Author's Note: So. Hi. It's been what, two years? Three years? I am so, so sorry. I'd like to explain to you guys what happened, and why I stopped updating. There's a number of reasons why I stopped writing. For one, I had lost interest in fanfiction. Many of the stories I was reading either finished, were abandoned, or wouldn't be updated for years. With me reading less fanfiction, I lost interest, so I stopped writing as well. There's also the fact that I lost interest in Total Drama, as well. After watching almost only this show for months, I needed a break from it. And that break turned into a few years, so this story was also dropped. And lastly, there is the fact that I grew up. I was thirteen when I started writing this, and now I'm about to graduate high school. Fanfiction has always been kind of looked down upon and seen as cringy, so I always had to keep this a secret. And since it was a secret, I only had a few hours a week to work on it, and that time only grew shorter. But enough excuses. Ever since I stopped writing for this story, I felt guilty about not finishing it. I'd always read these stories that abruptly stop and I'd always get annoyed at the writer. I mean, just finish it, how hard could it be?! Yet here I am, in that same position. But don't think that I have completely given up on this story. Far from it. During that time I wasn't writing, I would still think about the story, and have a few ideas for it. And you guys are in for a treat. I have updated this entire story. Yes, from chapter 1, up to the end, I have completely redone this tale, without as much bad writing, and it is much longer now. Everything is completely revamped! Not only is the writing quality improved, more stuff has been added to earlier chapters to make things more clear and good. And there's more. The story is finished. As you are reading this, the entire story has been completed, and is viewable now! (I mean, it's not done while writing this, but whatever). So please enjoy. Yes, I know that sounded like a trailer for a remastered game, but that's kind of what this is. Before you start reading by the way, I want to talk about two more things. For one, I want to address my other story "Want Some CoCo?". Will I be doing the same thing for that story as I have done for this? The answer is likely not. I have worked hard to get this story out, and I am nearing college. By the time I get to college, I will likely have little time to work on the story. And what little time I do have for it likely won't be spent on it. Is it possible that it will be finished sometime in the future? Yes. Is it likely? No. Will it get a complete revamp? Definitely not. If I continue that story, I will not go through my old chapters to spruce them up, rather I will just finish the story. Sorry, but that's the way it is. And lastly, I want to thank each and everyone of you. Everyone who has read my story, favorited it, reviewed, or followed me, I appreciate every single one of you. You are the sole reason I am continuing this story. There will be another author's note at the end of the story where I will thank you guys more, but that's it for here. Also, one final thing, I want to mention the old author's notes that I have now removed. They got in my way when I was trying to reorganize. I have kept them on my own, since they are a neat time capsule. Anyways, let's get on with it. Here is the new and improved Cody's Retry:
It had been eight years since Total Drama had ended. Many of the cast had gotten exactly what they were looking for. As the theme song went, they wanted to be famous and they had achieved exactly that. Whenever they would go out into the streets, there would likely be at least one Total Drama fan who would spot them. For most, this was all they could ever dream of.
However, there was one contestant who did not enjoy the popularity that had been granted to them. Ironically, that person was Cody Anderson, the person who had arguably been the most desperate for attention when the show aired.
In the years that had passed since the competition, Cody was often found by fans while trying to live his life. The reason he didn't appreciate these fans wasn't because he was a bitter person. In fact, after coming home from Total Drama Action, he was optimistic about his chances at home. While he didn't get too far, he wasn't kicked off that early. Maybe some girls would pity him for his failed pursuit of Gwen. Or better yet, they'd see how great he had done! Cody had sacrificed his chance of staying with Gwen to help Trent get closer to her. He even saved Lindsay and Trent from quicksand! Surely they would be frothing at the mouth to meet the Codemeister!
Yet, Cody's hopes were dashed the moment he stepped inside of his old high school. Constant remarks and teases were thrown over his time on the show. He was ridiculed for his patheticness with Gwen, his "kiss" with Noah, and even his slamming into the tree while trying to save Trent and Lindsay from the quicksand. Somehow, that wasn't even the worst of it. The part Cody was most bullied over was the bear attack.
One would think that Cody, being maimed by a wild bear, would be the subject of some sort of sympathy. Or at the very least it would be ignored. But no. His cruel peers barraged him with insults over his encounter with the beast. He came to be known as "Fresh Tuna", "The Mummy", and even "Scratching Post". Not even the teachers were willing to be kind to him. Some of them even began calling him those names out of instinct.
