Batman: Year One Page #7

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She's crying.

GORDON:

Honey, come on. I didn't mean it.

It's just, raising a child in this

hell hole. Maybe after my transfer

goes through things will be

different.

ANN jerks her shoulder away and exits in a huff.

Leaving GORDON alone with the—

TV NEWS—

NEWS ANCHOR, BRIAN

Is Gotham City in the middle of a

crime wave? Murder, prostitution,

drugs, racketeering, all on the rise.

The commissioner's office refuses to comment.

On the TV:
THOMAS WAYNE's crest, an INTERTWINED 'T' AND 'W.'

NEWS ANCHOR, BRIAN

When we return:
Can the Wayne Corporation

find the missing heir to THOMAS WAYNE's

fortune before the 15 year deadline?

GORDON pays no attention.

INT. OUTSIDE COMMISSIONER LOEB'S OFFICE - DAY

GORDON sits in the waiting room outside a door marked 'Police

Commissioner GILLIAN LOEB'.

Loud, muffled voices argue on the other side. LOEB's SECRETARY

is doing a crossword puzzle, oblivious.

The door opens, Gotham's young Assistant District Attorney,

HARVEY DENT, stands in it yelling back into the office.

DENT:

You can't protect him forever.

ESTRADA will go down and you'll go

with him.

DENT slams the door and stomps off. The SECRETARY pushes a

button on the INTERCOM.

SECRETARY:

Commissioner Loeb, there's a

Detective Gordon here to see you.

LOEB (O.S.)

Send him in.

GORDON enters—

INT. COMMISSIONER LOEB'S OFFICE – MOMENTS LATER

GORDON musters all his confidence as he approaches LOEB who

works an exercise spring in his beefy fist.

GORDON:

Sir, I'm Detective James Gordon.

I'm here about my transfer.

LOEB:

I know who you are, Gordon. Chief

Collins has told me all about you.

Says you're another COWBOY, like

your friend Dent there. Says you

don't understand the way things are

done.

GORDON:

I've never met Assistant D.A. Dent,

sir. And don't know why Chief

Collins would say anything like

that.

LOEB:

(rubs temples)

There's no transfer for you,

Gordon. It's my responsibility to

train young officers a proper

respect for tradition, for the

established order of things. You

need to learn what it takes to be a

cop in Gotham.

GORDON:

If by 'tradition' you mean graft

and—

LOEB:

(interrupts)

I suggest you be a little more

selective in your manner of speech,

detective. Things could get awfully

difficult for you around here.

And you don't want that, not for

your lovely wife.

GORDON'S jaw drops at the overt threat.

LOEB (CONT'D)

You're mine Gordon.

Without saying a word GORDON turns and leaves — DEFEATED.

INT. GORDON'S APARTMENT. BATHROOM - EVENING

GORDON has his GUN in his mouth.

He looks down at his SHAKING FIST.

He opens it — EMPTY!

This time HE'S LOADED THE BULLETS INTO THE GUN.

The HAMMER pulls back —

We hear the front door open and the sounds of ANN looking

through the apartment for GORDON.

Then she's at the door —

ANN (O.S.)

Jim. Jim, it's a boy.

GORDON takes the GUN out of his mouth.

It's like he has just heard her voice for the first time. He

bursts out of the bathroom and ENGULFS his wife in a hug.

GORDON:

A boy. We're going to have a baby

boy.

A smile crosses ANN'S lips.

EXT. JUNK YARD BEHIND AL'S GARAGE - DAY

BRUCE works like a FIEND. HE'S POSSESSED.

Sweat soaks through his clothes as he HEAVES ENGINES into a

giant CRUSHING MACHINE.

He pulls the lever. Solid steel POPS and CRACKS like eggs.

LITTLE AL watches, then approaches and shuts off the machine.

LITTLE AL:

This can't go on.

BRUCE:

What?

LITTLE AL:

When was the last time you slept

more than two hours in a row?

BRUCE doesn't answer.

LITTLE AL (CONT'D)

That's what I thought. You're going

to hurt yourself. You need time to

sort stuff out. Consider yourself

on vacation. Go.

LITTLE AL points to BRUCE'S door.

INT. GREASY SPOON DINER - THE NEXT DAY

GORDON looks tired, as if he's been up all night thinking.

He hasn't touched his food. But he HAS piled an ashtray full

of MARLBORO butts.

The counter man, DAVE, fills his coffee cup.

DAVE:

You OK, Jim?

GORDON:

Thanks Dave, you ever notice how,

sometimes, coming to a realization

about something, you know, figuring

out something important, only makes

everything more difficult?

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