Battle Lines II Transcript (Novelization)

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[TEASER]

[[[[I: “We’re talkin’ about Amazons, here.”]]]]

Narrator: “Previously, on ‘Young Hercules.’

[[[[[[Cyane’s Voice: “We’ve finally found a place we can-- call our own. We can-- ” Cyane: “-- finally be at peace.” H: “I’m really happy for you, Cyane.” Simula [Sim]: “Help! The beast attacked and dragged them away!” Cyane: “Who did this?” Sim: “Centaurs!” Cheiron: “I know of no such attack.” Cavil: “You see? It has ever been so between the Amazons and us. Their cunning against our strength. They accuse us of the very crimes that they commit.” Lilith [Lil]: “What?!” [Screams] H: “Lilith!” Discord [Dis]: “My plan is working-- perfectly.” Strife: “They’re suffering. Uncle Ares is gonna be so pleased with us!” Cyane: “You must go. You must go find Cheiron and tell him that the attacks-- must cease, and restitution paid-- or there _will_ be war!” H’s Voice: “Somethin’ doesn’t add up, here. If I only had enough time to figure this all out.” Lil: “What if you don’t?” H: “The two people that I care about are gonna spend tomorrow trying to destroy each other.” Strife: “This war is on!”]]]]]]

---

Narrator: “Now, on Young Hercules-- ”

Dis: “The Amazons think the Centaurs have attacked them-- and the Centaurs-- think the Amazons attacked them. Mortals are so clueless. I love it when my plans cause pain.”

Strife [Clears throat]: “_My_ plan.”

Dis: “OK-- our plan?”

Strife: “I feel gloriously-- loathesome. Uncle Ares is gonna be _so_-- what the-- ?”

Ares: “-- very, very upset.”

Dis: “What’s your problem?”

Strife: “You know? I bet he hates your little scheme.” [Screams]

Ares: “No, it’s not bad, except for-- one, tiny detail.”

Dis: “Lemme guess-- the Amazons.”

Ares: “Who said you could mess with my favorite mortals?”

Strife: “Maybe next time-- you’ll listen to me.” [Screams]

Dis: “OK-- so maybe Strife did get a little carried away. But after all-- the last time I checked-- dear Brother-- you were the god of war?”

Strife: “Swords-- spears-- mayhem. I mean-- all that great war stuff. Isn’t that worth a few Amazons?”

Ares: “Hmm. War. Amazons. Amazons, war. War is good. OK, carry on. But guys-- one last thing-- ”

Strife: “Oh, uh, uh, uh, uh-- be sure to wash your hands after every conquest.”

Ares: “Hercules! That sniveling, half-mortal spawn of Zeus-- Daddy’s coddled favorite--”

Strife: “-- that you despise?”

Ares: “Don’t-- and let me repeat this-- don’t-- underestimate Hercules.”

Strife [Whispers]: “OK.”

Dis: “I’m way ahead of you.”

---

Dis’s Voice: “Our miserable little half-brother’s about to be history.”

Lil: “You haven’t said a word in the last two miles.”

H: “Cheiron’s only given the Amazons until dawn, tomorrow to get out of Centaur territory.”

Lil: “This is Amazon land, now! And we aren’t gonna be chased off by anyone. If the Centaurs want a war, then fine, we’ll give ‘em one!”

H: “There’s got to be a better way, Lilith.”

Lil: “There isn’t! They’ve been hunting us down, and all we wanna do is live in peace!”

H: “The Centaurs say the Amazons have been doing same thing to them!”

Lil: “Oh, and you believe them?!”

H: “I just don’t wanna see people I care about die!”

Lil: “That’s not true! You’re just taking that Centaur’s side!”

H: “His name is Cheiron! He used to mean something to you, Lilith! He was more than just a teacher to you, and he _cared_ about you!”

---

H’s Voice: “Lilith!”

H: “Lilith! Lilith? Centaur tracks.”

---

I’s Voice: “OK, so let me get this straight. You’re deep inside Centaur territory. Lilith is suddenly missing. There are Centaur tracks-- all over her last known location-- but the Centaurs are innocent.”

I: “Herc-- what’s wrong with this picture?”

H: “What’s wrong with this picture is that no one’s looking at the whole picture. Somebody planted those tracks.”

I: “What? With their handy-dandy, little hoofprint-makers?”

H: “We both know that Cheiron’s too honorable to lie.”

I: “He wouldn’t know where to start.”

H: “I haven’t known Cyane very long, but I know that she wouldn’t lie to send her people into battle.”

