The Motion

A box of Chinese takeout smashed against the wall in the Nise Kitai executive suite. Fuzukawa Ayumu stared at the only other person in the room, furious. “You told me that this year’s Smile Showcase would go off without a hitch.”

“I-I did,” Roy Smith stuttered. His finger kept flicking through screen after screen of people’s reactions. “A-And we’re seeing the biggest pop from Smile Showcase ever!”

Ayumu’s hand slammed on her desk. Several items fell over from how hard she hit it. “Not for us! They’re losing their minds for those two!” She swept the desk clear with a single swipe of her arm. “All that work that went into burying them, and they crawl back into everyone’s hearts in the span of a few days!”

She was ready to scream more, but saw the night skaey fill briefly with a pink light. Ayumu did not move an inch.

Her. She is near. A dark voice whispered to her.

Ayumu remained perfectly still, her purple eyes staring holes into Roy. “Tell everyone to form up. Defensive positions. They’re on their way.”

Roy couldn’t hide his shock. “The Bear and the Wolf, here?!” He supposed with Eagle Rook and Hippo Bishop’s failure to report in, it was possible something might have leaked. With a few taps of the tablet screen he ensured the order was given.

Then he quietly wondered if it was possible he could sneak out while he still had a chance…

----

Fuku continued his watch, maintaining the magic circle around the Nise Kitai building. Hideo’s news that they’d hijacked the Smile Showcase to generate the positive magical energy they needed helped distract him from how sore his feet had become.

He’d gotten more than his fair share of odd looks, fielded a few awkward questions. But he never stopped moving. He had to.

Over the usual noise of downtown Tokyo at night, he heard a voice he hadn’t heard in years shout. “Outta the way, morons! I’m lettin’ ‘er rip!”

The Wolf Blazer jumped off the back of a truck, soaring over the intersection he was about to cross through. Its two ‘eyes’ locked onto Fuku, and Fuku knew that fucker was winking at him. Showoff.

Riding on that damned bike was the man Fuku always expected. It wouldn’t be a Wolf Blazer sighting without seeing Wolf Knight at the helm.

But it was a rare thing to see the Wolf Blazer have the sidecar attached. They never bothered with it when it was just Wolf and Raven Scout – Raven had his own bike. But there it was, and occupied by a familiar woman wearing a helmet and goggles.

Sweet Bear.

Fuku gave Wolf Blazer a rare smile as the bike made its landing and sped through traffic. Everything was almost ready.

----

The Wolf Blazer flew through the air again when the Nise Kitai building came into view.

Sweet Bear and Wolf Knight could see rows upon rows of Jade Chrysanthemum goons surrounding the building. Every entrance, every inch of the plaza, covered by them. Wolf Knight had never seen so many of them in one place before.

He looked to his wife before revving the Wolf Blazer up and riding directly towards the swarm. There was no room for fear or hesitation.

Sweet Bear pulled out her staff and tapped the sidecar she was riding in. A pink glow fell over the Wolf Blazer and its riders, its power and the bike’s momentum breaking through all the forces of evil trying to stand in their way.

The bike skid to a stop through the front entrance. Sweet Bear immediately leapt from the sidecar and pointed her staff at the doors they’d just crashed through. A magic wall shot up between them and the hordes starting to chase after them, banging on her new spell.

Wolf Knight got to work on the goons who were still inside, making sure none could get a shot in at Sweet Bear.

He knew he could keep the goons at bay on his end. It was the sheer number bearing down on his wife that was his concern.

----

The Jade Chrysanthemum goons continued to punch and kick and push against that obstacle. It was already buckling under their combined efforts, they only needed a little more!

Over the calamity of their efforts, something else could be heard. The howl of a wolf.

Some of the goons who were present understood that it was a sound they should not hear. The concrete jungle was no place for such a beast.

The ones on the periphery saw them first. A crowd marching down every street surrounding the Nise Kitai building, most unarmed but a few holding arcane implements of all kinds. It was puzzling – why would kaijin turn against them? They had no love for the current regime.

----

One of their number was taking point. And for the older ones bearing witness, it was a face that was very familiar.

Sayuri stared down the goons who’d noticed them, growling as her eyes grew cold. In the blink of an eye she was in her wolf form.

Erika looked at the mass of people and kaijin that Sayuri assembled. Dumbstruck, she asked, “How did you get ahold of so many people?”

A grin stretched across Sayuri’s muzzle. “We are the Kaijin Support Group. And no matter who calls, we answer.”