Author's Note: A new week a new chapter. A mid one if I'm being honest, but it's the last elimination before the merge. Not much else to say so let's dive in.
Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, the shuffled concept or the (most of) the characters.
And to answer some reviews:
xx15: I have not seen the second season, but so no spoilers please. I have seen the fan art and I love it. Though I was hoping to find the original post on deviant art and can't.
Derick Lindsay: I've been trying to telegraph these last few eliminations so I'm glad you could see it coming. Trust me, the consequences of Amy's actions will be coming soon. Lindsay is so much angry as she is hyper fixated. Only one way to find out who's next. Thank you for the kind words.
SuperSonicHeroes: Everyone is fine, and thank you for your concern. The references were pretty much the only reason I did this last challenge. Sadie's elimination will cause a ripple effect that affects the rest of the game, but it'll be subtle. You'll see that Amy still suffers from selfish idiocy.
Crash x Fusion: Weird thing about Ripper is that I like him because I hated him. Does that make sense? Like I said in another review, I've been kinda announcing the loser of each challenge before they get eliminated. Oh yeah, Amy had a good plan. Only one way to find out.
LazloVader9943: Thanks for your concern. Yeah besides losing the million, I'd say Sadie had a net positive. So I'll get into this when I do Rebecca's fun fact, but she was always going to be a sociopath, she just had more patience before ditching the morally ambiguous act. So to answer your question, not much would have changed except for maybe a full season before she showed her true colors.
Remaining Campers:
Ferrets of Failure: Dakota, Dave, Ezekiel, Gwen, Harold, Lindsay, Sky
Llamas of Loserdom: Amy, Cameron, Carly, Eva, Scott, Shawn
Quite a collection eh? Time to see who'll make it through the painful trip down memory lane.
Episode 13: Cave Down Under
"Last time, on Total Drama Redemption!" Chris said, launching straight into the recap montage with a clip of Carly, Dave, and Dakota at the starting line of the previous challenge, the heiress quickly running off and dragging the germaphobe with her. "The teams ran down memory lane," Carly was shown falling from the cliff, then Amy falling off the rolling log into the mud.
"The Llamas didn't have a good day," the host said over a montage of Sadie being blown off-screen by an explosion, Shawn being shocked by a laser, and Eva being shocked by the cable she was climbing, "shocker. "Leading to Scott's alliance giving Eva the Boot," the next clip was of Sadie getting the final marshmallow, "too bad for them and Sadie, Eva had the Invincibility Idol," he finished over the iron woman pulling the idol out of her pocket.
The montage ended there, the scene flashing to the smiling host standing by a TV that showed the final shot of Sadie being kicked off the island. "Today's challenge isn't for the feint of heart," Chris told the camera, "which is bad news for these guys!" He laughed. "Who will rock this challenge? And who will bury their shot at the million?" He pointed a thumb at the television, still displaying the Boot of Shame. "Find out right here, right now, on Total! Drama! Redemption!"
XXXXX
[The opening theme began similarly to the way it did in season six – a shift into letterbox format for a shot of a rocky forest waterfall, a broken stagelight rotating up from behind some rocks and flickering a bit before the light died. Then a rusty spotlight swings down from the unseen branches of some mossy, mushroom-ridden tree. The shot moves to a pond where a brown bear wearing a scuba mask sits in the water glaring at a frog on a lily pad, both animals looking surprised as the lily pad is suddenly lifted into the air by a duct tape covered security camera rising up from below it. A rabbit sitting on a rock on the beach is pushed away by a panel in the rock slamming down on it, another broken camera emerging from within, and a pair of white-skinned hands clap a film slate in front of the main camera.
As the film slate is pulled away the camera flies forward past the camp facilities, and over the top of the host drinking coffee in a director's chair just as the lyrics start.]
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
[The camera flies through the trees and up to a cliff, peeking over to see the interns swimming away from Scuba Bear.]
You guys are on my mind!
[The camera dives off the cliff and into an underwater shot; a fully-clothed Cameron gagging.]
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
[Cameron frantically swims up and grabs on to the end of an oar. The camera pans up to reveal Eva as the one rowing the boat; she pulls her oar out of the water and is startled to see Cameron clinging to it, and even more so when something starts pulling him back. But with a fierce yet muted roar, Eva manages to pull the oar away from the the thing...and in doing so, throw Cameron high into the sky.]
