Mindless Beasts/Transcript

(At Imperium, a holographic propaganda video plays.)
Rapton (narrating): Loyal! Courageous! Brave! Those are not only the words that best describes me, Rapton, but also my suborbinauts. Sub — subor ... uh, underlings! The Claws of Imperium! The finest hunters our kingdom has ever known, guaranteeing clean, safe dragon energy for the rest of all time. Fighting for the Imperian way of life is the very definition of heroism. Rapton says so, and my best buddy here agrees. Imperium and dragons, building a better future, together as friends. (He screams as the dragon growls, just before the video cuts off.)
(In the streets of Imperium, Arin and Riyu flee from Imperium Guards.)
Imperium Guard #1: Stop that hideous dragon!
Arin: We've gotta lose these guys, Riyu! (He takes a hoverboard to aid in their escape.)
Imperium Guard #2: We've gotta get that thing caged before it poisons our streets with its repulsive dragon stench! 
(Another guard sends out Imperium Drones to pursue Arin.)
Arin: Hang on, buddy! (They are hit, and Arin is carried away.) Riyu!
Imperium Guard #1: Where'd they go? (He sees Arin screaming in the air.) After them!
Arin: Let go of me! (He damages the drone.) Yeah! Oh, nuts. (He and Riyu drop from the sky.)
----
(Arin and Riyu drop into a dumpster.)
Imperium Guard #2: Where did Dr. Floortile go?
Imperium Guard #1: What's he doctor of? Vanishing without a trace?
Imperium Guard #2: Doubtful. There are very few certified vanishologists in Imperium.
Imperium Guard #1: (He sighs.) Come on. Let's search for them in the new shoulder pad store.
Imperium Guard #2: Wait, are you just trying to buy yourself some new shoulder pads?
Imperium Guard #1: I'm serving the security needs of Imperium. If I happen to get dashing shoulderwear while I'm at it, what's wrong with that? (They all leave.)
Arin: Whew. Let's sit tight. Once the heat dies down, we'll go find the others.
Percival: Time to keep the city clean!
Imperium Girl: It's about respecting the community.
(Arin sees a group of four teenagers carrying cleaning equipment. They start singing.)
Percival: I love studying at school!
Other teenagers: But protecting the innocents is also cool!
Percival: Sound off!
Other teenagers: One, two!
(Riyu squawks at Arin.)
Arin: (In a whisper) Yeah, I don't get it either.
(The frame the teenagers are standing on bend and creak.)
Percival: Sound off!
Other teenagers: Three, fo —
(The frame falls and they scream. Arin swings in on his grappling hook to save one of them.)
Arin: Hold on! (He gets two of the others.) Hang on! (He goes on to rescue Percival.) Got you!
Imperium Boy: That was incredible!
Percival: Those were the coolest moves ever! Who are you?
Arin: Uh, the name's Floortile. Lampshade Floortile.
Percival: I like the cut of your jib, Lampshade. I'm Percival Tartigrade, and I'm the leader of this troop. The Imperium Teenage Protection Force! (They strike a pose.)
Arin: Are — are you like a music group or something?
Percival: Yes! Except instead of practicing music, we practice obedience to law and order! We take a solemn vow to do what is right and good. And what would be good right now is to beg you to become our newest member! We need you to teach us those sweet moves so we can be cool like you!
Arin: Let me get this straight. You all think I'm cool?
Percival: The coolest! Please, teach us your skills.
Arin: Uh, okay. I guess?
(The teenagers cheer.)
----
(At the Security Station, Lloyd hides from Wyldfyre's attacks.)
Wyldfyre: Eat flame, bad guy! Get wrecked by Wyldfyre!
Lloyd: Bad guy? No, wait! This is just a disguise!
Wyldfyre: A disguise? I can still see you, loser!
Lloyd: If I were your enemy, why would I let you out of your cell?
Wyldfyre: If you don't know, how should I?
Lloyd: Amazing. But you can't be the Elemental Master of Fire. There's only ever one at a time, and you're not him.
Wyldfyre: What are you even talking about? Answer, I don't care! Just let my family go!
Lloyd: They took your family? Look, I have nothing to do with Imperium. You and I are on the same — side! (He shouts as he dodges Wyldfyre's attacks.)
