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by Alex Larson (larz7223@hotmail.com)

Rated:

Genre: Drama User Review:

An episodic telling of life in Gotham City from many viewpoints of criminals, enforcers of law, and vigilantes, often conflicting with one another.

GOTHAM - EPISODE ONE

FADE IN:

INT. METROPOLIS SALOON - DAY

Over a screen of black, we hear LAUGHTER, a JUKEBOX, and a
VOICE.

STEFAN (v.o.)
I don't know why I left Gotham.

Then we see the source:

A saloon stuck the late 1800s, and a table of three; STEFAN
DREYFUS (30s, average), PENGUIN(big, hairy), DIBNY. Many
tables surround them.

STEFAN
Not to come drink your bourbon.

PENGUIN
I suppose not. You're here...
because Gotham is a shithole. You
could've called, to see about this
missing lady problem, but you
didn't. You came to Metropolis,
and you feel as if you may never
go back. But because your "boss,"
whoever that may be, has you
looking for some lady, an
important lady, with a surname
similar to a certain, infamous
Gothamite, you can't stay.

STEFAN
Dent?

Penguin looks at Stefan.

PENGUIN
Dent.

DIBNY
As in Harvey Dent?

STEFAN
No, as in Gilda Dent, his... wife.

PENGUIN
You mean your boss's wife, who the
Metropolis Police Department holed
up in Midvale by the order of
(MORE)

PENGUIN (cont'd)
Commissioner Gordon?

Stefan's slow to respond.

While Penguin pours a shot of bourbon down his throat...

STEFAN
So?

Penguin feels the strong liquor.

PENGUIN
Yep.

STEFAN
Where is she?

PENGUIN
I understood, from your message,
that what you needed to know
wasn't where she was. Only that
she isn't dead in a fucking ditch.

STEFAN
There is a difference. Between
knowing where somebody is, and not
knowing, but assuming they're
okay-

PENGUIN
A bigger difference..., Stefan, is
when yer assuming someone's okay
in Gotham, and here. In
Metropolis.

Stefan raises his arms WIDE.

STEFAN
So, I go back home, tell my boss
his... whatever she is to him is
doing just fine away from him, and
she doesn't turn up dead in a
fucking ditch?

Penguin gives him an EYEFUL stare, before looking away with
a shot of BOURBON to his mouth.

STEFAN (contd.)
I still don't know why I left. I
could've called.

Penquin finishes, eyes Stefan, leans back.

PENGUIN
So... what exactly happened to
Harvey?

DIBNY
There's rumors. Talk of a man,
wearing a half suit, and a mask.

PENGUIN
Rumors before that said he was
back in the attorney chair,
donnin' an original tailored suit
and a... full face.

STEFAN
He did. He was. They all thought
"Harvey" was really back, and
still do. Word'll get out though,
soon enough. Harvey is yet again
Two-Face.

PENGUIN
(laughs)
Maroni come back from the dead for
him?

STEFAN
No. No, a while back, there were
four murders; all of them
criminals, and each of their
deaths made to look like Face's
work. After that, Dent just...
disappeared, and a month later, he
asks me to work for him again. You
know, when I saw his...; he fucked
it back up his own self, just like
it was before, after Maroni...

PENGUIN
And you work for him. Again.

STEFAN
It's better than where... what I
worked before, and I'm still
recruiting- you know, picking up
fodder from the streets. At least,
so far I haven't had to kill
anything.

            PENGUIN
      (pouring more rum)
So when some poor sod's wronged
him, and he gives you the gun,
what do you do, Stefan, when that
            (MORE)

PENGUIN (cont'd)
coin lands the wrong way up?

STEFAN
You can always hope. Hope that...
maybe there's an earthquake, that
someone else, or you-know-who
comes along.

PENGUIN
(mid-drink)
Actually, I don't fucking know
who.

STEFAN
Yeah, you do. The one who just
showed up one time, out of
nowhere. Bats, you never see bats
like that. Maybe you find one dead
in your garbage, but not like
that. I remember what Gotham used
to be. The cops were criminals,
the politicians were criminals.
And the criminals? Gotham changed
after that first night. You know
he scared us, scared everyone.
Somehow, it even got to the mayor.

Penguin frowns at the mere mention.

PENGUIN
And you left after that?

STEFAN
The department was fucked up. They
didn't care about the crime, they
stopped caring about Falcone; it
was about catching the Batman,
teach him that no one fucks with
Gotham City.

DIBNY
He ain't dead?

Stefan laughs.

STEFAN
Batman? He ain't dead. He ain't
dead at all, just like the rest of
'em. He's been gone a while, left
about a year ago to iron out his
suit, but he's back now. One thing
you learn in Gotham, you can't
really kill somethin' 'cause even
(MORE)

STEFAN (cont'd)
if you do, somehow, someway it's
gonna come back. So, no, Batman
ain't dead. He's in his prime. His
friends, too. Thing is, anymore,
all that's going on in Gotham
hardly calls for anyone other than
narcotics and homicide.

PENGUIN
We don't hear his name...
mentioned a lot down here.

            STEFAN
It's been too long...since
Gotham's clouds've been...truly
black. I remember super-crime-
rembember the days of Sionis,
Cobblepot, the 'iceman.' Then,
there was that thing. We all
thought he was just like any other
crazy. At first. Every Gothan
remembers where they were when the
Joker walked up to Barbara Gordon
in her own apartment, right in
front of the Commissioner and...
      (makes a pistol
       with his fist)
bang. Not just because she was his
daughter. That was the day when
Gotham realized that, no matter
where they were, they weren't
safe. And everyone agrees that
Batman made a difference. But not
all say it was for the good.

The bartender JONES rests his hand on Stefan's shoulder.

Several surrounding tables seem to be FACING his general
direction.

Jones pours a shot of bourbon, and holds it high in the air,
as does the several other tables before the scene closes.

INT. SHIPPING DOCK WAREHOUSE B - EVENING

An establishing shot presents a man in a torn suit.
Restrained to a steel chair.

Another sizable man accompanies the restrained one in a
separate chair of similar steel texture. He seems to be
studying a notebook.

A deteriorated warehouse surrounds them. Broken walls and
old storage units stand.

Working lights hang over them. Precariously.

180 degree jump cut: we see the man's hands bound by a
simple ziptie.

Behind us, a door is disclosed. Four characters come into
view. A long walk to reach the man in the chair, they take;
two men, two women.

TWO-FACE
You sure it's the right one?

TWO-FACE wears a mask over the left half of his face.

His suit is of a classic look; dual-colored black and white
overcoat, pants halved vertically; visibly black vest and
tie.

The PILOT stands behind the restrained man.

The two female companions on either side of TWO-FACE.

All of them face the man restrained to the chair.

            TOUGH THUG
      (Looking up from
       his notebook)
I've seen the real one's face
before.
      (Nodding towards
       the man in the
       chair)
He's got the scars.

The Pilot (dark navy beret and a swat-like uniform, also of
navy color) pulls BACK on the man's head, revealing his
face. It is badly BEATEN.

Both areas around the eyes blackened; nose and mouth and
right cheek bleeding from OPEN WOUNDS; but the defining
aspect are the many SURGICAL SCARS.

