Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDI 4a: Revenge is Sweet

"Cake at Stake."

Once again, everyone got the gist; the Squashy Grapes made their way over, got comfortable, and settled in for yet another shouting match among themselves. "So, since the Grapes were dumber, they got a lower average test score." "Well, I wouldn't say *that*." Leafy frowned. "*Some* of us did pretty good." "One of them goes home." The speaker box didn't care for what she had to say. "And the number of votes is..." Screen goes up, zero votes. "Hold on 1/60th of a minute, that doesn't seem right." Golf Ball sighed. "We've already done this whole thing before." She'd step in. "Whatever it is you're doing, speaker machine, it *clearly* isn't working." She'd then look at the Grapes. "Just get to voting, you guys."

"Well, I think we can all agree who dragged us all down here." Leafy quickly made her opinion heard first. "Yeah!" Ice Cube nodded in agreement. "Blocky cheated instead of giving the challenge his best shot, which caused us to lose yet again! I've given you enough chances, and perhaps it's been too many; I think it's time that you just *go*!" "Like, yeah." Match nodded. "I'm not gonna have my chances of winning Dream Island get, like, ruined by some freak who thinks he's, like, better than all of us." "Hey, hang on!" Blocky shouted. "Hear me out here! The only reason we lost is because we got caught; didn't you hear what that speaker said? We won first!" "Well, that doesn't matter, does it?" Leafy interjected. "When he found out you guys cheated, he immediately turned around on that! It doesn't matter what *could've* happened, what matters is what *did*!"

"Oh, you wanna talk about what *did* happen?" Blocky folded his arms, prominently displaying his bandages (which were just about holding on). "I was out there, helping out our team, then I got hurt while doing so! Then you show up, then not only did you side with *them*..." He'd gesture towards the Squishy Cherries, who were watching or minding their own business in the distance. "But you also got angry at me for it!" Match glanced at Leafy for a moment. "Is that, like, true?" Leafy simply gave her a disapproving nod back before looking back at Blocky. "That's because what you were doing was unnecessarily harmful to them! You could've sabotaged them through other means, and yet-" "Who *cares*?" Blocky scoffed. "They're on the other team! They'd *also* do whatever it takes to win; don't think I didn't see what Firey did."

The cube would suddenly get up and walk across the Cake at Stake place, right up to Leafy; the Announcer was clearly keen on stepping in, but Golf Ball would raise a foot to block him off. "You know what I think?" The hexahedron continued. "You talk a lot about *me* sabotaging this team, when you've done plenty to weigh us down too." "That's just ridiculous." Leafy tried her hardest to stare right back at him. "I wouldn't-" "You treat your teammates the wrong way, outright *berating* them for not following you, then you say that we shouldn't act against our enemies! Who's *really* working against us here?"

Leafy briefly went red with frustration. "They're still our friends, you know?" She'd snap. "Even if we *are* on separate teams, we were all still getting along just fine before all this! Why should this sudden stuff get in the way of basic decency?" She'd fold her arms. "Well, maybe you think so because you've never had an actual friend in your life; you don't care about anybody, so you can just easily drop them like they're nothing." "Wha- that's nonsense!" Blocky shouted. "Of *course* I have friends, duh! It's just that you've kicked them all out because they wouldn't play nice with you!" He'd then look at Pen, slowly making his way over to him. "Pen's my pal too, right?" The writing utensil tried his hardest to look away. "Well, uh... Yeah." He'd nod slightly; Blocky wasn't all too pleased with this, though. "*Right*?" Pen kept on looking away.

"Alright, you guys." The Announcer interrupted while Blocky returned to his seat. "Just vote already." "Yeah, what he said." Golf Ball chimed in. "What you think..." Leafy scoffed. "Who cares what *you* think? You didn't care about what any of us thought when you pranked us, so why should we care now?" She'd take a deep breath. "I've given you all the time in the world to change, and you've just... wasted it." She'd shake her head. "I should've done this a long time ago; you need to go, Blocky." Match and Ice Cube shared her sentiments and voted likewise. "Actually, *you* need to go!" Blocky shouted back. "Woody also votes for Leafy." The Announcer announced. "That quickly?" Golf Ball raised an eyebrow in interest.

"TD?" The leaf would look at the Teardrop in question. "Aren't you gonna vote for him too?" As always, that drop of liquid would remain silent, maintaining as comfortable of a seat as possible. "You know she isn't gonna talk back to you, right?" Blocky interjected. "She doesn't talk to dumb people." "Well, that's not surprising." Leafy quipped. "I haven't seen her talk to *you* either." She'd momentarily chuckle as Blocky seethed. "Besides, someone else hasn't voted either." She then glanced at Pen; Blocky took a moment to realize what had happened and looked at Pen too. "That, uh..." The hexahedron glared at him. "That can't be right, right?" He'd pause, expecting a response; none would come. He'd grumble, impatient. "Pen, they just probably didn't hear you; tell 'em you voted for Leafy again."

Pen made a series of noises that couldn't really be taken either way. "Before I do that, though..." He'd scratch his head. "Just wanted to point out that they *are* a bit right, you know?" Blocky's face dropped. "*What*." "Y-You can't evade it this time!" Pen was quick to defend himself. "The speaker box himself said that-" "Not *this* again!" Blocky shouted. "I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt last time, but this is just getting ridiculous; what's gotten into you? You're supposed to be on my side here!" "I *am*!" Pen hastily got a word out. "It's just that you *might* not be thinking clearly about this, again-" "Thinking clearly?" Blocky's eye twitched. "I'm the whole brains behind this operation! *Now* you think I could be wrong, when we gotta stick together more than ever?"

