Thor's Thoughts #4: Ayy, 60K words! Obviously there's a lot of story to get through, but this is still a good achievement. At this rate, 200K should be no problem.

"Last time on Total Drama," Chris narrated. "In the wake of Nikki's elimination, the Screaming Dingoes were pretty broken up. Addie took it upon himself to give Matt a pep talk, motivating the aspiring leader. Connor effectively did the same with Genevieve, who was guilty about her hand in eliminating her closest ally and friend. Later, Matt and Ilyria got into a spat, and the pair's mutual dislike for each other increased.

"On the Crazy Kangaroos, Chloe admitted to herself that she has a crush on Spencer, while Spencer continued to not admit or even say anything at all. Everyone thought Jeremy was homophobic, which turned out not to be true. The rock star continued to play aggressively, joining his third alliance in three days, this one with Maddie and Luke. Luke, who planned to target Chloe, decided to attempt to throw her off his scent by making casual conversation with her, but this actually made her more suspicious of the actor.

"And on the Killer Wombats, Ambrose managed to admit to Eloa that he had just gotten out of a serious relationship and was still suffering. Diego and Jasmin were forming a touching friendship based on… catchphrases? Mariana, after Chander tried to prank her, demoralized the prankster with some scathing words, and he moped around for most of the rest of the day.

"The contestants were relatively pleased to learn that this challenge was a non-elimination. They competed individually in a tug of war tournament for a reward of iced coffee and a coffee maker, with the top four players winning a free cruise! We learned some things about certain contestants, such as: Spencer and Connor are pretty much the exact same, strength-wise; Eloa has never tried sushi; Maddie is not above faking choking to win; and nap attacks are a very real thing that plague Mariana.

"In the end, the top four were Ambrose, Diego, Genevieve and Maddie, and the four won a cruise. During the semifinal match, Ambrose and Diego's tug of war devolved into a brawl, disqualifying both of them, and it came down to the pyromaniac and the eternally nice girl. In the end, Genevieve won the reward for her team. On the cruise, Maddie and Genevieve formed a cross-team alliance, while Ambrose and Diego declared war on each other.

"Sixteen are left, but that will soon change! Whose time will be cut short next? Find out right now on… Total! Drama! The Curse of the K'wala Islands!"

-Theme Song-

"Hello?" Nikki was calling. She moved haltingly around in the pitch blackness of the cave. "Is there… anyone there?"

No response.

"Oh…" she said weakly. "Why did you have to venture off without Aria, Nikki? Stupid…"

A bat squeaked in the distance, and she let out a squeak of her own, flinching.

"Well… I can't stay here," she decided. She turned around. "But where- where do I…?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic."

She steadied her breathing. "One step at a time, Nikki."

Nikki nodded and took a single decisive step forward. Unfortunately, there was no ground there, and she fell forward into a gaping pit, screaming the whole way down.

A loud splash echoed through the cave as she landed in the water. Nikki gasped as she swam to the surface. She looked around to get her bearings, and saw that she was in a giant chamber. Light from the moon filtered through several cracks in the cave wall, illuminating the room in an eerie manner. There were several crystals embedded in the walls, which reflected the moonlight.

The pool Nikki had landed in was rather small. She swam to the closest stable landmass, an outcropping of rock about ten metres away. Once there, she looked back up and saw that she had fallen a good thirty feet from above.

"...Now I'm wet," she said. "Where… am I?"

She took in the crystalline surroundings again, and sighed. "This- This is a bit of a problem…"

Then she looked back at the pool, and gasped. There were multiple indistinct shapes, all about the size of a football and bright white, floating in the water.

"What?" She shook her head. "I don't… I don't get it."

Sighing, she lay down. The outcropping was only slightly longer than her, and possibly three feet wide. "I'll deal with this later." She yawned. "...need some sleep…"

Despite her circumstances, she fell asleep within a few minutes.

Cave Confessional:

Nikki: I won't lie, this is very disorienting… and frightening. But I didn't get any sleep on my first night here; I haven't slept in a good thirty hours. So… I'll deal with the fear and confusion in the morning. Or, heh, whenever I wake up.

Ilyria lay on the ground, her face buried in her forearm. Her upper body twitched with every shaky breath.

Addie entered the scene, sipping on an iced coffee. He blinked as he recognized Ilyria, and immediately put his drink down on the ground before dashing over and kneeling on the ground beside her.

"Ilyria? Are you dead?" He began to shake her.

Ilyria batted him away and rolled into her back, allowing Addie to see the tears on her face.

"Sh*t. What happened? Did you get hurt?" Addie asked. "Ah, I left my knapsack back at camp. Just let me-"

"I'm- I'm not hurt," Ilyria managed to choke out. She collapsed into tears again.

"Hey. Hey," Addie said comfortingly, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Cry it out. That's good."

After a couple minutes, Ilyria sat up and wiped her eyes.

"Want to talk about it?" Addie asked.

"I honestly don't think I- I can," Ilyria said. "It's…" She shook her head.

Addie nodded solemnly. "I get it. Agent stuff?"

This made Ilyria cry all over again, and Addie averted his eyes.

After a couple minutes, she nodded, holding back any more tears.

"I'll be alright," Ilyria decided.

"You will," Addie agreed. He stood, and then offered a hand to her, letting her stand up as well. "So, I came here to tell you that we got our coffee, but I feel like that's not really relevant."

"Coffee?" The corners of her mouth flicked up into a smile. "It's well past midnight, you know."

"Your point?" Addie picked up his drink and sipped it.

"You're loony," She shook her head. "I'm going to get some sleep."

"Okay," Addie nodded.

"Addie?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," Ilyria pulled him into a tight hug, which he reciprocated. Then she walked away.

Confessional:

Ilyria: I'll let myself be sad tonight, but at the end of the day, emotions will only hold me back. I have to be strong for Shrike… for all of them. I can't back down from this. I refuse to. Even though I may be alone, this team of one can wreak havoc if you let her. (She stares at the camera confidently)

Addie: Yeah, I couldn't resist. (He pulls Ilyria's letter out of his dress shirt pocket and reads it. After a couple of minutes, he looks up at the camera, shocked) Oh my god. So that's why she didn't want to say anything to me! And damn, Shrike must be out for the count too. (He shakes his head incredulously) Wow. This... is starting to feel real for me, and I don't know if I like it.

Day 4

Eloa and Mariana were both sitting at camp. Eloa was focusing her efforts on removing the clown wig which Chander had glued to Mariana's head. The nose was already removed.

"Thanks for letting me do this. It's therapeutic," Eloa admitted.

"Someone- ow!- Someone had to," Mariana grumbled.

As Eloa continued to tug at the wig, Ambrose walked out of the trees, looking around.

His face brightened when he found the pair. He walked over. "Eloa. Mariana."

"You're smiling. That's new," Mariana pointed out.

Ambrose shrugged. "What can I say? I'm ready to make something happen."

"Strategy-wise?" Eloa looked at him.

"Yep," Ambrose confirmed. "I'm thinking that the three of us team up and form an alliance."

"That's… unexpected," Eloa said.

"Yeah, weren't you the one completely against alliances?" Mariana asked. Then, "Ow! Be gentler, Eloa."

Ambrose shook his head. "Circumstances changed. See, I want to take out Diego, and the best way to do that is with you two on my side."

"Okay!" Eloa said brightly.

"I'm going to stop you right there," Mariana held up a hand. "If we're doing this, we're voting for Chander."

"Why?" Eloa asked.

"Uh, did you miss the part where he glued to clown sh*t to my head? And I had to jump into the lake- at night- just to get the itching powder off," Mariana grumbled. "He's either pranked you or he's planning it, let me tell you."

"Sorry, but Diego has to go," Ambrose said. "It's pretty nonnegotiable."

"Eliminating Chander would make it easy to vote off Diego next," Mariana countered.

"Eliminating Diego would make it easy to vote off Chander next," Ambrose shot back. "Look. Diego's strong, he's got connections, and he's charming. We need to get him soon before he's taken over this whole team."

"You're right. Diego does have connections. I know firsthand," Mariana said. Ambrose raised an eyebrow at this. "And if we don't decide to vote for Chander, I just may make good on those connections. Take it or leave it."

Ambrose rubbed his temples. "You're making this harder than to needs to be."

"You want an alliance? Those are my terms," Mariana said. Eloa pulled particularly hard at the wig. "Motherf-!" She stood. "I'm going to soak my head for a while. Later."

She walked away.

Ambrose cracked his neck. "That went worse than I wanted it to," he said.

"Don't worry! I'll talk to our teammates and see if they want to vote out Diego!" Eloa volunteered.

Ambrose thoughts about this. "That would help a lot, actually. Thanks, El."

Eloa went red. "No- no problem!" As she walked away, she mouthed He called me El! to the camera.

