Noah, Owen and Eva ran out of the Aftermath's stage and into the resort proper, all three of them looking absolutely frantic. Everyone was a mess, but they could care less about that. Right now, all that mattered was Izzy. Staff from all over were fully focused on cleaning up the mess left behind from Psycho Hose Beast's raging tornado.
"Okay, we'll split up and find her", Noah said firmly as Team E-Scope walked into the resort's foyer. "Who knows what she could be getting herself into right now."
"I don't know if splitting up is a good idea, little buddy", Owen said in worry as he looked around for any sign of his ex. "We don't have any way to really call each other if we do find her. Plus… We all might need to talk to her."
"He's right, Noah", Eva said as she absently looked down a nearby hallway. "That was… That was intense, even for her. So I agree with Tubby, we all need to find her."
"I know… I just don't know where to start…" The bookworm walked off and sat down in an empty armchair with a heavy sigh. "This is something that's entirely outside of my area of expertise. I'm a snarky kid that uses his quick wit to get out of a situation. Talking about feelings and depressing thoughts is just something… I'm not used to."
"You're not the only one…" The Fitness Buff sat in the chair next to him. "All of this has been… It's like our lives were just a front. Like this, or something like this was just going to happen at some point. We should've known something was off when Izzy didn't want to take part in this season after McLean saved us from the canyon."
Owen was uncharacteristically silent, before speaking. "Do you guys… Do you guys think this has something to do with Izzy's friends? The ones she and Merida kept talking about?"
"Probably…" Noah sighed. "I really wish Merida is here. She'd be able to just tell us what is going on."
"Yeah…" Owen looked down sadly for a bit, before looking confused. "Do you guys remember seeing Izzy before she ran off? She looked like there were weird things sticking out of her…"
"Wait, yeah, she did." Eva suddenly looked more concerned and stern. "What the heck was that?"
"Whatever it is, Iz will be able to explain." The bookworm stood up and began to make his way down a hall. "C'mon, we need to find her."
The other two nodded and followed their friend, but there was this uneasy feeling welling inside of the trio as they walked down the corridor. The resort was eerily quiet, almost like the whole building was trapped in a moment of time. All eyes were on the destroyed stage, which made Team E-Scope silently wonder what would happen after. The big thing being Izzy's punishment.
Noah had overheard from two interns how this whole ordeal seemingly cancelled a second chance challenge to let a lucky contestant get a second chance at the show. Because of all of this… Will the staff, Blaineley or even the producers try and corner her to exact some sort of punishment?
The idea made a very bad feeling well inside the bookworm's mind, so he picked up the pace to try and find their missing friend before it got to that point. It seemed to click for the other two, and they ran after him in a desperate bid to find Izzy.
When they reached a bend in a hallway, they began their search properly. They scoured high and low, in any room that wasn't in use, behind furniture and in closets and even in the vents. No sign of the redhead anywhere.
But when they were about to make a move to the next floor, Eva went to open the last room they didn't check. She turned the knob, pushed on the door…
And found it blocked.
The two boys looked over in surprise, then shared a look with Eva. Together, they tried to open the door, but could only nudge it open the slightest bit. With the door open the tiniest bit, Noah glanced inside, trying to see what was happening.
The vanity was what was blocking the door, the oversized piece of furniture caught on the open bathroom door. That was why they couldn't get in, but the other bits was what made his heart seize in fear.
The vanity mirror was in pieces on the floor, the windows were covered and the light was damaged so it cast the room in this oppressive darkness. Clothes, towels and sheets were strewn all over the floor. And at the foot of the bed, before the front board, sitting on the floor with her face buried in her knees…
Was Izzy.
Even in the near darkness, Noah could see the nightmarish state she was in. Her braids were undone and spilling out in a cluster of messy and frantic curls, more so than they usually are. Her skin was drained of colour, the injury from Australia exposed and raw. Her clothes were dishevelled, with her jacket discarded and pants looking torn and ruined. Something stuck off her body, as well, but in the dark he couldn't tell what it really was.
She was surrounded by the disastrous room, shutting out all the noise.
"Izzy", Noah whispered.
The wild child didn't react.
"Izzy, it's me, Noah."
The wild child moved ever so slightly away from the door.
"Iz, please. Owen, Eva and I are worried about you."
The wild child stood up, and walked over to the door. Any words he had in his mind were lost when he saw the state Izzy was truly in, thanks to the light of the hallway.
The bookworm saw how… Hollow… Izzy truly looked. Her eyes looked faded, like the colour had been drained from them. Horrifying bags hung under her eyes like stains, and she had nasty markings where tears had flowed and dried. But the scariest part was the fact she had this bit of her that looked… Broken. A thick cable like thing that he only just noticed now was broken towards the top of her head, looking like a severed guitar string.
"Iz-" Noah was cut off from speaking when Izzy suddenly pushed the vanity back against the door. The bookworm scrambled away to avoid getting crushed, and team E-Scope watched as the door clicked closed, and heard a very distinct locking sound.
They stood in the hallway, silently looking at the door.
"Noah…" Owen said quietly. "How is she?"
The bookworm could only shake his head. "We need Merida. This… This isn't something we can brute force."
"Then what do we do?" Eva asked.
"We just hang around, but not try and talk to her. She's going through a lot right now, so the best we could do is try to make sure she doesn't kill herself. We'll stop by and make sure she's eating, and just… not let her be completely alone."
"Should we move our rooms here?" Owen asked, pointing at the three vacant rooms next to Izzy's. "Just so if something happens we're here?"
"It's pretty close to the entrance and food court…" Eva muttered. She then nodded, gaining a determined look. "You two, hand me your room keys. I'll get our stuff and bring it down here."
"I'll keep tabs on everyone else", the bookworm said, his tone having a slightly angry infliction. "I'd rather not want them to try and make Izzy feel worse than she already is."
"And I'll stay here", Owen said. The other two looked at him in confusion, so he elaborated. "If anyone does stop by, I want to make sure they don't get in. So I'll hang out here, give Iz some company, and block the door."
