"Previously on Total Drama Express Tour: Alliances started to form! Ryuuko and Lucy, Harlan, Levi, and Harvey, Charlie, Gretchen, and Ashley. Our twenty contestants traveled to New York City and entered one of Broadway's most important theaters. There, they had to present their plays, and believe me, it was a disaster! Despite multiple setbacks, team Alpha managed to convince Blaineley with their performance of 'What We Latina Women Keep Quiet About.' The Amazons, now led by Kevin, won the challenge and took the luxury wagon, while Team Friendship couldn't convince the judges and ended up making AJ bite the dust!" Chris can be seen summarizing from his quarters, dressed in formal attire with a lit candle in hand. "Tonight is a very dark and mysterious night. What will our travelers face? Find out in today's episode of Total Drama... Express Tour." He hushes, and ending the introduction, Chris blows out the candle, leaving the room in total darkness.
It's three in the morning on the McLean Express. Three days have passed since AJ's elimination, during which the contestants have been able to get to know each other a bit more. Unfortunately for the Amazons, Chris kicked them out of the luxury wagon because it needed fumigation, so they were spending the night in their regular wagon.
In the Amazons boys' compartment, Kevin sits, staring at the ceiling, sleeping completely in his underwear with just black boxers, while Pedro shuffles a deck of cards calmly, wearing a white t-shirt and striped cotton pants.
"Dude, talk to me about something, I'm bored!" Kevin shouts.
"I don't think we can find something we both like, Mr. Kevin," says Pedro.
"Oh yeah?! I can talk about football, baseball, soccer... Uhm... Uh, politics?" He lies.
"Really? Well, I was just thinking about something I wanted to talk about: in the country I come from, Equatorial Guinea, it has been reported that President Obiang has allocated only 2% of the general budget to education and health. Doesn't that seem incoherent and irresponsible to you?" Kevin falls silent, processing the information for a second.
"Wait, aren't you from Africa?"
"Of course, from the African continent."
"So... Africa isn't a country?" Kevin asks, genuinely confused.
"Ugh, excuse me, but I have to go for water," says Pedro, getting up from his bed and leaving the room.
"Bring me a Gatorade!" Kevin shouts from the room.
Pedro goes out for some fresh air and pours himself a glass of water from the common area, where he finds Sophia sitting on a sofa.
"Good evening, Pedro." The girl is dressed in her pajamas, which really consist only of a purple t-shirt and panties of the same color, and of course, her iconic tie. "I guess you're running away from Kevin, aren't you?"
"O-Oh, good evening, Ms. Sophia, I'm sorry to find you in... you know, underclothes," says Pedro, apparently nervous.
"Oh, this? But it's my pajamas?" says the girl, looking at her outfit.
"And... the tie stays?" asks the African boy, puzzled.
"I never take off my tie!" says Sophia, proudly. "I suppose I'm doing the same as you, running away from Barbara and Corey's pajama parties."
"It's understandable, I guess that someone like you, who seems to have a bit more standards, wouldn't like to be involved in such mundane acts."
"Totally, I can't stand their 'Oh, I'm so cute,' 'Oh, friend, let me do your makeup!' It's so ridiculous," says Sophia with a nervous laugh, shaking her hand.
"I suppose that if we were to lose again, we could make a deal to... you know, secure a good leader on our team. Democratically, of course."
"Pedro, you're someone who chooses his words very well."
Meanwhile, in the girls' compartment, Corey and Barbara are chatting quietly about their lives. In the compartment, Celia's bed graffiti is finally finished, written in bold font with several lightnings around it.
"So, are you a vegetarian?" Corey asks, his pajamas consisting of a white t-shirt and grey pajama shorts.
"Totally! I can't wrap my head around how people can eat poor animals! It's so cruel," says Barbara, putting her hands to her face. Barbie's pajamas consist of pink silk pajamas, and she is wearing a matching eye mask.
"It's totally understandable," Corey nods, letting his companion speak.
"I mean, have you seen how Kevin eats? He's a pig! I'd even prefer to have Sophia as captain, don't you think, Corey?" Barbara asks, but she doesn't get a response. "Corey, are you even listening to me?"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Yes, Sophia would be a better captain than Kevin."
"You look distracted, are you thinking about something?"
"No, not much, I just find it strange that Celia hasn't come back yet," says Corey.
"I'm so mad at her since last challenge! She literally puked over me! But she'll be fine, please, it's not like there's a killer on the train," says Barbara, rolling her eyes.
"In fact, I've read quite a few books where there is one," says Corey.
"What kind of books do you read? Don't tell me you read those boring detective ones, because they're so for nerds!" Barbara shouts, with a silly smile. "Anyway, it's like three in the morning, and I can't ruin my perfect sleep routine! See you tomorrow, Corey!"
Confessional
Corey — A few days ago, I said Sophie is a very difficult book to read, but Celia is also a curious case. She's so... Independent? Even Sophie sometimes falls into the need to be part of a group, but it's like Celia always acts without caring about others, it's a strange attitude, isn't it? And she still hasn't come to talk to me about the last challenge.
In the boys' compartment of Team Friendship, the days have been somewhat tough since AJ left, as the atmosphere has become tense, and the three boys really missed AJ, especially Levi, although he's more upset because the ghost-hunting guy left the train instead of Charlie. The fanfic writer is playing Super Mario World on a handheld console he managed to take from the luxury wagon a few days ago.
"Damn, I lost again," says Levi, watching as a Thwomp crushes him in the game. The boy is wearing an oversized black t-shirt with the logo of a band called 'We the Royals' and red boxers as pajamas.
"My turn!" Harvey shouts, taking the console from Levi's hands. The self-proclaimed man of culture is wearing a white pajama set.
Levi sighs as he watches Harvey take over his console and starts playing.
"Harlan, are you awake?" Levi asks.
"How did you notice?" Harlan's bed can be seen as a lump, as the guy is completely covered with his sheet.
"Normally when you sleep, you make a very strange whistle, and since you're not doing it, I figured you weren't asleep."
"It makes sense... What time is it?" Harlan removes the sheets, revealing his pajamas: a black tank top and silver sweats.
"It's like 3 in the morning, why?"
"Ugh, I haven't been able to sleep all night..."
"Are you still feeling guilty about AJ?" Levi asks. "Well, look, I think it was stupid. But you acted doing what you thought was best for the team. The only bad thing you did was not telling us, right, Harvey?" Levi says, although Harvey doesn't respond as he's engrossed in playing on the console.
"It's not that, buddy, it's just that it's quite cold, that's all!" Harlan gets up from bed with a relaxed smile and gives Levi a finger gun. "I'm going to the confessional, I'll smell you later."
