Nobody really cared about the semi-finals. The media surrounding the Gauntlet had compiled enough snapshots and discreetly acquired footage to piece together the conflict behind the scenes between Codi and Bruno. That, coupled with Brax-Delta's enduring underdog story, meant that everyone was watching and waiting for a final clash between them.

So when Codi emerged victorious from a twenty minute slugging match with Chris O'Leary in the penultimate fight, she also found it hard to care. Actually being in the final of the tournament wasn't the point. She had a score to settle and that was all that mattered.

She would get the chance too. The other semi-final had probably been Varlin's toughest match, but that hadn't stopped him winning. Although Dustin Morto's sheer size gave him an advantage, in the end the reigning champion's technique and experience saw him through to the last stage of the tournament.

The press storm that engulfed the pair following the day of the semi-finals had dwarfed anything Codi had experienced to date, but it was a different kind of media mayhem to earlier rounds. No-one asked her about teams, about sponsorships or the future. All they were interested in was how she planned on beating Bruno Varlin. In truth, she and Vasco hadn't quite come up with an answer to that particular monument of a question, but it meant she didn't have to babble on about the business side of the tournament anymore.

So she gave them what she could without giving away what little game plan the pair had managed to cobble together. Looking for holes in Varlin's game wasn't easy, and until a few hours before the final match they hadn't found any. But eventually, after sifting through every recorded fight of his tournament, Codi spotted something. It was small, almost negligible, but it was more than she'd seen before: a tiny exposed window in Varlin's otherwise impregnable exterior.

He had a dodgy knee.

It took hours of footage, but the revelation suddenly clicked in Codi's brain when she realised she'd hardly ever seen Varlin jump. Despite the added reinforcement of the exoskeleton servos he never utilised the capacity to leap unless he had no choice. Once she realised this she started looking for evidence. It didn't make much of a difference over the course of the tournament, but she could see him using his expertise to keep his left knee clear of the fighting.

So now she had a target. Codi had no illusions. In a fair fight with Varlin she wouldn't stand a chance, so she needed to even the odds somehow. If she could find a way through his guard and injure him she might just be able to put herself on a relatively level playing field. Maybe not the most sporting attitude to take, but frankly, she didn't give a damn. If there was one person in the tournament that didn't deserve her respect, it was him.

Codi led the way down the Arena corridor ahead of Vasco and the others, focusing her mind on one thing: hurting Varlin. Although she wouldn't admit it to Vasco, she didn't care about winning. Whatever way they dressed it up, this was her shot at payback.

The cameras flashed and the voices of journalists rose in an obnoxious crescendo as they approached the entrance. Then she spotted Bruno Varlin coming the other way, his coach and a handful of team mates in tow. She deliberately caught his eye, her look blackened with cold rage. He looked back, but the look of easy distain had vanished from his normally scathing features. Now he looked angry too.

She could guess the reason. It had been a shock to the Gauntlet world when Codi had managed to get past not one, but two of the Battlecast Academy's best fighters. Bruno now had the pride of his home academy, hell, his home planet resting squarely on his shoulders. The weight was different for him. People expected him to win.

Codi could guess easily enough what people thought of her chances, and as a result, winning the tournament didn't factor into her game plan. She already had a guaranteed second place, a finishing position that already shattered all expectations of Brax-Delta.

"Good afternoon," the attendant at the door to the Arena passage declared, inclining his head to both fighters respectfully. "Mr. Varlin, Miss James, I'm going to have to ask your coaches and team mates to remain here."

She nodded and turned her back on Varlin, facing the group that had been with her every step of the way.

"How you feeling?" Vasco asked.

"As ready as I'm going to be," she replied.

"Just remember what we talked about. Find the window and make it count."

"I will."

Then Lita stepped forward from the group, and to Codi's surprise the other girl pulled her forward into a hug.

"Good luck," she said. "Show them what we're made of."

Lita half released her, one arm still draped around her shoulders. Codi looked at the faces of the others, Max, Lucas and Lazlo, the faces of strangers who'd become her friends. Letting her veneer of anger fall for a moment, she smiled broadly and beckoned them all forward.

"Alright, alright, bring it in," she muttered. The group exchanged knowing looks before coming together in a six person hug. No words were spoken for several seconds until they released each other, at which point Lucas piped up.

The burly twin put his hands on her shoulders and grinned. "Go out there and knock him on his ass."

"I'll do my best."

Then she turned and followed the attendant through the doorway into the waiting corridor, side by side with Varlin. The two fighters stopped at the next vault-like door and even through the thick metal Codi could hear the roaring of the crowds. The familiar surge of adrenaline began to flood through her veins and she began bouncing lightly on the balls of her feel.

