Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 12:54:28 -0800 Reply-To: BrownK Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: BrownK Subject: There Can Be Only Two Part 1/1 Ok here is your friendly neighborhood reposter again. This is a XOVER with X-files and Highlander. The writer wrote mosty for X-files but it is quite interesting story. SO, please send all comments and encouragements to "cs82+@andrew.cmu.edu" Without futher adieu (sp?) . . . . _______________________________________________________________________________ There Can Be Only Two An X-Files Story copyright 1995 Carrie Schutrick EXT PITTSBURGH ALLEYWAY-NIGHT Wednesday, April 12 10:13 pm It's a typical alley--dark, dank, and dirty. There are sundry bits of refuse and the usual tattered newspapers; the windows overlooking it have been mostly boarded over. As we pan over the the grunge we hear a noise OC: clanging metal on metal and two sets of hoarse breathing--it sounds like a fight. The camera stops on a window which reflects two silhouettes. One swings at the other, who collapses. Then, a loud clang, and a sword slides into view. From OC, two thuds, one louder than the other, a short pause, and then a flash of light and the window explodes toward the camera... Roll opening credits.... INT THE OFFICE-DAYMonday, April 17 9:15 am As SCULLY enters, MULDER quickly turns off the VCR. SCULLY Anything good on? MULDER No! I mean, no, it's just an old movie He pops the tape and puts it in a drawer with several others. MULDER (con't) Got something? SCULLY A murder in Pittsburgh. Complete with "strange lights" and--get this-- ghosts with swords. MULDER Ghosts? SCULLY There's a little old woman who claims she saw the ghost of her great-uncle. MULDER And he was the ghost with the sword? SCULLY Better. He was the victim. His head was cut off. MULDER With a sword? SCULLY With a sword. MULDER And there was a lot of broken glass around the body, right? SCULLY Yes, and--wait. I didn't tell you that. MULDER It's in a file. (he goes to get it) There've been several of these murders over the past ten years or so, in cities all over the country, and a whole series in New York just a few years ago. According to one witness in Atlanta (reads) "the car windows just popped right out. And the wipers went on, even though I never touched them." SCULLY Well, if you'll tear yourself away from your movie, we can go check it out. EXT THE ALLEY-DAY Monday, April 17 1:42 pm It looks even worse in the light of day--greyish light, but light nonetheless. SCULLY and MULDER are clambering over the police tape to where the chalk lines are--one for the body and one for the head... With them is ERICSON, a young policeman. ERICSON I was walking along 15th St. when I saw a flash of light, and then I heard the glass breaking so I came around the corner running. I saw this guy running out of the other end of the alley, but by the time I got up there he was gone. SCULLY What did he look like? ERICSON (Sigh. He's said all this before) He was pretty tall--taller'n me anyway, and probably taller than you, Agent Mulder. He must have had darkish hair because I would've been able to tell if he was blond, and he was wearing a trenchcoat. And sneakers. MULDER Tall, dark, trenchcoat and sneakers. ERICSON I know it's not much, but it was dark and I-- MULDER No, I understand, it's just that the description rings a bell. SCULLY That's just the bats. MULDER (giving her a dirty look) Come on, Scully, they've only ever had three suspects in these cases, and one of them was a tall, dark-haired guy in a trenchcoat. And one of the others is dead, so far as they can tell. SCULLY Let me guess. Beheaded? MULDER In a warehouse in New York. They start walking back to the car SCULLY Next the old lady? MULDER Why don't you go talk to her, and I'll go back to the station with Ericson to see the body. SCULLY I'll meet you at the hotel, then. Ericson, thanks for your help ERICSON No problem. (They stop by the car) If you've got anything else that needs done, just give me a call. EXT THE LITTLE OLD LADY'S HOUSE--DAY Monday, April 17 2:10 pm SCULLY rings the doorbell, waits a few seconds. Then, from inside: MRS. SLOVOTSKY Who is it this time? (She's got an accent, enough to force slight effort to understand her) SCULLY Mrs. Slovotsky, I'm Agent Scully, FBI. I'd just