For me it's the time of the year where I enjoy writing scripts.  This year I really want to get two Holding Our Own scripts written- parts 7 and 8 (I skipped ahead to 9).  I also thoroughly enjoyed working with TogFox on "Mariana", the first in a series of adaptations of classic sci-fi shorts.

To get me back in the groove, I've turned to a comic series that I enjoyed during my teenage years: Cloak & Dagger (unrelated to the movie of the same name, originating around the same time.)  They were originally featured as characters from Spider Man comics who spun off into their own series.  Even recently, they appeared as next-gen vigilantes in the most recent rendition of Spider Man on Disney XD.  I wanted to adapt Cloak & Dagger's exploits into a brickfilm script.  I did remove Spider Man from the storyline, though this first adventure comes from Spectacular Spider Man #64 (1982).  Detective O'Rielly, a main character in Cloak & Dagger, takes his place.  The first of two scenes is under 3 minutes long and the whole episode is about 7 minutes.

Thinking about the challenges of rendering the title characters in Lego: I think Dagger would have to be a custom-made mini figure.  Cloak can wear a black hood (possibly custom painted with blue vertical stripes) and wear two capes, a blue outer cape and black inner cape.  Someone could carefully custom-draw black vertical lines on the blue cape with a Sharpie marker.  The Lego syringe is seen in Lego Friends, Lego Dino, and the surgeon from Collectible minifigures series 6.  Most everything else is pretty feasable with unmodified Lego elements.

I'd love your comments!!!  And if anyone would like to translate this to the Lego medium, send me a forum email.  If you love to animate but need stories, I can continue to adapt this as a series from the Marvel Brickfilm Universe.

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CLOAK & DAGGER

Episode 1

THE DARKNESS AND THE LIGHT

SCREENPLAY BY
MICHAEL C. TOURETTE

Based on MARVEL COMICS characters
created by
BILL MANTLO and ED HANNIGAN

EXT. MANHATTAN STREETS – NIGHT

A man in his late 50s, SIMON MARSHALL, is running as fast as he can, panicked.  Turning a corner, he runs down an ALLEY.  Observing a FIRE ESCAPE on the side of one of the buildings in the alley, he climbs up it as fast as he can for a non-athletic man of his age.  He reaches the ROOFTOP and runs.

CUT TO ROOFTOP

Simon continues to run, panting with each step.  He looks behind to see if he's being followed.  Swinging his head back forward, he stops dead in his tracks, startled.

CUT TO
POV SIMON

A towering DARK FIGURE, resembling a spectre, looms before Simon.  He is a black man, though only his face is visible.  The rest of his body is shrouded in a NAVY BLUE AND BLACK CAPE.  He goes by the name CLOAK.

CLOAK
(his voice is icy)  We've come for you, Simon.

Simon looks to one side, sees THE ROOFTOP OF ANOTHER BUILDING close enough to the jump to.  He runs towards it.

SIMON MARSHALL
One more step and I can jump to safety!

Darting, seemingly from nowhere, is a slender blonde teenager dressed in a FORM-FITTING ALL-WHITE BODY SUIT.  It is cut down the middle in the shape of a dagger, with the point exposing her navel.  She wears cross-like DAGGER EARRINGS.  Her name is DAGGER.  Sprinting and jumping with boundless energy, she somersaults over Simon and blocks his escape.

DAGGER
One more step, and it will be your last!

SIMON MARSHALL
What... what are you going to do?

DAGGER
We're going to use the powers you gave me to exact revenge.
SIMON MARSHALL
No!  I'll turn myself in... confess to everything!  I just needed the money!  I had no idea that they'd do... this... with the drugs!  I'm so sorry!

DAGGER
Sorry?  What good is that now?

Dagger flashes out her hand at Simon.  SHARDS OF LIGHT project from her palm into Simon's body.

SIMON MARSHALL
I'm not the one who did this!  I'm just a pharmacist!  Aaaaaah!

Simon freezes and falls lifeless.

SFX Police siren.

Cloak appears behind Dagger, almost as if floating.

CLOAK
Someone called the police.  It's time we disappeared.

Cloak envelops Dagger in his cape.  He spins around once, and, literally, disappears.  The sirens wail louder.  Within a minute, TWO POLICEMEN scale the fire escape to the rooftop, brandishing GUNS.  Cautiously they examine the scene on the rooftop.  Policeman #1 discovers the lifeless body of Simon Marshall.

POLICEMAN #1
(waving with his gun.)  Over here!

Policeman #2 sprints over, crouches down, and examines Simon's pulse.

POLICEMAN #2
No pulse.  Also feels ice cold.  This is that drug dealer we've been after.

Enter DETECTIVE BRIGID O'RIELLY, a redhead woman in her 30s, wearing a GREEN JACKET.  She is carrying a DIGITAL VOICE RECORDER.  Policeman #1 notices her and waves to her.

POLICEMAN #1
Detective O'Rielly: over here!

Detective O'Rielly walks to the body, examining it.

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY
Yes, that is the pharmacist we've been looking for.  Looks like a clean kill.  Have you found any evidence?

POLICEMAN #2
Nothing yet.  But whoever did this did the city a favor.

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY
That's one way of looking at it.  But we've got a legal system that takes care of creeps like him.  The last thing this city needs is more lawlessness.  Whether it be a citywide drug ring or vigilantes taking justice into their own hands, I won't tolerate it.

POLICEMAN #1
Reports on my car radio have witnesses in the area reporting the purest light just a moment ago.

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY
That, gentleman, may be the only clue we have.

EXT. ELLIS ISLAND - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING

The abandoned building that welcomed immigrants can be seen behind the Status of Liberty.