Noah smiled at his friend. "Good call, Lunchbox. Make sure she's okay."
The blonde boy nodded, handed Eva his room key, and the team broke off. Owen remained there, Eva headed straight for the nearest elevator, and Noah sauntered back towards the auditorium. The resort was audibly picking back up, with a few staff meandering about, signalling the clean-up at the stage was done.
So the bookworm made his way there as fast as he could, and upon entering, he saw everyone standing off towards the exit as the three hosts talked in the centre of the stage. The audience was entirely gone, with only a few janitors cleaning up the mess.
"What's I miss?" Noah asked quietly.
Leshawna scoffed and crossed her arms. "Crazy girl's freak out cancelled a comeback challenge they had planned. So I might be a bit angry."
"Take it easy, Leshawna", Trent said, shooting his friend a light glare. "Izzy's clearly going through a lot right now, so don't try and vilify her."
"How is Izzy, anyway?" Beth asked, bringing all attention onto the bookworm. "Did you find her?"
Noah looked bored, but internally he was very upset. "She's not doing great. Locked herself in a room on the first floor, blocked it with the vanity, and…" He sighed, slumping his shoulders. "She looked like she was dragged through heck several times over. So I'll just warn you all now, DON'T GO NEAR HER." Me, Owen and Eva are going to move into the rooms next to her's and we'll be keeping an eye on her."
The bookworm turned and began to walk out of the room, but shot everyone a look over his shoulder before walking out. "I'll just warn you all now: The three of us aren't going to take this sitting down, and if any of you decide to try and press Izzy… Well, be warned we will rat you out to Merida if push comes to shove."
He left the room, leaving the silent contestants behind.
He decided to go and check on Owen, but then realised they needed to eat something, so decided to change course and head towards the food court.
He passed by Eva as she left the elevator, both teens sharing a silent nod. The Fitness Buff headed down the hallway and passed by Owen, who was fulfilling his promise by remaining stationed up at the door. But when he saw his stuff, he made quick work grabbing it and moving it all into the room closest to Izzy's. Eva smiled lightly and moved her stuff in the room on the opposite side of the hall, that way Noah could claim the one last one closest to Izzy's room.
Inside said room, the Psycho Hose Beast was letting herself wallow in the darkness. Her throat was dry and strained from all the sobbing she did, and she felt weak. Her bones felt brittle, like they were glass. Her face was numb from the tears.
And her broken outline? It made her feel… Off. She wasn't balanced anymore, like one leg was shorter than the other. It wasn't right. She felt better for a bit, but now she feels more broken than before. More of a disaster, more like she should just curl up and cry forever.
It didn't help that her phone was still exploding with notifications.
She had long since shut out the constant buzzing, the light of her concerned second family who wanted answers, wanted to know that nothing was wrong.
But everything was wrong. Nothing was right.
Tears escaped her eyes as her body racked with silent sobs.
Nothing would ever be right ever again…
~X~
Merida paced about in the Cargo Hold in pure panic. Her mind was wracking itself in circles as she worried endlessly, and it was all because she knew. She knew what happened during the Aftermath.
Almost as soon as it ended, she was called and texted by everyone from the group about how fast things fell apart. It was all centred on Izzy's freak out, and how she had not texted back at all since it happened. Everyone was in a frantic panic, and Merida was the worst of them all.
Her best friend, her partner in crime, her girlfriend was in turmoil. And she couldn't do anything to help her. She was still stuck in the plane, and Izzy was who knows where, hurting.
The princess groaned and roughly sat down on a nearby crate, a still tied up Ezekiel now fast asleep. This was falling apart fast.
"What am I supposed to do…" The princess whispered to herself. She hugged herself tightly, her expression clouded and complicated. She needed to figure something out, and fast.
A loud snore snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked down at the somewhat insane Homeschooler with a glare. This boy was giving her a headache, as just as Izzy was voted out, the princess headed straight into the Cargo Hold to cool off from the loss of her partner.
But almost immediately, Ezekiel had jumped out to try and scavenge some scraps of food. Merida got one look at him, and instantly pounced and tied him up. She was planning on taking him to Chris… But that was completely sidetracked when she got all the calls and texts.
But now, she was frustrated. She was impatient. She was not having any of it. So the princess pushed aside her earlier worry for later, stood up, and forcefully grabbed the green skinned boy.
He cried out as he woke up, and began to struggle. When that was failing him, he growled and tried to bite Merida's arm. But a swift elbow shut that down instantly.
"You knock it off now", the redhead hissed. "I'm already angry enough. So if you don't want a broken jaw, quit struggling and let me take you to our 'gracious' host." The princess rolled her eyes at the faux praise of Chris, then made her way out of the Cargo Hold. She entered the elimination area, and stomped over towards the door to the Common Area. She slammed the door open, making everyone in the dining area jump.
Chris was there, thankfully, and as soon as he saw the homeschooler, he scowled. "He's still on this hunk of junk?!"
"Me and Izzy saw him back in London", the princess said flatly. "But we got sidetracked with Owen's elimination and stuff." She tossed the tied up boy onto the ground just before the man, and the deranged kid tried to free himself from his bindings.
Chris pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seriously, you just don't get it, Zeke. When you're out, you are out! If you steal the reward, we have every right to arrest you!"
That made the boy stop struggling, and look up in shock.
"Wait, seriously?" Courtney asked.
"Even I didn't know that", Sierra said quietly.
"Yes, because even if we can get away with a lot on this show", Chris explained impatiently, "there's still a limit. Basically, if you are eliminated, and recognised for it, taking the cash is just robbery. CHEF!" Everyone flinched at the host's shout, and the cook stormed into the room, looking just frustrated. "Get him out of here, and make sure he's gone!"
The cook nodded and walked back into the elimination room, leaving everyone watching the prairie boy struggle desperately to free himself before it was all over. But no one bothered to let that idea linger, as when the door closed everyone decided to just get on with their time.
