Chapter Text
"Last time on TDI3, our first challenge began, to some….rather mixed results. Everyone was stripped of their powers and weapons, and forced to traverse the newly renovated prison maze from two seasons ago. All of that culminated when this crazy scientist and his friend, whose names I've already forgotten, tried to play God and attempted to steal the DNA from this guy named Yastor, who was found frozen underneath the island. With everyone working together, they unintentionally helped free Yastor from his frozen sleep, and the hero finished off the crazy scientist. Unfortunately, no winner could be declared, and that Yastor is crashing rent free on my island. Go figure. Today though, we're gonna turn up the heat for these guys. They all may have survived the first challenge, but this time, there will be winners and losers. As for who that'll be, find out on this exciting episode of Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Such a peaceful morning on the island. The dawn began to show, and the wildlife began to rise and shine themselves.
As for our cast of creeps from other worlds, they were still sound asleep. The events of the previous day had really tired them out, so they were all getting plenty of rest. Until it was all interrupted.
We see everyone peacefully sleeping. Those like Katakuri, Chie, and Kronk dreamt of food, Tatsumaki dreamt of fighting monsters, Aqua dreamt of money, Edgeworth dreamed of the Steel Samurai, and Miu….yeah, I'm not going there.
Everything remained quiet…..until the sound of a huge explosion caused the island to shake a bit.
The first explosion may not have done the job, because another explosion could be heard, and shook the cabin in the process, which finally got everyone's attention.
Kaiba bolts awake, hitting his head on Geralt's bunk above him.
"Who in their right mind is making so much noise this early in the morning?!" The billionaire complained as he looked at his watch. "It's only seven in the morning!"
Another explosion caused the room to shake, and now the other guys were waking up as well, with complaints of their own.
"Can't have one normal day around here, can we?" Max complained. "Fucking wonderful."
"Are we under attack or something?" Chuck sleepily mumbled.
"It's probably Chris making all of the noise." Waluigi guessed.
"Doubt it." Edgeworth responds. "If it were him, he'd have made it known by now this was his doing."
We hear another explosion, and the cabin shakes yet again.
"Then will somebody go and figure out what that damned noise is?!" Lobo angrily asked.
"I ain't going out there!" Oscar said. "What if it's someone or something dangerous?! I ain't prepared for that!"
"Then let's settle this like men." Deadpool said as he held out a handful of colorful straws of different sizes. "Whoever draws the shortest straw has to inspect the noise."
They all decided to settle it this way, and they each grabbed a straw. As for who the unlucky one was…
"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Mao complained. "How could I have grabbed the shortest one?!"
"That's the rules, kid." Katakuri told him.
"Fine! But if I don't make it back, my comics and video games are still off limits!"
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"And I mean it!" Mao warns. "If someone even so much as touches my SlayStation, there will be hell to pay!"
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Over on the girls' side of the cabin, the ladies were also concerned about the noise.
"Good grief." Tatsumaki groaned. "Just how I wanted to start my day.
"Should somebody go out and investigate?" Mae asked.
"Count me out." Peacock said as she laid in her bed, watching a little portable TV with her cronies. "Got some cartoons to catch up on."
"Yeah, what she said." Spinel said as she joined Peacock.
"I'll go." Cinder sighed. "Only because I know most of you don't have the guts to do it."
"Way to take one for the team. For once." Spinel jokes.
Cinder growls, combusting into flames, much to everyone's shock. And yet, she begrudgingly simmers down leaves to find the source of the noise. Everyone in the room could feel the rage burning off of her.
"Is she always like that?" Luz asked Charlie.
"Trust me, you just saw Cinder at her nicest." The demon tells her.
"Next time she does that, I'm dousing her." Aqua said.
It was then that Wendy realized something. "Wait, I think someone's missing."
"It appears so." Carla tells her. "Entrapta, I think her name is. She probably went to check on the noise before anyone else."
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We now move to the underground lab that our cast encountered in the previous episode. Even after fighting Daedalus, the place was mostly still intact.
We see Entrapta, humming to herself as she typed on the giant mainframe computer in there. Behind her, explosions went off around the cavern.
"JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Entrapta turns around and sees a furious Mao.
"Oh, hello there, Mao."
"Don't you "hello there, Mao" me!" Mao complained. "I'm forced to find the source of the noise, and I find it coming from down here! Speaking of which, what are you doing down here?"
"Oh, well yesterday, I was really fascinated with Daedalus's lab, and I wanted to use it for myself as my personal lab." Entrapta explained. "First things first, I'm trying to disable all of the booby traps, which were mostly just land mines, which I think you guys heard. Sorry about that."
"Yes, but…could you stop?! It woke everyone else up, and I was forced to do something about it."
"I appreciate the input. I'll stop it. Besides, I think that was the last one anyway."
"Then that means I came all the way down here for nothing!" Mao seethed.
"Should've known it'd be one of you two causing all of this trouble." A new voice said.
The two turn to see a rather irritated Cinder.
"You've got it wrong, lady!" Mao said defensively. "Little Miss Twin Tails over here was trying to disable all of the explosive traps down here to use as her own personal pad! The other guys just sent me to inspect the noise!"
"You too, huh?" Cinder sighed with slight disinterest. She looks around the lab, then at her two teammates, and then an idea strikes her. "It's rather isolated down here, isn't it?"
"I'd say so." Entrapta cheerfully answered. "I figured nobody would want anything to do with this place after yesterday. One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's roomy, out of the way so it won't bother the others, and as of two minutes ago, officially quiet and booby trap free."
"I see….." Cinder's mouth curls to a rather sinister smile. "You got your own little home base down here. "
"I saw that!" Mao exclaimed. "A smirk of pure evil! You've caught my interest!"
Bingo! Looks like she found her suckers-er, I mean, allies.
"I'm willing to offer a proposal to the both of you." Cinder tells them. "Are either of you open to an alliance with me?"
"An alliance?" Entrapta was a bit puzzled. "Oh! They do that on these kinds of shows, right? People form their own friend groups and look out for each other and hopefully reach the finale together, am I right?"
Cinder felt a hint of disgust with Entrapta's enthusiasm, but was eager to exploit her naivety.
"Something like that." She answers. "You tend to perform a lot better than just flying solo. Someone of your intelligence would probably be highly coveted for an alliance."
"Oh….well then count me in!"
The maiden was rather pleased. Entrapta seemed rather eager to join. She then turns her attention to Mao.