Wyldfyre: Ouch. Sometimes I'm too incredibly great at fighting. (She hurls a bar at Lloyd, who deflects it with his powers.) Your fire's a weird color. Are you sick?
Lloyd: It's not fire. I'm the Green Ninja.
Wyldfyre: Green Ninja? (She scoffs.) Sounds fake. I'm not dumb! Don't try tricks on me. I did every learning module in my caregiver bot's memory banks!
Lloyd: (He easily dodges her blasts.) Your power level is off the charts, but your attacks are all over the place. I could help you to —
Wyldfyre: Stop talking and fight!
Imperium Guard: What? Escaped prisoner!
(The guards fire at them. Lloyd saves Wyldfyre from the blasts.)
Wyldfyre: You saved me?
Lloyd: I told you. We're on the same side!
Wyldfyre: Maybe you're not lying, Green Ninja. Maybe.
Lloyd: Call me Lloyd.
(The two attack the guards together.)
----
(At the Advanced Systems Lab, Dr. LaRow approaches Sora from behind.)
Dr. LaRow: I've been waiting for you. Rapton reported he used your Photac device in the field. I knew you wouldn't be able to resist returning, Ana.
Sora: My name is Sora now.
Dr. LaRow: Ugh. You named yourself after that dragon? Disgusting.
Sora: She and I were the same. Two pawns you used for your own gain.
Dr. LaRow: I thought you were a scientist, Ana. Science has no room for sentiment. After the Merge, the Empress wanted to use the Photac more than ever. So many new dragons to hunt. But we hadn't been able to activate your device. Until recently.
Sora: I'm surprised you figured it out. Exotic photovoltaic positrons were never your thing. You were more of an expert at being an evil jerk.
Dr. LaRow: Hmm. You've grown feisty. Where's that sweet, wide-eyed little girl who was excited just to be in a real science lab?
Sora: She grew up. On the streets of a strange city. When she had to escape a family poisoned against her by her former hero.
Dr. LaRow: Sorry, sweetie. You're old enough now to know that all heroes disappoint eventually. Even ninja.(She shows Sora a photo of Lloyd.) I know about the company you've been keeping. You think the Claws' mission reports wouldn't reach me?
Sora: Then why didn't you come for me?
Dr. LaRow: I knew you'd come back on your own. And just in time. We need you. (Sora scoffs.) You're right that I couldn't get the Photac operational on my own. I had the help of an unconventional consultant. He got your original prototype working, and even made copies. (She shows Sora a shelf full of Photacs.)
Sora: No!
Dr. LaRow: One problem. We haven't been able to initialize these new devices. But I know someone who can. Activate them for me.
Sora: I will never let you use my invention to hurt more innocent dragons.
Dr. LaRow: Hmm. I anticipated you might feel that way. So I arranged a little motivation. (She shows her the dragon Sora.) An old friend.
Sora: Sora! (Dorama pops up behind the dragon.) Dorama? You're supposed to be in prison! Wait. Are you the unconventional consultant that got my original Photac to work?
Dorama: My genius can be experienced in many ways. Now, if you don't do as Dr. LaRow says, the consequences will be ... very entertaining. (He aims his staff at the dragon.)
Sora: Stop! Don't hurt her!
Dr. LaRow: (She sighs.) So you're ready to help me, your Empress, and Imperium itself?
Sora: I don't have a choice, do I?
Dr. LaRow: You always were a smart child.
Sora: (She tinkers with the Photac.) Done.
Dr. LaRow: Already? So the device can manifest a Photac Beast now?
Sora: See for yourself.
(She presses the button behind her back. The Photac explodes, and the two Soras escape in the distraction. Dr. LaRow sounds the alarm.)
Sora: We got to find a way out of here, girl, or we're toast.
----
(At Cloud Kingdom, Nya walks through the archives.)
Nya: (She reads from a scroll.) "If the Coalescence returns ... the fifth source, the Temple of the Dragon Cores." What is this nonsense? With Master Wu's notes gone, I can't make heads or tails out of any of it!
Scroll-Worm: Input search term?
Nya: Yeah, right. Last time we trusted you to help find info on stopping MergeQuakes, we got globbed with a ton of sticky worm silk. Yeah, scoot away. I don't want to get stuck together again by — stuck together? There's no way. (She picks up a sheet of transparent blue paper.) Looks like a map. But to where? (She overlaps the scroll and the paper, then gasps.) I've never seen a place like this.
----
(On the streets of Imperium, Arin shows the Imperium Teenage Protection Force his moves.)
Arin: Whoo! Like so, smooth movements. See? (They try to imitate him, but all fall over.) Good, everybody. I — I mean — pretty good. Kinda. Now, check this out. (He does Spinjitzu, but lands on his face. The teenagers cheer anyway.) Oh, man. Sorry. I landed all wrong. I can do better.
Percival: Better than that? You've got the best moves we've ever seen!
Arin: I'm not all that good, actually. Uh, I've got a master teaching me all the things I'm doing wrong.
Percival: But the things you do are amazing already! You don't need to train.
Arin: (He chuckles.) You guys are the best. Enough about me. What about you? What's the ITPF all about?
Percival: We just look for ways to help anywhere we can. No biggie.
Arin: Love the sound of that. Ever since my parents went missing, I've wanted to help others too.
Percival: You think just like we do, Lampshade. To rise from any bad things in our past, and make the world a better place in the here and now.
Arin: Wow. I feel so seen right now!
Percival: In fact, we hope, if we work hard enough, we can join the greatest group to ever fight for good against the forces of evil.
All: The Claws of Imperium! (They strike several poses.)
Arin: Wait, what?
Percival: That's why we do all this! We want to be Claws one day. Heroic warriors that keep Imperium safe by hunting down dragons.
Arin: But — but you said you wanted to protect! And help!
Percival: Exactly! Protect Imperium from dragons and help by draining dragon power to fuel the kingdom! We want to make the world a better place, like the Claws of the Imperium always do.
All: The Claws of Imperium! (They strike another pose.)
Arin: The Claws hurt dragons!
Percival: Don't be silly, Lampshade. You can't hurt a mindless beast!
Imperium Girl: Can you imagine what we'd do if we could ever catch a dragon?
Percival: We'd turn it over to Lord Ras himself. That dragon would get drained to dust!
(Riyu, watching from the dumpster, slips and causes a thumping noise.)
Percival: What's back there?
Arin: (He gasps.) Nothing. Definitely nothing. Uh, let me show you some more moves!
Percival: In a second. Better check that out.
(Riyu whimpers and retreats into the shadows.)
----
(At the Security Station, Lloyd and Wyldfyre defeat the guards.)
Lloyd: Follow me. Waste tunnels are this way. I'm gonna get you out of here.
Wyldfyre: Nope! Gotta save my family! (She runs off.)
Lloyd: Wait! Wait!
(They reach a room with large cells.)
Wyldfyre: This is the one! (She tries to open the door, but fails.)
Lloyd: Let me give it a shot. (He fires a blast at the control panel next to the door, opening it.) Works every time. (The dragon inside the cell roars.) Get back!
Wyldfyre: (She greets the dragon happily.) Oh, it's good to see you too, Heatwave!
Lloyd: You know this dragon? Great. But we still need to save your family.
Wyldfyre: My family is here.
Lloyd: Behind the dragon?
Wyldfyre: No. Heatwave is my family. He raised me in the Wyldness.
Lloyd: You were raised by a dragon in the Wyldness? That explains a lot, actually.
----
(In the halls of the Advanced Systems Lab, the two Soras try to find a way out.)
Sora: I definitely totally remember where to go now. This way. Come on! (They reach a dead end.) So maybe I don't totally remember. I haven't been here since I was a kid. Let's try the other way. (The dragon roars, unable to turn around.) Just scoot back. Okay, now I totally, totally remember my way around. There's a big cafeteria right through here. Maybe we can find some mashed potatoes and it would — wait. Why did they park all these hover chariots in the cafeteria? Okay, maybe it's not a cafeteria. And I don't totally, totally remember my way around.
Rapton: Don't worry! You'll have plenty of time to learn the way out. At least as much of it as you can see from your prison cell.
Sora: Rapton. You really want a rematch?
