"Previously on Total Drama Express Tour! Things got intense when our contestants went to the Netherlands to besiege the castle, or should I say... the windmill! Team Friendship took charge of stealing resources from their enemies, the Amazons surprisingly didn't mess up under Celia's command, and Team Alpha was sabotaged by Barbara, who didn't care that Mr. Muscles trusted her. Corey and Celia became friends, and Harlan and Levi maybe something more than that. In the end, after a deadly battle where Lucy and Charlie had another catfight, Team Alpha narrowly avoided elimination by just one point, and the Shame Wagon saw another member of its favorite victims fall: the Amazons! That night, after a tie against Sophia, who withdrew from the competition was Celia, but who will leave today? Will Team Friendship's winning streak end? Answers to that and much more in today's episode of Total Drama... Express Tour! Ah-Ah-Achoo!" Chris sneezes loudly, and you can see his son approaching him and offering him a tissue. "Thanks, Junior, damn Celia. How dare she throw me into the North Sea on such a cold night?"
"Hey, at least we were able to get you out in time." Says Emma, shrugging, as Chris Junior nods assertively.
"Not enough to prevent a cold." Says Chris, sneezing again.
Confessional
Sophia - The first team meeting of the Amazons is about to begin. I'm so excited! It's my first opportunity to show what a great leader I can be and I'm not going to waste it!
It's an extremely hot day on the McLean Express for everyone, so most people are wearing the most refreshing clothes they had in their closets, of course, everyone except the girl in the suit and tie. Sophia walks cheerfully to the common area of the Amazons' wagon. In the place, Corey and Pedro are sitting, patiently waiting for the girl, and Barbara, who is looking bored, examining her nails.
"Ahem, good evening, my fellow Amazonians!" says Sophia, standing in the middle of everyone as she clears her throat and adjusts her tie. "I'm glad to see that everyone could make it to our first meeting."
"We're three people and we sleep in this wagon, it's not like we have many options," says Barbara, with a playful smile.
"Well, we could have chosen not to come, but we want to hear what you have to say, Sophia," says Corey, giving his captain a genuine smile.
"That's... Okay, Corey," says Celia, looking at Cordelia with a hint of resentment. "Well, today I'm going to take advantage of this little space to talk about the team's situation."
"We're all ears," says Pedro, crossing his legs and taking a sip of his tea.
"Okay, we're reaching a turning point in the game and we have a clear disadvantage, so I've created multiple plans and strategies that can allow us to turn the game around, but for that, we don't need any insubordination."
"Don't tell me you're going to be super bossy, because I don't like that," complains Barbara, crossing her arms.
"Not at all! We're all a gear in the great machine that is this team! Don't expect me to be a dictatorship like Kevin's, but we won't be complete anarchy like we would have been with Celia!" explains Sophia, giving her teammates a classic plastic politician's smile. "Everyone here has talent! Barbara, you're an incredible actress!"
"That's true!" says Barbara, getting excited.
"Pedro, you're the smartest person in the program, I'm sure of that."
"Touche," replies the boy, tilting his cup.
"So, we have everything we need to win the next challenge!" explains Sophia. Corey stares at the girl while maintaining his smile, waiting for his captain to praise her. "For that, I've prepared twenty-five slides of protocol that will allow us to win the next challenge, and we'll review them in the next hour. I've been thinking about it all night, and I believe we have a lot of potential on our hands!"
Sophia has a permanent smile on her face.
"The next hour?! I'm sorry, but I think I have to go... I had an important commitment. Can someone summarize the presentation for me later?" asks Barbara, letting out a nervous laugh.
"I'll take care of it, Miss Barbara," says Pedro, nodding slowly.
"Thank you, Pedro! You're incredible!" says Barbara, jumping out of her chair and walking out of the wagon.
"Well, first we'll look at the initial protocol when Chris gives the challenge order..." Sophia begins to explain.
Meanwhile, in the Alpha team's wagon, Ryuuko and Lucy are engaged in light sparring with boxing gloves that the Asian boy had packed. Ryuuko throws punches at lightning speed while Lucy receives them with the pad, testing the strength of the Asian boy. Behind them are Mac and Jennifer, sitting quietly, each reading.
"Come on, hit harder, is that all you've got?" says Lucy, encouraging Ryuuko to increase the strength of his punches.
"I bet you anything you hit like a girl," replies Ryuuko, who changes stance and quickly delivers a left hook to Lucy's pad.
"Firstly, that's a stupidly sexist comment," says Lucy, with a mocking smile. "And secondly, I'm pretty sure Charlie would tell you otherwise."
Ryuuko throws another jab with his right fist.
"Hey, I wanted to talk to you about what you said the other day, in the challenge in Holland." Lucy says. Ryuuko throws another punch, this time with more force.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You know you do, you said something about someone named Roy." Ryuuko throws another punch, with much more strenght and intensity. "I know you like to be all mysterious and everything, but you got me thinking quite a bit."
Lucy dodges another punch from Ryuuko.
"That... I'm really not going to talk about that." Another jab. "It's nonsense, mushy stuff."
"Something from your past, you say?" Says Lucy, still maintaining her smug smile. "I know you're trying to keep up your tough guy facade, but sometimes it's important to talk about how you feel, isn't it?" This time Ryuuko throws a punch filled with anger, moving Lucy's hand and causing her to drop the pad.
"Don't lecture me about morals." Ryuuko takes off his gloves and throws them to the floor. "Maybe you should sort out your own issues before trying to dig into someone else's, huh? Seems like you've got plenty."
Lucy watches disappointedly as the boy walks out of the wagon, filled with frustration.
"I'm sorry to care about you, moron!" shouts the girl, before Ryuuko can slam the door shut. "What is wrong with him?!"
Lucy looks angrily at Mac, who hides his terrified gaze behind his book and shrugs.
Confessional
Lucy - Ryuuko is trying so hard to be the tough guy with a heart of ice and all that bullshit. People who do that only do it to hide their insecurities, I know that all too well.
Ryuuko - (Puts his palm to his forehead, gritting his teeth) Why can't I just treat people normally? Damn it!
In the luxury wagon, Ashley and Harvey are sitting at the food bar, enjoying a small snack while chatting.
"You definitely have to tell me more about your mom's restaurant! I can't believe you own the place where I eat almost every weekend!" says Harvey, incredulous.
"Oh, that's a great story! Well, you see, once my dad was on a business trip to Florida as usual, and my mom needed help with some deliveries, so she told me very seriously, 'It's your time, Ashley, you're old enough to take an order,'" explains Ashley, pointing at herself proudly. "Luckily, I have the fastest feet in all of Manhattan, and the order arrived on time! Since then, I've been the delivery boss at my mom's restaurant."
"Awesome!" Just then, the door of the luxury wagon opens, and Barbara enters.
"Damn, there are people..." mutters Barbara under her breath. "Hey, guys!"
"'Sup Barbara!" shouts Ashley, while Harvey greets cheerfully.
"Mind if I snag some of your peanuts?" asks Barbara, approaching the bar.
"No problem, in fact, have them!" says Harvey, grabbing a bag from the minibar and tossing it to Barbara. "I actually wanted to talk to you, Barbara... Uh, the other day..."
"Thanks, guys! See you later!" shouts Barbara, leaving the wagon while munching on the peanuts.
"Aw, I really wanted to talk to her," says Harvey, disappointed.
"Why? Don't tell me little Harvey has a crush?" says Ashley, with a cheerful smile.
"No! It's just that the other day she was watching anime with Levi and me. So I thought I should, like... Talk to her and be friends," says Harvey, smiling somewhat nervously. "But I don't think she'll like me much."
"Oh, Harvey... Don't worry, you've got your matchmaker right here!" says Ashley, patting the otaku on the back. "That girl will be talking with you about Jutsu Kaiser and eating ice cream with you in no time!"
"Jujutsu Kaisen, it's Jujutsu Kaisen," corrects Harvey happily.
Confessional
Ashley - I don't really like that Barbara girl, she seems a bit superficial. But if my boy Harvey wants to talk to her, who am I to get in the way of love?! He has his reasons!
Harvey - The reasons of a cultured man.
Barbara walks through the train until she finally reaches her destination: the Alpha team wagon. Once there, she opens the door wide, only to find Jennifer and Mac inside.
"Hi Ryu, you're already ba-" Mac interrupts himself when he sees Barbara enter, his eyes widening and his face turning pale. "Uh... Hey... Uhm... I'm Barbara! No, no, you're Barbara, I'm Mac, nice to meet you."
"Uh... I already know you, Mackenzie, we've been on the same train for two weeks," says Barbara with a nervous smile. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah..." says Mac, scratching his cheek. "Uh... What do you want?"
"I was just passing by, Liam invited me," Barbara says, popping another peanut into her mouth.
"Oh, this... Well... Uhm... But you know that..." Mac is terrified, pale, and trembling. "Jennifer, can you help me?"
Jennifer looks up from her book and walks to the door.
"What Mac means is that he doesn't want you to come in. You betrayed us in the last challenge, so you're not welcome in this wagon," says Jennifer, crossing her arms. "I-I'm sorry."
"But... That's not fair! I was just playing the game!" says Barbara, crossing her arms as well.
"Jen! Let her in, I invited her after all," says Liam, stepping out from the boys' compartment and putting his hand on Jennifer's shoulder; the girl with glasses slightly moves so Liam lowers his hand.
"If you say so..."
Finally, Barbara enters the wagon, while Mac and Jennifer leave.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" asks Barbara, throwing herself onto one of the couches in the common area.
"Well, I had to talk about the last challenge, that wasn't cool," says Liam, crossing his arms. "But look, unlike my team... I don't hate you."
"Oh... Really?" asks Barbara, with an excited smile.
"Of course!" says Liam, smiling and sitting next to Barbara.
"W-Well... In that case..." Barbara thought for a moment before swallowing her pride. "I'm really sorry for stealing your sack or... Whatever it was. I almost made you lose the challenge."
"Not you, it was me who almost made us lose; it was my decision," says Liam, giving the girl a smile. "Still, I don't regret it."
"Why's that?"
"Well, if you hadn't gotten that sack, they would've probably eliminated you, and that wouldn't have been cool," says Liam, shrugging.
"Stop it!" says Barbara, pushing the boy playfully as she laughs. "That's actually kinda sweet, I think..."
"I'm having some trouble getting the team spirit up. So, don't let what they say affect you," Liam offers his fist to Barbara for a fist bump, to which the girl responds. "I like you, that's what matters."
"Aw..."
Confessional
Barbara - He said i like you in a friendly way... Right? I... I have a boyfriend! (Staring at the camera, slightly blushing).
"Guys! It's Chris McLean speaking!" The presenter's voice resonates through the wagon. "Get ready for the challenge, I hope you're ready for today, we have a... Spicy challenge! Chris out."
"What the hell does a spicy challenge mean?" Liam asks, concerned.
"I don't know, but with how desperate that old man is for ratings, I'm afraid of what he might do," Barbara responds.
"Oh damn, challenge already?" He says, quickly getting up from the bed where he's lying down with Levi, spending some time together while the boy reads a book.
"Damn... And with this heat," Levi says, getting up slowly.
Harlan stretches and adjusts his beanie. "Hey, how about we have a meeting in the jacuzzi after the challenge today?"
"If we win again, sure," Levi adds. "Hey, about the dating thing... Should I, you know... Talk about it?"
"Oh, well, I hadn't thought about it," Harlan says, rubbing his chin and thinking for a moment. "Honestly... I think it's better if we keep it a secret for now, you know... Because of all the drama it could cause and all that."
"Oh, yeah, yeah, I totally agree," Levi nods vigorously. "Imagine if Charlie finds out, pff, it would be a disaster, right?"
Harlan laughs nervously, more out of tension than actual amusement, and Levi responds in kind.
Confessional
Harlan - The date with Levi was great! Turns out he likes mystery movies, but he's that typical guy who tells you interesting facts about the movie while watching it. He's a walking nerd emoji, pretty cool!
Levi - I had a great time with Harlan. Fun fact, did you know Harlan has a twin? Interesting, right? Anyway, I understand why he still wants to keep the relationship private, it adds a bit of adrenaline, doesn't it? Or maybe the truth is... Even I don't know.
"Gretchen, can you fan a little harder?" Charlie asks, reclining in a massage chair with a face mask on, while her 'Bestie' is fanning her. Next to them, Spencer takes a bite of a sandwich from the luxury wagon. Without any of the three noticing, Ryuuko enters the car at full speed to grab a water bottle from the bar.
"Sure thing, Charlie!"
"Dude... The food here is so awesome! Thanks for letting me in, Charlie," says Spencer with his mouth full.
"No problem, Spence. It's what you deserve for being my super friend," says Charlotte, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, speaking of that, I had a super fun idea for today's challenge."
"Fun? Are we playing cards again? I had a blast last time!" says Gretchen, excited.
"No, Gret..." Charlie has to force a soft voice, remembering that disastrous morning when she lost to Gretchen. "Today in the challenge, we should give it our all to win and have the luxury wagon again, right?"
"That sounds great, but, you know, I'm on another team and..." says Spencer before being interrupted by Charlie.
"I just had another amazing idea! Spencer, how about you help us win today's challenge by making things... a little worse for your team?" When Charlie finishes her sentence, Ryuuko lifts his head slightly to listen better, pretending to start leaving the place so they don't notice his presence.
"Um... You mean sabotage them?"
"Spencer's friends won't be happy with that," says Gretchen, shaking her head.
"No! Not sabotage them! Just... prevent them from winning instead of us, you know, secure the victory," explains Charlie, giving Spencer a plastic smile.
