The Dancer | TDROTI OC Insert

Episode Three / Part 1

Hello, all!
This was originally going to be a filler chapter where Asia's just bonding with some of the other contestants, but my brain was really adamant on not focusing for that.
So we're moving on! This chapter is pretty short, fyi.

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Morning, on the island. Toxic Rats and Mutant Maggots alike were silently eating breakfast in the mess hall (if you consider cement-flavored gruel to be 'breakfast'). Asia was sitting a space away from Zoey, poking at her food as she reminisced to when she first heard Chris was recruiting members for a new season. Her train of thought was interrupted by Mike speaking to Jo in a nervous tone.

“I, uh, rehearse a lot in front of my mirror. 𝘋𝘢! Ahaha...”

“Are you talking about your olympic routine from the last challenge? That was pretty cool. I didn't think you were the athletic type.”

Mike stuttered as he tried to explain something. The group stared at him, waiting for him to get himself together.

“-er, parents. You know. Always signing you up for extracurricular.”

Everyone related to that, turning around when Cameron drew attention to a mouse with an abnormally large head. Suddenly the mouse's eyes glowed green and it began to levitate. Both teams bolted out of the mess hall, abandoning their bowls and narrowly avoiding a refrigerator that the mouse had telepathically thrown at them.

Asia had stopped to calm herself down when someone crashed into her legs and knocked her over. She deduced that it was Cameron, but before she could get up the intercoms crackled on and Chris's voice echoed across the open space.

“Attention, players! Please head directly to the looming tragedy that is Mount Looming Tragedy! Your race begins... NOW!”

An airhorn sounded off and Asia pushed herself into a kneeling position. She quickly helped Cameron up and then began to run with the rest of the group.

~~~

Half an hour later the contestants made it to the base of the mountain. Asia leaned against someone's arm as she caught her breath.

{CONFESSIONAL START}

“As a dancer, I've been trained to have high endurance and stamina. But running THAT far, mostly uphill? I'm glad I didn't have a full stomach.”

{CONFESSIONAL END}

“Did we win?”

Cameron groaned and walked over to a bush, briefly vomiting into it and then standing on shaky legs. Jo looked at everyone with a distasteful expression.

“If we were hamsters, I would have eaten you by now.”

Asia rolled her eyes and looked down at the freckled arm she was leaning on. She then looked up to see Scott giving her a skeptical gaze. Asia quickly backed away, holding her hands up in a surrendering motion.

“My bad.”

“Okay, mutant food. On with the challenge!”

Everyone focused on Chris as he began to explain the challenge.

“Part one is an uphill battle. You have to climb all the way up to that cliff. First team to reach the top gets an advantage in part two. You can climb with your hands or use whatever you find in the pile. And don't worry- this junkyard doesn't have a dog. It has a giant mutant beetle!”

Asia tensed up as a giant beetle stuck its head out of the pile and hissed at the teams with demonic red eyes. She shuddered, getting veteran-style flashbacks of flying roaches. Chris laughed mischievously.

“The guy's a bit of a hoarder. His pile is full of useful crud and disgusting crud. Feel free to use whatever you want...”

For the second time that day, the contestants got a household appliance thrown at them.

“...if you can get near it.”

Chef (who had somehow reached the top of the cliff in the timespan Chris was talking) blew a bugle, and Chris declared the challenge had begun.