"PILOT" TELEPLAY by Robert Garlen BATMAN Created by Bob Kane
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GOTHAM KNIGHTS 1X01 "PILOT" TELEPLAY By Robert Garlen BATMAN Created by Bob Kane & Bill Finger This is a work of Fan Fiction and is not to be confused with any official Batman project or product. TEASER FADE TO: EXT. GOTHAM CITY - NIGHT - RAIN FALL SUPER: 5 YEARS AGO... Panning view of the city, up top/sky scraper - Beautiful eloquent designed, an architectural marvel. As the camera sinks down it progresses to becomes disgusting, dirty. Images in apartments flash: - MAN BEATING WIFE. - DOG BEING BEATEN. - MAN SCREAMING AT CHILD. - DRUG DEALS. - PROSTITUTION. FINALLY... THE BOTTOM. Blasting through a trash filled alley like a bat out of hell: JOE CHILL, dirty, old, poor, frighten. He scrambles through a heap of trash - he finds himself blocked, not chain-linked but good old fashioned wood fence. A Large menacing shadow moves over him and disappears. He fights to stand in the heap of trash - INTERCUT - Young Boy, Parents, walking out of Movie Theater, laughing parading around. Father reaches for popcorn from boy’s bag. Mother sips on a drink. The boy hands dad the bag, picks up a stick from sidewalk. Swings it as a sword. - The Wood fence explodes and a dark shadow steps through... Joe turns and runs - JOE CHILL GETAWAY FROM ME! INTERCUT - The family moves into the alley, parading on the boy enthused swings the stick out and swipes a "Z" in the air. - Joe huffing and puffing he turns and sees: ACE CHEMICAL. He runs towards the building. INTERCUT - A CLICK. GUN. CHILL part in shadows. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 2. He aims it at the two, the Father struck but calm, The Mother frightened covering her mouth to keep from screaming, the boy behind the protection of his father... - Chill pulls a glock fires at the lock - kicks it in, enters. He runs to the door shoves his shoulder into it, nothing. He runs over to the nearest Window and smashes it... follow on the wire leading to... A SILENT ALARM. INTERCUT - THE HAMMER PULLS BACK, HE FIRES AS... A BLACK SHADOW DROPS IN FRONT OF THE FAMILY - IT STANDS. IT’S BODY SHROUDED BY SHADOW, IT KNOCKS THE WEAPON FROM CHILL’S HANDS! HE TAKES OFF! INT. ACE CHEMICALS - CHEMICAL STORAGE - NIGHT THUNDER CLAPS, LIGHTNING STRIKES. Chill wanders the room, filled with barrels with several paths laid out. He staggers down one, close to the left. Thunder claps, Lighting strikes. Chill stands frightened, The shadow stands behind him. Chill turns, nothing behind him! A loud growl fills the air. Chill staggers fires in the dark. Lightning strikes - The shadowed figure is crouched behind Chill on top a stack of barrels. The light fades back out. Chill, the shadowed figure, both in the dark. FIGURE (Echoing) I’ve been hunting you for so long. Wanting you. To beat you like the wild dog you are. You’ve murdered many. Too many. Chill panics: JOE CHILL Who are you! (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 3. FIGURE Vengeance. JOE CHILL What are you going to do!? FIGURE Do to you what you did to Thomas and Martha Wayne. Get the vengeance they deserve. The countless victims deserve! JOE CHILL Why!? What gives you the right? We live in a world where people starve, whats wrong in taking the food back? FIGURE You didn’t take food you took lives! Chill backs up to a window. Lightning strikes - Chill sees it, the black cloak no longer covering it, a Grey bodysuit, a mask, gloves, boots. The figure is BATMAN! He grabs Chill the moonlight exposing the two. BATMAN You took everything from me, it’s time for you to pay for it! He tosses Chill to the ground and approaches him... Chill grabs his chest, screaming in pain. the pain lasts minutes as BATMAN watches his face twisted in horror... BATMAN NO! NOT LIKE THIS! Chill goes blank, he pales. BATMAN (cont’d) NO! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD, YOU DON’T GET TO GO OUT LIKE THIS! Batman holds Chill’s body. A tear slides out of the mask. Police siren’s fade into sound, Batman looks to the window and leaves. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 4. FADE TO: INT. BATCAVE - NIGHT - A long armory, decorative stalagmites hanging a $50,000 dollar computer against the wall. BRUCE WAYNE (late 20’s)stands in the Batman uniform sans cowl. He weeps. Approaching, 40’s British, Debonair, with a thin pencil mustache, dressed in a fine suit and a cane, ALFRED PENNYWORTH. ALFRED You found him. Did you kill him? BRUCE I hunted him down. I cornered him, had him against the wall, i had my arms around him and he... Clutched his chest, I threw him down... and... ALFRED (Beat) Did you kill him? BRUCE NO. His heart did. ALFRED Your mission is over. It’s time to move on, live a normal life. Bruce throws Alfred a scowl. BRUCE Normal? You’ve said it yourself I’m a Wayne. I don’t know what Normal is. And I never will. ALFRED Bruce give it up. You think your own parents would have wanted you to kill him? BRUCE No... I made them a Promise that that his would be the only life I’d take. And I didn’t. I promised I’d never let this happen again. Alfred, I promised to restore (MORE) (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 5. BRUCE (cont’d) everything they stood for and I can’t do that as Bruce Wayne. It’s the only reason I have to live. If I want to honor them, I’ve got to save Gotham. CUT TO: EXT. ACE CHEMICAL - NIGHT - Rainfall has stopped. The lot is covered in Cop Cars pulled into the area. Rolling into the scene, possible the oldest car of the bunch. Exiting the car - Handsome, disheveled, well dressed, wrapped in a trench coat and glasses, CAPTAIN JAMES GORDON. He heads to the door, his partner exits the car, Beautiful, strong, but feminine, DETECTIVE SARAH ESSEN-GORDON. DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON Think this is ’him’. CAPTAIN GORDON NO. Not his M.O. DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON Hey we thought he was a bad guy once. What if he is? CAPTAIN GORDON Then it’s not ’Him’. DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON Why so much faith? CAPTAIN GORDON Because when it comes to faith, he’s all Gotham has left. DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON It has you Jim. CAPTAIN GORDON I couldn’t do what Batman has. None of us wearing a badge could. CUT TO: INT. ACE CHEMICALS - CRIME SCENE - NIGHT (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 6. GORDON and ESSEN-GORDON enter the room, strobes and lamps keep the place lit up. A chalk outline is being filled out around JOE CHILL. CAPTAIN GORDON (cont’d) Who’s the body? DETECTIVE BULLOCK (Off Screen) Gotham’s most wanted. Joe Chill. Harvey Bullock, Big guy, Noirish theme going on, his badge on his trench coat. DETECTIVE BULLOCK (cont’d) Found clutching his chest. Heart attack maybe. Possibly murder. CAPTAIN GORDON What gives you that idea detective? DETECTIVE BULLOCK Interview with a couple a few blocks down that called us about a mugging, said a Giant creature saved them from getting robbed. CAPTAIN GORDON Batman? Murder isn’t His M.O. DETECTIVE BULLOCK Explain the body. CAPTAIN GORDON People have heart attacks all the time Harv. Just another Heart attack. Thats all. DETECTIVE BULLOCK What? This was caused by Batman Gordon. CAPTAIN GORDON We’re ruling it a heart attack. Unless you have some evidence I don’t know about. DETECTIVE BULLOCK How about the damn bruises on his arms, face, hell he’s probably got some on his torso! (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 7. CAPTAIN GORDON Did I say Evidence? I meant substantial evidence, Those bruises wouldn’t cause a heart attack. DETECTIVE BULLOCK Bull. The Million dollar man stopped a guys heart punching him in the chest. CAPTAIN GORDON Check the bruises. A CSI Officer opens up chill’s shit, bruises cover the right side of his chest and all over his stomach. CAPTAIN GORDON (cont’d) Rule it. Heart attack, act of god. But not murder. Not Batman. DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON Jim we all have bad days. Sometimes that’s all it takes to turn crazy. CAPTAIN GORDON Sarah... Batman saved my son. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Anybody notify Wayne? DETECTIVE BULLOCK Think He’ll care this late in the night? DETECTIVE ESSEN-GORDON Maybe Wayne is the Batman. The words Hit GORDON. CAPTAIN GORDON I doubt it. Spoiled rich, why risk your life? Unless your getting paid for it no one risks their lives in Gotham. DETECTIVE BULLOCK Have a drive by do it. CAPTAIN GORDON Alright. Call Montoya. Tell her to go by Wayne Manor. Give Bruce the good news. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 8. DETECTIVE BULLOCK What do you want me to tell the headlines? CAPTAIN GORDON Oh give it about 5 seconds I’ll make something up. A BEAT of 5 Seconds. BEAT COP (Off Screen) HEY! HEY! YOU CAN’T COME IN HERE! CAPTAIN GORDON Right on que. Bullock, if you called them. Storming into the scene: Intelligent, groomed, a bit full of himself, JACK RYDER. RYDER What’s the scoop. CAPTAIN GORDON The scene is closed to the press Ryder. RYDER Why Gordon? There’s a story here and Gotham deserves to know. CAPTAIN GORDON Heart attack is hardly a story Ryder. Want someone on the scene send the guy who does obituaries. RYDER Can I at least get one question? CAPTAIN GORDON Fine. Shoot. RYDER Is there still a six foot bat stalking criminals in Gotham City? CAPTAIN GORDON On record Ryder? We have more problems to deal with then Ghosts and Goblins.