"Last time on Total Drama," Chris recapped, "The players had a ball that quickly rolled into a pit that everyone had to escape when it caved in." The scene flashed back to the Turbo-Orbs bouncing around, then to Dave puckering his lips for a kiss. "Dave tried to kiss Sky...a lot," Chris continued. The scene changed to Dave kissing a bat, getting puke on him and fainting after coming out of the outhouse. "He made out with a bat, got barf jam to the face and potentially ended up with severe trauma after a disgusting escape." The scene changed to Sugar swallowing a glow slug and the glow slugs sliding off of Phoebe. "Sugar and Phoebe found a way to shed a little light on things." The scene changed to Scarlett and Cameron walking towards an elevator. "While Cameron and Scarlett found more than they should've." The scene changed to Ethan getting hit by the dragon while Paul went ballistic on it afterwards, to the shock of the Rats. "And Ethan and Paul had to face their fears to defend the Rats and defeated a nightmarish dragon."
...
The scene changed to Jasmine and Trent using Topher and Valerie as battering rams as they escaped through the ground. "But in the end," Chris continued, "Everyone showed us how not to win a challenge." The scene changed to Mike falling over the finish line while carrying Zoey and Anne-Maria. "The Frogs had to send someone home due to three people still being MIA..." The scene changed to Anne-Maria getting her tongue stuck to an icicle, then to her elimination. "And it was Anne-Maria the ice kisser who went after Alejandro tricked her. Maybe the air might be fresher now." The scene changed to Keith and Sky switching teams. "Then in a move no one saw coming, I busted out a little McLean evil and made Keith and Sky switch teams. Now Phoebe and Dave are devastated, the swapped have enemies on their teams, and I'm a genius."
...
The scene changed to Chris by the Cannon of Shame. "But this is today," he narrated, "And someone will blast away, so hip-hip-hooray for Total...Drama...Island!"
(cue commercial)
It was late into the night. Inside the Rats' tree house, lights and music was blaring from the guys' side. "Now this is a party, dudes!" Geoff cheered as he and Austin danced to the music.
"That's twenty-one, boys," Lacey boasted as she slammed her cards down onto the little table. "Read 'em and weep."
"How do you always win?" Sam asked as Lacey pulled a pile of berries and coins towards her.
"Game Guy's right," Scott agreed. "You got the cards marked or something?"
"Nope," Lacey shrugged. "You boys are just so damn easy to read. Plus, I have played poker games back home for a while now. Hey, did it get quiet in here?" She turned to see Courtney tapping her foot in annoyance. "Do you mind?" the C.I.T. scolded. "Some of us are trying to get a decent night's sleep, so knock it off!" She started to walk off when the music was switched on again. "Sorry, princess," Lacey whipped back. "Some of us are trying not to have a pole up our ass like you."
"You should be grateful we decided to be nice and let you sleep here," Courtney reminded her.
"That's you being nice?" Austin retorted as he tipped his hat. "My sympathies, Lacey."
"Butt out, dirt boy. This doesn't involve you. And since Lacey is acting like an unruly guest and encouraging the Rats' bad behavior, she should go sleep in the cold now."
"Make me, you stuck-up brat," Lacey challenged.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Leshawna interjected as she and Julia approached the group. "What's with all the shouting here? Can't you guys calm it down for tonight?" Courtney and Lacey glared at each other. A second later, the tree house erupted with the sound of a hefty brawl. Scott, Bowie and Sam were quick to escape the fight and hide in the other side of the tree house. "Who would've thought those girls can get that vicious that quickly?" Scott panted.
"Hey, guys," Dawn whispered from underneath her covers. "Over here. I must tell you something."
"Spill, Dawn," Bowie told her. "What kind of juice did you wanna tell us?"
"The other night, I overheard Julia and Courtney making a deal."
"Crap. I was afraid of this. Now Julia and her cronies outnumber us."
"Uh, if I could say something," Sam spoke up, "I think I want to join forces with you. At least, until Julia's gone."
"For real?" Scott asked.
"Yeah. Compared to Julia, you guys were pretty nice to me overall."
"Dude, we are eternally grateful," Bowie breathed out.
"And we do mean that genuinely," Dawn added when she noticed Sam about to speak. "But what about Courtney and Julia?"
"Hmm, got an idea. We saw how much Austin and Lacey are against Courtney. If the cowboy somehow finds out about the secret deal, he'll split from the alliance. Sam or Dawn should break the news, though."
"Why us?" Sam thought.
"Because Austin won't take me or Bowie's word," Scott explained. "He's not a complete idiot, you know. And Lightning has clear hatred of Julia, so Austin will be skeptical of him, too. You two are the only ones that he'll believe since everyone knows you can't lie to save your life."
"Um, yeah, I guess that makes sense." The next morning, Sky was resting inside the Frogs' tree house when she heard the sound of writing. She got a spooked look when she saw Scarlett staring at her. "Smile!" Sierra exclaimed before snapping a picture of Sky with her phone. "'Sky's first day on the Frogs of Death. #ExcitementForTheNewbie!'"
"Your stage two sleep spindles were low frequency followed by an intense delta or slow wave," Scarlett informed the confused Sky.
"She means that you slept pretty well, Sky," Cameron clarified as he entered the tree house. "Um, Scarlett, Sierra, maybe we should let her get more adjusted to the new team before talking about her sleep patterns."
"Sure, Camby," Sierra shrugged. "Besides, I've got some work to do myself." She skipped outside, with Scarlett and Cameron walking out soon after. "I see you met our resident brainiacs," Sol remarked as he set down a bucket of peppers. "Scarlett's a tad odd, but at least Cameron keeps her in line most of the time. Pepper?"
"Uh, I'll pass," Sky decided. "Don't wanna scald my tongue."
"Ah, I get it. Hey, something else you don't wanna do: trusting Jasmine or Valerie. Those two are becoming a mess on the Frogs."
"You mind, Bait Brain?" Valerie scoffed as she and Jasmine entered the cabin with a basket of fruit. "We don't want your ugliness rubbing off on this sweetie newbie here."
"Me? You outta-" Sol was tossed out by Valerie. "Sorry about him, Sky," Jasmine apologized. "Fruit?"
"Thanks," Sky replied as she caught an apple. However, she let out a sigh afterwards. "Does fruit make you sad?" Valerie asked.
"No," Sky explained as she stood up, "I just...I got used to having breakfast with Dave every morning. We were just friends, but I'm still gonna miss him."
"No," Jasmine sternly told her. "No, no! You can't have feelings for the enemy. I used to have a thing for Shawn, but-"
"Shawn?"
"Yes." There was an awkward silence between the girls for a moment. "Okay..." Sky spoke up.
"But I ended it," Jasmine explained. "The only person you can count on is you. And me, while we're on the same team. But no one else. Deal?"
"Um, but Sol said not to trust-"
"You really think you can trust Sol's word over us girls?" Valerie inquired. "Recall that this man cursed two innocent people just because he got a little mad. We can help you, but you must listen to us, okay?" Sky looked down at her apple. "You're right," she replied. "And don't worry. I'm a team player. You got a deal." The trio high-fived, which Shawn noticed through his binoculars as he sat on a tree branch.
Confessional: Shawn (Confused Bears)
"That could've been a double-date high-five. Me and Jasmine, Dave and Sky...I mean, who knows?" He let out a sigh. "She totally hates me right now. I gotta win her back."
End Confessional
"Well, well, well," Jo taunted as she entered the tree house, "If it isn't Short Shit herself. Looks like your little plan to get rid of me didn't work out so well for you, did it? Just had to crawl back to me, didn't you?"
"Yeah, because getting swapped by Chris is totally the same as crawling," Sky sarcastically remarked as she rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Short Wonder. Point is your plan failed and you're on MY team without your little puppet dog by your side."
"Well, you can consider yourself the leader as much as you want, but I'm not going to be a dirty cheater like you. And Dave is not a puppet dog."
"So, he's a lapdog," Valerie teased.
"Shh," Jasmine warned.
"You should just listen to Down Under Power over there," Jo told Sky while pointing to Jasmine. "Love just gets in the way. You're far better as a solo act like me, but of course, you might just prefer to be a second place-"
"I know what you're trying to do," Sky defended.
