It was a cool rainy night as the trio drove down the road, with Max activating traction tires so they don't spin out. On the other hand...
"Change it!"
"No way you change yours!"
"It's your turn!"
"Sorry, but I already picked the cake, color-coordinated the balloons and sent the invitations.", Gwen said as she handed Ben an invitation with his name on it. "Here's yours."
"Who decides to plan their birthday six months in advance?", Ben questioned annoyed.
"The one who gets to celebrate it on her actual birthday this year?", Gwen retorts.
Ben rolled his eyes annoyed. "Yeah, sure. Besides me and Grandpa were gonna go to Laser Tag for mine."
"Whaaaat?" Ben frowned a bit. "You can't miss my party Grandpa.", she said looking at Max who was annoyed.
"Now you two have shared the same birthday for the past ten years." Max said in a slightly aggravated tone. "So if you don't stop arguing, neither of you will make it to eleven.", he said as he noticed Alex aggressively rubbing his foot. "Try this, it gets rid of all kinds of fungus.", Max said tossing him a bottle of Athletes Foot Powder.
"Thanks.", Alex said as he poured a bit into his shoe and shoved his foot back in.
Suddenly, a random boy, maybe around ten or eleven, who is a chubby boy wearing a green shirt. He has bulging cheeks. Walked out on the road. "They're coming! Help me!"
Due to the dark road and their earlier quarrel, Max was distracted and tried to slow down, which happened thanks to the traction tires and turned off to avoid him, fortunately, the boy was able to avoid getting hit, though he falls down the nearby cliff, with only a branch to grab a hold onto. "C'mon Cold Soar!", Alex said activating the Omnitrix and turning into Wrecking Ball. He looked at his hands annoyed. "Again? Ah whatever."
Wrecking Ball simply shook his head and curled up into his sphere form and rolled over to the chubby kid. Right then the unnamed kid lost grip of the branch he held onto, Wrecking Ball leapt off the cliff, uncurled and rolled back up as soon as he got the kid. He bounced off the wet soil, through a tree and finally stopped next to a river, unrolling with the kid ontop of him. "You okay?"
The kid's vision focused, as soon as he saw the creature he let out a panicked yelp and passed out. "Could've just said no."
"There were a few scrapes and bruises, but I might've healed some of them with Parasyte. That's good, but out cold.", Max said checking the kids pulse, it was erratic but was starting to slow down. He must've been panicked out of his wits.
"His name is Gilbert.", Ben looked at Gwen confused seconds after she said his name.
"How'd know that?", Ben asked.
Gwen wore a smug grin. "Women's intuition."
"Just say you read his name tag and move on with it.", Alex said looking at Gwen with a cocked eyebrow. "He must go to camp Opinicon-... what is that.", Alex pointed at a purple fungus growing on Gilbert's arm.
"Ugh, that is one scary lookin rash.", Ben started poking it in which he received a quick slap to the back of his head.
"Don't touch it.", Alex said a bit disgusted.
"It's obviously some type of fungus."
"I saw the sign for the camp a bit ways back. They might have a nurse.", Max said as he got back into the driver seat and went off.
After a few minutes, they arrive at the camp. Max drives through the bit of forest at the entrance and right to the clearing, where there was the mess hall and the cabins with a large tower in the center.
What was strange is that... something told the Tennyson and their plus one that this place was just empty. "It's like a ghost town.", Max quietly said to himself as he parks the Rust Bucket in front of the mess hall.
Alex was the first one out and opened the door to the mess hall, the lights where still on and some plates still had some food. "It's empty...", he said as the Tennyson's took a step inside.
"Think it's abandoned?", Ben asked as Alex and Gwen looked at him incredulously.
Max walked past them and poked a plate of spaghetti. "It's still warm, the left in a hurry.", Max noted, until a sudden struck or lighting caused the lights to go out.
Max pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. It was strong and bright, he moved it around to see Gwen and Alex, then shone the flashlight at Ben who was eating the still fresh spaghetti.
Ben looked up at Max. "What? I'm hungry."
Max pulled out two more flashlights, handing one to Alex and one to Gwen. "You and Ben can share."
"Like we don't share enough.", Ben muttered."
"Oh will you let it go?", Gwen retorted
"I should've stayed home.", Alex thought to himself as he was not in the mood for their non stop arguing.
