7.06 Bloodlust II


ACT THREE

FADE IN

Xena angry with Ares

XENA (looks completely disgusted, almost disbelieving):
     You used one young, blameless girl's pain for your own dirty work?

ARES (puts his hands up in self-defense):
     Oh, no, no! Not at all! Well, I guess you could put it that way, but I didn't purposely.

[FLASHBACK]

Ares' temple. It is almost exactly like the altar area in "Amphipolis Under Siege" except that there is a chakram design above the altar now--the old version. Ares is standing, looking at it, brooding. Michael appears.

ARES:
     Who are you and what are you doing in my temple?

MICHAEL:
     Ares. I'm a friend. Why so worried?

ARES:
     You're obviously not really with the program here. Gods... Twilight... Why are you so cheery?

MICHAEL (who does indeed look cheerful):
     Because I know how to prevent the Twilight from happening.

ARES (now looks interested):
     How?

MICHAEL:
     If you've done your research, you'll know that the one God of Love is set to take charge after you kick the bucket.

ARES (suspicious):
     Why not you?

MICHAEL:
     I'm not an Olympian...the Twilight doesn't apply to me. I answer to a higher being. But anyway, the God of Love is the same god that the followers of Eli believe in. There are very few Elijians left in the world, what with those cross-happy Romans. Barely enough to keep the God of Love in power...

ARES:
     Do you have a point?

MICHAEL:
     My point... What if the few Elijians still alive were killed? There'd be no God of Love to take over...meaning the Twilight couldn't happen. You went a good way to prolonging your family's lives when you killed Eli.

ARES:
     So you're saying I need to kill the followers of Eli?

MICHAEL:
     Exactly. You're the obvious choice for the job...if I'd asked any of the other gods they would worry about it being worth it. But you, you know which is worth more--the lives of the rulers of the world, or the lives of a few heretics set on bringing about your deaths?

ARES:
     You expect the God of War to run around doing your dirty work?

Michael with a grin

MICHAEL (placating, soothing, appealing to Ares' ego):
     No, no...not at all. I wouldn't dream of suggesting it. I have, however, taken the liberty of finding someone who could help you.

ARES (deliberately not sounding like he cares):
     Oh, really?

MICHAEL:
     Yeah--the sooner the Elijians are killed, the less likely it is that anymore of your family will suffer. Her name is Livia, and she lives with a Roman family in the Provinces. She is grieving her brother and wants revenge on his murderers--he was an Elijian--though she doesn't know it yet. You've trained female warriors before...you can save your family. She may have more potential than even Xena--she's very similar to the Warrior Princess... (he looks pointedly at the chakram above the altar)

ARES (angry--he is still grieving):
     Don't you dare mention Xena! Don't you speak her name to me!

MICHAEL (put out):
     I was trying to save your life...if you know a better way, feel free to try. (he disappears)

[END OF FLASHBACK]

ARES (now speaking only to Xena, not to the rest of the room):
     But I got curious...I wanted to see if she was any match for you, so I went to see her anyway.

XENA (nods, puzzled):
     Michael wanted to kill the Elijians? You aren't lying to me, are you, Ares?

EVE (from her witness box--she is now calm):
     I don't think he is, Mother.

DIDUS:
     You have not been asked to speak, Eve.

XENA (rolling her eyes--she is getting real sick of Didus):
     Eve, what do you mean?

EVE:
     Martyrdom, Mother. If I started killing the Elijians for no reason, they would become martyrs to their cause. That would give them more attention--and more sympathizers, if not outright followers. And the more people believe in him, the more powerful my god--and Michael become. But then I took it too far...so he let you come and stop me. (Michael appears, clapping)

MICHAEL:
     Evie, I must admit, I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd figure it out, but you did. And you beat Mommy as well! I'm so proud.

Xena threatening Michael

XENA:
     You bastard!

She flips over to him, and starts a punching motion. Michael disappears and reappears in front of the witness box in which Ares still stands right where Xena was a moment ago, right in time for Ares' fist to meet his face, with a resounding crack.

Gabrielle and Virgil go to Eve and Claudius to protect them and Xena and Ares proceed to kick Michael's butt in a dazzling combination of sword maneuvers, acrobatics and martial arts. They fight almost as one--they have fought with and against each other so many times before that they know almost instinctively which moves the other will use. Michael eventually ends up, beaten and bruised, being kicked by Ares so that he falls near to where Eve and Gabrielle are standing, with Xena's sword at his back.

Eve's eyes are dark with rage and she looks ready to kill. She stares at Michael, battling with an emotion she hasn't felt in a long, long time--hatred. The whole room goes tense, and all of the main characters--Xena, Ares, Virgil, Gabrielle, Didus and Claudius--wait for Eve to make her decision--to kill him or not to kill him.

EVE (shaking her head, she looks at Michael):
     You aren't worth it. I'm not going to turn back into what I was because of you.

MICHAEL (chuckles):
     My little pacifist. (he disappears, with a grin on his face)

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE