themiimagebehindfire

[themiimagebehindfire]

Theory Time:

So I've been thinking about this dream and what it means.

(Can't wait for this to get shot down in Episode 3, but whatever)

Why is Tom dreaming about the Cyan Team when All Stars didn't happen yet in the timeline? Is he just psychic?

NO.

I said dreams were often Ludacris, and I stand by that, but there's still a ROOT to the cause of the dream.

In this case, it's Tom's memory of the day he got tortured.

Which ALSO roots to Tom's fear and paranoia of getting hurt with Jake.

PTSD is a bitch.

Anyway, here's my theory:

This is a Ludacris retelling of his memory with Disventure Camp contestants reanacting certain roles BECAUSE of the trauma root being Disventure Camp deep down.

After all, Tom brings it all up again later in the episode:

"When I was a spy, I would get cut, maimed, bruised, you name it. All of that wouldn't compare to the hurt I'd go through if Jake and I failed again."

So my claim isn't too far out there I feel.

So what do I think happened?

1: Tom was NOT doing that mission alone.

He was with a team assigned to him. They were doing this mission together.

2: One of the spies he was working with on that mission was ALSO NAMED Aiden

Why would he dream of Aiden from Disventure Camp if they hadn't met yet?

Well here's my belief:

Yes, Tom did not meet Aiden till All Stars. BUT he knew Aiden existed because of Season 2.

"But doesn't Eagle Eye start directly after Season 1?"

No, actually. They never said that.

What they DID say was that Tom went through "Police Academy Training" for the job. So, like... what if Eagle Eye starts a month or two before Tom got the All Stars call?

So, yeah, Season 2 would've been aired if that's the case, and if Tom saw it, he would know there was a contestant named Aiden.

And the reason he dreams of Aiden is because he had a spy co-worker that went on that mission with him, and he was ALSO named Aiden.

Were they just co-workers? Acquaintances? Friends? Crushes? Idk. Point is they knew each other.

The dream also shows Aiden getting kidnapped by Jensen.

Those are 110% Jensen's arms that grab him here.

So, at some point in the mission, Spy Aiden got caught by the culprits they were after and was kidnapped. And Tom witnessed it happen.

3: Tom's Spy Code Name Was 'Eagle Eye'

I don't think I need to explain this one. It's the name of the episode. Gabby and Ellie, impersonating Tom's co-spies here, call him 'Eagle Eye'.

4: The reason Tom failed his mission and got caught by the culprits

In the dream, Tom tries to fight off the protests to "Go save Aiden"

Transition later, and he's tied up.

So:

Tom was on a mission with a team, and in the process of that mission, a co-spy named Aiden got caught and kidnapped.

Tom tried to go save Spy Aiden, but the others warned him not to because it was very obviously bait the culprits were using to lure them in a trap.

But Tom did not listen to reason. He went to save him anyway. He COULDN'T leave his co-worker for dead.

And... the others were right to warn him. Tom got captured as well.

Then you have the culprits, played by Jensen in the dream, who proceeded to torture the now kidnapped Tom for information.

Based on HOW MANY scars Tom got from that experience, there are two possibilities:

Either: He gave in and spilled at the very first threat of a blade to his face, but they sliced him up to permanent scars anyway (because BAD PEOPLE).

Or: He resisted and refused to talk, and allowed himself to be tortured by SEVERAL measures, but ended up giving the info they wanted when his body couldn't take it anymore.

EITHER ONE WOULD WORK.

In my opinion, I think the latter makes more sense.

He mentioned he got interrogated by mob bosses and waterboarded in All Stars.

But... he only went on two missions. The Disventure Camp mission, and the one he got his scars from.

So if it WASN'T Disventure Camp where this happened, it was DEFINATELY the other mission.

"But why would he immediately say he'd talk in the dream?"

If this IS reenacting the memory of his torture in his head, then this could be him wishing he HAD just given up and talked at the first threat of being harmed. Maybe then he wouldn't have gotten his scars...

It would have probably made no difference and hey probably would've cut him up anyway. BECAUSE BAD PEOPLE.

One more thing: Notice Aiden is NOT mentioned again after the kidnapping.

Jake shows up in the dream and CRIES FOR HELP, which Tom responds by struggling to break free from his ties and saying he's coming.

HM, SOMEONE HE CARED ABOUT DEARLY CRIED FOR HELP, BUT HE COULDN'T GET TO THEM BECAUSE HE WAS TRAPPED.

...see where I'm going with this?

And if that's true, then that makes Tom cowering away from Jake to protect both of them for two years HURT THAT MUCH MORE.

Tom spilling info was definitely why the mission failed. That, and engaging with the culprits in an obvious trap when they weren't supposed to. The boss wasn't happy.

Either: Spy Aiden was saved as well as Tom, but ended up despising Tom for his attempt at helping so much he ghosted Tom and never talked to him ever again.

Or: Spy Aiden didn't get out of there. People came to save them, and Tom survived the torture, but Aiden died from the torture. That, or the culprits killed Aiden because they got what they wanted from Tom and decided "Welp, no use keeping the other guy alive."

Again, BOTH COULD WORK.

The former would explain where Tom got the ghosting habit from, and where he'd get the self loathing from. It would also explain his intense reaction to Jake's behavior in his Season 1 elimination.

After all, Tom got all these scars and was tortured trying to save someone he could've considered a friend, only for him to HATE Tom for trying to do that for him?

Well shit, maybe it IS better to just not get close to anyone at all. What more scars are worth it if THAT'S the gratitude?

(Tom's POV, no Jake hate)

The latter would also explain why Tom felt the need to ghost people, because HIS OWN ACTIONS got the guy killed.

If you want to make it extra angsty, you could say they killed Spy Aiden right in front of Tom.

"Oh look what you've done, Eagle Eye. This guy's dead because of you being the fuck up you are. Being a crybaby and not being able to take the pain, not being able to give your own life to protect your work or the guy you came to save. What a failure. You deserve these scars."

So does that mean Tom thought being around Jake would KILL them? No. Not necessarily. It would just mean he'd think his own failures and his own setbacks would only make things worse, and Jake would be worse off if he was with Tom in any way.

So better to be hostile and not try at all.

Or else it would all happen again. And he'd never recover.

Tom also mentioned the boss wasn't happy. So not only was the boss very disappointed with Tom in the mission's failure, he was resented for everything that happened. All the blame went on him. And, by the sounds of it, nobody had sympathy towards him in his newly scarred state and found him hideous. And if they did have sympathy, they didn't express it to Tom and kept it to themselves.

Episode 3 of the Spin Off is about Tom's backstory it looks like, so CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS TO GET PROVEN INCORRECT.

[themiimagebehindfire]

I completely agree that Jaiden is a much healthier couple than TomJake. I think even the diehard shippers can admit that. (Im not, but personally I’d prefer TomJake over half of the canon Total Drama pairings, but that’s a me thing and that in no way means they weren’t problematic)

Totally get the hate. Totally get the comparison. Totally get the take. I mostly agree with the take. Totally get all the bullet points made to prove this claim.

EXCEPT FOR ONE.

Comparing “You are everything I ever wanted” to “Your eyes are pretty”

This is a comparison to prove “This good/this bad”. And on paper with no context, yeah this sounds like a no brainer. “You are everything I ever wanted” is by far a superior line.

What I don’t agree with is “Your eyes are pretty” being meaningless.

If James and Aiden were the ones associated with it, then yes. It’s meaningless.

But here’s my argument:

DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. DIFFERENT CONTEXT. DIFFERENT VALUE.

James was someone who was so internet-fame hungry at the start of the season that everything he did became a scheme. That’s what started his association with Aiden. But through character development and getting to know Aiden as a person, he grows to actually like Aiden and value him more than his followers. And he realizes what he actually wanted in his life all along.

That’s why “You are everything I ever wanted” works for these characters and this context.

“Your eyes are pretty” would not work for the Jaiden context. Because nothing about either character finds value in something like that.

So that’s the same thing for Tom and Jake, right?

Well… not really.

Tom is a character who is introduced as a masked figure. Someone hiding himself. Someone who, as we learn later in the season, is heavily insecure about himself both in and out. Out for the most part when it comes to the first season. Due to his past torture and past failures, he’s considered himself worthless and hideous and there was no way anyone could ever care about him besides “Alliance”.

So for Jake to genuinely, wholeheartedly, compliment something about him, with no sarcasm to be detected, it not only flusters Tom but also going forward, allows Tom to attempt opening up more.

It also is part of why Tom even decides to ditch the mask later and show Jake his face.

You could make the argument “It’s not what’s outside, it’s what’s inside that counts”, and yes, for certain people that is true and you should value your partner for their heart. Always.

But for SOME OTHER PEOPLE, this phrase could come across as very insulting and hurtful. To some, this would imply that the reason the outside shouldn’t count is because the outside is ugly. That’s just confirmation that you are hideous and undesirable and all your insecurities are correct.

Yeah some would make the claim that “deformity is beautiful and they have absolutely no insecurities about it whatsoever”, but if they had a chance to remove that deformity to look beautiful, they’d take it. (It’s like that South Park special said. But in that is was about obesity instead of deformity. So not entirely the same thing.)

For some people, an appearance is something that’s tied to their self worth and they don’t want to be considered a beast who couldn’t be loved at first sight.

Obviously Jake loves Tom as a person. What did he have to go off of appearance wise at the start? Dude was fully covered except for his eyes. (Pretty sure he even says in a greeting that he fell for Tom because he was a kind and wonderful person towards him)

That’s why “Your eyes are pretty” means a lot in their character context.

For Tom to reveal his true self to someone, and for that someone, with no hesitation, genuinely say what they see looks good, meant the WORLD to him.

He could’ve just slapped the mask back on after that scene and no one else would’ve seen, but it’s because of Jake’s words that he’s not taking shame anymore. At least not enough to make him keep wearing the mask.

(Compare this to the beta where Jake is an awful human being and is revolted by the face reveal and- yeah thank god they changed it and the remake is canon and not that. Good lord is that disgusting.)

And it’s not like this is the only line Tom and Jake have where they’ve expressed care for each other. There’s other lines. They have other exchanges in the show outside of that.

Oh, AND another reason why this comparison doesn’t work? The Jaiden line was in the season finale after a season of development building up to that. The TomJake line is in an earlier episode where most of their development had yet to happen. These are different story points. It’s like comparing the resolution scene to a rising action scene.

If you swap the lines with context, neither really work because they’re applying to different characters. Swap the lines and apply them to the swapped characters, and the line is that much cheaper and serves no value.

Does “you are everything I ever wanted” work for TomJake? In my opinion, not really. Yeah Tom had his job and he cared about the job, but he wasn’t such an arrogant ass about it and considered that job his whole personality. And Jake is someone who craves love (because he barely received it from his family), but that’s expanded more than just a romantic interest. Miriam is a character after all. Ashley is a character after all. Connor, Ally, you get it. He can’t really say Tom is everything he ever wanted when he has surrogate family and friends he also wants in his life.

So yeah. Different characters. Different context. Different value.

Jaiden is healthier. Absolutely.

This is just the one bullet point I didn’t agree with.

[themiimagebehindfire]

I just want to clear something up cause I saw confusion:

No. Jensen is NOT the one who gave Tom his scars. It was all part of the dream. Nothing in that dream sequence actually happened.

(Even though I do agree it’s weird how Aiden is there when this takes place before All Stars)

The whole point of this is to showcase Tom’s mental state at this point in his life. And dreams are very ludicrous in logic in anyone’s case. Just because the dream is ludicrous, doesn't mean it's irrelevant to understanding Tom as a character.

CANONICALLY, Tom is a torture survivor. He was kidnapped when he fumbled his spy mission and the captors proceeded to heavily torture him, giving him his scars. And it's heavily implied that his co-workers and boss shamed him for being tortured, as they weren't happy with how the mission went.

The show doesn't really NEED to show the actual backstory of Tom getting tortured, one cause I think that'd get OddNations demonetized, and two cause the aftermath of the incident is the more important detail.

It shows with almost all of his actions and insecurities and how he views himself. Honestly, it's a miracle he's not worse. He hid his face in a mask, he constantly viewed himself in the mirror in shame, he talks very lowly of himself, and he has a hard time not jumping to the instinct to put a wall up so he doesn't get hurt again.

You see where I'm going with this.

I admit, I too was very frustrated with him in the first half of All Stars. Mostly cause I was giving all my sympathy towards Jake like a bias bitch. (He is NOT innocent either) But then Episode 9 happened and we got the explanation, and after that, Tom took accountability and did what he could to make up for what he'd done. I at least appreciate that. (Do I think it could've been directed better? Absolutely. But at least the accountability is THERE. It could've very easily not been there at all.)

I DON'T want this to be read as 'Tom is now excused for all of his bad actions'. Because that's NOT what the episode, or the story, is saying.

Now, I am NOT a torture victim/survivor, so anyone who IS can clarify better if this is accurate portrayal of the psychological aftermath, better than me. So take my words with a grain of salt.

Tom DIDN'T avoid Jake because he hated Jake and held a grudge for what happened. (Which is what I thought at the start of All Stars before it was explained otherwise) He avoided Jake because he loved him, but hated himself so much that he couldn't see himself as good enough, both to be around him or to survive another potential future that could lead to torture. (The very thing that scarred his face, which ashamed him)

You want to love someone, you got to love yourself. Both of them hated themselves. So they couldn't love each other until they found good in themselves. Jake just had the more obvious arc cause unlike Tom, Jake is there the entirety of All Stars.

Trauma does not 'make you stronger'. It makes you a pain in the ass to deal with. That's because it causes a lot of psychological damage and anxiety.

And in Tom's case, it is GETTING HURT. Getting hurt in several ways both physically, but even more so, mentally. His life is surrounded by getting hurt. And getting hurt is something painful, so he doesn't want to be hurt if he can help it.

The show doesn't NEED to show the backstory of the torture, (That's for fanfic writers to do if they love making Tom suffer) because the aftermath of that backstory is what was important.

It's also the aftermath of All Stars that was important because despite how hurt they got, they still worked it out and that was what mattered in the end. Maybe not to every couple, but to them it's what mattered.

Can Tom be excused for what he's done? HELL NO. But sometimes you gotta understand the character's POV and what was established that they've been through before you can make bold claims.

I said this with my post about Jake and this applies to Tom too: Nobody is going to make the most rational choice every time. Nobody is going to make the correct choice every time.

You think a simple slap in the face is going to undo a ton of baggage and trauma and make a character act perfect immediately afterwards? No. That's crazy to think about.

[themiimagebehindfire]

Jake is not a hero. He is a person with flaws.

The finale isn’t ‘hero Vs villain’ it is a test of ‘who is willing to put in the effort to be the best version of themself’

It’s this reason I find issue with how fans of Disventure Camp treat him. On BOTH sides of the coin. The “Cinnamon Roll who did nothing wrong and his trauma excuses all his bad actions” AND the “Worst human being on the planet who deserves the worst and trauma means nothing”

It’s ALWAYS one or the other. At least it seems that way for most. And I think both do a massive disservice to what Jake actually is.

Jake is a VERY flawed character. He does a lot of irrational and bad choices. Many claim he’s straight up unlikeable. And they’re… right.

”But wait? How could he be the moral superior to Riya if he’s unlikeable?”

Because this show isn’t fantasy. It is a down to earth reality show. There’s no such thing as a perfect hero in a show setting like this.

And in regards to the trauma card. Here’s the thing: I personally am happy that Jakes trauma was never used as a ‘my past made me more heroic’ narrative. Because that isn’t how it works. Trauma doesn’t make you a hero. It makes you a pain in the ass to deal with.

Some characters sympathize with him. Some don’t. That’s just how it is, and they’re not wrong for not sympathizing.

It baffles me to see people brush off all of Jakes flaws and bad actions.

He is emotional. He is irrational. He is paranoid. He is impulsive. He is clingy. He is gullible. He is selfish. He has a temper problem and a trust problem. He annoys the other characters so much they hate him right back, some of these people not even doing anything to deserve it.

But also… why wouldn’t he be like this?

He’s a byproduct of reality TV that exploits him and the people around him to act in the name of drama and entertainment. That’s the case for most of Disventure Camps characters. But on top of that he came from a cold and distant household that didn’t accept him for who he was, the only family member that did show him love and care died while he was on the show, he’s been surrounded by the concept of loss, he was used and cheated on, by several people who betrayed him, he was given death threats in interviews and in person, by people exploiting him as this awful person, and the one dude who promised to stay in touch with him broke that promise and ghosted him for two years.

His backstory and the events of the show informs his character and why he acts the way he does. But it, in no way, makes his behavior okay. Nor does all of this ‘make him better’.

I imagine most of us would act like him if we were in the same shoes.

That’s why it ALSO baffles me regarding the hate that he gets.

Now let me make it clear: YOU ARE ALLOWED TO NOT LIKE JAKE AS A CHARACTER.

“I don’t like him cause he’s annoying” “I don't like him cause he’s not my cup of tea” “I don’t like him cause I have some issues with his story throughout the show” Are VALID. I totally understand that.

But I’ve seen some INSANE comments that take it a step further in saying things like “Jake is the most morally awful character” “Jake is unconditionally horrible” “Jake deserves all the suffering he gets” “Jake deserves to die” “Jake should’ve kys’ed” (That last one is DISGUSTING)

And that’s just flat out NOT TRUE.

He’s worse than Yul and deserves worse than Yul? A abusive racist/misogynist, attempted poisoner? Worse than Fiore? Who toys with people, abuses them, gaslights them, and also willingly killed people in VR even though she didn’t have to? Worse than Riya? Whose whole thing is she acts/becomes a sociopathic narcissist who attempts murder multiple times? Jake is WORSE than that? Come on now.

Jake DOES have redeemable qualities. Regardless if you want to see them or not. He is capable of being very kind and considerate, and bringing out the best in certain people, and also being a motivator for them. Regardless if you want to see that or not, that is there.

On top of that, AGAIN, his story explains why he acts the way he does. If there was no context, it’d be a different story. This is a guy so starved of love and care that he craves it from other people. This is a guy who was hurt and betrayed and dejected by so many people with negative intentions towards him that he DOES NOT FEEL SAFE trusting everyone and everything he sees. He feels like he himself is so broken that he can’t trust his own brain to think for him, because who he is will only make people want to hurt him.

And you’re expecting him to be friendly and considerate towards everyone right off the bat all the time? NO.

Just say you don’t like him, just say he annoys you, just say he’s not your cup of tea, just say you don’t like what the writers do with him, and move on.

You don’t have to go out of your way to try and prove he’s this danger to society that needs to be executed.

Cause um, news flash, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO LIKE CHARACTERS THAT HAVE THINGS WRONG WITH THEM. IT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A BAD PERSON.

The morality game is kinda tiring if you ask me. NONE of these characters are always going to make the right choices. They’re gonna do messy stuff for that million dollar prize. That’s the game.

Had Jake been set up by the show as this endlessly selfless noble hero that went through an incredible journey, then him LOSING to Riya would feel like a punch to the face. Especially if this was a black and white show.

But because he’s NOT a hero. Because he’s got stuff wrong with him, has made several mistakes, has made steps both forward and back. It is a more believable ending than if he did win.

It’s almost like this game isn’t as black and white as the group that named themselves the ‘Villains Alliance’ want you to believe. Didn’t Gabby and Ally go through that dilemma regarding their respective betrayals of the ‘heroes’? You’d think they’d turn into the Devil incarnate for these betrayals. But they don’t. They’re looking out for themselves for their own personal reasons and the villains alliance was the more convenient option for what they wanted. That doesn’t make them villains. That makes them flawed people siding with people who call themselves villains.

All Stars main theme is working towards being either the best or worst versions of themselves. And in that sense, then are you surprised Jake was the finalist over a more morally heroic character?

[themiimagebehindfire]

”The War Is Done, The Stars Are Gone, The Breath Is Fighting” -Disventure Camp All Stars ALT Ending One Shot

”An angsty rewrite of the ending of Disventure Camp All Stars. What if Riya suffers far more consequences than just loneliness when she slits her opponent’s throat over greed?”

TW: Blood & Injury, Angst, Mention of an attempted suicide

———

“Riya?”

Riya scoffs mid gulp as she lowers the water bottle from her mouth. Connor is face to face with her, a stern look that she was not in the mood for.

“What do you want?” She asks coldly.

“Look, you must have realized by now,” He expresses. “No one is routing for you.”

Riya tenses up at the bold statement. No one? No one is routing for her? That was ridiculous! Course, she was aware of the idea that some people would route for some whiny little twink over her, but the idea that no one would route for her was ludicrous!

She’s played the game. She’s played this game better than anyone else. That’s why she’s even here as a finalist. She couldn’t throw it all away when some dude no one cares about was currently beating her!

Of course Connor wouldn’t care. Of course Connor wouldn’t encourage her. Of course Connor would side with that boy over her. His own love. It’s not her fault he never understood her whole act; her whole game. It’s not her fault he took the act far too personally.

With her blood boiling and racing with these thoughts, Riya snaps, “It’s not your concern!”

“I know there’s still a part of you that knows I’m right!” Connor begs. “Leave with what dignity you have left!”

Oh not this bullshit again! He’s right. How does he not get it yet?! No one is routing for you. I have all my dignity in tact right here right now! No one loves you anymore. I’m going to win this thing if it’s the last thing I’ll do! You’re all alone. Once I win that million dollars, everyone will see how much my game really mattered! Then they’ll all come back to me and beg for forgiveness! You’re a villain.

“You think I give a shit what any of you think?!” Riya angrily spews out in the race of her thoughts. “I’m a star! In ten years, none of you will be remembered! You’re just worried I’ll hurt Jake!”

The moment that gets out of her mouth, she has to tsk at her own breath. Hurt Jake. Hurt that boy. Would she do that?

“Well, you just watch! Your leg will look like a scrap after what I do to him!” The threat is out and there’s no regret. She stomps away from the old man and climbs back up to the podium.

Holding her rewarded steel shield and blade, she locks a fierce glance at the lanky blue head on the other side. One would think if Riya Sharma was going to lose, it’d be against a tough and worthy opponent. The idea alone that it’s this guy pisses her off more and more with every time he one ups her.

