Some time ago, an artist posting on BOF mentioned that he was working on a fan comic of "Burton's Batman III," and I was brought on to write the script. I haven't heard from him about the project in months, but I'm not wasting all my work. So here it is.
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Terror of the Batman
Written by
William Fischer
Story by
William Fischer and Jason Gonzalez
Draft 3
OPENING:
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM ? NIGHT
(ARKHAM ASYLUM: sneering gargoyles, aged and cracking masonry, the grounds still lit by gaslight?in a city that is Hell bursting through the surface, this is the devil?s palace. The nightmarish building sits behind iron gates and atop a barren hill, with fog and low clouds billowing about, occasionally allowing for the sickly yellow appearance of the full moon.)
(As we get closer to ARKHAM, we see Jack-o?-lanterns around the door and in some of the first-floor windows; the only windows without bars. It is one week before All Hallows Eve.)
(One Jack-o?-lantern stands out. Carved into the gourd is not some demonic face, but the glowing silhouette of a bat. It grows as we approach, nearly engulfing the frame until, shattering the silence, a cry of terror echoes from within the asylum.)
INT. ARKHAM HALLWAY -NIGHT
(A row of dark wooden doors in a stone corridor, names crudely carved into every one. The anguished screams come from behind one bearing the name ?JERVIS TETCH.?)
INT. TECH?S CELL ? NIGHT
(JERVIS TETCH, wrapped in a straightjacket, lies on the floor, frantically kicking back towards the corner. He is an incredibly short man of average build and a long face, with unruly blonde hair and large teeth. He would be something from Lewis Carroll if not for the terror-stricken look in his eyes. Beads of sweat race down his forehead and his jaw quivers in fright. A SHADOW falls over the cowering man, and from that shadow we hear a voice, dark and oily:)
SHADOW (off)
?Where is Thumpkin? Where is Thumpkin?/Here I am! Here I am!?
ANOTHER ANGLE ? TETCH?S P.O.V.
(The SHADOW begins to take shape. It is a silhouette, tall and lean, but terrifying nonetheless. Ragged and loose-fitting garments hang from its frame, bits of straw sticking through here and there. An enormous wide-brimmed hat sits atop a face which, though shrouded in shadow, seems inhuman. It is, menacing, terrifying ? a SCARECROW.)
FIRST ANGLE ? CLOSE ON TETCH
(The SCARECROW?s oily voice deepens, shrinking TETCH?s eyes to mere dots and leaving his face drenched in sweat.)
SCARECROW (off)
?How are you today, sir?/Very well, I thank you.?
SECOND ANGLE ? SEMI-CLOSE ON SCARECROW
(TETCH?s eye sees the SCARECROW?s face emerging from the darkness; it is a hideous and decaying burlap sack, with a mouth sewn shut and blazing cruel eyes. From SCARECROW?s mouth comes a dripping liquid ? blood, which soon becomes a set of bloody ?Queen of Hearts? cards.)
SCARECROW
?Run and hide! Run and hide!?
FIRST ANGLE ? TETCH
(TETCH can bear the horror no longer: he screams again. He does not stop as we go back to:)
INT. ARKHAM HALLWAY - NIGHT
(The scream echoes down the corridor and carries out to:)
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM - NIGHT
(The horrible sound carries into the landscape and up towards the fat moon, now shining clearly through a break in the clouds?)
TERROR OF THE BATMAN
INT. GOTHAM CITY COURTROOM - NIGHT
(The room is filled to capacity; beyond the participants in the trial, the press flood the building. Camera flashes and murmuring into microphones and recording devices penetrate the silence. Half of them have their gaze ? and cameras ? turned towards HARVEY DENT, DA. Well-groomed, a flower pinned to his three-piece suit, he pays no mind to the press, maintaining an aura of calm, save for his constant flipping of a two-headed silver dollar. He occasionally glances over his shoulder ? not to the press, but to COMISSIONER GORDON, who stands stoically in the back, towards the doors.)
(The other half of the cameras are pointed at the defendant ? CARMINE ?THE ROMAN? FALCONE, a mobster in the old-school vein. Tall and slim, with silver hair and well-groomed mustache, his body is as calm as DENT?s, but his eyes carry a look both concerned and murderous, often thrown DENT?s way.)
(JUDGE HAMM sits at his podium, clearly resentful of the media?s presence in his domain. Ignoring them, he turns to the JURY.)
JUDGE HAMM
Has the jury reached a verdict?
(A JUROR rises.)
JUROR
Yes, Your Honor. We find the defendant guilty on all charges ? 12 murders, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, racketeering, obstruction of justice, hijacking, tax evasion, loansharking, and illegal gambling.
(Shouts of joy begin sounding in the courtroom, along with cries of ?Harvey!? and ?Re-elect Dent!? JUDGE HAMM angrily slams down the gavel.)
JUDGE HAMM
Order!
(Turning to THE ROMAN)
Carmine Falcone: your family ? both your families ? have been a scourge on Gotham City for over 50 years. I regard you and your father as being chief culprits in making ?Gotham? into nothing more than another word for ?crime.? The lengths to which our police force and our district attorney have gone to bring you here today are to be commended.
(The crowd begins to act up again; HAMMM pounds the gavel down.)
That was not an invitation for comment from the press!
(HARVEY gives a light chuckle at that; in the back, so does GORDON.)
EXT. STEPS OF GOTHAM COURTHOUSE ? NIGHT
(HARVEY emerges, a big topcoat and fine scarf now covering his suit and a cigar in hand. Following him from behind and waiting for him on the steps are press and admirers, some of them holding signs reading ?I Believe in Harvey Dent? or sporting campaign buttons simply reading ?DENT.? The non-press have begun a chant of ?Apollo!? HARVEY takes it all in well, and even enjoys it slightly; it?s rare for a lawyer to be the ?golden boy? of any city, let alone Gotham.)
REPORTER 1
Mr. Dent? Silver St. Cloud, ?GothamNews 5.? The Roman is the third mob boss you?ve helped put behind bars just in this year. Are you planning any time off as the election comes up?
HARVEY
Not while ?The Boss? Maroni?s still loose on the streets of Gotham.
REPORTER 2
Harvey? Knox, ?Gotham Globe.? Are you and Commissioner Gordon still working with Batman?