"What about you, kid? Are you in? I hope you are, because the fact that you even know about this is-"
"So!" Mao interrupts. "You require my demonic services, eh? As long as I can have some of my own fun, I graciously accept your invitation!"
Cinder wasn't sure of what he meant by "his own fun", but at least he was on board.
"Glad we could come to an agreement quickly." Cinder tells them. "But let me go over some rules, and I say you should adhere to them very closely."
"First rule: You have to do whatever I say, whenever I say. I have two seasons of experience, so I know what I'm talking about."
Both Mao and Entrapta nod.
"Second rule: no one is to know about our alliance. Keep a low profile, I cannot stress this enough. As soon as they do, they'll undoubtedly Target us."
She quickly pulls Mao aside, and whispers something to him, with Entrapta a bit confused.
"Between you and me…I'm not the most well liked person here. I've done some things that are rather…questionable."
"Committing acts of evil, I see?" Mao said quietly. "I like it. This show truly is a cesspool of good and evil. It's a research hodgepodge!"
"Precisely. Entrapta doesn't seem to have an evil bone in her body, but she has intelligence that could be useful."
"I'm rather smart myself." Mao brags. "Not in the art of engineering and inventing, but when it comes to observation, research, and experimentation, then I'm your guy."
At the mere mention of experiments, Mao began to breath heavily, his glasses fogging up.
Cinder was slightly weirded out by that, but she had to commend this guy's attitude. He seemed a bit like Coyle, but definitely less deranged or unhinged. The perfect balance.
"Then it's settled." Cinder told them. "We'll silently take the game by storm!"
"If you want to make sure we're not found out or bothered, why don't we just meet up down here?" Entrapta suggests.
"That's exactly what I was hoping we could use this place for…"
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"It's nice when I have loyal allies that will follow my orders." Cinder said proudly. "You hear that, DIO? I can play this game better than you can. I won't make the same mistakes as you. It's almost a shame I'm going to crush those two once everyone who stands in my is gone."
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"A rite of passage for these kinds of shows." Mao said. "I'm rather looking forward to it. As the number one Demon's Honor Student, I must cause as much trouble as possible. For example, I stole somebody's panties earlier. Take a look!"
He pulled out a pair of boxer shorts, but then quickly realized something.
"Wait a minute…..THESE ARE MINE! DAMN IT! IT DOESN'T COUNT IF YOU STEAL FROM YOURSELF! IT'S NOT EVEN STEALING AT THAT POINT!"
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"This is gonna be so excitiiiiiiing!" Entrapta exclaimed. "Let the alliance social experiment commence!"
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After that was all settled, the contestants all shuffled into the dining hall for breakfast. They were all still pretty sour over being woke up from the loud noises, so it didn't help that they had to stomach the disgusting abomination that's known as Chef's food.
"Now I'm only gonna say this once, and one time only!" Chef barks. "And this one especially goes out to you newbies! You will grab a tray, get your food, and SIT DOWN!"
"Somebody must be pissed they didn't get their paycheck on time again." Max quietly jokes, to which Mae snickered.
Unfortunately, Chef could hear that.
"FORM A LINE, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE MAGGOTS! NOW!"
They all rush to form a line in a panic.
"Excuse me," Luz said at the front of the line, "but this food doesn't have any dairy in it, does it? I'm lactose intolerant."
He doles out a scoop of some gray glop onto her plate. Luz looks down at it in disgust at her "breakfast"
"I highly doubt it has any of the major food groups, kid." Tatsumaki huffed as she got her food.
"This is an outrage." Chuck said to Gwen, who rolled her eyes as she couldn't care less. "Where's the sandwiches? I refuse to eat this crud!"
"What did you say, tubby?!" Chef called out, beckoning Chuck forward with a finger. "I couldn't hear you!"
"Uh, it's nothing!" Chuck panicked, taking his food and leaving.
Not too long after, everyone got their food and teams' sat together at respective tables.
"Well, I for one do enjoy this fine man's cooking." Percy says while eating her breakfast without a care in the world. "I must give my compliments to the chef."
Chef nods. "At least police chick shows it some respect."
The last one to sit at the Weirdos' table was Kaiba, and his team gasped at the food he had on his plate. He had an actually decent breakfast, consisting of eggs, toast, orange juice, milk, and bacon.
"Hold the fuck up, rich boy!" Miu exclaimed. "How come you get the good stuff while we're stuck with this shit?!"
"That's not fair!" Chie adds. "My stomach demands meat!"
Kaiba looks over at them and gives an arrogant smirk. "When I applied for this show, I sent in a little 'donation' to ensure I have the proper nutrition, among other things."
"So you basically bribed your way to get special treatment?!" Charlie said in disbelief.
"Call it whatever you want. Just know that I don't plan to use my wealth to give me an unfair advantage in challenges. I can win those with pure skill and talent alone. I do want a challenge, after all."
"Guess it can't be helped." Katakuri sighed. "Hopefully, you're not all talk, and will prove your worth in the next challenge."
"Then let's see you put your money where your mouth is, rich boy." Oscar said sternly.
Kaiba smirks. "At least I wasn't a pansy that fainted yesterday. You're already lagging, Proud."
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"Soon enough, they'll see I'm not all talk." Kaiba bragged. "I got this far in life through my own hard work and talents. At one point, I started at the bottom, but look at me now. A CEO, and one the most renowned duelists and gamers in the world."
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"I wish I could have that much money." Aqua moans. "Terry pretty much manages his winnings, but would it kill him to splurge on me on a regular basis?"
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"Because the walruses are always on the lookout for a tight seal." Miu says, finishing a rather racy joke to lighten the mood. Those who heard it were appalled.
"Do you really think that's appropriate talk while everyone's eating, young lady?!" Oscar exclaimed in utter disgust.
"Pretty sure no one is eating, old man." Max said.
"Do you talk to your parents like that?!"
"They don't care." Max huffed. "Hell, I could probably die, and they wouldn't give a shit. They always want me out of their hair, so I say I'd be doing them a favor."
"What?"
Max quickly realized what he said, and immediately tried to change the subject, while playing it cool. "None of your business."
Over at the Maniacs' table, the team was doing some chatting of their own as they picked at their food.
"So, did you guys ever figure out what was causing all of that noise?" Geralt asked.
"It was just some bears causing a ruckus." Mao lied. "It got physical really fast. One of them was even packing heat."
"Wouldn't be the weirdest thing Waluigi has seen on this show." Waluigi mutters.
"Yeah, doesn't get crazier than an oversized lizard warmonger unleashing the most powerful demon that ever lived." Deadpool adds."
"Ugh, don't remind Waluigi."
"I don't know whose idea it was to give bears firearms, but that's an atrocity that would have no doubt led to anarchy." Percy said with her usual monotone delivery. "I'm glad it was handled with."
Gwen couldn't help but watch these guys talking and being utterly baffled.
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"Guess I really have been away for a while, huh." Gwen said. "I guess I could try and socialize with these guys, but…. where do I even start? All of them are very out there, and that's saying something."
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The goth sees Ryu come over with a cup of tea and puts it down in front of Bernadetta, who sat next to her.
"A cup of tea, for my favorite little cup of tea." He kindly told her. "Enjoy, honey."
Bernadetta couldn't help but smile at him. "Thanks, sweetie. I wish they had cake to go with it."
That would be nice." Ryu looks next to him and talks to Kronk. "The food here is just a joke. I'm sure you could whip up something great. If only Colonel Hardass over there can give you a chance."
Chef responds to Ryu's statement by throwing a meat cleaver at him. He luckily doesn't get hurt, but it slices off a huge chunk of his pompadour.
"YOU GOTTA BE FREAKING KIDDING ME! AGAIN?!"
"I would, but I really don't wanna mess with that guy." Kronk said. "I'm not the best at, uh…confrontation. You know what I mean."
As he said this, Ryu quickly fixed his hair, with it now shaped like a boomerang.
"Uh…are you okay?" Gwen asked, referring to the shaman's hair.
The three of them look at her, and then Bernadetta makes a small noise and covers her face with her tray.
"Eh, I'll live." Ryu answers. "It's not the first time that's happened. Doesn't mean I like it or anything."
"So, you're a veteran player?" Kronk said. "You must be pretty good at this."
"Well, I made it to the finale, my first go around." Gwen said. "But every season after that, things just seemed to suck more. I've…..made quite a few mistakes. Like, a lot."
"Eh, nobody's perfect."
"Maybe, but have you ever stolen someone's boyfriend? Have you ever been awful with communication in your relationships, and acted like you were in the right? No, you haven't."
"I'll do you one even better, miss." Ryu said. "I used to not be such a good person. I used to be part of a wandering gang that beat up anyone in our way. Well, until I met a guy that really changed my life around. And my best friend is a six hundred year old ghost of a bandit who was dead set on revenge."
"WHAT?!"
Gwen sees Tokageroh materialize behind Ryu, and the ghost chuckles and waves to her.
"Yeah, and….. I've done some things I'm not proud of myself." Kronk adds. "I was once a part of a whole plan to…..kill an emperor. Luckily, I never went through with it, and he's still alive and all, but you see what I mean."
"The point is," Ryu reiterates, "you're not the only one that's done some rather terrible things. But being able to admit your faults…nothing more respectable than that. Can't go anywhere but forward, miss."
Gwen kinda had to agree with him. Everyone makes mistakes. And her original reason for deciding to come back was to start on a clean slate.
"You make a good point." Gwen then looks at Bernadetta, who was still covering her face. "What about you? Have you ever done anything that you regret?"
"I've donecmany things these past months that father would never approve of." Bernadetta quickly squeaked out. "I'm frankly grateful that I'm still here."
"What?! What do you see in her?" Gwen whispered to Ryu.
"Trust me, once you get to know her, Bernie's a sweetheart. She's a lot more than what you see."
The chatter in the room fell silent as the door swung open. Everyone looked to see Yastor, who looked like he was still waking up.
He shuffles over to the Weirdos' table, and plops down in the seat next to Charlie.
He looks over at her bowl of gray slop. "You gonna eat that?"
Charlie shakes her head and slides it over to him.
"Much appreciated, miss."
Yastor lifts the food up and pours it into his mouth, practically chugging the gray goop down.
"Ugh! Could you at least use utensils?!" Tatsumaki said in disgust.
Yastor only focused on finishing his meal. Once done, he slams his bowl down and sighs with content.
"Whew! Not as bad as Vape's cooking, but it sure hits the spot!"
"Someone must've been hungry." Rodney said as he slid his food over to Yastor as well. "You want mine as well?"
"Don't mind if I do!"
As Yastor continues to chow down, Chris walks into the dining hall, and quickly takes notice of the recently thawed hero.
"Need I ask what the heck you're doing in here?" Chris asked with a hint of agitation.
Yastor finishes the bowl and gives a loud belch. "Lighten up, pal." He tells him. "I was just having a nice meal. I finished building my shack, which took all night, mind you, and I thought I'd treat myself to a meal after all of that hard work. Who here makes the grub? Another bowl, please!"
"Look, I don't care to let you live on this island." Chris said. "This is my show. And you're gonna show me some respect. I do not care if you're some hero from ages ago. My island, my show, my rules."
"Take a chill pill, pal." Yastor casually tells him. The hero gets up and limbers up with some stretches. "Doesn't mean I can't fraternize with this group of ruffians you got here."
"Ruffians?!" Aqua scoffed. "Does he even know who I am?!"
"The point is, you need to lighten up, bro. Not everything has to be super serious. You definitely give off a very controlling vibe. Am I wrong?"
A few "oohs" could be heard from the contestants. They could tell from the look on his face that Chris was really getting pissed off with Yastor and his devil may care attitude.
"What's wrong?" Yastor asked with genuine curiosity. "Do people in this age not like blunt honesty?"
"GET OUT!" Chris yelled.
"Alright, sheesh." Yastor said. "Sorry for striking a nerve, pal." Before he leaves, Yastor grabs the entire pot of breakfast Chef made from the kitchen. He tells Chef "This is some good grub, pal. I'll have to sample more of your stuff when i get the chance."
With that, the man finally leaves.
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"I already freaking like this guy." Spinel said. "Mostly because he really ticks Chris off."
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A few of them started snickering at Chris's outburst, which he quickly noticed.
"Oh, so you guys find that freeloader funny, do you?!"
"Not gonna sugarcoat this, but yeah." Mae said. "It was pretty hilarious."
"Well, you won't be laughing after today's challenge."
This made some of them nervous.
"Oh, really? You think we're scared?" Katakuri said.
"You better be. A lot of challenges this season will be more deadly, difficult, and gruesome than anything you faced in Infinite 1 or 2. These will make those ones look cute. Trust me, I had to go through soooooooo much paperwork to get these ones approved."
If what he said before didn't make all of them nervous, this just did. They all shuddered at this realization.
"Say sike right now." Zeke said.
"I'll say this instead. You've got one hour until the challenge, and right now, I'm gonna give you guys a little preview of what to expect."
Chris pulls out a remote and presses a button. Nothing happens for a moment, but then the room appears to shake violently. The shaking then affects the whole island.
"What the-?! An earthquake?!"
"I knew those explosions earlier were him!" Max yelled.
Everyone held on for dear life, while Edgeworth and Bernadetta crawled under the tables and curled into a ball. (For different reasons, of course.)
Suddenly, the rumbling stopped. They were all relieved, yet still felt uneasy.
"You alright, Edgy?" Spinel asked Edgeworth, who was starting to regain his calm demeanor.
"I'll live." Edgeworth said weakly. "I take it you remember I don't like earthquakes."
"Oh, right."
"Wait, what the hell just happened?" Charlie asked. "That was it?"
"Heh heh. Look out the window and find out." Chris said.
They all look out the window, and gasp as they see a new structure in the middle of the island. Standing there for all the world to see was a large volcano. And from the sounds of bubbling and small embers gushing out of it, it was still active.
"A VOLCANO?!" Chie exclaimed.
"Yep." Chris answered. "The maze wasn't the only thing that got renovated for this season. The whole island got, in techno terms, an update."
"That's not real lava coming out of there, right?" Deadpool asked. "It's just like Homespun, where it was actually just Jello?"
His question was answered as they saw a bird fly above the volcano. A small molten rock flies out and charred the bird into ashes.
"Whatever you meant by that, I'm gonna take that as a no." Luz said worriedly.
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"Should've known." Geralt sighed. "But I'm not letting this get to me. I'll handle whatever that host throws at me."
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"I really jinxed myself, didn't I?" Ryu says. "Ever since that challenge last season with Bowser..."
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We see Yastor heading back to his dirt shack, which luckily survived the earthquake. His shack was rather small, and looked crap, but it was sturdy.
"Ha! I knew this bad boy could survive a little rumbling!"
He goes to grab some firewood, but his sense of danger suddenly perks up. Quickly, he grabs his axe, and quickly turns around with a swing.
The clash of metal rang through the woods as his weapon collided with a sword.
"Well, now?" Yastor said with curiosity. "What's this?"
The one holding the sword was a mysterious individual. They were clad in blue and black robes, with a white porcelain mask covering their face. The mask was detailed with blue markings, and goat horns.
"Who might you be?"
"The seer of disaster." The masked individual answered. "The calm before the storm. You may call me… the Storm King."
"The Storm King, huh?" Yastor reiterates. "Quite an uninspired name. You're a weird one, though. What business do you have with me?"
The two glared at each other as their weapons still pushed against each other. The Storm King eases up and quickly sheaths his sword.
"I know all about you, Yastor." The Storm King answered. "So much it's scary. I speak to you on behalf of renowned pirate Cecil D. Pugwash."
"Never heard of him."
"That's because you've been out of the loop, being frozen and all. I'm not a member of his crew, but our goals have some alignment. You and the rest of the people on this island are in danger."
Yastor raises an eyebrow. "How so?"
"You'll come face to face with him. Real soon. You all will. He'll be here to take back what's his, and what's more…he's not afraid to kill the innocent."
"Pff, you think I'm scared of your threats?!" Yastor scoffed. "Get lost, punk!"
"I see…" The Storm King sounded a bit disappointed. "Then perhaps I shall take my leave."
They turn to leave, but they have one last thing to say.
"A new era is upon us, pal. And just so you know…. I'm much closer than you think."
The Storm King silently disappears into the woods, leaving Yastor a bit stunned.
"Heh, this is probably one of those kid's pranks, right?"
"...Right?"
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An hour later, all of the contestants were gathered together at the top of the volcano. Only the sound of gurgling lava could be heard. There were two bungee cords, and two baby carriages, each colored. (Green for the Weirdos, and red for the Maniacs.)
"Looking at all of that, I don't like the sound of where this is going." Katakuri said worriedly.
"Is it too late to back out now?!" Bernadetta panicked. "I'm flammable, you know!"
"I don't see what the big deal is here." Lobo said as he tossed a cigar he just finished into the volcano. "It's just lava."
"That's because you and Deadpool are practically unkillable." Waluigi told him. "The rest of us, not so much!"
"You better hope poor Wendy doesn't injure herself from whatever you have planned, Mr. Host!" Carla snapped at Chris.
"Relax, cat." Chris said. "If you all would let me explain, the likelihood of you guys coming out of this unscathed will go up. Not a hundred percent, but much higher. Everyone, look at what's in the crater."
Everyone carefully looks at what was in the crater down below. An array of keys, each of different sizes, shapes, and colors, laid on platforms that floated on top of the lava.
"This challenge will be reminiscent of the first one from All Stars. You guys will bungee jump into the crater, and grab a key." Chris explains. "Once you get one, you'll come back up here, and hop in the baby carriage, and one teammate will be the designated driver. That driver will wheel their ally to the spa hotel and see if the key unlocks it. If not, the driver will return up here and pick up the next guy. First team to unlock the door wins. And unlike yesterday, there will be a losing team sending someone home later.
Many of them still had a bad feeling about this, but Chris tells them one last thing.
"I'll now give you guys a couple minutes to figure out who your driver will be."
The Weirdos all huddle together like a sports team.
"Okay, so who's gonna be driving everyone back and forth?" Chie asked. "We need someone who has the stamina to pull that off."
"I'll do it." Katakuri said.
"Now hold on." Oscar said. "You're one of the strongest guys here. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to be a jumper?"
"Have you seen how big Katakuri is?!" Miu said. "I don't think he'd be able to fit in the carriage."
"And even if I could fit, I figure whoever the driver is would have a hard time moving me to and from." Katakuri adds. "So I drive. Any questions?"
They all shake their heads.
"Good, now let's win this, everyone!"
One by one, they all put their hands in, until Kaiba was left.
"C'mon, man!" Rodney said. "You're part of this team, too."
The duelist gives a defeated sigh. "Fine. But only if we manage to take the win."
"So it's settled, then?" Charlie affirms. "Then let's do this!"