What I’ll do to him will make Connor’s sprained ankle look tame. I swear it.

”One more point, and Jake is our All Stars Champion!” Krystal announces.

With that, both of them charge, with Riya slashing her sword at Jake’s wooden shield. He thrusts it at her to push her away, a confident grin on his face.

A grin. At beating her.

Riya, with a snarl, charges and stabs her sword into his wood shield, thrusting her arm with enough force to yank the shield out of his hands. With her spare arm holding her metal shield, she slams it into the boys chest as hard as her anger lets her.

The wind is knocked out of Jake from the hit, forcing him to bend over in pain.

Riya, with no remorse, takes the chance to kick him off the edge of the platform. That’ll take that smile right off his face.

”Riya has scored a point on Jake!” Krystal announces. “It’s 2-2! Next point wins!”

Jake is on the ground, both arms gripping his chest, which is still burning from the pain of the blow. He tries to take deep breaths to help ease the pain, but it’s not helping very much.

He tries to take one arm away from his chest to grip the edge of the platform and stand up again, which proves to be a bit of a challenge, as the pain flares up more standing up.

“Jake! You alright?!” Ashley’s voice snaps some sort of distraction for him. The cowgirl, along with Ally and Tom, come running down to check on him.

“How is that fair?!” Ally protests. “She might’ve broken his ribs with that hit!”

Jake, trying to keep his confidence up, tries to smile and assure, “I’m fine, I’m fine-“

A grunt cuts him off as pain makes him hunch over.

No. Whatever confidence he had is gone. That hit. It wasn’t the hit that’s making him hesitant. There was anger in that hit. There was spite. A terrifying amount of spite.

Something’s creeping up in the back of his throat. Anxiety. A sense of dread that this woman might be out for blood.

“I-I’m sorry…” Jake winces. “I-I-I don’t know if I can do this-“

A gentle slap meets his left cheek.

Ally was sure to be gentle with it since he’s already hurt, but it still stings his face. “Do you hear yourself right now?! You’ve already come this far! We both have! We promised Connor we’d take Riya down!”

It’s a rare moment for Jake to see Ally this determined and encouraging, at least in his favor. It’s still making him shake. “But why me?? I can’t do anything right, and you expect me to beat her? I-“

Tom’s next to step in and wrap his arms around him. It’s tight. It would be even more of a rush of shock and affection if his ribs didn’t hurt.

“Don’t talk about yourself like that. I can’t stand it.” Tom’s voice is shaky, almost as if he’s holding back tears. “You are so much more worth it than you think, Jake. I’m sorry I treated you like you’re not for so long… but where’s that fire I grew to stand from you? Where’s that drive? Where’s that sweet smile and good heart we’ve all grown to see? That’s the boy that’s standing here as a finalist right now.”

Tom parts from Jake so all of that can be said with Tom looking him in the eye. He means it. He means all of it. From that alone, something in Jake’s heart is touched.

“We’re routing for you.” Ashley says with an encouraging wink. “We want to route for you.”

Aiden, James, Miriam, Connor, Lake, and a couple of others join in and gather around Jake. All of them with smiles of encouragement.

“You can do this, Jake.” James says proudly. “We believe in you.”

Soon enough, the audience starts joining in, cheering loudly for Jake. “Jake! Jake! Jake! Jake! Jake!”

That’s all it needs to get Jake to forget the pain. People are routing for him. They genuinely want to see him succeed. People, all these people, care about him.

To think he thought for the longest time nobody would ever want him.

Jake rubs his eye with his hand to prevent a tear, moved by the waves of encouragement. “You guys… thank you.”

The cheers are still happening. Everyone was routing for Jake…

…and no one was routing for Riya.

Riya stands there on the podium the entire time, hearing the cheers of the audience ringing in her ears.

The name being cheered that wasn’t hers.

The crybaby look on that boys face, all because he couldn’t take a little pain.

The sight of Connor being with the crowd standing with Jake.

No one is routing for you.

Riya’s eye twitches at the sight. Her blood was boiling before, but it’s even hotter now. Her hand holding the blade is shaking.

Oh, how much I want to take this blade and stab it right in his face! How much I want to slash this at every filthy traitor in this coliseum!

Riya snickers at the thoughts in her head, the shaking and the quiet laughter taking over her mind.

“Are you done having your little friendship speeches?!” Riya angrily shouts.

Jake turns to Riya, a look of pity being gifted to her. The other contestants are surrounding him and giving her nasty glares, and yet he gives her pity. It’s a sick joke.

“I know you’re just coping, Riya.” He says. “Being all alone must stink… it’s how I’ve felt for a long time.”

“Oh my GOD you’re so PATHETIC!” Riya, with an enraged eye roll, snaps at him.

Get up here and fight me like a finalist!!

Jake gets back up the podium, shield and sword ready.

Riya grits her teeth, her eyes having her target locked.

So he’s asking for it.

She charges at him wildly, aggressively slashing the sword at his shield.

She doesn’t stop. She keeps attacking him as aggressively as he can. She doesn’t give him a moment to breathe.

She’s vicious with all her slashes. All her attacks. All her insanity. It’s all vicious.

He manages to slip from one of her strikes, making his own slash at her back. She blocks it with her shield, and he keeps trying to push her back more and more.

She looks behind her, almost at the edge.

No. I’m not done here. I’m not losing to him. I’m not giving up everything like this!

”It’s over! You lose!” Jake claims.

I lose? I lose…?

No one is routing for you No one is routing for you No one is routing for you No one is routing for you No one is routing for you

HURT. HIM.

“RRRRRRRRUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!”

With all her might, Riya uses her strength to bash her sword at Jake to get him off her, and with the sword, she throws out a slash with everything she’s got.

One kick to the back later, and he disappears from her sight.

Off the podium.

Out of her way.

The moment it hits her, she drops both weapons, letting out a breath of relief.

Everyone falls silent. All eyes are widened in horror.

”Did-did I…?” She can barely process it.

He’s down. He’s off the podium. She did it.

She beat him. She won.

…

Why is no one cheering?

…

… … …

“JAKE!!”

That’s not a cheer.

That’s a scream.

“O-oh my god!!” “Jake! O-oh no!!” “Oh heavens no!!” “Breathe! You gotta breathe okay?!?!”

What are they talking about? He’s just fallen.

Riya steps toward the edge to see it better. He’s just crying that he lost. He’s fine…

He’s…

Oh…

Oh shit…

There are people surrounding him but she can still see.

He’s on the ground, hands clenching his throat, which is swelling an ugly red and purple. The only sounds coming out of him are gasps. Tears are falling from his eyes as he desperately tries to breathe.

There’s no air reaching his lungs. He can’t breathe.

Quicker and quicker, his vision blurs as his cries grow. All voices and thoughts in his mind are deaf to only one thought in his mind.

I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t breathe-

“CALL AN AMBULANCE!!!!” Tom screams, tears falling from his eyes as well. He’s trying to hold Jake upright. “Jake, come on! Stay strong, stay with us, Jake! You’re gonna be okay!!”

The tears from his eyes become streams as he silently cries at the sounds of his love gasping and crying for air. “No no no no, not like this, please no…”

“Jake…?” Ally can’t speak. She weakly reaches out, but she’s held back by Hunter and Tess with their arms around her.

“Oh lord, please no… please oh lord don’t do this to this child!” Miriam begins to pray as tears fall from her eyes as well. “Please don’t take him away too!”

Connor, as horrified and dreadful for Jake as he is, can’t help but look up at Riya.

