A/N: My maybe 2-3 chapter entry into the BTR Writers' Support and Plot Adoption Forum's Halloween Challenge 2023

When Gustavo said no camping trip, he meant it for several reasons. He did list all of those reasons and they made sense, but the BTR hockey heads were known for being extremely stubborn and sneaky. Jo Taylor offered use of her studio's set with the warning that they'd just have to avoid the security guard, but the boys politely declined.

Satisfied that the boys were going to content themselves with a campout by the pool at the Palm Woods, Gustavo didn't question them further. Kelly had doubts that Mr. Bitters would've allowed it, but he confirmed that he allowed them to when she called. When asked why, he told her that it was his hotel and he can do what he wants much like Rocque Records was Gustavo's and he could do whatever he wanted unless Griffin said no.

As long as the boys weren't camping out in the woods, Gustavo's conscience was clear and he didn't have to worry about his band. Kelly kept her suspicions to herself, finding it useless to argue with Gustavo about Bitters' attitude when everything seemed fine. Just in case, Kelly called Jennifer Knight who said the boys were renting a cabana to camp out in. Mrs. Knight didn't understand why Bitters was okay with this either, but she wasn't worried. She and Katie were too focused on trying to get the newest iSlab.

Mrs. Knight told them that Camille, Jo, and the Jennifers were even joining in on their campout…well, technically camping out by themselves in the cabana. Initially, the teen girls wanted to join in, but the boys had revealed they were secretly going off into the woods to camp out for the night. They gave the girls explicit instruction on how to get there in case of emergency, but swore they'd be alright because they'd camped out many times before.

Camille and Jo were concerned for them, but agreed to set times for the boys to contact them so they could confirm safety. The Jennifers had to be bribed, but enjoyed the idea of being secret keepers and pulling off a trick like this. Logan told them they could probably use this experience in future shows and movies.

…

"What was Gustavo so worried about, anyway?" Carlos said, pitching the tent with James and Kendall.

"You can't blame him, Carlos." Logan said, setting up the fire. "We aren't exactly known for being careful and responsible, at least not for too long. Which brings me to the question, should we really be starting a fire?"

"Remember the campout right before we became BTR?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah, that was fun." James said. "What about it?"

"We went by ourselves, had a campfire and it turned out fine. What was the worst thing about the trip?"

"I rolled onto a rock in my sleep." Logan said.

"I forgot underwear." Carlos said, the boys shuddered.

"Uhh…well, it's not that bad, but we had to redo the tent because of the uneven ground." James said.

"And I'd say for me, it was the bug bites." Kendall shrugged. "Of all those situations, the underwear was the worst thing and that wasn't a 'camping' problem, it was a 'Carlos was too excited to camp' problem."

"I could've checked for rocks better." Logan admitted. "We knew bug bites would happen."

"Exactly. That all means that the worst thing was overexcitement and unpreparedness…which is why we're prepared this time. We live together, so we were able to tell each other to calm down and pack. And you insisted on at least two equipment and bag checks each, Logan."

"I did."

"So, let's just relax and have fun-yes, we'll be mindful and safe." Kendall had caught Logan's expression.

A while later, they were telling stories around the campfire when Carlos had to poop. They drew grass blades to see who would go with him and Logan was chosen. Carlos took the shovel and they walked into the woods behind some bushes. They were still in earshot of James and Kendall in case they needed to shout for them.

Carlos hummed as he did his business. Logan was a few feet away, staring the opposite way into the trees. Carlos thought he heard Logan singing and was about to ask what song it was when the latter spoke.

"Hey, did you hear that?"

"Uh? You singing?" Carlos asked.

"It wasn't me. It sounded like a whine. Like an animal's hurt."

"Are you sure it's not the others? You know how James likes to harmonize in high pitches."

"No-it's-"

They both heard a yelp. Logan gasped and ran towards it.

"What-wait! WAIT!" Carlos grunted, pulling his pants up and tripping over his feet. "Ow…"

"Carlos? Logan? You alright?" Kendall called.

