"Previously on Total Drama: Express Tour! Our travelers made their next stop in the desert of Doha, Qatar. There they faced deadly heat, sandstorms and most importantly, the very, very wild fauna! Harvey and Ashley fought against a bunch of jackals and didn't fare too badly, the entire Amazons team followed a herd of gazelles and managed to save themselves from elimination for first time in a while, and finally, the members of Team Alpha faced a scorpion and Mac barely made it out alive! Luckily, to avoid another lawsuit, Ryuuko managed to reason with Spencer and ultimately saved his life. In the end, the hero of the day was Harvey, who single-handedly saved Team Friendship from losing their unbeaten streak. They're still sixteen of them! Will someone else fall today? How low can these contestants go? Answers to this and much more in today's episode of Total Drama: Express Tour!"
The night following remains just as hot for the contestants as the day before. Most members of Team Alpha and Team Amazons are gathered in the dining wagon, eating a sad spaghetti cooked by Chris Jr. while everyone, except Spencer and Liam, complains about the terrible taste of the food, frowning at the thought that Team Friendship is enjoying the seven-star hotel that can be seen through the train window.
"Ahem, good morning contestants! This is Chris McLean speaking from the luxurious seven-star hotel that you are NOT in." Chris McLean's voice resonates throughout the train. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about a novelty in the game. Right now, somewhere on the train, a McLean-Brand Chris Head is hidden! For those of you who already know how it works, forget everything you knew before. This is a new statue with new rules. You have tonight to search for it before the Team Friendship kiddos return, good luck!"
McLean's announcement sparks a conversation in the dining wagon. In the corner of the room, Ryuuko, who had agreed to eat with Spence and Mac, looks confused at the rest of the people.
"Chris head? What's that for?" Ryuuko asks his team.
"That's right, you haven't seen the show." Mac says, setting down his plate for a moment. "The first time it appeared was in the fourth season. Basically, it allows you to cancel all votes against you. It's one of the most powerful advantages in Total Drama history, the first contestant to use it was Scott, although Dawn used a fake one previ-"
"Dude, I asked what it's for. Not the entire Wikipedia page." Ryuuko says dryly. "But thanks, now I know."
That last comment from Ryuuko makes a soft smile in Mackenzie's face.
"Don't worry, w-what I told you doesn't matter much anyway. Y-You heard Chris, he said this one is different, who knows what it does."
"Excuse me guys, can I sit here?" Lucy asks, placing her tray on the boys' table.
"Sure thing Lucy!" Spencer says, patting her on the back.
"Uhm... S-Sure, sure." Mac, who automatically goes on the defensive, shrinks in his seat.
"We're just about to play UNO after this, wanna join?" Spencer asks, adjusting his cap.
"And Ryuuko agreed?" Lucy asks, giving a sly smile to the Asian guy.
"I'm giving it a shot." Ryuuko shrugs.
"Alright, it's good that we unite as a team for something." Mac, who fiddles with his food without looking up. "I mean, we can't lose another challenge."
"Lose? No worries, dude! Ryuuko and I are the dynamic duo! It's impossible to lose with us on board!" Spencer puts his arm around Ryuuko's shoulder and pulls him in for a hug.
"The dynamic duo?" Lucy laughs sarcastically.
"That's a good name. B-But be careful, don't make the Bermuda Triangle mad." Mac jokes awkwardly.
"Why do you say that? Do you know something about them?" Lucy asks instantly, staring intently at Mackenzie.
"N-No! I was just saying because... You know, similar names and... Uhm, ehh... It was a joke!"
Confessional
Lucy - Since yesterday with that Bermuda Triangle note, I've been somewhat paranoid... Just when Ryuuko seemed to be improving, they mess with me. Everything would be solved if I told the secret but... I don't think that would benefit me much. It sucks! It's incredible to think that my biggest problem isn't Charlie.
Ryuuko - Yeah, Spencer is really annoying, but he's also a good guy. And since the last challenge, I've gotten along better with him and Mac, I guess it's okay to have friends who can tolerate me.
Mac - Lucy is in the group of people I physically can't talk to. C-Coincidentally, they're the people I find attractive.
"Still, who would we vote if we lose?" Spencer asks. "I don't wanna vote any of you, you're my friends. And Liam is a great guy!"
"Well, I guess by process of elimination..." Ryuuko scans the room for a moment. "Probably Jennifer."
"Yeah, I agree." Lucy nods.
"Well, I guess she's the one who... fits in the least." Spencer shrugs.
"Good evening! I don't mean to intrude, but may I join you?" A angelic voice is heard at the table. It's Corey, who is carrying her tray.
"Uh... Uh... Well..." Mackenzie tries to articulate but fails. Spencer gives Ryuuko a sidelong glance, waiting for his approval.
"Anyway, no problem." Ryuuko shrugs.
"Perfect, have a seat!" Spencer moves aside to make room for Corey.
"Thank you so much, it's not that I don't want to sit with Sophie and Pedro, it's just that... You know, Sophie can take the game very seriously." Corey gives a sweet smile, blinking. "It's all she talks about."
"That girl is so uptight, ya can tell from miles away." Spencer laughs along with Corey.
"I don't like calling her that, it's a bit rude. I just think her parents were a bit demanding, and now she relates like that." Corey shrugs. "Like I told you yesterday, it's like she's never had friends her age."
"Yesterday... Before or after the ice cream incident?"
"Before." Corey bursts out laughing, to which Spencer responds with laughter too. Apparently, it's an inside joke that makes Ryuuko and Lucy look uncomfortable, while Mac just plays with the spaghetti on his plate.
"Hey, speaking of the game. I think it would be good for our alliance to find that idol thing, do you want to go look for it?" Ryuuko whispers to Lucy.
"S-Sure! In fact, that's a good move. Let's go." And without warning, Lucy and Ryuuko get up from the table.
"Wait, guys! Don't leave me alone!" Mac shouts, scared.
Confessional
Mac - If Lucy scares me... Corey terrifies me. Quite similar to... Forget it.
Lucy - I just received another letter from the Bermuda Triangle, apparently they don't like that I'm not following their orders enough, so, let's see... (Lucy opens the letter and sees what appears to be printed documents) B-But how do they have this? Well... That confirms that they definitely know my secret. (Lucy looks sadly at the floor while biting her lower lip.) The smartest thing I can do now is to find that McLean statue. It will give me security in figuring out who's part of the Bermuda Triangle. Although I still don't understand what the Bermuda Triangle gains by leaving me without allies...
Corey - Yesterday, I went to get ice cream with Spencer and surprisingly had a good time. My parents wouldn't approve at all; you could say he's somewhat... Classless. But it's super fun. And besides, he doesn't smell like broccoli anymore.
Spencer - Yesterday, Corey and I stole an ice cream sundae from the luxury wagon, and just as we were about to eat it, a bird flew in through the window and stole it from us! We called it "the ice cream incident."