The Pilot pushes the man's head back down. Two-Face leans in
and looks up at his Pilot.

            TWO-FACE
      (Looking at his
       pilot)
Get me a chair.

The Pilot does not give in.

Two-Face's Tough Thug removes himself from his steel chair,
sacrificing his own comfort for Two-Face by bringing the
chair over to him.

            TWO-FACE (contd.)
Forgive me...I'm afraid
I'm...unfamiliar with the broken
face of Gotham's bachelor. I
didn't expect you to put up the
hell of a fight you apparently
did.
      (Springing out of
       his chair)
'Bring me the asshole with the
bandages who made himself look
like Bruce Wayne.' Sounds easy,
right?
      (Leaning with both
       hands against
       back of chair)
How did you do that? How many
faces of unlucky Gothans did you
have to maim to get every little
detail? And what was your goal? Is
one face of this city's biggest
moron not enough? But it really is
a work of art, altering many the
faces of men to� replicate the
individual face of another.
      (Sitting back down)
Quite an interesting part of men,
the face. No matter how hard you
break it, you can never change who
he truly is.

Two-Face removes his mask- leans in closely to the man- the
left half of his face gruesome, skinless, showing teeth,
muscle, bone, his bulging left eye. Speaks in a much DARKER
TONE.

TWO-FACE
But break a man's spirit, and he
becomes alien- a separate being
from the rest of the world, who's
given up what he always stood for.
And that's what makes me the
villain.

SUGAR
He's still pretty cute, though.

SUGAR wears WHITE, SPICE wears RED.

Spice interrupts with an indiscernible accent, unlike that
of Sugar's Brooklyn-esque tone.

SPICE
You musta' got the same beatins as
him to think like tha'. He looks
like Face's ugly half.

Sugar advances, discerned by Spice's comment.

SUGAR
Don't you call out his 'ugly
half,' you know he's proud of that
shit!

SPICE
I just sayins, thas all.

SUGAR
Oh you just sayin? Well he looks
better than all the retards you
fu-

            TWO-FACE
      (Springing again
       out of his chair,
       violently pushing
       it over)
Shut the fuck up!

Two-Face pulls a .45 cal. HANDGUN from his left jacket
pocket. Rests the barrel on the fore of the restrained man's
head.

The trigger is pulled. HANDGUN generates the faint click of
a round-less chamber.

He pulls away the firearm. Brings out his TWO-SIDED COIN.

            TWO-FACE
Our...situation can end two ways.
The coin will decide which.
      (Showing him the
       non-scarred side
       of the coin, and
       holstering the
       weapon)
You and I bring this city down on
its knees�together. The fools in
their costumes hiding in the
shadows cast by their "friends" in
the GCPD; everything and all of
            (MORE)

            TWO-FACE (cont'd)
it; I'm going to own this place
again. And you're going to help
with that. But since you had other
plans involving every other
fucking adversary Gotham has to
offer, there's another way this
could play out.
      (leans over with
       hands on the
       man's knees)
You may think our roles should be
switched. Me in the chair, with my
life in your hands. You repaired
my face and tried to use me in
your little game with the Bat, and
I shot you in the back, but this
is how it is.
      (stands up
       straight)
Fate. There's no room for me and
you unless we work together.
      (Showing him the
       dark side)
Everyone leaves in one piece. Save
you.

TWO-FACE grabs the COIN during its descent, and slams it
onto the backside of his left hand.

He does not look at the result, and instead feels the side
of the coin, and places it back into his pocket.

TWO-FACE looks over to his TOUGH THUG, gives a slight nod.
He then nods to his PILOT.

Two-Face waits behind as the PILOT as well as SUGAR and
SPICE depart. Puts his half-mask back on.

TWO-FACE (cont'd)
Maybe we'd have done well
together. You don't get what you
want from this city by that of
riddles or jokes or fear or
poison. Fairness is the only
judge. Today it judged you.

TWO-FACE stands looking at the man. Looks again to his
henchman, walks away, followed by the restrained man loosely
muttering ARISTOTLE�

ELLIOT
Evil�will bring us together again.

10.

We see TWO-FACE walk away in a master shot, also presenting
the man and the TOUGH THUG.

TOUGH THUG straightens himself, pulls out a straight RAZOR,
and begins walking toward the man in the chair.

ELLIOT
Hush little baby, don't say a
word,
Momma's gonna buy you a
mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't
sing...

By the third lyric, the TOUGH THUG stands in front of TOMMY
ELLIOT, lightly caressing his RAZOR as the tune takes a
pause.

ELLIOT (cont'd)
...Momma's gonna buy you a
guillotine.

We are facing behind ELLIOT, with the TOUGH THUG in front of
him.

Before the scene cuts, TOMMY ELLIOT looks up to the
henchman.

(QUEUE INTRO)

EXT. DELAWARE BAY - EVENING

Stefan Dreyfus comes upon the Metropolis DOCKS. Bag slung
over shoulder. Stops at a certain fishing vessel, dubbed the
MIGHTY's MYSTERY. A man peeks out of the side.

LEGS
FUCK, STEFAN!

Stefan says nothing, but smiles, and moves toward the boat.
Legs hand-walks his way down the ramp and takes Stefan's bag
from him, and "walks" back onto the boat with it, setting it
down. Stefan boards, and sits in a simple lawn chair. Legs
sits in driver seat, and the boat begins to move in the
direction of Gotham City.

INT. SHIPPING DOCK WAREHOUSE B - LATER

BLOODIED hands being washed over an INSANITARY sink;
jump out, belonging to TOMMY ELLIOT. Turns his wrist, water
flow ceases. Eyes a first aid kit; grabs the handle and

11.

opens it. Contains standard supplies; only grabs roll of
BANDAGES, which WRAP over his head, leaving crevices for
eyes and mouth.

Turns around- pauses- looks at something. Walks toward a
closet, finds a beige RAINCOAT. Puts himself inside one arm
after the other. Finally becomes HUSH.

Walks out of the room; we see it was an office/bathroom
portion of the abandoned warehouse; and into the open part
he was earlier RESTRAINED.

Two-Face's tough thug sits- DEAD, blood covers his neck,
everything below. HUSH walks by- pauses- turns around- eyes
the dead face- pulls out sharp RAZOR as the dead man once
did.

As this happens, we hear an overarching voice�

RYDER (O.S.)
For the past�decade�

INT. JACK RYDER TALK SHOW (SEEN THROUGH A TV SCREEN) - NIGHT

JACK RYDER: infamous talk show host; seated at his desk atop
his stage. Speaks directly to camera.

            RYDER
�ever since we began seeing giant
bats soaring the skies of Gotham,
there's been hundreds of other
tales of super villains and
heroes, our ex-district attorney
turned criminal then back again,
and the gruesome assassinations of
the criminals Grace Balin, Anatoli
Knyazev, Margaret Pye, and Albert
Wesker, commonly known as,
respectively,
      (reads from a
       notecard four
       nicknames)
Orca, KGBeast, Magpie, and The
Ventriloquist, and the supposed
connection they have to Harvey
Dent � there never seemed to be a
dull moment in our great city-
until now. And it'd be a lie if I
said I wasn't curious as to what
one of Gotham's richest and most�
infamous celebrities has to say
about all of it. On a very special
occasion, one special Gothan who
            (MORE)

12.

RYDER (cont'd)
just recently came out of hiding,
Mr. Bruce Wayne!

Stands in wait, BRUCE WAYNE is nowhere to be found.

INT. WAYNE MANOR (ONE OF THE MANY LIVING ROOMS) - MOMENTS LATER

BRUCE WAYNE's ally, butler, friend� ALFRED PENNYWORTH�
stands behind a luxurious chair, in view of the television
screen featuring a bewildered JACK RYDER.

He remains indifferent to Wayne's usual LACK of interest
regarding Ryder's show.

INT. JACK RYDER TALK SHOW - MOMENTS LATER

JACK RYDER has finally seated himself after accepting
WAYNE's absence.

            RYDER
Well� it seems Mr. Wayne isn't
here. Likely his schedule did not
include attending tonight's show,
as one with as many priorities and
prostitutes probably would. As
such, we move on to our next
guest.
      (Reading off a
       notecard)
A nightly radio personality and
journalist with a passion for
reporting on the city's crime and
corruption, please welcome Vesper
Fairchild!

We see the beautiful VESPER FAIRCHILD (auburn-haired woman
attired in a red-velvet dress and reading glasses),
accompanied by Bruce Wayne.

Wayne walks hand in hand with FAIRCHILD, ginger ale in left
hand, behind him follow two women.

INT. WAYNE MANOR - CONTINUOUS

Still watching the program, Alfred comes up short on
laughter, but manages to break a smirk.

13.

INT. JACK RYDER TALK SHOW - CONTINUOUS

Jack still stands. Guests make way for the stage's guest
chairs.

Vesper shares cheeky kiss with Jack, seats herself in first
chair.

Bruce and his women sit in the second seat� him in middle,
them on both armrests.

Jack seats himself, deterred.

INT. MOIRA'S VOLCANO HOLE - NIGHT

Ryder's show plays through the only television in MOIRA'S
VOLCANO HOLE, a shady bar owned by MOIRA McMARINO,
frequented by Two-Face thugs.

Two of which we see watching the program as we cut away,
STEFAN DREYFUSS (34) and "DUSTY" DEKE ABEL (30).

STEFAN DREYFUSS looks at his watch, a complex Rolex. We see
the time is approximately 10:35.

DEKE
Fucking dick.

STEFAN
Wayne? Or Ryder?

DEKE
Every billionaire is a dick, and
so is Jack Ryder. Where's the
fatman at?

STEFAN
He's late for once. Five minutes.

STEFAN reaches into the right pocket of his jeans, and pulls
out a dark flip-phone.

DEKE
He's working with the boss
tonight. You know how that shit
always goes.

STEFAN
Sweet?

DEKE
No. Sour.

14.

STEFAN dials the number and puts the phone to his ear, both
him and DEKE still watching the JACK RYDER PROGRAM.
Mid-ring-

            STEFAN
      (Under his breath)
Moira-
      (Stefan motions
       with his hands
       towards the
       television)

Moira glances at Stefan. Slides the control toward DEKE, who
switches channels to the 10:30 Gotham News.

STEFAN ceases his attempt trying to reach their associate,
and looks again at his Rolex.

STEFAN
Seven minutes.

VALE
Unsurprising yet concerning news
from Warden of Blackgate
Penitentiary, Victor Zehrhard,
surfaced just hours ago, regarding
a recently commenced investigation
into the whereabouts of
globally-feared assassin David
Cain. Cain is responsible for
multiple murders of outstanding
political figures, and is believed
to have yet again escaped from his
four life sentences last night.
(O.S. - Authorities are still
unsure as to how Cain escaped, but
is presumed to have had assistance
inside the security for
Blackgate�)

Reporter VICKI VALE extends her report in the background.

DEKE
If he's got the stats like he says
I don't think he'd waste the
opportunity if he has something to
show for it. You know how much
those numbers go for if you've got
the reputation.

STEFAN
Yeah well I could see him
forgetting all the same.

15.

DEKE
He'll... will be here.

"DUSTY" ABEL drinks after his statement; eyes STEFAN
DREYFUSS, then looks at the TV SCREEN again.

DEKE (contd.)
Retards still haven't learned.

            STEFAN
      (Eyeing the small
       screen of his
       flip phone, and
       repeatedly
       checking his
       Rolex)
Learned what?

DEKE
Some folk� can't be caged, and you
can't tell someone to stay put.
You treat some folk like an animal
and you will see them become a
fucking animal.

STEFAN
You can't teach old tricks to an
old dog, neither.

DEKE
Whatever that means, not in this
city.

INT. JACK RYDER TALK SHOW - LATER

The JACK RYDER program continues, with FAIRCHILD and the
host discussing current GOTHAM crime rates...

RYDER
But you seem to believe in the
GCPD, and the mythical abilities
of Gotham's vigilantes.

FAIRCHILD
We'll see if Commissioner Gordon
can keep the department in line
well enough for one last year.

RYDER
And we'll see about the scary
mammals. Mr. Wayne, have you
anything to add?

16.

WAYNE
Oh, uh, "super-crime's" dead. It
seems, anymore, the only crime
left in Gotham is petty gang
violence and drug trafficking. I'm
concerned for the future of
Gotham. The now...doesn't seem to
warrant worry.

RYDER
But you are aware that there are
super-criminals out there? Or have
you forgotten why your parents
truly began the family foundation
in the first place?

WAYNE
The clown seems to have found his
way into Arkham- again. And the
ex- District Attorney found his
old self in his old job.

            FAIRCHILD
And last I heard there's been not
a shred of Ivy's vines for months.
For once, I think Bruce Wayne is
right. We should be rebuilding the
bricks of this city's foundation
rather than� concerning ourselves
too much with what it's
supporting,
      (Applause rises
       from the crowd)
which seems to be the dullest
crime wave since even before the
time of "ninja vigilantes" or�
whatever.
      (followed by
       laughter)

RYDER
And what's one idea you have for
rebuilding Gotham?

FAIRCHILD
A new mayor- a new...idol for us
to believe in. Armand Krol should
not- is not that figure, I think
he should be cut from his term and
replaced.

APPLAUSE arises again from the audience.

17.

RYDER
It seemed Harvey Dent was a
guiding figure for Gotham for
several years.

WAYNE
Until Maroni halved his face.

RYDER
Of� course.

FAIRCHILD
He was just as feared as the
Penguin, or� even the clown. Now
it seems the old Dent's back, but
we can't use that to excuse the
crimes he's committed.

RYDER
That's interesting, but� here's my
second question- Bruce, your
parents' foundation has garnered
little to no controversy in the
past, contradictory to... you...
but recently there has been some
backlash regarding the newest
addition to the foundation. Can
you-

WAYNE
- I've�prepared a large donation
to the foundation, and plan to
send it into the most needy parts
of the city. Schools and clinics,
mainly.

FAIRCHILD
What he won't tell you is that he
wants to buy education and medical
care. That's why the media is
lashing out, but they don't know
what the hell they are talking
about. No one owns the schools and
hospitals of Gotham, because no
one can. The worst part of this
city is neither the criminals nor
the trouble they cause; the state
controlling everything behind the
scenes is just as bad.

18.

