"Last time on Total Drama Island," Chris recapped, "The campers went on an impromptu environmental cover-up- er, clean-up challenge and tried not to get a toxic makeover like Dean." The scene flashed back to Dean screaming in the medical tent, then changed to Trent and Paul talking in the mine. "Trent wanted to be alone in the dark," Chris continued, "Until Paul ran into him and were forced to travel on pair." The scene changed to Ricky letting out an evil laugh. "We also saw some ghostly presence as we met Max's old buddy Ricky. Quite the dramatic one, hmm?"
...
The scene changed to Phoebe crying as Kimmy hugged her. "And we also met Phoebe's cousin Kimmy," Chris continued, "Leading to an emotional reunion." The scene changed to Phoebe knocking out the mutant gophers with her team's statue. "Which broke Phoebe to the point that she overcame her fear of the dark and bear-like creatures." The scene changed to Phoebe attacking Jasmine. "And she even cursed! Knew she'd break eventually." The scene changed to the Frogs at elimination and Phoebe's sudden elimination. "But she also sacrificed victory to heroically save her friend Keith and the others, so her team gave her the old heave-hurl." The scene changed to Bryan's confessional. "Or did they?" The scene changed to Sugar joining Phoebe and her elimination. "Oh, and grossness queen thought she struck it rich in the mine and decided to quit, only to learn too late that her 'treasure' was more like trash. Whoops."
...
The scene changed to Chris on the dock. "Makes you wanna reflect, don't it?" he narrated. "Maybe with a cup of Chris McLean Instant Coffee." He took a sip from his cup and spit it out. "Bitter- Better! Better than the rest." He dumped the coffee out, making a fish barf in disgust. "Who will survive?" Chris announced. "Who will wish they didn't? Find out right now on Total...Drama...Island!"
(cue commercial)
It was sunrise. Out on the lake, the campers were all sleeping on some rafts. Jo and Sierra were snoring loudly while Helen muttered a little tune in her sleep. An alarm clock drifting on the water loudly rang out, startling most of the campers awake. "What?" Lindsay groaned. "Where are we?"
"No!" Dawn gasped. "Chris must've sent us adrift after we went to sleep!"
"Yeah," Scott agreed until a thought came to him. "Wait. I don't remember anything after dinner."
"Dinner!" Cameron realized. "That's it!"
...
The scene flashed back to Cameron, Sierra and Scarlett getting a wad of strange pasta. "Ew," Cameron groaned. "What is this?"
"Turkey buttalini," Chef informed them. "Enjoy your nap! Er, meal." He gave an ominous laugh.
...
"Turkey makes you sleepy," Cameron reasoned, "So mutant turkey must've knocked us out cold."
"Ingenious," Scarlett gasped as her eyes lit up with excitement. "I can extract the hormones from the mutated turkey and patent it as the most powerful anesthetic. I'll make thousands!"
"As long as you don't guinea pig on us," Nikki told her, "We're okay with that goal."
"We are?" Sol questioned. He was nudged in the stomach by Nikki.
Confessional: Nikki (Frogs of Death)
"Figured it would be a good idea to buddy up to Scarlett. No one wants her as an enemy. Plus, she did save Rodney's neck that one time. Kinda owe her for that. And besides, she has been mellowing out as of late. Whatever Cam's doing, it's working."
End Confessional
"I'm winning the championship game!" Tyler squealed in his sleep. "And Lindsay's cheering me on!" He was kicked into the water by Keith. "Hey!" Tyler coughed out. "Why'd you do that, man? I was having an awesome dream."
"I'm not letting some wimp ruin my chances of winning," Keith scolded. He noticed some whimpering as Barry drifted inside a chest. "Barry!" Keith dove into the water, drenching Shawn and Dave. "Watch it!" Dave angrily shouted.
"Great," Scott nervously gulped as he paced around. "Now we're gonna be some stupid shark's dinner."
"He might not find us in the middle of all this junk," Bowie assured him. "Besides, sharks usually track down prey with their noses, so us fresh-smelling Rats should be safe."
"I think I'd know who would be the shark's first meal," Courtney grumbled as she glanced towards Duncan and Austin. Helen noticed an umbrella drifting in the water. "Here," she offered as she picked it up and passed it to Trent. "You need it? Your skin kinda looks the color of my top right now. Bet it bums you that you can't really tan, huh?"
"Among other things," Trent sighed.
Confessional: Helen (Screaming Gophers)
"You know, I thought being a vampire would be super cool with all the flying and animal changing, but judging by Trent's reactions, I doubt he enjoys who he is. Having to drink blood, staying clear of sunlight, the exclusion...definitely not worth the perks that come with it. Poor guy."
End Confessional
Dave was watching Helen cover Trent with the umbrella, then he turned towards Sky. However, the Olympian just turned her head away. "Everything okay?" Shawn asked Dave while he wrung out his vest.
"I think I screwed up my chances with Sky," Dave moaned.
"I'm sure things will get better...unlike my chances with Jasmine."
"Yeah, after she practically left us to die in a radioactive mine."
"I doubt she would do that of her own accord. Someone has to be manipulating her into getting all pissed. I know she's a good person deep down."
"Do you really think so?"
"I do. I really do." Shawn noticed someone tapping on his shoulder. "ZOMBIE!" he panicked as he got into a defensive position.
"Whoa!" Dean cried out as he covered his hairless head. "I just wanted to ask if you had a spare beanie. Do you?"
"Uh...not really, no. Sorry."
Confessional: Dean (Confused Bears)
"As much as I wanted back in the competition, I didn't want to end up like this! Still, I can't let my second chance go to waste. First thing I'll need are some allies. I'd immediately ask Carly...if my nerves weren't shot up like a firecracker on the Fourth of July. Dave and Shawn are too focused with their loved ones on the Frogs. Tyler's a klutz. I'm not messing with Keith after his little morality pet got rigged out and there's no way I'm sticking my nose into the Al/Greg feud. That leaves Paul and Millie. Here goes nothing."
End Confessional
"Morning, suckers!" Chris announced as he and Chef drove over in motorboats. "How'd you enjoy your turkey buttalini?"
"Hey, Chris," Dean taunted, "How many times have you called your mommy today?" Unknown to him, he was starting to grow in height while Chris and Chef could only watch in horror. "I had no idea that Tabasco was used as thumb-sucking deterrent until I started interning for Sippy Cup McLean," Dean added.
"Uh..." was all Chris could say. Jo and Valerie simply looked at each other with concern while most of the others stared at Dean. "What?" Dean questioned. "Why are you all staring at me for?"
"That you're...um...growing...your hair back," Paul cautiously informed him.
"Seriously? No joke?" Dean felt his head and even plucked out a hair. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "And it's the same hair I had before! Oh, this is the best news I've heard all day!" He looked towards his teammates and rubbed his...four green eyes. "Do you guys look shorter or is it just me?"
"Look being the operative word," Greg quietly remarked.
Confessional: Cameron (Frogs of Death)
"Remarkable! All the toxic waste in the mine has caused some kind of evolving mutation. Hello, cover story for Bubble Theory magazine!"
Confessional: Trent (Screaming Gophers)
"He's mutating?! Oh, man, I feel so bad for him. At least Paul and I had time to adjust to our predicaments, but Dean's is so sudden!" He gasped. "And what about Carly? How might she react to all of this?"
End Confessionals
"First things first," Chris began. "If any of you are still searching for those McLean statues in gold and silver that I hid a while back, you can start to relax now. I can confirm that the silver statue has been found."
"I know that, Chip," Lindsay informed him. "You don't have to tell me."
"Oh, please," Jo scoffed. "You couldn't find a needle on a pincushion."
"It is a stretch for you to find the statue," Lacey admitted. "Not to be rude, but aside from shoes, you're a ditz when it comes to searching."