"Hm... I'll think about it, okay?" says Spence, scratching his neck.
"Don't worry, Spencer, take all the time you need!" says Charlie, leaning over to Spencer and giving him a quick peck on the cheek, all to Ryuuko's dismay. "What are you doing?"
Charlie asks, seeing Gretchen leaning slightly towards her.
"I thought you were giving cheek kisses to everyone," says the innocent girl.
"Since when do I do that?" Charlie asks, raising her eyebrow.
"Well, you always say goodbye to Ashley with a kiss on the cheek..."
"That's because she's Italian, duh," says Charlie, rolling her eyes.
Confessional
Ryuuko - If Spencer makes us lose the challenge for that witch, we're going to have a very serious talk.
Spencer - I mean, I like Charlie but... I don't know if I can betray my homies! I mean, Liam is my friend! Mac is my friend! Ryuuko is my friend... I think so?
The three teams gathered in front of the train entrance, all dressed in light clothing due to the terrible heat in the train. Everyone except Spencer, who keeps his usual outfit, Pedro, who took off his formal vest and tie but kept his white undershirt, and Mac, who is wearing a long-sleeved black shirt.
"Uh, Spence, aren't you hot?" Corey asks.
"Why is everyone insisting on the heat today? I feel normal!" Spencer says, raising his arms in the air.
"That adds to my list of evidence that you're a reptilian, how come you're not hot?" Mac says, fanning himself with his hand.
"But you're wearing long sleeves," Lucy points out, crossing her arms.
"It's just embarrassing..." Mac mutters under his breath.
At that moment, Chris finally appears with his two children, the host wearing a red scarve on his head.
"Good morning, everyone! It's quite hot today, don't you think?" McLean asks, looking at his sons.
"I literally couldn't sleep..." Emma says, rolling her eyes.
"In The Aftermath, they had air conditioning..." Chris jr. says, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Well, that's because we are in a very special country, anyone wants to guess which country we are in?" The host asks, and Jennifer quickly raises her hand.
"Based on the gutra you're wearing, we are in a country in the Arabian Peninsula."
"Exactly, thank you Jennifer! I don't know what I'll do when you get expelled for being such a nerd." While Chris talks, his children open the train door, revealing a vast desert behind them. "Welcome to Qatar, folks! Land of sheikhs and beautiful landscapes! More specifically, we are in the Khawr Al Udayd desert. I hope you listened carefully because I won't say that name again. Does anyone know what Qatar's main economic activity is?"
"The Football World Cup?" Liam guesses.
"Oil," Jennifer corrects calmly.
"Correct, it's oil. Many know it as Black Gold, so today I have a extraction challenge in the middle of the desert!"
"Are you going to abandon us in the desert in this heat?!" Barbara complains.
"Completely," Chris nods. "In the marked area of the desert, we hid a large quantity of 'oil gallons,' your challenge will be to come and bring them to one of your tents, the team that collects the most oil within two hours is the winner. And there's a special reward for them."
"That sounds terrible," Corey says, concerned.
"It's just a Qatari desert... And a high chance of dying," Mac adds, swallowing hard.
"Obviously, I can't kill you, so each team will have a bottle of water and an ice cream cone in your tent, and I also got sunglasses for you," Chris says as his son hand out sunglasses to the contestants.
"But this will ruin my outfit!" Barbara exclaims, tossing the glasses to the ground.
"It kind of reminds me of Celia's," Corey jokes.
"That's because they are part of the new merchandise based on you guys, it's selling like hotcakes," Chris explains.
"Are you making merchandise based on us? Do you even have our image rights?" Levi questions.
"Let's move on to the good news! I left a small clue for the losing team last time, so the Amazons start with a slight advantage."
"Can we know what the special reward for winning is?" Sophia asks, crossing her arms.
"That's what I was getting at, God, sometimes you guys are unbearable," Chris says as he pulls out a keychain from his pocket and shakes it in front of the contestants. "The winner will have access to an all-expenses-paid night at a 6-star Qatari hotel with a total of four double rooms."
"But we are six per team, and the fourth room?" Lucy asks.
"Well, one bed is for me, duh," Chris says proudly. "And the other is for a person from another team that you can choose at your will. All clear?"
Chris guides the contestants out of the train. In the desert, three tents, one in each team's color, can be seen. The aridness and the terrible heat of the desert can be immediately felt.
"Ah! Sand in my eye," Mac complains.
"So how do we organize the search?" Levi asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Ugh, my sandals are filled with sand," Charlie says, shaking her footwear. "Well, I had an idea. I think one of us should stay here to prevent theft."
"That's actually a good idea," Harlan agrees. "That way, they can also give us water when we return."
The captain walks towards the water bottle inside the tent, but upon contact, they feel how hot it is.
"This thing is boiling," Ashley says, touching the bottle. "And well, the ice cream is gone..."
The girl sadly looks at the melted ice cream cone.
"Chris says the area is delimited, if we head straight north, we'll cover more ground in less time without getting lost..." Levi suggests, stepping out of the tent for a moment to admire the vastness of the desert.
"Alright, anyone volunteering to stay?" The whole team falls silent. Seeing no one volunteering, Harlan makes his choice. "Well, I think... Gretchen, do you want to stay?"
"But then who will fan Charlie?" The girl asks, staring at Charlie.
"Ohh... Don't worry, Gretchen, I'll be fine, you stay!" Charlie says, forcing a smile. Harlan smiles approvingly.
"Alright, let's get going!" Ashley shouts, bouncing excitedly before running out of the tent.
"Uh, that girl needs to cut back on the energy drinks," Levi comments as he exits the tent.
Confessional
Gretchen - I really like my team! They do all the hard work, and I do enough to not feel useless!
Harlan - Charlie surviving in the desert without anyone to help her, pff... seeing is believing.
In their tent, the Amazons are waiting to head out while analyzing the clue Chris had left for them.
"In the North lies the stone ring... There lies the X that marks the treasure... What does that mean?" Sophia asks.
"It means we have to search for a stone ring. That's where the oil will be. It's not really very cryptic," Pedro indicates, somewhat disappointed.
"Does anyone know the cardinal points or have a compass?" Corey asks, to which Barbara quickly nods.
"Oh, I can tell based on how the sun is positioned." Barbara rushes out of the tent and looks directly at the sky, only to let out a cry of pain from looking directly at the sun. "Ouch!"
"Okay team, let's just head straight ahead! Chris couldn't have hidden those bottles too far away," Sophia says, pointing ahead. "Let's organize ourselves, we'll go in a diamond formation to have a peripheral view from all angles!"
"But..." Corey starts, raising her hand
"Yes, Cordelia?" Sophia emphasizes Corey's name while frowning.
"I... Nothing, nevermind," Corey quickly denies.
"Alright, I'll lead the way!" Sophia declares, running out of the tent.
