Don't Poke the Luna (Xena and Ryder)

Xena's POV

The jagged metal trembled inches from my chest. But I could feel how frail she'd become whatever they'd done to her in that dungeon had left her body broken.

"You FUCKING WHORE!" she screamed, spittle flying from her cracked lips.

1 managed to twist my body, using my leverage to roll her off me. The movement sent agony through my injured ribs, but adrenaline numbed the worst of it. As she scrambled to regain her position, I grabbed her wrist with my right hand and slammed it against the tile floor.

The makeshift weapon clattered away, spinning across the wet surface.

Martha clawed at my face with her free hand, her nails raking across my cheek. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"

YOU MOTHERFUCK, I growled, driving my knee up into her stomach.

She doubled over, gasping, and I used the momentum to flip her onto her back. Before she could recover, I wrapped my right hand around her throat and squeezed just hard enough to cut off her air supply.

Her eyes bulged as she clawed weakly at my grip, her movements becoming more and more sluggish. Within seconds, her body went limp beneath me.

I sat back on the cold tile floor, breathing hard and trembling. My heart hammered against my ribs as the reality of what had just happened crashed over me. Martha had been here, in this room, trying to kill me. But how? Why wasn't she in her cell? How did she know where to find me?

The questions came in a rapid-fire assault, making it hard to breathe. I reached out through the mind link, my mental voice shaky with residual fear.

"Ama," I called.

"What is it?" Her response was immediate.noveldrama

"Martha just attacked me. I knocked her unconscious."

Silence. Then: "WHAT? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Oh my god, Xena!*

'I'm fine, I assured her, though my voice trembled. "I'm just... the bathroom floor

is cold, and I need someone to help me up."

"I'm coming right now!" Ama's panic was evident even through the mind link.

"Thank you."

"This is all my fault," Ama's voice cracked with guilt. “I ran out and forgot to close the door. If something had happened to you, I would never forgive myself."

"Martha's unconscious. Everything's fine now," I said, trying to calm her down even as my own hand shook.

A few minutes later, I heard rushing footsteps in the hallway. Ama burst through the door with Penelope and two female warriors close behind. They rushed into the bathroom, and Ama's eyes immediately filled with tears when she saw me sitting on the floor beside Martha's still form.

"X, Ama said, her voice breaking as she hurried over to help me up.

I leaned heavily on her as she guided me to the sofa in the main room. Once I was seated, I reached out and gently touched her head, offering what comfort I could.

"Tie her up," Penelope commanded the two warriors, gesturing toward Martha's unconscious body.

The warriors immediately got to work, bigding Martha's hands and feet with rope they'd brought. Penelope watched them work, her brow furrowed with concern as she turned to me.

Why would Martha be here? How did she get out?' Penelope's voice was tight with worry.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "I think we need to send someone to check the prison situation immediately, and notify the border patrol warriors to stay alert.

'I already ordered warriors to investigate, Penelope said grimly.

"Was it just Martha?" Ama asked, her voice still shaky.

I managed a weak smile. "Yes. If there had been more than one, I'd probably be dead right now."

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