"Logan ran off!"

"What?!" James yelped. He and Kendall ran over to see Carlos picking himself off the ground.

"What happened?" Kendall asked, picking up the package of sanitation wipes that Carlos had dropped. Carlos took them and explained. "That's weird for Logan. Well, come on, we gotta find him. James, stay by the fire."

"But, Logan-"

"If he's hurt, two people are better than one and we're definitely not leaving Carlos alone with the fire. If we're not back in half an hour, call for help."

"Okay…" James worriedly headed back to the campfire.

Kendall and Carlos called for Logan as they walked in the direction the latter had gone. They heard high pitched whimpering sounds. Carlos said he'd heard those and thought one of the boys was singing.

CLANG

"AGH!"

"That was Logan!" Carlos said. They ran in the direction of the noise, calling Logan's name.

They found Logan kneeling on the ground in front of a closed bear trap. A shadow disappeared into the woods in front of them. Logan groaned, cradling his arm.

"Logan, what happ-OHMYGOD!" Carlos gasped, seeing Logan's bloody left arm.

"Can you feel your arm? Did you get caught in the trap?" Kendall asked worriedly.

"N-no-I was-aaahhh that hurts…there was a dog-I think. I tried to free it." Logan started breathing heavily. "M-maybe it was a bear…all I know is…it bit me."

"We need to take you to a doctor." Kendall said, helping Logan up by his right arm. "Carlos, go ahead of us, tell James to call my mom. Put out the fire and pack up."

Carlos followed instructions. They'd put the first aid kit out so Kendall had quick access to it when he got there. He barred the duo from asking Logan any questions. Logan was already extremely pale and likely to go into shock from blood loss.

Kendall made quick work bandaging Logan, only pausing when he heard a distant howling noise. The other boys said they heard it too. Mrs. Knight had arrived by the time the boys finished packing. She looked angry with them, but said nothing as she drove them to Hollywood General Hospital.

People couldn't help but stare as they entered the emergency room. Mrs. Knight snapped at people to put their phones away and respect their privacy. It took a while, but Logan was admitted into a room and Mrs. Knight followed. An hour later, Kelly and Gustavo arrived to see the three other boys nervously waiting in the lobby with Katie, Camille, and Jo.

"First off, is he okay?" Kelly asked.

"He's being treated for an animal bite and getting X-Rays." Kendall said. "We haven't heard much else."

"What exactly happened?"

Carlos explained everything. He tried not to lose his nerve at the fact that with every word he said, Gustavo's face seemed to turn even redder. Kelly put a hand up for him not to speak, which probably was for the best in an environment like this.

"Why did you lie to us?" Kelly asked.

"W-we just wanted to camp like the old days…" James said weakly.

"They had us standing by in case-" Jo faltered under Gustavo's angry gaze. She let out an 'eep' and cleared her throat.

"We asked them to." Kendall said. "In fact, Jo offered us using her studio's camping set where there's only a cranky security guard to deal with-"

"THEN WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU DOGS DO THAT?!" Gustavo exploded, causing the teens to shriek and back up. The waiting room's eyes were on him. "This is one of the reasons I DIDN'T want you camping in the woods!"

"Mr. Rocque!" A lady at the front desk said.

"What?" Gustavo growled.

"I understand you're upset with these boys, but this is a hospital emergency room, please take this outside so you don't disturb our patients."

"Fine-"

Gustavo was about to have the boys go outside when the doors opened and Mrs. Knight stood there with a nurse. She called the boys in. The nurse had them come in few at a time, so the boys went first.

Logan smiled weakly at his friends. They hugged him lightly, taking care not to jostle his injured arm. The doctor introduced himself as Dr. Penn and showed them Logan's X-Ray.

"He doesn't have any broken bones, but he does have a fracture caused by a bite that we're unable to identify. Who was with him when this occurred?" Dr. Penn asked.

"Um…none of us. Not really." Kendall said. "Carlos and I found him and he said he thought it was a dog or a bear."