Confessional:

Mariana: Of course I knew people would come to me. It took a little longer than I expected, but now we've got the ball rolling and I'm ready to make my move. Chander's going to pay for this. (She points to her wig)

Ambrose: I'm feeling pretty good, actually. Now that I have a real competition on my hands, I'm energized and ready to use whatever means are at my disposal to make sure Diego goes home. And I know he's doing the same thing for me.

Maddie and Luke were decorating the Crazy Kangaroos' camp with various flowers and leaves. Meanwhile, Spencer and Jeremy opened coconuts in the middle of the camp.

"You know, guys, we had a slow start, but I really feel like we're going well!" Luke said brightly.

"Uh, same," Jeremy said. "I'm starting to really think we have a shot as a team."

It was at that point that Chloe walked into the camp. She spotted Jeremy and pointed to him. "Hey. Jeremy."

"Hi, Chloe," Jeremy acknowledged her before returning to his coconuts.

Chloe was not finished. "I have an important inquiry for you, and I need you to answer honestly."

Jeremy shrugged. "Shoot."

"Is it true that you're in three separate alliances on this team?" Chloe asked quickly.

The whole campsite went silent. Every member of the team turned to Jeremy.

Jeremy looked around, suddenly intimidated. "Well… see, the thing is… come on, what do you want me to say?"

"So it's true?" Chloe asked.

"...Yeah," Jeremy sighed. "But come on. It's just, uh, a strategy, right?"

"Dude! How are any of us supposed to trust you?" Maddie stuck her tongue out at him. "And to think. I was going to ask you for piano lessons."

"I don't actually know how to-"

"Silence!" Maddie raised her arm, her palm facing Jeremy in a shunning gesture.

Jeremy began to sweat. "Come on. This feels like a double standard. I know that you two are in two alliances as well," he pointed at Spencer and Luke. "Remember our guys' alliance?"

Spencer and Luke looked at each other. Spencer made a circling gesture with his hands.

"What he's trying to say," Chloe translated, "Is that at least he's not aligned with every single member of the team. Unlike you."

"I just wanted options, guys," Jeremy sighed.

"I think in light of this," Luke supplied, "All alliances with Jeremy in it are to be considered null and void."

Chloe nodded. "I second this."

"Third!" Maddie said.

Spencer held up four fingers.

Jeremy stood up and shook his head. "Wow. This is, uh, real classy, everyone. I thought you," he pointed at Chloe, "were better than this."

He left the campsite.

"So that happened," Luke said. He looked at Chloe. "How'd you know all that stuff?"

"Let's just say loose lips sink ships," Chloe nodded. "Are we all in agreement to vote Jeremy next time we lose?"

Spencer flashed a thumbs up. Luke and Maddie both nodded.

"Good," Chloe said, before leaving.

Confessional:

Jeremy: So this is where playing aggressively got me. I, uh, am pretty fed up with everyone on my team right now. They just don't get it. They just don't get me. I… I have to win this game. There's no other choice. I don't have much- no, anything- to go back to if I don't. (He shakes his head) I have to think about, uh, what to do next.

Chloe: I guess Ultio was right. Looks like they're a trustworthy source after all. Which makes it all the more interesting about how they came across this information, how they passed it onto me, and why they passed it onto me. Now that the Jeremy issue is taken care of, I'm free to dedicate my time to learning the secrets of my mysterious friend.

Connor was fiddling with the team's coffee maker.

"An ingenious device," he said to himself. "Not a single wire or electric current. Perhaps you put the grounds here…" he continued to examine the instrument. "Ah. A question for another day. Especially since we still have the cold variety."

He reached into the cooler and pulled out another plastic cup containing iced coffee.

"Genevieve, sister in the universe," he greeted as she entered.

"Hi, Connor," Genevieve said with a large smile. "I have some good news!"

"You know how this contraption works?" Connor guessed, jabbing his thumb at the coffee maker.

Genevieve nodded. "Actually, yes. But that's not what I was thinking of. You might want to sit down."

Connor sat down.

"Okay," Genevieve pushes a strand of hair out of her face. "Connor, what do you know about synesthetic associations?"

Connor blinked. "I… don't even know what those are."

"I brought some books with me to the island," Genevieve pulled out a large book. "I'm lucky I did. There was an entire section on it."

"On what?" Connor began to grow concerned.

Genevieve smiled. "Connor, you have synesthesia."

Connor blinked. "What?"

"It's a rare phenomenon where your senses get a little… jumbled," Genevieve said. "Most people think it has to do with cognitive development as a child- but that's not relevant. My point is, that's why you get those vibes. That's why every different sound has a colour and shape to it. It's just how your brain associates it."

It took some time for Connor to grasp this. "And… this is a real thing?"

Genevieve nodded proudly. "Rare, but it exists."

"So the universe isn't communicating through me," Connor looked up at her. "I'm not connected in such a way."

Genevieve faltered. "Well…"

"I thought I was special," Connor chuckled darkly as he stood. "But no! It turns out I have a brain disease!" He looked at Genevieve. "Thanks. I mean that."

"Connor-"

"No," Connor cut her off. "You've helped me enough."

He strolled away from her and into a different part of the camp, clutching at the sides of his head, annoyed.

It was at this point where he tripped over a bag. It's contents spilled across the ground.

"Of course," Connor griped. He leaned down to pick up the items. "Whose bag is this? Addie's?"

As he reached for one of the fallen items, he frowned. "Isn't this… Matt's pocket square?"

He looked at a second item. "Hey! I remember these earrings! They're Nikki's! And… one of Genevieve's books. And my ring! I didn't even-" he checked his hand. "What the hell?"

He shoved the items unceremoniously back into Addie's bag and continued to storm off.

Confessional:

Genevieve: I… I guess I made a mistake. I didn't expect Connor to react so badly to this. I was just trying to help… and now I've gone and mucked it all up, just like I did with Nikki. I just can't do anything right! (She is near tears)

Connor: (He is still holding the sides of his head) It's too much. This is all just too much. Every word I say- every word everyone says- it's not the universe at all. It's just my messed up head. The last sixteen years of my life was a lie, a lie caused by my own ignorance. And then there's the Addie thing… Gah! I don't even know where to start with that. It's too much! I don't know what to do!

Diego and Jasmin had just finished canoeing, and were now rowing into shore.

"As a man of action, I wouldn't expect to enjoy such an activity so much," Diego expressed. "But I must say, it is rather calming."

"Yeah!" Jasmin said with a smile. "Everyone can use a little relaxation time now and then."

"That is all the relaxation time I will allow myself," Diego decided. "For I must now focus on my new goal- eliminating Ambrose."

Jasmin looked at him excitedly. "So we're gunning for him now? I knew you'd come around to it!"

"It will hardly be my riskiest endeavour," Diego tipped his hat at her and winked.

On cue, Mariana came through the forest and walked on the beach to meet them.

"Hey, you got the wig off!" Jasmin said.

"I got pissed at it. I just ended up ripping it off. Hurts like a bugger now," Mariana spat. "Chander's going to pay if it's the last thing I do."

Diego nodded at her. "So, informant. Inform me."

"Informant?" Jasmin repeated, looking between the two of them.

"Long story short, Diego quickly learned how… valuable I am," Mariana smirked. "Ambrose and Eloa, unsurprisingly, want to vote for you. They asked me to join them, but I said that if I joined them, we would be voting for Chander or it's no deal."

"That's perfect, then!" Diego grinned confidently. "They've only got two votes on their side. We can take out Ambrose easily."

"Uh, excuse me?" Mariana said. "I just told you. I'm voting for Chander. I was under the impression that you two would join me."

"Chander's in our alliance," Jasmin shook her head.

"He's also a pest," Mariana said. "I can replace Chander in your alliance after we vote him out. Then it'll be an easy majority after that."

"And what if you're offering the same thing to Ambrose and Eloa?" Diego asked.

"I did offer the same thing to Ambrose and Eloa, dipsh*t," Mariana rolled her eyes. "They said no. Look, give it a bit of time. I'll be waiting for your answer." She walked away.

Diego looked deep in thought.

"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" Jasmin asked. "Come on! You just said you wanted to vote out Ambrose."

"But this might be the smarter move," Diego said. "I'm not committing either way yet."

"Good," Jasmin said. She was fiddling with a piece of paper she had fished out of her pocket.

"What's that?" Diego asked.

"Nothing," Jasmin shoved the paper back in her pocket. "...Want to collect food?"

"Sure," He said, and the pair walked away.

Confessional:

Diego: What Mariana is saying makes sense, I admit. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a pawn to take out the king, right? (He frowns) And yet… betraying an ally is dishonest and dishonourable. Do I prioritize my safety in the game over my honour? I do not know.

Jasmin: I didn't tell Diego about the letter, because, well, why would I? It's just a stupid prank from Chander, right? (She shrugs) It's not like there's actually a psychopath who'd deliver 'consequences' if I don't vote out Diego… Right? Shikashi, kore wa kare no ta no jōku to wa kotonarimasu…

Luke and Maddie were working on some sort of construction project.