INT. ELLIS ISLAND - NIGHT

THREE MEN are siting on the cold stone floor, huddled together.  DAGGER is present, her entire body providing illumination.  CLOAK enters via a doorway, carrying a fourth man, JOEY TARTAGLIONE, wearing a business suit.  Cloak pushes him to the ground.

CLOAK
In here, with your fellow murderers.

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
Who are yous guys?  I was minding my own business when your girl KO's me!
CLOAK
Take a good look.  Don't you remember us?

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
I ain't never seen yous guys ever in my life.

MAN #1
Forget it, Joey.  They know everything.  They were two of those pipsqueak kids.

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
But all those kids is dead!  No one survived!

MAN #1
These two did.  And they got Marshall.  They know our names, our hangout locations, everything.

MAN #2
Sure!  We blabbed everything to them.  We didn't think anyone would be around to tell.

CLOAK
Dagger and I are around.

MAN #3
Take us the the D.A.  We'll confess everything!  Just don't hurt us!

DAGGER
The two of us pleaded the same way.  Do you remember how you answered us?

BEGIN FLASHBACK

INT. ELLIS ISLAND - NIGHT

CAPTION: Four Months Earlier

the THREE MEN are present.  JOEY TARTAGLIONE is holding a young black man, TYRONE, by his arms.  Tyrone is a black teen wearing a t-shirt and jeans.  He looks like Cloak.  Also present is SIMON MARSHALL, preparing a SYRINGE at a DESK with many GLASS CONTAINERS.

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
You ain't leaving until we're done with yous.  Not a moment before.

MAN #1
Are you ready yet, Simon?

SIMON MARSHALL
I'm ready.  Roll up his sleeve.  If this concoction works, we'll have invented the most addictive drug ever, and we'll be the proprietary owners of it.  Everyone will have get it through us.  Well be rich, gentlemen!

Simon gets ready to put the needle in Tyrone's arm

CLOSE ON Tyrone's face.  He screams in pain.

END FLASHBACK

DAGGER
Our cries for mercy were for naught.  We were all thrown in a dank room for observation.

BEGIN FLASHBACK

INT. SMALL ROOM - NIGHT

A door opens.  JOEY TARTAGILIONE throws TYRONE in, where about SIX TEENS are, writing in pain.  Among them is a blond girl, TANDY, who looks like Dagger, dressed in a red top and a skirt.

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
In with the others, punk.

TANDY
(reaching her arm out.)  Help me!  I'm sick!  Dying!  Please!

DAGGER (v.o.)
But I didn't die.  Neither did Cloak.  We tried to make a run for it while no one was watching.

CUT TO:
INT. SMALL ROOM - NIGHT
The TEENS are on the FLOOR.  The THREE MEN are on their knees, examining them.  SIMON MARSHALL and JOEY TARTAGILONE are standing, watching.

MAN #2
The kids are droppin' like flies.  The drug's killing 'em!

JOEY TARTAGLIONE
Doc, two of them are gone.  They musta crawled out.

SIMON MARSHALL
Let them go.  They'll never leave the island and will meet the same fate.  I doubt anyone will search Ellis Island for a couple of runaways.

CUT TO

EXT. ELLIS ISLAND - NIGHT

TYRONE and TANDY are running.

DAGGER (v.o.)
For some reason, the drug reacted differently with us.  And while we wanted to go back and save the others, we knew there was nothing we could do.  But we soon realized that the drugs turned us into...

END FLASHBACK

CUT TO
Cloak & Dagger

DAGGER
Cloak & Dagger!  And we will show you the same mercy you gave us... none!

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY (o.s.)
Stop right there!

Cloak and Dagger turn their heads.  Standing there is DETECTIVE O'RIELLY, and the TWO POLICE OFFICERS from the scene on the rooftop.  Detective O'Rielly is holding a gun.

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY
We'll take it from here.  It's my job to bring these men to justice.

DAGGER
We don't want justice.  Only revenge!

Dagger holds her arms outstretched.  A blinding light distracts Detective O'Rielly and the two policemen.

DAGGER
Now, Cloak!

Cloak spins once and disappears.  He reappears, spinning, behind Joey Tartaglione and the three men.  He envelops the men in his cape.

INT. PURE DARKNESS - NIGHT

Nothing is visible.  The THREE MEN and JOEY TARTAGLIONE can only be heard.

MAN #1 (v.o.)
Where are we?

MAN #2 (v.o.)
It's freezing in here!

MAN #3 (v.o.)
I feel like I'm falling forever!

Suddenly, a small light is visible. 

JOEY TARTIGLIONE (v.o)
There's a light!  Run toward it, guys!  Otherwise we'll freeze to death!

The light grows brighter.

JOEY TARTAGLIONE (v.o.)
Almost there!  Wait!  That light!  It's the moonlight through the window!

CUT TO
INT. ELLIS ISLAND - NIGHT

CLOAK is standing before a window, his CLOAK stretched out.  Running out of the cloak are JOEY TARTAGLIONE and the THREE MEN, who crash right through the window, falling five stories down.
MEN #1, 2, 3 and JOEY TARTAGLIONE
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

DAGGER joins Cloak by the window.  Cloak turns to DETECTIVE O'RIELLY.

CLOAK
They sought the light, and I helped them find it.  What you call "justice" has been done.  Farewell.

Cloak envelops Dagger within his cloak.  He turns once and is gone.  Detective O'Rielly and the two policemen stand, bewildered.

POLICEMAN #1
You're right about that light indicating their presence, detective.

POLICEMAN #2
No one will believe this.  You want us to keep all the crazy stuff out of the police report?

DETECTIVE O'RIELLY
I sure do...  but we won't.  We must adhere to the law.  That's the only path to true justice.

Somberly, they begin to exit.

THE END.