The Dark Pearl Chronicles 1.1: Battle of the Half-Brothers (9 page)

DEREK: I'm afraid not, bro. Money doesn't offer immortality.

AUSTIN: And neither does the Dark Pearl. What are you doing?

DEREK: Austin, I need more than just money. I need fame. So, I have a proposal for the two of you.

AUSTIN and BROOKLYN: What?

DEREK: Well, Austin, I want to pair up with you to rule the world together. Think about it, no one could stop us. You and me: the complete immortals.

AUSTIN: That does sound tempting.

DEREK: And Brooklyn (gets on one knee and pulls out a little box), will you marry me? Rule with me, be my queen. 

BROOKLYN: Well... I don't know. I mean you are trying to take over the world...

(Austin encounters a flashback.) 

AUSTIN (speaking to Josh in the house): The Dark Pearl, huh? Zack is trapped in there.

AUSTIN (speaking to Josh in the house):  

The Battle of the Half-Brothers, huh?

COLE (in the grocery store): Wait! Where's the Pearl?

JOSH (speaking to Austin in the house): Austin, you've said it yourself. You're the only bad boy in this town. (Echoes over and over in his head) 

(Austin comes back.)

AUSTIN: Wait! It was you!

DEREK: Pardon?

AUSTIN: You kidnapped Zack! You trapped him in the Pearl! And you made it look like I did it!

DEREK: Well, that last part wasn't exactly planned.

AUSTIN: I'll bet you kidnapped the others, too. Where's Josh?

DEREK: Okay, I have too much respect for you to lie to you. I did kidnap them. And Josh? He's in here, too.

AUSTIN: Just as I thought.

BROOKLYN: Wait, you kidnapped innocent teenagers in there!? Including your own brother? Okay I'm sorry, Derek, but that's low. I have no choice but to break up with you.

DEREK (to Brooklyn): Wait, no! Baby!

(Brooklyn walks away.)

DEREK (to Austin): You! You have ruined it all! You're so lucky this Dark Pearl doesn't work on you! That's the only reason I made you this proposal in the first place! Otherwise, I would've kidnapped you too!

AUSTIN: Well, I see what I get for being nice. And everyone wonders why I'm such a jerk. It's because being nice gets me nothing at all.

DEREK: I'll kill you! (Leaps toward Austin)

(Across the street, Pete walks out of the alley rubbing his head.)

PETE: What? Where's Josh? (Looks at Austin and Derek) Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? Austin and Derek? And Derek is holding the Pearl! (Yells out) Get him, Austin! You must win! I love you, Brooklyn! (Quickly covers his mouth) I shouldn't have said that.

DEREK: What? (Sees Pete cheering on the battle and shoots a fire beam at him.) Go away, nerd! She doesn't love you!

(Austin punches Derek in the face and Derek goes flying a long way away, cracking the asphalt of the road when he lands.)

DEREK (to Austin): You shouldn't have done that!

AUSTIN: Oh really, and why not?

(Derek uses his long rope arms and wraps one around Austin several times. Austin struggles to free his arms.)

DEREK: What are you going to do now, little bro? (Laughs evilly)

PETE (yells to Austin): Use the stinky breath, Austin!

AUSTIN: Stinky breath? I didn't know I had that... all right, here goes. (Breathes into Derek's face)

DEREK: Awe, gross! Ugh.... (Falls over instantly, freeing Austin of his grasp)

AUSTIN: Get up. I'm not through with you.

(Derek slowly gets up.)

DEREK: Ugh...

(Austin grabs Derek by his collar. Derek regains his composure and pushes him away.)

DEREK: And I'm not done with you either, bro. (shoots a giant continuous burst of fire toward Austin.)

AUSTIN (takes a huge leap several yards away to dodge the burst): Whoa, watch it!

(A car is hit with the fire and blows up.)

DEREK: The only thing I'll be watching is you die, little bro. (shoots a burst of ice this time. Austin puts a giant force field around himself, only to have the outer part of the field freeze over, leaving himself in the middle of a hollow ball of ice.)

AUSTIN (trapped in the ice): Well, this wasn't expected.

(Austin bursts through one side of the ice, causing the entire ball to shatter. He flies extremely fast toward Derek, crashing into him. The two become entangled and fly a long way away, smashing the asphalt road as they land, his face covered in blood.)

AUSTIN (picking himself up): Look what you did, idiot.

(Looks to see Derek passed out on the ground.)

AUSTIN: Ugh. Now I have to pick him up.

(Austin picks Derek up off the ground as Derek begins to regain consciousness.)

