Reality Collides: The Ezekiel Chronicles

by CaioCoia

A devoted Cartoon Network fan finds himself inexplicably transported into Total Drama world, assuming the role of the misunderstood character Ezekiel. With real-world knowledge and a burning desire for redemption, he must navigate challenges, alliances, and drama to rewrite Ezekiel's fate. Can he change his own destiny and make his Total Drama dreams come true? An Ezekiel S.I

55. Enjoying the rest of the second day off

Author's note:

Well, it had been a crazy week for me, still studying a lot to try to have some certifications to add on my curriculum, and keep sending some to try to find a job, and while I still have a little of few hours, I try to continue focusing on this chapter. I hope you all like the conclusion of the first day arc of the Mall, the next chapter and day of the arc will be probably easier to write since it will be the book signing, which I was eager to write, it won't be detailed on how things will flow, but I know that many will be surprised on what I have been planning since from the start.

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Answering the reviews:

MatiasND. I'm glad that you liked the chapters, and to be honest, while some liked the type of person explaining they are Isekaid, for me I dislike very much that concept, I like when it's natural for someone who discovered or already knew he was from another dimension, but I always disliked when a person tells that they know their dimension because they are from another world and they watched and read their whole universe. It really irks me, so I always prefer the concept of telling that they were about time traveller type. To not make them have an existential crisis. But Dawn is the only exception because she could read his auras, and that's a secret that they won't share to no one else. But still I'm glad that you liked it.

Wolfang21 . Yeah, the nerd just got his ass kicked by Anakin/Vader style from Ashoka series, for me it was one of the best scenes of the whole series, Anakin at his full potential, knowing both light and the dark force, it was a serious and amazing thought to imagine if Anakin was a time traveller and having control of both. So have fun with this new chapter.

KenWil2001 . Who knows? XD

Guest. Not sure when or if I will be able, but who knows, only the future will tell.

djinn . Then get ready for the new chapter XD

Mad guest. Well, prepare yourself on how the things will end on this chapter, have fun.

Eccentric Guest. Nice try, but I wasn't going to focus on that, have fun reading this chapter, and thanks. I'm doing my best.

Guesthouse . Well to be fair, Khaki Barn is the place where the fashion is an obsessed pattern, while Nikki preferred people have their own styles and personalities, so she of course would prefer that her friends would by in another place.

Odd guest. Well things will be interesting on the next season, since most of the Killer Bass will probably be the ones who had more clothes to change than the Screaming Gophers, and that's going to be hilarious. XD

Just guessing. Well the problem is that it happens on 2007-2008, so the technology on that time isn't that great in comparison than the drawing programs that we have to this day, so imagine his struggles. Anyway, have a good time reading this chapter.

Ghostly Guest. Remember that they live in a cartoon world, and not on the real world, so probably mangas and anime of the said topics never existed dude, so nice try, but not going to happen. Anyway, have fun reading this chapter.

Just a wee guest. You guessed almost right, there was a battle of fates remix version darth vader that I was listening while writing the scene, and I was inspired to Ashoka vs Anakin/Darth Vader version, and Harold had common sense, nobody is stupid enough to have one light saber on the mouth, do you really want to die? Anyway, have fun reading the chapter.

Just Guest. Actually what Tyler's family has is both a blessing and a curse, they always accumulate Karma, which always end up with their clumseness, just to end up hitting a giant jackpot. His grandpa who managed to take down 3 airplanes by taking them trice... when he returned home, he managed to win at the lotery and get the best jackpot of the year, so you can imagine that Tyler clumsiness is just his accumulation of Karma just to get a great Karma in the future, A.K.A Lindsay.

Sleepy Guest. Have fun reading the newest Chapter dude.

Mr. E Guest. You will like what you are going to read this chapter, have fun.

Benny Farr. Fair enough, and I'm glad that you liked it. Anyway, have fun reading the new chapter.

Kenshiro Dusk. It's fine, and I always try to answer all the reviews, or the most important ones, so be used to it. XD

Wolfang21. Oh dude, if you have any idea on what I'm planning, you would be laughing a lot.

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Well, this will be dedicated to answer the questions for Codytalker since it will be mostly added to the TV tropes, thanks again dude.

CodeTalker69. How different is the Total Drama universe of the fic compared to our own?

- Well, the universe of the canon is already confused with some age differences not combining right, since Owen looked the same age as in reboot and other seasons. So I decided to try to make the people of Patkew Island and revenge of Island almost the same age if not a few years younger. So in comparisson than canon it has 3 or 4 years of diference maybe? It has some references of other shows, but it also had a few people who would be example of other shows appearing on the universe. Such as Izzy's parents and Duncan relatives.
Other thing is, the cartoons appearing on the universe doesn't exist, there was rip offs or poor terrible version of cartoons like showed inside of dramarama and etc.
Real life actors and musics Exist just like the real world, but some of our real things like real name social medias and youtube only exist here because of their Copyright issues. So it would be rip off of the things. I hope that clarifies.

2. How do Kim, Ron, and Shego differ from their Disney canon versions?
-They are adults firstly. They matured in their own way, Draken doesn't exist, and neither other super villains maybe, they are militaries dealing with military missions just like Chef did. They have a bit of their personalities, but they are grown up adults now.

3. How smart is Ezekiel academically wise?
-Well on his former life, his father was a historian teacher, and his mother was a science teacher, which also both were responsible as being homeroom teachers as well, so when they took materials and texbooks for their students they grabbed some for Ezekiel to learn as well.
He was ready to go to college of literacture, and become a better writter. So the basics of math, science, phisics he knew, while History and Science and chemistry were the subjects his parents were the best on teaching.
While Cannon Ezekiel had his aunt Robin books which is about linguistics, and other languages that his Pa read it to learn other languages as well.
But he needed a lot of social skils, that was were he learned by watching on television and had lucky to have friends on Killer Bass.

4. Is Duncan's father proud of his son's growth throughout Total Drama?
-Probably. If seeing how lucky he was to have a good and responsible girlfriend, the father could see the slight changes on the boy.

5. Will Jude demonstrates that one skateboarding technique that involves him lifting himself on his skateboard and balancing with one hand like Max Goof from "An Extremely Goofy Movie"?
-I could see that, just for the sake of being awesome, and in case of failing, just for the sake of being funny.

6. What the list of skills that Ezekiel possesses and does it make him a "Renaissance Man"?
-Past Ezekiel: Writing, Drawing, rolerskatting, and future knowledge. (English, Spanish and Portuguese)
-Canon Ezekiel: Archery, linguistic (easier way to learn other languages combining with the past version (French,Italian), still can be trained the animal instincts.

7. Will Ezekiel learn martial arts?
-Yes, however I'm thinking of him using 2 styles, Eva teaching him boxing, and Ezekiel wanting to learn Capoeira.

8. How technologically advance is the Total Drama world compare to ours?
-Well they are on technology of 2007,2008,2009 on that time. So they are kinda way behind.

9. How will people react Ezekiel being able to speak 5 languages?
-the same way as the mothers woule react on Curtis knowing and speaking 5 of them hahahahahahaa. Robin had really a lot of notes for him. Since canon Ezekiel knows 7 languages, why not his parents as well? You never know what the farmers are capable off. XD

10. Besides Dawn and Sky, how will the future contestants like Alejandro will react to Ezekiel's capabilities?

I don't actually plan to make reactions from them. But things will be interesting in world tour

CodeTalker69. 1. Pertaining to the future contestants' thoughts of Ezekiel, do you think Alejandro will both respect and fear Ezekiel's capabilities on the Total Drama show?

.Well when it will comes about the new season, nobody will ever understand how Ezekiel will acts on World Tour, Alejandro will learn in first hand when he meet him on the first episode of World Tour, but one thing was sure, to never understimate him. Like also a few other contestants.
2. From what you wrote in the preview chapter for Total Drama Action, will Ezekiel develop a "Hyde" persona that would be as strong as his feral canon self?
.I won't say he will develop a Hyde version, because that would say that he would be like Mike and having other personalities, no... it was more like his entire being decided to stop caring, it was like he got on the point that both his auras became so angry that he completely changed, will the changes will be good? Nobody knows, but he will be in Commando Mode.
3. Since you're adding characters of the 6teen cast into participating in the Total Drama, will Nikki and Jonsey be participating in the World Tour?
.Like I said before, the plot of 6teen is related to the group always working on the Mall because they wanted to pass their years working and chilling out together, and separating many of them would destroy the lore of their own show, and also, I already have a cast of who will be participating on the World Tour... and if I reveal what I planned for Nikki would be spoilers. Sorry.
4. Do you think future contestants like Brick, Jo, and Lightning would endorse Chef being the host of Total Drama?
.Who knows? Since slowly we are bringing the reboot Chef earlier, it will be interesting to see how things will go to the future.
5. Will you be diving more into Mike's past and provide a reason why he has DID?
. I wouldn't bet on that, I have plans for him in Revenge of Island, but not going to go that further to create his past or reason of why he had DID, probably I would go from the video theory of the youtube.
6. Will you write one character dialogue that involves pondering of Ezekiel's abilities? (e.g. "A prolific writer, artist, songwriter, archer, college-level education despite being homeschooled, and multilingual? Is there something that Ezekiel doesn't know about?")
.I don't know, maybe in Action, it can happens, since Ezekiel is a wildcard that nobody ever expected, the same of people pondering about Harold, how many skills they have? They are still counting, but everyone has a style, and only few know exactly how important it means for Ezekiel to be himself.
7. Will Ezekiel start a YouTube channel to talk about the experiences he had on Total Drama and other subjects?
.Well, I don't plan to make him a Youtuber, we have other people for that, Ezekiel will give the ideas to help his friends to become more successful in the right way, so he will have his friends to get a good popularity on that.
8. Do Japanese anime/manga/video game series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! still exist in the fic? If so, will you have Chris make a challenge involving them?
.Nah, they don't exist, because since they live inside of a cartoon reality show, it may look a parody of the things, but the actual shows and animes? No, they don't. Since Ezekiel gave a reference of Saint Seiya, but Dawn never guessed, sadly people who would love anime and manga would have a nightmare on that world. And the games are most the classic of the classic, like Sam only played games like Jumpman and etc... So probably Mario, Sonic existed because they are the most popular? But they wouldn't be the most advanced of the games since in comparison on our real world. So characters of Shadow Headgehog, Rouge and etc... may not being revealed or will ever be. Always a parody of a parody.
9. Will Ezekiel and his friends learn to trade stocks to increase their money?
.Ezekiel may be a bit smart, but he has no freaking idea on how to do that, even as the way he had his knowledge, he also had his limitations, so for him focusing on writing his books, drawing his arts, he would be glad to live with that, and he came from 2024, the stock would have shifted so many times that we lost our track on what the hell just happened. So better to not open that can of worms.
10. Would compare Chris' level of "sociopathy" to that of Walter White of Breaking Bad?
.Well, Chris has his own level of sociopathy, so maybe yes? Actually I have no idea on who is worse, Chris or Walter.
11. What type of Lawyer would Courtney be focused on?
.Well that's the thing, slowly Courtney is losing interest into actually wanting to become a lawyer, and opportunities will rises to make things even more interesting.
12. Which other shows do Duncan's relatives are a homage to?

.Duncan's uncle Martin and Diana are from Martin Mystery homenage, his aunt Alex is homenage from Totally Spies.

Wow, that was a lot of questions I managed to answer, well. Now it's the time for the good things. Have fun reading the new chapter.

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Bookstore - 12:00 hours.

Jonesy walked into the bookstore, the bell above the door chiming cheerfully as he stepped inside. The familiar scent of paper and coffee greeted him, but today, that comfort was quickly overshadowed by an unexpected sight. His eyes widened as he took in the chaos of the back room: hundreds of cardboard boxes stacked haphazardly, each filled to the brim with books.