HARVEY
No comment, Knox.
REPORTER 3
Goth TV. Even with your approval ratings through the roof, there?s still some concern with Gotham?s older, more conservative voters about your lifestyle. Some people are saying you?re more of a playboy than Bruce Wayne.
HARVEY
(Laughing)
I think Bruce has me licked there.
ST. CLOUD
Speaking of Bruce Wayne, is it true he?s provided the largest single contribution to your campaign?
HARVEY
I can always count on Bruce for ?
VOICE (out-of-frame)
Harvey!
(The DA looks over his shoulder. GORDON has also emerged from the courthouse, his hat pulled low and his hands busy getting his gloves on. HARVEY nods and turns back to his admirers)
HARVEY
Thank you, everyone, but Commissioner Gordon and I have work to do. There?s still one big crime boss left in this city.
(As GORDON comes down to HARVEY, the DA puts his arm around the commissioner?s shoulders, and they head down the stairs and down the street. The press and supporters remain behind, but questions are still shouted and the chant of ?Apollo? still goes on. GORDON and HARVEY pay it no mind as they round the corner and head down:)
EXT. CHRYME ALLEY ? NIGHT
GORDON
(Good-natured huff)
Apollo?
HARVEY
(Grinning)
Good ol? Bruce. Hired some big campaign manager from Metropolis. He?s been selling that name since June. But how are we doing?
GORDON
How are we doing? Thorne, Moxom, and now the Roman put away in less than a year?I?m starting to wonder if I?m still in Gotham. People actually seem happy they live here.
(Both men laugh.)
I?ve just got a tip on Maroni from ?
HARVEY
Our mutual friend in black?
GORDON
You?d better be careful. People are so happy with you, they want me to take him in. And he?s not interested. The tip is, Maroni?s been stockpiling cash down at the docks; Pier 41.
HARVEY
Anything solid?
(GORDON remains silent.)
Jim, you?ve got to tell him ? I can?t get the warrants unless he brings me something tangible. Records, documents, marked bills, someone who will testify?
(As HARVEY explains this problem, GORDON glances behind them. An old-time roadster is speeding towards them, and a dark figure is leaning out the passenger window, a Tommy gun in hand.)
GORDON
Harvey!
(He tackles the DA to the ground just in time for them to both avoid being torn up by the hail of gunfire. The car roars on by as the two men begin staggering to their feet, shaken but breathing.)
(But A noticeable change has come over HARVEY. No longer cool and good-natured, a murderous gleam rests in his eyes and he trembles as he rises to his feet.)
HARVEY
Lousy sons of?get back here, you bastards! I?ll kill ya! You hear me? I?ll rip your goddamned head off, you slimy ?
GORDON
Harvey!
(GORDON is clearly in shock. Not only has he never seen his friend HARVEY act that way before, but that voice wasn?t HARVEY?s. It was as if someone else had taken his place.)
(But the commissioner?s voice brings back the DA. Shaking his head, he turns back to GORDON.)
HARVEY
?Jim?
GORDON
My god, Harvey, what was that?
HARVEY
I?stress, Jim. Just?just stress. I?m fine. Come on ? let?s get out of here.
(And so the two men turn and head out the alley the way they came. But GORDON knows ? and can see that HARVEY does too ? that the DA?s temper tantrum was more than nerves, and that he is not fine.)
EXT. END OF PEARL AND PHILLIPS ? NIGHT
(The roadster emerges from Chryme Alley and comes screeching to a stop.)
INT. INSIDE THE CAR ? NIGHT
DRIVER
Did he get it?
GUNMAN
Turn us around. He?s not done yet. You think you can shoot and drive?
DRIVER
Watch.
EXT. PEARL AND PHILLIPS ? NIGHT
(The roadster spins around 180 degrees in the street, facing back down Chryme Alley.)
INT. THE CAR ? NIGHT
(The DRIVER shifts gears.)
EXT. PEARL AND PHILLIPS ? NIGHT
(Blazing up from Phillips Street comes the BATMOBILE. It rams right into the roadster and keeps on going. The gangsters? car rolls over the top of it and comes crashing down behind it, upside down and the right side of the car completely decimated.)
INT. THE CAR ? NIGHT
(The GUNMAN is unconscious, a trail of blood running down his head and his gun on the roof of the car. The DRIVER is also bleeding, on his arm, and cannot stop himself from shaking. With a grunt ? something in his body is broken ? he grasps for the handle of the door.)
(A pair of black, finned gloves comes crashing through what remains of the front windshield. The terrified DRIVER is hauled out from his seatbelt and up into the grasp of the BATMAN.)
BATMAN
Who?s after Dent?
Excellent read so far. Too bad your artist friend didn't keep in touch.
Brilliant stuff. I particularly like the forshadowing as to what type of monster Harvey Dent eventually becomes.
INT. THE BATCAVE ? THE NEXT DAY, NEAR NOON
REPORTER (off)
?Gotham?s underworld received yet another blow last night when Joey Gazzo and Johnny Viti personally surrendered to Police Commissioner Gordon, who they had just tried to gun down moments before. Gazzo and Viti are known soldiers in the Falcone Crime Family, which just yesterday lost its leader, Carmine ?The Roman? Falcone. Experts have speculated that the attempted hit on Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, carried out in a car stolen from an associate of the Maroni Family, was an attempt by acting Falcone boss David Furcini to direct the attention of law enforcement toward the rival gang. But with Salvatore ?The Boss? Maroni the last major crime lord left on the streets before the coming election and Dent hot on the trail?
(We never see the REPORTER give her story, nor do we see the source of the sound. It is merely a series of bulletins as we get a view of THE BATCAVE ? black, widespread, hollow. As bats flutter around, their shadows occasionally darting by the dim blue lights that illuminate the lair, BRUCE WAYNE sits at a desk filled with chemical equipment, magnifying glasses, and assorted weapons, scraps of clothing, photographs, and charts. He is dressed in a robe hastily thrown over pieces of the BATSUIT he has not removed, and as he listens to the REPORTER?s monologue, we see him working. He takes a modified spear gun and fires, sending a tiny red bat-shaped device onto a nearby stalagmite of the cave. He flips a switch on a monitor, which shows a signal on a sonar screen; the gun sends out TRACKING DEVICES. BRUCE then reaches down for his utility belt and hits a button the front; smoke pours out from all sides of the belt, engulfing him for a few seconds in a total SMOKE SCREEN. As it clears, we see him using a small screwdriver on the insides of white lenses shaped to fit into his cowl. Soon finished, he closes the lenses and pops them into a nearby mask, and as he tries it on, we get a view through the eyes of the cowl; the lenses are NIGHT VISION.)