She’s still standing on the podium. Hands shaking in absolute shock.

Her eyes attempt to look down and away from the scene, only to look at her own sword that she won.

With a hint of red on the tip.

She hurt him.

“…I…I…” She can’t even speak at the realization of what she’s done.

Yes. She wanted to hurt him. She’s hurt a lot of people…

It shouldn’t be that surprising, really. She’s had no trouble putting people in situations with less than a guarantee at survival. But they’ve all survived. There was never a point where these actions have led to a person actually being close to death.

What if she killed him?

“Riya…” Connor doesn’t sound like he’s begging to her or anything. It’s a hollow tone.

“I…” Her head is spinning. I could’ve killed him.

But I wanted to. No you didn’t. But he deserved it. No he didn’t. But he wanted it. No he didn’t. It was an accident. No it wasn’t. I didn’t kill him. You don’t know that. It was worth it. I got what I wanted. Right?

Did you?

“So…” She tries to shake it all off, asking the question, “So does that mean I win?”

Some people are too concerned for Jake to care. Others glance at Riya in disgust. Even Aiden spits out, “What. The. Fuck?”

”YOU VILLAIN!!!” Someone in the audience shouts, pointing at Riya. “YOU COULD’VE KILLED HIM!!!”

And then it spirals to more people shouting it from there. “YOU MONSTER” “YOU MURDERER” “YOU VILLAIN”

There is not a single person in that crowd that’s even remotely with Riya. They all are saying their thoughts to her face.

Monster. Murderer. Villain. Monster. Murderer. Villain. Monster. Murderer. Villain. Monster. Murderer. Villain. Monster. Murderer. Villain. Monster. Murderer. Villain.

All Riya can do is fall to her knees and clench her head. She ducks under to try and cancel out the noise of distain.

Another noise soon joins in. The sound of an ambulance blaring.

“Over here!” Oliver is with the doctors, leading them to Jake.

Some of the crowd parts so the doctors can reach Jake. Tom has the blue head laid on the ground, in the middle of doing chest compressions. The cop, tear streaked, is desperate and not letting himself be convinced his love is gone.

The doctors put down a stretcher, ordering them to set Jake on it. They oblige in doing so. Once he’s on and secured, the doctors pick him up to take him away.

Miriam is the one who joins them, begging to be on the ambulance with her ‘grandson’. They disappear from the colosseum. The boys fate is undecided.

The others shock only lasts for a few seconds before Tom breaks it by running.

“Tom! Where’re you going?!” Ashley asks, calling out before he can be out of range.

“I’m following them to the hospital!” Tom cries. “I cant leave him before he leaves me!”

Hearing that, Ashley joins in. “I’m coming with you! Where’s the nearest ride?”

“We’re going too!” Aiden says, on behalf of himself, James, and Lake.

“We gotta go too.” Ally says to Hunter and Tess.

Soon, everyone joins in. Every single contestant in the game joins in and begins to leave the colosseum to find a ride.

There are only two who stay behind. Riya and Connor.

Riya looks down at Connor, who isn’t looking her in the eye anymore. “You…” she tries to speak. “You think I did that on purpose?!”

All Connor gives is a brief, hollow, “Yeah.”

Riya cries, insanely, “Well who gives a shit if he lives or dies?! I still won!! I. WON. THIS. GAME!!!”

Connor crosses his arms. His expression is still stern, but a single tear falls from his face. He says softly, “So that’s what led to this… the show… the money… we were all after that money…”

With that, Connor begins to walk out to join the others.

Riya tries to get up as well, but Nina blocks her path, red devil eyes gleaming at her. Marquis grips her shoulder, demanding “You stay where you are. The police will be here shortly.”

“Police?” The word buzzes in Riya’s head. Police. Is she…

Nina keeps the demon glance at her, saying cheekily, “See you in hell, lady.”

Riya’s stuck there. That’s it. She’s really going to prison.

She won the game, but she loses how much in the process?

All for that money…

Was it worth it?

As Connor is almost out of the coliseum, Krystal catches up to him, pleading, “Hey hey hey! Where’re you all going! You can’t leave! We’re still on air!”

“Yes we can.” Connor says without stopping.

“I know Jake being in the hospital is less than convenient, but for all of you to walk away like that before we’re done airing the season finale is-“

“Saying a lot.” Connor finishes her sentence.

“S-should I contact any of you in a bit?” Krystal asks. “Once you’re cooled off and we get news?”

That gets Connor to stop and turn around, making one thing clear. “I can speak for everyone who walked out. We quit. Don’t contact any of us to be on this show again. We don’t need it.”

With that, he leaves.

———

*TWO DAYS LATER*

Prison is frustrating.

At least, that’s what Riya’s come to accept in her head. The stench, the closed space, the cold air, and the constant shouting of the inmates. Since she's arrived, she hasn't said a word.

Everyone who walks by her cell only sees her seated on the bed, hugging her knees and tugging the orange fabric of her uniform.

To say she's experiencing a state of mental shock is an understatement. She keeps flashing back to the entire show, and everything she's done violently.

Leaving Aiden to die on that cliff.

Breaking Connor's ankle.

Getting Gabby bit by that tiger.

And that's just the severe cases.

Maybe a part of her believes she deserved to be here before the incident she got arrested for even happened.

Nobody's come to visit her so far. Not any of her 'friends' that she made on the show. Not any fans. Not any family members. No one.

Now, all Riya wants is for someone, anyone, to come see her and coddle her. Tell her she's going to be okay. Tell her about the good thing's she's done. Give her a hug.

That's when she hears the cell door slide open.

"Sharma?"

Riya looks up to see a guard there. He tells her, "Your escort will be here shortly."

"Escort?" Riya stands up, confused.

"Your family paid for bail. You'll be on house arrest for the next three years. Blake is taking you home."

"Connor?" Her eyes widen in surprise at that.

That's what makes her willingly go with them to leave.

Sure enough, at the front office, the man is standing there, arms crossed and eyes widened at the sight of her.

It's one stare, then he looks away. Riya continues to stare at him with feelings rushing through her. "H-hi Connor..."

No answer.

"I..." She wells up, finding it hard to contain herself. "W-why? Why did you bail me?"

"I didn't pay for bail. Your family did." Connor says. "I'm just your ride."

"But why you?" She asks.

"I..." He lets out a long, sad sigh. "I guess I'm not cruel enough to let you rot in a cell. Or maybe that's not what you deserve in my opinion."

What does he mean by 'not what you deserve'?

Riya lets out a tearful smile, approaching him with open arms. "Thank you... I-I'm so sorry Connor..."

He grabs her before she can hug him, pushing her away.

"C-Connor...?"

"You think a sorry is going to cut what you did?" Connor's expression isn't sympathetic at all.

"Maybe not," Riya admits, still pleading. "But there's no cameras now. I don't need to pretend. I can put it all in the past."

"That's what you think your action was? An act?" Connor counters sternly. He nods no, in disbelief. "I can't even with you..."

He turns his back on her and walks away. He tells the guard, "I'll be waiting for her in the lot."

———

A couple of hours later, Riya is in the passengers seat of Connor's car, both of them in an uncomfortable silence.

It's been hours, and neither of them have said a word. There's an aura that's been there the entire time. A dark aura. An aura of emptiness.

Soon enough, Riya couldn't take it anymore, and she broke the silence. "So... the game... did I lose?"

She had to have been disqualified, right? After what happened...

"It's worse than that." Connor says. She deserves to be informed, at the very least. "You won."

"I... won?!" She won? She won the game? She's the winner of Disventure Camp All Stars?! She did it?! She can't help but smile. "S-so it was worth it?!"

"You got the money." Connor informs, still refusing to look at her. "Your family picked it up from Krystal and put it in your account... although, you're not gonna access it till your house arrest is done. But you do have it. Hope it was worth it."

Hope it was worth it. That stings.

Why does her smile drop? She won three million dollars. She won what she came for. She earned this.

Why is she not happy?

She tries to get a read on Connor's face. It's obvious he's not showing any warmth for her, but there's some sort of reflection in his eye. Water?

Riya crosses her arms and slumps in her seat. She rolls her eyes, trying to shake it off. "Whatever. To be arrested for a messily sword strike. They act like I did that on purpose..."

"Maybe you did. Maybe you didn't. You still attempted murder." Connor says.

"Murder...?" The word hits her.

She hit Jake in the throat. He was gagging.

Is he...?

"That twink..." She has to know. "When's his funeral?"

Connor doesn't answer.

She turns to face him again. The man's breath hitches at that.

"I killed him." She's convinced. "He's dead, isn't he?"

No answer.

"Connor? Is he dead?"

Finally, Connor answers. "I don't know."

What? "What do you mean you don't know?!"

"They got him to the hospital." Connor's voice raises a bit, but he remains stern and calm. "They had to do a major surgery. But he stopped breathing moments before they got there... side of his neck was slit and a windpipe was damaged with metal blade tip in it. You're lucky his throat wasn't slit in the center, otherwise he would be a goner... Now we're just waiting for news. We don't know if he's dead or not."

So it doesn't matter. Whether Jake dies or not, Riya is still charged for the attempt alone. That's what matters to her.

That still doesn't ease Riya. Sure, she hated the boy and wouldn't care if he lived or died if it wasn't her that was responsible for it. Still... she did a lot of damage to him, all for money.

"At least it's over..." Riya says, in a bit of desperation. "I can bounce back from this. Bit of cancelling isn't gonna end my career... an accident isn't gonna hurt us, right?"

Connor parks the car. They've arrived at her house. Sternly, he orders, "Get out."

"Connor-"

"Riya, get out."

She has no choice but to obey, climbing out of the car.

She's back home. Back in her fancy, empty, home.

She can only stare at it for a second in distain before she hears the engine start again.

She grips the windowsill, begging, "Connor, wait! Don't leave!! Please, I can salvage this! I promise!"

Connor rolls down the window to talk to her. He makes it clear, "What's the point? You can beg all you want, it doesn't change anything. Now I know the real you. Out of everyone, you were the only one who refused to change. Was it worth it?"

"Maybe... no... I don't know..." Riya spits out. She doesn't know that answer. She tries to fake er confidence, arguing with him. "You just care about that boy more than me... you care more about all those losers more than me. If I was the one with the slit throat, you'd shut him out just like me! You wouldn't be so mad at me if I was the one near death..."

Connor sighs. He looks away from her, refusing to look her in the eye again. "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

He adjusts the joystick to drive away, indicating to her that he's leaving. "Have a nice life, Riya."

He drives out of the parking lot, leaving Riya behind. She watches the entire time until the car disappears from her sight.

He's gone.

———

Meanwhile, the hospital's waiting room is filled with dread.

All the ex-contestants were there when Jake was in for an emergency surgery. A lot of them stayed the entire night, waiting for news, no answers if Jake was dead or not.

Eventually, some of the lesser acquainted with Jake, as upset as they were, felt that they had no choice but to leave, since none of them were getting answers. Then hours after, some of the others had to leave as well. It wasn't because they were giving up on hope, but because it wasn't healthy for any of them to stay in the waiting room for a time limit they couldn't see.

They kept coming back and visiting. They would leave for food and rest, and then come back to continue waiting. Especially the close friends, such as Ashley, Ally, and Aiden. Hunter and James would sometimes be with them.

Tom was the only one who didn't leave once. He refused to. He couldn't bring himself to.

After he ghosted Jake for two years, he comes back, and it's moments before this incident. Jake could be dead. He could've lost his chance forever. A chance to make things right, to apologize.

He can't ever forgive himself for that. He can't leave.

Currently, he's pacing around the waiting room, bags under his eyes. He's restless and desperate.

Miriam is there as well, seated and quiet. She's spent the good while of the surgery praying. She's only quiet now out of concern for Tom.

She tries to speak up again. "Tom, I'll tell you if we get anything, but you need to rest."

Tom doesn't stop pacing. "I-I-I can't do that to him... not again, I can't do that to him..."

"Anything?" Ally comes in, visiting again. Tess is with her with some bottles of water.

"No." Miriam's voice is shaky. "I'm getting worried... my prayers might not have been answered... they didn't get answered when... when..."

The elder starts to cry. Tess comes over to hug Miriam tight, letting her cry on her shoulder.

The sounds of Miriam's sobs hit Ally and Tom, getting Tom to stop pacing. Ally sits down, with a look of dread of her own.

"Ashley's taking care of the others at the motel. I got her number in case we hear anything." Ally says to Tom.

Tom asks, "You're not still nauseous, are you?"

"I am," Ally answers sadly. "But I'm not throwing up anymore if that's what you meant... I... I didn't like Jake, but I left him to die to that bear, and... seeing him actually close to death now, it's... I-I should be in jail too... I know what I did didn't lead to anything as serious as this, but I just feel... so awful... I'm an awful person..."

"You're not." Tess assures her, still hugging Miriam. "You are not the reason he's here. What matters is that you're trying to make it up to him."

"I can't now..." Tom is going back to feeling another wave of guilt. "You may have, but I can't... I should be the one with the slit throat! If I had won that damn tiebreaker, maybe I could've taken his place... if I hadn't been so scared, none of this would've happened..."

Miriam gets up and wraps her arms around Tom as tight as she can. She's sobbing on his chest, but he doesn't care. Tom hugs her back, letting the woman's embrace sooth them both.

Tess sits next to Ally, putting a hand on her friend's back. She tells her, "Ally, you can't blame yourself. You weren't the one who slit his throat. She's gone now. She can't hurt us."

"Thank notch for that..." Ally can't help but admit as she wipes her eye.

Her phone buzzes. She picks it up to look at the notification.

"Oh, look at that, another death threat, that's not cool..." Ally groans. "God, I get hating Jake, but to say he deserved this... I might want to puke again..."

She swipes her phone for a bit, talking to herself, "And 'block', there we go..."

"Okay," She brushes it off and puts the phone away. "Well, the important people are the ones that care. The charity is also going nicely."

"Tch, and to think we had to compete for money," Tess says with a smirk.

"Charity?" Tom asks. He doesn't know.

"My idea," Ally says. "We started a charity at the motel for interviews, so everyone can get a taste of our true selves and our takes from the show. The donations are for Jake's medical bills, Ashley's farm, and for whatever else, the rest of us split. It's not three million, but we're all pitching in to make our motives for that prize happen anyway."

"Oh bless." Miriam touches her heart.

Then the door opens again, revealing people that shocks all of them.

Ellie and Gabby are here, with Gabby holding a container of sandwiches. Her arm is still casted from the tiger bite injury she received from the finale.

"Heyo! We thought we'd stop by for a visit." Gabby says with an optimistic smile. She's always like that, so no one can blame her or accuse her as a mood killer.

"Hey..." Ellie is more shy about the visit. "Gabby wanted to drop these off for anyone still here. Should help with the wait."

Tom rolls his eyes. Sure, he's been here for dozens of hours with nothing, but the last thing he has is an appetite. That feels like a personal attack.

"You okay, Gabby?" Tess asks. "The arm, I mean."

"Oh I'm fine, the cast will be off in a week." Gabby answers. She points happily to Ellie, claiming, "But Ellie here wanted to come over and I couldn't say no to that."

That surprises everyone. Miriam gives a stern, "You?"

"Yeah. And?" Ellie tries to be her usual cold self.

Tom gives an angry laugh, gleaming at her. "Funny, I thought you hated Jake."

"I do." Ellie answers. "This doesn't change that."

"So why are you here?" Tom asks, a frustrated tone in his voice. "You had no problems giving the three of us death threats on live TV. And interviews."

Ellie's cold expression warms up at the mention of that. She says softly, "That's why I felt responsible. Especially after what Ally told all of us at the motel... about Jake..."

"Oh." Miriam realizes what she's referring to. "Oh my..."

"I know I had something to do with it. I was the one who told him to die in the first place." Ellie says, hurt by her own words. "All because I wanted money... and now hearing what he tried before and now that he might actually... I hate myself so much now... I can't stand the guy, but to tell him to his face that he should die just because some of us can't stand him?"

"Is this an apology?" Tom asks. "I personally don't care if you feel bad. You did too much damage."

"I'm not asking you to forgive me. That's not what I want." Ellie makes that clear. Gabby puts an arm around her girlfriend in comfort. "...but I just wanted you to know that I took down those interviews from the web."

"What?" Ally's surprised by that. They all are.

"Isn't that part of your wage?" Tess asks in concern.

Ellie brushes it off. "There are some things more important."

Gabby, with a smile, hugs Ellie tight on her side. Ellie smiles at her and kisses her on the cheek.

Their smiles fade once they notice Tom seated, hands burying his face. He's shaking beyond control.

"What if he doesn't make it?" He asks. He's crying. "He could be gone... what if he's gone...? Please, no... please... I'll never leave his side without reason again, just please... don't let him die..."

As much as the others are concerned for Tom's health of staying here for so long, they can't stop him. Sure, Tom's made multiple mistakes that have hurt both of them... but at the end of it, he's just as messy, if not more so. Those two messes love each other.

That's when the door opens, revealing a doctor.

All of them look at them, desperate for an answer.

Is this an answer...?

"Jacob Hamilton?"

Holy shit...

"Yeah?" Tom asks, prompting for an answer.

The doctor goes silent.

All of their hearts sink. The world slows down.

Even Ellie puts a hand over her mouth in horror.

The doctor starts talking again. "...in the surgery, there was a metal shard injected into a windpipe, damaging it and preventing oxygen to reach his lungs. After we removed that, we had to make cautions because one lung was on the verge of collapsing. The stitch will leave a permanent scar on his neck."

"...so... is he...?" Miriam silently cries.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Ellie asks lowly.

The doctor hesitates.

"...he's awake."

All their hearts lift. The world moves again.

Tom's eyes burst in tears. He falls to his knees and cries.

"Oh lord, thank you!" Miriam cries in relief. "Thank you so much!"

"Yes!!" Gabby cheers, shaking Ellie, albeit not intentionally. "He lives to see another day!"

"I gotta call Ashley!" Ally gets up and turns the other direction, dialing the number. "He's alive! He's gonna be okay!"

Tom gets up, begging, "Can I see him, please?! Please!!"

The doctor nods, motioning him to follow them.

Jake is sitting up in the hospital bed, looking out the window at the clouds parting for the sun. He has a brace for his neck, helping his posture stay upright so he can breathe without much issue.

“Jake?”

His silent thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice at the door. He slowly turns around, surprised to see a tired, weak, tear filled Tom standing there.

“T-Tom…?” His voice sounds like croaks at the moment.

“Oh Jake!!” Without much hesitation, Tom comes up to Jake, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace.

Jake stays there in shock of the embrace. Tom’s here. He’s here for him.

With his own tears forming, Jake hugs Tom back, relishing in the moment.

Tom parts, showing his tears. “I-I was so worried you wouldn’t make it! I thought I lost you! I…”

”H-hey… I’m…” Jake tries to croak out his answer, but finds it hard. So instead he flexes an arm. I wouldn’t die that easily.

“Don’t worry about her.” Tom assures Jake. “The cops got that son of a bitch. She’s not gonna hurt you again.”

She’s…

Riya.

It wasn’t intentional, but it triggered some flashes in Jake’s mind.

Those vicious, bloodthirsty eyes. The strike of the blade on his throat. The tears and suffocation and feeling of his lungs collapsing.

He doesn’t even realize he’s hyperventilating, gripping his neck again.

“Jake. Jake.” Tom grips Jake to try and calm him down. “Deep breaths. You’re okay…”

Their heads touch, the contact calming down Jake just enough so he can listen to Tom, who is struck with a wave of guilt. “I’m sorry I wasn’t always there for you, but I’m here now. A-and the truth is… I like you. A lot.” He holds Jake’s hand and gives a smile. “There. I said it.”

Tom knows he has to explain himself further. “Whenever you called, I just stared at the phone, I was haunted by my past, and I was so scared of making another mistake. But you reminded me I’m so much more than my setbacks. Jake, I…I…I care about you so much. And if there’s any chance you still feel the same way, I-“

He’s silenced by Jake’s lips pressing against his.

Both of them quickly melt into the kiss, holding onto each other.

Two years. And it’s finally happened.

Finally.

They part the kiss, but Tom still keeps his hands on Jakes head. The injured boy keeps his dreamy smile on Tom.

“I-is that a yes?”

“M…maybe…”

Both hold each other for a few more seconds until the door opens again, revealing a crowd of people.

The other campers. They all showed up. They’re all coming in and crowding around Jake, smiling and crying at the sight of him alive. The only ones not here are Riya, for obvious reasons, and Connor, who was somewhere else and running late.

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” “Knew you could pull it off!” “I’m so sorry about this!” “Not bad, kid.”

The words are overwhelming, but encouraging.

Everyone’s here for me. Everyone cares about me. There’s people that love me.

People want me here.

It’s all so much, seeing his whole found family here at once. Miriam, Aiden, James, Ally, Tom, and all of them…

But all of it makes Jake tear up.

Everyone stops their questioning once Jake starts crying. Ashley puts a hand on him, asking, “What’s wrong?”

“I… I… don’t get it… I-I don’t deserve any of this…” Jake’s hard to understand, but at least he can talk somewhat. “I f-failed you… I was… so awful… to most of you and… everyone was routing for me… a-and I f-failed… I-I’m a screw up…”

“Hey. Look at me.” Ashley demands. He obeys. “You are not a failure. You did something Riya didn’t have the guts to do. You worked to be better. You stayed true to the good parts of yourself.”

“Yeah! We’re so proud of you!” Ally reassures.

“Yes we are.” Miriam adds.

People want me here.

I have a family.

I am loved.

Jake’s tears become happy as he hugs Tom’s side tightly. “I’m so lucky to have you guys…”

After a few minutes of calming down, some of them left the room to give space. Aiden, James, Ally, Ashley, Miriam, and Tom stay behind to keep Jake company.

They all finish their pose for a picture for James’ Instagram page. He posts it with the heading ‘Hamilton Lives! Lots of love from the Disventure Camp contestants.’

“So… the brace…” Aiden brings up. “How long do you need that?”