With the hiss of releasing servos the door slid open, unleashing a deluge of screaming from the audience beyond.

"Mr. Varlin, if you would?" the attendant gestured to the gaping aperture. "Best of luck."

"Thanks," he grunted. Varlin cast one brutal glance over his shoulder at her before stepping out into the light of the arena. The announcer's voice bellowed out an introduction and Codi found herself listening.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the first of your finalists and defending champion, from your very own Battlecast Academy, Bruno Varlin!"

She didn't think the volume of noise could rise any more, but Varlin's appearance caused another spike in the braying of the fans. The home favourite, the defending champion; every time he walked out into the arena he electrified the atmosphere. Codi bit her lip at the prospect of her own reception.

"Miss James, it's time. Good luck."

She sucked in a deep breath and jogged past the attendant into the glare, the announcer's voice erupting into the air.

"And the challenger," he boomed. "An underdog from the fringes of colonised space, this year's big surprise from Brax-Delta academy, Codi James!"

Gratifyingly, the roar she received was just as huge. It seemed she'd made her own mark on the Gauntlet competition, enough at least for the crowds to appreciate her. Drinking in the storm of applause, she steadied her breathing and took stock of the final arena.

It was less elaborate than both her preceding fights, a simple oblong enclosure with a floor covered by a fine dusting of grit and sand. A series of walls maybe eight to ten feet in height surrounded the two fighters with gaps in between and the outer edges of the arena sloped upward. Codi spotted weapon racks spaced evenly around the entire walls, dotted with Hacktors, staffs, cudgels and bolas. In an instant she made the decision to run flat out away from Varlin at the outset until she could get her hands on a weapon.

"So ladies and gentlemen, I present this year's Gauntlet finalists. They have fought their way through the best competitors colonised space has to offer to fight it out in the final arena for the right to be called champion. As always, elimination in this bout will be by knock-out only. Without further ado, let's get things underway!"

More roaring from the assembled masses swelled like a thunderstorm, and Codi tried to shut out the noise, listening for nothing but the starting klaxon. As she waited she looked at Varlin standing twenty feet distant opposite her. His cobalt stare bored into hers, his exoskeleton polished and gleaming viciously under the arena lights. He rolled his neck from side to side and a grim smile formed on his cracked lips.

The klaxon blared.

Codi spun on her heel and sprinted for the furthest wall from Varlin, her focus fully captured by the structure of a quarterstaff held by three clasps. She reached it, yanked it from the wall and whirled to see her opponent pulling a pair of bolas from a weapon rack on the left of the arena. Faster than she thought possible, he twirled the three-balled weapon up to speed in three swift motions and let fly. She leapt into a diving roll under the projectile, leaving it to smash into the weapon rack behind, dislodging two Hacktors, a bolas and a cudgel with a clatter.

The second of Varlin's bolas wasn't far behind, and as Codi emerged from her roll she had to jump in order to hurdle the incoming weapon. It passed underneath her with inches to spare. By the time she actually made it to her enemy he sported two short cudgels from the weapon racks and he advanced to meet her with the spark of battle in his eye.

Initially, Codi thought his choice bizarre. With the quarterstaff she would have the advantage of reach despite Varlin being physically taller. But when she moved to attack she realised that reach didn't factor into her opponent's fighting style. Almost unheeding of the staff, he ploughed forward, battering aside her assaults and pressing in too close for her to utilise her weapon properly. Before she knew what was happening, he hooked both cudgels under the quarterstaff and wrenched it away from her.

Instinct let Codi release her grip rather than be thrown through the air, and in the second it took for Varlin to bring his cudgels back into position she hammered a punch into his jaw. His face screwed up with pain, but the only reason he hadn't avoided the blow was so he could return the favour. One cudgel smacked into Codi's stomach and as she bent forward the other clouted her across the side of the head.

Pain throbbing in her skull, she let her body flow with the impact and twirled on her right leg, throwing out a spinning kick with her left. It didn't connect, but she hadn't expected it to. When she planted her feet again she found Varlin advancing from where he'd stepped to avoid the attack.

She bent backwards to avoid a scything swing from both cudgels and then braced for the incoming storm. Ducking and weaving, she let Varlin force her backwards, absorbing a handful of glancing blows as she went. Then, having retreated long enough, she suddenly dropped and dove in for a tackle.

Codi hit Varlin's iron midsection shoulder first and anticipated his reaction perfectly. Almost the second she crashed into him, his knee jerked up into her midsection. When it did, she wrapped her left arm around it and twisted with a snarl of exertion to throw her opponent onto his back. She landed on top of him and managed to land a left hook before he reacted. Letting go of one cudgel, Varlin snapped out his right hand and grabbed Codi by the throat, his fingers digging into her windpipe.