The store owner, a grizzled man with a wild beard, spotted Jonesy and a wide grin broke across his face. "Perfect timing, Jonesy! I knew you'd come in handy today. We've got 15,000 new arrivals, and they need to be unpacked and shelved ASAP!"

Jonesy's heart sank at the enormity of the task ahead. Fifteen thousand books? He thought, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. The sheer volume was daunting, and he could already feel the weight of the day pressing down on him. "Uh, sure, no problem," he replied, attempting to sound enthusiastic despite the knot forming in his stomach.

As he rolled up his sleeves and began tearing into the boxes, the task quickly became an exercise in endurance. He unpacked titles from classic literature to the latest graphic novels, methodically organizing them by genre as he worked. The rhythm of his task was interrupted only by the occasional customer wandering in, browsing the shelves with carefree abandon.

.

.

.

After a couple of hours of tireless unpacking, Jonesy had finally managed to sort through a significant number of the books. He felt a sense of pride as he surveyed the shelves filling up with vibrant covers. He was just about to take a well-deserved break when he noticed a small boy perusing a shelf nearby.

With an innocent grin, the boy spotted a Courage the Cowardly Dog book nestled at the bottom of one of Jonesy's carefully stacked piles. Without a second thought, he lunged for it, his excitement palpable. "Mom! Look!"

"No, no, no!" Jonesy yelled, lunging forward in a futile attempt to stop the impending disaster. The boy's enthusiastic tug sent the entire tower of books tumbling to the floor in a cacophony of paper and covers. Jonesy watched in horror as his hard work crumbled before his eyes.

"Great," he muttered, exasperation creeping into his voice. "Just great." With a heavy sigh, he bent down to collect the scattered volumes, cursing the kid under his breath. "Why couldn't they just keep their hands to themselves?"

As he picked up the books, he couldn't help but notice the wide-eyed look of amusement on the boy's face. "That was awesome!" the kid exclaimed, completely oblivious to the chaos he had just caused. Jonesy plastered on a forced smile, trying to maintain his patience as he restacked the fallen books yet again.

.

.

.

Finally getting everything sorted, Jonesy felt a glimmer of hope. He leaned against the shelf, surveying his work. "Okay, I can do this," he thought. "Just a few more piles, and I'll be finished."

But just as he started rearranging another stack, a couple of teenagers walked in, laughing and joking as they perused the aisles. One of them, a tall girl with brightly dyed hair, casually bumped into a nearby shelf while reaching for a book. The impact was enough to send a small cascade of novels tumbling to the ground.

"No! Not again!" Jonesy exclaimed, watching helplessly as his carefully constructed tower toppled once more, crashing to the floor. He felt his hope drain away as he dropped to his knees, desperately trying to salvage the books. "Why did I even bother?"

After re-stacking the books for what felt like the hundredth time, he took a deep breath, his frustration simmering just below the surface. He could feel the pressure building as he continued to work, knowing that the longer he stayed on the floor, the more precarious the situation became.

.

.

.

Just as Jonesy thought things couldn't possibly get worse, a customer approached him, holding a book aloft. "Excuse me, do you have this in paperback?" she asked, pointing to the title in his stack.

Jonesy tried to maintain his composure as he replied, "Uh, let me check for you." He carefully leaned down to find the paperback version of the book, making sure to balance the precarious stack of novels beside him. But as he reached for the book, his elbow bumped against the shelf, sending another wave of books crashing to the ground.

"Seriously?!" he shouted, frustration boiling over as he stood up, fists clenched at his sides. "Why can't anyone just be careful?" The chaos seemed relentless, and he felt defeated by the never-ending cycle of restacking.

With a dramatic sigh, he sank down onto the floor, surrounded by a sea of fallen books once more. His face buried in his hands, he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. "What is wrong with this day?" he muttered to himself, accepting that today might just be one of those days where nothing went right.

---

16:30 hours.

At precisely 4:30 p.m., Caitlin strolled back toward The Big Squeeze after what had been one of the best shopping days of her life. She felt like she was on top of the world. Earlier that day, she had received the biggest tip of her entire work history $2,000, and it had turned her whole week around. Immediately, she used $1,000 to pay off part of her debt from her dad's credit card, easing the stress that had been nagging at her. With the other $1,000, she treated herself to a shopping spree across her favorite stores in the mall, taking full advantage of the sales happening that day.

As she strutted through the food court, she was practically glowing with happiness. Her arms were loaded with bags, filled with the latest fashion pieces—skirts, blouses, accessories—all the essentials to keep her wardrobe trendy. With every step, she couldn't stop smiling, reveling in the joy of new clothes and financial relief. Today had been perfect.

But as she approached The Big Squeeze, her attention was pulled toward Wyatt, who sat at one of the tables, casually sipping his coffee. In front of him were three books, and as soon as Caitlin spotted them, her eyes widened in surprise, sparkling with excitement. One of the books was Courage the Cowardly Dog, an edition she already owned. But the other two? Adventure Time and Steven Universe! She gasped audibly. "Steven Universe and Adventure Time? From what Ezekiel said, they were supposed to be on sale starting tomorrow." she thought to herself, her shopping bags momentarily forgotten as she marveled at Wyatt's early access to such hot items.

Next to Wyatt, however, was a very different scene. Jonesy, wearing the uniform of the bookstore, was face-down on the table, clearly in desperate need of rest. His messy hair stuck out in all directions as he lay motionless, utterly defeated by his shift. Caitlin frowned, concerned but also curious—Jonesy had only been working for four hours. Surely, it couldn't have been that bad.

"Jonesy?" Caitlin called out gently as she approached, setting her bags down next to her chair. She could tell right away that something was very wrong. He groaned in response, slowly lifting his head to reveal the look of pure exhaustion etched on his face.

"You okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jonesy, still in his bookstore uniform, stared at her, barely managing to sit up straight. His eyelids drooped as he explained, "I've been pilling 15,000 books... fifteen thousand. 5 thousand on one side, 5 thousand on the other side, and 5 thousand on the middle, and when I thought everything was nice, there was just a cretin or little brat who just took a book from the bottom of the pile, dropping all the books, and I had to pile them all over again. My arms feel like jelly." He let out a dramatic sigh, sinking back into his seat. "I thought working here would be a breeze, but this... this is like torture."

"That's horrible, shouldn't there have been more people to help you out with that?" Caitlin asked as Jonesy hummed in agreement.

"We had 5 people to pile everything, so everyone got frustrated when that happened. I swear, if tomorrow doesn't have people buying all those books, and leaves thousands remaining, I will lose my shit." Jonesy said as Caitlin couldn't help but feel sympathy for the boy, and even the writer said he had pity for Jonesy since that quantity of books was abnormal.

"Also talking about the books, how did you manage to get them, Wyatt?" Caitlin asked as the musician of the group was still drinking the book, and he was so immersed that he couldn't even listen to his friend. "Wyatt? WYATT!"

"Ah, oh, hey Caitlin." The boy was startled as he saw the girl raising her eyebrows at him, and he looked sheepishly at her. "Sorry about that, was distracted reading this book of Courage the Cowardly Dog, I didn't know it was a horror book, but it's mixed with."

"A wholesome ending, and sometimes a good joke in the end." Caitlin nodded her head as she pointed out the other books on the table. "I was curious about the other two books, how did you get them?"

"Oh, I went to check on Jonesy, and from all the work he had, he got the 3 books as a tip for working hard of the day," Wyatt explained as he was very immersed in the book. "And from how tired Jonesy was feeling, I couldn't help but give myself a read before going to work on there tomorrow, to see what I'm working with."

"Oh, oh, can I read the Steven Universe? I have been eager to read that since the episode where Bridgette and Gwen talked about the book on the show." Caitlin commented as the boy could see Jonesy simply shrugging, and letting the girl squeal in happiness. "Okay, let me see what it is about, there is so much I could be reading right now."

"Shouldn't you be working?" Jonesy asked as Caitlin shook her head.

"I just fulfilled the quota, and Ezekiel was nice to give a tip for all of us, he said 2 thousand dollars for each of us to enjoy our day at the mall," Caitlin said as immediately Wyatt stopped drinking his coffee, and Jonesy had his eyes wide open and energy went back to his body.

"Awesome, man! Being friends with famous people is the best!" Jonesy exclaimed, his excitement palpable. He could feel the weight of his worries lifting, knowing that for once, he wouldn't have to stress about his finances.

"Don't let that go to your head, Jonesy," a voice interjected, and the group turned to see Jen approaching. She yawned, but her face looked almost refreshed, a stark contrast to the exhaustion on Jonesy's.

"Wow, what the hell happened to you?" Caitlin asked, eyeing her friend with a mix of curiosity and concern.

Jen chuckled softly, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. "You wouldn't believe it. I had a surprise encounter with the entire Killer Bass crew. They came into the Penalty Box and decided to buy as many products as they could." She rolled her eyes, a smile creeping onto her lips. "I had to sell to all of them while Coach Halder and the others dealt with the fans. It was a total madhouse!"

"Sounds chaotic!" Wyatt remarked, setting down his book to lean forward, intrigued.

"Oh, it was! But I've never sold so many sports items in one day—excluding Christmas, of course." Jen shrugged, her exhaustion seeming to fade as she recounted the story. "And you know what? They were all really nice to me, surprisingly. I'm just so tired now, that I had to sleep on the punishment timer, which I don't remember sleeping on there, but I was woken up by Coach Halder to have my lunch break, and after doing all the work... It was worth it."

"Wow, you've had quite the day, huh?" Jonesy said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Maybe I should start taking notes from you on how to sell stuff! After we take the rest of the day buying stuff for ourselves, since now we have good money in our hands."

"Just remember to keep your books from falling off the shelves first," Caitlin teased, smirking as she waved the Steven Universe book at him.

Jonesy feigned a wounded look, clutching his chest. "Ouch! I'm wounded, Caitlin! Can't a guy have a rough day without being reminded of it?"

"Only if you can keep from causing any more book avalanches," Jen quipped back, her smile infectious. As she never thought to see Jonesi that exhausted. Well both of them were, but nothing like a good time on the mall wouldn't solve it.

"Hey guys," And just on that, Nikki appeared as if she never had such a cathartic feeling on her being. "I'm so glad the lunch break started, which means I can enjoy it while knowing the clones are suffering from the twins of Killer Bass."

"How are you sure about that?" Jonesy asked as his face went back to the table, and Nikki raised her eyebrows to look at her friend in such a state.

"What happened to you?" The girl asked and Jonest groaned a bit.

"Thousands of books needing to pile, just for being dropped a few times." The tan boy commented as even Nikki flinched from such a thought.

"Wow, I'm so glad that I'm not you," Nikki smirked as the boy simply rolled his eyes in response to such a comment.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep laughing. You have no idea how much it sucked for working a lot of hours." Jonesy said as he got up to the table to tell his point. "That's an exploration, nobody should have suffered so much like that..."

"Not even if that included 2 thousand dollars as part of your tip?" Caitlin asked which immediately Jonesy got out of the table and sat in his place.

"Yeah. But I needed so hard work to be done anyway. Anyway, can you give my part?" Jonesy asked immediately after grabbing a band of money the boy couldn't be happier. "I'm so glad to come to work today."

The girls rolled their eyes as they laughed. While Wyatt kept reading the book.

"Hey, did anyone know where Jude is?" Caitlin asked which Wyatt was more than happy to tell.

"The Killer Bass returned to the food court, and Jude offered a few sticks and also helped them to decide which place would be the best for them to try the food." The boy commented as the group could see the crowd gathering around, which immediately Nikki had to roll her eyes.

"Those guys don't get tired? I mean, I know they were famous. But being circling them the whole day? Must have been a nightmare." Nikki commented as both Caitlin and Jen nodded their heads.