"I really don't think the legal mechanism being implemented in Argentina is what's needed; I think the attempt to replicate El Salvador is inappropriate and... Miss Sophia, are you listening?" Pedro interrupts his political speech upon noticing how Sophia, his dinner companion, has dissociated from the conversation and is now just staring at the table where Spencer, Corey, and Mac are sitting.
"Uh, yes of course!" Sophia responds, returning her gaze to Pedro. "Were we still talking about the economic blockade in Venezuela?"
"That was the topic five minutes ago, anyway. I couldn't help but notice that you've been observing Miss Cordelia a lot lately. Can I know the reason?" Pedro asks, observing Sophia seriously.
"Me? No, what do you mean?" Sophia nervously laughs, but seeing that her lie doesn't convince Pedro, she gives in. "It's just that I find it strange that she talks so much with people from the other team. I think we should eliminate her in case we lose... Not that we'll lose anyway!"
"Eliminate Ms. Cordelia? I don't think that's appropriate. I believe Barbara is much less useful for the team." Pedro politely opinates.
"Barbara did well in the previous challenge though," Sophia points out.
"I don't fully agree," says Pedro. "Anyway, we just have to make sure that neither of them finds the idol so that nothing goes wrong. If you happen to find it, will you let me know?"
"The idol... Of course, I'll let you know," Sophia nods, as Pedro picks up his empty tray and takes it to the kitchen.
Confessional
Sophia - At first, I thought Pedro would follow my orders without question, but I guess I relied too much on my power of persuasion. I just hope he doesn't end up betraying me... He wouldn't do that, right?
Meanwhile, in the boys' compartment of the Team Alpha wagon, Liam is nervously looking at his analog watch while tapping his foot quickly on the floor. Finally, the compartment door opens, and Jennifer walks in.
"Hey, am I late?" Jennifer asks, entering with her classic notebook. "I'm really sorry, I was busy."
"Don't worry! You're only fifteen minutes late, what's the big deal?" Liam says innocently, offering Jen a seat. "The important thing is that you're here, and you arrived before Mac."
"Sorry, sorry!" Mackenzie enters the compartment at that moment. "I was last in line for food."
"It's all good! So, guys, I called you because you two are the smartest people I know!" Liam says excitedly.
"Really?" Mac asks.
"Of course, you two are the brains of the team. I need you because if you haven't noticed, team morale is pretty low right now." Liam explains, showing genuine concern.
"Yeah, we've been losing several challenges in a row," Jennifer remarks.
"And Team Friendship is too strong to stop." Mac adds. "Sorry, go on."
"That's why I needed a plan for us to improve, and I decided that my plan will be to gather you all to make a plan!" Liam explains, fist-bumping his hand.
"So, we're like... a leadership committee?" Mac asks, quite excited.
"Yes, exactly!" Liam exclaims, even more excited.
"I think it's a good idea; we need to avoid losing again," Jen says, nodding slowly.
"Great, tomorrow before the challenge, we'll make a solid plan, okay? We need to start figuring out why Team Friendship never loses!" Liam starts walking towards the exit, excitedly.
"Why don't we do it now?" Mac suggests.
"I haven't eaten yet."
"You've been waiting for us?" Mackenzie asks, surprised.
"Of course." Liam says casually, then leaves the room.
"W-Well, at least he's committed..." Mac says with a sigh, to himself.
"True." Jennifer agrees, catching Mac off guard.
"O-Oh, sorry, I-I forgot you were... there." Mac scratches his head nervously. His face starts with the usual protocol, turning pale.
"Don't worry about it." The two boys fall into an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say. Several times, both Mackenzie and Jennifer open their mouths, but neither says anything.
"Hey, I'm glad Liam picked you; I agree that you're v-very smart."
"Thank you, you too." Jennifer responds curtly. "I'm sure we'll make a good committee."
"When we did the UN Model at my school, I got a B, so I guess I'm not too bad with committees..." Mac laughs nervously. From pale, he turns slightly pink as he realizes he managed to say a complete sentence without stuttering.
"That's great... I won the best speech award." Jennifer says timidly.
"That's quite impressive, what delegation were you?"
"The Pan-African Federation, in the third committee."
"All of Africa? Wow, that must have been pretty challenging. I was the United Kingdom; I even practiced a British accent. Rubbish innit?"
They both share a small laugh.
"I have to go eat; I lost track of time studying. See you later, Mac." Jennifer says and leaves the room.
Confessional
Mac - I had a normal conversation! Let's go!
Jennifer - I had a normal conversation, let's go.
The production team changes location and leaves the McLean Express to enter Le Royal Meridien Doha hotel, where the contestants of the Friendship team are enjoying their second night. They all gathered in one of the relaxation areas, a beautiful pool with a drinks bar where Ashley is standing, holding a soda can in her hand. The girl jumps with excitement and stands on the bar stool, causing all the hotel visitors to either be puzzled or join in with the girl's hype and get excited.
"Okay, everyone! The next song is called 'Either They Decorated For Christmas Early Or They're All Dead'! Hit it, Ibrahim!" The Ibrahim the girl refers to is the DJ, but before he can even play the song Ash requests, the girl cannonballs into the pool, landing right next to Gretchen.
"What a weird name for a song, huh?" Gretchen asks, confused. The girl has been swimming peacefully in the pool for a while.
"Oh, it's pretty basic, and that's not even the name of my new upcoming single! 'I'm Hungry But All I Find in the Fridge Is Mac and Cheese'! The song is about-"
"I think it speaks for itself, Ashley," says Charlie, who is reclining on one of the poolside beach chairs, sipping a coconut cocktail.
"I'm very intrigued, Ash," says Gretchen, laughing kindly.
"Ugh, my coconut is finished. Aish!" Charlie snaps her fingers, and instantly, a formally dressed Qatari man appears, handing another drink to Charlie. "Thanks, Aish, you're a sweetheart!"
"Thank you, yung Charlotte," says Aish, giving a nervous smile.
"Uh, Aish, can you bring me some gummies?" Says Gretchen from the pool.
"Sure thing, miss," says Aish, starting to walk back to the kitchen.
"Little Fish-shaped ones, please."
"Sure," says Aish, looking a bit tired.
Confessional
Gretchen - Qatar is so incredible, people are so friendly! Although, according to Ashley, they hate pigs! Why? They're so adorable.
Ashley - Gret misunderstood. They can't eat pigs, which is a shame because I'm dying for a cheeseburger with bacon!
Charlie - Aish is my new butler. Turns out the luxury suite Chris bought for us comes with butler service for... 72 hours, meaning, like, if there's a challenge tomorrow, Aish is coming with me, like it or not.
Aish - At least I'm paid well.
On the beach chair nearby Charlie, Barbara is reclining. Next to her is Harvey, who is sketching her on a piece of paper.
