(last minute edit: References to a bear come from an earlier draft, and have been suitably replaced with a wolverine)
"Last time on Total Drama Action! We watched as the campers caused a jailbreak inside our prison! We had several laughs, especially with our returning guest stars, but once again the Grips lost a challenge thanks to their inability to be on the same page. And the Mixers finally joined me for an elimination ceremony. Speaking of the ceremony, it was our most dramatic yet, with the Mixers scrambling around throwing out names left and right, it was ultimately Shawn who was eliminated with an idol in his pocket in a plurality vote. Meanwhile for the Grips, it was a foregone conclusion that Wayne and Devin were going to vote for Sugar, yet it all came down to Justin who decided to force a tie and send Wayne and Sugar into a tiebreaker, which Sugar came out on top sending the first hockey bro home. Sixteen are left, find out what happens on this episode of TOTAL DRAMA ACTION!"
Theme Song
"Now that those two are gone, you all may be wondering why I brought all of you here this evening!"
"Because we're swapping?" Carmen deadpanned.
"Because we're… yes Carmen… Yes we are."
Confessional, Sugar
I knew I'd still be here! And we're swapping! The cherry on top of all of this. I get to have a brand new team to dominate!
Confessional, Justin
I know I've survived a lot longer, but this game is going so so so wrong. I've lost nearly every challenge, I basically eliminated a guaranteed ally because I didn't think we'd swap, and now Devin hates me. I'm going to have to work over time.
Confessional, Carson
Oh god not a swap. I hate swaps, especially after last time.
"Each of you will take one of these boxes displayed out on the table here," Chris said, pointing to a table that Sam and Dakota were pushing together.
"You'll wind up each box, and the color that pops out will be the team you appear on. You'll be a Gaffer if you are green, and a Grip if you are red," Dakota explained.
"And it's your lucky day! Topher and Sierra decided to blow up the WRONG trailers, so you guys will be getting the two nice trailers. Don't worry, your belongings have already been moved out, and after the teams are sorted, they'll be moved accordingly," Chris explained.
Confessional, Dakota & Sam
Dakota: Yeah so we may or may not have told Sierra and Topher to blow up the worse trailers.
Sam: Yeah, Chris thinks having a worse place of living is better for ratings, but as we've seen people prefer the campers to not be suffering outside of challenges.
Dakota: Yeah it's rather odd. People want to see the campers get slapstick in the challenges, but want them to have comfortable living arrangements.
Sam: I guess you could say they have some sort of standards?
Each camper stepped forward, grabbing a box, Chris instructed them to grab the lever and spin it clockwise like a Jack in the Box. Several campers kept their heads away from the opening of the box, expecting something to come bursting out. However Sugar decided to keep her head over the box, excited to see what's inside.
As Sugar pulled her lever a red head popped out of the box and smacked her right in the face knocking her on the ground, causing the cast to laugh at her misfortune.
"Oh shut up!" Sugar said with a huff, folding her arms and looking away, her eyebrows furrowed in anger.
Several more campers popped their jack in the box, all now aware of the prank that was placed in the box. However it appeared Chris prepared for that, as the boxes started opening in several different locations.
Carson got a head straight to his nuts, Devin took a shot straight into his stomach, Tem took one straight to the forehead causing it to leave a giant red mark square on her once white skin.
"Alright haha, after that nice display of pain," Chris chuckled, earning eye rolls from the cast. "Go to the right set of bleachers if you got a green Jack in the Box, and go to the left set if you got a red Jack in the Box."
As the campers filed into each set of bleachers Chris was handed a small note sheet by Dakota with names under either a red or green mark. "Thank you Dakota. On the newly formed Gaffers we have Angelo, Beardo, Carmen, Carson, Ella, Hilde, Jaiden, and Tem. And on the newly formed Grips we have Carrie, Courtney, Devin, Emma, Justin, Raj, Sky, and Sugar. Good luck, see you all for your next challenge tomorrow!"
Teams
Screaming Gaffers 2.0: Angelo, Beardo, Carmen, Carson, Ella, Hilde, Jaiden, Tem
Killer Grips 2.0: Carrie, Courtney, Devin, Emma, Justin, Raj, Sky, Sugar
Confessional, Courtney
This swap was perfect for me. I get to keep Emma who was probably my best ally, and I can fade into the background of the old Grip drama between Sugar, Devin, and Justin.
Confessional, Justin
Why does this game hate me so?
Confessional, Carrie
YES I'M WITH DEVIN! It sucks that I'm not with anyone from my original team, but I'm with Devin and Emma now which is huge for me.
The camera swung up into the night sky skipping into a time lapse cutting to the next morning, as the camera shifted back down to show the two nice trailers that each team resided in. The camera zoomed onto the left trailer showing Carmen and Jaiden inside sitting on a bed together.
"I'm so excited to be playing with you again!" Carmen exclaimed to the brunette.
"I am too! We haven't had much of a chance to talk, but don't worry I would love to work with you again," Jaiden replied, as she gave her signature smile.
"That would be perfect amiga. I don't know how your relationships are, but I feel like I have a strong relationship with Tem.
"I think I have a good relationship with Beardo, and a fairly strong one with Carson as well. So maybe you and Tem plus me and Carson could be something we could do."
"I like that plan. The last thing I want for either of us is to get taken out in the premerge again."
"Totally. It feels weird though. I know we've only been in the game for four rounds, but eight people have already been eliminated. It's like a weird case of have I lasted longer or not? You know?"
"I totally get it. I've been having the same thought, especially since I went out much earlier than you did,"
"Hey girls!" Carson exclaimed, walking over to the pair. "Mind if I join you guys?"
"Not at all!" Jaiden said, Carson nodded sitting down on the bed across from them.
"Carmen, I know we haven't talked about it, but I just wanted to apologize for the fake idol thing on Revenge, it was a total goof on my part," Carson said, nervously rubbing the back of his head.
"Don't worry about it, not like it would've changed anything," Carmen replied, giving the anime nerd a smile.
"We were just talking about possibly working together alongside maybe Tem as a four on this team," Jaiden said.
"Oh that's fun. I haven't spoken to Tem a whole lot, but she's always seemed fairly level headed," Carson replied.
"Yeah she is. Even though both Chase and Lauren voted for her, she never really let it get to her. Having someone fairly calm when it comes to votes would be nice to work with," Carmen mused.
"I totally agree," Jaiden said.
Confessional, Carmen
It's nice to finally fully reconnect with Jaiden, we were so close on the island. And Carson is on the team too, he's a nice guy, even if he's a tad scattered sometimes.
Confessional, Jaiden
This team swap went really well I feel like. Carrie isn't here, but I got Carson, Beardo, and Carmen. Compared to last time, this is so much better.
The camera cut to the Craft Services Tent which showed Beardo sitting alone eating his breakfast, humming to himself.
"Good morning Beardo! You're up rather early," Ella said, walking into the tent, with Angelo right behind her.
"I didn't sleep too well last night," Beardo chuckled. "Just the usual you know." Beardo shrugged, continuing to eat his food.
"Do you mind if we sit here?" Ella asked, gesturing to Angelo behind her.
"Of course not, please sit down," Beardo said, patting the seat next to him. Ella sat down next to the beatboxer, while Angelo sat across.
"I don't know if either of you have been introduced, but this is Angelo. He's really into theater, but also incredibly shy."
Angelo gave a sheepish wave and smile to Beardo. "Yeah that's me. I'm working on my confidence though!"
"That's cool. I remember my first season, I hardly talked to anyone," Beardo replied, chuckling a bit.
"I feel like I'm getting better though. I remember you have a knack for beat boxing and making sounds?" Angelo inquired.
"Yeah. I've actually been finding some decent side work with it. My time on Island was short, but it did get me some nice opportunities. I'm sure I could help either of you if you wanted."
"I'm more than happy with where I am at. But thank you Beardo," Ella said.
"I mean if I get over my awkwardness, then I'd love to pursue a theater career you know," Angelo said.
"You'll get there Angelo," Ella said, with her signature soft smile.
Confessional, Beardo
It's nice to reunite with Ella, and Angelo seems really nice. After the disaster that was Devante, I'm hoping to get a fresh start here.
Confessional, Angelo
Finally another person I feel like I can connect with. Outside of Ella I really did not feel that close to anyone. I'm just glad I'm still here.
"Carrie!" Emma called out, waving down the blonde who had just exited her trailer, with Devin right behind her.
"Emma!" Carrie waved back, the two girls hugged briefly, Devin nodded to Emma acknowledging her.
