ACT THREE

FADE IN:

20 INT. COUNTRY TAVERN - NIGHT

Hercules is sitting by himself at the bar, working on a bowl of stew and trying to ignore the stares of the tavernkeeper and the tavern's patrons. Finally, a DRINKER works up the courage to approach our hero.

DRINKER #1
Did you take care of her yet?

HERCULES
I don't know who you're talking about.

DRINKER #1
Xena, the warrior princess. Who else?

DRINKER #2 materializes behind #1. Everybody else in the tavern takes that as a cue to crowd around Hercules.

DRINKER #2
All she wants to do is write her name
across history in big, bloody letters.
She won't rest until she's wiped out
everybody and everything that's
stopping her from conquering Arcadia.

DRINKER #1
If we don't give her our crops and our
wares, she kills every man in sight.

DRINKER #2
And it's not our nature to fight back.
We're farmers and millhands. Ordinary
people. You've got to help us,
Hercules.

DRINKER #1
Come on, what do you say?

The crowd waits expectantly for Hercules' answer. After a beat, in a voice void of emotion:

HERCULES
I don't have the strength right now.
I'm sorry to disappoint you.

He picks up his bowl of stew and wades through the drinkers to an empty corner table. He has clearly put up a DO NOT DISTURB sign, but an OLD MAN who has been hanging at the back of the crowd still approaches him.

HERCULES
Look, there's nothing more
to talk about.

OLD MAN
Oh yes there is. Why don't we start
with whatever it is you've lost?

HERCULES
I didn't think it showed.

OLD MAN
Just like the nose on your face.
(then)
You mind telling me what it was?

HERCULES
It wasn't a what, it was a who -- the
best friend I ever had. A warrior...
a storyteller... a believer in honor
and laughter... Xena got him to
fall in love with her.

OLD MAN
If your friend took the trouble to look
into her past, he'd know she used him to
get you here. Once she has your head
hanging on her wall, she doesn't
expect anybody to stand in her way.

HERCULES
Well, somebody also will have to be
her trophy. I'm going home. There
are things for me to do there.

OLD MAN
I imagine so, but it'll be easier
traveling by day. Less chance of
walking into a tree or off a cliff.
(then)
If you want, I can put you up
for the night.

HERCULES
You sure it's no problem?

OLD MAN
I wouldn't have invited you if it was.
(offering his hand)
The name's Petrakis.

Hercules can't hide his surprise as they shake hands.

HERCULES
Are you the warlord?

PETRAKIS
Take a closer look at me, son. Do I
look like a warlord to you?

HERCULES
No, you don't.

PETRAKIS.
Of course not. I'm a farmer,
and an old one at that. But
Xena doesn't care anything for
the truth when she's trying to
get someone in her clutches.
She takes my name and applies it
to some imaginary madman who
rode from Hades robbing shrines
and eating babies.

HERCULES
It sounds like she'll do anything
to get what she wants.

PETRAKIS
And she wants everything. If she kills
you, there'll be nothing to stop her.

CUT TO:

21 INT. MAIN ROOM, XENA'S MANSE - NIGHT

Iolaus is solemnly sharpening his sword when Xena appears at the door in a shear nightgown. For a beat, she watches Iolaus, who has a serious case of the blues. Then she approaches and places a hand on his shoulder.

XENA
If he was really your friend, he would
not have come here and tried to interfere.

IOLAUS
I suppose you're right, Xena. It's just
that I've never been on a different side
than Hercules.

XENA
You didn't let that stop you from standing
up to him. You were a true warrior.

She's laying it on thick and Iolaus is wallowing in it.

IOLAUS
If I was anything less, you wouldn't
want me here.

XENA
You've turned out to be everything
I thought Hercules would be. But Hercules...
(she sounds hurt)
I can be fierce and violent, Iolaus.
You've seen that with your own eyes.
But to hear Hercules say what he did
was like having a dagger plunged in my heart.

IOLAUS
His words ended my friendship
with him.

