BUILD A WALL AROUND BRITIAN

stop ILLEGAL immigration and build a wall around Britannia. This means that we can let more people into the country legally. this means that we are bringing more work into the country and helping people.

FADE IN: EXT. NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting straight out of the water. HICCUP (V.O.) This, is Berk. It's twelve days North of hopeless, and a few degrees South of freezing to death. It's located solidly on the meridian of misery. The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) My village. In a word, sturdy. And it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. The camera drifts closer, circling. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitos. We have... Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is snatched. CUT TO: INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly teenage Viking. HICCUP ...dragons. EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour out of the buildings, ready for a fight. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 2. More dragons swarm in, setting rooftops alight and hauling off sheep. HICCUP (V.O.) Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have stubbornness issues. Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into the streets, axes in hand. ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making his way through the battle. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanor wouldn't do that. Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground. VIKING (FIERCE) Arggghhhhh! (cheery, insane) Mornin'! Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic men and women. HICCUP (V.O.) Meet the neighbors. Hoark the Haggard... HOARK What are you doing out!? HICCUP ... Burnthair the Broad... BURNTHAIR Get inside! HICCUP ... Phlegma the Fierce... PHLEGMA THE FIERCE Get back inside! "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 3. HICCUP . Ack. He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear. HICCUP (CONT'D) Yep, just Ack. Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from the path of a strafing dragon and holds aloft to the crowd. STOICK Hiccup!? (accusingly; to the crowd) What is he doing out again?! (TO HICCUP) What are you doing out?! Get inside! The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard. He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching. HICCUP (V.O.) (IN AWE) That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it? Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the strafing dragon out of the sky. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Yes I do. An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm, brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder. STOICK (barking; to his men) What have we got? VIKING #1 Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare. STOICK Any Night Furies? VIKING #1 None so far. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 4. STOICK (RELIEVED) Good. VIKING Hoist the torches! Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types. Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open building with a tall chimney. INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendage. GOBBER Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off. Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's scattered appendages. HICCUP Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all this. Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose. GOBBER They need toothpicks, don't they? Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements. HICCUP (V.O.) The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler. EXT. VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS ON STOICK STOICK We move to the lower defenses. We'll counter-attack with the catapults. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 5. Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire. HICCUP (V.O.) See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses. VIKING FIRE! In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza -- four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it, they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among them is a cute, energetic Viking girl. Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her. HICCUP (V.O.) Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout. The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And... (DREAMY) Astrid. A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and heroic. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Their job is so much cooler. Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by Gobber and hoisted back inside. HICCUP (CONT'D) (PLEADING) Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I need to make my mark. GOBBER Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places. HICCUP Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date. GOBBER You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an axe... Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope). "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 6. GOBBER (CONT'D) ... you can't even throw one of these. A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending it into a heavy crash. HICCUP (ready with the answer) Okay fine, but... He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption. HICCUP (CONT'D) ... this will throw it for me. Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up, equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola, narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the counter. VIKING Arggh! GOBBER See, now this right here is what I'm talking about. HICCUP Mild calibration issue. GOBBER Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction. GOBBER (CONT'D) ... this. HICCUP (ASTONISHED) But... you just pointed to all of me. GOBBER Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 7. HICCUP (THREATENING) Ohhhh... GOBBER (MIMICKING) Ohhhhh, yes. HICCUP You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw...Vikingness contained. (BEAT) There will be consequences! Gobber tosses him a sword. GOBBER I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now. Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding wheel. He stews... fantasizing... HICCUP (V.O.) One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything around here. EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly vacant house. HICCUP (V.O.) A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed. The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER. Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of fish and fly off like loaded pelicans. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend. A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop, breathing gas into a chimney. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 8. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two heads, twice the status. A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM! The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping together to reveal a single body. It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT TOWER. CATAPULT OPERATOR They found the sheep! STOICK (FRUSTRATED) Concentrate fire over the lower bank! CATAPULT OPERATOR Fire! Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders... Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of the catapult with sticky fire. HICCUP (V.O.) And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire. It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a leering, toothy grin. STOICK Reload! I'll take care of this. Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer. Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The catapult crew ducks. INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same sound. HICCUP (V.O.) But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the-- "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 9. VIKING Night Fury! Get down! Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS. EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes flight. Stoick looks skyward. STOICK JUMP! KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives. HICCUP (V.O.) This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and... The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames. HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) ...never misses. (BEAT) No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first. IN THE STALL Gobber trades his hammer for an axe. GOBBER Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me out there! Gobber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare. GOBBER (CONT'D) Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean. Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING. ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face. EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs can carry him. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 10. VIKING #6 (O.S.) Hiccup, where are you going! VIKING #7 Come back here! HICCUP I know. Be right back! ON THE PLAIN BELOW The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close in, ready to spring upon them. Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in. A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it, clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws shut. STOICK Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them. ON THE PLAIN ABOVE Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption. He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky. He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged in the night. HICCUP (TO HIMSELF) Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at. KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger. KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by a WHACK and a SCREECH. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 11. HICCUP (CONT'D) (surprised, then elated) Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that? Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff. HICCUP (CONT'D) Except for you. ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a familiar HOLLER and looks up to see... HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the NIGHTMARE fast on his heels. Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off. STOICK (to his men, re: the NADDERS) DO NOT let them escape! IN THE PLAZA Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto buildings, setting them alight. Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier -- the only shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign of the Nightmare. He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape. It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished. Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up smoke. STOICK (CONT'D) You're all out. He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick turns to Hiccup. HICCUP (V.O.) Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know... "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 12. The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several sheep in tow. HICCUP (CONT'D) Sorry, dad. EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches. The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response. HICCUP (SHEEPISH) Okay, but I hit a Night Fury. Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment. HICCUP (CONT'D) It's not like the last few times, Dad. I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it-- STOICK --STOP! Just....stop. He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring expectantly. STOICK (CONT'D) Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed! Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him. HICCUP Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think? A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 13. STOICK This isn't a joke, Hiccup! (EXASPERATED) Why can't you follow the simplest orders? HICCUP I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad. STOICK You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them. Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement. STOICK (CONT'D) Get back to the house. (TO GOBBER) Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up. Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction. Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the teen fire brigade as they snicker. TUFFNUT Quite the performance. SNOTLOUT I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped! HICCUP Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so... Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large house, standing prominently on the hill above the others. HICCUP (CONT'D) I really did hit one. GOBBER Sure, Hiccup. HICCUP He never listens. GOBBER Well, it runs in the family. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 14. HICCUP And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich. (MIMICKING STOICK) Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This is a talking fish bone. GOBBER You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's inside that he can't stand. Beat. HICCUP Thank you, for summing that up. They reach the doorway. GOBBER Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not. Hiccup SIGHS heavily. HICCUP I just want to be one of you guys. Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes through the front door. And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the woods, determined. INT. GREAT HALL - DAY A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to... STOICK, glowering in the firelight. Surrounded by his men. STOICK Either we finish them or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 15. He sinks his blade into a... LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with painted sea monsters and dragons. STOICK (CONT'D) (DECIDEDLY) One more search. Before the ice sets in. VIKING Those ships never come back. STOICK (MATTER-OF-FACT) We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me? Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted. VIKING (FEEBLE) Today's not good for me. VIKING (CONT'D) (EQUALLY FEEBLE) I've gotta do my axe returns. STOICK Alright. Those who stay will look after Hiccup. Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room. PHLEGMA THE FIERCE To the ships! SPITELOUT I'm with you Stoick! STOICK (DRY) That's more like it. The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard attachment and scrapes back the bench. GOBBER I'll pack my undies. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 16. STOICK No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits. GOBBER Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself...what could possibly go wrong? Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened. STOICK What am I going to do with him Gobber? GOBBER Put him in training with the others. STOICK No, I'm serious. GOBBER So am I. Stoick turns to him, glaring. STOICK He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage. GOBBER Oh, you don't know that. STOICK I do know that, actually. GOBBER No, you don't. STOICK No, actually I do. GOBBER No you don't! STOICK Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been...different. He doesn't listen. (MORE) "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 17. STOICK (CONT'D) Has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishing and he goes hunting for... for trolls. GOBBER (DEFENSIVE) Trolls exist! They steal your socks. (DARKLY) But only the left ones. What's with that? STOICK When I was a boy... GOBBER (GRUMBLING) Oh here we go. STOICK My father told me to bang my head against a rock and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened? GOBBER You got a headache. STOICK That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. (BEAT) Hiccup is not that boy. GOBBER You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him. (BEAT) Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now. ON STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark. EXT. WOODS - DAY ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 18. A drawn map of the island, covered in X's. Hiccup looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly. Sees nothing. He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed and pockets it. HICCUP Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon. Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him, hitting him in the face. He looks up to see a snapped tree trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned earth. He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches, beaming. HICCUP (CONT'D) (IN SHOCK) Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This fixes everything. (ELATED) Yes! He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen Night Fury. HICCUP (CONT'D) I have brought down this mighty beast! It suddenly shifts. HICCUP (CONT'D) Whoa! Hiccup springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it. Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded dragon, dagger poised to strike. As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring coldly at him. Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back to its unnerving, unflinching stare. With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 19. HICCUP (CONT'D) I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking. (BEAT) I am a VIKING! Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking- ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through. The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged. Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head, resigned to its fate. Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a frustrated sigh. He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds. HICCUP (CONT'D) (muttered, ashamed) I did this. He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon, chest heaving. Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that no one is watching... then hurries back to cut the ropes. The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes. As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES! In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down, grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. Hiccup is paralyzed. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Hiccup opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound. The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers, and drops out of view some distance away. Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps, collapses to his knees, and faints. INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Hiccup enters to see... "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 20. STOICK, seated on a thick slice of tree-trunk. He is slouched over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Embers waft around his beard. Hiccup tries to sneak past, up the stairs to his room. Stoick seems none the wiser, when... STOICK Hiccup. HICCUP (CAUGHT) Dad. Uh... Stoick stands, takes a deep breath. HICCUP (CONT'D) I, uh... I have to talk to you, Dad. STOICK I need to speak with you too, son. Hiccup and Stoick STRAIGHTEN at the same moment. HICCUP STOICK I've decided I don't want to I think it's time you learn fight dragons. to fight dragons. (BEAT) (BEAT) What? What? STOICK (CONT'D) You go first. HICCUP No, you go first. STOICK Alright. You get your wish. Dragon training. You start in the morning. HICCUP (SCRAMBLING) Oh man, I should've gone first. Uh, 'cause I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home REPAIR VIKINGS-- STOICK --You'll need this. Stoick hands Hiccup his axe. Hiccup avoids taking it. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 21. HICCUP I don't want to fight dragons. STOICK Come on. Yes, you do. HICCUP Rephrase. Dad I can't kill dragons. STOICK But you will kill dragons. HICCUP No, I'm really very extra sure that I won't. STOICK It's time Hiccup. HICCUP Can you not hear me? STOICK This is serious son! Stoick forces the axe into Hiccup's hands. Its weight drags him down. He looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight. STOICK (CONT'D) When you carry this axe... you carry all of us with you. Which means you walk like us. You talk like us. You think like us. No more of... (GESTURING NON- specifically at Hiccup) ... this. HICCUP You just gestured to all of me. STOICK Deal? HICCUP This conversation is feeling very one-sided. STOICK DEAL?! Hiccup glances at the axe in his hands. It's a no-win argument. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 22. HICCUP (RESIGNED) Deal. Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag... and heads for the door. STOICK Good. Train hard. I'll be back. Probably. HICCUP And I'll be here. Maybe. Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hiccup holding the axe. EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast stone arena. GOBBER Welcome to dragon training! The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place. ASTRID No turning back. TUFFNUT I hope I get some serious burns. RUFFNUT I'm hoping for some mauling, like on my shoulder or lower back. ASTRID Yeah, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it. HICCUP (O.S.) Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love it. The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. Groans all around. TUFFNUT Oh great. Who let him in? "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 23. GOBBER Let's get started! The recruit who does best will win the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the entire village. SNOTLOUT Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify him or...? The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background. TUFFNUT Can I transfer to the class with the cool Vikings? Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him along. GOBBER (cheery, in confidence) Don't worry. You're small and you're weak. That'll make you less of a target. They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like teens instead. GOBBER stick him in line with the others and continues on toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and BELLOWS issue from within. GOBBER (CONT'D) Behind these doors are just a few of the many species you will learn to fight. Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to contain himself. GOBBER (CONT'D) The Deadly Nadder. FISHLEGS (under his breath) Speed eight. Armor sixteen. GOBBER The Hideous Zippleback. FISHLEGS Plus eleven stealth. Times two. GOBBER The Monstrous Nightmare. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 24. FISHLEGS Firepower fifteen. GOBBER The Terrible Terror. FISHLEGS Attack eight. Venom twelve. GOBBER CAN YOU STOP THAT?! (BEAT) And...the Gronckle. FISHLEGS (quietly; to himself) Jaw strength, eight. Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of the doors. SNOTLOUT Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach us first!? GOBBER I believe in learning on the job. BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ring like an irate rhino. The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns. GOBBER (CONT'D) Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's the first thing you're going to need? HICCUP A doctor? FISHLEGS Plus five speed? ASTRID A shield. GOBBER Shields. Go. The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered around the ring. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 25. GOBBER (CONT'D) Your most important piece of equipment is your shield. If you must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take the shield. Hiccup STRUGGLES to lift his. Gobber helps him and sends him running. Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has a skull painted on it. They both grab it. TUFFNUT Get your hands off my shield! RUFFNUT There are like a million shields! TUFFNUT Take that one, it has a flower on it. Girls like flowers. Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He doesn't let go. RUFFNUT Ooops, now this one has blood on it. The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff SPIN like tops and go down. GOBBER Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out! TUFFNUT (DAZED) What?! RUFFNUT (CONFUSED) What?! The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring. GOBBER Those shields are good for another thing. Noise. Make lots of it to throw off a dragon's aim. The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter. "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 26. GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and scrambled. It's working. GOBBER (CONT'D) All dragons have a limited number of shots. How many does a Gronckle have? SNOTLOUT Five! FISHLEGS No, six. GOBBER Correct, six. That's one for each of you! FISHLEGS I really don't think my parents WOULD-- BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away. GOBBER Fishlegs, out. Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs. GOBBER (CONT'D) Hiccup, get in there! ON ASTRID bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her. SNOTLOUT So anyway I'm moving into my parents' basement. You should come by sometime to work out. You look like you work out-- She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back. GOBBER Snotlout! You're done! Astrid ROLLS to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly, trying to look cool. HICCUP (VOICE BREAKING) So, I guess it's just you and me huh? "Dragon" DeBlois/Sanders Final Draft (Rev.19) 02-13-2010 27. ASTRID No. Just you. Astrid ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks Hiccup's shield clear off of his arm. Hiccup is exposed. GOBBER One shot left! Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across the ring. The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, leaving Astrid in the clear. GOBBER (CONT'D) (WORRIED) Hiccup! The Gronckle drives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ready to fire point-blank. Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last second, causing its head to jerk back and fire against the stone wall above Hiccup's head. GOBBER (CONT'D) (rattled, but masking it) And that's six! Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen. GOBBER (CONT'D) Go back to bed, ya overgr