The Most Dangerous Game –

The T101L began to get up, slowly and jerkily. It managed to get to about half way, on one knee and about to rise with the other leg, and braced on the spread skeletal fingers of the right hand.

"Target!" Cheng called. "Up!"

"Fire," Xander said, and squeezed the launcher's trigger again. "Steel on target."

The back blast was equally impressive this time, and the round impacted medium low on the right hand side of its torso as it was just rising. It spun to the right, arching backward, and –

BOOM!

Cordelia's heavy .416 solid caught it just at the join of spine and skull again, and stretched it out flat.

It didn't twitch this time, at least not immediately.

Picking up the Carl Gustav, Xander headed for the back of the rover at an even trot. He set the recoiless back into the cargo bed, lashed it down, and pulled the webbing over it again, moving quickly and with no wasted motions. Cheng nodded, and headed for the rear door of the Rover.

"Time to go, boys and girls," Cheng said.

"Yup," Xander said, heading around the other side to the drivers door. He paused with a foot on the running board, looking up at her, "Saddle up, oh Queen C. We are leav-ing!"

"Hang tight, Bagheera," Cordelia said. "We need to see what it does. Don't want it to lose us now, huh?" She threw him a brilliant grin, and a wink.

Xander returned the grin, and slid into the driver's seat, starting up the Land Rover almost immediately. The applause, whistles, cat calls, and cheers from the UCS crowd were loud and raucous. Cordelia blew them all a kiss, and took a slight bow from her perch in the sunroof.

"Ham," Xander called up to her from inside.

"You're just jealous 'cause they don't want your autograph."

"Ah dunno," Cheng said, "I think a couple of those gals are waving their underwear at him."

"Turn your head to look, dork," Cordelia said, "And you'll get a cup check that'll make the Larry-bot's look like a love tap."

"Aw, gee, honey – I never get to have any fun."

"You don't get to have groupies, lamer," Cordelia said. "I'm the only groupie you're allowed to have."

"Hell, you're the only groupie I need."

Terminator Larry finally worked its way up, and then lurched to its feet. It looked at them with the one glowing red eye for a too long moment, and Cordelia gave it an upraised middle finger. After a long moment, it nodded at her, as if in wary salute.

BOOM!

Cordelia's final round for this encounter just missed the other glowing red eye, impacting instead on the occipital ridge just outside of the eye socket on the right side. It spun the T101L around to the right, and sent it staggering slightly.

"Don't nod at me, you son of a bitch," Cordelia said. "I am not your honorable fucking adversary, asshole. I am your death."

.