"That is what he says, yes. The position of teeth marks would indicate a canine, not a bear, but the only canine that would come close to this is a wolf and there are no wild wolves in Angeles National Forest."

"We saw a shadow, it was pretty big." Carlos said.

"A shadow?" The doctor asked. "Can you try to remember any details besides 'pretty big'?"

"Uhh…well, we heard a howl, but we were back at the campsite."

"A howl? Like a pained howl coming from your friend?"

"No, I told you, it wasn't me." Logan groaned. "It was caught in a bear trap. I know it was furry and big. It whimpered like a dog. I mean, I don't know what a whimpering bear sounds like, but I'm positive it was a dog."

"How was it in the trap? Which leg?"

"A hind leg, don't remember which one. It was a bit skinny for a bear. It yelped and snapped at me when I got close, so that's why I thought it was a dog. The tree cover blocked the moon so I couldn't see it well. The boys used their phone flashlights to find me."

"A big dog that looks like a bear could be a Newfoundland. Maybe this one was a stray or abandoned and starving, which would explain it being thin, but the teeth marks are more wolfish so it could be a mix. We're checking saliva and blood samples to make sure you haven't contracted diseases. As you are seventeen, we are obligated to call your parents."

Logan sighed. "Okay."

"It'll be okay, at least it wasn't your face." James said. "I know I'm the pretty one, but you guys don't look half bad."

"Aw, we love you too!" Carlos said, hugging him.

"We will need to keep him overnight for observation." Dr. Penn said.

"I have to call my mom." Logan grimaced.

The boys winced, that would not be fun. Joanna Mitchell was usually kind and polite if a little reserved, but the boys had never seen her angry. They'd seen Mrs. Knight's disappointed face and Mrs. Diamond's cold, almost unblinking, stare before. Mrs. Garcia hardly got mad or upset with the boys, but her disappointed face and click of the tongue rivaled Mrs. Knight's raised eyebrow.

None of them had seen Logan's mother much more than mildly disappointed in something dumb that the boys did. Then again, this wasn't something dumb like breaking a vase trying to make the world's longest hockey stick with minimal duct tape. Logan handled his own academic disappointments when they happened, which was very rare.

…

Logan was discharged the next afternoon, still looking glum from the very long chat he had with his mother who threatened to take him home immediately if he was going to put himself in danger. Maybe Joanna didn't have the endurance and the odd 'power' to repel the word 'no' like Mrs. Diamond, but Logan was really self-disciplined and would take it upon himself to quit the band and return to Minnesota, so Joanna didn't need that 'power'. Which is why Gustavo had to spend half an hour trying to smooth it all over and convince her that he could sufficiently watch over Logan and the other boys. Logan was told to take it easy for a while, so the boys decided they'd buy a bunch of candy and have a Halloween movie marathon.

Oddly enough, the injury didn't seem as deep as they first thought. Logan suggested that maybe the four of them had been too freaked out to properly reason it out. Carlos had thought that Logan was going to lose his arm for a moment in his panic. Logan seemed perfectly fine by the day after and was performing dance moves as well as he'd done before.

A few days later, they were rehearsing for a charity fundraiser that Griffin wanted them to participate in. The CEO expressed concerns about Logan since he'd seen tabloids of the boys in the hospital with headlines like 'BTR's Logan Mitchell loses an arm' or 'Is this the end of BTR' to which Griffin and Gustavo had to do some damage control on it. The official excuse was that the boys had gone camping and Logan fell from a tree and scraped his arm. Logan's injury had completely healed, leaving behind a faint scar that was covered by hair.

"Should that even be possible?" Kendall asked. "The camping trip wasn't even a week ago."

"In theory, no, but maybe that means medicine is in my blood." Logan did a basic cheer move.

"O-kay, did that make sense to anyone else?"

James and Carlos exchanged looks and shook their heads. Logan refused to elaborate, stating he was hungry and leaving the studio. Kelly and Gustavo were in the office, discussing the rest of the set while the boys were supposed to be rehearsing the first half.