RYDER
Well, Mr. Wayne, I wonder if you
could be this new pariah Ms.
Fairchild claims the city needs.

Bruce Wayne looks of indifference.

INT. WAYNE MANOR - NIGHT

ALFRED PENNYWORTH finalizes his duties at the WAYNE MANSION.

We see a master shot of ALFRED entering WAYNE's main
bedroom, setting his stainless-steel tray, bottoming a tea
kettle and provisions, on a nightstand.

Proceeding to make the bed, (bringing the covers toward the
barrage of pillows, and tucking them under the mattress) he
looks toward a small, framed picture, resting on the
nightstand next to the steel tray. A man and a woman embrace
each other in the photograph, a love between them that has
frequently escaped the life of their son.

INT. 11379 BLVD - NIGHT

We see an overview of the docks of Gotham, mainly dock 11379
Blvd., containing many abandoned storage facilities for ACE
CHEMICALS.

A large shipping truck passes CASUALLY through 11379 Blvd.
Three men, ADRIK (driver), SERGEI (middle pass.), and GRIGOR
(side pass.), sit close together in the cabin.

They drive south, passing through homeless within alleyways
huddled around trashcans lit afire, and pull into a lot
containing multiple WAREHOUSES.

The three in the cabin quickly exit once the ambulance comes
to a halt, and walk with haste towards the rear.

Two women, KAROLEK and ALOYOSHENKA, open the doors from the
inside of the cab, which also contains a man on a stretcher.

Each speaks in RUSSIAN.

KAROLEK
(russian)
Pull out the incline.

ADRIK does as KAROLEK asks.

19.

SERGEI walks up the incline to receive the man, helped by
KAROLEK and ALOYOSHENKA guiding the stretcher towards
SERGEI. GRIGOR stands watch.

KAROLEK
(russian)
Grigor, drive the truck in behind
us.

GRIGOR
(russian)
You said we'd have nothing to
worry about.

KAROLEK
(russian)
No, we don't, you fucking cock.
Drive the truck into the garage.

GRIGOR does as KAROLEK asks.

EXT. OUTSIDE J.D. STUDIO - NIGHT

BRUCE WAYNE and VESPER FAIRCHILD prepare to depart from the
studio via matching black limousines, but not before a quick
word...

FAIRCHILD
Bruce Wayne. You really are
unpredictable. Has anyone ever
told you that?

WAYNE
My father, once or twice.

VESPER smiles at the notion.

FAIRCHILD
You're leaving me alone with Jack
and his damn dinner guests
tonight, aren't you?

BRUCE smiles back.

WAYNE
I'm afraid I'm uninterested in who
Jack chooses as influential dinner
company.

FAIRCHILD
Then how about lighting my shitty
cigarette?

20.

Bringing a stainless-steel lighter to the tobacco stick in
her mouth...

WAYNE
Don't carry one yourself?

FAIRCHILD
I don't need to. I'm around more
billionaires than probably you,
and ninety-five percent of them
carry lighters on their... person.
(blowing out smoke)
What does a man like Bruce Wayne
do at night when he's not bringing
his call girls to national talk
shows?

WAYNE
Well...I bring them home.

She laughs.

WAYNE (cont'd)
What about Vesper? What interests
Ms. Fairchild?

FAIRCHILD
Muckraking shit about
WayneCorp...and its...affiliates.

WAYNE
Found anything?

FAIRCHILD
Billions upon billions of where
the hell did all this money come
from. But you think I would really
tell you?

WAYNE
You can rub it in my face.

She laughs again, but less sincerely.

FAIRCHILD
Good night, Bruce.

Bruce fucking Wayne smiles back, and heads toward his
limousine as Vesper does.

FAIRCHILD
Hey, Wayne!

21.

BRUCE looks back.

FAIRCHILD (cont'd)
You weren't too bad in there, you
know.

Again BRUCE smiles back, and ducks his head into the
backseat as ALFRED holds the door open.

Before his "call girls" can follow him in, he extends his
arm out to them, cash in hand...

WAYNE
I'm done for the night. Here's for
a cab.

INT. BRUCE WAYNE'S LIMO - CONTINUOUS

After entering the long car, BRUCE pulls down the left back
seat and brings out from behind it a sack of clothes and
paraphernalia as the limo takes off under ALFRED'S foot,
followed by a single police siren.

ALFRED
All there, Master Bruce. Enough
for at least a six or seven
o'clock shadow.

WAYNE
Thank you, Alfred. Did you polish
the hook by chance?

BRUCE takes off his overcoat and begins to unbutton his
vest.

ALFRED
I left a little grime on it, sir.
Don't think someone like "Lefty
Knox" has time to worry about that
sort of thing.

Looking at BRUCE in the mirror...

ALFRED
How ever did you come up with that
name, sir?

Bruce smiles.

WAYNE
What do you know of the 16th
century Protestant Reformation?

22.

BRUCE begins removing his trousers.

ALFRED
Martin Luther and John Calvin.

WAYNE
Luther and Calvin were the tip of
the iceberg.

After BRUCE wears nothing besides boxers and a white
undershirt, he proceeds to don the clothes from the bag.

WAYNE (cont'd)
The Scottish Reformation had their
own leader. Named John Knox.

BRUCE begins trading his nakedness for scratchy woolen
clothing after finding a jacket and matching breeches
replete with patches, a sweater, and a short-billed cap.

            WAYNE (cont'd)
      (Starting with the
       sweater)
I read about him when I was
abroad. In Paris.
      (then the jacket)
All his preaching reminded me of
left-wing politics, believing the
role of governing to belong to the
people rather than the government
itself.

The patched breeches come last.

After assuming the attire of "Lefty Knox," BRUCE begins
moving on to the paraphernalia, starting with the bogus
facial hair provided by ALFRED.

ALFRED
I would not recommend having
Doctor Aesop find out your
partiality to historical idols
besides Aesop himself.

WAYNE
Don't worry, Alfred. It's Lefty
Knox working for Aesop; not Bruce
Wayne.

ALFRED
I wouldn't mistake that for a good
thing, sir, seeing Lefty Knox has
blown two jobs already. He might
put you to his dogs if he has the
(MORE)

23.

ALFRED (cont'd)
proper mind about it.

WAYNE
Wolves, Alfred. The boy didn't cry
'dog' in Aesop's fable.

ALFRED
Just make sure you come back with
all limbs intact, master Bruce.
And know you can't misinform about
Harvey Dent's status much longer.

The last piece of the transformation comes in the shape of a
half-polished, three-pronged hook to replace BRUCE'S right
hand.

As the long car slows, BRUCE dives out, putting on the
assumption of a drunk homeless man being thrown out.

The squad car passes by BRUCE with hardly a worry from the
driver.

INT. ACE CHEMICALS STORAGE FACILITY - NIGHT

KAROLEK and SERGEI operate on the man on the stretcher,
offering chest compressions and air transfer.

KAROLEK
(russian)
His head...tilt his head.

SERGEI does as KAROLEK asks, tilting the man's head forward.

KAROLEK
(russian)
You stupid shit! The other way!

The rear door to the garage is audibly opened and closed.

ALOYOSHENKA walks up to GRIGOR leaning against the shipping
truck.

GRIGOR
(russian)
Short smoke?

