"Last time on Total Drama Action! Master Chief Chef Hatchet along with special guests Brick and Quentin led our final fourteen through the brutal rituals of the military, from training, to hazing, to the battlefield the campers got their fill in our wonderful military genre episode! The Grips would ultimately finally lose a challenge to the Gaffers, sending them to elimination. In the end, the former Grips Justin, Sugar, and Devin could not get over their feud and instantly went after each other. Which thanks to Courtney and Sky splitting their votes, sent Justin and Devin into a tie. Ultimately Justin would come out victorious over Devin, sending one half of the homies home. We've now merged, so let's refresh ourselves on the merge cast!"
"ANGELO! We've gradually seen this timid boy come out of his shell as he managed the ever shifting loyalties of his fellow rookies. From being on the bottom of his original team and being likely to go home, to being the decoy boot that helped Courtney eliminate Shawn, to then again being on the bottom and almost going home, to finding an idol and taking out one of the biggest power players in the game. We've seen a veritable roller coaster of a contestant from Angelo that could either reach the top of the loop de loop or derail horribly."
"BEARDO! Our local soundboard has once again fallen into the same pitfalls as he did in Island with terrible alliance choices and ultimately not bargaining a ton of trust with anyone despite his good nature and likability. While he has made it much further already, and has seemingly built up some sort of rapport with a select few campers in Angelo, Carson, and Carrie, he's now entering untouched territory within the merge. Can we see Beardo finally able to dig himself out of a hole or will he be left six feet under?"
"CARMEN! The blonde Hispanic bombshell has been rather quiet. We saw her try to flirt with the new generation of pretty boys only to fall flat due to a combination of ego and incompatible orientation. She's quietly found herself in several alliances with the likes of Sky, Tem, Carson, and Hilde who all seem to value her presence. She's been known as a loud and bombastic flirt who is not afraid to go down swinging. Can we see Carmen swing her way to the top or will she slam straight into a wall?."
"CARRIE! Carrie has been a bit of a super fan this season, aligning herself with several vets early on like Carson and Jaiden, and then when the swap came, she aligned herself with her childhood best friend and eventual partner, Devin. While she has survived, Carrie has lost both Jaiden and Devin in back to back rounds. Carrie is entering the merge in an incredibly precarious position after her once strong start, can she slip on by or will she be quickly sent packing?"
"CARSON! Carson is the definition of a wild card. On Revenge we saw him flip flopping around like a fish out of water, unsure of what he was doing. This season he's stayed fairly loyal, never really faltering aside from a few hiccups here or there. However it is clear Carson is still one of the bigger strategic forces remaining, aligning himself more closely with Tem in the last episode, and also reuniting with Carrie could bring him some new found allies. Carson has the ability to make the end, but can he put it all together?"
"COURTNEY! Courtney has been a front runner for most of the season, dominating early on on the Costumers, controlling her team and being the main factor in Shawn's blindside, she then turned her eyes into controlling the new Grips, positioning herself and Sky in the middle of the war between the old Grips and using her bond with Sky to send it into a tie. Whether for her own pleasure or for a strategic move is unclear, but what is clear is Courtney is here to play, and her iron fist on the game right now cannot be understated. However, can she handle twelve other wildly different personalities? We shall see."
"EMMA! This former youtuber is a curious case. She has lingering hatred towards her ex boyfriend, which drove her to almost mania early on. Even with that defining her initially, other times we've seen her using a strategic and somewhat selfish mind. doing what's in her best interest, like voting for Shawn or Justin. She's only been to two ceremonies so far, and it's possible her lack of experience with having to play the strategic politics of the Elimination Ceremonies could come back to bite her. However for now, she has strong allies in Carrie, Hilde, and Courtney all working with her, and in the long run that could secure her spot in the Finale."
"HILDE! Hilde has been incredible television so far. Her outbursts and bluntness have caused some dissent among some of the veteran players, as it is clear that Hilde wants them out sooner rather than later. Despite this, she has been fairly successful in accomplishing her goal, as every ceremony she has attended so far, a returnee has been eliminated. However she also has a small feud with Angelo going, which isn't good for her to gain newbie allies either. Hilde is incredibly no nonsense, but will it be at the cost of her game?"
"JUSTIN! Justin has been a bit of a surprise so far, going from second boot to being one of the biggest threats in the game. He controlled the original Grips votes, and managed to save himself against Devin in the tiebreaker. However he has scorched a lot of bridges with his gameplay and it could come back to bite him. But his handsome good looks and modeling ability seems to have won over some of the other campers, and this merge might be the break he needs to make a deep run into this game."
"RAJ!" Honestly… I'm surprised he's made it this far, but Raj is incredibly well liked among his peers despite his lacking strategic brain… or possibly brain at all. His sports ability has also come in clutch in challenges, as he's hardly gone to any Elimination Ceremonies since Chase was eliminated. He lost his captain Wayne early on but that has not seemed to stop him. His growing attraction to Justin may be the ultimate undoing but only time will tell. Raj has the ability to possibly win several immunities in a row, but will that and his social game make up for his other lacking skills?"
"SKY!" I don't think anyone is shocked by Sky making it back here after she almost made it to merge with no votes against her after she was medically evacuated. She's also noticeably improved her game, making several alliances across teams, and within her own. However she has been bleeding allies left and right through no fault of her own. She's one of the biggest immunity threats remaining in the game, however her likability will likely keep her for the long haul. She once again finishes her premerge with no votes against her, let's see if that trend continues."
"SUGAR!" Sugar has been a controversial figure this season, going from rootable but disliked underdog in Pahkitew to downright despised this season as she has contributed to several eliminations of fan favorite players despite being incredibly rude and annoying to deal with, Justin decided to side with her on several occasions, likely saving her game time and time again. She has been a cat with nine lives so far, and it looks like she's already used four of them. Will she be able to brute force her way to the end, earning the respect of the jury, or will she fizzle out like villains past?"
"TEM!" The final cast member of this merge, Tem has been steadily ramping up her game. Going from falling in love with Dave in season one and being incredibly stubborn, to a bit more malleable this season, she's shown a lot of growth. However she's lost Jaiden early, and doesn't seem to have a clear ally she can trust one hundred percent. Add onto her surprising magnetism for rogue votes courtesy of Lauren and Chase and who knows how far she'll make it. She sits in several alliances, and she has shown to have some solid strategic acumen in her head. But she has not been faced with any bold-faced liars yet like she did in Island. Will she revert back to her original form? Or will she continue to slide by?"
"FIND OUT ON THIS EPISODE OF TOTAL DRAMA ACTION!"
Theme Song
"Devin, off to the Lame-O-Sine you go!" Chris exclaimed, grabbing Devin by the arm and dragging him down the red carpet as he and Carrie waved goodbye to each other. Chris tossed Devin into the Lame-O-Sine and shut the door, before he returned back to the main stage.
"Now… before any of you can steal my thunder… Carmen," Chris shot a glare at the latina who rolled her eyes. "I'd like to formally congratulate you all on making the merge!" Chris's announcement was met with several cheers, as several players hugged and congratulated each other on the monumental achievement. "Starting tomorrow, we will be moving the girls into the Gaffers trailer and the boys into the Grips trailers! Mr. Milton has also requested that all trailers be outfitted with the same equipment to ensure everyone has the same amenities as this is an individual game now!" Chris exclaimed, this was meant with several more cheers, especially from those that preferred a more pampered living arrangement.
Confessional, Justin
From second boot, to losing constantly, to a tie breaker, to merging. This season has been absolutely brutal, but I think it's time I strike back.
Confessional, Sky
I'm so happy to have made it this far! I should've been here on the Island, but no reason to hang my head about that right now! I DID IT DAVE!
Confessional, Raj
I wish I could be here with old Wayner, but at least now he can't try an one up me in these challenges. We're a little too competitive with each other sometimes hehe… one time he gave me a swirly in the toilet while we were looking for a key… great times.
As the campers slowly dispersed, leaving the amphitheater and heading back to their trailers. The camera focused in on a pair of blondes that had not left their seats on the bleachers yet. Emma was consoling a sobbing Carrie.
"I couldn't even kiss him goodbye!" Carrie sobbed, as she gripped onto Emma's arms, as the former Youtuber hugged her.
"You at least got to say what you wanted to say before he left," Emma replied, rubbing Carrie's back. "You can at least keep going without regrets."
