Author's Note

It's here! It's here! It's finally here! The episode that people have been looking forward to since season one! Two new Shuffled cast members are about to be announced, as well as the returning cast for Total Shuffled World Tour. So much speculation has gone on in the reviews over the past year, and it's all about to be answered.

But first, the last reviews of the season that will be answered publicly. From here on out, I'll only be answering reviews for this story through the site's built-in system, and only then if there's something I feel I should address or answer. That said, time to get started.

Elizabeth Life Stone: Thanks! I hope you like the cast I've put together for next season.

Eternal Nexus Warrior: Really? I've heard a lot about Jo's win being predictable, but I suppose that doesn't hold true for everyone. And yes, as I've said many times by now, I will be introducing the two newbies in this special episode.

Glowing Insanity: Ahh, good to hear it. And thanks! I was hoping the two endings would go over well, especially considering how different the set up ended up being.

NewAgeHero: Cool. And as should be obvious now, the Celebrity Manhunt Special is part of TSA for story purposes - it's basically an epilogue that leads into the next season, and at any rate it uses the TDA opening in canon.

PizzaTheBomb: Thanks! And yeah, she's definitely an anti-hero. Not a goody-goody, but she has learned the value of teamwork and such.

bruno14: Awesome, I'm glad you liked last chapter. As you said, it really is amazing how much can change from one decision. And you're right that I could have included more fan questions, but honestly I didn't want the Afterparty or the chapter as a whole to be too long.

CVluvFoxy: Thanks! And yeah, I've been re-reading Total Shuffled Island recently, and it really is striking how far Jo has come.

Ddynamo: Hahaha yeah, this season ended up being pretty weird as far as the eliminations go. And you're right, it wasn't too balanced with the final three having all gotten to last season's final six, and a few people maybe lasting longer than they should have. It's been a learning experience, though, and I think I'll have a better handle on things for TSWT. I'm glad it was still so well-received, though.

acosta perez jose ramiro: Even if they did, they probably wouldn't have cared. I don't think they would've expected her to go so far as to hijack the monster. And...yeah, I suppose the comparison between Jo and Rainbow Dash is a good one. Anyway, thanks for the continued reviews!

Karts of Sugar Rush: Ah, well, I had hoped it would be clearer. Perhaps I'll edit it slightly at some point to better reflect what was going on. Then again, I don't think setting up the alternate endings of a Total Drama season like I did has been done before, so perhaps there'll always be some confusion unless I just flat-out state what was going on. At any rate, I'm glad you liked the idea for the finale!

Ali6132: Yeah, this sure has been a ride alright. Anyway, I'm glad you liked this chapter - though I'm afraid you misunderstood my comment about one of the newbies having already been revealed. See, I didn't mean it had been revealed in Episode 26, I meant that I had already revealed the character while writing this chapter, just in a different manner than Sierra was revealed in canon. Sorry for the confusion.

StayOuttaMyShed: Hmm, good point on why some people may have interpreted the ending of Episode 25 as a cliffhanger. Hadn't really thought of that. And yeah, I will admit I may have rushed the Afterparty - I just didn't want it to run on too long. Perhaps a few more questions wouldn't have been too bad. And honestly, in a lot of ways choosing the cat for next season was pretty tough since I know that pretty much every character has fans. And then there's figuring out who got stuck as one of the early eliminations, which even now I'm still a bit uncertain about. And then there's the merge, which comes super late in the season...well, hopefully it'll all work out. All those lovely reflections on this season's cast are definitely being heard, though, even if I can't really comment much on them here. I will say that Brady hasn't been forgotten - he may have just been busy that day and couldn't make the finale, though I won't rule out him being in the fleeing audience either.

turn forever you and me: Ahaha, I'm glad you liked it. I haven't watched a lot of monster movies, but I'm glad Scarlett's take down reminded you of one. As for Scarlett meeting Duncan and/or Mal in juvie...it's pretty unlikely, as no all juvenile detention centers are co-ed I think. That aside, I do hope you enjoy this chapter!

Invader Cole: Right, right, I can see why you'd think that. As for your predictions...well, you'll know by the end of the chapter if you were right.

Guest #1: As I've already said, only two people were randomly assigned to join the cast in this episode. Both are heroes, meaning Heather isn't one of them.

Guest #2: I'm pretty sure already said that Jo's ending was the canon one.

Guest #3: Piss off, ya homophobe.

insertnamehere21: Yeah, I figured. And don't fell too bad, I don't think anyone really saw that set-up with the alternate endings coming. Interesting predictions as always, and you'll finally get to find out if you were right. Also, congrats on getting the 500th review!

The Prime Writer: Thanks! And honestly, even I don't really know what's up with Scarlett. All I know is that she does what she does because she feels and thinks that it's the best for her. Like you, I don't know enough about psychology to assess her any more than that. And I'm glad you understood why I ended up rushing the Afterparty so much. As for whether or not B ever rebuilds his device...even I don't know yet.

OMAC001: Well, I hope you enjoy it!

Zak Saturday: Thanks! Dunno if I can top the last two chapters though. But that's probably just because they were a season finale. This chapter's definitely gonna cause it's own brand of excitement.

Guest #4: Right, thanks. I might end up doing just that at some point in the future, but for now I'm gonna focus on the rest of the series.

FOWLKON: Thanks! Though Heather won't be joining the cast, since I've already stated that the newbies are heroically inclined. And yeah, it'll definitely be an interesting World Tour.

Knifez: Haha, I'm glad you liked it! Although I don't know if I'll ever put anything for Chapter 25's title in the index...maybe 'Finale, Part 1' or something like that and then change Chapter 26 to match. But that's not really important right now. Your critiques, however, are. For the first, I've definitely been trying to come up with more running plots for everyone, even those who'll get early boots. I can't guarantee it'll be perfect, but I think the first half of the game should turn out better than the first two seasons. For the second, I've also been working on the elimination balance and I think it'll be better this time around. Not perfect for everyone, but it was never gonna be perfect - the eliminations in season three are already pretty difficult to balance between what I want to do, and what the reviewers are hoping to see from their favorites. At the very least, though, the gender ratio should be better. And as for the third, since even I have only decided to the Final Three (and all three combinations of finalists have their merits), I don't think the winner will be too obvious. And even the Final Three should be having some close calls at elimination, at least at some point along the line. Overall, though, I'm really glad you liked this season, and I hope you continue to enjoy both this special episode, and next season as well.

Imagi: I won't lie, the stuff about Ezekiel was kind of unexpected, but I'm certainly glad you've enjoyed how I've portrayed him. That aside, I'm glad you like my story and are looking forward to this week's installment!

Nickie Mudkip: I'm glad you liked it! As for the answers to your questions...well, some of them will be answered today, so read on! Also, I think you accidentally posted your review twice - the second time as a generic 'Guest'.

I. M. Poik: Yup, that's exactly what the point of divergence is - if Jo decides to care more about the challenge she stays put and Scarlett is able to beat everyone and complete her plan. If Jo decides to find out where Scarlett is going, she then decides to help the others and in doing so ends up winning the season. As for your predictions...well, you'll just have to read on and see what happens!

Star Saber21: Thanks, I'm glad you liked the finale! And yeah, writing the scene of Dawn reading Jo's palm last season was what made me decide on how to split the alternate endings this season - I knew it was going to be Jo vs Scarlett, and at that point I came up with the idea of having the outcome rest on Jo's decision to either pursue the competition, or to go help the others. I'm glad it all turned out so well!

Joel Connell: Thanks! I hope you like what happens, and who gets to join the cast.

80jj: Ah, good to see you again; no worries for taking so long between reviews though. I'm so glad you liked this season, and all it's many twists and turns. We've come a long way since season one, and perhaps even a longer way since canon. I'm also happy to see that you have such faith in me, and I truly hope I can make TSWT live up to everyone's expectations.

And with that, the reviews for this season have been answered. As I said earlier, any further reviews of this story will not be replied to publicly, though I may answer them privately if I feel the need to do so.

Before the episode begins, I'd like to announce that, courtesy of Karts of Sugar Rush, a TVTropes page for the Total Shuffled series has been created. Those of you who'd like to check it out, and even contribute, can find it through the 'FanWorks' tab of the main Total Drama page on TVTropes.

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. Have you any idea who the two latest Shuffled contestants will be? Keep in mind that it's gonna be one boy and one girl; both are heroes; and at least one of them competed in the canon version of World Tour. Oh, and most importantly, the two newbies were chosen absolutely at random. Nobody picked them out, it was all just the will of the Random Number Generator. So make your last predictions, get some snacks, and get a comfortable, because it's time for the Gemmie Awards...

- Fangren

Special Episode – Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Action Reunion Special

The scene opened on what was meant to look like a beeping TV satellite watching the Earth from afar, only the wires audibly pulling it up hinting that it was a fake. The shot rapidly 'zoomed in' to the planet as a trendy and energetic theme tune began to play. The camera panned down to a limousine under a streetlight where a white-skinned hand was waving out of its open door; the door slammed and crushed the arm, and the limo drove away. The shot quickly panned left to show a dumpster in the foreground just in front of a chain link fence; a pair of hands holding a camera popped out of the trash and took a photo.

That flash transitioned the sequence to a few white people walking around in an airport, some sort of logo flashing on to a hanging television screen. The shot panned down and to the left again as a furry hand poked out of a potted plant and snapped another photo.

Next was a scene of a straight white couple on what looked like a date at an upscale restaurant, although only the guy had a plate of food. The guy started to choke and the girl looked taken aback, and the camera panned to the right to a bowl of soup. A tentacle emerged from the soup holding a camera of its own, and took yet another picture. A fat black guy holding a tape recorder got kicked in the groin, and a scruffy white cameraman got punched out by a large black fist.

Another white man appeared in close-up with his back to the camera, this one with black hair slightly streaked with gray. He had been looking out at a city at night, then turned around as the shot zoomed out to show him to be fairly handsome and wearing a tuxedo. The skyline was revealed to be just a poster with a homeless man sleeping below it, and the name 'JOSH' appeared at the top of the screen.

A quick roll of blank film strip scrolling past the camera transitioned the shot to a close-up of a white woman's hand getting its nails painted red. The shot zoomed out again to show the woman as being young, attractive, and blonde; her dress matched her nails and was both low-cut and tight. Standing by a director's chair and stage light, the woman put her hands on her hips and waggled her eyebrows at the camera – the name 'BLAINELEY' appeared on the screen.

A reel of film rolled through the screen, leaving behind a yellow-and-gold background. All at once a magnifying glass appeared in the middle of the scene, its lens showing a star against a purple background. A few black shoe prints were placed over the star, and the musical theme came to its end.

It was replaced by a simple drumbeat as the scene cut to the inside of a studio, the two people named in the introductory sequence seated together at a desk with the logo shown earlier plastered on the front.

"Hey there celebrity lovers," the man said as the camera zoomed in. "Welcome to a very special edition of Celebrity Manhunt!" The shot cut his close-u as the show's theme played again.

"Tonight is the night we've been waiting for all year," the woman said, "the Gemmie Awards!" The scene changed to a silhouette of a man and a woman standing on the red carpet together under a spotlight. "That's when our favorite TV stars get all dressed up and take home the gold!" The silhouetted couple were suddenly crushed by a giant gold statuette shaped like a woman holding up a television.

"In about a half an hour we'll take you right on to the red carpet to meet the hottest stars!" the man said as the scene flashed to an actual red carpet at night where limos were pulling up and crowds on either side of the carpet were cheering wildly. The camera rapidly flew up the carpet and through the doors, where the blinding light from inside transitioned the scene back to the studio.

"I am so pumped for this," Blaineley said, "are you Josh?"

"Oh yeah," Josh said.

"The shoes!" she continued, raising up her leg and motioning to her own foot.

"The tuxes!" Josh added with a pat of his own clothes.

"The hair!" the woman pointed to a lock of her own hair.

"The drama!" the man said with a smile, and the two hosts leaned towards the camera and squealed.

xxx

(Fade to Opening Theme)

Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;

You guys are on my mind!

Ya asked me what I wanted to be,

And now I think the answer is plain to see!

I wanna be...famous!

I wanna live close to the sun!

Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!

Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;

I'll get there one day.

'Cause I wanna be...famous!

(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)

(Fade to Episode)

xxx

A door was heard closing and a limousine was shown squealing its tires as it sped away. The camera followed it briefly and passed a trashcan with a star spray painted on the sign. The letters 'CM' appeared on the screen in blocky red type, and a pair of arms holding a camera popped out of the trashcan and took a photo.

The flash took the scene back to the studio as a short but trendy theme played. "Welcome back to Celebrity Manhunt!" Blaineley said. "We thought we'd pay tribute to this year's most famous reality show cast: the teens who braved it all on the set of Total Drama Island," the first season's logo appeared in the corner of the screen, "and, Total Drama Action!" The second season's logo appeared below the first's.

A flash took the scene back to the red carpet. "We'll catch you up on Beth, B, Scarlett, Shawn, Lightning..." As Josh spoke each contestant's name, a small portrait of them appeared on screen – the first five took up the top row of the screen. "...Dawn, Sugar, Amy and Sammy, Topher, Scott...," the next six formed the second row. "...Beardo, DJ, Dakota, Alejandro, Sam, Jo...," were the third row. "...Staci, Sierra, Geoff, Bridgette, and Ezekiel," rounded out the bottom row.

"They're nominated in the category of Best Reality Ensemble," Blaineley explained before the scene flashed back to the studio again.

"I think they're gonna nail it, Blaineley!" Josh said enthusiastically.

"No doubt," his cohost said.

"And when they reunite on that crimson rug," an image of a golden version of the Total Drama cast was shown against a yellow background with a large medical needle approaching them to the side, "Celebrity Manhunt will drain every last drop of drama from these uber-famous teens." The needle stuck into the group and slowly sucked away their golden color, leaving them as black-and-white outlines of their former selves.

"Love it!" the two hosts declared, sharing a fist bump.

"Total Drama may have ended," Blaineley said, "but the drama goes on, and on! Our crack team of undercover gossip reporters have been super busy this year!"

"Poser boy got his party on," she said breathlessly as the shot flashed to show a still image of Ezekiel in shades and a gold necklace making some pathetic attempt at a hand sign. "The Action Girl took the world by storm...literally!" The footage flashed to another still image, this time of Jo jumping out of the way of a lightning strike.

"Meanwhile, is it game over for Samkota?" Josh asked as the image changed to a panning photo of Sam and Dakota looking sadly away from each other.

"The Celebrity Manhunt cameras caught them all," Blaineley said, "even Amy revealing her sister's acne problem!" The photo changed again, this time showing the mean twin pointing and laughing at Sammy, who was looking down in shame. The camera zoomed in on the younger twin's face, revealing a single tiny pimple.

"Ooh, I can't wait to see those kitties bare their claws on the red carpet!" Josh said, giddily rubbing his hands together. He mimed baring claws of his own and made a noise like a cat's yowl, but all it earned him was a sudden pause in the music and an unamused look from his cohost. He put his hands down in shame.

"We've been measuring the popularity of this famous gang," Blaineley continued, "using our amazing, awe-inspiring Celebrity Manhunt Drama Machine!"

A triumphant tune accompanied a quick-pan to the side, the camera stopping on the head of a grungy robot. Its 'eyes' were the classic 'sad' and 'happy' masks, and its down-turned mouth was a meter of some kind. A hatch in its chest was wide open, and a man was leaning inside it making repairs – and showing his buttcrack to the world. The repairman dropped something inside, then called out "It's busted!"

The camera immediately cut back to Blaineley's close-up as she quickly recovered from the surprise. "Let's start with Total Drama's biggest villain. Last season, Scarlett went from being a respected team leader and strategist to a monster-controlling supervillain out for revenge."

"Too bad for her, but great for the rest of us," Josh added, "all she ended up with was a ticket to the big house."

A few mugshots of the girl in question were shown, her glasses off and her hair wild. "And we're talking maximum security juvenile detention," Blaineley added. "Sorry Scarlett, but if you do the crime, you have got to do the time."

"We managed to get our hands on some footage from Scarlett's first day in the joint," Josh said with growing excitement. "Let's watch!"

xxx

The scene cut to a video of the evil genius standing in what appeared to be a lunch line alongside several other young women, many of whom were larger than her. She was wearing the standard orange jumpsuit associated with prisoners, and while she was still going without her glasses she had tied the bulk of her hair back into a low ponytail. She finally stepped up to the front of the line, and adopted a nervous smile as she held up her meal tray.

"Well, I'm certain this will be better than the food from Total Drama," she joked awkwardly. The only reply she got from the unseen lunch attendant was for them to unceremoniously drop a scoop of mashed potatoes and peas onto her plate. She frowned and turned around, then began to walk back through the rows of tables.

On the way she was tripped by one of the other girls and fell face-first into her potatoes, earning a round of laughter from those around her. "That was for trying to hurt Lightning!" the culprit said, a large white girl with her hair buzzed short and died purple.

"And this is for trashing the studio!" lisped a nerdy-looking east Asian girl as she threw a bowl of soup on the fallen brainiac's head."

"Yeah!" the first girl said. "Do you know how much work goes into building and maintaining film sets? Around here, we respect that kinda labor."

xxx

"Ouch," Blaineley said with a mock wince as the clip ended and the scene moved back to the studio. "Looks like Scarlett was stuck with a bunch of angry fans."

"We sat down with her a few months later for an exclusive interview," Josh added with a smile.

xxx

"I must admit I've learned a lot from my stay here," Scarlett said as the next video started. She was seated behind a glass window looking just the same as before, and was speaking through a telephone. "Primarily about human psychology. Of course, it was simple to determine the power dynamics of this institution and raise my own relative standing and take control of the population."

Her interview was interrupted by an angry shout from off camera that made the brainiac grimace in fear and duck under the table. "When I get my hands on you Scarlett, you're dead meat!"

"...which isn't to say that I'm in complete control, of course," she corrected while cautiously raising back into her chair.

xxx

"A few weeks later," Josh continued as the camera flashed back to him, "and she was out on parole for good behavior. Who could've guessed that?!"

"But since then," Blaineley said, "we haven't heard a word from her!"

"Haha, I hope she's not planning her revenge again," Josh joked.

"Totally!" Blaineley added. "Scarlett, if you're hearing this, showing up on the red carpet in a giant monster is a major fashion faux pas."

"Especially since you wore one to your last big event!" Josh joked again, and the two shared a quick laugh.

"Next up, post-Drama bods!" the hostess announced excitedly. "This year," an image of a brown-skinned man's six-pack abs appeared to her right, "we saw major improvement and fitness fiascoes." The image of the man next to her suddenly bloated up and became very fat, then the picture turned white and took over the screen.

xxx

The scene moved to a close-up of a bust of Scott being whittled out of a chunk of wood, and the camera zoomed out to show the young man himself handling the knife. He was sitting on the porch of a ramshackle house, and had a very noticeable belly under his tanktop.

"What?" he sneered when he saw the camera. "So I had little more of Ma's home cooking than usual, big deal! After spending so long away from the farm I had a hankering for some real food. And you'd be surprised how much fat porcupines have. Anyway, it'll be gone in no time."

He belched, scratched his belly, and returned to whittling.

xxx

"Scott let himself go," Blaineley said as a still shot of the schemer's belly moved into position next to her head, "but Lightning kept himself in peak condition." The picture switched to Lightning flexing his arms, then enlarged to take over the whole screen as the uber-jock was shown running down a field in full football uniform.

"As soon as he got back from Total Drama Action, Lightning rejoined his school's football team and started winning game after game after game to make up for his latest loss on set," Josh narrated. "I've never seen such determination!"

"I have," Blaineley said, "and if you wanna see it yourself, then look no further then TDA's winner, Jo! After winning the million she made good on her promise by going on a shopping spree," a photo was shown of the jock-ette standing in a driveway while a number of large packages were delivered to her, "and setting off for a road trip across North America." A few more photos were shown of her standing in front of various tourist attractions – the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, Mt. Rushmore, and the Whitehouse.

"Too bad she soon found herself trapped in the worst thunderstorm in years!" Josh added excitedly.

xxx

The wind was howling as the next video began, focusing on Jo as she ran along a dirt road in the pouring rain. "This is the last time I go for a jog in the middle of nowhere!" she yelled angrily, monetarily getting distracted by a few pieces of paper and a bicycle getting blown past her. She looked up as thunder rumbled ominously, then picked up her pace. "Why did I decide to stop here, anyway?!"

Another thunderclap got her attention again, and with a sudden look of panic she dove forwards onto the ground. Lightning struck the ground right where she had been standing, but while she did seem to be sparking slightly as she got back to her feet she was otherwise untouched.

xxx

"Talk about your close calls," Josh said. "Maybe Mother Nature's not a fan."

Blaineley giggled. "Well based on how the rest of her trip went, you maybe on to something. Just a few days later and she found herself face-to-face with a tornado!"

xxx

"Darn it, not again!" Jo said as the next video opened with her running along yet another dirt road. And although the rain was much lighter, the wind was much stronger, and soon enough she was picked up and sent flying backwards.

xxx

"Luckily for her, she was tough enough to handle everything that was thrown at her," Blaineley commented. "I can only imagine what having her on the red carpet's gonna be like."

"Haha, the paparazzi better watch out," Josh laughed.

"Meanwhile, DJ took to the airwaves," Blaineley continued as a picture of then gentle giant and his mother replaced the one of Jo getting blown around.

xxx

"Hey there," DJ greeted to light applause as a video clip of him and his Momma began. They were standing in a kitchen behind a countertop loaded with food – roast chicken, ribs, a stack of steaks, a tray cinnamon rolls, and more. "And welcome back to Momma's Heapin' Helpin's, where we don't count calories," he reached out for one of the steaks only for Momma to slap his hand and make him wince, "we count smiles!"

An arm slowly reached up from behind the counter, and Staci of all people could be seen poking her head just into view. Momma quickly slapped her hand too, and she ducked back with a cry of "Like, oww!"

xxx

"Chock full of carbs, cholesterol, and calories," Josh said as the shot lingered on Momma and DJ, "their food was to die for!"

The scene finally flashed away, and now focused on Blaineley. "Only problem was, people did!" she said as a picture of a coffin slid into position next to her head, then changed to a picture of a sad, shirtless, and slumped-over DJ walking away from the camera. "DJ, what were you thinking? We tracked down Momma to answer a few questions."

xxx

The footage cut to static before coming back to the unedited view through a TV camera. "There she is," the white man holding it whispered before running up to Momma with a microphone as she walked by. "Momma! Momma! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Get outta my face!" was Momma's reply, accompanied by a slap that knocked the camera to the ground.

xxx

"After a few dozen lawsuits," Josh said back in the studio, "DJ and his Momma were left with nothing but a tour bus full of shattered hopes and dreams." The scene flashed to the two in question, now wearing barrels for clothes as they stood in front of a bus with their pictures on the side. Momma slapped her son, causing him to squeal.

"While DJ and his Momma aired their dirty laundry," Blaineley said over a picture of some dirty undergarments hanging on a pole outside that quickly receded into the space between the two host's heads, "we went looking for more."

"But when it comes to one Total Drama teen," Josh said, "there was no dirty laundry."

"Or any sign of her!" Blaineley added as the picture next to her became a very blurry shot of Dawn meditating in the woods that was clearly taken from far away. "Dawn, where are you?"

"This pathetic telephoto shot is all we got," Josh added over a few different close-ups of the same blurry picture. "But don't worry folks, we'll hunt her down on the red carpet tonight."

"Meanwhile," Blaineley continued over a clip of a cameraman skateboarding along a road while filming, "our cameras were hot on the trail of another Total Drama man of mystery."

"Our homeschooled hoser-turned-homie, Ezekiel, went back to the farm for some downtime," Josh said as a picture of the boy in question appeared next on-screen. "Celebrity Manhunt caught up with him."

xxx

Once again, the footage was viewed as the unedited feed through a video camera. "Yo yo yo, paparazzi peeps," Ezekiel greeted from in front of a barn with his faux-bling and attempted hand signs as a hiphop tune began to play in the background. "Yo want a piece of the Zeke? 'sup!" He held out his gold chains – which included a large Z and what looked like a cowbell – then promptly got his arm caught in them.

"It don't matter how much bling you sling, brotha," the cameraman said as Zeke tried to free himself and in doing so caused the bell around his neck to ring, "you gotta eaaarrrrnn ghetto cred."

Ezekiel fell over with a grunt, then said "I'm kinda stuck here. Can you put the cameras down and help me out?" By then, the camera had already moved over to a large bull watching nearby. "Guys?" The bull mooed, then began to look at the fallen boy with amorous intent – Ezekiel immediately began to scream.

xxx

The scene flashed back to Josh, the picture next to his head now showing the bull kissing Ezekiel on the cheek. "Good work, people!" the host said. "Next up, Sammy and Amy." Pictures of the two twins slid on-screen from either side, each girl leaning towards the center of the screen with a hateful expression. They were each seated at a computer in what was presumably their room, with Sammy's being bluish-purple in color and Amy's being more of an orange. "Their epic sibling rivalry hit the internet where they had a full-on blog war."

The twins' picture moved back to the space between the host as Blaineley asked "Can someone tell me why Amy is still trying so hard to drag her sister through the mud? It's getting seriously pathetic at this point."

"If there's another fight between these Amy and Sammy," Josh said giddily, putting his hands on his face, "ooh! I'm on team Sammy all the way!"

"Me too!" Blaineley chimed in. "Unlike her sister, Sammy's a total sweetheart. She's a lovable underdog who's fought all her life to escape Amy's shadow, and who doesn't love that?"

"Let's check out some of that web action from earlier this year," Josh told the camera.

xxx

"Hi everyone," Sammy opened her video, taken by a webcam in her bedroom. "I hope you're all doing well. Today, I have a special guest," She leaned forward and grabbed the webcam, turning it to the right to reveal, "Beth!"

"Hi!" the dorky girl smiled and waved.

"So tell us, Beth, how are things with you?" the cheerleader asked her friend. "Are you still dating Brady?"

"Oh, totally," Beth gushed. "Just look at the promise ring he gave me the other day!" She held up her hand, showing what looked a large red diamond-cut jewel on one of her fingers.

Sammy raised an eyebrow in cautious confusion. "Uhh, isn't that, like, a candy ring?"

"Yup!" Beth nodded, taking a quick lick of the sugary jewel. "I know its not very expensive, but Brady said he wanted to give a sweet ring to his sweet girl."

"That's...actually pretty, well, sweet!" Sammy told her friend with a soft smile.

"I know, right?" the wannabe grinned. "What about you, have you been keeping in touch with DJ?"

Sammy blushed lightly. "Oh, well, when we can," she explained. "With all the stuff he's been going through, he doesn't have a lot of time to call me."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Beth frowned, putting her finger to her lip. "I can't believe so many people died."

The cheerleader hung her head. "I haven't seen him in person since I spent that week touring with them. I wish I could do more to help."

"Don't worry," Beth said with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "I'm sure things will turn out alright."

xxx

The scene cut back to the studio. "Then came Amy's online attack," Blaineley said as a picture of the mean twin appeared on-screen.

xxx

"I just saw Samey's latest gag-fest of a video," Amy opened her own webcam video, rolling her eyes and putting on a look of superiority. "And can you believe she actually invited that geek over to our house? I don't know what she was thinking. It'll take weeks to cleanse everything."

"Oh, and all that talk about their boyfriends?" Amy added with a dismissive handwave. "Please, nobody cares. Brady's just some airhead with horrible taste, and DJ?" she snorted out a laugh. "Don't even get me started. Samey's just lucky she got off that tour bus alive. The fact that Samey still hasn't broken up with him just shows how stupid she is."

Amy broke out laughing, then added "And did you notice how she still isn't mentioning her freaky little girlfriend Dawn? I still say Samey's been abandoned. It wouldn't be the first time. I bet Dawn and DJ decided to hook-up, and DJ's just stringing Samey along."

xxx

"So cold!" Josh said as the mean twin's clip cut to static.

"Brrr!" Blaineley added with a shiver. "Sammy couldn't let this go," the hostess added as the nice twin's picture appeared next to her head, "she had to respond!"

xxx

"Thanks for sending all your support!" Sammy opened the next video with a smile, Beth nowhere in sight. "And yeah, I saw Amy's video – heard some of it, too, since she's just down the hall from me." She absentmindedly pointed to her left. "Honestly, her trashing DJ and Beth and Brady doesn't bother me. That's just, y'know, how she is. I always used to hope that Amy might one day treat me with respect, but I think I've accepted the fact that it just won't happen."

She smiled for a second, then hung her head and sighed. "But that kinda brings me to something I should have talked about sooner. See, the truth is," she gave the webcam a sheepish look, "I don't know what's going on with Dawn. Things have been weird ever since that video of her and her Dad was leaked, and I haven't talked to her since we left the film lot. Neither has DJ, actually, and he's even been trying to look for her."

Sammy sighed again. "Dawn, if you're watching this, I just wanted to let you know that...that I miss you. That DJ misses you. I can only imagine what you must be feeling, but...whatever it is, it's not something you can just run away from or ignore. Please, just...let's just talk, okay? We can figure things out together."

xxx

"After a few more weeks of this," Josh said as the camera cut back to him, "we invited them to the Celebrity Manhunt studio. A picture of the host and twins seated and facing each other appeared on-screen, and a flash took the scene to the interview/

"You've been through so much together," Josh said softly. "Sixteen years in the same house. A cabin at a summer camp, and a trailer in an abandoned film lot. Why not just bury the hatchet?"

The twins shared a brief look of consideration, then Amy looked at the host. "Well Josh, it's just that because of Samey, people are starting to think that I'm not the better twin."

"No," Sammy countered, "it's because of you that people are realizing that you aren't as great as you say you are."

"You take that back!" Amy growled.

"No!" Sammy said forcefully. In response, Amy pounced on her sister, and the twins began to fight right there in the studio.

"Cat fight! Cat fight!" Josh cheered enthusiastically, watching the girls and rubbing his hands together.

xxx

"Mmm, what is it with guys and cat fights?" Blaineley asked with a playful shake of her head.

"Let's watch it again!" Josh said, eagerly rubbing his hands together. He then mimed baring his claws again, complete with another cat-like yowl.

"A major celebrity is arriving at the red carpet!" Blaineley suddenly announced, her hand to her ear.

/

The scene flashed to the red carpet as seen through the raw feed from a video camera. Photo flashes came from the crowd as a limousine pulled up, and the shot changed to a close-up of its door as the limo came to a screeching halt, causing the door to pop open and the man inside – a familiar face in a baby blue tux – to come ricocheting out.

He fell to the ground with an "Oof!" and the camera panned up to show none other than Chef Hatchet stepping out the other side, wearing a black suit coat and lavender bow tie over his usual attire.

"Dude," the other man said as he got to his feet and rubbed his head in pain, "where'd you learn how to drive? NASCAR?"

"Ahh, suck it up, you big baby," Chef told him with folded arms.

"Fine! You clean up the barf!"

"It's stubble boy Chris McLean!" Blaineley interrupted from off-camera, catching the handsome man's attention.

"Heeey-hehe-hey!" Chris said, adjusting his bow tie and approaching the camera. "Celebrity Manhunt! Josh." He made a shaka sign. "Did you get my video?"

The trendy music that had been playing came to a screeching halt as the camera cut back to the two hosts in the studio, their eyes looking around in awkward silence. The shot quick-panned to a tipped over trashcan, and zoomed in on a CD case with Chris' face on it – the case was being gnawed on by a rat. "Yup..." Josh said weakly.

A split-screen formed, with Blaineley on the left and Chris on the right. "Chris," the hostess said while the man in question signed an autograph, "you must be dying to see the Total Drama cast again!"

"...Who?" Chris asked after a moment as he handed the autograph to someone off-camera.

"The teenagers you abused for two seasons on national television?" Blaineley explained in a dry tone.

"Oh right!" Chris said with a sudden grin. "Love their work. Love them! Can we talk about my new show now?" He flashed a double thumbs-up, and Blaineley's eyes briefly widened.

"We're going to take a break," she said, Chris' half of the split screen sliding away. "But don't go away! Next, we have the rags to riches to rags of 'Drama to Drama', the Total Drama band that rocketed up and down the charts with their hit, 'The Challenge Never Ends'."

"Here's a clip from last year's chart-topping music video," Josh added.

xxx

The clip began with a spotlight turning on over a stage, illuminating Topher standing at a microphone.

"And though it hurts so bad, the challenge never ends~" he sang, hanging on the last word as additional lights came on over his bandmates and they started playing along – to the right, Alejandro on guitar; to the left, Beardo on synth; in the back, B on drums.

Topher closed his eyes and tapped his foot a couple times, then belted out "Because I do it for yooouuuu~!"

The other three's playing became more intense, and the camera passed over each one in turn.

xxx

The scene cut back to the feed of Chris McLean on the red carpet, his hand to his ear as he spoke. "Going to commercial? I got this." He shot a finger pistol, then turned to the camera and spread his arms. "Will Amy ever give up her one-woman crusade? Will Ezekiel ever get a clue? And who will DJ take to the Gemmies?" He put his hands on his head and adopted an expression of awe and disbelief. "So many questions! Find out the answers when Celebrity Manhunt: Total Drama Red Carpet Reunion Special returns! Right after this!" He pointed straight at the camera, then put his hands on his hips and smugly said "Now that's how you do it."

"Mmm," a clearly annoyed and unimpressed Blaineley grunted. "Thanks."

(Fade to Commercial and Back)

The episode resumed with a shot of a limousine speeding towards the camera until the focus was entirely on its front license plate. The letters 'CM' were stamped on the plate with a metallic clang, and the shot panned up to a furry arm holding a camera out the driver's side window. The camera flashed, transitioning the scene to the studio.

"It's Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Red Carpet Reunion Special!" Blaineley said, ignoring a stage light that fell behind her and Josh while the male host quickly diverted his eyes to it.

"Now let's look at what happens when the lovin' stops," Josh said as a picture of Sam and Dakota kissing slid into view next to his head then enlarged to take over the screen. "On Total!" The right half of the picture was replaced with half a heart against a yellow background. "Drama!" The left side turned into the other half of the heart, and the whole thing began to beat. "Break-ups!" The heart shattered like glass as a video clip began.

"It all started out so well," Josh narrated as Sam and Dakota were shown walking down a sidewalk holding hands. They stopped and waved at the paparazzi that were around, and the camera filming them zoomed in on the gamer's fancy new clothes. "Dakota gave Sam a much-needed makeover," Josh said before the shot zoomed back out as Sam led his posing girlfriend away, "while he helped keep her grounded."

"Samkota was the Total Drama power couple that defied the odds and took a chance on love," Blaineley said back in the studio.

"But tensions began to rise when the hosts of the Total Drama Aftermath show began their own creative endeavors separate from each other," Josh continued.

"Sam was first, with his video game channel on ClipTube becoming an overnight success," Blaineley said as the gamer's smiling portrait slid into position next to her. "While Dakota was initially supportive, it didn't take long before she voiced her real opinion."

xxx

"Welcome to Sam Plays!" the familiar voice of the gamer greeted, the video being recorded entirely in-game. His avatar looked like a blockier version of himself, and the simulated world around it looked similarly cube-based. "Today I'm taking a look at 'Build&Dig', that new indie game that everyone's been talking about."

His avatar began to walk around the 3d world, looking at various rocks and trees and things. "Gotta say, it's already looking pretty good. But I know you all wanna see me get into the good stuff, so I'll just-"

A doorbell interrupted the recording. "Huh?" Sam grunted as his character stopped moving, and he was heard rising from his chair. "I wonder what...Dakota?!"

"Hey Sam!" Dakota's voice came over in the background. "I've got some big news, and I just had to fly over and tell you in person."

"Uh, not that I'm not happy to see you, but can it wait?" Sam asked as what looked like a giant scorpion walked onto the screen and grabbed the gamer's character in its claws. "I'm kinda in the middle of recording."

"Psssh, that's what can wait," the heiress said dismissively. "Besides, once I tell you the news, you'll forget all about that little video game thing you've been doing." The scorpion, meanwhile started viciously thrashing the unmoving avatar around.

"I told you," the gamer said, "it's not some little 'thing', it's a Let's Play channel and-" The scorpion finished Sam's character off with a sting of its tail, and the avatar burst into a pile of bones and a gravestone.

"Sam," Dakota interrupted, "I finally got a call from the network, and they've approved the concept for my spin-off series!" She squealed in excitement.

xxx

"Ouch," Josh said with a chuckle. "I may not know much about video games, but having your passion dismissed so easily has gotta sting."

"And speaking of sting," Blaineley said as the focus moved to her, "check out what happened a couple weeks later during filming of the pilot for 'Living with Dakota'."

xxx

The next clip opened with a shot of Dakota herself, winking and leading the camera through a screen door that automatically slid open and out into a very fancy garden filled with statues and a few shrubs cut into the shape of Dakota's head. Off to the far left, Staci of all people could be seen peeking over a hedge wall before suddenly and silently falling down behind it.

"And this is is the east garden," she explained as she backed onto the outside patio. "It's where we keep the outdoor art pieces. As you can see," she quickly looked over her shoulder at one of the topiaries then gave the camera a knowing smile, "it's great. I'm even thinking of-"

She was cut off when a bee buzzed into view and flew close to her. "Umm, what?" she said in obvious discomfort as she tried to edge away from the insect. "Sam, come help! This bee's, like, trying to attack me!"

The camera spun around to show the gamer coming out of the house with a frown on his face. "It's probably just attracted to your perfume or something," he told her. "Just, I don't know, move away from it and it'll leave you alone eventually."

"But Sam, it's distracting me!" Dakota whined.

Sam sighed in exasperation, then walked forward and cautiously started to wave his hand at the bee. "C'mon, go away," he told it in a tired tone. "Go pollinate somewhere else."

A dramatic note was struck as Sam's hand smacked into the bee, a clearly unintentional maneuver based on his expression but one which he was duly punished for with a sting. He yelped in pain, then rubbed his hand. "Great," he said dully.

Dakota winced uncertainly, then told him "Well, at least it didn't sting me, right? I can not afford to swell up on camera." Sam gave her an unamused look.

xxx

"It wasn't long after that that Samkota's public appearances started to dwindle," Blaineley said.

"And when they did show up," Josh added as a picture of the couple arguing appeared between the hosts, "it was clear that a break-up was on the way."

"The only question was, how would it go down?" Blaineley said. "Luckily, Celebrity Manhunt got these juicy shots from outside the Milton Mansion." A series of photographs were shown on the screen, starting with what was nothing but a large and half-open set or ornate double doors. The next showed Sam getting thrown out of them, and the third showed him landing face-first on the front steps. Fourth had the gamer standing and shaking an angry fist at the door, and sixth showed him in the middle of walking away – and getting beaned in the back of the head by a small video game console.

"If that's not a dumping, I don't know what is!" Josh declared with a grin.

"Come on!" Blaineley said, snapping her fingers. "Dakota, dig deep and use that heart of yours! Sam, realize what you had, and take her back! We know you two can do what it takes to make things work!"

"We're all rooting for you," Josh added with a chuckle before turning to face the camera more directly.. "Now let's check in with another star couple."

"Bridgette and Geoff," his cohost said as a picture of the two lying on a tanning bed together appeared next to her. "The runner-up of Total Drama Island and her fun-loving boyfriend. You just couldn't open a fanzine this year without seeing a picture of Geoff and Bridgette," Blaineley added as a picture of several magazine covers depicting the couple slid into the space next to her. "or as we call them, Gidgette! Sucking face..." A close-up of one of the covers was shown, depicting the blondes making out.

"With Geoff's popularity shooting higher than Bridgette's," a photograph was shown of the party boy signing an attractive white woman's arm while Bridgette gave him a stern look, "she had to put up with a lot of Geoff's stalkers." A close up of the surfer's face was shown, followed by a shot of the party boy signing another attractive white woman's belly, and a close-up of the resulting angry scowl on Bridgette's face.

"When Geoff let his guard down," Josh said over a clip of the couple standing together in an airport with their surfboards, the party boy's eyes following a passing redheaded woman and causing Bridgette to gasp when she noticed, "he was in for a smackdown." The clip skipped ahead to Bridgette smacking her boyfriend over the head with her board, then to a close-up of the boy's dazed face.

"But luckily for Gidgette," Josh said back in the studio, "they patched it all up."

xxx

The couple were shown at what looked like a press conference, standing at a podium with a spotlight on them. "Let's just all chill out," Geoff told the crowd before turning to his girlfriend. "I never should've let my eyes wander from my little Shmoopy-Shmoo," he told Bridgette in a babytalk voice, grabbing her by the chin and looking deep into her eyes.

Bridgette gasped, then put a hand on his face and said "And I should always trust my Cutie-Patootie!"

They promptly began to make out.

xxx

"Cutie-Patootie?" Josh repeated incredulously as the camera zoomed in on him and a dramatic note played.

"Shmoopy-Shmoo?!" Blaineley echoed.

"Ewww!" the two hosts cringed.

"There's no bigger buzz kill than babytalk when it comes to celebs," Blaineley explained as the picture next to her head changed from Gidgette making out to a small white baby.

"Are you kidding me?" Josh asked, putting his hands on the desk and leaning forward. "They are still fascinating. They ate salads!" A photo of the couple lovingly feeding each other at a restaurant was shown. "They tried on socks!" The lovers were shown kissing while putting on socks. "They ironed!" A third photo showed the couple doing nothing more than ironing clothes. "I'm excited!" Josh said, pointing his thumbs at himself.

"Why?" Blaineley asked incredulously. "They were a total non-entity during season two. And ironing? You have to earn gossip worthiness," she told her cohost. "Otherwise, I'mma changin' the channel," she told the camera with a sassy gesture. "Let's get back to some real celebrities, Drama to Drama!"

"The Total Drama band that rule the music world!" Josh added as an album cover depicting the four members spun onto the screen, and an electronic rock riff played.

xxx

A video began to play, showing Topher and Beardo stepping out of a limousine and getting greeted by a crowd of paparazzi. "Honestly, this is the life I love," Topher told the camera. "The fame! The money! The chance to finally say I've made it big!"

"Not to mention havin' the chance to finally get my music out there," Beardo added. "Touchin' people on an emotional level, man, it's just..." He waved his hand vaguely, then made an odd sort of sound reminiscent of a theremin.

xxx

The shot cut to Alejandro in a recording studio playing a few slow chords on an acoustic guitar. "To be honest, I wasn't sure about joining the band at first," he admitted to the camera. "But I admit the chance to improve upon my already considerable musical talent is welcome."

xxx

Back in the Celebrity Manhunt studio, Blaineley sighed dreamily. "I am so crushing on Alejandro," she told the camera. "He has enough flavor for the whole band!"

"Just as their album shot to the top of the charts," Josh said as a guitar was strummed sadly and a picture of the four band members walking across a certain British crosswalk was shown, "the trappings of fame shot straight to their heads." Another, larger picture of the four was shown, depicting them arguing furiously in a trashed hotel room. Staci was noticeably present in the background wearing a flower pot on her head.

"With tensions long thought dormant exposed once more," Blaineley said, "it looked like their music career was coming to an end." The album cover depicting the four appeared next to her again, but immediately shattered and was replaced by angry portraits of the bandmates.

"But then without warning they patched things up," Josh added, "and even held auditions to choose another band member from the Total Drama crew. Sadly," he frowned, "it would only lead to disaster."

"Turns out most of their Total Drama castmates just weren't interested," Blaineley said. "And the ones that were just weren't up to their standards."

"Beth showed a lot of enthusiasm," Josh said as a photo of the dorky girl happily trying to play a guitar appeared on-screen, "but without the talent to back it up, even close friends Beardo and B were forced to turn her down." Another photo was shown, this one depicting the beatboxer breaking the new to a saddened Beth while B watched nearby. "Ouch!"

"Good thing Beth didn't hold it against them," Blaineley commented. "Next up was Staci, and she fared even worse," a picture of the chatterbox holding a tuba was shown, followed by a picture of the four band members looking at her angrily, then a third picture showing Staci getting kicked out of a building. "Given the boot before she even started! Sorry girl, but you're gonna have to try way harder than that to get a popularity boost."

"Which brings us to the third person who auditioned that day," Josh continued, "none other than Sugar Silo. You'll have to see it to believe it."

xxx

The video began with the camera focused on the members of Drama to Drama as they sat at a table, the pageant queen standing in front of them with a wide smile on her face.

"Very well," Alejandro sighed, "what have you got for us, Sugar?"

"Why, none other than your new lead singer!" Sugar said excitedly.

"Uh, excuse me?" Topher interrupted with a short an annoyed laugh. "I'm the lead vocalist."

Sugar waved her hand dismissively. "Pfft, you ain't nothin' compared to Sugar Silo, and I'll prove it." She cleared her throat, then began to sing. "And though it hurts so bad the challenge ne-ver ennnnds~! Because I do it fer youuuuu!" Her cover of the band's hit song was slightly off key, and the final note was high enough that cause everyone in earshot to wince, and the camera lens filming the audition to crack slightly.

A loud buzzer courtesy of Beardo cut her off, and the four boys stood up. "I think that's enough, Sugar," Alejandro said forcefully.

"Yeah," Topher added. "After that performance, there's no way we'd ever let you work with us." B nodded his agreement.

Sugar looked taken aback for a moment, then scowled. "Well fine then!" she told them. "I can launch my music career without you! In fact, I'll do so well by myself, that everyone'll forget you even exist!" The boys did nothing but glare at her, and she turned and walked off with a huff of contempt.

xxx

"Well, Sugar was right that she didn't need them to launch her music career," Blaineley commented. "Too bad for her the novelty of her act wore off fast in the music world, helped along by a resurgence in Drama to Drama's popularity."

The camera zoomed out to show both hosts as a split-screen picture appeared between them, depicting the boys of Drama to Drama on the left and Sugar Silo on the right, the two sides staring each other down. "The public feud that resulted was both short and hilarious," Josh added, "but it ended up costing both sides everything when they ended up releasing albums on the same day. Celebrity Manhunt was there to watch it all go down."

xxx

Another clip had already begun, showing both Sugar Silo and Drama to Drama sitting at tables in what looked like a music store. A stack of CDs rested on each table, and promotional signs for both sides were everywhere.

The store was empty, save for one other person who walked on-screen from the right a few seconds after the video began. She was a slender teenage girl, her features an ambiguous mix of white and east Asian. She was wearing what looked like a short pink dress, though it may just have been a skirt and blouse with particularly poofy shoulders. Combined with the pink slippers, the pink evening gloves, and the pink bow in her black bouffant she gave the impression of a princess straight out of an animated fairytale. She was clutching a couple pieces of paper closely to her chest.

"Oh, I'm quite happy that you've decided to release another album," the girl said in a soft voice as she approached the Drama to Drama table. "I really liked the others." She handed one of the papers she was holding – the camera just barely caught a glimpse of it as a promotional photo of the band – to Alejandro, as well as some money.

"And I'm quite happy to see a fan as lovely as yourself," Alejandro replied, the light gleaming off his smile. He signed the photo, then handed it to his bandmates and grabbed one of their CDs.

"Hey!" Sugar shouted from the other side of the room. "Why don't you come on over and buy somethin' from a real star?"

Drama to Drama was shown narrowing their eyes at their rival while B handed the fan back her autograph, but the hate on the boys' faces was soon replaced by surprise.

"Oh yes, of course!" the princess said with a cheery wave, walking over to Sugar Silo's table and surprising even the pageant queen. "I couldn't bare to forget about you, Sugar Silo." The fan handed over another promotional photo – this time of the craptry 'star'. "I was overjoyed when I learned that both of you would be here today," she said, looking from Sugar to the four boys she'd just visited and back again. She accepted the signed photo from a suspicious pageant star, then paid for the CD. "And pardon me if I'm intruding, but despite how the news makes you out, I think it would be just grand to see you all working on an album together."

With that, she left the store humming a tune reminiscent of Sugar's performance from Total Drama Island's talent contest. She seemed utterly unaware that she'd left the music rivals glaring at one another hatefully.

"I hope you enjoyed the pity that girl took on you," Alejandro told Sugar, "because that's the only person who will be buying that ridiculous excuse of an album you've put out."

Sugar snorted. "Yeah, like that'll ever happen. Face it pretty boy, that girl came here for me. She only bought your CD to be polite. Probably just gonna use it as a coaster, or as a chew toy for her pet pig or somethin'. That's all its good for."

"Hey!" Topher said, standing up in outrage. "You take that back! Our album is not just a chew toy!"

"Or a coaster!" Beardo added as the rest of the band stood up.

"Your album is the worthless one!" Topher continued. "In fact, it's so worthless, you'd have to pay people to buy one!"

"Oh yeah?" Sugar said, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "You think yer better than me?"

"Yeah!" the members of Drama to Drama chorused.

"Then prove it!" Sugar yelled before pouncing on them.

xxx

"With all the bad press they got from their fight," Josh said as a picture of Sugar wrestling with the four boys was shown next to him, "it wasn't long before Sugar Silo was sent back to the farm, and Drama to Drama broke up for good."

"But while things were looking down for them," Blaineley added, "things were looking up for Beth. Plucked from the depths of geekdom by her boyfriend Brady," a picture of the odd couple holding each others hands and waving at the cameras was shown, "Beth soon found herself waist-deep in the world of professional modeling."

"Content at first to be part of her boyfriend's entourage," Josh said as a photo spun on screen depicting the nerdy girl standing off to the side watching Brady pose for a camera, "it wasn't long before she got into the action herself."

"First it was her smile," Blaineley said as a few close-up shots of the dorky girl's grin were shown. "Then came her hands," a few shots of Beth's hands, "and pretty soon Beth had landed a photoshoot to showcase all her geeky style." The last set of photos showed Beth posing much like her boyfriend had done earlier, with Brady watching happily from the sidelines.

"And hey, good for her!" Josh said with a wide smile as the photos slid away. "I may not know what people see in her, but it's clear somebody does!"

Blaineley chuckled. "Too true," she said before looking at the camera again. "Post-Total Drama, Shawn and Staci hit the celebrity reality TV circuit," she said, a picture of the two sliding into view beside her. "You've seen them on shows like 'Celebrity Stunt Driving'," she motioned to the picture as it enlarged and changed to a picture of a reddish car driving off a cliff, "'Doctor for a Day'," the next picture showed the two in surgical scrubs, Shawn holding a scalpel and Staci ready with a defibrillator, "'So You Think You Can Eat That?'," the pair was shown standing in a kitchen over some a hunk of meat with a skunk's tail sticking out of it, the conspiracy theorist hesitantly reaching for it while the chatterbox looked ready to vomit, "and 'Extreme Chess: Pillar Edition'." The final picture at first showed the pair playing a timed game of chess outdoors, before it zoomed out to show them standing on a few planks set up on two tall rock pillars.

"We caught up with these...'Rea-lebrities'," Blaineley frowned and rolled her eyes, "on the set of 'Sharp Things Flying at Your Head'!"

xxx

Shawn and Staci were running on treadmills as the clip began, dodging various sharp-ish objects thrown at them, including a wheelbarrow and a large umbrella. Shawn's hair had grown back since his last appearance.

"All my talents went to waste on Total Drama," Staci told the camera as it zoomed in on her, "since I was voted out first, yah. But on these other shows," she ducked under a chainsaw, "I can really show off my family's skills." She yelped and dodged what looked like a small missile.

"Uhh, I'm just doing it for the money," Shawn said as the camera moved to him and he easily dodged a trashcan. "After losing out on my winnings from Total Drama, I still need all the money I can get to fund my bunker!"

The camera zoomed out to show both of them, and caught Staci finally getting beaned in the head by a cinderblock. She was knocked off her treadmill, and Shawn raised his arms in victory. "Oh yeah!" he cheered before the video ended.

xxx

"Okay, worst career moves," Josh said, pointing a finger at his cohost. "Go!"

"I'm gonna say...," Blaineley said as she began to think, a light ticking tune beginning in the background. "Shawn's 'Fashionista Flip-Flop' appearance," she answered as a photo of Shawn looking smiling awkwardly at the camera. "Shawn, we love you for your quirks! Why would you want to change that?"

"My vote goes to Staci," Josh said as a close-up of the girl in question appeared next to him, "for putting on that fake baby bump." The photo zoomed out, showing that Staci did indeed appear to be pregnant. "Yet another in a long line of desperate fame grabs," the host said with a disappointed shake of the head.

Blaineley laughed lightly with her hands on her hips. "Some people will do anything for fame," she said. "But it seems like others will do anything to avoid it."

xxx

The clip this time showed the camera holder rushing up to Scott as the schemer walked down some sidewalk. A few more arms and microphones and pens could be seen at the edges of the screen, and the sound of heavy footsteps suggested that it was just about a mob of people approaching him.

"Scott! Scott!" one girl said.

"What?!" the farmer answered with a harsh glare. "Don't you people have anything better to do than bother me while I'm out running errands?"

"Ooh, what errands are you running?" the same girl asked.

"Can you sign this piece of wood?" a guy asked, holding up a small log from the left side.

"No!" Scott told them with a sneer. He suddenly looked to the side, and gasped in an exaggerated fashion. "Oh my god, is that Dawn making out with Samey over there?!" he declared, pointing off to the right. The mob that was hounding him immediately ran in that direction, but quickly realized there was nobody there. The camera turned around, and caught Scott running at top speed away from them.

xxx

"But if there's one rule we've discovered at Celebrity Manhunt," Josh said, "it's the harder you run, the faster they chase."

"Soon a bunch of competing websites sprang up," Blaineley said as the screen was taken over by a website showcasing a number of pictures of Scott avoiding the camera, "each trying to keep the elusive Scott on camera the longest, and chronicling his attempts at avoiding them."

"We tracked down one webmaster for this live interview," Josh continued as a familiar-looking silhouette slid into position next to him. "She asked that her identity not be revealed to protect her from the wrath of Scott." Josh waved his hand, and the webmaster's silhouette was replace by a photo of Scott angrily punching a camera.

"So," Blaineley said, "you know everything about everybody from the cast?"

The camera cut to the webmaster, sitting on a chair in total shadow. "Duh," she said in an obviously modified voice, "I'm the one that leaked the story about Jo's ingrown toenails."

Despite her attempts at remaining anonymous, it was very blatantly Sierra.

"Would you call yourself a gossip-crazed Scott fan?" Blainelet asked off-camera.

"It's not just Scott," the 'anonymous' young woman answered, "I have websites for everyone from Total Drama."

"Wow," Blaineley said as the shot cut back to the studio, "I'm in the presence of gossip royalty."

"That's why it's important to keep my identity a total secret," Sierra said before the lights suddenly turned on, revealing her secret. She looked at the camera, gasped, and tried to cover her face, but her efforts were made in vain when someone else walked onto the interview set.

"Hi Sierra!" Staci greeted with a wave. "I've been looking all over for you! I, like, have this totally awesome scoop about Shawn."

Sierra sighed and hung her head. "For the last time," she hissed at her fellow castmate, looking up at the other girl with a glare, "I don't need your help for this! And not only that," she waved her hands at the camera, "thanks to you I just lost my anonymity!"

"Oh," Staci said blankly before a smile formed on her face again. "Well, like I was saying, Shawn totally told me that he was thinking of taking odd jobs off the internet, yah."

"Yeah," Sierra hissed again, "I've known about that for weeks!"

"Hold on," Blaineley interrupted with an amused smile on her face, "Sierra, are you telling me that Staci's been helping you get all the dirt on your Total Drama castmates?"

Sierra pursed her lips and looked away defiantly. "...No," she finally said. "I've gotten everything without her so-called 'help'."

"So all this time you've been feeding all their secrets to fan sites, some of which you run yourself?" Blaineley followed up. "Your friends will not be happy about that."

Sierra sighed and hung her head. "I know. But I was raised to be a fan, and once I realized I was on the ground level of the next big thing, I just had to get involved! I couldn't help myself!"

"Yah, once you talk to them on the red carpet," Staci told her, "I bet they'll totally understand!"

"Speaking of which, Staci," Blaineley spoke up, "shouldn't you be on your way to the Gemmie Awards?"

Staci blinked, then nodded. "Oh yah, thanks for reminding me! I'll just be on my way then." She pointed behind her with a thumb, took one last look at Sierra's annoyed look, then dashed away.

The scene suddenly cut to a camera feed outside as a few limousines sped past.

"The limos are coming!" Josh announced back in the studio, putting his hands on the sides of his head and yelling "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!"

"LIMOS!" the two host cheered together, a tune similar to the show's them starting to play as they stood up in their seats.

"Who's up for a celebrity grudge fest?" Blaineley asked as the red carpet was shown again, along with the cheering crowd and arriving limos. "Join Josh, me," back in the studio she reached off camera and pulled Sierra into view, "and Total Drama's own Sierra on the crimson carpet."

"Really?" the super-fan asked in disbelief. "I get to be Celebrity Manhunt's red carpet interview diva?!" She enveloped Blaineley in a crushing hug. "That's so cool!" She let the host go, and with an excited cry of "Yahtzee!" she ran off.

"Huh," Josh wondered aloud as he looked around, "where's Staci?"

/

The scene immediately cut to Staci, who was already on the red carpet with a camera on her. "Wow," she gushed in admiration as she looked around, "I've never been on a red carpet before! Ya know, it was actually my great-great-great Uncle Morris who invented the red carpet. Before him, celebrities had to walk on the sidewalk and get their shoes dirty."

"Uh, thanks, Staci," Josh said with a forced smile as the camera cut back to him and his cohost. "We'll be right back." As an offhand to Blaineley, he added "Hopefully with some cat fights," he turned to face the camera again as the shot pulled back and he spread his arms, "after these messages!"

(Fade to Commercial and Back)

The episode faded back in to the Celebrity Manhunt studio, the camera zooming in on the hosts just as a white rat scampered across the stage, noticed only by Josh.

"Welcome back to Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Red Carpet Reunion Special!" Blaineley greeted.

"This is it, people!" Josh added as the live red carpet feed appeared next to him and enlarged to take over the screen – Sierra was clearly visible standing on the carpet. "Months of Total Drama cast infighting, backstabbing, and break-ups are about to pay off, right here!" Another limousine pulled up and opened its rear driver's side door, just before a cyclist slammed into it. "As our reality stars strut their stuff on the Gemmie Awards red carpet."

"Thanks, Josh," Sierra said as the feed switched to her, a microphone already in her hand. "Sierra here! I've got the carpet totally covered!" She waved her hand, then heard footsteps off to the side. "Oh em gee," she said as the camera panned down the carpet and landed on Sugar in her full singing outfit, "it's craptry star Sugar, aka Sugar Silo!" As the gossip-monger spoke, Sugar blew kisses to the crowd and paparazzi.

"You suck!" somebody in the crowd yelled, throwing what looked like a book with her face on the cover at the girl. It hit her in the head and she stumbled backwards, then glared and bent down to pick the book up.

"Ooo~oooh," Sierra squealed, "looks like we have some Sugar Silo fans in the audience today!"

"With the release of her juicy tell all book about the flavor boys," Blaineley said back in the studio as a close-up of the book appeared on-screen, "expect fireworks when her long-time music rivals show up."

"And here's reality's most famous athlete," Sierra said as another limousine pulled up, "Lightning!" The uber-jock got out of his ride and struck a few poses for the cameras as it sped off. He was kissing his biceps as Sierra ran up to him. "Hey Lightning!"

"Sha-hey!" the jock replied with a cocky smile. "Didn't expect you to be givin' Lightning his first red carpet interview. I guess you can count yourself lucky, girl, 'cause this is a sha-moment to remember."

Sierra giggled. "Thanks, I'm really happy to be here for Celebrity Manhunt. But enough about me, how are you feeling on your first red carpet appearance?"

"Now you're speakin' Lightning's language," he told her. "And he's gotta say, he's feelin' the most pumped he's been in weeks. It's about time Lightning got recognized as the reality star he is."

"Uhh, you do know the entire cast is up for the award and not just you, right?" Sierra asked.

Lightning gave her an odd look. "Sha-duh! But Lightning's the number one reason people watched Total Drama! The rest of you were just side characters."

He walked off with a scowl on his face, leaving Sierra to stare blankly at the camera. A horn honking off-camera was followed by the sound of squealing tires, and moments later a bus baring the smiling faces of DJ and his Momma rolled up to the curb in front of the super-fan-turned-interview-diva.

The camera cut to another angle as Momma, DJ, and surprisingly Sammy stepped off the bus. "I told you we'd be late if we picked up that girlfriend of yours," mother told son before Sierra ran up to them.

"Uhh...DJ!" she asked the gentle giant. "How does it feel to have it all, then lose it?"

"Mmm, no biggie," he answered with a shrug.

"Oh..." Sierra said blankly.

"Ahem," Blaineley interrupted as the scene cut back to the studio, annoyance in her every gesture. "We're here for the gossip!" she reminded the girl.

"Okay then," Sierra said as she swiftly turned her attention to the other arrival. "Sammy, level with me. Aside from your sister, who else can't you stand from our castmates?" The cheerleader immediately started looking uncomfortable, as did DJ, while Momma glared at the girl. "Like, who do you just hate?"

"Umm..." was all Sammy could say before Momma smacked Sierra on the head with her purse, knocking the super-fan to the ground.

"What's wrong with you girl?" Momma said. "You think my son would have a girlfriend that talked smack behind people's backs?" She grabbed DJ by the jaw and led him away, the gentle giant quickly grabbing his bewildered girlfriend by the hand and dragging her along with them.

The scene receded into the space next to Blaineley again. "Uhhn," the hostess grunted, "is that Drama Machine working yet?" The camera moved over to the broken robot, showing the elderly repairman sitting next to it drinking a cup of coffee. He glared back at the hosts and belched.

Josh briefly glared back, then smiled as the red carpet feed slid into position next to him and an excited jingle played. "The Samkota has arrived! Fresh from their break-up," he began to say before seeing the pair step out of the same limo, hand-in-hand. "Wait, what?!"

"Dakota! Sam!" Sierra called out as she met up with the two. They were waving to the crowd and posing for the paparazzi, and had dressed up for the occasion – Dakota in an elegant yet simple pink strapless dress, and Sam in a black tuxedo with red bowtie.

"Oh, hey Sierra!" the gamer greeted.

"Hi! How are you?" the heiress added, giving her season one teammate a quick hug.

"I'm good, but what about you?" Sierra said quickly. "I thought you two had broken up!" The couple shared a confused look. "There were pictures of Sam getting kicked to the curb and everything!"

"Oh!" Sam said with sudden comprehension. "Yeah, we never broke up, we just had a little fight a couple weeks ago."

"But we totally worked things out already," Dakota added. "And, like, honestly it was such a small thing anyway."

"Yeah," her boyfriend chuckled, "like we'd break up over something like that!"

"Huh..." Sierra said blankly as the two walked away, still waving at the crowd.

"See," Dakota whispered into Sam's ear once they'd gotten a few feet away, "they made something up just like I said they would." The gamer nodded intently.

The interview diva paused awkwardly for a moment, then lit up when she noticed someone else arriving. "Ohh, I think I see Beth!" The camera cut to the geeky girl in her usual clothes, stepping out of a limousine and waving. "I wonder how our model is doing?"

"Hi!" Beth waved after posing a few times for the cameras.

"You know, since you're kind of a model now I thought you'd be wearing something more fashionable," Sierra said with a frown as she looked over Beth's usual outfit. "What gives?"

Beth snorted out a giggle. "What can I say? This is pretty much my signature outfit now," she motioned to her pink-and-green ensemble, "I practically gotta wear it!"

"I see," Sierra said calmly. "Anyway, how are things with Brady?" she asked next with a smile, briefly looking around. "I don't see him anywhere!"

"Brady couldn't make it," Beth explained. "He had a pretty bad elbow injury at his shoot yesterday," she held up her own elbow. "The doctors said it might even scar."

"Wow," Sierra said, "I can't believe I didn't hear about that."

The scene cut back to Blaineley. "You can look into it later," she told Sierra with mild disinterest. "Right now, let's focus on the real gossip. And speaking of!" she suddenly perked up as the live feed slid in next to her again. "The rest of the Total Drama gang are arriving on the red carpet!"

The red carpet feed once more took over as several other castmates were shown arriving one after the other – Jo, Ezekiel, Bridgette, Geoff, Scott, Amy, and Shawn were now on the red carpet alongside Beth, and most of them were waving happily at the cheering crowd.

"I call dibs on the front row seat!" Amy called out suddenly, dashing away from the pack.

"Not on my watch!" Jo countered, running after her.

"Really not liking this big crowd of zombie bait," Shawn said nervously before he left as well. Most of the others followed too, leaving only Ezekiel to dawdle behind.

"Yo yo yo," he said, "the front row is for the Zeke." He ran off as well, and the camera quickly zoomed in off his feet as he tripped on a bump in the red carpet. He crashed into Beth, and Sierra winced as they crashed into the others as well.

"Great job, Zeke," Scott sneered from the pile of Total Drama castmates.

"Sorry, eh," the homeschooler said before DJ's Momma, who had gotten caught in the mess along with her son and Sammy, smacked the boy. The castmates groaned, and Sierra gave a blank look at the camera.

The scene receded into the space next to Josh, now laughing too much to say anything. The camera panned to Blaineley, who excitedly announced "Sierra! Another limo has just pulled up!"

The live feed resumed as none other than Scarlett stepped out onto the red carpet. Though back in her normal outfit, glasses included, she had kept her hair tied in a low ponytail. Though she was currently talking on a cellphone pressed close to her ear, what stood out the most was the thick metal collar around her neck. "Lactose-free, non-fat, half-caff, cocoa sprinkles..." she said in a rather put-upon tone as she walked up the red carpet without a glance sideways.

Sierra gave the camera an excited grin. "It's Total Drama's own wannabe supervillain, Scarlett! So tell me," the super-fan said as the redhead approached, "what've you been up to-"

Scarlett walked past without a single acknowledgment. "But...," Sierra stammered before hanging her head and sighing. "Looks like Scarlett's gotten a super-important job in the 'industry' since she got out on parole," Sierra told the camera. "Nothing says power like a phone and a latte."

"Sierra!" Blaineley said back in the studio, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You know what would be better than nothing? Something!"

"Oh," Sierra said with a tinge of annoyance as a dreamy piano tune began to play, "well, I have Drama to Drama here." She made a halfhearted motion at the four boys that were now standing by her, Topher noticeably scowling at his long-time foe.

Back in the studio, Blaineley sighed in exasperation. "Let me guess. They're reunited, and are re-releasing their last hit single."

The piano music stopped playing as the camera zoomed in on Alejandro. "Well, something like that..." he admitted.

"Don't worry, though," Topher added, leaning towards the camera. "We've got more hits on the way!"

The live feed once more took over the scene as several voices could be heard screaming happily from the crowd. "It seems our fans are quite pleased," Alejandro said with a confident smile.

Beardo quickly beatboxed a little, and ended with a singsong "Fans~!" that brought about a second wave of happy screams. One person in particular pushed to the forefront of the crowd – the same princess-looking young woman in pink that had sparked the fight between Drama to Drama and Sugar Silo some time ago.

"On this wonderful night, the red carpet unfurled," she sang, "the band has returned to the rock and roll world!"

The five Total Drama castmates looked taken aback, but Alejandro quickly stepped forward and took the girl by the hand and bowed. "My, you have quite a lovely singing voice," he told her with a charming smile that made her blush.

"Oh, why thank you!" she said. She curtsied, then added "I do apologize for the intrusion, though. I was simply overcome with joy at the announcement, and I just had to sing!"

"Hey hey," Topher said, "no problem! It's refreshing to see somebody happy that the boys are back together." As he spoke, he shot a pointed glare at Sierra which was returned with equal force.

"Ooh, I wonder if Sugar's still around?" Sierra wondered aloud with a devilish look. "She should hear this too!"

"Is she?" the princess-girl perked up. "I do want to apologize to all of you for what happened at the music store. I never meant to cause you to fight! I felt just awful when I heard about it."

"It's water under the bridge," Alejandro told her. "I assure you, Miss...," he paused, giving her an inquisitive look.

"Ella," the girl said with another curtsy.

"Charmed," Alejandro said with another bow. "As I was saying, my bandmates and I realize you meant no harm. We'll make sure to make up with Sugar as well."

"Oh, it's so good to hear that from you," Ella said with another blush. "I hope you all win your award!"

"Thanks!" Alejandro said before he, Topher, Beardo, and B continued along the red carpet.

Ella faded back into the crowd, and the camera moved back to Sierra. She cleared her throat, then said "The Gemmies are about to start, and I'm heading inside with my friends!" She pointed at herself with her thumb, then turned to head up the red carpet.

/

The scene skipped ahead to the entire Total Drama cast that had arrived walking up the red carpet towards the building's entrance. The camera panned ahead of them, showing none other than Chef Hatchet leaning against the doorway in his tux. "Famous people only!" he told them, holding out a hand to stop the group.

"Seriously?" Alejandro asked at the head of the group as the those around him gasped and made similar sounds of confusion.

"And as of about five seconds ago," Chef added with a look at his wristwatch, "that excludes you," he pointed at the teens.

"Who died and made you doorman?" Jo asked in annoyance.

"I did!" Chris McLean said as he walked out.

"Oh man, you'd better not be a zombie!" Shawn said anxiously.

"Scarlett! Coffee!" the host demanded. With a grumble the villainess walked forward with a paper cup and a bag in her hands. She handed over the cup, and Chris asked "Is that my muffin?"

"Hold on," Alejandro said with a smile, "you're Chris' assistant?"

Scott laughed, and Jo added "You have to kiss McLean's butt? Looks like you got what you deserve!"

"It was the terms of my parole," Scarlett grumbled. "You honestly think I'd be degrading myself like this out of choice?"

Her eyes went wide as the metal collar around her neck crackled with electricity, and moments later she was electrocuted. It only lasted a second, and the camera panned to a frowning Chris McLean holding out a small remote. "Yeah, I don't appreciate that tone."

The man and his sizzling assistant were distracted by the sound of squealing tires, and the camera cut to a frontal view of a limousine pulling up. "Bros!" Chris greeted with a smile as several car doors were heard slamming. The Total Drama cast shot worried looks behind them.

The group that was walking up the red carpet now was a motley assortment of mostly familiar faces – a scruffy white guy that looked like he might've been a TDA crew member was on rollerblades at the front of the pack. He was followed by a skateboarding Sasquatchanakwa, the psycho killer with the chainsaw and a hook, a bear on a unicycle, and a diminutive parka-wearing Inuit pushing himself along on a toboggan. All five were wearing various protective gear, mostly helmets and elbowpads.

"Come on in, my peeps!" Chris greeted as the five oddities moved past him and into the award building.

"Hold up," Lightning interrupted, "how are they sha-famous?"

"They're the stars of my new reality show," Chris explained as dramatic music rapidly built up, "Total! Drama! XTREME!" A short but radical guitar riff played.

"Huh?" the cast asked.

"A bunch of fools compete in a series of extremely dangerous extreme sports challenges and try not to get killed," Scarlett explained in a dry tone, still slightly singed.

"Extreme sports?!" Lightning exclaimed. "How come Lightning ain't on that show, its got his name written all over it!"

"These guys are up-and-coming," Chris explained. "Not down-and-going, i.e., you losers."

"Excuse me!" an unfamiliar voice said from beyond the cast. They murmured in confusion, and the voice said "Comin' through!" Someone new pushed through the cast, or tried to at least – he was a white teenager, square-jawed and with brown hair past his ears. He wore an all-red tracksuit with matching red sweatband, and he somehow tripped within the crowd of Total Drama cast members. Alejandro, Shawn, and Staci were all knocked over along with the boy, who quickly picked himself back up. "Oh, sorry about that," he told them with a frown before he jogged the rest of the way towards Chris.

Or tried to, at least. He tripped again almost immediately and was sent rolling forwards; almost impossibly, he seemed to hit a bump in the carpet that launched him up into the overhang above Chris and Chef. The two men watched him hit the overhang, then crash down in front of them with grins on their faces.

"This is Tyler, my newest star," Chris said, wiping a tear away from his eye and laughing a little. "He really cracks me up."

Tyler groaned in pain, but quickly got back on his feet. "Great to be here!" he said with surprising enthusiasm, attempting to high five the host but missing, the momentum causing him to stumble forward into the building.

Chris laughed again, then took a sip of his coffee. He immediately spit it into Scarlett's face. "Euugh, this latte's cold!" he yelled in disgust. He quickly took out the small remote and pressed its button, shocking Scarlett again – this time, for long enough to cause the girl to collapse.

"Well guys," he told the rest of the cast with a smile, "I'd say later, but, uh, there isn't gonna be a later! Sooo...," he backed up into the open door, then slammed it in their faces.

Everyone gasped. The group was shown from behind, now the only people left outside the building. The searchlights that flanked the entrance shut off, and crickets chirped as a tumbleweed rolled down the empty street. The cricket was shown in close-up, and it was promptly stomped on by Scott.

"Aww, n-now why'd you go and do that for, man?" DJ asked in outrage.

"Hey guys," Sierra spoke up, "we have to find a way inside!"

"How," Topher asked in disbelief, "by climbing in through an air vent on the roof like some kind of spy movie?"

"It was just a suggestion," Sierra snipped with her hands on her hips. "But I guess you want Chris to just abandon us."

"Hey, I said no such thing and you know it!" Topher gasped.

Sammy sighed. "I wish Dawn had showed up. I bet she'd know what to do."

"Hey, now," DJ but a reassuring hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, "she probably just couldn't make it. She's not really the award show type."

"I guess...," Sammy said sadly.

The cast was distracted by a lyrical humming from behind them, and looked over to see Ella slowly dancing towards them with her eyes closed.

"What're you doin' here?" Sugar asked gruffly.

Ella stopped, opened her eyes, and blinked. "Oh!" she said in realization. "Sorry. It's just that my ride hasn't come yet," she pointed back over her shoulder, "so I decided to come back here and watch the Gemmies while I waited." She paused and looked at the cast blankly, and they largely returned the gesture. "So...may I ask what's going on? I thought you'd all be inside by now."

"So did we," Bridgette answered, "but Chris decided to lock us out." She glared back at the doorway as she said the host's name.

"Oh my," Ella said with visible concern, even drawing her arms closer to her body, "that's awful!"

"Tell me about it!" Dakota chimed in. "This is so rude. I'm calling Daddy," she took a cellphone out of her purse, "he'll sort this out."

"Hey guys!" Shawn announced, looking up at a monitor above the store. "I think it's starting!"

The shot focused in on the monitor as it played a theme reminiscent of the Gild Chris Ceremony from Total Drama Action, and a curtain raised on a podium bearing a diamond sigil.

"Perhaps if we win Best Reality Ensemble," Alejandro suggested, "we'll be famous again!"

/

The footage faded forward, showing most of the Total Drama cast (plus Ella) seated on the red carpet watching the awards. Only Sierra and Staci were still standing. "Playing a talking car was a real challenge," a deep male voice said, "thank you." The audience at the Gemmies applauded.

"Oh yah, he was really great in that show," Staci commented. "Y'know, my uncle Steve was totally the one who did all the car's stunts." Nobody gave a sign of responding.

"Urrnh, I can't believe Daddy's in a meeting right now..." Dakota pouted.

/

Another fade forward, and now nearly everyone was laying tired in a heap on the red carpet. Sierra and Staci were still standing and Ella was still sitting up, and all three girls were watching enthusiastically.

"Next up," the voice of Tyler came through the monitor, "Best Reality Ensemble."

"This is it, amigos!" Alejandro said as he stood back up.

"Envelope please!" Tyler asked as a drumroll began, and the others stood up as well – Shawn and Sugar; Topher and B and Beardo; Geoff and Bridgette; Sam and Dakota and Lightning behind them. "And the winner is..." Tyler paused, and was shown starting to open the envelope.

The cast gasped expectantly, but Tyler was having extended difficulty opening the results. "How hard is it to open an envelope?!" Alejandro exclaimed in disbelief.

Tyler finally managed to open it, and declared "Golden Oldies in Their Undies!" The audience applauded, and the theme tune played again as the Total Drama cast and Ella looked on blankly.

"Oh," the princess finally said with a smile, "well, good for them!"

"Not for us!" Jo retorted. "We just lost to a bunch of seniors!"

Scott snorted. "Whatever. Who needs fame anyway? It's just a pain in the butt if you ask me."

"Umm, hello?" Dakota shot at him. "Some of us want to be famous."

"Man, 'Oldies in Their Undies' was like the only show me and Staci weren't nominated for," Shawn said in annoyance.

"Uhh, guys?" Sierra spoke up, pointing back up at the monitor.

"And the Gemmie for Best Reality Show Host goes to," a man announced on-screen, "once again, Chris McLean!" The theme song played and the audience clapped, and the Total Drama cast groaned and griped in frustration.

"Wow, hey, uh, thanks, again" Chris could be heard laughing as the castmates leaned forward in anger. "Uh, but I couldn't have done it without a great bunch of people from Total Drama Action."

"Oooh!" Sierra said, leaning forward in excitement as the scowls faded from her friend's faces.

"The interns," he began to list as a victorious song began to play and Topher and B leaned towards the camera expectantly, "uh, the caterers," Beth and Ezekiel leaned forward next, "the camera crew," DJ and Sammy followed, "and the real stars of the show," Alejandro and Jo and Shawn and even Scarlett leaned forward with grins on their faces, "my stylists!"

The music scratched to a halt, and everyone's faces fell back into scowls.

"Once again," Scarlett grumbled, "expecting the barest amount of respect from that man has proven pointless."

"Is anyone else bothered that Scarlett's here?" Shawn asked, looking around and receiving vague looks and shrugs from his peers.

"Tomorrow," Chris continued on-screen, "I'll introduce the cast of my new reality series, Total Drama Xtreme!" A radical guitar riff played, and the host finished in a sly voice. "On the Orpah Show..." Nobody looked happy at the announcement, not even Ella.

"Dudes, you heard the guy," Geoff said, "we're nobodies again."

"Speak for yourself," Dakota said, "I still have a spin-off being filmed."

Amy sniffed in contempt. "For now."

"Well, my gaming channel's a sure thing at least," Sam said with a glare at the mean twin while he put an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"Good thing we still got our music career, guys," Beardo said to his bandmates.

Alejandro sighed sadly. "I fear that won't be enough. We were only really popular the first time around because everyone knew us from Total Drama."

"That's fer sure!" Sugar chimed in.

"Well...I guess this is it then," Bridgette said uncertainly.

And with a murmur of disappointment and frustration, the cast of Total Drama began to disperse from the red carpet. Only Sierra stayed behind along with Ella, the lone person present who wasn't associated with the show.

"What's the matter with you?" Sierra declared. "No one deserves to be more famous us than you-I mean us! We can't just give up! Do you have any idea how many millions of fans there are out there?" her words got Beth and Shawn and Lightning to stop in their tracks.

"Oh yes," Ella chimed in, "we've been watching and blogging and singing along with you all this time!"

"There are fan sites for each and every one of us!" Sierra continued with a nod. "They know everything about us! And they are rooting for us!" Dakota and Sam were shown looking skeptical for a moment before sharing a small smile. "They know your eating habits," Scott was looking suddenly uncomfortable, "your fears, your dental records!" Sierra said the last two words with an unexpected ferocity that widened a few eyes.

"Yeah, because of you," Topher said under his breath.

"We can't let 'em down now!" Sierra said. "What do you say?"

"And what exactly do you expect us to do?" Scott asked with a sneer.

"I say," the interview diva said as her castmates walked back towards her, "we beat those other guys to Orpah's studio, hijack the interview, and voila! We're all famous again!"

"But she's in New York!" Alejandro said. "How are we supposed to get there by tomorrow afternoon?"

"Why, anything is possible through the power of song!" Ella declared, striking an elegant dancer's pose then clearing her throat.

"Ohhh~ohoh," she opened slowly as a rock ballad began to play in the background, "Though times may seem dire, grasp your heart's desire, and bring it to fore in your mind." She closed her eyes and began to dance as she sang, earning surprised looks from those around her.

"For it will help lead you, down roads and through streets you'll, soon find the ideas have come!" Bridgette and Geoff smiled at each other, Ezekiel grinned, and B smirked as the tempo of the background music increased.

"So go!" Ella cheered the next line. "Go fast! As fast as the four winds can carry! Run, drive, or fly 'til you pass X-treme by; your dreams lead you all of the way!" The camera pulled back to show most of the cast smiling at Ella's performance.

She slowed down slightly, but sang even louder. "My friends that can hear us, content to just cheer us, time to shine in this hour most critical!" She spread her arms and looked up at the sky. "Please help them to go off to The Orpah Show...," she slowed down even more, briefly looking down before clasping her hands together and looking up again, "Won't someone...," she sang softly, "...just give them a miracle?"

The Total Drama cast, save Amy, Scott, and Sugar, began to applaud. Some only did so politely, but most seemed to have genuinely enjoyed the song.

"Pfft, wasn't that good," Sugar scoffed.

A sudden honk got the group's attention, as did a call of "Hey guys!" The cast and the camera turned and saw Momma DJ's tour bus idling at the end of the red carpet, the gentle giant hanging out the door and helping his girlfriend up. "So are you gonna get on the bus or not?"

Everyone left on the carpet cheered, and the shot cut back to the bus as Momma poked her head out. "Wipe your feet first!' she commanded, earning a mass groan from the teens.

"Isn't this grand? You'll be famous again!" Ella told them, and they cheered again.

"Right after this," Sierra said with a smile at the camera, still holding her Celebrity Manhunt microphone. A few mixed cheers and groans came from off-camera.

(Fade to Commercial and Back)

The tail end of Celebrity Manhunt's intro sequence played, consisting of nothing more than the magnifying glass appearing on the yellow background, and a star and footprints appearing in its lens.

"Breaking gossip news, everyone!" Josh announced excitedly, a sheet of paper in his hand.

"This," Blaineley added before a different animated sequence took over the screen, "is Total Drama Comeback!" One by one, the letters T D and C appeared, each looking as though it had sustained injuries – the T even had a crutch, though it and the letter itself were knocked over when the C slid into position.

The scene cut to an overhead view of a helicopter flying along a desert road, and based on the sun the next day had arrived.

"They have one dream," Chris McLean was heard saying. "To claw their way back to fame no matter what it takes!" A bus drove onto screen down below. "Cheating! Shameless self-promotion! Sabotage! I love those kids!"

The feed cut to Chef Hatchet inside the helicopter. "You said they were washed up," he told the man next to him, who was wearing sunglasses in addition to the headsets both men had.

"That was before they set off on an unforgettable comeback adventure!" Chris sniffed and wiped his nose.

"We have a feed from inside DJ's bus!" Blaineley announced with her hand to her ear.

xxx

A brief bit of static transitioned the scene to the feed inside the bus, focusing on Sierra as she sat next to a sleeping Staci. "I told you we were still gossip worthy!" Sierra said, the camera panning back through the rows behind her showing Sammy and DJ resting their heads against one another; Beth snoring and Beardo sleep-boxing; Ezekiel seated with a vacant and slack-jawed expression and Scott slumping forward with a tired and annoyed grunt as he rested his head against the seat in front of him.

The camera cut to the front of the bus, where Alejandro was at the wheel.

"Move over and let me drive!" Jo demanded, the shot pulling back to show her standing behind the driver's seat. Ella was happily humming in the seat next to her, while Scarlett and Lightning were lounging about in the aisle.

"Are you kidding?" Alejandro retorted. "I've seen the videos of your trip, your driving is atrocious."

Jo gave him an indignant look. "It's true," Scarlett told her bluntly. "Based on the available evidence, I'm genuinely surprised you were able to pass driver's ed."

"Well who asked you?" the jock-ette asked. "And why are you even with us?"

"The collar forces me to come within a certain distance of Chris every day or I'll be incapacitated," the evil genius explained bitterly, tapping the ring of metal around her neck.

The camera cut to Beth, who had awoken and was now looking quite green. "Oh no," she moaned while putting her hands on her stomach, "I think I'm gonna be," she paused to stop herself from puking, "bus sick!" She slid down a little in her seat.

"Don't you get sick all over my new upholstery now!" Momma told the girl. She was seated at a table booth on the other side of the bus, with Geoff and Bridgette on one side and Sam and Dakota on the other.

"Huhuhuh," Sam chuckled as Dakota quietly took a sip from a glass of water and put it down on the tablecloth.

"Put a coaster under that, girl!" Momma scolded, causing the heiress to give her an uncertain look before pulling out a coaster. She put the glass on it, but a sudden bump caused it to tip over.

"Oops!" Dakota said with a shrug as Momma scowled.

The older woman then sniffed the air and raised a brow in confusion. "What is that?" she asked as grunting began to be heard off-camera.

The shot moved to Sugar as she struggled to jam what looked like several bags of popcorn into an overhead compartment above the seat she shared with Amy, which was behind Scott and Ezekiel. "Just tryin' to get my snacks secured!" the pageant queen said with a grunt. "Don't want it ruinin' the bus, y'know." Another bump was hit, causing the compartment to open back up and popcorn to pour out. "Crud!" Sugar exclaimed with a disappointed look at her spilled food.

"What, my food not good enough?" Momma asked in outrage.

Sugar pursed her lips. "Well, I wasn't just gonna leave my Gemmie food on the red carpet!"

"Hey! Guys!" Bridgette said, getting everyone's attention. She was shown sticking her head out the window from the outside of the bus, and said "There's the Xtreme bus, up ahead!" A few dramatic notes played as the tour bus was shown from the front, and the camera pulled back to show a second, darker bus on the road ahead of it. Through its windshield, Tyler was shown driving cautiously.

"We gotta find a way to slow them down!" Topher declared from further back in the bus.

"Get closer!" Scarlett commanded at the front of the bus.

"And then what?" Alejandro asked indignantly.

"Then we ram them off the road!" the brainiac answered.

"Sha-do it, dude!" Lightning added, enthusiastically pointing towards the bus ahead of them.

Alejandro narrowed his eyes and stepped on the gas, and as the tour bus tires squealed and sped up a dramatic melody began to play. Their bus rammed into the Xtreme cast's ride, jolting Tyler. With a determined look on his face, Alejandro maneuvered the tour bus ahead of their rivals.

"Why didn't you ram them more?" Scarlett asked angrily.

"Excuse me for not wanting to destroy our own ride!" Alejandro replied.

"Oh my," Ella spoke up with concern in her voice, "I hope you aren't trying to hurt those people on the other bus!"

"This don't concern you, girl," Lightning told her. "Lightning doesn't even know how you got on this bus!"

"I'm not sure myself," Ella told him, "it all happened so suddenly!"

"Pardon me," Alejandro spoke up, "but could somebody please go make sure the other bus doesn't catch up again? I'd rather keep our lead."

"Sha-done!" Lightning said before rushing back down the aisle. "Alright sha-peeps, it's time to get your fight on! Any ideas?"

"I have one!" Scott said with a devious smirk, getting up out of his seat. He quickly opened up the compartment over Sugar and Amy, and started picking up bags of popcorn.

"Hey!" the pageant queen said indignantly. "Who said you could have those!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," the farmer explained, "now help me chuck this at the other bus!" He thrust the popcorn he'd gathered into her arms. She looked at it blankly, then shrugged.

The camera flashed to the exterior of the back of the tour bus as a door was kicked open by Scott. "Get ready to launch!" he hollered back into the bus.

The shot cut back inside where Lightning was holding back a pink bra with the cups stuffed with popcorn. "You'd better give that back when you're done with it," Sugar said.

"Don't even think of getting that fake butter on my nice clean floors!" Momma told the group, standing up angrily from her seat at the table.

"No time to think about that," Lightning told her. "Sha-fire in the hole!" He grinned as he made the announcement, and let go of the bra. It fired forward like a slingshot, and Scott was forced to quickly duck as popcorn hurtled over him and out the back door.

Tyler was shown through the other bus' windshield again, gasping in shock as the glass was suddenly covered with buttery popcorn.

The view from above was shown as the helicopter made a pass over the road, Chris laughing at the sight below. "Looks like our Total Drama heroes are launching extra-greasy cannonballs!" he announced into his headset with visible excitement.

"Chris," Blaineley asked back in the Celebrity Manhunt studio, "in your entire career, have you ever seen anything so underhanded?"

"Nothing as depraved as this, Blaineley," Chris said as he began to tear up, "nothing as depraved as this!" He paused to lift his shades, and wiped the tears away from his eyes.

Sugar was shown reluctantly loading another shot into her re-purposed bra as Lightning pulled it back. "Pop this!" the jock declared as the others watched on in excitement.

"Fire!" Scott commanded from the doorway, and seconds later another barrage of popcorn flew out the back.

It hit its target again, and the Xtreme bus' windshield wipers were turned on to clear a space for Tyler to see. "What's your problem?!" he yelled in alarm.

"You!" Scott replied with a snide laugh. "Try messing with some other reality show cast next time!"

Tyler was shown furrowing his brow, and the camera panned to the left as the sasquatch leaned out of the Xtreme bus, roared and shook and angry fist. It was promptly shot with the next load of popcorn and blinked in surprise.

"Seriously, what's their deal," Tyler muttered as the camera panned back to him. "I woulda let 'em pass if they'd just asked me." Another volley of popcorn covered his windshield, and he groaned. His bus suddenly hit a bump, and through the windshield wipers Tyler could be shown struggling to control the steering wheel.

The shot cut back inside the tour bus. "Well, looks like that's over with," Shawn said as he looked out a window. "The other bus is way behind us!" A triumphant tune played as the camera panned up the bus, showing most of the contestants celebrating their perceived victory.

"Then I take it we'll have smooth sailing ahead of us all the way to New York," Alejandro said confidently.

"Good!" Momma said belligerently. "Now clean up the mess you made!"

"I wonder what'll happen to the Xtreme guys?" Sammy asked with a look backwards.

"Probably just be a little late to their interview," DJ told her.

/

The scene flashed to inside the other bus as Tyler struggled to drive it even with the popcorn mostly cleared away. As it shook and rattled, the scruffy white guy seen as part of the Total Drama Xtreme cast stumbled up to the front of the bus. "Hey kid," he asked gruffly, "what's goin' on up here?"

"I don't know!" Tyler answered desperately. "I think we got off the road somehow!"

"Well then get us back on it!" the scruffy guy demanded before another bump caused him to fall over on his back.

A dramatic score began again as the camera moved to an aerial view of a helicopter's shadow over the black bus, which was now veering off the road. "Maybe having Tyler drive was a bad idea," Chris said idly before the camera panned ahead and revealed that the runaway bus was headed straight for a canyon. "Also, that's not good."

Down below, the sasquatch stuck its head out of the window again and immediately began to scream in terror. Inside, the psycho killer with the chainsaw and a hook was now at the front as well. "Hit the brakes already!" he yelled in fear. "We're gonna crash!"

"I'm trying!" Tyler told him, and a shot of him frantically pumping the brakes was shown. The music picked up as the bus was shown careening towards the edge of the canyon cliff again, Blaineley and Josh were shown wide-eyed and eating popcorn back in their studio, and a shot through the windshield showed all six members of the Total Drama Xtreme cast screaming in terror at the front of the bus.

From above, the bus was shown driving off the cliff. The camera cut back to Chris and Chef as they winced at the sound of a crash, then shared a brief look. "Total Drama, Inc. waives all legal responsibility for the sudden death of their cast and crew!" the host told the camera, holding up a large stack of papers.

"Told you those would come in handy!" Chef said with a cackle before becoming serious again. "But what are you gonna do about the Xtreme guys?"

Chris shrugged. "Ehh, they were pretty much expendable. We can circle back and see if anyone survived later. Right now, I wanna follow those kids and make sure they're headed in the right direction."

"You gonna tell 'em yet?" Chef asked with a smirk.

The host tapped his stubbly chin in thought for a moment, then grinned. "Nah! I still wanna mess with 'em a little more." Chef cackled his agreement, and the helicopter was shown speeding forward. The camera panned ahead to DJ's tour bus.

Momma was shown watching sternly over Scott and Sugar and Lightning as they grudgingly cleaned the popcorn and grease off the floor, and the shot panned forward along the aisle to show most of the campers in their seats. Only Scarlett remained standing near Alejandro, though Jo and Ella were still in the seats right behind him.

"Isn't this exciting?" Ella said. "Now you'll be able to make it to the Oprah Show first and reclaim your fame!"

"I wouldn't count on it," Jo told her.

"Agreed," Alejandro chimed in. "With Chris McLean, there is always a catch."

The camera cut back to Bridgette and Geoff listening in from the table booth. "Hey Sierra," the surfer asked the girl sitting across the aisle, "what do you think? Is Chris gonna try something?"

Sierra snorted. "Well duh. I mean, this whole thing has 'set-up' written all over it. He's probably-"

"-following us in his helicopter and watching our every move!" Topher interrupted, sliding into view from the left and pointing out the window behind Sierra and Staci. The girls turned their heads, and the camera moved outside the bus to show the helicopter descending to just above the bus' level on its left.

"Attention washed-up losers!" Chris announced through a megaphone. "You may have temporarily beaten my new cast, but you're gonna have to try harder than that if you wanna stop my interview!"

Chef had to quickly gain some altitude as the tour bus suddenly swerved in an attempt at ramming the helicopter.

"Don't do that!" Alejandro yelled at Scarlett, pushing her away from the wheel. "I'm trying to drive here!" The evil girl just sniffed in disdain.

"So how exactly are we supposed to beat him to New York?" Shawn asked, alone in his row of seats. "He can fly!" B looked back from the row ahead of him and shrugged.

"We're just gonna have to try to follow him," Alejandro called from the driver's seat. "Perhaps we'll have an opportunity to do something later..."

/

The camera panned up to the high desert sun, then panned back down onto the wreckage of the Total Drama Xtreme bus. The front end was crumpled, and it was now lying upside down, but somehow all six of its occupants had gotten out safely.

"Wow, I can't believe we didn't die," Tyler said to the others, who were standing together a little ways away from him.

"That's the biz for ya, kid," the scruffy white guy said. "And I don't know about the rest of you, but I ain't about to stand around out here in the desert."

"Hold on," Tyler spoke up as the older man turned to leave, "shouldn't we all wait here for when Chris comes back to pick us up?"

The scruffy guy snorted in contempt. "Screw that. I'm not waitin' for Mr. McLean to get off his lazy butt and remember us. Feel free to wait here if you want kid, but I'm gonna go find a burger joint. Whaddaya say boys," he asked the others, "you with me?"

The bear, the sasquatch, the small Inuit man, and the psycho killer with the chainsaw and a hook looked at each other and murmured in agreement. The five then walked away, leaving Tyler alone to sit on a rock next to the wrecked bus.

The camera panned up through the high rock walls of the canyon to the sun, which moved across the sky as the footage skipped ahead a few hours. The shot panned back down to Tyler, still sitting glumly on the rock.

"I wonder if those guys found any help yet..." he wondered aloud.

/

The scene cut over to a lone white two-story house in the middle of nowhere, the only sign of nearby civilization being the power line leading into it.

"Hey yo! Open up! We're starvin' out here!" the scruffy white guy was heard yelling, followed first by a few quick knocks and then by a revving chainsaw. The camera cut to a view of the door from inside the house, the standard international radioactive trefoil symbol plastered all over the walls. A roaring chainsaw cut through the door and it fell over, and the psycho killer stepped aside to let the scruffy guy in. "Yo, what's the matter with you dummies? Didn't you hear us?"

The shot pulled back to show a pair of crash test dummies set up in the house's front room. "Um, I think those are dummies," the hook-handed killer said.

"Oh yeah," the scruffy guy said blankly. "Wait a minute..."

"Mmm," the killer nodded, "this sure is bad. Isolated location," he looked around, "dummies, nuclear testing signs," the trefoil symbols were shown again, "horrible mutants..."

The camera panned down and over to a pair of mutant humans. On the left was a masculine with green skin, five nipples, three eyes, and a potbelly. On his right was a fatter and more feminine one with slimy-looking yellow skin, beady eyes, and a single nostril in her nose.

The masculine one raised a three-fingered hand and said "Hi!"

"...I know I wouldn't wanna be here right now," the serial killer told his companion.

The camera immediately cut back to the distance shot of the house as the five starting running away from it, screaming at the top of their lungs. Zooming out, several ominous warning signs were shown amidst rocks and barbed wire just as a telltale whistling sound was heard.

A bomb was dropped on the house, and it exploded into a mushroom cloud.

/

The scene cut back to a close-up of Tyler's stomach as it began to growl. "Guess I'd better go find something to eat," he said as the camera zoomed out and he stood up. The footage skipped ahead to show him walking through the rocks and stopping at a bush. He bent down to get a closer look, but as the camera cut to a close-up the leaves he was holding crumbled into dust.

"Aww, nuts!" he said, snapping his finger. He turned around, and immediately noticed the shadow of a person on him. "Who's there?" he called out, shielding the sun from his eyes as he looked up. The camera cut to his point-of-view, and soon landed upon a familiar silhouette sitting on top a rock formation in lotus position.

"Hold on...," Tyler said slowly, narrowing his eyes at the figure. "Aren't you that girl from Total Drama? The one who, like, reads palms and stuff?"

The camera cut back to what was now clearly visible as Dawn. She opened her eyes and looked down at the boy, and calmly stated "Yes."

"Oh." Tyler paused a moment. "Uh, why aren't you on the bus with the other guys?"

Dawn started examining a loose thread in her sleeve. "I...wasn't ready to face them yet." She sighed, then looked back up at the clumsy jock. "But now, it seems, the Universe has decided to force the issue."

"Huh? What are you-" Tyler began to ask before the sound of a helicopter alerted him. He looked up, and the camera panned to show Chris and Chef flying over the canyon. "Aww man, we gotta go!"

The scene flashed ahead to Tyler and Dawn running up to the wreckage of the Total Drama Xtreme bus, and a triumphant theme began to play. "It's about time!" Chris yelled down at them. "You two better get on the bus before I leave you here!" The two teens complied; the jock scrambling but the mystic remaining calm. The helicopter dropped a large electromagnet onto the overturned vehicle, then took off carrying it.

/

The music continued as the footage flashed over to the Total Drama Action film lot, then zoomed in on the craft services tent. The camera cut inside just as Chris led Tyler and Dawn into the tent, and a panning shot showed the rest of the cast – as well as Ella and DJ's Momma – sitting at the two long tables. They were divided roughly according to the season one teams, with Ella on an end next to Alejandro and Momma standing behind her son.

"It's about time you got back here!" Jo yelled at the host.

"Yeah," Amy added, "why did you even lead us here anyway?"

"Wait, Dawn?" Sammy said, standing up in her seat along with DJ. "Is that you?"

"Where've you been?" the gentle giant added, but their friend merely averted her gaze in shame.

"Never mind that now," Chris told the room as the triumphant music finally faded out. "I have an announcement to make, buuuut...," he narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin, "I'm gonna have to cut you guys down a bit first. Let's see...Beardo, come stand over here with Dawn and Tyler." The hairy boy shared a confused look with Beth, then got up and joined the clumsy jock and the long-lost mystic. "The rest of you," Chris told the remainder, "go line up against the wall." The lone adult in the bunch raised an eyebrow. "Err, not you Momma DJ, you can come over here."

Momma nodded, and the footage flashed forward slightly to show everyone in position. "Okay Chef!" Chris called back over his shoulder with a grin. "You know what to do!"

The hulking man stepped into the tent with a dark grin and the large eight-barreled minigun-like paintball weapon he'd used way back in the alien movie challenge. He tied a blindfold over his eyes and cocked the gun, then the perspective shifted to a down-the-barrel view of the campers as they began to panic at the sight of the weapon. "Don't move a muscle," Chef said darkly before opening fire with a cackle.

The castmates getting shot at were not shown, but their yelps and cries of anger and pain and fear were heard over shots of a grinning Chris McLean; the variously disturbed trio of Tyler, Beardo, and Dawn; and Momma DJ shaking her head and tutting in disappointment.

It was over in mere seconds, though the carnage was not shown. "Now for my announcement," Chris said with a grin. "We all know nobody does drama like you guys, but I needed to find out if you kids still had it. So, I staged this whole thing as a test."

"Uh, what do you mean?" Tyler asked from the sidelines.

"I mean you were a dupe," Chris explained. "The whole 'Total Drama Xtreme' thing was just a fake, and I needed a guy on the inside to make it more believable. But to make it up to you, I'm gonna allow you to compete in the next season." Tyler's brow shot up, as did Beardo's. "Joining you will be Beardo and Dawn, who got cheated out of last season," he shot a narrow glance aside and grumbled, "thanks a lot, Scarlett," then put on a sly demeanor and faced the unseen contestants. "Aaaaaannd those of you who were lucky enough just now to get hit by the green paint. And those contestants are!"

Victorious music began to play again as the camera angle finally changed, and the shot panned across the lined-up campers. "Lightning!" The furthest on the left and with a blotch of green on his jersey, the uber-jock grinned. Next to him, the paint-free Jo crossed her arms and scowled as the camera kept moving. "Sierra! Ezekiel! Bridgette! Geoff!" The next four were all in a row; Sierra grinned with a paint-speckled face while Ezekiel frowned at the paint on his gold necklace; the lovers smiled at the patch of green paint that had hit their arms when they'd been touching.

The camera passed over a scowling Amy, "Shawn!", and onto a slightly puzzled conspiracy theorist as he picked at the green paint on his orange vest. B and Beth were next in line, but they had to comfort each other in their lack of visible green. "Staci!" The chatterbox blinked and smiled through a paint-covered face. Next to her, Sam hung his head in disappointment while Dakota, also clean, filed her nails and looked around uncertainly.

"Samey! DJ! Scott! Sugar!" The next four were, once again, all in a row. Cheerleader and gentle giant shared an excited embrace and in doing so got even more paint on their clothes; Scott rubbed his hand together and grinned, green visible on his chest and shoulder; and the pageant queen scowled as she tried to rub the green out of her clothes.

Topher was next, but he too hung his head in disappointment. His most handsome bandmate, who'd been hit in the chest, put a consoling hand on his shoulder just as the host called out "Alejandro!" Ella was next, and was looking at her paint-splattered dress in awe. Chris seemed to falter for a moment. "...no idea who you are," he said, "but what the hey? You're in too! So is Scarlett, surprisingly." The camera panned to the evil genius on the far right end, who put on a haughty smile as she took off her paint-covered glasses.

"Congratulations, all of you!" Chris said as the camera cut back to him. "You've just earned a spot in a no-holds-barred race around the world," he raised his arms in excitement as a dramatic riff played, "in a jet, for one! Million! Dollars!" The music immediately segued into a tenser piece, underscoring the thrill of the announcement.

The chosen cast began to cheer and move forward, while seven who had been left out stayed against the wall and sulked – except for Dakota, who seemed more concerned with comforting her boyfriend.

/

The tense score continued back in the Celebrity Manhunt studio, where Blaineley shook her fist excitedly. "Woop woop woop! Celebrity Manhunt exclusive alert!"

"Another season of Total Drama is coming," Josh added, "and I for one can't wait."

"Well, Drama Machine, what do you think of that?" Blaineley asked the show's robot. The camera quick-panned over to it rolling forward; it looked like it had been fixed, and the aged repairman was standing in front of it with a proud smile. It beeped and booped a few times as the needle on its mouth-meter plunged all the way to the right; the background music took a sudden twist, and the Drama Machine exploded into a cloud of pinkish smoke that left it wrecked and the repairman covered in soot.

Blaineley and Josh laughed. "Well, I think it's about time we signed off," Josh told his cohost before looking back at the camera. "Thanks for watching Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Reunion Special."

"We'll be back tomorrow night with more news on the new season, as well as all the latest post-Gemmie celebrity gossip," Blaineley added.

"Until then," Josh finished, "goodnight everybody!" The two hosts waved, and their feed cut to a still image of the Celebrity Manhunt magnifying glass logo as a brief version of the show's theme played.

/

Static transitioned the scene to a long-distance shot of the Total Drama Action film lot, which promptly zoomed in to the make-up trailer used for confessionals.

xxx

"So it seems I've been given another chance at winning a million," Alejandro opened with a grin, his body now paint-free. "Excellent. This time, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on that cheating señorita, Scarlett."

xxx

"Ya hear that babe?" Geoff began the next confessional with his arm already around his girlfriend's shoulders, "another season! And we're goin' around the world!"

Bridgette chuckled. "It's gonna be amazing! Nothing's gonna hold us back this time, either."

"Shyeah," Geoff said, looking into Bridgette's eyes. The two began to make out moments later.

xxx

"Oh em gee," Sierra started her turn with an excited grin, "not only to I get to be on Total Drama for a third time, but I don't have to do it with that rat Topher," her voice and face briefly became viciously hateful. "To think, I'll be able to provide the fans with all the inside info they've been waiting for! So many questions to answer," she suddenly became thoughtful, "maybe I should make a list..."

xxx

"Lightning may have struck out twice so far," the uber-jock opened with a serious look on his face as he pointed at the camera, "but he is not gonna let that happen a third time. So everybody better be sha-watchin' their backs, or else Lightning's gonna run them over. Sha-bam!" He ended his confession by pounding on the countertop.

xxx

Ezekiel was next, wearing shades and a bucket hat with a small 'Z' on the front. "Ho-ho-homies," he attempted to rap, "get in focus," he pointed at the camera then at himself, "and take notice. I'm what is," he quickly laid on the counter then ducked beneath it, "oh yeah, the show biz!" He leaned into the mirror and mimed scratching a turntable, then crossed his arms. "Unh-unh-unh-unh-uh-huh!"

The chair he was sitting in fell over.

xxx

"Oh em gee," Sammy confessed with a wide smile on her face, "I am totally looking forward to this. There's no way Amy can force her way on the show again, so I'll finally get to spend some time with Dawn again! And DJ too." She started to blush. "I wonder if we'll get any alone time on the jet...?"

xxx

"I'm not looking forward to being stuck in cramped quarters with everyone else," Shawn told the camera, "y'know, in case a zombie sneaks on board, but hey! If I win again, maybe I'll actually get to keep the money!"

xxx

Scott grinned darkly into the camera, idly whittling a piece of wood as he made his confession. "I've been itching for another shot at this game, so bring it on McLean."

xxx

"Oh man, this is awesome!" Tyler confessed excitedly, his eye wandering around the trailer. "I might be the new guy, but I'm going all the way to the top!"

xxx

"Don't you worry, Momma," DJ told the camera, "I'm gonna win this one and buy you a big ol' house!" He spread his arms wide, then sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "And maybe we could have the girls over more."

xxx

Sugar opened with a chuckle. "Looks like it's time to show them others what Sugar can really do! An' they won't know what hit 'em." She chuckled again.

xxx

The next confessional began with Dawn sipping from a steaming mug. She set it down, stirred it with a small spoon a few times, then stared down at it.

She sighed. "Nothing I didn't already know." She looked up at the camera. "Hopefully I'll be able to resolve my inner turmoil this time around, and not just add to it."

xxx

"This is just wonderful!" Ella said. "I never dreamed I'd get the chance to compete on Total Drama. This calls for a song!" She cleared her throat.

"With a flash and a bang, from red carpet to bus,"

"Now I'm part of the cast filled with drama and humor;"

"On the trip of our lives, with the world watching us;"

She suddenly became sheepish as she sang the last line quickly.

"Sorry Mom and Dad for not calling you sooner!"

xxx

An extra long bout of static ended the string of confessionals, and the footage picked up in front of a somewhat squat and patched-together brown jumbo jet. On the side of it that faced the camera, both near the nose and on the tail fin, was plastered a large logo of Chris McLean in a classic pilot's outfit. A boarding escalator had already been wheeled up to the lone door on the jet's side.

"Sixteen teens!" Chris himself announced, looking quite small as he walked into the scene from the right. "A trip around the world, and a million dollars." The camera cut in closer as he reached the bottom of the escalator. "What more could you possibly want?"

Just then, Chef Hatchet came down the escalator wearing a female flight attendant's uniform and a curly blonde wig. "How 'bout music?" he suggested.

"Yeah," Chris said with a sly look, "everybody's doing the musical thing now. Sure!" He shrugged happily. "Aaaaand music!" He shot a win and finger pistol off camera. "See ya next time, on Total! Drama!" The camera zoomed out twice, then moved to and angled shot of a flagpole on top of a building as what sounded like a grand and dramatic piece of show music began to play.

"Musical!" Chris and Chef sung as they jumped out from either side of the pole and a plane took off behind them.

"Muusiicaal~!" they repeated, Chef holding Chris over his head as the two rode the top of a baggage tug.

"Muuuusiiiicaaaal~~!" The camera flashed back to the two standing by the boarding steps with their arms held high, the shot pulling back as the music came to a peak.

The nose of the jet suddenly broke off and fell forward onto the ground with a crash.

"Uhh, maybe not!" Chris said.

The dramatic music briefly resumed as a logo took over the screen – a small black jumbo jet circling a globe-like earth with the title 'TOTAL DRAMA WORLD TOUR' on it.

(Fade to Credits)

Author's Note - Post Script

Hoo boy, so much to talk about. Before diving in to the cast for next season, I suppose I should talk about some of the other things first. One is Chris' comment at the end about 'sixteen' contestants rather than 'seventeen'; it was the same in canon, and I'm operating under the assumption that it was meant to reflect Chris not liking one of the cast (which in canon was Ezekiel). Then we have...well, all the Celebrity Manhunt bits. I kept several the same, obviously, and I hope you all don't mind. The rest, I think, gave a good showing of what most of the cast were doing in the months since season two, while also fitting in with the same pacing as the canon version of the episode. Hopefully nothing seemed too out-of-place.

The replacement for the Drama Brothers has been somewhat of a thorn in my side since the early stages of planning for TSWT. I'm not entirely certain 'Drama to Drama' was the best way of filling their shoes, but I needed someone to fill the role and overall I'm content with the idea of Topher, Alejandro, Beardo, and B forming some sort of rock band together.

The cast determination getting changed was to have the tension last longer - if I'd kept it the same as canon, you'd all know the cast for next season as soon as the group split. As for how the cast was actually determined, hopefully you all liked it, and it didn't seem weird or anything.

And now for the two newbies. Ella, of course, was an incredibly lucky selection. I'm still not entirely sure if I would have picked her for this spot had I done the shuffling manually, since I think she presents her own...problems for writing next season, but for now I'm glad to have her. Writing her introduction was a blast, as was having her get on the season basically by accident. Plus, she gave me some chances to practice my songwriting. How did everyone like her singing this chapter?

Then we have Tyler - I don't think anybody was predicting him. He is, of course the contestant who competed in the canon version of World Tour, but here he's obviously going to have a different time in the Shuffledverse. With no Lindsay to orbit around, I'm gonna have to see what he can do on his own.

Now I'd like to talk about some of my reasons behind my picks for the rest of the cast. To start, I'll explain why I decided to cut the five that I did.

B: As I've said, he cannot sing and thus I cannot in good conscience include him in TSWT.

Amy: The entire reason why I had her enter TSA was to finish her subplot with Sammy, and with that she's got nothing left I really want to do with her. A possible relationship with Scott could be interesting, but I'd rather just give Sammy the chance to develop without her.

Jo: After TSA, I just don't think there's anything more I can do with Jo. She had a good run and a great end, and I figured it would be best to end it there.

Beth: Although her being in World Tour could be interesting, as could exploring her craftier side, but neither were things I was really considering when I decided the cast. She just wasn't interesting enough to warran a spot compared so the others.

Topher: Probably the most controversial of the five decisions (along with Jo). As much as his rivalry with Sierra was fun to write, I felt it was time to see what they can do when their rival isn't around. And since Sierra was in the canon season, I figured having her in and Topher out would give me the best chance to show them individually, if that makes sense.

I won't go into what I'm planning for Ezekiel, Scott, Staci, and Sugar, so for that end I'll focus on why I didn't give Sam or Dakota another chance. To wit, it's been my go for these three seasons to make sure that nobody gets wasted in the same way that Katie, Sadie, and Eva were in canon - minor characters in one season, sidelined in the rest. For Shuffled, I decided I wanted to give everyone a decent amount of screentime and development, and that meant making sure those who only got on one season still did stuff in the others. Thus, with B getting a spot in TSA, I was left with two people who would only compete in season one - and since Sam and Dakota are the Aftermath hosts, I don't think they're gonna be wanting for screentime.

For the eleven contestants who've gotten a part in all three seasons, I think most of them speak for themselves. The only one that I expect to be that shocking is Scarlett, considering what happened in the finale. For her, I just wanted to prove that it can be done - she's been outed as evil, but that doesn't mean she can't still compete.

And with that, the starting cast for Total Shuffled World Tour has been set:

THE VETERANS

Alejandro, The Arch Villain
Beardo, The Human Soundboard
Bridgette, The Surfer Girl
Dawn, The Moonchild
DJ, The Brickhouse With Heart
Geoff, The Funnest Guy Around
Lightning, The Athletic Overachiever
Sammy, The Cheerleader
Scarlett, The Evil Genius
Shawn, The Zombie Conspiracy Nut
Sierra, The Bridge To The Fans

THE RETURNEES

Ezekiel, The Homeschooled Guy
Scott, The Devious
Staci, The Compulsive Liar
Sugar, The Pageant Queen

AND INTRODUCING...

Ella, The Fairytale Princess
Tyler, The Jock

I hope you're all looking forward to Total Shuffled World Tour. I'll be posting the first chapter of the new story on Friday, August 14th - two weeks from today, in other words.

Until then, so long. And thank you, all of you, for reading and reviewing. It has made this journey all the more worthwhile.

- Fangren