A/N: I wrote this a loooong time ago at about 4:00 AM, when I couldn't sleep after watching the TDRI finale. Yes, what happened to Scott was so horrible that it kept me up at night. I know, I know, I over-react. Also: I live in the US, so this is written with the "Lightning Wins" ending.
Pairing: A little ZoeyxScott and a little bit of ZoeyxMike
WARNING: Some dark themes.
Disclaimer: I don't own Total Drama, or any of the Total Drama: Revenge of the Island characters.
The ending of a Total Drama season is supposed to be a joyful time. All of the ex-campers hang out at Playa Des Losers, eat, drink, and laugh. Everyone is supposed to be calm and happy- just as Cody said at the end of season one, "No more challenges or alliances. We can finally just hang!"
But it's different for the TDRI campers.
Music is playing. Some people are dancing, others are eating or just talking with new friends. Everything seems calm for the moment. Sam is, of course, playing with his handheld video games. He's enjoying himself, mashing buttons and staring into the bright screen...
And Scott moves over to him, in his trauma chair. Right next to him.
Sam doesn't notice at first- he's too stuck in his game. Right when he's about to clear the first part of the level, his character falls into a pit of lava and he loses his last life.
"Ugh!" The gamer exclaims in anger, "Damn it! Why can't I ever pass-"
He looks up and realizes that Scott is there- he freezes. He doesn't even realize that he's staring- practically gawking- at the redhead. But how can't he? Looking at Scott now is... weird. He isn't as intimidating as before.
"How've ya been?" Sam asks, in an attempt to make things less awkward. He's forgotten that Scott is limited to answering only "yes or no" questions now. So, of course, Scott doesn't reply.
"Uh... Why'd you come over here?"
Still no reply. Sam stares at him for awhile longer and says, "No offense, dude, but it's freaky the way you stare at people."
No reply again.
Sam stands up and walks away into the house, hoping that he can disappear into the world of Call of Duty and forget about this awkward occurrence. Nearly that same thing keeps happening, with Scott coming near people and everything turning awkward. And Cameron notices.
"That's so depressing," he says with a sigh.
"What?" asks Mike after taking a gulp of Coke, "That Lightning won?"
"No. I'm proud of myself for making it to the final two, to be honest!" Cameron smiles, but it melts away when he catches sight of this season's biggest villain again. "I meant... well, you know... what happened to Scott."
"Why should that be depressing? He was kind of an ass to everyone..."
"But, Mike, does he really deserve... this?" the shorter boy asks.
"He blackmailed me with my mental disorder!" Mike looks off to where Scott is. He seems so emotionless, almost like he's not even alive. Not even half the man he used to be.
And it actually makes Mike shudder.
"Well... I don't know, he deserved some kind of karma. But..."
Who cares? an arrogant voice in his head, not his, is saying, The guy was annoyin' an' stupid. That's probably Vito.
All teenagers're annoying and stupid! says Chester.
Why're you here? Why don'cha just go take a nap, old man? Vito chuckles haughtily.
Learn to respect your elders, ya hooligan!
Mike sighs, rubbing his head. "I don't wanna talk about this anymore, Cam. I got a headache."
"Vito?" Cameron asks knowingly.
"And Chester," Mike says.
Zoey walks over and sits next to Mike, her eyes wide, the hand that's carrying her drink shaking.
"Zoey, what's wrong?" he asks, concerned.
"Mike... he looks at me. Scott. Every time I'm around him he looks at me."
Mike tries to calm her down. "He's not looking at you."
"Yes he is!"
She has tears in her eyes. Mike sighs, hating to see her like this, especially when he has a headache. "Zo, trust me. Scott's not looking at you."
And she sighs. "Okay. I-if you say so."
She looks up, and she can swear that he's staring at her again. Staring past her eyes, into her soul.
And Zoey actually shudders.
That night, Zoey has a dream.