"I-I g-guess. I don't know what I'll do… we haven't been separated since like Kindergarten," Carrie said, bawling her eyes out into Emma's orange shirt.
"There there," Emma patted Carrie, pulling away a bit to look into her eyes. "All you can do now is win it for him."
"I know… I just… I don't know."
"I'll help you, don't worry," Emma reassured. "Blonde Co to the end." Emma smiled, hugging Carrie again who gave a small smile of relief.
Confessional, Emma
I know Carrie loves this show, and wants to give it her all. But getting together with Devin and then immediately losing him… I don't blame her for balling her eyes out like that.
Confessional, Carrie
They will all pay! (She continues to sob uncontrollably)
"WAY TO GO JUSTIN!" Raj exclaimed, initially going for a bro hug, but quickly and awkwardly switched to a high five. Justin flashed his handsome smile at Raj causing him to blush.
"I wish I was the one to send that boy home, but you did good handsome," Sugar added, strutting over to the model who instantly frowned upon seeing the pageant girl
"Thank you, you two," Justin said, "But we still have a long way to go."
"You should be more excited, man!" Raj cheered, fistpumping into the air. "You won a faceoff and now you merged!"
"Hell, I think I'm more excited than you! Then again I found Devin more annoying than a mud covered pig on a Sunday…" Sugar stated, as Raj and Justin gave her a couple of blank stares. "What?" She shrugged. "He was that annoying."
"Right…" Justin started. "Still there's thirteen people left, we haven't even made it halfway."
"Oh quit being a worry wart!" Sugar exclaimed, slapping Justin's back, knocking him forward a foot, "We're here and we're going to dominate!"
Confessional, Raj
Justin did so good up there on the treadmill… and he looked gorge… I mean he did good! He did good! Gotta focus on the competition… not the hot man.
Confessional, Sugar
If it were me up there, Devin woulda been off before he could say Juggie Chunks.
"GOOD MORNING CAMPERS!" Chris exclaimed through the lightly used loudspeaker. "TODAY'S CHALLENGE WILL BE A BIT EARLIER THIS MORNING, SO UP AND AT EM'"
"Ugh, I thought he stopped doing that this season," Sky groaned, as she dragged herself into the Craft Services Tent. She picked up a tray of food and took a seat next to Beardo as Hilde sat across from the pair. Hilde silently munched on her food as Beardo greeted the gymnast.
"Hey Sky!" Beardo exclaimed cheerfully.
"How do you get up so early, Beardo," Sky yawned, before taking in a bite of scrambled eggs.
"I like to get up early to practice my beatboxing," Beardo shrugged. "It's the only time I can get some practice in without waking anyone up or annoying them."
"I just enjoy the peace and quiet," Hilde grumbled from the other side of the table.
"Speaking of, I heard you were a bit of a golfer Hilde," Sky said, half asking, half stating to the golfer.
"Yeah, what of it?" Hilde replied, taking a massive bite out of her sausage link.
"Oh… well I just didn't take you to be the golfing type…" Sky hesitantly replied.
"I've got a killer swing, and I like the peace and quiet… at least when I'm alone on the range… those country club guys…" Hilde seemed to shudder a bit. "They're rather annoying.
"Have you ever yelled at one of them?" Beardo asked offhandedly.
"I want to, but I had an outburst once where I threw my club into a river. The club gave me a warning, ever since I've tried to keep my anger in check there… can't really afford to lose my membership, you know," Hilde explained.
"I feel that. Gymnastics is so competitive, even a small slip up in your appearance or personality just leads to rumors across all the clubs and it leads to being blackballed," Sky added.
"Can't really say I've had a similar experience," Beardo began, "I can practice from the comfort of my home, but prior to Total Drama I didn't get many gigs. But thanks, actually to a bit from Justin, I got a bit of side work every now and then."
"How'd Justin help you?" Hilde asked, leaning forward.
"Oh, he just got me a couple of contacts is all. We chatted some on the Playa, but after the season was over, we didn't talk a whole lot," Beardo explained.
"That's offly nice of him," Sky replied, stuffing more eggs into her mouth. "I got lucky with my sister being a former olympian, so it helped me get my foot in the door at least."
"Yeah, I haven't had those opportunities yet," Hilde grumbled.
"Total Drama is a massive show, I'm sure you'll get some sort of sponsorship or something once it's over. Heck I think Juggie Chunks even sponsored Sugar," Sky said as the three let out a laugh between them.
Confessional, Beardo
You know… for how blunt and angry Hilde is… golf is the last thing I'd have guessed her to have as a hobby.
Confessional, Sky
I didn't expect Hilde to open up like that. But I'm glad she is, even if it's a game, at the end of the day we're all just people trying to be better.
The camera shifted to the now girls trailer, as Tem exited it tying her signature ponytail up, Courtney was right behind her, dusting off her traditional nice gray shirt.
"Isn't it exciting?" Courtney exclaimed, her voice far lighter and happier than usual.
"What do you mean?" Tem questioned. "Like us merging?" Tem shoved her hands into her pockets, leaving her thumbs on the outside.
"Yeah! I mean for people like Sky, myself, or Carson who got so close, it really means a lot. But I'm sure for everyone else too, this is a major achievement," Courtney replied, running her hand through her hair, straightening it out.
"Oh you know it!" Tem exclaimed, chuckling a bit to herself. "I will say, I'd love nothing more than to win this, the money would fund my architecture dreams, I could go to Paris, oh the city of love, I could swoon," Tem was falling into a daydream as she nearly walked straight into a picnic table, before she regained her consciousness.
"I'd love to go to Paris, but between Duncan working as a mechanic, and me trying to go to law school, the time just isn't there sadly," Courtney let out a sad sigh, as she looked down at her feet.
"Everyone needs a vacation, besides I can tell you miss him. You guys could use a nice little trip," Tem replied, flashing Courtney a smile.
"Trust me, I'll treat him. Being away from him has made me realize how much I miss and love him. He's not perfect, but he's mine, and that's what matters." Tem nodded in agreement with the former CIT.
"I wish I met a guy like that. I just fall in love so easily, it's a miracle I haven't lost it over Justin yet," The two girls shared a small laugh together.
"You'll find the right one, you just gotta be patient. If anything, not falling for Justin shows how much you've grown you know?" Courtney replied, giving Tem a comforting hand on Tem's shoulder.
"Thanks Courtney," Tem said, her smile returning to her face.
Confessional, Courtney
A lawyer is better than an architect salary wise… just saying… still admirable though.
Confessional, Tem
I could never be a lawyer, I'm too honest in my day to day life. Like trying to represent someone who was guilty would be the very definition of something I could not do.
The camera shifted back to inside the Craft Services Tent, as Carson, Carmen, and Angelo all sat together. Carmen and Angelo sat next to each other, each with some eggs, bacon, and sausage on their plate. Carson sat across from the pair, instead of sausage he had some toast on his own plate.
"So… Carson…" Carmen started, causing Carson to look up from his plate of food. "Is Ryan perhaps single?" Carmen leaned forward a bit, folding her arms in front of her chest. Angelo seemed to perk up, now paying attention to the conversation at hand as he chewed on some eggs.
"Yes?" Carson hesitantly replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh well.. You know… A good looking guy like him, with a good looking gal like myself…" Carmen trailed off, Carson rolled his eyes in response.
"I've known him for years, he's never once looked for a relationship," Carson replied, waving Carmen off.
"Well maybe he's you know…" Angelo started. Carson shook his head.
"No no, I think he's just off doing his own thing." Carson paused for a moment, pondering a thought. "I know he mentioned he'd want to focus on college with the money, so probably just doing that."
"For his best friend you sure don't know a lot," Carmen pointed out.
"Most guys don't know what their friends are up to." Carson shrugged, Carmen glanced at Angelo as if to ask if Carson was telling the truth.
"Most straight or masculine guys," Angelo clarified.
Confessional, Carmen
Look if the boys and girls on my two seasons are all gay or not looking for anything, I may as well start taking shots at the hot people from other seasons (She shrugs)
Confessional, Carson
If I had a nickel for every time I was asked about Ryan's love life… I'd at least have enough to get the runner up's prize
The campers rested idly among the soundstages and film sets when a shrill three tone alarm started. "Attention campers, report to the Craft Services Tent for the briefing, remain six feet apart," a familiar and nasal voice mentioned. The three tone alarm continued as the campers all rushed to the craft services tent.