"No, she isn't!" Tyler defended.
"Uh, maybe focus on the challenge now," Millie suggested as she stepped in front of Tyler.
"Speaking of digging things up," Chris continued, "Today's challenge is all about winning the ultimate reward: LIFE ITSELF! Your first challenge is to race to the shore by any means possible. First team there wins a handy reward. Last team gets a heinous penalty before you embark on a quest for buried treasure."
"Wait," Trent realized. "We don't have everyone. Where's Gwen at?"
"Sam's missing, too," Dawn gasped. "Same with Carly and Jasmine."
"As if we care about that last one," Sol scoffed. "And you're seriously making us dig up treasure, Chris? Weak!"
"There was treasure here once," Chris informed him, "But I found it years ago. How do you think I bought the island?"
"Must've been a pretty small treasure," Dean snarked.
"Ha!" Paul laughed with a playful nudge. "Good comeback, Dean!"
"Ow! That hurt!"
"Oops. Sorry."
"Hey, Dean," Chris told him, "Catch!" Dean caught a small object. "What's this?" he thought as he opened it. "Ooh, some picture of a four-eyed monster? Like that will scare me."
"I can't put this gently," Paul informed him. "That's not a picture. It's your reflection in a mirror."
"AHHH! I'm turning into a monster!" Dean growled as he crushed the mirror in his hands. "When I get my hands on you," he threatened Chris, "I'LL TEAR YOU APART!"
"Ah!" Chris gasped as he quickly backed away. "Game on!"
"Here's our plan," Lacey told the Gophers after she broke the sign off their raft. "Me, Leshawna, Heather, Bryan and Lindsay will work on paddling. The rest of you get into the water and push the raft along."
"But, uh, I'm not exactly a strong swimmer," Owen spoke up.
"Dude, we can't be pushing you around. And the shore's not that far off." Lacey noticed Lindsay and Heather still lying on their raft. "Start rowing or I'll dunk you in the water," the biker warned.
"Okay, Penguin Puff," Jo ordered as she tore off the Frogs' sign and passed it to Helga. "Get rowing." She was met with a slam to the head. "I am not to be ordered around," Helga sternly told Jo.
"Penguins exist in the southern hemisphere," Nikki added. "Helga lives much more north."
"Jo did make a valid point about Helga paddling," Cameron acknowledged. "She's our strongest player and has experience with rowing."
"Just keep Gray Woman quiet," Helga instructed. "Purple Hair and lanky boys go in water and push our raft forward. Nikki, keep Newbie calm. Magic Man, Red Hair and Glasses couple can keep guard for hazards."
"Sounds like a plan," Nikki replied.
"We've gotta do what the others are doing," Millie reasoned. She, Tyler, Shawn, Dave and Alejandro struggled to break their sign off. "Hurry up!" Dean shouted. "I wanna get to shore and SMASH Chris!" He grabbed the sign and tossed it away in a fit of rage. "What the hell?!" Keith complained. "You just tossed away our only possible paddle!"
"Says the guy busy playing with some stupid mutt."
"Just because you're a mutant doesn't mean you're immune to my wrath!"
"Both of you cool it!" Paul ordered as he kept Keith and Dean separate from each other. "That gets us nowhere. Keith, go take your, uh, pet over there so he doesn't get in anyone's way. I'll keep an eye on Dean."
"That might be a good thing," Dean nervously replied. "I am freaking out a bit. Hold me."
Confessional: Paul (Confused Bears)
"Definitely was good to keep the tensions down, but honestly, I had to help. I've been where Dean has. Doesn't matter if the circumstances are different. NO ONE should have to endure that and suffer alone." He rubbed his shoulder where the bite mark was.
End Confessional
"What are you guys waiting for?!" Courtney demanded. "We need distance from that freak show!"
"Can't really move this thing," Bowie groaned as he struggled to break the Rats' sign.
"We are so toast," Millie moaned in defeat.
"Dean didn't mean to strand us," Paul defended as Dean hugged him. "There, there. It'll be okay."
"You're a good friend," Dean sniffled, "Even if you're as delicate as sandpaper."
"Not like you're that gentle, either."
"If we're going to catch up," Alejandro reasoned, "We'll have to get in the water and kick."
"No way," Greg protested. "Forget about the sharks in this mucky water?" He was shoved into the water by Millie. "Hey!" Greg complained.
"The faster we get to shore," Millie explained after she, Shawn and Tyler dove into the water, "The faster you're out of the water."
"Astute reasoning as always," Alejandro complimented as he, Dave and Keith paddled with their hands. "Paul, are you and your friend planning to assist?"
"Kinda need a bit more time," Paul informed him. He noticed that his feet were no longer touching the ground. "Dean, get us down!" he cried out. Paul and Dean fell back down on the raft. "Don't drench us, Dragonfly!" Keith scolded as he held Barry up just before the chupacabra got splashed with water.
"W-wings?" Dean gasped as he saw a pair of clear wings on his back. "I don't even like heights that much! Get them off!"
"Dean, calm down," Paul instructed. "You'll only make this mutation worse. All you can do right now is keep your emotions in check. Maybe it'll slow the mutation down or even keep it at bay."
"Okay, okay. Just...stay...calm..."
"Keep it up," Lacey told her teammates as they paddled ahead. "We've got the lead!" Lindsay looked behind her and saw a fin behind the raft, making her shriek. "What, bust another nail?" Lacey scoffed.
"SHARK!" Heather cried out. Helen turned towards the fin, now directly next to her. "Oh, it's cool," she assured the Gophers. "Trent's just helping us go faster." A hammerhead shark lifted his head out of the water for a second and waved a fin at the Gophers before diving back down. "He could've at least warned us," Heather complained.
Confessional: Trent (Screaming Gophers)
"Since the cat's out of the bag, I might as well use my abilities to help my team. I didn't mean to spook Lindsay. I just figured a shark would be fastest, and I did a hammerhead so the group would tell me apart from the other sharks."
Confessional: Lacey (Screaming Gophers)
"About time he's putting his skills to good use. Look, I was a little bothered he kept this gunk from us, but no point making a fuss and adding another problem to my list. And despite those powers of his, I can still beat him if it comes down to it. It's like comparing the cheetah and pronghorn. Cheetah may be faster overall, but the pronghorn can stay fast longer, and this girl here has her horns ready to charge."
End Confessionals
"Double time it!" Heather ordered. "We can't lose our lead!" She bumped into something large and she shrieked when she saw a large squid staring at them. "Aw," Chris teased as he and Chef flew over in a helicopter, "It's playing with them." Lacey was wrestling as she struggled to free herself from the squid's tentacles. "I'm feeling queasy," Helen gagged as another tentacle waved her and Lindsay in the air. She barfed, which landed on Bryan's head. "I won't be some calamari's dinner!" Heather declared as she swung the sign to defend herself. However, she only succeeded in hitting Leshawna. "You're hitting me!" Leshawna scolded. WHACK! "Hey!" WHACK! "STOP!" WHACK! "Maybe it's a good thing we're behind," Bowie noted as he stared ahead. "That looks like one nasty bit of seafood there."
"Oh, great," Scott nervously replied as he paced about. "Something else in the water to worry about." He was suddenly yanked into the water by Courtney. "HEY! What was that for?!"
"Just getting us a motor for first place," Courtney smugly informed him. Scott turned and saw a familiar fin heading his way. "Oh, no," he fearfully realized, "No, no, no, no, no, NO, NO! AHHHHHH!"
"Oh, I forgot Fang still hates Scott," Geoff noted. "Nice one, dudette." A second later, Scott was dangling from the sign while Harold used some rope to tie a lasso below it. "You guys!" DJ protested. "This is crazy! We can't do this!"
"It's the only way we'll catch up in time," Duncan told him, "And you gotta admit, he kinda has it coming. Let's just hope it works." Fang came through the lasso and swam towards Scott, propelling their raft forward. Scott screamed as he was dangling helplessly mere inches away from Fang's jaws. "Hold on, Scott," Dawn nervously assured him, "You're doing great." The Rats' raft rocketed past the others. "Whoa, they're fast!" Zoey gasped.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious," Jo scoffed.
"Giant squid dead ahead!" Dean cried out as he pointed ahead.
"Shh..." Alejandro advised. "Just stay quiet. We might sneak by that squid."
"At least Fang's busy with the Rats," Millie sighed with relief. "Nothing in the water can get us now."
"Then you've spoken too soon," Greg informed her as he saw bubbles behind him. "Something's tailing us." Tyler suddenly screamed in pain as he jumped up onto the raft. "MY BUTT'S BURNING!" he cried out.
"Oh, for the love of-" Keith complained. "Are you trying to get us all killed?!" He widened his eyes as he saw the fire beetle from way back hissing as it crawled onto the raft. "That thing can swim?!" Millie incredulously wondered. The beetle hissed as it got closer to the Bears, making them scream in fear. "GET BACK, COCKROACH!" Paul yelled out as he punched the beetle away. It went flying until it hit the squid's eye, making it drop the Gophers. "Start kicking!" Heather ordered as they tried swimming to shore. "Kick!"
"You saved our necks, dude!" Dean cheered as he gave Paul a tight hug.
"And you're strangling his," Millie told him. "Let go."
"Our raft!" Dave gasped as he saw flames at the edges. "That mutant must've torched it!"
"No, I didn't," Dean protested, "Uh, did I?"
"We've gotta get some other transport," Alejandro told the Bears. "We're not safe in the water." The group noticed the Frogs paddling by and boarded their raft. "Hey!" Valerie shouted. "No hitchhikers!"
"We kinda had an emergency," Tyler defended as he pointed to their old raft, now consumed in flames.
"I don't care," Jo scoffed as he picked the jock up by his pants. "You're gonna-"
"Let them stay for now," Nikki advised. "Bears, try any tricks and Helga will undoubtedly beat you to a pulp. You've been warned."
"The squid might beat her to it," Millie gulped. The giant squid raised its tentacles at the teens, spooking everyone, especially Nikki. "SQUID!" she shrieked as she ran around the raft. "GIANT SQUID! WE ARE DEAD! WE ARE ALL DEAD!" Helga stopped her with a hard slap to the face. "Thanks," Nikki replied, disoriented by the hard slap, before falling over.
"Oh, man," Cameron thought as everyone cowered at the far end of the raft. "We'll never make it to shore. Wait. That's it! Get as far back as you can." He walked towards the squid. "Hey, jelly brains! I bet you couldn't smash me if you tried!" The squid raised up a tentacle high into the air. "CAMERON!" Scarlett gasped.
"It's gonna kill us!" Dave panicked. The squid's tentacle was ready to punch, with it protruding some spikes for good measure. The teens could only scream with fright...just as Chris paused the screen. "Will Cameron's brain outsmart the squid's brawn?" he narrated as he wore a squid hat. "Who will reach the shore first? What happened to the missing campers? And what's up with Dean? Find out after the break."
(cue commercial)
Back with the Rats, Scott was flailing as he dangled from the stick holding him up. The group soon crashed to shore, flinging the dirt farmer high into the air. Fang smiled before he put a bib on and opened up his jaws. "Catch him!" Dawn gasped. Austin used his lasso to rope Scott out of the sky just before he got close to Fang. The mutated shark growled as he started to go after the Rats. "AH!" DJ cried out as he cowered in fear. "Somebody do something!"
"Not exactly versed in mutated sharks," Dawn gulped. However, Harold calmly walked towards Fang, then pulled out a magnet. Fang sniffed the object, then decided to walk off. "A magnet?" Courtney thought. "He got scared off by a fucking magnet?!"
"Maybe he was interested in a meal and not a snack," Scott reasoned as he shot a glare towards Courtney.
Confessional: Scott (Toxic Rats)
"I'm definitely voting for Courtney next time we lose. She used me for shark bait! I hate when people do that!"
End Confessional
The giant squid was about to slam its tentacles down onto the Frogs and Bears. Cameron moved back at the last second, making the squid fling the teens all the way towards shore just before the Gophers could reach it. "We're alive!" Nikki exclaimed before she started to kiss the ground.
"All in one piece," Keith added as he kept holding Barry above his head.
"At least we're not in last place," Zoey optimistically added.
"Yay," Cameron groaned. Greg, however, had a frown on his face.
Confessional: Greg (Confused Bears)
"How am I going to be rid of Alejandro if my team doesn't lose?! With Sugar now absent, I have a clear pathway towards voting Alejandro out and I need to take advantage of that window before it closes. The longer he stays, the more trouble he'll give me in the long run. But perhaps what Lindsay said earlier can help me gain some much-needed ground."
End Confessional
"WHERE'S CHRIS?!" Dean demanded, now protruding a small tail and an extra set of arms. He looked up to see Chris flying over in a helicopter. "GET DOWN HERE, YOU BASTARD!" Dean shouted. However, he was quickly yanked down by Paul. "Keep your cool!" Paul warned. "Chris is trying to make things worse for you. Don't take the bait."
"Toxic Rats," Chris announced, "For winning the first part, you get these." He tossed down some objects, which Harold quickly caught. "A map and compass!" he exclaimed. "Sweet!"
"Well, look what just washed up," Chris added.
"I told you to kick harder," Heather scolded as the Gophers crawled onto the beach.
"And I told you you ain't the boss of me!" Leshawna argued. The two were about to get in a fight but Bryan held them apart. "Please don't fight," he advised. "Things are bad enough as is."
"All of you put a sock in it," Chris told them. "Now, the second part of the challenge will be a bit special. For starters, this will be the FINAL four-team challenge."
"What?!" Greg protested as Alejandro let out a silent breath of relief.
"Yes!" Courtney cheered.
"And here's another little surprise," Chris continued. "You'll really want to try to win this one. The team that comes in first place will decide which member of the losing team goes home. Really adds to the tension and suspense there, so choose wisely."
"It does sound like a tough choice," Helen worriedly agreed.
"So what exactly is this final four-team challenge?" Bowie questioned. "Also, where is our missing team member?"
"Rescuing said member is your challenge," Chris slyly replied. He turned on a monitor, showing Gwen and Jasmine trapped inside a box. "What the-?" Gwen wondered. "Oh, no. We're BURIED ALIVE?! AGAIN?!"
"HELP!" Jasmine shouted as she pounded on the walls of the box. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Gwen!" Trent gasped. "Chris, how could you?!"
"I think of it as very poetic," Sky remarked.
"Are you talking about Jasmine?" Shawn accused. "Honestly, Sky-"
"What do you know, Helsing?!" The duo noticed Dave watching the spat. He gave a nervous smile and darted off before they could get another word in. "Chris, burying someone alive is seriously dangerous," Helga scolded, "Even by your weak standards. I have heard of many a man who died buried in avalanches."
"Wait," Millie realized. "That's only Gwen and Jasmine. Does that mean-?" Chris pressed another button, splitting the monitor screen to show Sam and Carly sleeping peacefully inside another box. "Carly!" Dean gasped. "Oh, the angel. You...you think she still likes me? CHRIS!"
"She was more reluctant for the buttolini," Chris informed him, "So Chef resorted to the classic chloroform so she wouldn't put up much of a fight." Dean could only growl with anger as his mutation started to spread. His skin gained some yellow scales, he grew a third set of arms, his tail grew longer and even developed a few spikes, and he gained another boost of height to rival even Lacey. The others could only watch in horror or take a cautious step back. "CARLY!" Dean bellowed, his transformation complete.
