INT. LENIEL’S BEDROOM – MORNING

A small suburban room. A wolf (Tybeast) wakes up, yawns, and notices a person covered in blankets on the bed.

TYBEAST

Bark! Bark!

The person turns over. Tybeast jumps up, barking louder.

TYBEAST (cont’d)

Hey! Wake up!

The boy under the blanket smacks Tybeast with a pillow.

TYBEAST

Ow! Now you’ve done it.

Tybeast climbs onto the bed, sits right on the boy’s face.

TYBEAST

Three… two… one…

WHAM! Tybeast is smacked off the bed.

LENIEL (16, groggy, sharp-featured)

(sits up, glares)

Seriously?

TYBEAST

Don’t look at me like that. I’m just doing my job.

Leniel stretches, walks into the bathroom. Montage: brushes, bathes, dresses, then heads downstairs with Tybeast behind him.

INT. KITCHEN – CONTINUOUS

Kelinza, wearing an apron, is cooking. Back to the camera.

LENIEL

Morning, Mom.

KELINZA (turning with a warm smile)

Hi sweetie. Come sit down.

Leniel sits. Kelinza serves him pancakes, eggs, chicken… and salad.

KELINZA

Eat up.

Leniel slyly tries passing the salad to Tybeast.

TYBEAST

Hey dummy! Do I look like a vegetarian? I’m a freaking wolf—carnivore—anti-vegetarian!

KELINZA (without turning)

Don’t think I can’t see you.

LENIEL

What? I’m not giving my veggies to Tybeast again!

(sighs)

I just sold myself out, didn’t I?

KELINZA

You need to eat vegetables or you’ll fall sick.

LENIEL

I’ve never fallen sick.

KELINZA

Really?

LENIEL (grumbling)

Fine.

He forcefully swallows the vegetables, face twisted.

LENIEL

Wow… tastes so nutritious…

KELINZA

We don’t taste nutrition.

Leniel finishes quickly.

LENIEL

Thanks for the food! Heading to school.

KELINZA

Watch the road when crossing.

LENIEL (pauses at the door)

I’m 16, Mom.

(turns back)

And please… don’t send Tybeast to spy on me again. It’s annoying.

KELINZA

Alright, have a great day, sweetie.

He leaves.

KELINZA (to Tybeast)

Watch over my baby.

TYBEAST (salutes)

Yes, Miss!

EXT. STREET – MORNING

Leniel walks. A boy, NAYOKA, runs up behind him.

NAYOKA

Leniel! Wait up!

LENIEL (turns)

Huh?

NAYOKA (panting)

Man, you’re fast.

LENIEL

Oh, it’s you Nayoka.

NAYOKA

You prepared for today’s test?

LENIEL

You always ask that when you’re not prepared.

NAYOKA

Touché.

A bus drives by.

NAYOKA

Why don’t you ever take the bus?

LENIEL

Aren’t we all headed to the same destination?

NAYOKA

Yeah, but… the bus is faster.

LENIEL

We’re here anyway.

They approach the school gates. It’s eerily quiet.

NAYOKA

Wait… is today a holiday?

LENIEL

If it was, we wouldn’t have seen the bus.

NAYOKA

True… but still, where are the kids? The kindergarteners should be running around.

LENIEL

The doors would’ve been locked if it were a holiday.

Tybeast walks up behind them.

TYBEAST

Something’s not right.

NAYOKA

Yeah…

Leniel turns sharply.

LENIEL

Why are YOU here?

TYBEAST

My duty.

NAYOKA

Hey Tybeast.

TYBEAST

Hey… uh… forgot your name.

NAYOKA

It’s Nayoka…

TYBEAST

Right. Anyway, your school’s under terrorist attack… again.

LENIEL

Yeah, figured.

TYBEAST

Behind you.

LENIEL

Huh?

A gun cocks behind them.

TERRORIST #1

Move into the building. Quietly.

LENIEL (to Tybeast)

You could’ve said something earlier.

TYBEAST

To this guy, I’m just a normal dog.

NAYOKA

Why does HE get to leave?

TERRORIST

It’s just a dog. Nothing more.

TYBEAST (grinning)

Exactly. Byee~

Tybeast trots off.

INT. CLASSROOM – MOMENTS LATER

Leniel and Nayoka join classmates, held hostage. KOTAN, the class rep, speaks up.

KOTAN

Leniel… surprised YOU got caught. Nayoka, not so much.

NAYOKA

Hi.

LENIEL

Kotan. Likewise.

KOTAN

Yes, and I am ashamed.

The BOSS TERRORIST enters.

BOSS

These must be the second-years.

MIDAS

The label on the door gave it away.

BOSS

Apologies for all this… but it’ll be over soon.

MIDAS

Let me guess—you’re threatening the government for money?

BOSS

Smart.

MIDAS

Not really. Seen it in movies.

TERRORIST #2

The government still isn’t answering.

GIRL

The signal here is weak.

BOSS

Shut up.

GIRL

Sorry…

KOTAN

You guys never learn, huh?

BOSS

Excuse me?

KOTAN

Fourth attack this year. Each one ends the same: you all get wiped.

Kids are relaxed, even sleeping.

TERRORIST #3 (whispers)

They say the creature lives nearby…

BOSS

The “creature” is a rumor.

TERRORIST #4

I saw it once… it ignored me. They say it has two forms: a wolf-like and a humanoid Kaiju.

BOSS

I’m not buying it.

TERRORIST #4 (kneels)

You won’t have time to.

Suddenly—SCREAMS and GUNSHOTS are heard outside the room. Blood splashes the window.

BOSS

What the—?!

KOTAN

Guess you’re this month’s sacrifice.

The door bursts open. HYDRION (wolf form) steps in. One terrorist panics, reveals bombs strapped to his body.

TERRORIST (with bomb)

Get any closer and I’ll blow!

NAYOKA

Uh… mister? You’ve got something on your face.

The terrorist reflexively touches his face—pulls the pin by accident.

ALL

SH*T!!

Steam bursts from Hydrion. He tackles the bomber, jumps out the window. A massive explosion occurs.

INT. SECOND FLOOR – MOMENTS LATER

Terrorists try to flee upstairs—but Hydrion (now humanoid, Kaiju form) is already waiting.

HYDRION (groaning)

Y’all were starting to bore me.

TERRORIST

It can talk?!

The boss orders his men to fire. Hydrion regenerates and kills them all—eating a few.

BOSS (terrified)

No… no…!

HYDRION

Guess it’s over.

BOSS

Not yet! If I die, this whole school goes with me!

He presses a button. Bombs strapped to his body activate. He jumps off the building.

HYDRION (irritated)

These guys are SICK.

Steam blasts again—Hydrion charges down the building. On the 2nd floor, he switches into wolf form, breaks a window mid-leap, bites the boss mid-air.

BOSS (falling)

Impossible…

Hydrion drags him far away before—BOOM.

EXT. SCHOOLYARD – LATER

NAYOKA (awed)

Wow…

MIDAS

Well, it’s over.

NAYOKA

So… is school still on?

TEACHER

Actually, you can all go home. Consider it a holiday.

ALL STUDENTS

YES!!!

EXT. STREETS – AFTERNOON

Leniel walks with Kotan, Midas, Kaya, and Fiona. Nayoka follows.

MIDAS

Once again, Hydrion blesses us with a holiday.

KAYA

If Hydrion was human… who do you think they’d be?

LENIEL

Random…

FIONA

Has to be someone from our class. Someone with a good sense of surroundings.

KOTAN

True. Any suspects?

MIDAS (points)

You, Kotan.

KOTAN

What?! Why me?

MIDAS

Your IQ. Your reflexes. It fits.

KOTAN (smirks)

Glad someone notices my flawlessness.

LENIEL

Bye guys.

He takes a different path.

NAYOKA

See ya tomorrow.

EXT. QUIET PATH – MOMENTS LATER

Leniel walks. Something moves behind him.

LENIEL (alert)

Huh?

He stops. Hydrion (wolf form) appears.

LENIEL

Let me guess… Mom sent you?

HYDRION (wolf)

Obviously. How’d you spot me?

LENIEL

Your shadow. Right there.

HYDRION

Oh…

LENIEL

Turn back.

Steam swirls. Tybeast appears.

TYBEAST (wagging tail)

Yo.

Only Leniel, Kelinza, Nayoka, Kotan, Kaya, and Fiona can hear Tybeast’s voice—others just hear barking.

LENIEL

Told you I can protect myself.

TYBEAST

If I hadn’t shown up, your friends would be ash.

LENIEL

Whatever, faker.

They enter the house.

INT. HOME – CONTINUOUS

KELINZA

You’re home early. Did something happen?

LENIEL

Yeah. School was attacked again… but thanks to fake Hydrion over here—

TYBEAST

How dare you! You should be thanking me!

KELINZA (checks his face)

You okay?

LENIEL (blushing)

Mom…

KELINZA

Yes?

LENIEL

(reluctantly)

Nothing can hurt me. Trust me.

KELINZA

Oh, like when I trusted you with the oven? Or the knife?

LENIEL

Okay okay! I get it. Good night, Mom.

KELINZA

It’s 11 a.m.

(turns to Tybeast)

Tybeast!

TYBEAST

Yes, Mistress.

He enters Leniel’s room. A loud crash. Tybeast is thrown out.

TYBEAST (dazed)

Guess I’ll go hang with some sharks.

TO BE CONTINUED…