Survivor: the Initiative episode 10

Writer's note: In the last episode of Survivor: the Initiative, Battle Star won immunity, then subsequently received two votes in tribal council, from Derwyddon and Sandstorm. This was a simple mistake on the writer's part. Please trade those votes from Battle Star to Valkyrie, following the same motivations, and everything is all better. We can now start fresh with episode 10! :D
Survivor: the Initiative Episode 10
Everything old is new again

Day 28
Samantha Parrington, who, until recently, had been known as Valkyrie (before she'd been trapped in her mortal form as she had been for the past three days), looked around the decimated camp. The shelter had been smashed by Ion three days before, and Samantha hadn't told anyone who'd done it. And since then, no one had done anything to fix the shelter. It'd been raining too much, for one thing, but no one really seemed to care. But Samantha knew it was still eleven days until the end of the game, and she, for one, was sick of sleeping in the open. But she couldn't well fix the shelter herself. She sighed in frustration and kicked at one of the loose boards that had previously made up their shelter.
Samantha smoothed her hands over her hips. In this form, she was over a foot shorter, and over three hundred pounds lighter, than in her Valkyrie form. Valkyrie wasn't fat, just... robust. She reflected back to her earlier days. One thing this competition was doing was making her learn more about herself. When she'd been a young woman in her twenties, she'd been focused, primarily, upon defying her parents in whatever ways she could. She'd needed so badly to assert her independence from them, doing things just to spite them. Her parents had thrown a party for the Hulk, of all people, in a bizarre effort to win public favor, and Samantha had been transformed by the Enchantress into the Valkyrie, and had fought the Hulk. What did that say about her? From a young woman seeking her own voice to an immortal warrior woman battling the strongest man on the planet, all in a matter of minutes. She still didn't know quite what that said about her. But she thought she needed to figure it out if she was ever going to master her transformations and truly be a hero, something she really wanted now.
As she walked down the path to the small lake near their camp, Samantha reflected upon the resolve she'd found within herself in the past few days. She was no longer crying, that was a relief. Now she just had to keep that resolve through the coming challenges. She would figure this out. She would.
"An' what's a pretty lassie like ye doin' walkin' by yuirself?" Samantha turned to see MAULER, stripped to his boxers with his beard unkempt and down to his chest, walking up behind her with a broad smile on his face. "Surely ye'll be wantin' some company on yuir walk."
Samantha sighed again. "Mr. Doyle, you are welcome to walk with me, but please keep your annoying flirtations to yourself. I didn't notice you flirting with me when I was Valkyrie."
MAULER laughed loudly. "Well, ye weren't nearly as... approachable in that form, were ye?"
Samantha couldn't help but laugh back. "I guess not. But I'm still the same person. And I'm not interested."
MAULER laughed. "Don't let me bravado throw ye off. I'm here for game reasons only. I know better than tae get involved with the woman who could kill me quick."
"What game reasons?"
"I'm thinkin' we're both bein' in need of new alliances now."

"So you were lying to me the whole time."
"There's a big difference between lying to someone and not telling the whole truth."
Lemar Hoskins, Battle Star, grunted at Sandstorm's response and tossed another rock in the water. "You never told me you weren't black, even when I assumed you were black. You never told me you'd killed people. Lying is still lying if you leave the truth out."
Sandstorm rolled his eyes and shifted positions. "Kay, so I lied. I got bigger things to worry about. Kinda going through an identity crisis here."
"Join the club. What do you want, Tony?"
Lemar waited for several moments for Sandstorm to answer. "Our alliance, does it still stand? Cause despite my lies, I still really want to win this game."
And Lemar then told his first lie of the game. "Yeah. Sure, kid. Our alliance is still on."
After Sandstorm left, Lemar sat at the lakeshore for another two hours by himself. He saw Valkyrie, or Samantha as she now asked to be called, come and go. No Ion or Nocturne, but they'd been pretty scarce anyway, even after Nocturne had kissed him. He just sat there. And found that he didn't care about this game at all anymore. Not the challenges, not the vote. He'd won immunity the day before on reflex. He didn't like the competition, he didn't like his opponents. Heck, at this point he didn't like himself. He knew he needed to make a choice. He either needed to drop out, or to be in it to win it. But for now he didn't want to choose. He just didn't have it in him.
"Laddie, ye are seemin' more an' more down an' out. Ye need tae snap out of it." MAULER, in his boxer shorts, sat down next to Lemar.
"Brendan, I kinda want to be alone right now."
MAULER smiled that over-confident smile of his. "Laddie, just ye listen. I know when tae cut my losses. I think it's time for a new alliance for the two of us."

