It is snowing lightly as we pan down upon one of New York’s quieter streets. Not many cars pass and it seems most people have stayed in on this cold evening. Pan down one of the streets as Eve and Craig round a corner walking back to the centre. They each carry a bag of groceries.

Eve - Thanks for helping with my grocery shopping Craig. You didn't have to.

Craig - No problem. You know I'm glad to help

Eve- I know you have a life of your own. . .

Craig - But I don't mind helping out my friends

Eve - If only everyone had an attitude like yours. It’s been an effort but you and Alex have made the transition to this century a lot easier for me. I’m slowly but surely getting that hang of things and I have you two to thank. You most of all. You’ve been very patient with me.

Craig - Why do I feel like you're trying to make a point about something

Eve - I don’t want to sound like I'm trying to brush you off but . . .

Craig – But what?

Eve - You’ve dedicated your life to fighting evil and teaching kids and what little spare time you have you’ve put into helping me adjust to this time. You deserve to take some time for yourself. Frankly, you need to get out more.

Craig is about to answer with some snide remark when he stops short at the sight of over two dozen people walking in the same direction in an army like fashion, and yet they are in civilian clothing. Eve turns her head to see the same thing

Eve - What do you think that’s about?

Craig - Probably some protest against or march for something. There is always a cause that someone if fighting for. It could be anything.

Eve and Craig take a moment to watch the people march past then continue on their way. We pan in on one of the faces of the people marching. They looking like they are in a trance.

We pan in on the backs of people marching toward what looks like a club. Fade to inside the club where the group of people head toward stairs that descend down. They walk in single file and head to the basement. Cut to the basement of the club. We pan around from the door as the group of people walk in. The basement is more of an auditorium and it has a stage. The people sit down in rows of chairs lined up in front of several television sets. A large screen comes down from the ceiling and a recording begins to play. Ronin appears on the screen and he begins to chant something in Latin over and over. Then the recordings stop. The screen rolls up to reveal the stage and Ares and Ronin walk out.

Ronin - Praise Ares the God of War!

Audience(as a collective) We praise you Ares, God of War

Eve unlocks the door to her apartment. She lets in Craig and he sets the groceries on the kitchen counter. He stands there for a minute watching Eve. She begins to take things out of the grocery bags and puts things in the cupboard. Craig clears his throat and Eve turns around

Craig - Need any help?

Eve - (smiles)Thank you Craig but I'm not that helpless. Look, it's Saturday night and the night is still young. Alex and I are patrolling later and with her powers now we should be able to take care of it. This is officially your night off.

Craig - I don't know Eve. I mean you're . . .

Eve - Just fine on my own. It’s only one night and I can call Alex if I need anything.

Eve takes out a frozen TV dinner and puts into the microwave. She sets the time for way too long and the wrong setting

Craig - Um Eve . . .

Eve - (becoming exasperated) Craig . . . You need to get out and have some fun. Now go!

Craig - (sighs) Alright. I'll see you tomorrow(leaves)

Eve smiles and shakes her head as she watches Craig leave. She stops in thought for a moment before her dinner blows up in the microwave and she jumps in shock. Eve turns around and sees smoke coming out of the microwave

Eve - Alex is going to kill me

Cut to outside the centre. Craig walks out and he looks around. He spots a young couple walking hand in hand and smiling at each other he also watches a car go past with a happy family inside. Craig sighs and wraps his jacket tighter around him.

Craig - Some of these people have no idea the danger they are in every night.

Not feeling like going home Craig walks the streets of New York

Cut to the streets of New York. Craig is walking along past the buildings and the people. He turns down and alleyway and comes out the other side. He spots a club. He remembers what Eve said. He looks around and debates whether he should go in

Craig - I haven't been in one of those in a while. (sighs) What the hell!

Craig crosses the street and walks in the bar.

Cut to inside the bar. Its a seedy hangout. There are not many people except for a few regulars. Craig walks over to the bar and sits on a stool. He waves the bartender over. She is beautiful. Tall, blond and dressed in leather

Craig - Hey, what can I get that's non alcoholic?