Inside the tent the campers awkwardly stood on dots six feet apart. Chef stood in the kitchen with a black KN-95 mask over his mouth. The campers could see Dakota and Sam spaced apart and further behind Chef as Chris stood next to a concealed box figure. Chris tapped the side of the cabinet and drew attention. "Campers, you may notice that today is a bit more tense. It started with the natural disaster warning system, something commonplace in countries more vulnerable to disasters like tornadoes, tsunamis, or even earthquakes. But that's not my expertise. Today's challenge is going to be all about disasters, and who better to demonstrate one of the ways to be resilient against disasters than one of today's cameos, Harold!"
Chris whipped off the cover over the rectangle, showing Harold in a small glass container in a properly seated position. The ginger waved politely to the campers as he glared at Chris. The host backed away to a designated spot as Harold waved limply. "Today's disaster season is supposed to prepare us all for the disasters. And there will be disasters because according to Prepper Steve's Prepper Camp, we all need to prepare for any eventuality. By preparing for the extreme cases we can work for the more mundane disasters," Harold read monotonously off of the tablet.
"Like-" Sugar started to interrupt.
"KOWABONZAI!" a female voice shrieked. The campers looked at one side of the tent as a chainsaw started to whir through the side. Izzy from Total Drama Island burst through the tent, discarding the chainsaw, and running straight into Harold's transparent box. The box crumpled and Izzy grabbed Harold's tablet out of her hand.
"Does Prepper Steve have any advice for Izzy?" Justin hesitated, noticing the hose beast staring at him.
"Nope, I'm one of a kind, unwritten, and dancing in the sky!" Izzy pressed a button on the tablet. "TODAY'S CHALLENGE IS ONE IMMUNITY SO LET'S GET YOU TO YOUR DOOM!"
"HEY! YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO-" Sam shouted. "LET'S RUN!"
The camera zoomed out of the Craft Services Tent, showing Harold, Chef, Chris, Dakota, Sam, and the contestants all running out in front of Izzy as the back of the tent suddenly burst into flames.
Confessional, Dakota
Why didn't we bring back Trent?
Confessional, Courtney
I take pride in not being scared of a lot. Helps having dulled my brain to scares with all my movie dates with Duncan. But you never get over the fear of Izzy (She shudders) For your own good, don't meet her.
Confessional, Angelo
So the curse of the gingers… (he runs a hand through his head) Did it start with her or was she already like that?
The hosting parties and contestants darted into a now open soundstage divided into several small setpieces. They gathered in front of what looked like an average sized wooden house some ten feet off of the ground. "The home is one of the most dangerous places you can be, so today we're testing your preparedness by heading into this one story house when a disaster will hit," Harold explained. Sam escorted Harold to a more secluded location as Izzy entered the set, cackling.
"GET IN THE HOUSE!" Izzy took a seat on a director's chair. Dakota wheeled over a small control panel and whacked her hand away before she could do anything with it.
A small camera wipe took the footage into the replica of the house where all the contestants looked over the scene. The walls were adorned with safety information and hazard warnings. Hilde, Angelo, Justin, and Raj investigated a small bedroom with access to the one full bathroom. Sky wrapped her fingers on a hardwood desk while Carmen investigated a bookshelf. Carrie and Emma looked up at the light while they looked through the kitchen feature. Beardo and Tem opened the door to a small closet where a water heater seemed to be sloshing around. Carson looked through another bedroom with a queen sized bed and a decently sized closet. Courtney opened another door close to the window where a toilet was. Sugar looked at the upper cabinets where paper toiletries and disposables were stored over a toilet.
"AND THE CHALLENGE STARTS NOW!" Izzy screamed at a volume that the others could hear in the house. "DON'T GET HIT BY THE FLYING DEBRIS OR FALL OUT OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE NOW IT'S A MAGNITUDE I.Z!'
Izzy's cackle started as she slammed a button on the control panel. The wooden house started to shake and the substructure rose up, revealing the structure of the house as many of its features started to sway. Tem let out a scream as she started to hold onto one of the doorways. From the outside the cameras looked in as the walls sunk into the ground around the structure and gave way to crash mats and padding in order to be safe.
"HOW LONG DO THESE THINGS LAST?!" Raj screamed as he hunkered next to a desk in the bedroom.
Justin tried to remain steady underneath a doorway. Behind him a lighting feature fell from the sky and hit him in his back. "Ow!"
Confessional, Justin
(He held an ice pack on his back) Bruising works for athletes when they do modeling… it absolutely does not work for me. I really NEED this back modeling contract.
Carmen scrambled on her feet as she tried to get her center of body low. She was able to do so as she grabbed onto a large couch and tried to get away from the wall. Sugar held her hands over her head as Carson flailed about, bumping into her. Angelo climbed on top of one of the mattresses and was curled up against the headboard, his ears covered by his pale hands, trying to use his small frame to his advantage.
"NO ONE'S GONE YET, SO LET'S GET INTO SOME AFTERSHOCKS!" Izzy cackled.
The house suddenly stopped shaking as the campers all looked at each other. "More?" Sky hesitantly asked.
"YOU CAN BET ON IT!" IZzy slammed her fist on the control panel. The house tilted first as Justin found himself spiraling into the living room. His body collided against one of the interior walls and a book fell on his face. He slid out the house anticlimactically with the book still somehow glued to his face. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR LEAVING ME AT THE SUSHI RESTAURANT TALKING TO FISH!"
The camera zoomed in on a rather disillusioned Justin as he tried moving out of the way. Another shake tumbled Carmen straight onto stomach. "Your-" Justin wheezed.
"Que?" Carmen rubbed her head. She looked at her feet and found one of them in the worst place for a guy. "Lo siento."
Confessional, Justin
(He coughs) Izzy and I… went on a date once… she started talking to the sushi instead of me. I can handle earthquakes, I've been through a fair bit, but IzzyQuakes are a whole other story.
Confessional, Carmen
You know I always fantasized about slamming my high heels onto Don's muy muy muy muy pequeño kiwitos…. And if a little bit hurt Justin that much IMAGINATE TUS KIWITOS DON! PENDEJO!
Inside the house Beardo had managed to crawl his way away from the dislodged water heater to the kitchen where some of the cabinets were open and spilling glass and other utensils onto the floor. Emma hunkered underneath a small countertop as a fruit seemed to explode next to her.
Carrie tumbled over a countertop and held her hands over her face as the house suddenly tilted in a different direction. Sky pulled her down and they hunkered next to one of the sturdier walls. Raj and Hilde pushed their backs against a side table bolted into the floor to keep from moving.
The shaking slowed to a small stop as Sugar popped her head out of the bathtub. Hesitantly, she walked out of the bathroom. "Is the funnel over?" she rubbed her bruised head.
Beardo popped his head up from behind the countertop. He opened his mouth to make a sound when the house suddenly tilted towards the front. Sugar screamed as Beardo let out a warning sound. Beardo and Sugar lost their balance as they slid down the hallway, colliding into a sliding coffee table, and eventually spilling onto the inflated crash mats.
Confessional, Beardo
(he shakes his head, a LOT of dust and insulation comes out) My older cousins used to tell me a lot about the earthquakes back in Haiti, I feel like I sympathize with them a little better.
Confessional, Sugar
Honestly I wouldn't mind having Izzy control the bucking bull mechanical rides back home, that was a load of fun, but I feel robbed by the stupid coffee table. I hate coffee tables!
The house returned to its neutral state. The campers hesitated as the house jilted and jolted and tilted and tumbled a little more. The house finally became still and once a minute passed they all stood up. "That was awesome!" Izzy screeched.
"Well from what I saw we had a lot of infractures. DO NOT MOVE DURING AN EARTHQUAKE UNLESS IT'S TO A STURDY PLACE!" Harold shouted. "AND YOU HUNKER IN A BATHTUB FOR TORNADOES!"
"I thought you were gonna yell at Angelo for staying on the bed," Hilde asked, earning a confused glance from the diminutive actor.
"Actually in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake in California many people survived because they remained in bed. When the walls of their houses collapsed over their beds the headboard formed something of a-"
"Oh my gosh would you just shut up?" Izzy grabbed Harold's clipboard and threw it to the next station. "BONZULLSEYE!"