"Always behind-"
"It's not gonna-"
"The least loser-"
"Are you even-?"
"Silver placer- OUCH!" Jo held her foot while Sky angrily walked away, much to Jasmine and Valerie's shock. "The punk," Jo grumbled.
"It might help you if you were a tad nicer towards her," Valerie noted as she pulled Jo closer.
"Kid's right," Jasmine agreed. "You better step up or you're gonna get the boot next." She left the tree house. "Listen, Jo," Valerie quietly told her once Jasmine was out of earshot, "You need to tone down your little rivalry, at least for a little bit. Don't wanna create a target on your back, do you?"
"Why are you suddenly being so friendly?" Jo inquired.
"Hey, us gals gotta stick together. And with that traitor who I won't name now gone, maybe there's a chance to reform the old club. These suckers won't know what hit them."
"One problem: I doubt we'll get Bun Head. That weakling Cameron is keeping us split and driving up Scarlett's fury towards me."
"Leave that little pest to me. I'll get Scarlett back to us." Over on the other side of the tree house, Helen was fixing up her mohawk. "There we go," she muttered with content. "Gotta look somewhat good to talk to Nikki."
"I am still not sure that she will speak with you," Helga admitted as she adjusted her vest.
"Come on, Helga. You must know something else."
"I told you everything I know. I'm still not sure why Nikki thinks that way about you."
"Why does she think I wanted to get Laney out? Oh... Oh, it's because of Laney and Corey. But it's not like-"
"Is everything alright, Helen?" Bryan asked as he stepped inside.
"Why do you ask, Scrawny Boy?" Helga demanded.
"Well, I'm-I'm just looking out for a friend. And I'm a bit worried about what might happen if she talks to Nikki. I just...don't want Helen getting snapped at...or worse."
"Hmm...you do make good point. Let me talk to Nikki before you do, Mohawk Girl. That way, Nikki will be less likely to 'snap'. Happy?"
"Yeah, that's good," Helen agreed. "Thanks for looking out for me, Bryan."
"No problem," Bryan shrugged.
Confessional: Bryan (Screaming Gophers)
"They bought it. Good. I can't afford to have Helen fraternizing with the other team. If she's going to become my ally, I need her loyalty to be towards me and me alone."
End Confessional
"Stupid Jo," Sky grumbled as she sat on a tree branch. "Don't think about her, Sky. Think about...what you found yesterday." She pulled out the pink notebook and was about to open it when she saw Mike staring at her. "AH!" Sky cried out. "Don't sneak up on someone like that!"
"Sorry, sorry," Mike quickly replied as he hopped down next to her. "So, um, what 'cha reading?"
"It's personal, Mike. I can't show you."
"Oh, okay. I understand. Um...the new team treating you okay?"
"I suppose so. Save for Jo, everyone seems well to get along with."
"Well, it's mainly smoke and mirrors on that part. Ever since the news about Samey and her getting cut, things quickly spun out of control here. I try not to get in the middle of it, but Jasmine and Sol are pressuring everyone to choose sides. In fact, Zoey stepped out early so she wouldn't have to hear it. Can't say I blame her."
"Oh, really? I didn't-"
"Just try to avoid Sol and Jasmine for now. Jo and Valerie for added measure. And I'm not too sure about Scarlett. But everyone else should be okay. Well...almost everyone. Did Phoebe come back here or do you know?"
"I don't think so. Why?"
"She seemed pretty upset over Keith getting swapped."
"That jerk? Why would anybody sympathize with him?"
"Those two were pretty tight. Maybe they were actually lovers."
"Please. Phoebe deserves better than him." Sky hopped down from the tree branch she was sitting on and walked off.
Confessional: Mike (Frogs of Death)
"Sky seems awfully certain of Keith, but why?"
End Confessional
Inside the Bears' cave, Tyler and Lindsay were chatting away. "And then I ended up crashing right into the team mascot," Tyler finished.
"You're so funny," Lindsay giggled, "And I love that about you." Tyler got a bashful blush while Heather scowled from a distance. "I swear I don't even know why I try," the Queen Bee ranted to herself. "How many times have I said 'Dating someone from the other team is against the alliance rules'? And does she understand. No, she doesn't. I'm surrounded by idiots."
"Seems like someone woke up on the wrong side of the cave," Alejandro greeted with his always-suave voice.
"Do you mind? It's not very gentleman-like to spy on a lady."
"Nor is it very ladylike to scoff at someone else's happiness. Perhaps it's a hint of...jealousy?"
"What? For them? They have, like, half a brain cell combined. Plus, trashy jocks are totally not my type."
"Interesting..." Alejandro teased while rubbing Heather's chin. "I'm intrigued to understand what kinds of guys could be considered 'your type'."
"Ugh!" Heather groaned as she slapped the Spaniard's hand away. "Just leave me be." She walked off and went past Dave. He looked over towards Lindsay and Tyler before letting out a dejected sigh. "Huh?" Sugar noted as she laid nearby. "Hey, why so glum?" Dave simply shrugged. "Is 'cause you thought you and Sky were a perfect couple and now that she's switched teams, there's little to no hope of you two ever, ever, ever getting back together?"
"Yeah..." Dave moaned. He was slapped in the face by Sugar. "Cheer up, Saddy!" she rallied. "We can still pull through with the better guy here! Let's not mess this up like we did with that wizard girl."
"Ignore her, Sir David," Ethan told him as the pageant queen walked off. "She's trying to mess with your head." He and Dave screamed with fright as Shawn leapt down in front of them. "A little warning would be nice," Dave noted.
"The zombs give no warning," Shawn protested. "Get your head on straight or they'll open it up like a yogurt container!"
"I'm pretty sure zombies are fairly easy to avoid even without warning," Ethan pointed out. "A tortoise is faster than a zombie."
"Not when they're ravaging like Scar's starving hyenas. Tree bark sharesies?" Shawn pulled out a piece of tree bark with moss and beetles. "Nah," Dave replied. "I'll just, uh, starve."
"Don't be down," Shawn assured the germaphobe. "Sky and Jasmine are on the same team. It'll be 24/7 girl talk over there and they'll come back to us in no time."
"Hey, maybe you're right."
"I'm not so sure," Ethan skeptically put in. "Most women are fiercely independent...and fiercely stubborn. Just take a look at Destiny."
"You mind, Punk Princess?" Keith scoffed as he noticed Destiny staring at him while he laid down with a sleeping Phoebe still clinging onto his leg. "I'm trying to rest up before the challenge."
"Watch the attitude, Scrawny," Destiny warned.
"SCRAWNY?! You should watch who you run that fat lip towards!"
"Uh, didn't she kick your butt last time?" Shawn recalled as Dave hid behind the rocks.
"Just got a lucky shot," Keith scoffed.
"Lucky?!" Destiny angrily protested. "That was pure Desi skill! And I'll be more than glappy to give you a taste, El Kabong style!"
"Uh...what?" Carly asked as she and Gwen sat nearby. "What does she mean by that?"
"You can't take me again," Keith boasted. However, his bravado fell a bit once he saw Destiny's sinister grin as she readied her guitar. "Wanna bet?" she challenged.
"Uh...you wouldn't hit a guy who has an innocent girl clinging to him, would you?" Keith asked with a hint of worry. Gwen and Carly winced as they heard a loud BANG! "Yes, she would," Gwen noted as they saw Destiny walk off with her guitar.
"At least it's not one of us, right?" Carly joked. "And she honestly scares me a bit. At least Heather is all talk."
"She was definitely more than talking when those ants got all over her." The two girls shared a giggle before they resumed their chat, and Trent sighed with relief as he saw the duo talking. "Guess that's one drama done," he thought to himself.
"Yeah, for now," Paul muttered, catching Trent's attention and making him turn to face him. "It's only a matter of time before something else goes wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't think I don't notice. You have the same scent as that owl Shadow told me about during the monkey challenge. Odd, isn't it?"
"Oh, excuse me? You're gonna talk about playing dumb? It's a surprise no one's notice your little chompers, huh?" The two boys eyed each other, then walked away before anyone else caught the scene.
