Chapter Text
INT. CAVES – DEEP UNDERGROUND – NIGHT
Flames roar, throwing shadows against jagged rock. Steel glints. The clash of magic and weaponry rattles the cave walls.
Two women dance between the flames—one young, nimble and quick, dark jeans streaked with dust; the other battle-worn, armored in gold with a Medusa head just beneath her breastplate.
A man with completely black eyes conjures another swirling burst of fire.
The older woman raises her sword and effortlessly deflects the flame. With her other, she summons a spear into being and tosses it across the cave.
OLDER WOMAN (with urgency)
"Catch!"
The younger woman snatches the weapon mid-run. She spins it once, adjusting for weight, as another blast of fire shoots toward her. She dives to the side.
The older woman—calm, lethal—deflects the flames with a slight turn of her wrist and launches a counterattack, sending a flame surge that hurls their attacker back into the cavern wall.
OLDER WOMAN (sharply)
"Now."
Without hesitation, the younger woman hurls the spear. It pierces the man's shoulder with precision, pinning him to the rock.
The older woman narrows her eyes, lifts a finger. Without a word, she immobilizes him. His muscles lock in place. The man's mouth twists with fury. They move toward him.
OLDER WOMAN
"Do you think you're the first to win the battle with magic, shaman? Please. I invented battlefield drama."
MAN (fury, spitting)
"You think this changes anything? We are immortal! We cannot be destroyed!"
YOUNGER WOMAN (firmly, stepping close)
"Funny thing about immortality—it tends to vanish when you unplug the source."
She kneels to his level.
YOUNGER WOMAN (CONT'D)
"Your ‘friends’ are dying above ground. One by one."
MAN (furious)
"You lie!"
YOUNGER WOMAN
"Trust me. Thanks to the combined magic of the strongest witches you underestimated, you will all now become mortals again. Some of you will still resist, but sooner or later, you will all get what you deserve. You should already be able to feel your strength slowly diminishing."
The man's black eyes turn brown again. Surprised and angry, he tries to free himself again, but the older woman's magic is still intact.
OLDER WOMAN (murmuring as she checks her scratched watch)
"Is this the part where you monologue him to death, or may I skip to the stabbing part? This bastard doesn't deserve any further delay after what he's done, let me end this now."
YOUNGER WOMAN (glancing sideways)
"Almost done."
(to the shaman, voice lower now)
"Your tribe made a pact with the Destroyer of Worlds back then. But she broke it and exploited you to become stronger herself. After her death, you had no choice but to search for a strong power elsewhere. And you found it. But that's over now. Your rule, the fear, the death you caused, is over."
OLDER WOMAN (impatiently)
"Kate."
Kate steps aside.
KATE
"He’s all yours, Pallas."
PALLAS (steps forward, sword raised)
"Finally."
(to the man)
"You won't be the last to die by my sword. Your friends will soon will keep you company."
The man opens his mouth, but Pallas sword pierces him before a sound escapes. Flames erupt around him, licking up the stone, consuming him entirely. The spear is all that's left. Kate pulls it out from the Wall.
Pallas wipes her blade and returns the sword to its sheath.
PALLAS
"We're finally rid of him."
Kate tugs at her top and dusts off her pants.
KATE
"And you're sure it's her?"
PALLAS (jaw tightens)
"I killed her back then. And I tell you, I feel the same aura."
KATE
"I know it was hard for you. What can I say? She's my ancestor. But she had to be stopped."
PALLAS
"Okay. Enough sentimentality, let's pick up the present and then get out of here."
They move deeper into the cave. Footsteps echo. The air grows colder, thinner. They reach a narrow passage—at the end, a flickering light draws them.
-
INT. CAVERN CHAMBER
They reach a cavernous room with three broken crystals lined up in front of the entrance, which served as a barrier to prevent intruders from passing through. Two torches are lit on either side of the rock wall. In the center is a coffin engraved with Kekinowin symbols.
Kate carefully walks over the broken crystals and over to the coffin. She runs her fingers over the symbols. She tries to lift the lid of the coffin but after a few attempts she sighs in annoyance and turns to Pallas.