"Yeah we're only going to eliminate about a quarter of you each time," Chris clarified. "That means Beardo, Justin, Carmen, and Sugar, you're all out. We have more disasters to go through anyways. Now come on, we have to set up the angles for the next disaster!"
Confessional, Emma
Next disaster… has to be either fire, water, or air if my theory about this being the four main elements is gonna be right
A quick camera pan showed Harold guarding the eliminated campers behind a red velvet rope. They were seated awkwardly on four chairs as they campers still in the game waited outside the next station. "Wildfires have burned dozens of millions of acres throughout Canada's forests and plains," Harold quickly explained.
"So for this portion," Chris started. "We're going to have you navigate this incredibly hot mirror maze." The camera changed to an overhead view of the mirror maze. Orange lights shone in the center in order to create something like a fire effect. Another camera feed inside the maze revealed that many of the glass walls were tinted in varying shades and colors of red, orange, and yellow.
"What's this supposed to represent exactly?" Courtney asked.
"How hard it is to evacuate a burning building," Harold explained. "Stop, drop, and roll in order to be the safest."
"You heard him," Chris mentioned.
Another camera pan showed all the remaining campers lining up at the start of the maze. "First six to make it out are safe!" Chris shouted through a megaphone. "GO!"
The contestants stomped through the first portion of the maze in a quick rush. The maze itself wasn't very big, a square of about forty square meters, but a brief split started to reveal that some sections were a lot hotter when they stood straight up. Carson was the first to cue into the hint and started to crawl on his hands and knees. He held a hand in front of his face as smoke started to fill the maze.
Confessional, Carson
SMOKE?! FIRE?! I KNOW I SAID THIS SHOW WAS HELL BUT THIS IS LITERAL NOW!
Raj started coughing as he ran into a rather hot glass pane. He laid on the ground, woozy, before changing his position so that he was on his hands and knees. He heaved in and out as he took off his outer jersey, revealing a small undershirt. He wrapped the jersey around his mouth in order to create something of a filter before he slowly started to crawl through.
Hilde, currently the tallest person in the maze, found herself hit with a particularly big stream of smoke. She ducked underneath and held her hand in front of her face. She rushed forward and slammed into a hot glass wall. "Motherf-" she stammered, grabbing her elbow.
Sky wiped the sweat from her brow as she continued scrambling along the ground. A flailing Carrie tripped over her hands and sky hesitantly apologized. Carrie started to crawl in the opposite direction of Sky, accidentally hitting her head on a yellow glass pane.
Confessional, Carrie
(Her forehead is red from the heat and sweat is dripping down her head) I'm so glad I live in Saskatoon where it's much colder than here normally. I feel like a popsicle in a sauna.
Emma closed her eyes as she wiped the sweat from her brow. As soon as she wiped the beads away another line of sweat started to drip down her face. The trail of sweat evaporated on the nearest pane in a small cloud of mist. Blindly she stepped forward and tripped over Raj on the ground. "Sorry," the hockey player mumbled.
Angelo continued his slow crawl through the maze and eventually tumbled onto the much colder concrete floor. Just behind him Sky crawled around and similarly collapsed. "Acqua… Acqua…"
"What… he… said," Sky rolled over.
Tem and Courtney stared down several rows of yellow glass panes. Courtney fanned the smoke in front of her as she tried staring through. "There…" she said confidently. The level of confidence in her voice matched by the level of confidence in her step quickly diminished when she slammed her face into a glass pane. Tem caught her as she slowly fell to the ground, red tinged on her cheeks.
Confessional, Tem
Yeah it's a simulated fire, but Courtney hit her head very hard. It was burning up. Her cheeks were red, almost like she was blushing.
Confessional, Courtney
Duncan no, it wasn't blush, it wasn't even anything. It wasn't embarrassment, it wasn't fear, it wasn't even the heat. It was just my blood rushing!
Emma held her hand in front of her as she stepped forward, almost losing balance. She again groped the air around her before her fingertips grazed a rather hot section of the glass. "CHAAAAAASSSSEEEE!"
Closer to the exit of the maze, Tem and Courtney shared a confused glance. "She knows he's not here anymore, right?" Tem asked.
"If he was as big a prick as Emma said, maybe she's going through some PTSD," Courtney offered. The two saw a rather clear path towards the exit and rushed to it. Their momentum quickly ended when their faces met a clear glass window. Both girls unceremoniously slumped to the floor as they crawled around the glass.
Further within the maze Carson hesitantly held his hand outward. Feeling safe he pressed forward, only to suddenly run into a light yellow pane. The palm of his hand suddenly turned red and he recoiled. Nearby, obscured slightly by a pair of orange panes.
Carrie hesitantly got to her knees as she shuffled around. She investigated one of her knees and more specifically any damage she might have gotten on her pants, which, luckily for her, wasn't that damaged. She continued shuffling on her knees in order to find her way out.
Raj looked through several panes of glass to see the exit. His hope renewed, he started to walk closer and closer to the exit, his speed increasing, only to stop when his cheek met a red pane of glass.
Just beyond that pane of glass, Hilde's boots and Carson's sneakers hit the ground. The heating elements in the maze turned off and the smoke stopped flooding the maze at face level. Emma, Carrie, and Raj, in reverse order of closeness to the exit, looked up while a light mist graced all of them.
Confessional, Raj
…What? You really expected an ice hockey player to do well in fire? I don't like fire, it's no rabid animal, but I still don't like it.
Confessional, Carrie
First challenge without Devin and I'm already in the bottom half, not a good omen.
"Now that your temperature is more or less the same as it was before," Chris started. "We are at the halfway point now with Raj, Carrie, and Emma all eliminated from the challenge. Any gaffes Harold?"
"I thought we merged," Raj spoke up.
"What?" Harold replied.
"Chris is asking if you have any Gaffers. We don't got any Gaffers no more because we merged," Sugar clarified.
"...GAFFES!" Harold screamed, exasperated in his raspy voice. "And yes, there were some. Raj, that was a smart thing you did with the jersey, but you typically do that with water. There were so many of you that didn't immediately go down. And Carson, you should have been feeling out with the back of your hand rather than the front of your hand. That way nerve damage won't-"
"BORING!" Izzy shouted. She grabbed Harold's clipboard and jumped onto some scaffolding. Cackling all the while, Izzy slid down another support beam in front of the next station. "GET THIS NEXT DISASTER GOING! I WANT TO LET IT GO!"
A camera wipe showed the contestants eliminated from the challenge licking ice popsicles away from the six remaining campers, arranged in alphabetical order, on six discs. Those six discs were atop a giant bar. That giant bar was raised some five feet above the ground. From left to right as initially presented were Angelo, Carson, Courtney, Hilde, Sky, and Tem. "So this is going to be simple," Chris explained. "Stay atop the bar. First three that fall off are eliminated from the challenge."
"What's the disaster that we have to worry about?" Tem worriedly asked.
"Harold?" Chris ceded.
"We've had earth, we've had fire, and now we have water. Frozen water to be exact. When Izzy's ready she'll flip the switch and force movement. That bar will rotate and the discs will spin. You'll be hit with cold ice and cold simulated snow emerging from the fixture and from above. Blizzards greatly affect communication and with more extreme weather effect there'll-"
"Oh shut up Hippie," Izzy interrupted. "LET'S LET IT GO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"
The bar suddenly started rotating as a giant stream of white powder erupted from the ground. Izzy slammed another button and a light mist of cold water hit all six contestants. "COLD!" Courtney shrieked.
"Suck it up!" Hilde hissed as she passed underneath a stream of white snow. "It's ... .cold…yes…" she started shivering.
The bar made one complete rotation.. Tem struggled to remain balanced as the disc continued turning. She curled herself in a ball in an effort to expose less of her skin. "This is… cold…" she stammered.
Another stream of cold water erupted from the ground. Angelo tilted his head back in order to remain balanced as the disc continued to spin. Just as he did so a pile of white powder hit him in the face. He flailed backward and tumbled to the ground. He looked up as he was covered in more cold snow.
Confessional, Angelo
I play up the Italian a lot, but I have seen snow! I've been to the alps! I've been living in Canada for so long! It's just that these clothes aren't equipped for the snow. Besides, snow doesn't normally blow up.
The bar slowed to a more manageable pace as the contestants made another rotation. Carson wiped the melted snow and ice off of his face. He shook his ponytail and his head as smaller snow managed to flurry around him. Hilde rubbed her bare forearm vigorously before using it again to cover her bare midriff. Tem meekly looked through the pile of snow that accumulated around her before she closed her eyes again. Courtney stood rather sturdy as Sky shook out her arm in an effort to get her blood pumping again.
The bar continued at a rather slow rotation around the pivot point. Those standing stared at each other as the discs suddenly started spinning at a fierce pace. Carson screamed as his ponytail whipped around and hit him in the face. He held his hand out in order to stop the motion before he lost his balance and flew into the white mat below.
Confessional, Carson
I KNEW I should have tucked my ponytail in. I guess me failing because of it was an inevitability.
As the discs slowed down, Sky stared at the edge of the bar in an effort to help her focus. She looked over Tem's pile as Tem's snow flew out in a small blizzard. The two shared an awkward smile as the bar suddenly changed rotating directions.
"This is getting boring," Izzy bemoaned. She looked at the buttons on the control panel she was given. The camera panned away just as she slammed her hand over several buttons.
Hilde and Courtney kept staring at each other in an effort to remain sturdy. So focused were they that they didn't notice when a giant snow covered boulder slammed into the two of them and knocked them into the mat.
"WOW!" Chris shouted. "We're going to have to go onto the tapes to see which of those two girls are going to join Tem and Sky in the final round."
Hilde strained her head as her teeth started chattering. "Can I get some….thing…." she begged.
Sam walked over and covered her with a heated maroon towel. Dakota brought down Sky and Tem and wrapped them in heated towels. The camera panned to show all the contestants involved in the snow challenge with heated towels over them, Angelo's red hair peeking out of one.
"Okay, the footage has been reviewed," Chris said after fifteen minutes have passed. "The fifteen minutes all heated up is due to prevent all forms of hypothermia. And as such, we have found that it was Courtney who is eligible to move on."
"Wow that's more formal than I'd've expected from you," Courtney mentioned.
"The disclaimer did that," Chris explained. "And now we have one final challenge before we say goodbye to Izzy and Harold."
A giant cylinder stood high in a portion of the soundstage. "Sky, Courtney, Tem, welcome to the final challenge!" Chris started.
A brief look at the three girls revealed them to be wearing what looked to be flying wingsuits. "Global warming is responsible for a lot of things, chief of which is these kinds of natural disasters. Tornadoes are violently rotating columns of air contact with both the Earth's surface and a cumulonimbus cloud. Most of them have wind speeds of less than one hundred and ten miles per hour, are about two hundred and fifty feet across, and travel a few miles before dissipating," Harold explained.
"Why'd you mention that in imperial?" Courtney asked.
"Because it's the only ones that make sense!" Sugar shouted from the group of contestants eliminated from the challenge. They seemed to be in different states of boredom.
"You're not even involved with this one!" Courtney retorted.
"Tell that to all the Alabama tornadoes I've been through. Unless Alabama Tornadoes don't count, in which case you're racist!"
"R-RACIST?!" Courtney shrieked.
"AHEM!" Chris shouted, turning attention to him again. "Now, Courtney, Sky, Tem, please step into the chamber. It's specially designed to get the wind going and meant for films to capture sick action shots and falling from planes in the safety of a controlled environment."
Three balloons each about a meter in diameter lowered into the facility. "Today's final challenge is going to-"
"IT'S GETTING HOT IN HERE SO LET'S GET IT WHIRRING!" Cackled Izzy from the control booth. She looked to her right as Fang started to chase after her. She jumped over the controls and the machine started to whir to life.
Tem, Courtney, and Sky flew into the air and collided with each other, the balloons, and the walls. "WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Sky managed to ask.
"FIRST ONE TO GRAB ONTO THEIR BALLOON FOR A MINUTE WINS! THERE IS A FACE ON EACH AND EVERY ONE! IT'S YOUR FACE! GRAB IT!" Chris said as Izzy started to chase Chris with a paintball gun. "WHERE'D SHE EVEN GET THAT?!"
Confessional, Izzy
I had my fun, now to disappear into the city once again because I sure as heck ain't gonna make anymore appearances this season! TATA!
(There's a smoke bomb and the sound of a door opening)
Fang storms in. He looks around. Izzy's nowhere to be seen. On her seat is a small orb. He touches it. It explodes into ink. He turns to the camera with a 's not getting paid enough for this.
The three final girls, Tem, Sky, and Courtney, tried to right themselves as the wind slowly died down to a more manageable pace. They caught their breath as their balloons fell on top before bouncing away. "Ow…." Tem groaned. She looked up at the top of the vertical wind tunnel as more and more inflatables fell into the tube. She started to scream as the wind started up again.
A camera feed followed Courtney as she tried to soar through the air. Her hand hit an inflatable hat and she swatted it towards Sky's direction. Courtney tumbled through the air as she swatted another inflatable balloon with an image of a marshmallow on it. A small carrot flew into her face and popped in her mouth.
Higher above Sky weaved through two giant cylindrical balloons to get closer to another massive round balloon. She turned the balloon around to see it was Tem's balloon. She looked below her to see Tem tumbling around with other balloons before she threw Tem's balloon upward.
Confessional, Sky
I love Tem, but I WANT TO WIN! So her balloon can go higher and higher. Tem has the spirit and if she wants to win she'll get out of that balloon mess.
Confessional, Courtney
(Her voice is very high pitched) How do you train for this?! There's no guidebooks, no rules, nothing in the contracts!
Confessional, Tem
I feel so much more sympathy for my clothes in the washing machine now.
The wind died down for a moment and Tem landed on an inflatable mattress. She looked around, surprised that she managed to survive, before a current started to spiral around. She grabbed onto the mattress and looked at a nearby camera with a wide eyed stare of fear. She shot out of the frame and her screams were heard high above.
Courtney batted away more and more balloons, getting into something of a rhythm as she somehow managed to be relatively flat with the spiraling wind. A balloon came up from underneath her and started to elevate her just off screen. "OH COME ON!"
Sound seemed to stop just as the camera focused on Sky. She had a clear shot to her balloon. A triangular balloon hit her in the legs and she used the momentum to propel herself forward. Her hands outstretched, she clutched it tightly, her balloon's face angled towards the camera.
Courtney caught sight of her balloon. She batted away a small inflatable pillow on her way. Her hands barely touched the balloon. "I GOT IT!" She shrieked. She pulled herself closer and started to count. She opened her eyes when the victory alarm started ringing. She looked around, confused, realizing that Sky also had her balloon.
Tem plummeted to the ground and bounced on a mat. She let out a weak moan as Courtney started to help her up. The two dodged the falling objects and made their way out. Sky was quick to follow.
"SKY!" Chris shouted as the winds died down. The gymnast, still holding onto her balloon, landed on the mats with a hopeful glance. "You were the first one to cling onto your weather balloon for one minute! Congratulations on being the first person to win immunity! As for the rest of you, we're saying goodbye to your game tonight in three hours."
The campers started to dissipate. Dakota donned protective gear as Sam pulled up a tablet. "It was actually nice meeting you Harold, I kept my eye out on you," Carson walked over and gave Harold a handshake.
"Likewise," Harold said.
"Is Izzy gone?" Tem looked around. "She doesn't have any access to planes right?"
"To our knowledge, no," Harold sighed. "But you two have bigger things to worry about in the game."
"What about Izzy's hiding places?" Sugar asked.
"Dakota was on a season with her, hopefully she can connect there. Besides, they worked together before," Harold explained.
"Well, I guess that's it then," Carson said. "Nice meeting you."
"Likewise."
Confessional, Sky
Immunity record here we come! Scott, I'm coming for you!
Following the challenge, the campers quickly went into a scrambling frenzy for the first merge vote of the season. The camera focused in on Hilde and Sugar first, the punk rocker was pushing for a certain sound machine to go home first.
"I know you vets have this like… thing going on…" Hilde started, before Sugar stopped her.
"Please, whatever thing these vets got, I sure as hell am not included!" Sugar exclaimed, rolling her eyes. Hilde seemed to give an eye roll of her own before nodding.
"Well, I was going to suggest going for Beardo…" Hilde paused for a moment, staring intently at Sugar as if reading her facial reaction. "After the whole idol thing, he's a pretty big threat."
"Blindsiding the sound board?" Sugar replied with a devilish smirk. "I'm into it."
"Really? That fast?" Hilde asked, a bit stunned.
