Izzy was still sleeping peacefully as the plane travelled away from the blood-stained Australia and towards wherever they were stopping next. The plane felt like it was a wine bottle with so much pressure built up that even the slightest movement would send the cork shooting out like a bullet. It was really hard, and it was clear that was really affecting Chris.
The host had walked through First Class from and to the cockpit a suspicious amount of times, as if hoping something would be happening. But rather it just made him look like a complete lunatic. The three guys were sitting at a trio of chairs towards the doorway to Economy Class, while Merida sat on the couch, a sleeping Izzy resting her head on the princess' lap.
The Psycho Hose Beast was still asleep, even hours after the previous challenge had ended. Not that Merida was complaining, she knew the wild child needed sleep if she just fainted after the emu race. It was a rough time for both of them.
The princess found her hand subconsciously stroking Izzy's hair gently, and when she realised she looked down. Her heart broke at seeing her girlfriend with those horrible bags under her eyes, which only made her feel worse. But her gaze was soon caught by a chain, and she carefully tucked it out of sight. She knew about the locket, and knew Izzy was very particular to it. So she didn't want anyone to see it and pester her about it.
Merida leaned back, looking absentmindedly up at the ceiling as she let her thoughts mill about in her head. There was a lot going on, and she knew it was gonna peak and explode very soon… And she had an idea that after the next challenge was when it was going to burst.
But she had to stay optimistic. Both for herself, and Izzy's sake.
The princess reached into the medi-kit Chef got her earlier and pulled out a reusable water bottle and took out a quick sip. The movement ended up disturbing the wild child, who let out a quiet moan and rolled over so her face was pointing straight up. Merida was quiet as Izzy opened her eyes, and as soon as they locked eyes, the Psycho Hose Beast gained a relieved smile.
"Hey…" She said quietly. "How… How long was I out…?"
"A few hours…" Merida whispered back as she stroked her girlfriend's. "You've been sleeping, and I've been here making sure you're okay."
Izzy's smile fell and her eyes widened. "Really?"
"I would've no matter what, even if the producers didn't call Chris that they wanted that regardless."
Izzy slowly sat, trying to stay wrapped up in the blanket. "Wait, the producers wanted you to stay with me."
Merida glanced at the cockpit, then at the trio of boys, then back at her girlfriend. "Yes. I overheard Chris and Chef talking about how they've noticed you, and they aren't liking what they're seeing. They're worried that you'll…"
"That I'll hurt myself…" The wild child looked down in shame. "I… I honestly get why they'd think that. I'm not… I'm not okay."
"What happened, anyway? Back in Australia?"
"I was… Distracted. So I accidentally fell off a cliff with my emu and jabbed a rock into my arm. I did what I could to heal it… But it wasn't enough. Then, at night, I talked with her and she just… broke me."
The princess looked on in confusion and worry. "Her?"
Izzy turned around and pointed at the window. "Her."
Merida looked at the window, and could make out Izzy's reflection in the glass. "What… What are you talking about, Iz?"
"She talks to me, says how she's the better Izzy. The one that isn't broken, that isn't a freak even by her standards. She's… She's been talking to me for a while. She says these things I don't want to believe… But it gets to me…"
The princess' face twisted in extreme distress, before she suddenly brought the wild child into a hug. The redhead caught in the emotional turmoil didn't say anything and just buried her face in the crook of her partner's neck.
"I see her whenever I look in a mirror or window. She's just there, reminding me, taunting me that I had it better. She always spits in my face that she isn't broken, that she's still with Owen, that she isn't so focused on outlines and inconsistencies. And… And she's right. I hate that she's right."
"Iz, listen to me." The princess pulled the other girl back and looked her dead in the eyes. "None of that is true. You want to know why? Because we all love you. Noah and Eva and Owen love you. You aren't some freak because you saw something you shouldn't have, that makes you stronger. Whatever this voice in your is telling you isn't true."
Izzy didn't seem convinced, so Merida continued. "You got to do so many things anyone here couldn't imagine. You battled kaijus, supervillains, fought against time and space collapsing, hijacked a bloody Dalek, and got to meet a bunch of crazy loons that now love you to the sun, moon and back. Plus… You've got me…"
The Psycho Hose Beast looked at her girlfriend for a long moment, then lifted the blanket so they were both shielded from ant prying eyes. Once they were hidden, Izzy crashed Merida in a passionate kiss on the lips. The princess was momentarily caught off guard, but leaned into the small bout of passion after a second.
They remained like that for a bit, before pulling away and hugging. "Thanks, Merry…" Izzy said quietly as she felt more at peace. "It's just… That's what's been eating at me for so long. Beth's comment all the way back after New York, the one that made me snap, was really when it started… But it's always been there after my movie deal stuff fell apart."
Merida was quiet, letting it all process in her head. "And that's why you did want me to tag along…?"
"No. I thought I'd be able to handle it, but I'm just a mess. You being here was because I thought at first of how it was a fun idea, but now you being here is what's keeping me just sane enough so I don't throw myself out of the plane." She pulled back a bit and kissed the princess on the cheek. "So thank you, Merry. You… You make me feel happy and safe."
"I'm glad." The princess shoved the blanket off of them, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, I was getting stuffy. But yeah, I'm always here for you, Iz. Don't ever forget it." Her smile fell. "I feel like I've said that a lot."