"And... Done!" Harvey exclaims, turning the notebook to show Barbara. The drawing is a quite lovely representation of the blonde girl in a style that, while not entirely anime-like, is heavily inspired by Japanese art.
"Oh my god! It looks so good!" Barbara takes the notebook and hugs it quickly. "You're SO talented, Harvey."
"Thank you, I knew you would like the style," says Harvey, giving her a kind smile.
"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not a big fan of anime at all. But it's literally undeniable that this drawing captures how cute I am very well. Thank you, Harvey!" Barbara hugs the boy and heads over to the drinks bar.
"Score!"
Confessional
Barbara - Harvey is such a nice guy! Sure, he's a nerd, but I expected him to be more of a freak. Whatsoever, just as a little reminder, I have a boyfriend.
Harvey - Barbara's problem is that she has a bad idea of us otakus! Luckily, I've spent my whole life fighting against the bad image that certain members of the community have left. If she really is the muse as Oda-Sensei told me, I have to do everything possible to change her mind... Do you think I'm giving too much importance to a mirage?
On the other hand, hidden among the bushes of the hotel, Levi and Harlan are having a picnic together. They have a red checkered tablecloth, a basket with fruit and sandwiches made by Levi, in general, everything is very cliche.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Levi asks. "This place must be full of bugs."
"Hey, I hate them too, but would you rather do it on the train?" Harlan teases his companion.
"You have a point there." They both take a bite of their sandwiches.
"Hmm... This is delicious. You're a great cook. Should I start calling you Levi Ramsey?" Harlan jokes, nudging Levi.
"Hmm... I guess. Although my culinary style is more like Chef Hatchet's." Levi says, immediately making Harlan look terrified at his sandwich. "It was a joke! It was a joke!"
"You don't tend to joke!" Harlan says, pretending to be angry.
"T-That's not true! Anyway... I can cook because I'm the one who takes care of my siblings when my parents are out."
"You're the substitute dad?"
"I'm the substitute dad."
"Let me remember... Your siblings are... Jayson, Thomas, and Matthew." Harlan recounts. "Hmm... I'm missing one."
"You're missing Cole, but I don't take care of him much. He's a little brat who thinks he can fend for himself."
"Oh, okay. Getting along with four siblings sounded too good to be true." Harlan shrugs.
"Exactly." Levi finishes his sandwich. "The day he found my Tumblr account was hell."
"I love how you talk about Tumblr as if it were a war." Harlan laughs.
"It kinda is." Levi jokes.
"I don't know, I don't use social media much." A third voice speaks emerging from the bushes. The two boys scream in fright upon hearing it. The voice turns out to be Gretchen, who gives them both an innocent smile.
"Ah! How long have you been there?" Levi asks, startled.
"I just got here!"
"So, you didn't see anything?" Harlan grits his teeth.
"Wait a second, guys, you..." Gretchen closes her eyes, analyzing the scene. Levi and Harlan gulp nervously. "You were having a picnic without us?"
Levi and Harlan breathe a sigh of relief.
"Yes, exactly." Harlan says, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Sorry for not inviting you."
"No problem! Chris is saying we should go to the screening room to watch the aftermath."
"Already?"
"Yup."
"Damn, and I didn't get to eat any of the croissants." Harlan complains, starting to pack up the picnic items.
Confessional
Levi - I never thought Gretchen would scare me, but here we are.
Harlan - For a second, I thought Gretchen was going to find out that Levi and I are dating. Can you imagine that? Gretchen keeping our secret? Charlie would find out instantly!
Reluctantly, the entire Friendship team plus Barbara ended up in the hotel's screening room, including Aish due to his order not to leave Charlie unless ordered otherwise. The seven teenagers (and Aish) took their seats in the two rows of chairs, and then Chris McLean began to appear on the screen.
"Members of the Friendship team, congratulations! You are about to watch live the first episode of Total Drama Express Tour... The Aftermath! The advantage you'll gain in the game by watching this must be used wisely as the revelations about to be seen in the final cut will be surprising! However, I've cut out a few sections just to avoid spoiling surprises too big. You can also enjoy your sweet portion of Luqaimat distributed by Aish."
The Qatari butler passes out what appear to be small balls of fried wheat coated in honey, and everyone takes a taste.
"This is really good!" Levi comments. "What's in it?"
"It's nothing much, honey, wheat, ginger, and grated cricket zest," Aish responds kindly.
Levi's eyes widen at the mention of cricket, causing him to push the plate aside.
When Chris's speech ends, The Aftermath's episode begins to play without much difference from its TV cut.
"They didn't have money for presenters and Chris had to keep exploiting his kids," Levi laughs, staring pointedly at Harlan.
"Knock Knock," Harlan responds.
"Who's there?"
"Not Child support!"
The two boys laugh uncontrollably as the audience ignores the initial interviews, just chuckling as they see AJ being teased. The first big reaction from the audience comes almost ten minutes into the show.
"Oh my gosh!" exclaims Sammy, clapping excitedly. "It's finally time?!"
"Exactly. Right now, we're going to have a couple's chat! With Sammy and Aislin."
"Let's go!" cheers Aislin, bouncing with excitement alongside her friend.
On the screen, several hearts float against a pink background, with four gray circles in the middle.
"In this super Aftermath section, we're going to talk about the couples that are most popular in the fandom under the hashtag #ETCouples!" explains Aislin.
"In fifth place, we have-"
And then, the screen cuts off and the program jumps straight to Celia's interview.
"What? No way!" Barbara complains, jumping in her seat. "They cut it off right at the best part!"
The only people who look relieved are Levi and Harlan, who sigh with relaxation.
After Celia's interview, the strategy section began, making Charlie, Harlan, and Levi sit on the edge of their seats.
"Anyway, we'll start with alliances by looking at one of the most powerful alliances in the game right now... Charlie's alliance."
"If we want to analyze the alliance deeply, we first have to see what Charlotte's strategy is: She knows she's not very popular among the contestants, but she's the kind of person who's used to playing with influences. That's why she's convincing her team that she's useful to them while manipulating the mentally weaker members."
"Gretchen isn't... Forget it, it's true," says Sam.
"Not only that, she's also manipulating that guy Spencer," says Kevin. "She's doing the same thing she did with all the boyfriends she had in high school, sweetening them up with words and kisses to get them to do what she wants!"
"But I thought ours wasn't an alliance..." Gretchen says, looking disappointed at Charlotte.
"Oh, Gretchen, don't believe everything people say on TV," says Charlie, taking Gretchen's hands and stroking her head. "You know how horrible things they can do just for ratings."
"Oh... Well... You're right, then." Gretchen innocently agrees.
Confessional
Charlie - I can't believe she fell for that.
Gretchen - I'm starting to think that... Maybe Charlie is not such a friendly person.
Harlan - Charlie has shown that she is a great player for the team, but she's the kind of person who won't hesitate to discard you as soon as she doesn't need you anymore. Like most people, really.
