Early morning. Eve's apartment. Eve comes out of her bedroom and passes a calendar on the wall. Close up on the calendar, we see a date is circled in red and it says "Centre's Grand Opening"

Eve sits down at her computer and clicks the mouse a few times to get into her faith site. She takes a sip of her water then looks at the screen and spits her water all over the computer from shock.

Close up on the computer screen. Eve's site has received 10 086 hits in the last week.

Eve gets an excited looks on her face and runs out of her apartment and downstairs

Cut to the centre. Music is playing and the centre is buzzing with people. Alex is at the register taking cash from several customers! She has a big smile on her face!

Eve runs out of the door dodges people and ducks under a tray of milkshakes a waitress is carrying. She stops at the register. Eve is making weird gestures and is panting

Eve - Alex . . . . . I . . . . . . you . . . !!!

Alex - Eve! What's wrong?

Eve stops to catches her breath

Alex - Are you okay?

Eve - (smiles) Better than you would think! My site has received over ten thousand hits this week. People are really listening or . . . reading in this case

Alex - Eve! That's awesome! Your site is a hit, the centre is a hit and the money is pouring in!

Eve gives Alex a weird look.

Alex - What? It's all good!

Eve - After months, things are finally on the right track!

Cut to a dark cave in England. Many men in cloaks with swords stand in a circle around a ceremonial fire. One man stands on the alter

British man - My brothers! For years, I have worked to bring people to a new way of thinking, of believing. Like you, I was lost and alone but there was one whose ways truly spoke to me and I have sought to pass his ways to others. Today's technology has allowed me to reach those near and far. We have found each other. And we are bigger and stronger than ever! Now, we must go west, to America, for there is one there who has inspired us with her faith! We must go and spread the word of Ares the God of War!!

TWO WEEKS LATER

Craig walks into the centre just as they are closing. Alex is counting the money from the register with a goofy smile on her face.

Craig- Another busy day?

Alex - And profitable!!

Craig - Didn't you make a New Year's resolution to not be so obsessed with money?

Alex - No

Craig - So you made a resolution to be more obsessed with money?

Eve runs out of the bathrooms with rubber gloves on each hand and horrified look on her face

Eve - No! Absolutely not!

Alex - What?

Eve - There is no way I'm cleaning those bathrooms

Alex - Well, I would do it but I'm counting the money

Eve - If we have so much money that you have to use all your time to count it, you can stop being a cheapskate and hire a janitor

Alex - But Eve I . . .

Eve - Do it!!

Alex - (shrinks back) okay.

Craig - Someone has a lot more confidence

Eve - Bathrooms aside I haven't felt this good in a long time (smiles and rips off the rubber gloves) Everything is coming together. I have job that gives me independence and I know that the word of Eli is getting out there and people are listening. I'm really getting the hand of being in this time.

Craig - And yet, you still can't set the time on the tv

Eve - (gets defensive) Well, neither can you

Alex - Good point!

Craig - Shut up and hire a janitor!

Eve begins to laugh then her eyes focus on a guy who looks like he walked right out of Camelot. Alex and Craig also look to see who walked in

Craig - Whoa. Check it out

Alex - I'm sorry we're closed (snickers) And the renaissance fair is next week!

Craig - (chastising) Alex, come on!

The man looks around the centre

Man(British accent) - Yes, yes, this is the place!

Alex - Yeah a place that is closed

Man - (sees Eve) You! You spread a message of faith!!

Eve- (smiles) Yes I do. Who are you?

Man - My name is Ronin and I'm just one of the many who have been enlightened. I have been a man of faith for many years but thanks to you and your site I've been able to reach so many more! I have realized technology is the way to reach the masses. So many are lost but they have found a place in my organization. Your words about faith lets me know you are on our side, you can help us spread our message to the masses in America!

Eli - (happily surprised) You follow Eli!

Ronin - (confused) A pacifist? My word, no! I am a high priest of Ares! And I spread the word of the glory of battle in the name of Ares God of War!

Alex - Ares? Isn't cult worship a little low for him?

Eve - What are you doing worshipping Ares? My site has nothing to do with . . .

Ronin - But it is about finding faith. There is more to life than what we want, there is more than our arrogance, and selfish ways. We can come together in fellowship. For years I've had visions of men and women coming together in battle and fighting for a better world! The ancient ones seem simplistic but they have wisdom. I know you think the way I do!

Eve - No. Having Faith is not about war! Ares promotes war!

Ronin - Wars have been fought in name of faith before! Even as we speak there are those who fight for their faith! What makes my quest so different! To have peace I will begin a war to end all wars, wipe the world of non believers and pretenders!