"Oh hi Devin! I wanted to talk to you too! I don't know if Carrie told you, but we wanted to form an alliance between us and you!" Emma exclaimed.
"Oh that's great! Couldn't come at a better time. I'm sure Sugar and Justin will be after me," Devin replied.
"Don't worry about it. If Sugar acts like she does in public spaces, I doubt anyone will want to keep her around for the long term," Carrie replied.
"Yeah, speaking of last night was WILD!" Emma said. "Courtney basically led the charge against Shawn, Hilde and I voted with her. Hilde kinda preferred to vote for Angelo though."
"Sounds like your team was a bit of a mess despite winning so much," Devin noted. As the three began to move towards the Craft Services Tent.
"We just were very divided as a group. Ella and Angelo were together, I got close to Hilde, I thought Shawn and Courtney were tight, but I guess that wasn't the case."
"I'm not shocked Courtney went rogue. Leshawna and Heather going rogue caused her elimination in Island, it wouldn't shock me if she picked up a couple tricks," Carrie replied, earning a nod from Emma.
"Well Courtney is on this team, so hopefully she goes with us. And then there's Sky and Raj too…. This team is going to be something else," Devin said, as Carrie placed a hand on his shoulder for reassurance the pair blushed briefly before the trio briskly walked to get their food.
Confessional, Devin
I think… I really like Carrie? Is it like like? Or a crush? I don't know. Sucks I'm still with Justin and Sugar, but I've got my homie now, and she brought me into a new alliance. So go me!
Confessional, Emma
I know I didn't get Hilde on my team, but I am so glad I made connections outside of my team, because now I have a nice and comfy three person alliance right here! EEEEEE! (does her happy dance)
The camera then cut back inside the Craft Services Tent where several campers had begun to file in, the camera seemed to zoom in on a majestic hand slowly eating some eggs. As the camera zoomed out it showed Justin eating alone, with Raj sitting across from him completely zoned out.
"So Raj… you doing alright?" Justin asked the hockey bro.
"Oh me? Yeah I'm doing fine. Losing Wayner sucks so hard, but he'd want me to go on and win for him!" Raj cheered, snapping back to reality.
"Yeah, I didn't want to vote for Wayne, but Sugar really wanted to vote for him, and I felt the boys would vote me out next. Sorry it came down to that."
"Not your fault at all man," Raj said, a small blush crossed his face. There was an awkward pause in the conversation, as Justin took another bite of his food, while Raj just stared.
"Uh… how's the food this time compared to your first season?" Raj asked, trying to break the silence.
"I obviously didn't stay long. Only a few days, but this food is noticeably better than the food I got there. This food doesn't move on its own."
"Moving food? That sounds so totally rad man!"
"I don't know if rad is the right word, but we can go with it," Justin replied, suddenly poking at his food as if he was worried it would start moving again.
Confessional, Justin
I think Raj really has a crush on me. I know I shouldn't, but I feel like in this situation I need to… push him to my side in order for me to be safe moving forward.
Confessional, Raj
(He's just drooling with his mouth wide open)
Confessional, Chef
My food was not that bad on the Island. Ungrateful kids.
The camera shifted to the Gaffer table where Tem and Hilde sat across from each other, mostly eating in silence.
"So… Hilde.." Tem started, Hilde glanced up from her food to look at the city girl. "What's your story.? If you don't mind me asking."
"I like to win things. And now I'm here," Hilde gruffed. She paused for a moment, as if eyeing Tem up and down, before deciding to continue the conversation. "So what's your story?"
"I applied for Island to get some new experiences, and to win of course. But ended up falling for a guy who didn't like me, lost, and now I'm here," Tem said with a shrug.
"Sounds like an unfun roller coaster to me."
"I used to think so, but I feel like I grew from it a bit. I don't form a crush on every guy I see anymore," Tem chuckled. "Now I'm more focused on not being an idiot. I can thank Scarlett for that."
"Yeah, I'd rather also not look like a fool on this show. I applied not really being a fan, I had seen some of the show but I mostly applied just because the idea of having a shot at a million bucks while having a good time seemed appealing."
"Yeah, a million bucks would make a difference in anyone's lives. What would you use it for?"
"Maybe help out with going to college. Or fund my hobbies. I'm in a band, and I play golf. Those get rather expensive after a while."
"I never took you for a golf player, I thought they all looked like they owned a country club." The two girls chuckled.
"I'm an exception to the rule." Hilde smiled.
Confessional, Hilde
Honestly, Tem seems cool. Fairly normal, but not a pushover, she's someone I could respect. I'm usually more angry and grouchy, but outside of a few weirdos, everyone here has been fairly put together in most ways.
The camera switched to Sky and Courtney made their way back to their trailer from the craft services tent, it was now well past noon at this point, and still Chris was nowhere to be found.
"It's nice to finally be on a team with you. You're a competitor I'd rather play with than against," Sky chuckled.
"Right? It's nice to have a fierce competitor like you on the team. I am a bit worried though' Courtney replied.
"Why is that?"
"Well, I know I voted out Justin in Island, I don't know if he holds a grudge," Courtney started "And I honestly don't feel too close with Emma overall. It's just a bit worrying is all." Courtney lied.
"I wouldn't worry. If last night is anything to go off of, those old Grips will be at each other's throats."
"I hope so."
"You hope for what?!" Sugar exclaimed, coming out of nowhere and wrapping her arms around the two girl's shoulders.
"Just hoping for a win today," Sky replied, her face noticeably annoyed now.
"Well yeah, but with me on this team you guys will win out don't you worry," Sugar replied, causing the two girls to give a massive eye roll.
Confessional, Sky
How she managed to outlast Anne Maria twice baffles me.
Confessional, Courtney
Is it bad of me to say that I think keeping Sugar around might actually be helpful for me? She's so annoying and abrasive, but that also means everyone hates her… there's always one of those a season, Scarlett, Jo, Roman… someone that makes the merge that most everyone struggles to get along with, maybe Sugar can be that.
The campers all congregated in the Mess Hall just as Chef put out sixteen small personal pizzas. Eight of them were in red boxes and eight of them were in green boxes. "Each camper must take a personal pizza box. You don't have to eat it, you just have to grab a box," Chef said. "But it's dinner so you might get something in your stomach."
"Well, I guess this is the start of the challenge," Courtney grabbed a red box. She looked underneath to see an S on the bottom. "S… what could that mean?"
Next to her, Carrie picked out another red pizza box. "A? Like… art?"
Another camera shot showed Ella picking up a green pizza box. She too looked underneath. "S. Aww, that must mean sweet, maybe we're doing a romance challenge!"
"What would A and S mean in the context of romance?" Carson asked. "I got an A."
A brief camera shot showed everyone picking up one of the designated pizza boxes before sitting down at their respective tables. "Do you watch romance movies all that often?" Raj asked Justin.
"I try not to, sometimes they get you with the tears, and tear stains on a face like mine do not make a good photo shoot," Justin said.
"But Pizza is greasy, and I don't think we'd want pimples on your face," Raj countered.
"True as that may be, I use my own brand of moisturizer provided graciously by Anivo.," Justin held up a small two ounce bottle. "Dakota's dad says it's brand synergy so I'm allowed to say that. I mean, you have to do something to get rid of hockey bruises, right?"
"N-not that I really thought of," Raj said with blush rushing to his face.
The camera panned over to the Gaffer tables. Tem looked over at the two boys conversing before Carmen tapped her on her shoulder. She dropped her slice of pizza before they started conversation. "Do you think we should tell Raj that Justin's straight?" Tem asked.
"Nice of you to look out for the enemy," Carmen snorted. "Pero yo veo su punto…. Pero la conversación no es para ahora. I'm kind of antsy with this challenge. Or lack thereof."
"FINISH YOUR PIZZAS CAMPERS, AND MARCH OUT OF HERE TO FOLLOW DAKOTA TO THE SOUNDSTAGE FOR YOUR CHALLENGE!" Chef announced from the kitchen.
"Do you think this is going to be a night challenge?" Devin asked. "I know I don't do well in the dark.
"Haha, no you don't homie," Carrie added. "But we're going to a soundstage, and they're only so big, right?"
Confessional, Devin
What Carrie says makes sense, but I feel like some soundstages are bigger than others. Last challenge it felt like it was two or three soundstages stuck together.
Confessional, Jaiden
So this is a night challenge… last time this happened I got tied up by Jackson…. I wonder if it'll be anything like that again.
The footage cut to the campers inside a soundstage with two shacks set up. It seemed like behind the two buildings there was a forest with a road crossing both of them. Through the windows were restaurant fixtures of tables, chairs, napkins, and several doors. "Cooking at night?" Sugar guessed. "Roadkill? Because I can cook a mean dead skunk!"
"Welcome campers to the restaurant row! It's the setting for-" Chris started. "I'm sorry, can we double back? Roadkill? Why would you think roadkill?"
"Sheesh Chrissy boy, it's just like home," Sugar drawled. Her teammates snickered.
"Okay… tonight the challenge began with you picking a pizza box. Those who picked up one with an A on the bottom," Chris started. "That means Beardo, Carson, Hilde, Carmen, Carrie, Raj, Sugar, and Sky. Dakota will take you back."
The eight named campers followed Dakota beyond the two restaurants into the small forest portion of the soundstage. The lights seemed to dim and the campers disappeared in the darkness. "Now, everyone else here has the night shift," Chris started. "You've got a list of tasks to complete for the day shift. I'll let our cameos take over the explanation from here."
Sam wheeled in a giant vertical monitor as Chris stepped to the side. The nerdy intern pressed a button on the side and the rest of the lights started to dim. The monitor flickered to life as the remaining eight were greeted by a familiar figure. "Congratulations to the Killer Grips and Screaming Gaffers who were assigned the role of night shift worker," Jackson Tremblay- alumnus from Total Drama Island- started in a stilted voice. He was dressed in what looked like a simple black jacket with a piece of cursive text on it. "For the purpose of the company, you are to put on your uniform, which my coworker should be handing out to you right now."
From behind the monitor, B from Total Drama Revenge of the Island, carried out a large box full of collars. "Please affix these collars to your neck."
"It's so weird to see Jackson talking this much," Justin pointed out. "Especially when he still has the mask on."
"It is strange for me too, Justin," Jackson replied.
"These collars seem very heavy," Angelo mentioned.
"These collars contain Milton Tech developed by our tech team. It'll be critical for the challenge and removal of these collars will result in disqualification from the challenge and termination from this job."
"I've never had a restaurant job before, I make my money with all the instruments and voices I can sing with," Ella mentioned.
"I worked as a waitress," Emma said. "It was at a small pizzeria, Chase tried to convince me to rob it, then he got caught and the owner sprayed marinara sauce over him."
Jackson blinked on the screen while he waited stoically for the others to put their collars on. "Now that you're dressed in your uniform you will proceed to your designated restaurant. You will have three hours to accomplish your tasks with limited energy."
"Such tasks include printing flyers," Jackson listed monotonously. "Using our state of the art dot printer fax machines to place orders, cleaning the dishes, and keeping all the doors and windows clear."
B held his thumbs up to the monitor as the others clutched at their collars momentarily. "In accordance with local noise ordinances," the image on the screen changed to show a bar with just over half of it green, about another quarter of it yellow, about an eighth of it filled in orange, and the remaining portion filled in a sharp red. "Volume that exceeds the green will result in a reduction in your payment. Individual volume levels that reach the red will-"
The video feed glitched. A distorted camera shot of the eight campers paying attention to the video suddenly appeared on screen before it flashed with dark purple borders. "Please think of the company and consider the fines. The team with the most earned money will win. B will guide you to-"
Static suddenly replaced Jackson's image on the screen. Angelo and Ella covered their ears before B was able to shut off the feed. "Did anyone catch what Jackson said about the red?" Devin asked.
"Something about either elimination or evisceration," Courtney said. "Strange…"
"Well, let's get working," Jaiden clapped her hands together. "Lead the way, Silent B!"
"It'll be just like my dad's place," Justin smiled calmly.
Confessional, Tem
A lot of this seems familiar… but it's clear that this is a horror challenge… As if Jackson would host anything else.
Confessional, Justin
(He's applying some lotion to his throat) Screaming is most definitely frowned upon with this challenge but on the off chance I do, this lotion will prevent my Adam's apple from being too strained.
The feed showed B leading the Gaffers and Grips into their respective restaurants. B gave a thumbs up and a small layer of rain started to fall over the soundstage set with the noise of thunder in the background. There was a flash of lightning and B disappeared from sight.
A shot inside the Gaffer's restaurant showed Angelo, Ella, Jaiden, and Tem lined up in front of a host's podium. "For every task completed we get the reported dollar amount. For every noise violation in the yellow that'll be a fifty dollar deduction. A noise violation in the orange will be a hundred dollar deduction. We are only allowed a single violation in the red, at which we'll be…" Ella squinted. "Does that look like another language to you?"
Angelo held the paper. "No, that's not Italian at all, Jaiden?"
Jaiden and Tem looked over the paper. "Then we don't get to red, that's the main thing," Jaiden hesitantly pointed out.
The camera zoomed out to show more of the small restaurant. There were four circular tables, one long rectangular table, and five booths, three on one wall and two on another. Through one small door seemed to be a closet full of other supplies and another door seemed to lead into a small kitchen. Ella walked beyond the long table to see a pair of crane machines, a small basketball game, a dance machine, and a small line of quick ticket redeemer games.
"Well we have work to do," Ella tittered. She moved to the back where the basketball games were and made sure all six balls were in the machine. Once she did so her collar beeped a small green. "Oh that's a lovely green."
She turned to her left as she let out a small yelp. Peering through the window was a horrifying mug. It was vaguely animalistic as it snarled, exposing sharp teeth and what looked like metal. It twitched slightly before disappearing "Fox?!" She squealed. Her collar turned yellow as she ran away from the window. She rushed back to the center of the restaurant, finding Angelo folding a tablecloth. "D-do you need any help?" Ella asked Angelo.
"Sure?" Angelo raised his eyebrow.
The scene transitioned to the Grips' restaurant, identical in content just reflected in layout, as Emma turned on the water. "Just like home," she mumbled as the water filled up a yellow bucket. She wrung out a washcloth as Devin idly poked through the cabinets, counting the cans of pizza sauce and olives. Emma pushed the bucket into the main room where Justin was slowly folding paper.
Paying him no mind, she grabbed a washcloth out of the bucket and soaked one of the circular tables. She rubbed it down idly and almost bored. The lights above her started to flicker. "Did the paper say how long we have with the generator?"
Justin shrugged.
"We have at least thirty minutes depending on what tasks we do," Courtney explained.
"So who is going to be the one who-EEP!" She suddenly dropped her washcloth, pointing out the window.
Courtney turned around to see… nothing. "Why are you so jittery? Are you having some kind of flashback to Chase?"
"N-n-no," Emma breathed in. "You didn't see it?"
"See what?" Justin looked up. "Emma, maybe you put in the wrong chemical in the bucket. Courtney, why don't you switch with Emma."
"But I'm almost done resetting the skee balls," she moaned.
"And Emma might pass out," Justin pointedly said. The two girls swapped places as Justin went back to folding the menus.
Another minute had passed when Justin suddenly felt something looking through the window. He turned around and gasped as he stared into the empty black eyes of a giant orange bird. Its jaw seemed to creak with the weather. Its feathers atop its head were ruffled as though it was in a fight and exposed robotic elements were shown to the rain.
"The actual bleep?!" Justin backed away from the window, falling onto the floor. The bleep came from the collar and he looked at it confused as it changed collars. His collar turned yellow before returning to a neutral green stage.
A nearby Courtney pelted him with a wet washcloth. "We just lost some money! How about you and I switch?"
"S-sure," Justin composed himself.
Confessional, Courtney
If these people just focused on their work, this horror thing would just go away! And yes, I'm aware this is horror, Duncan has a podcast with Zoey about action and horror and other films. I'm their manager.
Confessional, Justin
Courtney has been with Duncan for too long. She is way too calm for this nonsense!
A flash of lightning took the scene back approximately twenty or so minutes, but the time indicator at the bottom of the screen merely said earlier.
There was a bright flash of lightning. B suddenly showed up in front of the other half of campers located in the woods. Dakota pushed in a screen and B turned it on. "Jackson?" Beardo wondered.
"I bid you all a lovely evening," Jackson started ominously. His large frame seemed to be stuffed in a tight fitting purple dress shirt. He still wore his hockey mask but each and every word he spoke was clear as present day, or night as the set would have them believe. "Dakota should have started putting you into your c-c-c-c-c-c-c-"
B hit the side of the monitor as it glitched, suddenly ringing the feed in a light magenta color. "Today your goal is to scare. And scare. And scare."