KATE
"Can you read this writing, or whatever it's supposed to be? Does it say anywhere how to open it?"
PALLAS (raises an eyebrow)
"Do I look like an expert in ancient native, spooky symbols? I can help with ancient Greek and Sumerian, but this?"
KATE (takes a few steps back)
"So what now?"
Pallas (grins)
"I can do that."
Pallas raises an arm and shoots a fireball at the symbols. The writing glows briefly and suddenly disappears. A white light surrounds the coffin, dissolving from top to bottom.
PALLAS (approaching)
"I can't read the symbols, but you're lucky to have someone like me, who can break the seal, now that the shamans are losing power to maintain it. Try it now."
Kate walks forward, careful. She reaches out and slowly lifts the lid—just enough to peek inside.
Her face pales. The lid slams back down—startling both.
PALLAS (startled)
"Gods, don't scare me like that. What's going on? What did you see?"
Kate doesn't answer. She opens the lid again—slowly this time. Pallas peers inside.
Inside lies a body—a woman, tall, but gaunt and dry. Black hair hangs around her shoulders, dressed in an old, torn black dress. Her skin is gray, covered with dark, empty veins. Her chest doesn't rise.
PALLAS (murmurs)
"I wasn't expecting that. It looks like she's been lying in the sun for a few centuries."
KATE (pulls himself together)
"Anyway, that's not her. She doesn't have that legendary scar on her cheek you told me about."
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a blood bag. Pallas shakes her head slightly.
PALLAS
"I'm surprised you have something like that in your bag."
KATE (opens the blood bag)
"Well, according to the information I received, she needs blood. I won't give her all of it. Just enough to wake her up."
She leans slightly into the coffin, gently pulls the woman's chin so that her mouth opens, and lets some blood drip into it. She pulls it back and waits for something to happen.
PALLAS (frowning)
"Why stop there? She's practically a corpse, this will never work."
KATE (calmly)
"You don't know how she'll react if I give her too much. She might freak out or crave more. You should have watched some vampire movies. They usually can't control themselves afterward."
Pallas rests her chin on the edge of the coffin and looks down, bored.
PALLAS
"Of course, I've watched a few of those films. But that's why they're movies. This is reality."
(She watches the woman below her)
"I just hope she wakes up quickly. I don't want to stay here any longer than necessary."
Suddenly, the woman's lips move slightly. Her fingers twitch, and the gray skin there slowly retreats. Too slowly.
PALLAS (looks surprised)
"She probably senses my impatience, but still, it's too slow for me."
Pallas reaches for the blood bag and holds it to the woman's mouth.
Suddenly, the woman grabs it—with surprising force—and drinks every drop. She squeezes it together and drops it.
Her arms fall down limply and then–
EYES OPEN.
Red. Veins under her Eyes. The gray is now retreating more quickly.
She lifts her head slightly. Her gaze settles directly on Kate.
Her mouth opens, voice hoarse and broken, yet drenched in emotion.
WOMAN
"Jo...na...?"
KATE (blinking)
"Jona? No, I—are you confusing me with someone else?"
PALLAS (sighing, stepping in)
"Focus Kate."
(in Ancient greek)
"You were just freed from a very long nap. Can you move?"
The woman’s eyes flick to her. She nods, slowly. Her limbs shake, but she tries to rise. Pallas grabs her by the shoulder and helps her out of the coffin.
Her veins slowly refill with her own blood and disappear beneath her skin, the gray fades—but the change happens slowly. Her breathing is irregular.
PALLAS
"Another blood bag."
KATE (hesitating)
"I don’t know if—"
Pallas holds out her hand. Kate relents and gives her a second blood bag. The woman grabs it, drinks—then stops at the halfway point. She hands it back.
PALLAS (quietly impressed)
"And there you say vampires don’t know their limits?"
They walk towards the room exit, the woman leaning heavily on Pallas.
-
INT. CAVE – TUNNEL
Their footsteps echo in the silence. Kate watches the woman between them.
KATE
"She’s stronger than she looks."
PALLAS
"Yeah, well, I’ve seen what that face can do at full strength."
KATE
"She’s not the one you killed, Pallas."
PALLAS
"I know that. But she could be just like her. We don't know anything about her."
KATE
"True. But something’s different. I can feel it."
PALLAS (irritated)
"You and your feelings again."
KATE
"She called me Jona. So I must look like someone she knows."
PALLAS
"She can tell us that sometime later. First, we have to get out of here."
They move toward the exit of the Cave.
-
EXT. CAVE EXIT – NIGHT
The cold air bites as they emerge from the jagged mouth of the cave. The stars overhead seem distant, blurred by the rising smoke and the dull boom of explosions echoing from miles away.
The woman—still weak, skin slowly losing its ashen hue—leans heavily on Pallas. Her head droops, hair falling like a curtain, her steps sluggish. But her eyes, blood-red, remain aware, restless.
The distant screams and bursts of magic echo like thunder rolling over the hills. Shadows flicker in the distance, and flames light the clouds from far-off conflict.
The woman tilts her head slowly toward the sound.
WOMAN (in greek)
"Where... am I?"
Pallas doesn’t break stride.
PALLAS (softly, reassuring, greek)
"We’ll get to that, I promise."
KATE (grinning as she supports the other side)
"You know, I should probably learn Greek at some point. Unless I’m planning to keep playing dumb through every apocalyptic debrief."
PALLAS
"Greek isn't your biggest problem right now. Let's get to your car."
They push forward through the wilderness until the trees give way to cracked asphalt. Kate’s car is parked near an old road.
The woman stops in her tracks, her eyes narrowing at the car. Her body tenses, instinctive.
PALLAS (soothing, greek)
"Don't worry. It's just a modernized chariot, without horses. We'll use it to take you to a safe place, okay?"
Kate opens the rear door, and Pallas gently guides the woman inside, sliding in beside her. Kate gets behind the wheel.
PALLAS (grumbling)
"You know, I could’ve just ported us all back."
KATE (starting the car)
“Sure, and leave my car for the scavengers? Not a chance.”
-
INT. CAR – DRIVING
The woman leans against the window, her head resting lightly, still weak. Her red eyes shift from the glaring streetlights to the towering steel buildings in the distance—foreign giants. Despite her exhaustion, she takes it all in. What she doesn't know is that the modern world she sees has been embroiled in a long-running war, and as a result, many parts of the country no longer have electricity and much has been destroyed.
KATE (softly, eyes on the road)
"Must be really hard waking up in a strange world, especially when it isn't even hers."
PALLAS
"Of course it is. But we have to explain it to her first."
Outside, the world’s wounds are visible—destroyed buildings, war-torn blackout zones. Kate dodges a downed light pole as they enter the outskirts of Boston, its skyline marked by scaffolds, smoke, and hope.
Pallas leans toward the woman.
PALLAS (quietly, greek)
"You okay?"
The woman turns, slow and deliberate. Her red eyes lock with Pallas’s—intense, searching, confused. A breath rasps from her lips.
WOMAN
"You should be... dead, Athena."
Pallas blinks. She wasn’t expecting that.
PALLAS (sighs, calmly)
“Actually, you too… Xena.”
Kate shoots a glance into the rearview mirror, tension building.
KATE (interrupts)
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I can feel the vibes. Please don't try to kill yourselves in the car right now and just relax, okay? We'll be there soon."
Pallas leans back, and to her surprise, Xena does the same. As if she understands what Kate just said. She reaches into Kate's bag, which is in the middle of the back seat, and pulls out another blood bag.
She pulls off the cap and gives it to Xena.
Xena takes it without a word. At first she didn't notice it, but now she takes a closer look at the strange bag. She drinks from it, quickly at first, then more slowly, until it's empty. Her skin, which has almost been cleared of its gray and veins, is now healing a bit faster. Her red eyes are returning to striking blue.
PALLAS (takes the empty bottle)
"Well, that looks more like you."
-
EXT. BOSTON – LATER NIGHT
The city has changed; much has been destroyed. Pieces of building debris lie everywhere on the streets, but Kate skillfully avoids them. She stops in front of a damaged but still standing building that has been abandoned for a long time. No light in the windows. No voices on the street.
KATE (smiling)
"It's still standing. I never thought I'd be so happy to see my apartment again."
Pallas gets out first and opens Xena’s door, helping her up. Xena stands straighter now, her strength returning in increments, but she still leans slightly as they head toward the apartment entrance.
-
INT. KATE’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
Kate unlocks the door and throws it open. A modest but lived-in place: books, maps and scrolls scattered like art pieces. The air smells of old parchment and lavender oil.
Xena’s eyes roam the room—confused, curious, cautious. She spots the ceiling fan.
KATE (throws herself on the couch)
"I would give anything to make it work again."
She watches as Xena explores the room. Everything she sees is new territory for her.
She was particularly taken with the laptop on the table.
Pallas opens the refrigerator. Since the electricity has been out for a while, some food has already spoiled and the drinks have gotten warm.
She sighs and closes her eyes.
She sighs and closes her eyes. Suddenly, the light in the room comes on, and the ceiling fan starts spinning. The refrigerator starts humming, and the laptop glows brightly.
KATE (surprised)
"Have I ever told you that I love you, Pallas?"
Pallas smiles at her and walks over to Xena, who can't stop staring.
Xena silently processes every word. She understands English—at least Early Modern English. Time and development have smoothed the edges. The sounds are familiar, but the sentence structure is different now. It's better to keep it a secret.
PALLAS
"Ok, here's the thing. You take care of the expired items in the refrigerator, and I'll take care of Xena. She desperately needs a bath, and I'll help her with that."
KATE
"Sounds like a plan."
Kate gets up and goes to the pantry. She takes out a garbage bag and throws the spoiled food into it with a disgusted expression.
PALLAS (to Xena in Greek, gently)
"Come. I’ll show you the bath."
-
INT. BATHROOM – MOMENTS LATER
Pallas and Xena enter the bathroom, and Pallas closes the door. She turns to the sink and takes a bottle of shampoo and conditioner from the cabinet above it. She takes the shampoo and turns to Xena.
PALLAS (in Greek)
"First, we have to clean you up. Since you haven't showered in over 400 years, it's going to take a while, especially with your very long hair. You have to-"
Suddenly, Xena pushes her back against the wall. The bottle drops to the floor. Her grip on her shoulder is strong, but not quite as powerful as it used to be.
XENA (Greek, angrily)
"What kind of game are you playing, Athena? Where am I and why are you still alive?"
Pallas doesn't resist.
PALLAS (calmly)
"Is this the thanks i get for freeing you?"
Xena's grip tightens, but Pallas doesn't mind.
PALLAS
"Listen to me. You were imprisoned for over 400 years. Dragged here from your world. Don't you realize this isn't your world. I'm not your Athena either."
Xena looks at her, confused.
PALLAS
"I know what you're thinking. I thought I was dreaming too when I saw you lying in there. Here, I fought Xena and killed her. She became the conqueror of worlds. She had to be stopped. I don't know what happened between you and my evil twin, but given your hatred toward me or her, she must have done something that justify her death."
Xena's grip loosens, and she just stares at the floor.
XENA
"Yes."
Pallas sighs, goes to the bathtub, and turns on the faucet. Warm water runs in.
PALLAS (curious)
"I don't want to reopen old wounds, but may I ask why she had to die?"
Xena tells her about the twilight of the gods and how the gods tried everything to kill her daughter Eve.
PALLAS
"Twilight of the Gods. Yes, I remember. Only in our case, it wasn't your daughter who was responsible. Your daughter was able to grow up happily. And the proof is lounging behind this door on the couch."
She gestures toward the door.
PALLAS
"Kate. Eve’s descendant."
She turns to Xena and tugs at the rags that were once a dress.
PALLAS
"Take this off. It's time to wash away the dirt of the past years."