It starts off as a typical dream, featuring fictional characters she loves, picnics, movies, Mike, and so on. Soon, it twists into a new dream. Scott, no longer in the trauma chair, is standing over her. He's holding her against a wall, his grey-blue eyes wide and pleading. She's unable to break his grasp because she's too weak, unable to speak because her mouth feels too dry.
But her ability to talk doesn't matter- the next words out of Scott's mouth shock her to silence.
"Kill me."
Zoey's jaw drops. Scott's staring at her intensely, a look of pure unhappiness on his face.
"Zoey. Kill me."
"Wh-what?" That's all she can get out.
"Please, Red. I can't... stand it. I can't stand living in that thing! I hate it!"
"The chair?" she asks. "You hate the chair?"
"No, Miss Einstein, I love the chair. It's wonderful to live in hell everyday! You should get mauled by a shark some time, too. It's amazing!"
Zoey groans. "Ugh, I hate sarcasm!"
Scott puts a hand under her chin and lifts it so that they're looking each other in the eye. "Please, Red, have mercy for God's sake! Make it end and kill me."
She just stands there, staring into his eyes, marveling at them. They scream a thousand words that he may never be able to say to her now.
"Are you deaf? Whack me in the head with a baseball bat in my sleep!" he insists, and Zoey wants to vomit at the mental image she's given. The hypnotic gaze is still fixing her in place.
"I can't walk. I can't talk. I can't fucking move my face. Do you have any idea what kind of hell it is to not be able to move your fucking face?"
She's still just staring, surprised beyond belief. Is he really asking her to do this horrible task? Why Zoey of all people?
"There's so much I have to say to everyone... To you, Red. You have no idea what kind of thoughts..." He stops. Her silence is pissing him off so badly, driving him to desperation.
"What do I have to do to make you talk?" he exclaims. They stare at each other for awhile...
"Red, I... I just..." His face contorts in a grimace. He finally mutters a small "fuck it" and leans in closer to her.
"Wh-"
She's cut off by Scott's lips meeting hers.
The shock of it wakes her up. She's in one of the Playa des Losers beds- where everyone is staying for the night. Zoey stands up, deciding to go for a walk, in need of the air.
Of course, on the way out, she passes by Scott's room. The door is left open, and he's still in the chair. Sourly, she thinks, No one cares enough to at least close his damn bedroom door?
She sees him, asleep, his mouth hung oddly ajar. Her hands start to shake, the dream still vivid in her mind. Looking at Scott in that chair, she can hear his voice, almost like he's whispering the words in her ear.
"Are you deaf? Whack me in the head with a baseball bat in my sleep!"
Why is she walking into the room? Why is she staring at him? Oh, God, no. Zoey is not a killer.
But... Commando Zoey is, in a way. Commando Zoey would have killed him already, with just one good hit to the head. She would have believed that the dream was a symbol, a message from Scott...
But what does the real Zoey believe?
Scott. That's all she sees in front of her. Scott, practically dead. A kid with his life cut short.
Do you have any idea what kind of hell it is to not be able to move your fucking face?"
She doesn't know. But she assumes that it's terrible.
The way that Scott was looking at her in her dream is burned into her mind. Why her? Why Zoey? Does he believe that she hates him that much?
Staring at his sleeping figure, she sighs. "I don't..."
"There's so much I have to say to everyone... To you, Red." What kind of things?
Zoey catches sight of a baseball bat- Scott's baseball bat, the one he used to kill kitchen rats back home. Lying right next to him like this entire thing is meant to be. It was just a dream, a more rational part of her says, Nothing but your mind. You're being crazy!
No, the warrior girl in her whispers, it was destiny. She looks at the bat again.
You're being merciful.
Zoey sighs.
As she wraps her hand around the baseball bat, she feels her entire body shudder and... What happens next, you ask?
Who cares? It's just Scott.
The last line is a stab at what Chris said about Scott's fate at the end of TDRI. You know, right before everybody starts laughing? Because the entire issue is "omg so funny :D"! I still hate that ending. Anyway, please leave a review.