(The news report goes silent, and BRUCE, cowl still on, turns around. ALFRED is on the cave stairs.)
ALFRED
Mr. Wayne, Mr. Dent has just called. His meeting with the city council was adjourned early. He will be here within the hour.
(BRUCE stares at ALFRED blankly, seemingly not understanding. He looks at his watch. He looks back up to ALFRED and down at his watch again. Then the look on his face melts to one of panic, and he throws the cowl off and rushes off towards his BATSUIT CLOSET, moving out-of-frame and throwing his robe off behind him. ALFRED gives the sigh of a frustrated nanny.)
ALFRED
A friendly warning, sir ? Selina has felt rather starved for affection this past week. She may be underfoot for much of the meeting.
INT. WAYNE MANOR STUDY ? MINUTES LATER
(An old GRANDFATHER CLOCK rests in the middle of a wall-sized bookcase. BRUCE comes stumbling out of it in a hastily thrown-on shirt and jacket, sliding across the floor and brushing himself off. As he checks himself over for any remnants of his BATMAN persona, he feels something brushing against his leg and hears a welcoming meow. He looks down to see SELINA, a black cat with big yellow eyes. BRUCE quickly looks away from her, gently pushing her away with his leg.)
ANOTHER ANGLE ? THE DOOR
(ALFRED opens the door, and behind it stands HARVEY, a big grin on his face.)
HARVEY
There he is! Bruce!
BRUCE
(with a tired grin)
Hey, Harv ?
(It is not an affectionate nickname; he means to say ?Harvey,? but HARVEY pulls him into a brotherly hug, which a bewildered BRUCE cannot return.)
HARVEY
(an arm still around BRUCE)
You look terrible. Another ?big business deal??
(The two laugh, BRUCE much more awkwardly than HARVEY.)
You ready to work?
BRUCE
Yeah ?
(SELINA is at his leg again. BRUCE scoops her up and dumps her into ALFRED?s arms.)
Alfred, take care of that, would you? We?ll be in the den.
(BRUCE and HARVEY march off, and ALFRED gives yet another sigh.)
INT. WAYNE MANOR DEN ? SOME HOURS LATER
(BRUCE and HARVEY sit on a large couch before a larger fireplace, a coffee table in front of them and campaign posters, papers, and ledgers all over. HARVEY is pouring over everything, his face hardened with concentration. BRUCE is earnestly attempting to focus, but cannot help but glance towards his watch every now and again.)
HARVEY
?Fredericks is down another four points since last week. The new ads on my work against Moxom are testing well, and the Falcone trial?s already making an impact. The only thing we?re concerned about is if Fredericks goes negative. We?ve set aside some of your last donation in case we have to throw out a defense, but it?s hard to know what they?ll use if anything. We think they might call me unsympathetic to Gotham?s businesses for my work against Daggett, so we wanted to get your OK to shoot some ads at Wayne Enterprises.
(BRUCE is staring at the fireplace.)
Bruce?
BRUCE
(Snapping out of it)
Sure. Fine.
(HARVEY sighs; this is not the first meeting where his old friend BRUCE has been so lost in thought. But, as HARVEY checks his watch, he realizes?)
HARVEY
I?m running late.
(They both rise. ALFRED enters and brings HARVEY his coat and scarf.)
HARVEY
We still on for Halloween night? Gilda?s really wanting to meet Rachel.
BRUCE
Oh yeah. Right. Sure. Great.
HARVEY
OK. See you then, Bruce.
(Once again HARVEY pulls BRUCE into a hug; once again BRUCE fails to return it.)
Alright. Thanks again, Alfred.
ALFRED
A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Dent.
(EXIT HARVEY.)
BRUCE
Cancel the date on Halloween.
ALFRED
I thought you had just agreed that you would still be going.
BRUCE
I have too much to do. So does he.
ALFRED
Everyone must take time to rest. And you have snubbed him four times in the past few weeks alone.
BRUCE
(Turning toward the stairs)
I have a new lead on Maroni?s money. I need to get evidence over to Gordon.
ALFRED
Bruce!
(BRUCE stops and turns. It is so rare for ALFRED to call him anything less than ?MASTER BRUCE,? let alone be so short-tempered.)
(The two are locked in a stare, ALFRED the angry nanny and BRUCE the child who does not understand his sin.)
ALFRED
What is this all about?
(BRUCE looks down at his feet, embarrassment all over his face. He looks up sheepishly, trying to come up with an answer. But before he can open his mouth, SELINA is at his feet again. Frustrated, BRUCE scoops her up, drops her into ALFRED?s arms, and heads back to the stairs and marches up to his room.)
(SELINA lets out a small cry. ALFRED, his face lined with pity, looks up towards BRUCE?s room and gives another, mournful sigh.)
INT. BRUCE?S ROOM
(BRUCE sits at the foot of his bed, a small oval picture of his parents in his hands. He stares at it as if in a trance. And as he stares, we fade into his memories?)
EXT. THE GARDEN OF WAYNE MANOR ? BRUCE?S MIND, B&W
(The casket of THOMAS and MARTHA WAYNE sits before a large reef of roses. BRUCE, 10, and ALFRED sit by it, the butler?s arm around his young ward, who leans in to the only family he has left in the world.)
(Mourners pass by one by one, laying roses on the coffin. One couple has with them a small black boy ? a young HARVEY. He runs up and hugs BRUCE, who hugs him back. As HARVEY?s parents lead him away, BRUCE begins to cry, and he buries his head in the chest of ALFRED, who holds him close.)
INT. WAYNE MANOR STUDY ? BRUCE?S MIND, B&W
(A morose young BRUCE wanders around the study, sniffing. He looks up towards a full-size portrait of his parents on the wall and starts to cry again. He leans against the grandfather clock.)