Rapton: Let's see. Hmm ... a pack of highly skilled Claws of the Imperium and their Weapon Drones, against a little ninja wannabe and an overgrown garden snake. Yeah. I'll take those odds.
Sora: Then you are a fool.
Rapton: How dare you? No one calls Rapton a fool!
Claw Hunter #1: Uh, Lord Ras calls you a fool all the time.
Rapton: Okay, one! One person calls me that. But definitely not a scrawny kid like you.
Sora: I am the Elemental Master of Technology. Remember the mech I created on the bridge? And on the train? Remember what I did to your weapons? Now look around. You really want to face me in a room full of technology? What should I do with all these? Reassemble their parts into a swarm of stinging techno bees?
Claw Hunter #2: Uh, I ... I don't like bees.
Sora: But, of course, we can avoid all that if you just get out of our way.
Rapton: I don't know how you did those things. Maybe you do have the powers you say. Or maybe you just got lucky. I'll make you a deal. Use your powers to do something to this drone. Anything. Smash it, make it a bee, whatever. You do that, we step aside. You and the dragon will be free to go. Huh?
Sora: You ... sure about that? It's a nice drone. Looks expensive.
Rapton: I'm sure.
Sora: Fine, but I'm not paying for it. (In her head) You can do this, Sora. Even without Riyu's spark. Lloyd told you. (She hears Lloyd's voice in her head.) "The true power is inside you." (Her hand glows, but the drone doesn't transform into anything.) Ugh. Fine! You got me. I can't do that right now, but I can do this! (She kicks the drone, which explodes behind Rapton.) There's more than one way to be ninja. (She fights Rapton, but is pinned down. The dragon is chained as well.) Sora!
Rapton: Looks like you need to pay more attention to your training, little ninja. (He opens his communicator.) Dr. LaRow? We got 'em.
(The Claws drag Sora back to the lab.)
Dr. LaRow: Let's try this again, Ana.
(Dorama attaches a pipe to a control panel.)
Sora: If I do this, you won't drain her?
Ras: Wrong! We will drain the dragon. But when you finish your job, we'll stop draining it.
Dorama: (He poses dramatically.) And now, I present to you, what you've all been waiting for! A real show —
Ras: Get on with it!
Dorama: — stopper. On with the show.
(He activates the machine and starts to drain the dragon at full power.)
Sora: No!
Ras: Want this to end? Do your work!
(Sora runs over to the work bench.)
----
(At the dragons' prison, Lloyd and Wyldfyre hear more roars.)
Lloyd: More dragons? This is where they hold all the dragons they capture?
Wyldfyre: Yep. Before they drain them to power their kingdom.
Lloyd: Alright, new mission. We aren't here to just free your family. We're here to free all the dragons, every last one. (He opens the cells one by one.)
Wyldfyre: Yes! Dragons cannot be kept in chains or behind bars!
(They free all the dragons.)
Wyldfyre: Freedom for all dragon kind!
----
(On the streets, Arin attempts to distract the teenagers.)
Arin: Look, there's something awesome over there!
Imperium Boy: What? There's nothing.
Imperium Girl: Yes, there is! The beautiful city of Imperium, our glorious home!
Imperium Boy: Wow, I see what Lampshade is trying to say. Imperium is awesome! All hail the Good Empress!
Percival: (He peers into the dumpster and sees Riyu.) No way! A dragon? Lampshade, were you trying to distract us from finding that evil thing?
----
(At the Advanced Systems Lab, Dr. LaRow taunts Sora.)
Dr. LaRow: You came back to destroy the machine you created. Now, instead, you're further empowering Imperium. How utterly satisfying, Ana. You realize now, you cannot stop us. Once this is done, there will be nothing to prevent Imperium from hunting down every dragon in the merged lands. Including the Source Dragons.
Sora: Source Dragons?
(Ras glares at Dr. LaRow.)
Sora: Stop hurting her. I finished.
Ras: Prove it.
(Sora activates the Photac, summoning a Photac Beast. Ras frees the dragon and Dorama turns off the power.)
Ras: Perfect. Imperium is now completely unstoppable.
Sora: What have I done?
(End of the episode. For more information, click here.)
Category:Transcript
Category:2023
Category:Season 1 (Dragons Rising)