Izzy snorted and began to giggle, which transferred to the princess, and soon both girls were giggling up a storm. They finally caught the attention of the three guys, and they looked over and watched them with weird looks. But the twin redheads didn't care, simply leaning against each other and giggling.
When they calmed down Izzy stood up and shot her partner a smile. "I need to stretch my legs, so let's head to the Cargo Hold. I wanna check… hang out."
"Sure. Got nothing better going on." The princess stood up, and together they left First Class, leaving behind a suspicious and curious trio of guys. They walked through Economy, passing by a dower but not down Team Amazon. Gwen and Courtney waved at her, Cody shot finger guns and Sierra and Heather didn't react. The princess waved at her teammates, only to stop when she was suddenly dragged off by her impatient girlfriend.
In that simple and short moment, Merida swear she felt the wild and kooky Izzy she wanted back.
This was good. Things were gonna get better. It'd take a while, but this was a start.
The Psycho Hose Beast dragged her partner all the way into the storage room, and when they were both in, she closed the door and blocked it with a crate.
"Iz, what are you doing…?" Merida asked in confusion as Izzy opened a crate, pulling out a bunch of hand towels, and started throwing them on all the cameras that were around and aimed at them. "Izzy…?"
"I just want total privacy", the wild child said, breathing a bit heavy. "I don't want anything being used against us, especially with what I have planned." She tossed the last towel at the final camera.
"What the bloody 'ell do you have-" Merida was cut off when Izzy suddenly dashed over and kissed her passionately again, then pulled back just as fast.
"I really want to make up for all the times I've been blanking on you, and just… Not talking." Izzy walked over and sat on a nearby crate far away from the door. "It's just been so hard, because I didn't want to scare you off, but also because of all the cameras." She gestured to all the covered recording devices. "So… Yeah…"
The princess frowned a bit and walked over, sitting next to her and nudging her. "If I was afraid of you, I'd be long gone by now."
Izzy smiled sheepishly. "I know… It's just how I've viewed things recently. That… That voice hasn't helped at all."
Merida grabbed Izzy's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I get it, Iz. It's… hard. But you don't have to deal with it alone. After this show is over, I'll have Rainbow help get you set up with the best therapist she knows, and then we can do whatever. I'm here. Noah, Owen and Eva are here. Caleb, Gladius and Katania are here. We are all here to help you, and don't you… ever… forget it…"
The princess leaned closer over the course of her speech, in sync with the Psycho Hose Beast, and soon both of them kissed on the lips for the third time. But something was different with this one. Maybe it was Izzy's emotional turmoil, maybe it was Merida's worry, maybe a combination of both.
But the two had an ignited passion for each other at that moment.
Their kiss deepened, and the twin redheads shifted positions so the princess was on top and the wild child. They were having a full blown make-out session, and neither had a care in the world as it deepened. One of them moaned, and they wrapped their arms around each other so they were as close as they possibly could be.
Things started to get a lot more heated when one of Izzy's hands travelled her girlfriend's back and started playing with her hair. Merida reacted by stopping the kiss and doing something very much eye-catching: Nibbling the wild child on the neck.
Izzy gasped as a sensation she never felt shoot through her veins. Merida lifted up, giving her girlfriend a very flirty smirk. "Whatcha' think of that?"
The wild child was just dead silent, staring up at her partner with wide, shocked eyes. When she got no reaction, the archer sat up and undid her ponytail. With her bush of hair freed, she returned to her original position.
This only made the wild child more flustered, as the curly orange hair framing this beautiful face that entranced her just made it all the more crazy.
"You're…" Izzy said, unable to form words as her brain crashed. "You're b… beautiful, Merry… Gosh, seriously."
The princess giggled. "Good. Because as heir to the Dun Broch throne, I do hope to make my partner swoon over my morning bed head."
Izzy's face exploded in a bright blush, and the princess barked out a laugh as she leaned down and started kissing the Psycho Hose Beast again. The wild child became limp as the affectionate barrage continued, and eventually she had to get back at her. So, extremely suddenly, Izzy lunged forward and began kissing Merida's neck.
The princess gasped as she was bombarded, and when the wild child stuck the archer with a hickey of her own, Merida's arms gave way and she landed on Izzy limply.
The Psycho Hose Beast chuckled and hugged her partner close. "Had enough?"
"Bloody 'ell, Iz…" The princess said wistfully. "You just couldn't help yourself, huh?"
The wild child lifted her partner's face and gave her a smirk. "No, I couldn't." She gave her one last kiss, before scooting out from under her and hopping off the crates.
As Merida groaned, her hair spilling out in all directions, the Psycho Hose Beast sighed. The princess joined her, grabbing her hair clip and doing her ponytail back up. 'Think we should head back to the others?"
"Yeah… Yeah we should." There was a pause. "Hey, Merry?"
"Mmmhmm?"
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable with… All of that." The wild child looked away sheepishly. "I just… I really needed that with everything bouncing around in my head constantly. We were alone, and it just clicked…" Izzy was silenced when Merida put a finger on her lips. She looked at her.