The clock opens up, and BRUCE falls through. He lands, illuminated by one beam of light coming through the opening, inside a black cave. Around him fly hundreds of bats. The young boy picks himself up, sits, and looks up at the swarm around him. The look on his face is at once both one of sheer terror and perverse attraction.
One bat soars right up to our view, and carries us over in a transition to?)
EXT. ARKHAM ASYLUM ? NIGHT
INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM ? NIGHT
(A first floor office door bearing the name ?JONATHAN CRANE.?)
INT. CRANE?S OFFICE ? NIGHT
(CRANE?S office is what every psychiatrist should try to avoid. Small, confining, dimly lit and off-putting, it is hardly contusive to productive patient/doctor conversations. HARVEY sits in a chair across from the desk of CRANE, who is in shadow. This is not the HARVEY we have seen up until this point. He is awkward, uncomfortable, and fidgety. The only commonality between this man and the district attorney we?ve come to know is the constant flipping of his coin.)
(While CRANE?s face remains in the shadows, his hand is in the light, ticking a watch back and forth. HARVEY?s eyes follow it intently at first, then slowly shut. Finally, as his eyes close completely, we see his coin land in his open palm, which closes into a fist.)
INT. PRESBYRTERIAN CHURCH ? HARVEY?S MIND, B&W
(No one appears to be in this all white church except for the pale-faced preacher, a massive bull of a man who excitedly thunders about fire and brimstone, pointing to a massive painting of the seven circles of Hell; the only thing in this world with color.)
INT. THE DENT HOME ? HARVEY?S MIND, B&W
(In stark contrast to the church, the DENT household is pitch black, save for one cold fireplace. The same preacher we saw before is now taking a massive chug of whiskey straight from the bottle. Clearly drunk, he hurls the still half-full bottle into the fire and turns on a small boy; HARVEY, who cowers in fear in the corner. The preacher ? his father ? pulls a coin from his pocket, a two-headed silver dollar. He flips it, catches it in mid-air, and gains a truly cruel smile as he looks at the result. He tears his belt from his trousers and lifts it high into the air as his small son continues to cower?)
INT. CRANE?S OFFICE ? NIGHT
(HARVEY?s eyes shoot open, but the look they hold is never one that HARVEY himself would wear. Everything about him, in fact, seems radically different. He jumps to his feet and seizes the chair he was sitting on.)
HARVEY
That son of a bitch?I?ll kill him!
(Once again, the voice that comes out is not HARVEY?s. He hurls the chair through the window and immediately turns toward CRANE?s desk. The psychiatrist, still in shadow, immediately snaps his fingers. HARVEY, however, does not immediately return to normal. He stumbles about, his groans alternating between those of his voice and those of the rage that he just showed, but finally, he collapses to the ground, sweating profusely, as HARVEY.)
(CRANE finally emerges from the shadows. He is, almost to the letter, the image of Ichabod from ?Sleepy Hollow.? Hook nose, gangly form, tweed three-piece suit, and large, owl-like glasses would make him comical if not for the dead, cruel eyes and slicked, rat-like hair. As he sets his arms down on his desk, we [not HARVEY] see some straw fall from his sleeve.)
CRANE
That?s quite the temper you have there, DA.
HARVEY
The coin used to keep him shut up. It?s not doing it anymore.
CRANE
That coin. What does it mean to you?
HARVEY
It was my pop?s. When he?d come home and drink, he could get mad. When he got mad, he played a game. Heads, I got the belt; tails, I was safe.
CRANE
But the coin has two heads.
(HARVEY shrugs.)
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor Harvey. No wonder your alter-ego is so eager to destroy my office. But this ?other you? you?re so worried about, tell me more about him.
(HARVEY does not answer.)
You?re not cooperating, DA.
HARVEY
How do I get rid of?him?
(Gesturing toward the broken window)
What does this have to do with him?
CRANE
He has a name, doesn?t he? What is his name, Harvey?
HARVEY
He?s?he?s coming out more and more. Ever since the Thorne trial. The vote?s coming up ? I can?t have this!
CRANE
What is his name, Harvey?
HARVEY
Gordon saw him. When Viti and Gazzo took their shot. I don?t know how he calmed him down.
CRANE
What is his name, Harvey?
(HARVEY and CRANE lock up in a stare.)
(A NURSE knocks and enters.)
NURSE
Excuse me, Dr. Crane, but Mr. Dent has a phone call.
(Both men nod; she steps out. HARVEY turns back to CRANE.)
CRANE
Run along then, DA. Run, run, run.
(CRANE has gained a strange, joyless smile on his face, and HARVEY is noticeably upset by it. But the phone call waits. With a last uneasy look back, HARVEY heads out the door.)
(CRANE looks down at the straw on his desk. As he lifts up his arm, more straw starts to fall out. Still wearing his strange smile, he opens a drawer in his desk, takes out a needle and black thread, and begins to sew?his arm. Whether he is sewing his jacket or his actual arm is unclear.)
CRANE
?Sing a song of sixpence/A pocket full of rye/four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie.?
(As he sews, the straw slowly stops falling.)
?When the pie was opened/the birds began to sing??
(The straw has stopped.)
??Now wasn?t that a dainty dish to set before a king???
(The NURSE steps back in.)
NURSE
Mr. Dent has had to leave, Dr. Crane. But Johnny Viti is here from Gotham Penitentiary.
CRANE
Ah, very good. Do be a dear and make sure that this little visit is off the records, would you?
NURSE
Yes, sir.
(She steps out again. JOHNNY VITI is led in by an orderly, set down on the couch, and steps out. CRANE leans forward, staring at VITI intently.)
CRANE
Life in big house isn?t to your liking, is it Johnny? Arkham here is my domain, far away from old man Gordon. Quid quo pro, of course; I need to know about ?Boss? Maroni and his plans for our beloved DA, for reasons I must keep private ? I?m sure you understand. A room has just become available, and I can guarantee you asylum from the police. Are you interested?
______________________________________________________________
The comic for this is currently being posted at BOF under the Fan-Art section.
This is superb stuff. I am intending to go back to my fanfic soon but your exquisite writing has really raised the bar. This is as good as most filmed screenplays.
