01x01 - Pest Control

[bunniefuu]

[WIND BLOWS]

[WOMAN] The Australian Outback.

[VEHICLE ENGINE ROARS]

This has been our home for , years.

White miners stripped our land of opals

and left behind a maze of tunnels.

Blackfellas tell stories of
monsters living down below.

Most dismiss them as myths and legends.

[BRAKES SCREECH]

[HYDRAULICS HISS]

[ENGINE IDLES]

But I know different.

The monsters are real.

[DARK MUSIC]

[DARK MUSIC INTENSIFIES]

They've been here for centuries.

And they'd finally found
the perfect place to live.

[DARK MUSIC CONTINUES]

[LOUD THUD]

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

Hey, newcomer. If you're gonna
live here, let's be clear.

- You work...
- [THUMPS]

- [FLESH SQUELCHES]
- ... us.

[BODY THUDS]

[HEART BEATS]

There's a blood hunter on my trail.

Deal with it.

[ROCK MUSIC]

[TRUCK ENGINE RUMBLES]

Some heroes stand against
them, the blood hunters.

Blackfellas dedicated to
k*lling these monsters.

But they haven't been
seen in a long time.

[SNARLS]

[ENGINE REVS]

[BODY THUDS]

But this isn't a story about a hero.

- What was that?
- Don't know. Must've been a roo.

Told you that roo bar'd be handy.

What you drawing there?

History presentation today.

- No!
- It's so boring.

They want me to do my
paper on Australia Day.

Hey, look, true history
happenin' right here.

Yeah, well, hope she's tied properly.

- [WOMAN] Help me!
- Hang on. Let's check.

- [ENGINE REVS]
- Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!

[SCREAMS]

Yeah, she right.

[ROCK MUSIC]

[WOMAN GROANS]

Oh! Ohh!

I can't take this anymore.

[WOMAN GROANS]

[WOMAN SCREAMS]

You know, Neeks, we should just
k*ll them where we find them.

[WOMAN GROANS]

You won't let me go down.

This is the only way I can track 'em.

[WOMAN COUGHS]

Yeah, all right. Let
her suck on that dust.

Come on. We need to get ready.

- [COUGHS]
- Nah. Just wait.

[COUGHS]

[WOMAN WHIMPERS]

[WOMAN CONTINUES WHIMPERING]

[COUGHS]

[WOMAN WHIMPERS, THEN GRUNTS]

[WOMAN WHIMPERS]

[DOORS SLAM]

Dirty old cow. You could've
put some bloody undies on.

[WOMAN GROANS]

Why are you doing this to me?

Please! Help me, please!

Hey! One more word outta you
and I'll put that right...

Hey, Tyson, don't k*ll it.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

She should shut her hole, though.

[WHIMPERS]

[KICKS ROCKS] Hey!

Neeks, look, opal. That's
gonna get us new hubcaps.

I can get you all the opals you want!

Ah, shut up!

You wait!

I'm gonna k*ll all you blackfellas!

- [SNARLS]
- [TYSON] You're an ugly one.

[SNARLS]

[TYSON] Hey, how's that map
lookin'? Which way this time?

I bet you that opal she went east.

Nah. West.

[EXPLOSIONS]

Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Bouzzz!

Take that, ya blood-suckin' bastards!

Ya messin' with the master blaster now!

Go! Go! Gahhhh... Yah!

[ROCK MUSIC]

TYSON: Whoa! Whoa!

[ENGINE ROARS]

[TYSON] Headin' out to community

to sell this opal to Black Elvis.

[NEEKS] You need to check
if that was a roo you hit.

Yeah, yeah, later.

[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]

Tyson!

[ENGINE STOPS]

Can't you just pull up
like a normal person?

Just for once.

Hey, gate to gate.

You're the one humbugging
me saying you'll be late.

I am late. I got no sleep last night.

Ohh, hero's life, Neeks.

I didn't choose it. It chose me.

Hmm. [ZIPS BAG]

Not gonna help my history report.

- Ohhh! Bossy little thing.
- [DOOR SLAMS]

[ENGINE IDLES]

Hey! Lunch!

Hey!

Trained ya good, didn't I?

Hey, eyes to the ground, Neeks.

[LAUGHS]

And the convicts built all
the roads and buildings.

That's why my dad says the
convicts were heroes, not crims.

[TEACHER APPLAUDS]

[TEACHER SIGHS]

Shanika.

You're up.

[CHAIR SCRAPES ON FLOOR]

[MELLOW MUSIC]

[SHANIKA SIGHS]

You wanna call it Australia Day?

Well, we call it Invasion Day.

This is the true history of Australia.

Not your convicts.

- [STUDENT WHISPERS]
- Or your roads.

This is before them.

My people lived happily,
looked after the land.

Tyson says there was just
an occasional punch-up.

But it was all cool.

[DRAMATIC ROCK MUSIC]

And then they came.

They claimed our land because
they reckoned nobody lived here,

but that was a straight-up lie.

They came over here with their weapons,

not just g*ns and vials of smallpox.

that had secret creatures
on the bottom of that ship

that would rip and k*ll
and tear our mob apart.

There was of them.

- What were they?
- [LOW SNARLING]

Vampires.

That att*ck on the shores
of the Sydney harbour

was the first of many.

And the beginning of this w*r.

They quickly became addicted
to the blackfella blood

and they couldn't get enough.

But that was always the British plan.

They went all over Australia,
stalking us from the shadows.

But our mob are still standing strong

and still fighting today.

Hmm.

She's drunk, just like the rest of them.

Hey! Hey! Hey! Shanika!

[ENGINE REVS]

["CRAZY GAME CALLED
RODEO" PLAYS ON STEREO]

♪ I keep thinking about
giving up everything at home ♪

[DOG BARKS]

♪ Thinkin' about leaving home ♪

[HORN HONKS]

[DOG BARKS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[SONG CONTINUES FAINTLY]

[CHILDREN SHOUT PLAYFULLY]

Must've been a big roo.

[DOG BARKS]

Look here.

Ah, this is crap.

You blind?

That's solid.

- Give you $ for it.
- [TYSON LAUGHS]

$ at least, brah.

I could be in town talking to

any one of those whitefella dealers,

but I'm here supporting black business.

- Coralee, sis.
- [CORALEE] What?

Bring over $ .

[CORALEE] How much?

$ .

Thank you, bub.

Try not to come round here
wasting our water, ya know?

Love you.

Yeah.

Chuck in that doll there too.

Shanika too old for dolls, or what?

Nah, she right. Here.

For Froggy. Tell him we're square now.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

Heya.

- Hey.
- [CAR DOOR SLAMS]

- Hey, Aunty Maria.
- Had some action, eh?

Yeah, last night we got
a real crusty old one.

Maybe next time you might wanna wash

your vampire blood off somewhere else.

Hey. I've been keeping
this mob safe, haven't I?

When's the last time you saw
a vamp on the community here?

Traps are clear, we got 'em
on the run. [CLICKS TONGUE]

Big sh*t here, eh?

Oh, you right there, my daughter?

[AUNTY MARIA] Yeah, Dad. I got this.

Shanika beep mapping the tunnels there.

Good little sidekick that one.

Oh, be careful about teaching Shanika

about your blood hunting.

I'm not a blood hunter.

You hunt vampires, don't ya?

Hey, I hunt vampires my own way.

You wanna keep your voice down.

This mob got enough to worry about here.

Just do your job and
don't bring it here.

That's our deal.

Copy that.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[CAR DRIVES AWAY]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[ENGINE REVS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[FLIES BUZZ]

Ahh.

[CHUCKLES] Ahh.

[CAN RATTLES]

[CAN HISSES]

[CAN HISSES]

[VEHICLE DOORS SLAM]

[BIRD CAWS]

[KICKS DIRT]

Nah!

[WOMAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]

[MAN] That's all right.
Don't worry about it.