Bartender - (scoffs) You're kidding right?

Craig - I'm trying to let off a little steam but not . . . go overboard. (the bartender looks at him quizzically) I'm an alcoholic.

Bartender - You're in the wrong place pal

Craig - I'm just trying to lighten up and have some fun. I think I've forgotten how.

Bartender - Fun huh? How about I introduce you to something else?

Craig - (smirks a little) Yeah, like what?

Bartender - Hey, you said you're looking for some fun. I can promise you fun, and I swear there is no alcohol involved. Come on, what have you got to lose? Except for that stick up your ass

Craig – (laughs a little) I’m in

Bartender – (smiles) Then follow me.

Craig gets up and follows the Bartender into the back room and down the stairs to the basement. The Bartender shoves him down the steps and into the open area and everyone turns around to look at him.

Bartender - I've got another one!!

Craig looks up to the stage and sees Ares and Ronin standing there

Ronin - You! You are allied with the betrayer!

Craig - Not good (turns to run away)

Ronin - Cease him!!

The other people obey their orders and grab Craig to prevent him from running. They sit him down in a chair and tie him up. He is struggling to get free and Ares and Ronin come down to stand before him.

Ronin - What should we do with him?

Ares - Turn him. He’s strong. He can be of use.

Ronin brings a T.V. over and places it in front over Craig. It begins playing the Latin recording and Craig tries to shut his eyes but they are pried open and he is forced to see and hear the spell. He suddenly relaxes and his eyes are left wide open. He is under the spell and in a trance!

Cut to the next day in the Centre. It's early in the morning but people are already in the centre working out. Craig is sitting at the juice bar with his head in his hands. Eve and Alex come over to see how he’s doing

Alex - Hey are you okay? You look a little worse for wear.

Craig looks up at them and he has dark circles under his eyes and he looks sick

Alex - Whoa! What happened? I thought you was going to stay home with a good book or a cheesy movie or something.

Craig – Thanks Alex. You make me sound as exciting as a bowl of mashed potatoes.

Eve - I convinced him to go out and have some fun last night.

Alex - Craig having fun?

Craig - I can still have fun if I want to.

Alex - That's what I'm afraid of.

Eve - What do you mean?

Alex - (sighs) Short version is, I wasn't a good kid. I acted out a lot, drank too much, got into fights, pulled all sorts of crap. Craig tried to reel me in but he got swept up in all of it. And he liked it.

Craig – No responsibilities, no danger, no destiny. Just us against the world, totally carefree. Who wouldn’t like that?

Alex – Karen always thought I was a bad influence and she was right. We got in over our heads on several occasions.

Eve - I never thought . . . (tries to wrap her head around it) Craig said you were always trying to find something to break you.

Alex – Those were not my best years and I'm not proud of it. But I've changed. We've changed!

Eve - I believe you.

Alex – Change doesn’t happen without a price though. Craig lived in the fast lane and he wouldn't let up, he just kept moving, he moved way too fast even for me.

Eve - Craig?

Craig puts his head down in shame

Alex – Sure, you might not think he’s capable of that now but back then he had a problem.

Craig - (staring down at his hands ashamed) One morning after being out all night drinking I woke up to find myself lying on the curb drenched in blood. I was battered and bruised with no memory of what happened.

Eve - Oh Craig!

Craig - To this day I still don't know what happened. I hear bits and pieces. Each story sounds worse than the last. Some say I got into a fight, some are surprised because they thought I was dead, others say I killed a man. I was terrified of what happened. It was a wake up call.

Alex – For both of us. Luckily he didn't kill anyone. But to keep him out of jail, Craig’s parents put him into rehab.

Craig – I’m glad they did. I needed help. I vowed to never let that happen again. From there on in there was no acting out, no wild nights and I've never taken another drink. Until last night.

