AUSTIN: Going somewhere?
JOSH: Why do you want to know?
AUSTIN (shrugging): No reason.
(Josh begins to continue walking.)
AUSTIN: So what's in the bag?
JOSH: Clothes. I'm sleeping over at Jaguar's for a few nights.
AUSTIN: Good. Because I invited a few girlfriends over for the next few nights and I don't need you ruining anything.
JOSH (rolling his eyes): I'm going to ignore that comment.
AUSTIN: So where are you really going?
JOSH: I told you.
AUSTIN: Well, I'm not buying that. Do you want to know why?
(Josh stands quietly.)
AUSTIN: I can see your little gang outside the window spying on me. That's why. Have you guys been camping outside spying on me all night?
JOSH: No, of course not.
(Austin starts reading Josh's mind.)
AUSTIN: Okay, so I know you're telling the truth about the spying, but you are lying about going to Jaguar's.
JOSH: Did you have to read my mind to know that?
AUSTIN: You couldn't do anything if I did. I know where you're going. You're going to Pete's. You're all scared of me. Ha! I love that.
JOSH: You can stop now.
AUSTIN: Oh no, I'm just getting started.
(Josh tries to run out to the door. Austin raises one hand and the TV's entertainment center slides across the room and slams against the door to block it.)
AUSTIN: You going somewhere?
JOSH: Austin, I'm not playing.
AUSTIN: Neither am I.
COLE: Call Pete! Call Pete!
KARA (dialing his phone): I am, hang on!
JAGUAR: Hurry!
AUSTIN (with a hand to his head now): Oh yes, I'm getting some juicy secrets now, Josh.
JOSH: Austin, stop.
(Austin slowly stands and begins walking toward Josh with his eyes closed.)
AUSTIN: The Dark Pearl, huh? Zack is trapped in there. Yes, come on Josh, tell me more.
JOSH: Austin, you're creeping me out.
AUSTIN: But who has the Dark Pearl? (Stops and opens his eyes wide) Who was that again?
JOSH: No one, Austin.
AUSTIN: Really? Because I'm pretty sure I just read that you think I took Zack.
JOSH: Not at all, bro.
AUSTIN: Don't call me that. It's true. I can feel it, Josh. I can feel it. (Angrily) You think I took Zack!
JOSH: Austin, stop!
(Austin gets in Josh's face.)
AUSTIN: You think I'd kidnap my own best friend for his powers?
JOSH: Austin, all the signs point to you. Plus, you said it yourself. You don't need anybody else.
AUSTIN (sneers at Josh): You're right. I don't, but before you go accusing me, you should check up on your friend Shawn.
JOSH: Shawn isn't my friend; he's Kara's.
AUSTIN: Whatever. You all hang together now. Either way, Shawn is the one who is the most suspicious around here. He's the back-stabber, not me.
JOSH: You're just holding a grudge that he left your band, Austin. Besides, Shawn is an only child.
AUSTIN: What does that have to do with anything? (Begins reading Josh's mind again) The Battle of the Half-Brothers, huh? You're really stuck on me being the bad guy aren't you?
JOSH: Austin, you've said it yourself. You're the only bad boy in this town.
AUSTIN (smiles guiltily): You're right, Josh. I am, and don't you forget it. (Grabs the entertainment center and shoves it across the room with one stroke of the arm.) Get out of my house!
(Josh leaves hurriedly.)
(Derek and Brooklyn walk in the back door laughing.)
DEREK: Austin, you just missed the best movie ever!
AUSTIN: Oh really? Was it another chick flick?
BROOKLYN: Well...
DEREK: Actually, no. It had a little romance, but it was actually more action-packed than I thought it would be.
AUSTIN: Oh, awesome. (Looks at his watch) Didn't that movie end over an hour ago?
BROOKLYN: Yes, but Derek took me to this nice restaurant that just opened. Your brother is so romantic.
AUSTIN: So I've been told.
DEREK: You alright, Austin?
AUSTIN: I guess. Your brother just came in yelling at me, though.
BROOKLYN: Who, Josh?
(Austin nods.)
DEREK: So what's new then? You act like you've never argued before.
AUSTIN: Yeah, I know. I don't know. He just really ticked me off this time. We used to just do our own thing, you know? But now he and his friends are spying on me, and he needs to just get off my back, man. I swear if I didn't tell Dad on his deathbed I wouldn't kill him I would have. I think that's about to change, though.
DEREK: Really? Why's that?
AUSTIN: I don't know yet, but I'll find out soon enough. (Stomach growls) Ugh! Now I'm all hungry!
BROOKLYN: What?
DEREK: When Austin gets upset, he gets hungry.