XENA
Then you must be in pain, too.

IOLAUS
Not as long as I'm with you.

They kiss long and deep. When they come up for air:

XENA
Come to bed when you finish with
your sword. I'll be waiting.

And she hurries away, leaving Iolaus further under her spell than ever.

CUT TO:

22 INT. HALLWAY, XENA,S MMSE NIGHT CONTINUOUS

Estragon is waiting when Xena comes out of the main room.

XENA
(re Iolaus)
He turns into a whimpering dog every
time I mention Hercules.

ESTRAGON
Then he has to die.

XENA
Not by your hand, Estragon, and not
mine. It is Hercules who must
kill him.

ESTRAGON
But Hercules is gone.

XENA
It's our job to bring him back - if you
think you're brave enough to ride with me.

ESTRAGON
You know I am. But your strategy...

Xena sneers at his puzzlement.

XENA
Any true warrior would understand that
you demoralize and weaken before you destroy.
When Hercules realizes he's killed his best
friend, he'll be ripe for the slaughter.

Estragon nods.

ESTRAGON
When do we go after him?

XENA
At dawn.

ESTRAGON
(hormones rising)
And until then?

XENA
Save your strength.

Off the icy look she uses to dismiss Estragon --

CUT TO:

23 EXT. PETRAKIS' FARM - DAY

Hercules steps outside to great the new morning. As he stretches and looks around, he sees a humble grave and walks over to have a closer look. When he kneels beside it, he sees a marker indicating that a soldier lies beneath the earth. After a beat:

PETRAKIS (O.S.)
The most painful thing a parent
can do is bury a child.

Hercules turns to see that the old man has followed him.

PETRAKIS
My only son is in that grave. He was barely
20 when he died at the hands of a Spartan.
But it was really Xena who killed him.

HERCULES
You mean he fell into the same trap my
friend is in?

The old man nods and swallows hard. It's obvious the sadness of this loss will never leave him.

PETRAKIS
I warned him. Begged, pleaded, argued.
I even ran down the road after him the
day he rode off. The only thing
I never did was give up.

HERCULES
Is that what you think I'm doing,
Petrakis? Giving up?

PETRAKIS
You tell me.

HERCULES
Your son was a manchild. Iolaus is
an adult capable of living his own
life, making his own decisions.

PETRAKIS
And it's all right if those
decisions kill him?

HERCULES
You know it's not.

PETRAKIS
Then why are you leaving him with
that murdering harlot? She's a monster
just like the Hydra and the Nemean Lion
and the Stymphalian Bird. You didn't
walk away from fighting them, Hercules,
and you can't walk away from fighting her.

Hercules ponders the challenge Petrakis has given him for a beat. Finally:

HERCULES
You're right. I can't.

Off his new-found determination to settle things with Xena and save Iolaus --

CUT TO:

24 INT. BEDROOM, XENA'S MANSE - DAY

The first light of morning wakes Iolaus. He rolls over expecting to find Xena next to him. She's not there. Iolaus' sleepy eyes widen in surprise. And that surprise is compounded by the sound of hoofbeats outside the window. Iolaus hauls himself out of bed, hurries to the window, and looks outside in time to see --

XENA AND ESTRAGON

riding out of the compound. Xena has a bullwhip over her shoulder and a razor-sharp round throwing device called a Chakram dangling from her belt.

RESUME SCENE

A frown spreads across Iolaus' face. He's jealous.

CUT TO:

25 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

Hercules strides purposefully into view.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Xena watches him for her hiding place, calm and deliberate.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Estragon crouches behind bushes on the other side of the road from Xena. He's nervous and excited.

HERCULES

is drawing closer and closer.

XENA

slowly licks her lips. She can't wait to see what happens.

ESTRAGON

is coiled to strike. But a bad case of nerves is making him sweat, and it's getting in his eyes. When he can't stand it any longer, he wipes away the sweat and rustles the bushes.

A BIRD

angrily flutters up from the foliage where Estragon is.

HERCULES

hears the noise and sees the bird. He's instantly ready for trouble as he peers intently in Estragon's direction.

HERCULES
Who's there?

ESTRAGON

stays in hiding, hating himself for his clumsiness.

XENA
sneers at Estragon's ineptitude. Hercules has his back to her as he looks toward the sound of the noise.

HERCULES

tears a branch off a tree and hefts it menacingly.

HERCULES
If you don't show your face, I'm
coming in there after you.

ESTRAGON

gathers himself and, with sword in hand, he steps out of hiding to face Hercules. He's filled with bad intentions.

ESTRAGON
That won't be necessary.

HERCULES
What's the matter? Did your warrior
princess have a previous engagement?

XENA

doesn't like the way her nom de carnage is being taken in vain. But she stays where she is.

RESUME SCENE

ESTRAGON
Even the mighty Hercules should show
more respect than that.

HERCULES
For what? A murderer? A crazy woman
whose only purpose in life is to kill
and conquer?

ESTRAGON
(enraged)
You're dead!

And he charges our hero wildly.

HERCULES
Not yet.

And he sidesteps Estragon deftly. But the battle is on: Estragon's sword versus our hero's branch.

XENA

is the essence of skepticism as she watches.

XENA
(to herself)
You're crazy, Estragon..

RESUME SCENE

But it looks like Estragon might succeed when he slashes Hercules' arm. But our hero responds by fighting back with a ferocity that would stun even his greatest admirers.

XENA

can't believe what she's seeing. The sight of Hercules at full throttle is the most amazing and frightening thing she's ever seen.

RESUME SCENE

Hercules ducks under Estracton's sweeping sword stroke, then counters with a vicious swipe of his tree branch. Estragon folds like an accordion. As he lies on the ground, gasping for breath, he looks up at Hercules beseechingly.

ESTRAGON
No more.

Hercules can't believe his ears.

HERCULES
What did you say?

ESTRAGON
(louder)
I said I surrender. Please don't kill me.

He rolls to one knee.

ESTRAGON
I'm begging you, Hercules.

XENA

can't believe her ears, either. Seething with rage at the idea that one of her warriors would dishonor her this way, she reaches for her Chakram.

RESUME SCENE

HERCULES
I'm not going to kill you Stand up.

Slowly, warily, Estragon does as he is told.

ESTRAGON
What are you going to do to now?

Before Hercules can reply:

XENA (O.S.)
If Hercules is good enough to beat
you, he's good enough to kill you!

Hercules and Estragon spin toward the sound of her voice just in time to see the flying Chakram hit Estragon right between the eyes. He's dead before he hits the ground.

Hercules glances at the dead warrior, then at Xena, who is running to get to her horse. He starts to chase her, then feels a flash of pain from his wounded arm. The pain stops him cold. All he can do is watch.

XENA

as she mounts her horse and stares back at him defiantly.

HERCULES
Is this what you do to all your
warriors, Xena?

XENA
Only the ones who don't live by my code.

And she gallops away.

CUT TO:

26 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - DAY

Xena is riding hell bent for leather, and then she reins her horse to a stop. She looks back to see if Hercules is on her heels. When she's satisfied that he isn't, Xena jumps off her horse and begins ripping at her clothes. She tears at her hair and claws at her face until she's bleeding. She's a mess, but she isn't done until she rolls in the dirt, thrashing madly.

CUT TO:

27 EXT. XENA'S COMPOUND - DAY

Iolaus looks angry and jealous as he throws his prize knife into a target. When he goes to retrieve it, he hears the clatter of hoofbeats and the shouts of the warriors in the compound. He turns and sees

XENA

looking like she's been beaten within an inch of her life an she falls into the arms of the warriors nearest her.

Iolaus rushes to her side, his jealousy replaced by concern.

IOLAUS
Xena, what happened?

XENA
(gasping)
He killed Estragon... and he
tried to kill me.

IOLAUS
Who did?

XENA
Hercules.

Off the rage that instantly grips Iolaus --

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT THREE