Dragon Booster Episode 2: The Choosing, Part 2
Scene: Dragon City, view pans down to an All City Race in progress, with Artha Penn narrating in a voice over...
Artha: (voice over) In Dragon City, every kid dreams about gearing up and teaming with a two hundred mile per hour dragon. (view pans down to Artha riding on Beau) Well, every kid except me, Artha Penn. That all changed the night that the Eye of the Dragon crew tried to steal Beau, the Dragon of Legend. The night I lost my father. The night Beau chose me to be the Dragon Booster, the hero who is supposed to stop a coming dragon-human war! So now here I am in the All City Races - looking for the crew responsible for what happened to my father, and racing to learn how to release the dragon, and save the world... before it`s too late!
Scene: While we listen to Artha`s voice over, he is busy running the race with Beau - finding out just how rough other racers can be; as they make a leap over a chasm to another lower level using white aero gear, another racer moves his dragon alongside Beau - snapping the aero gear`s right wing off! He pays for this while distracted looking at Artha, not seeing the obstacle in front of him, and colliding with it; Artha goes on to take second place. Scene switches afterwards to pit row, Artha, Parmon, and Lance...
Parmon: Oh, well, at least you didn`t finish last this time!
Artha: Yeah, hey I`m getting better, aren`t I?
Lance: Yeah, you`re finding new ways to stink! (puts on Artha`s helmet; Beau chuckles at Lance`s words)
Parmon: Seriously, Artha, if you don`t make substancial improvements in your overall racing effectiveness, and gains to the point standings, you`re going to be dropped from the All City Race Circuit... and then what will we do?
Artha: I know, Parm. I have to race, I have to get better. (Beau comforts him)
Parmon: Well, don`t worry! You`re not alone! You have us! Your buds, your troops, your guys, your fellowship, your...
Lance: (interrupts) ... Racing team! (picks up and looks at flash stick, accidentally activating it - stunning himself!)
Artha: Yep, there`s my race team. (chuckles) Look at us. Look at this gear (points to damaged aero gear) Ohh, what a mess! (walks off, but catches sight of Kitt Won, stops and stares dreamily, until...)
Lance: ... Isn`t that your girlfriend, Kitt Won?
Artha: (waking up...) Ehh! She`s not my girlfriend, dork!
Lance: (singsonging to Parmon...) Artha`s in love, Artha`s in love! (giggles; Artha approaches him, turns helmet backwards on Lance) Hey!
Parmon: Artha, I`ve got a plan. For the next race, try this. (holds up a control handle)
Artha: (doubtfully) Our vid-game controller?
Parmon: Ah ah ah! It was our vid-game controller. Now it`s my latest invention! You see, I took the wireless remote scanning interface to the racing game we designed, and reprogrammed the binary output containment chip to react to real race conditions! And then I put the silly old holo-vid communications link... in the forward... cranial shielding of your... (Parmon realizes he`s lost his audience, judging by the dazed expressions on Artha, Lance, and Beau) Ahem, well, you can race Beau just like the game. Heh.
Artha: (perks up)Ahh!
Scene: From a level above Artha and crew, Moordryd Paynn and his second in command are watching them...
Moordryd: (as he looks through binocs at Artha and crew) Sooo... those annoying stable brats survived the fire, and now Artha Penn is street racing? Heh! What a joke!
2nd in Command: I Don`t know, cool dragon. (Moordryd is annoyed at this)
Moordryd: Get as much green ramming, black control, and light blue stun gear onto my dragon Decepshun as she can mag!
2nd in Command: But that`ll just slow both of you down. This is a speed race.
Moordryd: Not any more. Some racers have their methods, I have mine. If I`m the last one standing, I still win!
Scene: Down at the starting point of the next race, as the announcer begins his speech...
Announcer: GOOD DAY TO YOU, MY BRAVE ALL CITY STREET COMPETITORS! I AM RACE MARSHALL BUDGE! (his platform moves forward, stopping closer to the start line) THE PRIZE IN TODAY`S RACE IS TEN THOUSAND DRACKLES, PLUS A NEW SET OF LEVEL FIVE GREEN RAMMING GEAR!!! (crowd applauds)BREATH TAKING. THIS IS A SPEED AND AGILITY RACE BUT! IN DRAGON CITY THERE IS ALWAYS A LITTLE CONTACT, EH? (chuckles and winks at this, but coughs, ruining the effect he was going for)
Scene: Down at the starting line, Artha waits for the start...