Eve - If you truly understood what I wrote on that site, you would not be listening to Ares!

Ronin - (shakes his head) I thought you were one of us!

Eve - (choosing her words carefully) I used to believe in Ares. His words made sense, when I had nothing else . . .

Ronin - Yes! There are so many who are lost, without anything to believe in. I give them purpose!

Eve - Ronin! You're only giving them violence! You are feeding a rage! Its destructive! It nearly destroyed me. Ares will destroy you too!

Ronin - Enough!! I came here to ask you to help spread the word but I see now you are on the wrong side! You would seek to rob others of their faith simply because it's not your own!

Eve - No. You've misunderstood my message. Faith is so much more than religion or what god you follow. Ares doesn't understand these things. He only cares about himself. If he's been giving you these visions of glory then you have to know he is using you.

Ronin - All I've misunderstood is you. You are part of the problem with this world. Only the stong survive in a world wrought with chaos and corruption. The strong will eradicate the weak! Those who are strong in our faith will destroy all who are hypocritical and confused. Ares and his followers will prevail!

Eve - I can't let you do that!

Ronin - (unsheathes his sword) You won't stop me

Ronin swings his sword around at Eve. Eve ducks. Ronin continues to swing his sword at Eve carelessly and Eve dodges each swing and swipe. Alex lifts her hand and it glows blue. She's intending to hit Ronin with a blast. Eve sees this

Eve - Alex, NO!

Eve just then gets a slice at the arm. Ronin is about to strike again when Eve blocks the sword and kicks it out of his hand. Eve then punches him in the nose causing him to fall down and scream out. Two men dressed in similar clothing to Ronin rushed inside the centre after hearing his scream.

Man - Sire!!

They help him up and stand in front of him with their swords drawn and pointing at Eve. Alex comes around the counter to stand along side Eve but she puts her hand up motioning Alex to stay back.

Ronin - You will pay for that

The three men back out of the centre.

Alex - Why did you stop me? I could have toasted those guys and be done with it!

Eve - They weren't demons!

Craig - The last thing we need right now is for them to find out you're Ares' granddaughter and end up worshiping you too.

Alex - That might not have been such a bad thing! I could have talked them down!

Eve - Before or after the "toasting?"

Alex - (backs down) I see your point

Eve - I have to stop them before they do something terrible!

Alex - Like declare war on you.

Craig - You know Ares influenced this whole thing but what's his larger goal?

Eve - Escaping extinction and he needs something major on his score card. But I don't care about him right now. I care about those men and what they might do. They could hurt people and damn their own souls forever.

Alex - How will you find them?

Eve - They couldn't have gone far. I'll track them down and follow them to where ever they're hiding

Alex - Do you want us to help?

Eve - No. In a way I started this. They came here because of my site. I'll set this right.

Eve runs out of the centre.

Cut to outside. It's dark. Eve runs into the middle of the street and looks both ways down the street. She then spots a trail of blood left from Ronin's bloody nose leading left. She follows the trail.

Cut to later as Eve finally catches up with Ronin and his men in a cemetery. Eve keeps her distance and crouches behind a tombstone.

She watches Ronin and his men go into a crypt.

Eve -(sarcastic)How original.

Eve stops short and thinks for a moment. She feels a presence behind her and turns her head slightly.

Eve - You can come out now Ares. I can smell you.

Ares, right on cue, thunders in behind Eve as she gets up and turns around to face him

Ares - I'm going to have to start using a different deodorant.

Eve - You're behind all this. Why?

Ares - I don't know what you are talking about.

Eve - Don't play stupid or don't you want people to know how the great God of War has been reduced to cult worship?

Ares - (sighs) We all need to start somewhere . . .or in my case, restart.

Eve - So you "blessed" some guy with a vision to follow you on a path to glory through war

Ares - You mean Ronin. Yeah, I've been whispering in his ear for years. He's a little on the . . . insane side now but he's so ready to believe! One little vision and he was off! And your faith site . . .wow! Thanks by the way! It inspired him to reach people though the internet. He's got more people on his side in the last three months than he's had in three years.

Eve - That's why so many people have been on this site. Its been your cult!

Ares - All supporting my cause!

Eve - Your cause?

Ares - The more worshipers I have the stronger I get, the stronger I get, the less likely I'll be eradicated like the rest of my kind when Lucifer decides to take over. Self preservation is the greatest cause of all.

Eve - Lucifer is not going to take over anything.

Ares - Well, you are your mother's daughter but I don't have much "faith". If you'll pardon the pun

Eve - Those men are pledging their life to acts of war and violence. If they start killing people, they damn their souls and bring Lucifer closer to coming into this world and destroying you.

Ares - You don't get it do you. An Olympian God gains strength from the people who believe in him. As long as I have followers, including people who die in my name, then Lucifer won't be able to destroy me. It also means I don't need you to keep him under wraps.

Eve - What?

Ares - Bye bye

Eve gets hit over the head with a rock knocking her out cold. The rock is dropped beside her and we pan up to see Ronin.

Ronin - What shall we do with her?

Ares - Bring her in. We can use her as a sacrifice to really kick start my new religion!!

COMMERCIAL

Inside the crypt a fire is lit. Many men walk around the fire chanting their allegiance to Ares. Although Ares is nowhere to be seen. Ronin is watching the men chant. Over in the corner there is a cage, which is more like a prison cell. It's holding over a dozen people including Eve who begins to wake up. She puts her hand to the back of her head and feels a bump.

Eve - Ow! What happened?

Man - Don't know but you were unconscious for a good while.

Eve looked around at the cage she was in. Without her chakram or any other kind of weapon there was little hope of getting out of there.

Eve - I don't think I can get us out of here.

Man - We'll be released soon of enough. We're sacrifices. Their first slaughter. Only one of us gets to go free so we can tell the world what they've done! That psycho of a high priest wants their names to spread over the map. If I'm the one who gets free I'll make sure the whole city knows including every police officer so they can swoop in and take this crazy bastard out!

Eve - Then you'll have an even bigger massacre that will support his cause and spread his name even farther. (sarcastic) Great. (speaks in low tones and tries to reason something out) They can't all be crazy. Some of them must have a conscience.

Eve looks over to a young boy. He looks like he is 17. She watches him in the light of the fire. As he stands guard in front of the cage he seems nervous and uncomfortable. Eve stands up and walks over to the side of the cage to talk to him.

Eve - Hi.

He doesn't turn his head to look at her

Eve - You look a little nervous. (quipping lightly) Is this your first sacrifice?

He gulped and nods slightly, a little uneasy at the thought

Eve - You've never killed before have you?

He shakes his head still not looking at Eve

Eve - Not allowed to speak to the sacrifices huh? That's okay. I can do the talking. All you need to do is listen . . . You look like such a young guy. Still in school I bet. You're not very popular, people tear you down, make your life hell? Ronin promised you respect with the glory of war didn't he?

The boy turned around to look at her surprised at the fact that she knew what he was going through.

Eve - I was in a place like you once. I grew up with nothing but contempt and anger. And I won't lie to you. I killed many people so I could gain respect. But it was never respect. It was fear. And after all that blood shed the only thing I felt empty. Killing will only kill your soul. Are you ready for that kind of sacrifice because that's the only one you're going to make today. You don't realize the consequences that come with the choice you're about to make.

Ronin - PREPARE THE SACRIFICES!!

Suddenly the boy turns away stiff with fright. Two guards come into the cage and drag Eve out. Two more come in and drag a man out. This continues until everyone is out and lined up.

All their hands were tied and swords are pointed at each of them. Eve can see the tips of the swords shaking. She can tell some of these men are scared to make the kill. Ronin takes the young boy who was guarding the cage and sets him in front of Eve.

Ronin - People hated you, shunned you, made you think you are less then what you are. Prove you are strong. Weed out the weak. Kill all who stand in the way of true righteousness. Through fear and blood, can glory be won.

Eve - (shakes her head as she looks at the boy) Don't do this. Any thug can kill. It takes a stronger man not to fight.

Ronin walked up on the alter while Eve pleads with the boy who was still shaking

Eve - Please. I know none of you want to do this. You know this is wrong. You can stop this.

Ronin - Tonight we begin our assent into glory with our sacrifices of blood. Our names will be spoken aloud and known through out the land. We will be feared and respected. We will wage war on those who oppress us, on those who hate us, on those who would seek to destroy us. Do it now, for Ares the God of War! For Yourself! For Glory! Do It!!

Each man draw their swords back ready to kill but each hesitate.

In that moment Eve breaks her bonds. She grabs the sword out of the boy's hand. The other men are stunned by this and don't know what to do.

Ronin - What are you waiting for !?! ATTACK!!

One man went forward and brings his sword down on Eve. She blocks it with her own and pushes him back. Two other men attack. She blocks each of their blows with equal strength. She kicks the swords out their hands with one kick. The boy feeling a spark of anger and rejection picks up one of the swords and runs screaming toward Eve swinging the sword wildly. One of the victims, a man, got up and stood in the way and he is struck down by the swinging sword. As the blood gushes out from him the boy drops his sword in horror

Boy - What have I done!?!

The other men look on in horror. Eve bends down to the man, rips a piece of her pant leg off and puts it to his wound.

