ACT TWO
FADE IN
A close-up of Xena's face as she stares at Ares.
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[FLASHBACK] Clips from "The Gauntlet": Xena and her men are looking at the devastated village. A baby cries, lying on the bed next to its dead mother. CRETUS: DARPHUS:
XENA: CUT TO Xena's tent, later. XENA (to Darphus): DARPHUS: XENA: CUT TO A warrior striking a bloodied Xena. [END OF FLASHBACK] |
XENA (lowers her eyes, speaking softly):
I knew it was him right away. Ikaros...he was the only one to survive. And that bracelet...I'd seen it before. It was his mother's.
ARES:
You saved his life--almost at the cost of your own. Why didn't you tell him?
XENA (harshly):
What's it to you?
ARES:
Hey. I'm trying to help.
XENA (bitterly):
Sure...just like you tried to help me back then.
Ares lowers his eyes and bites his lip, looking almost embarrassed.
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[FLASHBACK] Xena, still with visible cuts and bruises from the gauntlet, is running through a forest. She suddenly stops and looks around. There is a flash of blue light. Ares appears. He has the same look as in "The Reckoning" and "Ties That Bind."
ARES (suavely): XENA (grimly): ARES: He comes up behind her and starts massaging her shoulders. She closes her eyes and throws her head back, leaning into him with a sensuous sigh. ARES: XENA (opens her eyes with a start): ARES: XENA:
ARES (continues to rub her shoulders and upper arms): XENA (softly): ARES (turns her around abruptly and looks her in the eye): XENA: ARES (impatiently): XENA: ARES (puts his hands on her shoulders again): XENA: Obviously making an internal effort, she removes his hands from her shoulders. XENA (softly and regretfully): She thinks for a moment, then turns around and starts to walk in the direction she came from. Teleporting himself, Ares stands in her path. ARES: XENA: ARES: XENA: Scowling, Ares vanishes. Xena stands still for a moment, looking wistfully at the place where he stood, then shakes her head and walks on. CUT TO A scene from "The Gauntlet." Hercules is fighting Darphus and his men. Xena appears and joins him. CUT TO Xena fighting Darphus. She kills him. [END OF FLASHBACK] |
XENA (stares bitterly at Ares):
And then you brought Darphus back--and you were willing to let him kill me if he killed Hercules for you.
ARES (looks up):
What do you expect me to say?
XENA:
Maybe "I'm sorry" would be a good start.
ARES (defensively):
I was the God of War, Xena. I wasn't going to let one of my star employees go over to the competition. (his voice softens and he sounds almost apologetic) That was a long time ago.
XENA:
And you think I should just get over it. Maybe there are some things you can never quite get over.
ARES (stung):
Sure. Just ask Haimon.
Xena looks as if he has slapped her. Then, she turns around abruptly and walks away.
Ares looks after her grimly, then punches his palm in frustration and vanishes.
CUT TO
A town square. A crowd has gathered and Haimon stands at the center. The townspeople appear restless, reacting to him with hostile murmurs. Xena and Gabrielle appear at the back of the crowd, looking on.
TOWNSMAN #1:
On your way, hayseed.
HAIMON:
Listen to me! If we had fifty men, we could...
TOWNSMAN #1:
...wind up like your last posse. We've made our decision. If Sabina comes through here, we won't oppose her.
CUT TO
Xena and Gabrielle looking on.
GABRIELLE:
They've already given up!
XENA:
Sabina has made sure to spread the word about Aleta. Fear is a powerful weapon, Gabrielle.
HAIMON:
Fifty men! Aren't there fifty men among you willing to take a stand against Valeria Sabina? Think about what happened at Cressida and Aleta.
TOWNSMAN #2:
Not our problem. They were the ones foolish enough to stand up to Sabina. It's a battle we can't win.
XENA (stepping forward):
That's right. You can't win it because you've already lost.
A collective gasp from the crowd as they all turn towards her.
XENA:
All Sabina needs to win is for good people to do nothing and allow her to run over every innocent village she comes across.
TOWNSMAN #1:
It's not our town Sabina is after!
GABRIELLE (stepping up beside Xena):
So that makes it all right to hide your head in the sand? Maybe Sabina won't come after you today--or even tomorrow. But sooner or later she'll run out of villages to conquer. That's when she'll come for you. And then there won't be anyone left to fight for you.
TOWNSMAN #2:
Easy for you to preach to us, little girl. Did you see what she did to Cressida? And this fool who wants to lead us has already lost one militia.
XENA:
Give me fifty of your best men and I'll bring Sabina to heel.
TOWNSMAN #2:
You? And who in the name of Ares are you, woman?
HAIMON (points a condemning finger at Xena):
That's Xena, Destroyer of Nations, Butcher of Cirra and Ikaros. Xena raised an army in the name of protecting her home too. And before long that army of simple men from Amphipolis was laying siege to Corinth--with Xena at its head.
A murmur runs through the clearly impressed crowd.
A WOMAN'S VOICE IN THE CROWD (heard over the general noise):
That's Xena? I heard she was ten feet tall!
A MAN'S VOICE:
So the legends are true--she is alive!
TOWNSMAN #1:
With Xena to lead us Sabina doesn't have a prayer!
HAIMON (distressed that his plan has backfired on him):
Follow her and you'll wind up the same way Xena's kinsmen did. We've all heard the stories, Xena. Gabrielle has been very good at spreading the word of your so-called heroics. Why doesn't she tell the entire story? How you lost your entire army at Corinth, how you laid waste to Cirra and Ikaros.
GABRIELLE:
That part of Xena's life is long over, Haimon.
HAIMON:
And that means we should forget all about it?
XENA (stepping up to him):
I've never expected anyone to forget. I've never forgotten. I never will.
HAIMON (gives her a chilly smile):
Then I suppose we have something in common after all.
XENA:
Haimon, how much did Spiros tell you about what happened at Ikaros?
HAIMON:
What do you know about my father?
XENA:
I know he was brave and honorable and that he would have laid down his life for you.
Haimon draws his sword halfway from its scabbard. Gabrielle steps forward and lays her hand on his arm; he relaxes his grip on his sword but his face betrays his rage.
HAIMON:
I may not be able to defeat you, Xena. But I swear by any god you name that if you say one more word about my father... You're not worthy even to draw the breath to speak his name. My father died when I was three--before he could tell me anything about what you did to my village. But the older I got, the more I heard. Everyone knows about what you did at Ikaros.
TOWNSMAN #2:
Makes no difference to us, hayseed. That's ancient history. If Xena is willing to lead us against Sabina, I say we do it!
HAIMON:
You're all fools!
TOWNSMAN #1:
That may be so, little man. But at least we'll be live fools--which is more than I can say if we follow you into battle.
The townspeople laugh. Embarrassed and angry, Haimon pushes through the crowd and walks off.
GABRIELLE (looking after Haimon):
If we're going to do this, we'll need all the help we can get.
XENA (nods):
He's a good fighter. He has courage and skill. But he's let anger and hatred cloud his judgment so much that it makes him unfit to lead men into battle.
GABRIELLE:
I'll talk to him. Maybe I can make him see that stopping Sabina is more important than...
XENA:
Hating me?
Gabrielle looks down at her feet.
XENA (forcing a tight smile onto her face):
I don't think this is the time or place to tiptoe around the truth, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE:
I'll talk to him.
She turns to leave and stops. She is facing away from Xena.
GABRIELLE:
Xena, maybe some day you'll be ready to tell me what you did at Ikaros.
XENA:
Maybe.
GABRIELLE (turns back to look at her):
But you're still not ready.
XENA:
Maybe you're not ready either.
GABRIELLE:
It was bad, wasn't it? Really bad?
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[FLASHBACK] Images of Xena walking the gauntlet, taking a hard blow across the face, being kneed in the stomach. [END OF FLASHBACK] |
A close up of Xena's anguished face.
XENA:
Yes, it was.
CUT TO
Haimon is saddling his horse as Gabrielle walks up to him.
GABRIELLE:
Where are you going?
HAIMON:
Don't know, Athens perhaps. Maybe it's time for me to take it easy, enjoy life and just worry about myself.
GABRIELLE:
So you're just going to walk away and let Sabina win?
HAIMON:
It looks like you and Xena have got things under control, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE:
That's not what I mean and you know it. You're a good man, Haimon. I don't think you can just walk away and not care.
HAIMON:
No? Watch me. I'd rather ride with the devil himself than follow Xena. (smiles bitterly) Come to think of it, there isn't much of a difference.
GABRIELLE:
Haimon, I know what Xena did to you was horrible. But if you walk away now you let evil win, you let that monster that Xena used to be win. Do you think you'd be able to live with yourself if you didn't do everything you could to stop Sabina? I don't.
HAIMON (wavering):
Dammit, Gabrielle...
GABRIELLE:
This isn't about Xena or you or what happened at Ikaros.
HAIMON:
Yes, it is. Why do you think I've been chasing after Sabina for so long? No child should have to suffer the way I did.
GABRIELLE:
Then don't turn your back now. Make your mother's death mean something.
HAIMON (bows his head in surrender):
This doesn't change anything, you know. I won't ever forgive Xena for what she did.
GABRIELLE (smiles sadly):
I think you and Xena have a lot more in common than you think.
