ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

22 INT. WARLORDS' CASTLE - DUNGEON - DAY

Flickering torchlight reveals the macabre sight of several hanging cages, looking like human cocoons, suspended at various heights from a ceiling beam with pulleys and ropes.

As CAMERA PANS the cages, we see most contain the decaying remains of their latest tenants, until we find and HOLD ON...

... Gabrielle, scrunched awkwardly in a cocoon-like cage, passed out from total exhaustion.

Moving on, CAMERA DESCENDS to find Lyceus, cramped in a similar cage a little lower than Gabrielle's. Using the edge of his amulet, he's trying to cut the cage's leather lashings.

XENA (O.S.)
(quietly)
Try working against the grain.

As Lyceus reacts, CAMERA RISES to find and HOLD ON...

... Xena, hunched in a small cage that hangs highest of all.

Below her, Lyceus hesitates, then takes her advice, though his tone is like ice.

LYCEUS
I'm surprised you care one way or
another, seeing how you sold us out.

XENA
Aren't you confusing me with Maphias?

LYCEUS
At least Maphias thought he was protecting
us. You just gave up. We could've taken
those guards. But you didn't even try!
Why not?

XENA
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

LYCEUS
Well, try me. 'Cause, right now, I don't know
what to believe. I thought we felt the same way about these monsters.

XENA
We do!

LYCEUS
Then why didn't you fight? I saw you, Xena.
You wanted to. Why didn't you pick up the sword?!

XENA
(snapping)
Because I --
(stops; then)
Because I was afraid.

There is a BEAT as Lyceus absorbs this. Then:

LYCEUS
(gently)
We're all afraid to die, Xena. But,
for me, some things are worth dying
for: you ... our friends ...
(hesitates; then, confessing)
... Gabrielle. These men have got to be
stopped.

XENA
I know. And given time, I --

LYCEUS
Given time, they'll be unstoppable.
(earnestly)
Maybe it's a lost cause. But I'd rather
die fighting these bastards, than live
with myself if I don't.

And lapsing back into silence, he resumes sawing the lashings of his cage while, above him...

...Xena hangs suspended on the horns of her dilemma.

CUT TO:

23 EXT. WARLORDS' CASTLE GATE - DAY

A crowd is gathered, MURMURING with anticipation as the Guards swing open the gate to admit...

Capitius who rides at the head of a gang of Hooded Men that walk behind him.

In the noise and excitement, no one notices an unknown Hooded Man who quickly emerges from some bushes near the gate and joins the others, passing with them into the castle as the gate swings shut behind him.

CUT TO:

24 INT. WARLORDS' CASTLE - DUNGEON - DAY

Suspended in her cage, Xena hears the sound of FURTIVE CRYING and, following it, looks out to see...

... Gabrielle hanging in a cage not far below her.

XENA
Gabrielle..?

The CRYING STOPS. But there's no answer.

XENA
(hesitates; then)
I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, none
of this would've happened.

GABRIELLE
You're right. If it wasn't for you,
I'd never have known how it felt to be
free again. And now I don't know
whether to thank you... or hate you for
it.

XENA
(thrown)
Hate me?

GABRIELLE
At least before, I'd forgotten what a
real life was. Then you showed me.
You gave me hope, made me think that
maybe it wasn't too late, that I could
still be happy. And now...

She stops, tears welling despite her efforts to stop them.

XENA
(devastated)
I never meant it to be like this.
I only wanted to help.

GABRIELLE
(ironic)
Yeah... because I reminded you of your
friend.

XENA
No. Because you are my friend.
As Gabrielle absorbs this--

GUARD #2 (O.S.)
(calling as he unlocks door)
All right, you three -- look alive so's
I can tell you from the others.

Opening the door, he enters, followed by one of Caputius' Hooded Men.

GUARD #2
Which one does Caputius want?

The Hooded Man looks up and indicates Lyceus. But as the Guard nods and heads for the rope holding up Lyceus' cage...

...the Hooded Man draws a knife and starts after him as:

GUARD #2
(turns back)
Think you could help me with--

Seeing the Hooded Man coming at him with a knife, the Guard lashes out with his foot, kicking the knife and...

... sending it tumbling end-over-end high into the air where --

-- Xena's hand suddenly darts through the bars of her cage to grab it!

Below, the Guard and Hooded Man are trading blows while --

-- above them, Xena shifts back and forth in her cage, starting it swinging side-to-side as --

-- the fight on the ground continues while --

Xena's momentum increases 'til her cage is swinging high enough for her to reach the rope suspending it from the pulley and cut it.

Set loose, the cage falls to the floor where it breaks open, freeing Xena as --

the Hooded Man finishes off the Guard.

Turning, he faces Xena who stands, knife in hand. Then, ripping off his hood, the man reveals himself to be:

XENA
Maphias!

KAPHIAS
(with difficulty)
I made a big mistake last night. But I
figure, better late than never ...
(eyeing her apologetically)
... right?

XENA
(smiles; apology accepted)
Right.

LYCEUS
(having overheard)
Hey, you gonna keep us hanging around
all day?

Reacting, Xena and Maphias cross to lower Lyceus and Gabrielle, releasing them from their cages.

LYCEUS
(warm; to Maphias)
'Bout time you showed up.

MAPHIAS
Took me a while to wake up ...
(ruefully)
... but I have.

The two hold a look. Then Lyceus clasps his shoulder and moves off to retrieve the Guard's weapons as Maphias turns to Xena and Gabrielle.

MAPHIAS
Okay, here's the way it stands. All
three warlords are meeting in the great
hall. So, if we hurry, we can be outta
here and gone before they even know
we're missing. Any questions?

GABRIELLE
Just one. Where's Lyceus?

Looking around, they see the door is open ... and Lyceus is gone. OFF Xena's alarmed concern:

CUT TO:

THE GREAT HALL - DAY

25 INT. WARLORDS CASTLE

The higher echelon of the warlords' men sit at two communal tables that run up to the dais where the warlords themselves -- Krykus, Mezentius, and Caputius -- sit at the head of the noisy room. Rising, Mezentius pounds the table for order.

MEZENTIUS
Alright, you men, stow it. I'm making
a toast.
(hoists his wine as they settle)
To the fiercest fighting force the
world will ever know.

The crowd SHOUTS and WlilSTLES agreement. But as they drink:

LYCEUS (O.S.)
Thanks for the tribute.

Reacting, everyone looks to see Lyceus, sword in hand.

LYCEUS
Now I'll earn it.

MEZENTIUS
(scowls)
We'll see about that.

He motions a man to attack Lyceus, and a large thug obeys,
charging Lyceus who deftly dispatches him as --

-- another thug rises and throws an axe which we TRACK as it
hurtles toward Lyceus when, suddenly, it's DEFLECTED by --

-- Xena, standing unarmed, flanked by Maphias and Gabrielle.

LYCEUS
(grins to see them)
Welcome to the party.

As brother and sister hold a look ...

KRYKUS
(furious; shouts to men)
What are you waiting for? Kill them!

And the fight is on!

Weaponless, Xena quickly disarms a thug who charges her with his sword.

XENA
(tossing sword)
Maphias -- catch!

He does, dispatching a couple more thugs with it, while Lyceus fights his way up a table toward the dais. Seeing him, Xena leaps onto the other table, making it a two-pronged advance as, still weaponless, she kicks a couple of grasping thugs aside.

XENA
Where are your table manners?

Meanwhile, Gabrielle crawls along the floor, armed with a wooden baton that she CRACKS against shins and knees with HOWLING success. One thug drops his sword as he hobbles off in pain. For a heartbeat, Gabrielle hesitates -- then she quickly picks up the sword as --

Maphias joins the advance to the dais. Fighting his way up the middle between the two tables, while --

Xena CONKS the heads of two thugs together, kicking their bodies off the table as they collapse.

XENA
Elbows off the table.

Meanwhile, Mezentius is creeping off the dais, trying to sneak away when, suddenly --

-- Gabrielle rises up, and thrusts the sword she holds straight into his gut!

GABRIELLE
(face twisted with hate)
There's your 'sweet thing.'

Hearing her, Xena turns to Gabrielle, appalled to see her savage fury as Gabrielle gives the sword a brutal twist before she pulls it out.

Mind reeling, Xena's oblivious to a charging thug, when

--- Lyceus jumps in, dispatches the thug, and calls to Xena:

LYCEUS
Get a sword!

XENA
(still dazed)
No!

Lyceus repels another thug.

LYCEUS
Arm yourself!

XENA
(torn apart)
I can't!

Thinking she's scared, he holds her gaze, his heart full.

LYCEUS
We all gotta die.

Then grinning, he tosses her his sword which she instinctively catches as he sweeps up another one. Still Xena hesitates, when suddenly she hears:

GABRIELLE (O.S.)
(raging)
Die! Die!!

And turning, Xena sees Gabrielle slash a wounded thug to death! Reacting, Xena looks from Gabrielle to Lyceus who urges her:

LYCEUS
C'mon! Go out fighting!

For an instant, brother and sister lock eyes: his filled with loving encouragement; hers filled with a last good-bye.

Then the two remaining warlords attack. As Lyceus deals with Krykus, Xena turns to fight Caputius, briefly fending him off 'til she sees her chance to run him through.

Withdrawing her sword, she sees the blood on its blade, and we go TIGHT ON XENA's anguished face. Then:

GABRIELLE'S VOICE
(shouts)
Xena -- behind you!

PULL BACK and WIDEN to reveal we are:

CUT TO:

26 EXT. TEMPLE OF THE FATES - DAY

In a replay of the Teaser, Xena (back in warrior clothes) whirls around, lifting her sword as

-- a hooded, axe-wielding Marauder runs straight at her!

Only this time, instead of skewering him, Xena lowers her sword, and flips him to the ground where his hood falls off, revealing ...the face of the same 15-year-old Boy from the Teaser.

Sword at his throat, Xena eyes him a BEAT, then:

XENA
You've got a second chance. Swear you
won't waste it by killing again.

BOY
(scared; but earnest)
I won't kill, I swear it. Never
again.

She holds his gaze another BEAT, then steps back and tosses down her sword.

XENA
Get up then.
(as the Boy hesitates)
Go.

Rising, the Boy runs off, never looking back. As Xena watches him go, Gabrielle (also in her usual clothes) joins her, looking after the Boy, then noticing:

GABRIELLE
Hey, he dropped something.

Reaching down, she picks up... a rite of manhood amulet.

GABRIELLE
It's his virilis token.

She hands it to Xena who eyes it a bittersweet moment, reminded of Lyceus. Then, reaching out, Xena hugs Gabrielle who's delighted, but nonplussed as Xena releases her.

GABRIELLE
What was that for?

XENA
(shrugs)
Just for being you.

GABRIELLE
(more puzzled than ever)
Uh-huh.
(then)
You okay?

Looking down at the amulet, Xena closes her hand around it, surprised to realize:

XENA
Yeah ... I am.

GABRIELLE
(dubious)
Really? You don't seem yourself.

XENA
You're wrong.
(retrieving her sword)
I'm more myself than ever.

And draping a companionable arm around the baffled Gabrielle, the two move off, as we:

FADE OUT.

THE END

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