Artha: Okay, Parm, here goes nothing. (taps the side of his helmet, activating the holo-communication device; a holo screen appears before him between his controls) It Works! I can`t believe it! It actually works!
Parmon: (from holo screen) Hmph! You don`t have to be all that suprised about it.
Scene: Artha looks over to see Kitt Won and her dragon on the other side of the dragon next to him; Kitt notices that Artha`s at the starting line as well...
Kitt: (suprised) The stable boy? Dragon Racing?? (Artha is still distracted, as the race starts, catching him - but not Beau - off guard...)
Artha: Whoooaaaaaa!!! (Parmon and Lance cheer the start of the race)
Parmon: (through communicator) Artha! Use the vid-gear! (Artha activates it) Race like you`re playing the game! Speed is lower right, racers are in yellow, adjust the tail stabilizers... more power to the side venting gears...
Artha: Let me do this, okay Parm? I`m the one mag-locked to the back of this dumb dragon! (Beau takes great offence to this, launching Artha off his back up into the air) Whoooaa Beau! (Beau chuckles at this, keeping him up in the air as he passes under a bridge, then lets him drop back down as he emerges from the bridge tunnel) I mean, mag-locked to the back of this NICE dragon! (Beau approves of this word change)
Parmon: (in vid screen) Whoa! Great mag jump.
Lance: (impressed) Yeah! You don`t stink!
Scene: As the race progresses, the dragons spread out along the track; Kitt comes up alongside Artha...
Kitt: Stable boy! Don`t move your draconium controller so far forward... you`re draining all your dragon`s energy! (Artha looks down at his controls) Not like that, like this! (presses a control on her console, activating her dragon`s red thruster gear, increasing her speed without draining her dragon`s energy, and pulling ahead in the race)
Artha: Now what did dad say to me... relax and release the power, release the dragon (closes eyes and concentrates) release the dragon... (Beau begins to run faster and faster, a vortex forms around him, increasing his speed even more as he easily breezes past the other riders, coming up on Moordred`s position in the race...)
Moordryd: (shocked as Beau passes him) What? The stable boy???
Parmon: (from vid screen) Drac! You`ve just reached vortex velocity - you`re going almost two hundred!
Artha: (losing concentration) What? (Beau slows down to normal velocity) What happened? What did I do? Wait, how did I do that?? (Beau merely grins)
Moordryd: (activates his vid gear, contacting his 2nd in command) Get over to the final turn and plant a disruptor flash near the rail!
2nd in Command: Disruptor flash... Ooo, how exteme! Seems the stable boy isn`t such a bad dragon racer after all!
Moordryd: (angered)Do it now, Cain! (ends communication; passes Artha, getting in front of him) Welcome to dragon racing, Penn! (launches a spinning device at Artha; Parmon notices this through his binocs...)
Parmon: Artha! It`s a drag-box! (device separates into four tiny dragons that get on Beau, scrambling down his back and begin attacking his racing gear...)
Artha: Hey! They`re eating the gear! Parm! How do I get rid of these things? (Parmon looks through binocs at Artha, then notices movement on the track, pans around to see Cain planting the disruptor flash) Parm?
Lance: Parmon!
Parmon: Oh, no! This is an even more unsightly developement! (notices the crew mark tatooed on Cain`s forehead) Much more unsightly! Artha! Look out! It`s the... (one of the drag-box creatures bites the vid-gear wire, severing it)
Artha: Parm? It`s the what? Guys?
Parmon: (from crew box) Artha!
Lance: I don`t think he hears you!
Parmon: He`s gone off-line!
Scene: Back with Artha, as the drag-box creatures continue to devour his gear...
Artha: We need a mag-burst, Beau! (Beau does a mag-burst that blasts the drag-box away from him; ahead, Moordred collides with another rider ahead, knocking some of that dragon`s gear back, barely missing Artha)
Scene: Moordryd chuckles derisively as Artha and Beau come alongside of him, and pulls out a device from his opposite side, activating it and sending it`s top towards Beau...
Artha: Look out, Beau! Energy drain whip!! (it attaches to Beau`s front left aero pod, and begins to drain Beau`s energy, as Moordred laughs...) Beau! Your energy...