Confessional
Harlan — Who am I kidding? Of course, I feel guilty about AJ! Ok, second rant of the season... The guy didn't deserve to leave! And I kicked him out just because Charlie convinced me! Although it's true that having Charlie, who is a great athlete, is better than having AJ, who, well, was scared of his own shadow. I just hope Levi keeps thinking well of me; I really hoped we could have a real friendship without just worrying about the game.
When Harlan leaves the confessional, he meets Celia, who is waiting her turn to use it. The girl is wearing a black t-shirt with a graphic of a potato on fire with a skull design charred onto it and black sweatpants.
"Dude! Harlan, good evening!" Celia greets.
"Yo, Celia! What are you doing here? I thought everyone was asleep," Harlan and Celia give each other a high-five.
"Everyone is awake; it's like everyone is having their own pajama party today!" says the girl. "Anyway, I was going to use the confessional, so move."
"Alright, I'll let you go insult your teammates," says Harlan, stepping aside.
"Oh, it's not that... Although Kevin really deserves it. You know what? Fuck it, I'm going to tell you. But if you tell anyone, I'll kill you!" says Celia. "I have fresh gossip! But come with me to a place where no one is around."
The two pass through all the wagons until they reach the luxury car, where Celia shows Harlan the note she found on the first day. The captain of Team Friendship reads it carefully.
"You received this?"
"No! I found it in the trash. That means there's a secret alliance of three people! Isn't that great? I've been trying to solve the case since day one; it's more fun than Chris's challenges," explains Celia, with a mischievous smile. "I have the theory that it's one member per team, but let me do some deeper investigation! I'm telling you because you're a captain, just for that, okay?"
"That's... Curious," says Harlan, squinting to analyze the note better. "Keep me updated on your investigation, 'kay?"
"You don't tell me what to do, but sure I'll do it!" shouts Celia, hitting Harlan's shoulder.
"Alright guys, do you like anyone on the train? Be honest!" Liam asks his teammates. The captain of Team Alpha isn't wearing a shirt, just a pair of teal and raspberry-colored swim trunks.
In Team Alpha's boys' compartment the boys are having a little pajama party, although not by choice, as the weather and the strange sound of the train kept them from sleeping, well, everyone except Spencer, who had already accustomed his teammates to staying up until the early hours smoking a vape he had brought sneakily to the show.
"That's a very good question! You know the girl from Team Amazon, Corey?" asks Spencer, taking a puff from his vape. The guy is wearing a Pink undershirt and Black sweats as pajamas.
"You mean the Princess?" asks Mac, who is wearing a black t-shirt and green cotton pants, with a black eye cover over his forehead. He's also using a pair of white bunny slippers.
"Exactly! I think we like each other! Although I'm also talking a lot with Charlotte from Team Friendship, I think I'll have to decide on one in the end, right, guys?" Spencer gets excited and sits on his bunk.
"That's great; I wish I had as much game as you..." Mac blurts out.
"Trust me, you don't want to," says Ryuuko, who is lying back, looking at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. The Asian guy is shirtless and wearing blue basketball shorts as pajamas. "kimoi".
"What does that mean?" Spencer Asks.
"Oh, it means awesome." Ryuuko lies
"He's talking to two girls at once; I can't even talk to one, they... t-terrify me," says Mac, letting out an awkward chuckle.
"They're normal humans like you, you know?" says Ryuuko.
"Chill out, Mac! If you need advice, we'll be here to listen! Even Ryuuko!" Liam points out cheerfully.
"Oh, but we shouldn't bother Ryuuko too much; perhaps we're interrupting his dates with Lucy!" Spencer teases, to which Ryuuko responds by turning away from the other boys in bed.
Confessional
Ryuuko — I'll put it simply: I don't like Lucy. She's just a friend.
Mac — I come from a family where I have four sisters, and I'm the youngest. I don't understand how that helped me terrify the idea of getting a girlfriend: I've only had one, and things didn't go very well.
Liam — I'm as good as new! That flu couldn't get me down, and I just needed a couple of days in the game; whatever Chris has to throw at me, I'll endure it!
Spencer — We're such a cool team! I'm like the funny guy, Liam is the wise sensei, Ryuuko is the rival who turns good in the end, and Mac is like the young padawan who looks up to the three of us as his role models! Although Ryu is Japanese, maybe he's the wise sensei? Hmmm...
The boys' conversation stops when they hear a loud screech coming from underneath them.
"What was that?" asks Spencer, getting off his bunk.
"It came from the tracks..." says Mac, who quickly goes to look out the window. "The train is stopping..."
"That must be because the tracks are damaged and we had to stop; relax," Liam tries to reassure them.
"No, dummy, we probably reached the place where tomorrow's challenge is going to be," Spencer peeks out the window, where you can see what looks like a city lit up by a few nocturnal lights. In the background, there's a tall tower with a clock in the middle. "Yeah, look! There's the Taj Mahal,"
"That's Big Ben, Spence," says Mac, Liam chuckles and gently pats Spencer's neck.
"That means we're in London," Ryuuko concludes.
"Yes, Sir," says Mac, imitating a British accent.
"How's the weather?" Spencer responds, exaggerating the British accent even more.
"We should go see Chris, he must know what happened," suggests Mac. "It's not normal for us to stop so early."
"Totally agree, follow me guys!" The boys stumble out of the cabin clumsily, as the only light they have is the one coming through the windows. When they reach the common area of the wagon, they're surprised to see that the light switch isn't working.
"Uh... What's going on? Maybe... We've been kidnapped?!" Spencer asks, swallowing hard.
"What's the fuss? We're trying to sleep in here!" Sam asks, coming out of the girls' cabin, accompanied by Jen and Lucy, who seem freshly awakened. Sam is wearing a dark gray t-shirt as pajamas.
"Who spoke?" Mac asks, scared.
"It's me, Sam."
"I'm sorry, I can't see anything." That's true; the light coming from the window isn't enough to illuminate the entire hallway.
"We're going to die; that's what's going to happen!" Spencer shouts, panicking.
"Come on now, light up the place," complains Jen, but when she tries to flip the switch, she realizes it's not working. "The power's out... I'm going to see if I can find a flashlight in our cabin."
"Also... the train stopped; we're in London," Liam adds before Jennifer leaves.
"Well, surely this must be a Chris prank, right?" Lucy asks, crossing her arms.
"I-I think I have an idea; we're in London, the city of Jack the Ripper's famous killing spree, s-surely a criminal kidnapped us to kill us," nervously concludes Mac. His theory doesn't seem to please Liam and Spencer, who hug each other scared.
There's a few seconds of silence until a loud bang is heard from the roof of the train, causing Mac to let out a rather unmanly squeal.
"And these are supposed to be the alpha males..." says Sam, somewhat disappointed.
Immediately after, Lucy takes out a flashlight from her pocket, which quickly lets them see more of the surroundings.
