Grin, and Bear It!

The wrath of Sweet Bear broke over all who’d come for her head.

From the darkness screamed forth a volley of sharpened candy canes, impaling those who were closest. It was the first many had ever seen the Bear in action, and for a few it was too much.

Some began to backpedal away, only for some to be trapped by chocolate chip spikes breaking through the pavement behind them. Others screamed as their feet were trapped by the sudden presence of gum in their path, sticking them in place as giant gummy worms with teeth of candy corn wrapped around them.

Sweet Bear’s face was one of cold fury. She calmly strode forth into the cavity-causing chaos. From her staff she lashed out with a licorice whip, knocking down anyone who’d managed to escape her initial strike.

Past her shoulder, Kuma-chan flew in with a too-large rainbow lollipop that he’d bash stragglers with. The grin on his face stretched across his entire head. After smashing the confection hard enough to shatter over a kaijin made of car parts, he broke into laughter. “I missed this so much!”

Flinging off the licorice, Sweet Bear pointed her staff at a group of cars that had blocked the road. She squinted her eyes, took aim, and fired a series of pink lasers at them.

Each car was hit by at least two beams, exploding into balls of fire and sending one flying into the air.

Those who did not flee for their lives charged in, reasoning that she couldn’t kill all of them. But as the air filled with rapid fire magic shots, more and more of them disappeared in flashes of pink.

The rampage only came to an end when one kaijin finally closed the distance. Two strands of floss shot out and wrapped around Sweet Bear’s wrists. With a single pull, she was thrown to her hands and knees. A leathery red foot kicked her across the face before stomping on her back and keeping her pinned to the ground.

Sweet Bear looked up to see a giant mouth kaijin stepping on her with stringy legs, the floss coming out of its veiny wrists. Its ruby red lips cackled with laughter and showed off perfect white teeth. “Ehehehehehe! All that candy power can’t stand up to my magic teeth!” The mouth chomped its teeth and stuck out a tongue. “I’ma have a nice evening snack out of you and get paid to do it!”

The foot pressed down harder on Sweet Bear’s back, her cheek firmly planted in the ground. She shivered in disgust as spittle dribbled onto her face; she needed to think of a way out of this and fast.

Over the commotion, Sweet Bear could hear the howl of a wolf. She could tell that wasn’t her husband, so who –

The foot suddenly came off. Something large and brown flew over Sweet Bear and crashed into the mouth kaijin, sending it into a streetlamp.

The mouth kaijin smacked its lips, spitting out what looked like hairs. “Ugh, I hate the taste of dog.” It pushed over what was left of the lamp, furious at having its meal interrupted. “Who invited this bitch?”

Said ‘bitch’ was over two meters tall, a towering figure of fur and muscle standing between the kaijin and Sweet Bear. It snarled, exposing its sharp teeth. Pawed feet left claw marks in the ground as it charged at the kaijin again on all fours. Its snout opened, and a low but sultry voice came out. “Get your slimy lips away from her!”

What clued in Sweet Bear was that it was wearing some amount of clothing. Covering its torso and bottom – with a hole for the tail – was a form-fitting blue and yellow bodysuit.

Sweet Bear had never seen Sayuri’s werewolf form before.

The mouth kaijin wrapped its hands around the werewolf’s neck, Sayuri lunging at him to take a bite. She was relentless, her strength forcing the kaijin back and taking its undivided attention.

That was all Sweet Bear needed. Hand firmly on her staff again, she took aim at the kaijin and stomped a foot into the ground. A great circle appeared around her, glowing as pink as the sphere of magic energy forming at the tip of her staff. The power coursed through her and into the staff, into that single point!

“HONEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!”

Sayuri could feel it coming and pushed the kaijin down before diving away, just as a yellow stream formed around the pink. The staff snapped onto the mouth kaijin struggling to get back on its feet.

“BEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!”

It was something she had not felt in some time. All her stress, her frustration, put into a single point – and released. It was not ecstasy or vindication left over but a swirling calm in her being. She did not flinch at the mouth kaijin’s scream. Nor did she look away from the Honey Beam as it took the kaijin a full block away before crashing into another building, leaving nothing but burn marks on its side.

The street was completely cleared of everything but the burnt husks of her opponents’ cars. The large werewolf panting for breath was slowly shrinking, fur receding as the smaller human form of Sayuri began to show itself once again.

As the two began to catch their breath from the fight, the familiar sound of police sirens echoed in the air. A swarm of compact police cars skid into sharp turns and roared towards the two.

Sayuri quickly gestured for Sweet Bear to lower her staff. After all, they might think she was pointing it at them. They didn’t need any more reasons to be upset.

Officers piled out of the cars and took cover behind their car doors, ready to pull their pistols out at a moment’s notice. It amused Sweet Bear and Sayuri that the police thought their cars would protect them.

From behind the growing number of cars strode out an older man in a freshly tailored suit. His graying hair was slicked back, steely grey eyes flittering between both women while he adjusted his red power tie.

Like Fuku, Sweet Bear hadn’t seen this man in years. He’d never given her his real name. But she’d recognize those jowls anywhere. “Hello, Mister White.”

“Miho.” He nodded. “…Sayuri.”

Sayuri would have growled at him if she wasn’t shivering from the cold. Standing in the street wearing nothing but a bodysuit would do that to you.

“Do you understand how many laws you’ve broken,” asked ‘Mister White’. “Or the panic you set off the second we detected you took off your magic inhibitors?” He threw up his hands in frustration. “You both know the rules. Disengage the magic armor and come with me.”

Sweet Bear’s hand gripped her staff tight enough to start shaking. She didn’t have time for this bullshit. Kumiko was still out there. But if she wanted to live long enough to see Kumiko’s next birthday, there was only one thing she could do.

One flash of light later, the form of Sweet Bear vanished for the one of Miho. “Let’s get this over with, Mister White.”