FADE IN

On the same scene.

Gabrielle is staring with some horror at Gascar, standing before her. He's uglier than ever; he is also missing his left arm below the elbow.

GABRIELLE:
     Gascar? But--but you're supposed to be--

GASCAR:
     Dead? Nah. (laughs) Took that beast eight heads just to get my arm off. (Gabrielle winces.) Clever trick, pretending to fight Xena, and sending me to those caves--oh, very clever. You appreciate clever tricks, do you?

GABRIELLE (faintly):
     Not especially...

GASCAR:
     Well, here's one for you. Last time I saw you, you were fighting with Xena over Ares, weren't ya? Well, Xena's with Ares now. Sounds to me like the two of you have had a bit of a falling out.

GABRIELLE:
     That's not true!

GASCAR:
     True? Who cares? It's what people will think, anyway--when they see you lead a raiding party into Geilia.

GABRIELLE:
     When they see me what?

GASCAR:
     Or maybe that's not what they'll think at all. Maybe they'll think that Ares has succeeded at last in turning you and Xena over to his side. (shrugs) Sounds like a clever trick either way, don't you think?

GABRIELLE:
     Sounds like there's a flaw in your plan. There's no way I'm taking part in a raid on any village.

GASCAR (chuckles):
     Oh yes, there is.

A noise is heard outside the cell. Gabrielle looks up; Greba appears at the door.

GREBA:
     Hello, Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE:
     Greba! But--where's Xena?

Gascar and Greba laugh.

GASCAR:
     That cave wasn't the only lair of a man-eating beast in Greece, you know... (off Gabrielle's horrified look) Oh, I don't expect Xena can be finished off that easily. But who knows, maybe the next time we meet, we'll have a pair of arms between us!

He laughs again; Greba giggles and moves over towards Gascar.

GREBA (simpering):
     Did I do good, sweetie?

Gabrielle stares in horror as Greba brushes a hand through her hair and looks into Gascar's face eagerly.

GASCAR (roughly):
     It's not over yet.

Greba's face falls.

GABRIELLE:
     Greba--I can't believe you're doing this! After we saved you--twice! And then you go team up with them?

GASCAR:
     Kind of a wasted effort, wasn't it?

GREBA (defensively):
     I was a young widow, all alone! Maybe if a good man had tried a little--but, no! (sneers) Too keen on his slave girls!

GABRIELLE:
     A good man? (she looks puzzled, then works it out) You mean--Ares? (she grins and shakes her head) Well, I'm not sure it's a word I'd use to describe him...besides, he's a one-woman man. You'd never have gotten anywhere with him...

GASCAR (dangerously):
     And why would you want to?

GREBA:
     Well, he was the God of War... (She begins playing with her hair again, unaware of Gascar's darkening face) An older man, to be sure, but (sighs) widows can't be choosers--he was quite a handsome man, even if he did have a little gray in his hair...but of course he'd rather play around with someone who wiped out his entire family!

GABRIELLE:
     We brought them back again...

GREBA (not listening):
     Well, he's going to regret it! He'll realize what he did when he turned me down--and--

GASCAR (menacingly):
     And?

GREBA (finally realizes what she's been saying):
     And...and I--I'm--glad?

GASCAR:
     Glad? You don't sound glad to me! Two arms are better than one, is that it?

GREBA:
     No, no!

GASCAR:
     You'd rather be hanging around a god than a mere warlord, is that right?

GREBA (stammers):
     Not at all--I--I think it's great that you're just a warlord!

GASCAR:
     Just a warlord? (Forgetting all about Gabrielle, he glares at Greba and grabs her arm.) We need to talk.

They walk toward the door and step outside. Gabrielle tries to scramble to her feet, then slumps down as the door slams shut. Gascar's and Greba's muffled voices are still heard from the corridor.

GREBA:
     Honey--what I meant is--

GASCAR (off-camera):
     It's the leather, isn't it? I know it's the leather!

CUT TO

The deserted village square. Xena appears, with a very annoyed look on her face. She stops, looks down at her right shoulder, then pulls a large pointed tooth out of it. She flings it aside, and walks on.

Suddenly a figure races towards her. It's Darion. He flings himself at her, and starts babbling wildly.

DARION:
     Xena! Gabrielle's been kidnapped, and everyone's gone, and we have to go look for her!

XENA (amused):
     You've already done that bit, remember?

DARION:
     No, no--this time it's true!

XENA:
     There's a thousand bad guys in the barn--or maybe two thousand?

DARION:
     No, there's no one in the barn! Well, except Kara and Theon and--

XENA:
     Rrright. (grins) I know--I bet you people had Greba take me on some wild goose chase so you could set up another surprise. Well, I lost her in the woods somehow--and then I found one of the hydras that Hercules must have missed way back when. I'll have to tell him...

DARION (pulls on her arm):
     Xena! We need to look for Gabrielle!

Xena sighs, and crouches down.

XENA:
     Okay, okay--I'll play along. Where are we looking? Are you going to give me some clues, huh?

DARION:
     She was in the tavern when the bad men took her...

XENA:
     You want me to go to the tavern, huh? (she shakes her head) I don't even want to imagine what they've got planned this time...

She takes Darion's hand and they walk together towards the tavern. Just as they turn the corner, Ares and Iolaus come into the square from another lane.

ARES (brushing cabbage leaves and other refuse off himself):
     Got any more clever ideas?

IOLAUS:
     Look, Hercules saw something moving in that garbage cart--it could've been her!

ARES:
     I knew it was a rat.

IOLAUS:
     Well, you're not sensing Gabrielle--she could have been in there too!

Ares rolls his eyes as Hercules comes walking up behind them.

HERCULES:
     Well, we've checked out those possibilities at least... I think they've left the village.

ARES:
     Or maybe that's what they want us to think!

Hercules and Ares glare at one another. Iolaus coughs, and slaps a hand on Hercules' back.

IOLAUS:
     Maybe we'd better go back and see if anyone else has found anything yet...

They head off together towards the barn. Just as they move out of sight, Virgil and Eve enter the square.

EVE:
     Nothing. Virgil--they've taken her somewhere...

VIRGIL:
     We'll find her, don't worry. And if anyone can look after herself, it's Gabrielle.

EVE:
     What a way to spend a birthday. Sometimes it doesn't seem as though anything can go right for us...

Virgil grabs her hand and presses it firmly.

VIRGIL:
     That isn't true.

Eve smiles a little. They walk slowly towards the barn.

CUT TO

Inside the barn, where everyone is now back from searching for Gabrielle. Everyone is talking at once so that not a word can be heard.

Xena walks in with Darion, stops still and then in a moment gives a shrill whistle. Silence falls as everyone stares at her.

XENA:
     Where's Gabrielle?

DARION:
     I told you--she got kidnapped!

Everyone rushes up to Xena.

EVE:
     Somebody came and said there was a--

VIRGIL (cuts in even as Eve continues to talk):
     She went to the tavern--

HERCULES (talks over Virgil and Eve):
     The barmaid came back and said--

IOLAUS (talks over Virgil, Eve and Hercules):
     We really wanted to find her before--

The din of voices becomes unintelligible again. Xena fixes everyone with a steely gaze; they step back and stop talking.

ARES:
     Hey--what happened to your shoulder?

He frowns and puts a hand over the cut.

XENA (shrugs):
     Greba took me by the scenic route... I ended up teaching some many-headed monster how to share. (she grins) He was a slow learner. (looks around again) Now come on--where is she? Is everybody in on the joke?

VIRGIL:
     It's not a joke, Xena. Two men took her from the tavern, and--

Xena's face grows very serious as she realizes that Gabrielle really is missing. She holds up her hand and turns to Ares.

XENA:
     Where is she?

Ares shakes his head.

ARES:
     I can't tell--for some reason, I can't see where she is!

Xena opens her mouth to argue, but Aphrodite interrupts.

APHRODITE:
     It's true, Xena. It's like, the vibes aren't working somehow, or--or--some crazy god has like blocked the signal or something. (she frowns as she focuses, trying her hardest). Whoah! (shakes her head)

HERCULES:
     Some god? (He looks accusingly at Ares, who still has his hand on Xena's shoulder). Maybe you're right. After all--who ruined the party last time?

Ares just smirks at Hercules and moves a little closer to Xena.

XENA:
     Wait.

She steps away from Ares and looks from him to Aphrodite to Hercules.

XENA:
     You might be on to something there, Hercules...

ARES (disbelievingly):
     What?

XENA:
     Think about it. Ares, you can't pick up where Gabrielle is--it must be another god. But who'd bother? Who has a grudge against us now? Who'd ruin another party?

APHRODITE:
     Uh--Aunt Hestia? She always was a bit of a party pooper. Although hitting Gabby over the head doesn't really seem like her style...

But Xena is shaking her head, and moving back towards Ares.

ARES (slowly):
     You mean Discord.

Everyone exchanges worried looks as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE