"And our resident wildchild who was able to convince another poor sap onto this show, Izzy!" Chris announced. The Psycho Hose Beast plastered her iconic manic smile on her face as she exited the bus, skipping over to the others while waving obliviously.
"It's great to be back!" She cheered. Heather, who was one of the first to get off, scoffed, although flinched when Eva shot her a glare.
Izzy giggled as she slid up to her friend. "Still upset about what she pulled during the Awakathon?"
Eva snarled. "Yes. She better watch her back, because if she crosses me again, I'm tossing her out mid-flight."
Izzy let out another giggle, and watched as Chris introduced the rest of the returning cast. It hit a bit of a snag when Ezekiel interrupted the host, and tripped over the last step. Tyler then Bridgette followed shortly after, leaving the three ex-Killer Bass in a heap. Chris rolled his eyes at the antics, and Izzy felt a gross feeling start to form inside her at the sight of the action.
After Chris finally introduced the ignored prairie boy, he moved on to the fresh faces.
"And now to mix things up and keep it all fresh", the host explained to the camera. Izzy rolled her eyes, somewhat hidden behind the still restrained Owen. "We're adding three new competitors."
Chris gained a smug look. "He's an honour roll student with a diplomat for a dad, and an amazing ability to charm the pants off most species. Alejandro!" The host gestured to the bus' door, and the Spaniard stepped how with his head high, wearing a pair of shades.
With an overconfident grin, he looked down at the heap. "Perhaps I can assist?" He knelt down and helped the three on the ground back to their feet.
"I-I… I have a boyfriend!" Bridgette stammered out.
"Wow, eh", Ezekiel said.
"I like girls", Tyler defended.
Izzy raised an eyebrow at that, then turned her attention to the new face that she'd be stuck with. She never got a good look at Alejandro during the whole Gemmie debacle, and now that he was here, clear as day, one thought was on her mind…
He wasn't, honestly, that handsome. If anything, Izzy would say Majima or The Doctor looked more handsome, mainly because they wear their scars (mentally and physically) proudly like medals. Alejandro looked like he'd bruise if you looked at him funny.
But another thing Izzy was quick to point out was he clearly had big plans for his time on the show. His eyes gave it all away, with the blatant manipulative glint. Already, he had marked Bridgette and Tyler, making the Psycho Hose Beast wince.
"She's a super addicted superfan, with sixteen Total Drama blogs", Chris continued. "Sierra!"
The purple haired girl from the red carpet burst from the bus door, her eyes wild as she took in the sights. "Oh my gosh I love you guys! And this is the greatest day of my life-" She started to hyperventilate, that very uncomfortable grin still plastered on her face. "Anyone got a paper bag I can breathe into?" She let out a squeal and dashed over to Cody. "Oh my gosh, Cody! I've dreamt of this moment… only you weren't wearing a shirt."
Izzy cringed as Sierra's frantic fangirling, the way her smile twisting making an uneasy feeling settle in the Psycho Hose Beast's stomach. It didn't help that she looked very physically athletic, her strength obvious to the world. It made Izzy wonder if she could actually best Eva if push came to shove.
But the worst part was, just from her sudden entrance alone, Izzy knew Sierra was one of those fans. The kind that knew everything about everyone, from common public knowledge to the most private of details. It made her skin crawl, even though she knew Sierra didn't know everything about her. Mainly her… other friends, this second family that no one would be able to understand.
"And finally", Chris rounded off, Izzy's smile growing. "She's a Scotswoman with a knack for archery and our resident crazy girl's special friend, Merida!"
The princess walked out in the same attire as the day before, only her hair was down in its usual bush. Izzy's smile grew even more and Merida looked over the rest of the competition. "So this is who I'm stuck with for the next few weeks, huh?" Izzy heard Duncan snort at her friend's accent. "Well, I must say I'm disappointed. Iz made it seem like I'd be battling a pack of bears."
"Girl, I don't know what crazy girl told you", Leshawna sassed out. "But the only one I consider a bear is Owen, and he wouldn't hurt a fly." The Sister jabbed a thumb at the lovable lug, who was now freed from Eva's grasp but still looked nervous.
Merida let out a loud laugh. "Iz told me enough to fill in the gaps after I watched the show. But I will warn you all, don't cross me. I'm an excellent shot, and I have never missed. Ever."
Chris let out an excited giggle. "Oooooo, yeah, letting Izzy bring you along was an amazing idea."
The princess shrugged and walked past most of the crowd, finding herself next to Izzy and her friends. While Heather glared at the second redhead, Sierra gained a giddy expression, and Alejandro gave her a very subtle smirk. Izzy noticed, and hated how it made her heart clench. She knew this would be a rough season, but this made those thoughts seem like child's play.
"Anyway!" Chris began, earring all the attention. "This season is gonna be the biggest one yet! Three new faces, all new drama, and an all new theme!" He gestured behind himself, and everyone watched with widened eyes as a massive cargo plane was rolled over. It looked cobbled together in less than a day, with mismatched metal panels and noticeable rust. And with the garish icon of Chris in a pilot's uniform on the side, it made most of the contestants very uncomfortable.
As she looked this airborne death trap all over, Izzy felt her once thought buried aerophobia slowly start to rise up once again. Merida nudged her lightly, and shot her friend a calm look. Izzy nodded wordlessly, and was going to smile in reassurance, only to jump in shock when Courtney suddenly spoke up.
"Excuse me, but I'd like to express some concern about the safety of our plane." Izzy wondered if she should add to that, as with most parts held together by tape and some loose screws falling on the tarmac, it was clear it wasn't fit for flight.
"Relax", Chris said with his sleazy grin, "It's perfectly safe." His grin fell when a panel of the plane fell onto the ground, making Owen look on in horror as an innocent raccoon scurried away. After the mammal ran off, Chris smiled once again and announced a proud "Now boarding!"
"NO!!!" Owen began in a panicked tone. "I can't ride in that! Call the United Nations! Call a cab! Call my mom!" As the big lug rambled on, the now pouting host pulled out a frying pan and walked up to him. Everyone winced as a loud bang echoed through the air, with Owen collapsing on the ground with a cartoonish bump sprouting from his head not a second later. That got Izzy's eye to twitch, but not much else.
"Anyone else got a problem with it?" Chris said in a frustrated tone.
Everyone shook their heads and nervously said the condition of the plane was all good. Merida quietly scoffed, making her fellow redhead snort in response. The two girls shared a slight smile, which made the nearby Noah and Eva raise an eyebrow and share their own suspicious look with each other.
Chris wrapped up the episode with one final boastful announcement, ending with this new season's title, Total Drama World Tour. The title drop was ended with a somewhat musical flourish, which got a bored response out of Duncan, an eye roll from Heather, a squeal of delight from Sierra, and similar responses from the others.
Except Izzy, who simply stared at the plane with a vague, almost spaced out look on her face. If one were to look at her, they'd swear her eyes were going cross. Internally, she was crossing her heart and praying to some sort of god that may or may not exist that she'd end up fine. Even though she knew she would. It was all to keep her grounded.
As Chris began to lead everyone inside their new home, Merida nudged the Psycho Hose Beast, snapping her out of her trance.
"Are you okay?" The Dun Broch Princess asked. "You won't a bit… quiet there."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine", Izzy responded as the duo followed everyone else inside. She said that a bit too fast, which she knew Merida picked up on.
The princess crossed her arms and shot her friend a dubious look. "Uh huh, sure. And pigs can fly."
"Maybe they can here…" Izzy winced as she inadvertently revealed what was bothering her.
Merida's expression softened significantly, and she wrapped Izzy in a one armed hug. "I get it, Iz. It's hard. But don't let it get to you so bad, okay? The more you dwell on it, the more it'll eat away at you."
Izzy shot her friend a look. "You've been hanging out with Galacta, haven';t you?"
The princess sighed. "Yeah, I have been."
This made the Psycho Hose Beast quietly giggle, which, in one simple moment, meant Izzy was back in one piece. But for how long, neither girl knew.
Izzy skipped ahead with a goofy, yet somewhat subdued smile, leaping into the plane's open door. Merida hung back, her own smile falling as she followed everyone inside. She gripped her bow tightly, silently wishing for things to go well.
Because, yeah, it was pretty obvious Izzy didn't like being home. A memory surfaced in Merida's head as she finally made it inside. It was a few weeks ago, when Izzy had shown up at the castle in exceptionally bad shape.
~
Merida looked up from the book she was reading when the door to the Rec Room slammed open, the violent sound making everyone jump. All eyes turned to the source, and standing in the now open doorway was Izzy, drenched and looking both drained and livid.
"That is the last time I ever work in the movie business again!" The Psycho Hose Beast roared. She stomped around the couch and sat down in front of the lit fireplace. Everyone looked at her back, nervous to say something wrong and set her off.
Leave it to the resident jackass, Goro Majima, to speak before thinking.
"What's got your neck all twisted, sister?" He said with a grin, masking his genuine concern well.
Izzy was silent for a moment before groaning and turning around so the heat could dry her back. "So, I was on the set of this movie in a supporting role", she began. "Some trashy action movie, I don't remember its name, but I was on this set, and it was garbage. I was slipping off the fake bridge into the pool of water below, one of the fans was jacked up too high and it was freezing and…"
Izzy rambled on for what felt like hours, when it was really only a few minutes. But the amount of things that went wrong were staggering. It was too the point that everyone wondered if this whole movie was just a lawsuit waiting to happen.
"And then when I slipped on the floor because they didn't mark it with a wet floor sign, I had enough. They kept pushing aside my complaints, so I went to my trailer, packed up my things, and took a cab home. After I dropped my stuff off, I came right here."
"That explains why you're so wet and pissy", the talking, sarcastic Flowey The Flower said in a flat tone. "If I were you, I'd burn that whole place down and make a break for it."
Izzy, much to the group's surprise, remained silent and faced the fire once again. The pale cyclops, Iris, walked up and sat next to her, giving the Psycho Hose Beast a concerned look.
"I sometimes wonder if I should go home anymore", Izzy admitted quietly. "The movie gig was great at first, but between all the accidents and how being home feels off for me now, I wonder if I should just pack up and live here."
Everyone present mumbled in agreement, sans Merida. She was giving Izzy a long, hard look, especially after that little hint as to why Izzy was being so unusually quiet recently. She almost seemed to have lost her spark, and Merida knew why.
And the thought terrified her.
~
The princess shook her head as the group finished dropping off the small backpacks they had with them to some present interns. Merida missed what Chris was talking about, but when she caught up and shimmied her way into the middle of the group, she got her answer.
"Singing, really?" The goth Gwen said in mild shock. "I thought Chris was joking about that."
"Well I don't have a problem with it", Courtney said with a smile.
"Because you like singing, CIT", Eva spat, glaring at her ex-teammate. "I, for one, don't and if I do, I will be hurling someone out mid flight." Most of the group sans Team E-Scope and Merida took a step away from her.
"You think I'll get to beat-box?" Harold asked innocently.
"I'll beat you if you try", Duncan said, raising his fist in an attempted threat. The Napoleon Dynamite knock-off flinched back, nodding fearfully.
Merida blew a stray strand of hair out of her face as she returned to Izzy's side. "Singing. Just what I bloody needed, singing. I never sang a note in my life."
"Maybe we should've taken Caleb up on that Karaoke practice", The Psycho Hose Beast droned out in mild horror.
"What are you doing this to us?" Heather growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the host.
"Singing reality shows are huge", Chris explained. "And, the worse the singing, the higher the ratings. Which is why, on this show, there will be no vocal coaches, or rehearsals, or warnings!"
That made all the contestants complain, some frustrated at the whole prospect of singing period, some annoyed it could be sprung on them whenever this sociopath of a host decides, or just that the plane smelt funny.
"Anywho", the host began, once again bringing control to the unruly group of teenagers. "This is the dining area", he stretched his arms out and gestured to the current room, with stools lining two tables and a window to a kitchen against a wall, "where you'll enjoy in-flight meals.
"Not for long, eh", Ezekiel said in far too much confidence. "Prepare to lose to the Zeke!"
"Okay", Gwen said, giving the homeschooled prairie boy a tired look. "So not trying to be mean here but you do know you got voted out first last time, right?"
"Word. And I've spent every minute since making sure that doon't happen again. I'm stronger, faster, smarter-"
"Chattier, blabber, can't shut up-ier!" Chris said angrily, glaring at his most recent interruption. "Now zip it and let me finish the tour so we can get this bird in flight!"
Ezekiel tucked up a bit in embarrassment, which made Eva grin viciously. When Merida gave her a questioning look, Noah whispered in her ear about the first day of the first season, namely what didn't happen on camera. The princess shot the other redhead a light glare for leaving out some crucial details, which made Izzy return with a sheepish grin and shrug.
"Is there a ladies room?" Leshawna asked as Team E-Scope (minus Owen) continued their frustrated but completely silent conversation. The Sister With 'Tude walked to the pointed out restroom, one for boys and one for girls, and headed inside. Nearly instantly, she could be heard shouting.
"There's a camera in the potty, again?!" She could be heard shouting. "Ugh! Can't a sister get a little privacy on this program?!" The others all glared at Chris, who just flashed his iconic and punchable grin.
Leshawna's outburst made Team E-Scope stop their silent bickering and focus back on the tour. Once the missing contestant joined them once again, the host led them all towards the front of the plane, no one saying a word. As they walked, Izzy took in more of the sights of her new home for the next few weeks.
The walls inside weren't much better than the outside, and it was a bit chilly, which proved there was no heating. Seems like Chris spared no expense trying to make this hunk-of-junk as miserable as possible. Chef's food was one thing, having to tackle her main phobia was another, but being stuck in a metal ice-box was just insane.
And it didn't get better when the next stop in tour had the host stopping everyone in a hallway-like room, windows lining both sides as a crummy wooden bench rested beneath them.
"Losing teams will enjoy luxury Economy Class accommodations between destinations", Chris said happily.
"Okay… but where are our beds?" Lindsay asked as she spied around the room.
"Owen, care to demonstrate." The host looked to his right, and wearing arm straps and still partially unconscious was the missing member of Team E-Scope. He was drooling excessively, mumbling about his greatest fear as he slipped in and out of sleep.
"That does not look comfortable", Heather stated. She sneered at the bench, then returned attention back to the host when he continued speaking.
"No comfort for losers. Safety harness and an emergency exit. But, no comfort here, here, or here!" He pointed like a flight attendant usually would at the lack of comfort, unaware of Sierra walking up to him with the goofiest smile on her face.
The superfan let out a very unconvincing laugh, earning a frown from the host. "OMG Chris I am like LOL!" She let out another fake laugh, making Izzy's skin crawl.
"I don't like this chick…" Eva growled as she quietly whispered to Merida.
"None of us do", the princess whispered back. "Mine and Izzy's friend Majima told us about these sorts of people, and every time it made me sick."
The Fitness Buff shot Merida a look. "Majima?"
"Friend from Japan."
Eva shrugged at the explanation, which internally made both redheads relieved. While they knew they'd need to explain themselves better at some point, right now things were calm and chill. With all of that dealt with, Chris led the group to their next destination, which was a lot nicer by comparison. There were plush golden fabric recliners, a velvet carpet, and even a snack bar. Izzy instantly acted and dragged Merida over towards two of the seats. They both sat down as Gwen and Bridgette sat across from them, relaxing into the comfortable seating.
Noah found himself standing between them all with an unimpressed look, and Eva leaned against the chair Izzy was using, crossing her arms and eyeing everything with an unimpressed glare. Although Izzy knew deep within those cold eyes was a hint of warmth and excitement to winning and claiming this as her own.
"This is the First Class cabin", Chris explained. "The domain of each week's winners!"
"Now this I can get behind", Izzy said blissfully, melting into the seat. "I seriously need something like this."
"Is that why you've changed up your look?" Bridgette asked.
That made the Psycho Hose Beast widen her eyes, as everyone in the small pocket looked at her. Sans Merida of course.
she cleared her throat and straightened, lightly playing with one of her braids as she spoke. "Well, see, I just felt like… doing something different. A lot has happened after Action, so I felt like I needed to show that."
"Really? Because I didn't see anything about you in any of the blogs", Gwen said. She looked at the others sheepishly when they all gave her dubious looks. "My little online war had me check them out, okay? I needed something to go against her." She returned her attention back to Izzy. "But yeah, there was nothing on you. Only thing there was were your movie credits, and that was it."
"I knew about the blogs, and I did my best to keep my life private. And by the looks of it, I succeeded." The wild child crossed her arms and flashed a proud grin, making Bridgette giggle, and her fellow E-scope members smile at her accomplishment.
"So, what's the story about you two?" Noah asked, his smile leaving his face as he looked between both redheads.
Merida shrugged while Izzy tried not to show her nerves tensing. "What is there to say?" The princess explained. "Izzy showed up in Scotland visiting family, I was there, and we hit it off instantly. She even helped me with a little bear trouble."
Izzy winced at the reminder of Mor'du… or was she referring to the whole 'I accidentally turned my mum into a bear' thing? Whichever it was meant to mean, Izzy instantly recovered and nodded rapidly.
"Hmph, that's cool", Eva said in a flat tone. "Although Chris probably just let you join because a new face brings in all the ratings. And considering we already knew about Alejandro and Sierra ahead of time, he probably thought you'd rake in all the ratings."
"That was entirely his goal", Noah spat. 'Working for him as long as I did means you pick up a thing or two of how he handles things."
"Classic Chris", Gwen said with a shake of her head. She then perked up at a thought. "When do you guys think the new faces will be eliminated? Post or pre-merge?"
The five all looked at Merida, who glared fiercely at them all. "If any of you say I'm pre-merge, I'll kick your teeth in."
"Post-merge, definitely", Izzy said in Merida's stead. "Merry here is really good, and I've seen her go wild sometimes. Like, she fought this giant turtle with no hesitation."
Merida gained an embarrassed look as the others all giggled and/or chuckled at her nickname, although did internally cringe at the mention of her first big battle away from her home.
Bridgette, however, was the first to finally process the last bit Izzy said. "Wait, she fought a giant turtle?"
Izzy suddenly realised when she said, and smiled innocently. "Giant for the village. It was just a snapping turtle the size of a tortoise that was eating my family's hobby farm. Merry wrestled that behemoth onto its back and dragged it all the way to the lake."
"What plants was it attacking?" Noah asked. "Because this is news to me."
"TARDIS-", Izzy stumbled on her words as Merida shot her a look. "Tomatoes! I meant tomatoes. Sorry, my great grandparents have very thick accents, so some words are hard to understand. But it was tomatoes."
"That's… cool", The surfer chick was unsure how to respond to that stumble on words, but she couldn't ask further as Chris called out and had them all follow him out of First Class. Izzy reacted instantly, grabbing Merida's hand and dragging her away swiftly. Eva and Noah shared a confused look, never seeing this sort of reaction out of the Psycho Hose Beast before.
After all the contestants had grouped back up and followed the host, most looking heartbroken having to leave the amazing cabin. While there was a little road bump where Harold and Cody found Chris' personal quarters and were chewed out for it, he led everyone back to the dining area.
Owen had finally joined everyone again, although he was tucked off in the corner cowering like a baby. Deciding not to leave him hanging, Izzy claimed the seats closest to him at the nearest table for herself and the rest of Team E-Scope. Noah sat closest to the wall, Merida sat next to him, then Izzy, then Eva. Izzy was half listening to Chris, half reassuring Owen in her usual zany way. While it helped a bit, he was still extremely freaked out.
"And that's pretty much it", Chris explained. "I skipped the cargo hold and galley. But, I'm sure you'll find those exciting destinations later, when I accidentally lock you in them."
Suddenly, there was a violent shake across the whole flying fortress as Izzy saw some of the engines on the wind sputter to life from the nearest window. Owen whimpered and began to suck his thumb, rocking back and forth pathetically.
"One more thing!" Chris suddenly said. "I'm sure you all remember a little something called the Elimination Ceremony? It takes place right in there my friends!" He pointed back to the starting room, which made Izzy pale slightly. The host forced everyone to follow after him as she got a better look of the room. There was a set of bleachers across from the door, two large wooden tiki heads beside said door, and a floral blanket hung up by hooks to block the doorway to the dining hall.
"If you don't receive a barf bag full of air-line issue peanuts-" the host was interrupted once again by Ezekiel.
"I got a peanut allergy, yo. Or like a sensitivity…"
The host's face shifted to annoyance before twisting in a glare as he continued. "You'll be forced to take the Drop Of Shame-"
"Okay, so I just don't like-" the homeschooler interrupted again, only to be interrupted himself when Chris grabbed him by the front of his sweater and tossed him out the door.
"All eliminations are final, bro!" Chris shouted to the now dumped prairie boy. He then slammed the door closed and faced everyone again with a grin. "That's all, people. Hang out in the dining area or Economy till we show up at our first destination. I recommend dressing light, unless you want to bake!"
The host disappeared behind the floral curtain shortly after, leaving all the contestants on their own. Most looked at the door, almost as if they felt bad for Ezekiel, but then headed off to relax for the last little bit before the first arduous challenge.
Izzy lingered, heading over towards one of the windows and peering outside. The plane lifted into the sky, the Halifax airport shrinking from view as the climbed higher and higher, soon levelling out amongst the clouds.
The Psycho Hose Beast sighed as Merida and Noah joined her side. "Feeling homesick already?" The Dun Broch Princess asked.
Izzy shook her head. "Just… Just feeling off is all. It feels like a bad omen, I don't know."
She looked over where a very frustrated Eva was holding a still massively distressed Owen by the shirt collar. The trio winced lightly at the glare the Fitness Buff was giving them.
"Can we go to the dining hall now?" She asked. "Just so we can keep this ball of lard under wraps?"
Merida and Noah nodded and began to walk over to her, while Izzy hesitated. "I'll catch up with you guys a bit later. I'm just gonna do something."
Merida nodded and Noah shrugged as they followed the other two out of the room. Once she knew she was completely alone, the Psycho Hose Beast darted behind the small bleachers and reached into her pants pocket. Sure enough, her phone was there, and she quickly pulled it out and turned it on so she could text in the group chat.
~
WildBeast666: Hey guys!
ImaginationKid: Hey Izzy! Glad to hear from ya'. The plane leave the tarmac just fine?
WildBeast666: I'm not hearing any explosions yet, so I say we're all good!
XJ9: That's good. We saw how bad that thing looked, and The Doctor was *this* close to hopping to the TARDIS and rushing over to save you and Merry.
EleventhHour: I only said I would, I never actually was going to risk blowing our lives like that.
AmyPond: Sure, and I'm the queen of England.
OniChampionOfPurgatory: LMFAO
EleventhHour: You both suck.
RoryWilliam_Pond: They're just being honest, Doctor.
FlowerMan: Okay, yeah yeah The Doc is super sweet blah blah blah. Iz, I want to know if you've made bets on who's winning yet or not. The camera ended up focusing on the dumbass spanarid and the ditzy blonde instead of you. So share the deets!
WildBeast666: Well, we almost bet who of the new faces would be booted out post-merge or pre-merge. Merida is definitely post-merge.
CandyCrusher: LOL biassed much?
WildBeast666: Hey! What's wrong with being biassed?
ImaginationKid: Nothing, Izzy, just teasing you is all.
WildBeast666: Yeah, I know. Btw… how's that whole 'Kill Chris Club' going? Is Baby still set on this?
Scrap_Princess: I most certainly am, Isabel. You deserve a whole army backing you up, so until we know you are long gone from that show, this more selective group chat will stay open.
WildBeast666: Who's joined in on it?
Scrap_Princess: So far we have Majima, Dry, Star, Flowey and myself as the founding members. Then we had Galacta, Marco, Zomboss and Rory join later.
AmyPond: I'm sorry, what?! Rory!
-RoryWilliams_Pond signed off
LordOfTheUndead: We were just as surprised, but said something about being a Roman centurion for a while? So we let him tag alone.
AmyPond: Excuse me for a moment while I go slap my husband.
-AmyPond signed off
TrollWhisperer11: *Sigh*
FlowerMan: This'll be fun.
ImGonnaWreckIt: Oh my gosh not this again…
WildBeast666: LMAO okay I'll leave you guys to deal with that. I should get going in case Chris or Chef get suspicious.
ImaginationKid: You got it, Iz! And remember, if you ever need to chat between challenges, I'll be here.
WildBeast666: Of course, Caleb. Love ya'!
ImaginationKid: *Waves goodbye*
~
Izzy turned her phone off and stuffed it back into her pocket, taking a deep breath to steal her nerves. Just that one moment alone was more than enough to calm her down, but she knew it was only a quick fix. But that was a future Izzy problem. Present Izzy was content, and had a group of friends to get back to. Mainly a very upset boyfriend who needed comfort.
She peered around the corner of the bleachers, and when she saw the coast was completely clear, she emerged from her not-so-good hiding place and stretched to get the last kinks out of her back. With one final shake of her head, the Psycho Hose Beast left the Elimination ceremony area and went to join back up with her friends.
~X~
Turns out using a plane to travel doesn't immediately make you reach your destination instantly, and Izzy found that out the hard way as she sat slouched on her seat at the table. It had been a painfully boring 12 hours with nothing happening aside from eating some of the provided fruit or talking with each other. But that would only work for at least two, maybe three hours.
By the five hour mark, everyone was getting a little stir crazy.
Eva was staring out the window, listening to her music playlist for what must've been the 50th loop, Noah was reading a book for maybe the 70th time, and Owen was passed out on the floor asleep. Izzy and Merida, meanwhile, were in a very tense game of go fish. It was simple, but neither wanted to concede so easily.
On what was probably their 100th match, there was a strange ding from somewhere, and Chris showed up dressed in a very sharp looking tuxedo. He pulled a dramatic pose as a spotlight shone down on him, adding to the musical flair he was going for. The two redheads shared a brief look and nod, deciding to finish their game at some other point.
Chris looked over at the contestants as Izzy tucked her cards away, pulling a variety of dance based poses. She knew deep down most of her friends were probably dying of cringe as they watched this all unfold.
"Whenever you hear that friendly little bell", the host explained, "It's musical number time! So, let's hear it!"
Izzy and Merida shared a horrified look as Eva's eye noticeably twitched in rage. She was clearly trying her best to keep it in, but was failing miserably. Noah, on the other hand, just looked down with life as he tucked his book away and got ready for one of the most humiliating things of his reality career. At least as of this moment.
"But… What are we supposed to sing?" Courtney asked.
"You have to make it up as you go", Chris said in a chill tone. Izzy's eye twitched. "Wouldn't be challenging otherwise, now would it?"
Izzy and Merida shared a horrified look as the others slowly but surely got a song off the ground. It was probably a complete butchering of the entire art form, although Courtney wasn't that bad surprisingly. Izzy simply said one word at the start and let the others roll with it, all of them running around the plane to try and make the musical number look interesting, although there were three set on not singing.
Gwen, Duncan and Eva stood in the middle of the dining area with scowls and crossed arms, glaring as everyone else tried and failed to hit the high notes needed to make the song even possible. It was like a nail scratching a chalkboard, and Izzy wondered if her ears could potentially start bleeding from that alone.
As Izzy watched everyone dance about, she noticed Merida idly standing off to the side, an unsure and uncomfortable look on her face. Glancing at the others to see if she had a window, the Psycho Hose Beast slipped by the very sloppy choreography and slid up next to her fellow redhead.
"What's up with you?" Izzy asked quietly and carefully, hoping not to tip Chris off.
"Not a fan of singing", Merida admitted. "At least, not like this. I have songs I've practised before, and this is just… I'm not used to it."
Izzy quietly snorted. "So for being the only Disney Princess that's never sung before, you seem to like it a lot."
"Caleb showed me the three songs made for my movie, and it made me want to try."
Izzy glanced at the rest of the contestants. "How about we head off to a quiet spot and sing there. A camera will be around, so we don't got to worry about this group of newbies." The wild child jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the others, which made Merida snort.
"Yeah, let's go."
And so the two redheads slipped away, sneaking carefully into the cargo hold. As Merida got situated, Izzy scanned around till she found one of the cameras situated on a wall. She snagged it and carefully placed it on a box so it was aiming at her friend. Merida tossed the Psycho Hose Beast her own phone, and the pigtailed redhead played an instrumental. The starting melody of Touch The Sky began to play, and Merida took a deep breath. Then, as if it was meant to be, she began to dance lightly.
When the cold wind is a-calling,
And the sky is clear and bright!
Merida's movements were almost like a leaf blowing in the wind as she danced in tune with the beat, the energetic guitar giving her movements more peppy and joyful. Izzy found herself bobbing in time with the music, making the smile on her face wider and brighter as her friend sang her heart out.
Misty mountains sing and beckon,
Lead me out into the light…
Izzy noticed Ezekiel watching from the background, eyes transfixed on the sight before him as his jaw hung open in surprise, shock, amazement, or all three at once. When he finally noticed Izzy, he ducked down out of view, missing the Psycho Hose Beast smiling at his antics.
I will ride, I will fly,
Chase the wind and touch the sky…
I will fly,
Chase the wind and touch the sky!
At this point, Izzy couldn't contain it anymore, and she found herself walking out in front of the camera much to Merida's surprise. There was a lull in the instrumental, which let Izzy get into position. Then, as the next part of the song was supposed to begin, Izzy started to sing.
Where dark woods hide secret,
And mountains are fierce and bold!
Izzy's dancing, while not as graceful as Merida's, was still amazing nonetheless. All those lessons Maria and Manolo gave her were really paying off, especially as she simply let her voice and the instruments lead her through the number.
Deep waters hold reflections,
Of times lost long ago…
The Psycho Hose Beast shot her friend a smirk as she danced and sang, making the Dun Broch Princess laugh and clap. The song was spirits boosting, and oddly almost fit the whole theme of this dang show perfectly. Izzy was glad of this coincidence, otherwise they'd be screwed.
I will hear their every story,
Take hold of my own dream!
Izzy sprang into the air, leaping over her friend as she closed her eyes. As she did, she noticed other cameras on the ceiling were tracking her and watching, clearly interested in catching this whole number. The wild child's heart swelled as she sprang up into the air again.