AUSTIN: What do you have to eat in here?
DEREK: I don't know. You ate last.
AUSTIN: Ugh. That's what I thought. You've got no good food in here.
BROOKLYN: Shopping time!
DEREK and AUSTIN: What?
BROOKLYN: Well, for groceries I mean.
SCENE: Back at Pete's place. The four told Pete what happened at Josh's.
PETE: Well, Mister Jones, you're lucky he didn't kill you there.
JOSH: Why would he do that?
PETE: The Battle of the Half-Brothers, Josh, you two could've fought it out right there.
COLE: He's right, Josh.
JOSH: Well, what do we do?
KARA: We have to lay low.
JOSH: How? He knows we're here. He read my mind.
JAGUAR (eating a tub of ice cream): Oh, that's not good.
COLE: How do you keep from getting fat? You are constantly eating!
(The others roll their eyes.)
KARA: So anyways, why didn't Austin battle Josh right there? I mean, we all know how arrogant he can be. Even if he did know we were spying on him from outside, he still would've tried to take us all on.
COLE: Kara's right. He had to have some reason for not battling Josh.
JOSH: Maybe Cole was right before. Maybe he does want to suck you all into the Dark Pearl first.
KARA: Well, if he's waiting on that, it's not going to happen.
JAGUAR: Aw, man! You ran out of ice cream!
PETE: You ate all of my ice cream?
JAGUAR: I'm sorry. I'll go to Wal-Mart for some more.
PETE: You shouldn't go alone.
JAGUAR: You forgot. I have super speed. If anything were to happen, he couldn't catch me.
PETE: All right, but if you're not back in fifteen minutes I'm calling you.
(Jaguar runs with his super speed out of the room. Five seconds later he arrives at the Wal-Mart.)
JAGUAR: Phew. That was my exercise for the day.
(He walks over to the freezers and is looking at the ice creams.)
JAGUAR: Hmm... chocolate, vanilla, cookie dough, hmm... what should I get?
SCENE: Derek, Austin, and Brooklyn at the Wal-Mart. Austin hangs up his phone.
DEREK: So who were you talking to, bro?
AUSTIN: Sam.
BROOKLYN: Is that the brunette?
AUSTIN: No, Sam is the perky blonde that you get along with so well.
BROOKLYN: Oh, good! I can't stand the brunette.
AUSTIN: Why not?
BROOKLYN: Well, I mean, she's the only one who knows you have several girlfriends but she doesn't even care.
DEREK: Yeah, but that's Austin's kind of girl.
AUSTIN: True that.
(Austin looks up and spots Jaguar in the freezer section.)
BROOKLYN: So I say we split up. Austin, you go find some drinks; and Derek, you can look at the snacks.
DEREK: What are you going to do?
BROOKLYN: I'm going next door to the j
ewelry store! (Kisses Derek on the cheek and runs out the door.)
AUSTIN (laughs): You should've seen that one coming.
DEREK: Yes is should have.
AUSTIN: You know what she's going to look at.
DEREK: Rings?
AUSTIN: Yep. She's expecting a proposal soon.
DEREK: Yeah, yeah. (Smacks Austin on the back of the head) Go find the drinks. I want a Mountain Dew.
AUSTIN: Watch it, bro. (Walking away.) And you better find those good chips, not the healthy ones Brooklyn picked out last time. You saw what happened when I accidently ate some of those.
DEREK: Don't worry. I threw those out last week.
(The two walk in opposite directions.)
JAGUAR: Hmmm... okay. So I'm down to a final four. Chocolate chip, cookies and cream, fudge, and chocolate. Which one should I get? (Hears a noise behind him.)
JAGUAR (spinning around): What do you think? Oh... (Looks down to see a figure dressed in a long black coat holding the Dark Pearl in their hand.) What are you doing? Wait...
(Jaguar has no time to run. He is sucked into the Dark Pearl before knowing what happened. He drops the tub of chocolate ice cream.)
SCENE: Back at Pete's place. The three and Pete are all sitting in the living room.
COLE: How long has it been?
PETE: It's been almost forty-five minutes.
KARA: I think something happened.
JOSH: I've called him several times. It's going straight to voicemail.
PETE: As have I.
COLE: Do you think...?
JOSH: No, not Jaguar.
PETE: There's only one way to find out.
(The three and Josh go into Pete's machine room. Pete begins scrambling through his book and finds the code for Jaguar's jewel. He types in 011 on the keyboard. After a minute of loading, the screen shows "LOCATION UNKNOWN".)
JOSH: Nooo!
KARA: Oh no.
COLE: And Austin strikes again.
KARA: We have to find something to do.
PETE: You have any ideas?
(Kara stands with a suspenseful look on his face.)
