Chapter 58 – Fifth Challenge (Part 5)
The bear roared, furious, one eye bleeding, its body spinning in search of its attacker. Cody stood firm in front of it, breathing steadily, knife still in hand, his body tense but resolute.
The group shouted from the trees. Gwen begged him to climb. Lindsay cried. Heather cursed. Noah watched, unmoving, as if time had frozen.
Cody didn't back down. Instead, he took a step toward the bear.
"Follow me, Brownie," Cody said with a defiant smile.
Then he ran.
Not toward the group. Not toward the tents. But into the forest, away from camp, provoking the bear to follow.
The animal roared again, this time with renewed fury, and chased him.
Branches cracked under its paws. The ground trembled. Cody ran with precision, dodging trunks, leaping over roots, guiding the bear away from the others.
From above, the group watched the scene like an unscripted movie. No one spoke. No one breathed. They just watched.
Gwen clung to the branch tightly, her heart pounding like a wild drum. From her position, she could see Cody disappearing into the trees, the bear right behind him.
Gwen thought: He's insane. Completely insane. But he did it for us.
Lindsay trembled, hugging Beth, eyes full of tears. "Will he be okay? Will he come back?" she asked, not expecting an answer.
Heather, clothes torn and pride even more so, watched in silence. Her face showed no fear. Just disbelief. That idiot jumped at a bear. And now he's leading it like it's a giant dog. Who does that?
Katie, from another branch, looked at Noah, who was still in shock. "Do you think he'll make it?" Katie asked.
Noah didn't answer. He just lowered his gaze, as if calculating something impossible.
Izzy, hanging upside down, murmured: "This is art. This is chaos. This is Cody."
Owen, still stuck between two branches, shouted: "Cody, come back! I owe you dinner! And a song!"
The forest swallowed the sounds. The bear's roar faded. And the group remained suspended above, caught between fear, admiration, and silence.
Confessionals:
Gwen (serious, leaves in her hair):
"Cody jumped at a bear. Not for glory. Not for points. For us. And that… that doesn't get forgotten."
Lindsay (emotional and tearful):
"It was like a movie! But without special effects! And with more fear! And Cody was the hero! I want him back!"
Heather (arms crossed, annoyed):
"Who jumps at a bear? Who says 'follow me, Brownie' like it's a joke? Cody. That lunatic. And now… I have to admit he was brave. I hate that."
Katie (soft voice):
"I thought I was going to die. I thought we all were. But Cody… did something no one else would've done. And that changed me."
Izzy (with the bear mask on her head):
"It was beautiful! It was wild! It was Cody! And if he doesn't come back, I'll go find him! With another mask! And cookies!"
Owen (excited):
"Cody is my new hero! And if he survives, I'm writing him a song! And if he doesn't… I'll write him two!"
Noah (looking at the camera, serious):
"When he said 'take care of them,' I realized it wasn't just a phrase. It was an order. A promise. And now… I have to keep it."
The bear's roar shook the camp like an explosion. Branches still swayed from Heather, Gwen, and Lindsay's fall, and the group screamed from the treetops. Cody, without hesitation, had launched himself from the canopy, falling like a projectile onto the animal and stabbing his knife into its left eye. Chaos erupted: dirt flying, screams, the fire trembling. The bear thrashed in fury, and Cody rolled across the ground, blood on his face, mud on his arms.
But Cody didn't stop. He couldn't. Not with everyone so close. Not with cameras recording every second. This wasn't a spectacle. This was something that had to be resolved elsewhere.
The bear roared again, twisting violently, swiping at the air. Cody stood, gasping, and looked toward the forest. He knew there was a zone beyond the camp perimeter—a hidden clearing among rocks and vegetation, where cameras didn't reach and campers didn't dare go. He'd explored it in secret, trained there, hidden his knife there. It was his refuge. His ground.
And now, it would be his battlefield.
With a shout, Cody turned and ran into the forest.
"Follow me, Brownie!" he yelled, with a mix of rage and strategy.
The bear followed.
Branches closed around them. The campfire faded behind. The screams died out. Cody ran through trees, leaping roots, dodging trunks, guiding the bear toward the clearing. Every step was a promise. Every stride, a decision.
The animal chased with blind fury, breaking branches, leaving deep prints in the earth. Cody felt the tremor in every step, the heat of blood on his face, the sting in his side where a claw had caught him. But he didn't stop.
Finally, he reached the clearing.
An open space, surrounded by tall stones and dense trees. The sky barely visible. The ground covered in damp leaves and exposed roots. No cameras. No screams. Just him… and the bear.
Cody stopped. Turned. Took a deep breath.
The bear emerged from the trees, knife still lodged in its eye, breathing heavy, fury intact.
Cody dropped the knife. Let it fall to the ground.
And raised his fists.
"Alright. You and me."
The bear roared.
And charged.
[Now cue the show's music—this scene screams for Skillet's "Monster"]
The moon lit the clearing with a cold glow, casting long shadows between fallen trunks and tall grass. Cody stood in the center, breathing hard, every muscle tense, fists ready. In front of him, the terrifying bear advanced with steps that made the ground tremble. Its wounded eye bled—a sharp reminder of the knife Cody had driven into it—and the animal looked more enraged than ever.
"Well… if you thought I was giving you a free pass, buddy, I've got bad news," Cody muttered with sarcasm, eyes locked on the bear's every move.
Suddenly, the bear lunged, swiping sideways and kicking up dust and leaves. Cody rolled to the side, feeling the air from the claw graze his face. He sprang up fast and threw a punch to the animal's snout. The impact barely made the bear flinch, but Cody raised an eyebrow:
"Whoa… almost got a luxury facial massage. Thanks?"
—
The bear growled and, with exaggerated speed for its size, charged again. Cody jumped sideways and, taking advantage of the proximity, stabbed the knife into the bear's shoulder. A roar shook the night, and the animal stepped back, calculating its next move. With a lateral swipe, it sent Cody flying several meters, who landed rolling over broken logs.
"Perfect… free flight, and first class? No wait… killer bear class," Cody muttered as he got up.
The bear advanced again, and Cody raised the knife, determined. This time he wasn't just going to dodge; he was going to counterattack. He threw a direct punch to the jaw, followed by one to the stomach, using his speed to stay out of reach of the brute force.
"Okay, this is getting fun… or at least deadly," he said as he dodged a sideways leap from the bear that nearly crushed him. "You know? This reminds me of those video game fights where you think you've got it… until you get thrown into the air."
Taking advantage of the bear's frontal charge, Cody lunged to the side and stabbed the knife into its front leg. The bear screamed and spun like a cartoonish colossus, sending him flying again. He landed rolling, breathing heavily, but didn't miss the chance to joke:
"And here's where everyone says 'wow, what a dramatic bear,' but I prefer to call him Mr. Bad Mood."
The fight became a frantic exchange: Cody attacked, dodged, punched, and used the knife when he could; the bear countered with charges, swipes, and impossible leaps. Each impact kicked up dust, leaves, and logs. Cody panted, but each sarcastic comment gave him a moment to breathe and refocus:
"You know what's best? I can't complain… this is going to be the best story to tell… if I survive, of course."
Cody managed to land a blow to the snout as the bear lunged at him. He stepped back and, with a quick move, stabbed the knife into the animal's left shoulder, provoking a deafening roar. But the bear, smart and brutal, threw him into the air again. Cody landed rolling, breathing hard, and couldn't help but comment:
"This reminds me of parkour training… just with more fur and fewer safety rules."
The clearing was wrecked: broken logs, torn-up earth, dust and leaves floating in the air. The moon lit the scene, highlighting Cody's blue figure facing the giant, bleeding bear—both exhausted but ready to continue.
"Well… if someone asks me how to survive a giant bear, I can say: 'with sarcasm, reflexes, and a sharp knife.' Yeah… that's my recipe," Cody muttered, breathing hard and preparing his next move.
Cody breathed heavily, his blue shirt stuck to his body with sweat, dirt, and blood. In front of him, the terrifying bear stared with a bleeding eye, each stride making the clearing tremble. The creature wasn't just strong—it was absurdly strong, almost impossible to measure, and each charge seemed to defy physics.
"Okay… is this a bear… or the beta version of King Kong with anger issues?" Cody murmured as he adjusted his grip on the knife.
The bear charged with a roar that shook the surrounding leaves. Cody dodged to the side, rolling on the ground and getting up immediately. With a quick burst, he stabbed the knife into the animal's hind leg. The beast froze and stepped back, but quickly leapt toward him, sending Cody flying again. He landed on fallen logs, rolling and cursing under his breath:
"And to think some people complain about dating… this is worse than Tinder at rush hour."
He got up and ran to the bear's side, throwing a series of punches to the snout and jaw. The bear stepped back for a moment, growling, and countered with a brutal lateral swipe, which Cody dodged by rolling backward. Then he lunged again, stabbing the knife into the bear's left shoulder.
"You know? You could be less dramatic and still be dangerous. Just saying."
The bear spun and threw him into the air again. Cody landed on a log, which cracked under his weight. He quickly jumped and, using the momentum, landed a direct punch to the snout, followed by a kick to the side. The beast roared, recovered, and launched another charge that Cody had to dodge with a sideways leap.
"This is starting to feel like a dance routine… a deadly dance with a giant bear as my partner. Awesome!"
Cody took advantage of a moment when the bear was off balance and stabbed the knife into its side, right where the flesh was exposed from the previous wound. The bear roared and stepped back, shaking itself, but quickly launched a brutal leap, sending Cody flying again.
"Okay… can someone tell me if this training includes life insurance?" he muttered as he rolled on the ground and got back up.
The exchange continued with blows back and forth, dodges and charges that kicked up dust, logs, and leaves. Cody began using the terrain to his advantage: jumping over fallen logs, rolling between rocks, landing punches to the snout, shoulders, and side of the bear, while each impact triggered deafening roars.
"Damn bear… I don't know if this is a fight or a special episode of Deadpool featuring a giant killer plushie," Cody said, panting as he dodged another charge.
—
The bear seemed to anticipate every move, but Cody managed to wound it strategically with the knife, forcing it to retreat, losing strength momentarily. He got up quickly, panting, and threw a punch to the snout, followed by another to the stomach, while the bear staggered but didn't fall.
"Okay… this is definitely worse than any movie spoiler I've ever gotten," Cody muttered, leaping backward to dodge a swipe that tore up dirt and shattered logs.
The clearing was destroyed: dust floating, broken trunks, scattered leaves. Cody breathed heavily, panting, but his eyes were locked on the bear, ready to keep fighting and survive this absurd madness.
Cody was exhausted. His blue shirt was torn and soaked in sweat and blood; his face and arms were covered in cuts and bruises from earlier blows. The knife he'd used to wound the bear was no longer in his hands—it had fallen with a crunch of logs after a leap that sent him flying. Now he had only his fists, his strength, and his instinct.
The bear stared at him with blazing eyes, full of rage and calculation. Each swipe kicked up dust, leaves, and shattered wood, and every charge made the ground tremble beneath Cody. His heavy breathing filled the night; every muscle ached, but he couldn't back down.
"Damn it… this won't be like before… this is going to hurt," Cody thought as he dodged a swipe that grazed his left arm, leaving a deep, burning cut. Blood dripped between his fingers as he stood up.
The bear charged again, slamming into him with full force. Cody rolled to the side, but the impact knocked him onto the grass, scraping his back and pushing him to the limit. He got up quickly, panting, eyes locked on the beast.
This time, he chose to attack directly, knowing every strike had to count—he couldn't afford to miss. He threw a punch to the bear's snout, feeling his knuckles vibrate from the impact. The bear stepped back, but quickly countered with a swipe that opened a gash on Cody's side. He groaned but stood firm, raising his fists again.