Leafy sighed; growing bored of watching the two fight she'd join in once more. "Pen, I don't know what's up with you." She'd start. "You came to us all of a sudden, *begging* for us to be your friend. And then you do this. Was it all part of some prank? Was it genuine?" She'd sigh. "Now's your chance to pull whatever it is you're doing. *Vote*." The sudden interjection caused silence to fall in the Cake at Stake place. Blocky looked at Leafy, then back to Pen, then Leafy again, then went back-and-forth a few times over. "Pen." He'd respond flatly. "You, did, *WHAT*?"

Teardrop finally grew tired of the whole charade and pointed a finger towards Blocky, indicating where her vote was. "Blocky now has four votes." The Announcer announced. "That is a majority, so all other votes are irrelevant. Blocky, goodbye." "You can't eliminate me!" Blocky got up from his seat, trying to avoid getting flung out of there. "*Especially* not now!" He'd run up to Pen, aggressively grabbing him and shaking him violently. "You. What did you *DO*?"

And the two of them would be flung away; Pen would end up landing just a few feet away from everyone else, while Blocky went to the same place the others went.

-

"Hey, uh, speaker thing?"

The Announcer was busy attending to the finer details when Tennis Ball suddenly walked up to him. "Hm?" The speaker box turned to the big ball. "Firey's kinda... dead." Tennis Ball explained. "I don't think he has a recovery center, so if you could-" "Yeah. Yeah. Alright." The Announcer interrupted, turning away. "Now go."

Tennis Ball would do precisely the opposite of that, though; instead, he'd try to get a good look at... whatever the speaker box was doing. Immediately he'd look back at him again; if that metal box could show emotion, he'd probably be frustrated right about now. "Go." He repeated. "You should be with the other team." "We aren't really doing much, though." Tennis Ball remarked. "We're just waiting until you tell us what the next contest is." "Well, it's not ready yet." The Announcer replied. "Now go." "Why?" Tennis Ball asked. "Because I'm busy." "Busy with what?" "Busy with running the Battle for Dream Island." "But, like, why?" This time around, however, the speaker box had no prepared response. "Why *are* you doing this to us, anyway? What made you suddenly fall out of the sky, made us do all these things for some island?"

The Announcer remained silent for a moment, as if actually thinking about an answer. "Go." He'd finally repeat; Tennis Ball angrily sighed. "How about I help you out with whatever that is?" He'd ask. "I'm pretty helpful, despite not having any arms; in exchange, you can-" "*Go*." The speaker box said one final time, and Tennis Ball would finally give up. "Fine. Fine."

That clumsy Tennis Ball would return to Pin, who was busy gazing off into the distance; he'd look at the same way she was, and would find Pen just... sitting there. "What're you up to?" Tennis Ball asked. "Just looking." Pin flatly replied. "Looking at Pen?" "Not my fault." Pin sighed. "You gave me the idea after you had your little episode." "It's not..." Tennis Ball sighed in kind. "I *swear*..." He'd shake his head. "Whatever. That isn't why I'm here." He'd sit down. "Speaking of Pen, though, did you hear-" "Yeah. Yeah." Pin nodded. "To think Leafy did that..." She'd pause for a moment. "Not that I'm upset about it, or anything. If anything..." She'd go slightly red, which would be masked by the fact that she already *was* red. "I'm impressed." Tennis Ball nodded. "Yeah. She's always been so nice and friendly, even towards those that... don't really feel the same way. But now she's quickly changed and become more fit for this whole competition." He'd pause. "Maybe a bit *too* fitting; it all just seems to be a bit..."

He'd shake his head again. "About the competition, Pin." "Hm?" Pin turned to him. "What do you think about the Announcer?" "Well, as I've said..." The thumbtack sighed. "It's complicated, really; on one hand, I think what he's done was a long time coming." She'd pause. "*Something* was bound to bring all of us back to reality, made us confront what life really is like. If this doesn't knock some sense into us, I don't know what does." She paused again. "On the other hand... I just don't get why he's doing this. Like, why pick *us* out specifically for this competition? Why don't we get a say in it?" "Well, I have a few working theories." Tennis Ball remarked. "But I wanna hear what you think; you ever tried looking for answers yourself?" Pin grumbled. "Where even *can* we look?" She'd reply. "There's nothing here but empty fields. Also, the speaker box came from the sky; that's a whole place we can't even *begin* to search."

Pin sighed. "I think we're bound to get some answers eventually." She'd continue. "*Surely* he's gonna tell us what's up at some point; maybe when one of us wins Dream Island, maybe some time after that. He owes us *that* much." She'd pause. "But right now, we don't know much of anything; and that's... fine. That's *fine*." She'd turn her gaze to nothing in particular. "We've lived our lives without knowing a lot of things, and we made it out alive. No harm in waiting a bit longer."

The two of them kept looking out into the distance, unsure of what to do next. Despite the facade Tennis Ball always keeps and maintains, despite claiming to know the most about everything, he didn't even know where to start here.