"The object of the game is to score as many points as you can... by throwing the ball through the hoop." "Like that!" "Now, I want you to line up and practice your shots." "Then we'll break into teams." "Come on, go!" "The children so look forward to your visits, Hercules." "Believe me, I get as much out of it as they do." "I wish more people were as generous with their time." "The orphanage can only provide them with food and shelter." "Good role models are harder to come by." "Thank you, but it's my pleasure." "So, did you invent this game?" "Nah." "It's just somethin' I picked up when I was trotting the globe." "You could've taught 'em something useful, like-- like hunting or-or smearing yourself in yak fat to keep warm in freezing water." "This is useful." "It's good exercise." "Teaches them teamwork, hand-eye coordination." "Give me that!" "Help!" "Thief!" "Stop him!" "The laws of physics." "Mmm!" "I'll take those, you good-for-nothing lowlife!" "Huh?" "Do you ever miss?" "Excuse me, but you must be Hercules." "How'd you guess?" "Ow!" "Can I help you?" "I bring an urgent message from an old comrade." "Perhaps you remember Prince Vlad of Daisha?" "How could I forget?" "We fought together in the battle of Antioch." "Yeah, he's a great commander." "We all respected him." "The prince is in dire need of your help." "He's waging a losing battle to defend his kingdom against the Strigoi." "I thought they were a myth." "Tell that to the dead." "This isn't good, is it?" "No." "Gonna go with him, aren't we?" "Yep." "What's a Strigoi?" "Vampires." "This is the story of a time long ago, a time of myth and legend, when the ancient gods were petty and cruel, and they plagued mankind with suffering." "Only one man dared to challenge their power" "Hercules." "Hercules possessed a strength the world had never seen, a strength surpassed only by the power of his heart." "He journeyed the earth, battling the minions of his wicked stepmother, Hera, the all-powerful queen of the gods." "But wherever there was evil, wherever an innocent would suffer, there would be..." "Hercules." "Hail!" "Trim that line!" "So that's Daisha, huh?" "Tell me what you see up there!" "Well, it doesn't look very inviting." "It's not really known as a vacation spot." "Yeah." "If I know Vlad, his castle is way at the top of those mountains, and it's gonna take us days of pain and crippling physical effort to get there." "Probably." "Typical Vlad." "He always did like to capture the high ground." "Yep." "Well, have we got any horses, or" "Nope." "It's never easy, is it?" "Nope." "If I were you, I'd get right back on that ship." "I appreciate the concern, but we didn't come this far to turn around." " We weren't asking." " Neither was I." "Think you're fast enough to outrun an arrow, stranger?" "Do you think you're fast enough to outrun me after I do?" "I'm here to defeat the Strigoi, and I'm not about to let you or anybody else feed their army with your blood." "Then it looks like we have the same agenda." "Hercules." "Why didn't you say?" "Well, you, uh, didn't give me much of a chance now, did you?" "Galen." "Darius." "Mateus." "Iolaus." "Uh, we're on our way to Vlad's castle." "So are we." "When the Strigoi first showed up, Vlad offered his home as refuge." "My sister went up there." "Trouble is, she never came back." "I assure you." "The prince is taking fine care of his guests." "So why haven't we heard from them?" " Let's go find out." "We might as well travel together." "I must object, Hercules." "The prince summoned you and you alone." "And I'm not splittin' my pay with anyone." "Well, there's safety in numbers." "So it looks like you've been outvoted, both of you." "Shall we?" "I still want my money." "You'll get your dinars." "Now, cork it." "So, what do these vampires look like?" "Just like you and me." "Wait a second." "I thought they were bloodsuckers, you know?" "Red eyes, fangs." "You can't tell them apart from the rest of us till they sink their teeth in your neck." "Anything else you'd like to share with the group?" "There are other ways to spot them." "Like?" "One thing, they don't have a reflection." "You can kill them with this..." "right through the heart." "No mercy no matter what they say." "So, depending on how many there are, we could be in this place a long time." "Not necessarily." "If we're lucky enough to find the leader of the Strigoi, then killing him will bring the others back to normal." "So that's where he got the name Vlad the Impaler." "Vlad did this?" "Only an enemy of our country uses that name." "I caution you not to do it again!" "That sounds like a threat!" "Hey, hey!" "All right!" "All right!" "Come on!" "We're all tired." " We'll camp here and move at dawn." " Here?" "You wanna camp here?" "Yeah, no one in their right mind would spend the night here." "That's why we'll be safe." "We take turns on watch." "There's always one who can't resist the glitter." "Nice shot." " He's lost too much blood!" "He's turned!" " I'll go along with that." "I don't usually kill for free, but I think this time I'll make an exception." "How nice of you." "Are you hungry?" "Try this-- stake!" "Got a plan?" "Let's just go to the castle." "Yeah." "Say, Herc, do you think Vlad could've changed a little since we last saw him?" "We'll soon find out." "My old friends!" "Ah!" "Welcome." "Welcome!" "Hi, Vlad." "I trust your journey was a safe one." "Hmm?" "Not exactly." "We lost a man on the way here." "The Strigoi." "Mm-hmm." "Then you know what I'm up against." "We're starting to get the picture." "What about my sister?" "She came here looking for shelter, and I haven't seen her s-s-since." "The Strigoi... have been attacking with greater frequency." "I've admitted hundreds of refugees into my home, and they have remained indoors for their own safety." "I am quite sure your sister is among them." "Come." "Please." "Come inside." "I've prepared a feast." "Good to see you, old friend." "Good to see you." "Good to see you both!" "That was one crazy night." "How long has it been since you've tasted plum brandy?" "Oh, no, thanks." "Only at weddings." "But, please, don't let me stop you." "Ah, no." "I never drink alone." "What's wrong, Hercules?" "You seem troubled." "Vlad, I, uh, just didn't expect... to step over so many bodies on the way here." "Much has happened since Antioch." "Ah." "Well, I'm listening." "I returned from the war to find my kingdom... on the verge of collapse." "My father seemed not to care." "It was as if he had become... a different person in my absence." "Then one night... while I was sleeping," "he tried to murder me." "I had no choice but to kill him in self-defense." "You killed him?" "When news of my father's death reached the Turks, they decided to invade, hoping to catch us in a moment of weakness." "I assure you, Hercules, the men you encountered... were not left to die as you found them." "They were killed in battle." "I regret that I was forced to desecrate the dead, but what I did, I did out of necessity." "The extreme..." "always makes a point." "The bodies were a warning to others... to make sure that they think twice... before taking more Daishian lives." "And now you need my help to fight the Strigoi." "Who better to turn to in times of need... than an old friend?" "Yeah." "I'm sorry to hear about your father, Vlad." "All I have left of him now are memories." "But you know, Hercules, sometimes when I look into the mirror, I can still see part of him." "Hey." "Is anyone hungry?" "I had a friend over for dinner before your arrival." " Hey, what about my sister?" " My men are searching for her as we speak." "Galen." "You have my word." "By dawn, you will be reunited." "But for now, most of the guests have turned in for the night." "Perhaps we should do the same." "Good idea." "I'm feeling pretty tired myself." "Come on." "You're never tired." "Yeah, well, there's always a first time." "Gentlemen, I bid you good night." "Mateus will show you to your rooms." "I really like what Vlad's done to the place." "It's got that scary, don't-look-under-the-bed kind of feel to it." "Don't worry." " You won't be getting any sleep tonight." " What?" "I thought you were tired." "Oh!" "You were being" " Oh." "So, wanna fill me in?" "You were right." "Vlad isn't the same person we used to know." "I'm starting to wonder if we ever really knew him at all." "You think he might be hiding something?" "I don't think we should stick around to find out." "Let's find the refugees and get out of here." "Okay, I should've knocked." "I don't get it." "The place is deserted." "Where is everybody?" "This place gives me the creeps." "Come on, Hercules." "It's a castle." "There are no secret passages." "You think these people are all dead?" "No, but they've lost a lot of blood." "These are the refugees?" "Why would Vlad lie to us?" "Because he's one of the Strigoi." "When Darius was attacked, it didn't take him very long to turn." "These people have been here a long time, but they're still human." "My sister's not here, and I'm not about to let her end up like this." "I have to find her." "No." "You two stay together and help these people down." "They'll need their strength to get out of here." "I'll find your sister." "Hercules." "Hemlock." "You mean vampires can be killed with poison?" "It weakens them, but that's not what I'm offering." "If you get bitten, swallow it before you turn." "It'll take a little while to work, but you'll be a lot happier dead than undead." "Uh, thanks." "There's something I want you to do for me." "You need only ask." "I want you to spare my brother." "For your own sake, my dear," "I urge you... to detach yourself from your former life." "These feelings will only bring you grief." "You've experienced the intoxication of our power." "Why deny your brother that gift?" "I want him to be as I remember him." "I don't want him to change." "In time, these feelings too will pass." "Then I ask only this." "Let me do it." "I would have knocked, but I'm not feeling very polite." "While you're here, Hercules, do not make the mistake of rushing to judgment, not before you know the whole story." "I already know the whole story!" "Your father didn't go insane." "He was a vampire, and now he's turned you into one." "You tell me I'm wrong!" "I killed him before I understood what he had done to me!" "Like father, like son." "Why did you send for me?" "You know I can't let this go on!" "When I realized what I was becoming," "I sent for the only man I knew... who had the fortitude to take action against me in spite of his heart." "You wanted me to kill you." "Yes... at first." "But as I waited for your arrival," "I realized something." "I finally have the power to protect my people." "After all, who would dare oppose an army of the undead?" "And you know better than anyone, Hercules, that your strength inspires fear in even the most committed opponent." "Do you really think... turning your subjects into vampires is doing them a favor?" "In time, they will come to accept themselves as I have." "And what about the people in the dungeon?" "They've been bitten, but they haven't turned." "They've been chosen for a different purpose." "You're using them