Moordred: ... Is now my energy!
Artha: (as Beau begins losing gear due to energy loss...) Beau! Hang on! (tries to re-activate his vid gear) Argh. Parm, Lance! Where are you guys? (vid screen activates, and a scrambled message from Parmon gets through...)
Parmon: ***street crew****and**they`re setting up *a disruptor flash***...
Artha: Street crew? Disruptor... flash? (notices the device up ahead of them) Okay, you and me, Beau! We`re only gonna get one shot at this! We have to time it just right! (gets closer to the disruptor) Three... two... one! (Beau jumps over and to the side of the flash, dragging Moodred`s dragon into line with the device; Beau activates the remaining wing of his aero-gear, severing the whip`s contact from him; Moordred`s dragon stumbles and falls, stopping directly in front of the disruptor...)
Moordryd: Ungh! (gasps as he sees where he is, and sees the device activate...) Disruptor blackout! Eject! (ejects from his saddle as the device goes off, sending a large cloud of smoke around his dragon as Artha And Beau jump clear over it to the delight of Parmon and Lance; Moordryd has activated his glider pack after ejecting, but can`t control where it`s going...) No, no, No!! (hits flat up against a billboard) Oooff! Aaaaaahhh! (falls down into a dumpster) Oww... clinbs out of dumpster, pulling fish bones out of his mouth) Bleahh! (drops fish bones, but falls back into dumpster) Oooff!
Scene: The race track, a short distnace from the finish line; Beau is moving slowly towards it, almost totally drained of energy...
Artha: C`mon, release the dragon, Beau, release the dragon release the dragon c`mon! (Beau pants in exhaustion) Release the dragon! (suddenly Kitt and two other racers following behind her pass by, as Artha can only watch them go)
Scene: Pit row, after the race; Artha, Parmon, and Lance walk along, discussing the race...
Parmon: Whoa! That was quite a move you made back there!
Artha: Yeah, I got your message, thanks! So, how`d I do in the race?
Parmon: Second to last, and you lost most of your gear. In other words, not so very good. Ah, but better than usual!
Moordryd: (he and Cain are walking a short distance behind Artha and the others) This isn`t over, Artha Penn. C`mon, Cain!(behind them, Kitt has heard them talking)
Kitt: A street crew after stable boy? This can`t be good!
Scene: Evening at Penn Stables; Artha, Lance, and Parmon arrive...
Parmon: What are we doing back at your father`s stable? We can`t hide here, it`s too dangerous!
Artha: We`re not here to hide Parm. (goes up to a panel, unlocks and opens a door to a storeroom)
Lance: Drac! The rest of dad`s gear!
Artha: You guys pack up the rig, I`ll be right back. (they move to do so as Artha goes to his father`s office and sits in his chair, looking at a fire damaged picture of his family, thinking to himself...) *sigh* Dad, what happened to you? I was chosen, dad. I`m the Dragon Booster. I don`t know how, but I`m gonna stop the dragon-human war, and I`m gonna take care of Lance too until we... (Lance enters the room)
Lance: (sadly) Where`s dad?
Artha: Hey, come over here, Lance. We need to talk. (Lance goes over to him and gets comforted by Artha)
Scene: A ledge a short distance from the stables, Kitt Won is watching them through her binocs...
Kitt: Hmmm... There`s Penn, where`s Paynn?
Scene: A short time later, Artha comes to Beau`s stall, where Beau is fussing with the wall, and the bracket on that wall...
Artha: Beau? What-what is it boy? What`s wrong? (Beau pushes the bracket aside, causing the wall to seperate up and down, revealing a brightly lit small room; Beau goes into the small room...)What? Beau? Beau! (Beau snakes his tail around Artha`s waist, pulling him into the room - which turns out to be an elevator stall; the wall closes behind them)Whoa! I don`t think this is a good (Beau presses a button with his chin, causeing the elevator to go down rapidly...) Ideaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
Scene: The elevator comes to a halt at the very bottom; Artha and Beau exit and move slowly along a passageway lined with statues of Dragon Priests the begin to glow golden as they pass each one; neither notices when they pass one that doesn`t begin to glow, one that moves forward behind them, revealing himself as a live Dragon Priest...