[WOMAN SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]

[GROANS]

You got the rego, didn't you?

Yeah. I already wrote it down.

- Which way did he go?
- I don't know.

- Why would I know that?
- See all the holes out here?

Could be one of those for all we know.

Have you thought about
the paperwork on this?

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[ENGINE REVS]

- [BOY CALLS OUT]
- [DOG BARKS]

[BOYS SPEAK INDISTINCTLY]

- [DOG BARKS]
- [BOY CRIES OUT]

[BOYS CALL OUT]

[LIGHT HUMS]

Oi, you mob!

Look there, them big
holes will gobble you up.

Home time now.

[BOYS CHATTER]

Keep your eyes down.

[BOYS CHUCKLE AND CHATTER]

[BOY] You pushed me! You pushed me!

[WIND WHISTLES]

[SOLEMN MUSIC]

- [PAN SIZZLES] -
[ASIAN-INSPIRED MUSIC PLAYS]

- [TYSON HUMS]
- Here you go, babe. Right.

Tyson, I need vegetables.

Yeah, there's vegetables
in the fried rice there.

Look! Peas, carrots...

- Whatever the hell that's...
- They're this big!

- Oh!
- We don't even need this much.

You got money left for
my school lunch tomorrow?

Here I am celebrating a win,
you got nothin' but complaints.

You're turning into a
proper little teenager now.

- I need a proper sleep.
- [TYSON SCOFFS]

I need proper veggies
and I need to study.

Oh, jeez, anything else?

Yes. You promised me a pony.

Oh! I'll round ya up a couple
of donkeys in the morning.

[ASIAN-INSPIRED MUSIC PLAYS]

Top pocket.

[CLEARS THROAT]

[ENGINE STOPS]

Don't know why we bother anyway.

There hasn't been a
sucker on the bus for ages.

Yeah, well, this is
our job, pest control.

Got to protect the community.

Our blackfella blood's
like cr*ck to them.

Hey. Hey! Hey! You're
spillin' that in there.

- I just cleaned up.
- Don't look clean.

I cleaned it at Black Elvis's joint.

Here, look. I got you something.

For doing your big presentation.

Use her for target practice.

I told 'em about vampires.

What?

It's true history.

How many times have I told
you? You can't tell people.

All they do is panic, get in the way.

Well, they didn't believe me, anyway.

Yeah, you wanna hope they didn't.

You know what? I'm taking this back.

No!

What? No. No. You wrecked
it. You wrecked it.

Beautiful moment and you wrecked it.

[VEHICLE APPROACHES]

Here. We're on.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[SOFTLY] Come on.

Yeah. Show us your fangs.

[SHANIKA] There won't be any.

[TYSON] What's it gonna be?

Is it the hogs or the man?

[PEOPLE CHATTER INDISTINCTLY]

[SIGHS]

- Can we go now?
- Nuh!

One more stop.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[PEOPLE CHATTER AND CALL OUT]

[TYSON] All righty.

[ENGINE STOPS]

Quick check inside, make
sure there's no suckers,

- Then straight home.
- I need sleep.

Just do your homework.

minutes, tops.

Hero's life, Neeks.

[TYSON GROANS, SHUTS CAR DOOR]

This is the hero's life?

- [MUFFLED ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]
- [PEOPLE CHATTER]

- [ROCK MUSIC PLAYS LOUDLY]
- [MAN] Tyson!

Right.

- [PEOPLE CHATTER]
- [BILLIARD BALLS CLINK]

Hey, ya old bastard.

Hey! Look out!

Guard up! Guard up! Guard up!

Ladies, nothing sadder
than an empty glass

in front of an empty chair.

How are ya going? Yeah,
you good? You good?

Ahhh!

How are we doin'?

Tyson Walker, Opal City welcome party.

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Thank you, my dear.

To us!

There. There we go. There
we go. You know you love it.

Ahhh.

[MUFFLED MUSIC AND CHATTER]

[WIND WHISTLES, MACHINE RATTLES]

Just gonna have a joom.