Merida stood in the centre of the room, scowling at nothing in particular before turning heel and heading towards First Class. But she paused, then changed course to head back towards the Cargo Hold. She walked through the elimination room, catching one last glimpse of Ezekiel before he was shoved out of the plane with an open parachute. She ignored the boy's cries, and entered the massive storage room.
She made her way right to her duffle bag, pulling out her bow and putting it over her body. She then grabbed the bunch of arrows she was sharpening, placed them all in a quiver, and put the quiver on.
She did some final adjustments, then made her way out of the Cargo Hold and finally returned to her original task. She stormed through the elimination area and then the Common Area. But as she entered Economy Class, which was empty, a certain Spaniard came up right behind her.
"Senorita, I must say…" He began, making the princess stop. "You finding our lost competitor was very admirable of you. I was greatly worried for that young man."
"That's not why you're cornering me, though… is it?" Merida faced him, levelling him with a flat look.
"I just came to apologise for the scene that happened at Izzy's elimination. I understand you and her were very close, and it makes me feel guilty for separating you two."
"Sure, and despite everything you decided to kick her while she was down." The princess scowled. "You voted off each of her friends, rather than just taking the fall and getting lost."
"This is a very lucrative game, Merida." The Spaniard glared at the redhead. "We must do what we have to so we can claim victory. Plus, I thought you'd be happy Izzy was gone, away from this show when she clearly wasn't mentally well."
"That's because you decided to kick the hornet's nest, Al." Merida got right up in the young man's face, spitting his name out with nothing but venom. "You kept dragging her down more and more, so if we ever see them all again and she's even hurt herself the slightest bit." She got right in his face. "YOU. ARE. DEAD."
The young man scoffed. "Threaten me all you want. All I know is that once the merge is here, watching you struggle to keep up will be… Gratifying."
Merida snarled and slammed her foot on his, making Alejandro cry out in pain and fall to the floor. He groaned, then looked up at the princess with a glare. But… But he could swear he saw something behind her… Something that killed her resolve.
It was multiple vague shadows that looked alien.
"You should be careful what you say, Alejandro", the princess said in a very dark tone. "Because those friends me and Izzy keep mentioning? They're watching this show. They see you." The vague shadows gained a bit more visible form, and they looked like a fever dream come to life. "And are probably waiting to finally finish the job."
She turned around and stormed off, leaving the Spaniard alone on the cold floor. He was still in shock, and had this feeling of regret well inside of himself. Maybe… Maybe he really did push it too far. Maybe, now, he was so screwed.
Merida made her way into First Class, passing by a napping Gwen, Courtney reading a book, and Sierra who was treating a pizza box like a laptop. The princess didn't acknowledge them as she made her way over to the bar and sat down, sighing roughly and covering her face with her hands. She was already done with everything, and the next challenge didn't even start.
But she knew it was the endgame. Izzy was booted on the last challenge, so it was the third Aftermath. Which meant the merge was soon, if not right at the start of the next challenge. At least if what she remembered from Action was right. She just hoped the teams would be dropped soon so she could just focus on herself, and not be stuck babysitting her team.
Now she knew how her mum and dad felt when she was a baby. And how they feel with the triplets now.
The intern at the bar gave her a glass of water, and she took a sip without uttering a word. She was too distracted to say anything. Because if the merge was coming up, that means Alejandro and Heather had free reign off the whole competition. So unless she could rally everyone against them… They were all screwed.
Although maybe getting out wasn't that bad of an idea, if it meant making sure Izzy was okay.
"You look like you're planning something." Merida shook her head and looked at Courtney, who sat beside her.
"Aye, just have a lot on my mind." The princess relaxed face planted on the bar top. "Izzy is gone and I'm worried about her, Alejandro is being a complete idiot, and I'm getting serious jet lag with all this constant travelling. I'm at wits end, and just want this all to end now."
The Ex-CIT nodded, and pat her friend on the shoulder. "Just a bit longer, Merida. The show can't last forever, so soon we'll all be done with this."
"Yeah yeah…" The princess buried her face in her arms, and rested against the bar. "I honestly don't even care about the money. I just want to make sure Alejandro and Heather lose after everything they did. Especially that bastard Al."
Courtney pursed her lips, but then looked at Merida's bow in surprise. "Oh, you actually brought a bow with you?"
The princess looked at her friend, nodded, then sat up so she could show her. "It's a bow me and my mum worked together to make. After she wrecked my last one… We wanted a fresh start. So I usually take this with me wherever I go."
"Do you have any arrows for it?" Based on the smirk, Merida thought Courtney assumed she was just lugging around toy arrows. But when she reached into the quiver and pulled out an honest to god arrow, the Type A and intern both looked at it in shock.
Courtney winced when the pointed blade-like tip glinted in the light. "This answer your question?" The princess said with a smirk of her own.
"Yes…" Courtney swallowed nervously. "You don't actually… You won't actually use them, right?"
Merida sighed and looked up at the ceiling, setting the arrow on the bar top. "Only if it's necessary. And you're fine, so don't worry about me turning you into a pin cushion." The Ex-CIT nodded in worry, then faced ahead somewhat vacantly. Merida knew why, but she didn't care enough to really do anything about it. So she just finished her water, grabbed her bow and loose arrow, and went to one of the empty chairs. With a tired sigh, she sat down and reclined the chair.
Despite everything, it only took a few seconds before she fell right asleep. Her dreams that danced in her head were quiet and calm, a stark contrast to how she was really feeling. But all that sleep was short lived, supposedly, as she was knocked awake when everyone started screaming. The princess was startled to see that they all were falling.
With them were two swan-shaped paddle boats, which made her even more confused.
"Hey kids!" Chris shouted from the plane. "You better get into your paddle boats!"
Merida didn't hesitate as she launched forward and climbed into one of the boats, joined by a terrified Gwen, Tyler, Cody and Heather.
When they were all situated, the boats landed in a river, submerging them for a brief moment before surfacing once again. All the contestants were soaked, tired and confused.
"I'm starting to question my mom's crush on Chris, just a little", Sierra said from the second boat.