"Maybe next time they are going to be in disguise to not happen like that again," Caitlin suggested as she could see Ezekiel actually using once again his disguise to be away from the public just for the sake of enjoying himself.

"Or they could hire a bodyguard to prevent the crowd from annoying them." Jen also thought about the possibility. "I wonder how Jude is doing since being around them was very chaotic, and tiring just into selling products to each of them separately."

"I'm sure Jude is going to be fine," Jonesy commented as he waved at his future step-sister. "He is already friends with Courtney."

"Yeah, I'm more curious about how is passing on his mind now that he is with his childhood friend," Caitlin said as she couldn't help but smile at seeing the group from far away since the roar of Eva was enough to make all the fans step away from the bodybuilder who was on the limit of her patience.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Okay, who asked for 10 pizza sticks?" Jude said as he himself never thought he would have been working a lot, even as much he liked to think his job sometimes was easy but to run from one side of the food court while skateboarding had been more difficult when there was a huge crowd in front of him.

"Here," Geoff said as he smiled as he found a very chill and awesome dude, since knowing Courtney's childhood friend was a very nice guy, and how Geoff found a kinship with him since both liked to skateboard.

"Okay, it will be 50 bucks," Jude said as Courtney seemed to be the one who decided to pay for her friends.

"Okay... err... sorry Jude, but I only have 100," Courtney said as she showed the hundred note, which was enough for the chill boy to wave his hand.

"No problemo, I will bring the change quickly," Jude commented as he immediately used his skateboard, leaving the group of friends enjoying the work of the boy who seemed to be happy working on the mall.

"I have to confess, I never thought to see Jude being the type of person working around," Courtney said as she sighed but also showed a happy smile on her face. "I always thought that he would be too lazy around to actually put an effort into something.

"That's because you have no idea how much trouble he caused on the mall Courtney, but what the heart doesn't see, doesn't get hurt." Ezekiel thought to himself, as he remembered clearly so many changes that happened on the show, Jude got fired from the Stick It because he messed up into buying products that had cockroaches on them, and worst of all, he made it all the clients ate them by accident, not only he was fired, but the store stick it was closed down. But then he worked in another store which was VHS and DVD, where Jonesy had a personal vendetta with the store manager, in the end, the store was closed down... and then in the end Jude won against an old person in a gaming store... which made him a... manager of the store? "Wait, Jude said he was manager of many stablishments by lying on the stick it curriculum... Wow, it seems his lies became the truth in the future. From manager to end as a manager."

Those were the thoughts Ezekiel never realized how interesting foreshadowing the writers of 6teen managed to make the chill and coolest boy of the show end up like that, which also fit the good future that they planned to make for everyone.

As such, the group of Killer Bass decided to give a try on the kebab of Pizza, which in the end showed it was an interesting flavor and something neat to eat in the afternoon. But still Ezekiel had to return to configure his new laptop, as Duncan was checking the new clothes he bought, Harold was checking the new lightsabers and new products that they bought, and Geoff was kissing Bridgette which the group was just fine since they had been holding up the whole day, and it was a good record, so they made an exception of that time, especially since there was a weird couple who didn't stop kissing at the moment they were over there.

DJ was waving at a few fans, some even squealed happily, as the group was starting to get used to the fans until someone messed up and got punched by Eva, but everyone was enjoying the good day they were having. And then Tyler who was eating his kebab decided to ask a question.

"Hmm... hey guys..." Tyler started, his voice carrying an unusual weight as he paused, deep in thought. The rest of the Killer Bass boys exchanged curious glances. The girls, mid-bite of their meals, paused too, sensing something serious as Tyler stared intently at his friends. "Would you guys be there for me... if I was going through something?"

The question hung in the air for literally a second before Harold was the first one to give the answer, but one that nobody expected.

"No," he said flatly, without even looking up from where he was fiddling with his lightsaber.

"Nope," Ezekiel followed, his eyes glued to the screen of his laptop, fingers typing away.

"Absolutely not," Duncan added, barely giving Tyler a glance as he adjusted his new chain collar.

"I'll be too busy throwing a party. You're invited... but only if you don't show up." Geoff commented as he was taking out his hat, and looked far more interested than the conversation.

"I'd rather binge-watch a slow documentary on grass growing." DJ, the kindest one said such a comment which immediately made the whole group of girls had their mouths open wide. Immediately Ezekiel, Duncan, Harold, and Geoff force themselves to hold their laugh...

Their responses were so rapid, so cold, that it felt like Tyler had just been hit by a train. He blinked, trying to process what had just happened.

The girls, meanwhile, stared wide-eyed. Gwen's fork froze mid-air. Courtney, shocked, glared at Duncan.

"I hope it sucks whatever you're going through," Duncan added, smirking as he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. His comment broke DJ and Geoff's composure. They let out snorts, trying to hold back the laughter.

"I hope it sucks, dude... like, really sucks."Geoff, chuckling, wiped a tear from his eye.

"What the fuck?" Tyler managed, looking at each of them, completely blindsided. But it didn't stop there.

The group of boys began to laugh harder, their cruel amusement building. Tyler, now bewildered beyond reason, opened his mouth to respond, but Ezekiel beat him to it.

"I hope it emotionally scars you for the rest of your life," Ezekiel said, his deadpan delivery making it all the more savage. That sent Duncan, Ezekiel, and Geoff into a fit of laughter, while DJ clapped his hands on the table, unable to contain himself.

Tyler looked around, pale and shocked, the color draining from his face as the cruelty of their words sank in. The girls exchanged horrified glances, Bridgette nearly dropping her smoothie.

"I hope you reach out to me," Harold chimed in, adjusting his glasses, "so I can ignore you." This time, even DJ, usually the gentle giant, couldn't stop himself from losing it, his deep belly laugh booming through the air.

Tyler's jaw dropped, his disbelief morphing into something beyond words. He buried his face in his hands as the boys cackled.

"And dude, like," Geoff managed through his laughter, wiping away tears, "if you do reach out, just know I'll be too busy... uh, partying or something."

DJ, trying to regain some composure, leaned forward. "Nah, man, for real though... I'm probably gonna be too busy helping my mom's daycare to notice." Even though he said it with a grin, there was a tinge of sincerity in DJ's voice, which somehow made it worse.

"I can't wait to go to your funeral," Duncan added, leaning forward with a wicked grin, "knowing I could have changed that outcome." The entire group erupted in hysterics, the laughter of DJ, Geoff, and Ezekiel echoing through the space.

Tyler, utterly devastated, lifted his head, staring at them like he was trying to comprehend what just happened. "Oh BROTHER, WHAT THE HELL?" His voice cracked into a mix of frustration and disbelief. "I just asked if you'd be there for me!"

The boys laughed even harder, Harold nearly dropping his lightsaber as he doubled over. Geoff slapped DJ on the back, sending both of them into another fit of laughter. Even Ezekiel was laughing that tears formed at the corners of his eyes from laughing so hard.

The girls looked at each other in complete disbelief. Courtney, arms crossed, glared daggers at Duncan, her patience long gone. "What is wrong with you?!"

Duncan shrugged, still grinning. "It's our way to show friendship. You ask something that mushy, we gotta outdo each other in who can be the most sadistic and cold. It's just how we roll." He looked proud like it was some sort of twisted badge of honor.

Gwen arched a brow. "That's your idea of friendship?"

"We did a lot of that on the Playa Del Losers," Duncan rolled his eyes. "It's our thing. You wouldn't get it."

Courtney groaned, exasperated. "So none of that was real?"

"We speak more with actions, not words," Duncan explained, nodding toward Geoff and DJ, who were still recovering from laughter. "Of course, we'd be there for him... but we're not gonna tell him that. Where's the fun in that?"

"You're all crazy. That's just... cruel." Bridgette, ever the empathetic one, glanced at Geoff.

Geoff grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Nah, babe, it's all in good fun. We'd totally be there for Ty. It's just... you know, dumb questions get cold answers."

Courtney narrowed her eyes. "Why not just say 'yes'? Would that kill you?"

"Because it's boring," Duncan said with a mischievous smirk. "We had way more fun doing this."

Tyler groaned, slumping forward on the table, his face buried in his arms. Ezekiel, calming down from his fit of laughter, gave Tyler's back a few supportive pats. "Don't worry, eh, we're just messin' with ya."

"Yeah, man," DJ said, finally managing to control his laughter as he reached across the table to gently tap Tyler's shoulder. "You know we got your back. It's just—"

"It's just funnier this way," Harold finished, wiping his glasses, still chuckling.

Tyler lifted his head, his face flushed from embarrassment and disbelief. "You guys are the worst."

"We love you too, bro," Geoff said, grinning ear to ear, while the rest of the boys nodded in agreement.

Courtney, shaking her head, muttered under her breath, "Boys..."

Despite the absurdity of the situation, the girls couldn't help but exchange smirks, realizing this was just how the guys operated. As Tyler's bewilderment lingered, Courtney leaned closer to Duncan.

"You do realize that, like, normal people talk about their feelings, right?"

"Like Ezekiel had said before..." Duncan gave her a lopsided grin. "Where's the fun in normal?"

As the girls were about to ask more about their crazy way of viewing friendship. Katie and Sadie appeared among the loud crowd of fans as they came to sit with all the clothing bags they had to bring from Khaki Barn.

"Oh look who came? The twins dunderheads." Duncan commented as he raised his eyebrows from seeing all that quantity of bags, which he went to 4 clothing stores and even he didn't take that large quantity of clothes, "Did you pay all Ezekiel's money on clothes?"

"Yep?" Both Katie and Sadie nodded their heads happily.

"I took a few clothes that I know Cody would look so lovely on it, look," Katie said as she brought a long-sleeved white shirt, which the group couldn't help but notice that Cody indeed would look fine by wearing something simple yet fitting his personality. "I had a few other shirts for him which would make him look great. A collar for him as well. Also, my mom will love what Khaki Barn has to offer, I think I bought so much clothing that I even got a discount after everything."

"Ohh, oh, me too. I bought many things for my mom and my little sister, Cindy, that I know they are going to love the blouses I brought for them and even dresses." Sadie said as she was smiling from ear to ear, and they once again returned to their usual self, which the group couldn't help but chuckle from their interaction.

"Well, gotta say, buying clothes was interesting," Duncan admitted as the group looked at him in surprise, excluding Ezekiel, Courtney, Bridgette, and Gwen, they had a pretty nice time buying clothes. "Also, you guys should check out the next floor, Harold, even I know that you are going to replace your shirt burger after having all the money you got from Ezekiel today. So why not try something like my style?"

"Do you really think me would fit dressing like you?" Harold said as he raised his eyebrows, and that made Duncan pause for a second, and then identify that Harold had too skinny arms, even as they held a strong punch, that string arm wouldn't look cool on it.

"Fair point, but come on, at least buy a skull black shirt, skull makes everything awesome," Duncan said as Harold sniffed, and rolled his eyes.

"Not sure if Punk will really fit my style, but I will buy some clothes on the next floor," Harold said, and the group stared at each other, not unsure of what to say.

"Go with him and help him to decide on his clothes, we are putting our faith in you, Katie," Ezekiel whispered something to the tan twin's ear, which she immediately giggled but also saluted.

"Got it," Katie said as she was the one who was also doing the design of clothing, so learning the styles and even trying to help her friends dress better, would help them start on the right foot the season 2.

"But while you all decide to go over there, I'm going to make a tattoo," Ezekiel chimed in casually. The whole group froze, turning to stare at him, everyone except Duncan and Courtney, who had already known this was going to happen.

"Wait, do you mean you're finally going to fulfill that bet you made with Izzy?" Harold was the first to recall the bet, his eyes wide in disbelief. The others quickly pieced it together.