"We just had lunch twenty minutes ago." Carlos grumbled.

"And you're complaining because-"

"Logan had five hamburgers, James, FIVE!"

Kendall snorted. "No way, you're being ridiculous. Who's the winner of every hotdog eating competition in the Minnesota summer state fair?"

"Uh-me…well, except for the year I was sick so James subbed in."

James shuddered. "I didn't eat for a month after that."

"James, I'm not dumb, you'd die without food after like a week."

"And who won the soda chugging competition in seventh grade?" Kendall asked.

"Sadly, me." Carlos shuddered. "I should've made sure there was a ribbon for that."

"Side note, anyone notice more hairs in the drain than usual?" James asked. The other two stared at him in shock. "What? I'm just asking because we usually clean the drain every four days but there's been a lot more than usual for like a week now."

"I mean, I have noticed it but I didn't want to say anything in case it was private." Kendall mumbled.

"Sounds private." Carlos agreed.

Kelly and Gustavo entered the studio with papers for them. Kelly handed them out and typed on her iPad. "Okay, boys, got the second half of the setlist right h-where's Logan?"

"Lunch break." The three boys said in unison.

Gustavo raised a brow in disbelief. "He does know that Mrs. Knight forced me to let you guys have an hour lunch break, right? You guys said that ten minutes 'stifled creativity'."

"Don't pretend you don't enjoy breaks from us. It's good for your blood pressure." Kendall said.

"Are more than five hamburgers bad for blood pressure?" Carlos asked. "'Cause that's what Logan's doing, loading up on burgers."

"Could you stop him? I don't need him overloading and getting sick." Gustavo said sternly.

"Is he okay? Is he going through something?" Kelly asked worriedly.

"We have no idea, he's been kinda weird," Kendall said. "But we just thought maybe he saw his life flashing before his eyes, then thought he was leaving the band, and now he's savoring life."

"Missed opportunity to say he's trying to live life big time." James said. He held out his hand and Carlos high fived it.

"Fix it." Gustavo ordered.

"I always find a way, don't you worry." Kendall said. "Maybe this is just like the time he discovered bongos. We just have to remind him of his roots-no, not the way you do, James."

James shut his mouth and shrugged. The three of them went searching for Logan. They found him in a grocery store with a cart loaded with various raw meat products.

"Planning a barbecue?" Kendall asked.

"I'm starving, gotta load up." Logan muttered distractedly, looking at different cuts.

"Okay-no. James, take the cart away. Carlos, let's bring him outside."

"I could use a hotdog." Logan said.

"Absolutely not. What are you even loading up for? Throwing up on stage?"

"I won't throw up. I'm a growing teenage boy and I'm hungry. Basic biology, Kendall."

"I passed biology and health class, Logan. This is in no way safe for you, how did your stomach even handle it without even training like Carlos did for hotdog eating competitions?"

"Ooh, I could go for a hotdog." Logan looked around.

Kendall and Carlos exchanged looks and shook their heads. They linked their arms through Logan's and marched him outside.

"Logan, when did you get more muscle?" Carlos asked.

"Can't be a dancer without getting some physical benefits from it-is that a hotdog stand?!"

Carlos and Kendall yelped as Logan ripped away from them with surprising strength and speed. They stumbled and winced. James came out of the store, wondering what happened. Kendall explained, adding that Logan had strength but not that much strength before.

They caught up with him as he had three hotdogs, one already halfway devoured. Logan offered one, but the other three declined. They watched him with a sort of morbid curiosity, wondering what he wasn't telling them. There had to be something. There was no way Logan would still be eating, almost gnashing at his food, letting condiments splatter his shirt carelessly.

Logan, the ever logical one, had no logical explanation for them. He told them he was just a growing boy, despite being the eldest and most matured of the band. When asked if the extra hair from the drain was his, Logan admitted it. This was another strange occurrence, admitting something potentially embarrassing such as this.

James brought up the point that Logan had been wearing long sleeves lately. Logan rolled his eyes and told them it was November, of course he was wearing long sleeves.

