Total Drama Mega Island

by Dunsparce519

A collab with LaCuevademisgustos. A grand total of 100 contestants are duking it out on Camp Wawanakwa for a chance to win one...million...dollars! Who will be the last one standing? Find out on Total...Drama...Mega Island!

37. Super Zeroes

"Last time on Total Drama Island," Chris recapped, "We had to deal with some nightmarish consequences of whatever Luna summoned." The scene flashed back to the beaming balls hitting Gwen, Helga and Sam. "Her weird voodoo affected various contestants, sending them into permanent nightmare slumber." The scene changed to the campers traveling through the metal door. "But thanks to the Dream Machine our interns built, we sent the campers to save their friends."

...

The scene changed to Sarah talking with DJ, Lacey, Zoey and Harold. "We learned that the Simon question belonged to Sarah," Chris continued. The scene changed to Bear-Helga, Rodney and Anne-Maria getting chased by Cerberus. "Helga's nightmare was apparently getting chased by three-headed dogs while she was a bear." The scene changed to Gwen's dreams. "Oh, and Heather wasn't the only girl Gwen hates. Carly seems to be on the list, too." The scene changed to Sam defeating Luna. "We also had Sam's video game fantasy with a giant Luna as the boss..." Chris continued. The scene changed to Brick and Phoebe talking on the swings. "Phoebe's dark memory behind her happy energy..." The scene changed to Shane getting attacked by Virod. "And a glimpse into the Underworld, which Shane almost became a permanent resident." The scene changed to Shawn slashing off Argent's arms and Sky blocking Bjo's spear attack. "And they did indeed fight off literal demons."

...

The scene changed to Paul walking down the hall in Mike's dream. "Paul figured out the truth behind his lost memories and who caused his injuries," Chris continued. The scene changed to Dawn and Melody hugging. "And Dawn was finally able to reunite with her sister Melody." The scene changed to Melody's departure. "But as protection, Melody decided to voluntarily leave the island." The scene changed to Brick's elimination and Topher's reaction. "And Brick was dishonorably discharged after Topher convinced a few others to vote for him. Ouch. Pretty rough."

...

The scene changed to Chris on the dock. "Hopefully this is the last we'll have to deal with this weird stuff," he commented. "Those kids all acted as heroes. Super, you might even say. Get ready for a new episode of Total...Drama...Island!"

(cue commercial)

It was still nighttime. Paul and Mike were walking down from the cliff. "Can you believe the guys and I actually found that old Aston?" Paul mentioned. "And in near-perfect quality, too."

"I suppose," Mike muttered.

"Come on, dude. You can't stay depressed over this. I'll adjust. Honestly adjusted to crappier things before coming to this show."

"Paul, this is serious!"

"I know. I'm just glad I'm not going into this alone."

"Why do I have a feeling it's not just me you're talking about?"

"Melody, Ethan and Destiny know."

"I buy the aura reader figuring it out, but did you say anything to the other two about-?"

"More like they informed me. I kept your name out of it, though. And Ethan even said he would help keep it under control."

"I could help you out, too. I'm the one that got you into this mess, so it's the least I owe you."

"Mike, don't say that. You know-" A foul stench reached Paul's nose. "Ugh, what the hell is that?!" he gagged.

"Sensitive senses," Mike noted. "But you're right. It almost smells like...blood. Human blood. And a lot of it. We'd better go check it out." He rushed off, with Paul at his heels. The duo soon reached the twisted willow where a figure was gently swinging on the swing. "How come I never saw that before?" Paul thought.

"Is that Phoebe?" Mike wondered. "Phoebe, what are you doing out here?"

"That smell's getting stronger. I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Phoebe?" Mike touched Phoebe but was shocked to see her slump over, showing her bloodied arms and clothes. "Oh, dear God," Paul gasped. "What happened to her?"

"Not really sure," Mike admitted as he picked Phoebe up. "I'd better get her some medical attention. Paul, could you inform the Frogs about this? They deserve to know." Paul nodded before the duo split up. Back at the Frog cabin, Topher was fixing his hair when he noticed Keith glaring at him. "Did anyone tell you you can pull off a dirty look well?" Topher commented.

"Don't give me that lip," Keith scolded.

"Why are you getting upset? It's just how this game works. Surely someone like you understands that. Hey, have you seen my hair gel anywhere?"

"Don't try to change the subject!" Underneath the covers of another bed, Shane looked on with some worry.

Confessional: Shane (Frogs of Death)

"I never imagined that Keith would get so worked up about Brick's elimination. Just a few days ago, they were fighting like little brothers."

End Confessional

"Guys!" Paul shouted as the cabin door burst open. "We've got a bit of a disaster on our hands."

"It can't be more important than my hair care, could it?" Topher wondered.

"It's Phoebe. She's hurt really bad."

"What?!" Keith gasped.

"Did my EVIL hearing hear what I thought I heard?" Max inquired as he peeked his head inside the Frog cabin. "Then I command you to take me to the hero!"

"You heard the midget."

"She's in the medical tent right now," Paul told the group. "Come on." Inside the medical tent, Phoebe was lying on a stretcher as Stan bandaged her arms up. "Got a pretty bad cut to her wrists," he explained to Mike. "You're lucky you found her when you did. A few minutes more and she might've croaked."

"It's that bad?" Mike thought. He noticed Paul, Max and the rest of the Frogs entering the tent. "Phoebe," Keith breathed out. His expression turned angry as he noticed Mike's bloodstained shirt. "What did you do to her?!"

"Me?" Mike asked. "I didn't do anything to her!"

"LIAR!"

"You can believe him," Paul defended as he stepped between the two boys. "Mike and I found Phoebe like that. He carried her to the tent, hence his appearance."

"What happened to her?" Samey wondered.

"Stan said her wrists got slashed," Mike explained. "How, I have no clue." Max looked over at Phoebe's arms and frowned a bit. He then saw Barry curl up next to her on the stretcher and get a mournful look. "Even her animal sidekick is showing signs of misery," Max remarked.

"Hey, guys," Oliver greeted as he joined the Frogs. "I have some news to share. I just got off the phone with Mrs. Weston, Phoebe's mother. She heard the news and is requesting that we pull Phoebe out of the competition."

"No way!" Keith protested. "She can bounce back from this. I know it!"

"Huh?" Phoebe mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. "Coach?"

"Right here, squirt. Glad to see you're awake, at least."

"Are you okay?" Nikki asked Phoebe.

"I'm fine," Phoebe muttered.

"Good," Topher quickly said. "We can go." He was hit with a blast of hairspray. "What was that for?"

"Maybe because this is all your fault!" Anne-Maria lashed out. "You're the reason Phoebe's on a stretcher!"

"I didn't lay a hand on her!"

"But Brick going home is what led to Phoebe going where she did," Nikki pointed out, "And who was the genius that rallied for Brick's departure?"

Confessional: Topher (Frogs of Death)

"I know it's part of the game and was good from a strategical point of view, but if I had known this would be the result of it, I never would've rallied for Brick to go! I'm not a monster."

End Confessional

"Hey, Keith," Sierra suggested, "Should we leave you and Max alone to talk with Phoebe? I can tell you have a lot to talk to her about." She quickly everyone, save for Keith and Max, out of the medical tent. "Good call making those pests leave," Max commented. "When I rule the world, I'll remember to send Sierra a little gift basket."

"Here, Phoebe," Keith said as he passed Pete to her. "You forgot him earlier." Phoebe slowly grabbed the stuffed penguin and tightly hugged it close to her chest. "Now perhaps you can speak the truth about what occurred," Max told her. "About who made those cuts."

"So someone did attack her?!" Keith angrily shouted. "Lead me to him! I'll pummel him till he's blue!"

"So you intend to beat up your sidekick? That's too EVIL even for yours truly."

"What are you even saying, midget? Quit speaking in riddles."

"Is he always this stupid, Phoebe?"

"Um..." Phoebe muttered.

"Be straight now or so help me..." Keith warned Max.

"Isn't it obvious, fool?" Max countered. "The hero losing her precious sidekick led to her attempting suicide!"

"That's impossible! Someone or something else caused those gashes. Tell him, Phoebe!" However, Phoebe simply looked away. "Phoebe, say it ain't so," Keith pleaded, his expression quickly became concerned.

"A permanent solution to a temporary problem," Max scoffed. "Not to mention the coward's way out. Phoebe, if I may implore you to listen to a bit of backstory?"

"I suppose..." Phoebe shrugged as Max sat next to her. Max let out a breath. "I once knew of a boy by the name of Ricky," he began. "I actually apprenticed underneath him and taught me the way of pranks and comics. But his most famous skill was tinkering. All sorts of machines and gadgets made from common household appliances littered his room. Unfortunately, his enormous genius was never appreciated by his parents. His only rewards were new scars for every month and the purple blotches on his arms and back."

"He was getting abused?" Keith gasped.

"It even rallied me to join the good side for a time. I reported them to the authorities anonymously when I saw the new bruises Ricky got and they were taken away."

"I bet Ricky was really grateful for that," Phoebe mused. Max got a sad look in his eyes. "He never knew," he sighed. "Because...Ricky's final invention was a noose." Keith's expression was saddened while Phoebe's was more of confusion. "He made rope?" she asked.

"He's saying Ricky hanged himself," Keith explained.

"It's why I'm so appalled by such actions," Max added. "Nobody should lose someone like that. Phoebe, I know you're better than this. A true hero does not go down so easily. So please...don't end up like Ricky did." Phoebe looked at Max, then at Barry, then at Keith. She let out a shaky breath. "I'll do my best," she told them.

"Attagirl," Keith rallied as he hugged her. Barry barked a bit before licking Phoebe's cheek, making her giggle.

Confessional: Keith (Frogs of Death)

"I can't believe Max actually lost a close friend like that. Kinda makes you reflect on what you know about people. I guess he's alright around Phoebe."

Confessional: Max (Screaming Gophers)

"Of course I helped Phoebe. She is my rival and the only one allowed to defeat her is ME!" He then teared up a bit. "I still miss Ricky."

Confessional: Phoebe (Frogs of Death)

"Max is such a great friend to have, even if he'd rather play villain than hero. And he definitely lifted me out of that dark spot. I don't like dark spots."

End Confessionals

Back at the spa hotel, some of the Rats were playing a round of Super Smash Bros Ultimate. "My Link will defeat you guys," Sam warned.

"Get real," Duncan scoffed. "Not if my fire tiger here pummels you first."

"It's Incineroar," Harold corrected, "And he stands zero chance against Greninja. Water beats Fire."

"I think I'm winning, dudes!" Geoff cheered.

"Getting your Yoshi to the edge isn't a smart move," Sam advised.

"I'll take him down," Scott snickered.

"With Banjo and Kazooie? Not a chance!"

"Calm down, guys," DJ told them. "It's all in good fun, right?" The screen beeped for a minute. "Yes!" Sam cheered. "I won!"

"With me in second," Duncan boasted.

"You just got lucky," Harold scoffed. "Hey, DJ, your Ice Climbers got third. You did good for a first time player."

"Thanks," DJ happily replied. The group heard a CRASH from another room. "Cough it up, Bowie!" Julia shouted.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Bowie countered. "I don't have it!"

"Those two still at each others' throats, huh?" Scott thought. "Any idea who's right?" DJ and Harold looked at each other.

Confessional: DJ and Harold (Toxic Rats)

"I hate to admit it," DJ began, "But I doubt Bowie's credibility. I mean, Luna was correct about the info she told us. And let's face it: Bridgette and Geoff are eventually heading to Smooch City very soon."

"Perhaps that was intentional," Harold suggested. "Luna spliced some truth with lies to make us all paranoid and destroy each other from the inside."

"Whoa. I figured she was bad since even Bridgette turned against her, but I never realized how spiteful Luna could be. Yikes."

Confessional: Bowie (Toxic Rats)

"Damn Luna. Her exposing the phone I took just put a big target on my back not just for Julia but for all the other Rats. My only allies are Scott and Lightning. Maybe I could get one of them to gain me an ally. Perhaps Dawn or Sam would be the best options."

End Confessionals

Back at the Gopher cabin, Lucas was watching the Frog cabin through the window. "Whatcha doing?" Helen asked as she scooted to his side.

"Keeping an eye on a very suspicious person," Lucas explained.

"And by 'suspicious', you mean Amy."

"Yes."

"I know you have reasons to dislike her, but has she really done anything suspicious?"

"There's a villains' alliance going around and she tends to act like a spoiled brat. Excuse me for having doubts."

"Right..." Helen looked out the other window and noticed Nikki talking with Helga, and for some reason, Helen was stuck watching. Lucas turned around and noticed her. "Helen?" he asked. "Helena, are you-?" He glanced outside. "Uh, un momento."

"Huh?" Helen wondered as she snapped back to reality. "What happened?"

"You were looking out the window with a look that makes the teenage movie protagonist look like she hates the popular guy or girl." Lucas looked out to see the Frog girls. "Oh, I see."

"See what?" Helen asked.

"That girl, Nikki," Lucas said in a low voice before getting a cocky grin, "You like her, don't you?"

"WHAT?!" Helen screamed in shock as her face flushed beet red. "I, uh, but, uh..."