"We're gonna need some elephant tranquilizers," Chris told Chef before returning to the campers. "Rats, you've got your compass and your map to the general vicinity of the chest at the northern tip of the island. Bears and Frogs, nothing for you. Now go!" The three teams ran off. The Gophers attempted to run after them. "Ah-duh-duh-duh," Chris told them as he parked the helicopter on the beach. "Not so fast. To the losers go the penalty belts. Chef, lock 'em in." Chef secured each person's hands to their waists with a metal belt. "These must weigh a hundred pounds," Leshawna groaned.
"120, to be precise," Chris corrected.
"No worries," Helen assured them. "Lacey and Trent can help bust us out."
"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you. The belts can only be safely undone with a key. If you try to break them or slip out of them in any other way, this happens." Chris pressed a button, and the Gophers were zapped by their belts. "Why do you like electrocuting us so much?" Bryan complained. "I doubt if it's even humane."
"I bet it's like those metal collars during the Truth or Scare challenge," Lacey reasoned. "They must be linked so that we'll all get shocked if even one of us pulls off a Houdini stunt."
"You're almost too smart to be a blonde," Chris teased. He then put a metal detector on Owen's back. "A metal detector?" Leshawna questioned. "How is that gonna help us find a wooden chest?"
"It's not," Chris replied before pulling out a megaphone. "NOW GO! GO, GO, GO, GO, GO, GO!" The Gophers hurriedly ran off. Meanwhile, the Rats were the first team to reach a bubbling swamp. "Ugh, it reeks!" Courtney gagged.
"Ah, smells like home," Scott sighed as he took in a breath.
"I'm not sure going through the swamp is a great idea," Bowie thought.
"There's a path around the swamp," Harold noted as he observed the map.
"It'll take too long," Courtney argued as she swiped the map away. "March!" Most of the other Rats followed her lead, albeit reluctantly. Bowie stayed back for a moment, looked around for the coast to be clear, then wrote 'Shortest Path' and an arrow in the sand pointing towards the swamp. He quickly rushed off.
Confessional: Bowie (Toxic Rats)
"Today is a day that I want the Rats to come in last place. Whichever team wins will no doubt want to be rid of Courtney after her horrendous actions. She's also fairly physical, which makes her a threat. And in case that somehow fails, I'll just feign weakness so I won't look like a target. Sam will no doubt slip under the radar since everyone underestimates him, as well. With that, it secures me in the next phase of the game along with an ally."
End Confessional
"PUT ME DOWN!" Keith protested as he, Greg, Paul, Millie, Alejandro and even Barry were held in Dean's hands. "And let go of Barry RIGHT NOW!"
"I'm carrying you guys through the dangerous bits," Dean defended. He then noticed an arrow in the sand and the message. "Hey, this will get us there fastest! Let's go!"
"Hang on, amigo," Alejandro advised. "It may be a trick by the other teams in order to mislead us. We should ignore it."
"No, we follow it," Greg argued. "There isn't any other paths available."
"I'll settle things before we get a war here," Paul decided. "Dean, any chance I can hitch a ride up top?"
"Uh, sure, buddy," Dean complied. He put Paul on top of his head. "Now try to hover up higher so I can see," Paul instructed.
"A-are you sure?" Dean stammered. "I'm not good with heights."
"Well, now is a good time to practice. Just hover in place and go straight up." Dean gulped before he started flying in place...and shooting up high in the sky above the trees. "TOO HIGH!" Millie cried out as she covered her eyes.
"It's something to work on," Paul admitted, "But the arrow wasn't lying. The path through the swamp is the fastest way. Rats are taking it as we speak."
"Easy does it," Dean nervously told himself as he slowly flew back down. "Easy does it..." The group ended up crashing onto the ground. "You definitely need to work on that," Paul remarked.
"Just keep moving forward," Shawn advised as he marched ahead.
"Uh, where's Dave?" Millie asked. Shawn simply turned to show Dave clinging to his back like a barnacle to a whale. "You heard him," Keith ordered after returning to his feet. "Get moving!"
"Double-time, Frogs!" Jo shouted as the Frogs ran towards the swamp. However, Sky quickly skid to a stop before she touched the murky water. "Man, this place reeks!" Mike groaned as he plugged his nose.
"No kidding," Valerie agreed. "Not to mention it's completely horrid to even look at."
"I see an arrow pointing into the swamp," Sierra noted as she looked down onto the sand. "'Shortest Path'... It must be a sign!"
"It seems a bit too convenient," Scarlett thought.
"No way am I dirtying up my legs trekking through that filth," Valerie complained.
"Well, too bad," Sol sternly told her. "It's the only path there and you've got a swamp navigating expert right here."
"Really? Where?" Sol just scowled at Valerie, who shrank up a bit. "Water," Sky shuddered. "Why does it have to be water?"
"Swallow that fear," Helga advised. "We must hurry before someone catches up."
"Hey, look," Owen panted as he and the other Gophers arrived where the Frogs were. "We caught up."
"Oooh, Chubby Buddy himself," Jo scoffed.
"Hi," Lindsay innocently greeted. "I'd wave, but Chris put these belts that go ZAPPY-ZAP if we take them off."
"Uh-uh," Valerie told her. "We got here first. Go get lost."
"Last I checked, you're not my boss," Lacey argued.
"Well, you're not following us," Jo argued.
"Says who?" Leshawna challenged.
"Hey, can we focus on our buried partners?" Trent worriedly asked the group.
"Trent makes a point," Zoey agreed. "I doubt Gwen's enjoying that box."
"But what about-?" Zee began to ask.
"We're not talking about her," Sol cut off with a hard stare.
"Teams," Helen decided as she stepped between the warring factions, "I think it would be much easier to cooperate."
"What?" the others gasped.
"We're disadvantaged compared to the Rats and Bears. If we work together, we can cross the swamp and easily gain a massive advantage in order to save our teammates. Then we can go back to being rivals."
"Well, that's, uh-" Nikki thought.
"A terrible idea," Bryan interjected. "Need I remind you, Helen, that Miss Nicole here was responsible for the elimination of your best friend? You know, the one whose gift mask you carry around?" Helen touched the pocket where her mask was while Nikki cringed a bit. "Nikki...did have a part in that," Helen admitted with a sigh, but her face changed to determination. "But I know that if Lucas was here, he wouldn't want me to stay mad forever. He wanted me to be better than him, NOT a copy of him."
"Guy may have the brainpower of a brick and the stubbornness of a mule," Sol added, "But he'd put his arm in the fire for a friend...and it usually ended up burnt."
"Well, I'm not falling for some fake sympathy," Heather scoffed.
"I sadly have to agree with her," Lacey sighed. "What makes us so sure you won't ditch us?"
"You're not exactly in a place for negotiations," Scarlett countered as she walked towards Lacey. "You lack numbers and you currently are disadvantaged. However, we are far from a flawless machine since most of the Frogs have made at least one enemy within their own and lack good social bonds. This temporary alliance can help provide shielding from each of our obvious weaknesses."
"Well...the more there is, the easier it'll be to cross," Leshawna reasoned.
"But let's make sure this is a secured deal," Bryan spoke up. "Since we'll be working during the entire challenge, it means we'll both share the rewards should we place first. If that happens, you guys must vote on who the Gophers say. Fair?"
"Seems like a reasonable trade," Scarlett replied. "Consider it a deal."
Confessional: Scarlett (Frogs of Death)
"It may have been counterintuitive to offer such a response to the minority, but if I appear to be a reasonable negotiator towards the Gophers, they'll want to open the possibility of an alliance in the near future. With the merge coming close, having numbers in the long run will be a priority."
Confessional: Bryan (Screaming Gophers)
"Scarlett was quick to agree with my demands. Too quick. No doubt she's planning for the long run. Better ask Valerie to keep an eye on her."
Confessional: Valerie (Frogs of Death)
"I like how Bryan handled that. Well played."
Confessional: Nikki (Frogs of Death)
"Honestly kinda nervous working with Helen. Bryan did raise a good point about me. It was my doing that got her friend kicked least Helga's here to make sure things don't spiral too bad between us."
End Confessionals
"How exactly do we proceed?" Cameron asked the group.
"I can take Sky around the swamp," Zoey volunteered. "That is, if it's okay with you."
"Considering Sky's reluctance to go ahead, I'd say that's a good idea," Trent replied. "And at least she won't be alone." Sky and Zoey started to go around the swamp. "Oh, I see a big log over there," Helen noted as she pointed to a large thing floating in the water. "We can use that as a boat."
"Nice thinking," Cameron told her. "Let's get on." The two teams climbed onto the huge thing and started drifting down the swamp. Back in the swamp, the Rats were still trudging ahead. "Man, this place stinks!" Bowie nasally complained. "If I knew I'd be here, I'd brought extra air freshener."
"I can see why Dave hates stuff like this," DJ thought.
"You don't hear us complaining," Duncan scoffed.
"Because Dawn isn't here to complain," Harold pointed out. "She probably used some teleportation to reach the end."
"Teleport?" Scott thought. "Why couldn't she take us with her?"
"Haven't you ever seen The Fly before? GOSH!"
"Just keep moving," Courtney sternly told the Rats. Meanwhile, Sky was racing around the swamp while Zoey panted as she struggled to keep up. "How big is this place?" Zoey breathed out.
"Fairly wide," Dawn suddenly informed the duo, "But don't worry. It's not much further."
"AHH! Dawn! You scared me a bit."
"What are you doing here?" Sky questioned as she jogged over to the duo. "Dawn, don't you have to be with the Rats?"
"There was too much negativity in that swamp for me to deal with all at once," Dawn sighed. "But perhaps I may assist you two?"
"The last time you 'assisted', things got pretty messy. Remember?"
"And I don't wanna feel like I'm dumping everything on you," Zoey nervously told Dawn. "I mean, I hardly even know you."
"I don't mind," Dawn assured her. "I wish to help. Both of you. Why not gain some distance so you both can gain some privacy, okay?" Sky sighed before she ran back off. "I'll go see Sky real quick," Dawn told Zoey, "Then come back for you." A moment later, the moonchild was standing near Sky. "What exactly did you want to talk to me about?" Sky spoke up.
"You know how I am able to see auras, correct?" Dawn began. "Yours is usually a bright red, one of great passion regarding what you know best. But I've also seen shades of dark blue, where you've suppressed much of your emotion. As of late, those colors have only been getting darker. I'm guessing something occurred between you and someone you're close with."
"You can say that. I...lashed out at Dave in the mine and revealed myself in front of him. God, it was so stupid of me!"
"The truth was going to come out eventually. At least he got that truth from you directly and not from another source. Others might not gain that courage. But there is something else. You seem to be pushing yourself away from making bonds that will last. Perhaps it is because you were hurt by a former bond?"
"N-no! No! That's not true."
"Sky, I know that you desire to win, but you must accept the possibility that you winning may not happen. Don't you want to make the most of your time here and make sure you leave with no regrets? Don't be afraid to make those meaningful bonds. You shouldn't fear the past will always occur for the future."
"What-? Are you talking about-?" However, Sky noticed that Dawn had vanished. "Really wish she'd stop doing that," Sky groaned. Later, Zoey was sighing as she scribbled some hearts into the dirt. "Don't worry, Zoey," Dawn assured her as she knelt down to the indie chick. "You won't be lonely forever."
"Oh, hey, Dawn," Zoey greeted. "Well, tell that to Mike and Lacey and Echo and Courtney...and myself."
"You can't shoulder all the blame. And you did show quite a lot of remorse for your actions. I wish more people here could have that quality. But you shouldn't feel guilty. It was a simple mistake. Neither you nor Scott meant anything, nor did you intend for it to be used by Courtney or Echo."
"Still, I doubt Lacey sees it that way. I should've been honest sooner."
"If you did, we may not have been able to see through Courtney and Echo's facades. As unfortunate as it sounds, sometimes bad stuff needs to happen for good things to happen, like a thunderstorm to produce a beautiful rainbow. Trust me, everything will be fine, including your friendship with Lacey and with Mike."
"But I'm so confused by him. Sometimes it seems he wants to be close and other times he wants to run away. Sometimes he's nice and other times he lashes out. And not too long ago, I could've sworn he was flirting with Phoebe! He never flirted with anyone before."
"Mike is a very complex book," Dawn explained as she stroked a frog that hopped up. "Like a Rubik's cube inside another Rubik's cube behind a temple door with an anagram that you have to translate twenty times to get right. But innerly, he truly means well and I can assure you he's not flirting with his heart on it."
"What does that mean?" Zoey thought. "And how can you even know?"
"It's all over his aura. Both halves of it, too."
"Really? Wait, what did you mean by 'both halves'?" Zoey looked up to see Dawn had vanished once again. "Dawn?" she thought. "Was it something I said? Sorry, Dawn!"
Confessional: Zoey (Frogs of Death)
"Admittedly, while Dawn is very nice, she can sometimes creep me out. Reading auras, being able to perform spells, talking to animals such as snakes, the demon stuff...I'm not saying she's a witch, but she may be a wizard."
Confessional: Dawn (Toxic Rats)
She was stroking Shadow. "It wasn't my place to inform Zoey and Sky of every little detail. I just made sure I told them enough going forward. Some things they simply must figure out for themselves. How else would people grow?" The crow cawed in agreement. "Glad you see it my way, Shadow."
End Confessionals
"You sure you don't need any help there, amigo?" Alejandro offered as the Bears slowly waded forward.
"I'm just fine," Shawn sternly told him as he kept carrying Dave on his back. "My zombie training includes traveling through tough terrain such as bogs and quicksand."
"Try giving that advice to the Gophers," Dave teased. "I heard they got stuck in quicksand...twice."
"Oh, yes," Greg remarked. He looked around to see that Alejandro was way up ahead of everyone else. "Look, guys," Greg told the Bears, "Next chance we get, we need to eliminate Alejandro."
"Again with this?" Paul groaned. "Honestly, that obsession cost your girlfriend the game when you two wouldn't agree to boot Sugar."
"But I think he does raise a good point," Shawn pointed out. "Al's been on my radar since the Destiny vote. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he sold out his mother if it gains him something."
"Says the guy that whacked someone they cared about," Tyler argued. "Al's the most trustworthy guy on the team."
"And also a guy that pulled some sneaky tricks during the brunch challenge?" Greg countered.
"Like you haven't?" Paul sternly told him. "And the dude admitted he was pressured by Sugar into cheating. It just shows how much of a gentle guy he is."
"Paul, what are you walking on?" Dave gulped. Paul looked down and froze when he saw what was below him: the mutated crocodile with tentacles for hands. Crocto-pus roared as he flung the mechanic off his back. "RUN!" Shawn shouted. The Bears retreated backwards, then swam ahead before Crocto-pus could tackle them. "In the tree!" Millie rallied. "He can't climb with those tentacles!" She, Shawn and Dave, Keith and Greg quickly scaled the tree. "Hurry up, Al!" Paul rallied. Alejandro tossed Tyler up the tree, then used Paul to climb up afterwards. "Thank you so much for the assist, my friend," Alejandro sweetly replied. "Are you alright?" Paul just coughed out some water after lifting his head up.
Confessional: Alejandro (Confused Bears)
He paced around the confessional. "Hmm, no doubt Chris will announce the merge soon. My prime target should be against my former teammates. Greg will no doubt be trying to spread resentment, so it would be in my best interest to all with people outside my team along with manipulating things to ensure that my former team will fall. Might be time to take advantage of Tyler and Paul's trust in me."