Great stuff zDBZ
Quote from: johnnygobbs on Fri, 2 Oct 2009, 22:22
This is superb stuff. I am intending to go back to my fanfic soon but your exquisite writing has really raised the bar. This is as good as most filmed screenplays.
Thank you, but in fact, the formatting is very off and I would probably be tearing entire pages out if I went out and shot this. But in any event, here's more.
___________________________________________________________________
EXT. A COBBLESTONE STREET OF GOTHAM ? SOME HOURS LATER
(The Batmobile drives alone.)
INT. THE BATMOBILE
(BATMAN drives. The radio is on.)
RADIO (voice)
?Another death reported from Arkham Asylum, as Jervis Tetch, known also to Gothamites as the Mad Hatter, passed away. The cause has been attributed to massive nervous shock. Tetch had been in Arkham for just two months since his arrest. ?This just in, and continuing on that note from Arkham, an escape has just been reported from the institution; Johnny Viti, one of the two Falcone soldiers who recently tried to gun down Commissioner Gordon and district attorney Harvey Dent.
(BATMAN?s interest is piqued.)
Why Viti was at Arkham is unknown at this time, and no word has been released yet from Arkham director Jeremiah Arkham. He was seen to have dived into the Gotham River and swimming down towards Old Gotham?
(BATMAN has heard enough. He spins the wheel around.)
EXT. A COBBLESTONE STREET OF GOTHAM
(The Batmobile does a 180 in the middle of the street and speeds off.)
EXT. OLD GOTHAM, AT THE BANKS OF GOTHAM RIVER ? MINUTES LATER
(JOHNNY VITI has dragged himself up from the muck and is clawing his way toward the streets. He is gasping for air, desperately clutching on to a manila folder, and stricken with panic.)
(As he claws, he notices a pair of black boots standing in his way. He looks up; THE BATMAN stands over him. VITI is clearly terrified, but whatever he?s running from terrifies him more. He grabs onto BATMAN?s legs as if for dear life.)
VITI
Take it?take it!
(Despite his panicked state of mind, BATMAN can tell VITI is referring to the folder. He bends down to take it from him when VITI throws his arms around BATMAN?s neck.)
The voice?the face?the crow. Scarecrow. Scarecrow!
(VITI releases his grip and falls back, dead from shock. BATMAN, somewhat shaken, takes the folder and looks inside. What he sees truly leaves him shocked.)
INT. GORDON?S OFFICE ? LATER THAT NIGHT
(GORDON?s office is that of a workaholic; a mess. GORDON and DENT stand by a large chart on the wall showing the hierarchy of the Falcone crime family.)
DENT
Why was Viti at Arkham?
GORDON
I don?t know. They moved him without saying a goddamned word to me. If he?s back on the streets, it?s on their heads. I?m not taking the heat for this ?
(The window breaks; both whirl around. A BATARNG has come through with a note attached. DENT picks it up; the note reads, ?Gotham Zoo. Creatures of the Night.? BATMAN?s symbol is on the bottom.)
EXT. GOTHAM ZOO ? LATER THAT NIGHT
(Old, bleak, the iron gates rusting, and probably well below standards for animal care. The doors of the gate have been thrown open, the chain and key lying on the ground in front of them. As we move through it, we arrive at a building made to look like a large rock cave, with letters spelling out ?Creatures of the Night? above the mouth.)
INT. ?CREATURES OF THE NIGHT? EXHIBIT
(GORDON and HARVEY, bundled in coats, step cautiously through the exhibit, a black pit broken up only by poorly lit animal pens blocked off by glass. They can hardly make their way through, much less find a figure draped in black.)
GORDON
Where is he??
(They both move to turn around; perhaps they?ve passed him; but as they turn, there is BATMAN, standing grimly. GORDON and HARVEY both jump back. GORDON huffs.)
Do you have to do that?
BATMAN
Johnny Viti is dead.
GORDON
(Thrown off)
What?
(BATMAN draws VITI?s folder from his cape.)
BATMAN
He had this.
(As he hands the folder to GORDON, BATMAN glares over at HARVEY, who recognizes the documents and freezes up. GORDON notices the look between them, and begins to go through the papers in the folder one by one. His face slowly sinks into shock.)
GORDON
My god?
(He, too, turns on HARVEY)
Harvey, my god!
(HARVEY rudely snatches the folder away.)
HARVEY
Thanks for respecting my privacy.
GORDON
Harvey, have you disclosed this?
HARVEY
Have you heard the press bring it up? Of course not!
GORDON
And why haven?t you said anything to me? Harvey, you have to know what this means, what effect it can have on?
(He begins to remember something)
Oh my god, Harvey, that?s what came out that night Viti and Gazzo took their shot.
HARVEY
So do you want to broadcast it?
(He recognizes his rising anger and works to calm himself down.)
HARVEY (cont?d.)
You know how well this would go over with voters? Or law offices? I?d never have gotten anything done with this out there.
GORDON
(Worried)
Harvey?
HARVEY
I?ve got it under control, Jim. No worries. I?ve got a grip on my goblins.
(BATMAN, who has quietly observed the argument, now has his interest piqued.)
BATMAN
Do you?
(His tone is strange; does he refer to the fact that this folder came from a psychiatrist?s office or something more personal for him? HARVEY assumes the former.)
HARVEY
I?ve talked to shrinks before. Every once and a while, when work piles up, things start to unwind a bit up here.
(He points to his head.)
They just help me calm down. Things always go back to normal.
BATMAN
Are you sure?
(His tone remains odd. He and HARVEY lock in a stare.)
GORDON
(Cutting in)
Harvey, this isn?t good. Not for you or your work. I want you out of the spotlight ?til you get this figured out.
HARVEY
I?m telling you, I?m fine!
(Again, he snaps. He works to calm himself down again.)
HARVEY (cont?d.)
Once the campaign is finished and we have Maroni, I?m planning to go off on vacation with Gilda. I?ll drop everything, spend more time with Crane, let you two handle the city. Just?just keep it under your hat, OK?
GORDON
(after a pause)
Alright.
HARVEY
(Nods in thanks)
And what about you ?
(He stops. BATMAN is gone. On the ground is a note with one hastily scribbled word: ?OK.?)
finally more
EXT. STEPS OF GOTHAM COURTHOUSE – THE NEXT DAY
(A crowd of adoring fans has gathered yet again as HARVEY stands before a podium on the steps, an entourage including GORDON behind him. He is at his finest; a politician, reverend, and preacher all together, and none of it coming off as an act.)
HARVEY
...And I want to make it perfectly clear: Commissioner Gordon had nothing to do with Johnny Viti's escape last night. He was not even informed of Viti's transfer to Arkham. He has endured some of the worst times our city has ever seen, and deserves our continued support!
(The crowd gives mild applause, but they're not here to hear about the police commissioner. They're here for HARVEY. He goes on.)
Joey Gazzo remains in the Gotham Penitentiary, and it is there he will stay. And it's where "The Boss" Maroni will find himself very soon!
(Applause again follows, but this is much more enthusiastic and wilder.)
Campaign season's filled with a lot of hyperbole. My opponent's made a few wild claims that never panned out. What was that he said about The Roman? "The charges will never stick; he'll never even have to set foot in court!"
(The crowd laughs. A man in sunglasses and a fedora pulled low silently makes his way up towards the podium.)
HARVEY (cont'd.)
Things worked out a little different, didn't they? I don't go in for that kind of false prediction. So when I tell you that Halloween is the last holiday that Maroni will see as a free man, you can bet I know what I'm talking about!
(The crowd is euphoric now; cries of "Apollo!" have begun again. Not noticed in the slightest is our man in glasses, who reaches the front of the mass of people, draws a revolver, and springs forward, letting off two shots that send everyone to the ground...except HARVEY. A horrid look that has now become familiar is in his eyes yet again. He shoots his right arm out, seizing the gun hand of his would-be killer. The gun falls as his wrist is snapped. HARVEY now swings back his left and lands a solid punch into the killer's jaw, knocking him down onto the steps. HARVEY clearly has worse in mind for this mob clown...until another pair of hands restrains his. GORDON has risen to his feet and recognizes what has come over his friend. A stern look brings HARVEY back to his senses. Both look up to realize that the crowds have risen up as well, and are crazier than ever for their beloved DA...)
INT. THE BATCAVE – AT THE SAME TIME
(BATMAN has taken in the entire scene courtesy of one of five video screens on a desk. A copy made of HARVEY's psychiatric profile is spread out over the other four. Split-screens allow him to have both the full page and certain blown-up phrases on one monitor: phrases such as "unstable," "split personality," "signs of schizophrenia," and "Jonathan Crane," all scrawled in old-fashioned cursive.)
(ALFRED descends the stairs and gets a look at what BATMAN has been working on.)
ALFRED
Am I to presume that the day is not far off that you will suspect me of some wrong-doing?
BATMAN
Harvey has a real problem, Alfred.
(He scrolls down one of the pages. We see the words "symptoms began in childhood" and "age eight." BATMAN eyes them curiously.)
He shouldn't be doing this.
(He nods to the scene in front of the courthouse.)
(ALFRED nods. He looks over the screens again.)
ALFRED
That name "Crane" is familiar. Where do we know him from?
BATMAN
I studied under a Jonathan Crane in New York. He's dead now. This Crane is a psychologist at Arkham.
ALFRED
Mr. Dent must be paying him quite a sum for private appointments. But if I may, sir, is it necessary to worry about our old friend? He has managed so far with this problem.
(BATMAN does not answer. He continues to eye the name "CRANE.")
BATMAN
Set up an appointment, Alfred.
Great!
DUDE. Where have you been!!!?
Busy ;)
An update long in coming: the artist I had originally partnered with started posting pages for this story on BOF. I haven't asked him about posting it here, but if I get the OK, I'll stop posting script elements and start posting his pages. For now, here's the next bit:
INT. ARKHAM ASYLUM LOBBY – LATER THAT DAY
(The lobby is the only part of Arkham that seems human. It is clean, white, and neat. BRUCE WAYNE sits impatiently, eyeing a stack of old magazines as if unsure how to begin the cliché of reading them. He is spared the effort when a NURSE steps over to him.)
NURSE
Dr. Crane will see you now.
(BRUCE is led down the halls to the door to CRANE's office. It is open. There sits DR. CRANE, with the same dead eyes and same rat hair. BRUCE is frozen; that is his DR. CRANE!)
CRANE
Well, well, well. Bruce Wayne. The prodigal son returns. Come in, boy, come in. I don't have much time to spare.
(BRUCE is still frozen. The NURSE gives him a slight nudge, and he finally makes his way into the room, sitting down across from CRANE, who wears his curious, joyless smile.)
CRANE
It's been almost thirteen years, hasn't it? I lost track of you after you left the country. I've been quite disappointed in you, I must say. A dreary blue blood sitting in on boardroom meetings and throwing money towards charitable causes and inspiring politicians? You had such a talent for the power of fear. And such anger at something. I was so sure you'd find a role to play to make use of your...unique talents.
(BRUCE shifts uncomfortably; what is his old teacher getting at? And besides...)
BRUCE
I thought you were dead.
CRANE
But still so direct. The reports were greatly exaggerated, as it goes. Here I sit, a new addition to the Arkham family, studying the fears of the criminally insane.
BRUCE
Right. But you agreed to see me.
CRANE
I always have time for patients and old students, especially those with such morbid and fascinating pasts as yours. What can the good doctor do for you?
(BRUCE is frozen again; CRANE is alive?)
BRUCE
Nightmares. I've had nightmares.
CRANE
A rather dull ailment, but interesting if they're from your mind. Are they anything like the ones you used to have in your college days? I've quite a memory, you know. Falling pearls, spilt popcorn, horrid cries and a sinister saying – and what else? Some sort of monster. A bat, perchance?
(BRUCE freezes yet again. What did he mean by that?)
(A welcome interruption comes in the form of a phone call. CRANE answers, listens for a moment, then hangs up and rises.)
CRANE
Sit tight, dear Bruce. I shan't be long.
(EXIT CRANE)
(BRUCE allows himself a heavy sigh of relief before springing out of the chair and darting behind CRANE's desk. He pulls open the first drawer he can get his hands on and starts thumbing through the files when he realizes that he is standing on something other than floor. He looks down; at the feet of CRANE's chair is a pile of straw. He almost bends down to look at it when he spies a picture on CRANE's desk. It is of CRANE, from younger days. There are no glasses and his hair is not so slick, but the eyes are as dead as those that BRUCE just looked into. This is the CRANE that was the teacher of a young BRUCE...)