Confessional
Pedro - Years of reading 'criminal minds' make it much easier for me to notice small details that many people overlook, and I could tell that Miss Sophia holds some... resentment towards Miss Cordelia. It's an interesting piece of information, that's all.
On the other hand, Team Alpha had been on a long journey for a while, walking through the dunes without knowing their direction completely.
"Does anyone see anything?" Mac asks, panting and visibly tired from the walk.
"Nothing here." Lucy says, wiping sweat off her forehead.
"Rocks, I see rocks." Jennifer points out.
"He probably hid the gallons under rocks, of course!" Liam suddenly gains energy out of nowhere and runs towards the mound of rocks.
"Mac, Mac... Race to the bottom!" Spencer shouts before darting off in the sand.
"Uh... What?" Mac tries to follow for a while but ends up giving up.
Meanwhile, Ryuuko walks calmly towards the rocks, conserving her energy. Lucy and Jennifer are the only two people left behind.
"These guys are incorrigible, aren't they?" Jennifer asks, looking at Lucy.
"Uh, I thought you were mute." Lucy says with a gentle smile. "Yeah, but what can you do? At least Ryuuko is somewhat sane."
"Yeah... You two are close, right?" Jennifer asks. "I saw you practicing boxing in the wagon today."
"Really? I thought you were reading, you know. Want to join us one of these days?" Lucy asks.
"I'm nearsighted, not blind." Jennifer says, managing something that resembles a smile, which is not often seen on her face. "Thanks, but I don't do sports that are... contact-heavy. I do fencing though."
"Fencing? That's some rich kid thing..." Lucy says sarcastically. "I've never met someone who does that."
"Yeah, my mom used to take me to classes. Also chess, violin, Korean, Chinese... I'm sorry, I think I'm boring you."
"No, it's fine, it's actually pretty cool." Lucy shrugs before walking with the rest of her teammates.
Confessional
Jennifer - That conversation went... surprisingly well. I mean, it's the first time I've talked to a girl about something other than chess.
"Are you sure we're walking in the right direction?" Barbara asks, sweating and tired from walking in the heat. "This is horrible! I have sand everywhere, I'm going to faint! Pedro, carry me!"
"I'd prefer not to."
"Of course I know where we're going, north is where the sun rose!" Sophia says, confidently pointing ahead.
"How can you see the sun?! It's in the middle of the sky!" Barbara shouts.
"We've been walking for a while now, and all this yelling is giving me a headache... Pedro, can I have some water?" Corey asks.
"Right away, Miss Cordelia," Pedro says with a polite smile. That smile fades slowly as he realizes the water bottle is not in any of his pockets. "Pardon me, who took the water bottle?"
"What?" Barbara raises an eyebrow. "I didn't take it because I thought you did"
Everyone checks their pockets, but no one has the bottle with them.
"We're going to die." Corey exclaims, letting out a small squeal.
"Relax, guys, we'll find the oil and then go back for water," Sophia reassures them.
"Sure." Corey starts to walk in silence, as if swallowing her own words, until she bumps into something that almost makes her trip and hits her foot. "Ouch! What's that?"
Corey checks what she had bumped into while holding her finger to alleviate the pain, shaking her leg from side to side. Sophia and Pedro also go to check along with her.
"Is it a rock?" Sophia asks, but fortunately, the wind is uncovering the object little by little, revealing a plastic bottle with a black liquid inside.
"Oil! We found oil!" Sophia exclaims, overflowing with joy. She even hugs Pedro and Barbara in happiness, clearly ignoring Corey. "Help me unearth it, Barbara!"
"But... My nails!"
"You have to be willing to make sacrifices for the team, Barbara!"
While Sophia and Barbara work on unearthing the oil, Pedro approaches Corey quietly.
"Miss Cordelia, sorry to bother you, but I wanted to talk about something that was bothering me," Pedro says.
"Oh, sure."
"It's just that... I've noticed that Miss Sophia doesn't seem to be fond of you, I don't know if you've noticed. I just wondered if it's reciprocal." Corey sadly nods at Pedro's statement.
"Yeah, I've noticed it too. I don't know why, but she treats me like I'm a nuisance!" Corey complains, shading herself from the sun with her hand.
"Well, just so you know, if that makes you feel insecure, I'm not willing to vote for you," Pedro says, nodding slowly.
"Really?" Corey looks at Pedro with a glint in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Pedro! I was really scared, I'm not very good at all this strategy stuff, and I... I'm afraid Sophie wants to vote me out, so I won't vote for you either!"
Confessional
Corey - I'm so happy to finally have an alliance! I felt quite insecure now that there are very few people left on my team. Especially without Celia now, I really miss her...
Pedro - First, no, I'm not betraying my alliance with Miss Sophia; what I have with Miss Cordelia is a purely verbal agreement. I would never betray an ally. Second, it's not especially beneficial for me to keep Corey in the game, but she seems much more useful than keeping Barbara, and well, if there's a way for me to lead the team...
The Alpha team had finally reached the end of the hill and gathered around the rocks, staring intently.
"So, is there oil or not?" Lucy asks with her mouth open, walking with difficulty through the sand.
"Let me see..." Mackenzie kneels in the sand, reaching into the pile of rocks. "T-There's nothing, I only see a bunch of rocks and... Wait! I touched something cold and hard!"
Mac starts pulling the oil gallon until it finally peeks out from among the large row of rocks. It's then that his teammates can see a small creature moving among the rocks, a small insect that quickly made its way until it found Mackenzie's hand.
"Scorpion." Jennifer warns, a bit late as the critter is already on Mac's hand.
"What?" Mac quickly turns to look at Jennifer, his face paling when he turns back and sees the creature. Filled with fear, he tries to withdraw his hand quickly, which doesn't sit well with the scorpion. "I-I got stung! AH! Crap!"
Mac throws himself into the sand, writhing in pain, while Liam jumps on the scorpion and crushes it quickly.
"It burns! It burns!" Mac cries out, his teammates looking at each other worriedly.
"What are you waiting for? Help him!" Liam orders, removing the scorpion's corpse from the oil bottle and lifting it in the air. Once done, he rushes to check on Mac.
Ryuuko reacts quickly to lift him off the ground, while Jennifer kneels beside him to examine the sting.
"He'll be okay, right? It was just a small scorpion." Lucy asks.
"I-I'm allergic! Ah... Holy shit..." Mac does his best to not start rolling in the sand, his face turning red and starting to swell.
"But... Are you allergic swell a lot, or allergic... you die?" Lucy asks, raising an eyebrow.
"A-Alergic to... a-anaphylactic shock." Mac stammers, hyperventilating.
"You mean?" Liam asks.
"Allergic he dies," Jennifer confirms, nodding slowly. "We need to get him to the train."
"I-I have an... Epinephrine pen in my bag, I need it... I need it," Mac mutters.
Liam starts to think about what to do, grabbing his head and biting his lower lip.
"Spencer and I will take him to the train!"
"No, you need to keep searching, I'll take him," Ryuuko interrupts, walking toward Mac and grabbing him by the legs.
"Are you sure, Ryuuko?" Liam asks.
"Of course, you're stronger than me, but I'm much faster," the boy says with an arrogant smile. "Plus, I can't stand by and watch Mac dying without doing anything."
"T-Thanks..." Mac says with a sigh.
"Can't I go to the train?" Lucy asks.
"I don't think you can carry Mac all the way there..." Liam scratches his cheek.
"Mac weighs as much as a feather!" Lucy complains, lifting the gasoline gallon they found. "Forget it, I'll keep searching for oil then, let Spencer go if that's what you want."
"Where's Spencer?" Ryuuko asks while trying to help Mac stand up.
Everyone turns to see Spencer lying in the sand, calmly vaping despite the constant sweat running down his forehead.
"Spencer! Wake up!" Jennifer complains.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." Spencer slowly stands up and approaches Mac, placing his hand on his shoulder. Then he points south. "It's that way, right?"
"I don't know, but let's hurry." Mac seems dizzy and struggles to walk.
"Careful, if my Mac-Man dies, you'll pay for him," Liam says, seemingly relaxed despite being quite concerned for his friend. He starts walking in the opposite direction with Lucy and Jennifer.
The Friendship team is much calmer, slowly walking along the desert's edge following the line of cones set up by the program's team. They are all in a deadly silence, accompanied by how tired they all feel.
"Guys! I see something black!" Harvey shouts, his excitement surpassing all fatigue. He had even taken off his gray beanie due to the heat, just like Levi.
"No... Yes! It's far, but yes!" Levi shouts, hugging Harlan excitedly, who pushes him aside a bit.
"No, dude! Not in this heat"
At that moment, while the members of the Friendship team celebrate, the wind starts to pick up, causing the sand to rise from the dunes. Charlie shields her eyes from the sand with her hand.
"Ugh! My clothes! I hate this place."
"Damn... A sandstorm is forming," Levi says, looking worriedly towards where they found the oil.
"Ashley, Harvey, pick that up!" Charlie orders.
"Why don't you go?" Levi complains.
"We need to grab it quickly before the sandstorm buries it. Ashley is the fastest among us. Plus, I'm too tired," Charlie says, raising an eyebrow.
"That's true! I've got the fastest legs in all of NYC." Ashley points out.
"What do you think, Harlan?" Levi asks.
"Actually, a break wouldn't hurt while they go for the bottle, right?" Harlan says, giving Levi a smile tinged with embarrassment.
"Fine, we'll be back in a minute!" Harvey says, saluting with his hand to his forehead in a military gesture.
"See you later!" Ashley shouts as she runs alongside Harvey towards the forming sand cloud.
Confessional
Harvey — The Qatar challenge was the most extreme thing I've ever done in my life. I was so hot that I had the air conditioner on maximum for five days straight. On the other hand, I felt like I was in Stardust Crusaders!
Harlan — I give points to Harvey and Ashley for volunteering to walk in the sand, and also to Charlie for not being completely unbearable during challenges. Even more points to Levi for just being awesome.
Harvey and Ashley had been walking on the sand for quite some time now, and the storm had risen to the point where visibility was very limited, so the two stayed close together to avoid getting lost.
"I think we lost the bottle, Harves," Ashley says, squinting her eyes to keep the sand out.
"Dang it... Wait, what's that?!" Harvey asks, pointing ahead.
In front of them appears a wolf-like mammal, although smaller, about eighty centimeters in size.
"Oh damn... It's a Jackal," Harvey says, slowly stepping back.
"Is that like a desert doggo or a wolf?" Ashley asks, gritting her teeth nervously.
"I will say a Hyena..." Harvey says, as the animal bares its teeth and starts barking at them.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do... I'll run to distract it, and you go for the bottle, okay?" Ashley says, with Harvey nodding assertively. "Okay... Go!"
Just as Ashley planned, the jackal chased after her, leaving Harvey in peace.
"Take care, Ashley!" Harvey shouts, letting out a relieved sigh. "I thought she wouldn't make it out of that..."
But just as Harvey takes a few steps forward and ventures further into the sand cloud, he can see three more jackals, baring their teeth at him.
Confessional
Harvey — Oh, and it turns out Jackals are highly social animals. I didn't know that.
Harvey starts running at full speed, trying to escape from the Jackals, and it seems like he might make it, until he trips over a rock and ends up falling to the ground, knocked out.
"And how long have you been sitting there?" At the train station, Chris appeared in a golf cart, accompanied by his entourage of interns who constantly fan him. Chris takes a sip of his lemonade while observing Gretchen sitting under the Friendship team's tent, sheltering from the sandstorm.
"It's been an hour already," Gretchen nods, glancing at the clock inside the tent. "And my Crocs are already full of sand..."
"Don't you want to go do something? Pick a fight with someone? Kiss someone? Boost the ratings?" Chris asks.
"I'm helping the team! Although they haven't returned in a while... Can't you help them?" Gretchen suggests.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing. It was a silly idea."
"You can't just say 'nothing' and leave it at that! Now you've left me curious..." Chris looks quite frustrated.
"Maybe you could help us... No?" Gretchen teases, playing with her hair.
"Well... Since I want to see you suffer... I'll give it to you if you solve a Qatari riddle!" Chris gets ready and quickly searches on his phone. "Alright, this one is impossible... Broken it's more useful than when it's not broken. Wh-"
Chris was swiftly interrupted by Gretchen.
"An egg?"
"Uh... Yes, that's the answer," Chris says, scratching his head in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Well... Eggs taste better when you break them before eating. The shell doesn't taste good, ugh." Gretchen sticks out her tongue, disgusted.
"Okay, uh... That one was a practice round, let's go with the real one, shall we?"
"An hour of walking and we still haven't found that damn stone ring," complains Barbara, who is the most affected by the sandstorm as she isn't wearing sunglasses, which really works against her.
"We must be close... one hundred percent sure!" Sophia encourages, taking the lead.
"My little legs hurt from walking so much," Corey complains with a silly little laugh.
"I propose a break, like, right now!" Barbara insists.
"Don't even think about it... We can't lose another challenge," Sophia corrects her.
"Do you guys think that if we eliminate someone else, Chris will disband the team?" Corey seems genuinely worried about that possibility, but her attitude changes when she hears a strange and shrill sound. "Do you hear that or is it just me?"
"It sounds like a tremor," Barbara points out.
"No... the sand is moving... It's a tremor," Sophia corrects herself, looking at the ground.
"No, I'm sure it's not a tremor," Pedro points behind them, and when they turn, they can all see a herd of antelopes running at full speed, fortunately not heading towards them. "I have an idea... We should follow them!"
"What?" Sophia questions, concerned.
"It's not a bad idea... Maybe they'll lead us somewhere, or help us get out of the sandstorm," Corey shrugs.