For the rest of his high school years, he would have to put up with these statements. Finally, Cody was able to escape high school forever, moving on to university. His parents were more than willing to get him out of the house. They did not hide their embarrassment and shame from Cody's behavior in the first season. During this time, he was able to use his fame to further himself for the first time. He joined a boy band alongside fellow former castmates Trent, Justin, and Harold. He did this for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to reinvent himself. Cody figured that since the reality star angle clearly wasn't working for him, being a musician might be where he'd get his break. There was also the fact that he needed money for college. After the show, he had been all but officially disowned by his parents.
Then, just before he was planning on going to university, he was able to get his way onto Total Drama World Tour! Cody's excitement for the new season couldn't be understated. It was another shot to show how great he was. Plus the money would go a long way. He wouldn't screw it up this time. He couldn't.
Yet, his plans fell apart yet again as when the season started, he met his number one fan, Sierra. In an instant, Cody's chances of making something of himself on the show dropped to zero. Now, there was no time to do anything. Competing in challenges, making friends, strategizing, all of it was now so out of reach. Sierra's mere presence ensured that Cody would never be taken seriously. The embarrassment of being treated as nothing more than Sierra's baby was something he'd never live down. Not to mention that once Sierra was eliminated, Cody didn't make it any further. No one cared that his two opponents were the two strongest competitors he could have asked for. They only saw that he was eliminated in an embarrassing manner yet again.
For the second time, Cody attempted to keep a positive attitude when it came time for him to go to college. However, a nagging voice in the back of mind told him the truth. Regardless of his top three placement, he wouldn't be seen as anything other than weak.
College didn't treat Cody well at all. Initially, he was grateful when he was left alone. A sharp contrast from high school, and a change he welcomed with open arms. This isolation; however, began to get to Cody. Although no one was making fun of him anymore, Cody was not able to make many friends, either. His reputation preceded him, leading to almost everybody seeing him as the weirdo from the first season of Total Drama. And so, for the next four years, Cody kept to himself, only socializing when necessary. By the end of his stint at college, he barely felt human.
Cody's relationship with the rest of the cast from the show wasn't much better. After so many years of distance from the show, as well as Cody's growing hermitage, the occasional text from Harold about a new video game and the ever-present Christmas texts from Owen were all that broke the silence.
He later found a job for a video game company. He was at pretty much the bottom of the company, but Cody was happy to be somewhere on the ladder. That was about two years ago. Now, he was still in the same position, although with a much bleaker outlook on his prospects in the company.
One day, on his way home from work, he was stopped by a girl who looked about his age.
"H-hi. Ar-are you…"
"Am I Cody from Total Drama?" he filled in, trying to mask his instant contempt. There was seldom a reason for someone to talk to him unless they were former fans of the show.
"Oh, I guess you are then?"
"Yup, I'm one and the same," He flashed her the same goofy grin he wore all those years ago. He hadn't naturally worn the smile in years but felt a duty to appease the fans.
"Uh, could I get a picture with you to show my friends?" she asked, awkwardly rubbing her feet on the floor.
It sounded more like she wanted to show off to her friends rather than actually be excited, but he obliged. He once again grinned as the phone took the picture.
"Thank you!" she said as she started to walk away.
Cody too started walking away until he heard her lightly whisper to herself.
"Well, I guess Cody's better than nobody. Doesn't even have the gap tooth anymore though."
Cody's heart sank as he stared down at the ground. He hated talking to fans. The awkwardness of speaking to someone who knows you far better than you know them, the inevitable disappointment when you aren't the same as you were when you were sixteen, the thought that any one of these could be the next Sierra. Needless to say, he had his reasons.
Soon, Cody arrived back at his apartment. He immediately trudged to his bed and collapsed. He slid his work clothes off and put on some pajamas. He decided to look in his refrigerator to find something to eat. In the end, he decided to just make some cereal. He turned on the television to find something to watch. Naturally, the first thing to come on was something to remind him of the show he hated so much. It was an interview with Owen.
The big guy hadn't changed much in the eight years since the show's finale. Outside a small mustache growing on his face, he looked the same. Owen had been on countless shows since his time on Total Drama, seeking to relive the fun he had on his first reality show.