"Ezekiel, are you sure that's wise?" Bridgette's concern was immediate, her voice soft but insistent. "I mean, it's a tattoo... it's probably going to stick forever."

Duncan snickered, waving his hand dismissively. "Bridge, don't even bother. We already had this talk. Ezekiel's mind's made up." He smirked, the rebellious glint in his eyes unmistakable. "Besides, if Zeke's getting one, I might as well get one too. Why not?"

Ezekiel shot Duncan a thumbs-up, clearly on board with the idea.

Eva, who had been quietly observing, raised an eyebrow at Courtney. "And you're okay with this?" she asked.

Courtney let out a deep, frustrated sigh, her hands running through her hair as if she were mentally reliving the exhausting conversation. "Trust me, I tried to talk sense into them. It's pointless. Their minds are made up, and it's like arguing with a brick wall. At least it's just the two of them." She started, but before she could finish her sentence, the inevitable interruption came.

"Awesome! Count me in! I want a tattoo too!" Harold blurted out enthusiastically.

Courtney slammed her forehead onto the table with a groan, her hand dragging down her face in disbelief. "Oh, come on..."

Geoff was next to speak, his usual laid-back grin widening. "I like the idea! What better way to show we're all friends than to get matching Killer Bass tattoos?"

The room fell silent as DJ hesitated. Geoff noticed and patted him on the back reassuringly. "Hey, DJ, no pressure, man. If you don't want to, it's cool. But just so you know, my buddy Brody told me that the upper arm is one of the least painful spots. He said the worst places to get inked are on your feet and fists."

DJ breathed a sigh of relief, nodding slightly. "Well... okay, maybe something small. But nothing too crazy."

Courtney threw her hands up in the air in sheer exasperation. "Are you all out of your minds?"

Duncan leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest with that familiar mischievous smirk. "Come on, Princess. It's not that big a deal. We've been through way worse stuff on the show. Besides, it's our thing now. A team thing. What about you girls?"

Courtney's eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms in defiance. "Oh no, don't even think about dragging me into this. I've already made peace with wearing goth clothes, but a tattoo? No way. My family would lose it if they found out."

Duncan grinned and leaned in closer. "Cluck, cluck, cluck," he teased, imitating a chicken, his hands mimicking wings flapping at his sides.

Courtney's eyes twitched with annoyance. "Really, Duncan? Chicken noises? So mature," she spat sarcastically, glaring at him.

Before she could even react further, Eva suddenly spoke up. "I'm in."

Courtney's face fell as she turned to Eva, feeling completely betrayed. "Eva, no!"

Eva just shrugged, her muscular arms crossed over her chest, looking unphased. "I've got scars from all the fights I had with the Serial Killer. Might as well cover some of them with something cool. Besides, it'll make people think twice before picking a fight with me." The group knew Eva's ambitions to join the MMA championships, and her reasoning made perfect sense to them.

Katie giggled as she raised her hand. "If Eva's doing it, I think I'll get one too."

Sadie gasped excitedly. "Oh my gosh, me too! I was just thinking the same thing!"

Courtney's head hit the table again, muttering under her breath. "I can't believe this..."

Bridgette leaned over to Geoff, whispering, "Well, at least Katie and Cody are together now. They're a bit less co-dependent than they used to be."

Geoff nodded in agreement, grinning.

But Courtney wasn't done with her shock. She glanced around and noticed Gwen and Bridgette raising their hands as well. "Oh, come on! Even you two?"

Bridgette smiled calmly. "Honestly, my mom has a couple of tattoos. She's always told me to get one I'd actually like, and a Killer Bass tattoo feels... meaningful, you know?"

Gwen shrugged nonchalantly, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "All my friends have tattoos. I've been thinking about getting one for a while. I might do a Killer Bass eating a Gopher skeleton."

Ezekiel chimed in, always eager to contribute his quirky ideas. "Or what if you made it like Alien? The Killer Bass bursting out of the Gopher's chest?"

Gwen's eyes lit up. "That's... actually brilliant."

Courtney groaned, clutching her head as if the headache of this entire conversation was finally getting to her. "I'm the only sane one left..."

Duncan chuckled, leaning in closer to Courtney. "Come on, Princess. We were all on Total Drama Island. We lost our sanity long ago." He winked, then added, "Besides, it's not the end of the world. We're all doing our own versions of the tattoo. You just gotta trust the artist. You might even be surprised."

Courtney sighed heavily, her resolve weakening as she looked into Duncan's eyes. She knew he was right, even if she didn't want to admit it. "Fine. Why do I even bother?"

She glanced around the group, each of them excited and ready to get inked. Her heart pounded in her chest, but the look on Duncan's face—his hand outstretched toward her, his reassuring smile—gave her a moment of pause. She gulped dryly, still hesitant, but something rebellious stirred within her, perhaps fueled by her newfound goth style.

"Alright," she muttered, taking Duncan's hand. "But it better be small. Something subtle. And if the artist messes it up, I'm out."

Duncan's smile turned softer, no longer the mischievous grin. He was genuinely proud of her for considering it. "Don't worry. Trust me on this. You'll be happy with it. I promise."

Courtney rolled her eyes, half regretting the decision already, but there was no turning back now. "I really hope so..."

.

.

.

"Okay Courtney, I didn't find 50 bucks, but I managed to make a few kebabs for you to eat later," Jude after once again passing toward the crowd, he was eager to bring a few sticks with him to help to feed the friends of her friend, but suddenly when he gave a look around, the table was empty, and he fans who were once there, also disappeared. Even after he had to cross the river of the people passing around. "Dudes? Where are you?"

---

The group stood just outside the tattoo parlor, the soft hum of tattoo machines buzzing from within. It was a strange feeling—who would've thought that getting a tattoo could be this nerve-wracking? Across the mall, the parlor looked far more upscale than any of them had imagined. Through the glass doors, they could see a deep scarlet carpet leading inside, with sleek beige chairs arranged neatly along the walls. The place had a sleek, modern vibe, but it also carried a rebellious edge. Symbols of different tattoos—tribal designs, abstract art, and personalized sketches—decorated the walls like a gallery of skin art. The faint smell of ink and disinfectant lingered in the air as they stepped inside, each handed an artistic folder by the receptionist.

Inside the folders, they found the work of the five tattoo artists at the parlor. Each had a unique style, from traditional black and grey shading to vibrant, colorful pieces. And then, tucked away in one of the sections, they found something surprising—tattoo designs inspired by Total Drama. The group's eyes widened as they flipped through page after page of custom flags for the Killer Bass and Screaming Gophers. There were countless variations, from simple designs to elaborate reinterpretations of their team logos. There was even one design that showed Ezekiel, Courtney, and Duncan as the symbolic pillars of the Killer Bass, an inside joke among the fans.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Courtney muttered, her voice shaky. She sat in one of the private tattoo booths, nervously eyeing the artist—a hulking, tattoo-covered man who looked more like a bouncer than an artist. Her stomach knotted in regret, wishing she hadn't been talked into it.

Just as she was about to bail, a second artist—a younger woman with a friendly smile—popped into the booth. "Don't worry," the woman said kindly, sensing Courtney's unease. "It's going to be a simple design, and I promise you'll love it."

Courtney forced a weak smile but still mumbled under her breath, "Why did I let myself get talked into this?"

And she wasn't the only one feeling apprehensive. Even DJ, the group's gentle giant, was visibly uncomfortable as he eyed the tattoo machines. But what made it worse was the fact that some fans had gathered outside the parlor, peering through the windows, waiting to see what tattoos the famous Total Drama stars would get. There was no backing out now.

"Guys, seriously, stop being scared," Ezekiel said, surprising even himself by how confident he sounded. "It's not a big deal. It was supposed to be just me and Duncan getting tattoos, but now you're all overthinking it."

Courtney shot him a look, her eyes pleading. "Ezekiel, please… this is insane. Can't we just—"

But Ezekiel rolled his eyes, already heading into one of the booths before she could finish. He wasn't about to let the others see him freak out, even though his heart was pounding just as much as theirs.

Once inside, Ezekiel was greeted by the tattoo artists, all five of them ready and eager to get started. He had seen shows like 6teen where people got tattoos, but it felt different being here in real life.

"Whoa," Ezekiel muttered as he looked around, his nerves kicking in again. "Uh… hey. I want to get a tattoo."

One of the artists, a massive guy with arms as big as tree trunks and covered in ink, nodded at him. "You're from that reality show, right?"

"Total Drama Island, yeah," Ezekiel replied, his voice steady but his nerves still tingling. He couldn't help but notice how huge the guy was—like someone who could break a door down with one punch. "I lost a bet with a friend, and I said I'd get the symbol of my team on my arm. I figured I might as well go through with it."

The artist raised an eyebrow but seemed impressed. "A man of his word… I can respect that." He leaned back, crossing his tattooed arms. "You know, you're not the first. We've had people come in asking for flags of your team. So, you want the Killer Bass flag on your arm?"

"Actually," Ezekiel said as he pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket, "I was thinking more like this." He handed the artist a sketch he had drawn himself. It was a simple yet sharp design—a Killer Bass flexing its biceps and smoking a cigar, encased in a circle. The artist's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Huh. Not bad. Simple but with personality. I can get this done in about two hours," the artist said, turning the drawing to show the other artists, who nodded in approval. "You sure this is what you want?"

Ezekiel smirked, feeling a bit more confident now. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's not a full-body tattoo or anything crazy. Just something small but meaningful."

The large man let out a deep chuckle. "That's what they all say, but trust me, once you get one, you'll want more." He gestured toward the chair. "Alright, take a seat. Let's get this going."

Ezekiel settled into the chair, his heart still racing but his mind now focused. "I'll trust you to do your thing. Surprise me."

As the tattoo machine whirred to life, the rest of the group stood outside the booths, flipping through the folders, and exchanging nervous glances. None of them wanted to be the next, but with the fans watching and Ezekiel already starting, it felt like they didn't have much choice.

.

.

.

"Okay, what did I miss?" Duncan asked as he strolled back from the bathroom, raising an eyebrow at the nervous expressions on his friends' faces. The tattoo artists had come out from the booths, one of them a no-nonsense female artist crossing her arms as she scanned the group.

"Hey, if you guys aren't getting tattoos, you might want to make room for people who are." The artist's voice was blunt, cutting through the tension before DJ could even get up from his seat.

Duncan chuckled, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "Heh, no sweat. We all came here to get inked." He shot a cheeky grin, completely ignoring the death glare from Courtney. His eyes shifted to Harold, who had a determined look on his face, ready for action.

Harold was the first to break the silence, eagerly flipping open his folder to a page he had bookmarked. "I've been thinking of something a bit... custom." His tone carried that familiar mix of confidence and nerdy enthusiasm. "How about this—let's have the Killer Bass bursting out of the flag like it's smashing through a wooden board." He paused, adjusting his glasses with a grin. "Oh, and can you give it a black belt around its waist? Maybe even add some glasses too, for, uh, you know, my personal touch."

The artist chuckled, already sketching out the idea. "So, a martial artist fish with glasses breaking through boards? That's definitely unique."

"I need something to cover up the scars around my torso, but also to add something on my arm as well." Eva, standing coolly next to Harold, confidently pointed to a sketch in her folder. "I want something that shows off my title as Ironwoman. Make the Killer Bass mechanical—give it gears, steel plating, the works. And make sure there's a hook through its mouth, but it needs to look fierce, not like it's caught."

"Mechanical and strong, huh? That's gonna be intense." The artist raised his eyebrows. "And what about the scars? May I suggest a pattern of zippers?"

"Hmm... I'm listening..." Eva said as she followed the artist who was helping her to come to a decision on how it would be the process her new tattoos to cover the scars on her torso. But also something that she could add as a symbol of her mechanical Killer Bass tattoo.

While the more serious requests were being discussed, Katie and Sadie were off to the side, giggling as they compared their sketches.

"We want matching tattoos!" Katie announced excitedly, holding up her folder. "Mine's a cute fish in a dress, and hers is eating ice cream! But when we put our arms together, the designs connect."

"Yeah, it's like a super cute Killer Bass combo when we're together!" Sadie beamed as she showed her half of the design.

"A mirrored design, huh? That sounds fun. You two got it—one big, adorable Killer Bass when you're side by side." The artist smiled, clearly enjoying their energy like two best friends or even twins acting like that...

Finally, the artist turned toward Duncan, who had been standing there with his signature smirk. "And what about you?" she asked, half-expecting something wild.

"I want a Killer Bass crawling out of a skull, but give it a green Mohawk."Duncan leaned in slightly, his grin widening. "But also I want you to spell Killer Bass on my fingers."

At that moment, DJ and Courtney had their eyes wide open, since he decided to choose the places it would hurt most by doing the tattoo, but before any of them would even open their mouths to protest. The artist already gave a nod.

"That definitely suits you." The artist commented as she was amused by the punk aesthetic. She glanced around at the group before continuing. "Alright, the rest of you can wait a bit. We'll start with the designs we've got. It'll take an hour or two, depending on the details. Feel free to hang out or walk around the mall until it's your turn."

Duncan shrugged casually as the group began to split off, some staying while others considered wandering to kill time. "Guess it's gonna be a long day. Hope you guys brought snacks."

Courtney shot him another sharp look, clearly unamused, while Harold adjusted his glasses with a smug sense of accomplishment, happy with his creative tattoo choice.

.

.

.

"And remember to take out the plastic wrap only on the next day." The muscled tattooed guy gave the instructions, as Ezekiel couldn't help but feel his arm burning, and scratching at the same time.

"Alright," Ezekiel commented as he understood, and was happy to see one of the works being finished, and by covering it with his jacket, it was going to be a surprise for everyone when he returned to the show. The fans had no idea how awesome the tattoo became.

And from seeing some of his friends, it had been interesting to see their reactions, Harold had been yelping in pain a lot, before getting used, Katie and Sadie were crying together because of the slight pain before getting used to it while Duncan was shedding a few tears because he chooses to also to tattoo spelling Killer Bass, the letters in each one of the front part of his fingers, by the time he closes both his fists and held together, spells Killer Bass just to show how awesome would be, and funny thought on how Killer Bass indeed had 10 letters, one for each finger, excluding the space between words. Only Eva and he himself didn't cry, but it had been a painful experience for the first time.

But nothing that he wouldn't be used to it. As Ezekiel walked outside of the place, just to see Courtney, Tyler, Bridgette, Geoff, Gwen, and DJ playing cards or reading a magazine. While some of them are a bit unsure of how things will go. After one hour for the muscled tattooed guy to clean up everything, to make sure everything was sterilized, the other artists also finished their work, as the group stared at their friends who had just gotten their new tattoos, which they could see they had been wrapped in plastic wrap.

"To make sure to heal without infection, remember to only take it tomorrow or after tomorrow." Each artist instructed as the group of guys took their nods while remaining quiet.

DJ was about to ask how it went, but he was immediately interrupted when one of the artists decided to ask.

"Okay, who is going to be next?" Then it was time for the remaining Killer Bass group... Now it was time for them to decide for the last time.

"Come on guys," Duncan said, as he composed himself after so much pain, "It's just one hour or two, trust me, you are going to like it."

"Okay, fine..." Courtney said that she was very shy about it, but she took the decision. Still flipping through her folder, finally landed on something simple yet meaningful to her. "I want something minimal. Just a line of Killer Basses swimming in a circle—like they're following each other, finding their trail." She gestured to her upper arm, "It'll go around here, like a bracelet."

"Simple but symbolic—definitely a nice choice." The artist nodded, appreciating the elegance of the idea.

"I want a full armband. A pattern of Killer Bass swimming around my upper arm, like they're going in a circle, like a band." Bridgette smiled as she showed her folder next.

"You want the whole thing to wrap around your arm? That's bold—I like it. It'll definitely stand out." The artist raised an eyebrow. But nodded at the request of the surfer girl.

"I'd like a Killer Bass, but in the colors of Jamaica—black, green, and yellow. And in the corner, I want a small, trembling pink dog. Like, you know, Courage the Cowardly Dog? He's scared of the fish, but it's all in good fun." DJ, always the gentle giant, hesitated before sharing his idea.

"That's a creative spin, mixing the Bass with a little cartoonish book character. We'll make it work." The artist let out a small laugh.

"I want a Killer Bass using its tail to launch a hockey puck! Gotta get some sports action in there, you know?" Tyler, bouncing with excitement, jumped in next.

"Sports fanatic, I get it," the artist smirked, quickly sketching the concept. "We'll make sure that fish knows how to play hockey."

"Alright, check this out, I want a Killer Bass with a Stetson hat, sunglasses, and some balloons floating around. Gotta keep things light and fun!" Geoff, ever the life of the party, leaned over the counter.

"Balloon party fish it is," the artist replied with a laugh. "You've got a unique vision, man."

"And then I will be left out as the last one?" Gwen asked as the bulk tattoo guy shrugged.

"I can work with 2 clients at the same time if you want to book in. Last chance before we close the store, we close 1 hour before the mall closes." The bulk guy said, as Gwen nodded her head, and accepted her choice.

"Okay, I want this one, about the alien version style of a Killer Bass getting out from Screaming Goopher's stomach," Gwen said as she liked the dark style of showing a horrific way on how she got out from the first team and showed she belonged to a better team with great friends.

"Heh, I gotta confess this one had been the most requested by some around the mall, I already did a few times, sure. I can do it easily." The man chuckled, as immediately the group looked unsure of what to do now. "Well, let's get inside. And get ready for a change of lifestyle that you never thought of having before."

As the group hesitantly went inside, Ezekiel gave a slight glance to Harold who was still feeling a bit of pain in his arm, but already feeling confident with the new tattoo on his arm, he knew that he would impress everyone with it.

"I think there is still time for you to buy clothes, you better go quickly," Ezekiel commented which immediately Harold snapped from his thoughts, and immediately ran away from the group, running straightly to the open stores. "Katie, you better go with him."

"Oh, right," Kaite said as she remembered the request made by Ezekiel, and she immediately left the tattoo parlor, Duncan, Eva, and Sadie were still feeling a bit itchy and with slight burns on their arms, but that was normal since it was their first tattoo,

---

It didn't take long until Katie came back, with Harold with bags of bags of clothing, which he was palled from how many times Katie insisted for him to try each style, trying to find the ones which would fit him better, but all the weight he had to bring was by his own arms, so more than 15 bags of clothing, and shoes, while Katie also felt happy to find clothes for Cody as well, she was so happy into being the girl who would help her friends and boyfriend to find clothing that they would like to use it on the season 2. She even bought a few clothes for herself, and she can't wait to show how season 2 is going to be awesome.

And the evening had passed without anyone realizing just how fast time had slipped by. The mall, once bustling with excitement and scattered fans hoping to catch glimpses of the Killer Bass, now began to wind down. As the tattoo sessions drew to a close, the mall lights dimmed, signaling the end of the day. The fans, recognizing that their favorite reality stars were still inside the tattoo parlor and wouldn't be emerging until it was nearly over, gradually dispersed, ready to resume their regular lives. What once felt like a day full of activity had quietly transitioned to the final hours before closing, the energy fading with each passing moment.

Outside, the once-crowded walkways were now empty as the mall staff started locking up storefronts and sweeping the floors. Few people remained, their hurried footsteps echoing in the near-empty hallways as they gathered their bags and headed for the exits. By the time the Killer Bass group exited the tattoo parlor, they found the mall practically deserted. They quickly realized that they still had errands to run before heading home, so they made their way to the Penalty Box, gathering the products they had bought earlier in the day.

Each of them, now adorned with fresh tattoos, rushed to get their things, heading toward the parking lot where their cars waited. Duncan's borrowed SUV, in particular, had become the designated storage for their bulkier purchases. The mall parking lot, much like the mall itself, had thinned out, leaving only a few straggling vehicles bathed in the dim glow of streetlights.

.

.

.

"I hate you..." Courtney said to her boyfriend, as Duncan chuckled from seeing her annoyed face, which he knew that she was lying. "My arm is itching and I cannot do anything, just because you wanted me to do this tattoo."

"Oh come on Princess, don't tell me that you didn't like it," Duncan said as he could see his girlfriend pouting at him.

"I don't know what I had in my mind when I decided to let you convince me to actually do it. And the worst part is that I liked the tattoo in the end," Courtney said as she placed the back of her head on the chair of the SUV that Duncan was driving. "A question, where did you get this SUV?"

"Oh, it's from my uncle, he said we would be buying a lot of stuff, so just in case he let me borrow it," Duncan said as Courtney nodded her head, there was a lot of space in which they placed most of the products from Penalty Box since most of the cars and their friends couldn't hold that amount of space, Duncan would be borrowing space which he knew that his mom would call his friend's mothers just to bring the right car or truck to take the belongs of his friends. "I still think Harold shouldn't have bought that punching bag, there was no way that he could actually take it to his house."

"Oh come on, Duncan, don't be such a baby, I'm sure that he could give it to Eva at the time he gets tired playing with it." Courtney joked which was enough to make her boyfriend smirk at her, and both ended up kissing before he started to drive away to his house. "Are you sure that your parents will be fine for me to stay the night with you there?"

"Yeah, my mom already called yours probably, so we have a good time for us to talk about what we could be doing before returning on the show," Duncan said, as Courtney simply rolled her eyes.

"The best would be to not even think about it," Courtney commented as she was now happy to be with the person that she knew she would trust her life and her heart.

.

.

.

"Alright, it had been a crazy day," Geoff commented as he was driving his girlfriend Bridgette on the street, but still with one more person riding with them. "Zeke, are you sure that you don't want to stay with Bridgette? She lives a few hours from the mall."

"I know, but look at her," Ezekiel commented as the party boy could see how exhausted Bridgette became after a few hours of sessions she had at the tattoo parlor, the group had to run quickly into trying to reach the sports store just to take their products and each of them had to organize which car belonged to who, and which products should go with who, it became such confusion that some even allowed to let Duncan take most of their products since he was in an SUV, and Eva brought her trailer as well, to make sure that everything would be fine before meeting themselves again, on Gwen's birthday, but until then, their parents could take their items while they were focused on their day off. "Just leave me at the motel nearby, and I'm sure that I will be incognito just for the night,"

"Well, if you say so..." Geoff said hesitantly, but he could see Ezekiel giving a reassuring smile to him. "Okay, but you have our phone numbers. In any case, call us if something bad happens."

"It's fine, and Geoff, please be careful when you leave Bridgette at her house, I'm sure tomorrow the group will get in a panic, but by the time I wake up and go to the mall, you will be the first person I will call, okay?" Ezekiel commented as he took his usual backpack with him, only having his essentials. "Tomorrow night my pa will appear in Bridgette's house, so I will be there, don't worry."

As the driving across the night had been a very common hotel, which was an hour far away from the mall, Ezekiel knew it was his stop.

"Thanks for the ride Geoff, I hope you have a good night of sleep," Ezekiel commented, as the party boy still looked a bit unsure. "Dude, I'm fine,"

"Okay, just be careful okay?" Geoff commented that Ezekiel took the sunglasses, and even took a fake beard with him, Geoff chuckled at how silly the disguise was, but couldn't help but admit it. "Okay, have a good night, and good luck, man."

"You too man," Ezekiel said as he got out of the said car... and staring at the motel, he couldn't help but think about the possibility of all the rooms being booked, which made him sweat and nervous.

.

.

.

The motel Ezekiel found himself at was a modest, roadside establishment just outside of the busier parts of Ontario. It sat nestled between tall pine trees, casting long, dark shadows that swayed slightly in the cool night breeze. The motel's exterior was a dull, beige color, its paint chipping off in some areas, revealing the aging wood beneath. A faded neon sign buzzed softly, flickering the words "Vacancy" in pale red, casting a faint glow across the parking lot.

The parking lot itself was sparsely populated, with only a handful of cars scattered around. The concrete was cracked and uneven, with small patches of weeds growing between the crevices. Each room had a small porch light above its door, most of them glowing dimly, though a few flickered like they were struggling to stay lit.

The air was crisp and cool, typical of Canadian nights in early autumn. The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled the atmosphere, mixing with the faint odor of gasoline from a nearby highway that could be heard in the distance, a low hum of cars passing by. Overhead, the sky was clear, dotted with stars, but the moon was only a sliver, barely visible against the darkness. The distant sound of a lone truck rumbled down the road, reminding Ezekiel how far he was from the busyness of the day he'd just experienced.

The motel itself was eerily quiet at this hour. At 9 p.m., most of the occupants were likely inside, the warm glow of televisions seeping through thin curtains. From a few windows, faint flickers of light from TV screens hinted at people settling in for the night, catching late news or sitcoms. A few of the rooms were dark, with only the porch lights showing any sign of life. The small office at the front of the building had a lone receptionist inside, tapping away at a computer with a bored expression, the soft hum of an old fan filling the space around them.

Ezekiel's stomach growled loudly, a painful reminder that the food court at the mall had closed hours ago. After spending the day running around with his friends, getting tattoos, and racing to gather their items from the sports store before closing, he hadn't had time to think about food. The excitement of being with the group and the adrenaline of the day had distracted him, but now, standing in the quiet night, the hunger hit him hard.

The vending machine near the entrance was his only immediate hope for food, its fluorescent light flickering as it stood slightly crooked, like it had been bumped too many times. Chips, candy bars, and soda were visible behind the glass, though some rows looked half empty. Still disguised with his sunglasses and fake beard, Ezekiel adjusted his backpack and scanned the area around him. The motel looked even more modest up close, with chipped doors and a few cigarette butts scattered across the gravel.

Taking in the surroundings, he realized how quiet and secluded the place was. It wasn't luxurious, but it wasn't run-down enough to make him feel unsafe. It had the air of a forgotten stop for travelers just looking for a place to rest before moving on. Ezekiel glanced at the office, contemplating his next move. He was tired, hungry, and worn out from the day, but he needed to settle in before anything else.

With one last glance around the parking lot and the faint glow of the motel rooms, he made his way toward the entrance, ready to see if there was a room available for the night. The cool air nipped at his skin, the gentle rustle of the trees above accompanying him as he walked through the shadows.

At the time Ezekiel got to the room he booked, he couldn't help but sigh in relief, from what he heard, a few people had given up the rooms, which left a few vacancies, which was good since having all booked up would mean that he didn't have a place to stay at night, and the idea of him being in the middle of the night on the street felt like a terrible idea.

"I don't know why, but if I was in case of stay the night, I could have stayed near the mall where Dawn's tent was... at least I could hope that she would have some protection against street rats or animals that could get out on the night," Ezekiel said as he mused in leaving the backpack he had, but one extra item that he had in his hand, a bag, which didn't was from any store, but it was a gift made by Katie who just remembered that she had left it in the car...

And at the time Ezekiel opened it, he saw the iconic and yet so nostalgic green jacket, that belonged to nobody other than Ben 10 Alien Force...

Ezekiel hugged the jacket as if it were his own treasure.

"Katie, you are the best," Ezekiel said as he promised to himself that he would give a big hug to the tan twin, as he never thought she would give her best to make sure the jacket would look exactly the way he drew, and it was perfect, the lining and even the details of having the number 10 on where it was. "I know that this will be what I will be using on the Action all the time."

However, he couldn't let his satisfaction stay long, since his stomach once again warned him for demanding food, which immediately Ezekiel knew that he would need to take care of such a problem quickly.

Disguised with a fake beard and sunglasses, Ezekiel stood by the vending machines, grabbing a snack to quiet his rumbling stomach. It was just enough to keep him going until he could figure out how to order a proper meal. There was, however, one slight problem, he had no idea how to do that.

"In times like this, ordering food by app would be the way to go," Ezekiel muttered, flipping open his outdated phone. He stared at the tiny screen, longing for the technology he'd seen in the future. This was a far cry from the convenience he was used to. But, no use dwelling on it. He sighed and made his way upstairs, peeling off the sunglasses and scratching at the itching fake beard.

As he approached his room, a familiar aroma hit his nose, instantly recognizable to both his brain and his stomach.

"Pizza..." he whispered, his stomach growling with excitement.

A plan quickly formed in his head.

"Okay, if I find the person who ordered it, I can ask which place they ordered from and get the number. Easy peasy." Ezekiel mentally patted himself on the back, sure this was a foolproof strategy.

The smell grew stronger as he neared a door down the hall. Composing himself and readying his most polite face, he knocked.

Seconds passed before the door swung open, revealing a young girl. She looked vaguely familiar, but Ezekiel couldn't quite place her.

"Hell—" he started, raising a hand.

SLAM!*

The door slammed shut in his face with such speed, that Ezekiel was left blinking in stunned silence. He heard a faint burp from the other side, just before the door creaked open again.

"looo—"

SLAM!*

The door shut just as quickly as before, cutting him off mid-word. Ezekiel blinked again, utterly bewildered.

"Did I just get Alastor-ed?" he muttered to himself, trying to make sense of what just happened. He rubbed his temples, mentally scolding himself.

"Of course... What was I thinking, knocking on a stranger's door in the middle of the night? Social skills, Ezekiel, you've got none." He sighed and turned to leave.

"NO, WAIT!"

The sudden shout from behind made him freeze. He took a hesitant step back as the door creaked open for the third time. This time, the girl stood there looking flustered, her face a deep shade of red.

"Don't go—sorry, I'm so, so *burp*—" she stammered, her apology interrupted by another awkward burp.

Ezekiel blinked, unsure whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. She couldn't have been more than three years younger than him, but the anxiety on her face was clear as day. He had never seen someone's face turn so red so quickly, and for a moment, he wondered if she might actually be a tomato in disguise.

---

To say Sky was panicking would be an understatement. Standing in front of Ezekiel from Total Drama Island, not just any contestant, but the very one she'd had a crush on for the time she watched him telling what kind of girl he liked, it had been weeks, and from that time she had been in front of him, was overwhelming. It wasn't like earlier that morning when she'd casually met another Total Drama contestant with her sister and gave a car ride. No, this was different.

Sky had been enjoying a quiet night in, eating a slice of pizza while her sister was in the bathroom. She was winding down, mentally preparing for the next day's book signing event where she'd get to meet Ezekiel. It was all going perfectly until she heard a knock at the door.

Curious, she went to check, figuring it might be the receptionist or maybe room service. But never, in her wildest dreams, did she imagine opening the door to him—the boy she had a crush on standing there in front of her, about to say something to her.

"Hel-"

Her reaction was instinctive. She slammed the door shut.

Sky's heart pounded as she leaned back against the door, her face hot with embarrassment. She pressed her hands to her cheeks, hoping it would somehow cool her down, but her body had other ideas. Her stomach let out an awkward, untimely burp again.

BURP*

"What the hell did I just do?" she thought, her mind spinning. Slamming the door in Ezekiel's face? Of all the things she'd imagined about meeting him—charming introductions, witty remarks—this was definitely not on the list. She could already feel her stomach twisting with guilt and regret.

Determined to fix her blunder, Sky threw the door open again.

"looooo—" Ezekiel was in the middle of speaking, but once again, panic overtook her.

SLAM!*

"Nooo! Why did I do it again?" Sky groaned as her forehead thudded lightly against the door this time. She thought in pure horror. He must think she was the rudest person alive. Or worse, that she was completely insane. She was certain that her nerves had just ruined everything.

As she heard his footsteps, she realized he was leaving. This was her last chance to make things right. Without thinking, she yanked the door open and blurted out.

"NO, WAIT! Don't go! I'm so, so—" And then, just like before, her stomach betrayed her with another embarrassing *burp*.

Sky's face flushed even redder—if that was even possible at this point. Her eyes widened as Ezekiel turned back to face her, clearly concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with genuine worry. He stared at her, trying to make sense of her erratic behavior. Sky stood frozen in the doorway, nodding awkwardly. She desperately wanted to say something, anything, but her nerves were getting the better of her. The tension between them was almost tangible, and she could feel her heart pounding harder than ever.

"Uh, sorry for disturbing your night," Ezekiel shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly unsure of what to do next. he started, glancing at her with a hesitant smile. "I just checked into the hotel recently and... well, I don't really know where to order food around here. So, I thought maybe I could ask where you got your pizza from. Like, the number for the place?"

Sky blinked, trying to process his words through her swirling thoughts. He wasn't mad? Her mouth opened to respond, but no sound came out, only a quiet squeak as she snapped her mouth shut again, completely tongue-tied.

The awkwardness seemed to hang in the air between them. Sky's mind raced with a thousand things she could say, but her body refused to cooperate. Meanwhile, Ezekiel stood there patiently, still looking a bit unsure but waiting kindly for her reply.

Finally, Sky took a deep breath, hoping this time her words would come out without another blunder. "I—I got it from the place downstairs. They deliver... I think I still have the menu somewhere."

Ezekiel felt the silence stretch awkwardly, and to make matters worse, his stomach growled loudly. The scent of pizza hanging in the air only emphasized his hunger, making the situation even more uncomfortable. He glanced down at his feet, trying to avoid eye contact while waiting for Sky to return.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I, uh... well, me and my sister ordered it from this local place. We found a flyer somewhere... Let me go get it." Sky let out a small, nervous laugh, clearly trying to shake off the awkwardness but failing miserably. Her voice was shaky, and she turned so quickly that she almost tripped over her own feet. She rushed back into the room, leaving Ezekiel standing there, still enveloped in the awkwardness lingering in the hallway.

Inside the room, Sky facepalmed hard, her cheeks still burning with embarrassment.

"Could this be any worse?" She thought. Her first actual conversation with Ezekiel—the person she admired and had a crush on—and it was a complete disaster. "Please, someone just end my suffering,"

Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing echoed from the bathroom. Sky glanced up in horror, realizing her sister, Jane, was about to walk in. Sure enough, Jane emerged, drying her hands as she made her way to the table, ready to grab another slice of pizza.

Noticing her little sister's panicked expression and beet-red face, Jane tilted her head, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "What's going on, Sky?" she asked, instantly recognizing the look of embarrassment. Sky only ever looked this flustered when something really awkward had happened.

Sky, still burping intermittently from nerves, blurted out, "Ezekiel... outside... door... flyer... pizza," in a jumbled mess of words while frantically searching for the flyer.

Jane stared at her, confused at first, but as Sky continued to burp nervously, realization dawned on her.

"This I have got to see," Jane said, her curiosity piqued. After all, Jane had driven her little sister across the country for this book-signing event, and they had already had an exciting run-in with Courtney from Total Drama. That alone was enough to make the trip worthwhile. But now? Ezekiel—the boy Sky had a huge crush on—was standing right outside their door. This was too good to pass up.

Jane made her way to the door with a knowing grin on her face, eager to witness this encounter firsthand. She opened the door, and sure enough, there he was—Ezekiel, in his green blouse and winter hat, blinking at her in surprise. Jane was taller than him, which amused her even more.

"Huh, well, I'll be damned," Jane said with a smirk, seeing Ezekiel in person. He looked just like he did on TV—maybe a little more awkward in real life, but it was maybe from meeting Sky who made him that way. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Oh, sorry, I mean... uh, hi." Ezekiel, caught off guard by the sudden change in person, stammered, He tried to regain his composure, clearly a little flustered. "I just booked a room here recently and don't really know where to order food around here, so I thought maybe I could ask you for the number of the place you got your pizza from?"

