right hand, and the armored figure moved forward, even as it formed a perfect fist.
Jenna's smile grew wider and became an expression of absolute delight. 'Yes!' she whispered, and the single word hung in the control room's cool air. It all made sense, in a crazy kind of way.
Apparently, she hadn't fought her last match in Japan.
At least, not just yet.
Twenty-three minutes had passed since Reptilla erupted from the waters. In that time, besides the hidden gun emplacements, the fighter jets and the tanks, he had destroyed half a dozen buildings and trampled several smaller structures, leaving a trail of destruction that led more-or-less directly to Tokyo 's center. All of this he had accomplished even as he sought an opponent worthy of his might.
As the twenty-fourth minute passed, and as he strode into Mobile Defender Park, a red steel fist slammed into his jaw. As much from surprise as pain, Reptilla gave a howl and tumbled backwards.
Inside the Mobile Defender, Jenna laughed exultantly-a luxury she could not allow herself in regulation matches-and pressed the attack. From behind her, she heard a sound like a sigh, and realized that Teruhisha had regained consciousness, or was about to. That was good but, at the moment, not especially important.
Only winning was.
Jenna's fists came up; so did those of the giant robot armor she wore. Metal knuckles pounded into Reptilla's chest and shoulders. The volley of blows was enough to stun the brute, enough to make him stumble and stagger back. Had there been ropes, Reptilla would have been on them now; instead, he slammed into a nearby office tower. Glass shattered and metal girders snapped, and the building trembled as the ragged plates studding Reptilla's spine sawed into it. Again, the monster shrieked in protest, but this time, there was a puzzled sound in his roar, a sound of confusion.
Jenna had heard that sound before. Most males made that cry, or something like it, the first time they met women stronger than they were.
She drew back her fists to strike again, and then-
Reptilla's left foot came up, a four-clawed appendage something like a bird's, but many, many times larger. Even from his awkward position, he could bring it up much further, proportionately, than could any human being. The three lead claws dug into what would have been the Mobile Defender's collarbone, while the fourth, opposed one, found the suit's abdomen. Alarm systems shrieked and several of the cryptic displays on the view screen turned red.
Reptilla's new tactic was one Jenna had never run across in any other match, regulation or not. Quickly, she moved to counter it. Her fists unclenched, became spread-fingered hands again, reached for Reptilla's ankle. Feedback systems in the controlling gauntlets told her when she found her goal, and it felt as though her actual hands were closing on the bony joint.
Jenna squeezed, hard.
Reptilla yelped, and drummed his foreclaws on the building behind him. Jenna felt disgust. This was more like pro wrestling than her chosen sport, but she wouldn't relent.
Neither would Reptilla.
His grip on her chest armor tightened, and more status displays turned red. Resonating through the Mobile Defender's body, she heard metal tear.
Her armor was giving way.
She squeezed harder. Another five seconds passed, another three-
A new display came to life, an electric-blue status bar that extended itself swiftly across her screen, an indicator that Jenna could not understand.
'Disengage,' Teruhisha said, his voice a slur from somewhere behind her. 'He will burn us, or the armor will rupture.'
'Teruhisha! You're awake!' Jenna was so happy to hear his voice that she paid no attention to his words, and kept squeezing.
Reptilla's bulldozer jaw opened.
'Disengage,' Teruhisha repeated, more forcefully this time. 'Let go of him!' He was ordering her now.
Jenna didn't like taking orders.
She ignored him, 'felt' bones grind beneath her fingers. Reptilla's grip loosened even as hers tightened.
Teruhisha said something in Japanese, something that sounded like a curse.
Fire sprayed from Reptilla's mouth and, simultaneously, blue-white arcs of electricity surged from the Mobile Defender's fingertips. Now it was Jenna's turn to shriek as the monster tore itself free, and her turn to stagger back, dodging the flaming attack. The bright lance of nuclear fire spraying from Reptilla's maw streaked past her right shoulder, while the monster convulsed spastically.
'What was that?' Jenna demanded angrily. The blue-white status bar had disappeared now. 'I had him, dammit! What did you do?'