INT. A COLLEGE CLASSROOM – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(An adolescent BRUCE WAYNE sits in the front row of a large campus classroom. While the students around him seem bored, he is like a laser beam – intensely focused, eyes blazing with both some private demon and the thirst for the knowledge that will banish that demon. Conducting the class is DR. CRANE, a white lab coat over his tweed suit. He is the only soul besides BRUCE with any life to him as he pours his whole heart into his lecture. We get tight close ups on some of the things he has written on the chalkboard: "TERROR," "PSYCHOLOGICAL FRAILTY," "POWER OF FEAR.")
INT. COLLEGE HALLWAYS – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(BRUCE is walking down the halls. While everyone around him has a friend or a girlfriend or a companion of some sort, he is alone, draped all in black. He stops at a door marked "DR. JONATHAN CRANE." A poster has been tacked on. Again, we see close-ups of certain words: "FEAR EXPERIMENT," "VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.")
INT. A SMALL HALL CLOSET – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(In this land of pitch-black save for one square glass window through which minimal light shines, BRUCE sits in an old wooden chair, his hands and feet bound. Sweat pours down his face and he shifts and shakes in his chair, desperate to move toward the door but unable to do more than shuffle the chair slightly back and forth. In the room with him are a string of pearls tacked to the wall, a mess of popcorn spilt all over the floor, and eight large vampire bats flying about. BRUCE is already covered with bloody bites and nips – the only color in this world – and the bats show no signs of stopping. Through the glass, we see the silhouette of DR. CRANE, wearing his joyless smile and taking notes.)
INT. COLLEGE HALLWAYS – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(BRUCE leans up against a wall, listening in on the conversation taking place inside the nearby dean's office. CRANE is being torn a new one by the DEAN. We cut quickly inside the room to see the DEAN hurl down a report, and we get close-ups on the words "UNETHICAL" and "TERMINATED.")
EXT. COLLEGE GROUNDS AT NIGHT – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(It is night. BRUCE watches as fire trucks depart, and we see that an entire wing of the school has smoke and steam pouring off of it; there has just been a fire.)
EXT. A COLLEGE NEWSSTAND – BRUCE'S MIND, B&W
(A newspaper sits at the top of the newsstand, bearing the headline "FIRE ENGULFS SCHOOL" with the sub-heading "DISMISSED PROFESSOR CRANE PRESUMED DEAD.")
Good stuff. Hope you get his permission so we'll see the finished pages.
Agreed!
INT. CRANE'S OFFICE – DAY
(The sound of the door opening snaps BRUCE out of his recollections, and he quickly throws the drawer shut and jumps back into his chair. CRANE steps into his office but does not take his seat.)
CRANE
I warned you I hadn't much time to spare; it seems I have even less than I thought. You'll have to come back later, I'm afraid. Take notes on your nightmares and drop in next week, would you?
(BRUCE nods. He gets up and hurries past CRANE, not even stopping to shake his hand. He strolls down the hallways, clearly not wanting to stay near his old teacher any longer than he has to. Along the way, he passes a man in a big overcoat and a fedora pulled down low over his face. As BRUCE passes, this man turns and looks. We see that it is HARVEY under the hat.)
(HARVEY now makes his way into CRANE's office and sits down across from the doctor's desk, tossing the fedora aside with contempt.)
HARVEY
I hate hats. What was Bruce doing here?
CRANE
You of all people should know to respect doctor-patient confidentiality. I caught your little speech on the television today.
(He sits down behind his desk.)
That little scene likely won you another hundred votes.
(HARVEY grunts. He has begun flipping his coin again.)
HARVEY
I want this to stop.
CRANE
So you've told me before. Yet you've been most uncooperative in the details.
HARVEY
What else do you need?
CRANE
I'd like a chat with your "him."
HARVEY
(The coin has just been tossed; he catches it and stares.)
What?
CRANE
Come now, Harvey. If you won't tell me his name...
HARVEY
Do you have to?
CRANE
As your doctor, I must insist.
(HARVEY sighs. He shrugs, a "do what you will" kind of a thing. CRANE's joyless smile returns. He draws a pocket watch from his tweed suit and begins to tick it back and forth. HARVEY watches it intently, and his eyes slowly shut. His head droops forward as if he were asleep, but he begins to flip his coin again. It is not the nervous, constant action of HARVEY, however, but a slow and deliberate toss.)
CRANE
Knock, knock. Who's there?
(The head lifts up, but the look in the eyes is not HARVEY. This is the dreaded "him," who we will refer to for the present as DENT.)
DENT
What do you want?
CRANE
Testy, aren't we?
DENT
Aren't you here to kill me?
CRANE
So the DA hopes. Tell me, does he know what you do?
DENT
You mean, can he read my mind?
(DENT gives a cruel laugh.)
Not anymore. He used to. Now only when I want him to.
CRANE
Then I may be frank. It's not your death I'm after.
DENT
What do you mean?
CRANE
Surely you'd enjoy coming out of the closet, so to speak? You want to have free reign over the body you share with our old Harvey, don't you? Answer some questions and I may yet find a way to liberate you.
(DENT catches the coin and glares at CRANE. At that moment, it is hard to say which has a crueler pair of eyes or which is more unnerving to the average constitution. Finally, DENT begins to flip the coin again and utters another laugh.)
DENT
Alright, doc. I'll bite. What do you want?
CRANE
Your name, for one.
DENT
Can't say I got one. Never got one from Harvey. I've just been around.
CRANE
Harvey's been most vague about how long, though. I know only that you've been with him since he was young. He first remembers you after an incident with his dear old dad, but was vague as to the details. Enlighten me.
DENT
What's he said about Pop?
CRANE
That he was a sort of man of God with a weakness for liquor and a penchant for child beating.
DENT
(Chuckling)
That's him, the son of a bitch. And he wasn't no fan of blacks either. He fooled around with Mom one night after a bottle of vodka and when he heard a baby was on the way, he had to marry her.
CRANE
What sort of a preacher was he?
DENT
Presbyterian. Real old-school.
