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Batman Reborn (Part 9)
By Carnotaur3
INT. BATCAVE – DARK
Black leather gloves squeak over the hands of BATMAN. Seconds later, he’s draped over his cape around to his back. BATMAN’S mask slowly descends over dark eyes and once fit into place, the eyes open with a cold, dark stare.
CUT TO:
INT. BATCAVE – DARK – SECOND’S LATER
BATMAN descends down rocky stairs towards the BATWING, hanging from the ceiling.
He peers at it with fascination, then, walks toward it.
CUT TO:
EXT. WAYNE MANOR – NIGHT
A platform the size of a driveway opens up, showing a hole in the ground. Suddenly, the BATWING zooms out, careening straight up towards the dark clouds.
CUT TO:
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
As the BATWING slowly lowers itself to go forward parallel to the clouds, BATMAN takes a glance outside. It is overcast; no city in sight.
The BATWING descends to the clouds. Once out, he sees the dozens of lights glowing in the city. But darkness starts to sweep through GOTHAM, like a swarm of locusts.
CUT TO:
INT. BATWING – DARK
BATMAN looks at the screen. He punches a few buttons. A buzzing sound is heard.
SCREEN
Unknown Gas
BATMAN puts on a gas mask.
CUT TO:
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
The BATWING lowers and flies toward GOTHAM at a fast pace.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
DELUDION stands in front of the burned down GOTHAM CITY HALL. The CRONIES gather around him, gas masks on each and every one of them including DELUDION.
CRONIE
Sir, is the gas clear?
DELUDION
Yeah, go ahead and take them off.
They all lower their masks. DELUDION does the same.
CRONIE 2
What do we do now?
DELUDION looks up towards the sky and sees the BATWING slice through some low clouds.
DELUDION
We shoot a bat!
DELUDION snaps his fingers and immediately two CRONIES pick up two bazookas.
CUT TO:
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
The BATWING circles backward and then comes back around plummeting straight down at DELUDION and his CRONIES.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
DELUDION’S eyes glow red.
DELUDION
Wait for it.
CUT TO:
INT. BATWING – DARK
The screen blinks red.
SCREEN
Locked On Target
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
DELUDION throws up his arms and waves them.
DELUDION
Kill the Bat and leave me Bruce!
He dances around hysterically. The BAZOOKAS go off, each missile going into different directions.
CUT TO:
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
The BATWING shoots out two missiles and they hit the other two simultaneously.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
DELUDION jumps up and down.
DELUDION
No! No! No!
DELUDION shoots with his pistol at two CRONIES with the bazookas. They both hit the ground with a thud.
He looks up to see the BATWING drop an object.
It falls slowly to the street and bounces. Once stable it twirls around.
Three CRONIES run to investigate.
It’s in the shape of a bat, and it stops and clicks.
BOOM
An explosion kills two CRONIES and knocks three of them off their feet, some falling on cars.
DELUDION (cont’d)
Why aren’t you aiming at me? It’s easy to kill imbeciles.
Another bat-shaped grenade drops and a few seconds later, explodes behind DELUDION. Debris hits his back. He smiles.
CUT TO:
EXT. SKY – NIGHT
The BATWING turns around, gliding over the cityscape in perfect form.
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
DELUDION turns around, facing where the BATWING is flying toward. He grins and sticks up a birdie.
As the BATWING gains speed and comes even closer, an escape pod shoots out into the air, and DELUDION realizes he was going to loose at playing chicken.
DELUDION jumps out of the way and into a building as the BATWING hits the street, sending gravel, smoke, and fire into the air. The CRONIES follow DELUDION.
BATMAN glides out of the pod and flies to the front of the building with his cape. He enters it.
CUT TO:
INT. BUILDING LOBBY – DARK
BATMAN, not off guard at all, grabs a CRONIE’S arm as he tries to punch him. The dark night then throws him into the wall board and past the insulation.
Another CRONIE, this one with a dragon skull painted on his face, throws up an UZI from behind the counter.
Quickly thinking, BATMAN summersaults down the side of the room, the bullets barely missing him. The shooting stops and BATMAN looks up.
The CRONIE desperately tries to reload his weapon. BATMAN shoots out a SPIKE into his neck from his utility belt. Blood gurgles out from his throat as BATMAN moves down the hall.
CUT TO:
INT. HALL – DARK
BATMAN enters a hall with a dozen doors on both sides of the corridor.
A voice comes over the loud speakers.
DELUDION (V.O.)
Ha Ha. Batman, what would be inside door number one?
Bullets fly out from the first door to his right, and he backs away just as the CRONIE knocks the door down. BATMAN upper cuts him into his chest and the gun falls out of his hands and into BATMAN’S.
BATMAN shoots the gun onto each door. Then, he drops the gun.
DELUDION (V.O.) (cont’d)
Aw, not fair. Not fair at all.
The door at the end of the hall swings open. A big man, muscular and boxy, steps forward.
DELUDION (V.O.) (cont’d)
Welcome the Crusher to the center stage.
The CRUSHER speeds down the hall to BATMAN, and tackle’s him to the floor. As the CRUSHER wrap around him with his arms and legs, BATMAN attempts to get out with his fingers sinking into his muscular biceps. The CRUSHER groans and squeezes harder. BATMAN gasps for air.
Accidentally, the CRUSHER hits the SAW button on BATMAN’S utility belt and it slices through his abs. The CRUSHER screams in agony and lets go. BATMAN jumps up on his feet and walks slowly down the hall.
CUT TO:
INT. CHURCH – DARK
The pews stretch to the end of the building where a large podium stands, above it a sculpture of Jesus on a cross. BATMAN gazes around.
DELUDION pops up from the podium.