Confessional: Trent (Screaming Gophers)
"Something feels fishy about Paul. I can't be the only one noticing all the bells ringing off around him, can I?" He rubbed his neck a bit. "Better keep an eye on him. He could be the Bear villain from the alliance."
Confessional: Paul (Confused Bears)
"If Melody was still here, she'd agree that Trent's giving off an odd aura. Everything about him screams 'suspicious' even more than Valerie. I'd better keep my guard up around him."
End Confessionals
Phoebe let out a yawn as she woke up. "Oh, what a bad dream," she moaned. "I dreamed that Coach was swapped to the Bears and we couldn't be team buddies anymore. Uh, where am I?"
"Here's a hint," Blainley taunted, "There's lots of bear food here."
"Blainley, that's a bit mean," Carly scolded. "Phoebe's still adjusting with the swap, you know."
"Uh, swap?" Phoebe asked. "You mean, like, socks?"
"No, squirt," Keith informed her as he picked her up by her braid. "She means we're not on the same team anymore. Now, let me make one thing clear: I WILL NOT go easy on you during the challenges. This is a game for a million bucks. Got it?"
"Um...yeah..."
"Repeat what I said, just to be sure."
"No going easy on each other. But...we're still friends, right?" Just then, Barry yapped as he ran over to the duo. "Down, boy!" Keith laughed as Barry licked his face. "Down!"
"That filthy mutt again?" Blainley complained. "Someone get that flea-ridden freak out of here!" She noticed Barry sniffing at her, then sticking out his tongue in disgust. "Well, what do you know?" Carly teased. "The filthy mutt has taste." She noticed a hand waving from outside the cave. "Uh, I gotta use the bathroom real quick. Be back soon." She ran outside, where she was yanked out of sight by Dean. "Glad you noticed," he whispered.
"Hi, Dean," Carly greeted. "So...why did you call me out here? Oh, do you have news on the people of the Villains' Alliance?"
"Uh, can't confirm or deny that, but what I can tell you is to watch out for Blainley there."
"Blainley? Sure, she's acting like an ass, but-"
"She also approached the interns the other day and roped Stan and Oliver into helping her. How do you think she aced the last challenge?"
"Yeah, you make a point. But what can we do? Everyone is dead-set on Sugar going next. I can't change that."
"There is another way. The TD Rule Book section of alliances deems a camper and staff member an illegal alliance. If the camper in question is caught getting help from staff, they're disqualified from the game. All you have to do is catch her in the act."
"Alright. Thanks, Dean."
"Uh, no problem."
Confessional: Dean
"Chris's stupid rule said I couldn't say anything about Echo. He never said anything about the other campers. Plus, it does seem likely Blainley could be someone from that alliance. Explains why no one decided to kick her butt off yet."
End Confessional
In the woods, Zoey was picking a few berries off a bush and putting them in a bag. "Morning, Red," a bruised-up Lacey greeted as she and Duncan walked over.
"Lacey!" Zoey gasped. "What happened? Are you okay?"
"Eh, just got into a little cat fight last night. Nothing too bad. Any reason why you're hanging out by yourself?"
"Things are...kinda tense with the Frogs right now. Jasmine and Sol, Mike, the team swap... It feels like a mess. I came out here where things are more peaceful."
"Things can always be worse, you know. At least you're not a target for elimination."
"Or on the Rats," Duncan put in. "You have dicks like Julia and Scott running around."
"Scott?" Zoey asked with confusion.
"Oh, yeah. Total scumbag. Honestly can't decide which one is worse: Julia or Scott."
"But Scott's a good guy. He-"
"What? He told you himself? Yeah, right."
"Break it up, you two," Lacey ordered as she stepped between them. "Didn't we come here to avoid a fight? Look, Zoey, I'll chat with Scott, alright? Make sure he's on the up-and-up."
"But-" Zoey spoke up.
"I just don't want your trust being misplaced. I told you how Sarah got cut. Someone we trusted set her up. We can't have that mistake again, okay?"
"Attention, my soon-to-be victims!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers. "Your fate awaits at the grand clearing. Last one there eats a rotten egg!"
"Free hillbilly brekkie!" Sugar exclaimed as she ran off.
"He said the last one!" Dave reminded her.
"Forget it," Paul said. "Let's go!" The campers started running off. The Frogs were running in one group. "Last one there eats a rotten egg!" Topher announced while he ran. "See? Sounds better with a more youthful inflection. Agree or strongly agree?" He ended up crashing into a tree. "I think he should focus on running," Cameron panted.
"Oh, yeah," Sierra absentmindedly agreed.
Confessional: Topher (Frogs of Death)
"Been using old man Chris's cell to leave messages with the network about going with a younger host, i.e., me. Still haven't heard back. Might be time to step it up."
Confessional: Sierra (Frogs of Death)
She was typing on her phone. "I've been leaving a few requests on the TD blogs and chats I've got set up in order to get more dirt on Topher and just see what his endgame is. He's just a big mystery! Once I get a notice, my phone will ring off. Even got a little ringtone for it. Listen." She pressed 'Play' and some pig snorts started sounding off. "Definitely noticeable."
End Confessionals
Topher panted as he reached the clearing. "And Topher arrives last," Chris noted, "So he gets to eat the rotten egg."
"Aw, man!" Topher cried out in shock. "For real?!"
"Definitely would've loved to see that," Blainley snickered.
"Too bad our resident garbage disposal got to it first," Greg noted. Sugar's stomach gave a gurgle. "Smell what you missed, sucker!" she taunted. She let out a belch towards Topher. "I got it," Jo said. She blew the burp away, making it hit Dave in the face. He blinked then passed out from the stench. "Dave!" Sky gasped.
"No, don't," Jasmine warned as she held her back. "He's the enemy and he'll turn on you the first chance he gets."
"No, he won't," Sol argued as he slapped Jasmine's hand away. "Stay out of this, Outback."
"You stay out of this, Witch Doctor."
"You both sound crazy," Julia scoffed.
"It just sounds awful," Phoebe whimpered as she held onto Keith's legs.
"What did we get through talking about?" Keith reminded her.
"Challenge. Focus. Right."
"Listen up, campers," Chris explained. "Today's challenge is called Hush or Die. The teams have to race through three separate and unique danger zones. Three zones have one thing in common, though: the noisier you are, the greater the danger becomes."
"Great," Helen moaned. "Perfect for a girl like me."
"Area one is called The Lion's Lunch. You gotta sneak through a field of sleeping lions. Wake one up and you're lunch."
"But they're sleeping, so..." Dawn noted.
"Oh, and there are rattlesnakes, too."
"Okay, that's bad," Ethan gulped.
"Um, isn't a rattlesnake's poison deadly?" Zoey asked.
"Uh-uh," Phoebe replied. "Snakes don't have poison. They have venom, and most snakes don't usually prey on people, so-"
"She wasn't asking for an ophiology lesson, Phoebe," Cameron cut off. "But Chris, what happens if a snake bites us?"
"The venom in our snakes has been slightly diluted," Chris replied, "So, you'll only feel like you're gonna die. If you make it out of that zone alive, maybe you'll die in area two: The Pasta Blaster! Make a noise in zone two, blindfolded Chef will blast ya with pasta." Chef fired at a chirping bird, hitting it and pinning it to a tree. "Noodles can't kill anyone," Shawn scoffed with confidence.
"True," Chris said, "Unless the burning hot noodles cause you to scream and wake up the carnivorous Pasta Bear, forcing your team to untangle you before you're eaten alive."
"Well, yeah, that could kill someone."
"Another bear?!" Phoebe cried out. "Are you obsessed with those things? They're vicious and dangerous!"
"Yet you say you like spiders," Helga pointed out.
"Most spiders can't kill you, though. Bears can."
"The last phase of the challenge is crossing the Avalanche Zone," Chris announced.
"You kinda ran out of creative steam coming up for the name for that one, huh?" Topher questioned, to Chris's annoyance. "Old age will do that to you." Chris simply pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Chef, give me a shot, ten o'clock, 73 degrees high, please," he instructed. Topher was suddenly blasted back by a ball of pasta, making Blainley laugh. "Ow!" he cried out. "Not the hair! Uh, um, ha. These little games might be challenging for old people like Blainley, but not the rest of us. You really need to start thinking younger, Chris."