Be as strong as the seas are stormy,
And proud as an eagle's scream!
Merida joined in with the dancing at this point, moth redheads letting their hair fly free as the music reached its peak. The bagpipes, guitar and flutes gave it their all as the song reached the second chorus, and in turn, the finale.
I will ride, I will fly,
Chase the wind and touch the sky…
I will fly,
Chase the wind and touch the sky!
To cap the whole thing off, Izzy and Merida sang together as one, their voices intersected and harmonious as they gave the final bout all they had. They wanted to have this one number be an excellent first impression, and so the finished with a bang.
And touch the sky!
Chase the wind,
Chase the wind,
Touch the sky!!!
As the instrumental winded down, both girls aimed their heads to the ceiling as they took repeated heavy breaths. They had massive smiles plastered on their faces, and their eyes sparkled and shone with this gratifying light that made them seem like they were legit glowing.
All of that jumped back into reality when the sound of clapping was heard. Merida jumped and looked at Ezekiel, who was standing in the open, completely in awe.
"That was amazing, eh!" The homeschooler cheered with wide eyes. "I doon't even know what to say!"
"That was good, Zekey", Izzy said with a sweet smile. She bowed slightly "Thank you."
The prairie boy nodded. "I should… uhhhhh…"
"Yeah, you run off ya' wee devil", Merida said as she shook off her earlier spook. "We won't rat you out to Chris."
The boy nodded and darted back into the shadows, waiting for his chance to strike. Both girls shared a look, rolled their eyes, and began to head out of the cargo hold. Merida snagged her phone and quickly stashed it in her pocket, just so Chris doesn't lose his mind over the smuggling of illegal technology.
As the two redheads made it back into the dining hall, the others just finished up their own musical number. Eva, Gwen and Duncan were posed in the middle of the dramatic group, and both girls took this as a chance to slip in and act like they were always there. With one final airy "Yeah" from everyone, the song was done.
They all looked over at the distracted Chris, who was sitting on a stool reading a newspaper. Everyone gave him a look, somewhat frustrated he didn't actively watch. But it was Chris, and Izzy expected as much from him.
It was just then the PA turned on, with Chef's voice ringing out through it. "Enough singing, fruitcakes! Strap yourselves in, we are now beginning our descent into Egypt." He then continued, clearly thinking he actually turned off the intercom. "Musical numbers, worst idea ever. Chris is such an idiot." The host gasped at the blatant insult. "Hey, why's the PA light still on?" A pause. "Oh sh-"
"We'll be right back", Chris said darkly into the camera. Everyone stepped aside as the now angry host stomped past and made his way towards the cockpit, tossing his newspaper into a garbage can along the way.
With that all done, everyone began to make their way into Economy to prepare for the landing. Taking up the back of the group, the two redheads shared a subtle thumbs up, happy they got away with their own musical number.
~X~
Izzy stood comfortable in the blistering Sahara heat with everyone as Chris, now decked in in a pharaoh inspired look and carried on a bed by two interns (He's clearly going all in on this, huh? Izzy thought to herself), approached while holding a glass of water.
"You guys ready for a little fun, huh?" I glanced up at the sun, and noticed how everyone was sweating up a storm. "Wow, it's a scorcher out here, huh?" He paused to take a sip of his iced drink before continuing. "I call this challenge Pyramid Over-Under!"
"An 11 hour flight, Chef's in-flight cuisine, a forced musical number… Now we got a challenge?!" Leshawna complained.
One of the interns vanished after the duo set Chris on the ground, with the remaining one now fanning the host. Izzy had to keep from squeaking in fright as the one intern that vanished out of thin air was seemingly wiped off the face of the earth. And no one else seemed to notice, which made Izzy more freaked out.
"Don't you love this game?"
The whole band of contestants made their way to an impromptu starting line set up at one side of the towering pyramid, with Team E-Scope deciding to all group up at one end of the group.
"So we're going under, right?" Owen asked fearfully, now fully conscious and fear free.
"As much as I'd rather go over", Eva said gruffly. "Under would be better to escape this stupid heatwave."
"Ditto", Noah said, looking the worst of the five.
Merida groaned and parted the sweaty hair that curtained her face. "I grew up in Scotland, I'm not built for this sort of heat!" She shot the sun a glare. "If I melt because of you, I will haunt you forever."
Izzy giggled, and was about to add something when the sound of crash on cymbals echoed through the air. The culprit was the host (who else), wielding a pair of the instrument with a cocky grin.
"Man! That's satisfying!" he began. "Alright, Pyramid Over-Under means you'll choose how you'll get to the finish line! Either over or under the pyramid. Got it?" Everyone nodded in confirmation, although Merida had to be careful so she didn't slop and sweat around like a wet dog. "Ready…" Everyone got into a running position, "Set-"
"Wait up, yo!" Cried a familiar voice. Everyone looked at Ezekiel dashed from the plane over to them, eyes filled with a determined fire. "You guys, wait up!" The homeschooler skid to a stop right in front of the host. "I told ya' I wasn't gonna lose this time, eh!"
"Didn't we leave you in Halifax, or Whitehorse, or whatever?" Chris asked in frustration.
"It's called landing gear, homie", Zeke explained. Izzy and Merida both cringed at the very poor attempt at 'cool' lingo. "I climbed it, and hid with the cargo."
"Impressive! Buuuuut, you're still out!"
"No way! I'm in it to win it! Word!"
"Greaaat, it's your funeral."
"You gotta feel bad for him", Izzy whispered to Eva.
"Nah, I really don't. Watching him squirm like this is just plain fun."
"You're the worst, sometimes, you know that?" Izzy shot her friend a smirk.
Chris held up the cymbals. "Set…" Then crashed them together. "Go!"
That was all the contestants' cue, and they all took off in a sprint. Izzy led her own self proclaimed team into the catacombs of the pyramid, in front of the whole pack. But she came to a screeching halt when the sight of three individual pathways suddenly made themselves known. Everyone gasped as Noah groaned.
"Oh great, our friendly neighbourhood host dude failed to mention there were different paths", The know-it-all droned out.
Izzy bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming in frustration, her only other grounding being the hug Owen had her trapped in.
