Merged Tribe
Day 22
After asking the question yesterday, Cyrax looks for an answer on "who". He starts by roping Metal Sonic into a plan of his own, keeping an enemy closer. "What caused you to vote Li Mei?"
"It was all his idea." Metal lies, "admitting" to the culprit being Sektor. "He found the idol mere minutes before Tribal. He also told me that she and her partner were putting their votes on me, so I only did what was necessary."
Cyrax runs with this lie. "A defensive play. That's not usual of you, but we're all adapting."
"I've been on the defensive for the whole game. Nothing that has gone down here is usual for me. The pressure, the constant scrambles..this is not an easy path." Metal admits.
"It will get easier for you when we remove Sektor. That's one less issue for the BOTH of us.."
Cyrax gets more airtime in his next confessional.
Cyrax: I don't believe for a MILISECOND that Metal let another player plan a blindside. He's trying to roll away like the hedgehog he is, but I will bring my boot down so he can't run anywhere.
Even when Cyrax looks into his words, Metal still boasts in confessional. He is on a HIGH today.
Metal Sonic: It should have been me last night, but Sektor has made himself the greatest scapegoat I've ever had. With Sektor gone, I will integrate better. Stay any longer and he'd outlive his usefulness as a shield. Taking the heat is much appreciated but he can only take so much.
Speaking of Sektor, he also meets with Metal by the water well. Noticing how open it is, Sektor opts to meet in the forestry nearby. The second they get to a more closed space, Sektor proposes a shocking plan to his ally.
"Slade's been conflicting as of late. Since we voted together, removing him could spare us another day." Sektor being a turncoat? "Even though our blindside succeeded, they will keep fixating on us until we lose a number."
Metal just stares at him. "He's the quietest out of us. We have an angle…"
"Let's take advantage of it."
Sektor: I don't envision a world where Slade brings me far into the game. Especially after THIS. Metal Sonic not only matches my mind, but he also knows when to turn his emotions off. A very valuable trait in an ally.
Another confessional pops up and to the surprise of NOBODY, Metal's gloating about his idea even more.
Metal Sonic: Even though Sektor is tanking my game with his horrible social skills, he is still useful for something. He handed me the PERFECT decoy plan, so he doesn't see MINE coming. Yes my pawn, give me more incriminating evidence!
Metal, on a roll for strategy talk, SNITCHES Sektor's plan to Slade. The mercenary doesn't even look shocked, staring at his ally blankly. "It was a matter of time until this went to hell."
"Unfortunate that things must end this way." Metal responds, leaning forward to look sympathetic. Slade just keeps staring.
"What are you doing?"
"Leaning in for a respectful Pat on the back." Metal explains, doing just that.
Slade decides to let it happen, and says what he needs to say. "At least I can keep the target on him. If it's him or me, I'm making it out. Doesn't matter if Mac likes me or not, that robot's burnt every bridge he has." he recalls.
"Let's keep our facade up as we burn ours. I would much rather play with someone like you.." Metal says, voice getting lower. "You have a good head on your shoulders."
"I'd like to keep it. Can't say the same for Sektor." Slade throwing that shade.
New confessional drops, where Metal explains WHY he's even doing this.
Metal Sonic: I NEED the survivor of our split to be dependent on ME. I'm always thinking steps ahead of these players, and it's ridiculous how nobody has caught on to me.
What about Slade's perspective? In his confessional, he has the machete.
Slade: He thinks he has me locked down. If you're telling me Sektor wants me gone, who's to say you aren't saying the same to him? Are YOU trying to SACRIFICE ME? NOW? Ive been playing YOU the whole time. You've been nothing but a shield to me. I can always find another.
That's an accurate read from the man they call Deathstroke.
Slade: Sektor's blindly loyal to Metal because he's a "cyborg". I'm only loyal to a fault. If Metal's ready to sacrifice me, I will sacrifice him like that.
He forces that machete into the ground.
Slade is the second person clock Metal, in two days. If he meets up with Cyrax, things will go awry. For now at least, he and Sektor are also targets on the board, and either man can go for any slim reason.
Reward Challenge
Day 22
"Come on in!"
The cast enters to see an obstacle course out of American Ninja Warrior. The ramp walls don't help that perception at all. There's a sand pit, a ball hanging in a rope, and a tree puzzle yet to be assembled at the top. Jeff's wearing a lighter polo this time.
"Reward is up for grabs. For todays challenge, you'll race across a series of ramp walls. You'll get to a sand pit, and dig up a few pieces of a ladder. Link them up and climb it. Then you'll retrieve the rope and use it to get to the top of a tower, where you will solve a tree puzzle."
The fourth immunity challenge from "Winners at War" is back. With a tweak. Instead of one whole ladder, they have to link a few pieces together. A puzzle within a puzzle.
"First team to finish wins reward. Wanna know what you're playin' for?" After an overwhelming "yes", he spills everything. "A trip to the Sanctuary. You'll each have Rotisserie Chicken, with any dip of your choosing. Last group we had said it was too dry. The winners are the privileged ones."
Gordon licks his lips at the thought. Dry chicken either hits hard or misses wildly. He can't get too wild because Jeff's not done yet. There's eleven people for a "five v five".
Jeff grabs the rock bag, and shakes it in front of Mac. "It's time to draw. If you draw a purple rock, go to the left, if you draw white, go to the middle. If you drew green like those shorts, go to the right.
"No one asked you to look, Jeff." Mac digs his hand in first. After the draw, and innuendo, T'Challa heads to the center, while the two teams form. Unlike other challenges, the teams look slightly more even this time.
Green has Cyrax, Diana, Slade, Chun-Li, and Peach.
Purple has Sektor, Metal, Mac, Gordon, and Sackboy.
"T'Challa…" Jeff starts. "Since you're the odd one out, you will NOT be participating. Instead, you will bet on a team to win before the challenge even happens. Better hope you make a good guess."
"I choose Green."
The king's pick gets under Sektor's skin. "Underestimate US will you?"
"He can pick what he wants." Sackboy says, coming to his defense.
"The Panther may have beaten me in our sparring session, but he won't escape this time. It's serious." Sektor stresses, ready to blast through this thing.
Jeff smiles at his competitiveness. "We'll see if he picked right. Get to your spots and we'll get started."
Teams:
Green Team: Cyrax, Diana, Slade, Chun-Li, and Peach
Purple Team: Sektor, Metal Sonic, Little Mac, Gordon, and Sackboy
Those ramp walls are first up, and a few are ready to bolt through. Jeff raises an arm. "For reward. Survivors ready?"
.
.
.
He throws his arm down with ferocity! "GO!"
Sektor, driven by doubt, jumps from wall to wall rather easily. Metal and Mac go next, and even after Mac nearly slips, Metal grabs him by the top and pulls him ahead! Mac falls into Sektor's hard arms.
"Don't tell my clan about this."
"Secrets safe with me." Mac pats him on the chest and hops off.
For Green, a few of theirs are already done with the walls too. Diana, Chun-Li, and Cyrax watch as Peach dives onto the mat. Li rushes to her aid. "Did you hit your head?"
"No but I wish I did."
Chun looks thrown off by that comment. "Are you actually ok?"
"I'm what they call hangry.."
It's Slade's turn, and when he's on the last wall he does a flip onto the mat..for some reason? Peach looks surprised by the athleticism, but she can't ask too much because they have a sand pit to dig through.
Slade runs by Cyrax. "Got any hacks?"
"It happens in the moment." Cyrax answers, pushing sand aside to find one of those three pieces.
"Can it happen now?"
"Patience, Wilson."
Back to the Purple side, and it's not going too well. Gordon's almost at the end, but one little slip and he goes sliding down. Sackboy takes another try, but given he has higher jumps to make, he fails again. He and the soaked Chef have to go alll the way to the start.
"HURRY UP." Sektor commands, getting shady looks from the others.
"Rushing doesn't help." Mac says.
"It applies the right pressure."
Little Mac: ..what an ass.
The Greens already have two pieces of the ladder dug up. Peach holds one part still, while Chun-Li links the other. Slade gets the third piece, and BOOM!
"Green has their ladder together! If Purple could get it together we'd have a race!"
Diana leans the ladder up all by herself. Cyrax approaches it. "You asked for a hack, Slade."
"Yeah?"