ALOYOSHENKA
(russian)
I was hearing something out there.
I don't like this; they need to
hurry.

24.

GRIGOR leaves to take ALOYOSHENKA'S former place outside.

After closing the door and descending the small amount of
stairs, we, along with GRIGOR, see only the feet of ADRIK,
the rest of him blocked by the wall of the warehouse.

He appears to be lying face-down on the ground unconscious.

GRIGOR runs to him, and, looking over to his left, sees a
dark shape moving toward him swiftly.

A long and skinny bar riddled with rust hits him hard in the
face, prior to a swift kick to the gut.

GRIGOR falls to the ground, and slowly rouses himself.

Once he is standing meekly with an arm clenching his
stomach, he barrels toward the dark shape, but she seems to
predict his move before him, dodging a powerful right hook.

The quick figure kicks GRIGOR in the back of the knee,
forcing him to kneel, and positions the rusty bar in front
of his neck.

All of GRIGOR'S strength is used to pull her over his head,
but she lands perfectly, pulls the bar away from his grasp.

Again he is hit in the head, and falls from his knees.

INT. MOIRA'S VOLCANO HOLE - NIGHT

STEFAN DREYFUSS and DEKE ABEL sit, still in drunken wait for
their associate, whom they seem to have given up on.

STEFAN looks away from the TV SCREEN to DEKE.

STEFAN
Told you.

DEKE looks away disappointed.

STEFAN
Wanna get drunk?

DEKE
I'm not that drunk.

STEFAN laughs.

25.

INT. FOX GARDENS - NIGHT

The scene begins with a shot of FOX GARDENS, a restaurant
visited frequently by GOTHAM'S higher class.

We hear an old voice...

THORNE (o.s.)
It seems you've frightened away
your supreme guest, Jack.

JACK RYDER and VESPER FAIRCHILD sit across from each other
in a booth the shape of a half-circle in the elegant
restaurant.

Between them sit two of GOTHAM'S influential aristocracy,
C.T. PELLETIER (on RYDER'S right) and RUPERT THORNE (in the
middle), as well as HORTEN SPENCE (on FAIRCHILD'S left).

Wayne's ABSENCE does not garner them any bit of extra space,
as an equally broad-shouldered SPENCE fills what would
otherwise be an empty space.

THORNE (cont'd)
Who knew even Bruce Wayne was no
match for your charm?

RYDER
We all know Wayne for the man he
really is.

FAIRCHILD
And?

FAIRCHILD asks this simple question while RYDER is in
mid-drink in his scotch.

She leans forward.

THE CAULDRON

FAIRCHILD (o.s.)
Who is Bruce Wayne? Truly?

'Lefty Knox' wanders the lower-class Irish district of
GOTHAM, with his disguise appearing to be nothing more than
that of the common rabble of homeless.

He comes to a wide alleyway, a sign overhead reading "THE
CAULDRON." In the middle of it stands a silver pitcher.
Grabbing the handle and turning the pitcher upside down, a
dead crow finds its way to the ground, with a note attached
to its leg, saying:

26.

"No matter the amount of pebbles the bird used to raise the
water, the paltry sum of hydration was not enough to save
the poor crow's meaningless life."

BRUCE looks up toward the alley, as we cut back to the Fox
Gardens...

FOX GARDENS

JACK RYDER finally answers VESPER, simultaneously cutting
off a cigar end and lighting it.

RYDER
Wayne is a boy lost in the idea of
Gotham he had as a child, hiding
behind his inheritance and his
skeletal butler. We all feel
sympathy for his parents' death
but...it is something one must
overcome.

FAIRCHILD
It wasn't just their death- they
were murdered. In front of him.

SPENCE
When he was a child.

THORNE
All the more time for him to
recover, then.

THORNE turns to RYDER.

THORNE
Who's the boy, Jack?

RYDER
Horten Spence. Photojournalist.
He's the one 'privately'
investigating a drug ring with
Vicki Vale. And last I heard...it
got you two into trouble with one
of the street gangs?

SPENCE answers, reluctant to change the subject.

            SPENCE
      (clearing throat,
       and stalling)
Street Demonz. That's where we
tracked the drug.

27.

PELLETIER
The drug being-?

SPENCE
Fever.

THORNE
Hngh. Nothing unusual. As much as
I'd enjoy listening to the tales
of your work, I'm sure you
journalist-types are hungry for
information.

FAIRCHILD
That would depend on the story.
(turns to RYDER)
This isn't a simple after-show
dinner, is it, Jack?

            RYDER
I can explain. Mr. Spence, Vesper;
this
      (motioning to
       Pelletier)
is C.T. Pelletier. He's the C.O.
of the First National here in
Gotham. Councilman Thorne is
joining us for...similar reasons.

FAIRCHILD
And what reason is-

THORNE
Gotham City is overflowing...

PELLETIER
...as fast as our banks' profits
are decreasing.

FAIRCHILD and SPENCE give each other a quick look, and
proceed to bring out their small NOTEPADS as THORNE
begins...

THORNE
You can blame the stocks or you
can blame presidents but what the
problem is, is
overpopu-fuckin'-lation. On the
thirty-first of last month it was
marked in the records the highest
population count this city has
ever seen. Almost thirteen point
five million. One year before
that, after the imprisonment of
(MORE)

28.

THORNE (cont'd)
many super-criminals, it seemed-

SPENCE
-They're not all in prison; some
you just threw into Arkham.
Without even increasing security.

FAIRCHILD
And some aren't in either; they're
hibernating.

THORNE
Wherever they are, the fact of the
matter is that they're fucking
gone. After the clown and the
others did screw everything upside
down, people crawled over each
other to get hell out- now they
want back in, and they're getting
that. All races, ethnicities, a
shitload of Asians, which, right
now is looking very good for the
Yakuza, and more people means more
small-time activity in this city's
crime department.

FAIRCHILD
How much crime?

THORNE
Your 'ninja vigilantes?' They'll
be dead by winter, unless I sooner
have Gordon put cuffs around them.

SPENCE
Mr. Pelletier- what do you mean
your bank is losing money?

PELLETIER
After the population went south
eight million, coupled with
American economics, that forced
ISN and Fort Lee to shut down,
leaving Gotham First National to
take care of whoever was left.
Landlords had to deflate their
prices, which meant less interest
for cheap loans, and thanks to
Suarez's financial plan we barely
had- have no possible investments
to make with low risk returns.

29.

RYDER
But with the population almost
doubling over five years- no
change in luck?

PELLETIER
There's...no luck about it;
investments are still bad, and new
banks being privatized leave our
locations stuck out in more rural
parts of the city with smaller
deposits. Unemployment is about to
get big here in Gotham.
Privatizing is only making it
bigger, and I...fear I may have to
as well.

EXT. THE CAULDRON - NIGHT

Bruce walks through the ALLEY, hand and hook in jacket. It's
COLD, especially for mid-July.

A VOICE echoes off the buildings.

DR. AESOP (o.s.)
A boy entrusted to guard a flock
of sheep thought it would be great
fun to pretend the flock was being
attacked and call that there
was a wolf about. When the
villagers came-

Comes upon another alleyway, blocked off by a large truck.

It contains the man who recites the tale. Three questionable
women beside him.