The exchange was brutal. Cody struck the snout, neck, and shoulders, using his whole body, dodging swipes, leaping and rolling. Each impact left marks: bruises, cuts, blood mixed with sweat. The bear didn't relent; each charge was stronger, faster, more dangerous.
A moment of carelessness allowed Cody to land a direct blow to the stomach, feeling the force of the impact make the beast stagger. But the bear reacted fast—grabbed his arm and hurled him against a log, breaking it on impact. Cody rolled, bleeding from his forehead and arms, and slowly got up.
"This… this is too much… more than any human should endure," he thought, wiping blood from his face.
Cody advanced again, attacking with punches and knee strikes to the bear's side, aiming for vulnerable spots, trying to wear it down. Each blow left him more battered: spreading bruises, deep cuts dripping blood, constant pain in every muscle. The bear, relentless, kept attacking—each swipe and charge more lethal than the last.
The clearing was a bloody battlefield: shattered logs, torn-up earth, leaves and dust floating in the moonlight. Cody breathed heavily, each inhale burning his lungs. His eyes were locked in focus, his body aching but determined. No room for jokes—every move could be fatal.
Cody launched a final combo of punches to the snout and side, dodging a last swipe with a sideways leap that tore a gash in his leg. He stood, panting, fists bloodied, breathing hard. The bear stared at him, wounded, letting out the lowest, most furious roar it had made yet.
Both were exhausted, wounded, and aware that every blow could be the last. Cody knew he couldn't back down, couldn't miss: it was fists versus brute force, endurance versus power, human versus monster. And for the first time, the fight felt truly mortal.
Cody was drained. His body was covered in cuts, bruises, and blood streaming down his arms and face, but his hands—though battered and bloody—were still intact. In front of him, the terrifying bear staggered, massive, wounded and bleeding profusely, but its eyes still burned with fury to the very end.
The air in the clearing was heavy, thick with dust, leaves, and tension. Every breath Cody took hurt, every muscle screamed for him to stop—but he couldn't. The bear advanced with one last desperate charge, growling and tearing up the ground with its massive paws. Cody stepped back, barely dodging a swipe that grazed his shoulder. His skin tore, a sharp pain shot through his arm, but his fists stayed firm.
"Damn it… this ends now," Cody muttered through clenched teeth, eyes locked on the beast that had chased and attacked him mercilessly.
The bear charged head-on. Cody held its gaze, inhaled, and ran toward its side, striking with direct punches to the snout and shoulder, using all his body and strength. The bear roared and stepped back, but regained balance and launched a lateral swipe, which Cody dodged by rolling backward. Each blow, each impact, left the bear weaker, more off-balance.
Cody breathed heavily but pressed forward with determination. He lunged and unleashed a combo of punches focused on the jaw, snout, and side, dodging the bear's final attempts to charge. With each hit, the bear staggered further, limping, bleeding from multiple deep wounds. Its roar grew lower, weaker, as if Cody's strength was finally overpowering it.
—
Finally, Cody saw the opening. With one last burst of strength, he leapt and delivered an uppercut to the bear's snout and another straight to its chest, using every ounce of power he had left. The beast staggered, dropped to its knees, and then collapsed onto its side, motionless, eyes closed, letting out one final deep growl before succumbing to its wounds.
Cody fell to his knees beside it, breathing heavily, bleeding, bruised, and covered in dirt and blood—but with his fists still intact. He looked at the motionless bear and, for the first time since the fight began, allowed the tension to ease just a little.
The clearing was wrecked: broken logs, torn-up earth, scattered leaves. The moon lit the scene, revealing Cody—wounded but standing—and the giant bear that had been his mortal adversary. The victory hadn't been easy, or quick, or painless—but it was final.
Cody leaned against a fallen log, breathing hard, cuts on his forehead and aching arms, and murmured to himself:
"It's over… finally over…"
The silence of the night filled the clearing—heavy, almost reverent—as Cody remained standing, wounded, but alive and victorious.