard now!"

"I know, look like a caveman."

Meanwhile, Monty looks Cyrax up and down. "Don't hack anymore."

Cyrax just sets a hand on his shoulder. "No guarantees, Montgomery." He breaks eye contact when Sektor shows up at the party. "Sektor."

"Have you been getting acquainted?"

"Of course. Have you?" Cyrax never asks back.

"I have three with me."

Cut to Cyrax's confessional.

Cyrax: Sektor is still an ally, but this week apart has sent us two different paths. I'm more willing to branch out of the machines, while he'll work within them unless it's convenient not to.

Jeff pulls out twelve dark purple buffs, and tosses them at the group. They don't waste time putting them on. Megatron has struggles because of his size, and the host pokes him for it. "You having trouble?"

"It's too small." The Decepticon just carries it instead.

"That's not the first time someone's said that." Calm down, Jeff! Megatron's death stare should tell you to stop. Jeff just doesn't care, and gets on with it. "Take the time to reconnect and get to know each other, because if you mess up you'll wish for this time back."

"Jeff…"

"Daisy?"

"Don't tell me we have to go back THERE.." Daisy looks back at shore, then back at Jeff again. "I wanna see a new camp."

"Well, I can say this. All of you will be going back to…."

"…."

"The machine camp."

Daisy falls to her knees, but Chun and Rick pick her back up. Jeff just smirks at that. He almost got her hopes up and he's smirking. What a psycho!

"Head on back, and enjoy the merge, because you won't be smiling by the time it ends." Jeff's very ominous for some reason, and Rocket calls it out. "Are we gonna be executed? What's goin' on?"

The top twelve make the walk back. The next phase of the game has officially begun, and who knows what madness is going to go on. Especially since it's started with a dozen people left.

Twelve people. Nine or ten tribals. But only ONE survivor!

Merged Tribe

Day 18

Chun-Li, Cyrax, Daisy, Dark Samus, Drax, Megatron, Monty, Rick, Rocket, Sektor, Silver Sonic, Ulala

There are small conversations throughout the first hour of the merge. A majority of these people have seen each other before, but those who haven't may have some tension because of what's been said on other swapped tribes.

Due to the tribe swaps, players want to know what went down before they even have long talks with anyone.

Man especially is one of them. Those five get together in the woods, first time since the separation.

"Group hug." Drax just hugs Rick out of nowhere, and the rest decide to join in. Why not? The hug has to break eventually, and when it does, Daisy wants the tea.

"Sooo what's been happening with you?"

Rick scratches his beard. "Megatron's still on the outs. Found a couple people we may need later."

"Who? Who?"

"Cyrax and Rocket are the easiest to trust over there." He reveals. "We can take breaks from the game when they're around."

"Silvs usually talks game, he just doesn't get it." Ulala explains. "..which sucks cause he's not a bad bot, he just makes himself a target. Besides those two, the machines are fine."

Chun-Li gives Daisy a knowing smile. "I bet it was different over there."

"Oooh you wouldn't believe it. Monty's loud, Samus is confusing, and Sektor's GOING to be a problem. If we can take him out soon I'd love that." She spills. "This guy idol'd our Gazelle, and beat Clank in the firemaking. He's like a disrupter!"

"Yeah, that big of a beast has got to go soon." Rick declares.

"I'd call him a roach. The island can get nuked and he'd still be competing." Someone needs to eat before they tarnish Sarasaland's image.

"Anyone have other ideas?" Rick asks.

"I got your back on this." Daisy's chomping at the bit for some revenge. Besides that, nobody objects to the idea of targeting him later.

Rick: After all we've been through, this IS the group. I don't see anybody turning now, and they shouldn't turn now. But these big groups always implode, and I'm ready just incase.

Rick makes his intentions clear. "We're top five."

"Absolutely." Chun-Li has no problems with it.

Chun—Li: I'll honor our final five. Even at eleven we'll be down in numbers, so we're going to need each other to survive.

Elsewhere, there are more people catching up..like Sektor and Cyrax. The former doesn't even waste anytime, he just dives right into the meat of it.

"It would be wise if we mix our alliances and form a strong six. You, me, Samus, Montgomery, Rocket, and Silver Sonic. Yes, even him." Sektor suggests. "After Megatron's removed, we should pick off the humans and go to six."

Cyrax has his worries though. "If Megatron catches wind, he will blow our spots."

"I won't let him push us around. We're on day eighteen, if he wants to keep living in the past, he'll regret it. Nobody will believe a word he says anyway. He has no allies to believe him." Sektor's just cutting that Decepticon down.