I wanna be...famous!
[Cameron hangs in front of the sun for a moment before coming back down into the woods. The camera pans down to Gwen drawing on a stump while surrounded by a guitar playing Trent and a singing Ella. Cameron falls from the sky and knocks Gwen down, startling Trent and Ella. The camera zooms out to show Scott watching the scene and laughing, and then again to show Lindsay crossing her arms and pursing her lips at him.]
I wanna live close to the sun!
[The camera zooms to another part of camp, showing Leonard and Gary surfing down a river.]
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
[The shot pans forward a bit, showing Harold and Sierra also on surfboards. Leonard and Gary arrive on screen, but while the three boys are busy showing off, Sierra's eyes widen and she ducks. She just barely misses getting hit by a low lying branch that the boys smack into.]
Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;
[The camera rapidly pans over to the outhouses. Ezekiel opens the door to one and a thick green cloud comes out of it, causing him to look nauseous and pass out. The camera pans over to the craft service tent.]
I'll get there one day.
[The camera moves in past the window to show a smirking Chef, stirring a large pot of something sickly green. He looks behind him to where Sam is sitting and playing on a handheld game console. Dakota is looking over his shoulder as he plays.]
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
[The camera pans left to show Sky and Dave chatting. Britney comes out of nowhere to separate the two and sit on Dave's lap, glaring at Sky all the while. The camera zooms pans left again to the opening of the tent and flashes to an open field. Amy knocks a bouquet of flowers out of a kneeling Rodney's hands, then pushes over Sadie as the the girl bends down to pick up a shell.]
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[A pan rightward shows Jaxon making a screen gesture with his fingers. He looks from the left to the right and rolls his eyes in irritation.]
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[Another pan to the right centers the camera on Anne Maria spraying her hair. She notices the camera on her and glares, spraying it enough that the thick cloud covers the whole screen.]
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
[The cloud dissipates to reveal Carly and Shawn sitting at a campfire in front of a large full moon. They lean in for a kiss but are interrupted by Chris's sudden appearance between them while wearing a zombie mask, startling them both into running away. As Chris takes off his mask to laugh, the shot zooms out to show the other campers also sitting around the fire - Ella, Trent, Gwen, Sky, Amy, Sam, Dakota, Ezekiel, Gary, Scott, and Rodney with Carly trembling behind them on the left; and Anne Maria, Britney, Dave, Cameron, Sadie, Eva, Leonard, Lindsay, Sierra, and Jaxon with Shawn trembling behind them on the right. The zoom continues even further, showing the signboard over the firepit's entrance which now read 'Total Drama Redemption'.]
XXXXX
A harsh trilling tune played as the scene opened on the Ferrets' bunker, Harold walking out of it with a yawn and a stretch of his arms. The camera zoomed in and followed him to the old firepit, where he stopped and locked eyes with Sky who was tending it. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Thinking mostly," Sky replied. "Can you believe we're almost halfway to the end?"
"I guess not," Harold replied as the shot cut to his close-up. "But that still doesn't explain the firepit."
"Because," Sky sighed as the camera moved to her, "once the challenge starts, we won't have time to really think about this. I mean, neither of us have made it this far in a season y'know?"
The shot cut back to Harold as he laughed awkwardly. "Well technically, this is the third time I've lasted thirteen episodes."
Sky rolled her eyes and looked back at the firepit. "Rub it in why don't you?"
XXX
"This is gonna sound worse than I mean it to," Sky confessed. "But I'm a pretty skilled player so it doesn't make any sense that I've been booted so soon the first three seasons," her eyes suddenly widened and she blushed. "Okay, the film lot was kinda my fault but the other seasons? Doesn't make sense."
XXX
"Despite my confident exterior," Harold told the confessional, "I'm actually scared about my chances the longer the game goes on. What if my mad skills make me a target?"
XXX
"Can I ask you something?" Eva asked as the static cut to her jogging alongside Ezekiel in the woods.
"Sure thing," the homeschooler answered.
"Do you have anyone waiting on you back home?" she asked sheepishly.
Ezekiel smiled. "Sure I do!"
"Oh," Eva said dejectedly. "That's cool..."
"Yeah," Ezekiel continued. "My family was super excited when I got asked to come back."