Jackson stared ominously into the camera. "Is the Slasher gonna move again?" Sugar asked.
Another minute passed of awkward silence as Dakota and B continued to adjust the fits of the campers. They seemed to all be wearing rather bulky gear with exposed wires and decaying features. "What kind of challenge is this?" Carson asked.
"Now that your outfits are on," Jackson started, the voice coming out a loud and shrill voice that caused them to wince. "As the star attractions you are set up as r-r-r-rival restaurants. Do not spend more than three minutes in another restaurant otherwise… otherwise…. Scare the other workers as hard as possible to cause them to lose life and revenue…"
The video feed cut off as Dakota wheeled over eight horrifying looking pieces of headwear. Two identical sets of four masks greeted the campers. B motioned for each of the campers to put one on while they cautiously approached. Dakota and B fixed the mask component of the headwear for each person as they stared at each other.
"I actually kind of feel scary," Sky spoke out from a small hare outfit.
"This feels uncomfortable," Beardo complained as his hands touched the snout of his wolverine mask.
"I agree," Carson chimed in. The minx teeth on his mask chittered.
"It's just like putting on a hockey helmet, just a lot, lot, lot heavier," Raj contributed, also speaking from behind a minx mask.
B hit the monitor again and Jackson suddenly appeared, now in a bulky golden outfit similar to the ones campers were wearing. "Now that you're in your star costumes you are to hijack the other restaurants with manipulating the vents-"
"Sus," Sugar chortled from behind a wilting bird mask.
"-the electricity, and the windows. Make. them. Scream." Jackson stared unnervingly into the feed as B turned off the monitor one last time.
"Don't worry, these are legitimately safe," Dakota clarified. She pointed to the two restaurants and directed the Gaffers to the grips' eatery and vice versa.
Confessional, Hilde
(she's in a pheasant mask) There's a pun here somewhere… but if I get to make people scream then let's have some fun with it.
Confessional, Carrie
(She opens her wolverine mouth slightly) Usually I don't go for scary Carrie. I go for cuddly Carrie, but if the theme this season is acting then I might as well.
"If this really is a horror challenge why wouldn't Jackson come and scare us all?" Devin asked as he stood over a printer. He counted the pages that came out before handing about half to Courtney.
"If Jackson is in charge of this challenge then he knows that we're expecting him. He was there for the last one," Courtney explained. "Is there something up with the printer?"
Devin and Courtney glanced at the printer just as the lights went out. "Sugar, Justin?" Devin asked. The room wasn't quite pitch black but it was close to it. Courtney's hand waved as she accidentally grabbed Devin's chest. "Court?"
"That's you Devin? Oh boy I have some explaining for Duncan…" Courntey sighed. "One of us is going to have to go outside and check in on the generator."
"Since you mentioned it, why don't you?" Devin suggested.
"And leave you folding in the dark? Why don't we go together, I can't see Emma or Justin," Courtney advocated.
The two of them instinctively locked arms, barely visible by each other's collars. "You're here," Devin said.
"You're here," Courtney said. The two of them made an awkward shuffle to the front of the restaurant, occasionally bumping into a table or a chair. Courtney's hand made it to the door and she opened it. Devin put a hand on the wall as they awkwardly shuffled to the back of the restaurant fixture, where the generator was stammering and staggering under a dim light.
"Do you have any idea how to fix a generator?" Devin wondered.
"No, but the instructions feel like they're printed on it," Courtney put her hands on the generator.
Devin and Courtney broke their hold as Courtney kneeled over. Devin stood over one side. "Ugh, this is taking so long, any way you can help out?"
Devin bent over on the other side of the generator, passing a glance over his shoulder and seemingly only seeing trees. The two of them fiddled with some knobs before a sudden surge caused both to recoil. "Come on…" Devin grunted as he pulled another lever.
The lights in the restaurant glimmered to life with an awkward hum. "Let's get back, we need to make money," Courtney said.
The camera zoomed in on their faces in a split screen where they went back to back with each other. "Courtney, have you always been this… wide?" Devin asked.
"Have you always been this… fuzzy?" asked Courtney.
The camera zoomed out as the two came to a realization. Between the two of them a minx was giving a mischievous grin to the camera before it let out a mechanical sounding roar and pushed tow two off. "RUN!" the two shouted, turning their collars from green to orange. They sprinted to the back of the restaurant and barricaded the door just as the minx seemed to bang on the door.
"I think taking a break is appropriate," Courtney said with an offhanded glance.
"I agree," Devin sighed.
Confessional, Carson
(He roars into the camera before he suddenly coughs and his voice is slightly distorted) I almost forgot how good at mechanics B was. This voice is actually pretty fun.
Jaiden looked over the list of things to do on the table closest to the door. As she fiddled with the paper another flap opened up. "Clean the pipes, scrub the tiles, regrout the toilet? Where's the toilet in this place?"
"Oh I hope it's not one of those things where it's actually outside. I know smaller towns have toilets like that, so many people can get into there and mess it up," Tem shivered.
"Most restaurant toilets are like that back home," Jaiden mentioned. "At least in the suburbs I live in. It looks like we get the most money there. I'll do it once then not anymore."
Angelo carried a chair as high as he could in order to put it upside down on the table. He retched at the underside of the cushion, seeing a lot of gum on it, before he ran to the storage room. When he opened the door a hare was staring right at him. He slammed the door shut before he opened it again. Nothing. "Mamma mia…"
"Everything okay Angelo?" Ella asked in a shaking voice.
"Yeah, I thought I saw a rabbit," Angelo explained.
"What were you looking for?"
"Some kind of scraping thing, like the one you have. Hai finito with that?"
"If you're asking if I'm done then yeah," Ella handed the scraper to Angelo. The two split apart and Angelo returned to scraping the chair.
The camera followed Ella for a moment as she hopped into the kitchen, hopping on some of the colored tiles in a bit of a pattern. Outside a minx was staring through the window. Ella didn't notice.
A flash of lightning took the scene to the outside, where Jaiden was finagling with the door to the toilet. She looked at her pants and recoiled at the slight water splash on her thighs. She shuddered as she pushed the door shut. There was a dollar chime from her collar while she sighed in relief. The door creaked open and Jaiden stepped out.
Inches from her face to her right was the Pheasant. It creaked slightly and let out a small moan as Jaiden screamed. She ran away from the bathroom, throwing the plunger she used towards the Wolverine, and sprinted into the restaurant again. She caught her breath. Her collar didn't turn red, she was still in the game.
Confessional, Sky
I thought Angelo would be easy to scare…. I guess that didn't work.
A roll of thunder signified a small transition to the Grips' restaurant. Devin stood at one of the arcade machines, one that was about a car racing, as the screen idly flickered. "Hey weren't you supposed to turn that off after cleaning?" Courtney walked up behind him.
"No, if you turn it off then it won't turn on properly," Devin opined. "It's like a PC."
"But it's not a PC," Courtney rebuked.
"But this kind of arcade machine has the same fans as another," argued Devin.
"What's going to happen if and when another power surge happens?" Courtney countered.
"It'll go into emergency saving mode," Devin brushed off. "I've talked about this with Shelly so much. She got fired from one of her arcade jobs because I told her not to."
"But this isn't Shelly's arcade. This is… actually who owns this place?"
Devin and Courtney stared at each other a moment. Devin held the spray bottle up and spritzed Courtney lightly. "Really?'
On either side of the two of them the arcade machines suddenly whirred to life, displaying a hockey mask and a pair of pigtails. The two yelled and got their collar into the yellow before they calmed themselves down.
Confessional, Devin
What? She deserved it. Don't argue with me about my arcade machines!
A cut to the main dining room showed Emma and Justin hoisting one of the smaller tables upside down. "I have to admit, this place has my heart racing, and I don't know what it is, but you're calming me down."
"I'm glad I have that effect on you," Justin smiled. "You're good at lifting this stuff over."
"That's a nice compliment," Emma smiled. She looked over her shoulder. "No weird animal robot things."
"Why don't you tell me more? I need company while I work in the kitchen," Justin said as they put down the table they just turned upside down.
The two of them meandered over to the kitchen. Justin grabbed a washcloth from the sink that was soaped up and took it to one of the walls that was covered in grime. Emma started opening the oven and microwave in order to see if something was available.
A small idle scene showed Justin scrubbing away at the greasy tiles as Emma explored in the same room. She tapped her fingers against her hips and Justin continued to vigorously scrub. "R-E-D-N-U-" Justin started to read.
Emma shrieked when she opened a metal cabinet. "What's wrong?" Justin rushed up to Emma.