Alex - The down side being that now his idea of fun is alphabetising his vocabulary words. . . . wait! What do you mean “until last night”?

Craig – I went into a bar last night

Alex – Isn’t that how it starts?

Craig - But I didn't do anything criminal Alex. I didn't even have one drink! I met this woman . . .

Alex – Oh I'm gonna be sick

Eve – Alex, leave him alone.

Craig - I don't remember what happened but I'm sore all over.

Alex - You don't remember?! I'm supposed to believe that? Like you didn't drink yourself stupid and bang some chick!

Craig - Hey!

Alex - Great, just great. We really need to go through this again?!!

Craig - I don't need this, I'm going home

Craig grabs his jacket and walks out. Eve looks to Alex disapprovingly

Alex – Don’t look at me like that. You don’t know what he was like that back then. The events of those years nearly killed both me and him

Eve – You didn’t have to be so hard on him. I'm sure it was just last night. He looks miserable and he probably feels worse. He won't do it again.

Alex - Craig is more then my friend, he’s like a lifeline, the only one I could count on when I had no one else. When he left for half a year I so was lost without him. We can’t go back to that now!

Eve - I'm sure it's not that bad.

Alex – He’s all I've got Eve I can’t help but be hard on him

Eve - But now you have me and I won't let you stray, either of you.

Alex – (smiles) Thanks. I hope you're right. I hope it was just one night.

Cut to early that night at Craig's apartment building. Eve and Alex exit the elevator. As they walk to Craig’s apartment, Alex and Eve are talking

Alex - So do you want to go out for supper before or after patrol?

Eve - Could we do it before. I haven't had anything to eat because I blew up my microwave again

Alex - (stops and looks at Eve then looks straight ahead again and shakes her head) You're the only person I know that can burn frozen dinners. It's unbelievable

They come up to Craig's apartment and find the door left wide open.

Alex - What the?

Eve and Alex walk in

Eve - Craig ?

Eve and Alex look around the apartment. Craig is nowhere to be seen and nothing is unusual about the apartment except for the T.V. being left on.

Alex - (turns off the T.V.) That's weird.

Eve - The door's been left wide open

Alex - He's out drinking!

Eve - Let's not jump to conclusions

Alex - It's the only conclusion! He's probably in a fight as we speak

Eve - I'm sure that's not true . . .

Cut to the club where down in the basement Ares and Ronin are watching everyone fight and train. Pan in on Craig where he is seriously beating up another guy.

COMMERCIAL

Morning. Craig stumbles out of the elevator. In a tired daze he opens the door to his apartment and walks in. He finds Eve sitting on the couch shaking her head at him and then turns his head over to the kitchen where Alex is making breakfast.

Craig - Eve? Alex? What are you doing here?

Alex - Want some breakfast? (Alex bangs the frying pan down on the stove several times)

Craig -(grabs his head in pain) Alex please don't do that! I have a headache!

Alex - A headache or a hang over? We've been here since last night waiting for you to come back!

Craig - What were you doing here? Checking up on me?

Eve - We were supposed to go patrolling.

Craig - Oh no! I totally forgot

Alex - To go drinking.

Craig - Alex I was not drinking!!

Alex - Oh please!! Craig you're gone all night, you come home not remembering a thing with a huge headache. Stop lying to us. You're drinking again!

Craig - Get out of here! I have to go to work!

Alex – FINE JERKO!! Excuse me for caring! (throws the frying pan in the sink) I'm out of here!(storms out)

Eve gets up from the couch and grabs a hold of Alex's arm to try and stop her from leaving but Alex shakes Eve's hand off continuing to storm out of the apartment. Eve turns to Craig.

Eve - This is so unlike you Craig. We're worried about you

Craig - WELL YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT SO LEAVE ME ALONE!!

Eve is shocked by the outburst. Her look becomes more saddened and she turns to walk out of the apartment.

Craig - (realises his outburst) Eve wait. I'm sorry I . . .

Eve - When you're ready to talk about what’s really going on, I'll be ready to listen. You know where to find me.

Eve walks out of the apartment. Craig slams his hand against the wall then walks into his bedroom.

Cut to the evening in the Centre where Alex is counting money but she can't keep her mind on what she is doing and gets frustrated. She puts the money back in the till and slams it shut.

Eve -(walks over to the till where Alex is tapping her fingers on the counter) Do I need to ask what's wrong?

Alex - I'm really worried about Craig

Eve - I am too but I don't think he's drinking again.

Alex - Everything points to yes

Eve - But some things don't add up. Why would he leave his apartment and not close the door shut. And he just doesn't forget patrolling. He’s been doing this for years, he would not abandon that to go party somewhere. He’s dedicated and you know that.

Alex - Yes I know that! He started it for crying out loud

Eve - Maybe we should go talk to him again. I wanted to wait for him to come to us on his own time but I’ve been thinking about some things and I think there’s something else going on here.

Alex - I don't know . . .

Eve - Let's go talk to him

Alex sighs and nods to Eve who just smiles

Cut to outside Craig's apartment in the hall. The elevator opens and Alex and Eve walk out and over to Craig's apartment.

Alex - (hesitating to walk in but musters up her courage) Well, here goes . . . something

Alex is about to knock when Craig opens the door and just walks out pushing past Eve and Alex

Alex - Craig?!? Yo Craig!

Craig doesn't answer. He just keeps walking

Alex - Well how do you like that?

Eve – Alex, did you see his eyes?

Craig goes over to the elevator and once he is in he turns around and just before the doors close Alex sees the glazed look in his eyes.

Alex - He's in a trance!

Alex and Eve hear the T.V. on once again but they hear a something being chanted in Latin. When Alex and Eve go into the apartment they see Ronin on the television.

Eve - Alex quick turn off the sound!!!

Alex grabs the control and quickly hits mute

Alex - It's Ronin!

Eve - And he was chanting in Latin. He's performing a spell.

Alex begins clicking on to other channels and sees Ronin on every station.

Alex - He's on every station

Eve - Do you think the spell is used to hypnotise people?

Alex - Craig!!

Alex runs over to the window and sees Craig walking down the street

Alex - He's on seventh street! We've got follow him.

Alex and Eve run out of the apartment

They follow Craig down the street as he walks in a trance they start to slow down and keep a safe distance away. Craig is joined by other men and some woman who are in the same trance. They all walk down the streets and toward a club. It's the same club they are going to every night.

Alex and Eve follow the people in. Once they are inside the club they see the hypnotised people going down the stairs. Eve and Alex wait a few minutes before following them down.

Cut to downstairs. Eve and Alex enter the basement and hide behind the stairs to remain out of sight. They look out and see all the people beginning to train. They see Ares and Ronin watching the training

Eve - Ares and Ronin. I should have known. They are turning citizens into an army for Ares! They’re reviving his cult and worship.

Alex - There must be someway to break the hypnosis.

Eve - Only if we find a way to break the spell.

Alex -(shakes her head) Hypnosis doesn't last for long. There must be a time during the session when they have to sit them all back down to play that spell and hypnotise them again. I'm going in to find a way to get to Ares before that happens

Eve - How are you going to get past Ronin? He's not going to let you just walk in

Alex - He'll have to. I'm Ares granddaughter.

Eve - Ares will not fall for that

Alex - You just need a long enough distraction to get everyone out

Eve – What?!

Alex gets out from behind the stairs and sneaks through the people training.

Eve - Alex wait! Alex!

Because the people are still in a trance they don't even notice Alex. Ares and Ronin from the stage however see Alex coming through

Ronin - A friend of the betrayer. Cease her!!

The men begin to grab hold but Ares stops them

Ares - Wait! Stop!

Ares and Ronin come down off the stage and look at Alex.

Ronin - Do you want to make a soldier out of her like we did the other one?

Ares - It won't work. She's part God, she'll be immune

Ronin - Part God?

Ares - Yeah! She's my Granddaughter!

Ronin begins to bow but Ares pulls him back up

Ares - You save those bows for me

Ronin - Yes my Lord

Alex - I'm here for Craig

Ares - Oh really and where's Eve?

Alex - She doesn't know I'm here.

Ares – Really?

Alex – Look, I’m all about the demon ass kicking but she’d want to help everyone. I, quite frankly, don’t care. I just want Craig.

Ares - Well I admire your honesty but I can't let Craig go.

As Ares leads Alex away the people begin training again

Alex – Why not? Look, we’re family right? Can’t you just cut me slack and give my friend back?

Ares – Nope. You see, it’d make me look weak in front of my followers. I can’t have that.

Alex - What are you trying to do here anyway? Build an Army

Ares - Yeah, pretty much.

Alex - How are you doing this?

Ares - Oh no, I've seen way too many Bond movies to know that I'm never supposed to reveal all of my plans until it's been completed. And I'm not stupid enough to believe that you're not here doing some sort of recon for Eve.

Ronin comes up behind Alex and tazers her. She falls down a little weak, just long enough for some of the trainees to tie her up with a golden rope.

Eve stays in the shadows, her eyes go wide but she can't find an opening to get everyone out safely.

Alex - (unusually weak) What have you done to me?

Ares - Like that huh? It's a little device I raided from Hephaestus’s forge. It binds God's powers and strength. (Watches as Alex slips in and out of consciousness.) (Looks to Ronin)Tell our girl Trixie not to recruit anymore from the bar. We're going to have to switch locations and beef up security. For now, get ready to transmit the signal and hypnotise them again.

Alex - (slipping in an out) Won't . . .work.

Ares - Of course it will. We hypnotise them, train them, then they go home in the morning with no idea what happened. In the night when they sit back to watch a little T.V. our satellite here (points over to the satellite) interrupts transmission and plays our own little broadcast to bring them back.

Alex - Not . . . impressed

Ares - I don't know why you fight this. You belong with me, with the Gods. We can command this army together. We could bring peace though war. And with this army to wage it, my followers will flock back to the way of the Olympians. People will believe again and our society could be restored.

Alex is about to answer when they hear groans and confusion coming from the people training. They slowly begin to stop training

Ronin - My Lord, the hypnotism is wearing off. The soldiers are being seated for more hypnosis

Ronin, returns to the stage and as everyone gets seated. Screens come down from the ceiling and begin to play the recording.

This is the moment Eve has been waiting for. Eve comes out from behind the stairs and throws her chakram. She bounces off a wall and cuts Alex's binds. Alex wakes up and shrugs off the rope. The chakram bounces off all four walls and hits all the screen breaking them and making them crash to the floor. Finally the chakram flies into the satellite bouncing off it again and again until it comes down crashing. The chakram then flies back to Eve where she catches it

Alex - Sorry Ares. Not happening today.

Ares -NO!!

Alex flips off the stage and into the crowd

The people are becoming disoriented. The hypnotism is wearing off completely and people are beginning to realise where they are. They look around in shock at their surroundings. Alex goes over to pick up Craig

Craig - Alex? What's going on? How did I get here?

Alex - It's a long story. Come on, we have got to get you and the rest of the people out of here!

Craig quickly shakes of his disorientation and begin to direct people out of the basement.

Once everyone leaves, Craig and Alex stand behind Eve to face Ronin and Ares

Ares - Nice work Eve. You remind me a bit more of Xena everyday

Alex - It doesn't take much to be smarter than you

Ares - Ouch. Okay that one hurt.

Eve – You never give up do you?

Ares – Let's get real here Eve. War is inevitable, whether it be on earth or supernatural plains. Stopping my army and my worship won’t stop war. You could have used this army for the real war that's coming.

Eve - War in never the answer Ares. After all you’ve dealt with my mother and after all you’ve seen and been though, you should know better.

Ares - Do not!