as food." "You drink from them, but you don't kill them." "A small price to pay for the greater good." "I doubt they see it that way, and neither do I." "Do you think they'll live?" "They've lost a lot of blood." "Galen." "Galen." "Claudia?" "Claudia?" "Galen, it's me." "Oh!" "Oh, not you." "Don't I get a chance to explain?" "After all we've been through." "I'm your sister!" "No, you're dead." "No, you're wrong." "For the first time, I'm alive!" "You're not human." "And what, exactly, do we owe to humanity, Galen?" "Those men that struck our parents down in battle" "They were humans, weren't they?" "Who were those men that tried to separate us when we were children... because we'd sell better that way on the black market?" "Huh?" "No, you're talking non" " Oh!" "I don't know a dangerous place in this world." "For the first time, I know what it's like... to live without helplessness." "Let me show you how it feels." "Let me show you." "No!" "No!" "Galen?" "Galen?" "Galen?" "Galen's arm." "It looks like it was chewed off." "Hey!" "That's my friend you're suckin' on!" "Easy, buddy." "Still with me?" "Am I dead again?" "No." "It's cold." "I'm gonna get you outta here." "Good." "I don't think I can move." "Then don't think." "Herc!" "Kill me." "No." "Please!" "It's my only chance for peace." "I'm sorry, but there's gotta be a better way." "Iolaus!" "Iolaus, stop!" "I can't!" "He's in my head!" "Fight him!" "Come on!" "Please, help me." "I must obey!" "You think I won't kill you because we used to be friends, you better think again." "Should I take that as an official declaration of war?" "Take it any way you want." "When I took Dragon's Peak in the Battle of Antioch," "I captured a small band of soldiers." "Before I killed them," "I cut off the index finger of each of their hands... and I sent it back to the emperor..." "just to make a point." "I wish you'd make one now." "The point is, Hercules, in order to win the war, I was willing to do anything." "Well, then it looks like we still have a few things in common." "Good." "Then it's safe to say that you would give your life to save your friend's." "I've got a better idea." "You let him go, and I'll stake you quickly." "The gods have blessed you... with blood more powerful than my own, and I want it." "In exchange, I'll spare your friend's life." "Make your decision quickly, for with each passing moment he comes closer and closer to death." "No!" "Aah!" "Or should I say... rebirth." "Hold on, buddy." "Look on the bright side." "Now I've got armor-piercing teeth." " That's not funny." " You know what?" "We can still be friends." "Come around to my cave, hang upside down with me for a while." "I'm not kidding, Iolaus." "Neither am I." "Herc, you cannot let Vlad do this." "Yeah." "I know." "But if you come up with a better idea, let me know." "Easy, Iolaus." "Ah, yeah." "Yeah." "Sorry, I-- I'm just a little thirsty." "Then I'll get you some water." "Herc, don't give Vlad your blood." "Give it to me." "I can't help it." " I'm ready." " A wise decision." "Tell them to back off, or no deal!" "No!" "Back away." "Please." "Be my guest." "Iolaus first." "I've been more than patient, Hercules." "Do not insult either of us by pretending that you have a choice in the matter." "When I have what I want, I will release your friend." " And why should I trust you?" " You don't have a choice." "Now, please, make yourself comfortable." "You think I'm a monster." "Can you blame the eagle for feeding off the field mouse?" "One cannot deny one's nature." "You have no idea how right you are." "No." "Hercules." "No." "Release him." "With the union of our bloodlines, the Strigoi will truly be immortal." "To your health, old friend." "Come, my minions." "Feed." "What have you done?" "Let's just say..." "I stopped for a drink on the way here." "Hemlock." "Poison might have killed me if you hadn't drained it from my system." "So I guess I owe you a "thanks," old friend." "Poorly played, Hercules." "I cannot be killed with poison." "Oh, I know." "But at least now we'll have a fair fight." "No!" "No!" "I can imagine no better trophy than your head displayed outside my castle wall." "You talk too much." "No!" "Hercules!" "No!" "My old friend, decision time." "Join me in eternal life, or die now." "My friend..." "died a long time ago." "Welcome back, buddy." "You did what you had to do." "Yeah, I know." "How you doin'?" "I could use a drink." "I'm feeling a bit drained myself." " Thank you so much." " Oh, please, that's not necessary." "Yeah, could have been a lot worse." "Well, you know, we could have been werewolves... biting the heads off whippets, running around in circles, you know." "Always looking on the bright side, aren't you?" "You sure you can't stay a while?" "Let me show you the true beauty of Daisha." "Ah, thanks, but we've got a boat to catch." "And it's kind of" "Anyway, uh, be well." "Thank you." "Iolaus." "Thank you." "Thank you." "You know, Hercules, I'm a little stiff." "What's wrong, Iolaus?" "Feeling long in the tooth?" "Get it?" "Long in the tooth?" "Yeah, unfortunately." "Look, just stick with lifting the heavy things, big guy." "Let me do the jokes, okay?" "All right, because you were such a barrel of laughs today." "Hey, I never lost my sense of humor, even in the face of death or undeath or... whatever." "Yeah." "You were real funny when you were lookin' at me like I was a six-pack." "Hey, I was just window shopping." "It's nothing personal." "Mm-hmm." "Well, at least our struggle wasn't in vain." "Oh, please, Hercules, let me do the jokes!" "Come on." "That was pretty good!"