"I'm telling you, girl," Luke said to her as he bent a stick into a semi-circle, "This is what we need!"

"But it's so boooooring," Maddie flopped backwards, laying on the ground.

Luke took another stick and bent it, tying it to the first so the two formed a full circle. He changed topics. "So, Jeremy, huh?"

"He's a traitor!" Maddie said, raising her arm in a fist. "And we're voting him out immediately."

"Right. About that," Luke began to weave string around and through the circle. "What if we pretended to hate him-"

"Maddie doesn't need to pretend," Maddie interrupted.

"But say you did," Luke rolled his eyes. "We could use him as an extra vote to take out Chloe-"

"Out of the question!" Maddie declared sitting back up.

"-and then vote him out right after," Luke finished.

"No and no," Maddie said.

"Come on, Maddie, be reasonable," Luke said with a faux-pleading expression. "After Jeremy goes, what will we do? It'll be us against Chloe and Spencer."

"There's an infinillion things we can do," Maddie said, pulling a lighter out of nowhere and beginning to play with it.

"Enlighten me," Luke began to grow annoyed.

"We um um uh get them to turn on each other!" Maddie pointed out. "Tell lies about one of them."

Luke frowned. "And if that doesn't work?"

Maddie scrunched up her face in concentration. "Errrrr… we can get Chloe to vote for me, and Spencer to vote for you, and we both vote for one of them! It's a two to one to one! Haha, take that!"

Luke paused. "...My point is, keeping Jeremy, just for one round, is going to be better for us in the long run."

"And my point is no," Maddie crossed her arms. Then she brightened. "Ooh! Are you done?"

Luke's expression went from annoyed to cheerful as held up his now-finished dream catcher. "Yessiree. Want to help me put it up?"

"Yay!" Maddie bounded away. Luke followed her with a sigh.

Confessional:

Maddie: Jeremy is a meanie-pants and anyone who doesn't vote for him is a double meanie-pants. A… meanie-meanie-pants-pants! Yep, that's it. Besides, once he's gone, I'll be the best singer on the team! So take that, Super Crappy Death Punch guy!

Luke: My, my… once Maddie gets settled on something, it'd be easier to lift the Statue of Liberty than to change her mind. But Papa Lukey still has some tricks up his sleeve yet, and believe you me, he- I mean, I- will get my way. (He grins confidently)

Addie was spinning a knife around his fingers delicately. Matt walked over to join him.

"Hey, Matt," Addie greeted.

"Addie," Matt nodded. He looked at the knife. "Where'd you get that?"

"Brought it with me," Addie shrugged. "It's my emotional support weapon."

Matt stared.

"That was a joke," he clarified.

"Ah." Matt sat down across from him. "What are you doing with it?"

"Nothing," Addie shrugged, continuing to spin the knife in and around his fingers deftly. "How's team leading going?"

"Well, last challenge was individual, so there was not much I could do," Matt said. "But I'm optimistic about today!"

"Good man," Addie nodded.

A pause.

"Can we form an alliance?" Matt blurted.

Addie blinked. "I mean… I guess so, if you want to. I won't say no to extra protection in the game."

Matt nodded. "Very well. I propose we target Ilyria first."

"No can do," Addie shook his head. "Sorry, I know you two are rivals, but-"

"-but the two of you are already in an alliance," Matt finished. He frowned. "Therefore, accepting an alliance with me to vote her out would be tantamount to betraying her. And yet, we have declared ourselves rivals. It is a conundrum."

"Well, why not join an alliance with her and duke it out once we're the last three on the team? Heh," Addie said sarcastically.

Matt paused.

"No, see, that was another joke," Addie said.

"But it has merit," Matt replied. "How receptive would Ilyria be to me joining your alliance?"

"She'd come around to it, I'm sure," Addie said. "But you can't seriously-"

"Very well. I accept your offer!" Matt smiled, shaking Addie's hand. "I have duties elsewhere, but I hope to convene with you again."

As he left, Addie looked unsurely at the camera.

Confessional:

Matt: Perfect! My first alliance of the game, and it is a majority alliance with two trustworthy people. I hope to lead the trio that we make to success just like I do with our team!

Addie: So now I have another ally. I mean, I'm not complaining anounthe extra security, but I'm surprised that Matt wanted to join forces with me. I mean, he's alright, and I think he likes me well enough, but it's not like I'm his closest friend on the island. (He hesitates, then his eyes widen) Oh my god… I'm his closest friend on the island, aren't I?

Chander was stringing a rope between two trees. Above was a large barrel, its origin indeterminable.

"Hehehaha!" he laughed mischievously. "This could be my greatest prank yet-"

"Chander?" Eloa said. Chander looked up at her, lost concentration, and fell on his backside, landing on the rope, which tipped the barrel above him, spilling… nothing.

"Come on!" Chander whined. "Now I have to climb back up there to set it back up. You're lucky that I hadn't filled it yet. Honey isn't cheap!

Eloa blinked. "You have a barrel of honey?"

"I have a barrel and honey," Chander corrected. "I keep my components separate. Professional courtesy."

"Professional…" Eloa shook her head.

"So!" Chander hopped to his feet. "What's up… Eloa, right?"

"Right," Eloa said. "I wanted to talk to you about voting, and stuff."

"I'm not going to be in an alliance with you," Chander stated flatly.

"No! No!" Eloa waved her hands, beginning to panic. "Shoot… Let me try again." She cleared her throat. "Want to vote for Diego?"

"You're not very good at this," Chander frowned.

"Is that a no?" Eloa frowned.

"Let me get this straight. You, who I haven't held a conversation with in four days of being in close proximity, walked over here and told me to vote for my ally, and you're surprised that I won't?"

"I feel like that's a no," Eloa said.

"Do you have even one good reason why I should vote for Diego?"

Eloa hesitated. "Well…"

Chander laughed. "Hehehaha! Get outta town! This is too great. Come back once you have a good argument."

"O… Okay," Eloa said, walking away, hiding tears.

Confessional:

Chander: Was I rude? Maybe a little. But still, when someone you don't know comes in, ruins whatever you're doing, and gives you a completely unreasonable request, it's not like you have to be sunshiny.

Eloa: I… I'm a total failure! I thought I could help Ambrose by getting votes on his side, but I messed it all up! Ugh… (She sniffles) I came here wanting to show off my brain, but maybe I'm dumber than I thought I was.

Chloe was laying on a tree branch, holding the note she had received over her head and reading it.

"It's most likely someone from my team…" she murmured. "But who would have access to that information?"

Spencer appeared, tapping her on the shoulder. She yelped and fell off the branch, but Spencer caught her bridal-style.

"Oh, thanks…" Chloe said after he set her down, hastily stuffing the note in her pocket.

Spencer's eyes crinkled, making it clear he was smiling. Then he pointed to Chloe's pocket inquisitively.

"Oh, that? Nothing," Chloe shrugged. "Just an investigation, nothing interesting."

Spencer shrugged.

"So," Chloe changed the topic with forced enthusiasm. "We're still good alliance-wise, right? Even though Jeremy's not a part of it."

Spencer pulled a rough sketch of Jeremy out from his satchel, and pointed to himself and Chloe, before meaningfully gesturing to the photo.

"Yeah, I don't think there's any doubt at this point that we should vote him off," Chloe agreed. "But what's our next move?"

The mime shrugged.

"I don't know either," Chloe sighed.

Then, Spencer pointed at Chloe, made a 'talking' gesture with his hand, pointed to the sketch of Jeremy, and then at the campsite.

"Oh… how did I know that Jeremy was in all the alliances?" Chloe's voice betrayed some nerves. "I investigated. It's, er, what I do best."

He looked unconvinced.

"I just overheard a couple of conversations, okay?" Chloe lied. "It's not important."

Spencer shrugged again, but his gaze was more distant.

"So… want to do something? Together, I mean," Chloe changed topics with a smile.

The mime shook his head as if to say he couldn't before leaving quickly.

"What was that?" She wondered, a sad expression on her face.

Confessional:

Chloe: Of course I can't tell Spencer about this! For one, he might think that I'm cheating- I don't think I am, but maybe he does. For another, it's just going to sound crazy! A random person is sending me notes to help me win the game? I wouldn't believe me. And maybe a small part of me worries that there's something more sinister going on, and if that's the case, I don't want to expose Spencer to any of it.

Spencer: (He rummages around in his satchel and pulls out a large foam question mark. He places the question mark in between two sketches- one of himself, one of Chloe)

Nikki was still asleep. She dozed with a carefree smile on her face.

Eventually, the shy girl rolled over, allowing her hand to slowly dip into the water beside her.

She gasped in her sleep, then opened her eyes quickly, jerking her hand back. "Ow! What-"

She stopped quickly and scooted back from the lake, as far away from the water as her small perch would allow her.

The water in the lake, last night calm, was now inexplicably boiling in the daytime.

"I- I don't understand!" Nikki whimpered, clutching her hand, which was already beginning to turn red.

With no explanation readily at hand, she sat, curled in a ball, and stared at the water fearfully.

Cave Confessional:

Nikki: (Her hand is bright red) What have I gotten myself into? I know… I know this water was perfectly fine last night! Is this a mechanical cave? Or… could the ghost have something to do with it? Either way, I'm scared… and in a lot of pain.

Chris relaxed on a lawn chair, sipping out of a soda can and dressed in a bright pink Hawaiian shirt and tan shorts.

"Chris, your next challenge starts soon," Ellen pointed out. "Why don't you, I don't know, do your job?"

"Do your job," Chris said in a mocking voice. "Hey, production, guess what?"

"What," Ellen said flatly, crossing her arms.

"Everyone hates your challenges," Chris said in a singsong voice. "That's right. Your so-called challenges are getting complaints. Good thing it's my turn to pick one, or we might have people quitting out of sheer hatred."

Ellen frowned.

"They want survival, and I'll give it to them," Chris grinned. "Sorry, production, but you're not as perfect as you think you are."

"That reminds me. How's your replacement? Oh, sorry, I mean trainee," Ellen countered.

"Fantastic," Chris tried to keep the same bravado but failed.

"Good. Hopefully he'll be ready once you get your third strike," Ellen smirked. "McLean, I believe you have a challenge to run."

Chris stood up, chucked his empty can on the ground, and stretched. "Ah, yes. Something that you need me for, since you'd just screw it up. Right?"

"One more word to me and it's strike three," Ellen warned. "I'm your superior."

Chris gave her an obnoxious grin and mimed zipping his lips. On cue, Sandeep appeared.

"Are we all ready?" The Sikh said, not noticing the tension. "Let's go!"

Chris allowed himself to follow Sandeep, away from Ellen.

"All right, Chris," Sandeep grinned. "I read the brief about the challenge, and I have to say, it looks inspired!"

"That's what I do best, kid," Chris replied. "And hosting, of course."

"Of course," Sandeep agreed genuinely.

"Part of the stupid contract production made me sign said that I could come up with half of the challenges and the producers would come up with the other half. I did the first one, and then they did the next two, which sucked, so now it's back to me," he explained.

Sandeep nodded. "I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park."

"I always do, kid," Chris said.

"Not to complain, but… I'm not really a kid, you know. I'm twenty-three," Sandeep pointed out.

Chris laughed. "And I'm f… uh… older than that. The beard's not fooling anyone; you're a kid."

Sandeep ran his fingers over his unshaven face. "Hm."

"Here we are," Chris pointed out, the two men coming to a stop. He nodded to the cameras. "Roll it."

After a moment, the teams began to file in. Since there was no elimination, they entered as one group of sixteen.

"This isn't the arena," Jasmin pointed out.

"Give the woman a prize," Chris said flatly. "Don't worry, all will be explained shortly."

As the last few contestants trickled in, the host stood in front of them.

"Welcome, top sixteen, to your next challenge!" Chris said. "As Jasmin so intelligently pointed out, this will not be taking place at the arena. Instead, I'll formally welcome you to… Wallaby Valley!"

They were in a very large green space, surrounded by a wooden fence. Other than the lush grass, there was very little plant life, making it an ideal place for a challenge. On the north and west edges of the valley, there was a dense forest. To the east was a tall rocky hill and to the south was the coast.

"We thought we'd go natural for this challenge, which is as natural as it gets. Today, we're chicken chasing!" Chris declared.

A pause.

"Like, actually?" Mariana said.

"Like actually," Chris said. "Today, you'll be going head-to-head-to-head against a member of each other team in a competition to see who can catch a loose chicken painted in your team's colour. The first person to catch their chicken will get two points for their team, while the second person to finish will get one point. Most points wins the challenge and a reward. Couldn't be simpler!"

"I think it could," Jasmin looked a little green.

"Not if you're a chicken whisperer!" Maddie beamed.

A pause.

"...Any questions?" The host asked.

"What happens if we tie?" Matt said, raising his hand politely.

"Each tied team will pick a member to compete in a sixth round," Chris said. "Now, Killer Wombats, seeing as how you have an extra member, one of you will have to sit out."

"Right here, Chris," Mariana said with a yawn.

"Nope. The same member can't sit out two challenges in a row," Chris said.

"What? I competed yesterday!" Mariana protested.

"And you sat out the day before that," Chris finished for her. "Which was the last challenge where someone from your team had to sit So it has to be someone else."

Mariana glared at him, while the rest of the team looked at each other.

"I'll sit out," Jasmin decided. "This isn't my type of challenge."

"Jasmin's sitting," Chris said. "Everyone else, get in position, and we'll get this underway."

Confessional:

Jasmin: Um, when I was younger, I went to the market and watched a chicken get its head cut off by the butcher. (She looks nauseous) Every time I look at one of those I just… (She gags)

"For this challenge, we ordered players alphabetically by last name," Chris explained. "Naturally, that means up first are Matt Baxter, Diego De La Vega, and Luke Cicero!"

Genevieve gasped. "Wait, did you just say Ci-"

"Don't interrupt," Chris scolded her.

Luke, who had cringed at his last name, joined Matt and Diego by Chris.

The host escorted them over to a smaller space, while the other contestants watched from the other side of the fence. "When I say go, the three chickens will be released. Matt, you're going for green. Diego, you're going for red. Luke, you're going for black. Like I said, the first two to grab a chicken get points. Understood?"

"Understood," Diego saluted.

"Yessiree diddle!" Luke grinned.

"Time to lead by example," Matt said confidently.

"And… go!"

Immediately, the chickens were released. They ran around, squawking loudly.

The three boys all surged forward in different directions, each one immediately running after their painted bird.

"Okay, chicken," Matt was saying to his, which was keeping a steady pace away from him. "We can do this one of two ways. Either you walk over here, or I have to go over there and catch you."

The chicken had evidently decided that the latter option was the one to pursue. It continued to stay several feet in front of Matt, who would not move faster than a brisk walk.

"That's not the way to do it," Diego said to him. "If you want to catch the chicken, you must be the chicken."

"What does that even mean?" Matt asked.

"I shall show you." Diego got low to the ground, and began to crawl towards his bird.

"You must simply get in close…" he approached his chicken. "And strike!"

On the last word, he launched himself forward at his chicken, which sidestepped away with ease.

"It mocks me," Diego murmured.

"Heeeeeere, chicky chicky chicky!" Luke called out to his team's chicken, which uninterestedly picked at the ground. "Ah… I can take you to some attractive lady chickens!"

No response.

"Or fella chickens, if that's what you're into," Luke winked.

His chicken continued to pick at the grass.

"Fine. If I must use force, I must use force," Luke said. He walked up to his bird, which spooked and ran away. "Did I say force? I meant… happiness! Yeah!"

"Why are people such idiots?" Mariana said to no one in particular, watching the boys stumble around.

"I wouldn't say idiots," Chloe replied. "Sheep? Sure. Idiots? No."

"Sheep?" Mariana said.

"Of course. Humanity will believe anything that's convenient. Global powers take advantage of this and make up things that are, well, convenient," Chloe said.

Mariana thought this through. "That makes some sense."

"Really?" Chloe's eyes lit up. "So can I talk to you about some conspiracy theories I've been studying?"

"Ugh, you're the 'Aliens are real, the Earth is flat' kind of girl, aren't you," Mariana was suddenly disinterested. "Never mind."

She walked away, leaving Chloe disappointed. "The Earth isn't flat…" she murmured.

Meanwhile, Matt, Diego, and Luke continued trying to catch their chickens.

Diego was coming close to his chicken, still crawling on the ground. He stalked toward it, and when it was within his reach he grasped for it.

It slipped from his hands, sending the rogue facedown on the grass. The chicken walked on top of him and clucked happily.

"Curse you, foul… fowl!" Diego shook his fist at the animal.

"Look, Chickfred. Can I call you Chickfred?" Luke was saying as his chicken kept eating grass. "Be reasonable here. All I have to do is catch you, and then I'll let you go and you can live your interesting chicken life. Wouldn't it be easier for both of us if you just walked over here?"

Chickfred, shockingly, said nothing.

"Did I mention I'm a vegetarian when it suits me?" Luke tried. He sighed. "You're not helping, Chickfred!"

Matt had made no progress other than to tire himself out. He kept up his fast walking pace, while his chicken deftly avoided him.

"Slow down, damn you!" He cursed.

The chicken sped up, sending a taunting cluck at Matt.

Enraged, he suddenly launched himself forward, landing overtop of his chicken and scooping it up with both arms from above. "I said slow down!"

"Matt wins the first round! He takes two points for his team, the Screaming Dingoes!" Chris said. "You can put your chicken down now."

He did so, and wandered over to the side to watch the other two battle for the last point.

"Good job, man!" Addie called to him, not noticing Connor's glare. Matt gave Addie a nod, with a proud smirk on his face.