I: “Yeah, but they both _can’t_ be telling the truth.”

H: “Whoever took Lilith, left scorch marks on a tree branch. The Amazons don’t fight with fire. Neither do the Centaurs.”

I: “So-- it’s gotta be-- ”

H and I: “-- a setup-- ”

H: “-- that’s right. See, she’s gotta listen to us, now.”

---

Cyane: “Lilith was from your own academy. Your blood should boil to avenge her.”

H: “Don’t you see-- that somebody wants this rage?”

I: “Yeah, someone wants this war.”

Cyane: “Who? Do ya have proof?”

Sim: “Of course, the boys don’t. The Centaur leader is their teacher! He probably betrayed Lilith, himself!”

H: “All I ask, is that you talk to Cheiron about what’s really goin’ on here, before you start something that you won’t be able to stop!”

Cyane: “Don’t lecture me about war! You may play at it in a schoolyard, but I’ve seen the real thing, OK?!”

H: “Then you know _exactly_ how important it is to find another way!”

Sim: “There is no other way! It has ever been so between the Centaurs and us-- their cunning against our strength-- their _lies_ against our truth. They accuse us of the very crimes that _they_-- commit!”

H [Aside to I]: “Where have I heard that before?”

Sim: “I say there is only one way to deal with Centaurs!”

Amazons: “War! War! War! War! War! War! War!”

Sim and Amazons: “War!”

Amazons: “War! War! War! War! War! Come on! War! Come on! War!”

Cyane: “My first duty is to my people. We attack at dawn.”

Sim: “Yes.”

---

[ACT I]

H: “I don’t know what to do. You know? Both sides are so blinded by hate and mistrust, that they won’t listen.”

I: “Well-- you know, if you wanna trick someone, you make them so angry, they can’t think straight, and-- sure, they’d do anything you want.”

H: “I think someone on both sides knows your trick.”

I: “Where are you going?”

H: “I may be able to stop this-- but if I’m not back by dawn-- ”

I: “Back?! Back from where?!”

H: “Stay here-- and do anything you can to stop this war!”

I: “What?!”

---

Sim: “Looking for me? Yah!”

H: “How is it that an Amazon and a Centaur speak the exact same words?”

Sim: “When trying to start a war? Get a clue, Bro. [Morphs] I’m Discord-- the half-sister you’re gonna wish you never had.”

H: “Sister? How big a family do I have? Well, just wait till Cyane finds out, Sis.”

Dis: “And how’s that supposed to happen? It’ll be a trusted Amazon’s word against yours.”

H: “Where are the missing Amazons and Centaurs?! Where?!”

Dis: “OK! Just-- back off! They’re in the cavern of Hephaestus’ torch! But, you’ll never free them-- and get back by dawn.”

H: “We’ll see about that!”

Strife: “Just wait till Uncle Ares finds out that _you’ve_ got a big mouth!”

Dis: “You mean, that I’ve just sent Hercules to his doom?”

Strife: “Uh-huh. [Laughs, then Screams] Phew. Whew.”

Dis: “I think I can take the heat.”

---

H: “Lilith! Cavil?”

Cavil: “Yeah?”

H: “OK. Hi. Lilith.”

Lil: “Hercules-- how did you find us?”

H: “A little goddess told me. Hephaestus sure does do solid work. Listen-- is there a key?”

Lil: “Yeah.”

H: “Uh-oh.”

---

[ACT II]

Lil: “Hercules, look out!” [Screams]

H: “I knew Discord gave up too easily.”

Lil: “Look out! Cavil! Hercules! Remember what Cheiron says! Attack the archer-- not the arrow!”

H: “Right. Thanks for the tip.”

Lil: “Looks like you were right all along. Ahh-- maybe you cadets-- aren’t such a lame bunch-- after all.”

H: “Well-- not all of us, anyway.”

---

Cyane: “Your squad will destroy the Centaur rear guard, and then drive their main body into the woods.”

Amazon: “Cyane-- the boy-- Iolaus-- requests an audience.”

Cyane: “Hercules is not in camp. Has his loyalty to Cheiron led him to change sides?”

I: “Hercules doesn’t have a side. Cyane, please listen to me. Look, I know a con when I see one, and this has ‘Setup’ chiseled all over it.”

An Amazon: “Your Majesty! The Centaur scouts have taken the field.”

I: “You gotta give Herc more time. Come on, he’s a good guy, and he cares a lot about you.”