Like the Weirdos, the Maniacs we're all huddled together.
"Waluigi's willing to bite the bullet on this one and drive everyone." Waluigi volunteers.
"Sounds like someone is trying to weasel their way out of jumping." Cinder said.
No!" The cheater said defensively. "Waluigi's just trying to be as helpful as possible!"
"Then you wouldn't mind risking your life by jumping? That'd be useful, too."
"We're not gonna accomplish anything by arguing." Wendy said.
"Wendy's right." Luz said. "We need a driver who's fast, and strong enough to move everyone. Sadly, I don't fit the bill. Curse my weak nerd arms."
"How about him?" Gwen said, gesturing to Kronk. "He's the biggest guy on the team."
"Wait, me?" Kronk asked.
"Well, he surely has the strength department down." Edgeworth points out. "Are you fast?"
"I don't mean to brag, but I used to run track and field." Kronk said humbly.
"Then I think we've come to a logical conclusion. Kronk, you'll be our driver."
"Wait, are we not going to reconsider?!" Waluigi complained. "Waluigi's fast too, you know!"
"It'll be fine, man." Kronk tells him. "Just go out there and do your best."
"If you're so worried, why don't you go first?" Ruby suggested. "You know, get it out of the way."
"Guess you make a fair point, kid." Waluigi said as he pondered the idea. "But Waluigi still doesn't like this."
"You'd better not let us down, oaf!" Mao warns Kronk. "I want to win and rub it in the losers' faces!"
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"Is everyone finally ready?" Chris asked.
Waluigi had the bungee cord on, and was already sweating bullets as he looked at the lava below. Next to him, the Nomad had a cord on, and looked a bit nervous himself.
"On your mark…get set….."
"...GO!"
The two jump into the volcano, and land on some rocks.
"Okay, Waluigi…..just gotta pick a key." Waluigi said to himself.
He looked around the crater, and the nearest key appeared to be about two meters away. He'd have to leap across rocks just to get it.
"Oh, COME ON!"
The Nomad was in a similar predicament, but he had a plan. He looked at the nearest key to him, and clapped his hands. The key sprung to life and leapt into his hands.
"What?!" Waluigi complained as both his legs stood on two different rocks. "Waluigi forgot he could do that!"
The Nomad gives Waluigi a salute and tugged on the cord. Lobo yanked up the rope, until the Nomad was back up top.
"That was fast!" Oscar marveled.
The Nomad quickly hops into the carriage, and Katakuri runs down the volcano, back to the hotel
"C'mon, Katakuri!" Spinel cheered. "Put the hustle in your bustle!"
"Is Waluigi okay?" Ruby asked worriedly. "He hasn't come back up yet."
"Hey, I got one!" His voice could be heard from below. "Pull me out!"
Ryu pulled Waluigi up as quickly as he could.
"Geez, that was awful!" Waluigi gasped. He hops into the basket, and Kronk wheels them off. "It's way harder than it looks!"
"My god." Edgeworth said with concern over Waluigi's warning. "Chris has gone too far this time!"
"I knew it!" Bernadetta cried. "We're all gonna die!"
"Hey, why don't you try and think positively, Bern?" Deadpool said.
After a moment of silence, Bernadetta said "We're all gonna die quickly."
"Doubt it." Percy said. "With that lava, death would be rather slow and painful. Movies and TV really get that part wrong."
"You're not making things any better!" Carla snapped.
"Yes! I feed off this arguing!" Mao exclaimed.
The whole team erupts into a panicked rambling, making it hard to distinguish what's being said.
"Good fucking grief." Geralt groaned at his team's current predicament.
As they waited for Katakuri and the Nomad to return, the Weirdos watched the Maniacs all in a panic.
"Look at them, freaking out like chickens with their heads cut off." Max chuckled. "It's priceless."
"Kinda agree with you." Mae said. "They're making absolute asses out of themselves."
"Don't you feel a little bit bad for them?" Rodney asked Max.
"Who cares?!" Aqua said. "This gives us the advantage. As long as Katakuri hurries back quickly."
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We see Katakuri as the first one to reach the hotel. The Nomad gets out and tries to see if the key will fit. Unfortunately, it didn't.
"Damn it!" Katakuri muttered as the Nomad got back in the carriage. "Well, the odds that the first one would be right were rather slim. Let's hurry back."
As he leaves, Kronk and Waluigi arrive. Much like the duo before them, the key was a dud.
"No luck, huh?" Kronk asked.
"No! And after all the work Waluigi put in to get this!" Waluigi complained.
"Don't sweat it, man. I'll try and pick up the pace. Hopefully we'll catch up."
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Katakuri returns to his team, and Spinel puts the cord around her ankle. Not too long after, Kronk returned, and Deadpool readied himself for a turn.
"You weren't kidding." Waluigi remarked. "You are fast."
"Looks like it's us this time, buddy." Spinel said to Deadpool.
"Yep. Good luck."
The two jump in, and before they attempt to grab a key, the two decide to…catch up.
"So, how's the new guys on your team?" Deadpool asked. "I'm not missing out on anything, am I?"
"They're fun." Spinel said. "Especially Peacock. She's a riot. When this challenge is over, the three of us should totally hang out."
"Ooh, that'd be perfect! We'd be chaos incarnate!"
"What the bloody hell are you two doing down there?!" Zeke asked from above.
"Just chatting." Spinel answered innocently.
"Look, I know you two are close friends, but could you focus on the challenge?!" Wendy asked.
"Alright, alright." Deadpool said as he grabbed the one key that was floating in the magma. (How it didn't melt is beyond me.) "Beam me up, Scotty!"
Spinel grabs a key, and rather than have someone pull her up, she stretches her arm up to the top and pulls herself out.
"You pull a stunt like that again, and we'll vote you off so fast your head will spin!" Kaiba threatens Spinel.
"Take it easy on her, Kaiba." Charlie pleads. "Deadpool is her closest friend."
Spinel hops in the carriage, looking a bit distraught from Kaiba's threat. Before she could say anything,
"Hmph. I'm not here to make friends." Kaiba tells Charlie. "I'm here to win. In a show like this, you have to take priorities into order. Those who are friends or even in a relationship are easy targets."
"That's not true!"
Kaiba smirks. "Oh, really? I heard that last time, you and Katakuri were some of the earliest eliminations. Am I wrong?"
Charlie attempted to say something back, but he was right. He struck a nerve with her. She wasn't too proud of her elimination last season.