“I c-can take it off…” Jake says lowly, stuttering a bit. He sounds uncomfortable at the idea. “I… just… need it f-for… posture…”

“Hey,” Tom puts a hand on his shoulder. “You should know it changes nothing.”

Hesitantly, Jake adjusts his position to take off the brace so the others can see.

Most of them stay silent at the sight of a massive noticeable slash scar on the side of the boys neck.

Tom especially is touched. He caresses two fingers on one of his own neck scars.

“I… it’s permanent…” Jake tells them. He tries to brush it off, but clearly he’s affected by it.

“You look good, Jake.” Tom assures him with a smile. He caresses the scar to show comfort.

Jake’s smile is still small. “You don’t have to keep lying to me…”

As a response, Tom locks lips with him.

Once they part from the kiss, Tom says with a gleeful smile, “I’m not.”

Jake gives a soft giggle, hugging Tom tightly.

At least now we match.

———

*ONE WEEK LATER*

It’s late at night when the campers are on the plane ride, waiting for each and every stop home.

Ally, Tess, and Hunter are happily playing video games on switches together.

Ashley is chilling with a phone call from Will.

Alec is reading a book with Fiore asleep on his shoulder.

Gabby and Ellie are cuddling together.

Yul is alone squirming to salvage something and no one cares.

In the back, Jake and Tom are seated together in each others arms. Aiden and James are doing the same next to them. Miriam and Lake are in front of them. The six are exchanging numbers.

“So what’s the plan for you all?” Tom asks.

“Lake James and I are going on a trip.” Aiden says, holding James’ cheek.

“I’m showing James and Aiden a taste of Germany!” Lake excitingly says. Then she asks, “What about you guys?”

“We’re going to spend some much overdue time together.” Jake answers, snuggling up against Tom. His voice still sounds like a frog, but at least he’s healthy enough to be out of the hospital.

“Miriam, you know you’re always welcome to come with us.” Tom offers.

“Ha! That’s a good one!” Miriam expresses. “No. You owe Jake the alone time. Just make sure to visit.”

“Guys, you got the app, right?” Ally comes over to them. She’s been telling everyone this. “We got so many people paying for interviews from us.”

“That’s great!” Lake expresses. “Any requests?”

“Just be honest.” Ally says with a smile. “They deserve to know all our stories.”

“And the money from this?” James asks.

“We’re all sharing it. That’s why I linked the app.” Ally answers. “It also helps so we’ll all be in touch after this. We’ll see each other again, right?”

“So long as Riya’s not invited.” Jake croaks. “Yeah.”

Krystal, Oliver, Marquis, and Nina are separated from the rest of the plane, watching as the other contestants exchange friendly gestures.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Marquis says to it.

“At least with his survival, the lawsuits won’t be so bad…” Krystal nervously chuckles. “We’ll have to find a new cast though.”

“What’s going to happen to this show?” Oliver asks. “What’s going to happen to the next season?”

“Well, Oliver, how do you feel about quitting?” Krystal asks.

“Quit at life or this job?” Nina asks back. “I have strong opinions on one.”

“Maybe it’s time all four of us take what these contestants decided into account too.” Krystal expresses. “We can’t be in this show forever, anyway.”

”I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now!” Oliver whines. “How can you say that after all our hard work?!”

“I guess I’m in a new chapter of my life.” Is all Krystal can say. “Being with Derek taught me I never got to have any fun.”

”You know, the producers will cancel the show if you leave.” Marquis calmly warns.

” I love this show though! Who’s gonna take care of it?” Oliver asks.

”Oh, I have a certain duo in mind…”

———

*ONE YEAR LATER*

Since then, the stories kept updating of everyone’s stories.

Lake, Aiden, James, Rosa Maria, and her child on their vacation in Germany.

Ashley at the bar with Will, Lill, and Nick.

Gabby being there to celebrate Ellie and Tess’s college graduation.

Yul doing his podcast for a soda trying to stay afloat.

Hunter and Ally celebrating a million followers for Ally’s gaming channel.

Tom and Jake on a date at a Chinese restaurant.

Miriam and Jake teaching Tom how to bake and laughing.

Grett showing off at the gym.

Alec helping his daughter Fiore with homework.

Connor’s wedding day with a kind sweet woman that isn’t Riya.

That last one causes teardrops to fall on the phone. No matter how many times Riya’s scrolled through their stories, she can’t get over it.

They all are living their lives happily…

And yet here she is. Unable to leave her room. Alone. Yet again. Surrounded by her awards from a career that has failed her.

Was it all worth it?

[themiimagebehindfire]

Finale Outcome Options:

Option 1 (CLASSIC ENDING): Jake wins. He gets the money. He splits it with Ashley (to help save her farm), Tom (to help with his office), Ally (out of respect), and MAYBE Connor. Everyone's happy. Riya is dumbfounded and distraught that she not only lost her victory but also her loved ones and is left questioning how he got support and she didn't when she was 'the better player'. The answer being that Jake worked for something she rejected: A supportive found family. & TomJake is canon.

Safe ending. Happy ending. Simple and easy, ‘the good guys win and the bad guys lose’

Option 2 (KARMA ENDING): Riya wins. She gets the money. She got what she fought for, and literally NOBODY cares or even bats an eye at her. They're more focused on Jake and supporting him after his loss. And only then does Riya realize her entire game wasn't worth it and she lost what she actually needed: A found family. A group of supportive people that'll help you through your issues and have your back. Riya won the game. Jake won the better life. & TomJake is canon.

Option 3 (WORST ENDING): Same as Option 2 with Riya winning, but somehow everybody forgives her and she suffers no consequences. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T DO THIS ONE- (But TomJake is canon I guess?)

Option 4 (BURNED ENDING): They BOTH lose. The money gets burned at the stake. This is a combination of the previous two options because 'Riya won the game. Jake won the family.' So Riya loses more than Jake with this outcome. & TomJake is canon.

Option 5 (COMEBACK ENDING): Ally is somehow NOT eliminated and she comes back and she wins. UNO REVERSE CARD. & TomJake is canon.

Option 6 (TIE ENDING): Somehow it’s a tie and Krystal decides they both win. Same character outcomes as Option 2. & TomJake is canon.

Option 7 (VERY SPECIFIC & CRAZY ENDING): Okay, I'm gonna sound insane with this one but it's been on my mind and it's VERY specific. It's a GLADIATOR challenge based off the image. Which gives me the impression it's a beatdown. In that sense, Jake has no chance against Riya (sorry Jake fans). And Riya has attempted murder multiple times. So while it may be against the rule, Riya just flat out tries to KILL Jake for her win. Probably a mortal wound of some sort inflicted on Jake. But Jake doesn't die because they're able to immediately get him away and get him help. (Bonus if he got a scar from it, TomJake matching scar duo. + Aiden I guess) Riya TECHNICALLY wins the game. But her victory is short lived as not only does she lose all her loved ones and she realizes such, but she's also arrested for attempted murder, ruining her career, getting her cancelled and she'd also need her prize money for bail. And even if she could, no one's gonna want to work with her. Meanwhile Jake may have lost, but he's surrounded by friends and found family willing to support and help him, and they all ditch Disventure Camp to keep each other in open arms.

'Riya won the game. Jake won the found family. Riya may have won the battle. But Jake won the war. Riya may have won the prize money, but as for the outcome on life, Jake was the real winner'

…oh and TomJake is canon. (I’m not the one deciding that. Don’t get mad at me for it.) (Would be hysterical if Jake said No though…)

But, you know, I'm pretty sure they're not gonna do Option 7 ever, so...

"Which Ending would you want? You have any more Endings I missed?"