"Uhhhhhh… Guys…" Tyler said fearfully, pointing behind the two boats. Everyone followed his finger, and paled at the sight of an edge.
"Wa… Wa…" Heather whispered fearfully.
"Waterfall!" Alejandro cried.
"Oh for Pete's sake!" Merida screamed, pushing her way to the front of her boat so she could assist Gwen in getting the paddles whirling at full strength. It wasn't doing much, as the princess could hear the sound of rushing water getting louder and louder.
"If you let us live", Courtney said as she prayed. "I'll tutor any brain dead person who requires it. Even Duncan."
"If we live I'll forget she ever said that", the punk said.
"If we live", Cody added in panic. "I'll let Sierra kiss me." Everyone stopped their paddling and gave him a flabbergasted look. "What? Like we're gonna make it."
The fangirl gasped. "I. Want. My. KIIIIISSSSS!!!" Sierra stood up, tied a rope around Courtney's waist, and threw her at Merida's boat. The Ex-CIT latched onto the fake swan's neck, looking pretty panicked, before the fangirl set herself at the paddles and pumped with all her might.
Before the boats could go over the edge, they shot forward at ridiculous speeds, getting away from the waterfall at a breakneck pace. Merida braced as they rushed up to a shore, and crashed onto the beach.
Everyone groaned, wet and tired. Merida sighed and sat up, shaking out the sand that was sticking to her hair before catching sight of Sierra leaning over Cody. Before the fangirl could violate the geek's personal space once again, the princess pulled her purple ponytail and dragged her off.
Sierra glared at the princess, but her angry look lightened when she saw the oddly flat look across Merida's face. "Are you okay, Merry?"
"Aye… Just thinking…" The princess faced the slightly taller girl. "Look, I know you really like Cody, but doing… This. It'll just freak him out more look at how everyone else on this blasted show got together. They took it slow, were friendly, all of that. You're… You're crossing a lot of lines."
The fangirl was silent, looking over at her crush longingly. "You mean that?"
"My mum tried to set me up with three losers." She pat the fangirl on the shoulder. "Don't chase this guy off."
The superfan was simply left standing in silent contemplation, before rushing up and giving the princess the quick hug. She then ran off to help Cody to his feet, trying to look much more relaxed. Merida smiled, and walked ahead with the rest of the group. All of them scowled when Chris walked up before them.
"So Niagara Falls is pretty awesome, eh?" The host asked smugly.
"It almost killed us!" Heather spat back.
"Like I said: Awesome. The falls are the jewel and Canada's crown, and, the top ten natural wonders of the world. It's also known for its fabulous casino, which is where we'll be heading for the first part of the challenge."
"Aw man seriously?!" Duncan called in excitement. Everyone sans the princess looked ecstatic, seemingly excited as the host led them towards their destination.
Merida couldn't really focus on that much, simply because this whole short ordeal had her wondering…
Wondering if Izzy was okay.
~X~
Noah, Eva and Owen lingered as far from the others as they could. Everyone was currently in the food court for the mandated lunch, before they were all expected to head back to the now empty auditorium to watch the new episode live. Despite the excitement and curiosity of the first post-merge challenge, the fact the second chance challenge was cancelled and Izzy was still locked in her room was giving everyone an uncertain feeling.
Team E-Scope had decided to distance themselves from the others. Even Owen, which was shocking to the others. But Noah and Eva backed up his decision, and the trio had decided to keep back.
They just didn't have the energy to put up with any of them.
"So, how was Izzy?" Noah asked. He never got a chance to ask before the call for lunch happened.
The blonde boy shrugged as he slowly ate his varied platter of food. "Quiet. Although it's really hard to tell how she is… Considering I can't see her and all."
"We could slip a note under the door and see if she responds", Eva suggested. "That way she can keep us posted on how she's feeling without feeling like she needs to say something."
"Not a bad idea, E", Noah said nonchalantly. "Even if it doesn't work out, we at least tried."
Owen absentmindedly nodded, his gaze moving over towards the rest of the food court. The rest of the contestants were just going about their business, although occasionally one or two of them would glance over with an expression that was difficult to decipher.
The lovable lug was aware this whole thing made the others view Team E-Scope differently. He was gullible, maybe a bit oblivious, but he wasn't stupid. He knew what bad things were happening, and he hated it. He always wished everyone would just get along, considering they all were stuck on the same show together. But even he knew that was a dumb idea.
People will just hate others, that's how life works.
The blonde boy sighed as he finished his food, then stood up and left the food court. Noah and Eva waved at him, and he waved back before leaving and heading towards his room. He trudged through the hallway, passing the locked door to Izzy's room, and entered his. He made his way right towards the vanity, grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled down a complete message on it:
Hey Iz. I'm writing this just so you know me, Noah and Eva really miss you, and are really worried. You're amazing, and seeing you like this breaks our hearts. So that's what this message is for.
Eva also thought of an idea to have you write how you're feeling. Me and the others will have to head to watch the next episode live (we're all cheering for Merry), so slip this note back under your door when you're done, okay?
~Owen
The blonde boy smiled as he set his pen down, and left his room. He stopped before Izzy's door, took a deep breath, slipped the note under, and headed to the live viewing.
Within the dark room, Izzy was in the exact position Noah saw her in. But when she heard the piece of paper slip in, she lifted her head to look at it. The dedication to sticking by her did reach her head and heart, but did little to actually fix what was actually broken.
moving like her bones were both concrete and glass, the Psycho Hose Beast crawled over to the note and glanced at it with her hollow eyes. The words were just a load of incomprehensible scribbles to her, yet she did understand what was being said. So she reached over to the pen that was on the floor, and scrawled onto the paper a simple response at the bottom.
~X~
Everyone sans Merida were mildly annoyed when the host ended up leading the contestants through a back door and through a hall and into a concert hall. The princess gave her competitors and teammates a look as they all looked at Chris flatly.
"Seriously?" Duncan droned out, all his previous excitement gone.
"Since you're all underage", the host explained, "we had to move the challenge from the gambling floor to the less exciting casino concert hall."