like to ask you a few questions about your uncle. MRS. SLOVOTSKY Questions about Uncle Stash. (She's unlocking the door and opening it during this, and SCULLY shows her badges) One little phone call and see what it gets me. My neighbors think I'm a drug dealer, my son sees me on the television, and now the FBI! (This continues as she gets SCULLY seated) SCULYY Mrs. Slovotsky, I understand your great uncle came to see you last week MRS. SLOVOTSKY Uncle Stash--short for Stanislaus--I thought he was dead these 70 years, but last Wednesday there he was on my doorstep, looking just the same as the last time I saw him, and that was in 1922. He and my father left for America, and the next thing we heard he was dead of the influenza. My father lived through it and sent for my mother and my sisters and me two years later. When we heard he was dead I cried and cried---I was just a girl, and I thought he was God come down to earth. Anyway, he came to see me, and we talked a little, but then he said he had to go and the next night there was a picture on the television of Uncle Stash saying does anyone know this man, and I called the number on the screen, and look what it gets me! Policemen at all hours and the FBI! When I was a girl-- SCULLY Mrs. Slovotsky, are you sure it was your uncle? Could it have been a grandson, a nephew? MRS. SLOVOTSKY I'm not so blind as not to know my own uncle I was in love with when I was a girl! Anyway, he knew things about the family, like the time Grandfather Levi got drunk and-- SCULLY Could I see a picture of your uncle? MRS. SLOVOTSKY Fine, fine, I'll get out the album. (She does so, complaining all the way, and leafs through it.) Here he is. It's a picture of two men in `Twenties clothing, obviously dressed up for the picture. One is about 25, and the other looks to be in his forties. MRS. SLOVOTSKY points out the latter as her uncle. SCULLY Thank you for your time, Mrs. Slovotsky. Could I borrow that picture long enough to make a copy? MRS. SLOVOTSKY Yes, yes, just don't bring it back in person! SCULLY takes her leave. INT AN ANTIQUE SHOP--DAY Monday, April 17 2:33 pm Dusty, dim, and cluttered. There's a bell over the door and a man behind the counter. MULDER walks in holding a long, awkward package. MULDER Hello, I was wondering if you could take a look at something for me. MAN Sure. What'cha got? MULDER puts down the bundle and unwraps it--it's a sword and a dagger. MAN Hold on a sec. The boss likes to look at weapons himself--they're sort of his specialty. He sticks his head through a curtain behind the counter and calls. MAN Boss? We got a guy here with a sword he wants appraised. A few seconds of waiting, then the boss appears through the curtain. He's about MULDER'S height, dark hair and eyes, wearing jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers. He speaks with a brogue. "BOSS" How may I help you? MULDER gets out his badge. MULDER I'm Agent Mulder, FBI. I'm investigating a murder here, and these weapons are related. I was wondering what you could tell me about them. "BOSS" The murder weapons? MULDER No, but they were found near the body and seem to have been used by the victim This seems to reassure the BOSS and he picks up the sword, careful not to touch the blade with his bare skin. "BOSS" Well, the sword is French or German, roughly mid-eighteenth century. The dagger is later, maybe 1800, and it looks Russian. You're sure these didn't kill the man? MULDER Neither had blood of the victim's type on it. (He pulls out a picture) This is what the victim looked like. Has he been in your store lately, trying to sell you a sword, perhaps? "BOSS" No, he has not been here. Well, Agent--Mulder?--if you need anything else I'll be pleased to help you. He turns back through the curtain and MULDER speaks to his departing back. MULDER Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. (glances at the card; does a slight doubletake) Powell. He wraps up the swords again and heads for the door. MAN Tell the police, if they want to get rid of those, we'll take `em. OK? MULDER (over his shoulder) Aren't you on the mailing list for the evidence rummage sale? INT SCULLY'S HOTEL ROOM-DAY Monday, April 17 3:27 p, MULDER That suspect they had in New York--when they finally got around to running a check on him they found out the name he'd given them was a fake-- "Russel Nash" died about 10 minutes after birth. The Nash who was being questioned had had all his money and a lot of antiques left to him by a man who was not related to the real Nash in any way--and that man had died as a baby too. This went back to the seventeenth century, Scully--men leaving all their goods to children who died in infancy, and then taking the name of the child. So yes, I think it's the same man. Just like I think "Russel Nash" has been the same man since the 1600's, if not earlier. SCULLY "Russel Nash" is probably a family that's figured out an elaborate way of avoiding taxes. MULDER Look, NYPD faxed me this picture of Nash when I was dropping off the swords. He was an antique dealer, but he died right after the murders--and left most of his assets to a Phillip Powell, the man I saw in the store today. Who, incidentally, could have been Nash's twin brother. SCULLY So you think this Powell man is the murderer? MULDER I think it's a possibility. Now, what about the mysterious Uncle Stash? SCULLY Mrs. Slovotsky gave me a picture to copy. You've got one of the dead man? (MULDER produces it) Let's look at this rationally. She's an old woman, Mulder, she probably just-- Even to SCULLY the two pictures are obviously of the same man. MULDER Maybe she's a little more lucid than you thought. SCULLY She didn't seem be senile but--that's impossible! He'd be well over a hundred by now. MULDER Phillip Powell doesn't look like a man who's been around for three hundred years, either. SCULLY So what you're saying is that these people don't age. And that at least one of them is here, now. Mulder, haven't you ever heard of Occam's Razor? MULDER Right now I'd pay more attention to him if he'd had a sword. INT SCULLY'S HOTEL ROOM--NIGHT Monday, April 17 11:52 pm SCULLY wears her bathrobe and is sitting on the bed painting her nails with clear polish when the phone rings. She glances at the clock and picks up the phone. SCULLY Hello? MULDER Scully? We've got another one. SCULLY Give me ten minutes. EXT A PARK--NIGHT Tuesday, April 18 12:19 am To one side there's a long, sloping hill covered with grass, but the body lies under trees. There is a row of townhouses visible across a nearby lane--this is Flagstaff Hill, for those who know Pittsburgh. MULDER and SCULLY walk up and see two officers talking to a middle-aged woman who wears a long coat over a bathrobe. She looks harried. WOMAN (very distressed and shivering) --watching TV and then there was this bright light, and I looked out and saw a man running away. Then I saw the body and I thought I'd better call you. And that's all! MULDER Agent Mulder, FBI, this is Agent Scully; would you mind if-- WOMAN Yes, I would mind! I gave them my name and you can see where I live; ask them! There's been a murder practically in my front yard and you want me to stand out here in the cold and tell you about it? I'm going to bed! And she leaves, with great dignity, considering the pink fuzzy slippers. MULDER What's happened? POLICEMAN You heard her story. Victim's wallet says he's Mark Lively; aside from that all we know is that his head's been cut off. Another POLICEMAN calls MULDER'S name from a few feet away. MULDER turns to look--it's ERICSON ERICSON Hey, Agent Mulder! Come here and check this out. MULDER and SCULLY walk over to ERICSON, who is gingerly picking up something with a handkerchief. ERICSON Look what we have here. This could tell us who our killer is. It's a bit of paper with a phone number on it. MULDER Could I see that for a second? SCULLY (stage whisper) But Mulder, it doesn't start with 1-900. MULDER (ignoring her) That's good, Ericson. Scully and I can check it out, if you'd rather get started on your paperwork. ERICSON Sure, as long as you tell my captain. INT THE CAR--NIGHT Tuesday, April 18 12:46 am SCULLY All right, spill it. MULDER The phone number on this paper is the same as the one on the card Phillip Powell gave me. SCULLY Mulder, that makes him a murderer. MULDER Not neccessarily. If these people really don't age, they'd want to stay in touch with each other. SCULLY That doesn't stop them from having disagreements and killing each other. And you'll forgive me if I somehow doubt that the fountain of youth is in Pittsburgh. MULDER Scully-- SCULLY There's got to be an explaination for this! Mrs. Slovotsky's uncle fathered a son before he was killed and told the mother family stories. It's someone trying to get money from an old woman. An actor. I don't know, Mulder, but "Uncle Stash" died in 1922, Philip Powell is not Russel Nash and neither of them is 300 years old. MULDER Powell could be Nash; even people who do get old and die can have false identities--especially if they're suspects in a string of grisly murders. SCULLY Then he's a murder suspect. But he's not immortal! EXT POWELL'S HOUSE--NIGHT Tuesday, April 18 12:59 am It sits on a side street in Squirrel Hill, rather small but certainly not dingy--the place fairly reeks money. MULDER rings the doorbell, waits a few seconds, rings again. POWELL(faintly, from inside) Just a minute, I'm on my way! (yanks open the door) Yes? He's wearing a bathrobe and boxer shorts. MULDER Mr. Powell, I'm Agent Mulder, I was in your shop today, and this is Agent Scully- POWELL Agent Mulder, do you realize it's one am? SCULLY Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we're investigating-- POWELL A murder, yes, I know. Surely information about the swords could have waited till tomorrow? SCULLY Mr. Powell, there has been another murder, and we have reason to believe you may be involved. We'd just like to ask you a few questions. POWELL Questions about what? I've been in all night if that's what you want to know. If some nutter is killing people with swords it's not-- MULDER (loudly) Mr. Powell! If you'll just answer a few questions we'll let you get back to sleep. POWELL Just a few questions? MULDER Could we come in, sir? POWELL Oh, all right. They walk in and POWELL leads the way into a comfortable living room. There are antiques in tasteful settings and an ancient-looking Japanese sword hangs above the fireplace. POWELL Now, why do you think I've killed a man? SCULLY A paper with your telephone number on it was found at the scene, Mr. Powell. POWELL (obviously taking his first good look at her) I see, Miss. And who was this dead man? SCULLY His name was Lively. POWELL Mark Lively? A big man, with sandy hair? (they nod) Well, there's your answer then. He was in my shop today, trying to sell me a sword, and since I gave you my last card, Agent Mulder, I wrote my number down for him. SCULLY Mr. Powell, all we need to know right now is where you were this evening. Anything else can wait until tomorrow. POWELL I was here. Alone. There is no one who can vouch for me, but there you have it. SCULLY Thank you, Mr. Powell. We'll be in touch. (She stands up, but...) MULDER (who, of course, won't let it go at that) And would you know of a man by the name of Stanislaus Wiejowski? POWELL That rings a bell-- MULDER (sotto voce) Just the bats. POWELL (appears not to hear) There was an old woman on the television a week or so ago, saying her Uncle Stanislaus had come to see her, even though he died in the `Twenties-- you're saying he was the first victim? Agent Mulder, I hope you're not listening to an old woman's fantasies. SCULLY (determined to leave this time) Mr. Powell, thank you for your time. We ask that you not leave town for a while. Come on, Mulder. They walk to the door; MULDER turns back on the threshold. MULDER One last thing-- SCULLY (warning him not to say it) Mulder.... MULDER (hears the warning, says it anyway) Perhaps when we talk tomorrow you'd care to explain how you're related to Russel Nash. And they shut the door behind them. INT MULDER'S HOTEL ROOM--EVENING Tuesday, April 18 8:32 pm It's the next day. SCULLY and MULDER have spent an obviously tiring day in a police station, watching people talk to POWELL. SCULLY Mulder, I know you hate it when people won't listen to your pet theories, but this is a small police department. They just want to solve the murders and leave it at that. MULDER If I could have just talked to him about Nash it would have made more sense; they did their best not to let me get a word in edgewise. SCULLY It was more that every time you went in there Powell shut up until you left the room! They want to fight crime, not hear about 300-year-old men living in their city. And as far as the world is concerned, Russel Nash is dead. MULDER Scully, didn't you notice the way he moves? He's always perfectly in control, always aware of everything around him. He acts like I'd expect a man who had survived 300 years to act. SCULLY No, he acts like an alpha male. He's obviously used to being in charge, and I bet he's never had a woman turn him down before in his life. MULDER Before? SCULLY He asked me out to dinner, then looked surprised when I said no. MULDER Probably thinks you don't realize he's got 300 years of experience. SCULLY Don't be silly, Mulder. MULDER Well, he's probably had a lot of practice in all this time. SCULLY opens her mouth for a scathing reply, but the phone rings and cuts her off. MULDER Hello? POWELL'S VOICE Agent Mulder, at midnight tonight I have a rendezvous at the Point. You know where that is? MULDER Yes, but-- POWELL'S VOICE I suggest you get there ahead of time. MULDER Wait! What about Scully? POWELL'S VOICE Just you, Mulder. (click. buzzzz) SCULLY Who was that? MULDER Powell. He want to meet me to--tomorrow. To talk. SCULLY (she knows he's fibbing) Ah. Well, how about we go get something to eat? MULDER Sounds good. Ericson told me there's this great Chinese place on Murray Avenue. SCULLY I'm tired of Chinese-- And the door cuts off their voices. INT SCULLY'S HOTEL ROOM--NIGHT Tuesday, April 18 The room is dark except for the bathroom light; the clock on the TV reads 11:21. SCULLY stands next to the door, fully dressed, peering out of the peephole. In a distorted view of the corridor she sees MULDER'S door ease open; he looks warily at her door then sets off down the hall. She waits till he's gotten into the elevator, then leaves her room and runs for the stairs. EXT POINT STATE PARK--NIGHT Tuesday, April 18 11:51 pm The park is at the intersection of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers; there's a large fountain a short flight of stone steps down from the rest of the park and a stone outline of the fort that used to stand here. A section of the Parkway cuts off the park from the rest of the city, but there's a decorative pool with a bridge over it that goes under the road for pedestrian access to the park. As SCULLY starts cautiously under the freeway overpass, MULDER settles himself under some trees, about halfway between the fountain and the bridge. He sees her come out of the shadows under the bridge and sighs. MULDER Scully! Over here! She hurries to his hiding place and kneels next to him. MULDER What are you doing here? SCULLY Mulder, do you really think that after all this time I can't tell when you're going off on one of your wild goose chases? I followed you. MULDER Powell told me to come alone. SCULLY All the more reason to have someone to watch your back. I don't trust him, Mulder, I really don't. MULDER Scully, you worry too much. SCULLY Someone has to. They sit and wait. MULDER Do you see anyone? SCULLY No, but it's pretty dark under that bridge. Hold on--did you see that? There's movement beneath the overpass, a shadowed form which coalesces into a blond man who carries a sheathed sword in his hand. MULDER There's Powell's rendezvous. The blond man looks around suspiciously, but he doesn't seem particularly worried about being observed. He takes a seat on the edge of the fountain, MULDER and SCULLY edge toward the fountain end of the park, and the three of them wait for a while. At exactly midnight POWELL emerges from the shadows under the freeway. The blond man sits quietly until POWELL starts down the steps, then stands up and unsheathes his sword. MULDER and SCULLY are barely close enough to hear the two over the hiss of the fountain. BLOND GUY MacLeod. Prepare what defense you can. POWELL/MACLEOD Don't be a fool, Renault! We were friends, but that won't stop me taking your head. RENAULT Only one will leave here, and I think it will not be you! On the last word he attacks, swinging at MacLeod, who appears a sword seemingly from nowhere and blocks. For a moment they stand at an impasse. MACLEOD En garde, then. The fight is furious. SCULLY starts to stand up but MULDER pulls her down again. MULDER Scully, you'll get killed! They won't stop. She looks at him, prepared to protest, then subsides at the urgency in his face. Meanwhile, MACLEOD has backed RENAULT up against the fountain. RENAULT hacks the katana away from his throat, then jumps onto the rim. MACLEOD jumps up after him and they fence back and forth for a few moments. Then RENAULT slips on the wet stone, stumbles, and falls onto his back on