Ticket here, and welcome to the next part of his crazy returnee season! You may see that the title says "Day 28, Part 1." You already know this day will be packed and split into two parts, however the end result is still in question.
Enough rambling from me. Enjoy the show :)
Day 28
Chun-Li, Cyrax, Diana, Gordon Ramsay, Little Mac, Princess Peach, Sektor, Slade, and T'Challa
After successfully blowing his enemy's game, Slade sits on a rock near the shore, savoring the moment. He could be a hater in his own right, he's just been quieter about it all game. Until now that is, because in his mind: Mac threw his name out, and now he's paying for it.
"Sweet victory." He mutters, basking in the cloudy weather.
Slade: Nobody gets to mess with these alliances but me.
"COME DOWN!"
His airtime is interrupted when Mac storms up to the rock. Judging by his tone, he is NOT at all happy with Slade's behavior. Many in his position would do the same, especially after he's tried crafting it for four weeks. All that work, ruined because a guy who calls himself "Deathstroke" decided he didn't like you.
Not fun.
"You think you can go around messing with people?"
"You were coming after me first." Slade hops off the rock. "If anything you started messing with me."
Mac shakes his head vehemently. "I'm not takin' the blame for this. YOU ran your mouth—"
"About Mei, yes I did." Slade finishes, owning it in cold-blood. "I'm allowed free speech on the island, and I exercised it however I wanted."
"You are just an asshole faking it all." Mac attacks. "Always was."
"EVERYONE fakes on the island. If you're still upset over what I said, you could have told me in a better way. Shouting at me does nothing. YOU have a game to fix." Slade points the finger. "How good do you look to these people if you lash out?"
Mac's jaw drops, in disbelief at what he's hearing. "I need to calm down? This whole thing wouldn't BE A THING if you just kept your mouth shut."
"About Mei or your plans?"
"BOTH. I don't get it—"
Slade sits there and takes it, with a little smirk under the mask. He's winding up Mac like a toy, in maybe the most villainous social play he's ever done. "I did what I had to do. They won't bow to me after tanking your game. They STILL wont trust me even after serving you on a platter. But you can fix this."
"Oh how? Explain it to me." Mac says dryly. "Spin me something, genius."
"By shouting at anyone else."
"I can be pissed that you threw me under like that! I didn't even know you were there!"
"But you still said my name." Slade recalls, reminding Mac why he's in this situation. "Wrong place, wrong time. That's all this is."
"Oh wrong place, wrong time." Mac adjusts the left side of his top, snapping it back into place. "You'd be lucky if you got my jury vote."
"Bitterness is legal." Slade remains unaffected by the threat. "We'll see if the rest agree with you."
In Mac's next confessional, he's sitting in the sand.
Little Mac: Coach always told me to keep my head straight. Sorry, but people like Slade annoy me sometimes. I didn't really like him to begin with, but he thinks he can sweep a jury? He needs to sit next to the most VILE person ever to get my vote. Bet it's the same with everyone else.
Immediate cut to Slade's confessional. He's holding his canteen like a bottle.
Slade: Even when he cries "Slade", nobody will believe him. These returnees expect me to make dirty moves. It's with the name. They WILL however, feel more betrayed by Mac. He'll look like a charmer who needs to go before he wins the whole game. Not only is he my enemy, but he's another hyena I need to sacrifice.
He holds up two fingers.
Slade: Two for two would be incredible.
While the drama between Mac and Slade wages on, Diana has her two (actually) trusted allies with her for a nature walk. "Nature walk" is just a cover of course, because she has more strategy in mind.
"I'm relieved Mac got ratted out when he did. Now I can show you this.." Diana starts, digging into her pocket.
"..what have you done?" T'Challa asks with a sly smile.
"These rewards are worth it." Diana says, pulling out her Steal-A-Vote advantage for them to see. Gordon pumps a fist and hugs the Amazon.
"YOU ARE A LIFESAVER." He whispers, trying not to spasm.
"Where did you find that?" T'Challa asks, keeping his eyes on the note.
She breaks her hug with Gordon to spill. "They hid it in a pot. Almost passed it too. We can really use this incase of emergency. Hopefully they'll think twice about flipping on us." They likely refers to Slade and Sektor, who aren't in a clear alliance to her.
"We keep immunity away, we will be okay." T'Challa assures, happy (to them) about all the power Diana has.
T'Challa: I cannot go to the end with her. We can't even go to the final four. She has won immunity after immunity, and can now steal someone's vote in-front of the jury. She's getting too much power, too fast, and hiding behind her isn't working. Diana has been good to me, but the second I see a chance to take her out, I am not missing.
Reward Challenge
Day 28
"Come on in!"