The princess had a flirty and sheepish smirk on her face. "Relax, Iz. I really wanted to do that too. When we get a better chance, I want to do it again." She paused, and gained an embarrassed blush. "I wonder if this was how my mum and dad were when they first met…"
"Maybe", Izzy said with a snort. She walked over and pushed the crate that was blocking the door out of the way, and turned back to her partner. "C'mon, I want to try and enjoy a root beer float before we land."
The princess nodded, and the two redheads left the Cargo Hold feeling better than before. But little did they know, but they were being watched. Not Ezekiel, they seemed to have forgotten about him at this point. No, it was a camera. The towel on it had fallen off, and it was aimed right where the two girls were having their moment.
And it recorded it all.
Someone was going to be very happy with this…
~X~
Izzy and Merida were both laughing and having the time of their lives as they sat at the bar, swapping stories as they tried to make up and recover over the last few days of emotional turmoil. The princess did notice her partner was looking and sounding better, but there was still that underlying sadness inside, bubbling to burst at any moment.
Plus, the bags and somewhat tired eyes didn't help at all. It still showed things weren't going to change anytime soon, and this stupid show was the main caveat as to why that was still a thing. When Izzy left to use the bathroom, the princess silently wondered if getting Izzy and herself voted off was the best way to go.
She shook that thought away and watched Izzy carefully, making sure no one else in First Class followed her.
Izzy headed out of the luxurious wing on the plane and made her way towards the confessional. But as soon as she entered the Common Area, Heather appeared behind her with a far too innocent smile.
"Izzy!" The Queen Bee said in a sickly sweet tone. "Listen, I understand this is kinda out-of-nowhere, but how would you like to join an alliance I'm setting up?"
"What?" The Psycho Hose Beast said in confusion.
"Me and Merida are in an alliance, and since you two are sooooo close, how about you join in? When the merge hits, I can promise you two will be totally safe."
Izzy gave Heather a blank look. "You honestly think I'm buying that?"
The Queen Bee's smile fell. "What?"
"You seriously think I'd believe the fact that Merida would tag up with you?" The redhead spat angrily. "She hates you, and I know for a fact she wouldn't turn against Gwen and Courtney and side with someone as selfish as you."
Heather leaned back in shock and sputtered. "Wha… B-But that's not true! I'm looking out for this team as much as she is, I just think you and her would be better off with someone as capable as me."
"What, but Gwen and Courtney aren't?" Izzy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No thanks."
As the wild child made her way to the confessional door, the Queen Bee fumed and stomped her foot. "What has been your deal? All season you've been some freak that's even weirder than before, with all the silence, backtalk and… all of it!" Izzy froze as she was opening the door. "I knew something was up when you showed up looking like a high school drop-out at the Gemmies."
"Shut up", Izzy said breathlessly.
"Oh, did I hit a nerve?" Heather smirked. " Listen, Izzy, I'm just trying to look out for you. You're all alone, and that egghead, rageaholic and fart machine are all gone. Even with Merida, you've got nothing. Plus, that's not saying much, since Merida just seems like a total-"
The Queen Bee didn't get to finish when Izzy suddenly shot over and grabbed her furiously by the rim of her top, slamming her against a wall and lifting her up. Heather, in that moment, was utterly terrified as Izzy gave her one of the darkest glares imaginable.
"Don't you ever back talk Team E-Scope", the Psycho Hose Beast snarled. "And don't you ever, EVER, talk about Merida like that. She means everything to me, and if you think that kicking the hornet's nest is a good idea then you are DEAD WRONG. So either shut the fuck up, or I'll through you into the plane's engine."
Heather looked down at Izzy in silent, fearful shock. "What… What happened to you? Why are you so… So different. You aren't…"
Izzy's eyes suddenly widened in fear, and she dropped the Queen Bee suddenly. She shook her head, and darted into the confessional to escape all the noise and negative feelings. The wild child remained still, standing in the centre of the room, staring out the window.
"Wow, even Heather is afraid of you now", an all too familiar voice echoed. Izzy looked over, and with a lifeless expression saw her reflection giving her a concerned look. "Even she wasn't so off-put by what I did. So you definitely pushed it too far."
"Says the girl who was chased off by the RCMP at her elimination!" Izzy roared back. "I'm at least normal!"
"But are you?" The reflection gave her a pointed look. "Like, really think about it. You say you're normal, but you aren't to everyone else. Normal Izzy is kooky and unpredictable. Everyone is used to that. You… You're scary. Emotional. A different kind of unpredictable that makes people uncomfortable, not anxious."
"N-No… That's not…" Izzy was already slipping. "That's not t-true…"
"Then why did Eva and Noah snap at you back in Jamaica? Oh that's right, it's because you weren't being like me and talking to them. You didn't just spit out that everything you did was like one of my crazy stories."
"That's why I didn't tell them! Because they wouldn't believe me, so I didn't bother!"
"But I wouldn't have done that…" The reflection's face became more dark, as a very imposing grin slowly formed on its face. "You know what I would've done. Because you were me at one point…"
Izzy's mind was crashing and burning, the mere sight of this… thing… was making her lose it. She wanted to stop it, to silence it forever. She started to slowly see nothing but red and black, her long buried murderous intent slowly rising once again.
"I also have to say… It's weird you like Merida."
Everything froze, and Izzy's brain stopped working. "What…?"
"Well, think about it. You fell in love with a girl from another place you should've never known, one who's also a redhead, who seems almost exactly like you. Plus, she's technically, like, over a hundred years old. Isn't that weird to you?"