Jane listened to his polite but slightly awkward request, noting how he sounded like a boy trying to talk to an adult for the first time. It was oddly endearing. She glanced over at Sky, who was still fumbling around, desperately searching for the flyer. Jane, with a smirk, decided to take things into her own hands. After all, she had ordered two boxes of pizza.

"I've got a better idea," Jane said with a mischievous grin. "Why not come in?"

Sky froze in her tracks, her mind going into full panic mode as Jane's words echoed in her head.

"No no no no no no nononononon NONONONONONO," Sky's mind screamed in panic, as she felt her anxiety bubbling up, making the situation far more stressful than she could handle. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her palms were starting to sweat. This was officially her worst nightmare unfolding in real time.

"I don't want to bother both of you," Ezekiel said politely, clearly trying to find a way to escape the awkwardness, "just telling me the phone number would be nice."

But before he could even finish his sentence, Jane had already opened the door wider, making it clear that he was more than welcome to come in.

"Nah, it's fine," she insisted with a grin. "We just got the pizza, and it's only me and my younger sister, Sky."

Ezekiel's eyes widened slowly at the mention of Sky's name. His expression mirrored Sky's panicked one as he glanced inside, catching her frozen in place, her face bright red with embarrassment. The realization hit him like a truck—this was the same girl who had been awkwardly trying to talk to him moments ago.

For a moment, they both just stared at each other in stunned silence, neither knowing what to say or do. The air between them was thick with the kind of tension that only comes from two people who are equally awkward in social situations.

"Come on in, there's plenty of pizza," Jane, completely oblivious to their internal turmoil, stepped aside and gestured for Ezekiel to enter. She said cheerfully, clearly enjoying the unfolding situation far more than either of them.

Sky wanted to disappear.

---

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no..." Ezekiel's mind raced as he repeated, the look on Sky's face, flushed with embarrassment and punctuated by slight burps that escaped her, made it clear that she was just as anxious as he was. He couldn't shake off the shock of discovering that this girl, the same Sky who in a few years in the future, the next season after All-Stars, the one who got to be participating in the new version of the Total Drama Island, the one who got in the finals with Shawn and ended up winning the Pahkitew Island. But one of the things that alarmed the homeschooled boy wasn't that, but it was one of the shipping that clearly made one of the reasons many people dislike the show, for some hated characters, etc... But one unique feature of how Sky was revealed to like a person, was by burping on the face, or not controlling her burps... And by him being on there, having in the same situation as being the one she was burping on... meant only one thing... "Of all people, Sky has a crush on ME?!"

"You can sit," Jane said, breaking the tense silence, her tone warm and inviting. "I was just about to take my slice. Oh, and my name is Jane, by the way."

Ezekiel slowly placed his hand on the back of his head, scratching nervously. The familiar feeling of anxiety washed over him, similar to when he had been on the show and found himself around the time when the unpredictable Izzy showed her true colors and she guessed almost on the point that he came back on time like a time-traveler, even as much she didn't know about him dying before, she knew what was his thoughts about the future and the future of the old versions of themselves, which he discovered that she was way more than anyone could ever guess, while with Dawn, she could read his aura or auras, and found clearly about his past on how it was painful on his death and what was his decision on how to live every day, she was the one who he knew exactly from the show, and he wasn't disappointed into learning how powerful she was, because she could read his mind when she wants, and that was a very incredible skill that could see him truthfully... Both girls knew about his secret and his life.

But this was different. Sky was younger than the other girls he had encountered, maybe two years younger than Dawn, and definitely younger in comparison to what he watched her in the future seasons, and the idea of being invited to share a meal with her and her sister was surreal. He was a known contestant, yet he never imagined someone would have a crush on him, let alone Sky. Dawn had been a surprise, but this felt like stepping into a whole new level of awkwardness.

"What would Ice King do in this situation?" Ezekiel asked himself, panic seeping into his thoughts. A vision of the Ice King kidnapping princesses flashed in his mind. "Okay, bad idea. What about Princess Bubblegum?" He could picture her conducting boring social experiments, which wasn't exactly helpful.

"Marceline?" he tried again, imagining the rebellious girl teasing him mercilessly and probably kicking him out of the place. "Okay, how about Jake?"

Suddenly, he remembered the advice from the episode Puhoy, where Jake had told him to focus on the reality of the moment rather than spiraling into anxiety. That advice clearly helped him to deal with his problems into dealing to live the new life he has on Total Drama while trying to move on from thinking about the past he had before, it was painful but clearly helped him before.

"All hung up in a spiral of imagining problems; you gotta focus on what's real, man..." Jake's voice echoed in his head, pulling him back to the present. Ezekiel took a deep breath and glanced at himself, realizing he was acting completely outside his comfort zone.

"Also, you are pulling a Mordecai," Jake had said, and that thought snapped Ezekiel's attention back.

"OH HELL NO!" he yelled inwardly, nearly audible. "I'd prefer to die than pull a Mordecai in this situation!"

With that mental wake-up call, he straightened up and looked at Sky and Jane. Maybe it was time to just be himself, no more pretending. He was a contestant on a reality show, not a cartoon character. He could do this. He had to at least try.

And as much Ezekiel loved the Regular Show and all the characters. Mordecai is the worst when it comes to relationship problems. And in a situation like that, he would screw up badly.

"Are you okay?" Then a voice made him blink and stared at the older sister who offered a slice of pizza to him. "You have been quiet for so long..."

Ezekiel looked at the slice, and then his stomach rumbled as it was desiring to eat the food, which made Ezekiel remember that he was very hungry... And he was on his own life.

Knowing the girl had a crush on him. Even as embarrassed she was, that doesn't mean that he couldn't refuse the kindness of them to offer food to him. Also, Total Drama contestants should always give contacts in case they would need advice for the times they would try in the future.

And even though she had a crush on him, it was more a celebrity and fan one, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be friends.

Ezekiel smiled, and accepting with gratitude he nodded his head to Jane.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ezekiel said as he immediately gave a bite of the slice of pizza, which he couldn't help but appreciate and be grateful for the help. "Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I needed it."

"Not a problem," Jane said as she could see the boy finally calming up, and she let out a chuckle since the boy felt very nervous about getting nearby to a random place. "Well, now that you are eating, I have to tell you that me and my sister are big fans of Total Drama Island, to the point that even watch the pay-per-view."

"Oh, really?" Ezekiel asked in surprise as he was now listening to the explanation made by the older sister, as she started telling the story of how she and Sky got addicted to watching the Total Drama show, and even how Sky complained about her wasting money on buying the services, which when Ezekiel turned to see Sky, she was still blushing and even unable to say a single word. "Hey, is she okay?"

"Yeah, she is fine," Jane said, as both of them could see Sky giving slight glares to her sister, while she tried to compose herself. "She just surprised into meeting 2 celebrities today, it's too much on her mind right now."

"Humm... I can see," Ezekiel said with a bit of understanding, but still trying to calm down, even with the advice he gave to himself, he needed to maintain control of himself, and not screw up revealing things that shouldn't, so he decided to be himself, and focus on eating. Just like Owen usually would.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Sky said as she quickly ran in the direction of the door, which Ezekiel and Jane focused on eating, even as the silence felt a bit awkward, they didn't mind. But Ezekiel decided to start a conversation.

"Courtney mentioned that two girls gave her a ride to the mall, so I'm guessing that was you two?" Ezekiel asked, piecing together Jane's earlier statement about being fans. He watched as Jane nodded, a smile creeping onto her face. "I'm really flattered you both came all this way just for my book signing."

"It's been a pleasure! Your book is amazing," Jane replied, her enthusiasm infectious. Just then, the door swung open, and Sky entered, moving at a more controlled pace. However, Ezekiel couldn't help but notice her slightly damp face, with a red mark of a handprint still visible.

"Sky, there's a th—" Ezekiel started, but she interrupted him.

"Please, don't say it." She grabbed a towel and wiped her face, regaining her composure before reaching for another slice of pizza. With a newfound steadiness, she looked at Ezekiel and added, "Like my sister said, your book was incredible. I never thought I'd experience such a rollercoaster of emotions just reading chapter after chapter. My sister once dealt with a bully in college by quoting one of the chapters."

"Really?" Ezekiel turned to Jane, intrigued. Her smirk suggested there was a funny story behind it.

"And you, sir, are extremely… bald," Jane quoted with a mischievous glint in her eye. Ezekiel stifled a laugh, a chuckle slipping out instead, which made Jane nod in approval.

"How did you manage to make such a perfect comeback?" she asked, clearly amused.

"Sometimes, the best comeback is to point out their insecurities," Ezekiel replied, recalling how Eustace from Courage the Cowardly Dog would often get flustered over his baldness. Eustace's obsession with success and wealth only overshadowed the true happiness he could find in his relationships with Muriel and Courage.

"Can you tell me what your favorite chapter is?" Sky asked, curiosity brightening her expression.

"The Tower of Doctor Zalost," Ezekiel said, watching as both sisters' eyes widened in surprise. "It's a chapter I could read over and over. It tackles depression, which is such a powerful enemy to fight, and shows how devastating it can be for anyone. Courage does the impossible not just to save Muriel but also helps an enemy who needs more help than anyone else."

"Do the happy plums actually exist?" Jane asked, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.

"Yep, and only my family knows the recipe…" Ezekiel replied with a smirk. The atmosphere shifted as the girls relaxed further, enjoying their time with the celebrity. It felt more like a personal interview, and Ezekiel was glad to share his insights, feeling more at ease with each passing moment.

Sky leaned in, her earlier nervousness fading. "I'd love to hear more about how you came up with such deep themes. It's rare to see that kind of depth in a horror story book which clearly could be read for children as well."

"Honestly, it's all about drawing from real-life experiences. I think everyone, regardless of age, can relate to struggles, whether they're about fitting in, dealing with anxiety, or understanding their emotions. I just wanted to create a story that resonated with people."Ezekiel appreciated her genuine interest. He knew how much Courage had created an impact on so many people, since it was a reference in so many modern issues, LGBT, Toxic Relationships, Depression, Death, Life, and even Global Warming… "Sometimes the villains didn't need to be defeated, only understood and show a better path..."

"It definitely resonates! It's cool to see a person who's so relatable." Jane nodded in agreement. As she had to admit, she laughed and cried in a few chapters, and yet sometimes she would be so horrified that she would have nightmares about it. Since the drawings were quite creative and yet scary.

Ezekiel smiled… as he felt that indeed that was the sensation that he must feel whenever he talked about Courage, and something that people like DJ could be inspired by.

.

.

.

"Wait, let me see if I got that right," Ezekiel said as he was drinking a soda can he brought from the vending machine near the reception. "You two were waiting in the line for the debut of my book in the store when you just discovered a duck was on the line before you two? Like being the first on the line?"

"Yeah, it was a duck who had a bag with him and a message from the person who lived away, I don't know if the duck managed to take the book to the person who bought it, but I believe he did," Jane said as Ezekiel chuckled, to which Sky nodded her head.

"Do you think Howard will be at the book signing tomorrow?" Sky asked as Ezekiel had a slight twitch in the corner of his eyes, having a small flashback of the same duck he had just seen on the morning, and the person who probably bought the book, was the exact same nature lover moonchild, that he knew that it was the biggest probability of that happening.

"Well... if I see a duck tomorrow, then I will be sure to ask his name." Ezekiel joked, as immediately both girls giggled from his response, but now being serious, he decided to speak honestly. "But I think the person who made him book the book on the debut will appear tomorrow."

"Do you think so?" Jane asked, and Ezekiel nodded his head.