The castaways head in to see three different mats. It's not a team vs team this time, instead the rare team versus team versus team. Don't usually see these. Jeff's right there, and a boats hums behind them.
"Another boat trip?" Diana asks.
"I'm not complaining. Gets me away from the odor." Gordon adds, staring at the boat. He hasn't gone on a reward in some time. Winning this would be the cherry on top of his plans.
"Alright." Jeff opens. "Reward is up for grabs again. You'll be playing in teams of three. For today's challenge, you're gonna swim out to a cage, climb up and over, and then CARRY that cage up the beach. One tribe member will have to dig out from under. That person will be your rebounder, while the rest of your team tries to shoot balls into tall baskets."
Sounds daunting to some of 'em.
"First team to shoot through their baskets, wins the reward."
With the breakdown, Jeff let's them know exactly what they are playing for. "You will be playing for another meal on the boat trip: ALL ITALIAN." Some mouths are practically salivating at the thought. "Any meal you can get is VERY important for these immunities. Especially as we near the endgame."
Enticing.
"We'll draw for teams and get started."
Teams:
#1: Sektor, Slade, and Little Mac
#2: Cyrax, Chun-Li, and Princess Peach
#3: Diana, T'Challa, and Gordon
Teams are set on floating platforms. With the way they are split, they look..rather convenient. Cyrax, Chun-Li, and Peach are all together with their alliance, as are Gordon, Diana, and T'Challa. It's basically two and half alliances competing for a getaway, because Mac has arguably tanked pretty hard ever since Slade blew up the pro's game.
That won't be a fun team up.
Unison is about to be tested, when Jeff gives the go ahead. "Survivors ready?"
.
.
.
"GO!"
Most have the urgency to jump in. All except for Slade, who just looks at the clouds. While Sektor charges on, Mac reroutes back to the start, and he's PISSED.
"The hell are you doing, man?"
"Did you think we were getting away together?"
Macs jaw drops. "You've GOT to be kidding. Get in the water!"
"I can't do that, Mac."
He explains why he's doing this in the confessional.
Slade: Mac can't be healthy enough to win immunity. Throwing may lose me a vote or two, but I can on,y win against a couple people. Look at the field ahead of me. All I need to do is get to the end with certain people, and the title is mine. Mac won't vote for me anyway, so I don't care.
The longer Slade stays still, the angrier Mac gets. Instead of fighting him, he has another idea.
"OK." Mac hops onto the platform, and LIFTS Slade onto his shoulders! He jumps back in, forcing Slade to get wet! Slade tries to swim back, but Mac grabs his legs and practically forces him ahead.
"I don't know WHAT just happened with team one, but Mac WANTS this one!" Jeff yells.
While Team One lags behind, Team Three is tearing that water up. Diana and T'Challa, the good swimmers they are, get to the cage first. Diana climbs up first, while T'Challa grabs Gordon's hand to get him there.
"Good teamwork from Number Three, but Number Two's not far behind!"
Chun-Li reaches her teams cage first, followed by Cyrax. She lets him make the climb first, and extends a hand to Peach. Once she accepts, the race for reward gets tighter. They are still lagging because Gordon gets into the cage before she does.
"It's a battle of two and three.." Jeff cuts himself off, seeing Mac wait for his teammates inside the cage. Sektor is actually trying, but Slade is taking his sweet sweet time getting in. Mac tosses a little water at the cage, losing his cool.
"DUDE."
Jeff turns back to the teams in the running. "Team one has no hope. For those that do, you have to manuever those poles all the way down so you can lift the cage."
There are two poles in each cage to be exact. It just takes quick communication to break through, which Gordon is able to do with his loud mouth. "One of you on the left, one on the right." With the instructions clear, Diana and T'Challa are able to move the first pole around with ease.
Cyrax takes a quick glance as his teammates enter the cage.
Cyrax: Gordon's strategy makes it to where he has an easier road. In strategy, and the challenge. In this challenge, the powerhouses with him are able to execute his command swiftly. In his strategy, the powerhouses are like shields that hide him. After we eliminate Diana, I need to snipe him out, or else he may run away with the entire game. It would be an exceptional story.
He and Chun-Li work the poles down as well, with Peach aiding as a third hand. They make solid progress, and if this was a tribal immunity, they'd clinch second. However, the pace of Team Three is proving bulletproof. Their first pole's lowered, and their second one is on the way.
Team One remains in the dirt. Sektor and Mac do a majority of the legwork there, with Slade basically half-assing the challenge.
Little Mac: I don't know what the hell this guy is trying. You can take him from Hathuru, but you can't take the Hathuru out of him.