"Family?" Eva asked with a head tilt. "That's what you meant?"
"Yep," Ezekiel answered. "What else could that have meant?"
"Y'know," Eva said bashfully. "Like a girlfriend or something," she added, saying 'girlfriend' very quietly.
"I didn't catch that last part," Ezekiel said.
"A girlfriend," Eva said firmly. "I'm asking if you have a girlfriend."
"Oh!" Ezekiel stopped in his tracks, causing Eva to do the same. "N-no, I don't."
"Oh!" Eva said. "That's good."
"It is?" Ezekiel asked in confusion.
"Yes," Eva replied. "It is. I'll explain later." She ran off, leaving a confused homeschooler in her wake.
"Uh...ok," he said to himself. "What was that about?"
\
The scene flashed over to the Llamas' treefort, a bluebird flying by in front of it. "I can't believe what Scott did" Amy said, the shot cutting inside in to show her and Cameron standing around the entrance of their shelter. "We're really going to have to stick together to stop him."
"Why would I ally with you?" Cameron asked. "You helped send Sadie home!"
Amy sputtered. "W-what?! It was Scott's plan! Remember?." As he spoke the camera panned over to the left to show Scott rolling his eyes as he stood at the door to the guys' side.
"And you didn't warn us even though you knew what he was doing," the bubble boy accused. "That makes you just as guilty as him."
"Wha-Bu-," Amy stuttered. "Fine! I was gonna help you, but you can get the Boot next for all I care!" She angrily climbed down the ladder and Scott entered the frame.
"Guess she thought she had one over on us huh?" Scott said while putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.
Cameron angrily shrugged off the hand. "You expect me to believe that you didn't have anything to do with Sadie's elimination?"
"What?" the dirt farmer scoffed. "I helped you two get together!"
"I know you're in an alliance with Amy, Scott," the bubble boy said, causing Scott's eyes to widen. "I saw you two back in the talent show. There's no way you'll get me to believe you didn't know what she was doing."
XXX
"That little witch just destroyed my alliance!" Scott complained. "My only hope is that Shawn is still sticking with me. If not, I'll need to grovel to Princess so she won't vote me off."
XXX
Before a shocked Scott could respond, the sound of a blowhorn came over the camp loudspeakers. "Calling all contestants!" Chris began as the two looked up and to the right. "It's time for your contractually obligated injuries!" He laughed. "Ahh, I love my job..."
\
The scene promptly flashed to a close-up of Chris's smiling face. "Listen up everyone," he began. "Today's challenge is easy." The shot cut outward to show both teams standing by, their team logos appearing as they sighed in relief. "As in, it's easy to get hurt!" Chris clarified, furrowing his brow devilishly as the music spiked and the cast groaned.
"You'll all be doing the fake challenge from season six," he explained, motioning to the right, " i.e. racing across the island in these Turbo Orbs!" A pan over revealed Chef standing by two giant hollow orbs, one green and one red and each with an open circular hatch on the side. "Each team will cram into one Turbo Orb and run like a hamster in a wheel," Chris continued as he walked over. "First team to the other side of the island wins immunity."
"And we should believe this is the real challenge because?" Gwen asked as the shot cut to her and Dave.
"Yeah, I'm not buying it," Dave added..
The shot cut outward to show none of the campers were heading into their respective orbs. Chris sighed after a moment.
"Yeah, I kinda figured this would happen," he told the campers as he held up a remote with a single red button. "For the record, you all have no one to blame for this but yourselves."
The shot cut to show Carly shivering nervously. "What does that me-" Chris pressed the button, and the ground underneath them all began to shake violently.
"That's why I'm a hologram right now!" The host continued. "Good luck~!" he sang mockingly as the ground crumbled beneath the camper's feet and they all fell in the fissure that opened up.
Dangerous music played as the camera followed them down the hole, the thirteen campers screaming all the way. After a few seconds, though, the camera stopped moving and the cast dropped off-screen, hitting the unseen ground with loud thuds.
\
The camera flash cut away to Shawn standing up then helping Carly to her feet, only to catch movement out of the corner of his eye and look backwards to see Cameron laying against the ground with his limbs at awkward angles. "Yeah, that's what pain tastes like," he groaned as the camera panned over to Gwen's eyes darting around with panicked gasps.