Artha: (at a noise behind them, looks back startled to see the Dragon Priest) What? (Beau makes a huh? sound)
Dragon Priest: Do not be afraid. I knew you would return here. (moves past them) Your dragon is the one, Artha Penn. The Dragon of Legend.
Artha: (suprised) How do you know my name? Who are you?
Scene: Back at the stables, Lance moves the mag-rig towards the storeroom, humming to himself as he passes Parmon; neither realize Artha and Beau aren`t around...
Parmon: Uh, make sure to grab some level three red thruster gear, Lance! (suddenly, Moordred and some of his street crew arrive...)
Moordred: Where`s Artha Penn?
Parmon: (suprised) It`s the street crew! Run Lance, run!! (Moordryd launches green trapping gear at them)
Scene: The chamber far below Penn Stables...
Dragon Priest: I am Mortis. For years I have watched you. The One has chosen you, and brought you here Dragon Booster. (move forward and slams the end of his staff to the floor; two streams of gold energy comes from the floor where he struck, moving forward to an open area and there forming the star-shape of the amulet, then contracts inward to the center where a small golden object rises out of a portal in the floor) The ancient gold draconium armour is now yours to command.
Artha: (doubtfully) Armour? Where`s the rest of it? (Beau uses his tail to smack Artha in the back of his head) Hey! But seriously! It`s an arm band! How am I supposed to be the Dragon Booster with an arm band?
Scene: Penn Stables, as Moordryd`s crew have Parmon surrounded on the ground, and Moordred has Lance held up by the back of his collar...
Moordryd: (snatches Lance`s communicator from his arm) No tricks! (tosses it to the ground) Where is your brother? (suddenly a battlecry is heard as Kitt arrives) What?
Lance: Huh? (Kitt leaps her dragon over Moordryd`s head, causing him to duck, dropping Lance; her dragon kicks up a dust cloud, blinding the other crew members, allowing Parmon to get away from them)
Kitt: (to Parmon and Lance) Get to the bridge! (Lance notices his communicator is nearby; they back towards the bridge as the Moordryd and crew approach them) Okay! Time to heat things up! (activates her dragon`s thruster gear, turning it forward and blasting two columns of flame to make a wall of fire between them and the street crew) Call your brother, we can`t keep this up for long!!
Scene: The chamber far below Penn Stables...
Mortis: You must learn to release the secret powers of both you and Beau (last word echoes, as he moves back into the shadows as Artha examines the amulet and arm band)
Artha: (as he realizes Mortis is gone) Huh? (shouts) But how will I know when I`m ready???
Mortis: (echoing from the shadows) You will know. (Artha`s communicator activates...)
Lance: Artha?! We`re in trouble! It`s the street group! We need help!
Artha: Hang on, Lance! I`m on my way!! Beau! It`s time! (takes the star from the amulet, places it in the star-shaped depression in the arm band) Release the Dragon! (the arm band begins to glow brightly, streamers of golden energy begin to move up Artha`s arm, them over his body, forming the ancient gold draconium armour of the Dragon Booster over him)
Scene: Penn Stables, as Moordryd`s crew are held at bay by Kitt`s thruster gear, until it runs out of stored energy...
Kitt: (as gear stops) Oh, no.
Moordryd: Looks like th heat`s on you now! Get her! (before they can move, a loud roar from above is heard, they look up to see the black and gold Dragon of Legend standing at the end of the roof ridge above them with an armoured figure on his back...) Huh?
Cain: The black and gold dragon!
Moordryd: And he`s chosen a Dragon Booster! (Beau roars down at them) I want that dragon!! (they fire blocking staffs at Beau, but miss; he leaps down to their level to confront them, and mag-blasts them out of his way; Cain recovers first, charging towards them, forcing Beau to the edge of a very long drop; the others block Beau from moving away from the edge) Perfect, no escape!
Scene: Off to the side, Lance notices a flash stick and throws it so that it lands in the ground before Moordryd and crew; Moordryd can only gasp in suprise before it goes off, stunning him and his crew. Beau takes advantage of this and sweeps the other dragons off their feet, coming to a stop near Parmon and Lance...
Artha: (raising his visor so they can see it`s him) Nice throw! (shushes them from speaking, lowers visor, moves off)
Lance: (quietly to Parmon) It`s Artha!