"I AM the hack." Cyrax boasts, climbing that ladder. Diana climbs up after him, and untangles that ballrope. She swings it like a lasso and lands it! One pull later, and Green's good to go on the tower!
Cyrax: A batch of these puzzles have been repeated over five seasons. Even fourty-seven outside of this specific show. A tree puzzle is no issue for me.
As Cyrax takes to the puzzle, the Purple Team FINALLY gets all five across the walls. So they head for the sand pit, and Sektor digs aggressively. He finds the first piece, and tosses it ahead.
"Purple NEEDS to hustle!" Jeff taunts.
Gordon finds the second piece, but Sektor RIPS it from him! "We have no time to waste, Ramsey."
Gordon..is pretty damn offended. "OK genius do the whole thing yourself."
"Gladly." Sektor grabs the third part, but Gordon, petty, snatches it from him. Sektor stares at his hand, then at Ramsay. "You are no better than me."
"Shut up with that!"
While they lose time, Cyrax is already halfway through the puzzle. Mac and Metal snatch the ladder and put it together themselves. Mac holds it steady as Metal heads up. Even when they make some time back, Sektor still isn't happy. "See what happens when we work together?"
"See what happens when YOU AREN'T STEALING SHIT?"
T'Challa has a good view at the sit out bench. This comes across as no surprise though, as he too dealt with the cyborgs attitude. "It never ends."
Sektor: Gordon will regret the day his pettiness got in the way. I took that piece because he was physically slow, but now he's showing me he's mentally slow. He needs to stop taking this so personal. I did it to ADVANCE the team.
Sektor a team player? Shocker. Even with good intent though, the way he expressed it was still lacking.
Gordon: I don't regret a thing. He's so focused on the logic of it all, that he ignores that we have feelings. Every time he's about to cry he slaps himself in the face and says "BAD"!
Metal has to take a couple tries after fetching that ball, with a rope attached. His second try comes close, but the ball smacks the point of the obstacle. A third try he's able to pull off, revealing that pristine purple tower.
Even though Metal races up the tower, Cyrax has too big of a lead. A few pieces later and…
"GREEN TEAM WINS REWARD!"
Cyrax allows himself to slide down the tower and join his team. He will go on yet another getaway, finding alot of challenge success during this season. The Purples can't say the same, because they have to gather up as losers.
"Pitiful.." Sektor mutters.
"Who needs the Sanctuary?" Metal asks, downplaying the loss.
Jeff steps back in to remind the teams of what's next. "Congratulations Green, you SIX will leave on a boat arriving in just a few moments. Purple..I got nothin' for ya. Split up, and we'll meet again tomorrow."
As the two groups separate, Cyrax gets a new confessional about the reward.
Cyrax: This is the perfect setup. Now I can go on the attack. I may not be able to eat, but I am leaving no crumbs on Survivor.
The Sanctuary
Day 22
Cyrax, Chun-Li, Diana, Peach, Slade, and T'Challa
The six lucky winners have arrived to The Sanctuary. Hot Dogs are getting grilled, and then some. It's the first reward in a minute for some, but a specific castaway points out the wins she's collected.
Diana: I'm being spoiled. It's a matter of time until the Survivor Gods humble me :)
As five out of the six get down and dirty on those dogs, Slade removes his mask to reveal the silver Fox underneath. Or albino depending on how you look at it. "
Cyrax speaks up. "You have a solid look. I would keep the mask off moving further."
"Flattered, but I'm taken."
Slade's little quip gets a couple laughs, and Cyrax decides to move past that. "Your humor is growing on some. But i did not speak up for jokes, I spoke up because of a metal concern."
The group follows along, and Diana takes a lucky guess. "He's back to his usual self."
"Sektor may be annoying to us all, but i plea that we reconsider. He is a smokescreen so Metal can live a few more days. YOU have seen what he's capable of in a few days." Cyrax says, remaining Diana of his schemes.
"What did he do now? Fake idol? Betrayal? It could be anything." Diana guesses.
"I've clocked his plan. He gave Sektor the idol, and made HIM play it to flush mine. Sektor is only here because Metal wants him here. A DRAMA SHIELD. Ever since Tribal, we've brought up Sektor as the primary target..but not Metal." Cyrax explains. "His plan is working, and it's like nobody sees it…"
"I will say…" Slade adds, everyone turning to him. "He told me Sektor's ready to cut me. All because of my issues with Mac. If anyone should go, narrow it down to THEM."
"You got out?" T'Challa asks.
"They severed my trust. Metal's choosing Sektor over me, and pretends he won't."
Diana adds input of her own. "Everyone he aligns with is like a tool to him. The talks are transactional, and when something doesn't go his way, you see his true colors. The doctors on my season trusted him. One was tossed away, and the winner would have been if Metal didn't give the game up."
"That was a more respectful than I expected." Slade comments. "Time soften you up?"
"No. I never trusted him for a reason. If he wanted to treat me like a tool, I would treat HIM like one." Diana explains. "Petty, but it's deserved."
Diana: I never trusted Metal since day one. So to hear people rally against him..makes me want to join. Sektor is annoying. Sektor is a snob. But Sektor is NOT a threat. Metal knows how to blend in, his artificial intelligence is above the rest. Gordon may hate me for it, but if I feel like I should flip, even once, I'm doing it. I'm playing MY game.
Chun-Li and Peach watch from the sidelines, until the princess decides to speak up. "I had a feeling you three weren't all that close.."
"Your feeling was right." Slade replies. "They used me as an extra number."
Peach frowns. Even though she may not buy this, she can't just cuss him out. "I'm sorry to hear that. When you find a good group of friends you won't feel so used."
Slade scratches his ever-growing beard. "That would be nice."
Slade: Metal is so desperate to stay, he plays like he is leaving tomorrow. There's no problem with that..until you try it on me. If he's willing to sacrifice me now? He will be.
Merged Tribe
Day 22
Gordon Ramsay, Little Mac, Metal Sonic, Sackboy, and Sektor
The five losers have to come back to nothing. Mac is the first to take a seat, a hand holding his head up. He did witness the arguing between two of his tribemates earlier, but he's focused on a whole other man. "He's falling upwards."
"Who?" Sektor asks.
"Slade."
Metal sees an opportunity to stir the pot, and takes it. "How far did he take it to make you feel this way?"
"He disrespected her after she left. I don't rock with that, and look.." Mac pauses, staring at the machines. "You three are under a lot of fire, so if you're good with it, and I'm good with it, we can get him out."
"I was thinking the same." Sektor admits.
Sektor: I have reason to be smug. No matter how many times we end up in a bad situation, another leaves. We are an invincible duo.
Gordon and Sackboy walk past the conversation, picking up on the machines suddenly strategizing with Mac. "Are they doing strategy?" The sack asks.
"They're trying to save their own skin." Gordon says. "Couple of snakes."
"Yikes.."
Sackboy: I don't like he likes the robots very much. I don't either, but they just make him REALLY mad..
Given his distrust towards the metal duo, Gordon takes action and pulls Mac and Sackboy aside. One may be in a different alliance, but Gordon believes he can make this work.
"Sektor first, Metal next." Gordon break down.
"I dunno man. Letting Slade slip away is really risky." Max pushes back, Slade's disrespect fresh on the mind.
"I'd rather let ONE guy off the hook, than keep two pains in my ass. They've ran away for too damn long." Gordon admits, letting off some steam. "Everyone knows Slade's rep, he'll have a hard time getting anyone to trust him."
If only he knew.
Even after that explanation, Mac is still hesitant. "Challa doesn't even want him here. Metal and Sektor, yeah they can go to jury but I really don't want Slade going far."
Gordon shrugs. "I bet everyone at the Sanctuary is saying otherwise. We could have went there if Sektor wasn't picking a fight with me."
"If you're upset about the challenge, that's fair, I'm just saying…"
Even with Mac's input, Gordon seems to be really stubborn on this. Sektor has tested all of his patience, and Slade may get his wish of survival.
Gordon: I see those dickheads trying to snake Slade. I'm not done with him, but you know what I AM done with? These roaches surviving over again. I'M the roach around here, and I'm stomping another out.
The idea of targeting Slade has been put down by not only Slade's work, but Cyrax and Gordon's agendas. Now it seems Metal and Sektor are right back in the hot seat, and the "master plan" is falling apart. Who's going home? Find out as Day 23 develops.