"Ph-Ph-Pheasant…" Emma stammered.
"It's alright, I'm here, I'm here," Justin clutched Emma's forearms. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Confessional, Hilde
(the pheasant mask is in her hands) I really thought that would have worked… stupid 'hot' Justin.
A flash of lightning seemed to start a montage when the camera zoomed through the woods and stopped in front of a camera. Angelo waited at a printer awkwardly placed atop of a chair. He looked out the window to see the Fox crawling on the ground before it sharply turned to him. Angelo ducked under the printer while three flyers fell atop his bushy red head.
Ella stood on her tiptoes as she tried to reach a clock rather high on the wall. Judging by the position on the hands another one and a half hours remained in the challenge. She looked to her left as a light suddenly flickered over her. She let out a small yelp and fell with the clock landing on her face.
Jaiden and Tem stood back to back as they awkwardly wiped the back of two different chairs. Jaiden looked up at the lights as one suddenly surged bright. She covered her eyes with her hands and stumbled into another pair of chairs. When she finally managed to sit up she saw the wolverine behind Tem as Tem extended a hand. Jaiden screamed as her collar went from green to yellow. Tem looked behind her to see nothing there.
The camera shifted to Emma in the Grips' restaurant as she filled a bucket of water at the sink. She turned the water slightly and was suddenly met with a large spray. She recovered with water dripping from her collar. As she shook her head she found herself staring face to face with a Pheasant. She fell over again and splashed water over her shirt.
Another camera shift showed Justin counting and sorting napkins. Once he finished getting them all into groups he stood up with a sudden start. Across the table a rather pesky Hare swiped its hands across the table and scattered the papers. He screamed enough to let the collar change from green to yellow before the Hare scampered away.
Outside, Courtney was wrenching open the door to the bathroom. She heaved loudly as the door creaked back and forth. She wriggled the knob tightly as she put her feet on either side of the knob. She lost her balance and tumbled backwards into the Fox. It roared and Courtney screamed and her collar went from green to orange before she broke free and sprinted into the restaurant.
Devin threw a bucket of soapy water on one of the grimy walls. He put up a wet floor sign and locked the door to the outside before he started scrubbing. As he made it about halfway through he looked through the left, suddenly seeing the Wolverine slam the door open. It swung into the kitchen and into one of the cabinets before thudding backwards. Devin clutched his chest and saw his bracelet go from yellow back to green. He sighed in relief and continued scrubbing.
A thunderclap took the action back to the Gaffers restaurant. The four workers were seated around the table again investigating the table. Ella stood up first and left. Then Angelo continued.
"I think I'll go to the kitchen, I feel like everyone is ramping things up," Angelo shook his hand. "And there's more jobs we can do there."
"Sounds good," Tem agreed. "I have to help Ella, Jaiden, and Ella with the underside of the longer tables."
Angelo stepped into the kitchen where the lights were flickering with the roll of thunder in the background. He looked up at the light as he looked at the tile wall. He grabbed a brush from the sink and started scrubbing the nearby wall. As he started to scrub several letters stuck out from the dirt and colored tiles. "REDNU EHT TAV," it read. Confused, Angelo tried to scrub the letters, only to see they weren't disappearing. "I guess this is good enough…" he noticed when the collar played a small dollar sound effect.
Confessional, Angelo
(He shrugs) Probably some random horror language that Jackson speaks. Knowing my luck I probably just summoned the monsters to me. (He shuddered)
He returned the brush to the sink when a sudden thunderclap caused him to scream and his collar turned yellow.
Angelo, hands trembling, turned on one of the lights to a range hood. He tried to focus on cleaning the stove top and arranged the utensils on a hanging rack. A chill went down his spine as he looked behind him. The faint shadow of one of the attacking star attractions barely left the camera feed. He gulped as he again turned to the stove.
"Stay focused… come on… calmati Angelo…" he mumbled.
A small power surge turned off the light from the range hood. Nervous, he stood on the stove top and fixed it. When his hand reached up he was suddenly aware of someone looking at him. He turned around again. A wolverine was staring at him through the door that led to the woods. The two stared at each other.
He gulped and there was a flash of lightning. The power was back on but the wolverine was gone.
He got down from the stovetop. Angelo let out a sigh with closed eyes. They shot open when the utensils on the hanging rack suddenly fell down. He let out a small yelp as his collar turned yellow. He turned around again.
Only to be met with the face of the wolverine he was staring at moments before. A pipe above it suddenly burst in red liquid. The wolverine was covered in red. It stared intently at Angelo before it let out a roar of frustration. A cabinet flew open. A pan fell down in a clangorous cacophony. Oil splashed on the floor. It was a mess.
Angelo screamed. The collar turned yellow, then orange, then red. The wolverine grabbed ahold of him and threw him out of the restaurant and into the forest. Dakota and B carried him off of the challenge site.
Confessional, Carrie
(She takes off her helmet) Well I guess the pipes bursting was lucky. I feel bad for Angelo but at the same time it's a game.
Confessional, Angelo
It doesn't feel good turning red… but I did a lot of things so I hope I made enough for my team.
Tem glanced inside the kitchen through the open service window. "Oh Angelo's gone," she gulped. "They can't kill him off, they can't kill him off, they can't kill him off…"
"Please don't even think about that! That's such a dirty word!" Ella looked through the window. "Killing is so nasty!"
"How are you holding up?" Tem turned to the songstress.
"I'm still walking and moving," Ella reassured. "But keep me away from the kitchen for now."
"Yeah, I have to clean the vent," Tem said. She slid through the open window and knocked over a nearby salt shaker. "And there goes my attempt at looking cool."
"I still think it looked nice," Ella chimed in before heading to the closet again.
The door to the kitchen slammed open loudly. Tem rushed to close it only to find the hinges were giving her some trouble. While she grunted she suddenly caught sight of two glowing eyes from the woods quite a ways away. Her breath started to hitch as she stared at the eyes. She pressed harder.
And harder.
When the door finally started to give way the slosh of metal footprints on mud started to become louder and louder. The mouth of the Hare started jiggling as their ears started to flop with the wind and the rain.
Thunder.
Lightning.
A scream.
The door shut.
Tem looked at her collar as it went from yellow to green. There was a knock on the door. "NOPE!"
Green, to yellow, to green.
Confessional, Sky
(she snaps her fingers) So close.
Justin carried a small box of cards to one of the dispensers in the arcade, twirling a key in the other. He took a look at his forearm idly before he inserted the key into one of the dispensers. The front of the dispenser dropped with a thud at a hinge at the bottom. He recoiled slightly as he found the designated spot for the cards.
Per the instructions he was to place all the cards into the dispenser and take the cash into the emptied box. He started to pull out the flimsy plastic cards. He hissed as the cardboard seemed to slightly slice into his palm. He looked at his palm, no real damage, but still a sharp hiss of pain.
"Good thing I have that-"
A thud behind him.
Justin whipped around.
The box of cards fell down.
A minx stared at him.
The minx glared at him before doing a sudden lunge.
Justin ducked and the minx hit the machine.
Justin looked at his collar go from green before threatening to change to yellow. He kept his breath down. He was safe.
"I think we should just focus on the work," Courtney said as she and Emma tried to catch their breath. "If we get more money we're able to have leeway for all the scares."
"That feels like it's directed to-"
"It's directed to no one," Courtney bluntly said. "I got scared too. Just like Justin and Devin. We still need to tackle the kitchen and the booths. Why do we even need to reupholster the booths?"
"It's a crummy pizza restaurant," Emma rationalized. Her hands involuntarily went to her green collar and tugged. "I've had a lot of jobs like this because of Chase…"
"Are people really watching stuff like him online?"
"Well people are either going to be reading the transcripts or watching us on TV. I wouldn't be surprised if a jumpscare compilation appears on this show's social media,' Emma stared at the camera.
Courtney snapped her fingers in front of Emma. "Yeah, I'll go into the booths," Emma agreed. "I learned how to knit my own uniform once."
"Was it practical?"
"Nope!" Emma cheerfully smiled. She made her move to the supply closet, barely aware of the shadow of a wolverine looming high over her. It did nothing as she grabbed a small sewing kit with a needle and a patch. There was a roll of thunder and a flash of lightning as Emma turned around. The shadow of the wolverine was gone.
The video feed trailed Emma to one of the booths where a large gash was at the base of the seat. It looked particularly cumbersome to patch up.. She sat on the seat with her hands bent over the patch. The lights dimmed slightly while the wind seemed to pick up. Emma glanced up to find the source of the wind but found nothing.
