One of the Missing Women

"Wait, what?" Lois Lane said...but then Kallisto had grabbed the reporter by the shoulders, turned her around, and thrust her into the ring.

By instinct, Lois dodged the fist that flew toward her head. Then training kicked in, she was already moving to slap away the follow-up blow, moving her body to the side to make a smaller target, ducking and weaving so that she wouldn't be a still target for her opponent. Lois had her hands up and was circling before she actually caught sight of whom she was fighting.

Sudden recognition almost shocked Lois into dropping her guard. Reddish copper hair, green eyes. Tall and slim, splattered with freckles all over her bare arms and shoulders, wearing nothing but a pink sports bra and matching hot pants. Diana Reynolds, one of the missing women that Lois had come here to find. A literature major at Metropolis University who worked as a barista.

Barefoot, the redhead lifted her leg in a kick aimed to send the reporter's ovaries crashing against her spine. Lois sidestepped and, on instinct, stepped forward.

Lois Lane didn't quite weigh 120 pounds...but the two-inch heels on her clubbing shoes were capped in steel, and all the reporter's mass stomped down hard on the barista's bare foot.

The redhead screamed like a cat stepped on in the dark...and then a balled fist swung at Lois again, smashing right into the reporter's left breast. Grimacing with pain, the reporter pivoted on that heel, wrenching the flesh and digging it in deeper. Lois didn't have to see the blood spurt; she could smell it...and when she did step free she was behind Diana.

Too late, Diana felt the reporter's arms close in the sleeper hold...Lois grimaced as the redhead thrashed...the struggles weakened...and then Diana went limp. Lois counted to five before letting her go, the wounded woman slumping **** to the floor.

A smattering of applause. Kallisto grabbed the reporter's arm and almost yanked it out of the socket. Lois let the towering, half-naked woman lead her out of the circle, as the adrenaline died in the reporter's veins, leaving her shaky and spent...

"Good fight!" Kallisto said. "Good moves! You have training!"

"A little," Lois said. "That woman...I wanted to ask her a few questions."

"Later," Kallisto said, dragging Lois away from the ring. "Now..."