"Thank goodness... I couldn't see a thing," says Liam. "Nice one, Lucy!"
With the place illuminated, the boys from Team Alpha could navigate to the door leading to Team Friendship's sleeping quarters.
"The door won't open!" says Mac, who was trying to slide the door with all his might, which wasn't much.
"Impossible, let me try," Liam walks to the door and tries to slide it, to no avail. "Sam, Ryuuko! Give me a hand!"
Sam rushes to the door and starts pushing, but there's no response from Ryuuko.
"Ryu? Ryuuko?" Spencer asks again, not getting a response.
"Oh my God he's not here," says Lucy, starting to get nervous. She shines the flashlight around the room, but the Japanese guy doesn't appear.
"Don't worry, let's be logical. Maybe he went through the hatch," Jennifer suggests.
"The hatch?" Liam asks.
"Yeah, in our carriage there's a door on the ceiling that leads to the outside of the train," Jennifer says.
"Of course! Like the one in the luxury wagon where I slept!" Liam points out.
After a quick search, they came to the conclusion: Ryuuko has disappeared. The only strange thing they found was when they entered the girls' cabin, they could see that the hatch leading to the roof of the train was open, and light was filtering through it.
"He surely went to look for Chris, you know Ryuuko, right?" Lucy asks, trying to reach the hatch.
"D-Do you remember that noise we heard a while ago? I'm sure that was when the killer took Ryuuko..." Mac says, who is already pale with fear.
"St-Stop saying nonsense!" Spencer exclaims as he walks again towards the door leading to the Friendship team's carriage.
"Let's open this, all three at once, okay?" Liam says, putting his hand on the handle, Sam and Lucy do the same. "On the count of three... one... two..."
Before Liam could count to three, the three of them fall back because the door opens from the other side. When Spencer, Mac, and Liam get up to see who had opened the door, they can only let out a scream of absolute terror.
"A MONSTER!" They scream in unison as they start running.
"Haha, you guys are so funny..." says sarcasticaly the person who had opened the door, it was Charlie, wearing her face mask.
"Oh, sorry... I really got scared" Liam says, with his eyes wide open.
"Well, let's focus." Charlotte contains her urge to hit the boys. "It turns out my damn carriage is empty."
"What do you mean it's empty?" Lucy questions, with a hand on her hip.
"I mean there's no one there, Morticia. I just came back from the bathroom because I was doing my beauty routine and it turns out Gretchen and Ashley are not here. And the boys' cabin is closed."
Confessional
Lucy - Did that spoiled brat just called me Morticia as an insult?
"Uhm... C-Charlie, Did you try... you know, opening it?" Mac asks, stumbling.
"Of course I did, do you think I'm stupid?!" Charlie shouts, making Mac shrink with fright. "But I don't want to put too much force, my nails are freshly done."
"Ashley and Gretchen are not here and the boys' cabin is closed? I have an idea of what's going on in there" Spencer says with laughter, giving Mac a nudge with his elbow.
"Stop saying nonsense, this seems serious," Jennifer complains.
"Someone erase that mental image for me, please," Lucy says.
"Stop talking nonsense! Let's open the cabin, shall we?" Sam leads everyone towards the Friendship team's carriage. Once there, Liam and Sam try to open the boys' cabin, which turned out to be quite easy.
"That wasn't even locked," Liam concludes. Jennifer bends down to check the sliding door rail.
"The door was stuck with gum..." she says, picking up the gum.
"Lucy, light us up!" Liam shouts, the girl follows the orders and points her flashlight around the room.
The scene they can glimpse is terrifying; in the middle of the room, between the two bunk beds, lies Harvey's body, lying on his back in a pool of blood, his glasses broken in half are to his left.
Automatically, a muffled scream comes from Mac, who couldn't bear the scene and almost faints, fortunately he was held by Jennifer and Liam before falling.
"Shit! What the hell is going on?" Spencer asks, putting his hands on his head. The boy even threw his cap in fright.
"Holy shit, is Harvey dead?" Lucy says, covering her mouth.
She continues to illuminate the rest of the room, to the right of Harvey's body they could see what appears to be the cover of the hatch that leads to the roof of the carriage, similar to the one in the girls' compartment of the Alpha team, which apparently had fallen. Then she illuminates the two bunk beds, in the first one you can see how it was disordered, and in the one on the right, you can see a lump under the sheets.
"Spencer, go and take them off," Charlie orders.
"Why me?" he says, reluctantly approaching the bunk bed.
"Just do it." Charlie pushes Spencer directly down to the bottom of the bunk bed, the stoner removes the sheets, only to find something that makes him recoil at lightning speed.
When Lucy puts the flashlight on the bed, they can see Gretchen with a knife stuck in her abdomen. The mattress is completely soaked in blood, the girl even had her tongue out, it's so cartoonishly grotesque that even those with a strong stomach, like Sam or Liam, thought twice before approaching.
"This... Shit! It's a serial killer! Like in Friday the 13th! Damn!" Mac shouts, his face going from pale to slightly lilac.
"It's like in a horror movie, he killed the dumb friend and the nerd first..." Spencer concludes, picking up his cap and sitting on the floor, unaware that he sat on Harvey's blood. "AH!"
"Then comes the jerk and... and the black guy." Mac concludes. "Oh no, we have to see if Kevin and Pedro are okay. A-After them come the pretty blonde."
At that moment, Charlie lets out a muffled scream.
"I-I was talking about Corey but... Nevermind." Mac says, shrinking in his place.
"By the way, where's Harlan?" Liam asks.
Celia and Harlan had noticed the sudden brake of the train, especially because Celia almost fell off the chair she was sitting on.
"What the hell just happened?" Celia asks.
"Surely there was some problem, right? We should go to Chris's Wagon to see if everything's okay..." says Harlan, peering out the window. "But don't you have some light? I can't see anything."
"Yeah, I think I have one," Celia searches for a while in her pocket and ends up pulling out a mini pocket-sized flashlight.
"Hey, that's great," says Harlan.
"I know, I know. Dad always says you need one of these if you want to survive in the world," says Celia, illuminating the hallway. "He's a mechanic; you don't know how many times he yelled at me for illuminating incorrectly when helping him."
The two try to open the door to Chris's carriage, but no matter how much effort they put in, they can't. So they take another option and try to go back to their carriages. The door to the Amazon team's carriage opens quickly, and inside they find Corey, Sophia, and Barbara, all looking like they've just woken up, searching for some illumination in the room.
"So there you are," says Corey, giving a little hop. "We were worried."
"About what?" Celia asks, being interrupted by Harlan.
"Nothing, nothing, we just got scared. The train stopped suddenly, and... I'm very nervous! We thought you had disappeared, Celia!" Barbara squeals.
"You two come from Chris's Quarters?" Sophia questions.