She went back to the booth.
The camera briefly cut to Devin counting plates in the kitchen. Justin was nearby stacking the cups as best as he could in one of the cabinets. Courtney walked through the kitchen and dropped off a washcloth in the sink as instructed.
Back in the main dining room Emma stood up and glanced at her handiwork. The stitches weren't as close to each other as she would have liked but the patch she grabbed from the closet was just big enough to cover the stitch. A smile emerged on her face as she put the patch on the booth and her collar let out a small cha-ching.
Emma dusted the booth with her hands as she stood up.
The air shifted behind her.
Emma turned around but there was nothing there.
She looked up at the pipes as they creaked.
Behind her again there was the sound of dripping water.
A roar of thunder and the building was out of power again. "I'll go check it out again!" Courtney said.
"Let me go with you!" Devin and Justin both shouted from the kitchen.
Emma put her hand over her heart to try to calm herself down. There was a drip behind her. Then another drip.
She turned around. Only blackness.
An ominous thud came to her left.
Then an awkward shrill to her right.
She seemed to be spinning around to find the source. She glanced up again but there was nothing there.
The lights turned on.
In front of her she was met with a horrifying image of one of the Wolverine attractions. Its jaw was unhinged and flapping. There were awkward creaks as the features of the wolverine mask started to flop in an unnatural twitch. It let out a hideous roar as Emma screamed.
Green, then yellow, then orange, then red.
The wolverine grabbed Emma by the hands and took her to the woods.
Confessional, Emma
Something something used to do this with Chase… something something I hate pizza.
Confessional, Beardo
(He stares at the camera with a smile as he chuckles lightly. Then he lets out a classical sounding song)
Tem started to wash a giant pizza pan. It was about the size of her torso and barely fit inside the sink, forcing her to rotate it to go for an even rinse. She groaned as some of the water spilled out of the industrial sink and spilled onto her feet.
"There's something that-"
All of a sudden, darkness.
Tem held the pizza plate tightly. She tried to take a deep breath in but she found herself hitching.
The door to the kitchen slammed open.
She heard footsteps behind her.
The lights turned back on.
Tem sighed, relieved.
Something tapped her shoulder.
Green, then yellow.
"Sorry," Jaiden awkwardly apologized. "That generator was easy, don't worry. Do you need me here with you?"
"I'll be fine," Tem stammered.
"Good, because I'm staying inside for a bit. I saw that wolverine rushing forward.
Confessional, Tem
I don't care about the million, if I make it out with my vocal chords intact, I consider that a victory….. I take that back, I still care about the million… just less than I did before this stupid challenge started.
Courtney carried a dirty tray from the bottom of an over. The grease trapped within sloshed back and forth as she awkwardly tried to shuffle to the trash bag. A sudden thunderclap came just as she rested the edge of the pan on the lip of the bag. She put her hand underneath the tray and the grease slid downward.
She waited as the grease started to drain.
And drain.
And drain.
"Courtney-"
WHACK!
"Oww!" Devin grabbed his cheek.
"DEVIN!" Courtney shouted, concerned. Her collar briefly flashed yellow as she dropped the pan. "Oh come on, that counts?"
"I'm going back to the dining hall. Good luck with your tray," Devin walked off.
Courtney tilted the pan upward, an imprint of Devin's face on it.
Confessional, Devin
One time I tried playing tennis with Shelly, I jumped over the net and landed on my face. Wound up looking just like this… except it wasn't as hurtful.
"Okay, just hum to yourself, Ella… these animatronics are spooky but they're not going to hurt you… they're your friends…" Ella mumbled as she pulled out a broom from the closet. "They're your friends."
The lights seemed to flicker as Jaiden picked out some placemats. She put them on the tables after wiping them down. Ella looked up at the lights as one of them seemed to surge. She shook her head as she focused on sweeping a particularly large pile.
Elsewhere, Tem counted the bags of cheese in the fridge. The smell of the fridge was a horrible stench and she looked at the bags. "Best by… these are expired for two months… so no," Tem mumbled. She grabbed some of the bags and threw them into a black trash bag. Looking through the window was a horrifying pheasant, but Tem didn't notice even as it squeaked against the glass.
Back in the main room, Jaiden and Ella shuffled by each other as Jaiden moved closer to the arcade station. She pulled a key out from behind a cabinet and used it to open the door to a claw machine. She fixed up all the plushes in silence. Through the reflection of the glass she saw a slight moving red fixture. She looked behind her only to see nothing there. "Huh…" she sighed. Her collar was still green.
Ella finished sweeping as she made her way into the supply closet. She put the broom back on its hanging hook and the dustpan beneath it. She stretched her hand awkwardly and it bumped into a pile of buckets. She bent over and started to crawl to rearrange the buckets. As she crawled her eyes suddenly caught sight of a pair of giant felt feet.
A camera pan followed Ella's gaze as she helplessly looked up. Her breath started to hitch as the image of the Hare's chittering teeth started to come into view. She started to back away in the supply closet but was soon met with the wall. The hare raised a fuzzy paw as its ear started to twitch uncontrollably. Its head tilted and the tip of the ear suddenly fell off.
Green, then yellow, then orange, then red.
The hare carried Ella out of the restaurant as the songstress kept screaming a surprisingly pleasant sounding scream.
Confessional, Ella
I didn't make it to the fear challenge my first season… but I'm so scared of those cute, fuzzy animals turning into robotic abominations! YOU DON'T DO THAT TO NATURE!
Confessional, Sky
As bad as I feel about getting Ella out, it is a game. And I'd rather the other team lose than I lose.
The lights went out just as Devin put his hands into the over. Nervous, he started to scrub faster and faster as his breath became more and more hitched. The door to the kitchen slammed open as Devin barely leaned his head forward. The horrible minx stared at him through the open doorway as Devin tried to fix his position in time to put the racks back on.
Devin lifted his head-BANG!
He clutched his head as he winced. He hissed in pain as he turned around, the minx mere feet from his face. Devin screamed as his collar went from green to yellow to orange to-
Chimes. Like from a grandfather clock. The electricity in the building turned on as the lights outside seemed to indicate a new day. "I did it?" Devin asked.
The minx took off his headpiece. "So close," mumbled Carson as Devin ran past him and into the woods. "I DID IT!" Devin cheered.
"Hold your horses," Chris said. "First we have to get the costumes off of everyone, and that includes your uniform."
"Really? I was getting kind of used to it," Devin joked.
"It's not doing you any favors," Emma snarked from a small arc of chairs.
Ella and Angelo blinked as they started to lament their fate. "We could still win," Ella said optimistically. "We just need faith that we did enough."
"I hope we did," Angelo said as Dakota removed his collar.
A camera wipe later showed Chris in front of a table where two giant gift boxes were resting atop. In between the pair was a remote with two buttons, one red and one green. "Workers and attractions, today you worked to earn money for the betterment of the company. Grips, you only lost one member in the night while Gaffers, you lost two. But that doesn't necessarily mean you won just yet."
With a flourish Chris pressed the red button. The red gift box unfolded after undoing its ribbon. "Thank you, B," Dakota mentioned offhandedly. "But weren't-"
"As you can see with the pile of cash, it was Courtney who wound up making the most money after all of her deductions with a total of four hundred Canadian dollars! Devin was next with three hundred and seventy dollars. Justin made two hundred and forty five- how'd you make forty five dollars again? We only did deductions based on even numbers. How is that possible?"
Justin shrugged. "At least I made money, more than Emma."
"That is true," Chris obliged. "And Emma made a total of two hundred eve-"
The pile of cash suddenly shot high into the air. A camera feed followed the arc of the cash as it pummeled Chris atop the head. Amidst his groans and yelps of pain he held the table for balance. "Well with that said we can move onto-"
Emma's cash fell on his head and Chris collapsed over the table. "Your doing?" Sam asked a nearby B. The tinkerer nodded. "Nice."
Chef, who carried a much larger box of pizza, placed the pizza on the table. He sighed monotonously before he yelled. "TURN HERE!"
The campers suddenly looked at Chef as he slammed his fist on the button. "Okay let's make this quick. Angelo and Ella you sucked. Angelo, you made two hundred and twenty dollars. Ella, you made two hundred dollars. Jaiden, you made the most money with four hundred and eighty dollars. And Tem, that means you need to make more than three hundred and fifteen."
Chef picked up Tem's pile of cash. "Seems pretty light, and I'm sorry to say… Tem… you only made two hundred and seventy d-"
BOOM!