Yeah, hang on, I'm
nearly done. Save me half!

[WASHING MACHINE STOPS]

[LIGHTER LID CLICKS]

[LIGHTER FLICKS]

[LOUD SCREECH]

- [WASHING MACHINE CHUGS]
- Grab that other basket, El.

Did you save me half?

[WIND WHISTLES]

Elvis?

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[SCREECHES]

[CORALEE] El...

Elvis!

Oh! Elvis!

No!

[LAUGHS]

[SCREAMS]

[TYSON] And I was like,
"Brahs, you put a finger on her,

I'm gonna have to put
some fingers on you."

And I just grabbed him like this here

and bop, bop, bop, dropped him.

Got plenty more stories like that.

Ellie, you should come
join us. Rep your nation.

[LONDON ACCENT] I'm working, d*ck.

Mm-hm.

So, uh, what brings you to Opal City?

A modelling assignment?

[VEHICLE APPROACHES]

[VEHICLE ENGINE STOPS]

[MUFFLED ROCK MUSIC PLAYS]

So the whole tunnel's built underground

because of the heat, you see.

Is that why this bar's underground?

Uh-huh. Then there's the isolation

Hundreds of miles from the nearest town.

But when you see that flash
of colour, it's all worth it.

Did ya tell her you sh**t
kangaroos for a living?

Oh, my God, the strippers are here!

[WOMAN LAUGHS]

- Getting over.
- [TYSON WHISTLES]

What, not even a dance, Sarge?

Go f*ck yourself, Walker.

Mate! The cheek I get from
the strippers these days.

[POLICEMAN] Yeah, thanks, mate.

We've got an abandoned truck
on the highway. No-one in it.

You hear anything about it?

Have you asked around?

["FADE AWAY" BY SKEGGS PLAYS]

♪ Sometimes I feel nothing ♪

♪ But hurt in my chest ♪

♪ Almost thinking... ♪

Hey, Tyson, what are you doing?

Tyson!

Hello, Kitty cat.

You don't get to call me that anymore.

Come on. We're still friends.

I'm taking them opal hunting.

Who's Sporty Spice here?

This is Alma. She's my new housemate.

She'll be working nights at the clinic.

Maybe I do need a health check.

Tyson Walker, you need
more than a check-up.

You know what I need, do you?

[LAUGHS]

- G'day, I'm Tyson.
- Alma.

- Alma, where are you from, Alma?
- Melbourne.

I should give you a
Welcome to Country, then.

I think your welcome's been warm.

- [TYSON] Oh!
- [ELLIE HITS TYSON] Hey!

Get out of here! Go on! Go!

Bloody miners.

[ALL CHATTER INDISTINCTLY]

He used the same bloody line on me.

Yeah. "Welcome to Opal City."

Yeah, You'll get used to it.

See ya, Bob.

[GENTLE MUSIC]

[TYRES SCREECH]

[DOOR SLAMS]

[ENGINE STARTS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[GENTLE MUSIC CONTINUES]

[GROANS]

[FIRE CRACKLES]

[INHALES]

[EXHALES]

Hey, Neeks.

Neeks!

Hmm?

What's the difference between
a r*cist and a vampire?

What?

One got a really small brain.

[LAUGHS]

[SNORTS]

Hey, Neeks.

Shanika!

What?

How come you never call me Dad?

What?

Just try it, like, once.

No.

Just say, "Hey. Hey,
Dad. You're deadly."

Nuh.

"Love you, Dad."

Well...

... call me Mum, then.

[CHUCKLES]

[SHANIKA SCREAMS]

[SHANIKA CONTINUES SCREAMING]

[TYSON] Hey. Hey, hey, hey,
hey. Hey. Hey. Hey, calm down.

Calm down. Hey. Hey.

- It's me.
- [PANTS]

Chill out.

I saw it again.

Oh, it's gone now. I'm here.

Everything's all right, right?

[GENTLE MUSIC]

[TYSON SIGHS]

[EXHALES]

[SHANIKA] Tyson, wake up.

Tyson!

You need to take me to school.

[CLOSES CABINET]

Tyson!

[MUTTERS]

Huh!

Tyson, you're such a...

["MR NEVER WRONG" BY THE SHRUGS PLAYS]

[HARD ROCK MUSIC]

♪ And I don't disagree ♪

♪ But you'll never succeed ♪

♪ Convincing them over tea ♪

♪ Better off if you'd plead ♪

♪ We're on the same page ♪

♪ We sing the same song ♪

♪ He's not always right ♪

♪ But he's been too long ♪

♪ Mr Never Wrong ♪

[TEACHER] Your presentation
was ridiculous, Shanika.

- [STUDENT] Not so smart anymore.
- Piss off!

Are all blackfellas dumb?

Lucky white people came to save youse.

[TEACHER] Darryl, stop it!

- Keep going and I'll smash you!
- Didn't save your mum, but.

[TEACHER] Shanika!

["THE SHADOWS" BY THE
UPLIFTING BELL ENDS PLAYS]

[STATIC ON TV]

Ohhh!

[HORSERACING COMMENTARY ON RADIO]

Come on, Dusty Princess.

You got this, old girl.

Yeah. And then round the outer.

And that's it. Now let him go!

[HORSERACING COMMENTARY CONTINUES]

Oh, no. Nah. Come on!

No, no, slower. Faster, you...

[COMMENTATOR] Aussie Jack
by a nose to young Werther...

[TURNS RADIO OFF]

Useless bloody horse!

[RINGS BELL]

[SNIFFS]

Beer, thanks, bud.

Hell, and a whisky chaser. Why not?

Might get hit by a bus tomorrow.

What, like that truckie on the highway?

What truckie?

One the cops are looking for.

Found the truck empty on the
minefields yesterday morning.

No body. They reckon a hit and run.

The bloke that hit him probably
threw him down a mine shaft.

If this town knows anything,
it's how to hide a body.

- ♪ Maybe I'll go back ♪
- [CASH REGISTER BEEPS]

♪ To the shadows. ♪

[SONG CONTINUES]

[MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYS]

[MAN] Hey, Tyson. Dickhead.

[GROANS]

[ENGINE STARTS]

[ENGINE REVS]

[FLIES BUZZ]

[SHUTS DOOR]

[BODY THUDS]

[FLIES BUZZ]

Ah, f*ck.

[FIRES SEVERAL TIMES]

[GRUNTS]

Come on!

[DULL CLATTER]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

Oh, f*ck!

Blood hunters.

[ENGINE REVS]

[WOMAN] Tyson is your dad?

No. He's my legal guardian.

He'd be out hunting roos, workin'.

We also rang the other number listed.

What other number?

[DOOR OPENS]

Aunty Kitty?

Kitty Sinclair.

Are you a guardian too?

No.

I'm Tyson's ex-partner,
but I'm here for Shanika.

We're very concerned about
the v*olence she's exhibiting.

She attempted to seriously
as*ault one of her peers.

He insulted my mum.

Sounds like you've got a bully

using a young girl's
grief to get a reaction.

I hope you called the other parents too.

The thing is Shanika
was on her last warning.

And her behaviour is escalating.

Bullshit.

Shanika.

I'd like to speak with Tyson.

[BOTH] He's busy.

We understand things going
on in life outside of school

that affects our behaviour.

Sometimes, it can be hard
to talk about those things.

Shanika's right. This is bullshit.

When you bring that
other kid in, call us.

Unfortunately, we can't have Shanika

on school grounds at the moment.

I'm suspended?

I've also had to alert
Child Protection Services.

What?!

Piss off.

I'd like Tyson to meet with me

before this escalates further.

[EXHALES SHAKILY]

[ENGINE REVS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

You know how to answer your phone?

Yeah. What did I do this time?

Black Elvis is missing.

Coralee said he was
dragged away by spirits.

[SIGHS]

What?

I think a blood hunter is here.

A real one. I found his gear.

