The Out-Cast. ||TDROTI(TDR) AU

°1||Chamber of Reflection.

"All right... let's get this disgusting joke we call breakfast over with." Jo taunted, lightly hitting Brick in the shoulder.
"We can't! Chef's not here and neither is breakfast." Cameron exclaimed, gesturing to the chef-less lunchroom.
"Sorry-! Lightning needs meat. M-E... uh... E. Er...Come on, we'll make our own breakfast!" Mike rolled his eyes, humming slightly as the group split. Obviously he was going to check the one place Chef kept most of his fresh- stuff. Mike paused a moment as he muttered out of nowhere, "Does his food even count as ingredient worthy-?" He blinked before quickly shaking his head and opening the fridge.
"There's no food in the fridge!" He called, slamming it shut with a bit of unnecessary force.
"Nothing in the cupboards either." Zoey shrugged, glancing over to Mike.
"We should check in the walk-in freezer!" He managed to overhear.
"Hey, yeah, the freezer! Sha-bingo! Meat-cicle!" Lightning exclaimed, dashing into the- freezer?
Mike groaned at Lightning's stupidity, following after Zoey who dashed in. Mike felt a shiver run up his spine as the doors slammed shut behind them all. He quickly turned around sliding slightly on the icy metal as he gripped at the doors, slipping backward as the truck started he hissed, instinctively gripping the back of his head as he sat up.
"Hey!" Lightning barked.
"Challenge time, suckers!" Chef called back to them as the truck swerved, causing Mike who had attempted to stand slip and land against the wall next to Zoey, same girl grabbing him by his shirt and helping him regain his balance before they swerved again.
"This is highly unorthodox!"
"Where are you taking us?" Zoey yelped as the truck seemed to jolt.
"You'll see. Ha ha...-ow!" Chef exclaimed, slamming his thumb in the sliding door.

_______________________
Each contestant was dumped out of the truck simultaneously.
"Good. You're here. Finally. Today's challenge is to find a golden Chris statue in your team color hidden somewhere in this old abandoned mine. First team back wins!" Chris explained.
"Sha-done and done. Go Team Dude!" Lightning announced, raising his hand in the air before doubling over with a hiss as he clutched his stomach. Jo snarled, reeling her hand away from the sportsman.
"Are you sha-blind? I'm not a- Ack!" She topples over easily as she was thrown a hefty orange backpack.
"Don't worry. There are enough packs for everyone!" Chris taunted from the screen. Cameron groaned, attempting to lift one and fell backwards from the weight of swinging it over his shoulder to put it on.
"What'd you put in them...rocks?" Jo grunted, sliding her backpack up against her chest to glance in with difficulty.
"Uh-buh-buh-buh-buh! No peeking. Those fifty-pound bags are purely for your torment and my amusement. Enjoy."
"Chemical badges? Why do we need to measure our exposure to toxic waste?" Cameron muttered observing his own.
"No reason. Except that I rented the mine out to store hazardous material." The contestants gasp loudly at the reference as Mike furrows his eyebrows, his hands shifting back and forth in-front of him. Chris being Chris as always.
"Whoa. Whoa whoa, are you demented?" Anne Maria yelped, causing Mike to step a few feet away from her just in case she had a bit of an outburst and attempted to snag Vito to front to get on her side.
"No. Which is why I'm in a studio right now." Mike bit on his tongue, subconsciously looking at Brick, who seemed just as nervous as he was. Though it was no doubt that it was for a different reasoning than his. Manitoba was getting riled up at the thought of an adventure.
"Relax. It's perfectly safe. For thirty minutes. When your badge turns orange, you have fifteen minutes left. Red is your five minute warning and if you see a skull and crossbones, we'll dedicate this episode to you. But no way is it gonna come to that. I sent Dakota down there for forty minutes, and she's gonna be fine-ish..."

_______________________
"Now move it, peeps." Chris ordered.
"Can you at least give us a hint about where to find the statues?" Zoey edged on the show host. Mike hummed, it was almost an annoyance to keep denying his adoration for the redhead. Woah there! Sheesh I thought I was the one with a ladies' addiction.
"Shut up Veto." He hissed under his breath as he avoided total contact with Anne Maria.
"Funny story. The statues have gone missing. Someone or something down there must've taken them." Goddamn it.
"Uh, i-is it well-lit down there?" Brick asked, visibly shaking as he attempted to keep a strong visual rep. Mike felt a hard pity for the guy. The amount of injuries Brick sustained this season and his knack for being humiliated on international television.
"It's a mine, bro. Pitch black. All the way. There are flashlights and fireflies inside. First come, first served. Anywho, time's a-wasting and so are your healthy blood cells. So go!"