Mike used to move through the city like a ghost. Present, but barely noticed. Every morning he walked the same sidewalk, a paper cup of coffee warming his hands, his shoulders slightly hunched as if apologising for taking up space. He wasn’t unhappy exactly, just… unfinished. Life felt muted, like everything important was happening a few steps ahead of him.
That morning, when he found the unmarked brown package on his doorstep, he almost ignored it.
Inside was a box of Power Bear Coffee. Plain brown cardboard dressed with a bold rainbow stripe and a bear paw logo stamped proudly at the centre. Beneath it lay a handwritten note, the ink slightly smudged, as if written with care rather than speed:
if you believe in yourself, you can be super!
Mike frowned, confused, he had no idea who this “Daddy Bear” was supposed to be, but he was curious enough to brew a cup.
The coffee shimmered faintly in the mug, catching the light in colours that didn’t belong in a kitchen. He laughed nervously and took a sip.
At first, warmth. Deep, comforting, like a memory he couldn’t place. Then energy. Not the jittery rush of caffeine, but something heavier, fuller. When he finished the mug, he felt refreshed… powerful even. A soft rainbow glow clung to his skin, unnoticed as it slowly faded.
Minutes later, the pain hit.
Mike doubled over, clutching his stomach as he staggered toward the bathroom. Sweat broke across his skin. His reflection stared back at him, wide-eyed and afraid, and then changed. Facial hair sprouted before his eyes, darkening his jaw. His arms thickened, veins rising as muscle swelled beneath his skin. His chest broadened, stretching the fabric of his grey t-shirt until the seams groaned in protest.
“This isn’t possible,” he whispered.
But the mirror disagreed.
The rainbow energy returned, brighter now, wrapping around him in pulsing waves. His body grew heavier, stronger. Bulky with power rather than strain. His belly rounded into a solid, muscular gut, warm and undeniably his. His beard filled out, long and proud, framing a face that no longer looked uncertain. It looked alive.
Mike lifted from the floor.
Floating in front of the mirror, arms spread wide, head tilted back, he felt the truth settle into his bones. The pain melted into exhilaration. His eyes flashed with colour, rainbow light flooding his vision. And for the first time, he smiled without holding anything back.
He knew what he was becoming.
With a final burst of light, the transformation completed itself. His everyday clothes dissolved into a blue-and-red suit that fit him like destiny, trimmed in gold and crowned with a bear paw badge over his heart. When his feet touched the bathroom floor again, Mike was gone.
Superbear stood in his place.
He admired himself in the mirror, hands resting on his powerful gut, laughing softly in disbelief. He flexed. Once, then again. Feeling strength ripple through him effortlessly. This body wasn’t a costume. It was a statement.
Later, standing in his living room, Superbear snapped a selfie. Grinning wide, biceps bulging, eyes dancing with mischief. Then, without hesitation, he launched himself through the open window and into the sky, cape billowing behind him, rainbow energy trailing like a promise.
On the dining table below, the open box of Power Bear Coffee sat beside an empty mug.
“If you believe in yourself, you can be super.”
And the world would soon believe it too. 🐻✨
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