Cody didn't bother to watch the interview. Although he had no hatred in his heart for his friend, reminders of Total Drama were far from what he needed at the moment. He sat there in silence, eating his cereal. His face remained stoic as he continued to monotonously scoop his dinner. Although he was much less emotional than he was on the show, Cody couldn't stop himself from clenching his fists. Not only did he hate the show for the reputation it had given him, he hated himself for what he did.
His awkward Codemeister persona, his reluctance to take a hint from Gwen, his hypocritical behavior with Sierra, and his loss to both the bear and Alejandro. It was as if Cody was trying to be as embarrassing as possible.
Cody gave up on his cereal and headed straight to bed. He didn't bother getting under the covers, just laying on top of them. With a big sigh, he closed his eyes.
"I wish I could just forget it all…" he muttered. He then drifted off to sleep, forcing himself to be ready for another day of sad reminders that he had failed.
Cody woke up as drool slid down his pillow. He pushed himself up, wiping his mouth dry.
"These pillows and sheets seem unfamiliar. Wait, that's not right. They are familiar. They're… my childhood room's sheets," he thinks, carefully analyzing the light blue blanket he was sleeping under..
Cody snaps his head around to see that the sheets aren't the only thing from his childhood. The entire room is the one he slept in as a kid.
"Cody! The television guys are here!"
Cody freezes. That was his mother's voice. "That can't be right. I haven't spoken to her in years!"
Almost like muscle memory, Cody locates the clothes he used to wear from his old dresser. No matter how confused he was, he didn't want to go meet his parents in pajama pants.
"Could I have made up with my parents?" Cody thought. "I must have gotten drunk last night, then went to my parents' house." Cody didn't drink all too often. It just wasn't his thing. Yet, he couldn't think of another reason for him not to remember why he'd somehow gotten into his parents' house.
"Wait, didn't she say something about television as well? I must have agreed to some sort of interview." Cody would frequently get emails asking for an interview regarding his time on Total Drama. He usually turned them down, but for whatever reason, drunk Cody decided to make the decision for him.
Lining the stairwell he walked down were pictures of him and his family. Odd, considering that when Cody returned home from Total Drama Action, all pictures of him that were previously hung on the wall were "mysteriously" taken down.
"Hey honey!" he heard a shrill voice call from the kitchen. That was definitely his mother's voice, yet something was off about it. It had been years since he'd talked to his mom, but she should have gotten significantly older. So why did her voice sound so young? Granted, he hadn't heard what his mother sounded like for a long time, but it had also been eight years. Some sort of degradation was to be expected.
"You got all your things packed?" she asks him.
"My things?"
"You know, for that one show you signed up for!"
"I signed up for a show? A show?! What the hell have I gotten myself into? It's fine, I'll just find a way to get out of it."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. His mom gestured for him to open the door and so he did. Behind it stood a fairly tall man. He had slicked-back gray hair, sunglasses, and a headset with a microphone.
"Mr. Anderson, I presume?"
"Um, yes it is. Listen, I think that there's been some sort of mistake-"
"Put your things in the trunk, and get in the backseat whenever you are ready," The man gave Cody no time to speak before suddenly turning around and getting into the car waiting behind him.
"About time. Here, I packed a spare bag in case you forgot! Bye, sweetie!" His mom shoved a duffel bag into Cody's hands and practically pushed him out the door. He was left on his front porch, baffled.
"So, clearly she still wants me gone. But if our relationship is the same, why would I be at their house?"
None of this made sense to Cody. Assuming he had gotten drunk, he'd certainly done a lot of things during that time. Not only was drinking an already unlikely scenario for him, but if he did, he'd usually just sink into more of a depression. So, what could it be?
"Wait, I've got it! This must be a dream! I mean, this is eerily similar to the day I left for Total Drama, right? It has to be a dream!"
With his mystery presumably solved, he decided to go along with the dream. Not that he hadn't had dreams about the show before, but they usually took place in the show, nor were they this realistic. He tossed his bag in the trunk before sliding into his seat. He slammed the car door shut, directly onto his fingers.
"AH! Damn it!" Pain shoots through his hand to dispute his dream theory. He looks down and his fingernail is already turning purple. The guy from the door turns around and immediately flinches.
"Ooh, kid, that's a rough start. You haven't even gotten to the show yet!"
Trying to push the pain aside, which was very difficult, Cody tried to make sense of what was happening. So it wasn't drunkenness, nor was it a dream. What else could it be? Had he finally gone insane? Or… was it something entirely else?
The thought of time traveling popped into his brain, and although he tried to disregard the thought, every other idea in his mind wasn't lining up.
The car ride would last about two hours, as he finally arrived at his destination. He couldn't see outside of the black-stained windows, but if things were truly the same as eight years ago, he was currently in a line, as each contestant was slowly led to their own personal yacht.
Another fifteen minutes passed by before Cody finally reached the front of the assumed line. He stood up next to the car and got his duffel bag out of the back. True to his thought, there was a line of yachts, each waiting for their respective competitor.
"So it's true. Either I've gone crazy, or I really have time-traveled. What the hell is going on?"
All of a sudden, Cody started to feel jittery. The same feeling he had felt eight years ago.
"Why are my hands shaking? Get it together, Cody. You just have to deal with a reality show that was the biggest mistake of your life, deal with a bunch of moody teenagers who don't care about you, and go through constant torture from a psychotic host." He sighed in defeat. "I can't do this again."
The drive to the island is far too short for Cody's liking. He would have preferred to stay on the boat for one, two more years before he was ready. He couldn't stop shaking with fear.
As his yacht approaches the dock, he feels a surge of unexplainable emotions. Everything is coming back to him, his successes, his failures, his fears. Everything. Despite every part of his body telling him to hide in the boat and stay there forever, Cody pushes himself forward, hopping onto the dock.
"Cody. The Code-ster. The Code-Meister!" Chris says, with a surprisingly nice tone.
"H-hey, what's up!" Cody forces out, putting up some weak finger guns. He wants to stay true to how he acted in the original, but he just can't focus on that. Seeing all of these teens here, in their original states, before their drastic changes from the show, is too much. Even though more people love them, he knows what popularity does to a person, even if they are generally well-liked. He wants to warn these naive teenagers about what's to come, but he knows that he would come off as insane. So instead, he stays quiet as he awkwardly walks past Chris.
"Great, another dork for me to pound," Duncan threatened him, punching his fist.
Cody ignores him and stands near Heather and Trent.
"Ugh, why'd you have to stand next to me, nerd?" Heather complained.
The geek looked up at the queen bee before rolling his eyes. He took a step away, although ignored her when she said, "That's better."
The rest of the contestants slowly arrived at the dock, as Cody stared at the shiny blue lake that surrounded him.
"Please, for the love of God, get me out of this. I don't care if this is a prank, a dream, or anything else. Just PLEASE don't make me go through this again."
"First things first! We need a group photo for the promos. Everyone at the end of the dock!" Chris announced with his signature smile.
Despite knowing what would happen, Cody had to join them, or else it would look suspicious. However, he tried to stay a little bit away from everybody, attempting to stay dry.
"Yo, Cody. Scooch in man. You gotta be in the picture," Chris told him.
"But this dock looks pretty unstable. I'm worried it could break," he replied, nervously looking at the wood below him.
"Look, the dock is perfectly fine! There's nothing to worry about, just get in the shot!"
Cody bit his tongue, staying to the very left, nudging slightly closer to Lindsay and Izzy.
"Come on, I don't bite!" Izzy laughed before snarling. "Well, okay, sometimes I do. But it usually doesn't hurt too bad!" Cody wasn't worried about Izzy before, but now he was.
"Okay! One, two, three. Oops. Okay, forgot the lens cap! Okay, hold that pose! One! Tw– oh. No, wait. Card's full. Hang on."
"Come on man, my face is startin' to freeze!" Leshawna complained, gritting her teeth.
"Got it. Okay, everyone say Wawanakwa!"
"Wawanakwa!" a chorus of teens erupted.
With a snap, the camera clicks, just as the dock breaks below the contestants. A collective scream rolls out.
"Okay, guys. Dry off and meet at the campfire pit in ten!" Chris says, walking off towards the campfire pit.
"Ugh, god dammit Chris!" Gwen growled.
"We should have listened to Scrawny over there!" Eva yelled.
"Wait, how did you know that would happen?" Lindsay asked. Normally, any question that Lindsay posed would immediately be ignored. Maybe it was because they didn't know her yet, or maybe she had genuinely posed a good question, but for once, Lindsay did not fall on deaf ears. All eyes were now on Cody, who wanted no attention from anybody right now. Two seconds go by as Cody stumbled over his words.