"N-No-"
"Of course you don't, you're an actual freak right now. It was so hard to watch, because it's not right! She's a princess, you're a random no one. She's from one world, you're from another…
"She's 3D, you're 2D."
Izzy's mind completed its shut down, and she found herself slowly being swallowed by an inky blackness. At a very slow pace, she looked down at her open palms, and began to hyperventilate as a ringing filled her ears. The outlines, her outlines, were leaking. They were spilling a black substance akin to ink, and she started to feel weak.
The liquid pooled up in the confessional, filling up the room rapidly. She didn't feel it against her body as it rose higher and higher. She began to get frantic, trying to leave the room. But the door was stuck, not budging. The ink was up to her chin, and it was getting harder to breathe. It felt like thousands of hands were clutching around her throat. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
The ink submerged her completely, and she thought she was going to drown…
Until the plane suddenly lurched when it landed.
Izzy cried out as she lost all footing, and tripped. The consequence of this was that she slammed her face into the bathroom's small window. The glass cracked, and the redhead clutched her face as she felt her nose start to bleed. She groaned, stood up on shaky legs, and looked into the mirror.
Just like that, all that joy and hope that was lingering in her was gone. In a split second, her eyes had lost all life, her hair was even messier than before, and she now had a nose bleed.
Her eye twitched, and she lost so much energy in that instant. So with sluggish movements, she pulled off some toilet paper and pressed it against her bleeding nostril. Looking out the window, she saw snow and ice, so she left the confessional and made her way to the Cargo Hold to get her snow stuff.
When she entered the storage hold, Merida was already there and was putting on her gloves as the last bit she needed. When she looked up, she frowned.
"Iz, what happened?" The princess gestured at the bloody nose and tissue paper.
"When the plane landed, I fell and smacked my face on the window." Izzy made her way over to her bag, and started pulling everything she needed. "But I'm fine."
Merida hummed, walked over, and planted a kiss on Izzy's cheek. "Okay. Meet you outside." The princess walked off, leaving Izzy alone. She watched her girlfriend go, and start to feel that bit more hollow when she was gone. She needed Merida, her reflection was entirely wrong with that. And it wasn't weird, they were both the same age. They… They had every right to be together.
She shook her head and returned to the task at hand, pulling out all she needed. With all her winter gear pulled out, she made quick work putting them on, being quick so her nose didn't bleed too much. When she was all bundled up, she pulled out a small bag of tissues and put one under her nose.
She stuffed the rest of the tissues into her pocket, and headed outside of the plane. It was snowy and cold, much like the Yukon, only something felt different. The plane was parked on some ice, so Izzy was careful to climb out and walk on the slippery surface. She was struggling a bit, but soon found her footing and joined the other contestants.
Everyone but Izzy, Merida and Chris (who was in the same gear as he wore in the Yukon) were shivering, all looking at the host expectantly.
"Welcome… To Sweden!" The host said happily in an attempt at the accent.
"Where are those jackets you ordered for us in the Yukon?" Heather said as her teeth chattered.
Merida rolled her eyes at her teammate as the host continued. "Ummm, I worked pretty hard on that accent. It would've been nice if someone commented."
"I thought it was nice, Chris", Izzy said.
The host gave her a look. "Thanks. By the way, what happened with the nose job?"
Everyone glanced at her, and winced at the bloody nose. "I tripped when the plane landed and slammed my face on the confessional's window."
The host frowned. "Okay, glad you're okay." The other contestants all looked at him in shock, and he scowled. "Hey, I have a limit on how cruel I can be, and the producers have been up my butt about this. So don't think I'm playing favourites."
The other contestants all gave Izzy a glance before following the host over towards a mound of snow. At the base, right on the ice, were two massive piles of miscellaneous wood, screws and fabric. Which meant team time.
Izzy joined the trio of guys despite how uncomfortable she was, and watched the host intently.
"Before you is a mysterious pile of 'IBuildIt' tools and pieces", the host explained as Chef stood beside him. "Your first challenge is to use Allen Keys, wooden sledge hammers and your wits to turn your piles into… Whatever they're supposed to be when properly assembled."
"This'll be a piece of pie", Alejandro whispered to his team, boosting their morale just a bit.
"Sadly, the assembly instructions were 'accidentally' shredded when they were put through a shredder." The host held up a handful of shredded paper, then tucked it into his pocket again. "Anywho… First team to correctly assemble their whatchawhosit will earn a big advantage in part two of the challenge! So… Go!"
Both teams broke off and rushed to their piles, digging through and pulling out the pieces that seemed to stand out.
Izzy took one look at a piece that resembled a rib bone, and immediately she knew what they were building.
She held up the piece, showing it to her team. "You guys know what we're building, right?"
Tyler scratched his head. "A giant wooden turkey?"
The other members of his team gave him a flat look. "I believe the Senorita is implying we're building a boat, amigo", the Spaniard said. The jock looked semi-embarrassed for failing such an obvious guess, and looked down in shame.
Duncan looked around at their materials, then smirked. "Tyler, grab the canvas, I have an idea."
The punk and jock went to work on their little side project, while Izzy and Alejandro got to work building their boat. As they started construction on the shell, the Spaniard made his way over beside the Psycho Hose Beast.
