Gwens 10 Season 2 Episode 7: Camp Fear (Patreon)

It started off innocently, with the Tennysons in the RV and headed for their next location. Grandpa Max was driving, Ben was playing a video game, and the Gwens were reading some books. All seemed quiet, all seemed normal, nothing like the chaos that would erupt just a few moments later.

That chaos began once Ben had a single question:
"What's our birthday going to be like this year?"

Ben and Gwen, despite being cousins and not twins, were born on the exact same day. Every birthday of theirs was shared between the two, and the two hated it. This year looked like it was going to be no different, but now there was a third element introduced. There wasn't just one Gwen anymore, and that meant three people were to share the same birthday.

"Technically she was created when I put on the Omnitrix," Gwen said. "So her birthday is technically the start of summer."

"You were the one created that day though," Gwen said angrily. "You are the one who should be celebrating a summer birthday."

Ben sighed. "And just as I was preparing to celebrate my birthday by myself this year."

The Gwens turned towards him with glares like he invoked a curse on them.

"You can't be serious," Gwen said. "It's my birthday too!"

"Were you planning to just completely disregard me!?" Gwen just shouted back at Ben.

"I've been sharing my birthday with you for far too long, I just want a day to myself!"

"Can't you just share your birthday like you normally do?" Grandpa Max groaned as her heard the argument behind him.

"NO!"
"NO!"
"NO!"
All three of them shouted at the same time.

"I don't want my cousin or my copy infiltrating on my birthday!"

"You're the copy! Don't act like it's your birthday!"

"I've been planning this for so long! Don't ruin that!"

Their shouting grew louder, the three becoming more and more furious with each other. The RV was filled with chaos, burst full of the noise of the three cousins arguing. So much yelling and screaming between them Grandpa Max felt like his ears were going to pop. The noise was distracting, to the point that he started to lose sight of the road...

The RV slammed to a halt, making the Gwens and Ben nearly fly through the windshield. There was a boy on the road in front of them, and Grandpa Max was incredibly close to hitting him. He didn't, but the boy he almost ran over still jumped back in shock. They were on a cliffside road though, and he slipped on some rocks and fell as he leapt. He fell straight down the cliff, only avoiding certain death by clinging onto a single branch.

Grandpa Max rushed out of the RV with concern, with Ben and the Gwens following soon after. The cousins looked down to see the boy screaming for help, immediately realizing their argument had to be put on hold.

"Going hero!"
"It's hero time!"
The Gwens placed their hands on the Omnitrix and activated it, ready to transform into one of 11 different alien forms. Both hands were clenched onto the faceplate, ready to turn it and select an alien, but with not a single movement. Tensions were still high from their argument from before, the two still found each other's presence annoying, and they weren't willing to work together once more.

"Let go," Gwen growled at her doppelganger. "We're becoming XLR8."

"You let go," Gwen growled at her doppelganger. "We're becoming Stinkflies."

Their hands were locked on the Omnitrix's faceplate, each of them struggling to turn it in their direction.

"Does it matter!? There's someone in trouble!" Ben, who was annoyed at the both of them, slammed his hand down on the Omnitrix's faceplate. In a flash of green light the two didn't end up becoming XLR8 or Stinkflies, but instead became the bulbous and stocky Cannonbolts.

"WHAT THE HELL!?"
"DON'T JUST DDO THAT!"
The Cannonbolts yelled at Ben for what he had just done.

"Now's not the time," Grandpa Max said. "He's only hanging on by a branch and you have to get to it quickly!"

"GOT IT!"
"GOT IT!"
The Cannonbolts curled up into a ball and bounced down towards the ditch, unfurling their bodies just in time to catch the boy as they fell downwards. As they curled into a ball once more they surrounded the boy completely, protecting him from the fall.

Grandpa Max and Ben looked down from above, waiting for the Gwens to make their return. There wasn't any sign of movement, and not a sound could be heard.

"Something seems wrong," Grandpa Max said. "We need to get to them!"

"They're probably just fighting or something," Ben mumbled under his breath as he followed Grandpa Max into the RV.

Ben was unknowingly correct, and the two were in the middle of battle. When they had touched the ground the two had planned to roll all the way back up, but like the last time they used this alien they argued over which direction they should roll. They pushed each other angrily, leaving the kid they held within them scared as the space around them seemed to contract and shrink.

A flash of green light ended the struggle, and turned the Cannonbolts back into Gwens. The kid they held grasp onto landed softly on the ground, leaving the Gwens to confront each other.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" Gwen shouted at her doppelganger. "WHY ARE YOU ARGUING WITH ME NOW!?"