SCENE: Back at Derek's. The three have just arrived home. Brooklyn walks in the house first; Austin pulls Derek over to the side outside.
AUSTIN: I can't believe you let her catch you, bro!
DEREK: Sorry, Austin. You'll just have to deal with her chips until I can get out and get more.
AUSTIN: Derek! I can't do that! It gives me-
DEREK (laughing): I know what it gives you, bro. You know what, how about you and I go back to the store. Will that make you happy?
AUSTIN: Yes.
DEREK: Good. We just need to think of an excuse to go without her.
(The two start whispering.)
AUSTIN (pokes head in door): Hey, Brooklyn! Derek and I are going back to town.
BROOKLYN: Can I come?
DEREK: I'm afraid not, honey. It's about jewelry.
BROOKLYN (excitedly): Ohhh... I can read between the lines. Okay, I'll just stay here and watch some chick flicks. Love you!
DEREK: I love you too sweetie.
SCENE: Pete's house.
KARA: Everyone understand the plan?
JOSH: Got it.
COLE: It's fool-proof.
KARA: It's time to take Austin out and get Zack and Jaguar back.
COLE: To the Wal-Mart!
(Pete stands quietly to the side)
KARA: You coming, Pete?
PETE: Yes, my condolences. I'm just a little nervous about seeing the Battle of the Half-Brothers coming to life, that's all.
Ten minutes later. Pete and the group walk in together.
KARA: All right, act casual.
COLE: That's hard to do here. He'll see us all here together and know something is up.
JOSH: How do we even know he's still here?
PETE: Oh, he's here. I have a Mesopotamian Jewel Tracker App on my phone. See?
COLE: Impressive!
KARA: Okay, nerd talk over. Where's Austin?
JOSH: Look, he's over there! (Points to Austin, who is looking at chips in an aisle)
KARA: Perfect! Everyone remember the plan?
OTHERS: Yes!
KARA: Great. Positions, everyone.
(Cole walks up to Austin. Josh stays at a respective distance away, watching cautiously. Kara and Pete get over on the other aisle and wait for a signal from Josh.)
AUSTIN: Go away, nerd.
COLE: What? No garbage cans?
AUSTIN: Don't push your luck, kid. I'm giving you the opportunity to leave.
COLE: Wait. What?
AUSTIN: Did I stutter?
COLE: Why would you give me an opportunity to leave?
AUSTIN: Why wouldn't I? I don't want to be seen talking to you.
COLE: You think it's any better on this side?
AUSTIN: Watch it, punk. Now that I know you have powers to defend yourself I have every right to backhand you across the store.
COLE: Touché. I apologize for that.
AUSTIN: Good. Now go away.
COLE: I'm afraid I can't, Austin.
AUSTIN: And why is that?
COLE: Because I need to know where Zack is.
AUSTIN (looks at Cole disgustedly): Why should I know? Am I your brother's keeper?
COLE: Those were the words of the very first murderer. Well, almost.
AUSTIN: Okay, that's it. Now you've ticked me off. (Reaches for his belt)
(Josh sees Austin reach for his belt and shoots a "thumbs-up" at Kara and Pete. The two push the shelf over on top of Cole and Austin.)
AUSTIN: What the heck!?
(Austin uses his strength to lift the shelf back up and pushes it back the other way toward Kara and Pete. The two run out of opposite sides to dodge the fall.)
KARA: Get out of here before someone comes!
COLE: Wait! Where's the Pearl?
AUSTIN: What?
COLE: The Pearl! It's gone! It's not in the pile of groceries! Kara, your plan failed!
(They all scatter to look for the Pearl. Austin immediately runs to the clothes section.)
(Kara is searching down the toy aisle when he finds himself face-to-face with a dark figure with the Dark Pearl.)
KARA (disgusted): Oh. You found it.
(The figure doesn't answer, and Kara is immediately sucked into the Pearl.)
(Back at the mess.)
JOSH: We have to find it!
PETE: I'm afraid hope is lost here, boys. Alas, where did Kara go?
COLE: I'm not sure.
PETE: Well, I suppose we go look for him.
COLE: We can't split up here. Austin is still here, remember?
PETE: Indeed. We must search together.
JOSH: Or you could just use your tracking thing.
PETE: Excellent idea. (He pulls out his phone and goes to the app.)
COLE: Anything?
PETE: Boys, I'm afraid we have a problem. (The two look over at his phone as it displays "LOCATION UNKNOWN")
(Over at the electronics. Austin meets up with Derek, who is looking at the newest video games.)
DEREK: What's up, bro? Hey did you hear that loud noise from the groceries? I think a shelf fell over.
The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers Page 4