Gummy Grizzlies and Other Treats

Knowing the true nature of what lies in front of him, Chris reacts without missing a beat, kicking the muffin back into the revolving door before diving to the floor and covering his head and ears. The explosion that follows sends pieces of gingerbread and shards of sugar glass flying in all directions. 

Chris crawls away from the front of the lobby, the ringing in his ears is deafeningly loud. He turns on his side and looks back towards the destruction just in time to witness the rest of the windows lining the front of the lobby shatter inward. 

Six multicolored blobs enter the lobby, partially obscured by the settling dust and debris in the air. A guttural roar emanates from one of the blobs, which even through Chris' partially deafened ears, sounds like the call of a grizzly bear. It lumbers toward him, while the other blobs fan out in the lobby. As the lead blob gets closer, Chris is able to make out more and more of it, recognizing the stocky form of a bear, it's gelatinous body colored red. 

Chris tries to get up and run away, but his equilibrium is gone, causing him to crumple to the ground again. He looks back at the giant gummy bear, which is practically on top of him at this point. Despite its gummy, bright red body, the creature's eyes, ears, nose, and, most concerningly, mouth all appear to be just like any other bear's. The monster reaches for Chris with a giant paw that is tipped with deadly-looking claws. Chris shuts his eyes and curls up into a ball, preparing for the deadly thrashing that he is about to endure.

"Stop! Down!" Danielle commands the bear, appearing from the dust to stand over Chris. Chris doesn't hear her over the ringing that is only just beginning to go away, continuing to wait for his eminent doom.

The gummy grizzly pauses its attack, before sitting back on its haunches like a circus animal. Danielle crouches down next to Chris, shaking his shoulder lightly. He starts at the initial contact, but the gentle touch makes him open his eyes in bewilderment. 

"What...!?" Chris yells due to his ringing ears. He looks at Danielle with wide, questioning eyes. "What are you doing?!"

Danielle doesn't answer him, looking past the gummy bear sitting in front of them and towards the blown-out revolving door. A figure steps carefully through the wreckage, wearing a pink uniform, with more following behind. The other gummy grizzlies trundle over, encircling Daniella and Chris as the lead figure stalks ever nearer.

Chris rolls into a sitting position as the figure comes into view. He recognizes the faceless, reddish-brown heads of the gingerbread men, dressed in bright pink military uniforms that are woven from cotton candy. 

The lead figure is distinctly different. Her pink uniform is decorated with cookie medals inset with rock candy jewels and chocolate bar insignia wrapped in gold and silver foil. A pink beret sits perched on a head of bleached sugar-white hair, pulled back in a professional bun. Most striking of all is that, unlike the other gingerbread men, she possesses a face. And a beautiful one, at that. Her human-looking skin is the same color as the gingerbread men. She regards the scene before her with the same same bright green eyes as Danielle and Laura, hand resting on the hilt of an Officer's saber strapped to her waist.

"Danielle," the Officer says dryly. "What are you doing here?"