"YOU WERE THE ONE ARGUING WITH ME!" Gwen shouted at her doppelganger. "YOU'RE THE REASON OTHERS THINK WE ARGUE TOO MUCH!"

"Gwens!" The RV quickly drove by and Grandpa Max leapt out to see the two. "Are you alright?"

"Looks like the only injuries are the ones they've given each other." Ben sighed. "What else should I expect from a couple of dweebs?"

"Like you have anything to say doofus," Gwen said.

"You couldn't even do a thing doofus," Gwen said.

"Guys, calm down." Grandpa Max quieted them before heading for the dropped boy. The kid was still scared, shivering and barely able to say a word. The nametag on his chest said his name was Gilbert. "So Gilbert, are you alright?"

"W-w-w-w-why...?" Gilbert's eyes seemed to widen in fear. "Why am I back here?"

Behind the RV there were some old wooden buildings, ones that looked like they were long abandoned to time. A sign that read Camp Opinicon revealed that this place was some sort of summer camp, but despite being the middle of summer there was not a soul to be found.

"Calm down and get inside," Grandpa Max said, dragging Gilbert towards the RV. "We'll discuss things in there."

In the RV, Gilbert illuminated many things about the camp. The camp used to be vasty populated, filled with kids and adults alike. But just this night, nearly all of them disappeared. The cause? Glibert didn't want to speak about it, only repeating the word 'fungus' under his breath.

"Fungus is right," Grandpa Max said as he retrieved his anti-fungal powder. "The fungal infection on your arm is harsh, you only got that today!?"

Gilbert nodded.

"Then it's best we take this with us." Grandpa Max put the powder in his pocket. "Come on."

Gilbert seemed to turn white. "You're not actually trying to go in there, are you?"

"I can't stop the crime without diving in head first!" Gwen pumped up her fist in excitement.

"You say that like you do anything," Gwen said.

"You say that like you do anything," Ben said.

"Come on you three," Grandpa Max groaned. "Let's check the camp for anyone else."

The Tennysons headed out, in search of whatever Gilbert was warning them about. Gilbert decided to follow close behind, clearly creeped out at the thought of being left alone.

The bedrooms were completely empty. The dining hall was completely empty. They were going through the kitchen and it also seemed to be completely empty. Not a human at all, though the place clearly wasn't abandoned. Bed sheets were rough and overturned, plates were still out and piling the sink, and the entire place was in a mess. It was less like everyone left, and more like they suddenly disappeared out of the blue.

"This is strange." Grandpa Max was the most vigilant in searching, even checking under the carpets for any clues. "Spores everywhere, but not a single hair or drop of blood or anything we can track them with."

"It's the fungus..." Gilbert was finally speaking coherently. "The fungus got them all."

A soft pattering could be heard in the distance, followed by metallic clangs and the sounds of pots and pans falling to the ground. If one blinked they'd miss the dark figures that dashed across the room, far too fast for anyone to make out.

"Time to go hero!"
"Ready to transform!"

The Gwens reached their hands over to the Omnitrix between them, but neither hand met the watch. Their hands ended up meeting each other instead, clasped right above the green glow of the Omnitrix's faceplate. Both wanted to press on the Omnitrix, yet both knew that was what the other wanted as well. Neither wanted the other to press the Omnitrix, so their hands just stayed locked together. Angrily and unmoving, neither allowing the other to lower their hand, they kept their hands together.

Grandpa Max wasn't as slow to act though. He rushed towards the figure, cornering it at the edge of the room. Now that it was cornered Grandpa Max could take a closer look at the figure, or what he realized was two figures. A small boy and a small girl, seemingly the same age, huddled together in fear.

"It's just kids." Grandpa Max immediately calmed down, shifting his attention to the scared children. "Don't be scared you two, we're not here to hurt you."

"So you're not..."
"...one of the fungus?"
The boy started the sentence but the girl was the one to finish it.

"Of course not. Let Mr. Tennyson here help you out. What're your names?"

"I'm Andy," the boy said.
"I'm Mandy," the girl said.
"We're twins," they both said.

"I see. Do you have any idea what happened here?"

The twins' explanation wasn't that great, the two saying it all happened to fast for them to take it in. It was at least better than Gilbert's explanation, but that wasn't saying much. They said it was some sort of blur, that everything went too fast to really process. Everyone and everything just started disappearing, and behind it seemed to be some walking mushroom monsters or aliens of sort. The two hid in the kitchen to get away from the chaos, and the Tennysons were the only other's they'd encountered since.

"That's awful." Grandpa Max picked the kids up. "Come on, I'll get you to my RV. You'll be safe in there."