"Whoa, are you okay?" Dakota asked, catching Gwen and steadying her as Lindsay and Dave watched with concern.
"Y-yeah," Gwen said between fast and heavy breaths, the shot cutting in close as her eyes darted around. "Just, uh, making sure I have enough air, that's all. I...I see the sun's shining on us," she said once her gaze had locked above them, the shot pulling back as she stepped away from Dakota. "We're not buried alive!" she said, becoming more and more confident with each word.
"Every cloud has a silver lining" came the voice of Chris, the rest of the Ferrets raising their heads as all seven looked to the side. "So," the host continued as the camera cut behind the Ferrets then panned up and forward to show him watching from a large monitor mounted on the cave wall, "your real challenge is getting out of this cave."
"We noticed," Eva growled.
"Hey, I tried to get you to use the orbs," Chris explained with a mischievous smile, "you were the ones that wanted to be difficult!" he finished cheerily.
"He has a point," Lindsay sighed.
"Moving on," Chris said as Sky walked by in the foreground, "there are two hand-trucks to help you transport any campers who get too injured to move over the course of this challenge and a pack full of enough flashlights for all of you."
The shot cut to Dave and Sky standing by a green hand-truck. "Why would we need that?" Dave asked nervously as Sky picked up the green pack..
"Because of the dangerous challenges you'll be facing in these caves," Chris said before the shot cut back to the feed of him on the monitor. "Now, if you look around, you'll see two tunnels," he explained, the camera panning across a couple of tunnel openings in the rock. "They both lead to a single exit on the surface where the finish line awaits. The left one is safer but slower, the other is more dangerous but faster. First team to find their way back to me, wins."
"One more thing, you will be penalized for each player you lose along the way" he said as the shot cut back to the Ferrets, Dave and Sky warily rejoining their teammates. "Now, since the Ferrets won the last challenge they get first pick of the tunnels."
"We should choose the safe one," Sky said, looking up and around as the camera cut to the Ferrets. "There's less of a chance we lose any teammates."
Gwen gulped. "So uh...the tunnels aren't gonna collapse while we're in them right?" An ominous tune played as the cave shook again, the shot cutting outward to show all thirteen campers tensed up.
"THAT'S YOUR CUE TO GET MOVING!" Chris announced, and the music became even more dramatic as the shaking continued and rocks began to fall.
"Too far McLean," Sky said sharply before a rock falling next to her caused her to scream and start running. The rest of her team did the same, and their opponents followed suit.
The shot cut to the tunnel on the left as Harold and Dakota ran up to it. "This way!" he called back over his shoulder, pointing at one of the tunnels before running into it with Dakota as rocks fell around them. The rest of the Ferrets followed them in shortly after, and then rocks fell a blocked off the tunnel.
The camera panned to the right to show Eva frantically sidestepping away from a larger rock as her team continued to panic and cry. "I don't wanna die!" Carly cried as rocks fell around her.
"No one's dying today!" Eva said sharply. "Now let's go!" she ordered before running off into the tunnel on the right with her hands covering her head and the rest of her team right behind her. Moments later a few more boulders fell down and blocked the entrance, and the scene faded to black...
\
Lindsay coughed as a very dim light returned to the scene, the Ferrets' logo appearing on-screen as she stood up. "That was way too close," she remarked. "Everybody ok?" she asked, squinting as she looked around the dark.
"Yeah," Ezekiel said, most of his team parroting their affirmation not long after.
"I'm good," Dakota said, the camera pulling out to show the rest of her team gathering around her. "So what do we do now?" she asked, propping herself up on one arm in close-up and looking around.
"For now we should check the flashlights," Sky pointed out. Some campers followed her instructions, and the screen lit up enough to see six of the Ferrets clearly.
"Well there's only one way to go," Harold pointed out. "You good Gwen?" He received no answer. "Gwen?"
The camera panned back to the cave entrance to show the goth had been frozen stiff in fright.
"Uh," Dave asked slowly. "Did we bring the hand truck with us?"
XXX
"So I wasn't doing so great," Gwen confessed. "Can you blame me? I'm actually losing track of how many times I've been buried alive on this show."
XXX
"Check it out," Sky told the group as they came across a cave with a pool of water, Gwen tied to the hand truck that was being operated by Ezekiel. "I think this is our first challenge."
