This thing was good. As strong as she was it matched her, at least with so many vines it could get all the leverage it needed and unbalance her. Head to head she may have been stronger but it knew how to use that strength to take advantage of the situation.

The walls gave it security, it could take it's time or so it believed. Vines that were broken and torn away hampered it little as it's regeneration kicked in. While it did not heal instantaneously such progress could be seen. In mere minutes the smaller vines were restored while the larger ones took a bit more time.

Injury was like foreplay, what damage it sustained would repair itself in short order. The maze had been designed with that in mind, when severely injured it could withdraw and heal only to stalk them again. The managers were aware of this trait and designed this particular contests with that ability in mind, along with a few others that she had yet to discover.

When things looked bleakest Bridgette appeared and while unable to subdue the beast she did manage to distract it and even damage it a little. She was still being held and had to struggle to reach the weapon that stopped on the ground near her.

Smaller vines were torn away and while it went to work shredding Bridgette's clothing it looked back at her as she was getting to her feet in time to see one of it's vines hacked off. It did not react in pain but directed other vines toward her as she came forward.

As she moved the crowd had a good look at her wares. Dodging and slicing she managed to cleave through some of the vines before targeting that “root”. It nearly had her too. Maybe it would have if Bridgette didn't pull hard on one of the vines securing her drawing it off balance ever so slightly and causing the plant to glance back at her then back toward Xin. Just a fraction of a second was too much, she cut the root off, her strength ensuring that she got the job done.

Yet it did not howl or wither in pain to her surprise. Maybe it was hurt given the reaction of those vines retreating from the pair as it stepped towards one of the walls where she discovered another one of it's abilities as it melded into the vegetation vanishing from sight. The section of the wall it passed through turned brown and looked like that area was dying. Maybe it would be easier to punch through in that spot.

Sounds of combat could still be heard indicating that other gladiatrixes were battling each other given that their foe was here. It occurred to her that the others may not have known that there was something in here with them, there was no announcement that they were facing something as a team and those that heard her were apparently too busy to brake away from what they were doing.

Gladiatrixes fought one another at times so this could have been one such occasion of that. Bridgette was getting up to her knees catching her breath before rising. Glancing at her torn clothes then glancing to the sky where she could still see a drone.

“Either it's still in the vicinity or they just want to get some shots for the fans. You really don't like doing this, huh?” Collecting some of the tattered clothing she looked to see what could be salvaged giving up on the top that was thoroughly destroyed.

Breaking off some of the dying twigs and vines, some of which had continued to cling to her, even as she'd forced her way through and cut a path for herself, Xin shrugs and rolls her shoulder's as she stands. Garb tattered, ripped and torn to shreds, there wasn't much she could do now to cover up and, unlike her counterpart, she resolved there wasn't much reason to waste time on it. Taking a deep breath, gripping her weapon, having gotten used to no clothes at all for the first few years of her life anyway, not bound and enslaved to the need for modesty like some, she simply takes a second, calms her temper and resigns herself to this new state of nudity. Yeah, they were getting a good show from this, but she'd be damned if she'd let them get anything else from her.

Still tingling slightly, the body's physical memory pinged her still with the touch that'd briefly caressed her breasts and teased her clit. Tiny and all tucked in, the thing had barely had a chance to start playing with her sex when it'd been interrupted, the sight of her slit still barely a thing as that clit of hers still kept itself in its hood, tiny, pink protrusion the most visible thing at present. No moisture, no wetness invoked at the time, she would, after the fact, nonetheless feel a little, minuscule, barely noticeable drop or two trying to make itself known in the area. Honestly, the most on display right now was her teats and, with her body remaining ever young and at its prime, those bountiful, yet perky, slightly upturned peeks would probably be the greatest reward for the audience's patience so far.

"There are things I'd rather be doing. Standing around being another file in some perv's wank bank is hardly the sort of thing I want to spend my life on. Could you say the same?"

The statement starts off rather dry at first, though her question at the end does turn a little more poignant. It was like she actually wanted to know and, given the behaviour she'd seen from some of the gladiortrix women that'd been through here, she kind of needed to know if this Bridgette was someone she could actually depend on.

Shrugging the conversation off regardless, whatever the result, she makes a point of swapping weapons back. Yes, a sword would be best for the circumstances, but she was pretty sure the heft and size of the maul she had was, with all respect to her now armed partner in this, something more suited for someone of her genetically altered super strength. The thought of seeing Bridgette trying to wield and swing around that hammer was... well, it would probably be best if they were both armed with a weapon they could use.

From there, the next plan of action had to be decided. Did she try to go after this thing, or did she look for more help? She could hear the sounds of battle all around and, whilst there could be two theories in this, the warriors were either fighting each other, or more of this hedge maze's creatures, either way, she could probably help herself by finding and getting more of these women together. In the end though, it didn't take her long to make a decision. Though she'd gotten away after the last encounter it'd been close. Meeting that thing again without more people backing her up was probably a bad idea and, that being the case, she could only really take the one course of action.

"Hey."

Her head turned briefly back to Bridgette as she'd started to move and keep them going along.

"Want to trim some bushes?"

It was the one thing she had in her favour now. She'd had trouble reaching the other contestants before. However, maybe now she had a better way to cut through the maze.

It was already too late for Bridgette in that regard. Outside of the newest gladiatrixes no one had been in the same category as she. Still, she knew what the amazoness meant. Years of these contests ensured that she put on a good show, up to and including her defeat when it happened. As long as the cameras were rolling and she was in the arena she had a job to do.

“Let's get this perverted plant!” She snapped. Drones zoomed in on them capturing a few more shots then zipping off as something else grabbed their attention. Bridgette noticed and relaxed her grip on her blade.

She first looked toward the brown area on the wall thinking initially that they were going to go after the plant but as the plan was revealed to her she was a bit relieved considering what they both just went through she was unsure about taking the fight to the plant just yet. Sure she was fired up at going after the thing but expected the result would end the same way except that this time they wouldn't get out of it. Still she was a performer to the very end.

So why was she relieved? “Hell yeah. Let's find the others.” She lead the way toward the sounds of combat hacking at the walls and making a hole that they could pass through. It was obvious that she was straining with the effort and the holes quickly closed up behind them as the plants quickly knit themselves closed at an alarming rate. It was clear that if Bridgette let up for a mere moment the plants would regenerate quicker then she could damage them. The walls had an extreme rate of regeneration, while their foe did so at a much slower rate.

Along the way they witnessed drones zipping over head and even used them at times to make progress. The crowd was into what ever was happening and the fighting ceased in some areas.

To make matters worse an announcer could be heard over the PA system declaring that half the combatants had been eliminated. That still made it unclear as to what the objective was. They both knew that there was something in here with them while the other combatants may not have know thus fighting against themselves.

They didn't come across any bodies though there were signs of combat to the prints on the ground to blood, sap and vines. A discarded weapon or two could be found on inspection though nothing all that great, in one case a chipped dagger and in another a staff or spear, one end was damaged and broken but if it was a spear the head of the weapon could not be found.

At last they encountered someone that turned on them. A large gladiatrix armed with an ax showed signs of enduring battle. There were numerous bruises, cuts and what appeared to be rope burns and lashes. She must have encountered the plant and was restrained at some point but managed to get free. Her clothing was damaged but still intact. Other damage seemed to be from weapons.

“There are three others, maybe less ...” the woman seized up the pair. “Prepare yourselves if you come to fight.” Her grip tightened on the ax as she took in the two woman while falling into a fighting stance.