"Hmm, Topher makes a good point," Chris replied. "You're all so young and agile. I should step it up. So now...four people from each team will have to carry a special something through the entire challenge. It'll make it way harder. Everyone say 'Thanks, Topher'."
"Thanks, Topher," the majority of the campers sarcastically replied.
"Uh, why would we be thanking him again?" Zee asked in confusion.
"Mister Hezekias is right," Phoebe agreed. "Making the challenge more challenging is bad, right?"
"We were being sarcastic, idiot," Heather scolded.
"So...what are we carrying? I bet it's gonna be something noisy since we were told to be quiet. Oh, maybe it's those pigs again! Piggies!"
"Good guess," Chris told Phoebe, "But still wrong." He pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Release the babies!" The campers gasped as Stan flew a hot-air balloon and dropped sixteen babies.
Confessional: Zoey (Frogs of Death)
"This can't be legal!"
End Confessional
Gwen, Leshawna, Lacey and Heather caught the babies for the Gophers; Jasmine, Sky, Zoey and Topher caught the babies for the Frogs; Shawn, Sugar, Alejandro and Tyler caught the babies for the Bears; and DJ, Dawn, Geoff and Duncan caught the babies for the Rats. "Do I look like I change soiled nappies?" Duncan whipped. The baby in his hands started to cry. "They're sleeping," Chris whispered. "You wake a lion up with a crying baby and it's not gonna be a party."
"There, there," Duncan coaxed as he rocked his baby. "Shh... Just pretend you're relaxing in a racecar." He imitated a car engine, calming the baby before dozing off. Duncan then noticed DJ giggling a bit. "What are you laughing at?!" Duncan scolded.
"Nothing," DJ quickly said. "Just...impressed you of all people can calm a baby."
"Needed the thing to shut up so I'm not lion food."
Confessional: Duncan (Toxic Rats)
"Not surprised it worked. Mom always said that when I was a baby, the only thing that'd put me to sleep was the sound of a car engine."
End Confessional
"And...go," Chris whispered as he quietly sounded his air horn. The campers started tip-toeing through the first zone. Tyler stepped on a bone, making a loud CRACK! He gasped as a lion yawned a bit. It soon drifted back to sleep, to the jock's relief. "Be careful," Paul scolded. "You'll alert the lions and snakes."
"Nice and easy," Bryan breathed out as he and the rest of the Gophers crawled through the first zone. "You guys doing okay?"
"Not exactly easy with this slobbering thing," Heather groaned as she carried the baby on her head.
"It's not so bad," Helen assured her in a not-so-subtle volume, stirring the lions. "It's just-" Lacey quickly gagged the rocker. "How about you not talk until the challenge ends?" Lacey recommended.
Confessional: Helen (Screaming Gophers)
"Good call. I'm not the best at keeping quiet."
End Confessional
Sky carefully stepped over a sleeping snake, making her sigh in relief. She was then yanked behind a tree by Jasmine. "Here's the plan," Jasmine told the Frogs. "We maintain a lead on them and wake up the danger we've already passed and then let them deal with the lions. All in?"
"Sounds good," Scarlett replied.
"I like that idea," Valerie agreed.
"Uh-huh," Topher blandly added as he typed on the phone. "Whatever."
"Well..." Sky thought. "But Dave..." She saw Dave walking by. "I kinda agree with the newbie," Nikki noted. "It doesn't feel too good. Gets that rock in the stomach feeling again."
"They. Are. The. Enemy," Jasmine reminded the duo.
"Yeah..." Sky slowly replied.
"Are you here to win or whine?"
Confessional: Sky (Frogs of Death)
"They're suggesting making it harder on the other teams. Not only are they trying to do what they did in the dueling stick challenge again, they're suggesting I put Dave in danger...on purpose! But still, going against the majority only ensures they'll vote you out, so..."
End Confessional
"I'm here to win," Sky said, though the expression on her face was more conflicted.
"That's the way," Valerie encouraged. "Leave it to me, buddy." She tossed a rock towards Dave, and he muffled a scream as a snake bit him on the butt and he ran off. "Come on," Jo rallied. "Let's go." The Frogs started walking off. "What the-?" Jasmine thought as she looked behind her. "Weren't we just standing behind a tree? Maybe I need glasses." As the Frogs kept moving, Zoey noticed Sky still looking behind her shoulder. "Come on," Zoey whispered as she led Sky back towards Dave. "I know you wanna help him."
Confessional: Zoey (Frogs of Death)
"I can't help but feel bad for Sky. Both Jasmine and Sol are pressuring her to join them. I understand that feeling. Back home, all the popular girls were either beauty blondes or jet-black models and they pressured the brunettes to dye their hair one way or another. I'm sorry, but my favorite color's always been red."
End Confessional
Zoey and Sky ran over towards Dave. "Hold still," Zoey assured him as she held him still. "Sky?" Sky yanked the snake off of Dave's butt. She then shushed him before she and Zoey ran off.
Confessional: Sky (Frogs of Death)
"Okay, that was just a parting gift. From here onward, Dave and I are enemies. Totally."
Confessional: Dave (Confused Bears)
"We're gonna be together forever! Totally!"
End Confessionals
Courtney and Harold were groaning as they carried a petrified DJ past the lions and snakes. "He chooses here of all times to wimp out again," Courtney complained.
"The fear of snakes is actually fairly common," Harold explained. "And considering the eastern diamondback is the most venomous snake of North America with a mortality rate of 30%, it's more than understandable."
"Look at those suckers," Keith boasted as he and the other Bears kept walking forward. "They're just-" He let out a choked gasp at another sight: a snake staring right at Phoebe while she stared at the snake.
Confessional: Phoebe (Frogs of Death)
"From what I read about snakes, they actually have poor sight. As long as you don't make any sudden movements, the snake won't panic and try to bite you with its venomous fangs."
End Confessional
The snake let out a hiss, with Phoebe responding by sticking her tongue out. However, Keith quickly tossed the snake away. "Kid, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" he asked.
"Coach, what are you doing?" Phoebe scolded. "Tossing away Socks the Snake like that..."
"It was ready to bite your face off."
"Uh, snakes can't chew. They swallow their food whole. Goodbye, Coach." Phoebe walked ahead, leaving Keith puzzled. "Aw, looks like your girlfriend isn't paying you any attention," Blainley taunted.
"She's NOT-" Keith protested. He quieted down when he noticed a lion roaring. "My girlfriend. And stay out of my business!" He stormed off. "Good riddance," Blainley huffed. She looked over to see some rattlesnakes slithering about. "This is a good spot," she whispered to a nearby bush. "No one else here. Now, you have to distract those snakes."
"What?" Oliver gulped as he popped his head out of the bush. "Why me?"
"Cause you're the only one here. Besides, what's more amazing than being able to overcome something like a snake? Think of the titles...'Oliver, the Conqueror of Snakes.'"
"O-okay. Here I go." What the duo didn't notice was that Dean was observing from a tree...and trembling like jelly. "Dean?" a voice asked, making the worker jump up with fear. He turned and saw Carly below him. "O-oh, h-hi, Carly," Dean stammered as he hopped down.
"What are you doing here?" Carly asked. "Did Chris set something else up?"
"I can't really answer that without getting my head metaphorically cut. Hmm, maybe you can help me to do something."
"What...? Wait, can I even help you without it counting as cheating in the game?"
"Sorta. You're not helping me to make you earn an advantage, so technically, it's legal. I memorized the rule book."
"Wow," Carly breathed out, impressed. "That's a big memory."
"Eh, you kinda get that when you have a job...or two...or twelve," Dean replied with some embarrassment as he rummaged through a pocket. "A-anyways, got a camera. Just take a picture of Blainley working with an intern. Do that and you'll expose her doing some explicit rule-breaking."
"Thus forcing a disqualification. Gotcha. Maybe test the camera out now..."
"Carly!" a voice exclaimed. Carly was taken aback as the camera flashed in front of her and she stumbled back. The sound was enough to startle the snakes and start attacking the bush where Oliver was hiding. "Come on," Priya rallied as she and Millie jogged past. "We gotta move if we wanna win."
"Path up ahead looks clear," Millie assured her. "Let's go."