'Lightning attack,' Teruhisha said, from his control panel. He sounded preoccupied. 'It hurt him, and broke your grip. The armor could not withstand such a close strike!'
'Whatever it was, don't do it again!' she snapped. Sweat shone on her brow, and she was breathing heavily, as much from exertion as fury. 'Once I'm in the ring, no one tells me what to do!
'You cannot be serious,' Teruhisha said. 'You-'
Typical male.
'Help if you want, but no back-seat driving,' she snapped. 'This is my fight now!'
'You don't have the training, you don't-'
'I said,
That was a mistake, because the Mobile Defender turned, too. The skyline scrolled raggedly past the view screen, and Jenna could no longer see Reptilla.
But he could see her.
Righting himself, the monster struck again. This time, he mimicked his foe's tactics, balling clawed forepaws into fists and pounding on the gigantic figure's torso. The world rocked crazily again as the punches shook the Mobile Defender.
'Oh, great,' Jenna said. 'This is just great!' She turned to face the monster again. 'Now look what you've done,' she called back to Teruhisha, still angry at the interruption, but focusing on Reptilla again. She was able to block his punches easily enough. The monster had the advantage in reach and struck with great power, but he had little finesse and no guard worth worrying about.
Ahead of her, the system displays, still in Japanese, changed. Behind her, Teruhisha spoke, using more compliant tones this time. 'Cadmium charges on-line,' he said, at once businesslike and obedient. 'Fourteen seconds until launch capability.'
'Is that good?' Jenna asked. There was too much about the Mobile Defender that she didn't know; Teruhisha's help would be useful, provided he remembered who was in the command chair.
'Very good,' Teruhisha said.
Jenna blocked another punch, and then her metal knuckles Reptilla's brow, cut it. Green blood streamed forth, obscuring the monster's vision. She socked him in the jaw, then grinned as his head snapped back and his guard, poor though it was, dropped. She drummed the Mobile Defender's fists into Reptilla's abdomen in a staccato rhythm.
Teruhisha continued. 'Reptilla is a living nuclear reactor. Cadmium absorbs neutrons, can shut down his metabolism.' He paused. 'Missiles primed and ready to launch,' he said. Then a panel on the Mobile Defender's left forearm opened, and Jenna saw what looked like five torpedoes, locked together in a metal rack. 'To launch them, press-'
Jenna decided to throw him a crumb. 'You can take care of that,' she said. 'Right?'
'On your command,' Teruhisha said. He sounded a bit happier now.
'Where?' Jenna asked.
'Where?'
'Give me a target,' Jenna said. 'Where will they do the most good?' Reptilla had his second wind now and was giving as good as he got. Trying something new, she brought one metal foot down on Reptilla's bare one, then dodged as the monster almost toppled her with a lash of his tail. As she dodged, she hit him again, but the behemoth barely seemed to notice. Rage had lent him new strength.
Jenna knew that this was, quite possibly, her finest moment-but she also knew that it couldn't last forever. The system displays seemed to agree. Most of them were red now, and alarm buzzers were sounding.
'For maximum effect, you must have maximum penetration,' Teruhisha said. The words sounded incongruous, coming from such a gentleman.
Jenna nodded. 'I'll tell you when,' she said. Reptilla shuffled closer, reaching for her again. She dodged his blows as best she could, waiting for the opening she needed.
After a moment or two, it came.
Reptilla's claws came up, reaching for her. Her knee came up, too, smashing into the monster's crotch, right between where his hind legs joined his torso.
Jenna had grown up in New Jersey, after all.
Reptilla gasped. He dropped his attack, dropped to his knees, clutched himself, leaned forward. Not fire, but breath rushed from his lungs through his gaping mouth as he collapsed in agony.
Jenna grinned. She aimed her left fist at Reptilla's hanging jaw. 'Now!' she said.
Trailing fire, the five missiles roared into Reptilla's open mouth and down his throat. They had scarcely passed from view when Jenna reached with metal-sheathed hands, grasped the mnster's jaw, and snapped it shut. She squeezed hard, sealing the monster's mouth.
There was a muffled rumble as the charges exploded. The monster convulsed, hard enough to tear him free even of the Mobile Defender's iron