The contestants take note of all the alliances, from Pedro and Sophia to Ryuuko and Lucy. But Charlotte seems to be much more interested in another one of the alliances mentioned on the show.
Confessional
Charlie - Harlan is not a threat to me. You want to know who is? The Bermuda Triangle. Only and solely because I don't know their identity; if I did, their little act would have ended already.
The show continues, and as soon as the 'popularity ranking' is mentioned, Barbara sits on the edge of her seat, eagerly awaiting the results.
"What?! Celia is the most popular?! Why?!" Barbara complains.
"Ok, ok... Next up is Gretchen, who even has a fan club account," says Lionel, reading the script incredulously.
"I'm popular! Awesome, Charlie!" Gretchen cheers happily.
"Awesome, Gret! I did a great job with you!" Charlie hugs her friend, feigning pride. "Maybe too great."
Gradually, people go through, and a small twitch forms in Barbara's eye as she realizes her name doesn't appear on the list.
Confessional
Barbara - Excuse me? How is it possible that I'm not in the popularity ranking?! B-But I'm... A st-star. (Barbara's eyes water, and her face slowly turns red). I've to get in that top... I need to!
The show continues until the start of the secrets challenge, which is once again conveniently cut, jumping straight to the final scene of the episode.
"And that's... Correct!" Streamers fall from the ceiling to celebrate, while the Alpha team members run to hug AJ in celebration. "Congratulations! You've won a reward for Team Alpha."
"Booo!" Kevin boos.
"So, what do we win?" Celia asks, with a cheerful smile.
"Well, you've just won none other than... A new member for Team Alpha!" Emma announces, raising her arms.
"What?!" The winning team shouts in unison.
"That's right, in the next episode of The Aftermath, we'll have the incredible episode of Second Chance Challenge! The winner of the challenge between Lionel, Sam, Sammy, AJ, and Celia will return to the show as a member of Team Alpha!"
After the program ends, Chris's broadcast resumes.
"Well! Thank you for watching our amazing show and use the information responsibly! You have... 6 hours of sleep before we meet at the hotel entrance; there we'll have the next challenge, and I swear this time it will be an elimination, so you better stay focused! See you later... Ugh... This is going to skyrocket the ratings! You'll see, I'm going to spend a couple more days in this hotel before going to my wrinkle surgery... What? Am I still recording? Damn it!"
"Shit, we could have won a new member for our team," complains Levi, adjusting his beanie.
"Yeah. It's fine, we have to make sure Team Alpha loses. That's all," says Harlan, shrugging.
"That's all?! We didn't see any drama! Chris skipped all the best secrets," complains Ashley, who was still taking bites from the plate given to them by Aish.
"I guess Chris didn't want to give us too much advantage," Levi assumes.
"Are you sure? Because he gave me everything I need to know," says Charlie in an egocentric tone.
"Yeah, me too!" Barbara yells, crossing her arms furiously. "N-No, not really! I-It's just that I'm really angry."
And finally, the members of Team Friendship retire to continue their night of luxury and partying.
Confessional
Harlan - It was really useful to watch that episode. Since the competition started, I've been trying to differentiate between the fish and the sharks in this game, and I think I'm finally getting an idea. Sharks: Sophia, Pedro, Charlie, Lucy, Jennifer. The rest are fish, luckily.
The day passed and the members of Team Friendship gathered at the hotel entrance. Their stay was not over yet, so Charlie was accompanied by Aish out of sheer work formality. In the distance, they saw the members of the other two teams arriving at the hotel entrance and joining them.
"Barbara, I think it's time for you to return to your team," Ash said, looking at the blonde girl. "We had a great time, didn't we?"
"It was amazing, thank you so much guys!" Barbara said goodbye to all the members of Team Friendship with a kiss on the cheek and went back to Corey, Pedro, and Sophia.
"Good morning, Miss Barbara, nice to see you again," Pedro greeted his teammate.
"Hi, guys!" Barbara greeted everyone. "Corey! The hotel was incredible, too bad you weren't there with me."
"Don't worry, as long as you had fun," Corey said, taking her friend's hands. "You'll have to tell me all about it."
"Sure!"
In the midst of all of them, Chris McLean appeared wearing a traditional Qatari outfit and approached all the contestants.
"Salaam! Since we were in the Qatari desert, I think today we'll delve more into its capital, Doha, so we'll have a fairly urban challenge."
"Isn't it a sin in Islam to imitate the religion without practicing it?" Jen asked when she saw Chris's outfit.
"Let's say that not all rules apply to me... Right?"
"So, you were paid and now you can do whatever you want," Levi concluded.
"Alright, before the challenge, I have news for Team Friendship. Yesterday I hid an McLean-Brand Chris Head on the train, it serves as an advantage in the game. Fortunately, no one has found it yet, so you can still go look for it after the challenge."
Sophia and Pedro exchanged a look. Charlotte seemed the most interested upon hearing about the idol.
"Okay, today we'll have a race of challenges throughout Doha. There will be different checkpoints you'll have to pass through, and no team member can compete twice, so the captain will have to organize their team wisely. Any questions?"
"Dude, is this like that show... The incredulous race?" Spencer asked.
"Don't you dare mention that devil's show!" Chris shouted angrily, making everyone step back for a moment. "Junior, explain the stages of the challenge."
"R-Right." Emma passed her brother some small briefing cards to read. "Thanks. First, there will be a designated driver who will drive a taxi that will stop at each checkpoint. The first checkpoint will be a food contest... The second checkpoint will be a treasure hunt, where you'll have to find a golden McLean statue. And then..."
Chris was interrupted by his sister to correct him.
"It's worth noting that some statues are fake, and you'll have to identify them."
"Yes, thank you, Emma. In the third and final checkpoint, only one team member will have to do Kitesurfing."
"To catch a golden sea buoy," Emma added.
"Alright, you have two minutes to organize yourselves!" Chris took three car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to the captain of each team.
"Well, who here has a driver's license?" Liam asked, looking at his teammates. "I can do the food challenge."
"Uh, I can surf!" Spencer shouted.
"I think it's better if..." Jennifer was about to give her opinion but was interrupted by Liam.
"Sure thing, Spence, you got this!"
Confessional
Jennifer - If Liam really wants this committee thing to work, he has to stop being so nice to everyone."
"I can drive," Lucy says, reaching for her pocket. After feeling around a couple of times, she says, not very convinced, "Uh, I forgot it on the train."
"I fell asleep during driving lessons, but I'll try next semester," Spencer admits.
"I got it. I-I can drive," Mac takes out his wallet and shows it to his team, perfectly confident.
On the Team Friendship side, the decision was much easier.
"I already have a driver's license and..." Levi says, raising his hand.
"Shut up, I'll drive," Charlie says, and Harlan tosses her the keys. Instead of getting into the taxi, she tosses the keys to Aish. "You drive, Aish."
