The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers

by Donaldson, Levi

MS. CURRAN: Well, I believe the chess club is having a meeting in there right now.

  (About five or six nerdy looking students walk out of the room talking.)

  STUDENT: Oh, Ms. Curran, are you waiting on this room?

  MS. CURRAN: Well as a matter of fact I am.

  STUDENT: Well we are finished. Cole and John are the only two in there now. They said they need some extra practice for the meet this weekend.

  MS. CURRAN: Thank you, Ronald.

  (Pete and Ms. Curran walk into the room.)

  MS. CURRAN: Okay, sir, should we carry on?

  PETE: Yes. We shall. Well, madam, I am a college scout.

  MS. CURRAN: You don't look like a scout.

  PETE: My condolences, but I found that kind of offensive. Either way, I am a scout for the University of Miami. I would like to know of Zack Parker's grades.

  (Pete begins to listen in on Cole's conversation with John while Ms. Curran rambles.)

  COLE: So have you applied to any colleges?

  JOHN: We're sophomores, Cole. Don't you think that's a little early?

  COLE: You can never be too early for anything. I have already received letters from Harvard. All I have to do is keep the grades I already have going and I'm a shoo-in in three years.

  PETE (thinking to self): Wow. Absolutely marvelous. He reminds me of a younger version of myself.

  MS. CURRAN: Sir, have you been listening to me?

  PETE: Ah. My condolences, again, madam. I started watching their chess game. The boy there with the red shirt has completely left himself unprotected from the other young man's bishop.

  COLE (looking up at Pete): He's right. You left yourself wide open, John. (Moves his bishop) Checkmate.

  MS. CURRAN: Sir, I should report you to the cops. You cannot just wander into a school and begin messing with the students. And you definitely cannot be asking for their records. These students are minors.

  PETE: Yes, madam, you are completely right. I'll go ahead and leave.

  MS. CURRAN: Please. I'll show you the door.

  PETE: No, madam, I'm fine. I can show myself. (Walks into the closed door.) Ow! Oh. I found it. (Opens the door and walks out) Thank you for your time, madam.

  PETE (to himself): Phew. That was a close one. (Takes notes) Cole equals Future Harvard Student. Perfect. Now I must find Kara.

  (Kara is skating through the school halls with Shawn.)

  TEACHER: Hey! Get out of here on that skateboard, Mr. Smith! I will write you up!

  KARA (yells back): I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis! I was just leaving!

  (Kara and Shawn skate around a corner when Kara runs right into Pete, knocking him over.)

  KARA: I'm so sorry, sir.

  PETE (getting up, gathering his pad and pen): It's okay, young man. (Looks at Kara's face) Say, aren't you Kara Smith?

  KARA: Yes, I am.

  PETE (looks down at skateboard): I see you're holding a skateboard. You like to skate?

  KARA: I do. Sir, who are you?

  PETE: Oh, I'm from the X-Games convention. I heard about you and thought I'd check you out. I'm afraid today isn't a good day for me though. Tell you what, I'll send you something in the mail later this week.

  KARA (overjoyed): Oh that sounds great! Here's my address-

  PETE: Don't worry about that. I have it already.

  KARA: But, how?

  PETE: I have my ways. (Walks off, writing "Skater" on his pad.)

  KARA: Do you find that weird, maybe even creepy?

  SHAWN: Definitely.

  SCENE: Hours later. Back at Pete's.

  PETE: Perfect. Now I can find the perfect bait for each of these young men. My plan is finally going into effect.

  SCENE: Two days later. Each of the young men receives a different letter in the mail, but all tell them to come to the same location.

  JOSH (reading his letter to Jaguar): "Come to the International Video Game Convention! Each visitor gets the new Halo 6 game." This game hasn't even come out in stores!

  JAGUAR: I got the same letter! But what about the spies?

  JOSH: Spies?

  JAGUAR: Well at the end, the letter says, "Don't tell anyone of this event. It is for specifically chosen individuals." But now we just told each other! What if spies come to take us?

  JOSH: Don't worry Jaguar. That won't happen. Just don't tell anyone else, okay? We don't want to rub it in that we were chosen.

  JAGUAR: Alright.

  SCENE: Three days later. Pete's mansion.

  (Zack walks up to the door and rings the doorbell, holding his letter.)

  PETE (opening door): Ah, come in, my young fellow!

  ZACK: Are you Mister Walsh, the scout from the University of Miami? I received this letter about an athletic scholarship...

  PETE: Yes, young man. I am he.

  ZACK: You don't look like a college scout.

  PETE: Young man, I'm as much of a scout as you are an athlete. Now please come in.

  (Zack comes in. He leads Zack to a waiting room where Zack sits on a couch.)

  PETE: My condolences, Mister Parker, if you will excuse me, I am expecting a few more guests. I'd like to wait until they arrive before I lead you to the other room so that we can discuss your future.

  (Zack sits quietly and begins to look around the room while Pete goes back down the hallway.)