"W-well, you see-"
"Who cares? Now my makeup's all ruined!" Heather complained, splashing the water around her. The campers around her were not pleased, so Eva dunked her under the water.
While Heather emerged with a sputter and plenty of protests, Cody was happy to be out of the spotlight. He climbed up what was remaining of the dock and looked in his bag for the first time.
"Clothes, soap, shampoo, a cell phone I can't use, comic books. A DDS?" He eyed the portable game console, a sense of nostalgia grabbing hold of him. It was new now, he supposed. At the bottom of his bag, beneath more random pieces of technology he couldn't see himself using, he found a dark gray towel. He dried himself off with it. He decided to head to the showers as quickly as possible to change his clothes before everyone else. On his way out of the building, he bumped into Tyler.
"Oh, sorry."
"You're all good man! By the way, what do you think the deal with the tall blonde girl is?" he whispered, looking at Lindsay. It was clear he was trying to be subtle, but it only made him look creepier.
"I haven't spoken to her much yet," Cody said.
Tyler looked down. "Oh, right. Sorry."
"No, it's okay," Cody assured him. "Look, she seems nice. Why don't you just go talk to her?"
"Hm… you're right. Thanks, man!" Tyler said with a smile, before running over to the blond girl, a smile on her face as he greeted her.
Cody waited around the entrance of the campfire pit for the others to get ready. One by one the campers arrived at the entrance, noticeably less wet. They waited around because Chris was still giving his speech to the camera, explaining how the show would work. At the end of his speech, he gestured for the campers to come over to where he was.
"Excuse me, what will the sleeping arrangements be, because I'd like to request a bunk under her," Duncan asked, pointing at Heather. Heather looked disgusted by this.
"They're not coed, are they?" Heather asked.
"No. Girls get one side of each cabin and dudes get the other." Chris responded.
"Excuse me, Kyle? Can I have a cabin with a lake view since I'm the prettiest?" Lindsay asked as Cody rolled his eyes. He still found her dimness a little cute, though it was also overwhelmingly annoying.
"Okay, you are. But that's not really how it works here, and it's Chris."
"I have to live with Sadie or I'll die," Katie complained.
"And I'll break out in hives. It's true," Sadie agreed.
"This cannot be happening," Gwen sighed, a deadpan look on her face.
"Aww, c'mon guys! It'll be fun! It's like a big sleepover!" Owen said excitedly, accidentally letting out a fart.
"At least you don't have to sleep next to him," Tyler said, pointing at Owen. As nice as Owen was, Cody was not looking forward to spending his time in a fart-filled cabin for weeks on end. That is if he decided to stay.
"Alright everybody, gather 'round. It's time to announce the teams!" Chris exclaimed.
"...We already are gathered," Courtney pointed out. Chris promptly ignored her.
"If I call your name out, go stand over there. Gwen, Trent, Heather, Cody, Lindsay, Beth, Ezekiel, Owen, LeShawna, Justin, and Noah. From this moment on, You are officially known as...The Screaming Gophers!", Chris said.
"Did… did he just say Ezekiel?" Cody glanced at the homeschooled boy, who happily joined the rest of his team, finger well up his nose. "Wait, this can't be happening. He switched teams? Wait, with who? Izzy, right? No, Izzy switched with Sadie. Or Katie. This is so confusing."
"The rest of you, over here. Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Tyler, Sadie, Izzy, Courtney, Katie, Duncan, Eva, and Harold. Move, move, move!", Chris said.
Everybody shuffled over to their teams with awkward smiles plastered on their faces. Of course, a select few decided to keep their scowls, namely Gwen, Heather, Duncan, and Noah.
"You guys," Chris explains, pointing towards the second team, "are the Killer Bass!"
"It's awesome. It's like… amazing." Harold says, looking at his team.
Chris then explained how the confessionals work, then set off to go do that for the cameras. During this time, many of the campers wandered around to see the layout of the campsite, while others decided to start conversations with each other. Cody instead decided to stew in his thoughts.
"What the hell is going on?! Did I actually travel back in time? Why is Ezekiel on my team?! What the hell?!"
His minor panic attack is cut short by Chris gathering everyone once again. He tells the teens about the lodging situation.
"Bunk beds? Isn't this a little… summer camp?" Heather asks.
"That's the idea, genius." Gwen snarks.
"Ugh. Shut up, weird goth girl."
"And there it is. Inevitable, huh?" he thinks.
