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It's sunset at
Riverside Park in the city of Newport.
Less than a mile away, a metropolis glows orange as shadows of the westward cliffs stretch across the water and crawl up the
skyscrapers. Winks of light sparkle in the polished windows while
below, tiny head and brake lights inch across the waterfront highways
under neon signs and billboards.
The sky is a blue-ish purple - bright, but dark enough
for the streetlights to have turned on.
A mob of youngsters is gathered around in a sort of
meeting, every kid sporting sets of wheels: some on rollerblades and
skates, others on bikes, scooters, skateboards and perhaps even one on a
unicycle somewhere. There isn't enough room for everyone to stand. Some
are hanging out in trees, others piled on brick walls. They're all
reverently facing a group of older kids - young adults, really - who are
trying to get everyone's attention. There are three of them, standing with
dignity. The one in the center is ELDER SKYE, a long-limbed young man with
a trendy bush of hair, holding a skateboard. He is flanked by two peers.
On his right is the lovely ELDER FARRAH, dressed as if she were an intern
at a law firm, but rocking a pair of rollerblades. On his left is ELDER
ANDO, a burly dude with half a beard and a bandanna, straddling a
comically tiny bicycle. He has his arms crossed.
Elder Skye:
"The time's come for us to move on. We hereby pass the torch to you,
the next generation. As of now, these four standing before us are granted
the titles of 'Elder', and thus inherit stewardship of our Sanctuary. May
it always be a haven for our people! Please take good care of it!"
The crowd applauds as
Elder Skye steps forward and knights four teenagers with his skateboard,
resting it on each of their shoulders: First the left, then the right. The
first to be "knighted" is the fiery eyed TREVOR, followed by the graceful
DIJON, the strong-shouldered AXL, and finally BENNETT, who is standing on
a beaten up skateboard and has a mop of hair covering his eyes. In the
crowd, we see the adolescent RED, blushing at her heroes behind a face
full of scrapes and band-aids.
Elder Skye:
"As we conclude the ceremony, we thought it would be fitting to share a
few words."
Silence. Even the
kids hanging from streetlights have stopped swinging and are listening
intently. In the distance, a confused woman walking her dog turns in the
other direction. Elder Skye takes a crumpled sheet of paper out of his
back pocket.
Elder Skye:
"You are inheriting our beloved city of Newport during a time of great
change. Our once smooth sidewalks have been replaced with brick, our hills
have been defaced with speed bumps. Rails have had stoppers inserted onto
them. For every curb we soap up, two coffee shops erupt out of the ground.
Then they built skater parks for us with those cute little cages so people
can walk by and stare at us like animals in a zoo!"
Jeering from the mob.
Girl:
"I ain't no monkey, I'm a man!"
Elder Skye raises his
hands for silence.
Elder Skye:
"The streets, which used to be a haven for our people, is now becoming
home to city types from across the river. Commuters, and all the filth
that grows around them. Cafes, high-fashion shopping plazas, expensive
restaurants. Downtown, our promised land, is now ground zero - town hall
is knocking down beautiful, historic old brick buildings - buildings which
maybe some of our grandpas built with their own hands or whatever - and
replacing them with skyscrapers and luxury riverside apartments!"
Looks of disgust on
all the kids' faces.
Elder Skye:
"But we are resisting! Here we are."
Kid:
"What about Hardcop?"
Some kids scream.
Elder Skye:
"We simply don't know enough to confirm nor deny..."
Kids:
"Johnny's seen him! He's like a tank!"
"He can run faster than we can skate away!"
"He moves like the night!"
"I heard Hardcop is a robot!"
Elder Skye:
"Do you hear yourselves?!"
Kid:
"He might be a secret project of the police!"
"A prototype! He's more machine than man!"
Elder Skye
"Don't you see, they're trying to scare us off the streets! And it’s
working! At worst, some creep in a suit is running around at night
arresting skaters! That’s all it is! Big deal! There are tons of us in
town here, and plenty more in the surrounding territories. Don’t let
yourselves get spooked! Band together and send a message to City Hall that
they can’t get rid of us with their gourmet organic supermarkets, fancy
sidewalks, skater zoos and Special Police!"
Some kids nod. Trevor
passionately pumps his fist as a tear falls down his face.
Elder Skye:
"We wish we could stay and help, but our time has come to cross the Great
River into the Land Beyond. As I said, these are difficult times - but you
can rise to the challenge! We will always be with you in spirit! Go forth!
Remind those yuppies we're still here! Skate on cracked sidewalks and
piers. Grind on high-rise office staircases. Ollie over their
hundred-thousand dollar cars! Take back the streets!"
The kids scream with
inner fire. Things like hats and small animals are flung into the air with
youthful abandon.
Someone:
"Cops!!!"
Kids:
"It's my bedtime!"
"I got some homework to do!"
The crowd scatters as
sirens are heard in the distance. Kids freak out, tripping over each other
in panic, going every direction.
The elders, both old and new, stare comically as the
area is vacated so quickly.
Elder Farrah:
"Oh brother."
Elder Ando:
"Noobs..."
Elder Skye:
"Sigh... we may as well get going too. We've gotta catch the boat or we'll
have to wait like an extra half hour."
Bennett:
"Can we see you off?"
Elder Skye:
"Sure. Let's split up and meet at the ferry."
TRANSITION to the
Ferry.
The sun has gone down
further, leaving the city across the river in complete shadow. Only the
sky retains some light, but it's fading quickly. Evening commuters walk to
their cars. Axl is balancing on his bike's front wheel while Trevor break
dances in his rollerblades. Dijon, in her vintage rollerskates, sits on a
railing while Bennett stands idly on his skateboard, balancing
absentmindedly on two wheels.
Down the street, the three former elders are walking
casually toward the pier. They are startlingly cleaned up, walking into
the light like ordinary citizens. Elder Skye is carrying his skateboard
under an arm along with a shoulder bag, Elder Farrah pulls a wheeled
suitcase in one hand along with an elegant skate-carrying case in her
other. Elder Ando carries a backpack and his tiny bike slung over a
shoulder as if it were a toy.
Elder Skye: (To Bennett)
"Man, you guys got here fast."
Elder Farrah:
"That's why we picked them."
Elder Skye warmly
puts his hand on Bennett's shoulder.
Elder Skye:
"You'll do fine. You're the best skater I've ever seen. At least five
years ahead of me when I was your age."
Elder Ando:
"I'm gonna run in and make sure the ferry isn't leaving. Good luck, you
guys."
Elder Farrah:
"Me too. See you all later! I'll come visit when I get time off."
New Elders:
"Thanks."
"Take it easy!"
Ando and Farrah walk into
the fancy glass building leading to the ferry.
Elder Skye: (To Bennett)
Tell mom I'll call her when I get to the
apartment."
Bennett:
"All right."
Elder Skye hugs his
younger brother who, standing on his skateboard, is still not quite as
tall. Bennett blushes a
little and tries to act tough in front of his friends. Dijon smiles at
him, while the boys look away in respect. Bennett gives Elder Skye a manly
pat on the back.
Elder Skye jogs lightly after his friends, into the
building.
Dijon:
"There go the Elders..."
Axl:
"Not anymore. We're the Elders now."
Dijon:
"There go the Ancients..."
Trevor:
"Awwww maaaan...! I have become Eldor Trevor! It feels so much
better than I imagined! No more getting my own soda... maybe I'll just
lounge on the couch and have noobs feed me grapes all day..."
Bennett:
"I could hardly sleep last night. It's going to be weird having my bedroom
to myself now."
Dijon:
"I'm jealous, Bennett. I still have to share a room with my
sisters."
Axl:
"Ah, the joys of being an only child..."
Trevor:
"You guys! Let's call another get-together at Riverside Park to
celebrate and Lord it over anyone. The cops are gone by now."
Dijon:
"Why do I see you becoming a tyrant in a few years?"
Trevor:
"Hey, if you've got the skills..."
TRANSITION to
Riverside Park.
Evening has
completely overtaken Newport. We'll take a look at the city at night -
it's quite pleasant. People walk comfortably along the sidewalks, while
the skaters peacefully enjoy themselves along the harbor. People sit
around and enjoy the cool of early autumn.
Axl is leaning over his bike casually, arms resting on
the handlebars. Trevor jumps clean over him, impressing some younger
skaters. They clap and he smiles conceitedly.
Axl:
"What do you guys make of that Hardcop rumor?"
Bennett:
"Dunno."