End Confessional
Crocto-pus roared as it lunged at the Bears again, but it was quickly knocked down by Dean's hard punch. "Dean!" Paul gasped. "You saved us!"
"Well, you saved our asses earlier," Dean shrugged. He screamed in pain as Crocto-pus dragged him off by his tail. "Let go!" Dean demanded. "I'll turn you into a purse!" He punched the mutated croc away before going after it. "Just be careful, Dean," Paul advised as the Bears climbed down from the tree.
"We gotta hurry!" Millie told them. "Carly and Sam are running short on air!"
"But Dean...shouldn't we help him?"
"And get in his way?" Keith scoffed. The Bears looked over to see Dean using Crocto-pus's tentacles to whack him in the head. "Why are you hitting yourself?" Dean taunted. "Why are you hitting yourself?"
"The Bears are catching up?" Courtney complained after the Rats finished crossing the swamp. "UGH! Why are you acting incompetent today?! Can this get any worse?!"
"The map!" Harold gasped as he held up their map, now torn to shreds. "It's ruined! And-and the compass! Where is it?!"
"Way to go, Dorkwad," Scott scolded. "Now we'll never win." He was suddenly turned upside-down by Geoff and Courtney. "Cough it up, dude," Geoff told him as they shook the dirt farmer. "We know you took it!"
"No, I didn't!" Scott angrily defended. "Why am I getting blamed for everything here?!"
"Like this fighting will help us find Sam," Bowie scoffed.
Confessional: Bowie (Toxic Rats)
He held up the compass. "Gotcha! Now to make sure Courtney goes home. Best bet would be to let the Gophers win it. Lacey's their leader and has connections, and she's shown animosity towards Courtney even after the cheating scandal was aired out. Those votes should be enough."
End Confessional
Dean was still pummeling Crocto-pus when the Gophers and Frogs paddled past. "Quite an incredulous show of the evolving mutation," Scarlett noted. "I wonder why his body mutated in such a form and what each property benefits and withdraws from such changes."
"Observation only," Cameron firmly told her. "No poking, prodding, cutting or any sort of close contact."
"It's this line of thinking that kept the study of anatomy from progressing much further."
"But perhaps we might invent something that might reverse the mutation at the molecular level, and imagine all the other applications it can be used for!"
"Hmm, yes. I like that line of thinking, Cameron."
"How much longer are the nerds gonna hold us up?" Heather demanded. She was suddenly shoved off the log. "What the hell?!" Heather coughed out. Everyone else was shoved off by Helga before she stepped out herself. "You better have a damn good reason you soiled my fine clothes with smelly swamp water!" Valerie scolded. Helga tapped the 'log' with a long stick, which rose out of the water, revealing a giant mutated turtle. "We were riding that?" Trent gulped with worry.
"Think you can handle him, Helga?" Nikki asked.
"Well, I have never tried turtle soup before," Helga replied with a slight smirk. The giant turtle growled at them, but Helga swung her stick and hit the turtle on the arm. It noticed its arm went limp, and he yelped before scurrying off. "I thought turtles were, um, vyalyy," Helga noted.
"Maybe the mutation made it faster," Nikki guessed.
"I-I could've done that if you needed to," Helen stammered.
"Oh, yeah," Owen agreed. "Totally."
"Oh, really?" Jo slyly challenged. "Well, here's your chance." The group started walking off. "What did she mean by that?" Owen thought. He and Helen looked behind them to see two smaller mutated crocodiles. "Oh, such...friendly crockies," Helen nervously giggled. "Favorite animal in the swamp, that's what you are." The duo screamed as the crocodiles tackled them. "OW, THAT SMARTS!" Owen cried out.
"Now what will we do?" Bowie groaned. "No map and no compass means no win."
"Not quite," Dawn assured the group. "Moss grows on the north side of trees, and since Chris said our goal was north, it means we have to go...that way." She pointed ahead towards a humongous thorn bush. "Go through that?!" DJ protested. "But it looks so sharp and itchy!"
"Let me try something," Dawn advised. She traced a more complex symbol into the dirt, and the symbol glowed green for a moment before the thorns retracted. "Wow," Scott chuckled. "Creepy Girl scores us another win."
"This clearing is just like the one on the map," Harold noted. "Let's go!"
"We made it!" Millie cheered as the Bears caught up with the Rats. "Yeah!"
"Seriously?" Duncan thought. "They caught up?"
"Sorry about this, Bears," Dawn apologized.
"Sorry for what?" Alejandro questioned. Dawn simply waved her hand over the symbol in the ground. The thorns suddenly wrapped around the Bears, trapping them inside. "Get us out of here, Nature Witch!" Keith demanded.
"I can't see!" Greg complained.
"Ouch!" Tyler cried out. "Thornies!"
"Don't move too much and you won't get poked," Dawn told them. "Again, my apologies, but I do wish victory for my team, too." She and the Rats hurried along. "Well, it could be worse," Shawn thought.
"What can be worse than getting poked by thorns?" Dave asked.
"Do you really want me to answer that?"
"Uh...good point."
"Too bad Dean can't pry us free," Greg groaned. "Those extra arms would be helpful."
"He's also the reason we're not getting eaten by crocodiles," Alejandro pointed out.
"Who cares?!" Keith shouted as he tried in vain to pull himself free. "We're falling behind! Barry! Where are you? And where's that greasy mechanic?" Just outside the thorns, Barry and Wolf-Paul had crawled out from under the vines and started walking off, though Wolf-Paul had to tug Barry a bit. "Sam?" Austin called out. "Where are you, Butter Ball?"
"I think I can hear them!" Bowie gasped as he started to dig.
"Really?"
"Would I lie?" Back with the Frogs and Gophers, they had finished crossing the swamp. "A thorn forest?" Bryan thought. "We'll never get through that." They ducked as they saw Dean toss Crocto-pus away, knocking over most of the thorns. "You could've freed us, too!" Keith complained, still struggling to free himself.
"Looks like clear victory ahead," Jo boasted as the Frogs and Gophers walked past the Bears.
"But what about Helen?" Nikki thought. "A-a-and Owen? Leaving them behind with the crocs?"
"Yeah," Bryan sighed, "But I have faith in them. They'll be okay." He saw Helen and Owen run over. "Told you I can handle it!" a scratched-up Helen boasted. "They gave up after I lost most of my blood."
"GO GOPHERS!" Owen cheered. He and Helen soon passed out. "Guys?" Zoey gasped as she and Sky joined the group. "What happened to those two?"
"And what is that beeping sound?" Scarlett inquired. She looked down to see the metal detector going off near a rock. "It's probably just worthless junk just like that metal detector," Heather scoffed. "Hello, the chest is wooden!"
"Or maybe..." Scarlett reasoned as she knelt down. She lifted the rock and pulled out a pair of keys. "Keys?" Lacey thought. "Wait! That small key...it can be for these belts! Pass it over!" A moment later, the Gophers were freed from their belts. "Oh, thank goodness," Trent sighed as he rubbed his wrists. "Those things were starting to hurt."
"But what's the second key for?" Zoey thought. "Heather's right; the chests are wooden."
"And the key looks old..." Cameron reasoned. "As in treasure chest old! It's to unlock the chests!"
"But where are the chests?" Nikki asked. "That's the important thing." Mike then noticed a THUMP-THUMP-THUMP from underneath him. "Shh, quiet," he told the group. "I hear something."
"SOMEBODY LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Gwen and Jasmine shouted from beneath their feet.
"Winner's circle, here I come!" Jo cheered.
"Nikki and I will get Chubby Man and Mohawk Girl medical aid," Helga told the group. "Everyone else, start digging."