the pavement. His sword skitters away and slides into the river. MACLEOD jumps down and stands next to him. MACLEOD My friend, I am sorry you had to do this. He lifts his sword, then brings it down across RENAULT'S neck. The katana is so sharp the head does not move. MACLEOD But there can be only one. MULDER and SCULLY emerge from their hiding place and start towards MACLEOD, who is still standing over the body, when a wind picks up from nowhere and there is a strange humming in the air. MULDER Scully, get down! The two hit the deck; there is a burst of light or electricity which passes from RENAULT'S body to MACLEOD, who drops his sword. A few tendrils search in the direction of SCULLY, who is closer, but they fade away before they reach her. When it's obviously over, she stands up and levels her gun at MACLEOD. SCULLY Mr. Powell, you are under arrest. You have the right-- MACLEOD Agent Scully, you can arrest me later. Mulder, I told you to come alone. MULDER She followed me. MACLEOD I see. And will both of you promise to keep what I tell you secret? MULDER nods; SCULLY, after some hesitation, does too MACLEOD All right then. (he draws a deep breath) My name is Connor MacLeod of the clan MacLeod; I was born in Scotland in 1518. Russell Nash was a convenient name, nothing more. After New York I thought it was over--I thought I could have a family, a wife. But I was wrong. One day I came home and found her dead. There was a note on the body, telling me when to meet him. I took his head, but I couldn't stay in the house she died in. So I came here, and I could have stayed here until the Gathering truly arrived, but I made a donation to a university. My picture was in the newspaper. A week later Wiejowski arrived. MULDER The Gathering? MACLEOD We will meet to decide your fates. You must pray that there are no longer men like the Kurgan, who would hold you all as slaves. (he smiles wryly) And now, Agent Scully, you may arrest me. SCULLY starts into the Miranda warning again, but stops when MACLEOD picks up his sword and begins walking toward the river. SCULLY Powell--MacLeod! Stop where you are! I said stop! MacLeod, I will fire! (she does, a shot into the air, but he keeps going. MULDER just stands there) Stop or I will shoot! He doesn't stop; she levels the gun at his back and fires. He falls to his hands and knees, then shakes his head and gets up. While SCULLY is still recovering from this he walks straight down into the river. They wait...and wait...but he doesn't come back up. SCULLY I must have missed him. MULDER You beat me regularly on the firing range. You hit him all right--it just didn't hurt him. SCULLY I *must* have missed him. The camera pans from her to MULDER, then out over the water. MULDER'S VOICE The Pittsburgh police have accepted Scully's version of the event at the Point, and now consider the case closed. I wonder if we will hear of more, similar killings in the years to come, and I wonder about the Gathering which he said will decide all our fates. The Ohio River is being dredged for MacLeod's body, but I somehow doubt that they will find it... AUTHOR' NOTE Though I have taken some small liberties with Highlander canon I've managed to set the story after the events of the first movie (There should have been only one! Er, pardon me) by using the series' view--what happened to Connor when the Kurgan died was not really the prize, just a very intense Quickening brought about by the fact that the Kurgan was one of the older Immortals and had killed Ramirez, who was by some accounts the oldest. The series says that an Immortal gains power each time he kills, so Connor got everything from both Ramirez and the Kurgan, plus the energy from anyone they had dueled with--ie a heck of a lot. He's still Immortal, though he had gained some special powers, and the Gathering has not yet occured. As for the setting of the story--some among you will recognize my address, and they say you should write what you know... Places are real, people are not. Characters are copyrighted to their creators; the plot is copyrighted to me. Many thanks to Tofi, whose computer I used for lots of the first draft; to Mark, who gave me ideas; and to my lord, who encouraged me even though he thought it was silly... ;) =========================================================================