"That doesn't seem so bad eh," Ezekiel commented.
"That's because I haven't explained the rules yet!" Chris's voice called out. "Ferrets of Failure, welcome to your first challenge of the day. In a nod to season two's disaster movie submarine, you just have to swim across this giant pool to the other side before it's too late."
"Too late for what?!," Dakota asked worriedly.
A gushing sound grabbed their attention, and they and the camera panned upward to show several deluges of water pouring into the room. Her teammates voiced their concern.
"That's a lot of water," Chris said. "You've got about... three minutes before the water fills up the room."
"I thought we picked the safe path!" Dave panicked.
"You did," the host replied. "But I don't think this is the time to stand around panicking."
"He's right," Sky said. "Let's go," the gymnast dove into the water and started swimming.
The rest of the Ferrets gave each other nervous looks, but followed her all the same.
\
The scene flashed to total darkness as the music became low and tense. Eva was heard coughing and panting. "Is everyone okay?" she asked.
Something clicked, and the scene lit up enough to show Scott putting his arms over his eyes. "Gah!" he cried. "I'm fine! Now get that outta my face!"
"Great," the cheerleader huffed. "I was hoping we were finally rid of you."
"Feelin' the love Princess," Scott smirked.
"Now's not the time to argue," Shawn said, getting in between the two. "Just because we have the shorter path doesn't mean we can get comfy."
"Shawn's right," Carly said as the shot cut to her. "Besides the sooner we start this the sooner we finish." The survivalist and pantaphobe went down the path, but Amy grabbed Eva's arm to get her to stay behind.
"So," the cheerleader started. "Since I saved you last time, how about an alliance?"
"Why would I sign on with the girl that tricked me out of my idol?" Eva asked incredulously as she walked after her team. "You're on your own."
"Hey," Amy hissed, her face morphing into a worried frown when the iron woman was out of frame.
XXX
"That's just great!" Amy complained. "The whole reason I did what I did last time was to get Eva and Cameron's loyalty. I'd have been better off not doing anything! Now I actually need Scott to stay in the game.
XXX
The scene flashed to Eva and Amy as they rejoined their team. Shawn stopped to look around and scratched his chin as Carly walked ahead.
"What's wrong Shawn?" Carly asked him, stopping and turning around.
"Isn't this room a little... empty?" he asked the redhead as he looked to the ceiling and the camera followed his gaze to some stalactites.
"Good point," Cameron said. "Wasn't this the more dangerous path?"
"So are we just gonna stand around or are we trying to win this thing?" Amy asked.
A few deep notes played, and Chris's voice filled the air. "Hey guys," he said as the group looked around, the camera panning up to show a large monitor on the wall above them. "Welcome to Earthquake Alley. You might wanna be careful, or the ceiling will rain down and crush you like bugs."
"Piece of cake," Scott said as the camera cut back to him.
"I was hoping one of you'd say that," Chris interrupted as he looked down at the team. He blared an airhorn and the Llamas all gasped in shock. "Good luck!" he called out mockingly before the screen cut to black and ominous music began to play and the roof of the cave began to shake.
A pause symbol appeared on-screen as the footage stopped.
\
"What a disaster!" Chris gushed, the camera pulling back to show him watching the feed on a widescreen TV cart from the comfort of a deck chair. The capstone theme began to play, and he turned his usual smile to the camera. "Stay tuned to find out if any of these guys survive, here on Total! Drama! Redemption!"
\
(Commercial Break)
\
The episode resumed with dust clearing away to show Shawn and Carly huddled together in a mass of fallen rubble.
The two stood still for a few moments until a rude throat clearing caught their attention. "If you two are finished flirting," Amy was heard saying, the camera cutting to the rest of the team standing clear of any rubble. "We can get back to the challenge."
"Oh, right," Shawn said, both he and Carly blushing as they separated.
"Sorry about that," Carly said. "Everyone ok?"
"We're fine," Scott said, "But we need to get moving."
XXX
"Call me paranoid," Scott said, "but after the bubble boy ditched me I can't help but think the others might be throwing the challenge to get rid of me." He scowled. "No the irony is not lost on me."
XXX
The static took the scene to the Llamas regrouping in a wintery landscape. "Now what?!" Eva complained.