While they are hopeless, Teams Two AND Three have their planks locked in place! They hoist their cages up! While Team Two completes the inside near a damn milsecond apart from Three, the strength on that team still comes in handy. Gordon doesn't have to do much of the heavy lifting at all.
"There's using their strength in..strength to pull back ahead!" Jeff narrates. "But Two can hot potato the lead all day!"
The water helps both teams out, initially, however the sand area causes problems. When the water's elevation leaves, they have to slow down. Luckily, both teams still have some raw power on their side. There's just a more visible struggle.
"Two and Three are powering their way through the changes! One, as usual in this challenge, slow to act on anything."
That jab makes Mac grit his teeth. Jeff saw what Slade was doing, but wants to blame the whole team? Doesn't sit well with him AT ALL. "ONE OF US is slow to act. It like he doesn't want to win at all!" Mac yells, giving Slade the most targeted look he's ever seen.
"If that Italian gets you an immunity, you'll continue to drag my name across like you have for weeks." Slade explains, but he's met with The Hand from Mac.
"I don't want to hear it."
Slade just shrugs it off and keeps tanking the team. While they are for sure last place, Three has reached the end point of the cage carrying, and needs to dig quickly. Two are a few steps behind.
"I'll dig." Diana volunteers.
"I'll shoot." T'Challa adds, as the duo looks to tear through the end of this reward.
While Diana digs to get out and hand T'Challa his balls, Team Two doesn't have that verbal communication. Chun-Li digs immediately, leaving Cyrax to do the shooting portion. It's another neck and neck challenge.
T'Challa makes his first basket! Diana runs for the ball..
Cyrax makes HIS first basket! Li runs for the ball..
T'Challa makes his second! Diana's on another chase.
Cyrax makes his second, keeping it tied! Li's occupied with another run for the ball.
Jeff leans forward to catch the action. "It's anyones ball game! That tasty Italian on the line!"
This is for pride, this is for power. Egos will get hurt at the loss no matter what, this is just alliance versus alliance! They scout their shots, and leave it up to the basketball Gods…
.
.
.
CYRAX IS CLOSE, BUT T'CHALLA LANDS HIS FIRST! IT'S OVER!
"TEAM THREE WINS REWARD!"
"YES!" T'Challa shakes the cage, getting a laugh from Gordon.
"You're unglued for once."
"Let me have this." T'Challa says, digging his way out and leaving a path for Gordon. Once those teams teams leave their cage, they are just waiting on the severely lacking Team One. Mac doesn't even want to LOOK at Slade, who brushes it off casually to his new Skarlet.
"We did what we had to do, Sektor." He whispers.
"You owe me an immunity."
At last, everyone is there so Jeff can give them his spiel, and dismiss the rest. "Diana, T'Challa, Gordon, congratulations on the win. The boats waiting for you behind me. It'll take you on the trip, then bring you back for the immunity challenge tonight. Enjoy your meal."
The golden trio heads to their free getaway, leaving the other two teams lacking in reward. "For the rest of you: I got nothin'. Except for a little question. MAC.." Jeff starts, the focus turns to a Mac just trying to keep it together. Not out of sadness, but raw anger. "What happened out there?"
"Ask Slade."
"But I'm asking YOU what you think happened." Jeff with the snap back.
"I can tell you: Slade doesn't want me to have ANYTHING. He's upset over something I said. But I'll save it until Tribal." Mac answers, being open about the whole situation. "I'm too pissed to walk you through it right now."
Jeff turns to Slade for his side. "Slade.."
"I he's saving his side for Tribal, I'm saving mine. I'm still not in the wrong here."
Mac gives Jeff a look of "I told you", so Jeff exhales pretty sharp. He can't pry anything out right now. "Alright. Well head back to camp, and walk me through it at Tribal Council tonight. See you there."
With that dismissal, the six losers make their trip back to camp. Instead of one in that batch getting a new confessional, it goes to the winning basketeer of the day: T'Challa.
In confessional, he has a bowl in hand, on that big boat.
T'Challa: It is good to win in that big of a spot after my drought. That is what it has felt like for me, the competition is bigger. This may just be the warm up I need for another run with the necklace…WITH the game to back me up.
Boat Reward
Gordon, Diana, and T'Challa
The boat is yet another great reward for this trio. The merge started rocky for the group, with not only losing Li Mei, but the Metal Sonic elimination they were left out of. However now, with Sackboy blindsided, and a majority of five for now: these three are locking their footing in.
Gordon twists spaghetti with his fork and slurps it. "Not to be a cocky prick, but we should start laying out what we'll look like at the end."
T'Challa stabs into a slab of meat. "I know who we should go to the end with."
"Who's that?"
