EPISODE 3 — “Mechanized Mayhem”
TEASER
A dark, misty section of the bamboo forest.
A mechanical beetle—sleek, black, beetle-shaped drone—scurries through the undergrowth, its red scanner blinking rhythmically.
It reaches a hollow tree.
Climbs inside.
Disappears.
Inside the tree is a hidden metal hatch with a biometric scanner.
The beetle lands on it—
HISS—
The hatch opens.
A man steps out of the shadows wearing a high-tech breather mask and tactical gear.
He kneels and picks up the beetle.
POACHER TECH-LEAD (muttering):
“No signal from the Panda Guardian… yet.”
He pockets it and vanishes into the dark.
CUT TO:
Toki sneezing adorably in bed.
Cue theme music.
ACT I
SCENE 1 — Ranger Cabin Breakfast
Toki snoozes at the table with his bamboo shoot tucked under his chin.
TokiToki eats dumplings while Maya sits beside her, nervously clutching a backpack filled with notes.
Ranger Liu places a mangled drone fragment (from Episode 1) on the table.
Ranger Liu
I sent the sample to headquarters.
It’s confirmed—poachers are using custom robotics.
Far more advanced than anything I’ve seen before.
Maya leans in, fascinated.
Maya
These circuits aren’t poacher-grade…
They’re military-adjacent.
Ranger Liu pauses.
Ranger Liu
Which is exactly why I need both of you—
(he eyes TokiToki and Toki)
—to stay close to the cabin. Understand?
TokiToki nods obediently.
Toki raises a lazy paw in surrender.
Maya tinkers with the drone piece in her hand.
It sparks.
Maya
YOW!
SCENE 2 — School Science Fair Setup
Children prepare exhibits. Posters. Baking soda volcanos. Robot kits. A poster that says “MAGNETISM IS NEAT!”
TokiToki and Maya set up a display titled:
“The Forest’s Tiny Engineers: Beetles and Bugs”
Maya tries to hide the poacher drone fragment under the table.
TokiToki
Maybe don’t bring top-secret poacher tech to school?
Maya
(sharply)
This is data.
Dangerous, mysterious, encrypted data.
I want to understand what we’re up against.
TokiToki looks worried.
Toki sits beside their booth wearing a handmade “Science Helper” sash.
Kids pet him constantly. He endures it like a stoic monk.
SCENE 3 — Maya’s Discovery
Maya steps aside to examine the drone fragment with a small USB analyzer.
It flickers.
“SIGNAL LOCATED.”
Maya’s eyes widen.
A full hologram projects from the broken beetle:
A rough 3D map of the forest…
A blinking red dot…
A heat signature shaped like—
A PANDA.
Maya’s face drains of color.
Maya
They’re tracking him…
She rushes back to TokiToki.
Maya
Toki is broadcasting a signal.
They can locate him in the forest.
TokiToki gasps.
Toki stares blankly, then looks behind himself as if expecting a satellite dish on his back.
Before they can react, the school building shakes.
An alarm blares.
Kids scream.
Toki’s bamboo shoots glows faintly.
ACT II
SCENE 4 — The Attack Begins
The windows rattle as something massive approaches.
A mechanical mantis, six feet tall with metal scythes for arms, skitters into the schoolyard.
Panic erupts.
TokiToki grabs Toki’s paw.
TokiToki
Toki! Staff mode! Staff mode!
Toki raises the bamboo.
It glows—
a little—
then fizzles.
Toki groans.
The mantis scans the area.
Its red-eye HUD displays:
TARGET: PANDA GUARDIAN
CAPTURE PRIORITY: EXTREME
Toki gulps.
SCENE 5 — Kid Evacuation
Teachers rush kids into the gym.
Maya helps herd them.
TokiToki refuses to leave Toki’s side.
Maya
(whispering urgently)
We can’t fight that thing.
Let the teachers—
TokiToki
(shaking head)
If Toki stays, I stay.
Toki pats her head gently, as if saying “I’ve got this… maybe.”
The mantis screeches and lunges.
Toki rolls forward, scooping TokiToki in his arms and evading the scythes by inches.
SCENE 6 — Chase Through the Schoolyard
Toki sprints as fast as a giant panda can—awkward but powerful.
Metal limbs tear up the pavement.
Teachers scream.
Banners rip.
A science project flings baking soda foam everywhere.
Maya ducks behind a bench and shakily pulls a compact tablet from her bag.
Maya
Okay okay okay—if I can get into its control node…
She links to the drone fragment.
A wireframe of the mantis appears.
Maya
It’s not autonomous—
It’s remote-controlled!
Cut to the forest:
The Poacher Tech-Lead smirks under his breather mask as he pilots the mantis from a hidden station.
Tech-Lead
Come here, little Guardian…
SCENE 7 — Toki’s Staff Almost Works
The mantis corners Toki and TokiToki against the gym wall.
Toki raises the bamboo.
It glows brightly for a moment.
TokiToki
YES! Do it, Toki! HIT IT!
Toki swings—
—MISS.
The bamboo hits a trash can with a comedic DOINK.
Toki stares in betrayal at his own staff.
The mantis readies its scythe.
Toki shields TokiToki with his entire body.
ACT III
SCENE 8 — Maya Hacks the Beast
Maya cries out:
Maya
TOKI—ROLL!!
Toki obeys instinctively.
Maya slams her palm on the tablet.
The mantis freezes—just for a moment—but enough.
Maya
Yes! I seized the feedback loop!
TokiToki seizes her moment.
TokiToki
Toki! Push it into the sandbox pit!
Toki roars and charges.
The mantis unfreezes—
Tries to strike—
Toki pivots and BODY SLAMS it with all his weight, knocking it into the school’s sand volleyball pit.
Sand explodes.
The mantis short-circuits.
SCENE 9 — The Revelation
Ranger Liu arrives mid-chaos, horrified.
He sees the mantis wreckage.
Teachers. Screaming kids.
Toki panting, covered in dirt.
His eyes widen.
Ranger Liu
They attacked a school…
He picks up a broken mantis scythe.
His face darkens.
Ranger Liu
They’re escalating.
TokiToki hugs Toki tightly.
Maya joins them, holding her tablet.
Maya
They weren’t looking for the staff.
They were specifically tracking Toki.
Silence.
Even Toki seems shaken.
SCENE 10 — Evening Porch Cliffhanger
Night falls.
Toki sits outside watching fireflies.
TokiToki joins him.
TokiToki
Toki…
Why do they want you so badly?
Toki stares into the woods—uncertain, scared.
The bamboo shoot glows softly.
TokiToki leans against him.
TokiToki
Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.
Together.
The camera pulls back—
To reveal…
A shadowy figure in the trees.
Watching them through glowing cybernetic binoculars.
He whispers into a communicator:
Poacher Tech-Lead
“The Guardian is stronger than expected.
Initiate Phase Three.”
Cut to black.