Dijon:
"None of the descriptions make sense. It's like they're describing
Gorilla Man or something. Android parts, he can fly..."
Red, that awkward
adolescent from before, walks up to Bennett shyly.
Red:
"Um... Bennett?"
Bennett:
"That you, Red? What's up?"
Red:
"You... remember my name...? Oh... heee! Um... I... just wanna say
congratulations to you... and everyone... I'm sure you'll be very good
Elders..."
Bennett:
"Thanks."
Dijon:
"Aw, thank you, Red!"
Red:
"I'm not very good at skateboarding yet... but I hope... someday... I can
be like you, Bennett..."
Trevor:
"Hey! No noobs talking to Elders without permission!"
Red:
"Oh! I... um... I'm sorry..."
Dijon:
"Don't be. Trevor's just got a big head now. It'll pass when he sees Miss
Sweetheart at school and can't get the guts to talk to her."
Trevor:
"Quiet, woman!"
Dijon sticks her
tongue out at him. He slaps his butt and skates circles around her. She
blows a bubble with gum. Axl swats at a fly which might be buzzing around.
Red:
"I really hope I can be like you, too, Dijon... even though I don't really
know how to rollerskate... you're so pretty on them... and um... Axl... I
could never use a bike like you, but... um... seeing you is really
inspirational too... but in my opinion, Bennett is the best."
Axl:
"This kid has good taste."
Trevor:
"What about me?"
Red:
"I... gotta get going... my mom and dad are gonna get mad at me if I don't
get home soon so... I gotta go."
Bennett:
"No worries. Take it easy, Red."
Red:
"I... um... bye... Bennett..."
Bennett:
"G'nite."
Red skateboards away
awkwardly.
Trevor:
"Butt-kisser."
Dijon:
"Don't be mean."
Bennett:
"Funny kid."
TRANSITION to later
in the evening.
Most of the skaters
have vacated Riverside Park. Litter is all over the ground. Soda cans,
potato chip wrappers, energy drinks. Some kids are on the ground,
groaning.
Trevor:
"Ungh... need more... caffeine..."
Dijon:
"I think you've had enough."
Trevor:
"I'll decide when I've had enough. Noob! Fetch me another!"
Noob:
"Yes, M'Lord..."
One of the noobs goes
skating off towards a corner store.
Dijon:
"I'm gonna tell aunt Amy you drank five energy drinks."
Trevor:
"What my mom doesn't know makes her stronger... mind your own
busineungh...."
Axl:
"These kids sure know how to make a mess. You'd think they didn't know
what garbage cans are."
Trevor:
"Assign the Noobs to clean it..."
A voice calls out
from off-camera.
Voice:
"Hey you guys! What's up?"
A teenager, the same
age as the new Elders, approaches on a scooter. This is CHARLES, a
preppy-looking skater wannabe, dressed in ultra-expensive clothing that
looks cheap and frayed by design.
Trevor:
"Ugh... Who invited the Chads to the party?"
Charles: (To Dijon)
"Hi, Donna... you look very pretty tonight..."
Axl leans in
defensively.
Axl:
"Hi, Charlie."
Charles:
"Sup, James?"
Trevor:
"Who is this Donna which you speak of? Did your chauffeur accidentally
drop you off here in the valley instead of your snobtastic black tie tea
party or whatever? We ain't got no Earl Grey here, or soufflés or crème
brulees. We only have humble bread, good sir. Methinks you'd be more at ease
back up on the mountain, where you can have a better view of us plebes and
not have to endure such eyesores."
Charles:
"Huh?"
Trevor:
"We're Elders now, by the way. You have to refer to us by our
honorific titles."
Charles:
"What's that?"
Axl:
"Never mind."
Charles:
"Well I was just chilling in town, skating by on my new Slasher
scooter, here... check it out, I can do a trick..."
Charles does a little hop, spinning the deck of the scooter in a circle
and landing on it awkwardly.
Trevor:
"Sigh..."
Charles:
"Whatcha guy's up to this weekend? Wanna hang out and skate?"
TRANSITION to the
other side of the park, where it's darker.
Some kids are sitting
around lazily. One crumples up a snack wrapper and tosses it at a garbage
can, missing widely. He and his friends laugh. They aren't going to pick
it up.
