Batman Page #28

ANGLE ON HELICOPTERS

LURCHING AND SPINNING IN THE SKY as FIREWORKS rocket past.

One of them takes a dead hit on the rotor. JOHN GRAYSON

falls to his death instantly; a moment later, the COPTER

plummets into the trees with a resounding, fiery CRASH.

MARY GRAYSON hangs from the second copter as it bobs and

weaves out of control. ONLOOKERS SCREAM IN TERROR.

EXT. STREET - THAT MOMENT

THE JOKER'S VAN bursts out of the park and speeds up a

wide, cordoned-off avenue. Overhead, THE SECOND COPTER

veers wildly, out of the park now, swinging dangerously

close to the tall buildings along the avenue.

INT. HELICOPTER - THAT MOMENT

DICK GRAYSON at the mouth of the bay, hanging on by a

canvas strap. He watches helplessly as his MOTHER swings

into a POWER LINE and drops three stories to the pavement.

DICK:

NO! NOOOOOOOO!!!!

His face is contorted with rage and pain. The PILOT

struggles desperately to right the copter, barely avoiding

a collision with the nearest building. And then -- before

THE PILOT can make a move to stop him -- DICK HAS JUMPED

OUT OF THE COPTER.

ANGLE ON DICK:

With astonishing physical grace, he DIVES. GRABS A

FLAGPOLE. Executes a perfect somersault. FLIPS onto a

nearby fire escape. VAULTS to the next fire escape down.

And LEAPS OUT OVER THE STREET --

-- MAKING A PERFECT TWO-POINT LANDING on his intended

target... THE ROOF OF THE JOKER'S VAN!!

INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT

THE JOKER hears a THUNK overhead. He casually lifts his gun

and BLOWS A HOLE THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE VAN.

EXT. ROOF OF VAN - MOVING - THAT MOMENT

The blast just misses DICK. He sprawls flat, YANKS at the

chrome luggage rack on the roof of the van, and BREAKS OFF

A FOUR-FOOT SHAFT OF METAL.

ANOTHER SHOT through the roof. DICK rolls forward, hoists

his chrome spear over the windshield.

INT. VAN - THAT MOMENT

SPLINTERED GLASS flies everywhere as DICK RAMS THE SHAFT

THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THE DRIVER dodges left and LOSES

CONTROL OF THE WHEEL.

EXT. ROOF OF VAN - MOVING - THAT MOMENT

The VAN careens wildly toward an OVERPASS. DICK rises up

into a crouch just in time to see a sign which reads

"DANGER -- LOW CLEARANCE." He's about to get his head taken

off!

ONE SECOND BEFORE IMPACT a BLACK-CAPED SHADOW swings across

the street and SCOOPS DICK OFF THE ROOF OF THE VAN.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

BATMAN AND DICK tumble to the pavement. THE VAN knocks over

a fire hydrant and STOPS. DICK is already on his feet,

ready to CHARGE THE VAN, when BATMAN throws a powerful arm

around his waist.

DICK:

LET ME GO! LET ME --

THE JOKER steps casually out of the van. TWO GOONS with

MACHINE GUNS emerge behind him. PEDESTRIANS SCREAM as the

GOONS level their guns at the CROWD.

DICK (cont.)

YOU PIECE OF -- YOU MOTHERF--

DICK is kicking, screaming, clawing, biting. BATMAN has his

hands full restraining the kid.

JOKER:

Like your boyfriend. He's kinda

hot.

(glowering at BATMAN)

Hands off the belt.

BATMAN:

Take me. Let the boy go.

JOKER:

Gosh, I could kill you, but then

you'd miss my party. And I'd be

real, real sad if you couldn't make

it.

BATMAN:

What are you talking about?

JOKER:

Batman! Don't you even recognize

your old pal Jack? After all...

(cackling insanely)

You made me what I am today.

BATMAN c*cks his head in puzzlement as DISTANT SIRENS

BLARE. The JOKER and his HOODS -- guns still aimed at the

crowd -- back away and race off on foot, vanishing into the

night.

DICK BREAKS FREE and BOLTS AFTER THEM. BATMAN throws him to

the street with a flying tackle. The boy is hysterical.

DICK:

HE KILLED MY PARENTS! HE KILLED

MY --

BATMAN flinches at the sound of the words. He reaches into

his belt and -- mercifully -- breaks a KNOCKOUT CAPSULE

under DICK's nose.

DISSOLVE TO:

INSERT - TELEVISION SCREEN

A taped report from the hallway outside ALICIA's apartment.

COPS and FORENSICS MEN mill about in the b.g.

REPORTER:

... on a tip attributed to the

mysterious Batman. The apartment was

booby-trapped with the Joker's

laughing gas, leaving 17 policemen

dead.

(beat)

Also found dead at the scene was

Alicia Hunt, 26, a former model --

CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal that the TV SCREEN is part of

BRUCE'S BANK OF MONITORS, deep in the Batcave. The other

screens show the various rooms of Wayne Manor, all empty.

We move now to the video display of a COMPUTER WORKSTATION,

showing TWO FACES side-by-side: a mug shot of JACK NAPIER

and a freeze-frame of the JOKER from one of his pirate

transmissions. A GRAPHICS PROGRAM abstracts the twin heads

into THREE-DIMENSIONAL, ROTATING TOPOLOGICAL GRIDS -- and,

as we watch, the two spinning heads COLLIDE AND MERGE.

Except for the fearsome grin, they MESH PERFECTLY.

Yet another terminal: BRUCE's database. The same phrase

flashes again and again, scrolling up the screen: ACE

CHEMICAL CO. ACE CHEMICAL CO. ACE CHEMICAL CO.

And, finally:
BRUCE HIMSELF, slumped at a table, his head

in his hands. He's realized, to his horror, that he is

responsible for the birth of the Joker. And frankly...

he would just as soon be dead.

INT. WAYNE MANOR - GUEST BEDROOM - DAY

DICK GRAYSON is sprawled on a huge four-poster bed,

unconscious, softly moaning. He COMES TO with a jolt.

Breaking into a sweat almost instantly, he looks at his

unfamiliar surroundings. A shadowy figure stands nearby.

DICK:

... Where am I?

BRUCE:

My name is Bruce Wayne. You're

welcome to stay here as long as you

want.

BRUCE steps out just as ALFRED enters with a breakfast

tray. DICK makes a puzzled face. What the hell is going on

here?

INT. HALL OF JUSTICE - DAY

Beneath the statue of blind Justice, BRUCE and HARVEY DENT

march through the portico, engaged in a heated argument.

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