"Hurry!" Harold rallied as the Rats kept digging. "The Gophers and Frogs are here! How deep did Chris bury them?" He noticed Barry and Wolf-Paul pacing around the dirt. "They allow dogs to be here?" Wolf-Paul kept his head towards the ground until he heard some snores from underground. He and Barry then started to dig. "Not too much longer..." Lacey thought as she used the metal detector as a shovel. She then hit a wooden box. "HELP!" Gwen and Jasmine cried out. "GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
"Victory!" Sierra squealed with delight.
"And the Gophers and Frogs tie for the win!" Chris announced as he flew over in a helicopter. "This will make things interesting tonight. Now it's a race for not being last." In another hole, the Rats continued to dig. "How much longer will it be?" Geoff moaned as he rubbed his sore arms. "I think we're gonna hit China before we find those dudes."
"We'd actually hit lava first," Harold pointed out. "And then dig through the Earth's hardened core."
"I didn't ask for a science lesson, Dorkus," Duncan scoffed. He then noticed some barking. "Someone shut that mutt up!"
"A good mutt is what he is," Paul teased as he and Barry peeked their head out of the other hole. "Guess who we found!"
"And the Bears take third!" Chris announced.
"What?!" Courtney cried out in disbelief. She then realized what had occurred. "Thought you heard them over here, huh?" she accused as she shot a glare at Bowie. Lacey had just finished helping Gwen out of the chest. "Oh, sweet air!" Jasmine gasped as she crawled out of the chest. "Sure took your time finding me, didn't you?!"
"You'd best zip it now or we'll bury you again," Sol warned.
"CARLY!" Dean cried out as he rushed over towards the boxes. He managed to knock Sol and Jasmine over. "Over here!" Paul called out. "Better move, dog." He and Barry hopped out of the hole. "I'll save you!" Dean shouted as he skid over to the Bears and Rats' box. He punched through it, tossed Sam aside and pulled out a sleeping Carly. "Carly!" he exclaimed as he snuggled with her. "Are you okay? Did that nasty man hurt you in any way?" Carly, still dazed, could only squint her eyes open. "Who are you?" she muttered. Dean could only freeze in absolute shock. "C-Carly..." he choked out. He simply let Carly fall out of his hands and ran off in tears. "Dean, wait!" Paul called out. "Damn. Poor guy." He noticed Carly struggling to stand. "To the medical tent with you, kid," Paul decided as he carried her on his back. "And Barry, go check on the rest of our team, especially that knucklehead Keith. Oh, and no telling anyone about our little...escapade, okay?"
Confessional: Barry
The chupacabra blinked, then covered his mouth with his paws.
End Confessional
Later that evening, Heather was walking back to camp when she was suddenly pulled away. "Hey!" she cried out.
"Shh!" Greg warned in a hushed tone as they huddled behind a bush. "Quiet! I need to talk to you in private."
"Me? Oh, that desperate for an ally, are you?"
"Well, in a way. But you'll want to hear what I need to say. Right now, you're not in the best position. You've got yourself many powerful enemies against you. But I will be more than happy to offer you a lifeline, provided you return the favor by helping me turf Alejandro."
"Why would I help some nerd like you?"
"Because you're one of the few people that knows how much of a threat he is. Desi knew; Al got her cut. Keith knows; Al got his one friend cut. It won't be long before he targets you. After all, how else did the Villain Alliance air unless he himself leaked it to better his standing on his team?" Heather thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps you're worth listening to," she cautiously replied, "But I want to know this landline you're suggesting."
"Bring your blonde beta here and you'll know," Greg mysteriously told her.
"Lindsay? How will she be any use except for a free vote?"
"Just bring her here." Heather looked around and saw Lindsay waving Tyler goodbye before skipping off. "Lindsay," Heather whispered. "Come here."
"Heather?" Lindsay thought as she walked over to the bush. "Did you turn into a bush?" She was quickly dragged into the bush. "Welcome to the party," Greg greeted with a light chuckle. "Heather and I wanted to talk to you. It's about the idol you found recently."
"Like she could've found it," Heather scoffed.
"But I did," Lindsay defended.
"Why not show it to us?" Greg suggested. "Just to make sure it's not a fake." Lindsay reached into her pocket and pulled out the silver idol. "Oh, yes," Greg confirmed, "That's the real McCoy you possess. Nice work, Lindsay."
"Thanks," Lindsay happily replied. "I feel so lucky."
"As do I..." Heather thought as she reached for the idol. However, she suddenly found herself wincing in pain as Greg clutched her hand. "Oh, but that's not the best part we wanted to tell you, Lindsay," he sweetly told the blonde. "Heather was even thinking of lifting the little 'no dating' rule for your alliance...if you give her your idol in return."
"Excuse me?" Heather questioned. Greg immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. "It's an invincibility idol and another vote by your side," he informed her in a harsh whisper. "Don't you dare blow it."
"I get to date Tyler?" Lindsay gasped with excitement. "Really?"
"Yes, really," Heather assured her with a plastered smile. "But you have to give me the idol. Got it?" Lindsay nodded before passing her idol to Heather. "Aw, such a sweet union you two have," Greg gushed as he hugged the girls. He then turned towards Heather. "I know a thousand and one ways to eliminate someone without a trace," he warned in a whisper, making Heather's eyes shrink up, "If the idea of double-crossing me ever crosses your mind."
"I get the message," Heather shakily replied. Back at the Bears' cabin, Paul, now in his pajamas, was lying on his bed when he noticed someone walking towards the door. "You can come in, Dawn," he breathed out.
"How did you know it was me?" Dawn inquired after entering the cabin.
"Oddly enough, by smell. You have one of rosemary. Uh, that's not too weird, is it?"
"Not at all. Most lycans can recognize an individual by smell before they can by sight. And each person's scent is as unique as a fingerprint. It's why police have dogs for searches and rescues because of their strong noses."
"Okay, but I know this isn't about noses. It's about Dean, isn't it?"
"I do feel bad for him. He shouldn't have suffered that fate because of doing something good."
"Feels like a repeat of Ella and Phoebe, huh?"
"But I do see his future getting brighter, along with another's alignment becoming brighter with this unfortunate incident now in play."
"Uh...I guess that's a good thing. I do trust your cryptic nature. But...aren't you worried that your team lost and you might go home?"
"Things will work out in the end. That's all I can be certain of."
"Yeah, I suppose." Paul paused for a moment. "Hey, Dawn?" he nervously spoke up. "Is it me or do you think...we're being watched?" The duo looked outside but saw no one. "Maybe my senses are going haywire like in the mines," Paul groaned.
"Feeling cautious is not a bad thing," Dawn assured him as they walked back into the cabin. Had the duo looked closer at the nearby trees, they would've spotted Bryan and Valerie hiding in the shadows. "What do you think of cutting her?" Bryan asked Valerie. "She does seem well-liked and well-connected to others. That's a threat right there."
"But trouble is gaining the votes," Valerie pointed out. "Biker Girl is dead-set with Courtney while Feral Boy has hatred for that nasty dirt farmer."
"I can sway Owen and Helen. Heather will want to keep Courtney and Scott since they'll have a bigger target than her, and Lindsay will follow her by her heels. Include my vote and you have a 5-4 majority on the Gophers."
"The geek trio always votes together and are the most rational. Zee's an idiot and the 'J Jerks' will be more than happy to listen to yours truly."
"Well, why are we standing here? Let's start our work." At the hotel, the Frogs and Gophers were all gathered in the living room. "Dawn?" Lacey argued. "Are you crazy? We should be turfing Courtney right now!"
"Valerie did raise some good points regarding this choice with votes," Scarlett informed her. "Dawn is worse for all of us in the long run."
"She's not exactly a power player," Sol told the group. "Aside from Sam, she's the weakest physically."
"And she's helped us out quite a bit," Trent added.
"Oh, yes," Gwen scoffed, "She definitely helped, didn't she?"
"Don't bring the Gwent drama into this now," Sierra sighed. "But Dawn is connected to all sorts of people. This may be the one shot to get her out of the competition."