Eve - (looks up at the men) Is this what you were looking for? Your "glory" is stained with blood.

The men look around at the people in the cage then around at themsleves and down at Eve holding the injured man. They look over to the boy who is shaking with fright. They all drop the swords

Eve - I understand how you feel. For what ever your reasons are, the feelings are the same. Rejection, anger, lost and alone, like the world has turned its back on you. All you want is revenge for your pain, a chance to belong but you will never get it through the blood of others. All you will have have is fear and emptiness and then you will be trapped with no way of getting back.

Man - You don't understand. I've lost my family and my home.

Eve - This will not get them back. You can find a way but violence will only make it worse.

Ronin - Don't listen to her!

Man - It's just so hard to face it, to deal with it.

Ronin- You can have all you desire, you have to fight!!

Eve - (talks above Ronin's cries)It's supposed to be hard. But if you can go through it, if you can work for something better, you'll be stronger, you will find what you've missed. With Ronin's way all you will feel is the blood drying upon your hands. I can't tell you what to do but I can tell you that I know the path that Ronin walks because I have walked it. It is lonely and it is terrifying and it will only bring you more sorrow. I've found a different way and I'm better for it!

One man picks up his sword and cuts the victims free. The men and the victims help the man who was struck down out of the cave.

Eve - Make sure he gets to a hospital.

Eve walks over to the shaking boy and hugs him as he cries on to her shoulder.

Eve - Shhh. It will be okay. All you have to do now is make a choice. Do you want to live by the sword?

Boy - (muffled by her shoulder and still crying) No.

Eve - (pulls back and looks straight at him) Then go home.

Boy - I don't know how

Caged Man - Son.

Boy looks to the man who was talking to Eve in the cage.

Boy - Dad?

The man goes over to the boy and they embrace as Father and Son. Eve smiles at the reunion. The man looks over to Eve and whispers.

Man - I think I got my boy back. Thank you

Eve smiles and nods as the father leads his son out of the crypt

Every one has left except for Eve and Ronin. Ronin tries to sneak out but Eve picks up two swords and throws one at Ronin pinning him to a wall. She takes the other sword and puts it to his neck.

Ronin - (looks at her in fear) Go on . . . Do it . . .

Eve - (shakes her head) I'm not going to kill you. I'm not going to turn you in either. I'm going to give you a second chance. They got their's and so should you. But if I see you doing this kind of thing ever again I will turn you in !(Eve releases him)

Ronin back away from her slowly then turns swiftly runs out of the crypt in terror.

With nothing left to do Eve throws down the swords and walks out of the crypt.

Cut to outside the crypt Eve walks out and sees dawn breaking. She sighs and walks back home.

COMMERCIAL

Cut to The Centre. After showering and changing Eve comes downstairs to open up the centre. She finds Alex and Craig already there.

Alex - Hi

Eve - Hi

Craig - Rough night?

Eve nods

Eve - But it's over now so lets just forget about it

Alex - Eve . . .

Eve - Nobody got killed. I was able to stop this cult from building.

Craig - Then what's the problem?

Eve- My faith site inspired this. I have to shut it down. When I talk about fighting for a better future I didn't literally mean through violence. I meant working through your problems, rising up over adversary. Then Ares finds Ronin and twists the meaning all around and uses people's vulnerability and insecurities against them.

Craig - That's not you, that's Ares.

Eve - People are just not understanding my message. It's done more harm then good. It would be easier to just shut it down.

Craig - Nothing worth doing is easy. You said so yourself! You should listen to your own words Eve. Rise up over adversary.

A woman enters the centre

Alex - Um . . We're not open yet

Woman - Oh I'm sorry I was just wondering if the person who set up that faith web site was here. It says on the site that she worked here.

Eve - (looks to Alex and Craig then looks to the woman)That's me

Woman - I just wanted to thank you.

Eve - (shakes her head) I don't understand

Woman - My son came across your site. It was purely by accident, but something in your words inspired him. I don't know what it was you wrote but it changed him. He said he identified with you. He has new hope. So thank you.

Eve - (smiles without really knowing what to say except) You're welcome

The woman smiles and leaves the centre

Alex - You know sometimes if you reach that one person it makes it all worth it

Craig - And gives you hope to reach more. It takes time to really make a difference and it's going to be hard at times but if you keep at it you can really change people and make the future better.

Eve - I guess I can keep that site open. At least now I don't have to worry about an Ares cult popping up again.

Cut to the woods where Ronin is running. He falls on his knees out of breath

Ronin - I'm sorry Lord Ares. I have failed you

Ares thunders in.

Ares - You know, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

TO BE CONTINUED