AUSTIN: You done, yet?

DEREK (scratchy voice): I'm not done until your dead. It's my only choice. I've got to be the bad guy.

AUSTIN (looking Derek straight in the eye): Listen up, bro. Like I've said before, I'm the only bad boy in this town.

(Austin throws Derek into the Mozzarella John's building. The entire building crumbles apart from the collision.)

PETE (running toward the crumbling building): Brooklyn!

(Pete jumps on top of Brooklyn to save her.)

AUSTIN: Oh, no! What have I done?

(Austin runs toward the rubble. He begins searching through it frantically.) 

AUSTIN: Oh no! Oh no! Oh no...

(Austin hears some rubble moving around. He looks over to see Pete slowly stand up, lifting Brooklyn with him. Police are pulling on the scene in the distance.)

AUSTIN: Brooklyn! Pete! You're alive!

BROOKLYN: Thanks to Pete, here. He saved me.

PETE (smiling): No, not really. (To Austin) Austin, I owe you an apology.  

This whole time I thought you were the bad guy.

AUSTIN: It's cool, bro. I'm used to people thinking I'm a bad person. (Laughing) Plus, it just proves that even the smartest people are wrong sometimes.

PETE (frowning): Yes, I suppose. But where is Derek? Technically the battle isn't over until one of you is dead...

AUSTIN: Well, I doubt that he survived that.

(The three look over at the place where police have found Derek. One checks his pulse and shakes his head at them.)

PETE: Well, Austin, you did it. (Bends over and picks up the Dark Pearl.)

PETE (handing the Pearl to Austin): Well, you're now the owner of the Dark Pearl. Do with it as you wish.

(Austin has a flashback.)

AUSTIN: I roll solo, fool! I don't need anybody!

JOSH: You said it yourself. You don't need anybody else.

AUSTIN (to himself): Here I hold the ultimate power to do anything I wish.

PETE: You do.

AUSTIN (to Pete): But I don't want ultimate power. I was wrong before. I do need my friends.

PETE: You're right.

AUSTIN: I don't want to roll solo. What fun is life if you have no one to be in it?

PETE: No fun at all, my boy, no fun at all.

AUSTIN: Pete, I want to set them all free.

PETE: I was hoping you'd say that.

AUSTIN: So how do I do it?

PETE: Close your eyes, Austin.

(Austin closes his eyes.)

PETE: Now clear your mind of everything and everyone.

(Austin clears his mind.)

PETE: Now concentrate on freeing your friends and only on freeing them.

(Austin concentrates. He begins to shake.)

BROOKLYN: Is he okay?

PETE: Shhh. It's working.

(The Dark Pearl begins to glow. Slowly Josh is released from the Pearl, then Cole. They look at each other surprised. Then Kara is released, followed by Jaguar. The four look at Austin, smiling. Austin is still concentrating. Zack comes out next, followed by another person who looks almost exactly like Kara. Austin grows tired and opens his eyes. The Pearl immediately stops glowing and Austin looks at the others.)

AUSTIN: Zack!

ZACK: Austin! (The two hug each other.)

(Everyone is hugging. Kara looks at the mysterious person who came out after Zack.)

KARA: Tyler?

TYLER: Kara? Is that you?

KARA: Yes, it's me.

(The two hug each other tightly.)

KARA: Tyler, I thought you were dead.

TYLER: I did, too. But when the people killed Mom and Dad, they decided to capture me in this Pearl to harness my powers. Unfortunately, they lost it and it got shipped to some museum or something. And I've been stuck in there ever since. 

KARA: Oh wow, brother. I'm so glad you're alive!

TYLER: Me too.

(Pete looks at Brooklyn and pulls a box out of his jacket.)

PETE: Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN: Yes, Pete?

PETE (getting on one knee): I know I'm not the most desirable person on the planet, but I do love you. I have since I met you. I can't promise you brawns, but I can promise you unconditional love. Will you marry me?

BROOKLYN: Wow, Pete, this is unexpected. (Starts crying) But yes, I will marry you.

(Pete rises up and hugs Brooklyn.)

PETE: Hey everyone, we're getting married!

ALL THE TEENS: Yay!

(They all group hug with Pete and Brooklyn.)

PETE: I don't mean to put you on the spot, Brooklyn, but I see seven orphan teenagers here who could use some good people in their lives. 

BROOKLYN: Are you saying we adopt them?

PETE: I am.

AUSTIN: All right, you can adopt me, but I'm not calling you Dad. 

PETE: Deal. Actually, none of you should. I don't want to feel old.