"I must say, you realising we needed to build a boat right away was impressive."
Izzy shrugged in response. "It wasn't too hard to figure out. Where we are, some of the pieces, the shields… Yeah…"
"I admire your tenacity." He shot her a flat look. "But you know this doesn't change anything, right?"
She looked at him in shock. "Wh-What?"
"We got lucky last challenge, but if your actions cost us the win and it wasn't a reward, you'd be gone."
Izzy swallowed the anxious lump that was forming in her throat. "You know that's not fair, Alejandro. I've been a good teammate. I'm why we won a lot of the challenges."
"Yes, that is true. But your actions cost us dearly afterwards, with us constantly trapped in second."
"That was your fault", the redhead said dangerously. "You had to make it known you were actually a massive prick when you left Owen behind in the Amazon. So us losing constantly was because we all saw you as the horrible person you were."
The Spaniard glared. "Keep using that sort of language, and I will make sure you regret it."
Izzy glared at him, then returned to working on the boat. She didn't need to put up with this. She was stressed enough as is, so she just shut Alejandro out and got to work. Duncan and Tyler moved a makeshift canvas shield in front of their build, and joined in with construction.
All the contestants worked tirelessly, and even though things were slow because everyone sans the two redheads were freezing, they all made it work.
A couple hours passed, and both teams were getting close to finishing their projects. At one point, Team Chris abandoned the canvas when they caught sight of Team Amazon building a boat of their own, so now it was just a race to see who could finish their boat first.
And in the end, the win went to the Amazons. Their higher numbers just made it easier to finish, which made Duncan scowl, Tyler look down in defeat, and Alejandro fumed. He shot a very harsh glare at Izzy, most likely blaming her for their lack of numbers.
The wild child didn't react, but she sees it and is terrified by it. It doesn't help that she saw her reflection, below her feet, taunting her with a smug smile.
"Well, this wasn't something I expected", The host said as he stood an equal distance between the two boats. "Thought one of you would mess up, but I guess I wasn't expecting you to give it your all. But regardless, this means Team Girl takes the lead!" He tossed a bag at Sierra's feet. "Here's your reward for finishing first."
Courtney scooped up the bag and glanced inside, Merida and Gwen gazing over her shoulders. Inside was just a bunch of rocks.
"I'm getting flashbacks to the Prehistoric challenge back in Action…" The Ex-CIT whispered in worry. The goth and princess shared a look before looking back at the host as he continued his explanation.
"Now, drag your ship to open water and sail north till you find Chef to receive your next instructions!"
"I'll pull from the bow!" Alejandro said confidently, ripping his shirt off. He got weird looks from his team.
"Uhhhh, with your shirt off?" Duncan asked in doubt.
"Questions are for later!" The Spaniard said with vigour. "Actions are for now! Push like the wind!" He ran off towards the front of the ship, and began to pull on a rope like he was a horse pulling a carriage.
"Is that practical?" Tyler asked his two teammates quietly.
"No", Duncan and Izzy said together. They shared a look, then joined Alejandro in pushing the boat forward. The jock joined in, and the whole team was struggling to move their boat along.
With the Amazons, they weren't fairing much better. Even with their still fully intact team of six, the boat was proving to be much too heavy for them to move it, and considering five of them were without any sort of protection from the cold.
"We aren't getting anywhere with this!" Heather whined as she pushed from the port side, behind Cody. "There's got to be some way to make this easier!"
Merida, who was pulling from the front, suddenly had an idea pop in her head. "Wait, I just thought of something. Do we still have one of the hammers or that wrench?"
Gwen, on the starboard side with Courtney, checked inside. "Yes."
"Pass me the wrench."
The goth obliged with zero hesitation, and when the princess caught it she sprinted ahead. Both teams, and the host, watched in confusion as the princess felt around with her boots on the slippery ground, searching for a weak segment of ground.
After a bit, she found a spot that audibly creaked under the weight, and gave it a determined scowl. She lifted the wrench high above her head, and slammed the head on the ice.
Nothing happened, so she did it again.
Still nothing, so she swung several more times.
Finally, there was the slightest echo of a crack. The princess grinned, though that quickly shifted to a look of realised horror as cracks began to splinter off in every direction like a spider web.
"Get on the bloody boats!" The archer screamed as she ran back to her team. Everyone cried out and scrambled into their wooden vessels as the once solid ice began to give way. Sickening crunches and cracking could be heard as the whole sheet fell apart like a melting iceberg. Some chunks broke off and sunk, while others were shot skyward by the tension.
All the contestants braced as the ice under their boats gave way, and both wooden vessels floated atop the chilling waters of the frozen north. Enough of the ice continued to give way till a path was created all the way north, more of the ice falling apart as time went on.
"This is our chance!" Alejandro called out in determination.
Team Chris cheered as they let the wind pull them forward, the Spaniard operating the rudder. Team Amazon scrambled to keep pace, and before they knew it, they were off into the frosty sea.
~X~
"I'm tired of waking up in tears…" Izzy sang as her team's boat sailed towards Chef. Her phone was on and playing the melody of Silhouette by Owl City, and she leaned against the railing looking up at the clear blue sky.
"'Cause I can't put to bed these phobias and fears…" She closed her eyes, bobbing her head to the gentle instrumental.
