Wellp, that sure is a fight scene! I was still a bit stung from Phil’s opinion that my action needed more “ka-pow” and trying to prove him wrong, but I think Phil talked me into expanding its length regardless.

Phil’s the one who came up with the basic dire bear conceit, and I’m trying to remember if I saw copies of The New Mutants’ “Demon Bear saga” in his old apartment when I stayed there. One way or another, it probably filtered into our consciousness to inspire this silent adversary.

At one point, Phil suggested Byron try fighting the bear without his axes just to really put him through his paces, but I think even a non-dire bear would be too much for him under those conditions. I couldn’t figure out how to make it work that way, so we said no more about it.