  (Austin walks up to the door and rings the doorbell. Pete answers.)

  AUSTIN: You Pete?

  PETE: Excuse me?

  AUSTIN: I said are you Pete? I heard a "Pete Walsh" was looking to record me. So are you Pete or not?

  PETE: I am.

  AUSTIN: I'll invite myself in then. (Brushes through the doorway past Pete)

  PETE: Wait! You mustn't go that way!

  (Austin continues down the hall, where he finds Zack looking at the trophies in Pete's case. Pete walks in after, but is too late.)

  AUSTIN: No offense, but why are you here, Zack? Did he invite you to hear me record?

  ZACK: I was told this was a college scout's house.

  AUSTIN (turning to talk to Pete): Care to explain?

  PETE: Listen. I will explain as soon as the others arrive. I promise.

  AUSTIN: Others? Forget it. I'm out of here.

  ZACK: I'm right behind you.

  PETE: No! Stop! I know a secret of yours and if you leave I'll tell!

  AUSTIN: What secret?

  PETE: I mustn't tell until the others arrive.

  AUSTIN: You're bluffing.

  PETE: Come here, then and I'll whisper your secret in your ear.

  (Austin slowly saunters over to Pete.)

  ZACK: You know he's bluffing, Austin. (To Pete) Austin and I have never kept a secret from each other.

  (Pete ignores the comment from Zack and bids Austin to come closer.)

  PETE (whispering in Austin's ear): I know about- (the doorbell rings)

  (Pete goes to the door and opens it to find all four of the others standing there, arguing.)

  PETE: Come in! Come in! All of you!

  JOSH: What is he doing here?

  JAGUAR: I thought only Josh and me were going to be here?

  COLE: I know this isn't a Harvard convention!

  KARA: These guys aren't X-game material! I would eat them for breakfast!

  PETE: Please. Allow me to explain. All of you come in.

  (They all go into the house, where Pete leads them to the room that Austin and Zack are in.)

  PETE (to Zack and Austin): Follow me.

  (Austin spots Josh in the crowd.)

  AUSTIN: What is that loser doing here? Tell me what's going on now!

  PETE: Follow me and you will all soon find out.

  AUSTIN (following Pete): Is this about the secret?

  (Pete leads the six into his room full of machinery.)

  PETE: This is my lab. Feel free to look around, but please don't break anything.

  (Everyone looks at Jaguar.)

  JAGUAR: Okay, so maybe I'm a little clumsy. (Leans on a shelf, an
d a vial falls off. Pete quickly catches the vial and shoots Jaguar a dirty look)

  AUSTIN: Look. I'm not here to look at some nerdy professor's inventions. I don't even know why I'm here, but if I don't find out in the next two minutes I'm leaving, and I dare you to try to stop me.

  PETE: Okay, you're right, Mister Jones... I've been avoiding the topic of today's discussion, but it's time for me to come out and say this.

  JAGUAR: Oh no! Don't tell me you're coming out of the closet! I don't even know you!

  PETE: No, that's not it.

  JAGUAR: Phew.

  PETE: Anyways, you all have something in common-a secret: a secret that I know about.

  AUSTIN: Whoa whoa whoa. I have nothing in common with these losers except that I go to the same school as them. Well, Zack's not a loser, but the rest are.

  KARA: Says the guy that lost his band.

  AUSTIN: At least I was in one. Don't try to go all bad on me. I'm the only bad boy in this town.

  KARA: Whatever.

  (Austin gives Kara a look and goes into Kara's mind.)

  KARA: I apologize, your majesty. You are the only bad boy here.

  AUSTIN: That's what I thought.

  PETE: Oh my nucleotides! You did it! Right in front of me! I have witnessed a supernatural act of a Mesopotamian jewel!

  ALL EXCEPT PETE: A what?

  PETE: this is the secret I was speaking of. I know you all have Mesopotamian jewels. You know the jewels that your parents gave you that have powers inside them.

  (Austin suddenly gets uneasy)

  AUSTIN: I don't know what you are talking about. Zack has one, but I don't.

  PETE: Okay. I see how it is Mister Hard-to-Get.

  AUSTIN: Ha! You have me confused for someone else! Ask any girl at Washington High; I'm the easiest guy around!

  JOSH (mumbling): And he acts like that's a good thing.

  PETE: We'll see who's lying, Mister Jones.

  (Pete grabs a bat and swings it at Austin's head. Austin puts his hand up and the bat stops its motion in midair. Austin swings his hand quickly to his right and the bat flies from Pete's hand across the room.)

  PETE: Ha! You just used telekinesis on me! I knew it! You can't lie to me.

  ZACK: What!? You have one of those jewels too?

  AUSTIN: Well, I... um...

  ZACK: I told you I had one! I thought I was your best friend!

  AUSTIN: You are, Zack. But don't you know how weird it is to tell somebody something like that? I didn't tell anybody. It's not like I was trying to keep it from you.

  ZACK: But I wouldn't have thought it was weird. I have the same secret.