"I know so because you two are a good example of crossing the other side of the country just to see me tomorrow. I wouldn't dismiss the chance that there are others across Canada doing the same." Ezekiel had to let his mind open to the possibilities. And his reply clearly made both sisters understand what he said, and by accepting such an answer, that clearly nobody could guess what could happen tomorrow.

.

.

.

"So you want to be an Olympic gymnast?" Ezekiel said as he had his tone of surprise, to which Sky nodded her head.

"Yes, I feel like my country should be represented in that category which was one of the best of the Olympics," Sky said as Jane was smiling as the duo seemed to be talking more comfortably without her interference.

"Well just for you know, the mother of Olympic sports was always gymnastics, this is where most of the countries would stop just to watch the whole event," Ezekiel said as he remembered how many times he passed watching the Olympics on the television, and one of the events was with his family from South America, from both Peru and Brazil, they would always stop just to watch the gymnastic event, which each year had been crazier and crazier. The last one he watched, his mom cried when Rebecca Andrade was the first Brazillian gymnast to reach the golden medal, and she bought pizza for her to eat with her father, as his dad would say that it became a historic event in Brazil.

Buuuuuuuurp*

At that moment, Sky burped loudly on his face, and Ezekiel could see the girl really reaching high volumes.

"SORRY," Sky said, which immediately Ezekiel decided to be polite.

"It's fine, better out than in," Ezekiel said as he quoted again Shrek, and could see the girl scolding herself and trying to remain calm. "Well, I hope you get a chance to represent Canada, it will be awesome to be the first person to meet the future Olympic athlete."

Burp*

"Well, I'm glad that you now have a number 1 fan Sky, better to not disappoint him." Jane decided to tease her sister, and the girl looked angrily at her big sister, mouthing for her to shut up, which the big sister refused to not embarrass her sister further. But then she looked at Ezekiel. "So what about you Ezekiel? A good archer like you could also bring a good medal for our country."

"Tempting, but I pass..." Ezekiel said as he couldn't help but blush a bit. "I just use my archery as a hobby, and I have so much to focus on in my life, I have to be part of season 2 of the show, write the next volumes of my books, and even draw a lot. I respect the athletes and people who give their lives for the sake of doing their best in sports, but I don't think I would be able to do much in comparison to Izzy who I still say that she rigged the archery game, I'm not going to let her kick my butt all the time."

"Well, that's a very mature decision," Jane commented, as she could see her sister calming down. But she decided to not let that down. "But in case Sky becomes an athlete, would you go to see her participate?"

"Of course..." Ezekiel said without thinking twice...

BURPPPPPP*

.

.

.

"Thank you so much for letting me eat with you two," Ezekiel said as he thanked them for the night that had passed with the duo who got a very good reception for him, and as much that would say it was uncomfortable a few times, he couldn't help but smile because he had enjoyed the experience of making new friends, especially with a younger version of the future contestant and a character that he may or may never see before. It made him feel more... normal, but still, the popularity had been something that would take time until he got used to it.

"Not a problem," Jane said as she slowly got inside the room, while Sky was a bit outside on the door, which she slowly closed...

.

.

.

Ezekiel remained in the place, while Sky was still in silence, but somehow struggling to say something.

"Well..."

"You see..."

Which both of them had said at the same time, which immediately both shifted their tone.

"Oh sorry to interrupt you," Both said at the same time, which immediately, Ezekiel closed his mouth, and raised his hand to make Sky continue on what she was planning to say.

"Oh... okay, well, I was going to say, I'm sorry about my sister dragging me out in a situation like that," Sky commented as she could see the homeschooled boy being uncomfortable at the time he got inside their room at the motel. "And I somehow made it even worse by making it weird."

"Hey, don't be like that, I still had fun," Ezekiel said as he was sincere, but from seeing the future contestant of the show still hesitating... "You are very uncomfortable with the burps aren't you?"

"Yes..." Sky commented. Suddenly Ezekiel touched his chin in thought until another idea crossed his mind...

.

.

.

Buuuuuurp*

Ezekiel let out a loud burp as he and Sky were on the balcony across the corridors of the rooms, drinking cans of soda just to let out all the gasses from their stomachs. No matter when it comes it is loud or not.

He used the instructions that he learned from both Harold and Izzy, while Sky had a natural talent for burping like a champion. But not in strength like his military friend.

But he found a better way to make her more comfortable.

"So your family exports oranges across Canada?" Sky asked as she burped after having another gulp of soda. This time she felt in control of her own burps instead of letting out by accidents.

"Yep... We have been selling oranges since my Pa and my aunty was a child..." Ezekiel commented as he recalled how oranges meant so much to his pa. "We sell other fruits as well. But my Pa is always proud of his oranges."

"It must be a very good life around there," Sky commented as she then saw Ezekiel burping loudly again, and she hid the blush on her face, as she tried to remain focused on the conversation.

"Well it has its moments, however, I always wanted to get out from there and reach out my dreams..." The boy commented as he gave a side glance at her. "You saw what my dreams are on the show right?"

"Yeah. Becoming a good author, and you even managed to buy the Playa Del Losers, me and Jane never imagined someone had such an idea." Sky admitted as Ezekiel chuckled.

"Yeah, not even me thought about it. But I don't regret it," Ezekiel said as he suddenly heard Sky's words which surprised him.

"I would throw the 1 million dollars as well if I were in your situation," Sky admitted as the boy turned to see her in surprise. "It was not fair the way they should make the final prize being used like that. From all the blood, sweat, and tears that you all shared as friends, and everybody gave their best... I always think a fair game was always right, and if I had friends like Killer Bass, I would have done the same thing... Without thinking twice."

Ezekiel remained in silence, but he couldn't help but chuckle.

"You probably are the first person to ever tell me that," Ezekiel said as he even managed to get the one million before. He meant it every single word he said. And if was in a situation like he couldn't have done the heist with Izzy. He would have done the same for the sake of his friendship and for the sake of the Total Drama Action to happen. "It was 1 million dollars after all..."

"Was that the value of your friends?"

"Oh hell no, my friends were more than priceless..." Ezekiel said as he chuckled. And even with the soda can in his hands, he couldn't help but muse on how many changes he had not on their lives but also for himself. "I lived most of my life without friends, someone that I could be invited or invite to a birthday party, someone I could be crazy, weird, or even scared, and they would just tell me to fuck off and make me laugh, be myself... It may be cliche, but yeah, friendship really is awesome."

"I'm glad..." Sky commented as she after having a long session of awkwardness, felt herself more relaxed, now that she could have a nice conversation with a person she admired, she clearly enjoyed passing the time with him, just them, drinking and burping without being judged...

"CAN YOU BOTH SHUT THE FUCK UP? I'M TRYING TO HAVE SEX HERE, AND THESE BURPS ARE VERY ANNOYING." Until one of the rooms shouted from a very unsatisfied person who had chosen a bad place to stay.

Both Sky and Ezekiel looked at each other. And immediately ran a few rooms far away from the annoyed man who was having an intimate session on the night.

.

.

.

"It was nice to have a good talk like that," Ezekiel said as he opened the door of his room, while Sky nodded her head.

"I had fun meeting you, and thank you for being patient with me and my sister, "Sky commented as she also gave a slight blush on her cheeks. "And you even got our numbers,"

"Nah. It's fine, I should be the one thanking you for the food." Ezekiel was honest, as it was something that he always learned. Being kind always should be paid with kindness as well. "You both were life saviors, with how things went close after 9 p.m., I wouldn't be comfortable sleeping hungry or eating snacks from the snack machine."

"Well, that's fine. Next time you will do the same." Then Sky immediately shut her mouth, for saying such a silly thing.

But Ezekiel nodded his head.

"Yeah, that's fair... How about tomorrow?" Ezekiel said as immediately Sky had her face slightly blushing. "Since the mall closes at 9 p.m. Or depending on how many books I will sell and sign tomorrow, we could grab a coffee sometime in the afternoon or night?"

"You don't have to..." Sky said as she was almost reaching her panic mode, but then she gulped and controlled herself. "You don't have to do that if you don't want..."

"It's the right thing to do," Ezekiel said as he nodded his head. He found a good way to start a friendship and learn more about the others. It was nice to have once again a conversation without the constant public around them to make it even more chaotic. It was nice... "Well, see you tomorrow?"

"YES," Sky said loudly. She immediately flinched, but then she corrected herself. "We will see you there. For buying your book, and have you sign for us."

Ezekiel rolled his eyes, but still with a smile on his face.

"You are cool Sky, just be yourself," Ezekiel said as he simply got inside his room, while he just wished for one more thing. "Have a great night Sky, you and your sister."

"Yeah... You too..." Sky said as she saw Ezekiel closing the door. And slowly she walked away and returned to her bedroom.

.

.

.

"So why did you take so long?" Jane said as she raised her eyebrows, just to meet a pillow launched on her face.

And Sky slammed her head on the bed where she was going to sleep.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Jane heard her younger sister's muffled scream... If was a squealing or a groaning roar, she doesn't know. But she couldn't help but escape a chuckle.

"Meeting the author of the book where she was going to have to be in line tomorrow," Jane commented in amusement. "How were the odds for that happen?"

---

Jude lay sprawled on his bed, staring up at the skateboard poster plastered to the ceiling of his room. The colors were vibrant, the image capturing a skater mid-air, defying gravity with a carefree grin. It was a reminder of the good times—days spent cruising the streets, laughter echoing in the air. But today, that joy felt distant as he absentmindedly fiddled with a few sticks he had collected earlier.

He had intended these sticks as a peace offering for his childhood friend, Courtney. She had lent him a hundred bucks earlier in the day, and instead of finding the promised fifty bucks to repay her, he had ended up with a bunch of skewers he hoped to turn into kebabs. The thought of bringing them to her made him smile, but the memory of his earlier attempt to locate her weighed heavily on his mind.

---

Flashback*

"Okay, Courtney, I didn't find fifty bucks, but I managed to make a few kebabs for you to eat later," Jude declared proudly as he navigated through the bustling crowd. The excitement buzzed around him, and he was eager to share the fruits of his labor with Courtney and her friends. He had passed through throngs of fans, pushing his way to their usual hangout, but when he finally arrived, his heart sank.

The table they usually gathered around was empty. The laughter and chatter he had anticipated were replaced by a deafening silence. Panic washed over him as he scanned the area, searching for familiar faces among the sea of strangers. "Dudes? Where are you?" he had called out, but his voice was swallowed by the noise of the crowd.

End of Flashback.*

---

Jude shook his head, trying to dispel the memory. He could still hear the words of his friends echoing in his mind, "Ezekiel will be at the book signing tomorrow; why don't you ask him for Courtney's number?" and "Hey, she paid you a hundred bucks; you could take that for yourself." But those suggestions felt wrong to him. He didn't want to take advantage of Courtney's kindness.

Sighing, he glanced back up at the poster, the skater defying gravity with ease, a symbol of freedom and adventure. "I'm not that kind of person," he whispered to himself, gripping the sticks tighter. "Not when it comes to my friends."

Determined, Jude set the sticks down on his desk and sat up. He was going to find Courtney. He wouldn't rest until he returned her money, no matter how long it took. The promise he had made to himself felt like a beacon in the swirling uncertainty of his day. He envisioned her face lighting up when he handed her the kebabs, a small gesture of gratitude for her unwavering friendship.

With renewed determination, he stood up and took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the day lift slightly. "Alright, Jude, time to go find Courtney," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. The skateboard poster remained a silent witness to his resolve, a reminder that every adventure began with a single step.

As he headed for the door, he felt a flicker of excitement in his chest. Maybe this was just the beginning of a new adventure—one where he could prove that his friendship with Courtney was worth more than a hundred bucks. He opened the door and stepped out, ready to face whatever the night had in store for him.