"This should be pretty familiar to you Eva!" Chris's voice called, the team looking up to see the host addressing them from a monitor. "This frozen wonderland is based off of the ice fort challenge from season four. Or more specifically, No Man's Land."
"Great," the iron woman rolled her eyes.
"Be careful where you step," Chris informed them, "one wrong move and you'll be frozen solid," he added as a quick aside causing the team to widen their eyes in fear. "Good luuuck," the host finished mockingly before the monitor went black.
"So," Cameron gulped as the music turned dark and plodding, "what do we do?"
"This," Eva said as she slowly approached the bubble boy.
"What are you doing?" Cameron asked in a slight panic just before she picked him up by the waist.
"Cutting the knot," Eva told him before throwing him.
"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Cameron screamed as the camera followed him flying across the snow and ice. He landed in a heap in a pile of snow and groaned.
"That worked better than I thought," Eva smiled before turning to the rest of her team. "So who's next?"
"Are you insane!" Amy cried jabbing a finger in the iron woman's chest.
"No," Eva told her. "But I am trying to win. So I'm throwing the slower teammates across while the others run. Unless you have another idea?"
Amy sputtered a bit then let her hand drop down.
The footage skipped ahead to Amy screaming and flying through the air.
"Carly's last," Eva said.
"I'll just carry her," Shawn said before the timid girl could be launched. He picked her up bridal-style causing the two to blush. "Let's go."
The footage skipped ahead once more to the four campers running across the ice, chunks of ice giving way to frozen water as they ran.
\
A creepy tune began to play as the scene flashed to the Ferrets of Failure walking into a dark cave. "Whoa...," Lindsay said in shock as the girls gaped and looked around, and the camera pulled back to reveal the massive spiderwebs covering the cave and connecting the ceiling to the floor– and the monitor mounted on the back wall.
It turned on from static to the live feed of Chris, and the music got quieter. "Welcome to the Haunted Cave," he greeted. "As you may have noticed, it's home to a colony of spiders. But not just any spiders," he said in a mischievous tone, "Giant Mutant Spiders!" he announced in a deep, dramatic, and creepy voice as the background music boomed. He laughed darkly, hunched over with his hands stretched out like claws.
Harold and Dave gasped in shock. "But wasn't that just someone in a costume?" Ezekiel asked hesitantly.
"It was, but the interns found these guys on Boney Island a few months back and I just had to use them in a challenge," Chris said as the shot moved back to him. "It goes without saying, but you really don't wanna meet these guys. Just walk through here without touching a web, and you'll be okay!"
"That seems easy enough," Lindsay said as the shot cut to her close up. "All we have to do is-" as she explained she raised a hand... and snagged it on one of the webs surrounding her. Suddenly the music turned tense and a screech echoed through the cavern.
"Wow," Chris pointed out with a disappointed frown. "I mean. Wow. That was just pathetic.."
XXX
Lindsay chuckled nervously in her confessional. "Oops."
XXX
The cavern shook, and something burst through the rock off-screen and to the left catching the team's attention. A dramatic riff played as the camera zoomed out, revealing three giant spiders similar to the one from season four standing menacingly in a hole in the wall behind them.
"That's a big spider," Dave said fearfully
"Shut up and RUN!" Sky yelled, shaking the germaphobe out of his fear as they all ran off to the right, the spiders screeching and chasing after them. A moment later and they were chased the opposite direction by a group of five spiders.
\
"Be careful," Shawn said as the scene flashed back to the Llamas, now approaching a third cave. "I hear snoring up ahead."
"That'd be the 'Lion's Lunch' from season six," Chris said as another monitor dropped down to address them. "Lions and rattlesnakes galore. Aaand a few bike horns thrown in for good measure."
"And how exactly would that be 'fast'? Scott asked.
"Well if you wake up those lions it'll end real fast for you," the host said mirthfully. "Does that count?"
\
The scene flashed to a close-up of Scott and Eva cautiously tiptoeing through the cave as a low, tense trill took over the background music. The camera pulled to show Carly, Amy, Shawn, and Cameron in the foreground, all looking around nervously at the sleeping lions and snakes but in doing so missing a bike horn on the ground in front of them. Shawn accidentally stepped on it and the music spiked; all six Llamas froze as the snakes lifted their heads and started rattling.