It took both her hands pushing upward to dislodge the choking grip. In knocking his hand loose she left herself open, exactly as Varlin had intended. The cudgel in his free hand arrived like an anvil, hitting her just outside her right eye.

The sheer force flung Codi off him and she rolled twice before coming to all fours, blinking furiously from the throbbing pain in her temple. Dimly, she heard the crowds roaring for Varlin. Looking at him she found him pacing back and forth arms in the air as he goaded the supporters on.

Gritting her teeth, Codi struggled upright. Shaking her head to clear it, she glared at her adversary.

"I'm right here," she spat.

Varlin grinned wolfishly and threw his remaining cudgel to one side. Dropping into a fighting stance, he raised his hands and came towards her. Anger began to get the better of her good sense and Codi stood her ground. She couldn't make herself give Varlin the fear and respect he deserved. So they went at it with the furious energy of a grudge match.

Despite landing a handful of solid hits, Codi got the worst of the exchange, unable to find a chance to expose Varlin's weak knee. He was all too aware of the danger, it seemed, and he kept it protected from any attempt she might make. So she was forced to fight head to head with the most skilled fighter in the tournament.

A sweeping kick sent her to the ground again. From her prone position, Codi frantically blocked the follow up storm, rolling away from Varlin and gradually moving herself to her knees, then back to her feet. Sweat began to run in thick rivulets down her face and her breath was coming in gasps. She was gratified to see, however, that Varlin, too, was beginning to breathe heavily. At least she was making him work for it.

They clashed again, but again Codi got no opportunity to capitalise on her opponent's weak point. Varlin slammed a fist into her jaw and sent her reeling, but let her regain her stance before coming in again. He was toying with her.

Spitting, Codi felt the warm tang of blood in her mouth. Her jaw ached, and the vision in her right eye was tinged with red. Things weren't going to plan. At last common sense re-exerted itself and she stopped trying to take Varlin on at his strongest skill. He came in again, fists flying, and this time she didn't bother standing her ground. She backed away, avoiding as much as she could until she judged she was close enough to her objective.

In a sudden motion she cartwheeled back away from Varlin and jumped, landing perched on top of one of the surrounding walls that dotted the perimeter of the arena. From her position she caught her breath and glared down.

"Had enough?" Varlin growled.

Codi snorted derisively. "Come up and find out."

He obliged, bunching his legs and leaping up to land precariously on the wall top. The platform was no more than a foot wide, and Codi's smaller stature held her in good stead as she hurled herself at him. Varlin planted his feet and stood his ground against her onslaught, riding a hail of punches. She ducked in under his guard and slammed a left into his body plate. He replied with a stinging jab across her cheek, and then shifted his footing back a pace.

Codi drove on, trying to press what little advantage she had, but in doing so she stopped defending. Varlin simply waited for his moment and in a sudden, flashing movement he got a grip on her swinging arm and yanked, sending her head over heels off the wall.

She hit the ground and rolled to her feet, turning just in time to see Varlin to follow her down. Ducking the murderous incoming fist, she hit him shoulder to stomach, whereupon he hammered a double-handed club into her spine. Explosive pain lanced through her body and the sheer force knocked Codi down onto all fours.

From that position she drove a savage elbow into the side of his weak knee with all the force she could muster.

Even without an existing injury the blow would have done damage. As it happened the vicious impact extracted a roar of pain from Varlin along with a collective intake of breath from the audience. He staggered backwards, his knee buckling under his own body wait. Limping away, he cursed as Codi picked herself up from the ground. Anger blazed in her opponent's eyes.

"Fight as dirty as you want," he snarled. "You're not winning this."

She didn't have the breath to respond. Exposing her back in order to get at Varlin's weakness had been a calculated risk, but as she stood upright pain jolted through her spine. Drawing air into her lungs, Codi braced herself as Varlin began to advance again, a noticeable gimp in his left leg. Whether she could use that to her advantage anymore, however, remained to be seen.

He might have been limping, but Varlin's hands were as deadly as ever. He smoothly transitioned into a variant of power boxing and came after her with a vengeance. Fighting to keep her body straight, Codi defended as best she could, but the nagging ache in her spine marred her concentration. Despite her best efforts it wasn't long before a solid right hook crashed into her ribs, driving the wind from her, followed closely by a left that knocked her spinning to the ground.

The sound of bone on bone echoed through the arena, and an explosion of noise accompanied her as she hit the dirt, face first. Varlin had injured her back; her jaw throbbed from numerous hits and even her knuckles hurt from where she'd managed to land her own. For five long seconds she didn't want to rise, her pulse thundering in her ears, her lungs screaming in protest.