Two more big men in front of DOCTOR AESOP.

DR. AESOP (cont'd)
-the boy merely laughed, and
repeated his hoax many times
again. But when a wolf did come
for the flock, the boy cried the
monster's name once more. As
the animals were slaughtered, no
one came. And in the end, the boy
was slaughtered, too.

A semi-awkward silence fills the air.

30.

DR. AESOP
Do you know the moral of that
story? Surly a smart man like
Lefty Knox can understand the
point of such a simple tale.

WAYNE
I'm sorry.

DR. AESOP
You should be.

WAYNE
I should've waited.

DR. AESOP
Twice now; you should've realized
after the first time, alarm
needn't be raised simply because
you smell one slice of Gotham City
bacon.

WAYNE
It won't happen again.

DR. AESOP
My dear muses, you cannot believe
a liar; even when he is telling
the truth.

WAYNE
I didn't mean t-

DR. AESOP
Didn't mean to...what?
Consistently ruin lucrative
jobs and consistently excuse
your failure with mere apology?

Questionable women hand guards two kennels, containing
wolves; set on the ground in between WAYNE and AESOP.

DR. AESOP
Cry wolf a third time you will
not. The endeavors of Doctor Aesop
are much too significant to allow
failure.

WAYNE
Doc, don't do this. Please. I'm
sorry.

31.

DR. AESOP
Goodbye, Lefty.

Aesop's guard raises a gun; holds WAYNE in its SIGHTS.

Truck drives off. Pulls the cages open.

A FEARFUL Lefty Knox has become an INDIFFERENT Bruce Wayne.

A BLACK cat appears, in the alleyway to the left; runs off,
ONE wolf in pursuit.

Only ONE left for Wayne.

Wayne steps forward, grabs the animal's SNOUT with the hook;
its RUMP with his hand.

It's PARALYZED after being slammed onto the dumpster; DEAD
after being slammed again.

Looks over- other wolf is hanging, by a CABLE or
something...
...before being dropped to the concrete.

Looks up- a BLACK shape APPEARS, above the building.
DISAPPEARS just as quick.

A FIRE ESCAPE leads up to the TOP, but just out of reach.
The HOOK shoots out, grabs the ladder, PULLS Wayne up. Three
ladders for three stories, he climbs, before reaching the
top.

Observes the roof in front of him. Looks left to see SELINA
KYLE (Catwoman), checking her nails.

SELINA
I still prefer Lefty Knox to
Batman, he can be excused without
a proper goodbye.

Catwoman sits over an edge of another roof, roughly five
feet of brick between hers and his; her whip DANGLING.

Jumps down.

WAYNE
I appreciate the help.

SELINA
Don't mention it- I'm no fan of
Aesop, either. The 'bumping off
one's enemies via fables' motif
has a certain...perverse charm.

32.

Coils up her whip.

WAYNE
What do you know about him?

SELINA
(pauses)
You first.

WAYNE
(sighs)
I wanted to learn more about him,
see what he's getting into. I
played Lefty Knox to work for him.

SELINA
And how well did that work out?

WAYNE
Not; I guess I expected more
tolerance from him.

Doesn't answer.

WAYNE (cont'd)
-why are you after him? What does
Aesop have?

SELINA
He's paying the black market to
ship cats.

Bruce looks over the edge, down at the dead wolf.

WAYNE
Cats?

She appears to nod slightly.

SELINA
Big cats, Bruce. You should care-
it's how he got his hands on rabid
dogs. Or were they wolves?

WAYNE
Dogs, I've seen... more of them
lately. Aesop likely pulled them
off the streets, not like he'd
waste good wolves on a homeless
criminal.

Pauses.

33.

WAYNE (CONT.)
We can go after him together.

SELINA
Is Ms. Jet giving you the night
off?

WAYNE
Jezebel's in Paris.

SELINA
(smiles)
Aesop's meeting Milt tomorrow. At
night.

WAYNE
Milt?

            SELINA
      (looks away from
       Wayne's cold
       expression)
Aesop's fence. Gotham Storage in
Park Row. They'll be there. What
happened with Harvey?

Bruce walks up next to Selina, side-by-side, as they observe
many laid-off workers on strike filling the street below
with tents and fire pits.

WAYNE
What are they doing down there?

SELINA
Steel Plant shut down while you
were gone. They're striking all
over the Cauldron for their last
paycheck.

Bruce continues to observe.

WAYNE
Two-Face is back.

SELINA
How-

WAYNE
I suggested his being involved
with the homicides.

34.

SELINA
Wesker and Anatoli? The murders
with Dent's name written on their
forehead?

WAYNE
Them and two more.

Bruce focuses on a familiar member of the crowd.

WAYNE (contd.)
I don't think it was him.

Bruce turns to see Selina missing; turns the other way- sees
her on adjacent rooftop, looking back at him.

SELINA
Aesop will be there tomorrow
night.

WAYNE
I'll meet you on the roof.

After Bruce's word, a shot is heard, several alleyways away,
followed quickly by a scream.

Bruce turns, walks toward the noise, guessing which two
buildings the incident occurred between. Turns around;
Selina is gone.

EXT. CAULDRON ALLEYWAY - NIGHT

INT. CUBICLE OF GCPD DETECTIVE CLINT KOESTER - MORNING

The offices of the GCPD's HOMICIDE DIVISION bustles as CLINT
KOESTER finishes the report of his most recent case.
Lieutenant ACKART (40s) enters.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Koester, all finished with
Jamison?

KOESTER
Just took a few hours in the
bunker.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Camp says you managed a
confession. Did you make him
forget who he works for?

35.

KOESTER
Jamison only works for the family.
Al Delmar's the one who heads the
shipping dock. Mario Falcone still
can't get enough of Alberto and
Carmine's dead cocks out of his
own mouth to give a shit about
Delmar and notice if he gets some
jail time, because all Mario has
time for when he's not pissing
booze and fucking the family's
whores is trying to fuck his
sister. Over. And it was not
exactly a confession. Says he just
stood by and watched Delmar bash
another worker's face in with a
socket wrench.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Kill like that happens every day.

KOESTER
Jamison gave us the dig site,
which led us to the body and the
fucking wrench.

LIUTENANT ACKART
You know, even if he refuses a
testimony, he probably won't make
it.

Clint says nothing.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Here - look at this.

A tan folder falls into KOESTER's hands; his face remains
indifferent after he opens it.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Two black and whites showed up at
a warehouse last night.

KOESTER
Falcone?

LIUTENANT ACKART
Ace Chemicals. And abandoned since
the 70s. Dispatch got the call
from a police walking the beat-

36.

KOESTER
- "Officer Hall, requesting backup
at the Ace Chemicals' abandoned
storage facility on dock 11379
Blvd. 5 unconscious�one dead."

LIUTENANT ACKART
Can you guess it?

KOESTER
What?

LIUTENANT ACKART
The kicker- can you guess what the
kicker is?

CLINT KOESTER stares at his LIEUTENANT, slowly figuring out
what his commanding officer was referring to. Before he can
reply, the LIEUTENANT answers his own question.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Officer Hall, who called dispatch-

            KOESTER
      (Quickly looking
       back at the
       report)
Is he dead, too?

LIUTENANT ACKART
Missing; until this morning. They
found him tied to a chair in the
warehouse. Unconscious but
unharmed.

KOESTER
So� someone beats up the dock
workers, kills another, and when
the cop shows up�

LIUTENANT ACKART
It's not that simple, and they
weren't working docks, they were
working as docs. Something fucked
up was going down, because the
dead guy was on a stretcher, and
on top of that, one man doesn't go
and take out five armed bad guys
just by himself, and we don't know
who they work for or who they are,
which brings me here to you to
figure all this out.

37.

KOESTER
What do you want me to do?

LIUTENANT ACKART
Take Camp and the�vagina-woman to
Gotham General, where they
should've woken up by now.

KOESTER
Montoya?

LIUTENANT ACKART
Whatever. Look this shit makes no
sense. I know... shit usually
doesn't add up but this is some
pretty fucked up shit. So find out
the why� and the who. Find out
quick.

KOESTER
Who?

LIUTENANT ACKART
Th�dead guy! Figure out his damn
name, then detect who killed him.

After a click of his computer mouse, closing his report,
CLINT KOESTER grabs a beige jacket and rises from his seat.

Before his legs take him toward the voice of another
detective, CAMP, the LIEUTENANT calls for CLINT�

LIUTENANT ACKART
Detective-

CLINT KOESTER turns around, an eager face waiting to hear
his LIEUTENANT's request.

LIUTENANT ACKART
There's an open seat in Major
Crimes. Impress on this one.

KOESTER
Are you going to promote me,
Lieutenant?

The LT. gives the DETECTIVE an eyeful look, then retreats.

LIUTENANT ACKART
Not me.

Clint continues towards the sounds of Detective CAMP.

38.

INT. CUBICLE OF GCPD DETECTIVES CAMP AND MONTOYA - MOMENTS LATER

CLINT walks in on detective JEROME "CAMP" WASHINGTON telling
RENEE MONTOYA another war tale.

CAMP
So I was a Sergeant right? No
matter. You see, I was the only
one they ever asked, cuz' I was
the only one who didn't fuckin'
yell at everybody. This�private
comes up to me, says "I need
carbon monoxide samples." I don't
know what the fuck he's talking
about, but�being me, I see
opportunity. I say "Look over
there, you see those Humvees?" He
nods like some private welp.
"Well, get a plastic bag, put it
over the exhaust, and there's your
carbon monoxide, motherfucka'."
And you know what he does?

CLINT leans against the cubicle as he listens to his partner
and college friend's TALE.

CAMP
Sup', Clitty?

KOESTER
Fuck you.

Montoya smiles.

CAMP
What do you need, Clint?

            KOESTER
      (holding up the
       tan folder)
We've got a...thing. You two busy?

CAMP
Do we look fucking busy to you?

Detective CAMP motions for the report; still stuffed in the
tan folder. Detective KOESTER obliges.

KOESTER releases a heavy sigh.

KOESTER
Gotham General Hospital admitted
five new patients last night.
Police found them asleep with
(MORE)

39.

KOESTER (cont'd)
broken bones in�some warehouse.

MONTOYA
Being investigated by a homicide
detective, an assault case doesn't
come without any dead people.

CAMP
Uh-huh. Looks like this officer
Hall found a stiff in there as
well.

KOESTER
The stiff being the reason Ackart
wants you, me, and Montoya to ask
the five stuck in Gotham General
why he's dead on a stretcher and
they're not.

MONTOYA
Because. None of the others were
the target. Mind you, some people
have a code.

CAMP
Well if you ask old Camp, what the
shit kills one guy and leaves the
rest to tell the fuckin' tale with
a voice accented by a broken damn
leg, methinks it ain't so simple.
Even with a code to kill by.

KOESTER
Ackart says the same.

CAMP
Double divorcees do think alike.

Closing the report, CAMP goes for his overcoat, followed by
MONTOYA.

EXT. GOTHAM SKYLINE - MORNING

We are presented with an overhanging shot of the fabled city
of Gotham.

INT. MORIA'S VOLCANO HOLE - MORNING

Stefan lies passed out over the bar. DEKE seemingly half
awake next to him, surrounded by empty bottles.

40.

Moira McMarino walks into view. Deke makes retching noises,
wakes Stefan-

Stefan makes haste for the restroom. DEKE continues to dry
heave to no avail. Sees Moira staring through him.

She moves her head, pointing out a character behind him.

Deke turns to look, sees a man deep into yesterday's news...

DEKE
Shit.

Slowly removes his own self from the stool, and waits to
load his balance before walking towards the table housing
TWO-FACE'S PILOT, who folds his newspaper and sets it on the
wooden surface.

As he sits, the PILOT finds himself too far away from the
table's edge, and slides his wooden chair forward. Seconds
of staring pass, until the PILOT leans forward to BREAK the
silence, with a heavy German accent.

PILOT
Did you watch news last night?

DEKE
(nods)
Yeah we saw. Cain got away again.

PILOT
Until we first get to the
assassin, we'll have more
protection for boss.

Deke nods with a puzzled look.

DEKE
You think that's what he broke out
for?

The PILOT moves his shoulder to shrug off the question.

The PILOT lights a cigarette, and brings it to his face.
After he removes it, blowing smoke from his mouth and
nostrils...

PILOT
Your friend was large black man?
Paint on shoulder?

DEKE nods with a worried look.

41.

PILOT
He's probably dead.

DEKE is slow to react.

DEKE
What?

The pilot makes a careless expression.

DEKE
You probably think he's dead?

PILOT
No, I say he's probably dead.

DEKE
I don't understand.

            PILOT
You are still drunk so I will
explain it for you- there are only
      (holds up thumb
       and pointer
       finger)
two police cars in front of a
warehouse where there should be at
least six as well as at the
minimum
      (holds up pointer,
       middle, ring, and
       pinky fingers)
four news vans where there are
zero. The dead man inside is
either a fat black man or serial
killer with a nickname.

DEKE
Why?

            PILOT
      (tapping the ash
       off the cigarette)
You want to know why? You ask boss
why. I don't know. I don't care.

DEKE
Can you tell me how?

42.

            PILOT
How, is what you, and him,
      (motioning towards
       the restroom)
need to learn for boss.

EXT. WAYNE MANOR GROUNDS - MORNING

We see the man behind the cowl mid-into his morning jog
around the grounds surrounding Wayne Manor, specifically the
hill where under him is housed the cave he discovered as a
child.

His pace brings him to the ground's long gravel driveway,
and seems to quicken, gradually, before becoming what looks
like a sprint.

INT. DETECTIVE CAMP'S SEDAN - AFTERNOON

Detectives Clint Koester and Renee Montoya ride (her in side
passenger with him in back, sitting in the middle with no
seatbelt) in CAMP'S mid-sized sedan through the streets of
GOTHAM CITY. The afternoon GOTHAM NEWS plays silently in the
background.

CAMP
So.

MONTOYA
So?

CAMP
(sighs)
C'mon girl, you know you've
cracked a few cases just sitting
where you sitting and thinking
about whatch you thinking.

MONTOYA
Alright, alright- let me run
through something. Six guys total,
right?

CLINT checks the report again.

KOESTER
Three guys. Two girls. Plus the
dead guy.

43.

MONTOYA
Okay- so there's these six guys,
two of 'em have vaginas, but each
one of them is balls deep in some
crazy shit. And this shit,
whatever it turns up as, don't sit
right with you-know-who.

Neither Koester nor Camp understand; Montoya makes an angry
face with both index fingers placed vertically upon her
forehead.

KOESTER
A Bat? You know he's the excuse
detectives put out so they get the
paperwork done and put the case
away?

MONTOYA
No-

CAMP
If someone gave me a piece of shit
copper penny each time a police
just shat the blame on the Batman
I'd pay you both to shut the hell
up just so I can hear the damn
radio.

MONTOYA
It would explain the cop not
having a scratch.

A quick silence fills the mid-sized car.

CLINT pulls out photos from the report out of the tan
folder, and hands them to CAMP as they sit stopped before a
red light.

MONTOYA
Two months ago, before Memorial
Day, remember we pulled those
hispanic junkies off the street in
Park Row, see if they know any
shit about Calendar Killer
planning something or...
something?

KOESTER
Nope.

44.

CAMP
Calendarman won't murder on some
bullshit holiday.

MONTOYA
After we brought 'em in, they
start going on about their
bullshit, then they start talking
about how the Bat always knows
what's going on. I think these six
guys, deep in their shit, were
trying to revive this guy, and the
Bat knew about it.

INT. SHIPPING DOCK WAREHOUSE B - AFTERNOON

OFFICER SAM BRADLEY Jr. (late 20s) steps out of his patrol
car. OFFICER DONALD PEAK (40s) steps out of the PASSENGER'S
side.

A crime scene has been set up. Two other squad cars sit idle
with flashing lights. A Seargent notices the officers.

SGT. DUKE
Just in time.

BRADLEY JR.
In time for what?

SGT. DUKE
(shrugs shoulders)
You're just...in time. Detectives
inside have the sign-in,
everything so far we've found is
on this list, here you go.

BRADLEY JR.
No murder weapon?

SGT. DUKE
No murder weapon, not yet, that's
why you're here. My honest guess
is he threw it in the water.
Still, do a strip search, let me
know what you find. Sign-in inside
first. Check out the dead guy,
too.

Bradley Jr. notices a thin blood trail exiting the
warehouse.

45.

PEAK
Hey, leave it for the suits.

Peak and Bradley Jr. enter the warehouse.

INT.

We see the Gotham MAJOR CRIMES division investigating Hush's
latest killing.

The thug still sits dead in the steel chair. His face has
been removed. Replaced with bandages.

Two Major Crimes detectives, CRISPUS ALLEN
(African-American, bald, 30s) and HARVEY BULLOCK
(overweight, 40s), stare at the dead man.

BULLOCK
(laughs)
He's a dead fuck, ain't he?

ALLEN
(kneeling down)
There's worse than being dead.
Until we get to see what's under
those swathes.

Peak and Bradley walk into view. Bullock hands them a
clipboard. Both write down their names and rank.

            BULLOCK
Ladro faccia, I'm telling you;
there is no face on this guy.
      (turns to the
       officers, takes
       the clipboard)
Go do some canvasing- look for
anything left behind and see if
anyone around here knows about the
area.

PEAK
These warehouses were
Falcone-owned back in the day.

ALLEN
Falcone's dead.

Bradley Jr. persuades Peak to leave.

ALLEN
How many now?

46.

            BULLOCK
Five.
      (checking the
       report)
Six.

ALLEN
You mean five?

BULLOCK
It's him.

WAREHOUSE B (EXT.)

Peak and Bradley Jr. exit the warehouse, begin their futile
search for Hush's weapon.

An old but well maintained black Chevy sedan pulls up,
immediately stepping out is Slam Bradley, donning classic
p.i. attire. Glances at Bradley Jr., nods.

WAREHOUSE B (INT.)

ALLEN
This doesn't fit his method,
leaving him in the open like this.

BULLOCK
I'm all the fuck for it.

ALLEN
He didn't cut their throats,
either.

BULLOCK
(laughs)
Is that too extreme for a guy who
cuts and collects faces?

ALLEN
This is my first damn case in this
city. A serial killer... who
leaves his victims for the world
to see, but hasn't investigated in
three months?

SLAM BRADLEY, P.I. enters beside Bullock. Smoking a pipe.

BULLOCK takes notice; words fail him.

SLAM
Gotham City; anymore ain't it all
drug addicts and serial killers.

47.

BULLOCK
First Slam Bradley Jr. then
Goddamn Slam fuckin' Bradley
himself?
(shakes his hand)
All finished in Cleveland?

SLAM
(laughs)
No one is finished with Cleveland.
But I hear you're finished making
Jim Gordon look like a shit
commissioner.

ALLEN
He had an epiphany. That, or
Barbara rang in the night and told
him to lay off the doughnuts, and
called him a shit, and a
clam-jamming motherfucker.

A laugh they share in the midst of a faceless dead man.

ALLEN
(offers his hand)
Crispus Allen.

Slam obliges.

SLAM
Sam. Bradley. Emerson Bradley.

ALLEN
I know. You're legendary in the
MPD.

BULLOCK
Forget Metropolis, Slam's the best
p.i. on the entire east coast.

SLAM
You from the bigger city,
detective?

ALLEN
From? No. Just detected there.
Transferred a few days ago.

FOCUS on the dead man.

SLAM
You ever see a deader cunt?

48.

BULLOCK
The last vic killed by the sick
bastard. Botched the fucking face
removal, and then got lazy. At
least this guy's all bandaged up.

CAPTAIN MAGGIE SAWYER enters.

CPT. SAWYER
Slam Bradley, stumbling onto my
crime scene again.

            SLAM
      (removing the pipe
       from his mouth)
What can I say, Maggie? I long for
the belongings of those whose
sexual enjoyments are determined
illegal by children in suits.

The Captain smiles.

            CPT. SAWYER
      (looks over to
       Allen and Bullock)
What do you know about him?

Bullock lights a CIGARETTE, avoiding the question.

ALLEN
So far? Nothing. Medical
examiner's still on his way. No
way to find out who the hell he he
is any other way...considering.

            SLAM
He's just a cunt.
      (looking at the
       dead man's tatoos)
But not just any cunt- he's a dead
cunt, and now Harvey Dent is short
one cunt.

CPT. SAWYER
Dent?

SLAM
Dent.

CPT. SAWYER
You think he works for Harvey
Dent?

49.

TWO-FACE
Worked? No, he killed for Dent.

BULLOCK
You don't really believe he went
that deep.

SLAM
I don't believe he left. Dent is
Two-Face, and he's criminal.

CPT. SAWYER
Slam, you're saying this cunt was
some... hitman. How do you know he
killed for Harvey?

Slam brings the dead man's upper right arm into view,
focusing on a tattoo, a yin-yang sybol with the words "In
God We Trust."

FADE OUT.

Feedback

From DANIEL SIEGEL	Date 4/29/2013
Very good but you should leave out the swears because, if kid saw this he might start saying it. After all it's Bat Man.

From Shawn Smith	Date 7/22/2012
The conversation Bruce an Alfred had in the limo is FREAKIN PRICELESS!!!! GREAT CHEMISTRY!!!

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