  AUSTIN: You just don't understand. I'm the bad boy. I don't try to be like everyone else.

  ZACK: Not even your best friend.

  (Austin just stands quietly.)

  JAGUAR: Well, this is awkward…

  PETE: Wait! Listen. The reason I brought you all here is that I've studied up the histories of the Mesopotamian jewels and their possessors, and do you know what I found?

  AUSTIN: That everyone looked at them as awkward aliens? That's kind of why we're hiding these.

  PETE: No, not at all. I found prophecies about these jewels-prophecies that you could bring to life.

  AUSTIN: Like anyone cares about these prophecies.

  PETE: So you don't want to live forever?

  AUSTIN (turning his head quickly in Pete's direction): Tell me more.

  PETE: You guys, if you six teamed up as one unit, you'd be unstoppable. There's no way anyone could ever defeat you, and since you're already invulnerable to nature, you'd never die.

  AUSTIN: Wait. So you're telling me I'd have to team up with these losers if I wanted immortality.

  PETE: Precisely.

  AUSTIN (spins around to walk out of the doorway): I better go call a grave digger.

  PETE: Wait! Austin!

  AUSTIN: Not going to happen! I roll solo, fool! I don't need anybody! (Leaves and slams the door behind him)

  (Pete sighs.)

  PETE: So, I'm guessing you guys are out, too?

  (Josh looks around at the people surrounding him.)

  JOSH: You know what? I'm in. I don't see what it would hurt.

  JAGUAR: If he's in, I'm in.

  COLE: I could use a few more friends.

  ZACK: Whoa, don't use that word. Look, I'm in, mainly because Austin isn't and I'm mad at him, but I'm not friends with any of you.

  KARA: Why not? This could be pretty fun.

  PETE: Great! I could train you on how to use your powers properly and to the maximum efficiency!

  JAGUAR (eating a honey bun): I'm sorry I didn't catch that last part.

  SCENE: Pete's mansion. Pete and the five are in a giant room almost empty, except for a few weapons leaning on a few walls and sitting on some shelves. Training.

  PETE: Okay, so the first step is to realize what you can do and when to do it. Jaguar, you go first.

  JAGUAR: What do you want me to do?

  PETE: Well, what is your power?

  JAGUAR: Speed. I could run a NASCAR race and win, if I don't pass out first.

  PETE: Wow. I'm impressed. Okay, show me.

  (Jaguar runs a few laps around the room, knocking things off of shelves, and finishing by running into Pete and they both fall. Pete checks his timer.)

  PETE: Three and a half seconds. That's very impressive. Now if we could just teach you how to control yourself from running into anything. Good for the first time, though. Now we know what to improve on. Okay, who's next?

  SCENE: Austin's house. Derek is home with his girlfriend, Brooklyn. They are watching a movie on TV when Austin comes storming in and slams the door.

  DEREK: Wow, Austin. I would ask if it was girl problems, but you don't get those.

  AUSTIN: I'm not sure how to take that, bro.

  DEREK: No, not like that. (Laughs) I mean like you never get attached. No, Josh is the one I'd be picking on about not getting a girl.

  (The two laugh.)

  BROOKLYN: You're so mean! (Smacking Derek in the chest)

  DEREK: It's true, though, babe. I mean, Austin isn't even my full brother and he is more like me than Josh is.

  AUSTIN: That is true. So what are you and Brooklyn doing here?

  DEREK: Watching a chick flick. (Laughs)

  BROOKLYN: This is not a chick flick!

  (Austin looks at the TV. A woman answers her front door to see a man on one knee proposing to her.)

  AUSTIN: Looks like a chick flick to me.

  BROOKLYN: You too are so shallow! (Laughing) I'm going to get something to drink. (Turns to Derek) You want anything, baby?

  DEREK (smiles to Brooklyn): No, thank you.

  (Brooklyn leaves the room.)

  DEREK (to Austin): Hey, bro. Your necklace is on the outside of your shirt.

  (Austin looks down and sees his jewel necklace. He hurriedly puts it back on the inside.)

  AUSTIN: Thanks, man.

  DEREK: It's cool. So why do you try to hide it? I mean if I had one I'd be having a great time with it.

  AUSTIN: Ha. Then maybe Dad should've given it to you.

  DEREK: I'm serious, bro. You should take advantage of that thing. Not everyone is lucky enough to have all the power that thing has.

  AUSTIN: Well, it's not like I can do anything. Now that'd be a different story.

  DEREK: I suppose, man, I'm just trying to help.

  SCENE: An old, dark, abandoned underground military hideout. A door opens and light comes through the door to show a baseball-sized black pearl sits in a glass case. On the case there's a little sign that shows the words "The Dark Pearl". A dark figure dressed in a long dark robe slowly makes its way toward the case. The figure gets out an aluminum bat and smashes the glass. Alarms go off and the figure snatches the pearl. Emergency doors began to slowly shut themselves. The figure runs across the room and slides under the concrete door before it shuts. Guards run in with their guns.