SCOTSMAN
Presbyterian, you say? And predestination along with it?
(DENT nods.)
What did he think of young Harvey Dent? Was he "on the list," as it were?
(DENT shakes his head.)
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor Harvey. And what did he think of that? How has he felt about free will throughout life? Does he control his fate?
DENT
The little brat was scared sh*tless. He thought he was a bad seed. He believed every word that bastard beat into him.
(The scene fades into the black and white memories of HARVEY and DENT, with DENT's words serving as narration for the visuals.)
Then one day when he's up at Wayne Manor playing with that dim bulb Bruce, Dr. Wayne notices that Harvey's got some big bruises. He asks what's up. He coaxes the truth out of Harvey. And Dr. Wayne's shocked by this. He tells Harvey that he's not a bad seed. That his bastard dad has it all wrong. That he controls his own life. Well, later that night, Pop comes home and he's had a good day. Really let the church ladies have it with the fire and brimstone. But he drinks on good nights and bad nights. Bad nights it's whisky; good nights it's vodka. And he takes a nice chug of that. He pulls out the coin. He's told Harvey his whole life that he's damned because the coin always comes up heads, which gets him the belt. He flips it. And little eight-year old Harvey jumps up and grabs the coin. He sees that it's two heads. And scared little Harvey goes bat-sh*t. He pushes Pop back towards the fireplace. The bastard's too drunk and too stunned to push back. Harvey grabs the vodka bottle and smashes it into Pop. The glass is all stuck in his chest. He falls back into the fire. And by the time Mommy comes home, Harvey's curled up in a corner, crying his eyes out because he finally had the guts to take out the old man.
(The memories end; we are back in CRANE's office.)
And that's my first memory. Mommy never fought back against Pop, and she don't know what to do now. She makes Harvey shut up about it and hushes the whole thing up. She starts dating again. And Harvey thinks this proves Pop was right, him killing and all. When Wayne gets shot later, he thinks that's punishment for what he did. And he goes through his days trying to be a stand-up guy like Wayne was. He tries to prove to himself that he's a good seed. But he always thinks back to that night and Pop's words. He shuts them doubts away. And they become...
(DENT gestures to his face, which has a horrible grin on it. This grin fades when he notices the smile worn by CRANE, who has eagerly taken in the entire story.)
DENT
What's all this to you, doc?
CRANE
Do you know what I am?
DENT
A doc.
CRANE
My specialty – my passion – has always been fear. Fear of bats, fear of rats. Fear of larks, fear of the dark. A little fear here, a little fear there – all the fear that's anywhere. I had quite the career once passing on my knowledge of the subject until a little...disagreement over ethics arose –
DENT
I care. What the hell does this have to do with me?
CRANE
Such class. But to the point. Harvey is so loved, so adored. He is the hope of this city. Have you ever wondered what would happen to the people if all of that came tumbling down?
DENT
(Impatient)
No.
CRANE
I have. I've long since learned that to conduct an experiment around such a subject is frowned upon, but I have found ways around such technicalities. All I've been missing is a knight in shining armor to turn into a monster.
(DENT begins to catch on. He starts flipping his coin again).
DENT
What are you driving at?
CRANE
Do you object to Harvey's body and mind being put through unbearable anguish and suffering?
DENT
(Smiling)
Not as long as I can use it when it's done.
CRANE
Then I propose to release you from imprisonment. And all I want in return is for you to be as horrid and despicable as possible upon your release. Can you manage?
DENT
(Laughing)
I'll do my worst. How you gonna get me out of here?
CRANE
In due time, good sir. The arrangements will be made tonight. For now, though, I must bring back Harvey. You just sit tight and plan what you'll do to our fair city. And remember – our little secret.
(DENT catches the coin again.)
DENT
What's in this for you? What do you want to do this for?
CRANE
And *that* is my little secret.
DENT
This is all on your head, doc.
CRANE
Tah tah.
(CRANE snaps his fingers. DENT shuts his eyes, and HARVEY opens them.)
HARVEY
What did he say?
CRANE
Oh, this about your father and that about you. As your doctor, I find it best you don't know.
HARVEY
Why?
CRANE
Are you going against my advice?
HARVEY
What good's it done me so far? He's still coming out, isn't he?
CRANE
(Beat)
Testy. I remind you that you came here without appointment today. I have other business to attend to this evening, as I'm sure do you. We will discuss this at your next regularly scheduled appointment next week.
(HARVEY grunts his frustration but says nothing else. He rises, retrieves his hat, and marches out the door. CRANE watches him leave like a hawk. Once HARVEY is out the door, he looks down at the pile of straw on the floor. He lifts his leg up on to his desk, and we see there is a tear in his trousers through which the straw is falling. CRANE takes out his needle and thread and begins sewing.)
Got the OK from my artist to show the comic panels here:
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fn20%2Fscabonface%2Fbatadfin_edited-1.jpg&hash=d323b205037abaa4a197cb2e2a02340c79c18d1f)
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1177.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx349%2Fscaperat%2FTheBatmanAct1_edited-2.jpg&hash=294e23e26abb6761d5f68921fbde837d4129a919)
That artwork is excellent, zDBZ. The black and white format works to its advantage, lending it a moody Burtonesque ambience. And it's precisely the right time of year for a spooky Halloween tale.
I don't usually read fan fiction, but I'll definitely look forward to seeing more of this.
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1177.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx349%2Fscaperat%2F6f65e122-a3ab-41ad-8c42-ea28ea8a4f47_zpscb865e91.jpg&hash=072ff6dc398ab0f293dfc9474593be595e89c32f)
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1177.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx349%2Fscaperat%2F84d32f7d-8113-44f0-8103-31874a989b0e_zps007abba0.jpg&hash=6716110de2272b651a154a3560076ac80c00ea54)
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1177.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx349%2Fscaperat%2F73feb013-7cc0-4400-a658-7744400410a2_zps57fa907f.jpg&hash=129b35bc3de0b126302d71e0ac5f2a166f0dcfcb)
Really nicely done!
(https://www.batman-online.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1177.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fx349%2Fscaperat%2FTerrorOfBatman5-2_zps75f2c418.jpg&hash=78c9d2978af6e89a5db88383cc65c7718a56df88)