"Yeah why not. Besides, he's annoying." Sugar shrugged. "He creeps me out too. He's always got his eye on people, it's weird!"
"Yeah… his observational skills are… a bit surprising. Dude seems to always know something he shouldn't" Hilde replied, nodding in agreement with the curly haired blonde.
"Mhmm, it's like your old ma and pa figuring out you ate all the sticky buns when they went on that vacation," Sugar rambled on, as Hilde shot her a look of both confusion and disgust.
"Right… well I better get going, still need to talk to everyone else!" Hilde exclaimed, speed walking away.
"Like I know I did it, but they didn't even suspect the dog…. Oh she's gone… I'm not that boring!" Sugar shouted, fist in the air in anger.
Confessional, Hilde
Sugar needs to be a case study… Either way, a vet going is a vet going.
Confessional, Sugar
Something about that soundbox annoys me… and that's all I really need.
As the camera panned away from the two girls, it shifted over to the trailers, zooming in onto the women's side, it showed Carmen, Emma, and even Justin inside, all were in front of the mirror touching themselves up following the challenge.
"Oooo Carmen, you have to tell me what lipstick you use!" Emma squealed. "It is stunning!" Emma seemed to fan herself as she complimented the girl.
"I use E.L.F. personally," Carmen replied, still staring into the mirror. "Works well if you wanna kiss someone," She added, winking at Justin, who returned the wink with a smile.
"I'll look into it! I've only heard of the expensive ones like Tom Ford and what not. I've got some old Youtube money that I want to burn so…" Emma trailed off, Carmen's eye seemed to twitch at the mention of expensive
"Why would you burn money?" Justin asked as he sprayed on some hairspray.
"Cause of the connection to Chase." Emma replied curtly. The other two nodded in understanding.
"Makes sense." Carmen shrugged. "But we should talk about the vote. I don't know where you two stand after yesterday…" Carmen trailed off a bit, as Justin and Emma glanced at each other and seemed to shrug.
"It's merge now, what's done is done," Justin replied. "Besides I wouldn't want to get rid of such a pretty face just yet," Justin added, causing Emma to blush violently.
"Anyways, I'm sure you all have heard about Angelo's idol escapades," Carmen mused, keeping her eyes on the two former Grips. "I know I would personally be interested in seeing him finally leave the game."
"Angelo's nice, he really is, but he can do that idol thing again and get one of us out, that's scary," Emma added, putting away her cosmetics.
"I have no qualms voting for him. We haven't talked much if at all," Justin added, "Who else would be voting for him?"
"I'd imagine most people?" Carmen replied, a tad unsure. "I mean, I know he hasn't connected with too many people, and I can't imagine anyone wants a chaotic vote, it is the first merge vote."
"I can chat around, see what else is up, maybe check in with a couple Grips and see what they think," Justin nodded in agreement as Emma put her cosmetics away. "I'll see you guys." Emma waved to Carmen and Justin who waved back to the blonde girl as she exited the trailer.
Confessional, Emma
After Devin got eliminated… I figure why not pivot to the hot guy. He's smart and hot, and no real reason to target him anymore (she swoons nearly falling out of her chair)
"I'm glad you can flirt a little bit," Carmen sighed. "Estaba muriendo looking for a flirt to flirt with for ages."
"Well you tend to always flirt with all the gay ones," Justin snickered back.
"I DO NOT!" Carmen exclaimed, feigning offense.
"Quentin… Angelo…. Raj… maybe Chase…." Justin rambled on.
"Okay okay fine whatever, I tried with Mike and DJ too for your information," Carmen folded her arms in defiance.
"Right… either way. I do think for the both of us, perhaps… Beautiful People alliance is in order," Justin said, a devious smirk appeared on his face.
"Oh you know we need a hot guy and girl alliance!" Carmen exclaimed, a massive smile on her face.
"Let's keep this on the down low. I don't think anyone suspects of being close, so let's not bring any unwarranted attention to us that isn't people drooling,"
"Done and done!"
Confessional, Justin
Finally someone who gets it!
Confessional, Carmen
FINALLY A FLIRT! I'VE BEEN STARVING!
The camera shifted to Sky and Tem who had found themselves out in a patch of grass behind the two trailers. Both sitting under a bushy tree blocking out the sun from their faces.
"I'm glad you got that immunity, nothing against those other girls… but I feel better knowing you have it," Tem congratulated, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Trust me I know. If Hilde got her hands on it, she'd be running around demanding that every single veteran go home," Sky replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"If she hasn't already," Tem and Sky giggled for a moment before Tem continued. "But, I do think we should consider throwing our votes somewhere tonight."
"What do you mean?" Sky asked, perplexed by her friend's suggestion.
"Well the vote is obviously on Beardo or Angelo right now. We know Angelo has found an idol once, no telling if they found another…" Tem trailed off.
"Go on…" Sky replied.
"Well… if a few of us were to vote someone else, as a contingency for an idol, then Angelo and Beardo wouldn't have sole power over who goes home," Tem finished.
"I see what you're saying… but say the person stays, wouldn't that just cause issues for us in the future?" Sky wondered allowed, worry crossing her face.
"Depends on who we vote for, but I think we'd be fine either way. With how a lot of these people operate, as long as we don't draw attention to ourselves, no one will care," Tem explained, placing a reassuring hand on Sky's shoulder.
"Then who do you suggest?"
"Emma."
Confessional, Sky
Meh I'm immune why not
As Tem and Sky were wrapping up their conversation, Beardo and Angelo strolled up to them. Angelo was clearly nervous, as his eyes seemed to constantly dart around, watching for anyone else. While Beardo seemed far more calm, his face appearing more at ease compared to his ally.
"Hey guys," Beardo exclaimed, waving to the two girls. "May we have a seat here?" Tem and Sky shared a quick glance before nodding that they could. The two boys took a seat across from the two girls, Beardo in front of Tem, and Angelo in front of Sky.
"We were just talking about the vote," Sky said to the two boys. "I'm sure you guys know you're on the block."
"Y-yeah…" Angelo nervously replied, Beardo just nodded.
"Well, we were hearing that Emma was a possible name on the block," Tem said, Sky shot her a shocked glance before regaining her composure which did not go unnoticed by Beardo.
"Really?" Angelo exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't think anyone else would be on the table."
"Yeah… we were talking about possibly doing that," Tem quickly added.
"Is anyone else considering this?" Beardo asked the two girls, his eyebrow raised in suspicion.
"We're not really sure… uh… we thought maybe uh… Carson would be down. He's never really spoken with Emma at all," Sky nervously replied, trying to hold down her burps.
"Well then, I should be going," Angelo started, "I need to keep campaigning for Beardo and I to stay, thanks for the help." Angelo smiled, as he stood up and waved to the two girls. Leaving Sky, Tem, and Beardo behind.
Confessional, Angelo
Not my first choice, but she's just overly loud and just a bit much… so I guess I'm good with it.
Confessional, Sky
Yeah the burping still hasn't gone away… besides, Beardo was eyeing me like a fresh t-bone steak, like come on man cut me some slack over here!
"Is the Emma thing legit?" Beardo asked bluntly.
"Kind of…" Tem hesitantly replied, glancing at Sky.
"What do you mean?" Beardo asked, his eyes narrowing analytically.
"We were going to vote for her in the event an idol is played again," Tem replied. "But if you managed to get one or two more people on her she'd probably go home."
"I see." Beardo brought his hand to his bushy beard, appearing in deep thought. "If I were to campaign against her, what would you do?"
Tem and Sky looked at each other, Sky shrugged showing indifference to the question. "Nothing. Just don't implicate us," Tem responded, Beardo nodded.
"I get it. And if Emma were to go, where do you think everything would stand?"
"Who knows,' Sky stated. "Hilde probably goes after you guys if she isn't already, but who even knows."
"Yeah she would," Beardo replied, letting out a sad musical noise. "But, not like I have much of a choice," Beardo added, giving the two girls a shrug and standing up, thanking them and leaving them by themselves again.
Confessional, Tem
Honestly… I wouldn't hate Emma going… but I'd rather not have the blood on my hands, or deal with people trying to spin seven different stories to me. I'm trying my best to not lie, but it's becoming really hard to do what I need to do and keep everything on the straight and narrow.
Confessional, Beardo
Is Angelo a great ally? Depends on the day… but he is an ally… and currently my only solid one, so…
The camera shifted over to the front of the trailers where Justin and Carmen were now exiting the girls trailer following their facial touch ups. As they opened the door, it smacked right into Hilde's face knocking her onto the ground.