The poor Qatari man sighs sadly and gets into the taxi, followed by the whole team.
Team Amazon doesn't take long to decide, and Sophia takes on the responsibility of driving.
With all the teams in their taxis, Chris blows his whistle to signal the contestants to start. All the cars speed off except for Team Alpha, who take a bit longer to leave.
"First Clutch and... First! Ugh... This runs worse than my dad's," Mac laughs nervously, to which Ryuuko facepalms.
"Aren't we a bit squeezed in here?" Gretchen asks in Team Friendship's taxi. She's practically squashed between Harlan and Ashley, with Levi and Harvey slouched in the corners.
"Don't exaggerate, Gretchen!" Charlie responds comfortably from the co-pilot seat.
Luckily for all the contestants, the restaurant isn't far from the hotel, and they all arrive without much difficulty.
"Alright. Food challenge, let's go, Jennifer and me! Ryuuko and Lucy, you're next."
"Why us?"
"Because you're friends!" Liam explains, giving a thumbs-up to his teammates before getting out of the taxi.
As Sophia sees Liam getting out of Team Alpha's taxi, she quickly looks at Barbara.
"Barbara, it's your turn!" Sophia orders.
"The food challenge? But... Whatever, I'm coming." Barbara gets out of the taxi, looking dejected.
"Are you sure, Miss Sophia?" Pedro asks.
"Give her a chance, It's part of my plan," Sophia says, resting her head on the wheel for a second, accidentally honking the horn.
"There she goes, it's your turn, Harvey!" Ashley pushes Harvey out of the taxi and gets out with him.
"Good luck, Yung Harvey! You two would make a cute couple," Aish shouts from the taxi.
"Shut up, Aish," Charlie scolds.
"I'm so sorry."
Liam, Barbara, Harvey, Ashley, and Jennifer sit at the restaurant bar, in that order.
"Hi, guys! It's great that we're all here, right?" Ashley hugs the people on her sides, Harvey and Jennifer. The girl with glasses immediately moves away.
"Ugh, don't scream, I'm right next to you."
"Don't be such a downer! You've got me mad, don't think I forgot that ya didn't come to my card game!" Ashley shouts, causing Jennifer to step back and cover her ears.
"I didn't go because I'm not going to waste my time on such... Unproductive things," Jennifer argues.
"It's clear you don't know how to have fun; you also didn't come to my concert, did you?"
"No, I hate that... Noise you call music."
Ashley opens her mouth, seriously offended.
"Excuse me?!"
Meanwhile, Liam greets Barbara enthusiastically, while Harvey waits for his turn to speak.
"I'm quite envious that you got to enjoy that hotel, although the train food wasn't bad."
"It wasn't bad? That garbage?" Barbara asks incredulously.
"It wasn't thaaat bad. Plus—Look, it's here!" Each contestant is served a huge plate of sautéed rice.
"Excuse me, but what is this?" Jennifer asks one of the waiters.
"It's Majboos, essentially rice with chicken and vegetables," the waiter explains before leaving the table.
"Chicken? B-But I'm vegan! Chris should have told you!"
Harvey seems about to speak but is interrupted by Liam.
"No problem, give it to me!" Liam forks the chicken from Barbara's plate and starts eating at lightning speed. The only person who seems to compete with him is Ashley, who also swallows the plate with all her might.
"Ugh, this is so spicy!" Jennifer exclaims after tasting the first spoonful of rice. But neither Ashley nor Liam flinch, making Jennifer give them a disgusted look.
Confessional
Jennifer - I can't believe people with such bad manners exist.
Liam - Sumo was a worthy opponent, yes. But that plate of rice... A legendary battle.
"Thank you so much! It was delicious!" Liam says, putting his empty plate on the table. The first to finish was Ashley, who had the advantage of Liam taking part of Barbara's plate, and not long after, Harvey finished too. The Team Friendship members had already left by the time Jennifer finished.
"Let's go, Liam," the girl says, getting up from her chair.
"Give me one last bite..." Liam takes one last big spoonful from Barbara's plate and leaves. "Good luck, Barb!"
"Um... Thanks!" Barbara says, having trouble finishing her plate.
When Liam and Jennifer get into the taxi, they are questioned with looks from Lucy and Ryuuko.
"Why did you take so long? The Team Friendship members just left."
"Oh, I was helping Barbara."
"What were you doing?!" Mac turns for a second, taking his eyes off the road and almost crashing for a moment. "Oh my god!"
"Hey, I get that you like her, but you need to start thinking about the challenges, man!" Spencer complains.
"Oh, the irony," Ryuuko sighs.
"I don't like Barbara! It's just that she was vegan!"
"That excuse is new," Lucy says sarcastically.
Five minutes later, Barbara finally exits the restaurant and gets into the taxi.
"That dish was horrible!" Barbara shouts, sweating from the spiciness of the food.
"You took too long, the others left a while ago!" Sophia complains.
"The dish was huge, okay? Now speed up, you're driving like my mom! We're lucky Liam helped me."
Corey and Pedro look at Barbara, surprised by what she just said.
Confessional
Barbara - Liam was very kind to help me in the challenge. I quite like guys who understand my diet... Plus, Liam was pretty high in the popularity ranking... What am I even thinking?!
Fortunately for Team Alpha, Aish seemed to be a rather cautious driver unlike Mac, who after overtaking several cars managed to take the lead. Unfortunately, the advantage didn't last long as the bespectacled boy ended up getting lost.
"Is this Avenue 50, right? So if we keep going south..." Jennifer says, holding the map and being Mackenzie's co-pilot. "Wait! You're going the wrong way."
"We have to go north on Avenue 50!" Lucy shouts from the back.
"We have Team Friendship behind us! They're catching up." Ryuuko shouts, and Mac goes completely still.
"What are you doing, man? Move!" Spencer complains.
"They passed us." Ryuuko shouts.
"That's what I wanted!" As soon as Team Friendship passes Mac, he starts up behind them, and both teams arrive almost at the same time at the Jewelry store. "Who's getting out?"
Confessional
Mac - They call me 'Baby driver' in my town... (He gives a forced charming smile, that ends up just being awkward) They really don't, t-that's a movie...
"Speed up, Sophia, we're going too slow!" Barbara shouts from the back. "You're driving like my grandma!"
"Do you want her to go faster?" Corey asks, scared as she sees Sophia aggressively grabbing the steering wheel and overtaking cars at high speed. "She's reckless!"
"Don't worry viewers. I haven't broken any laws yet!" Sophia smiles at the camera.
Confessional
Corey - I'm used to only traveling in a private chauffeured car, so Sophia was... An experience.
It's finally Lucy and Ryuuko turn from Team Alpha who leave, while Harlan and Levi from Team Friendship also exit.
Both pairs enter a large store filled with gold accessories, with massive shelves full of items. There are a few other people shopping as well.