The pile of Gaffer cash blew up in a mess of confetti and bills. Chef was blown backwards and Chris' unconscious body flew into a restaurant. B looked at Sam with a look of admiration as Dakota gave Sam a glowing smile of pride. "So umm, what now?" Tem squeaked.
"Well, calculating the numbers," Sam spoke up. "The Grips win immunity!"
"In addition to that, they have earned a fifty dollar gift card to a Milton Resort arcade applicable for the summer months!" cheered Dakota. The Grips cheered as the gaffers started to lament their fate. "To the losing Gaffers you have-AAAH!"
Behind Dakota Jackson stood ominously in a purple suit with bulky yellow pants. He stared unnervingly before he strode off to join B. "Right… Three hours! It'll happen at dawn!" Dakota said. "I guess it wouldn't be you if you didn't jumpscare."
B and Jackson shrugged.
Confessional, Raj
I wish Wayner was still here. Scaring him would've been a treat! But immunity works too.
Confessional, Sugar
THE LOOKS ON THEIR FACES! PRICELESS! THEY WERE LIKE LITTLE PANSIES IN THERE!
Confessional, Ella
This is rather… unfortunate… I did not want to vote out someone again right after Shawn was just eliminated (Tears well up in her eyes)
Post Challenge
Following the challenge, the camera panned throughout the film lot, eventually settling in on the front of the Gaffer's trailer, where Jaiden and Carson sat on the steps, while Carmen and Tem stood in front of them.
"Alright we're all here now," Jaiden started. "We should hurry up before the musical trio gets suspicious."
"We're locked in right? Us as a solid four?" Carson asked, his hands shifted nervously between his thighs.
"For sure," Tem said. "But obviously given there's eight of us we will need a fifth."
"I mean, unless we want to try and force seven votes onto Hilde, she'd be the only real option no?" Carmen mused, bringing her hand to her chin.
"I don't think keeping a very obvious trio is exactly smart. It hasn't even been a day, and they already seem incredibly close," Jaiden remarked, running her hand through her hair.
"I remember Beardo and Ella being friends from Island, so I'm not exactly surprised that they bonded quickly, and then Angelo and Ella have seemingly always been a pair," Carson stated.
"I had a very nice conversation with Hilde this morning, I think I could talk to her about working with us," Tem suggested.
"Let's do it then!" Carmen exclaimed.
Confessional, Carson
I know viewers at home are waiting for me to do something stupid. But I promise I will not betray my allies, I will not betray my allies, I will not… I think you get the point.
Confessional, Tem
I had a great conversation with Hilde this morning, and since Ella and Angelo voted for her already, she'd be someone we could swing to our side fairly easily.
The camera then switched to the so-called musical trio, who had decided to meet inside the Craft Services Tent as they had this morning.
"I did not want to come back to the ceremony so soon," Ella sighed, her head hanging from the defeat.
"It's alright Ella, we've got a good alliance here," Beardo replied, patting her shoulder.
"I know, it just sucks that we have to vote someone off again."
"Well… let's agree on who we don't want to vote off?" Angelo suggested.
"I would rather not vote out Jaiden or Carson, they saved me at the Devante vote, I feel like I at least owe them one vote in return," Beardo replied, running his hand through his poofy hair.
"I'd also preferably not want to vote for Hilde, it'd be cruel to put her in harm's way once again," Ella said.
"So that leaves Carmen or Tem then," Beardo mused.
"Carmen and I had this really weird conversation a few days ago. Just felt kind of weird. I'd be okay voting her off," Angelo spoke up, looking to Ella for an agreement.
"I'm good with voting Carmen, what about you Beardo?"
"Yeah that's fine with me."
Confessional, Ella
I would feel bad voting for Hilde again, I don't think that's fair to her. I wish I could get some guidance from the animals.
Confessional, Beardo
This is more strategic than I usually am, but I know I need to start being a bit smarter if I want to even have a snowball's chance (He makes noise imitating a snowball rolling down a mountain and then crashing into a giant tree)
The camera cut away from the Craft Services Tent to the middle of the film lot, where Tem and Carmen had decided to meet Hilde.
"I know I'm kind of on my own here, so what's your pitch?" Hilde asked, gruffly. Carmen shot Tem a sideways glance before Tem spoke up herself.
"I mean we obviously know Ella and Angelo voted for you last time, so I doubt you want to work with them. If you want, you can work with us along with Carson and Jaiden and we'd be down to vote out Angelo here," Tem explained, to a nodding Hilde.
"So it would be a clean five to three on Angelo?" Hilde asked.
"That would be the plan. I think we're all aware of the musical trio that's formed now," Carmen added, placing her hands on her hips.
"I don't think Angelo is that much of a threat though. I feel like taking out Ella or Beardo could work a bit better long term," Hilde suggested.
"I mean…. Either way we're taking out one of the trio, but Angelo is obviously distinctly weaker in challenges in comparison," Tem mused, shoving her hands into her jean pockets.
"Albeit true. If we do manage to go to another ceremony, we can just vote Angelo at the following round. It's not like the Grips are all exactly on the same page," Hilde countered.
"Let's reconvene later and see what Jaiden and Carson think. We also have to be wary of any idols. We know they can be found since Shawn took one home with him," Carmen stated.
"Fair point," Tem said, nodding in agreement. "If that's the case then between the three, Beardo just seems like the type to have one. He could hide anything in that hair of his."
"Then let's vote Ella. They probably won't play one on her," Hilde stated, her eyes narrowing a bit.
Confessional, Carmen
I don't like Hilde trying to push back… but I can't exactly blame her for feeling as though the returnees have an edge… ten of us are still here as we speak.
As Carmen and Tem walked away, talking between themselves, Beardo and Angelo appeared behind Hilde walking out from behind a building.
"Hey Hilde!" Beardo exclaimed, giving the punk girl a wave,
A bit startled, Hilde turned around and gave a curt wave back. "Beardo… Angelo… I assume you guys want to talk about the vote?" She said with a quick roll of her eyes.
"Yeah actually. Obviously we'd need a fifth. But would you be interested in maybe voting for Carmen this cycle?" Beardo asked the punk girl.
"I'm not opposed. She seems rather smart, and I'm sure those three from that Revenge season are all buddy buddy," Hilde replied.
"Yeah. We've noticed that too…" Angelo meekly added. "Also I wanted to apologize for voting for you last time you know. It was just a tough situation."
"I get it. It's a game obviously. I'll obviously consider your offer. Would you guys be trying to send it to a tie or trying to get a fifth?"
"Worst case, it ties. But Ella is going to try and see if Tem will vote with us this round," Beardo added.
"I see."
Confessional, Angelo
Please work with us Hilde. Please please please.
Confessional, Hilde
The driver's seat for two eliminations in a row? It must be my birthday or something.
"Carmen and I just talked to Hilde, it doesn't look like she'll vote for Angelo, but she'd be open to doing Ella or Beardo," Tem explained to Jaiden, the pair sitting at one of the many picnic benches laid out in the film lot.
"She probably wants to limit the returnee numbers. It makes sense for her, but not for us," Jaiden mused, bringing her hand to her chin. "Do you think any of us could beat Angelo in a tie?"
"I mean… I think in most general challenges we could… but the tiebreakers are never the same. We've seen enough now to know that," Tem pondered.
"I mean who do we think would be the one going in? I doubt Beardo would vote for myself or Carson. So between you and Carmen…"
"I have a feeling they'd push for Carmen, just cause there's three of you guys on this season and all of you are on this team."
"That makes sense… would Carmen want to go into a tie?" Jaiden wondered.
"I could see her both wanting to and absolutely wanting to avoid it. Do you think Beardo could be a decent compromise? He's surprisingly fairly competent when it comes to playing the game."
"No no no. I think if we want to win Hilde over, we'd have to compromise to Ella. If she wants a returnee, we may as well give her one that voted for her. It'd be our best shot."
"That makes sense to me. But let's not rule out Angelo as an option."
"Agreed."
Confessional, Jaiden
As someone with experience in tie breakers. They are absolutely not fun, and I honestly don't think Angelo could win one… that was rather mean, but it's kinda true. Sorry Angelo.
Confessional, Tem
The preferred outcome would be Angelo or Beardo probably going. If we vote out Ella, I can't imagine Sky being all too happy. Ella going isn't good for my game. But if these new allies can become solid, then it could be worth it. Either way I'm just glad that I'm doing way better this time around.