"He does get colder than we do." Carlos pointed out.

"True." James said.

"He keeps saying it won't mess with the charity concert. Griffin provided a Thanksgiving feast for afterwards."

Once they got back to the studio, Logan complained about being achy and tired. Gustavo made him rehearse anyway and it seemed that despite his complaining, Logan was dancing with as much energy as the other three. Even when they got tired, Logan still danced.

…

The night of the Thanksgiving Charity event came and Logan was nervous. He looked pale and unwell, to which the other three said they told him that would happen if he overindulged. He said that it was anxiety.

The other three doubted it as Logan had never really had medically diagnosed anxiety. A bit of nervousness performing, sure, but so did they. Camille told them that he'd been fine until a few days ago. In fact, he'd eat a lot on dates and usually ended up finishing her plate if she couldn't. She found it odd, but Logan wasn't in pain or discomfort so she hadn't been too concerned.

The boys played through the setlist, Logan getting noticeably shakier though his voice remained stable and on tempo. He sweat more than the other three despite doing the exact same moves as at least one of the others. He was asked if he was sure he could still do his signature backflips and he said yes, extremely confident.

Routine was routine, he knew the steps inside and out, logically he concluded there was no way he could have messed anything up. Triple backflip, no problem since he spent ages practicing until he felt too dizzy, he had this in the bag.

"Today was crazy, but tonight-"

The song continued, but on the final flip, he felt something painful shoot out from his spine. He visibly cringed and stopped singing. His body was in shock, eyes transfixed on the blurry crowd. A buzzing noise sounded in his ears.

"O-o-o-ours-" They hadn't noticed yet. He thought he saw Carlos briefly glance at him. He felt like he had tunnel vision and everything sounded echoed.

He stumbled as he tried to get back into the dance number, clumsily moving. Something felt off. He realized too late he wasn't breathing normally. It came out in short gasps, feeling like something was expanding his chest, his entire body ached. He was hungry. Was it time for food? The tunnel vision turned into more fuzz. Had they wrapped up the song already?

"We're gonna take a quick break, love you!" Kendall shouted. James struck a pose and the crowd cheered.

Logan panted heavily as the guys took him off stage. His body trembled and ached. He groaned in pain.

"Guys, I hate to heap bad news on top of this, but most of the food is gone!" Kelly said worriedly.

"Wh-but-how?" James asked.

"Did Logan eat it?" Carlos asked. "He did say he had to go to the bathroom before we all started."

"Seriously?" Gustavo sighed in frustration. "That has to be the dumbest thing you've ever-what's with him?" Logan had growled.

"Logan?"

"Hrrr"

"Hurt?" Kendall guessed, trying to calm him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "What hurts?"

Logan's hands flew to his hair. The others gasped and jumped back. Logan's nails were pointed and his hands covered in hair when they hadn't been a moment ago.

"What the heck?!" James exclaimed. "What's happening? Is Logan trying to get a jumpstart on pranks?"

Kendall shook his head. "No, he knows not to start before the timer goes down. And there's no way he could set up this fast."

"Why would he set up a prank during a charity event?" Kelly couldn't keep the panic from her voice.

"HRRRGHHH"

Logan kept growling. The boys were rooted to the ground in fear. Workers backstage were looking as the crowd outside began to complain.

"Lo-"

"RAAAAAAGGGHHH"

The boys screamed as Logan's body began swelling and his clothes ripped. Logan howled in pain as his body grew larger, his teeth sharpened. He panted heavily, eyes opening slowly to reveal that they were yellow.

Kendall, a firm believer in his friends, tried to keep his voice reasonable and calm. "L-Logan? Hey, i-it's Kendall…Logan? Bud-"

"AWOOOOOO"

"RUN!"

They scattered, hoping Logan was still in there somewhere.

Logan rounded on Gustavo, snarling. He backed into the extra amps which squealed harshly. Logan cringed, then his ears perked up. He ran out past shocked people and vanished into the night.