Do you know who?

Nah. I haven't spoken
to those mob in years.

This is bad, Tyson.

If an actual blood hunter is here,

then something bad's happened.

I think it's that missing
truck driver. That's him.

- You gotta find him.
- [CAR APPROACHES]

- Nah, he's gone down there.
- Then you gotta go down...

I won't go down there. You know that.

I do pest control. I'm not crazy.

Our mob are being k*lled, Tyson.

You gotta find this bloke.

[CAR DOOR SHUTS]

Hey, Kitty cat!

Don't "Kitty cat" me,
dickhead. I need a word.

Aunty Maria.

I'll leave youse mob to it.

[MOTORCYCLE ENGINE HUMS]

[ENGINE REVS]

If you're after a reconciliation,

then now's not the time.

If you bothered answering your
phone, you'd know about school.

Why is everyone calling me
today? What happened at school?

- She got kicked out.
- Oh, what?!

This girl's got a
good brain in her head.

And you're leading her astray
like some two-bit cowboy.

Hey, my bits are good. Solid, even.

Well, Mr Solid, you can deal
with Child Protection Services

because they've now been alerted.

And once they got their eye on you...

I got no time for this,
Kitty. I got things to do!

Like watching roos and getting pissed?!

You're all she's got.

Yes. I'm her legal
guardian. I'll deal with it.

You had your chance.

- Bye, Auntie Kitty.
- See ya, bub.

Jerk!

You two still act
like you're married up.

Yeah. She wishes.

I don't wanna go with Child Protection.

I wanna stay here, with you.

Who gives a sh*t about Child Protection?

I got bigger problems.

- What?
- Get your fighting face on.

- For real?
- For real.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[ENGINE REVS]

But vamps never go into the community.

Yeah, I know. [SIGHS]

Look, we've trained for this, right?

So we just deal with it and
things go back to normal.

Hero's life, Neeks, remember?

[TYRES SKID, ENGINE REVS]

Tyson, you're a d*ck.

Yeah, well, you're
annoying. Stop punching kids.

- [TYSON] Weapons.
- [SHANIKA] Yep.

All right, eyes to the ground, Neeks.

Any suckers gonna take us
two on, they'd be crazy.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[VEHICLE APPROACHES]

[BRAKES SQUEAL]

[HYDRAULICS HISS]

[DOOR SQUEAKS OPEN]

[TYSON] Nah, just a
couple of cowboys there.

- Hang on.
- [SHANIKA] What's going on?

[TYSON] Look at 'em
all. They're all suckers.

- We can't take that many.
- It's all right. We just need one.

[TYSON] Yeah, look at this

colonisin', blood-suckin',
no-arse bastard.

Yeah! Come on, you little cockroach.

[TYSON] Yeah, go on. Get in there.

Right. We're on.

- [ENGINE STARTS]
- Eyes to the ground.

[EXCITING ROCK MUSIC]

[HINGES SQUEAK]

- [MAN] Argh!
- [SHANIKA] Go, go, go!

[ENGINE REVS]

[TENSE MUSIC]

[CAR DOORS OPEN]

[CAR DOORS SHUT]

- [MAN SNARLS]
- [TYSON GRUNTS] Oh, sh*t!

[r*fle COCKS, THEN FIRES TWICE]

- [MAN SNARLS]
- [SHANIKA SCREAMS]

[BOTH GRUNT]

[SNARLS]

What's going on? What
are you all doing here?

- [SNARLS]
- [TYSON] Hey!

[TYSON] Oh!

[MAN GRUNTS]

[EXCITING ROCK MUSIC]

[HEAD THUMPS REPEATEDLY]

[ROARS]

[SHANIKA] Tyson! [COCKS
r*fle, THEN FIRES]

[TYSON GRUNTS]

[MAN PANTS]

Hey! Eyes to the ground!

- Neeks!
- [SHANIKA SCREAMS]

[PANTS]

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

[FAINT SNARLING]

[TYSON] Shanika!

[ROCK MUSIC]