"Well, we tried but—" Harlan then notices Sophia's strange pajamas, specifically her tie. "Do you sleep with your tie on?"
"Yes, why does everyone find it strange?" says Sophia, making Harlan struggle to hold back laughter.
"Whatever. No, Chris didn't open the door. We were just checking if you girls were okay," says Harlan.
"Actually we were going to—"
"We were going to see if they were okay, Celia."
"Okay, okay."
"Anyway, where is the useless Kevin?" Barbara asks. "He should have come out a while ago to help us."
"Hey, don't call your captain useless; what's with this lack of team spirit?" Harlan mocks.
"Kevin captain? It's just a cover; he didn't do anything in the last challenge," says Sophia, raising an eyebrow.
"Wow, you sound like an evil politician," says Harlan, with a mocking smile.
Confessional
Sophia - Evil? I don't sound evil, do I?
"Anyway, Pedro and Kevin must be sleeping," says Celia, walking towards the boys' cabin.
When the group tries to open the boys' cabin, they realize it's locked from the inside.
"Does anyone have something thin and sharp? I think I can force the lock." says Celia.
"You can use Barbara's nail file; it's metal," says Corey.
"Mine? Why mine? You're going to break it, don't do it Celia!" complains Barbara, but the Latina girl ignores her and runs to the girls' compartment.
Once there, she starts rummaging through Barbara's purse until she finds a strange piece of paper, which surprises her when she sees it's the same type of paper as the mysterious letter from the Bermuda Triangle.
"What's this?" Celia starts reading and finds a list with three names on it: Barbara', Sam's, and Sophia's. "Oh shit... Is it them?"
"Celia! What are you doing taking so long?" Barbara shouts, and Celia just resigns herself to returning with the nail file in hand.
Confessional
Celia - It can't be! Is it those three?! Ok, i expected it from Sophia, But... Sam?!
There was a minute of silence until they could unlock the door, all thanks to Celia.
"It looks like you've done this before," says Harlan, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, I have," says Celia.
"But that's categorized as vandalism!" says Sophia, holding her head.
"Uh... It's not vandalism; it's just 'unsolicited craftsmanship,'" says Celia, finally unlocking the lock. What they saw wasn't much better than what the others could observe in the Friendship team's carriage.
"Pedro? What the hell happened?!" Celia screams, the first to see the scene. As soon as they opened the door, the dull thud of Pedro's body hitting the floor was heard, and Sophia quickly went to check his vital signs.
"He's... Dead..." she says, getting up terrified.
"How can he be dead?!" Harlan and Celia rush to Pedro after shouting in unison.
"Uh... I... I... don't... know..." Sophia seems really desperate, even sobbing can be heard.
Barbara tries to sit on the left bunk bed to process everything, but as she does, she notices she had sat on something, upon inspection, she could discover what seemed to be Kevin's body, with his skin completely pale.
"Ugh! NO! OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Barbara's scream is deafening, filled with fear, the girl runs out of the place.
"But... What happened here?" says Corey, with a trembling voice.
Confessional
Corey - Poor Barbara... She looked shattered... I... This is too much already; this show is terrible.
Harlan - Dude, you don't know how much I'm going to miss Kevin; if not him, who will annoy Chris? Haha, I'm sorry, just joking as a coping mechanism... Haha.
"We should go check if the others are okay, right?" Corey suggests.
"Um... Yeah, that's probably the best," says Sophia, recovering from the shock. But before they can move, the group hears some fast footsteps on the roof, as if someone were running up there. "Uh... What's that?"
"No idea... But we better not check," says Harlan.
The whole group quickly heads to the door leading to the Friendship team's wagon, which opens easily. Upon entering, they find most of the contestants. The flashlights of Celia and Lucy quickly cross paths.
"Holy shit it's not one killer, it's a group of killers!" Mac screams, nearly fainting again from fright, this time being held by Liam.
"Phew, it's just you guys! You scared the hell out of me," says Liam, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"But aren't there some missing people?" Jennifer asks.
"Well... Pedro and Kevin are..." Corey's voice trembles.
"Dead," Celia completes.
"They're gone too? Damn!" Spencer exclaims.
"Did anyone else die? What's happening?!" Barbara is on the verge of tears.
"Well, Ryuuko, Levi, and Ashley are missing... And Harvey and Gretchen also seem to be... Caput," adds Sam.
"How can you say that so casually?" Sophia asks, genuinely offended.
"It's obvious that all this is a joke by Chris, isn't it?"
"Well, it looked pretty real to me," admits Spencer.
"We'll only know that if we go see Chris, right?" says Celia, briefly turning off her flashlight.
When Lucy goes to open the door, she can only hear a small click.
"It's locked," Lucy says, before being tackled by what seems to be a shadow, the flashlight turns off in the process, and everything goes dark.
Suddenly, screams, thuds, and chaos ensue, until a slap is heard.
"Who touched my ass?!" Liam shouts.
"I found it!" Barbara shouts, having found Lucy's flashlight on the ground. The scene they encounter is shocking: on one side, leaning against the door, Lucy is in a pool of blood with a metal object lodged in her neck. In the middle of the room, Mac is lying face down in another pool of blood, his glasses broken to the left of his lifeless body.
"Damn it! THEY JUST KILLED IN FRONT OF US!" Harlan yells, on the verge of passing out.
"But..." Jennifer quickly rushes to check Mac's body.
"Do you know what that means?... We have the killer among us," adds Sam.
"Impossible! This is Chris's doing," says Liam, now in a panic, rushing to open the door, which this time opens easily after moving Lucy's body.
"Poor Lucy... At least she'll join her chinese goth friend in heaven," says Charlie, raising an eyebrow.
"How can you make such jokes at a time like this?!" Jennifer complains.
"Because it's a challenge!"
"If it's a challenge, then we should go see Chris. He'll tell us," says Harlan, trying to stay calm.
The whole group quickly heads to Chris's Quarters, not without the Amazons observing the crime scene in the Friendship team's carriage, and the rest of the contestants who haven't seen Pedro and Kevin's bodies observing them.
"God, did they all die in their bunks? They don't even have any wounds," says Sam, looking at them closely with her arms crossed.
The entire team continues to advance, the door to the luxury carriage opens easily, and once there, they repeatedly hear a few strange thuds.
"Where's that coming from?" Sophia asks, who, along with Liam and Sam, seems to be leading all the contestants.
"I think it's coming from the bathrooms," Jen points out. The whole team follows Sophia to the bathrooms of the carriage. Once there, she opens it, at first, nothing can be seen, but once Celia's flashlight turns on, a silhouette sitting in a fetal position is seen in a corner.
"Help! H-He killed Harvey! And he took Ashley too! I-I'm next!" The figure is Levi, who looks into nothingness while trembling, traumatized. To his left is Ashley hanging from a rope by her neck. Light filters through the ceiling, as the hatch in the roof of this carriage, located in the bathrooms, is open.
"Please stop dying! This is a nightmare!" Spencer screams, kneeling on the floor.
"It's like in 'And Then There Were None,'" Corey points out, also terrified. "This has to be a challenge, r-right?"
Liam and Harlan rush to help Levi stand up; the boy seems totally absent and paranoid.
"Who did this?! This has gone too far! Where the hell is Chris?" Harlan says, grinding his teeth.
Confessional
Celia — You know it's serious business when even Harlan is pissed off.
"I... I saw her! I... He killed Harvey and Ashley, i-it can't be..." Levi can barely speak, partly due to the cold, but more importantly, due to the trauma he seems to be experiencing now.
"Who did you see, Levi?!" Harlan asks.
"I-I... I... C-Cold." Liam says, still hugging himself.
Celia ran as fast as she could to the Amazons carriage to bring Levi a blanket to cover himself, while the only eleven remaining contestants gather in the common area of the luxury wagon.
"I like horror movies, but not when I'm one of the guys who could die! What do we do?!" Spencer shouts.
"Only eleven of us are alive... We have to do something before they kill more people," Sophia suggests, crossing her arms.
"Alright, I have an idea! Everyone listen to me," says Barbara, with a simultaneous grin. "We know there were several murders... Several of them simultaneous, right? So it's not just one killer... It's several, and it has to be us... We have to uncover them! Like in Danganro- I mean, like in mystery movies!"
"That's a nice idea, crack this case and stop the killers before they kill us," points out Celia.
"We're not stopping anyone; it's a stupid challenge," says Charlotte, rolling her eyes.
"Do you think Levi is in a challenge, Charlotte?!" Harlan yells, pointing at his teammate. "I... I'm sorry, I got carried away. Let's solve this case."
"Alright... Let's see... Let's start with the confirmed victims: Mac, Harvey, Gretchen, Ashley, Lucy, Pedro, and Kevin," lists Celia.
"That gives us eight bodies... First, we should rule out suspects, you know, people with perfect alibis," Corey proposes, tilting his head slightly.
"Oh, Celia and I haven't been apart at any time," says Harlan.
"Two fewer suspects! Well done, guys!" Liam cheers.
"I want to point out something that I think is important: All the doors were locked from the inside. That's why only Charlie could open the door from our wagon to the Friendship team's wagon," Jennifer says, speaking rapidly.
"And the entrance to the luxury wagon was locked; it wasn't until Harlan and Celia came that the door worked," Sophia adds. "The doors can only be opened from the next carriage. That severely limits the killer's movement."
"So, none of the Alpha team could have killed anyone because they couldn't enter any other carriage!" Liam concludes, smiling. He raises his hands to give Jen and Sam a high-five. "We're innocent, guys!"
"Not exactly, there's a detail that appears in most cases that we haven't noticed yet," says Corey. "Did you notice it, Celia?"
"A repeating detail?" Celia wonders. "Like the hatches to go to the roof, you mean?"
"Yes... There was one open in the Alpha team's girls' cabin, and another in the Friendship team's boys' cabin," Sophia points out. "Maybe one of the girls used it to go to the Friendship team's carriage and kill Harvey and Gretchen."
"You're accusing us?!" Sam asks, offended.
"No, no, I'm just... proposing ideas!" says Sophia, putting on her fake politician smile.
"Question, was the hatch already open when you left your room? Or only after you left for the first time?" Corey asks Aam and Jennifer.
"No, I'm a hundred percent sure it wasn't open when we left," Jennifer confirms.
"Then it must have been opened when you left, I believe," says Harlan.
"And what if maybe someone from the Friendship team used their hatch to go to the Alpha team's room and then took Ryuuko?" Spencer suggests.
"This is so confusing," Sam says, frustrated.
Confessional
Sam — Why can't we just have a challenge where I can punch Kevin and not just seeing him already dead?
"Oh, Spencer, I'm afraid that can't be true... It couldn't have been someone from my team; Harlan and Celia were together kissing, and the rest are dead," says Charlotte.
"We were not doing that!" Celia and Harlan yell in unison.
"But... It could have been you!" Spencer looks at Charlie.
"Are you accusing me?! Seriously?!" Charlie asks, genuinely offended.
"It's not Charlie; she never entered the boys' cabin because she thought it was closed," Jennifer says.
"Well, let's stop talking about Spencer's mistakes and move on," says Harlan.
"Wait, what Spencer says is interesting," interrupts Corey.
"Is it, Corey?... I mean, of course it is!" Spencer says.
Confessional
Spencer — And I was just saying random stuff, now Corey believes I'm a genius! Who is the man? Spence is the man!
"Yes, if you notice, the hatch in the Friendship team's wagon was lying on the floor, which means it was opened from the outside, whereas the one in the Alpha team's wasn't lying down; it was opened from the inside," explains Corey.
"Right! That was the thud we heard! The hatch falling, now we know the killer entered at that moment, so they had to do everything really quickly," Liam says.
"Well, congratulations, you just made yourself and your friends the main suspects," Charlie applauds triumphantly.
"Um... We can still explain... I swear!" Liam tries to justify himself.
"Are you saying I killed those people? When the hell did I do that?" Sam asks.
"We have to remember exactly what happened to piece the puzzle together..." Jennifer explains.
"Yes, um... Lucy was illuminating! It couldn't have been her!" Liam says.
"Wait, wait! The killer must be a woman, right, Levi?" Celia points out.
"Uh... Y-Yes... She killed... Harvey and chased me and Ashley across the roof... Then she killed him... And I'll be next any moment now," Levi says, traumatized, looking into nothingness.
"She! The killer of Harvey, Gretchen, and Ashley must definitely be one of the Alpha team girls!" Barbara concludes, hopping happily. "We did it!"
"I think we can confirm that; remember the footsteps we heard on the roof before discovering Pedro's body? It all starts to fit," Sophia recalls proudly.
"Wait a second... Levi says she killed Harvey and Ashley, right? So, who killed Gretchen?" Jennifer tries to change the subject.
"What does it matter? He's probably leaving out details; look at him, he's on the verge of tears," Charlotte says.
"Um... Speaking of that, could I say something that caught my attention?" Corey asks politely.
"Speak now or forever hold your peace!" Celia says.
"Well, um... There's a similarity between two crime scenes; Harvey was dead on his back, in a pool of blood, and with his glasses broken beside him..."
"I hadn't noticed that. Ugh, this is too much to think about," Celia says, massaging her temples.
"Exactly the same as Mac, you mean?" Harlan asks.
"So, the killer is leaving some kind of mark!" Spencer points out.
"Exactly! If the same person who killed Mac also killed Harvey, which according to Levi, also killed Ashley... Then why didn't they leave their mark with Ashley?" Corey asks.
"And a true artist always signs their work," says Celia, putting her hand to her chin.
Everyone falls totally silent, each formulating their theories.
"Spencer, any ideas? You've been awfully quiet," Harlan asks, shrugging.
"Um... Uhmm... what if Ashley wasn't killed by the same person?"
"That was actually my theory." Charlie says, looking approvingly at Spence.
Confessional
Spencer — SPENCEEEEE!
"If the killer had to enter and leave the wagon of my team quickly to return and have an alibi with their team... It doesn't match the hipster's testimony," Charlie explains.
"Hey... You're right!" Liam says.
"Plus, Levi says the killer killed Ashley and Harvey... So who killed Gretchen?" Celia asks.
"Well, if it wasn't the killer... By process of elimination, it could only be Levi or Ashley," Sam says, happy to finally contribute to the conversation.
"Finally saying something smart," Charlie says.
"Shut up now or I'll beat your ass off," Sam threatens.
"That leaves us with only one suspect... Levi?" Jennifer says, looking somewhat confused at the boy.
Levi just stays silent, staring into nothingness.
"Wait! Are we sure there's no way to defend him?" Harlan says, quite concerned.
"Don't worry Harlan, the case has been solved," Levi says, coming out of his apparent trance and returning to his normal attitude. "Alright, I killed Gretchen and Ashley. But you still don't know who killed the rest, aren't you going to try to solve the mystery?
"He's a psycho!" Barbara screams, putting her hands on her cheeks.
"Y-You're kidding right?" Harlan says, letting out an incredulous laugh.
"Levi is right, the glasses killer killed Harvey and Mac, but we still don't know what happened to Kevin, Lucy, and Pedro," Corey points out.
"The Glasses Killer? Good name!" Celia cheers, giving Corey a pat on the back.
"We're not calling her that," Charlie says, disgusted.
"Back to the point. Pedro and Kevin died from lack of oxygen."
"Well, here it's easy... We know they didn't use hatches because none were open, right?" Liam says.
"Nope, so it had to be someone who was in the luxury wagon or in the Amazon team's wagon," Charlie says.
"Harlan and I are safe!" Celia cheers.
"Well... It's much easier; none of us girls could have done it, the door was locked from the inside," Sophia says, shrugging.
"That leaves Kevin and Pedro, two guys who are dead," Charlie sarcastically applauds.
Everyone falls into a deadly silence upon realizing they seem to be at a dead end.
"Are we sure Pedro was dead?" Corey blurts out, seemingly out of nowhere.
"How could he not be dead?" Sophia intervenes instantly.
"If you notice, Kevin was already completely pale when we found them, and Pedro wasn't; if they had died from suffocation at the same time, both would be the same," Corey insists.
"But how is Pedro going to be pale if-" Spencer begins.
"Stop right there," Sam puts her hand over Spencer's mouth before he makes an inappropriate comment.
"How smart you are, Coco! Of course, Pedro could have faked his death!" Celia exclaims.
"C-Coco?" Corey asks, puzzled by the nickname.
Confessional
Corey — It's the first time someone has called me by such a nickname (She says, looking at the ground confused).
"But it's impossible... I checked his pulse," Sophia justifies.
"Oh, You lied." Charlie says, looking at her nails. "I mean, surely they are accomplices to the crime; there's a clue that makes it very clear."
"There's a clue that makes it very clear... What thing?" Celia asks, thoughtfully.
"Right, in Lucy's murder!" Harlan exclaims. "Think about it Celia, what were Lucy's last words?
"Hm... It's closed! Lucy said the door to the Amazon team's wagon was closed!" Celia shouts.
"And the doors can only be closed... From the next carriage!" Harlan shouts, his relaxed smile returning to his face. "It had to be closed by someone in the Amazon team's carriage."
"And there were only Kevin and Pedro there, 'dead'" Charlie explains, air-quoting with one hand and looking at her nails with the other.
"So Pedro closed the door and... Who stabbed Lucy?" Spencer asks.
"That's easy! It was Sophia! Her crime partner!" Harlan exclaims. "The murder weapon was the nail file with which we opened the door, that's why she knew where to find it!"
"What a shame, I was hoping the mystery would last a bit longer," Pedro says, entering through the door of the Amazon team's carriage.
"Jerk! Playing dead, huh? I'm really going to kill you!" Sam yells.
"Um... If you kill him, you'll never know who the glasses killer is!" Sophia yells, trying to stop the blonde girl.
"Stop calling her that, please..." Charlie insists.
"But it's already very clear who it is: it's Jennifer!" Liam points out.
"How can it be Jen? We haven't separated," Sam objects.
"Remember well, before hearing the noise... Jen said she was going to the girls' cabin to get a flashlight..." Liam says, scratching his neck.
"Dang, that's true!" Spencer puts his hands to his head, surprised.
"B-But... Dang, the plan was almost perfect!" Jennifer complains, crossing her arms, looking at the ground.
"Well, I guess that's all," Charlie says, crossing her arms.
"We did it?!" Barbara shouts.
"That's right folks, you managed to solve the murder mystery on the McLean Express! Well... partially," shouts a high-pitched voice with a rather characteristic tone, Chris McLean, entering the wagon followed by all the other contestants. "Give thanks to your friends Levi, Harvey, and Mac; they devised the whole plot for this chapter!"
"Oh my god, you almost scared me to death!" Harlan lets out a nervous laugh and punches Levi's shoulder, who also starts laughing.
"B-But they were dead! We saw them!" Spencer shouts, incredulous.
"It's amazing what special effects and makeup can achieve," Chris explains calmly.
Confessional
Levi — Like I said last chapter, I'm a really good writer (He shrugs, with a proud smile).
Harvey — Levi and I spent three days writing everything! It was incredible! When we get out of this show, maybe we can write a series together!
Ashley — It was super fun being hung up! They were like, 'AAAAAH!' and I was like, 'Let's go!' But I couldn't scream for, you know, the sake of the performance.
Mac — Yeah, Chris asked me for help with a murder case, but I didn't know it was for this challenge... I-I almost had a heart attack!
Lucy — I already suspected it was a challenge, so it didn't take me by much surprise. But I just want to point out that this is the second challenge in a row where someone attacks me. If next time they let me defend myself, this show is going to start getting good.
Barbara — If we don't count how scared I was, that challenge was great! I felt like L from Death Note! (She stops for a moment, realizing what she said) A show I clearly never watched because anime is for nerds. (She gives a fake smile, staring straight at the camera. There's a small cut, and after it, the girl is shaking the camera) I want the tape! Give me the tape! How do you open this thing?!
Celia — Between it being four in the morning and this challenge, my brain is fried. The next time Chris tries to do something like this, I'm going to tell him to stick a stick up hi-
Harlan — I think I got carried away, but can you blame me? I seriously thought my friends were dead!