"Where are the outlets? I have to plug in my straightening iron."
"There are some in the communal bathrooms just across the way," Chris tried to explain.
"Communal bathrooms? But I'm not Catholic," Lindsay complained.
"Not communion. Communal," Chris clarified, though Lindsay still didn't understand.
"It means we shower together. Idiot," Gwen said, blowing her teal-dyed hair out of her face.
"I'm glad we're in our own cabin with just guys! Know what I mean? I mean, no! I didn't mean it like that! I love chicks! I just don't want to sleep near them! Ahh, dah, I mean-"
"Stop digging your hole even further," Cody advised.
"Excuse me, Chris?! Is there a chaperone of any kind in this facility?" Geoff eagerly asked.
"You're all sixteen years old. As old as a counselor in training at a regular summer camp. So, other than myself, you'll be unsupervised. You got half an hour to unpack and meet me back at the main lodge. Starting… Now!" Chris exclaimed.
"Ew, gross. They're lucky they picked a not-so-horny group of teenagers. Besides my previous self, of course."
"Nice," Geoff pumped his fist.
Cody threw his bag under a bed in the corner, opting to take a bottom bunk. He doesn't care what he gets, so might as well let others get top bunk. He heard an ear-piercing shriek coming from the girl's room but ignored it.
As the others deal with what he assumes is the roach problem, Cody stares up at the top of the bunk above him, pondering the many questions he has about his situation.
"Okay, what in the hell is happening? I'm back on Total Drama and Ezekiel's on my team? Am I going insane? Did I die and this is my hell? There's no way this can be real, there just no-"
"You good, man?"
Cody snapped out of his trance to find Trent staring at him questioningly.
"Uh, I'm good. Just a little out of it." Trent nodded in what seems to be agreement.
"Well, so long as I'm here, I might as well try to act normal."
"So what are ya here for, huh? You want the money, the fame, maybe to meet someone special?" Cody adds in that last part to maybe push Trent towards Gwen. "Maybe I can try to get people some better endings? I can try, at least."
"Pretty much just here for the fame. Money'd be nice though." Trent said, setting his bag down on a top bunk.
"Huh? I never knew Trent was in it for fame. I mean, we did get pretty famous in the Drama Brothers, but I just assumed that was out of passion for music for him," Cody thought.
"How about you? What do you want out of this whole thing?"
"Oh, I don't know. I guess just to make some friends."
"That's how I'd respond if I were past-me. Well, if past-me was genuine about what I wanted," Cody added in thought.
"Oh," Trent replied, sounding… almost disappointed. A little confused, Cody doesn't dwell on it. He laid down and shut his eyes, preparing himself for the challenges to come.
A/N: So, I originally planned to not have any author's notes in this story, other than one at the beginning, and one at the end. But given how I'm writing this story, I've realized that I really want to go all out with this project and get all of my ideas out and be done with the story forever. So, these notes are going to be something like a director's commentary for each chapter. I'll explain why I did certain things, why Cody talks to certain people, why story elements are shifted, stuff like that. Granted, the thoughts aren't going to be coming from what I was thinking exactly, since I've only started adding these while writing "Who Can You Trust", but I should be able to recount my thoughts.
This chapter is obviously really important, given that it's the first one. One change I made this time around is that it is obvious that Cody's parents want him out of the house. When I wrote the story the first time, I would literally sit down and decide what happens in the chapter at that exact moment, with no preparation. That was why Heather kissed Trent in "Who Can You Trust", because as I was writing it, I literally forgot that that plot didn't even happen in that episode. And in this case, I originally had the thought to have Cody's parents be super sweet and loving, almost smothering. But later, I kind of just forgot about that and made them nasty and hateful. So, I changed it to be more in line with what the story should be.
Like I said, I came up with my ideas the night of, and Ezekiel being a Gopher was one of those ideas. As I was typing out the list of names, I thought to myself about how none of the other time travel stories I had read ever changed the teams unless it was a sequel to a previous story. I wondered if I should be the first, or least one of the first. I chose Ezekiel because I thought he had the most potential for a Cody friendship from the Bass, without hurting the dynamic of the other team too badly. I'm thankful for past-me, because not only do I really like Ezekiel now, but him being a Gopher is what I think is one of the biggest factors that sets my story apart from others.
The rest of the chapter really just plays out like canon, except Cody is much more reserved, as one would be if they time traveled.