"I'll be there," Carly moaned as she returned to her feet. "See you later...Dean?" She noticed Dean had crawled back up the tree and was quaking with fear. "Why did it have to be lions?" he whimpered. Oliver was still screaming in pain as Duncan walked over with his baby, with the sound making the baby cry again. "Easy, sweetie," Duncan cooed as he rocked the baby. "Got something better than a snake. Here comes the Tickle Shark! Num-num-num!" The baby giggled as Duncan played with him, though the delinquent noticed Sam giggling a bit. "Stop laughing!" Duncan demanded.
"Sorry, sorry," Sam apologized. "It's just that you with a baby and...I'm gonna go now before you decide to break bones." He quickly darted off. "Pay him no mind, Bart," Duncan told the baby. "He's kinda stupid."
"You named that kid Bart?" Lacey questioned as she carried her baby over. "Like, after that troublemaker from that cartoon?"
"Kid needs a role model."
"Uh-huh. If that kid starts mooning people, we're gonna have a problem."
"Shh," Helga warned as the majority of the Frogs crept past a sleeping lion. "We're almost out." The group noticed some pig snorts, stirring the lions. "I don't recall any pigs in this challenge," Zoey thought.
"Uh, me, neither," Sierra nervously laughed off. "What could it-?" A dinging sound rang out, waking the lion. "Yes!" Topher cheered. "A text!" He then moaned with disappointment.
Confessional: Topher (Frogs of Death)
"I figured it was the network texting that I was replacing Chris as host, but no! It was his mom sending him a cute picture of a cat sleeping in a shoebox."
Confessional: Sierra (Frogs of Death)
"At least I changed the ringtone so the lions wouldn't get too startled, but maybe pigs weren't the best option. But I got updates! Let's see..." She glanced over her phone. "Huh? 'Sneaky Wannabe Chris?' 'Topher versus Blainley: Which Would Be Better At Hosting Total Drama?' 'Rooting for Topher after seeing him mess with Chris?' 'Snatching the phone and calling producers genius. #MyPickOnVillainAllianceWinner?' Topher's trying to replace Chris! If that happens, he could swing things towards the Villains' Alliance and doom us! Gotta stop him...and I now know how!"
End Confessionals
"This is not good," Jasmine noted as she and the Frogs froze with fear.
"You got that right," Topher snapped back. He noticed the lion roaring. "And I'll put this phone on vibrate."
"Will the Frogs of Death be eliminated from the challenge and existence right now?" Chris narrated as he paused his screen. "Or will they somehow escape the kings of the jungle? And hey, what's Topher doing with a cell phone? We're all gonna find out soon here on Total...Drama...Island!"
(cue commercial)
The lion kept roaring at the Frogs. "Are we there yet?" Phoebe asked as she walked over. "Huh? Oh, hi, Mister Lion."
"Stay back," Mike warned as he pulled her away. "He's looking like he'll use your arm as a chew toy."
"On three, we run," Sky told the group. "One-"
"No, stay," Scarlett instructed. She jumped onto Jasmine's shoulders and started to growl as she waved her arms. "Good thinking," Cameron realized. "Sierra, Nikki, Helga, let's follow their example." He hopped onto Sierra's shoulders while Nikki hopped onto Helga's, and the groups growled and roared at the lion, spooking it before running off. "Aw, yeah," Nikki cheered. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
"Whoa," Sky breathed out with surprise. "What just happened?"
Confessional: Scarlett (Frogs of Death)
"Panthera leo are apex predators, not unlike ursos arctos horribilis, the predator-prey response is...don't run from lions or bears. Show them you're the boss."
End Confessional
"That poor lion," Phoebe whimpered as she heard the lion from earlier whimpering. "Hold still. I'll help."
"Phoebe!" Sky shouted. "Ignore the lion." However, Phoebe knelt down to the lion, where she noticed a large splinter lodged in its paw. The lion roared in her face, catching Keith's attention and worry. "I can get the splinter out," Phoebe volunteered. "Here. I'll even cover your eyes in case you're scared, okay? And...there we go. No more splinter." The lion licked its paw, then licked Phoebe's face. The duo then noticed Barry yapping up a storm as he ran over. "Back!" Keith scolded as he showed the lion away. "Get back! Back! There. No more lion."
"What are you doing?!" Phoebe scolded. "You said not to go easy!"
"I'm not going easy. I just saved your neck!"
"Mister Lion just had a splinter in his foot. And the challenges are supposed to be risky. It's why it's called 'challenges'. But you promised we wouldn't go easy! You promised!" Phoebe started to tear up. "You promised..."
Confessional: Keith (Confused Bears)
"I can't win with her, can I?"
End Confessional
"What?" Jasmine gasped as the Frogs saw Shawn standing at the start of area two. "How did you beat us?"
"Sleeping cats and oversized poisonous worms with fangs are nothing compared to the zombie apocalypse," Shawn explained. "I'm glad to see you made it, not that I doubted."
"Save the flattery for someone who cares."
"Ooh, and Shawn is left burned as the Frogs move on to area two," Topher narrated.
"Hey!" Chris complained as he watched his screen. "I was gonna say-" He regained his composure. "Since all of the Frogs made it through the Lion's Lunch, they're ready for the Pasta Blaster." Chef smirked as he readied his bazooka. "Hey, we're almost there," Tyler noted as the Bears got closer to area two.
"And Blainley has a lead over us?" Millie thought. "Didn't peg her as the athletic type."
"She's not!" Carly argued, catching all the lions' attention. "She's..." She shrank up as the lions glared at their group. "A dead duck," Ethan squeaked out.
"Um, maybe we can calm them down," Greg suggested. "They always say music soothes the savage beast."
"On it, Greggy!" Destiny exclaimed. However, the lions roared in her face, knocking her over and messing up her hair. "Isn't this supposed to happen with Jules?" she thought.
"Looks like Morningstar just dragged the Bears into trouble again," Blainley taunted. "How might things pan out?"
"I'll get us out," Carly declared with a determined smirk. "And I know just how. Ethan, Destiny and Greg, you with me?" The duo nodded. "Consider our fates sealed," Tyler sighed as he sprinkled salt over himself. Ethan started playing an accordion while Destiny strummed her guitar and Greg blew on a tuba. "Here's an open letter to a treasure of a girl," Carly began to sing as she walked over to Blainley.
"That's me!" Blainley boasted.
"Whose behavior on this show always make us hurl!"
"What?"
"She's a nasty fake-blonde schemer who bosses us like our host
"But without the help of her entourage, her chances would be toast!"
"Hey!" Ethan and Greg cheered, though it turned to confusion. "Huh?"
"She'll tell you that she loves your shirt," Carly told Millie and Priya, "But it's something she can't stand
"She's just so full of you-know-what, she has to double-flush the can!"
"I eat a lot of fiber," Blainley explained as the other Bears took a step back from her.
"She bought two pairs of the same jeans," Carly continued, "One size four and one size eight
"So when she wears the bigger one, she'll ask if she lost weight!" The lions happily bobbed to the music while Blainley could only stand with a stunned expression. "She's not the gal you think she is," Carly sang as she danced around, "So let me tell you plainly
"There's thick black hair between her toes and her real name isn't Blainley
"She's a phony, scheming weasel-nose and her real name isn't Blainley
"She steals and lies 'cause she's evil, guys, and her real name isn't Blainley!
"It's Mildred!" The lions gave Carly a standing ovation, even going as far as tossing roses, which soon covered her. "Well, it worked," Greg chuckled. "Nice one, Carly."
"Let's get moving, Mildred," Paul ordered as he dragged the stunned Blainley away.
"I see area two," Gwen noted as the Gophers and Rats ran ahead. "Let's go and stay quiet."
"Frogs are still ahead, though," Echo pointed out. "We'll never catch them in time." Over with the Frogs, Topher was typing on his phone. "Level three!" he cheered.
"Time to step up your game," Helga warned, "Or Helga will step on your game."
Confessional: Topher (Frogs of Death)
"She's right. Time to show those network execs what I've got." He winked as he smiled at the camera.
End Confessional
"Check it," Topher boasted as he balanced his baby on his head. "Five years of on-camera poise classes." He hopped into a bush, then crawled over to a tree. "Get ready for the Topher Experience! Ooh! Ahh!" HONK! "Did I forget to tell you the field is full of booby traps?" Chris announced over the loudspeakers as Topher noticed his foot on a horn. "My bad." Chef fired his bazooka, pinning Topher to a tree with a blast of pasta. "Uh-oh. Here comes Pasta Bear!"
"Quick!" Jasmine ordered. "Sky, Zoey, untangle him. Scarlett, Helga, Nikki, let's scare the bear."
"Scare bear?" Helga asked.
"It won't hurt him," Nikki assured her as she hopped on her shoulders. Nikki and Scarlett roared at Pasta Bear, but he simply ran past. "Did I forget to tell you that Pasta Bear is running on smell?" Chris added. "My bad."
"Isn't that Bling Bear wearing a-?" Nikki thought.
"Hurry!" Helga shouted. Sky and Zoey feverously yanked the pasta off Topher. "Thanks for coming back for me," Dave breathed out as Shawn dragged him to area two.
"It's probably more of a practical reason," Keith shrugged. "Need everyone to cross for it to count."
"Yee-hoo!" Sugar cheered as she did a little dance. "Oh, yeah! Go, Sugar! That's me! I'm Sugar!"
"Why am I only counting three babies?" Ethan realized. The group turned to see the fourth baby resting on a snake. "Uh-oh," Tyler gulped. They then saw the snake on top of a lion. "Oh, come on!" Millie groaned.
"Guess who's going back for him," Ethan decided as the Bears all turned to Sugar.
Confessional: Sugar (Confused Bears)
"It's just like the time I took my little brother to town and lost him. Little uh, little...I can't even remember his name."
End Confessional
"Will this be the end of Sugar's short life?" Chris narrated as Sugar kicked a snake away while the other teams passed her. "Saying I hope so seems wrong, but..." The group gasped as Sugar reached the baby and snake. She picked the baby up with ease. "Wakey-wakey!" she exclaimed as she woke the snake up. It bit the lion, frightening it and making them run off. Sugar just cackled as she rejoined her team. "Make a lion eat a snake!" she cheered. "Who-hoo-hoo! Scratch that off my bucket list!"
"Yeah, you scare me quite a bit for a living person," Shawn admitted.
"We're in last place?!" Priya realized as the other teams rushed ahead. "Damn it!"
"Maybe not for long," Alejandro assured her. "The Frogs do look short one person." He motioned over to Phoebe, who was trembling as she slowly moved forward. Keith was about to say something, but a glance from Phoebe quickly silenced him. "We can still win this," Tyler rallied. "Come on!"
"The Confused Bears are finally into zone two," Chris announced. "But do they have what it takes to catch up to the Gophers, Rats and Frogs? Unless the Frogs of Death figure out their problems soon, I'd say yes."
"Don't leave me!" Topher shouted. "We all have to cross the finish line to win, remember?" Most of the Frogs were launched back by a spring-loaded platform. Topher screamed as Pasta Bear kept chasing him. "We're in the lead!" Owen cheered.
"But the Rats are closing in," Leshawna pointed out as the Rats followed in hot pursuit.
"Chris says there's booby traps, right?" Heather reasoned. "Well, launch them behind us to slow them down!"
"But that's mean," Helen protested.
"We don't have much choice," Echo defended. She picked up a horn and tossed it behind her. It honked in front of Austin's feet, making Chef fire at him. "OW!" Austin cried out. "In the cactuses again! Why is it always cactuses?"
"We've gotta get him out," Sam gasped.
"Leave him," Courtney scoffed. "He'll just slow us down." However, Sam and Dawn ran back towards Austin.
Confessional: Sam and Dawn (Toxic Rats)
"Courtney carelessly leaving Austin behind," Dawn sighed. "After Julia leaves, we must rally against Courtney before she's corrupted beyond salvation."
"This is a good time to tell Austin about the secret deal, too," Sam added. "The guy deserves to know. Alliances are supposed to be open with each other, right? At least, that's what I get from Priya and Millie."
"You seem close with them. I like that. Creating good bonds is great."
End Confessional
"There we go," Dawn said as she and Sam yanked Austin out of the cactus patch. "You okay?"
"If you're expecting a thank-you, you can forget it," Austin scoffed as he plucked a cactus spike off his shoulder.
"Uh, since you're here," Sam spoke up, "We should tell you something important."
"I'm afraid your alliance isn't as equal as you expected," Dawn informed Austin.
"What alliance?" Austin asked as he played dumb. "What kind of donkey jumbo are you talking about, Granola Girl?"
"We know about the alliance with Julia," Sam explained. "It's as obvious as a Piranha Plant in the desert."
"But Julia's making more allies that she didn't inform you about," Dawn added. "She made a secret deal with Courtney the other night. I heard it myself."
"Wait, what?!" Austin asked, barely controlling his volume. "That little viper! I should've known trusting her was as smart as standing around the backside of a horse. She is done!" He stormed off. "Did he mean Julia or Courtney when he described the viper?" Sam asked Dawn.
"It doesn't matter," Dawn breathed out. "We still succeeded." Back with the Frogs, most fell into the bushes while Sky landed on her feet. She quickly caught two babies in her hands and balanced a third on her head. "Nice catch," Helga complimented as she, Zoey and Sol collected the babies.
"Hey, I've noticed Jazz trying to talk to you," Sol quietly told Sky. "You do recall what I warned you about, right?"
"She said not to trust you," Sky recalled. "And that-"
"This is coming from same girl that threw challenge and got her friend eliminated because of it," Helga sternly put in. "Australian is what you call 'hippo creak'."
"A hypocrite," Sol corrected. "But the point still stands. If she's willing to let her friend get cut, she'll toss you out quicker than a bag of jumping beans. Do. Not. Trust. Her."
"Oh, no!" Zoey realized. "We're back at the start again!"
"Come on," Sky rallied as she ran ahead. "We're losing now!" The Frogs started running ahead. "Sky," Dave breathed out with a wave, "Hey, Sky."
"Stay away from him, Sky," Valerie warned. "He's trying to trick you."
"Don't step on that horn!" Sky stopped just as she noticed a horn near her foot. "Aw, he's still looking out for you," Zoey gushed. "How sweet."
"Remember what we talked about earlier?" Jasmine cut in as she stepped between Zoey and Sky. "Are you a team player or a team traitor? Pick. Now!"
"You are one to talk," Helga argued. "You were team traitor before, were you not?"
"Uh, guys?" Zoey spoke up as Sky got a conflicted look.
"And you threw your own friend under the bus, too!" Sol whipped at Jasmine.
"Guys?"
"Hey, she was a bigger traitor," Valerie spat out. "Jasmine's keeping Sky from making the mistake she made. Quit making a fuss, Solstice!"
"Can I just say something?"
"What?" Jasmine, Valerie, Sol and Helga demanded. Zoey cleared her throat, took a breath... "HEY, CHEF!" she suddenly shouted. "BET YOU CAN'T HIT US!" Zoey yanked Sky to the ground as the pasta started firing, pinning the four arguers to a tree. "What the hell, Red?!" Valerie scolded.
"Sorry," Zoey told them as she and Sky stood up, "...but not totally."
"Zoey, what did you-?" Sky asked.
"I just didn't want those guys pressuring you anymore and you to do something you'll regret. Is that so much to ask?"
"Uh, well..." As Sky stepped back, she accidentally kicked the horn away, making it honk towards Dave. "Huh?" he thought. Chef snickered before firing, pinning Dave to a tree. "AH!" Dave cried out. Pasta Bear sniffed the air and ran towards Dave. "Sky!" Dave pleaded as Sky and Zoey ran ahead. "How could you do that?!"
Confessional: Sky and Zoey (Frogs of Death)
"Man, was that horrible," Zoey moaned.
"Yeah," Sky thought, "But Jasmine's right. I'm here to win, not to date. Dave understands that."
"Um, does he?"
Confessional: Dave (Confused Bears)
He was crying as he sat in the confessional. "I-I d-d-don't underst...Sky!"
End Confessionals
"That little rascal," Helga grumbled as she tugged at the pasta binding her. "If we lose..." She yanked the pasta off her and the others, which flung over towards Keith. "Hey!" he scolded. "Watch where you're flinging that!"
"Aw, look," Julia taunted as she and the Rats walked past him, though she lingered longer. "The guy who ditched our alliance. I would help if you were in it, but all traitors deserve just punishment." She threw a horn in Keith's direction, making more pasta get blasted onto him. "Fuck," he grubbed. "I'm stuck! Bitch, I hope you get yours!"
"C-coach?" Phoebe stammered as she turned her head in his direction. "No. No. He said not to help." However, she froze up when she noticed Pasta Bear running towards Keith. "E-easy, bear," Keith stuttered with nervousness. "I'm not food." However, Pasta Bear started to slash at Keith. "Whoa, looks like Mister Tough isn't quite so tough," Blainley taunted.
"Lay off him, Blainley," Millie scolded. "He's in trouble!"
"But what do we do?" Tyler thought. "You remember what happened the last time we dealt with bears. We'll get creamed, too!" Meanwhile, Phoebe still quaked as she saw her friend getting pummeled over and over again, until... "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The little heroine unleashed the most primal scream as she grabbed a large stick and rushed towards Keith and Pasta Bear, stunning Millie, Tyler, Keith and even Chef himself. Phoebe then started to whack Pasta Bear in the head over and over again. "I! WILL! NOT! LET! EVIL! KILL! SOMEONE! CLOSE! TO ME! AGAIN!" she shouted as she kept swinging her stick. Pasta Bear eventually relented and ran towards a different blob of pasta. Phoebe finally let out an exhausted breath before dropping the stick. "Wow," Keith finally spoke up after shaking the pasta off his body. "That was-" He then noticed Phoebe crying as she hugged him. "I'm sorry!" she sobbed. "I'm sorry! I broke the promise! But the mean bear was hurting you! I'm sorry!"
"Quite the dramatic turn of events," Blainley narrated, earning glares from the others. "Faced with the betrayal of someone close-"
"What betrayal?" Keith cut off. "She saved my life. And besides, I did kinda break the promise first. Maybe just...take it easy now. No point ruining a good thing." Phoebe giggled as Keith rubbed her hair. "Aw..." Millie gushed.
"Wh-what?!" Blainley angrily protested. "She betrayed your trust! What is WRONG with you people? Can't you be mad at each other?! It's Total DRAMA, not Total Forgive And Forget! Start fighting and quit acting like damn children!
"But...we are children," Phoebe spoke up as she looked towards her while Keith shot her a deadly glare. "What's your excuse, Miss Mildred?" The other Bears started to laugh while Blainley blushed with embarrassment. However, the gossiper soon got a look of fury. "I HATE THIS SHOW!" she growled as she lifted a heavy boulder over her head, spooking Phoebe and Keith. However, Blainley was blasted with pasta and pinned to a tree. "Better go before the mean bear comes back," Keith told Phoebe as he yanked her away.
"Hey!" Blainley shouted. "HEY! Get me out of here! Intern!" A battered Oliver wobbled over towards her. "No need to shout," he moaned. "I'll help."
"Smile." FLASH! Blainley and Oliver were blinded by a bright light. "I got it!" Carly cheered. "First or last, I win! Good riddance, scheming weasel!" She quickly dashed off. "Uh-oh," Oliver gulped.
"Forget that brat!" Blainley scolded. "Help me!"
"I lost Sky," Dave moaned as Shawn, Ethan and Greg quickly pulled pasta off the germaphobe. "Nothing matters anymore. Just leave me here."
"A gentleman never leaves a man behind," Ethan told him. "And besides, we all must complete the challenge or we'll lose! Men, on three. One...two...three!" The trio yanked the pasta off just as Pasta Bear reached them. The bear sniffed the air and followed the pasta. Over by area three, the Gophers were the first to reach it. "Screaming Gophers have crossed the second finish line first," Chris announced.
"Yes!" Helen cheered. However, her shout was enough for snow to land on top of her. "Why do I do this to myself?"
"Congratulations," Chris whispered as he bundled up in a white snow coat and mittens. "Still in the lead and one more zone to go. First, I need you to hand in your babies."
"Why?" Lindsay asked as Dean collected the babies and put them in a stroller.
"Lawyers called Chef and said something about danger and babies and lawsuits, blah-blah-blah."
"So you didn't have a back-up plan to, uh, keep things interesting, huh?" Topher asked as the Frogs arrived at area three and returned their babies. "It's like you're losing your touch or something."
"Slow your roll, Junior," Chris warned.
"Just don't do anything stupid and keep us from winning," Jo sternly told Topher.
"Uh, guys?" Cameron noted. "We're missing two. We can't go on without-"
"Zip it, String Bean. Hurry!"
"Okay, seriously," Jasmine told her teammates, "Why haven't I seen this part of the island before? It's like it just popped into existence."
"Nope," Chris informed her. "Always been here. Maybe you aren't as observant as you think."
"We need to get to the finish quickly and quietly," Lacey told the Gophers. "I have an idea, but Owen, you may not like it. You game?"
"Yes, I am!" Owen rallied. The snow above them rumbled a bit. "Shh..." Lacey warned. "Here's the plan."
"I told you I returned the baby!" Duncan argued with Dean as the Rats reached the third area. "Why would I even keep that drooling little-?" Chef coughed as he aimed his bazooka right at Duncan. "Oh, this?" Duncan asked as he held up a swaddle. "Take it for all I care. One less problem for me."
"We made it!" Phoebe cheered as she and the Bears reached area three. "Yay!" She noticed Barry whimpering and shivering. "Barry! Were you waiting for me and Coach? Oh, your poor puppy. Phoebe's gonna warm you up. Yes, I will."
"Please," Dave moaned as he curled up in a ball, "Just let me quit."
"I didn't carry you through four hundred meters of bear-infested booby trap terrain so you could bail," Shawn told him. "You think Sky wants to date a quitter? Give your head a shake!" The snow above the Bears rumbled. "Put some shush on that shake," Millie warned.
"Get up and show her you're a champ," Shawn encouraged to Dave.
"You're right!" Dave gasped.
"Then get up, dude!"
"Can't. The snake bite numbed my...everything."
"Aw, man."
"Some help you were, team," Blainley scoffed as she marched ahead while wiping pasta out of her hair.
"Here's the babies," Carly told Dean as she passed the four babies to him. "Also..." She subtly slipped the camera to him. "We are good."
"Good," Dean replied with a smile.
"Yo, Juliet," Paul called out to Carly. "You coming or what?" Up ahead, the Gophers were riding Owen's stomach as Lacey quickly pushed them ahead. "Almost there!" Lindsay gasped.
"And it's the Gophers for the win!" Chris announced as they crossed the finish line. "Now it's a race to not come in last!"
"Yes!" Dave cheered as Shawn and Ethan carried him through the snow. "Wait til Sky sees me now!"
"The Confused Bears are making progress in the Avalanche Zone," Chris quietly narrated, "But with the Toxic Rats squashed in and Frogs of Death leading, they'll be hard to catch." Just then, Topher's phone vibrated. "It's the network!" he gasped as he answered. "You got the Toph man."
"We've been watching you, kid," a gruff voice began, "And we like what we see."
"Well, thank you for noticing."
"It's time we put Chris out to pasture. You interested in taking over the show?"
"YES!" Topher's cheer was enough to cause the area to rumble. "I'm gonna rip you a new-" Jo threatened. The Frogs were then covered in a foot of snow. "Ow," Zoey moaned. The Rats quickly ran ahead while the Bears slid ahead like penguins, with Sugar even using Dave as a sled. "And Bears and Rats are safe!" Chris announced.
"That's right, Sky," Dave rallied, "I'm the man! I'm big champ Dave!"
"Eh, no first," Duncan shrugged, "But as long as it ain't last, I'm-"
"DUNCAN!" Dean shouted as he held up a log wrapped in a blanket. "Where's the baby?! And no tricks this time!"
"What makes you think I have it? I don't want any slobbery kids!" Lacey simply turned Duncan, showing an abnormal hump on his back. "Oh, I've always had a hump," the delinquent fibbed. "You just, uh, didn't notice because of the clothing." The baby he held giggled as it popped out of his shirt, while Duncan could only moan in defeat. Keith was about to walk off when he noticed Phoebe sliding around in the snow on her belly. "Whee!" she exclaimed. "Penguin power!"
"I can see that," Keith noted. "Sorry you got last place, kid."
"Eh, it was still a good game, coach. Oh, Barry and I have to dig for our team now. Come on, Barry!" Barry, now with a barrel around his neck, sniffed in the snow for a second, then started to dig. "Th-th-thanks, pup dude," Zee shivered as Barry pulled him out.
"Got another one," Phoebe said as she pulled out Zoey. She then heard the trickle of running liquid. "Barry! Don't do that!" Barry just had a cheeky grin as he kicked away some yellow snow.
Later that evening, the Frogs of Death were at the elimination ceremony. Phoebe, Zee, Helga, Nikki, Sol, Mike and Jo were in the back row while Zoey, Cameron, Jasmine, Valerie, Sky, Scarlett and Topher were in the front row. Oddly enough, Topher looked ecstatic. "What are you so happy about?" Nikki questioned while everyone but Phoebe bundled up in warm blankets and glared at Topher. "You know you're the one going home, right?"
"We'll see who goes home," Topher mysteriously replied.
"And a certain someone should consider themselves very lucky today," Valerie noted as a few glares were shot towards Zoey's direction. "We won't be as merciful again."
"Then you should leave Sky alone," Zoey defended. Cameron took a glance around and saw that Sierra was still missing. "Where is she?" he muttered.
"I see you're still a bit chilled," Chris noted as he held up a plate of marshmallows. "But one of you will get heated up once the elimination rolls around."
"Topher," Chef began, "You caused an avalanche that buried your team and cost them the win. Phoebe, you were the slowest member and was more focused on your former teammates than your current one. And Zoey, you got four teammates hit with pasta. Now that's just wrong."
"What about Jasmine and Sol and Valerie and Helga?" Zoey argued as she stood up. "Aren't you gonna call them out for pressuring Sky to take sides and injure the competition?"
"Seriously?" Mike thought. "Man, that's going way too far, guys. Shame on you."
"Uh, Chris?" Cameron spoke up. "We can't start without Sierra here."
"She'll come soon if she doesn't wanna get blasted," Chris shrugged. "Give her the first marshmallow, though. She's safe. Cameron, you're also safe. Mike, Nikki, Zee, Scarlett, Phoebe, Helga, Jasmine, Sky, Valerie, Sol, Jo and Zoey, you're safe. And I'm ecstatic to announce that-"
"YOU'RE eliminated, Chris!" Topher exclaimed as he slid up to him. "Ha!"
"Who, me? Whatever do you mean?"
"News flash: Chris is going home and I'm taking over the show." The Frogs gasped in shock. "I got the phone call from the producers during the challenge," Topher explained to his stunned teammates. "THAT'S why I cheered and THAT'S why I don't care that we lost because I am now in charge! HA! YES!"
"Oh, Topher," the gruff voice from earlier cut off, to his shock. "Sorry to say, but there's been a change of plans." Topher turned to see a person with a bushy beard, sunglasses, a hat and a purple braid. "Sierra?!" Cameron and Scarlett gasped.
"Huh?" Topher stammered in disbelief. "You? It can't-can't be."
"Looks like you aren't as bright as you think," Sierra teased as she ripped off the disguise. "When I discovered you took Chris's phone and why, I set up a little trap for you and you grabbed the bait like a mouse to peanut butter."
"Even if it cost us the challenge?" Cameron questioned. "Why?"
"Guy's a total wildcard. Can't have him linger too long."
"I can attest to that," Scarlett admitted. "But how did you know Topher would call the producers?"
"Topher wanted to be just like Chris, so I just simply thought 'What would Chris do?'"
"Definitely," Chris agreed. "It's what I would've done."
"I still have one very important question," Zee spoke up. "Why did you wear the fake beard and sunglasses? He couldn't see you."
"It's called 'getting into character'," Sierra explained. Topher could stammer in disbelief, even as he was in the Cannon of Shame. "You've got a lot to learn, kid!" Chris teased in the gruff accent.
"Lousy impression, McLean," Blainley scoffed. "But this...this I just had to come see. If only I could get a closer look."
"Oh, you'll be getting a much closer look, Mildred," Dean informed her. "Last I checked, it was against the rules for an intern to give special treatment to the campers."
"What? Me? In your dreams."
"Video evidence says otherwise," Chris smugly told her as he held up the disposable camera. "Plus, I don't want a repeat of what Topher tried to pull...Chef?" Chef smirked before grabbing a shocked Blainley. Moments later, Blainley was gagged and tied as she was in the Cannon of Shame. "No, please!" Topher begged. "Don't send me away with her! Anyone but HER!" He screamed as he and Blainley were blasted off the island. "Good riddance," Chris breathed out. "It just goes to show you that with age comes the wisdom to recognize yourself in someone else and the courage to fire them out of a cannon. Tune in for more pain and less Topher and Mildred when we go back to Wawanakwa for more Total...Drama...Island!"
Votes:
Voted for Topher: Cameron, Zoey, Zee, Phoebe, Mike, Scarlett, Sierra, Sky, Mike, Jo, Nikki
Voted for Zoey: Jasmine, Valerie, Sol, Helga, Topher
Eliminated: Topher (11-5), Blainley (Disqualified)
100) Caleb (Toxic Rats)
99) Staci (Toxic Rats)
98) B (Toxic Rats)
97) Axel (Frogs of Death)
96) Elias (Screaming Gophers)
95) Eva (Confused Bears)
94) Olivia (Screaming Gophers)
93/92) Katie/Sadie (Confused Bears)
91) Noah (Confused Bears)
90) Justin (Screaming Gophers)
89) Nichelle (Toxic Rats)
88) Lauren (Confused Bears)
87) Dean (Confused Bears)
86) Alan (Screaming Gophers)
85) Leonard (Toxic Rats)
84) 'Dumb' Damien (Screaming Gophers)
83/82) Corey (Screaming Gophers)/Laney (Frogs of Death)
81) Jane (Frogs of Death)
80) 'Smart) Damien (Frogs of Death)
79) MK (Toxic Rats)
78/77) Wayne/Raj (Toxic Rats)
76) Dakota (Toxic Rats)
75) Lara (Confused Bears)
74) Beardo (Confused Bears)
73) Amy (Frogs of Death)
72) Ripper (Frogs of Death)
71) Chase (Screaming Gophers)
70) Emma (Toxic Rats)
69) Izzy (Screaming Gophers)
68) Cody (Screaming Gophers)
67) Beth (Screaming Gophers)
66) Rose (Screaming Gophers)
65) Ezekiel (Confused Bears)
64) Anthony (Toxic Rats)
63) Luna (Toxic Rats)
62/61) Brick (Frogs of Death)/Melody (Confused Bears)
60) Max (Screaming Gophers)
59) Rodney (Confused Bears)
58) Sarah (Screaming Gophers)
57) Bridgette (Toxic Rats)
56) Lucas (Screaming Gophers)
55) Samey (Frogs of Death)
54/53) Shane (Frogs of Death)/Ella (Confused Bears)
52) Anne-Maria (Frogs of Death)
51/50) Topher (Frogs of Death)/Blainley (Confused Bears)
Episode 45, and we have officially reached the halfway point with the campers! Yay! So, Topher getting cut was kinda expected, but the twist being Sierra tricking him was pretty interesting. And Mildred, I mean, Blainley getting disqualified for trying to cheat only for Carly to catch her red-handed.
We also had some interesting drama unfold with the teams. Admittedly, the Gophers were kinda lackluster this time around. The Rats are getting more tense and now Austin knows of the secret deal. And the Bears and Frogs stole the show. Jasmine and Sol try to sway newcomer Sky to their side, with Zoey soon resorting to self-sabotage to keep Sky out of the crossfire. Too bad Sky accidentally knocked the horn towards Dave. And Phoebe and Keith had tension with trying not to go easy...only to immediately break the promise after seeing the other in trouble. At least they're better now.
The next episode will have the campers trek through the rocky chasms, and just what is eating those little coins? Until next time, enjoy and Happy Holidays!