"I'm new to this grief I can't explain… But I'm no stranger to the heartache and the pain…"
Duncan and Tyler shared a look at the sombre song, and glanced at Alejandro carefully.
"The fire I began, is burning me alive… But I know better than to leave and let it die!"
Alejandro's stoic face twitched, wanting to show a hint of remorse and regret for his actions. But at this point, he was too far gone. He was here to win, and nothing was going to stop him.
"I'm a silhouette, asking every now and then… Is it over yet? Will I ever feel again?" Izzy could feel tears trickle down her cheeks as she sang the emotional song, her heart telling her to stop, while her mind forced her to continue.
Luckily, she was stopped when Tyler nudged her. She shook her head and faced him, and he nodded ahead. "We're here."
Izzy faced ahead and saw they were approaching a wooden dock where Chef was waiting. Luckily, they were the first ones to arrive, with the Amazons not far behind, so it was nice to have some peace. Izzy glanced around at her mess of a team, and seriously hoped they could pull out a win title the merge.
Herself and Alejandro locked eyes, and the Spaniard scowled at her. She fearfully looked ahead, ignoring her reflection's taunting smile from the waters below, and the fact Alejandro was somehow in a new shirt.
Their boat pulled up to the dock, and they all hopped on. Izzy was the first, with the three guys close behind.
Izzy cocked an eyebrow at the small Viking hat Chef was holding. "What's with the helmet?" She asked.
"For the captain", the military veteran said gruffly. "You gotta pick one."
"I say we vote Izzy", Alejandro said in a faux kind tone.
"I don't have any problem with that", Duncan said.
"But what about you, Al?" Tyler asked. "You've been an amazing team leader!"
The Spaniard cringed at hearing the incorrect name, then returned to his calm demeanour. "I just thought, since Izzy was the one you figured out we were building a boat, I simply believe she should be captain as a reward."
"Izzy paled as Chef forced the helmet on her head. She was terrified because she knew the exact reason as to why Alejandro offered that: So if they lost, she'd get all the blame, and the guys would have a reason to lose. The idea, this manipulative, disgusting idea made her pale, and when she looked back at the young man, he shot her a smirk filled with a gloating, confident energy and made her want to scream.
"Well that's so kind of you, Alejandro", Chris said, appearing behind Chef out of thin air. It was such a sudden appearance, Izzy jumped. She was caught off guard, and made especially uncomfortable when Chris dashed up next to her. "Izzy, I don't know if you'll like this or not, but…" Team Chris watched as the cook drove a crane over and stopped it next to their boat, letting a cannon the thing had tipped up down. "I hope you're ready for war!"
Izzy just stared at the terrifying weapon in silent horror.
"So the rocks the Amazons got…" Tyler started in worry.
"Are actually flints?" Alejandro finished in a flat tone.
"Bingo Dingos!" The host said happily. He frowned for a moment. "Nuts, I should've said that last week in Australia." Izzy was floored by that simple sentence, but didn't get to dwell on it as Chris continued. "And to fire out of the cannon: Chef's Famous Swedish Meatballs!"
The cook stood beside his partner holding a plate of charred black meatballs, which looked horribly inedible.
"To win the challenge and travel First Class, sail north to capture the flag way over yonder. Oooor… Use your meatballs to sink the enemy ship! Good luck, Captain Izzy!"
The Psycho Hose Beast didn't say anything, too frozen in fear and horror to move, respond… Honestly do much of anything. Tyler and Duncan quickly acted by leading her back onto the boat, and before she could say a word they were off towards their target.
"How are we supposed to use this thing without… I don't know, a match or something", Tyler asked as he and Duncan stood beside their cannon. The puck reached into his pocket, and pulled out his lighter.
"Chris really needs to be better at making sure I don't have this", Duncan said with a cocky smirk. He faced their 'captain'. "What about you, captain. Ready to team some lousy girls a thing or two about crossing into enemy waters?"
Izzy said nothing, staring ahead from the front of the boat, eyes vacant and clouded. But it looked like she was looking at the flag.
The punk frowned, cocking an eyebrow in confusion. "Okay, looks like 'Dizzy Izzy' isn;t gonna be much help. Al, what do you think?"
"Do what you must, Duncan", the Spaniard said with an absolutely fake sigh. "We must win no matter what to make up for our losing streak."
"Awesome." The punk sparked his lighter, and a flame danced in the chilling wind.
Izzy remained unresponsive as everything continued on without her. She was just sucked too much into her turmoil to care.
"Look at you", she heard the echoing voice of her reflection say. "In a challenge where people could get hurt, you don't care. You'll just let the others have all the fun while you watch from the sidelines. You're just like the silent interns that come and go whenever they please.
"That locket makes you weak…
"You're crying out for attention…
"I'm so ashamed we had to share a body…
"You don't deserve to be there…
The more the reflection said, the more it accused, the more it dug, the more Izzy felt like she was going to be sick. Without drawing too much attention to herself, she leaned against the bow's front carved headpiece and took haggard breaths. The reflection wouldn't shut up, it wouldn't stop.
"You know…" The reflection said in a surprising amount of sadness. "I don't like doing this. I just want you to… Fix yourself. You should take some steps back, find your spark again."
Izzy turned around, and met her reflection in the eye.