Then Kye's battered features surged forth into her mind. Don't do anything stupid. A thin smile slithered across her face.From somewhere Codi called up the energy she had left, balled her hands into fists, and pushed herself back up to her knees.

The crowd went quiet.

With agonizing slowness, she struggled to her feet again and turned to face Varlin once more. If he was going to win she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a knock out.

"Give it up," he grated, shaking his head.

Codi worked up a mouthful of blood and saliva and spat it onto the ground between his legs. "I'm not finished," she forced out. Wincing with the effort, she lowered herself back into a fighting stance. "So neither are you."

"Your funeral." Varlin shook himself to loosen up and came at her yet again.

The minutes that followed seemed like a dull dream to her. Exchange after exchange brought a storm of questing punches that she blocked mechanically. Her movements were lethargic, though, unable to keep pace with him for long. After a small period of resistance, a gap would open in her guard and Varlin would smash her to the ground. The third time Codi stopped registering the pain. Reserves of hidden energy let her struggle upright again and again, no matter what Varlin did. Pure, bloody-minded stubbornness kept her going. The fifth time she rose she saw his eyes widen in something that might have been amazement or might have been shock.

When he came at her for the sixth time a final surge of adrenaline went blazing through her exhausted body and she lunged in to meet him with a piercing shriek of pent up rage.

Taken off guard by the sudden burst of speed, Varlin didn't react in time. Codi smacked his upraised hands aside and slammed a head-butt squarely into his nose. As he reeled back she grabbed him by the collar of his exoskeleton, stepped around his body and stamped down brutally on the side of his injured knee.

This time Varlin screamed out his agony and the crowd gasped in horror. His leg buckled and he only just managed to stay upright. With the last shreds of energy she had, Codi reared back, clenched her fist, and threw her entire body weight into one final punch. In that moment the entire tortuous journey of the Gauntlet flashed through her mind's eye. She'd had enough.

School, Barrow, the orphanage, Brax-Delta, Vasco, Max, Lita, Lucas, Lazlo, Earth, the Arena, Kye, Ripple and finally Bruno Varlin; the images swelled and twisted into a maelstrom. And this was the end of it, this one instant. Like a curtain rising the story of 'Codi James: Underdog' fled from her mind, and her clenched fist connected like a wrecking ball with her adversary's skull.

For the first time in the tournament, Bruno Varlin hit the ground.

It didn't take long for Codi to follow him. Like a deflating balloon the last of her determination slipped away and she pitched forward headlong into the dirt and grit. This time she couldn't get up. She just lay there, her jarred senses taking in everything in a murky haze. The noise of the crowd fell into a hum in the background, replaced by the thundering of her heart in her ears and her laboured breathing. The grit was rough against her cheek, but she didn't have the strength to shift position. Her body had nothing more to give.

The final klaxon sounded incredibly far away. Dimly, Codi made the connections in her head that the fight was over. With a conscious effort, she listened for the sound of the announcer's voice.

"...and gentlemen, with no clear knock-out at our thirty minute time limit, the final fight will be decided by impact rating!"

Had she heard correctly? With a groan, she rolled onto her back and squinted up at the painful glare of the arena lights. Seconds ticked by silently.

Then the announcer spoke again, "We have a final decision, ladies and gentlemen! Without any further ado, the winner of this year's Gauntlet Interstellar Combat Tournament, by impact rating...is BRUNO VARLIN!"

Codi went limp. So that was that. The screams of the crowd assaulted her from all angles, mocking her. What did you expect? they seemed to say, he was always going to win. But then a hulking form limped into her view, its dark silhouette outlined by the arena ceiling lights. She blinked through her blood-tinged vision until she managed to focus on the individual overhead. It was hard to do justice to the feeling of surprise she felt when she realised it was Varlin standing over her.

But it wasn't the fact that he stood over her that was surprising. It was the fact he held a hand outstretched to help her up.

It took all her effort to raise on leaden arm and clasp the proffered hand. With a growl of exertion, Varlin pulled her to her feet, and when she almost collapsed again he held her upright.

"You know what, Brax-Delta?" he grunted. "Not bad. You're insane, but you've got guts." Then, to her utter amazement, Varlin turned his cobalt stare on the crowd and began gesturing to them furiously with his free hand. His bull-like bellow hurt her ears, but the words brought a spark of light in her heart.

"Come on, make some noise for Brax-Delta!" he roared to the massed spectators, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. "COME ON!"

As though commanded by a military general the audience erupted into a fresh avalanche of cheering and as she gazed weakly around, Codi could see many were standing from their seats.

"Enjoy the applause," Varlin said. "You earned it."