"And the two of you were just about to crush some poor little kids," Ben groaned. "So much for being heroes."

"Shut up."
"Don't even start."
The Gwens immediately expressed their annoyance.

Grandpa Max internally groaned as he took the twins back to the RV. These twins behaved much better than Ben and Gwen ever did, though maybe that was because one of them wasn't randomly duplicated. In whatever case, he hoped they never argued as intensely as his grandchildren. That'd make keeping them quiet in the RV really hard...

The RV was gone.

Grandpa Max knew he didn't look in the wrong place, he'd never just misplace the RV. It was part of his plumber training, so he could tell that was the exact spot he parked it. The ground was slightly muddy, there were tracks from when the RV was driving, and at a point they seemed to change shape. It looked like something dragged the RV along its side, pulling it away from where it was parked. If he followed these new tracks he could probably find the place the RV was dragged to...

"I'm headed out to find the RV take care of the twins in the meantime!"
Grandpa Max went back to the kitchen, holding the twins by hand.

All movement suddenly stopped. The Gwens were collapsed on the ground, their hands clasped together like they were about to shove each other. Ben was right next to them and frozen in shock, his leg in the air like he was mid kick. Gilbert didn't look like he was involved and just watched from a safe distance, only looking back at Grandpa Max when he noticed the others do the same.

Grandpa Max internally groaned. Trusting these guys not to fight without him there was impossible, but he didn't have much of a choice.

"Stay here while I'm out, and don't cause trouble."
Grandpa Max left, leaving them to themselves.

There was an awkward silence in the room, until Ben finally finished kicking the Gwens.

"OUCH!" The Gwens got up immediately. "WHAT THE HELL!?"

"You two were loud," Ben said, calm but angry. "And it was getting annoying."

"Well this had nothing to do with you," Gwen said.

"Maybe just mind your own business for once in your life," Gwen said.

"Please don't fight."
"Calm down now."
Andy and Mandy tried to calm them down, but before they could approach the Tennysons, some screaming was heard in the distance.

"Grandpa Max!?"
"Grandpa Max!?"
"Grandpa Max!?"

"Mr. Tennyson!?"
"Mr. Tennyson!?"

"It's the fungus!" Gilbert curled up into a scared wreck. "It's the fungus!"

"Grandpa Max is in trouble!"
"We have to go help him!"
Before Ben could object the Gwens ran out of the building. They held their hands over the Omnitrix once again, glaring at each other momentarily.

"Let's just go random this time."
"Yeah, we can't waste any time."

The two just hit the Omnitrix, and fortunately they ended up in the exact form they wanted. The furry and canine Wildmutts had sensitive noses, which were perfect for tracking lost grandfathers. They put their noses to the ground and sniffed, following the familiar scent of their grandpa.

The scent led them deep into the woods, to an area filled with glowing mushrooms. They'd be far more enchanted by the sight if they had eyes, but even if they did they still didn't have time to waste. They were so focused on the task at hand they didn't notice the unnatural movement of the mushrooms...

Something seemed to attack them. The mushrooms leapt out of the shadows, jumping all over their bodies and pinning them to the ground. The Wildmutts were caught off guard, their heads smashed into the dirt for a bit before they were finally able to fight back. They slashed at the mushrooms but they were surprisingly quick, quickly beginning to pile over top of them once again.

The Wildmutts broke away and ran. They couldn't keep themselves tied down during this predicament, they had to find their grandfather. But after running for a bit their feet were no longer touching the ground. Tentacle vines had erupted out of the ground, lifting them into the air and keeping them in place.

The Wildmutts pulled and struggled against the vines, hoping to break free. It seemed to them like the vines were too strong, though it'd have been easy for them to break free if they pulled together. The two weren't just tugging from the vines they were tugging on each other, so shocked and panicked they believed the other to be pulled by the tentacles.

As they struggled and pulled the tentacles tightened around them. They squeezed around the breast, through the thigh, up the ass, making the two squirm like rivers were flowing through them. It only made them pull more, tugging to break free without realizing they were pulling against each other.

The tentacles pulled them downwards, seemingly dragging them into the abyss. Down into some ravine that led into an underground cave, was where the tentacles carried them. Down into the tunnels where the Wildmutts finally caught it: Grandpa Max's scent. Grandpa Max was down there, he was trapped there.

The Omnitrix timed out, transforming them both back into Gwens. The shift was sudden and unexpected, and the Gwens were naturally smaller than the Wildmutts. Before they knew it the Gwens had slipped out of the tentacles, and they ran away for their lives. If one lagged behind for even a second the other would tug her back along, never resting for a second until they were back in the building.