"Sierra!" Heather said sweetly. "Which way do you think we should go?"
The superfan gasped and began to think of an appropriate answer.
"How do we know which way's right?" Owen asked.
Izzy gasped as an idea popped into her head. "Oh, I know!" She wiggled out of her boyfriend's grasp and walked to the front of the group again, looking over the three pathways. "A tip I learned while being in the wilderness is so long that if you're lost in a cave, you lick your finger to find the air flow!" The Psycho Hose Beast did just that, wincing as the taste of the cooking Chef made her (and that attacked her) hit her taste buds, but ignored it and held up the finger. She felt the wind brushing by, and came to a conclusion.
"Team E-Scope, follow me!" The wild child marched through the door marked with a mummy icon above it, confident in her choice. Owen and Merida followed closely behind, while Eva and Noah took up the rear. The five of them headed down the dark, eerily stone corridor, with only minimal torchlight to break through the darkness.
"Keep your eyes peeled for aksu tiles and stuff", Izzy said carefully. "This place could be booby trapped."
"How can you be so sure?" Eva asked in an accusatory way.
"It's Chris", The Psycho Hose Beast responded flatly.
Eva looked up in thought, then sighed. "Yeah, you're not wrong."
"So, what was it like on the show between challenges?" Merida asked the group as a whole. "Iz didn't tell me everything, so I'm just curious how things were for you lot."
Noah shrugged. "Not much for me. I was eliminated first on my team, spent the rest of the game at Playa De Losers, then missed my chance to play in the second season. Didn't care much, considering how the whole Chef/DJ illegal alliance thing, Courtney's warpath, and the drama around Gwen and Trent. That season was such a mess, but the kind you can't look away from."
"Yeah… Action wasn't fun for me…" Owen admitted sheepishly. "Ate a bunch of fake food, had to get my jaw wired shut, and then had to be Chris' mole because my mom spent all our money. I hated how I had to sabotage my friends!" He looked down for a moment, then perked right up. "But the first season was awesome! I won, made a lot of awesome friends, ate a bunch of delicious food, and even snagged an amazing girlfriend!" Izzy blushed at the compliment.
"I was eliminated in the second episode of season one, came back after the merge, eliminated immediately again, and then missed my chance to partake in season two", Eva snarled and her steps gained a more dangerous edge. "It sucked, especially since I was stuck with the Wonder Twins for far longer than any sane person should be. How Gwen survived them during her little feud with Heather I have no idea."
"To be honest, all of us were confused by that", Noah admitted. Whatever happened there is a mystery. One worth solving… I'd rather take my chances with how Chef got his cooking licence."
Izzy exploded into a fit of giggles. "I'm with you there, Big N."
For a moment, the group fell silent until Eva asked a question. "I gotta ask, Iz… when you weren't working on your movies or hanging out with us, what were you doing? Gwen saying on the plane that you were barely in any of the blogs makes it seem like you're on Canada's Most Wanted list."
Izzy simply shrugged. "I was out of the country. Visiting Merida and all my other friends. We're all really tight, and they're just fun to be around." Her eyes brightened, and she spun to face the others. "Maybe you can all meet someday! Then we can all be a massive team that takes on any challenge!"
Merida's eyes bugged out, Eva and Noah shrugged, and Owen giggled and nodded. The Psycho Hose Beast smiled and faced forward once again, the walk returning to a peaceful silence. As they headed down the dimly lit corridor, Merida quickly moved forward and joined her fellow redhead.
"Iz, are you serious about what you said?" The Dun Broch Princess asked in a hushed but sharp whisper.
"About what?" Izzy asked back with an oblivious smile.
"That they", the princess sharply nodded her head back at the others, "Can meet the others someday. Are you serious?"
The Psycho Hose Beast's smile immediately fell into a look of realisation. She peeked over her shoulder briefly, and looked forward again. "I… I honestly don't know. I'd really like that, honestly, but…" she sighed. "It's just hard. A lot is going on in here", she pointed at her own head, "And that's making me say things that… I don't know how to explain it."
Merida shrugged. "I get it, Iz. Just… If you do want these guys to meet the others, let them know first. Especially CC, Kat and Gladdy."
the wild child nodded, looked forward, and had something on the floor a distance away that stole her attention. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a pile of old canvas bandages.
"Weird…" Eva grunted as the whole group paused to look at the pile. "It's not my best class, but History told me everything I needed to know about ancient Egypt, and pyramids didn't usually have a pile of extra bandages lying around."
"Maybe it's toilet paper for when the mummies have to poop?" Owen said innocently. The others all levelled him with a flat look, making him blush sheepishly and smile.
Noah leaned back a bit and looked down both ends of the hallway. "We should just keep going", he suggested. "This might be one of Chris' oh-so incredible traps, and I'd rather get out of here in one piece."
"Yeah, let's go gang." Izzy once again took charge and led her friends down the hallway. But as the passed by a torch, all five of them suddenly noticed a very deep rumble coming from behind.
'Owen, if that's you I swear…" Eva growled.
"It's not!" The loveable oaf said in defence. "I made sure to go before I hopped off the plane!"
"Then what in the bloody hell is that?!" Merida barked.
Izzy turned around and looked down the way they had come, and much to her horror, she saw a massive swarm of scarab beetles scurrying towards them. The others all turned around, and they all visibly paled.
"Run?" Noah asked fearfully.
"Run", Izzy replied firmly.
With that, Team E-Scope as a whole screamed their lungs out as they booked it down the corridor, all of them giving it their all to keep ahead of the swarm of clearly hostile insects. When Noah started to fall behind, Eva quickly sprung into action and picked him up.
Izzy and Merida, realising they didn't know how much longer the tunnel was, decided to stall. They both fell behind, letting the other three get ahead so they could kick the wall. There was a minor quake before the roof caved in, sealing the bugs off from them. The two redheads shared a smile and ran to join the others. They just so happened to finally make it outside, and Izzy watched as Eva, Noah and Owen crossed the finish line.
"And that completes team two!" Chris announced happily. "You three will be joining Alejandro and Tyler." He faced Izzy and Merida next. "While you two are part of team three. Go and stand away from the others."
Izzy's shoulders slumped in misery as she looked at her friends. Owen frowned, Noah scowled at the host, and Eva gave the Psycho Hose Beast a light smile in reassurance. Merida led Izzy aside, and they both stood there waiting for the others.
Izzy, finally letting the sadness of being separated from her friends go, looked over those that had crossed the finished line. The first completed team had Bridgette, Lindsay, Beth, Leshawna, Harold and DJ. Team two was Izzy's friends, Alejandro and Tyler. As Izzy began to wonder who else would be on which team, Sierra carrying Cody and Heather ran out of the pyramid screaming in terror.
Izzy silently watched as he assigned Sierra to team two with Alejandro, while Heather and Cody joined team three. Merida and Izzy shared a frustrated look as they were grouped up with one of the most toxic people they've ever seen.
"Where's Gwen?" Cody asked, looking around aimlessly. "Not that I care… Just curious." Heather rolled her eyes, and Izzy shook her head at the very rough display to play off the concern.
Although Cody's prayers were answered as a loud bunch of arguing could be heard at the top. Everyone looked up to see Courtney, Gwen and Duncan standing on top of the pyramid, tied together in a belay system.
"I'm telling you, we need to untie!" Gwen shouted at Courtney.
"And I'm telling you it's unsafe", Courtney shot back. "I'm the one that's in charge-"
"Oh kids~!!!" Chris called up to them through a megaphone.
The ding from before sounded off, and Izzy's eyes widened. He wouldn't…
"You recognise that sound?"
He would.
"Time for whoever's not finished yet to give us a little musical reprise!"
"You said one song per episode!" Duncan roared.
"Yeah, and this is a reprise! Not a new song! So if you don't sing, you're out! Now let's hear it!"
"You know what? No!" The punk began to scale down the pyramid with ease, dragging both girls behind him, their butts landing painfully on each block. All the while, he repeated "No!" again and again with each hop. Once her was on the ground, he walked up to the host with a vicious glare.
"Three hours of these two squeaking on this stupid pyramid, in this stupid heat. And you want me to sing? Forget it!" Duncan looked so furious, and based on what he said, Izzy didn't blame him.
"Dude, you have a contract", Chris said nonchalantly.
"Eat it, McLean!" The punk pulled out his switchblade, and held up the ropes. "If you need me, I'll be in the plane waiting for a ride home. Cause I'm out, I'm done…" he cut the Rome that was keeping him tethered to the two clashing girls. "I quit!"
Both of them gasped as Duncan left everyone, heading around the pyramid and going back to the plane. Cody walked over and offered a hand to Gwen, smiling a goofy grin. Izzy had her lips pursed for the whole interaction, not too sure how to really react. Merida did, and she stifled a series of snorts.
As the geek's help was rejected, a moving ball of bandages ran out of the pyramid, making Heather and Cody lock up in fear. The Psycho Hose Beast and Dun Broch Princess simultaneously gave the Queen Bee a strange look, but all was corrected when the bundle finally revealed itself to be Ezekiel.
"That's for all the help, ya' knobs!" The homeschooler spat as he freed himself. Once he was free of his binding, Zeke ran up to the host with a pleading look. "C'mon guy. After all this you've got to let me back in the game!"
Chris shoved him away, a look of frustration plastered on his face. "Find. But only because we're down a man thanks to Duncan McQuittyPants. Go ahead and join team one."
The prairie boy cheered in excitement and happiness as he stood up and ran to his new team.
"Okay teams", Chris continued. "Talk amongst yourselves and determine a team name. You have three minutes, while I enjoy this ice cream cone." Izzy rolled her eyes and turned to her team. Heather, Cody, Gwen, Courtney, herself and Merida. Five girls, one boy, and a lot of bubbling tension already grazing the surface. The Psycho Hose Beast knew this was going to be rough just from that alone.
After discussing it for a bit, they came up with a team name. Izzy watched as team one called themselves Team Victory, her own team went with Team Amazon. And team three, thanks to Sierra, was… Team Chris Is Really Really Really Really Hot.
Merida and Izzy shared a flabbergasted look as Chris complimented the blatantly in his favour name, and gave each team that form from last to first a different reward. Amazon got a camel, Really Really Hot got a goat, and Victory got… a stick.
Today was just a rollercoaster, huh? Izzy tilted her head in thought as the host closed the episode, the day only half done. Internally, Izzy was screaming.
~
(Confessional - Passed the pyramid peril)
Izzy - She's leaning against the counter with the sink, looking out the window with a soft expression.
"I thought this season would be horrid, but so far it's been… fine?" She sounded so unsure of herself. "I know saying anything like that is a recipe for jinxing yourself, but yeah, so far it's fine. Yeah, I'm on a team with Heather, but I've got Merida! So that's just awesome!"
Her grin faltered for a moment. "I do hope things stay like this. I really, really need this. After everything, I seriously need a break. Or, at least something so I can go wild and sweep the competition. Fingers crossed!"
She flashed her crossed fingers as the screen cut to static.
~
Merida - "Bloody hell my first confessional…" the princess muttered as she looked around the bathroom. "Not sure why it has to be here and not somewhere, you know, more convenient, but this is fine."
She took a deep breath. "So yeah, I'm here for Izzy's sake. She hasn't been doing the best lately, and I felt like she needed as much support as possible."
She gave the camera a look. "Also, none of you get any right to know the real reason me and Iz met. That is for us to know only. And our… other friends. Speaking of which…" She cleared her throat, and beamed and waved at the camera. "Hey guys! Be sure you're rooting for us, I don't want to go home and see nothing set up."
The camera cut to static, with a brief logo of a wight and black ball split in half with a jagged cut and wings just barely visibly.
~X~
The third chapter of This Is Your Captain Crashing is finally out! After taking a bit of a break so I could get Dreams Come True done, now I can focus solely on this fic, continuing the story.
Now, what happened in this chapter is the basis I'm going for: one flashback, one song that isn't a World Tour original (for variety), and a chunk dedicated to the group chat. This'll be a wild TD fic, y'all ain't ready.
Up next: a trip through the world's largest desert, an unfortunate team switch, and the first elimination of the season.
~Caleb~