"He did it to himself."

"I agree."

Sektor gives us his thought process more in the confessional.

Sektor: We will be in the best spot of the power structure. Not only will it make us the most powerful alliance in the game, but it'll be harder for him to leave. Word goes around quickly. If Cyrax decides to betray me, then he'll paint a target on his back he'll never get rid of.

Another question pops into Sektor's head.

"Have you gotten close to any humans lately?" He asks.

"My head's in the game. Anything you perceive as closeness, is just strategy." Cyrax responds.

"Keeping your enemies closer is a bold strategy."

"It's a useful one, Sektor. It would help you if you tried it more."

"I don't have your patience.."

Cut to Cyrax's confessional, where he's holding bamboo.

Cyrax: Sektor's already paranoid about a flip, he doesn't even trust me to make my own choices. His domineering playstyle isn't going to win the jury over. It wouldn't win any of you over. He's someone I would like to sit with at the finals, but if he doesn't trust me, I may not drag him there. For now, I have to suck it up, "go with the flow" as you people say, and take the best spot in this alliance.

He snaps a piece in half!

Cyrax: He's slowly losing my trust, and he thinks this is how we get it back.

With this information in his hands, Cyrax takes this straight to his raccoon ally, who's baffled by what he's hearing.

"They actually wanna team up now?" Rocket asks.

"I keep hearing about the other group of five. They keep forcing it into my mind." Cyrax explains.

"It's what they do.."

Cyrax nods. "Indeed. It's not pointless, because he stated we'd be going to the final six. I wasn't going to speak for you then, but you must speak for yourself now. Or forever hold your peace."

Rocket winces. "It's not gonna last, just look at who's in the group. Silver's going to stab someone in the back, Sektor DEFINITELY will, and Monty's a loudmouth. It's a recipe for disaster."

"I understand your hesitance..but I won't play to be at the bottom of their group. We'd be placing sixth and seventh." Cyrax points out.

"Yeah, but those other guys could be lying to our faces. It's a group of six until someone gets greedy, and the other sides full of greedy douchebags..well greedier than us." Rocket admits. "We may not even need the group since I can just get Drax over here."

Cyrax is already in for now, but it figures Rocket would be on the fence.

In confessional, Cyrax seems to get his frustrations.

Cyrax: Rocket doesn't trust Sektor in any way whatsoever. His domineering gameplay and demeanor itself pushes people away. That's who Sektor is, he only changes if he wants to, and he's not changing for Rocket Raccoon.

"Are you sure Drax will follow you? He's been around the others for two and a half weeks. His attachment to them could be greater than yours." Cyrax hitting Rocket with a real possibility. Sometimes these pre-game relationship don't work out.

"..we'll get there. But if we do this, and Sektor stabs us in the back, I warned you."

"We'll see Drax's potential just incase. If we get him in, it's our four to their three." Cyrax doing that number crunching. "Even if they flip, we can make a recovery."

"..I'll ask Silver and get back to you."

"Thanks for hearing me out."

"It's what I do."

In Rocket's confessional, he's holding a coconut.

Rocket: I don't trust Sektor's ass at all. At all. But if my people want to use their group to get ahead? Yeah, let's do it.

Elsewhere, there isn't game talk. It's actually all about the immunities between two walking along the beach: Chun-Li and Cyrax.

"It was nice winning with you, but I need to catch up." The street fighter hasn't forgotten the competition.

"If you exploit these challenges, I could see it." Aww. "Maybe." Oh.

"Aren't you confident?"

"Years of training make me this way."

Chun smirks. "I'm going to cut that ego down."

"I would like to see you try."

Chun-Li: Our rivalry is back on. I'll enjoy the friendly competition while it lasts, because knowing how these games go we'll never have this peace again.

Cut to Cyrax's confessional.

Cyrax: She has two, i have eight. She has catching up to do, but it's important I throw some of these. So she will get some wins, no quotation, because a win is a win.

While they chat, Megatron looks on from the distance. A big palm tree is covering some of his body, but he has a look of pure rage on that face.

He turns to the cameraman behind him. "Another conversation withou me. If they think this game is going to happen around me, they're wrong. It's about to revolve around me."

That Decepticon leaves the two be, nobody in production knowing what he's going to try to pull. Go figure he won't go quietly into these good nights.

That's just how he operates.

Well ladies, gentlemen, and those with preferences..the merge is finally here, and it didn't take long for people to get up to speed. Alliances are reunited, and some are forming..some even the cast didn't think would happen. There's also the pariah, Megatron, who has a new plan. What does he have in store?