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[Teaser:]
Inside a
seedy inn on the edge of town sits a strawberry-blonde woman, drinking her way
through a tankard of beer. She wears a red outfit that shows off her
well-muscled abdomen, long legs and large tattoo. Hooked around a piece of
metal on her belt is a strange, round weapon.
Tears flow freely down her face as she remembers what she’s lost.
A flash of
light and a man appears behind her. He has moderately short black hair and a
beard around his mouth. He smirks at her before pulling up a barstool and
staring at her. Then he speaks.
ARES:
Why so glum, Gabrielle? Been waiting for Xena
too long?
Her face
contorts and she turns to glare at him, angrily, wiping tears from her face.
GABRIELLE:
Have you no heart, you bastard?
Ares
appears taken-aback for a moment before recovering.
ARES:
Oh, I get it. She abandoned you for another
woman…
He reaches
out to pat her on the shoulder but she bats away his hand.
ARES:
She’s done it to me enough times. Still, she
loves you, she’ll be back …
She lets
out a strangled sob.
GABRIELLE:
She’s not coming back this time.
Ares raises
an eyebrow.
ARES:
Finally she’s seen you for the irritating
blonde you are, huh? Too bad. Now, where is she? I have wars to wage and I want her out of the
way.
With an
angry scream, Gabrielle rounds on the war god and slams her fist straight into
his nose.
GABRIELLE:
Bastard!!
He grabs his nose, crying out in pain.
ARES:
What in Hades is wrong with you?
She backs
away, her mouth opening to form a little ‘o’.
GABRIELLE:
My God, Ares … you don’t … you don’t know …?
ARES:
Don’t know what? ‘Cause I sure as hell know my
nose is hurting!
She walks
towards him and takes his hands in hers, lowering her eyes.
GABRIELLE:
Ares … Xena … Xena is dead.
He reels
back like she’s hit him again.
ARES:
No! You’re lying! Xena isn’t … she can’t be …
dead? She can’t …
He puts a
hand against his mouth, looking decidedly sick, and then his face lights up.
ARES:
It’s okay! We can bring her back – I have powers
now Athena is dead.
Gabrielle
shakes her head, sadly.
GABRIELLE:
We can’t … if we bring her back she …
She gulps.
GABRIELLE:
She doesn’t want to come back.
ARES:
What?!
He snarled
the word into her face, making the tears fall that bit harder.
GABRIELLE:
She’s gone, Ares. Get used to it. I’m trying.
ARES:
Don’t you care your soul mate and my love is dead?
GABRIELLE:
Of course I care! But if Xena comes back then
the forty-thousand souls will never be avenged. It’s out of our hands.
ARES:
I can fix that. There are ways.
Gabrielle’s
face lights up.
GABRIELLE:
So we can safely bring her back?
ARES:
Yes.
Gabrielle
practically dances around for a moment before coming back and taking a swig
from her drink.
GABRIELLE:
Okay, Ares, what do you want me to do?
ARES:
Right … I need her body …
The tankard
falls from Gabrielle’s hands and she goes pale.
ARES:
I don’t mean like that!
GABRIELLE:
N-no… I know … but … oh, Ares …
ARES:
What?
GABRIELLE:
There was … a way … a way of bringing her back
… it involved … burning her body … and … and … and I did.
Ares slams
his palm into his forehead and cries out in anguish.
ARES:
Then it’s over.
He turns
away and turns back to look at the young woman, his own eyes glistening with
the tears he’s holding back.
ARES:
I am … so sorry.
And with a
flash of blue light he disappears.
GABRIELLE:
Damn that God …
She turns
back to the bar and then the doors slam open.
AMAZON 1:
It’s time, Gabrielle, for you to rejoin your
family.
Gabrielle
looks round, shock evident on her face.
AMAZON 2:
Xena is dead, so now you can follow your true
calling – your Amazons.
CUT TO
Mount
The words “Eighteen
Months Later” appear on screen then fade out.
APHRODITE:
This … is … ridiculous!
ARES:
(Disembodied
voice)
Having trouble, sis?
A flash of
blue light and Ares arrives, striding towards her from the other side of the room.
He picks up and examines a scroll for a moment before discarding it.
APHRODITE:
Ex-squeeze me, bro, but this is private property! Look at the sign!
She points
at the door and a sign appears on it. It says ‘Private Property’ and there’s a
picture of Cupid underneath saying ‘Careful – Cupid Bites’.
ARES:
I am not
scared of that son of yours!
Ares points
at the sign and it explodes.
APHRODITE:
(Muttered)
Oh? He’s already got to you once …
ARES:
Right, I was here to discuss Xena …
APHRODITE:
Yeah, well, Ar, I’ve tried everything to find a way of bringing her back. Each guaranteed
solution requires multiple Gods and they all die!
Ares
grumbles to himself for a moment. He appears to be thinking something through.
ARES:
Well, I guess it’s time to rally the troops.
APHRODITE:
Ar, don’t be daft.
He
bristles.
APHRODITE:
We’re talking about wiping out what’s left of
the Olympians to bring back one human
– the one that killed the others, no less. It would be a noble sacrifice if it
was for the whole human race, but just Xena?
ARES:
Think of all the good she was left to do,
Aphrodite!
APHRODITE:
What would it be to give up so many lives just
for one woman?
ARES:
A necessary
sacrifice.
Aphrodite
thinks for a moment, pondering the pros and cons of the situation, finally she
nods and vanishes, closely followed by Ares.
End of Teaser
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