"What, are we gonna see a performance of some kind?" Gwen asked with a dubious expression.
"Your wish has been granted, Gwen! Last time on the Aftermath show, they had a second chance challenge, where one of the losers could score a spot back in the game. And we're about to enjoy a little number from the winner!"
"Maybe it'll be Lindsay!" Tyler said in excitement.
"I'd like it to be Leshawna, just so I can pay her back for that slap back in Germany", Heather said bitterly.
Cody nudged Merida lightly. "Maybe Izzy got back in", he whispered to her.
"Maybe…"
"To be honest, I'm not even sure who's back", the host admitted.
"Because no one is back", Chef said gruffly as he walked up to join the others, stuffing his phone into his pocket. "The second chance challenge got cancelled."
"I'm sorry, what?" The host and everyone else all looked at the co-host in shock.
"I just got a call from the staff that Crazy Girl lost her mind on stage. She trashed everything, and clean-up took so long they ran out of time. Heck, apparently Mildred, the surfer and cowboy didn't even get a chance to explain the challenge. So no one is coming back!"
The contestants all looked at Merida, whose face was wrought with worry. Hearing it again just made it all the more worse.
Chris clenched his teeth together, clearly not a fan of the news. "But that was a huge thing for this challenge. Someone comes back, the merge happens, and it's a free-for-all with a new wildcard in the mix."
"Wait, we're at the merge?" Courtney asked.
The host winced at his slip up. "Well, this threw off a bunch of marketing and plans." He cleared his throat and faced the contestants. "Yes, we have officially merged. It's now every passenger for themselves, so… Yeah."
The contestants all smiled, but there wasn't much fanfare or cheering because of the earlier shock and confusion.
Chris noticed, and scowled. "And this is what happens when plans are completely thrown off! I had a big speech prepared for after the comeback contestant sang a song, but now all of that is wasted! Plus, a lot of the show's budget went into marketing the second chance challenge! So now all of that's wasted."
"Staff said Crazy Girl locked herself in a room that wasn't even her's", Chef continued. "They can't get her out, and told me the damage at the Aftermath took another hit out of our budget."
Once again, everyone looked at Merida, who simply ignored the stares and glared at the cook. "But is Izzy okay?" From the calls and texts, no one knew.
"She just ran off, that's all I know." Chef grumbled and walked off, probably to get the episode back on track.
Chris smiled, although it seemed more strained. "Okay, so… You guys just wait here. I gotta… make some calls…" The host ran off in the same direction as his partner, leaving the contestants in an awkward limbo.
Which gave the Queen Bee the perfect opportunity to whirl on her ex teammate and biggest headache, a certain Scottish princess. "Well, what do you know? Izzy couldn't keep all her crazy bottled up, and it ended up getting her in trouble."
The princess gained a dark look, her hand twitching as she went to grab her bow. "What that FUCK does that mean?" Courtney got the memo and backed away, urging Gwen and Cody to follow her lead.
"It means your stupid girlfriend was exactly what we all thought she was: A ticking time bomb. She was just waiting to pop, and probably couldn't do it around your over-protective-"
Everything fell into silence when an arrow was fired and struck the wall right beside Heather's head, making the Queen Bee pale and shut up. Everyone looked at Merida, and saw her holding her bow, knuckles white as her expression said one thing and one thing only.
Pure, unholy, rage.
"Oh, oh, now I get it!" The princess yelled. "You were just waiting till we weren't on the same team just so you could trash Izzy to my face and not expect me to bite back!" She pulled out another arrow and walked up towards the Queen Bee, making the manipulative bitch press against the wall. "Well listen here, Heather. Now that the teams are gone, I'm going to be doing everything in my power to make it so you and him", she pointed the arrow at Alejandro, who flinched, "regret pushing me and Izzy around."
She pressed the tip of the arrowhead right under Heather's chin. "Am. I. Clear?"
"Y-Yeah! Of course you are, bestie!" The Queen Bee sang in a very panicked tone.
The princess' expression shifted into a scowl, and she put the arrow in her hand back in the quiver. She then pulled the other arrow out of the wall, stuffed it into the quiver, and sulked off with her arms crossed. Everyone else shared nervous glances, but Gwen and Courtney followed after their friend.
"Hey, Merida", the goth began as the two girls stopped on either side of the princess. "Are you okay?"
Merida shook her head. "How can I be when I know Izzy is very much hurt, but I can't do anything about it? I just want to talk to her, to hug her till it's better, to…"
When she trailed off, the goth and Type A shared a look. "You and her hooked up, didn't you?"
The princess nodded sombrely. "After the challenge all the way back in London. I felt like that for a long while, but it wasn't until New York when it finally clicked. Before Sweden, me and Iz had a moment… And then she was gone, and now more broken than I could ever fear. I hate this fucking show… so much."
Gwen hugged her friend as Courtney put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay, Merida", Gwen said calmly. "I bet Izzy is watching you right now, cheering you on to win this for you and her."
The princess sniffed. "I know… I know."
"And if it means anything, we'll both help you through this", Courtney said with an encouraging smile.
Merida nodded, only to look up on stage when Chris ran out from behind the curtain and flashed his usual grin. "Okay! We are back, sorry for the hold up, everyone. Now… where was I? Right."
There was the sound of scraping, and everyone gasped as Chef (wearing a pink dress, pink chef hat and heels) pushed a massive slot machine onto the stage. The icon on the machine had a drawing of Duncan, Cody and Tyler on each of them, and just from that alone Merida hated it.
"Since we are in the honeymoon capital of the world…" Chris began. "I thought it'd be fun to drop some arranged marriages on you!"
Cody gulped as Sierra looked excited, but more subdued than expected.
"Check It! Slots-o'-fun for me, not so fun for you!" The cook grinned and pulled the oversized lever, making the icons spin. "Each girl pulls the lever to win a husband, who she'll team up with for today's challenge!" The three icons ended up landing on Merida, which made everyone do a double take.
"I'm sorry, why am I there?" The princess asked.
The host scratched the back of his neck nonchalantly. "Yeah, it turns out we have a gender imbalance. Five girls, four guys. So I spun a wheel to see which girl will play the role of husband, and it ended up being you Merry!"
The princess scowled and crossed her arms, grumbling in frustration as she followed the guys up onto the stage. They all walked up to Chef, and the cook helped each of them on top of the machine, opening a hatch at the top. Then, before any of them could react, Chef grabbed them and shoved them into the dark and cramped space.
Seconds later, a bear was dropped in with them. Everyone was silent, before all hell broke loose. Merida did her best to wrestle the bear, but it was fruitless considering how small the space was and the lack of any light.
Before she could fully react, a trapdoor opened and sent Alejandro out. No one could hear what was going on outside, but it was taking a bit for the next husband to be pulled. When it did happen, it was Merida who fell next.
She slid out and landed on the stage floor, looking up at a fairly calm Gwen. "Well, looks like we're now married."
The princess snorted and accepted her friend's hand. "Bloody 'ell, you're right."
The two girls walked away, joining up with the duo of Heather and Alejandro. The princess shot them both a harsh glare before turning to watch Courtney walk up towards the lever.
She looked to be hoping for something. And from her muttering, it made the princess understand.
"You must've spared me from the falls for a reason", the Type A said. "So I beg you. Do not pair me with Duncan!" She pulled the lever, the icons spun, and they all landed on the bear. The hairy beast rolled out onto the stage floor, let out a roar that blew Courtney back, and began to chase her.
Merida scowled and gave chase as Chris signed off for commercials, making the princess' patience lower that much more. She eventually caught up to the bear and tackled it to the ground, tussling with it till she came out on top (but not unscratched). Chef came over and locked a collar around the unconscious bear's neck, and dragged it off.
When Merida joined up with Gwen again, Chris decided to make a jab.
"Courtney cheating on the bear with Merida?" He let out a somewhat fake laugh. "Courtney, now that you're on the rebound, let's pull the lever again for lucky husband number two!"
The Type A walked up and pulled the lever down, and everyone winced when the three icons lined up to be Duncan.
"Aw come on!" Courtney cried.
Duncan slid out of the lower door, looking extremely uncomfortable. He stood up and took a step back, nervous about his ex staring at him.
Courtney eventually sighed. "Fine, whatever. But when this challenge is over…"
"We go our separate ways, way ahead of you Princess." The punk crossed his arms and scowled, and Merida caught the look of heartbreak that flashed in front of Courtney's eyes.
Sierra squealed and ran up to pull the lever again, only to stop. "Wait, Chris. I'm the only one without a husband, but both Tyler and Cody are left. How are we… How's this gonna work?"
The host's eyes widened. "Oh… Right. Uhhhhhhh… Okay, how about this: Whichever guy doesn't end up getting a wife gets immunity, but can't ride First Class. The comeback challenge being canned screwed up a lot of things."
No one really voiced any opposition to the offer, so Sierra pulled the lever and took a step back. When the three icons lined up and flashed with Cody's face, she let out an excited squeal. Only it was more subdued than usual.
The geek gave her a weird look, and was surprised when she helped him up and took a step back.
"Alright, that means Tyler is our lucky immunity winner! How's that sound, Ty?"
The jock climbed out of the machine from the top, and stumbled a bit as he landed next to the host. "Sounds good to me. But… What do I do now?"
"Just hang around and relax. The rest of you!" Chris shot all the couples a grin. "Follow me to the next part of the challenge!"
Everyone shared dubious looks, but didn't voice any complaints as the host led them all elsewhere on the concert hall's stage. Four podiums were set up at one end of an obstacle course, with four wedding dresses all the way at the other end. Each looked different, and Chris made sure to tell which 'husband' was on which pillar. After they received Megaphones, the host showed up from behind a corner wearing a blue tuxedo.
"Because a good marriage is based on trust…", he explained as the interns put blind folds on the 'wives'. "And the ability to argue louder than your spouse, each groom will use their megaphone to guide their blindfolded bride safely to her gown. Only couples with a dress can continue, go!"
"Okay, Gwen", Merida said through the megaphone. "Just walk straight, I'll tell you when to sidestep left or right, okay?"
"You got it, Merry!" the goth said in semi-worry. The dyed-hair gal walked forward carefully, her hands out front to hopefully offer some assistance.
"Right!" The princess called out. Gwen slipped past a small tub filled with piranhas.
"Left!" The goth slipped past an oversized wedding cake.
"Crawl under!" The goth ducked and did as she was told, passing under a large bell before bumping into her dress. Gwen stood up and took off the blindfold, looking back at Merida with a smile. The princess smiled back and shot a thumbs up, taking in the sights of the challenge.
Courtney was struggling because Duncan decided that messing with her was a better idea; Heather had already reached the end before Gwen; And Sierra was somewhat meandering about as Cody tried to give her directions, but was clearly still uncomfortable with everything.
The redhead frowned at everything, before hopping off her podium and joining up with Gwen. The goth was looking over her dress in distaste, clearly not a fan of the stark white.
"I'm gonna see if I can pester an intern for a can of black spray paint, I'll be right back." She walked off, leaving Merida standing all on her own.
"Hey, Merida?" The princess looked next to her to see a confused and concerned Cody. "Did you… Did you talk with Sierra at all before the challenge? She's been… different…" They both glanced at the fangirl, who was walking off to get changed.
"I did, after she crashed us on the shore." the princess fully turned towards her ex-teammate. "She likes you a lot, but just… She doesn't get boundaries. So I told her simply that what she was doing was scaring you away. If you really want her to stop, talk to her, she'll listen. Plus… It's not everyday someone like that looks at you like she does. If you two work things out… then you'll both be unstoppable."
The geek looked up at her in shock. "Really? You actually mean that, Merida?"
The archer nodded earnestly. "Yeah, I do. Just talk to her when you can, okay?"
Cody nodded and dashed off, the other husbands following the host to wherever they were needed next. Merida followed shortly after, catching a glimpse of Gwen heading into a changing room with a spray paint can and her dress in hand. The sight made the princess smile, as she headed out the back door of the casino.
~X~
The couples all stood on a platform high above the water, the wall of falling water surrounding them on the right side. The princess admitted it was kind of mesmerising, but from the very thing rope before them that led to another platform all the way over on the other side, her admiration of the beauty was quickly replaced with worry.
"I'd like to call this next part", Chris began, "Till Death, Do You Part!"
"You've got to be serious…" Heather droned out as she glanced over the edge.
"Somehow, I envy Tyler", Duncan said, glaring at said jock who was at the other wooden platform across the way.
"We escaped falling down Niagara Falls", Cody said to the host. "Just so you could make us walk over it? On a tightrope?!"
"Even better!" The host continued. "Each groom has to carry his slash her bride across the gorge. And then, you've got to successfully clear customs." On the other platform, Chef leaded out of a small booth and waved, looking like a border crossing guard. "First pair to do so wins invincibility. And, a pimped out wedding reception in First Class. Heather and Alejandro won the challenge, so I'm giving them a head start."
"Ready, Mrs.Alejandro?" The Spaniard said with a grin.
"Only if you are… Mr.Heather." The Queen Bee crossed her arms.
Merida rolled her eyes at the very blatant flirting.
"Oh, I nearly forgot", the host suddenly added. "'Cause the falls weren't quite unpleasant enough, we stocked them with hungry, hungry sharks!"
The contestants all gasped and looked down to the waters below, watching as a boat with three sharks on it moved about.
"Again with the sharks?!" Gwen shouted. She glared at the host. "You just love reusing this stuff, don't you?"
"Hey, we had all the permits, so don't give me that look." The host scowled, before smiling. "And go!"
The duo of Alheather began to make their way across the gorge, having implacable balance to the point it was scary.
"Ready to get going, Gwen?" Merida asked her partner.
The goth nodded, looking a bit frazzled. "Yeah… Yeah, let's go."
The princess picked her friend up bridal style, and began to carefully cross the thin rope. It was surprisingly stable, not shifting at all. It was like this was an iron bar and not an actual rope. It was bizarre, but par for the course on this fever dream of a show.
Merida, distracted by her own thoughts, nearly fell off the rope when a double ding sounded off. Everyone groaned, then looked back at the host with a scowl.
He simply shrugged in response. "Hey, we planned for the returning contestant to sing, so we had to squeeze a song in somewhere. Now start singing, except Tyler."
The princess rolled her eyes, but was surprised when her phone suddenly started up and began to play a melody automatically. She recognised it, and as the melody coursed through the air, she began to sing along to Fly Away by TheFatRat.
Come and fly away with me
Come and fly away with me
Come and fly away with me
Co-co-come and fly away with me
Gwen smiled and joined in with the singing, bobbing her head lightly to the techno beat. Even if this wasn't her style of music, she wouldn't risk elimination for any reason.
Come and fly away with me
Come and fly away with me
Come and fly away with me
Co-co-come and fly away with me
Courtney and begrudgingly Duncan sang the next verse together, although there was a lot more tension than the others. It was very difficult to watch, as they hated each other so passionately that you wondered what was keeping them from tackling each other down into the water below.
Don't you be afraid
Everything will change
You and I
Jumping off the edge
They say dreamers never die
Alejandro and Heather took the next verse, and they were much better off. There was still that aura of mistrust, but they seemed to reach some sort of common ground. That wasn't… good.
So, come and fly
Come and fly
Come and fly away with me
Sierra and Cody took up the next two verses, the feeling between them very weird. Mainly it wasn't anything like what you could feel before. The fangirl felt more subdued, while the geek seemed more at peace. It was a bizarre thing to witness, especially considering what was happening over the course of the rest of the season.
We're rising, we're falling
We'll make it through
We're climbing, we're soaring
A thousand views
At one point, the geek and fangirl duo shared a look, and smiled. Like, it was a genuine smile from both of them, not forced or creepy or all that. Merida, who was looking at them over her shoulder, smiled at them. There was potential, they both just needed to talk.
We're rising, we're falling
We'll make it through
We're climbing, we're soaring
A thousand views
Everyone began to sing together as they neared the other platform at the end, almost like the music was magnetising their feet to rope. They all moved in sync with each other, it was honestly impressive.
Somewhere by the emerald sea
Where the moon and water meet
Somewhere close to harmony
When the world is sound asleep
Merida capped off the song as Alejandro and Heather reached the customs booth. However, the villainous couple began to angrily argue about something, which made Heather get pushy, which sent Alejandro and herself off the rope.
Something's gonna bring the change
Journeys we are meant to take
Something at the edge of space
Calling us to fly away…
Merida glanced down, making sure they were both okay. Well, as okay as you could get on this show. Luckily, they were fine, just now in the sightlines of three very hungry sharks. The princess winced, but this meant she misplaced her foot, sending her and Gwen down. Luckily, she grabbed onto the rope, holding one Gwen tightly before they could fall.
The bounce this caused the rope made Sierra and Cody fall down, joining Heather and Alejandro at the bottom. Yet, somehow, Duncan was unfazed as he just walked past, a disgruntled Courtney still slung over his shoulder.
"You okay, Gwen?" The princess asked.
"All good, Merida", the goth said. "Just get us back up!"
The redhead nodded in response, and began to lift Gwen up so she could hug her arms around the princess' neck. With her friend situated, Merida used both hands to shimmy along the underside of the rope, slowly making her way over to the other platform. It took a bit, but luckily they did eventually make it. Unluckily, Duncan and Courtney had already answered the five questions by then, making them the winners.
As Chris ended things for the challenge, Courtney rushed over and helped her two friends up.
"Are you two okay?" She asked, looking between the two of them.
"Yeah, we're good Court", Gwen said with a thankful smile. "And congrats on the win!"
"Thanks. But… With me and Duncan immune… Who are we going after?"
"Alejandro", Merida said bluntly. "Bastard deserves to lose like this with everything he's done to Izzy. Heather can stick around a bit longer, but when she's exhausted all possible outs, then we boot her."
"I'm down with that", the goth said with a shrug. "But before that…" She suddenly began to aggressively stretch her dress. "I want to get out of this stupid thing!"
"Ditto", Courtney said, messing with the top ridge of her dress. "I don't know what Chris commissioned this dress to be made out of, but it isn't even the least bit comfortable."
Merida looked over at the leaving forms of the hosts, Duncan and Tyler. "Yeah, let's go. The sooner we get going, the better."
The two girls nodded and followed Merida as best as the dresses could allow, heading straight back towards the plane. The walk there was quiet, and even after boarding, joined by everyone else who fell into the water, things were still quiet. Probably just because this was the first vote of the merge, so it was very tense.
This choice could make or break the season, as eliminating one person means two could snowball into claiming victory. It was a very important vote.
So when Merida entered the confessional and looked down at all the passports, she felt a flame of anger grow inside her as her gaze fell on Alejandro's smug smile. With a snarl, she grabbed the stamp and slammed it directly on the Spaniard's photo.
She then set it down and glared up at the camera. "You all probably will hate me for booting off the new eye candy, but after everything he did to Izzy, can you blame me? The bastard deserves this after everything." Her glare shifted into a sombre look. "And… Noah, Eva, Owen… If you three are watching this, tell Iz I said this: I miss you, and need you to be strong."
The princess left the confessional, trying to not let her earlier worries take over her mind and crumble her resolve. So she shook her head and made her way into the elimination room, waiting for everyone else to finish up. Chris was waiting at the podium, looking bored.
Before she had to spark up a conversation with the irritating man, everyone slowly began to file into the room, faces etched with tense expressions. It was a very rough time. Merida glanced at Cody and Sierra, and they shot the princess thumbs up, which was somewhat encouraging.
The host was handed all the passports and began filing through them. Afterwards, he set them aside and smiled at the cast.
"So, despite how everything fell apart today, it still turned out good. Now, I read through the votes, and this is what I came up with…" He paused for dramatic effect. "Two votes for Heather."
The Queen Bee's eyes bugged out. "What?!"
"Three votes for Alejandro."
Gwen, Courtney and Gwen all froze, then shared terrified looks. The princess glanced at the fangirl and geek, and they both looked horrified. That said it all: They accidentally voted for Heather, not Alejandro.
"And four votes for… Gwen."
The goth groaned as everyone shared looks. Courtney and Merida glared at Duncan, Alejandro and Heather, the three of them glared right back, and the other three shared nervous looks at all the anger bouncing about.
"Gwen, the crew has spoken." The host tossed the goth a parachute.
"Alright, I get it." Gwen stood up and put it on, before looking over the contestants. "Merida, Court, try and win this for me. Duncan, you suck."
"I'll miss ya' too, Pasty", the punk said in a cocky tone. Courtney glared at him, which shut him up instantly.
"Heather and Alejandro?" Gwen simply flipped them off when she faced them.
"Gwen!" Merida called out. "When you get to… Wherever the others are, try and find Izzy for me, okay?"
The goth nodded, gave Chris one last glare, then jumped into the blue sky. When she was gone, the host shut the door and smiled at the cast. "The rest of you are safe, for now."
Chris walked off, with everyone else sans Merida and Courtney leaving after a bit. The Type A looked at her friend in worry, but didn't see sadness. Rather, frustration.
"And there goes our advantage…" The princess grumbled. "We had a chance, but now we gotta rely on a tiebreaker. And knowing our luck, we'll be screwed over in some way."
"Don't worry about that right now, Merry", Courtney said reassuringly. "We'll… We'll think of something. Regardless if it's me or you on the chopping block, we'll be able to win."
"But not if it's Al. Which is why… We should get Sierra and Cody in on a vote against Tyler. He's basically been by Al's side since the start of the season, so we need to get him out now."
"That's… That's a great idea! Tyler is way too full of himself, and as much as he says so, he's a klutz that sucks at sports."
"Aye, I remember that dodgeball episode. Although Heather's throw at his… yeah… was a bit too far."
"Yeah… But that's our target. I'll talk to Sierra and Cody, and make sure they actually get it."
The princess nodded and at her friend as the Type A left the room. Now that she was all alone, Merida sighed and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.
"Iz… I hope you're okay…"
~X~
Team E-Scope were all stationed up in Eva's room, looking over the note Owen left for Izzy. None of them said a word as they all looked at the returned letter in horror. The Psycho Hose Beast had followed up on what Owen asked, only it wasn't anything like they were hoping.
Because the letter now looked more like evidence left behind from a murder, red letters scrawled all over, on both sides. The most shocking part was that it was legible. But it was just the same phrase, repeated over and over and over again.
I DROVE A KNIFE IN MY HEART NOT HIS
~X~
Wow, okay, this was a long chapter. Almost 10k total words, jeez. Anyway… Yeah! This is how the fic will be going till Merida and Izzy can meet back up. We'll be switching from the resort to the plane occasionally, which will beef up these chapters a lot.
So yeah. Now, let's talk about the details. Izzy is in a dark pit, that is clear, and it won't get any better anytime soon. Gwen is gone, she played her part and everything. Merida is getting cornered against insurmountable odds, and it'll only get harder from here.
But the big thing is the second chance challenge being canned. I made a lot of points to it because a show of this calibre would put a lot of money into marketing it. So what happens when you ruin all those plans? You paint a target on your back, specifically for the host. So expect Chris to be really salty about that going forward.
That's all I really have to say, so special shoutout time! I'm gonna shoutout my friends Pat, PinheadBella and Geo, three amazing and incredibly talented people in the TDWriters discord server. They all have amazing stories they're cooking up for the TD fandom, and they have so much potential. So keep an eye out for them!
Otherwise, stay frosty, and be ready for hell…
Up next: The remaining cast finds themselves racing over the world's greatest wall as Team E-Scope slowly gets through to Izzy.
~Caleb~