BEAT
He comes forward, down the aisle, smiling.
BATMAN
Something I can do for you?
DELUDION
Yeah, shoot your brains out.
BATMAN
Reverse that to you and we have a deal.
DELUDION
Ah, so Bruce Wayne wants some revenge. He finally snapped.
BATMAN
No, I don’t want revenge. I want justice.
DELUDION
Then, why do you insist on killing me?
BATMAN
Because you won’t stop until I do.
DELUDION
How do you know that?
BATMAN
Because you’re a heartless bastard.
DELUDION punches BATMAN in the face, making him fall to the ground. Blood streams down his rubber mask.
DELUDION
(Screaming)
And you are a liar!
DELUDION jumps around hysterically.
DELUDION (cont’d)
Nothing like luring a bat into a trap, eh Bruce?
BATMAN looks up and stands up, not giving out any hits.
BATMAN
When my parents were killed, Tod, I went through a transformational stage too. I found a red book, my father’s read book. It was a journal he kept throughout his life so that he could pass it on to me when I was ready. He never finished it. The rest of the book was blank. My life was different. The end of my book was already written. My fate, already decided. My duty, already assigned.
DELUDION
What does this have to do with me?
BATMAN
Your fate’s a choice. Mine isn’t.
DELUDION
(Laughs)
Don’t talk to me about fate. So, you’re saying my parents chose to die? Are you saying they chose to leave me stranded? Fate’s chosen me to suffer? And now you say I have a choice? I’ve never had a choice.
BATMAN
When I was young I was in your class. Do you remember?
START FLASHBACK:
EXT. PLAYGROUND – BRIGHT DAY
We start back on one of the flashbacks we saw in the beginning.
KIDS
Howling is a freak. Howling is a freak.
They’re all chanting simultaneously at the child that everything seems to go in slow motion.
TOD curls up into a ball trying to protect himself from the kicking of feet into his back.
He screams.
Something different happens into this flashback, a young BRUCE WAYNE is watching this all. His fists squeeze together in anger and he runs to everyone and starts throwing punches. He swings like a frantic bat and he hits some kids, knocking them to the ground, making this cry.
A TEACHER comes by, quickly grabbing Bruce’s hand.
TEACHER
What were you doing? I’m going to report you to the principal.
Young BRUCE looks at TOD and smiles. TOD wipes away a tear and manages to do the same.
END FLASHBACK:
INT. CHURCH – DARK
DELUDION pounds his chest.
DELUDION
(Yelling)
NO! That wasn’t you!
BATMAN
Yes, it was. I understand what you went through, but none of this justifies it.
DELUDION falls to the floor in pain.
DELUDION
I’m a changed person now, Bruce. I’m a changed man.
BATMAN
You’re a bad man. You are the bad guy.
DELUDION changes tone.
DELUDION
That’s right. I am the bad guy.
Quickly, DELUDION takes out from behind him a device with a button.
DELUDION
And guess what, baby, I’ve got all the cards, and you are now faced with ‘choice’. Watch Gotham City’s sleeping gas become fatal with a push of a button – or – sacrifice your self for them.
BATMAN
And if I die, who saves them?
DELUDION
Me - because I’ll blame it all on the bat.
DELUDION points a pistol at BATMAN. BATMAN freezes in place.
BATMAN
You won’t do it, Tod. You know who I am and what I did for you.
DELUDION
I’m willing to put it in the back of my mind.
DELUDION shoots just as BATMAN throws up his arms, the bullet ricochets off the metal in his gloves and bounces back at DELUDION’S forehead.
DELUDION falls to the ground, his pistol and controller slip out of his hands.
He lays lifeless on the rocky floor.
BATMAN slowly walks to DELUDION’S lifeless body. Instead of a happy face, TOD’S was a sad face. BATMAN grabs the controller and sees and pulls out the battery cartridge. No batteries were put in them.
FADE TO:
BLACK
FADE BACK TO:
EXT. GOTHAM CITY PLAZA – DAY
COMMISSIONER GORDON and a few of his POLICE MEN walk down the street with him. COMMISSIONER GORDON turns to the CAPTAIN.
COMMISSIONER GORDON
I want all this litter and damage cleaned up by the end of this week. Hire contractors and construction workers as fast as possible.
The CAPTAIN nods and runs along. COMMISSIONER GORDON wards off reporters as he walks up the steps of the POLICE DEPARTMENT.
REPORTER 1
What time do you suspect the city to recover?
REPORTER 2
What ever happened to Deludion, is he confirmed dead?
REPORTER 3
We hear that you have received the true identity of Batman.
COMMISSIONER GORDON turns around and looks at REPORTER 3.
COMMISSIONER GORDON
Weird, I don’t seem to remember who it was.
COMMISSIONER GORDON turns around again, smiling, and enters the POLICE DEPARTMENT building.
CUT TO:
EXT. ALLEY – NIGHT
A limo is parked on the side of one of the alley’s walls, ALFRED is in the driver’s seat. He looks out the window to see BATMAN looming over the building to his left. ALFRED smiles.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROOFTOP – NIGHT
BATMAN smiles.
BATMAN (V.O.)
I learned something recently.
Running across the rooftop, BATMAN jumps off the side and takes flight, falling back down on another skyscraper.
BATMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
I learned that my gift wasn’t something to run away from.
BATMAN walks to a statue of a gargoyle.
BATMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
That justice was my life, and that it wasn’t because I wanted to be or had to be, but because I am.
BATMAN looks up, the BATSIGNAL floating around the clouds.
BATMAN (V.O.) (cont’d)
I am Batman.
THE END
-- Thanks to everyone who have read this. --
8/11/2003 8:57:49 PM
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