Cyane: “Put him somewhere.”

I: “Wait. Cyane! Cyane! It’s not too late! Don’t _do_ this! You’re makin’ a mistake!”

Cyane: “Begin the attack!”

---

Cheiron’s Voice: “Steady, Brothers.”

Centaur’s Voice: “Amazons! Amazons!”

Amazon’s Voice: “Archers, release! Release! Again!”

Cheiron: “Take a squad and stop those archers! We can’t let them force us into the trees, where the Amazons have the advantage! Go! Take care!”

Centaur’s Voice: “The advance guard is already in position!”

Cyane: “Half of you attack. Force them this way.”

---

H: “That was some quick thinkin’ back there.”

Lil: “So, I’m a good warrior-- huh?”

H: “Well-- that’s what you wanted.”

Lil: “I was so excited when I joined the Amazons. I mean, they were real warriors! And, you know? They accepted me-- a sword or an arrow solved every problem.”

H: “It’s never that easy.”

---

Cyane: “I’ll destroy you for what you’ve done to my people, Cheiron.”

Cheiron: “Ahh! Your lies will stain the honor of this battlefield! Leave, or face obliteration!”

Cyane: “Never!”

Strife: “Wow. [Laughs] Look at them go at each other.”

Dis: “You know what? The destruction of one leader at the hand of the other-- might be just the touch we need.”

Strife: “Of course! That means the losing side would never-- you know-- make peace. So-- who wins?”

Cyane: “Leave these lands forever, Cheiron, or breathe your last.”

Cheiron: “Kill me, and another Centaur will take my place. Injustice cannot abide.”

H: “Cyane!”

Strife: “Uh!”

H: “Uh!”

Strife: “Is it my imagination, or is your doomed half-brother still alive?!”

H: “I can prove that you’ve been tricked! Stop fighting and listen!”

Strife: “‘Stop fighting.’”

“Sim”: “Don’t listen to him! We must avenge our dead sisters!”

Sim: “You mean us?”

I: “No, it’s just a scratch. You’ll be OK.”

“Sim”: “Oh-- where did you get those fakes?”

Cyane: “What?”

H: “Don’t ask.”

Strife: “I think they’re onto us.” [Laughs]

Dis: “Well, they are now.”

---

Dis: “You really _blew_ it, this time.”

Strife: “Oh! Me?! Well, you wait until I tell Uncle Ares that ‘Little Miss Drama Goddess’ spilled the beans to Hercules!”

Dis: “If you live that long.”

Ares: “Start talkin’, and make it good!”

---

Sim: “Hungry?”

Centaur: “Ah-- thanks.”

H: “Well-- it seems like we’re always saying goodbye, huh?”

Cyane: “Well-- it doesn’t-- it doesn’t have to be that way.”

H: “You know I can’t stay. I have to go back with Cheiron, and you have to lead your people.”

Cyane: “You have the heart of an Amazon. I pray our paths will cross again. You know? Since the-- the-the Fates haven’t allowed us much time, we should-- probably-- use it-- quite wisely.”

H: “Really.”

Cyane: “Mmm.”

H: “Mm-hmm.”

Cyane: “Mmm.”

H: “Mmm.”

I: “Hey, um-- Herc. Whoa!”

H: “Oh, uh--”

I: “Ooh!”

H: “Ha-ha-- Iolaus.”

I: “Ooh.”

H: “Yeah.”

I: “Well, this is awkward.” [They laugh.]

H: “You know? We, uh-- really should talk about your timing, you know?”

I: “Yeah. Sorry, but, uh-- Cheiron wants to see ya.”

H: “Uh-huh.”

---

Cheiron: “Sometimes-- emotions cloud reason. And even a teacher forgets lessons he’s taught for so long. You reminded me of them-- and I thank you.”

Lil: “Hey, you guys? Hey, you aren’t leaving without me, were you?”

I: “You’re going back to the academy?”

Lil: “Yeah.”

I: “That’s great.”

Lil: “Yeah, well, there may be a few things left for-- Cheiron to teach me. Hey, I understand what you meant, now. I mean, I’ll never be-- one of the boys, but-- well, being different isn’t always bad.”

Cheiron: “It can be your burden or your strength. It’s up to you.”

I: “Ooh-- ah! Herc! Can’t we stay a little longer?! Please? I mean, I-I really think I can learn a lot from the Amazons, you know? Like-- I think I could-- really fit in here.”

H: “Well-- I hate to tell you this, Iolaus-- but you’d never pass the physical.”