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"Look, I get it's a game, but it's also a social game!" Charlie exclaimed. "Playing lone wolf won't get you as far as you think! Some of the things he says makes my blood boil!" Very quickly, she regains her composure.
"But….. I'm willing to give this guy a chance. Everyone deserves a chance."
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"You know what, Kaiba? I'll let you think whatever you want. Who am I to force my opinions on your own?"
"You handled that like a champ." Chie whispered to her. "Most guys who'd talk to me like that, I'd kick or slap them."
"Thanks."
"Another dud." Katakuri said as he returned with Spinel. "Who's next?"
"I'll go." Zeke said. He takes Turters out of his pocket and hands him to Pandoria.
"Hold onto Turters for me, Pandy. Wish me luck."
"Try not to get yourself too hurt, my prince." Pandoria warns him.
"Pff, I'm not scared. This volcano hasn't tangoed with the great Zekenator before."
"JUST GO!" Tatsumaki shouted. It was then that Kronk and Deadpool returned. "Oh look, now lunkhead is back because of your monologuing!"
"Alright, lass. I'm going."
Zeke quickly puts the cord on, but unfortunately for him, the part of the volcano he stood on crumbled, and he fell into it. Because of this, his head lands painfully on a rock. Everyone, including Chris, recoiled in pain.
"You alright there, man?" Gwen asked as she dropped down into the volcano.
"I don't want any more applesauce, mommy." Zeke said, still disoriented.
"Rrrrrright." She said as she grabbed a key and tugged the cord.
"Hey Shellhead, pull your head out of your ass, and grab a goddamn key!" Miu snapped.
This luckily made Zeke come to his senses, and he bolts up quickly.
"Ha! As if a scratch like that will stop m-"
"JUST GRAB A KEY ALREADY!"
Zeke does so, and is swiftly brought back up, and off with Katakuri.
"Man, I hope Zeke will be alright." Rodney said. "That was a rather nasty fall he took."
"Well, he shouldn't have been spending his time yammering on!" Miu said. "He doesn't have the bite to back up his bark. Wouldn't you agree?!"
Rodney began to stammer and fumble his words with Miu.
"I…..he…..as a team….united….you… AGHH, THIS IS AWKWARD! Hold on, this'll be easier if one of us turns around!"
"Oh right, I'm venting with a fucking simp! How about you think with your brain and not with your dick?!"
"Miu, I get you're angry, but could you please not use that language?" Chie asked. "There's people on the other team who probably shouldn't hear that stuff. Particularly those like Wendy and Ruby."
Miu quickly thought it over. "Alright, I'm sorry. Still trying to work on that. It ain't easy, you know."
Chie nods, and looks at Rodney. "Don't let her intimidate you, big guy. You were just concerned about our teammate. If someone gives you problems, you come talk to me, and I'll smack some sense into them."
"I will." Rodney said, feeling better. "Thanks, dude."
"Anytime."
Miu once again was slack jawed as she saw them interact like it's nothing."
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"Damn, there he goes again." Miu said. "Talking to miss tomboy over there as easily as a normal person. This confirms my theory that he thinks Chie is a guy. I wonder how he'll react when he finds out the inevitable truth."
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"I honestly wasn't sure how I'd get along with the people here." Chie explains. "So far, I at least made a friend. I was told having a good social game is just as important as being good in challenges. Rodney is a pretty cool guy. Gotta be a good sign if he's able to talk to me normally."
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"Crap, this one didn't work either." Zeke said. "Back we go!"
As Katakuri wheels him back, Gwen and Kronk arrive.
"Another wrong one, huh?" Kronk asked.
"Yep. Unfortunately." Gwen said as she got back in the basket. "Gotta admit, this was way easier than last time."
Both teams make it back to the summit, and Entrapta and Max go next.
"Well, if this is how I die, then I guess it was a life well lived." Max deadpanned."
"Geronimoooooooooooooooo!" Entrapta yelled as she dropped down.
Max goes in right after her, and comes back up after a couple of minutes, which by that time, Entrapta was already making a beeline for the hotel.
"What took you so long, kid?" Peacock asked.
Max smirks and holds out his hand, which has a handful of keys.
"Hold up!" Ryu objects. "Chris, he grabbed more than one! That shouldn't be allowed!"
"I never said you couldn't grab more than one." Chris explained. "Smart move, Max. I'm surprised nobody else thought of doing that until now."
"You snooze, you lose." Mae said to the Maniacs.
Max and Katakuri head down the mountain, leaving the Maniacs pissed, and feeling stupid for not thinking of doing that sooner.
"As much as I hate it, kid was smart." Ryu said disappointedly. "What a fool I was for not thinking of that idea."
"It's gonna be fine." Bernadetta tells him. "As long as Kronk hurries back, we can grab more. But…..please don't make me go next."
"Then if that's the case, I'll go next." Chuck declared. "It'd be wrong if a supervillain like myself didn't crush the other team's hopes by snagging every key left in this crater
"You sure you're up for this?" Luz asked.
Chuck scoffed. "You dare doubt me? You know how many times my evil plans have succeeded?"
"Let me guess, none?" Cinder mocked.
"Hey, that's only because WordGirl and her hairy sidekick always ruin it for me!" Chuck said defensively. "If not for them, Ibe ruling the world right now."
"That's already a red flag." Gwen said.
"I can commit crime better than you!" Mao said. "Just earlier, I went to the bathroom, and I didn't wash my hands."
A collective "EWWWW!" could be heard from everyone.
"Even I make sure to do that." Chuck mutters.
"Don't you know how important personal hygiene is?" Percy told him. "If you worked in fast food, you would surely be fired for a gross atrocity like that."
"Ugh, you're starting to sound like Beryl." Mao groaned.
"Uh, hello?!" Chuck interrupts. "I'm pretty sure we were talking about me securing victory for us!"
"If you think you can handle it, then by all means." Geralt declared. "A man's only as good as his word."
The Witcher then gets a serious look in his eyes.
"So don't blow it."
Chuck gulped and nodded.
"I hope they get back soon." Ruby said with hope.
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As Kronk is making his way back up, he drops to the ground in pain.
"AHHHHH, IT HURTS!"
"What's wrong?!" Entrapta asked.
"My ankle!" Kronk exclaimed. "I think I sprained it!"
"Should we switch? I could try and wheel you back up."
"No way." Kronk told her. "I was chosen to be the driver, and I won't break that rule."
"But you're obviously hurt. You wouldn't be able to run in your condition. Well, unless you had hair like mine. Then the hair could do the walking for you."
"You just sit tight in there. I'm gonna work through the pain!"
Kronk attempts to get up, but the pained look on his face was very prevalent.
"We could just tell Chris you're hurt." Entrapta suggests I'm sure he'll underst-"
"No!" Kronk tells her. "I can't let my friends down! After the stuff I did last season…..I need to make it up to them!"
After he said this, Max and Katakuri passed them, heading back up the volcano.
"Man, I grabbed like ten of them, and every single one of them was a dud." Max complained.
"They're in the lead." Kronk pants. "I can't let my friends down. Even if they've forgiven me for last season…. I STILL HAVEN'T!"
He remembers those here that he competed alongside in BV. Ryu….. Bernadetta…Percy…. All of them people that he became good friends with. To him, he couldn't afford to lose. He had to try for them.
"Hang onto something, Entrapta!"
"What do you me-WHOA!"
The inventor is caught off guard as Kronk kicks it into high gear, and runs as fast as his legs could. His hurt ankle only hurt the more he ran, but he was determined to play through the pain.
As soon as Katakuri makes it back to him, so does Kronk at the same time.
"Alright, Aqua, looks like it's your turn." Charlie said.
"Try not to fuck it up." Miu warns.
"Please. Have some faith in me." Aqua tells her.
Ryu quickly noticed Kronk's injury. "Bro, are you alright?!" He asked with concern. "Your ankle! It's-"
"It'll be alright." Kronk assures. "Don't worry about me! Worry about the challenge!"
"Looks like you're up, Chucky boy!" Ryu said to the supervillain.
"I got this in the bag." Chuck said confidently as he put the cord on.
Both Aqua and Chuck hop down into the crater at the same time. They look around, but surprisingly have a hard time finding a key.
"C'mon, that can't be all of them, can it?!" Aqua panicked.
"It can't be." Chuck said. "The challenge would've been over already if there's no more."
They keep scouring out the area, until they both find it.
A single key.
The last one, even.
Just laying there, ripe for the taking.
"MINE!"
They both lunge for it, and engage in a fierce battle of tug of war, as the volcanic crater flares with intensity.
Everyone watched with intense hype, cheering their teammate to win the exchange.
"Don't give that punk a chance!" Tatsumaki said.
"C'mon, Chuck, you got this!" Waluigi said. "Your opponent is Aqua!"
"Yet I think the blue girl has the high ground on this one." Peacock cheekily adds.
"Give it up, pal!" Aqua said. "I can't screw this up!
"No way!" Chuck retorts. "This is my moment!"
"I returned this season to prove myself and make a comeback!"
"My mom is watching! I can't lose now!"
"GIVE!"
"IT!"
"TO!"
"ME!
"NOOOOOOOOOW!"
The force of all of their pulling finally gives in. They both fall flat on their backs, the key flying into the air…
…..And falls into Aqua's mouth, which she accidentally swallowed.
"Uh oh."
Everyone who watched was utterly shocked.
"She fuckin' ate it?!" Lobo said in disbelief. The bounty hunter laughs. "Oh god, that's priceless!"
"It can't end like that, can it?!" Rodney worriedly asked.
"Pull her up!" Katakuri ordered. "I have a plan!"
Oscar and Lobo pull Aqua up as quickly as they could manage.
"Get in the carriage!" Katakuri tells her.
"I'm so so so sorry!" Aqua pleads. "That was an accident!"
"Just hop in! I have an idea!"
She complies, and the pirate books it the hell out of there. Their team cheers them on.
Chuck hops in his team's carriage, and issues Kronk orders.
"After them!" Chuck tells him. "They're not ruining my chance of victory!"
Kronk nods, and chases after them.
"Do you think they have this in the bag, Miles?" Wendy asked Edgeworth.
"I'm not entirely sure." Edgeworth sighed. "But…..I would probably not get your hopes up."
"Why's that?"
"Just a hunch."
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"Hey, I see them!" Kronk said.
"Get closer!" Chuck said as he took out his condiment blaster. "We're gonna stop them in their tracks, and make her cough up the key!"
Meanwhile, Katakuri's eyes begin to glow.
"They're close!" He said. "They're gonna attack us!"
"Shouldn't we do something about that?!" Aqua asked.
Still seeing slightly into the future, Katakuri merely smirks. "Heh. I wouldn't be too worried."
"Huh?"
Both duos were side by side, and Chuck had a clear shot at them.
"I wish we could stay and ketchup, but we've got a challenge to win!" He joked.
He pulls the trigger, but nothing happened.
"What the?! Don't tell me it's jammed! Not now!"
He gives it a slap, but the device explodes, leaving him and Kronk entirely covered in ketchup.
"My eyes!" Kronk cried. "I can't see!"
The big guy starts to swerve out of control, until they roll farther to the right. Kronk accidentally ends up in the carriage, and the two keep rolling down the hill, out of sight.
We see Yastor, coming back from the bathroom, and about to take a nap in his shack. That is, until Kronk and Chuck crash into it, and keep rolling on.
"Aw crap." Yastor groaned. "Gonna be pulling another all nighter for sure."
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Katakuri and Aqua finally reach the hotel.
"Okay, whatever your plan is, you better think fast." Aqua said. "There's no telling if or when they'll be back."
Katakuri simply grabs her by the top part of her hair, much to the goddess's pain.
"OW! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! LET ME GO!"
Katakuri raises his fist and punches her hard in the gut. Luckily, he hit her so hard that she coughs up the key. The key itself flies out of her mouth, and into the keyhole.
It fit! Once in there, the key turns, and the door opens.
"Oh." Aqua said. "That's what you meant."
As he puts her down, Chris flies over on his jetpack.
"Congratulations, you two!" Chris tells them. He takes out his megaphone to give the news to everyone else.
"Due to Katakuri's quick thinking, and Chuck's incompetence, the Wayward Weirdos win the challenge!"
The Weirdos cheer in celebration. Zeke and Pandoria hug, Mae and Max fist bump, the Nomad silently applauds, and Peacock fires off a revolver joyously. Kaiba, silently, with his arms crossed, slightly smiles.
As for the Maniacs, they all looked rather disappointed.
"Damn it!" Mao stomped his feet.
"We lost?" Wendy said glumly.
"Afraid so, child." Carla sighed.
"Why am I not surprised?" Cinder adds.
"We'll get them next time." Ryu said, trying to boost morale, even if slightly.
"Maniacs, I'll be seeing all of you tonight!" Chris said. "Happy voting!"
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"I know I shouldn't have a reason to worry, as I didn't do anything to mess up the challenge." Geralt said. "But preparing for an elimination is always so nerve wracking."
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"Am I upset that we lost? Of course." Cinder said. "Am I worried? Not at all. Even though I never had the chance to jump, I've done nothing wrong today. Their lack of taking me seriously will ultimately be their downfall."
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"So, that Katakuri guy is pretty amazing, isn't he?" Luz asked. "He handled that challenge perfectly.
"He really is!" Wendy said. "He's like a brother to me. Two seasons ago, he trained me, believing I had potential to be even stronger. In fact, next chance I get, I'm gonna train with him, just like old times."
"Cool." Luz tells her. "Looks like we're both trained by cool old people."
"I'm planning to resume training with him when I have the time. Feel free to join us next time. Perhaps if you wanted, maybe he'd train you too."
"Luz ponders this idea. "I'll keep it in mind. It's not like I'm in this game extremely powerless. But i suppose it couldn't hurt. Could be fun, even."
"That is, if we survive tonight's elimination."
"Ugh, don't remind me."
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"Ah, thanks so much for helping me fix the hole, you guys." Yastor told Rodney and Kronk.
"Oh, it's no problem." Kronk assures.
"Nothing different than fixing stuff up on the farm." Rodney says.
"What a coincidence." Yastor laughed. "I was raised on a farm myself, once upon a time. This guy came from humble beginnings, believe it or not."
"Oh, really?" Kronk asked. "That's interesting to know. You've gotta tell us more about your past."
"Eh, I'll do it when I'm feeling in the mood. Anyways, how's your ankle? Heard you hurt it."
Kronk looks down at his leg, now wrapped in gauze.
"It'll be fine. Just gotta take it easy the next day or two."
"Aren't you worried about tonight's elimination?" Rodney asked.
"A little. But, no matter what happens, I played a good game. I'm fully prepared to leave with my head held high if that happens."
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The Maniacs, seated on tree stumps, under the cloudy night sky, awaited their fate.
Behind them, a tiered, high walled seating area stood. The Weirdos all sat here as their own peanut gallery.
"Hope you like that we brought this back." Chris says. "Even the winners will get to watch you lose badly! Now that that's out of the way, enjoy the show, Weirdos. Maniacs, welcome to the first elimination of the season. I only hold fifteen marshmallows. You have all voted, and one of you will be leaving the show for good. Well, unless we decide to bring someone back after the merge, but that's unlikely. The following players are safe:"
"Entrapta..."
"Geralt..."
Edgeworth..."
"Bernadetta…"
"Percy…"
"Deadpool…"
"Gwen..."
"Cinder..."
"Wendy…"
"Ruby..."
"Waluigi…"
"Luz…"
"Ryu..."
"And Kronk…"
As Kronk sighed with relief, this left only Chuck and Mao.
"What are the odds? Two of the new blood in the bottom two. Chuck, your actions today cost your team the challenge. Mao, you have quite the….personality. Not to mention you explained to everyone that you didn't wash your hands earlier. That's gross, dude."
"Who voted for me?!" Mao snapped. "I demand an answer!"
"Relax, half pint. You're safe" Chris says as he tossed the demon a marshmallow. "Chuck, it's curtains for you."
"Aw, what?!" Chuck complains. "You're all making a big mistake!"
"Great." Chris says. "Now, I will now introduce you all to this season's means of elimination. Actually, it'll be something different each time."
Chuck is led to the dock. where a submarine designed like a sandwich sat.
"Say hello to another surprise! Every elimination is personalized! Today, we have the Sub Sandwich of Sadness!"
"Is it safe?" Chuck asks nervously.
"Do you forget what show this is? Just quit being a baby and get inside."
"Well…. goodbye, everyone." Chuck said. "Hope we meet again. Who knows, maybe I might get my Crusher and get revenge on you all and this show. Well, unless my chores keep me busy. Take care."
Chuck gets in the sub, and it dives down at an insanely fast speed. The last thing that could be heard was Chuck's panicked scream.
"Don't forget to not write!" Chris says.
"Should we be concerned about that?" Waluigi asked. "Waluigi don't know what a "Crusher" is, but it sounds painful."
"Well, that's that." Chris says to the camera. "One down, and thirty one suckers left. Which of these guys will ultimately fail next? And what fresh hell can I put them through next?"
"HEY! DON'T IGNORE WALUIGI!"
"Find out next time, on Total Drama Infinite 3!"
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Later that evening, we see Chris sat down in a meeting in his office. Across tbe desk from him wa another man. He was an older, spectacled guy with dark gray hair. He wore a tan coat, a red turtleneck with a black belt that slings across his chest, black pants, and large brown boots coated in dirt.
"Glad you finally managed to show up, Dr Pines." Chris said. "Our tech support couldn't have picked a better guy for the job. It says here that you have over thirty years of experience traveling across the universe, as well as encountering and handling extradimensional weirdos and other threats."
"That'd be correct, yes." The man says seriously. "We'd be hear for the entire week if I'd recounted all the things I've experienced in that time. But I must ask...are these really the people who beat Gjira and Chubzworth?"
Chris raises a curious eyebrow. "Oh, so you do know them?"
"Not personally, no. But I've heard their names and exploits all over my travels. I'm frankly relieved to hear they've been dealt with."
"Well, technically speaking, the ones who actually beat them are not here at the moment." Chris explains. "But these guys here all played a big part of that, and are friends with the actual heroes. Heck, feel free to chat with them about it. As long as it doesn't get in the way of the competition."
"And this legendary hero..." The man brings up. "He's actually here? I read about the legends, and-"
Chris's eye visibly twitches. "Yeah, that freeloading hippie is here. And he's a real pain, just a heads up. Just remember that your job is to protect the place and make sure we don't have another Gjira incident. We already had a player die because of him. Other than all that, your free time is yours for whatever you nerdy guys get up to."
The man grins for the first time that night, and the two shake hands. "Then it's a deal. I think this is gonna be the start to a great partnership. I can't wait to meet this cast of yours."
"We'll introduce you during the next challenge. Glad to have you aboard."