"No need to be all bashful about it. I've dated a few girls and guys in my time, even if they only lasted a month. Wonder what they're up to." As Lucas looked out the open window, he was suddenly knocked down by three balloons filled with green paint. "Nice shot, Helga," Nikki complimented as she gave the Siberian a high-five. "That'll teach you Gophers to spy!"

"Oh, your mask is dirty, Lucas," Helen noted as the luchador sat up. "Here, let me-"

"NO!" Lucas protested as he clutched his mask. "Uh, I mean, I'll handle it myself."

Confessional: Helen (Screaming Gophers)

"I'm not sure if I should tell Lucas. I know I told Corey, but we were way tighter. Plus, Lucas doesn't peg me as the type to hold onto a secret. Also, why did he panic about his mask?"

Confessional: Lucas (Screaming Gophers)

"I'm a bit...sensitive when it comes to my mask. Except when I shower, I don't take it off."

"Guess that explains the mold in your brain," Sol teased from outside.

"FUCK OFF, SOLSTICE!"

End Confessionals

Early the next morning, the Villain Alliance was gathered at their cave. "Don't tell me you Rats dumped Crazy Girl," Jo complained.

"Emphasis on 'crazy'," Scott told her.

"But she was a vital alliance member," Scarlett pointed out. "Now the Rat members are more at risk to be cut."

"Not if we keep winning," Bowie shrugged. "And I'll admit that getting Luna in here was a bit of a mistake on my part. I had no idea she was that insane!"

"Dumping her hurts us all in the long run," Valerie countered. "But then again, I suppose a guy that eats dirt doesn't have enough brainpower to think more than a few hours ahead."

"That's it!" Scott snapped. "I've had it with working with you. I thought my input mattered, but it's now clear to me that none of you can be trusted. And this is coming from the guy who sabotaged his own team! If you wanna keep this alliance up, then you'll have to do it without me!"

"You're leaving us?!" Julia protested. "No, you're not! You're staying put!"

"Who are you, my mammaw? I'm leaving whether you like it or not. Come on, Bowie."

"Are you sure about this, Scott?" Bowie asked as he stood up.

"These guys simply can't be trusted. If you have a brain, you'll join my side."

"You're not actually considering this, are you?" Heather questioned as she glared at Bowie.

"We need you!" Topher cried out.

"I guess it's already decided," Echo sighed. "It's a shame the guys founding this are leaving. I should wish you good luck since you'll be needing it now that you were exposed to the Rats. And I hope Bowie lasts long, at least for Raj's sake. I'd hate to imagine how disappointed he would be if his boyfriend was the next one going home." Bowie looked to the alliance members, then to Scott. With a defeated sigh, Bowie sat back down. "I see you made your choice," Scott scoffed. "And Julia, consider your days numbered." He walked out of the cave. "From eleven to nine," Topher noted. "Real good, huh?"

Confessional: Topher (Frogs of Death)

"That was clearly sarcasm. It sucked since the Drama Alliance is weakened. And out of all people, why did it have to be a Rat member? I just got them cleared! Maybe the traitor made him quit."

Confessional: Bowie (Toxic Rats)

"Great. I probably destroyed my alliance chances with Scott. But I figured the villains were the better option. Plus, I know Raj looks up to me a little and I don't wanna let him down by going home early."

Confessional: Julia (Toxic Rats)

"MY days numbered? But I'm not the one who kept throwing challenges, Scott. Thanks for the info, Luna."

Confessional: Scott (Toxic Rats)

"Am I mad Bowie picked the alliance over me? Honestly, no. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Didn't help that his relationship was weaponized against him. Note to self: don't date anyone from this show."

Confessional: Echo (Screaming Gophers)

"Looks like my gaslighting techniques worked on maintaining Bowie's loyalty. I was hoping it would work on Scott, but then again, it's impossible to play mind games on him. He has no mind to play with."

End Confessionals

"Anywho," Alejandro continued, "We should get down to business. Topher, any updates on your assignment?"

"Julia and Bowie have officially been cleared," Topher replied. "Scott, too, but he decided to quit."

"Of course I wasn't the traitor!" Julia scolded. "No way am I stupid enough to dump my best allies."

"You mean your only allies," Bowie corrected.

"Everyone else is still suspect," Topher added. "Hopefully today will reveal more info on this. Anything else to discuss?"

"Well, I am personally relieved Melody left," Alejandro spoke up. "It weakened the bond Paul had with Ethan and Destiny. Shawn, Dave and Sky seem close, though both Sky and Shawn are close to Dave and not each other. Maybe dumping Dave next would be ideal for the Bears."

"It's gotta be that mushy Singy Pants Ella next!" Sugar argued.

"Oh, not this again," Julia groaned.

"Sugar might have a point this time," Valerie defended. "I heard Shane gushing about that Disney reject a few days ago. Might be a cross-team alliance."

"Speaking of that," Topher added, "Rodney is clearly closer to Nikki and Helga than to the Bears. Expose that to the Bears and you've got another safety net, Alejandro."

"Ahem!" Heather cut in. "What about my team?"

"Uh, aside from the usual Heather hate you have since you were exposed?" Samey put in. "You better pray you don't lose. Your team is probably smart enough to cut you the first chance they get."

"Not if my EVIL mind powers can split them up," Max put in.

"Really?" Echo questioned. "How? Gwen and Leshawna are tight. Same with Trent and Carly, Helen and Lucas, Lacey and Sarah, and Owen's friendly with everybody."

"Ghost Face is right," Jo agreed. "The little friend groups will be tough to break."

"The best move would be to ally with one of them," Scarlett recommended. "Helen and Lucas would be the ideal choice since they dislike you the least."

"I think we'll have to call it a day here," Alejandro suggested. "It's getting close to breakfast and the others might get suspicious if we're not present."

"Chef's slop," Samey groaned. "Gross." The members slowly started leaving the cave, with Valerie being one of the last ones out. She then noticed a bush moving closer to her. "You can come out, Bryan," Valerie instructed. "It's clear."

"Thank goodness," Bryan breathed out as he stumbled out of the bush. "I swear that one had thorns. How did the meeting go?"

"Eh, same old same old. But your team's in trouble considering how tight the bonds are."

"Not quite. While Trent and Carly are friendly, Gwen isn't as pleased with how close they are."

"Really? I suppose that slipped Echo's mind."

"Echo?" Bryan looked around and noticed another bush twitching. He smirked before tackling the bush and quickly getting into a scuffle. "What are you doing?" Valerie questioned as she ran over. She pulled the bush back to reveal Bryan and Echo wrestling each other. "Oh, sorry, Valerie," Echo apologized as she pulled Bryan off. "I stumbled into this bush and was about to get out when he tackled me."

"Stumbled nothing," Bryan argued. "Any idiot could tell you were spying on us!"

"I don't care if you tripped or not," Valerie cut off. "How come you neglected to tell us about Gwen hating Carly?"

"This is the first I've heard of that," Echo defended.

"Yeah, right," Bryan scoffed. "You're lying through your teeth!"

"Like you're the pinnacle of honesty!" The duo glared at each other. "A way to break up the friend groups," Valerie thought. She then glanced over to Bryan and smirked. "Bryan, how well can you fit a dress?"

"Excuse me?" Bryan asked, taken aback.

"I think I see what you're getting at," Echo chuckled. Bryan gulped when he saw both girls grinning at him. "I've got a bad feeling about this," he moaned.

Later that morning, Carly was busy writing in her notebook when she noticed Valerie knocking on her window. "Oh, hi, Valerie," Carly greeted as she opened the window up. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed someone to talk to," Valerie replied, "And you seem like just my type. After all, we are some of the most fashionable people on the island. I'd really like to get your input on your clothing designs. They're so fetch."

"R-really? Wow! Sure. And you are rocking that outfit, too. How do you do it?"

"Natural talent. But more about you, sweetie."

Confessional: Valerie (Frogs of Death)

"Keeping Carly busy is all too easy. Didn't hurt that we had something in common. A bit refreshing, really."

End Confessional

A letter was slipped underneath the boys' side of the Gopher cabin. "Ooh, a letter," Owen noted. "And it's to you, Trent. I didn't know we could get mail."

"Another camper probably sent it," Trent explained while opening the letter. "Huh. It's from Carly. Says she wants to meet up in private." He noticed Owen making some kissing noises and nudged him. "Not like that, man," Trent sternly told him. "I'd better go check this out."

Confessional: Trent (Screaming Gophers)

"The only thing that would make Carly send this letter is if it was something important like the saboteur case, not some romance junk. I don't dig her like that."

End Confessional

"Elvis has left the building," Echo noted as she watched Trent leave the cabin through her binoculars. "Your turn to shine, Goldilocks." Bryan stepped out, now with an attire matching Carly's to a tee. "This is ridiculous," he complained. "Why did I agree to such a stupid idea?"

"Because if you don't do as I say," Echo warned, "I'll ship you off to a butcher like the pig you are. That a good enough reason?" Bryan nervously nodded in agreement. "Perfect," Echo replied while putting a brown wig on Bryan's head. "You know your role. I'll grab the 'unintentional' witness." She ran off while Bryan grumbled as he walked off.

Confessional: Bryan (Screaming Gophers)

"Echo's awfully lucky that I don't mind getting kissed by a guy. But I'll make sure she gets her dues."

End Confessional

Trent was looking around in a clearing when he saw 'Carly' walk up to him. "Hi, Trent," she said.

"Carly," Trent replied. "So, what did you call me here for?"

"I'll explain, but first, how are you doing after...everything?"

"Honestly, I'm...I'm not sure." Over by another area nearby, Echo was dragging Lindsay behind her. "Come on," Echo encouraged. "There's some pretty flowers that would look fab on you."

"But I already got a flower outfit," Lindsay said. The duo were suddenly bumped to the ground. "Oh, sorry," Tyler apologized as he helped the girls to their feet. "I was doing some jogging and I didn't see where I was going."

"It's okay," Echo replied with a forced smile. "Accidents happen."

"And what about you, Lindsay?"

"I'm fine, uh, Dave, was it?" Lindsay replied.

"Maybe not," Echo muttered under her breath.

"Linds, it's Tyler," Tyler corrected. "Remember the bathroom and the yo-yo during the talent show?"

"With...Taylor?"

"Eh, you're getting closer. Uh, what's that over there?" The trio noticed Trent and 'Carly' chatting and hid away. "I'm just worried, okay?" Trent confessed. "It's not your fault Gwen feels like this, but..."

"If she really cared," 'Carly' inputted, "She would've made a move already. It's a shame. She's truly missing out."

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"I mean, you're a nice, talented, cute guy...really cute, actually."

"Carly?" Trent asked, now getting uncomfortable with the close space between them. "What are you-?" And it was at that moment that 'Carly' closed the space between them with a kiss, making Trent's eyes widened as big as plates. He was so confused that he didn't hear Tyler and Lindsay's gasps of shock in the distance. Trent quickly broke the kiss by pushing 'Carly' away. "I-I-I'm sorry," 'Carly' sobbed before running off, leaving Trent unable to react. "I can't believe it," Lindsay whispered.

"Can't believe what?" Echo asked while wiping at her mouth. "I thought they liked each other."

"I thought he liked Gwen, though," Tyler thought.

"I know!" Lindsay agreed. "She'll be so hurt by this."

"Not if she doesn't know about it," Echo told the duo. "No one's saying we have to tattle, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her. I'd hate for Gwen to be sad over this."

"Yeah. You're right. Our lips are, like, totally sealed." As Lindsay got up, she slipped on some vomit on the ground. "Ew!" she moaned. "How did that get there?"

Confessional: Echo (Screaming Gophers)

"It's actually reverse psychology. Asking those two morons not to say anything will only encourage that urge to speak up. All that's left is for Gwen to hear the news."

Confessional: Tyler (Confused Bears)

He had a worried look. "I'm bad with secrets."

End Confessionals

"Good morning, everyone!" Stan announced over the loudspeakers. "Meet up in the production tent for a super surprise for today's challenge. So campers...assemble!"

"Is it what I think it is?" Harold gasped in excitement.

"Only one way to find out," DJ shrugged. Later, all the campers were seated in the production tent. "Where is that crappy host of ours?" Anne-Maria complained. "I ain't a fan of sitting on the ground. Same with Stan." A figure dressed as Batman rushed inside. "Cool!" Shane gushed. "Batman!"

"I thought you had a phobia of bats," Ella noted.

"Yeah, the irony is definitely there, heh."

"That's not Batman," Max scoffed. "It's just McLean using a cheap imitation of Batman."

"My imitations are NOT cheap," Chris argued after taking off his mask. "And that should be a big clue to your challenge today."

"Lame costume party?" Jo scoffed.

"Au contraire," Stan corrected as he entered the tent. "You guys will be living your superhero dreams! Yay!"

"Still lame," Julia commented with annoyance. "I'm not a nine-year-old."

"Uh, what exactly is this superhero challenge?" Sarah asked.

"You will all be transported to a VR world where each team will spawn at one of four forts," Chris explained.

"VR?" Cameron gasped. "Wow! I've read all about that in some new science books. I heard it was an amazing experience."

"It must be a trick," Scarlett skeptically argued. "Knowing Chris, he wouldn't be able to afford something of that high quality caliber."

"Technically, I afforded it," Stan corrected. "Cost me a month's pay, but it's worth it!"

"So after we go into this world," Sky thought, "How do we win this challenge?"

"This challenge is a simple battle royale," Chris replied. "So, the only way you'll win is if you take out the other teams."

"You-you mean kill them?!" Ethan cried out.

"Get a grip, dude," Dave scolded. "It won't be for real. Chris wouldn't air a real murder on TV...right?"

"First team to lose all its members will eject a hero tonight," Chris continued. "The team who avoids getting slaughtered will win the spa hotel."

"So where does the superhero part come into play?" Harold inquired.

"Getting there. Don't interrupt. If you'll remember the forms you filled out before the show, one of the questions asked was what superpower you would prefer. Just so everyone gets a fair footing, here's a quick reminder." Chris pressed a button and switched on the monitor.

...

"I'd love to be just like Rapunzel!" Lindsay squealed on the monitor.

...

"Water power, dude," Geoff said. "That way, I can ride my own ways anytime I want."

...

"Extreme martial arts skills!" Harold exclaimed. He tried to do a kick but fell over.

...

"I don't know," Gwen shrugged. "Maybe control over shadows?"

...

"Super speed," Tyler replied with confidence.

...

"Being all rubbery like Mr. Fantastic," Sierra giggled. "Think of all the possibilities!"

...

"An army to do whatever I say without question," Heather decided. "Maybe bees to sting my enemies."

...

"I want anything I touch to become food!" Owen exclaimed.

...

"Water breathing," Bridgette said. "I could explore the ocean for however long I want."

...

"Perhaps the ability to paralyze anyone I touch for a short time," Alejandro thought. "It would be useful to catch the bad guy without harming civilians."

...

"Fire power," Duncan decided with a mischievous smirk. "Oh, I can just see it now."

...

"Maybe a jump and slam attack will do," Leshawna said. "Don't want my power backfiring on me, know what I'm saying?"

...

"Weather control," Courtney stated. "It makes life easier."

...

"Maybe being able to become a cute animal like a hedgehog," DJ thought.

...

"Echolocation would be pretty neat to have," Trent thought, "And it can help find people when a disaster strikes, like in an avalanche."

...

"Shooting beams of light," Blainley shrugged. "Can we get on with this?"

...

"Steel skin," Jo confidently decided, "To make me unbreakable!"

...

"Lightning power!" Lightning exclaimed. "It's in my sha-name."

...

"Telekinesis would be pretty useful," Cameron said.

...

"Letting my gorgeous hair be my shield," Anne-Maria decided while brushing her hair.

...

"Mud monster!" Scott snickered.

...

"Uh, I'd really prefer to stay powerless," Mike meekly admitted.

...

"Perhaps being able to grow plants at will," Dawn replied. "It will help replenish lots of forests."

...

"Making stuff look like a video game," Sam chuckled. "That'd be cool."

...

"Being able to shoot a bow and arrow," Zoey replied. "Not to brag, but I am fairly good at archery."

...

"Something that keeps the zombies away," Shawn thought. "Oh! Stink power! That'll fool them!"

...

"Having hawk vision," Sky replied.

...

"I'd love to grant wishes like Cinderella's fairy godmother!" Ella happily exclaimed.

...

"Making earthquakes?" Rodney shrugged. "I'm already strong enough."

...

"Cloning power so I can always see my fabulous face," Topher boasted.

...

"Being a shapeshifter," Jasmine decided.

...

"Having a minion army!" Max declared.

...

"A rolling attack that's more powerful than any stampede so I can crush my enemies!" Sugar declared.

...

"Uh, slippery liquid, to answer your dumb question," Dave groaned.

...

"Hypnosis," Scarlett plainly said.

...

"Aging all those idiots to ugly wrinkles so I will always be beautiful by comparison," Amy bragged.

...

"Ice power," Julia replied. "To keep everyone cool."

...

"Since I figure this question will affect me in the future," Priya reasoned, "My power is invincibility!"

...

"Invulnerability," Millie stated. "If you're going to choose to be a hero, make sure you get out of the scuffle alive."

...

"Intangibility," Bowie thought, "To be as slick as I am."

...

"I don't know, man," Zee admitted before taking a sip of soda. He let out a burp. "Oh, could you do something with that?"

...

"Becoming a giant," Nikki decided.

...

"Why would I need a superpower?" Keith boasted. "I'm already awesome as is."

...

"Super speed!" Sarah exclaimed.

...

"Maybe making my body as hard as diamond?" Carly suggested. "It's not too self-centered, is it?"

...

"Pyrokinesis," Shane decided.

...

"Controlling my chains on a belt," Lacey said. "I have the nickname Chainbreaker for a reason."

...

"Super strength!" Lucas exclaimed while flexing his muscles.

...

"I'd like to heal others up," Phoebe replied. "That's the main job of a superhero: to help people."

...

"Uh, invisibility," Bryan nervously said. "I'm not a fan of being the center of attention."

...

"A badass guitar that shoots out sound waves!" Helen exclaimed.

...

"Bull horns," Austin decided. "They're a powerful tool on the business end of a raging steer."

...

"A sonic scream!" Destiny declared. "My voice is my best feature."

...

"Ensnaring people with webs of cloth," Valerie smugly decided.

...

"Technopathy," Greg said. "Yes, it's a word! It means control over machines. Idiot."

...

"To imitate whoever I want perfectly," Sol decided. "They better hope they don't piss me off."

...

"Fear illusions," Echo said. "Uh, to scare the bad guys into surrendering, of course."

...

"Having crystal shields to protect the innocent from evil's wrath," Ethan declared.

...

"Polar bear," Helga stated. "What? You did not hear me first time?"

...

"That's a stupid question," Paul scoffed. "Next."

...

The TV shut off. "Wait," Shane thought, "So Paul, Mike and Gorilla here don't get a quirk?"

"It's a power, Hero Reject," Keith argued. "This isn't My Hero Academia."

"Guess you shouldn't have been a smartass, Keith," Sky teased.

"That tough break applies to me, too," Paul pointed out. "I'll be at a disadvantage."

"I'm surprised Mike didn't pick the power of blowing up," Anne-Maria retorted. "Like you did the other night. Oh, wait. Guess you have it already."

"Watch it, Grease Skin," Mike warned as the two glared at each other.

"Enough about the powers," Scott cut off. "What about these forts for the teams? I'm not going in blind."

"The Screaming Gophers will get a simple hilly grassland," Stan explained. "Not too fancy, but the hills provide some high ground to spot the other teams. Toxic Rats will have a tropical peninsula with rivers of lava across the sandy terrain. Confused Bears get a cave filled with pits and stalagmites and stalactites. And Frogs of Death get an eerie swamp drenched with fog and some surprises lingering in the water. Also, there is a neutral area that's basically a big desert with wind gusts. Sounds fun, huh?"

"A swamp fun?" Valerie scoffed. "Yuck."

"Also, in keeping with the superhero theme, you must announce a hero name to activate your power. Oh, and about that invincibility, you won't be completely invincible. Even Superman had his kryptonite. Any questions before we begin?"

"What's VR?" Phoebe asked while raising her hand.

"She's kidding, right?"

"Just put on these goggles, squirt," Keith told Phoebe. As everybody started putting on their VR goggles, they didn't notice Echo creeping over to Bowie. She then smirked when she got right next to him.

The campers were all transported to their areas in the VR world. The Gophers stood on the hills, the Rats around the lava rivers, the Bears inside their cave and the Frogs on the bank of their swamp. "God, this place is disgusting!" Valerie gagged as she pinched her nose shut.

"Suck it up," Sol scolded. "We have a challenge to win after losing. Let's get down to business with the silly hero names so we get our powers. Mike, since you're 'powerless', go spy on the other teams and report back."

"I'll try," Mike said, "But the fog is pretty thick."

"Just stay on solid land. No water voyages until we know what's in there." Mike nodded before heading off. "I guess I'll go first," Sierra shrugged. "I am Stretchy Gal!" She got a yellow spandex suit with purple boots, a purple belt and purple goggles. She flexed an arm, which stretched five feet forward. "Looks like your power works fine," Anne-Maria noted. "Tacky outfit, though. I better get a better one, for I am Bulletproof!" She acquired a skin-tight rose-colored suit with silver swirls on it. "Definitely more my style."

"Oh, my turn!" Nikki exclaimed. "I am, um, Big Nikki." She suddenly shot up in height as she acquired a blue-and-purple suit. "I reach the clouds!"

"Just watch your step around us," Samey advised. "Guess I am Time Stealer!" She acquired a pink-and-white zebra-striped suit. "Not bad."

"Animorph!" Jasmine declared as she gained a beige suit with a claw emblem on the chest.

"Mind Over Matter!" Cameron exclaimed as he gained a gray-and-pink suit.

"Titanica!" Jo boomed as she gained a gray spandex suit.

"Refresh Dude!" Zee cheered as he gained a yellow mask and suit with a soda can emblem.

"Fashion Weaver!" Valerie declared as she gained a silver outfit with black rose designs.

"The Topher Experience!" Topher announced as he gained a grayish-blue suit.

"Come on, guys," Cameron encouraged. "Just think of something."

"Uh, okay," Zoey shrugged. "Um, Cerise Shot." She acquired a red suit, mask and hood, along with a bow and a quiver of arrows. "I guess I'll be Shifter," Sol shrugged. "No need to get fancy."

"But where's your suit?" Jasmine thought. "Ugh, never mind. We-" She gave a surprised gasp when she saw a polar bear in the group. "Looking good, Ursa," Nikki told the bear. "What about you, Scarlett?"

"Hypno," Scarlett sighed. She acquired a white suit and matching goggles. "And I'll be Super Shane," Shane decided. He acquired an inverse suit of his original hero outfit. "Yeah..."

"Last is you, squirt," Keith told Phoebe. "What is your hero name?" However, Phoebe was busy tapping an oak tree. "This is so real," she thought.

"That's the point of VR," Keith reminded her. "Now hero name."

"Oh, right. Uh, I'll be Nurse Phoebe." A glow surrounded Phoebe...and plopped a nurse's cap on her head. "How original," Keith flatly stated as he took an aside glance to the camera. Back on top of the hill, the Gophers had gotten their hero names and costumes. Heather, AKA Queen Bee, wore a yellow suit with black details and pink fuzz at the neck and wrists while numerous bees flew around her. Owen, AKA The Munchinator, had on a light-blue cape and mask along with a fork and spoon emblem on his shirt. "This is so AWESOME!" he exclaimed after a flower he touched turned into a warm apple pie.

"Easy you don't touch us," Echo AKA Morphea warned as she flattened out her black tunic with neon-blue swirls. "You know what happened with King Midas." Gwen, AKA Shadow, straightened out her dark cloak while Lindsay, AKA Rapunzel, pulled her hair back while admiring her purple satin dress. Helen, AKA Soundblast, had on a ragged t-shirt and black leggings while Carly, AKA Starlight, now had diamond skin. "Definitely very...shiny," Carly commented. "You guys doing okay? Max?"

"That's Emperor EVIL to you," Max, now with a dark purple lab coat over a black suit and a black mask, corrected. "Minions!" A few large rolly pollies wobbled over to him. "Bring forth the enemy so we may destroy them!" The bugs nodded before rolling down the hill...only to loop back up because of another hill. "Incoming!" Leshawna, AKA Mighty Shawna in her violet suit, warned before jumping out of the way. However, when Owen touched the bugs, they turned into large cherries. "Bah," Max complained. "I'll just summon more."

"Wait until you're at even ground first," Trent, AKA Vybe-Check in his light-green suit, recommended. "Any plans for how our attack will go? We can't stay here forever."

"Let me handle this," Lucas, AKA Grandioso, suggested. He flexed as he showcased his outfit: an Olympic wrestling singlet with a sun emblem on the chest and in the colors of the Argentina flag, with a full mask to match. "Wow, such an ego," Lacey, AKA Chainbreaker, commented while brushing off her denim shorts and closed vest. "Hey, Speedster, should you test your power at the bottom of the hill? You might get squashed."

"We survived way worse," Saran (in her light-blue roller derby tank top, shorts and helmet with a 'S' emblem) commented.

"But the game rules are different now," Bryan commented.

"Who said that?"

"Um, me. InvisiBryan. Invisible, remember?"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"A few of us should go down and start attacking," Heather told the Gophers. "Lacey, Helen, Lucas, Sarah, Max, Leshawna and I are most suited for the job. Everyone else stay put."

"But I wanna help," Carly protested. "Please, Heather?"

"Sorry, Starlight," Leshawna replied, "But we need strong people on defense, too."

"Okay..." The Gophers split up into their groups. Meanwhile, the Rat were admiring their terrain and their new costumes. DJ, AKA Hedgy, had a simple brown suit while Harold, AKA Hattori, was clad in full ninja garb. Geoff, AKA Super Dude, had a wave tattoo across his bare chest while Sam, AKA Game Guy, got overalls and a Mario-style orange cap with a 'S'. Dawn, AKA Herald of Nature, wore a green dress while Courtney, AKA Miss Climate Control, had on a gray business suit with storm clouds on it. "What cheesy outfits," Duncan, AKA Burn, laughed while adjusting his leather jacket with green flames and combing back his flaming mohawk. "Mine's totally radder."

"Nah," Lightning, AKA Thunderstorm, replied. "It's the Lightning!" He showed off his blue eye mask and blue suit with white lightning designs. Bowie (AKA King Phaser) admired his rainbow-colored suit while Julia (AKA Frigid Queen) had on her light-blue and white suit with matching eye mask. She shot out some beams of ice, freezing the lava rivers for a second before thawing out. "This isn't working!" Julia groaned.

"You're trying to freeze lava," Scott (AKA Sludger) pointed out. "Even I know it's a dumb move. Hey, we're still missing two."

"Super Bull is here!" Austin, now shirtless and wearing bull horns, announced.

"The first right thing you've said on this show," Courtney remarked, making him frown. "And Bridgette?"

"Yo, Mermaid," Geoff called out. "You alright?" Bridgette, now with blue-scaled skin, mermaid's tail and a blue finned mask, was gasping as she crawled over to the group. "Can't...breathe..." she choked out.

"Hang on," Geoff assured her. He shot out a huge ball of water that completely engulfed Bridgette. "Thanks," she sighed. "Guess I can only breathe in water."

"A pretty stupid power pick, butt-knuckle," Julia scolded.

"I didn't know it would be for a challenge!"

"Chill down, Mermaid," Geoff told Bridgette. "We'll still be good. I'll just have to, uh, carry you for the challenge. That cool?"

"If it's not too much trouble for you."

"Like I said," DJ whispered to Harold, "Smooch City: population Geoff and Bridgette."

"So what's our plan?" Bowie asked. "We need to find a way to take down the other teams. Who's our strongest attackers?"

"Obviously me," Julia boasted.

"Courtney, Duncan, Harold, Lightning and Scott should join, too," DJ suggested. "They're tough."

"With Super Dork here?" Duncan scoffed. "No way."

"At least I'm not a Ghost Rider rip-off," Harold countered.

"Guys, guys," DJ cut off. "Can you please work together just for this one challenge?"

"Will you two quit being such a baby?" Courtney scolded.

"'Quit being such a baby'," Austin mocked. "Oh, boo-hoo, and screw you and your little rulebook ass!"

Confessional: Austin (Toxic Rats)

"Can't believe they thought of the outhouse. Anyway, after Luna let off that bombshell about Courtney, I ain't been the biggest fan of her uptight ass. Matter of fact, never been a fan of hers, but still. I really hope Influencer Girl decides to dump that C.I.T. soon."

End Confessional

"Look at this massive cave," Ethan breathed out as he and the other Bears looked around. "Quite a marvel."

"A marvel?" Dave moaned. "In this germy, moldy place? I'd rather have the grass hills."

"I have to agree with Dave," Sky added. "The hills would give us the high ground."

"But they also make the people there easy targets to see," Alejandro pointed out.

"No, it wouldn't," Destiny protested. "They'd just roll down to hide."

"Are you gonna argue against everything Al says?" Shawn asked.

"So if he claims you're the brightest girl here..." Dave thought with a smirk.

"Don't get any ideas," Greg warned as he glared at the duo. "So how should we play this? Stan said the cave was riddled with traps like pits and stalagmites. It'll make entering and leaving the cave tricky. Do we risk leaving?"

"We have to in order to win the challenge," Priya replied. "We can't sit around and expect a villain to come in here."

"But they can't really come, right?" Millie thought.

"First things first, guys," Ethan pointed out. "We might stand a better chance with our powers, right? Uh, no hard feelings, Paul."

"At least I won't have to shout out a silly name," Paul shrugged.

"Pageant queens first!" Sugar barked out as she shoved the boys away. "Here comes the Crushing Queen!" She acquired a cow-print suit and puffier hair. "Yeesh," Blainley gagged. "What a fashion disaster."

"Like some washed-up hag knows anything about style!" Sugar whipped back. "I'll crush you for that!"

"Sugar, don't!" Sky warned. "Friendly fire might count!" However, Sugar started up her rolling attack and charged at Blainley. However, she missed and ended up falling into a pit with a SQUISH! "Oh, and Crushing Queen is the first hero down!" Stan announced over the loudspeaker. "And you Bears better watch your step around the pits. Some have spikes inside. Sorry for not warning you sooner."

"Oh, poor Sugar!" Ella cried out.

"It was her own fault for getting out," Dave scoffed. "What about the rest of us?"

"Rodney and Shawn should probably get out of the cave before getting their powers," Sky suggested. "Earthquakes and stink in a small cave might..."

"Good thinking, Sky," Rodney replied. "Hey, uh, maybe we should do a two-team team-up to help us."

"With the Frogs?" Alejandro guessed.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"That might not be a bad idea," Greg thought. "Ask them to target the Rats and Gophers. They'll be tougher competition to take out."

"Should we start getting our powers now?" Millie asked. "I don't want to get killed."

"Indeed, Miss Millie," Ethan declared. "I shall be known as the Sapphire Knight." He acquired a light-blue suit of chain mail with a matching full-face mask. "That's nothing," Destiny scoffed. "Make way for Punk Rock! WHOO!" She acquired a pink jumpsuit, a black leather jacket with red gashes and Kiss-like make-up across her face. "Wow..." Greg sighed.

"Mister Extreme!" Tyler declared as he gained a red suit.

"Invincible!" Priya exclaimed as she gained a blue suit.

"Invulnerable!" Millie announced as she gained a pink suit.

"El Caballero Veninoso," Alejandro stated as he gained a maroon tuxedo and mask.

"Miss Faulous!" Blainley declared as she gained a red and gold body suit with gold goggles.

"The Fairy Godmother!" Ella exclaimed as she gained a light-blue cloak and beautiful clear fairy wings. "Oh, it's a dream come true! Your turn, Sky."

"Okay," Sky thought. "Maybe I can be Hawk-"

"Unless you're planning on spending the million on legal fees," Dave whispered, "You'd better change it."

"Hawkwing. That's what I said." Sky acquired a purple outfit with red and white wisps of color and red marking covering her face. "You look great, Sky!" Ella complimented. "What about you, David?"

"Dave is fine," Dave told her. "And I guess I'll be, um, Cleaner?" Dave gained a hazmat suit and quickly fell over. "It's a bit heavy."

"Never fear," Greg declared, "Cause Techno is here!" He acquired a green-and-black suit with green goggles. He quickly constructed a pulley to lift Dave off the ground. "Swiller costume, Techno!" Destiny giggled.

"Shawn and Rodney are out of the cave," Sky noted as she used her super sight. "But how will any of us get out of here without killing ourselves?"

"Uh, maybe wishing the obstacles away?" Millie suggested.

"And make it easy for the others to enter?" Priya argued. "No way! We can crush through this."

"But Stan made sure we weren't completely invincible and we don't know what our weakness is yet. We can't go out unless we know for sure."

"Maybe we should make a compromise," Alejandro thought. "Ella, may I get a wish?"

"Everyone is allowed just one wish," Ella informed him. "I wish I could give more, but..."

"It's okay. I know what is best. Ella, I wish that us Bears were immune to all traps and have complete control over them."

"Okay! Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo, this wish I grant to you!" Ella flicked her wand, releasing a bunch of fairy dust. "Wow!" Sky coughed out as she blinked her eyes a bit. "That fairy dust sure is bright."

"Let's test it out now," Tyler said. "EXTREME!" He ran out of the cave with ease, the stalagmites phasing through him and the pits closing up at his feet...and quickly crashing into a tree outside. "OW!"

"You okay, dude?" Rodney, now with a pink suit underneath his overalls, asked Tyler.

"Uh, fine. What are you again?"

"I am Strongheart!"

"Did it work, Tyler?" Alejandro inquired from the cave.

"You'll be good, guys!" Tyler shouted back. "Just watch out for the trees."

"Hey, Techno?" Destiny asked. "Could you whip up some swiller gear for us to fight with?" Greg simply passed her a guitar shaped like an ax. "You've read my mind," Destiny gushed.

"Wouldn't it be easier to simply wish for a team to be offed?" Millie thought.

"Miss Millie!" Ethan gasped. "How could you even suggest that?!"

"We'll have to kill an entire team to win, anyway," Paul informed him. "This way will create the least casualties on our end. You understand, right?"

"Fine. Eleanor?" Ella sighed before lifting her wand up, but it made a farting sound. "Uh, what just happened?" Dave asked.

"What happened is me thinking ahead," Stan announced over the loudspeakers. "Wasn't gonna let you guys go wishing all willy-nilly. No wishing for killing others OR bringing people back from the dead."

"That's not fair!" Millie protested.

"It's totally fair! Keeps things interesting and keeps others from taking the easy way out, Millie."

"Looks like it'll be combat for us," Dave breathed out. He ended up stumbling over again. "Damn suit!"

"I have an idea for that," Sky reasoned. "It'll also help with our transportation. Everyone that wishes to fly, raise your hand." She, Dave, Alejandro, Blainley, Ella and Priya raised their hands. "Alright. Ella, I wish that everyone who has their hand raised in this cave can fly as much as they want."

"Bibidi-bobbidi-boo, this wish I grant to you!" Ella exclaimed while flicking her wand. Dave got a stunned look as he started levitating. "Great idea, Sky!" Priya commented as she flapped her fairy wings. "Now we can search out the other teams faster!"

"We'll stick with the ground, thank you," Ethan said. "Paul and I can pair up. Miss Millie, maybe stay behind with Sir Gregory in here and work the cave traps. The rest can partner up as you please."

"Works for me," Greg shrugged. "Oh, and each of you has a weapon I constructed. Swords, knives, laser guns strong enough to cut through diamonds...please don't decapitate yourselves with them. Oh, and the knight better craft a shield for each person. With Zoey the Archer around, it'll help you from being shot down."

"Smart," Paul noted. "Now lets kick some ass." Back at the swamp, Zoey was carefully treading the ground when she heard some rusting. She quickly fired an arrow in that direction and- "OW!" a voice cried out.

"Mike?" Zoey wondered. Mike then popped out of the bush as he pulled the arrow out of his shoulders. "Maybe look before you shoot," he recommended.

"Y-yeah," Zoey nervously replied.

Confessional: Zoey (Frogs of Death)

"After last night when Mike and I last talked, things have felt very...awkward. I still don't understand why he lashed out like that. Did I say something bad without meaning to?"

Confessional: Mike (Frogs of Death)

"Honestly, I'm not exactly thrilled to be around Zoey right now after I lashed out at her earlier. It's just...she couldn't possibly understand anything about me!"

End Confessionals

"Should we...partner up?" Zoey suggested.

"I guess so," Mike slowly replied while walking ahead. "So, um, about-"

"Mike!" Zoey quickly pulled Mike back. "What gives?!" he complained.

"Eyes!" Zoey cried out. A pair of eyes bubbled up before a huge crocodile with octopus tentacles rose up. It roared, making the duo scream in fear.

(cue commercial)

Back at the base of the hills, Trent was pacing back and forth when he saw Lindsay slide down. "Getting bored, too?" he guessed.

"Just thinking about stuff, Tommy," Lindsay replied, "Like how you betrayed Greta this morning with Candy."

"Greta with...? You saw that, didn't you?"

"How could you say you like her then kiss another girl?!"

"I was ambushed. I didn't want the kiss to happen. I'm just so confused about all of this. Are you gonna tell Gwen about this?"

"I-"

"Please, Lindsay, at least give me a chance to explain things to her first."

"Okay, Tyler."

"I'm Trent. Tyler wears red, remember?"

"With...a...headband?"

"There they are!" Priya shouted as she and Blainley flew down towards them. "Attack!"

"How the hell are they able to fly?!" Gwen protested.

"We gotta defend ourselves!" Owen rallied. A knife narrowly missed his feet. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The Gophers split up as Priya and Blainley kept attacking. Gwen launched some shadows, but Blainley doused them with blasts of light. She then shot more intense light at Trent, burning him to an ash. Priya was in the middle of combat with Carly, trying to slash her sword at her. However, Carly's diamond skin kept her unfazed and she swatted the sword away. Owen quickly grabbed it, which became a strip of bacon. "Ooh, yummy!" he gushed. He was about to take a bite when Blainley's light burned him to an ash. "Another ugly hero out of my limelight," she boasted while striking a pose.

"Blainley!" Priya warned. Carly took off a diamond off her arm and threw it, piecing Blainley in the heart and making her crash to the ground. "I bet diamond can pierce through invincibility," Carly reasoned. Priya looked at her foes, then decided to fly off. "At least we took one Bear down," Bryan reasoned as he walked over.

"But Trent and Owen are gone!" Lindsay weeped. "Oh, I'll miss them!"

"They're not really dead-dead," Carly assured her. "Just out of the game. It'll be okay."

"Not to break the sentimentalism," Gwen cut in, "But we've got a problem. We have to warn our teammates about the Bears being able to fly."

"And we can't stay here, either," Bryan pointed out. "We'll be targets."

"I wish we could trade powers," Carly told him. "Must be nice being unseen. Hey, if you hide away, we'll have at least one person alive in the end, right?"

"Great idea! Um, maybe in the Bear cave? They won't expect me. Or perhaps behind some rocks in the swamp or peninsula?"

"Just pick a spot and stay put!" Gwen groaned.

"Calm down," Echo suggested. "If you're getting so worked up over this, then..."

"Emily, don't," Lindsay warned. "Trent said he was gonna tell Gwen what happened with him and Candy."

"Wait, wait, wait," Gwen interrupted. "What happened with Trent and Carly?"

"Nothing happened," Carly replied. "We didn't even talk today."

"Not asking Starlight here."

"Uh, I just remembered what we were to do," Lindsay quickly said. "Bye!" She ran off but shadows pulled her back by her hair. "You're not going anywhere til I hear the full story," Gwen declared.

"Are you sure we gotta hunt down Gophers?" Tyler asked as he ran ahead with Priya in tow. "I can't hurt Lindsay like that."

"We need to win this challenge after last time," Priya explained while holding a laser gun. "I already got two down. That leaves four at the hills. Wait. Are they fighting each other?" Tyler gasped as he saw Gwen speaking to Lindsay.

Confessional: Tyler (Confused Bears)

"Oh, man! Gwen's interrogating Lindsay! If she spills the secret and her team loses, everybody will be mad at her and send her home! No way am I letting that happen to my girl! Sorry, Echo, but I gotta break that promise."

End Confessional

"Wait!" Tyler shouted as he ran over to the groups.

"Taylor?" Lindsay wondered.

"Uh, Gwen, please don't hurt her. I have the answer you want."

"And what answer is that?" Gwen inquired.

"Wait, Gwen," Carly warned. "It might be a tr-"

"SHUT UP! Tyler, talk now or else." Tyler glanced to Carly, then to Gwen, then to Echo, then to Lindsay. "I saw Trent and Carly kiss!" he confessed.

"WHAT?!" Gwen and Carly cried out in shock.

"But-" Lindsay tried to say.

"Just me that saw it," Tyler quickly cut off. "Only me and NOT Lindsay." Gwen shifted her glare to Carly. "This is a trick!" Carly protested. "I would never-" Gwen tackled her to the ground and fought her. "Gwen, stop it!" Carly pleaded. "Just stop!" She punched Gwen away but realized that she left a hole in Gwen's chest, making her fall over. "Ooh, and Starlight burns through Shadow's chest," Stan announced over the intercom. "Sorry, Gophers, but friendly fire does count."

"Damn it!" Carly cursed. "That's three now!"

"You okay?" Tyler asked Lindsay as he helped her off the ground.

"I think so," Lindsay replied, "Uh, uh, red..." She tugged at Tyler's headband. "Ow," he moaned as it snapped back.

"Tyler!" Lindsay exclaimed as she wrapped him in a hug. "It is you!

"You remember me? She remembers me! YES!" Tyler then noticed Priya aiming for Lindsay's back. "Lindsay!" he shouted just before turning around and taking the hit from the laser gun, though it burned a hole through both of them. Carly turned and saw Priya firing her laser gun at her, burning a hole through her diamond skin. "Got her!" Priya cheered. "But wasn't there-?" She noticed Echo rushing off and fired her laser at her, but she weaved out of her reach. "Ugh!" Priya groaned.

"Invincible, come in," Greg spoke through the radio Priya held. "Status report."

"I got Carly, Lindsay and Gwen out, but Echo escaped and Tyler got caught in the crossfire."

"You mean he took a shot for Lindsay."

"Which was stupid! Why would he even risk that?"

"It's a mystery. Look, Alejandro, Shawn and Rodney are heading to the swamp to gain the Frogs as allies. Try to find more Rats and Gophers in the meantime. Dave and Destiny will help you out."

"Got it." Back at the swamp, Mike and Zoey were cowering at the huge crocodile-octopus hybrid. "What do we do now?" Zoey gulped.

"Can't you try to shoot that thing down?" Mike suggested. Zoey fired a few arrows, but they bounced off the crocodile's tough skin. "It only made it mad," Zoey realized after the beast roared at her. Suddenly, it froze in place. "Huh?" Mike wondered. "Why did that leather bag stop moving?"

"Hurry!" Alejandro shouted from behind the crocodile. "I'm not sure it'll hold forever!" Mike and Zoey quickly ran off, with Alejandro following behind. "Thanks for the save, Alejandro," Zoey told him.

"It was no trouble," Alejandro humbly replied.

"But why do it at all?" Mike questioned. "Wouldn't it help you if we got eaten?"

"Actually, it's why I came to talk with you. You see, Sky proposed that the Bears and Frogs join forces to take down the Gophers and Rats."

"Really?"

"Al wouldn't have a reason to lie," Zoey said. "But, um, couldn't we just do the Rats? If that's okay with you."

"Why just the Rats?" Alejandro inquired.

"I agree with Zoey," Mike put in. "This might be our one chance to take Julia down, and she's a tough competitor."

"Fair enough. So it's a deal?"

"We'll help you, but no funny tricks, okay?"

"I promise."

Confessional: Alejandro (Confused Bears)

"Hmm, Zoey must have a reason for her reluctance to go after the Gophers. Perhaps she has an acquaintance over there."

End Confessional

Back towards the edge of the lava rivers, there was an intense standoff. Julia, Duncan and Lightning stared down Jo, Anne-Maria and Zee while also shooting a glare towards Leshawna, Heather, Sarah and Lacey. Lightning shot off the first attack by blasting the lightning towards the Frogs, but Anne-Maria's hair shielded the trio. "This better not frizz up my hair!" Anne-Maria shouted.

"Hey, Burp Man," Jo told Zee, "You create a distraction for those super noobs so I can ambush them."

"Uh, sure," Zee replied. "How do I do that?" Jo simply tossed Zee ahead, leaving him at the mercy of the others. "Sorry, sugar," Leshawna said, "But Mighty Shawna's got a challenge to win." She started her jump and slam attack when Zee let out a large burp, knocking her and the others back. "Damn, the guy's got some pipes," Duncan commented.

"Gotcha!" Lacey declared as her chains wrapped around him. "Sorry, Duncan, but it's nothing personal. Speedster, try to pull an A-Train on him."

"You'd do that? Seriously?"

"What's an A-Train?" Julia asked. Sarah started rushing towards Duncan and ended up running through his body, leaving just a squishy, gory mess behind. "Ew," she gagged.

"Oh, you'll PAY for that!" Julia declared. She fired an icy blast, but Sarah quickly evaded it. Leshawna, however, wasn't as lucky and got frozen in a block of ice. Lightning then zapped her, making the ice burst and killing Leshawna. "Bee Girl's next," he declared. Heather looked to him and immediately high-tailed it away. "Heather, come back!" Sarah called out.

"Forget it," Lacey advised. "We need to retreat while we still can. Come on!" She and Sarah rushed off. "Sha-cowards," Lightning scoffed. "But now onto-" He suddenly froze up as his eyes glazed over. "Hey, Bolt Brain," Julia complained. "Shock the Frogs already!"

"Electrocute Julia," another voice commanded from the bushes.

"Electrocute Julia," Lightning repeated in a monotone voice. He zapped Julia, instantly killing her. "Uh, what just happened?" Zee wondered.

"I'm curious about that, too," Anne-Maria admitted after undoing her hair shield. "Why did Lightning turn against his own team? Sounds kinda stupid to do." Scarlett, Cameron and Sierra walked out of the bushes. "It's because I hypnotized him," Scarlett explained. "And good timing since Anne-Maria's shield can only endure so much damage while the conducting power linked with Jo's power would've caused cardiac arrest should Lightning have stricken you."

"She said that if it weren't for me," Anne-Maria boasted to Jo, "You would've been ZAP-ZAP BOOM-BOOM faster than you can say 'electric avenue'."

"You understood that?" Cameron wondered.

"Hey, I know basic science. It's the reason my dad takes off his wedding ring before working on the lights. Not that he's any good at it."

"Well, we'd better make the most out of Lightning. He might not stay hypnotized."

"Correct you are, smart guy," Stan announced over the loudspeakers. "The hypnotic powers only last five minutes. Oh, and only one person can be hypnotized at a time. Just thought you should know."

"We have enough time to take out a person or two," Scarlett reasoned. "Hmm, perhaps we should focus the attention to the water duo."

"Why not Heather?" Cameron asked. "She's closer."

"She's got bees!" Anne-Maria protested. "I'm not going near her! And isn't water good with bolt stuff like metal is?"

"Water guys it is," Jo decided. "Let's move!"

Confessional: Scarlett (Frogs of Death)

"While what I said about Geoff and Bridgette was true, there's an ulterior reason not to go after Heather. I want her to be one of the last campers standing. That way, if her team does lose, which is about a 68.56% chance as of now, her team will see her as more worthwhile to keep around to help their strength in challenges."

End Confessional

Back at the swamp, Samey was wrapping some tape around her hands. "What are you even doing?" Sol inquired.

"Well, I don't want to accidentally turn any of you into dust with this stupid aging power," Samey explained. "It stinks having it. I actually wanted the same power as Jasmine."

"Animal shape-shifting?" Jasmine guessed. "Hmm, I think I got something to perk up your spirits." She quickly changed into a little quokka. "Aw, cute overload!" Samey gushed.

"It's not that special," Sol scoffed. "Little critter actually needs a bath."

"Hey!" Jasmine squeaked out before returning to normal. "Wait a sec. That stench ain't me." The group turned to see Shawn, now with a skunk costume on, run up to her. "No zombie sightings yet," he muttered as he prepped for an attack. "Then again, my skunk powers will act as Zombie Repellent."

"I'd rather have some Shawn repellent," Jasmine growled out after becoming a dingo.

"Jasmine, calm down," Samey advised. "Isn't Shawn a strong fighter? Probably not a good idea to fight him."

"What do you want, Mushhead?" Sol asked with annoyance.

"The others asked for us Frogs and Bears to team up," Shawn explained.

"Sure," Jasmine sarcastically remarked, "Because you'll then backstab us the first chance you'll get just like in the paintball challenge!"

"Wait a minute," Samey cut in. "Did that happen, Shawn?"

"All I did was bail once I saw the hunters," Shawn replied. "I was surprised when Jasmine didn't follow. I thought that was the plan."

"All this over trying in the challenge?" Sol inquired. "Jasmine, you are just so-"

"Save it for later," Samey told them. "Let's just work together for now. Jasmine, can you become a large animal for transport, like a...um...a hippogriff?"

"A what?" Jasmine asked after returning to normal.

"A half-eagle and half-horse mythical beast," Sol explained.

"Hang on," Shawn thought. "Hey, Stan! Is changing into mythical creatures allowed?"

"Yes, Jasmine can be able to do that as long as it's not a phoenix," Stan replied over the intercoms.

"Good. Had a little dispute with Ella's wishing power. Oh, by the way, Sky wished for some of my teammates to fly, so you know."

"Then let's move," Samey declared. Jasmine quickly became a large hippogriff while the others climbed onto her back. She quickly flew off into the sky and above the desert, where she met up with an airborne Sky and Ella. "Hello, guys!" Ella greeted. "I'm so happy we're working together."

"Don't get distracted, Ella," Sky advised. "Who knows what the Rats or Gophers will try next." A sudden gust of wind nearly knocked them off-balance. "What the heck was that?" Shawn asked.

"Courtney and her friends dead ahead!" Sky shouted. Upon a large storm cloud rode Courtney, Scott, Austin and Bowie. "You wanna try and take us down?" Austin taunted. "Just try it and get a world of pain in return!" Courtney launched some lightning bolts towards the group. "Whoa!" Jasmine cried out as she narrowly dodged the bolts. "What's the plan here?"

"We need a long-range weapon and the axes and swords won't cut it," Sky reasoned. "Shawn, can you wish for some? I used my wish up."

"Ella, I wish for some laser guns like Priya has," Shawn told Ella. Ella flicked her wand, and Shawn, Sky, Samey and Sol all held a laser gun. Austin and Scott ducked at the blasts. However, Bowie closed his eyes as his suit turned while before his body became see-through, and the blasts went right through him. "I love my intangibility!" he hollered.

"Um, what is that?" Ella wondered.

"Things can pass through him like a ghost," Samey explained, "Which means he'll be hard to beat." Scott then launched lobs of mud, blinding Sky and Jasmine. "I can't see!" Jasmine shouted.

"Nice shot," Bowie complimented to Scott. "Now...I wonder...I wish that Sky and Jasmine were unable to fly!"

"Ella, don't grant that one!" Shawn warned. "We'll fall to our deaths!"

"I-I-I have no choice," Ella stammered as tears dotted her eyes. "I'm sorry." She flicked her wand, and a metal band was placed around Sky and Jasmine. "HELP!" the duo screamed out as they started to plummet.

"I got you, Sky!" Ella assured her as she grabbed her arm. "Hang on!"

"Got another one," Austin chuckled. "I wish Sky's arms were doused in lard!"

"I...I..." Sky's arms suddenly got lard on them, making Ella lose her grip before Sky fell again. "NO!" Ella shouted. She rushed down to her friend, but it was far too late as Sky crashed to the ground, splattering her remains across the desert sand. "No..." Ella choked out as tears dotted her eyes. "No...Sky..." She cradled Sky's body as she started to cry. Meanwhile, Jasmine was still pummeling towards the ground. "Mayday!" Shawn cried out. "We're gonna die!"

"I can't fly or see!" Jasmine shouted. "What do we do?!"

"I got an idea," Sol reasoned, "But it's a stretch. Pray to your mommas it works." He murmured some strange words before a vortex opened up. The group fell into it, then a second one appeared and dropped them safely onto the ground below. "We live!" Shawn exclaimed.

"Whoo-hoo!" Jasmine cheered while returning to normal before hugging Shawn. However, she quickly realized what she was doing and quickly dropped him. "Ella?" Samey wondered as she walked over to her. "Are you-?"

"She's gone," Ella sobbed while cradling Sky. "She's gone."

"Oh, Ella..."

"I can't even imagine," Jasmine sighed. "We gotta make those blokes pay for what they pulled!"

"And I know how," Sol declared. "Hey, Fairy Princess? See the goons in the clouds? I wish all of them were powerless."

"You mean-?"

"I mean. So, will you do it?" Ella sadly raised her wand up and flicked it. "How are those idiots still alive?" Austin groaned. "I outta go down there and fix 'em myself!" Fairy dust surrounded him and the others, making him cough. "Damn pixie dust!"

"What the hell?" Scott thought as he saw his regular appearance again. "I'm back to normal. Aw, I was loving- Wait a minute. If I'm normal, does that mean...?" He looked down to see that they were no longer standing on clouds. "FUUUUUUUUU-" Scott screamed as he, Austin, Courtney and Bowie plummeted down. Ella, Samey, Jasmine, Shawn and Sol quickly turned their heads before the four Rats went SPLAT! on the ground. "Well," Sol finally spoke up after a tense silence, "They won't pester anyone else anymore."

"Sky..." Ella sniffled.

"We should probably let her mourn in peace," Jasmine quietly suggested.

"Yeah..." Shawn breathed out. "Hey, what's with Amy there?" Samey quietly whispered something to Sol. "You serious?" he asked. "Uh...fine. Your funeral." He summoned another vortex, which Samey fell through. "What the hell, Solstice?!" Jasmine scolded.

"Hey, she asked for it," Sol defended.

Confessional: Samey (Frogs of Death)

"When Sol did the vortex with his magic, I realized something: if Sol brought his magic to this VR world, could that stuff I saw in the dream world come, too? And if so...well, I'd rather not dwell on it."

End Confessional

"This place is so massive," Helen breathed out as she, Lucas and Max walked ahead. "So far, no other heroes."

"EVIL needs to battle one so I may defeat her!" Max declared.

"Uh, 'she'?" Lucas questioned. "Got a girl on the mind, you lucky dog."

"Nay! EVIL does not date! Just to conquer and rule as it's emperor!" Max fell to the ground. "Who tripped me?" he demanded. "InvisiBryan, if it was you-"

"Sorry, dude," Bryan apologized. "Didn't mean it. But I'm glad I caught you. The Bears and Rats are working together to take us out, and the Bears even managed to make themselves fly. Be careful out there."

"Flying? Ha! My minions and henchmen shall defeat the-"

"Oh, you did NOT just tell me to hench," Helen scoffed. "Lucas, you hearing this?"

"Guys, please don't fight," Bryan pleaded. "Only a few of us are left. We must ban together."

"Fine, but DON'T call me a henchman again."

"Prove your worth and you might upgrade to sidekick position," Max replied.

"Uh, maybe we should split up so we're not a huge target," Lucas suggested.

"Yes! See? That is thinking a sidekick should work towards."

"Oh, yes," Helen sarcastically remarked. "How silly of me."

Confessional: Helen and Lucas (Screaming Gophers)

"Sometimes I forget how annoying Max can be," Helen began.

"And kinda useless," Lucas added. "Remember the dodgeball challenge? Didn't play even once."

"Agree to boot him if we lose?"

"Agreed. His time here's aging like milk."

Confessional: Max (Screaming Gophers)

"Everyone knows EVIL has a hierarchy in power. It's goons, then minions, then henchmen, then sidekicks, then the true villain himself, such as yours truly."

End Confessionals

"Why must we have rivers of lava?" Dawn sighed as she picked up a wilting daisy. "My flowers can't take the heat much longer."

"Hey, Harold," DJ thought as he saw him doing a few poses. "I thought you were supposed to go with the others to fight."

"With Duncan?" Harold argued. "No way! That arrogant punk would've killed me out of pure enjoyment!"

"Come on, dude," Geoff shrugged. "He wouldn't do that."

"Uh, I'm not so sure," DJ put in. "Remember the cooking challenge?"

"Is that so?" Dawn asked as she spoke with a little dragonfly. "Okay. She says that Lightning is coming back, but no one else from our team."

"Not even Julia?" Sam wondered. "Should we brace for an ambush?"

"Nah, man," Geoff shrugged off. "It's our buddy."

"I must side with Sam," Dawn admitted. "I sense something bad coming our way."

"Bad?" DJ gulped before turning into a hedgehog. The group then saw Lightning walking towards them. "Hey, Lightning," Bridgette greeted from her water bubble. "Everything go okay? Where's Duncan and Julia?"

"Oh, you'll be meeting them soon," Scarlett slyly snickered as she, Cameron and Sierra stepped out from behind Lightning. "Lightning, zap them." Lightning obeyed, though the Rats barely avoided the attack. "He's been hypnotized!" Harold realized. "We must neutralize Scarlett to break the spell! Dawn, with me!" The duo rushed towards Scarlett when they were propelled into the air. "Hey, I'm doing it!" Cameron cheered.

"Focus on keeping them airborne," Scarlett commanded. "They'll be unable to fight back while they're not on solid ground. Lightning, attack Geoff." Lightning launched another bolt attack, but Geoff dodged again, though it broke Bridgette's water bubble she was in. "Can't...breathe..." she wheezed out. She noticed Geoff still on the ground as Lightning stood over him. "NO!" Bridgette cried out. She jumped in the path of lightning and took the hit just before it hit Geoff. "Bridge?" Geoff gasped as he saw her body on the ground. "Bridge, wake up!" He was quickly electrocuted and fell next to her. "Two more threats gone," Scarlett noted. "Lightning, go attack Sam and DJ now."

"Why would I do that to a teammate?" Lightning asked. "Hey! You're those nasty Frogs that attacked my team! Prepare to get struck by Lightning!" He attempted to zap Scarlett and Cameron, but Sierra quickly wrapped her body around them and deflected the lightning. "Tough luck," Sierra teased. "Rubber beats lightning every time."

"Looks pretty scary out there, huh?" Sam asked DJ as the latter hid underneath some leaves. "Uh-oh. Up in the sky. Another player's joining the field!"

"Eat laser, Rats!" Priya declared while firing her laser gun. Sam quickly dove for cover as a blast narrowly missed his feet. "Priya, aim for Harold and Dawn!" Cameron shouted. "I can't keep them in the air much longer!"

"Sam, grab Priya!" Dawn advised. "It's our only shot at survival!" Sam gulped before lunging at Priya, taking her by surprise as the duo crashed to the ground. "That the best you've got?" Priya challenged. "Huh? Hey!" She noticed her body becoming pixelated before she faded away completely, leaving her laser gun and radio behind. "Priya?" Millie spoke on the other end of the radio. "Priya, come in! What's going on?"

"Uh, my pixel powers made her, like, disappear," Sam admitted. "Looks like I was the kryptonite to her invincibility."

"Don't tell her that, couch potato," Lightning scolded as he tried to zap Sierra again. "She's the sha-enemy!"

"Hang on. Millie, is your team working with the Frogs?"

"Uh...yeah," Millie slowly replied. "Why?"

"Can the Rats join up to track down the Gophers?"

"Well... Greg, what do I do?"

"Come over to the Bears' cave and we can help you out," Greg responded. "And no tricks from you guys. We'll be watching."

"Should we trust them?" Sierra asked Cameron and Scarlett.

"Drop those two, Cameron," Scarlett instructed. "But keep Lightning here as insurance for the Rats."

"Fair enough," Dawn sighed.

"What?!" Lightning protested. "No way! I-" Cameron released Dawn and Harold, who ended up falling on Lightning. "We're the only guys left, dude," Sam quietly reminded him as he joined the group. "It's our only way of keeping ourselves from voting someone off."

"It could also be a trap," Harold reasoned.

"We have no other choice," Dawn countered. "We must accept their deal." Lightning was lifted off the ground by Cameron's telekinesis. "The cave's to your north," Cameron explained. "Best of luck, guys." The remaining Rats rushed off. "I still don't trust them," Harold grumbled.

"We can at least trust Millie," Sam said. "She did admit to working with the Frogs."

"Still..."

"You can relax a bit," Dawn assured him. "Just in case we are walking into a trap, I made sure DJ was hidden away in some leaves. That way, we'll have at least one survivor."

"Smart thinking," Sam chuckled. "Now let's move! Onwards!"

"Any sign of the enemy, Ethan?" Paul asked as the duo walked towards the desert.

"No," Ethan replied, "And in all honesty, I wish we don't have to engage in combat. I don't like the idea of harming innocents."

"The other guys won't show the same mercy. And don't you always carry around that sword?"

"Only for self-defense! I don't go actively killing anything."

"You can break the rules here this one time. I don't want either of us dying."

"Sorry to crush your dreams, boys," Lucas cut in as he stood behind them, "But it's you two that's gonna get crushed by none other than Grandioso!"

"No, that won't happen," Ethan declared while summoning two crystal shields.

"Those dinner plates won't stand a chance against my super strength. Vengen a mi, muchachos!" Lucas charged at the duo and quickly knocked Ethan and his shields away. "Ow, that hurt," Ethan groaned. "Paul, look out!" Lucas threw a punch, but Paul managed to catch it and even push Lucas back a couple of feet. "How did-?" Lucas wondered, flabbergasted. "I'm supposed to have-" He screamed as Paul lunged for him. He ducked and weaved at every punch Paul threw. Lucas soon grabbed the mechanic and tossed him straight towards Ethan, knocking them both to the ground. "Man, that super strength packs a punch," Ethan moaned. "Are you okay, buddy?"

"I will be once he's dead!" Paul growled out.

"P-Paul, your eyes. They're...they..." Over nearby, Samey fell out of the vortex and landed on her feet. "Where is he?" she muttered. "Maybe... Better get a preparation. Hope I get it right." She closed her eyes as she muttered some words before a sharp piece of silver crystal appeared in her hand. "Yes! I did it! And on the first try, too."

"You're mine, Paul!" Lucas shouted in the distance.

"Oh, dear God, Lucas!" Samey started running towards his voice. "Out of fight already?" Lucas taunted as Ethan held Paul back.

"I suggest you leave," Ethan warned him with a hard stare.

"Sorry, Knighty Knight, but I have a challenge to win."

"Not if I can help it," Paul seethed.

"No, don't," Ethan begged as held tightly to Paul's arm. "Please." Lucas came charging towards the two boys. "LUCAS!" Samey cried out as she ran closer. Paul growled before swinging a clawed hand towards Lucas. The world slowed down some as the aftermath was shown: both Ethan and Lucas stunned in fright as Samey, now with slash marks over her body, falling towards the ground. She slowly rose to her feet again, though her balance was wobbly as she was bleeding from her arms, chest and neck. "Que carajo?" Lucas breathed out.

"Lucas..." Samey choked out as she held up a clenched fist. "Please...take...go...Lucas..." She soon collapsed from blood loss, making her release the silver crystal in her fist. Before Lucas could pick it up, he screamed as Paul tried to swipe a clawed hand at him again. "I'm warning you!" Ethan shouted as he held the snarling Paul back. "I can let go of him!"

"No hace falta que me lo digas dos veces!" Lucas screamed. "Me voy de aqui!" He quickly ran off. "Paul, calm down," Ethan told him as the mechanic struggled to free himself. "He's gone now. Paul!" Paul's breathing started to slow down a bit. "Ethan?" he wondered.

"I'm here," Ethan reassured him as he released his grip. "Are you okay, though? Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember Lucas trying to kill us and me trying to stop him and then..." Paul's eyes drifted to Samey's body. "What have I done?" he thought as his voice started to crack.

"You were just trying to defend us," Ethan informed him. "You couldn't have known Miss Amanda would do that." He noticed the crystal on the ground and picked it up. "What is this? It shines like silver." He noticed Paul trying to reach for it. "I wouldn't," Ethan advised. "Silver isn't exactly..."

"No, it's not that," Paul quietly replied. "Could...could you hang onto it if I...this happens again?"

"Tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying."

"Ethan, I just can't take the chance! I don't want to see anyone else get hurt by my hands. Please." Ethan looked at Paul before letting out a heavy sigh. "Since you insist," Ethan reluctantly decided as he pocketed the crystal. "Let's go, buddy."

Confessional: Ethan (Confused Bears)

"I think it's only now that the impact of Paul's new condition is really starting to sink in. And honestly, I feel uncomfortable carrying that piece of silver. I hope I never use it."

End Confessional

Back towards the cave, Harold had crept inside, with Dawn and Sam following behind. "Hey, Sam," Millie greeted. "Glad you guys came, but, um, try not to, um..."

"No touchy," Sam finished. "Trust me, I got the memo. Again, sorry about Priya."

"So what exactly is your plan?" Harold inquired.

"I constructed a radar system with my technopathy powers to track down who's still in the running," Greg explained. "See those yellow dots flashing? That's you Rats. The red dots are us Bears, the purple the Frogs, the green the Gophers and the blue dot in the swamp I can't figure out."

"It's most likely a crocodile," Dawn reasoned. "Either that or perhaps a python. So you said you wanted to go after the Gophers?"

"It plays to all our odds. If those guys lose, the other teams will be safe, us included."

"But won't it be hard since one of them is, like, invisible?" Sam asked.

"That's what the radar's for. Oh, boy. Looks like a Gopher's coming."

"Which one?" Harold thought. The group heard some subtle buzzing. "It's Queen Bee!" Sam gasped as Heather walked inside the cave. "We gotta fight her!" However, a swarm of bees started stinging the Rats. "You dorks stopping me?" Heather laughed. "Yeah, right. Now for you two pesky Bears."

"No, Heather, please," Millie pleaded. "Spare us!"

"And whatever you do," Greg informed her, "Don't step on that X on the ground there." Heather looked down to see a bright white X. "You really think I'd fall for that?" she scoffed as she stood next to it. "You're trying reverse psychology to get me on the X. Well, I'm much smarter than your pathetic mind."

"Oh, you are definitely clever enough to think that," Greg remarked before getting a sly smirk. "Or you would be if I didn't know that you would figure that trick out immediately." He pressed against the wall of the cave. Suddenly, a stalagmite rose up from the ground and impaled Heather in the chest. The bees all vanished, much to the relief of the Rats. "Whoa," Sam gulped as he saw Heather's body. "Talk about a brutal game over."

"Well, this cave was designed to have spikes and pits," Millie reminded the group. "Alejandro used one of Ella's wishes so that we can control them."

"That makes things even scarier," Dawn shuddered. "We should leave."

"Take the radar with you so you can track down the remaining Gophers," Greg told them as he passed the radar. "I adjusted it so you'll now know who exactly you're up against. There's Lacey, Sarah and Helen in a group, Lucas, Max, Echo and Bryan left. Take your pick on who to tackle."

"Let's do the three girls," Sam suggested while Dawn held the radar. "We'll at least be evenly matched."

"Alright, then," Dawn replied. "Let's go." The trio ran out of the cave. Back with Ella, she was still weeping over Sky when she noticed Shane standing nearby. "You okay, Ella?" he asked. "I heard you crying."

"Sky..." Ella sniffled. "She's...with wings...fell...wish..."

"She fell while flying? And...she's...oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Can't you wish her-?"

"I can't. The rules prohibit it." The duo were blasted away with a guitar blast. "Boom!" Helen whooped as she, Sarah and Lacey stood over them. "Time to turn the tides!"

"You've got it," Sarah replied. "Another A-Train coming up!" She ran towards Shane and Ella but Shane kept her at bay with a fiery blast. "Whoa, too hot!" Sarah cried out while backpedaling. "Lacey, Helen, you've gotta take them down!" Lacey whipped her chains and Helen let out another sonic blast on her guitar while Shane kept them at bay with his fire blasts. "You can't hold out forever," Lacey told him. "Best if you surrender right now."

"Sky wouldn't want that," Ella quietly replied while clutching Sky's body. Shane looked towards Ella before getting a determined look. "Not on my watch," he declared as his eyes became as black as coal. His flames turned the same shade as his eyes as he launched a powerful blast. "Hey!" Sarah cried out as she, Lacey and Helen were consumed by the fire and burned to a smoldering ash. Soon, there was an eerie silence as Ella looked on with disbelief while Shane just stood in place. "Ella," Shane finally spoke up, "May I make a wish for your departed friend?"

"No sign of that guy," Lucas panted while looking behind him. "Thank God. With him gone, I can be king of the-" He was suddenly squished by Nikki's foot. "Squash a Gopher," she chuckled. "Oh, it's just Lucas. Kinda hoping it was someone else."

"Uh, you can drop us now," Rodney spoke up as he and Helga were in Nikki's hands. Nikki set the duo down onto the ground. "King...of the...world..." Lucas weakly rallied while wobbling on his feet.

"He's still alive after getting squished?" Rodney thought.

"Mask Man is human cockroach," Helga commented.

"Should you, uh, I mean, um..."

"He wants to give you the honors," Nikki explained to Helga. "Go ahead and humor him."

"Eh..." Helga thought. "Why not? I want to fight." She roared before lunging at Lucas. "You go, Helga!" Rodney cheered. However, he shielded his eyes with his hands as the scene got gorier.

"Still no sign of anybody," Keith thought as he walked around the desert. "Keep up, squirt. We can't stay still."

"This sand's so real!" Phoebe gushed. "Maybe a sand angel or sand castle or a sandman or-"

"Maybe later. We can't let the others catch us. I'm powerless and you're no fighter yourself. We won't stand much of a chance."

"How correct you are," Max cackled as he stepped forward.

"Hi, Max," Phoebe greeted. "Oh, rolly-pollies! Awesome!"

"And under MY command! Now we shall engage in the ULTIMATE BATTLE! ATTACK!" The minions started scurrying to Keith and Phoebe, but Keith punched most of them away. "Easy with the tickling!" Phoebe giggled as two of the minions tickled her. "Stop it!" Keith quickly scooped her up before running off. "Gotta find a weapon of some kind," he thought. "See anything, Phoebe?"

"Just sand," Phoebe replied, "Sand, sand, sand, shiny thing, sand, sand, cactus, sand...ooh, a cactus!"

"Go back to the shiny thing. Any detail on what it is?"

"Uh...it was shiny and in the sand and thin and-"

"Good enough for me. Let's grab it." Keith ran towards the shiny object when he saw some more of Max's minions crawling closer to them. He lunged at the object, revealing it as... "A bottle?!" Keith angrily shouted. "It's useless against these guys!"

"I think I hear some SWISH-SWISH-SWISH inside it," Phoebe noted as she shook the bottle. "Maybe there's apple juice inside." She just uncorked the bottle when Max and his minions arrived next to them. "I have cornered you, Phoebe," he boasted. "Now face my unbound fury!"

"In your dreams," Keith scoffed. "I can take you."

"We found this bottle," Phoebe said as she walked over towards Max. "It has-" She tripped over her own feet and splattered the contents onto Max, making him scream out in pain and collapse. "I'm sorry, Max," Phoebe apologized. "I didn't mean to...Max? Max!" She rushed over to see Max struggling to breathe. "Hang on! I'll help!" She tried to use her healing power, but to no effect. "It isn't working! Why isn't it working?! Coach, what's in that bottle?" Keith wiped away to label. "It's venom from the blue-ringed octopus," he read off. "I'm grateful you spilled it instead of drinking it. Stuff's more powerful than arsenic or a snakebite."

"That explains it," Max wheezed. "It seems that...Phoebe's power does not work on venom with no antidotes."

"No!" Phoebe protested. "I can help! I can! I can! I can!"

"It's fine. No need to get upset. The hero usually wins the battle...in the end. At least I know...I went down to a worthy opponent. Well played, Phoebe. Well...played." Max smiled as he took his last breath, with Phoebe frozen in horror while she held him in her arms. "Damn," Keith muttered as he walked over to Phoebe. "What a way to go. Add in the fact he smiled at the end...Phoebe, will you be alright?"

"Y-yeah," Phoebe stammered. "I'm...I'm fine."

Confessional: Keith (Frogs of Death)

"I've noticed something about Phoebe. I've seen her happy. I've seen her scared. Hell, I've even seen her get mad! But I've never seen her cry, even when she should cry. She just says 'I'm fine' over and over again. Not a good idea to keep something like that bottled up."

End Confessional

"Come on," Keith encouraged as he picked Phoebe up, "Let's just...keep going." However, Phoebe still clung onto Max's arm. "Okay," Keith sighed, "He can come, too." He scooped up Max's body and carried both him and Phoebe over his shoulders. Keith kept walking until he saw a more peculiar sight. Ella was placing some flowers around a gravestone. "Do you think she'll like violets, Shane?" she asked.

"She'll like anything you do," Shane assured her. He noticed Keith walking up. "What do you want?" Shane demanded as he held Ella protectively.

"Better question is what the hell are you doing?" Keith countered.

"Holding a service for Sky," Ella explained. "She...she..."

"It's still fresh," Shane said. "What about your little 'buddies' over your arms?"

"One's dead and the other is...physically okay," Keith replied.

"Max..." Phoebe whimpered. "I could...couldn't...but I'm fine. I'm fine."

"I see what he means," Shane muttered to Ella.

"Oh, my," Ella noted with concern. "Perhaps Phoebe needs some uplifting?"

"I'm fine," Phoebe repeated.

"Well, I got an idea better than fine," Keith told her. "Recall what Max told you about earlier? Time for you to prove your worth. Wand up, Fairy Princess. I have a wish to make."

"No sign of any of the Gophers yet," Dawn sighed while looking at the radar she held. "I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this."

"Maybe the thing's broken?" Sam thought. "Hey, purple dots! That's the Frogs, right?"

"Hey, guys!" Zee greeted as he, Jo, Anne-Maria, Valerie, Topher, Nikki and Helga joined them. "Sweet costumes!"

"Thanks. I like it."

"Blah, blah, blah," Jo cut off. "Let's just crush these Rats already."

"Did Greg not inform you of the truce?" Dawn asked.

"It is a trap!" Harold realized. "Why didn't you listen to me?! GOSH!"

"Guys, wait!" Rodney cut in as Nikki set him down. "I got off the radio with Greg. There is a truce in order to take out the Gophers. Helga managed to eliminate Lucas."

"I wear blood of slain cockroach!" Helga declared while raising a fist to the air.

"Okay, ew!" Anne-Maria gagged. "That's disgusting!"

"The only Gophers left on the radar are Echo and Bryan," Dawn noted.

"Ain't one of them invisible or something?" Sol asked as he, Jasmine and Shawn joined the fray.

"We're here, too," Destiny giggled while dragging Dave with her.

"As are we," Alejandro added as he, Zoey and Mike walked up.

"So...gonna do a massive team-up, huh?" Paul wondered as he and Ethan approached the group.

"This is awesome!" Sam cheered. "With all of us working together, nothing can stop us from defeating the Gophers!" The group was suddenly knocked back by a large explosion. "Think again, Super Zeroes!" Echo declared after the smoke cleared.

"Echo?" Nikki wondered in confusion.

"We must stop her, comrades," Alejandro rallied.

"Try if you can," Echo taunted. "I'm not going down without a fight!" She then summoned a large dragon with numerous heads that roared a ferocious roar. "D-d-dragon!" Ethan cried out. Two heads launched out and started attacking. Harold used his martial arts skills to fight them off but one head quickly swallowed him whole. "Harold!" Sam and Dawn shouted with fear.

"Valerie, Topher, Zee, Nikki, Helga and Rodney, distract the dragon," Alejandro ordered. "The rest of you, follow me. We must stop Echo!"

"I don't think you're good to face that thing," Paul reasoned to Ethan. "Follow me. We'll help in a different way." The duo ran off in another direction. Meanwhile, the main group was still charging at Echo. "Come face us head on, you blue-haired freak!" Jo declared. She and the others were meant with a huge swarm of... "WASPS!" Anne-Maria shrieked as she tried to shoo them away. "NO! You're gonna make me all blotchy!"

"Hang on, Tangerine," Destiny scoffed. She let out a sonic scream, pushing most of the wasps back. "Keep going!" Jasmine rallied. "We gotta stop her if we want to win!"

"I'll help Destiny with the wasps," Shawn volunteered. "Zombie Repellent, go!" His skunk stench made a few wasps fall to the ground. "Alright!" Sam cheered.

"She's just up ahead," Dawn noted. "Just a few more feet and-" She was taken aback by Echo, who had shot up in height and gained a demonic appearance. "Oh, come ON!" Sam groaned. "Unfair difficulty spike here!"

"H-how will we deal with this?!" Dave demanded. "She's HUGE!"

"How is it even possible?" Zoey thought. "I thought Nikki was the giant."

"And to think those wasps were scary," Anne-Maria noted.

"That's it!" Sol realized. "Echo's power is fearful illusions. The explosion, the dragon, the wasps, even giant Echo...it's all fake!"

"But the dragon ate Harold!" Valerie protested. "You can't fake that!"

"The fear must be manifesting into real objects," Alejandro reasoned. "We just have to stay calm and-" He froze as dozens of Chris's surrounded the group. "Time to die," the Chris clones chanted as they circled the heroes. "Time to die. Time to die."

"Kinda hard to stay calm with that," Mike gulped.

"Uh, what the hell is that?" Jo wondered as she pointed in the distance. In the distance, Keith and Phoebe were riding on the back of a large penguin sliding across the ground. "THIS IS SO COOL!" Phoebe exclaimed as she clung to Keith's back with one hand and held onto her nurse's cap with the other. "Penguin riding!"

"There's the bad guy we gotta take down," Keith noted as he looked to the multi-headed dragon. "No doubt someone's controlling it. You steer. I'll attack the bad guy." He pulled out a large sword. "FOR MAX!" Phoebe declared. "Hi-ho, Pete, and away!" She steered the penguin past the dragon's attacking heads and weaved past the wasp swarm. "Is that Keith?" Zoey thought. "On a penguin?" One of the Chris clones tried going after Keith, but he slashed the clone away with his sword. "If only I can do that with the real McLean," Keith chuckled.

"Focus, coach!" Phoebe told him. "Big boss, remember?"

"Just gotta find where that paled pest is at." Keith slashed at the giant Echo, making the illusion disappear and the real Echo fall down from the sky. Keith swung his sword again, which ended up decapitating Echo. All of the illusions vanished, much to the relief of the others. "Keith, you did it!" Phoebe cheered. "You did beat the big boss, right?"

"Almost," Alejandro replied. "We just have Bryan to defeat in order for everyone here to win."

"What, are you gonna use the old flour trick like they do in cartoons?" Keith thought.