"But guys, the plan is to follow the route and-" Sophia has to follow the rest of her teammates, who trot at full speed after the antelopes.
They were running for quite some time until they lost sight of the group of animals, which were much faster and more resilient than them. Luckily, they ended up in a rather nice place, with some vegetation and rocks that seemed unaffected by the sandstorm.
"Can we stop running?! I'm going to die of dehydration!" Barbara complains.
"Chris was here, look at the marks on the grass!" Corey points out two giant lines in the grass, indicating where a helicopter had landed.
"Yeah... This place definitely has oil for sure," Sophia confirms as she starts searching intensively.
Confessional
Sophia - I'm happy that we found this place. Although I'm somewhat sad that it was Pedro and Corey's idea... What is this feeling?
Barbara - By that point in the challenge, I'm pretty sure I was the one suffering the most. I mean, I was in a sandstorm without eye protection, what's worse than that?
"Keep fucking pushing, Spence!" Ryuuko shouts, who has been carrying Mac alongside Spencer through the sandstorm for quite some time now, but due to poor visibility and the terrible heat, they seemed to be making no progress.
"Are we almost there yet?" Spencer asks, using all his strength to carry the glasses-wearing boy. "How much time do we have, Mac?"
"A-An anaphylactic shock..." The boy speaks in a weak and interrupted voice. "It... puts me i-in critical condition in fifteen minutes so... I don't know, maybe about seven..."
"Look at that, we made it!" Spencer shouts excitedly, pointing at the orange barriers marking the desert boundary outlined by Chris.
"Yes! I'm going to... live!" Mac shouts, starting to hyperventilate.
"But where the hell is the train?" Ryuuko asks, looking around without seeing anything resembling train tracks.
"Don't tell me..." Mac says, his lip trembling weakly. "D-Damn it..."
The glasses-wearing boy starts to fade, dropping to his knees in the sand.
"We went in the wrong direction," Ryuuko concludes, kicking the sand in frustration.
"I'm going to... d-die! I'm going to suffocate in this d-damn... desert. A-And I haven't even graduated yet," Mac cries out, struggling to breathe, in a final gasp before collapsing defeated on the ground.
Ryuuko puts his hands on his hips and looks at the horizon, thinking about what to do, then turns to Spencer, who is sitting vaping as he had done throughout the challenge.
This is the last straw for Ryu's patience. The boy lets out a scream of anger and runs towards Spencer. He snatches the Vaper from him and crushes it with force, breaking it into pieces.
"Dude, again?" Spencer asks calmly. His calmness only infuriates Ryuuko even more, who crouches down and takes Spencer by the shoulders.
"I'm fed up with you and your idiocy! Can't you think for a fucking second?! It's like you're trying to ruin everything on pur-" As he speaks, the Japanese boy finally connects the dots. His furious and confused look at Spencer turns into pure disappointment and hatred. "Oh, so that's what you're playing at?! You're listening to Charlie?!"
"What? Dude, how do you know that?!" Spencer seems genuinely surprised.
"Do you think I'm stupid?! Do you think I haven't noticed all these weeks how you bring her breakfast and she gives you cheek kisses, seriously?!" Ryuuko shakes Spencer by the shoulders, waiting for a reaction. "What does that bitch have?! What's so special about her that you're making us lose the challenge?! It's not just the challenge anymore, it's Mac's damn life! Do you want Mac to die?!"
"I'm h-here..." Mac mutters.
"What? Of course not! Don't drag Charlie into this, bros don't speak ill of their bro's girl."
"Your girl?! Do you think Charlie is your girl?! You're even dumber than I thought, for god's sake! Open your damn eyes Spencer, that crazy bitch is using you! She just wants to screw us over and have you as an ally for this stupid game!" Ryuuko puts his hand to his forehead.
"Do you think that's true?" For the first time, Spencer seems to snap back to reality, and he starts to look at Mac, concerned.
"No, I don't think, it IS true, you damn idiot!" Ryuuko clenches his teeth in anger.
"B-But..."
"You have to wake up, tell that stupid girl that you want nothing to do with her because she's just using you!"
"But what will she think of me?"
"Who the hell cares what that harpy thinks of you? You're more than just the damn opinion of any other moron. What defines you is how much of a jerk you are, and I don't think you're one, you're just being really, really dumb!" Ryuuko starts to despair.
"Do you really believe that?" Spencer says, contemplating everything as he looks at the ground.
"Yes!" Ryuuko nods enthusiastically.
"Dude... You're definitely the wise sensei," Spencer says, looking at Ryuuko with a sparkle in his eyes.
"What?!"
Spencer gets up and runs towards the unconscious Mac on the ground, picks him up on his shoulder, and walks towards Ryuuko.
"You've opened my eyes, Ryu. Now let's save Mac!" Spencer says confidently to his teammate.
"We have like five minutes, I don't think we'll make it," Ryuuko says, looking worriedly at Mac, who is getting paler by the minute. "We have nothing to lose, let's do it."
And so, Ryuuko grabs Mac by the legs and starts running at full speed alongside Spencer.
Confessional
Spencer - Now I can see everything so clearly, I have to thank Ryu, bro!
On the other hand, in another part of the Doha dunes and with the sandstorm finally subsiding, there is another person who regains consciousness upon feeling a slight sensation of moisture on his cheek. It's Harvey, who opens his eyes to see the Qatari sun surrounded by three vultures circling above him. He notices that the moisture is from a small hedgehog licking his cheek.
"What?" Harvey is disoriented, looks around, and nothing seems to make sense. The dunes sway, and the sand forms whirls, but the boy gets up and walks anyway. Colors distort, and gradually he sees himself standing in front of an oasis. A beautiful lake of crystal-clear water, surrounded by lush vegetation and shade from tall palm trees. "An oasis!"
Harvey runs at full speed towards the place and plunges into the oasis water, refreshing his throat and clarifying the landscape a bit more. When he lifts his gaze from the lake, Harvey observes a man bathing fully clothed in the water: It's a Japanese man in his fifties, with a bushy beard and round glasses.
"Good morning, Harvey," says the man, bowing towards the otaku.
"Oda... Oda-Sensei?" Harvey asks, his eyes widening.
"That's right, Harvey, it's me," Oda confirms. "I've come to help you."
"With the challenge?" Harvey asks, with an incredulous smile.
"No. With something more important. You've found the Muse. It's your turn to write. Creating is the only way to be immortal, it's your moment to create your masterpiece," says Oda, with utmost certainty.
"Can I... Can I hug you, Oda-Sensei?" the boy asks, walking happily towards the man.
"Sure, Harvey, come here," says Oda, opening his arms wide.
Harvey runs excitedly towards the mangaka to hug him, but as he's on his way, he notices that he trips over something and falls straight to the ground. The impact on his head is such that it brings him back to reality. As he lifts his eyes, he only sees the barren desert and a series of oddly scattered rocks. He gets up and picks up the gasoline can he had before. "What a strange place."
Harvey walks towards the center of the rocks and notices that made with petroleum is what seems to be drawing an X, with his remaining strength, he starts digging in the spot until he finds something hard.
In the train, Chris and Gretchen continue their little guessing game, which had been going on for half an hour.
"What can jump higher than a building?"
"Buildings don't jump, Chris," Gretchen innocently laughs.
"What can you hold in your right hand but not in your left hand?"
"That's a tough one..." Gretchen quickly checks by holding her left hand with her right hand. "Oh, my left hand?!"
"What does zero say to eight?"
"Nice belt! You get it? Because the eight is all curvy."
"Alright! Have your damn gasoline can!" Chris snaps his fingers, and one of his assistants hands the gallon to Gretchen, who places it in their team's tent. "But how do you know them all? I'm in the riddles for... kids... Oh."
It was right then that Chris noticed Sophia, Corey, Pedro, and Barbara arriving at the location.
"There are 5 minutes left for the two hours, and the Amazons arrive at the base with..."
"3 gallons! It's impossible for us to lose today!" Sophia exclaims, leaving the gallons in their tent.
"Water, I need water!" Barbara cries out, her face full of tears, as she runs straight to her tent.
"And here comes the Alpha team, or half of them." Chris watches Liam, Jennifer, and Lucy arrive, sweaty and bringing only one gallon.
"For now, you're losing, you know that?" Emma points out, sitting next to her father and drinking water.
"Don't worry, the Friendship team is on their way, they don't have any," Liam says, though somewhat nervously. He gets under the tent to distribute water.
And just as he said, the Friendship team, except for Harvey, arrives defeated and tired at their tent, collapsing underneath it.
"What did you guys get?" Gretchen asks.
"Nothing... nothing at all..." Levi says, sad and defeated.
"And we lost Harvey! Although I saved him from a wild dog, I hope he's okay," Ashley says, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Well, I have one gallon!" Gretchen says cheerfully.
"What?" Levi and Harlan say in unison, getting up from the ground.
"It looks like someone is back in danger," Sophia mocks Liam, who is biting his lip nervously.
"Where are those three... I don't want to expel anyone today," Liam says, nervously running his hand through his hair.
"If Harvey, Ryuuko, Spence, and Mac don't arrive in 3 minutes, I think the victory will go to the Amazons."
"Well, I don't think so!" Liam stands up as Spencer arrives at full speed with Mac on his back, and even better, Ryuuko comes running at full speed with a petroleum can in his hands.
"Yes! My heroes!" Liam shouts, jumping with excitement.
"Not bad at all!" Lucy shouts excitedly as she runs to help Ryuuko store the can. Jennifer wipes sweat from her forehead and lets out a sigh of relief.
"I'm dead," Ryuuko says, laughing nervously, happily, and in pure pain as he collapses to the ground, writhing.
On the other hand, Spencer ignores everyone and runs to the train, leaving Mac on the ground while he returns at full speed with the epinephrine pen. He injects it into Mackenzie, who wakes up with a sigh of relief as he starts breathing well again.
"Spence, Ryu, you saved my life! I love you guys," Mac hugs Spencer tightly, and the Latino boy approaches Ryuuko and joins him in the hug, albeit very reluctantly.
Confessional
Mac - From today onwards, all my respect and affection will go towards Ryu and Spence.
"Well, there's only one minute left for Harvey to arrive, so I think we can assume that the defeat is finally after four episodes, for Friendship team."
"Stop!" Charlie shouts upon seeing Harvey walking slowly on the horizon. Despite his fatigue, he was carrying not one, not two, but three jerry cans of petroleum.
Confessional
Harlan - You know those stories of feats of willpower where a mother is able to lift a car to save her baby? Well, this is something similar.
"Run! Run! Go, Harvey!" The entire Friendship team starts cheering joyfully.
In the end, the Otaku manages to reach the tent with just 30 seconds left to finish the challenge.
"You're a genius! You're a beast!" Levi shouts uncontrollably, and the whole team runs to hug Harvey, lifting him up in the air and cheering his name.
"And for the third consecutive time, victory is for the Amistad team!" Chris cheers.
"I'm starting to get tired of that..." Lucy complains.
"Well, we saved ourselves from elimination! It's all part of a process, guys, I consider it a success," Sophia announces.
"On the other hand, the Alpha team tonight... won't vote for anyone!" Chris exclaims.
"What?" Everyone asks, even the revived Mac.
"Yes, because today we had a reward challenge! Congratulations to the Friendship team for winning their night at the 7-star hotel La Royal Meridien Doha and a movie night watching... The Aftermath of the show."
Everyone on the Friendship team celebrates wildly, while the Alpha team members feel relieved, although they remain in a deadly silence.
"You have the right to take someone from another team with you, who do you choose?" McLean asks, looking directly at the Amistad team.
"Oh, Spencer, come with me!" Charlie says, giving the boy a cheerful smile.
"Nah, I'll have to pass," Spencer shrugs.
"Excuse me?" Charlie asks, trying to maintain her plastic smile.
"Uh, I know, I know!" Ashley exclaims, hopping around, then she approaches Harlan to whisper something.
"Uhm... Okay, sure. I pick Barbara," Harlan says, glancing at Harvey, who weakly raises his thumb.
"Thank you! You're so sweet, guys!" Barbara says, running at full speed towards the Friendship team.
"Well, go to the train while I handle everything at the hotel, we'll talk later," Chris says, disappearing with his children in their golf cart.
All the contestants board the train, some celebrating, others in complete silence, Lespecially iam and the rest of the Alpha team.
Confessional
Liam - We've struggled through several challenges, but this is the first one where luck didn't save us. I have to do something to fix this! Think, Liam, think!
"Hey! Spence!" Charlie approaches Spencer once they're on the train. Spencer is sitting on a sofa in the common carriage, where Corey, Ryuuko, Lucy, Pedro, and Liam are also seated, each engrossed in their own thoughts. "It's strange that you didn't want to come to the hotel with me, right? Why was that?"
"I don't know. I just think we shouldn't be as close anymore, Charlie," Spencer says, scratching his cheek.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"It's just that sometimes I feel like you only want me around when it's convenient for you. I still like you, but I shouldn't let you influence me soooo much, you know?" Spencer asks with a relaxed smile.
"Uh... Sure," Charlie says, feigning calmness.
"You're super chill, thanks for understanding," the cap-wearing guy gets up to leave but is interrupted by Corey.
"Excuse me, Spencer, but is the invitation still on to go get smoothies with you? I managed to convince Sophia to postpone the team talk for a couple of hours," Corey says, swaying gently from side to side.
"Sure thing, Corey! I'll see you in the luxury wagon, but don't let Chris catch you," Spencer says, making finger guns as Corey leaves, smiling.