DAY 29
Voletta Todd, Ion, floated high in the sky, where she'd spent much of the past few days. She was furious with herself for losing her temper and destroying the shelter, and even more disgusted with her teammates, especially Valkyrie, for scorning their own humanity. She no longer cared to try heroism. She no longer cared to try getting her human form back. She no longer cared about scientific pursuits, or anything else that had ever given her meaning. She simply had lost her will. She now wanted nothing more than to cease existing altogether, and she knew of no way to end the existence of a being composed of ionic energy. She cursed her very existence, her very sentience, and allowed the breeze to carry her further out over the woods.
Voletta cursed to herself when she saw Nocturne flying past. Then she cursed again. How had Nocturne found her here, when she just wanted to be left alone? Voletta had shrunk her energy field to the size of a mite of dust. But Nocturne, she must have used her emotion-sensing ability to find Voletta, who was clearly giving off a strong sense of emotions at this point.
Nocturne slowed. She couldn't quite see Voletta, who was practically invisible, but she somehow knew where she was. Voletta wasn't so obtuse that she hadn't noticed the change in Nocturne, who had come across so much more confident in the past few days. Voletta didn't know what had changed, and she didn't care.
Nocturne spoke then. She spoke! Voletta had rarely heard her utter even a word. Even a sound. "Ion? It's me, Angela. I've been looking for you the better part of the day. Such... pain I sense from you. I wanted to offer to help you as you once offered friendship to me."
Unable to hide, Voletta willed herself back to "human" size. The amount of space a human would take up, though she was a weightless mass of energy. "What do you want, Nocturne?"
Nocturne's voice trilled slightly. "I... I wanted to offer to help. I am willing to take your pain from you. I can store pain now. It doesn't hurt me any longer."
Voletta's voice shook despite herself. "You want to... to take my pain. Why?"
Nocturne answered with an unexpected confidence. "Because I can."
Ion felt a stirring of strong emotions from within her. Again, emotions she wasn't prepared to confront, emotions she didn't know she had. "No! How dare you!" Voletta tried to cool the anger in her voice. She calmed herself. "Listen, I understand that you are trying to help. But you must try to realize that my mind, my personality, and my... emotional reactions. They are all I have left. They are the only humanity I yet possess. Please, leave, and let me brood in peace."
Nocturne trilled again. "Yes. But please understand, the rest of us, we don't know what it is like to be you. And we have emotions as well. Your unique state of being doesn't stop others from having difficult experiences."
As Nocturne flew away, Voletta thought that if she had the ability, she might cry.

"I like you, Lemar Hoskins. I like your confidence, and I enjoy the goodness that is in your soul." Angela Cairn, Nocturne, approached Battle Star with her new self. She wasn't yet sure how to react to the new being that sat before her. He was so empty inside, so despairing. It was a startling change from the being she had come across before. She laid her head by his shoulder as he sat by the lake, and ignored the smell of his unwashed body. She willed her hair, which she could control as she could her arms, legs, and wings, and stroked his back with it.
"Wait a minute, lady." He expressed protest, but didn't react with any movement in his body and no change in his emotional reaction. "You come on to me all strong. You kiss me, cuddle up next to me. Then you up and disappear from camp for several days. What do you want from me?"
Angela thought of the best way to answer. "Friendship."
"Friendship."
"Friendship."
"Yes. I find myself in need of friends."
Battle Star huffed. "Not a late game alliance."
Angela lifted her head and gave him a confused stare. "No. I've cared little for this game since the beginning. I just need friends. Before my transformation, I was a competitive, rational mind. I feel my old self returning more prominently now."
Battle Star smiled, and Angela felt a tinge of mirth from him. "Well, you sure talk a lot more now."
Angela leaned in on his shoulder and was content to sit in silence for a time.

DAY 30
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
When the six remaining contestants arrived at the immunity challenge, a few miles from their usual camps, they were surprised to see an ornate pavilion in front of them. And when they entered, they were even more shocked to see thousands of Symkarians in the stands cheering for them. It had varying reactions on the contestants, seeing fans cheering their names. Fans! Cheering! The dirty, disheveled would-be heroes stood in shock, surprise, excitement, and embarrassment, all at varying levels. When Jasper introduced the gorgeous Silver Sable, head of the mercenary elite of Symkaria, the Wild Pack, the men in the stadium stood a little straighter and sucked in their stomachs. Silver Sable, dressed in gorgeous silver leather, nodded at the contestants, then announced to them, and the crowd, that the contestants would be facing off in a duel against hand-selected members of her Wild Pack.
When Silver Sable gestured at a side gate, the six selected mercenaries rushed into the stadium, looking powerful, regal, and heroic. She announced that some of them were on loan to her for this specific competition. Windshear flew above the stadium, using hard air constructs to walk down from the top to the base, to the cheers of the crowd. Pulsar flew through the crowd, changing her light sources to various colors and dazzling the room. On the other side of the stadium, Lightbright cascaded over the crowd, spreading warmth and light over the audience, who applauded at the good feelings they were left with. On the ground, Sabra entered the room with multiple cartwheels and acrobatics, showing her strength and agility. Fin charged in, his giant green fin standing off his body as he charged through a brick wall that had been set up for that purpose. And lastly, Vibraxas used his vibratory powers, with tight control, to shake a section of the stadium, knocking some of the audience members out of their seats as they laughed.
Jasper explained that the contestants on both sides would be equipped with a piece of battle armor they would be required to adhere to their abdomens (Ion and Pulsar would be equipped with special ones that would adhere to their energy forms). They would then spar with each other. Once a contestant's armor was struck three times, they would be out of the challenge. The contestant to last the longest, or to defeat their opponent the fastest, would win immunity, and the challenge would showcase their skills in battle. Sandstorm versus Vibraxas. Battle Star versus Fin. Ion versus Pulsar. Nocturne versus Lightbright. Valkyrie versus Sabra. MAULER versus Windshear.
With the crowd cheering, the six contestants lined up against their opponents in the Wild Pack and prepared to engage in the challenge. Jasper and Silver Sable announced go, and the 12 opponents leaped into action. On the ground, Valkyrie, still in her human form, drew her blade, but Sabra delivered three quick blows to the armor shell and Valkyrie was the first disqualified. Nocturne and Lightbright flew across the stadium, pulsing each other with waves of emotion, and Nocturne successfully evaded Lightbright's blasts of heat and light with her wide wings; they couldn't seem to lay a hand on each other. Feeling free to use his offensive weaponry against the armored Windshear for the first time in the competition, MAULER used his laser and blaze cannons in his aerial battle, but found it difficult to get past the hard air shields in the air. They danced and flew at each other through the air, and MAULER received the first blow to his armor within three minutes of the battle. Battle Star and Fin quickly got into a brutish struggle of super strength, each holding the other's arms back, their foreheads touching as they strained, unmoving, across the field. In a shocking turn of events, Sandstorm, who surrounded himself with a powerful shell of grit armor, was blasted apart into sandy particles with a vibratory blast from Vibraxas, who quickly zapped the battle armor three times and disqualified Sandstorm. The most bizarre battle, however, turned out to be Ion and Pulsar, who zapped each other with waves of energy, neither doing any harm to the other.
After fifteen minutes on the field, Battle Star and MAULER had been eliminated as well. After several more minutes, Pulsar found a frequency that allowed her to contain Ion in, and she quickly defeated her opponent. Nocturne, who had been evading Lightbright successfully for several minutes, was declared the winner as she'd lasted the longest on the field.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
After welcoming in the three members of the jury, Biohazard, Steel Spider, and Derwyddon, Jasper sat down the six remaining members of the game. He felt waves of confidence-inspiring emotions washing off of Nocturne, who sat with a grin on her face and the immunity idol around her neck. Jasper smiled at the remaining players in the game, wondering who would end up winning.
"Today you got your taste of combat. When you become heroes for the Initiative, you will be pitted against foes in the defense of your country, you will train against others. Today, you were pitted against someone whose powers were meant to counter yours, and some of you fared very well. Don't worry, as you'll have much more training before you are deployed. Sandstorm, what did that combat feel like today? Did you enjoy it?"
Sandstorm shrugged. "I didn't not enjoy it. I didn't know what to expect, and that Vibraxas guy kicked my butt much faster than I would have expected. I guess it is good to learn lessons like that."
"Valkyrie, did seeing any of your competitors in battle change your thinking about the game at all?"
"No, not at all. I have gotten to know these folks pretty well. I am embarrassed to not have my own powers under control still, and to have been the first one out, but I know these five are all worthy competitors."
"Nocturne, with immunity, you are guaranteed a spot in our final five. How will you be basing your vote this evening, knowing you are safe?"
"I am glad to be safe. I have found newfound desires in me to win this game, and I am glad to be sure of a few more days. Alliances are fractured among us. Tonight's vote will be with what I hope is the majority."
Jasper then commenced with the voting.
The first vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Battle Star, who no longer trusted his one-time ally.
The second vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Ion, who was clued in to this vote by Nocturne.
The third vote was for Sandstorm. This was from MAULER, who needed to distance himself from his former ally.
The fourth vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Nocturne, who was voting along with Battle Star.
The fifth vote was for Valkyrie. This was from Sandstorm, who, sensing his own defeat, cast one last vote at an opponent.
The sixth vote was for Sandstorm. This was from Valkyrie, who was voting along with Battle Star.
As Jasper extinguished his torch, Sandstorm looked toward the group and stoically said, "I still have a lot to learn about myself. I apologize for my deviousness up until now." And then he walked off to join the jury.

Thank you for participating in this, our tenth episode. Only a few left to go, and somehow we have more women than men left! I apologize for the delays over the holidays. Illnesses and travel stopped me from getting things done sooner. We should be back on schedule now until the big finish. Bit stuff planned for all five characters!
Next episode, which should be back up on Thursday (regular time; voting won't close til Wednesday night), due to random selection, MAULER gets immunity. That means you can vote for any of the other four. See you then!

TEAM ROGERS:
Battle Star (Lemar Hoskins)
Ion (Voletta Todd)
MAULER (Brendan Doyle--immunity)
Nocturne (Angela Cairn)
Valkyrie (Samantha Parrington)