Chapter Text
Courtney was a wreck. Not that anyone would ever be able to get her to admit it. After Gwen had agreed to go on the Ridonculous Race with her, she spent the whole time she was packing and getting ready worrying. What if she messed up again? Surely she wouldn’t? After all she and Gwen were on the same team. So there was no reason she would ever be tempted to betray her. Even if she was, surely at this point she knew better right?
So here she was at the airport waiting to see Gwen, with everything she was allowed to pack into her suitcase. Because the show was a race around the world, there were many limits to what she was allowed to pack. She wasn’t allowed to pack anything that would give her a major advantage over the other teams. Things like rope, or grappling hooks, bungee cords etc. If that kind of equipment was necessary to complete a challenge it would be provided by the show. Courtney was disappointed, but not surprised.
Another thing she’d been told is that she had to wear what she did on Total Drama. Courtney would have preferred to change her wardrobe up, but she understood. The whole point of her and Gwen appearing on the show was to promote it as familiar faces from Total Drama. So naturally they would want her to look the same.
Anxiously she checked her watch. Only a couple minutes after she’d last checked. She took a deep breath. ‘Relax Courtney. Gwen agreed to this. She won’t be as hostile was you were during All Stars. ‘
“Hey,” A low feminine cut into her thought. Courtney jumped out of her skin. When she turned it was to see the goth she;d been waiting for. She looked the same as the last time Courtney had seen her. Which made sense given the show had told her to look the same.
“Gwen, don’t sneak up on me.” Courtney gasped as she regained her composure.
“Whatever.” The goth replied, but Courtney could see the corner of her mouth raise in wry amusement.
“Okay, we’ve got to make our way to the Toronto Train Station.” Courtney told her.
“I know, I read the e-mail they sent. Come on.” Gwen told her. Courtney walked alongside her. Well, she was being cordial. That was good.It meant she was keeping an open mind. Eventually they made it to the train station, where a pair of cameramen approached.
“Okay, Team,” He looked at his notes. “:Frienemes, we need to get an introductory confessional from the two of you. So we just need you to-”
Gwen cut him off. “Dude, we know how confessionals work. Just take us there.”
The cameraman shrugged and they followed him to a backdrop of a map of the world. They stood in front of it and began their confessional.
“ We’ve never really gotten to work as a team.” Courtney began, figuring this was a good opener.
“not with all the drama between us.” Gwen replied.
Wanting to avoid that topic Courtney decided to mention her reasons for entering the race. “ And I don’t have the money to get my law degree, so this is my last ditch effort to avoid college debt.”
“It’ll be nice to compete without relationships getting in the way.” Gwen added, a slightly annoyed tone to her voice.
Courtney decided to acknowledge what she was getting at. “ I didn’t leave total drama with the best of impressions.”
“Plus this time we’re a team, if one of us gets eliminated then both of us do, so I don’t have to worry about Courtney stabbing me in the back. “ Gwen said, a very clear warning in her voice.
Courtney swallowed. “ Hah...yeah…”
“Perfect. We have more teams to record, so just go join the other teams in front of the train station. Once you’re all here Don will explain things.” The cameraman told them.
As they started to head for the entrance to the train station Courtney decided to try and break the tension. “So Don must be the new host. Can’t be worse than Chris right?”
Gwen chuckled dryly. “I don’t think a person like that exists.”
“Remember the time he made us leap across ice floes in the Yukon?” Courtney said.
“Yeah, hopefully this trip around the world isn’t as bad.” Gwen said.
“Hey this time we’re not forced to tolerate Heather.” She smirked.
“Wow, this trip is better already.” The goth replied wryly.
As they joined up with several of the other teams, Courtney looked around for familiar faces. She spotted Geoff with some unknown brunette who looked like he probably shared a brain with him. The next team she spotted surprised her. Noah and Owen were here? Huh. She never would have expected Noah to be here. Owen yes, Noah no. It wasn’t much longer until all the teams were gathered and Don arrived.
“Welcome contestants!” Don began. “This is the starting line for your twenty-six part race around the world. Each part ends at a chill zone, get there fast because the last team to stand on the carpet of completion, may be cut from the competition. But the first team to reach our last chill zone will win one million dollars!” Many cheered at this, and Courtney spotted Owen hugging Noah to death. She winced sympathetically.
“Look over here.” Don continued, Courtney turned to see a box that looked like the host with a large red button on top and slot at its ‘mouth.’ “ This is our Ridonculous tip box, also known as the Don Box. Press this button to get the travel tips that will lead you through the Ridonculous Race. Ready teams?”
Courtney felt the familiar rush of excitement she got when competing as she got herself in a running position, next to her Gwen was doing the same, as was many other teams. “On your marks, get set, race!” Immediately she took off ignoring Don’s cries to watch the face and hair. She didn’t care about that right now, all the mattered was getting the first tip. They arrived rather quickly as she pressed the button and got their tip.
“Race on foot to the CN tower and find the Don box to get your next tip.” Courtney read. “To the CN tower!”
“Right behind you!” Gwen agreed, quickly getting into the rhythm of the challenge.
They got to the foot of the tower, and the Don box in no time. This time Gwen hit the button first. “It’s an either/or. What’s an either/or?”
“From context it means we do one or the other. In this case, we either climb up one hundred and forty-four flights of stairs, or we take the elevator and then do a sky walk around the outside of the tower..” Courtney said.
“A sky walk can’t be worse than what Chris put us through!” Gwen replied. The two of them raced to the elevator, just barely squeezing in. One of the other Teams pointed out some idiot pressed all the buttons.
“This will take forever!” She cried.
“The stairs can’t be much harder than climbing a pyramid. So let’s do that.”Gwen said.
“Agreed.” Courtney nodded as she ran towards the stairs.
“Just don’t make us belay this time,” the goth told her.
“I won’t!” She protested. “Just make sure to pace yourself!” She called as they began to climb.
“Fine.” Gwen sighed.
Ten flights of stairs later, and they were still doing okay. “Hey, this isn’t too bad. Nothing compared to Total Drama!” Gwen cheered.
`Twenty more flights and they were getting a bit tired. “Still going strong.” Gwen said.
Thirty more flights and they were exhausted. “Still better than Total Drama.” Gwen gasped.
“Stop talking. Save your energy.” Courtney gasped back.
At some point during their climb they came across a team dressed in matching pink attire and tan wool vests. They were bowing towards the cameras. Courtney and Gwen ran right past them.
“What was that for!” The brunette woman in a ponytail called after them.
“No time, gotta keep running.” Gwen called back.
“See you later losers!” Courtney couldn’t help but add. Gwen smiled a bit.
After what felt like an eternity they reached the top of the stairs and pushed through the doors to see the guide they need. “Travel tip! Now!” Courtney gasped. The clearly overwrought teen rolled his eyes but gave them their tip.
“Catch a line with a zip, ride the line to your tip.” Gwen gasped.
“Must be a zip line out of here!” Courtney realized. She looked around and spotted it. “There! Give us those helmets!” She and Gwen grabbed a pair of helmets from the box and ran for the zipline. As they rode it down Courtney smiled as she saw Gwen cheer happily. Of course she’d be into this. Luckily Courtney had the presence of mind to catch the tip on their way down.
They landed on the cushions at the end, before being crushed by the team behind them. As Courtney’s head cleared she saw the team they ran over on the staircase waving towards the camera. Courtney turned and offered a hand to Gwen, who smiled weakly at her and took it.
“Alright next tip.” Courtney said, getting her head back in the game. “Book two seats on the next flight to Morocco.”
After they booked their flight they got on the plane. The only other team there was the one they ran into twice. “Gwen we’re in second!”
“Yes, second to us.” The woman on the other team taunted. “So much for us being losers eh?”
“Well you must be pretty thin skinned to let that hurt your feelings. Hope you’re ready for an actual competition!” Courtney retorted.
“Courtney, can we not rile up the other contestants?” Gwen asked.
“You should listen to your little friend. We are champions.” The blonde male on the other team said.
“Doesn’t mean you’ll win.” Courtney scoffed. She wanted to say something more, but respected Gwen’s desire to avoid conflict.
“Please we have been through hours of rigorous training. Competed on injures, even risked our very health to win the competition. You have no chance.” The woman on the other team said.
Courtney wanted to challenge that. To her surprise she didn't have to.
“You think you’ve been through things? Have you climbed a pyramid in the hot Egyptian desert while a sociopath lounges around drinking? Have you trekked across the Yukon tundra during a storm? Have you climbed up Lady Liberty on a rope made of steel wool? Have you dived off a cliff in Jamaica into a pool of man eating sharks and eels? No you haven’t but we have. If anyone is gonna win this its us.”
The woman huffed and turned from her. Courtney glared back. As the plane filled up with five more teams Courtney sighed internally. Half a challenge in and they already had a team that hated them.