"Still, her over Courtney or Scott?" Nikki thought.
"Helga voting for Dirt Rat tonight," Helga decided. "Someone who throws game cannot be good."
"NO!" Zoey protested. "I-I mean, could you maybe not? Please?"
"Sorry, Zoey," Trent replied, "But the guy does sound shifty."
"Courtney's shiftier," Sky pointed out. "She did blackmail both Duncan and Scott. We should go with Lacey and vote her off."
"Exactly," Lacey agreed. "Courtney."
"No, Scott," Nikki argued.
"Dawn!" Sierra protested.
"Guys, stop arguing!" Bryan shouted over everyone. "Let's just calm down and let the chips fall where they lay...or however the saying goes. Okay?"
"Fine," Jo grumbled. Later that evening, the Rats were seated at the campfire ceremony. DJ, Harold, Austin and Sam were in the back row while Scott, Dawn, Bowie, Duncan, Geoff and Courtney were in the front row. The Gophers and Frogs were also standing nearby. "You are going to pay, Bowie," Courtney threatened.
"You're really gonna go after a scrawny man like myself?" Bowie feigned.
"Mike's scrawny and he can put up a fight," Scott recalled.
"Maybe now's not the time," Dawn whispered to him.
"Okay, loser Rats," Chris began. "The last four-team ceremony that'll be attended. The votes have been tallied. I would give you marshmallows, but someone ate all of them when he was in the infirmary."
"It's the least Dean can do to you after all the hell you put him through," Trent scolded.
"As I was saying, I'll simply toss out sticks instead. The following Rats are safe: DJ." DJ got hit in the face by a stick. "Ow!" he cried out.
"Harold," Chris continued, "Sam, Austin, Geoff, Duncan and Bowie." Courtney just scowled as Bowie caught his stick. "And now to the bottom of the barrel," Chris announced. "Scott, Dawn, Courtney, you've all got a pretty big amount of votes, but the person going home tonight is..." Scott got a nervous look, but shot a glare towards Courtney, who glared back. Dawn just had a puzzled look. "..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Dawn," Chris announced. The other Rats could only gasp with shock. "Me?" Dawn thought.
"Why her?" Scott protested as he stood up. "She was the most helpful person here at camp and you dumped her?"
"Bingo, brother," Valerie smugly replied.
"As if someone like her should reach the merge," Scarlett commented.
"Her influence is huge," Heather added, "And we're not worried about you in that department, Scott."
"Sorry this happened to you, Dawn," Trent sighed as he approached Dawn. "After all you've done for us..."
"It's okay," Dawn assured the group. "I was expecting that I might be leaving. I'm just glad I was able to meet such incredible people here. I helped all that I could and I don't think I have much regrets here."
"Please," Courtney scoffed. "You're a loser, plain and true."
"That line of thinking will only cause you unwanted suffering, Courtney. And to my fellow competitors, I do advise caution going forward, for there are still vipers slithering around the farmyard."
"What vipers?" Austin thought. "And what farm? It's a camp."
"So long, Dawn," Zoey told her as the moonchild was led away by Chef. "We'll miss you."
"Tell Melody we said hello," Sky added. At the Dock of Shame, Dawn simply had a content smile as the Drone of Despair picked her up by her sweater and flew her away. "And there goes the last truly selfless person," Chris narrated as he walked across the dock. "With her gone, how might things shape up? And who'll advance through the next stage of the game? Come back next time for more on the next episode of Total...Drama...Island!"
Over in the woods, Keith was slowly walking towards the twisted willow tree, where the swings and hammock were simply hanging idle. His mind drifted back to the earlier moments of the game.
...
"That squirt ate the entire pit of pudding?!" Keith cried out as he and Brick looked down inside the pit.
"Mister Biter helped," Phoebe informed them.
...
"You're okay!" Phoebe exclaimed as she ran over and hugged the mud-covered Keith. "You're really here! You saved Pete, Coach. You really did! You're a true hero!"
...
"Brick!" Phoebe 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?!"
"Damn it, Phoebe," Keith sniffled while wiping away a tear. "Now you got all of us with waterworks."
...
"She saved my life," Keith cut off to Blainley. "And besides, I did kinda break the promise first. Maybe just...take it easy for now. No point ruining a good thing." Phoebe giggled as he rubbed her hair.
...
"Will you be okay?" Keith asked Phoebe.
"I...I will be," Phoebe replied. "Now let's go save everyone!"
...
Keith angrily punched the willow tree, leaving a few cracks in the bark. Barry whimpered as he walked over to the boxer. "I was supposed to protect her," Keith muttered, tears streaking his face. "We were gonna go to the finale together. My...friend." He punched the ground and let out an anguished scream before completely breaking down. "PHOEBE!" Barry howled with sorrow as he curled up next to Keith. Unknown to the duo, Sky was silently watching them from a safe distance and only had a sympathetic look to express.
Votes:
Voted for Dawn: Owen, Heather, Lindsay, Helen, Bryan, Sierra, Cameron, Scarlett, Jo, Jasmine, Zee, Valerie
Voted for Courtney: Lacey, Gwen, Leshawna, Zoey, Sky, Sol
Voted for Scott: Trent, Helga, Nikki, Mike
Eliminated: Dawn (12-6-4, Decided by winners of the challenge)
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)
Xth) Dean (Confused Bears)
87) Alan (Screaming Gophers)
86) Leonard (Toxic Rats)
85) "Dumb" Damien (Screaming Gophers)
84/83) Corey (Screaming Gophers)/Laney (Frogs of Death)
82) Jane (Frogs of Death)
81) "Smart" Damien (Frogs of Death)
80) MK (Toxic Rats)
79/78) Wayne/Raj (Toxic Rats)
77) Dakota (Toxic Rats)
76) Lara (Confused Bears)
75) Beardo (Confused Bears)
74) Amy (Frogs of Death)
73) Ripper (Frogs of Death)
72) Chase (Screaming Gophers)
71) Emma (Toxic Rats)
70) Izzy (Screaming Gophers)
69) Cody (Screaming Gophers)
68) Beth (Screaming Gophers)
67) Rose (Screaming Gophers)
66) Ezekiel (Confused Bears)
65) Anthony (Toxic Rats)
64) Luna (Toxic Rats)
63/62) Brick (Frogs of Death)/Melody (Confused Bears)
61) Max (Screaming Gophers)
60) Rodney (Confused Bears)
59) Sarah (Screaming Gophers)
58) Bridgette (Toxic Rats)
57) Lucas (Screaming Gophers)
56) Samey (Frogs of Death)
55/54) Shane (Frogs of Death)/Ella (Confused Bears)
53) Anne-Maria (Frogs of Death)
52/51) Topher (Frogs of Death)/Blainley (Confused Bears)
50) Julia (Toxic Rats)
49) Priya (Confused Bears)
48) Lightning (Toxic Rats)
47) Destiny (Confused Bears)
46) Ethan (Confused Bears)
45) Echo (Screaming Gophers)
44/43) Phoebe (Frogs of Death)/Sugar (Confused Bears)
42) Dawn (Toxic Rats)
Episode 53, people! Whoo! So, sadly, Dawn was cut here due to being a social threat and because of that voting twist Chris put on. Come on, you know Chris would do something like that. And like Chris said, she was the only truly selfless person left, so you know things are gonna become hectic.
Poor Dean...suffering like that, and not even the girl he likes can recognize him. Hope things can turn around for him soon. And he's not the only one. Scott, Keith, Zoey...
And yes, you heard right: this was the final four-team challenge! The next phase of the game will (hopefully) be just as exciting and dramatic as it was prior! What does this mean? Well, wait and see.
Next challenge will take these teens back to school to tests what little brainpower they possess. Until next time, enjoy and have a good day.