Kevin — I'm pretty sure the idiot Chris took me out of the challenge on purpose! With me solving the mystery, we'd solve it in like three minutes... I know it's not much, but it's the fastest I can think!
Gretchen — I gave such a good performance! Although I didn't think I could hold my breath for so long.
Pedro — When they briefed me about the challenge, I expressly asked that my clothes not be stained with blood, you know, it could ruin my image.
Jennifer — Although I'm somewhat disappointed they found me out so quickly, the best part of this challenge was the beautiful silence of not having that girl Ashley screaming all over the place.
Sophia — Disclaimer: Although in this chapter I played the purely fictional role of a murderer, I want all my future voters to know that I totally condemn all such acts and do not feel represented by them! (Sophia says, looking at the camera with a plastic smile).
"Wait, what do you mean partially?" Corey asks.
"That's right, the only ones who managed to figure out the events perfectly were the members of the Friendship team." Chris announces. The 'deceased' members of the Friendship team celebrate joyfully, while those who participated in the challenge simply look at each other confusedly. "Amazon team, you never figured out what was Kevin's murder weapon..."
"And I'm your captain!" Kevin yells, furious. "You're so eliminated!"
"On the other hand, Alpha team, what happened? You completely forgot about Ryuuko!" Chris says, the Asian boy standing behind him with crossed arms and a bored expression.
"Oh damn, that's true!" Liam yells. "Sorry, Ryu!"
"I tried to remind them, but we were told not to help too much," Jennifer says, with a frustrated look.
Confessional
Jennifer — So this is what happens when the only three members in my team who have a brain are "dead".
Ryuuko — I spent two hours straight locked in the pantry of the dining wagon, holding my breath. Never helping Chris again.
"Given what we've seen, Amazon and Alpha teams, I see both of you at tonight's, or well, early morning's elimination ceremony!" Chris announces, causing the members of both teams to let out a surprised cry.
"Double elimination?!" Mac yells, surprised.
"Exactly: Liam, Kevin, give me your nominations."
"Oh, I go first!" Kevin yells, raising his arm. "Celia and Sophia!"
The two Latina girls look at each other, slightly worried.
"I think I'm going to choose... Jennifer couldn't help us, so not her, and Lucy had the flashlight. So I nominate Spencer and Sam," Liam says.
"Well, it's five in the morning, go take a nap and a shower: you stink!" Chris yells, covering his nose.
All the contestants went to sleep quickly, as most of them were quite tired. Finally, after three hours and already daylight in London, the members of the Alpha and Amazon teams gather in the common wagon to have breakfast and discuss votes.
"You know the rules, guys! Before entering the Shame Wagon, you're all going to tell me your votes! See you later!" Kevin orders, and after saying that, he leaves the carriage.
"I guess today's vote is obvious, isn't it?" Pedro asks, to which Sophia, Corey, and Barbara nod, while Celia walks to the confessional.
Confessional
Celia — Damn, if the note I found is real, it means that today I can get rid of two members of the Bermuda Triangle. I just need a way to secure votes against Sam... Uhmm. (At that moment, the confessional door opens, and Charlie peeks through it.)
Charlie — I can help you with that for sure.
Celia — Wasn't this locked?!
Scared to see Charlie burst in, the girl leaves the confessional and goes to talk to the blonde girl in the corner of the wagon.
"Aren't your team members supposed to be in the luxury wagon?" Celia asks.
"I just came to use the confessional and found you, but luckily for you, I can help you!" Charlie says, with a condescending smile. "Spencer, Weirdo girl! Come here!"
Spencer walks over to Charlie, greeting Celia on the way. Lucy, who was talking to Ryuuko, takes a moment longer to join them.
"What do you want, idiot?" Lucy asks.
"Do you remember that time you punched me in the face?" Charlie says, arms crossed.
"Like it was yesterday."
"Well, you know what? I could forgive you if you vote for whoever I want today," Charlie says, raising an eyebrow.
"And why would I want your forgiveness?" Lucy frowns, looking at Charlie with disdain.
"Well, because Spencer and I know your little secret," Charlie says. At that moment, Lucy's expression changes completely, from hate to genuine fear.
"How do you know?" Lucy tries to stay serious, but it's clear she's disturbed.
"That doesn't matter. Are you going to vote as I tell you or not?"
Lucy seems to ponder it for a few seconds, but she takes a deep breath and decides to accept. Finally, she walks away to talk to Ryuuko again.
"We know a secret about Lucy?" Spencer asks, quite confused.
"I have no idea what's going on with that little white girl. I just said a generic phrase, but it works, like, everyone has a secret," Charlie shrugs, as if it were nothing. "There you have your three votes, you owe me a favor, Celia."
"You have no scruples... But I guess thanks, Charlie." Celia bids farewell to both of them and leaves.
"Are you doing this so I won't get eliminated?" Spencer asks, with an excited smile.
"Uh... sure!" Charlie gives Spencer a smile, then gives him a little kiss on the cheek.
"Awesome!" Spencer shouts. The only person who seems to notice is Ryuuko.
All the contestants from Team Alpha and Amazons are now seated somewhat tightly on the hay bales, while Team Friendship is comfortably having breakfast in the stands. Chris Jr., Emma, and Chris enter the wagon.
"All right, Team Alpha, Team Amazons, today is a pretty special day, not only one of you will jump off the Shame Wagon: it will be two. You have five minutes to vote!"
The contestants heed Chris and head to the confessionals.
Confessional
Kevin — Who do I eliminate today? The girl who wants to take my captaincy? Or the girl who thinks she's better than me? (He says mockingly)
Celia — Although I'd like to vote for Sophia... I can't stand Kevin.
Sophia — Today's the day I finally become captain! I can't believe it!
Pedro — I think today's elimination is pretty predictable, you have to be very naive not to know it.
Barbara — Who's going to leave today?! It could be Sophia or Kevin and I wouldn't mind, or maybe someone votes for Celia?!
Liam — I don't want anyone to go! Although it's true we haven't won in three challenges... Maybe the problem is me?
Spencer — I just hope I don't leave today! I'll miss this train so much, I mean, it's soooo amazing!
Mac — I don't want to vote anyone out yet... Uff, I'm lucky I'm on Liam's good side, because otherwise, I'd be the one on the chopping block today.
Jennifer — Liam and Sam are strong, they are useful for the team, on the other hand Spencer...
Ryuuko — I'm just following what Lucy told me to do, but I must admit I don't like that boy Spencer talking so much with Charlotte.
Sam — If I leave today, I wouldn't mind either, I'll meet up with my brother and stop seeing these idiots... The money hurts though.
"First, we'll give marshmallows to those who are safe today: Corey, Pedro, Barbara, Mac, Ryuuko, Lucy, and Jennifer, congratulations," Chris Jr. starts tossing marshmallows to the contestants as Chris lists them. "Well, Emma, could you highlight today's lowlights?" Chris announces.