"What happened?"
"Was it scary?"
Andy and Mandy were the first to show their concerns.

"Fungus," Gwen said.

"A lot of fungus," Gwen said.

The Gwens explained their situation to the others, which caused their faces to shift to that of worry.

"There's more..." Gilbert slumped into a ball, completely terrified. "There's more than before..."

"This is terrible," Ben said. "You guys can't go back out there alone. Take me with you."

"Are you suicidal!?" Gwen screamed back. "Those mushrooms are far too fast!"

"Do you forget you aren't Superman!?" Gwen also snapped at him. "You're not going to be able to do anything!"

"Like you two are any help either!" Ben yelled back. "You just ran over there and ran back! I bet the two of you were just arguing with each other the entire time."

"Don't joke about it!"
"Not at all!"

"Don't fight!"
"Don't fight!"
Andy and Mandy tried to get between the Tennysons, which momentarily stopped their bickering.

"Fine," the Gwens said. "But don't get in our way."

Ben and the Gwens exited the cabin, followed by Andy and Mandy. Gilbert was initially reluctant, but found being alone scarier than being with the others so he followed.

The Gwens were about to tell the others to stay behind, but the Earth immediately quaked. Gigantic mushroom caps burst from the ground, letting out glowing spores with them.

"They're releasing spores," Gwen said. "The fungi are reproducing."

"It they continue like this they can cover the country," Gwen said. "Or even the world."

"Then we just have to be fast," Ben said. "What are you waiting for!?"

"Then we'll have to accelerate!"
A quick smack of the Omnitrix made the Gwens change forms once more. With sleek blue skin, shared legs, and a long and cool tail, the two had become XLR8.

"How did you do that!?"
"That's so cool!"

"A-A-A-Another monster!?"

The twins reacted in awe, while Gilbert was afraid.

"Wait... You aren't..."
Ben leapt and grabbed the two aliens by the waist, managing to catch them right before they sped off as a blue blur.

The XLR8 ran as fast as they could, racing towards where they remembered Grandpa Max's scent to be. They didn't expect to have Ben hitch a ride though, the shock of him riding on causing them to lose focus and trip along the way. The three stumbled into the ditch the Wildmutts were dragged into earlier, kissing the dirt as they skidded down.

"What the hell Ben!?" XLR8 yelled at her cousin.

"You made us trip!" XLR8 was furious.

"Well what the hell was that you two!?" Ben yelled right back. "You said I could help! You can't just run off!"

"Well of course that was a lie! You can't do a thing!"

"Now stop trying to slow us down and just get out of here doofus!"

"SHUT UP!" Ben shoved the XLR8, pinning them to the ground below him. The two easily kicked him off though, and with speed enough to run circles around him intended to retaliate in kind. What happened instead was the two tumbling right in front of him, the two having become too angry to properly coordinate.

"What the hell was that!?"
"Are you trying to make us trip!?"
The XLR8 yelled at each other.

"See what I mean!?" Ben kicked them in the waist, inciting some angry glares. "How are you supposed to beat some mushrooms when you can't even beat yourselves!?"

"SHUT UP!" The XLR8 tackled Ben, this time succeeding in pinning him to the ground. Their bodies towered over his, pressing against each other. Neither took the position of the other into account as they pinned Ben down, resulting in the sides of their bodies smushed into each other. Both XLR8 pushed the other, trying to get themselves into a position of greater comfort, which only made Ben chuckle.

"And you'd say I'm lying when you're just proving my point!" Ben kicked them off of him, setting some distance between them and him. "I'm sure you know it'd be better if I just tagged along! There has to be something I can do! Anything!"

The XLR8 begin to circle him, running with speeds that should be enough to create a tornado. The two only managed to create a light wind though, their stumbling and dyssynchronous movements slowing them down immensely. The two were angry, angry at the mushrooms, angry at Ben, but also at each other. Even if their anger towards each other was far from the other, pointing it at each other was the only way to vent it.

Their hands were at each other's breasts, which were rather on the small end in this form. That didn't make them any less sensitive, nearly making them stumble over from the shock. Still they held tightly onto each other, brushing their fingers over each other's nipples. Ben was right, if they couldn't settle it between themselves they had no chance of beating the mushrooms. They looked each other in the eyes, an enraged yet odd understanding forming between them.

In a blur they pinned Ben down to the ground once again, holding his hands behind his back. He didn't even have a chance to blink, being restrained before he could realize.

"It's okay," XLR8 said.
"We can handle it," XLR8 said.

Ben wanted to protest, but couldn't find any way to say.

"Fine," he said, disappointed. "I'll take your word for it."