"Hey, Levi. I'll leave the statue thing to you, okay? I need to use the bathroom. I think yesterday's sandwich isn't much friendly to my stomach."
"Sure thing, but hurry up, I might need some help," Levi says, looking at the gigantic shelves filled with gold statues.
"Excuse me, can I steal your restroom for a second? Thanks!" Harlan asks one of the store attendants, who looks puzzled and exchanges glances with a colleague as the blonde boy enters the store's bathroom.
"Did he say 'steal'?"
Meanwhile, Ryuuko and Lucy find three gold McLean statues, although they still need to verify which one is real gold with the shopkeeper. Just as they are about to leave after verifying, something strange happens.
"Darn it, I can't find any," Levi scratches his cheek doubtfully as he looks at a large shelf, until he finally spots the gold statue, which is being inspected by a woman wearing a hijab. "Hello, excuse me, do you have-"
Levi approaches the woman and touches her shoulder, causing the woman to startle and move away from Levi, looking quite scared.
"Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"Security!"
"Excuse me?"
Levi looks around for Harlan, only to find him near the bathroom door, being held by a couple of security guards by the arms.
One of the guards lets go of Harlan and walks toward Levi, taking him by the arm just like they did with Harlan.
"Levi! Help! They're going to arrest me! We need to run," Harlan shouts, breaking free from the guard and running full speed towards Levi. Levi starts struggling to separate himself from the guard, but in the confusion of the struggle, the two boys end up embracing. Seeing the scene, everyone in the store except for Ryuuko and Lucy, who laugh at them, startles and gets scared.
"What?!" Harlan asks, confused.
"Oh, shit. I-It's not what it looks like, people!" Levi nervously tries to explain. It's no use, as the guards take out handcuffs and start detaining the boys.
"Well, that's not our problem anymore," Lucy says with a sarcastic smile, turning back to the counter with Ryuuko.
"Poor fools. Anyway..." Ryuuko turns to the counter, where they have the three idols they had already found. "Uh... Which one was the real one?"
"This one." Lucy confidently takes the one from the center, and they both leave the store.
Confessional
(Harlan and Levi can be seen sharing the confessional, both handcuffed to each other)
Levi - Turns out, in Qatar, touching a woman without permission from her legal guardian is illegal, and stealing is seen as a capital sin.
Harlan - And public displays of affection aren't allowed...
Levi - Especially for gay people.
Corey gracefully enters the jewelry store not long after. She's surprised to see the situation with the boys but can't help letting out a little giggle.
"Guys, are you okay?" Cordelia asks.
"Looks like we're just fine?!" Levi shouts sarcastically.
"Oh, I'm sorry then... I hope you're okay," says Corey, with a hint of condescension as she leaves the store.
Just when Harlan and Levi were contemplating how they'd spend their days in a Qatari jail, their tour guide and butler Aish arrived at the store like a savior.
"Yung Harlan! I understand that you have affection for Yung Levi, but don't show it in public."
"Aish! Save us!" Harlan cries out, his voice almost breaking.
The rest of Team Friendship watches as Levi and Harlan, handcuffed together, leave the place accompanied by Aish, who had convinced the guards that they were just tourists and should be released. The butler also has the McLean statue in his hands
"What the hell happened to you guys?! Even the Amazons passed us!" Ashley shouts as Aish returns to the driver's seat.
"Long story! Step on it, Aish, we can't afford to lose!" Harlan shouts.
Now Team Alpha has a clear advantage in the race, so Mac stepped on the accelerator at full speed.
"Aren't you going too fast?" Jennifer asks, lowering the map for a moment to stare at the driver.
"C-Calm down, I think the speed limit here is higher than in America," Mac responds.
"Wait, guys, do you hear that?" Spencer asks, looking out the taxi window.
"Hear what?" Ryuuko asks.
"That!"
"What is 'that'?!" Ryuuko insists.
"That sound like 'Ca-clan, Ca-clan,'" Spencer says, imitating the sound.
"What?" Jennifer asks.
"No, no, no, wait! Now it's like a... 'Ui U, Ui U' like that," Spencer says.
"Sorry, Spence, but no one here speaks french," Liam shrugs.
"Wait, I hear it now... Oh no, it's the police," Jennifer says, watching as policemen approach the vehicle riding horses.
"Oooh! Horses! That was the Ca Clan!" Spencer says.
Confessional
Ryuuko - I really hate Spencer sometimes.
Mac pulls over and stops, watching as one of the men dismounts from the horse and taps on the taxi window. When Mac opens the window, the man speaks angrily.
"Documents, now."
"Uh, yes, of course." Mac adopts his typical nervous, pale tone and starts searching his pockets. Unable to find anything, he pretends to search in the car's compartments.
"Damn, there go the Amazons," Lucy points out, watching as the taxi driven by Sophia overtakes them.
"Didn't you say you had the license?" Liam mutters under his breath.
"I-I could... you know... have left it at home."
Confessional
Mac - O-Okay, but in my defense, why would I be driving in Total Drama?
After a few more minutes with Mac nervously thinking what to do, everyone became even more hysterical as they watched the Friendship team taxi approach.
"Listen to me, Mac." Lucy approaches the boy from behind, whispering aggressively. "We can't afford to lose today, so you better fix this right now."
"Uh, y-yeah, I'm on it." Mac continues rummaging in his pocket until he finally takes a deep breath and pulls something out of his wallet, which appears to be an ID, and then hands it to the police officer.
"Mr. McLovin?" The officer asks, raising an eyebrow as he compares the photo with Mac.
"Y-Yes, that's me." Mac tries to mimic the face in the photo. "Just... Old photo, you know."
"Donor from Hawaii, huh?" The officer hands the card back to Mac, causing his team to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Exactly, from Hawaii to Qatar!" Mac nervously laughs, still scared.
Mac resumed driving at full speed towards the beach, and he even managed to overtake Team Friendship and arrive first at the beach, where Chris Jr. and Emma were putting a helmet on Pedro.
"Okay, Pedro, we trust you to finish strong in the race," says Sophia. "I designed the order specifically for you to finish and so-"
"Thank you, Miss Sophia, I know what to do," Pedro smiles confidently as he approaches the kite.
"Okay, good luck!" Sophia cheers, trying to hide her nervousness with her classic plastic politician smile.
"Okay, Harlan and I already went, Ashley and Harvey literally ate, and 'Charlie' was driving... or something like that, which only leaves us with..." Levi starts counting.
"Gretchen." All the team members say in unison, looking at the girl who is playing barefoot in the sand.
"Oh, my turn?" Gretchen asks with an oblivious smile.
"Yes..." Harlan says, scratching his neck.
Confessional
Harlan - Gretchen is a great person, but sometimes she can be a bit... distracted. Let's leave it at that.
"Don't worry, look who you're up against," Charlie says with a smug smile. The girl points to the person putting on the helmet for Team Alpha: Spencer.