-
INT. LIVING ROOM – A HOUR LATER
The door opens. Steam billows out. Xena steps into the hallway—naked, her body now intact, unscarred, the remaining faded gray replaced by healthy, pale skin. Her hair is black as night, long and damp, clinging to her like a cloak. Kate is sitting on the sofa, sipping her glass of water. Her eyes widen when she sees Xena. Pallas also follows outside, holding the scrap of Xena's dress, goes to the trash can, and throws it in.
KATE (raises an eyebrow)
"Okay—I wasn't expecting that. At least now I know where my bust size comes from."
PALLAS (smirks, unbothered)
"Don't worry, I'll give her something to wear, if you don't mind."
KATE
"Go ahead. Luckily, we're almost the same height, so there should be something there that fits her."
Pallas escorts Xena to the bedroom.
-
INT. BEDROOM – LATER
Xena sits quietly on the edge of the bed, dressed in a white silk nightgown, while Pallas rummages through the drawers.
XENA (soft)
"You don't have to care about me, Athena."
PALLAS (without turning around)
"If you don't want me to pick you a shirt with bunnies on it, call me Pallas."
She pulls out a black T-shirt and places it folded on the table next to her.
PALLAS (pulls a pair of dark jeans out of the drawer)
"I assume you were wearing nothing but the brown rag under your armor. These days, women wear pants and bras. It's a bit unusual, but you'll—"
XENA (interrupts)
"What did she do?"
PALLAS (pulls out a dark red bra)
"Who?"
XENA
"The Xena from this side. What did she do that you had to kill her?"
PALLAS (shamelessly pulls out a pair of underwear and closes the drawer)
"Where should I begin?"
She sits down on the bed next to Xena and puts the underwear on her lap.
Xena pulls up her bra and looks at it with raised eyebrows.
PALLAS (sighs)
"She has lost her way."
Xena looks Pallas in the eyes. She senses that the story is about to take a horrible turn.
PALLAS
"First, Gabrielle was killed. I can't tell you how it happened, only that it happened during a fight. She came to Hades and begged him to bring her back. Well, in your typical way. Then she went to Ares and offered to ride under his command again in exchange for Gabrielle's life. But he couldn't do anything either. Zeus forbade it. She disappeared from the scene for a long time after that. Years later, she returned, with telekinetic powers, where she got them from, I don't know."
Xena's hand clutches the comforter. Her expression—pain, confusion.
XENA
"I do."
PALLAS (continue)
"With her came not only the powers, but also dark shamans who took everything under their control. With Xena at their head, they were almost unstoppable. Even we, the gods, could do nothing. She possessed a weapon made of adamantium, and she didn't hesitate to use it against us. Zeus was the first. After that, she was simply unstoppable. Since Ares and I were the more battle-hardened gods, we decided to fight her together. He managed to distract Xena with words, and I was able to stab her through the heart from behind. But she had already stabbed him with her weapon."
Xena's hands clench into fists, the expression in her eyes filled with anger but also sadness. Pallas notices. She looks into Athena's eyes.
XENA
"It's strange. If that had happened to me, I don't know what I would have done. I owe everything to Gabrielle. Thanks to her, my life has changed for the better."
PALLAS (smiles slightly)
"You know what, maybe you should get some sleep. You're not quite back to normal yet. We'll discuss the rest of it tomorrow, okay?"
Without answering, Xena gets into bed and wraps herself in the covers. Even though she doesn't admit it, the long night still weighs on her. Pallas conjures up a blood bag and places it on the small table next to the bed.
PALLAS
"Just in case."
-
INT. LIVING ROOM – CONTINUOUS
Kate is now lying on coach, wrapped in a thin blanket. She yawns and notices that Pallas is coming back.
KATE
"Everything okay?"
PALLAS (sits down on an overstuffed armchair)
"Yes, she just needs some sleep. And from what I see, so do you."
KATE (yawning)
"Do you always have to mother me?"
PALLAS (sips her glass of water)
"I like you better when you've had enough sleep. That has nothing to do with mothering. You'll need your energy tomorrow anyway. You don't really think that i—"
A quiet snore interrupts the her. Kate has already fallen asleep.
Pallas just smiles, conjures up a book and begins to read.
PALLAS (turns the page)
"One battle won, on to the next."
FADE OUT.