Ben left to protect the others, leaving the XLR8 to deal with the threat themselves. They did turn back into Gwens quickly after though, which was kind of worrying. Still, they had to find Grandpa Max, so they went on forward through the ditch.

"Grandpa Max!" The two found him, bound to the wall by some tentacles. They tried to pry him away, but more tentacles propped out of the ground and dragged the Gwens away. The next thing they knew, the Gwens were tied to the wall just like their grandpa.

"Gwens!" Grandpa Max seemed thankful, yet incredibly worried. "Thank god you're safe. What about Ben and the others?"

Back at the camp Ben, Andy, Mandy, and Gilbert were struggling to defend themselves from mushrooms. Luckily a bulldozer was nearby...

"They're okay," Gwen said.

"More importantly," Gwen said. "We need to try and get out of here."

The vines begin to move, dragging the Tennysons along the walls and deeper into the cave. The area begins to get darker, and a foul stench starts to fill the air. None of them knew what was down there, and it didn't look like they'd survive long enough to find out.

The Gwens desperately banged the Omnitrix against the wall, endlessly hoping for it to finish recharging. They had to transform, they needed to transform, they needed to transform now! Yet as their hope was beginning to fall low, the watch glowed green as it smack the wall.

The transformation was odd, and something they had never felt before. When they finished changing forms, their shared body felt stringy and stretchy. They seemed to share everything except their heads, which felt oddly smushed together at the moment. And everything was dark, like something was blocking out the light. It was attached to their shoulders, and almost reminded them of a giant mouth or Venus fly trap...

Whatever it was opened up and the two got a better look at their new body. It was like they were made of plants now, making their body essentially one long and wild vine. Leaves sprouted from their arms, seeds popped out of their back, they were essentially a sentient plant.

"So..." Grandpa Max looked at his grandchildren with confusion. "Who are you?"

They shrugged.

"Didn't expect to get another new alien," one of them said. "How many more are on this watch?"

"We don't have much time to waste though," the other said. "Let's see what this thing can do."

They tried breaking out of the tentacles, but that didn't work. Seemed like this alien didn't have super strength. It didn't seem like it could emit beams or anything. There did seem to be thorns growing off of them though. Maybe...

It turned out they could extend the thorns as much as they want, which they used to cut through the tentacles and break free. They were easily able to do the same for Grandpa Max, doing so carefully as to not scratch him.

They were prepared to run away once more, but more tentacles erupted from the ground. They slashed through as many as they could, but the tentacles hooked onto their feet (or vines in a certain alien's case) and dragged them deeper into the abyss.

Deeper and deeper.

Deeper and deeper.

Down in the deepest layer stood what they could only assume was the brain of the entire system. It was some large, red, blobby, thing. It was hard to describe except gelatinous and ugly. Tentacles jutted out of it and stuck to the walls, purple virus-like creatures stuck to it, and a single ugly mouth was the only facial feature it had.

"A two-headed Florauna. I didn't expect Earth to be home to such creatures."

The creature's voice rang in the aliens' heads, but Grandpa Max seemed unaffected. It seemed safe to assume the creature could communicate with them, but only because they're plants.

"Struggle as much as you want," the creature said. "It won't make a difference. My mushrooms will swallow all, they'll consume everything, and there is nothing that can be done about it!"

The tentacles tightened their grip, threatening to make the two pop like a balloon. Big leafy breasts were starting to falter. Their heads were being mushed into each other. Vines were digging into their crotch, attempting to squeeze them to the limit.
At that moment, the Gwens were of one mind, turning to Grandpa Max immediately.

"Do you still have that anti-fungal powder?"

"In my pocket," he said, the realization slowly dawning on his face.

They reached out towards their grandfather's pocket, extending a thorn out just in case, and manage to lift out the anti-fungal powder. And with one quick toss it was right inside the creature's mouth, a creature that could only be described as fungus.

Seconds later, the creature was only blobs of goo on the ground.

After escaping, the job wasn't complete. There were still nearly countless spores that had to be removed. It was fortunate that Grandpa Max still had anti-fungal powder, allowing the Stinkflies to carry Ben and spray it all over the camp. Now the day was truly saved, and Andy and Mandy and Gilbert could safely return home.

Back in the RV the Gwens told Ben about the new alien, which he suggested naming Wildvines. Grandpa Max then gave them cooked mealworms for dinner before heading off to their next destination.

"So Gwens..." Ben momentarily held his breath, not entirely sure how he should proceed. "Want to plan out our birthday together?"

The Gwens looked at each other before looking back at him.

"Sure."
"Let's do it."

This year's birthday is going to be a bit stuffed with three people instead of one, but it was going to be alright.