"But you really shouldn't have met the others. You aren't you anymore…"
"Okay, that's it!" Izzy suddenly roared. Her teammates, who were caught in a sea shaking battle with the Amazons, all jumped and looked at her with wide eyes. The Psycho Hose Beast rushed forward, kicking Duncan and Tyler aside while snatching the lighter and bag of rock solid meatballs.
Then, much to everyone's shock, Izzy whirled the cannon around and aimed where she saw her taunting reflection. But to everyone else, there was just thin air. But Merida understood, and her face twisted in horror when it clicked.
"If you think you can drag me down", Izzy roared at her imaginary demon, sparking the cannon's fuse. "Then you've got to remember who. I. AM!" She fired the cannon, but the loaded meatball simply passed right through the reflection and ripped the carved headpiece off.
The thing then moved elsewhere on the boat, and Izzy responded by loading up the cannon, aiming and firing. Her teammates were crying at her to stop, but she couldn't hear them. It was just a deafening ringing and the taunts of her reflection. Nothing but that.
Meatball after meatball fired ripped Team Chris' ship apart more and more. The mast, rudder, most of the side ledges… It was all shredded by the friendly cannon fire. And it didn't stop until all the meatballs were spent.
When she was out of ammo was when the reflection finally vanished, and she was left digging her nails into the rounded back of the smoking weapon. Her vision was unfocused, and she was still hearing the endless ringing. After a few moments of standing there like that, she blinked and snapped out of her violent trance. She slowly stood up, and looked around. Her team were all looking at her in shock, and she could see Team Amazon a distance ahead, having snagged the flag.
She glanced at her team, and they were all simply staring at her in shock. She blushed in embarrassment, looking away in shame.
Chris drove up on a jet ski, looking very smug. "Well well well, looks like Team Amazon wins again! And here I thought Team I'm Super Crazy Hot's bad luck was over." He shrugged. "Ah well, can't win 'em all. Team Me, I'll see you at elimination. For the fourth time." The host drove off, muttering as he left.
Izzy watched him leave with wide-eyes, her mind not fully registering what this whole thing entailed. Then, she felt her heart skip a beat when a firm hand rested on her shoulder.
"I think you know what that means, captain…" Alejandro said into her ear. She could hear his smirk, and that just made her all the more anxious and terrified.
The Amazons brought their boat over, and looked over the shell that was their competitors' ship. "Wow, looks like you ended up having a bit of a mutiny on your hands, huh?" Heather taunted.
Merida smacked her upside the back of the head, and gave the guys a look. "C'mon, the sooner we get back to the plane, the sooner we can be warm."
No one on Team Chris sounded off any complaints as they all boarded the Amazon's boat. Although sad they did, Alejandro shot one last subtle glare at Izzy, which was only caught by Merida and Heather. The two girls shared a look, and the princess slid up to her girlfriend as she boarded.
"Are you okay?" Merida asked in a near silent whisper.
Izzy glanced up, looking at the back of the Spaniard. Her eyes reflected nothing but lifelessness and fear. "I'm not okay, Merry. I am not okay…"
The princess said nothing, but kept a reassuring hand on the wild child's shoulder as the boat sailed all the way to the dock nearest to the plane.
~X~
As Team Amazon went back up towards First Class, shooting mocking looks at the guys while said guys glared back as they waited for the confessional to be ready for eliminations, Izzy and Merida had moved towards the Cargo Hold. Part so they could get out of the winter gear, part so they could get time away from the rest of the volatile contestants.
"I'm terrified, Merida", the Psycho Hose Beast hissed in fear as she paced, only half out of her winter gear. "This… This is it. I'm gone. I'm out of this game all because she made it happen."
Merida flickered her hair and walked over to her ranting girlfriend. "Iz, seriously, you need to calm down."
"How can I be calm?!" The wild child whirled on the princess, her pupils flickering frantically. "I'm leaving. I'm not going to be with you, I'm going to be stuck in the Aftermath studio with all those eyes on me, all the constant questions about 'what changed' and 'why are you so sad now' and 'who are you and what did you do with Izzy'. I won't be able to handle it…"
Izzy sank to the floor, shaking in fear and held in tears. Merida looked down at her in worry, and she didn't say a word as she just knelt next to her and pulled her into a hug.
"I can't deal with this alone, Merry…" The wild child said in a cracked whisper. "I can't. I need you. I seriously need you…"
"Iz, you'll be fine." Merida pulled the hug back, and looked her in the eyes. "E, Noah and Owen are all there waiting for you. They'll help you through all of this… So don't feel like this is it. You're not alone. And…" The princess pulled the Psycho Hose Beast's phone out of the pants pocket. "You have a bunch of people just through here that are always with you."
Izzy looked down, and nodded soberly without saying a thing. The two redheads returned to the hug, taking in each other's warmth until a few minutes passed.
"Merry…" Izzy said quietly. "Can you… Can you be there… When I'm eliminated?"
The princess nodded. "Of course." They both pulled back. "You should probably get going…"
The wild child took off her coat and nodded. "Yeah…" She stood up, snagged her phone and left. Merida watched her leave with concern, and when the door closed she sighed sadly.
Izzy walked through the plane, ignoring her ex-teammates and making her way into the confessional. She closed the door as the plane took off, and she pressed her forehead against the door as she let out a sigh. This was it. She was gone. There was that little bit inside her that was partially relieved, as it meant no more death defying challenges and things that would trigger her anxieties.
Except there will always be something haunting her.
"So you lost", her reflection said in a flat tone. "After everything, you lost. And here I thought you were invincible, like me."
"You aren't any more invincible than I am…" Izzy spat back as she looked over the passports and picked up the stamp. "You fainted when that… Snake… Bit you. So shut up."
"Oooooo, sassy. I like that. But it is funny you should say that, because… How is your arm?"
"Scarred." Izzy froze, and looked at her arm. It was scarred. It was still there, somewhat raw and still healing.
"Yeah, that's something that hasn't happened before huh? You're still hurt. Maybe that means something…"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" The wild child demanded angrily.
"It means you really are a freak, now. Being with that archer girl and the others changed you, and now you're more disconnected from this place than ever. And I think you know what that means…"
Izzy stared at her reflection silently.
"I mean, think about it. You were hurt, you've lashed out, you've made it clear that you aren't the same. What do you think everyone across the whole planet thinks? What about everyone at the Aftermath? Your mom? So many people are watching… And wondering…"
"Shut up", Izzy hissed. She stamped Alejandro's passport and went to leave the room. "I don't care what you have to say anymore. I'm fine."
"But you aren't. That outline of yours thinks so too."
The wild child froze.
"That's why it hurts you so much. Because it can't let you go…"
Izzy walked out of the confessional and slammed the door, running her hand down her face. She caught sight of her outline, and she swore it was webbing onto her skin, clawing into it to stay firm.
She shook her head and looked up, trying to ignore the feeling of dread welling inside her, and made her way towards the elimination area. She walked in, ignoring the looks she got, and sat down on the bleachers. Merida was off to the side, watching the whole thing carefully.
Chris, holding a parachute in hand and with a box with three peanut bags next to him, started his speech. "How such an amazing team has fallen. From getting out of a second place slump to getting an impressive win streak, to sucking so hard you had to drop four teammates in a row. Never in all my time across television has something so suckish happened."
He shrugged. "Ah well, can't win them all! If anything, all of this in fighting and tension has made the ratings shoot through the roof, so I'll make this brief.
"Izzy… You've been something this season, that's for sure. The producers have been calling me a lot about you, and I gotta say… It freaks me out. This isn't your usual brand of crazy. But I don't really care, so…" He tossed the bags at Duncan, Tyler and Alejandro. "Izzy, the Drop Of Shame awaits."
"Hold on", Alejandro suddenly said. "I wish to say some things before our teammate departs."
Izzy looked very much uncomfortable, and Merida took a determined step forward. "Sure, go ahead", the host said with a shrug.
The Spaniard nodded and turned towards the redhead. "Izzy, just know that this elimination holds no malice towards you. You have been a valuable asset to the team…"
"Thanks, Alejandro-" Izzy was interrupted as the young man continued.
"However, you did cost us dearly multiple times. You… I don't even know what to say. You've gone against anything I could have assumed." He sat down and crossed his arms. "Maybe if you just played your part, then you'd still be here."
Merida took an angry step forward and Izzy took a step back in shock. "Good one, Al!" Duncan said with a smirk. "Maybe that crazy chick that's constantly following Cody around should be the new Psycho Hose Beast."
"You shut the 'ell up!" The princess roared.
"No, you shut up!" The punk roared. "You talked to Gwen before Area 51, and she said we couldn't work out right now! So you have no right to force yourself into this after all the damage you did! Izzy brought you onto the show, and now without her you're alone!"
"To be honest, Alejandro isn't wrong", Chris suddenly said. "A lot goes into you guys, and everyone I've listened to is just as confused. Izzy was super marketable, but all of this", the host gestured to the distraught wild child, "made a lot of people think a lot of different things. Not my problem."
He walked over and grabbed the redhead by her shoulders. "But that doesn't matter. Your time on the show is done, Izzy. So, take the drop."
The host shoved the girl forward, and she grabbed onto the doorway's edge, giving everyone one last look. Her face was a very unfamiliar expression, as if there was something standing right in front of her.
"Should've just listened to me…" The reflection said, getting right in her face.
Suddenly, Izzy felt a jolt of subconscious pain when it felt like her outline squeezed her like a bear-trap. She cried out, lost her grip…
And fell.
"Izzy!" She heard Merida cry out.
The Psycho Hose Beast wanted to say something, but she had lost her voice, falling all the way down to earth…
And blacked out when she crashed onto the snow below.
~X~
This is it, people. Izzy is out of the game. All of this emotional turmoil will finally come to its peak in the next chapter during the Aftermath. Chapter 20, a third of a way through, is when it all comes blowing up…
I don't honestly have much to say, aside from giving false hope at the beginning with the moment Izzy and Merida shared in the Cargo Hold. It'll be important again soon…
Otherwise, special shoutout time! Go check out two amazing series by some of my friends: Not So Scary by hellothere098 and I'd Rather Burn Out Than Fade Away by OPAARTIST with assistance by FillerBunny. Both series are fantastic reads, I highly recommend them.
Anyways, stay frosty friends…
Up next: …
Izzy seems off…
No one knows what is happening…
But one thing is clear…
SHE NEEDS TO SCREAM…
~Caleb~