One kid's ear, however, perks up.
Kid:
"...Hey... do you hear that...?"
Another kid
concentrates.
Kid 2:
"Sounds like... a rocket?"
Kid:
"Huh?!"
TRANSITION back to
the Elders. Someone yells from the distance.
Kid:
"It's Hardcop!! Run!!!"
The Elders sit up
and look around. Crowds of kids are spreading out in the park,
skating and running away. The Elders jump into action, pushing Charles
aside.
Trevor:
"Move, Chad!"
Charles:
"Where're you guys going?"
The Elders speed
opposite of the crowd, passing a kid on the ground with his hands
restrained by zip cuffs.
Kid:
"Ungh... he got Johnny... Hardcop... took him... towards the Police
station... I don't wanna skate anymore.... waahhhhhh...."
Bennett blazes
towards a secluded part of the park. The camera twists to match the speed,
low to the ground. Trevor keeps bumping into kids.
Trevor:
"There's too many Noobs!"
Bennett:
"Go over them!"
For the first time,
we see why the Elders were chosen for their new offices. The four
teenagers employ expert-like tricks to gain the upper ground, bouncing off
railings and jumping onto thin concrete platforms. They crisscross from
peak to peak, past trees planted on high columns, bypassing the bottleneck
of panicking children underneath.
Kids:
"Heeeelp!"
Some kids are tied up
with rope and are hanging from trees as if they were cocooned by aliens.
Trevor:
"It's too late for these guys... ACK!"
Something suddenly
wraps around Trevor's ankle and yanks him into the woods. It's a long,
high-tech rope slung over a tree limb.
Trevor:
"AAAAH IT'S HARDCOP HE'S GOT MEEEE"
Axl:
"Trevor!"
The Elders speed
after Trevor, grabbing him and untying his feet just in time to find a
hulking mass pulling the rope from the bushes. He leaps out.
Dijon:
"EEEEK!"
A massive hand grasps
at Dijon but she pushes off a tree to dodge away with Trevor, landing
gracefully on a ledge below.
A chase ensues - a dark, monstrous mass barrels after
the Elders through the park. Kids scream and flee in every direction,
diving out of the way.
It seems the Elders are losing ground against this
beast of a man, only just escaping grabs from him as they speed along
the harbor. Beneath his tree-trunk legs, dirt is being thrown up wildly by
some unnatural force. The Elders break towards an abandoned warehouse
along the waterfront. When they enter, they find holes in the concrete
floor.
Bennett:
"Be careful!"
Trevor:
"I can't shake him! Omigod Hardcop is real!!!"
Hardcop follows them grinding along some
pipework on the naked walls, closely maintaining a short distance as they
desperately maneuver through pillars and old machinery. Hardcop slams
through furniture and pillars as if they were made of cardboard, even
setting some things on fire behind him.
Trevor:
"He's a machine! It's an android! He has no passion, only the instinct to
kill!"
Axl:
"There! That rope! I have an idea! Throw it to me!"
Bennett has gained a
vantage point, having grinded up to a second floor catwalk somehow.
Bennett:
"Axl! Watch out!"
Trevor throws a
coiled rope to Axl, who lets go of his handlebars to catch it. Axl doesn't see a hole in the ground in front
of him, however, and falls deep into it with a crash. Dijon shrieks and speeds to
the hole with the others.
Dijon:
"Axl!"
Trevor:
"Are you okay, man?!"
We see the silhouette
of Axl's bike tire spinning from the dark below, looking upwards at the
edges of the hole. Dusty beams of light pour in through the streetlamps
outside.
Axl:
"I... I don't... my back... I hurt my back..."
Bennett, sweating, looks over his shoulder.
Shrouded in the dark stands the massive outline of Hardcop, smoke and
waves of heat slowly radiating from below him.
Dijon:
"Axl! Don't move, okay?! We're gonna get an ambulance! Trev, help me find
a way down there..."
Trevor:
"There might be stairs somewhere... hold on, Axl!"
We zoom in on
Bennett's face, then on the darkened figure. The camera alternates between
them, inching closer to each.
The monstrous predator turns its back on the Elders and
glides away silently.
The camera continues to zoom in on Bennett. We see his
eyes for the first time, glowering through sweaty clumps of hair.
TRANSITION to TITLE
PAGE.
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