Scene: Artha confronts Moordryd`s crew who are getting up from where they fell; Beau growls at them and they take off - leaving Moordred to face him alone...
Moordryd: Where are you going?? Fight you cowards!! (Beau confronts him, forcing him back against the fallen Penn Stables sign, where he`s trapped)
[/B]Artha:[/B] You`re next.
Scene: Moordryd suddenly notices his dragon is in line with Beau off to the side, he presses a wrist control, activating his dragon`s green ramming gear and sends the ramming ball towards Artha, who uses his arm guard to deflect it towards Moordryd, who duck in time; the ball then deflects off the sign and strikes the support pole, causing the support pin to release, making the platform it holds to tilt downward, breaking the bridge connecting it to the stables; Parmon and Lance are on the platform as it tilts and begin to slide to the far edge; Kitt and her dragon try to leap to the other side, her dragon makes it but Kitt falls off on the same side as Parmon and Lance, beginning to slide down with them; the angle of the platform causes a small, heavy dragon head sculpture to slide to the edge, breaking the guardrail off as it plummets over the edge - followed by Kitt, Lance, and Parmon...
[B]Artha: (horrified) NOOOOOOOO!!! (he and Beau rush to their aid, forgetting about Moordred)
Moordryd: No time for me, huh? (chuckles nastily and leaves)
Scene: Beau leaps across the broken bridge to the tilted platform, sliding down the slope and coming to a stop a the edge; Artha notices a hanging support wire is taught and looks over the edge to see Parmon, Lance, and Kitt hanging on to the wire for dear life; Beau grabs the wire in his mouth and begins to haul it up...
Artha: (grunts with effort) Hang on, guys! I`ve got you! (Beau backs up, hauling the wire; Parmon makes it to the top and safety, but...)
Lance: I can`t hold on!! (slips down a bit, then loses hold of wire, falling) Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!
Kitt: (grunting with effort grabs onto Lance as he falls) I-I`ve got you! (hauls Lance up to the wire above her, as the wire begins to fail; Parmon reaches down and pulls Lance up over the edge, then reaches down for Kitt, but just before she can reach his hand the wire snaps, she can only gasp as she begins to fall...)
Parmon: (shocked) No!! (Kitt screams as she falls)
Artha: Noooooooo!!!!! (Beau and Artha begin running down the slope towards the edge...)
Parmon: Artha! What are you doing??
Artha: What I have to dooooooooooo... (...and leaps off the edge)
Parmon: Arthaaa!!! Dragons jump, they can`t fly!!!
Lance: Artha!!
Scene: Artha and Beau plummet straight down with a low profile for less wind resistance, quickly gaining on Kitt falling form; just before he reaches her, Beau moves his arms forward to slow down enough for Artha to safely grab her around the waist, hugging her close to Beau`s side...
Kit: (grunts as Artha grabs her) Ah, you got me! But, who`s got us?? Whoaaaaaa!!! (they continue to plummet)
Scene: As they fall Artha looks to Beau`s star mark, and as Beau concentrates, it glows and wing sails form along his sides and he begins to glide along the wind currents, gaining control of his fall...
Artha: Woo-hoo-hoo!!! (he and Kitt can begin to enjoy the ride, now that they aren`t falling)
Parmon:(from above, looking through his binocs) He`s all right! Look! Beau`s got... super powers! (hands binocs to Lance)
Lance: Radge! (NOTE: or Ratch!)
Scene: Below, Beau comes for a landing onto a rooftop, and Artha lets her down to the ground...
Kitt: Uhh, who are you? What are you?
Artha: Uhh, I`m the (clears throat, deepens voice, makes heroic pose) I`m the Dragon Booster! (begins to cough from using deep voice, ruining the effect he wanted; grins sheepishly at Kitt, who grins shyly at him; he and Beau then leap off the edge and glide away)
Kitt: (moves to the guardrail watching them go, sighs dreamily) Dragon Booster.
Scene: Interior of Word Paynn`s tower, Moordryd has just told his father the news...
Word: Rrrr... the Dragon of Legend has eluded you... and chosen a Dragon Booster Raah!!(throws small dragon skull he`s holding, shattering it) Perhaps I should find someone more capable to help me start my dragon-human war! (Moordred looks away in shame)
Scene: Pans away from Moordryd, fades to black.