A close-up showed a lion uttering a growling yawn and opening its eyes; it only blinked them a few times before falling back asleep. Shawn sagged his shoulders in relief, and the focus moved to Scott and Eva looking their way.
"Be careful," Eva hissed.
Shawn just smiled sheepishly.
\
A screech filled the air as the scene flashed back to the Ferrets, now running through some other dark cavern while tense music played in the background. After a few seconds they skidded to a stop, and shared a look. "Do you think we lost them?" Dakota asked.
"I hope so eh," Ezekiel said, now sagging under the hand truck he was carrying on his back. "I can't run anymore."
Another screech caught their attention, and the camera panned to the left as one of the spiders ran at them. The teens yelped and huddled together as it got close, but the spider suddenly stopped. It sniffed the air, then sagged in defeat before walking away.
"Not that I'm complaining," Sky said as the shot cut to her and her teammates separating, "but why isn't it following us?"
"Because it's scared of what's in that next room," Chris said as another monitor dropped down and caught their attention. "Side note, your exit is on the other side of said room."
Dave sighed. "Of course it is."
"Hey if it was easy it wouldn't be called a challenge," Chris shrugged. "Just try not to wake up the bears... or the crocodiles."
XXX
"Remind me again why I'm still here?" Dave asked the confessional.
XXX
The music rose up grand but tense as the footage skipped ahead the Ferrets slowing making they way around the cave that was, as the host said, filled with sleeping bears and crocodiles.
"Just keep moving," Harold said. "I see daylight,"
The camera cut to Sky as sh suddenly stopped with a look of panic, then looked down. The camera followed her gaze to show a group of roaches crawling on her feet. She yelped in panic, and the shot cut out to show the rest of her team glaring at her as the bears began to wake up.
"GET THESE THING OFF OF ME!" the gymnast screamed as she ran out of frame, her team following suit and the angrily awoken animals giving chase.
\
The scene immediately flashed to the Ferrets bunker as the Ferrets ran in front of it, and Gwen seemed to break from her fear-induced catatonia. "I'm alive!" she cried as she tore herself out of the rope tying her to the hand truck.
The shot cut to them pausing to catch their breath, and they shared a wide-eyed look. "The bunker?!" Lindsay asked in disbelief. "Why didn't it let us out near the finish line?!"
"Come on eh!" Ezekiel said. "The others could be there by now!"
\
A deep and dramatic note played as the scene flashed to a nondescript clearing. The camera zoomed in as it panned to the right, showing Chris sitting in his lawn chair in front of his TV. It showed nothing but static, and after a few moments he simply turned it off entirely. "Well," he declared, "this is boring." He looked to the right as Chef walked up behind him. "You were right! We should have had the tunnels end at the actual finish line" Chef gave the host a smug smile.
Just then the sound of running and panting caught their attention, and the camera panned out to show the Llamas at enter the shot. "Did we win?" Scott asked.
"Actually yes," Chris told them as he walked over. "Congratulations."
"No! They beat us here," came the voice of Sky, drawing the attention to the right as she and her team walked up.
The shot cut back to Chris as his eyes widened in shock. "Whoa, where did you guys come from? The two of you should've had the same exit!"
"Then why did we come out next to our shelter?" Harold asked.
"Shelter?!" Chris repeated in outraged disbelief. "That's on the other side of the island! And while we're on the subject. What did you guys do to my cameras? We barely got any of your challenges on tape!"
"We didn't do anything to your cameras," Dave said.
"Us either," Cameron added
"Wait a minute," Amy said. "If you don't have any footage, then all of that was for nothing?!"
XXX
"Well now," Scott said while holding the carving of Chef's head. "I wouldn't say that."
XXX
"I have some footage," the host replied bitterly. "Just not as much as I'd like. Better hope none of you did anything embarrassing, this one's airing uncut."
All thirteen campers groaned.
"Now, since the Llamas won the challenge, the Ferrets will be meeting me at elimination tonight."
\
The music became tense again as the scene the clearing where Dave, Lindsay and Sky meet, the three in question already in discussion.
"So we have a bit of a problem," Dave started.
"You mean how me and Lindsay are on the chopping block tonight?" Sky said. "We know."
"Well you did screw up our progress in the spider and bear caves," the germaphobe pointed out. "Plus the merge should be happening soon and you two are pretty big threats."
"Which is why we need to vote together and hope the others spilt their votes," Lindsay said.
"All that's left is deciding who we vote for," Sky said.
\
The scene faded to black, then to the elimination area with a few deep beat of a drum. All seven Ferrets were gathered there: Sky, Lindsay, Dakota, and Gwen in the front with Dave, Ezekiel, and Harold in the back
"Ferrets of Failure," Chris opened, "You know the drill. Marshmallow means safety. No marshmallow means elimination." The camera passed over the Ferrets again, lingering on Beardo before cutting back to the host's close-up.
He reached for a pair of marshmallows off the plate which had been placed atop the podium. "Ezekiel and Harold, you're safe!" The two boys smiled at each other and went up to claim their prizes. "Dakota and Dave, same goes for you." Both campers quickly darted off-screen and returned with marshmallows in hand.
"Lindsay, you too are not going home tonight," Chris said, tossing the penultimate treat across the campfire. It was caught easily, but the young woman declined to eat it.
"Okay!" the host continued cheerily. "That leaves Sky, who messed up your bear adventure," the gymnast gulped, "and Gwen, who was completely useless this challenge."
"You buried me alive!" the goth protested. "Again!"
"Yeah, well," Chris said, "it looks like your team doesn't care. Sky, you're safe. Gwen, you're out."
Sky sighed in relief.
XXX
"I know I said I'd try to win for Ella and Trent's sake," Gwen told the confessional. "But this was the last straw, so I voted for myself. "Honestly I'd have probably quit if I wasn't voted off."
XXX
The footage flashed ahead to show Gwen loaded into the boot. "Good luck guys," she said to her former team, "you're gonna need it!" Without warning the Boot kicked her screaming into the night.
"I never thought I'd agree with a camper," Chris grinned as the shot cut back to him and Chef at the base of the Boot. "Yet, here we are."
Chef rolled his eyes, but the host ignored him. "Tune in next time," he told the camera as the capstone theme played, "To see who has what it tak to keep playing for Total! Drama! Redemption!"
(Roll the Credits)
\
\
(Bonus Clip)
The clip opened with the orb containing Gwen landing on the ground and bouncing a couple of times before rolling a bit and stopping. A small hatch in the side of the orb popped out and she climbed out of the hole. "This looks like what I signed up for back in the first season."
"It's great isn't it?" a familiar voice responded. Sam perked up and turned to see Bridgette walking over with a big smile.
"Hey Bridgette" the goth said as she gave the surfer a friendly hug. "Part of the welcoming committee?"
"Yep," Bridgette smiled. "Shame you lost though."
"You say that because you weren't in this season," Gwen deadpanned. "I guess I just lost the will to compete after Trent and Ella left."
"Speaking of," the surfer said. "Those two are on pins and needles waiting for you.
"Lead the way," Gwen smiled.
Author's Note Post Script: Not a whole lot to say since this was mainly wrapping up the pre-merge. Eva got a little closer to confessing to Zeke, Amy's plans fell apart due to her inability to think ahead, and Scott has the final idol. Other than that? Not much happening, which is why the challenge seemed kinda meh? I did the best I could here unfortunately.
Why Gwen? I wanted the genders balanced going into the merge and all the other girls have some sort of plait going for them.
OC Fun Fact #6: Lily, like her sister, changed quite a bit over the course of her development. Like her sister, she was originally a fairy in a supernatural season. Unlike her sister, her personality stayed the same. Lily ( I can't remember her original name) was gruff and rude to others to mask the fact that she was genuinely kind. One big change is that before they were sisters, the two fairies were actually bitter rivals that hated each other. Then Amy and Sammy happened, and I didn't much like the idea so I made them twins that got along but were secretly jealous of one another, with a little of the Starfire Raven friendship thrown in for good measure.
And I'm sure I'm forgetting something.
I hope you all enjoyed the episode, or some part of it.
With that I'm signing off
-TotalDramaFan14
RDR ELIMINATION TABLE:
24th Place: Gary
23rd Place: Anne Maria
22nd Place: Leonard
21st Place: Trent
20th Place: Jaxon
19th Place: Britney
18th Place: Rodney
17th Place: Sierra
16th Place: Sam
15th Place: Ella
14th Place: Sadie
13th Place: Gwen