away. It’s such a waste . . . but they don’t even think about it.
Okay. Stop, Jerusha. You’re happy, remember? You won. You won! That’s really cool, and next week you could win again and stay in this thing for another week. Maybe this time the challenge will be something you’re perfectly suited for.
It could happen, right?
And I’d be happy. I really would.
Week 4: How the Cards Fall
Week Four Recap: Hunt for the Hero
This week, it’s a race for the prize as the teams compete against each other to retrieve five statuettes of the first hero of the wild card era: Jetboy, “the kid who couldn’t die yet.” However, controversy marred the competition as two aces faced off and things got personal.
The Scavenger Hunt started off well enough. The teams were given five locations, and when the clock started, chaos ruled as aces from each team sped off to battle for each of the five golden Jetboy statuettes hidden throughout Los Angeles. As they raced to find and retrieve each idol, the aces faced obstacles and booby traps, from the notorious LA traffic to wild animals at the Griffith Park Zoo! It wasn’t enough to find the statues. The teams had four hours to deliver their prizes back to the staging area. Which meant there was plenty of time on the way back to steal each other’s thunder—and Jetboys.
As the rules say: there are no rules.
Curveball, Cleopatra, Jade Blossom, and Matryoshka headed to Beverly Hills. From the footage alone, you wouldn’t have known it was a competition, as they went into one store after another, racing up and down Rodeo Drive—window shopping. Matryoshka thought to cover more ground by splitting into his multiple versions, but the street was soon filled with miniature Matryoshkas running in and out of stores, blocking doorways, causing traffic jams, and getting chased by dogs. Curveball took another approach, searching for the statue in flower beds. The others had the right idea, though, and it was Jade Blossom who found the Jetboy statue in the window display at Tiffany’s. She couldn’t hold on to the prize, however. The elusive Cleopatra grabbed the idol from her and teleported to the end of the street before Jade Blossom could react. By teleporting, Cleopatra kept one block ahead of her opponents, who couldn’t catch up. Cleo won the prize for Team Spades.
The scene at Venice Beach was mayhem. Diver took to the waves, looking for the statue offshore. Earth Witch took to her own element and searched in the sand. The Amazing Bubbles searched on the beach as well, then took a “wait and see” approach, keeping an eye on the others with the idea of taking the statue from whoever found it first. But she didn’t keep a close enough eye on the right ace. The Candle had a novel idea and asked the locals for clues as to the statue’s whereabouts. And that’s how he quietly found the statue in a street performer’s stash, mixed in with the juggling clubs. He took home a second statue for Team Spades, before his competitors even knew he’d found the prize.
Rosa Loteria, Drummer Boy, Toad Man, Holy Roller, and the Maharajah picked what might be the most challenging location of all: the Valley. They braved traffic and suburbia in search of the prize. It was Rosa Loteria who spotted the idol—in an electrified cage suspended from the 405 freeway overpass over Ventura Boulevard. But luck wasn’t with her, and she drew a bad card—El Camaron, the Shrimp. Ouch. A twelve-inch Rosa with gills was out of the running. Traffic on Ventura screeched to a halt as Toad Man tried to zap the idol with his versatile tongue in what should have been a perfect move. But the Maharajah had other ideas and used a squad of jumpsuits to tackle the giant amphibian. That started a three-way battle among Toad Man, fellow Club Holy Roller, and the Maharajah to see who would even get close to the statue—leaving Drummer Boy to his own devices. The rock star took time out to sign autographs and pose for pictures with a group of shoppers, which should have left him at a disadvantage—until a helpful Joker Plague fan let him borrow his truck. By standing on the roof and using the insulating rubber floormats, Drummer Boy was able to retrieve the cage, smash it open, and claim the idol. Score one for Team Hearts.
Gardener and Hardhat of Team Hearts were at a disadvantage in