CUT TO
The common room in the inn in Mainas. The assembled men listen attentively to Xena.
XENA:
...And make sure we're ready to head out by dawn. I don't want to give Sabina too big a lead.
TOWNSMAN (nods):
We'll try our best.
XENA:
You don't try. You do. Now go get a good rest.
As the men start leaving, Gabrielle comes in.
XENA:
You talked to Haimon?
GABRIELLE:
I talked to him.
XENA:
And?
GABRIELLE:
He's agreed to come with us. (crosses the room to Xena) Xena, maybe now you'll have a chance to talk to him--try to explain how--
XENA:
Explain what? My army was responsible for the destruction of his village, the death of his mother. There's nothing I can say that's going to make him feel any better about that.
GABRIELLE:
Well then maybe you could explain it to me.
XENA (her voice takes on a softer tone):
What do you want to know?
GABRIELLE (thinks a moment, then shakes her head):
I don't know, Xena. It's just that every time I think I really know you, another demon pops up out of your past.
XENA:
And now you think you don't know me at all?
GABRIELLE:
I'm not saying that! I'm just trying to understand what happened at Ikaros.
XENA:
I trusted the wrong people, simple as that.
GABRIELLE:
There has to be more to it than that. If nothing else, you owe it to yourself to try to come to terms with...
XENA:
Who are you trying to make feel better about this? Me? Or yourself?
GABRIELLE:
Maybe I just want to know what I'm fighting for.
XENA:
Think about what we found at Aleta, and then ask me that!
GABRIELLE:
You know that's not what I'm talking about!
XENA (anger cooling):
Gabrielle...what happened at Ikaros...it was my fault. I accept responsibility for it. I can't--I won't make any excuses for it. Not to you, not to Haimon--and not to myself. I've accepted it.
GABRIELLE (hesitantly):
Xena, it was after Ikaros that you lost your army, right?
XENA (nods tiredly):
Yes. Just before I met you.
GABRIELLE:
So, in some way, what happened there gave you a push to turn your life around. (Xena casts an anxious glance at her) If Haimon knew that, then maybe he could make some sense of it, maybe he'd be able to make peace with what happened.
XENA:
Gabrielle, Sabina is gearing up to sack another village. Right now, finding out where she's headed and making sure she doesn't get there is more important than getting Haimon to like me.
Xena walks out.
CUT TO
Gabrielle opening the door of her room at the inn. Gabrielle comes into the room, only dimly lit by the moonlight. Leaving the door ajar, she goes over to a small table by the bed and lights an oil lamp.
ARES (off-camera):
Hello, Gabrielle.
Startled, Gabrielle whirls around and sees the God of War sitting in a chair in a relaxed pose, one leg slung over the other, staring at her sarcastically.
GABRIELLE:
What do you want?
ARES:
Can't you come up with something more original?
GABRIELLE:
I thought just this once we would dispense with our usual niceties and get down to why you're here.
ARES:
Ouch. You're not cutting anyone any slack tonight, are you?
GABRIELLE:
What's that supposed to mean?
ARES:
You were pretty tough on her back there.
GABRIELLE:
Well, excuse me if I don't get a... (she stumbles, looking for words) ...warm tingle every time I hear a new story about her slaughtering innocent people! (she glares at Ares)
ARES:
You think you know everything, don't you?
GABRIELLE (bitterly):
Well, it seems I only know what Xena tells me--and that isn't much.
ARES:
And if she isn't telling you everything, you just fill in the gaps by assuming the worst.
GABRIELLE:
What am I supposed to do? Last time I checked, I wasn't an oracle. (looks angrily at Ares) Did you come here to give me sensitivity lessons?
ARES:
You're dying to know what really happened at Ikaros, aren't you?
GABRIELLE:
And you're going to tell me? No thanks. That's just what I need--to watch you drooling over one of Xena's war stories.
ARES:
Suit yourself. (the light flares around him and he starts to disappear)
GABRIELLE:
Ares...wait!
ARES (the light around him fades):
So, do you want to hear this or not?
GABRIELLE (with a mix of resentment and apprehension):
Tell me what happened at Ikaros.
ARES (grins):
Now, see? That wasn't so hard to say.
GABRIELLE (through clenched teeth, giving him a look that could kill a mere mortal):
Just cut to the chase.
ARES:
You'll have to excuse me if my storytelling skills aren't up to your standards. It's not really my line of work. (Gabrielle rolls her eyes impatiently) So. Once upon a time, Xena was leading her army through the Parthian province...
As he speaks, Ares waves his hand at the door. An outside shot from the hallway of the door closing slowly as we:
FADE OUT
END OF ACT TWO