"Welcome back!" Chris welcomed to the camera, "Before the break, the Wild Wolverines took the free time to learn more about each other, while the Merciless Moose took the free time to learn how to eliminate each other. What can I say? Some teams work better than others, and that will be shown very soon. Let's get back to the action."
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Upon the completion of Chris' opening, the camera panned in on the sixteen remaining campers, standing in their respective teams. What they saw in front of them were mats, coloured red and blue respectively, and a large stage, roughly thirty feet in length, twenty feet in width, and fifteen feet in height, with red curtains draped from the above. Irregardless of the setup, they were all eager to begin the next challenge: the Wild Wolverines wanted to begin a winning streak, while the Merciless Moose were in disarray, with no set plan as to what they wanted to accomplish. However, with the plan that Chris had, all of the campers' plans were about to be thrown out the window.
"Good morning campers!" Chris welcomed, presenting innocence in his voice, "Before we begin the challenge, I'd like to ask you something: raise your hand if everyone on your team gets along all peachy-keen."
Unsurprisingly, no one raised their hands. The only one who was tempted to raise their hand was Callie, but balked after seeing no one else raise their hand. While they all knew that perfect cohesion was impossible, no one wanted to admit it out loud until now. This reveal allowed Chris to drop the next twist on the group.
"Well, for those of you who just aren't meshing with your teammates, you're in luck!" Chris announced, "Because right now, it's time for a team swap!"
That statement sent a metaphorical shockwave through the campsite. All of the campers were shocked, given that no official team swap had taken place in a Total Drama season before. The reactions were mixed: people like Zeyad and Rhythm were happy, given that they had no set alliance and were eager to build a new one. Others like Katelyn and Veronica were upset, granted that they were the respective heads of their own alliances and were at risk of being placed into a minority if they were separated from them.
"I'm kinda hoping that I get placed on the same team as Daniel. Since we both had the power to vote someone out, it's probably best to team up with him so we both have someone to trust."- Rhythm
"I have an alliance of four. I'm reasonably confident that my alliance will remain intact. I just hope that I'm not placed on the same team as Rhythm and Zeyad. That's just a death wish."- Laila
*Praying* "God, even though I don't do this much, I am asking for your hand in ensuring that Daniel and I are on the same team."- Amalia
"Now, just like the first time you picked teams, you will each come up and grab an egg to smash on yourself. The colour of paint that the egg contains will determine which team you are a part of." Chris explained as he placed sixteen eggs on the table in front of him and slowly backed away, "And go!"
Contrary to the first time that they picked eggs, no one moved at first, instead electing to see what the others were going to do. After a few seconds, Aaron and Alejandro picked their eggs, wanting to get the trend started. Devin followed suit, picking eggs for him and Katelyn. Zeyad and Rhythm were next, and they picked the two eggs furthest from where Devin got his eggs, wanting to minimize the chances of them being on the same team as Katelyn. Daniel went up next and picked the eggs for him and Amalia, hoping to replicate the same luck as before which put them on the same team. Not wanting to be stuck with little choices, Tory, Alexander, Laila, and Veronica raced to pick their eggs. Matthew then allowed Ellie, Callie, and Kiana to pick their eggs next, leaving himself with the last egg.
Much like before, at Chris' command, everyone smashed their eggs; this time everyone smashed their eggs on themselves. Upon looking at their own paint, they immediately looked around them to see who would be with them on the same team. Some close connections remained intact: Katelyn & Devin were still together, Alejandro and Laila were still together, and Amalia & Daniel were still together. What caught people off guard were the colours of the paint. Blue and red were still present, but there were also people who had eggs with bright green paint, leaving several of them confused.
"Alright, for those with blue paint please stand on the blue mat, and those with red paint please stand on the red mat," Chris ordered, causing ten of the sixteen campers to stand on their respective mats, "If you have green paint, please gather in between the two mats."
"It's been getting pretty difficult to think of new ideas to keep the show 'fresh'. Until an int-I mean, I thought of the idea to have an scheduled team swap, and add a brand new team into the mix! Genius!"- Chris
"On the blue team, still known as the Merciless Moose, are Ellie, Callie, Katelyn, Devin, and Kiana. On the red team, still known as the Wild Wolverines, are Daniel, Laila, Alejandro, Amalia, and Alexander," Chris reported before turning to the team with no mat, "On the new green team, from hereon in known as the Chaotic Cougars, are Veronica, Matthew, Tory, Aaron, Zeyad, and Rhythm. Feel free to talk a bit with your new and old teammates."
With that, everyone began engaging in conversation with their teammates. At this point, everyone reverted back to their day one strategy: putting on a smile and being kind, hoping to make new allies with those who don't know who they are as a game player. This was an opportunity that no one wanted to pass up.
"I'm not upset, considering that I still have two of my alliance members with me, but I lost Amalia, Ellie, and Callie, so I don't really have anyone that I can trust 100%."- Veronica
"I'm feeling good. I have Aaron and Rhythm with me, and I'm sure that I can get Matthew to vote with us; he's the definite physical liability on the team, so he kinda has to vote with us if he wants to stay in the game. Although...it would be a bad idea to underestimate him, so I should try a more positive approach..."- Zeyad
"I'm feeling pretty good about my team. Not just in terms of my alliance, but with our chances of winning challenges. Alexander brings intelligence, Amalia brings confidence, and Alejandro & Laila are pretty athletic. At least, that's from what I've seen."- Daniel
"This is either really good or really bad. I haven't talked to Amalia, Daniel, or Alexander yet, and I haven't talked to Laila in a while, so I don't know if I have any definite allies. I gotta get to talking."- Alejandro
"This is perfect! I'm in the majority with my two most trusted alliance members! Kiana is extremely loyal, and Devin has proven himself to be useful. I'm open to talking to Ellie and Callie, because if this team can get on a winning streak, I might be able to pull them into a merge alliance."- Katelyn
"This isn't good. I'm sort of alone on my team. Yes, I have Ellie, and I do plan to talk to her more, but as far as the original teams go, I'm outnumbered."- Callie
"Alright, now it's time for the challenge!" Chris declared as everyone turned to face him, "While it's not always required, talent does help when you want to be famous. For today, you will show your talents on this stage as part of your challenge!"
This challenge left many of the campers intrigued. Many of them recalled this challenge from the first season of Total Drama, and they began thinking about what they could possibly bring to this challenge. While some were excited, some were concerned, uncertain if they had the talent to win the challenge.
"I've got this in the bag! Back home, I'm an avid piano player; you can't get more technical than that!"- Alexander
"I've been dreading a challenge like this. I'm not much of a 'performer'. I'm more of a watcher or a planner."- Kiana
"Each team must pick three team members to compete. There will be three rounds: each round, a member from each team will perform, and me, Chef, and an intern will score your performance on a scale of zero to ten," Chris explained, "Whoever scores the most amount of points at the end of each round wins the round for their team. At the end of three rounds, the two teams that win the most rounds will get to stay in the mini-mansion, while the last team must vote someone off."
"Um...what if each team wins one round?" Daniel asked.
"Glad you asked. If each team wins a round, there will be one tiebreaker round: each team must pick one person who hasn't performed to perform a talent," Chris noted, "They will be judged, and whoever scores the least amount of points loses the challenge for their team. Understood?"
"Yes," the campers confirmed, responding with a series of nods and assurances.
"You have two hours to prepare," Chris added, "Go!"
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With that, each team raced off to plan and prepare, eager to make a good impression on their new team. To start, the cameras turned their attention to the mess hall, where the Merciless Moose debated on what talents to show and who will compete. It was unsurprising to all with regards to who took the lead.
"Okay, what talents do you guys have?" Katelyn asked.
"I was the leader on my last team, so I see no reason as to why I shouldn't be the leader this time."- Katelyn
"I do stand-up comedy back home," Devin replied, wanting to show his skills.
"Tell us a joke!" Ellie demanded.
"Okay," Devin agreed, standing up, "What did the blanket say when it fell off the bed? Oh sheet!"
"Yeah..." Katelyn muttered after a long period of silence, "Anyone else?"
"I'm pretty flexible," Ellie remarked as she stood up and pulled herself into a needle stretch, "See? Nothing to it."
"What's the most difficult move that you can do?" Kiana asked, curious.
"Probably a front tuck into a split," Ellie answered with confidence.
"I do a lot of athletic activities back home. I do cross-country, gymnastics, basketball, and softball. All of these require me to be pretty limber, so I hope that all of my stretching can help me out here."- Ellie
"What about you two?" Katelyn asked, pointing to Kiana and Callie.
"Um...I can run, write, and state pi to thirty-nine places," Kiana listed, "Not much."
"Oddly enough, spending time alone hasn't given me many talents. I usually spend my free time in my room writing stories and talking with people through Skype."- Kiana
"Sorry but, I don't think Chris would be interested in that," Katelyn admitted as Callie slowly raised her hand, "Callie, if you have something to say, just say it."
"Okay...um...I can sing a little bit," Callie admitted, wanting to contribute.
"Can you give us a sample performance?" Devin asked.
"Um..." Callie muttered, a bit scared.
"I do like to sing, but I've never sang in public before. Darn it, Callie! Why'd you say that you could sing?! Ugh!" *facepalms*- Callie
"Uh..." Callie whispered, trying to stall.
"What about you, Katelyn?" Kiana asked, not wanting to put Callie on the spot.
"Oh, I'm competing for sure," Katelyn assured, "I'm the ace here."
"Back home, I'm the reigning Under-18 Hip Hop Champion Soloist in all of Ottawa. I know that I can score the points for my team; I just want to figure out who will join me."- Katelyn
"So our three will be Katelyn, Devin, and I?" Ellie proposed, seeking validation.
"I was thinking me, Ellie, and Callie," Katelyn remarked, not wanting Devin to compete.
"I may not be excellent at comedy, but at least I make an effort! I've got to get in this challenge!"- Devin
"C'mon! I know that I can make Chris laugh!" Devin insisted, "I'm begging you, please let me perform!"
"I agree," Callie agreed, not wanting to perform, "I have faith in you, Devin."
As much as Katelyn wanted to shut Devin up and tell him that he wasn't going to perform, she also didn't want to come off as totalitarian. She was targeted on her old team due to being loud, and it was her goal this time around to be a more welcoming teammate. With effort, she swallowed her words, and released a nicer statement.
"Alright then, we'll have me, Devin, and Ellie compete, and Callie will be our ringer for the tiebreaker round," Katelyn declared before turning to Callie, "Can you handle that?"
"Sure...yeah, I can do that," Callie agreed halfheartedly.
"No one's really heard my singing voice before, and I really don't want people to boo me off the stage. I've just got to hope that we don't get to do a tiebreaker so I won't have to compete."- Callie
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While the Merciless Moose had a bit of difficulty with the selection of their performers, the Wild Wolverines had a much easier time with their decisions, mainly due to the cohesive nature of its members. It was coincidental that both teams retained the same level of chemistry, despite the different members. Thus, while gathered in the dining room of the mini-mansion, the group quickly agreed on their performers.
"So Alejandro, you're confident that you can impress the judges with your skateboarding skills?" Daniel asked.
"Don't worry about it," Alejandro assured, "I've got this."
"Like a lot of guys my age, I've dabbled a bit in the act of skateboarding. I think that I can make the team proud today."- Alejandro
"And you're confident with your act?" Laila asked to Amalia.
"Oh definitely," Amalia replied with certainty, "It'll be a classic."
"Every musician starts small. For me, I started out at the age of three playing the piano, and picked up singing around the age of five. I know that I can pull off a good performance; I've just got to hope that I will."- Amalia
"Good, that's good," Alejandro commented, "Now, who should be the third one? Alexander or Daniel?"
"I think that you can get us a win," Daniel admitted whilst tapping Alexander on the shoulder, "I think our chances are best with Alexander in our primary three."
"Are you sure?" Alexander asked, a bit unsure, "Don't you think that Chris might get bored with Amalia and I both playing the piano?"
"Chris will be hard to please with any talent," Daniel rationalized, "And besides, piano is a very hard talent to nail. If you both are as good at piano as you say you are, then we should be able to get the necessary points to win two rounds. Not to mention, we do have Alejandro as our secret weapon with skateboarding."
"Alright, if you say so," Alexander agreed with a smile on his face.
*sighs* "He's so dreamy when he leads...he's got such a way with words..."- Amalia
"My goal is to be the fair leader. By building up the team's confidence, it gives us the motivation and willpower to go out and succeed for the good of the team. I'm hoping that this pays off."- Daniel
"And Laila, you're okay with sitting out?" Daniel asked, wanting to ensure that no one felt overlooked.
"Don't worry," Laila assured, "It's fine."
"I've got... several strengths, none of which can exactly be defined as a 'talent', so I think that it's best for me to step back and be the team player here."- Laila
"So to recap: our top three will be Amalia with piano playing and singing, Alexander with piano playing, and Alejandro with skateboarding," Daniel repeated, "And then I'm the tiebreaker."
"Sounds right," Alejandro agreed, to which Laila, Alexander, and Amalia nodded their heads in agreement.
"Alright, then let's get to practicing," Daniel declared.
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In between these two different teams stood the brand new Chaotic Cougars, who currently situated themselves in the dingy cabin to discuss the challenge. With them having six members to the other teams' five, one could argue that this was an advantage because they had more members to choose from for the challenge. One could also argue that it was a disadvantage considering that there were more personalities to clash with. In this case, no conflict appeared to come up, at least not yet.
"Alright, Tory is definitely our biggest asset for this one," Veronica declared as she turned to face him, "You're in a band, right?"
"That's right," Tory confirmed.
"I'm the lead vocalist and electric guitarist of the punk rock band English Breakfast. We planned to release our EP sometime during this summer, so sadly, I'll be absent for the release, but my group supports my choice to be here. If I win, I'll use some of the money to fund my band's journey to stardom!"- Tory
"And Rhythm, you say that you can beatbox, right?" Veronica asked.
"Yep," Rhythm confirmed, "It's kinda original, so I think that it'll score well.
"Aaron...what did you say your talent was?" Veronica asked, unsure of what Aaron had said earlier.
"Puck juggling with a hockey stick," Aaron answered, proud of his talent.
"Back home, I was the captain of my school's ice hockey team: the Alexander Mackenzie Mustangs. Being a two-way center, I have to have good hand-eye coordination, which I obtained through puck juggling. It's finally time to put that talent to use."- Aaron
"Alright..." Veronica allowed, "Okay. Now, I'm fine with taking the final spot, but do either of you two want to perform? Matthew? Zeyad?"
"I'm fine. This is all you guys," Matthew assured before turning to Zeyad, "Any thoughts, Zeyad? You haven't said much since we started talking."
"I'll admit, I may have been a little bit...loud when I was on the Merciless Moose. This time around, I'm gonna try and be a bit more quiet. The less I say = the lesser amount of reasons for them to vote me out."- Zeyad
"This sounds like a good gameplan," Zeyad agreed with enthusiasm, "I think that we can win with this plan."
"So, you're fine with not competing today?" Veronica asked.
"Of course!" Zeyad exclaimed quickly, "I know that I can count on you guys to win for us!"
"I have no clue what's up with this guy: he's being creepily happy. We're going to try to win, but if we do lose, I might have to get rid of him. Just too weird."- Veronica
"Alright, let's get to practicing," Veronica declared, allowing everyone to leave the cabin.
"Psst!" Rhythm whispered as she pulled Veronica back into the cabin, "Look, you're definitely the leader of this team, and I want in on the action."
"Now that I'm away from Katelyn, I need to find a new alliance. Veronica is clearly the leader on this team and was probably the leader on her last team as well, so if I can get aligned with her, I should be fine."- Rhythm
"I'm telling you right now, I'm willing to stick by you 'till the merge. And once we get whatever allies you have back with us, we can run the game."
"Hmm..." Veronica muttered, taking time to ponder the proposal.
"Hmm...I guess I could use another ally. To be honest, if history repeats, we'll probably merge teams when there's between ten and eight people remaining. If I can find a way to keep Amalia, Ellie, and Callie safe, Rhythm can join us to make a majority. And she could give me some info on the former members of the Merciless Moose."- Veronica
"Alright sure," Veronica agreed as she shook Rhythm's hand, "Good to see you."
"Good to see you too," Rhythm returned with a smile.
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"Looks like some people want to get a head start on their new gameplan," Chris commented as he sat in the surveillance office near the camp, "Will Rhythm find luck on her new team? Which team will come out victorious? And who will be voted out? Come back after the break to find out more on Total...Drama...Island:...Return to Wawanakwa!"