"Oh my god! ¡Lo siento Hilde!" Carmen exclaimed, rushing to pick up the punk girl from the ground.
"It's fine," Hilde gruffed, as she took Carmen's hand and stood herself up, dusting herself off before continuing. "I was wondering if you two would be interested in voting out the sound machine."
"I'm more than happy to do that, what about you Justin?" Carmen asked the model.
Justin seemed to pause, a look of nervousness crossed his face before he shrugged. "I feel like Angelo would be a safer choice personally."
"Safe isn't always best," Hilde pointed out. "Besides, between the two Beardo is by far the better physical player."
"I have to agree," Carmen added. "Beardo observational skills are a bit surprising. Angelo tiene mucho suerte pero I haven't seen much else from the guy."
"Kid is scared of his own shadow," Hilde joked. "I also talked to Sugar as well, and she seemed down to cut him loose."
"I don't know," Justin hesitated. "I think Angelo is something more people would be interested in doing."
"But if that's the case, would it not make more sense to take out the person more people like?" Hilde questioned, her eyes narrowing towards the model.
"And leave Angelo in as a free agent for someone more dangerous to use?" Justin shot back. The three all seemed to look between each other before Justin let out a heavy sigh and brought his hand to the bridge of his nose. "Carmen and I will talk about it some more, but we just have to keep in mind that each vote has its repercussions." Carmen nodded in agreement as Hilde seemed to roll her eyes.
"Yeah yeah, just let me know before the vote, I don't want to be hung out to dry," Hilde replied before walking off.
Confessional, Hilde
If I can get the vets to turn on each other, it'll be perfect, they need to take each other out and then I can rise to the top! We're on a vet crusade baby!
Confessional, Justin
I'd much prefer an Angelo vote… and also keep it near unanimous… so I need to reel Hilde, Carmen, AND Sugar back in on letting it be Angelo… this will be a lot of schmoozing and begging.
As Hilde strolled off, Carmen turned to Justin ready to speak to him about their most recent chat with Hilde, Raj walked over to them looking incredibly stressed and worried.
"Guys!" Raj exclaimed, as he shuffled over to where Justin and Carmen were standing. "I don't know what to do, it's all so much!"
"Relax Raj," Justin replied calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Raj's shoulder causing the hockey bro to blush intensely. "It's just a vote with more people that you're used to, nothing has changed."
"But it has man, we're not voting people off anymore for the betterment of the team, so it's all individual now, and it's all so confusing!" Raj exclaimed, gripping his hair in panic. Carmen looked at Justin unsure on want to do.
"Just do what you think is best, we're thinking of voting Angelo because that seems to be what other people are wanting to do," Justin cooley lied.
"Why Angelo though?" Raj asked, his stress dissipating.
"No one has really connected with him I guess," Carmen replied, giving the hockey bro a shrug before staring at Justin, her eyes narrowing a bit.
"I-I guess that makes sense, thanks guys!" Raj exclaimed, giving the duo a wave as he wandered off.
"I know you want Beardo, but Angelo is a much easier sell to him, you know that," Justin curtly said as Carmen opened her mouth to speak. She rolled her eyes in response, as two set off into the film set.
Confessional, Raj
I don't know what I'm doing… Justin and Carmen always seemed smart… so I figured why not ask them (He shrugs)
Confessional, Carmen
I know Justin prefers voting Angelo, I wasn't going to fight him on where to tell Raj where to vote… He's under Justin's flirting jurisdiction now.
As the camera shifted away from the trailers, it shifted to one of the many cameras inside the Craft Services Tent, revealing that Beardo, Carson, and Carrie were all sitting together having a discussion on what to do.
"Emma is really on the block to go?" Carrie nervously asked.
"That's what Tem and Sky told me," Beardo replied. "Whether it's true or not, I would like to save Angelo if I can."
"And Emma is your best choice?" Carrie asked, looking into Beardo's eyes as she seemed desperate for another option. "Does she even know she's on the block?
"I mean, the only information I have is she's the third option next to Angelo and myself," Beardo explained, placing a hand on his chest when he referred to himself. His eyes slowly turned to Carson as he had not spoken much at all in their conversation. "I doubt she's aware that she's a possibility right now."
"Beardo, I don't want to vote you out, I want to make that clear," Carson explained, Carrie nodded in agreement while Beardo thanked his two former teammates. "I haven't spoken to Emma at all yet, so I wouldn't mind voting her out personally speaking," Carson continued, Carrie looked mortified for a split second before settling down.
"So you'd vote for her?" Beardo asked.
"Only if the numbers were there," Carson replied. "It's a numbers game after all, and I think given this is an early vote, keeping a united group is very important."
"I have to agree with Carson, we should stick with the numbers," Carrie added, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Well, with you guys, we should have six votes on Emma," Beardo countered. "That's more or less the majority moving forward."
Carson brought his hand to his chin as he entered into deep thought. "If the numbers are there, I'm good with voting out Emma personally."
"I'll need to think on it a bit," Carrie replied.
"That's all I ask," Beardo said, before he sat up from the bench and walked out of the tent leaving Carson and Carrie behind.
Confessional, Beardo
If I get six votes on Emma… then both Angelo and I should be safe, which would be fantastic. (He mimics a cheering sound as if the home team just won)
"Were you actually wanting to vote Emma or was that all fluff?" Carrie asked Carson, turning to the anime nerd.
"A bit of both, I'm totally fine voting Emma, but I do think having at least six or seven votes on one person is far more important than doing some crazy split vote," Carson replied, running his hand through his hair.
"So if Sky and Tem are in…" Carrie started.
"I'd be down to vote for her in that case, I'd assume another person or two would also be in as well," Carson mused.
"Like?"
"I don't know, I could see Sugar and Justin after last night," Carson replied, Carrie looked down at her feet in sadness remembering Devin's elimination. "Don't worry Carrie, you'll be fine," Carson continued, placing a reaffirming hand on her shoulder.
"Thanks Carson, I just like Emma… but if the group is going against her, who am I to stop it."
Confessional, Carrie
I don't know what the heck I'm doing. Devin going home has spiraled me, and I absolutely can't lose Emma, not after she stood by me like that!
Confessional, Carson
Honestly… I'm kinda game to take out Emma. I don't have a relationship with her. And if I learned anything from my prior season, keep your allies around… Beardo is an ally and I'd very much like to keep him around.
"What're you thinking Emma?" Courtney asked the blonde Youtuber as the pair strolled through the main lot together, side by side.
"Well… I mean I know Beardo and Angelo are the two names…" Emma said, her voice unsure.
"Yeah, I talked a bit with Justin and Hilde, and they said similar to me," Courtney confirmed, Emma nodded in response.
"I really like both of them… I know some more people prefer Angelo, but I feel like Beardo is smarter," Emma explained.
"Whatever you want to do, I'll vote with you. I know we didn't vote together last time, so I'd like to rectify that for us as allies you know!" Courtney exclaimed, giving Emma a comforting smile.
"Oh… thank you Courtney!" Emma replied, her smile returning to her face. "I just don't want to piss anyone off."
"Just tell me before the vote where to go, and I'll go there," Courtney replied. "Don't worry about it."
"Thanks Courtney, that means a lot."
Confessional, Courtney
Between Beardo and Angelo I don't really have a preference… I mean keeping a vet like Beardo is good, or keeping a former team member like Angelo is good, either way it's fine with me. So may as well let Emma decide so I can have a stronger relationship with her. Learned that as a former CIT. (She winks at the camera)
Confessional, Emma
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO (She grips her head in agony) On one hand, I'd prefer Beardo out because I like Angelo. On the other hand Justin and Carmen seemingly want Angelo out and I like them. I'M SO STRESSED!
"Sugar please hear me out seriously!" Angelo exclaimed, as he chased down the pageant queen. The girl turned her head to face the theater kid, eyeing him up and down as if he was her favorite snack.
"Angelo, we have like five minutes, what could you possibly have to say that could change my mind now?" Sugar asked, her annoyance with Angelo was obvious.
"I know you don't like being bothered so late, but just hear me out, please," Angelo pleaded, his eyes looked like a cat begging for food.
"Fine…" Sugar folded her arms, and rolled her eyes at the curly haired boy.
"Look, I think there's numbers there to blindside Emma tonight," Angelo started, Sugar's eyes seemed to perk up interest as Angelo continued. "It'd be a strong move."
"You don't say," Sugar replied. "Well, I sure as heck wouldn't mind taking out one of Devin's old goons." Her eyes seemed to sparkle in delight at the thought of Devin having been eliminated.
"Right…"
"But, what's the benefit for little old me?"
"Uh well… I guess it'd be you keep me around, I'd work with you, and everyone seems to want me out, so I guess I'd be a shield for you," Angelo explained, his voice cracking with nervousness.
"Right… look I won't promise you anything, but you'll see where I end up when the votes come out tonight," Sugar said winking at the performer, before strutting off.
"That doesn't reassure me at all," Angelo mumbled.
Confessional, Sugar
May as well stir the pot a bit. I'm safe no matter what, and thanks to my allies I know exactly what's happening tonight, but clearly ol theater kid doesn't.
Confessional, Angelo
I would prefer safety in numbers, but it sounds like the votes are splitting on Beardo and myself… which I hate that I am a target along with my friend. But if we all hold firm on Emma, she will go home in a… I believe the word is plurality. Hopefully I can make this another beautiful performance by Angelo Conte!
Elimination Ceremony
"Welcome in campers!" Chris exclaimed as the final thirteen all filed into the large set of bleachers. Going from two rows to three rows now, to fit every single camper onto the one set of bleachers. "I see you all enjoyed the disaster genre today," Chris chuckled, earning some eye rolls from the campers.
"As you all know, Sky won today meaning she is immune and cannot be voted for. As such her icon is grayed out signifying that she cannot receive votes this round." Sky seemed to flash a smile of pride hearing that. "Otherwise the voting format remains the same, good luck to each of you." Chef handed out the voting devices, and then returned to Chris's side at the front of the stage behind the podium. The campers are slowly placed in their votes before setting each of their devices down.
"Alright…" Chris started, "If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and would like to play it, now would be the time to do so." Chris paused, waiting for anyone to make a move, everyone seemed to stare at Angelo and Beardo to see if they had another trick up their sleeve, but no one made any sort of movement. As Beardo shot a quick glance at Tem who gave a small shrug in return to the human soundboard.
"Alright, I'll read the votes…"
"FIRST VOTE…. Angelo!" Angelo's head seemed to dip down as he stared at his feet.
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"SECOND VOTE…. Angelo!"
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"THIRD VOTE… Beardo!" Beardo seemed to let out a massive sigh, as he placed a comforting hand on Angelo's back.
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"FOURTH VOTE…. Beardo!"
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"FIFTH VOTE… Angelo!"
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"SIXTH VOTE… Emma!"
"Angelo was campaignin' against you, hopefully it ain't you," Sugar whispered to Emma, who then shot a death glare at Beardo and Angelo, before she refocused back onto Chris.
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"SEVENTH VOTE… Emma!"
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"EIGHTH VOTE… Angelo! That's four votes Angelo, two votes Emma, and two votes Beardo!"
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"NINTH VOTE… Emma!" Emma and Justin all of a sudden looked incredibly confused, as they looked at each other, Justin looked like he had seen a ghost, and Emma began to tear up.
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"TENTH VOTE… Emma!" Emma started to sniffle as if she was going to burst into tears.
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"ELEVENTH VOTE…. Angelo!"
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"TWELFTH VOTE… and the twelfth person voted out and the FIRST member of our Jury! Angelo! It's time for you to go." Emma let out a massive sigh of relief, wiping the tears away, as Angelo stood up alongside Beardo giving each other a hug. Angelo looked incredibly sad, but managed to remain stoic enough to not let any tears out as he exited the bleachers.
"Thanks guys for being… mostly good people," Angelo started. "I had a great time out here, and I'm glad I stuck around long enough to at least gain some confidence. I'll see you all on finale night! Good luck!" Angelo exclaimed as he made his way down the red carpet and into the Lame-O-Sine.
"See ya Angelo, it was fun while it lasted!" Hilde exclaimed, waving goodbye to the theater nerd.
"Bye Angelo! You'll be missed!" Courtney called out, joining the rest of the cast in waving goodbye, as the camera faded out and back onto Chris.
"For a theater kid I was expecting a more dramatic exit. But as twelve remain and the jury phase started, how many more dramatic moves will happen this merge? We've seen explosive votes in the past, will this cast live up to high expectations set by season's past? And what will come of the two remaining idols this season? And what will be the next movie genre that I can use to get my entertainment. All of those questions and more will be answered on the next episode of TOTAL DRAMA ACTION!
Final Confessional, Angelo
Welp… here we are. I honestly made it further than I expected I would, if anything I thought I'd have been one of the first people eliminated. But I managed to make the jury! Which is all I can ask for at the end of the day. And I really want to thank Ella for really helping me come out of my shell during my time here. If it hadn't been for her, no way I would use the idol the way I did, and no way would I be sitting on the jury bench come finale night. I am so excited for that! I hope Beardo pulls it off, but he's got an uphill battle to do so, but I know he can do it.
Votes
Angelo: Beardo and Tem said this is our only option… I don't like it but anyone but me at this point. Emma
Beardo: I have no idea if this will work, but hopefully my former team comes through for me. Emma.
Carmen: Just in case something fishy happens again. Beardo
Carrie: I'm not about to vote Beardo or Emma out, so I guess this will have to work. Angelo
Carson: Well I'm not voting Beardo, and Carrie won't vote Emma so I guess that leaves you. Angelo
Courtney: It was fun while it lasted, but you're the easy vote here. Angelo
Emma: You're a fun guy, we just never seemed to click. Sorry. Angelo
Hilde: Honestly, I hope Angelo pulls another idol out so I can get my way on this, whatever, at least one of you is leaving. Beardo
Justin: Always the scapegoat, never the threat, better you than Sugar… I can't believe I said that. Angelo
Raj: Sorry man, nothing personal. Angelo
Sky: This is a dangerous game…. But like I said, new season new me. Emma
Sugar: For someone who is into theater, you sure hate the stage. You wish you could be me. Angelo
Tem: I know Angelo will be leaving us this evening, but if he pulls another rabbit out of his hat, I think I'd prefer you to take the fall. Emma
Reviews:
SuperSonicHeroes: (Trygve) I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! With Devin and Carrie we really debated on what placements both should get and which one should go first. Ultimately we settled on Devin being the last premerge boot. How far Carrie goes is still unknown at this time… at least to you. With Raj obv given him and Bowie aren't together here we had to adjust his sexuality discovery to the cast around him, so we'll see how his relationship with Justin plays out.
(Rj): It was nice working on the different aspects of the army. Since so many genres are big and since Chris is definitely operating under different circumstances in this fanfic world, he's got a lot of different things to do. Yeah it's worrying about Raj and Justin, but there are a lot more people in the merge so we'll see how things shake up
LordGemini: (Trygve): The Army challenge was a personal favorite of mine. Yep Quentin was meant to be an absolute pain, I personally enjoyed him. And yeah with Devin and Carrie we knew that given the 2 duos last season we did not want a known strong romantic pair to go far again, needed to switch it up, so we did our best to build them up through the premerge despite starting on opposite teams. As far as strategy went, I've been trying my best to demonstrate "smarter" players playing less optimally but it either not harming them, or make them appear to be playing optimally due to what they think they know/actions. So I am glad you picked up on that last vote. Hopefully this merge lives up to the expectations we set in PI.
(Rj): As Quentin's creator, I'm glad I got his intention across well, more or less. He didn't get distracted with Carmen because off screen Carmen took off her bra without taking off her shirt so she was still fully clothed. I hope you enjoyed this first step into the land of possibilities, as I don't think you necessarily predicted Angelo going.
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
15th: Jaiden: 5-2
14th: Devin: 4-4 Lost Tiebreaker
(Jury)
13th: Angelo 7-4-2
Merge Team: Beardo, Carmen, Carrie, Carson, Courtney, Emma, Hilde, Justin, Raj, Sky, Sugar, Tem
Beardo: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 1 idol played, 5 votes against
Carmen: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 3 votes against
Carrie: 4 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Carson: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Courtney: 5 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Emma: 5 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Hilde: 4 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 2 votes against
Justin: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 4 votes against
Raj: 4 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Sky: 4 team immunities, 1 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Sugar: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 3 votes against
Tem: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 2 votes against