get ready for a real, mech
fighting treat. Old friends will know her real name but for tonight
please welcome back, Smasher Sam!" Silver's voice echoed around the
stadium.
As he said the name a section of the crowd
went wild. Smasher Sam was the pseudonym Nova had used when she
used to fight in The Pits years ago. Clearly there were still many
who remembered her. They jumped to their feet, cheering her name.
Some of them jeered at Tate and a few others ran to the ticket
boxes to place last minute bets. Many booed and hissed at her,
throwing cans at the fence surrounding the arena.
Nova lifted her hand to the crowd, her
signature salute, but her eyes didn't leave Tate. At her name his
head whipped up and looked straight at her, and he'd taken an
involuntary step backwards. Nova grinned; she had him scared. She'd
waited a long time to kick the crap out of him. He knew it was her,
which was the best thing. He recognised her fighter name and knew
exactly what it meant.
The scantily clad woman resumed her walk
around the arena and lifted the metal sign up to each section of
the crowd.
"Look who came crawling back," Tate jeered,
his voice muffled by his helmet.
"Only so I can watch you fall."
"Aww, c'mon, don't be like that. Hey, why
don't you play nice? I'd sure like to see you on your back for
me."
Nova clenched her teeth and resisted the
urge to lash out. If she struck before the round started she'd be
disqualified. "Over my dead body."
"Perhaps," Tate said.
"You first."
The woman with the sign made it full circle
and stepped out of the arena. The wire gate snapped shut behind her
and the fight was on.
As Nova predicted, Tate ran straight for
her. He sprinted across the arena, careening like a boulder across
the dirt floor. He tucked his head low as if he meant to head-butt
her to the fence and he growled as he approached.
Nova held her ground for as long as she
could. She pulled back her fist, as if aiming a punch, and at the
last minute stepped to the side. Tate's weight carried him forward.
As he shot past, Nova turned and slammed her elbow down into his
back. Their metal suits clanged against one another. The force sent
a jolt up Nova's arm that made it tingle. She'd forgotten what it
was like to be encased in a metal suit; she was protected but so
was he.
Tate whirled to face her and without warning
he rained fists down on her head. He beat at her with all of his
strength, smashing left and right.
Nova held up her metal arms and his blows
bounced back. Each hit sent another shock vibrating through Nova's
arms until she was sure they were going to fall right off. A
tightness formed in her stomach; she couldn't remember the last
time she'd checked the connections in her suit, and a cold sweat
broke out at the thought that it could all fall apart.
She shook her head, she couldn't think about
that now. She turned her focus back to the fight. At the moment,
she wasn't doing anything but defending as Tate hit her again and
again. No fight was ever won just by blocking. Nova let three more
punches land before she leant backwards and swung her right foot
through the air in a roundhouse kick.
Her leg smashed into Tate's side and sent
him stumbling. The metal suits weren't made for moving sideways,
the vision was limited and the balance wrong. Tate faltered until
finally regaining his balance. By then Nova was on him.
She rained down punches of her own. Instead
of letting him block the hits, she changed her angles, aiming for
his head, then his stomach, his crutch, then back to his head
again. The onslaught had Tate peddling backwards. He tried to get
around, to lash out with his own arms, but it did no good. Nova was
too quick. She blocked every blow and still had time left to attack
him.
Tate's back slammed into the fence and it
rattled. The crowd behind him went wild. Some threw bottles at the
arena, and they shattered, sending pieces of glass in all
directions. The bright specks caught the arena lights and
fighting treat. Old friends will know her real name but for tonight
please welcome back, Smasher Sam!" Silver's voice echoed around the
stadium.
As he said the name a section of the crowd
went wild. Smasher Sam was the pseudonym Nova had used when she
used to fight in The Pits years ago. Clearly there were still many
who remembered her. They jumped to their feet, cheering her name.
Some of them jeered at Tate and a few others ran to the ticket
boxes to place last minute bets. Many booed and hissed at her,
throwing cans at the fence surrounding the arena.
Nova lifted her hand to the crowd, her
signature salute, but her eyes didn't leave Tate. At her name his
head whipped up and looked straight at her, and he'd taken an
involuntary step backwards. Nova grinned; she had him scared. She'd
waited a long time to kick the crap out of him. He knew it was her,
which was the best thing. He recognised her fighter name and knew
exactly what it meant.
The scantily clad woman resumed her walk
around the arena and lifted the metal sign up to each section of
the crowd.
"Look who came crawling back," Tate jeered,
his voice muffled by his helmet.
"Only so I can watch you fall."
"Aww, c'mon, don't be like that. Hey, why
don't you play nice? I'd sure like to see you on your back for
me."
Nova clenched her teeth and resisted the
urge to lash out. If she struck before the round started she'd be
disqualified. "Over my dead body."
"Perhaps," Tate said.
"You first."
The woman with the sign made it full circle
and stepped out of the arena. The wire gate snapped shut behind her
and the fight was on.
As Nova predicted, Tate ran straight for
her. He sprinted across the arena, careening like a boulder across
the dirt floor. He tucked his head low as if he meant to head-butt
her to the fence and he growled as he approached.
Nova held her ground for as long as she
could. She pulled back her fist, as if aiming a punch, and at the
last minute stepped to the side. Tate's weight carried him forward.
As he shot past, Nova turned and slammed her elbow down into his
back. Their metal suits clanged against one another. The force sent
a jolt up Nova's arm that made it tingle. She'd forgotten what it
was like to be encased in a metal suit; she was protected but so
was he.
Tate whirled to face her and without warning
he rained fists down on her head. He beat at her with all of his
strength, smashing left and right.
Nova held up her metal arms and his blows
bounced back. Each hit sent another shock vibrating through Nova's
arms until she was sure they were going to fall right off. A
tightness formed in her stomach; she couldn't remember the last
time she'd checked the connections in her suit, and a cold sweat
broke out at the thought that it could all fall apart.
She shook her head, she couldn't think about
that now. She turned her focus back to the fight. At the moment,
she wasn't doing anything but defending as Tate hit her again and
again. No fight was ever won just by blocking. Nova let three more
punches land before she leant backwards and swung her right foot
through the air in a roundhouse kick.
Her leg smashed into Tate's side and sent
him stumbling. The metal suits weren't made for moving sideways,
the vision was limited and the balance wrong. Tate faltered until
finally regaining his balance. By then Nova was on him.
She rained down punches of her own. Instead
of letting him block the hits, she changed her angles, aiming for
his head, then his stomach, his crutch, then back to his head
again. The onslaught had Tate peddling backwards. He tried to get
around, to lash out with his own arms, but it did no good. Nova was
too quick. She blocked every blow and still had time left to attack
him.
Tate's back slammed into the fence and it
rattled. The crowd behind him went wild. Some threw bottles at the
arena, and they shattered, sending pieces of glass in all
directions. The bright specks caught the arena lights and
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