"We may not be on good terms with Sektor, but he and Slade would be easier to beat." T'Challa explains. He notices Gordon's pained expression. "We do not have to bring Sektor to the final four. We can keep him long enough to eliminate Cyrax, and that is all."
Gordon swallows a noodle. "That was the plan, but no doubt he pisses someone off again. He's tempting to backstab, but if worst comes to pass one of us can beat his ass at the last Tribal."
Diana has a question that the guys are just ignoring. "Could we offer Mac as a sacrifice? I know that he's not IN their club, but we cannot give him the chance to flip. If we get rid of Mac now, that is our five against their three after.
"We could." Gordon spins his fork again. "Taking Mac back would make us idiots. But I don't know if I want him out next. Other side doesn't even trust him."
"But they will use him." T'Challa interjects. "I see where she is coming from."
"If we're judging Mac for being a rat, let's put Slade through the same treatment. He's not innocent in this either. He knew about Metal going and never told us." Gordon counters. "But we aren't tossing him aside because we have bigger fish to fry. Cyrax needs to be finished off." He turns to Diana. "CHUN-LI needs to be finished, like you've been saying."
"I have."
T'Challa isn't done on defense. "Slade was never official. Mac was. He knew how betrayed we would feel, and did it anyway. It wouldn't surprise me if he jumps to Cyrax. He already has an ally there."
"That's what I'm worried about." Diana admits. "If we can take Mac out, that is still one less escape for their group. For once: We should take Slade's side."
"Agreed."
Gordon takes this all in while he mercifully finishes off that spaghetti. He isn't the one with the next confessional though. Instead…
T'Challa gets a confessional, sitting on the edge of the boat. Luckily for him, no one else is in sight, because he spills his gameplan for now.
T'Challa: I want to take over the game late. Keeping Slade around has helped me escape survivor death on Hathuru, and gives me an out if THIS alliance bursts into flames. I not only have trust with Gordon and Diana, but Slade, and even the likes of Peach. Yes, Peach. We may stand on different sides, but we still have some respect for each other. If I can revive that, and navigate these next votes carefully: I see my way to the end.
They can't hold it in forever, so Gordon and T'Challa decide to head for the bathrooms. It's massive deja vu for the Wonder Woman, so she heads straight for the pots again.
Nothing.
Nothing again.
She retraces her steps back to the table. She takes a hand underneath and feels around…
Still nothing.
"Where are you?"
Diana: As solid of an alliance we are, I can't share everything. Even THEY will see me as a threat eventually, so I NEED to find this advantage before they do.
She tackles the surface level of the table, and lifts up her plate. Nothing there. She lifts up T'Challa's plate. Once again, for the millionth time, she can't find anything.
"One more left.."
She rushes to Gordon's plate and raises it. There's a little square package hiding inside! She rips it from its home and leaves that little dining area.
In confessional, she leans on a railing with the note in hand.
Diana: "Don't celebrate, your search isn't over yet. Watch your step, and hit the deck." This..may be the more obvious clue I've read.
She hits the deck with her loud feet, and scouts around. She even leans over the railing to see if anything's floating about. The clue was a little work, but this seems like it could be a while. Diana walks past the camera, but has her words about it.
"I guarantee I've walked past this. If I can't get this before the reward is over, this clue may be a waste." Diana says. She walks past a little edge of paper poking out from the floor. It flashes onscreen, but when she walks past it again, the editing team flashes it twice.
"It's one paper. Where could it—"
She finally catches it poking out. She dives down and rips the paper out! She pockets it like a lunatic and leaves. With an exhale of relief, her search is over. "I'm glad you didn't fall off.."
In confessional, she has her Steal-A-Vote in one hand, and her idol in the other. She actually looks in disbelief for once.
Diana: This is too much power for me to have. I am not resting until I win, or lose for good.
As she recovers from that journey, she brushes right past T'Challa. One "sorry" and she's gone. With her back turned, T'Challa glances at her pocket. One glance, turns to three as he starts to process what (may have) happened.
T'Challa: I don't know if she actually has it, but I KNOW she does if that makes much sense. If she has what I think, her downfall needs to come sooner rather than later. That's TWO advantages she found on this boat.
Well there has been game developments ON the reward, but what about the losers? They will get content on the next chapter, as Day 28 continues. It's alot to get through in a day.
There's also the next cast member of the next season, to be revealed. Without further ado, the next castaway of Season Six WILL BE….The Brahma Bull. "The Final Boss". THE ROCK. He is the first WWE representation to make it in my series. I know some of you aren't really into that, but his character is destined to cause drama.
Anyway, next chapter features the losers of the reward coping with their loss, yet another individual immunity, and a heated Tribal Council where someone has to become the third member of the jury. See you there :)