"Okay, we might have a chance at this one..." Ashley says, going to encourage Gretchen.
By the time Pedro finally takes off with the kite, Spencer and Gretchen are finishing getting ready.
"Go and motivate him," Lucy says, giving Ryuuko a gentle push to go talk to Spencer.
"Uh... You got this, Spence... You're, uh... The wave master, yeah."
"Come on, Spencer, let's go!" Liam encourages, while Spencer finally takes off.
"I'm going to make you guys proud! AAAAHHH!" Spencer shouts before being propelled by the strong wind along the coast.
Pedro has a great advantage, elegantly positioning himself for aerodynamic efficiency. Gretchen is right behind, struggling to hold onto the kite and almost losing balance many times. Finally, Spencer is trying to overtake the girl from Friendship Team but seems unable to make progress against the wind.
"Go, Pedrito! Let's go!" Barbara shouts with all her might.
"He's going to make it!" Corey comments happily, making even Sophia drop her forced plastic pose and genuinely smile.
"Damn it, Gretchen! Go faster!" Charlotte shouts.
"Spencer! Get behind Gretchen! Behind her!" Ryuuko shouts.
Maybe it's hearing Charlie's voice against him or feeling Ryuuko's gaze, but Spencer understands perfectly what the Asian boy means. He positions himself behind Gretchen so her kite cuts through the wind, allowing him to advance much more easily, getting much closer to Pedro and leaving the girl behind.
"Gretchen! Do the same, damn it!" Charlotte shouts, to which Gretchen tries to move but clumsily ends up unbalancing her kite, causing her to fall straight into the water.
"Wow, it looks like we're going to have an exciting finish between Pedro and Spencer! I never thought that phrase would make sense!" Chris says.
"Watch out, Pedro! He's right behind you!" Sophia shouts, truly desperate.
Pedro glances back for a second at Spencer, grips the kite tighter, leans forward, breaks through the waves, and gains even more speed.
"Spencer, stop right now, or they'll eliminate me!" Charlie shouts at the top of his lungs.
Confessional
Charlotte — There was no way they were going to eliminate me, I just wanted to see if I could guilt-trip him.
Spencer decides not to stop and ignore Charlie's orders. With one final dash near the finish line, he manages to grab the golden sea buoy and finish the race in first place.
"And that wraps it up! Team Alpha takes the victory! Team Friendship will finally have to eliminate someone after 6 undefeated episodes!" Chris announces.
"THAT'S MY SPENCER! YES!" Mac kneels in the sand and raises his hands full of excitement, Lucy and Ryuuko celebrate more reservedly, and Liam seems to lose control completely, jumping around while celebrating.
"We did it! Alpha is back in the victory road!"
A group of interns dressed as lifeguards pull a drenched Gretchen out of the water, while Pedro returns with his head down, wiping his shirt clean of sand.
"Ugh, how unpleasant. I did my best, Miss Sophia."
"Are you kidding? You did amazing!" Corey says, running to congratulate Pedro. Barbara joins them, ending up in a group hug among the three.
"Well done. Once again, we avoided elimination. That means my process is yielding results!" Sophia celebrates, putting her hands on her hips. "That means the board of directors can continue to trust me as captain!"
"What board of directors?" Barbara asks quietly.
"Sometimes it's better to let her be," Corey says, still hugging.
"Take that! Where's your undefeated streak now?" Mac celebrates wildly, facing Team Friendship, who are looking at Gretchen with disappointment.
"You didn't do bad, girl... Not that bad," Ashley condescendingly says, hugging her friend.
"I'm so sorry, guys," Gretchen apologizes. "It was so difficult!"
"We are winners once again!" Liam shouts, snatching the golden idol from the second challenge from Ryuuko and lifting it in the air.
"One moment... Let me see that, Liam," Chris McLean interrupts, causing the smiles of all Team Alpha members to fade instantly. Chris examines the idol meticulously. "Indeed. This is a fake idol, it doesn't have the McLean originality seal."
"That means..." Sophia begins.
"Don't tell me..." Jennifer says, wide-eyed.
"That's right, Team Alpha is our new loser, and the winners are the Amazons! God, it feels weird to say that."
Mac collapses into the sand, devastated, while his teammates remain shocked. Team Friendship, instead of celebrating, reacts as if they had just had a heart attack, everyone except Ashley.
"Here's our undefeated streak!" The girl shouts directly at Mac, who doesn't respond.
"D-Did we win?" Sophia asks, incredulous.
"We won!" Barbara shouts, extending her hand to join Sophia in the group hug.
"W-We won. Yes!" Sophia says, setting aside her nerves for a moment and giving her team a kind smile.
"But... Lucy and I checked that it was original," Ryuuko says, quite confused.
"How strange," Lucy says, biting her lower lip.
Confessional
Lucy — Yes, I did it on purpose. I know, it's not my most moral decision. But until I know who the Bermuda Triangle is, I can't risk it.
"Well, you should've double-checked." Chris shrugs. "Liam, give me your nominees for tonight."
"I'm really sorry, guys, I don't want to do this again." Liam scratches his neck. "I nominate Lucy and Ryuuko."
The two nominees seem to accept it without a problem.
"Alright, I guess this is goodbye, young ones." Aish steps out of Team Friendship's taxi and walks towards them, shaking Harlan's hand.
"We love you, Aish! We'll never forget you!" Harlan shouts as he watches the butler leave.
"Aish was cute, but Yosuke was way cuter," Charlie says, examining her nails.
"Yeah... By the way, does anyone know how to get rid of handcuffs?" Levi says, looking at his hand handcuffed to Harlan.
"Hey, Jen. We still did pretty well today... You know, with the driving," Mac approaches Jennifer.
"Oh, yeah. You're a nice driver... Well, sort of. Except for the speeding part," the girl admits. "I guess you have some experience."
"Not much, really. My dad is a taxi driver, and the few times I see him, he teaches me how to drive."
"I get it. I don't see much of my dad either; he's always on his business trips to New York," the girl says with a nervous smile.
As all the contestants leave and start walking back to the train, Gretchen, Levi, and Harlan lag behind a bit.
"Hey, guys," Gretchen says, looking directly at the two boys. "I think you have your beanies switched."
"What?" Harlan asks, looking at his head.
"Yeah, you have Levi's, and Levi has yours. They've been like that since your date yesterday," the girl points out with an innocent smile.
"B-But... It's true. I mean, we didn't have a date, no!" Harlan tries to correct himself, but the girl walks away.
"Well. I think we underestimated Gretchen," Levi says, taking off Harlan's beanie.
Confessional
Gretchen — They look so cute together!
A little later, as it starts to get dark on the train, the Alpha team committee, namely Jennifer, Mackenzie, and Liam, gather in the boys' compartment.
"What should we do now? I don't want to kick any of my friends out," Liam says, looking frustrated at the floor.
"Well, if we really have to eliminate someone... I think it would be better to vote out Ryuuko," Jennifer suggests, crossing her arms.
"But... He's my friend," Liam says. "Besides, he's much stronger than Lucy."
"I think you're underestimating her," Jennifer says. "What do you think, Mac?"
"Me? Uh... I don't know, honestly," Mac scratches his ear. The boy doesn't seem entirely convinced. "All I know is that Spencer isn't going to vote for Ryuuko, and Lucy and Ryu aren't going to vote for each other."
"Well, let's just vote and see how it plays out," Jennifer concludes, leaving the room.
"I don't know what went wrong this time," Liam says, looking at the floor. "But it doesn't matter! We're going to get through this!"
"Y-Yeah. Don't blame yourself, buddy," Mac timidly puts his hand on Liam's shoulder.
"Thanks, Mac-Man... Now let's vote!"
One hour later, all the contestants gather in the Shame Wagon. The Amazons and the members of Team Friendship sit in the bleachers, while the tense Team Alpha sits on the straw bales.
"Team Alpha, it's good to see you back. Before we begin with the voting, I want to make a small announcement: Someone has already found the McLean-Brand Chris head, so from now on, be very careful with your votes."
All the contestants look nervously at each other.
"Alright, you can go ahead and vote, guys."
Confessional
Lucy — Just because I listened to the Bermuda Triangle doesn't mean I'm going to vote for Ryuuko, so don't even think about it.
Liam — (Liam is seen sweating nervously, staring at Lucy's and Ryuuko's papers)
Mac — I'm so sorry, but someone has to go.
Ryuuko — Hopefully, my vote and Lucy's will be enough to save us.
Spencer — My bro is not falling today!
"Alright, the votes have been counted. First, we'll give marshmallows to those not nominated... Jennifer, Mac, Spencer. That's all."
The three cheerfully received their marshmallows. Then, Emma steps forward.
"Ahem, Emma, wouldn't you like to give Junior the honors today?" Chris asks.
"Well... I always do it."
"Yes, I think it's better if-" Junior adds, but he's interrupted.
"Nonsense, it's your turn today, son." Chris pushes his son forward.
"W-Well... Uh... Liam, you're the captain, that's the only reason you're here. Lucy, you and Ryuuko messed up the challenge today and aren't... very friendly, or something like that."
"Hey! Don't talk trash about my bro like that, dude!" Spencer points out calmly.
"I'm sorry!" Junior yells, scared.
"Bro?" Ryuuko asks, confused.
"Alright, the first marshmallow goes to..."
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"Lucy! Congratulations, girl!" Chris says, tossing her the marshmallow, although Lucy doesn't seem really happy.
"And the last marshmallow goes to..."
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Liam swallows nervously, while Ryuuko stares at the marshmallow tray with a furrowed brow.
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"Liam! Congratulations, captain! You're staying a few more days in the game!"
"No!" Spencer dramatically exclaims. "I'm so sorry, brokie!"
"Ryuuko..." Lucy says, hugging the boy.
"I'm really sorry, Ryuuko," Mac says, biting his nails.
"Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal." Ryuuko pretends not to care, but he can't help blushing as he sees so many people worrying about him. Finally all the members of Team Alpha excepts for Jennifer end up in a grupal hug.
"Oohh, they're so cheesy, they give me diabetes," Charlotte cruelly laughs, while Ryuuko puts on the helmet offered by Chris.
"See you later, man! Stay strong!" Liam shouts as he watches the Asian boy silently jump off the train with a warm smile in his face. Everyone says goodbye to him, except Lucy, who, burdened with guilt, leaves the carriage unnoticed by anyone.
Confessional
Ryuuko — I don't know, it's bittersweet. I'm not leaving with a million dollars, but I made some... friends, yeah. That's the word... I hope to see Jolt back home and see what she thinks of all this.
Lucy — You only won this time, Bermuda Idiots.
"I can't believe it, there are only fifteen left now! What will be the next stop for our warriors? Who is the true winner of today? I say it's me because I watched them suffer! Will Aish find happiness? I hope so. Answers to this 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, 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) - Ryuuko, the calculated conflict (Doha)
Wagon 2 – Chris' Chambers
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 today's chapter! I feel like it was a very dense one, so I hope it makes for a fun read. When I was writing it, I was afraid the introduction might be a bit long—it's almost half of the chapter—so I hope it wasn't too heavy, but I had to start wrapping up the plot threads left open from the previous chapter.
This challenge is one of my favorites from the ones I have planned, and it's one that required a lot of research, so if there are any errors, please let me know.
Now, speaking of the elimination, firstly, it's one of the most complicated ones, especially because it leaves the game with only 15 contestants, which starts to sound like a much smaller number. Ryuuko is one of the characters that caught my attention the most when reading the submissions, but just as he's one of the characters I like the most, he's also one of the most difficult to write. It's challenging to find the balance, to show that he acts like a jerk but deep down is a misunderstood sweetheart. I love that duality, and I hope I portrayed it well. I feel like, as Ryuuko himself described it, it's a bittersweet ending; it's sad to see more and more characters being eliminated, but it's fulfilling to see that the eliminated ones have had time to have a small arc. Expect to see more of him if I ever do a sequel/all stars in this universe (wich I'm currently thinking of).
Some loose ends seem to be hanging, especially with the whole Bermuda Triangle theme, but I promise that as the mysteries unfold, everything will fit together.
Now, I'm going to respond to some reviews.
Space Zodiac — I'm so glad you decided to cover both parts of Doha in the same review, I have the feeling that the next review is going to be a long one. First of all, thank you so much for sending Ryuuko, it has been amazing to write such a complex character.
Now onto your review, I'm glad The Aftermath had good recieving, I was hesitant to make the chapter at first due to all the problems I mentioned last time, but it seems it really worked. I'm glad you like all of my OCs, I was afraid it would come out as more of a disconnected episode. I especially like that Kevin has grown on you, I think is a really fun character (in the proper dose, sure).
The whole Chris Jr. and Emma plot is something I'd like to cook at slow burn, so keep expecting. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! I'm looking forward to your next one.
Nobody245 — I think is pretty funny that you and Space Zodiac reviewed while I was writing this chapter, because of the whole Lucy-Ryuuko Drama, lmao. I hope to live up to the expectations left for this chapter, especially with how the whole Lucy-Bermuda thing, when writing these chapters I realized all of Bermuda Strategy may seem a little bit confusing, but when the members are revealed pieces will start clicking. I love your theory about the members tho, I would like to say you guessed anything, but that will be kind of a spoiler. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
DaringDF1827 — Even though these chapters Team Amazon has been more on a second plane, there is some drama cooking over there and I like you noticed it, expect more of it next chapter!
And with that I leave you for today, I hope you look forward to next chapter titled "Iceland Iceland baby".