"Well, Sophia, you've been trying to be the team captain since you arrived on the train, I guess that could bother your captain. Celia, You got on Kevin's bad side, and Kevin, here you are again," Emma explains. "On the other hand: Liam, you're the captain and today wasn't your best challenge. Spencer, logic isn't your strong suit, is it? And finally, Sam, maybe you're the least popular among your peers."
"Now, two people without votes..."
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"Celia y Liam! You're both safe!" The two of them receive their marshmallows. "Y por último, las dos personas a salvo momentaneamente son..."
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"Sophia and Spencer!" Spencer lets out a sigh of relief and grabs the marshmallow eagerly, while Sophia remains with her arms crossed, wearing a triumphant smile. "I'm really sorry for you, Sam, and not sorry for Kevin."
"It's okay," says Sam, shrugging. Before the girl gets up from her seat, Celia stops her and whispers in her ear.
"I'm sorry I had to vote you out. I don't dislike you, but I had to stop the secret alliance," says Celia, with an embarrassed smile.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asks before getting up. Celia remains speechless, somewhat repentant.
"Is that true?! But I was told they didn't vote for me!" Kevin shouts, quite furious. "You don't know what you're missing out on, idiots!"
"Don't be mad, brother. You're being a sore loser," Charlie says with a mocking smile.
"You better win this thing, Charlotte, if you don't, I'll tell everyone at school!"
"I'm sorry, Kevin, but that's how the game of democracy works." Sophia gets up to offer her ex-captain a handshake. "But as I told Ki-"
"Shut the fuck up, you nerd!" Kevin slaps Sophia's hand, then walks over to Chris and takes the helmet the host offers him. "This couldn't be worse; I got eliminated with the jock wannabe!"
"Shut up, you don't know how you lasted so long in this game!" Sam shouts, taking a helmet to make the jump.
"No, you shut up!"
"You shut up!"
"Both of you shut up!" Chris shouts. "Thank you very much for participating, but this is the end for both of you. Team Amazon, you need a new captain!"
"And finally, we'll have a democratic resolution," Sophia announces, taking a step forward. "Well, who votes for me as their leader?"
Pedro is the only member of the Amazons who raises his hand, while the rest remain silent.
"And who votes for Pedro?" Sophia asks, while raising her hand.
No one else raises their hand.
"Uh... S-So, who votes for... Celia?" Sophia asks, quite surprised. Both Corey and Barbara raise their hands.
"Celia would be a good leader," says Barbara.
"I agree," says Corey.
"Oh... Well, that's all right! Congratulations, Celia!" Sophia gives her new captain her classic politician smile.
"Are you sure you agree with-" Celia tries to comment, but is interrupted by Sophia.
"Totally, you deserve it, Celia!"
"All right, Kevin and Sam, ready to jump?" Chris says.
"Wait, wait, Emma, aren't you going to give me a farewell kiss?" Kevin says, with a mischievous look.
"And that's all for today!" Chris pushes Sam and Kevin out of the train at full speed. "Now there are only seventeen! They're dropping like flies! Where will we go in the next episode? Who will be the next to fall? Who are the members of the Bermuda Triangle?"
"The what?" Sophia asks.
"Answers to this and much more in the next episode of Total Drama... World Tour Express!"
Confessional
Celia — This is what happens when I trust a stupid note! Bermuda Triangle, you won this time, but I'll find out. This is war!
CONTESTANTS
Team Amazon – Celia (C), Sophia, Barbara, Corey, Pedro.
Team Friendship – Harlan (c), Levi, Harvey, Gretchen, Ashley, Charlie.
Team Alpha- Liam (C), Mac, Ryuuko, Spencer, Jennifer, Lucy.
Eliminated - Kira, the flamenco dancer (Seoul) - AJ, the cowardly ghost hunter (NYC) - Kevin, the sexist jerk (London) - Sam, the boyish girl (London)
McLEAN EXPRESS
Wagon 1 — Engine
Wagon 2 – Chris' Chambers
Wagon 3 – Luxury Wagon (today: Team Alpha)
Wagon 4 – Amazon Team dorms
Wagon 5– Friendship Team dorms
Wagon 6 – Alpha Team room
Wagon 7 – Common room confessional
Wagon 8 — Wagon of Shame
First of all, if you haven't noticed, I've edited a cover for the fic! Hope you like it!
God, this chapter was difficult to write. I wanted to do a murder mystery challenge since I wanted to take advantage of the train setting to make a little parody of Danganronpa/Murder on the Orient Express, but I never imagined how difficult it would be to plan the murders. And even then, I'm not entirely convinced with the result. Tell me, did the mystery seem too easy to you? Or on the contrary, too convoluted? This chapter deviates a bit from the formula, but I had a lot of fun, especially writing the little "pajama parties" that each team had. Still, it makes me sad to know that a lot of characters were way underused since they were "dead" (it's a crime that I only wrote Gretchen's name thirteen times in this chapter).
Now onto the eliminations. First, Kevin's elimination was pretty much expected, so much so that it's been predicted since the first chapter. Even though he's a character I like since he can easily cause conflict, I couldn't stretch it out any longer. Plus, his elimination allows us to see Celia as the new captain. Perhaps what I'll miss the most about him was that dynamic of the unwanted son-in-law he had with Chris. Now, speaking of Sam, this elimination was much more complicated, but I needed a sacrifice to start giving importance to the Bermuda Triangle. Sam is a character I love, and she was a very important piece in Team Alpha, so you'll see much more of her in The Aftermath. Now, onto some quick review responses:
DaringDF1827 - Honestly, it's better that you didn't understand the jokes in Spanish; they were pretty bad puns XD Thank you for reading, and I'm very glad you're enjoying Sophia. She's so fun to write, but I guess she'll have to wait a little longer to be captain.
Thedragonrooster - I really did Barbara dirty last chapter, that's true lmao, but at least she's probably getting that Hollywood fame after all. The last chapter was perfect to showcase Barbara's personality perfectly, so I'm glad it was your favorite chapter.
Tech-Star 2.0 - I love AJ, he's a character that's always good for some fun most of the time, but I couldn't find a place for him in all the alliances and manipulation that is the Friendship team. Still, I hope you're looking forward to his return in The Aftermath.
Nobody245 - Although this challenge, like the previous one, is much less based on the physical, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Kevin is finally leaving, right? I want to see your predictions for the Amazon team now that Kevin is gone. I promise the next chapter will have much more action! Speaking of which...
The next chapter might take a little longer to come out, as it will be released when I finish writing chapter six, which I already warn you will be The Aftermath, and I still need to clarify several things. Anyway, see you in text chapter, titled: "Tulip Fever".