"I think we'll stick with the radar," Sam told him.

"I see him on the radar!" Zoey gasped. "Let's get him!"

"Paul and Ethan are on his trail?" Dave realized. "How are they tracking him without the radar?"

"Probably sheer coincidence," Valerie scoffed. "Those two have zero tracking skills."

"Keep moving forward," Paul told Ethan as the duo ran ahead. "Bryan's trail is still warm."

"How did you become skilled at this?" Ethan wondered.

"Honestly, kinda lucked out with the whole...stuff. Hey, use a shield to gather some sand or dirt up." Ethan summoned a crystal shield and scooped up some dirt, then passed the shield to Paul. Paul then threw the dirt, which managed to hit Bryan. "Hey!" Bryan complained. "This was one of my best shirts!"

"Let's get him!" Paul shouted. He and Ethan lunged for Bryan but only got air. "Hey, he vanished!" Ethan gasped. He froze as he saw the silver crystal being pointed to Paul's back. "Too bad," Bryan told them. "I hate doing this, but you drove me into a corner." He raised the crystal high, ready to strike, but Ethan was quicker and used his sword to slash where the crystal was. The crystal dropped to the ground as small pools of blood started to form. "Y-you..." Paul stammered in shock.

"He was going to kill you," Ethan informed him. "If I had another choice, then-" He was taken aback by Paul's hug. "Uh, you're welcome, I guess."

"Game over!" Stan announced over the loudspeakers. "A team has been completely wiped out!" Back in the real world, everyone's VR goggles were removed. "Congratulations, Frogs of Death," Chris announced. "With only one casualty, you are the supreme heroes! And the title for supreme losers go to the Gophers, who I'll be seeing tonight at elimination."

"Blast!" Max complained. "I was so certain that my-" He was suddenly hugged tightly by Phoebe. "You're okay!" she squealed. "You're okay! You're okay! You're okay!"

"He won't be if you keep choking him," Keith scolded. "Let go!" Back at the Bear cabin, Sky was fixing her bed when she saw Ella and Shane enter the cabin. "Oh, hey, guys," Sky greeted. "Something up?"

"We just came to check in on you," Shane confessed. "You know, after everything that happened in the VR world... It was definitely rough how you went out."

"I thought my worst fear would be to drown, not to fall from the sky like Icarus."

"It's all my fault, Sky!" Ella cried out. "If I hadn't granted Courtney's wish..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself over it. And besides, you weren't asking for me to fall. You tried to save me."

"And even after that," Shane added, "You still stuck by Sky no matter what, even with sonic blasts. The last memory I have in the VR world is making sure a proper burial was for your friend using one of your wishes. You're a good friend, Ella, and anyone should be grateful to be friends with you."

"Thank you, Shane," Ella breathed out. "I feel a bit better now."

"Maybe you need to relax a bit," Sky suggested. "How about you and Shane swim by the dock later this evening?"

"Sounds good to me," Shane replied. "Meet you there, Ella."

"See you then," Ella told him. After Shane walked outside, she turned to Sky. "Um, may I speak to you about Shane, please?"

"You can Dave him if you want," Sky said, "But don't forget we're here to win."

"It's not about that, but thank you anyway. During the challenge when Shane was fighting against three Gopher girls, his eyes and flames turned completely black."

"Really? Do you think it was part of the game?"

"I'm not sure. The flames were red and his eyes were the normal blue."

"Hmm...let me check something." Sky pulled out her book from underneath the bed. "Not a word, Ella," she warned as Ella glanced at the title. "I already gave Dave hell about it. Now, black eyes and black flames... The only thing that's close to matching it is demons, but that's gotta be impossible. They're all selfish at best and murderous at worst. Shane is upper morally gray at worst."

"But Ingrozi is pretty nice," Ella noted, "And The Grim Reaper was really friendly to me."

"What?! You actually-? On second thought, we'd better not jump to conclusions just yet. It's just a flimsy theory right now."

"Um, alright..."

Confessional: Sky (Confused Bears)

"Those demons better not have done anything to Ella. Befriending a demon is like getting a werewolf to wear a silver necklace: impossible!"

Confessional: Ella (Confused Bears)

"I know Sky said to discard it, but could demons be behind it? After all, Shane was resurrected by one. But becoming a demon can't be possible...can it?"

End Confessionals

"So we all agree to cut either Heather or Max, right?" Lucas began to the other Gophers.

"I'd like to boot Max," Helen said. "He's so annoying with his villain gimmick!"

"At least Max didn't try to steal my man," Gwen scolded while glaring at Carly.

"I told you I did not kiss Trent!" Carly protested. "Trent, help me out here." However, Trent just sat in a tense silence. "Why not Heather?" Leshawna asked. "She's a pain in the ass to everyone here!"

"But she is sort of useful in challenges," Bryan defended. "I just wish I hadn't screwed up so we wouldn't be in this mess."

"You didn't know the Bears would be flying or using radar," Lucas assured her. "And you lasted the longest in the challenge."

"Can we do Max?" Owen asked. "Helen's right; he's kinda getting on the guys' nerves."

"But Candy's the mean one," Lindsay argued.

"I am not!" Carly protested.

"I guess we'll just see how things turn out tonight," Echo shrugged.

"Yeah..." Bryan gulped. "Just see."

Confessional: Bryan (Screaming Gophers)

"Ah, the tension is delicious! So many possible choices tonight. Get rid of that rich girl we framed or perhaps the nuisance wannabe villain or maybe even spook someone with a stray vote."

Confessional: Echo (Screaming Gophers)

"Definitely good possibilities to eliminate tonight, and I think I can start taking advantage of my secret weapon." She pulled out the phone MK and Bowie used. "Surprise! I wonder how long it'll take that walking stereotype to notice it's missing. Swiping it was like taking candy from a baby."

End Confessionals

Inside the spa hotel, Phoebe was sitting on the couch while she stroked Barry's back. "Hey, coach?" she spoke up. "Do you think Max will be okay?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure," Keith admitted as he carried a pork chop with him. "Also, I got Barry some pork to munch on."

"Why won't he be okay?"

"There's always that chance. It's just how the game works."

"Um, maybe we can check in on him before the-"

"All Gophers report to the campfire pronto!" Chris announced over the loudspeakers.

"Guess we'll be watching the ceremony," Keith decided while picking Barry up. "Come on." Later that evening, the Screaming Gophers were sitting at the campfire ceremony. Leshawna, Lacey, Sarah, Owen, Helen, Lucas, and Heather were in the back row while Gwen, Lindsay, Trent, Echo, Carly and Max were in the front row. "Been a bit since I've seen you," Chris began, "But your luck just ran out. Chef, give them some hard truths."

"Bryan," Chef started.

"M-me?" Bryan stammered.

"You were the last person in the challenge, and you might've helped your team won if you just stayed hidden. Gwen, you attacked your teammate over what could have been a misunderstanding."

"Like hell it was!" Gwen lashed back.

"Calm it down, girl," Leshawna advised. "We'll get it settled."

"And Carly," Chef finished, "People are saying you kissed another girl's guy. That's a sleazy move there."

"But I didn't!" Carly protested.

"Sure, you didn't," Heather slyly replied.

"Psst, Phoebe," Keith whispered as his eyes were visible in a bush. "You can see well, right?"

"I'm good," Phoebe quietly replied as her eyes appeared above his. "You good, Barry?" Barry yapped as his eyes appeared over hers. "A marshmallow means you're safe," Chris announced. "No marshmallow means you're done. The following Incredibles rejects are safe. Sarah, Echo, Lucas, Helen, Leshawna, Owen, Lindsay, Trent, Lacey, Bryan and Gwen. The next marshmallow goes to..." Carly got a worried look while Heather and Max shared a smug smile. "...Heather."

"Ha!" Heather laughed as she caught her marshmallow.

"That's not a good sign," Keith whispered to Phoebe.

"The last super dud staying is..." Chris announced while holding the last marshmallow. Carly's worry intensified while Max got a confident smile. "..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Carly!"

"Yes!" Carly cheered as she caught the marshmallow.

"NO!" Phoebe screamed as she fell out of the bush. "Why him? Why him?"

"What good is he?" Helen scoffed. "Plus, he's annoying as heck."

"You Gophers shall rule the day you-" Max seethed.

"Enough of your 'evil' talk," Chef cut off as he picked the wannabe villain up by his pants. "Boat of Losers for you." He started walking off but suddenly found himself held back. "Don't go," Phoebe pleaded as she clung to his leg. "Please...don't take him away, too!"

"Get off of me, girl!" Chef scolded. Over by the Dock of Shame, Shane and Ella were sitting by the water. "What a pretty night it is," Shane sighed.

"Yeah," Ella replied as she snuggled closer to Shane, "Just magical, isn't it?"

"I demand you release me!" Max declared as Chef carried him to the Boat of Losers.

"Max?" Shane wondered in confusion. "Out of all the choices..." Chef tossed Max onto the Boat of Losers and flung Phoebe away. "Max!" Phoebe shouted. "Don't leave!" However, her voice was not heard as the Boat of Losers drove away. Phoebe just sat in an uncomfortable silence as she watched the boat disappear on the lake. "Are...are you okay, Phoebe?" Ella asked her. "It's must be hard losing a friend like that."

"I'm fine," Phoebe muttered as she looked down.

"Like hell you're fine!" Keith snapped as he stormed up next to her.

"Coach! Language!"

"Well, somebody has to say it. You're not fine. You think that cadet leaving was 'fine'? You think that midget leaving was 'fine'? Well, were they?!"

"I..."

"Take it easy on her, you ape!" Shane scolded. "Phoebe's still reeling over-"

"Stay out of this, Super Dud!" Keith cut off. "And Phoebe, does that mean all that time you spent with them, all the pain you've endured...did it mean nothing?! Answer me!"

"I..." Phoebe choked out. "I...I...I..." She suddenly burst into tears as she cried her heart out. "Brick!" she sobbed. "Max! They're gone! Just gone! I've never been so alone! But I have to keep going for them! What else can I do?!"

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard," Ella sniffled as tears streaked down her face. "It...it makes me feel sad, too."

"Oh, Phoebe," Shane sighed as his eyes got watery. Barry joined in with a mournful whimper. "Damn it, Phoebe," Keith sniffled while wiping away a tear. "Now you got all of us with waterworks." Phoebe still kept crying and bawling, which reached the ears of the other campers. "Keep it down!" Courtney scolded. "I'm trying to sleep here!"

"Is that Phoebe?" Paul asked as he and Ethan poked their head out the doorway. "Poor girl must be taking the elimination the hardest."

"Who would've thought she'd be heartbroken over that little guy leaving?" Sarah sighed while walking to the cabin. The camera panned up to the night sky as Phoebe's crying could still be heard.

Votes:

Voted for Max: Owen, Trent, Helen, Lucas, Carly, Bryan

Voted for Carly: Max, Gwen, Heather, Lindsay, Echo

Voted for Heather: Leshawna, Lacey, Sarah

Eliminated: Max (6-5-3)

100) Caleb (Toxic Rats)

99) Staci (Toxic Rats)

98) B (Toxic Rats)

97) Axel (Frogs of Death)

96) Elias (Screaming Gophers)

95) Eva (Confused Bears)

94) Olivia (Screaming Gophers)

93/92) Katie/Sadie (Confused Bears)

91) Noah (Confused Bears)

90) Justin (Screaming Gophers)

89) Nichelle (Toxic Rats)

88) Lauren (Confused Bears)

87) Dean (Confused Bears)

86) Alan (Screaming Gophers)

85) Leonard (Toxic Rats)

84) 'Dumb' Damien (Screaming Gophers)

83/82) Corey (Screaming Gophers)/Laney (Frogs of Death)

81) Jane (Frogs of Death)

80) 'Smart' Damien (Frogs of Death)

79) MK (Toxic Rats)

78/77) Wayne/Raj (Toxic Rats)

76) Dakota (Toxic Rats)

75) Lara (Confused Bears)

74) Beardo (Confused Bears)

73) Amy (Frogs of Death)

72) Ripper (Frogs of Death)

71) Chase (Screaming Gophers)

70) Emma (Toxic Rats)

69) Izzy (Screaming Gophers)

68) Cody (Screaming Gophers)

67) Beth (Screaming Gophers)

66) Rose (Screaming Gophers)

65) Ezekiel (Confused Bears)

64) Anthony (Toxic Rats)

63) Luna (Toxic Rats)

62/61) Brick (Frogs of Death)/Melody (Confused Bears)

60) Max (Screaming Gophers)

Episode 37! And boy, was it an emotional roller coaster! Max really got to shine here, with his friendly rivalry with Phoebe to that tragic backstory with his friend Ricky to his surprisingly sad elimination. And Phoebe...poor, poor Phoebe just couldn't hold in her sorrow anymore. (Someone give this poor girl a hug!)

So the challenge is very similar to Disventure Camp All Stars' superhero challenge, except with it being a battle royale than a quest of some kind. And it definitely has that My Hero Academia feel to it with the fight scenes and characters getting eliminated. And some plans were smart like Sky wishing for everyone to fly and the team-up against the Gophers.

I also touched on some character dynamics, like Bryan and Echo, Trent and Carly and Gwen, Shane and Ella and many more!

Next episode will let those freaky creatures strut their style on the runway. Until next time, enjoy and have a good day.