Alex – Pathetic

Ares – My offer won’t be on the table forever. You should think about where you belong. (to Eve) And I don’t ever give up, your mother knew that and so should you. Do you really think you can keep me down forever?

Eve - (looks behind her to find Alex and Craig walking up to stand beside her)With my friends beside me, I should have no problems.

Alex - Three against two. Do you like the odds?

Ares - (yawns) Well it's way past my bedtime. Okay Ronin, do your stuff. Bye!(thunders out)

Ronin - Ares? Ares? My Lord, do not leave me!!!!

Ronin looks at Eve, Alex and Craig in fear then looks up then looks back to them. He unsheathes his sword and charges at Eve. She kicks the sword out of his hand them punches him in the face then elbows him twice in the face to knock him out! He falls to the floor unconscious. Alex, Craig and Eve look down on him with pity.

Alex - I feel sorry for him. What should we do with the loser?

Craig - We can't just throw him in jail, he really hasn't done anything against the law. Not anything that we can prove anyway.

Eve - I think he needs some professional help. Anyone who wants to start a war has got to be crazy!

Craig - Psyche Ward it is!

Craig with Alex and Eve drag Ronin up the stairs and out of the bar

COMMERCIAL

Cut to the Centre the next day where Eve and Craig are sitting at the juice bar watching the T.V. They are watching a news report

News Anchor -And in another piece of interesting news, a man by the name of Ronin was found unconscious at the Psychiatric hospital earlier this morning. Upon waking, he made outrageous claims of Ares the mythical god of war and their plans to build a super army. He caused a huge riot among the patients. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. He will be receiving mental help. If anyone knows . . . .

As the T.V. fades out we pan over to Eve and Craig.

Eve - And I believe that is that!

The song "War! What is it Good For" begins playing in the background. Alex comes up behind the bar dancing in a goofy way to the tune.

Alex - Do you really think it’s over? Ares could be back.

Eve - No doubt. But we'll be ready for him.

Alex - And I’ve got certain ties I won’t be able to ignore forever. I think about it a lot. Like what would happen if I joined him?

Eve - You can't be serious?

Alex - Not really. I just wondered what it would be like to a part of something. That's why some people join a cult. It's more than faith or belief in what you're doing. It's that yearning to belong.

Eve - You belong with us.

Alex - (shrugs her shoulders and looks to Craig) What about you? Aren't you supposed to be at work?

Craig - I decided to take a few days off to recover from the hypnotism and all my sore muscles

Eve - Who knows, maybe all those new combat skills you learned will come in handy next time we patrol.

Alex – (laughs) And let’s face it, with my powers and yours, Craig is falling behind. He needs all the help he can get.

Craig - Very funny.

Alex – (serious now) I was really scared for you there Craig. I really thought you had fallen back into drinking. I shouldn't have doubted you.

Craig – You were right to be scared and concerned. Alcoholism is not easy to beat and it could have happened to me.

Eve – But it didn’t. You’re stronger than that. What happened these last few days was all Ares.

Craig – That doesn’t excuse how I behaved. I'm really sorry about the way I treated both of you. I know you were just concerned and that you care.

Eve - We're here for you Craig, always.

Alex - Even when we storm off in anger. And when I say "we" I mean me.

Alex, Eve and Craig laugh

Craig - This whole thing started because I believed I couldn't have fun anymore. I've been pushing myself too hard these last couple of years.

Alex - Preoccupied with saving the world?

Craig - Carrying it on my shoulders is more like it.

Eve - We will help with the burden.

Craig - (sighs)I've got to relax a little more. I mean, if there's no time for the fun things in life what's the point of saving it.

Eve - Craig is right. I think we all have been pushing ourselves too hard.(raises her juice glass) Here's a resolution to keeping loose . . . .But not too loose

Alex - I'll drink to that!!

Alex Craig and Eve raise their glasses. Close up of them clinking their glasses together as "War! What is it Good For" still plays in the background

fade to black