"This is still salvageable," Diego said. "Time to switch up my strategy."

Instead of crawling, he went into a flat-out sprint for his chicken, which clucked fearfully and half-ran/half-flew away.

Luke noticed this, and smiled. "As much as I hate copying, you've got the right idea!"

He ran after Chickfred at top speed.

"This will be good," Sandeep elbowed Chris with a grind Chris ignored him, focused on the challenge.

After that, it didn't take much time for one of the boys to scoop up his chicken and hold it up proudly.

Chris announced, "And that's the round! Taking second place and one point for his team… Luke!"

"Take that, Chickfred!" Luke said. "You've been hit by… you've been struck by… a smooth Lukey Boy!"

"Please do us a favour and never say that again," Diego sighed, still chickenless.

"No great artist was respected in their time," Luke shot back.

"All right. Clear out and we'll get our next three in the arena," Chris ordered.

Confessional:

Matt: Mathematically speaking, in this challenge there are fifteen points to be awarded. Therefore, assuming that there won't be a tiebreaker, a team needs over one third of that -six points -to guarantee safety. So… yes, I am happy to be the reason why we have gained the first two. (He grins) I'd say this was a great display of leadership.

Luke: Chickfred and I have this bond now, you know? He may be mischievous, but I'd stop a bullet for that little clucker. Keeping that in mind, I could really go for some chicken tacos right about now. I'm just in a chicken-y mood.

Diego: I… I was outsmarted by a chicken. (He buries his head in his hands) I am lucky that I am not a Samurai, as I feel as though this would be ample reason to commit seppuku. (He looks up) That's a word I learned from Jasmin.

"Moving on," Chris said, "Our next round features Genevieve Duprée, Mariana Espinoza, and Chloe Gray!"

"It's go time, Chloe," Chloe said to herself.

"This is just so amazing," Mariana said sarcastically as she and the other two entered the enclosed space.

"We always seem to end up together, hey?" Genevieve said to her with a smile.

Mariana rolled her eyes.

"Ready… Go!" Chris said, and the three birds ran into the arena. "You might find they're a little more agitated than last round," he chuckled.

"I think running worked best, didn't it?" Chloe said rhetorically as she started to sprint to her chicken, which startled and veered well away from her.

"My short legs," she said with half a smile as she continued to chase her chicken.

Genevieve was taking a gentler approach. She was slowly walking to her chicken with her palms exposed and her eyes locking with its. "Hey. Hey. It's all right…"

The chicken didn't move. She came closer and closer, letting Genevieve move to her until…

...it clucked loudly and pecked her in the face. Genevieve flinched and fell back, saying, "I'm sorry!"

She looked over at Mariana, who was sitting on the ground, unmoving. "What are you doing?"

"Letting it come to me," Mariana said. "I'd rather not make a fool of myself on TV."

"Psh, you've just gotta embrace the fool. Heh," Addie said from the sidelines. "You're going to look dumb at some point, might as well play off that. Right, Con?"

"Right," Connor's voice was strained.

"Hey, you all right, man?" Addie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Connor snapped, and Addie jerked his hand back. He lowered his voice. "I don't suppose you want to explain what's in your bag, do you."

Ilyria wandered over. "What's going on?"

"Addie's a thief," Connor said. "I saw it myself, he has a bunch of our stuff in his bag. Little things- Matt's handkerchief, some jewelry from Nikki, a letter addressed to you," he nodded at Ilyria. "I guess you're just trying to pawn it off later? To make some extra cash to make your time here worthwhile, eh? Well, I won't hear it."

Ilyria blinked. "You… took the letter?"

"Con, you have to keep this under wraps," Addie hissed.

"And why should I?" Connor hissed back.

"This is going to make our team fall apart if it gets out. How do you think Matt will react? Genevieve? Not now, not during a challenge," Addie pleaded. "Come on, Con. We're friends, right?"

"I'm not your friend," Connor said harshly. "But I won't talk… for now."

"All I ask," Addie said. Connor walked away and he turned to Ilyria. "Dodged a bullet there, eh?"

Ilyria glared. "You read my letter. You're not getting any sympathy from me." She walked away.

Addie sighed.

"And Mariana takes first place!" Chris suddenly announced. "Scoring two points for the Wombats!"

Mariana was still sitting on the ground, gently holding her chicken which had, as she predicted, walked right up to her.

"Boom. Take that, suckers," she said to Chloe and Genevieve. She yawned.

Chloe redoubled her efforts in chasing her chicken. "You've got to tire out eventually, right?"

The chicken was not tiring out.

"Hey, let's try this again," Genevieve said quietly to her chicken. When it clucked, she shushed it reassuringly. "This isn't going to hurt, okay? I'm just here to pick you up."

She drew closer. Ten feet… five feet…

Genevieve bent down and picked up the bird with a smile. "Thank you!"

"Genevieve nets one point for the Dingoes!" Chris said. "We're starting to have a competition on our hands."

"Ugh… birds," Chloe shook her head. "At least these ones aren't government drones."

"Every time you talk I can't decide if I want to stab you or myself," Mariana droned to her.

"I'm stealing that and using it on Ellen," Chris grinned. "But right now, let's get our next three out here!"

Confessional:

Mariana: Laziness for the win. (She yawns) I wonder if I can sleep until the challenge is over.

Genevieve: That was exciting! I'm a city girl, so I don't get to interact with a whole lot of animals, but if they're all as sweet as that chicken was, I don't think I'll have any issues. (She smiles)

Chloe: Okay, everyone knows about the 'birds are government drones' theory. I'm not just spitting nonsense here, am I? (Her brow furrows) Am I?

"After the last two rounds, the Screaming Dingoes have taken the lead with three points, the Killer Wombats are in second with two points, and the Crazy Kangaroos trail the pack with a single point," Chris said. "Next round, we have Connor Johnson versus Maddie Heines versus Eloa Ferreira!"

"Prepare to witness the almighty deeds… of the chicken whisperer!" Maddie cackled.

Eloa smiled confidently. "I love animals. This should be no problem!"

Connor just stared at the ground.

"Ready… Go!" Chris said as the chickens were released.

"The chicken whisperer springs into action!" Maddie narrated.

The pyromaniac moved in a weaving path to the chicken, getting lower as she did so but not breaking eye contact. She murmured something that only the bird could hear, and the chicken bobbed its head twice and hopped into her outstretched hands.

"Yay! I win!" She beamed.

Chris gaped. He turned to Sandeep. "Are you seeing this?"

"I can't believe it, but I think I am," Sandeep said back.

"Maddie… wins the round," Chris eventually said. "Two points for the Crazy Kangaroos."

Eloa watched this in shock. Connor was too focused on his own chicken to care.

"Okay," Eloa said to herself. "Animals love you. This shouldn't be hard, right?"

She tried to replicate Maddie's method, but tripped and fell on her face. "Ow!"

Connor was trying to herd his chicken into a corner of the enclosure with an angry intensity.

It tried to go to the left, and Connor sidestepped to block it with his body. He reached down to pick it up, but the chicken managed to get away and run to the other side of the space.

"Argh!" Connor stomped over to try again.

On the sidelines, Luke was watching him. "Ooh, a little angsty. I maintain that with a solid makeover he'd be the most attractive guy on the island."

Genevieve walked up to him. "Um, hi. I'm Genevieve. Sorry, did Chris say your last name was Cicero?"

Luke sighed. "Sorry, Genevieve. I know what you're expecting, and no, I'm not who you think I am. It's just a coincidence."

Genevieve frowned. "Oh, okay. Thanks anyway!" She walked away.

Luke shuddered. "God, I hate my name."

Eloa had walked up to her chicken. "Hey, chicken! If you could just let me pick you up, that would be great."

The chicken walked away.

"Hey, animals love me," Eloa said to her bird. "You're an animal, right? So come here please!"

In direct defiance of this logic, the bird continued to move away from her.

"Fine! I'll get you myself!" Eloa ran after it.

Connor had once again cornered his bird, and was getting closer.

"You're not getting away this time!" Connor said. Then he cringed. "Ah, I can't stand talking! It's making all these stupid colours!"

The chicken tried to duck away as he lost focus, but Connor jumped forward and scooped it up.

"Connor takes second place, gaining another point for the leading Screaming Dingoes!" Chris announced. "...Eloa, the round is over."

Eloa was still chasing her animal with tears in her eyes. "Why don't you want me!"

"Right," Chris said awkwardly. "Next round!"

Confessional:

Maddie: Ever since I was a little girl, I've felt a strange bond with the majestic animals we call chickens. (She cackles) I'm unique! Haha!

Connor: I need to fashion a pair of earplugs. Sounds, and the colours they produce, are just annoying at this point. A reminder of my own stupidity. Ugh.

Eloa: (She is crying) Why do I mess up at everything I do? First Chander, and now this? Animals usually love me! And I just… (She sobs) I'm not smart after all. I'm not strong in challenges. I'm not pretty enough for Ambrose. Why am I here?

"As it stands right now, the Screaming Dingoes are still winning with four points," Chris said. "The Crazy Kangaroos have moved into second with three points, and the Killer Wombats are now in last with only two points. Next up, it's Ilyria Orwell, Ambrose Storm, and Jeremy Stanford!"

"Orwell?" Matt said from the sidelines. "I thought your last name was Song."

Ilyria's eyes widened. "Ah… well… I prefer to use Song. Personal reasons."

Matt shrugged.

Meanwhile, Ambrose and Jeremy exchanged looks as they entered the enclosure.

"We meet again," Ambrose said.

"Funny how it's always in times like these," Jeremy said. "Of course, this time I have not one but two buff people against me."

"You never know what can happen," Ambrose said.

"Ready… Go!" Chris announced as the chickens were released.

"I've watched nine other people do this. How hard can it be?" Ilyria said as she began to chase her bird, which ran away.

"Come on, really?" she muttered as it used its wings to propel itself away quickly.

"So how's the team thing going?" Ambrose called to Jeremy.

"Uh, everyone hates me. You know, the usual." Jeremy called back. "You?"

"I'm being antagonized by a Mexican vigilante," Ambrose replied. "The usual."

"Why is this game so weird?" Jeremy muttered.

"Ambrose knows he's going home if we don't win this challenge, so why does he banter so?" Diego wondered.

"I don't know," Chander said. "Maybe to prepare for the possibility that he stays in the game by branching out to other players to give himself a head start in the merge?"

Diego turned to him.

"Hey, I'm just spitballing here," Chander said.

"I'm just surprised something so profound came out of your mouth," Diego said.

"I can be sensible!" Chander defended himself, before walking away.

"Maybe he's smarter than I give him credit for," Diego wondered aloud, oblivious to the trio of small raccoons which were now tugging at his pant legs.

"I've trained," Ilyria muttered as she continued to pursue her prey, "In three different countries, to apprehend dangerous criminals in the most perilous of circumstances. So why the hell is this so hard?"

She lunged for her chicken, which sent a sarcastic cluck at her and ran away.

"Switching things up," Jeremy decided to himself. He slowed to a walk. "Uh, let's do this gently, okay, chicken?"

The chicken didn't reply, but with Jeremy moving slower it also decided to slow down, staying consistently ahead of him.

"That's it," Jeremy said. "We're making progress, uh, right?"

"That's not going to work," Ambrose said with a taunting smile. "Sometimes, with these things, you've just gotta go for it!"

On the last word he abandoned running and jumped, making a soaring arc in the air and landing right in front of the chicken, which he picked up, satisfied.

"Wow," Chris was impressed. "Ambrose wins the round, netting two points for the Killer Wombats!"

"Psh, I could do that," Diego said to no one in particular. He looked down and finally noticed Chander's raccoons gnawing on his pants and shoes. "Hey, what the f-"

"Okay, just one point for me then," Ilyria decided. "I will not be bested by a bloody chicken."

The animal continued to evade her.

Ambrose decided to put his chicken down. He walked over to Jeremy. "Hey, Jerry Jones."

"Didn't you win already?" Jeremy asked.

"Yep," Ambrose said. He walked over to the other side of Jeremy's chicken, and the bird, with nowhere to go, allowed itself to be scooped up by Jeremy.

"Thanks," Jeremy smiled as the two fist-bumped.

"And Jeremy takes second place, earning one point for the Crazy Kangaroos!" Chris announced.

"What? That's cheating!" Ilyria protested. "You can't double-team!"

"No rules against it. Get good," Chris grinned. "Final round! Get to your positions."

Confessional:

Ambrose: Like I said before, I'm in a good mood. With this whole rivalry thing going on it's given me something to fight for, and fight I intend to. I'm at my best when I'm in the middle of a competition- my racing times prove that.

Jeremy: Celebrities stick together, I guess. (He grins) I definitely intend to pay Ambrose back for this, believe me. I don't know when, but I owe him one for helping me out.

Ilyria: As soon as I'm done with this competition, I'm going to eat as much fried chicken as I can stomach, just out of spite. (She darkens) That is, if I make it out of this thing alive.

"After last round, we're all tied up!" Chris said. "Every team has four points, which means that this round will make or break it for your team. No presh! Our competitors are Addie Shinskin, Chander Wicker, and Spencer Wills!"

"If there's one thing I do well, it's collect things," Addie said with a wry grin.

"Chicken! You will be mine!" Chander declared.

Spencer said nothing, one hand on his satchel.

"For the last time… release the chickens!" Chris announced. "Go!"

The boys scrambled after the chickens.

Chris turned to Sandeep. "Is this a good challenge or is this a good challenge?"

"One of your best," Sandeep said. "I am also glad that this is a relatively humane challenge."

"That's the Ellen effect," Chris grumbled. "I wanted to give each of them a low-caliber pistol."

"What?" Sandeep gasped.

Chris stared at him for another few seconds before cracking up. "Ha! Geez, kid, you're too gullible."

Sandeep began to laugh as well. "Yep, you got me."

Chris turned away and wrote something on a notepad. He muttered as he wrote, "Do… not… mention… guns."

Meanwhile, the competitors continued to chase their chickens.

"Is it just me, or are these things a little faster than before?" Addie said.

"They've probably adapted to their circumstances and are now more prone to running away from humans than they were before the challenge started," Matt supplied from the sidelines.

"In English?" Chander said.

"Chicken see man, chicken go zoom," Mariana called to him with an eye roll.

"Thanks!" Chander said genuinely.

"I appreciated that," Addie agreed.

"Boys," Mariana grumbled.

Spencer was rooting around in his satchel, ignoring his chicken entirely.

"I don't want to backseat chicken chase, but maybe you should chase your chicken!" Luke said helpfully.

Spencer held up his index finger to him in a shushing gesture, and continued to pull items out of his bag, including a slide whistle, a basketball jersey, and an entire easel.

"I hope he knows what he's going," Jeremy said to Ambrose.

"I find him kind of creepy, I won't lie," Ambrose said. "Like, what's the tape on his face there for? It feels horror movie-y."

"He's a nice guy," Jeremy sighed. "Or, he was nice to me. I'm thinking he's probably mad at me like everyone else right now."

"Man, what did you do?" Ambrose asked.

"Too many alliances," Jeremy said.

"Ah. I tried to avoid them all together," Ambrose said.

"Tried?"

"Circumstances change." Ambrose stretched his arms out. "Things didn't go how I wanted them to."

"In that case, want to form an alliance? For when we merge," Jeremy said.

"Hell yeah," Ambrose agreed. They shook hands.

As they did this, the three competitors continued to pursue their chickens.

"Should've saved my raccoons for this!" Chander cursed himself.

"A raccoon saved is a raccoon earned. Heh," Addie quipped.

"Don't you spin Ben Franklin on me!" Chander said. He doubled down on his chicken. "Imma getcha, or my name isn't Chander Wick!"

Addie frowned. "Didn't Chris say it was Wicker?"

"Eh, same diff," Chander said. Their chickens veered off in different directions and they separated.

"Let's go, Spencer!" Chloe called to him encouragingly.

Spencer turned away from her and she frowned. Then he pulled out what he had been looking for from his satchel: birdseed.

He located his chicken and slowly poured some of the birdseed on the ground.

Suddenly…

…

…

…

…

…

...all three chickens made a beeline to the pile of seed. Spencer winked at the camera and picked up his.

"Spencer wins the challenge for the Crazy Kangaroos!" Chris said. "We're playing for second now."

Addie and Chander exchanged looks, before both running to the pile of birdseed, fifty feet away.

Addie shoved his opponent to the side, but Chander managed to stay with him, and tried to pull Addie back by his collar.

"Mine!" Chander declared.

"In your dreams, Neo!" Addie stepped on the back of Chander's shoe and the prankster went down, allowing him to reach his chicken first.

"And Addie gives second place to the Screaming Dingoes!" Chris said.

"That wasn't fun," Chander groaned, facedown in the dirt.

"Sorry, man," Addie helped him up. "I had to do what I had to do, you see."

"Yeah, we're good," Chander sighed.

Confessional:

Spencer: (He is struggling to fit all the items, including the birdseed container, slide whistle, basketball jersey and easel, back into his bag)

Addie: I'm glad I avoided another elimination. With this whole thief thing surfacing… let's just say I need to do some damage control before the next challenge.

Chander: (His face is covered in dirt and grass) I hate chickens.

Chris and Sandeep stood in front of the top sixteen. "Great challenge, today, eh?"

"Better to watch than participate in," Addie said.

"Ditto," Chloe agreed.

"I'll take it," Chris decided. "Now, to the victors go the spoils! Crazy Kangaroos, in addition to immunity, you've won… the three chickens! Additionally, we'll give you two hens for eggs."

Interns handed every member of the Kangaroos a bird.

"Chickfred! Reunited at last!" Luke said, holding Chickfred like a baby.

Chris turned to the Screaming Dingoes. "Dingoes, I've got nothing for you, but you're safe for another day."

"Good enough for us!" Genevieve smiled. The rest of her team was somewhat more downtrodden as they left.

"And Killer Wombats. It appears your winning streak is over. I'll see you at elimination tonight," Chris said. "Chill st camp until then."

"I know I cannot wait for elimination," Diego said.

"Me too," Ambrose grinned.

Confessional:

Maddie: Of course the team with the chicken whisperer on it won! Was there ever any doubt? Trick question: noooooooope! I have a wide variety of skills, you know. That's what makes me so valullible! (She eats a bite of chocolate)

Connor: This gave me… no satisfaction. Gah, every time I talk it's just worse and worse! There's gotta be something I can do about this... disorder I have. And on top of that, I need to figure out what to do with Addie.

Eloa: Oh, look, the team I'm on lost. I'm barely even surprised! Is there anything I can do right at this point? Is there anyone left to disappoint? (She frowns, and then gasps) Wait… anyone left… I just had an idea!

The Killer Wombats returned to camp.

"So, are we going to talk about the elephant in the room or not?" Jasmin looked at Ambrose, then Diego.

A pause.

"I guess not," Jasmin muttered.

"Actually, Jasmin, can we talk?" Mariana asked her.

The two girls walked away from everyone else.

"Vote for Chander with me," Mariana said. Before Jasmin could say anything, she added, "Come on! You saw him in the challenge- he's a wreck!"

"Mariana, no. I'm not betraying my ally, and that's final," Jasmin said. "He may be a wreck, but he's a wreck that I trust."

"Fine," Mariana whined.

"Mariana. Nobody is voting for Chander! You can't just ignore the huge rivalry that's going on right now. You have to pick a side, or no one will take you seriously," Jasmin decided.

Mariana paused.

"Mariana?" Jasmin said, somewhat timid.

"Ugh. I'll choose a side on this damn rivalry," Mariana said. "But it might not be the side you want, and you'll have to live with that."

"I have faith in you," Jasmin said.

Confessional:

Jasmin: Did I just… chew someone out? I think I just chewed someone out! Um, wow. I don't think I've ever done that before. I feel… powerful, maybe? No, that's not the right word… well, we'll see if that's enough to send Ambrose home.

Mariana: Fine, fine, fine. If nobody is voting for Chander, I'm not going to be the idiot who does. So now, I've got a choice to make. I've got an alliance with Diego and one with Eloa. Either way, my vote could determine the result of their rivalry. (She yawns) I need a nap.

"Chander!" Eloa walked up to him. He was sitting on a stump.

"Here to fail again?" Chander laughed.

"You smushed a pie in my face," Eloa stated.

"Yep, during the dodgeball challenge. Good times," he sighed.

"And a pie in Jasmin's," Eloa continued.

Chander nodded. "Yep. What's your point?"

"You dumped itching powder on Mariana and glued a clown wig to her," Eloa said, "And today you set raccoons on Diego."

"What's your point," Chander said hardly.

Eloa smiled. "My point? You've pranked Every member of this team," She paused. "Except Ambrose. And if you let Ambrose go home tonight, you'll never get the opportunity to prank him."

Chander hesitated. "What makes you think I care so much about pranking each individual person?"

"Why haven't you gotten any of us more than once?" Eloa crossed her arms smugly.

Chander frowned. "Hm. Okay, you raise a fair point. I'll mull it over."

"That's all I ask," Eloa smiled at him, then left.

Confessional:

Eloa: Yes! Yes! Finally, I did something right! It took a bit of thinking to realize what he was doing, but I've done it, and now it's up to Chander to make his decision. I can only hope it's the right one. But even if it isn't, I can confidently say I tried!

Chander: Hm… Eloa raises an interesting point. Pranking everyone was low-key my goal of this game, but am I really going to risk betraying an alliance- an alliance I made- to do it? It's one priority over another…

Ambrose and Diego were gathered at their camp. They exchanged a brief glance, before turning away.

Confessional:

Ambrose: So this is it, eh? The events of the past four days have all culminated into this. It's time to prove, once and for all, who is superior. And I'm feeling awfully good about my chances. Game on, Diego.

Diego: I'm nervous- who wouldn't be? But El Zorro will not give up until the last vote has been cast. There's no point wondering whether I've done enough. All I know is that this may be my biggest trial of the game- and if I survive this, I can survive anything.

The six-members of the Killer Wombats approached the Isle of Failure via an intern-driven motorboat. Eventually the boat stopped and they all hopped on the island.

"Wombats, this is the Isle of Failure," Chris said. "Here, one of your times on the island will be cut short."

"I'm also here!" Sandeep waved.

"Yes, Sandeep is here, taking the role of silent watcher," Chris reminded him. "But enough of that. You've all cast your votes, so

it's time to read them. With no votes against, receiving a marshmallow…"

…

…

…

"Mariana."

"Jasmin."

"Eloa."

"Chander."

Chander grinned as he took and ate his marshmallow. "Yum!"

Diego and Ambrose both wore twin masks of determination, looking at the final marshmallow in Chris' hand.

"The final marshmallow goes to…"

…

…

…

…

…

"...Neither of you! It's a tie." Chris said.

"Ah," Diego nodded with a smile.

"I see," Ambrose said.

"Here's the rub. Since both of you received three votes, we're going to hold a re-vote,"

Chris stepped away from the podium. "Everyone other than Ambrose and Diego will vote for only Ambrose and Diego. If it's still a tie after that, we'll go to a tiebreaker. We won't waste time- Chander, you're up first."

Chander walked up to the podium, hesitated, wrote down a name on his paper, and sat back down.

Once all four eligible people voted, Chris wasted no time in rereading the votes.

"All right. Receiving a marshmallow…"

…

…

…

…

…

"...is the winner of our tiebreaker!" Chris declared. "Once again, both boys got an equal number of votes."

"Really, eh?" Mariana said wryly.

"Really," Chris confirmed. "Could Ambrose and Diego both step up to the podium, please?"

They did so.

"You got this, Ambrose!" Eloa cheered.

"Don't listen to her, Diego!" Jasmin said. "You can do it!"

"Ambrose. Diego," Chris said to the two of them.

"Hey," Ambrose smirked at the host.

"Hello," Diego said to Chris.

"We've had a variety of tiebreakers prepared," Chris continued. "But, after seeing you two interact thus far, we figured that the best way to settle your rivalry was… a good ol' fashioned arm wrestle."

He placed an apparatus on the podium, which had a red X on either side.

"Here's the deal. You'll be using your right hand for this, and your elbow cannot leave the X. This is a completely flat surface- we checked- so the first competitor to have his hand touch down on the podium will lose this tiebreaker and leave the competition," Chris said. "Okay?"

"Understood," Ambrose put his arm down.

"Okay," Diego also put his arm down.

The two boys clasped each others' hand and waited for Chris' signal.

"For a spot in the top fifteen…" Chris inhaled. "Go!"

Both boys pushed against each others' hands immediately.

"Hrngh…" Ambrose grunted. "This must be… weird... what with both... of us being lefties."

"How'd…" Diego panted. "How'd you… guess that?"

"Your sheath… it's on your right hip," Ambrose continued to push. "But… we're even… since we're both... using the wrong hand."

"Ah... very observant," Diego smiled.

"These two are neck and neck," Chris narrated. "No one's giving up any ground, even though they're both using their non-dominant hands."

"Go Ambrose!" Eloa cheered.

"Go Diego!" Jasmin cheered.

"Go whoever," Mariana said. "I want to sleep."

Chander, who has stayed silent throughout the ordeal, was staring at the ground.

"Isn't it…" Ambrose gasped, sweat on his forehead. "Isn't it funny?... How we had to do this… To find out who's truly… stronger."

"It could have been… avoided…" Diego took off his hat with his other hand and tossed it to the ground. "Actually… no. I don't… think it could have…"

"Ambrose is starting to gain," Chris said.

Ambrose looked surprised, but looked up at Diego.. "Hey… don't feel bad… silver is a great medal too…"

"Ambrose is gaining more!" Chris called.

"You're doing it!" Eloa said excitedly.

"No…" Jasmin whispered.

Diego didn't look surprised. "Ah… you've got me… it looks like…"

"Ambrose is inches away!" Chris was looking at the space between their hands and the podium.

"But you've forgotten about one thing," Diego said. He wasn't straining any more.

Ambrose frowned, his hand no longer moving. "And what's that?"

"That…" Diego pushed as hard as he could. "I..." Ambrose began to shake. "Am..." Ambrose started to lose some ground.

"Not left handed."

The Olympian could only watch his hand get flipped all the way over and get smashed against the podium.

"Diego wins!" Chris declared. "He keeps his spot in the game!"

"You did it!" Jasmin walked over to him.

Diego, panting, extended his right hand to Ambrose, and he shook it.

"You're one hell of a competitor," Diego said.

"Likewise," Ambrose agreed.

"Ambrose!" Eloa ran up to him. "Oh, no. I wasn't-"

"You did amazing," Ambrose said, and Eloa went red. "In the end, I wasn't strong enough. You did all you could, like you said."

Eloa smiled at him.

"Look. I'm still, ah, not over my last relationship," Ambrose said awkwardly. "But give me some time. I'll get there, and if you wait for me, we can give it a try."

She gasped. "I… Okay! Sure!"

He patted her on the shoulder, before turning to Chris. "All right. I'm ready. What's next?"

"Ambrose, you've finished the game in sixteenth place," Chris said gravely.

"Not a podium finish. Not even close," Ambrose chuckled. "And yet… I'm content."

"And wet," Chris agreed. Then he pushed Ambrose into the lake, tossing two water wings after him. "Enjoy the Swim of Losers! Go to the light!"

The host looked at the other five. "Congrats. You've made it to the top fifteen. Will you still have enough strength to do well? We'll see. Get some rest, you've earned it. Toodles."

The five remaining Killer Wombats boarded their boat, which drove them away.

Confessional:

Mariana: Hm… very interesting. You see, I voted for Diego initially- but I changed it to Ambrose on the re-vote. That can only mean that someone changed their vote to Diego, and since Jasmin's his BFF… (She smirks) Chander, Chander, Chander. What are we going to do with you?

Eloa: I may have lost the battle… but this girl's still got a lot of fight left in her, and I'll do whatever it takes to survive in this competition! Eloa's not done just yet! Just wait and see!

Chris now faced the camera, with Sandeep by his side.

"Looks like the future Olympic athlete just… ran out of luck," Chris joked.

Sandeep laughed. "Will Eloa find a way to stay safe now that Ambrose is gone?"

"Will Connor expose Addie as a thief?" Chris asked.

"And will Jeremy manage to get back in his team's good graces?" Sandeep wondered.

"All this, and more on…"

"Total!" Chris shouted.

"Drama!" Sandeep shouted.

"The Curse of The K'wala Islands!" They shouted together.

Just then, Ellen strode on-screen. "McLean."

"I noticed you waited until after the outtro. Smart," Chris laughed. "Hey, did you know that everyone loved my challenge?"

"Hm," Ellen said uninterestedly.

"What's it like, not having any creative talent whatsoever?" Chris taunted.

"I still run this show," Ellen pointed out. "You're just an employee."

"Psh, we all know who's really calling the shots," Chris laughed as the screen went dark.

The Votes:

Ambrose: I don't think I need to explain this vote. Diego, you've been a worthy rival, but it's time for you to leave.

Chander: Uh… I'm conflicted! Just give me a little more time, okay! (He shakes his head) I'll… flip a coin! Yep, I'll flip a coin and whoever it lands on, I'll vote for. (He takes out a coin and flips it) Wait. Should've assigned a person to each side. Okay, heads for Diego, tails for Ambrose. (He flips it again) Tails. I pick Ambrose.

Diego: Ambrose, I may not have been the nicest to you, but I genuinely wish you the best from wherever you are watching this. I also can't wait for you to watch me win the million after you go home.

Eloa: The funny thing is, I don't even dislike Diego. It's just random chance that we're on opposite sides of an alliance war. But yeah, I'm voting for Diego! And I'm confident this will work.

Jasmin: I don't know how this is going to turn out. Shikashi, dare ni tōhyō suru ka wa shitte imasu. Sore wa Ambrose. I vote Ambrose.

Mariana: Ugh. This whole process takes way too long. Can I just sleep? Whatever. All right, I'm voting for Diego. My reasons? I'm annoyed at Jasmin and I'm petty as f*ck.

The Revote:

Chander: Diego

Eloa: Diego

Jasmin: Ambrose

Mariana: Ambrose

Harvey dragged Ambrose, unconscious, into the cave, dumping him unceremoniously beside Aria.

The ghost looked at the club in his hand. "So… much… pain…"

He sighed a rattled sigh and drifted away. Some time passed.

Eventually, Ambrose and Aria both began to awaken. Ambrose opened his eyes, looked at Aria, and shouted.

Aria opened her eyes and shouted as well. "Dude! What-" She remembered her act. "Oh, hello! Were you eliminated?"

"Yep." Ambrose looked around. "Is this like a maze? First one to find the key item gets back in the game?"

Aria blinked. "...Yes. You... guessed it. That's exactly what this is."

"Then I have to get a move on," Ambrose decided. He stood up and plunged down one of the cave branches, the darkness swallowing him.

Cave Confessional:

Ambrose: Yes! There's another competition! This is exactly what I needed. Not only can I work to forget my ex, I can use this opportunity to get back in the game, too. Maybe getting eliminated was the best thing that could've happened to me.

Aria: (She sighs) This is too easy. (She stands up, grins, and passes out)

Shrike was not dead.

He knew this because if he were dead, it would not hurt this f*cking much.

"They... shot me!" He said indignantly.

Slowly, Shrike opened his eyes. He felt a searing pain in his right shoulder, and, using his HAP-ingrained powers of deduction, decided that that's where the bullet was.

With a Herculean effort he hauled himself to his feet. "Ow! Sh*t sh*t sh*t sh*t sh*t…"

He looked at the HAP controls center, or as he liked to call it, the Nerd Corner.

"I've… I've been shot!" He said intelligently. "Hey, we had a deal!"

He remembered the deal- leak data to Ultio about the Total Drama infiltration mission (Codename: Operation Owen), and get a fat wad of cash in return. It seemed like a good deal, and Shrike could ignore the guilt of selling out his lifelong friend for an early retirement. Besides, everyone knew that this wasn't a dangerous mission- just a routine scouting. Why else would they have sent Songbird? She was the lowest-ranking agent in the HAP.

Although, Shrike thought as he looked around, there wasn't much of a HAP anymore.

That's the part that he didn't understand. The base's location was a total secret. Ultio shouldn't have known how to get in here, and shouldn't have been able to murder every single agent in the building- with one exception.

Holding his shoulder and groaning, Shrike tried to log into the computers. No dice. Obviously Ultio has double-crossed him, and seeing as how he wasn't currently on a beach on the Bahamas, he highly doubted the so-called terrorist planned to reimburse him for the information he let slip.

Shit. Ultio was probably- scratch that, definitely- already at the K'wala Islands. And since Shrike couldn't communicate with Songbird, it looked like he needed to get there himself.

On the plus side, Ultio thought he was dead. This gave him some freedom to make his way to the Islands himself. He would surprise Ultio, kick that backstabber's ass, apologize to Ilyria, and sail off into the sunset like the badass he was.

Shrike whimpered in pain as he walked down the corridors of the HAP's base, taking in the bodies of the friends he had made and people he had barely known. It would drive a normal person insane. To the trained agent, it was a devastating loss, but he had to move on.

The time for mourning was later. The time to save his best friend's life? Well, that was right now.

Honestly? You guys kind of suck.

You see, I was going to have a whole spiel about how people often set up game-long rivalries in the early stages of the game and realistically, both rivals wouldn't last very long. I was going to write about my subversion of common tropes, about how sending Ambrose home may have come as a surprise since he was set up to go far.

But you jerks all guessed he was going home, didn't you? Review after review pours in: 'Oh, it's definitely Ambrose'. Come on guys! Show a little respect for the author! Be less smart than you are!

Ah, obviously I'm joking. But yeah, Ambrose leaves here. He definitely had top five potential, but potential ain't enough in this game. Let me know what you thought of that in the reviews!

Also, how many subplots is this guy going to introduce, amiright?

Thor's Prediction Palooza!

This elimination scores a couple people points! Congrats to JackHammerMan, Space Zodiac, Omakin, and Zevoros for guessing Ambrose's demise.

Do I even need to explain? Pick one person per team who you think will be going home if his or her team loses. Get it right and get a point!

Screaming Dingoes: Addie, Connor, Genevieve, Ilyria, Matt

Killer Wombats: Chander, Diego, Eloa, Jasmin, Mariana

Crazy Kangaroos: Chloe, Jeremy, Luke, Maddie, Spencer

The Standings:

1st- Candela Monsoon: 2 points

1st- Zevoros: 2 points

1st- JackHammerMan: 2 points

1st- Space Zodiac: 2 points

2nd- Omakin: 1 point

Not on the Board Yet (But It's Only Been Three Eliminations So It's Understandable): Annoyingalarmclock, GingerFrancophile, DinoKea, Taylorfang9, Skyn1nja123, GirlPower54, Apenad4LIFE, ninjedi, Aleister Bloodrive VII, CreeperGav

Good night! (Morning, afternoon, evening, etc)

16th: Ambrose Storm, The Broken-Hearted Track Star

17th: Nikki Valentine, The Small Shy Girl

18th: Arianna "Aria" Rodriguez, The Two-Faced Liar