"W-Well... See you later, Spence!" Charlie says, bidding farewell with quick, heavy steps as she exits the carriage.
In the corner of the room, Ryuuko is proudly watching his teammate.
Confessional
Spencer - Ryu helped me realize what kind of person I should hang out with, and hey, I think for the first time I made the right choice!
Charlie - Ugh, how did this happen? How did he figure it out? This completely ruins my strategy, what am I going to do now!?
Ryuuko - After helping Spencer, I've felt much better about myself, but I couldn't help but realize that several pieces of advice I gave him... Apply to myself too.
"Hey," Ryuuko says, sitting next to Lucy.
"Wow, I thought you'd still be mad at me for another day," Lucy spits out sarcastically.
"Haha, no," Ryuuko says, completely serious. "Look, this morning I was a jerk to you. Sometimes I get carried away, I'm sorry."
"You think so?" Lucy interrupts, raising an eyebrow.
"Stop before I regret this," Ryuuko says, to which Lucy quickly nods. "Look, I'll tell you about Roy, but don't tell anyone!"
"Sure, sure," Lucy says, nodding seriously.
"Well, it turns out... All that shit started in elementary school, a group of bratty kids started making fun of me from day one because of... You know, my name."
"Kids will find any excuse to make fun of you, don't they?" Lucy says, understandingly.
"Yeah... So, I didn't want anything to do with Japanese culture anymore. If that made people laugh at me, I didn't want it in my life. I stopped going to ceremonies with my parents, stopped visiting my grandparents, and... I even changed my name to Roy. That made me feel... Fuck," Ryuuko furrows his brow, trying to find the right words.
"Accepted?"
"Exactly... Roy was happier. But he was also simpler, more plastic. I don't like plastic," Ryuuko says.
"Wow, poetic," Lucy jokes, eliciting a slight smile from Ryuuko. "Well, the important thing is that it's in the past now. There's nothing worse than not being allowed to be yourself... I'm glad you realized that the decision to be yourself was up to you. I understand."
"Really?"
"You have no idea," Lucy nods slowly, patting Ryuuko on the shoulder. "Just so you know, you're my friend, and that's why you can be 100% Ryuuko with me."
"Thank you," Ryuuko says, looking warmly at Lucy. They share a silence that is both melancholic and comforting, and finally, Lucy leaves the room.
Confessional
Lucy - It makes me... genuinely happy that Ryuuko finally opened up to me. You can tell he's a guy who has been through a lot and deserves good things. Well, that's not why I came to the confession booth, you see... (Lucy takes out a manila envelope with her name on it from her pocket). When I came back from the challenge, I found this under my pillow. It looks like a letter. Maybe a secret admirer like when I was in middle school? (Lucy lets out a mocking smile and opens the envelope, starting to read with the same smirk, but gradually it starts to fade. She furrows her brow, lowers her lips, squints her eyes, and her hands tense). Holy shit! This ends right now!
The camera follows Lucy as she exits the confession booth at full speed, utterly furious. She passes through the carriages until she reaches the one belonging to the Friendship team. Once there, she opens the girls' compartment door loudly, where Charlie is standing in the middle of the room, with Ashley and Gretchen chatting on the front bed. Lucy doesn't care that the other two girls are watching and runs towards the blonde. She grabs her green neck scarf and pushes her against the wall of the room.
"Oh my god!" Ashley exclaims in surprise.
"Lucy!" Gretchen shouts.
"Ashley, Gretchen, get the fuck out of here," Charlie yells, struggling with Lucy.
"No! I'm helping you!" Ashley shouts, but before she can approach Charlie, the latter yells even louder.
"I TOLD YOU TO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!"
"You heard her," Lucy says, squeezing Charlie's neck even tighter.
"Let's go, Gretchen." Ashley covers Gretchen's eyes and leaves the room with her. Finally, Lucy releases Charlie, who pushes Lucy back.
"What do you want? Fucking flatworm?!" Charlie shouts, looking at Lucy with hatred. The pale girl responds by rubbing the envelope in Charlie's face.
"What the fuck is this!?"
Charlie responds with violence, pushing Lucy back.
"What is that thing?! A love letter?! Are you finally going to admit that you like me?!"
"So you're going to play dumb?" Lucy takes the letter out of the envelope and reads it aloud. "'We know your secret, and we know about your alliance, which is interfering with our plans. Please take care of that if you don't want your secret to come to light. Consider it a gentle warning from me'! Who else does this crazy bitch sound like to you? And you're the only one here who knows my secret, so what do you think? Do you think you can blackmail me like I'm stupid! Well, I'm not going to let you!"
"I didn't write that shit... Look, I've had a horrible day and the last thing I want is to have to smack your ugly face, so I'll tell you. I have no idea what your stupid secret is! I only said that that day to manipulate you, everyone has secrets!"
"And you expect me to believe that?" Lucy says, calming down a bit.
"Let me see that!" Charlie snatches the letter from Lucy's hands and takes a look. The letter is written using cut-out letters, the only handwritten part is a small signature at the bottom, in elegant handwriting, it reads '-BT'. "Look, it's signed."
"BT? But... Who's named BT?" Lucy asks.
"It's not who's... It's who're... BT..." Charlie says with a mocking smile. Lucy finally realizes.
"BT... Bermuda Triangle."
"And that's it for today, wow, what emotions! But no one eliminated, to me, that's a bad episode." Chris says, sipping lemonade while monitoring the security cameras. "You're still sixteen! How will Lucy get out of this? Who will be the next to fall? What other crazy adventures will our contestants experience in Qatar? These answers and more in the next episode of Total Drama... Express Tour!"
CONTESTANTS
Team Amazon – Sophia (C), Barbara, Corey, Pedro.
Team Friendship – Harlan (C), Levi, Harvey, Gretchen, Ashley, Charlie.
Team Alpha- Liam (C), Mac, Ryuuko, Spencer, Jennifer, Lucy.
Eliminated - Kira, the flamenco dancer (Seoul) - AJ, the cowardly ghost hunter (NYC) - Kevin, the sexist jerk (London) - Sam, the boyish girl (London) - Celia, the moody rebel (Zaanstad)
McLEAN EXPRESS
Wagon 1 — Engine
Wagon 2 – Chris' Chambers
Wagon 3 – Luxury Wagon (today: Empty)
Wagon 4 – Amazon Team dorms
Wagon 5– Friendship Team dorms
Wagon 6 – Alpha Team dorms
Wagon 7 – Common room confessional
Wagon 8 — Wagon of Shame
And this wraps up this episode! At first i planned to do this one an elimination episode, but as i was writing it i realized it has so many plots that need more time to evolve, so the next episode, who originally was a boring mix of challenges in Wawanakwa, will now be a direct continuation of this one. Hope you look forward to it. There's no reviews to answer to this time, so for now i'll leave you time to theorize! See you later in next episode, titled: "Those Doha Nights pt.2".