INT. HOCKEY LOCKER ROOM - EVENING
-------Rushing activity obscures our protagonist, HAI NAM HOANG, 20, sits in his locker room drenched in sweat. No expression sits on his face, but he’s attentively listening to his COACH, talking.

-------There are yells and sounds of approval, but HOANG only nods. As a teammate rushes by, we get closer, and we hear his inner voice, replaying a nasty argument with his FATHER.




-------HOANG’s memory is cut off by a TEAMMATE’s tap on his knee. Hoang looks up for the first time.


-------HOANG dignifies the comment with a sly smile, then blankly grabs his stick and gloves, and walks by. A teammates walks with him, and the wipe gives us the title card.

INT. DISCO BAR - NIGHT

-------HOANG is at a bar after the game with his roommate and teammate, BOBBY. HOANG is at the bar with a water, but BOBBY is three large drinks deep. It’s clear HOANG is the driver. Above them, a TV gives the breakdown of the game they just played.


-------BOBBY drowns out the television with his voice.




-------HOANG walks out the door towards the parking lot. The lot is dark and mostly empty, but the car HOANG is walking towards is well-lit. As HOANG walks by, he notices a light is flickering towards the corner of the lot. He gets in the driver’s seat, and starts the car, then leans back. As he closes his eyes to stretch, every light in the lot flickers. When HOANG opens his eyes, they go back to normal. HOANG strains onto the dash to look up at the light, then checks his watch. With a sigh, he gets out of the car and walks back into the bar. He starts to speak as he opens the door.


-------HOANG freezes. The bar is unrecognizable, it now resembles a sleazy dive bar. The counter is full of people, but none of them are BOBBY. They all turn to face him. HOANG backs out of the bar, and looks up at the sign, which is completely different. HOANG gets into his phone, and looks for BOBBY in his contacts. He finds him, and calls him. The call goes to a voicemail.




-------Hoang finds his coach in the contacts. He calls it, but it immediately disconnects, the number does not exist. He starts to call more teammates, but no one is responding, and more numbers are unavailable. Hoang, now in panic, breathes a deep breath and calls the police. We hear the RESPONDER on the other end.


INT. POLICE STATION INTERVIEW ROOM

-------We see HOANG through a camera feed, he’s sitting quietly, but visibly stressed. Two plain-clothes officers enter and he straightens up. As they introduce themselves, HOANG shakes their hands. The officers sit down. DEVEREAUX sits directly in front of HOANG, while HULL sits to the side. HULL opens up a notepad.


-------HOANG fidgets in his seat. DEVEREAUX notices and interjects.




-------HOANG takes the cup of coffee and slumps forward, tired and defeated.


-------HOANG meets his gaze.



-------HOANG nods and sighs. DEVEREAUX gives him his wallet, and HOANG takes it and puts it in his pocket.



-------We see HOANG driving in the backseat of a squad car, driving through the city. The car pulls into a motel, and we see HOANG get out and thank the cop.

INT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY

-------We see a montage of images of HOANG sitting in his room, exhausted, and him in line at the Secretary of State’s office (the DMV), in the process of him getting his ID. We see him sprawled out on the bed, calling his teammates and friends one by one, but we hear disconnects and messages. HOANG calls CHRIS VALENTINE, in his phone as “Captain”. Hoang springs up.









-------The phone disconnects. Hoang sits in silence again. His phone rings again.




-------We see HOANG at the DMV getting his ID, and we see him take a taxi to the airport. We see him disembark from a connection flight to Los Angeles. As he walks, BOBBY passes him by. HOANG does not recognize him, boarding a flight.

EXT. HO CHI MINH CITY - DAY

-------HOANG stands in front of a large office building. He exits an elevator, and heads to a front desk, where a receptionist is waiting for him. We see HOANG's FATHER sitting at his desk. A knock on the door draws his attention.


-------The receptionist lets HOANG in, and the two shake hands.



-------The room falls completely silent. HOANG's FATHER straightens up, then goes to the windows and begins to close the blinds.



-------HOANG'S FATHER sighs. On his desk is cup filled with toothpicks, he takes one out and puts it in his mouth.


-------HOANG gets up in a huff.


-------HOANG sighs and lowers his head. HOANG's FATHER moves to get up, but HOANG starts to speak again, freezing him.




-------HOANG and the room go quiet.


-------A biting silence envelops the room. Suddenly, the phone rings. After a long, tense wait, the phone goes to voicemail, and HOANG's FATHER listens to it.


-------The end of the call is met with silence from both men. HOANG gets up and storms out the door without a word. We see him disembarking from a flight back to Los Angeles. While he waits for his bags, he gets a call from Chris VALENTINE




EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSEHOLD - DAY

-------HOANG greets VALENTINE at the door. Both are smiling. Both laugh as they head into the house. We see them sitting on the couch both drinking coffee.






-------HOANG loosens up, but grabs his coffee tighter.


-------HOANG is now blinking back tears. Valentine started the conversation leaning back in his seat, but now he's fully hunched, head towards HOANG.




-------HOANG perks up at this. He sniffles, and then we see him say something to VALENTINE, and then leave.

EXT. CITY - DAY

-------We see HOANG wandering the city when he finds a rink, and decides to go in, rent some skates, buys a stick, and goes out onto the ice. As he skates, practicing, we hear echoes of his father, yelling at him. As he practices, we see a man, likely a scout, watching him practice. When HOANG goes to the locker room, the man follows him in.






-------HOANG does not answer him. DANDENALT gives him his card, and HOANG puts it in his pocket. HOANG blankly stares. He begins to retie his skates, and continues to practice. We see DANDENALT turn at the noise of HOANG continuing to practice. He smiles, and turns away.

-------HOANG practices for several hours. When he leaves, it's night, and the parking lot is completely empty. HOANG receives a call from a number of origin in Vietnam. He answers the call.



-------HOANG does not respond.


-------We do not see HOANG's face, as we see him in shadow, all we hear is HOANG's answer along with the harsh sounds of the city.


INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

-------We see DANDENALT sitting in a shop, drinking coffee, and looking at his phone, when someone sits beside him. HOANG is dressed in a hoodie.



-------HOANG's smile fades when DANDENALT pulls out a contract.



-------There's a long pause. HOANG pulls out a pen.


INT. HOCKEY LOCKER ROOM - DAY

-------Rushing activity obscures HOANG. He sits in his locker, drenched in sweat. No expression sits on his face, but he’s attentively listening to his COACH, talking.


-------HOANG is quiet. His teammates get up and start to line up. Someone pats him on the helmet.


-------HOANG nods, grabs his stick and gloves, and stands up.