They immediately perked up as soon as they heard something in the kitchen, they went towards it and entered only to see no one in there. So they searched the kitchen, shining their flashlights around it in search for the origin of the nose. Ben let out a yelp as soon as he saw two glowing eyes. Alex and Max ran over as soon as they heard this
They looked to be singling a due to their similar facial structures, one being a boy and one being a girl; no older than six or seven at least. They wore identical shirts with different shorts and shoes. One had short brown hair and one had short blond hair, but they both had blue eyes. "Is it safe to come out?" The two children said, and with Gwen taking a look at their name tags, they were Andy and Mandy.
"You two okay?" Max said as he and Alex walked up next to Alice.
"For" "Now", Andy started off but with Mandy finishing, Ben and Alex looked at each other considering the twins seem to oddly finish each other sentences.
"Where did everyone go?", Alex said as he handed the prosthetic finger back to Max.
"We heard something outside but" "We were too scared to come out" the siblings said doing the same finishing the sentence shtick. "I'm Andy" "And I'm Mandy."
"I swear to god if we're dealing with some type of shit from The Shining I'm leaving.", Alex bluntly stated
Max shook his head, thunder struck, the loud noise caused the twins to hide behind Max. "Anyways, where's the camp nurse?"
"She's gone." "Along with all the others.", Andy and Mandy jumped at the sound of lighting and hid behind Max. Those words caused Max to frown a bit.
Max picked up the phone hanging from the wall, only to hear nothing. "Damn, the storm must've taken out the landline. Let's get back to Gilbert, we'll drive him to town."
~
It had started pouring outside, so they quickly ran back in the RV before they could get too wet. Alex halted his footsteps briefly, feeling the burning sensation of eyes watching, it must've been his imagination is what he thought before entering the Rust Bucket.
"Here, to help you dry off", Max said as he handed his grand children and the twins two large towels. One for each. "Sorry Alex, we don't have many other towels.", the teen just brushed it off.
"That's okay." "We'll share.", Andy and Mandy said as they wrapped themselves up in the towel.
"LET GO!", Ben and Gwen attempted to tug the towel away from one another.
Max snickered a bit, kinda reminded him of his younger days when he was a spry father looking after his kids. He walked over to the driver seat, put the key in the ignition and turned it... only to be met with screeching. He did it again but was met with the same sound. "Alex, come and help me look under the hood."
The two walked out, the rain had become more of a drizzle, fading away as it slowly stopped. Max lifted up the hood and the two figured out why the RV didn't start, it was because the engine was covered with a mass of fungus. "Looks like we have to hunker down here for a bit."
"Want me to transform into something and get it off?", Alex asked cocking his eyebrow.
Max looked around, now getting the same feeling Alex had not too long ago. "No, not yet."
~
They quickly ran back inside and take them all to the cabin, with Max holding Gilbert and the other four just walking and going into a nearby Cabin.
Max gently sets Gilbert down on the bottom bunk bed, standing straight up and stretching.
Alex felt his foot start to itch again, so he took off both his shoe and sock and started to douse his foot in Athletes foot. "Athletes foot?" "Everyone gets it here.", Andy answered Mandy
"You guys stay here and keep an eye on Gilbert, it'll rustle up something in the kitchen.", Max said as he looked at the wall, he got up and walked out. The rain had stopped.
"Grandpa, rustling up a meal?", Gwen looked horrified.
"Now that's a scary thought.", Ben said jokingly as he sat up on one of the bunks.
"There's gotta be a care package around here somewhere!", Gwen said as she searched under the bed, Ben rolled out the top bunk and reached under, immediately finding it. In which Gwen attempted to pull away from him.
"Can't you guys just share?", Andy and Mandy cocked their heads as Alex was close to banging his head through the wall.
"Like sharing the same birthday with a relative every single year? You don't get it."
Alex jolted up, bumping his head on the bunk above. "Ben! They're fucking twins, y'know born on the same day?"
Ben paused. "I knew that."
"They're here!" Gilbert shot up suddenly, causing Gwen to jump back. "They're all around us!", before they could ask what he meant, they heard a startled scream.
"Max?" Alex shot up and went to the door quickly, only for Gilbert to tackle him. "Ow! What the hell man?!", he said with a slightly raised voice.
"Don't go out there!", Alex noticed the absolute fear Gilbert had in his eyes. He looked at the door before looking back at Alex. "They'll find you."
Alex simply smirked and pushed him off before getting up. "I can take care of myself just fine.", he said as he opened the door and closed it behind him while he walked out.
Trench Monkey was swinging through the forest, using a combination of his danger sense and acrobatics to get their as quickly as possible. Thanks to his incredible senses in this form, he can see just fine and hear significantly better then the average human. He landed on a branch, looking around as his six eyes noticed an excavator. "Now what are you doing out here?"
Trench Monkey leapt off the branch, shooting a web strand from his wrist and swinging to the excavator. However, upon landing on top of it he saw a deep pit, appearing man made from not only the previously mentioned excavator but a damaged truck along with a second excavator that was flipped to its side. The pit was covered in large mushroom and other fungi, with several massive purple tentacles coming from an even deeper hole. "I think I hit the jackpot."
Trench Monkey let out his usual chirps as he ran towards the giant hole in the center. From what he could tell it went pretty deep down, maybe into a cave system. "Hmm?", he felt the thunk in his skull, he flipped backwards as tentacles lunged at him, he effortlessly dodged the tentacles grabbing him but was dragged down by his tail, looked over to see Max as he landed down, only for him to be dragged away.
"There you are!", Trench Monkey used his second pair of arms to smack his Omnitrix emblem, transforming into Lagoon and ripping off his restraints. Chasing after him, that was before he realized it moved faster then him. "Great.", Lagoon shook his head before noticing the mushrooms around him.
Te large mushrooms grow a pair of green eyes and misshaped mouthed as they grew arms legs. "Of course, giant mushrooms with a craving for flesh, never thought I'd see the day.", Lagoon shook his head as he shut his eyes tight, the glowing lure on his head flowed brighter before covering his immediate area in a quick flash of light, blinding the mushrooms.
He used this distraction to run back the way he came, jumping over a large pod like creature and started crawling up the rocky wall back up to the hole. He looked behind him to see the tentacles, slicing them away with his claws as he climbed up quicker.
Lagoon ran out and noticed a forklift, smiling as he sprinted towards it. Transforming into Parasite, he lifted it up with his tentacles, and threw it at the approaching creatures, it landed ontop of a few of the living mushrooms and tentacles, before more lifted it up and tossed it away. "So much for that.", Parasite turned and leapt away, landing on the excavator before swinging through the forest.
Alex bursted into the cabin where the others where staying, panting as he held a spell book in hand with the deactivated hoverboard in his other. "So, I've got bad news."
"There's killer mushrooms everywhere!"
"And they're taking over the camp!", Gwen said as Alex tossed her the spell book while he handed Ben the hoverboard.
"They've also got Max, let's not forget that.", Alex said scratching the back of his head.
"They must've been some dormant species that came alive when the construction crew started digging in this new area, that's what I was trying to tell you before your RV almost ran me over." Gilbert shot up. "We've gotta get outta here!"
Alex looked at Gilbert. "Huh... What an oddly specific guess. Anyways, yeah... no.", Alex stepped out as Ben and Gwen walked out with him, the other three following close behind.
"What do you think they want?", Ben asked.
"Not sure.", Alex shrugged, he had little to no clue what they wanted out of this.
"I took this advanced botany class, and I think they-", Gwen was interrupted as a large spore erupted violently from the ground, Alex was the first one to run back to the cabin along with the others not too far behind. They made it in, however another spore started to grow out in which they ran out again. More spores started to erupt from the ground all around them.
"They stopped... that's good right?", Ben cocked his eyebrow.
"Actually it's worse, those are puffballs containing millions of mushroom spores. If those mushrooms mature and release those spores...", Gilbert gulped.
"They'll spread over the entire state... maybe even the whole country.", Gwen said looking around.
"Well one, Gilbert... I don't wanna know why you know a lot about mushrooms. And second, you two stay here.", Alex said as he activated the Omnitrix. "I've got some weed whacking to do... or whatever the brain is of a fungus."
"We're coming with you. He's our grandpa.", Gwen grabbed him by the back of the shirt.
"I know, but I think it's better for those guys if you stick around. I'll bring him back safe, I swear.", Alex said as he and Ben fist bumped.
Drag Racer sped through the forest, finding his way back at the dig site. His visor lifting up, he noticed that there were more giant mushrooms then before. "This doesn't look good."
Drag Racer's visor slid down as he sped through and down the hole and through the pathways. "Max! Marco...", he listened to hear him say polo before speeding off again as Mushrooms started to come to life.
Gwen, Ben and the other three made it to the archery range. Hiding behind one of the boards. "Maybe if we get to the mess hall, we could barricade ourselves in the kitchen.", Gilbert said as the two siblings shook their heads.
"And fight em off with a spatula?", Andy said slightly annoyed.
"We're so dead meat! I hate it here," Mandy whined, being genuinely terrified at this point. Suddenly, the ground below them started to shake, with Gwen grabbing Gilbert and tossing him with Ben using his hoverboard to fly up as the two twins were engulfed by a giant mushroom
Gwen immediately skimmed through the book. "Declam Baccura.", the spell covered the nearby arrows with a red aura before she telekinetically threw them straight at the trunk of the large mushroom, the mushrooms seemed to go limb and drop down, spitting the two out. "Gwen, you got a flight spell in there?", Ben asked as he pulled Andy and Mandy out and onto his hoverboard.
"Sort of.", Gwen realized what he was planning before nodding, flipping through the book again. "Zaphirious Expectorium Perpetua!", a small tornado wrapped itself around Gwen, smiling at the attempt she grabbed Gilbert. The two Tennyson's fly off as the mushrooms chased after them
Drag Racer sped through the underground, he groaned as he saw two paths to go through. "I thought this was only a thing in the movies. Ah whatever," he sped through, slicing away the tentacles that attempted to grab him. "Keep your roots to yourself!", he said before speeding off, he looked at a wall covered in the blue tentacles, using his claw he started to slice through it. His eyes widened as he saw Max.
"Alex?", Max was nothing else but relieved as Drag Racer sped up and started to release him from his bindings.
"Save your strength, I'll have you out in-?!", Drag Racer looked down to see the Omnitrix beeping and quickly after being enveloped in a red light, reverting to normal. "Really? Now?!"
"Alex, look out!" Max said as before Alex could dodge, he was immediately grabbed by the tendrils and ended up being tied up himself.
Gwen was starting to sweat, she hasn't used the spell at all before and was starting to lose concentration. "Gwen! In there.", Ben pointed down at a shed, in which she exhaled in relief as they flew over. Narrowly missing a few of the tendrils, thankfully they all made it in and shut the door before they could get grabbed.
"We wouldn't be here if you didn't have us hide in the kitchen!" "Me?! It was your idea in the first place!" "Well- you didn't have to listen to me!" Andy and Mandy went back and forth before they were both bonked lightly on the head by Ben and Gwen respectively.
Ben and Gwen kinda realized that their bickering is almost identical to theirs, in which they both agreed they do it way to much.
"Now's not the time to be arguing, we need to stick together on this if we want to make it out of this place alive.", Gwen said as Ben pulled out a hockey stick.
"Alex, hows it coming?" Max said looking at Alex, who was currently struggling to use the Omnitrix. His hands were close but he had trouble using the dial.
"Not good, it's still recharging.", Alex said as the red suddenly blinked into the green, the dial lifting up and spinning rapidly as a new icon appeared, soon after Alex was covered in a green flash.
This new alien is a humanoid plant with one eye in the middle of his face, vine-like legs, five vine-like legs, four long fingers on his hands, flytrap-shaped flaps with teeth covering his head, and pods on his back that he. He had green 'skin', six legs, with one blue eye on his head, and he had secondary eyes of the same color on each of his shoulders. He had a thorn on his chin, sort of similar to a goatee. He wore the Omnitrix badge/emblem on his chest. "Oooooooh, looks like I've got another one.", he spoke in a very aged and gravelly voice.
"What the heck is that?", Max cocked his eyebrow
"No clue actually." The new transformation instinctively grew spikes from his body, ripping off the restraints. "Heh... I like what he can do though.", he said as he sharpened his fingers and sliced the restraints off of Max, who dropped down and popped his neck. "Alright, let's go."
You're not going anywhere.
Alex looked up and around the area. "Did you hear that Max?"
"Hear what?" Max asked confused before being dragged into the floor by tentacles. The new form of Alex attempted to drag him back out before being dragged in by more along with Max.
They were pulled into an even deeper cave, they were met by some type of pinkish red organism, with several flesh like appendages connecting to the walls of the cave in some sort of web like fashion.
I can communicate to all vegetation on a telepathic level.
"Let me guess, you're the brainiac behind this whole operation?", Alex said, with a little smirk still there.
I prefer Mycelium.
As soon as the Mycelium said that, it brought the newly introduced form closer. "Alex, who are you talking to?" Max said slightly worried and concerned considering he can't hear it.
"Mister Mushroomhead , it's like we're connected.", Alex said confused as he didn't understand why he's capable of understanding it. Looking down as the Mycelium opened a mouth, showing rows of sharp fangs that led all the way down into a dark abyss. "Hoooooooo, that's a long way down."
Struggle as you may, you cannot stop me. Soon, I'll consume every living thing on this planet.
"And I'm honored to be the first on the menu, but I have different plans this summer.", Alex said as he broke free from his tentacle restraint, falling down but before he could go in his mouth completely he shot out his arm, extending like a cord which pulled him right back up. With this little tug, one of the pods on his back fell off and exploded on contact.
Surely as a plant, you must know the wisdom of sharing a single intelligence?
While the Mycelium was speaking to him, Alex swung over and ripped Max out of his restraints before landing on the Mycelium's large body. "Sorry man, I'm not too good at sharing jack shit. Just ask my sister.", the alien used his long fingers to pull off the fruits on his back, which started to grow back quicker then he can pull them off. He leapt up and threw one handful at the creature, in which exploded on impact.
Resistance is futile.
"Well you're not pretty enough to make me not wanna fight you.", Alex said as he used his thorn like growths on his fingers and sliced off the web like structures holding the Mycelium up, he pulled off one of them and handed one to Max. He nodded and used it to assist in cutting it off as Alex threw more explosive fruits.
Even if you destroy me, you cannot possibly destroy the billions of my spores I'm about to release into your atmosphere.
Alex landed on his as he grinned, throwing another explosive fruit. "Don't worry, they're next up on the chopping block!", he said before he erupted in a red flash. Reverting to Alex. "Ah shit.", Alex said before he was grabbed by a tentacle, with Max joining him
On the surface, Ben, Gwen and the others had made it into the mess hall. Exhaling as they jolted up, looking to see the mushrooms where already inside, they turned back to see more entering. "Contigo!", Gwen yelled out, covering her and the others in a dome made of blue mana.
"Don't think this old geezer ain't going down kicking you giant fungus.", Max said as he kicked some of the tongue like tendrils away.
Alex realized something. "Hah! I didn't think about that!", he said as he kicked off his left shoe, which fell into its maw. A pained roar rang out as the Mycelium coughed up some strange liquid, similar to blood but looked more watery. Alex reached into his and threw the bottle of Anti-Athletes foot into its maw. Which caused it to bloat up violently before exploding.
The group above ground were prepared to defend themselves. This need was quelled as one of them started to elongate and shrivel up into a dry husk, the rest of them joined in, dropping to the ground a lifeless husk.
"Timing couldn't have been more perfect.", Alice said with a little smile as she dropped the barrier. They started to walk out and head to find Max and Alex.
"This camp rocks!", Andy and Mandy said in sync, they found this whole experience thrilling.
"Yeah! I can't wait to come back!", Gilbert said with a little smile, this whole experience changed him for the better. They all looked ahead and reeled back in disgust as Max and Alex were covered in the a mycelium's insides.
"Hey guys.", Alex said waving. "We're done here."
"Not really, we've gotta deal with all these spores.", Ben said pointing at them.
Alex pondered and scratched his chin. "Hey Andy, you said that everyone here gets athletes foot right?", Andy nodded in response to his question.
~
The group of them made it to the nurses office, with Alex opening up a cabinet filled with anti athletes foot powder. "Okay, now how do we spread this thing around?"
"As a matter of fact.", Gwen said with a little grin as the Omnitrix flashed green, signaling its completely recharged.
~
The sun had started rising, ending a long night as Ben and Gwen zipped through the air, Cold Soar flying around as the three spread the powder around. The spores started to shrivel up and fall into a pile of dust.
/End/