As Jaiden walked away from Tem, who was still sitting at the picnic bench, thinking to herself on what her best option was. Ella then approached and sat down across from her, startling Tem.
"Sorry Tem, I didn't mean to startle you like that," Ella apologized to the city girl.
"It's okay," Tem replied, relaxing her shoulders, "What's up?"
"I wanted to ask you about possibly voting for Carmen this evening. I know you and her were just on a team together…" Ella said, pausing for a moment, as if looking for Tem to interject.
"I mean we were, and you know that Sky and I viewed her as an ally. But if I have to vote her out to keep you in, then I obviously would be willing to do that," Tem replied, giving Ella a nod of reassurance.
"Splendid! Hilde said she would vote with us as well. With you that makes five!"
"Okay then. Sounds like a plan."
Confessional, Ella
I forgot that Carmen was likely an ally of Sky's and Tem… but it is likely too late now, since Hilde said she would vote with us. I'm hoping that Tem will stick with me and make a five with myself, Angelo, Beardo, and Hilde.
Confessional, Tem
If Hilde is truly with them… it may be best I jump ship from the three Revenge folk. Because in either alliance I am likely number four. I'd rather be the fourth in a group of five, over a group of four. I'm choosing between two allies right now, this absolutely stinks.
"Que Irritante!" Carmen threw her head back as she and Carson walked to the elimination stage.
"I know. We should be fine, but on the off chance Hilde doesn't vote with us, you should be ready for the tiebreaker," Carson exclaimed, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.
"I know I know. It's just annoying to get votes at this point of the game AGAIN!"
"Well they could vote for someone else. But it sounds like it's you. But we've got your back, and you'll make it through no problem."
"Thanks Carson. You're a super fan, what do you think the tie breaker will be?"
"Well… they've had three tie breakers in this show's lifespan. All have been physical, so I'd imagine it'd be another physical challenge, maybe something along the lines of an endurance challenge. They haven't used one of those yet," Carson explained.
"I guess that makes sense. Then I like my odds of winning that then. I don't think either of them workout at all," Carmen said, giving a small snicker.
"It's…. Unlikely, yes," Carson replied, raising an eyebrow towards Carmen.
Confessional, Carson
It went from easy unanimous votes, to possible tiebreaker chaos. Why does swap chaos follow me everywhere I go?
Confessional, Carmen
Whether it's Ella or Angelo I face tonight, they're going to go down. I know I'm no challenge beast, but come on, I know I can beat those two. I don't think Angelo has even seen a dumbbell in his life!
Elimination Ceremony
"Welcome in campers!" Chris greeted the eight Gaffers as they filed into their bleachers. "I see you all have been enjoying the swap. Soon you guys will become seven, after this vote off tonight." Chef began to hand out the voting devices to each of the campers one by one as the suspense intensified. "You all know the drill now, once I read the votes the eliminated player will have a few moments to say some final words and then they must leave in the Lame-O-Sine!" Chris exclaimed, as the camera panned to the ugly looking limo.
"If anyone has an immunity idol and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so."
.
.
.
.
.
"Alright I'll read the votes."
"FIRST VOTE…. Carmen!" Carmen rolled her eyes and shot daggers at Beardo, Angelo, and Ella.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"SECOND VOTE… Carmen!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"THIRD VOTE… Ella!" Angelo grabbed Ella's hand in worry as Chris continued to read the votes.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"FOURTH VOTE…. Ella!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"FIFTH VOTE… Ella!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"SIXTH VOTE… Carmen!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
"SEVENTH VOTE… Ella!" Ella looked over to Tem, who glanced at Ella before quickly looking away from the singer.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"EIGHTH VOTE… And the ninth person voted out of Total Drama Action… Ella!"
"Aw well, it was fun while it lasted," Ella exclaimed standing up from her seat.
"I have no hard feelings," Ella said, speaking to Tem and Hilde. "And Angelo, Beardo. I am rooting for the both of you!" She exclaimed, giving both boys a hug. Beardo looked rather somber, while Angelo was on the verge of tears.
"Goodbye Ella, you'll be missed," Beardo said to the Princess.
"Thank you for everything Ella," Angelo cried, hugging Ella tightly.
As she walked down the bleachers, she looked back, mostly looking at her fellow returnees. "I am so happy I beat my placement and lasted longer into this game than last time. And I hope each of you manage to achieve that as well!" Ella walked to the limousine and gave the campers a final wave before she got inside.
"And sixteen has become fifteen, as we close in on the halfway point of the game, how will it heat up? Will any other idols be found? Will we see the old Grips arguments boil over? And perhaps will we see some new romances this season? Only time will tell as it is clear the returnees this season have come to play, now slowly turning on their own as they make their push to make their second chance count. And do the newbies remaining have the chops to fight back? Find out next time on TOTAL DRAMA ACTION!
Final Confessional, Ella
I'm sad to go so soon. But I am so happy to have made it further than my last season! I feel I made way more connections to the people here. I'm rooting for Angelo and Beardo to keep going and to win this season! I am so appreciative to have been asked back, and I hope that if I have any fans that they are proud of how well I did this season! Thank you all!
Votes
Angelo: I'm sure you are a lovely person, but I really really do not want to go home. Carmen
Beardo: Once again I am fighting for my life in this game (makes a womp womp sound effect). But hopefully this vote is the sign of a new beginning. Carmen
Carmen: I'd rather not have to put my pretty face into a tie breaker… so I'm sorry princess. Ella
Carson: I'd so much rather Angelo be leaving us tonight, but I also don't want to lose my allies in the premerge again. Ella
Ella: I hope my time here does not come to an end so soon. I am so sorry. Carmen
Hilde: I like having control, it's a nice change of pace compared to the Mixers, with that said, I can forgive, but I do not forget. Ella
Jaiden: This is not a fun decision, but it appears it's the only one I can make that keeps all of my former team still here. Ella
Tem: Although I know Sky won't be happy about this, I'd rather try and keep my game a float than sink with a Titanic of an alliance. Ella
Reviews
SuperSonicHeroes: (Trygve): Yeah Wayne and Shawn going out was a really tough decision for us, but we felt that the hockey bros needed to be split before the swap, and given Shawn made a merge once before we felt that he would be best served as an early blindside. Sucks but this is a strong cast especially in the returnees and tough decisions had to be made.
(Rj): Yeah, separation was very much key for many of the pairs, and unfortunately the hockey bros best fit them. This was a strong cast and there were a lot of hard decisions.
GoodGuyGary: (Trygve): Well you nailed it again with your Ella prediction. We like Ella, but she is not a strong narrator which I'm sure was noticed in her lower confessional counts compared to others, we'll see if your predictions hold up moving forward.
(Rj): Ella is a well loved beacon of positivity, but her presence just isn't enough in a strategic game like this. I'm curious to see if your predictions help.
LordGemini: (Trygve): I'm glad you enjoyed the twists and turns of the chapter. With Wayne being a sports guy (and I myself being one) Wayne was blaming the loss on Sugar purely due to team chemistry, and had Raihan been there he's during that overall the group would've done better, even individually Sugar did do better. And with the tiebreaker, you're probably right, Sugar is possibly stronger than Wayne, I haven't seen PI in a little while, but I felt fairly confident that Wayne given his status as a hockey guy would've been stronger. But yeah a lot of interesting shake ups here. I would like to point out, with your alliances thing. Just because say Ella is working with Sky/Tem doesn't mean Angelo is also by virtue in that alliance as well. This applies to other relationships as well. But I hope you enjoyed this episode! I know you rather enjoy Ella so I hope we did right by her here. Also the word you were looking for to describe Courtney was probably ruthless if I were to guess
(Rj): Glad you enjoyed the scenes of the strategy and the surprises with the tiebreakers. I would think Wayne saving Ella is just him being a decent person. To be blunt there were at least three solutions to the escape cell problem and Carson just used one of them. (the other two being solving in the intended order and breaking the bars). I'm still glad you enjoyed the challenge and thanks again for the spanish corrections.
24th: Lauren: 5-1
23rd: Anne Maria: 4-2
22nd: Chase: 4-1
21st: Zee: 4-2
20th: Devante: 4-1
19th: Raihan: 4-1
18th: Shawn: 3-2-1
17th: Wayne: 2-2 Lost Tiebreaker
16th: Ella: 5-3
Teams
Screaming Gaffers: Angelo, Beardo, Carmen, Carson, Hilde, Jaiden, Tem
Killer Grips: Carrie, Courtney, Devin, Emma, Justin, Raj, Sky, Sugar